Deye mon gen mon - beyond mountains there are mountains

Thailand's Got Talent - ROCKSTAR

2011-03-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

First, America's got Talent, then Britains got Talent...........NOW! THAILANDS GOT TALENT. and a whole lot of it. Check out this rockstar of a Thai girl from Saraburi! <--Just click this and get goosebumps.

Shakespeare Visits Thailand - The Thai Youth Theater Fest

2011-03-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, I took acting classes, determined to be a first class actor! Needless to say, this never happened, but it did give me something else. Spending hours around equally strange and outgoing folks such as myself depleted any shyness I may have had, and gave me a sort of unyielding confidence and creativity that only trying to truly encompass the essence of an melancholy orange or foolishly attempting to speak in a pure Russian accent can give.
So, last year, when I attended the Thai Youth Theater Festival In Khon Kaen, I was transported back into my days of acting school. The festival offered Thai children, who usually are not given the opportunity to express themselves and just go crazy, an outlet for sparking creativity and discovering their inner Shakespeare. Volunteers taught them how to stage fight, put on makeup and create costumes, use props and make stage sets, pronunciation, and stage direction. The schools that attended the festival were preparing plays for several months before, and the following day, they performed them in front of hundreds of people. All the plays were amazing and individual, and i was in awe to see these Thai students really get into it. There was even a school that did the ENTIRE Shakepearean play, and I knew from that moment, that I MUST get my kids involved in this, and to have them interact with these older students that are so strong and outgoing.

A few months ago I brought this idea up to my coteacher and my students, and immediately they jumped on it. We started out with doing Peter Pan, then moved onto the Lion King, then finally landed on doing a short play from Harry Potter: The Tale of the Three Brothers from the Tales of Beedle the Bard. We had 14 students interested and we rehearsed every day! With the help of amazing people from the states, we raised the money to take the kids to the festival. Finally, we were ready to go.

The festival was from Feb 25-27 in Phitsanulok, with about 10 schools from all over participating, as well as several volunteers and Thai teachers. The school that did Shakespeare last year came again, performing The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and it was amazing to see them interact with my students. Even the shyest of shy students explored what it was like to be a little outgoing and crazy. The other plays were Peter Pan, The Boy who cried wolf, Mamma Mia, as well as some traditional Thai plays, and they were all simply amazing. Everything was amazing, from the daily activities, to the big group games, to the plays. And with that, the rest I will share with you in through the pictures that were taken. ENJOY!

Bit Term Heavenly

2010-04-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is bit term. The Thai equivalent to summer vacation. Two months as the weather becomes increasingly intolerable. This doesn't entirely effect the CBODers (community developers), but this does leave the TCCOers (teachers) with two months of speculating what one can do to occupy themselves. Perhaps stay at site and establish a project? Well that does sound all well and good, though, coincidentally enough, no one is around to really help you out. So we'll nix that for now. Maybe in the future some TCCOer will ascertain ways on how to spend bit term at site with rightness, but after 40+ years of Peace Corps being in Thailand, this has yet to occur. And mapping out the territories of diverse clans of ants over a span of several months does not count. Even if it did count...one has to wonder...WHY??
I would like to think I found a rather noteworthy way of spending my own time during bit term. This aptly involves red shirt rallies, cheap thai food, overpriced drinks, white sand beaches, hookahs, endless water fights, and a special someone shaving their head and trading their fisherman pants in for a more… ”commanding” …wardrobe.
The first leg of my trip began in Bangkok, before any of this newsworthy madness erupted. Right before. Ben and I were to meet is his two friends from America that loyally were coming to visit him for a few weeks. But their schedules changed and pushed their arrival date back two days. By the time we discovered this, we were already in Bangkok, and ruefully found ourselves spending a week there, rather than only a mere few days. To spend our time, we frequented jazz bars, went on a dinner cruise, and wandered aimlessly. As the days came closer to Bens friends arrival, we made a decision to go out of our way to visit one of our beloved landmarks in Bangkok, the Arts and Culture Center, and subsequently catch a flick. After navigating our way through Bangkok, finding ourselves an hour later at our intended destination, our tracks were immediately stopped. Atop the street of Sukumvhit, we stood gawking in trepidation, our hands gripping the warm steel of the banister, as thousands of red shirt railliers demanding parliament dissolve marched in place, drinking, dancing, and occasionally getting frenzied enough to rattle their foot or heart shaped rattlers. As attention-grabbing as this was, we knew we were not to be part of any of it, so we headed towards the Arts Center. We, in no way, could have guessed that this was to be closed until further notice. For goodness sake! It’s an Arts and Culture Center, and the mall directly across the street was open! Though aggravated that our plans had been thwarted, we shook it off and headed to the movie theater inside Siam Paragon Mall. Our time and money spent to come to Sukumvhit would not be in vain, this we were resolute about. As we approached the first mall, Discover Center (or something of the like), we noticed police gates were lined up in front of the entrances, and moreso, the inside of the mall was abandoned and dark. Well, it IS a smaller mall, but surely Siam Paragon won’t be closed. That would plainly be ludicrous. Think of the economy! But the stream of red shirts was endless, as was the stream of closed malls, one after another. We were not even able to indulge in the newly opened Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Shop! Preposterous! That was simply the last straw. We headed back in resentment to the only opened mall and treated ourselves to an hour and fifteen minutes of all you can eat sushi. Take THAT red shirts!

Bens friends finally arrived at midnight, and the following day, we were to head to Koh Chang. We had booked an early morning bus to Trat, then boat to the island. We were excited to get out of the expensive madness that was Bangkok. In pure Thailand fashion, we left significantly later than was promised, but there we were, on the bus, ready and rearing to go. Finally, some real relaxation, something we could really call a vacation. Both bus and boat ride were bearable, and we finally found ourselves meandering down the beach to check into (hopefully!) Independent Bo’s guest house. It was recommended by a friend, promising it was a guest house that looked like it was built by Wes Anderson. Intriguing. Then we read what Lonely Planet had to say about the place. “Bo’s is what the Swiss Family Robinson would have built if the family were on acid.” And boy, was it ever! Our time spent in Koh Chang consisted of walking/resting on the beach, eating amazing seafood, playing kings cup during a rain storm in a rather diverse crowd, ‘hiking’ to a waterfall and swimming in the pool below, and in the end, missing our boat back to Trat. But, as frustrating as Thai Time can be, the Thai people can also be very accommodating because of this. We called, expressing our distress over missing our boat (that, it must be said, left early!) and thus perhaps missing our bus. But, as promised by the company, another boat came in 30 minutes, and the bus waited for us stragglers.

