...just say phuket

Camel in My Closet

2011-05-23T08:17:00.004+03:00

Apr'11 - Southlake, Texas Art Festival (Artist: DaNisha)May 22, 2011 – Grapevine, TexasThis morning I found the camel with my karma sound asleep in one of my closets. Mad at me. Again. It had taken me days, possibly weeks to notice he’d gone missing.[bxA]“What are you doing in here?” I turned on the light.“What does it matter?” his sulking eyes spoke.“You know I can’t help this, right?” I

Time in a Bottle

2011-03-30T06:32:00.002+02:00

March'11 - My kitchen sink.29 March 2011 - Houston, TX I was packing up to move again when the bottle of dish washing detergent on my sink reminded me of six months ago when I moved into my Houston apartment. The massive cleaning supplies aisle at Target offered endless quantities of enormous containers of every soap under the sun. I opted for the smallest bottle of dishwashing liquid and

Outfield to Love Field

2011-02-14T06:25:00.006+02:00

Feb 2011 – Dallas, Texas. Southwest Airlines Counter at Love Field Airport. 11 February 2011It was rush hour at the airport and my brain was frazzled from my first week at my new office that overlooks a baseball field. I had my work laptop slung over my left shoulder, my personal laptop slung over my right shoulder, and the silver purse I bought in Kuala Lumpur strapped in the crevice of the arm

Houston Holidays

2011-01-01T06:48:00.000+02:00

Cowboy boots hanging on my mom & dad's tree (Artist: C. Radko). Happy New Year, Y'all !!!

The Best Job in the World

2010-12-03T08:17:00.015+02:00

My 2008-2010 travel journals.3 December 2010 - Houston, TexasSpeaking of ‘the Office’ and the tired topic of ‘do I dare?’ from my 2006 journal, I did dare and I’m done talking about the travels.[bxA]I need a job.Preferably in an office. Even better in the Office. Is Dunder Mifflin hiring?In the months before I returned to the US, I seriously pursued a job I thought I really wanted. I got the

The Office

2010-11-29T09:37:00.011+02:00

The Office, live streaming from Netflix.28 November 2010 - Houston, TexasI had never seen the American version of ‘The Office’ until about a month ago, so that’s what I’ve been doing: watching every episode starting from Season 1, Episode 1. It is hilarious.During the early days of my London Life, [bxA] I rented the British version of ‘The Office’. I’ll never forget sitting in my tiny 6th floor

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T21:21:00.000+02:00

Jeannie in a Bottle

2010-10-26T05:00:00.005+02:00

25 October 2010 - Houston, TexasI spent today watching movers deliver the contents of my storage facility into my new apartment. It was like Christmas meets This is Your Life. Houston circa '06 meets London circa '08. John Lewis meets Crate & Barrel. [bxA]The first few hours were fun. Big warm furniture filled empty spaces. Layers of packing paper revealed curious things from all over my life. I

Birthday Cake

2010-10-25T17:34:00.001+02:00

23 October 2010 – Houston, Texas.Another year, another birthday celebration….and another opportunity to ponder Life’s Big Question: Do I want to have the cake? Or eat the cake?

Swimming in it...

2010-10-15T04:48:00.006+02:00

Bayou City Art Festival October 2010 - featured artist Jeannie Maddox. 14 October 2010 - Houston, TexasI’m in Houston. There. I said it.I’d say things are crazy, but [bxA] they’re not exactly crazy. I’d say I’m overwhelmed, but I’m not exactly overwhelmed. I’d say I’m trying to get myself and my life together for the imminent Next Phase, but I’m not exactly making a concerted effort at any one

Predicament in a Paper Cup

2010-09-02T22:00:00.018+02:00

Aug’10 – Beirut, Lebanon. Starbucks in Sassine Square, Ashrafieh.8 August 2010 – Beirut, Lebanon.I’m sitting in the Starbucks at Sassine Square drinking cappuccino out of a paper cup. A paper cup? It completely disoriented me when the barista handed me the flimsy to-go cup. I had forgotten they even exist. [bxA]There was a time in my life when mornings were defined by coffee to-go. It was in

Beiruting Again

2010-08-31T23:05:00.015+02:00

03 August 2010 - Beirut, LebanonI walked along the Corniche at sunrise this morning and was groggily contemplating the color of the sky when [bxA] I was reminded of the zillion cats in pursuit of scraps all over this city. I made my way down past the St. Georges Yacht Club……and discovered a massive ad campaign on a long wall of billboards erected to conceal construction of a new marina. Giant

Beiruting Photos

2010-08-30T11:27:00.002+02:00

Here's a slideshow of the photos I took of the photos (you can click into Picasa to see full size images)...Pictures courtesy of Dar Assayad Editions: “Les Libanais et la vie au Liban de l’independence a la guerre” – By Asma Freiha and Viviane Ghanem

