It's been just about four months since I've moved to Chicago. Four great months, four lonely months, four boring months, four crazy busy months, four months of life of the 12 that I have here - gone...
Strange really that I'm already 25% done with my first rotation as an SCMP... strange that I don't feel like I've made any type of contribution yet in that 25%. Stranger still, Unilever seems to be okay with that fact. It's driving me nuts that I can't drive change better, that I can't make improvements happen for one reason or another. And even more so, it bugs me that I rarely can seem to find areas where I can make change happen. It's all very complicated and all very dull but it seems to take up a lot of my thoughts recently. I promise that I love my job, I just wish I were better at it.
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and it sometimes is a bit crowded but mostly it's fine. I'm trying to get into a new routine of working out frequently during the week and weekends. I don't really have any goals in mind for fitness (other than the standard, be healthy, look better, live longer goals everyone has). I don't really want to run a marathon. I'm not I joined a gym. I signed up for one similar to the DTC branch of CAC back home (for you Colorado dwellers you might know it) which is a pretty nice gym really. I can only go after workinterested in becoming a body builder. I just want to be able to do my daily things and my not so daily things without thinking about my fitness as a barrier. Really I don't think I'm unfit, I'm no triathlete or anything but I wouldn't call myself unhealthy either. I guess I just really need something to do with my time so why not pick something that will be good for me and help me be happy and healthy?
I'm still looking for a place to learn a language. There is a Spanish course near me but they are outrageously expensive. I might look into the university near by and see if they offer any not for credit classes in Spanish in the evenings or weekends. That would also be fun to keep me busy.
I've also been to a few concerts recently which have all been great fun. Perhaps I'll start looking into some venues and pick a few new bands to try. Sometimes tickets are only $7-$15 at smaller venues so it's not like it's a big deal if I don't care for the band. At least the crowds are usually pretty fun!
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Always accepting visitors from any part of the globe!!!! Come visit me in Chicago :o)
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Some Thoughtful Meanderings
UPDATE ON EMOTIONS:
Starting a new life, making new friends, building a new career, clinging to the past and that which is familiar, reaching for the unknown and all the promise of adventures... Growing up is confusing...
I've been in Chicago for 4 months now. In such a short, yet at the same time very long time, I've been through so much and so little all simultaneously. I thrive on new things, new places, new challenges, new adventures - ask anyone that knows me very well and I'm sure they will agree. This doesn't come without the struggles of being thrust into unfamiliar territory. I don't always land on my feet, I do not always walk gracefully - I'm sublimely clumsy and pretty bruised from very poor entrances into these new adventures. Every new chapter in my life seems to start out great, take a moment and depress itself with some struggles, then simply soar on to the next great adventure. It's a trend that I've been through many times from starting college, to moving to India, and now in my transition to Chicago. The time frame changes for each new experience on when the downside will show itself and for how long it will last. Usually I get out of it pretty quickly due to the fact that I always seem to find super amazing people to help get me through it all. I'm now looking for that super amazing person for this adventure because life can get to be a bit much. Hey - that's what growing up is all about right? Tackling new challenges and meeting new obstacles face on and over coming them! I'll manage!
I'm hurting now for the pain my other home is currently having. Mumbai will always have a special place inside me tucked somewhere behind the heartstrings. I'm so fortunate that those who I care about are safe, and those they know and care about are safe too. These acts of violence are so confusing to me that I don't even try to rationalize them. I can only ask that every one stays safe and that everyone continues to send positive thoughts their way.
Mein tumse pyar karti hoon India, mein tumse pyar karti hoon...
में तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ इंडिया, में तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ...
I've also grown to really dislike Christmas music in the month of November and I live by the words of NPR as my main news source.
UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES:
I've had quite the busy last few weekends with visitors and traveling to Gurnee for Thanksgiving. Two of my best friends from Purdue, Alan and Megan came to visit for a weekend, three weeks back. We got to go see one of my favorite bands The Clarks play a show. I had a great time because I love there music. I think Megan and Alan enjoyed it too even though they didn't know the songs. We also got to hang around the city and eat at some fun restaurants as well as go out to the nearby bars. Philip came the following weekend and we also had a good time. I think the highlight for both of us was getting to have drinks on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building! The view was amazing and the drinks were really tasty too. Here are some pics from our time out in the city!
The 95th Floor!!
Chicago's tribute to the Jelly Bean (j/k)
Philip is actually Spiderman... Sorry the secret is out!
Two awkward people staring into the bean...
Starting a new life, making new friends, building a new career, clinging to the past and that which is familiar, reaching for the unknown and all the promise of adventures... Growing up is confusing...
I've been in Chicago for 4 months now. In such a short, yet at the same time very long time, I've been through so much and so little all simultaneously. I thrive on new things, new places, new challenges, new adventures - ask anyone that knows me very well and I'm sure they will agree. This doesn't come without the struggles of being thrust into unfamiliar territory. I don't always land on my feet, I do not always walk gracefully - I'm sublimely clumsy and pretty bruised from very poor entrances into these new adventures. Every new chapter in my life seems to start out great, take a moment and depress itself with some struggles, then simply soar on to the next great adventure. It's a trend that I've been through many times from starting college, to moving to India, and now in my transition to Chicago. The time frame changes for each new experience on when the downside will show itself and for how long it will last. Usually I get out of it pretty quickly due to the fact that I always seem to find super amazing people to help get me through it all. I'm now looking for that super amazing person for this adventure because life can get to be a bit much. Hey - that's what growing up is all about right? Tackling new challenges and meeting new obstacles face on and over coming them! I'll manage!
I'm hurting now for the pain my other home is currently having. Mumbai will always have a special place inside me tucked somewhere behind the heartstrings. I'm so fortunate that those who I care about are safe, and those they know and care about are safe too. These acts of violence are so confusing to me that I don't even try to rationalize them. I can only ask that every one stays safe and that everyone continues to send positive thoughts their way.