We were to stop off in Bangkok for about 24 hours before heading to Chiang Mai for Songkran (Thai New Years that consists of days of water fights, a most welcomed holiday, being that it takes place during the hottest month of the year). The following day, we were promised to be “picked up” a few doors down from our hotel. We gladly accepted, thinking this was rather convenient. And perhaps, if the rallies and protests of the red shirts did not go down the path they did go down on, we Would have been picked up a few doors down from our hotel. But, as things in Thailand usually are, the red shirt protests turned from calm to worse, and the bus, I imagine, was not able to cross the bridge to pick us up. Thus, the alternative was to walk over the bridge to the bus, a most unusual and perplexing feat. We were met by a man, who told us to follow him. We did. We walked in circles, picking up other random travelers on the way. We met up with a group of over 30 foreigners (apparently this bus was for foreigners only), and most certainly not VIP as otherwise guaranteed. We walked over the bridge (well known in the news as where the deadly clashes between red shirts and soldiers/police took place), taking pictures of the red shirt protesters, who in turn were taking pictures of the spectacle of farangs marching deferentially through the danger zone. After carrying out such an accomplishment, we cheerfully boarded the bus, and were on our way to the San Francisco of Thailand: Chiang Mai.
No matter where we went, whether we were burdened by our bags or not, we were attacked by scheming and devious hoards of Thais armed with water guns and buckets of ice water. In defense, I carried the only water gun between the four of us, and, it must be noted, gallantly fortified the troops. But, regardless of ones defense, it is inevitable, you will get wet, and if not careful, sick (this was an experience from the previous year…and I took every precaution this time around). It was days upon days of attacking and being attacked, more times than not by ice cold water. So by the second or third day, my group, which by that point increased to over ten of us, joined in on the game. We bought a large bucket, an enormous cube of ice which went directly in the large bucket of water, and to add some color, 24 cans of beer. We…Were…Ready! ATTACK!

The last leg of our journey took place an hour away from Chiang Mai, in the little village of Pak Tang Talee. Many of us gathered to witness Ben become a monk. 15 days of meditation, chants, reading, thinking, writing, drawing, and not much else. Admirable. I, for one, would go crazy, starting from my hair and eyebrows being shaved off by an ancient looking razor blade. But Ben managed this rather courageously, from his hair shaving to rather eccentric outfits to his chanting in Pali to being unable to properly say goodbye to his friends. Watching him during his ceremony, I stared swelling up with pride, and continuously smiling stupidly, which was noticed by all the Thai people around me. “No, no, this is serious, you must be serious,” they casually reprimanded me, “no smile.” It was a futile undertaking, though, and the asinine grin remained plastered to my face.

Nag Champa is the only way to end a decade

2010-01-04T23:53:00.001-08:00

It is the end of a decade. I’m not going to philosophize about it; I’m not going to try to describe or summarize it; I’m not going to analyze it. I’m simply going to say: all in all, in the end, as of right now, this very moment...it’s been good.
In lieu of feeling like I as going a little crazy, and recognizing the fact that I’ve been in Thailand for approximately a year, and thus needing a break, I took a mental health vacation to the north. I spent half a week at Bens site, which is located an hour away from my all time favorite city...in Thailand...Chiang Mai. We went to a Christmas party, which turned out to be in a makeshift church in someones basement, and not really much of a party at all, save for the trading presents with thai people we didn’t know. It was supposed to be with Bens new paw aw, and we really went so it would look good...but alas, his paw aw wasn’t even there...he was at a “meeting”...so we were there with his wife and daughter. I spent the majority of the time either trying to explain what a Jew is, or why I don’t believe in God.
Christmas day, the actual day, was wonderful though...waking up and exchanging gifts with Bens, meeting his family via Skype (they know I’m Jewish, so they wished me a happy channukah and so on...of course, in true Julia fashion, I wished them happy kwanza...dear me, what is wrong with me?!)...the rest of the day was spent going to Bens school, watching the students dress up as reindeer and santa, and sing Xmas songs...watch Ben explain the story of Xmas to the students...in English (success!!)...hehe...struggling incessantly with defunct microphones...quizzing kids and giving away too much sugar to Anuban (kindergarten) students that had way too much energy to begin with...then to come home to a cooked dinner (Bens doing) of mashed potatoes, chicken, veggies...and winnnnnne! For a Christmas away from home, it was still one to remember and hold onto...It was hard to feel too homesick when I had that feeling that there was no where else I’d rather be.
Now come New Years weekend in Chiang Mai, and this time it wasn’t so intimate...not to complain. Just saying. There was a large amount of 120 and 121ers there that weekend, and though drama ensued, it was overcome, and the weekend turned out to be nice, relaxing, with only a slight hint of hangover. New Years Countdown occurred on a rooftop bar near Tapae Gate, and hundreds upon hundreds of lantern things were being let up into the sky. Exploding not far from out upturned heads and entangled bodies were a myriad of fireworks, encouraging every type of “ohh” and “ahh” that existed in the world to be vocalized. Folks kissed, drinks spilled, feet scatted, pullups tried, hands held....and words whispered; “There’s no where else I’d rather be”.

So, in short, for I am currently teaching an art class that really needs my upmost attention (haaa...um....sure...?), it was a New Years to never forget, and I hope that all your new years celebrations were as good as mine. I hope everyone brought in the new year with smiles and good food, and I most definitely hope pounds were gained.... :) not an ill wish...it means the holidays were enjoyed!
Happy Channukah
Merry Christmas
Happy/Merry/Awesome Kwanza
Happy new year

Peace’in out
One Love

ps, if you have never burned nag champa to bring in the new year, you're missing out...its a smell to remember

the inevitability of change

2009-11-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

We try and control change, try and either have it not happen at all, or have it bend to our whims. But we have no control, and change is in fact inevitable…and really, it’s just better to let it happen and go with the flow. Ya dig?

