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vacation

gone fishing....see you in a week

spring break

i'm back in the u.s. and visiting family.  it only took about 24 hours to make it from vladivostok to des moines.  the flight from CA to IA always feels like a commute now after taking a 13hr international flight.  it was nice to have an itinerary with a maximum of only 2 hours at each stop.  but still the worse part was just trying to sleep on an economy flight going overseas.  i can handle everything except the soreness of having to sit in a seat for hours on end.  but in between naps and movies, i would walk around and just stretch my tired limbs.

the first leg of my trip was vlad to seoul, the russian terminal was modern enough by today's standards but i did notice people would sneak a last minute smoke before the flight, in the men's room. it was a 1/2 empty plane with about 30 people.  i decided to find an empty row before we took off.  no offense to the russian teenager that i had originally been placed with.  but after listening to him play games on his cell phone and feeling his elbow and leg spastically hitting mine, i decided we both could use a little personal space.

the second leg was a flight from seoul to los angeles.  i had a couple hours in seoul before my plane was scheduled to leave.  i walked around a bit and look for something to eat, even though i wasn't hungry.  eventually, i just found a spot at the terminal and settled into one of the books i brought, "the ugly american" - by eugene burdick and william lederer.  the title, i had assumed, was given by other countries when they had encountered americans that were ill mannered and living abroad.  but after reading the book, i discovered it was for an american hero in the book that was described as physically ugly.  the book is somewhat dated but many of the foreign service policy problems still exist since its writing in 1958. 

"For some reason, the people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones I knew in the United States. A mysterious change seems to come over Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves socially. They live pretentiously. They're loud and ostentatious." -burmese journalist, the ugly american

sadly there's a lot of truth in that..

the flight to LA went well aside from my case of tired butt fatigue.  the plane was filled with about 99% koreans.  so everyone was speaking korean which i basically only know how to say hello in.  i do love the flight though since everyone is very polite and quiet.  i'd have time soon enough to hear shouts and complaining after i'd land in the u.s.  so i wasn't surprised when we landed when i walked through u.s. immigration, to hear the first complaints in english about long lines and missing flights.  sigh.

i had to hussle to make it to my united ticket counter to get my domestic boarding ticket. i had 30 minutes to make it to the gate and also check it with my mom and dad.  the counter agent sweetly issued my ticket, but not before circling my pass with the dreaded red felt tip.  mental note, allow another 5 minutes for an individual security screening. 

i made it to the gate with 5 minutes to spare before boarding, so i got my call in and grabbed a quick coffee.  the flight to des moines was a nice way to decompress after the long one from seoul.  i grabbed a quick nap and then struck up a conversation with my seat mate, a young woman from phoenix doing some computer consulting in des moines.  i never want to bother anyone on a flight, and end up being "that guy" that wouldn't shut up.  so i always stop once in awhile and give people an out, like "well i'm probably keeping you from your work, book, etc."  but it turned out to be a nice visit and helped the flight pass quickly. 

within minutes after landing i met my dad at the arrival gate and we were off to get my bags and start the 2 1/2 drive home.

sugar buzz and state of the republic address

reese's peanut butter cups in homemade vanilla ice cream, accompanied by walnut chocolate brownies. sweet...

saturday night, i joined russian friends for some skating at a new rink.  the rink itself appears to still be a well kept secret, since only about 20 people were skating at one time.  but i think that will change as word of mouth gets around.  i hadn't been on ice skates since i was just a little guy.  but i figured previous in-line skating experience would pay off.  we had a great time and i even got some tips on how to skate backwards.  it will take a few more sessions before i get it down smoothly, but i had a great time and only wiped out once.  we headed to the republic cafe to get in a late dinner and some coffee.  side note: cabbage is starting to grow on me.  guess i should be thankful since it seems to be the common side dish everywhere i go.

it'll be 5 months already for me in vladivostok.  i feel like i've got a good start on all my goals that i've made since arriving.  my language classes are coming along, i'm making time to go out and socialize with new russian friends and work wise; i'm getting all the experience i wanted with our IT systems and the responsibility associated with it. my cooking has even improved as i've found time on the weekends to experiment with new foods.  i haven't tried to make any homemade russian dishes yet but i think it's cuz i've been eating local cuisine when i go out with friends. my only regrets are; not having much time to read, not taking the cruiser out trail exploring (mainly due to the weather), and a couple other hobbies i figured would keep me from being bored during the winter.

working in the foreign service you hear stories of people that find out the country they moved to turns out to be different than what they expected.  i've meet a few of these types.  they're usually the same people that decide the host country should afford them more comforts of home than they had in the u.s.  they're the only ones that complain to americans and russians about why something is better in the u.s compared to "insert country name here".  they do so without considering why the host country is different in the first place.  good or bad, most countries have certain cultural and socal differences that can conflict with our own way of thinking.  i've tried to refrain from judging and instead try to understand what dictates the need for a country to do so.  it could be based on economic need, polution concerns (or the lack there of), the high rate of criminal activities, a corrupt government, or a compilation of other issues.  So i usually look at my watch at this point and walk away for my american co-worker.  you can't change people's minds that don't want to change and life's too short for me to want to try.  i've already decided the group of americans i with now are a great crew and are here to work and experience the russian far east.  any naysayers are usually rebuffed with the silent question, "so why are you here?"

me? i'm doing well.  thanks for asking.  i'm here for a couple years and, knock on wood, i think it's a pretty good start to living in a new country. 

great barrier reef

I'm back in Sydney after 4 days in Cairns.  A port city located on the northern coastline of Queensland.  Home to just a tiny slice of the Great Barrier Reef that runs parallel to the coastline.  I decided to put away my memories of "Jaws" and all the other trauma-based ocean movies, in order to do some snorkeling around the reef.  If I had more time I would have moved around more to see other spots on the reef.  But after getting there I realized the cost would require a bigger bank roll than I was willing to lay out.  Granted, you could always do the hostel thing and live more modestly, but I've gone that route and was looking for more solitude and a good spot to get away.  It was nice to spend Thanksgiving away from Sydney also.  Last year I spent time in Adaminaby watching the horse races with a friend from work and his pals.  But this time it was nice to get away up north.  Aside from the tight fit traveling by plane up and back again, the vacation was everything I needed.  Good food, drink and chatting with complete strangers.  One thing I hadn't expected was the high population of Asian tourists.  It was starting to slow down since the tourist season is stronger during the winter months.  But there still seemed to be hordes of people everywhere during the days and nights. 

