The travel bug is nibbling again. Plan # 1 has been wanting to hike Machu Piccu and exploring Peru. However I’m kinda sick of traveling alone and in particular would like to do the 4 day hike with at least one friend. Friends that have expressed interest have gradually flaked when it comes time to actually go, “ok, let’s book this thing.” So, that sucks.
ANYONE want to hike Machu Picchu with me???
Plan #2 has been Argentina and maybe more of South America, to among other things, stalk Gaby Kerpel, and continue to work on my spanish.
My favorite show on tv is No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. Of course watching this show is absolute torture when he’s somewhere cool. They’ve always got locals set up, or friends that he’s met before, to show him all the ‘insider’ and ‘real life’ stuff… which leads me to plan #3.
Plan #3 is throwing out both plan #1 and 2. It involves a slight change in my previous travel philosophy, which was always continuing to see new places. But I realized I made all these contacts through my travels, and actually become better friends with them over flickr, facebook, email, etc.
So… wouldn’t it be interesting to go back and explore a country with an insider, the way I got to see the Lisbon area with Joao and Teresa. So far options include Greece with my friend Maria (i only saw Athens for about 5-6 days), Costa Rica with my new amigas/amigo (went there in 2005), Korea to visit my friend Sarah, or back to Thailand and a neighboring country (Burma is probably on the agenda ) with my travel expert Sanyawadee.
I’ve racked up some serious vacation days to do any of these, because Honduras I did over the holidays. decisions decisions.
But first things first. I obviously didn’t make the Top 50 (of 30,000 entries) to win the 6 month job in Australia. Oh well, you can’t win if you don’t play. Honestly, Australia is one of the last places on my list to go. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to go diving on The Reef. But the rest of it? It’s the United States in the south Pacific, with less culture and worse food. pass.
For years now I’ve wanted a tattoo, especially during and after my rtw trip. I was searching for some Indonesian designs but couldn’t come up with any good ones. So it’s never been a matter of would I do it, just finding what I would feel strongly enough about doing.
If I was going to do it, it would be something completely one-of-a-kind. Something culturally significant and interesting. Not half-assed or small. I’m not much into word tattoos. And since I’m not an artist, I’d better find a good listening artist that would work well with me.
I realize now it’s a better thing to tell people what it is before they see it. Unless I’m trying to get a strong reaction, heh.
It’s a Dia de los Muertos mermaid. The idea struck me one day when I was thinking about one my friend Adrienne’s paintings. It hit me, mermaid tattoo, aquatic life has become a big part of me, culturally awesome and relevant to several facets of my life, the southwest, the caribbean, colorful, celebratory, and most of all, dead. In addition to those things, it represents marking the first half of my life being done. Reminding me of the good, the bad, the mistakes and not to repeat them.
Here’s how the plan came together…
And here it is currently, but still need to add more water and fish. and then, who knows?
Finding the artist was a challenge. I tried a guy at a shop I heard was good, I liked his art the best of the artists. I booked a session with him before I left for Honduras, he had about a months wait anyway. When I got back, he’d lost the picture copies I gave him to work from. not good. then his drawings looked terrible, he wasn’t getting the style I wanted at all, even when I said “I want it exactly like this!”
My friend Tom then recommended Tanja Nixx, a friend of a friend who owns the famous Lyle Tuttle shop in north beach. He said he wanted her to do his next tatt, and that women tattoo artists are better listeners and would probably be what I needed. Also that she’s German, so she’s detailed, haha. I looked her up and her art matched the style I wanted a lot, she’s done Dia de los Muertos tatts, and she’s a traveler! The style of it being Central American folk art is not something you see often in tattoos either. but that’s exactly what’s nice in my opinion, i needn’t go down the list of overused, cliche’d, tattoo art.
So she’s worked out great and I love it.
What else is going on? Taking Spanish class again and it’s kicking my ass. I almost dropped it, but got B’s on both tests so I’m kinda hanging in there. But truthfully i’m lost. I’m also taking a 30-day hiatus from booze and first dates. A spring cleaning and detox. I’ve never done one before, and my health and liver could use it after the last several months.
Still doing lots of yoga and running more too. Been super busy between work, gigs, rehearsals, social life, class, yeah. All in all, not bad.
Traveling… want to hike Machu Picchu with my friend from Honduras. Anyone want to go? If that doesn’t look imminent, I may do a quick trip to Oaxaca to house sit, or I don’t know, Argentina.