As it stands, many things have changed from my last pretty lame attempt at letting you all get a glimpse into my world. My parents went home…alas. It was a sad departure, but honestly (dad, kaz…don’t take this the wrong way!!) I think it was time…only because after several weeks of travel and more luxury than I was used to, I was ready to go back to site…to go home. Yes…home. It was a strange transition to feel like site was home, but there you go…there it is. Though, I must confess, it wasn’t only the feeling of being able to wake up in my own bed and not live out of a bag that excited me…just so happened that I was also pretty excited to hang out with two pretty cool peace corps boys in Udon Thani, one of which, admittedly, I have quite a crush on…(god, what an understatement…). Ben, Marshall, and I stayed in Udon for a night, wandered about, eating pizza, drinking beer, and scarfing down (inevitable when in the company of Marshall) tons of fruit. Afterwards, it was Ben and I to go back to my site, where my co teacher was holding a merit making ceremony for her mother…apparently the whole village was invited, plus some…which means over 600 people. She asked me to dress up in full thai garb, which I agreed to with some hesitation, but turns out it was only for the morning, which I had missed…due to laziness and craving for good coffee…which turned out to be kinda shitty anyway. Oh well. Can’t have it all.

Bringing Ben to site was one thing, but bringing him to a celebration with drinking and dancing (and always the one crazy woman with too much makeup and too little clothes) is quite another. Poor boy…harassed to no end. “are you together?” (shrug), “do you speak laos” (no), “Drink Whiskey!!!!” (I’ll stick to beer, thanks)…and that was only the first 15 minutes or so. Then the walk around the village began…under the blazing and unforgiving sun, fire crackers going off everywhere and kids running after them, balloons fueled by heat released into the air by monks, and the ubiquitous shrill of thai music trailing behind the crowd, urging them to dance. And Ben and I…well. Ok I’ll just start from when this woman with too much rouge, brighhhhtttt pink lips, neon blue eye shadow, and a shoooort short dress (whoa isaan is even effecting my English) ran up to the two of us, threw her arms around Ben, and kissed him all over his face, leaving bright pink traces of this violation everywhere. Then it was my turn. Needless to say, we spent the remainder of the time trying to avoid her…not an easy task. On the walk, we stayed mostly with the dancing crowd, protected (hardly) by my coteachers sister…who happened to be drunk…so the body guard thing didn’t really work out. It actually was more like Ben being dragged away by drunk men (one infuriatingly persistent, the other creepy in a ‘making EYES at ben’ sorta way)…and I finally using my bouquet of flowers to run them off. Successful, to a degree. Whatever…anyway…

Ben stayed at my site for the weekend…a wonderful, fabulous weekend of…well, wonderful and fabulous things. After a few days, we took a first class bus (we were too late to get on the VIP…a mistake never to be repeated…don’t think me spoiled…you wouldn’t want to ride on a first class bus for 12 hours either) to Chiang Mai, to both visit Bens site as well as to celebrate Halloween and Loy Krathong (a thai holiday involving fire crackers, heat fueled balloons, and putting some plant flower incense candle arrangement thing in the river and watching is float away – something to do with respect for the river…or romance…or , yeah I don’t know). Halloween was amazing, spending time with a large group of 120ers, and Nancymarie and Ben from 121, all of whom were so badass and dressed up!! More than I can say for others….grr. I was Lara Croft (pictures to come soon) and Ben was Mega Man…notice the video game theme…if we actually faced off like we said we would…I so would’ve kicked MegaMans ass….try and refute that…just try! With all the strange occurrences that happened and places we ended up and people we met, Halloween was, simply put, amazing.

The rest of the few days in that region were spent at both Bens site and Chiang Mai, and all the time spent with Ben was that sort of thing I was talking about that brings about those changes you don’t really expect. We spent all that time together, hardly apart, and every day was more amazing than the next. He even took me to the tallest mountain (it was freezing…so perfect) in Thailand to watch the sunset…’nough said.

It all was a surreal experience, but I’m back at site now with new feelings and motivation...I haven't felt this good in quite some time...could be getting my need for travel out of my system, temporarily, could be having a month away from school and site and actually missing the whole thing, could be the sweetness of Honeycomb,...i think its all of the above. And it's only getting better...

Peace out, One Love, and Chocolate Sauce!

contemplations of Cambodia interrupted by a rainbow

2009-10-13T03:31:00.001-07:00

It was strange, meandering around the killing fields and S21 Torture prison in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. I did not want to go yesterday because I felt I needed to mentally prepare, much like when I went to the Holocaust museum years back. But today, we went, and we experienced, or rather witnessed, the location of such atrocities, and I felt a bit disconnected. That is not to say I felt nothing, for I was quite disheartened and again, my cynicism of the general human race, (or rather was utterly shocked of its capability of inhumanity), came back full force. But the fields were not as they were, and I'm afraid you may take this the wrong way when I say I would have rather had the fields be maintained in their original state. But instead, the original buildings were torn down, tourist facilities took their place, and school children squealed and cheered with delight next door. This is quite different, one doesn't have to imagine too hard, from the moans and screams of terror and torture that resonated only a few years back. Even a sign nailed to a towering and twisted tree stating it was the location where children and babies were held by their feet and killed by having their heads smashed against its trunk did not stir too much emotion in me, save for a disbelief that humans were still capable of doing such things to other humans. But, perhaps, that is just what led to such disconnect; simply because, how Could you imagine such things truly happened? How could a sane person imagine this happening?? That is not to say I don't believe, because it is so glaringly obvious it did, a truth even visible in the streets of PP. I have met people young and old who have been effected by the actions of the Khmer Rouge and heard their stories. I have already seen how the country fell under their regime and is still trying to get back on its feet. Perhaps I just wasn't mentally prepared, but then again, how could you be?

a quarter of a century later...

