People pics

Alright, I'm back in Taiwan and I can finally get some pictures up on ze blog.



Street vendor selling different colours of sindur which is a powder you mix with yogurt and rice to create a tika on your forehead.

Bird's eye view of vendors on the street.

Ladies selling beads and sequins.

This guy with his prayer beads kept motioning to me at the Annapurna Temple. That hat is called a topi.

By the way, it' s not cool to just run up and take pictures of people in Nepal, so I gave a couple of bucks or bought something from all the people in these pictures. Except for the market, then I would have been broke.

Bridget

Last day in Kathmandu

I'm outta here tomorrow, I fly to Bangkok at 1:40 and have to stay the night there. Then the flight to Taipei leaves at 7:00am, which means I'm going to have to get up and leave around 4:00. Ugh. But there's a spa at the hotel which I think I'm going to check out.

I have no energy today. Part of me feels I should go do more sight-seeing....but a bigger part of me feels that I have to work on Monday and start organizing a big Taiwanese Halloween party for the students and I should just sit as still as possible while I can. The big part has won, so today I'm just going to bum around in cafes. And maybe go back to the hotel and lie on my bed and watch Bollywood movies.

I tried to upload more pics, but this time the computer won't acknowledge my camera. If it's not one ting, it's anudder. So next week will be Buckets of Nepal Pictures Week.

I'll think I'll have another coffee.

Bridget

Back in Kathmandu.

I've given up trying to post pictures for now as no computer wants to co-operate with me. Things are great, I took a hike up the stupa (like a pagoda) on the other side of the lake in Pokhara yesterday and got some nice shots of the Annapurnas hovering over the hills. And I shopped. Too much. Now I'm at Boudha which is a center for Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal just west of Kathmandu. Tomorrow I will go back into town and I may go see some live music as right now "Jazzmandu" is on. I hope they have t-shirts.

Bridget

Annapurna South

Well, it seems that every time I try to upload several photos at once, it conks out on me. So we'll try one at a time. Here's a money shot of Annapurna South, early Tuesday morning.

Few shots of Nepal....

Alright, it took freakin' forever to upload these, but here's three, count 'em, 3 shots of Nepal. I have over a hundred on my camera and will try to upload some more later when I have nothin' but time.....


Kathmandu! As seen from the top of Bhimsen Tower. Busy place...
And of course, I forgot to bring the stupid book with me to the internet cafe and can't remember the name of this temple right now, but it was really cool! Pigeons and cows (and most animals) are sacred in Hinduism, hence tons of pigeons.
In Pokhara, hanging out by the lake.

So, I just got back from a 5 day trek and am in Pokhara right now, heading to Kathmandu again on Monday. Nepal is wonderful and I feel like I'm in a movie. I'm alive and well and haven't fallen off a mountain or been kidnapped by Maoists (although I had to pay them a tax thing, more on that later). I'll post again soon.

Bridget

In Kathmandu!

Hey, I made it! I'm saying in a cute little place called Blue Horizon Hotel in Thamel, which is the touristy area of Kathmandu. Tomorrow I fly out to Pohkara and arrange a trek around Annapurna. I should be hungry, but I'm so full of nervous energy right now, I'm just going to go stomp around with my camera and see what's what. They served chicken tandoori on the plane! Good sign.

Will post more later, I am alive and well!

Bridget

When 9 year olds write tongue twisters.....

I'm teaching a writing and public speaking class once a week for a group of kids in grades 3 and 4. We had lots of fun making up tongue twisters last week. First, the kids made lists of words that start with the same sound (like chick, chat, cheese, etc). Then the labeled each word as a verb or noun or whatever and tried to make silly sentences with them. I told them it didn't matter if it didn't make sense, it just had to be hard to say.

It worked out really well and I want to use them in class all the time as a warm-up exercise. I might take little Jean's out though. She used bl and oo words and came up with this;

"Black Blane blows a bamboo baboon in a blue balloon."

Try saying that 3 times fast.

