i am experiencing major boredom. my job transfer to Phoenix went through, my last day in the office is 12/9, and consequently, nobody wants to give me billable work. or any work, for that matter. so i sit here and study my leed reference guide with great hopes that i will actually take the test before i leave california...and in the meantime charge the hell out of my company's overhead account. pitiful. but i cannot emotionally afford to care at this point.
i did, however, have a great weekend. i drove the mini w/ bike down to los gatos very early saturday morning and rode demo forest with the south bay-ers for the first time in a long time. highland road washed out, but was recently rebuilt. don't think i've accessed those trails for at least two years, and wow, i forgot how fun they are! we rode braille trail. i think i've stepped up my riding this past year because the trail, although fun, seemed very easy and short. that makes me feel good because i have a 24-hour race in february, and i don't want to ride much more than i already do. afterwards i met up with karen, benjamin, carolyn, foster, amalia, julia, sophia, and cyrus for lunch at a pizza joint. super fun! and then i drove home and literally fell onto the sofa and passed out by 9pm. i love those saturday nights when i'm drained...i sleep so well.
so the mini is doing well. despite her tail light being punched in a couple weeks ago, the electrical tape is holding very well (no moisture seepage) and most people don't even notice anything is wrong with the light, so i decided to save my cash and wait for someone to rear-end me. that way insurance will pay for the tail light. either than or i'll wait until the cost of parts goes down to something reasonable. i bought the mini protective film for her headlights, front bumper, and hood...a temporary clear bra, whatever you want to call it, for her roadtrip to AZ. i don't want to risk paint chips so early. she also has a new sunshade. i filled her tank for the first time today. first time i EVER had fun filling up a gas tank...and it was premium!
oh, and i was just driving along the freeway this weekend and looked down at the speedometer and...holy crap...was nearly at 90mph. my jetta would have been coughing up a lung at that point so i didn't notice i was going so fast. the mini is a speed demon!
24 November 2008
09 November 2008
consolation prize
prop 8 passed. unreal. i felt so bad that i went out and bought myself a new car. yes, here it is, folks!!! my little turbo chili pepper, a 2009 mini cooper s...
the thing has a radio, windshield wipers, tires with tread, and a gas cap that closes...super fancy! even comes with a hunky car payment financed by BMW, which i actually like (???). my next car will be a beemer, so i think of these payments as "establishing credit." hey, anything helps me deal. notice how pale i am after signing all those signatures on pieces of paper that kept being thrown at me. (i actually had to sign something stating i would not put chains on the car when going into the snow or my warranty would be voided. i have to use cables instead! how unfortunate.) notice also how long my hair is getting...already! (i'm getting it cut even SHORTER on friday. pixie, perhaps?)
so what happened to the jetta, you ask? i traded her in for a measly $1043. but she really was a wreck considering all she's been through over the past ten years. scraped wheels and a dinged-up body. no radio. manual windows. stick shift. side mirror duct-taped onto the body. i noticed something hanging from her underbelly as i drove into the lot, scraping the ground. it really was a sad site, so i should feel fortunate i got anything for her. can you imagine, i bought her right when i moved to cali, right before i started AMD. what a great car, though. she was truly the only stability i had during those ten years. all the moving i did, she moved me. all the traveling i did, she was there when i got back, battery juiced up and all. all my drives to the snow and trailheads, she made that fun happen. hell, she lasted WAY longer than any man in my life! much less maintenance, too. hehe. :)
the thing has a radio, windshield wipers, tires with tread, and a gas cap that closes...super fancy! even comes with a hunky car payment financed by BMW, which i actually like (???). my next car will be a beemer, so i think of these payments as "establishing credit." hey, anything helps me deal. notice how pale i am after signing all those signatures on pieces of paper that kept being thrown at me. (i actually had to sign something stating i would not put chains on the car when going into the snow or my warranty would be voided. i have to use cables instead! how unfortunate.) notice also how long my hair is getting...already! (i'm getting it cut even SHORTER on friday. pixie, perhaps?)
so what happened to the jetta, you ask? i traded her in for a measly $1043. but she really was a wreck considering all she's been through over the past ten years. scraped wheels and a dinged-up body. no radio. manual windows. stick shift. side mirror duct-taped onto the body. i noticed something hanging from her underbelly as i drove into the lot, scraping the ground. it really was a sad site, so i should feel fortunate i got anything for her. can you imagine, i bought her right when i moved to cali, right before i started AMD. what a great car, though. she was truly the only stability i had during those ten years. all the moving i did, she moved me. all the traveling i did, she was there when i got back, battery juiced up and all. all my drives to the snow and trailheads, she made that fun happen. hell, she lasted WAY longer than any man in my life! much less maintenance, too. hehe. :)
25 October 2008
desperately seeking hobbies
i walked over to the trader joe's at lake merritt today to grab some fish. i was advised during my "pulse reading" this morning at the farmers market that i need to "build up my blood" with omega-3, so i took heed and went for a walk. along the way, i stumbled upon the prop 8 opponents that have diligently occupied our street corners for the past week, but then i also noticed some different signs out there. wait, could those be...the PRO-ponents? they DO exist! (for non-cali folk, prop 8 is denying same sex couples the right to legally marry.) yes folks, the 'yes' signs and the 'no' signs were all over the place today. horns were honking. people were yelling at each other. the cops showed up. frankly, i was expecting a riot to break out. the energy was ripe for one! but something much more interesting was going on, which was my reaction to those 'yes' signs. usually i am all for other peoples' opinions and free speech and whatnot, as long as you're not hurting anyone or yourself, etc. but those people holding those 'yes' signs really upset me! they didn't piss me off as much as they truly disturbed me. (did i mention that 75% of them were under the age of 18?) these people were OOZING hatred. walking past them, i literally felt the negative vibes pinching me. it was quite frightening. so i ask them: why do you care so much what other people do with their lives? are you that bored? do you feel that allowing others to marry will diminish YOUR marriage or your parents' marriage? and then why do you care so much what other people think? that is giving someone else a lot of power over your life. why go there?
basically, i have renamed this prop the "i am bored and think your life is more interesting than mine so i am going to butt into your business and be a control freak and tell you what you can and cannot do, even if that means taking away your fundamental rights." but i don't think that would fit on one of those little signs, so maybe just "butt out."
basically, i have renamed this prop the "i am bored and think your life is more interesting than mine so i am going to butt into your business and be a control freak and tell you what you can and cannot do, even if that means taking away your fundamental rights." but i don't think that would fit on one of those little signs, so maybe just "butt out."
16 October 2008
en route
holy cow! the mini is en route. it is at this moment partying on the atlantic with "its brothers amidst buffets while adapting to its sea-legs," something like that. i am getting choked up about my little jetta. i feel like i am cheating on her. can i just keep BOTH cars???
15 October 2008
the magical creation box
i did chop my hair. (see photo.) i love it. i feel like i can breathe and i feel less antsy...i don't want to punch something now. well, except for that coworker who called me "fuzzyhead" today.i am currently reading one of "those" Abraham books, this one titled 'ask and it is given.' i kind of like it, and am actually buying into a lot of the content. if anything, it's helped me become more intentional and appreciative of what's going on in my life. the authors have 22 processes listed in the book to increase your vibrational energy level, which is apparently the key to attracting what you desire, which can be "anything." cool. one of the processes is called "the magical creation box," which goes like this. let's say you can have ANYTHING (which apparently, you can), and whatever it is that you want, rip a picture of it out of a magazine or write it down on a piece of paper or mentally place the damn thing into this pretty little box that you can go pick up at the local Michael's or Target or wherever. this physical affirmation tells the universe what it is that you want, and as long as you do not resist this thing or person or feeling from entering your life, as long as you expect it to come to you, it will manifest. so here's the question: what would YOU put into your magical creation box? a fast car? a new home? a fresh relationship with a hollywood hottie? a safari vacation? 10 million bucks in your bank account?! better health? new friends? world peace? what do you want? i think that is an especially tough question when you believe you will get all you ask for.
09 October 2008
chop chop
i am getting my hair chopped tomorrow. it's been years! i used to sport the bleached white pixie, which came right before the blue-black betty page do. i think there was bright red and a little purple in the mix as well. stripes? definitely. (saved those for my college graduation, along with the frighteningly high combat boots that still hang out in my closet. total keepers.) i used to have fun with my hair. hairstyles were so spontaneous to me, they flowed with my emotions. the bank account couldn't keep up, so one would occasionally find me in front of the mirror cutting my own hair just to make it choppy. all my bath towels were stained with hair dye. my hairstyle reflected my personality "way back then." now, i sport a ponytail (or more like a bun, or a "ball" of some sort, because i'm too lazy to even pull my massive amounts of hair completely through the hairband). sure, it's convenient, but it's annoying. and boring. and TOTALLY NOT ME. and i shed everywhere. a ponytail. how sixth grade can i get?! and never mind i still look like i'm in the sixth grade. in fact, i am so bothered by this ponytail, i feel like it inhibits me. i want to throw up my arms and run around in circles and scream and hit something!!! ARGH!!!!! so tomorrow, chop chop. i cannot WAIT! i am tempted to get that pixie cut, but we'll see what i feel at the moment...
03 October 2008
upchuck
i just learned that my new mini cooper s (yes, the "s" is mui importante) has been scheduled for production. i feel sick. this leads me investigate my inner self a bit. why do i feel like i want to throw up? (note how profound that question is.) i have wanted a new car for a while. my beloved jetta is starting fall apart, cough up her lung, burn oil and gas like there's no tomorrow (well, there won't be if we keep the republicans in office)...and we've had great adventures over the past nearly TEN years, holy crap! so yeah, a new car seems logical. and i work hard. i think i'm pretty kickass. so i deserve a new car, one i actually want, right? so i dropped the ball and went for the fun-loving enviro-friendly turbo city car. it doesn't take up much space. it doesn't use much gas. it drives like a banshee from hell. all a girl could want in here car. so why do i feel so BAD?!!!
turns out (this all became apparent to me last night while chatting it up with a dear friend about my bare walls) that i hate to spend money. i get a paycheck and it goes into savings, or my 401k, or my pension, or my mutual fund, or my IRA, or stocks...now i'm looking at CDs. and yet today, i am wearing shoes that are literally falling apart at the seams. i still wear clothing i bought when i started work at AMD. no joke! i even look for deals on my bikes, which i play with ALL THE TIME. you'd think i would at least splurge there. (and yeah, that camelback, it's going on eight years old. i did replace the bladder a few month ago, however.) so what's up with my attachment to money? is it the security? is it the fact i like to put money above THINGS? am i saving for something?
and then there is the fact that i have learned i associate bare walls in a home with poverty. this occurred to me last night when it literally flew out of my mouth that my life feels so temporary, like i am a perpetual student! i have realized it's because i don't splurge on nice things for my home. my walls are bare, which is a big one. nothing feels cozy. most of my furniture comes from ikea, a company with a mission to keep people buying crap so they make all their products disposable, i.e. TEMPORARY. no wonder i have such a hard time growing roots!
