Where in the World is Marcia?

You know you're out there when...

2008-09-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Cabela's doesn't have what you need.

Some of you may be aware of my food obsession - the do-it-yourself trend. I make my own jerky (beef and venison) and yogurt. I even tried my hand at soft cheeses using black market milk. Don't get me started with enzymes and curd making. (No details to be provided in a public forum, but rest assured, public health was not compromised. And it tasted great.)

Last November, I purchased a smoker, and have used it with great success. It provides the taste of cooking over an open fire, without the drawbacks of traditional camping, like mosquitoes, and I still get to sleep in my own bed at night. To complete the picture, my cousin has recently provided me with a smoking jacket. My smoker already had an insulating jacket.

Now, my deep love of dairy is colliding with my deep love of smoke flavored goodness: smoked mozzarella. Cheese melts at the temperatures typically associated with smoking meat. You must keep it under 90 F to avoid disaster. Google an assortment of terms, and you quickly come to the realization that there is not a commercial product for this. Do-it-yourself cold smoker instructions abound on the web. (Who would have thought I'd ever find myself wanting to purchase a hot plate?)

So, I'm not the only one with this obsession. But it does give me pause to need (or at least want quite badly) something so niche.

I'm reading "The thing about life is that one day you'll be dead" by David Shields. He states that "Older people are more susceptible to distraction, have trouble coordinating multiple tasks, and have decreased attention spans."

So let me express my concern in another way: How will you know that I've finally lost it, when I've always been way out here?

Woo- Hoo! Life on Earth was NOT Annihilated by Physicists

2008-09-10T18:19:00.001-07:00

So the Swiss have built the world's largest particle accelerator. And they tried it out today. Various crack pots were convinced that they would start some sort of reaction that would wipe out matter on earth.

Now that it's been tested, and we're all still here, I can go back to my rant. The US will spend billions on a war, and we can't invest in the hard sciences?

I have rediscovered...

2008-07-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have rediscovered one of the joys of driving: Singing "Birdhouse in Your Soul" at the top of your voice while riding through town.

It does seem a little less controversial than my other recent selections: George Carlin, may he rest in peace, Richard Pryor, and Mark Twain.

So let's recap...

2008-07-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

I attend the Unitarian Universalist church in Urbana. (Try saying that fast three times.) Over the summer, their services are lay-led. Today, I gave the sermon. It was about what I had learned while I wandered around. It's a bit of a read, but I trust you'll find a spare 20 minutes to blow off work.

There are two readings, followed by the sermon itself.

Title: 3,100 photographs later: How circumnavigating the world has changed my perspective.

Readings

I have two readings.

The first is from “Video Night in Kathmandu and other Reports from the Not-So-Far-East,” by Pico Iyer. Published in 1988.

“I went to Asia, then, not only to see Asia, but also to see America, from a different vantage point and with new eyes. I left one kind of home to find another: to discover what resided in me and where I resided most fully, and so to better appreciate... the home I had left...

"To mention, however faintly, the West’s cultural assault on the East, is, inevitably, to draw dangerously close to the fashionable belief that the First World is corrupting the Third. And to accept that AIDS and Rambo are the two great “Western” exports of 1985, is to encourage some all too easy conclusions... In place of physical imperialism, we often assert a kind of sentimental colonialism that would replace Rambo myths with Sambo myths and conclude, that because the First World feels guilty, the Third World must be innocent...

"This, however, I find simplistic... often, what we call corruption, they might be inclined to call progress or profit...

"If the first World is not invariably corrupting the Third, we are sometimes apt to leap to the opposite conclusion: that the Third World, in fact, is hustling the First. As tourists, moreover, we are so bombarded with importunities from a variety of locals – girls who live off their bodies and touts who live off their wits, merchants who use friendship to lure us into their stores and “students” who attach themselves to us in order to improve their English - that we begin to regard ourselves as beleaguered innocents and those we meet as shameless predators.

"To do so, however, is to ignore the great asymmetry that governs every meeting between tourist and local: that we are there by choice and they largely by circumstance; that we are traveling in the spirit of pleasure, adventure and romance, while they are mired in the more urgent business of trying to survive.

My second reading is from Po Bronson’s book, “What Should I Do with my Life?” The chapter entitled “Uncomfortable is Good; rehearsing for life’s improvisation”

"I corresponded with numerous people who were traveling in different parts of the world, hoping that while away, they might figure out what to with their life. Some returned with a new courage, and an insight into themselves... Many didn’t though. They had a good time, saw the world, and often wished they could keep traveling for the rest of their years. Insight into what they would do with themselves if they had to stand still? They weren’t able to milk that rock.

"So when it helped, how did it? What was the causal link?...

"Being uncomfortable is good. If you remain comfortable, you remain more or less yourself. The quickest way to make yourself uncomfortable is to travel alone. I found high correlation between traveling alone and milking the rock. It takes courage to change your life. Sometimes, doing so, you feel all alone in life. You can get used to this scary feeling by traveling alone...

"It also helped to travel without a plan... [it’s] a way to rehearse the improvisational approach, and opens your mind to the sense of adventure. You learn to trust the laws of chance. Perhaps, when you get home, you’ll be willing to do the same.

"When you subdue these fears, they no longer guard the gates, and you invite the truth into your life.

Sermon

In the late 1960’s, my father wanted to see the world. Dad joined the Peace Corps, went to India, and met Mom. A secret courtship and bribery of a cabinet-level official began their life together. Next year, they’ll celebrate their 40^th wedding anniversary. I tell you this for two reasons. First, so that you know that I consider myself to be, quite literally, the product of American idealism. Second, there’s a fine family tradition of wandering the earth to find yourself.

In September 2005, I quit my engineering job to backpack by myself around the world. My mother was frantic. My backpack was the size of a carry-on piece of luggage, and I had a day pack too. I had four pairs of underwear. I packed light.

I started in China, and worked my way west. I climbed on the Great Wall of China, dived in Bali, took cooking classes in Thailand, bought a sleeping bag in India off of eBay. I took a boat ride down the Nile in Egypt. Quite out of character, the only airport I couldn’t figure out was in Germany. Much of Europe is still “classified.” I had a recap of the trip in the British Museum in London. I crashed with friends in Cork, Ireland whom I had originally met in Xi’an China. I eventually flew home from Ireland in May 2006, with over 3000 photographs.

When I got back, there were certain questions everyone asked:

Question: What place did you like best? Answer: India with the family, and Croatia of all places.

Question: What was the weirdest thing you ate? Answer: I had several meals that were “point and eat.” So I guess the answer is “unknown.”

Question: How were the bathrooms? Answer: Ingenious in their own right, but unspeakable.

But there was one question asked of me only once, and it stopped me in my tracks. Question: So, what did you learn? I think this sermon is my answer.

It’s taken a while for me to work this out – which changes were permanent and which transitory. In the first category, I don’t always refrigerate my cheese, and I still have an affinity for mass transportation. In the transitory category, I can take a drink of water from the tap without a sense of amazement and incredulousness. And I no longer consider the purchase of a box of cereal to be a long-term commitment.

But I think that the greatest lesson of my travel has been both the gift of distance, and the gift of connection.

The gift of distance is “perspective.” Now, when I find myself in situations that would have really bothered me before – losing my cell phone – I can remain strangely calm. I can nearly always think of a time that I was hotter, colder, wetter, more uncomfortable, more awkward, or more helpless.

I admit that I had an emotional crutch on this trip. There were times that I was emotionally drawn out, homesick, or overwhelmed by all of the unfamiliar. This crutch was a Snickers bar. It’s the only thing I found that was the same everywhere. The taste of Coke will differ country to country. But not my Snickers bar. They were not easy to acquire, so their consumption was reserved for my most dire of moments.

I was walking through the town of Mammalupurum, in southern India, a place famous for its rock carvings. I stopped to consult the map of the park, and when I looked up, there was a baby monkey in the path. Having friends who would certainly enjoy a photo, I stopped to snap a picture. The next thing I knew, I heard a loud hiss, and looked down to see the alpha monkey, claws raised against me in intimidation. In one swift movement, it swiped the plastic bag tied to my day pack. This bag held all of my snacks. Some bananas, of course, crackers, dried fruit and nuts, as well as my prized Snickers bar.

It was gone. My father’s advice returned to me, instructing me, “never confront a monkey.” They could have rabies, and it was best to give them wide berth. I could not fight this monkey for my food supply. I had no recourse. All I could do was watch as a monkey ate my Snickers bar. He even removed the wrapper before he ate it. I am not too proud to say that I harbored ill will against him, hoping it would at least make him sick. But I did get a priceless photo.

It’s quite laughable now, but I was emotionally devastated at the time... But I lived. And it’s just one of the moments from this trip that’s make it far easier for me to take a step back and figure out how big of a jam I’m really in. I can distance myself from a trying moment. Perspective is a very valuable gift to have.

My other gift was the gift of connections. Understandably, I had a lot of friends and family who wanted to keep track of me. Technology was the answer, and, unexpectedly, it helped me make a better connection to the places I visited.

I may have packed lightly, but I did have a camera, an international cell phone, and a blog. I was issued strict rules about my communications. I had to post to my blog every two to three days. I had to say where I was and the next two to three expected destinations. If I couldn’t find a café, I had to call a trusted friend who could post an update. I had to call my parents once a week, sometime during their Sunday or mine.

The system worked well. While in Egypt, all of the Aussies in my group received text messages asking if they were ok. Bewildered, they tapped back a “yes” in reply. We were able to find an internet café. A quick check of bbc.com uncovered the source of worry: a ferry had sunk off of the coast. Before the East Coast of the US woke up, I was able to post to my blog and assure everyone that I was alive and well. It wasn’t until I actually reached Edinburgh – seven months into my trip - that I found out that my mother didn’t actually read what I wrote. She just looked for new headlines to verify that I was alive.