Few more pics from Friday and Saturday

Here's a few more pictures from last weekend. On Friday, I went to see a band at Grooveyard, which is a local bar that has regular live music. It was a Johnny Cash cover band actually, so we were all in good spirits. After the band stopped playing, we couldn't find anything else going on, so I took everyone home with me. Well, me and 7 friends. And we just hung out in my apartment and drank beer and listened to music. 4 of the 7 passed out in various places around the apartment and sauntered out the next day. Good times.

Jason and Jeff, long haired men looking bemused. Yes, I have light blue walls and apple-green curtains in my apartment. I call the decor "clash-fantastic."

This is my friend Ash from London, he's so pretty. That's Laurie in green. She's very pretty too, but she didn't look at the camera.

Me and lovely Emily. I love my black and white setting.

And then it was Saturday and barbeque I posted about earlier. Laura is the girl in red and Mirium is eating a barbequed squid on a skewer.

Start of Moon Festival

Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival has started up which means BBQ madness. My building had free barbeque for all the tenants (if you signed up beforehand) which means you got a little barbeque, some hot coals and a big bag of raw food to cook. There were also roasting a full pig out on the street (which I didn't get a photo of, sorry). My scooter was parked close by with my helmet on the handlebars and the next day, it was covered with ashes and a thin layer of grease. And my helmet smelled like bacon. Nice.

There was live music too, it turned out to be a great night.

Daniel and Jeff, cookin' and eatin'.
From left to right, Geoff, Phil and Faye, all from the land of Canada.

That's PJ's, one of the pubs at the bottom of my building. Faye is playing and the little boy is rocking out.

And that was Saturday......

I can't believe I'm going to Nepal in 3 days! AAAAhhh! So much to do.... Have to change large amounts of money into different currencies, make a schedule for the upcoming Halloween party so it's set up for when I come back, make sub plans, clean my apartment, find someone to water my plants and go to a few more barbeques. And pack. Right now the plan is to do an 8 day trek in Annapurna, so I'll be packing light. I'm mad, I know.

Okay, will post more later.

Bridget

The Undating Service

This was on the BBC News website this morning. I guess there's enough chickenshits out there to create a profitable business opportunity.


Agency makes breaking up easier

Three reasons to end the relationship are passed to partners. A German businessman has set up a "separation agency" - a service to inform unsuspecting spouses and lovers their partners no longer want them.
Bernd Dressler will deliver the bad news - for those too scared to do it themselves - for 20 euros (£13) by phone, or for 50 euros (£33) in person.
The efficiency and directness of Mr Dressler's manner has earned him the nickname The Terminator.
The 52-year-old compares his company to a dating agency but "in reverse".
"We have had dating agencies for 30 years. If you want to have a new partnership then you have to quit your previous one.
"I think it's the same market - just in reverse," Mr Dressler told the BBC.
The message can be delivered in a "sympathetic or direct manner". Mr Dressler said that most of his clients do not want any further contact with their ex-partner.
The client is asked to provide three reasons why they want to terminate the relationship - these are then passed on by the agency to the former lover.
"The time is right for this service. Many clients are unhappy in their partnerships and they want to end it in a neutral way," Mr Dressler said.
The former insurance manager said he has been fortunate never to have witnessed any extreme emotional reactions.
"I am only the messenger," he said.

S'more Kenting photos

Here's a few more photos from Kenting.


Chicks on the beach.


Another speedo clad man. If you want to buy a bathing suit up here, the ladies' ones tend to be rather prudish and reminscent of the 1950s. But the guys likes the skimpy.

Julie and I, she's from Montreal. Even though I reapplied sunscreen at least 5 times and sat under the umbrella the whole time, I still got scorched. The sun does not like me.

The main drag.

Kevin and Laurie, offset by square blue tile.

Spontaneous Trip to Kenting

So I was supposed to go camping last week with a couple of girls I work with, but it was cancelled due to typhoons - which made it the third attempt to get out of Taichung this month that was twarted (the camping trip was originally going to happen the week before, but the girls decided they wanted to go see West Life in Taipei. I was also planning on going scuba diving this weekend, but it also got cancelled).

So on Friday when my friend Emily wrote me and said "there's a night bus that leaves at 2:00am and gets to Kenting around 7:00, let's go tonight." I said, "shag it, why not?" So we packed our backpacks, went out to a club and hopped on the 2:00 bus. Here are a few pics of the beach and stuff.


