A quick update from the woods.... last night I was outside taking care of a full bladder when all of a sudden a growling sound caused me to try to speed up my business. I have no idea what it was, but just knew it wasn't happy that I was marking my territory. I guess he already had.
Here are a couple videos I made in the last couple days.
A Tree Falling In The Woods
Out On The Lake
And here is one that is part of my inspiration for wandering into the woods in the first place.
After my last post, Mickie asked for photos. While I am assuming that she was hoping for ones of the baby, I figured I better cover all the areas I mentioned. So here you go.
Cubs v. Astros at Miller Park Aasif Mandvi from The Daily Show Avery and Uncle Ryan
There are plenty more photos on my flickr pages. Looking at those should kill some time. Enjoy.
I have been quiet on this blog lately. I really do not know why, other than I just have been a little lazy. It is not like cool things have not been happening worth telling. There have been things like getting to see the Cubs play the Astros in Miller Park, allowing me to cross another stadium visited. Or how about getting to hear one of the correspondents from the Daily Show talk about the behind the scenes stuff of the show? That was cool. I guess the biggest news is that I now have a nephew.
Just thought I would share. And now back to more blog silence for the time being.
The time has come to once again say goodbye to California and all my friends out here. And once again, I am about to board a train heading east. It has been a good week out here, perhaps one of the best I have spent on this side of the continent. But every good thing must come to an end, and every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. I am just not sure if this is some other beginning's end, or somewhere in the middle. Only time will tell.
But now, I must take the Mustang for one more good drive on the highway before I drop it off. Then it is a bus to Union Station, and a train to the middle of Illinois. Perhaps I will find someone near a train station with their Linksys open. Otherwise, I will post from the other side.
Today I decided to head to the Hollywood area to check out a couple events I had seen online. Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys was going to be autographing his latest CD at Amoeba Records. I also noticed that Howie Mandel was going to be getting his star on the Walk of Fame. Sadly, the holiday on Monday has even thrown off the schedule of this unemployed guy, as the Wilson thing was yesterday, and Howie doesn't get his star until tomorrow. Whoops.
I really hope there is not anything else I am missing or forgetting about that is more important that watching Howie get his star.
Ah, Labor Day. Nothing like a holiday to make you really appreciate the fact you have not worked a day in the last two months. Just remember, the unemployed do not get days off. Luckily for me, I was able to make myself handy these last few days, as one of my friends from my Germany days needed someone to ride along to California. I told her to pick the route, and I would provide driving assistance, musical entertainment, as well as find a few places along the way to make the trip memorable.
So she picked a southern route with three overnight stops in Amarillo, Grand Canyon Village, and Las Vegas. Day one was basically a haul of a drive with little stopping. We did stop to see the second largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. Sadly we could not stay long due to the hundreds of mosquitoes that attacked us. A little later we found ourselves at the Big Texan, home of the famous 72 ounce steak. I could barely finish my twenty-one ounce steak, so I could not imagine attempting to down the ole 72.
Day two found the spray paint mentioned in the last post to find use as we visited the Cadillac Ranch. We left our marks, and then left the remaining spray paint for some Germans who were there checking out the place.
Later that day as we neared Flagstaff there was a stop I need to make. I wanted to stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, just to Take It Easy.
A couple hours later, we stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon to watch the sunset. As we stood there, I overheard one lady say, "I can't wait to get back home and see how this looks on the computer." Dang, what has this world come to? We stand on the edge of a beautiful scene and think about how this will look on our digital picture frame. By the way, doesn't this look great on your computer?
The final night of the trip found us in Vegas. And while many hold to the old adage of "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," I will tell you at least one thing. I not only got to see Penn & Teller, but got my photo with them after the show.
And yes, they have now joined Nelson in the small number of celebrities I have given bunny ears to in photos.
Now I am sitting in Los Angeles for the next week, hanging with some old friends, making some new ones, and enjoying a fine little rental car I got.
Well kids, in the spirit of many males during the gold rush and L.L. Cool J, I am going back to Cali. A friend is moving out there and was looking for someone to help with the drive. My love for road trips and my current employment status have met in a perfect storm sort of way that will allow me to once again crisscross this great nation of ours.
