Drums and Dancing

Inside of Outside

Here are some pictures from a fort we visited in Jodhpur. Very cool architecture, a lazy squirrel, a door with metal spikes, and . . . a dancing man? Through out the fort there were museum staff dressed in traditional dress and playing traditional stringed instruments and drums. On our way out, I stopped and asked two guys playing drums if I could play one of the drums. They agreed and I started to play. Thirty seconds later though, the group in the picture walked up and the guy took his drum back to play for them. But the fact that playing the drum was a possibility, that they weren't just look and don't touch drums, seemed to inspire the man and he broke into dance, joined by several others, until he too, asked for a chance to play the drums.

Sunset City

Inside of Outside

Here's a view of the city (Udaipur) from the lake at sunset.

Slow Food and Some Cricket

Inside of Outside


So we went to this restaurant because we were starving, but the only people there were these two kids, one doing his homework, and the other just hanging around. Eventually a couple of teenagers came and took our orders and then disappeared. We think maybe they went to another restaurant across town to order our food, because they brought our food in from the street and we had time for a cricket match before our orders arrived. Even after the young boy borrowed 8 rupees (25 cents) to go and buy a new ball, there was still time for a few rounds.

The Queen Mother vs. Barack Obama

Inside of Outside

This is Scott (left) and Brad, the two guys I traveled with in India. A Canadian, a New Zealander, and an American, we had fun debating the various merits of the Queen Mother and Barack Obama.

Carve This

Inside of Outside



This is a temple in the city of Udaipur. The first one is a five-striped ground squirrel. He was scampering around eating the offerings left by the locals.

More Udaipur

Inside of Outside


Here are some more views from the same hotel. There's a man made lake in the middle of the city, and in the middle of the lake, are a couple of palaces and hotels. Cool, huh?

Udaipur

Inside of Outside

One view from our hotel in Udaipur. If you've ever seen the James Bond movie Octopussy, most of it was shot in Udaipur, and the hotels around there have nightly screenings of the film for the tourists.

Inside of Outside

The taxis in Mumbai were interesting. They were all the same black and yellow colour on the outside, all the same kind of car, but each was personalized by the driver. Different seat covers, stickers and streamers and drawings and paintings all over them. I'm not really sure why, whether it was to attract customers, or just to differentiate their taxi from the thousands of other taxis, or just because they wanted to.



Speaking of taxis, driving in India is definitely an experience. The roads in the cities are paved and look pretty much like roads here in North America, except that the rules are much different. Stay inside the lines doesn't really mean anything, and two-lane highway means that you can fit about four cars or eight motorcycles across the road. Or if there's no more room and there's no oncoming traffic, you can just scoot over to the other side of the highway. Actually, even if there is oncoming traffic you can do that. Just make sure that you honk your horn constantly so that people know you're there.

The only rule of driving in India seems to be that if there isn't something else occupying a particular space, then you're free to put your vehicle there. And there's plenty of things to occupy the space. Besides cars, buses, and trucks, there's auto-rickshaws, bike-rickshaws, bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, wooden carts, wheelbarrows, cows, goats, donkeys, cats, dogs, and people, all trying to share the same space. And once you get out into the country, it's pretty much the same story, except that the roads get worse and when you swerve at the last second to avoid the oncoming bus, you're more likely to end up off the road and bouncing two feet off your seat as you go through potholes much bigger than any pot I've ever seen.

Here's a picture of a very calm moment on the streets of India.

Inside of Outside

This is the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. Known for hosting famous people and being bombed back in Nov 2008. I didn't know that's what it was, which is why I ducked under the barrier all around the building to get a better shot of the waterfront at sunrise (below), and also why the guards with the semi-automatic weapons yelled at me to get out of the restricted area. Oops.

Inside of Outside

This is the train I took to the tourist area from the airport. Doors were open to the wind. You could lean out and watch trains whizz past. Very refreshing.

India--After the Fact

Inside of Outside

Well, I couldn't be bothered to post pictures and stories of India while I was actually there, so I'll try to post some now, since I'm not very busy right now . . . :)

This is the parking lot where I spent my first night in India. I arrived in Mumbai (Bombay) at around midnight, and my friend Brad was supposed to arrive the next morning. So instead of going to look for a hotel, I asked one of the security guards where I could sleep, and he told me to go to the top level of the parking garage. Several other locals were there napping on pieces of cardboard or newspaper. So . . . I followed suit and grabbed a few hours of sleep until it started to get light.

