The Taiwan Days
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
I'm in the processing of moving my blog to a much more flexible and option filled service provider. It should be up by the end of the weekend and it should look much better. I will have photo galleries, music and other documents, as well as my old journal. I'll post the address for it here when it is ready
J
Monday, April 05, 2004
We had an amazing weekend at Spring Scream over the weekend(that last sentence is a redundant sentence). We travelled south to Kenting on Saturday morning. Kenting is on the very southermost tip of Taiwan and is famous here for its beach culture. Spring Scream is an annual music festival that draws huge crowds of foreigners and Taiwanese from all over Taiwan. It was really fun. I met up with Cathy and her friends and hung out with them for most of the weekend, travelling to a couple of different parties and logging some good beach time on Sunday(I'm burned now). All in all a really great weekend with great people.
I'm back into my week today after a day off yesterday for a public holiday. I went to the dentist this morning and will likely go in again tomorrow morning or the morning after to get some dental work done. I'm still hitting the gym. The half marathon in Kenting for the end of April has been cancelled so I don't really have a race to train for anymore. I'm continuing to run about 20k per week and I'm moving my focus more to weightlifting now in an attempt to gain some muscle. I've lost alot of weight from running and don't want to get too skinny.
I'm also looking for more work right now as I haven't been saving money like I would have hoped. This is partly due to the fact that I'm not working enough and partly due to the fact that I'm living a fairly high paced and expensive lifestyle. Soon it will be time to reign in the spending. I've been busy though and having lots of really great experiences, so I'm not too worried. It is only money.
I hit my one year anniversary overseas on the weekend. April 4th saw my departure from Canada for India. Its been a really amazing year, so I'm going to highlight some of my accomplishments and experiences over the last year(not in chronological order):
1. Travelled Solo through India for three months(so intense). Visited Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, China and Taiwan.
2. Climbed a 6100m peak in the Himalayas, almost (made it to 5700m).
3. Saw the Dalai Lama speak to native Tibetans living in exile in Northern India.
4. Travelled across the highest motorable pass in the world to visit a beautiful and scenic military zone near the borders of Pakistan, India and China.
5. Celebrated the Buddha's birthday at a 1000 year old buddhist cave temple in the himalayas.
6. Wrote, sang and recorded 7 mediocre folk songs.
7. Experienced a full moon party in Thailand.
8. Visited Bagan - one of the most amazing architectural sites in Burma and all of Asia.
9. Received my Open Water Scuba Diving Certification.
10. Learned to play guitar.
11. Sang in a band
12. Lived, worked and studied Chinese in Western China for four months.
13. Became a full time teacher.
14. Ran a half marathon(21km) in 2:23:00.
15. Made a ton of really, really great friends.
16. Improved my ability to tell really bad jokes.
I could go on, but I'm probably starting to sound like I'm bragging. Well, I am bragging a little, but it has been one the best years so far. Here's to another year of like the last one.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Bono On Elvis: By Bono (An Excerpt From Rolling Stone Magazine)
Out of Tupelo, Mississippi, out of Memphis, Tennessee, came this green, sharkskin-suited girl chaser, wearing eye shadow -- a trucker-dandy white boy who must have risked his hide to act so black and dress so gay. This wasn't New York or even New Orleans; this was Memphis in the Fifties. This was punk rock. This was revolt. Elvis changed everything -- musically, sexually, politically. In Elvis, you had the whole lot; it's all there in that elastic voice and body. As he changed shape, so did the world: He was a Fifties-style icon who was what the Sixties were capable of, and then suddenly not. In the Seventies, he turned celebrity into a blood sport, but interestingly, the more he fell to Earth, the more godlike he became to his fans. His last performances showcase a voice even bigger than his gut, where you cry real tears as the music messiah sings his tired heart out, turning casino into temple.
In Elvis, you have the blueprint for rock & roll: The highness -- the gospel highs. The mud -- the Delta mud, the blues. Sexual liberation. Controversy. Changing the way people feel about the world. It's all there with Elvis.
I was barely conscious when I saw the '68 comeback special, at eight years old -- which was probably an advantage. I hadn't the critical faculties to divide the different Elvises into different categories or sort through the contradictions. Pretty much everything I want from guitar, bass and drums was present: a performer annoyed by the distance from his audience; a persona that made a prism of fame's wide-angle lens; a sexuality matched only by a thirst for God's instruction.
But it's that elastic spastic dance that is the most difficult to explain -- hips that swivel from Europe to Africa, which is the whole point of America, I guess. For an Irish boy, the voice might have explained the sexiness of the U.S.A., but the dance explained the energy of this new world about to boil over and scald the rest of us with new ideas on race, religion, fashion, love and peace. These were ideas bigger than the man who would break the ice for them, ideas that would later confound the man who took the Anglo-Saxon stiff upper lip and curled it forever. He was "Elvis the Pelvis," with one hand on the blues terminal and the other on the gospel, which is the essence of rock & roll, a lightning flash running along his spine, electroshock therapy for a generation about to refuse numbness, both male and female, black and white.
I recently met with Coretta Scott King, John Lewis and some of the other leaders of the American civil-rights movement, and they reminded me of the cultural apartheid rock & roll was up against. I think the hill they climbed would have been much steeper were it not for the racial inroads black music was making on white pop culture. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival were all introduced to the blues through Elvis. He was already doing what the civil-rights movement was demanding: breaking down barriers. You don't think of Elvis as political, but that is politics: changing the way people see the world.
In the Eighties, U2 went to Memphis, to Sun Studio -- the scene of rock & roll's big bang. We were working with Elvis' engineer and music diviner, Cowboy Jack Clement. He reopened the studio so we could cut some tracks within the same four walls where Elvis recorded "Mystery Train." He found the old valve microphone the King had howled through; the reverb was the same reverb: "Train I ride, sixteen coaches long." It was a small tunnel of a place, but there was a certain clarity to the sound. You can hear it in those Sun records, and they are the ones for me -- leanness but not meanness. The King didn't know he was the King yet. It's haunted, hunted, spooky music. Elvis doesn't know where the train will take him, and that's why we want to be passengers.
Jerry Schilling, the only one of the Memphis Mafia not to sell him out, told me a story about when he used to live at Graceland, down by the squash courts. He had a little room there, and he said that when Elvis was upset and feeling out of kilter, he would leave the big house and go down to his little gym, where there was a piano. With no one else around, his choice would always be gospel, losing and finding himself in the old spirituals. He was happiest when he was singing his way back to spiritual safety. But he didn't stay long enough. Self-loathing was waiting back up at the house, where Elvis was seen shooting at his TV screens, the Bible open beside him at St. Paul's great ode to love, Corinthians 13. Elvis clearly didn't believe God's grace was amazing enough.
Some commentators say it was the Army, others say it was Hollywood or Las Vegas that broke his spirit. The rock & roll world certainly didn't like to see their King doing what he was told. I think it was probably much more likely his marriage or his mother -- or a finer fracture from earlier on, like losing his twin brother, Jesse, at birth. Maybe it was just the big arse of fame sitting on him.
I think the Vegas period is underrated. I find it the most emotional. By that point Elvis was clearly not in control of his own life, and there is this incredible pathos. The big opera voice of the later years -- that's the one that really hurts me.
Why is it that we want our idols to die on a cross of their own making, and if they don't, we want our money back? But you know, Elvis ate America before America ate him.
Howdy. It's been a few days since I put up a post. The reason being that I was sick and tired after the race last weekend. Here's a recap of my life over the past seven days.
I journeyed to Hong Kong last Friday on a visa run. I was given my visa without a hitch and shortly after met up with my good friends Michelle and Aurelia for the Rugby 7s on Friday night. The Rugby 7s are one of the biggest event weekends in Hong Kong all year and the city is buzzing and frenetic. It was a blast. Rugby is a fascinating sport. American or Canadian football seems sort of lame, slow and rigid to me after the weekend. I was amazed at how fluid and rough Rugby is, while remaining quite gentlemanly. The Rugby players are monstrous and they run really fast.
It was great to see Michelle and Aurelia again. We went out for a nice dinner after the game at a swank art deco cafe on top of Victoria peak. I had a hamburger. Michelle is from Hong Kong, so she knows her way around pretty good. Its always better to hang out with a local when you're in a city with endless options. There are few cities that exist in the world at the caliber of Hong Kong. Maybe New York, Paris, London, apparently Tokyo, though I've never been and I haven't really seen much of London. What I find so amazing about Hong Kong is not the billions of dollars flowing through the streets in Armani suits, Lexuses and Rolexes, but rather the endless and sporadic peppering of flower gardens, parks, old growth trees and vegetation. Across the street from one of the talles and most impressive pieces of modern architecture I"ve ever seen is a small park with a goldfish pond, a playground and a massive and ancient looking tree. The city smells fresh in many places. It really is amazing. Unfortunately, the cost of such decadence is being paid by our planet, but its fun to forget that and enjoy the entity that is Hong Kong for what is: an oasis. What I do find lacking, in my superficial two day judgement of the place is the art culture that seems to exist in other international cities. Hong Kong seems to me to be predominantly focused on commerce: retail and finance. This is most likely because I have only spent a few days there, but it seemed to me that in a place like New York or Paris, art culture was oozing from the cracks in the sidewalks. As always, I could be way out to lunch.
I returned to Taipei on Saturday afternoon after indulging in an amazing brunch buffet at the Rugby Club, an exclusive members only fitness center, Rugby field and restaurant. Michelle's ex David(super nice guy) has a membership as he plays for the Hong Kong 15s Rugby Team. I haven't had a proper western breakfast in a long time. It was fantastic. I ate way too much.
I met my friends in Taipei on Saturday night. We met up near the new "Taipei 101" building. This massive skyscraper may have been the tallest building in the world at some point in the recent past. There is a bit of a building race going on in Asia, so the new building in Shanghai may be taller now, and I think Korea was building one too. Seems like an internation competition to see who has the biggest weiner to me, but what do I know. Anyways, this area around Taipei 101 is a side of Taiwan I haven't seen. Super new buildings with super expensive shopping and restaurants.
Taipei was actually not bad. There are fewer scooters on the streets and more trees. Things are newer and cleaner than in Tainan, but Tainan still maintains a character of its own that I enjoy.
We had dinner and then retired to the hotel for the night. I didn't sleep well with race anxiety and a growing stomach ache, and I woke up at 4:30AM with some kind of stomach flu. I'm not sure what it was, but I ran the race at 6AM anyway and came in at 2hrs and 23 minutes. I was happy with my time, but I couldn't eat right for a couple days after the race. I'm just getting back to normal today. Everyone has been sick around here lately because the weather is changing.
I was back to work on Monday and had a couple of really tired, sick days. Today I feel back to normal and hit the gym again. I'm going to get onto the weights for awhile now and try to gain some strength. The half marathon at the end of April has been cancelled, so I don't have a race to train for anymore. I will continue to run though because I'm loving it.
Today was April Fool's day here, so I sent a message to my friend Linh and told her that I fell down the stairs and broke my leg last night. She fell for it (no pun intended). I'm not much of a practical joker, but one day a year is okay ;)
This weekend is Spring Scream. A huge folk festival in Kenting, on the south of the island. I'm excited.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
I'm off for Hong Kong tomorrow morning. I have had a busy day and will have an even busier weekend ahead of me. I have to catch the bus to Taipei tonight in order to catch my flight to Hong Kong in the AM. Tomorrow I need to go to the Visa office and apply for my new visa and tomorrow night I will be meeting up with Michelle and Aurelia and some of their friends to attend the Rugby 7s. That will be a blast. We will likely go out afterwards. I'm excited. Hong Kong is a really fun place(though also really expensive). I will sleep tomorrow night and then in the afternoon on Saturday I return to Taipei to meet my friends from Tainan and Taichung. We stay in a hotel on Saturday night and then Sunday morning at 6am we'll be lining up for the marathon. I'll sleep well no Sunday night(if all goes according to plan).
I'm just sitting here listening to R.E.M.'s greatest hits and waiting to go to work. The week has gone by extremely quickly again. I've been a bit up and down emotionally this week and wondering at why. Last night I visited my friend and resident running expert Linh and mentioned this to her. She believes that when you start running and training for a big race for the first time that there are lots of chemical changes in your body that cause you to be really up and down. Fat burning and turning to muscle, dropping weight, lots of sweating and endorphyns. Its a chemical change in your body to run so much. That makes sense to me. I'm not sure how much weight I've lost because I've been lifting weights regularly and turning alot of fat into muscle, but my waist is thinner than its been in years and my legs are strong. I've even just about got a six pack. I can't believe it's happened so fast. After the race I want to hit the weights for awhile and get strong and then maybe train for a full marathon and possibly start boxing. Okay, that's all. Wish me luck on the visa run.
Jeremy
Monday, March 22, 2004
It looks as though I will be travelling to Hong Kong next weekend. I think I have the time off work. A couple of my friends from Kunming will be there, and informed me by email today that they have an extra ticket for me for one of the rugby matches on Friday night. I'm stoked. The World Rugby Sevens is supposed to be a big weekend in Hong Kong. The city will be buzzing.
The week is looking good so far. I ran a 5k this morning at a really good pace. My legs are feeling strong.
I'm running out of time here and have to go to work, so I think I'll finish this off later.
J
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Another Monday arrived without much fanfare when I woke this morning. The weekend was alot of fun, and the Taiwanese election results were good enough for most people here to prevent rioting or any kind of mass violence.
The house party on Saturday turned out really well. Jeff came down from Taichung and so did Cathy, a very pretty and creative South African girl I had met the weekend before while I was visiting Jeff, so I was happy. Seeing Jeff again was a blast; we always have alot of good laughs. The fact that we are both here in Taiwan together - providing others with our shared Swift Current worldview and sense of humor is pretty hilarious(to us at least).
The party got a bit wild. There were dance offs and Yoga competitions in our living room at about 3am. Luckily, Alyssa has a video camera and we captured a good portion of the drunken debauchery on tape to blackmail people later.
The race is next weekend. This morning I ran 10km in just under 1 hour. My original goal had been to run the 10km portion of the marathon in less than an hour. I accomplished that this morning without too much effort, so I'm feeling quite good about the progress I've made with my running. I'm working out regularly and starting to think about running a full marathon after this. The idea of running an Iron Man(42km run, 5km swim, 90 km bike ride) is lingering somewhere in the back of my brain. One step at a time though, so to speak...right?
What else is new? I'm excited to get back to school next year. My brain is ready for some full on learning. I'm planning on trying to go to Hong Kong next Saturday and do my visa run in a single day, then fly back to Taipei for the race on Sunday. The Rugby World Sevens are on in Hong Kong next weekend and the city is supposed to be a really exciting place.
Not much else is new to report. I feel like I'm growing here at a good pace. I'm gaining confidence in my decision to go back to school next year, I'm loving teaching, I'm surrounded by good friends, I'm having fun, I'm learning new things and generally feeling stoked about my life.
What is still depressing to me, and sometimes weighs heavily in my background is the overall state of our world these days. I've seen some pretty abysmall sights over the past year and I'm still seeing it here in Taiwan. There are days when I find it hard to be optimistic about where our world is heading. Taiwan is an industrial wasteland. Economics seems to be at the top of the conceptual foodchain here(and everywhere?). The West Coast of the island seems to be one long industrial city or as Jeff calls it, "Gotham City coast to coast". There is smog hanging everywhere, even out in the national parks. What industry is doing to Taiwan and China is not so different from what mass tourism is doing to Thailand, what religion and corruption and poverty are doing to India, what complacency and fear are doing to North America, what AIDS is doing to Africa, what war is doing to the Middle East and so on This is a challenge to which I haven't and may never find a happy solution too. It stinks to be part of something that seems rotten. Something called human civilization. The easy way out is to be indulgent and indifferent, but I feel like I've been there and that type of worldview and lifestyle didn't do me and favors, ending mostly in pain and regret. Often, it feels as though I'm trying to rise above myself, my legacy as a human being, this sick and easy heirloom of privelege and luxury, and sometimes it feels that if I ever get to a point where I'm happy with myself and I'm making a real difference, that it won't matter. That the ship will sink anyways.
I try to tell myself not to think so big, and that seems to help me shift my focus back to where I am right now.
J
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Amazing. Three posts in three days. I'm actually getting back into the blog. Maybe it's because I'm operating on a semi-perpetual endorphyn high from running every day and I'm "into" most things in my life lately. Who knows?
My visa problems seem to be sorting themselves out. My schools are not going to fire me, which is nice to know. I looked into studying Chinese at the University in order to get a student Visa, but it is much too expensive, and if I'm really honest with myself, I don't have any kind of practical need to learn Chinese since I don't know when I will be back here after I leave. My only option left is to make a couple of visa runs to Hong Kong. I will have to leave every two months to attain a new temporary visitor visa. As long as they let me back in the country then everything is fine.
We're having a house party this weekend. It should be fun. I invited a couple of guys I met when I went to KaoSheung a few weeks ago who play guitar that might show up. I had a really good day of jamming with them the last time I was there.
Next weekend is the race in Taipei. There are nine of us here running the race and Jeff and a few others from Taichung will be coming to run also. It's really cool.
I'm trying to teach myself to live more responsibly lately. I'm slowly learning about recycling and I've found some good sources for environmental information. I guess I'm trying to fine tune my lifestyle. After a year of travelling I was getting pretty good at living on a minimal budget with very few material requirements other than food, water and beer. When I arrived in Taiwan, I felt myself getting sucked back into the consumer race to nowhere and spent quite alot of money in my first month here, alot of it on pointless "stuff". I find it's really easy for me to spend carelessly and eagerly, sometimes even buying things as an escape from my own issues; maybe buying myself something new because I feel bad about the way I treated someone or because I don't feel good about my physical image on a given day. What a waste of resources. We really need very little to feel healthy and\or happy. Here comes another cliche: the immaterial landscapes and brightly colored emotional spaces in our life are often the most rewarding places to go when we're down, if we let them be. Positive Human relationships can heal alot of wounds, but relationships take work, cultivation, maintenance and energy. Seems pretty basic, but I'm learning that principle on new levels all the time. Okay, enough Tony Robbins. I really could write pages and pages of that stuff, but I'm sure that if I did, people would stop listening.
Hello.....
Jeremy
Monday, March 15, 2004
Happy Ides Of March. I've had an odd and nagging desire to post a blog entry consisting of some cool quotations, here it is:
"A wretched soul, bruised with adversity,
We bid be quiet when we hear it cry;
But were we burdened with like weight of pain,
As much or more we should ourselves complain.
- William Shakespeare"
"Everyone is struggling. Be kind to them." - Jann Arden
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster." - Friedrich Nietzsche
"Take your fast car and keep on driving." - Tracy Chapman
"If I were giant-sized, on top of it all
Then tell me what in the world would I go on for
If I had it all"
- Dave Mathews
"Let us overthrow the totems, break the taboos. Or better, let us consider them cancelled. Coldly, let us be intelligent."
- Pierre Elliot Trudeau
"As a rock star, I have two instincts, I want to have fun, and I want to change the world. I have a chance to do both."
- Bono
"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. " - Mahatma Ghandi
"I have said that all the reputedly powerful reactionaries are merely paper tigers. The reason is that they are divorced from the people. Look! Was not Hitler a paper tiger? Was Hitler not overthrown? I also said that the tsar of Russia, the emperor of China and Japanese imperialism were all paper tigers. As we know, they were all overthrown. U.S. imperialism has not yet been overthrown and it has the atom bomb. I believe it also will be overthrown. It, too, is a paper tiger."
- Chairman Mao Tse-Tung
"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."
- Sir Winston Churchill
"When you have a hole in your heart the size of your ego, then you know you're a singer."
- Bono
This last weekend I travelled by train two hours north to a town called Chang Hua where my good friend from Swift Current Jeff Sylvester has been living. It was great to see him and we went out to a big "foreigner party" and had a blast. I returned early on Sunday afternoon because a friend of mine here in Tainan was showing some art in an artshow, so our whole gang went out to support him.
Things have been going pretty smoothly and I had begun to take it for granted. Then yesterday I was informed that my work visa has been denied because I dont' have a four year degree, I only have a three year diploma. This is going to be quite a big deal. I should be able to stay in the country, but I may lose one of my jobs, cutting my hours down to about 13 hours a week. The other thing is that I may have to switch onto a studen visa, as my visitor visa runs out in a few weeks. To switch to a student visa, I will have to enroll in Chinese lessons at the university and attend them for about ten hours a week. I will also have to leave the country and come back. The financial cost is going to be pretty big, probably a thousand bucks or so by the time its done. If for some reason I can't get a student visa, then I may have to leave the country every two months, though this is technically illegal and they may not let me back in if they suspect that I am working without a visa.
Apparently things are changing here quite quickly and the government is cracking down on all of the uneducated people working here. All visas are processed through Taipei now, where they used to be administered by the municipalities. I'm getting a sense that the "teaching in Taiwan" bubble is getting ready to burst, but it's hard to tell. I'm always suspicious when a whole bunch of people with no real expertise are making money in an industry they've never been involved in before. The tech boom, for example, comes to mind, as does the current real estate boom in North America. I'll find out more about how my situation is going to play out later today. I'm feeling a bit stressed, but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, and I'm realizing that I'm going to have to start working really hard to save cash for school (especially if I'm studying Chinese ten hours a week).
The running is going well. I ran 14km yesterday. Next Monday I'll run 18km and then the weekend after that is the marathon in Taipei. I'm feeling pretty fit and trim.
I found a really great website that discusses political issues in an intelligent fashion and is strongly opposed to the Bush Administration(as I am). Here's the address:
www.moveon.org
I also signed up on this website for a publication called the BushGreenWatch. It is a daily newsletter that is emailed to me. It gives a daily update on the environmental atrocities being committed by the Bush Administration. Its quite shocking how much doesn't make the mainstream press.
I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with mainstream media everyday. To think that most of us are formulating opinions about what is going on in our world based on CNN, Fox and even the CBC scares me quite a bit and sometimes I think its better to be ignorant that to pretend that mainstream corporate media exists to keep us informed of what is "really going on". The CBC and the BBC are better than most of the huge private multinational media engines like CNN, CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC etc, but sometimes only marginally. I enjoy CBC documentaries more than the daily news. They contain more grit, detial and perspective. At any given time there are a number of web documentaries posted at www.cbc.ca to be checked out.
Jeremy
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Time continues to pass in Taiwan and life is good. I'm starting to feel really good from running. I think by the time I finish the half marathon at the end of the month that I'll be in the best shape I've ever been in. This week I'm running 38km in five days and I'm still lifting weights three times a week. Its starting to get pretty intense.
Last weekend was pretty uneventful. I went out on Friday night with some friends to a bar, but didn't do much the rest of the weekend other than rest. After a week of running everyday, I'm finding myself pretty pooped by the weekend. Tomorrow is my one big run for the week. I run fourteen kilometers. Every other day I run only six.
My ten year highschool reunion is coming up this summer. I won't be able to go beause I need to stay here and save money, but I've stolen a few email addresses from the group mailing list and I'm trying to reconnect with a few people from highschool. It should be interesting.
The Oilers are making a run for the playoffs and acquired veteran center Petr Nedved from the New York Rangers. Hockey is getting pretty exciting. I wish I could get CBC here to watch it. There is a chance that all six Canadian teams may make the playoffs this year. It would be the first time ever.
That's all for today and this week.
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Another week has ended and another week has begun. Myself and seven others took a camping trip on the weekend to a really nice park called Mao Lin. It was about two hours south by scooter from Tainan and we had a great time. Getting out into nature was really refreshing, though oddly, there was smog on the first day there. We camped on the side of a river and pigged out on junkfood and beer, went swimming, climbed a waterfall(there were thousands and thousands of butterflies) and then returned home yesterday. It was good fun.
I'm about to head off to work. School is going good. I really enjoy my kids and my employers treat me very well. I'm in training to run my very first half marathon in a month's time. I'm running five times a week in preparation and feeling really good. I should be in pretty decent shape by the time the race is done. My back is causing me some minor problems, but seems to have improved since Kunming.
Other than that there isn't much else going on. I'm enjoying Tainan alot and looking to pick up some more work soon. I've met lots of cool new friends and have been spending lots of time with my old friends from Victoria. I think I've successfully made the shift from being uprooted and travelling back into a routined, working life. It turned out to be much easier than I thought. Enjoyable, even.
Friday, February 20, 2004
I just finished my first night of teaching. I have to say that I really love it so far. My kids are great and I feel really energized after teaching them all night. Mike is finished now, so I take over full time on Monday. I've been kind of nervous all week about starting teaching, but it went really well tonight, and now I'm mostly just excited.
Everything has been going superbly(knock on wood). I start work on Monday, the apartment is working out really well, I've got a scooter and lots of good friends around. I received my confirmation of enrollment at Royal Roads yesterday, so I am officially registered to go back to University next fall. All I have to do now is save as much cash as possible. I find it amazing how things can start to fall into place once you get yourself moving in the right direction. I've been going to the gym just about everyday since I arrived here and I'm starting to shed a bit of travel fat as I try to get back to my fighting weight.
A little bit about Tainan: Tainan is a small city of about 700,000 people, but it moves at breakneck speed. Commerce seems to be the prime motivator for everything here. There are more places to shop than I imagined possible. There are alot of similarities between Tainan and Kunming, but there are also alot of dissimilarities. Most of my impressions are very shallow as I've only been here a short time, but this place has a different energy to it. Kunming moved much slower. I like it though. My life is moving much faster than it has in a long time and it feels good.
I'm off to Kaohseung(1 hour away, over 1 million people) for the night with Shannon and Dann and some other friends from here. We're going to go out tonight and then check out the city tomorrow. It should be fun.
J
Friday, February 13, 2004
www.davidsuzuki.com is a pretty decent website with lots of good and practical information about the environment and environmental sustainability. There is a nature challenge that you can sign up for. The Nature Challenge is a way to share sustainable living tips and by signing up you are essentially petioning the government regarding healthy environmental practices.