Mein tumse pyar karti hoon India, mein tumse pyar karti hoon...
में तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ इंडिया, में तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ...
I've also grown to really dislike Christmas music in the month of November and I live by the words of NPR as my main news source.
UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES:
I've had quite the busy last few weekends with visitors and traveling to Gurnee for Thanksgiving. Two of my best friends from Purdue, Alan and Megan came to visit for a weekend, three weeks back. We got to go see one of my favorite bands The Clarks play a show. I had a great time because I love there music. I think Megan and Alan enjoyed it too even though they didn't know the songs. We also got to hang around the city and eat at some fun restaurants as well as go out to the nearby bars. Philip came the following weekend and we also had a good time. I think the highlight for both of us was getting to have drinks on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building! The view was amazing and the drinks were really tasty too. Here are some pics from our time out in the city!
The 95th Floor!!
Chicago's tribute to the Jelly Bean (j/k)
Philip is actually Spiderman... Sorry the secret is out!
Two awkward people staring into the bean...Friday, November 07, 2008
United States Politics
America has elected its first president of color.
California has voted to change its constitution to make gay marriage illegal.
Alabama has passed a law prohibiting any unmarried person from adopting a child.
Colorado failed an amendment to define a person as "any human from the moment of fertilization".
Democrats hold a 6 person majority in the Senate and a strong majority in the House
Obama is half black - not totally black. This race could never have been about race, it could only have been about the unity of a country and the strength of its people when they come together. America is a melting pot of people. No where else in the world do you have so many different ethnicity co-mingling in a single place. No where else do you have a large population of people who trace their lineage back to countries on all sides of the globe (Irish and Phillepeno? Colombian and French? Or how about Irish, English, German, Russian? - yup we' have those here). In what other country are there every single major religion practiced as widely as here? Everything from Bible thumping Catholics to free-love spiritualists, from Kosher Jews to Zen meditating Buddhists, they all worship here.
Obama to me is a reminder of those things a reminder that the United States is welcoming, tolerant, and inclusive. And then California goes and dashes my feelings of elation by making gay marriage illegal. Never in my life time (which albeit is not that long) has there been a time when an amendment to a constitution was made to REMOVE rights from people. The only instance that I can think of prior to this would be prohibition and we all know what happened with that. If someone can explain to me why allowing gay marriage is so terrible, why it is so 'unnatural' or why it threatens the supposed 'sanctity' of the institution of marriage, I will be more than interested in this rational. However, I don't see why who someone else chooses to love, or who they choose to make love with is anyone's business or anyone's right to be at all involved in. I certainly don't understand why the government feels the need to be involved, if Catholics think its wrong, then they don't marry gay couples at their churches, if Jews think it's wrong, then they can deny weddings at temples - but in a court room in front of a judge and the welcoming, tolerant, and inclusive governing body of the United States, there should be no denial of two people wanting to pledge their lives together.
So while as a nation I believe we turned our backs on the path of destruction and international disapproval that the Bush Administration was so proudly marching us down, I fear we are only retreating to an intolerant, non-progressive, judgemental society. There was a time that women and black people could not vote, a time when blacks and whites could not marry, a time when black people didn't even count as a full person, and now we are denying another group of people their rights. It makes me sad, it makes me bitter, it makes me confused, and it makes me fearful that more intolerant people exist in this world than I thought.
But on to more happy topics - the US economy!!! I listen to NPR (National Public Radio) every day to and from work. For the past two months every day I hear the same story told from different angles and spoken by different people. The story of the failing US economy. The emphasis changes from day to day to capture the political side and the personal side and the business side and the corporate side and the urban side and the rural side and the international impact.... uggg I could go on. Point of the matter is this, the people who are suffering from poor loans made to them by banks who gave them more money than they will ever be able to pay back are hurting. They can't pay their bills and the banks are going under and people are loosing faith in the market. So what happens? The government comes in with a $700 Billion plan to 'bail out' companies. What I want to know is this, WHY and with what money? Hasn't anyone taken a class on economics? Does anyone understand Laizzes-Faire? Does anyone understand simple bad luck? Oh and where did this $700 billion come from exactly? Which foreign nation ponied up the dough to pull America back out of this rut that the unintelligent people who don't understand what variable rate loans are got us in? The people who that $700 billion bail out should go to are those who were just a few years away from retirement, who are watching as their savings slip to zero dollars. If you were a bank foolish enough to get involved with such awful practices, you should have to dig yourself out of this mess, not the government, and definitely not the tax payers.
I could continue to rant, I could continue to rave.... but I'm far too over joyed about Mark and I's random refresher of the laws of thermodynamics to really care much for the moment. So instead of trying to comprehend the minds of my fellow Americans and why they made the sometimes good and sometimes questionable decisions they did this past election, I'm going to ponder what my crystalline structure would be if I were a molecule in a beaker full of myself sitting at absolute zero.... Yes at time I don't understand myself.
Pics of life from various sources...
Halloween
Chicago triatholon swimmers - GO!
Chicago's view of Lake Michigan
The skyline and my current home.
Enjoying Chicago when it was beautiful weather.
California has voted to change its constitution to make gay marriage illegal.
Alabama has passed a law prohibiting any unmarried person from adopting a child.
Colorado failed an amendment to define a person as "any human from the moment of fertilization".
Democrats hold a 6 person majority in the Senate and a strong majority in the House
Obama is half black - not totally black. This race could never have been about race, it could only have been about the unity of a country and the strength of its people when they come together. America is a melting pot of people. No where else in the world do you have so many different ethnicity co-mingling in a single place. No where else do you have a large population of people who trace their lineage back to countries on all sides of the globe (Irish and Phillepeno? Colombian and French? Or how about Irish, English, German, Russian? - yup we' have those here). In what other country are there every single major religion practiced as widely as here? Everything from Bible thumping Catholics to free-love spiritualists, from Kosher Jews to Zen meditating Buddhists, they all worship here.
