*An albino cockroach!! Now, I have a SERIOUS aversion to cockroaches, and I even get a little faint when I have to sweep up the dead ones in my condo. The fact that they are the size of a newborn kitten and have eyes that totally track your every move does not seem to help matters much. However....an albino cockroach!! What if it has some sort of sacred powers? I thought about picking it up from the sidewalk and getting a little gilded cage for it and giving it offerings each day (I even had a little name picked out for it and everything). But then it stared at me with its pink eyes and I realized that albino creatures do not belong in cages.
*It is raining on exactly half of the property right now. It's like something out of a cartoon. I just went outside and walked in and out of the rain. The grass is sopping wet while the pavement is bone dry. Weird.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Poetry by Rumi
Rumi has played a very significant role in my life for quite some time now. I just wanted to share a couple of his poems, as they most definitely speak to this moment in my life.
These poems were found at this website, but you can also find them in Rumi's books.
******************************
THE GUEST HOUSE
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
(What Rumi DOESN'T mention here is that if you don't let these things in, they decide to bang and bang and bang on your door and just wreak total havoc. Also, well, sometimes they can become freeloaders and ask for more and more tea. That's when you gotta kick 'em out)
*******************************************************
NOT HERE
There's courage involved if you want
to become truth. There is a broken-
open place in a lover. Where are
those qualities of bravery and sharp
compassion in this group? What's the
use of old and frozen thought? I want
a howling hurt. This is not a treasury
where gold is stored; this is for copper.
We alchemists look for talent that
can heat up and change. Lukewarm
won't do. Halfhearted holding back,
well-enough getting by? Not here.
*****************************************************
(...and for all you sweethearts out there, this beautiful gem):
When I am with you, we stay up all night,
When you're not here, I can't get to sleep.
Praise God for these two insomnias!
And the difference between them.
These poems were found at this website, but you can also find them in Rumi's books.
******************************
THE GUEST HOUSE
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
(What Rumi DOESN'T mention here is that if you don't let these things in, they decide to bang and bang and bang on your door and just wreak total havoc. Also, well, sometimes they can become freeloaders and ask for more and more tea. That's when you gotta kick 'em out)
*******************************************************
NOT HERE
There's courage involved if you want
to become truth. There is a broken-
open place in a lover. Where are
those qualities of bravery and sharp
compassion in this group? What's the
use of old and frozen thought? I want
a howling hurt. This is not a treasury
where gold is stored; this is for copper.
We alchemists look for talent that
can heat up and change. Lukewarm
won't do. Halfhearted holding back,
well-enough getting by? Not here.
*****************************************************
(...and for all you sweethearts out there, this beautiful gem):
When I am with you, we stay up all night,
When you're not here, I can't get to sleep.
Praise God for these two insomnias!
And the difference between them.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
On Solitude
It's certainly been no secret on this blog that I've had my share of ups and downs here. Bangkok, in spite of its enormity and energy and chaos and large amounts of expats living here, can be a surprisingly lonely place. I think the life of an expat can be surprisingly lonely: friendships shift, people come and go, everything feels like it is in a constant state of flux. I spend a lot of time alone. The fact that I don't really have coworkers makes this even worse; on days like today, when my employers are not here, I can go the entire day without having a conversation with anyone. And while I am a girl who DEFINITELY needs her alone time, too much of it drives me a little bit batty. I think, though, that there is a lot to learn from solitude.
On Monday, my day off, I slept late, bought some new bags (omg...they are soooo cute), ate some warm cherry crumble with vanilla sauce, spent two hours in a used bookstore/cafe, visited an art gallery, read, and saw the new Indiana Jones movie (and, um, welcome back, Indy!!!!!!). And while this most definitely has the makings of the Most Dorktastic Day known to man, it was like some sort of lightening rod. Things became much more clear.
