What I Love About Thailand

Thailand has so many things going for it! Here are a few: 

T-shirts like these (it says "horror movie")

Cheap clothes like these (5 dollars)

Coconut shakes - naturally!

Beaches like these!

Sweet chili sauce (and hearts!)

Pad Thai -- of course!

An alternative to Tabasco -- THAIbasco!

So much street food! Yummmmmmy!

Good Reads

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I was going to make a list of my ten favorite books from 2010 (books I read, not necessarily books that came out in 2010), but although I read a lot of books last year, not very many of them were really great. Here are a few I would recommend.

1. Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans – this book tells the tale of nine different people who lived in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. Starting in the 1960s it leads you through their (very different) lives going up through the events of the storm and telling of the aftermath. This was a good book, which was heightened by the fact that I worked for several years doing recovery work for Katrina and lived in New Orleans for quite some time.

2. Gumbo Tales – This is another book about New Orleans. Again, this was a good book no matter where you are, but is even better if you are in NOLA. It tells of the history of several foods that are “typical” New Orleans food, such as Po Boys, Snoballs and Gumbo. It was very informative and funny.

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – I read this for book club and never ended up going to the club meeting, but I enjoyed the book immensely. It is a murder mystery, set in Sweden. The characters are strange but funny and the story is ridiculous but at the same time interesting and serious. I can’t wait to read the other two books in the series.

4. The Historian – This is a vampire book about a girl who goes looking for her family roots and finds out that they lead back to Vlad the Impaler. She travels to several countries, including Romania, to find out about her roots. It has danger, travel, suspense and history. All these together made for a great read.

As always, you can friend me on Goodreads to find out what else I have liked (and hated) in the book world.

Someone Thinks I am Cool?

Natalie from My Blog is Boring gave my other blog The Incredibly Sweet Blog Award! How nice! Thanks Natalie. It's always nice to get props!

So I am supposed to say 5 random things and then pass it on.

First, I would like to give this award to these folks:
1. Jess
2. Lisa
3. Kate
4. KT
5. Gracie

Now, 5 things.

1. I used to work at Nordstrom. For 8 years. In the Salon Shoe department. That's the fancy one where the shoes cost 200 + dollars per pair. I actually started in Brass Plum and worked my way to Ladies -- if you know Nordstrom, you will know what I am talking about. So, if you need to know anything about shoes, I am your man.

2. I don't really like dogs. I know, its sacrilegious to some. But they are annoying. They jump and bark and whine and are smelly and furry and ug. I don't like it. If I were to get a dog though, I would get a Lab. I had one as a kid. He was my best friend.

3. When I was a kid I thought I would run a boys home and adopt a ton of kids. Now, I am not even sure I want one.

4. I volunteered in Bolivia for a month at an orphanage. I loved it. The kids were total pains in the asses, but so much fun! It was great. We would go over the multiplication tables -- they learned math, I learned Spanish!

5. I am thinking of going back to school. Any advice?

Well, that's it. Enough about me. Tell me a random thing about YOU!

Ten on Tuesday (11)

Brought to you by Chelsea at RootsandRings.com.


1.  What condiments are always, always in your fridge?
Mayo, ranch dressing, sriracha (sp?)

2.   How do you like your steak cooked?  Your burgers?
Medium, although that usually gets me medium well. But I am afraid to ask for medium rare in case I actually get it.

3.  What’s your favorite use for fresh tomatoes?
Caprese Salad or just eat them with salt. Yum.

4.  What’s your go-to dinner when you haven’t planned anything in advance and you don’t feel like going out?
Sausages and Brussel Sprouts. I always have some in the freezer.

5.  What’s your favorite snack food lately?
I like fruit. I am not really into sweet stuff, but sometimes I like me some Cheese-its.

6.  What’s your favorite weekend breakfast to make at home? 
French Toast! It's my favorite but I don't have it very often.

7.  What’s your favorite thing to grill?  How do you do it? 
Hamburgers. Easy and good.

8.  What’s your favorite wine for under $10? If you’re not a wine person, what brand of beer is your favorite?
I don't mind Yellow Tail actually. Also Pepperwood Grove (at TJ) is good!


9.  Give us your most delicious cocktail recipe.
I am a vodka tonic girl. I don't like all those foo foo drinks. So: Ice, Grey Goose vodka, splash of tonic, lime. The end.

10.  How do you like your eggs?
Scrambled or fried, hard. Yolk = GROSS.

Week End Review

Hi everyone!! I'm going over to Kims for a beer and a little converation about our weeks!! 

This week I took it easy. 

I relaxed by the pool. 

Finished my book.

Got stressed out. 

Missed my family and friends.  

Rode a train and a bus and a boat. 

Join up! I have an extra beer! 

One of Those Days

When I was in High School and I had had a bad day (probably something like so-and-so didn't reply to my note that I passed across the room, or my brother picked up the other phone line when I was on it with my friend and said something stupid) I would go to my room and put on my favorite CD, probably Pearl Jam or Guns 'n' Roses, and turn it up as loud as it would go and just rock out.

It made me feel better somehow. To just let the music be loud. To clear my mind with other people's words. I would just sit there, sometimes singing along, sometimes nodding my head to the music, sometimes doing nothing. It was my therapy.

And it still is.  These days I normally take it out on some cookie batter or something -- you know, two birds and all that. I end up happy and I have a batch of chocolate chip cookies to show for it.

Yesterday was one of those days. When you feel like you have no control. When you wonder where your life is going. When you miss your friends and family. When you miss routine. And I couldn't even go to my room and blast my music. And I definitely couldn't make cookies. I couldn't be alone. I don't have a room or a kitchen or any space to myself. Maybe I should crawl into my backpack and hide.

