Day 100 Part 2: What are the odds?

Fitting that this would have two parts (due to my random urges to start/stop writing). Fitting because Day 100 was 37 hours due to flying back in time. I lived it twice. Once with my girlfriend and once with Nobuyuki Satoh. A great day. But what are the odds I'd randomly choose to end my journey on a day that ended up being day 100. What are the odds that I would find my host family purely by memories from over 9 years ago. Well, we can try to figure that out: Assuming the route I took to get to the house from the station included lets say 10 choices. 10 "turns" or directional judgements I had to make. That is 10 different times I could have failed to get to my goal. Not that much, but really, there is much more to it. Each time I felt like turning back. Each moment when I was deciding whether or not to come. Each time I thought of just grabbing some Ramen instead. Each time I questioned myself, questioned my goal; those weer all opportunities to fail. And if I failed, I would have been blissfully ignorant, none the wiser of what my other fate was. I could have spent the day in Yoyogi park, or eating ramen, still happy since finding the Satohs seemed improbably anyway.  But now, knowing what that day meant and what its full potential was, it feels weird to think I could have lost all that I experienced had I made any 'small' decision differently.

It seems that is what life is about. Its full of small and big decisions. The ones that seem small at first may snowball to something huge or life-changing. Often times, it is the decisions that seem the biggest that end up being inconsequential in some manner. Maybe not inconsequential, but it is likely that either way you go, you will be making a good decision. Which college you go to, for example, can feel like a huge decision at the time. And it is. But looking back now, I feel confident that no matter which university I chose, I would have had fun, met great people, and eventually have gotten a great job. Granted life would be much different now had I chosen U Miami instead of Carnegie Mellon, but I think I'd still have a good life and enjoy it all. That's why these big decisions seem "inconsequential" and honestly kinda bore me. It's the small ones that often can hold the most opportunity. Or they can mean nothing at all. I guess it is just the not knowing that makes these little choices more appealing. In life, we are all pretty much going the same way. We may take different routes to get there but it seems like a lot of those different paths are still well-traveled highways with many people on them as well. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes you want to try to find a different path or something new. Sometimes you more enjoyment in stopping off on the small side streets for a bit. You'll be making progress in your own way. Even if you don't progress, it can be nice to get away from all the traffic.

Day 100 - Is this the End? Part 1: Reunited!

Today was officially the longest day ever, but I was glad to live it twice. Based on my mono-dialogue discussion on continuing the journey or returning to the US, I decided to return. No reason to rush seeing Egypt if I dont have the money or energy to do it right. Plus, I plan to return to the road sometime soonish and the Med Sea will be calling then. So, on Dec 2 I returned.

This marks Day 100 of my travels (I didnt plan that) as well as Day 101. And some amazing things happened on this day of days. A crazy reunion, best sushi lunch ever, and surprising my girlfriend in SanFran. Though all pretty amazing, the best moment of the week, probably of the month, and definitely in the running for top 5 for the trip: Reconnecting with my original Japanese host family! I'll explain:
  9.5 years ago, I came to Japan for 2 weeks, 1 of which I spent in Tokyo. More specifically, I spent it with the Satohs, a Japanese family of 3 (5 including the dogs) living in a small suburb of Tokyo, Higashi-Kanamachi. We had a great time even thought the parents only knew a small amount of English and I, at the time, knew no Japanese. Their son, Nobuyuki, and I talked briefly a few times over the next 4 or so years. About 4 years ago, during my study abroad time in Tokyo, I returned to Higashi-Kanamachi to try to find the Satohs, but had no luck. I had no address, no email, no phone number. Nothing but memories of a week spent in this town.
    This time, on one of my last days in Tokyo, I decided to try again. Even if I couldn't find them, it would be nice to just chill in the small town again. So I buy a train ticket there to begin my search. For nearly two hours, I search the town and my mind trying to match the views and streets of the town with the memories and images in my mind. Somehow, after navigating by a river and a temple through the small streets and alleys, I run across a familiar house. Upon checking the mailbox, I actually gasped a little. SATOH. Rang the bell, (after some mental deliberation) and was greeted by Nobuyuki's dad. He didnt quite seem to remember me, but the mom came out and was nearly in tears as they invited me in. We watched sumo, ate crackers and drank tea all the while amazed that we were actually meeting after such a long time. I was able to use my Japanese to have decent conversation and the parents were as nice as ever, though Nobuyuki was not there. Long story shorter, I was able to contact Nobu thanks to his mom and we eventually met up and had lunch on Dec 2, before he took me to the airport.