In some ways, I felt like a reporter. If I had to do all of this communicating, I wanted to say something. It wasn’t enough to describe my wanderings. I wanted my friends and family to glimpse what I was experiencing. I couldn’t just check out. There was no insulating myself from where I was - the place itself. But because I worked so hard just to scratch the surface of the place, I ended up way out of my element.

I was in India. It is mentally overwhelming to travel for days on end, alone in a place so different from all you’ve experienced, to see that level of poverty. The touts were everywhere with their cries of “Hello Madam!” I felt “that the Third World, in fact, was hustling the First.”

I needed a mental break from the unfamiliar. The streets are lined with shops. Set aside quaint visions of glass storefronts. Think of rows of concrete single car garages with sidewalks full of people and hawkers. The shops are open to the streets. I entered one such place to have a glass of fresh squeezed grape juice. It was to be my oasis that day. I sat at the edge of the shop and saw a woman in the street begging for money. I felt like Iyer’s beleaguered innocent meeting shameless predators – yet another person trying to separate me from my cash. I was certainly uncomfortable. I couldn’t move past the notion that it was not my responsibility to act.

And this is when I learned what to do with my discomfort when someone “mired in the more urgent business of trying to survive.” begs you for money. A woman in the shop walked out into the street and gave the beseecher a few rupees. I felt shamed. I knew my bank account was most likely larger than hers, and still, she gave. In a country without a safety net, here is the social contract. There was no government program, only an expectation.

It was not charity in the way we consider it. Dignity is the word that comes to mind. Merriam Webster’s online dictionary defines dignity as the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed. It was a dignity I saw again and again. Millions of people, making their way in the world with all the dignity they could muster.

Out of this uncomfortable feeling came a transformation. This woman had shown me the capability of another reaction. It was as if I had always known that when you put two and two together, you get four, but it just registered that sometimes, you get 22.

It was in moments like this that I “learned to trust the laws of chance.” I learned to trust that the universe would deliver the essentials. For the people in the countries I visited, I am grateful. They were an instrument of the universe. If I really needed to know something, someone would arrive and take great pains to ensure my understanding. Without their patience and tolerance, there were many meals I wouldn’t have been able to eat, many modes of transport that I wouldn’t have caught, many viewpoints I wouldn’t see.

The nice to know items were lost to me, and no amount of struggling on my part could make them known to me. European road signs were one such mystery.

I know of four or five systems used to purchase a bus ticket. I have been confounded by the process of eating at a buffet. I have been at the whim of countless postal services. I have seen enumerable variations on a computer keyboard. It was enough to make me wonder why “embracing diversity” is so touted.

But, at every step of the way, when I really needed help, it arrived.

I do think that this trust that my life will unfold as it will, has remained with me. My current job is nowhere near my previous career path. I’m far more likely to do those things that I’ve always wanted to do. Reference, for example, my yoga classes and pottery lessons. I no longer worry about looking like a fool. So, because I have walked through the streets of Beijing, Bombay, and Berlin, I am more at home with being me.

Not all who wander are lost.

May we find the strength to wander in our own way, seeking our own truth.

May we be open to the chance to see someone else’s view.

And may a monkey never eat your Snickers bar.

Amen.

Shitastic

2008-07-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

That's today. I didn't sleep well last night. I forgot to bring my coffee into work this AM. After a bit of rumination, and inquires into the tastiness of the vending machine brew (should have known to skip this step), I sucked it up and bought a Diet Coke.

As I stood there chatting with Judy, I opened the bottle, and the contents started to spew. And spew. Since there was no end in sight, I made the 50 foot dash to the kitchen to get the bottle to the sink. Cue the laughter from the co-workers about my shitastic day.

Next stop, the internet. I needed some sort of cleansing ritual; someway to restart this day. Strangely, people on the internet take this seriously. They all wanted me to buy some detox potion. Oprah's article on "How to Move On" was no help. I was really just looking for a chant, perhaps a dance, something easy to designate a new start to my day. This site wasn't promising, but not enough content to really do the job.

Thank goodness it's not Groundhog Day...

Unsmelly Durian?

2007-04-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

On a dare from Roxy, I consumed durian in Thailand. It's supposed to be the smelliest fruit out there. It was a bit smelly, but I don't remember it too unfondly. Maybe this review is an example of time healing all wounds, but not having checked my Thai post, I can't say for sure. (As a point of honesty, I won't read what I had to say about it until I've finished this post.)

Anyway. I read in the NY Times that they have finally bred an unstinky durian. I don't think it's the same. It's not that I am a durian connoisseur; I can't judge it like wine or beer or cheese. So why am I upset? It's homogenizing food.

It's an affront to me because it's removing a barrier to entry. You don't have to go out on a limb to gain a new experience. There's less on the line.

Let's not have life be too easy.

I wonder what else is rolling around in there...

2007-02-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

So having a spare moment or two, I hit wikipedia. On the front page, I see something about an infinite sum of positive numbers = -1. I click, and remember back to undergrad. I once knew how to sum an infinite series. It was critical to my existence. Or, at least my grade.

A click later, I stumbled upon "Cauchy sequence" and my mind screamed, "You've heard of that!!"

And, as I type this out, I think back to yet another undergrad class. In this one, I learned the difference between "recall" and "recollect." You have different types of memory. It's easier to get information into "recollect" to ace that multiple choice test. You only have to pick from the choices in front of you. Much more difficult to get it into that "recall" memory bank for the dreaded "fill in the blank" questions. I could recollect "Cauchy sequence" but if my life depended up on it, could not hope to recollect it.

Anyway. I was momentarily seized with the desire to once again commit to memory how to sum an infinite sequence. That desire has passed. It's just a bit too esoteric now. If it were a bit more practical, I would invest a bit of myself.

So we'll leave the moral of the story as "Look Dad! I wasn't drunk for all of undergrad!"

And think, I've only had one beer tonight.

I'm Kenny....

2007-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Never thought I'd be Kenny, but that's ok. There's also a William Shatner quiz too...

Chinese food

2006-11-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

So I was at a local mall yesterday. (Don't ask why.) It's known for having a good, if a bit pricey, Chinese restaurant. So I stopped in to get dinner.

They handed over the menu. And it was in English. Not just "Kung Pao Chicken" or "Mu Shu pork" but "Beef in Hot ginger sauce" and "Hot tofu Szechuan style." I had this latter dish before, and found it to be a imitation of my memories of the real thing.

I've reached the point in my food life when I know I'm a fan of Szechuan, and my favorite dish is "Ma Po Dofu." The traditional preparation has chucks of tofu and small bits of pork in a sauce. And mouth numbing spices. But the key is the bit of pork. So I didn't want the "hot tofu Szechuan style" which was under the Vegetable menu, but the real deal.

I find myself in the awkward place where neither a menu in English nor one in Chinese fits my needs. So I simply had to order up in my bit Chinese, and hope for the best. It was tasty.

Will wonders never cease?

2006-11-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying, "Don't worry, I was supervised."

It's never a good start to a story, but this story does not involve fire.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I observed the workings of the top loading washing machine. I should point out that I have watched front loading machines at a laundromat. Front loaders were quite common in Europe, as they use less energy and water than the typical top loader. They have a transparent door, as most commercial dryers do.

But it was the opaque lid that always was a discouragement for the top loader. It was as if the process was meant to be a secret. Indeed, to watch it move through the entire cycle, you have to fool the machine into thinking that the lid is closed. Chris did let me put my hand in during the spin cycle, but before it was moving really fast.

So three cheers to the spirit of investigation of the known world! It may be a machine I've used hundreds of times without incident, but I'm a richer person for the experience.

Are you ready to vote?

2006-10-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not opening this up for a free for all to express your political opinions. I'm not up for moderating that discussion. I'm just asking if you feel prepared to vote.

Like it or not, in Illinois, we elect our judges. The first couple of times I voted, I felt bad because I just had to guess if I should vote to retain someone. I could have unknowingly voted for someone inept. Knowingly is one thing, unknowingly is a psychological burden.

But the Illinois State Bar Association conducts a poll of attorneys. They require a 65% approval rating from the respondents before the judge is "recommended" for retention. They also have questionnaires, which the Bar evaluates, and gives a subjective qualified/not qualified rating. Is it perfect? No. But it's the best I could find.

Click here and select your county to see the ratings.

While we're at it, I'd recommend these folks as well. They send you an email detailing how your Congressional delegation voted over the previous week, as well as letting you know what's coming up to bat.

So it's been about a year...

2006-10-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Exactly a year ago, I was wandering around China in a state of confusion. So here are some words on my current state of confusion...

It doesn't seem like such a long time ago. But I guess it's been long enough that I've developed the rose colored glasses about the trip. The monkey, the night of four rooms, the bathrooms; a small grin comes to me as I recall them all.

This past weekend, I was looking at some of the China photos. I was struck by how bad the air was, and how bad my pictures were. About 3,000 images later, and I'm ready for an SLR camera. This had been one of my life goals, to own and operate effectively, an SLR camera. My Uncle Ed, long time reader, occasional poster, taught me how to change my oil this past weekend. Imagine, I've had my car 10 years, and I'd never done this. Life is about gaining experiences; I thank you all for reading about mine while you were out living yours.

I'm sometimes struck by how much more meaning the world has. I read The Spy who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre. It's a typical Cold War spy book. But part of it takes place in Berlin. Street names and sites were rattled off, and I had this feeling of meaning, in that I had navigated those very places with some success. (At least enough success to make it home.)

It's a bit like watching a travel show about Chicago. Travel is supposed to be about exploring the great unknown. The irony is that this perk can quickly become the problem. You quickly arrive at sensory overload when each input must be evaluated as good, bad, or critical to your survival. When watching a travel show about someplace you know, there's an odd appreciation finer than that of an out-of-towner. It comes from having a base of the familiar, mixed with a splash of the new.

With so many places at least vaguely familiar, I can only surmise that my wanderings will be better the next time I go...

What happened?

2006-10-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

I was in the grocery store Friday, and I noticed the absence of banana milk. Banana flavored milk was a great treat for me. Apparently, when I left the country, it tipped the scales. Not enough people were into it to keep it in the stores.