all this being said, i have decided to splurge on myself a bit. i am going to buy a sweet table lamp, a very yin, cozy table lamp. i am going to purchase one piece of expensive art that makes me feel WONDERFUL and plaster it on my living room wall so i can revel in its majestic size (if nothing else) every time i walk through my front door. i will purchase pottery for all my plants. i will buy a new pair of shoes and a new pair of jeans (to replace my favorite pair which now have holes in the knees that i refuse to throw away...well, they're going in the trash, baby!). and finally, i am going to feel GREAT about purchasing my new car.
so, back to work so i can afford to pay for all this stuff...hmm.
turns out (this all became apparent to me last night while chatting it up with a dear friend about my bare walls) that i hate to spend money. i get a paycheck and it goes into savings, or my 401k, or my pension, or my mutual fund, or my IRA, or stocks...now i'm looking at CDs. and yet today, i am wearing shoes that are literally falling apart at the seams. i still wear clothing i bought when i started work at AMD. no joke! i even look for deals on my bikes, which i play with ALL THE TIME. you'd think i would at least splurge there. (and yeah, that camelback, it's going on eight years old. i did replace the bladder a few month ago, however.) so what's up with my attachment to money? is it the security? is it the fact i like to put money above THINGS? am i saving for something?
and then there is the fact that i have learned i associate bare walls in a home with poverty. this occurred to me last night when it literally flew out of my mouth that my life feels so temporary, like i am a perpetual student! i have realized it's because i don't splurge on nice things for my home. my walls are bare, which is a big one. nothing feels cozy. most of my furniture comes from ikea, a company with a mission to keep people buying crap so they make all their products disposable, i.e. TEMPORARY. no wonder i have such a hard time growing roots!
all this being said, i have decided to splurge on myself a bit. i am going to buy a sweet table lamp, a very yin, cozy table lamp. i am going to purchase one piece of expensive art that makes me feel WONDERFUL and plaster it on my living room wall so i can revel in its majestic size (if nothing else) every time i walk through my front door. i will purchase pottery for all my plants. i will buy a new pair of shoes and a new pair of jeans (to replace my favorite pair which now have holes in the knees that i refuse to throw away...well, they're going in the trash, baby!). and finally, i am going to feel GREAT about purchasing my new car.
so, back to work so i can afford to pay for all this stuff...hmm.
10 September 2008
crack she goes!
going on six? no, the seventh week of 60+ hour workweeks. emotionally, physically, mentally taxing field hours that seem to only dig me deeper into a hole. 12 hours of working on a sidewalk during a 90+ degree day. or possibly a musty, dark basement where you feel like a zombie when you see the light of day at dusk. today i got a break - outside work in the biting wind. (yes, believe it, i felt a "biting" wind in berkeley today. in the summer.) driller jokes always. stepped in dog poo this morning. (how i managed to get BOTH shoes, i'll never know. MAN i hate that smell!) crazies in berkeley yelling at me for closing the sidewalk. (um, to protect them maybe? and i have a friggin permit, people! oh boy, do i have permits like you wouldn't believe!!!) tenants yelling at my crew, calling us "outrageous, immoral and cruel." property management questioning whether my company truly has the environment in mind. (yeah, that one stung. wanna pay off my college loan?!) being asked to grow a third, a fourth limb is the easy task...comes behind convincing our subcontractors to redesign their toolsets. field cars breaking down. equipment not working. working multiple days to accomplish NADA. local thugs following me around the building, telling me how hot a woman in a hardhat is - "take my advice." a woman pulled her pants down and took a pee on the sidewalk yesterday. a hooker got picked up on our corner. fights break out at the donut shop across the street. daily. still haven't seen a gun...wait, that's coming. our inspector nearly got t-boned by a semi on the street two days ago.
funny. i went back to school for this.
CRACK!
i bought a mini cooper s. TURBO. red with black stripes. upgraded sound system. and it's gonna have a bike rack. :) eta november.
hopefully i get to drive it to tempe, right when it comes in...and never leave!
funny. i went back to school for this.
CRACK!
i bought a mini cooper s. TURBO. red with black stripes. upgraded sound system. and it's gonna have a bike rack. :) eta november.
hopefully i get to drive it to tempe, right when it comes in...and never leave!
19 August 2008
move over phelps
my team took first at the mtb race on saturday -- 13 8-mile laps in 12 hours. granted, there were only three teams in our division (3-rider coed), but we had two women, whereas the other two teams had two men. yeah, we rule. :) we went by the name "blind date," primarily because two of us had never met before, let alone ridden together. i suspect there will be a second date!
no real injuries that day (a broken collarbone and the usual bloody calves), but there was drama. of course, we were in humbolt county. (excuse me while i inhale.) i finished up a lap and one of the timekeepers yelled at me, "watch for the guy with a stick. he's beating on the bikers!" uh, ok! there was apparently a guy up in the redwoods who assaulted one biker, rammed his stick through the front wheel of another biker, and then whacked a search and rescue guy on the neck, who then grabbed the stick and fought back. yes!!! this crazy bum (puff puff) spent the night in the slammer (more puff puff).
so after the fact, i am still trying to decide if i actually like to race. i need to make that decision quickly because i don't half-ass things, so i either need to go big and start training hard, or just give up on the idea and get some sleep...or more likely, pull some more overtime at work. huh. maybe i should hop on the bike after all.
we start drilling on monday. it goes for three weeks straight, i.e., three weeks of hella early mornings, dealing with homeless people, nosy berkeley passersby, regulators, control freaks, disgruntled drillers, field glitches, dirt, and likely a bit of hazardous waste (the least of my concerns). i am going to be the uber grumpy girl for the upcoming month. and to think this is the project i stuck around for rather than heading off to phoenix right away. i traded in a HOT, sunny summer with my kickass family for cold coastal fog and a hella delayed drilling schedule. hurrah. hurrah. hurraaaaaaaaaah. i might as well cook.
i maintain i will crack within the next month and end up at a mini dealership. now the question is...17 or 18 inch wheels for my turbocharged little wonder?
09 August 2008
in the void
that's where i seem to be right now. that void, that place otherwise known as "the slump" in life. the bottom of the cycle. the trough. i am working a LOT. feels like that is all i have going on in my life at the moment. i am just waiting for the magic to happen. every moment. around every corner. despite my wanting to go with this flow, i am attempting to counteract the void with some new biking adventures. i partook in a techniques training workshop put on by Luna Chix last weekend with 40 other female mountain bikers around the bay. they DO exist! ratchets, bunny hops, ascending, descending, fast cornering, tight cornering...covered it all. i made a few contacts, one of which has talked me into my first endurance mtb race. we're a team of two, riding for 12 hours through humbolt forests. and this is next weekend, so i have made an oath to myself: i will NOT work more than 40 hours this upcoming week, considering my last two fridays have ended with me arriving home from work and literally falling onto the couch, and then barely being able to run a complete lap around the lake the following weekend. (last saturday's workshop was BRUTAL.) i need my energy next weekend.
as for my transfer to phoenix, i told HR i would be ready to move in october. it would be very nice to at least be down there by thanksgiving. we are planning a trial project for me in early october, just to make sure everyone gels. hell, i may not even like that office and call the whole thing off...or at least quit, make the move, and find something else when i get down there. only time will tell. i don't want to have to quit, though. i would like to stay with this company for the long haul. last week was my first year anniversary with them. (are you impressed? AMAZED?! :)
as for my transfer to phoenix, i told HR i would be ready to move in october. it would be very nice to at least be down there by thanksgiving. we are planning a trial project for me in early october, just to make sure everyone gels. hell, i may not even like that office and call the whole thing off...or at least quit, make the move, and find something else when i get down there. only time will tell. i don't want to have to quit, though. i would like to stay with this company for the long haul. last week was my first year anniversary with them. (are you impressed? AMAZED?! :)
28 July 2008
pancake batter
i have decided that my move to arizona would be for ME. california is played out. as my yoga teacher says when we lie on our mats, jiggle around like you're pancake batter and fill in the cracks -- makes for greater comfort. i've attempted this strategy while in california since 1999 and i cannot fill in the cracks and get comfortable. sure, i take that chance i will not get comfortable in arizona, but it sure ain't happening in california, so in a sense i have nothing to lose. literally. i have NOTHING in california except a rent payment and a job that has officially consumed me. oh, and some baggage i would like to ditch. and besides, in arizona, i will be within driving distance of my sisters and mom, so if the going gets tough, i can just complain to them -- in person, for once. that's a novelty. :)
22 July 2008
californication
i have a new addiction. (yes, i said "new." that means i do have others.) it's a tv show. strange, considering i don't have tv. well, i technically have a tv that likes to take up physical space and stick its tongue out at me, but no cable. yet i do have the internet which can download tv shows. so do i have tv? ok, that's not the point. my POINT is, i am newly addicted to a sweet little show called "californication." it's david duchovny's take two. his limelight without aliens and that redhead. if i were a man, i would want to be his character in this show, hank moody. minus the smoking and the lack of biking. and i'd get my headlight on the porsche fixed. (or maybe, since i AM a girl, i will simplify things and say i'd just go for him.) but this guy is COOL. and he's a romantic at heart. and honest. and sticks up for the people he loves. in fact, i think his character represents action without inhibitions, which is refreshing.
21 July 2008
shift happens
i have nothing particularly interesting to say right now. other than the fact that the apartment below my friend, Lauren, went up for rent. i love her apartment. it's bigger than mine. it has the mandatory hardwood floors and gas range. the location is better. actually sports a yard in the back. this place would even be cheaper (well, $60 per month cheaper), and it includes a 2-car garage. yes, that is like a dream come true! i love a big garage. i can store a lot of bike parts in a garage. so, strangely, this new development has me thinking quite a bit about what i want to do in the upcoming days of my so-called life. do i stay in my current residence, which is still very pleasant (and feng shui'd to the hilt!), and enjoy the life-without-lease? i can pick up and go anytime. or do i forgo that minor freedom factor and go for this new pad? how much do i REALLY like oakland? my neighbors? what about tempe? do i enjoy my job enough to let it chain me down for a while longer? what about my business plan? how badly do i want that beemer?! meaning, i would have a garage to park it in with that move. hmm. again, a garage is critical. :)
i love how life is quirky. (or do i? something else to think about.) these seemingly random-slash-insignificant events just pop up out of nowhere and turn my/your world upside down...or possibly to a slight 13 degree angle, but whatever, it causes a shift. "shift happens." and because of this rental hitting craigslist, i now get to climb into my bathtub and think about what i want to do with this next year rather than the absolutely DELICIOUS (yes, i am using that word) man i saw on the bike trail yesterday. well, maybe i'll split my think time. yeah, my tub will be like my think tank. get it. water. tank. ok, bad.
i love how life is quirky. (or do i? something else to think about.) these seemingly random-slash-insignificant events just pop up out of nowhere and turn my/your world upside down...or possibly to a slight 13 degree angle, but whatever, it causes a shift. "shift happens." and because of this rental hitting craigslist, i now get to climb into my bathtub and think about what i want to do with this next year rather than the absolutely DELICIOUS (yes, i am using that word) man i saw on the bike trail yesterday. well, maybe i'll split my think time. yeah, my tub will be like my think tank. get it. water. tank. ok, bad.
