My 4 Things

4 Things About Me

4 jobs I have had in my life:
1. English Teacher, in Korea
2. Professional Whale Watcher
3. Aquarium Diver
4. River Guide

4 movies I could watch over and over:
1. How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days
2. Along Came Polly
3. Forest Gump
4. Shanghi Noon


4 places I have lived:
1. Australia
2. Hawaii
3. Washington D.C.
4. Costa Rica

4 television shows I watch:
1. Friends...I have all the discs
2. Amrerican Idol....I dont care what you say, I like it.
3. 24, but I'm kind-of over it. Jack Bauer the endless hero. Blah!
4. Whatever Ry is watching

4 places I have gone on vacation:
1. New Zeland
2. Italy, Almalfi Coast
3. Camboida
4. India

4 websites I visit almost daily:
1. Yahoo
2. Halhouse
3. Bank
4. News

4 of my favorite foods:
1. Marshmellows
2. Fresh bread
3. Fresh fish (ono, ahi, mmmm)
4. Sushi

4 places I would rather be right now:
1. Any Spa, receiving any kind of treatment...massage, facial, pedicure. Good call Mel!
2. Big Beach in Maui or any tropical beach for that matter
3. Africa, I havent been there yet
4. Flying through the sky in a plane where I'm the pilot

4 people I would tag:
1. Nic
2. Robyn
3. Beth
4. Beef

Beaches

I haven't blogged for a while...so there is quite a bit to catch up on. But I don't really feel like back logging our lives over the past two months. Perhaps I'll save that for another blog...

Today I think I'll write about...humm....

The beach.

Yes, that sounds lovely. Let me start by saying that I miss the beach. I miss living by the beach. I miss being able to look out and see the blue ocean stretching out forever and ever. I miss the deep aqua marine of the ocean balancing the lush green mountains. I miss the whales and the warm water... I'm thinking of the beach in Maui now, but that is not the only beach I miss. I am also rather fond of the beach in La Jolla too. The sunsets there were so pretty. I used to love to watch the sea gulls fight over the picnic left-overs. And I loved the beach at the bay. Ahh the bay, Mission Bay, to be exact. I used to love sliding along its perimeter, grooving to my itunes in the morning. Everything looks so bright and shiny when you're by the water. Yes, California has beautiful beaches too, but there are more.... There is also a beach in Costa Rica that I often think of. I loved the beach in Uvita de Osa. I used to wake up early so I could run before it got too warm and the beach was always empty at that hour. A long empty beach with little fresh water streams flowing through it into the sea. I would run with Oso, the dog...jumping streams and watching the waves roll in. Oso liked to chase the birds I would crack-up laughing every time he tried to catch a flock of sand-pipers! He would run so fast, and bark so loudly and he always missed them by a mile! There is another beach in Oregon that makes me smile when I remember it. A rocky beach at a state park called Shore Acres. When I was in college, I used to go and sit on the rocks on stormy days, and watch the waves crash into the shore. I was so impressed by the power of the ocean! That was the first beach that I fell in love with, but it wasn't the last. I have seen and loved beaches all over this world. Thailand, Australia, Italy... I have the images in my head of these places and I can close my eyes and think of them when I'm far from the sea. Like now. I guess I'm not really that far from the sea. I am in Maryland which is a coastal state...its just that I cant see the water and I cant get to it, so I miss it.

Last weekend, Ryan and I celebrated our first anniversary. We got married in Mexico one year ago overlooking the Pacific ocean, with the sun setting, and the grey whales passing by on their migration. It was beautiful. We decided to commemorate this milestone with a visit to the beach. We went to Ocean Side and stayed in a little hotel next to the boardwalk. I was so happy to see the ocean! We woke up early on Saturday morning (having arrived late the night before) and walked out onto the beach. It was a crisp, cool morning and the sun still had its pink hue. The water was as calm as can be and the beach was damp and empty. It was so beautiful! I now have a new memory to cherish. The Atlantic ocean at sunrise. Needless to say, we had a wonderful weekend at the beach.

Let's Play Catch-Up

Its been a while since my last blog. We made it back to the United States, stayed for a bit in New York and then spent the next two months visiting our families in Utah and California. Here are some of the highlights:

Jeeping in Moab with the Allen Clan and all its extentions! We had 50 people for Thanksgiving dinner! That's a lot of turkey!!


Christmas with the Wulffs in sunny San Francisco.


A visit to Alcatrez Island! Where we saw the tiny jail cell of Al Capone...
and a bunch of other guys who spent time on The Rock!