Thursday, February 12, 2004
I'm in Tainan. I keep telling myself that. Taiwan is pretty crazy. I've sort of lost interest in blogging lately, but I thought I'd throw one up tonight('throwing up a blog' is definitely a tech-age idiom). I was planning to take the blog down after I got here because I was losing interest in it and because I'm not travellin anymore, but I changed my mind. I will probably try to write in it about once a week from now on and may throw up random pieces of creative writing when the need or desire strikes me.
Anyways, Thailand was fun. Beaches, sun, too much beer, too much food. Old friends. What more could a guy ask for?? I was sad when it all ended, but I'm in Taiwan now, amongst friends, meeting lots of new people, working out, getting employed, playing guitar, driving a scooter, interacting with an extermely foreign culture and things are good. I'm excited about my time here. I'm living with three girls: Shannon, Alyssa and Taryn and a three legged cat named Buddy. We have a big modern apartment in a central location. I know Shannon from Victoria and Alyssa I met in Hong Kong when I met Shannon and Gunner there a few months ago. Taryn is new, but is from Vancouver. We all seem to get along pretty well, so it should be a fun six months.
There are tons of Canadians in Tainan. It seems there are more Canadians than any other nationality.
I started playing basketball again today and yesterday I started at the gym again. I've been buying groceries and eating pretty healthy. I'm looking forward to getting some muscle back on my body and getting into shape. My back seems okay so far, though it was a bit sore after the gym yesterday.
Gunner and Dann, my friends from Victoria are also here. Gunner's boyfriend Ryan plays music, so we're going to have a jam session on the weekend. Guitar is coming along, slowly but surely. I've improved alot, but I'm still pretty crap. I also plan to get back into doing some creative writing in the future.
I landed an awesome job the day after I arrived. Its 25 hours\week and pays 650NT, which is just over 25$\hour. The strangest coincidence got me the job. My friend Dann from Victoria brought me to a lunch meeting with his friend Mike, whom I hadn't met yet because Mike had some work for me. It turns out that Mike is from Swift Current and we know each other from junior high and highschool. His parents know my parents. Both our parents are teachers in Swift Current. It's a smallworld afterall. The schools where I'll be teaching are pretty awesome. Both of my bosses are super nice. Mike has held the same jobs for eighteen months and the hours are good. One of my new bosses sold me a scooter for about 30% of the market value. I'll be teaching kids below 12. I'm looking forward to it.
That's about all for now. I'm happy and healthy and having fun.
Love,
Jeremy
Thursday, January 08, 2004
I've had some complaints about the archives not working on my blog, but they seem fine to me. Please email me if there are problems and I'll have webmaster Ben look at them immediately.
Still in Bangkok, but I'm leaving tonight. I've got my Visa for Taiwan. It is two months and non-extendable, so I hope I can get work and change it without having to leave Taiwan. I completed a bunch of other small tasks while I was here and managed to lose my bank card and my driver's license today. What is wrong with me?! My memory is getting a bit lax in my old age, I think.
I'm on tonight for Karabi. Its a province in the south of Thailand near the Malaysian border. I'll spend the weekend there and then catch a bus to KL to meet up with mes amis qui est Canadienne next Tuesday. I'm excited to get out of Bangkok, as usual, and I'm excited to hit the beach tomorrow, and I'm really excited to see my friends next week. I am just excited in general.
I saw Lord Of The Rings the other night and enjoyed it, though it wasn't my favorite of the three. I am probably the only person on the planet who is going to be critical of this movie, but I thought it kind of fell apart at the end. The third movie was grossly different than the book and I had trouble buying in. On its own it was a great movie, but it only loosely followed the book and I couldn't totally get past the insertions and fabrications. Has anyone who has read the books recently had similar thoughts? The third book was my favorite of the three books, the third movie, definitely not. I also felt that the fabrications that had been built-in throughout the other two movies required a stretching of the story even further at the end of the third movie in order to neatly tie all of the loose ends together and keep it under time limits. Fie on Hollywood for underestimating people's intelligence, its neccessity for happy slappy love interests and its perpertual over simplification of storylines, characters and life in general. I think I've read the books four or maybe even five times now. It was still a good movie, but not deserving of the book's prestige, in my opinion.
J
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
I'm back in Bangkok. I just can't get enough of this place. I arrived yesterday feeling slightly deflated after some emotional goodbyes in Kunming. There isn't really much point to me trying to explain how great Kunming was and how close I was to my friends there, so I'll just leave it at that.
I got a good night's sleep last night and woke up in pretty decent spirits this morning. I breathed in the humid, smoggy tropical morniong air and set out to complete my tasks. I have lots to do while I'm here. The first thing I did was head out to the Taiwanese embassy and fail to finish my Visa application. I needed bank records and photos and supporting documentation that I didn't have, so I have to return tomorrow with my completed forms. That was a bit depressing, but I was glad to find out that they process the visa in about a day and a half, so I won't have to sit around Kao San waiting for a visa again like I did in August(knock on wood).
From there I went to a Christian Mission hopspital to check out my dental situation. There was good news and bad. The good news was that I didn't have any cavities and that they would clean my teeth and give me x-rays without an appointment. The bad news is that what I thought was an impacting wisdom tooth in my mouth turned out to be an absess from a faulty childhood cavity that requires a root canal. The root canal will take two weeks of intermittent dentistry, so I put it off. They said it can wait a month or two without problems. I'll have to get it done in Taiwan instead. I can't wait. They did clean my teeth though, and they're all pearly white again. I'm at about seven weeks without a cigarette, so hopefully I won't give myself another chance to yellow my teeth with smoking.
I'm going to run some more errands and do some mailing this afternoon and then hopefully catch Lord Of The Rings tonight. Not much else to report. The weather is fantastic here. Sunny and hot, but not too hot. It seems cooler than it was in August when I was here, which is fine with me. Its strange to sleep without blankets again, and to have cold showers. Bangkok is reviving alot of travel memories for me and I'm seeing it in a different light. It does have a certain charm and character to it.
J
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
2004 has arrived. I'm just hanging out in the internet joint behind my house listening to Bjork and nursing my substantial hangover. We went to a house party and then to a bar in a park last night. Needless to say I had quite a few celebratory beers and alot of fun. Happy New Years! My head hurts.
Unusually, this year I found myself going pee as the countdown began, so I brought in the New Years in a chinese bathroom. I got a laugh out of that.
Four more days in Kunming. Michelle is back today and I'll see her for a few days before flying to Bangkok on January 5th. I'm going to try and get my last wisdom tooth out and apply for my Taiwanese Visa while I'm there on good old stinky Koh San Road for a few days. Then on to Malaysia to meet Gunner and Lindsey and Fraser and Christa, which is going to be super fun in the sun.
That's about all. Too hungover to continue. Happy 2004.
J
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Ho ho ho. We saw a Chinese guy who looked like Santa Clause while we were playing basketball today.
I'm back in Kunming. I arrived at about noon today and I have to say it feels really good to be back. I've had a small string of bad luck over the last two weeks in Beijing and it was nice to get home. Kunming was all sunny skies and a balmy 18 degrees today. I've acquired a cold in the last couple of days, so its nice to be back in the warmth with my friends with the whole wisdom tooth, lost passport, new visa thing behind me. I had a couple of other relatively minor bad incidents in Beijing, but they aren't even worth mentioning. I'm slightly sick, but feeling happy today.
Merry Christmas!This is my first time overseas for Christmas and it feels strange to be in China at this time of year. It still feels like Christmas though.
Well, I am sick, so I'm going to keep this short. Thanks to everyone who sent me Christmas wishes recently(and a curse on those who didn't, just joking). All my love to everyone. I hope you're all having a warm and happy holiday.
Love,
Jeremy
Monday, December 22, 2003
I had a productive day today. Here's what I accomplished:
1. Picked up my new passport from the Canadian Consulate.
2. Applied for a Visa at the PSB(Public Security Bureau - these are the Chinese police).
3. Helped a non-English or Chinese speaking Pakistani family fill out their visa applications. They were all about nine days overdue and were having a very difficult time communicating with anyone, including me. China must be a very difficult place for them. They wanted me to recharge their cell phones too, but I can't speak Chinese. I believe the fee for overstaying your Visa in China is 500Rmb per day, or about 90 dollars Cdn.
4. Ate breakfast at "Steak and Eggs", a great western cafe run by a Canadian guy. The only authentic western breakfast I've had since I've been in Asia. I had steak and eggs. I've been there twice.
5. Had the stitches removed from my mouth. All is well in the dental department.
6. Booked my plane ticket from Bangkok to Taiwan for early February(on air miles). Thanks Air Canada.
I'm reading the Economist again. I spent last night in this mega mall called "New World Beijing Mall" looking for some toiletries and English reading material(and playing video games in their massive video arcade). All I could find in English was a copy of the Economist that a StarBucks employee gave me when I asked him where an English bookstore was. It's a double issue. I'm becoming more critical of The Economist and its relatively blatent pro-American and pro-Republican worldview, but I will still read it because I am starting to see through it and the writing is good and very informative regarding world events. I'm realizing more and more that if I'm going to have strong opinions, it is a good idea to be aware of where they come from. Media is where alot of political opinion originates. Have you ever wondered what the political agenda of your favorite media establishment is? No? Its a good idea to find out. Editorial policy is a well hidden, but powerful force in the world. One fact about living in a capitalist liberal democracy such as Canada or America or England is that public opinion can affect editorial policy in the media and in effect, change the world. Use your voice(voice is a metaphor for expressing yourself).
I'm not sure what's on the agenda for tonight. I have to convince my hotel to let me stay without a passport for a few more days and then go out to eat. Tomorrow I will get out and see some more sights, now that most of my responsibilities here are taken care of. Its almost Christmas. I will write more about the mega-mall(they have a skating rink, a gym, an archery club, about fifty zillion brand placements but no physical shops, two giant arcades, food courts, hotels and restaurants...etc) and the consumer Christmas frenzy in China, but not until tomorrow.
Love,
Jeremy
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Hi everybody. Well, after spending two days eating Mcdonald's and hanging out in internet joints, I decided to get off my ass and see a bit of Beijing today. I was fooling myself into thinking that I had been letting my tooth heal when the reality was that its been awhile since I've had to fend for myself in a foreign culture. I've been surrounded by westerners and Chinese speakers for most of my time in Kunming. Today I got back into the swing of things.
I had been staying at Michelle's friend Marcus's house all week. Marcus and his roomate return today or tomorrow from a trip, so I moved out and into a budget hotel this morning. It took me about half an hour to convince the hotel staff to let me stay, since I don't have a passport or a visa. In the end I got to stay and got a pretty good deal too.
After checking in, I ventured out into the city and have spent most of my day wandering around Central Beijing. It is an amazing city and has a definite air about it, especially in winter. I wandered through some hutongs, which are the old narrow, winding mazes of houses and shops that are more a symbol of old communist China than modern China as they are disappearing very quickly. Kunming used to be a city famous for its hutongs only a few years ago, but today they are almost impossible to find. Buildings are being flattened like in China these days. This is evidenced by the myriad of skyscrapers accessorizing the Beijing skyline and the mix mash of old and new buildings.
This afternoon I snuck into the Forbidden City. Its called that because only the Emperor and his priveledged inner court are allowed access to the city. Don't tell anyone, I think I could be executed if I am discovered. I rented an audio walking tour hosted by, none other than....Roger Moore: James Bond. It was very informative. The Forbidden City was the political headquarters of China during two dynasties. I can't remember which ones, I think the Qing Dynasty and some other one. Anyways, the entire structure(the place is maaasive) is designed to represent the Chinese Yin\Yang worldview. The outer palace, with its huge audience areas and very dominant male architecture represents the Yang or the outside. The inner areas, including the Empresses audience chambers and palaces are supposedly Yin and more feminine. The point where these two places meet makes me think of the Chinese concept of face. It was all very worthwhile.
Earlier in the day I wandered around Tianamen square, holding a brief protest agains the authoritarian rule and the abysmal human rights record of the PRC. It was when the tanks came that I snuck into the Forbidden City.
I met a couple of Chinese girls who were studying English(and practicing it on me) and they toured me around for awhile before I went to the Forbidden city. They didn't come with me. I found it surprising that they had never been inside the Forbidden City. I think it was because of the cost. They had both lived in Beijing their whole lives. The entrance to The Forbidden City is 40 RMB or approximately 5$US. Though you wouldn't know it by hanging out in Beijing or even Kunming. Most of China is still very poor. Regrettably, I haven't seen this for myself yet as I haven't travelled through Rural China.
One last thing. I just wanted to retract some of my statements about Christmas presents that I made the other day. I've been thinking more and was thinking that my opinions have been pretty harsh. Though I've chosen not to give gifts this year, I think that to make an all encompassing statement against giving gifts at Christmas is unfair. I do think that that Christmas and most western holidays are grossly materialistic and that much of the meaning is lost beneath the blanket of consumerism that envelopes us at these times, but I also think it is up to each individual to draw their own line, as it is with consumerism(and life), in general.
Okay, I go eat now. Tomorrow I pick up my new passport and apply for my new visa. Then some more sights and hopefully a few insights(yin and yang).
Love,
Jeremy
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Canada has a new Prime Minister, as most Canadians already know. Here's what he's up to:
Paul Martin
Also, Ed Broadbent is planning to return to Politics with the NDP(I always kinda liked Ed):
NDP Party Of Canada
And of course the evil alliance. It is too bad that Stockwell Day lost the leadership race. He made me laugh. The Alliance will be merging with the Progressive Conservative Party to become "The Conservative Party Of Canada" in the next few months. Joe Clarke and a number of other old school Progressive Conservatives may not join the coalition. I think it will be a long time before there is a viable conservative voting option in Canada again. The current coalition will essentially, in my opinion, be the Canadian Alliance under a different veil. The PC Party has been absorbed.
The Alliance
Friday, December 19, 2003
I don't have any of my own pictures from China yet, but here's a website link from my friend Steve, who I met when I was first in Kunming:
China Pictures
My teeth are healing nicely. I've been taking it pretty easy the last couple of days. I guess my life is starting to realign after a bit of a crazy week last week.
My new passport is ready for retrieval from the Canadian consulate on Monday. From there I can take it to the PSB(Chinese cops) and get a new Visa issued, hopefully in time for my Christmas day flight later in the week. Also, I finished and submitted my application to Royal Roads yesterday. It's out of my hands now, which is nice. I feel positive about my application, but the possibility exists that I may be rejected.
These last couple of days are the first time in a few months that I've been completely on my own for days at a time. Its kind of nice to have some time to reflect on things again. I'm feeling really good about the new direction my life is taking. I'm excited to get back into the swing of things and have a solid routine and a job. I'm sure it will be shocking to me at first. I've been more or less unemployed for the last 9 months.
I read an entire edition of "The Economist" this week and I feel hyper-aware of current economic events in the world. Economics is really interesting to me. I think I'll enjoy that part of school next year. I am feeling the need to read something else now though. My brain is wired economically right now. I feel like I need a good old fiction novel or an environmental magazine or something to put me right. The Economist is great at what it does, but it definitely comes from a very obvious angle.
I'm not really doing Christmas presents this year. I'm just going to hang out with my friends in Kunming and enjoy their company. I'm becoming less and less interested in gift giving as an expression of caring the older I get. I find it to be really stressful, contradictory and indulgent. I'd rather have a good meal and some laughs and hugs with my loved ones. Or indulge myself in gestures that show I care rather than purchases. Does that make sense?
The Chinese are actually relatively "into" Christmas. I think it's kind of novelty. They seem to love everything western(for now).
I have a much clearer picture of the economic picture in China right now after reading the Economist. I'll write more about it later. Its quite interesting. The world economic picture is quite interesting right now. China is becoming more intriguing to me lately(partly because I'm leaving and starting to realize how I was hardly even here culturally).
Anyways, that's all. I'm feeling linguistically challenged right now.
Happy Holidays! Tell someone you care about them!
Love,
Jeremy
Thursday, December 18, 2003
My trip to Beijing unfolded in an unexpected matter. I lost my passport the first night I was here and my wisdom teeth continued to grow into my jaw. Anyways, the consequences are that I had a wisdom tooth and a chunk of my jaw removed the other day and I'll be in Beijing till Christmas getting my new passport and visa. Nonetheless, my trip to Indonesia is off and I will return to Kunming to spend Christmas and New Year's there. I'll likely not start heading south until sometime in the New Year.
I saw Michelle off today after a painful day of jaw recovery yesterday. I'm hoping to hook up with my roomate from Kunming, Michael, tonight before he flies back to Germany for the holidays tomorrow. That's about all for now. Oh yeah, its super cold here. I'll write more about Beijing later. Its a cool city.
J
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Two days till Beijing and my school application is almost complete. That will be a relief to have that done. I'm in Beijing for five days and then I return to Kunming for one last weekend before hopefully departing for Indonesia on Monday, December 22.
Its starting to sink in that I'm leaving Kunming and it feels really strange. Like leaving home all over again. I'm going to miss this place and especially all the great people I've grown close to since I've been here. My short stay here has been a period of real growth for me. The fact that I've had people around me who have given me unconditional friendship and acceptance has been a gift beyond words. It is time to leave though and start the next phase of things. It makes me sad, but it feels right.
Fie Edmonton Oilers. 1 win in eight games. Not a great time to be an Oiler's fan. I've already consoled myself to the possibility that I might have to cheer for the Calgary Flames in the playoffs. You can take the boy out of the prairies, but you can't take the prairies out of the boy, or so they say. I'll never cheer for the Canucks.
Time to start my day.
Love,
Jeremy
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
"....yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life. And now I know that we must lift the sail and catch the winds of destiny.... to put meaning in one's life may end in madness, but life without madness is torture of restlessness and vague desire - it is a boat longing for the sea yet afraid."
- Edgar Lee Masters
"Caminante, no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar."
- Anonymous
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time since I dropped out of the Fast Enterprises Fitness challenge with whooping cough last year(about ten months ago). It felt good, but I'm really sore today. Its all part of my new plan for rehabilitation. I've come to the conclusion that the reason I keep injuring myself is because I don't have any muscles.
Krampus was a few days ago in Austria. I was supposed to be in Eastern Europe by now. I still have the Lonely Planet, so I will go some other year, maybe when I'm finished school.
(s
I go to Beijing this Saturday and stay until Thursday to see Michelle off(she's going back to the US for Christmas). On Thursday I fly back to Kunming and I'll play one last gig next Friday and then say goodbye to my friends on the weekend. I'm planning to fly down to Indonesia or KL on Monday, December 22. I'll likely be spending Christmas and New Years on the road this year, which will be really strange, but okay. I'm looking forward to having a bit of time on my own before I start the next phase of things: my holiday in SE Asia and then work in Taiwan.
http://www.sarahmclachlan.com/ - she has a new album out. I've been listening to some of her older stuff lately and I'm really liking her again. I haven't really listened to the new album yet though.
I'm almost finished my application for school. I'll have it done by the end of this week for sure. I feel pretty good about my chances, but its almost out of my hands.
The Oilers broke their six game winless streak last night with a narrow victory over the last place Pittsburg Penguins.
That's all folks.
Love,
Jeremy
Monday, December 01, 2003
Not much new to report, but I'm trying to get back in the habit of updating my blog. I'm going to Beijing for four days in a couple of weeks. I'm excited about that. I haven't seen much of China since I've been here. I may need to come back again someday.
The Simpsons Season 3 is now available on DVD(it was probably out in North America about six months ago), so we've been watching alot of old episodes lately. Season three is so funny. So much funnier than Season 2. Lord Of The Rings is out in a couple of weeks. I can't wait.
I've been meaning to start writing more regularly. It seems that when I'm singing and making music on a regular basis that I lose the urge to do creative writing. I'd like to change that, but I'm not sure what to write about. I've thought about doing some essay writing about some various abstract ideas I've had.
The Oilers are on a five game losing skid. How depressing. Even after they signed Adam Oates.
I played in a soccer game against a Chinese team on Sunday. It was really competitive and there were almost some fights. I suck at Soccer, but our team won. I managed to come out of it with a sore ankle and hip. I'm not sure why I'm so injury prone lately. I'm only 27, is it possible that I'm getting too old for competitive sports? Possibly I'm just really out of shape. I found out they have a really nice ice hockey rink here where you can rent all the equiptment. I'm going to go out one of these days before I leave.
Okay, that's about all. Nothing too exciting today.
Love,
Jeremy
Sunday, November 30, 2003
I've decided to give my blog a new look thanks to some feedback from my web development expert, Mr. Terrill. Unfortunately, my blog is blocked in China, so I can't actually view my changes here. Any feedback would be appreciated regarding the new look.
My blog was down for a day or two this weekend because I tried to post a really long speech by Al Gore regarding the human rights infringements that the Bush administration has been perpetrating over the last couple of years. Specifically he talks at length about the Patriot Act which gives sweeping powers to Police, FBI and the CIA and sucks power up out of congress and into the Whitehouse. If anyone wants to see this speech then email me at thejeremyosborn@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you free of charge.
We played another gig on Friday and this one was definitely our best. It was fun. We had a packed bar and rocked out for about an hour, playing about ten songs.
I'm starting to look for jobs in Taiwan on the web. I'm also throwing around the idea of flying to KL and touring Indonesia for a few weeks before I meet up with Fraser and Christa, Lindsey and Gunner. I'm definitely getting stoked to be back in a hot climate again. Its getting ****** cold here lately and there is no heating.
Happy 25th Lindsey!
That's all for today.
Love,
Jeremy
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Why the Canadian Alliance is still scary:
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/11/27/alliance031127
I thought this warranted a blog entry. Its really embarrassing that these guys are still continuing to gain momentum and power in Canada after they reveal themselves time and time again in the media as radically conservative bigots. There's a federal election next spring. Don't forget to vote.
In lighter news, our band has another gig tonight. We've had two so far and we've sounded pretty awful at both of them, but the Chinese love Laowai(foreigner) musicians in their establishments, so we continue to get gigs. We're playing every Friday at this small bar near my house. Its alot of fun. A bunch of our friends come and watch us and the owner pays us ten beers to play.
I'm leaving Kunming in a few weeks and starting to get a bit sad. I've made some really good friends here and I'm going to miss them alot. I'm excited to travel again though. I've been here almost three months and its starting to feel sort of normal, in a weird way, to be living in China.
I'm hoping to have my school application finished over the next couple of weeks. I hope I get in. I'm trying to not too put all my hopes into going back to school, but its definitely what I want right now.
That's all folks.
Love,
Jeremy
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Oh blog, I could never stay mad at you.
Here's another overdue edition of Jeremy's Life in China:
Its getting damned cold in Kunming. My hands are cold typing this email, but its still super sunny here almost everyday, which makes up for the cold, sort of.
I've recently given up my Chinese lessons. I'm planning to leave Kunming in about a month, so I decided to Kaibosh(sp?) the lessons and try to pick up some more teaching. I succeeded in getting a new class of eight year olds on Saturday mornings, and I taught once last week(they were alot of fun), but I had a disagreement with the people running the class and quit the other day. My regular Monday class of 15-16 year olds ended last week, so I'm currently unemployed. I did a one time gig for 14 year olds at a restaurant last weekend, but it didn't turn into anything regular. I think I'm going to try and get some substituting jobs over the Christmas holidays before I leave. I've grown to enjoy teaching, and I feel like I could public speak almost anywhere now. If anyone needs a wedding MC, I'm your man.
Our band, now known alternately as "The ManDogs", "Fuzzy Wuzzy And The Fuzzy Wuzzies", and "The LadyBoys" plays our first practice gig tonight at this little live music joint that never has anyone in it. On Sunday night we play the opening of this three level club in the new rich part of Kunming. We don't have much talent, but what we lack in talent we're making up for in weirdness factor and fun. I'm really growing alot more confident in my singing since I've been in Kunming, and in Asia in general. I think I've just become more extroverted than I used to be, and I'm comfortable with it, which is strange. I think the last time I was a comfortable extrovert was the year before I hit puberty(2001).
Our writing group has sort of fizzled out, but I got a short story out of it.
I've been dating an American girl in Kunming for about a month.
I'm stilll in the process of applying for business school for next fall. Its going well. I'm also applying for computer jobs to try and pay for it, but I may end up doing English teaching somewhere here in Asia. The computer market is tough and I think its going to be tough to convince someone to hire me while I'm way over here. We'll see though. For those of you who don't know, and think that going back to business school is a weird move for me, just know that my plan is to get into International Development afterwards. I've thought about eventually moving somewhere like India or South America to try and do something positive with my time. I may try to do a masters after I graduate, but I'm not even that confident that I'll get into school next year, so we'll see. It feels good to have direction in my life again, though.
I've got a guitar and I've been trying to play a little everyday here, though I still suck. Watch for the new U2 album in the new year. All my friends here hate U2 now because of my obsession.
What else? Hmmm, we had a big birthday party for my roommate Sean last week. We had a surprise dinner for him with like thirty people and then we got drunk and went bowling and then out to Karaoke. I injured myself singing Karaoke when I was jumping around and accidentally head butted Sean and bit my lip. There was blood. I am too old to participate in physical activities now, I think. I sustain injuries everytime I move faster than a walk. I turn 28 next month.
I'm quitting smoking again(Day 4 right now), what else is new?
That's about all, I think. Things are pretty routine, but I'm happy.
If anyone has a way for me to make lots of money in about six to eight months, let me know.
Love,
Jeremy
Friday, November 07, 2003
Since I've been receiving so much criticism about the cultural gap caused in western society by the absence of my blog, and the effect it is going to have on the history books of our current century, I figured it was about time to put it in an update.
I'm in a city called Dali right now having a short vacation. Dali is a sort of hippy city at the base of the mountains about 8 hours west of Kunming by train. It is really beautiful, quiet, clean and relaxing here. There is a large lake to the south of the city and huge mountains behind it. The city itself is quite ancient and apparently was the capital of Yunnan province at one time(I'm not sure when). They have done a really good job here of preserving the ancient feel of the city. There are small man-made creeks and fountains running through the city everywhere and almost all of the buildings are being built in the old style still, which is to use stone and wood. There is a law against using neon lights too, which is nice.
The guesthouse I'm staying in is a heritage building that used to be a school and is really pretty and relaxing. There are all kinds of nooks and crannies where one can hole up with a book in the sun and trees and hang out.