It really got to me. How am I supposed to vent? The only person around was Mr. Lovely and not only has he probably heard enough already, but what I need is to be alone with my thoughts (and Eddie Vedder) in order to purge the bad ones.

So I did the only thing I could. My only option, since we were on an 8 hour bus ride, was to rock out with my iPod while staring out the window and PRETENDING that I was alone. It kind of worked. Not as good as the dancing around the room to loud music while baking cookies method, but it's better than nothing.

So now I feel better.

In case you are wondering, I put my iPod on random and here are a few that came out of it.

- The Sweetest Thing - Gwen Stefani (not my favorite song but VERY upbeat!)
- Let Me Sleep - Pearl Jam (flashback!)
- Natural Blues - Moby
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndie Lauper (don't they though!?)
- Thunderstruck - ACDC (okay I guess my iPod is playing all the older music first?)
and....last but definitely NOT least...

Misery Loves Company - Metallica

All I can say is. AIN'T IT THE TRUTH!!! Does anybody want to hang out?

Where I Live

I did a post a couple of months back showing photos of the place where I love live. As you may know, I am now on the road and of course miss my home. So here are a few more photos, for me to remember home by and for you to see where I live. I think it is a wonderful place! (by the way, some of these pictures also just remind me that I miss my Nikon! Man...the P&S just doesn't have the same quality, really it doesn't.) 

View from the summit of Mt. Shasta

Pulga Bridge & RR Bridge

Front yard on Christmas Day 2010

Sierra Buttes Lichen

State Flower: the Poppy

Feather River

Hwy 70 and Onionskin Rocks

Donner Pass

Strange Yellow goo (mushroom?) on a Log

Where do you live? Do you take time to look at the beauty all around you? I would love to see where you live! Leave a comment and tell me where to look!

An Update Regarding Books

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I believed I told you that I joined the Bookmark Break Challenge, which is hosted by Aubrie Anne over at Who's Your Editor. Here is an update of my progress.

When I last posted, I had 9 books under my belt in 2011. Added to that are these, which brings the total up to 13:

Around Africa on My Bicycle - Riaan Manser (review here)
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austin (A Blogger Book Club read)
Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery **** (this was a re-read, but just as good the second time)
Congo Journey - Redmond O'Hanlon**

I am definitely not in the lead. At last check on March 1, the top reader had 28 books!!! I have a lot of reading to do to catch up to her!

Also, I joined the BBC (Blogger Book Club) where our book for March was Sense and Sensibility.  KT of KTs Refinishing School has our linky open for discussion for this!  If you have read the book or want to join, go over to her site for a look!

My current read is With No One as a Witness by Elizabeth George, which should go fast as it is a murder mystery and I eat those up like candy. Even though it is over 700 pages, I started it this morning and am already half way through. Sometimes you just can't put a book down!

Review: Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Published: 1811
Number of Pages: 409
ISBN: 9780141439662
First Line: "The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex."

See the Goodreads description HERE.

This is a story about a family, of a mother and three daughters, as well as their extended family of cousins, step brothers and sisters-in-law and their current love interests. There is selfishness and greed; there are parties and laughter; there is music and books and love; there is heartbreak and deceit. It seems a formula for success.

The eldest daughter, Elinor, is the only rational one. Her next sister, Marianne, is a silly, selfish flighty girl who cares nothing of anyone else’s problems and wants everyone to focus on her own. The third sister barely gets mentioned, as she is not old enough to fall madly in love with the wrong guy and then make a scene about it when he doesn’t love her back.

The brother and sister-in-law are greedy and care only about money, even though they have plenty and don’t share it with the rest of the family. The cousins are only focused on parties and gaiety and fun.

My impression of this book was that they spend the whole time having parties and looking for a husband. They fall in love with men who are unfaithful and they act quite silly about it upon realizing the man doesn‘t love them. The men are all fickle and quite rude about it, pretty much ignoring the girls once they have had enough of them and never communicating with anyone.  I almost didn’t like them until I recollected that this book was written roughly 200 years ago and times WERE different then. However, I find it hard to relate and also to distance these girls from our modern times. If they were here right now, they would be completely out of place. I would tell them to shut up or to stand up for themselves for God’s sakes!

This is an era where men and women still marry for money and class. An era where your mother can arrange your marriage to a “suitable” beau. An era where the women didn’t work and then men were landlords as an occupation. It is an era that I do like to read about and would like to understand, but that I have a hard time relating to. Maybe it’s Austen’s style of writing. Maybe it’s just the era.

However, for such an old book, it is sometimes amazing how much things really haven’t changed. I think this quote still holds true today.  “Shyness is only the effect of a sense of inferiority in some way or other. If I could persuade myself that my manners were perfectly easy and graceful, I should not be shy”.

This one just cracks me up. “Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition”.  So she didn’t argue with him. She was snubbing him by not giving him the satisfaction of an argument. I love it. What an insult!

But the best quote is this one at the end, which redeems Marianne. She finally turns around and realizes that she is not the only person in the world and the learns to respect and care about other people. She realizes that the man she loved when young was worthless and the one who has stood by and loved her for years is priceless.

“Marianne Dashwood was born to an extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite maxims. She was born to overcome an affection formed so late in life as at seventeen, and with no sentiment superior to strong esteem and lively friendship, voluntarily to give her hand to another!”

