A Little Web-Analytic Tool

A friend showed me a website called Alexa.com which is a "web information company." This site is pretty helpful for providing amateur "Internet Marketers" with some free and basic web analytic tools. For instance it told me that many users were finding the Santa Rosa Medical Center's website by searching for Santa Rosa Hospital (as it was once called many years ago). That information will help me retool some things behind the scenes, build a better website, and allow people who search for "Santa Rosa Hospital" get accurately directed to the Santa Rosa Medical Center. Also, the information provided me with a baseline for number of visitors and SRMCFL.com's page rank. Now that I've made some changes to the website, I am hoping to see our ranking improve slowly.

Now on Wikipedia: Santa Rosa Medical Center

One of the first things I have done at the Santa Rosa Medical Center was to create a Wikipedia article on the hospital. You can check it out here. This is the second article I have created on Wikipedia and I have made minor edits to numerous entries now.

The internship is going pretty well and I have been making lots of changes to the SRMCFL.com website. I'm focusing on updating the quality of the information to make it more user friendly and also changing back-end functions which will help the website perform better in search engines (hopefully leading to more page views). Hoping that the changes will also place higher quality or more relevant information on our visitors' screens.

Also helped to produce the latest edition of the internal physician newsletter and attending many community events. The best part about the internship is meeting lots of health professionals. Hopefully one of these contacts will turn into a full-fledged job.

Founding a Charity

I'm in the middle of founding a local charity organization named the Panhandle Philanthropy Party. It's a pretty simple idea I have borrowed from a friend I met in India. We're working hard to get the organization going and right now I'm focused on getting new members to join and filing the official tax information to become a legitimate 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

The Panhandle Philanthropy Party is a charity focused organization creating exceptional and fun experiences, impacting lives, and enabling real life connections.

The PPP is a social group of like-minded people who live in the Florida Panhandle and meet every few weeks at different Pensacola bars, restaurants, clubs, and pubs.

We host casual events to raise funds for various social causes and participate in community charity events. Our goal is to have fun while giving a little back to those less fortunate than us.

You can check us out on Facebook.

Can't get away from Campus!

We'll I indicated earlier that I was taking some French language courses at the University of West Florida, but that's not all I am taking.

I am also enrolled in two graduate level communication courses and also a short course on starting and running a non-profit organization. All these classes are a lot of work, but I suppose education is the closest thing I have to a real hobby. I just kind of love it.

The communication courses are focused on combining communications, leadership, and healthcare organizations. It's good knowledge and the professor I currently have is very talented and likable. She is one of the premier academics in the area of healthcare communications. I hope she can help me get a job and help me with my internship at the Santa Rosa Medical Center.

It feels good to be on campus, but I am starting to recognize how old I am getting! Hearing some of the undergrads talk is like walking on glass! I asked a young lady if she had ever taken a French course and she said, "Yeah, in high school. So it was like a year ago." My ten year reunion is coming in about six months!

Entrepreneurial Endeavour

I've started working with a little IT start-up called Quality Technical Consulting. We're working on getting the business off the ground right now and I will be helping with sales and marketing efforts.

It's a small firm, but our technical staff is highly knowledgeable and very experienced. Our focus is on managing all aspects of IT for small to medium sized firms that lack the funds or the expertise to run their own network.

I'm learning daily about the technical side of the business and it feels good to work on starting a company from the ground up. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but I feel like the local market is fairly under served in this area right now and we're gonna work hard to capture market share.

So if you need any kind of network security, design, management, or maintenance give us a call... and we're a lot cheaper than the competition.

www.QTCsupport.com

Internship

I will be starting an internship for the Santa Rosa Medical Center within the next few weeks. I'm excited about this opportunity and will be working in the Marketing Department for the hospital. It should be a great opportunity and I already met the supervisor, who was extremely pleasant, young, and enthusiastic.

I am hopeful that I can make an immediate difference at the hospital as I focused on hospitals as part of my MBA education. I've previously done several reports on hospitals and even some focused specifically on the corporate "chain" of hospitals that Santa Rosa is a part of. I am confident that I can help the department.

This internship will really help me as well. I will gain meaningful experience and work with a broad group of professionals within the hospital. Overall, I just need to gain more experience and learn about the day-to-day operations at a large hospital.

And of course I am still searching for some full time work! I've got my fingers crossed!

Learning French!

I'm gonna try to get the blog back up and running again.

So the first short and sweet post will be about French! I'm in a course right now at the University of West Florida and working on learning basic French. It is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work as the class is progressing very quickly. So far all I can say are little silly sentences, but you have to start somewhere.

I'm staying super busy these days, but I'll be back on here to update some of the other things going on in my life!

I hope everyone out there is doing well!

Learning to Drive!

I've been I've been learning to drive on the city streets lately and this has been a pretty nerve-racking experience for both me and my passengers. I am comfortable driving on the highway or in the countryside, but it's a totally different story in Paris. The traffic, pedestrians, bikes, scooters, unfamiliar road signs, strange intersections, and roundabouts (my nemesis) make driving here a dangerous new adventure for me. Faustine has been teaching me and we are practicing in the Smart Car that she and her sister share. I don't know if you have ever seen one of these things, but they are tiny (5ft tall by 8ft long, 2 passengers max). They get great gas mileage and you can park practically anywhere but they are quite lacking in amenities, engine power, and safety features. They are manufactured by Mercedes, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you drive one- no power steering, jerky shifting mechanism, and a low, low, low top speed around 65-70 mph. The itsy-bitsy car doesn't exactly scream safety and you sure don't feel comfortable on the interstate with the big trucks.

Overall, the city driving experiences have been pretty good. Sometimes it is a piece of cake, other times it is a little scarier. The ultimate driving test comes in the form of the massive roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe where 12 avenues merge. The etoile (French for star) is hectic mess of speed, nerves, and adrenaline. Accidents are so commonplace there that the police no longer investigate them; it's just so routine.

My one time driving through there was a little scary. Faustine thought we were going to die as a collision seemed imminent. I wasn't particularly worried about car speeding towards us (at least not like she was) because it was a nice, big, shiny, brand-new, Mercedes. This guy had a lot more to lose if he didn't hit the brakes. And so it was... he stopped I kept going and life went on as usual.

Driving crappy cars has taught me that people in fancy cars are a lot more cautious, so if you are in a junker you can take more risks. I guess you have a little wiggle room when you just don't car if your busted, old car gets another dent. Wish me luck out there!

Click on the pic below for a funny roundabout clip from the Chevy Chase classic, National Lampoon's European Vacation.

I love this movie- so stupid, but so good!

BBQ in Paris???

I've really been craving some BBQ lately and I was starting to annoy Faustine with my persistent requests to go to an American restaurant (like the Hard-Rock Cafe which she absolutely abhors) when one of her friends invited us to a BBQ. I was pleasantly surprised!

One little detail about this BBQ was going to make it quite unique- it was on a houseboat (a bateau mouche en francais), on the Seine, in the absolute best part of town. We were a little worried that we might have to drive pretty deeply into the suburbs to get to this guy's boat, but unbelievably it was right there in the city's center. Needless to say, it had a great view of the Eiffel Tower and several other historic landmarks and bridges.
The houseboats themselves never move from their reserved spots, they just shift up or down depending on the water levels. Our friend uses the boat as an office; he doesn't live there. But that doesn't mean that the place wasn't hooked up for our needs. It had a nice sized kitchen, an entertainment center in the hull, and a large deck and patio for hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather.

The BBQ was more like a dinner party than most BBQs I attend in the US. We had some good appetizers: two gourmet dips, one fish and the other grilled garlic/eggplant that we spread on fresh baguette bread. The next course was grilled sausages (sans buns, but with good, spicy mustard) accompanied by a salad of mixed greens and Parmesan cheese. Beef shish kabobs formed the main course and we had pineapple for dessert. The whole meal was accompanied by a nice selection of wine (and I brought some beer too. I mean, it was a BBQ. Beer was essential). The meal and the location were excellent. All in all, an unforgettable BBQ.