Obama to me is a reminder of those things a reminder that the United States is welcoming, tolerant, and inclusive. And then California goes and dashes my feelings of elation by making gay marriage illegal. Never in my life time (which albeit is not that long) has there been a time when an amendment to a constitution was made to REMOVE rights from people. The only instance that I can think of prior to this would be prohibition and we all know what happened with that. If someone can explain to me why allowing gay marriage is so terrible, why it is so 'unnatural' or why it threatens the supposed 'sanctity' of the institution of marriage, I will be more than interested in this rational. However, I don't see why who someone else chooses to love, or who they choose to make love with is anyone's business or anyone's right to be at all involved in. I certainly don't understand why the government feels the need to be involved, if Catholics think its wrong, then they don't marry gay couples at their churches, if Jews think it's wrong, then they can deny weddings at temples - but in a court room in front of a judge and the welcoming, tolerant, and inclusive governing body of the United States, there should be no denial of two people wanting to pledge their lives together.
So while as a nation I believe we turned our backs on the path of destruction and international disapproval that the Bush Administration was so proudly marching us down, I fear we are only retreating to an intolerant, non-progressive, judgemental society. There was a time that women and black people could not vote, a time when blacks and whites could not marry, a time when black people didn't even count as a full person, and now we are denying another group of people their rights. It makes me sad, it makes me bitter, it makes me confused, and it makes me fearful that more intolerant people exist in this world than I thought.
But on to more happy topics - the US economy!!! I listen to NPR (National Public Radio) every day to and from work. For the past two months every day I hear the same story told from different angles and spoken by different people. The story of the failing US economy. The emphasis changes from day to day to capture the political side and the personal side and the business side and the corporate side and the urban side and the rural side and the international impact.... uggg I could go on. Point of the matter is this, the people who are suffering from poor loans made to them by banks who gave them more money than they will ever be able to pay back are hurting. They can't pay their bills and the banks are going under and people are loosing faith in the market. So what happens? The government comes in with a $700 Billion plan to 'bail out' companies. What I want to know is this, WHY and with what money? Hasn't anyone taken a class on economics? Does anyone understand Laizzes-Faire? Does anyone understand simple bad luck? Oh and where did this $700 billion come from exactly? Which foreign nation ponied up the dough to pull America back out of this rut that the unintelligent people who don't understand what variable rate loans are got us in? The people who that $700 billion bail out should go to are those who were just a few years away from retirement, who are watching as their savings slip to zero dollars. If you were a bank foolish enough to get involved with such awful practices, you should have to dig yourself out of this mess, not the government, and definitely not the tax payers.
I could continue to rant, I could continue to rave.... but I'm far too over joyed about Mark and I's random refresher of the laws of thermodynamics to really care much for the moment. So instead of trying to comprehend the minds of my fellow Americans and why they made the sometimes good and sometimes questionable decisions they did this past election, I'm going to ponder what my crystalline structure would be if I were a molecule in a beaker full of myself sitting at absolute zero.... Yes at time I don't understand myself.
Pics of life from various sources...
Halloween
Chicago triatholon swimmers - GO!
Chicago's view of Lake Michigan
The skyline and my current home.
Enjoying Chicago when it was beautiful weather.Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Chi-town life!
Well I moved to Chicago.... scary... thrilling... exciting... wonderful... terrible... crazy... frustrating... overall, just new. I've got so many stories about my attempts to move into my apartment (I don't have electricity) and buy things I need. I still don't have a bed in the typical sense. I bought an Aerobed (yay Big!) which I've been sleeping on for the past almost week now. I have a bed I really like and will probably buy once I have access to my funds (switching banks is a bit of a hassle...) For a while I'll probably still use the aerobed as my mattress until I buy a new one of those too.
I know this is short - but I wanted to just let people know that I made it and that everything is moving forward. I'm going to try to take some pictures when I get a chance - so check for those!
Hope everyone is doing great!
I know this is short - but I wanted to just let people know that I made it and that everything is moving forward. I'm going to try to take some pictures when I get a chance - so check for those!
Hope everyone is doing great!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Since I've been home
I'm home in CO now, and it feels great. I was really ready to get home after being gone for two full months. It's strange as I was gone much longer when I was studying abroad in India, but I guess that is how it goes sometimes.
Overall my trip was amazing. I met wonderful people, ate marvelous food, bought some interesting things, and saw phenomenal places and sights. Now that I'm home I'm looking forward to my grand entrance into the real world. I feel like my 'entrance' will be more of a stumble, catch myself, try not to trip again, stutter at the microphone and awkwardly curtsy more than the flawless leap and pirouette I'm going for. But never the less, I'm going. I'm excited and I'm nervous.
I don't own a bed yet... that will have to be purchased once I arrive in Chicago and I see just how much space I actually have to play around with. It's quite painful having to buy it there with the OUTRAGEOUS 10.25% sales tax (seriously!!). I'm not 100% sure what I'll do just yet, but whatever it is, I'll figure it out I'm sure. I've got a list of other things that Mark and I need for our apartment which is going to be so wonderful! Ghetto fabulous is what we are going for here. My mother has generously offered us the couch and chair from our family room and the kitchen table with chairs. So we are partially furnished! Mark's family has also generously offered various pieces for the apartment, so we are going with the ecclectic theme I believe.
I'm nervous about starting work, excited for a new city, concerned about finding new friends, anxious about driving in a new place, thrilled about having another life adventure, saddened about not returning to my marvelous friends of Purdue... and many other emotions all swirling about. I'm laughing it off now, but movers come in two days - I really need to get going on organizing my life!!!
Overall my trip was amazing. I met wonderful people, ate marvelous food, bought some interesting things, and saw phenomenal places and sights. Now that I'm home I'm looking forward to my grand entrance into the real world. I feel like my 'entrance' will be more of a stumble, catch myself, try not to trip again, stutter at the microphone and awkwardly curtsy more than the flawless leap and pirouette I'm going for. But never the less, I'm going. I'm excited and I'm nervous.