I cannot say I really liked this book as much as I thought I would. From hearing what other people have said, I thought it would be absolutely great. It was just okay. I have found that there are several classics that I feel about this way. Maybe the hype is just too much. My expectations are too high. Or maybe I am just not into this style of book. I will keep trying however.

I give it a 3 out of 5. I liked this book but I did not love it.

PS. I have not seen the movie, but saw the cover of the book. Does Hugh Grant play Willoughby? I hope he's not Brandon. He's definitely more of a rouge. Also, if Kate Winslet is Marrianne, I am not sure I agree with that one either. I guess I will have to watch it.

Have you read Sense and Sensibility? Do you want to be part of the discussion? Please join us over at KT's Refinishing School for a link up and discussion of this book. While there, you can also vote for our April BBC book club read.

Ten on Tuesday (10)

1. What is your cleaning style like?
I am a tiny bit of an obsessive compulsive control freak anal clean person. Sometimes. I like things in order, I clean while I cook. I never leave the dishes for "tomorrow". I don't really dust that much though. But I do fold my underwear. 

2. What is your favorite thing to add to an outfit to take it from casual to classy?
Really sometimes all you need is a little mascara and a nice pair of shoes.

3. Do you like stormy weather?
Yes, it has a certain romantic feeling. I also LOVE the sound of rain on the roof.

4. What is your favorite cold treat on a hot day?
A coconut shake, naturally!

5. What is your favorite warm treat on a cold day?
Hot cocoa with whipped cream, or in my family, whipped cream with hot cocoa!!

6. Who is your favorite animated character?
I was a bugs bunny fan as a child -- kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit...there's nothing better than that. However, I really loved Finding Nemo.

7. What do you keep your jewelry in?
I barely have any, but I keep it in old prescription medicine bottles and a little plastic organizer.

8. Do any of the rooms in your house have a theme?
I don't have a house, or rooms, or even very much furniture. I am not very materialistic. So, no, no themes.

9. Do you watch any interior design TV shows – if so, what is your favorite?
No. I sometimes watch HGTV but usually the home buying ones not the decorating ones.

10. When was the last time you did something risk-taking?
Hahahah. I can't say online. My mom would be mad. JUST KIDDING MOM! I think it was scuba diving or climbing in the Himalayas. Or riding in any moving vehicle in Vietnam.

Thanks to Chelsea at Roots and Rings for hosting this!

Any Interest in Pinterest?

Okay so I joined Pinterest and so far it's been fun, although I am still figuring out what to do. Basically you just "pin" anything you like to a "board" where you can see it all at the same time. So any website, pair of shoes or photo you like, pin it on! Some people have so many things on there! I have about 8. I am working on it.

I can invite people by email, so go and check the site out HERE, and if you want to join, email me or leave your email in a comment and I will invite you by email. 

Here is my pathetic board so far! I can't wait to see what YOU pin! 

Curry Me Green

Have I mentioned I like food? At home I cook as much as I can and I definitely miss that while I am abroad. I miss being able to just open the fridge and get out a snack, instead of having to go out and "forage" for food, to work for it. I miss having cheese at the ready and eating hunks of it out of the fridge without a cracker, whenever I want. I miss coffee, endless amounts of it with fresh milk.

However, even though there is no cheese here, there are so many other great foods in Asia! Below is a photo one of the great Thai foods, Green Curry with Chicken. I could eat this, and Pad Thai, every day. I found a great recipe here, where there are also many other great Thai recipes.

This Thai Green Curry Chicken recipe features chunks of tender chicken simmered in a homemade green curry sauce along with healthy vegetables (zucchini and red bell pepper). The result is a gourmet-style Thai green curry that is very aromatic and beautiful to serve (great for entertaining!). The key to good green curry is in not only using the right ingredients, but knowing when to add them. Because this curry is made the same as in Thailand (on your stovetop), I recommend using only smaller pieces or cuts of chicken, allowing for faster cooking and the freshest possible taste. ENJOY!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:

• GREEN CURRY PASTE:
• 4 small green Thai chilies, OR substitute 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers
• 1/4 cup shallot OR purple onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
• 1 stalk lemongrass, sliced thinly OR 3 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 to 1 tsp. shrimp paste
• 1 cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper (can be purchased at some supermarkets, OR at Asian food stores)
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• CURRY INGREDIENTS:
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (can be purchased frozen at most Asian food stores)
• 2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
• 1 to 1.5 lbs. (about 0.7 kg) boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into chunks
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise several times, then cut into chunks
• Generous handful of fresh basil

Preparation:

For lemongrass tips, see: Buying and Preparing Fresh Lemongrass.

1. Place all the "green curry paste" ingredients together in a food processor, and process to a paste. If necessary, add a few Tbsp. of the coconut milk to help blend ingredients. Set aside.
2. Prepare the lime leaves by tearing the leaf away from either side of the stem. Discard the central stem. Then, using scissors, cut leaves into thin strips. Set aside.
3. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then add the green curry paste.
4. Stir-fry briefly to release the fragrance (30 seconds to 1 minute), then add 3/4 of the coconut milk, reserving 2-3 Tbsp. per serving portion for later.
5. Add the chicken, stirring to incorporate. When the curry sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low, until you get a nice simmer.
6. Cover and allow to simmer 3-5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally.
7. Add the red bell pepper and zucchini, plus the strips of lime leaf, stirring well to incorporate. Simmer another 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened but still firm and colorful.
8. Do a taste-test for salt, adding 1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce if not salty enough. If you'd prefer a sweeter curry, add a little more sugar. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. Note that this curry should be a balance of salty, spicy, sweet and sour, plus bitter (the bitter is found in the fresh basil garnish).
9. Serve this curry in bowls with rice served separately, allowing guests to add their own. Top each portion with fresh basil, then drizzle over 2-3 Tbsp. coconut milk, and ENJOY!

