Andy's Adventures

Stuck

2006-05-22T01:54:00.000-05:00

Johannesburg, South Africa

Long strange story that I'll fill in later -- with flowcharts on how it happened, etc. -- but the short story is that we missed our connecting flight in Johannesburg back to DC. The next flight isn't out until tonight, so Adam and Danielle were gracious enough to pick us up at the airport for yet another night of lodging. Now we are at the Supreme Court, where Danielle is clerking. It is an amazing building, but utterly cold (remember, it's winter here). We're sitting in the library, shivering while telecommuting to work. Not bad, eh?

Will provide update later on how we missed flight -- not our fault -- and other details on trip.

C Town

2006-05-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

Cape Town, South Africa

Today is LBJ graduation in Austin. Bill Clinton is speaking. I'm sure it will be nice. Then again, I'm sure Cape Town is just as nice...

Despite some lousy weather, we have had a marvelous time here. I can understand why this is Adam's favorite city in the world. It's got it all: mountains, coast, culture, entertainment, good weather (except the past 3 days!), etc. We've spent a lot of time at the harbor area, where there are shops, etc. We also visited Robben Island a few days ago, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. That visit was very powerful -- I plan on writing up a more thoughtful post on apartheid when I have more time (right now I'm in a gay Internet cafe -- one of the best Internet cafes I've been too actually -- and we're going to dinner on Long St. in 9 minutes).

Today we had great weather on a drive down to the Cape of Good Hope, which is the most southwest point of Africa. It was a scenic drive, and the coastline is gorgeous down there. On the return we stopped at a beach and saw hundreds of penguins. I understand why Stilwell loves those guys -- their waddle is great. We then stopped in what Danielle described as South Africa's "Coney Island" -- a coastal community that once boomed. It's on the comeback though, and we enjoyed a nice coffee while watching some kite surfers, which is the sport that Adam and I plan on taking up next. Also in our plans: Newcomer's buying a house in Cape Town, Sarah in the mountains of Colorado, and Danielle a flat in Paris. My place will either be in Costa Rica or the DR. All are welcome of course. This was all decided over coffee in Muisenburg too.

Upon returning to Cape Town from the excursion, we were finally able to see Table Mountain, which sits in the background of this hip city. We drove up the mountain a bit, and are planning on hiking up early tomorrow morning. We enjoyed a sunset on Camps Bay and are now off to a Kurdish dinner. We leave right after the hike tomorrow -- Sarah and I are on a 23 hour trip back to the US tomorrow and Danielle and Adam go back to Jo'burg.

This will more than likely be my last post from over here, but I will definitely have a few followups upon return. I will say this though: the trip has been amazing and I highly recommend a visit to South Africa. It has been the perfect blend of adventure, culture, relaxtion, entertainment, history, and fellowship. I look forward to sharing stories and pictures with you in person.

"I am like a sausage" and other strange stories from Africa

2006-05-17T00:42:00.000-05:00

Johannesburg, South Africa

I have been offline for the better part of the past ten days, and I must say that it has been quite refreshing. I checked my gmail account yesterday for the first time in many a moon, and had 123 email messages waiting. I refuse to check my work account; it's time like these that I take great pleasure in not having a blackberry. Goal #27 in life: never get a blackberry. Don't get me wrong, I like being in touch. But it has been outstanding to be thousands of miles away and without any work, social, investment, fantasy baseball, etc. worries. Of course, I don't need to be a continent away for that situation. Enter goal #27.

Sarah and I arrived to Jo'burg on the 7th -- an 18ish hour direct flight from DC wearing us down. Adam Newcomer is living here in Jo'burg while his girlfriend Danielle clerks for the South African Supreme Court, and they were at the airport to greet us. The first day was a blur -- jetlag got us both down.

The adventures started immediately the next day, as we embarked for Kruger National Park on a 3-day safari. It was a pleasant drive -- Sarah slept much of it and Adam and I planned our future world domination in the heads of states consulting industry. We arrived at Mohlibetsi lodge in the late afternoon on the 8th, and as their Web site promised, we were greeted with a "warm welcome." With barely enough time to drop our stuff off in the cute little huts (which were really 3 star accomodations and quite nice) we were out on our first game drive with Monica and James, our two guides for the next few days.

We went on a total of four game drives, and had a great time. Highlights included the funny occasion in which we had to stop so I could "relieve" myself, Sarah and Adam battling hangovers on the bumpy ride the next morning, and amazing sightings of 3 of the big 5. But perhaps the funniest memory came when an elephant chased our Land Rover, blaring its trumpet and stomping after us. In the height of the chase, a German tourist (that we later befriended) yelled out "I am like a sausage!" in a funny german accent. Needless to say, it has become Adam's favorite saying during the past week and the title to this blog entry.

All in all we saw lions, elephants, zebras, water buffalo, giraffe, monkeys, impala, warthogs, crocs, hippo, and more. Pics will be online soon!

From Kruger area, we ended up on a marathon car ride to the beaches of Mozambique. We stopped overnight in Swaziland -- dinner in the capital city of Mbabane and finally found (shoddy) accomodations in the commercial center Manzini. I'll keep the description of Swazi simple: I wasn't impressed and will not be heading back anytime soon. Perhaps one day you can ask Sarah about it; she might not be so kind.

We were up early for the final leg of the ride to Mozambique, securing a stay at the Motel Do Mar on the beach and a ride from the border (Adam's car couldn't go into Moz b/o insurance). After paying 30 bucks for a visa to enter the country, we only had to wait a few moments for the ride. With a misty rain beginning to fall, Adam and I climbed into the back of a tired midsize pickup truck while Sarah enjoyed a broken conversation in English with the driver in the cab. The ride exemplified why I love to travel, and why I tell my co-workers at Deloitte that I want to be an explorer one day. Adam and I hung on for dear life as we rolled through the sandy roads of Mozambique towards the beach. The 15 kilometer ride included about 100 meters of paved road -- the rest of the way we bounced and slid through the sand dunes on the way towards the Indian Ocean. Adam and I laughed as we passed small huts and children yelling for "sweets." It was a fun adventure. I loved it.

The Do Mar proved to be a sub-standard venue for lodging, but the location was amazing. I could throw a baseball from our balcony into the ocean; it was the closest I have ever stayed to the water. We had a relaxing evening, enjoyed a good Porteugese-influenced meal, and got to bed super early for a busy day at the beach the next day. During the night, Sarah was attacked by mosquitoes but despite being convinced that she had malaria she seemed to enjoy a dive off the coast the next day. Adam and I tamed the wild waters, swimming most of the morning and afternoon. That night we enjoyed another delicious meal; they even had green wine, which I've only ever had in Portugal. It was remarkable how much Porteugese influence remained in the country, despite being independent for nearly two decades (right?) and not anywhere near Portugal. One strange/funny thing to relate about our stay in Moz: there were no banks or ATMs in the town, and we had very little cash because of the visas at the border. There were only two places in town that accepted credit cards, so we were limited to eating at those fine establishments.

We left the Motel Do Mar on the 13th in an even sketchier pickup truck. Sarah snapped a picture of it and I'll post it online at first convenience. The drive to the Drakensburg Mountains was about 5 hours, and we there in time to clean up for a nice dinner at the very scenic lodge that Danielle had reserved ( we met her there along with her co-clerk Chris). The Drakensburgs are on the border f the tiny country of Lesotho and South Africa, and truly are a beautiful and relaxing getaway. JRR Tolkien was fond of the area; evidently the mountainous region provided much inspiration for content in his writings. We were up early on the 14th for a day-long hike and it turned out most excellent. We hiked up to the top of a small peak -- probably about 3100 meters high. That night we had a "brie" which is what South African's call a BBQ or grill out. The excursion was perfect -- a good mix of exercise and relaxtion. My only regret: we didn't get to ride ponies, although we did get to hang out with some on the first night when they charged toward our porch area!

We drove back to Jo'burg yesterday and had a great meal last night at a Vietnamese restaurant. This morning we visited the South African Supreme Court and got to see Danielle in the chambers in her robe and all. Then we were off to Soweto, which the most famous of the South African townships which were used as settlements for blacks during Apartheid. Later that afternoon we went to the Apartheid Museum. The day was very powerful, as we got to see close up the effects of years of Apartheid (the extreme poverty that still exists in Soweto) and then learn about the history of Apartheid at a really great museum. I plan on writing more about today's experiences in another blog entry; these brief mentions don't do them justice.

Tomorrow we are often to Cape Town. Hope to write more in a few days, then maybe one or two entries upon my return.

Arrived safely -- after 20 hours!

2006-05-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

Johannesburg, South Africa

We've arrived safely, after a really long flight from Dulles to Johannesburg. Had a quick stop in Dakar to refuel, but had to stay on the plane. So it was 20 hrs or so on the plane. At least it was a double decker plane -- kind of cool.

We've made it to Adam and Danielle's and had a relaxing day looking around Jo'burg. We're off for a safari tomorrow to Kruger National Park.

More later...

Quick summary...and off to South Africa!

2006-05-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

Mi Madres, Austin, Texas

Well well -- too long. Entirely too long. Some of my biggest fans -- about 3 of you -- complain about this on a consistent basis. I would promise to update the mighty blog more often. The problem is that my life is not nearly as interesting as it used to be. I wake up at 7:37 every morning, go to work in a cube, go to the gym, and then drink a glass of the cheapest red wine I can find while contemplating my takeover of the DC council. Okay, so it's not that boring...

Two weeks ago I was in sunny Seaside Florida for the civil bachelor party of the William T. Elias III Esquire from Gannon Tech University. This is a kid that prides himself on not only his good looks, but his smooth ways with the ladies. But in July of this year our dear friend Willie shall be taking his wedding nuptials, and soon thereafter will move to the suburbs to buy a house with a white picket fence and raise his kids (Andy and Ivey -- Willie the IV). I look forward to the celebration, but for now revel in the fact that I was yet again able to snag some of Chip Fox's garments during the trip. I previously confiscated a pair of 1999 Gannon Tech football shorts from said Fox. Looks like I'm the real fox. All in all, the trip was a blast, although entirely too short. I will put some pictures up as they come available.