The friend who organized the BBQ is an amateur food critic and manages a food blog where he reviews restaurants. I had the chance to talk with him, and I now have a little better understanding of the Parisian take on food.

I was really interested in talking to him about Mexican food as it seems that Tex-Mex doesn't exist outside of North America and is not at all popular in France. He explained that "unsophisticated" food really does not pique they interests of the French. So if you eat it with your hands... think burrito... it is highly unsophisticated. Mexican food is heavy and relies too much on meat, grease, and salt for the French to really get excited about it (maybe you are thinking that is an unfair portrayal of Mexican food, but that's what he thinks).

He told me that Mexican food had a revival in the 80's here, but it was more or less a passing fad and has since been relegated to highly touristed/foreigner areas. From what I can gather, nobody likes/eats beans at all. Re-fried beans... forget it. Simply put, Mexican food is unappetizing for the French. Most people would rather not partake in a taco...

Moving in another direction, I've got my mind wrapped around throwing my own American-Style BBQ, but I can't seem to figure out how I am gonna pull it off. The main issue is that I don't have anywhere to grill. Open fires and grilling are barred in all the city parks and public spaces. I can't do it on the roof, because the roofs are all sloped here unlike some other cities. The "garden" or "courtyard" isn't usable either as all the neighbors would complain about the smoke coming into their open windows. I would surely get yelled at right away by a lot of mad neighbors (and I don't want to give them any more reasons to think Americans are rude, useless cowboys).

Nobody is really supporting my idea anyway, so my BBQ is now facing a huge, almost insurmountable challenge (especially because my domestic partner thinks it a little stupid given the circumstances). She is convinced Nicolas Sarkozy, or one of his police officers, will immediately give me a huge fine if I attempt a clandestine BBQ in the park. My hopes are not yet dashed as I did see one BBQ on TV. People were grilling in the parking lot of a stadium before a championship rugby match (Rugby tail-gating)! Maybe I just have to go to the stadium and act like I am a fan to get my grilling fix... maybe the World Cup will give me some cover.... or maybe I will just have to go to the Hard Rock by myself.

Fishing in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower... you've got to be kidding me.

Last week Faustine and I were on a nice walk along the Seine River, which runs through the heart of Paris. We were passing by the Ile de la Cite (the island home to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the founding location of Medieval Paris), when we saw a bizarre sight: two well-dressed men in dark suits and ties fishing in the Seine.

These two businessmen were casting as the famous Bateaux-mouches, or tourist riverboats, floated by full of doe-eyed visitors, with guidebooks and cameras in hand, who were scrambling from side-to-side to catch the latest photo opportunity... on your right the famous Eiffel Tower, on the left the magnificent Louvre and historic Grand Palais, to the right is gothic Notre Dame...

I felt the sight was quite strange. I mean, cosmopolitan fishing on your lunchbreak? And in that river? Really? I am sure there must be fish in the Seine, but would you ever dare to eat it? I would avoid that fish-fry like the plague.

In another weird fishing tale I saw two men fishing for carp in the Bois de Boulogne forest/park (which for our intents and purposes would be similar to NYC's Central Park). They had caught two already that morning, but I don't know what they wanted to do with over-sized, over-polluted, algae eaters. But... they were Frenchmen so who knows what they were thinking! "Ze feesh, zey are quite aggreeseve. Zey geeve a guud resistance and rebel against zey vulgar forces uv maan."

It's gotta be tough getting on the Metro, loaded with fishing rods and tackle. Word to the wise, don't sit next to anyone that smells like carp.

I did a google search and actually found some stuff about fishing in Paris. It seems that in 2001, Paris (and the Seine) hosted a world fishing competition, but the location was chosen more for public relations than for sporting reasons. In addition, I was able to dig up a video of some successful Parisienne carp fishermen. Mute the video because the song is annoying.

Click on the Image above for the YouTube video "Carp Fishing Paris." Turn your volume off because the song is obnoxious and not safe for work.

Strolling through Historic Pere-Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris and it is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. It's even reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery. Visitors (both foreign and French) are attracted to the graves of those who have enhanced French life over the past 200 years. In short, Pere Lachaise is a celebrity cemetery- it has almost anyone French, talented and dead that you care to mention. And not even French for that matter. Creed and nationality have never prevented entry, you just need to have lived or died Paris.

The cemetery takes its name from a priest who served King Louis XIV who lived in a small house on the site near a chapel. The property sits on a sloping hillside (and you can get a pretty nice view of the city from here) was bought by the city and established by Napoleon in 1804.

Cemeteries (which were foul and unsanitary centuries ago) had been banned inside Paris since 1786 due to health hazards and this same health hazard also led to the creation of the famous Parisian catacombs in the south of the city.

Below are a few images and stories of some of the famous residents of the cemetery.

James Douglas Morrison- The Lizard King

How it used to be....

...and how it is today. Seems that constant "vandalism" and too

many visitors have forced some changes.

Victor Noir - Lucky in Love?

Victor Noir was a journalist who was murdered in the street by a cousin of Napoleon III in 1870. A life-size bronze statue was sculpted to mark his grave and it realistically portrays the man as though he had just been shot and fallen in the street. The sculpture has a very noticeable protuberance in Noir's trousers (i.e. a big unit). Myth says that placing a flower in his dropped top hat, kissing the statue on the lips, and rubbing his groin will enhance fertility, bring a blissful sex life, or, in some versions, a husband within the year. As you can guess, his lips and crotch are rather shiny and well-worn compared to the oxidized green elsewhere.

Oscar Wilde - The Original Rebel

Death by Kisses?

Author Oscar Wilde's grave is in danger of permanent damage. Lately, fans have taken to leaving bright red lipstick kisses on the monument, and, unlike paint, pens, and candle scorches, the lipstick leaves an oily residue which can't be removed.

The lipstick graffiti includes such pearls of wisdom as "You are the best! You can never die!" and "Je t'aime Oscar!" along with misquoted lines from his work. The grave has always had a rough time and was originally paid for by an anonymous 'lady' (most likely some former male lover).

The rather handsome naked angel at the tomb was extremely well hung, until the head keeper of the cemetery decided that it was so offensive he castrated the winged guard (and supposedly used the testicles as a paperweight for many years). The angel's heavenly balls were later replaced, but were swiped during the 1960s. The grave was restored again in the 90s, and since then there has been a sign reminding people that it is a historic monument and protected by law. As you can see the warning has done little to deter the more amorous admirers.

Come to Europe... the time is right!

Now is the time to turn your dreams into a reality! Start planning your European vacation today! Travel and expenses in Europe are becoming more affordable each day due to the Greek economic crisis which is hammering the European stock markets and the shared Euro currency.

The currency is already down between 12-20% from last summer and some economists are projecting a 1:1 exchange rate sometime in 2011 (today's rate is 1.21 US dollars per Euro) . What this means for us Americans is that Europe is on discount and the exchange rate is at its best level in nearly 5 years. And the Euro may slide even further given the depth of the economic problems facing the EU member countries.

In addition, crude oil futures are slumping (although still 30% higher than a year ago) which should lead to a little easing back of prices in the airline industry. However, there are several factors affecting Trans-Atlantic travel right now. MarketWatch- a financial news agency- has reported that "Airlines are greeting an upswing in air travel with something bound to sour any summer vacation: Fewer seats and higher ticket prices. Average airfare for international flights this summer is already up 23% from a year ago."

Air carriers drastically reduced the number of flights due to the recession and are hesitant to add capacity even as demand increases. Worried about the uncertainty in the price of fuel, the Euro/dollar exchange rate, and forecasts of economic growth, the airline industry is keeping capacity tight which causes increased competition for the limited number of seats.

In addition, some air carriers are trying to recoup the major costs incurred last month when thousands of flights were grounded due to mechanical hazards posed by ash clouds from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. These cost increases should subside as time wears on and operations return to business as usual.

Experts and travel agents recommend buying tickets several months in advance to take advantage of early discounts which translates into hundreds of dollars on a round trip Trans-Atlantic flight. I always use Kayak.com to search for airfare.

