Jake's Blog

Mud

2010-12-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

I just stepped in mud today. That hasn't happened since... July.

I stepped in mud once in July. It wasn't from rain, though. It was from a sprinkler. The only reason I remember is because I considered writing a blog entry about it back then.

I miss rain.

LA #1

2010-09-13T22:08:00.001-07:00

just had an amazing evening at the beach :) ... catching a few seconds of the sun before it dipped out of sight, running along the shore in the twilight just after, stretching ankle-deep in the ocean and watching gold silhouettes of surfers calling it a day, grabbing a tasty burrito as the stars came out, finding venus and mars with my google sky app, playing guitar in the dark with the sound of the waves for an hour or so, and finishing off with a hot shower in my new apartment.

I should start updating this again.

Some thoughts before I leave...

2009-12-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving tomorrow, it's so sad. I really had a good time here. Hmm... unfortunately I do have to pack, buy people things, and say goodbye to a few people last-minute, so I don't really have a lot of time to have a good, heart-warming "goodbye Mexico City" blog entry. I'll try, though.

Some thoughts... I really wish I would have kept this blog rolling while I was here. I learned a lot. I saw a lot of things. I can communicate in Spanish now. This is a really cool city. Honestly, if you haven't been here, you don't understand. An American's perception of Mexicans, Mexico, and Mexico City is so backwards... I'm really glad I came.

Ugh, so much I didn't blog about...

...museums, parks, the beautiful view and sunsets from my apartment, the dogs I live with that are adorable but poop in the tv-room all the time, learning how to cook cookies and "impressing" the Argentinians I live with, street food, the juice stand by my house with the juicer whose name translates to "Candy Jacob," Tepotzlán, how I'm now obsessed with the artist "Jesús Helguera," some of the great bargains I made in the markets, the culture and awesomeness of Lucha Libre, all the beautiful monuments and statues around the city and Avenida Reforma, my crazy search for an apartment, being able to decipher accents in Spanish for the first time, that one time I wandered into a weird clown-protest, Zócalo, finally finding Aztec dancing again and being disappointed, Mexicans' perceptions of me with my gringo hair, all about food and how Mexican food is different in the states, discovering that a street performer dressed as an angel taking pictures with children was actually a man, giving directions to a Mexican for the first time, the amazing subway system, the fun of power outages and water shortages, how you CAN drink the water here, that time I stumbled upon the creepy closet of dismembered dolls in our downstairs bathroom, not telling any of my visitors about the closet and letting them discover it on their own...

... two months of discovering a new culture and place. All I can really say is, if you get the chance to do something like this, DO IT!

Goodbye, Mexico. I had a great time.

Teotihuacan!

2009-12-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

Oh, where to start...

Today I got some great pictures, bargained an awesome deal, and saw some awesome pyramids.

About an hour North of Mexico City (the old capital of the Aztec empire) is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world, the Pirámide del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun). It lies in the ruins of the city of Teotihuacan, a house-hold term for those in this area.

Teotihuacan was not Aztec, but a different culture that thrived about a millennium earlier. In the Aztec language, the name roughly means "birthplace of the gods." Really, I could believe that. These things are huge! And pictures cannot capture the sheer size. But of course I took some, several in fact. We got some great pictures that really make it look like we're doing awesome things in the world.

Laura and I. We're friends from Miami.

Climbing the Pyramid of the Sun

The view half-way up. Look at the horizon. Beautiful.

The top. Make this big. It's a really cool picture.

The Pyramid of the Moon from the Pyramid of the Sun.

Look how small those people are on the top. This is perhaps the only picture that accurately portrays it's size.

Forget the ancient city ruins! Check out this orange bug!

Resting. So many stairs.

Ah, what was that bargained deal I mentioned earlier? I know you were wondering this whole time! I saw a nice necklace that a guy wanted for 500 pesos... I bargained him down to 100! Somebody's getting a nice Christmas present this year!

Estrellas en el Cielo

2009-12-01T23:15:00.000-08:00

I abruptly woke up this morning after my window rudely decided to shatter itself.

I knew it was going to be a great day. Oddly, the sky was a brilliant blue, which is a very rare day here. White fluffy clouds were blowing by from a strong wind, the same wind which coincidentally drove my window to suicide this morning. It must have been swinging open and shut and shut itself so hard it broke into pieces. The remnants of glass are now duct taped together, so more doesn't fall out. I live on the tenth floor, so if glass falls down to the sidewalk below... bad things can happen. Strangely, I couldn't find any pieces of glass anywhere at all. I'm not sure if they blew away or what.

Anyway, wind does strange things to a smog-ridden city. Tonight was a sight. The sky was painted like the fur of a pinto horse. Sprawling clouds reflected the city light, but cavities of sky gave way to black. And the wind continued, eventually pushing all the clouds away. I just walked home from my friend's house and looked up to see stars... over the Ciudad de México. There's a first for everything I guess.

Aztec Dancing

2009-11-20T19:31:00.001-08:00

I love Aztec dancing.

Let me start with that, then continue with the story from the previous blog.

I was at a Day of the Dead festival with some people that was turning out to be an awful night... two hours in traffic and then we arrived too late for the main attraction. After scoping out the festivities, we started walking back to the car.

Then we heard some drums beating in a different section and a large crowd of people gathering around something. I was curious, but sort of just wanted to go home. I am so glad we stopped to see what it was.

There were over a hundred people, many dressed in full-out Aztec gear, dancing in a large circle around six or seven drums, which were being pounded on so hard I could feel it in my chest. Around all of their ankles they had some rattling beads. When they started dancing the whole area erupted into rhythmic percussive noise. It was awesome.

We watched for probably about twenty minutes. Then my friends wanted to eat, so I left them and returned. I had completely lost myself. Of course I memorized the footwork and I really wanted to jump in there with them, but obviously that might not have been appropriate.

I captured a bit on video. But just know... without feeling the drums and seeing the grand scheme of things, it doesn't at all compare to how neat it really was.

Needless to say. I am obsessed. After the show the dancers posed for pictures... I'm not sure if it was family, friends, or strangers that were asking to take pictures with them. It was one of the few times in my life I've actually wanted to have my picture taken with someone in costume. I really wish I had.

Since then I've been looking for other Aztec dancing, with no luck. I heard they dance in the city center a few times every week. If anyone has information as to when they do that, let me know. It was really cool. Did I say that, yet? It was really cool.

Día de los Muertos

2009-11-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

Twenty days ago I went to a "Day of the Dead" festival in a little village about an hour away. The holiday is interesting. It's actually two days, following Halloween, making a three-day creepy death fest. Of course, one has to remember that it is not intended to be a scary holiday, but because of America's influence with Halloween it is common to see children walking the streets with costumes all three nights, at least here in Mexico City. (I had two children come up to me on the street, as if I would just be carrying around candy all day... a walking candy dispenser. I gave the children nothing)

Anyway, decorations for the Day of the Dead are really interesting. We've actually seen a lot of the style in America, in other forms. It's called "Calaca," basically skeletons, but dressed up and... stylized. I don't know, and I'm sure there are people reading this who know a lot more about this than me.

Creepy, huh? But it's a really interesting look... very distinct.
(Thank you Wikipedia for the picture)

We ended up getting to the festival too late and the cemetery (with all the decorated graves) was closed. We spent about two hours in traffic and it should have taken a little over forty-five minutes to get there. Fortunately there were still lots of people there and .... well, read on to the next blog entry. It made the whole trip worthwhile.

How many times in life have you been in a small mob, clamoring to get into a graveyard? I doubt I will find myself doing that again.

Aztec

2009-11-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

What do we think of when we think of the "Aztecs?"

Before I came here, I honestly didn't think much of them. Even in Guatemala, I imagined them as the more gruesome tribe somewhere in Central America that was didn't stand up to the Spaniards when they came and took over. Well... here's a brief and simplified history lesson for those who share my old indifference.

Central America was divided into lots of tribes before the Europeans came over. One small tribe was looking for their homeland they would recognize from a vision: an eagle sitting on a cactus. The vision supposedly manifested itself at an island in the middle of a large lake. Though that doesn't seem ideal, they settled "Tenochtitlan" on the island and flourished, forming the Aztec empire.

*Please don't get angry if you know this history and I'm over-simplifying it.

When the Spaniards came over, the Aztecs were at the peak of their empire, doing very well for themselves. They had the organization and power to fight back and could effectively kick the Spaniards back to Europe. However, smallpox has a funny way of destroying civilizations that aren't prepared for it. The Spaniards were able to take over Tenochtitlan, thereby destroying the heart of the Aztec empire.

A representation of Tenochtitlan in lake Texcoco. It looks a little different today.

Yes, we've all heard this story before, be it the Native Americans, Hawaiians, Maya, Aborigines, etc. It's not pleasant, but it happened all over the world. The difference is what happened after the European empires fell.

Take a look at the coat of arms. Does it ring any bells?

Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire is now known as Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. The eagle on the cactus, the vision that supposedly spawned the Aztec empire is now the center piece of the Mexican flag. Even the word "Mexica" is roughly another word for "Aztec." I imagined the Aztec Empire had shared a similar fate as the Native Americans in the states and the Aborigines in Australia, and the dominance of the Spanish language instead of the native language really threw me off, but the people are still very much alive. Mexicans are Aztecs, one of the few native tribal empires to keep their land and traditions as their own. Isn't that cool?

Yo Soy Chiapas

2009-11-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

San Christóbal, the first city I visited, is in the state of Chiapas. There was a festival that weekend coincidentally, and I watched the festivities held on a stage in front of about 1000 people in the city center.

It was the worst bit of performance I have seen in my life. I'm not exaggerating. I was actually mad. They had a budget, a massive audience (waiting in the rain for 30 minutes for the show to start) and they could have left a crying baby on stage for an hour and that would have been more entertaining. I feel like the person producing it just had a child scribble on a piece of paper and then a bored middle school student try to decipher the chicken-scratch to come up with a product to put on stage.

This is me venting, by the way. A lot of people put time and effort into the festival and the entertainment, the focal point of the whole thing was junk. Perhaps the whole thing hit a buried nerve.

Anyway, before the performance, they blasted this song, "Yo Soy Chiapas," or "I Am Chiapas" on huge speakers and I was tricked into thinking it was being sung live from backstage. Little did I know that it was their state anthem. I really enjoy the song, though. Listen to it. If you get bored, skip to 1:15, where the beat kicks in.

(Wow... that is hideously oversized for this blog column. Oh well.)

Does anyone know where I can download this song? I'd like to download it legally, if possible, but it's not on amazon, so I'm not sure where to turn.

No watch. No cell. No worries.

2009-11-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

So... I realized today that I haven't had a watch for about a month. Occasionally I've had a cellphone for a day or so, but usually I have no idea what time it is. This is what I've learned:

-The sun never really sets East to West. Even this far South (beneath the tropic of cancer) the sun sets South-East to South-West for most of the year. Especially in winter, this is very, very noticeable. When telling the time by the sun, there is always a shadow aimed towards the North, even at noon.

- I wake up naturally here between 9:30-11:30, although in Guatemala it was 8:30-9:30. Even when I go to sleep very late, it's something about the noises in the environment, my motivation to wake up, and the sunlight that triggers this naturally every day.

- I still jump when a cell-phone rings, wondering if it's mine that's ringing.

- Wasting time on a subway or bus isn't quite as irritating, but that could be because I don't have a life.

One would think I would have had a more... enlightening observation, but not really. It's just sort of liberating not being able to be contacted all the time. I hope I take note and remember this back in the states.

If Alice had bags...