I bought books* that serve the purpose of being catalysts for expansion. I want to learn Buddhist meditation, so I bought a book on that. I want to learn more about the exploitation of developing nations and the dilution of cultural identities as the world becomes increasingly more branded, thereby transforming the idea of the "global village" into a sort of homogenized consumerism that is powered by increasingly manipulative marketing tactics. Y'know....The Global Village! Brought to you by McDonald's! Because we all have heart attacks in the same language....So, um, I bought a book on that. I also picked up this little gem, and a whole bunch of other good stuff. So, there I was with my mammoth pile of books and I started diving into each of them right there in the store, perched on my little padded stool and sneezing from the dust and mildew. And, yes, I was alone. And, yes, I was doing things that I would normally prefer to do with friends or Peter. But it was so nice just sitting there, reading, with nothing else to worry about.
In Asia there is a much greater appreciation for the impermanence of things than we have in the West. The West is the land of reinforced steel. We want plaques and stars in sidewalks and monuments to our glory and billion dollar houses and faces that never wrinkle. We want to prove to the world that WE WERE HERE and we want parts of ourselves to last forever. WE want to last forever. And, hey, I'm not saying that they DON'T build monuments or buy anti-wrinkle cream or are anti-immortality in Asia. I'm just saying that, whether it's due to the Buddhist beliefs, or due to the fact that age is revered and respected (thereby lessening the fear of it), there is a greater acceptance of the impermanent here. Things change, things decay, people age, living things die. Even death is impermanent.
And so I'm learning to let the loneliness fall through my fingers. To let the joy fall through my fingers. To let the frustration and the mosquito bites and the happiness and the quiet fall through my fingers. It's taken me a year to get to this place, but I finally realize that it's time to focus inward, to be contemplative, and to be HERE. It's time to look at the red flowers that are blooming in the treetops as the Skytrain whizzes by. It's time to stop looking at friends' Facebook pictures and wishing I were back in the States partying along with them (as my friend R. said to me at dinner the other night, "Facebook is the devil when you're overseas and feeling lonely." Hell yes.). There have been plenty of amazing times with friends, plenty of party pictures (some more flattering than others....), and there will be many more. I feel the love of many friends and family so strongly right now, which gives me tremendous strength. It won't be much longer until I'm raising a family and changing diapers and cleaning up projectile baby vomit and surviving on four hours of sleep a night and trying to somehow find time to have a career in there and I will long for the days when I could sleep in, spend hours in a bookstore, or linger over a photograph in an art gallery, listening to nothing but the sound of my own silence.
So....Solitude, Silence, pull up a chair and I'll buy you each a shot of whiskey. You have a lot to tell me**.
*I realize that talking about the books I bought was a tad bit off topic, but I wanted to squeeze that in there because I *highly* recommend these books and thought that other people might find them interesting!
**Hmmm...it appears that I've written about this stuff before. I guess the difference is that now I'm ACTUALLY learning what I'm supposed to learn, and I ACTUALLY see the larger picture in all of this, instead of just SAYING that there are things I'm supposed to learn. Sweet!!
On Monday, my day off, I slept late, bought some new bags (omg...they are soooo cute), ate some warm cherry crumble with vanilla sauce, spent two hours in a used bookstore/cafe, visited an art gallery, read, and saw the new Indiana Jones movie (and, um, welcome back, Indy!!!!!!). And while this most definitely has the makings of the Most Dorktastic Day known to man, it was like some sort of lightening rod. Things became much more clear.
I bought books* that serve the purpose of being catalysts for expansion. I want to learn Buddhist meditation, so I bought a book on that. I want to learn more about the exploitation of developing nations and the dilution of cultural identities as the world becomes increasingly more branded, thereby transforming the idea of the "global village" into a sort of homogenized consumerism that is powered by increasingly manipulative marketing tactics. Y'know....The Global Village! Brought to you by McDonald's! Because we all have heart attacks in the same language....So, um, I bought a book on that. I also picked up this little gem, and a whole bunch of other good stuff. So, there I was with my mammoth pile of books and I started diving into each of them right there in the store, perched on my little padded stool and sneezing from the dust and mildew. And, yes, I was alone. And, yes, I was doing things that I would normally prefer to do with friends or Peter. But it was so nice just sitting there, reading, with nothing else to worry about.