12 July 2008
beliefs - good or bad?
i woke up this morning to a very strange thought...no idea where it came from. what if people were to suspend all beliefs at each new experience? 1) is that even possible? 2) how would the world be different? i find it an intriguing question. even better, what are beliefs? they develop - that means they can be destroyed, yes?
so, here is my update:
-i've been studying diligently for the LEED AP exam. i have also started to look into feng shui principles more deeply, including the i ching, and i will soon be taking a course and moving that little business along.
-i am tossing around the idea of purchasing a condo. they are RIDICULOUSLY cheap in this area right now. prices have dropped 50% or more. i am debating if that is a good or bad thing. i was pre-approved for a loan, but the housing market is so unstable, i am unsure if now is the time to go big. (thoughts, anyone? anyone?)
-that being said, no word on the transfer to tempe. things are moving slowly, and frankly, i am fully happy with 'what is' right now. i feel like i am finally learning to be content with what i have and not feel the need to constantly go go go, move, plan, be quick with decisions, etc. also, it's crossed my mind that i could move down there and then my family up and relocates - anything is possible. i need to make sure the move is for ME and not anyone else.
-the job is...interesting. these days, i am doing battle with four permit offices.
-my hair is uber long - i made an appointment for next week.
-my biking is going really well. i feel very strong and am looking into joining a race team (mountain and/or road). i am going to a camp early august for advanced mountain biking techniques. the trainer is a two-time olympian. sweet!
-i have finally managed to make yoga a regular practice. that is a big deal for me.
-and i have a date tonight. with a scorpio. and i have no expectations. threw those suckers out the window a while ago.
so, here is my update:
-i've been studying diligently for the LEED AP exam. i have also started to look into feng shui principles more deeply, including the i ching, and i will soon be taking a course and moving that little business along.
-i am tossing around the idea of purchasing a condo. they are RIDICULOUSLY cheap in this area right now. prices have dropped 50% or more. i am debating if that is a good or bad thing. i was pre-approved for a loan, but the housing market is so unstable, i am unsure if now is the time to go big. (thoughts, anyone? anyone?)
-that being said, no word on the transfer to tempe. things are moving slowly, and frankly, i am fully happy with 'what is' right now. i feel like i am finally learning to be content with what i have and not feel the need to constantly go go go, move, plan, be quick with decisions, etc. also, it's crossed my mind that i could move down there and then my family up and relocates - anything is possible. i need to make sure the move is for ME and not anyone else.
-the job is...interesting. these days, i am doing battle with four permit offices.
-my hair is uber long - i made an appointment for next week.
-my biking is going really well. i feel very strong and am looking into joining a race team (mountain and/or road). i am going to a camp early august for advanced mountain biking techniques. the trainer is a two-time olympian. sweet!
-i have finally managed to make yoga a regular practice. that is a big deal for me.
-and i have a date tonight. with a scorpio. and i have no expectations. threw those suckers out the window a while ago.
16 June 2008
freestyle
i have nothing to say, really. but i got this strange urge to regurgitate some thoughts onto my blog, so we'll see what comes of it.
i spent the past three days in seattle: two graduations (one in qwest field), one birthday, one "make up" mother's day, three new condos to check out, an obnoxious family meal, and a wine party in the first eco-condos in seattle. sleeping on floors in a sleeping bag. waking up to burglar alarms at 130am. drinking vino at the tacoma yacht club post michelob ultra at el toro. one day i was driving my cousin's mini cooper; the next day i was in the hummer. in bellevue. i arrive and it's raining; it's sunny and hot when i leave. my mom wanted to go to the beach. my aunt rebaked her fred meyer cookies, and i brought two loaves of fred meyer bread home with me in carry-on luggage. red wine got dumped on me in the plane and stanley steemer carpet stain remover took it out because the maxi pad did not (don't ask). my niece is dating an "l.a. act-OR." i don't go to bed before 1am for four days straight. and my southwest airlines flights got delayed both ways. stranger things have happened...haven't they? well, it's seattle. quirky, but you still love it. :)
frankly, i think this trip gelled just fine with my new mentality: ANYTHING is possible. darn near anything. i didn't even buy coffee on this trip. in seattle?! hmm.
i got promoted at work. i am now an "e-3," or engineer 3. that rocks.
i spent the past three days in seattle: two graduations (one in qwest field), one birthday, one "make up" mother's day, three new condos to check out, an obnoxious family meal, and a wine party in the first eco-condos in seattle. sleeping on floors in a sleeping bag. waking up to burglar alarms at 130am. drinking vino at the tacoma yacht club post michelob ultra at el toro. one day i was driving my cousin's mini cooper; the next day i was in the hummer. in bellevue. i arrive and it's raining; it's sunny and hot when i leave. my mom wanted to go to the beach. my aunt rebaked her fred meyer cookies, and i brought two loaves of fred meyer bread home with me in carry-on luggage. red wine got dumped on me in the plane and stanley steemer carpet stain remover took it out because the maxi pad did not (don't ask). my niece is dating an "l.a. act-OR." i don't go to bed before 1am for four days straight. and my southwest airlines flights got delayed both ways. stranger things have happened...haven't they? well, it's seattle. quirky, but you still love it. :)
frankly, i think this trip gelled just fine with my new mentality: ANYTHING is possible. darn near anything. i didn't even buy coffee on this trip. in seattle?! hmm.
i got promoted at work. i am now an "e-3," or engineer 3. that rocks.
03 June 2008
pix and flow
i survived the bug. absolutley the worst pain EVER. i now feel i have experienced childbirth. three times. in a single 11-hour flight.
just a quick note about pictures. i ended up with 775 of them. no idea how that happened! i must have been bored or something. needless to say, it's going to take a bit of time to get them organized.
in retrospect, i am still processing this trip. i didn't go with the intention of finding myself or doing any sort of soul-searching. i feel like i already knew myself pretty well stepping into the trip. however, spending three weeks alone does some funny things to a person...even me, the "loner." i think i experienced every emotion under the sun while i was over there. thoughts and memories bombarded me and i didn't have a distraction as an escape, so i kept getting pounded! i feel like i came back to the states raw, and a little euphoric. i do know myself a lot better now, amazingly, having my soul ripped open and bared to the world like it was. seriously, that's what it feels like. and these days, i feel so much more relaxed and yet confident! i speak louder, and with more conviction...i even make decisions more quickly. i have a much stronger sense of what it is i want! it's a nice change. the best part is, i feel so much more content with the mundane aspects of my life. i don't feel like i have to be doing something every second of the day, "moving forward" or "progressing." i've realized that sometimes just sitting around and enjoying the moment offers more progression for the soul than any action, and i need to savor, rather than fear, those moments. all that being said, i feel much more at ease with my life, exactly as it is. i have no burning desire to change it at this point in time, but rather wait for life to work its magic and see what manifests. it's exciting to think that way because truly, anything can happen. SO, i am just gonna take a seat and surrender to the flow...like i am still floating around in that warm, turquoise water. :)
just a quick note about pictures. i ended up with 775 of them. no idea how that happened! i must have been bored or something. needless to say, it's going to take a bit of time to get them organized.
in retrospect, i am still processing this trip. i didn't go with the intention of finding myself or doing any sort of soul-searching. i feel like i already knew myself pretty well stepping into the trip. however, spending three weeks alone does some funny things to a person...even me, the "loner." i think i experienced every emotion under the sun while i was over there. thoughts and memories bombarded me and i didn't have a distraction as an escape, so i kept getting pounded! i feel like i came back to the states raw, and a little euphoric. i do know myself a lot better now, amazingly, having my soul ripped open and bared to the world like it was. seriously, that's what it feels like. and these days, i feel so much more relaxed and yet confident! i speak louder, and with more conviction...i even make decisions more quickly. i have a much stronger sense of what it is i want! it's a nice change. the best part is, i feel so much more content with the mundane aspects of my life. i don't feel like i have to be doing something every second of the day, "moving forward" or "progressing." i've realized that sometimes just sitting around and enjoying the moment offers more progression for the soul than any action, and i need to savor, rather than fear, those moments. all that being said, i feel much more at ease with my life, exactly as it is. i have no burning desire to change it at this point in time, but rather wait for life to work its magic and see what manifests. it's exciting to think that way because truly, anything can happen. SO, i am just gonna take a seat and surrender to the flow...like i am still floating around in that warm, turquoise water. :)
25 May 2008
buggy
i got a little bali belly. i have the worst cramps ever, and all on my 39-hour travel day! super bummed. i am scheduled to fly into sfo on may 26 at 7:30pm, but now i hear there is bad weather in taipei, my layover...i hate flying. and the best part: my hotel played 'castaway' the other night, featuring a good ole plane crash. damn it!
needless to say, i am excited to go home. i've had enough. i think i wouldn't be so eager to head home if there were someone here with me, but i'm bored. i need another person to entertain me for an afternoon...at least just TALK to me! but no doubt my eva airlines flight will be exciting, with more kids crawling all over me.
and as for bali, overall, ironically it was the people who drew me to this place, but it is also the people driving me out of this place. tourists are nothing but a walking dollar symbol around here. it is impossible to walk by a balinese person without them trying to sell you a massage or a pedicure or transport...honking their horns at you...yesterday i just wanted to be ignored. no, i don't want to look in your shop! no, my purchase really is not good luck! no, you'd offer me the discount even if i weren't the first customer of the day! ok, can you tell someone is fed up? i just don't feel good...
i'll rehash my trip when i get home. i must keel over now in pain.
needless to say, i am excited to go home. i've had enough. i think i wouldn't be so eager to head home if there were someone here with me, but i'm bored. i need another person to entertain me for an afternoon...at least just TALK to me! but no doubt my eva airlines flight will be exciting, with more kids crawling all over me.
and as for bali, overall, ironically it was the people who drew me to this place, but it is also the people driving me out of this place. tourists are nothing but a walking dollar symbol around here. it is impossible to walk by a balinese person without them trying to sell you a massage or a pedicure or transport...honking their horns at you...yesterday i just wanted to be ignored. no, i don't want to look in your shop! no, my purchase really is not good luck! no, you'd offer me the discount even if i weren't the first customer of the day! ok, can you tell someone is fed up? i just don't feel good...
i'll rehash my trip when i get home. i must keel over now in pain.