2009-10-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

I had a several hours with my bags to wander the city before I met my hosts. Sometimes I talk to things in my head. It's healthy as long as they're not talking back, right?

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.

Alice: I'd like someplace to sit down, someplace to rest a bit.

Cheshire Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if you only walk long enough.

>>1 Hour Later<<

Alice: You again? Have I been walking in circles this whole time?

Cheshire Cat: Yes.

Alice: Why, you sassy cat, I ought to skin you...

Cheshire Cat: They say it isn't wise to kill the messenger...

Alice: Some message! You told me I'd find someplace to rest!

Cheshire Cat: Eventually, you will.

Alice: What kind of message is that?

Cheshire Cat: One that can be headed or ignored.

Alice: I just want someplace to sit down! Maybe a Caribou or a Starbucks...

Cheshire Cat: In Wonderland?

Alice: Oh yes, a talking cat is fine, but heaven forbid there be a Starbucks!

Cheshire Cat: I'm not even sure I know what that is.

Alice: Well how about a locker? Someplace I can put my bags for a bit so no odd creature comes and steals them.

Cheshire Cat: Now that you might find.

Alice: A locker or an odd creature?

Cheshire Cat: What do you think?

Alice: Oh, you're no help at all.

Cheshire Cat: Wonderland is full of fantastic places to hide things. One might hide all sorts of treasures...

Alice: Then where can I find a good hiding place? Which direction should I walk?

Cheshire Cat: It doesn't really matter where, if you only walk long enough.

Alice: I do wonder why I even talk to you at all...

The Quest for an Immigration Stamp

2009-10-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you the story of a man. He was a fool who did not decide to get an immigration stamp because he wanted to save five minutes and didn't think it was necessary.

The man is me, in case you didn't catch that.

So in San Cristóbal, a city about three hours from the border, there is a migration center. I set out to find it one morning, probably about a two-three mile walk. It wasn't bad. San Cristóbal is a really neat city, and I found it with relatively no difficulty. But it was closed. I'd have to come back on Monday. So, I canceled my trip to the Palenque ruins, which is really too bad because I've heard they are awesome. But... I really just wanted to get legal and not worry about it.

A nice little creek on the way to the Migration Center. It looks sort of like Asia, huh?

Monday morning I started walking to the migration center for a second time. It was probably a bit after 7AM. Here's the odd thing. I made friends on the way, and I have no idea why.

I noticed, when I first started walking, that there were two dogs roaming the streets. One of them walked not far from me, peeing on everything to mark his territory. The other one was bigger and would smell the other dog's pee and try to pee on top of it (sometimes), but he followed the other dog the whole time and it seemed they were friends. I really was intrigued.

So this continues, for a long time. They took several turns away from me and many times I thought that was the end, but come one more block they'd find me. Yet the strangest thing about it was that they never looked at me directly and usually walked about twenty feet away. Finally, after about two miles, one looked up at me occasionally and walked close by. This happened right after we encountered another dog and they chased him away. I'm not sure if I was finally accepted into their dog gang or what, but there was a whole lot of unspoken communication going on that I wasn't aware of.

Nevertheless, eventually I reached the migration center and we had to part ways. But did they leave? No... It turned out I'd have to wait another hour for the place to open, so I sat down and the dogs took a nap right next to me. Really, it's so funny how quick dogs are to take possession of things.

My two loyal companions.

So, waiting in the migration center, the doors finally open and I'm allowed inside. It opened at 9AM, however the head-lady finally decides to stroll in at 9:30, as if nothing was the matter. Seriously? Well, I didn't even talk to her. The secretary tells me that they don't have immigration stamps at this migration center. I sort of want to scream, "Why not?!" But, instead I am nice and she helps me write a note I can give to anyone if they give me trouble on my way back to the border. Yes, I had to take a bus three hours back to the border to do something that literally did not take five minutes. I don't even think I filled out the whole form. The old man didn't notice.

And then to just sprinkle sugar on a lovely day, they didn't even check my passport at the first checkpoint! The guy poked his head in the taxi I was taking and did not even notice me. Was I hiding? No, I was not. Fortunately for my sanity, I learned that there are checkpoints all over, between every big city and I was checked later. I learned that they check people randomly, and it really depends a great deal about your expression and stance as they search the bus. That's a great system right there.

Aliens

2009-10-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

So... here's something interesting.

Right now I'm technically an illegal immigrant in Mexico. Actually there's no "technically."

It was mostly an accident... kind of. I went into the Migration office, which I thought was the Mexican migration office. Through gestures, he asked me if I wanted a stamp. "Do I want I stamp?" Honestly, my passport is full of them and I'm still not really sure what they do. He stamped it anyway and typed something in the computer for a long while, finishing a chocolate-covered banana as he did so. Later, I discovered that he was actually checking me out of Guatemala, not into Mexico. So I entered Mexico without approval. In my defense, I did see the Mexican migration center by the bus station before I left, but no one was going in or out of the building. How important could the stamps be?

Are you still reading? Well done. Anyway, so we drive a half an hour into Mexico and stop at a second migration center. A guy comes in and inspects all our passports, stopping me because I had no stamp. I helplessly show him my Guatemalan stamp and will earn an Oscar later for my stellar performance when he told me that the stamp was the wrong one. Through gestures and my awful, awful Spanish, he tells me that I need to get off the bus and go back to the border. Of course I ask if I can get stamped at the migration center right outside the bus, but he tells me I can't. Really? Why was I allowed to ride a bus thirty minutes beyond the immigration point? I was very upset, but really was in no place to argue because I can't speak the language.

Fortunately, by the time I gathered my bags and almost got off the bus, he'd explained the situation to his supervisor, who told me I could just get stamped when I got to San Cristobal. That was wonderful.

But here's the kicker. We stopped at another migration center more than an hour later. I had no idea what to expect. It's so limiting, not being able to communicate with people. But he didn't even ask to see my passport and harassed some other guy. I'm so very confused, but grateful that things are working in my favor.

And let's throw in a picture that has nothing to do with this entry, just for fun.

Now I'm in San Cristóbal. Believe it or not, this was the better of two pictures.

Mexico, First Impression

2009-10-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that time I wrote about first impressions and how you can never really remember all of them? Again... such is Mexico.

The differences between Mexico and Guatemala are so very evident, within miles of the border. Example... In Guatemala I was riding ridiculously crowded buses where seat belts are laughable and every turn you seriously fear for your life (no joke). Often, I'd be sitting partly on the lap of the person next to me, if I was sitting at all. Strange smells, torn seats and stuffy mini-vans are common place in Guatemala, for better or for worse (it makes for very cheap bus rides).

My bus ride in from the Mexico border was three hours and I paid roughly US$7-8. It was a charter bus. Full out, there was no one around me. The air was conditioned. The seats reclined. There was plenty of leg-room. There were bathrooms! They played two movies during my trip. I missed the first bus and waited a full 10 minutes for the next one. I still can't get over it.

So how does America compare? This is my response to a trip I took with Greyhound in November. If you don't feel like reading that, basically summed up: Every greyhound bus I take makes me lose faith in humanity for a short period of time. The worst part is, my overnight from Utah to Denver was $70-80, literally ten times as much. Yes, it was longer, but it was not ten times longer and about an hour of that was standing in the freezing cold outside at about 2AM listening to some drunk idiot yell racial slurs at the bus driver. Oh, America. I do love you, but let's get our act together with public transportation.

Wow, I ramble. I'll be honest... I am exhausted.

So I don't finish on a bad note, Mexico looks great. I'm seeing a lot of similarities Korea, which is oddly understandable. These two countries have very similar economies and a similar juxtaposition of city and rural life. If you know me at all, you know I love almost everything about Korea so this is a very good thing.

One big difference: The Food! I've had two meals tonight. Yes, two... within a few hours of each other. I'm not ashamed. Mexican food is delicious. We all know this. I am so very excited that I'm going to be eating the genuine deal for the next two months.

And I know you're all jealous.

Goodbye Guatemala

2009-10-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day. You know those days where you're put into a situation that can potentially go very wrong, but you've handled these types of things before and you know you can pull through alright? That was today, only for some reason it seemed more... difficult than in the past. My Spanish is horrible. And really, no one here speaks English. I have talked to so many people today, and only one of those conversations was mostly in English. I taught myself the "past tense" today really quick on a bus because I realized when... actually it's not really worth explaining the whole story, but basically:

When you're put into tough situations, you'd be amazed how well you can adapt and learn.

Two men, waiting for a bus near the border.

I had a great time in Guatemala. Seriously, it was an awesome. I had some extra pictures I didn't post, so I wanted to put them up here.

Kyle's house. This is where I spent most of my time. It's too bad you can't see the hammocks in the back.

The view from the bathroom, which was separate from the house. You can listen to birds and smell fresh air when you poo!

The street in front of his house. Are those kids smiling? They sort of ran into the street right as I was taking the picture. I decided to take it anyway.

For the record, Kyle is an amazing host. Really, he had a lot of work going on these two weeks, but he made sure I was enjoying myself, more than I was expecting and then some.

Thanks, Kyle! I had a great time.

Trek to Mexico

2009-10-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Up until this afternoon, I really had no idea how I was getting to Mexico City. I think I've got it all figured out, though. Here's the plan:

Hmm... I don't really want to type it all out. Four blog entries is too many to type. Basically, I know roughly where I'm going now. I think I might even book a hostel in advance one night! I think it would be awesome to go to a hostel and be like, "Hi. My name's Jake Akemann. I have a bed booked tonight." And they'd be like, "Oh. Of course we have room. Right this way." No hostel shopping. No begging. No taking what I can get. I take what I want.

The Mexican Flag

Either way, I'm going to be in Mexico City on Tuesday. Somehow... I'll be there. It looks like I'm going to be staying with some locals, too. I used couchsurfing.org to find friendly people who like to travel and who are willing to house people for a few nights. I'm very excited.

A note to the nay-sayers: Every person I've talked to who has been to Mexico city in the last 5 years has given it rave reviews. I'm not exaggerating. I know the media is scary and everyone knows someone who knows someone who had something horrific happen to them. But please... unless you've been there recently yourself and had a miserable time... I've heard the precautions. And I've heard them again. And again and again. It's a bit... overwhelming. But thank you for your concern. I'll be careful. Moving on...

That's my email. I bought some postcards today and realized I don't know any home addresses. This ranges from friends, to cousins, to my very own sister. I wanted to surprise people, but for some reason no one puts their mailing address on facebook... Anyway, drop me an email with your address attached. Don't be shy. It's fun to pick them out and send them to people. And then I feel popular.

Wish me luck in Mexico!

First Ruins

2009-10-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've been anticipating seeing ruins this whole time. I finally got the chance yesterday. I went with Kyle to some ruins that aren't usually visited by American tourists. They're a bit out-of-the-way, especially if you don't have a car.

I was a little unimpressed, at least visually. I was expecting the high towers of Tikal. What we saw was mostly mounds and rocks. See, the thing about ruins is... the further you go back, the less technologically advanced the civilization was. It sounds simple, but one doesn't think of stone buildings as being technologically advanced. Pre-300BC Mayan culture would create mortar out of mud, and two and a half thousand years in a volcano-based jungle is a bit rough on mud. It's a wonder anything is left at all.

This fertility altar had been used by Mayans earlier that day.
I thought that was neat.

I like Mayan art. It has a... "happy cartoon" feel to it. This is a frog.

An unexpected but welcome surprise was the little zoo they had in the back.
This monkey really wanted Kyle's notebook for some reason.

Summer Nights

2009-10-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Monday and Tuesday it didn't rain.