In other news, I just finished up a big report at work. I worked like a dog last week to finish it up in time for the printers. You can see it here -- I was one of the writers for section 2 of the report. Fascinating, yes I know. Now that the report is finished, I've had a bit of spare time. So I'm back on the construction scene with Cliff -- he is rehabbing a house on the Hill that he will move into with his wife. This past weekend (and through Monday) we built a brick patio. It was a lot of fun. I find it quite gratifying to bulid things with your hands -- I'm considering the possibility of doing this on the side. In part as a hobby, in part so that I can become a millionaire by 35 and retire by 40, teaching economics and politics to high schoolers while coaching the 8th grade basketball team to city championships and raising my first born (Jack) and second born (yet to be named female). Note to the Stilwells: I've now put it out there on official Internet record, so you can't use the name Jack for your first born. Sorry, but that's the way it works.

In other news, I leave for South Africa on Saturday. Yes, this is indeed big news. Another adventure. Sarah is tagging along -- she has a way of weasling into my planned trips. No, actually we're both going to see good friend Adam Newcomer. Now talk about a guy that has some adventures/scams going on. This kid is doing his PhD at Carnegie Mellon, one of the finest institutions of our day, but is doing it from South Africa from Jan to July. I don't know how he pulled that off, but I want some of it. So I guess I'll live that dream for two weeks. We'll be touring Johannesburg, Mozambique, a bit of the Kingdom of Swaziland (where Adam assures me we will meet the King), Kruger National Park for a safari, and Cape Town. I will try to post some blogs, and will definitely put the pictures of me and the King up at some point.

One last bit: at the top of this entry there is a picture of the new sign at Mi Madres. Some of you might wonder the significance of this. Well first off, Mi Madres has the best breakfast tacos west of the Mississippi (mine are the best east of the Mississippi). This fine establishment is a mere two-minute walk from 2800 Lafayette, I walked there on many occasions with the boys. Sir George Rivas especially loved Mi Madres; in fact he once attended their breakfast hours for 14 days in a row. The documentary will be released shortly. To celebrate his passion for bean and cheese Mi Madres breakfast tacos, I honor him by IMing him a link to the Mi Madres sign. you can see that picture here. As my dedicated readers will know, I have not been in Austin since this time last year and between that time, Mi Madres has actually put up a new sign, which you can see at the top of the post. Sir George was kind enough to send the picture from his camera phone, and now I am displaying his artistry for all to see. Oh, and now the picture actually has it's own link -- so all should feel free to IM George the link on a daily basis. He does appreciate it.

Good day to all.

March Madness

2006-03-14T19:02:00.000-06:00

Here is Mehul's pool

I am also running a free pool for LBJ alums. Email me if you're interested.

Shot down!

2006-02-17T16:32:00.000-06:00

Washington, D.C.

It's been a busy and interesting few weeks. First off, I bought a place and close next week! More info on that in a few days -- I'll put a picture up and further details.

At work, the client was on the Hill last week testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the report that I helped write. Very interesting, especially since the findings got Condi into a bit of trouble on the Hill yesterday!

But the latest news in my life is quite pressing. See here.

Finish line...

2006-01-27T09:09:00.000-06:00

Washington, D.C.

For those that have tried reaching me during the past few weeks, sorry that I've been so out of touch. I've just finished (as of last night) the report that I was working on for my client. It's due out to Congress early next week, so email me if you'd like to see it! I wrote one of the sections of the report, and it will probably get a bit of press so keep your eyes peeled.

All else is going well. I've been scouting out property on the weekends in DC -- wow, is it expensive here! Still, I think it's better to invest than rent so the dive will be taken soon I feel sure. Not much other activity going on this winter -- just gearing up plans for a trip to South Africa in May to see Newcomer and Danielle for two weeks.

Holiday plans

2005-12-21T15:55:00.000-06:00

Washington, D.C.

Things are winding down here in DC as I gear up for a holiday visit to Baton Rouge. This will be my shortest Christmas break ever -- Dec. 23-27. Guess that happens when you're not in school anymore! :)

Sarah will be with me in BR, so give me a ring if you happen to be in BR. 202-674-7499

Oh, btw, I never did report back on the trip to Mexico for the Chris and Ariadna wedding. Well, 34 tortillas later I can safely say that it was a great time! It was a neat experience to see what a wedding celebration is like in Mexico. Let me tell you: do they celebrate in that country! Wedding was out by 2 p.m. and we partied at the reception for 8 hours plus some. There were several meals plus three bands -- including a mariachi! Good times, just wish we could have stayed longer to explore Puebla and Mexico City.

Weekend plans with parents

2005-12-02T12:55:00.000-06:00

December 2, 2005

After a great Thanksgiving last week with Sarah and her family in Louisville, I get to see my parents this weekend! Pops is in town for a conference on Katrina, so Mom came along to see her favorite kid (you'll have to start your own blog to make those claims, Em and Lizzie!). No big plans for the weekend except watching the SEC Championship Game tomorrow night. Geaux Tigers! See a cool video that Coach Saban showed them on the last go-round here.

Looks like we saw yet another national title contender...

2005-11-14T13:13:00.000-06:00

November 14, 2005

Year 1 brought us a game with LSU, who went on to win to win a share of the national title.

Year 2 we watched the other Tigers win in Auburn and go on to a perfect 13-0 season.

Year 3 was yet another priceless experience, as we witnessed what is sure to be Rose Bowl-bound USC.

What a great time we had!

See the pictures here.

Watch for more stories -- including an analysis on how using four-syllable words can get you kicked out of a bar (no, not four LETTER words).

3rd Annual Football Road Trip

2005-11-10T21:50:00.000-06:00

Washington, D.C.

It's that time of year.

Time for the annual guys football road trip. This year's venue: defending national champs USC Trojans vs. the Cal Bears. Go Bears!

We'll be wearing out Longhorn gear in Berkeley this weekend...hopefully it will be some foreshadowing for things to come in the national championship game vs. USC. Really looking fwd to this weekend -- 12 guys are signed up and believe it or not we already have tickets. Just wish that some of those lame-o guys that didn't sign up were going to be here. Where you at Willie, Cliff, and Parker?

Speaking of Willie, I got to see him and his family and his new fiance a few weeks back in Erie for a stellar Gannon football game. Fans were saying "Did you zee that?" after backup WR Zyma scampered for the winning score in a high-scoring fare. That kid might be short, but he packs a mean bunch. It was a great game (and weekend)...a nice warmup for the game this weekend.

I was on the road the following weekend in Louisville with Sarah for her grandparents 65th wedding anniversary. It was amazing. Those oldies were dancing the night away...unbelievable! I sure hope that I'm doing that at 90....I can barely do it now. Last weekend I was in Atlanta for the Thomas Farmer wedding. Wow, what a reception at the Fox Theater! I also got to see the Jankes, which was so great...especially since I'll miss big sis and bro-in-law for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Boo. Guess I'll have to talk 'em into coming up for a visit.

Speaking of...where are the visitors? I had 20+ visitors to a different continent last year, and now no one wants to come our nation's capital? Y'all better ante up (Lizzie Redman).

Oh, I also got to see the Thills last weekend in ATL. That boy Jonathan still has it.

Alright, I've got pack and get up at 4 a.m. for this cross-country flight. Ugh.

Too long...and update from Scott

2005-10-19T11:05:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C.

I've been away from the blog way too long. In fact, I can't even remember the last time that I wrote. I was in training last month (in Orlando and Miami) and am now in full gear at Deloitte. I'm working on a project for the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. I'm on a team that is writing a "lessons learned" on Iraq Reconstruction for Congress. Quite interesting...and to be honest, kind of ironic. Writing up the lessons from Iraq -- on topics like human resources, procurement, financial management -- implies that the U.S. would need to improve the reconstruction process...or that we'll be doing it again sometime in the future. Hmmm...

I'm off to Pittsburgh this weekend to visit Adam Newcomer, then heading up to Eerie PA on Saturday to see Willie (and a Gannon University football game). Had friends visiting from Germany (Pieter and Franzi) for the past week. Fun times.

Big game this weekend that all aware most probably aware of: LSU vs. Auburn. So there aren't any doubters: I am wearing a different Auburn tie every day this week. War Eagle!

Here is an interesting update that I got from my buddy Scott Hanna, who went to UT with me and now works in New Orleans. Enjoy.

##

I arrived back in New Orleans on Thursday afternoon by plane. In many ways, the flight and airport provided foreshadowing. Half of the passengers were residents, most clearly flooded with nervousness, anxiety, and concerns over what awaited them, and the other half were construction workers and FEMA personnel. As we approached New Orleans, I was struck by the quiet, and it wasn't just because I had removed my headphones (as apparently we were only one un-stowed iPod away from a bungled landing, let's only hope al-Qaeda doesn't figure this one out). The residents quiet with wonder, and the workers silenced in uneasy anticipation of the awful work that awaited them.

In the terminal, even more strange silence was to be found. The daiquiri shops, cafes, and music stores that greet arrivals to the Big Easy and provide a final chance for a taste of New Orleans to the departing were nearly all closed and quiet. Driving into the city, the normally congested I-10 looked more like the desolate Highway 10 in western North Dakota, except for the water marks 5-feet-high on the noise barriers.

New Orleans was worse than envisioned in some ways, better in others. I was struck at how much trash remained. While never keen on tidiness, the amount of junk and rubbish that remained in the city was astonishing. The news reported that trash collection wasn't happening, but this was much more than pizza boxes and beer cans. From fallen limbs to flooded furniture to weeks of uncollected rubbish, nearly every street corner was a makeshift dump. I'd seen many a junk-pile in my day though, so the far more conspicuous street-side decorations were the front-lawn fridges festooning with nearly every residence. The funk of the Technicolor food was equally as uncool as locust-like swarming of flies encountered with each passing.

My neighborhood was slightly less stinky than the rest of the city, thanks to the absence of flood waters, but it was just as eerie. The refined raucousness of the Garden District (open-containers are allowed but few women bare their breasts for beads outside of Mardi Gras season and the bars usually close by 3 A.M., mellow by this city's standards) was gone. Most businesses were still covered with plywood and promises in spray paint of future activity, and most homes were clearly vacant. Patrols by the National Guard and State Police gave a sense of security but further reduced any feeling of normalcy.