Avatar in Ashrafieh

2010-08-25T19:07:00.016+02:00

Aug'10 - Ashrafieh, view from the terrace of my friend's flat. 2 August 2010 - Beirut, Lebanon.I landed in Beirut like an avatar in a video game – a crisp animation of myself wandering into the unimaginable next corridor. All I can do is go through the motions until the camel arrives with my karma.[bxA]Derek picked me up from Rafic Hariri International Airport on a sunshiny Monday morning. He

The Space Between

2010-08-19T13:25:00.005+02:00

2 August 2010 - In Flight.I’ve done it enough by now: squirmed in the seat of an airplane for hours on end en route from one distinct culture to another. [bxA] The integration and assimilation begins with the airline, this time Royal Jordanian delivering me from Southeast Asia to the Middle East. The nationalities of the staff, the language translations of the announcements, the food options,

On the Plane

2010-08-17T09:44:00.005+02:00

2 August 2010 – Royal Jordanian flight: Bangkok, Thailand to Amman, Jordan.I got on the plane and was settling into seat 25C for the low low price of six hundred dollars less than business class when a flight steward asked a woman in the middle row to my right to accompany him to the front of the plane. She was a large woman with long black hair and a long black coat too heavy for Thailand. [bxA]

At the Airport

2010-08-16T17:12:00.006+02:00

Aug’10 – Bangkok, Thailand. Suvarnabhumi Airport.1 August 2010 – Bangkok, Thailand.I was standing at the Royal Jordanian check-in desk when a great commotion broke out at the airport entrance –high pitched squeals from dozens of females clamoring toward something, camera flashes and everyone else stopping to look. [bxA] After a short discussion in Thai with his colleagues, the guy behind the

One Night in Bangkok

2010-08-06T21:30:00.007+03:00

Aug’10 – Bangkok, Thailand. Convenient Grand Hotel by the airport.1 August 2010 – Bangkok, ThailandIn an effort to give the camel carrying my karma a bit of a headstart, I spent last night in Bangkok to rest all day before my midnight flight to Beirut tonight. I’m staying in a bare bones room at the Convenient Grand, a cheap hotel near the airport. It feels like a no man’s land.[bxA]Aug’10 –

Farewell Phuket

2010-08-03T14:38:00.009+03:00

July 2010 - Phuket, Thailand. My neighbourhood.31 July 2010 - Phuket, Thailand.I posted this photo on Facebook - took it on my last walk down to the beach from my house in Fisherman Way. My status update said [bxA] something about being in transition. People have asked me what I’m transitioning to, but that’s the great unknown. And I’m happy to report it actually does feel great, the unknown.At

Pouring in Paradise

2010-07-28T07:06:00.008+03:00

26 Jul'10 - Chalong Bay, Phuket. Photo by S. Kern (Lifted from Facebook).27 July 2010 - Phuket, Thailand.It’s been raining and I’ve been packing.I'm crawling through the sludgy sadness of leaving Phuket, but then [bxA] emails from Beirut get me excited to go there again.Still, transition is not exactly easy. Alyssa and I call it the slumps. Reminds me of that camel I learned about at the ashram –

Slaughter Fodder

2010-07-22T13:47:00.011+03:00

May 2010 – Sri Lanka. Chicken farm in a tiny village on the outskirts of Colombo.22 July 2010 - Phuket, Thailand...counting the days:(I almost never read books. I buy them constantly, start them often, but finish them only on rare occasion. Oddly, two of the few books I’ve read this year included ominous references to one of my most haunting obsessive compulsive thoughts.[bxA]Bangkok Days (2010)

Why Am I Here?

2010-07-20T16:58:00.006+03:00

2010 - Phuket, Thailand. Water buffalo 'mowing' my lawn.20 July 2010 - Phuket, Thailand.I was home most of the day sifting through piles of papers in preparation for my Phuket departure in ten days. [bxA]This is the round-trip ticket from Beirut to New Delhi that Sandra told me not to buy last September. We were eating eggs for breakfast in Hamra and discussing our uncertain futures. She said a

The Fisherman & the Investment Banker

2010-07-12T19:35:00.003+03:00

Phuket, Thailand. Fisherpeople crabbing along the beach near my house.12 July 2010 - Phuket, Thailand.I’ve spent many long slow lazy hours strolling down the beach watching all the fisherpeople live their lives along the Phuket coast. Lately I’ve also reconnected with my banking friends and heard many stories about life back in the ‘real world.’ It reminds me of [bxA] a parable a friend of mine

Sitting in Singapore

2010-07-10T23:59:00.009+03:00

Singapore Riverbank. Sculpture by Aw Tee Hong shows a prominent merchant Scotsman mediating between a Chinese Trader and a Malay Chief. 10 July 2010 – Singapore.I’m at the Changi airport waiting for my flight back to Phuket and thinking, man, I should have been blogging these past several weeks. Everything is so different now.[bxA] Job prospects, plane tickets and wedding invitations have got me

