I dislocating my shoulder snowboarding. It wasn't a proud moment, in the least. In fact, I have been beating myself up over the whole incident. Three mood setting sentences have been running through my mind:
I am such an idiot! (Being hard on myself)
Poor me, I can't button my pants! (Feeling sorry for myself)
Everything will be OK... (Being optimistic, because...break into song and dance...the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar...)
Fresh Powder!
The blizzard brough awesome snowboarding coditions. I had to get out and ride with Sandy and Darren, who came to visit me and get a ski vacation in Colorado. They weren't too fond of the fresh powder but I kept raving about how pillowy, light and fluffy it is; they gave up on complaining.
Googled myself.
This is what I found.
A photo of my 1997 San Diego Crew Class Varsity team and my name on the University of California, Irvine Rowing Alumni roster.
Check out the Potlatch Ultimate Frisbee film and find out who's hand that is. This is from the 102 Damnasian team's personal producer/cameraman/shaggy dog: Watch this Short Film by Kyle Percey
A travel log has been long over due so I thought it would be fitting to write one about my most recent vacation to the Philippines where I had a chance to participate in an international gay and lesbian political conference, go caving, hiking and SCUBA diving through shipwrecks. As the title of this email suggests, I had quite a fun time bouncing around on all the local transportation.
Traveling through an island nation means that planes are absolutely vital and affordable for getting around. Jeepneys take the place of a city bus complete with a caller hanging onto the back to announce the destination. The car itself is an old pick up truck converting the back into bench seating face-to-face. Triks are the taxis of the small island towns is made up of a motorcycle with a third wheel and extra carrying capacity for 3 people (if you squish). The typical inner country plane ticket costs $40/one way almost anywhere, a jeepneys ride is 15 cents and triks costs a nickel.
Hello from Shanghai Central,
There is something comfortably unsettling about life as normal. Being back in Shanghai has been a continuation of things as they were and a completely overwhelming surprise that I am back at the grind. My unsettling feelings come from the normalcy that I have slipped so easily into my Chinese life. When I say Chinese life, I mean, the way in which I have build a circle of transient friends, using Chinese to do my daily chores and teaching the same English material I distantly remember from last year.
I have been back for 2 weeks and I can safely say, I would never travel through Asia during the summer. It is so damn hot here you could fry an egg on the sidewalk, in the shade. The humidity allows for Ink Blot T-Shirt sweat marks to define every crevasse of my body, while my beaded salty sweat mustache drips slowly into my mouth. Shanghai people are sporting their pajamas and hailing all the taxis to stay cool.
Home sweet home.
24 May 2003
Well, my year teaching in China has started to winding to a close. I have finished most of my teaching and now it is a matter of giving finals exams. There are so many things that have kept me on my toes this year. In times like these, it is customary to reflect and digest the events of the year, so I figured I would give a short recap.
Shanghai, China:
-SARSville is under control in Shanghai, but it is funny that the international media has instilled the fear of god into Americans, but let me assure you, it isn't that bad. In fact, I am doing fine, healthy; just a hint of the runs lately from something I ate earlier this week.
-An entire war on Iraq was declared and finished in the span of my time here. From here it was eye opening to hear the news through the Chinese government filter, instead of the US/international supporters media filters. I felt safer in China than anywhere else. And quite frankly, Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast, patriotism is great, but that is plain laughable.
-Teaching has been one of the most rewarding yet challenging aspects of my stay here. In the last few weeks I have been completely unmotivated to work, largely because I was getting burnt out and the treadmill didn’t have the usual changing scenery. My students, through thick and thin and with varying English levels, have been the best Chinese tutors, most insightful cultural learning tools and have been the biggest ego boosters. The women students really look up to me because they have no strong women role models. Women don't have short hair, muscular build, play every sport out there and have such a "strong voice" (which I interpreted as being outspoken).
-As for my language skills, they are barely passable. I can hold simple conversations but hardly understand what is going on. My spheres of skills are: taxis, restaurants and weather. Everything else is Charlie Brown adult talk. But I am proud I have come this far and I can recognize about 100 characters (maybe more, if I really try). My Chinese teacher is wonderful. I have promised to self-study while at home (hee hee, I am not sure this will happen).
-The Shanghai Ultimate Frisbee team saved me from 20 pounds of street food but instead awarded me with air pollution intake, after weekly doses of fine particle matter in each breadth. I actively played Frisbee every week to stay in shape and to just have fun on the field with a bunch of crazy expats (expatriates), doing cartwheels and team cheers with beer.
With all those highlights, I am ready to go home and enjoy something more familiar. I have signed another contract to return in August and it will be a continuation of surprises. I have yet to see other parts of China and see more of South East Asia. I love Asia. Nothing short of great food, beautiful beaches, knee deep in crowds, squatty potties and a bargaining culture that puts any Christie's auction to shame.
PS: Now that the first chapter is over, I am skipping to the middle of the book.
That consisted of my last 4 days and 3 nights aboard a diving live-a-board boat. It is a popular and fairly affordable way to dive multiple areas in Thailand. On this live aboard, we explored the Andaman Sea, close to the Surin Islands and Similan Islands, off the Western Thailand coast just south of Myanmar.
The schedule and purpose are simple. Wake up at 7am and be 95 feet (30m) under water by 7:30am.