Arriving at my house, it took little willpower to suppress my urge to fish the fresh case of Miller Light from the duct-taped confines of my icebox, undoubtedly teaming with maggots and mess within. While my landlord had dumped it outside a week before, my house smelled way, way, way worse than usual -- thanks to the decay of my food. I needed to count my blessing though: no flooding, no looting, and no major infestations of rodents or roaches.

After cleaning my kitchen and burning roughly 353 sticks of incense, I found myself bored and lonely. My friends remained scattered across the country, and my office remained closed. In my bastardized version of Buzz's saying, I set my own charge, "Bourbon and beyond!"

While many of my French Quarter favorites were open, Bourbon Street had a very different bustle to it. In terms of demographics, the most conspicuous changes were the absence of African-Americans and females. Were any questions as to who populates the military and construction sectors in this country could quickly be answered in the lexicon of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, it's men and Mexicans (of course, the Hispanics who staff so many of the contracting crews are not exclusively from Mexico, or even immigrants -- that was just for literary effect). Before Katrina, the racial composition of New Orleans was nearly literally Black and White, with only pocket populations of Hispanics and Asians. After Katrina though, the minority population is absolutely dominated by Hispanics.

Because this is America and race continues to matter, among the interesting things to watch develop will be the racial composition of New Orleans. How many African Americans (who overwhelmingly populated the most devastated areas of the city) will return? As they do return, will tensions emerge over blue-collar jobs? Will this change the level of influence – political and otherwise - of the predominately white community of old money whose lives, aside from those in Lakefront mansions, remain fundamentally unchanged, though inconvenienced?

What is most clear about my return is just how daunting the challenge of recovery and how much work remains. What is most unclear is how New Orleans will respond to this adversity. Will this be a Horatio Alger story – a story of a city overcoming a long history of adversity and a devastating crisis to achieve great things through perseverance? Or will this become a sad story of fraud, big business feeding at the trough of no-bid contracts, and government-created trailer parks plans that appear to have forgotten all the lessons and ills of housing projects. My one political cheap-shot of this message: it seems strange that a party professing such fondness of markets is so terrified of letting them work. Sadly, while I've heard stories of both, the preponderance emerging is not the one the American taxpayer, footing the bill for so much of this, should hope for.

So, what now? Well, mostly I've been keeping busy by walking around the city to see what's going on. On Friday, I went to a daiquiri shop and noticed a staff dominated by cute ladies. Fond of both, booze and babes, and out of boredom, I asked if they were hiring (knowing they were, every business in this city is).

Since then, I've been slinging booze, chatting with folks about the future, and sharing mid-afternoon Mudslides to pass my days. I'll probably quit as soon as the newness wears off or as soon as I'd like to fill my evenings otherwise, undoubtedly impressing my GED-certified manager, but it's been fun so far and gives me something to do until our office opens. Plus, I'm not sure it really counts as living in New Orleans unless you work in a bar at least once.

That's about it. In general, it's what I expected: interesting and tolerable but not terribly pleasant in many ways. I'm curious to see what happens, and it's nice to be on the front lines.

To D.C. and Gone

2005-09-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

Miami, Florida

Sorry that I have not been on here in so long. I drove to D.C. last week with Sarah (a wonderful road trip mate btw), had a stop in Atlanta to see Em, Bob, Parker, and Thomas, then moved into my apartment on Monday, and started my new job with Deloitte on Tuesday. It's nice to be living in D.C., but it was also very tough to leave Louisiana because of the current situation. I hope to be back down in the next few weeks to help out some more.

Sunday I left for Miami to take part in the "Deloitte Difference" training program. I wish that I could write about some fun times at the beach or in the clubs, but the reality is that I have not left our hotel conference center since Monday. Ugh. But we just finished the program and tomorrow I'm off to Orlando for another 8 days of training. At least I'll get a little fun time while I'm there -- Disney World on Saturday.

I'm back in D.C. late next week. Looking forward to finally moving in.

photos

2005-09-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos from the trips Trent has been taking south to donate items. Information to donate to the cause is in yesterday's post.

Click here.

Immediate help needed

2005-09-03T08:06:00.000-05:00

My best buddy Trent Rives has been towing supplies to the smaller cities that have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Yesterday he went to Bogulusa and today it is Franklinton. These small towns have nothing, and aren't getting the relief efforts yet from the majors (Red Cross, etc.). Up to this point Trent has been buying supplies out of his own pocket.

I have had so many emails from people wanting to help out. If you'd like to help IMMEDIATELY then send donations to Trent via PayPal at trentrives@netzero.com. He will use the money to purchase much needed supplies like water, food, etc. and will personally deliver the items to those in need. If there is money left over then he willl donate it to Red Cross. This could really help out hundreds of hundreds.

In other news, special thanks to my friend Mehul Patel. We needed a Web site to connect New Orleans businesses with their employees. This is important because cell phones aren't working well, and people need to get paid, find out the company plans, etc. Mehul had the site up and running in one afternoon! Thanks so much. http://www.findyourneworleansemployer.com/

I'm about to drive to DC.

Power!

2005-09-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Last night around 8 p.m. we got power! It was a welcome relief and eased some of the emotional tension in our house. Sarah also arrived safely to Baton Rouge to help me move -- guess she brought the good luck for power.

Updates: Uncle Kenny is running medical supplies from Houston to New Orleans area. Mom and Aunt Cissy got Gram into a nursing home in Baton Rouge. And Dad has been helping manage a media room packed with folks from all over the country.

Thanks again for all the emails.

Helping out

2005-09-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

If you'd like to make a donation to help in the relief efforts, then I highly recommend the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

Craigslist

2005-09-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I have been working with Craig at craigslist and just got Baton Rouge added. Now we just need to get the word out so people will post housing etc for hurricane victims. If you're reading this then pass on the link!

Thanks.

http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/

Still no power

2005-09-01T10:28:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The population has increased by 500,000 here in Baton Rouge, and it is very evident in the traffic, empty shelves at the grocery, and the "no room" signs at all of the hotels. I still can't believe all of this. Again, thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts and prayers.

We reached an all-time high last night at the Redman house: 87 degrees. Luckily, we got an inverter from Trent Rives that we hooked up to my car. We were able to run a few box fans in the house, which kept a little breeze going and I think made Gram more comfortable. Mind you, it was still hot. It could be worse and I am happy that all of my family is safe at this point.

Update on Katrina

2005-08-31T16:43:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Wow, I have received an overwhelming number of emails and phone calls regarding the safety of me, my family, and the entire Gulf coast region. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot.

As of this morning when I left for work, we were still without power at my parents' house. Last night before I went to bed, it was about 85 degrees inside. Kind of makes it tough to fall asleep, but at least we are all safe. We still don't know whether or not houses of family members survived the storm in New Orleans, and unfortunately they won't be able to go and check until at least next week. It has been very sobering to watch my Uncle Kenny and Aunt Cissy try to piece together clues on whether their house is still in tact in Kenner. It's even more sobering to hear them talk about whether they still have jobs. And to think that there are hundreds of thousands in similar situation is very sad. I got quite depressed on Monday night, but got a good pep talk from Sarah.

Much of Baton Rouge is still shut down, as trees are still blocking many roads. I ventured out last night to try and find some ice -- took about 5 stores before I found it. We grilled out and enjoyed the burgers in the hot house. My hope is that electricity is back on upon my return to the house tonight.

Things are crazy at the Chamber as we try to get together some kind of relief effort. I am helping organize a Web site that will be the one-stop shop for available office space in the Baton Rouge area. Over a million have been displaced in New Orleans, which means lots of businesses are already trying to get leases for office space here in Baton Rouge. Same for housing market -- I've actually been in touch via email with Craig at craigslist to get Baton Rouge on the site. Kind of funny. In any event, it is remarkable to think that this city's population will probably double in a matter of days.

I had beers last night with LBJers Scott Hanna and Pascale Belizare. Pascale is at LSU Law and is fine from the hurricane, and Scott is working down in New Orleans. He is fairly sure that his house is roughed up (and all of his stuff), but is in good spirits. He left today for Minnesota for a vacaction with family until his company figures things out.

I'll try to update things as the week progresses. Oh yeah, did I mention that I move to DC on Saturday? Sarah flies down tomorrow night to help with that.

Thanks again for all the emails and calls! I appreciate it.

Here comes Katrina

2005-08-29T00:11:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I'm back on the blog circuit just to quickly update folks on the situation for the Redmans and Hurricane Katrina. Uncle Kenny and Aunt Cissy arrived tonight with Gram -- having to evacuate from New Orleans. Scott Hanna evacuated to BR too. Other family from NO left for Florida, Jackson, and other parts of Louisiana. I'm scared for the Crescent City. This really does look like the "big one." Emily was here for the weekend for Grandma's 90th birthday party --Happy Birthday Grandma! -- and she made it back to Atlanta tonight on the last flight out of Baton Rouge. Lizzie left for Austin last week and is safe, probably drinking a Shiner and eating enchilada's or migas as I type. As for me, I just got back from a hurricane party of sorts at Stephen Moret's. Tomorrow I'm supposed to meet up with some friends to play tennis in the eye of the storm.

I can sense the calm of the storm. It is surprisingly peaceful in the capital city tonight. The wind is fresh and breezy, but not to strong yet. The streets are empty -- I think I saw 2 cars on Jefferson Hwy on the way back from Stephen's. Baton Rouge is shut down for the next few days and all we can do is wait at this point. I'll keep you posted -- if the power is here to let me.

Oh, by the way, I'm supposed to be moving to Washington DC on Saturday. Here's hoping that still happens...I'm getting excited!

One crispy noodle

2005-07-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I had breakfast yesterday with Faimon Roberts and he was ragging me for not posting on the blog lately. Yes, I have been quite busy but that's not really an excuse. The excuse, I say, is that I'm staying with my parents and they're on dial-up. Yikes! Also, I've developed a new obsession with watching the 10pm episode of Ray every night. Nice.

I went to have Chinese food with Lizzie today. I had a clever little fortune there: "You are the crispy noodle in the vegetarian salad of life."

Yes, I have always thought that. I am one crispy noodle.

Boy oh boy, it is hot here in Baton Rouge. I had forgotten. I played golf last week and after two holes I was drenched in sweat. And to think...I used to play 36 holes of golf everyday as a kid.

I'm off to NYC tomorrow for Sarah's birthday. More later.

