Baby Snakes and Legless Lizards

I've been doing a fair amount of gardening in Perth. My clean, tidy hands (with black nail polish, of course) have slowly integrated the "brown thumb". No, not green thumb. For anyone who has ever stuck their hands into the ground, they come up brown, regardless of negative connotations that may be associated with the "brown thumb" name.

While working in the garden recently, I was surprised to pull out a plant and see a small, baby snake wiggle through the dirt. It was only the size of a big worm and although initially it gave me a little shock, I became quite enamored by it.

30 minutes later: As I continued digging, another little snake popped up. Hmm. I didn't mind the first one, but two? It's mouth was the size of my baby-toe nail so I still wasn't too worried. But soon enough, baby-snake 3 rolled by.

At this point, the only thing going through my mind was "If there are all these baby snakes slithering around...mama snake is more than likely close by. And I don't want to have a surprise greeting".
I reluctantly finished the day off, but was incredibly cautious and I'll admit, a little nervous.

A few days ago, I was chatting with a City Farm fellow, Amanda. Amanda is the brown thumb enthusiast, with years of experience living on a permaculture farm. She's the guru of gardens (and makes a mean vego dinner). During conversation, my baby-snake experience came up and she started laughing. The laughing got louder and annoying to me. She then managed to squeeze out between chuckles that what I saw was a LEGLESS LIZARD, not a snake!

Do these things really exist? To find out, I consulted the next intelligent thing that was filled with information. Google. And what does google tell me? Well, legless lizards are a large family of "Snake-like lizards". Hm. Maybe someone should have mentioned this to me? Although, why this topic would come up in conversation is beyond me.

My google search told me the following:

" A combination of 2 of the following confirms it is a lizard:

1 - Broad, fleshy tongue
2 - Ear-opening behind eye
3 - Two or more rows of belly scales
4 - Tail as long as to much longer than body
5 - If uniform body pattern present, then longitudinal (stripes versus crossbands in Oz snakes. "

Now, I'd like to comment on these "confirmations". When one comes across a legless lizard while gardening, (not to mention one that is the size of a large worm), am I really going to crouch down and examine its Broad, Fleshy Tongue? Or how about I turn it over and pin it down to see how many rows of belly scales it has. Please.

As I continued reading my google search, I came across the following pictures and descriptions. This one seemed to match my case. Next time I see one, I will examine its minuscule tongue and scale fixation.


Southwest Sandplain Worm Lizard (Aprasia repens) Northam, WA
A common burrowing legless lizard dug up in gardens in Perth.

Melbourne, AFL grand final

When Jeremy mentioned heading to Melbourne to watch the AFL (aussie rules fooball) grand-final, I agreed with little hesitation. When living and traveling in a different country, it's always important to attend the biggest sporting games that represent the nation. In this case, Australian Rules Footy has taken the lead. A rough, grueling game that combines tactics of American gridlock football, soccer, and rugby all in one. There are no body-pads or helmets, full tackles and bodies smashing against each other are common occurrences. As are knock-outs and concussions.

I recall watching an AFL video jeremy had sent over before I came to Australia to give me a briefing of the sport that he participates in. Lauren and I sat on her couch with our jaws dropped in awe and shameless amazement.

It's taken me some time to get used to the sport, but now I have a full understanding, can make sense of the rules, and although I don't have a team that I root for, may enjoy an odd Saturday afternoon game.

So the chance to attend the mecca of aussie sports is too good of an opportunity to pass. As jeremy has some big-shot friends in the industry, he secures our tickets and we head to Melbourne for the big game.

My expectations are somewhat limited. Its hard to get toooo excited for a sporting event when I would be a little more stoked in reality if I was seeing the NY Giants or Yankees play. But I also didn't know what to expect.

The stadium had over 100,000 raging fans. As we find our section, the buzz of excitement begins to flourish as I see we are on the Lower Stands- meaning, really close to the field. We continue walking....and stop 6 rows up from the field. unbelievable! I immediately change my thoughts and suddenly feel thrilled to be part of the action. Next to the center of all the action, I'm stoked to be there. There's no way I could get us 6th row tickets to a yankees game.
The 2 teams playing are both Melbourne teams which means its a local "superbowl". I choose the underdog, Hawthorne because a week before the Grand Final I decide that I have formed an affinity for their aboriginal, dredlock-bearing player with an attitude- Chance Bateman. He's a mean little player who you can always catch on the edge of the TV screen pushing someones face into the grass- probably not the most liked guy, but I like him.

As our seats are sooo good, I get to watch him warm up as he runs the sidelines. woo!
The game is an incredible match of talent. Close til the last 15 minutes, there was rarely a dull moment, and my team was victorious. As the aussie equivelant of the SuperBowl- not too shabby :-) Thanks Jeremy for having friends in high places

SupaGolf

4 Clubs. 1 Cart. 1 Oversized Golf Ball, the ultimate cross of mini-golf and conventional 18 hole golf. This is supa-golf. For those who don't have the patience of a full golf game, or those who struggle with the multitude of clubs and losing their small Titleist golf ball, this is the game for you.

One mini cart with 4 oversized golf clubs- a Driver, putter, wedge and some other club to hit in from the fairway. The course still remains difficult being quite narrow and having obstructions and natural obstacles at every angle, however a 9 hole game is much more enjoyable. And you can bring beer.
Why this concept hasn't spread and become widestream for those who lack patience, like myself.

wildflowers

Western Australia is renowned for the beautiful wildflowers that poke their heads up come the turn of seasons. Now that spring is in bloom , so are the flowers.
Men of the Trees, the parent organization to City Farm, whom, yep, plant trees decided to give something back to the volunteers of the 5 branches and take them 2 hours north in the bush to walk around and view the blossoming.