Tonight we picked up some basic supplies for the trip: Candy, drinks, spray paint, crackers, apple sauce, and beef jerky. Then we went to find some ethnic food in the area. I am very happy to say I am stuffed with some of the best red curry I have had in a long time. At least I have that going for me.
Many of you know that I am currently in between jobs. Or at least I really hope I am, as I do not have enough saved up to call this retirement. So, I am casually looking around at various job opportunities to see what I might like to do next.
The other day, while I was watching my judge shows, I noticed two jobs that are on opposite ends of the job desirability scale. On the side of jobs that I would love to have for at least a little bit is bailiff on one of the judge shows. I would prefer to serve with the honorable Judge Mathis, Judy or Milian, but I am not too picky.
On the far other end of the scale, the job I would not want for a minute is a personal incontinence consultant. I wish I was kidding about that title. Unfortunately, a commercial for ActivStyle interrupted the court proceedings. In it they mentioned that personal incontinence consultants are standing by for your call. I began to imagine what it would be like to explain your career to friends at a party. Heck, I bet they are the life of the party with all their incontinence talk. Do you think they have that listed on their business cards?
According to the ActivStyle website, they have "a highly trained staff of incontinence specialists," so I doubt I even have the training needed to make the cut. Oh well, you never know when it will happen. I'm talking about getting that next job of course.
On a warm summer's evening on a train going nowhere I met up with this gambler. We were both too tired to sleep. We took turns staring out the window at the darkness, until boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
OK, so my train ride did have the warm summer's evening, and often I was too tired to sleep, but no gambler came my way to impart words of wisdom before taking his final breath. Instead, I was seated next to the Staring Sisters. It felt like these two girls were taking turns keeping their gaze upon me. And when they were not staring, one of the girls would proceed to recline and upright the chair in front of me, the one that was attached to the tray table holding my laptop.
All in all, it was a good trip from Seattle. I met a couple decent people on the train. I had the smarts to stop at Pikes Place Market in Seattle to pick up some fresh fruit and snacks for the journey. This allowed me to avoid being taken for the high priced fare aboard. I was even able to scam some wireless internet signals at a couple stops.
It was all going well, until the night before Minneapolis, when we were informed that the train would not be going all the way to Chicago. Due to recent flooding in Wisconsin, the tracks were currently being worked on. The train would have to take a detour, but many passengers would have to take a bus from Minneapolis to Chicago. I was one of those chosen ones. But we were in luck, as Amtrak was generous and gave us a very posh bus to ride in. If that were only true, what they gave us was a cramped bus, a cake doughnut, and an eight ounce bottle of water. That, my friends, is service that will keep me coming back. A freakin' cake doughnut!
Well, we finally made it to Chicago, and were told to go to the baggage claim to get our bags. For some reason, I decided to check with a staff member about my checked bag, which in a real world would be transferred to my train to Bloomington. He informed me that only the earlier train to Bloomington had checked luggage service, and that my bag would arrive the next day. He did offer me a chance to get my bag, and so I found myself under the belly of Chicago's Union Station. It was an interesting place where few venture. Down there I met the men who get no thanks for getting the bags from train to baggage carousel. I found my bags, and proceeded back to the surface, only to discover I had about fifteen minutes to spare before my next train departed. No time for that slice of Chicago style pizza that I had hoped for.
Three hours later, I was at my parents' place trying to remember where they hid the spare key. It was found, a much needed shower soon followed, and now I am hit with the fact that the trip from Korea is finally over. It is a sadder thought than I expected, but at least it means that the next adventure is ready to be planned. Where to next?
I am actually on American soil yet again. Currently I am sitting on a bus on the Canadian/American border waiting for all the people to clear customs. The bus is hot, as the air condition has not been turned on. And I am strategically sitting with the hope of having both seats to myself for the rest of the trip to Seattle. Plus there is wifi on the bus. How freakin' cool is that? Sadly, I was an idiot and left my iPod and headphones at my friends' house in Vancouver. So it is going to be a quiet ride.