I do have to admit that it's taken me several months to note the disappearance, so I shouldn't be shocked. But now that I can't have it, I want it all the more.

Adult Art Project

2006-10-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

This isn't going to be about photos of naked people. That would be "Adult-Art Project."

Anyway. This is about stuffing envelopes. That's my adult art project. There are stickers, and glue, and markers. It's not just any envelope stuffing. This is going to famous people. It's nice to know that someone still thinks of Cindy Lauper.

The idea is that famous people doodle, and then the pics are auctioned off in April to raise money for one of their programs.

I've been working on K's and L's. I almost slipped a note in Lisa Kudrow's envelope letting her know that I enjoyed the "Smelly Cat" song on Friends. I admit that I often sing it to Buster, with proper substitutions. But there's no "outside the box" creativity in adult art projects.

Offering opinions...

2006-10-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

U of I sent me an alumni survey. It was once said that I am passionate about any survey I take. This, I can't deny. I've always given thought to the questions, and even how I answered them.

I noticed two things:

1. I really liked the boxes at the end of each page. They basically asked that I share any other thoughts I had about the topic at hand. It was open season for me to discuss what I really value about my undergraduate degree. I do think this is a "blog residual" - my ability to spout off about anything.

2. For the last week, I have been entering survey results into a computer as part of the current job assignment (I'm in vet-med, and it rules). As I was checking the boxes, I was taking stock of the questions to guess which they will check for correlation.

But I have found that the only really meaningful data comes from the boxes at the end...

Temp job...

2006-09-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

So I'm in the Dean's Office at Vet Med. I already have a picture of Buster up in my cubical area. It's a great place to work. Jeans on Fri, and a boss that knows how to teach you things without making you feel like a moron for not knowing it in the first place...

Buster has been a bit hyperactive this week. I've got a full time gig now, so he's not used to having so much time on his hands... err, paws. I sense the dog park in our future.

Studio 60....

2006-09-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I have been watching intently. It's like the old days of West Wing. The "walk and talk" is there, the camera shots, the great dialog. Timothy Busfield, Bradley Whitford...

The main actors are playing characters very different that what we're used to seeing. But I don't have a discongruent feeling. Can you really see Kelsy Grammer as anything other than Fraiser, or a voice on the Simpsons?

I don't think it will inspire me to move to Hollywood, but it's great TV.

Retro Technology

2006-09-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

So I used a typewriter at work on Friday, pretty much for the first time. My parents had one, but I don't recall using for anything of consequence. Even my typing class was on a computer.

It took some adjusting. I was filling out a form, and it was tricky to get the spacing just right. There was no blinking vertical line indicating where the letter would appear on the page. There was a "paper up" and a "paper down" button. The "paper up" works exactly like the "page down" key on a computer.

I had quite the sense of accomplishment when I was finished.

Circle of Fire

2006-08-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

For dinner yesterday, I wanted to have a burrito and a salad. So I placed a tortilla in the toaster oven, and headed out to the garden to pick salad ingredients. There were a few cherry tomatoes, a big tomato ready to come in before the squirrels ate it, some basil, and just a bit of mint. And a banana pepper.

I describe all of this to indicate the approximate duration of my stay in the back yard. I entered the house and instantly smelled "burning something" and could see a bit of a haze ahead.

I rush into the kitchen, and behold, I saw flames behind a cloudy toaster oven door. I yelled "CHRIS!" but I quickly remembered she was outside mowing, and not likely to hear me. I grabbed baking soda from the pantry, swung open the oven door, and saw a circle of fire. I threw copious amounts of the baking soda into the oven until I didn't see flames. And then I threw on a bit more.

The house still smells, and I need a bit more time with the oven to remove the scorch stains. But I have to say that I'm impressed with the ability of the oven to hold the fire.

I don't know if I need to test the oven before plugging it back in and using it. I fear I could have baked a circuit board or some critical timer. But it seems to me that the toaster oven engineers should have foreseen "burning mass of food" and computed a few heat transfer equations. I didn't retain enough info from that class to replicate their efforts, so I'm guessing that I'll just use the oven and hope for the best. Or I'll let one of my roommates try first...

So I have a job...

2006-08-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's a part time temp job, but it's a return to the working world none the less!!!

I'll be at the MBA Office, wearing a suit or at least a jacket M-F, noon until 4 PM.

I start Tuesday.

The point...

2006-08-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

So this article from the NY Times is its "most blogged." And I can see why. It's about men, aged 30-55, who lost their jobs, but don't go out an get another. The graphic on the left is the most striking. It shows percentage of men from 30-54 who are not working, and shows how this figure changes from 1950 through 2004. The reason most men in the article site for not getting another job is that they don't want to "downgrade" themselves. They won't be able to find another job that pays as well as the one they had before. They want to enjoy their life and live off of their savings.

Before I start, in the interest of self-disclosure, I once did an internship at the steel mill featured in the article, Northwestern Steel and Wire. Second, my dad is retired, and seems to love it. Third, I can just as easily be accused of the last statement of the prior paragraph. (I will, however, go back to work. Soon, I hope.) End of journalistic integrity check.

I could turn this into a "lazy men" bashing post. But, it's actually not my point. This is a symptom of a larger issue that hasn't upset enough people.

I'll touch on education, earnings and jobs:

There are many articles published arguing that boys are falling behind in academic achievement. Valedictorians, student council presidents, and college graduates are all being dominated by women. This prompts some to worry that men are falling behind in this arena. Others say that it is finally the women catching up to what men have always been doing, and it's sexist to be worried about men. All of this misses the big debate.

These articles rarely discuss the fact that there are still careers that women avoid. Men still dominate those majors that usually see the highest earnings right out of college: engineering or the hard sciences. For one reason or another, there is some barrier to entry for women. Exactly what that barrier is, no one yet knows and is the topic of another debate.

Indeed, the Women's Bureau at the US Department of Labor presents some interesting statistics. In their "Hot Jobs for the 21st Century," they provide a list of the fastest growing occupations, as well as the occupations that will provide the largest growth in jobs. Most of the occupations listed on the "fastest" list require at least a college degree, if not postgraduate work. They are computer jobs, health care jobs, and, to my joy, environment related jobs. The "greatest growth" occupations don't usually require a four year degree. The third table on the web page is of note - listing the average weekly salary for given jobs. It makes clear that "more education" brings more money home.

Compare this to the list of 20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women. The jobs women dominate may be on the "greatest growth" list above, but they tend to be those with lower average weekly salaries.

But, money isn't everything, and the pay still isn't the point I want to make.

Some of these jobs, like a nurse, do pay well, the other issue is that all of the"leading occupations" allow you and only you to thrive. These aren't occupations that create jobs for others. We have teacher's aides and nurse's aides so that we need fewer teachers and nurses (this is outsourcing a job too), but not because the teacher or nurse created a new job that needed to be filled. Contrast this to an engineer or scientist, whose job it is to make something new. That new thing must somehow be made, providing jobs to others.

I see the "slacker men" and the lack of women in science and engineering as part of the same problem. The men don't want to retool and acquire skills that will get them back into the economy. Most women are choosing careers that aren't creating jobs for others. We are checking out of the future.

In the future, everything will be sourced to the person who is best suited to complete the task. If you want to thrive, you must be the person it gets sourced to. So you need to create new tasks - innovate - so that you have new things to do. If you innovate it, at least initially, you will be best suited for the work. And that's the thing about a new job - it didn't displace anyone else from his job. And if you are successful, you will create a job for others too. They can thrive too.

If we are going to thrive and not just survive, we need everybody. This is something that I really saw on my trip. About 1% of Indians are involved in IT or manufacturing. The Chinese government censors my blog and google. So it struck me: What's going to happen to the US when these countries get everyone on board?

We need all hands on deck to deal with the changes that are coming. Commit to learning new skills for the rest of your life to stay in the game.

Other photos - Nessie hat and more.

2006-08-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the photos Brooke took when welcoming me back to the States...

The mall...

2006-08-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

My watch battery died last week, and I headed to the mall to get it fixed. On my way to the watch kiosk, I had a salesman tout me about his products. I evaded well. Been there, done that.

I hand over my watch, and have a five minute wait. I start to look around, watching the mall-goers as they too are touted. He didn't seem to have much luck.

Behind me, I noticed a new kiosk, as yet, unmanned. They will offer threading, a process common in India and at least some parts of the Middle East. It's hard to succinctly describe, but, it's facial hair removal through use of thread. The thread is twisted, and captures the hair. It's less painful than waxing, and fairly quick. There was a "help wanted" sign, and offer to train.

I noted the price list. It was about what you would pay in India, just in dollars instead of rupees.

I felt like there was a bit of India in the mall.

smugmug map...

2006-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

On my photo web site, I've selected a few photos from each country to highlight. Scroll down to the middle of the page, and, if you have Google Earth installed, you should see a map of the world.

You'll also see little green smiley balloons scattered across the world. They more or less track my path.

Considering the time that I was gone, and the miles that I traveled, it makes me feel small to see that most of the world is still empty.

Photos...

2006-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

OK. So ALL of my photos are finally uploaded, rotated, and commented. Please enjoy.

There are 3201 of them, taken over 221 days, +/- 1 day, that I was out of the US. (That's 14.5 photos per day, for those of you doing the math.)

As always, follow the link to the right, and let me know if you have any problems with it.

Woo-Hoo! I can leave the country again!

2006-07-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have received my passport from the processing center. I needed new visa pages. I tried to get the pages in Prague, but the embassy was out of the pages. I tried in Berlin, but that turned into a longer story than I really need to relate.

I scanned in all of the pages before I sent it away. Should the passport have been lost in the mail, I would still have the images of all of my visas...

But I was pleased to note that the text is in English, French, and now Spanish. The extra pages are lettered, instead of numbered. And they go in the middle of the passport.

Just things that I hope will inspire you all...

Photos...

2006-07-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten...

I have uploaded all of the photos. They are all rotated, but not all are commented.

