Finally, My Very Own Blog: March 2007

Who said English class had to be boring?

I am going to post this batch of photos now because they are some of my favorites from the entire trip. Here is the story behind them...

In Laos there is a town called Vang Vieng, which is one of the most popular stops on the backpacker trail. Just outside of Vang Vieng is an organic farm where the main crop is mulberry, and they take volunteers. I learned about it from the Lonely Planet, which said that a person can go and work in exchange for food and a room, a great opportunity to learn about organic farming and give a bit back to the community.

At the time I was really craving some physical labor, since I had been doing nothing but being a lazy backpacker for quite awhile. I was really into the idea of spending a few days getting my hands dirty and eating organic food on the farm. As it turned out, things have changed quite a bit, most likely due to the influx of people that came after the place got put in the LP. There was no more work/room exchange, and the people who really ran the farm seemed to have nothing at all to do with the travelers. The only thing to get involved in were traveler-led projects - which happened to be mud brick making and planting a garden. I got to make some mud bricks, but the gardening (what I had really wanted to do) had been put on hold for the planning of a Space Party at the local bar. So I never really got to do any of the farm work I was hoping for!

But I did get to do something I had not expected - help teach the English classes. Every night about 15 volunteers headed up the road to a community center to offer free English classes to any kids that wanted to come. There were two levels of classes, and each had about 40 kids that came regularly. This was completely voluntary on their part as well, and they were very eager students! Being a part of the class was a great experience -- the kids were just wonderful and such a joy to be with.

The last night I went was Game and Song Day, so I brought along my camera. I had to post almost all of the shots because they are all so much fun!

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Girls learning how to play Red Light Green Light

Playing Red Light Green Light

And of course Duck Duck Goose, with one modification -- we had to touch kids on the shoulder, not the head. In Buddhist countries the head is the most sacred part of the body, and it is very disrespectful to touch someone's head.

In the classroom....

I think this girl is just adorable! But also take a look at the wall behind her -- those are colored glass bottles that were stuck in when it was built, which made for a lovely effect during the daylight.

This boy was hiding under a bucket during a game of 4 Corners.

It's always essential to teach the "hand slapping game." You know the one I mean....does it even have a name?

A few shots from the Tarzan song...

Notice that the older boys on the left are too cool to do the handmotions :-)

Going back inside after break.

I don't think you can see it on the photo, but he's writing the lyrics to Hey Jude, which we taught all the kids how to sing.

Heads Up Seven Up is always a hit...

And someone always peeks!

Funny Dad Story

The other day when my father was waiting at an intersection somewhere in San Jose, a car coming the other way blew through the red light several seconds after his light had already turned green. Red light runners are probably my dad's biggest pet peeve when it comes to driving, and every time I make that snap second decision to stop instead of speeding up, I always think of him. (I also think of my college roommate's sister who was hit by a red light runner as she was crossing the street as a child. ) And most of the time I do stop, because I've heard enough of my dad's ranting about the dangers of red light running to be pretty conscientious about it.

So this woman goes through the light about 7 seconds after it has turned red, sending my dad into a tizzy of frustration. He goes on his way, and at the next block, finds himself right behind the guilty driver. On the back of a car is a Mary Kay sticker . . . with the woman's cell phone number. So what does my dad do? Like any concerned citizen, he picks up his phone and gives her a call. And when she picks up the phone, he chews her out right then and there, saying something along the lines of, "Do you have any idea how badly you just ran that red light? What makes you so important that you have to put others in danger just so that you can save a few minutes? And look how far ahead it got you! Nowhere! You are still waiting at the next light!" And on and on and on.

The woman's response: "I know, and I feel absolutely AWFUL about it!" She goes on to explain that she is usually a very good driver and she never runs red lights, but she just had one of those moments where she made a mistake. This of course calms my dad down and they continue to have a pleasant conversation about the dangers of red light running and how much of a problem it has become, and she tells him how impressed she was that he had the guts to call her and reprimand her.

And they end the conversation with, " You drive safely now!"

I love my dad :-)

Moral of the story: Don't run red lights, especially if you have your cell phone number displayed on your car.

Two interesting articles that are related to Burning Man:

This one is a Yahoo article about fire spinning being a great workout. What I find really funny is that they have taken something which to me is an inherently interesting art/dance form, and focused almost solely on the workout aspect of it (plus the "dangers") in order to make it interesting to the mainstream audience. Never mind everything else about fire spinning! The fact that it is beautiful to watch, the complexity of the moves, its role in so many cultures and subcultures...no, you should pay attention to it because it can help you lose weight!

http://health.yahoo.com/topic/fitness/inspirational-stories/article/capessa/76_sonyab;_ylt=Ah1i5uYzU79xu.mtqcxzM9aytcUF

This article was sent by my dad, check it out especially if you live in SF or like to have beach bonfires. This is great news, and I can't wait to see the completed thing!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/22/MNGDROPM781.DTL

Whoo, cute new motorbike!

And, Dad was right -- riding a motorbike in the city is a whole different ball game than riding around a tropical island. Of course, I knew he would be right, I just had to experience it for myself. The roads surfaces in SF suck, it's cold, theft is common, and I don't trust any of the drivers. But insurance is reasonable and it makes for very easy parking. And as I slowly get over my nervousness, I've having more fun riding it.

The scooter has no name yet, I'm working on that. Right now I just call her Sweetie or Baby, but I think something more creative will present itself soon enough :-)

The funny thing is, I'm already having motorbike envy, drooling over the cool sport bikes that. Footshifters....mmmm.....footshifters.....now, that is what makes riding fun. My bike is an automatic, 125cc, and it's fast enough for me as a beginner in the city, but automatics are just not as fun as manuals. But the bike I truly want does not exist in America at my price range. The Honda Wave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Wave_series), one of the most popular bikes in Asia and Europe, is not sold here, but I don't know why. Maybe they don't think that scooter riding Americans could handle a manual shifter.

I've also got the world's greatest jacket - a full, all weather, padded motorcycle jacket. It's a bit much for a mere scooter, but I love it anyway!

Pics of the gear to come later....