That is a big deal in the rain forest climate of El Palmar. It always rains. Every afternoon, and usually for a little bit in the morning or night. This weekend it rained so hard the power went out for several hours. Rare, cloudless nights are social events.

Kids that might as well have been playing "Ghost in the Graveyard" or "Kick the Can"

I noticed the other day how "white-picket-fence" this little village is. The culture is very different, but the set-up is not that different than 1950's America. Bare with me on this. The lots are all little. Everyone knows all their neighbors. There's a little shop at the end of the street where you can buy snacks and eggs. If you work on a project, men come to watch and chat. The ice-cream truck (or bike) drives by every week. Women (or unmarried men like me) hang their laundry, smiling and waving as people walk by. And on warm nights, kids play under the streetlights and parents sit on their front porches and chat.

It's relieving, somehow. Maybe I'm a little pessimistic from growing up at the brunt end of a Chicagoland area expansion and living by the remnants of what used to be small-town Elgin. Either way, it was nice to see. I tried capturing the moment, taking the picture above, but was swarmed by children. Suddenly I needed a reason why I was taking pictures of them in the dark.

I did the "one two three jump" game. It tried it in Korea with the first graders. You tell the kids to jump on three and take a picture when they're in the air. They usually understand after the first try and freak out. It's great. They're all having the time of their life. All smiles and fun.

One of the first tries. I love that girl's smile on the right.

And they multiply.

Kyle got in on it, too. Cute kids.

Wendy's

2009-10-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

We went to Wendy's today. It was majestic. Yes, we took three buses up a mountain for about an hour and a half to get there, but it was worth it.

Wendy's in Xela

Seriously, this was the nicest Wendy's I've ever been to. They had free WiFi, that was the main reason we were going. I needed a fast connection to figure out how I'm getting up to Mexico City (still haven't quite figured everything out), but the atmosphere was fun, too. Everyone was clean, smiling and laughing. There were laptops everywhere, three at the table next to us. Think... college library.... or an urban coffee shop, only it was Wendy's.

You think you know a country...

Hot Springs!

2009-10-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I have a tendency to run into hot springs wherever I go. They must be more abundant than I realized, either that or I'm just freakishly lucky. Seriously, though, these hot springs are the coolest I've been to.

The trek up the mountain.

To reach Fuentes Georginas, one must travel up a clouded mountain on a small road. The temperature drops sharply as you ascend. Thick fog comes and goes, sometimes covering the road entirely. The smell of sulfur is scattered in the air, a lingering reminder of the inferno that warms the waters.

The morning haze

Though clouds come and go, the entire grounds are often covered in a fog, very reminiscent of steam off of the hot springs. It's a very relaxing place, very unlike anything I was expecting to find in Guatemala.

The main spring

Finally, the springs are guarded by a high canopy of rocks and trees. The hot steam is funneled up the cliff side. There's fresh moss at the base that can be used as a skin exfoliate. I thought that last bit was a bit odd, but all too well it added to the ambiance around us.

A hot tub pool. Just don't open your eyes. It burns. I tried it twice.

Kyle was organizing a big Peace Corps gathering. There were upwards of twenty of us there. We rented all seven of the bungalows and spent the night. It was a good time. Who wouldn't want to spend a night up on a cold mountain with a bunch of crazy culture-lovers and a mountain hot spring just around the corner?

Waiting for a truck to take us back down the mountain

Some Polaroids That Aren't

2009-10-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

How many gringos can you fit in the back of a pickup truck? I'm glad one person is looking at the camera. And the answer is 10.

I fed this dog some chicken bones in San Felipe.
I also imagined ways I could bring it back to the States.

A girl sitting in front of me was wearing a blue bandana. The Peace Corps volunteers I was with thought it was crazy that a guatemalan would be wearing that. I thought it was crazy that I had that same bandana in my backpack. I put it on to make a friend. She didn't notice... or care... or both.

People will look at this picture and say, "That guy's been places"

Nice fog/clouds settling on the mountains.

Beyond the Plantations...

2009-10-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

Awesome hike up the mountains, past the plantations.

This morning we woke up at 4:45 and got up and ready to go up the mountain. We had to get up at that ungodly hour because there is one free truck-ride up to the plantations, and if we missed it we'd have to walk.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect... but... at this point I've learned to expect the unexpected.

The truck ride was interesting. Picture a big truck... one that is spacious enough to have about fifty Guatemalans plantation workers in the back. Then put them in the back. Then put two gringos in, just for kicks. Really, I was a bit unimpressed with the results. Sure, I was standing literally body-to-body with those around me and I elbowed a few people in the head and every bump made me a bit fearful I'd fall off, but how is that any different than riding on the Seoul subway system during rush hour? Well, I guess the difference is if you lose your balance on a subway you don't fall out of the subway train.

There were great views going up.

So one of Kyle's jobs in Guatemala is to take measurements of the volcano emissions. He's the guy that says, "Hey, that volcano's acting as if it's going to explode. I'm going to warn people so it doesn't kill us all."

Volcan Santa Maria y Santiguito

After the truck dropped us off. We hiked up the mountain about a half hour, maneuvering off path at the last moment. I was a bit skeptical when we trekked down a thickly vegetated slope, but it opened up into a high, rocky waterfall. We were at the top.

A little scary, but very cool.

Kyle then spoke of another waterfall, one that required a small trek up through the jungle. The "small" trek turned out to be... a bit rougher than planned. Several times, we tried to climb down through the foliage, only to realize that it would be a vertical drop off a few feet in. Nevertheless, it was fun.

I filmed some of it, if you care to watch. It's eight minutes long and might give you a headache, just to warn you. I sound weird, sort of like I'm doing a really bad impression of Ray Romano. Is that what I sound like all the time? Anyway, I watched this and was a bit unimpressed. It's just not the same as feeling the thorns digging into your legs or wondering if the next branch you grab is going to tear out and you'll slide down into the mud or fall into an ant hill or... well, you get the idea. But seriously, this was one of the few times in my life I sincerely wished I had a machete, not because it'd be awesome, but because it would be oddly and sincerely practical.

The first falls you see is what I described above.
The second is the more... adventurous of the two.

Anyway, when we finally made it though, it opened up into a beautiful, tall waterfall... it was eerily awesome.

I can't believe I didn't get a wide-angle shot of the whole thing. I guess pictures never really do these types of things justice, anyway.

Good times.

Birthday

2009-10-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's my birthday. I usually get really depressed around birthday time, but I think I'll be alright this year. Thanks for the cards, Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Brill. And thanks for the guidebook, Sarah. What do you do on your birthday when your host has to work and you're alone in a little jungle-village in Guatemala? I think I'll sing a happy little song to myself.

First Solo Excursion

2009-10-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach today by myself. There and back, I took a total of 6 buses and 1 rickshaw. Most of those weren't at bus stops. You sort of have to wander around town and ask people where the bus is... or just run up to it if you happen to see the right one drive by. It is so satisfactory to be able to get around in a country using no English, though. You just feel good about yourself, very competent. Of everywhere I've gone, there's definitely been the least amount of English here. Nothing's written in English. No one speaks it... well. I'm sure there are places in Guatemala where it is used a lot, but I have yet to see that place.

The beach at Champerico. It was actually really nice while I was there.

It rained later.

Welcome to the Tropics.

It's a jungle out there...

2009-10-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

I am thoroughly enjoying this little village. There's weird bugs and giant plants. It rains all the time. A massive blanket of foliage is always hovering, ready to take back any man-made creation. It sounds a bit melodramatic, but you get that feeling while walking around.

Then Kyle told me about the original village of El Palmar, abandoned and destroyed by floods in the nineteen eighties. I'm not kidding. The entire village I'm staying in is where the inhabitants fled to when a river suddenly changed course and ripped their little village in two. When Kyle told me this, I imagined a small ravine, maybe five or six feet wide. This is what he meant...

If you look closely, you can see half of the church on the left and a buried market on the right. It's crazy to think this small canyon was created in just 30 years. I said that aloud, then Kyle told me that most of it was created in under 10.

So we continued to explore the recent ruins, which was very interesting to say the least. After seeing some of the excavated ruins in Greece and Italy, I understand so much better how bustling centers of trade (like Olympia and Ostia Antica) can suddenly disappear because a river changes direction. As of 1982, nothing in this village was wrong.

We crawled into the "market," a dark hole in the grass with about four feet of standing room left inside. Silt had piled up when the river was higher. I couldn't see anything, but with a flash you can see writing on the walls. Neat, huh?

The graveyard was especially creepy. I'm not sure if grave robbers ransacked the place before or after the vines took over.

An old church on top of a hill. People who went to this church are still alive.

An old grave. This is where the jungle ends and the weird, wet safari begins.

The canyon was definitely my favorite. That bridge is so stereotypical jungle-adventure movie. There was even a gap in the wood where your foot can conveniently fall through if you're that guy in the movie.

Here's Kyle. I've decided that he's a bit more jungle-photogenic than me.

It could be the hat...

So... this village is awesome. The people are very friendly and starting to recognize me. I'm starting to learn Spanish better and can actually have small conversations with people. Overall, I'm having a good time.

Oh yeah, there's also a small waterfall we can swim in, about a five minute walk away.
Yeah, I'm serious. Yes, It's nice.

Dogs

2009-10-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Dogs are very interesting here. If a dog bites someone in America they are put down. If I dog bites someone here, the person is laughed at because they let a mutt bite them. But at least in the day time, dogs are scared of people. It's perfectly acceptable to kick dogs or throw rocks at them. In fact, if a dog is picking on you, you just crouch low to the ground and they run away because they think you're going to throw rocks at them. I saw this in practice and it's crazy how well it works.

Of course, with this abuse comes an odd compromise. There's a dog that lives outside one of the Peace Corps volunteer's house. This dog has realized that gringos don't usually kick her for no reason. In fact, they actually pet her and give her left over food occasionally. She followed us all the way down a mountain yesterday. When we got to the bottom, we had to use a rickshaw to get to the beach. The poor thing happily ran after us for a long way, at least a mile, before it finally gave up.

We rode a bus back up the mountain and found the dog waiting for us back at the house. Seriously? This is the most loyal dog in the world. I think they gave it a treat, but the very act of not-beating it was enough.

Guatemala, Day One

2009-10-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

Every time I go someplace, the first day is always full of first impressions that are great for blogs. Guatemala is no exception. By the time I get someplace where I can sit and write something, I'm never quite sure where to start. There's no way you can record everything. But... let me try.

For those of you who don't know where Guatemala is, it's just below Mexico. (I'll admit, I didn't know exactly where it was until I realized I might be visiting and I looked it up) It's not big, but it is geographically very diverse. There are jungles, mountains, fresh water lakes, volcanoes, and beaches. This morning I was riding a bus through a cold mountainous area, wishing I had a sweater. Now I'm resting on a hammock in a hot, humid, jungle-type area.

Just off the highway by Kyle's house. He said there's better stuff around the corner.

Guatemala is a center of Mayan culture. I don't know much about it, yet, but it seems very interesting. The women wear traditional clothing, mostly everywhere. They put a lot of effort into their appearances, even if they're just going to the market or something (which makes shabby bus rides a colorful experience). We've stayed mostly out big cities, but everything I've seen so far has been very clean. The air is fresh, trash is minimal. I've only had one person come up to me and ask for money. If you've traveled at all before, you know how crazy that is. Of course, perhaps I've just been in a nice part of the country...

Kyle, looking over Lake Atitlán.