Through it all you can be sure that with a favorable exchange rate there will be a flood of American tourists and college backpackers rushing to visit Europe in the foreseeable future. Come on over, you've got a friend in Paris!

A Little Trip and some Tid-Bits...

We've just returned from a nice weekend along the Coast in the little tourist town of La Baule- Escoblanc where the River Loire hits the Atlantic Coast. Its about a 4-5 hour drive west from Paris in the Bretagne region. It was good to get out of the city for a bit and we had pretty good weather while we were there. Since such a large river drains into the ocean here, it is a bountiful fishing area and the markets and menus are full of local seafood offerings.

One of the best things about the weekend were some walks along the beach which ranges from broad, flat expanses (like the Atlantic side of the Florida Coast-i.e. Daytona) to jagged rocky outcrops and cliffs with big waves (like Pacific Northern California). The town of La Baule is actually famous because of its 13 km "bowl" shaped sandy beach which is dotted with restaurants and cafes and jam packed with tourists in the high season.

During one walk the tide was extremely low and the locals were out harvesting small walnut-sized clams and raking mats of black mussels right off the exposed seafloor. They were walking around in the mud with boots and rakes and scratching at the sandy, mucky bottom. Every so often they would pull up a little clam shell and throw it in their basket or bucket. There were literally hundreds upon hundreds of locals and tourists alike all smiling, whistling, and scrapping away for clams.

Another highlight of the trip was the local market where the butchers, cheese sellers, fishmongers, farmers, and bakers were all selling the fruits of their labor. I was really fascinated with all the exotic offerings for sale and we spent at least an hour or two looking at everything. We purchased some cheese, veggies, fresh strawberries, cakes, tarts, bread, honey, fish, and oysters and were allowed to taste and try a whole plethora of other foods while there. I am really surprised at the amount of strange meaty snacks and cuts available as well as the variety of sausages in the market. It was also neat to see all the different kinds of shrimp, prawns, stingrays, fish, lobsters, snails, clams, mussels, oysters, and squid all laid out.

Some of the traditional foods looked a little scary (albeit interesting) like the foie gras that was suspended in a mint flavored jello shot, the meat loaf that was cooked inside a loaf of bread, the rognon or veal kidneys, duck livers, blood sausages, and black moldy cheeses (only the outside was moldy, but when I say moldy, I mean MOLDY with thick fuzz growing on it). In their defense there was a lot of stuff that looked delicious and we did end up buying a lot of good food there. Many of the foods are super rich with a lot of flavor, so good or bad, you get the full taste and aroma from each little bite.

Faustine and I recently bought a book (and photo atlas) on French cheeses and we're on a mission to try a lot of different varieties from all over the country. We ended up getting about 6 or 7 different kinds that day and I am coming around on the goat cheeses. Some are really, really delicious. I am yet to try some of the sheep cheese which are supposedly the most flavorful.

I am learning a lot of information about cheese... historians believe that cheese making is 10,000 years old. In some places in France during medieval times wheels of cheese were used instead of money to pay taxes. They add the orange coloring to cheddar cheese; it's a plant extract and not natural to the cheesifying process at all. Some French cheeses (Beaufort) weigh about a hundred pounds when made and are kept in a cave in a mountain to ripen before being sold and consumed. Some cheeses are covered in ash and buried to lock in a smoky flavor while other cheeses are aged for 2 years or more before attaining their special flavor. You can still eat French cheeses that are made in the same manner as when Julius Ceasar first tried them two millenia ago while on military campaigns in Central Europe. They take their cheese serious over here, and there are probably around 500 French varieties, but don't expect to find any Cheddar or Monterrey Jack!

A Little Side Project...

I've been talking about this project for a long time, but I finally created a Wikipedia article for my grandmother Elaine Szymoniak. She was a politician in the state of Iowa and passed away last year. You can check the article out here. It wasn't too difficult to create the article on Wiki. Anyone else ever make any articles or edits on Wikipedia?

Back in the City of Lights!

Wow! I'm back in Paris and it is great to be here in the Spring. It is so much nicer now that the green foliage has replaced the sidewalk to skyline grey that was hanging around all winter. I'm really looking forward to exploring the city now that its nice and warm and full of energy!

I've just enjoyed a great few months in the Florida Panhandle and was quite busy while I was there. I was able to go to New Orleans twice, spent a few weekends at our world famous beaches, dabled in Central Florida, and even attended a beautiful and fun filled destination wedding in the Bahamas.

It was truly great hanging out with my friends, family, and former co-workers in Florida. We had lots of time together and I was there long enough to enjoy several cookouts, fish frys, and even a few crawfish boils! The eatin' was good in the US and I gained back about ten pounds of the weight I lost while on the road these last several months. Now I'm back to Paris and Faustine already put me on a diet!!! I'll be able to burn off a few of those pounds just by walking everywhere in the city.

I've included some photo highlights of the last few months (I really need to get back into shooting videos again). One of the most memorable things I did while at home was a canopy tour through the trees at Adventure's Unlimited Outdoor Center north of Milton, Fl. My mother and her boyfriend are the facilitators and they took us 50-100 feet in the air where we were swinging through trees on mountain climbing gear and guy wires. It's pretty crazy stuff and was a ton of fun. If you are interested check out their website at Adventure's Unlimited.

The Zip Adventures Crew at Adventure's Unlimited!

It's scarier than it looks!

Just delicious!

All of us doing our thing.... nice location for a wedding, huh?

Jesse and I on a awesome boat ride where we fed iguanas, stingrays, sharks, and pigs.

Two beer drinking pigs. The workers yelled at me, "He's a mean drunk!" & "NO! He's got a drinking problem, mon!"

Headed Home!

After nearly seven months, I will finally be headed home. It's hard to imagine, but I was last in the US all the way back in mid August. In between then and now I have travelled halfway across the world, tried to integrate into two distinct cultures, worked for a foreign company, tutored students young and old, seen sun-baked deserts, Asian seas, imposing mountains, holy rivers, and monsoon drenched cities, witnessed devastating poverty and imperial riches, slept in crumbling bug-infested rooms, and dined on foie gras, caviar, and champagne. I've seen a lot in the past year, but I have learned even more. Echoing something I've said before, "The more I see, the less I know." And upon arriving in Paris, I had to wage an inner war on the tangled mess of French stereotypes swirling in my American psyche. It has been a challenge, but I'm learning and adjusting.

Decadent Paris is a striking contrast to poor India and these perceptions came into astonishing clarity over the past few months. In Paris, everything is so nice (and so expensive). There are many old things, but they still project a regal atmosphere, while things are not so nice nor clean (but shockingly cheap) in most of India. For instance, a Parisian coffee costs the same as an Indian dinner and a new winter outfit in Paris equals my monthly expenditures in Asia.

Another contrast between the two concerns the amount of public romancing and sex in the everyday environment. Public displays of affection are largely taboo in India and showing cleavage on a billboard, in a magazine, or in a movie is still a little uncommon, even frowned upon by hard-line Hindus and Muslims. However, in France (as in NY too) your surroundings are saturated with images of sex trying to sell you everything from lingerie to liposuction to language lessons. Even on standard cable you can see porn after about 11 PM and the magazine sellers and newsstands gallingly display risqué titles such as “Busty” and “Hot and Ready.” Not that its all about lust or advertising either, for Paris is well knows as the City of Love. You can hardly look anywhere without seeing lip-locked lovers. On a sunny Saturday in the city, expect to see people basically making love in cafes, parks, and quiet areas near the Seine. A view of the Eiffel is a good enough excuse to make out with your lover no matter what you are doing or where you are. It’s a marked contrast to the conservative culture of the east found in India.

As far as the French Job is concerned, it just doesn’t appear that things are going to work out with this company I have mentioned in the past few updates. It is a difficult process to immigrate to a country and secure gainful employment. The effort is going to take time, patience, determination, and lots of paperwork. But I am not discouraged. When I return to France in two month’s time I will have more confidence, as my local business contacts continue to grow. And I know I can always offer the English lessons as a way to make a little cash.