There have been so many stories and adventures on this trip, and perhaps when I get back to Illinois I will share a few here. For now, check out my trip photos. I have a few more to add, but that only gives you a reason to keep checking back.
The aircon just kicked on, and it looks like me intimidating seating worked. Seattle, get ready for my arrival.
Currently listening to: My Last.Fm Neighborhood Station Thanks to free wifi on a bus and a extra set of headphones I found in my computer bag.
I have spent the last few nights sleeping in a tent on Orcas Island. I came up here for a music festival, and now wonder why I never made it to this part of the world before. There will probably be a greater update on this portion of the trip, as well as the trip as a whole. (Don't worry Dave, I have not forgotten the freighter posts) But for now know that if it were my desire for a shower and a room with heat for the night, I would stay here a little longer. There is only so much that a pack of Wet-Wipes can do to keep you clean. And cheap me did not plan properly for the cold nights. The cheapest and lightest sleeping bag at Target is not always the best option. Luckily for me, Bill Mallonee offered my a spare bag for one night. (How about that for cool name dropping stories?)
So now I sit and wait for a ferry to Canada. Yep, time for another boat ride to another country. Perhaps I should start to see how many countries I can enter by sea. So far.. Ireland, England, Belgium, Greece, Japan, USA, Canada, South Korea and I think France. Not too bad start.
It was a Fourth of July to remember. I joined Dave and his extended family at Surfside, California for some festivities. We started the day taking part in a parade. This isn't the first time we have taken part in a parade together, but I am kind of hoping it is the last. It was good times as we walked around the community to a backdrop of patriotic music.
After lunch we were all hanging out on the beach. At one point, several of us headed in to avoid any further sunburn. As we were sitting and talking, Dave noticed that many of the people outside were pointing and running. We jumped to the balcony to see a plane that had just crash landed in the ocean.
Oddly enough one of the others at the party had commented earlier about how dangerous those banner planes were.
Luckily, the pilot was able to touch down with minimal injuries to himself. He actually was able to walk away from the plane, although the lifeguards quickly assisted him.
For the next hour or so, we watched as the news media descended on the area. One even interviewed Dave's dad for the evening news. The authorities managed to pull the plane out of the water using a John Deer tractor. Then two lucky officers were able to spend their holiday guarding a plane, until it was taken away a few hours later.
Here is a news report on the crash. If you look hard enough in the second photo in the slide show, you can see me.
After that I enjoyed a fireworks display, hung out with some friends, and even had crazy story from Ryan's travels for a while. But really, it was all downhill after the plane hit the water.
So the other night, my friend Dave told me he wanted to see more posts here on my blog. Quantity, not quality was his request, if I remember correctly. In order to appease him, I give you a brief summery of yesterday.
It started off by seeing Dave and his family off to their various work and school responsibilities. An hour later, I was picked up by a former coworker from BFA. We headed over to the California Grill for some breakfast and catching up. It was good to be able to talk about our old days in Germany. The cool thing was that he also worked in Korea for a time, so we were able to exchange stories about our different Korean experiences. It was an encouraging morning.
At noon, I was heading to Angel Stadium of Anaheim to watch a battle between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It was a beautiful day at the park, and I was sitting closer to the action than I have ever been. It sure beat sitting in the very top row of Minute Maid Park last year. Plus I had my Nolan Ryan Angles jersey on, not as I am so much a fan of the team, but a fan of my name on baseball jerseys.
Good times were had in the stands, enjoying the game, talking baseball and life, and cheering on the Angels. Sadly, the Athletics took the lead. Fortunately, the Rally Monkey came out and boy that little primate did his job. Minutes after the Rally Monkey appeared, Juan Rivera hit a two run homer to seal the victory.
At dinner we celebrated the Thompson's anniversary with the help of George Forman and his fine grilling skills. A couple Marie Callender pies finished out the meal.
So I headed to bed thinking what a great day this had been. As I slid my feet into bed, I felt a little moistness. My first thought was I had left my towel on the bed in the morning. Sadly, I was incorrect. The best I could deduct was that one of the cats had decided to mark his territory. Actually, it was more like he got trapped in the room when the pressure mounted. Not wanting to wake anyone, I decided to sleep on the floor. Later in the night, I found my way to the couch.