Mai Pen Rai

2010-06-02T18:12:00.005+03:00

Lawn of a house down the beach from me. Giant Buddha in the distance.2 June 2010 – Phuket, Thailand.A lot is going on and I’m a little overwhelmed.I was going to blog about it, but then I remembered last night walking along the beach I noticed the pretty red spirit houses set against the pink-blue sky. I decided instead of thinking-writing-blogging I’d grab my camera and wander along the beach in

Lonely Lego - ยินดียินดี

2010-05-28T15:18:00.002+03:00

28 May 2010 - Phuket, ThailandThis morning I was video-skyping with a friend from the theater group (I’m an amateur actress in Phuket community theater these days). My friend is a talented director/writer/ actress and has offered to direct our next production. We were talking about [bxA] the craft of acting (which I know nothing about) and inhibitions that compromise performance (which I know

Happy Dog

2010-05-28T15:13:00.004+03:00

May 2010 - Phuket, Thailand. Dog at Poo's Palm Sauna & Massage, Soi Suksan 1, Rawai. In my last blog post I said I’d tell you the other emergency room story tomorrow and by ‘tomorrow’ I meant ‘never.’ Sorry about that. I changed my mind.As they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Under the Weather

2010-05-20T14:17:00.005+03:00

May 2010 – Phuket International Hospital 20 May 2010 – Phuket, Thailand.I got back to Phuket last week only to discover I had a staph infection from a bug bite I got in Sri Lanka. Well, I didn’t actually discover it, I was completely ignoring it. Luckily the Gods of Common Sense intervened. [bxA]Last Wednesday sitting in the McDonalds at the Kuala Lumpur airport reminded me of these guys I met

Taxi to Thai Embassy

2010-05-11T07:44:00.004+03:00

May 2010 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Suria Mall in KL City Center. 10 May 2010 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia“Where you from? …. I think America?” The Malaysian taxi driver asked as I got situated in the back seat.“Good guess!” I was impressed. It’s been ages since anyone guessed correctly – it’s usually UK or Australia. [bxA]“I can tell by your slang.”“Really? What slang gave it away?”He paused then

Elephants & Intelligence

2010-05-08T04:47:00.007+03:00

8 May 2010 - Colombo, Sri LankaI'm sitting at the Coffee Bean at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport using free wifi drinking terrible coffee. Have been up since 4:30am. Still grappling with the whole blog thing, but trying to push through it. Have had an incredible adventure in Sri Lanka and wrote a few blogposts I haven't posted. It takes time and I haven't had wifi.But more difficult is

Winds of Change

2010-05-06T08:08:00.008+03:00

April 2010 – Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo Hilton next to the World Trade Center. 30 April 2010 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.I tried to buy a Lonely Planet at the Hilton bookshop but “it finish.”Later I got a massage at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel spa. The massage girl said [bxA] she is from Phuket, Thailand and really misses home because she’s been here a very long time: six months.Just before dusk, dark

Colombo Day

2010-04-30T08:23:00.007+03:00

April 2010 - Hindu Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka28 April 2010 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.At 5pm I awoke from my jetlag induced near-coma and hit the streets. A local man named something that sounds like “Jack” walked alongside me and explained how everything is closed because it’s a Buddhist holiday. He insisted I see the big elephant ceremony and the next thing you know [bxA] we were crawling into 3-

Soon in Sri Lanka

2010-04-27T14:07:00.004+03:00

27 April 2010Phuket, ThailandIn the spirit of my new blog approach, which includes the concept of ‘broadcasting’ that Fiona recently pointed out, I am telling you in real time what I am doing.It’s 5:33pm and I’m waiting for my taxi driver to pick me [bxA] up for a rush hour journey to the north of the island so I can get on an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur, where I’ll have six hours to kill

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

2010-04-25T18:07:00.008+03:00

Another impediment to blogging: I have a touch of OCD.My hands look like the Wicked Witch of the West because I’ve washed them a few too many times in this life, but [bxA] I’m not totally debilitated by these obsessions and compulsions. It’s not like I’m flipping the light switch on and off a hundred times a day (because eeewwww…do you know how many people touch a light switch?)My unhealthy

On the Fence

2010-04-17T09:46:00.018+03:00

June '09 Beirut, Lebanon. Fence covered in political posters of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. I am still on the fence about killing the blog. My thoughts as I wander through the world often drift to [bxA] globalization, the information age and being overwhelmed. Celebrities are checking into rehab for anxiety. Prescription drugs are the new pot. This is what happens when people think too much.We’

Kill the Blog ?