Fortunately, my girlfriend is awesome and she has been very helpful, patient, and supportive of me. Even when I have been grouchy or miserable because of the cold winter weather or bizarre foods or issues with stupid, sad Frenchmen she has been there cheering me up. I’m grateful for her help and living with her has helped me grow and become a better person.

Finally, I will be coming home in about one week on March 4th. I plan on staying in the US for about two months and I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to see my friends and family. While back in the US I will probably take two trips to New Orleans as well as attend a wedding in the Bahamas. I am truly a lucky man.

I may not have lots of money anymore, but I am rich in other ways. Rich with experiences and knowledge from around the world. Rich with friendships. Rich with love and support from the people around me. Rich with the little things in life that really matter. For these precious, incredible things, I am thankful.

Hello Out There!!!

No news is good news... so the saying goes! I haven't had too much new stuff to post. Just been settling in and working a little here and there. Starting to get into more of a routine, but I am still not speaking French so well.

I was able to watch the Superbowl (although the broadcast was in French). There were some bars in town showing the game which was scheduled to start at about 12:30 at night. I didn't feel like hanging out in a bar until 4 o'clock, so we messed around with the cable box and we were fortunate enough to get the broadcast beamed right into our bedroom.

I was excited about watching the game, but I still fell asleep in the second half and I awoke after 3 AM when the Saints picked-off Manning late in the fourth quarter. So I saw that the Saints had won, or were going to win, then rolled back over and went to sleep. And I missed the commercials too, as the local network didn't care about American advertising they just filled the slots with typical stuff.

I have been fortunate to avoid most of the who dat stuff... must be getting pretty old hearing all that who dat noise down there in the south. I don't even know the story of where it came from.

Nobody here gave a damn about the game! It would have been awesome to have some nachos, but what can you do? I was fortunate enough to find some really good buffalo wings at the Hard Rock Cafe here in the city a few weeks back. Things are good, even if didn't get to have a bowl of chilli or some barbecue chicken for the game. There's always next year!

This Friday I have another interview with the same company I have been working with. Together, we are going to discuss the possibility of hiring me full time. If they do this, then the company will assist me in going through the bureaucratic process of obtaining the work visa. I really hope they offer me a position. It would be great to have a steady job, with regular hours and regular paychecks!

I hope all is well back home and I will be back soon! After Friday's meeting I will figure out what I am going to do about airfare. I will be back in the US in a little less than 4 weeks. Take care and Happy Valentine's Day!

Got It!

Yesterday morning the company called me back and asked for a second interview. I hurried over to their offices and met the boss of the company who told me a little about what they did, gave me a pep talk, and then hired me. I was excited.

I will only be working about 5 to 10 hours a week working with individual French students who are trying to attend college in the US. It is a good job for me because all of these students speak english really well already, they just need a little help with some pronunciation and understanding some of the more difficult words and phrases. Most of the time I will be working one on one with a student helping them get ready for a big college entrance exam, but I might also help them with their applications and associated essays (you always have to write at least one "personal statement" essay to get into a college or university; sometimes 4-5 essays).

The boss told me that if I do a good job, he may offer me a full time position at their company because they are trying to grow and they were very interested in my resume and experiences. It is extremely tough to get a French company to provide you with the official government work papers because of all the red tape, so this kind of shocked me. I am cautiously hopeful that they will like me enough to hire me on full time.

The initial interview was on my birthday... was it my lucky day?

How did that happen?

I have an interview tomorrow and I am excited. This is my first interview since I got my last job about 4 years ago, so I am a little nervous. The position is for a teacher at a small business that provides classes to prepare French students to take US college entrance exams. They offer prep courses for the SAT, GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL which is the English-language proficiency exam every foreigner has to take before studying in America. I sent them my resume last week, and today they called to schedule an interview for tomorrow!

I think I would be a good fit for the company, but there are some big questions that I don't know how to answer. The first one is the fact that I don't have a work visa allowing me to legally work in France. I only have a tourist visa here and cannot get a job without breaking the law. In addition, I cannot change from a tourist to a worker while abroad. The French Consulate in America has to process the paperwork and so I must return to the states to make this application.

Also, I am slated to leave the continent in early March and I am unsure of my return date. I have to leave before 90 days elapse due to the laws regarding my visa. If I overstay then I could have a lot of trouble at the international airport and I probably would not be allowed to return to Europe for quite a long time.

I am a groomsman in a wedding in April and I would hate to have to cancel that. So my initial plan was to stay in the US from March until after this wedding (around April 10th) and then fly back to France. However, I don't think many companies would go for this- taking 5-6 weeks off before I even begin! I don't know... maybe if the job is good enough I have to take two separate trips.

I have a dilemma! What to do, what to do? Any advice out there?

All Right!!!

I made my first Euros! It wasn't a lot of money or anything, but it felt good and it wasn't too hard either. After 9 months of unemployment this is the first time I have "worked" or "earned" my own money. Whew... 9 months is a long time!

Like I mentioned in the previous posts, I have been advertising to offer tutoring lessons for French locals. I met with two different people the other day, we spoke for an hour in English, I helped make some minor corrections, and they were pleased with my services. Now I am scheduled to meet both of them again and will have 1 or 2 hour long sessions each week with them. Hopefully I get some more students and it would be nice to have maybe 5 or 6 students each week. I've got my fingers crossed!

I do have to start looking at some other jobs and real career type stuff again. It's gonna be back to the grind for me very soon!

Maybe Some Work...

I put a note in the last post about my ad in the paper offering some one on one tutoring lessons and I got my first call yesterday. I am going to meet the family tomorrow so they can evaluate me before deciding to utilize my untested talents. I am a little nervous about it because I have never done anything like this before and I don't speak any French so I hope the student is pretty far advanced in their studies. I need to meet the student so that we can develop a curriculum suited to his/her level of understanding and cater to their desires. I hope it works out and I get some cash! 

Also, I have found another job posting online looking for an instructor to teach prep classes for the SAT, GMAT, and TOEFL (all US college entrance exams). I have talked to them and I am sending in my resume tonight. Only time will tell!

Anyone have any tips to help me with the tutoring? Any advice on what to say at tomorrow's meeting?   

Just an Observation...

Oh my God, the French people listen to the WORST music ever. Honestly, I prefer the Indian Bollywood music over the French music. I would certainly rather listen to one of those cheesy CD compilations that they sell on late night TV than to the stuff they play at your typical French party. You know, the badly made commercials where they sell the CDs with name like POP NOW or WOW! MUSIC or something ridiculous. I would rather endure that treatment than listen to more of the recent onslaught of bad, bad, terrible bad, miserable, boring, love-song-sappy, crappy music that has been assaulting my ears and draining my energy at parties lately. Half of the stuff is American or English too so if you can think of a really bad American love song from the past 15 years, chances are that everyone at a French party will be able to sing it word for word. Stuff I don't even know. I would want to kick my own ass if I knew the words to some of this crap.

Can anyone out there give me the name of a French artist (singers only) that has had crossover success into the American market. I can't think of any and now I know why!

In other news, I have posted some small advertisements online and in the classifieds section of a local newspaper offering my services as a tutor for English. Hopefully, I will get some calls and can make a few Euros and get some money coming in. I need to start looking at other avenues for getting paid as Paris and the Euro conversion have not been so nice to my bank account. Gotta make some money!

Brrr... It's Cold!

So I heard that it has been killer cold over in the states lately and we have had much of the same over here in Europe. A few weeks back we traveled to Belgium and got stuck in a snow storm. It snowed about 5 or 6 inches, but it was enough to wreak havoc. Apparently, they only get a snowstorm like that every 5-10 years, so the cities lacked the trucks and equipment to keep the roads free of snow and ice and the locals aren't accustomed to driving in those conditions. We were stuck for about 5 hours on the highway in gridlock and covered a little less that 30 miles. The fastest Kenyan's cover that distance in about 2hr04mins- on foot.