Chopped

Well, I did it; I cut my hair. I was trying to decide a while ago and most people said, "go for it", so I did.

I went to a "salon" in Bangkok. The magazine they had for hairstyles was full of punk rock cuts. I finally found the cut I wanted (or a close enough one) in the "Asian" section of the magazine. So I guess I have an Asian haircut?

The lady who cut it did so while looking out the window of the hair salon. I was afraid I was going to end up bald! When I tried to explain to her at the beginning that I wanted to keep my ponytail to donate it to Locks of Love she just gave me a blank stare. So I just told her I wanted to keep the ponytail and she lopped it off a little too low. I hope it's long enough! You need at least 10 inches. I won't be able to send it in until I get home anyway, so we will see how it goes then. The lady also kept trying to keep the cut longer. She would cut it and I would say, "shorter" and she would look at me like, "are you sure? You are crazy!" and then she would cut off another inch and then I would say, "shorter!" We went round and round for a while.

It's pretty short and very layered, so of course it will be a pain to grow out, but c'est la vie! It feels weird without a ponytail and yesterday when I took a shower I dried off my hair and then flipped my head backwards, only to realize I don't have any hair to flip! But I sure am saving money on shampoo! And I don't even use conditioner anymore. I know, crazy right?

Best of all, my haircut cost 100 baht, the equivalent of about 3 dollars. You can't beat that!

And, funny thing...I sent one of my friend's a photo and told her I cut my hair and she sent me THIS. I guess I am not alone, although, damn, how can I compete with her? She's HOT.

Finish Line

I recently entered JC Martin's Race to 200 Blog Contest, where you have to write a  (roughly) 700 word essay, somehow having to do with racing. You can find my entry here.

The results are (almost) in! I am one of 6 finalists and the results just need to be narrowed down. You can go here to see the 6 finalists and to read their submissions and vote for your favorite! They are all good ones; the decision will be difficult, but we know you can do it.

The race is almost over!

Note: thanks to JC and Genna who hosted and judged this contest! 

Palm Wine, Anyone?

Koh Chang, Thailand

I was watching a show on Nat Geo about people in India who make a coconut toddy out of the sap of the palm tree. It's pretty cool; they climb up to the top and tap the tree and put a gourd under the tap. They then leave the gourd up in the tree for a few days. When they take it down, it is liquor. This liquor has to be drunk in one day, or else it becomes vinegar. However, they do use this vinegar in curries and other dishes, so it doesn't go to waste.

After watching that, as well as traveling to a few places with palm trees, it is really amazing how many things the palm tree can be used for.

Obviously there is the coconut, a great fruit and one of my favorite shakes!

Next we have heart of palm, which is delicious, but apparently they have to kill the tree to get it, so it's not very practical, and this accounts for it's price at Trader Joes! 

There are also date palms, which "date" back to 5000 years ago when the Middle Eastern cultures used them as a hardy source of food that didn't go bad on long desert journeys.

In Malaysia, they have huge farms of palm trees that they use to harvest palm oil. There are two types, palm oil which is used for cooking and palm kernel oil which is used for soap. (this is actually sad, because it is destroying the natural landscape, as apparently they can get more money for the oil than they can for other land uses, such as preserving natural forests)

The betel nut is often chewed in eastern Asia as a mild drug. I tried it when I was in the Philippines. They take the nut and a piece of leaf, together with a bit of snail shell powder (I am actually not sure and probably don't want to know what it was), and you wrap it all together and stick it in your mouth. You then chew and chew and chew and then spit and spit and spit. I did not get any feeling from it, although the locals swear by it's euphoric effect. The only effect I saw was that they all had brown, rotten teeth!

In many places Palm leaves are used as roofing material.

There are many other uses, which I didn't even know about and found on Wikipedia:  Coir is a coarse, water-resistant fibre from the outer shell of coconuts. It is used in doormats, brushes, mattresses, and ropes. Dragon's blood is a resin used in dyes, varnishes and incense, can come from the fruit of the rattan.  Some peoples living in palm-rich areas use palms to make many of their necessary items and food. Palm leaves are also valuable to some peoples as a material for thatching or clothing ^[14].

In California, they are used as decoration, and I have heard that a full sized tree costs upwards of 50,000 dollars. I don't know if there is any truth to this. 

Also, as a side note, Girl With The Red Hair did a post about what she was writing about on her blog a year ago. I thought this was interesting, so I went to my blog to find out: What was I doing for the past few years in March?

In March 2010:
I was cooking top ramen in my hotel coffeepot.
I got my first tag from Jess, one of my first real followers!

In March 2009:
I ran the New Bedford Half Marathon.

In March 2008:
I was hanging out with Luis at the Boca Juniors stadium in Argentina.

In March 2007:
I was celebrating St. Pats at the Bulldog in New Orleans.

Aren't blogs great! They are like the best and weirdest journal you could ever have.

What about you: Have you tried palm wine? Do you like coconuts? What were YOU doing last March? 

Ten on Tuesday (9)

Brought to you by Chelsea at rootsandrings.com.

1. How did your parents decide on your name?
My mom found it in a bodice ripper. It means "my lady" (ie senora,
Madame) in Greek. So if my name was Greek it would still be the same.