My sister the actuary

2005-07-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

Congrats to my sister for passing the final exam to get her ASA certification! Em is such a smartie...she passed every exam that she took which is quite a rare thing to do.

Emily the Actuary

The heat is on

2005-07-08T15:49:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Since I've received lots of emails already, I'll point out (even though obvious from previous posts) that I wasn't in London yesterday. And as far as I know, my friends there are safe. I received a typical email from one of them today: "Not good here today, but am going out tonight to drink and show we don’t care. They can bomb us, they can shoot us, but they can’t beat us. Am getting the tube in to town, they aren’t messing with my city!"

I almost forgot how hot it is in Louisiana. I break out in a sweat just walking to my car. Luckily I'm off to cool Atlanta this weekend to visit Emily and Bob. Lizzie and Mom are already on the way.

Here is an interesting blog from an LBJ School graduate that is travelling around the US to see all of the presidents' houses and libraries.

Still in the capital

2005-06-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C.

Chuck Brown and I have been hitting the streets of DC looking for a place, and we've pretty much settled for a place on U St. I'll keep you posted on that. Last night I met up with some of the old Youth Legislature governors and some LBJers, and we finished 2nd at Stetson's trivia night. If only Newcomer had been there...he could have helped with the New Kids on the Block questions.

I'll be in DC until this Sunday and then heading down to BR for two months to do some more research for the Chamber. Here is the latest on my dissertation from Cambridge. In short, the tax credit bill is sitting on the governor's desk waiting for a signature.

Back in the USA

2005-06-23T22:35:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C.

I'm back baby!

I arrived last night and within a few hours was at the LBJ alumni reception at the Capitol. I saw Bulldog Savio, Lt. Kelly C Ward, the Kornegays, and many other friendly faces. Tonight I saw bighead Rivas, big burns Sid, and more. Good times thus far in DC and I'm excited to be moving here in a few months.

This just in...I have a US cell phone. The phone will be shipped here by early next week but for those curious or mildly interested, the number is (202) 674-7499.

Ciao, adios, and aurevoir...oh, and cheers

2005-06-21T11:48:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

If you're reading this then you already know: I made it back from Morocco safely. It was quite a terrible journey home. I flew the only low-cost African carrier in the world, Atlas Blue, from Marrakech to London Gatwick. The airport was crazy -- truly seemed like a chaotic market or something. Just one quick example: when I was boarding the flight, we were asked to walk out on the runway to get on the plane. This is fairly common, so I wasn't all too surprised by that. But it was pretty funny that there was no one on the runway guiding passengers to the planes, so theoretically I could have just gotten on any on of the dozens of planes lined up on the runway. The flight didn't get much better. We sat on the runway for over an hour with the warm African sun baking our plane. By the time we took up, my shirt was soaked from sweat. Awesome.

This could very well be my last post from my little dorm room in Cambridge. I probably should write out a long and thoughtful post on what my time over here has meant to me. That will have to wait though, as I'm franticly trying to pack up all of my stuff into two little suitcases. Should make for a fun afternoon! I'm doing some last minute laundry right now and actually just finished cleaning out my desk. Now I just need to figure out how much luggage I can bring on my flight!

The wheels on the bus...

2005-06-18T15:03:00.000-05:00

Essaouira Morocco

...go round and round...round and round...round and round...all through the town.

At least that is how I remember the lyrics going for the song from preschool. The bus company in Morocco seems to have taken the song quite literally. Ben and I made it down to the Atlantic Coast yesterday and hopped on a bus to return to Marrakech today. We arrived at the bus station in Essaouira early and bought our tickets and a little breakfast. The bus was supposed to depart by 815 and I suppose that it actually did. But as Ben and I waited the last few minutes to depart a bunch of random guys walked around the parking lot yelling Marrakech. They herded people on the bus, seemingly getting people that were not even planning on going to the ancient city. Perhaps they offered them a discount just to get on the bus? Or maybe they were just stragglers? Still, when we finally departed these quasi shepherds accepted a tip from the official bus ticketer and then looked around for the next bus to fill.

Funny thing though is that it didnt stop there, as we drove around the small town picking up random people from seemingly random locations. Ben and I got the feeling that we were not going to be leaving until the bus was full. Every now and then the bus would slow to a roll and the ticketer would hang out the window, yelling Marrakech. Sometimes the bus would completely stop and the entrepreneur would run up to a cafe and a random chap to encourage more butts for the seats on the bus. It really did seem like a negotiation. I could just picture it perched from my high seat on the 20 year old bus. "Oh, you know that you want to go to Marrakech. Good price. I give you good price." Sometimes they would relent and we would be one spot closer to departure. This went on and on, and continued when we passed through smaller villages.

The result: it took us about 3.5 hrs to go about 100 miles. Nice.

I will write about Marrakech a little later today or early tomorrow. Ben left for Switz and I leave tomorrow for London.

By the way, here is an article on my dissertation from Cambridge.

Congrats!

2005-06-16T21:59:00.000-05:00

Marrakech Morocco

I must take the time to congratulate my awesome girlfriend on her new job offer to do health policy research with Mathematica in Washington DC. I am very happy for Sarah! Send her an email of congrats if you get a chance.

Oh the snake charmers are still going! I am off to Essourya tomorrow to try some surfing then back to Cambridge on Sunday to do some final packing for the move home.

Snake charmers

2005-06-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

Marrakech, Morocco

After great stops in Rabat and Casablanca, we have made it to Marrakech. The keyboard is still terrible but I just wanted to write and say that there are currently snake charmers outside the window of this Internet cafe. I am talking king cobras. Needless to say, Ben is scared.

Morocco is an amazing place.

Made it and the keyboards stink

2005-06-13T23:29:00.000-05:00

Tangers, Morocco

I cannot find the period on this keyboard, neither can Ben, we have relied on using the cut and paste function and frankly I a, sick of it

But we arrived to this port town and promptly got got by this tourism official, ha

We are on to Fes tomorrow and I will keep my eyes peeled for a non Arabic keyboard that has periods

Ciao

Laundry

2005-06-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

Still...

Cordoba, Spain

I haven´t made two blog entries in one day in a long time. Still, it´s worth it. I am currently sitting in an Internet cafe that is connected to a local hostel which happens to be the only place in town that I could find a washing machine to clean my crunchy clothes. Actually, it was fairly easy to find the machine. The hard part was finding some detergent to clean off the crunch. Seriously, every shop is closed on Sundays in Spain, or at least in Cordoba. I´ve already struggled a bit with the hours of shops and restaurants in this country, as the standard mode of operation is to have the three hour siesta (or longer) in the afternoon and then reopen in the evening. But everything shuts down on Sundays, which I suppose is a nice thing...just not for tourists like me.

So I finally found a shop called OpenCor that is opened year round and 24 hours a day. Nice. Cleaned up on some cleaning supplies, and got a yummy yogurt shake to boot. Now I´m online trying to find a cheap way to Algeciras, which is the port town that we´ll leave from tomorrow for Tangiers, Morocco. Tangiers is supposed to be pretty bustling with skams and aggressive locals, so we´ll jet from there asap. Perhaps my next entry will be from Fes.

War Eagle.

Long and winding

2005-06-12T11:14:00.000-05:00

Cordoba, Spain

I´m currently chilling out in Cordoba waiting for Ben to arrive on a night train from Barcelona. Once he gets here, we´ll head down to Algeciras to catch a ferry over to Morocco. The travels with Imran and Jason were a lot of fun. We hit up the beaches of southern Portugal for two days in Lagos. The most memorable experience there was a New Orleans trained street performer. He was kind of like a Richard Simmons look alike with crazy energy and this catchy saying that Jason and I kept repeating all weekend. He´d say to the crowd, "I like you, you like me. 50 50! Yeah, no problem." I guess you had to be there.

From Lagos we took a long bus ride over to Sevilla, where Imran and Jason flew out of late last night. Sevilla is a beautiful little city, with lots of flamenco dancers, tapas, and even a bull ring. We had tapas and tried to find the flamenco dancing, but were out of luck. Spent a day walking around and saw the splendid cathedral and bullfighting museum. Last night I hopped on the train for Cordoba and somehow ended up in the nicest hostal that I´ve ever stayed in. BA.

I´ve gotta run but will likely be online later for a better posting. Ciao.

Real hospitality

2005-06-08T20:06:00.000-05:00

Sintra, Portugal

This is going to be a quick one again. My apologies. I will go into an Internet cafe soon and write a proper (as the Brits say) blog entry.

But the short story is that I'm currently at a new friend's office in Sintra checking my email -- trying to finalize plans for meeting up with Jason tomorrow. So yesterday I came to Sintra to visit this magical little village outside of Lisbon that was supposedly really cool because of the palaces here. I hopped on a commuter train and was here in the early afternoon. I was famished and decided to hit up this Chinese restaurant just outside the train station. Again, the short version is that I meet a native born Brazilian but actually Belgian citizen (although never been to Belgian) with an American mother and thus an American accent. Catherine lives here in Sintra and runs a company called Cycling through the Centuries. After a brief intro, Catherine offers to show me around, and by the end of the day I'm sitting in a fabulous restaurant on the Atlantic Coast eating seabass with her and her boyfriend Martin. This after an unbelievable day of touring around scenic Sintra, which really does seem to be nothing but palaces. I also made it out to the western most point in Europe. Now I understand why all those Portuguese sailors were so excited/enthuastic to sail around the world. Quite majestic. In the end, it was a truly amazing day and yet another experience that showed me how kind and giving humans can be. What a great travel experience.

Imran got in early this morning, and we did a bit of sightseeing around Lisbon. Then we came out to Sintra again for another fabulous day in this lovely little village. Gotta run for a dinner in Lisbon but more later. Jason gets here tomorrow and we're off to Lagos (probably).

A few shout outs: Congrats to Grant for getting engaged a few weeks ago, and to my boy Willie for getting engaged last week! Also, happy birthday to old head Adam Newcomer!

Watermelon drop

2005-06-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

Lisbon, Portugal

I'm about to drop like a watermelon in a watermelon drop (or whatever you call that game from the 4th of July picnic when you try to pick the watermelon up out of the pool but it's greased and you can't.). So I'm tired and will write more tomorrow. But I had a great day in Sintra. Absolutely fantastic. Wonderful. Just an amazing travel story.