2009-09-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

well, it is official. i have have aged 25 years. i have never had a birthday that i didn't enjoy, and celebrating it here in thailand in my little village is no exception.
i walked into my first class, grade 5, and the whole classroom was covered in balloons and bubbles, and the whole class had their families chip in to get me a bday cake. then they sang happy birthday in english and it nearly brought me to tears. next came my 4th grade class which held the same ceremony, but instead of a cake, they somehow knew that i was obsessed with sunglasses and bought me a very cute pair of new red shades! again, near tears (i have vowed to not cry in front of my students or coteachers). next came lunch, in which, in a very impromptu manner, the principal threw a party with all the other teachers and some very interesting thai food they certainly dont serve in thai restaurants in america. they also gave me a cake, in which we promptly ate. the last class i taught were my 6th graders, whom i am absolutely in love with. i walked into a dark classroom, and they were all standing in a circle with a birthday cake with candles lit and they sang happy birthday to me as well. i was so moved by their love and care, a trait of thai people that is unmatched anywhere else. if i wasn't a professional i would've grabbed all my students and given them the biggest hug in the world. but alas, it is not professional and also not something they do in their culture, so i withheld such desires. and also, all the bday wishes were just so overwhelming from friends and family, it was simply out of this world. i have felt myself growing here in thailand for some time, and turning 25, a significant age i believe, just made it all the more real that i am indeed more grown and mature and aware.

hOwL

2009-09-16T03:14:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to have taken a pause from the daily routine that is my volunteer work. At site, life, in a way, stands still, and I've come to the point int his experience where, generally speaking, i can predict what the following day will entail. Such monotonousness is something I've tried to avoid and escape for quite some time, which is one reason why i joined the Peace Corps in the first place. I thought by living in a different world from what i had grown accustomed to, I would have daily experiences that were new and exciting. But this simply isn't the case. As it is, life in rural Thailand is stuck in a routine of daily life. Only rarely dos the dearly held spontaneous moment arise.
The recent trip I look to Koh Pangnan was my chance for a break from this mindless norm. I got to meet completely new people with new ideas and stories to tell every day; I had the chance to do things again that i had never done before. But I also was able to see people and experience cultures from my past, specifically Tal and other Israelis that seem to invade Pangnan this time of year, which in a way brought new life to me and to my experience here. Being here, living here, I have a vague feeling as if something of who i was, something inside me that influenced me to initially come here and do this, became lost in lieu of the routine. This is not to say I don't enjoy work experience nor appreciate the work, which i do both...but i simply cannot comprehend the utter simplicity of living such a BORING, insipid and unchanging life!!! And I simply cannot understand lack of money or time as a reason...it is an excuse for those who vainly dream but have not the will to act. I am blessing to have my family and friends that always reminded me that i could do anything i put my mind to. And ever more so to never regret, but rather learn from all those experiences. All i know is that i can't live such a quiet and tedious life as those that i live amongst now. No matter what that means or entails.
I am sorry I left Pangnan, and the people i left there, for both the time i spent and the people i spent my time with there was absolutely priceless. What an absolutely phenomenal time it was there while it lasted!!! But is it is, as much as it has given me new perspectives and a feeling of rejuvenation, I, at the moment of writing this, am unsure as to how i feel about going back to site just yet. Once you live a lifestyle for so long, as mundane as it may be, you start to become comfortably numb to the whole thing and in a way, forget yourself. And now that I have woken up a bit from a long yet temporary slumber, it is difficult to be en route back to the life where i am simply not myself, nor can be, truly. It is frustrating to know that within a month, i will most likely return to my slumber...
But as it stands, that's just the way it has got to be for now. And I have to learn to cope with that, because it is only temporary, as everything in life is, and the eventual benefits of this experience, as tedious and mundane as it may be on a daily basis, will be great.

"the road has always led west"

2009-08-24T02:19:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I must apologize for the long absence in blog writing. I have simply been trying to gather my thoughts and experiences, but in the process, things to ME seem to not be different and worth writing about any longer. of course, leave it to my wise father to remind me that perhaps to ME it is no longer unusual, but for everyone else, it still is. and my stories can be quiet interesting from time to time. so here goes.
so I guess I haven't really fully introduced you what I exactly DO at site. I am, for lack of a better word, a teacher, tho i do not teach. I aid teachers in new methods of teaching that involves the students and accommodates their different learning types. I work with Pratom 4,5,6 (grades 4,5,6) and the students are absolutely wonderful. unfortunately, they haven't had a lot of experience in english, for a lot of their english teachers simply dont know english. strange, i know, but thats thailand. that's by no fault of their own...they just didn't need to up until a few years ago. english, i believe, was NOT entirely mandatory or taken as seriously. that is the simply reason for it. so im also teaching english to the english teachers. I work at two schools, tung yai and ban chang, though at this time, im trying to drop chang and work only with tung yai. and in only a few month, I have already seen a VAST VAST improvement in not only the teachers english, but the students as well. teaching is my primary project here, but it is also up to me to create my own secondary projects. I have thought thru many ideas, from health and sanitation projects, youth development and organization, and working with an orphanage(which im hoping to still do eventually), but im currently trying to take on an art and culture project. it is simply astonishing to me how little people (in the rural villages) know of the outside world. Their distaste for foreign food is phenomenal (i tried to feed kids spaghetti and red vines...not simultaneously...and they almost gagged on the taste!!!...and yet when they try and feed me fried bugs or papaya salad marinating in fermented fish paste and i graciously refuse, they simply do not understand why i cannot digest such culinary delicacies.) astonishing. but aside from the food, they have no or limited knowledge in the different cultures, music, and art. SO i have taken it upon myself (and with my coteacher from tung yai - who is the art teacher from doesn't know art at all) to create a class focusing on such things. We have only had one class so far under the official heading of the class, but the idea was birthed from when i showed my classes clips from BBCs Planet Earth. both students and teacher sat wide eyed with gaping mouths at the world beyond theirs, a world they believed they would never see. One student even asked me, when showing them a clip about penguins, if penguins die...i told them everything living, even such interesting and foreign animals as penguins, dies...they were shocked. again, no blame is placed on anyone for such naivety...they simply did not think it thru or know or understand. BUT, now they do! The first official class i helped conduct was very interesting! I brought in different paintings by various artists, such as Monet, Dali, van gogh, Rembrandt, Seurat, and pollack. during the class period, i told them about still life, portrait and self expression. Then I asked them to find an object and without a ruler, use their eyes and creativity to draw that object as a still life project. They were thrilled. Then at the end of class, I handed each student a picture of a painting and told them to begin creating their own interpretation of the painting. Not only will i be teaching these students about art and culture in this class, but also about empowerment and creativity in life and their endeavors. We went over a little bit about what they wanted to do in life, and then told them that they didn't HAVE to be a rice farmer just because they are from a poor village in rural thailand. They can be a doctor in england, they can be a soccer player for spain, they can be prime minister of thailand, if they worked and studied hard and took themselves seriously (but not too seriously) and had the confidence in themselves that i have in them.