I am not so accustomed to the cold and man does it suck! I have never experienced this much "winter" before nor lived this far north. The lack of sunlight is starting to affect me and I sure could use some good ol sunshine. A lot of days here it hovers around freezing and we have had snow several of the last days, but it is so light that it never sticks. It just makes walking into the wind that much more unpleasant.

However, the city covered in snow is beautiful and there is something really pleasant about watching big, fluffy snowflakes rain down (as long as you are warm, inside, and don't have anywhere to go). And the cold weather has some perks- I did some ice skating a couple of weeks back. It was good and I had fun, even though I looked pretty bad on the ice. I would like to go back... making it the 4th time I have ever put on ice skates and maybe I can get some pics online of me in slow motion action. I hope everyone is staying warm and let's all hope for no more blizzards!

I'm Back... Blogging Again

After a very long absence from making posts on the blog I am resolved to get back into the habit of making routine updates. I haven't made a post in a long time, but I have been active and a lot has happened in the last several weeks. Here's and ultra quick update of my activities....

Got my passport replaced. A confusing mess, but ultimately cheap and easy.

Flew from Delhi to Paris, France and I have decided not to return to India. Life is good!

Visited a friend in Brussels, Belgium and picked up my step-sister Chelsie at the airport.

Chelsie stayed for two weeks and we saw the Eiffel, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, etc

Christmas in Paris with Faustine's family. Weird food, nice people.

Spent 2 nights in Amsterdam and had a blast. Red Light District is as crazy as ever.

New Years Eve in Paris with lots of champagne and good cheese!

So my revival of the blog starts today. I am gonna start making some video posts again so that everyone at home can see how Paris looks and see where I am going. I have already been to a lot of the biggest tourist places, but there is so much to see and do here that I am sure I can come up with some good footage. There is something new all the time! Gotta start my job search now too and really start working hard at learning the language. Busy, busy, busy!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and I am hoping for only the best for all of you in 2010. Au revoir!

Finally in Goa!

Thank God I am in Goa now. Getting here was quite a nightmare. I was not really looking forward to the 41 hour train ride (so slow-it was terrible 1187 miles/1910 km), but to make things worse I caught the pig flu and was leaking fluids for the final 8 hours of the trip. OR I got some badass food poisoning from the on-board food service. Either way this was NOT a fun ride. Everything is so dirty here that you can never tell where the sickness comes from...

Upon departing the train I quickly grabbed up a hotel room and laid in bed all day yesterday. I took some antibiotics and some pain relievers and I am feeling so much better today. Still a little nauseous, but I hired a motorcycle-taxi and rode down to the beach town of Palolem. I am going to head out in a few minutes and find a beach bungalow to bunk down in for the next 8-10 days. I sure could use the rest after the sick-train ordeal and when my stomach is feeling good again I am gonna eat the hell outta some fresh seafood. Seafood is a big part of my diet back home and it has been missing in India. I am really looking forward to the variety!

And an update about my passport and visa.... everything is going to be fine. The US Embassy is handling the passport and they are issuing a new, official replacement passport good for 10 years. I will have to spend another day in Delhi getting the exit visa from the Indian officials, but this should not be too much of a problem either. I will return to Delhi on the 5th or 6th and then I depart for Paris on the 9th.

One thing that seems a little ridiculous and I need to correct... I have been in the country for over 3 months and I haven't been to the Taj Mahal. Hmmm... I can't stay here for nearly 4 months and never see the subcontinent's most famous attraction, can I?

Worst Day...

I had a pretty bad day yesterday. I was traveling between Rishikesh and Varanasi by train and during the 20 hour ride a bag of mine was lost/stolen and I am now without a few important things including my passport, laptop, a piece of ladies' silver jewelry, 2 credit cards, and about $100 worth of cash. Total estimate... about $700 worth of valuables. Gone.

There was one point yesterday morning where I stepped off the train for a few minutes to buy breakfast and a drink while we were stopped at a station. When I returned there was a man sitting next to my bag on the upper berth in the sleeper cabin. I told him to get off and he left, but I didn't think anything of it. I did not realize anything was missing until I was checking into the hotel in Varanasi last night.

As I looked inside my backpack my heart just sank as I noticed that my laptop case (with the other items inside it) was missing. I returned to the train station, but by this time of night there was nothing that could be done by about it. In the morning I was able to file a police report at the train station.

Stories of theft on the trains are common; I should have been more cautious. This thief must have been watching me and waiting for the right moment to strike. In the 2 minutes that I was gone he capitalized on the situation. Live and learn.

All in all it is not that bad. I still have an ATM card so I can get cash. I am not stranded only feeling a little wretched over the loss. I have already canceled the cards (no fraudulent charges were made). Bank of America and American Express may even cover some of the costs of the theft or replace the items, but I have to wait until their special claims office is open during normal North American business hours to see what can be done.

I have filed a report with the local police. Although, the prospects of recovering the bag are minimal and the police were rather unsympathetic. The event occurred somewhere between here and there... a 1000km stretch of India. Even in their skepticism the cops did find the sympathy to file an official report so that I can take this to the main embassy in Delhi in order to secure a replacement passport and visa immediately. I will also need some official documents to send to the credit card companies if I should discover that they can replace any of the missing items.

Everything is replaceable, things are just things, but the big deal is the passport right now. I have contacted the embassy, but being Sunday they cannot do anything for me. I will call again tomorrow morning. In addition, I have already booked a train ticket to travel back to Delhi and will be at the embassy on Tuesday morning bright and early. Armed with my police report, some photo copies of my original visa and passport, some extra passport size photos, and my original Florida drivers licence along with a few other minor forms of identification I should be able to get the thing processed fairly quickly (hopefully). The embassy is like a little slice of the US right in the middle of all this chaos, so I am thinking there should be a rather straightforward process for replacing the passport. Maybe 7-10 days or less if I am lucky.

However, I am stressed about getting into France with this replacement passport. This is the single issue I am most anxious about... being able to get into Paris without any problems from the authorities. I would be really miserable if I had to cancel/postpone this trip because of my carelessness on the train yesterday.

In my misery I had a little insomnia last night... but when I was looking back on the last several months of traveling this is the first real hiccup I have had. The only other dark spot was the passing of my grandmother this summer.

All told I have been quite lucky: the truck never broke down or even got a flat tire, I never got pulled over and given a speeding ticket, nothing was ever stolen from the truck (except for Elaine's sneakers 24 hours after getting back into Pensacola), in India I haven't been sick to the point where I needed medicine or a doctor or hospital visit, in all the hikes I haven't gotten lost or hurt, nobody has tried to threaten or attack me, I haven't gotten chased or bitten by any wild Indian dogs, haven't gotten lost too badly on the railways or bus routes in India, no Malaria. Things have really gone extremely well and I am thankful for that. Shit happens...

Short Update from the Road...

The above image is Lord Shiva meditating along the Holy Ganga. At this location I participated in a sunset aarti, or religious ceremony where songs are sung in praise of the deities. Accompanying singing were numerous prayers and there were also sacred fires where people made offerings to the gods under the guidance of some young Brahmins. The music and singing were nice and the location was serene. Blissful was one word that came to mind. But don't worry... I am not turning into a Hare Krishna.

I leave tonight on a 20 hour train ride (ugh!) for Varanasi, Hinduism's holiest city. Thank god I have the upper berth of a 3-tier, 6 bunk cabin because I am traveling 2nd class which by American standards would be cattle car class. The bottom bunk gets loaded up with all kinds of people, so many more than there is room for. And since these people are siting on the bottom bench you can't pull down the middle bunk either. So for 20 hours there will be about 12 or so of us in a cabin made for 6. There will be lots of farting, snoring, coughing, some crying, and weird burping noises all through the night as entire families toss and turn on the steel train floor.

It is times like these when I say, "I miss America." I should be thoroughly worn out by the time I hit Varanasi, but I am only planning on spending a little bit of time there. Within a matter of days I will be traveling south to the city of Bodhgaya where Siddhartha Gautama, aka The Buddha, attained enlightenment under a sacred fig tree now know as the Bodhi tree. The current living tree is a 3rd generation sapling taken from the original centuries ago (like a grandson to the original tree). After this brief stop I plan to keep moving south looking for some nice, shady beaches and fresh, green coconuts.