Yesterday morning I arrived in Guatemala City and Kyle (a friend I've known forever from Elgin) picked me up at the airport. We took several buses to go up the mountains to meet some of his Peace Corps friends. They've all been here almost two years, so they know what to do and how to have a good time. We went hiking, swam in a beautiful freshwater lake, ate pizza in a hippy town, went back to a house that looks over a mountain valley, cooked fresh tortillas and apple pie. Very cool. Very fun.

Public transportation by the lake

Me and Kyle at Lake Atitlán

Kyle, jumping off a cliff

This morning we started the bus trek to Kyle's place, which is at the base of the mountains. I suddenly feel like I'm in rainforest... well, for good reason. It's so nice to travel to place where I can leave my stuff and settle for a bit. Now we're just chilling. I'll be here for at least two weeks, so I'm in no rush.

Seriously, this is real?

2009-06-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

I was looking at an article entitled, "10 Pictures You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped" (or something of the like) and came across this:

No joke, I screamed a little when I saw this. Can you imagine??

"Oh, I'm just going to run outside to take out the tra-ahhh!!!"

I don't even know what I'd do if I saw this on my trashcan. I'm thinking pee with a blackout-and-go-crazy for a few minutes.

Anyway, it's called a "coconut crab" and I can safely say that it doesn't live anywhere I have been and I have scratched any country which lies in this monster's territory off my list of places I want to travel to someday in life.

It usually doesn't grow to be the size of this picture, but still gets to be obscenely large. I think we can all agree that arthropods should never, ever grow to be this size. And all that do should be doused with holy water and sent back to the netherworld they came from.

Fascinating creatures, though, huh?

-Dryad-

2009-06-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

This was made using stock images and Photoshop a bit ago. If you're interested in this kind of thing, check out deviantart.com. There's a whole community of really talented artists on the site. I dabbled for a few weeks... this one seemed to be the best I came up with.

The plunge

2009-06-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Am I standing on the precipice of ultra-geekdom? Or have I already made the plunge? Let me explain.

My sister made a point yesterday. I'm really bad at keeping blogs. This is true. In my defense, my life really hasn't been very exciting lately. But I guess I'm also kind of tired of telling people I've been living like a bum the past few months. It's amazing what random creative outlets you discover when boredom levels are high.

I make boardgames now. It's really weird, something I never really saw coming... remotely. I guess I used to make monopoly-variations when I was in elementary school, but... my motivation to make these things is... obsessive, to say the least. Once I get inspired, I'm completely focused on the task at hand. The first one I made, back in January, I decided I was going to "dabble" in the idea on a Tuesday. Truly, I don't know what happened to the next few days. I remember little. I slept little. But Thursday night we were ready to try it out for the first time. It wasn't great.

This is not it. This was the... third one I made. It took a ridiculously long time to make. You have no idea. Unfortunately, paired with the lengthy construction is a lengthy gameplay. We never actually finished a game. After this one I tried creating one you can finish in 1-1.5 hours, is non-competitive, and where everyone feels like they're involved in the game (even with the possibility of winning) until the very end. It seems to be working. If you're in town, ask me about it. I'll be glad to divulge.

So yes, I'm a nerd.

Oh, what fun!

2009-05-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

Today at work there was a calculator sitting on the desk. As the hours ticked by, I noticed that it read:

0.0000014

Why would it say that? Did someone type it there intentionally? Was it the end of a long, complex problem that was waiting to be continued when the desk owner returned? Secretly, I decided to create some mischief. I cleared the calculator and typed:

0.0000015

I smiled to myself, but not enough to catch a student's wandering eye and arouse their suspicions. No one will ever know!

Such was the highlight of my day.

Welcome, Spring

2009-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Ah, Spring. Mother nature awakens, spreading light showers to dazzle the fertile soil and an eager sun to warm the hills. Either that... or ice-cold rain pelts down on us under grey skies and 35 degree weather (as is the current situation).

I've been back in Elgin for the past few weeks. I was really sad when I got back. Honestly, I think I was a little depressed for a few days. I guess all the flak I've been getting from people to have a firmer direction in life finally caught up with me. I realized that I was still living with my parents, didn't own anything, hated my job, had about six friends, just came from a "paradise" climate to a cold wasteland, and nothing was going to change for at least a few months.
Bummer...

Well, the circumstances are the same, but I am feeling better about myself. I talked to my sister and she told me to wisen up and remember the good things about the Midwest, the things she misses. Secretly, I wanted her to come and see for herself how miserable it was here. Then I went to Wal-Mart and unexpectedly realized what I'd been missing.

The greenhouses were open! The seeds are ready to plant! Everything grows in the summer! Odd to find it at Wal-Mart, but I'd completely forgotten one of the most critical things about Spring: it isn't about the weather. The weather is still horrible. It's about the anticipation. Everyone knows Summer's coming and is preparing for the wilderness to explode into a mass of green foliage. One thing people living in the tropics don't understand and won't understand until they experience it is the immense anticipation one gets from Spring after living through winter, especially one abnormally cold as the last few months.

So I've been scavenging the local stores and bought a plethora of seeds, ranging from sunflowers to pumpkins, and I'm actually going to follow through with it. It's been about five years since I've had both a backyard and Spring weather and who knows when I'll have this again, so I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

(Reenactment)

I know what you're thinking. Basically not much has changed since Hawaii, I'm just feeling better because I distracted myself with vegetables. Yes, that is exactly what has happened. I wonder how long this will last.

If you hear of any avaiable, cool job/volunteer opportunities, let me know!

waterfalls...

2009-04-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

Today was great. My cousin and I climbed a mountain and dove into a few waterfalls in the middle of nowhere (AKA La'ie Falls). Both of us like to take pictures, so we stopped dozens of times to take flattering pictures of each other. Ironically, only one of these was posed. Can you guess which one?

You can see La'ie in the background of this picture. This is about halfway up and already it is a long way down. Yes, we did walk back to the coastline. Oh, and this was posed.

Hawaii Sun

2009-04-05T03:12:00.000-07:00

My pilot cousin came out to visit this weekend and since then I've been having a blast. Everyday has been filled with lots of sun, water, beaches... basically what one imagines a Hawaiian vacation being. I planned on going back home sometime this week, whenever I can get a standby ticket. However... I just checked the weather report and supposedly it will snow there tomorrow with a High of 36F. You know when you're in the sun all day, and your skin almost burns but instead just darkens, and later that night your skin is still warm to the touch from the sun? That's what I feel like right now. It's great. Tomorrow we're going to hike up the mountain behind my sister's house and try to find a waterfall to swim in. I kind of don't want to go home.

jump.

We went SCUBA diving today by two shipwrecks. It was awesome. We swam in and out of the hull of the ships, with tons of fish, an eel, lots of sea turtles, and a few sharks. During the second dive, a submarine filled with tourists went by and we waved to little kids inside.

After, me and my cousin went to the beach and had a few drinks while the sun set and some surfers caught the last waves before dark.

Surfing

2009-04-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well, things have a funny way of turning around. I went surfing today! ... More or less. I got up, but Ikaika (my brother-in-law) called my longboard a "moving sidewalk." That's pretty much what it was. Getting up on a longboard isn't hard. Paddling to get past the surf is, if you're not used to it. Maybe if I was remotely in shape it would have been easier, but I'm not at all right now. I've decided I'm going to start working out again. Here's a picture:

Also, as I was getting this picture off my sister's camera I found these other ones. I thought they should be shared with the world.

Look at this girl! She wasn't posing. She was just excited to see the show.

This is a picture of my nephew from Rachel's camera. Notice the green grass. That means this picture was taken almost a year ago and it's still on her camera. Oh well. I thought this was a nice one of the boy. There's so few pictures where he actually looks presentable.

Wake-Up Call

2009-04-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Location: Hau'ula, Hawaii

This morning I ignored the "tranquil" call of the rooster outside my window and decided to wake up a bit later, perhaps after 6AM.

I ended up waking to this:
"Oh Gross! Pepe* made dukilau** in your room! That's why it smells!"
*my sister's dog
** hawaiian slang for "poop"

I can tell today is going to be a beautiful day.

Florence - turned a new leaf

2009-02-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

So I understand Florence now. I overheard the owner of my hostel telling a new resident about the city. "This is a city of museums," he said. "You have to go to at least two or three while you are here." When I made the previous post, I hadn't actually stepped foot in any of them yet. That was a mistake. Unfortunately, I left Florence after only seeing one.

Perhaps it's for the best, though, because now I left wanting to go back. I know there's a lot in that city I haven't seen, and now I have a completely different opinion of the city in general. Florence is and has been a city of travelers. Whether they're merchants or tourists, travelers have flocked to this city for centuries, which is fascinating in itself. In all these museums, you read about the paintings and where they came from. During the Renaissance, all of the artists knew each other and met and worked in these cities that are famous today. Some of the greatest art in the world was created in this city and much of it still rests here today.

I saw the Statue of David and was extremely impressed. First off, it's huge, much bigger than the pictures show. I don't understand how one person could have carved it on such a large scale. There are veins that run down his arms and hands. I never realized that before. But altogether... there was something strange about him. You read that his hands and head are large in proportion to the rest of his body and you can see it immediately when you look at the whole statue. His hands are huge. But, somehow it works. It should look odd, but it looks extremely balanced and perfect when you see it. He is supposed to look pensive and calm. It was his innocense that defeated Goliath (which was inspiration to the city at that point in history for some reason). I wonder if that has to do with his hands and head. By having large features and a small body, that may remind us of youth.

Anyway, it was good to see. The museum that housed it was small, but the artwork that was in it was awesome. There were huge paintings, most of which I really enjoyed.

Did you know that the lily is a symbol of purity, which is why it is traditionally placed in most "L'Annunciazione" paintings? So when I was making fun of that painting of Mary before [link], asking why the angel would have brought flowers, I was actually jabbing at something that obviously follows the tradition of the time. The flowers weren't placed in there to be part of the scene, but where placed as a neccessary symbol instead.

Needlesstosay, I have a much more different oppinion of Florence than I did yesterday. It just goes to show that you should never judge a city until you really understand why it is the way it is. There are good aspects to every city, sometimes it just takes a bit longer to find them.

More Florence

2009-02-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I spent the day wandering around the city. Strangely, I've heard more American accents today, just on the streets, than I have since I was in the states almost a month ago. I think this place is a hub for Californians. I'm not sure why.

Ah... Florence. I have a confession. If you are in love with Florence, please stop reading now and move on to the next blog.

I'm not really enjoying this city. I've really tried to enjoy myself, but today I... sort of lost it momentarily lost it. It was too much. There are too many people, everywhere. Yes, I know it's Saturday (and Valentine's day), but it's February! It's supposedly busier during the summer. I don't know how. Every turn I take, there's a group of people chatting loudly in American English. Every pretty part of the city is crawling with them. Every site has a constant flow of people moving in and out of the building. It's a pretty city, but I enjoyed Rome quite a bit more.

Today I wanted to see the Statue of David and then The Birth of Venus. I also wanted to see the Duomo, which this city is named for. That was the plan.

I went to the museum the Statue of David is in. There was a line, probably about 200 feet long to get inside. I wandered to the front. Surely it had to be cheap. It's a very small museum with only one major work of art (however major). It was about US$10 to get in, plus the wait. US$10 bucks is not a lot of money, I know, but it's the idea behind it. This is a major work of art that is mandatory to see while in this city. Yes, they can charge that much because it's the Statue of David and people will pay anything, but seriously, what kind of museum exploits major works of art to make a small fortune? Ten bucks, multiplied by a steady stream of tourists all day, pushing their way in. Do you have any idea how much money that little museum is making? There was at least two thousand dollars, just in the line I saw. I understand charging enough for maintenance and renovations, but strictly making money off a work of art that you did not create but simply own is ridiculous. To get into the Vatican Museum costs about US$20 and there were herds of people clammoring to get in. I don't think the Pope realized how much money he was making when he commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel, but at least that money includes admission to several other museums, which usually aren't utilized by the visitors. It was the same deal with the Taj Mahal (US$15 goes a long way in India) and the Colosseum (which was free up until a few years ago). There are so many little gems in each of these cities. There are free cathedrals all over and cheap museums with amazing works of art. Why do so many people flock to the major ones?