2. Do your initials (First, Middle, Last) spell out anything fun/funny?
My initials are KLNW. I used to say my middle name was Ellen. (LN) But
no, all consonants don't really spell anything. If I was a gov't
entity I could probably work out a great acronym.

3. Did you take your middle name from childhood or did you take your
maiden name as your middle name? (If unmarried, what do you plan to do?)
I am unmarried and don't plan on becomming so soon. I will cross that
bridge if I come to it.

4. Are you or will you name your children thematically (ie. same first
letter, all of same origin?
No. I don't have kids but I think it's super cheesy to name them
Kristy, Kyle, Karla, and Ken. Super cheesy. Twins called Kevin and
Devin are ever worse. Please don't do that. Imagine the taunts. And
confusion.

5. Did you decide on baby names as a little girl? Did you stick to
them or change your mind?
I was going to have eight kids. Then I realized that I like life
without them ( sorry mom). But I actually, despite the last comment,
like the name Devin. And Freyja for a girl. My cousin us Fransje and I
think that is the most beautiful name ever. If I have kids they
probably won't have normal names. However, my boyfriend is Portuguese,
so they will probably be called Maria(Mary) and Joao (John).

6. Does your family have any names that have been passed down through
generations?
Yes. On my Moms side we are a Mayflower family. So there are tons of
Peters and Charles and Johns. And it's common to take someone in your
family's first name as your middle name.

7. Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?
I like both. Freyja for example is the Norse goddess of love, beauty
and war. But I just like the name.

8. Do you name pets with human names (Sally, Henry) or with pet names
(Fluffy, Mr. Bo Bo)?
I am a very unoriginal pet namer. My favorite cats were Whiskers,
Blackie, Callie and Jasmine (I think my mom named that one). I haven't
had a pet in about ten years.

9. Are there any names that you have an affinity or dislike for based
on a childhood experience/someone you once knew?
Definetely. Mellissa is a girl who cheated on my best friend. Hate it.
Valerie is a bitch I had as a boss. Hate it. Etc.

10. What are some of your favorite names? Why?
I like Celtic names, Greek names and Norse names. Gods I guess. Why -
they are different and powerful.

Street Food Love

pad thai man a photo by kyria! on Flickr.

I love street food. From this guy, you can get an order of street Pad Thai for about One Dollar. He also has spring rolls and best of all, meats on sticks (50 cents each).

Thank goodness for the Pad Thai Guy.

Funny Signs, American Style

Sometimes even at home, there are funny signs. Most of these are at the office.

Well what should I use them for then?

This guy was MAD

This toilet has no money

Next sign will say "don't EAT in the kitchen"

This sign was first.

The next day, someone had added this one.

Office humor! It's funny. Aren't you glad you are not there now? Have a great weekend!

Tiny Blogger

Today For The Love of Blogs is hosting the Fab Friends Friday blog hop.

I just wanted to say THANKS to Kimberly at Yep They Are All Mine because she solved a problem for me! It has been bugging me for a while that I couldn't figure out how to make my blog accessible by mobile because I know that I use my phone a lot to look at people's blogs and it is a pain to have to zoom, zoom, zoom in order to make a comment. Well Kim let me know how to do it and let me tell you, I am a dunce! It was SO EASY.

So just in case you too are a blogger dunce like me, I am going to rehash what I had to do to make it work. Thanks Kim! You are a blog-saver! (and an EYE saver!)

1. Go to draft.blogger.com (yeah, why I didn't know about this, I am not sure)
2. Go to your SETTINGS
3. Go to Email & Mobile
4. Go to SHOW MOBILE TEMPLATE --- hit YES
5. Save. You are done.

The key was the DRAFT blogger, which I was not using. Once I got onto that, it was a cinch. I suggest everyone do this, as I personally think it makes it more likely that people will comment on your blogs since it is so easy!

Also, I have not played around with it yet, but Kim also said there are many more fun things to do in Draft that you can't do in regular blogger. So, if you find out about anything else I should know about, please let me know!

Racing For Your Life

Crossing the street is an art form and all around the world it is done differently. I was in Washington DC once with some friends as we jaywalked across the street, the middle aged woman behind us who was standing on the curb, stated to her friend, “Hmph. They must be from California”. Well she could have been guessing, as we were two blondes and an Asian, but I think what she was referring to was that we had crossed the street in a non-crosswalk area. The nerve of us! What were we thinking? I wasn’t aware that this was a typically Californian trait.

In fact, she may have been better off saying, “They must be from Nepal”. They cross the street wherever and whenever they want. In San Francisco, the pedestrian judges the speed of the cars and walks accordingly behind or in front of the traffic (and rarely in the crosswalk). However, try the same thing in Sacramento and just as you are about to cross the street behind the Honda that is heading your way, the Honda will slow down or even stop and wave you on. Then everyone is confused. You are not sure why they are waving at you (do they know you?) and they keep waiting for you to cross. If there are multiple lanes, other cars may come and who knows if they too decide to stop or if they are going to keep going. The rules are different everywhere.

However, the most exciting and difficult street crossing I have ever encountered has been in Vietnam. In Vietnam it is a race. A race against time. A race for your life.

The traffic in Vietnam is not only horrible and busy but there are no rules that I can see. Many people drive motorcycles and they sometimes drive on the wrong side, run red lights and pass cars on the left and or right as they see fit. They drive to fast and swerve around cars. They drive on the sidewalk. They seem to think that a honk or twenty is the only thing you need before doing whatever you want. Throw into the mix dozens each of cars, trucks, buses and bicycles and you have a melting pot of chaos.