2010-04-12T21:12:00.017+03:00

“A blog is a broadcast, not a publication. If it stops moving, it dies.”- Andrew Sullivan* I've been thinking about killing the blog.I'm not really traveling anymore, so is this a travel blog? I go places, but that's because my visa is always expiring. I could call it 'Ali's Visa Run Blog' but [bxA] who wants to read that? Ali’s new passport (April 2010). Do you really want to know about my 12

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T19:00:00.009+03:00

4 April 2010I'm back in the Muslim world so I haven't seen any chocolate eggs or Easter bunnies, but I'm thinking of all of y'all celebrators today. Happy Easter!Alyssa sent me the above photo because [bxA] it reminded her of our Easter last year... April 2009 - Jounieh, Lebanon. Eggs on Sybaris. We had just sailed Sybaris from Egypt to Lebanon and were on the boat at the Jounieh Marina just

Same As It Ever Was

2010-03-24T18:27:00.006+02:00

Phuket, Thailand. In February, the dust settled just long enough for me to look around the tropical paradise of Phuket and ask myself how did I get here?The last time I remember having some semblance of an idea as to what I was doing, I was in Rishikesh, India on the heels of a peaceful month at an ashram in the Himalayas. Out of the blue I was struck by what my Phuket neighbor Baz calls 'The

Soul Man

2010-03-11T11:47:00.008+02:00

5 February 2010 – Phuket, Thailand.After a handful of days in Phuket I found myself recording radio ads for the Phuket Blues Fest and hanging out with legendary blues man Charlie Musselwhite on the upstairs porch at 91.5 Phuket FM Radio. Charlie was recently inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and Dan Aykroyd says Charlie was his inspiration for his role in the Blues Brothers. [bxA] Charlie’s

Bangkok & Bankers

2010-02-24T19:56:00.006+02:00

22-25 January 2010 – Bangkok, Thailand. Garden at the Old Charm Hostel.I stopped in Bangkok for a few days on my way back to Phuket. The Atlanta was booked so I scoured the internet for cheap digs and found a funky happy hostel in the heart of Bangkok.[bxA] The Old Charm was a great find at 800 baht (US $24) for a sweetly decorated room with soft sheets, air con, wifi and a view of a peaceful

2010-02-14T05:45:00.000+02:00

This Little Piggy Went to Market...

2010-02-14T00:15:00.003+02:00

January 2010 - Siem Reap, Cambodia. Tuk tuk ride to the temples of Angkor.On my tuk tuk ride to the Angkor temples (day two), I spotted little baby pigs in a cozy wooden cage on the back of a motorbike.[bxA] It was cute. I could see their little baby pig faces and curly tails moving around comfortably in the big cage. It made me think it was a kinder, gentler way of life there in Cambodia. But

Banteay Srei Day

2010-02-12T18:44:00.006+02:00

14 January 2010 – Temples of Angkor, Cambodia – Banteay Srei After two more days of lazing around Siem Reap, I took a long tuk tuk ride to the far away temple of Banteay Srei then back toward Angkor Wat for a couple of temples. [bxA]On arrival at each site, two or three young women shopkeepers would rush at me with scarves and purses, “Hey lay-dee, you wan’ sumsing? You buy sumsing? You want

Pizza Hut & Coca Cola

2010-02-06T11:00:00.014+02:00

12 January 2010 – Siem Reap, Cambodia. Pizza place across from Home Sweet Home Guest House.I was craving farang food so I headed across the road to the pizza hut. In Cambodia, this means I crossed a dirt road to a hut that serves pizza. I ordered the margherita and a coke, but was denied.[bxA] “No, no have coke. Good coconut today,” the smiley waiter guy told me.“You don’t have coke?” I pointed

Why Angkor Wat?

2010-01-29T15:23:00.013+02:00

11 January 2010 – Siem Reap, Cambodia. Angkor Wat.Most travelers rush into Siem Reap and see the ruins for a day, maybe two, before rushing onto their next destination. I’d been there an entire week, quietly wandering the town saying little to anyone, when I finally decided to check’em out. The thing to do, they say, is to leave at 5am.[bxA] Angkor at Sunrise (random photo found on internet). It

Solitude in Siem Reap

2010-01-26T11:03:00.006+02:00

6 January 2010 – Siem Reap, Cambodia. Stuffed dog napping.I didn’t run straight to the ruins. I wanted to chill out for a few days. My first venture out of Home Sweet Home Guest House was a long wander along the river. I didn’t say much to anyone [bxA] for days so I don't have much to say much here… There are lots of cozy resorts, guest houses and restaurants along the river in the tourist