India--Slow Internet, But Beautiful

Inside of Outside

Well, India has been a whirlwind of traveling by plane, bus, taxi, and of course, trains and auto-rickshaws. I joined Brad and Scott in Mumbai, and we quickly headed to Udaipur in Rajasthan. A few days there, admiring the palaces and temples, then on to Jodhpur, where we stayed at one of my favourite places yet. The director and manager of the hotel took us in and made us feel like a part of the family, inviting us to light fireworks with their children as part of Diwali (the Indian festival of Lights). A few days there, exploring the beautiful and magnificent fort of Mehrangar, and then on to Dharamsala, where we've been for the past week. Actually, we're in Mcleod Ganj, a small town where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile reside. It's been an eye-opening experience learning about the situation in Tibet. I knew China had occupied Tibet, but I never realized the full extent of the story or the human rights violations still taking place there today.

It's been a peaceful stay here in Mcleod Ganj though, with plenty of things to do, amazing food, and beautiful natural scenery. We've spent a couple of days hiking in the mountains and that has been my favourite part of the trip so far. Spectacular views, gorgeous mountains, crystal clear mountain streams, sore legs, etc. Here's a few pictures of what we've seen. A tiny portion, but the rest will have to wait until I get home.

Well, I had intended to put about 12 more pictures up here, but it's really slow, and I don't want to sit here for another hour waiting for pictures, so you'll just have to wait until I get back.

Tablespoons not Teaspoons!

Inside of Outside

I learned how to make bread! From scratch. My mother tells me that I used to help her all the time when I was younger, but I apparently, I didn't retain any of that knowledge. Here's a few pictures of loaves 2, 3, and 4. My first loaf was edible, but didn't rise properly. With a few tips from my mom, however, these loaves turned out beautifully. I love the taste and smell of just-out-of-the-oven bread. Mmmmm. My next goal is to start adding stuff . . . raisins, whole grains, nuts . . . etc.

Snow Fun

Inside of Outside

So, from the end of January until mid-March, I was working as a snowboarding instructor. Which was very fun. I love teaching people things, especially when they want to learn. There's nothing like spending a couple of hours with someone that's never snowboarded, and watching them figure out how to turn their snowboards for the first time. Of course, there's also nothing like spending a couple of hours with someone that's never snowboarded, and watching them fall a hundred times and not even come close to turning. But the first ones make it worth it, and the second ones give a reason to become better and figure out new ways of teaching.

Unfortunately, a few weeks after I started, my snowboard became unusable. I suppose I didn't help the situation when I tried to do a trick off of a box, and landed nose first. Alas. That was the first snowboard I ever owned, bought on a trip with Tim and Gina to Colorado. So I had to buy a new snowboard. Here it is.

For now though, I 've put my snowboard and all associated gear into storage for the summer, and now it's time to get out the paddle and the wetsuit again. I can't wait to get on the river!

Old Snowboard / New Snowboard

Moments

Inside of Outside

Ah. To be back inside of outside. Nancy and I just got back from a week of backpacking the Black Hills of Wyoming. It was beautiful. Tall green pines, vibrant yellow and orange aspens quaking in the breeze, transparent blue skies, purple and white wildflowers blossoming underfoot.

Of course campfires, watching shooting stars at night, enjoying the chattering squirrels and muted nuthatches, and enduring the pain of carrying 50+ pounds on your back everyday were all great parts of our trip, but I had two favourite moments. The first was sitting by a stream in the morning filtering water to drink--listening to the babbling brook and enjoying the peacefulness of being in that moment with nothing else to think or worry about. The second was lying in the tent one night, and being woken up by the huffing, panting, and footsteps of a herd of deer, just outside our tent, and staying awake to listen to the hooting of an owl.

It was Nancy's first ever backpacking trip. If you ask her, she'll tell you that next time she probably won't pack so many clothes. But she had a good time, and it was great to spend time with her, doing something that I love and sharing it with her. Here we are at the end of the trip, a little trail-worn, but very happy.

Bernie

Inside of Outside



So a while back, "I" posted about getting a motorcycle. Well, it wasn't true. It is true that I would like to get a motorcycle one day, but that day hasn't arrived yet. However, I did recently splurge and buy a new mountain bike. It's a Trek 4300 for those who care, and it's burnt orange, silver, and black. His name is Bernie. My uber-cool helmet was bought for me by Nancy for my birthday. Isn't she great?!

So far, I've been riding mostly around Lincoln, and in a few parks around Lincoln and Council Bluffs Iowa. I love it. I like being able to ride places and feel environmentally friendly, and I love riding in the parks and enjoying the sights. So far, while out on rides, I've seen white pelicans, various and sundry woodpeckers, a ground hog, great blue herons, white-tailed deer, and lots of other cool stuff. I'm hoping to do a lot more riding this summer. At the very least, I'll be able to put the bike rack that I've been carrying around on my car for the past year and half to use again.

One Dollar = One Tree

Inside of Outside

I just planted 10 trees. Ok, not me literally. But I donated to the Plant a Billion Trees campaign, sponsored by the Nature Conservancy. They're aiming to plant 1,000,000,000 trees over the next seven years, in the most endangered rainforest in Brazil.