I was invited through City Farm. I was quite honored to attend and was looking forward to seeing a bunch of flowers whose identities I had no clue. This reminded me a lot of when mom and I have gone bird-watching in Belize, Peru, Bolivia or wherever. Although mom is a big advocate of bird watching and has a strong appreciation of it (probably more of an appreciation than I do), in all honesty, we have no idea what we are looking at. I recall many episodes of us gasping because we were so excited we found a bird on our own without the assistance of our guide, only to be snubbed off by the others who quickly labeled it a "trash bird".

I was quite certain that my wildflower walk would be a similar experience- me marvelling over something that is a pesty weed and the others scoffing me off. Oh well. I suppose in all fairness if I enjoy looking at weeds than the trip would still be worth it.

I knew I was in for a treat when I arrived at Men of the Trees at 8am and of the 100 people going, 92 were over the age of 73. Now, for grandparents of mine who may read this- I in NO way have a problem hanging out with the older generation. However, I do find it humorous to spend 10 hours with 92 of them.

As the trip was obviously catered towards an older crowd, there ended up being more riding in the bus than walking, but it was still wonderful. I even was able to spot a few tiny orchids on my own, which impressed the older fellas I was walking with.

The only downside was the bus-ride home. They handed out these song books for our 2 hour ride which initially I thought "oh, how cute, it's like being at camp again!". Until the singing began. Then I regretted that I didn't bring my ipod and had to endure the falsetto voices that are like those people at temple/church who insist at singing 2 notches louder than everyone else (usually female), whose voices aren't totally pleasant to listen to, and the songs that no one really knows beyond the first two lines, EXCEPT the lady with the loud voice. She ain't no Lenny Feld on Rosh Hashana, which is lovely to listen to. She's ol gram's who won't be quiet.

Overall, it was a lovely trip. Unfortunately my replacement camera that I purchased in Mexico during my last travels is a piece of .... and takes mediocre shots. I was forced to take close up shots which I actually really like, now that I look back on them.
Don't get too excited- I can't tell you what they are. In fact, they're probably weeds, but I like em.

worm farms

I've received some recent criticism for the lack of upkeep on my blog. To my excuse, you know when you agree to do something and than immediately regret your generosity and look back at the situation and reflect that you were conned and manipulated (but always in a strategic, subconscious method, and usually by someone with good intentions)? Well, I have been manipulated into giving much of my precious free time to the cause of education.

Recently I've been asked to participate in a number of events and head a table with some sort of demonstration for City Farm and Men of the Trees. This usually consists of Worm Farming and Worm Juice.
Today, I had no idea where I was going and what kind of event (or in today's case- galaxy) was happening.
Arms stacked full of styrefoam containers and some information sheets, I cautiously approached this market of mayhem cursing under my breath why I agreed to waste a Sunday. Teenagers, Kids, young-aged people began to swarm the space around me. Stylish clothes, bright colors of hair and a multitude of body-piercings were insight at every angle. 13 year olds, skateboards in hand, or under foot ran past me nearly causing me to drop my precious box of worms. Ugh, I'm only 25...how I am so sick of teenagers already? But it's true, my passion for working with youth is diminishing by the second (that may be a major exaggeration for the sake of this story...i still like working with them).
The neighboring city to Perth, the "shire" (yes Shire, but there are no hobbits- at least...none that I can see...yet) of Swan Valley decided to hold this major festival/event for kids. The Shire carpark was turned into a mass of head-banging teen-bands, food, and stalls...like mine.

Our stall may not have been what the majority of 15 year old girls want to do. I have a big box of worms and I teach you the basics and general concepts of building a Worm Farm, and gathering...oh yes, you guessed it... WORM JUICE! I know I know, this all sounds so fascinating and your jumping out of your seat at the computer stand wanting to know more. Well, I'll leave the suspense and suggest you check it out on google, because I can't be #$%@# with talking about it anymore :-)

I do like my little creepy-crawler friends. I've actually become quite fond of them and digging my hand into compost and who-knows-what to grab some yummy worms to show off to the kids.

This is why I have been unable to upkeep my blog. I have been giving worm-farm demonstrations. And I have been searching for a bike- which didn't work so I've decided to keep my old one.

So for the few of you who may be wondering what I've been doing in the past 6 weeks since my last email/blog update...I can tell you- I've been saving the world. At least, thats what Gangashwar, one of our older volunteers on Saturday tells me I'm destined to do. So I decided that I didn't have to wait, I can consider my every day actions fulfilling that destiny. hehe

Moves to the Dark Side...in a pretty pink way

Have mom and dad become the poster child of the Boston Redsox?

This picture has made me question what my Bronx and Long-Island bred folks have been upto these days... or maybe...just maybe, looking at this optimistically, they were featured on a Boston Tourism magazine, hence holding the "Bostonian" news and sporting the hats of the "devil" team.
Guys, I still love you, but have you really turned to the "dark side" since I've been gone?!

creating a forest one tree at a time

In 10 years time if you find yourself in a little town called Beverly, 90 minutes East of Perth, on an old farm surrounded by the growth of a new beautiful forest- you can think of me, and thank me in your blessings.

This past weekend, I helped create a small forest. I planted 25,000 trees on an old farm with several other volunteers. It was probably the most satisfying, fulfilling, and hard-earned job I have ever done in my life, and I've never felt so good after a hard-day's work.

6 dedicated souls spent two days on Mic's farm which he recently bought. He has no plans on continuing farm work after living the life on a mango plantation for many years. He has a few sheep, but handed them over to his neighbor so he could revamp his open land. Mic told us that he wanted the birds to come back, and with all this land and property, he wanted a forest.