I'm going for a hike up the mountain today, and then I plan to leave tonight back to Kunming. I was playing around with the idea of leaving Kunming permanently and going travelling again, but I've decided against it. I'm going to try and pick up more work when I get to Kunming and start saving money for school next year instead. I'm also going to start looking for work for the new year. I'll be in SouthEast Asia for six weeks in Jan\Feb and then it will be time to find permanent, and hopefully well paying employment somewhere. My tuition for school, if I get in, will be two years worth in one year($13,000), since the program is two years of classes in one year.
Other than that, not much is new. I injured my finger playing basketball a week ago and its still sore. I injured my arm singing(don't ask). We're still playing music and we've got about six or seven cover songs that we can play decently now. We're hoping to get some gigs around Kunming before I leave.
Oh yeah, Halloween was a blast here. Pretty much everyone we know in Kunming dressed up and went out to the bar. I dressed as a really ugly woman. I had a red wig and a tight skirt and shirt and running shoes and a toque and I was unshaven and had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth most of the night. It was fun. Chinese people stare at me most of the time anyways. They really stared on Halloween, especiall when we went out for barbeque on the street later.
I've realized too that I haven't written too much about my impressions of China yet. I'll do that for the next blog entry.
All is well.
Love,
Jeremy
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
From "The Onion" this week(www.theonion.com):
Bush Disappointed To Learn Chinese Foreign Minister Doesn't Know Karate
WASHINGTON, DC�While he still plans to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, President Bush was disappointed to learn that the dignitary does not know karate, White House adviser Karl Rove told reporters Tuesday. "I told George that karate is an ancient martial art of Japan, not China," Rove said. "I told him that in China, many practice kung fu�but I recommended that he stick to the more vital issue of relations with Taiwan and North Korea." In spite of Rove's suggestion, Bush plans to ask Zhaoxing to "do some of that Jackie Chan action."
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
I'm back from Hong Kong. I got busy yesterday and didn't get a chance to update the old diary. Hong Kong was fantastic. What a great city. While I was there I was entertaining the idea of looking for work, but I've had a change of heart now that I'm back in peaceful, sleepy Kunming. The living is pretty easy here. I got to see Gunner and Shannon and met some new friends through them. We had a serious drinking session on Saturday night. They have this really cool little club area on Hong Kong island called Lung Quai Fung where there are loads and loads of bars and people just hang around in the streets and socialize all night. I played some hackey sack for an hour or so with some English guys I met. It ended up with just the three of us Victorians(me, Gunner, Shannon) drinking till about five in the morning. Shannon became semi-comatose after the guy standing on the bar with the bottles poured tequilla down her throat for a few minutes. Then we went and danced in a bar with a Cantonese cover band playing U2 and 70's tunes. All told, it was lots of fun. I did some shopping vicariously with the girls, we tried to find a beach and found a mall, I went up Victoria peak. We ate Lots of really great food. Indian twice. Hong Kong is cool. I place it up there with NYC and Paris. The architecture could be comparable to walking into the future(though I've never really time travelled before).
I came back to Kunming yesterday and I had a busy day. I had a succesful day with learning Chinese and I'm kind of excited about it again. I went for a run and played some basketball. My back is getting better, but I still have to take it pretty easy with any excercise I do. Sean and I bought a guitar yesterday and starting jamming. I'm going to buy the guitar off of him when I leave here and try to learn it. It sounds okay and only cost us about 12$ Canadian.
Last night we watched a Woody Allen movie at the Norwegian Art Centre called Nordica. It was Husbands and Wives. Pretty intense. Not as funny as his other movies. It was more serious.
I read a really great book called "Human Croquet" - highly recommended, though the ending was a little weak in my opinion.
I think that's all for now.
J
Monday, October 06, 2003
Ni hao. It is a grey Tuesday in Kunming. The sun hasn't been shining for the last few days. A phenomenon that is unusual here. Fie grey skies. Fie.
Anyways, life in Kunming continues. It is National Week right now so everyone is on holidays, including me.
I had been planning to study French in France next year under a French Consulate program that places Americans(and I was hoping Canadians) in French schools. Unfortunately, the program is only open to Americans. I'm a bit bummed. I guess I'll have to find something else to do next year now. I was surfing the Canadian Consulate's website and I noticed they have a big recruiting drive on for Foreign Service Officers in foreign embassies. It looks like a really cool job and they will even train you for up to a year in Ottawa in French before you start. I got excited, but noticed that their first requirement is the possesion of a BA. I'm starting to think that one of those things might come in handy someday, but I don't really feel like going back to school just yet. Maybe next year.
My back is still bothering me, so I've decided to abstain from all physical activities for a few days. Everytime I try to do something: running, basketball, jazzercise(no) I get pain, so its probably a good idea to lay off. It is my back afterall. Kind of depressing though because I'm stoked to get into shape, but have no outlet.
On a more positive note, I am going to Hong Kong in two days. I'm excited about that. It is going to be great to see the city and also to see Gunner and Shannon. Its been a long time since I've seen anyone from home.
Zaijian!
Friday, October 03, 2003
Life is good in Kunming. I feel like this is a good environment for growth for me. I've given up smoking and drinking and I'm trying to get into the routine of living a super healthy lifestyle. It feels good so far, though I can't seem to get much excercise here. Not because I haven't tried or there aren't a million opportunities, but because I keep injuring myself. I hurt my wrist a week and a half ago trying to breakdance at a bar(its much harder than it looks, don't try it at home), then yesterday I was playing basketball in the rain and I went up for one of my patented jumpshots(patented because they never go in the hoop) and my feet went out from under me. I landed flat on my back on the concrete and the wind came out of lungs completely. I stood up making this horrible gasping\moaning sound for about a minute before I could breathe again. My friends thought I was hurt really bad and were sort of panicking. Luckily, I'm just suffering from a really sore back. I was out on the court again today, and got a shoulder in the jaw for my troubles(and my back is still sore), so I'm going to take a few days off. I think my body is trying to tell me something. Slow down.
Anyways, injuries aside, life is really good. I'm feeling really positive and on top of things. Teaching is going good, I'm learning some Chinese and I'm about half done a short story with my writing group. I'm feeling focused and intense lately. Its a feeling I've not experienced for a long time. Its an "anything is possible" kind of feeling. Without going on at length and sounding really cheesy, I'll just say that I'm gaining a much sounder idea of who I am and who I want to become. It feels good. I'm happy.
I'm hoping to buy a mountainbike soon and start biking around everywhere. Kunming has divided bike lanes on all the major streets and you can see the mountains from apartment building, so there should be lots of good opportunities to explore.
That's about all for now.
Love,
Jeremy
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Not much new to report. I bought basketball shoes today and a basketball. There are a bunch of us who play, so I should make good use of these investments. My game needs some work, but my trash talk is as impeccable as ever. Though I may physical lose every time I play, I hold the psychological edge throughout the match(if only in my own mind).
We watched a good movie last night. "The 25th Hour" with Ed Norton. It was really cool. I recommend renting it. You can get DVDs really cheap here. I think we're going to buy a DVD player for the apartment. Also, my voice is almost back after my cold, so I think we may start making some music. Sean has a four track recording studio, so we may put down some tracks eventually. He wants to make a rap album. Rap is new to me. Word?
That's about all. Things are good. I feel happier and more confident than I have in a long time. I'm enjoying Kunming alot. I'm going to HK in two weeks to meet up with Gunner and Shannon and some of their friends. That should be fun. K, that's all for now.
Peace homies ;)
Jeremy
p.s. Who would have thought I'd discover basketball and rap while in China?
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
I am getting settled in Kunming nicely now, though I woke up with a cold this morning. I taught my first class of highschool kids a couple of days ago and it went really well. Once I got past the initial five minutes of nervousness and realized that I had absolute authority over this class full of kids then it became alot more fun. Seriously though, I enjoyed it alot. I'm going to try and get more hours now.
I moved into my new apartment last night. I'm going to be living with two other guys. One is an American named Sean who plays guitar(good news) and Michael, who is a German. The apartment is ultra new and modern for Kunming and we're all quite happy with it. I think we're paying about $180 a month for it and its completely furnished. I will be making about 15 dollars an hour tax free here, so I should be able to live quite comfortably and without dipping into my savings by only working about 7 or 8 hours a week. Its very cheap here. You can eat in Chinese restaurants for around 75 cents usually. Buses cost 25 cents, etc etc.
I'm taking Chinese lessons now. I've signed up with two separate tutors and I have lessons four hours each week. I'm also studying a fair bit in my spare time. Its fun to slowly(very slowly) get a handle on how to communicate in a foreign language.
We've set up a basketball game for Sunday mornings. The Kitchen is continuing each Thursday and I hope to be making some music soon. I went out and sang Karaoke last Friday with a bunch of Aussies. It was a blast though I think I damaged my vocal chords. The Karaoke joints here are really upscale. You get your own room with leather couches and there are guys in tuxedos waiting on you hand and foot, escorting you to the bathroom etc. - it was fun.
I've quit smoking again. Its been about four days. I think this time is for real.
Love,
Jeremy
Monday, September 15, 2003
Everything is really falling into place for me here in Kunming. I'm quite excited about staying here. I"m not sure if my last post made it up or not. I can't seem to find it in this blog editor. I also just realized that I can't browse my own blog from China. Possibly it has been censored by the government as counter cultural propoganda.
Here's a recap(my apologies for any repetition): I decided to stay in Kunming and live and work. I landed my first teaching job the other night which is only two hours a week teaching highschool kids. I'm going to give this a try and see how I like it before I take on a bigger teaching load. My plan is to only work about ten to fifteen hours a week, so that I have enough spare time to pursue some other interests. There is alot going on here. It is an exciting place to be right now. I've met a bunch of really cool people already, and myself and a few other writers are starting a weekly writing workshop called The Kitchen. I'm going to look at an apartment today with an American and a German guy. Its supposed to be quite nice, fully furnished, DSL, TV, DVD player etc, for only about $80 US each(and its on a lake). The american guy plays guitar and drums and wants to start a band, so that looks promising too.
I signed up yesterday for my first Chinese lesson with a private tutor named SnowFox, and briefly contemplated enrolling full-time in Chinese studies at Kunming Normal University. In the end though, I decided to stick with private tutoring. I didn't feel ready to plunge myself into sixteen hours of Chinese classes a week, and it was quite expensive. I do want to learn some mandarin though, and it seems quite possible to become conversational in Mandarin in only a few months if you work hard at it.
What else? I found the local expat magazine, and plan to try and get involved there, possibly writing some articles. Tomorrow, a friend of mine is taking me cell phone shopping, and I still need to get a bike. There are zillions of bikes here. It seems like the most effective way to get around.
All told, pretty exciting times for me. I'm trying not to overblow my expectations of how Kunming will be. Things can get different once life gets routine, but so far things look pretty promising. It seems like a great environment for learning and creativity, which is something I've been wanting to be part of for a long time. Okay, that's all for now.
Love,
Jeremy
Friday, September 12, 2003
Ah Kunming at last. Kunming is a large Chinese metropolis. I'm not sure how many people, but I would guess in the many millions. It is really cold here. It must have been about ten degrees when I got in this morning. That is really cold for my tropically adjusted skin. I think I will need to get new clothes as winter settles in on China.
After I got in this morning I got a place at a pretty decent guesthouse called The Camilia. The rooms are quite nice, though now that I'm in China I'm back into dormitory living a la my trip through Europe. Single rooms can be quite expensive here. I met a mexican girl who had been travelling for three years and was just stopping now. Three years, I said! I can't really imagine being on the move for that long. The last few days I'd been contemplating stopping somewhere and getting some work. I was just feeling a bit tired of moving around and losing the spark a bit, but I've decided to keep at it for awhile yet. I may can the European leg of my journey though and just concentrate on China for the next two to three months. My new plan has two possibilities. I may travel for a few months in China and then eventually meet up with Lindsey and Fraser and Christa back in SouthEast Asia, if they make it there, or barring that I may try to get a job in Shanghai or somewhere similar teaching English. Who knows really though? Two weeks ago I though I would be in Frankfurt eating Bratwurst and sipping Helfeweissen by now.
I'm currently quitting smoking. Wish me luck(yet again). I'm white knuckling it right now. Its tough to quit when you have no routines to fall into, but hopefully I'll finally get rid of this nauseous habit.
Speaking of nauseous habits: the spitting here is out of control. And it is not just a paltry ejection of what is currently in the mouth that the Chinese indulge in. It is a deep throated, buttery hack of phlegm that makes my stomach turn every one of the thousand times I've heard it so far. The best was waiting for our bus to leave after dinner last night. There must have been about twenty Chinese men sitting around on their haunches launching loogies. It can't be very hygenic. Sars anyone?
Today, after arriving and catching a couple of hours of real sleep I ventured out into the city for lunch. Kunming strikes me as a very modern Chinese city. Its difficult to describe, but modern has a different meaning here. They do have two Walmarts and countless Mcdonald's and KFCs - but that isn't progressive, in my opinion. Anyways, I made it to a Muslim Chinese restaurant down in the "old town" part of Kunming. There is a relatively large Muslim minority in the province of Yunnan. Its strange to see Chinese people in muslim dress - but back to my story. I couldn't communicate with any of the waiters at all. And so after all of us monkeying around for about five minutes, they left me and found someone in the restaurant who spoke English. It was a young Chinese girl, who was eating with her parents. I was invited to have lunch with her and her parents. Her father immediately opened a bottle of Chinese "wine", which tasted really strong and more like some kind of corn hooch to me. We had lunch, and they picked up the tab, taught me a few Chinese words and invited me for dinner tonight and also to tour the village where Judy's(surely not her Chinese name) parents live with her. I think I will pass on the dinner, but the people I have met so far here have been very hospitable, though I have been warned often enough that many Chinese girls would love to marry western guys(often for financial or immigrational reasons). Still, I get a good vibe from people here so far. They seem genuinely happy to see you here, and nobody has tried to rip me off.
Okay, tonight I am going to try and meet up with Matt and Helen, who live and teach English here. And tomorrow I think I move on to Dali.
Love,
Jeremy
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
That link to my photos doesn't seem to be working. I've got the technical team looking into it right now.
I am now in China. I arrived this morning via the China-Laos border crossing at Boten. It took me a couple of days to get here, but I'm now in the city of Jinghong in Yunnan province. China is dramatically different from Laos. Laos is so quiet and sleepy. China is much faster paced so far. More industrial, louder(the decibal level in this internet joint is ridiculous - there are about ten kids playing video games with the speakers blasting as loud as possible). The language barrier is about what I expected. Almost no one speaks or reads any English, so I find myself monkeying my way through conversations. My body language should improve while I'm here. Anyways, the noise in this place is unbearable, so I'm going to leave. All is well. I'm going to make my way towards Kunming tomorrow. There doesn't seem to be much to do in Jinghong.
Love,
Jeremy
Saturday, September 06, 2003
I thought I had put this link up for some photos before, but apparently not. This is just a small selection of random photos from Tom's camera during our travels together. I've sent all my film home to have it developed there. Just copy and paste this enormous link exactly as it is into your browser. Enjoy!
http://64.4.22.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=c5cdd161b200560099e44a7404588027&lat=1062902377&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eofoto%2ecom%2fI%2ejsp%3fc%3dqly9415%2e19wfjg8p%26x%3d0%26y%3d%2do6q4lr
Friday, September 05, 2003
I've been in Luang Prabang since last night. This is a beautiful little city in Northern Laos. It is nestled in the mountains amongst tropical rainforest and surrounds a bend in the mighty Mekong river. A former french colonial outpost, the city has retained much of its European charm. I sound like a guidebook, but its true. This is a really amazing little city with a very distinct, laid back feel to it. It would be easy to spend alot of time here, but I must go to China, so I think I will stay one or two days at most and then make my way to the north.
I've met up with a couple of guys. One is Carlo, from Milano, Italy and the other is Matt, from Montreal, Canada. We've been having fun. Today we went to a few temples and wandered around the city and tonight we went out for some beers and met up with a bunch of other travellers from a bunch of other countries. Canada, Ireland, US, Germany, Sweden - it was quite a mix. There were a bunch of girls from Ireland who were singing acapella in the restaurant where we had dinner. I got them to sing "I still haven't found what I'm looking for," for us before we left. The rest of the people I was with were being critical of them singing so loud, but I was all for it. In my opinion, people don't use their voices enough in the world today. And yes, I really believe that we all have voices.
I've started meditating in the morning when I wake up for about ten minutes and I think it is having a positive effect on me. Just spending a few minutes clearing the mind and giving the consciousness a complete rest is a healthy thing in my opinion. I just try to clear away my thoughts as they come. I find the feeling really peaceful, almost euphoric, when I'm not thinking at all, and the abscence of thought for a few minutes in the morning seems to help me to recognize my thoughts, or be more aware of my thinking patterns as the day progresses. I'm going to continue with it. I've also been craving excercise lately, but there is little outlet for it. Aside from the regular walking and occasional hiking that I do, I don't have a chance to form a regular excercise routine. I may start trying to excercise in my room in the morning as much as I can. I'm missing the running and working out that I did back home lately.
I met Canadian\British couple who are teaching English in Kunming yesterday. They gave me some pointers for China and offered me a place to stay when I arrive in Kunming. This is a reassuring feeling and it will be nice to get an insider's perspective when I get there and to know that there are people from English speaking country who I can go to with questions. Its another reminder to me to help other travellers whenever possible. Its a community that I belong to, and deserves contribution.
Okay, that's all for tonight. I think there is a 12:00 curfew in Luang Prabang, so I have to go indoors to my hotel.
Love,
Jeremy
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
I'm leaving Vientienne in a couple of hours here. My plan is to travel north to city called Luang Prabang and spend a day or two there before heading further north to the Chinese border. Luang Prabang is a Unesco World Heritage Sight and is supposed to be quite a beautiful city with some amazing colonial architecture and a very relaxed atmosphere. My wisdom tooth is bothering me a little bit again, and I'm starting to wonder if my body isn't rebelling against me because of my nervousness about going to China. I think that is what it is. I enjoyed perfect health in Thailand whilst laying on the beaches without a care in the world. Now that I am a bit nervous then I am getting minor aches and pains around my body. Regardless, I'm heading for China and should be there within a few days. I'll be Luang Prabang tonight, and should have the opportunity to put another post up from there.
J
Monday, September 01, 2003
I caught the bus to Vientienne last night and now I am here in Vientienne after catching the bus here last night. I didn't sleep much on the bus(hence the redundancy in my writing), but it went fairly quickly. Vientienne is a capital city, but seems pretty low paced so far. Much different than Bangkok. It reminds me of Burma here. It is quite obviously much poorer and less developed. This afternoon I'm going to try and figure out how to get to China from here. I think it is going to involve about five bus trips to get to Kunming. Some of them quite long. I'm feeling a little unprepared for China, so I'm going to do some research over the next twenty four hours and see if I can figure a few things out: possibly mastering speaking and writing Mandarin and preparing myself mentally for complete and instantaneous assimilation into Chinese culture. Seriously though, I can't believe I'm going to China. Its going to be really cool.
Okay, that's all for now. I'll put up another post before I leave and then I'll likely be out of communication for a few days until I get to Kunming.
Love,
Jeremy
Sunday, August 31, 2003
My last night in Bangkok. Tomorrow morning I pick-up my Chinese Visa and then tomorow night I will catch the train to Vientienne, Laos and eventually to the Chinese border. I had an interesting day today. I woke up this morning after sleeping poorly. There were a bunch of young English girls playing bad rap music, talking loudly and singing for most of the wee hours. Nonetheless, I woke up this morning to meet the occurence of a seriously monsoonal downpour in the streets outside my hotel. I decided to stay in for breakfast. I sat down and met a cool digital artist named Kathryn from California. We chatted for awhile, but she was catching a bus to Malaysia and left, so I sidled over and made conversation with the guy playing guitar beside me.
The guy playing guitar was named Bay Rigby. He's an Australian who's been living in New York most of his life and he's also a former cartoonist for the New York post. He showed me his sketch book, and his drawings are really amazing. Really amazing. He had a bottle of whiskey in front of him, and so we started playing some songs. He drank the bottle of whiskey and I had a few beers and we killed the afternoon playing songs. It was very interesting. We created an album cover for our yet unpublished album called, "Conscripted Labor," as well as creating the song titles. Great hits such as Chop Sue Me and Lonely Planet Janet were among the titles. Anyways, it was a very interesting day and Bay is a very unique character. His words of wisdom to me tonight were this(approximately), " Underlying this very serious world we live in is a humor that most people miss completely because they are taking life too seriously" He then went on to tell me about how he likes it when people are being too serious because he gets twenty times more serious than them and it freaks them out. We then left dinner and fed the remains of Bay's steak to a street dog and contemplated the creepiness of the mannequin heads on Kao Sarn road, specualting on the possibility of a serial killer. The mannequin heads, which advertise hairstyles, are bizarre. Its almost like they were made to look like western tourists, if western tourists were zombies. Then we found severed mannequin hands with fake blood on them. That made it even creepier. Then we took a tuk-tuk(auto rickshaw) ride around the block for fun and Bay made the driver drive fast and crazy and swerve all over the place, and then I called it a night and came here to do some emailing and update the old blog. And that was the way the cookie crumbled. Anyways, that's all for tonight. I have to be up early tomorrow morning to get my visa. The Chinese embassy is only open two hours a day still.
Love,
Jeremy
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Change in plans again. I can't book a one-way ticket into Europe with a Canadian passport. I guess they're worried that I'll like it so much that I won't leave. Oh well, China it is, once again. I'll leave Bangkok Monday night for Laos.
Friday, August 29, 2003
Bangkok yet. The visa will be ready in three days. I'm kind of "chomping at the bit" to get moving again, but I've been contemplating a change of plans over the last twenty-four hours. I've been thinking about flying to Europe first, and then travelling the other way through Russia and eventually into China. Since I've bought the Lonely Planet, and seen all the beautiful pictures of Eastern Europe, my heart has kind of moved from China to Europe. That's a long ways for a heart to travel, and its tired me out mentally just thinking about it. I'm not sure though, and I'm going to follow the advice of a friend and wait for a sign(there are really cheap flights to Europe from Bangkok right now, maybe that is my sign?)
On another note, I've been doing some more thinking about this blog and what to write and not to write. As I've written in this thing over the past months, I've kind of developed a bit of a system of what kind of things belong in the blog and what don't. I think there are quite a few people who read the blog intermittently and so a rule of thumb I've developed is to not write anything personal about other people in here, and to try and keep it as positive as I can while staying real and remaining true to the ideas, feellings and events of my life. I guess in a way that is how I am trying to live my life on a day to day basis as well, with varying degrees of success. I like the fact that people are still reading this thing, whatever it is. Its nice to know that people are listening. Anyways, enough on the editorial policy of my little travel diary.
The weather has been cloudless and sunny with a high humidex factor, making for some sweaty afternoons.
Not much else to report from Bangkok. Stay tuned for the next chapter in the continuing saga of "Jeremy waits for his visa"
Love,
Jeremy
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
I am still in Bangkok. I have to wait until Monday to pickup my Chinese Visa, so I have some time on my hands now. I spent today cleaning out my backpack of unneccessary junk. I threw some stuff out and I mailed some stuff home. I think my pack will be much lighter now.
I'm considering leaving Bangkok for a few days. There are a million other travellers here, but for some reason I'm not meeting people. I think its my own fault, and maybe I just don't feel relaxed here like I did on the islands. I'll decide tomorrow. I've got four days until visa time, so maybe I'll go away for the weekend, up north or something.
I bought the Lonely Planet for Eastern Europe today. It looks pretty cool. I'm excited to get there. I think it will be quite beautiful in winter.
I just chatted with Reuben, my friend from Ooty in India. He's back from Iraq for a holiday. Welcome back Reuben!
Okay, that's all for tonight. Tomorrow I will try to put some of my songs up on the web for anyone who is interested. I've also got a cd of photos from India. They are Tom's photos, but some of them are quite good. I'll try and put them up as well.
Love,
Jeremy
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
I arrived in Bangkok last night after a relatively easy boat and bus ride from Koh Tao. The buses here are quite luxurious. They are double decker air cons wit lots of leg room. They definitely beat the hell out of the buses in India and Burma, though riding the buses there is somewhat of a cultural experience.
I met a Dutch guy on the bus named Jost and we went out for beers last night. I only had four, but it felt like forty today for some reason. I think I may have gotten a bad beer. They have an expression for a hangover here. They call it a Changover. Chang is a local brand of beer that is cheaper and crappier than the rest of the beer you can get. I had a Changover today, even though I wasn't drinking Chang last night, only Carlsberg.
I attempted to get my Chinese Visa today, but I was too late. The Chinese embassy is only open between 9 and 11am. I'll try again tomorrow. I think I would like to work at the Chinese Embassy. Not bad hours, in my opinion.
I'm excited about China, and what I'm fondly calling "the second leg" of my journey. Once the Changover is gone I'll be even more excited. I had a great day yesterday and felt really clear about where I'm at in my life right now. That feeling was replaced with nausea and dehydration today, but I'm in good spirits and it should return tomorrow. There's not much for me here in Bangkok. I'm eager to get back on the road. My Chinese Visa may take a few days, and if it does then I'll likely head up into the North of Thailand for a day or two and maybe do some jungle trekking, or check out Cheng Mai(sp?), the second biggest city in Thailand.
I'm looking for a new book, but the used bookstores around here are very expensive and only seem to carry self help books and Danielle Steele. Who reads this stuff? No offense if you, the reader of my blog, read any of those authors.
If anyone has a public ftp site, or some other form of web file storage available for uploading a few of my songs, that would be appreciated. I'm going to send out a few cds tomorrow, but its quite expensive to burn them here, so I can't send too many. It would be easier for me to upload them for download. Then when my songs are downloaded I can bust people for copyright infringement like Metallica and Madonna did with Napster.
I watched Shanghai Knights starring Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan today. It was really funny. Does anyone else think Owen Wilson is just hilarious. Whenever he opens his mouth, I laugh. There's just something about that guy.