The story may not mean much to most reading this, but it was incredible to me. It made me realize how seemingly small decisions can really add up in your life. Each small decision I made, from the casual decision to spend a Sunday afternoon in Higashi-Kanamachi, to going right at the temple instead of left. The decision to check a few more streets even though it was cold and getting dark. Or the decision to ring the bell. All these seemingly small choices, unbeknownst to me,were opportunities for me to either reunite with the Satohs or just have a mediocre day. Each of these decisions played essential parts to a me meeting back up with a childhood friend and reuniting with a family on the other side of the world. A family I hope to keep in contact with for years to come. Looking back now, it is crazy to think what I would have lost had I not decided to come. However, at the time, it just felt like a small, inconsequential decision... 

I'm not saying all small choices hold such future importance, I'm just saying that the 'snowball' effect can take you on a helluva ride.

Hey...Thanks.

I may be eating sushi off a conveyor belt and Cold Stone ice cream for Thanksgiving but I still go stuff to be thankful for. So, for tradition's sake:
~ I'm thankful for my family and loved ones, for them supporting me through all my adventures. Without them, none of this would have been possible.
~ I'm thankful for a special someone back West, who has put up with my nonsense and wayward ways and is always there for me.
~I'm thankful for my health, my body, which has done a pretty damn good job considering all the travel...though I'm sure it'll have some issues to work out once back home
~ I'm thankful that for the past 90+ days I have been able to live a dream of mine. Thankful for those days when just waking up in a new place made the day great.
~ I'm thankful for all that I have learned out here and all the great experiences and all the great people.
~Maybe most of all, I am thankful that I am returning home soon!

I know there's more, but thats all i feel like writing now.

Ja mata yo

Blind Kindness

Today I saw my first asshole of Japan. A guy on a scooter started wailing on his horn when he was about 50meters away from the intersection because it was a green light and pedestrians were crossing. First asshole. Everyone in Japan so far has been insanely nice, courteous, and respectful. To the point of annoying actually. Aside from the insincere, high-pitched shriek of “Irashaimaaaaaaaaaasu!” (basically meaning “Welcome to our stoooooooooore!”) that you hear every 7 seconds as you move through or even near a store…yea, aside from that, some of the courteousness of the Japanese seems just plain nonsensical. A few days ago I witnessed something to make New York drivers wake in cold sweats. A cab, a taxi cab mind you, was driving down a smaller, but typical street in Tokyo. The taxi came up behind a seemingly middle-aged Japanese guy walking down the middle of the street in the same direction, back to the cab, with headphones on, walking to the beat. Instead of honking or anything, the cab just slows to the man’s pace and just keeps going behind him, waiting for the guy to notice. This goes on for nearly a full minute before the guy just happens to walk out of the middle of the street, allowing the cab to pass yet still fully unaware of what happened… Amazing. Had it been nearly any other city, the car would have honked without slowing down and the guy would jump out of the way. Simple, perhaps a bit brash, but effective.

In general, Tokyo is a really safe, controlled city. No one runs(except for trains), yet no one is late. No car may be in sight, but no one crosses until that cross-walk sign turns green. Bicycles equipped with bells share the sidewalk with peds, yet you never hear a bell. Everything seems to move at a controlled speed fast enough to get things done, but not fast enough to hurt anyone.

Oh, almost forgot, Asshole #2..maybe: Umbrellas seem pretty communal in Sakura House (where I live), but maybe also in the city?? One rainy day, I go to 7-11, leave my umbrella in one of the umbrella holder things outside like a good citizen, then come back to find it gone. Gone! Stolen in safe Tokyo!? Maybe, though it did look like all the other umbrellas people carry around. Could have been a mistake..or maybe umbrellas are communal in the city. Assuming the latter, and not being the kind to lose an umbrella lying down, I of coursed snagged a similar umbrella to my one and dipped out.

Awesome picture (not from tokyo) courtesy of photographer extraordinaire 'Webbiedebbie"

A Fork in the Road...A really big one.

So im here in tokyo. Money, energy, health all waning in their own way. The money primarily is what is running thin, at least thinner than expected. Health wise I'm ok, as OK as you can be after pulling countless switches on your body for 3 months..

3 months of Living on begger diets, eating banquets, cold climates, warm climates, wet climates, smog, dust. Drink tap water, dont drink tap water, Eat heavy protein potatoe meals, no here we eat only rice & fish. Its 5am, its 5pm, its midnight and we just finished dinner with alcohol, caffeine, and who knows what else. Sleep here, sleep there, sleep alone, sleep with one eye open, sleep cold, sleep on a train a boat a plane, dont sleep... 

