Greetings From...

The beginning of the end

2011-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Blogger - It has been great. It really has. But I think it's time for me to move on. You were my first blog, this is true, but sometimes things change. People change. Situations change.

I thought changing your header was the fix I needed...the right direction. Not true. I actually like the old you better. But that's not why it has come to this.

I had been neglecting you lately anyway. I have been trying to figure out how to get you to work for me the way things are now. And I realized something:
It's not you. It's me. Really. REALLY. Although you have served your purpose, you really and truly are the boring blog I created from the beginning. And that's what you should be. You should remain true to yourself. I needed you and you helped me - but I can't change you to what I need now. And I need to start anew.

I will still always love you dearly. I have no doubt I will be back. There are needs to have greetings from places, for sure. I still love your ability to keep track of lists; to let me know where I have been for the year. To remind me of websites I find amusing. Who else keeps track of this? I barely do - without you it would all be a "oh, yeah at one point I was in China" but now I know exactly WHEN that happened. Thank you.

So, this isn't the end - it is the beginning of a new relationship. One where I am not trying to make you into something you're not. Where I can appreciate you just as you are. And where you can remain true to yourself.

hear ye, here ye

2011-03-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

greetings from Bali!

But that's not what this post is about.

This post is my one chance to re-invent, re-vamp and re-introduce my blog! New and Improved! (and as someone once quipped, how can it be improved if it is new??)

A good friend once told me my blog was boring. And that is probably the best comment I have ever gotten about it. It has only taken me two years, but this blog is headed in a new direction. I have finally come to the realization that I don't have the patience nor desire to sit around and blog about everything that is happening. I have tried, and it just isn't me. The whole thing becomes a chore, and then something on my 'to-do' list I haven't done, and then a worry and then and then and then. And that's not what I am doing this for.

I'm blogging so my friends and family (and anyone else who wants - hellloooo internet...net...net...) can get a glimpse at my travels. And because I actually enjoy writing, when the mood hits. :) However, we don't want this to turn into one of Uncle Peter's infamous slide shows. I always enjoyed them (honestly!) but they have become the stuff of family lore...to the point that someone may have broken the slide projector on purpose. Maybe. Thank goodness that the internet allows you to have A.D.D. on your own without offending your presenter! HEY WAIT!! - WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!

My friend Val suggested I talk about traveling for real, and the things that happen that aren't available in a guidebook...that's what makes it interesting after all. If it was just like the guidebook I would never need to go anywhere other than the library. :)

SO - here's to adventure, here's to silliness, here's to FUN!
see you next Thursday!

Slainte! (in honor of March 17)
~L

recap of 2010...sort of

2011-03-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

wow. How time does fly...and how mental malaise gets the best of us. I didn't even update my lists after June! DOH!!

so, here's my somewhat recap of 2010...and here's to a more blog-ful 2011!!

2010 Ports of Call (until June - only listed once)

Tuktoyaktuk, NT
Inuvik, NT
Whitehorse, YT
Comox, BC
Lund, BC
Squirrel Cove, BC
Refuge Cove, BC
Powell River, BC
Garden Bay (Pender), BC
Buccaneer Bay, BC
North Vancouver, BC
Woodinville, WA
Westport, WA
Buchart Gardens, BC
Tofino, BC
Ucluelet, BC
Nanaimo, BC
Squamish, BC
Seattle, WA
Edmonds, WA
Vancouver, BC
Whistler, BC

2010 Airports/Transportation stops (until June :))

YUB
YEV
YOC
YDA
YXY
YVR
Horshoe Bay (ferry)
Departure Bay (ferry)
Comox (ferry)
Powell River (ferry)
Pacific Central Station, VAN (bus)
Seattle Greyhound Station
Departure Bay (ferry)
Horseshoe Bay (ferry)
Edmonds Station (train)
Pacific Central Station, VAN (train)

after standing on the Arctic ocean, then leaving Tuktoyaktuk, I went back to Whistler for 2 days...which turned into 2 weeks. :)

left Whistler, went to Toronto for the G20, then Rapid City, SD - (made it to IOWA!!) - St Louis, MO, Chicago, IL and back to NJ and NYC.

in August I left the US for OMAN and worked for the Asian Beach Games for 5 months.

and that brings us to 2011...

2009 Recap

2010-04-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Well, turns out a did an exceptionally poor job keeping up with myself in 2009! Here are the summaries for the year, even if they didn't get a post! (and what I can remember, trying to do this a year later...)

2009 Ports of Call (not in chronological order)

Whistler Olympic Park, BC
Squamish, BC
Thunderbird Arena, BC
Granville Island, BC
The Whistler Sliding Centre, BC
Whistler, BC
GM Place, BC
Vancouver, BC
Seattle, WA
Spring Lake, NJ
Asbury Park, NJ
Neptune, NJ
Fair Haven, NJ
Durham, NC
San Jose (Airport), CR
Manuel Antonio National Park, CR
Quepos, CR
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
New York, NY
Athens, Greece
Paros Island, Greece
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Banff, AB
Calgary, AB
Moose Jaw, SK
Winnepeg, MB
Thunder Bay, ON
Sault-Ste Marie, ON
Toronto, ON
St. Louis, MO
Rapid City, SD
Badlands NP, SD
Wall, SD

2009 Airports (not in order either, listed only once)

Greetings from Whistler Olympic Park

2009-03-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

Whistler Olympic Park is located in the Callaghan Valley, and is the first time that all components of the Nordic Combined will be found at the same venue. It is a very serene place, in the middle of a pine forest. Biathalon, Cross Country, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined will all take place here in 2010.

The inukshuk at the base of the ski jumps. This guy is called "Pete".

Sunrise on the tree tops

Athletes testing the wax on their skis

the view of the biathlon range from the broadcast booth

One of the volunteers in front of the ski jump

When you get up as early as we did, the moon hasn't even gone to sleep yet

Panoramic view from p8

How volunteers stay warm...