Cambodia Crossing

2010-01-19T16:12:00.002+02:00

3 January 2010 - Poipet, Cambodia. Border crossing from Thailand.7:15am. I asked the waitress at the Atlanta if she could make me some toast, takeaway. It was the older waitress, the one with the long black hair who remembers everyone. Every day she tallies my order at the cash register, and says, “ah one toas’, ah one porridge, ah one cappuccino… and one big smile!”[bxA]The driver showed up

Dinner with Family

2010-01-17T15:30:00.006+02:00

Photo: Arrested Development, American comedy series.17 January 2010 - Siem Reap, CambodiaI’m sitting at the Two Dragons restaurant eating Thai food by myself because I came to Cambodia to be alone and alone I’ve been for fourteen days now. It’s great but it gets lonely. I was thinking, time zones aside, that it’s Saturday night which means my whole family is feasting at my parents’ house in

Avatar & The Atlanta

2010-01-05T13:26:00.011+02:00

2 January 2010 - Paragon 3D IMAX Theater, Siam Square, Bangkok, Thailand. The Atlanta had no vacancies the night of the 1st, so I woke up on the 2nd at a semi-sleazy hotel [bxA]in the heart of the Annie’s massage complex, which spans a full block connecting Soi 1 to Soi 2 and hosts a variety of restaurants and pubs offering Annie’s famous soapy massage. I tried the complimentary breakfast

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T18:28:00.004+02:00

01 January 2010 - Bangkok, Thailand.Happy new year, everyone!I flew to Bangkok on the 30th and got to the US Embassy with only minutes to spare. [bxA] My new passport is valid to December 2019.Reminds me of the summer 2000, waiting in a queue at a post office in Southwest Houston with the application for my very first passport. I was heading to Tanzania for a month to study abroad. My arms were

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T18:08:00.003+02:00

25 December 2009 - Thailand (Photo taken in Bangkok)Merry Christmas, Everyone!I have fallen off the face of the earth again and the blog is way behind. I am in Phuket for Christmas and things have taken an interesting turn once again. I'll be updating the blog soon!Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and joy filled Christmas. Love,ali

Hornblower v. Captain Ron

2009-12-13T06:57:00.015+02:00

24 November 2009 - Somewhere in Malaysia en route to Phuket.It was my first night on Sirius when Simon insisted we watch ‘Captain Ron’ and start memorizing it because, [bxA] he warned in his theatrical British accent, “no one is allowed to say anything for the rest of the week unless it is a quote from the movie!” Captain Ron (Kurt Russell / Martin Short, 1992) is an American comedy about an

Pregnant Maiden

2009-12-02T05:56:00.002+02:00

23 November 2009 - Lake of Pregnant Maiden, Dayung Bunting, Malaysia. A fresh water lake where the backdrop of trees form the silhouette of a pregnant woman. See it?I stuffed all my stuff into my backpack and [bxA] paid six Malaysian riggits for a taxi to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. Hung out with Fuzz onshore for a while since they have wifi and we have laptops, then ... went to town with

Back to Boats

2009-11-30T06:01:00.005+02:00

21 November 2009 - Langkawi, Malaysia.Royal Langkawi Yacht Club.I was delirious from jetlag and immigration issues when [bxA] I arrived at the massive Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta farewell dinner at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. Forty-eight hours ago I was posing for photos with Sikh teenagers in a rock garden in Chandigarh, India. How did I get here? One of my roomies at the ashram

Chandigarh Rocks

2009-11-29T06:00:00.001+02:00

19 November 2009 – Chandigarh, India. Rock Garden with art sculptures made from ‘urban waste materials’ by Nek Chand.With just a few hours left my last day in Chandigarh, I made a list of all the errands I must do before leaving for Malaysia[bxA], walked out to the main road, hailed a motor rickshaw and commanded the driver, “take me to the rock garden!” Huh? Where did that come from? What about

Metal & The Maldives (Esquire Explained)

2009-11-26T14:23:00.007+02:00

Metal in the Maldives...I just got to civilization after a few days at sea to find these great photos from Alyssa in my in-box (of the Maldives boys). Thanks, Assie! You rock. The seemingly unknown Brian posted a link to John H. Richardson's Esquire column this week. You can read what I have to say about metal in the Maldives there, but wanted to share these great photos of the guys that jammed

Blackberries and Bananas

2009-11-26T06:42:00.002+02:00

16 November 2009 - Chandigarh, India. Abhishek's Blackberry (text is blurred to protect the inncocent...and I didn't have Abhishek's permission to take this photo, for the record).I journeyed seven hours north of Rishikesh to meet Abhishek, a close friend and colleague from London whose wife just had a baby so they’re visiting her parents in the modern and beautiful city of Chandigarh. I got in

Esquire

2009-11-25T00:20:00.001+02:00

"How 'Master of Puppets' Wins Hearts and Minds" Not sure what what that means and why it's appearing on Ali's blog (posted by someone who appears to be stranger no less)? Then you can follow this link to find out.