My body seemed to end up pretty confused. But I am proud to say it only got sick, and barely so, once. (knock on wood)

That was a bit of a rant but I think thats how the body is feeling. And the energy levels are pretty down. Egypt was a huge highlight of this trip and now its on the chopping blocks and I'm not exactly crushed about that. And thats my dilemma..Egypt or USA. So, there is an internal struggle going on as I try to decide which way to go. If you had a microphone in my mind it may sound something like this..
Eastbound Taj(Pro-return toUSA, which is east from here): We've had a good run, time to pack up and return to the comfort of home. Money is running out, we're tired, maybe sick..time to get back to comfort. 
Westbound Taj(Pro-continue to Cairo): Are you kiddin? Next is the pyramids! One of the main reasons you came out here! The flight is about the same and Cairo shouldnt be too expensive. You just feel bad now because you're homesick; it'll pass.

Eastbound Taj(USA is east from here): True, we have had homesickness before, but this is different. I think we're just ready to be home. Besides, wouldn't you rather come back when we have more money and energy? When we can do Cairo right rather than on a budget?

Westbound Taj(Pro-Cairo): Who knows when that will be?? Live now and in the moment. Planning for the future just gives things more time to go wrong. Take advantage of the current opportunity.

Eastbound Taj(USA is east from here): We know we want to return to Greece at some point. Egypt would be easily tied in then. Even Turkey too. Would be an awesome 2~3 week trip. To do that, we need to get a job and get money...which will take time, but the best way to assure that happens is to return in a decent financial position to facilitate the job hunt.

Westbound Taj(Pro-Cairo): OK, fine. But this is something you said you would do! Don't you have a sense of pride to complete this? Seeing sights on a budget is fine; we've done that a bunch so far. How can you go back without completing what you set out to do?

Eastbound Taj(USA is east from here): Ah, that may have gotten me to reconsider a few weeks ago, but at this point, 100 days in (as of Dec 3), how could I be disappointed in how far I went. Plus if I go this way, it is a real Around the World Trip.

Westbound Taj(Pro-Cairo): Just one last city, that's all and you'll complete what we planned out. Meet some people there, chill for a bit, and return to the US as planned.

Eastbound Taj(USA is east from here): It does sound easy that way, and maybe even worth it...As for the plan, deviating from such a path is just part of the freedom of the Road. That said, the pyramids are tempting..plus it would be great to visit somewhere so different from Europe and the US..

Westbound Taj(Pro-Cairo): Yes...but the money.. there will be other opportunities perhaps..

Well, that's the bulk of the debate in my head..no answers yet. Im sure an answer will come soon.. I'm going to a park with some tea to wait for it.

...I promise i haven't gone crazy

Thoughts on Hakone.. SPECIAL GUEST

After visiting Hakone for the first time, with Katie, we decided a video was appropriate..maybe was more fun to make then watch, but enjoy!

Restorations & Immortality

Its been a long time..sorry about that. When travelling with close friends or family, it is tough to find time to sit and write/think alone..or to even want to do that after being alone for a while in a foreign place. Ive been milking Amanda, Dad, and Katie all for comfortable, familiar, relationship sustenance..


Anyway, the last thing I remember before the flood of familiar faces, I was in Athens, at the Acropolis, looking at the Parthenon. In case you don’t know, this is an amazing, amazing site in Greece! A must visit if ever within striking distance. Good times around there.. So, looking at the Acropolis, its one, huge, blemish is that there is a giant crane in the middle of it. This crane, of course, detracted greatly from the beauty and ancient-feeling of the Acropolis. And it has been there for over 20 years. This disheartened me as I thought back to how many famed ‘historic’ sites and structures I have seen across Europe that are constantly behind a cloak or under a scaffolding due to reconstructions.  At first thought, this always grinds my gears. Why do they need to constantly replace the marble on the Parthenon or clean and repaint St. Peter’s Church in Vienna. Just leave these wonders as they are so we can see them as they were created and not refurbished with new materials or updates. Stop painting over history! Or I used to say.

Then in Athens, I kinda started to put realize the obvious. Without these updates, protective fencings/coverings, renovations, these monuments would likely no longer be here. The Parthenon may have long ago crumbled under its own weight, if left alone. Or it could meet its demise at the hands of those who built it, or at least their ancestors, as the once magnificent Temple of Zeus did and be deconstructed to build surrounding apartment buildings. By either hand, nature or man, monuments such as these would likely not last nearly as long without their governments pumping in money to preserve them as necessary. So I am thankful and a bit less irked.

But why should it bother me either way really? Why do we want to see these historic monuments preserved in their original manner? Why would we want to keep them around at all? Why not let them fall as just part of the natural order of things? Well, aside from drawing in tourist dollars, these monuments bring us closer to those that built them, to the age when they were built. Closer to the far distant past, closer to immortality. Monuments like the pyramids of Giza or the Parthenon are so engraved in our minds as SO old, that we cannot help but feel as if we are transcending time by witnessing them. Hell, even Chris and I, being Americans (where nothing is more than 300 yrs old) seeing buildings in Italy that were nearly 1000 years old made us in awe. People tend to gravitate to historic monuments out of a feeling that they can almost feel what it was like to be around back when this thing was built. That small taste of traveling through time is enough to spark natural urge to be long-lasting, to be immortal.