So Men of The Trees came in to help. Men of the Trees, or MOTT is actually the parent branch to City Farm, who currently employs me. Mott is another amaaazing organisation whose purpose is...well, yea, take a guess- to plant trees in an effort to offset your carbon emissions.
Mott plants about 800,000 trees each year- incredible right?

I got a last minute call from "purple Jazi", a friend from City Farm to see if I had Sunday and Monday free to go out to a farm and do some planting. After some quick rearranging ( I was supposed to do some gardening on Monday at a ladies house), I made some food to take up with me and threw a bag together.
We arrived early Sunday morning and some of the other volunteers had already started. Mic did a fantastic job of prepping the land and all you could see was lines marked out in every direction where trees would soon be planted.

With my "tree basket" around my hip, and potti-puttki in arm, I went to work. The Potti-Puttki (not sure if I spelled that correctly) is the coolest little gadget. Its this big metal pipe/shovel looking thing that you jab into the ground, step on a lever to open the bottom shovel, and drop a plant through the top pipe and there it goes.
This may sound really easy and not too labor intensive. Well, my initial thoughts were similar. However, carrying 150 small plants at your waist bucket and repeatedly shoving the potti-puttki into the ground...it takes a toll on your shoulder and arm.
By sunset on Sunday we were ready to call it an evening- watched the gorgeous sunset slowly descend into the Perth coastline, took a minute to relish in the fact that you couldn't here any vehicles or noise as far as your ears could reach, and prepared dinner.

Since there were only 4 of us staying through Monday, Mic kindly offered us the use of his shed and facilities for our overnight stay. We cooked up a mean veggie meal on a blazzzing fire, through some extra mattresses onto the ground, and cozied up for the evening.
I spent the majority of the evening talking to Robert, an older retired fella who is adamant about "getting the trees into the ground". Robert used to be a miner and is a brilliant guy. He explained to me the history of James Cook, the British explorer who accidently found Australia 200 odd years ago. Cook wasn't actually on an expedition and searching for new land. He had been sent out to observe the transit of Venus. Cook didn't succeed in this, but did find Australia instead. Weigh the options. However, interesting factoid on Venus: Venus passes between the Earth and Sun every 121 years. The next date of this occurrence will be in 2012, the same year the Mayan Calender ends.

Moving on. Robert was a cool old man. I really liked him. He has fascinations with the construction and building of ancient temples and pyramids. He wonders who the mathematician and architects where that built the pyramids, mayan ruins and Petras' temple and how they were able to be so exact and precise with measurements and with lining up angles with the solstices and shadows that would be drawn on exact specific times throughout the year. I think I liked Robert so much because I think about these things too :-)
Anyways, Robert kept saying that although he'd like to travel more, it's most important to "get these trees into the ground now". He must have said that at least 30 times in 2 days. He's really passionate.

Monday was a tough day. We woke up at sunrise and got working right past 7am. We had a lot to cover and there were only 5 of us, compared to 12 volunteers on Sunday.
We worked miraculously efficient together and every hour, would look at another rolling hill that in 10 years time would be a small forest in growth.

It was a good 2 days. I planted trees for all of my friends, Lots for my family, and some other people that I thought were in need of a tree in their name.

So take a deep breath and enjoy that good oxygen you're breathing in today.

Windfarms and Jaws

Several weeks ago, I made the trip down to the South-Western tip of Australia and spent the week in Albany. As I accompanied Jeremy for his work, I had the week to explore the natural surroundings of the coast, spend time at the bays of the recent great-white shark attack, and view the spectacular Albany Wind Farm and Wallop Tree Top Valley.
Just 2 weeks prior to my visit, the coastline that is infiltrated with Western Oz surfers was disturbed by a great-white attack. A surfer was attacked early in the morning, but survived by the help of an onlooker from shore who came out to rescue him.
When you pull into the bay and beach area, I felt an overwhelming similarity to the site of "Jaws'" New England Town, Amity. A peaceful and quiet beach town that looks like bliss. We spent one afternoon walking the beach, and after Jeremy insisted jumping in the water for a cool down. I spent those 10 minutes scouring the waters for any dark objects. No fun. Luckily, there was nothing in site, but some other onlookers where giving us looks like we were insane foreigners. Which...we kinda are :-) No one else was in the water. (above pic is the new "amity", the bay of great whites)
(side note) 2 weeks after we returned home, there is an article in the newspaper with a photo of 2 swimmers in that bay with a giant black fin about 4 feet from them. Creepy!
During one of my days, I took a visit to the Albany Windfarm. Located right on the coast, the farm consists of twelve 1800 kW wind turbines. The wind farm produces about 77,000,000 units of electricity, but this depends on how windy the year is. The amount of energy supplies about 15,000 homes with electricity, and is "equivalent to about 75% of the City of Albany's electricity requirements" Now thats cool. The wind farm lowers greenhouse gas emissions by about 77,000 tonnes per year which is over 5000 family-households.
That should cover my daily ranting on tree-hugging.
Shall we not forget my trip to the animal farm. I always visit animal farms it seems, and this trip was no different. How could I pass up the opportunity to hold koala's and feed kangaroos? Well of course, I couldn't. And as usual, I was in personal heaven and want to live on a farm. And I want a pig. Big surprise.

"A Green Oasis in a Concrete Jungle"

City Farm Perth- "heaven on earth"

It's about time I do a bio on this lovely, fantastic, world-saving place that I spend so much of my time since living in Perth, Western Australia at.

Located at a former scrap metal yard and battery recycling plant, City Farm is living proof that chemically-infused lands can be transformed into living wonders of sustainability.

City Farm is a live-demonstration of Permaculture principles and sustainability practices meeting an urban-city environment. We find that being environmentally conscious and responsible DOES and can work in all regions, despite obstacles put forth before us.