In Asia there is a much greater appreciation for the impermanence of things than we have in the West. The West is the land of reinforced steel. We want plaques and stars in sidewalks and monuments to our glory and billion dollar houses and faces that never wrinkle. We want to prove to the world that WE WERE HERE and we want parts of ourselves to last forever. WE want to last forever. And, hey, I'm not saying that they DON'T build monuments or buy anti-wrinkle cream or are anti-immortality in Asia. I'm just saying that, whether it's due to the Buddhist beliefs, or due to the fact that age is revered and respected (thereby lessening the fear of it), there is a greater acceptance of the impermanent here. Things change, things decay, people age, living things die. Even death is impermanent.
And so I'm learning to let the loneliness fall through my fingers. To let the joy fall through my fingers. To let the frustration and the mosquito bites and the happiness and the quiet fall through my fingers. It's taken me a year to get to this place, but I finally realize that it's time to focus inward, to be contemplative, and to be HERE. It's time to look at the red flowers that are blooming in the treetops as the Skytrain whizzes by. It's time to stop looking at friends' Facebook pictures and wishing I were back in the States partying along with them (as my friend R. said to me at dinner the other night, "Facebook is the devil when you're overseas and feeling lonely." Hell yes.). There have been plenty of amazing times with friends, plenty of party pictures (some more flattering than others....), and there will be many more. I feel the love of many friends and family so strongly right now, which gives me tremendous strength. It won't be much longer until I'm raising a family and changing diapers and cleaning up projectile baby vomit and surviving on four hours of sleep a night and trying to somehow find time to have a career in there and I will long for the days when I could sleep in, spend hours in a bookstore, or linger over a photograph in an art gallery, listening to nothing but the sound of my own silence.
So....Solitude, Silence, pull up a chair and I'll buy you each a shot of whiskey. You have a lot to tell me**.
*I realize that talking about the books I bought was a tad bit off topic, but I wanted to squeeze that in there because I *highly* recommend these books and thought that other people might find them interesting!
**Hmmm...it appears that I've written about this stuff before. I guess the difference is that now I'm ACTUALLY learning what I'm supposed to learn, and I ACTUALLY see the larger picture in all of this, instead of just SAYING that there are things I'm supposed to learn. Sweet!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Creepy Bear
So my employers bought this bear to put in the entryway of our school. Now, is it just me, or is there something not quite right about this guy? He's got the crazy eyes and his head is all wonky. Although I usually try to run right past him, the other day I decided to take a look at what the ribbon around his neck says:
My love is different from other
Mine is real one!
Hold me now! Touch me now!
Yeesh. Not only is his English not that good, but homebear is a little zealous about being touched.
So I think the children will just need to stay at least three feet away. At all times. I'd put him in the basement, but I'm afraid he might find a way to hunt me down and kill me in my sleep.
And, um, this is what life is like when you live it with an overactive imagination.
Friday, May 23, 2008
500 gold stars and maybe a new puppy......
.....if you can spot where I added a comma that was desperately needed. Yes, we've been over this: I make stupid mistakes with commas and semicolons. I also, as a rule, tend to not proofread very much on this here blog. However, this lack of comma was driving me nuts.
Uff da......I took some NyQuil last night so that I could sleep through whatever cold I've developed, and I'm kinda drugged today as a result. I cannot muster up the energy to be reflective (or to string two thoughts together), so I'll just leave you with this:
It's a beautiful day in Thailand, and the grass around my school is sooooo green. The sun is so strong that it bleaches the grass in the areas where the shadows of the trees leave gaps, making the color of the grass uneven, which is only noticeable after the sun has gone down. There are butterflies flit-flitting all over the small bursts of blossoms. There is a lovely breeze. The flowers on the other side of the pond are now twice as tall as me, and their blossoms are a deep, strong pink. Their leaves are the size of my torso. Like something a dinosaur might have snacked on. It might be the kind of day where I walk barefoot in the grass and feel happy to be alive. I wish you could be here to see this.
