Diving...

2011-12-03T12:36:00.002-05:00

Was lost till I heard the drums then I found my way...

Jumbled mixed feelings, sadness, happiness, nervousness, excitement for the future..all is felt now..

Soon I journey on to the next chapter in my life as my Peace Corps chapter is now closed..leave my site tomorrow and head to Dar.

Going to Ethiopia and then India. Basi.

2011-01-18T21:42:00.001-05:00

Sydney

The first full day I was in Sydney I walked around with a girl I met and we went to the Botanical Gardens and Opera House. I also used the free wifi at the Sydney State Library and the password is welcome. It was great to finally get free internet in Sydney. Then I went to Bridge Climb which was a bit confusing to find the location but if you keep walking on George Street you can find it I hear- I went through a convoluted process. Bridge Climb was ok, it was great seeing the views and I recommend the latest day climb as you can see the sunset and still pay the lower price. For me, it was not a challenge so I didn’t feel so excited when I finished it, but if I had a fear of heights I would feel like I accomplished something. The Rocks is the area the Bridge Climb is located in and I wish I had more time to explore it as it seemed kinda cool as it’s more café/bistro style.

The next full day I explored the Blue Mountains with the OzTrek bus which I only paid $55 for and I recommend it. The driver Jim was very knowledgeable about the area and didn’t try to sell anything extra which was cool- he actually loved the Blue Mountains and encouraged us to take longer trips into the area. The other tours go to Featherdale Wildlife Park but I heard if you really want to see that you should make a day out of it as one hour that the other tours give you is not enough (heard this from people taking the other tour). Plus you can probably get a discount on the ticket if you go yourself as there are many 10-20 percent off discounts for the place. You can get there by train, directions are on the website. If you want to actually hike in the Blue Mountains you should also get there on your own. You can take a train to Katoomba ($14 one way) and there is an YHA in that area that is supposed to be nice which you can stay at. From there you can get more info on hikes in that area. The day tour buses from Sydney mainly just go to the highlights like a Lookout, the Falls, Three Sisters (Echo Point), and Scenic World (take the Furber Steps). If you are going to Scenic World I recommend taking the Furber Steps/Stairs down and up instead of taking the rides. Taking the steps up take less than 30 minutes if you are of moderate fitness (it took me a little under 20 minutes) and steps down take less than that. Plus you get to see more nature if you take the steps- you should at least take the Steps down if you can’t physically walk up. You can also walk down to touch the Three Sisters by talking the Three Sisters walk so ask your tour company about that and also ask them about the mythology surrounding the area. The OzTrek tour finished at 6 PM and drives you back to Sydney (and also shows you the Olympic Park), if you want to take the ferry it can drop you off and it is about $7 for the ferry (you can buy tickets on board). OzTreks were very lenient about things, I liked it a lot- $55 was worth it!

When I got back to Sydney I found about a Thai place near the Central Railway hostel (which I stayed at again) and it is on Quay Street go to the corner of George and Quay, it is on Quay street on the right hand side. It is takeaway called Satang Thai, I had a good Panang curry tofu with rice there for just $7.50 (cheap for Sydney)! I totally recommend it! The Pad Thai was $8.50 if you are into that. Wish I knew about it sooner. The food was yummy, there is a Satang Thai restaurant across the street which is a sister restaurant but it was more expensive (the food for the most part is the same the only difference is the ambience).

2011-01-15T22:40:00.001-05:00

Cairns

Initially I thought I wouldn’t be having much fun here as it is wet season but it has been beautiful (but humid) everyday-only raining at night. The floods didn’t reach here which has been great! I stayed at Tropic Days which I highly recommend- it’s quiet yet at the same time friendly (unlike Launceston Backpackers). The first day I got up early and went on a Silverswift boat to the Outer Reef. I snorkeled and saw a lot of marine life (much more than in Zanzibar) and even sea turtles! I met some cool characters on the boat and even a bunch of gals that are going to Trinity College in CT. I highly recommend the Silverswift boat they really took care of us.

The next day I went to Lizard Island and met the Senna family (race car driver)…still don’t know what that means but apparently everyone else knows the Formula One driver from Brazil. They were pretty cool and didn’t even know they were somewhat famous. Their mom is in charge of IAS which is a huge NGO in Brazil to help kids to go to school…which I thought was awesome. Lizard Island is beautiful and pristine and I guess not a lot of people get the opportunity to go there (but I got a standby rate due to the hostel).

And my final day I went horseback riding (I didn’t really need to but I needed something to pass the time) through the rainforest. I didn’t see much of Cairns the town but I see more presence of non-whites/Asians as I have actually seen more Aboriginal people here than Sydney or Tasmania…which I think is cool. I didn’t go to the Tablelands or Daintree because I have already seen rainforests and beautiful scenery.

I am going to Sydney next- Bridge Climbing and then a tour of the Blue Mountains!

2011-01-12T00:28:00.001-05:00

Overland Track Logistics

I booked my spot on July 1st for Jan 3rd. When I booked it was full after the first day but I think people cancelled because I met some people who booked the month before for Jan 3rd. I was coming from abroad so it was important for me to get the date I wanted plus there is no monetary benefit to waiting.

I came in to Launceston Jan 1st and stayed at Launceston Backpackers. There is an airport shuttle that gets you to the Backpackers for $15. Make sure you take cash with you at least $100 AUD as there are no exchange places in Launceston like there are in Sydney. Most places are closed on Jan 1st but there is a Coles Supermarket next to the Backpackers which was great for stocking up on lunch and dinner for the trek. Plus I could get matches and such.

I prearranged gas canisters with Mountains Designs, their info: Ph: 03 63340988, Email: launceston@mountaindesigns.com but you can get canisters at the park though I would book ahead.

For transport I used McDermotts going to the park ($50.60) and Tassielink ($84.20) coming back to Launceston. The Backpackers charged $7.00 to store my luggage. I tried to go to Hobart but since Tassielink didn’t run the day I left (they transport luggage for $10) I had to go back to Launceston. Tassielink and McDermotts don’t run everyday so I would email them for their schedules.

I left Jan 2nd from Launceston and I stayed at the park one night at the Discovery Holiday Park in the Backpackers Dorms ($42). That way I could start the hike earlier (as opposed to 1 PM the following day) and I was able to get my parks pass on the 2nd so I could start early on the 3rd. The shuttle ran at 8 AM so I started from the Visitor Center at 8 AM and I probably started hiking around 8:40 AM. You can book the ferry ahead 62891137, which I would do as no payment is required until you arrive (you can pay by credit for the ferry it’s $38). You can book the ferry by radio at the Narcissus hut. Only Telstra network works over there but there are payphones with 50 cent pieces.

Hiking wise I took 5 nights, 6 days and stayed at every hut except Narcissus (which is 400 meters from the ferry), which I wouldn’t stay at I recommend taking the ferry instead or walking to Echo Point and camping out there. I heard there are rats and such in the Echo Point and Narcissus huts. I stayed at a hut each day because I started my hike early (at 7 AM) so even though I was slow I got to the hut early. The earliest ferry is 9 AM (there was 11:30, 1:30 and 3:30 as well) so if you could make it then you could make the Tassielink bus for 11:45 AM. Some people walked from the Bert Nichols hut to Narcissus early in the morning to catch the 9 AM ferry. It takes 3 hours book time from the Nichols hut to the Narcissus/Ferry location.

I was originally going to do Pine Valley but since I was walking on my own it wasn’t good for me. To do Acropolis would be hard as I am a short person (under 5 feet) and some of the reaches towards the summit are hard for short people. The Labyrinth is also not advisable to do on your own unless you have a compass and map as people have known to get lost on the path. So it wasn’t worth it for me to hike with a heavy pack to Pine Valley just to do hikes that I wouldn’t be able to complete.

You can do the hike on your own as a woman! Don’t be afraid! I have never been in Australia and I still was able to do it alone. I am 5 feet tall and under 43 kilos and I did it…the trick is to do it in tourist season as more people will be hiking and to start early each day as if you don’t show up at the hut people will know. I was slow and was about book time or greater. I still got to enjoy scenery and it was spectacular!

Pack wise I carried 2 230 gm gas canisters (I only needed 1); my Jetboil stove; 0 deg Cels sleeping bag; MSR Hubba tent; Osprey Luna bag (has handy built-in day packs for side trails) 85 liters; garbage bag to line my bag and another for rubbish; 2 fleece shirts; 2 pairs Capilene thermals; 1 fleece pant; 1 short sleeve shirt; 4 pairs wool socks; rain jacket; rain pants; fleece gloves; fleece neck gaiter; waterproof gloves; fleece hat; fleece headband (for ears); pack cover; and other various things. I did not need or bring gaiters but imagine you do in the snow or extreme rain if you come across it. You don’t need rope to tie up food, just make sure to leave your pack in the huts at night. Also when doing side trails leave your pack face down so that birds can’t get into the zippers.

I wore a lightweight hiking pant, a pair of wool socks, and short sleeve shirt during the day in addition to a fleece windbreaker jacket. If I would do it again I would bring down instead of the fleece windbreaker as it is lightweight. The fleece pant/shirt and thermals were reserved for night time.

I didn’t carry or buy any map/book other than John Chapman’s Overland Track book which I highly recommend. Also Frank and Sue Wall’s Hiking Blog (and ebook for trip logisitics).