Dave did tell me that it never happens with their cats, but then again, he sounded like one of those parents who say their kids never act that way, when their kid acts up. Actually, I think he has told me that too. Ha. And in order to keep my lodging safe, have I mentioned Dave's new website and podcast?
Jeff Reimer, a former coworker and still cool guy, dropped a meme on me the other day. While I was ready to post stories of adventure on the high seas, I decided to take care of this. Here are the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. 2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. 3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So the facts: 1. I have been to over thirty five countries, but have never crossed the equator. 2. Around the millennium, I won a Nokia cell phone of my choice from CNN. I picked the most expensive one they had. Only one or two calls were ever made from that phone. 3. I hate bananas more than any other food substance known to man. 4. The artist I have seen the most live is Bill Mallonee, with or without his Vigilantes of Love. I've attended two shows in Scotland, five in England, and over ten in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Before this current trip is over I will see him in California and Oregon. 5. I have three different valid drivers licenses. Oddly enough, I have also received a speeding ticket in three countries. 6. I have spent more time waiting in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland than I have ever spent watching any of the Indiana Jones movies. 7. One Easter many years ago, I was employed by a greeting card store to wear an Easter Bunny costume and pose for photos with children.
I do not think would be able to get seven people to actually follow this, so I am going to tag Jim, Mickie and Dave.
In the words of Styx, "I'm sailing away, , set an open course for the virgin sea. I've got to be free, free to face the life thats ahead of me..." Yep kids, it is about time for me to set sail on the open seas. In a few hours I board a train heading to Pusan. There I will be taken to the freighter that I will call home for the next ten or so days. There have been times when I have wondered what in the world am I doing taking a freighter across the Pacific, but then there are times when I remember why I am doing it. Because I can. I long to stand on the deck and see nothing but open ocean. I am excited to see how people used to travel to far away places. Plus, I look forward to ten days when I can get some serious reading done.
Tonight I go to bed for the last time here in Korea. I am ready to wake up for the next adventure. Figure a container ship is a good start. See you all when I wash up on the other side of the ocean.
This xkcd comic pretty much sums up my feelings right now:
Currently listening to: (not really, but how cool would that be?)
I can now officially leave this country, even this continent. No it is not because the school no longer employs me. It has nothing to do with the fact my passport has been filled with enough Asian stamps. It all has to do with a simple photo that was taken yesterday on the Seoul subway system. Yep, I have acquired my photo with a group of Korean nuns. This will join my photo of me and the Italian nuns in my little collection of "me and the nuns" photos. And do not forget the classic, "Drinking Beer With A Nun" photo.
Looking at the calendar, I notice that it is almost time for another potentially epic summer adventure to begin. The last couple summers I have been fortunate to see some amazing things, hang with some cool people, and do what I often love to do most, wander. This summer's schedule is set up to allow for some more of that. Here is my rough schedule for the summer:
June 17 (or 18)* - Depart Pusan, Korea aboard the Hanjin Phoenix June 27 (or 28 or 29)* - Arrive Long Beach, California July 8 - Fly to Sacramento, California July 16 - Fly to Seattle, Washington July 17-20 - Attend Woodsong Music Festival July 21 - Ferry to Vancouver July 25/6 - Seattle again July 27 - Depart Seattle on the Empire Builder July 29 - Arrive in Bloomington, Illinois July 30 - Wake up in my parents house in Morton, Illinois
* I started writing this post yesterday, and already my departure and arrival dates have shifted. They could aways shift back. Guess that is the way of the seafaring vagabond.
If anyone in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, or Vancouver area would like to hang out, drop me an email or comment. Depending on Amtrak's commitment to staying on schedule, I might even be able to grab dinner in Chicago with some fans.
Today is Scurvy Awareness Day. What better day to announce that in a six weeks I will be taking to the open seas. I have chosen to schedule a voyage on a freighter to return to America. Many have question the logic in this decision. While a fraction of the choice was made in an attempt to never fly Northwest Airlines again, mostly it is because it is there. I have flown across the ocean dozens of times, but for once would love to see it first hand. I look forward to standing on the deck with nothing but blue for as far as the eye can see.