Men in speedos! We were trying to figure out where they were from as the Taiwanese usually avoid the sun.


Peachy beach.

Emily and I in the hotel room.

Taiwan boys hopping off rocks.

Me on the street, fresh off the 7 hour bus ride.

Banksy

I've been reading up on Banksy this week. He is the guerrilla graffiti artist who managed to change the tracks on Paris Hilton's cd to things like "What Am I For?" and "Why Am I Famous?" He also managed to sneak a fake cave drawing of a man pushing a grocery cart into the British Museum and no one noticed it for 2 days (he says 3, the spokesperson for the museum says 2). His paintings on the West Bank security barrier are amazing. I love shit disturbers (is that a compound word? Shitdisturber. Shit-disturber. There must be a proper way to spell this). Here's a link to his site.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Planning on going camping in Sun Moon Lake this weekend....of course, there's a typhoon a-comin'. Stupid nature, always interfering with my plans.

Peas out!

Bridget

funny for forty-one

Hey, I was looking at the "blogger dashboard" thingy and I have 40 posts on my blog. This is post 41. Does that make me a prolific blogger? What do I have to do to be prolific?

Hey, I was looking through my "jokes" folder on my hotmail account (I am sooooo organized with my separate folders! I may even have a folder for the emails that you sent me! That is, if you send me enough emails. You might want to get on that. Then, you'll have your own folder) and I found this thing my friend Anne sent me. It's the best cookbook ever. I think I may have sent it out to people before......anyhoo, here is the description and the link.

The introduction was written by some chick, it's not me, I don't work for a financial publishing company. That's why I'm writing in italics, to be clear that it's not me.

Bridget

Introduction

I work for a financial publishing company. Which means that sometimes, I get some random swag from companies, brokers or mutual funds. Usually pens or those little squeezy stress ball things. That stuff sucks.But one time, a company sent me their employee cookbook. It sucks, but in a completely awesome way.

Basically, this company has a lot of potluck events. The cookbook's intro tells a charming story of favorite dishes and taste-offs and like, five whole requests for a company cookbook. So everyone made their favorite recipe which was then professionally and earnestly photographed using lots of ugly table linens and fake flowers.

Employees were encouraged to tell the story of the recipe ("I done found this recipe on the back of the cereal box") and give a suggested wine pairing ("Boone's").I also think everyone was required to use at least one package of shredded cheddar cheese. Just a guess though. http://www.amalah.com/photos/the_company_cookbook/breakfastthing3.html

p.s.Because Diana is batshit crazy.

It's okay to be jealous of me....

....because all the cool, choice shit happens to me. I have a horseshoe up my...nose. Check it out.

From January 31st to February 4th I get a free flight and expense paid trip to, Iowa City! While I'm there, I get to meet and interview potential teachers for the school! So four full days of meeting fresh-out-of college, young Americans from the Midwest. Rad shit.

And, I also get to go with Bih Hua, the principal of the school and my boss! I really feel that once we're out of Taiwan and away from the school and the helm of responsibility that she's going to cut loose and par-tay! I foresee a wild road trip to Mexico! Tequila and gigolos! Thelma and Louise will look like a pair of fausty, rheumatic, bingo-addicted nuns compared to us.



Bridget

My brother is a rock star.

Patrick has put out an album, this is what he has to say about it.


I've finished work on my first solo album and I am releasing it myself right now. The album is just labeled Patrick, but of course if you know me then you know how much I hate titling pieces. its all produced with everything by me except some violins and drums. you can go on http://www.myspace.com/thebookburners to check out some of the tracks. I'm pretty happy with it and it's been getting a good response from the people who have heard it. anyway thats all my news. bye bye.

If I ever get out of here, I'm going to Kathmandu....

....and I am going to Kathmandu! I leave Oct. 6th and come back to Taiwan on the 22nd! I've always, always wanted to go to Nepal and since this is my last year and since the situation there has calmed down somewhat due to the king reinstating the House of Representatives in April, I said, screw it, I'm going. October is supposed to be the best month to travel there, it's the beginning of the dry season but the air is fresh and clean from the end of the monsoon season. Very, very excited! I'm going to take buckets of pictures and shop with abandon.