A Good Idea....

I met an interesting American named Troy while in Delhi a few weeks back. He told me about an fun, easy, and exciting charity that he recently started. His group is in Amsterdam, but the idea is simple and could work practically anywhere. I thought it such a good idea that I wanted to share it with you! His group is called the AlphaBet Club and you can check out their website by clicking here...

The AlphaBet Club

The basic idea is as follows:

"The AlphaBet Club is a social group of like-minded international people that live in Amsterdam and meet every few weeks, in different locations around town. It provides an environment in which it is very easy for people to meet others in Amsterdam that have similar life/travel experiences. It is also a charity focused organization where funds are raised to help others in developing countries."

The ABC part comes from their list of activities- every few weeks the group gets together to have drinks and mingle at a different location. They first start with a location that has a name starting with an 'A'. Then the second event will be at a bar, club, or restaurant that starts with the letter 'B', the 'C' and so on and so on. So a make believe list of events may look like this: Amazon Club, then Brewers Bar, then Cafe Monet, etc.

At each event the group collects $5 from everyone and this money is put towards building schools in developing countries. It has been a huge success with as many as 200 people turning up for some events and it keeps growing thanks to social networks like Facebook. They have just completed building their first school in Laos!

Even if you don't want to start this as a charity, it would be a fun summer-time idea to get everyone motivated about meeting up and going out. I'm a fan!

Too Late... Route is Closed!

While in Rishikesh I found out that it is nearly impossible to reach the Gaumukh (meaning "Cow's Mouth") Glacier which continuously feeds the Ganges river. This is a disappointment. I have been talking about this experience for quite some time. It was one of the big things which I really wanted to do while in India, but it will have to wait.

Apparently, the official route to the headwaters was closed about a month ago. I don't know who decides these things- if it is for safety or for Religious reasons or what. Even though it is at a high elevation (13,200ft) I don't think it has received any snow yet. So the challenging hike should still be doable.

One thing is for sure, I am going to keep asking around because you can't take things at face value. These guys here want me to go hiking locally so they will tell me anything to avoid going to Gangotri without spending money on their outfit. I hope they are full of shit! Wish me luck!

Driving Around the World!

Someone sent me this article the other day. Check the link below.

"I'm Driving Around the World"

It is about a man who is planning a year-long driving excursion crossing several different continents and spanning the globe. His route starts in NYC, continues down across Central America and into South America. Then he plans to put his truck on a ship and float to Africa where he will cross Asia Minor, hit Europe just for kicks, and then turn east across the Islamic countries finally getting into India, Thailand, and Cambodia before packing the car off in another boat headed for California. Seems like a difficult route!

After reading the article I took a long bus ride through the mountains. I would have rather been sitting in the passenger seat of a nice Toyota SUV than the back of an old, dusty, beat-up POS bus... BUT... I also would have gotten lost a million times over if I had to do the same trip by myself. I haven't really seen maps here and none of the streets are marked in English. It is extremely difficult to navigate using road names; basically you have to use landmarks. When ascertaining directions a local may say, "Go to the orange temple, turn left, go past the well and then ask someone there for more directions."

I usually have a decent sense of directions but I get lost here within a matter of blocks. I do not envy this guy at all... he is going to face some very, very, very frustrating travel delays along the way. You would not believe how slow travel is here until you live it. So many roads closed for bad bridges, new construction, or clearing landslides. Hell, our bus got delayed about 5-10 minutes behind a large and motley pack of sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, dogs, and boys the other day.

Ohhhh.... and so many cars fall off the roads! Very recently, there was an accident in the town of Tosh where I was staying for a few days. There, a taxi fell into the river only a matter of weeks ago killing two men. Apparently, the guy was backing up at night and just went too far and oooops, right off the cliff. From the village you could see the little white car all crumpled up and resting in the creek at the bottom of the ravine! The superstitious taxi-wallahs were charging extra to take anyone to the town because they feared the road was cursed. Also, while on the bus yesterday the Times of India had a front page article about a bus falling off a cliff (not far from my route) killing most people aboard.

I don't think a non-native has the fortitude to tackle these roads and I sure as hell wouldn't want to get lost and start asking for directions in Pakistan or Afghanistan with a fancy foreign car and a New York accent like the guy in this article. To each their own, I suppose! What do you think?

The Beatles and Yoga?

That's right, I am in Rishikesh. The old city where The Beatles got some learnin' in Hindu philosophy and also the epicenter of Yoga. I just caught my first glance of the mighty Ganga and at this point it is cold, clear, and "clean" (by Hindi standards the entire river is so pure that it can cleanse the mind, body, and soul no matter how much shit is floating in it). I read somewhere that if you stand on one foot in the Ganges from one new moon to the next all of your worldly problems and medical conditions will be cured. I'm not going down this route, but I may take a dip in the waters here or a little north of town. Also, I would love to do some whitewater rafting which takes place just a little bit deeper into the mountains- and its cheap, but who knows if these guys are the real deal or some fly by night bums? Of course they know what they are doing.... Sure.

One thing I am not gonna do is head to the ashrams or do any yoga. I just cannot get into that stuff, especially when I see that one of the ways to cleanse the body involves vomiting. I couldn't translate the other 3 ways to clean the body, but the Indian food has "cleansed" me twice so far on my journey if you catch my drift. Oh, and another thing... supposedly the town is so holy that it is strictly vegetarian here (definitely no beef anywhere, but usually you can easily get chicken). Not that I really want to eat tons of meat, but could you imagine a city like this in the US? I wonder if they have booze? Hmmmm.....

Again, I just have a short few minutes to make this post. Today was such a long day I spent about 11 hours on 2 different buses. I left the city of Shimla, which is boring (but maybe nice for and Indian style honeymoon, cheap suites complete with round beds and lots of heart shaped mirrors!!!), at 9:30 AM and finally got checked into a room at 9:00 PM. And the worst thing about today's trip is that if you look at it on a map, it seems like Shimla and Rishikesh are right next to each other. Ugghhh... traveling on mountain buses and curvy mountain roads is tough! I only have 4 more weeks in India and I was hoping to go all the way to the south and then I need to get back to Delhi for the flight. That is a LOT of miles to cover and not a lot of time. Not complaining, because even the bus rides beat another day at the ol' office!

Take care and let me know how things are out your way!

Great time in the Valley...Back on the Grid!

Wow... The valley was great. I stayed in an ancient little town called Tosh set deep into the Himalayan Mountains. It was a magical place- old, slow paced, almost medieval except for a few places catering to the tourists. The road runs up to the town but was blocked by a small landslide so you have to walk a small way. The power was cut the first night, but it was suprisingly warm. The cook left for the southern tourist season after the first day and the town was running out of supplies like butter, beer, eggs, chocolate, spinach, mushrooms, chicken, etc. etc. etc.... The town's stores had pretty empty shelves!

The most amazing thing about the valley was the landslide that I witnessed. Across the river from us a rock outcropping started tumbling down the steep slope. Huge boulders the size of small cars were splintering huge conifers with a tremendous thud. The mountain kept moving and tumbling for the next 2 days and things were still moving around when I left the village. At the bottom of the valley, all the dirt, rock, and trees formed a dam to block river's flow and a new lake was being made (I hope they are prepared downstream for when the dam breaks). It was surreal to see the mountains moving and I had a great time so far up into the mystical valley. Sorry, but I don't have much time for a proper update today, just something quick!

A Quiet Hike and a Small Fire!

I moved over to the village of Manikaran in the Parvati Valley of the Himachal Pradesh area of the Himalayan Mountains. The bus ride was long and slow, full of dusty, steep grades that give the buses some trouble. Much of the road was very narrow so that each time we passed a vehicle or truck, one of us would have to slowdown and dive into one of the numerous shoulder pull outs. Fortunately, the bus is the biggest thing on the road, so most times we had the right of way and just keep barreling along on some scary little roads and hair-pin turns.