Uff da......I took some NyQuil last night so that I could sleep through whatever cold I've developed, and I'm kinda drugged today as a result. I cannot muster up the energy to be reflective (or to string two thoughts together), so I'll just leave you with this:
It's a beautiful day in Thailand, and the grass around my school is sooooo green. The sun is so strong that it bleaches the grass in the areas where the shadows of the trees leave gaps, making the color of the grass uneven, which is only noticeable after the sun has gone down. There are butterflies flit-flitting all over the small bursts of blossoms. There is a lovely breeze. The flowers on the other side of the pond are now twice as tall as me, and their blossoms are a deep, strong pink. Their leaves are the size of my torso. Like something a dinosaur might have snacked on. It might be the kind of day where I walk barefoot in the grass and feel happy to be alive. I wish you could be here to see this.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Traffic Taxi
I'm sitting in a taxi that is stuck in traffic, and the lights around me look greasy and ethereal in the rain. The rain has been constant--heavy, oppressive, blinding, pouring until you are gasping for air. Gulping oxygen. Feeling the slight grip of panic around your lungs. But it's a warm rain, and it smells a little like sweet smoke. Like an offering. And rain always means that the traffic is bad. And the stillness of the traffic is making things start to bubble up inside of me and so I exhale them out. The driver smiles at me in the rearview mirror. His English is quite good, as he worked as a mechanic on an Air Force base near Pattaya during the Vietnam War. "Thai people, we are very patient," he says as he gestures to the metallic blockage that is spread out before us like a string of thick beads. "We just smile because traffic is so bad. But you can't get angry."
I smile. I'm intrigued. "How do you avoid getting angry?"
"Well, you can't get angry at traffic because you ARE traffic."
I look around me. I see taxis, and open air buses, and motorized fruit stalls with the skins of fruits catching the light and blinking, breathing, eerily full of motion. I see motorcycles with riders whose helmets are like the tips of soaked matchsticks in the rain, balancing on top of thin bodies. They are all traffic. I see chauffeur-driven vans whose dark windows swirl like liquid onyx in the rain, barely masking the flicker of a TV screen inside. I see a girl in a car next to me talking on her mobile. She lets out an enormous laugh--mouth fully open, teeth bared in joy--before remembering herself and putting her hand in front of her mouth. Her fingernails are long and painted, her wrist bends like an orchid. The rain comes harder now, and I can't make her out for much longer.
In the rain, in the traffic, we are radiating light, exhaling smog, and blurring blurring blurring.
The rain inhales for a moment, slowing to a trickle, adjusting itself for its next torrent. There is a brief moment before the light turns green. Everyone pauses, leaning, waiting, anticipating without the fever of hurry. And then, one by one, heads that have been sitting still, heads that have cupped calm like bony goblets, heads that have been watching without seeing, turn. Our heads turn to see an elephant lumbering along the side of the street, the skin on its trunk pink and speckled with age, white ink spelling sacred words on each of its legs, a mahout on its neck steering with his toes, a CD dangling from its tail. Swaying in its awkwardness, its sacredness, its cruel urban status. Its head is lowered against the rain and its trunk finds a railing, finds a sign, finds a car's mirror, finds a fire hydrant. The taxi driver and I find each other's eyes for a sympathetic blink before looking once again at the elephant.
It is traffic.
I smile. I'm intrigued. "How do you avoid getting angry?"
"Well, you can't get angry at traffic because you ARE traffic."
I look around me. I see taxis, and open air buses, and motorized fruit stalls with the skins of fruits catching the light and blinking, breathing, eerily full of motion. I see motorcycles with riders whose helmets are like the tips of soaked matchsticks in the rain, balancing on top of thin bodies. They are all traffic. I see chauffeur-driven vans whose dark windows swirl like liquid onyx in the rain, barely masking the flicker of a TV screen inside. I see a girl in a car next to me talking on her mobile. She lets out an enormous laugh--mouth fully open, teeth bared in joy--before remembering herself and putting her hand in front of her mouth. Her fingernails are long and painted, her wrist bends like an orchid. The rain comes harder now, and I can't make her out for much longer.