City Farm promotes environmental awareness and responsible practices. They serve as a community resource and education center. Amongst the list of things that City Farm does for the community: workshop center, permaculture garden, grey water recycling program, worm farms, composting, creation of habitiat for native flora and fauna, artisan markets and organic growers markets- they also work with local schools that have incorporated the Department of Environmental Conservations "wastewise program" into their curriculum. The WasteWise program is an innovative program that encourages schools to grow their own lunch gardens, minimize waste and excess garbage by recycling, using reusable resources, and encouraging students AND their parents to be conscious of the environment. The programs have been incredibly successful and many schools have banned the use of plastic wrapping (for lunches), decreased their waste substantially, and now grow their own fresh organic veggies to serve at lunch! This also provides a great educational tool for parents as their children come home with new ideas and an enivornmentally responsible conscience.

That's my basic schpiel on what City Farm does. Now a little more... The place is run by 2 incredibly dedicated people- Rosanne and Thom Scott. These two put their blood and sweat into the place, working unimaginable hours to keep the place running. Without them, City Farm wouldn't be what it is today. They also have a group of incredibly dedicated volunteers who manage the day-to-day activities and happenings; the horticulturist Andrew who maintains the nursery which contains plants, seedlings and small fruit bushes for sale; the daily feeding of the rabbits, guinea pigs, pheasants, and chooks (mama chook just had some babies chicks and at any given minute you will see them wandering around the site at their own free-will); our handyman Prof who does everything from welding and building, to changing light bulbs; Helen our experienced Coffee girl who serves coffee at events and the Organic Growers Market, and the list goes on.


Since my arrival in Perth at the beginning of April, I immediately became involved in the day-to-day happenings at City Farm. My most recent and current project is to take on the role as "coordinator of the Artisans Market". In my 3 months in Perth, I have developed a monthly artisans market where we feature all local vendors and their handmade crafts. Our last market had about 20 vendors, live music and entertainment, kids activities, and yummy biodynamic sausage and tofu sizzles.

Our next market takes place this saturday and we can only hope for no rain. I also work at our weekly organic growers market on Saturday mornings.

As a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization, City Farm lacks the necessary funding to complete all the desired projects. As my work at City Farm is 90% volunteer, ideally, I would love to have the opportunity to work as a fulltime employee and really focus on more specific projects. Hopefully in the near future this can happen.

Check out the webpage at http://www.cityfarmperth.org.au/ and look for yourself how City Farm is a working example how to minimize our impact on earth!

land down under

It has been 8 weeks since my arrival on the world’s largest island. 8 weeks living in a country that is also considered a continent. 8 weeks located on the same continent with the largest living organism ever, The Great Barrier Reef. 56 days on the driest, flattest environment.. 56 days of survival where the world’s deadliest creatures exist. I am in the only country where they eat and hunt their national emblem. I think there are more things that can kill you here than any other place in the world. My fear of sharks has not been unwarranted. Although I am repeatedly told that you are more likely to be struck by lightening than attacked by a shark, I have read about 6 shark attacks on the island/country/continent since my ARRIVAL. Some may say that these take places hundreds, thousands of miles away from where I am, and from each other- however, I have not heard about 5 people being struck by lightening since my arrival. Great Whites are not cool in my book. Surfing is not on my list of things to do in the near future anymore.

So this is Australia. The land down under. The outback. Crocodile Dundees’ territory. Steve Irwin’s holy land.

Don’t get too nervous about my wellbeing. I have not been affected by any of the potential dangers that are oh-so-present in this bizarre mass of land that is inhabited solely on the coastlines. However, I am located in the most isolated city in the world, Perth, Western Australia. It doesn’t feel like I’m isolated though. Perth is a beautiful city that I have become quite fond of in my 6 weeks here. Located thousands of miles from the well-known cities of Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne- it’s quite easy to get lost in the laid-back, environmentally friendly, and outdoorsy atmosphere of Perth.

I am living in a cute suburb which is only a 15 minute bike ride into the city center. Lucky for me, the Railroad system is not only efficient, inexpensive, and run on gas, but there is also an extensive bike route that runs throughout the entire city, suburbs, and parallel to the rail stations. Biker friendly places are cool. And, so I have purchased myself a bicycle to get around town. There are always times when we try to take the cheap-way out of a purchase. In my case, I opted to look in the newspaper for the cheapest bike I could find. Knowing absolutely nothing about bicycles, and also suffering my overwhelming desire to buy anything, I quickly agreed to a bicycle at an old man’s house because he told me it was just serviced and there were brand new tires. That sounds awesome. I started to regret my decision on the ride home when I was looking at my bike questioning WHY I would EVER agree to purchase a HOT PINK bicycle. I hate pink. This was the first mistake, and soon I would learn that I would pay the price for my cheapness. Just because the bike has new tires I have learned this means nothing as far as performance. Unfortunately, the tires and brakes are not adjusted properly and to make a long technical description of my bikes problems short (unless you know something about bikes, in which case, please email me so you can tell me how to fix it), I have had to dismantle the front brake, and rely and use only the back one. The gears also have a mind of their own and change without warning or initiation by me…which can be quite a surprise, and an unpleasant one for that matter. So my bike is now permanently stuck in the gear that it chooses for the week, and unless I am willing to hold the gears in place with my hand, I must accept it.

Since I am still unemployed, I am waiting to get my bike fixed. However, I already know what the people at the bikeshop will tell me. For the amount of money I will have to put into my bike to properly fix it, it will be cheaper and better for me to purchase an entirely “new” used bike that is $200. This is something that I am not looking forward to, and therefore, I will continue to ride my pink rocket as long as possible.