Nevertheless, I really want to see the Statue of David, and will probably go tomorrow morning early when there will hopefully be no line. I really like marble statues and it is perhaps the best marble statue in the world. But I shall glare at them as they take my money. That'll show them.

Note: I know many of you will say, "Just spend the money. Who knows when you'll be there again?" And I will spend the money. The problem is that most of it is already spent and I'm in debt on my credit card. Now you ask, "Why did you go to Italy when you had no money?" My ticket was US$90 (tax included). How can you not go to Italy for so cheap when you have time and enough money to get by? Eh... I'll manage. I guess I'll be subbing for a few weeks when I get back to the states. Welcome home.

Vatican Museum - Commentary

2009-02-13T16:34:00.002-08:00

I know this is highly inappropriate, making fun of classical artwork, but really I just can't help myself.

Let me start off by saying that if you get the chance to see the Vatican Museum, you should definitely do it. It's great. It gives you a really vivid image of what artwork was like back in the day, but it was from that image I noticed something.

Perhaps it has something to do with Catholicism at the time, but their depictions of certain biblical works are... odd. First of all, I don't think I saw an image of baby Jesus that didn't scare me. There were some renditions that... if I saw that baby alive I would shriek and run away screaming with terror. The proportions were crazy and his expressions were so off. They always painted him preaching about something too, even as an infant. Do they think he could talk at that age? I'm sure most of that is symbolic, but... it's unsettling to see.

Second is their depiction of Mary. I know she is a bigger deal in the Catholic faith, but really, I think some of the paintings are a little too much. Take this one for instance, "L'Annunciazione," by Federico Fiori. I snapped a bad picture of it really quick and had to warp it in Photoshop to make it look square. Sorry.

"L'Annunciazione" Federico Fiori

Angel: My Queen, are you busy? I picked you these flowers on my way here.
Mary: Oh no, not at all. I was just watching the sunset behind a nearby castle.
Angel: I have news from God.
Mary: Really? Hold on a second, let me put my book down. What is it?
Angel: You will give birth to a baby boy, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
Mary: Why, that doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, I already knew this.

Okay, I was about to apologize for exaggerating, but look at the painting. I don't understand how something like this could be taken seriously. Yes, it's a beautiful painting and actually... the more I look at it the more attached I'm becoming (it really is nicely done). However, when put in to context... I feel like artist painted something completely different, then just called it l'Annunciazione to get funding or something.

Florence - First Look

2009-02-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Florence today. Until about five or six at night, nothing really went as planned... and tended to be worse than expected. I could go into it, but it just involves the usual stuff (missed trains, full hostels, ran out of money, etc). Anyway, it ends well.

I'm in a hostel now that's great. They just repainted everything and actually gave me a key to the entire building. It feels nice to have a key. I don't know why. The hostel's pretty cool, too. It has one of those really old-style elevators with two doors and is made out of wood. The first time I went in one I was petrified and thought I was going to die. Then I got used to it and now rather enjoy it. It makes me feel like I'm in some 1930's movie. Tonight as I was coming back I noticed the doors to the building are gigantic. Seriously, they're like three times my size and made of solid wood. Behind that is another chain-like door which reminds me of a portcullis. I've decided from now on I'm going to pretend it's my castle and I am the king.

Speaking of having no friends, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I'm in one of the most Romantic cities in the world on the most Romantic day of the year and I'm by myself. So sad... I think tomorrow I'll just go to sleep early so I don't have to think about it.

the Vatican

2009-02-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was chatting with a guy in the hostel from Australia. We were talking about Rome and what sites to see, then he mentioned something about "tourists" and how they're all over the big sites. I sort of wanted to remind him that he was a tourist as well, but instead I let him continue and realized that he had a point... Because in Rome there are a different breed of tourists. You see them in every city, herds of people clumped together, reminiscent of schools of fish or perhaps flocks of sheep. They mass together at the major sites, milling about while the alpha tourist buys tickets or finds directions. While on tours, they often stop to graze or preen each other on the sidewalks or directly in front of famous sites. Watch for the the flashing lights of cameras and camera phones. When massed together, it gives the larger sites a glimmer of their own.

Alright, I'll stop. But really... it's distracting. Today I went to the Vatican Museum (amazing) and the Sistine Chapel. The museum is divided into different sections. You can see what you want and as much of you want, until you decide to go to the chapel. Then you have to go through about a half a mile of shoulder-to-shoulder people. The sites on the way are interesting, but... literally I went a little crazy near the end. I don't think I realized how far it was. They wind you around an entire building and then suddenly... you're there.

The Creation of Adam (Thank You, Wikipedia)

The Sistine Chapel is impressive (to say the least), although I wouldn't really call it a chapel. I always imagined it would be an actual church, but in reality it's more like a gigantic painting that covers an entire room. There's not much decoration besides. It took me awhile to adjust and enjoy myself because the entire floor was covered with people. It is the cesspool-mecca of tourism in this city. And really, the massive painting is so overwhelming at first. The Creation of Adam (see above) part is rather small in comparison to everything else. Once I took it section by section and really tried to figure out what was going on, I really enjoyed myself. The front is actually a lot more gruesome than I expected. I found out later it is supposed to be the Last Judgement of Christ, hence the demons dragging bodies into Hell.

The crowds. Maybe this is why cameras aren't allowed.

I'm being too negative. This is a really cool city. It's so picturesque and romantic everywhere you go. Good thing I'm by myself (sarcasm). But at least I have my camera. To quote something I emailed my sister yesterday: You could take any block in this city at any time of day and use up an entire roll of film easily.

I think mainly it has to do with the Renaissance. I also noticed this with London, only I didn't really realize why until just now. Athens was a really cool city, but while most of the major European cities were flourishing during the Renaissance, it was being taken over by the Ottoman empire. The whole concept of the "Renaissance" all makes sense now. It's just so evident here.

Some weird people want to play cards with me. I don't really want to play, but they need a fourth player. Argh... alright, I'll be social.

First night in Rome

2009-02-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

One thing I didn't expect to be doing on my first night in Rome is hanging out with a bunch of Brazilians, but... well that's what happened. I guess Brazilians are everywhere and I just haven't run into them yet. Really, I don't think I've met any Brazilians outside of Miami in my life, but today in the hostel the first language was Portuguese. The Aussie I talked to said that was normal. Is that normal? Am I crazy?

The Brazilian Flag

Anyway, they are very friendly. We all went out to a pub and watched the Brazil-Italy game. I learned all about the players and then promptly forgot everything. Brazil won. Strangely, I found myself rooting for them.

So I'm in Rome. I really haven't seen much of the city yet, but it seems neat. It's interesting hearing the Italian language spoken by everyone. It kind of surprises me every time. I bought a... I'm not sure what it was but it was delicious... from a random stand at the train station. They guy behind the counter seemed like you're run-of-the-mill average guy, but when he spoke he had the Italian rhythm and it really made me do a double-take. I suddenly felt like a grunting buffoon.

I think part of it is how everyone looks. I thought the same thing in Japan awhile back. Let me explain. When I was in Korea I got used to the way people looked. Everything about Korean people was very foreign in the beginning, but eventually I got used to it and associated the culture and people there with "Korea." I went to Japan for a weekend and it all felt... a bit more like the states. It wasn't, but I think I felt that way because I had more Japanese friends in the states than Koreans, or maybe it was from seeing so many of them in Hawaii. I don't know. It may have just been a feeling. But it's sort of the same situation with Italy. Italian people look American to me, perhaps because we have so many Italians in America. Sure, we've got Greek people too, but not as many. How many people do you know who've got a little bit of Italian blood in them? Quite a few. I don't really know where I'm going with this. Any thoughts?

I feel like I should put up the Italian flag so I don't confuse people...

There we go.

~ Greece Photo Album ~

2009-02-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to the best of the Greece pictures:

GREECE PICS

Comments are nice because then I know people are actually reading this. hint hint

Greece, Customs, and a Dirty Foreigner

2009-02-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

A nice, touristy picture in front of the Parthenon.

Well, I'm back in the UK now, for better or for worse. Greece was beautiful. I stayed in Patras for another day. Seriously though, that hostel was filthy. I was staying in this old little manner with really interesting looking rooms, but I swear the windows hadn't been open in 20 years. It was cold, dank, and it smelled like bus. No, I don't mean "new car scent," I mean "public bus," crusting with dry sweat and who knows what else. I put out my shirts to dry after my night in the rain... they were still wet when I left. The showers didn't have hot water. I was bundled up each night. I could continue, but let's focus on the positive, shall we?

After Patras I went to Nafplio, which was beautiful. It's this little Mediterranean town with a fortress on a small mountain and an incredible view of the coast. I seriously sat on the shore for a few hours, just soaking it all in.

The coastal, Venesian town of Naflio.

Besides that, there's not much to say. I'm back in London now. I got hassled by customs again and warned I probably would a third time after Rome. This time he was at least friendly about it, but he really didn't see a problem with what he was saying.

Jolly Man: And after Rome will you be coming back to the UK?
Me: I'm planning on coming back for about a week and a half after. I'd still like to see a bit more of the country here.
Jolly Man: Well the only way you'll see the country might be from a plane.

Really? Is that necessary? England needs to know that no American wants to become a UK citizen that badly. Tell me, if I came to England to get a wife so I can get a UK passport, why would I have left the country (twice!) when I already had a visa to stay six months? Why would I leave the country at all, knowing how hard it is to get back in? Why would I go to England when there are several other countries in the EU that can give me an EU passport with the same benefits and their customs officers aren't crazy? Why is it that I've met so many solo backpackers from the UK while traveling, yet the people at customs seem baffled that any man would travel by himself for an extended period of time without a return ticket? Is it really that worth it? If I had a chance to plan this trip again, there is no way I would have based it in England. But such is life. I've got to risk it one more time to get back from Rome.

One more note on Greece.

I did my laundry yesterday. How do I put this? I... I have never smelled anything so awful in my life. That's not true, but really, I don't think I've ever smelled clothes that collectively smelled so bad before. They stank, and I really didn't even realize it while I was there. Sure, I gathered that I probably didn't smell nice, but only if you happened to put your nose right up to my clothing and body. But I must have cleared paths with the odor I was giving off. I'm a little worried about Rome now. Should I try to do laundry while there? Will it make a difference? Maybe I should just be aware of it and stay clear of people in general.

Ah, Rome. I'm pretty excited about it. It's starting to hit me now that I'm really going. It's strange to think that I was thinking the same thing about Greece two weeks ago, and London a few weeks before that. But nothing is really ever what you expect. I'm pretty anxious to see what happens.

On the roads so traveled...

2009-02-05T06:27:00.001-08:00

One of the most interesting things about sleeping in hostels and traveling in general is the great amount of interesting people you meet. Yes, some of them are crazy, but I've had some really good conversations with people I'm forced to share a small room or bunk with.

I think part of it is everyone traveling by themselves or only with a few people is so socially deprived that they're able to chat up storms with the first person who will listen. But also, I didn't meet any Americans this whole trip, so there's always an interesting cultural gap that is always good for several different topics. I've told people all about Chicago and the MidWest. The world has such a crazy opinion/view of America that is always interesting to hear about. You can always tell when someone hates Americans and they feel awkward talking about it to me because we're obviously getting along. Usually I convert them to like us by the end.