Now, imagine crossing this jungle on foot. There are no crosswalks, and as I said before, nobody obeys the lights anyway. You have to cross in the middle. There is always traffic. It took me a while to learn how to do this. I was standing on a curb, waiting for the traffic to thin, which it wasn’t. I was wondering in my mind, “How in the H am I going to cross this mess?”

And then I saw her, my guardian angel, an old woman, about to cross the street. So I got right behind her and decided to do what she did. What she did was this. She stepped off the curb. The traffic was still whizzing by with frightening speed. She started walking across, as if she was Moses and the traffic was going to just part and let her by. The funny thing is, it did. As she walked (and I scampered behind her), the traffic went around her. They judged her speed and avoided her (and me, since I was basically clinging to her Vietnamese pajamas).

I was amazed. So this is how they do it! Now I know. The key is to remain calm and to keep the same pace. If you jump out of the way or speed up, you may get run over. You have to just set your pace and stick with it and they will go around you. And this is how you win the race.

 
NOTE: This post is an entry for the JC Martin, Fighter, Writer "Race to 200" Blog Contest. Please go and check out her site and the other entries. We will be doing a blog hop from March 4-6 2011.

What I Miss, A Haircut and More

When traveling, you oftentimes really want something, something you get at home all the time and take for granted ALL THE TIME. You don't realize you liked it until, voila, it is gone. Here are a few of those things.

- Free refill coffee -- the coffees abroad are tiny and they take forever to get to your table and there are no refills. I want a full cup of coffee, all the time. I want to drink 4 cups in one sitting. I want COFFEE, not a tiny cup of slog that I can consume in one gulp.

- Water, clean water. Tap water is a no-no in most places. So you have to buy bottle after plastic bottle in order to have enough. And if you forget to buy a bottle before going to bed, expect a dry mouth the next day. I have been VERY temped to drink the tap water many times, but have refrained. But I am SOOOO thirsty all the time.

Now, the haircut. I am thinking of cutting my hair. I don't know why, but every few years I go through this faze. I did it in 2008, lopped it all off and sent it to Locks of Love. I think it is time to do it again. Except this time, I thinking REALLY short. Why, I don't know, but I need a change. Will I regret it?

Here is a photo of "maybe" what I would do:

Or this:

Here is what my hair looks like now. I know, boring, right? (and a little uneven!)

And I usually wear it up like this anyway.

So, what do you think?? Should I cut it? Will I look like a boy? Or a lesbian? (no offense to boys or lesbians)

And lastly, I just want to say thanks to my followers, new and old! I appreciate that you read all my drivel, about myself and what I am doing and what is important to me. You guys rock!

Ten on Tuesday (8)

1. What type of cell phone do you have and how would you rate it?
I have an iPhone and I mostly love it. I hate iTunes though.
2. What has been your most serious injury?
I broke my pinky finger and once had stitches in my chin. That's about
all. I'm not really accident prone I guess.
3. What is one movie you hate and why?
I don't really like any of those dumb Adam Sandler movies. He's like a
child. I don't find it funny.
4. How many email addresses do you have?
I have two that I use and three that I don't use. Oh and I had to sign
up for yahoo to use flickr so I guess that's four I don't use.
5. What website do you waste the most time on?
Google Reader.
6. Which mexican restaurant makes the best salsa?
Pretty much any one in the Mission in San Francisco has my vote.
7. What is your dream car?
That Mercedes that costs 450,000. The one with the gullwing doors. I
don't know the model.
8. If you could spend up to $100 with no strings or restrictions or
guilt, what would you buy?
A flight somewhere. Or a massage.
9. What is your favorite board game?
I love Rummikub.
10. How often do you change your hairstyle?
Almost never. Maybe every three years or so. Its usually long.
**Brought to you from Chelsea at rootsandrings.com**

Lovely Lists

Do you have a travel story you would like to share? Would you like to be a guest blogger? If so, please email me (you can find my email on my profile) or leave a comment below! 

Note: I am still working on updating and improving my pages, but check them out and let me know what I am missing/what needs work! They are on the top left currently! Just click on Oh the Places we Can Go, bookshelf or travel tips to see what's new!

Okay now lets get to it. I know that YOU know that I love lists! So why not create a list of lists? Is that even allowed? Here are some of my favorites that you may have missed.
 
10 Things I Can't Live Without When Traveling

10 Things That Make You Realize You Are in Africa

10 of my New Favorite Foods

You Might be in India if...

Top 10 Experiences (RTW 1st Half)

Sleeps With The Fishes: Places to Stay While Abroad

Best iPhone Apps

Ten on Tuesday lists

Make Way For Buffalo

make way for buffalo
Originally uploaded by kyria!

I love this picture with the water buffalo and the lady herding them on her bike. It's too bad it was overcast pretty much the entire time we were there so this photo is a little grainy and dark, but I still like it!

Ninh Binh, Vietnam -- near the Mua Caves -- Feb 2011

Two Pees in a Pod: Part II

Disclaimer: If you do not like potty talk, you should avert your eyes.

On my travels I have used the toilet in a lot of strange places. Each place has it’s own toilet system, flush system and wiping system. I am here to let you know, because I am sure you have been wondering: How do these systems work?

Let’s start with a basic one, the western toilet with a flush. If you are lucky, you may get one of these. However, in most countries, I would say pretty much all, you are not supposed to flush the toilet paper in the toilet. So, that is the most simple toilet system that is different from ours. However, you may not be able to find the flush, as sometimes it is a push down, sometimes it is a pull up, sometimes on top of the tank, sometimes on the side, sometimes a chain you have to pull down, and sometimes a pedal you push with your foot. These can be found throughout the world in nicer establishments.

