My great big GUNGULA!

Hola amigos! Many years after those Spanish lessons I am finally in a country where I could potentially use what I learned...if only I could remember a little more of it! So I made it here safely and I am really enjoying myself. The plane rides were alright accept for not being able to get much sleep - I sat by a "talker" on the first flight. I even closed my eyes but he kept talking! So arriving in Costa Rica was pretty surreal. I hadn't quite had time to prepare myself for it since I only bought the ticket a week beforehand! Some plans I had didnt work out but a new door opened so I went for it. My friend Greta from college is living and working here in San Jose and she invited me...so here I am I took a taxi from the airport and met Greta at her work yesterday. Then we went to her house. She has a sweet set-up. Her employer pays for her rent in this fully furnished house in a gated community...she even has a cleaning lady! So nice So last night we walked around in the little town she lives in, San Raphael de Heredia, and got some food. The rest of the night we just caught up since we hadn't seen each other in three years! We made fun of all the crazy things we remember about our alma mater and made fun of me and how spontaneous I am. Then today while Greta went to work I set out to explore the city of San Jose. I took a taxi there (about 25 minutes). I toured the National Theater, which was just beautiful. Then I went to the Pre-Colombian gold museum, where I was hit on by numerous men who worked there. One of whom enthusiastically told me about the Costa Rican belief that alcohol is a preventative treatement for cholera and other illnesses..."Better drunk than sick! Drunk is gone tomorrow, sick it stays!" The gold itself was vaguely interesting :P I just was all museumed out. So I went walking again. I found the Central Market, which the guide book said was supposed to be really good....yeah, not so much. It was a whole city block covered over with a pluthera of raw meat vendors...mmmm... tasty! I got out of there quickly and then went looking for the National Park so I could see the National Monument. On the way I found a different market - an Arts and Crafts Market. This one was much less stinky and had some nice things. I had to laugh though when I realized that a lot of thie things I saw there were made in India, Mexico, hong Kong, etc.! I did eventually go to the Park. It was very tranquil. I didnt mention the weather yet! It is so beautiful, just perfect. It is sunny and not too humid, not too dry, slight breeze that cools your skin...perfect really...ahhhhh. So I eventually got a taxi and went back to Greta's place. Now we are just hanging out and will go get some dinner soon and go dancing with her friends later Tomorrow....the BEACH!!!! I can hardly wait Hope you are all well!!

I went to Canada It was a fast trip but a good time. I flew out of Minneapolis early Friday morning and in to Toronto around noon. My friend picked me up and we went speeding to the wedding (which was in the city of Niagara Falls, about an hour away)...unfortunately we got some lousy directions and we got there just as they were finishing up the ceremony. Friday was spent doing wedding stuff all day. Even though I went to Canada it was much more of a lesson in the Cameroon culture for me since the entire wedding party is originally from Cameroon. Cameroon culture notes: "Now" always means at least 2 hours later. Everyone is your auntie or uncle or family member. And numerous other little tid bits.
Saturday we went to Niagara Falls and actually saw the falls this time. They were pretty amazing. I don't really know what to say about them without sounding completely cliche, but it was a great day being there. Later that night we went into downtown Toronto just to see it. There is a really tall bilding there called the CN Tower which I was told is the tallest building in the northern hemisphere. It was late by the time we got there so I didnt see or do much in Toronto but I did get to see it. We went to some chain restaurant called "Fran's" becuse most everything else was closed.
I flew home a few hours later so didn't bother trying to sleep at all. Toronto airport was extremely strange and backwards to me. They had no one working at the ticket counters when I got there and my flight wasnt on the departure board but they assured me it was there. US customs was at the Toronto airport, in an effort to save time back in the states...I was so confused. Then in the screening area they were really laid back and stuff. A lot of things in Canada were like going back 10-15 years in the US. For example no one had cell phones. The roads were really basic. There was only one main road that lead into Toronto (as opposed to like 5 that go into Minneapolis and its a much bigger city even!)I was completely exhausted when I got back and slept most of the last day of 2006. I rang in the New Year with my sis and some of her friends at a club nearby. It had snowed the first real big snow of the year earlier in the day (while I was sleeping) so the roads were pretty bad and not many people were out celebrating. I wasn't too into celebrating so called it an early night.
Today I'm home with an icky cold and am rather bored. As I think of 2006, it was a really good year. It was awesome. My resolution for 2007 is to accomplish more of the things on my to do list. Things to do, places to go, people to see, habits to break, habits to develop. I dont really see the new year as a time to try and do all these things at once. It's all a big long process...a gungula! So that is all for now. Happy Travels All!