In the rain, in the traffic, we are radiating light, exhaling smog, and blurring blurring blurring.
The rain inhales for a moment, slowing to a trickle, adjusting itself for its next torrent. There is a brief moment before the light turns green. Everyone pauses, leaning, waiting, anticipating without the fever of hurry. And then, one by one, heads that have been sitting still, heads that have cupped calm like bony goblets, heads that have been watching without seeing, turn. Our heads turn to see an elephant lumbering along the side of the street, the skin on its trunk pink and speckled with age, white ink spelling sacred words on each of its legs, a mahout on its neck steering with his toes, a CD dangling from its tail. Swaying in its awkwardness, its sacredness, its cruel urban status. Its head is lowered against the rain and its trunk finds a railing, finds a sign, finds a car's mirror, finds a fire hydrant. The taxi driver and I find each other's eyes for a sympathetic blink before looking once again at the elephant.
It is traffic.
Oh yes.....another one of these!!
I'm working on a very intense project right now at work, which kinda makes me want to claw my face off. It's all very good and interesting, but the fact that I am a Psychotic Perfectionist means that the going is slow.
So.......it's time for a meme!!! I am strangely addicted to reading the ones that my friends post. And, hey, writing about myself is a hobby of mine (see: blog).
Thanks to Bangin' for the meme!!
60 Things You Can't Possibly Know About Me
what is in the back seat of your car right now?
Sadly, I sold my car when I moved overseas. She was a lime green Beetle and her name was Petunia. I love love loved her. I even put pink daisies in the little flower holder thingy.
when was the last time you threw up?
Uff da. That would be New Year's Day, 2008. And not for the reasons that people typically vomit on that day.
what’s your favorite word or phrase?
It's a tie between uff da and good grief.
Name 3 people who made you smile today?
Peter (via phone), Juice (via Facebook), and Jasmine.
What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Riding in a taxi.
What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Typing feverishly and developing a headache.
Favorite board game?
Clue. It was TOTALLY Col. Mustard in the conservatory with the lead pipe.
Have you ever been to a strip club?
Yes. Unfortunately.
What is the last thing you said aloud?
"What are the culturally appropriate contexts for eye contact aversion in Thailand?" Followed by, "Oh, really??"
What is the best ice cream flavor?
Black Forest....the kind with real cherry chunks and brownie bits. Droooool.....
What was the last thing you had to drink?
I'm currently nursing some honey lemon drinking yogurt. It doesn't sound terribly appealing, but it tastes like liquid HEAVEN.
What are you wearing right now?
Capris, collared shirt, pearls, and a smile.
What was the last thing you ate?
Stone pot rice with assorted vegetables and kimchi soup. Jasmine and I went out for Korean.
Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Nope. I've been on a very tight budget recently.
When was the last time you ran?
This weekend. I've been a little addicted recently.
What's the last sporting event you watched?
Good grief....um, quite possibly the Packers game in Aspen--which was a lot of fun-- with a bunch of manly men who made loud, manly sounds while I cooked up sandwiches. It would have made for a great anthropological study.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Honestly? At this exact moment in time? Milwaukee.
Ever go camping?
Yes! I love it.
Do you have a tan?
Absolutely not. I never leave the house without SPF 5,000. I have a mental allergy to the sun. And yet, I've still developed more freckles since I've been out here. Sheesh.
Have you ever lost anything down a toilet?
Nope. What a weird question.....
Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?
SURE DO!!!!
Do you drink your soda from a straw?
I don't drink soda (I'm going to second Bangin's response to that....I do drink my drinking yogurt from a straw, however....)
What did the last text message say in your inbox?
I love you!