But i've also had a lot of time to contemplate about who i am, what i want to do, why i am here...I have been doing a lot of reading, writing and painting at site, even tho at times i feel as if my muse and inspiration is gone. art is not a large aspect in the lifestyle of a PC volunteer in rural thailand at the time. or perhaps just where i am. that can be frustrating, but I refuse to allow the departure of such a large and influential aspect in my life. to be perfectly honest, I haven't established a strong connection or bond with the people in my village. They know me and are indeed welcome into my home, an invitation that most children but few adults take advantage of. But I am their prized farang (foreigner) and can seem to do no wrong. I am an amiable enough person to have made some relationships, but nothing too significant for me, though perhaps quite the opposite for them. I am a private person, though admittedly sometimes too gregarious for my own liking with my fellow volunteers. It is just very hard to built absolute trusting relationships with anyone, much less people you've only known for a few months. Through this I most regrettably learned of the hardships of trust. I hold dear to those relationships i have that fall under the category of trusting. I am quite content to do the job i've set out to do, and do it well, but keep to myself simultaneously. i simply not prefer not so much a quiet life, but rather a life of hard work, thought, reflection and experience.

"I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence.
I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to
sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a super-
abundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet
life." Tolstoy.

Despite my general separateness, I have learned quiet a bit from the people in my village. Specifically, one verdict concluding from two opposing aspect of one facet in rural thai life. I am surrounded my endless flat rice fields, extending past the horizon 360 degrees; thus my village largely consists of rice farmers. The facet in which i speak of is that of labor. the farmers, whilst working, work and diligently, and do earn their low but hard earned pay. but, in contradiction, they work less than one would imagine. They delight themselves in spending most hours of their day sleeping in hammocks or drinking whiskey and talking. The conclusion I have drawn is this: all work must be hard, in hear that it would otherwise be unethical, all money earned for yourself must be well and ethically earned. Thus, the moment i obtain a job and can live off my well earned money, the sums i receive every month from Hawaii will be decidedly given to charity there after.

And thus are the thoughts and experiences I have at the moment. I must resume my reading and indulging in the anonymity i have here in Bangkok, for it ends tomorrow. i will hopefully be able to post more frequently!

adieu!

what it is to be thainapped

2009-05-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

there is something that goes on here, somewhat akin to kidnapping, except less threatening, though sometimes equally as scary...we call it thainapping. this is when one or several Thai people show up at your house, call you outside and tell you you are going "somewhere" with them for an unknown period of time! and Just when you were settling down after a tiresome week, excited to watch that new movie that took 54 hours to download off itunes! But alas, you go because they make you think, despite what you assume, this Could very well be a fun experience!! though, unfortunately, this is not entirely so for most of the time. And the activities range vastly! From being taken to an impromptu community or teachers meeting where you're told to 'sing songs, play games!' to being dragged to a far away city to visit another school and shown off with a bunch of gossiping Thai women, who also happen to work at the same school as you ... which makes it harder to say no to. This is the worst, because they USUALLY take you to a place where there is NO other way of getting home without them! You're stuck, you're trapped, and you cannot, must not, show ANY disappointment. And after four hours of smiling, with four more hours to go, your face becomes tired and numb. All you want to do is simply let your face fall, the corners of your mouth droop down a little bit; No! you're not frowning but resting..YES! you're having a wonderful time! OH! i do simply adore eating a bowl full of assorted fried insects! no really!!! :/
It's no wonder why, when us volunteers are able to get away from site and hang out in a bigger city with each other, we go out dancing and drinking, and then order 5 large pizzas for 7 people at 10am the next morning, to be followed by a burger for lunch and a sushi all u can eatery for dinner. no more riCE!! its also no wonder why each and every one of our communities think farangs (foreigners - in this case, Americans) have poor health or immune systems...because in order to get OUT of these thainappings, we've all perfected the look of tong sia (thai for broken stomach - Diarrhea!!). oh if they understand nothing else about farangs, they understand our inability to deal with the surprisingly (fake...) numerous amount of times we get tong sia...little do they know, mwahaha.
but this is not to say that we use this excuse all the time! we do allow ourselves to be thainapped on occasion...and sometimes its actually worth it! But when you've had a week with no sleep, being forced to go to a far away city to be shown off, then go to a teachers training you're not sure if you're allowed to go to anyway, then being forced to use up your sunday that you thought you were going to use to sleep in and watch movies and eat bad food to teach english to people in your village (NOt that they'll actually pay attention to a word you say anyway)...well...even though you've played the tong sia card JUST LAST WEEK...hmm...OOPS! i think i feel a bout of "Tong Sia" coming on...specifically on friday...specifically when you're supposed to go to that far away town...oh dear me...
he he he he he.....

update coming...it'll be a GOOD ONE

2009-05-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

PLEASE HAVE PATIENCE WITH ME!! MY INTERNET CONNECTION IS TERRIBLE BUT I HAVE SOMETHING FABULOUS TO PUT UP ONCE I GET A FASTER CONNECTION! I PROMISE ILL GET IT UP ASAP! XO

Madness to Magnet

2009-04-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

Ode to an update - I have been at site for a bit over two weeks now. Not that I’m going to tell you precisely where that IS, per say...not because I don’t want to...but mostly because I can’t...Peace Corps safety 101!!! Though I CAN tell you that I am in the Udon Thani jang wat (province). I wish I could report that I have been conversing in nothing but Thai and have been illimitably ameliorating on my vernacular skills...yet I simply cannot lie. My co-teacher, whom I have been residing with up until yesterday, speaks reasonably respectable English. At least, well enough to not speak Thai all the time. In the two weeks that I have been here, I’ve experienced things that I ne’er believed I would live through. My second to fifth day was occupied by celebrating Songkran...which is the Thai...or Buddhist...new years (orbiting around, I believe, either the birth or death of the Buddha). It must be said that Songkran is pretty much a big effing waterfight, given that it takes place during the hottest time of the year...the waterfight being a superfluous facet of the actual holiday...it’s like getting presents during Channukah. ANYWAY...it would’ve been entirely pleasurable if they hadn’t put ice in the damn water...and then pouring it all over me. Which, of COURSE (you would know if you know me well enough) ensued in me getting SICK sick sick for the second and third day. But, one of those experiences I thought I’d never had is that I got into a HUGE water fight with a caboodle of monks. You think they just sit around and meditate all day? Oh dear me, no...they most definitely take those plastic varicolored water guns of theirs and F@#k you uuup!!! They just wait there, by the gates of the Wat (temple), and jump out at you when you least anticipate it...which is pretty much all the time. Who really expects to get jumped by monks with water guns? Certainly not I. Between that time and the time of which I have moved into my own home, I have visited Udon Thani, the big city in these sticks, which is simply infested with old (and I use the definition ‘old’ comparatively) farang (foreigner...or in literal terms, french – though that is not in which terms I am using the word) men, who come to Thailand with the sole purpose of obtaining a young Thai wife. Annnndddd^#&%$...... hold while I run away from a bee which has infiltrated my ROOM!!! hold on..........