The town, hugged up against the river in a very narrow valley, has about 1500- 2000 residents and is a pretty sleepy little place. The bulk of the village sits across the river from the main road and there are two pedestrian bridges at either end of town. No cars pass through the city, which is essentially one long, narrow bazaar with an open square. This place is famous for its natural hot springs, some hot enough to boil rice. In the main square is a very, public bath full of sadhus and extremely hot water. Also in town is a Sikh Gurdwara or temple with baths that have been diluted to tolerable levels. I plan to sample the therapeutic waters later this evening.

I was out on a little hike this afternoon and I noticed some smoke up above me in the valley. I thought there was probably a small house up above me that I couldn't see for the slope, but when I turned the corner there was a small grass fire burning the hillside. I surveyed the fire for a few minutes and then returned down hill. On my way up I had passed one man who was coming down and he must have flicked a cigarette but into the grass. About 300 meters down the trail from the fire was a large house and the folks there were outside and had noticed the smoke and fire. The man of the house was on the phone and he dialed up some help as about 7-8 men showed up within 20 minutes. Together they gathered up some old blankets and dunked them in buckets of water then swiftly went up the hill to fight the fire. I followed along.

The wet blankets worked good on the grass and weeds and the fire was out within 30 minutes. Fortunately, the area had a fair amount of rocky patches and the wind was blowing it up hill towards a steep summit. When the fire crested the ridge it kinda burned it self out and then we just had to put out the downhill, down wind side with the wet blankets. Exciting, but nothing too dangerous. The locals were quite worried though until they saw it was just a small fire. Afterwards we all shared a chai and tried to communicate with the most basic Hindi and English, but the conversation didn't get very far.

The mountains and the valley are very similar to Central California (reminding me especially of the valley I camped in outside of Yosemite National Park). Most of the hill is covered in dry grass, while the shady sides of mountains and wet areas are full of pines. Supposedly there are a lot of bears in the valley, they are especially pesky when the local corn is being harvested and dried. The bears love to come down and eat up the ears or ripe corn. In the distance you can see the snow-capped, jagged peaks of the true Himalayas, but here in the valley it is pretty warm still during the daytime. No snow here at all.

Tomorrow I will be taking a taxi further up the valley to the town of Tosh. I believe the road stops before you get to this place and you have to walk the remaining 1 km across the river and up a hill (Truly, I don't know how it will be, you get so much bogus information from people around here. Just yesterday I spent 8o rupees and a few extra hours and bus rides to avoid a bridge that was "closed." After going back and forth all I had to do was walk 2 minutes across the bridge, as it was only closed to car traffic. On the other side I caught a bus within 10 minutes going exactly where I wanted to go. The jerks who told me it was closed just wanted to charge me some extra money to take me in their taxi the long way around). I plan to stay in this town of Tosh for a few days, and will be off the grid for a little while. I doubt they have internet. Life is good and the view is amazing. Take care everybody and I hope you have a Happy Halloween!

Holiday Plans...

Hello all! I know the holiday season is a long way off, but I just purchased some plane tickets and will be in Paris for Christmas, New Year's, and my birthday. The plan is to leave Delhi on December 9th and stay in France until January 27th. After that I will return to India and hopefully get a job (ha ha)!

I am excited about the trip. It will be a nice reprieve from India and I am really looking forward to spending some time with Faustine again. This will be my first Christmas away from the family (sorry mom & dad) and I hope they can forgive me. Once in Europe we may take a few short little trips to go visit a friend from school who lives in Belgium and possibly we could link up with some fellow travelers I have met while on the road. Maybe a Castile Castle or Swiss Chalet is in my future???

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy... and Sometimes on a Rant!

Well, I have been in Dharamsala now for a little over a week and I haven't done anything. It is awesome! All I have been doing for the past several days is sleeping, reading, eating, and drinking chai. It has been so nice and relaxing I am actually a little put off by having to get back on the road. In the past few days I have been averaging about 250 pages a day and I have finished several books since arriving here. That, my friends, is the ONLY productive thing I have done. I did a few little short hikes, but nothing of note.

I have not been trying to get in touch with my mystic side by signing up for any self imposed silence during ten day meditation retreats, haven't attended any crystal magic teachings, didn't even think twice about tantric yoga, avoided palm readings and the tarot, laughed at one day reiki body energy courses, and could care less about aligning my chakra. A nice book and a cup of hot tea in the sun is way more therapeutic than some sort of group session where we "rebirth."

Honestly, I think most people that come to India seeking the mystic, attach themselves to gurus, or fall headlong into a new religion or belief system are doing something dangerous (and not at all too culturally aware). And if you come here and you think India is all "Shanti" (Hindi for peace) then you have your head up your ass! Nationally and locally there are a ton of problems that everyone knows about and yet everyone refuses to address. Women's rights, child abuse, sewage, drinking water, starvation... 600 million Indians survive on less than $2 a day! What is so just and merciful and shanti about that!?!?!

There are a lot of new-age types in this town and it is almost absurd to see a couple (probably from Boulder, CO) decked out in bright colored Goretex with a $700 camera taking pictures of a woman washing laundry or a "guru" taking tea. Their outfits alone far exceed her annual income. Another thing just as absurd was seeing a woman haggle down 10 Rupees on a pair of socks at a charity shop that supports local villagers, especially women. I mean, sure, we all want a good deal, but good God, 10 Rupees is 20 cents in the US- I think you can afford that!

In perspective it just seems so ludicrous sometimes and it must be offensive to the locals. After seeing the neon yellow woman snapping close ups of the holy man and his morning tea I imagined a scene in my head. Imagine yourself, on your way to work in the morning, having a quick coffee at a local cafe. A group of Indians walk up, beam smiles at you and start chattering in a language you don't understand. They pull out a huge camera, point it right at you and start taking photos. In broken English they tell you that you look like a most beautiful American and that you are a fine specimen that their friends back home will love to see your strange outfit and funny hat. Huh? Is that really what we want to do to these people? Maybe I am a little too cynical for my own good, I admit, but after being here a while it just makes me laugh at how clueless some people are about their fellow human beings feelings and emotions.

I don't want to give the impression that I am having a bad time in India or anything like this because the opposite is true and I am really having a wonderful time here. I just think some western tourist's here need to take a step back and look at the big picture instead of paying some instant guru to shake crystals and gems at them while chanting something they will never, ever understand.

Teachings from the Dalai Lama...

After a few days in Delhi I returned to the Himalayas. Delhi is not my cup of tea... at least as a traveler. I think the city would be pretty good to live as an expatriate, but there is a whole economy based on ripping off tourists in the city! Their network is vast and sophisticated! And after spending all day outside your nose and throat hurt from the pollution... the worst pollution I have ever seen in my life!

But enough about Delhi because I am back in Dharamsala. Today I attended some teachings given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself! You, the Dalai Lama, hordes of monks, and a thousand devotees all sitting outside in the sunlight on the plush grass beneath some evergreen trees. A cool autumn breeze is blowing as clouds bump up against the mighty Himalayan range in the distance and occasionally the shadow of a hawk dances across your face. There is something magical, something moving, something organic about a hundred Tibetan monks chanting and reciting mantras. It does something to you. You feel it in your soul. You get goosebumps and your hair stands on end.

Such a nice experience and it is all free of charge. He is giving a series of lectures on his faith over the next ten days and so I plan to attend each day that he is holding sessions. Might just be a real Buddhist the next time you see me. I'm a vegetarian now and who would have seen that one coming?

Also, I finished a really good book this week called White Tiger that dealt with the some of the realities working in India. In a similar vein as Slumdog Millionaire, this book portrays a more accurate picture of the reality that most Indians live and die in.

Cricket Mayhem!

I had the chance to attend a cricket match last night while in Delhi. There is a short tournament between multiple nations going on in India right now and this gave me opportunity to see a double header. I have been seeing a lot of cricket on TV over here (it is practically the only sport that matters in India), but I still didn't fully understand the rules, scoring, and terminology. It was still a lot of fun, and I think I pretty have it figured out now after watching about 5 hours of it yesterday. Fortunately I got to see the home team, the Delhi Daredevils, play and so the crowd was packed out and fully engaged in the match.