Are you someone's best friend?
Yes!
What are you doing tomorrow?
Working my ass off.
Where is your mom right now?
Sleeping on the other side of the world.
Look to your left, what do you see?
Books galore.
What color is your watch?
A student gave me the watch that I currently have. It's made out of coconut shell. It is a very treasured possession.
Ever ridden on a roller coaster?
Of course!!
Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
With the exception of some Subway that I ate on the way to the cabin in Eagle River for New Year's (where, yes, I vomited....and there was no running water....), I can't really remember the last time I ate fast food.
Do you have a dog?
No, but I plan on getting one as soon as I get settled in the U.S. I want a Maltese. Peter does not share my affinity for animals, but I'm hoping to change his mind. I can't WAIT to have a dog.
Last person you talked to on the phone?
Peter
Have you met anyone famous?
Oprah Winfrey, Jay and Silent Bob (a.k.a. Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes...there's a great story there that I'll have to write about someday....).
Any plans today?
Finish draft one of this Clear Expectations document.
Are you happy?
I would say I am at peace right now. I'm generally a happy person (with or without the "go-lucky"), but the last year-and-a-half has been filled with A LOT of changes, a lot of difficulties, and it's all been a gigantic roller coaster. I've just done the best that I can do with all of it, and I'm glad that things are starting to stabilize. So...yes, I'm happy. However, being at peace is a much harder thing to achieve, and I'm getting there in the way that is best for me.
Where are you right now?
At my desk.
Last song listened to?
Us by Regina Spektor.
What was the last movie you saw?
A pirated version of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love love love that movie :)
in the theater...
I Could Never Be Your Woman. It sucked.
Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I have four pairs of ballet flats and I rotate them. I loves me some ballet flats.
Are you jealous of anyone?
Brad Pitt.
Is anyone jealous of you?
Ha ha! I highly doubt it.
Do any of your friends have children?
Yes! One of my best friends has the most ADORABLE little boy. She just sent me some new pictures of him and I almost DIED with the cuteness. Another friend of mine is expecting (yay!!), and one of my best friends from high school has two amazing, beautiful children.
Do you hate anyone right now?
Absolutely not! Well, except for President Bush.....
Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I use the word "sawadeeka" every day.
How many kids do you want when you're older?
2 or 3.
How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
29. Yikes.
Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Nope. We had Valleyfair where I come from.
How did you get one of your scars?
I have some scars from getting moles removed. I also have some scars from when I was a premature baby and they had to put IVs in my head. As a result I've got two crazy little bald spots right along my part. I also have a scar from when I passed out while volunteering in a soup kitchen and bashed my chin on the way down. The most recent scar I got was when I burned my hand with scalding hot soup. Good grief. I really should be more careful.
So.......it's time for a meme!!! I am strangely addicted to reading the ones that my friends post. And, hey, writing about myself is a hobby of mine (see: blog).
Thanks to Bangin' for the meme!!
60 Things You Can't Possibly Know About Me
what is in the back seat of your car right now?
Sadly, I sold my car when I moved overseas. She was a lime green Beetle and her name was Petunia. I love love loved her. I even put pink daisies in the little flower holder thingy.
when was the last time you threw up?
Uff da. That would be New Year's Day, 2008. And not for the reasons that people typically vomit on that day.
what’s your favorite word or phrase?
It's a tie between uff da and good grief.
Name 3 people who made you smile today?
Peter (via phone), Juice (via Facebook), and Jasmine.
What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Riding in a taxi.
What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Typing feverishly and developing a headache.
Favorite board game?
Clue. It was TOTALLY Col. Mustard in the conservatory with the lead pipe.
Have you ever been to a strip club?
Yes. Unfortunately.
What is the last thing you said aloud?
"What are the culturally appropriate contexts for eye contact aversion in Thailand?" Followed by, "Oh, really??"
What is the best ice cream flavor?
Black Forest....the kind with real cherry chunks and brownie bits. Droooool.....
What was the last thing you had to drink?