I have completed the comments for everything through Barcelona. Check out La Sagrada Familia. I've put a lot of comments into that to show you how things fit together...

I hope to have the rest of the comments finished in the following couple of weeks...

Grocery Shopping...

2006-07-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

So last night was the first time that I had to go to the grocery store alone.

I forgot how to grocery shop. Not that I ran into anything with the cart, but I wasn't sure what should go on the list. I found the Spaghettios, not to worry.

I did find myself looking at something, and thinking, "Will I be here long enough to use this?"

It's still odd for me to think that I will stay someplace more than two nights.

I was floored by the aisles and aisles of food. Institutional-sized cans of peaches. Instant mashed potatoes. With cheese if you want it. Whole wheat white bread that doesn't have the level of fiber of the regular whole wheat bread. The high prevalence of high frutose corn syrup in everything from crackers to applesauce. I may not get used to this...

On the upside, I took Buster to the farmer's market. He was quite well behaved, although that may be the result of the dog treats. He received many pats, and scratches behind the ears. He also sniffed a few other dogs too. All in all, a good time had by all...

You don't know how many times I wished for this....

2006-06-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

In Tokyo, my dream has come true. There were numerous times I looked at some object, knew it had significance, but had no idea what it was. And I also had no easy way of ever finding out. I can't ask Google to do a search when I have no words for my question.

I read this article in the NY Times with great interest. You can point your mobile in the direction of a monument, and it will tell you what it is. It works with restaurants or hotels as well. You point the phone, and it provides a list of choices, as well as how far away each place is.

Sorry, technology not available in the US.

Smart cars...

2006-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

I read this article from the NY Times. It discusses Daimler Chrysler's plan to introduce the Smart car here. I saw these cars all over Europe, at least Western Europe. They get great gas mileage, and seem great, as long as you don't need to carry anything with you. There is some space in the back for a couple of bags of groceries.

I can see it catching on with people who have long commutes, or people who live in the downtown area of large cities. Other than that, I don't see it catching on. We just like to carry a lot of stuff around with us in our cars. I frequently have a 50 pound dog in my back seat, and the trunk contains an emergency box-jumper cables, replacement fluids, emergency blanket, and more. The Smart car would be a bit cozy...

Terror Alert Indicator

2006-06-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

This site places a terror alert indicator on your web site. I have it on my Google homepage, which I have just customized. It replaces the color coded system with something much more amusing. Let's hope we never hit "Elmo" level...

Luckily, I spaced out for a bit...

2006-06-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

I drove back to my parent's house yesterday. I normally take a state route from I-74 to I-65. The former dips south to reach Indy, while the state route continues straight east. My exit is at mile marker 39.

About three miles prior, I reminded myself to get off. About a mile prior, a truck was transporting a rather large piece of yellow metal. Wasn't quite an engine, but captured my attention. There was a police escort, and traffic on the other side of the road was also backed up. Bottom line is that I forgot to get off.

Not a big deal, but adds 30 minutes to my drive, based on the one other time that I've done so. Turns out that this 30 minutes made my life much easier. There were massive storms traveling through NE Indiana yesterday afternoon. Had I been 30 minutes earlier, I would have been further up the interstate, about where I saw six semi's overturned. As it was, there were strong winds and buckets of rain.

At least I'm comfortable driving again.

What now...

2006-06-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

So I went to visit my storage unit. I needed to find things like my running gear, PJ's, and more shoes. I wandered through many boxes looking for an assortment of items that I had been looking for.

I found things I didn't even know that I wanted to have back. And so it led me to pause and think about all of my stuff. I couldn't tell you the contents of most of my boxes off hand. (I know you wouldn't be shocked to know that most boxes are numbered, and there is a list with a short description of the contents of each. I could eventually tell you the contents.) But I remembered that I like most of my stuff. And it gave me an idea: I could one day be reunited with it, and actually be able to unpack it.

This has motivated me to move beyond my "readjustment" phase into the "move on" phase.

Mobile phone...

2006-06-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

No, I don't yet have a mobile phone, but I do have a story:

So my mobile phone arrived from Amazon. I'll spare the details (I know, it's rare), but the bottom line is that I needed to contact Amazon's customer service. Hmmm... How do I find the customer service number?

About four clicks later, I hit "Call me."

You read that right. You punch in your phone number, and tell them how long to wait until they ring. (Dial up users need time to get off.) After selecting "right away" I clicked "submit," and the phone started to ring.

Wow. Voice over IP, I am pleased. And way to go Amazon for making this happen! How many times does customer service agree to call you when you have a problem?

My phone still isn't set up, but they'll give me $10 to make up for my pain and suffering.

***
I should also mention that I seemed to have more problems than usual in dealing with questions from the customer service people. On both calls I had to make, I had to have things explained to me. And a repetition of the explanation using slightly different words.

And I needed to give the last five digits of my credit card instead of the last four. Little things like that you learn to key in on to make these conversations a bit smoother. After months of not having to deal with it, I'm a bit rusty.

Skills for living in the modern world, gone, just like that.

So. I'm not the only one...

2006-06-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

First, my thanks to Andy, who forwarded this link to me. It's from the NY Times, discussing the trend of younger people taking time off between jobs to travel. It's mostly the result of wanting a bit more balance between work and life. You don't want work to always win. Two weeks of vacation doesn't always give you the time away you want.

So it sounds like other people are doing what I did, but just not necessarily to the extent that I did.

Random conversations

2006-06-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

We were queued to board the train. The man in front of me asked if this was the train to Washington DC. I replied, "I'm not going nearly that far, but you're in the right place."

I noticed two things. First, I had detected a slight accent, but could not place it. Second, even though we were both native English speakers and able to read the same set of signs, he felt a need to confirm the information. I certainly know this feeling. But this is what being in your own country does for you. I was certain of the system, and had no doubt I was in the right place. But more power to him for asking. Sometimes asking questions you think you know the answer to leads to some surprising results.

So I asked, "So, where are you from?"

Upon hearing "Scotland," we launched into a discussion about the fact that I had been there three weeks prior, and he had been in Madison, WI visiting friends.

We were able to get adjacent seats on the train, and continued the conversation for quite some time. He was quite fascinated by the scenery, and it is much better than that found by the Indiana Tollway. We had a random conversations about our family, what we did, where we had been, how the US operates, that type of thing. We exchanged names and well wishes just before I disembarked.

Much the same thing that would happen to me during my travels. I don't think that I would have pursued a conversation before I took my trip. Having been the one in dire need of reassurance, I felt a certain kinship. So I'm now more willing to end up in random conversations with perfect strangers.

Amtrak

2006-06-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

I needed to go to Chicago this past weekend. I wasn't ready to drive. My brother drove me from Ft. Wayne to Chicago, and I took the Amtrak back.

It was the nicest train I was on in all of my trip. Really.

There was a lot of room between rows of seats. The seats tilt back further than any I encountered. And they have a rest for your lower leg, as well as a foot rest. Features not at all found in a coach seat in Europe. Clean bathrooms too. (You know I'd put that info in.) There was dining service, but I was waiting for Mom's home cooking, so I didn't partake.

So go on! Give it a chance! The train was packed. All the cool kids are doing it!

Hey Jaycees!!

2006-06-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

The following is for the JC's in the crowd, so the rest of you can skip over this...

I wrote a CPG for this trip, which is why there is a link from the Peoria JC's web site to this blog.

Of course, I had a set of goals for this CPG, and now, it's time to see if I've met the goals. So, if you're a JC, please post a comment with the following info:

Your name (first name only is ok). (You can send me an email if you prefer that. Click on my name to the right, and my blogger profile will open up. Under "Contact" you'll find a link with my email address.)
Your chapter, if not from Peoria
If you have conducted a web search as a result of something in this blog

Let me know if you have any questions about this...

Hey all!

2006-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

OK - I'm still alive. I was just enjoying a bit of a time out from the blog. Buster has needed a lot of scritching (ala Snoopy and Charlie Brown).

I've ordered a mobile from Verizon via Amazon. As an FYI, Amazon has better deals on the phones than going directly to the company. You do have a middle man without a store, but that's the trade off. I'll send out an email once I know the phone number. This should happen early next week.

I still have not driven my car. I've put it on the "to-do" list for tomorrow. Buster should go to the park, or I should go to Walgreens for some decongestant. Probably both. And both are probably related.

My ambitious goal for next week includes stops in Cleveland, Urbana, Peoria, and Flora. Don't worry if you live in one of those places and don't know about my plans. I don't really know them either. In some ways, figuring out the when was a bit easier when I had to get on the internet and check plane/train/bus schedules. There were finite times available. The "drive myself" option is so open...

Skills and lessons...

2006-06-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Things I've learned, and things I've found handy:

Learned:
- Stop to check the map often. If things seem a bit different than you expected, check in concentric circles around your last known location. You're really WAY off the mark.

- Don't navigate via mosque in Istanbul.

- Don't navigate via canal in Amsterdam.

- Observe carefully. Sit there for longer than you really want to. Sooner or later, someone will complete the very action you desperately want to know how to do. Works for entering mass transit and buffet lines.

- Use small words. Go slowly. Don't be surprised when your question of "Do you have a bigger/smaller widget?" obtains a response of "We have many more items for sale over here...."

- If you can't read the menu, it's ok to just point at something else you see.

Skills to have/ things to know before you go:

- Use of chopsticks

- Riding a motorcycle. I didn't know, so got by without it. Lots of people get on, but you have to be really careful with this one.

- Compass and map reading

- Pack a black marker.

- Pack light. You don't stay in one place too long, so no one knows you're always in the same two shirts.

Buster

2006-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

So I was reunited with Buster yesterday. Dad let him out of the house, and he came running out. And then he proceeded to bark at me with the "Stranger Danger" bark.

I said "Hi there!" and the scene changed immediately. He started to do the "happy dog" dance. He did urinate on the driveway. He was quite excited.

We played tug of war, and he gave me my first scratch. I retaliated by giving him a bath.