23 May 2008
isolation
wow. six days without internet access and i feel like i fell off the planet! after ubud, i landed in remote toya bungkah, located on the shore of lake batur at the bottom of mount batur, an active volcano. my first night, i got a knock on my door at 3:30am. it was my trekking guide, putu. we started out for the summit, just the two of us, in the pitch black. kinda freaky at first! not many tourists stay in toya bungkah, but come in on tours from other parts of the island. however, my starting from town allowed me to sleep in an extra two hours...but then it creamed my pocketbook, just getting to this town. it's hella isolated. so the hike was pretty intense. putu is a crazy hiker. he's fast, and he worked me. i thought i was going to have a heart attack. it was steep and slippery in a lot of areas, but man oh man, it would make for some wicked mountain biking! so we get to the "sunrise view" 1.5 hours later and there is a little makeshift cabin with an old balinese woman in the back...with her cat. she has a fire going, on which she cooks our eggs, fried banana (which goes in our sweet hawaiian-like bread), and kopi (yummy balinese coffee). we got to eat away during the sunrise which was remarkable. a snowboard instructor from austria (a kid, really) and another traveler from toronto joined in the fun. they got chocolate on their bananas. i was so jealous! anyways, after my little tantrum, we made it to the top of the volcano and got to peer into a crater (actually, two of them) that spanned 7 miles. it was unreal. little pockets of steam were shooting out of the sides. i guess that sucker demolished a town in the area twice before the residents wised up and built their new town on a hill. there is also a temple down at the lake. the tale goes that the lava stopped at the foot of the temple. i suppose all those balinese offerings to the gods pay off.
after the hike, i went to the hot springs. what a joke! it's a big pool. i laid out for a while (after paying the equivalent of $10 usd) and promptly left when two meatheads tattooed from head to toe moved their towels near me and wanted to know, "what is up?" uh, no.
the rest of my time in toya bungkah was BORING. there is nothing going on in that town. after my second night, i made a six-mile walk to the town next door, kedisan. totally happening town. not. then i spent some more time with putu. he drove me around on his moped through another town in the area, songan. i don't think many tourists go here, so i was lucky! and what a place it is. if you make it up to the hills (which is quite a hike, even on a moped - i had to jump off a few times so putu could get his bike up), you end up in a remote jungle with crazy views...when it's not foggy. supposedly the ocean was down there. then we drove over to putu's sister's place. these people live in shacks, seriously. BEAUTIFUL area, but shacks. i saw a person's mattress. oh my big g. however, everyone in this area is a farmer. lots of agriculture in songan/kedisan because of the fertile volcanic soil, and i got a big ole avocado as a visiting gift. i just ate it, once the ants crawled off. so good.
upon my pricy escape from toya bungkah, i landed in paradise: amed. GO THERE. i think it's my favorite in bali. still, no internet, and no atms (which proved problematic when i ran out of money - i couldn't pay my driver, but that's a whole other story), but no tourists, either. well, not many. the beaches are empty. fairly small and pebbly, but empty. i laid around for two days at the dancing dragon cottages (a "unique feng shui boutique hotel" with dragon energy!). i was such a sloth, drinking espresso by the pool, sipping coconut water, floating in the turquoise blue water...it was a dream. and the snorkeling is UNREAL there. step off the hotel property, walk into the water and immediately you are in a coral reef, absolutely stunning! no repetition, whatsoever, just color after color after color...and last night, my final night in amed, i ate a killer tuna dinner with a lively group from, get this: oakland. i travel halfway across the world to make new friends in oakland. a very diverse bunch, too. one of the best nights of my life! i got drunk on brem...well, not really drunk. you can't get drunk on balinese liquor. the balinese think you can, but they are so small.
now i am in sanur. my last stop in bali. it's weird here. lots of colorful boats, banners, and "mature" traveler types. the balinese don't even greet you in english here - it's all german or spanish. i was sipping an espresson on the beach just now (totally trying to fit in, no doubt) and a dude asked me to dinner, some english bloke. totally weird! i said no. men are trouble.
three more days and back on the plane, when i really just want to go back to amed. :(
after the hike, i went to the hot springs. what a joke! it's a big pool. i laid out for a while (after paying the equivalent of $10 usd) and promptly left when two meatheads tattooed from head to toe moved their towels near me and wanted to know, "what is up?" uh, no.
the rest of my time in toya bungkah was BORING. there is nothing going on in that town. after my second night, i made a six-mile walk to the town next door, kedisan. totally happening town. not. then i spent some more time with putu. he drove me around on his moped through another town in the area, songan. i don't think many tourists go here, so i was lucky! and what a place it is. if you make it up to the hills (which is quite a hike, even on a moped - i had to jump off a few times so putu could get his bike up), you end up in a remote jungle with crazy views...when it's not foggy. supposedly the ocean was down there. then we drove over to putu's sister's place. these people live in shacks, seriously. BEAUTIFUL area, but shacks. i saw a person's mattress. oh my big g. however, everyone in this area is a farmer. lots of agriculture in songan/kedisan because of the fertile volcanic soil, and i got a big ole avocado as a visiting gift. i just ate it, once the ants crawled off. so good.
upon my pricy escape from toya bungkah, i landed in paradise: amed. GO THERE. i think it's my favorite in bali. still, no internet, and no atms (which proved problematic when i ran out of money - i couldn't pay my driver, but that's a whole other story), but no tourists, either. well, not many. the beaches are empty. fairly small and pebbly, but empty. i laid around for two days at the dancing dragon cottages (a "unique feng shui boutique hotel" with dragon energy!). i was such a sloth, drinking espresso by the pool, sipping coconut water, floating in the turquoise blue water...it was a dream. and the snorkeling is UNREAL there. step off the hotel property, walk into the water and immediately you are in a coral reef, absolutely stunning! no repetition, whatsoever, just color after color after color...and last night, my final night in amed, i ate a killer tuna dinner with a lively group from, get this: oakland. i travel halfway across the world to make new friends in oakland. a very diverse bunch, too. one of the best nights of my life! i got drunk on brem...well, not really drunk. you can't get drunk on balinese liquor. the balinese think you can, but they are so small.
now i am in sanur. my last stop in bali. it's weird here. lots of colorful boats, banners, and "mature" traveler types. the balinese don't even greet you in english here - it's all german or spanish. i was sipping an espresson on the beach just now (totally trying to fit in, no doubt) and a dude asked me to dinner, some english bloke. totally weird! i said no. men are trouble.
three more days and back on the plane, when i really just want to go back to amed. :(
15 May 2008
ubud
i have a rant (of course!) - travellers checks are a biotch to deal with in this country! with the exception of kuta. just don't do it. but if you find yourself someday in desperate need of cashing one out in ubud, go to bii bank. a little bit out of town, but i spent an entire morning finding this place (which gave a pretty decent exchange rate) so i had to make note of it. onwards...
ubud is BORING. yeah, it's beautiful here. but once you've seen monkey forest (which is really cool), the botanical garden (also really cool), walked monkey forest road a billion times, and seen a balinese dance, you're likely over it. the locals have picked up on this, obviously, and as they are always looking to make a buck, everyone offers totally overpriced tours for every sort of personality, OUTSIDE of ubud, of course. in that respect, if you're willing to shell out a few hundred bucks, "ubud" is very entertaining. let's see, you can zipline trees in bedugul for $60, go see dolphins in lovina (along with 20% of the tourist population on the island at any given time - i hear it's turned into quite a joke up there) for $50, whitewater raft a class II/III river for $65 (for a mere two hours...come on! whitewater adventures in yolo county gives you a full two DAYS, AND a rave party in the woods, no doubt, for $99)...the options are endless, but my bank account is not. thus, i opted for the more serene choice of spending Rp 250.000 (~$26 USD) at a spa for 3.5 hours. yes, that is right...i get a massage for 1 hour, a soak in some crazy balinese bath with milk and flowers for 30 minutes, a hair creambath for 1 hour (really needs it at this point), and a facial (my first one ever!) for 1 hour. sweet! massages around here actually go for like ~$8 USD for an hour. if you are a spa junky, bali is the place to come...well, ubud in particular because the market is saturated here (the women all say "massage?" and the men all say "transport?"), but really anywhere in the country.
so yeah, i've had a couple days here of total boredom, just waiting for the day to end. sad, huh? i made it through a book i purchased at a local shop in only three days, called "the friday night knitting club." pretty good, but the ending made me cry. what else? i did laundry yesterday. by hand. that was a production. i've eaten at different restaurants - most are gorgeous, e.g., view of a rainforest or rice paddy, and food is hella cheap here, like $5/meal or so, and the food is SO GOOD...and healthy. i get these killer indonesian health drinks for the equivalent of an american buck. one was made with tumeric, and it rocked my world. i am definitely going to research these suckers when i get back to the states. i am eating a ton of rice, and i never eat rice back home. and i've eaten breakfast every day for nine days! it's a record, and i kinda like it - nice time to sit back, relax, and read some more...and more...and more. (yes, i have actually gotten in quite a bit of studying for my LEED exam.) you actually need to eat in the morning because afternoon is too hot to eat, so you go all day totally full until the evening when it cools down. i've been drinking a ton of tea, too, especially ginger tea. they put real ginger root into the pots. yummeee.............
one more night here and i am off to toya bungkah for three nights, which is on danau (lake) batur, at the bottom of the volcano. i think it will be chilly there, but after my trek up the volcano (before sunrise), there are hot springs. that's what i'm talking about!!!
ubud is BORING. yeah, it's beautiful here. but once you've seen monkey forest (which is really cool), the botanical garden (also really cool), walked monkey forest road a billion times, and seen a balinese dance, you're likely over it. the locals have picked up on this, obviously, and as they are always looking to make a buck, everyone offers totally overpriced tours for every sort of personality, OUTSIDE of ubud, of course. in that respect, if you're willing to shell out a few hundred bucks, "ubud" is very entertaining. let's see, you can zipline trees in bedugul for $60, go see dolphins in lovina (along with 20% of the tourist population on the island at any given time - i hear it's turned into quite a joke up there) for $50, whitewater raft a class II/III river for $65 (for a mere two hours...come on! whitewater adventures in yolo county gives you a full two DAYS, AND a rave party in the woods, no doubt, for $99)...the options are endless, but my bank account is not. thus, i opted for the more serene choice of spending Rp 250.000 (~$26 USD) at a spa for 3.5 hours. yes, that is right...i get a massage for 1 hour, a soak in some crazy balinese bath with milk and flowers for 30 minutes, a hair creambath for 1 hour (really needs it at this point), and a facial (my first one ever!) for 1 hour. sweet! massages around here actually go for like ~$8 USD for an hour. if you are a spa junky, bali is the place to come...well, ubud in particular because the market is saturated here (the women all say "massage?" and the men all say "transport?"), but really anywhere in the country.
so yeah, i've had a couple days here of total boredom, just waiting for the day to end. sad, huh? i made it through a book i purchased at a local shop in only three days, called "the friday night knitting club." pretty good, but the ending made me cry. what else? i did laundry yesterday. by hand. that was a production. i've eaten at different restaurants - most are gorgeous, e.g., view of a rainforest or rice paddy, and food is hella cheap here, like $5/meal or so, and the food is SO GOOD...and healthy. i get these killer indonesian health drinks for the equivalent of an american buck. one was made with tumeric, and it rocked my world. i am definitely going to research these suckers when i get back to the states. i am eating a ton of rice, and i never eat rice back home. and i've eaten breakfast every day for nine days! it's a record, and i kinda like it - nice time to sit back, relax, and read some more...and more...and more. (yes, i have actually gotten in quite a bit of studying for my LEED exam.) you actually need to eat in the morning because afternoon is too hot to eat, so you go all day totally full until the evening when it cools down. i've been drinking a ton of tea, too, especially ginger tea. they put real ginger root into the pots. yummeee.............
one more night here and i am off to toya bungkah for three nights, which is on danau (lake) batur, at the bottom of the volcano. i think it will be chilly there, but after my trek up the volcano (before sunrise), there are hot springs. that's what i'm talking about!!!