Greetings from Squamish, BC

2009-03-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, Squamish. Where to begin? How to accurately describe?

Seated along the Sea-to-Sky corridor, Squamish is the Heber City to Whistler's Park City. It is pretty much half way between Vancouver and Whistler, and is trying its darnedest to be an up-and-coming enclave for young professionals. Good luck with that.

Since it is half way between the two, the idea is you can easily (kinda) go to either and live for much less than you could in either of those locations.

All sarcasm aside, Squamish has an incredible granite face towering above it called The Stawamus Chief. Perhaps reminiscent of Yosemite? (I don't know, I haven't been there yet).

The "entrance" to Squamish from the north (headed in from Whistler)

The Chief from the north

Squamish really does have a "downtown" sort of area...but it is not the strip mall-y kind of fast food chain mecca you know Squamish to be. You have to actually turn OFF the highway to get here. Which means you have probably never been.

Legit downtown

We stayed at Quest University in the dorms. Yes, real dorms. It was just like college dorm life all over again -- except we could drink legally. On a clear day I would imagine the view to be spectacular, as the University sits above the town and looks out toward the Chief and Howe Sound.

Pizza party in our 'living room' (the rooms were set up suite style)
...trying not to wake the RA...

our "kitchen"

Greetings from Whistler

2009-03-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

I finally made it back to Whistler for a weekend to do nothing other than ski. Some great powder-esque moments but still nothing up to the standards that have been set for me in Utah. I am one spoiled skier! Run of the day Sunday was definitely Saddle -- and I made my friends do Whistler Bowl...which was also great snow...

The lift line at the base of red chair. Totally nutso but we had a great time entertaining ourselves regardless...

No trip to Whistler is complete without a stop at Sushi Village! This was obviously toward the end of the meal...

Photo op at the top

The view from the top

Here is some video from inside the Peak 2 Peak gondola. There are all kinds of interesting facts about it but at the end of the day, all I care about is I can get from the top of Whistler to the top of Blackcomb in 11 minutes. Totally beats having to ski down and go back up like the old days! :)

Here's a view from a regular chair lift, on the Blackcomb side

Greetings from Thunderbird Arena

2009-03-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

I went to UBC watch the US vs Canada sledge hockey game. Sledge hockey is a Paralympic sport, and overall it is very exciting to watch! Even if the US loses. And you lose your bet. DOH!

Funny enough, I actually know more players on the Canadian team than the US team since I had the chance to watch a screening of Sledhead, a documentary about the Canadian sledge hockey team's quest for the 2008 World Championships in Boston. Very good movie.

The US Team po-wows

The rink was specially fitted out with plexi-glass at rink level so players on the bench could see all the action. It is also the first time the ice was continued out to also cover the bench area, allowing easy on-off for players.

some of the action

I could just barely touch both sides...they had a goal area set up to try out the sport, but we didn't visit this area until the game was over and everything was shut down

Greetings from Granville Island

2009-03-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

What better way to relax after sport events than to go to the Granville Island Brewery for a tour?!

The Brewery itself is actually now located further east from the city, but they brew their small specialty batches and give tours on Granville Island itself.

We ran into some students doing an ethnography, which I haven't thought about much since I had to do one in high school! So it was fun to reminisce about the process, and how they chose their subject matter (their subculture? Beer tasters :))

I also learned from our tour guide that I.B.U.s are "very American" - which I would have never guessed considering the "I" stands for "International"...go figure.

Some hilarious "guerilla art" on the Granville Bridge

Sampling beer...tough day

While on Granville Island we also tried a "Whoopee Pie" which is your choice of gelato and two fresh-made cookies. I opted for Mocha flavor

Greetings from Whistler Sliding Centre

2009-03-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

I didn't take this picture, someone else on the venue team did. Thank you!!

I was up at the Whistler Sliding Centre for FIBT International Training Week, FIBT world cup and FIL world cup. The track is built into the mountain along Fitzsimmons Creek, between Whistler mountain and Blackcomb mountain.

Although I spent the vast majority of my time in Lot 8, it was really great to meet a bunch of the althletes, and spend time along a track again. I forgot how quiet it is along the ice when no one is sliding, and how tremendous it is to hear a sled coming toward you then zip past your eyes so quickly you would miss it if you sneezed.

For each event they put the logo into the ice on the track

The spectator's view of the track

Don't sneeze!

View from the entrance hut on a snowy morning

In my first attempt at uploading video to blogger, here are some clips from along the track (when they are just training...no spectators around)

The Track Crew will stay in until the very last moment possible. At WSC they have named the corners rather than just having numbers, you can hear the announcer calling the times as the sled passes through each turn.

This is the view of Bobsleigh Start from one of the loading docks. Also, there is a waterfall at the top of the hill.

Greetings from my deck

2009-03-05T00:40:00.001-08:00

The view of the skyline at dusk from my porch.

Greetings from GM Place

2009-03-05T00:32:00.000-08:00

Back in Vancouver, I went to see the NJ Devils come play the Vancouver Canucks!

Let's Go Devils!

The beers have lids you can still drink through. Of course the Canadians have this figured out!

I don't have a Jersey so this was as good as it got. I think I get the point across.

Devils won 5-3

Greetings from Cameron Indoor Stadium!!

2009-03-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

I have finally checked off a lifelong goal, and have been to a BASKETBALL game AT DUKE!! Even though the Hokies lost it was an amazing experience! :)

Basketball:Duke::Football:Virginia Tech

It was so exciting to even walk up to the building. And luckily since I was a "student" there I got to sit in the lower level!

Proof!

You will notice I did not take a photo of the score AFTER the game...

They hand out cheer sheets and include specifics about the team they are playing that day...all ammo for cheers. This was the first ACC game of the season, and the noise was unbelievable from start to finish. They get louder when Coach K moves - and when he stands, the crowd erupts, regardless of what is happening on the court. I can't even imagine a big rivalry. Truly amazing.