Several rules have been relaxed in my absence, so I am trying to re-establish order. I've seen him eat carrots. But he did sit on his blanket for dinner.

He no longer sleeps on the bed, instead going to his bean bag. So it was not all bad...

Other issues....

2006-06-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

- Brooke drove me home from the airport, and it was really fast. She was going no more than 60 MPH.

- Put the lid down. Don't hold down the lever, as the toilet will flush on its own. Butt gaskets at RDU are outside the stall. Take one in with you.

- ATMs do not give me five language choices. (English, French, Spanish, German, plus local language if not listed above, such as Polish.)

- I wandered around the earth for seven months, and the first accident I was involved in was in NC. No one or thing was hurt. But the people worried about transport options abroad were a bit misguided.

- I still haven't driven. That will need to change soon.

- I can spread out my things when I sleep in the same place more than two nights.

- Price tags: The price on the sign in Europe, and a few other places, was the price that you paid. The tax was included in the figure. The receipt did provide a total amount of tax.

- Water comes with meals. No asking for tap water is really necessary.

Food issues...

2006-05-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

So, in the first two hours I was awake, I ate:

- a bowl of cereal
- a cup of coffee
- 3/4 can of pears
- a cup of milk
- two cups beef stroganoff

After a snack of teddy grams, and snack mix

Lunch:
- another cup of beef stroganoff
- a banana
- 1/4 cup colby jack cheese cubes

Afternoon snack:
- chips and salsa, a couple of bowls

It's 3 PM, and I've been awake 6.5 hours.

My metabolism is sky high. For seven months, all I did was walk around and see stuff. Even those days spent on trains/busses, I would be hauling a 30 pound pack. So I'm going to resume running and hope this equalizes. Uei says I have two weeks to a month before that happens... So I'm sort of enjoying it while it lasts...

Things you forgot to tell me...

2006-05-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

So I had to get my Starbucks fix today. (Taco Bell was also necessary, but not a concurrent event.) I paid for my drink, and was handed a $10 bill as part of my change. It did not look the same way as when I left the country. I had to confirm with Brooke that this foreign bill was the currently acceptable look for a $10 bill.

As an aside, the bills look shorter and longer than they should be, but I think this is because I've been using Euros for so long.

So the question:

Is there anything else that I should know about life in the US before I venture forth?

US Soil...

2006-05-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

So I made it to O'Hare without incident. I heard the relief and joy in my mother's voice when we talked.

Then my issues started. I guess there had been a storm before arrival, and this gave me an additional hour and a half delay. Then we got on the plane. And sat on the tarmac for two hours. As Ryan said, at least I had the plane between me and the tarmac.

The strange thing was that I really wasn't bothered or too perturbed by this. Really. It was just one of those things.

Brooke met me at the airport in Raleigh. I was wearing my Nessie hat - as in the Loch Ness Monster hat. Pictures will be forthcoming, as I now have free highspeed internet access.

So I'm posting this while suffering from jet lag. My body is screaming at me to be awake at 4 AM. It's conviced it's more like 10 AM, a time I should reasonably be expected to be up.

Oh - I have consistently had to remind myself to put the lid down. I have no fear that it will soon come back as old habit.

Oh yeah - let's give it up for Croatian ferries!

2006-05-23T10:43:00.001-07:00

Really, I didn't understand how great the Croatian ferries were. Enclosed spaces, padded chairs, a bar.

The ride to the Aran Islands was nothing like that. Think wet. Think sitting on a hard box. Think totally dry.

I did not lose my lunch. On the way back, much calmer, I actually fell asleep.

Go Croatia!

Last Day...

2006-05-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

So I'm in Dublin today, after spending 7 hours on a bus from Doolin. Two letters, hours apart.

I've had plenty of Guiness, listened to a lot of music, and seen a lot of green things.

So I'm pretty much ready to get on the plane and start using green money again.

It's been great. No regrets that I did it. My thanks to you all for reading, commenting, cheering me on.

So if you feel a sudden shift in the force tomorrow around 12:45, it's just me. Don't worry.

Branson, MO

2006-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right. I'm in Killarney. It's the Branson of Ireland. There's folk singing, over-priced "home cooked" food, and kitchy souvenirs. It seems like a place designed to separate tourists from their money. It's not quite as slick as Disney, but more unassuming, like Branson.

I'll take a bus to Doolin tomorrow. From there, I should be able to see the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and maybe the Aran Islands. I'll figure it out when I get there. I'll spend Sun and Mon there, and Tues AM, start the ride to Dublin.

Killarney

2006-05-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

So there's a bus from Cork to Killarney every hour on the half hour. So I will be taking one of them later today. I'll see the Ring of Kerry. Perhaps a bit of Dingle, and then east to Dublin to fly out.

I visited the Blarney Stone yesterday. I did not kiss it, only photograph it. I have not sufficiently overcome my distaste for bacteria in order to kiss that which many thousands have kissed.

Question...

2006-05-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

So I was watching the BBC, and they had a live shot of the White House, with the Washington Monument in the background. I noticed that all of the flags were at half staff. Why is that? I couldn't find anything...

Up next...

2006-05-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

I tried to go to Westminster Abbey today. That didn't work out so well. It's closed today, and tomorrow until 2 PM. It turns out that the Queen knights people here every four years. Today is the dress rehearsal, and tomorrow is the knighting.

I have an afternoon flight to Cork tomorrow, so I won't be able to see the Abbey. I guess this means that I 'll have to come back...

It's a small world...

2006-05-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

I saw Les Mis last night. I struck up a conversation with the couple sitting next to me. They currently live in Tennessee. I told them that I was from Peoria, and they were a bit astonished.

It turns out that they met at Bradley. The gentleman worked for the State Water Survey in Peoria back in the 1960's, before taking a job with the TVA. At that time, Peoria still had numerous distilleries and breweries. They used a lot of groundwater, and this lowered the water table. So the Water Survey devised a plan to use river water to replenish the groundwater. This gentleman was responsible for taking water samples from Hiram Walker. He said that each sample was provided in a whisky bottle.

End of an era...

2006-05-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

So tonight, NBC will show the last (and the first) episode of the West Wing. It's time to let it go, but I wanted to mark the occasion...

Maybe I'll visit 10 Downing Street tomorrow...

Geography I forgot to mention...

2006-05-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

So does it seem like I'm closer?

I forgot to mention that when I flew into Edinburgh, I returned to the Western Hemisphere, after 204 days (give or take a day) in the Eastern Hemisphere. I was at 56° 00' N, 4° 00' W.

I may go out to Greenwich while I'm here in London. In which case, I could step back into the East.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

2006-05-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

I called Mom, but I just thought I'd post this too. Mom was having a good Mother's Day, especially since she knows it's only a matter of days until I'm back in the US. The grey hair growth rate should slow down...

My pack...

2006-05-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

So Steve has taken a great interest in the contents of my pack. It's not very large, but, I "seem to pull out a new gizmo every five minutes."

So here's a rundown on some of the stuff in my pack or daybag:

- sewing kit
- hand cleansing gel
- compass
- fork/knife/spoon combo set
- waiter's wine key
- handkerchief to dry my hands
- leatherman
- camera cleaning kit
- cable ties
- ACE bandage
- emergency blanket - one of those thinner than aluminum foil space blanket things
- bike lock - wire type used to secure pack during overnight train rides
- JC's name tag
- clothes line
- sink plug

I also had a water filter, but sent that home when I reached countries with potable water.

Does this seem normal?

The Highlands...

2006-05-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

So - I haven't harmed Steve... yet. We still have a day to go. As I am paranoid about crossing the street in counties that drive on the left, Steve is in charge of determining when to cross the street, and I decide which street we walk on. As there is NO flat area in Scotland, this is key.

We both fly to London early tomorrow. He flies back to Chicago, and I will hang out for a few days...

The tour was great. We saw Loch Ness, many hairy cows, a few glens, and Ben Nevis, the cloudiest place on earth. I still have not had Scotch.

Marcia and Steve

2006-05-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all!
I got a call from Marcia and Steve on Monday, and they asked me to post a "we're alive and well" message. fyi-Steve was quite pleased with the fact that Marcia was able to find deodorant/anti-perspirant once in Scotland. They are going to be going on a three day tour of the Highlands, so they probably won't be providing updates until they get to London on Sunday.

Based on the conversation the other day, I'm sure we're all in for many amusing tales of their adventures together. =)

In the UK....

2006-05-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

So I have arrived safely in Edinburgh, Scotland. Steve arrives later today, so good times should roll.

Barcelona was a great place. The architecture was amazing. The tapas was excellent. I think that I will really miss tasty food now that I'm in the UK. I will try the haggis...

I was sitting in a cafe in Barcelona on a Thursday morning, about 10:30. The place was packed. And about a third of the people were consuming some form of alcoholic beverage. I'm wondering about working conditions in Europe, and why we can't have more of these conditions at home...

Local term...

2006-05-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

It's not Canadian bacon in Canada; it's peamael bacon.

It's not French onion soup; it's gratinated onion soup.

Now you know.

PS, Chris - yours is better than what I've had here...

Photos...

2006-05-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

I've finally been able to upload some photos... I have only rotated and commented upon those through Berlin.

I've uploaded through the D-Day tour, but, for that gallery, I recommend you wait until I've commented on it. Some pictures make sense on their own, but most will be better with explanation...

Other issues...

2006-04-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

So I ran out of deodorant in Paris. Not good. I unsuccessfully searched several drugstores looking for a brand I could recognize. I noted that they had one that promised to be effective for 48 hours.

I didn't go with that one, as I shower on a daily basis. Bottom line is that I can't wait to get to Spain to find something effective. It's not just that it's not also an anti-prespirant; it really does nothing for the smell.

The devil you know...

2006-04-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

So keep in mind that my high school French classes ended over a decade ago.

Very few places have an English language menu. It's usually not possible to get someone to translate the whole menu for me, so I just end up making due with certain words I remember. Poulet is chicken, gateux is cake. I take care to avoid anything that looks like "cheveux," horse.