I don't own a bed yet... that will have to be purchased once I arrive in Chicago and I see just how much space I actually have to play around with. It's quite painful having to buy it there with the OUTRAGEOUS 10.25% sales tax (seriously!!). I'm not 100% sure what I'll do just yet, but whatever it is, I'll figure it out I'm sure. I've got a list of other things that Mark and I need for our apartment which is going to be so wonderful! Ghetto fabulous is what we are going for here. My mother has generously offered us the couch and chair from our family room and the kitchen table with chairs. So we are partially furnished! Mark's family has also generously offered various pieces for the apartment, so we are going with the ecclectic theme I believe.
I'm nervous about starting work, excited for a new city, concerned about finding new friends, anxious about driving in a new place, thrilled about having another life adventure, saddened about not returning to my marvelous friends of Purdue... and many other emotions all swirling about. I'm laughing it off now, but movers come in two days - I really need to get going on organizing my life!!!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Back on US Soil
So I made it!! Around the world going east to west! I landed safely in LA, California and made my way via Amtrak to Anne and Zach's in San Diego. It feels really great to be back 'home', better than I was expecting. The greatest part I found is being able to walk up to anyone and know they will speak English. As a tourist you know that not everyone will speak English, but to a small degree you sort of expect those associated with tourism will. Usually this is the case, hotels and travel agents usually speak passable English which is GREAT. However, sometimes you are in a restaurant or on a bus and you need something answered and no one speaks English, and you ashamedly do not speak the local language, so you rely on gestures and pointing. That is part of the experience I suppose and it is terribly arrogant to believe or expect that those people should know English. So I can't say I'm upset when they don't, more that I got frustrated that I couldn't communicate effectively. I went an entire day without eating because I couldn't be sure that the food didn't have beef or pork in it when I was traveling. Thank goodness Coke is sold everywhere and has calories, because that was all I consumed that day - not the best day of my trip that's for sure.
So now I'm back home. The customs agents even welcomed me that way, once with a "welcome back" and then later with a "welcome home." I must admit it felt great and wonderful. So I'm attempting to readjust to US time, which usually isn't too hard for me. However, this might be a bit more difficult than previous times because I was traveling for over 27 hours (really closure to about 33 with the taxi to the airport and then the train to San Diego) so I slept for over 12 hours last night. I didn't wake up until 1:30 pm today. So I need to adjust and catch up on sleep which seems to be hard to do because I'm not sure I'll be sleeping again until much later tonight - we'll see though, I'm trying my best!
After a few days here with my Big I'm heading back to CO for the whirlwind of moving to Chicago. In about 10 days I'll be enjoying the wonderful view from my new home near the Belmont Station in Lakeview. I'm not sure but the view might be of the building next door - but I'm going to love it! So much change is going on right now in life which is both wonderful and overwhelming. I'll feel like I can manage everything when life settles down a bit - after Rachael and Michael's wedding of course! Thought that wedding will be great fun to see everyone :)
Until I get to the real home (Denver? Chicago?) I'm still traveling, only now on US time - maybe soon... hahaha
So now I'm back home. The customs agents even welcomed me that way, once with a "welcome back" and then later with a "welcome home." I must admit it felt great and wonderful. So I'm attempting to readjust to US time, which usually isn't too hard for me. However, this might be a bit more difficult than previous times because I was traveling for over 27 hours (really closure to about 33 with the taxi to the airport and then the train to San Diego) so I slept for over 12 hours last night. I didn't wake up until 1:30 pm today. So I need to adjust and catch up on sleep which seems to be hard to do because I'm not sure I'll be sleeping again until much later tonight - we'll see though, I'm trying my best!
After a few days here with my Big I'm heading back to CO for the whirlwind of moving to Chicago. In about 10 days I'll be enjoying the wonderful view from my new home near the Belmont Station in Lakeview. I'm not sure but the view might be of the building next door - but I'm going to love it! So much change is going on right now in life which is both wonderful and overwhelming. I'll feel like I can manage everything when life settles down a bit - after Rachael and Michael's wedding of course! Thought that wedding will be great fun to see everyone :)
Until I get to the real home (Denver? Chicago?) I'm still traveling, only now on US time - maybe soon... hahaha
Monday, July 14, 2008
BANGKOK!!
So I'm finishing up my trip in Bangkok. I got many mixed reviews from other travelers on how much they loved or hated Bangkok so I didn't really know what to expect. I came in with an open mind and a wallet full of Baht for my spending pleasure - turns out that is the way to go in Bangkok. I'm staying at a place which costs 200B a night (about $7) with my own bathroom! I've been shopping at roadside stalls and trying my hand at bargining... but I'm not very good. Never the less when I buy a pair of capri pants for under $5 I guess I can't complain. As far as the shopping goes, my biggest purchase hands down of the entire trip even bigger than my coat in Morocco is my custom made suit. I decided to have a suit tailored while I'm here and surrounded by so many tailors. It's going to be beautiful when it is finished and I'll be sure to post a picture or two of it. Get excited!! Here are the snaps from the last few days :) enjoy!
Weekend market... this is a baby squirrel that I can buy as a pet.. maybe I should have and trained it to chase the Purdue squirrels (haha)
Baby parrot/bird things also for sale at the market
Famous floating market. Used to be really authentic and culturally unique, it has succumb to the tourist trap routine unfortunately :(
GIANT table and chairs at the Thai Arts and Crafts store - this is 'big people furniture' Daddy!