Let the fun continue.

Thailand/Laos/Cambodia:

bucket and sprayer set up

- Mostly these are western but sometimes they are squat toilets. Generally there is no toilet paper given and if you wonder why, it’s because they don’t always use it. Next to the toilet you will usually find a sprayer, like the kind you have on your kitchen sink to wash it down with. You use that to spray whatever parts you may need to spray. To be honest, after a “number 1”, this is not a bad way to go if you don’t mind being a tad damp afterwards. I am not sure I am ready to use this system for anything more serious than a number 1 though.

- Many toilets in these countries do not have a typical flush system. Instead they have a bucket. One is big and full of water. The other is small and sometimes has a little handle. You use the little bucket to scoop water out of the big bucket and then you throw the pail-full of water into the toilet. This works fine for numero uno, but sometimes with it‘s big bad cousin you have to keep pouring bucket after bucket after bucket…

India:

Generally in India, they have squat toilets. Sometimes they have flushes, but usually they have a bucket system like Thailand. What I learned in India was how to wipe using this system. Basically after doing your business, you use the small bucket. You fill it up and splash your nether regions with water, using your hand (the left one -- always!) to wipe yourself. Yup. Your hand. Then you use the bucket to “wash” your hand. And this folks is why Indians (and Arabs) only eat (and shake hands) with their right hand.

By the way, I always carry toilet paper. And I probably freaked out many Indians by eating with both hands!!

China:

China varies…a lot. In one case, the toilets were just 4 holes in the ground next to each other. I also experienced a trough system, where all the stalls have a connecting trough where you leave your contributions. This would not be too bad except that it doesn’t have a slant, so whatever you contribute just stays where it is.

The funniest is the western toilets that have been stood upon. Used to squat toilets, some people actually climb up on the western toilet and squat on the lid in order to use the bathroom. You can tell by the footprints on the toilet lid.

The best toilet EVER was a massaging, heated toilet that squirts air, water or deodorant right in your rear. Its like a toy. It has all these buttons; you just can’t help but push them. I mean…HEATED SEAT?!!!

I am sure there will be many more strange toilets in my future. I have to talk about it because it is just such a main part of everyday life. Every day a new toilet to investigate. A new way to flush. A new way to wipe.

Have you ever seen a toilet with an oscillating rear jet stream of water? What is the strangest toilet system you have encountered?

China "fun" toilet

China trough toilet

Review: Around Africa on my Bicycle

Around Africa on my Bike by Riaan Manser
705 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-86842-351-4
Published 2007 by Jonathon Ball Publishers

The back flap reads:

“In a world first, almost incredibly, Riaan Manser rode a bicycle right around the continent of Africa. It took him two years, two months and fifteen days. He rode 36,500 km (22,500 miles) through 34 different countries.

In [this book] Manser tells the story of this epic journey. It is a story of blood sweat, toil and tears. It is a story of triumph and occasional disaster. Of nights out under the stars, of searing heat and rain, of endless miles of Africa and of pressing on and never surrendering whatever the odds.

Mostly however it is the story of one man’s courage and determination to escape the mundane and see the continent he loves and feels so much of a part of. It is the story of the human warmth he encounters, and occasionally human wrath and hostility as he crosses troubled countries and borders.”

The man that wrote the forward for this book (John Robbie) really said it well. He said, “There’s always reason to put off the dream, isn’t there? Too busy, too poor, too lazy. For most people, me included, it’s really a case of being too scared. That’s why for the majority, these fantasies remain daydreams rather than fulfilled ambitions or even attempted ones. Then we get old and regret the fact that we never went for it”.

I read that and knew I would like this book. He is right. We all put off things that we want to do because we make excuses. Because of this, we tend to admire, and envy, people who do what we think is an exciting or adventurous thing. I knew I would admire and be a little bit jealous of Riaan and his round Africa journey. So, the premise was a go.

However, the book is written in a “my journal” format, where the author obviously was trying to write to remember details about things, people and places. However, I personally (as the reader) do not need to know about every single person he meets and the when and the where of it. I don’t need to know every detail of every single border crossing. The book is 705 pages; he could have consolidated it a little!

I would prefer more information and facts about the countries he visited as well as his thoughts and impressions of these countries. I would also have liked to hear more about his feelings. He does give a little information regarding this things, but I want to know more. How did it feel to be all alone in a country that you have never been in before? Were you tired? Were you lonely? How did this affect you mentally, physically and spiritually?

Another thing that bothers me is that he seems like a huge mooch. He gets sponsorships, free gear and money (many of it from nice people who really can‘t afford it). People give him free cell phones. He loses them a bunch of times and people keep giving him new ones! He stays with people all over the place, often getting free lodging. Maybe I am being hard on him, r maybe I am just jealous, but he seems selfish. I hope that after he finished this trip and wrote this book he gave something back to the community and the people that helped him along the way.

Even though I had those few peeves, I really did like the book. Any book that involves travel and a sense of adventure is exciting to me. I can also relate, as I recently went to Africa. He talks about how nice many of the people are and I found the same to be true. I am inspired. I want to bike around my country now!

I give this book a 4/5.

NOTE: If there was a 3.5, I would do that, as I am not sure it’s of the “I really liked it” category. It’s somewhere in between “I liked it” and “I really liked it”.

Non Sleeper

- Have you ever taken an overnight bus? They call it a "sleeper" and it does have seats that recline, but I sure do not do a lot of sleeping on that bus! Last night we came from Hue to Ninh Binh and it was a 12 hour overnight bus. We arrived at about 6 am in the pitch dark and fog on the side of the road. Luckily there was a guy who had a hotel and took us straight to a room and we went straight to bed. Phew! It was a long night.