So fix them up and put make up on the Mona Lisa, or let nature take its course and let them fall.. It’s not an easy decision and of course there are shades of gray, where most historic monuments are today; restored to resemble their original selves to further the illusion that we are really there, at that time. I appreciate the effort, I do, but really just do it and get outta the way! I’m trying to see the Parthenon without a giant white machine in it some time in the next 20 years.

I'm on a Boat! ...And everyone is sleeping.

We took the night ferry from Crete to Athens. First off, a night ferry is miles better than any other night transportation I've done. Night train, night bus, night plane. They are all horrible compared to the night ferry..which isnt really even that good. The ferry is like a slightly smaller cruise ship. But only in looks and some amenities. None of the excitement of a cruise is there. These are mostly locals using this for a cheap means of transport within their country..kinda like Amtrak. So after the initial excitement of being on a boat, there isnt much to do besides eat some and then try to sleep. And I do mean try. These people try very hard. Buying the cheapest ticket gets you on to the boat and a seat in the "pullman" or poor man area, middle of the boat, by the engine. But, being a cruise ship, there are tons of other places to sleep! Restaurants, halls, lounges, reception..it kinda becomes a game.. a sad, sad game. Just watch

Use it before you lose it

You’re gonna lose it, there’s no stopping it. Lose your money, your body, your looks, your hair. Once you hit a certain age all these things tend to decline. Except money. You can stack paper for as long as you live, but after that, its all lost to you. The other day, Audrey and I had coffee/drinks/kebab at a Cretan café/bar/restaurant. We sat by a pair of old couples (4 people) who were speaking English. 2 brits, 2 Netherlanders. Audrey was using her computer’s web cam, I believe as a mirror, and this sparked a convo with the couples. We had a fun talk for a while and eventually learned that all 4 of them were out here on vacation from work, not yet retired, though they seemed of nearly the right age. When they learned of our travels and our age, the brits especially, seemed to assume we were out here on our parents dime. Kinda insulting, but I do understand and it got me thinking. We are both making sacrifices to be out here, monetary and otherwise. Yes I landed a sweet deal thru Google, but traveling like this doesn’t require that, or parents’ money. It just takes a bit of planning and resolution to your goal. Living abroad can definitely be cheaper than paying rent at home. And living meagerly can do wonders to your savings account. Anyway, the major requirement of traveling like this is being fine with coming back with nothing. The mentality of being ready to start all over when you return. It’s harder than it sounds, but once you realize how fleeting everything is, money, jobs, your health, it becomes easier. You wont be healthy or strong enough to travel forever. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. So take the money you got or save a bit more, then throw it all away on some dream you want to accomplish before you die…or get old and decrepit. You may end up broke as a joke, as I likely will, but at least you did something you had to do. Too many people end up forgoing life dreams just for the sake of sticking to the program: Eat. Sleep. Work. Save Money. Retire. Why would you want to be rich when you’re too old to really enjoy it?? Well, that’s a topic for a diff post as im sure many disagree…especially one redhead in San Fran. Anyway, in regards to leaving the working world, I’ll end with a quote from a chef a few weeks before departing Google:

“I came here lookin for a job and I’ll leave lookin for one if I have to, same as I came in. Doesn’t make a difference to me.”

Updated the Map!

Finally

Smoooku Tai-san!

Quick post...Crete is bomb! This is really a cool island and Greek people seem pretty awesome, and, regardless of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", the women are very attractive..tho lacking in English a bit..Anyway, really cool island, great weather for the middle of October too. The linen suit gets a bit too hot.

Big bad part about Europe: Everyone and their mom, and their grandmom Smokes! Its horrible. Everywhere; restaurants, train stations, bars, kindergartens. There is smoke everywhere. Crete is a bit better than other places(Austria especially), but coming from the US, especially San Fran, it seems impossible to get a breath of fresh air sometimes..Its even worse to see parents sitting at restaurants blowing smoke in their toddlers faces. But i guess its all part of the European Joie de vivre mentality.

"Death & Tourists" or "Rest in Pieces"

I went to the Kaisergruft, the tomb of Franz Josef and a few other Kaisers and Kings of Vienna/Austria. Down in the cript, there are about 30~40 coffins and tombs. Some with angels and crowns carved on them, others with skulls (a strange choice for a coffin..) but all were very elaborate. Many were impressive, but you can’t help but get creeped out thinking you are 20ft underground surrounded by dead people. It was crazy to imagine that you have a dead body, nearly 400 years old, just lying in a stone box a few feet away. Especially a really famous dead body… The body cant really be in there I thought.