12 May 2008
crazy beautiful
i am in ubud. holy crap, this place is gorgeous! with the exception of all the older new age hippy foreigners wandering around trying to find "enlightenment," this place is darn near paradise. fyi, this is where the people with money come when they visit bali. high-end restaurants and shops everywhere, and some of the prices are actually comparable to the u.s. still, mostly an outstanding deal for some of the freshest, most delicious food on earth. but it's so hot, i don't eat much.
this morning i went to the monkey forest and took LOTS of pictures. those critters are hilarious. they try to take everything from the tourists, e.g., cameras, food in shiny packages, sunglasses...one got away with a water today. they know the system: steal something, then get lured back with food. and the forest is crawling with monkeys. they hang out right next to you. the forest itself is ridiculous. it's a primary rainforest, and absolutely breathtaking. i was lucky to find a path where no other tourists were venturing...got some time alone in the quiet, got to sit around and just listen to the forest. the monkeys even left me alone.
i later stopped at a restaurant for some tea. i've been doing that a lot lately. they have really good ginger tea around here for like a buck! i sit and people watch, although everyone is starting to look the same - aussies and euros. i hear there is a couple from the u.s. staying at my "hotel," but i haven't come across them yet. still, it could be my first encounter with people from home. weird. i thought this place was crawling with u.s. folk. apparently not. i keep getting mistaken for german (my last name - my invoice at the first hotel was even printed out in german). oh, and the best part is whenever i go into a restaurant and ask for a table, they want to know where my "number 2" is, every time! i'm like, yeah, it's just me. then they're shocked and look like they feel sorry for me and want to make small talk because they think i'm weird or maybe lonely, something. they want to know if i am "married or have boyfriend," and "where is he?" when asked if you're married, you're supposed to say "not yet." that's what they all say around here. i flat out say, "no way jose" (which they don't quite understand), and "men are nothing but trouble." they understand the word trouble and most woman agree with me. still, to put them at ease, i usually end the tension by simply saying, "ok, so not yet." hmm.
i have definitely learned a few things about myself on this trip so far. for one, traveling solo for three weeks is too long...for me. i am CRAVING some good conversation right now, and i am not finding any with other tourists. really, the tourists here (again, aussies and euros) are SO not friendly. they don't even return a smile. i have also learned that i don't so much miss my apartment or bed or clean tap water (i think i've traveled enough to have already learned to appreciate such things), but it's the people i miss. ok, i am not going to get all sappy here, but seriously, i miss my friends and family, i miss the phone ringing, and i actually miss work because i have the coolest coworkers ever! but i am taking this trip for what it is: an experience in another culture.
ok, it's tea time. i think they've put the tea outside on my front porch now. i can go drink some yummy tea and stare at the rice field next door to me. hehe.
this morning i went to the monkey forest and took LOTS of pictures. those critters are hilarious. they try to take everything from the tourists, e.g., cameras, food in shiny packages, sunglasses...one got away with a water today. they know the system: steal something, then get lured back with food. and the forest is crawling with monkeys. they hang out right next to you. the forest itself is ridiculous. it's a primary rainforest, and absolutely breathtaking. i was lucky to find a path where no other tourists were venturing...got some time alone in the quiet, got to sit around and just listen to the forest. the monkeys even left me alone.
i later stopped at a restaurant for some tea. i've been doing that a lot lately. they have really good ginger tea around here for like a buck! i sit and people watch, although everyone is starting to look the same - aussies and euros. i hear there is a couple from the u.s. staying at my "hotel," but i haven't come across them yet. still, it could be my first encounter with people from home. weird. i thought this place was crawling with u.s. folk. apparently not. i keep getting mistaken for german (my last name - my invoice at the first hotel was even printed out in german). oh, and the best part is whenever i go into a restaurant and ask for a table, they want to know where my "number 2" is, every time! i'm like, yeah, it's just me. then they're shocked and look like they feel sorry for me and want to make small talk because they think i'm weird or maybe lonely, something. they want to know if i am "married or have boyfriend," and "where is he?" when asked if you're married, you're supposed to say "not yet." that's what they all say around here. i flat out say, "no way jose" (which they don't quite understand), and "men are nothing but trouble." they understand the word trouble and most woman agree with me. still, to put them at ease, i usually end the tension by simply saying, "ok, so not yet." hmm.
i have definitely learned a few things about myself on this trip so far. for one, traveling solo for three weeks is too long...for me. i am CRAVING some good conversation right now, and i am not finding any with other tourists. really, the tourists here (again, aussies and euros) are SO not friendly. they don't even return a smile. i have also learned that i don't so much miss my apartment or bed or clean tap water (i think i've traveled enough to have already learned to appreciate such things), but it's the people i miss. ok, i am not going to get all sappy here, but seriously, i miss my friends and family, i miss the phone ringing, and i actually miss work because i have the coolest coworkers ever! but i am taking this trip for what it is: an experience in another culture.
ok, it's tea time. i think they've put the tea outside on my front porch now. i can go drink some yummy tea and stare at the rice field next door to me. hehe.
11 May 2008
no teknik
ok then! only took 7 minutes to log on there...obviously i'm not totally relaxed. it's a bit difficult to relax in kuta. so many people! granted, i am glad i booked 5 nights in advance here otherwise i would have ditched the place the first day, but sticking around, it was overall a good experience...despite the masses. the beaches are nuts. the streets are out of control. i think people around here are born on a moped, with a hand on the horn, screaming "transport!"
the good stuff. i hired driver to haul me around a few tourist spots the past couple of days. one i hit was bedugul, in north bali. there are twin lakes up there. very small towns with lots of rice paddies, and it is cold despite being only an hour away from scorching hot kuta. really, amazing. i also saw a temple (cannot recall the name) and tanah lot. (can't remember - did i say all this stuff in my last post? i have a journal going as well, so i am getting confused.) usually you can walk out to the temple, but not now - the waters are high since rainy season just ended. yesterday, the driver (james, btw) drove me to nusa dua and uluwatu. first, in nusa dua, we proceeded to located a secret surf spot, sri lanka (per Lastuka's recommendation), since surf in kuta has been totally blown out since i got here. the only option is whitewash. so we finally find this beach, and due to wind, no boats are driving people out! however, the beach, accessible via a windy undeveloped road, was really bizarre. all these naked euros lying around in this oddly secluded, small beach with snow white sands and crystal blue waters. even james had never been there before, and he was born on the island. then we proceeded to uluwatu. holy crap! that place is cool. the cliffs towering over the turquoise blue surf was surreal. i tool lots of pictures. the temple wasn't half bad either. i had to wear a sash. they gave me a yellow one. after uluwatu, james drove me to jimbaran which is just south of kuta and the airport. this place is known for its seafood and 24 restaurants that literally sit on the beach. so get this: i order fresh red snapper plus all these goodies, arak (a balinese "whiskey" equivalent, but sweet), a glass of wine (hey, i'm on holiday!), and water...i get a table on the sand, first row from the water...AND positively the MOST amazing sunset EVER...all for less than $20 USD. that was my big spend this week. not bad. so the sunset. i am sitting there thinking, haha, i'm watching an actual balinese sunset. this is so cool. and the best part: it was totally orange, like a big paintbrush took multiple orange strokes on top of a clear blue canvas. absolutely amazing. again, i took lots of pictures.
as a sidenote, i have learned there are two things i don't like about traveling alone. 1) pictures are a bitch. don't expect many candid shots of me...if any at all. 2) there is nobody to share these moments with. the hardest time is in the evening when you really want someone around to rehash the day with, or just talk to...and there is nobody. that is hard. but otherwise, traveling solo has been very, very easy.
and then there was today. i went to the beach and got my ass toasted by the sun! i am not kidding, and i am so mad. but then, did i really think 15 spf would last me 4 hours in balinese sun and surf? here is me...environmentalist who did her thesis on environmental health and safety, exercise fanatic, health nut, non-smoker, non-alcoholic (i swear!)...then i go and get myself some skin cancer. niiiiiiice. the best part is, it's totally splotchy. nice job applying the sunscreen overall, i'd say. well, if the sun doesn't kill me, the street pollution from all the mopeds around here will. OH, and i almost forgot to tell you about the mosquito bite! yeah, i woke up yesterday morning with my eye swollen shut. and again, i took pictures.
tomorrow i head for ubud. a whole new adventure awaits...
the good stuff. i hired driver to haul me around a few tourist spots the past couple of days. one i hit was bedugul, in north bali. there are twin lakes up there. very small towns with lots of rice paddies, and it is cold despite being only an hour away from scorching hot kuta. really, amazing. i also saw a temple (cannot recall the name) and tanah lot. (can't remember - did i say all this stuff in my last post? i have a journal going as well, so i am getting confused.) usually you can walk out to the temple, but not now - the waters are high since rainy season just ended. yesterday, the driver (james, btw) drove me to nusa dua and uluwatu. first, in nusa dua, we proceeded to located a secret surf spot, sri lanka (per Lastuka's recommendation), since surf in kuta has been totally blown out since i got here. the only option is whitewash. so we finally find this beach, and due to wind, no boats are driving people out! however, the beach, accessible via a windy undeveloped road, was really bizarre. all these naked euros lying around in this oddly secluded, small beach with snow white sands and crystal blue waters. even james had never been there before, and he was born on the island. then we proceeded to uluwatu. holy crap! that place is cool. the cliffs towering over the turquoise blue surf was surreal. i tool lots of pictures. the temple wasn't half bad either. i had to wear a sash. they gave me a yellow one. after uluwatu, james drove me to jimbaran which is just south of kuta and the airport. this place is known for its seafood and 24 restaurants that literally sit on the beach. so get this: i order fresh red snapper plus all these goodies, arak (a balinese "whiskey" equivalent, but sweet), a glass of wine (hey, i'm on holiday!), and water...i get a table on the sand, first row from the water...AND positively the MOST amazing sunset EVER...all for less than $20 USD. that was my big spend this week. not bad. so the sunset. i am sitting there thinking, haha, i'm watching an actual balinese sunset. this is so cool. and the best part: it was totally orange, like a big paintbrush took multiple orange strokes on top of a clear blue canvas. absolutely amazing. again, i took lots of pictures.
as a sidenote, i have learned there are two things i don't like about traveling alone. 1) pictures are a bitch. don't expect many candid shots of me...if any at all. 2) there is nobody to share these moments with. the hardest time is in the evening when you really want someone around to rehash the day with, or just talk to...and there is nobody. that is hard. but otherwise, traveling solo has been very, very easy.
and then there was today. i went to the beach and got my ass toasted by the sun! i am not kidding, and i am so mad. but then, did i really think 15 spf would last me 4 hours in balinese sun and surf? here is me...environmentalist who did her thesis on environmental health and safety, exercise fanatic, health nut, non-smoker, non-alcoholic (i swear!)...then i go and get myself some skin cancer. niiiiiiice. the best part is, it's totally splotchy. nice job applying the sunscreen overall, i'd say. well, if the sun doesn't kill me, the street pollution from all the mopeds around here will. OH, and i almost forgot to tell you about the mosquito bite! yeah, i woke up yesterday morning with my eye swollen shut. and again, i took pictures.
tomorrow i head for ubud. a whole new adventure awaits...