I manged to become one year older in the midst of all the commotion and Ryan was kind enough to take me to breakfast, as is tradition. We spent my birthday at Pier 39 in San Francisco watching sea lions and eating clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls and then he took me to see the Nutcracker ballet. It was a lovely birthday dispite the fact that I am now older than I ever thought I could be!
We also went to Tahoe for New Years. We went snowboarding and hung out by the lake but unfortunately didnt get any pictures since I forgot my camera! I am really bummed because it was easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my life! We had a good time there with Ryan's cousins.

We are in New York again, en route to Washington D.C. where we'll be setting up camp for Ryan's new job. I'll continue to post on this blog despite the fact thatwe have already been around the world on our most recent adventure and are now starting back in the other diretion!

Send along your comments!

London's Retreat

Our journey home was mostly uneventful. We flew from Prague to London arriving at almost midnight into Gatwick Airport where we found some remarkably comfortable chairs near a Starbucks to sleep on. Good ol' Starbucks with their comfy sofa chairs...a marked improvement over the usual airport benches with the arm rests that you have to avoid. Despite the bright lights and the video game that constantly replayed the same song (Don’t Worry Be Happy) throughout the night, it was not a bad night's sleep-for an airport.

We woke up early the next morning and made our way to Heathrow airport by train. It was nice to see a little of the city. We were driving as the sun was coming up so all the little square houses and the bare trees took on the pretty pinkish glow of sunrise. We made it to the airport quickly and had plenty of time to kill before our flight since it had been delayed for 30 minutes. We finally got on the plane but then had to wait another 45 minutes while they called for Mr. So-And-So to please identify himself. Eventually we got off the ground and started heading west over the Atlantic. I was looking forward to getting to New York. Just after we had gotten settled and the flight attendants were about to start their first drink round, the captain got on the intercom and said, "Sorry for the incontinence, but we are going to need to return to London." We all grown and wonder why we have to turn around and then he gets back on to say, "There is a discrepancy between our passenger list and the checked luggage. Given the current security level we cannot proceed and have therefore been recalled to London." The plane makes a big sweeping turn and we start to make our way back.

We were by this time, about an hour into the flight so this return means that we will have to fly back for an hour and then retrace our steps adding 3 hours to our trip. I was a bit bothered, but understood. Once we get back above London the captain comes on again, "I don’t know how long we'll have to wait to land; we are not scheduled for a gate so we make have to run circles for about 15 minutes or so." By this point everyone is getting annoyed and even a little worried. Can you fly over the Atlantic with a half a tank of fuel? After a few minutes of "circles" the captain comes on, "It turns out that there was a clerical error....we have been given permission to continue on our way. " I was partly relieved, somewhat amused and also a little concerned. If we had to go through all this trouble to come back, don’t they want to make sure there is not a problem...or at least top up on fuel?

As it turned out there was no need to worry. The flight was fine, it went by pretty smoothly for me since it was not very full and I ended up with a 4- seat row all to myself! I slept most of the way. We were greeted in New York by Ryan's parents who took excellent care of us throughout out stay.

Mozarts Opera House

We've been in Prague for a few days now. Jerry (Ryan's uncle) has been spoiling us with comfortable beds, hot showers, delicious food and all the inside information on Prague's many historic buildings, churches and castles. We've been having a spectacular time!

This city is oozing with history...everywhere you turn there is some ornate building that was built a thousand years ago and has survived countless wars over the millennium. There are buildings that have housed kings and queens, poets, artists and composers over the ages. Last night we went to an opera in a theatre that was used by Mozart. It was both Ryan's and my first opera. Jerry treated us to box seats so we had our own little nook to spread out and enjoy the show. What a treat! We saw Figaro, a comedy love-triangle complete with a few good twists to keep you on your toes. It was very entertaining. I kept wishing that I could understand Italian so I could focus on their singing instead of reading the screen that provided translations in Checz and English. (Opera with subtitles-Go figure.) We had such a great time.

Today we took a train (where nobody was squatting on the tracks to use the toilet) to a neighbor town to see an old church that has been decorated with thousands of skulls and bones. Quite artistic, really. I'll have to add some pictures, because it’s something that must be seen to be appreciated. Yesterday, we went to see some of the most popular places in Prague: the castle with lots of tall spires that sits on a hill overlooking the city and an old church near the castle where we climbed to the top of a tall tower (where Rapunzel would have been kept if she lived in Prague). We ate goulash (yes, it really exists, and is delicious) for lunch, crossed the Charles bridge (where you can get a great picture of the castle) and visited a secret park where Ry found a peacock, on our way to the theatre.

One side-note about Prague (and apparently Europe in general) is that it is a very pet-friendly place. You can (and people do) take their dogs with them into restaurants, shops and even on the bus, train and trolley! I'm so jealous, I wish we were as accommodating with our pets, it would make getting a dog so much easier! (But it wont stop me from getting one anyway-I've waited long enough). Everywhere you go you see people and their dogs. It’s great!