After leaving the crypt, I asked the receptionist/ticket lady if the bodies were actually still in the coffins. “Oh yes! “She responds. “Well, the bodies are. The insides are somewhere else.” She continued nonchalantly. “Somewhere else??” You mean they took out all the inside stuff” I asked, gesturing to my stomach to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding. “Yes, yes, the hearts are at St. Augustine’s chapel. And the rest, well the other entrails are over in the church around the corner.” Me: “Oh, so they burn the insides and keep the ashes in the churches.” Lady: “ No, no ashes.” Me: “ So their hearts are somewhere in a jar or something over in that church??” “Yes, right over there” She smiles…

How creepy. This is what kings, monarchs, and pharaohs spend so much money and effort to be remembered for? This is what these grandiose burials buy you? Your heart and insides torn from your body and kept in churches while your tombs are kept in rooms for tourists to walk around and scrutinize?? Or pharaohs, you are pulled out of your pyramid, pillaged, and moved from museum to museum around the world for people to ‘admire’ for a few minutes before they go to the next exhibit or to McDonalds???
No thank you, I’ll spend my money on traveling while I’m alive to enjoy it and take a normal burial.

1 Month and counting

It has been over a month now since I embarked on this journey. I have definitely had some great experiences, met some really interesting people, and seen some really cool places. I’ve also learned so much more about myself; how I think, how I perceive myself and others, and what type of life I really want to live.  Traveling by yourself is really an amazing experience in that it can teach you so much about the world and yourself at the same time. You never know how you will really react until you are out here. I highly recommend this type of travel. A smart red-head once gave me this quote and I have often repeated it to myself as I move around out here. It is incredibly true:

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all the familiar comfort of home & friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sun, the sky - all things tending toward the eternal or what we imagine of it.”
~ Cesar Parese

Ok so the last sentence is a bit lofty, especially since I have a ton of things out here that are mine… well at least 40lbs, and I pay for it with every step I take. Either way, this can be a brutality for sure. And trusting strangers is usually the only way to get by. There is nothing familiar about most places I am, but still I love this freedom and relish these opportunities to experience and see so much. So far, here are the top of those experiences and places:

Top 5 experiences
 -  Paragliding thru the Alps in Interlaken
- Chillin in the best Indian restaurant in Basel with good food, good wine, and great people
- Exploring the free, crazy streets of Amsterdam (and only the streets)
- Opening day of Oktoberfest in Munich
- Bullfight in Madrid

Top 5 cities
Amsterdam
Lisbon
Rome
Berlin
Barcelona

Me & My Obama shirt

I brought an Obama shirt with me. Says "Obama 08/Obama Listens". Green. I like to wear it in different cities/countries to get a feel for the climate there. See how people react, etc. So far, I've had some pretty different experiences:

Lisbon, Portugal: Locals and tourists giving head nods and saying "Hey! Obama!" and giving the thumbs up. Not a whole lot, but generally people were happy to see it and excited about Obama.

Geneva, Switzerland: I really thought this place would be like the Wash.DC of the world since the UN, the WHO, UNICEF, all these huge international organizations are there. It is a beautiful city, but the area where those buildings are is really not impressive..I guess they put the money to some better use. Anyway, wearing the shirt here I just got looks, quiet stares, but no kind of approval or disrespect. Being such an international city and politically involved I thought someone would have said something, good or bad. But I could watch them stare at the shirt thru my sunglasses..

Milan, Italy: The worst by far. Chris and I are walking through the subway, nothing really out of the ordinary, except being black guys in Milan. Two cops walk right by Chris, but then one sees my Obama shirt, taps the other one and make a B-line across the hall to stop me and ask for my papers, etc. Perhaps it was just being black and young. Perhaps I looked shady with a slight beard. But I am pretty sure I saw him look right at the "Obama" on the shirt, then hi-tail it over.

It'll be fun, weird, dangerous? to see how the rest of these cities/countries react.

The Freedom the Road Affords

I thought about this earlier, when I was first in Switzerland and on my way to Lucern. The day before, I had heard that Lucern was a beautiful scenic spot. Something right outta a Ricola commercial.. The hills are alive! When I got there it was overcast all day..but that’s besides the point. Well I guess it is more ‘next to the point’, adjacent cause its related. Anyway, I heard about Lucern one day, then was there the next.. THAT is the freedom of the road; you can roll where it takes you and switch directions as you feel.

And that freedom is liberating. You do as you feel, when you feel and all is good… but it is a double edged sword. The Road has this freedom as well. It can do what it wants, when it wants and you gotta adapt. There is even less fighting it when you don’t know the language. So when I missed my bus to Prague and was stranded in random German town thanks to a delay and an attendant who misdirected me, I had to adapt. Or retreat, regroup, and replan. Running out of options, I retreated to Basel, Switerland, a safe comfortable spot, where I could make new plans.  Lucky to have a base here with the Amazing Senka!