Moving on from my bike woes. I have adjusted to the Australian lingo without problem. It helps living with Jeremy Nath and Liz. In fact, I forget that I am a foreigner and wonder why people look at me weird or don’t understand me when I speak to them. I’ve learned what Australian Footy is, and I understand the rules. I’ve come to the sad realization that I will never be able to watch a baseball game here. They don’t believe in baseball in oz. It’s sad. I have finally learned the color associated with each money-bill and no longer look like a fool searching for the right change. I stopped throwing the little gold coins out when I realized that they are worth $ 2, and are quite valuable although easy to lose.
Most of all, I have learned that I must stay on the left side of the road when riding my bicycle and driving, to look right before left, and that the turn-signal is located where the windshield wipers are in America, and vice-a-versa. I successfully scared Jeremy s#@%less when I first took the car on the road.

Life has been good in Australia this far. One of these day’s I’ll venture out of the ‘burbs and see the real outback.. Although, it doesn’t seem like the trek cross-country is as easy as it sounds. Hot, dry, desolate climate and scenery create a difficult journey, but it will be well worth it when finally done. The locals refer to anything that is remotely rural as the bush. At some point, the bush becomes the outback. Eventually, you’ll return to the bush, than hit a city, and than hit the ocean. I think that’s fair to say about the entire continent as far as location

For those of you whom are concerned with the possibility of me never returning home, have no worries, I’m not staying here forever.
I did finally see kangaroos and koalas last week which was pivotal to confirm that I am actually IN Australia. The roo’s were amazing and I was able to get sooo close to them before I decided to run wildly through the field of 50, creating a chaotic scene of Marsupials hopping all around me in a total frenzy. It was awesome. The Koalas looked like some of the laziest and happiest creatures alive. I was tempted to climb the tree and cuddle one til I saw the enormous claws that protrude out of their paws.

Hopefully one of these days someone will employ me and put me to work. I’ve been keeping busy doing volunteer work at the Organic Farm and Garden which is a super place. And I’ve invested in a pair of padded-butt biker shorts, which make me feel somewhat less of a dork, and more like a serious biker despite my old-school white-mushroom helmet and hot pink bicycle. At least my butt is no longer sore.

Gettin down in Kuala Lumpur

On my quest to hit 4 continents in 9 days I have arrived (and will soon be leaving) Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
I sensed that I was slightly overdressed in my jeans, longsleeve shirt, and down vest after my long and arduous plane ride from Sweden. To my excuse, Sweden was really cold and winter clothing was necessary. It was NOT necessary in KL however, as the temperature at 7am was easily 90 degrees, total humidity.

I arrived to a distant friend, Eric, who greeted me in the Sentral Train Station. As we loaded my bags into his car, I casually walked in stride to the passengers door. He stopped me midway and asked me where I was going. Than he quickly informed and reminded me that they drive on the opposite side here, and what is known as the passenger side is the driver. Oops. My bad. Good start. Feeling slightly silly with a person I've only known for 6 minutes.

Kuala Lumpur is the meeting point of cultures. The diversity is tremendous and this is apparant as you stroll around the city streets. Malay's, Chinese, and Indians all pack the street as they coexist in Malaysia's capital city. Muslims, Buddhists, and Arabics all have their seperate worshipping sites in a variety of locations. If the United States is known as a "melting pot" of races and religions, KL is up there in competition for their diversity in culture.

2 things that will come to the immediate attention of a new arrival into KL are the abundance of malls and shopping centers, and the KL twin towers.
There are about 7 malls within a 10 minute walk from my hotel. And these aren't small malls. They are enormous. Overwhelming. Obtrusively large. These monstrocities are asking you to get lost. 7 stories and endless turns and nooks to walk through. How does anyone have money here? It's tempting to indulge yourself in retail therapy.
The other site, which is still somewhat obtrusive but much more pleasant on the eyes are the KL twin towers. These are the largest twin towers in the world. There is a quick recognition upon first glance. This is because you have seen them in movies such as "Entrapment", with Sean Connery and catherine Zeta-Jones. They try to cross the two towers via cable-wire on newyears. Not so smart.
At night the city lights turn on and the streets are filled with noise and glowing neons. It's actually quite beautiful to look at. The hustle and bustle never stops which sounds worse than it is. Although it can be somewhat overwhelming, its actually quite a spectacle.
And than there is the food...
This is not a place to go if watching your waist. As the diversity in culture is wide, so is the availability of different types of food. Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Malay.... you name it, they have it. It's beyond delicious and the food alone could keep you here for days on end.

But I don't have days on end. And it's probably a good thing. Tomorrow I leave for Australia. The land down under is my next stop in this quick 9 day trip that has already landed me from New York to Sweden, to Malaysia...and now to Australia.

they don't speak spanish in sweden

(I thought this picture was funny. Don't hold your child's hand while crossing the street sign... just dropkick them instead. Go Sweden)

After a brief trip back to NY where I spent 3 weeks innundated with TDO (things to do), such as..selling my car, acquiring a working visa, and the other oddball chores that must be attended to while home..I have left.

I arrived in Stockholm, Sweden this morning after a pleasant overnight plane ride. Pleasant, minus waking up stifling hot and trying to turn on my overhead light to find out that it would only shine directly on the girl sleeping next to me. No help at all for me.