But the conversations are great. I always get great information about the surrounding area or easy ways to do things or things not to see, plus info about other countries or places they've been to. It always starts out where they're just another crazy traveler, but then you find out all about their family and work and hometown and everything. Not always, but I think it's always cool when you do.

Night in Hades

2009-02-02T06:38:00.001-08:00

Okay, so here's the story of a stupid traveler who needn't be named, although he may or may not be me.

Two days ago in Olympia, the bus dropped me off at night and I found myself disoriented for a few minutes. I had about an hour before my hostel closed (according to my travel guide) and a map of the city. I just had to figure out how to get there. While looking at the map, a man approached and asked me if I wanted to stay in his room, but after the bad experience I had in Yangshou, China, I was hesitant to comply. He told me that he'd charge me 15 Euros and that the hostel was closed. That sealed my decision. I hate when hagglers lie and I knew for a fact that it was open (not actually a fact). He pointed me in the right direction (nice guy) and I went on my merry way, eager to find the hostel.

When I arrived, however, the hostel was dark and no one was inside. I knocked a few times and rattled the doors, but no one answered. Now most people here would either (a) sigh and find a more expensive place to stay or (b) run back to the bus stop and hope the man is still there.

I, being the idiot that I am, realized with exitement that I had no place to stay and had to sleep outside. I almost skipped away, happy to start scouting for places to sleep. There was a possibility of more rain, but nothing bad (not actually a fact). I found an empty park and tested each place for comfort, cover, and light. I wanted somplace that wasn't horribly cold, with cover above, and out of the street lights so someone wouldn't stumble on me in my sleep.

I eventually found a little place that worked. It had a roof-type thing that would block the rain (not actually a fact) and seats around the edge of which I could sleep in the shadows.

In my defense, the hour before it started to rain was one of the most fun moments I had on this trip. I was ecstatic. It was a beautiful night with strong, warm winds and lightning rolling away in the distance. Then Zeus decided to have a raging fit that quickly ended any enjoyment I had that night.

It rained. Hard. It was not a drizzle, like the weather report said, nor was it simply rain. It was pouring. Thunder was screaming in the sky and lightning lit everything up now and then. I learned quickly that the "roof above my head" was nothing more than twigs lined up to block the sun. I wrapped my backpack's cover around my body and took out clothes to cover anything thing that was still exposed. Actually, this managed to work for a bit. I stayed relatively dry the whole night. However, the warm winds were now gone and the freezing rain had cooled everything. It was still, after all, January.

When I realized that I was basically sitting on a slab of cement in the middle of a park in a thunderstorm, I got up (shaking) and started to look for someplace else to sleep. Nothing was open because it was January and the town is half the size of my high school. Not too far away, I found a little gutter in an alcove that was completely dry. I got in, kicked out the cat that had also made it it's home, and curled up again. Unfortunately, after walking around, my whole body was now a bit wet and I couldn't stop shaking. I did about thirty sit-ups to warm up my body that wrapped up as tight as I could.

While laying there, trying to fall asleep, I realized that this was actually the second gutter I'd slept in and both times it had rained. What great luck I have.

The rest of the night was... not fun, but rather uneventful. The rain eventually subsided. I got about two hours of horrible sleep. When the "shakes" got me again at 4:30ish... I remembered that walking warms you up, so I took a two hour stroll in loops around the city, which worked but was tiring. At 6:30 I watched the sunrise and finally at 8:30 went to go check on the hostel to see if it was open.

It was. The old man greeted me, seemingly confused. What could he possibly be confused about? Anyway, after I asked him if he had any rooms he shook his head and told me that a group had come so he had no rooms. I gave him a look of utter desperation but still got the same answer.

You can imagine my irritation. The only thing that had gotten me through the night was the thought of taking off my wet clothes and either hibernating in a mountain of dryness (a bed), or taking a hot, hot shower for the rest of my life.

In my frustration I almost left right there. I'm really glad I didn't. I had an awesome time in the ruins, perhaps partly because I was so sleep-deprived that my senses and imagination was on complete overdrive and I could really "understand" everything around me.

Oh well. I got out fine, have a good story to tell, and just slept 12 hours last night in my new hostel here in Patras. You learn from your mistakes. Next time I'll pay the extra 5 Euros.

Olympia!

2009-02-02T06:12:00.000-08:00

Why I stayed in Athens so long? I'll never know. The Greek countryside is beautiful and the people are so friendly. Since my last entry I've spent time in Pyrgos, Olympia, and now Patra. Olympia was amazing, minus an extremely bad incident that was... I don't even know if I want to write about it. It was a really... stressful night. I'll save that until the next blog entry.

I might not be able to upload any more pictures. My camera is pretty much out of battery, so I'm trying to savor every last drop by cutting autofocus and completely minimalizing the amount of time it is spent "on." Unfortunately, until I see a card reader, I can't upload tsuff. Why didn't I bring a charger for my camera, you ask? Good question. Why didn't I spend the extra five Euros and have a place to sleep last night? Another good question, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Olympia is definitely one of my top places to see in Greece, and perhaps in life. They are the coolest ruins I've ever been to. In case you don't know, Olympia was the grounds of the original Olympics and is still the spot where they light the torch every year. It was also a sacred spot for Zeus, going back much earlier and was the site of one of the original Wonders of the Ancient World.

So the thing I like best about the site is the condition of everything. As of now, most of it hasn't been restored. And because the area hasn't really been massively populated... ever, many of the original rocks and fallen columns are still there. You walk around this huge place and you're actually walking on the ground these athelets and officials walked on. You look at a stone, almost completely corroded and you're like, "that stone has been sitting there for over two thousand years." It was awesome.

My favorite was the Temple of Zeus and the Arena. I remember reading about the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World back in the day, and reading that the only one left standing is the pyramids. Most of the others are lost. I didn't even realize there was anything left from the big guy's temple, but its all still here (Except, of course, him. It was actually his statue that was the supposed wonder, not the temple) But all the columns (huge columns) are lying there, still in the same place that they were when the temple fell fifteen hundred years ago. Yes, stuff has been touched, but comparatively to other places like the Acropolis / Parthenon, not much has been touched at all.

The Arena was just cool. There's not much to see except a big ditch in the ground where they had all the events, but the fact that it's still there and the same rocks line the border is really cool.

The rest of the place is really neat to see, too. There's just so much, and the surroundings are beautiful, too. It was the place they chose as sacred to the king of their gods. Of course it's going to be nice.

Anyway, it was a cool experience. If you find yourself in Greece, definitely drop by Olympia.

Athens

2009-01-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

I've been in Athens three days now. I usually don't stay in a city this long, but it is pretty nice knowing where everything is and having someplace to sleep at night. You know when you know kind of the way a building runs, the people in it and such? That's a big relief while traveling hostel-style.

Not that it's especially nice. You know those commercials in the US that are advertising some phone company? Something about dropped calls... anyway, there's one where there are the "techno twins" and the something about how a call was missed so they went to the wrong place. Basically, the message is that in hostels you run into the crazy European people who listen to techno all the time. I used to think that was ridiculous, because I'd never run into anything like that. Well... my neighbors are the techno twins. I woke up at 5AM this morning with blasting techno. That was fun.

Two nights I came back to someone sleeping in my bed. We still don't really know who it was. I ended up just asking for a different room for that night, just a bit worried about my things. I had a roommate today who was awesome. He came into the room and we just started talking about stuff. I think we talked for about three hours straight, and that was just the bulkiest part of the conversation. I don't think I've ever talked to someone so much in my life. The rest of the people in the hostel are... interesting. There's a Japanese roommate I have who's... odd. I think his friend was the one who took my bag. He's like, over-the-top friendly and doesn't really understand English well. There's also weird... noises I won't go into detail about, but ask me later if you're curious. Needless to say, I've never run into that in a hostel before.

Let's get on to the pictures.

Yesterday I walked around for a bit. It was raining, which was too bad, but I slept for a bit back at the hostel after getting drenched outside. (Why am I reading this in my head in an Aussie accent? hmm.... ) Anyway, the buildings look different here, at least in the nice parts of town. That's sort of a European thing I guess. I like it, but who wouldn't?

Two days ago I went to the seaside. At the time, I was having a hard time liking Athens and this cured it, for the most part. I like water a lot. I'm one of those people who just feels relaxed if around water. It wasn't even that nice of an area, but it I still had a good time. Don't mock me.

I also discovered how to use the remote on my camera my mom bought me for Christmas. Good work, Mom. I'll actually probably use this a lot. I may look a little silly, standing alone, smiling and posing several times, but whatever. I finally got a picture with me in it.

I like this one a bit better. Clearly by now I'm a bit more advanced in the technique of remote control picture composition.

If you look closely, there's a bird flying on the right side. That is no mistake. I waited for a long time to get a bird flying in the picture. There was also a couple standing on a rock just to the right of the frame. I had my camera pointed at them for quite awhile. They probably thought I was some creeper taking their picture. Oh well.

I took this while remembering that I wanted to get a picture of it to post on the blog, but I should get one that better exemplifies the graffiti in Athens. This city is a big coloring book. It's everywhere, on monuments, statues, parks, everything. I don't understand how more efforts aren't put up to stop this, but... what can you do, really? I guess it's not a big deal unless the images are obscene, which usually they're not. It just seems... I don't know.

I'm going here again in about an hour. I tried to go yesterday, but it was raining, and it wasn't free. I guess all the sites are free on Sundays. I learned this from my Aussie friend. I'm going to try to hit up all the sites that I missed, then go to Olympia tonight. I've heard really good things about Olympia. I guess we'll find out, though. If there's one thing I've learned about traveling like this, it's that nothing ever really goes as planned...

Athens Pictures!

2009-01-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

The computers just cleared up at the hostel so I had a few minutes to upload these pictures. I didn't do much today, no sites. These were taken of stuff you can see from the side of the street. Sadly, my beautiful face graces none of them.

Attica - at a glance

2009-01-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

I flew into Athens today... wow, this keyboard is horrible. The "shift" key actually requires physical strength to push down... anyway, I got in today and have been wandering around since.

Athens is much different than I was expecting. It's very strange walking around a city where everyone is white but speaking a different language. I also thought I'd be able to just figure out the writing because it's very close to Roman letters. That is not the case. I have no idea what's going on. Fortunately, I haven't run into anyone who doesn't speak English... yet. I've actually had two people come up to me already and ask me questions in Greek. I'm not sure why. I'm in full tourist mode with the bright red backpack, camera and map in hand... not to mention the fact that I don't look Greek. I might be able to pass, but really... they actually looked surprised when I gave them the helpless shrug and smile. For the most part, though, I still stick out when necessary. The man at this internet cafe talked to me in English before I even said anything. He may have done so because I sort of just stared at the prices for a bit before staring at him helplessly and not saying anything, but...

You know, I should really get off this thing. I stopped by really quick to find the address of a hostel/hotel. I still don't have a place to stay and it's getting dark. Note to self: simply the title of a cheap hostel is not sufficient. I must bring a street name, subway stop, or address next time. Silly me. Anyway, it was 2 euros for a half hour. That's crazy. They're going to charge me more if I don't get off now.

*added a few hours later*

I found a hostel! It wasn't the one I was looking for, but I jumped at it the first moment I saw the International Hostel logo.

Things in Athens are expensive. Well, maybe not for people who use the Euro, but I had a little meal in a small shop tonight for $7.50. The value meals at McDonalds were the US equivalent of about $7-8. I had a small sandwich. My hostel was about $20 and that was the cheapest around. They didn't even give me a key. ghetto...