Not much else going on....I'm going hiking this weekend and will be trying to hike as much as possible so trekking in Nepal won't completely kick my ass. Next weekend I'm going camping in Sun Moon Lake with 2 girls from work. We were supposed to go this weekend, but they decided they wanted to go to Taipei to see West Life....anyway, no comment. Then on the 22nd I'm going scuba diving in Kenting. So busy but fun times ahead. I haven't been getting out of Taichung enough lately.

My work schedule has changed and I now don't have to be at work until 8:30 am.....change from 7:30 am all summer....which sucked. So, I'm trying to get better at calling and emailing people as I feel I've been really slack lately.

That's all, my boss just walked in and I have to go do work related things.

Bridget

Something I did not know....

....was that Alice Cooper is apparently, a great golfer. I hope he kicks Bobby Euwing's ass.



Stars' smiles hide golf rivalry
By Nick Dermody BBC Wales news website

Stars turn out for celebrity golf Not everyone takes up golf because they need something to do after giving up hard liquor.
But that is what veteran shock rocker Alice Cooper did.
And 25 years of practice have made him a top shot in the American team in this year's celebrity golf tournament at the Celtic Manor Resort in south Wales.
The visitors hope his five handicap will help them to victory after losing to the Europe team in the final shots at the inaugural event last year.
Professional golfer Colin Montgomerie heads the Europe team, which includes veteran celebrity golfer Bruce Forsyth, 78, and Dutch footballing star Ruud Gullit, who has an impressive seven handicap.

The celebrities attended a gala dinner at the event's opening night on Saturday, and some were frank about the rivalry behind the smiles and camaraderie of the amateur fund-raising three-day event.

Singer Ronan Keating was the most blunt about what was really going through the minds of the guests, who signed autographs for the dozens of fans waiting patiently at the hotel entrance.
He said: "We really want to win. We won the cup last year and we want to win again this year. We want to keep it in Europe."
Bruce Forsyth has emerged as the secret weapon on the Europe team. Not least since he scooped the £10,000 diamond pendant for winning the nearest-the-pin contest in Saturday's warm-up session.

Former Dallas star Patrick Duffy is in the American golf team
It is Cooper who is lined up against him. And perhaps with good reason, as he outworks Tiger Woods when it comes to getting in his practice.
He said: "I play more than Tiger plays. I don't play as good as Tiger plays, but I play more.
"I quit drinking 25 years ago, and I took up golf as the substitute. So I told my wife, 'well I drank every day, so I should play golf every day' and somehow that convoluted logic made sense.
"So that's what I do. I live in Arizona and I get up and I'm on a tee at six-thirty every morning."
And underneath the smiles - there was no make-up - the rivalry runs just as deep. He said: "When you need to make that shot - all of a sudden it's real serious."

These four 15 year olds had a successful day's autographing hunting
The competition was just as fierce among the autograph hunters.
Samantha Stribling, 15, from Caerleon, was the most successful of four friends who spent the day watching the golf and then collecting autographs - and kisses on the cheek - from the celebrities.
Samantha had 33 names in her book. She said: "We met all the celebrities. We came last year and had loads of kisses then. "
The fans queued for up to four hours as the stars made a red carpet entrance to their gala dinner.
But the event may be just as tough on the competitors, whether they want a drink or not.

Cindy's Arostic Poem

Thought I'd post this as I thought it was funny and it freaked me out a little at the same time. This is from Cindy, she just started grade one. Very smart, high strung little girl. She's infatuated with her classmate Alan and dedicated her arostic poem to him (minus the lines about candy canes). "I like Alan too much." Oh Cindy, it's the only the beginning.

Few more pictures.

Here's a few more pictures from the party I had last weekend. This weekend was fun too, I just didn't take any pictures of it.



This is April, she's from Sin Jawn's................

.....and Jon Brooks, from Gambo I believe.

Nick doing suggestive things with a bottle of Taiwan draft while Ryan is appalled. Here's a clearer picture of Megan and I so you can see how cute we are.