Picture of Coach K as requested by my mom :)

Greetings from the San Jose Airport

2009-03-04T23:54:00.000-08:00

I spent some good quality time in the airport since I couldn't get a connecting flight that left early enough in the morning to make my flight back to the US...and since I was headed to a basketball game at Duke there was no way I was going to chance missing my flight. So, here are some happy thoughts of Costa Rica on my way out...

At least the ceiling of the airport was interesting to look at

Public telephone. Spanish is tricky!

Pirate money!! I'm still not over it! YAR!

Beach :)

Bebidas

Greetings from Manuel Antonio National Park

2009-03-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

I SAW A SLOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and some monkeys, and some raccoons (during the day?!), and some beautiful beaches.

But I will not get over the sloth! They look like aliens! All those years of watching "Nature" as a child seemed to finally pay off with my seeing a real life sloth! Thank you George Page!

monkey. Like Marcel.

Bamboo

Greetings from the jungle

2009-03-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

Many people start off the new year with a resolution - they want to stop doing something, or try and change something in their life they feel is negative. I like to think of things in a different way - a new year is a great opportunity to try something new, to set new goals, to improve yourself in some way. Rather than trying to correct a negative, I prefer to enhance a positive :)

That being said, on Jan 1 2008 I went skiing and got my butt handed to me by Alpental (That Edelwiess Chair is not messing around!)

So, this year I decided why not entrust my life to some Ticos and go on a zip line! It was a great tour of the jungle canopy but I didn't bring my camera along for fear of breaking/smashing/knocking/dropping it.
safety gear lined up and ready to go
All-in-all? It actually wasn't all that "thrilling" - I had fun, it was nice to go fast through the trees but I don't have a fear of heights so being on a wire high above the ground didn't get my heart racing as much as that sensation of falling does...I would rather do Tower of Terror or Free Fall again

This is all that was keeping me alive. And it didn't even phase me.

Greetings from the beach

2009-03-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

2009 started off in one of the most amazing ways...with my feet in the warm ocean, sand under my toes, and beautiful stars over my head.

We went to a party on the beach in Manuel Antonio - they had a DJ, fireworks, and some folks entertained us with a fire show. (this wasn't my first time entertained by a skilled pyrotechnic on NYE...is this common??) No fire breathing this time, though.

The best part of all of it though was just being able to comfortably have my bare feet in the water.

looking back toward the town

2008 Recap

2009-01-25T23:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a pretty crazy travel year - not a bad year to start a travel blog actually :)

Here are some highlights:

Why I started the blog -
Two conversations had on the same day from Park City, UT:

LVB: "Guess where I am?!"
cousin: "Are you even in this country? You never know..."

-later that day-

LVB: "Guess where I am?!"
mom: "California?! Hawaii?! I don't know, where?"

The places I visited, most recent on top (there are more, but these are the ones I bothered to list) Also, I only listed anything once, even if I was there on several occasions.

Dominical, CR
Playa Hermosa, CR
Manuel Antonio, CR
Quepos, CR
San Jose, Costa Rica
New York, NY
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Whistler, BC
Squamish, BC
Vancouver, BC
Qwest Field, WA
Beijing, CN
Bremerton, WA
Pend Oreille, ID
Spokane, WA
Boulder, CO
Fort Collins, CO
Longmont, CO
Denver, CO
Princeton, NJ
Toms River, NJ
Tumwater, WA
Sea Bright, NJ
Newark, DE
Fredericksburg, VA
Long Branch, NJ
Asbury Park, NJ
Fair Haven, NJ
Lanai City, HI (Lanai)
Lahaina, HI (Maui)
Mauna Kea, HI (Big Island)
Kona, HI (Big Island)
Honolulu, HI (Oahu)
Safeco Field, WA
Chapel Hill, NC
Raleigh, NC
Durham, NC
Salt Lake City, UT
Heber City, UT
Park City, UT
Westport, WA
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
San Fransisco, CA
Seattle, WA

The airports I went to. I may have gone to an airport more than once, but I am only listing it the first time I went. Most recent is on top.

Greetings from Dominical, CR

2009-01-25T23:11:00.001-08:00

We decided to head to Domincal for another day of surfing

This was pretty typical of bridges -- only one lane, and no once necessarily directing which side to go when...

I don't think we crossed a bridge that wasn't one lane, actually...

At Dominical the trees were the parking lot, campground and marketplace

Those waves are a lot bigger than they look, trust me

Looking from our parking spot

Greetings from Playa Hermosa, CR

2009-01-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

We went to Playa Hermosa for our first surf adventure! We were staying on the Pacific coast so we decided to check out some of the nearby breaks.

We pulled off to look at the water and enjoy the early morning light

This was our rental. Have boards, will travel.

The pelicans were playing along the waves

This actually reminded me a lot of watching the pelicans in Nags Head, NC.

It's nice to know animals like playing with waves too :)

Greetings from Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

2009-01-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

We stayed at a house in Manuel Antonio for the week of Dec 28 - Jan 4

New moon over the ocean at dusk...looking from the upper porch

Hammock :)

Sunset from the upper porch

In the evenings we kept our boards on the patio

This pool was cold at first, but always very refreshing

Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ

2009-01-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

Just like a Bruce Springsteen album...

I love Christmas in NJ - and I love the old carousel building in Asbury Park!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-12-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

After a brief hiatus, there will be many more postings in '09. I am headed to Costa Rica and in case I don't get too much internet time while there - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Cheers! Have fun wherever you are :)

Greetings from a field at UBC

2008-09-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

The other day we gathered to watch some co-workers play Australian Rules Football...

Not quite the same as a pro grand final, but entertaining nonetheless...

first both teams gather on the field (pitch? not sure) - they sang the Canadian national anthem (only in English) followed by the Australian national anthem.

Then they each gathered and sang their own fight songs

I'm not sure if these are known cheers or individual for these teams only

This is what the goal posts look like - you need to kick the ball between them (there are two smaller ones that then flank these)

After the match we proceeded to the bar, which really seemed to be the most important part.