Karen and her friend Greg arrived back in Bangkok today, so I hung out with them and went for dinner and Oreo milkshakes on Kao San road. They're doing a Thai Massage course right now. I volunteered to be a practice subject. I have three pimples because I've been eating too much chocolate, but my tan is doing a good job of hiding it. I'll have to cut back on the chocolate when I'm in Russia.
Alright, that's all. I should go sleep, so that I don't miss the Chinese Embassy tomorrow.
Love,
Jeremy
Sunday, August 24, 2003
Still on Koh Tao. I was just re-reading my old blogs and I realized that I don't put much effort into this stale monstrosity anymore.
I moved beaches today for a change of scenery. The new beach is much more chilled out. I don't think I'll stay long though. I bought the Lonely Planet for China the other day, and I'm getting psyched up for another epic journey. Today I was checking out Russian Visas. Its going to be alot of work to make it to Eastern Europe, but I think I'm up for it. My head is filling with steam, so to speak(airhead?).
The plan so far:
1. A bit more time on the islands here because it is thoroughly relaxing and peaceful.
2. Travel back to Bangkok and apply for my Chinese Visa.
3. Bus through Northern Thailand and into Laos. Hang in Laos for awhile.
4. Bus to Vietnam. Hang in Vietnam for awhile.
5. Cross the border in Vietnam into China.
6. Travel randomly around China for an indefinite amount of time.
7. Buy winter clothing.
8. Get my Russian Visa in Beijing and then catch the train from Beijing to Moscow(7 day train trip)
9. Hang around Russia for an indefinite amount of time. Eat Borscht and drink Vodka.
10. Travel into Eastern Europe and visit random countries such as Lithuania, Estonioa, Romania, Poland, Turkey, Croatia
11. Possibly arrive in Austria for Krampus. Get hit with sticks and chains by masked demons.
12. Fly back to SouthEast Asia.
13. Explore SouthEast asia until my money runs out.
14. Get a job and save for travelling. Possibly Taiwan. Possibly China.
Wow, that felt excellent to write. I feel like my life has puropse now.
I've been reading again now that I'm on my own. I just finished Captain Corelli's Mandolin, as recommended by Ben two years ago, and it was really good. I enjoyed it alot. I'm now reading the latest Douglas Coupland book - Miss Wyoming. Also a very good book so far. It sort of fits travelling, though the story isn't about travelling.
Everything is different now that I'm on my own again. Its been almost three months since I've travelled on my own and as always, it is a vastly different experience. I have all of this time to think, so I may as well write down some of the things I have been thinking about.
Last night, as I lay on cushions on the beach at this place called EazyBar(should be LazyBar), I had a moment of clarity regarding how comfortable I've become being me since I started on this trip. I find it much easier lately to accept people as they are(most of the time), and I think the reward for this has been a greater acceptance of myself. This, of course, led to other thoughts about the transitory nature of relationships with other humans while travelling, and I began to wonder if this comfort isn't possibly related to a lack of social responsibility(or maybe the complete lack of any responsibility in my life right now). I'm not really sure if this is making any sense, but the question I was left with was this: When I get home and into a stable life with longer term relationships, is it going to be more difficult to be myself due to the long term social consequences of my thoughts and actions? I hope not, but it seems to me a possibility. Part of the reason it has been difficult to be at ease with myself in the past stems from a fear of judgement from others. While travelling, it could be that my fear of judgement is not as severe because I know I have an out at any minute, and that my interactions with others are only short term. In a way I think this builds stronger short term relationships and I guess I'm hoping that this attitude will carry over into the longer term relationships I build and renew when I stop travelling. Any thoughts or ideas are welcome.
Well, I think its time for dinner. Thai food is really good. Mmm.
Love,
Jeremy
Thursday, August 21, 2003
I am now on Koh Tao. I think that it is my third day here. This is the diving island. I registered in a scuba diving course and finished today. I'm now certified for open water diving, though it is kind of a joke as they just push you through the certification. Technically I'm allowed to dive on my own without an instructor now, though I wouldn't do it. I've been diving the last couple of days though, and I'm going to do a fun dive tomorrow morning. Its been really cool. A brand new kind of experience. Breathing underwater. Who knew it was so cool. We went out onto the open ocean and did a couple of dives around coral reefs today. It was amazing. The other group that was diving with us saw a big shark, but we just saw thousands of fish and coral(just?). It was like being in a giant tropical aquarium and I was one of the fish(luckily I was one of the bigger ones, because of all of the Thai food I've been eating)
Tomorrow Karen takes off for Koh Phagnan again, and I'm still unsure about what my plan is. I've revived the plan to go through Russia in the winter, and I'm slowly building up steam to go into China. I think I'll just hang here for a few days and see what happens. Life is pretty good right now and I'm feeling fairly positive lately. I think its easy in Thailand. Ask me again when I'm in Russia.
Here's some random cultural information:
I learned about this tradition in Austria from Karen. For a few days in December each year there is a festival(I'm not sure if that is the right word) involving two characters - Nicholas and Krampus. Nicholas is sort of like Santa Claus and Krampus is like the evil version of Santa Claus. Anyways, they go around to houses in certain cities and the kids love them. Everyone gives them drinks and gifts etc. Now here's the strange part. The people who dress up as Krampus gather in groups at night and roam the streets with melee weapons hitting and attacking people. They don't beat people up, but they hit people in the legs and the arms with sticks and push people into snowbanks. Sometimes they show up in groups as big as 500, and they all wear really scary, gothic Krampus costumes that they work on all year before the festival. Apparently, they will show up at a big kind of street party where people eat and drink and wait for the Krampus' to show up and when they arrive everyone runs for their lives screaming. It is supposed to hurt quite badly when you get hit. Karen had her car stopped by a bunch of Krampus one year and they tricked her out of the car and then threw her in a snowbank and gave her a facewash. Some people like it and some people don't. Anyways, there's some random cultural information. I may try to go to see the Krampus if I am near Austria at Christmas. Who knows? I think it would be fun, in a masochistic kind of way.
Okay, that's all for now.
Love,
Jeremy
Saturday, August 16, 2003
Bottle beach was full, so I ended up on this other beach, which is just as nice. I can't remember the name though. Today I layed in my hammock for a couple of hours and read my book. After that I walked to the restaurant and had some lunch. I was quite exhausted after eating lunch, but psyched myself up and managed to make the 20 meter walk to the beach for a swim. I just ate some ice cream and now I'm making a blog entry before I head back to my hammock.
Tom and I split yesterday, so I'm on my own again. I met up with Karen at Bottle Beach yesterday. She's an Austrian girl whom Tom and I have been hanging out with off and on since we met her in Burma. I've met a few other people here too - some more aussies and another Austrian.
I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay here, but I'm pretty relaxed right now, and life is pretty good. I've been thinking about going over to another island, Koh Tao, and doing a scuba diving class. I can get certified in a week for about 200$ Cdn. Anyways, that's all for now.
Love,
Jeremy
Thursday, August 14, 2003
The dust has settled after the full moon party. It was pretty crazy, and it got quite ugly by the end of the night. Fights and some very inebriated people, and tons of garbage. There must have been about 10,000 people on the beach. It really was madness. Still it was a unique experience, though my desire to come back and do it again is not exactly overtaking me. I am heading off today to a small beach on the north of this island called Bottle Beach that is only accessible by boat. It also doesn't have email, so I'll be incommunicado for a few days, possibly longer. Don't worry though. The worst thing that can happen to me there is that I fall out of my hammock.
Tom and I are splitting today. He's heading to another island and then back to Bangkok, so I'm looking for a new guitar player if anyone is interested ;) Thanks for the good times Tom and travel safe!
Isaak is thinking about travelling again, so I may see him in Southeast Asia sometime in the near future, which would be very cool.
Okay, that's all for now. Signing off from Koh Phagnan, Thailand - tropical paradise.
Jeremy
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
I thought I'd throw another entry into the old blog from Koh Phangan. Its the day of the night of the full moon party. There are thousands of other travellers here. I'm almost looking forward to the full moon party being over as there have been all night parties for the last four nights and I'm feeling tired.
I'm reading a new book finally. I haven't been doing much reading over the last couple of months as we were working on our music and my literary endeavors were "put on the back burner" but its Captain Correllis Mandolin and its quite interesting so far, though I still don't really know what its about.
In other news, I had my ears cleaned at a doctor's office yesterday. I was swimming in the ocean and got water inside of one of my ears(the hardships of island life), so I had them cleaned and my hearing is about 30-40% better in both ears(potatoes growing in there?). I highly recommend this procedure, especially if you've spent alot of time listening to loud music over the years, as I have.
My plans for the future are ever changing. I'm still not sure where I'm going. After the full moon I'm going to head to a secluded beach on the north end of this island that is only accessible by boat. I plan to lay in a hammock and read, go swimming, snorkelling, maybe hiking, etc, etc. This morning I woke up thinking more on what I want to do with my life. Something I haven't really thought about for awhile. I'm still not sure, but I think its a good sign that I'm thinking about it again. My line to people lately has been, "I've lost all direction in my life" , and it has been more or less true. It might be related to having too much freedom on my hands during this big trip of mine. Too many choices can foster an indecisive personality, I think. I'm not too worried. In the general sense I feel pretty positive about life lately. I just don't feel all that ambitious about any one particular calling, even writing school. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.
Anyways, enough rambling. There's a white sandy beach with my name on it about two minutes away.
Love,
Jeremy
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Well, Bangkok is behind us. We cut our cd yesterday, and then immediately caught a bus and a boat to Koh Phangnan, which took us about 20 hours. I'm exhausted, but glad to finally be resting in a tropical paradise. It is really, really beautiful here. There are thousands of other backpackers rolling in for the full moon party on the beach, which is in a few days. The place is pretty packed. Lots of bikinis(my primary reason for coming travelling. There were not as many bikinis in India as I had hoped for).
Our recording session went well. We found quite a top notch place to use for quite cheap. Tom was very satisfied with the equipment that they had. The session was cool and very different from just playing normal music. We only had enough time to play through the songs a couple of times each and then pick the best take before we had to start mastering and doing the final mix. We played live, which means that Tom's Guitar was mic'd and I had a mic and we played and sang together, rather than recording the guitar first and then having me sing with headphones along with the recording. I'm fairly happy with the cd, though it would have been nice to have had an extra day to fix up some of the errors. I was quite nervous, so the odd song has a weird note here and there and a couple of guitar mess-ups. Considering our time frame and the fact that we hadn't played a few of the songs through end to end only three days before we recorded, I'm satisfied. I'm looking forward to continuing with my music studies when I get home. Maybe I'll join or start a band. Who knows?
Well, that's all for now. I am planning to chill out here for awhile. I'm going to stay at this beach until after the full moon party and then likely head out to a smaller, quieter beach for some hammocking, more beer drinking and swimming. I can already see that Thailand will be a difficult place to leave.
I'll try and convet some of our songs to mp3 and send them out when I get a chance. Let me know if you're interested.
Love,
Jeremy
Monday, August 04, 2003
I am alive and in Bangkok. I haven't made up my mind about Burma yet, so I'm not going to say much. It was frustrating at times, but very cheap, the people were extremely friendly, and I'm still making up my mind about the rest.
Anyhoo, Bangkok is the most western city that I have visited so far, and I'm looking forward to a good old Mcdonald's cheeseburger tomorrow. Tom and I are still travelling together. The current plan is to hang here for a few days and cut our cd in a studio(we have seven songs now), and then head to an island to chill out for a couple of weeks. I'm already formulating plans to buy a nice one-piece cotton hammock. I plan to do some serious reclining. After that Tom will be heading to Europe and I'm still not sure what I'm doing. I am ready to decompress a bit after India and Burma though. Its been really tough being unemployed with a padded bank account for the last four months. Seriously though, I don't want any extended bus trips for awhile. I just want to drink beer, sing songs, swim and talk to English with westerners for awhile. As of this moment, I am planning on canning the Russia and Eastern Europe leg of my trip and maybe just going into China and down South into Cambodia, Laos and maybe Indonesia. Russia in the middle of winter isn't too appealing right now. Its a strange feeling as a Canadian when you can't sleep unless your room temperature is above 24 degrees. Will Victoria ever be the same for me?
Okay, that's all. I'll write more about my adventures in Burma later. I Hope everyone is doing well.
Love,
Jeremy
Friday, July 11, 2003
We have our visas and our plane tickets for Burma and we leave on Monday. We'll be in Burma for the rest of July and we'll arrive in Bangkok in early August. There is no email access for foreigners and very limited and extremely expensive international calling, so I will be virtually out of touch for the next three weeks unless there is an emergency. If you need to get in touch with me before I leave, please do it in the next forty eight hours.
J
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Yes, yes. Calcutta at last. That was quite the trip. I must say, I am waay more relaxed now that our five day journey is over. When last we spoke, I believe we were in Manali. Well, from Manali we caught a 9 hour bus to Chandigarh, and arrived at 3:30AM. All of the hotels were full, and Tom and I argued about the validity of using touts while travelling in India. Tom was pro tout. I was anti-tout. We finally used a tout and found a hotel way out in the middle of Chandigarh in a half renovated hotel. It turned out to be quite an interesting experience, staying there. The drunken hotel owner confirmed me as his "best friend" after I gave him forty rupees for some more wine and we played a small, short set of guitar and vocals for the staff.
The following day we caught our train to Calcutta. It was thirty hours and quite long and hot. Central India is quite dismal. Dry desert planes, disrupted with occasional villages and cities. Some of the villages are extremely poor. Tom told me to say a prayer for Canada, and I did. Life is very tough out there for millions of Indians. On the night before arriving in Calcutta we witnessed a magnificent thunderstorm in the distance. It was beyond description, but I'll say that it was much different that thunderstorms back home. Much more sheet lightning.
We are now in Calcutta. We arranged our Visas for Burma yesterday, and I am starting to get somewhat nostalgic about leaving India. We have four days here and then we fly with Indian Airlines to Yangon, Burma where we spend three weeks before departing for Bangkok. I'm experiencing that old phenomenon of not appreciating something fully until it begins to fade. India has a way of getting into your heart, and I am feeling quite comfortable here now, submerged in the colors, smells and dense interactions of day to day life, or even just a walk down the street. I will definitely be back. I can't wait to have a kitchen again someday. I've learned alot of the culinary arts being here.
On the other hand, I am excited about seeing a new country. I have no idea what to expect in Burma. I'll tell what I know, though. Burma is also a former British colony, and culturally is supposed to be quite similar to India. It is an almost wholly Buddhist country, and is relatively unvisited by tourists. The reason for this is that approx. five years ago?, after a reformist party won the democratic elections, the currently ruling military party essentially declared the elections null, and seized power. This is all word of mouth, so my facts could be totally off. The fact is, the country is being run by an illigetimate, military government, and is quite oppressed. The people are supposed to be extremely hospitable and friendly, and the geography is supposedly quite varied. Beaches to jungles to mountains - supposedly they have it all. We'll be there three weeks. After Burma, I will attempt to make travel arrangements to go into China, and eventually Russia via the trans mongolian express. China is going to be another world again after India. I'm excited.
So, that's my update. I like Calcutta. It has a good feel about it. It reminds me somewhat of Bombay, only now I'm ready for it. When I arrived in India, I wasn't, couldn't have been.
Love,
Jeremy
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Saturday, July 05, 2003
The first leg of our epic journey is over. We're in Manali. We arrived last night after a very stressfull 19 hour jeep ride on no sleep. The roads were really hairy, but the scenery was breathtaking. I've never seen such crazy mountainscapes before. Its way beyond words. All I can say is that the jeep trip from Leh to Manali is something I'm really glad I've done. I highly recommend it, but I'll never do it again myself. We are spending tonight in a small village outside of Manali, and then tomorrow we catch the bus to Chandigarh, where we'll get a train to Varanasi and then Calcutta.
Manali is quite beautiful. This part of the Himalayas is very similar to parts of the rockies. There are more streams and forests with evergreen trees. Some of the differences are that this cozy little mountain town is run by Indian businessmen, has open sewers and thousands of Israelis getting stoned and playing loud music.
Okay, that's all for now. We're moving hotels out of town a bit to get some quiet. I'll likely write again from Chandigarh in a couple of days.
J
Thursday, July 03, 2003
Tom and I are leaving Leh tonight on the 2am Jeep to Manali. Its going to be a bit of a journey. 18 hours through crazy mountain passes. The scenery is supposed to be spectacular, though the road is pretty crap and sleeping is supposedly quite difficult. About ten of us from the guesthouse went out for a nice dinner at one of the garden restaurants here. We said our goodbyes to a bunch of really cool people and we're almost back on the road again. I'm kind of sad to leave. This place has really begun to feel like home. On the other hand, I'm ready to get moving again and see some new sights. I made lots of great friends here. So long Leh. Back into India. We're going to jam out our small repetoire of songs before we go. Till Manali.....
J
p.s. Just a reminder that my new email address is thejeremyosborn@yahoo.com - I'm trying to phase out my hotmail account as hotmail is really, really, really slow in India for some reason.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Well, it is Canada day in Canada right now. Happy Canada Day! I went out and got drunk last night to celebrate. I only had three beers, but got kind of tipsy as I haven't really had a drink in over a month. We found this cool garden restaurant that has campfires at night for travellers, so a big group of us met up there and had a few drinks. Usually they have jam sessions too, but no one brought any instruments last night. A few nights ago we went there, and there was a guitar and a flute, a couple of dijarees from Oz and a set of bongos. Tom and I played our repetoire(three songs) for the group, which was kind of fun. We've now got four songs, with two more in the works. We're going to stop this set at six songs, and then try and start doing something new. These songs are all kind of sentimental and sad, and we want to write something more upbeat. If we're happy with the results, we may spend an afternoon in a recording studio in Bangkok and make a quick and dirty cd. Tom is a sound engineer for ABC in Australia, so knows what to do. I just sing.
We were supposed to leave today and start our journey towards Calcutta, but Tom got sick last night, so we'll likely wait a day or two. It is going to be an epic journey. 18 hours from here by jeep to a place called Manali(still in the Himalayas), then another 8 hour bus ride to Chandigarh in the Punjab, then we need to catch a train from there to Calcutta(18 hours). Once in Calcutta we need to get our visas for Burma and book flights and then fly to Burma, with a possible stopover in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We are planning to spend three weeks in Burma and then fly to Thailand. From Thailand I will make arrangements to go into China, Russia and possibly Mongolia. I'm gathering information about Chinese and Russian Visas and the train ride to Moscow right now, and trying to find a travel companion. I don't know how comfortable I would be travelling in China alone(mostly because of the language barrier), but I'd probably still do it, even if I couldn't find anyone.
Yesterday I went to a public audience with the Dalai Lama. He talked for about two hours with a translator. I couldn't hear the translation very well, but it was quite a spectacle. There were about 10,000 Buddhists sitting in a field, and about 500 tourists in a side pen with speakers for translation. I got some cool pictures.
I met a freelance writer from Montreal who writes for the Globe and Mail, the National Post and various magazines(Fashion, Elle). She gave me some really good advice on writing professionally. We're going to stay in touch, I think.
That's about all for now. I'm feeling pretty up lately. My head is in a clear place and I'm feeling confident and excited about getting back on the road again.
Love,
Jeremy
Sunday, June 29, 2003
I'm back from Stok Kangri in one piece. More info to come. Is anyone still reading this thing, because nobody is emailing me anymore. I'm not upset, just curious. I haven't been posting very frequently. I'm thinking about going to Russia via China on the trans-siberian express. Anyone interested in joining me?
Monday, June 23, 2003
No more posts until Canada Day. I'll be up on top of a mountain that is as high as the cruising altitude of a Dometic 737 flight. Stok Kangri. It means Ice Mountain
J
Yo yo yo. I say these kinds of things now that I have a Mohawk. Life is progressing in Ladakh. The day after tomorrow I am going trekking with my Dutch friend Vincent. We're doing a five day trek up to one of the taller peaks in the area. Its called Stok Kangri.This is the personal achievment I want to leave Lei with. I'm excited. We're taking three ponies and a ponyman with us. I'll take pictures. I've already got some from this side of the valley. The hike isn't supposed to be difficult in the skill department, but the thin air will make it a good workout. To put it in perspective, Mt. Robson, the tallest mountain in Canada is 3954 meters above sea level. Stok Kangri(the peak we'll climb) is 6100 meters. Everest is 8884 meters.
In other news, Tom and I have been spending quite a bit of time writing songs, and we've got four that are near to complete. Tom plays guitar, and I sing. I might have a recording to send out in about a month. We recorded one of our songs - titled Suddenly(drowning in your memory) on a digital camera this afternoon, but I won't have a digital copy until August. The songs are pretty amateur, but they re sounding alright, and are alot of fun to work out. I've never experienced song writing before. It can be really frustrating, but its a great feeling when the song is done, or near done, and we play them.
I had some work done on my back by a Chiropractor name Che(I think I spelled his name wrong). He's a student from Berkley, CA who has a really cool outlook on life, health, the mind and the body. It seems to have helped the minor ache in my back.
Okay, that's all for now.
Love,
Jeremy
Friday, June 20, 2003
I am the proud new owner of a Mohawk. Its only a couple of weeks of hair growth, but it looks pretty mean. I may paint it green in a month or so. I have an accompanying goatee. All I need now is a Harley.
Well, I'm back from Nubra Valley. We left on Tuesday, and drove seven hours over the highest motorable pass in the world(5700 meters). It was quite amazing. The road is insane and is only one lane. Traffic only goes one way each day, and there are no guards on the ledges, so most of the time you are looking out the window and straight down about 1000 feet. I have lots of pictures to show when I get home eventually.
Nubra Valley was very beautiful and peaceful. It is warmer and greener than Leh. Our second day there we hiked through the desert\brush 8km to a town called Hunder. I got sick part way again briefly, but finished the hike, and then caught a military jeep back to Diskit, the village where we were staying. Nubra Valley is a fairly sensitive military area, and we need permits to travel there. There are military checkpoints all over the place, and a heavy military presence as it on the border with China and Pakistan and the border is somewhat disputed. Not too far from where we were is the world's highest battleground where India and Pakistan are shelling each other symbolically on alternating days. Apparently most of the casualties result from altitude related deaths and not from warfare, and neither country really wants the land that they are fighting over. Nonetheless, Nubra Valley is secure and very beautiful. Imagine the Sahara Dessert, with a huge river down the middle of it, small streams running from the mountains and the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas on either side. K2 is also quite close by, but we couldn't see it.
I've made a bunch of great friends since I've been here, and I'm having lots of fun.
Anyways, that's all for now. The plan right now is to stay here until the beginning of July. I want to a trek and a whitewater rafting trip and then see the Dali Lama speak. He is giving a bunch of public audiences with translation at the beginning of July. Then I'm going to head back down to India for a few weeks to wrap up and see a few major sights that I've been wanting to see. Then off to Taiwan! The adventure is still only beginning. Eastern Europe is calling to me lately. Maybe after Southeast Asia. I've been hearing some great things about Russia, Turkey, Romania. Okay, bye for now!
J
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Still in Ladakh. We were supposed to go to the Nubra Valley today via the highest motorable pass in the world, but the bus was full, so we have to wait until Tuesday. Instead we took a day trip out to an ancient Buddhist temple about two hours from Leh. The scenery was spectacular. I've never seen windblown dessert mountain ranges like this before.
I've quit smoking for about eight days and my lungs are starting to heal. I've been jogging, or climbing the Shanty Stupa behind my hotel about three times a day, and I'm finally getting used to the altitude(and my butt is sore). Apparently this is the way it works:
When at an oxygen rich low altitude, the body does not need as many red blood cells to carry oxygen to the muscles, organs and brain. When moving to a higher altitude, the body requires a larger number of high blood cells. It doesn't have them, so you get altitude sickness - weakness, dizzy spells, shortness of breath etc. - the catch is that after a period of time at the higher altitude your body builds new red blood cells and becomes more efficient at carrying oxygen to your body. When excercising at high altitudes, your body builds even more. The bonus to all this is that when I descend to a lower altitude in good physical condition, I should be a super machine because I will have a really high number of red blood cells for the amount of oxygen content in the air. I was told that this "high" lasts for up to 150 days. I plan to enter some world competitions when I get down to sea level.
Anyways, that's about all. I'm continuing with my writing, hanging around and chilling out. Talk soon.
"I'll show you a place, high on the desert plane, where the streets have no name" - that's where I am.
Love,
Jeremy
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Well, I got up early this morning and went and saw the Dalai Lama. I saw him for about three seconds, but it was enough to get a photo for my photo album. There were thousands of Ladakhi Buddhists lining the street. The Dalai Lama seemed happy, and was smiling and waving. He is not holding any public audiences for westerners while he is here, so I think that will likely be my last view of him. The buddhists were dressed very colorfully. The morning was cold and a bit overcast. I met and English chap who had been waiting since 6am to see the Dalai Llama, but missed him when he went by. He then tried to jump on a bus full of buddhists that may have potentially been following the Dalai Llama. I proceeded to go for breakfast.
I've been doing a fair bit of writing here. I've started a long writing project, and I've been delving back into poetry again, and have been quite pleased with the results so far. Also, Tom has a guitar, and I've been helping him write lyrics for a song he wrote. We may perform it when it is finished. It is currently about 75% complete. I'll post the lyrics when its done.
My plans for the future have been changing with the wind lately. I was thinking about going back to school, but I've decided against it. I think I would like to keep travelling. My current plan, which could change with any mood, is to fly to Taiwan from India at the end of July. I'll stay and visit Gunner and Shannon and Dann for awhile, and then fly to Bangkok and explore Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia. From there I have numerous options. One is to fly to Australia, one is to fly home and then travel to Central America, one is to return to Taiwan and get a job. I don't really know. I can't say I know much for sure these days. My life is more or less up in the air. I'm living it day by day. I do know that I will be travelling for awhile yet though.
I just tried to write a paragraph about the effect India has had on my brain and my outlook on life, but couldn't put it together. Maybe another day. For now, I think I will go catch up some sleep.