Ok, so for those that haven’t heard, the tourism board of Queensland Australia has hosted a contest to win 6 months of ‘The Best Job in the World’… as paid ‘caretaker’ of an island on the Great Barrier Reef. Of course I had to apply! They got waaay more entries than they anticipated as the contest buzz crept across the internet. But one glance at the entries, if you have time, shows easily 50% of them are unwatchable crap. A lot of them are good too, but I like my odds.
Please go watch my video and give it 5 stars! We’ll see what happens, if I win you can come visit me on my island. Click the picture to see it.
I do have a little more to write about my adventures in Honduras. I’ve been kinda busy since I got back.
I was determined to get my money’s worth out of my dive vacation this time, to make ammends for my lame planning last time. I did. Bush, the Fed, and the treasury are trying to bankrupt us all anyway so might as well spend it while I got it right?
12 dives in 11 days! I chose Coconut Tree Dive shop as they had the best boats of all the dive shops in the West End, professionally run, highly recommended, and seemed to have cool divemasters that greeted me when I walked in. In planning the trip I did think for a minute about trying to do a resort package, where you pay more for a nice place and then dive all you want. But I thought the budget method would be cheaper for one person. We’ll see…
Overall, the QUANTITY of marine life was a bit disappointing in Roatan. Lots of small fish, not many big ones. I think it’s a combination of over-fishing the surrounding area of big fish, and just all the dive boats busy day in and day out. Who knows. But the weather and water were mostly very clear, the coral walls and shapes were very nice. The coral was noticibly healthier and more colorful on the day trip to Barbaretta island and the keys. The night dive was also a highlight.
After 10 dives with Coconut Tree, my buddies Arjen, Johel, and I wanted to do the big shark dive, which is only offered by one shop on the other side of the island, and come to find out - some of the resorts will do it too. I couldn’t hook it up, but Sea Grape resort managed to talk me into an all day excursion with them to the northern keys of Roatan. I did it, and it provided some serious sun and a surprise along the way - a whale shark! more about that below.
About 6 or 7 years ago, I was walking somewhere in San Francisco, to work or home from work, on just an average day commuting. This was long before my “days of more dedicated traveling” began. Just going about my daily grind.
This older, well dressed, asian man walked straight up to me, a panic stricken look on his face, and started speaking to me in what I think was Japanese. Not one word of English. He kind of put his palms up, looked around, giving me the distinct impression that he was completely lost, and spoke no English. I tried for a minute to ask him anything in English but I only got gibberish. Also, this IS San Francisco, crazy people can come up and start talking to you anytime and you learn to ignore it. I remember feeling bad for him at the time, but ultimately was thinking, ‘I have to get to work, someone else will help him out,’ and moved on.
Later I felt guilty for not helping him, and never forgot this incident. But this scorpio rat also clearly holds on to things way too long.
On my round the world trip, while never actually panic stricken, I felt his pain, and this story came back to my mind. Also interesting is reading others’ blogs when they are in this situation in say, Iran (true story) and literally 10 people, none who speak English, will gather around to help them find their way. Sometimes we are just too self centered and self important to take the time and look around to help people.
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This might sound strange, but I’ve had a weird incident early on this trip. The Costa Ricans are 4 girls and one guy, close friends of a wide age range, the guy being fairly young at 26 or so, and the oldest my age. Anyways, hanging out with them all night on the pier drinking beer, at one point he and one of the girls ran off with a local to buy something. I automatically assumed it was pot, but they said that he was buying them a whole fish to cook at their guest house. I was like, oh sure, a fish, ok whatever. Well as it got late and they hadn’t come back yet, we started gathering our stuff and my wallet was gone. I was like, ummmm, did it fall in the water? Me and the 3 girls started looking for it, and they seemed kind of nervous.
About 10 minutes later the two finally came back and he said “oh Chris, i’m sorry i picked up your wallet, i don’t know what happened.” His English is not so good. First off, I didn’t have much money in there, I keep the bulk of it in my room and don’t carry it around (after this incident I stopped carrying my wallet altogether!) One of them said “check your money” which I already was, but I replied “I don’t care about my money” and one of them was shocked I said that. I said I care about all this plastic and my drivers license! I did however suspect a $20 bill was missing.
They told me to come back and hang out with them but I was a little confused at this point by their body language and what seemed to be embarrassment, or that they wanted me to leave. I wasn’t sure. None of them gave me the impression that they were criminals by any stretch. The older girls are in their 30’s and have careers for crying out loud.
On the walk back the group was not all walking together, they’d broken up a bit. When we got back to outside their place, it just felt weird. I decided to say good night instead. As I was walking away, he chased after me and handed me a $20 and said, “I’m sorry, it fell out.”