- Why is it that they ride bikes a lot all over Asia and all over Africa and all over Europe, but we don't really ride bikes that much in the US? Today we rode about 12 - 15 km through the rice paddies. Everyone was busy planting rice and they all waved and smiled (and gave us necessary directions) as we passed them by. It was a really nice ride. Why don't we do this more often?

- The traffic here is crazy. That is going to be a future post all to itself.

- Now that we are in the North, the sun is gone (boooo). No more sunny, hot days. It has been cloudy, foggy and about 50 degrees. Well, I guess it IS winter, isn't it?

- Tomorrow we head out by motorbike to a few old ruins and towns. I am looking forward to it, except for the fact that the last time I rode a motorbike, I burned myself on the exhaust pipe. Really badly. Luckily we were getting gas and the gas-lady smeared some weird orange honey-looking stuff on it. It is still healing, but it is going to leave a scar.

- This is TOTALLY random. Have you ever heard of the Moron Test? It is an app on iPhone etc and it is totally addicting. You should try it. I think it costs 99 cents and it is the only app I have ever paid for. It makes you feel totally stupid. But you like it and you want more. I can't explain it.

Randoms and Questions: A Vietnam List

(1) Getting to Vietnam was an interesting experience. The guy told us that the bus would take about 9 hours. It turned out to be about 14 hours and two bus changes. The last change put us in a minivan with about 15 other people. In the middle of the ride, the van stopped and loaded a motorbike into the back of the van. I was feeling very faint the rest of the ride and I kept thinking, "what if I get gas poisoning?" I mean, can you die from inhaling too many gasoline fumes? I don't know but I was soooo sleepy and I kept thinking, "Can't. Fall. Asleep". Arriving in Saigon was the happiest moment of my day.

(2) I am trying to make my site mobile but am having trouble. I heard that www.mobify.me was good. I tried it and I pasted the code into my html but it still isn't working. Any hints? Anyone?

(3) I finished the book I was reading: Around Africa on my Bicycle. All 705 pages of it. A review will be forthcoming. You can find my list of completed books for this year as well as a list of previously reviewed books on my bookshelf page. Also our BBC (Blogger Book Club) picked this month's read (well really it is March). We decided on Sense and Sensibility. You can find out more about that on the bookshelf page as well.

(4) Looking for new blogs? Check out For The Love of Blogs. They have sections where you can browse different genres of blogs, they feature a new blog about once a week (sometimes more) and they have wonderful blog hops where you can enter and/or check out other bloggers using the link up.

(5) In Vietnam the portions are pretty small compared to what we get at home. This is fine for me, but Mr. Lovely needs a "real meal". Today we went to lunch and when he got his "steak and fries" (I told him not to try to order "European food") he almost cried, it was so small. So after finishing eating, we went for a second lunch! It was actually pretty fun. It was "cafe day". We had lunch, second lunch and then...why not...stopped for coffee at a third cafe. 

(6) Why is it that when I am on the 12 hour bus ride I have about a million ideas for things to write about but when it comes down to it I never remember, or it doesn't come out how I wanted? WHY!?

(7) That's it. Have a great week everyone! Happy Presidents Day!

Endless Possibilities

In Southeast Asia they carry EVERYTHING on tiny motorcycles. Here are a few examples. 

They carry Tuk-Tuks full of people

They carry rice etc

 

They carry people (sometimes up to 4!!)

They carry blocks of ice

This is the mail carrier

What will they carry next?!! I've seen them carry dogs, bicycles, televisions, rebar, gallons of water, empty water jugs, chickens. There are ice cream motorcycles, pad thai motorcycle carts and even fried insect motorcycle carts. Anything you never thought would be associated with a motorcycle....IS!! Oh and half the time the driver is on the phone at the same time. 


Have you seen any weird motorcycle passengers?

Sights and Sounds

Vietnam in one word: Clean. You can’t always say this for many countries. You may have a nice beach but there is a lot of trash on it. You may get a hostel where the blankets haven’t been washed in a long time. You may have rats or cockroaches in your room (or even better, in the kitchen). In Vietnam, the laundry smells good, the streets are clean, things are on time and things are pretty organized in general.

Here are a few more things we have seen, heard, smelled, experienced and tasted while in Vietnam.

-4 people on a motorbike, sometimes with a TV, a bag of rice or a block of ice.
-A bus, 2 cars, 3 motorcycles and a bicycle sharing a lane meant for 2
-A pig knuckle soaking in a bowl of water on the ground right outside the toilet (okay maybe that is not so clean!)
-Honking, always honking
-Water buffaloes in the rice paddies
-The Mekong river, wide and brown
-People doing their laundry, washing their dishes and washing themselves in the Mekong (okay, maybe also not so clean)
- Pho bo (beef noodle soup)
- Dragon fruit (pink leafy looking outside, white inside with black seeds; tastes like a watery kiwi)
- Durians (supposedly smell REALLY bad. I have never noticed that)
- Café Sua Da (Iced coffee)
- Bootlegged copied books for sale
- Beaches
- Kite surfing
- Coconut shakes (my favorite)
- Scuba diving
- Ladies covered in clothing from head to toe. They don’t want to get tan.
- I was told I was an “old maid” because I wasn’t married with children at my advanced age.

Have you ever experienced any of these things? What are your favorite sights and sounds from around YOU? What's the weirdest thing your ever encountered?