The Daredevils batted first and their batsmen really crushed the oppositions' bowlers (pitchers). Along the way there were some exciting wickets, which is their term for an out when the bowler nails the pins behind the batsmen or when one of the team members catches a ball before it hits the ground.

All in all the sport is kinda similar to baseball, but a little slower and maybe a little less athletic. On TV it is kinda boring! That said, there were plenty enough activity to keep me entertained at the stadium including dancing, screaming, cheering Indians all around and lots and lots of fireworks. The stadium didn't skimp on the sound system either and I think I will have permanent hearing loss from last nights matches. Every time there was a lull in the action or a decent play they were blasting music and everyone would cheer and dance in a frenzy. Everyone was in a good mood because the home team really walloped 'em. And there were lots of cheerleaders around that would dance to the music and it was hilarious to see how these Indian boys go crazy for white women with blonde hair and short skirts. Every time the girls were performing there must have been 10,000 drooling boys staring at them and nearly as many cell phones taking pictures or capturing videos. The young men and boys here act like 14 y/o Americans when it comes to women. They have no clue! All in all the cricket was good, cheap fun and I would be willing to go back and catch another match should the occasion arise.

Northern Update... Narrowly Escape Jihad

While in the north of India I almost (stupidly) headed into prime Jihad territory. I was planning on heading to Srinigar in the Kashmir region and I had heard from other travelers that it was nice and what not, but then I got myself some news via the ol' internet and found out otherwise. The most damning report goes as follows:
Britain's Telegraph reported-
[Indian officials] alleged 60 Taliban fighters captured in the Pakistan army's offensive to re-assert government rule in the Swat Valley earlier this year had accepted the deal and were now waiting with an estimated 300 jihadi fighters to cross into Kashmir.
Indian officials are now braced for a series of incursions and border battles in the next two to three weeks as the militants make their move.
Officials said the militants were offered a "jail or jihad" choice by senior officers of Pakistan's ISI intelligence service and that the plot had been discovered in a series of intercepted telephone conversations.
In addition, I found articles describing among other things a grenade getting thrown at a police vehicle in Srinigar last week and a bus getting attacked at a military police checkpoint on the road I was ultimately going to travel down.In a nearby town, which I had zeroed in on while breezing through my travel book is now a terrorist hot bed with lots of insurgents. Sounds like a nice place, huh? I was literally two hours from getting on the bus to Srinigar when I found out the news. So I was stupid and lucky. I got a refund for my ticket and then caught a bus going south and I am now in Delhi. Yesterday I spent 18 out of 24 hours on a bus! And the bus ride to Delhi is kinda a funny story too.
Normally, on a sleeper bus you have your own berth. You get a narrow little bed and it has a window and a little ladder down to the seats below. Well, last night I had a "double" sleeper berth which is maybe a little bit wider than a single and is in no way cheaper. "Double" means I shared it with a Sikh man for 12 hours. We were literally spooning at one point in the night. Most of the time we just laid there ass to ass like some human lovebugs. It was not enjoyable.
However, I am now in Delhi which is a big, nasty city. I will probably be here for about a week or so and then head back north to Dharamsala and some other mountain communities (although far, far away from Pakistan). The Dalai Lama will be delivering some teachings and lectures from his home abode in the Himalayan foothills and I hope to get my enlightenment on with his spiritual nurturing. Plus, it is a lot cooler, less noisy, less trashy, and all around more enjoyable up there than down here in Dirty Delhi. All is well and I actually have to meet someone this week about a real job opportunity in India. That will be quite the change of pace for my unemployed ass!

Hello there!

I have just arrived in the northern city of Dharamsala. This is the home of the Tibetan Government in exile and also the Dali Lama's abode. It is very nice here because the weather is finally cool and the town is quiet and very green. There is less noise and pollution here than in any other Indian city I have visited thus far. Also, there are a ton of western tourists here and I am sharing a room with a man from Amsterdam whom I met on the bus yesterday. I think I am going to stay here for several days as it seems to be a very relaxing place. May get some massages, go for some hikes, and listen to some lectures on meditation and Buddhism. Unfortunately the Dali Lama is out of the country right now, but he will be back in a few weeks and will be delivering some teachings in English. I may travel around for a bit and then return in two weeks time to hear what the master has to say. In the mean time I hope to do some more traveling around this Himalayan region and hopefully squeeze in some long hikes, some whitewater rafting, and maybe even a few horse rides through the mountains.

I was in Amritsar the past few days and enjoyed my time there. This is the holiest city for followers of Sikhism and is the location of the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is a beautiful structure that appears to float upon the middle of a man made lake at the center of the complex. Each day tens of thousands of Sikhs visit the temple to pray and ceremoniously bath in the water. As part of the complex, the Sikhs have made it very easy for all to access the site by providing meals and dorms open for all faiths and all visitors. So I joined the hungry masses in the dining halls where they serve 30,000 meals a day and stayed in the foreigners dorm. All of these services are provided free of charge, but a small donation is accepted. I think this is a testament to the inclusiveness of the Sikh religion which is an amalgamation of Hinduism and Islam. I don't quite understand the religious philosophy, but they are a hard working lot and very friendly and I would recommend that everyone take a trip to the Golden Temple of Amritsar if ever given the chance.

Camel Safari!

While in the deserts of western India I had the opportunity to go on a camel safari. It was a great experience and something everyone should do if they ever get the chance. Check out the video below!

A group of us went out into the desert for two days and one night- so it was just a short trip. Some trips go for as long as 15 days. Afterwards, I was glad that I went for just two days because I was sore. The camel is a rough ride and they don't give you stirrups for your feet. When I got off the camel at the end of the trip I was walking around like an old man! I hope you liked my desert get-up. I later gave the turban to one of the camel drivers as a gift.

These poor desert people have very little opportunity and there really isn't much development that far out. Most people just become sheep herders as farming has proven too difficult as the region gets drier and drier each decade. They said they had about 2 cm of rain this year and it was the sole rainstorm for the past 3 years.

The communities have electricity, but all of the well water is brought in by truck. A common sight in all the mud hut villages are groups of women dressed in bright saris and jingling, dazzling jewelry all delicately balancing silver pots of water on their heads as they return from the village well. These women are very beautiful and their stares can be arresting. They work so hard and are beautiful while they do it. I have a lot of respect for these village women.

The dwellings are very simple and often have thatch roofs, no doors, and no glass for the windows. When you stop in the villages, groups of young children run out to great you and will follow you into the desert for a short distance before tiring and heading back towards home.

Amazingly, you can get a cold beer on the desert dunes. The villagers know how to make a buck and truck out to meet the tourists with a sack full of cold drinks and other "necessities" like whiskey and cigarettes.

The guides cooked us lunch and dinner and we sat in the shade and napped through the hottest part of the day. Temps were well over 100 degrees though. At night it was nice and cool and we slept on blankets under the stars. There were tons of dung beetles crawling around and more than once I woke up in alarm as a beetle was crawling across my body or up my pant leg.

In the video I showed you a short clip of the camels with tied up legs. Just to clarify, that is what they do to the camels when we stop for lunch or for the night. They hobble the animals so they can't get to far and so they can't run away from the camel drivers.

It was a great time even though it was hot and it is something I would love to do again.

Rat Temple!

Check out the video below... It pretty much explains it all!

This was surely a memorable experience for me. The rat and the elephant headed god Ganesh are good friends. Actually, Ganesh rides around on rat-like creatures. This gives the rat some credence in India and people come from all over the country to pray and pay homage to rodents at this small temple.

As I said in the video it is good luck if the rats touch you and especially good luck if you are able to see the white rat. I received both honors, so I should have good luck for quite some time. It seems that I am getting a life time of good karma in the span of just a few weeks. So, who would have joined me in the rat temple, and who would have avoided the place like the plague???