I hope the rest of the country is a bit cheaper. I should have brought more than $200 with me. Eh... we'll see. I'll get a good night's sleep finally and see how I feel in the morning.

Right now I'm going to go for a walk around the area, free of my cumbersome backpack. It's a little shady around here. I may get mugged. Wish me luck!

The City that Sleeps...

2009-01-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

One of the things I've found strange about London is the time things close at night. Really, there isn't a convenience store or anything that is open 24 hours a day (or even past 11PM) around where I'm staying. All the coffee shops close at 6-8. I found one that was open 'til 9PM on Sundays and I'm remembering it for when I'm here on Sunday again in two weeks.

I stopped playing "tourist" for a bit to relax before Greece. It's so strange how fast one can get acclimated to a new environment. When I'm not going to museums or looking at churches with my chin to the sky, it really feels like normal life here. I've gotten used to the weather and complain it's cold, even though it's 30 degrees colder back at home. I even used the word "home" once when talking about the apartment in which I'm sleeping on the floor.

Oh man, though, these museums are amazing. One of the cool things about London is that they were an empire during the exploration age. They "collected" a massive amount of things from all over the world in their heyday and much of it is still here. I say "collected" because the boundary between "discovering" artifacts and "stealing" them is very slim.

The British Museum is amazing. Seriously, I didn't know that there existed Egyptian artifacts in such prime condition. You walk into this place and to the left you're greeted with the Rosetta Stone. If you don't know what that is, it's a really old slab of rock with three languages on it: ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, the common Egyptian script, and Greek. Because all three languages say the same thing, it opened the doors to the Egyptian hieroglyphic system and allowed the ancient script to be deciphered within thirty years, which before was a mystery. Anyway, this slab of rock is right in your way as you enter the Egyptian exhibit. Then things get interesting. Again, I had no idea that this stuff existed. Everything in that room was about four thousand years old and most of it was in exceptional quality. They didn't even have glass over a lot of it, with only a sign for protection against the human hand. After, we saw a really cool Assyrian exhibit followed by a Greek exhibit. Looking at a map afterwards, we realized that we only touched the surface of both areas and there was at least triple what we saw.

But my favorite is still the National History Museum. I stopped by again the other day, just to see another exhibit. It's easy to do that when it's free. Chicago, take notes.

Anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow for Greece. I actually have to get up in four hours from now, so I'm going to try to get some sleep. I have no idea what to expect there or really what I'm doing, so stay tuned. I'm not bringing my laptop, but I'll try to find an internet cafe or something to blog.

Diverse London

2009-01-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

One of the things I've been most surprised with here in London (pleasantly) is the massive amount of diversity here. I was expecting to see English culture, but what I've been presented with is cultures from all over the world. Its a really cool city in that sense. While nothing is cheap, foreign food isn't any more expensive than "regular" food here, so you can literally eat a different culture's food every night.

This building was just across the river from Parliament. The sun was setting really nice so I took a bunch of pictures you'll see if you continue to read.

I'm not sure what this building is. We were just walking down the street, looking for a bus and ran into it. That's what's so cool about London. I heard most of Europe is like that, though.

Monday starts the Chinese New Year, so China Town in London is celebrating immensely (so I've heard). We went there yesterday and it was interesting. It's probably an area I would have completely missed if Adela hadn't told me about it. I've heard today that it's crazy. There's supposed to be over 50,000 people running about with tons of food. We'll see if it lives up to it's guidebook reputation, but that would be awesome.

This is one of the few places I've been outside of China that actually smells like China. Chinese food has a certain smell. It's not really bad, but I wouldn't say it's very appetizing either (for me at least, with Western taste buds). But I get really excited everytime I smell it because it reminds me of

Friday night we went to India Town, also known as "Brick Lane." Food was good, but the real reason I went was to see a Bollywood film. I re-watched the Bollywood film I had seen in India on the airplane on the way over (Bachna Ae Haseeno). I love that movie. Definitely, I would recommend it. So... I was on a little Bollywood fix and discovered that London had a Bollywood theater with tickets for only 5 pounds. I dragged Adela along and it ended up being at this little place in the boonies with three other people in the theater. Oh well. I really liked the movie. We saw Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. It wasn't as good as Bachna in my opinion, but its target was families and it didn't have quite the budget as the other one. Anyway, I'd still definitely reccomend either one to anyone who is interested in seeing a Bollywood movie.

Watch this movie.

Today I really wanted to go to a Catholic church (Adela's catholic and could show me the ropes), but not only are most of the churches out here Anglican, but I also realized that I don't have any nice clothes to wear. That's unfortunate, but I'm going to go to the St. Paul's area anyway and check out the cathedrals. London is so crazy with their cathedrals. These massive, beautiful buildings are just tossed around everywhere. You'll be walking and then just pass an amazing building and the people who live here don't blink or think it's remotely interesting at all. Craziness.

This is Adela and me in front of Parliament. She's the girl who actually lives here who I'm bumming off a bed and such from.

She got really excited here. I'm not sure why. I guess this stand was in some "Friends" episode. Joey allegedly did something with a hat and a map. Adela was ranting about it and I thought it'd calm her down to take her picture.

Westminster Cathedral (An Anglican Church) with the setting sun and Big Ben in the background. I thought this was a nice shot.

I finally got a picture of me in one of these pictures. See, when I wasn't in my right mind and was packing for this trip, I packed my big DSLR camera but left my little point-and-shoot at home. That makes it difficult to both ask people to take your picture and just hold out the camera in front of you.

On a last note, I bought a ticket for Athens yesterday. I'm leaving on Thursday and I'm pretty excited about it. I searched all over their cheap airfares and found a week-long, round trip ticket for US$126. Isn't that awesome? I'm not really sure what I'll do there. I already feel like I've done so much in London and I've only been here about four days. I might try and travel a bit while I'm there. If anyone has any suggestions / stories about their favorite things in Greece, I'd love to hear about it!

A great way to cheer up a bad start!

2009-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

Today I finally got to see the real London. I got a lot better feel of the city and am really enjoying myself here. There's so much to see, everywhere you go, and everyone speaks English so you can read and listen to directions. It's kind of weird, actually. I'm so used to being foreign in Asia and obviously not fitting in. Here, I fit in perfectly until I open my mouth. It actually makes me a bit hesitant to go places and talk to people because I know it will be odd for them to hear an American accent and there will probably be difficulties.

Today a local woman asked me for directions somewhere. I told her I was new around here, but I think I could have said anything. Once she heard my American "r" she laughed at the obvious and we parted ways. It says something, though, if I fit in enough to get asked directions. I was wearing my bright red backpack, too.

While on the topic, I have no idea what these people are saying out here. I'd say at any given part of a conversation I have with someone, be it telling me how much something costs or the normal small talk to tourists, I understand them about half of the time. Seriously, there was a long announcement on the train and I could understand about three words. Granted, I can't usually understand what train operators say in America, but it's so odd to hear English spoken so differently.

Also, the cockney accent isn't pretty. It's a bit startling and makes me wonder for a second if they realize that they're not sweeping chimneys and it's not a hundred years ago.

Anyway, I walked through Westminster today. For those who don't know, that's the stereotypical London area, right along the river with Big Ben, the House of Parliament, the Eye (the giant ferris wheel), and Westminster Abbey. The house of Parliament and the Westminster cathedral are so intricate. I'm not sure how they carved the outside, but the amount of work put into it is astounding. I personally think the ferris wheel is hideous and completely out of place in an otherwise beautiful area, but that's my opinion.

Later, I stopped by my new favorite building in England: The Natural History Museum. First off, it's free. Second, it's in an amazing old building. Third, they really put an emphasis on zoology and the natural world, not so much humanity's impact on it. If you don't know, I'm sort of a zoology nerd, especially mammals, cephalopods, and evolution. The Field Museum in Chicago satisfies many of these needs, and this museum is now second on my list, perhaps topping the Field just because it's free. I can go back again tomorrow, and perhaps several other times this trip. Today I read exhibits for hours and glossed over only a mild chunk of this museum's massive inventory. There will be more to hear about this museum soon.

Big Ben. Strangely, it's smaller than it looks like in most of the pictures, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. Seeing it close up, I have a hard time imagining it in an older time. It's such an impressive piece of architecture and it's so iconic.

Outside Westminster Cathedral. This looks like a really cool building, too. Unfortunately, admitance costs 12 pounds, roughly 18-20 dollars. That's obsene. I think I'll enjoy it from the outside.

Westminster Abbey through other buildings. It really was an impressive area.

A statue outside the house of Parliament

A little bit different perspective of the house of Parliament

A fish lightpost along the river. I believe it was called "Queen's Walk" or "Way" or something else British.

This isn't too far away from where I'm staying. This was just off London bridge, looking at Tower Bridge, which is ironically much more interesting to see.

This is inside the Museum of Natural History. Look at this place! Look at the building. Just walking around it was exciting. That, coupled with the zoology exhibits, completely made my day.

Unfriendly Welcome

2009-01-21T03:20:00.000-08:00

I've made it! I'm in London, which is awesome. I've literally only seen a few blocks of it, but from what I've seen, it's got a different look to it than any other city I've really been to (I haven't really been too many places in Europe yet, so that may be why). When I stepped out of the subway (or as they say, the "tube"), the sky was a beautiful overcast grey and the city seemed to have a very dark feel to it. Everyone was wearing black coats like in New York and the trees have a gnarly look to them with black bark. All that, topped with interesting, old European-looking buildings made me kind of excited I'm visiting, which was very necessary. Let me explain.

I have never in my travel experiences had such a weird "immigration experience" as I just had. It was seriously enough for me to almost turn around and go home. I was in line, watching all the people in front of me pass through with amazing ease. I smiled and thought for a moment I'd be out of the airport in five minutes. When I came up to the desk I smiled to the young woman and handed her my documents. It was there that I suddenly became her enemy who deserved neither respect, nor allowance into the country.

She interrogated me, right there at the counter, covering everything about my life. I sensed that her sanity wasn't complete within the first minute, so I played along. When she asked very directly if the girl I was seeing was my girlfriend or just a friend (scribbling it down on my immigration documents), I asked her (very politely) if that really mattered. She then informed me that it was her decision if I was allowed into the country or not and I'd better answer all of her questions and that she was going to call this girl and I'd better not be lying and if I was I needed to come clean right then or else there would be consequences. Okay, you have to understand that I was baffled at this point. She really had given me no indication as to why she was treating me so poorly and why I was being interrogated when clearly no one else was. I continued to answer her questions. Here's a few sample rounds: (remember, everything that woman said sounded like she was accusing me of something)

Crazy Woman: Why did you stop your job before you came here?
Me: Well, I was just substitute teaching and I wanted to travel...
Crazy Woman: Why are you coming for six weeks?
Me: ... what do you mean?
Crazy Woman: Why wouldn't you continue working and come here on a holiday for a week?
Me: ... umm... I'd like to see more of the country.

Crazy Woman: What sites are you planning on seeing here?
Me: (wondering if she wants a complete itinerary of my travel plans for the next six weeks) ... I'm not sure.
Crazy Woman: Why not?
Me: Well, I'll probably buy a guide book when I'm here.
Crazy Woman: Why didn't you get one before you came?
Me: I was busy working.
Crazy Woman: Exactly when did you stop working?

Crazy Woman: You only have seven hundred and fifty dollars with you?
Me: Yeah, but I probably won't convert it all.
Crazy Woman: Why not? That's not enough for six weeks.
Me: Um... I think I'll manage...