So now I am in the country of Pippi Longstocking, Abba, Volvo, the Vikings (although I don't see any walking around) H&M, and of course, Blue eyed Blonde babes.
Did I forget to mention its freezing here? I leave New York enroute to Australia. When I think of a trip to Australia, I think of warm breezes, beautiful beaches, greatwhite sharks and crocodiles. I certaintly don't think about stopping off in Sweden where I freeze my butt off while walking around this afternoon. I had to return to the hostel to put an additional 3 layers of clothing on. I look homeless. As usual.
I took the hostel up on its free walking tour offer late this afternoon. Perhaps if I wasn't concentrated on my nose freezing off and my inability to smile because my face was frozen, I would have enjoyed it more. But I did pass the house where the red hair, pigtailed child who was the first in childrens stories to be a rebel was created. I have a special bond with Pippi. Perhaps because I dressed up as her when I was 7, and 19, for Halloween. I don't think at the age of 7 I realized that she was so rambunctious and disorderly. And than at the age of 19 I was disappointed I couldn't have followed in her shoes, or stockings, when I was younger so I was living vicariously through the character. Whatever it is, I like her.

My biggest problem of the day? I keep trying to speak spanish to these people when they speak swedish to me. They don't speak spanish in sweden. So i've learned. This is a difficult concept for me to grasp as the last dozen of so countries I have visited all share the same language which makes traveling and communicating REALLY easy. Its not easy here and I feel somewhat stupid. Luckily, I head to Northern Sweden tomorrow to visit my swede boys, and I will no longer need to fend for myself. Although, its even colder up there than Stockholm.

Choose your own adventure

It´s like reading a classic CYOA book. You begin the novel with all the opportunities imaginable, right at your fingertips.
Do you go with instinct, safety, greed?
Each decision you make has a significant consequence, and all lead to a new direction in your travels (or life). Each opens up new opportunity and possibilities.

I have come to the end of the chapter where I now choose my own, and next, adventure.

Choice A: I could continue my original plans-- go to Utila, Honduras (the Bay Islands) and complete my dive-master course for the next 2 months. This is no specific plan or outcome upon finishing, and I don´t know where it will lead me next. Although, as part of all ¨choose your own adventure¨books, you never really know what´s ahead.
A majority of the time, playing it safe in Choose Your Own Adventure never brings you to the lions den, you never get robbed, thrown into the eye of a hurricane, or break your leg. However, you also never have much thrill. The kids who play the safe route in CYOA books always end up somewhat bored and unattached. Not that taking my divemaster is boring, but it is following the ordinary plan. The intended route. Not deviating from the schedule.

or I could go with Choice B: Take a leap of faith and chance it. Put a kebosh on my Honduras plans and go home early. Try something totally new and perhaps risky. Not dangerous, but certainly different. There is only one way to move on from the constant normalcy of life, you have to take chances. You take risks with hopes that they will pay off. The kids who enjoy CYOA books the most where the kids who were living in the now. They weren´t thinking the rationality of the future, they were taking each opportunity as it came.

Choice B is certaintly the bigger gamble. Higher risk. However, high risk pays off high reward, if you hit the pot. It could go sour and you can lose drastically as well. But isn´t it better to try and fail, than to fail to try?

Solution? In this case, take the risk. When normally siding with safety and taking a sure bet, the risk can often be worth it. Without taking a chance you never have the opportunity to win big. Who wants to sit around with mediocrity and no spark forever? Settling with average is no way to live.

We now choose choice B. Take the risky option that looks like fun and has potential for rewards.

It looks like I´m going to the land of Oz.

Our individuality is all, all that we have. There are those who barter it for security, those who repress it for what they believe is the betterment of the whole society, but blessed in the twinkle of the morning star is the one who nurtures it and rides it, in grace and love and wit, from peculiar station to peculiar station along life's bitersweet route --Jitterbug Perfume

It´s always just one more day...

It´s never easy getting to a new destination. The constant desire to spend ¨just one more day¨ in your current location is overwhelming and always an obstacle. However, we all know that it´s never one more day and it´s easy to get stuck in a town that you never imagined you would spend more than 5 hours in.
It happens, and in reality, it happens all the time when you are traveling.

I had expectations of arriving to the Bay Islands in Honduras 2 weeks ago. I am still not there, but I am really close in location! Belize was a convenient stop on my route to Honduras after leaving Mexico. After all, I didn have to go THROUGH Belize to get to Honduras, so it only made sense to spend a few days. A few days turned into 8, but I am now close to my original destination.

But than you meet these great people on the boat ride, or the bus ride, and with a snap of the fingers, you have a new plan or destination. Everyone told me La Ceiba was a grungy, undesireable place in Honduras and I should only use it as the jump'off point to get to the Bay Islands. They were wrong.
La Ceiba has character and vibrance ringing from the center. We were lucky enough to meet a canadian fellow doing volunteer work on our bus here. He has become our unofficial tour guide.
Last evening we attended the soccer match with the local team, Victoria. Luckily for us, it wasn´t as insane as some of the games get here. However, I don´t know any sporting event in the USA where fireworks are lit within the fan section. We were standing in the heart of the crazies. Big drums surround us (which not only did I get to assist in holding, but I got to play them as well!!) as the locals chant and scream the songs that I couldn´t understand any words to. They run to the left, than push to the right. Keep a watchful eye at all times or else you may get caught offguard, and falling off these bleachers won´t be pleasant. When Victoria finally scored, the entire section runs down the bleachers to the bottom, and than back up. Imagine hundreds, thousands of rowdy fans in a giant mosh storming around the benches. Insanity I tell you.
The center of the stadium is the Revolutionary section, so I am told. Here, a group of truly insane fellows with no shirts sit. They are impartial to a team. They are fenced in. Their only purpose is to be loud and rowdy. They scream for both teams. They harass both teams. They are the Revolutionaries and I am in awe of them.