My historically significant stop - the bridge over the R Kwai. I can't decide if they hate America for bombing it so many times during WWII or if they were really happy that we were able to stop the Japanese from invading Burma and getting to India... very confusing
Super fun stop at the Tiger Temple! These are two little baby tiger cubs, super playful
I feel like I'm posing for my senior pictures again - but doesn't the tiger look drugged? It's not, I promise :)
Yay! Getting to spend some time with the tigers, how many times have you touched the tummy of a tiger?? (me - at least three now)
Weekend market... this is a baby squirrel that I can buy as a pet.. maybe I should have and trained it to chase the Purdue squirrels (haha)
Baby parrot/bird things also for sale at the market
Famous floating market. Used to be really authentic and culturally unique, it has succumb to the tourist trap routine unfortunately :(
GIANT table and chairs at the Thai Arts and Crafts store - this is 'big people furniture' Daddy!
My historically significant stop - the bridge over the R Kwai. I can't decide if they hate America for bombing it so many times during WWII or if they were really happy that we were able to stop the Japanese from invading Burma and getting to India... very confusing
Super fun stop at the Tiger Temple! These are two little baby tiger cubs, super playful
I feel like I'm posing for my senior pictures again - but doesn't the tiger look drugged? It's not, I promise :)
Yay! Getting to spend some time with the tigers, how many times have you touched the tummy of a tiger?? (me - at least three now)Sunday, July 13, 2008
A bit of my diving... Koh Tao!!
So I spent the last few days (five days and four nights) on Koh Tao, and island off the eastern coast of Thailand learning to SCUBA dive. It was totally amazing and 100% fun and wonderful. 50% was the breathing underwater, 10% was the novelty of being in Thailand, and the remaining 40% were the great people got to learn and hang out with. A group of about 8 of us hung out all day from morning dives to night time beers and fire twirls. It was great!! Here are the snaps!!
Emma - my Irish roommate on the boat during the last day of my dive class. She has been diving since she was 13... her dad runs a dive shop in Dublin... I now have an open invitation to dive in Ireland - SWEET!
Some of the gang - Norbert (yes all I can think about is Harry Potter's Dragon...), me, Laura, Ornella, and our instructor Zigor. We are chillin on the roof of the boat.
Our dive site!! We dove on either side of this small island.
Home sweet home for Emma and I - our own little beach shack
The wonderful inside - fortunately we didn't have to spoon :)
So now I'm in Bangkok shopping and having a very fun time. At some point I'll tell everyone who remembers to ask about the Philippine who taught me how to cheat at gambling and wanted me to help him swindle money out of other gamblers for a 50/50 split of the winnings... um no thanks!!
Looking forward to CA though - yay for visiting the best Greek Family ever!! Gonna miss the little and grand little, and great grand little though... *hugs*
Emma - my Irish roommate on the boat during the last day of my dive class. She has been diving since she was 13... her dad runs a dive shop in Dublin... I now have an open invitation to dive in Ireland - SWEET!
Some of the gang - Norbert (yes all I can think about is Harry Potter's Dragon...), me, Laura, Ornella, and our instructor Zigor. We are chillin on the roof of the boat.
Our dive site!! We dove on either side of this small island.
Home sweet home for Emma and I - our own little beach shack
The wonderful inside - fortunately we didn't have to spoon :)So now I'm in Bangkok shopping and having a very fun time. At some point I'll tell everyone who remembers to ask about the Philippine who taught me how to cheat at gambling and wanted me to help him swindle money out of other gamblers for a 50/50 split of the winnings... um no thanks!!
Looking forward to CA though - yay for visiting the best Greek Family ever!! Gonna miss the little and grand little, and great grand little though... *hugs*
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Finally in Bangkok
I finished my SCUBA lessons - yay!! I'm now certified to swim to a depth of 18 meters. It was such fun actually. There were 6 people in the class, two from Ireland, two Germans, and a Dutch/Ethiopian mix plus me! Our instructor was Spanish but spoke great English. We all had a great time. Our last few dives were really fun and we stayed underwater for around 45-50 minutes for each of our dives.
Other than the SCUBA, I didn't do a whole lot other than hang with my classmates and sleep. I met an awesome Irish woman, Emma, who I ended up sharing a little hut/house with - great fun. I'll try to get pictures up soon - internet is a bit expensive where I'm at so I don't want to waste the time with it.
Can't wait to get back home and move to Chicago though - thinking about all the crazy stuff Mark and I are going to do... Sunday brunch, gay people's leftover furniture, dinner parties, movie nights, shopping at Whole Foods.... gonna be great!!
Other than the SCUBA, I didn't do a whole lot other than hang with my classmates and sleep. I met an awesome Irish woman, Emma, who I ended up sharing a little hut/house with - great fun. I'll try to get pictures up soon - internet is a bit expensive where I'm at so I don't want to waste the time with it.
Can't wait to get back home and move to Chicago though - thinking about all the crazy stuff Mark and I are going to do... Sunday brunch, gay people's leftover furniture, dinner parties, movie nights, shopping at Whole Foods.... gonna be great!!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Thailand anyone??
So I said goodbye to Malaysia and now am in the Land of Smiles, Thailand!! I'm currently awaiting my night ferry to an island of the coast, Ko Tao. I plan on being there for around 4 days while I learn to SCUBA dive. The certification is really inexpensive and I've got the interest and the time. I might not have internet there so if you don't get any updates, that is why. I'll be sure to take loads of pictures. I just wish I had a waterproof camera (darn you Gavin why didn't I swipe yours when I had the chance?!?!) to take pics of the fishies.
From Ko Tao it's off to BANGKOK for the last few days of my trip - shopping until the Baht run out - that's the name of the game. Basically I'm hitting the weekend market and I'm not leaving until my wallet is empty. I then will sleep on the street surrounded by my stuff - I can't wait.
Off to the island life!!
From Ko Tao it's off to BANGKOK for the last few days of my trip - shopping until the Baht run out - that's the name of the game. Basically I'm hitting the weekend market and I'm not leaving until my wallet is empty. I then will sleep on the street surrounded by my stuff - I can't wait.
Off to the island life!!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
A few pictures
So my camera had/has a virus. It was making all my photos folders hidden so I'm not sure what to do about that. I got one of the issues resolved so now I can put a few pics up!! They are in no real order - enjoy!!