Overland Track

Day 1- Started at Ronny Car park and hiked to Cradle Mtn. Hardest part was up Marion’s Lookout as there is a chain area where you have to pull yourself up. At Cradle Mtn left my pack in the Kitchen hut and didn’t go all the way to the summit (but stopped just 10 mins before) because couldn’t do the rock reaches). Then went to Waterfall Valley hut. Took about 5 hours included side trail. Funny side note: I was a tourist attraction for a Japanese family, as I was doing the Overland Track. They wanted a picture with me and also even took a pic of my Overland Track bag tag. :)
Day 2- Easy hike but forest bit in the beginning is somewhat easy to get lost in. Only went up to Lake Will and the beach there, didn’t go to Innes Falls. Stayed at Lake Windermere hut which was nicer than the first hut. I think about 4 hours including side trail.
Day 3- Hike seemed to go on forever, not hard but long and before Froggy Flats the forest took forever was about to cry cause thought I was lost..LOL. The wildflowers in this area are spectacular! Stayed at Pelion Hut which was nice and had an amazing veranda! Probably my favorite hut. 7 hours.
Day 4- Hiked to Mt Ossa’s point. In the platform you can get good views of all the surrounding mountains. At Mt Ossa didn’t go all the way due to the rock reach but got all the good views. Then hiked rest of way to Kia Ora hut (probably the oldest hut/not as nice as the others but still good). I took 5 hours since didn’t go all the way up the mountain.
Day 5- Hiked to Bert Nichols hut. On the way visited Harnett Falls which is 700 meters from the other falls junction on the Overland Track. Once at Harnett followed an unmarked path near the left of the cliff down to the falls. It was beautiful and highly recommended! Only went to Harnett Falls and not the others. The day took about 4.5 hours. Bert Nichols is a big hut but I think the veranda makes Pelion better.
Day 6- Was going to hike to Pine Valley but decided at the junction after going a bit of the way in to call it a day in terms of the trip. Walked the rest of the way to the last hut (Narcissus) which took about 3 hours it is flat but longer in km. I decided to take the ferry because the hut didn’t look so nice. Once I took the ferry I stayed in Lake St Clair area and did a day hike to Mt Rufus the following day. There are campsites and backpacker dorms at Lake St Clair. There is food and alcohol as well and showers which you need $1 coins for as it is $1 for 6 mins of hot water. And I finally got my mushroom pizza and glass of red wine! 
Funny side note: When I was ordering a glass of red wine the guy told me "Do you mind if it is from a cask of wine? " I looked at him quizzically and to clarify he said "You know a goon bag?" I still didn't understand and the gal who was with me laughed and had to clarify and said it was boxed wine. Suddenly understanding dawned on me..LOL!
After the Overland

Stayed at Launceston again. The Launceston Backpackers is clean and quiet (no alcohol permitted) but I don’t think the staff is that friendly but you will get a good sleep! You need to bring your own linens and towels unless you want to pay for them. Ate at Italian Pizza House (good enough pizza) and Star of Siam Thai restaurant (takeaway is much cheaper). Also you must try Tasmanian cheeses and pinot noir wine while you are here! The Brie cheese was real yum! Launceston library has free internet bookings (you book for one hour) but no wifi (you must use their computers) but it’s much better than the paid internet at the backpackers.

Now off to Cairns! (pronounced Cannes)

2011-01-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

My Last Continent

This starts my Australia posts..my last continent and I finally made it! Luckily all my travels has been on this blog (except Peace Corps). Remember that Sydney has free internet at the airport! That is the only free wifi (except libraries) that I have seen in Australia! Hostels have expensive slow internet..except for the Tropic Days one I am staying in Cairns (pronounced Cannes). The cheapest SIM card for US calls (5 cents a minute) is Lebara- but you need an unlocked phone that uses the Australian frequency (Google it).

Sydney

Slept most of the time in Sydney so didn’t see much. The Botanical Gardens are nice. I also did a wine tour with Boutique Wine Tours in Hunter Valley. It was a good tour and got to taste some yummy wine I really like the Luna Spark (tasted like Ice Wine) by Calvin’s or something like that. The other good wine tour is Wine Tour by Jason. Around Kent and Balhurst streets are all the outdoor shops if you need to buy stuff for your Overland Track trip. There is a Coles Supermarket at the World Plaza near George St. I stayed at Central Railway YHA and it was clean enough. The 8 bed dorm in the building had a bathroom/shower in the dorms.

New Year’s Eve

In terms of NYE the best place to see the fireworks and you can get there at 9 AM is Tarpeian Precinct. Everybody goes to Mrs MacQuaire’s Chair and they get there at 5 AM to get a good seat. You can go to Tarpeian and get the same view and get a nice seat as well- I think it’s not as well known. The fireworks were awesome! Totally recommend it if you are in Sydney and the weather to sit and wait was not too bad. I do recommend you bring your own food and make sure you bring sealed bottles of water/juice, otherwise you will have to throw them out!

If you would like to book a boat cruise just do it the day off because you can get a huge discount if they have room as they need to get rid of seats.

Now off to bushwalk the Overland Track!

2010-12-23T09:34:00.003-05:00

Well..I got my extension with Peace Corps! I will be on Zanzibar for a year working with the Ministry of Health and John Snow Inc (USAID Deliver Project) on strengthening health logistics systems. It will be an awesome opportunity as it combines my engineering background with international development. Eventually I want to work in health delivery systems and humanitarian logistics. First I would like some private industry experience in the medical industry and then I would like to branch out into the development side.

After Peace Corps, in order to accomplish my career goals, I need to get a grad degree since many jobs in development require one. My top choices are MIT, Michigan and Northwestern as they have excellent operations/logistics programs. I really like MIT (either the MLOG or LGO program) as it has research and coursework specifically in humanitarian logistics and health delivery systems. Michigan (MSCM, MPH, MBA) is great because it is well-rounded as a public university- the engineering, public health, and business programs are all great plus they have a ton of foreign languages on offer. Northwestern (MMM) has a great operations program and its bschool has a good focus on the non-profit sector.

We shall see if this happens and where the cards land...hopefully the motto of the 30's will be achieving most of my life goals. I will achieve the 7 continents goal on Saturday- a sign of what is to come! :)

2010-11-19T11:44:00.003-05:00

It's weird to let go for the better even though I don't want to. But at the same time it's time to move on with my life and just forget the past. At the same time, I have a new chapter and a new year coming up. Here's to turning 30. I will finally get to the last continent, maybe get a grad degree, and live life like I try to do. Settling? It's not for me.

2010-11-17T02:57:00.002-05:00

The Way Forward...

Two weeks left here but hopefully things will work out for the coming year. I hope to extend for a year working on something that is important to me. Tomorrow I turn 30! Wish me luck. :)

2009-02-20T00:26:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted on here for awhile... I haven’t posted anything from my February 2007 trip to Argentina, Antarctica, and Chile..so here it is..notes from my journal..finally typed..maybe it can help someone plan their own future trip..fulfill that personal legend waiting for you to complete:

2/2 Met a cool gal from Boston and her mom on the flight to Argentina. My luggage got lost so Continental gave me a $50 voucher to buy whatever I needed. Luckily I still remembered a bit of Spanish from high school but they say calle like caje. So basically the double ll is pronounced as a hard j. But if I say one thing in Spanish well then they start speaking with me and I don’t understand half the things they are saying with my high school knowledge yet amazingly I can answer whatever question they are asking so I guess it’s all good- they think they are getting a sympathetic ear and I get to practice my Spanish. I took the Manuel Tienda Leon bus into town from the airport. The weather was hot and humid which I totally didn’t plan for so I bought a skirt and tank top. Argentinean women dress well! For lunch I had some empanadas but they were baked unlike the Cuban ones that I have had in the States that are fried. Most natives here assume I am Indian (like they always do whenever I go somewhere that is not in the States) so I just let them think that. I am happy I didn’t stay at the Milhouse Youth Hostel definitely a party hostel unlike the pretty quiet Casa Jardin hostel which I prefer. The only thing was Casa Jardin was a bit hard for me to find initially.

2/3 Met up with Kevin the next day at a coffee shop called Bar Darrego. Then we went to Regotta Cementry, houses on La Boca, and the San Telmo area. We also walked along the Palermo Park. I had a cazuela (Argentinian stew) at Cumaria and also had Italian at Bellla Italian which were both good. When I went home I was so tired and couldn’t go out. Apparently Opera Bay in Puerto Maderdo is the bar to hang out and most were out till wee hours in the morn (4 AM). Could you imagine a US bar open that late? Well I guess some places in NYC are.

2/4 I had breakfast with the girl form the plane and her mom at Perrisapo. Pretty neat place you got to check out as the OJ here was the best..fresh squeezed..yum. Then I went into Centro to get tango shoes at Darco on Suipacha. Later that night I met up with the girl and her mother for tango, milonga, and rock (which is apparently swing and 50’s sock hop dancing) dancing at the community center in Palermo. It was fun dancing with people who weren’t tourists but Argentineans just trying to have a good time. And the guys here know how to lead. J

2/6 Went to Ushuaia yesterday and met up with Larry and Kevin. Went to Tierra del Fuego and meet some guys from Seattle. Ate lunch, it was rainy so we didn’t get any great scenic shots. We booked our trip through Polar Cruises and went with the company on the boat called the. The we boarded the Sarpik Ittuk where we had a captain’s reception. And for awhile we had smooth sailing so we did some bird sighting with Santigo.

2/7 Finally on the Drake Passage. Getting a bit nauseous I have the patch and bonine and still am feeling like being in bed all day. Luckily haven’t thrown up yet. The Aft Saloon is the worst part to be on the ship during this time. Had a fenergon pill (apparently used on astronauts for motion sickness) from the doctor’s on deck, felt a little bit more better. But I think I feel better from all 3 drugs pumped into my bloodstream..scary.