Today was a brilliant afternoon.
Tour Guide Dan took my friend and I on a hike. We went through the mountains 2 hours to a magnificient waterfall. It was a stunning site, and after a long and sweaty trip to arrive we were given the best refreshment by standing at the bottom and taking in the heavy water flowing on our head. The other amazement? When you stood halfway up the waterfall in the jungle, you could see the ocean in the distance.
Our walk back was a continuance of a terrific day. After hitching a ride we arrived at the school that TourGuide Dan volunteers for. The school is located 1 hour out of La Ceiba, in the middle of the mountains for the children that live in the forest area. The majority of these children have never attended any type of school before because the distance is too far. The newly designed one-room school is the first opportunity for these people to have an education. In the 3 months since its implementation, they have almost 30 kids attending, ranging in age from 5 to 15.
What an opportunity this has created for these children living in the mountains.
Dan showed us around the school, which isn´t much to see being its only one room. We also stopped by one of the houses of his student where we were greeted by 5 excited children, and 2 lovely parents.
The people in Honduras have been so kind and friendly which creates a positive vibe for traveling.
It always amazes me that the countries with the toughest reputation on crime and poverty tend to be the most welcoming and friendly.

and than there were 2...

It´s that time when saying goodbyes starts having an impact. Although part of the fun and thrill of traveling is the people you meet along the way, you always know that you will part ways eventually...whether it be in 3 days or 3 weeks.
To think that I arrived with Jess in Mexico City 2 months ago seems like eternity. We had a brilliant experience throughout Southern Mexico during that time, with extended stays on the West coast where we met the first Aussie gang. Leaving them was definitely sad and we wondered when we´d find another group. And as Ive mentioned in previous posts, it didn´t take long to form a new 7 point-posse in the Yucutan, composing of 2 more Aussie boys, 2 Swedes, and our Irish mate Paul who we met a month earlier. And quickly enough, the group has dissipated.
Jess finally has left. She is enroute to London where she will be working and living for the next year. It´s been 7 months with that girl and there is something special to say about that. Its been a wondrous and unexpected friendship and I couldn´t have asked for a better traveling buddy.
So than there were 3- Jeremy, Paul, and Lisa.
Jeremy left today...flying back to Australia via Los Angeles. Another sad departure.
And now, there is 2.
I am still with Irish Paul and we will be making our way to Belize tomorrow. After some consideration on how I will be getting to Honduras, I was easily convinced to come through Belize for a few days and revisit the old country that I spent a semester at 3 years ago.

playa del carmen and isla de mujeres

As a backpacker, traveling in tourist-spots can always be overwhelming. Maybe I had some of these thoughts in South America when we visited Cusco, Peru (Machu Picchu), or Patagonia in Chile. However, this is totally different. We arrived in tourist-central Playa del Carmen and although no one immediately said so, I think we all wished to turn around and head back to Tulum. We were on the main avenue in Playa surrounded by obnoxious vendors, tourists wearing stupid Mexico shirts and other paraphernalia, and there is a Walmart across the street from our hostel. This is not what we were looking for. The beaches are crowded and dirty. I can’t walk down the street without a store owner yelling at me to look at his necklaces. Why did we come here? Well, I have no idea why we did, but if we are here…we might as well take advantage and do what’s best…go Scuba Diving.
The diving was brilliant. There is something so special and amazing about Caribbean water. The visibility doesn’t get any better and the variety of marine life is astounding.
We saw about 8 giant sea-turtles which made the expensive dive worth it immediately. Our hostel is filled with a great international crowd and as usual we find ourselves having a blast with Israelis, Swedes, Serbians, and Aussies. After 3 days we decide to move on to Isla Mujeres, a small island off of Cancun. The 20 minute ferry ride takes us to another paradise-island…still touristy but not as bad as Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The entire island is 8kilometers so my new running pal, Aussie Jeremy and I take on the island. Everyone rides around in golf carts and I am just another American here in a Mexican resort town. More importantly, we watched the Giants game last night against GreenBay…and you know what that means…my GMen are going to the Superbowl! Epic night. Rough morning. Irish Paul and Aussie Jeremy and myself are heading to a new destination tomorrow. Where we are going I cannot say (although I DO know), because it may or may not be illegal. No worries though, Mom and Dad know where I will be and I have contacts. There will be updates next week after I return. Jess leaves next Sunday which is sad. We have been together for almost 6 months now and I think it will be really weird without her anymore. However, she is moving on and heading to London for work so after a long amazing time together, will be parting ways.

Tulum

Jan 10-14

Although we enjoyed our week in south-central Mexico, it has become clear to us (or maybe just me) that the coast is where I belong. After 7 days inland, I was craving the beach again. We quickly switched coasts and another night bus later, we have landed in Tulum, Mexico…the Caribbean- 2 hours south of Cancun.
The east coast of Mexico, also known as the Yucatan has an entirely different feel than the West coast. Here, American tourists take vacations and cruise-stops. The towns are much more tourist-oriented, and you don’t feel very far from home.
However, Tulum is different. The beaches have a fine white powder, the water is aqua blue, and there is actually silence. Granted, there are (more) Mayan Ruins here which are located ON the beach, making them quite a site (although I wouldn’t know because I never visited them even though they were 5 minutes from my hostel) for tourists, you can always find an isolated place on the beach without being bothered.