Conversation between me and bee:
“This is the fate you have chosen?”
“Bbbbzzzzzzzzzzz”
“You do realize the consequences of your actions, correct?”
“Bbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzmwaaahaha”
“Right, well, then. Recognize that today is the day you will perish from this mortal life”
“bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........”

If you must know, I am bored in my home all alone.....hence the ACTUAL convo I had with the now deceased bee.

Ok! Sorry...I will post more later I promise! But I now must go to a birthday party of my co teachers nephew! But I now have internet at home...so expect more words soon!!

the point is this...

2009-03-15T19:28:00.001-07:00

I am currently sitting in an elementary school in which I will be working in for the coming two years of my life. directly across the street is my newly acquired two story house (the bottom, spacious and concrete, the upstairs, wooden and beautiful). I have already decided where i am going to put my three hammocks. My site is located in the Udon Thani province in Isan, and though it is flat, it is still beautiful. In fact, it is what I envisioned Thailand to be like. To be fair, the topography of Thailand varies from region to region, and I am ebullient to discover all of it, from the flat plateus to the mountains, from the dense forests to the warm white beaches. My village is surrounded by rice fields and trees, and has a very strong Isan culture. I was told I was placed here (among many other reasons) because I would get along with the Isan culture very well, which is to say, I too am outgoing and love to have my fun. I can see that. There have already been attempts to pawn me off to one of three sons of so and so, which is why I have decided to hold steadfast to telling anyone that'll listen i am in a VERY serious, committed relationship (when, of course, all evidence is to the contrary at the moment). Funny, how the village wanted a female volunteer, because they didn't want the village to get the idea that another male farang (foreigner) has come to marry a Thai woman. as seems to be the trend 'round these parts. Lucky for me, though, that one of the farangs that has settled in the area has a pool, which I can use! yay

ps, side note, sitting in a classroom at the school, and a rooster decides it would be a good idea to try and type something on my blog as well. I have officially turned into that person that chases chickens with a broom. awesome

anyway! I am here for one more day, which I thought I would mind, but in fact do not mind in the least. I am staying in the house of one of my co-teachers, who speaks a fair amount of english and is very determined to have me as a daughter. I have only been in the village for 24 hours, and already I have around 7 mothers. At least I will be well fed! I must say, though, that I am excited to be able to live on my own, in a place of my own. PLUS (for anyone who's reading this), if the desire to visit me in thailand is simply too overwheleming that you must indulge in said desire, then I have an extra room for you to stay in in my house! ah! how the wheel has turned again.

So! I must now make myself available for an array of questions from the students at the school (such as how old am I to do i have a boyfriend to do i like bananas)...

much love from isan!

a snake goes...

2009-03-06T23:48:00.001-08:00

the other day, a few of us are riding our bikes to play volleyball at wat acruss the street from a friends house. suddenly we swerve out of the way, scared beyond belief, for only inches away from our legs, curled up in the middle of the road, and alive, is a 5 foot poisonous snake. awesome. we stop to take pictures, and also make sure no cars run over it. its simply too facinating. then, a man backs up on his moterbike, picks the damn thing up at its head with no second thought or hesitation, says "aloy maak maak " (delicious), and rides home to have his newly acquired dinner.

love thailand.

update more tomorrow

The first week in Thailand...plus some:

2009-02-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

Each moment since I arrived, in fact even a little before (ie the airport in Japan), has been more unexpected and rattling as the last. First and foremost, I can honestly say I’m glad that my peace corps group got to meet and greet each other in San Francisco and have a night out with each other before embarking on this journey of ours. That really helped in the getting to know you, bonding hooplah that was to come. None of us really cared about the lack of sleep considering the 19plus hour journey to Thailand, most of it requiring no more that a keen ability and determination to sleep on planes.
We arrived in Bangkok around midnight, gathered our bags and piled onto a rather festive looking bus. We finally arrived at our hotel in the LopBuri province where we were going to be staying for a few days while our host families prepared their homes for us. After getting a few hours of rest in our new rooms, we began getting to know each other, meeting the staff, talking technicalities and rules, and finally embraced the new Thai cuisine....What?!?! Sunny side up eggs and toast?!...Well, at least they gave us local fruits, of which names I still have trouble pronouncing...apparently we haven’t gotten to that part of language training yet.
We were also given bike lessons, followed by certification (if earned) to Ride a bike in Thailand. Yeah....it can be that dangerous. There are no real street rules here....simply que paso paso, what happens happens. If you just happened to get run over by that motorcycle carrying an entire family (yup, mother, father, kids and all), well, I suppose that’s how Buddah wanted it. So careful training was very neceesary. So...they broke us up into groups after an initial (kind of BS sort of ) test: novice, intermediate, and advanced. Well, I know I was no advanced, but SURELY intermediate. I mean, I DO know how to mount the damn thing, start and stop it! But alas, I caved under pressure and the 50plus pairs of eyes staring at me, started to laugh hysterically and literally ran straight into the entire glob of cones that I was supposed to swerve around, landing me triumphantly in the novice group. Whatever...I’m still here, ain’t I?!
We began our technical and language training immediately. By the end of the few days at the hotel we were able to introduce ourselves (name, where we were from, how old we were, how many people in our family, etc) and ask the same of others and numbers. I’ll just say this now...THAI IS HAAAAARDDD!!! Guaranteed, no amount of practice would have helped with what we’ve encountered. Well, maybe a little, but only until about the second or third day! We also learned the Thai version of the chicken dance, which is actually quite different than the American version. My PC group is actually doing two skits on Monday for the Thai staff, and I thought doing the american version would’ve been funny....but instead we’re doing some intense look into America in the 60's....and guess who was nominated to be the poster child for that skit?...you got it...your very own hippy child, a’thank you very much. Hey man, I got the look, I got the ‘tude...and the smell....well yeah, that’s coming along quite nicely, thanks to the relentless heat!
Those days at the hotel were busy, yet, needless to stay, sublime, compared to living with the host family. We had warm showers with shower heads, flush toilets (and toilet paper for that matter!) of which we sat (not squatted) on, and each other. Of course, this isn’t saying that I don’t enjoy being with my host family! On the contrary, it is very enjoyable, but VERY different to Anything I’ve even been accustomed to. But this is a leeway into living at our sites, so in that way, this is very helpful. As opposed to waking up and seeing everyone in our group first thing and lastly before going to bed, I only get to see SOME of them daily, and all of them about once a week.