As I prepare for the voyage you can help. I am looking for suggestions for entertainment to occupy my time. Specifically, I'm looking for some good ocean/boat/voyage media. So far I have packed Moby Dick and Cabin Boy. I have also loaded Come Sail Away and Every Ship Must Sail Away on the iPod.
So any suggestions? (Beatings for the first to mention Titanic!)
For a couple years I have been posting videos over on the YouTube. I figured a few random people would watch them, and perhaps leave some stupid comments. So I was shocked when I was asked if one of my videos could be used in a music video. Rafael Gazzi and Paul Sonnenberg created an amazingly beautiful song, and chose my tram ride through Basel to accent their song. When Paul emailed me and told me the song was "about the feelings of longing and hope experienced by an expatriate in a new country," I knew this was a song I could embrace. Be sure to check out their sites, and even leave a comment on their Myspace or YouTubepages.
Arrivals (Noutro Cais) By Rafael Gazzi English lyrics by Paul Sonnenberg
Headlights of a train Has something come to an end Or has something good begun? Beautiful and new Welcoming me like a friend Ah, such colors, and such tones
How much will I be changed? How much will I change? How much, here, will I know and be known? At last, to be known! Will this loneliness always remain? This longing for my family back home? Can I build a happy life from A loving heart alone This heart is all I own
I want to see the sun rise at dawn On other landscapes and yet I still want even more I want to see the sun set upon Other places and yet I still want even more The soft turn of a loving hand Meet the eyes, watch the stars, be the sea Let the waves of love from this heart of mine Embrace all I see
I want to see the sun rise at dawn Over the mountains and yet I still want even more I want to see the sun set upon Other places and yet I still want even more Hear the voice of a gentle hand Striding angels that rustle the trees To recognize the voice of a loving heart When she speaks to me
Last Thursday I took the train up to Seoul to catch Duran Duran. It was the first time in almost twenty years that they were playing South Korea. I figured that they would be a great band to see as my last concert here in the ROK. With that in mind, I scored a ticket in the standing area right in front of the stage. In fact, it was the sixth row of the standing section. Wrap your head around that concept.
So I get to the Olympic Park Gymnasium and pick up my ticket. The security guards then directed those in the standing section to proceed to one side of the venue. Now here is the part of Korean concert going that I will never understand: They then lined us up by ticket number. The standing section of most of the concerts I've attended in North America and Europe are first come first served. Yet here in a country that still struggles with lines at the grocery stores, they have people line up like those crazy "get to know you" games at camp. "OK, this time everyone line up by height. Next by reverse alphabetical order of your middle names." Security guards spent the hour before the doors opened making sure that people were in numerical order. Once the tickets were taken and the doors opened, it was all a waste as people just rushed to the spots nearest to the stage. My long legs, quick stride and determination allowed me to find a spot on the front row.
Now another aspect of the oxymoronic aspect of entertainment here is that you can buy bootlegged DVDs on many street corners, yet they are fairly strict about taking photos at some concerts. Four or five guys, who I guess might be drop outs of the military, were stationed in the front to crack down on cameras. They would scan the audience looking for the metallic shine or unfortunate flash. For some like myself and the guy next to me it becomes a game. The goal is to see how many shots you can get without being noticed. Needless to say, I think I won this concerts game. Although the dude next to me with the SLR wins top prize for both most photos and largest camera used categories.
For those wondering about the show, I'll just say it was everything I expected. They busted out all their hits, as well as the newer stuff. I actually really enjoyed some of the new stuff, even if Timberlake's name was dropped as a co-writer of one song. I was a little worried when I heard that they had forgotten some lyrics at a previous show. I can report they didn't forget the lyrics, just forgot the order. As they closed out the show with "Rio" it sounded like they were trying a round as Simon sang "Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand" while John was busting out, "Her name is Rio she don't need to understand." I'll cut them some slack, as they are pushing 50, have recorded over twelve albums, and the song they were singing was older than some of my coworkers.
A nap is defined as sleeping a short period of time. This is usually done to break up the day, and catch up on rest. So what do you call when you wake up for about ten to twenty minutes in the middle of the night for no reason? Is it the reverse nap? Cause I'm reverse napping right now.