We sat outside and basically commandeered the entire deck. Notice I am drinking a Kilkenny, which might just be my favorite beer. I am SO glad you can get it in Canada. (note for anyone hoping to go to the brewery in Ireland - it is only opened for a short time in August...I stood outside like Charlie looking at the Chocolate Factory)

YUM!!

One of the greatest things about this sport is the awards ceremony. Rather than getting some kind of trophy or other stationary object, you instead are honored with a pint, which you then must drink as fast as possible. Awesome.

Step 1: Describe award/honor (honour??)

Step 2: hand to recipient

Step 3: Enjoy!!

Greetings from my temporary housing

2008-09-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

So I have housing for the month of September...here are a few shots of what I see every evening...

sitting on the couch and looking toward the window.

looking in to the bedroom

the view

Greetings from the Human Race

2008-09-04T21:45:00.001-07:00

My first day in Vancouver was also the day of the Human Race, put on by Nike to get people around the world to run on the same day. In Vancouver it also had a free concert (which we went to) and burgers by local favorite Splitz, which I ate (yum!)

I demo just how human the human race really is...I had no idea my wrist was so veiny

This is what you get after a night (and morning) of packing and then driving to another country

Though a bit cool (perfect for a race actually) it was a beautiful evening

The finish line (it was a 10K)

Great action shot by MH

Greetings from Qwest Field

2008-09-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Seahawks last pre-season game vs. the Oakland Raiders on August . I was also lucky enough to get CV to take some pics of Qwest Field with her phone. :)

looking toward the Hawks Nest from our seats

The view of the field...we had really good seats :)

They have a new policy at Qwest to report Knuckeheads...this was the sticker on the back of the seats and they also have an old 50's style video to accompany "keeping it PG"...very funny, and very Seattle. This is FOOTBALL can't we get it to PG-13? And we wonder why the Sonics left...

Chinese tv

2008-08-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

So, now that I am back in the States I can add some stuff that I didn't want to try and find while in China (youTube has so many blocked videos it isn't worth it)

First, this song was on ALL THE TIME - on tv, on the televisions on the subway/bus/set up in public for the games. Mind you, I did not have the English translations and just had the tune stuck in my head the whole time. It is over 6 minutes long yet they would play the whole thing, quite often.

THEN, they had a cartoon starring the Fuwa! (aka Olympic mascots). So, for your viewing pleasure here is the video of how they formed (just over 3 min):

and here is the theme song for their cartoon:

I watched part of one of the episodes and they go back in time to the Seoul Olympics. So, don't worry the Fuwa have saved past Olympics! Because China is the greatest and saves everything. duh.

They also had some kind of Beijing song (I understood that much) but I haven't yet been able to find it.

more pics

2008-08-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

hi!

Due to a fast approaching thunder storm (we had one the other night that was one of the most amazing displays of lightening I have seen since Blacksburg) coupled with my leaving in a few hours, here are all of my Beijing photos. Missing are the ones from JAK's camera, and from the Great Wall.

Anyway, enjoy! Feel free to tell your own story in your head; I will come back in and explain them tomorrow.

Oh, and check out all the Games winners here.

ciao!
~L

ps if that didn't work, hopefully this will:

Beijing

August 19th

2008-08-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I spent the majority of the day wandering through the immensity that is the Silk Market. It is floors of stalls with everything you could think of - tailors, clothing, scarves, bed sets, clothing, socks, jewelry, nick-knacks and did I mention clothes?

Luckily for me JAK speaks Chinese so not only do we haggle with prices (by "we" I mean "she"), they are usually already lower because she gets a local discount (or something along those lines)...she got a leather coat for about $60 US!

It was fun to wander around and see all the different stalls. There were also a ton of athletes there too - they had their colors and credentials and it was fun to see them even if I wasn't quite sure what sport they were here for (we saw athletes from Spain, Senegal, Haiti and several others I cannot remember)

After walking through the market for hours, we met up with some other folks to get Hot Pot, which I can best describe as Korean BBQ meets fondue. We got the kind with the two different broths (half spicy and half just broth for spice wimps like me) but no eyeballs or feet or anything [apparently these are usually in the broth for flavoring]. To eat we got some basics like chicken and beef but none of the delicacies like "Fresh 3rd Cow Stomach" or "Pig Brains"...maybe next time.

your plate and cup comes sealed up

you get whatever meats and veggies you want to cook, dipping sauces (we got garlic oil and peanut) chopsticks and a damp cloth to wipe your hands

The red half is the spicy half

Everything comes out on dishes or baskets so you can add it how you want. In the middle is Lotus Root which I think looks really pretty and tastes very good too. It is almost like a potato in texture but I think it tastes better

clear noodles just like Hawaii!

Following dinner we went and hung out at the Heineken House - a big set up by the Dutch that is open to the public and has Dutch food, beer and a huge dance hall for bands and djs. They also have about 5 ping-pong tables, a place to play Wii Sport and test your various athletic attributes, tons of Team Holland clothing and athletes and fans from all over. My favorite part is that I feel short there :)

Without the flash - although you still cannot see the spotlights in the front that well

With the flash is more clear but less impressive. In 'real life' this is the Chinese Agricultural Center

classic self-portrait

Just in case you weren't sure where you were they had little detailed reminders around...this is on the side of one of the bars (if you look closely you can see the feet of the servers)

What a day to forget my camera

2008-08-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

The day of the 18th started like any other - going to meet JAK for lunch and then I had plans of going to Tian'anmen Square, and the surrounding area of Beijing (it is an area of the city I had not yet gone to). At lunch I discovered I had left the camera at home but rather than going back to get it, JAK lent me her phone to take photos.

As I write this, she has her phone and I do not, so I will have to post the eh-quality photos (official terminology) later on.

So, I decided to walk quite a ways along the big road that then crosses along the southern entrance to the square...and what a walk it was. Since I have not yet really hung out in the ultra-touristy areas I had no idea how many people would be offering me cds or Beijing 2008 merchandise or wanting to speak English.