So I saw something that looked like beef tartare. So I chose that one, as it seemed familiar. I have never consumed it, knew nothing about it, but I had at least heard of it. It was the devil I knew. I thought it strange that the waiter didn't ask me how I wanted it prepared.

Raw meat doesn't require this information. I was provided with two cups, and happily consumed one of them. I figured that at some point in time, I had consumed something worse. And if the French are serving it, it will at least be tasty, and it was. So maybe I'm over my raw meat issues.

But the whole thing does remind me that the devil you know isn't necessarily better than the devil you don't...

Mumps

2006-04-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

I also see all of these stories about the mumps in Illinois and Iowa. Do you all have your MMR vaccine up to date?

I'm going to explore Paris now.

Illinois, the album

2006-04-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

I've long since stopped saying that I'm an American, and say "I'm from Illinois" when asked where I'm from.

A handful of times, the response has been, "Oh - have you heard the album?"

Sufjan Stevens (SUF-Yan) is apparently making an album about every single state. Everyone raves about the Illinois album.

So my question is, is it a big hit at home?

2006-04-27T02:52:00.000-07:00

Paris...

2006-04-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I saw the Mona Lisa. It was ok. Actually, there are some much better paintings hanging in the same room. It may have to do with the fact that it is you and 100 of your closest friends trying to view the painting at the same time, which is behind a thick pane of glass. No photos allowed, so I couldn't take one of the crowd.

I'll see Notre Dame and St. Chapelle tomorrow, as well as some more art. The city has a lot of it.

Anyway. I go to Dijon Friday afternoon, and stay there until Tuesday morning. Then, I go to Lyon for a night and a day. I have an overnight bus trip to Barcelona on 3 May. On Saturday, 7 May, I fly to Edinburgh to meet Steve for the week. We'll hit the Highlands. London is 14-17 May. I have a week for Ireland before I head back to the US on 24 May.

Egypt...

2006-04-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, that subject is correct. Most of you have heard about the bombings in Dahab. I was there in February - it's where my diving gear malfunctioned.

I don't think that I had actually eaten at the restaurant, but certainly knew where it was, and had passed it, and the bridge, on a daily basis.

So how do I feel? It was the surprise of hearing about somewhere I had been, but not in a good way. There's a bit of the "before the grace of God go I" feeling.

Would I go back again? Not to Dahab - I didn't have a good enough time there the first time. Would I go back to Cairo or Luxor? Yes. Bali? Yes. London? I'm going.

As an engineer, I try to weigh, measure, calculate. I'll travel to areas with prior terrorism on the assumption that the occurance of something "bad" is more or less a random event with low probability. I don't go to places like Nepal, where the government is unstable at best. It seems to me that unstable governments lead to "bad" events that are still random, but with a slightly higher probability. Or it may be that there's no mechanism to deal with a "not so bad event" random event, thus increasing the probability that a spirals out of control into a "bad" event.

There has to be a PhD dissertation in here somewhere...

D-Day tour

2006-04-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

I had a great tour of the D-Day sites. We covered the obvious places, like Utah and Omaha Beaches, the American cemetary, and St. Mére Eglise.

But we also saw what now looks like random fields. We saw a field that was an airsrtip, which, if overshot, would have the plane go off of a cliff. We saw the places where men earned a Medal of Honor. Without going, you can't get a proper idea of how close the Americans and Germans were to each other during the fighting. (I have loads of pictures, but still can't find a means to upload.) I saw the hedgerows, which even now, before all of the leaves are out, are difficult to see through.

I heard a lot of stories of individuals who were not where they planned to be on D-Day, but yet did countless things that made all the difference. One LT, dropped miles from his intended drop zone, killed the only German general in the area. You realize that it turned on a dime, and could have gone the other way easily. It was all very sobering.

Paris...

2006-04-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

So I'm in Paris now. I have received a fine intoduction to Paris: Someone spit on me as I was entering my hotel.

Needless to say, I was totally disgusted. It's a common ploy to pick your pocket, so I didn't let the man get too close to me. He did repeatedly say "Pardon" but I agree that Paris would be great without the Parisians.

Bonsoir de France

2006-04-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hey just letting everyone know Marcia checked in via cellphone this morning. She hasn't been able to find Internet access lately, so, she wanted everyone to know she is OK and will post again ASAP. Stay tuned...
/pbz

Minor change in plans...

2006-04-20T03:54:00.000-07:00

So I'm heading to Brussels today instead of Antwerp. I couldn't find a hostel in Antwerp. I couldn't find one in Brussels either, but they have a beer museum and a life sized model of an atom. Two things I wouldn't pass up. And a Magritte museum too.

So I'll head to Bayeux on Saturday via unknown means...

So yesterday was a good day...

2006-04-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

I took a train to Den Haag - The Hague - even though I'm not a war criminal. I was interested in two places. The first was the MC Escher museum. My parents had a book with all of his prints. I must have spent hours with it, as nearly all of the pictures in the museum were quite familiar to me. It was a strange sense of deja vu. All those times I had looked at the book, and then to see a genuine print...

I also wanted to see The Mesdeg Panorama. It's a 360 degree painting made of the area back in 18??... You enter the panorama in the middle. There's a tarp overhead, and a skylight you can't see. Surrounding you is a lot of sand that falls off, and then you have the painting. The result is very vivid, especially when they play the music. There's a railing that keeps you away from the painting itself so that you can't see the brush strokes. The skylight provides natural light, so as clouds move overhead outside, you see the effects of lighting on the painting.

I continued onto Rotterdam. The architecture is great here. It was mostly flattened by Hitler, and rebuilt after the war. It looks more like an American city to me than any other I've seen in Europe.

On to Belgium tomorrow...

2006-04-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

So I managed to weave my way through the construction at Centraal Station Rotterdam to get a bus ticket to Antwerp. Actually, Antwerpen if you're in the Nederlands. There is construction at most of the major train stations in The Netherlands. They have some multiyear project to upgrade to a high speed rail system. It's not a large country, but they have 60 million people, and they all eventually need to go someplace else.

Anyway. I've had a great time here. I did all of the traditional Dutch things - eat cheese, take a canal ride. And I ate raw herring at the urging of Jozien. It has the same consistency as smoked salmon. I do have pictures of this, as the herring came planted with a small Dutch flag. But I have yet to find a computer to let me upload pictures...

And, I ate at a Febo. This is a chain that's at the crossroads of vending machines and fast food. They make a variety of products, all described in Dutch, but mostly burgers or something out of the fryer. You insert the exact amount of money (change machine on premises) and open up a little window and collect your food. The picture will make it easier to understand... Slather with mayonnaise, and you're all good.

Normandy

2006-04-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

I received confirmation for the D-Day tour that I booked. I think that I get about 30 minutes in the American Cemetary. If anyone would like me to visit a particular grave, get a photo, that type of thing, please shoot me an email...

Future movements...

2006-04-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to The Hague tomorrow for the day. I'll try not to commit any war crimes that could result in my imprisonment. But I just want to see an MC Escher museum, so I will move onto Rotterdam for a couple of nights. Then two nights in Antwerp, Belgium (beer sampling).

From there, I'll go to Bayeux, France. It's in Normandy. I''m taking a two day tour of the American D-Day sector (23-24 April). After that, it's Paris for a few days, then Dijon.

What I've been up to...

2006-04-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

So I spent a day with Jozien and her sister in a small town near Columborg. It's very Dutch. I know, I know, what did I expect?

So they took me to a cheese shop. That was great. Wheels of cheese. And then the dairy section of a grocery store. They have something called vla here. It''s not as thick as yogurt, but thicker than milk. They have all consistencies here. It puts Wisconsin to shame.

I also got to go up into a windmill. That was really cool as well. Jozien found the molaar (operator of a windmill) to show us the inner workings of the mill. He applied the brake, and then let me help restart the mill. It ruled! I took pictures. Unfortunatly, I don't seem to be able to find an internet cafe in Amsterdam that will let me upload pictures. They all seem to have massive control systems on them that prevent me from hooking up the USB cable...

We also went for a drive in the area. They explained winter dikes and summer dikes. A diagram would help, but I couldn't readily find one. But the summer dike is the first barrier around the river sides. Then, there's a flood plane, surrounded by a higher winter dike. Then, beyond this winter dike, you have the town. So you can see houses behind the winter dike, but know that you're looking at the second or third story of the house.

So I had a great time and made it back to the train with a whole 15 seconds to spare...

News flash...

2006-04-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

There are Dutch people still in The Netherlands! I know this may not seem like much to you, but everywhere else I've been, I've met Dutch people. It's led me to believe that all the Dutch were out traveling the world instead of being at home.

But, having safely made it to Amsterdam, I have found the Dutch. They may just be flocking home for Easter, but they are here.

As an aside, Tegel Airport in Berlin was the only airport that I've been in where the directions were not self evident. Normally, I find airports to be much the same; easy to navigate, similar functions and processes; no surprises. In Tegel, there are no signs outside the terminal indicating which airline conducts check- in at the inside counter. They also have an unmarked terminal. I found signs indicating its existance only after I wandered around the first one aimlessly and developed a headache wondering how the Germans, normally meticulous, could have planned this airport.

Happy Easter!

Let's keep this between you and me...

2006-04-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was spent at the Topography of Terror exhibit and the Memorial to Murdered European Jews. The first is a chronicle of the property that housed Gestapo and SS headquarters. The second, you can surmise.

So I needed a little levity in my day. I went to Potsdamer Platz for a movie at the Sony Center, where movies are shown in their original language. Ice Age II was playing. I purchased a ticket (Tuesday was cheap day, a bonus.)

On the way in, I investigated the concession stand. Low and behold, I could get a Pauliner Dunkel Hefe Weizen. This translates into half a liter of a dark wheat beer. Not something I am capable of passing up.

After questioning the woman behind the counter, I find that yes, I can purchase this and take it into the theater with me. Just leave the glass in the cupholder when I'm finished. It was actual glass, complete with the Pauliner logo.