Oh, and I skipped the trip to Coimbra. Came straight to Lisbon yesterday. Imran arrives tomorrow and Jason on Thursday.

Ciao.

Port in Porto

2005-06-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

Porto, Portugal

This is going to be the six minute version. Partly because the person using this computer before me has the language setting on Mandarin and I haven't been able to change it, and partly because the shift key keeps sticking and it annoys me.

Wow, that's a minute down.

Okay, so I'm here. I'm on another backpacking trip in Europe. Get exited because I'm going to write some deep and profound stuff this summer. Okay, probably not. But I'll try to make it funny as hell.

Arrived last night and immediately had two random acts of kindness from some local yocals. First, as I sat outside of the aeroporto waiting for the bus -- and not knowing which bus -- a guy came up to me randomly. He was my age and just walked up and asked if I knew where I was going. I sure did, but just didn't know how I was getting there. He proceeded to guide me to the correct bus, and then asked the bus driver where I needed to get off. The kid was amazing...actually trying to move to England next year to study graphic design. He even paid for my bus ticket and offered to show me around his hometown outside of Porto (Espiro). Remarkable...as he said, only part of the Potuguese hospitality.

The second act came after I arrived to the drop-off point from the bus. I was walking around pretty aimlessly without a map -- as you can see, I was very prepared for this trip -- when I asked two guys if they knew where my hotel was. They in fact knew and I was delighted! But rather than tell me how to get there, they grabbed my arm and dragged me off down the road to personally show me the location. Along the way, we chattered in English and broken English. Again, remarkable.

Today I had a lie in and then crossed river to go and tour the famous port wine cellars of the city. I saw the cellars at Croft, Offley, and Camel. (I think I'm spelling those right.) It was quite interesting to see it all -- will put the pics up at some point -- and I especially enjoyed the port tasting. Wow, this stuff is way better the cheap stuff they serve at formal halls in Cambridge!

The rest of the day was spent walking around this scenic city. It kind of reminds me of a medieval San Francisco. That might sound funny to some. But it is so hilly and the streets are incredibly scenic. It does remind me of SF with the steep hills, except that the city is many hundreds of years older (and also smaller). I had dinner tonight in a random little diner...the best meal that I've had in a while. Okay, maybe not...it was a typical English meal only in Porto. What's going on? I can't get rid of chips no matter which way I turn!

I'm off to bed or maybe to watch a movie in Portuguese. Oh, I'm staying in a nice little pension in the city centre. Tomorrow I'm taking a bus early for the college town of Portugal, Coimbr. You know I'll love that! Maybe I'll see if they have a public policy PhD program.

School's out for summer (a loooong summer)

2005-06-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

21 years of higher education (10 degrees)

Cambridge, England

It's final. I've turned in my dissertation and my education experience is finished (for now).

I thought that I'd feel a tremendous relief, excitement, and joy. But it hasn't really been that emotional for me. I think part of that is because for the past two years, I've basically treated graduate school like a job -- doing research on public policy (first for LSU then for the BR Chamber). I guess (and hope) that my job will stay similar -- looking at complex issues and trying to solve them. Of course, the hours will change. Oh how they will change! (no more 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. days for me!) I also think that it just hasn't hit me yet that I'm actually finished with school. Unbelievable. I started college in September 1998 and just finished. What a long and enjoyable experience.

I organized a final party for my class -- kind of like last year's blowout at 2800 (minus the keg, shot luge, and sunshine). I went with Tim Poon over to Tesco yesterday afternoon and bought a stone's worth of meat etc. Then we settled down on the island at Darwin College for a nice afternoon BBQ. There was champagne, fellowship, food, and more champagne (Bill, our course director, even brought a bottle!).

And then the rain came.

I suppose that is typical for British weather...or for my British experience. Right when we're having a good ol' time at our grand finale (and my first BBQ in the country), the sky opens and we have to move everything inside. Funny, we bought one of these disposable grills for the BBQ. I had never heard of these things, but they have an entire row of them at Tesco. Now I know why: no one will buy a legitimate grill because they can only use it for a week! In any event, (I'll stop the hating on British weather) -- we did have a great time. It was one last hoorah before we all go off to separate corners of the world. Kind of neat to have good friends in the US, UK, Fiji, Pakistan, Jordan, France, China...you get the point.

I'm off to Porto in about 3 hrs and I still haven't packed. Doing some last minute laundry then going to shove it all in a bag. I'm going to pack light this year...I think just a pair of flip flops, some jeans, and a few shirts. It's my last backpacking trip for a long while (although I'm already planning a trip to South Africa to visit Dr. Newcomer).

Oh, I went into London on Wednesday for a daytrip. It was a solo journey, as I received curses from my classmates anytime I invited them along (dissertation was done for me!). I checked out a few museums that I've missed -- National Gallery, National Portrait, and National Army. I was quite curious to see the National Army Museum because it has the Brit perspective of the American Revolutionary War. Funny...when I would ask my British friends if any museums in London had anything on the war, they would be like "What war? I don't know what you're talking about." So it wasn't much of a surprise to find the section on the American Revolution in the museum to be nothing more than a corner of a small room. There were a few red coats and a battle plan of Bunker Hill, and a cool model of a Queen's Ranger troop. That night I went over to the West End to see a show that I've been wanting to see for a long while: Les Miserables. I've read the book and know the music (from mom and sisters), so it was wonderful to finally see it performed on stage. Quite a powerful performance and one that I highly recommend.

Okay, I'm outta here. I'll be putting posts on the blog when I can...it's back to a travel blog I guess. Fun times.

Until next time...

A visit to that "other" place

2005-05-31T23:01:00.000-05:00

Andy and Faimon in CS Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien's haunt, The Eagle and Child Pub

Oxford, England

Well, I waited til the end of the year to finally do it. But I did it! I visited that "other" place just down the road.

Oxford.

Funny, it seems like everyone that I talk to back home asks how "Oxford" is. You'd think that I'd have an inferiority complex by now. I don't go to Oxford. I go to Cambridge. But I don't. And even with Faimon's chiding -- Cambridge was founded by Oxford guys -- I managed a great time over in that lovely little city (notice the distinction: Cambridge is my lovely little village).

Oxford is great. It has all that I expected -- the scenic colleges, quaint little streets, and smart kids from all over the world. It is quite a bit bigger than Cam. I stayed the night with Faimon and his wife Krista. They have a nice university apartment -- much better than my little box here in Cambridge. We had a good tour of the university and two great meals. One was at the Trout just outside of Oxford, which supposedly was some of the inspiration to Tolkien for the inn in LOTR. The other great meal was at Faimon's favorite breakfast joint. No, not Louie's. We hit up Queen's Lane Coffee Shop on High Street, which Faimon attends religiously on Fridays. Evidently, students flock by this restaurant on the way to take exams. The significance of that? Oxford kids still have to wear white tie attire to take their exams. Ha...not at my 800 year old university!

Here are a few pics from the weekend (including a few from my last Rotary visit and Ben and Julie's visit). I'm going to London tomorrow to see a few museums and finally get to watch Les Miserables!

Unbelievable

2005-05-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

You're not going to believe this. Seriously, you're not. You might want to sit down. (Yes, I realize you're already seated. Just be careful with the mouse after you read this.)

Today was my last day of college.

And maybe forever.

Now granted, I'm already looking at some courses that I could take in DC (wine tasting anyone?) and perhaps will return to school in the future, but this was my last day of university after seven years. Seven years! That's a bloody long time.

It's been a nice journey. I'm not altogether finished, as my dissertation is due next week and I'm actually working on a short paper that is due for tomorrow. But things are definitely wrapping up in England. I'm going to London tomorrow to meet up with Ben Kennedy, and then on Saturday and Sunday I'll be visiting that "other university" over in Oxford to see Faimon Roberts and a few Rotary scholars. I just finished up a great weekend in Swaffham doing a Rotary visit (i.e., giving a talk to a Rotary Club full of retired men) and that was a lot of fun. I'll put some pics up soon and tell a few stories on that.

Oh yes...I almost forgot to mention. Yesterday my mom's pen pal came for a visit with her husband (Marion and Simon). I showed them around my lovely little village and they really did seem to love it. And who wouldn't? I really do believe that this is one of the best places to visit in Europe (out of the places that I've seen). It is so beautiful, especially right now in the spring time. I got some pictures from my department that I'll put up that will knock your sox off...

Peace out y'all.

Auburn commencement speech

2005-05-21T14:41:00.000-05:00

I thought that my Auburn Tiger friends might want to read the commencement speech that Vice President Cheney gave at graduation. Read it here. Thanks to Parker for passing that on.

Yes, you read it here first: Andy campaigning for a Republican.

End of an Era

2005-05-20T16:52:00.000-05:00

Austin, Texas

Say it ain't so.

It is.

The LBJ School is leaving the famed house on Lafayette Avenue. It was a good run...from jersey night to poker night to fantasy football drafts to the annual Halloween bash to Philipa the crazy neighbor.

And of course: the spectacular blowout end of the year graduation parties. Alex and the rest of the krewe are leading the house out in style. See the invitation below in case you happen to be in Austin. In memory, I've put together some of my favorite pics from over the years. See it here. I wish I could be there one last time to celebrate guys!

By the way, I'm already planning an LBJ reunion at 2800 at some point in the future. We might have to rent the house for a weekend from the owners, but we'll do it. And you'd better believe there will be beer pong and an ice luge.
**

There are only 3 things you need to remember about the 2800 graduation party this Friday at 8.30 at 2800 Lafayette Avenue.

1) It’s going to be the last party at 2800 Lafayette ever. The end of an LBJ Tradition. Please come out and help send the house out in style.

2) Everyone’s invited. 1^st years, 2^nd years, family, friends and people you meet on the street, they’re all welcome and the more the merrier.

3) There’s going to be an ICE LUGE! If that doesn’t make you want to come I don’t know what will. But if that does make you want to come, and I hope it does, bring a bottle of your favorite booze to take off the luge.

Look forward to seeing you all there. Email me or give me a call if you have any questions.