Love,
Jeremy
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Juulay from Leh! Juulay means hello\goodbye\please\thank-you in Ladakhi. Well, I got past my sickness and I was feeling almost 100% for the last couple days, and then I woke up sick again today. I'm going to see how I feel tomorrow, and maybe head to the doctor again. There are quite a few western travellers staying at my hotel, and almost everyone has been sick at least once, and some more than once(like me). Other than that, not much to report. I have a 486 in my room now, and I've started doing some writing. I traded some of my legendary network skills for the use of this computer with a local man named Matin.
A couple of days ago, Tom and I borrowed a motorbike from this guy Jean, and took a day trip out across the desert to a village called Stok. It was very beautiful, and peaceful. I shot off about a roll and a half of film. The photo opportunities here are almost unlimited. The contrasts in color between the valleys and the mountains and the desert, and the clothes and food are quite spectacular. Yesterday, I climbed a buddhist Stupa a couple of times. There is a great view from the top, but the stairs up are quite a workout, especially given the oxygen content around here. That's about all for now. The internet is really expensive, and slow, and doesn't always work here, so my blog entries may be less frequent for awhile.
Love,
Jeremy
Thursday, June 05, 2003
Well, I finally got sick here in Leh. I caught a pretty nasty flu, and I was up all last night with a fever and regular trips to the can. I was a litte worried at first, as the flu has never gotten me as sick as I have been, so I went to the doctor, and he was pretty confident it is just the flu. I'm feeling better this afternoon, though I don't think I'll be eating solid food for a day or two.
Other than my untimely illness, Leh has been great. The altitude sickness passed, and I spent yesterday(before I got sick) wandering around town with my new friend Tom from Australia(the Tom and Jeremy jokes have started already). The hotel we're staying at is really great. There are a bunch of western travellers staying here, most of them longer term(three weeks to a month), and there is quite a sense of community developing. The family that runs the place is really friendly and helpful. They even have a little tibetan baby that gets carried around all the time in toque, checking eveyrone out. Everyone from the hotel eats on mats in a communal dining area, and the host family cooks dinner for us. Most of us arrived around the same time as tourist season has just begun here. The view from my hotel room looks out across the desert valley at the Himalayas. I can't begin to adequately describe how amazing the scenery is here, but I will anyways. The landscape is almost moonlike, and some call this place Moonland. The mountains tower over eveything, and there are small pockets of green in the valleys where villages exist. Leh itself has been called one of "the last Shangri-Las" on the planet and is supposed to be what Tibet was like before the Chinese invaded. Tibetan culture is very much alive here, and the community is extremely ecologically focused. Most people grow their own organic vegetables behind their houses, and there are fresh, glacial streams running through town everywhere. It really is a magnificent place.
In other news, I'm thinking about trying to get back into school for the fall, but I've been really indecisive lately. I think I will apply for a few schools, and then decide later in the summer.
I plan to stay in Leh for about a month. I'm going to look into buying a cheap old computer with MS Office on it for my hotel room and do a some more serious writing. The internet fees are really expensive here, so I may not update the blog as much either.
Okay, that's all. I'm going to go rest now.
Love,
Jeremy
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
I made it into the mountains, at last! Flying in today was spectacular, and its going to be difficult to describe the enormity, majesty and vastness of the Himalayan mountains. I suddenly am feeling much better about my trip. I got quite giddy flying in, and the giddiness actually remained after deplaning, as I've been in a bit of an oxygen deprivated stupor all day today. I am resting all day today, and likely most of tomorrow to adjust to the altitude. Its a strange feeling, altitude sickness. Walking up the stairs to my room sidelines me for about five minutes trying to catch my breath. Its going to be good here though. There are people waiting to use the internet here, so I am going to sign off and write more later, or maybe tomorrow when I have some time.
J
Monday, June 02, 2003
I was wrong, Leh is at 3505 meters. There was a guy on the roof of my hotel playing Spanish guitar tonight. It was really nice.
India is in a heatwave. Yes, I have indeed talked of the weather at some length during my travels here. It is quite inescapable, this heat. Its around 43 or 44 degrees right now. Apparently the country has been breaking records in places, and no sign of the monsoon yet.
Anyways, on to other matters. I'm back in Delhi. I had a few frustrating days of trying to get to Dharmasala, and in the end just came back to Delhi to get a flight. Unfortunately, there are no flights to Dharmasala anymore, so I booked a flight to Leh instead. I leave tomorrow morning, and I'm quite happy to finally be getting out of the heat. Leh is a small town waaay up in the Himalayas, at around 5500 meters, I believe. There isn't enought oxygen in the air to smoke a cigarette, from what I've heard, and water boils when only lukewarm. It should be interesting. I'm hoping my lungs don't give me any problems. They haven't been in the best of shape, what with the whooping cough before I left, the years of smoking and now the horrendous pollution in many of the Indian cities. You can see the air in Delhi, and not because it is cold. Nonetheless, I'm sure I'll be fine. Leh is a buddhist community that is apparently packed with westerners in the summer. I'd still like to take some classes and do some volunteer work, if possible. It gets down to -10 at night, and then up to 25 or 30 during daylight hours. The joke is that it is the only city in the world where you can lay in the sun with your feet in the shade and get a sunburn on your head and frostbite on your toes. Anyways, I look forward to it. I haven't been in the greatest of moods for the last week, and the think I need a short break from India(how spoiled and western of me, seriously).
I read Catcher In The Rye, which was quite qood, and a nice quick read. Now I'm just finishing up The Ground Beneath Her Feet, by Salman Rushdie. I just can't get enough of this guy. I started reading this one a couple of years ago, but lost interest and couldn't finish it. This time around I'm loving it. Salman Rushdie is amazing. He has to be one of the premier writers of this century, in my opinion. The story is a history of rock n roll, an amazing love story and a modernized re-telling of the myth of Orpheus, all packed into one. It is really quite magical. Okay, that's all for today. I don't know what the internet situation is going to be like in Leh as they don't even have road access for ten months of the year, but I'll do my best to keep posting. If you don't hear from me for a few days, please don't worry. India is a very safe place for travelling(knocking on wood). If there's no internet and I plan to stay for awhile, I'll phone you Mom.
Love\peace\prosperity,
Jeremy
Thursday, May 29, 2003
I'm in Chandigar now. The modern planned city of India. Indians are very proud of it. It has big wide streets, and controlled intersections, no livestock on the streets, not many beggars. It even has grass in some places. I'm going to go exploring today. The city was designed to function like a human being, and is divided into sectors. I'm in sector 17 right now, which is where all the hotels are. In the North end of the city is the head, where all the government and administrative offices are. I think I'm close to the heart, or maybe it was the bowels. I'm not sure.
I've been kind of grumpy for the last couple of days. I'm not sure why. It is kind unusual for me. I don't usually just get grumpy with the world for no particular reason, but that's how I've been feeling. Usually I will direct my grumpiness at a particular person or sometimes at defenseless animals, but I can't think of anyone who's pissed me off to badly lately(except for Gunner criticizing my use of paragraphs in the blog), so I guess I'll just wait for it to pass. I've tried smoking more, but that doesn't seem to help. I think I just need to get up into the mountains, and into some fresh air where I can relax for a bit, which is good because that's exactly where I'm heading right now.
Tomorrow I will head further North to Armistar, the Sikh Holy City, which is right on the border with Pakistan, and then from there I will head to Pathankot, and then up to Dharmasala, the home of the Tibetan Government in exile. I'm thinking I may settle in there for awhile, and take some classes(buddhist philosiphy, hindi, tibetan cooking) and possibly do some volunteer work.
Power outage, gotta go.
J
I'm in Chandigar now. The modern planned city of India. Indians are very proud of it. It has big wide streets, and controlled intersections, no livestock on the streets, not many beggars. It even has grass in some places. I'm going to go exploring today. The city was designed to function like a human being, and is divided into sectors. I'm in sector 17 right now, which is where all the hotels are. In the North end of the city is the head, where all the government and administrative offices are. I think I'm close to the heart, or maybe it was the bowels. I'm not sure.
I've been kind of grumpy for the last couple of days. I'm not sure why. It is kind unusual for me. I don't usually just get grumpy with the world for no particular reason, but that's how I've been feeling. Usually I will direct my grumpiness at a particular person or sometimes at defenseless animals, but I can't think of anyone who's pissed me off to badly lately(except for Gunner criticizing my use of paragraphs in the blog), so I guess I'll just wait for it to pass. I've tried smoking more, but that doesn't seem to help. I think I just need to get up into the mountains, and into some fresh air where I can relax for a bit, which is good because that's exactly where I'm heading right now.
Tomorrow I will head further North to Armistar, the Sikh Holy City, which is right on the border with Pakistan, and then from there I will head to Pathankot, and then up to Dharmasala, the home of the Tibetan Government in exile. I'm thinking I may settle in there for awhile, and take some classes(buddhist philosiphy, hindi, tibetan cooking) and possibly do some volunteer work.
Power outage, gotta go.
J
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
I have arrived. In Delhi. I arrived this morning after a 33 hour train ride from Chennai. It was fairly long, but I splurged and got air conditioning, so it wasn't too bad. I completed Lord Of The Rings en route. What a book. I found a small hotel a few blocks from the train station in between new and old Delhi, but I've done little exploring thus far. The hotel is teeming with tourists, mostly Israelis, I think. I was told that there would be thousands of Israelis in the North of India, but I still don't know why. I just got a shave and a haircut, and now I'm going to go have a smoke and read for awhile. I'm reading The Catcher In The Rye right now. Its quite good so far. Later, I may go take some photos. I don't know how long I'll stay in Delhi. It doesn't seem as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It seems like another typical Indian metropolis. The area I'm in right now seems to have quite a bit of character too. I think it must be shocking for people when Delhi is the first Indian city that they see. Anyways, I'm off. Oh yeah, here's my horoscope today from The Onion(www.theonion.com):
Aquarius: (Jan. 20�Feb. 18)
A team of paramedics won't have the heart to revive you after finding your gin- and sex-drenched body floating happily in a country-club pool.
And if anyone is wondering what Neoism is, go dig around on the web, and let me know what you find. I stumbled upon it when I was bored, and searched for my own name on the web. The first page that comes up in Google when searching for Jeremy Osborn has a link backwards to a Neoist website. It is an interesting little phenomenon, and pretty funny at times. I might just become an advocate. If one can really advocate Neoism, since it doesn't really exist. Or does it?
J
Monday, May 26, 2003
The Pointless Quest of Neoism
In a Neoist view, the world is not collision of things in space, but a dissimilar row of each independent phenomena. Neoism does not conceive of the spatial as lasting in time. Since each state is irreducible, the mere act of giving it a name implies falsification. The paradox however is that epistemologies exist in Neoism, in countless numbers. There are Neoists who consider a certain pain, a green tinge of the yellow, a temperature, a certain tone the only reality. Other Neoists perceive all people having sex as the same being, and all people memorizing a line of Homer as Homer. Another group has reached the point of denying time. It reasons that the present is undefined, that the future has no reality than as present hope, that the past is no more than present memory. Yet another group has it that the history of the universe is the handwriting produced by a minor god in order to communicate with a demon; that the world is an emblem whose subscription is partly lost, and in which only that which happens every three hundredth night is true. Another believes that while we are asleep here, we are awake somewhere else, so that everyone is two. Books are rarely signed, and the notion of plagiarism does not exist. It has been established that all literature is the work of only one ageless and anonymous writer.
Sunday, May 25, 2003
Okay, I caught the bus from Pondy back to Chennai yesterday. En route, I saw what was probably the most disturbing thing I've seen since being here. I saw the remains of a very bad motorcycle accident. It has scarred me slightly, and it gives me a shadowy, ill feeling to think about it, but I should probably write it down. I was reading my book on the bus trying not to be scared, as is the case on the buses here, usually, when I noticed that we had slowed down, and everyone on the bus was standing up and looking out the window to my left. I turned my head and was greeted by a few very horrible sights. One was an overturned motorcycle lying on the highway(traffic had pretty much stopped in the other lane), the second was a youngish Indian man laying on the ground about twenty or thirty feet from the back, sort of curled up, he almost looked like he was sleeping. The third was another youngish Indian man dragging himself by his hands, and trying to stand up, but one of his legs was completely shattered and bloody and looked like a thick piece of spaghetti covered in tomato sauce with bones sticking out of it. It was really horrible, but possibly the worst of all was the sound the man with the broken leg was making, he was screaming this really high pitched scream. I can still hear it right now, and I don't know if it is going to go away for awhile. It was really awful. I couldn't look for long, and spent most of yesterday being really disturbed by it, but trying not to think about it. Nobody seemed to be stopping to help, either. Traffic just kept moving. Up the road a few miles we saw an ambulance coming, but it was about fifteen or twenty minutes away when we saw it.
Now, you may wonder why I would write something so gory and painful and disturbing, but for me, it was just another reminder about being careful with vehicles. So many people drive so fast, and so carelessly, perhaps thinking that they are indestructible, or perhaps thinking that they are cool, or powerful or in control. This is stupid. It really is. Cars kill, motorbikes kill, trucks and tractors and boats kill, and nobody is ever in complete control. The really stupid part about it is that this carelessness with vehicles rarely impacts only the driver. Passengers, pedestrians and other drivers can be victimized so easily by another person's foolishness. Of all the people I went to highschool with in Saskatchewan, there have probably been about ten deaths that I have heard of, and I think all but one or two were from traffic accidents. I guess all I'm saying is drive defensively, and drive safe. I can't even begin to think about that scream coming from someone I know or love, or coming from myself. Enough said, I think.
Chennai is still very hot. Shortly I will be going to the train station to get my ticket to Delhi. I'm heading for the mountains right now. I want to get up to Dharmasal and the cool, and the monks and just hang out for awhile.
Okay, back into the heat.
Love,
Jeremy
Saturday, May 24, 2003
Well, I am getting ready as I type to depart Pondicherry and start heading North. I have a long trip to get there. I checked out of the Park Guest House today, and now I must catch the bus to Chennai, which is about four hours. From there I have to catch a train that will head north for thirty four hours before arriving in Delhi, the capital city of India, and apparently the craziest city on the subcontinent. I should be there by Tuesday, if all goes according to plan. I just chatted with my drunken friends at Ben and Jen's party in Victoria. Alas that I were there! I think the Lord Of The Rings is getting to me. I'm starting to talk like Gimli, son of Gloin, though I carry not an axe as hefty, nor or as deadly, one should think. Anyways, I'm off. See you all in Delhi! I can't wait to get to the mountains. Its really hot!
Its Saturday night and I aint go nobody. I got some money cause I just got paid. I didn't really get paid, those are just song lyrics. I'm unemployed. Anyways, the heatwave continues in Tamil Nadu. Its been 40+ for about a week, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the monsoon, which could come any day. There was a cyclone in the region a couple of weeks ago(though it never touched land),and apparently it sucked up all the moisture and took it away to wherever cyclones go in the offseason. I had a tomato and bacon and cheese sandwich this afternoon, and it was really good. You may be surprised, but its not an easy task to find a tomato and bacon and cheese sandwich in India.
I had a strange experience at the hotel today. It was nothing extraordinary, but I had some laundry done. The two guys who do the laundry were pretty friendly. They were interested in my camera, and so I let them play with it for a bit. However, when I got my clothes back, I found that my favorite Nike sweat absorbant shirt had a whole burned through it with an iron. I was a little ticked, so I went to the front desk and complained(though not angrily) and then I went out for lunch. As I was having lunch I was thinking about it and starting to feel a bit worried that the guy at the laundry would get in alot of trouble, maybe lose his job or have to pay for the shirt. I was overreacting, most likely as the hotel I'm staying at is owned by the Ashram and from all indications they are a very stand up group of people. So I decided not to pursue it any further. I was supposed to go back to the front desk and see the manager later on, but I skipped it, and thought I'd let it lie. Later in the afternoon, the guy from the laundry comes knocking on my door, and he looks really scared and he's apologizing like mad, and the people at reception had sent him up to find out how much money I wanted for the shirt. Now I felt really bad, cause my fears were coming true, so I said, "$100 US Dollars, and not a penny less", no I'm just joking, I didn't say that. I felt bad, and he was really sorry, so I told him not to worry, no money was required. He apologized some more and left. This whole thing left me with a kind of sick feeling in my stomach. I was left feeling like this rich bastard who's poor Nike shirt had been burned and because of it this guy could have potentially lost his job, or at least a couple of weeks wages. The fact that I hadn't demanded any money didn't leave me feeling any better. I knew that one reaction could be to pat myself on the back for not having charged him any money, continuing on to feel good about myself - the benevolent, rich foreigner - and concluding with the resumption of my leisurely priveledged life. I couldn't, for some reason feel good about this, and the whole experience left me feeling a bit disgusted with myself, even though I hadn't really done anything wrong. In a less wholesome, non-Ashram environment that small mistake could have cost a dobi(laundry person) his or her job or at least a large sum of money - possibly a serious economic blow to a family depending on the small income he or she was earning, maybe even the difference between food or no food, or medical care or none. This is a piece of India that is difficult to come to terms with for a dumb, rich westerner like me. It all ties in to the balance question here. It is difficult to find a balance between compassion for others and security for your self. Do I pay people to burn my shirt, or do I hold them accountable when it is obvious it was a mistake and someone will be in big trouble for it? It is further complicated by the fact that there are thousands of people in every Indian city who will gladly lie to you in a million creative ways to take your money. You don't want to be a sucker, but you don't want to be insensitive and arrogant either. Its a tough one. I have no formula to apply to it to find a solution that makes me feel good it. I guess I just have to take it circumstantially. Life often has no rules, or as someone I know once said, "Rules are for sissies!"
In other news, I held out an olive branch to a friend who I'd had a falling out with last year, but the olive branch wasn't taken, or if it was there was no indication of it. That stung, but it is perhaps another lesson for me in letting go, which is something I have a hard time doing sometimes. I'm really good at "not holding on", but not very good at "letting go", if that makes any sense. I'm sure it does to some.
Wow, I'm hungry for food and thirsty for beer! I'm going to head over to my favorite neighborhood restaurant Rendevouz and grab some grub and suds.
J
Friday, May 23, 2003
Oops, I guess my somewhat negative blog entry did get posted. Oh well, that's what I was thinking at the time, so there it is, for all the world to see. The danger of The Blog is that there is One button with the word Publish on it, and upon pressing it, your thoughts become public. It is somewhat like email in that regard. A double edged sword.
I just had a huge meal at Rendevouz, and I am thoroughly stuffed. Life in India has been up and down today. I'm still engrossed in Lord Of The Rings. Wow, what a book. I read it first, at the suggestion of my Mom(thanks Mom), at the age of about fifteen or sixteen, and I have read it a few times since then. Each time I read it I seem to get more out of it. The simple fact that this book, or books, was\were the first of their kind simply blows my mind. Mr. Tokien was a man of imagination, if ever there was one. Not only that, but he had an amazing grip on the craft, or the many different technical aspects of writing. The depth of character that he creates is awe inspiring, the settings and the story all have incredible depth. And to think that it all came from his mind, and by his own words, there was no allegory. It was just a world he created, a new mythology so to speak. I think that every artist/craftsman inwardly wishes to redefine his or her medium, to bring something to it that has never been thought of before. Tokien exceeded this desire exceptionally. If only the world were divided into Good and Evil so distinctly, as in Lord Of The Rings. At least then the individual would have a clearer idea as to which side they stood.
India has been up and down today, as I said. It seems difficult here(anywhere really) to find a happy balance at times. It seems my mind is always taken up with very serious issues. Some of them pertaining to India, some of them pertaining to home, some of them pertaining to my life in general and how I am living it. It seems at times that there is just so much going on inside my brain that it is difficult to get a few moments of peace, even when I am alone, often especially when I am alone. I've been told that I think too much, and maybe it is true, though it is something that I can't seem to help. I find solace in writing, and I've been putting more of myself into the two writing projects that I am currently working on. There is something of a Zen-ness that I find when I can sit down and just dump my brain onto a page, though serious writing on "projects" demands its own sense of balance that is difficult to find. I found it this afternoon, and it was a bit of a breakthrough and gives me confidence to carry forward the ideas that I've started. As with life, it is difficult at times to escape the negative voices and the judgements that I place upon myself(restraining me) and just write what and who I am, or in the case of life, just be who I am. It is a fine balance, in life and in writing, to live up to the objectives that I set out for myself, without becoming caged by my own insecurities.
Well, back to my hotel and back to bed. Publish.
Love,
Jeremy
I just wrote a big blog entry, but it got erased. I think I was being kind of negative anyways, so it was probably for the best. Still hanging out in Pondicherry. Not much new to report. I will likely leave here in a day or two. Yawn, what a boring blog entry.
J
I am in Pondicherry yet. Today I went and visited the Ashram here. I didn't get too much from the visit. The Ashram itself is a plain building with a library selling literature and a courtyard where people meditate. From the sounds of it the Ashram does alot of good work for the community here, and I respect that. Still, I think such organizations are not for me, though I don't begrudge them their existence, I find it difficult to canonize one person's Belief System(belief and system - aren't those two words contradictory?) as a concrete, static way for the masses to live their lives. I believe that truth is peronal, transient and circumstantial and therefore casting it in stone seems to me to be backwards somehow. I don't know. I don't want to sound negative or cynical, but to spend your life seeking Divine Love and the Evolution of Consciousness, as described by someon else seems like a dramatic way of saying, be good to each other, live your life to the fullest and for me, I don't need a shrine or a temple or a thousand supporters, or a million advocates, or a million dollars to try my best to live that way, and I wouldn't want do it because someone else tells me to, or because there is money in it. With that said, I think charity organizations are great, and I have a great deal of respect for people who give their time and their energy to helping others, but shouldn't charity be for the sake of charity, not in the name of something supposedly greater, like the ideas of one man or woman? A man is just a man, I think, and I have a hard time subscribing to the idea that some people are gifted with a divine wisdom that the rest of us don't have access to. Yet still, here I am, spouting my views to my small community of friends and family through my blog. It seems sort of contradictory, but I guess life is full of contradictions, and at this point I would like to say that contributions towards the costly and time consuming upkeep of My Blog are gratefully accepted, and a tax deduction will be provided upon receipt of certified cheques and money orders.
Eternal Love And Joy,
Jeremy
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Oh yes, I almost forgot. My new email address:
thejeremyosborn@yahoo.com
Please use this instead of my old hotmail address. Thanks!
I'm still in Pondy. The clouds rolled in today, so the heat is less intense than it was yesterday. Last night I had dinner at a restaurant that looks out over the ocean, and then wandered along the boardwalk for awhile. There were thousands of Indians out. Yesterday was a national strike(holiday). I think that's why there were so many people out. Maybe its like that every night, I don't know. Anyways, I wandered the beach for awhile, took some photos of random Indians, and then went to a higher end French place called Rendevouz for desert. I had ice cream and chocolate sauce, which was really good, and a glass of red wine. I've been craving red wine for quite awhile. Unfortunately, things in India are never quite what you expect, and the red wine came chilled.
I'm reading Lord Of The Rings right now. I haven't read it for about 6 or more years, and I'd forgotten how good it is. Now that I'm refreshing my memory on the story, I'm finding myself to be much more critical of the movie. I think they could have easily made two movies out of each of the three books. They've cut so much out, and changed so many things in the story. The movie is still well done, but I have to admit, the story is very "hollywoodized". I guess I couldn't see how much they'd changed it until I refreshed my memory with the books. I'm finding some of the characters from the movie more annoying now too. Arwen especially. Liv Tyler? Come on! And the guy from the Matrix playing Elrond? I didn't like that either. Anyways, I don't want to bash the movie too much. I'll still definitely go see the third one and I'm sure I'll love it.
I'm also reading "How to double your learning power." It is actually quite interesting. It is about memory and concentration, and knowledge retention. I don't know if it actually is helping me to learn more or not, but some of the topics are interesting.
What else....hmm...this morning I almost threw up in the street. That was fun. I took my malaria pill on an empty stomach, which will upset my stomach, but often not too bad, so long as I eat shortly after. This morning it was wreaking havoc on my stomach, and the restaurant I was trying to get to wasn't open yet when I arrived. I really felt like I was going to vomit in the middle of the street. I had that feeling in my throat, like it was constricting. Then it went away and I was fine. I ate some breakfast, and everything has been hunkey dorey since then.
I walked down a street where all the dogs hated me yesterday. They were really aggressive. As I have mentioned earlier, there are millions of stray and pet dogs in India. They are everywhere. Most of the time they are harmless, but yesterday, the dogs on this one street didn't like me. They were okay with all the Indian people walking around, but they growled and followed me until people(their owners?) shooed them away. Then I would walk another block and low and behold, more aggressive dogs. I think the dogs don't like white people on that street, though I'm not sure why. Possibly the French Imperialists mistreated the dogs poorly here in the colonial past, and the dogs associated me with a French Imperialist, or maybe the dogs were Indo-French and mistook me for an American, treating me poorly as a backlash to the current diplomatic tensions between America and France. Its really hard to say. I've always believed animals are more intelligent than we give them credit for, but maybe I'm taking it too far.
An Indian fellow on a bike rode up to me yesterday and said, "Quelle heure est-il?" - what time is it? I didn't understand him because he wasn't speaking English, and I wasn't expecting to be spoken to in French here. It caught me off-gurard. He then asked me, in French, if I spoke French("est-ce que tu parle Francaise?"), and I understood. All I could say was, "un peu" - a little. He seemed sursprised that I didn't speak French, or that I only spoke a little. I guess they must get alot of French tourists here. Reuben, when telling me about Pondy while we were in Ooty, had a theory that the French Government invests money to keep French culture alive in Pondy. I must say, it is very different here than most Indian cities, though still distinctly Indian.
Well, time to brave the heat, and go mail postcards. Then I'm off to the Ashram.