Menacing Monkeys

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000+02:00

15 November 2009 – Rishikesh, India – monkeys on the path from Ram Jhula to Laxman Jhula.Rishikesh monkeys are mad. They’re a menace. Utterly mischievous. My sister called one morning and asked what I was doing. I was doing my laundry again because a monkey had just danced on my clothes. I’m sure the little monster did it on purpose. I’d moved to a new hotel just on the banks of the river where,

Spiders and Beatles

2009-11-22T03:43:00.001+02:00

5 November 2009 - Rishikesh, India - Abandoned Beatles Ashram. On one of my wandering days I happened upon what seemed at first to be a little shanty town but after the turn of a corner I found a sign directing me to the Beatles ashram. [bxA]It is closed to the public so I paid a 50 rupee bribe to the guard to get in. It’s spread over sprawling acres on the side of a mountain overlooking the

Roaming Rishikesh

2009-11-19T19:15:00.004+02:00

2-16 November 2009 - Rishikesh, India. I hung out in Rishikesh for about two weeks after the ashram. It was great being lazy and chilling out in the town. A bunch of TTCers did yoga together at the Sivananda ashram each afternoon at 4:30pm. I met a psychologist from Minnesota and we agreed to meet for breakfasts/dinners most days and had nice talks about everything under the sun. It was pretty

Better

2009-11-17T08:55:00.005+02:00

13 November 2009 - Rishikesh, India.If you never say your name out loud to anyoneThey can never ever call you by it- Regina Spektor

A Hundred Sadhus...and Dad

2009-11-12T11:01:00.019+02:00

My sister called early on the 6th to tell me my dad was in the hospital. I went to sleep that night contemplating the quickest way back to Houston, [bxA] but by morning Missy called to say Dad had undergone emergency surgery and was recovering. My original plan to return to the ashram would put me at least 6 hours further away from the New Delhi airport, but I decided the puja commemorating Swami

Rafting Rishikesh

2009-11-06T09:32:00.008+02:00

3 November 2009 - Ganges River, Rishikesh, India. (this is the raft behind us so don't try to find me)It was the day after the car ride from the ashram so I wasn’t sure I was up for anymore adventure, but [bxA] decided it’s a rare opportunity to raft down the Ganges with friends. I’ll be traveling alone again soon. For now Rishikesh is crawling with Sivananda TTCers, but everyday another one of

Madmen, Melons and Miracles

2009-11-04T08:31:00.028+02:00

2 November 2009 - Sivananda Kutir Ashram, Netala, Uttarkashi - bed sheets of 29 guests being handwashed after everyone left the ashram.A madman drove Elly and me from Netala, Uttarkashi to Rishikesh, about a six hour drive through the Himalayas on windy rocky roads that peel around sharp corners along steep drop offs. We were in a lull of ashram tranquility that morning when [bxA] I learned my

Birthday balloon art...YAY!

2009-10-23T21:00:00.001+02:00

Happy 39th Ali!

Happy Shared Birthday Auntie Ali :)

2009-10-23T20:21:00.004+02:00

as i'm sure most of you know, ali shares a birthday with her insanely adorable nephew, jonny. here's a picture of him at his reptile encounter birthday bash.

himalayan birthday

2009-10-23T12:44:00.003+02:00

hey thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! i just have a few minutes at the icafe and my laptop won't connect so all my good intentions of blogging and emailing are lost. had a great day today. it was our day off and we did a trek high into the mountains to a temple and a lake. weather is perfect. another girl, rebecca, is celebrating her birthday today too so i'm not alone. it's my

Alyssa's Cake and Birthday Wishes!

2009-10-23T02:47:00.006+02:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ALIIIII!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! HIPHIP...HOORRAYY!!!!!!! HIPHIP HOORRAYYY!!!!!! HIPHIP....HOORRAYYY!!!!!Happy birthday bestest travel buddy!!! Wishing you a wonderful day in India with many happy returns!!! I hope you like the cake!!! It's the Toblerone cheesecake that I wanted to make back in Beirut.

Little Yellow Ashram

2009-10-09T08:38:00.016+02:00

9 October 2009 - Sivananda Kutir, Netala, Uttarkashi, IndiaOkay, so here's the ashram. It's my "day off" which means that after 6am satsung, 8am yoga and 10 am breakfast, we are free until 6pm dinner. Mathaji sent us off to the little town of Uttarkashi with the warning in a thick Indian accent, 'try not to eat...or in two days the diadea will come." I'm in an internet cafe trying to handle a

Journey to the Ashram

2009-10-03T12:00:00.007+02:00

3 October 2009 - Journey from New Delhi to Rishekesh to Uttarkashi, India.the last few days have been mayhem and magical...this was my super posh hotel in new delhi. photo was taken at 6am otherwise there'd be a zillion people, cows, bicycles, rickshaws, motorbikes and dogs everywhere. this is rishikesh where i spent the night...it's a little yoga town halfway between uttarkashi and new delhi. i