Sure missing the bus sucked and now I may not see Prague for a lil bit, but that’s all part of the freedom out here; missed connections, opportunities, losses.. You just gotta take em as they come and watch em as they go. As a great, albeit ’confused’, man once said “All flows energy flows according to the whims of the Great Magnet!” You can’t deny it. So sometimes bad things come along in the flow around you, and there’s not much you can do beyond acknowledging them and adjusting your flow accordingly. They may divert your path or make it a lil harder, but , as is my saying out here: [It’s all part of the trip] You just gotta take it and know you’ll be better from the experience cause it’ll lead to something bigger.

The EuroCars

These cars are tiny, I mean Mr. Bean tiny. When walking around Florence especially, we would joke about just flipping cars over for fun..but it really looked possible. Some smaller than SmartCars, some didn’t even have a steering wheel but rather one seat in the front with some modified handlebars to steer with. The cars pretty much have to be small to deal with some of the ridiculously narrow alleyways. They do have nice cars of course.. The taxi’s all over Rome and Amsterdam were Benzs; new ones at that.

As much as we laughed about it, it would be better for America if more people drove smaller cars. Or biked! Biking is more common in most of these cities than it is even in San Fran, and that’s saying a lot. Maybe its cause our cities are bigger/more spread out. Maybe its because we are lazier. I dunno, but seeing so many people biking around makes places like Florence or Basel feel very quaint and laid-back. These cities have a slower pace of life with less urgency and focus on work. This may not jive with the American  Dream, but im sure it would make a lot of us happier and live longer. Still is funny to see a grown man in a suit riding a bike tho.

Another good thing about the small cars; you probably won’t die when they hit you. That’s a great benefit when you look at the pedestrians here, at least in Basel. There are no ‘Walk-Don’t walk signs’, no stop signs, you just go. “You walk and the car will stop” the locals tell me. Reaally not as easy as it sounds when you are used to walking around in cities like SF or NYC. A couple times I caused some traffic build up playing “You go first” with drivers here. Ah well, if it comes down to it, I could always Hulk out and flip any SmartCar coming my way. Im not worried

Riff-raff. Street Rat. I don’t buy that

If they did look closer, would they see a poor traveler or just a cheap opportunist. I dunno, but when you travel/backpack around as much as I am, you tend to revert to a minimalist lifestyle. You have to. Conserving food, energy, and most of all, MONEY is a day to day necessity. Ok sure I am not running around with a small monkey and pilfering apples and large bread rolls. But, ever since my bank was devastated due to obsessive, excessive eating and partying through Spain Italy and Amsterdam, there have been a few times I feel like a poor kid living in Agrabah. For one, I carry around a sac of  bananas, bread, and nutella to satiate a growling stomach throughout the day. I try to only buy 1 meal a day from local vendors for maybe 5~10 Euros. Every now and then the craving for a huge burger arises, but with McD’s & BK’s prices out here (a freaking snack wrap was 4 Franks! That’s basically $4! Forget about the value meal - its all about $10), I mostly go with locals.

Aside from eatin on the cheap, I’m more and more an opportunist, lookin for free places to crash, free drinks, and free eats.  Haven’t reaaally ‘stolen’ anything, but hey, if you sit long enough in a café with the same cup of coffee waitresses tend to forget if you paid or not…So I say “Danke, it was very good, ” and if they say “5 Franks” I pay, if they just say “Thanks, Bye” then who am I to correct them.

BUT, of course I do have some what of a conscience or at least a belief in karma. So when the waitress at Hooter’s today (I missed the American Burger, not scantily clad women) I did find her and ask for a bill.. Call it my good nature. You really don’t want bad karma haunting you when you are traveling like this anyway.

A land of sloppy surprising affection.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve noticed a couple stark contrasts to American life, or at least what I’m used to.  One of the most noticeable differences is public affection, and im not talkin hand holding. Starting in Spain and I guess ending in Milan, you couldn’t walk down a block without some couple having a hard-core make out session against a wall or on a train or in a café. Every other American I spoke to noticed the same thing immediately, not that we are prudish (Americans as a whole probably are though) but there have been some uncomfortable moments. Both Chris and I had to listen to the  ‘juicy’ sounds of our neighbors on trains, planes, and even in hostel beds..in a room of 10 people. I had heard about the affectionate, passionate Spanish and even Italians, but didn’t really expect this. Forget second-hand smoking, we had to worry about second-hand herpes. All the sores of herpes..none of the fun getting it.