I had four different people come up to me and say they wanted to practice their English, which of course is fine by me - but it cracks me up to think of someone walking up to a random asian person in the U.S. and say in Chinese: "I want to practice my Chinese"

Random white-person-in-china stereotypes aside, it was pretty entertaining. I also went into a pretty fancy mall (where one of the USA Basketball team members graciously posed with several people in front of the USA Basketball display mannequins).

In this mall there was also a set up (by Nike) of various uniforms for different teams and different time periods and as part of it they had this giant half-track with near-life-sized mannequins - the thing was with these mannequins that in every event they had them posed for, China was inching out over the USA every time. So of course there are some photos of that :) I think my favorite is the hurdles where China is winning by about a half-foot in mid-leap.

As I kept wandering I also went to one of the BIGGEST book stores I have ever been in. It was 6 floors of all kinds of books. They even had pianos and violins for sale on the top floor (and some books too...otherwise the 6 floors might be negotiable...).

Items of note (that I didn't want to take photos of because certain times they don't like you taking photos and I didn't feel like irking security): an entire aisle shelf - both sides - dedicated to the works and teachings of Marx, Lenin, Stalin (and someone else I can't remember); a large wall shelf with the writings of Mao; and an entire floor of middle-school, high-school, and higher learning workbooks (I don't know if they have to buy their own here or if these were supplemental).

By the time I got to Tian'anmen Square it was CLOSED because they take time to clean it after the flag-down ceremony (I got there at 5ish) until about 7:30 at night. Sigh. So I will have to return to fully experience the LARGEST PUBLIC SQUARE IN THE WORLD. (that's for you KLW).

Speaking of world's largest, I have made it to the WORLD'S LARGEST ADIDAS STORE. And I even made it out without buying anything!

long shutter exposure + no tri-pod = blurry

The rest of the evening seemed to be low key (I needed to sit and relax after all that walking) until we got last minute tickets to Athletics!! So I got to see the USA men win the hurdles 1-2-3 from row 19 of the Bird's Nest!!! That structure is incredible (I just wonder how it moves in an earthquake? ...but I always wonder that about buildings in Seattle too...). In a way even a photo cannot do justice to it or the water cube (which we were outside because they are right next to each other...the entire area around both venues is accessible only to ticket holders and those with credentials).

The water cube looks like a giant version of those packing bubbles you loved to pop as a kid, but it constantly changes color, and each bubble can change colors individually. Along some of the bottom glass areas they have cascading water on the windows and part of it has the big tubes with lights that make it look like big blue bubbles are constantly rising.

Like I said, a big day to forget a camera! Don't worry, I have it with me today!

:)

Greetings from Ping Pong!

2008-08-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

On August 16th JAK's roomie CH and I went to see Ping Pong! er...Table Tennis! (doesn't sound quite as fun) It was the women's qualifying semi-final (or something like that) - basically the two teams that won then went on to compete for the bronze.

When you go through security they make you take a picture (ironic considering that usually you don't really want people seeing what your security set up is like) I tried to take a picture of the workers but all I got was a bunch of white gloves over their faces so unsuspecting CH became my photo victim :)

In the foreground is US (red) on the left and Korea (black) on the right, then behind is Japan on the left (pink) and Hong Kong/China on the right (blue-ish)

Korea beat the US 3-0 and Japan finally eeked it out over Hong Kong/China (who had the support of most of the crowd) 3-2

Each individual plays a match (best of 5 games gets the point) and then they play doubles. This is Japan v. Hong Kong. If you need to play more, the individuals play again...best of 5 matches wins so in the case of US v. Korea, there were no more games after the doubles because it was 3-0.

Korea went on to beat Japan for the bronze medal.

This large wipe-off board explained the schedule for the day and how the brackets worked...to be honest I didn't really get what is all meant until I saw the bronze match between Korea and Japan on tv the next day. :)

CH with the pictogram outside the venue (you can see the reflections of everyone leaving).

more pictogram action outside the venue. After Salt Lake 2002 I have really enjoyed seeing what different cities do with their pictograms. According to JAK, the Beijing pictograms are based on ancient Chinese symbols/characters.

The venue - known also as the Peking University Gymnasium

The greatest part about going and watching the games live is the crowd (ha! and you thought I was going to say the mascot intermission song and video...which ps sounds like a backstreet boys song with no words) No matter what country someone yells out, the crowd responds with Jiayou! [Ji-yo!]...so even at our match when someone yelled "USA!" you get good response of "Jiayou!" - of course, for the Chinese teams (and for Hong Kong, and other special districts) everyone really gets into it.

Zhong Guo! Jiayou!

I of course shout "Jiayou!!" every time, regardless :)

Greetings from Beijing!

2008-08-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

If you can read this, I can successfully post from China! woo hoo!

I am here during the Olympics but also to visit my friend JAK who so kindly is putting me up (and putting up with me). Her apartment is really big, much bigger than I would have thought actually.

walking in the front door (she's on the 9th floor)

Her kitchen is its own room (more than I can say about many apartments in NYC)

fridge and sink

stove burners

the washer is about 1/2 the size of a standard one in the US (everything hangs to dry)

Living Room

Hallway to the two bedrooms and bathroom (guest room on left, master bedroom straight ahead, bathroom to right)

I have heard a lot about 'squatty pottys' but have yet to have to use one; and let me tell you, the water pressure here is phenomenal!

The View from the living room:

looking down to the courtyard. We're in a building just like these other three.

The main intersection near the apartment complex. To the left is one of the university areas. All the larger boulevard streets (these included) have a sidewalk, flanked with plants (which are new for the Games), then bike lanes, then usually a strip of a bit more green, then the main roadways. So even on pretty busy streets you feel removed from the traffic. The streets themselves are very wide, and the blocks are huge.

having the factories off for a few weeks and half the cars driving (odd/even days) has really paid off - notice the mountains! The weather has been beautiful!

Greetings from High Tea at the Fairmont's Georgia Room

2008-08-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Tea Time!!