In India

2009-10-01T12:26:00.003+02:00

30 September 2009 - New Delhi, India - outside the Vivek Hotel, City CenterI made it to New Delhi...easy as pie. Had a fun leaving drinks in Beirut last night...at Graffiti, the icafe-by-day-pub-by-night hangout in Hamra where Arezoo and I have become part of the furniture. Just before midnight Derek and Osama walked me back to my apartment where they observed me in travel-tizz mode. They were

Kelli's Blog

2009-09-29T11:17:00.003+02:00

Photo taken 12 July 2009 - Richard & Kelli's backyard, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.29 September 2009 - Beirut, Lebanon (sitting in Graffiti in Hamra, as usual)I just read the very first post of Kelli's totally hilarious blog. I'm in my usual pre-travel tizz because I'm flying to New Delhi at 3am tonight and working through a ridiculous itinerary of planes, trains and automobiles to get me to

Lazy Warrior

2009-09-24T11:17:00.006+02:00

7 September 2009 - Yoga in Gemmayzeh- Beirut, Lebanon.Chloe had never been to my favorite yoga studio so she didn’t know what to expect. She arrived before me and sms-ed me, “All the women are skinny and look like dancers. Am I going to be okay?” Ha. The first time I walked into a class I thought it looked like a Victoria Secret’s fashion show dressing room – all the women perfect, clad in tight

Swimming with Saudis

2009-09-24T09:53:00.005+02:00

6 September 2009 – Somewhere near EcoVillage - Dmit Valley, Chouf Mountains, LebanonAfter breakfast Chaz, French NGO Girl, and I went with the Singer and her friend for a walk away from EcoVillage. We stumbled upon a make-shift tree house in the woods [bxA] that was filled with Lebanese guys. There was a guy with a rifle guarding the entrance. Charles asked to no one in particular, “is this a

Song by the River

2009-09-22T17:06:00.005+02:00

6 September 2009 – EcoVillage - Dmit Valley, Chouf Mountains, LebanonChaz met crazycool American singer chick at the campfire Saturday night. The Singer is in town from L.A., on a summer contract singing in the Beirut nightclubs. She and her friend joined Chaz and me for breakfast and we became fast friends. After breakfast, a few of our crew found ourselves at The Singer’s tent for an impromptu

Halfhearted Hitchhiking

2009-09-14T17:22:00.015+02:00

6 September 2009 - Road to Beiteddine, Chouf Mountains, Lebanon.Chaz and I decided to leave EcoVillage early Sunday and take a bus to Beiteddine. No bus came so we tried our hands at hitchhiking. [bxA] I felt silly peeling my thumb up slowly out of a lazy fist as the cars swept by, leaving us in a warm windy wake of rejection. It's times like these I miss Alyssa's long blond hair and short tan

EcoVillage People

2009-09-13T11:16:00.010+02:00

5 September 2009 - Dmit Valley, Chouf Mountains, LebanonOn Saturday morning I threw a change of clothes and a toothbrush into my backpack and headed to Starbucks in Achrafieh to meet Chaz for a road trip. I was surprised to learn we were going camping. For once in my life [bxA] I was under-packed. I had no swimsuit, no mosquito repellent, no warm clothing, no hiking shoes, nothing. And you’ll

Three Deadly Sins

2009-09-09T12:54:00.006+02:00

4 September 2009 - Beirut, Lebanon, Sinners on Gouraud Street in Gemmayzeh.Friday I went to yoga in Gemmayzeh, Beirut’s party district, which requires a little less than an hour to walk from Hamra. People tend to think I’m nuts for walking in the Beirut heat, but this was my routine in London – to walk 45 minutes through Regents Park to get to Triyoga in Primrose Hill. I like having a similar

Living in Lebanon?

2009-09-04T14:17:00.008+02:00

3 September 2009 - Beirut, Lebanon - Le Cremier in AchrafiehI haven't been blogging lately because this is a travel blog and I don't really feel like I'm traveling when I'm in Beirut. I'm starting to think I maybe kinda...live here? My trip to the US combined with Alyssa's recent arrival in the UK reminded me that I don't have a home. My last home in London has been re-letted to a young,

On the Border

2009-08-27T14:48:00.000+03:00

From Bordertown11 August 2009 - Lebanon - Syria border, driving from Beirut to Damascus.It takes a long time to cross the border on a bus. First there's the Lebanese exit process, then the Syrian entry process.... and there aren't orderly queues - it's just a bunch of taxi drivers, bus drivers and regular drivers cramming their way to the windows to get the proper stamps. It's hot and there's