On top of the open air love making, there was another phenomenon at work: Dating Down or the “She’s with HIM?! phenom. You see the strangest couples out here. And it goes both ways, hot girls with dweeby runts, good lookin guys with not so good lookin girls. And it wasn’t about money from what we could tell. We may just have some shallow ideas of couples in America but seeing Mclovin makin out with Salma Hayek should make anyone scratch their head a lil bit. So lesson learned: If you can’t get good lookin American girls, learn Spanish and come out to Madrid to find your Penelope Cruz. Just don’t forget to eat her face in public or she may leave you for a more affectionate PDA Casanova.

Bullfight Video

Ok so i tried to give it some music and editing, but eh, it came out ok. The following video does get a lil graphic, though I did cut out the most gruesomest pieces...enjoy.. or just watch and learn.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJVhdJac308

Espana

I'm a little more coherent now that the last post, though I really do like makin the video posts now, that last one was just a sporadic test. Anyway, I'm in Spain now, wrappin up my time here down in Ibiza! Since the last post I've been to Madrid, Barcelona, and now San Antonio Ibiza, and suprisingly I think i like Barc the best.

Ibiza is a great little beach town with an insane night life and really hot days (and nights). Madrid was a cool historic capital and a really huge city with more museums and art than anyone could see. However, neither of these two contrasting cities really live up to Barcelona. I met up with Chris in Barc and we proceeded to explore the city for 2 days & nights. What makes it so appealing is the huge variety the city offers. Being on the meditteranean, you have the great beach culture: awesome cafes/bars on the water, water sports, nice weather, all that. But it is also a pretty developed city like Madrid, offering just as much culture and big city life, there is even an old castle like Lisbon. The Gaudi buildings throughout the city are really incredible architectural pieces. The night life is live with locals and tourists, though it was a bit heavy on the tourist side. Chris and I met a good amount of people in the hostel, had some good/funny/disturbing/smelly moments , but all for the best. Met a guy, Mike from San Diego, who was pretty cool, and we gallivanted around the town with him and a pub crawl our last night there. Which was fun, buuut maybe too fun as I had a real hard time gettin up and going to catch the Ibiza flight.

Gaudi's Segrada Familia 1882~ Currently being built!

Ibiza is how you would imagine, think Acapulco mets Vegas. Very attractive people and lots of money around, beachy weather, crazy clubs and bard and a slew of young people. Apparently this is the Brit/Welch vacation spot of choice so we heard more English here than Spanish...cool with me. One night here isn't really enough, but I think we did it justice. The sunsets are also amazing!

Pic Soon

I guess I left Madrid for last since I really was not too impressed with it. Maybe I just dont like art/museums enough.. The city is very big and feels spread out. The city center area has a feeling like some old school baazar. Dunno how to explain it, but it's probably how you picture European cities; old looking, kinda quaint, open air cafes, etc. I DID get to see a bull fight, which I will post more on later. These bull fights are intense! A bit more graphic than I imagined, also pretty unfair with 4~6 matador dudes against one, likely doped up, bull. It was a good cultural experience tho. What else about Madrid.. The hostel was cool, met alot of interesting people from many different countries. Felt a bit old when talkin to some 20year olds; but i guess thats unavoidable.

Video Soon - 
Lastly, Toledo.. an old, very old settlement about 60km from Madrid. This place is the "American tourists' dream" since it looks exactly like we picture old medival towns. The big bricks, the huge churches, the real small streets, its all there! Apparenly its also a bit modern as I was able to connect to wifi while in a small alley by the church..I guess priests have email too.

Pic soon

Long post, but its time to head out to the Ibiza sun! Hope all is good where you are.. but it probably aint this good :p

Holla! or is it Hola?

My time in Lisboa

I have left Lisbon. I am happy with how it went, couldn’t have picked a better city to start in coming from San Fran. Lisbon is remarkably similar. Its by the bay and ocean. It has rolling hills. Plenty of parks. Small townhouse style duplexs and apartment buildings( kinda like North beach in SF). It even has a big red bridge. This was really a beautiful city.
Impressively, my first day, even after the long overnight flight, I managed to scale Castello St. Jorge. The below video is from there, but I must warn you, I am quite incoherent in it and very tired. However I think it conveys my feelings at that point –desheveled.



The next day I got a late start and ended up breezing thru Belem, a cultural/historic area of Lisbon. That night I failed to find a bar I was told to go to.
The real treat of the trip was pretty simple: riding a bike around the waterfront area. The waterfront, as Im calling it had nice gardens, rolling greens, cafes, a little air lift thing, pretty much all you could want to find at a waterfront. It was right in front of the Vasco De Gama which had a lot of shops. Cruisin around on a beach cruiser with the great weather and sea breeze was perfect.
Some Brief Observations
- I fit in. There is a surprising amount of dark, mostly african, people here.
- Riding my bike by the beach, I saw a few dead portuguese Man-o-War jellyfish..They were pretty big.. At least 18inch diameter.
- There was cursing on the radio, in English. Listening to some Kanye and Jay-Z at a café, the songs were completely unedited. I guess they don’t need to bleep out curse words in other languages.
- Finally, I am shocked at the sheer amount of people that speak really good english. Its amazing, and really lucky for us native speakers, that English has really become the world’s second language. There were times that I would ask “Falla Portugese” to someone and they would say “Of course” as if its only natural to be fluent in two languages. Its amazing that so many people in Europe, so far, are basically bilingual. I guess it is a gift and curse that we do not need to focus on other languages in the US

They're Filmin Midgets!