2/8 Feel a little better. Coffee helped as well as having all those drugs. Went to a lecture on the birds in Antarctica. First time I felt good enough to shower in a few days…yuck I know. J Smelly Anita. Saw some albatross.

2/9 Zodiac briefing which are these inflating rafts that have a motor engine. Going to Yankee Harbor the gentoos are so cute. They came up to us and as a laid down one put it’s wing on me like it was protecting me or was cuddling with me. J We saw a king penguin which is pretty rare on Yankee Harbor as well. Afternoon landing was the Barriontos Island to see chinstrap penguins and some Adelie. Island covered with green moss and rocks. From the ship we saw dolphins.

2/10 First time officially on Antartica- on the Peninsula. We went to Esperanza Base. We saw how they lived on the base. It was more of a political base than a scientific base. We saw post cards being sent for $2 but it wasn’t worth it. Some peeps played soccer with the Argentineans on the base. 2nd visit was Brown Bluff where we did some glacier walking and saw Adelies. Adelies are like cats but Gentoos are like dogs. At night we played cards.

2/11 Went to another Argentinean base, but ended up taking pictures of the penguins and seals. Then we took an amazing trip through glaciers and icebergs through Petral Cave. We saw glaciers reflecting off the water. Then I had an amazing talk with an older lady at lunch. It’s amazing how much they know about the middle east. It was amazing to see the snow- just soft powder..untouched, well sorta, by human civilization..just penguin poop. J

2/12 Went on a hike today. Saw Cuverville island we saw 3 seals on the ice..what a perfect picture! We also saw chinstraps and gentoos. In evening we hiked and saw human destruction from the whaling industry. A trash can was sitting next to a gentoo..it made an interesting picture..could this also be the future of Antarctica..as well as it’s past? On a glacier we saw a cave formation.

2/13 First in the morning we visited Deception Island. The destruction was quite depressing, but we climbed to a cliff where from it the scenery looked just like the scenery from the cliffs in California. It is amazing how the constrast of beauty to destruction is here..it is a paradox. In the afternoon we went to a place to see chinstrap penguins and macroni. Unfortunately we couldn’t find the macroni ones. L Then we did the Polar Plunge! I went twice as I did not think my first try counted. It wasn’t as cold as I expected..more like a cold shower. J Or a cold bath I should say.

2/14 In bed on valentine’s day..but not for that reason…no one here for that reason…let’s just say there were strong currents..the sea kind…bleh…

2/15 Last night..party time!

2/16 Hung out in Ushiua..there is nothing here really. Wanted to go hiking but it was a rainy day.

2/17 I met some students from the USA studying abroad here. One of guys mention UN Volunteers..gotta check it out! J I am encouraged to do the Peace Corps…a personal legend- if it’s yours the whole world conspires to make it happen..read the Alchemist..you‘ll know what I mean. Came up with a new list of places to see and new books to read..yikes! I got in the airport for my trip to Puntas Arenas. Out of the airport I was worried I wouldn’t get a bus to Puerto Natales since the bus reservations are not done from the airport nor are the reservations from USA valid nor can you make these reservations on the phone..yikes.. And I did not pay the $100 for the visa to Chile..somehow I missed doing this..or they let me go..who knows. But Bus Fernadez to the rescue! Apparently they had a bus at 17:30 at the airport. I got on it for $4000 ($500 = $1 USD). The bus guy was so nice he explained that the $10000 are called uno mil. He also got me a taxi and was worried since I was traveling alone. He told me that the taxi would charge me a certain fare..he was trying to do this so I wouldn’t get cheated..so nice. Thankfully my little knowledge of high school Spanish is coming back enough to get around here in South America. J Casa Cecila is so worth the $10000! It is warm and friendly here and the owners are pretty helpful. The breakfast good homemade bread with jam..yum! J Puerto Natales is your typical tourist town though it is a lot more interesting than Ushusia.

2/18 The day started out with the guy Edward from Casa Cecila helping me with the Jetboil stove..part of the fun will be using my Jetboil on this trip! Everyone is so amazed at this little stove. Though you can’t officially find the Jetboil canisters here you can use the Doite canisters here. Like most SA countries most things are closed on Sunday. I will go to the cambio de exchange and supermercado later today. Then I went to a restaurant called Casa de Pepe..they had vegeterian food that was pesto flavored tamales with a side of salad. The wine here is cheap..cheaper than bottled water..ha! At the hotel I met a mom and her daughter who will be hiking the Torres del Paine just like me. I also met a Chilean family staying here..which is odd since on trips such as these you only meet foreigners from other countries staying at tourist hotels..but I guess Cecila isn’t that touristy. I wish all of us luck on our journeys. The ice climbing in Torres now costs $140 USD..no way will I be doing that anymore. Apparently the tourism business doesn’t make much here..20% to CONAF..20% to taxes..yikes.

2/19 Torres del Paine. I am here the weather was beautiful today but rain clouds are on the horizon. Good thing I took pictures today. As long as it rains only tomorrow and no other days than I am set, but knowing my luck maybe not. Entrance fee was 15000, Catamaran one way 11000 two ways 17000, bus roundtrip is 12000. Refugio stay is $126 total for Grey, Paine, Grande, Cuernos and Chileno. I started the day by taking a bus from Casa Cecila at 7:30 AM. I recommend you stay and book everything through Casa Cecila..no commission unlike some others. Stay on the bus after paying your ticket and get off at Pudeto. The catamaran ride is about 30-45 mins but I didn’t start trekking till 12:45/1 pm. I walked with an American gal but she was going fast because she was there only on a day trip. I thought I was late getting to Grey and thought it was 6 pm but it was only 4:15 pm when I reached there. So I laid down for a few minutes and then I went to check out the mirador and walked to Gudas Amaras for another mirador with two people from Denmark. With no pack it was 2 hours roundtrip. Luckily it doesn’t seem to get dark here till 9 pm so I was ok. At the refugio they were impressed by the jetboil. The peeps were so nice and took me in. And later I talked to a Chilean guide (he was leading US tourists whereas I was there alone..no guide). We talked about philosophy and poverty and travel..he was a cutie.

2/20 I am in Paine Grande, just took a nice hot shower and boy do I feel great. 2 days of trekking and the sweat was washed all in the shower. A hot shower sure does massage aching geet and turn them back to normal. Better than sleep…you can see I get too much time to reflect..too much time alone..not a good thing..just kidding. Lots of people seem to travel the world in their late 20s/early 30s nowadays. I met many people like this on my trip…quitting their job to do it. Maybe after I do PC I will do a 6 month trip to Austrailia, Tibet, Nepal, etc. So anyways getting onto the real stuff. I saw the Chilean guide one more time this morning and said goodbye to him. Somehow the On the radio song by Nelly Furtado is in my head. At Paine Grande I had drinks with English peeps and their guide. I had a nice Pisco Sour that the English peeps got me..so in my silly Pisco Soured state I will tell you about my hike. While hiking I saw a rainbow and saw it dissapear..was it a sign? Ha. J How ironic. We talked about good coming out of bad and I used a rainbow in that example. I saw a rainbow today which is good..but the bad..is the rain..that comes before the rainbow appears. J We also talked to a cute Austrian guy I think he was close to 40.. When I see the beauty here I wish I had someone to share this with. I think we all do when we see nice things…or maybe some of us don’t. But those are the only times that I wish I had someone..most time I am happy to be alone..or don’t even notice it actually as I am busy getting to know the people around me. The Austrian guy told me not to go all the way to Britanico mirador but another guy said to go..so I think I am going to do it.

2/21- I got up early to walk..the sun didn’t rise till 6:48 AM so I started walking out at 7 AM…no one was out but I knew I will get passed eventually along the way..my snail pace with a heavy pack (well heavy for me..I am little). At Italiano I met an Italian couple and hiked with them to the mirador and hiked down myself. At 2:30/3 pm I left Italiano to Cuernos. All this time I was wondering how psychologically it could affect you if you could see the end of your destination. Is it better to be able to see the finish from the start or not see it at all if the distance is long? Well I guess it can have a good effect on you to see it which is not surprising..since I could see the end. On the beach I going towards Cuernos I saw a guy from my Casa Cecilia stay..it is funny that I will automatically assume that all tourists will know Spanish if they don’t know English..I guess it is ‘cause it is the only other language I know in these parts. There are lots of Chileans surprisingly hiking around here…but I guess Chile has a good economy that is why.

2/22 Today I am at Chileno. I had soup and a hot cocoa for 3000 and 1500 respectively and a glass of milk 1000. I saw the English people again. They are staying at the hosteria. It took me 6 hours to get to the hostel including breaks so I was proud of myself for being on book time. I really think I am getting better at walking because I think the days before is harder than the last. It may just be that I am used to the pain of walking. My feet are used to the pounding on rock and gravel. If you really think about this, the hike is not that hard, I have been on worse. But I think the long distances and hours of walking with a big pack for 5 days takes a toll on one. Every second I think why am I doing this but when I see a great view I quickly forget that thought. And the weird thing is I know how much pain this is but I don’t care and I want to tackle better and bigger things. It’s this adventurous drive or whatever..I don’t know what posssess me to do such things..the challenge possibly? The rush at the end when you know you’ve tackled something grand at least for your limits- pushing your body to the max. I saw all the same faces throughout my trek here at the refugio. I hiked with the Spanish man from Casa Cecila..it was funny I had to converse in Spanish because he didn’t know English..I don’t know how I did it..but we talked somehow. I even met a guy from Usushia! Talk about coincidences..it was his first day on the trek..he was starting the other way. The English couple’s tour guide told me that in order for the colors to happen the horizon has to be clear. Hopefully it doesn’t rain tonight and I will be able to see the colors. I am having doubts but I am hopeful..you gotta have hope! I pray for good weather tomorrow as well since the Torres is the highlight of this thing but I will go anyways because I have to. I also need to take the early bus at 2:30 from Laguna Amerga. The trail was uphill and downhill, the worst part was the 2 hours to Chileno. It is getting quite cold and the sun is setting it’s funny how I adapted to the cold. I don’t need a jacket. There is a program to maintain Torres del Paine trails apparently…sponsored by Fantistico Sur. The funny thing is they sell condoms at the refugios as part of the store..as well as the usual camping stuff. At night many people asked me how come most Americans don’t travel independently (like I do). I don’t have a good answer and am tired of answering these questions. I seem to be sort of an ambassador for the US while I am traveling.. I think it is because America itself is big and we don’t get enough vacation time to go abroad. The park is not as crowded as I imagined- nothing like the Inca trail. It’s more like every 30 mins you might see someone…of course it all depends on the time of day you hike and how fast/slow you are. I tend to start early so I am not ending too late in the day. I only saw people occasionally and usually hiking the opposite way from me.