08 May 2008
finally...bali
i'm here! i've already gotten in two full days and have done lots. and fyi, the flight over here is 18 hours. i'd better have some fun. so it's hot. hella hot. like walk two steps and you're sweating like a faucet hot. but the water is cool. yes, i've been to the beach. lots. and i've run on the beach. the waves have been too crazy to surf. my room is nice, but i already had to swap. the first room was super loud with mopeds and dogs barking, all hours, so they moved me. and then the staff is super friendly, but they want tip after tip. i've spent more on tips here so far than on meals...not a joke. but these people are poor. you can't be upset with them for that reason.
alright, chronologically. i get off the plane, go through the slowest customs line in history, get my bag, and head for the hotel. first impression: the drivers here are nuts. cars and mopeds flying every which way, paying no attention to lines in the road, lights, signs...just each other, fortunately. i am actually very sad i left my license at home. i want to rent a moped. good for the adrenaline. so i get to my hotel and i say, i just flew 18 hours to go to the damn beach, so i throw down my crap and head for the damn beach and make sunset. sweet...i watched a sunset in bali. check one. sadly, the beach is super crowded. i'm staying near legian beach, just north of kuta, which is insanely crowded. but still, i was hoping for desolation. oh well. after sunset, i head back to the hotel and crash.
yesterday, i woke up at 6 and ran on the beach. sweet...i ran on the beach in bali. check two. then had a super good breakfast (my goal is to eat breakfast every day i'm here, per Lauren, because i never eat breakfast and supposedly that is a bad habit, so make that check three), started to walk to the beach, and mother bleep, i got snagged by a timeshare vendor. but this guy is super poor, he gets 50 USD for brining me in, and he promised to drive me to kuta afterwards. alrighty...two hours later, i'm in downtown kuta. CRAZY! shops everywhere. concrete. heat. where's the beach already? i get there and it really is insanely crowded. the waves are monstrous, so no surfing yesterday. i try to walk back to legian, but it's hot and taxis are very cheap here, so i grab one for like $1.50. then i head for the beach there and chill out, play in the water, ward off ~50 vendors (one guy tried to sell me a bow and arrow), and find a cool shell. i went back to the hotel and showered, grabbed dinner, then fell asleep. i am still a bit jetlagged, but not too badly.
today i woke up early because i hired a guy to drive me to tanah lot, a temple up the coast. he also took me into the mountains to see another temple and the twin lakes at bedugul...something like that. let me just say for the record, this island is GORGEOUS. i got to play with some monkeys. they were everywhere, sitting along the road in massive groups as you drive up the hills. it was unreal. the driver, james, is super cool. he's been all over the world, and used to work at the bali hyatt where he worked as steven segal's personal assistant for a week. apparently steven's a nice guy. now james is working on starting his transport business. so now i'm getting ready to explore seminyak and grab a meal.
i tried my first indonesian meal last night. very good, and it included fried rice, shrimp crackers, chicken, egg, and sausage. i fed the egg and sausage to this skinny little cat that came into the restaurant. it's amazing how well fed american animals are. i am drinking lots of kopi, or balinese coffee. super good. and lots of water. only three mosquito bites so far. ciao for now...
alright, chronologically. i get off the plane, go through the slowest customs line in history, get my bag, and head for the hotel. first impression: the drivers here are nuts. cars and mopeds flying every which way, paying no attention to lines in the road, lights, signs...just each other, fortunately. i am actually very sad i left my license at home. i want to rent a moped. good for the adrenaline. so i get to my hotel and i say, i just flew 18 hours to go to the damn beach, so i throw down my crap and head for the damn beach and make sunset. sweet...i watched a sunset in bali. check one. sadly, the beach is super crowded. i'm staying near legian beach, just north of kuta, which is insanely crowded. but still, i was hoping for desolation. oh well. after sunset, i head back to the hotel and crash.
yesterday, i woke up at 6 and ran on the beach. sweet...i ran on the beach in bali. check two. then had a super good breakfast (my goal is to eat breakfast every day i'm here, per Lauren, because i never eat breakfast and supposedly that is a bad habit, so make that check three), started to walk to the beach, and mother bleep, i got snagged by a timeshare vendor. but this guy is super poor, he gets 50 USD for brining me in, and he promised to drive me to kuta afterwards. alrighty...two hours later, i'm in downtown kuta. CRAZY! shops everywhere. concrete. heat. where's the beach already? i get there and it really is insanely crowded. the waves are monstrous, so no surfing yesterday. i try to walk back to legian, but it's hot and taxis are very cheap here, so i grab one for like $1.50. then i head for the beach there and chill out, play in the water, ward off ~50 vendors (one guy tried to sell me a bow and arrow), and find a cool shell. i went back to the hotel and showered, grabbed dinner, then fell asleep. i am still a bit jetlagged, but not too badly.
today i woke up early because i hired a guy to drive me to tanah lot, a temple up the coast. he also took me into the mountains to see another temple and the twin lakes at bedugul...something like that. let me just say for the record, this island is GORGEOUS. i got to play with some monkeys. they were everywhere, sitting along the road in massive groups as you drive up the hills. it was unreal. the driver, james, is super cool. he's been all over the world, and used to work at the bali hyatt where he worked as steven segal's personal assistant for a week. apparently steven's a nice guy. now james is working on starting his transport business. so now i'm getting ready to explore seminyak and grab a meal.
i tried my first indonesian meal last night. very good, and it included fried rice, shrimp crackers, chicken, egg, and sausage. i fed the egg and sausage to this skinny little cat that came into the restaurant. it's amazing how well fed american animals are. i am drinking lots of kopi, or balinese coffee. super good. and lots of water. only three mosquito bites so far. ciao for now...
06 May 2008
Taiwan
i just deboarded my 13-hour flight. what a flippin ordeal that was. i mean come on, for those of you who have followed my travels in the past, do you really think i'd leave you hanging for some first rate chaos?!
before even getting to sfo, i got stranded by super shuttle in emeryville for an hour. it was crazy cold and windy...and dark and scary with drunk people from chevys walking around. and the driver was crazy! i thought he was going to fly off the bay bridge, scrape a siderail, or worse yet, completely miss the exit to sfo. i made it on time. so the flight. yeah. i get on this GIANT thing with wings, and i have seat 38K. K??? was i sitting on the wing? turns out i was sitting on some guy's lap because the seat was already taken. his family had five out of six seats in these two rows, and he decided he like my window seat the best and wouldn't budge. can you believe it?! his wife is like, come sit by me! i get an aisle seat, which was actually preferable because i planned on drinking a lot. water, that is. (and the verdict: no swollen ankles!!!) so this woman is crazier than my super shuttle driver. her kids are crazier, and louder, than her! they're crawling all over me. the family asked me to swap seats multiple times to accommodate the whims of their preferred seating arrangement of the moment. i think they finally got the hint i was ANNOYED and left me alone for the last 4-5 hours of the flight to get some shuteye. thank the big G! frankly, though, the entire economy class was like...just throw me on the cramped Moroccan bus and let the chickens shit on my backpack, all over again! what a circus. but overall, i loved it. everyone was chatting it up. complete strangers were best friends by the end of the flight. super friendly folk...me being one of three caucasians on the flight. and probably the tallest person on the entire plane. i ate asian porridge for breakfast. hella good.
ok, off to my gate. one more flight to bali. ooh, i see coffee up ahead...
before even getting to sfo, i got stranded by super shuttle in emeryville for an hour. it was crazy cold and windy...and dark and scary with drunk people from chevys walking around. and the driver was crazy! i thought he was going to fly off the bay bridge, scrape a siderail, or worse yet, completely miss the exit to sfo. i made it on time. so the flight. yeah. i get on this GIANT thing with wings, and i have seat 38K. K??? was i sitting on the wing? turns out i was sitting on some guy's lap because the seat was already taken. his family had five out of six seats in these two rows, and he decided he like my window seat the best and wouldn't budge. can you believe it?! his wife is like, come sit by me! i get an aisle seat, which was actually preferable because i planned on drinking a lot. water, that is. (and the verdict: no swollen ankles!!!) so this woman is crazier than my super shuttle driver. her kids are crazier, and louder, than her! they're crawling all over me. the family asked me to swap seats multiple times to accommodate the whims of their preferred seating arrangement of the moment. i think they finally got the hint i was ANNOYED and left me alone for the last 4-5 hours of the flight to get some shuteye. thank the big G! frankly, though, the entire economy class was like...just throw me on the cramped Moroccan bus and let the chickens shit on my backpack, all over again! what a circus. but overall, i loved it. everyone was chatting it up. complete strangers were best friends by the end of the flight. super friendly folk...me being one of three caucasians on the flight. and probably the tallest person on the entire plane. i ate asian porridge for breakfast. hella good.
ok, off to my gate. one more flight to bali. ooh, i see coffee up ahead...