You can't even imagine.

2008-12-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

IM SO SORRY IVE BEEN AWAY!! I can't say that it has been hectic or stress has averted my attention from blogging...it's more that i've have been enduring relentless relaxation here in Raglan. Buuuut, to humor you, I am now sitting indoors on a sunny day to update you on the going ons.

Where was I? Did I tell you about Queenstown? Yes...yes, well. Kessy and I stayed in QT for about a week...and what a fabulous week it was. She was in search for a van (with a bed in the back), and through this ordeal, we met some truly amazing people. We spent the beautiful days hanging out on our balcony, looking up at the Remarkables (a vast expanse of mountains covered with snow), slacklining in the sun (sort of like tight rope walking a foot off the ground), going to bbq's and all sorts of other adventures. But, individually, I DID skydive from 12000ft. I simply cannot describe the experience...the freedom completely enraptured me. My heart was beating a million miles an hour right before we (the tandom guide and I) jumped from the plane...only downer: SO COOOLLLDDD!!! My face felt it was about to fall off...but! for all you lucky folks near the SF region when I get home...you will be able to see an epic epic DVD of my jump. Hold onto your shorts kids.

Driving up the west coast was a bit of a pain, considering the four day long, non-stop rain storm that seemed to follow us no matter how fast or slow we drove. Let me tell you what...sleeping in a small van whilst the rain beats against the glass and the wind wreaking havoc blowing the van back and forth...not a fun thing. Those four days, I simply had no sleep. Not that I got a lot of sleep anyway, but those four days were brutal.

Finally, we make it through the clearing in Tekaka, a small little hippy artisan town on the northern tip of the south island. There, inspired by such artistic vibes, we bought paint and proceeded to paint the van. My side complementing my personality, and Kessy's hers. We also painted quotes on the sides of the car that we felt best represented our feelings of our trip.

My quote was :

"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." -Lord Byron.

We also went to a local bar called the Mussle Inn in Tekaka, where was met ALL locals. One local (or his family) owned a camp ground called Hang Dog, which was primarily for rock climbers. Just my luck! AND it was only $5 to stay there!!...AND...we desperately needed showers (which, in case you were at all interested, were practically outside...and COLD!). But the family that ran the place (different from the family that owned it), were sublime and the husband took Kessy and I rock climbing the following day at Paynes. It felt good to hold desperately onto rock again...even the sharp bits. We then made our way, slowly, to Nelson (where we went to a pretty cool reggae show), then to Picton. This is where I leave Kessy, for she was running out of money and needed a job (which she got very easily...at a 5 star resort that can only be accessed by boat...). The following day, I hopped on a boat to Wellington, where I stayed for a night. I can honestly say, after being "in the wild" for an extended period of time, being back in a big city was daunting and uncomfortable. I'm not saying i'm Chris McCandless or anything, but the moment I stepped off the boat, I desperately wanted to be back in the van, sleeping next to a lake, surrounded by mountains, underneath a vast blanket of millions of stars, peeing in bushes and taking baths in glacier runoff. But, I was making my way towards Raglan once again, and to do so, I had to make sacrifices, such as staying in a dorm room in Wellington with 30 other people. Serious bummer, brah. BUT, about a week and a half ago, I finally made it to Raglan. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Sunshine (for the most part) - though the rain wasn't unfortunate...the plants need drinks too!! I surfed a bit too...until my surfboard knocked me upside the head under water, resulting in my fear of water to come crashing back...needless to say, I haven't been back in the water (surfing) since...but this isn't entirely a bad thing...OH! we had an amazing mudfight the other day...at low tide, we found an ideal mud patch, and wrestled and played volleyball. The little rocks and shells were of no concern to us, really....that is until we got into the hot tub. Little scrapes and cuts EVERYWHERE...burning! So...when you see me next time and I'm bruised and bloodied...don't be alarmed. This is simply proof of my amazing New Zealand experience. See you soon!

West Coast NZ

2008-11-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

Kessy and I have been driving up the west coast of the south island in new zealand for the past few days. She bought a van (whom we named SYD for Syd Barrett) with a bed in the back (which we have decked out in zebra print)....so we've been driving and driving, seeing the sights, and at night, finding ideal camping spots, usually next to a lake or some sort of body of water, and mountains surrounding us...and the best bit: on a clear night, when there are NO clouds in the sky, and no lights from cities..you can see the endless amount of stars glimmering above you. It is the most breath taking sight you will ever see...more than glaciers millions of years old, more than towering mountains covering in snow, more than ice blue lakes...to realize how small we all really are. yet not insignificant..only small; but, as said in lord of the rings: "well, you are very small...perhaps you're right"

Right! well..an update: KEssy and I stayed in Queenstown for a little less than one week. IT's a cute little ski town that realized its summer potential. It is situated on a lake, surrounded by mountains...and simply beautiful . And the people!? Can I even mention the people there? It still amazes me how NICE and genuine everybody is here...I keep on thinking a trick is being played on me. But alas..this is not the case. There is kindness in the world when you look hard enough. After kessy bought her van (and I agreeing to be navigator and gas payer in return to hitch a ride with her)..we began our journey north. We passed Wanaka (the clear night with a million stars), Haast (cannot remember much about it) Fox and Franz Josef glacier (Fox was spectacular but we were unable to visit Franz due to the ongoing rainstorm..that is STILL going on!!!) , then we stopped by Shantytown, a gold mining and logging town fromt he 1800s that still holds in old charm...and buildings. Kessy and I panned for gold, dressed up in old dresses and took old photos (with a gun and cocktail..typical)...
Now, as the rain continues to pour we are in Greymouth, and hope to quickly move upwards towards Nelson, where we will stay a few days before I head up to Raglan again for some surfing!!! :)
PS...if you can find it...check out the current issue of Kiwi Surf Magazine..apparently I'm in it :) SWEET AS

PPS.did i mention i jumped out of a plane at 12000 ft?!?! YUP and it was AMAZING! could most definitely indulge in such a sport more than simply once :)

Caving and Obama

2008-11-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

I've left Raglan :( It's like a cooler San Diego. Quiet surfer town...small cafes, beaches, nice (and good looking) folks...just an all around awesome place. I have a feeling i'll be back.