2/23 Today woke up at 4 AM. I saw that the sky wasn’t clear and then at sunrise there was a light rain so I was a disappointed but of course I went forward with the Germans. This Chilean guy along the way commented on my eyes. Then caught the bus. But it was overbooked so ending up standing in the aisle for a few hours..this was an experience. Later on we all got together at a food place in Puntas Arenas..Mermitas- Mesita Grande. Took a flight back to BA and then one from BA back home sometime. I think more older people seem to travel than younger ones. Got back 2/26/2007...life is good. One more continent to go..Austrailia..and a ton more places too!

2008-08-19T18:41:00.003-04:00

I am learning alot about letting go and moving on these past few weeks. It's hard not to meet new people, but I realize that I won't be able to keep in touch with them for long.

2008-07-20T22:08:00.002-04:00

I am in Michigan and now have unloaded my UPack truck. Seems like a little piece of me is leaving the CT one by one. It is a strange feeling to let go of everything and I am going through a weird emotional time right now. But it's all gone. Even my house which I closed on July 15th. I am slowly losing my CT identity but it's all for the best. I hope to gain something from my new journey..though only time will tell.

2008-07-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

The UPack truck finally came to my front door. This is it, the big moment emptying my house has come. It's sort of unreal, but then again when you move on from one chapter of life to another it usually is. I remember how when I first started my job and my move to CT I couldn't believe it was happening- the feeling is similar but on a larger scale. This time is different, it's not like I can visit my parents twice a year or call them on the phone every week. The moment may not hit me till I am there.

I have given away most of my stuff and thrown out the stuff that no one would take. It will be a fresh new start when I come back to the US, a clean slate. It's fearful but in a good way- the word awesome does well to describe it.

2008-06-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

So I finally completed my first marathon. The San Diego Rock N Roll marathon. My splits were as follows:

FName LName City State Country Age Sex ChipTime ClockTime Overall SexPl DivPl Pace Ttldiv Ttlsex 10K Half 21 Mi
Anita Ramamurthy Manchester CT 27 F 4:00:20 4:02:45 2706 690 186 9:10 2107 8425 52:42 1:52:21 3:04:22

2008-04-26T15:23:00.002-04:00

I am always looking for travel clothes that aren't sold at regular price (those types can be expensive).

Some travel clothes:

Patagonia Vitaliti Vee- very soft, poly/cotton so it should be nice enough for hot weather (cotton) at the same time quick drying for when you need to hand wash/line dry. (poly)

Patagonia Capilene 3 long undies- warm but lightweight for those high mtn treks and for pajamas.

Patagonia Capri Go II- Quick drying pants with a slim fit and security pocket.

Contourwear Convertible Skirt- wear it long for conservative environments or short for more fun. ;P Quick dry but professional looking skirt. Pencil, slim skirt.

Contourwear Zip Long Sleeve Tee- Professional looking. Zip Sleeves so you can wear it short sleeved.

Macabi Skirt- More casual, flowing skirt but also quick drying. Lets you convert to pants and shorts. Neat idea.

Outdoor Research Refuge Down Jacket- Waterproof outerlayer. 650 fill down with hood. Inner waterbottle and media pockets so your stuff doesn't freeze.

REI Taku Jacket- Great waterproof jacket. Made with a stretchy fabric.

MSR Hubba Tent- Nice one person lightweight tent.

Jetboil Stove- Good stove to boil water for freeze dried meals or for hot cocoa.

Marmot Teton 0 degree Down sleeping bag- Perfect for those mountain treks. Down is warm and light to carry.

Osprey Luna Pack- Last year's model but more than 4000 cubic inches! Perfect for around the world travel.

2008-04-06T14:39:00.000-04:00

I have tried Amaz Padz. It's not bad. Doesn't leak and is comfy. I think the 9 inch ones are good for days and the 11 inch deluxe ones are good for night time use. It's not as thick as I expected but it isn't as thin as an Ultra Thin one..just like a Regular Pad. And it's not itchy and sticky like the plastic. Very comfy. It may be a bit of a hassle to wash them all the time if you only get a few pads, though it's not that bad.

2008-03-16T13:10:00.001-04:00

Ok for those wanting to use cloth feminine products..here are two sites that looked the most interesting to me in terms of me actually buying them:

Amaz Padz

Luna Pads

I am going to try and get some Amaz Padz this week and I have an order in for Luna..will let you know how it goes.

2008-03-14T23:50:00.000-04:00

Some random stuff. I am in San Diego right now for a conference for work. Staying at the Residence Inn San Diego Central...it's not too bad. Close to the freeway but not too close that you hear traffic...occasionally I hear planes. Some good recommendations for places to eat on Convoy St (Asian Food Galore) is Dumpling Inn 4619 Convoy St. Another good area to try is near the airport for Little Italy food..Zia's Bistro is what I had and wasn't too bad.

In Charlotte NC check out the Aids Walk Bar Crawl that happens in March.

Now that I am doing the Peace Corps in terms of travelling some interesting stuff: Contourwear (nice travel clothes), great skirt with different lengths to zip on or off..washable, quick dry, and looks professional. Solio or Voltaic Backpacks for solar powered. Also I am going to try and order some Luna Pads (for feminine issues) I will let you know how that goes.

2008-02-01T19:39:00.000-05:00

I got some great news! I applied to the Peace Corps for Sept 2008 and I am invited to Tanzania for their information communications technology (ICT) secondary school teacher program! I just got my invite in the mail today!

I am very excited!

2007-12-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

There is that moment of instant connection. Over a cup of coffee, sharing in a funny moment, returning something that belongs to someone…something that you have with a stranger in the bookstore. In my case it was the returning of something. It’s been awhile since I have written something of my ponderings in life and of human nature. It’s been awhile because I haven’t had time to breathe and reflect, but now I do. It’s not that I haven’t had profound moments happen in my life, it’s just that I haven’t had time to analyze them like I like to do so much. And there is that moment when you know that things have changed, that friendship has transcended into something more, and that time, depending on the situation, that one begins to analyze if this is right or just allow oneself to embrace the moment and go with the flow, so to speak, not allowing any “definitions” to get in the way. And in Barnes and Nobles I am thinking about this. Though I haven’t had the latter happen, I just felt like writing about it, especially since I have a self-imposed upon myself a restriction to not become involved with anyone romantically. You might find this restriction strange, but I don’t, for I will soon leave this place that I have called home for more than 5 years. I am surprisingly at peace and very happy about that restriction because I know I am control, I am in charge of my own destiny to that effect-I can say “no” and have a good reason for it. But I digress, like I so often like to do, because I haven’t even gotten to my original topic of this paragraph, and I have forgotten what I was going to write; so I will leave you with a good night.

2007-11-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving...so what did I do?

The day before I went to a spaghetti dinner for the Manchester Road Race. It was amazing meeting all of the elite athletes. Some of them were short like me! :) And some guys were definite cuties.
The day of I started with yoga at Samadhi Yoga studio. Then did the Manchester Road Race which I was a slow at since I was at the back with all the riff raff but I was treating this like a recovery run! :) Later that evening I went to see the movie Enchanted with my co-worker and her friends. It's a cute girly movie and it got good reviews. So that was it..my great Thanksgiving. The day after I made a great chana saag recipe that I found..though I think I am going to try modifying it next time I make it.

2007-11-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

My bday was November 18th! How did I celebrate it? I ran a half marathon in Philly..yup the city I was born in. It was great staying at the hostel Chaumonix Maison I got to meet other runners and we bonded over spaghetti. Luckily the people staying where pretty nice so they shared food with the rest of us since they had alot of pasta leftover. In the morning I took a cab with some gals (about $14 total from hostel to start of race) and they were first timers at the race. During the race I was feeling good doing 8:30 but around mile 10 my injury came back to hunt me so I started walking a little. My overall pace ended up being 9:40 not bad for someone who hasn't run more than 3 miles since my marathon and still has an injury. But really what helped me was a hug I got in the middle of the race. :)
Then I went to Philly Art Museum up the Rocky steps and stayed there for the rest of the day. I also got to see Temple U during packet pickup. Philly definitely doesn't compare to NYC but I think that is because I didn't research my trip well since I knew I would be running.

2007-10-21T15:56:00.001-04:00

So I didn't finish my last marathon...that is the Hartford one. I ran 23.5 miles, 17 of them at a 8:40/mile pace and the last few before I couldn't finish considerably slower. Why couldn't I finish? Well I sat down to stretch because my leg was cramping up, bad idea. I couldn't stand up even though I wanted to. One the of the SAG bikers had to get someone to carry me to the van. It was a definite setback, but I am recovering slowly. I want to do the Philly Marathon on my bday and this one I will run much slower..just to finish. What I learned? Do not sit down to stretch! Walk off your cramps and then stretch..actually don't slow down period. Keep running even if it's just a shuffle.