They've already planted over 200,000 trees in the Atlantic Forest, on Brazil's east coast, which has already lost 93% of its area. The end result of the project--large areas of restored rain forest, the preservation of unique habitat, increased space for rare and endangered species, and 10 million tons of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere every year, the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road.

More good news--to plant a tree only costs one dollar. I've set a goal of planting 50 more trees by the end of the year. If you feel inspired you can join me and contribute to the tree planting initiative--otherwise, I'll have to plant them all myself :)

[April 22, 2008 - Removed the statement: (although you have to buy them in batches of 10)]

Nancy

Inside of Outside

This, is my girlfriend, Nancy, whom I love. Those of you who know her, already realize what a great person she is. Those of you who don't know her, are missing out.

Family and Fun

Inside of Outside



Here's a little video I made of my Thanksgiving down in Lincoln. If you're in it, and would like a higher resolution copy, just let me know.

Ologyologist

Inside of Outside

When I was younger, I enjoyed collecting things. I went through a stamp phase, a coin phase, an elastic band phase, a rock phase. I mostly discarded these collections as I lost interest in them, or replaced them with others. Later in life, for example, I had fact phases, a book phase, a picture phase. Only a couple of years ago I stopped collecting books (although I do still collect Dr. Seuss books) and facts, and I'm still in the middle of a picture phase. One collection that I stopped adding to, but never got rid of, was my collection of words. For mysterious reasons, I've always enjoyed words that end in -ology. Although I don't really collect them anymore, I still have a list that I compiled when I was in elementary school. So, I thought I would share my collection, since it's just been sitting on my hard drive and gathering dust for some ten years.

Some of the words in my collection, you probably know. Most people have heard of biology, geology, psychology, astrology, and technology. However, there are others less common that fewer people know. Icthyology, ornithology, mammology, herpetology, entomology, and zoology are less well known, but still familiar as the study of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, and all animals. But I went further than that, including hundreds of words ending in -ology, that I plucked from dictionaries and encyclopedias, by painstakingly combing their pages. What motivated me? I don't know. I think I was probably crazy.

Here's a few more that you may not have heard of:

Campanology n. the art or skill of bell ringing
Deltiology n. the collecting of postcards as a hobby
Garbology n. the study of the material discarded by a society to learn what it reveals about social or cultural patterns
Iridology n. examination of the iris of the eye as a primary diagnostic aid
Thremmatology n. the science of breeding domestic plants and animals.
Trichology n. the study of hair and its diseases

There's many other interesting words that end in -ology. Too many to share all at once, however, so watch for more -ologies in the future.

Not Even a Purple Lamborghini

Inside of Outside

I love Myrtle, my 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier, in Maui Blue. I know she's Maui Blue, because I've had to repaint several parts of her. Myrtle is a unique car, with plenty of idiosyncracies. For example, about every two months, a pin falls out of the temperature control panel, and in order to replace it, the whole front console has to be removed. Another is the fact that the windshield washer fluid flows out of the reservoir and through a tube that is taped to my windshield. Myrtle might be getting on in years, but don't let her fool you. She's still a sturdy little car, and she's proven it, shuttling multiple canoes and kayaks to the river, or everything I own from place to place.

Ever since I crashed her into the side of a semi-truck, tearing off her front bumper and squashing in her left side, her horn hasn't worked properly. So now there is a yellow FOX 40 whistle glued to my steering wheel. When I bought her, she didn't have any kind of stereo system. Now, the tunes surge from an ipod, plugged into two computer speakers that are plugged into an inverter plugged into the cigarette lighter. This system works great, except that there's a mess of wires and electrical components that sometimes prohibit the comfortable seating of a passenger, or the proper operation of the parking break. Another thing to remember about Myrtle when loading stuff into her, is that she leaks. If it shouldn't get wet, it shouldn't go on the floor anywhere on the left side of the car, including the trunk.

One of the things I love most about Myrtle is the stuff inside of her. She's my home away from home, and it's nice to keep the necessities handy. Didn't have time to brush my teeth on the way out this morning? No problem, the toothbrush is in the center console and the toothpaste is in the driver's door. Need a pair of nail clippers? Right beside the blinker control. Pen and Paper? Paper's on the dash, and there's a load of pens, pencils, and markers in the center console. Need to cut something? or burn something? The exacto knife and lighter are with the pens and pencils. Napkins and walkie-talkies in the glove compartment. Flashlight on the backseat. Tools in the trunk. Or if you get a little bored, there's some musical spoons, toys, and books to entertain yourself with. And if you feel like you want to leave your mark on Myrtle, you can always add your name, saying, or doodle to the others that have been left by travelers, hitchhikers, and other road companions.

I wouldn't trade my Maui Blue Cavalier for anything. Not even a purple Lamborghini.