These sandwiches may look small, but they really do fill you up!

fine china (I guess)

The menu

While we were inside, Seattle Parks and Rec installed a new sign in front of the Faimont Olympic (mind you, no parks nearby that I know of)

I may not be a strong pigeon advocate (some of you may recall the infamous "pigeon punching incident" in New Orleans) but this seems unduly harsh. And somewhat oddly placed. (do that many guests of the Fairmont really feed pigeons?)

New signage. And in case you didn't know, PIGEONS TRANSMIT DISEASE

Greetings from Seafair

2008-08-03T21:15:00.001-07:00

[photos to be posted...this is what happens when you forget your digital camera and need to bring a disposable]

Greetings from Bremerton

2008-08-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

[photos to be posted...this is what happens when you forget your digital camera and need to bring a disposable]

Greetings from Idaho

2008-07-28T21:38:00.003-07:00

Spent a great weekend in Idaho on the shore of Pend Oreille (outside of Sandpoint, ID)

relaxing, swimming, sunning, boating, reading magazines, playing volleyball, water-balloon tossing, celebrating and smiling

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AME!!

We stayed on Bottle Bay

Greetings from Colorado

2008-07-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

Things that happened while I was in Colorado:
-explored a bit of Downtown Denver
-got to visit with an old friend from growing up
-went on a tour of the New Belgium Brewery!!! I have wanted to go for so long
-lots of ice cream eaten (us Jersey girls love our ice cream!)
-saw Chataqua Park
-did a bit of driving through the mountains and learned about Geocaching
-my car was inadvertently upgraded because they were out of economy which meant I got free sirius
-finally watched the movie Crash (which is really good)
-got to hang out in Boulder

Things that didn't happen while I was in Colorado:
-the Foo Fighters at Red Rocks

[photos to be added]

Greetings from NJ round 2 - Happy Fourth!

2008-07-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

3rd of July

along the Navesink River we have our fireworks display on July 3rd...while some may think this odd, I think it is genius; it is guaranteed that everyone has the next day off!

following photo credits: SES

There is always plenty of food to go around

The boats gather in the river to watch (we will gather on the dock)

2008 was a GREAT display...better than most in recent memory

After the fireworks show, the real show begins

Beer Pong on the porch with the next day off...what more could you ask for?!

Princeton Gelato Adventure

My aunt had seen an article about the Bent Spoon in Edible Jersey magazine and wanted to try it...so off to Princeton we went!

following photo credits: ETSW

everyone piled into a minivan (6 people)

the article that began it all...

There it is!

mmm...gelato...

the fam enjoying our gelato in the center of Palmer Square

Greetings from Fair Haven, NJ

2008-05-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I arrived in Newark at 5:40am EDT. My friend TB happened to be on my flight so I grabbed some munchkins from Dunkin Donuts (always a novelty to this Seattlite) and sat with him for a bit while I waited for my dad and my brother to arrive - the food court in C terminal beats luggage carousel 5 for waiting locations :).

Between naps today (and thankfully I am still very tired so I will hopefully adjust somewhat to the time) I managed to:

-eat breakfast with the family
-change my bank account to "green" (woo hoo higher interest rate!)
-have lunch in Asbury Park with my uncle, brother and their friends
-eat some Lighthouse Italian Ice
-watch the Secret [they may be presenting some serious concepts, but production-wise this thing is a comedy]
-eat dinner
-watch Planet of the Apes (finally saw the whole thing!)

Tomorrow brings more travel and another early start time as we head to Fredericksburg, VA for my brothers graduation on Saturday

Oahu recap

2008-05-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Waikiki Beach
Back to the place where I first learned to surf - I'm also exceptionally lucky to be able to say I know it pretty well at this point...so after hopping around so much it felt very relaxing to be somewhere so familiar (yet still so beautiful and WARM)

Sunset from Waikiki

Free hula show

Kaena Point
We also explored Kaena Point, which is an undeveloped stretch of coast along the northwestern point of Oahu. We hiked through the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve, which I highly recommend doing with folks who work for the HI fish and wildlife department - they can tell you about all kinds of plants and animals (which of course I love)

Yay for four-wheel drive!

Albatross! It is great watching them take off because they have to get a running start

Hiking along the trail

Looking south after we've rounded the point

The western shore of Oahu, south of Kaena Point

That shiny thing at the edge of the water is a Monk seal...a pretty rare sight
I drained my camera battery with many failed attempts to capture it surfacing until we backed away and finally it felt safe to emerge

Lana'i Recap

2008-04-10T20:46:00.002-07:00

The T-shirt agenda

This pretty much sums up everything there is to do on the island :)

Garden of the Gods - check!

Munro trail is on the hillside behind the gazebo - this is behind The Lodge (4 seasons) - we didn't hike it because it was too muddy

Shipwreck Beach - check!

If you walk inland from shipwreck beach you can see some cool old hieroglyphs

For two days it rained, creating mud where there once were roads

While we didn't get stuck, we got close on our way to Keomoku Village - so, after covering the jeep in red mud and skidding and sliding we decided to nix the remaining 4 items on the t-shirt checklist

On the day we went to Valley of the Gods, we went all the way down to the northern shore of the island where we had a pristine beach pretty much to ourselves

The sun's rays had a cool effect

Our own personal Jeep ad

Other stuff
Lana'i is like stepping back into a different world; the island was once owned entirely by Dole as a gigantic pineapple plantation (and now 98% of it is owned by David Murdock). Even today there are only two paved roads, and small Lana'i City is based around Dole Park. We signed up to take the Four Seasons shuttle for the week ($35 or so) and were then able to get from Manele Bay to the city, or from the city to The Lodge. There are not many places to stay on the island but we lucked out with Dreams Come True Bed and Breakfast with an awesome host who made us breakfast every morning...Lana'i is definitely one of the most relaxing places I have ever been

Approaching Manele - looking at the south eastern coast of the island

Birds of paradise in front of the Hotel Lana'i

Other Lana'i activities
-seeing Humpback Whales in the strait between Maui and Lana'i
-swimming with the dolphins (in the bay, for free)
-ghetto snorkeling (where you just hold your breath and go under with goggles)
-feeling like you're going to die in the back of a jeep that is speeding along a dirt road
-watching the rain from the front porch of the B&B
-getting a drink at each of the resorts (the Lana'i crawl is all of 3 hotels and 2 places in town)
-being in bed around 10pm every night
-fresh mangoes
-fresh passionfruit juice drink
-being the only people on a beach
-taking a plane so small the captain is your crew and you don't have to go through security

Inter-Island Travel

2008-04-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

Monday brought an early morning as LJ and I headed to Lanai by using the most different modes of transportation possible within the isles of Hawaii...we started off in the rental car, returning it in time to catch our 5:20am flight to Maui.