04 May 2008
ready to rock
alrighty folks, i'm all set. i leave hella late tomorrow night (1:40am tuesday morning). i have sleeping pills and my mini bucky. i just stocked up on snacks at trader joes. i have sunscreen galore, three swimsuits (brutal to have to bring so many, i know! :), books (great expectations, zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance, and my LEED study guide - can't help it), a compass (for feng shui research), my little bag of crystals (including a garnet for safe travels, moonstone to enhance my intuition and emotional stability, and carnelian for courage and alertness), and a cowboy hat (it was either that or my camo shorts, and i don't think the war is something i want to represent in a country the defines balance, so texas it is. hmm...). i am unsure whether i prefer a window (better to sleep) or an aisle (better to pee). i don't know how long the flight is exactly, but it's long and i am not looking forward to it. my ankles usually swell after 2.5 hours because i don't drink enough water. i need to stay hydrated on the flight - ok, so maybe the aisle is best.
it's strange preparing to travel for so long by myself. i feel a little paranoid, for instance, i don't have anyone to back me up, so for one i need to make sure i have enough cash in my checking account, and those of you who know me well understand this is a challenge because i ALWAYS cut myself short. my motto is "pay myself first," which means on payday, cash goes into savings...which ultimately keeps me from spending money on the wrong, i.e., unnecessary, crap, but i really don't want to be caught short in a foreign land. so, it took a little "courage" (thank the big G for the carnelian stone), but i didn't pay myself first this month.
on another note, i "joined the real world," as my mom said, and bought a friend's tv yesterday. it's 27". i don't have cable, and probably won't get it anytime soon, but what the hell...at least people won't make fun of me for owning a 13" tv anymore, which i sold last month. yes, somebody actually bought it...off craigslist, of course. and then the guy asked me out. talk about killing two birds there! and no, i did not accept. he was like 5'6" and we all know how i feel about the height thing...
this morning i took my new bike out for another spin. i am still in love with a big hunk of metal. it was so nice up in the oakland hills. a little chilly and foggy...the trees caught the fog like a big net and condensed it into droplets, so the trail was wet and it felt like it was raining. very peaceful, except for the three very intense guys who saw a girl on their tail and nearly went into cardiac arrest trying to stay in front of me. one failed miserably. the other two i could have taken...if they hadn't stopped! i love it - crushing a biker boy's spirit makes me happy. :)
it's strange preparing to travel for so long by myself. i feel a little paranoid, for instance, i don't have anyone to back me up, so for one i need to make sure i have enough cash in my checking account, and those of you who know me well understand this is a challenge because i ALWAYS cut myself short. my motto is "pay myself first," which means on payday, cash goes into savings...which ultimately keeps me from spending money on the wrong, i.e., unnecessary, crap, but i really don't want to be caught short in a foreign land. so, it took a little "courage" (thank the big G for the carnelian stone), but i didn't pay myself first this month.
on another note, i "joined the real world," as my mom said, and bought a friend's tv yesterday. it's 27". i don't have cable, and probably won't get it anytime soon, but what the hell...at least people won't make fun of me for owning a 13" tv anymore, which i sold last month. yes, somebody actually bought it...off craigslist, of course. and then the guy asked me out. talk about killing two birds there! and no, i did not accept. he was like 5'6" and we all know how i feel about the height thing...
this morning i took my new bike out for another spin. i am still in love with a big hunk of metal. it was so nice up in the oakland hills. a little chilly and foggy...the trees caught the fog like a big net and condensed it into droplets, so the trail was wet and it felt like it was raining. very peaceful, except for the three very intense guys who saw a girl on their tail and nearly went into cardiac arrest trying to stay in front of me. one failed miserably. the other two i could have taken...if they hadn't stopped! i love it - crushing a biker boy's spirit makes me happy. :)
29 April 2008
27 April 2008
more stupid drama
better bike drama than dealing with those travel meds, i suppose. so call me "14 year old boy," but i am super excited about my new bike!!! although not so excited about the issues involving that fiasco. of course i'll elaborate...
blond moment #1: when i first move to oakland, i go to blockbuster and the gal tells me popcorn is on sale, 2 for 1, something like that. trying to make good with a new neighbor, i agree to the purchase. i get home and realize i don't have a microwave.
blond moment #2: i sell my heckler and buy a new lightweight cross-country bike (07 cannondale). waited a week for it. anxiously, i finally get it out to my car and then realized the front tire isn't quick release - it's a lefty fork. crap! next it's like, double crap! the thing won't even fit my on my bike rack! major, major pain involved with that one, so i take the bike back into the shop. can i exchange it? the guy says ok. i move up a notch in bike (08 cannondale - this one's pretty sweet), and they throw more cash on my card. i cringe. i get a call the next day - the bike won't be in until june. maybe. triple crap! then i decide on a specialized. can't go wrong here - there's one in the shop. but OF COURSE they won't let me take it until the next weekend because they need one in the shop to show other customers (so, yeah, they're letting every tom, dick, and harry and their grandma test ride MY new bike...but they already have my cash and i can't get it back). today was the day i was supposed to get my bike. i spent the day on uc berkeley campus (nano forum for work), which is right next door to the bike shop. i call in and say i'm heading in to grab it! yay! they're like, we're slammed. can you get it tomorrow? huh? no! i want to ride it today! well, ok, i'm a sucker, i'll grab it tomorrow during lunch. so i leave the forum, drive home, and the SECOND i walk into my home i get a call from the shop saying the bike is ready for pickup. what?! quadruple crap!
do i like drama? i seem to create a lot of it for myself.
blond moment #1: when i first move to oakland, i go to blockbuster and the gal tells me popcorn is on sale, 2 for 1, something like that. trying to make good with a new neighbor, i agree to the purchase. i get home and realize i don't have a microwave.
blond moment #2: i sell my heckler and buy a new lightweight cross-country bike (07 cannondale). waited a week for it. anxiously, i finally get it out to my car and then realized the front tire isn't quick release - it's a lefty fork. crap! next it's like, double crap! the thing won't even fit my on my bike rack! major, major pain involved with that one, so i take the bike back into the shop. can i exchange it? the guy says ok. i move up a notch in bike (08 cannondale - this one's pretty sweet), and they throw more cash on my card. i cringe. i get a call the next day - the bike won't be in until june. maybe. triple crap! then i decide on a specialized. can't go wrong here - there's one in the shop. but OF COURSE they won't let me take it until the next weekend because they need one in the shop to show other customers (so, yeah, they're letting every tom, dick, and harry and their grandma test ride MY new bike...but they already have my cash and i can't get it back). today was the day i was supposed to get my bike. i spent the day on uc berkeley campus (nano forum for work), which is right next door to the bike shop. i call in and say i'm heading in to grab it! yay! they're like, we're slammed. can you get it tomorrow? huh? no! i want to ride it today! well, ok, i'm a sucker, i'll grab it tomorrow during lunch. so i leave the forum, drive home, and the SECOND i walk into my home i get a call from the shop saying the bike is ready for pickup. what?! quadruple crap!
do i like drama? i seem to create a lot of it for myself.
24 April 2008
i win! and i'm broke!
not so "efficient," but i scored all my meds as of 5pm today and am ready to take on anything indonesia has to throw at me...well, except maybe for dengue fever, japanese encephalitis, avian flu, and pollution! oh wait, there's also rabies and schistosomiasis, which is this larvae thingy that lives in freshwater lakes and penetrates your skin. sweet!
and the official tallies are...
meds:
consultation (mandatory) -- $60
typhoid -- $73.50
hep A -- $79
tetanus -- $45
polio -- $50
malaria -- $36
anti-diarrheal, diarrheal prophylaxis, and antibacterial -- $30
"dr. brown" copay that didn't do me any good except shorten my life by two years, and so what good are these meds after all? -- $25
total = $398.50
hotels (19 nights):
seminyak (5) -- $120
ubud (5) -- $140
toyabungkah (3) -- $48
amed (3) -- $162 (feng shui!)
sanur (3) -- $72
total = $542
that's depressing. and just watch...as trina said, now i'll get a cold!
and the official tallies are...
meds:
consultation (mandatory) -- $60
typhoid -- $73.50
hep A -- $79
tetanus -- $45
polio -- $50
malaria -- $36
anti-diarrheal, diarrheal prophylaxis, and antibacterial -- $30
"dr. brown" copay that didn't do me any good except shorten my life by two years, and so what good are these meds after all? -- $25
total = $398.50
hotels (19 nights):
seminyak (5) -- $120
ubud (5) -- $140
toyabungkah (3) -- $48
amed (3) -- $162 (feng shui!)
sanur (3) -- $72
total = $542
that's depressing. and just watch...as trina said, now i'll get a cold!
i hate doctors, part two
still unable to obtain a malaria Rx. my travel clinic is unable to write one, so i made an appointment with another doctor (unable to accept my insurance, but will to accept a large sum of cash for a consultation) who MAY be able to write me a Rx. i have even gone so far to ask my ob/gyn for a Rx - she'll be calling back today. (her receptionist said the doctor would write me one if i were pregnant. thanks for rubbing in my lack of love life...AGAIN, people!) i have looked online for "black market" pharmacies. i have considered contacting my EX for a Rx. i now have a coworker asking his aussie friends if i can buy the stuff on the island, once i arrive.
let's just face it. i'm heading into a malaria infested country without protection. that's gross.
thanks dr. brown! and by the way, i totally filed a complaint against his unprofessional ass. die berkeley hippies!!!
and the sobering reality of this adventure is i am ultimately spending more money on pills and shots than i am on hotel rooms during this trip.
ok...serenity now. where's my crystal?
let's just face it. i'm heading into a malaria infested country without protection. that's gross.
thanks dr. brown! and by the way, i totally filed a complaint against his unprofessional ass. die berkeley hippies!!!
and the sobering reality of this adventure is i am ultimately spending more money on pills and shots than i am on hotel rooms during this trip.
ok...serenity now. where's my crystal?
23 April 2008
i hate doctors
ok, so this claim is backed up by more than the fact i just finished dating one. (never again.) here goes...
me living in my "efficient" world amidst people with some capacity for intelligence led me to believe i could be "efficient" when it came to scoring my travel meds. so i put off the adventure until the last minute. how difficult can this be? schedule an appointment with the doc, take a little time off work, then throw a copay his way so he can scribble down a Rx for lariam and then direct his nurse to shoot me up with a hep A shot. or so i thought.
i arrive at the office of my "hippy doctor in berkeley" -- bear in mind this doctor actually called me on my cell phone to make sure i was not lost prior to my first visit with him a couple months ago. (should have been my first clue: you think he has a hard time retaining patients and doesn't want them to escape? hmm...this was before he warned me that ALL men cheat.) i show up, do the copay thing, get directed to a room, and then i wait. and wait. and wait. i hear him yelling on the phone outside my door regarding some lawsuit he's involved in. then 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment, the doc proceeds to start his consultation with a patient who got there before me. great. do i get to bill for this shit? me sitting around that office all day means i get to spend all evening at work. uh, no. so i get a little impatient. i ask the nurse if she can just get him to write down that Rx and then take care of the shot (easy!) and i'd be out of their hair. no go. the doc wants to see me. so i wait. an hour after my scheduled appointment, the doctor walks in and tells me he wants to see my lab. i'm like, huh? he said, you never got your lab results done like i asked you to last time, and i'm not prescribing anything until i see them. i tell him what i told him last time -- i got stuck on 100% travel for like a month and couldn't get in, and besides, my work takes care of labs for me every year. my last labs are still good, and he can check them out and see i'm perfectly healthy. now give me a shot, damn it. he argues. i argue back. he throws another lab form at me and says he won't prescribe anything until i get him the labs or fax him my other ones. asshole!!! this is not efficient!!! the next morning i opt to fax over my labs from work and say, here, check these out. i'm good. please send the Rx to longs drugs, and i'm coming in for my shot. he says no.
ok, so the gist of the story is, i go to longs and he ultimately called in an Rx for super-powered diarrhea pills, a diarrhea antibiotic, a general antibiotic, and a typhoid vaccine to apparently appease me. but where's the lariam?! i didn't ask for this other stuff! i call him back and he says, have you gotten a tetanus? what the?! JUST GIVE ME LARIAM AND A HEP A SHOT! I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!! he wants to know why i refuse to get a tetanus. he then says, VERBATIM, "gina, you are very polite and sweet, but you are also the most contentious patient i've had in twenty years. you are lucky i keep you as a patient because most doctors wouldn't fuck with you." WHAT?!!! did my doctor just say that to me? i end up complaining to my co-workers (well, they couldn't help but notice me screaming at a doctor over the phone in my cube and obviously got curious), and they say to go to a travel clinic, one block from the office. one phone call and the gal's like, sure, come on in. we'll get you a hep A shot, a tetanus shot, and hook you up with a Rx for lariam in one fell swoop. are you kidding? she doesn't even want my labs. hallelujah!