On our bus ride from Palenque we met 2 Swedish boys who come to the hostel with us. Within 2 days we also find 2 more Australian boys. The following day our Irish friend Paul, from Puerto Escondido finds us and once again, we have formed a new posse…quite quickly this time.
Jess and I spend our days renting bicycles and riding down the beach. We find secluded lagoons on walking paths where there is fresh water, completely still and clear amongst beautiful ferns and trees. We bike into nature reserves where turtles are being protected and there is silence for hours. I could live here. Eventually. Not now- I do realize that as much as I enjoy being on beach taking in the beautiful surroundings, I am certainly not ready to settle down and live the quiet life YET. I definitely have more of a purpose than that, but it IS nice.
Once again, Sunday rolls around and the Giants-Dallas game comes to attention. We spend the day at a tiny bar while I anxiously pace back and forth during the intense game. And to my disbelief, they win…what a great day it was.
Our 7-point-posse leaves Tulum together, not knowing that our next destination will bring overwhelming feelings of tourist-ville Mexico.

san cristobal to palenque

Jan 3-10
After 3 weeks of Puerto Escondido- Jess, Az, and I head to San Cristóbal. Originally our friend was supposed to join us instead of Az, however, complications arose when the boys sold the VW van and he had to drive to Guatemala with the new owners of Fred to transfer papers. Az joined us instead and it was a great little trio that we had for the following week.
San Cristobal is a beautiful town in the south-west of Mexico several hours inland. After spending 3 weeks at thebeach we thought it would be a good idea to find a real city and enjoy the sites. What we were not prepared for was the weather. Although the temperatures where chilly, we were freezing. 45 degrees at night was unbearable for us beach-goers and we were dressed in layers with hats, scarves, and sleeping in gloves with long-johns. The city has a great array of music and the streets are similar to those of Oaxaca- paved in cobblestone and artsy.
Unfortunately, the weather put us off and after 3 days (but of course waiting for Sunday Giants game) we head to Palenque.
Palenque is some of the more popular Mayan ruins in Mexico, located in the muggy-jungle area of the country. After a bumpy overnight bus ride, we take cab to El Ponchon, a little community of housing and restaurants right outside of the ruins.
We find a cute cabana for 2 days in the little hippie-town and head out first thing in the morning to the ruins. At this point, I have seen a lot of ruins. The intensity and amazement is lessening at each site that I visit which is somewhat disappointing. However, Palenque had its own charismatic feeling. Set in the middle of the jungle surrounded by waterfalls, the massive temples and structures stood out amongst the highlands. We spent the day exploring the site, walking through the jungle listening to monkeys, and sitting on top of these colossal formations in silence…taking in the brilliance.

Puerto Escondido- holidays

3 weeks in a sleepy coastal town on the West Coast of Mexico. 1 VW van named Fred covered in grafitti and the Australian Flag. 1 shared house with 8 Aussie residents and myself. The well-known Mexican Pipeline, famous for some of the heaviest breaking waves around. Isn`t this paradise?

Yes, it was.

When we first arrived in Puerto Escondido, we already had decided that we would be spending a few weeks there- we wanted to spend Christmas and New Years in a familiar town where we were comfortable with the surroundings and already knew some people. We never expected to leave with a family and such epic memories.

The town is a quiet little beach town with a main beach-avenue and not much else. The waves are intense..only those who are experiences surfers, or those who are thrill-seekers will take on the challenge of the Mexican Pipeline. The riptides are so intense that swimming is dangerous and one needs to exercise precaution at all times not to get pulled away with the currents.

Jess has a friend (Az) who we find our first night. As usual, he introduces us to some new friends that he met in the hostel. Before long, we have a posse of 9 crazy Australians, a random Brit, and myself. 2 of the Aussie boys have driven from Vancouver to Mexico in their VW van which we quickly adopt and take advantage of.

The next 2 weeks consist of loading people into Fred, while others are hanging off the back bumper, others out the door, and driving around the surrounding beaches looking for new activities.

The boys are all dedicated surfers and are intent on finding the RipCurl featured Wave of the year...in Barra de La Cruz, which is a few hours south of Puerto Esc.

We load the surfboards, stuff 6 of us into the van and take off south. We have no map, no directions...actually, we literally have nothing except the DVD of the Ripcurl search which is what we use as our naviagtional tool. 4 hours later we arrive to a tiny town. There is only one restaurant and the people are incredibly accomodating. After eating, they allow Jon to set up his hammock at the restuarant while we park the van next-door...Jess and I sleep atop of the combie and Hedge sleeps inside the Van. Az and Tony opt to rent a room. We wake up at sunrise and drive down to beach where the boys spend 2 glorious days filled of surfing the ^dreamwave^.

When we return back to town, the Christmas crowd has started to arrive and sleepy Puerto Esc has been transformed. We decided to drive around and find a quiet beach for the day. Shortly after we arrive at the isolated strip of sand, a young Mexican couple approach us. They take us to a tent nearby where we find that this is a turtle-hatchery. In front of us is over 100 baby sea-turtles that hatched the night before. They are being released that evening into the ocean. Next to us an old Mexican couple who look like they are in their 80`s have been sleeping in these tents for 5 months gathering turtle eggs and preserving them in a hatchery from poachers. They have over 1000 eggs that are ready to hatch this month. What an incredible thing to stumble upon.

As Christmas approaches we have already settled down in the best find of our trip. We found a split house that 6 of us officially sharing, (although we have 2 additional dwellers who sleep on the hammocks onthe roof) We have a heap of friends who we have met that are living in other houses as well. We decide to put on a massive Christmas lunch. We take Fred into town and assign everyone a duty at the market. We come back with 4 kilos of fresh fish, 2 kilos of fresh shrimp, a ton of fresh veggies, fruit, and other goodies.

We invite everyone and wake up at 10am on Christmas day with secret-santas, a full breakfast of fruit, and mimosas and champage flowing. By 2 in the afternoon we have accumulated over 20 people at the house. We spend the entire day lounging around, playing slip-and-slide, and enjoying the good company. It really doesn`t get much better.

We spend the following week recovering and soon enough New Years arrives which is filled with body-painting and more festivities. 3 weeks manages to fly by and before we know it..it`s time to leave our new friends and move on.

Sad goodbyes and always there is the doubt that you will never meet people that are quite so fabulous, but its time to continue the travels and soon enough, we will find a new group that we love oh so much.