J
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Okay, thanks for the quick responses to my guilt trip about the postcards. I'm hoping to get them in the mail today. I'm now in Pondicherry. This is another unique city in India. It is a former French colony and has retained much of its history. It is a seaside town, and all along the ocean are whitewashed southern French, mediterranean style buildings. There is a big, european style church, a city hall, with the French flag flying, and numerous other interesting French sites. There are even some French restaurants, though I've yet to sample their fare. The city is also home to a really large Ashram. The Ashram devotees are followers of "The Mother". I haven't actually looked into it too much, but it seems pretty legit. Apparently the Ashram is involved in most educational, spiritual and charitable activities in the city. In a small town about 20 or 30km from "Pondy" the Ashram has a communal living experiment that was set-up in the late 60s as an experiment in alternative, harmonic living for human beings. I'm not sure exactly what they do out there, but I may go check it out.
It is, of course, insanely hot here. My main activity during the day is sweating. I purchased a new Canon EOS66 35mm Auto\Manual SLR camera in Chennai yesterday. I got a fairly good deal, but I think the camera may either be stolen, imported illegally, or just sold illegally as I couldn't get a receipt, and I don't think I have any warantee. Nonetheless the camera is brand new, everything works. The guy at the store said it was impossible to give me a receipt, and that I'd just have to trust him. Normally in India, when someone says, "Trust me", I walk away and don't look back, but I think this camera will work out okay. The shop I bought it at was a huge commercial shop in GeorgeTown(neighborhood in Chennai), so the guy isn't going anywhere. Anyways, I'm very stoked about the new camera, and I plan to take it out today and start practicing with it. I should be able to get some really good photos.
On a sour note, I've been having some problems with one of my wisdom teeth. It seems to be moving around, causing me some pain. The pain receded today, so hopefully it will go away. I think it may have been a result of the sinus infection I had with my cold. The last thing I need is emergency dental surgery in India.
On a sweet note, the hotel I'm staying at is absolutely sweet! My friend Karen from Bangalore recommended it to me. It is owned by the Ashram in Pondy. My room is on the third floor looking out over the ocean, and I have my own big balcony, two beds. Its very clean and cool. A very good deal. Its 300 Rupees(10$Cdn), but its well worth it. There are big grass covered grounds filled with Buddha statues and other stone carvings, stone benches, etc. - also, the Canadian dollar is kicking ass right now, so my money is going further than it was a month ago. Its up to about 34 rupees to one dollar.
I'm working on two separate writing projects right now, and planning to submit a third short story that I wrote a couple of years ago to a competition. I'm trying to write everyday while I'm here.
That's all pour today. Au revoir from Pondy(I have a beautiful mastery of the French language, as you can tell).
J
Monday, May 19, 2003
Chennai is damned hot! I'd forgotten what its like to be really hot, all the time. I think this is the peak of hotness in Chennai, as the Monsoon should be coming any time now. There was a Cyclone that was threatening to hit the city last week, but I think it went away(I'm not sure where it went). Anyways, I arrived here last night. Chennai is the fourth biggest city in India. I believe its about 7 million people. Its a bustling, super smoggy city. As Lonely Planet puts it, "It feels positively dangerous to breathe here at times" I haven't seen much of it so far. I'm still trying to find a place to get a camera. More and more I'm wanting to take some real pictures here. There is so much to photograph here, you wouldn't believe it. I quit smoking again yesterday after my short relapse, and I'm feeling pretty good. My flu is pretty much gone. It only lasted a couple of days, and didn't blow up into SARS. I'm really realizing here how much energy it takes to smoke. I am way more active when I'm not smoking. I guess all of those hundred or so different poisonous chemicals in a cigarette really do affect the human body on a day to day basis. I've been doing some reading, and I have a bit of an itinerary planned out. My trip is getting to about the half way point, so I've decided to pick up the pace a little, and try to be more active. From here I go to Mallapuram, and then to Pondicherry and from there I think I'll start heading North to Hyderabad, then to the state of Gujarat, on the central-northwest coast, then Rajasthan(the dessert, camel safaris, sandstone castle cities) then up north to Chandigarh(Spicy Punjabi Land), Jaipur, Armistar, and then up into the mountains. I'm going to try and make it to Leh, which is technically in Kashmir, but is still very safe, as it is super high in the mountains. I believe it is at an elevation of about 5500 meters, and getting there involves a bus trip through the second highest mountain pass in the world. Anyways, I should run. I still need to find a camera. I'm assuming that since I've only had two requests for postcards that my only remaining friends are Ben, Jen and Gunner. Adios amigos!
Jeremy
J
Sunday, May 18, 2003
Sunday night in Bangalore. I've got a bit of a cold. I attempted to quit smoking, and held out for almost two days, but broke down tonight. Tomorrow I leave for Chennai. I have been shopping for a 35mm camera here in Bangalore, but the prices are too high. They are about 1.5X what they would be at home, so I haven't splurged. My little vacation within my vacation is coming to an end. Soon I'll be back on the road again. Time has flown by. I have a little over two months left in India, and then I'll be off to Taiwan. Tonight I had dinner on a rooftop, thirteen stories above the city. It was the Indian equivalent of fine dining, and was rather expensive, but the food was good, and the view was fantastic. There aren't many high buildings in India, even in the really big cities. Anyways, I'm feeling fluish and tired, so I'm going to head home and read and sleep. I've only had one request for a postcard so far. I don't want to have to send these things to strangers. I spent over 1$ Cdn on them.
J
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Its postcard time!
I bought a whole stack of postcards today. If you'd like one, just email me your home mailing address, your credit card number and expiry date as well as the name as it appears on the card, and I'll send one to you. You can request Tigers, elephants, naked statues, beaches with coconuts, pictures of traffic and I even have one with a snake on it.
Friday, May 16, 2003
Still in Bangalore. I haven't been doing too much. I went and saw Harry Potter, and I also read the first Harry Potter book, something I've been meaning to do for a long time. They were both quite good. I'm now reading a book called "The God Of Small Things," which is about a family in Kerala. It is pretty good so far. My plans right now are to spend tomorrow here and then leave on Sunday and go to Chennai. Chennai is the fourth biggest city in India, and is supposed to be really badly polluted. Most people don't have much to say about it. Still, I'll be there for a day or two and then I'm going to head down the East Coast. There are a couple of notable places. One is Mallapullam, which is supposed to have some great cliff standing, seaside temples. The other is Pondicherry, an old French Colonial city that has kept much of its French history alive. After that, who knows? I've been feeling like a bit of a lump in Bangalore, not really doing much, and feeling somewhat detached from my trip, from myself. My plan is to stop feeling this way, and get moving, get out there and experience India. I started writing on a bigger project today, but I won't go into it. Its really new, and I want to keep writing on it for awhile before I start talking about it.
Also, I've been meaning to do some writing about my experiences with food in India so far. The food here is rather different from back home, as you can imagine. There are so many different things to eat, and the regional specialties change from city to city. In the south, people eat dosas and iddlis for breakfast. Dosas are thin, fried lentil pancakes that are wrapped in a conical shape and have a potatoe and spiced masala on the inside. You eat them with your hands and dip them in these different sauces that accompany them. Iddly are sort of like a dumpling, and you also dip them in different sauces. I've eaten very little beef here, but quite alot of chicken. I've had many different kinds of gravied chicken dishes, tandoori chicken(dry and oven baked), chicken masala, chicken 65, chicken kabobs, chicken maliwetha, chicken curry and many others. They have an assortment of breads to eat with every meal too. They have the famous chapati(good for cooling down the mouth), naan, butter naan, garlic naan, and a bunch of others, the names of which I can't remember right now. Fruit is everywhere. Mangos are in season right, now so you can buy them off the street and in restaurants everywhere. They are very good. I've had fresh sliced pineapple, bananas. They make yogurt fruit drinks called Lassis that are very good, and you can get fresh grape juice, lime juice, mango juice and an assortment of others all over the place. They have a huge fruit called a Jackfruit. Its as big as a watermelon, and when split open contains a whole bunch of smaller fruits that you eat. I haven't eaten alot of deserts. They have ice cream at the hotel I"m staying at right now, which has been nice, but generally milk products are unsafe as they are often not pasteurized and can lead to the contraction of all sorts of parasites, cholera or TB. Hmm, what else...deep fried potatoe treats can be bought all over the place as well as these curry cookies, that taste like curry(imagine that), but have the texture of a cookie. They are quite good. Chai, which is spiced tea, is sold everywhere, and is quite tasty. Everything has loads of spices, and a meal in a restaurant will often consist of a very wide variety of taste experiences. The food back home is bland in comparison, but sometimes I crave bland food too. Anyways, there are many more foods, as I've only sampled a small slice of the pie, but I'll leave it at that for now. When I get to to the North, the food will all change very dramatically. Okay, that's all for now. Good thing I just ate dinner, or I probably would have rambled on about the food forever.
J
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
One quick note: I've made some changes to the blog and you can now scroll down and re-read all of your favorite blog entries from the past. Its like watching re-runs on T.V, only better, cause its real.
Bangalore is nice. It is relatively cool here and overcast, which makes every action a little less exhausting, and also, this is the most western of the Indian cities that I've been to, so I've been able to indulge in a few "home-like" experiences. I arrived yesterday afternoon from Mysore after a quick and easy train ride, and made my way to my hotel. I had arranged to meet up with Karen, the Dane, whom I'd hung out with briefly in Ooty as she has been spending some time here. We met up and went for a hike around MG Road(Every main street in an Indian city is named MG Road - Mahatma Gandhi Road). They have all sorts of "western" establishments here. Factory outlets for clothing, KFC, a huge music store, pubs, sunglass stores, five star hotels, the works. It is comforting in an odd way to encounter a little bit of familiarity as you don't see this kind of stuff in most of India. Most of India is nothing like the west. So, I went and bought some cds, we had some lunch, I bought a couple of new books from some guy on the street and then we went to a pub for a couple of beers. The pub is pretty close to what a pub is like back home, except that they were blasting western music really loud so we had to shout to talk at times. Then to a coffeeshop for a coffee(they have espresso shops with Double Mochachino Lattes with extra foam here), and then we hit the grocery store and bought some food to make a home cooked meal. The meal consisted of olives, cheese, bread, mangos and beer, but it was nice just to relax back at the hotel and eat something other than restaurant food. I was giddy being in the grocery store. It is the first real grocery store I've seen here and I found it fascinating. We actually got some real cheddar cheese, which is almost impossible to find anywhere else in India.
Today I'm just going to bum around and check out shops. I'm thinking about buying a pair of portable speakers, and I'm also thinking about looking at some 35mm cameras. The photo opportunities here in India are endless, and I'm feeling a bit limited with my 1971 Pentax Super Click or whatever it is called. Also I might get some new clothes. You can get decent stuff really cheap here. Tonight, we may go see Harry Potter, as it is playing at the theatre here, and tomorrow perhaps a round of golf. Yes, I'm going a bit overboard, but it might be months before I get a chance at these luxuries again, so I'm seizing the day. Seize the day!
J
Monday, May 12, 2003
It is the night before I leave for Bangalore. I saw the huge palace today. It was very huge, just as I was told. Definitely the hugest, most grandiose, most huge palace I've ever seen outside of Saskatchewan. It was bigger than any of the palaces I visited in Europe, and even bigger than the Swift Current Courthouse, or the Hepner's house up behind the mall in Swift Current. Okay, enough obscure Swift Current references. It really was quite magnificent, actually, but difficult to put into words. I'm glad I went to see it.
I booked my train ticket for Bangalore this afternoon. They actually have a queueing system here in Mysore that works quite well. Instead of the "every man for himself" method of queuing, they had a bunch of seats facing the ticket windows with numbers on them. The seats furthest back from the windows had the highest number, representing the person occupying it, and their place in line. Everyone abided by it, and if an individual would try to jump place in the queue then comments would fly from all over the community of queued seatholders.
On a more serious note, I remembered something from the Salman Rushdie novel that I just finished that I wanted to record. He presented this idea that I liked. It was related to Galileo. It was a kind of modern day analogy for "Galileo Syndrome". The idea was that in many different circumstances in life today, we are faced with Galileo dilemmas. Gallileo, upon discovering that the earth was round, and not flat(as was believed by most people at the time, and is believed by an alarming number of people still today) brought forth his results to the world as he knew it. The world as he knew it rejected his idea out of hand, basically saying "The world is flat, Gallileo. If you don't admit it, we'll hang you till your dead. Now what were you saying about our flat earth?" Salman Rushdie's idea was that as humans we are faced with "Gallileo Moments" all the time in our lives. They happen everywhere, everyday almost. The question is: How do we deal with these moments? Do we bow down, and say, "Yes sir\maam, the world is flat. I was only joking before. Please don't hang me," or do we stand our ground, and stick by what we believe at that moment to be the truth(the world is held up by 1000s of turtles stacked on top of one another). It seems to me that many great ideas, true purposes, positive potentials are derailed by an inability to stand by personal truth. I know this is the case for me especially, but there is definitely a balance to be struck, and entrenching yourself into anything can become dangerous. Ideas, beliefs, behaviors, the world's greatest rock n roll band from Ireland - these things can all become obsessions, and close the mind to discussion. I think that it is a personal topic, but every circumstance with meaning gives us the opportunity to stand on one side of the Gallileo argument or the other(flat or round), and an awareness, or an analogy such as this can give the individual a compass for following the course that is right for them. I think I'm starting to sound like Tony Robbins, so I'm going to end it there. It is something to think about anyways.
Okay, I'm off to bed. I have a train to catch in the morning. Till Bangalore....
J
Sunday, May 11, 2003
I am now in Mysore, and consequentally, back into the heat. I arrived a couple of nights ago, but did very little except eat, drink a beer and then go to bed on my first night. The bus ride from Ooty turned out to be even more hair raising than I had expected. The road is a single laner(barely a road at all) that descends about 2000 Meters in an hour by navigating a series of about 200 severe hairpins. The road is a single laner, but of course there is traffic going two ways, so every time another car comes we have to pull over very close to the edge, which would often drop a good 500-700 feet straight down. I used the opportunity to come to grips with my own mortality and my fear of driving. I'm not sure if it worked.
Mysore is a cool town. There is a huge palace in the middle of town that takes up approximately 1/4 of the city centre. When I say huge, I mean huge. Its hard to explain. I haven't been inside yet, but I'm going today. On Sunday night(last night) they turn on the lights on the Palace. Apparently there are approximately 70,000 lights on the palace. This is kind of funny in a not so funny kind of way, but right after the lights go off on the palace at 8pm, there is a power outage in the rest of the city for an hour.
Yesterday I took a day trip with an English girl, Miriam, to the Fort and the Summer Palace of 19th century Tipu Sultan, who was the leader of one of the biggest modern empires in India. He once controlled a good portion of Southern India. The big palace in Mysore also belonged to him. Basically, he was running the show around here in the 1800s(my centuries could be wrong, don't use this blog as academic source material). The fort we visited was home to a number of famous battles with the British where Tipu defeated them, and then was later defeated and killed, paving the way for British Colonialism in South India in a major way. Yawn, you say, but I found it interesting.
So that's all. Today I am going to see the inside of the big palace with an Austian guy that I met last night, and climb this hill to see a giant statue of a bull(1000 stairs). Tomorrow I go to Bangalore, which is apparently the most western city in India, though the word "western" always means something other than what I might expect in India. They have a golfcourse there, so I may try to play a round, and then see a western movie. That's all for now.
J
Friday, May 09, 2003
I am just preparing to leave Ooty and descend into the harsh summer heat of the plains once again. Its been a nice break, but there isn't a whole lot to do in Ooty other than remain cool. Speaking of remaining cool, the temperature here is much cooler than the plains, but the sun is more intense somehow, maybe because of less humidity. Yesterday I did a four hour hike into the hills with a guide, and didn't wear a hat, and I scorched my poor, bald head . So remember, if you're ever in Ooty and have no hair, or less hair than you did a few years ago - wear a hat.
The town I'm off to next is called Mysore. Its "claim to fame" is a huge palace that used to be the seat of the Maharaj Of Mysore prior to Indian independance in 1947. The Raj still lives there in the back, but the place has been converted into a tourist attraction. Its supposed to be pretty cool. The bus I take there is 3.5 hours from here, and is supposed to be really hair-raising driving, so I'm a little nervous about that. It also passes through a national park that is supposed to be the secret hideout of this legendary Indian terrorist. There is also a good chance to see monekys and elephants and deer and other wildlife. So wish me luck.
I've been reading like mad here. I think I've been reading a book about every 2-4 days. I have some mentionable titles if anyone is looking for a good book:
Salman Rushdie: Fury - excellent book, as always with Salman
The Agony And The Ecstacy: Irvine Stone - also a highly recommended book
Playing Tennis With The Moldovans: Unknown Author - not bad, a good light humored romp
Still Life With Woodpecker: Tom Robbins - good book if you haven't read Tom Robbins for awhile
The Beach: Unknown Author - not bad - book about travelling in Thailand
Broca's Brain: Carl Sagan - couldn't finish it. Too much science makes life seem finite. It had some interesting ideas though. He's a skeptic too, which works great in Scientific endeavors, but can make life into a big argument.
Also, some good CDs I've been listening to:
Matt Good: Avalanche - this is the best CD I've heard in a long time
ColdPlay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head - really good cd, really moody
Moby: 18 - excellent cd
U2: yes, I still think they rule - Rattle and Hum is my fave right now
Ryan Nast: Cd he gave me for my birthday, very good cd for thinking
Armin Van Buren: Boundaries Of Imagination - good old trance
Our Lady Peace: new album - so so - its growing on me, but its taking awhile
Various Artists: The Soundtrack Of Freedom - no description required
Okay, enough of pushing my music and books. I'm gonna cruise. I have to go checkout of my hotel. See you in Mysore.
J
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Okay, recap of events over the last few days:
I Caught the 5am train from Coimbatore to Malapullam(or something like that). At the train station I Met Reuben and Maria, a very cool couple from Spain and the UK respectively. We were waiting to catch the toy train(a small miniature train on narrow gauge track) up the mountain to Ooty, but there were a limited number of spots, and a mad rush of sharp flying elbows and fevered hysteria to claim the few spots that were available, so we missed the first train. We had some breakfast, and waited for the next train. It was sitting near the shed a few hundred feet from the platform, so we tried to sneak onto the train before it came to the station, but we were politely told to get lost, so we had to line up and fight the crowd. It was pretty mad, people were jumping on the train while it was moving before it got to the platform, and pushing each other out of the way to get on. We pushed hard, and got three seats with no blood drawn. The train ride up the mountain was pretty spectacular. The scenery was amazing: trees like I haven't seen before(I don't know what they're called), monkeys, creeks, flowers everywhere, trees with huge fruit, tea plantations. It was very beautiful, and absolutely different from anything I'd seen in India so far. Still, the train was very crowded, and when it came time to switch trains for the last hour and a half up the mountain, we found out the train wouldn't arrive for almost two hours, so we opted for a bus. The bus only took half an hour, and though it was a very windy road, being driven at relatively high speeds with passing on blind corners while I sat in the stairwell looking over hundred foot drops, we made it there in one piece. I don't think I'll ever get used to the driving here, though my tolerance has grown substantially since leaving home. Once in Ooty, we found a really cool hotel with a big dining room, library, reading room, fireplaces and hot water. I spent the afternoon sleeping, and then met up with Reuben and Maria for dinner later on. We met another girl from Denmark named Karen, and the four of us went out for beers. The beer joint we went to was a classic backroom Indian beer parlor(though officially illegal in this state), and the proprietor didn't want to allow women in to drink, but Reuben persuaded him with promises of big money, and he relented. The girls were stared at for quite some time by the Indian men, and the proprietor had Reuben and I sit on the outside of the table for some reason(maybe to fend drunken men off the girls), but eventually everyone went about their business and we got on with getting drunk. We headed back to the hotel later on, and met up with this Aussie guy named Jarod who was riding around India on a motorbike(if Jarod and Anika are reading this in Panama City, weird huh?) Our hotel doesn't allow alcohol, but I had bought a bottle of Brandy on the way to Ooty for emergency purposes, so we all had a few more drinks in my room and called it a drunken night. Yesterday(Wednesday) was fairly low key. Reuben and Maria and I hit the local race track. It was very interesting. The only drawback, as we found out, is that the races are all fixed. We heard from many people that the riders are told who is going to win at the gates. Everyone in the place knows after the race starts who is going to win. Its all a big operation run by some rich horse racing tycoon. We couldn't figure out how anyone made any money in this kind of system. Maybe people bet on the fix, and not the horses. I still don't know. Anyways, I got my head shaved yesterday afternoon and then slept my hangover away. We had dinner and a couple of more brandies yesterday evening and then called it an early night. Today, Karen and Reuben and Maria and Jarod all took off for other places, so I am alone again. These flash encounters are quite something. You meet people, get to know them briefly, and then they're gone in the blink of an eye. Its really cool, but sort of sad at the same time.
Tonight I started putting down some ideas for a writing project. Its going to be some kind of essay, series of essays or discourse on the nature of work. Its been a topic on my mind, and seems to follow logically from some of the conversations, and situations I've been in lately. I'm quite adamant about starting to write regularly, and begin building a body of completed projects. Also, I've more or less made up my mind to go back to school when I get home, and work towards a degree in Creative Writing. I've been checking out Universities, and I'm thinking pretty hard about Concordia in Montreal. It looks like it has a really good writing program, and Montreal would be pretty cool too, n'est-ce pas?
Okay, there's my small brain dump. Tomorrow morning I'm off hiking in the mountains with a guide. Bon Nuit from Ooty.
J
Monday, May 05, 2003
I am out of Kochin. I finally mustered the motivation to get moving again. I opted for the mountains, so I'm looking forward to a change of scenery. I've been on the coast most of my trip so far. I can't remember the name of the city I'm in rigjht now. I think its called Combatoire, but regardless, its the jumping off point for the hill stations. I'm here briefly as I have to catch a train at 5am tomorrow morning to go up the mountain. That's all for now. More news when I hit Ooty.
J
Sunday, May 04, 2003
Hello from Kochin. This is my last night here, I swear. The pool party last night was mediocre. The palace was magnificent. It was on a small island, surrounded by huge gardens, a large oblong pool off to one side. There was a dj playing music of all sorts, from Britney Spears to pounding house music. It was interesting to see, but it wasn't much of a party. The people were very friendly, there just weren't very many of them, and I believe there were only about four women there. Two of them were in our group. There were some very interesting, and uninhibited dancers.
Lena took off for the beaches of Varkala this morning, and I found myself alone again after having company here for most of my stay. I undertook my usual day of doing very little except reading, thinking and wandering around aimlessly. I've been really indecisive as to where I want to go next, but this morning I decided that I'm leaving tomorrow for sure. I'm just not sure where I am going yet.
I've gotta run. This city shuts down in like five minutes, and I need cigarettes and some food. I'll pick up where I left off later.
Saturday, May 03, 2003
I'm still in Kochin. Tonight is the night of the "Palace Pool Party" which sounds like it should be fun. There are four of us travellers heading over there together. I've been checking the place out on the internet and it looks pretty posh. Its the oldest Dutch Palace outside of Dutchia(The Netherlands), and is a "five star" with a pool, a couple of restaurants, a bar and a golf course. Other than that I've been doing a whole lotta nuthin, basically just reading my book and hanging around. I went shopping for some new clothes today. I'm going to ditch the Andre Agassi look soon, and try to blend in with the fashion here. I didn't buy anything, but I'm getting a better idea of what I'm looking for. Clothes are very cheap.
The book I'm reading is really interesting. Its a historical novel about the life of Michaelangelo, the renaissance painter, sculpture and architect. It is really meticulously researched, and is a great story too. It is called "The Ecstacy and The Agony" - it sounds like a book about the London club scene, but it is really enlightening, just as the renaissance was. It really gives me an appreciation for many of the things that I'd seen in Italy, but didn't understand due to my lack of an art and european history background. The years of the great Florentian artists and the reign of the Medici family are inspirtational in the sense that they show what can be achieved when the highest held values of a society are art, culture, society,education and the pursuit of a better understanding of humanity. It seems in the West these days that the key values are money, power, security and materialism above all else, which is probably why we are destroying so much of our planet, leaders are irresposible, the mainstream media is full of lies and manipulation and people feel alienated from their fellow man on a mass scale(when technology enables us to communicate with more ease than ever before). I understand the required existence of such things as money, power and security, but I think too often these are the goal, rather than the bi-product of our efforts. It seems art these days is pre-dominantly an escape, rather than an enquiry. So much of mainstream music, film and literature is designed solely to transport us away from the world in which we live. It is often the fringe media that is doing the hardest soul-searching, but soul-searching doesn't sell to the masses, so it gets marginalized. This leads me to think that if "selling" wasn't what merited success in our society, then maybe we would have access to a broader based source of artistic and cultural learning. Or at least this is what I tell myself everytime I download music from Kazaa. Anyways, I'm going to go eat. Stay tuned for more rambling from the guy with too much time on his hands.
J
Thursday, May 01, 2003
I haven't made a blog entry for a couple of days. Anyways, here's the recap. The day before yesterday was another lounging day, didn't do much during the day, but sleep. We were invited to an Indian Wedding in the afternoon, but I accidentally slept through it, so the girls went, but I missed the opportunity. That night we had beers on the roof of my patio, but we had a bit of an incident with the hotel manager. He had previously been really nice to me, and I'd been up on the roof drinking beers with the "couple of couples" till quite late, and it was no problem. He took some offense at the idea that I was up on the roof drinking with anyone other than my wife, though, and was quite rude. In all fairness, it is his hotel and his country, and like they say, when in Rome, "Don't drink on the roof of the Muslim hotel keeper's hotel with anyone but your wife(and its probably not a great idea to drink with your wife either, maybe your cousins would be more appropriate)." So we more or less got kicked off the rooftop. From there we decided to go and try to find the wedding reception. We could hear the music blaring in the night, so we followed it, and it ended up being at the Cathedral about two blocks away. The reception we received at the reception was fantastic. Like so many aspects of India, it is difficult to put into words, but the people there showered us with an overwhelming amount of warmth and hospitality. They insisted that we have dinner, and ice cream and everyone wanted to come meet us. We had a huge crowd of people surrounding us, smiling, clapping us on the back, wanting to have their pictures taken, swap email addresses and just generally be really nice to us. It seems a typical thing in India. You have a bad experience somewhere, you walk two blocks and have an overwhelmingly good one. All I could think to myself was, "Oh India, I could never stay mad at you." I guess what I'm trying to say is that in India it is very difficult to form impressions or make judgements because things can change so quickly, and your snap judgement can be proved foolish very quickly. It is very humbling. All told, I have to say that the people of Fort Kochin have been amazing. Very warm and friendly. People go out of there way to help you for no particular reason, and often. It gives me hope.