The beer was quite tasty. It gave me a feeling of being at home watching a movie, instead of being at the theater. Don't worry, I wasn't sitting next to any kids, but I did feel a bit strange.

As a "cultural" report, before the film began, there were 20 minutes of commercials, not movie previews, just commercials. The last one was for ice cream. Then the curtain closed again, and someone waled around the theater to sell ice cream. After five minutes, the curtain reopened, and the movie previews began. Finally, about half an hour after the posted start time, Ice Age II began. I felt like a geologic age or two had passed me by...

Breakfast

2006-04-08T02:52:00.000-07:00

So the breakfast is usually served cold in these parts. Museli, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cheese, bread, you get the picture. (As an aside, for the last month, I've been in places that pronounce the "j" as a "y," so I first typed "jogurt" instead of "yogurt.") I wanted fried eggs for breakfast, and thus asked the hostel receptionist for directions to fried eggs.

I arrived at a brunch buffet, with scrambled and boiled eggs, but not fried. No matter. I ate cheese of all sorts, museli with yogurt, and cheesecake. (I've started running again, so my appetite was great.) No one came by to clear my used plates. But I noticed that none of the other tables had piles of dishes. In my attempts to figure out the system, I noticed that all of the Germans were using the same plate for each trip to the line.

Our public health code doesn't apply here...

How could I have forgotten???

2006-04-08T02:40:00.000-07:00

Here in Germany, they are very environmentally conscious. The kitchen in the hostel has a place for metals/packaging, and a separate place for organic matter, and finally a bin for waste. So it should come as no surprise that it is here that I have found the next generation of butt gaskets.

I was in the bathroom of the Opera House. There is a plastic box next to the buttons to flush. It had a picture of a toilet seat, with an arrow around it. I pressed the button, and disinfectant sprayed out. The idea is to put the disinfectant on a piece of toilet paper, then wipe the seat. This uses far less paper than a typical gasket.

I wish I had taken my camera with me, as you would have a picture posted here...

Balet

2006-04-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

So I attended the ballet last night. I got a standing only ticket for €6. The opera house itself is noted for it's decoration and overall impressiveness. The standing only tickets are at the top floor. I had a close look at the paintings on the ceiling, and would have to agree with the hype. The show was great. It was a more modern ballet, with no tutu's. It was music by Hayden.

As an aside, I went to the bathroom before the show commenced. There was, of course, a line. Moments after I entered the bathroom, the lights went out. There was quite the chorus of "Hhhuuh!" and "Ahhhh!" let out by the German ladies.

I flipped the light switch I had just nudged and said "Pardon" with an accent that I hope didn't sound American...

Future movements...

2006-04-06T00:29:00.000-07:00

So I have a train this afternoon from Prague to Dresden. I'll be there for two nights, then move on to Berlin on Saturday. I'll so see a jazz musician from Atlanta that I met here.

I'll be in Berlin until Friday the 14th. I have a flight to Amsterdam, where I'll be until the 18th. Then I'll head south through Belgium to France, and down to Barcelona. On 7 May, I'll fly from Barcelona to Edinburgh. The 14th of May is a flight from Edinburgh to London.

Prague

2006-04-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have arrived safely in Prague...

I didn't want to take the overnight train from Krakow to Prague, as there are lots of stories about people being involuntarily separated from their stuff. There is a town on the border that is half Polish and half Czech, separated by a river. My Krakow hostel said that it was cheaper to take a bus to the border, walk across the border, and then take a train into Prague.

I found the border. The Polish immigration agent had no issues. The Czech agent wanted to know what I was doing there. I told him I was going to Prague. He repeated his question, with more the tone of "Why on earth are you in the middle of nowhere?"

I showed him the map provided by the hostel, highlighting the path from one station to the next, the bus and train schedules, and then he seemed to understand the method to the madness.

I did take a photo of the crossing, but I'll have to post that later...

I may hit the embassy tomorrow, or I may do a walking tour instead. I need to investigate government hours...

Auschwitz-Birkenau

2006-03-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

I took a tour of the concentration camp yesterday. I'm still trying to form coherant thoughts on this. I think that the crux of the problem is that even after visiting a site like this, I am still no closer in understanding how it could happen. Our guide emphasized that the vast majority of those entering the camp had no idea what awaited them. They thought they were going to work in a German factory. They brought bowls and plates and clothing with them. You see the piles of personal belongings, preserved. You learn how the prisoners were treated, see their living conditions, what the Nazis did with the bodies. You begin to picture what happened, but there is no way that the scale of such a thing can be understood.

Birkenau was striking. It is vast, I would guess 10 square miles. But you still have no way of comprehending that about 1.5 million people perished there. I can't get any further than "How did this happen?"

Photos....

2006-03-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

I have new photos up, Greece until now... Click on the link, and let me know if you have any problems with anything...

Future movements...

2006-03-29T05:15:00.000-08:00

Another one of those boring posts to indicate where I am and where I will be...

I'm in Kracow until Sun, 2 April. That day, I'll take a train to Prague. It seems as if the overnight train is a bit theftprone, so I'll go during the day.

I'll be in Prague through the night of 5 April. (Insert visit to embassy to ask about extra passport pages. I wouldn't be so bitter, but all the EU stamps look alike. All are a rectangle with the country's initials in a circle. There's also a picture of the method of conveyance - train or ferry. Ironically, I have not entered the EU by plane.)

After Prague, I'll visit Dresden Germany for a couple of days, followed by Berlin, probably Munich as well. This part is still a bit fuzzy because of Easter...

I have booked four nights in Amsterdam at a hostel - the minimum required over Easter weekend. So I'll fly from somewhere to Amsterdam on 14 April, and leave on 18 April. I'm guessing I'll have a day trip or two... So if anyone wants Easter in Amsterdam, let me know...

From there, I think it's a flight to Barcelona, and then into France...

So I'm in Poland...

2006-03-29T04:30:00.000-08:00

I'm wondering how long it will take before someone posts the first Polish joke.... But anyway. I'm in Krakow. There's an accent in there somewhere. I'll be here a few days before heading on to Prague.

I spent about three hours of my life in Vamosgyork, Hungary. I thought that it would be a major city, as the night train from Budapest to Krakow makes a stop there. I had the choice to spend three hours there, or I could spend three more hours on a train. I chose Vamosgyork..

It turns out that Vamosgyork is a small town. It is bigger than Olib, but not by much. Its main virtue is the fact that it's about a 10 minute drive from a large city, which itself is not on the rail system. Thus, a stop in the tiny town services the larger city. I surmised this information after finding an area map outside the train station, well after disembarking the train.

I did locate a map of the town on the reverse of the area map. The map key did have a fork and knife emblem. In practice, this translates into "small grocery store" instead of "restaurant." Lacking the ability to boil pasta, I came away with paprika flavored cheesy-poofs and some juice. Fear not, I did find a desert shop open, which provided me with some tasty goodness. I did note at least two bars were open, thus continuing the trend to drink with greater ease than eat in a small town.

Mom, don't read this; Dad, it's OK...

2006-03-26T00:56:00.000-08:00

So Roxy put me in contact with Patrick, someone from Peoria who teaches English here in Budapest. We went to the opera last night, followed by a look at the expat scene. He explained something that had been bothering me for awhile...

My first night here, I was in an internet cafe, tapping away, when the internet connection stopped functioning. I brought this to the attention of the manager type, who spent the next five minutes telling me to wait, but not really looking at my computer, or doing much of anything other than talk to his friends. I start to pack up my stuff. He tries to explain that it's not his fault that the connection went down. It's not the connection I was bothered by, it was the five minutes of my life I don't get back.

Seeing that I was still perturbed, he said, "Fuck you!" followed by a string of Hungarian.

I repeated the expletive, and walked out without paying for the 10 minutes I did use.

Needless to say, this did not endear me to the city.

But last night, Patrick explained that cursing is an art form here. "Fuck you" isn't personal here. It's very commonly thrown around. The worst curse words translate into "God's cock," and you must be very careful in use of that one...

By now, you know why I told my mom not to read this. I'm certain she wouldn't appreciate my reflections on this subject...

Moving on...

2006-03-26T00:47:00.000-08:00

So today, I'm taking a bus to Eger (EGG-air). It's the Napa Valley of Hungary. Their most famous red wine, Eger Bull's Blood (long story relating to a war with the Turks) is made there. Apparently, there is the Valley of the Beautiful Women. It's a horseshoe shaped road, full of wine cellars. It's a few minutes walk from city center. Also, everyone raves about the castle and the church there, so I'll investigate those too.

From there, I am taking an overnight train to Kracow. The German railroad maintains a database of all RR operations in Europe. It kindly alerted me that I would be passing through the same rail station twice - once from Eger to Budapest, and then from Budapest to Kracow. So I have elected to spend three hours in a small Hungarian town instead of on a train... I'll let you know how that goes...

I plan to spend four days in Kracow. There's the city, some salt mines, and Auschwitz to see. And I figure I'll need a bit of downtime after the last of that list. From there, I'll head to Prague for a few days, where I should pay a visit to the embassy. I'm running a bit low on space in my passport. Not as many border controls have been abolished in Europe as I thought. I'm hoping to score a few extra pages in the passport before heading to Germany...

So that's an in-depth account of my future movements to make up for the fact that I forgot to tell you that I was going to Hungary before doing so...

Oh yeah, I went to Budapest...

2006-03-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

I took the train today to Budapest. I'm in Pest right now... Or is it Buda? I do note that the keyboard is yet again different, resulting in difficulties with punctuation.

I'll be here until at least Sunday. I want to take a trip to Eger. It's home to Hungarian wine; think Napa Valley and a horseshoe shaped road. I may come back to Budapest, if I haven't seen everything...

I'm skipping Slovakia, and heading straight to Kracow. I'll spend a few days there, seeing Auschwitz, and some salt mines, before moving on...

So I haven't forgotten how to drive...