2007-09-19T22:03:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking lately about an idea in Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” and an idea in one of my favorite poems called “Curiosity” by Alastair Reed. The idea of curiosity, of adventure, of taking a path that could challenge and change me for better or for worse. If I stay where I am now and accept some stuff into my life that I refuse to accept at this point I could be comfortable, I could live a life of enough money to survive, probably even get married and settled. But I don’t need that, I need the challenge, I need the adventure and that is where I am at right now. Of course there is times when I question my decision, is it the right one? But I am resolute that it is. I am 90% sure that this is for me, yet what I want to do after this I am not quite sure. But there will be an opportunity for me in this uncertain future, maybe something surprisingly different than what I am doing now. It’s just taking that first leap that is scary and I am doing it in baby steps instead.

2007-09-17T07:39:00.000-04:00

Bought a road bike last weekend. Just tried it out this weekend. Forgot I had a toe basket and fell down. Watched Dragon Boat on the Riverfront. That was pretty neat. This week coming up going to NYC Thursday. My friend is coming to visit this weekend.

2007-09-05T18:34:00.001-04:00

Waiting..it's something I must do..I like to be efficient and get things done..but it's good to wait once in awhile..it teaches me patience.

2007-09-05T18:27:00.000-04:00

All I can focus on these days is various athletic events. This past weekend I ran in the New Haven 20K road race. I was going strong until the last mile when I got a side stitch..basically a cramp in the stomach area. So my time was off a bit...oh well..I will learn next time. Next few competitions: Hartford Marathon (hopefully under 4 hours)October 12th 2007, Hartford Women's Sprint Triathlon September 16th 2007, and the Columbia Olympic Distance Triathlon May 18th 2008. I also hope to sign up for the Timberman 70.3 Half Ironman Triathlon August 18th 2008 and the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon June 1st 2008. That will round out my competitions for the next year or so. After that I will train, but I may not be competing for a few years. I am hoping for some bigger changes in my life in the next year or so. I will post them up as soon as I know, I don't want to jinx myself.

2007-08-21T06:28:00.000-04:00

I am debating whether I should try a half Ironman..it's called Barb's Race and it's the only all-women's half-Ironman. It's based on a woman who survived cancer and seems like a fun but competitive race as opposed to a half-Ironman which may have more competitive people (macho men and strong women). I am just doing it for fun..I know I am not going to beat any records..I may finish last! :) For more info:

Barb's Race

It's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. The only thing I don't know if I could do is the swim, but it's in August of next year so I have a year to train. I can do the bike but I will have to pick up my speed and because I am training for a marathon I am certain I can do the run (it's half the distance of a marathon). The registration is in October so I have a few months to debate the possibility. The hard part will be getting a road bike and then having to transport the darn thing. But at least I don't have to drive!!

2007-08-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

I am an Iron Girl!! My race is over and I did it. Weee! It feels good. I was race number 1985. I didn't really train for the bike or the swim that much. I would swim once a week if I could get around to it starting in June and bike occasionally (though I did once a week bike to work in the beginning of spring). But my run time really showed through the marathon training I am doing. I did a 8:58 min pace despite having my legs feel like bricks the whole time and despite swimming. I didn't do any brick training, that's the bike/run training to help your legs feel less like lead after the bike. Swimming was pretty surprisingly stronger than I thought (but still not strong enough) considering I did mainly breaststroke and freestyle, alternating each, and considering that I didn't train much for the swim. Guess I will have to thank my parents for all those swim lessons as a kid. :) The bike I did 12 mph pace which I expected since it was hilly..like real hilly. More hills than CT but just as steep as going over the bridges when I did Bike NYC last year. So I am happy with my finish time of 2 hours and 32 minutes. It was 1100 yards of swimming in about 29 mins, 17.5 miles of biking in about 1 hour 27 mins, and 3.5 miles of running in 30.5 mins. Now I am going back to CT! See you at work. Oh BTW I am body marked 1985 in permanent marker so if you see me with numbers all over my body you'll know why! :)

2007-08-19T04:39:00.000-04:00

The morning of the race

I got up at 4 AM this morning..yes 4 AM. I am supposed to get to the park by 5:30 AM and it opens at 5 AM. My wave starts at around 8:12 AM. Once I am there I need to get body marked and set up my transition area. Last night we racked our bikes (put the seat on the bar of the thing holding it up).

Last night had dinner at 5 AM (which is early for me) at Aida. It consisted of a greens salad and whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce. I had lots of water yesterday. Then went to sleep around 8:45 pm.

Now I am pumped and ready to go! Wish me good luck!

2007-08-18T11:58:00.000-04:00

So here I am in Columbia MD competing in the Iron Girl sprint triathlon this weekend..it's tomorrow actually. I am so excited. Some tips for fellow newbies. Get a good nights sleep two nights before the race because the night of the race you get very excited. Check out the course beforehand if possible: drive the bike route to get to know the hills. You can swim or run the route the day before if it's a sprint tri.

I am definitely a newbie. I tried open water swimming in Lake Terramungus in Malborough CT just last week and it freaked me out but I think when I see other people next to me I won't be as scared. Doing it yourself in open water can be a bit daunting. And I still have a ton of questions but seeing the actually site has put me at ease..a bit. I guess I won't really know till I race the course.

The Columbia race seems very well put together and it's at Centennial Lake Park. A 1K swim (that's 1100 yards of swimming), a 20K bike, and a 5K run (overheard it's actually a 4 mile run not 3.1). I am staying at the Courtyard by Marriott and I ate pasta at Aida (it's a pretty good place). I am going to the Sheraton to attend the race talk and buy some souveniers.

Wish me luck! I will write more if/when I actually finish this thing.

2007-08-16T07:46:00.000-04:00

WiSE Gals at Laura's wedding in May

2007-08-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

I am a pretty honest person, but I realize that honesty can be a bad thing when it hurts someone. I have found that out the hard way and I am sorry.

2007-01-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Some pics from the Xmas dinner I went with friends in CT.

Sexy Asian Divas

Some friends and I

2007-01-01T22:41:00.000-05:00

I spent my Xmas break in MI and I had fun. It was great seeing my college friends again at New Year's and sharing our memories of the WiSE floor. It was also nice to celebrate Eid with a fellow friend from college. And of course it was great to see my family! And it didn't snow in MI! :)

2006-12-18T00:24:00.000-05:00

As I walk through the mall I hear people talking to themselves. What? How strange I think. Until I see things sticking from their ears. They are talking on their cellphone. For a minute there, I thought they were like me..talking to themselves. But I think cellphones can be worse sometimes. At least when I talk to myself I am not distracted from all that is happening around me, or am I? :)

2006-12-18T00:23:00.000-05:00

A person at work invited me to his house to have some Ethiopian food. It was nice meeting his wife. And it was cool to help prepare the food! I learned how to make shiro wet which is my favorite Ethiopian dish.

2006-12-17T00:21:00.000-05:00

Today I went to a party for my friend's work place. I have noticed that I have changed. For some reason something in me is different in the way I interact with people. This change seems pretty sudden as I didn't use to be like this last year. Maybe my new job is doing this to me.

2006-12-14T00:19:00.000-05:00

Some new comments: Try Thali in New Haven. The food is excellent. I went for brunch with my friends this past weekend.
Also this past weekend I went to Boston to a NetSAP party, and I met some pretty cool people. And a college friend that I haven't seen in a long time.

2006-12-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

So I have made the department calendar with my picture of Macchu Picchu. Here is the pic that I submitted:

2006-12-10T20:55:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of my new hairstyle. I haven't put up the end result yet. Of course this is after 3 months of hair growth (I cut 10 inches for Locks of Love).

2006-12-06T23:40:00.000-05:00

I lost my phone and now I have a cool new Nokia 6133. So send my your numbers because I don't mean to offend anyone by not calling them. :)

2006-12-06T23:28:00.000-05:00

From Jingying, at least I still know how to have fun:

You Have A Type A Personality

You are hyper, energetic, and always on the move.
You tend to succeed at everything you attempt.
And if you don't succeed at first, you quickly climb your way to the top!

You could be called a workaholic, but you also make time for fun.
As long as it's high energy and competitive, you're interested.
You have the perfect personality for business and athletic success!

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

2006-12-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

Alright I am rightfully accused of not putting anything in this darn thing. I am going to fill it up tonight. So for the latest update here are some random thoughts. Tonight was the last night of ESL for the year, I will see my class again next year as everyone told me they would be coming back. I am amazed at how my Spanish has came back to me. I actually translated something for someone at work today, but I told them that I am NOT quitting my day job. I am going to make Thai papaya salad for my work party which I learned how to make from a friend. It's funny how many people are leaving work in my department, maybe it's a sign or maybe I am reading too much into it. And I am now transferring assignments but doing the same thing just on a different program.

2006-12-03T23:15:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I visited a friend in Boston. I was happy when UCLA beat USC. I was angry when Florida became number 2 over Michigan. I was ectastic when I found injera bread at a convenience store. And I can now finally make some shiro wot (Ethiopian) because my fellow co-worker gave me some shiro powder. I laughed at the fact that we almost went to all 3 Brown Sugar Cafes (Thai).

2006-12-01T23:13:00.000-05:00

Happy December! I went to a Phoenix Insurance party at the Hartford Convention Center with some friends. It was a good time and it was fun to see older people getting drunk (especially when you are the sober one) and watching them boogie on the dance floor. Luckily my $30 gown from Sears got some use for the 3rd time.