Awkward!
I mean, it had already been established that we’re all here all week, and pretty much going to run into each other almost every day. This left me with very mixed emotions at first. The next day I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was drunk, this was probably some old childlike behavior that came out when he saw an opportunity and grabbed it. They were all embarrassed, and he DID give it back.
The next night, of course, I saw them at a back table at one of the bars. I went up to them, they looked a little nervous, until I said “Hola! El Bandito!” and patted him on the head. Last night we all had fun together again.
One irony was that I brought $50 worth of vitamins, toothbrushes, lotion, and baby formula from Walgreens for the island clinic, based on recommendation of a local. Or maybe that bit of karma is what made it work out better than it could have been. There have been a lot of robberies lately, because of the holidays, and crime is very high in this country to begin with but the islands are relatively safer and better policed than the mainland.
Why is it so easy to forgive sometimes, and so impossible at others? Betrayal of trust with a piece of paper is much different than betrayal of trust with your emotions. Not to mention, coming clean helps.
Hurray for a new year. Adios Bush! I hope the door hits you on the way out, although the shoe dodge was pretty swift.
I am ready for 08 to be done. It’s not been an easy one, although i am not going to complain about my life because all things considered, it’s very good. Settled into my great job which only had a few months of stress during the summer, a very lonely vacation in April, an on-again off-again relationship that was a fucking awful disaster in May and then wonderfully fun in other months, insomnia, starting yoga, high blood pressure, more first dates than I can remember, another miserable Cowboys season, and of course… in November turning 36.
Ah thirty six. Welcome to middle-aged-ness. All year I’d meant to write a blog post about the magic number 35 and what it’d meant to me and my career and goals, but I didn’t. I will.
So… Honduras.
Roatan is as expected, if a little noisier, but that just may be the holiday week. Even ‘full’ as they are now the number of tourists and noise is totally tolerable. Apparently it’s dead here most of the fall, the heart of the rainy season, so they are happy to see visitors for the holidays.
Today, Jan 1 we had an absolutely gorgeous sunny day. Slept in, ate a big breakfast burrito and banana smoothie, read more of Hotel California in my porch hammock, went on the 30 minute walk down to West Bay beach (the nicer beach than West End where I am) and got some sun with my Swedish friends who were more than a bit hungover.
New Years eve was great. It didn’t match the wild NYE I had in Bali two years ago, but I ain’t complaining. The day started with back to back dives in which I saw my first green moray eel, and he was a whopper, about 5 feet long I think. I borrowed my coworkers digital camera with underwater housing, so I’m getting a few decent shots, but underwater photography is another skill you have to learn.
Last night I went out to eat lobster with dive buddies, 2 Swedes (guy and girl) and a guy from Holland who is working in Houston. We had a great outside table, until a downpour started right after we got our food. Everyone started jumping up and trying to figure out where to go. It was hilarious the guys were like, “lets just pick up the table and move it inside” and we did. After dinner we hit the bars up and down the main (and only) road in West End. We passed my Costa Rican friends along the way, and I spent the rest of the evening hopping between two bars. One called Nova, a cool bar with a tree-house kind of feel, where all the divers were hanging out, but the music wasn’t to my liking (80s and house). (sidenote: i can’t tell you how sick I am of reggae, soca, and dancehall after Trinidad and this trip. gah!) But the Costa Ricans were at the other bar- a new, nameless, and slightly pretentious place. But they were playing more latin music and I danced til 3 AM with the ticas.
Pics are up on flickr for now, more to come. But so far this trip is a winner.
Next up, New Years in Roatan, Honduras! Some of the best diving on the second largest reef in the world, and just a few hours away (well kinda, two quick flights.) Also, my first *actual* third world country. Many websites and blogs I read encourage visitors to donate to various causes, the schools, medical clinics, or a Red Cross donation earmarked for Honduras. Even just bringing items to donate is useful. I’m going to do that this time.
I was seriously thinking about not going anywhere this time around. I will admit I am a bit tired of traveling alone. I put some feelers out, I had a tentative trip to Iran in the works with a friend, but the visa hassle appeared to be too much on short notice. (A U.S. citizen has to be in a tour group, or to have someone in Iran set up an invitation for you to get your visa here, and her family in Iran was being too flaky. But it would have been awesome.) With 12 straight days of not having to be at work, I would go crazy sitting around my apartment, and I just saw my family a few months ago.