2006-03-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

So it's been five months since I've been behind the wheel, so I was a little nervous about driving in Slovenia. The traffic here is very tame compared to what I've seen, and far better than Italy. But there were a few sights difficult to see via public transport, so I wanted to rent a car and see them.

The Technological Museum of Slovenia was one of my stops. I know you're shocked. They have a collection of Tito's cars. They also had movies on how to make a horseshoe and a wooden wheel. And lots of large machines: saws, looms, electricity generators, that type of thing. I could tell that they were revamping the museum, as there were sections with English, and sections without.

I drove to Divača, near my next stop, to have lunch. It wandered into a pizza place that had been a stop on the Orient Express. The restaurant was designed to look like an old train station. They had a section of the rail line exposed under the floor. (I promise pictures soon.) I had quite tasty pizza, and after enquiring about the place, obtained a great map of the area from the waiter. The map proved key to finding my destination.

The Škocjan Caves were designated a World Heritage Site by the UN. There are other, more accessible caves, but this is the deepest/largest/and some other -ests I'm leaving off. The route wasn't well marked, or I was too paranoid about following the rules of the road. It turns out that there were only two of us on the tour, so the guide let us take pictures. The are normally not allowed, as people would just take too long to make it through. She probably regretted the decision, as we took a bit longer than a normal tour...

So I had wanted to head to the coast, but it was raining. A lot. So I and the other guy on the tour, Mike, headed to some small Slovenian town that was touted as, well, cute. I discovered Slovenian streets. Some are only wide enough for one vehicle. There's a sign with a red arrow, and an white arrow. Traffic in the red direction gives way. I assume. I was usually following a truck, which seemed to automatically have the right of way, so it was a rather moot point.

A couple of wrong turns later, we found Štanjel. It has aunusualal church spire, in that it's shaped like a bishop's hat. We wandered into the church, and the Priest was finishinconfirmationon class. He showed us around the church. He spoke German, and Mike gave me the general themes. As it was still pouring down rain, we didn't stay too long.

The drive back consisted of more small Slovenian towns, vineyards, and windsocks. There is strong wind that comes off the mountains, and they adjust the speed limit to compensate for it. More crosswind, the slower you must go. The only issue is that they never post the speed limit. They post the restricted speed, and the equivalent of the "End Speed Limit Zone" sign, but they never post the actual limit.

I did OK back behind the driver's wheel, even though there were several traffic signs that were incomprehensible. And my mind is still getting around the fact that it's 60 miles from the capital to the coast, and the capital is in the middle of the country.

Slovenia

2006-03-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

I purchased my train ticket today, so I'm heading to Ljubjana tomorrow afternoon...

Some days...

2006-03-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

Some days, you are the statue. Some days, you are the pigeon.

So I woke up in Zadar, and am now in Zagreb. Between the two is Plitvice National Park. It's up in the mountains between the two cities. It has some lakes, some waterfalls, trees, etc.

By all accounts, it is worth a visit, so I get off of the bus where they tell me to. Mistake. They let me off at entrance Two, instead of entrance One, 2.5 kilometers (1,5 miles) away. I walk to the entrance proper, and find it snowed in. I go to the bank across the street, and they can not tell me how to get into the park. I meet some people in the parking lot who inform me that I must go to the other entrance, but they think there's a bus in 30 minutes.

I have my pack and day bag, and some food. Probably about 40 pounds of stuff. We're in the mountains, so it's cold, there's snow on the ground, and it is lightly snowing. So I'm not in a hurry to take the walk. I wait, and have some lunch. I came prepared after my "little fish" incident. No bus 45 minutes later. Four had passed going in the opposite direction.

OK. My feet and hands are now cold . I know that if I just start walking, those will at least warm up.

The bus didn't pass me until I was 3/4 of the way there. I feel vindicated.

I finally arrive at the other entrance. Despite what Lonely Planet had indicated, there was no place that would hold my bag. After some prodding, the woman in the ticket office said that she would hold my bag until 2 PM, another 40 minutes. Deciding that timespan wouldn't be long enough to see anything but pavement and lots of snow, I elected to cut my losses and move on.

I walked to the bus stop. There is one for this entrance, so I did not have to repeat the 1.5 mile trek. Just as I get to the stop, a bus appears at the bend in the road. I think, "Wow. My luck is finally changing!" and wave it down.

As it flew by me, I realized that the vehicle contained Japanese tourists instead of being a harbinger of my good fortune.

Olib

2006-03-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

I arrived on Olib, safe and sound, and was met by Pete's cousin, who took me to the family home. (I did get the requested photos; details provided offline.) I found the post office, and then made my way to Grobak, notes as bar/restaurant on the map of Olib provided by Pete.

It was far easier to get something to drink on the island than it was to get something to eat. The red wine was immediate. "I have a little fish, but I need bread" was the reply to my inquiry about food. No quicky mart/grocery store was open at lunch time. So his friend brought some bread. Little fish translated into sardines and shrimp, and some other small fish I can't identify.

And the red wine happiness wore off, I became aware of stomach pains. I guess my stomach doesn't like little fish. So I spent a couple of hours on a bed in Pete's house.

I did recover without incident. I plan to avoid seafood for quite some time. Then, I decided to go for a walk, as that would at least keep me warm. I met an Aussie, Lucy, who sends her regards to my readers who k now her. She's originally from Olib, but lived in Australia for 25 years before returning.

And I was pleased to note that I did have coverage for my mobile while I was there. Good thing, as a couple of you called...

All in all, the day ruled. It was great to get out and see island life. It's obvious that the place is far more happening in the on season. I will do my best to visit again when it's warmer...

Peter B, I owe you one...

2006-03-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

So the one thing that Pete emphasized to me was to always say "Dober Dan" to anyone I meet, and say it first. As it translates as "Good afternoon" the thought was that I might not always be "correct" but at least I wouldn't be rude.

So I made my way to the ferry for Olib. I had been given the number of the jetty. I duly enquire, "Olib?" with the ticket taker, and I get a mumbled "Da" back. He takes the ticket, and I get on.

I take a look around, facinated by the ferry. I check out the life boat, the cargo, and then I meet a crew member. I smile and say, "Dober Dan!"

I promptly get a string of Croatian in replay. I have to grin and say, "Sorry, that's all I know."

He smiles, and explains that he asked me how I was. We go through the balance of the formalities in English, and then he asks me, "So, are you going to (Insert name of random Croatian island)?"

"No, I'm going to Olib."

"Oh. This is not the boat to Olib. Come."

He takes me under his wing, gets my ticket back from the ticket taker, as it is clearly marked "Olib," and he takes me to the correct boat.

All because I had the presence of mind to say "Good Afternoon" at 8:20 AM...

So here's what a couple of sneezes will get you...

2006-03-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

So I'm here in the internet cafe, and I sneezed, twice. Each time, I said, "Excuse me." I've learned that you should do this, as you never know who's listening. Never assume the person next to you has different manners just because you're in a different country.

So the man next to me struck up a conversation, in part because he lived in Australia for awhile, and knew the custom, but knew it wasn't Croatian. We had quite the conversation.

All over Croatia, I had seen pictures of a man with the word "heroj" under him. This man was on the front page of the newspaper the man had. It turns out that this was the Croatian general during their war of independence. He's currently at The Hague on trial for war crimes. He signed a condolence letter for MiloÂević's family, thus creating a huge controversy at home. (Click the link for a quick geopolitical review.)

So we got into quite the conversation about the war. Turns out that the Serbs had cut communications links, but it was the Austrians who provided bandwith for images coming out of the internet from Croatia. The world saw what was happening, and, really, did nothing for awhile.

The economy of Croatia isdevastatedd, as all industry was destroyed. Homes were the first priority, and the industry has not really returned. From what I've seen, you can't tell there was a war here 15 years ago. The man told me that there were villages around here that are totally abandoned. The Serbs left, and Croats destroyed their homes in retaliation for killing family members.

It was afascinatingg conversation about the war. It was one that I had wanted to have, but hadn't really found someone to discuss it with. It's not popular at the information booths. And all because I minded my manners...

Olib

2006-03-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

So I'm off to Olib tomorrow. I was told, "Oh- It's a local ferry, no problem" but we'll see.

I don't think that the mobile phone will work, so if you really need to find me, contact Pete, and he'll figure something out.

After a day on Olib, I'll return to Zadar, where I am now. I'll see Plitvice Lakes, a national park, on my way to Zagreb, the capital. I'll have a night there, and then I'm on to Slovenia. There are some caves to see, and... well, I don't quite remember, but it seemed like a good place. I'll visit Bled, a place that I hope is nicer than it sounds, if the weater is nice, ie, warmer than it has been.

I have a house!

2006-03-14T05:33:00.000-08:00

So it's only mine for another day or so, but it's mine for now.

As I'm walking off of the ferry, I'm met by someone holding a "sobe/camera/room" sign. It turns out that it is a husband, wife, and daughter who have a small house that they let out. It's about $20 a night, but I have a kitchen area, right next to the bed.

There's also a B&W TV. I have seen Pancho Villa. The only issue was that the Spanish was subtitled into Croatian, so I missed about 10% of the movie. The Nanny is also on, as well as Family Matters, that show with Erkel.

Now you know where sitcoms go to die...

The arts...

2006-03-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

So the arts in this part of the world are highly supported by the government. The guidebook for Split says that during the winter season, it is worth it to see a performance, just to see the hall they are performed in.

So I found the hall yesterday. And looking at the performance for the evening, I found "balet" to be the only word I could really make out. Tonight's performance was marked "koncert" followed by some names I recognized, like Bach. So I went in to purchase a ticket for both, and succeeded without too much difficulty.

It turns out that Labude Jezero is Swan Lake. (I did double check via a translation site.) I thought nothing of it when in the first scene, someone walked on stage with a swan. I had actually assumed it was a goose. It was only a couple of acts later when a couple of swans floated on the "lake" that I began to suspect what I watching. I didn't get a program, as it was in Croation only.

I really enjoyed the ballet. There is far more clapping than I am used to providing, but none the less, it was a good time.