2006-11-30T23:11:00.000-05:00

I went to hear the Chinese ambassador speak. I will have to say I wasn't impressed. Maybe he wasn't saying anything because he is a diplomat but for what he said I could have just read Wikipedia. Instead of talking about economics (which was the point of the talk), he talked about peace. Later that night I went salsa dancing with a friend. And earlier this week I saw a friend that was taking tango lessons. I may end up taking tango next year, in prep for going to Argentina. :)

2006-11-29T23:09:00.000-05:00

I went to a CT Forum panel about Leaders and Winners at the Bushnell. All the panelist were leaders that did some sort of social service type leadership. There also was the guy from the Apprentice. Seeing him speak, I can see why he won. He really is good. All in all I think it was informative.

2006-11-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend just past. On Thanksgiving day I ran a cold, windy, wet from rain race of 4.75 miles in Manchester (the Manchester Road Race). Even though the conditions were less than ideal there were tons of people running it, you really felt the spirit, apparently 10000 peeps run this thing. It inspires me to run a Marathon. Then a couple of friends that didn't have family got together for a potluck. The Friday of Thanksgiving I went up to Mass to visit a friend. The Saturday I went to Wrenthem outlets in Mass and got a ton of things at the JCrew. I bought an awesome coat but spent more than I would ever spend on a coat. But I think the coat was well worth the price. Sunday I stayed in and relaxed

2006-11-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

My birthday is today! And so is the MI vs Ohio State game. Too bad we lost to Ohio State..now if we can just keep our number 2 status which won't happen.

2006-11-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

This was an exciting weekend as I got to see my friends from college, it was like a mini-reunion. :) We had lunch in Chinatown at Dim Sum Go Go where there was 10 different types of veggie dumplings! We saw the Bodies exhibit which was interesting. We had dinner at Alta in the village and had some deep talks at a coffeeshop nearby. The next day we had dosa at Banana Leaf. Then I met up with another friend of ours for facials in Chinatown. Finally we finished the day off with the Ginger Cafe. I got home at 1 am and had to go to work the next day.

2006-11-05T22:55:00.000-05:00

I woke up at 4 am to hike Mt Moosilauk with some members of the AMC. Never hike a Mtn that has ice on it without some sort of stabilizer be it Yak Trak, Stableicers, or crampons. Luckily I had hiking poles which I wasn't going to bring but I did. My poor knees I must have fell 5 times or so just on the way up! I was late in meeting the group but I met them at the top. The people were nice and I learned some hiking trips along the way. I also met some fellow world travellers. The winter view was awesome. And the hot chocolate with sundried tomato bagel was the best part.

2006-10-31T22:58:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had free tickets to see No Exit with some friends at the Hartford stage. Apparently it was a French extenstialist writer. There some extenstialism in the play but I don't think it was incorporated that smoothly.

2006-10-27T20:11:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I have blogged and I will have to backdate posts. I had a pumpkin carving party yesterday. I had pumpkins, cider and donuts. Eva baked a apple crumb cake from a Food Network Emeril recipe. I carved a pumpkin with the symbol Pi. Get it Pumpkin Pi! :)
We all were quoting the wonders of pumpkin seed roasting at different points during the night.
I will be coming home to MI for Xmas but staying here in CT for Thanksgiving.

2006-10-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Diwali! I had some friends over my house and I cooked 3 indian dishes: Okra Sambar, Tindoora Curry, and Spinach with Dahl. I had Basmati Rice and Yogurt as well. All in all I was impressed that I could cook so much. Though I would say the worst part was cooking the dahl.

2006-10-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to Acadia with some friends from work. It was cold but it was worth it to sleep underneath the stars with no light pollution. Also you woke up to the fall colors that were now peaking. And the sunset/sunrise from Cadillac Mtn was the best. Sunrise at Cadillac is the first point in the continental US. We stayed at the Blackwoods campground inside the park. And we had hookah and a campfire at night.

2006-10-06T22:48:00.000-04:00

Apparently there is this good Vietnamese vegetable called rau muong. My friend told me about it. If you like spinach you'll like this one. :)

2006-09-17T22:45:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to visit my sister in Houston. We had dinner at a nice restaurant and went out afterwards. It was nice to meet my sister's friends. We went to a bar to watch the MI vs Notre Dame game and it was great to see MI cream Notre Dame. The weird thing is that they heat up the salsa in Houston instead of serving it cold. To me it doesn't taste good heated up. All and all it was neat to see her again but the humidity reminded me of India. :)

2006-09-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

This past week I flew during Sept 11th to PHX. Nothing major happened but the memories will always be there. I actually had fun in PHX this time, sure I worked but I hang out with a co-worker of mine. We took pictures of the sunset from Piestwa peak and of PHX itself at night. We went to a pretty hip restaurant near Camelback Mtn and we went to an Irish pub called Rula Bula where I discovered Guiness the only beer I can drink. The pub was fun because we did a quiz night and we made friends with the people sitting near us. This is my last time in PHX. And this one tech gave me a parting gift. I felt loved. She told me about this good mexican place nearby to the plant called Susie's cafe. She also told me enchilada's were originally made with cheese because they were the poor man's food. I also went to the Cabella's flagship store in PHX.

2006-09-10T22:36:00.000-04:00

Danger, intrigue, survival of the fittest. Or maybe just plain survival. I felt like I was on a show on how to survive at the top of a mountain during a lightning, hail storm. How you may ask? Well my friend and I hiked up Mt Washington this past weekend and we got caught in ridge line at the top with low viz. On top of this we got lost and there was hail and lightning. Luckily we got out of it alive but boy was I scared. We were on the way to the Lake of the Clouds hut. Never hike a mountain in the afternoon, I knew this but I didn't heed the warnings at least this time. I have in the past.

On the bright side, it was beautiful hiking through Tuckerman's Ravine and it was great staying at the hut. And the next day the sun was gorgeous. We could see from Mt Monroe. Mt Washy had low viz still though but no storms. :)

2006-09-08T22:32:00.000-04:00

Something was weighing me down, what was this weight I carry on my shoulders? Oh yes it's my hair and now it's gone! Well not really but it feels so light when I turn myself in circles. It must be those 10 inches. Yes those 10 inches are finally gone from my head. And now I have a shoulder length layered bob with side bangs. I must say I look more professional and now some child will hopefully be wearing my hair. My dad always joked that I had so much hair I could donate some of mine to him, well now I donated mine to someone else that I will never meet.

For more info on how you can donate your hair, search for Locks for Love.

2006-09-07T22:28:00.000-04:00

In Seattle I had this grand theory about homelessness and buying them a lunch. Well tonight while hanging out with friends I got a chance to put this theory into action. Unfortunately the friends I was hanging out with had good intentions and were guys. When the homeless man approached us and I was going to offer to buy him dinner, I was thwarted in my attempt by my friends. And then the cops came. Yes they came to warn us that this man is a drug addict and that is why he is where he is. I know that could be the case, but I still wanted to hear his story. Unfortunately and maybe thankfully for me, this may never be the case.

2006-09-04T09:32:00.000-04:00

I was in PHX this past week for work. The next day I went backpacking near the Bonds in the White Mtns of NH. I didn't expect it to be so strenuous but it was, yet I am glad I did it. This is the second time I have gone backpacking this year. We took the Zealand Rd route past the hut to the Guyot campsite. I will have to say the Zeacliff lookout was worth everything and so was the view from Mt Guyot. We didn't do the whole plan as we didn't want to encounter the slippery rocks that come with rain. But I will go back again sometime probably next year.

2006-08-23T20:53:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to a wedding where I knew no one. Yes I felt like the people in the Wedding Crashers, except I am not the life of the party. How does that work out you may ask? Well my parents are here for the week, and my dad's colleague was the one who invited us to it. The people were nice and I think if I knew the bride better I could have been friends with her. It was a Hindu/Jewish wedding with both ceremonies being performed. It is interesting how there are many different parallelisms within religion and seeing both ceremonies being performed only amplified that fact for me.

2006-08-23T20:43:00.000-04:00

I am going to PHX again next week. After that I am backpacking the Presidential Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with some people.

2006-08-23T20:38:00.000-04:00

I am finding out that people have different organization styles and just because mine is different doesn't mean it is necessarily wrong. Another thing it is better to avoid confrontation, better to forget than to face your problems head on. But that isn't usually how I live but I have to at this point.

And I hate playing hard ball but sometimes you are forced to.

2006-08-13T20:44:00.000-04:00

I rode my bike along the Cape Cod Canal Rail Trail for 44 miles roundtrip. For some reason I have been lazy about riding and hiking the last few weeks. It seems as though work zaps all my strength. I have had dreams of work which I have never had before. This means I like work, that intensity means I like what I am doing.

2006-08-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

I was in PHX since July 28th for work. It has been a hectic week (working 6 days a week, about 60 hours work weeks), but it has been fun. I have learned alot about the shop floor. I find that being nice works on the floor and being interested in what is being done also does as well. Some restaurants I have been include Barrio Cafe, Different Pointe of View (totally recommend), House of Tricks, Rosita's Place, Pita Jungle(recommend), House of Vegetarian Chinese Buddhist(recommend), and Los Dos Molinos. One Sunday a co-worker and I went up to Sedona and saw Montezuma's Castle. And I met some other neat people. Even though I was tired and stressed, it was a great experience.

2006-07-24T20:56:00.000-04:00

I went over my friend's place in New Haven. It was nice to hang out with a different crowd. We did some belly dancing and played some cards.

2006-07-17T23:08:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to the Cape with Elle and Robert. We camped at Nickerson State Park. On Sat we went to PTown and biked along the sand dunes. Then we explored PTown a bit. We made a campfire and had some smores/hotdogs. The next day we went out to the beach. Next week I want to bike the rail trail along the Cape.