This is for real. I could not believe it. And I'm serious when I mean every single thing that came out of her mouth was as if I was a licensed criminal. Anyway, she decided to detain me for further questioning. As I waited, I tried to go over what it possibly could have been that triggered her insanity.

Another woman came and told me to follow her with my things. She wasn't friendly, but was clearly in her right mind. I told her I really didn't know what was going on and asked her if I did anything wrong. She said it was normal procedure. I mentioned that the other woman had seemed genuinely angry with me, to which the lady told me that she might have just had a bad morning.

She searched through every item I brought with my into this country, rifling through each pocket and reading the business cards I had in my wallet. Of course she didn't find anything, but decided to take my CTE website design plans and journal I wrote in India for further inspection. I was taken back to the detaining section where I waited for another long while. Finally the crazy woman told me I was done and could go. She told me that it was documented that I would be staying six weeks and something else angry. Trying to get some sort of explanation out of the mess, I asked her if that meant I had to leave in exactly six weeks or if I could go earlier or later. She somewhat sheepishly told me I could stay longer, but not longer than six months. Really? How do you say something like that to me after putting me through that mess? I can legally stay until June 21st. I asked her politely how I could avoid this next time and she told me to have a return ticket and to have all my money information or something more official. So... basically she was nervous I was going to try to get a job, even though I can't get a job without a worker's VISA or maybe she was nervous I was going to get involved in some illegal activity or something. Who knows? That woman was crazy.

Anyway... there's more. I guess she did call and wake up the poor girl I'm visiting, who had no idea what was going on or why she was seemingly being accused of something or why this crazy woman was interrogating her about our lives. Yes, she did ask Adela my home address, how long I'm staying here, exactly what sites am I going to be seeing, and other questions Adela didn't know the answers to. She also threatened her that she was going to ask me the same questions and if they didn't match up then there would be consequences.

Crazy Woman: Is he your boyfriend or your friend?
Adela: Um... he's just my friend I met in college.
Crazy Woman: You went to school with him?
Adela: Yeah.
Crazy Woman: Where?
Adela: Miami.
Crazy Woman: What university?
Adela: ... University of Miami.

And it continued. By this time, as you can imagine, I had a horrible first impression of London and coupled with only 4 hours of sleep I'd gotten cumulatively the last two nights, I just wanted to go home. Nevertheless, eventually she let me through, however begrudgingly, and things have been looking up since. The exchange rate right now is 1.377 US dollars to the British Pound, which is a lot better than it has been in years.

But beware, fellow travelers. I guess my little immigration incident is not a rare occurrence. Another friend of ours from Miami (also a man my age) was given near to the same treatment last September, also completely unprovoked. So if you decide to come to this unwelcoming land, be sure to know absolutely everything about who you are staying with as well as a complete itinerary of your plans, be they however long.

Stay tuned.

Back to Good Ol' Cockney I Go!*

2009-01-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

I think I have a knack for traveling during important pivotal times in US politics. The inauguration is tomorrow, precisely the time I leave for the airport. I was driving around Utah during the elections, too, which is strange. Oh well.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for London. Of course I haven't packed a thing and am not planning on doing so until well-after midnight, but I'm pretty sure I'll probably go tomorrow.

Honestly, I really don't know what to expect out of London. Besides the faint recollections of my childhood in Cockney, I wonder what I'll find now two decades later*. I've heard wonderful things about the city, not so much the weather, but I usually like bleak, dismal weather so I think I'll be alright.

Has anyone been there? I'll be staying with a friend, so I'm covered for that. I also don't have a lot of money to spend, which is unfortunate, but usually manageable. If you have ideas or suggestions I'd love to hear them!

*Cockney is not a real place, nor is it where I grew up.

Christmas Song

2009-01-04T01:02:00.000-08:00

This is a song I put together for the Christmas Eve service at my Dad's church. The two girls singing are... hmmm... maybe they don't want me putting their names up online. Anyway, I've known them forever and I convinced them to come sing this year.

I like the way it turned out.

I was going to leave it at that, but perhaps I should explain. My dad is a minister of a church out in the country about twenty minutes away from my house. Every Christmas Eve we have a service that is mostly based on songs and special performances (mostly from my family and cousins). For the past couple years, I've written a few things for it. I think it's fun. No matter the singer, it's awesome to have something sung by real people after you've just been plugging it away on the piano until then. Parts that you had no idea would sound great sound amazing and other parts you really were excited about sound... not so great. With these girls, though, it pretty much always sounds good.

Enjoy! And Merry Belated Christmas.

From yours truly,

2008-12-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hey Jake, remember me? Your blog?

I'm still waiting here, hoping that someday you'll spend a few minutes and write in me. I bet some pretty interesting things have been happening in your life. No? Well that's okay. I'm sure something will happen soon. Until then, I'll just be waiting here... so patiently.

Mr. Akemann

2008-11-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

I've been back in Illinois for a bit now, doing nothing as usual. Today I finally subbed at the local high school for the first time. That was weird. I was a student there five years ago and now I'm on the other side.

Let me first say that I had no idea how much I've changed in the last five years. I haven't felt so conspicuous and obviously not part of the norm since India. Walking around in the hallways, I don't think I could blend in with them if I tried. And really, I haven't changed that much, physically at least. I'm the same height and the same weight. I may have a slightly "older" looking face, but not something big enough to notice off the bat. Nevertheless, it was clear everywhere I went that I was a teacher and clearly not a student. It's so odd.

After teaching elementary kids in Korea for a year, I don't think I could have been more prepared for today. I subbed the level three ESL classes. I used a lot of the same disciplinary tactics, which was odd, but it worked. I had to bust out the "teacher face" only a few times, with mixed results.

But really, the biggest difference is the language. These kids speak English exceptionally well. I could have complete conversations with them. Of course, I immediately reverted back to my I'm-talking-to-Koreans voice, complete with good annunciation and repetition of important parts of what I'm telling them, but they understood. It was amazing having students who could understand what I was saying. They just couldn't read very well. In fact, some of my Korean students could probably read just as well if not better, but their speech was enough to make up for any drawbacks in reading. Verbal communication is important in life. Reading and writing is extremely important for some stuff, but not completely necessary. At least... that's my standpoint.

Anyway, I was impressed. Based on the flack the ESL program gets in U-46, I imagined it'd be a circus of kids who don't speak any English (basically my life last year). I'm sure level one students and elementary school is a different scenario, but the students I had today were just kids... er.... young adults who need more attention focused on reading and writing.

Greyhounds bite

2008-11-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I had a decision to make. I wanted to go to Denver from Salt Lake City. I could either take an Amtrak train or a Greyhound bus. It was then that I made what may be the stupidest decision of my life. I took the bus.

I took a train from U of I to Chicago a bit ago. It was really nice. The ride was smooth. There was tons of space. I think I remember being irritated that someone was talking on their cell phone, but having electric outlets for every seat made up for any complaints I had. I just busted out the laptop and chilled for a few hours.

Riding greyhound really makes me lose faith in humanity a bit. If you ever feel like you're too high on a high horse because being a human entitles you to intelligence and dignity, ride a Greyhound bus. It's like a collection of the oddest and strangest people in our country. This is unexpected, because it's not cheap. It costs the same as Amtrak and for long distances it's roughly the same as flight. Yet they congregate there on the busses, the circus of mankind.

Putting the passengers aside, even the organisation itself is just... not organised. Every single bus I've ever taken with Greyhound has been late, usually by over an hour. I assumed that an overnight bus that lasts ten hours would have a "sleeping" theme. You know, maybe low on announcements, not a stop every hour that wakes you up with lights for fifteen minutes. A bus transfer to a delayed bus at two in the morning, being forced to stand in the cold while rude busdrivers yell at you, watching the same bus driver get cussed out by a drunk peer and watching him get chased away by a police car is probably not something that would fit a "sleeping" themed bus.

But you learn from your mistakes, right? About five years ago, I traveled with Greyhound through Florida and told myself I'd never ride with them again. However, after using the bus systems in China and India, I thought I'd been hardened to bad bus systems. I guess putting it in perspective it doesn't sound so bad. No one was smoking next to me and I didn't have a steady stream of exhaust filtering in through my window on Greyhound. But the busses in China and India came out to be about five to ten dollars, not seventy-eight.

Next time I'll take Amtrak.

Mountain Climbing

2008-11-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

Maybe you guys from out West will think this is funny.

Yesterday I was at my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Mark's house here in Utah. They live on the side of this mountain that is not as tall as the others around it. I thought, "Hey, I like hiking. Maybe I'll just climb up it really quick before dinner."

Did you know that air is less dense in the mountains? Everyone knows that, but it really does affect how you breathe. I was dying. I literally collapsed about 2/3rds the way up. It was really embarrassing, but at least no one saw me or heard about it before I posted it online for everyone to read. It really felt nice after, though, and before the long trek back down (it's much easier to climb up than down) it was really tranquil just sitting on the side of the mountain, watching the sun set on the valley. I could get used to that.

This one (below) wasn't taken on the mountain. One cool thing about Utah are the gigantic flags that are milling around. They're huge and absolutely make any sane person feel like serenading the mountains with patriotic songs.

Utah!

2008-11-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

I came out to Utah about 2-3 days ago. It's amazing how many people I've seen and how much I've done since then. First off, if you don't know, I haven't been here in 12-13 years, and a lot of my cousins out here I haven't seen since then. It's been really great catching up with everyone and sort of meeting them for the first time as an adult.

Perhaps some of you Chicago/Elgin folk have noticed that I don't look much like my cousins and uncles out there. As shown . . .

The Akemann Crew

Out here, it all suddenly makes sense. For the first time, I'm standing around with a group of guys and I feel like I look like them and other people can tell. Also other things, like quirks and habits I've noticed in Mom but not really in myself because of the gender gap, I see in "man form" in the relatives.

But with the good similarities come the bad. Out here, we are pack rats. Today I helped clean my grandma's house. It's a very gradual process. I worked with my mom and my two aunts for eight hours, unloading junk from the basement. I have never seen anything like it. We threw out two truckloads, a garbage can, and an SUV's worth of trash and didn't make a dent. While we accomplished a lot, it's almost awe-inspiring to see how much we didn't accomplish in the grand scheme of things.

Word to the wise:
Never allow someone with Foster blood to have three basements. Note that the lineage may be disguised as Akemann, Balzotti, or Gleave blood, but the gene is dominant and very dangerous.

*Note- This picture was taken at the dump, not the basement.

So that was today, but it's been mostly fun besides that. Saturday I went SCUBA diving in a hot spring where my cousin and his wife work. There wasn't much to see, but the experience itself was really cool. The hot spring is in the middle of this random desert valley. It's basically a mound of limestone that was once overflowing with spring water. Then someone blew out a tunnel in the side with dynamite and now it's a 60-foot hole in the ground, filled with a constant supply of warm water. It was pretty neat.

Let's get this started...

2008-11-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

So this one's real.

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you've at least dropped by my homepage before. (It's http://jake.akemann.net if you haven't) Unfortunately, you've also then probably noticed that it hasn't been updated since August. Sorry about that. I've actually been up to some cool things since then, too. I went to India. That's sort of the kind of thing people put on blogs... but... well, that's why I'm making this.

While I do enjoy building the pages from scratch and making the graphics and links myself, it's really not practical for this kind of thing, which for the most part is just keeping up with family and friends.

I'm not promising anything this time. The last blog was full of promises that never came to fruition. Some relatives are still waiting on that China blog. It will come eventually. Wait, is that a promise? Alright, while I'm breaking rules... the blogs for Japan, Hong Kong and India are coming, too! Check back soon!