Kessy (my German friend I'm traveling around with) and I went to Waitomo Caves the other day. We both slept in my one person tent, which was a bit cozy, considering I put the tent on a hill and she kept on rolling on top of mE!! But, it was beautiful there (yet a bit on the boring side)...but we were there for one reason and one reason alone...to go CAVING! So the next morning, we wake up VERY early to head on over to Waitomo Adventures for a 10 am blast off. The adventure we partook in was called Haggas Honking Holes...why? I have NO idea...i think some guy by the name of Haggas discovered the cave. Anywho...for four long and cold hours we abseiled down three waterfalls, going further and further underground. Then we turned off our headlamps and looked up to see a spectacular array of glowworms right above our heads. To get back up and out of the cave, we had to rock climb up up up. My specialty!

After our little adventure, we took a bus to Taupo. Unfortunately, this is the moment where Kessy and I fall sick; she a sore throat, I a bad headcold...but this will not deter us!!!! It was quiet fortunate for us that today is election day in the US, because we needed our rest. So, with the wonderful view of Taupo lake resting in front of us, we watched the election unfold, and to our unending happiness, discover OBAMA IS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT!!!! ahhhh what a day...What...a...day...

so...new zealand so far!

2008-10-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is my fourth day in new zealand. i have thus far spent three of them in auckland, which was amazing. its a big city...of course, with the big city feel: shopping, eateries, bars and such...And something like the space needle in Seattle called the Sky Tower. Walking around, I was a little bored, so i decided to jump off it. Something like base jumping, but with a wire...so wire jumping. It was AMAZING!! My body thought it was going to die, but my mind, knowing i was attached to the wire, calmed my body down, for the the 11 second free fall, i enjoyed the view. Preparation for the imminent sky dive :)
I have met alot of people here thus far...most of them from Germany. So I have learned some German which i will undoubtedly forget by the trip back home.
The weather has been pretty eh...cold...and sometimes wet. But my friend and I hiked, in Auckland, up Mt. Eden, which looks over all of the city. It was amazing. The city is simply sprawling. And GREEN GREEN GREEN! I was hoping to also see a Maori ceremony there as well, but I just missed it by 10 minutes :( no worries though, there are many others. It sounded fascinating though...we heard the drumming and chanting through the closed doors. But we did go to the Auckland museum, which kind of looks like the White House , and studied the amazing Maori carvings and artifacts. It is a truly incredible culture. Unfortunately, it is being forgotten, but New Zealand is doing all they can to aid in the protection and rehabilitation of the culture and language.
Today, I traveled two hours south to Hamilton. The ride on the bus was through undulating and sprawling green hills. Hamilton itself is VERY small, and honestly, not much to do here. I am hoping to go an hour west of here to Raglan, a beautiful coastal surfers town...with, so i'm told, very good looking surfers...here's to hoping :) heh
That is that thus far...but I will update my blog every few days!! Thanks for reading!! xoxo

I'm off on another whirlwind adventure

2008-10-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just a minuscule blurb: I'm off to New Zealand today. It has been that one place i've ALWAYS wanted to go, and now i'm finally going! See...dreams DO come true :) Anyway, I'll be writing blogs periodically on my 7 week adventure. Hope you check in and check out what I'm doing and where i'm going...and be jealous. be verrrrrrrrrry jealous. I would be...if I were not myself. heh.

many x's and o's

Learning Thai

2008-09-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Though Thai doesn't have conjugations for tenses, plural or gender, it is a tonal language. So take away one hard thing about learning a new language and replace it with something even MORE difficult. Not that it's a complaint. Just...another mountain.

I'm not frustrated by it. Simply nervous. Apparently, after the three months of training in Thailand, if the Peace Corps does not think you are ready, they can send you home. So, not matter what, I am preparing my butt off to learn Thai, and Thailand's customs and culture...there is NO way they are sending me home.

ma y-sa-baay for the moment, but i'm sure everything will be fineeee

All you need is...?

2008-09-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

The current dream, which is to turn into reality within a month or so...: Go to New Zealand. Perhaps work as a ranch hand for part of the time.

Most people lives incredibly boring lives. By the time they're forty, they have nothing to say for themselves. "I have worked hard, gotten paid...lived in the same damn place for 10 years...Haven't met anyone new outside my group of friends i've known since, practically, infancy..."

Boring.

I refuse to give into boring.

For a large part of my life, I have done what people expect me to do, and think in terms that follow those closest to me. And though I felt quite individual, for the most part, I have quickly realized that I am a product of so many things outside of myself, that has nothing to do with who I actually am, or will be. So my conclusion is such: adventure. I have come to realize myself at least that much. That is all I need. Adventure. And all the realization, soul searching, and whatever else...that will follow in its own time. So screw politics, screw attitudes, screw cynicism, screw boredom, screw lingering love, screw the Ma-Chine...just eff it, eff it all. Just give me LIFE

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire" Aristotle

boom de ah dah!

2008-09-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

I love the whole world
I'm off to discover it!

The beginning and end

2008-08-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

'I want to make a revolving door that says "PULL" on it'

So I'm leaving New York City. Adios my friends. You have been my lifeline, my lobsters, in this daunting city of 'ours'.
I have 7 more days left. What will I do? Finish my internship at Urban Climber Magazine. See a meteor shower. Run around in pretty dresses. Kiss. Love. Drink. Perhaps find Demetri Martin and tell him I love him. I hope he hasn't cut his hair.
San Francisco, here I come. For how long, I don't know. Before ending up in the peace corps...I have a few ideas. Perhaps a 24 day trek around Everest in the Nepal region. Or, if I am convincing enough, to work for Tico Times in Costa Rica. We shall see my friends.

Ciao for now.

"No stone throwing regardless of housing situation...unless you're trapped in a glass house and have a stone, throw it. In fact, it's PEOPLE in glass houses that should throw stones...given that they are trapped"