2006-07-16T20:34:00.000-04:00

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

2006-07-16T20:31:00.000-04:00

2006-07-13T23:41:00.000-04:00

An interesting concept:

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

2006-07-12T21:54:00.000-04:00

So this morning my co-worker asked me if I knew about the bombs in Mumbai. Apparently my uncle was on one of the trains but he was a few cars away so luckily he is alright. So my family that lives in Mumbai are alright..thank God.

For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/12/mumbai.blasts/index.html

Seems like my family in India seems to be near most of the bad stuff but thankfully so far they come out alright.

2006-07-10T23:52:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went backpacking in the AT near the Mass/VT border. It was so nice to be there. I stepped on a snake and I ate some wild blueberries. We also built a campfire and I met thru-hikers that are doing the AT (more than 2000 miles) from GA to ME. And I also met a couple of people doing the Long Trail. We hiked 6 miles in and set up camp and then hiked out 6 miles. It was an experience I definitely want to have again..this time possibly alone.

2006-07-06T22:12:00.000-04:00

While I was roaming the streets of Seattle/Vancouver I came up with an idea. Taking a different homeless person out for lunch once a month. Give them a limit and say to them no alcohol. And enjoy each other's company. It is a great idea. I can expand more on it later but I thought I would get it out there before I forget. Too bad I don't live in a real city where I can implement this but when I do I will.

2006-07-05T22:14:00.000-04:00

I went to Seattle/Vancouver for the 4th of July weekend. I didn't get to go to Mt Rainier but I got to see the two cities. The first night I spent in Seattle. I got in around midnight on Thursday and took the 174 which is a 24 hour bus from the airport to the hostel (1.25). I recommend the HI Seattle hostel. It was close to everything yet clean. That morning I took the Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver and then the bus to UBC Vancouver. I was expecting UBC to be closer to Vancouver downtown but it wasn't. So the dorms I stayed at were awesome yet I didn't do much because I wasn't close enough to downtown. I did go to Wreck beach where gals can go topless and guys go bare. It was interesting for me. I felt like such a prude. Then I went to Wun's Noodle house in Chinatown which was awesome and to Superior Tofu for some fresh tofu. Both near Keefer St. I walked in Stanley Park near the seawall. I also got in on some Canada Day celebrations. I tried to go to Mountain Equipment Coop but it wasn't open (like EMS/REI). :(

Then I found a travel partner from Montana. He was going from Vancouver to Seattle but he went back to Montana that night so I didn't get to hang out with him much. He was a nice guy and we talked for awhile. Then I walked down to REI in Seattle and saw the flagship store. It was awesome but a 65 foot climbing wall. I bought so much stuff while I was there. After that I went to Broadway in Capitol Hill area and went to a Vietnamese restaurant and had vegetarian pho! It was an experience. I walked along Pike and Pine and saw the cool alt bars and coffeehouses. You got to check out the Bauhaus on Pine St. I had some drinks with peeps from the hostel.
The next day I went up to the Falls and to Bainbridge Island. The Island is your typical touristy island like the Cape with boutiques, etc. I had lavender lemonade while I was there! That night I went out with some gals to explore Pine St and the cafes/lounges that were there. The next day I went shopping at Pike Place market which was awesome. Gotta get those Rainier cherries while you are there! Also visited the original Starbucks. Later I went to Freemont St and visited the Troll under the bridge. I went home that night and missed the fireworks. Luckily the weather was awesome while I was in Seattle/Vancouver. I was leaving rainy CT to come to sunny Seattle. How ironic is that? But Seattle does get good weather 4 months out of the year and it is a dry climate even with the rain (not humid rain).

2006-06-21T18:41:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to the Al Gore Global Warming"An Inconvient Truth" documentary. I will have to say it was pretty informative but because it was so informative (dense) I got a little tired after half of it. But it had a lot of interesting theories about global warming. I do say that they didn't have to go into detail about the Gore/Bush stuff though..it wasn't relevant in my op.

Also I went cycling this weekend in New Haven as parts of Arts and Ideas. I did 35 miles with some cool peeps. They are part of Elm City Cycling Club. I hope to go with them some other time. I am going backpacking this coming weekend with the Applachian Mtn Club..hopefully it won't rain too bad.

2006-06-15T23:34:00.000-04:00

Today I had a craving to dance salsa after hearing the Latin band at Real Artways. And so I went dancing afterwards. Yes I do have cravings to do things. Dancing is something that I feel free, that I love to do. There are a few pleasures that I have: dancing, singing to the radio in the car, traveling, writing my thoughts, yoga, and hiking. This is how I de-stress.

Dancing is how I express myself, my crazy side that never shows to some people and peeps its head out once in awhile to others. After hearing American music in Peru it's welcome to hear the Latin beats again, to move my hips to the music, to having the feeling of being turned by someone (it feels so free), to lose control, to be somewhat sensual.

2006-06-15T22:57:00.000-04:00

So I am back from Peru and inspired to go hiking again. It is weird to get back but at the same time comforting. I am planning my big trip for next year. It will be Antarctica through Quark Expeditions. But I am going to see a bit of Argentina/Chile as well. I hope to fly into Buenos Aires and stay there for a few days to learn tango and just to have some fun. Then I fly to Ushushia to start my Antarctica journey while checking out Tierra del Fuego. Next I will be hiking in Patagonia, namely Torres del Paine national park. I hope to do the W circuit and I am going it alone with no tour but I will meet people along the way. Then I fly home via Buenos Aires. It will be my Argentina/Antarctica tour in February 2007. :)

2006-06-12T22:07:00.000-04:00

So we fly out to Lima after the jungle. I missed the sauco jam so I bought some at the airport while I was there. In Lima we went to the main square were there was not that much to do. But we did get luckily and get to see a saint's parade (which at first I thought was a funeral). Next, we went shopping and eating in Miraflores. They were playing American music! Here we are escaping America and we get thrust back into it. It was nice to eat at the cafe overlooking the water. I wish we spent more time in Cusco and less in Lima but the flights would have been cancelled and it is better to fly in the morning rather than the afternoon because of the clouds. All and all I can say I love Peru. But I always love every country I visit. :)

2006-06-11T21:57:00.000-04:00

When I came back from the Inca trail I walked through the square where Ollyanta was giving a presentation. It was sort of scary because there were so many police there with gun shields. Then the next day we were off to Manu rainforest. On the way we stopped by little villages..that was one of the cool things. In the villages we saw the real Peru with no tourists except us.
In the rainforest it rained alot though it was dry season. We learned about different types of vegetation and I realized how much plants are like humans just trying to survive. There is the symbosis of how fire ants try and protect their home which is a tree. You will feel like you are burned if a fire ant goes on you. They do it in some native cultures for initiation. There are buttresses on trees meaning they grow many roots because otherwise they don't grow that deep and it is one way to keep strong in the forest. There is a walking palm which walks because it searches for light. There is the way that certain trees make their seeds sweet so that animals will eat them for pollenation. There is a strangler fig which kills the host tree and grows on top of them. So many interesting species and a sort of personification takes place over them.
There were also the monkeys (a howler monkey sounds scary but it just is trying to get rid of the bad guys), giant otter, tree frogs, wolf spiders, caiman, giant guinea pigs (cuy), wild pigs, and different species of birds like the cock of the rock and the macaws.
I would have to say I enjoyed the ecotour.

2006-06-01T23:00:00.000-04:00

So we went on the Inca trail which I would recommend to anyone to do if they are fit enough. It takes average fitness I would say but you do have to prepare to do it. We went with Peru Treks and Adventures. First we had breakfast in Ollyamtambo and Carol picked up a walking stick. Apparently pancakes are really crepes in Peru just like they are in Egypt. The people seemed interesting and we had a good group of hikers..12 in all (including us). The first day we saw some ruins along the way and had our passport stamped. That night was beautiful and so clear..we could see the stars. We were introduced to the porters and learned Quechua. Like Sul piky means thank you and Ollyanchu is how are you (you respond by ollyanmi).

The 2nd day was the hardest day technically..it was steep and we got to 13,000 plus feet in altitude. Through Dead Women's Pass.

The third day was the longest but we saw many different ruins along the way and some of us went into the cloud forest and bushwacked a bit to see a hidden site. It was awesome to see it how it looks undisturbed by the trails. We saw how they built the ruins and talked about lookouts and levels. I would have to say this was the prettiest day. Lots of photo ops. Then we camped at Winnaywina about 2 hours from Macchu Picchu..there are some pretty ruins right next to the camp which we saw. Also there was a guy who almost fell but luckily he was caught by some bushes. It rained during the night so we didn't get to see Macchu Picchu so clear. We woke up at 3 am the fourth day to go to Macchu Picchu it was cloudy and depressing. But after we got there it started to clear up.

Is it spectacular or what!! The guide was saying the govt may limit the amt of people to walk on Macchu Picchu because some scientists are saying it is sinking under. There was also a sundial that radiated great energy, a rock shaped like a condor, a rock shaped like Macchu Picchu mountains, and the famous 3 windows. I finally had a pisco sour which I liked..it was like a margarita but better. I bought pisco to try and make it at home. Above is a picture of me on top of the world. Below is us at the start of our journey.