Intrigue

I walked by a body of water today, close to the edge so that as I walked the frogs that had been sunning themselves on the shore would leap, flinging themselves, toward the water. Some would make it in one leap, and others, the amateurs, would occasionally bounce off the rocks that were partially submerged in the water. Their legs go over their head and their landing consisted of a sometimes upside down, always awkward splash. Seeing them go through such desperate measures to get away from me was somewhat disturbing, so I tried sneaking up on them. No matter how quiet I was, or how slow I was, darn those frogs, they would always see me.

More to come

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People have mentioned (in a complaining sort of way) that I haven't been blogging very much recently, and it seems as though they may be in luck. I have felt like doing a little more blogging these days. Could this be because I feel sorry for them? Probably not. Is it because I have more time? Maybe. Have I felt more thoughtful recently? Who knows. Maybe it's because my fingers are itchy.

Things are a little different now at Boundless. We're down to the core - there is just seven of us now that the summer session is over. It's a tight-knit group and it's fun as well as challenging to work together so closely. We just finished a trip. A good trip. I organized a short canoe trip, which means that means thinking of everything that is necessary, and making it happen. This can be rather difficult when it also involves trying to motivate/entertain/get everybody together to do things together. But I survived, and even though I feel stretched, I think it was my favourite trip yet. Just to watch the change as youth who have had nowhere to turn and no one to love them open up and become like little kids in a safe environment where they could just be themselves. It was beautiful. I'm pretty sure that my trippers enjoyed it too.

stay tuned, more to come.

coming soon

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will soon be purchasing the beloved piece of machinery that is pictured here.


What do you think?

Inside of Outside--coming soon

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This blog will soon be moving to http://insideofoutside.blogspot.com.

See you there . . .

I love life.

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This is a picture of me at work. Looking at it, I steal the oft-spoken words of my co-worker: I love life.

Life is treating me well, and vice versa I hope :) I'm loving working here at Boundless, and I'm learning a ton as well. I've become a river rat. Paddling most days, whether for work or on my days off. Camping. Hiking. And the people I work with are amazing. And the work we do is great too. Helping people to belong and be strong. Whether they are high school students, people with acquired brain injuries, mental illnesses, or native youth. If you'd like to see more pictures of me 'working,' go here.

Boundless

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So this is actually old news, but, here it is anyways. In a few weeks, I'll be starting an intership with Boundless Adventures. It's a non-profit organization, that's based on experiential outdoor education. I'll be leading (or at least learning how to lead) groups of people through the wilderness, whilst teaching them things, whether it be canoeing, or conflict resolution. Ok, so, that's the basic gist. I'm not 100% sure exactly how it's all going to work, since I haven't done it yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. In fact, I can't wait.

I'm excited about it, because I'll get to work outdoors, and learn new skills that I want to learn anyways, plus, I'll get to work as part of a team, which I love, although sometimes I'm not very good at it. Plus, I'll get to help the environment in some small way by helping people realize what a great place it is, and teaching them how to treat it right.

Ok, so, all of this might be a little idealistic, but hey, a guy's got to hope. I think it will be a great experience. Wish me luck.

Frogger

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Remember Frogger? I found a place to play it online. I've unfortunately already wasted an hour or two playing, but it's fun!

Pandora's Box

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Music. When I was younger, I never listened to it. Not on the radio, not on a walkman, not anywhere, except in the car, where my older brothers would listen to 80s rock. I used to hate the question, "What kind of music do you like?" because I didn't know what kind of music I liked. I thought other kids would think I wasn't cool, because I wasn't up-to-date on the latest music or artist.

Anyways, those days are mostly over now. I've come to terms with my not musically up-to-dateness, and even the fact that I'm not a music junkie. I do enjoy listening to music though. World Music, Country, Christian, Easy Listening, and more. It has such power over my emotions. Which worries me sometimes. When I listen to music I wonder if my emotions are real, or if they are just being manipulated by Big Music. Then there's music that inspires me to do better, to be better, to enjoy life, and I'm pretty sure that's not a bad thing.

Anyways, just found a cool tool. Pandora Internet Radio, part of the Music Genome Project. It allows you to create customized radio stations. You can enter an artist or a song, or any combination of both, and it will play songs that have similar qualities. Every single track is analyzed by a professional analyst, using over 400 'genes.' Then, as the music is playing, you can give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down, and the station will learn what kind of music you want it to play. Way cool. Right now I have a country station, a station playing music similar to the Weepies (and the Weepies), and several others. You should check it out.

Ah, Glades

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Went snowboarding on Sunday. It's been so long I got leg cramps. It was good times :) I went with my brother and cousins. We did quite a bit of glades, which was nice. It wasn't Colorado glades, but it was fun. There was even a layer of powder from the night before. The view from the top of the 'mountain' was nice too. Georgian Bay partially covered with ice (third picture). Beautiful.