One year ago yesterday I set out on my great big gungula (pronounced like “gun-gew-la” for any who haven’t heard it pronounced before). I was on my way to Mumbai, Dubai, back to India, Bangkok, Honk Kong, all around Australia, Vienna then all around Turkey. I had the amazing opportunity to travel all around the globe for the next three and a half months. It was terrifying, awe-inspiring, testing, affirming, challenging, beautiful, mind-opening and simply wonderful. It’s something I can’t wait to do again. It pushed me to be more independent, but to rely on others in situations I couldn’t control. This past year has changed so many things. While time has flown by, I can definitely see and feel the impressions the events have left on me. This past year I have traveled and I have stayed put. I have loved and lost. I’ve been loved and been lost. I’ve been with and without sleep, food, money, etc. I’ve worked and been jobless. I’ve had friendships wax and wane. My faith and beliefs have waxed and waned. And so on…

And all of this is gungula. Quick recap for any who don’t remember what gungula is: It is the word my dad made up, which he calls the 27th letter of the alphabet. It’s when you write all 26 preceding letters directly on top of one another. You have an indistinguishable glob which makes no sense and has no real reason or purpose; it just has a name that’s fun to say and its fun to write it. The idea of gungula as it applies to life is everything all at once, piled on top of each other, a conglomeration of all experiences and emotions, it is chaotic, and yet somehow it is balanced and it is the nature of life.

I now live in an apartment in Minneapolis with my sister. It is perfect (for me anyway)! It's in a nice neighborhood, near lots of walking paths and lakes, near the city, close to work, I'm getting along great with my sis, it's roomy, high ceilings, wood floors; ahhh...it's charming really. Work is going better. I have learned so much this year and been challenged in new ways. While admittedly I do still kinda hate it some days, there are those other days that really make it worth while. My family is well, I am well (in spite of the small car accident a month ago that's had me attached to the chiropractors office!), most all is well. I shouldn't complain really. I can't believe that 2006 is nearly completed!

To finish out the year I decided at the very last minute to take a friend up on an offer to go to his sisters wedding in Toronto - tomorrow! I just had to squeeze in seeing one more new country in 2006! (Kind of sad that I live so close to Canada and haven't been there yet!) I look forward to seeing Niagra Falls and whatever else is there (I dont know, I haven't done my research!) I also look forward to a new year, new experiences, new adventures, new lessons to learn, and I wish you all the best in this new year to come! Love...ME!

It's been over a month, I suppose I could update. Well let's see...my travels lately have brough me on a road trip to Nebraska a few weeks ago for a wedding, 25 miles each way to and from work 5 days a week, about 40 miles to Valleyfair amusement park a few weeks ago and last weekend Atlanta! Atlanta was pretty fun. It was hot and muggy.
I rode the worlds longest escalator there, went to the popular nightclub "Vision", toured CNN world headquearters, swam in a pool fully clothed, went to the top of the tallest hotel in the western hemisphere "The Westin", toured Coca Cola where my sister is working, saw Stone Mountain (a huge monolith with a big ol' carving of some civil war generals on one side of it) and spent many hours lost in Atlanta with my sis :P
Now that I've written it down I realize I've been doing tons of stuff. Life is pretty alright. There are things I guess I could/should be down about but its just not worth the energy. I'm letting my brain and everything just veg out a little. There are so many things I don't know or understand but its like the harder I try, the less grasp I have on things. So I'm just living and breathing and looking for the good in life around me. Feeling a little like a hippie or something (minus the pot...though I still really dig smokin' a hooka now and then!...especially at Yafa Grill!). Speaking of recreational activities, I'm taking salsa dance lessons with some of my girlfriends which is a blast..just wish I had someone tall, dark and handsome to dance with

My job, is a job. It's a learning experience that's for sure. The ladies that live at the houses I manage are funny at least and are the highlight of the job. The other highlight is the stupid people (like their parents and therapists) I get to talk to, ya know the ones who are so stupid you can't help but laugh in pain and pity for them. My future plans are...completely unknown to me! So yeah, thats a bit of me at the moment. I hope all is well with you all, Take care everyone

There are some things I really wish I knew the truth about in my life. Sadly though this is not always a possibility. I have to have faith that there is some reason for the madness, the gut-wrenching injustice, the senseless pain. I recently have watched a loved one turn into a completely different, and honestly pretty horrible person. It is senseless and painful to stand by and not be able to fathom why it is happening or be able to do anything about it. And I wonder whether to feel more mad about this persons actions and how they have hurt me or sadness about what they have become. And people tell you that it is just another life experience. And they are right. But it doesn't make it hurt any less right now. I'm sure that eventually I will look back and not really feel much of anything about it at all.
I guess if nothing else this is all helping me to reevaluate what I find important in life and in people and in myself. Mostly the things I find important haven't changed, they have only intensified. Things like honesty, compassion, integrity, kindness, forgiveness, and love. That's all for now, I guess this entry is more introspective than a recitation of events. Oh well, that happens. Goodnight all.