The sky grew more pink as we headed from the Big Island in our little Cessna (pilot was captain AND crew...we didn't even have to deal with TSA out in the commuter terminal) - this is probably the closest I will ever come to having a chartered flight. We flew past Haleakala and over the western coast as we rounded to the middle of the island and the airport.

From there we jumped on the Maui Bus (one transfer point, very easily negotiated so early in the morning) which brought us to Lahaina by about 8:30am...so we had a few hours to explore the town before we took the ferry at 12:45. I really like Lahaina, and Maui reminded the most of Cuba of anywhere I have been (other than Cuba)...I think some day I will need to return and give the island its fair share of exploration.

In downtown Lahaina...original ABC store??

This sign embodies Hawaii to me

The banyon tree in the park

along the sea wall

On the ferry we had the unexpected musical soundtrack of two gentlemen who had their ukuleles on board - between the music and the whales (we kept having to slightly alter our course so as to stay the mandated distance from them) what was a mere mode of transportation became an unreal experience all on its own.

Looking back at Maui

When we got to Lanai, we stayed on the beach for a while, meeting up with DS and KLW before taking the island shuttle up to our B&B in Lanai City.

Looking back, this was probably the best Monday I've had in quite a long time!

Big Island and Lavaman

2008-04-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Mauna Kea
Since everyone else was training and learning race basics from the committee, LJ and I decided to go to the top of Mauna Kea - the highest point in Hawaii, AND the tallest mountain in the world (it starts at the bottom of the ocean and reaches a height of 13,796 feet)

At the visitor information center (and just above cloud line)

Mauna Kea Silversword - endemic to Hawaii

Climbing to the top - yes, that's snow in Hawaii

Officially at the summit

artsy self-portrait on the way down

Lavaman
The next day was the big race and the reason we were there! LJ and I had 5 people to cheer for so we were quite busy moving around the course so we could cheer for everyone after swimming, biking, running, and then finishing...and they were all timed so we could do it! Thanks guys for coordinating like that ;)

This is what it looked like when you got to the finish...except by the time the racers got there, the sides behind the white fences were lined with people cheering

For quite a while the water was a flurry of arms and caps

Men returning in yellow on the left, women swimming out in red on the right

After swimming, then biking you get to run! This is why I cheered :)

Post-race relaxation

even for me (thanks KMJ for the photo)

Then at the post party we got to dance! (thanks again to KMJ for this photo)

Greetings from Honolulu!

2008-04-04T11:20:00.003-07:00

Hello!
I am writing to you from a friend's place in Honolulu! Lucky friend huh? I got in yesterday after many hours on planes (flew Delta so that meant SEA to SLC, then to HNL) - due to the time change it was only 3pm here, so plenty of hours remaining to enjoy the sunshine :)

My original plan was to go surfing this morning, but due to my wanting to sleep, and wanting to get everything in order for the rest of the trip, I am instead acting a my own travel agent and spending some time online figuring out car rentals, bus schedules, etc. I'd rather put in some relaxed time now than be scrambling at the last minute (that's the theory anyway)

I'm also a bit paranoid about getting around on time using The Bus so I'm going to leave ample time to get back to the airport. I can sit in the sun there anyway :)

This afternoon I am headed to Kona on the Big Island to stay for the weekend and cheer on my friends KLW, KMJ and DS in the Lavaman triathlon on Sunday morning.

Hopefully I'll be able to update my whereabouts but that is, of course, dependent upon internet access and electricity. Isn't it funny how that's become so standard? Yet another way in which modern technology has made the world that much smaller. - Although is it really that much more enjoyable?? ...if I didn't have the option to be overly cautious, I would be surfing right now...
:)

this is how I schlepped my stuff around...

Greetings from Opening Day at Safeco Field!

2008-04-04T11:20:00.001-07:00

All photo credits go to KLW

it was so cold, it was SNOWING...you can (kinda) see it coming in through the stadium opening...

NC Recap

2008-04-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

Some memorable moments:

how grad students tailgate

NCAA basketball :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

When you go to the games, you can't watch as many as you can on tv...however everyone was updating their brackets with the use of modern technology (there are at least 4 people checking theirs in this photo)

In the Raleigh-Durham airport they have an ACC Store (Seriously. Awesome.) - I, of course, had to go in and check out the merchandise.

Now, let's see what the voting public (aka consumers) have to say through their purchases:

This is the UVa section...pay special attention to the number of hats

People seem to really enjoy that VT merchandise! GO HOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NC Saturday/Sunday

2008-03-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday brought another sunny day and a free brunch kindly provided by the Christian Business Fellowship. After doing some shopping (DIT introduced me to DSW and I also got a dress to wear for Easter) we came back and got ready for the evening.

For dinner we headed over to Chapel Hill and met DIT's friend from college who is getting her MBA at UNC. I've not seen her since I crashed Cornell's senior week many years ago. We ate at a Mexican restaurant on Rosemary, then went to Top of the Hill. I hadn't been to Chapel Hill since I was in high school but Franklin Street still had the hip college vibe I remember, although now I no longer look at it with awe but with both amusement and nostalgia.

My favorite discovery: they have Gumby's, which is not at all good pizza, but has a special place in my heart due to its low price and staying open in Blacksburg until 3am :) Plus you really can't resist Pokey Stix!