Me on a mini trek in the Cameron Highlands. I was rinsing off my feet after they got covered in mud...
In Maleka... seems that US politics are always worth a laugh and I must admit, I laughed pretty hard. :)
The giant needle thing in Kuala Lumpur
The hibiscus garden, no really these ARE hibiscus not something else and I'm just trying to sound smart.
Me and the Petronas Towers at night in KL
A little bridge we came across during our mini trek in the Cameron Highlands.
Me on a mini trek in the Cameron Highlands. I was rinsing off my feet after they got covered in mud...
The Highlands are known for their strawberries and everything the sell is some version of a strawberry - pretty crazy!!
Me at the butterfly farm!!
Scones and tea!! Mine is the strawberry fruity scone - yum!
In Maleka... seems that US politics are always worth a laugh and I must admit, I laughed pretty hard. :)
The giant needle thing in Kuala Lumpur
The hibiscus garden, no really these ARE hibiscus not something else and I'm just trying to sound smart.
Me and the Petronas Towers at night in KL
A little bridge we came across during our mini trek in the Cameron Highlands.Friday, July 04, 2008
Camera woes
So I know I keep promising pictures... but I may be full of hot air... My camera seems to be infected with a virus of sorts. The file name is autorun.inf. I have no idea how I got it or where, but I cannot access my photos on any computer. They appear on my camera, but I cannot see them when I plug into the USB. I'm trying to see if there is any way to fix this problem, but I might need to buy a new memory card. We'll see how that goes.
In more happy news I've spent two GREAT days in the Cameron Highlands. It is simply beautiful here. The town and weather remind me a lot of Ooty in India. It's a hill station and very cooling. I went on a little hike/trek the other day with some other travelers which was great fun. We visited the butterfly park and I got to hold a bunch of them along with a chameleon and snake. Very fun.
Tonight I'm taking an overnight bus to Kota Bharu where I will cross into Thailand. From there it is 10 days until I fly home!! Yeah for a great trip - only minor bumps along the way.
In more happy news I've spent two GREAT days in the Cameron Highlands. It is simply beautiful here. The town and weather remind me a lot of Ooty in India. It's a hill station and very cooling. I went on a little hike/trek the other day with some other travelers which was great fun. We visited the butterfly park and I got to hold a bunch of them along with a chameleon and snake. Very fun.
Tonight I'm taking an overnight bus to Kota Bharu where I will cross into Thailand. From there it is 10 days until I fly home!! Yeah for a great trip - only minor bumps along the way.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Malaysia!!
Well I was hoping to upload some pictures today of Malaysia but this computer is fighting me tooth and nail!! So hopefully soon I will be able to post some photos.
In the mean time, here's what I've been up to:
I left Mei and Singapore on Monday morning and headed to a small town on the western coast called Melaka for two nights. I met a great Canadian lady Robin and we've been traveling together for the last three days now.
In Melaka, the guest house I stayed in was pretty basic, but then again what do you expect for $5 a night?? The owners were interesting, I think they were high sometimes... but pleasent enough. The town in pretty small and everything is walkable which is nice. Robin and I spent a lot of time exploring the town just meandering down streets and into shops.
On Wednesday we left for Kuala Lumpur (KL) the capital of Malaysia. It is an impressive city really, very modern and surprisingly clean. We had a mad hunt for this Orchid Garden which we finally found, the flowers were pretty but not worth the freakin' long walk we took to get there. We ended up finding this really cute place to eat lunch, no one spoke English, so we just sort of winged it. We ended up getting rice with pineapple, fried tofu with chili sauce, and fried bananas. Quite tasty!!
In the night we went to visit the Patronas Twin Towers. They used to be the tallest towers in the world until Taipei (?) 101 overtook them, now the tower in Dubai is passing 101. They were STUNNING at night. I wish I could put up pics... later I suppose.
Today I leave for the Cameron Highlands to do some hiking and chilling out there. Robin is staying in KL so I'm on my own for a bit :) They have a butterfly museum so I'll be on the lookout for mating butterflies to add to my collection!! haha
All for now - hope pics are coming soon.
In the mean time, here's what I've been up to:
I left Mei and Singapore on Monday morning and headed to a small town on the western coast called Melaka for two nights. I met a great Canadian lady Robin and we've been traveling together for the last three days now.
In Melaka, the guest house I stayed in was pretty basic, but then again what do you expect for $5 a night?? The owners were interesting, I think they were high sometimes... but pleasent enough. The town in pretty small and everything is walkable which is nice. Robin and I spent a lot of time exploring the town just meandering down streets and into shops.
On Wednesday we left for Kuala Lumpur (KL) the capital of Malaysia. It is an impressive city really, very modern and surprisingly clean. We had a mad hunt for this Orchid Garden which we finally found, the flowers were pretty but not worth the freakin' long walk we took to get there. We ended up finding this really cute place to eat lunch, no one spoke English, so we just sort of winged it. We ended up getting rice with pineapple, fried tofu with chili sauce, and fried bananas. Quite tasty!!
In the night we went to visit the Patronas Twin Towers. They used to be the tallest towers in the world until Taipei (?) 101 overtook them, now the tower in Dubai is passing 101. They were STUNNING at night. I wish I could put up pics... later I suppose.
Today I leave for the Cameron Highlands to do some hiking and chilling out there. Robin is staying in KL so I'm on my own for a bit :) They have a butterfly museum so I'll be on the lookout for mating butterflies to add to my collection!! haha
All for now - hope pics are coming soon.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
At the Beach and with the Birds
Yesterday Mei and I went to the bird park, which is quite amazing actually. There were birds from all over the world, penguins, toucans, flamingos, pelicans, parrots etc. All of them were amazingly beautiful. The park has a lot of bird shows that go on where they invite members of the audience up to talk to the birds and hold them etc. Mostly it is for younger children which was fun to watch. We went to the birds of prey show which was great! They had trained the birds to fly over the crowd - very, very close to the crowd. So about five times I had my head between my knees so an Asian Vulture didn't mistake my pony tail for a tasty lunch treat!!