2006-05-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

We woke up and I wanted to take the local bus to Pisac to see the ruins and the markets. So we walked to the tourist info and they pointed us to the bus station. The bus station didn't really look like what we were expecting but it was the local bus so we got on for 4.40 soles roundtrip. If we were to take the touristy tours it would have been $15-20 but we met people who said you can bargain to bring the price down of the tours. The only thing with the tours is you don't get as much time as you want in the city. So we went to Pisac and bought a few things..including chompas (alpaca sweaters). I got my sister one but I forgot she will be in Houston all the time so she probably won't be using it. I ate at the food stalls..there was this nice picante sauce called aji and I also had cheesy potatoes. At this point I don't want to see another potato again. I think they eat potatoes alot in Peru. Then we went to the Pisac ruins which I recommend. It was 30 soles for roundtrip and he waited an hour for us at the bottom of the ruins (we started from the top). They were awesome. I would recommend this over Sacsayhuman. I would also recommend going to Ollyantambo which we didn't have a chance to go to. The ruins there also looked nice. We wanted to go to eat at Granja Heidi's but apparently they close on Sundays. So we ended up going to Jake's Cafe which had a queue and that was funny since it was American food. I guess people would rather have American than Peruvian food? I don't know. Even though I am vegetarian I try the foods from other countries when I am able to eat them. We met an interesting guy from Amsterdam who had similar opinions to mine on food choices. He was just there for the beer. :)

2006-05-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

I arrived in Cusco on Sunday morning. The first thing I did was get a taxi for 10 soles. He talked to me in Spanish and it was great because I got to practice my poquito espanol. Then I went to Los Ninos Dos where I met Carol and some other fellow travellers. We had breakfast there and there was this great jam called sauco (elderberry) that is known in that region (Sacred Valley region). We stayed in the room named Elizabeth. We went basically around Cusco to pay the rest of our balances for the jungle and the trail. Then we went up to Sacsayhuman which was not that spectacular in my opinion. After that we went to the Catedral which was interesting to see. Lots of artists there potray religious art differently. Like a black Jesus and the Last Supper with a cuy (guinea pig) for the meal. If I ate meat I would have tasted cuy (it's the speciality here) but I didn't. :) During the tour I was feeling my tiredness from the all nighter I pulled but I still kept going. Then we ate at this wonderful restaurant called Moni which was mostly vegetarian. We had the papas huayncinas (the potatoes with the spicy cheese sauce)..it was delicious. Cusco's architecture reminds me a bit of India where my grandma used to live except cleaner. More older style stuff and open courtyards..it's nice.

2006-05-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

The following is a backdated because I was unable to post in Peru since I had very little internet access. I had a journal to write in instead thanks to Bern.

I am sitting at Bradley boared to death but at the same time excited. Going on flights doesn't excite me as much as it used to. I guess it means I have been traveling too much but not really. Everything I am taking to Peru is carry-on and it is purposely done this way. I am a bit anxious about the altitude because I didn't take pills and spending the night at the Lima airport. Thankfully I know some Spanish. I heard the Lima airport has internet.

I am now at Lima airport. It seems like alot of people spend the night here. It's like a big slumber party. On the flight I met some great people. A fellow traveller of the world like me and a Peruvian boy who was visiting his family in Lima. The airport is a cross between an Indian airport and one in the States. It is clean here and there is a food court. I see a Papa Johns, a McDonalds, a Dunkin Donuts, and a Manos Morenas (Brown Hands..Peruvian fast food). I wrote an email to my parents from the internet place. The keyboard is different than the States. I think it is different in every country. I looked at alpaca sweaters at Alpaca 3, very expensive. I am going to try Mate de Coca while I wait. It tastes almost like green tea. Peru is in EST but they don't have Daylight Savings so it's actually like CST now. I met a gal who does research in the Iquitos jungle recording languages, Brianna, hope she is doing well. My flight to Cusco got cancelled but it's ok I got a flight for 20 mins later. I am up all night..hope to get at least an hour of sleep on the flight from Lima to Cusco. I didn't even sleep on the flight from Newark to Lima.

2006-05-14T08:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a rainy one..perfect for movies. I watched The Beauty School at Kabul at Realartways and Water by Deepa Mehta at Art at Cinema City. The Beauty School at Kabul is a documentary about NYC beauticians that go to Afghanistan in order to teach women there how to open up their own beauty salons. Before the war women weren't allowed to do anything but after it they are "free" yet they are used to their old traditions. I think it's funny for American women to try and change culture there but also it seems as though they can't understand why women over there are so scared like they were. I think if you lived during that type of time you are going to be that way. Change doesn't happen overnight..it took American women a long time before we were free..I think we take that freedom for granted.

Water by Deepa Mehta. About widows in colonial India. I think a few quotes in the movie are interesting thought provoking or even funny ones. When Chiyua asks "What happens to men that are widows?". And when John Abraham's character tells the other widow that the only reason the widows are sent away is to save money. This questions all types of religious practices..it applies to all old scriptures from Hinduism to Christainity. Even in the olden English days widows were considered bad to marry.
"What happens when your faith and your conscience conflict?" This is true for any religion. So should you follow your faith if your morals are different? Such as if your religion told you to sacarifice a lamb, would you do it when you don't want to kill a living thing that has done you no harm? (sacarificing a lamb has NOTHING to do with Hinduism it's just an example)
When Kalayani says (about abolishing old Hindu practices)"We shouldn't get rid of all of them, not all are bad, some are good too, we should keep the good ones". You can take that also into context about Western assilmilation in India.

So yes I can say even though it was rainy this weekend..my mind was active watching thought provoking films. I would especially recommend Water to anyone.

2006-05-07T22:04:00.000-04:00

This weekend (along with it being Cinco de Mayo) was the Bike NYC 42 mile 5 borough ride. I went over to Eva's house where I had real durian..yummy. And then today I rode 42 miles along with my friends. It was great! The views were wonderful from the bridges and going up the bridge was a bit of a challenge. But it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be..which is a good thing. Also I saw Laura for a bit there. Laura, sorry I couldn't see you longer!

2006-05-04T07:46:00.000-04:00

So I started my new job, I will have to say what I have done with it I like so far. And the people who are in it say that it is different every day and you are constantly learning. If so, I think I will like it for awhile. I have a dream to do the PC and I will but I may push it out a few years.
This weekend I am going to do Bike NYC (42 mile ride in NYC) and see Laura on Sunday. Hopefully the weather is good, because right now it is raining here. :(
But the event happens rain or shine so thankfully I got my rain gear.

2006-04-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to my sister's graduation. It was nice to see a Michigan graduation again. Christine Amanpour from CNN spoke and I would have to say her speech was great.
My sister is moving to Houston in June. So that means we may get to visit her during Thanksgiving.

2006-04-22T09:34:00.000-04:00

I went to see a movie about different religious people's point of view on 20 questions (including the meaning of life). It was neat and opened up some interesting discussions with friends but at the same time it is what I expected. To find out more on the movie: One Movie

2006-04-19T09:29:00.000-04:00

I went to Montreal during Easter weekend with friends. We went to the Insectarium where we saw butterflies. One landed on me and that was neat. And we went dancing at Cactus for some salsa dancing. We went to McGill U and saw people playing cricket.

2006-04-12T08:03:00.000-04:00

A neat yoga studio in Manchester:

Samadhi Yoga

2006-04-12T07:54:00.000-04:00

Lot has happened in a sense but nothing really as well.
I have seen Raisin in the Sun which I recommend for all of you out there. I went to Mabou Mimes production of Ibsen's The Dollhouse. I think it was an interesting take on The Dollhouse..played by short men and tall women. With puppets too! We ate at Sally's Apizza in New Haven (one of the famous New Haven pizzas) and I thought it was alright..I wanted more spice in my sauce.
I have been doing a few bike rides. I got my Bike NYC packet in the mail.
Also I was feeling a bit down at work but now I have a new position..I am no longer a software engineer! Starting next month I will be doing project engineering..it is more into people interaction and planning so I think it will be good for me. Change is good in my book.
I am not doing business school this year. I am planning to take French. :)

2006-03-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

I went skiing March 19th. I will have to say I am much better at that than snowboarding. It was fun and I didn't fall! I am going to take more lessons next season.

2006-03-26T09:52:00.000-05:00

I couldn't afford to go to Chicago for Easter weekend so I am going to Montreal instead (since it's driving vs. flying). Also I am going to Seattle/Vancouver for 4th of July weekend.
A few of us are going to try and do Bike NYC this year. I bought my bike it's a Gary Fisher Nirvana. I got last year's model at the bike shop so it's a bit cheaper. And I will probably commute to work at least once a week in the summer providing the weather is nice. :)

2006-03-26T09:49:00.000-05:00

I am currently in Nashville TN at a work conference for Women in Aviation. It certainly makes me want to pursue a pilots license to see so many women that love flying. I haven't been out as much as I wanted to around Nashville but the conference has been a great opportunity to learn more about aviation and careers. Also if you are ever in Nashville I recommend staying at the Gaylord Opryland..it's fantastic. It's like being in the outdoors without the weather problems.

2006-03-26T09:48:00.000-05:00

On Monday I had a great time. One of my ESL students invited me to her house for her bday. She's Peruvian so I had a great time dancing and learning wino. :) I also tried ceviche even though I don't eat meat. And it was nice to practice my Spanish as well. I certainly felt more connected with my students at that moment.

2006-03-26T09:47:00.000-05:00

In stocks they say past performance is not indicative of future results. I think that applies in life.

2006-03-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried durian? It's a strange smelling fruit to some people but it actually tastes good. Too bad it runs people outside of my house but maybe that's good.

Also I am currently watching the BBC version of the Office. It's pretty funny, but it's humor that sometimes you got to get used to. I went to Raisin in the Sun yesterday. I enjoyed watching the play it was true to the adaptation, though I liked the head of the family better in the Playhouse version.

2006-03-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Bday KB! It was a few days ago..but I haven't been on blogger in awhile.