I figured I could go diving and during the holidays, there should be more people out and about than there were in sleepy Tobago in April. I might also try to take Spanish lessons, 5 days of 1 on 1 lessons for $120! Another friend had just been to Roatan this summer and encouraged me to go, so I’m going. December is the end of rainy season there, so I am getting mentally prepared for some rainy days.
That gap in the reef is called Spooky Channel. As you can see the reef is so close to the shore, there’s ample snokeling too. Whale Sharks, the worlds biggest fish, are nearby. Admittedly, this will be a bit more of a vacation than a traveling adventure. But we’ll see.
ah stumbling across the internet never ceases to amaze. Some roundabout surfing, due to finding some old friends on facebook led me to… some of my old college handiwork.
It is called Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz by the band Mr. Bungle. Transcribed and arranged by me for percussion ensemble, Magnolia High School performing it… a few months ago!
I spent many late nights in 1996 on this very involved percussion ensemble arrangement, but by my third year of North Texas and my 5th year using Finale, I was in the zone with doing this kinda shit. It’s funny it was one of the last things I did before I left school and never REALLY heard it performed well, only sightread once.
So to see a HIGH SCHOOL ensemble, especially one this big, tear it up and have fun with it, is really really cool. You can buy my arrangement here, although I get no royalties .
So I might as well review this Fall feast of music. Crazy how this happens, where all these great bands, plus 2 more shows i wanted to see (My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Ros) but passed up, in such a short span. Now we’re back to famine .
Let’s start with last week and go backwards…
A very rare and special show with Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner. For those not in the know, not only are each of these guys legendary in their own right, this was the rhythm section for one of the greatest roots rock albums ever, John Hiatt’s ‘Bring the Family.’ Then they made an album together called Little Village in 1992. This ‘thrown together’ trio they just called Guitar-Bass-Drums. Anyway, Keltner is one of my favorite drummers, and he rarely plays live shows anymore. I’d seen him once with Bill Frisell but it was in the cavernous Masonic Auditorium and was hardly inspirational. I took Kate to this show, and this time we got to see and hear him up close and personal in my favorite venue in the world, The Great American Music Hall.
The show was a benefit, and the surprise guest was Elvis Costello! So that was cool. He did a couple of songs duo, and then joined the trio for their encore.
The show was as expected, a little loose and thrown together, but totally amazing. They pulled songs from all over the map, Nick did a lot of the singing, very very cool.
Also last week at the Great American… Deerhoof! One of the greatest bands of the … well, ok maybe that’s a bit much - one of my favorite bands, and undoubtedly one of the most important, original, and prolific bands of the last decade. I hear them as Led Zeppelinesque melodic riffage meets Brian Eno quirkiness, with Satomi’s amazing broken-English poetry over the top hinting at Japanese noise bands. Sooooo consistently good. They were just kicking off a huge tour for their 9th album (not including EP’s and live albums!) They were all over the new material and sounded great.
Then there was Calexico at the Fillmore. A band I used to love love love from their first 3 albums. There last 3 albums though have really lost me musically though. They’ve tried “branch out” and not pigeonhole themselves in the “border” sound they do so well, but the result is more mediocre indie-rock sounding stuff. I realized you could see it coming: when the bass player was on the upright bass, the song was going to be good; when he picked up the electric bass, you could head to the bar or bathroom. They put on a good show, but I’ve kind of given up on hearing the great stuff they did early on.
Back up to the week before… two nights in a row at the Fillmore with my friend Adrienne. We had planned on going to The Silver Jews to celebrate 1 year of being friends, but I made a last minute decision to get tickets to the last of the 3 night stand of SPOON. I called a guy on Craigslist who was selling in my work hood, and after I got him on the phone, we realized we worked in the same building! Clearly, it was meant to be.
(that’s the only one that’s not my photo) Spoon is an indie pop band from Austin that is at the top of their game right now after some great albums. I figured it was a not miss show, and it was fantastic, even if the audience was about 80/20 fans/posers.
The Silver Jews were pretty much as expected. Awesome, awkward, and understated. He is such a quirky songwriter and his personality totally matched, i.e. rarely looking directly at the audience… what a weirdo, haha. The band was all Nashville guys. Hardcore fans of the band, we saw one guy writing down the set list in between rocking back and forth like Rain Man. It was a nice show and again kinda rare as this band doesn’t tour a lot.
I shouldn’t complain about “famine” now, there is always something interesting going on here… and THAT *is* why I live here. I have an actual gig next week too, shock! Nothing big, just a benefit show with Tom Heyman. Time to work on some holiday travel plans I think.
) with my travel expert Sanyawadee.
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