Me at the southern most point of the Asia continent. Still haven't made it south of the equator though... next trip I guess.
Holding two macaws (I think) at the insect museum.
As promised, the mating butterflies. I think they were the most photographed of any of the butterflies there - after we found them, there was a small line of people taking pictures. So much for privacy during intimacy
Mei and I being goofy while trying to cool down - it is quite humid and hot around here.
The hermaphroditic butterfly - enough said
Ahhh - beautiful Santosa!! Fun times here :)
Me at the southern most point of the Asia continent. Still haven't made it south of the equator though... next trip I guess.
Holding two macaws (I think) at the insect museum.
As promised, the mating butterflies. I think they were the most photographed of any of the butterflies there - after we found them, there was a small line of people taking pictures. So much for privacy during intimacy
Mei and I being goofy while trying to cool down - it is quite humid and hot around here.
The hermaphroditic butterfly - enough said
Ahhh - beautiful Santosa!! Fun times here :)Friday, June 27, 2008
Singapore!
Hey all!!
I made it to Singapore and Mei was at the airport to greet me. It is great to catch up with her and to see her again. We cruised around a bit after I got in and ate at a place they call a "hawkers market" which is basically a giant food court. Everything is pretty inexpensive and you order plates from different booths and they deliver it to a table for you and you all share everything family style. So for dinner I ate a lot of squid, oysters, chicken, and... STINGRAY!! It is quite nice, stingray is... very light flavor and texture similar to chicken breast.
Today Mei and I went to Santosa Island where I got to see the southern most point of continental Asia - pics coming soon. It was fun to lay on the beach and relax. We also went to an insect/butterfly museum which was fun. we found two butterflies making little butterflies - again pic coming soon.
I'm planning my trip into Malaysia and Thailand which is fun, there is so much to do there!! I'm really quite excited about it.
Keep the emails and comments coming - I miss hearing what ppl are up to!!
I made it to Singapore and Mei was at the airport to greet me. It is great to catch up with her and to see her again. We cruised around a bit after I got in and ate at a place they call a "hawkers market" which is basically a giant food court. Everything is pretty inexpensive and you order plates from different booths and they deliver it to a table for you and you all share everything family style. So for dinner I ate a lot of squid, oysters, chicken, and... STINGRAY!! It is quite nice, stingray is... very light flavor and texture similar to chicken breast.
Today Mei and I went to Santosa Island where I got to see the southern most point of continental Asia - pics coming soon. It was fun to lay on the beach and relax. We also went to an insect/butterfly museum which was fun. we found two butterflies making little butterflies - again pic coming soon.
I'm planning my trip into Malaysia and Thailand which is fun, there is so much to do there!! I'm really quite excited about it.
Keep the emails and comments coming - I miss hearing what ppl are up to!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Finally some pictures!!
Finally here are some pics. I leave for Singapore tomorrow morning and I'm so excited to see Mei!! Yeah for the next part of the adventure :)
Aarthi in Rishikish - very cool thing to see
Rafting the Ganges!! Super fun!!
Me holding my bike helmet on the road to the Thiksay monastery
Three story Buddha statue in Thiksay Monastery
Prayer wheels in the Hemis Monastery south of Leh (always turn them clockwise)
At the top of Shanti Stupa in Leh, the view was beautiful and we stayed until sunset just watching the mountains change color - stunning
18,380 ft - it was awesome!
Loads of prayer flags on the highest motorable pass in the world. It's really a beautiful thing, the idea of sending prayers on the wind to the Gods.
This is the jeep crew - Sidd (India), Me (USA), Tom (UK), Eliza (Italy), Kate (Aussie), Steve (UK) We had so much fun just chatting, drinking beer and trying not to kill our jeep driver who seemed to be trying to kill us!! We just crossed back over the Khardung La pass back to Leh
Sidd in a great little pizza joint in Leh, the mushroom soup was amazing!
The Lotus Temple - beautiful and quite a nice religion too - very accepting, very equal opportunities, very peaceful.Monday, June 23, 2008
Three pairs of underwear
So as I've been out on my adventures I've managed to cut down the amount of baggage I carry. I sort of have to because of how much I'm moving and changing location and taking public transportation etc. The flights are the easiest - check the bag and go. But buses and rickshaws are much harder when you have to carry everything, store it on your lap or under your feet. Many people have asked how I am able to carry everything in one 70L backpack, here is the breakdown of the essentials...
3 pairs pants (one pair jeans, green and kakhi capris)
1 skirt - for the beach and such
2 long sleeve shirts
3 short sleeve shirts (bought two more making 5)
3 pairs of underwear
3 bras
toothbrush
toothpaste
shampoo
conditioner
contacts (w/solution)
glasses
small hairbrush
towel
sandals
sneakers
2 pairs of socks
I think that covers the essentials!!
It's not too bad either - weighs about 15kgs - you can do the conversion yourselves to figure out the amount of lbs.
3 pairs pants (one pair jeans, green and kakhi capris)
1 skirt - for the beach and such
2 long sleeve shirts
3 short sleeve shirts (bought two more making 5)
3 pairs of underwear
3 bras
toothbrush
toothpaste
shampoo
conditioner
contacts (w/solution)
glasses
small hairbrush
towel
sandals
sneakers
2 pairs of socks
I think that covers the essentials!!
It's not too bad either - weighs about 15kgs - you can do the conversion yourselves to figure out the amount of lbs.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
A few days in Leh
Sidd and I are now in Leh - really far north in India, close to both Pakistan and China. The first few days we were here we just lazied around getting used to the elevation (aroun 11,000 ft) which took longer than we thought. We rented a motorcycle and drove around to see some monostaries and gompas etc. The spirituality here is very strong, and very Buddhist.