I'm currently nursing some honey lemon drinking yogurt. It doesn't sound terribly appealing, but it tastes like liquid HEAVEN.
What are you wearing right now?
Capris, collared shirt, pearls, and a smile.
What was the last thing you ate?
Stone pot rice with assorted vegetables and kimchi soup. Jasmine and I went out for Korean.
Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Nope. I've been on a very tight budget recently.
When was the last time you ran?
This weekend. I've been a little addicted recently.
What's the last sporting event you watched?
Good grief....um, quite possibly the Packers game in Aspen--which was a lot of fun-- with a bunch of manly men who made loud, manly sounds while I cooked up sandwiches. It would have made for a great anthropological study.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Honestly? At this exact moment in time? Milwaukee.
Ever go camping?
Yes! I love it.
Do you have a tan?
Absolutely not. I never leave the house without SPF 5,000. I have a mental allergy to the sun. And yet, I've still developed more freckles since I've been out here. Sheesh.
Have you ever lost anything down a toilet?
Nope. What a weird question.....
Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?
SURE DO!!!!
Do you drink your soda from a straw?
I don't drink soda (I'm going to second Bangin's response to that....I do drink my drinking yogurt from a straw, however....)
What did the last text message say in your inbox?
I love you!
Are you someone's best friend?
Yes!
What are you doing tomorrow?
Working my ass off.
Where is your mom right now?
Sleeping on the other side of the world.
Look to your left, what do you see?
Books galore.
What color is your watch?
A student gave me the watch that I currently have. It's made out of coconut shell. It is a very treasured possession.
Ever ridden on a roller coaster?
Of course!!
Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
With the exception of some Subway that I ate on the way to the cabin in Eagle River for New Year's (where, yes, I vomited....and there was no running water....), I can't really remember the last time I ate fast food.
Do you have a dog?
No, but I plan on getting one as soon as I get settled in the U.S. I want a Maltese. Peter does not share my affinity for animals, but I'm hoping to change his mind. I can't WAIT to have a dog.
Last person you talked to on the phone?
Peter
Have you met anyone famous?
Oprah Winfrey, Jay and Silent Bob (a.k.a. Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes...there's a great story there that I'll have to write about someday....).
Any plans today?
Finish draft one of this Clear Expectations document.
Are you happy?
I would say I am at peace right now. I'm generally a happy person (with or without the "go-lucky"), but the last year-and-a-half has been filled with A LOT of changes, a lot of difficulties, and it's all been a gigantic roller coaster. I've just done the best that I can do with all of it, and I'm glad that things are starting to stabilize. So...yes, I'm happy. However, being at peace is a much harder thing to achieve, and I'm getting there in the way that is best for me.
Where are you right now?
At my desk.
Last song listened to?
Us by Regina Spektor.
What was the last movie you saw?
A pirated version of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love love love that movie :)
in the theater...
I Could Never Be Your Woman. It sucked.
Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I have four pairs of ballet flats and I rotate them. I loves me some ballet flats.
Are you jealous of anyone?
Brad Pitt.
Is anyone jealous of you?
Ha ha! I highly doubt it.
Do any of your friends have children?
Yes! One of my best friends has the most ADORABLE little boy. She just sent me some new pictures of him and I almost DIED with the cuteness. Another friend of mine is expecting (yay!!), and one of my best friends from high school has two amazing, beautiful children.
Do you hate anyone right now?
Absolutely not! Well, except for President Bush.....
Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I use the word "sawadeeka" every day.
How many kids do you want when you're older?
2 or 3.
How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
29. Yikes.
Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Nope. We had Valleyfair where I come from.
How did you get one of your scars?
I have some scars from getting moles removed. I also have some scars from when I was a premature baby and they had to put IVs in my head. As a result I've got two crazy little bald spots right along my part. I also have a scar from when I passed out while volunteering in a soup kitchen and bashed my chin on the way down. The most recent scar I got was when I burned my hand with scalding hot soup. Good grief. I really should be more careful.
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