Odds are I will remember there really is a word for this tomorrow when my brain is fully functioning.
"Fragile" is this week's theme at PhotoFriday. This was a bomb I came across while wandering around some old war trenches in the Vosges Mountains of France. I tried to pick it up, just to see how heavy it was. I even thought it would make a cool conversation piece in my apartment. Luckily, there were some people who felt it would be unwise to load a undetonated WWII bomb into the back of van full of students. Those same wise people were not on another trip we made to the area, but that is another story for another time.
"Far From Home" is the theme at PhotoFriday this week.
I have considered myself fortunate to be able to wander so far from the pumpkin fields of Morton, Illinois. There are hundreds of photos I could use to show myself "far from home" I picked this one, just because it is one of the more recent photos. It was taken in Subic Bay, Philippines, while I was in the area helping with a Habitat for Humanity building project.
To be honest, home is a concept I struggle more and more with. While many of my peers have a place to call home, I feel homeless. Sure there are places I know I can stay for long periods of time and feel comfortable, but a home I feel I lack. In some ways I would love to say because I am longing for a heavenly home, but I think it might have to deal with my ever need to wander.
This actually line of thought could fill a huge post, so for the time being, just enjoy the photo. As with every photo, it was so much better in real life.
I am back from the trip to the Philippines. It was an interesting week. The team made several thousand bricks. Unfortunately if you make them, you usually end up having to move them too. So we got to move a lot of bricks too. But it is good work, knowing that someone is a lot closer to a home because of our work. I am a big fan of Habitat For Humanity and the work they do.
What a post that does not just include a photo with a short story? Yep, it is true, I have decided to post a little entry. I guess lately I just have not felt the stories of life have been worth posting online. Or have there been any stories at all?
But today I had a couple funny moments I thought I would share. Today has been a busy day, as I am about to leave for a week long trip to the Philippines to work with Habitat For Humanity. I also was hoping to get my taxes filed, and a few other tasks done. After doing laundry, I began to pack. During this process I decided to dress for the day. Figured I have plenty clean clothes to pick from. Unfortunately, I could not find my belt. I looked everywhere, but no luck. So I had to use a different belt. Skip ahead to a few hours later when I needed to use the facilities. I undo my belt, only to discover my pants did not loosen. Guess what? I found my other belt.
This afternoon we also had to escort the students to the train station, as the dorm staff does every weekend. As we left we got into a taxi cab, and gave him the location. He asked again, which usually is not a big deal here. We told him, and then he started entering it into his GPS device. The cab driver behind him walked up and asked him where he was looking to go. When our cabbie said our location, the other driver began to belittle him, explaining where it was, and listed every place in the area as landmarks. Our driver finally found it on his map, and tried to start the car. Surprisingly, it would not start when the gears were in the drive position. When he did get it started, his GPS unit reset itself. He began the tedious task of reprogramming the location. By this time, we could have made the trip twice. So I suggest we jump out and grab the taxi behind us. My coworkers said they would join me if I did, which is all I needed to hear. A few seconds later our new cab driver was telling us the other guy had only been driving five days. He had a good laugh about the whole thing, as did we. Ah, good times in foreign lands.
Perhaps I will bring some good stories back from the Philippines. I will at least bring back some photos and plenty of dried mango. Mmmmmmango.
PhotoFriday's theme this week is "The Good Life." You probably are wondering why a photo of the shore of Lake Baikal is a representation of the good life. Here is the simplified version of the story behind this photo:
I was traveling across Mongolia and Russia with two good friends. We stopped ended up in Port Baikal for the evening due to a mix-up out of our control. In the process we found ourselves on a hike with two complete strangers. As we walked along the train tracks outside of the desolated area, my brain began to play tricks on me. I wondered exactly why these two men had a large backpack and a full shopping bag. My brain was flashing thoughts about the Russian mafia and various ways tourists have been mugged. As the mist began to come down, and my blood was being pumped out by the thousand mosquitoes that surrounded me, I began to wonder if this was the end. Could this be where this crazy adventure of my life ends.