Alex Kurgansky

The Sound of Silence

2005-05-18T23:57:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

Leave it to a guy from MIT to help me fix the keyboard that kept going left. Hallelujah! I remapped the left arrow to a null value and now I have nice, normal typing. To think, I've been struggling with this for a month and it only took a few minutes to fix. For those that want to remap one of your keys -- e.g., maybe you want to change the right-ctrl key to mute? -- then check out this free program called KeyTweak. Magnificent. Thanks for the recommendation, Josh. (By the way, a little bird told me that Josh knew to remap the keyboard because he remapped his keyboard to be DVORAK instead of QWERTY. Ha.)

And now a nice little article for your reading pleasure. Those that know me well will get a kick out of this. Ahhh...the sound of silence. I have to say, I totally agree with the author's analysis.

That kid can dance...

2005-05-17T22:31:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

Super annoying. Super super annoying. My laptop has been acting up for the past month. When I type, the cursor will randomly start moving to the left (the flashing cursor, not the mouse cursor). So if I just type away, then the sentence will end up jumbled. So I am constantly having to stop, and then press the right arrow (the only thing that makes it stop going to the left). And then correct the sentence. It is so frustrating.

For example, here is a sentence:

Nxtmonth I am going to Morocco for a lastrp ueforcoaton Rouge fora few mon.Tvinashting tn.CD oW tomIam eh tsh Bmhome n ti ok rwoebak e I b reoEin i tOka

I am about to lose my mind. I'll type more later but just can't handle taking a minute to type one stinking sentence. If you know how to fix this then let me know. I think I need a new keyboard for this thing, but I'm sure that would cost more than the laptop is worth (a three-year old Dell). (Btw, I would just go to the computer lab at school. I do that during the day, but they close at 10 pm. What kind of university is this?)

Oh, the reason for the post: check out this dancing cadet.

And here is my research in the newspaper.

One more thing: end of era this weekend. The guys are moving out at 2800 Lafayette. Sad. Super sad. More on this later. I need to meditate on it. And cry a little.

Funny story

2005-05-16T11:25:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

I've been really busy working on my dissertation as of late. To my LBJ friends: Remember that PR? I'm living it all over again.

But I'm enjoying my research and it's actually going to be used today in a senate committee. In any event, not much to report besides that it was in the 30s this weekend.

In keeping with the UHS theme of a few days ago, here is a funny article about a UHS grad entering the NBA draft. Click here.

Have a good one.

Go Cubs!

2005-05-09T18:37:00.000-05:00

For all those UHS alums out there...

I just read that U-High (University Laboratory School) was rated the top school in Louisiana and #203 nationally by Newsweek. Click here.

2005-05-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

Mexican dinner in Cambridge

Cambridge, England

What's going on here? Last night when I returned home from seeing my first movie in Cambridge (Kingdom of Heaven), it was 41 degrees outside...and with the wind it felt 37!

It's May. In fact, we're nearing mid May. What happened to April showers bring May flowers? What happen to warm spring days with sun bathers and short skirts?

We're on a little hiatus here in Cambridge. But to be honest, I don't really mind. Last week when it was warm and muggy (70s), it was killer to fall asleep at night. Remember: no AC.

But things are going great here. I am hammering away on my dissertation, which I am sure excites everyone. Adam has already requested an autographed copy of my final report, so let me know if any other video game fans out there want one too. Okay, so my research is quite narrow and not of interest to many folks...but that's grad school right? (or academia in general?)

We made it to and from Brussels earlier this week for our class trip to the EU. It was neat to see the buildings -- very modern and unimpressive. But the most interesting aspect was talking (or listening) to all of the MEPs and other EU folks about the upcoming constitutional referendum in France (May 29). These guys are stoked to pass the EU constitution. It needs to pass in 20 out of 25 EU countries, but without France and Germany the EU officials say that it's finished. Interesting, because I haven't really met any Europeans that are stoked about the EU, let alone the constitution. I imagine that there are people -- especially the further east you go. But here in the UK, people are especially apathetic. As one MEP pointed out, the Brits typically view it as an economic issue. In part, they are right to view it this way: the UK provides the most financial support to the EU. But one of the main reasons to support the EU, according to this same MEP (from Hungary), is to ensure safety in Europe -- and not war like the 20th century saw. Good point, and perhaps reason enough to join (or pass the constitution, rather). Guess we'll see. One thing is sure after the visit: even though the UK is one of the big 3 in the EU, the constitution will still push on if France/Germany pass it and the UK doesn't. Very interesting to view the politics of all this on a firsthand basis.

Check out my pictures from Brussels here.

On Friday night I dined at Corpus Christi College for an authentic Mexican meal. Ha. Ha ha! Look at that picture at the top of this post. No, actually click on that picture so you can get a close up view. You folks from Texas (and even Louisiana) will be saying "ha" too. That burrito looks more like a hot pocket. In reality, I think that it was one of those microwavable burritos that you can get from HEB ten for $1. Yum. And no margaritas! I teased Paul that margaritas don't exist in this country. But supposedly they do.

We did get a sombrero though. Now that's fun. I plan to wear it back to the US on my flight back. That'll get a few looks from the British Air flight attendants.

Oh, and I almost forgot. We had the British election on May 5. Seems to have been a pretty forgetable election, as there wasn't much excitement. The papers and my friends here said that the drama was down this year because Blair had it locked. Still, it was interesting to see how worked up everyone got here for the US election, and then how calm it was for the UK election.

Radio edit

2005-05-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

I'm back from Brussels and will discuss that tomorrow. For now I've got to get to work for a few hours because tonight I'm watching the returns from the UK election. More on that later too.

I was on a local NPR radio show a few weeks ago talking about my dissertation research. You can listen here (you'll need a player that plays ogg files and can get one here.).

I gotta pack!

2005-05-02T23:54:00.000-05:00

Frank and Andy with Alcatraz in the background, San Francisco

Cambridge, England

In less than five hours...I've gotta leave on a bus for Brussels.

It's a class field trip to the EU and should be a great experience. I'm very much looking forward to it. Unfortunately, I've been totally swamped the past few days working on this dissertation (and fantasy baseball). It's fun, but time consuming. Right now I am working on a survey to send out (in a few moments) to my contacts in the video game industry. The goal of the survey is to see what factors people in the industry view as important when making location decisions (e.g., quality of life, salary, etc.). I've got a lot of qualitative research on that question, but need some quant backing. Fun.

FYI, in case you ever need to do a survey -- even an informal one for an office poll or something -- check out www.zoomerang.com.

I've really gotta run...there's the whole packing thing plus I need to send this survey out. But I did promise stories from Austin and San Francisco.

You'll notice the pic of me and Frank above in San Fran. Got a chance to see LBJ classmates Frank and Isabel while I was out there. We spent some good times in Berkeley, which really is a rad little college town. I could go to school there. Heck, there aren't many places that I couldn't go to school. (Still can't believe that I won't be in school for the first time ever...in a month!)

Good story from SF: I was visiting folks for my dissertation research, and ended up at IGN, which is *the* Web site for serious gamers. I was talking to my friend Brennan Ieyoub, who is a Web editor and is also a fellow '98 graduate of UHS, at his office. And what an office! Picture an office full of kids that love video games. Okay...there you've got it. There were video game figures and life-sized characteristics scattered throughout, and dazzling framed poster displays of all the big video game hits. Rooms for multiplayer gaming and a really tight room for presenting games that included leather couches, surround sound, and a huge plasma screen. But the best part was the breakroom. Wow. Arcade games lined the wall! Brennan whipped up on me in golf. I'll get him next time.

Okay, I'm really out of time. I want to tell an Austin story or two. But Sarah said that she never reads my blog, so I'm going to boycott Austin stories for a bit. Why? It's just like that Seinfeld episode...for spite. Sarah was in Austin, so all the stories would involve her. Guess she'll be my most avid reader after this revenge! (Okay, admittedly...maybe not. But really, I just flat out need to stop typing, send out the survey, and go to bed.)

But one more thing: I did see George Rivas. Man, that guy has a big head.

Oh, and Tex Mex never tasted so good .

Jet lagged

2005-04-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

And that's about all I have to say about that.

Love love dial up

2005-04-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I'd like to upload some pictures to the blog, and tell you a few tall tales from ATX and SF. But I'm gonna wait til I get off of this dial up in Louisiana. Yep, we don't have broadband yet in this state.

Just kidding, but we're still rocking on AOL dial up here at 1937 Ormandy Drive.

War Eagle!

2005-04-23T13:32:00.000-05:00

Austin, Texas

Wow, three Auburn Tigers in the top ten of the NFL draft! I'm sitting here at 2800 Lafayette watching the draft and am pumped. I'll update my travels in SF and Austin later...

If you're going to San Francisco...

2005-04-18T22:34:00.000-05:00

San Francisco, California

What a great city! I visited here in 2002 on a glorious road trip from San Diego to Seattle, but now I'm back to do some research for my dissertation. I'm out here interviewing experts in the video game industry. Had a big breakthrough today! For those more interested in my research, see this article.

Yesterday I had dinner on Haight St. with Frank Thomson and Isabel Oregon from the LBJ School, and this evening Isabel gave me a tour of the Berkeley campus. I really liked the campus -- might have to go to school here one day! ;)

Getting to bed early tonight -- I think that I'm still jetlagged. Ha. Tomorrow I have meetings with some Stanford professors and also a few video game developers.

Btw, it's cold here at night!

Pictures from Egypt

2005-04-12T12:45:00.000-05:00

Cairo, Egypt

I had a great visit in Atlanta this weekend for Megin and Dean's wedding. The wedding was very nice and we had a blast at the reception. Saw lots of old Auburn buddies plus Sarah came down from DC. I'll put some pictures up asap.

In the meantime, here are some of the pics from my trip to Egypt. I put an explanation in the description of each picture.

Okay here

2005-04-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

There was a bomb that went off today in Cairo and several tourists were killed. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm fine. Heading to US in a few moments.

Tomb Raider

2005-04-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

Luxor, Egypt

Well, first let me say that the Pharoah has finished with his revenge. For now. Let's hope it stays that way.

I should briefly mention the hike up Mt. Sinai from a few days ago. We hired a taxi from our hotel (for 500 egyptian pounds or about 87 bucks) and he left around 10:30 pm. Three hours later we arrived at the base of the mountain and began the ascent. It was pretty touristy...lots of big groups and people riding camels to the top. But it was neat because tours have to be led by local beduoin guides. Interesting culture there, that honestly I know very little about. But I'll have some pictures of them.