The littlest things can amuse you when traveling. Sitting in a terminal in London Heathrow, awaiting a flight to Lisbon, overhearing the simplest phrases bring a smile to my face. The two little girls talking about the toilet or “lou” sound as if they are having a proper discussion on politics.. I dunno why the British accent makes everything sound so sophisticated.

Flying in with British Airways, it all became real. Flying over London, seeing the Thames, watching people actually drive on the wrong side of the road; it’s like I imagined but really different at the same time. I guess I can’t really tell yet tho. Never judge a city by its airport. LHR is stupid big tho and ridiculously drawn out. So much so that they recommend two hours for connecting flights! Why? Because you need to go back thru security, ride a bus to a new terminal, walk 10 mins to the cluster of gates 20-30, find your gate number (24), find your sub-gate (24D), then get on a bus to take you to your plane.

At least BA is a nice airline. Free drinks, free meals, and courteous people who give you eyeshades, toothbrush and even socks to walk around the plane in. Some fat-cats even have beds on that plane. Passing out while watching the Wire was good enough for me, even if I only got a few hours of sleep.

Of course I’m keeping the socks

Birth Days

My birthday was a few days ago. I had a really good time with the family, but it was interesting to see how other people spent my bday.

Its funny that a date, 8/23 in this case, can really stand out in your mind as a unique day, a day you do something special, one that you treat different than all the rest; but its just another day to about 6 billion people. Looking at people mow their lawn or run errands I would think, "Is that really how you are going to spend my birthday?".

I guess those unaware of the party really cant enjoy it..

The next time you are doing something monotonous, just think, this is someone's birthday and you are wasting it being bored..Cheer up and celebrate! Everyday should feel like a party

As I thought..

As I thought, I am not very good at writing regularly in a blog. Its tough, I mean how often do you get the urge to sit down and reflect on the past couple days..how often do you go thru with actually doing it. And even when you do..its a blog, not a journal, you dont want to just brain-dump every little thing in your head, who knows who could see it. You also dont want to bore your potential audience, as im doing now. But not for long, big changes ahead..

As I thought, it is hot as balls in VA! You can stand outside for maybe 5.6 seconds at high noon and you will need to change your socks.. im sweatin hard out here. Even the dog can only play ball outside for about a minute. May not sound like a big deal, but if you know this dog, her quitting ball is like

As I thought, posting on any type of schedule is impossible..i wrote this about 5 days ago, not even in VA anymore.

Im sure ill get better at this once im out of the country.

I havent really written much of a blog before so not real sure what to write about.. which kinda reflects my days now..dunno what to do. A few weeks ago, it was easy: Go to bartending class-happy hour, plan some leg of my trip around the world, or maybe jog in place in a waist-high pool with some elderly folks. Those were the glory days. But now im a certified bartender, most of the trip stuff is planned, and Im surprisingly sore from these gym classes. What to do now..

Luckily today, the power has gone out. This cut off from the world -TV & WiFi- has inspired me to get out and explore the city a bit. The cut off from lighting has also made the morning rituals a bit difficult. Try going #2 by candlelight. I guess the candle serves a dual purpose in that situation..

Video Blogging!

Check it! I'll be mixin it up with some video blogs or 'vlogs' to make quicker, more vivid, maybe even more entertaining updates.

Everyday Sunday

Welcome to my life (for now)..Unemployed, Funemploymed, Everyday Sunday.. This is how im livin nowadays. Long story short, I had a break up with Google, a mutual break-up I'd say, and now I am unemployed - looking for work and enjoyin some time off. Im planning a trip around the world, but also lookin for a dream job.. may seem like conflicting goals but its goin well.

These jobless days seem to blend together a bit and passin the time can be a challenge..every day is almost like a saturday, since I got no real obligations and every night I can go drink or stay up however long. But since that got old pretty quick (and i lack money to keep that up) everyday is more like a sunday. Lazy, no obligations, but not necessarily as crazy as a saturday usually gets.

Doing pilates and aqua-fit classes with old blue-hairs, learning to be a bartender, hanging with homeless, and workin odd jobs from craigslist.. these are all ways to spend a good sunday