Here's a sample of some of the aquatic life I ran across during my time at Green Island, outside of Cairns.  I'll get the rest of the photos up when I get time.

perth holiday pix

Photos are up from my trip to Western Australia.

Looking back I'm embarrased that I don't have any photos from just Perth itself.  A great city and plenty to do but I guess we were flat out from getting there in the first place.  While in Perth I did check out some of the museums and resturants.  I even took in a "How to make a Monster" at the WA Museum.  Displays included the croc that was made for the movie Peter Pan.  Unfortunately, they never used the robotic croc for the scene they wanted.  I've seen the display advertised around Sydney but never got a chance to check it out.  It also included other displays from Inspector Gadget II and the monsters from Pitch Black.  I also checked out the Perth Art Gallery which had a nice showing of year 12 students work.  It really put me to shame for some of the stuff I was proud of back in the day.

The 2nd day in WA was spent riding a boat out to Rottnest Island for a day of cycling around the island.  Unfortunately, snorkling wasn't in the cards.  Headed back to Fremantle on the coast for dinner and more sight seeing.

The 3rd day, it was Fremantle again via rental car for more sight seeing and shopping at the Fremantle markets.  A trip to the Maritime Museum and also the Motor Museum. Then it was down to Margaret River and dinner at the end of the day.

The 4th day was spent touring the wineries and vineyards around Margaret River.  A trip to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse near the town of Augusta, about 40 min south the town of Margaret River. 

The 5th day was a ride back to Perth to grab a lazy lunch and then hop a plane back to Sydney.  The plane trip was around 3 hours if that gives you an idea of flying coast to coast from Perth to Sydney.  We fly over the southern part of Australia most of the way which surprised me a bit until I though about where the best place to land would be if there was trouble.

All in all I had a great week out in WA and there's so much to do there as there is in all the cities in Australia.  I'd love to get out there again and head north to the Kimberly and some of the cool places around Broome.

Last note:  I got to see the Indian Pacific train after landing at the airport in Perth.  Another great way to see the country from land, but one that will have to wait for another time.

I've only put the first three days up and have to add Margaret River and some of Fremantle yet.  So don't get bent outta shape just yet.

back from wa

Back and working on putting the pics up from my Perth trip.  I made it to Perth, Fremantle, Rottnest Island and the Margaret River area.  Unfortunately, the weather was rainy the first couple days I got there so I didn't get a chance to snorkel around the island.  But all in all it was a nice trip and I got to see a lot of WA.  I'd like to go back to do some more things later but it'll probably be next year.

I'm running around the house trying to make sure all my clocks match.  We set ours back and gain an hour while back in the states you'll be jumping ahead.  So there's another 2 hour delay between here and back in my hometown.  Total will be 9 hours difference.  Not that anyone is interested but I thought I'd work it out here so I'd remember what time it really is.

western australia holiday

Currently traveling around Western Australia. . Will have photos, etc. later.

holiday planning for perth

I'm planning a trip to Perth for a week and hope to catch Fremantle, Rottnest Island and Margaret River.  Looking over the changing schedule it looks like I'll be hard pressed to get everything in.  No worries though, since just getting to WA will be nice in itself.  I think a lot of people when coming to Australia focus alot of attention and time on Sydney and the west coast.  NSW has a million things to offer but it'd be a shame if I didn't get to western Australia at least once.  I'm already adding places in WA to the list for a second trip if I get a chance. 

I hear from friends and family back in the states that winter is reminding everyone it still can deliver the snow.  From DC to the Midwest, everyone seems to be buried in the stuff.  Don't worry, I'm still thinking about everyone as I sit on the beach or enjoy the sunset from my balcony.  Sorry just had to throw that out there. 

Last weekend, I took a nice ride around some of the suburbs west of Sydney.  Most of it was spent biking some of the trails around Stanmore and Newtown.  Sorry no pics since my guide book was in my hand more than my camera.  After completing 1/2 the trek, I decided to cut it short and find my way back to the city.  Sunday's heat wave caused me to wait till mid afternoon before venturing out.  So by the end of the day, I had to hussle back to try and catch my last ferry home.  Of course I missed it by 10 minutes and ended up riding the rest of the way to my house.  It was alright though, since I enjoy the Harbor bridge ride and hadn't done it in a while.

Not much else going on, just getting back into shape after all the PT I had for my fracture.  The arm still feels a bit of pain if I put strain on it in a certain way.  But otherwise it's holding up well.  I've gotten quite a bit of the flexiblity back.

"I'm flat out like a lizard drinking" at work so haven't had much time to update the blog.  Hope everyone had a good weekend.

adaminaby

Adaminaby Races: A rider getting ready

Race day photos have been uploaded.

Picked up a cold over Australia Day. Summer taunts me to come out but I'm forced back inside to seek the solace of kleenex and cough drops.

New photos added for New Zealand trip

Long awaited and finally here.  Check the side bar for new photo links to the first two days of my Milford Track tramp through New Zealand.  I'm on a roll and should get the last three days added over Monday and Tuesday.  Serenity now!