Yesterday was May 1st, which is World Labor Day in many countries around the globe, so it was a holiday here. This is great, if you work here, but for me it meant World No Beer For Sale Day. I resigned myself to this fact, and caught the end of a Sitar performance with Dianne and Lena and this cool guy named Ross from Boston, whom I met yesterday. After the Sitar we tried to go to the cafe next door to sit for a few minutes, but they wouldn't let us sit unless we bought something. So we went for a walk around the block, and another miracle happened. We found a guy who offered to sell us beer. We paid slightly more than the going rate since it was a "dry day" in Fort Kochin, but that was okay. Also we had to hide it if the police came, which is actually a good thing. It says to me that the police are not super corrupt here like they are in other parts of India. This, however, is a very shallow impression as I don't know the political situation in this state very well at all. The guy was super nice, and showed us his baby puppies in the back of shop. Then he produced a bottle of Rum and some tonic and poured us each a free drink. That's what I call above and beyond the call! Anyways, the next remarkable thing that happened was that his friend came over, who spoke very good English and chatted with us for awhile, and then invited us to a pool party at a five star hotel, one island over. The hotel is pretty much empty because it is low season, so they're throwing a party for tourists tomorrow night(its not free, but its not too expensive). That sounded quite interesting. He gave us a flyer, and we're going today to check the place out. Its in a palace on an island called Bolgotta. So that's where I'm off to shortly here. To go check out the party palace to see if it looks up to snuff, and maybe go for a swim in their pool while I'm there. So there it is, I'm still in Kochin. I can't seem to get out of this place. Every day for the last four or five I've planned to leave, and each time something happens to make me stay(often my own laziness). That's all for now.
J
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Andrew and Allison headed off the day before yesterday on their way South and then back home to Australia(safe travels you two), and Ant and Kirin and I hung out yesterday morning before they also had to leave for Goa. We went for a walk down to the fisherman's section of the beach while Ant filmed trees, and we breathed the pungent smell of fish. They have stalls all along the waterfront where you can buy fresh fish. Some of the places will actually cook it for you right there, but I haven't tried that yet. I'm not so sure about the fish coming from the harbour here, what with the pollution and all. After Ant and Kirin took off, I wandered around for a while in the morning, read my book some and then proceeded to sleep the afternoon away. Also, I should say that it appears I've been lying about the heat here. It is really only getting to about 35 Degrees here, though the humidex makes it feel much hotter. Last night it rained again, and the restauranteur at the rooftop establishment where I was taking dinner informed me that the wet season(the monsoon) was beginning. Apparently Bangalore flooded the other day. Yay, my first monsoon!
Last night I met a couple of cool women from Australia and Norway respectively. We got along well, and had some gin and Sprites, a couple of fruit juices(that's code for beer in places that don't have a liquor license), and some laughs at the rooftop restaurant. Meeting new and interesting people is definitely one of the highlights of travelling. Today I'm going for a full body massage, and will probably do some general laying about in the afternoon. I'm having a hard time leaving this place. I think tomorrow I will go book my train ticket. Its very relaxing here, but I need to get out and see some new places.
That's the news from Mother India. I'm happy, healthy and safe(though slightly hung over).
J
What then, is soul? Is it blues guitarists and rock stars, rollercoasters and riptides? Innocence and purity perhaps, mingled with experience? Is it essence and awareness, that which exists in the void when all input is severed? Is it the expressions that emerge when stranded on a desert island, locked in a cell, pushed into a corner? Is it a little bit of every color, a little bit brighter than usual? Maybe it is just the raw, the unalayzed, the untainted? It could just be an idea with nothing tangible attached, just an abstract energy potential that builds with contemplation, awaiting release, realization. Maybe it is me, or maybe it is you, or maybe it is all of us together, or none of us at all. Maybe it needs context, like truth, and only exists in the moment, morphing into the next with every instant that begets the next, avoiding definition. Could it be that it is a self-defined spectrum containing different levels and shades, somehow logical, yet also irrational through its evasion of proof, its lack of "universal rules". Possibly it is intentional actions driven by unknown subconscious purposes? Unintended actions breaking free from captive inner certainties? Maybe it is a selling point in high priced footwear(sole)? Or a dead fish in plastic and styrofoam at the grocery store(soul fillet?) Maybe it is art, freeform and creative, that sounds, looks or feels "weird" but somehow has merit, working to an inner logic that you can't place any of your fingers on, because it is abstract, like vapor or smoke or wind, clouds or water or thoughts. I think it may be an idea that can add intensity to any moment. I think it has the potential to heal old wounds, to bring people closer to understanding each other, to suck more life out of every experience, every passing minute. I think it is nothing, and everything, everywhere and nowhere, and I think that makes sense. I think and I think and I think, yet it is also a feeling. I feel that it is often something hidden behind layers of uncertainty and fear, shining dull and reflexively, surrounded by nervousness. I believe that it is always there, waiting to be called upon, tapped into, brought forth, realized. Sometimes, I feel as though it has been lost, yet always it is out there or in there somewhere, waiting to be found. It is waiting to be rediscovered, re-invented, reabosrbed or reaffirmed. Or perhaps, just maybe, it is me that is waiting at times.
Monday, April 28, 2003
Hi, I'm still in India. It is still very hot. Anyways, I've been hanging around Fort Cochin for the last couple of days. I met a couple of couples from England and Australia respectively, and we've been hanging out. We had some beers on the rooftop patio at my hotel last night, and we figured out the meaning of life, yet again.
Today I went and visited a Jewish synogogue, and a palace. The palace was a bit lacklustre, it was more of a museum, but the Synagogue was pretty cool. As some of you know, I'm not a big museum buff. There's something about artifacts without real life context that doesn't appeal to me. It could be that I don't have enough knowledge about what I'm looking at to truly appreciate it. Also, I have somewhat of a short attention span. This part of town that I'm staying in is very relaxing. Quiet, clean and friendly. I'm liking it alot, but there is still much to see and do in India, so I'm going to go check out train tickets tomorrow. I'm trying to get to a place called Ooty, which I think I may have mentioned before. Its a hill station in the mountains, and is supposed to be quite beautiful. Its also quite cool, about 25 degrees Celcius, and will be a welcome refresher from the heat here. They have 8 hour walking treks into the mountain forests with indigenous Todo tribal guides that sound like they would be cool.
I'm really getting more and more comfortable here, more comfortable being by myself. It is a great feeling. So many of the little things that seemed like such big issues back home are really disappearing into the past, and the good things, the things that I have taken for granted about home are becoming more apparent. It is very easy to lose yourself in routine. It is true of travelling too, and I'm trying to focus on appreciating what I have here right now, and not just coast along as though it will always be like this. Its coming up on one month that I've been away. How time flies. I was thinking tonight that when I was in Europe a couple of years ago, and I was travelling alone, I was alone long enough to experience the difficulty and the loneliness of travelling alone, but didn't stick at it long enough to break through into what I see as the next phase, where travelling alone becomes comfortable and easier. I think a certain distance needs to be placed between your self and the life and habits that can often define what you think is yourself, before this feeling of ease starts to grow. I think its beginning to grow now, and it really is a welcome feeling. I'm hoping it will give me a whole new level of confidence when I re-integrate after my trip.
I've been asked a couple of times(jokingly) by Indians in passing if I was Andre Agassi. We were making jokes about this on the rooftop patio last night during the lightning storm, that if we were struck by lightning the headlines would read something like, "American tennis star and two English struck down in apparent act of God" - in India it is very common to attribute all sorts of things to acts of fate, destiny, religion etc., and there is also a very strong sentiment against the war here. I'm re-reading this last paragraph, and it may be a "I guess you had to be there," but it was funny at the time.
Another funny thing, that we've been making alot of jokes about is the "nationality swapping" that is going on among travellers here. Many Americans seem to say they are Canadians, many Australians say they are from New Zealand at times, and alot of English will claim to be from Australia. This is funny. Americans due this because of the war. So do the English. The Australians change identities because Australia just beat India in the World Cricket Championship, and many people here are still very sore about it. I've been told its like a religion here. People take Cricket very seriously. You see kids playing it everywhere. Every country has some sport like this, it seems. I had the rules explained to me today. I'm trying to gain an understanding of it. I think I will always cheer for India when I finally get a grip on how it works. This place is really growing on me.
Okay, sign off time. Me go sleep.
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Okay, that really was a test. I've been having some problems with the blog the last couple of days, but they seem to have sorted themselves out. Okay, now I'm on an island that is the other half of Ernekulum, its called Fort Cochin. I just returned from a day long boating expedition into the Kerala backwaters, which was quite fascinating. Basically, I met a couple from Australia last night(Andrew and Allison) at the traditional hindu dance show that I went to. We went for a few beers, and then decided to meet up again today. So we headed about half an hour drive out of the city to a the Keralan backwaters, and rode around in a covered boat being punted with bamboo sticks by two Indian men, and guided, by another Indian man. It was very beautiful and tropical, and we got to go into a village and see how the people turn coconut fibre into rope, we saw how mussel shells were turned in to calcium powder, we saw coconut plantations, and drank coconut milk from fresh coconuts, and we had lunch on an island in the middle of a lake. We also saw wild pineapples, banana trees, cashew trees, beetel trees, a dead eel, and many more fascinating sights. It was very relaxing. So now I"m back into town after a crazy cab ride(the driving here is still insane, I think what's left of my hair is turning grey), and now I need to find a hotel, and hopefully a pub for a beer and a bite to eat. There seem to be quite a few western travellers in this part of town, which is cool. Maybe I"ll meet up with some people to travel with. Anyways, I'm tired, and going to sign off. I"ll write more later.
J
Friday, April 25, 2003
I made it to Kochin, which is in Central Kerala, only about six hours by train from the Southern tip of India. The train ride was long, and arrived at 4:30am this morning. I felt really tired, and dirty when I got in, which I was, tired and dirty. It can get really hot on the trains here, and you never really sleep that good. Still, I met some cool people on the train who gave me lots of good advice about Kerala, and what I should see, where I should go. Kochin, where I am now, is actually two cities, spread across about five islands. Its a city of 1.7 million people. I am in the part of the city known as Erkenalum(sp?), which is more frenetic, and businessy. There is alot to do in Kochin, and I've decided today to get out there and see some sights. Today I plan to check out a temple, a mosque, and go to see a performance tonight that introduces beginners to traditional Keralan dance, and hinduism. Tomorrow, I'm going to move across to Fort Cochin, which is on an island across the harbor. This is the more touristy area of Kochin, and there are a bunch of cool sites to see, one of which is the Kochin Jewtown, with an old synogogue. There is also a major palace there, which apparently has some of the best murals in India and is a "must see" according to Lonely Planet. Anyways, that's all. I think I'm going to go get some food. I wrote this huge philosophical rant about apathy yesterday, but I lost it right as I was finishing it up, and I'm too lazy to rewrite it(just joking). Perhaps I'll try to rewrite it again later, but for now, the moment is lost. Anyways, that's all.
J
p.s. I'm thinking about going to Sri Lanka. I'm very close right now, and it is supposed to be beautiful.
Thursday, April 24, 2003
I was just re-reading some of my blog entries, and seeing a bunch of typos. Now I'm embarrassed. Anyways, I usually rattle these things off pretty quick, so bear with me if they appear unedited(cause they usually are). I'm just hanging in Mangalore awaiting my 5:40 train tonight. Its been hot, as usual. I'm looking forward to Kerala, its supposed to have alot to see and do. After Cochin(that's the city I'm going to first), I'm thinking about heading up into the mountains inland to cool off. They have some hill stations not far from where I'll be(a hill station is like an Indian retreat, originally built by the British in many cases, they are up high, in the mountains, where it is cool). Yesterday, I got my head shaved right down to the skin with a razor in a barbershop and tried to buy some books, but the guy was trying to rob me(8$ Cdn for a used book, not on my watch) - I'm finding it difficult to find and English-Hindi phrase book. There are many Hindi-English phrasebooks for Indians wanting to learn English, but I can't find one that goes the other way. I'm going to keep trying. I think in more touristy areas I'll have a better chance. What else did I do? Hmm, watched some movies at my hotel, bought my train ticket(it went really well yesterday), walked around the city and browsed through stores. There seems to be an almost complete absence of beggars and touts in Mangalore, which is kind of nice. I think because this isn't a tourist destination. I haven't been approached on the street to buy something yet in this place.
Not too many profound realizations about life in the last twenty four hours. One small thing...I was thinking that when I get home, and I'm back in school I'd like to learn to speak publicly. I think after my travels over the next year+ I will have some interesting stories to tell, and I wouldn't mind trying out the public speaking thing. I think I may be stealing this idea from my Mom and Jim, who did that after their year in China, but it seems appealing. I think my life is going to be much different when I get home. I'd like to lead a simpler life, and there are already a ton of things I want to learn about in school when I go back. University is really calling to me, more than ever.
Anyways, enough rambling. I think I may try to go haggle the bookstore owner down. There's a Carl Sagan book that I want, but he's charging way too much for it(even with the special discount he offered me).
J
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Day two in Mangalore. The city is fairly non-descript from what I've seen. It seems to have good shopping. There are many tailors, clothing stores, and fabric stores in the part of the city that I'm in. It is also fairly clean. I met an interesting woman at the train station in Margao on my way here. She was an Italian woman of about 50. This was her eighth trip to India. She came for the first time thirty years ago. Needless to say, I peppered her with questions trying to attain useful information for my own travels. She said India has cleaned up immensely in the last thirty years, and has come alone ways. This gave me some perspective. She said India used to be extremely dirty. Now by western standards, it is still very dirty, but I could see what she was saying. She also made a reference to the fact that to feed and clothe 1 billion people in a relatively newly formed democracy with a myriad of strong religious groups, labor unions, tropical diseases, natural catastrophes(I'm beefing up what she actually said to get my point across) was "no easy task". That put things into perspective for me. She bought me a Chai, and then we parted ways. Chai is delicious. I'd never had one before.
Anyways, here I am in Mangalore. Things are up and down. Some times I feel great, other times I think to myself, "What am I doing here?!" - I'm finding those little islands of social contact to be my life support. Its funny, I wouldn't have guessed it, but probably the hardest thing about being here so far is the loneliness. Still, it is intermittent, and much of the time I feel great. The loneliness in itself is a good thing too. I think its really important to get away by yourself once in awhile because like it or not, you get a chance to see yourself very distinctly. Hence the rollercoaster ride. I find myself thinking, "I didn't know I was so lousy at doing this", or "Wow, I'm really alot better at doing this than I thought". Its interesting, and I can sense myself slowly finding a new voice which is closer to the real me than it would have been had I stayed in my security net back home. I wonder what its going sound like when I sing in the shower when I get home?(what with my new voice, and everything) Home is like that, wherever it is, but being away is also giving me a deep appreciation for home, and how good I've really had it my whole life. Anyways, I have to run and go buy a train ticket. I wasn't quite finished with my train of though, but I'll wrap it up later.
J
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
One more thing that I keep forgetting to record. While at Baga Beach here in Goa I saw an interesting site. I saw a cow eating watermelon on the beach. You don't see that everyday in Canada. Cows are sacred to Hindus, as you may know, so you see them everywhere here just wandering around and eating all sorts of things, plastic and cardboard sometimes, often human food, but also very often hay and grass. Anyways, remember that. A cow eating watermelon on the beaches of Goa. If I was a cow, that would be the life, let me tell you.
Today was a bit of a write-off day. I'm still hanging out in Margao. I catch a train to Mangalore at midnight tonight. I went for breakfast this morning, walked around town a bit, had some lunch, and then slept and watched TV for most of the afternoon. There isn't really much to see or do in Margao(other than observing the normal frenetic energy of India), so I've been relaxing. Tomorrow morning I'll be in Mangalore. It is a bigger city, but I'll likely only stay there until I can catch another train to Kochin, in Kerala. This is where I am aiming right now. It is a port city with a distinctive portuguese, dutch and catholic influence. It also houses one of the worlds smallest jewish communities. There is a jewish portion of the city, but the number of members of the community is only about 20. It used to be much larger, but many have emmigrated to Israel. Kochin will also be my jumping off point for some of the smaller towns in Kerala where the Kerala backwater tours are. They are guided boat tours into a series of rivers, lakes and lagoons that go inland from the ocean. They are supposed to be quite interesting. Kerala is a communist state. It is the world's first freely elected communist state, and has the highest literacy rate as well as the best social system in India. Well, I'm going to get some dinner at a place called Barjana. Its supposed to have the best Indian food in this city(according to Lonely Planet). Have a nice day in North America or wherever you may be. Its evening here now, and the heat is just starting to relent. It is my favorite time of the day(first thing in the morning is a close second). I think the monsoon will be here sometime in the next month. I'm curious to experience it. Its supposed to be a huge relief from the heat, and bring life back to country. Adios for now.
J
Monday, April 21, 2003
I don't have long to type as this internet joint closes in a few minutes. Today I decided to go further south to Mangalore, and Kerala instead of heading North. It would have been at least a few days to get to all the way up there, and travelling here is really exhausting and challenging, especially since I am alone. Anyways, it took me most of the day to get about 50km to the town where I am to catch the train tomorrow night at midnight. The town is called Margao, and its still in Goa. Its a busy little hub, and jumping off point for some beaches in Southern Goa. The day was very tiring, and I'm feeling a bit down tonight, a bit isolated out here in the middle of India, alone. Nonetheless, I am here, so I better deal with it, right? I had a cool experience today at the train station in Vasco de Gama, where I bought my ticket. I was totally lost, and didn't know what to do, which train to catch, how to fill out the forms, basically just standing around with a blank look on my face like a dumb tourist. This guy totally took me under his wing and helped me fill out all the forms, got me in the line, talked to the train person, got me my tickets, and then gave me a ride on his motorbike to the bus station, and saw me off. It was very kind. Its those kind of incidents that make it all worthwhile. He didn't ask for anything. He was a businessman who ran an import\export business, and he said that there are many outsiders(foreigners) who don't know the ways here, and too many people trying to rip them off. Random acts of kindness are a bit of a buoy to the spirit here in India because things can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. Anyways, I need to go eat. I put myself up in a $20 Cdn hotel room tonight with AC and a TV to try and unwind. Tomorrow I'll hike around town here, and prepare myself for Mangalore. Anyways, that's all for tonight.
J
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Well, today it was really hot. Yes, today it was even hotter than it was yesterdy or the day before. Nonetheless, I had preparations for departure to make, so I left my hotel, and got the bus to Mapusa(prounced Mapsa), which is the nearest city to the beaches of Goa. It was also Easter today, and this foiled my plans somewhat, as everything in Mapusa was closed. The travel agents were open, but the bus that I wanted to catch to Hampi was sold out for the next three days. So, I came back to my hotel to regroup. I am thinking that this is a sign that I should leave the south. It is very hot here right now, and difficult to maintain much of an energy level. Dharmasala is really calling to me, and though it will take me awhile to get there, I think it will be worth it. On the way I can stop in to Delhi, and Chandigar(please forgive my spelling of Indian names if they are wrong). The mountains are very cool right now, and Dharmasala just feels right.
I had a good night tonight. I went for dinner at this small place at Baga beach, where I am staying. It was empty except for me, as most places are right now. There are hundreds of restaurants here, but most of them are empty most of the time. I think this is a combination of travel fear due to the war in Iraq, and because it is nearing the end of the mid-high season here. People here tell me that in two weeks there will be no one left here. So, I had dinner at this small restaurant. I've been trying out every dish that is on the menu at most places, and lately I've been trying to eat as spicy as I can get. Most places here don't make the food too spicy, I think because I am a foreigner, and won't be able to handle it. Well, this place tonight made the dish spicy. It was Chicken Vindaloo, which is apparently a Goan dish. When it arrived at the table I knew it was going to scorch me before I even took a bite. The color of the sauce alone looked hot. It was sort of a deep purple-red color like molten lava with chillies in it. So I started cramming it back, and it wasn't too bad at first, but it got very hot. So hot that I couldn't continue. I spoke with the proprietor, and we had a laugh. He said the sauce is all chillies and vinegar, and that he didn't eat it because it gave him too bad of indigestion. I believed him. I ordered some bread, and drank more beer than I planned to, so that I could cool off my mouth, throat, esophogus, small and large intestine and eventually my colon. Nonetheless, it was a good experience.
I have been trying to toughen myself up. My travels here have made me more acutely aware of how soft my western lifestyle has made me. This is not neccessarily a good or bad thing in this context, but India is foreign to me, and it takes alot of confidence, energy, patience and open-mindedness to accomplish what sometimes amounts to the smallest task. The fact that I am scared alot of the time because everything is so new and unknown only compounds my desire to stay in my hotel room and read all day instead of putting myself out there to interact with the people. So I find myself having to say to myself, "Toughen up! Quit being such a wimp!" etc, etc.
Tonight, after dinner. As the chillies eroded my innerds, and I sat smoking on the beach, watching another mind blowing sunset, I got to reflecting on things. I've been carrying this idea of social connection for quite some time now, even before I left for India, and it is becoming a stronger and stronger topic in my mind. As humans, it seems to me that the most important value we can hold is compassion for other humans. Too often, I think, that I have placed material values ahead of the people around me, my people, my family, my friends. I think that in the west I have at times treated compassion and social involvement as a requirement, a price to pay in order to gain social acceptance from others. It seems it has been a token to offer to people out of social obligation, too often lacking in real meaning due to insecurities created by the distances our minds create between us and our fellows. By saying this I am not trying to belittle any of the relationships I have or have had, because I have had and still have many truly profound friendships with many amazing people. I think I am just saying that we could take it so much farther. That the potential for human compassion, and humen relation, the mutual sharing of this condition that none of us truly understand, could be so much greater. The obstacles that come between us are never insurmountable, though we build walls in our minds that prevent us from reaching each other. Maybe it is a fear of ourselves that holds us back, because nothing shows us our own humanity as clearly as another human being. I just burped up a huge chili that is burning my throat. Toughen up Jeremy, quit being a wimp. Anyways, few things to think about. I hope I'm not laying it on too thick. I read another quote from Mahatma Gandhi the other day:
"Never lose faith in human nature."
That's all for tonight.
J
Friday, April 18, 2003
I woke up yesterday morning with a distinct sense of my own corruption. It is something that I have been aware of on a shallower level for quite some time, and played a large part in prompting me to come to India. Yesterday, however, I came to the realization that I had brought all the wrong things with me to India. I realized that I had brought my cynicism and my inflated ego, a sense of self-entitlement and a mind that was very closed. I feel that I have been acting as a bit of a spoiled child in this country so far, and that my eyes have not really been open. I think in many ways I felt that merely by coming to India, I would be absolved of my inner drought. In another way I subconciously felt that I was coming to India as some kind of authority, some kind of superior, when my attitude should have been that of a pupil, that of the student. This was all very shocking for me. It was a bit of a "eureka" moment in my heart, and at first I felt quite ashamed that I have let myself come this far off track. I decided yesterday to just spend the day in my hotel room and think things through, which is what I did. It was very productive, and I feel I've gone through the first step in a change in attitude that I have needed for quite some time. I think I am ready to let go of the negative attitudes that I have been holding close for so long. I've come to the realization that my cynicism, and my intermittent negativity are born of fear. It is a bit of a vicious cycle, and the cynic finds his or her security through hardening themself with a negative attitude, by closing off. It is a very easy road to take, and it brings a sort of smug self satisfaction, which feeds upon itself. Regardless, I have decided to let go of this attitude, and attempt to become more open and more positive. With all that said, I don't want to become super serious, and lose my sense of humor. Laughter is essential.
Okay, so back to my life in India. I am currently in Goa, and staying in a small hotel on Baga beach. The beach here is beautiful, and the water is very warm. I have not been swimming yet, but I have walked along the beach with my feet in the water. I plan to swim this morning. As I was having breakfast at one of the beach shacks this morning, I noted a couple of small, but curious details of the waves here. One is that the waves on a certain part of the beach seem to roll very slowly. I have never seen waves roll so slowly, nor had I ever contemplated the speed of waves before. It looks very odd, but its difficult to explain. Secondly, I noticed that on some waves, at the point right before they crash you can actually see the sand being sucked up into the wave inside of the inner curve. Trivialities, but it was interesting. In thinking about the slowness of the waves, I think there must be some kind of back eddy or counterforce slowing the waves, but I'm not sure.
A few nights ago, I was staying at another, smaller beach called Vagator and I sat on the beach and watched the sunset. It was amazing. I believe Goa is on the Indian Ocean? I don't have my map right now, but the sunsets very quickly since we are so close to the equator here, and there was enough cloud cover that you could actually stare directly at the sun. It was a glowing red circle in the sky. I have to say that it brings a certain mood to the place. There were children playing cricket, and many of the men came out from their houses to stand together and watch the sunset. I think it is the most relaxing time of the day here.
The terrain here is difficult to explain. It is almost jungle-like, but very dry. There is much green foliage, yet much dust. The impression it gives me is that it is similar to Cuba, from what I have seen of Cuba on television.
I think I will stay here for one more day, and then I will depart, though my plans can change very quickly since I don't really have anywhere to be. I'm not sure where I will go next. I think I may explore inner Goa, away from the coast. There are supposed to be some very nice parks, and then on to Hampi, which is the site of some spectacular ruins from a 15th century Hindu empire. I have thought about going to Dharmasala, the home of the Tibetan Government in Exile, but I think I may wait a bit yet as there is much to see in the south. It is very cool in Dharmasala right now though, while the south is as hot as it gets all year. I have been thinking that it might be better to visit Dharmasala in summer, and then return to the south during the Monsoon, when things are a bit cooler and wetter.