The hike was fairly easy, although we all totally underestimated how cold it would be. By the time we got to the top at 4:30 a.m. it was sooooo cold and a bitter wind came in from the west. We hired a blanket and mattress to use at the summit, and then we huddled with the masses to wait for the sun to rise. I was really hungry and luckily sweet talked a few Aussie girls into giving me a few biscuits. They had lugged 5 kilos of food to the top for a picnic and I think were happy to share.

Sunrise was nice -- and worth the cold hike in my opinion -- and I'll put up some pics soon.

On the way out of town, we stopped at St. Catherine's monastry at the base of the mountain. The monastry is old...dating back from 1500 years ago.

We hopped on a plane early yesterday morning and arrived in Luxor seemingly a few minutes later. Luxor is a pretty small town, and the economy seems to be completely dependent on tourism. So many people hawking this and that -- from cheap souvenirs to carriage rides to restaurants. Yesterday we visited a mummy museum and took a faluca to "banana island" up the Nile River.

Today was definitely a highlight, as we visited the Valley of the Kings and saw several of the tombs that the old pharoahs were buried in over 3000 years ago. It was amazing to see how ornate the artwork/design is, and also awesome that the tombs have lasted so long. I felt like Indiana Jones -- or at least was reminded of the film. Very interesting, but unfortunately couldn't take any pictures due to restrictions.

This will probably be the last post for a few days, as I take a night train tonight to Cairo, then fly out tomorrow evening for London. Then I catch a flight to Atlanta for Megin and Dean's wedding, and then on to BR on Sunday.

Pharoah's revenge?

2005-04-05T22:21:00.000-05:00

Luxor, Egypt

Well, we've seemed to get everything but gangrene here in Egypt.

Heather started the trip with a deep cat wound in Turkey. Her hand got puffy and we're thinking we might have to pull an Old Yeller on her.

After our all night trip up Mt. Sinai (see tomorrow's blog for description), I've been feeling pretty lousy. Now the "Pharoah's Revenge" has me. Let's just say that Ryan Stilwell can now call me "poopy pants" too.

Then today on a quaint boat trip along the Nile River in Luxor, Heather (unbeknownst to her) drank tea out of a glass cleaned in the Nile. Evidently the Nile water can kill a person!

Then today (again...oh no) we had dinner at Mish Mish. We were the only people in the place. Hello! Leave immediately (any well-seasoned traveller would say). We sat it out though, and halfway through my burger Josh points out that it's raw. Awesome. Oh, and Heather's chicken wasn't too charred either.

We'll let you know how that turns out tomorrow.

A New Friend

2005-04-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

We met a local Egyptian, Ahamad, that has been showing us around the city. He is the nicest guy. We had dinner the other night then went out for tea and sheesha (Turkish tobacco pipe, which I don't really fancy). Today we went to Old Town and we had a HUGE lunch then some coffee. He's leaving today, so then we spent some time just chilling on the patio at the hotel. Bottomline, this is one of the nicest, most genuine people that I have ever met. It has been a blessing to meet him during our trip because he has helped so much.

Gotta run...going to hire a taxi tonight to hike Mt. Sinai!!!

$3 can get you a lot...

2005-04-02T21:26:00.000-06:00

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Three bucks.

Used to buy a value meal at McDonalds. Or maybe go the movie matinee. Could probably get a pint at a cheap pub in Cambridge. Scrounge up a generic bag of chips and salsa in Austin. Pick up a gallon of Milo's sweet tea from Krogers in Auburn. Maybe even grab a few pounds of boiled crawfish from the Country Corner.

In Cairo, I got a hotel room.

Yep, for $3 each, Heather, Josh, and I got a room in a downtown high-rise hotel in Cairo. Not a bad view of the (unbelievably polluted) city.

I'm currently (or was when I wrote in my journal) sitting on the beach of the Red Sea in Na'ama Bay. Unbelievable view...clear blue water and skies for as far as I can see. Well, besides the Russian, German, and Italian tourists (interesting point: everyone is surprised to meet Americans here. So surprised that when they ask "Where you from?" and I respond "US" then "United States," they repeat the question because they don't understand. "America," they understand. They just don't see many Americans here. Funny enough, everyone thinks that we're English -- can't recognize our accent because they rarely hear Americans!)

We've done some serious touring of this country. Giza was a few days ago. We hired a private taxi driver for the day (for about $35) and saw the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and an ancient monument to one of the pharoahs. Words won't do that justice, so I'll put those pictures online asap.

Yesterday (two days ago now) we got up early to catch a bus to Sharm El Sheikh. We're staying in a quiet little hotel off the beach -- the Pigeon House. (Another interesting note: they say "Pigeon House" like pigeons are a good thing. In fact, Josh had pigeon for dinner last night!) Sharm is a posh resort town and we seem to be the only backpackers strolling the boardwalk along the beach front of the Mariotts, Hiltons, Ritz, etc. Last night we had an excellent Egyptian meal on the beach while listening to live music. I'm not a big fan of Arab music, but is was nice during this setting. The dinner made me think that we were in some fancy resort town in the US -- like San Destin or Hilton Head. But we're on the Sinai Peninsula baby!

This morning (yesterday now) we hit the Old Market, where I got a haircut! I didn't realize how long it was until the young guy combed the knots out and my hair went down past my ears. Wow. He trimmed it up then gave me a nice shave with a straight razor and then threaded my face (?), focusing on those furry eyebrows of mine. He even trimmed the brows later. Nice. All in all, a great experience and for oh so cheap. I ended up tipping him as much as the haircut cost!

Today we snorkelled off the coast in Ras Mohammed National Park. It was lovely -- beautiful fish and coral. I saw some amazing tropical fishies, but never found little Nemo. It was bitterly cold because of the wind, so that kind of put a damper on the trip. But all in all it was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we are going to chill at the beach and then tomorrow night we are going to start hiking Mt. Sinai at about midnight so we can watch the sun rise from the summit. Then we'll visit St. Catherine's monastry at the base of the mountain. Tuesday we fly to Luxor. Will update as soon as possible!

Quick y'all

2005-03-31T23:25:00.000-06:00

Na'ama Bay, Egypt

I wrote a really long blog entry the other day, but it didn't load. As I told Sarah, the short of it was:

Stayed in an old church B&B where the hostess was a grumpy South African that gave us attitude.

Visited Old Islamic Cairo, including oldest Muslim university and the bazaar. Bizarre.

Kevin Brady (LBJ friend) showed us around the US Embassy, where I got a spiffy American Embassy golf shirt.

Memorable moment: a boy came up to me at a cafe and tried to sell me a cheaply made Arabic phrasebook (really a xerox handout)...starting the bidding at $7. Yikes. He kept going lower and lower and I didn't bite. Finally he threw it in my lap and said to take it for free. It looked like he was going to cry. In the end, I gave him some money, but it was sad to see this little kid depend on some Western kid on a few cents for his next meal of rice and beans. Reminded me of my time in Ethiopia. Depressing, but more so inspiring.

Visited the Pyramids yesterday and today in the swank resort town along the Red Sea. More later.

On the road again...

2005-03-29T00:17:00.000-06:00

Cairo, Egypt

I'm back on the road. After an absolutely wonderful time with my parents for the past week, I've left them in London/Paris for a 10-day trek through Egypt. I had a safe flight down here - actually got bumped up to first - and am about to hit the sack at our (me, Josh from Cambridge, and Heather from LBJ) cute little church B&B. We just finished a fun dinner with an old LBJ School friend, Kevin Brady. Tomorrow we're visiting the US Embassy and the old Islamic quarter...then we're off to the Pyramids.

More tomorrow!

Mom meets her pen pal!!!!

2005-03-26T23:44:00.000-06:00

Mom and Marion meet for the first time

(Sorry that the picture isn't showing up above. I'll fix that soon.)

We have had the best time the past two days here in England! Mom has had a pen pal, Marion Colwell, for over forty years but they have never met. Until now!

We had a very memorable time visiting with Marion and her husband Simon in Bury St. Edmunds. We visited the old city and then relaxed in the afternoon at the Colwell's lovely bungalow in their little village outside of Bury. Then we had a delicious dinner at a local pub. Today we visited some beautiful gardens in Bury and then came back to Cambridge for a last stroll through the town. Then a huge dinner with my housemates.

Here is the updated link to the pictures for visit thus far. Check em out!

Welcome the parents!

2005-03-25T09:01:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

Mom and Pops are here! Can you believe it? We finally got them to come across the ocean! We’ve been having a great time. Surprisingly, they were full of energy when first arriving to Cambridge on Wednesday, so they cleaned up a bit and then we went to Evensong at King’s Chapel. The Kings Choir performed and it was broadcast on BBC radio live…quite an impressive concert. Yesterday we spent the day touring my lovely little village, and saw Trinity, St. Johns, Fitzwilliam, and Queens’ College. They especially enjoyed a tour from my friend Imran at Queens’. Imran gave my sisters and buddies a tour of Queens’ earlier this year, and he deserves mad props for a job well-done. He definitely has some tour guiding skills. Kind of like my bow-hunting skills.

Last night we saw the English version of a classic American play – My Fair Lady. It was put on at the Amateur Drama Club, which is the major playhouse in Cambridge. The show was really funny, and I think that Pops even enjoyed it.
Today we’re off to Bury St. Edmunds to see Mom’s pen pal of over 40 years! They’ve been writing since the Beatles early days and now they will finally meet for the first time!

Here are a few pictures of the trip thus far.

Kaboom!

2005-03-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

Computer lab, Judge Institute, Cambridge, England

Guess who's watching March Madness? Oh yeah, I'm currently watching Florida try and come back against Villanova. And how about Vermont hanging with Michigan State? Yeah, I got that too with a simple click of the mouse. Amazing.

Some of the games are blacked out and the quality is a little sketchy, but at least I'm getting to watch some of this tourney! Good stuff.

Whistling man...

2005-03-18T14:39:00.000-06:00

Christ's College, Cambridge

This morning when I woke up, my clock read 80 degrees for the outside temperature. Surely this must be a mistake.

Turns out that it was a slight mistake. Slight is the key word in the previous sentence. The temperature is hovering in the mid-60s today. That makes me happy. Yes, sunshine makes me happy. It makes me smile. It makes me whistle.