Our two guides then told us to walk ahead another kilometer to a train tunnel, look around for a while, and then return for dinner. We walked ahead to the tunnel, where two of us shared similar thoughts. After some laughter we returned to a campfire along the shore of the lake. The contents of the backpack and bag were being cooked over a fire for our consumption. Our guide had even made tea from various leaves he had collected along the walk. It might have been one of the best meals I have ever had.
Perhaps a little thought about death makes you realize how good life is. I was enjoying a meal beside a beautiful shore with two great friends in a part of the world I never imagined I would explore. That my friends is why I feel I have the good life. Good friends, good travels, good food, and a good God who has provided it all.
I was trying to do the right thing and pay my recent speeding ticket. It is a little complicated because it was sent from Switzerland to my parent's address in America, and I am sitting in South Korea. I was on the phone trying to help my parents decipher the ticket, as it is printed in German, French and Italian. Ultimately, I want to make sure the money gets to the right Swiss bank account, and not mysteriously end up in the account of a doctor of economics, who by the way wrote an amazing thesis on Switzerland and the Euro. (If anyone would like some good reading, I can loan you a copy)
They give me the number on the ticket, and I decide I will try giving it a call. It goes through, and the lady answers in Basler Deutsch. I quickly use my command of the German languages to ask if she speaks English. Her response was negative. I was hoping she would transfer me to someone who did, but instead repeated twice to call back in "fünf Minuten"
Five minutes later I call, and get a recorded message telling me this phone line is only open from 9-12 and 13-16. I do not know if she did it on purpose, but she completely blew me off. I was a bit shocked, and yet impressed.
So hopefully the money is being sent to the right place. I would hope that with all the money I am sending them for a few miles over the limit, they could be nice enough to send me my receipt printed on some fine Swiss chocolate.
I was notified this week that a speeding ticket with my name on it arrived at my parents house. Guess while I was in Europe over the Christmas break, I was going a little too fast on the Swiss autobahn. Whoops. So now I get to make a nice donation to the Swiss economy. You would think they have enough money, and would not need my hard earned money. The least they could do was print my receipt out on some fine Swiss chocolate.
For those interested, my international driving record now looks like this: Switzerland - Two speeding tickets Germany - One speeding ticket USA - Two speeding tickets, one warning for driving in Georgia with a cracked windshield, and one warning for driving through Texas. Seriously, the officer told me there were more direct ways to get from California to Illinois. One minor accident. Italy - One completely wrecked automobile. I left it at the junkyard. Korea - One Ryan sized dent on a stranger's automobile.
Nothing makes you feel like you are back in grade school like a good old fashion lice check. Today, the school nurse carefully checked through my hair for any little creatures that are not welcome under my hat. I am glad to announce that I am "Lice Free since '73." I'm really thinking of making a t-shirt with that printed on it.
There is part of me that wishes the tickets were dated for tomorrow. Alas, I meet the team in two hours to head to the airport. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about heading back to India. I just wish I could get a little more sleep, especially as we will have the fine entertainment system on Singapore Airlines. You do not want to miss that.
Honestly though, I am looking forward to returning to the orphanage. I think you can see by the smiles on the faces in my photos from previous trips, that the place is full of joy and love. It is too bad many of you could not join us to experience it firsthand. I have said it before, I think the kids are not the ones who get the most out of our visits. Often my mind and heart have been given a healthy dose of reality. I am not sure what God has in store for me on this trip, but I look forward to discovering it.
A few more items need to find their way into my luggage and I will be ready to roll. Speaking of rolling, enjoy this fun video of a rickshaw ride from last year's trip.
My sleep pattern has been goofy since returning from break. I know that the garbage man shows up at 4:30 most mornings. I know this not because he disturbs my sleep, but because often that is my sign that this body should really be in bed. I am just going to assume that it is my body just getting ready for the next adventure. In four days, I will be back in Bangalore, India. Right now it is 3:20 AM in Korea, but only 11:50 PM there. See, I am already on a good schedule. I am just in the wrong location.
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and Cabin Boy
. I have also loaded Come Sail Away and Every Ship Must Sail Away on the iPod. 