now for the funny part of this story. i actually started to think i was the crazy one here. turns out we had a fire drill at work and while we were waiting to head back into the building, i tell a co-worker this story because he asked about my travel meds -- he's done a lot of travel to bali. turns out this co-worker had the same doctor and had to fire him because he had problems with him, too, and highly recommended i report him. i am not crazy! sweet!
me living in my "efficient" world amidst people with some capacity for intelligence led me to believe i could be "efficient" when it came to scoring my travel meds. so i put off the adventure until the last minute. how difficult can this be? schedule an appointment with the doc, take a little time off work, then throw a copay his way so he can scribble down a Rx for lariam and then direct his nurse to shoot me up with a hep A shot. or so i thought.
i arrive at the office of my "hippy doctor in berkeley" -- bear in mind this doctor actually called me on my cell phone to make sure i was not lost prior to my first visit with him a couple months ago. (should have been my first clue: you think he has a hard time retaining patients and doesn't want them to escape? hmm...this was before he warned me that ALL men cheat.) i show up, do the copay thing, get directed to a room, and then i wait. and wait. and wait. i hear him yelling on the phone outside my door regarding some lawsuit he's involved in. then 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment, the doc proceeds to start his consultation with a patient who got there before me. great. do i get to bill for this shit? me sitting around that office all day means i get to spend all evening at work. uh, no. so i get a little impatient. i ask the nurse if she can just get him to write down that Rx and then take care of the shot (easy!) and i'd be out of their hair. no go. the doc wants to see me. so i wait. an hour after my scheduled appointment, the doctor walks in and tells me he wants to see my lab. i'm like, huh? he said, you never got your lab results done like i asked you to last time, and i'm not prescribing anything until i see them. i tell him what i told him last time -- i got stuck on 100% travel for like a month and couldn't get in, and besides, my work takes care of labs for me every year. my last labs are still good, and he can check them out and see i'm perfectly healthy. now give me a shot, damn it. he argues. i argue back. he throws another lab form at me and says he won't prescribe anything until i get him the labs or fax him my other ones. asshole!!! this is not efficient!!! the next morning i opt to fax over my labs from work and say, here, check these out. i'm good. please send the Rx to longs drugs, and i'm coming in for my shot. he says no.
ok, so the gist of the story is, i go to longs and he ultimately called in an Rx for super-powered diarrhea pills, a diarrhea antibiotic, a general antibiotic, and a typhoid vaccine to apparently appease me. but where's the lariam?! i didn't ask for this other stuff! i call him back and he says, have you gotten a tetanus? what the?! JUST GIVE ME LARIAM AND A HEP A SHOT! I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!! he wants to know why i refuse to get a tetanus. he then says, VERBATIM, "gina, you are very polite and sweet, but you are also the most contentious patient i've had in twenty years. you are lucky i keep you as a patient because most doctors wouldn't fuck with you." WHAT?!!! did my doctor just say that to me? i end up complaining to my co-workers (well, they couldn't help but notice me screaming at a doctor over the phone in my cube and obviously got curious), and they say to go to a travel clinic, one block from the office. one phone call and the gal's like, sure, come on in. we'll get you a hep A shot, a tetanus shot, and hook you up with a Rx for lariam in one fell swoop. are you kidding? she doesn't even want my labs. hallelujah!
now for the funny part of this story. i actually started to think i was the crazy one here. turns out we had a fire drill at work and while we were waiting to head back into the building, i tell a co-worker this story because he asked about my travel meds -- he's done a lot of travel to bali. turns out this co-worker had the same doctor and had to fire him because he had problems with him, too, and highly recommended i report him. i am not crazy! sweet!
18 March 2008
hey stranger!!!
at least i feel like one. i've said it once, i'll say it again...i SUCK at this blog thing! at least now i have a reason to write more, or at least gear up to write. i am going to bali for three weeks in may. true, life has not ended with my job, although my boss was less than pleased to hear i wanted that much time off. OH. MY. GOD. the world will explode without me being there! quite a compliment. :)
so yeah, bali. strange how this one developed. some of you may recall my time at nanosolar, back in 2003. i was less than a pleasant human being during that stint. i was dating a surfer when i started work there, so i obviously became more interested in the sport like any young, smitten girl who wanted to spend more time with her beau. fortunately, this was an interest that benefitted ME, and i really grew to like it. i purchased a surf magazine here and there so while i was relaxed in my warm living room, i could relive my time spend out in the cold, winter ocean. hmm. one day, i came across a picture of a surfer riding a perfect left break in bali. These breaks are rare in santa cruz, so this picture made me drool. the photograph was in sepia color, i recall, which made the image seem even warmer, cozier. just a feel good picture overall. i tore out this picture and hung it at work on my filing cabinet. at first, i would look at it every now and then, not taking too much time out of my day to dream because i was actually interested in my job. there were fun projects to work on, research to be done. however, as time moved on, the projects became less fulfilling, the management became even more cranky (it's all about "perception," he says!), and i wanted out...but of course, like a good little american worker bee trying to partake in the rat race, desperate for a pay stub, i stayed and TOOK IT. that photograph became my best friend, my escape from work. i would close my eyes and imagine being that surfer. and naturally, i began to look at that photo more and more and more with each passing day. i swore to myself that i would go to bali. ALONE. i wanted to experience that wave with no interference from anyone. COMPLETE SOLITUDE.
and then you know what happened next. that's right...life happened! i didn't make it to bali like i promised myself. i became a bartender and went to grad school. now i work as an environmental consultant, and i've hit that 6+ month period so the gig is not as exciting as it used to be. BUT, i now get to go to bali! for some reason, the trip just presented itself to me, on a platter no less. it was too easy! chips were falling into place left and right. it was if i could not be diverted from purchasing the ticket, like the stars were aligned, like i was being beckoned to this little island in asia. i won't question it. fortunately, my california tax return EXACTLY matched the cost of the plane ticket. ironic? so, in six weeks from today, i will be on a plane, destined to ride that wave i have been staring at for FIVE years. life is hilarious.
not to mention this is the first time i have ever traveled alone outside north america. i am a little nervous, but i feel like this is something i have to do RIGHT NOW. i absolutely feel like this trip has come along at this time because it is going to present challenges to me that i must face before moving onto something else that awaits me in my future. it's like a sort of spiritual preparation for something, where many lessons will be learned...which is a very, very strange feeling.
that being said, i plan to update my blog while i am there. stay tuned, and feel good. :)
so yeah, bali. strange how this one developed. some of you may recall my time at nanosolar, back in 2003. i was less than a pleasant human being during that stint. i was dating a surfer when i started work there, so i obviously became more interested in the sport like any young, smitten girl who wanted to spend more time with her beau. fortunately, this was an interest that benefitted ME, and i really grew to like it. i purchased a surf magazine here and there so while i was relaxed in my warm living room, i could relive my time spend out in the cold, winter ocean. hmm. one day, i came across a picture of a surfer riding a perfect left break in bali. These breaks are rare in santa cruz, so this picture made me drool. the photograph was in sepia color, i recall, which made the image seem even warmer, cozier. just a feel good picture overall. i tore out this picture and hung it at work on my filing cabinet. at first, i would look at it every now and then, not taking too much time out of my day to dream because i was actually interested in my job. there were fun projects to work on, research to be done. however, as time moved on, the projects became less fulfilling, the management became even more cranky (it's all about "perception," he says!), and i wanted out...but of course, like a good little american worker bee trying to partake in the rat race, desperate for a pay stub, i stayed and TOOK IT. that photograph became my best friend, my escape from work. i would close my eyes and imagine being that surfer. and naturally, i began to look at that photo more and more and more with each passing day. i swore to myself that i would go to bali. ALONE. i wanted to experience that wave with no interference from anyone. COMPLETE SOLITUDE.
and then you know what happened next. that's right...life happened! i didn't make it to bali like i promised myself. i became a bartender and went to grad school. now i work as an environmental consultant, and i've hit that 6+ month period so the gig is not as exciting as it used to be. BUT, i now get to go to bali! for some reason, the trip just presented itself to me, on a platter no less. it was too easy! chips were falling into place left and right. it was if i could not be diverted from purchasing the ticket, like the stars were aligned, like i was being beckoned to this little island in asia. i won't question it. fortunately, my california tax return EXACTLY matched the cost of the plane ticket. ironic? so, in six weeks from today, i will be on a plane, destined to ride that wave i have been staring at for FIVE years. life is hilarious.
not to mention this is the first time i have ever traveled alone outside north america. i am a little nervous, but i feel like this is something i have to do RIGHT NOW. i absolutely feel like this trip has come along at this time because it is going to present challenges to me that i must face before moving onto something else that awaits me in my future. it's like a sort of spiritual preparation for something, where many lessons will be learned...which is a very, very strange feeling.
that being said, i plan to update my blog while i am there. stay tuned, and feel good. :)
21 February 2008
HB to me!!!
how many times have i said i'll get better at this blog thing? hmm...
so, uh...today's my birthday! i'm 32. i feel so much older and sophisticated overnight! not really.
so quick update. (really, i want to get better at this blog thing.) i am working as an environmental engineer. i never ditched the "engineer" title. i think that's a sign or something. i must remain an engineer...but of what? an engineer of productive field days? an engineer of feng shui?! an engineer of happy thoughts! that's what i'll be. so...new job today. well, the job that actually pays the bills is going well. i spent a lot of time in the field. it's fun and satisfying, but hella tiring. i am also getting involved with a few litigation cases which involve big name players. i am so bummed i cannot tell you about them! very exciting. i essentially get to stick it to some dirty corporations. :) what else? i learned to knit. my sister is a master knitter, and she taught me. i've completed one scarf and working on another. after my third, i'm moving onto beanies. i am also exploring green investments these days...trying to walk the talk.
so, uh...today's my birthday! i'm 32. i feel so much older and sophisticated overnight! not really.
so quick update. (really, i want to get better at this blog thing.) i am working as an environmental engineer. i never ditched the "engineer" title. i think that's a sign or something. i must remain an engineer...but of what? an engineer of productive field days? an engineer of feng shui?! an engineer of happy thoughts! that's what i'll be. so...new job today. well, the job that actually pays the bills is going well. i spent a lot of time in the field. it's fun and satisfying, but hella tiring. i am also getting involved with a few litigation cases which involve big name players. i am so bummed i cannot tell you about them! very exciting. i essentially get to stick it to some dirty corporations. :) what else? i learned to knit. my sister is a master knitter, and she taught me. i've completed one scarf and working on another. after my third, i'm moving onto beanies. i am also exploring green investments these days...trying to walk the talk.
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