We called it an early evening, knowing we would be up early for Easter the next day, plus it was the 3rd night out in a row (#1 sign of age: when you begin counting consecutive nights out)
------------------------------------------------
Sunday morning brought another sunny day, and mass at Immaculate Conception in the morning. Happy Easter!!

This afternoon we went to round 2 of the NCAA tourney at the RBC Center. We got to see #10 Davidson upset #2 Georgetown - they came back from a 17 point deficit to win!

The next game was not at all as exciting - UNC beat up on Arkansas worse than they did Mount St. Mary's. To keep it interesting, we decided to take sides on whether the UNC score would be double that of Arkansas at the half; final tally 51-26...DIT was right by 1 point!! I couldn't believe it. And THAT was the most exciting part of the game (for non-UNC fans anyway)

I still find it ironic that it would be a "home" game for UNC at NC State...I'm surprised the arena could hold that much Carolina Blue without somehow vomiting on itself.

Things you can't get from watching the Tourney on TV:
-The UMBC dance team routine during half time (the only real half time show of the entire Raleigh segment) NOTE - they also have cheerleaders, which provided a nice wholesome-appearing juxtaposition to the scantily clad dance squad.
-There is only one male cheerleader at Georgetown. He really, really reminded us of Craig (of SNL Spartan fame) which made me both feel bad, and laugh hysterically. Sorry dude! I know you're the only one but seriously, the sweat bands go around the wrists, not the elbows.
-It seems, in general, larger state schools do a better job at recruiting male cheerleaders.
-Male cheerleaders do not hold pom-poms, they hold megaphones
-The Davidson pep band does a GREAT rendition of Sweet Caroline and everyone joins in on "Bum-bum-bum" and "So good! So good! So good!"
-Even though we are in the NIT, Hokies still wear orange, maroon and/or logos and greet each other with "Go Hokies!!" when passing. Myself included.
-Tyler Hansbrough is really that good. And really that awkward.

NC days 2 and 3

2008-03-22T13:00:00.001-07:00

Thursday - after sleeping in (always good to have that "3 hours behind" excuse) I drove DIT's car over to campus and met up with her...I got to crash one of her classes, which was really interesting - I forget how much interaction I have with businesses in my daily job; and how much anyone who works knows/has opinions about how business should work. :) Needless to say, I really enjoyed the class

Thursday night was a great peak at the life of a grad student. Let's do a comparison...

Location
High School: Random house in woods
Undergrad: Random house in woods
Grad: Random house in woods WITH RUBBER FLOORS (these people are prepared!)

Decor

Alcohol
High School: Whatever you can get
Undergrad: the cheapest keg you can get
Grad: TWO kegs, and I saw some bottles of Veuve Clicquot

Games
High School: I actually don't really know since I never made it past the random house in woods
Undergrad: Beer pong, if someone was lucky enough to have a table. Maybe some flip cup. Quarters. Various card games.
Grad: TWO BEER PONG TABLES. yes, really. I think that says enough.

I think at this point they had switched to flip cup

lesson - don't go to grad school unless you're ready to step up MORE than your academics...

Part of me still thinks that grad school is the chance to re-live college for those kids who worked really hard as undergrads (these people are all getting their MBA at Duke, after all)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday - spent all day watching basketball in Raleigh. The only upset of the day was Davidson over Gonzaga - the lucky people in Tampa had 4 upsets! How crazy to go to those games!

All the games were held at NC State...this one's for you Dad!

It was DITs birthday so after leaving basketball we returned to her house, got ready to go out and spent the rest of the evening at Alivia's with some of her classmates. In a crazy small world story, it turns out I am friends in Seattle with the brothers of one of her close friends on the program. How many Turkish people are in the US anyway?!

Greetings from Durham, NC

2008-03-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to leave SEA at 7:20am (PDT). After an hour delay into Newark, and then a more than 2 hour delay once there (with a built in 3 hour layover) I finally made it to Raleigh at about 11pm (EDT).

I don't think I have ever been in Newark when it has been that crowded - although it is rare that I am there to make a connection, and when you reach your final destination you don't really pay much attention to the condition of other gates. Luckily I was in the Continental terminal, so there was plenty to entertain me.

DIT has many things planned for me on this southern weekend, so time for me to get some rest. Isn't it strange how tired you get doing nothing more than sitting in planes and airports?

Park City days 2-3

2008-03-12T00:25:00.000-07:00

Day 2: Skied Park City Mountain Resort

I was so disappointed by the over-grooming of PCMR! There were many runs groomed that I remember being left to skiers to mold. The worst part was they ruined my favorite bowl - Blue Slip Bowl - by catting a large swath on skiers left. I'm really still not over it...I can't believe they then had the gall to call it one of their "signature groomed runs" - since when is a groomed bowl a signature run?! If you can't do it, stick to the groomed trails...when I finally skied Blue Slip without morbid fear I was so proud of myself. They should give others that same opportunity to grow rather than just making the slope easier.

We did McConkey's bowl to make up for it:

top

halfway down, looking back to top

In the evening I stopped to see my friends JL and LL and their new baby (and new home) in Heber. It also gave me the chance to enjoy the Utah stars on my way home...I still have yet to see stars as brilliant as those in Utah anywhere else.

Day 3: Deer Valley Resort.
More Deer Valley Chili! Yum! A great, wonderful day of sunshine and skiing. DIT and EB made sure I was well worn out by taking me down several bump runs. Which was good; it's the only way you get better, right? Crown Burger for dinner followed by a plane ride back to Seattle.

What a great 3 day getaway!

Greetings from Park City, UT

2008-03-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

I flew into SLC this morning on the early flight from Seattle...

Today I skied Deer Valley for half a day. Toward the late afternoon it got cloudy and snowy, although aside from reduced visibility the weather was not horrendous. If anything, skiing by feel is a good exercise :)

Mellow evening; we resisted the allure of Main St for some much needed rest