We joined a group of four other people on a trip to Nubra Valley which was so much fun! To get to the valley we had to cross the highest motorizable road in the WORLD! The pass is at 18,380 ft!! It was snowing and cold and I climbed about 20 stairs and thought I would die - not really but I could feel the thinness of the air.
The valley is beautiful and I can't wait to post pictures when I get back to Delhi. We got to walk through sand dunes and wade in a river and bathe in hot springs. The other people on the trip were great fun too. They were from Italy, Australia, and two from UK. As the only US citizen there - I got a lot of Bush questions and a lot of Obama or McCain? Why Iraq? Do you think your country is done for? etc questions. It was strange to be the person answering those questions as I find myself asking the same of other Americans at home... Joys of travel!!
Sidd and I are deciding what to do for our last few days before heading to Delhi - we'll have fun I'm sure!!
Miss everyone!!
We joined a group of four other people on a trip to Nubra Valley which was so much fun! To get to the valley we had to cross the highest motorizable road in the WORLD! The pass is at 18,380 ft!! It was snowing and cold and I climbed about 20 stairs and thought I would die - not really but I could feel the thinness of the air.
The valley is beautiful and I can't wait to post pictures when I get back to Delhi. We got to walk through sand dunes and wade in a river and bathe in hot springs. The other people on the trip were great fun too. They were from Italy, Australia, and two from UK. As the only US citizen there - I got a lot of Bush questions and a lot of Obama or McCain? Why Iraq? Do you think your country is done for? etc questions. It was strange to be the person answering those questions as I find myself asking the same of other Americans at home... Joys of travel!!
Sidd and I are deciding what to do for our last few days before heading to Delhi - we'll have fun I'm sure!!
Miss everyone!!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Now In Leh!!
First off, thanks for all the comments and emails! I love knowing that people are reading and following my trip!!
Sidd and I are now in Leh, which is very beautiful. It's up in the north part of India by China and Nepal. It's a desert which is a welcome change from the rains in Delhi and Rishikesh. We are going to see many stumpas and monestaries and other very spiritual things. I want to see a polo match and go rafting down the Indus - we'll see if we have time. I'm also thinking about a few day trek (about two nights) which would be great fun, but expensive... we'll see...
I cannot upload pictures still - bandwidth is not enough to handle this. So hopefully when I'm back in Delhi after about 10 days I can post loads!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Rafting the Gangas (Ganges for us British decendents)
Sidd and I left Delhi (we were there for only a few hours) and caught a train to Rishikesh. Our train experience was so cool!! We were in sleeper class (which is one step above general, which is standing room only) which is okay, usually I travel by AC class. However, this region is a high pilgrimage route and the general class was too full so people started squatting in the sleeper class cars. This created quite the disruption as Sidd shared his bed with four ladies. He made sure I had my bunk to myself and I tried to sleep, however, at one point there was a fight and lots of yelling. It was quite fun - despite the lack of sleep!
So we are now in Rishikesh and we decided to go RAFTING! I got to raft 26km down the Ganges (Ganga is the Hindi name). This is one of the two main holy rivers in India. This is the same river which flows into Varanasi - the holiest sight in India. Upstream at the point we rafted, the water is much cleaner - although sightings of dead cows were claimed by our fellow rafters. We had such a good time - I jumped out of the boat and swam along side it once, Sidd did that three times!
We are off to Leh further north and might raft the Indus (the other holy river) we shall see!!
Pictures aren't allowed to be uploaded due to low bandwidth, so I'll put some rafting pics up later along with Aarthi (offerings/pooja) pics also.
Having a blast!!!
So we are now in Rishikesh and we decided to go RAFTING! I got to raft 26km down the Ganges (Ganga is the Hindi name). This is one of the two main holy rivers in India. This is the same river which flows into Varanasi - the holiest sight in India. Upstream at the point we rafted, the water is much cleaner - although sightings of dead cows were claimed by our fellow rafters. We had such a good time - I jumped out of the boat and swam along side it once, Sidd did that three times!
We are off to Leh further north and might raft the Indus (the other holy river) we shall see!!
Pictures aren't allowed to be uploaded due to low bandwidth, so I'll put some rafting pics up later along with Aarthi (offerings/pooja) pics also.
Having a blast!!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A few days in Bombay
So I made it to Bombay!! I mentioned to a few people that India feels like a bit of a 'safe haven.' I mean this in the sense that traveling around semi-alone is scary and not knowing what you will be doing next or where to go for different this can be hard, and in India - I don't have this problem. I know how to "do" India. So I'm quitely enjoying my few days here in my comfort zone before heading out again into the storm of the unknown of Southeast Asia.
Rugved is also in Bombay now so I spent the afty with him exlporing his part of the city. I was invited to stay for dinner and meet his amazing parents!!
Uncle and Auntie Pathare - so amazingly wonderful people!
Fabric shopping - always a good time! So many options!!
Monsoons are here in Mumbai. Everything is wet and sticky including myself most of the time. It's mostly fun because the weather is cool and the rain is a good time. However, when you are drenched and clothes are sticking to you and your hair is all screwy because of the humidity, it gets a bit old. I'm ready for the desert of Ladakh! Here are some pics of my few days back in a bit of my old home - I love India!! 
The Sea-Link bridge being built to connect Bandra to Worli. It looked awesome in the fog/rain!
The Sea-Link bridge being built to connect Bandra to Worli. It looked awesome in the fog/rain!
Rugved is also in Bombay now so I spent the afty with him exlporing his part of the city. I was invited to stay for dinner and meet his amazing parents!!
Uncle and Auntie Pathare - so amazingly wonderful people!
Fabric shopping - always a good time! So many options!!I'm off to catch up with some old IIT friends tonight for dinner then tomorrow Sidd and I will be exploring more of the city, maybe catch another movie (we saw Sex and the City the other day - okay movie) Then we depart for Ladakh!! Yay!!!