Ahhh Paris...

It’s strange to step back into a place where you don’t look odd at all. We got off the plane and immediately noticed that NOBODY noticed us. What a relief! They didn't even care that I was wearing a strange pajama-looking outfit with sparkles on the front!

Being in Europe after spending so much time in India has been such a treat! We strolled through the Lourve and saw the Mona Lisa; she does indeed watch you as you walk across the room. We stood and stared at the Eiffel tower, and took a few pics too, since that is what you're supposed to do. We studied the thinking man at the Rodin museum and went to a church service at Notre Dame. We had baguettes, brie and eclairs at the most gorgeous park filled with fall leaves and bright flowers and ate croissants and hot chocolate for breakfast. They really know how to make a good cup of choco! We also tried fondue, paninis and crepes at the little cafes spread all across the city. I loved Paris! It’s a beautiful city with friendly people. I know the French have a reputation for being rude but I didn't notice any hostility toward English speakers. Everyone was extremely kind and helpful, even though our French wasn't up to par.

The only mishap on the trip was a blowout on my right flip-flop. Both had previously broken, and been repaired in India, but the most recent repair didn't last too long. (I should have gone to the man on our street in Lucknow who does such good work.) Anyway, this meant that we had to limp around until we could fine a decent pair of shoes to buy...decent being useable & affordable. That is one negative about Paris, its extremely expensive! Everything costs more and the dollar isn't worth as much as the Euro so you lose out there too. Not to worry, we found a pair of shoes (pretty cute ones too) and went on our merry way across Paris.

Vive la France!

India's curtain call

This is Mr. here.

With only 3 days left in India I have decided to return to a more reader friendly quick notes version and leave most stories for face to face. We just returned from Bandhavgarh National Park and my ultimate mission in India has been accomplished. I have seen a tiger in the wild (2 actually). Let me digress for a moment, as I am a conservationist, and say that it is very possible that these majestic animals will be extinct in the wild in 20 years. It is hard to believe that such a thing can happen now a days but there is too much pressure from people wanting land to cultivate, cattle wanting grass to graze, chinese medicine makers wanting tiger body parts and bones while Japanese, Korean, Chinese and even Westerners wanting the skins as trophies. I wonder when it will sink in that animals such as these can not be replaced and when gone are gone forever.

Anyways, on to the quick notes:

-I think our guide in Bandhavgarh said it best: "All of India is a toilet" when we said we might need the loo on our 5 hour safari. Nuff said. For details, ask us. Otherwise, let's just say that I have seen everything happen everywhere imaginable.

- Indians rarely smile in photographs.

- All Indian college students are studying to be doctors or engineers

- EVERYONE here (women included) take every opportunity to spit, hock, throat clear, and burp. It is not given a second glance and seems to be not in the least offensive.

- It is a custom for men and boys to walk down the street (or anywhere) holding hands. It is taboo for man and woman (even husband and wife) to do it. Oh, and the country is VERY homophobic.

- Women love to talk to Marci, Guys talk to me. The kicker is that as soon as I approach the women cease talking to Marci.

- There is a billion people here who own millions of cattle. Weird thing is that NO cows are eaten and they are rarely milked, if at all. Yet they are still prized possessions that simply eat up useful vegetation.

- Indians are FABULOUS hosts. There is a saying in Sanskrit (root of Hindi) to treat guests as gods - with the meaning that you never know when gods may come disguised as guests. Boy, does it show. They won't accept money, gifts or thanks but will spend every last dollar of theirs to make sure you feel at home and are fed and happy. It is a good lesson for us, and anyone really. It is something I will always take with me as often such kindness came at very needed times.

- SIDE NOTE: (Not related to India) It is thoroughly impossible for me to avoid mosquito bites.

- The whole country is crazy for cricket. One game takes 7-8 hours!!!! It is one of many remnants of British occupation readily observable here.

- The main god (Ganesh) has an elephant head and four arms, loves sweets, and has a mouse for his "vehicle" The Main goddess (Durga) has 4 arms, rides a tiger, vanquishes demons, and is married to "The Destroyer"

-SIDE STORY: On Diwali, the BIG night to pray and party (imagine July 4th crossed with Christmas) families pray to Ganesh and Lakshmi-the goddess of money and prosperity) by setting up shrines. The process involves splashing water on their idols, then placing fruits, nuts, rice, sweets, at the idols feet before lighting candles, prayng and swirling a "smoke tray" toward them.

When it was my turn I reached to far when offered the fruit and knocked over Ganesh to the horror of our hosts and to the eternal glee of my wife who has still not stopped laughing.

Next stop Paris.