Richard & Kelli

2009-08-26T13:52:00.006+03:00

18 August 2009 - Latakkia, Syria - Dixy ChickenThis reminded me of all my Aggie friends in Texas (and the ones that migrated to London). I didn't attend Texas A&M but [bxA] I've been to a few football games, heard all about the Dixie Chicken, and I listen to Robert Earl Keen sing about life in College Station. When I was in the US in July, I spent a few days with Richard & Kelli, two of my

Bugs and Backpacks

2009-08-18T22:42:00.003+03:00

18 August 2009 - Latakkia, SyriaSo do you want to hear about the human-size roach in our basement hotel room in Palmyra? Or the stomach bug that bit Alyssa days ago and his finally stung me today? Maybe a little bit of both? The couch-surfing only resulted in free accommodation in Damascus - which was really great and the couch-surf host will be a friend for life. We crashed in an office he no

Hot in Hama

2009-08-15T23:24:00.004+03:00

15 August 2009 - Hama, SyriaWe were up way early this morning to get an 8am bus from Palmyra to Homs, where we got another bus to another bus to Hama. We were tagging along on an efficient itinerary set out by an Aussie guy I met in Palmyra yesterday, hence the early morning. The first bus was overcrowded and the three of us were wedged on flat console between the driver and passenger seats.

Peaceful Palmyra

2009-08-14T17:48:00.003+03:00

14 August 2009 - Palmyra, SyriaYesterday was a long crazy day getting to the bus in Damascus and onto to Palmyra. It's a remote desert town with amazing ruins. The tiny town has a main street, a handful of hotels and lots of locals who like to chat and welcome welcome welcome us to Syria. We roamed the ruins at sunset and Alyssa road a camel named Bob Marley. Up at 4:30am today to see the ruins

Day Two, Damascus

2009-08-12T16:43:00.002+03:00

12 August 2009 - Damascus, SyriaAll is well. Just blogging to let you know we are safe...but, really, there is no need to worry about us. The country is beautiful, the people are kind. Today we slept in, took a taxi to the Old City, explored the National Museum (really cool) and roamed around the Umayyad Mosque for a long time, hanging out with friends. Dinner tonight with the couch-surf

Safe, Sound, Syria

2009-08-11T23:14:00.004+03:00

11 August 2009 - Damascus, SyriaWe were delayed a day but got into Damascus this afternoon. It's beautiful, the people are wonderful. We're safe and having a great time. Crossing the border was a bit of a long drag, but interesting and we weren't detained for any reason. Our couch-surf host put us up in a nifty little flat over a factory on the south side of the city. Taxis are way cheap and

Technical Difficulties and Couchsurfing Syria

2009-08-09T22:50:00.005+03:00

9 August 2009 - Beirut, Lebanon.I really was going to blog! However, Blogger is not cooperating.You were going to see photos of the Sporting Beach Club and our night out with Osama and his brother...and various other shots of random things we've done this week. But alas, it is not to be.Tomorrow we hope to get up in time for a late morning bus to Damascus. We'll get there eventually. Alyssa

Beirut Basics: Beach and Shawarmas

2009-08-09T19:00:00.000+03:00

From Sporting Beach Club Day (public)6 August 2009. Sporting Beach Club - Beirut, Lebanon.After a few lazy days of jet lag, we dived back into Beirut on Thursday. Osama invited us to spend his half day off at Sporting Beach Club down on the Corniche. We had the Mediterranean in front of us and Beirut behind us...[bxA]From Sporting Beach Club Day (public)Later, Osama’s brother joined us in Hamra

Back Again, Again

2009-08-04T17:04:00.003+03:00

4 August 2009 - Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon.Flew from (New York) to Amman, Jordan to Beirut and took a taxi back the apartment in Hamra late last night. Slept soundly until a surprise woke me at 6am: Alyssa! In my delirium of late, I got her dates wrong and thought she was due in tonight. I slept through her arrival at the apartment at 4am, but later heard her bustling so

Williams Water Wall

2009-07-21T21:03:00.005+03:00

21 July 2009 - Houston, Texas. Willaims WaterwallI've been in Houston for days and haven't seen many people or done many things. I'm not eating right, sleeping right or exercising...so I feel tired all the time and what little energy I have I've spent with family and a handful of friends (a/k/a three friends). It sucks not to have enough energy to see everyone, especially since I have no

One Guitar, No Vocals

2009-07-03T18:32:00.006+03:00

3 July 2009 - Portland, Maine, USA.It's been raining in Maine for like 21 days so I got to use my little red umbrella that I carried with me everyday for three years in London (but didn't need every day). Wandered around downtown Portland a bit and stumbled upon a 5-piece bluegrass band doing an acoustic jam session in a music store... [bxA]...the town is splattered with posters for an upcoming

Banking on a Global Village

2009-06-28T12:16:00.003+03:00

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