Today I plan to buy a new notebook(I lost mine in Bombay), some pens, and a Hindi Phrasebook. Its time I started learning to speak some of the language here. That's all for now. For those of you still reading, send me feedback, criticisms, or just say hello anytime. I love to hear from home.
Love,
Jeremy
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Mahatma(means "Great Soul") Gandhi was the very influential social activist who helped bring India to independance in 1948 through his belief in non-cooperation with the British, and non-violence. Quote from Senay:
"Gandhi died before he had a chance to tell the Indians to start co-operating again."
India, like a pungent smell in your nose that won't go away. A salty, dusty tear whose taste lingers in your mouth. It is a challenge to your spirit to harden and soften at the same time, to be pushed and pulled like a rubber band, to accept the unacceptable, to dance like mad to a song with hidden rhythms in an ever unfolding dramatic kaleidoscope. It is to grow close to everyone when you can trust no one. To trust yourself when none will trust you. It is to eat the unflinching stares of a thousand strangers with every step on every oil stained street. Standing still is to draw attention, to draw questions. There is a required liquidity. A neccessity to flow, to keep moving with the mob, tiptoeing past the children, the outstretched arms, the men who read palms and sell chilli powder from desert rugs in the ruined alleyways of desperate cities. It is to seek the oasis, to appreciate the silence when it gifts its presence to you, to put your feet up, enjoy the cooler air of the morning, the subtle whispering breeze of the night, the momentary cleansing of water. It is to revel in laughter when it comes like a drug, an ointment to the scorched soul. To experience India is to experience the multitudes of humanity in its myriad of forms, to be injected with it at every minute, and from every possible angle.
Fie my jade heart! I've become disillusioned with the Ashram already, and have decided to head for Goa tonight. Don't get me wrong though, the place is a must see while in India. Still, there is something slightly "sinister", as Ben would put it, about the whole place. I've drawn the comparison between it and the Pink Palace in Greece more than once. Only there are no alcohol fuelled make out parties at night at the Ashram(you didn't hear that Mom and Dad), as there were on Corfu. Anyways, I think the basic philosiphies of Osho are quite sound, but organizing them has twisted it somehow. I spoke with a guy yesterday for quite some time who had been going to the Ashram for 8 years. He was telling me how it was a good and bad thing. He said that he leads a very simple life, but that his mind has been(in his words), "washed clean", and then he pointed at his head, and said,"I am crazy now." There is something of a brain-wash that occurs here, I think. So, it has been interesting to see, but I don't think it is something I want to go too deeply into. I had a few weird experiences with people yesterday, and just wasn't feeling in the mood for the place anymore. So, its off the new age train, and back to my unique brand of sarcasm, and dark humor as a path to self fulfillment. Organizations as a means to individual growth? I'm just not sure its for me.
I still had vouchers for the Ashram this morning(they don't use cash inside the Ashram), but I didn't want to buy a daily meditation pass(250 rupees, 10$ cdn), so I fibbed my way through the gate, donned my robe, and had a massive breakfast at the cafeteria to use up my vouchers. I still had some left, so I sold them to some guy in the change room. Then I used the showers, and the toilets(they have very good facilities), gave away my robes, and my maroon swim trunks, and hit the road. It was an interesting experience, and the compound is on an extremely beautiful piece of property, so if in India, do go.
Last night I met up with Jasmica and Okey's friend Senay, and he took me downtown. We went for a cruise on his bike(the traffic here is nuts!), and then for a few beers. I like Senay very much, and we got along great. He may be moving to Vancouver within the next year, so hopefully when I get home I will have a new friend in Vancouver. He speaks very highly of Jasmica, and Okey(as do I). We may meet up in Goa sometime in the next few weeks. This morning, he is picking me up, and we are going to hang out for the day.
An interesting note about downtown Pune. There are frequent power outages. Apparently there has been very little rain in the last couple of years, so the power will just shutdown. The entire downtown of a city of 2.8 million people is plunged into darkness for a few minutes. No streetlights, nothing. The sudden silence is quite deafening. We drove home from downtown on Senay's bike and the streets were dark until we got to Koraegon Park. Quite something to experience.
One more thing, then I have to go meet Senay. The animals in India are quite something. There are stray dogs everywhere. The funny thing is that 90% are the same breed, some kind of ratty little whippit, or something. I've seen some very vivid scenes with these dogs. Two dogs attacking another dog. A boy throwing an eight foot thick wooden pole javelin style at another one. The dog yelped, and ran off down the middle of the road(not a wise move in India). There are quite a few cats too. The Ashram has four or five cats that hang around and beg for food. They seem quite calm, and friendly, though sometimes they have an air of spiritual superiority about them. I think they have been brainwashed. There are also about a zillion crows everywhere, I think because there is so much garbage. Yesterday, I saw some tropical birds in the park. They were bright blues and reds and very beautiful.
Well amigos, that's all for now. I am hoping to start doing some creative writing. I may start another blog for that. I enjoy recording the details of my trip, but journalisitic description isn't as much fun as the freeform stuff that doesn't make sense to anyone but me. I'll post the address if I do. Talk soon, stay cool.
Love,
J
Monday, April 14, 2003
Word from the Osho Ashram in Pune. I am sitting at this computer clad in a full lenth maroon robe. I've been wearing it the last couple of days. In the Ashram they make everyone wear the same clothes. It keeps the "spiritual energy level" even, and also forces everyone to buy overpriced robes. Don't get me wrong though, this place is fantastic. It is a real Oasis from the madness of India. The Ashram is essentially a 5-10 acre health club in the middle of Pune. It is a very beautiful place, very lush and tropical with buildings here and there and marble benches to sit on, stone sidewalks. It has tennis courts, a gigantic pool sitting in the middle of the jungle that feels like it belongs there, a huge pyramid where they have the nightly "White Robe Brotherhood Meeting", cafeteria, internet cafe, Bistro, access to Koregaon Park(very beautiful), and just about every modern amenity. The place was founded by Osho something or other, I can't remember his full name. He died in the 90s, but the place is still very successful, and rakes in tons of money every year. Still, by western standards it is very cheap. I went through the welcome day yesterday where I went through a bunch of excercises and meditations intended to help the individual begin to separate the real self from the societal construct that most people have been led to believe is them. It was very interesting, and I think there is definitely something to many of Osho's philosiphies. They have a myriad of stuff to do here. Each day there are meditations, yoga, tai chi, kundalini practice, free form dance meditations all this crazy hippy dippy stuff. At night they have the "White Robe Brotherhood" meeting, which is in the massive Pyramid on site here. Its really big on the inside. No one is allowed to make any sound, and everyone must wear white robes. Its very ritualistic, but a very unique experience. There end up being like 500 people in this building, and you can literally hear a pin drop. Then they blast some music and everyone starts dancing like crazy. It was really something to see. After the dancing ends, everyone goes through a few meditations, and then they have a video of Osho speaking about various aspects of his philosiphy, which was also very interesting. Then he tells some jokes, some of them quite crude, and then the thing ends. His philosiphy, among many other things, focuses very strongly on the individual's quest for heightened awareness of self. I like that idea. There are people from all over the world here. In fact, I am one of the few North Americans. My friends from Bombay(Nick and Saje) also showed up yesterday, which was cool. Last night they had a pool party(Osho was a big fan of partying and celebrating too), but I skipped out. I had a bit of a sore throat, and wanted to rest, in case I was getting sick, which I was. Today I'm feeling a bit better, but I think I have a bit of a cold. I'm going to take it easy, and just lay around and listen to my cds today. Anyways, that's where its at right now. I'm thinking I'll stay here for a week or so, and then head off to Goa. They have a need for SQL Server Dbas, and VB Programmers here, so at the end of my trip I may look into getting a job. Its just a passing idea, but I talked to an Austrian woman who works in the computer department here, and they don't pay you, but you can stay and eat and use all of the facilities for free. It might be an interesting experience. I'm not so sure about the computer thing, but who knows? They also have a publishing department. That might be more up my alley. Anyways, I'm off to find inner peace.
Sunday, April 13, 2003
Namaste from Pune. I arrived this morning on the early train from Bombay Central Train Station(Victoria Terminus). The train ride here was fascinating. I'm beginning to get a better sense of the poverty that exists in this country. I passed countless villages and towns that were essentially shantytowns with buildings build from mud and brick, or else just alumunim siding. The countryside was beautiful. It was rolling hills that almost made it to the size of small mountains, but not quite. The pollution is awful in places. Some rivers and lakes look more like lagoons, filled to the brim with garbage, often there would be pigs eating in them. I saw many agricultural sights, men and women working in the fields, carrying pots, sometimes three high(at least four feet) on top of their heads, men tilling the earth with oxe and plough. Very surreal. The state of repair of buildings in the west, in Victoria for example is something that I think most westerners take for granted. I have not seen a single "new" building since I've been hear, and I'm finding that what Lonely Planet calls a clean, modern establishment is likely something that most people back home would call a run down shack. I am fine with this, and I'm adjusting quickly. For the most part the people have been very friendly. The train employees were really nice to me. Often people don't speak very good english, so smiles and body language can constitute a friendly conversation in many cases. I've been harassed less in Pune by beggars. I think that is because it is a smaller city, and less touristy. People here often smile to me and wave as I walk by them on the street. I've got a small hotel room a couple of blocks away from the Ashram. It is costing me approximately 5$ Cdn per night. Can't beat that price! It has a large yard, and the manager is very friendly. For those of you who are curious(probably no one), I used my first squat toilet. Quite the experience. I think my thigh muscles will be huge by the time I get home. I also set up my mosquito net for the first time as there seem to be more bugs here than in Bombay. This afternoon I am going to check out the Ashram. I think I will likely enroll. This means I will have to have an HIV test done, fill out an application, and buy three sets of robes, two maroon ones, and one white, I believe. The centre offers all kinds of classes on all different aspects of spirituality. There are people from all over the world visiting it. I also plan to meet up with Jasmica and Okey's friend Senay while I am here. Other than that, I'm just taking it easy, and enjoying India. Travelling alone is always a bit of a rollercoaster, in my opinion, but today I am feeling quite good, and looking forward to my travels ahead. I think I could eventually fall in love with India, though right now I am just getting comfortable around her. As Jasmica told me, accept Mother India as she is and she will open her arms and embrace you. I think there is truth in this so far. Anyways, I need to go eat. I'm starving. Oh yeah, I've started drinking coffee again after a three year hiatus. I don't know why I needed to write that. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. Ah, there's nothing like a new vice.
J
Saturday, April 12, 2003
Today will be my last in Bombay this time around. Today I went to the train station and bought my ticket to Pune for tomorrow morning. What an experience that was. You cannot believe how many people are coming and going from the Bombay train station. Walking towards it all that can be seen is a sea of dark hair, literally thousands and thousands of people. With that said, I would have thought it would be a nightmare to book a ticket. It was very efficient, though I had to wait for an hour. In that time they processed about 1200 people in front of me.
It is still very hot here, and the pollution makes my nose and mouth burn sometimes. I think I am adjusting to the heat though. I got a good old fashioned Indian head shaving today. The guy did a good job, gave me a head massage, and only charged me about 90 cents. Beat that Jimmy! (Jimmy's is the barber shop I go to in Victoria)
Well, not much else to tell. Bombay is a busy place. I think I'm ready to move on though. I'm hoping to spend a few days at the legendary Osho Ashram in Pune. Check out the website if you're interested.
www.osho.com
J
Friday, April 11, 2003
Bombay Day 3.
Yesterday was mostly uneventful during the day, but I had a very cool experience last night.During the day I wandered around Bombay in ever widening circles away from my hotel as my courage increased. Ate in some funky restaurants, had my trademark afternoon nap, and then hit Leopold for a beer last night. I met a couple from Toronto who had been in India for five weeks. They were kind of negative, and didn't have much good to say about the country. It was a bit of a downer considering it was only my first real day in the country. They told me that they found Indians arrogant. I found that quite an arrogant thing to say while in another country. Maybe that's arrogant of me to think that way. I dunno. Anyways, after they departed, I ended up meeting a couple of guys from the States, Philadelphia and Houston respectively, who were of Indian Heritage. Sajil, and Nickesh were there names. Saje was born in America, but Nick had lived there for the last 8 years or something like that. Anyways, we hit it off really good, and ended up consuming quite a few beers while they filled me in on the state of arranged marriages, the caste system, the politics and history of Bombay, and many other interesting facts. It was a good glimpse into Indian life from a couple of guys who understand it quite well. They decided, since we had been getting along so well, to take me home to Nick's parent's place for dinner. They were quite amused by it, knowing that it would shock his parents. I was a little nervous, but the analogy that Saje gave me was to imagine if I was visiting my parents(say in Saskatchewan), and I went out for a beer and brought home a random black guy. So I was the random white guy, that's what we started calling me, and we headed off in a cab to meet the family. It was a really cool experience, and his parents were very friendly. They are a fairly wealthy family by Indian standards and lived in a really nice apartment on Marine Drive. One of their servants fed me a delicious home-made Gujarathi meal of chick peas in Gravy with onions, some kind of parsley-like vegetable, with yogurt. We used this light, deep fried Roti bread to scoop up the chick pea dish with. It was delicious, and I ate lots.
After dinner we headed over to Nick and Saje's cousin's house. They were all going to a big club opening hosted by some Fashion magazine in Bombay. There were limited tickets, so we hung out for a bit at the cousin's apartment(also a very nice apartment on Marine drive - apparently Liz Hurley lives next door), and then it was time for me to depart while they got ready for the gala event. It was supposed to be a big "who's who in Bombay" type event. We walked by the bar, and it looked very high society. Apparently there were going to be a number of movers and shakers from Bollywood, and Bombay in general attending. I headed home, still half drunk at about 10, and crashed.
Today, I haven't been doing too much. I took my longest walk yet, and hiked from Colaba, where I am staying up into the Fort district, which is the business district of Bombay. Its hard to believe how much stuff is being bought and sold on every street in this city, especially in the Fort district. I achieved my goal of buying a chain for my backpack(to lock it on trains), and getting change. I engaged in my first bartering session for the chain, though I was a bit of a pushover, and only got the guy down about 10 rupees(30 cents Cdn). Tonight I plan to try and find a really good Indian restaurant and try some of the local fair. I've been eating quite a bit of western food still, which is dumb, since I am in India after all. I'm settling in and getting used to the pace of things here, and I think I'm really going to enjoy my trip. The people seem to be indifferent to me for the most part, not friendly or unfriendly. I think that is a standard attitude in a city of this size. People mind their own business. I've gotten more used to the beggars, touts, and high pressure sellers that approach you on every block. It is becoming easier to ignore them. The initial reaction is to feel some guilt at being rude to people, and at not helping people who are very obviously living in severe poverty, and it probably sounds strange for people at home to read that, but if I were to help everyone who asked me in India, I'd be home broke in a couple of days.
My plan right now is to stay in Bombay for the next couple of days and then on Sunday or Monday to head to Pune. Pune is a city of about 3 million that is a four hour train ride from Bombay. It is home to the world famous Osho Ashram, and also to a friend of Jasmica and Okey's, Senay. I am hoping to meet up with Senay, and also to spend some time at the Ashram taking some classes. Its an interesting philosiphy they have there. Check it out on the Internet if you're interested. From Pune I plan to head to Goa to do some sunsoaking, and beach lazing. Anyways, that's all for now.
J
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
I'm not in Kansas anymore. This place is crazy. No matter how prepared I thought I was, it is nothing like I could have imagined, and I've only seen a tiny piece of it so far. I arrived at about 10pm last night to Mumbai International Airport, and got a cab into the city. Now, for those of you who know about my fear of driving, well, let's just say I'm being forced to deal with it. The roads here are potted, and narrow in most places, and almost all intersections are uncontrolled. People drive very fast, and they pass at insane times. The horn is like a life jacket for most drivers, and it seems neccessary to honk it anytime you are near to anything, so as to avoid being run off the road, or sidesweeped in busy intersections, and to avoid running over pedestrians. I am beginning to understand why there are so many accidents here. Still, it was quite the experience, and left me in awe. The smog is very intense in this city. It causes your eyes to burn in places, and can be smelled in the air most of the time. Like I said, I have only seen a small piece of Bombay so far, but the poverty I have seen already is quite shocking. This is going to be life changing for sure. I made it to Colaba, where my hotel is, last night, and overpaid a young tout to take me to the place. I have quite a huge room with a TV, and it is slightly air conditioned. It is a pricey place, by India standards, but still I am only paying $30 Cdn per night. Tonight, I plan to downsize to a smaller room. My current room also has its own bathroom, and european style toilet and shower.
This morning I got up, got organized, worked up the courage to leave my hotel, and went for breakfast at Leopold's. Leopold's is a bit of a legend in Bombay. It is known as a hang-out for international travellers, and ex-pats. I ate an omelette, had a glass of lemonade, and made my way to this internet cafe. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the rest of the day. I need to change some money, and get my bearings. I wouldn't mind taking some photos, and doing a bit of sight-seeing, but I want to take baby steps at first, as everything is still very new to me here. So that's it for now. I'm still absorbing, and in a bit of a shock(I think they call it culture shock), but slowing growing accustomed to being here. Its going to be an interesting four months. Anyways, back to it. All my love.
J
Tuesday, April 08, 2003
Damn, its not as hot today as it was yesterday, but its still pretty hot. Well, this is my last day in KL. Tonight, I fly to India, and the madness truly begins. Malaysia has been a good decompression chamber for me. I feel much more prepared for India now that I've experienced a small piece of Asia, and gotten accustomed to travelling. I've already lightened my bag of a few unneccessary items, mostly clothes. Yesterday was another awesome day. Jennifer, and Rachel and this guy Roland from Ireland that we met, took a walk through the KL lake gardens. Quite beautiful, and very tropical, it was a nice break from the smog and clamor of KL. Later that afternoon, we went swimming at an outdoor Chinese swimming pool in the pouring rain. It was so refreshing, and alot of fun. Then last night we hit little India for what was definitely my most authentic Indian meal ever. We had like four different dishes, and we ate off of banana leaf instead of plates, and also, we ate with our hands, which is typical in India. Jasmica, you will probably disagree with me, but I've heard from people here that the Indian food in Malaysia is better than India. I think I could get myself lynched if I said that too loudly in India. The jury is still out for me, but last night's meal was fantastic. The only bad part was the creepy old Indian guy that was harrassing Jennifer, and rubbing my shoulder with his finger. Then we went back to the hostel and had beers on the patio and talked about life, the universe and travelling . My head is really clearing being on the road, and I really, really feel like I am getting back to myself again, realizing what's important and what's not, and starting to form plans for a new way of life, a new attitude for myself when I come home(I know, its only day 4, don't get carried away).
It is becoming clearer to me that often in the routine of my life back home I was placing too much importance on things that were trivialities, and not enough value on the things that are really important. I'm trying to find words to explain myself right now, but they aren't there, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Till India...
Monday, April 07, 2003
Day 3. Morning.
Damn, its even hotter here today! It poured last night, which cooled off the city for awhile. That was nice. When it rains here, it really rains. I've never seen rain come down so hard. Today, its sweltering. Lots has happened in the last 24 hours. I had a great day yesterday, all told. I met some really cool people(two girls, one from New Zealand, one from Seatlle, and a really cool French guy), and the four of us went and saw a Malaysian play last night at a local theatre. It was a comedy, and alot of the cultural humor was lost on us, but it had its moments. I had an interesting experience last night at dinner as well. We hit a Hong Kong restaurant close to the theatre, and the rest of the crew decided to have dinner. I abstained, since I had eaten an E-Burger a couple of hours before from a local fast food joint(big mistake, you think Mcdonald's is gross!), and instead decided to just have some dessert. I can't remember the name of the dish that I ordered. I just ordered it to surprise myself, thinking dessert was pretty safe. The dish that I got was a massive plate of shaved ice with some kind of fruit flavoring in it. That in itself probably sounds pretty tasty, and it was. The strange part was the creamed corn that was poured over the peak of it, in a sort of macabre, pseudo-cherry like attempt at topping. Okay, I could deal with that, so I ate the corn. I ate the shaved ice. I was nearing the bottom of the mound of ice when I disovered the peas in the bottom. So I ate the peas. Then under the peas was a layer of liquidy brown stuff with vegetables, and these strings of long, brown mucous like fibres that looked, and tasted like some derivation of tobacco(maybe the lung derivation). That was as far as I could go with my dessert. It actually wasn't as shocking as I make it out to be, but it was kind of funny at the time, and makes a good story.
After dinner we all went back to the hostel, and hit the rooftop bar with Stefan's guitar for a three hour sing-song jam session. It was great, and I can truly say that those kinds of moments - four people sitting around a table on top of a foreign city, drinking beer, singing songs, and loving life, is truly, truly, what it is all about.
Stefan took off up the country this morning, but I'm meeting up with the girls in a couple of hours and we're going to hit these huge gardens on the outskirts of the city. Apparently it is where the young Muslim couples go on dates, as they aren't allowed to spend time alone before marriage. Its supposed to be quite cute and quaint, with dressed up couples playing badminton, and rowing around in boats. Should be interesting. I've been told that Malaysians go nuts over badminton. They take it very seriously. The national museum is also out at this park, and apparently there is this massive wall portrait of the World's Men's Badminton Champion from like 1984. Some sixteen year old kid who brought the cup back to Malaysia after a thirty year hiatus. I may have the story completely wrong, but you get the point. Anyways, I'm off. Back to the heat. All my love.
J
p.s. I had Indian food for breakfast this morning. Curried chicken and rice with vegetables, which was very good. The best part, however, was the fresh cooked banana-naan bread, that they made for me when I ordered. It was piping hot off the grill, and I had to wait for it to cool before I could eat it. It was like dessert for breakfast. I can't wait for the food in India. Oh yeah, curried fish heads seem to be very popular here. We've been talking about trying them. I think I might give it a go.
Sunday, April 06, 2003
Damn, its hot here! Day two in KL is going well. I slept for like fourteen hours last night after I got into a hostel. Luckily for me, I found the hostel that I was hoping to find. Its one that Lonely Planet recommends highly. By pure chance, I stumbled upon it two blocks away from where my cab dropped me off in Chinatown. I didn't even know it was the one I was looking for until I was inside. Ah, life works in funny ways. Unfortunately though, my 14 hour sleep caused me to miss out on drinking beer on the rooftop patio above our hostel. That's on my agenda for tonight. Don't get the wrong idea, though. The place is no palace. Its very run down, but clean and friendly, and the steady stream of insects pouring from the wall in the bathroom doesn't seem to take much interest in me. This morning I got up, still slightly jetlagged, and mentally prepared myself for the day. I had initially found myself scared to leave the hostel. Asia, as those of you have been here know, has a different air about it than Canada. Still, I got my shit together and headed out quite early this morning. I walked for a couple of hours into downtown KL, had some breakfast at a Chinese place and chatted with the owner, and then cruised over to the Petrona towers. I believe they are the tallest buildings in the world since the twin towers in NYC went down, but don't quote me on that. Anyways, my goal was to take the elevator to the skybridge about 70 stories up and check out the city from above. It turns out that its closed on Mondays, so I'll have to go back tomorrow. Kuala Lumpur is an interesting city. You can definitely tell that it is a business center, and that there is alot of cash here. It is also cool how the jungle grows all around the inside of the city. I've never experienced that before. I met a guy named Alex out from of the towers, who I think was a con artist. He asked me a million questions, helped me find the place to buy a ticket for the skybridge, and then started telling me how his sister was going to move to Vancouver. When he suggested that we meet up later to talk more about Vancouver, I decided to make my exit. The owner of the hostel warned me upon arrival about the con artists here. He said they're everywhere, and may invite you back to their place, out for dinner, all that jazz. I've decided now that I won't trust anyone I meet on my trip. Just joking. Anyways, enough for today. So far, so good. Ta ta.
p.s. One other note, to backtrack a bit. Los Angeles from the sky on a clear night is amazing. I've never seen a city so huge(is there one?) - anyways, it spreads for as far as the eye can see in every direction.
Greetings from Kuala Lumpur! I just arrived in town a few hours ago. I'm down in Chinatown trying to absorb the madness after a twenty four hour flight. Feeling pretty jetlagged. Its a cool city so far, though. Coming in from the airport is like being in Bladerunner. Everything is super high tech. Then suddenly I'm dumped into Chinatown, which is about as low tech, and teeming with people as you can imagine. I'm sure it will pale in comparison to India, however, in the people density department. I still haven't found a place to stay. I checked one place out, but it was a total dive. I may try to get a decent hotel for my first night, so I can chill, and get used to Asia. I'm half way across the world. Its a strange feeling. I made a friend in my brief first class jaunt from Van to L.A. - this girl named Camille who is the assistant to the director of the new Vin Diesel film that's going to be shooting in Vancouver next month. I now officially have a connection in Hollywood. Hollywood to Bollywood, I guess. Anyways, I'm going to try to get my brain sorted out. Things are good, and the adventure is only just beginning.....
J
Friday, April 04, 2003
Okay, my posts have been deleted twice due to this stupid terminal in Van airport and I'm running out of internet time. I'm in the airport, I've been upgraded to first class for part of my trip. I'll write again from KL in a day or two. Stupid computers. Things are good. I'm relaxed and looking forward to my trip.
J
Thursday, April 03, 2003
I arrived in Vancouver yesterday(Wednesday) afternoon, and headed downtown. A few minutes after getting off the bus from the Ferry I ran into an old roomate of mine from Swift Current. Strange coincidence. We went for a beer and then went back to his girlfriend's place to watch the hockey game in English Bay(in the same building that Amy lives in). I went to Kristian's later that night and crashed. Today I went for brunch with Andrea and Edward, her wee baby. He's a pretty cute little guy. Hung out with Andrea into the afternoon, and now I'm making my way back to Kristian's. Tomorrow I leave for India. It still hasn't really hit me yet.
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
Okay, I'm leaving Victoria today. Tomorrow I'm in Vancouver, and on Friday I'm out into the big wide world. If anyone knows a good place to stay in Kuala Lumpur, please let me know. I feel pretty decent about my trip right now. Almost all of the details have been taken care of. All I need to do now is let it all unfold. Wish me luck! All my love to everyone.