And what better to whistle than the NCAA basketball tournament theme song -- "One Shining Moment." It makes for a tough tune to whistle, but in any event I'm pumped about the sun...and pumped about March Madness! Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to watch one game of the tournament this year. Seems like the only channel that carries any of the games is the North American Sports Network, and I just don't have that on my satellite.

It's been a good week. Lent term finished this week, so now I've just got Easter term and I'm finished at Cambridge. Pretty hard to believe that the time has gone by so quickly. I've spent most of the week working on papers (a few more left to do), and also continued my marathon watching of The West Wing. In one recent episode that I watched, President Bartlett mentions Christ's College at Cambridge. Funny, I was just there for a formal hall (see photo above). It's a lovely college at Cambridge, and I dined with fellow Rotary Scholar Jason Sauer (of Christ's) and our mutual friend John Burlew. I worked with John this past summer at NSA, and Jason and John know each other from Kentucky. They like to talk about bourbon together.

Not much going on this weekend besides more paper writing and getting ready for a visit from my parents!

Weekend!!!

2005-03-11T17:29:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

It's been a busy week in Cambridge, and it's not going to slow down anytime soon. I just finished a major project for school. In short, I finished a semester-long consulting project for a high-tech startup company in Cambridge. I was in a group of four, and we presented to the client today. They seemed to appreciate our insight. It's a relief to be finished with that, but now I've got to get on about 10,000 words worth of papers. Awesome.

I should update folks on my current research, or my research next term for my dissertation rather. It's important to note because I'll be in the US (Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Austin, San Francisco) from April 8-27. It will be nice to be in the States for a bit, especially since I'll be working on an exciting project. Exciting to me at least...

So the deal is that Louisiana passed a tax-credit program a while back that's targeted at the film industry. Basically film companies get tax-credits -- that they can actually sell for cash -- to produce movies in LA. Although the ROI on the tax-credit is tough to gauge, it is clear that there has been an increase in the industry. Ray (filmed in LA) just won some Academy Awards and All the King's Men (Jude Law, Sean Penn, Kate Winslett) just finished up in BR...as did Jessica Simpson and the Dukes of Hazard.

The BR Chamber of Commerce and Louisiana Technology Park are going to sponsor my dissertation at Cambridge, and I'll be researching this tax-credit issue for the video game industry. I'm excited about this, especially because my conclusions should have an impact on state policy. I'll be in BR for a week and a half, and also conduct a bunch of interviews in Austin and San Francisco. Will keep the blog posted.

2005-03-08T23:07:00.000-06:00

Andy and Jason in Stockholm

I had a great time in Stockholm this past weekend with Rotary Scholar friend Jason Sauer. We flew in on Friday and came back yesterday. Click here for some pictures. The pictures also include photos from a farewell dinner for my friend Yousuf, who moved to Oxford on Monday, as well as a few from formal hall at Queens' College.

Sweden was flat out cold. There was snow everywhere...probably the most that I've seen ina big city environment. The museums -- we saw the Nobel Prize Museum and the history museum -- provided a good break from the chilly weather. There were also a few giant indoor markets that we woandered through to warm up. Coffee is of course served in Stockholm as well, and that was a final warmup opportunity. You know what else is served? Tons and tons of hot dogs! Unbelievable...every corner seemed to reveal another hot dog vendor.

We stayed with my friend Niklas Ringby, who is a tall, sharp dressing Swede. And of course, Niklas has blond hair. That said, I was surprised that there weren't more blonds in Sweden. And as Niklas pointed out, many of those blonds are fake! Can you believe it? In short, those fantasies that you guys have about all the beautiful Swedish blonds are gonna be short-lived upon your arrival for a visit. In any event, we had a splendid time in the country. We didn't make it to the famed Ice Bar, but we had an awesome evening on Saturday as Niklas cooked us a fine dinner. And it didn't hurt that we were in the company of a few Swedish beauties (fake blonds of course).

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

2005-03-02T21:26:00.000-06:00

Three Cliffs Bay, Wales

Written in Cambridge, England

We've had snow flurries several times in the past week or so, and the sun continues to shy away from this lovely little village. The days are getting longer, but oh how I miss the warmth of the sunshine. This weekend I am off to Sweden, where I'm sure to get tons of rays! Ha...

It has been quite a long time since I wrote, so it would be best for me to include a few random updates.

First, I was in the great ole USA early last month for an office visit in Washington. Believe it or not, this kid has finally accepted a full-time job. Yes, hard to believe it...but I will be starting sometime in the coming months as a consultant at Deloitte. I will be working for federal public sector clients on strategy and operations. And, believe it or not, I'm actually quite ready (finally) to be finished with school and get on with the "real world." I am excited about the work that I will be doing, moving to DC, earning an income, getting into a routine, and having nights and weekends to relax (and not focus on grad research). Of course, I'll be crying for university life fairly soon, I imagine.

Second, my time really is starting to come to a close over here, so I'm trying to squeeze in as much travel as possible. I had some visitors from Holland in January, Sjoerd and Ilse, and we had a great time in London and then in lovely Cambridge. I am hoping to go and see them next month. As I mentioned, I'll be in Sweden this weekend to visit my friend Niklas Ringby in Stockholm. There's a big crew going: another Rotary scholar and 4 Fulbright kids. We should have a grand time. The big trip planned though is a jaunt over to Egypt with Heather Hill (friend from UT and studying in Cardiff, Wales) and Josh Peters (in my course at Cambridge, Fulbright kid). We'll be in Cairo for a few days, and plan to see Giza, Aswan, Luxor, and hopefully some beaches, deserts, and an oasis. Watch for those pictures.

Third, speaking of pictures...I've got 'em! Here are some great pictures, including some truly gorgeous shots from my visit to see Heather in Wales last week. We had a great time...saw lots of sheep, had some great hiking, and of course planned out our upcoming trip to Egypt!

Finally, I should mention my recent addiction to the West Wing. I had never seen the TV show before...until Jon (Cambridge Fulbright kid) and Josh introduced me two weeks ago. Now I can't stop watching! Luckily, I was able to borrow season one and two, so I'm in business.

Tsunami account

2005-02-10T01:57:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

I will put an update in a few days, but in the meantime here is an interesting account from a friend of a friend. It is long, but worth the read. Laura is currently studying for an MBA at Stanford.

Tsunami on Koh Phi Phi by Laura Wales

Since high school I have had a deep-rooted fear of tsunamis. I’m not sure what triggered it, since I had never had a terrible experience with the ocean. I was teased by family and friends whenever I admitted this fear, but it was just my thing: some people are afraid of plane crashes or spiders, I am afraid of tsunamis.

For years I’ve had recurring nightmares of trying to escape from oncoming waves. On one of the last days of the Singapore-Thailand Study Trip, I told Professor Andy Skrypacz about my fear and asked him to calculate my risk of dying in a tsunami. He laughed and told me jokingly that I had a “less than 0%” chance.

On December 23rd, Stephan Zech, Lorri Elder, James Hsu, Bonnie Liu and I went to Koh Phi Phi, a tiny island off of Phuket, for some relaxation after the Singapore-Thailand Study Trip. We picked roommates somewhat randomly, and Bonnie and James checked into the three-story Banyan Hotel on the south side of the island while Lorri, Stephan, and I checked into a bungalow at the Phi Phi Charlie Resort on the north side of the island.

For the next three days we enjoyed ourselves hedonistically—eating, swimming, shopping, getting Thai massages, and hitting the bars. On Christmas Eve we laughed at the resort’s mandatory “Gala” involving a huge buffet and Thai transvestites singing Vegas show tunes, decked out in naughty Santa costumes. At midnight there were fireworks on the beach, and I laid with James on one of the lounge chairs and we made Christmas resolutions. It did not feel like the holidays, but it was the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had.

Christmas Day passed uneventfully, except that Lorri left us to join her family in Hawaii. On December 26th, I woke up at 8:15 a.m. to insistent pounding on the door. It was Natalia Carvajal, coming to get Stephan. Natalia was not on our study trip, but was spending winter break on Koh Phi Phi because her boyfriend, Hein, was a diving instructor there.

Stephan had signed up for a diving certification program through Hein, and the 26th was his last dive. He was supposed to have met the group at 8:00 a.m., but due to miscommunication we thought the dive didn’t begin until 10:00 a.m. When Natalia came to the door, Stephan jumped out of bed and looked wildly around the room: his clothes and toiletries were strewn all over the bungalow. “Don’t worry, I’ll pack for you,” I mumbled before falling back to sleep. We were supposed to check out of the resort by 11 a.m., and Stephan’s dive would last until after 3 p.m.

Around 9:30 I woke up again, showered, and started packing. Bonnie, James, and I had decided to meet at 10:30 and hit the beach one least time before departing on the afternoon ferry back to Phuket. Around 10:25 James knocked on the door. I let him in, inquiring why Bonnie wasn’t with him. He explained that Bonnie didn’t want to get sandy before our ferry ride back to Phuket and had opted to hang out by the pool at their hotel until we left. We continued chatting as he helped me finish packing up Stephan’s belongings.

Suddenly a ferocious wind hit the bungalow, rattling the window. At the same moment, the overhead light went out. I looked out the window in time to see water rushing around the left side of the bungalow in front of ours. It appeared to be just above waist-level, and was moving with a velocity and roar that I’d never seen or heard before. I knew instantly what it meant. “Oh my God, it’s a tsunami!” I yelled to James as I grabbed his arm and jumped on the bed, pulling him up after me. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t just waist deep. What I saw must have been the very beginning of the 20-30 foot wave behind it.

When the wave hit our bungalow I was ripped apart from James and didn’t see him again. I’ve never felt anything like the force of that wave. The blow felt like a solid object striking each area of my body simultaneously. I was thrown backwards as the bungalow’s roof and walls crashed on top of us. Everything appeared dark and I was pinned down by the debris and weight of the water, unable to move any of my limbs. In retrospect, this must have been when my legs were gouged by pieces of the building, but at the time I was only aware of a general crushing sensation throughout my body.

My first thought when the wave hit was that it must be another one of my dreams. It was incomprehensible that I was actually trapped under water by a tsunami. But I quickly realized that it was real, and that my chances for survival were slim. I had been under water a few minutes, I couldn’t see my surroundings, and I couldn’t move anything except my head. The weight of the water over me didn’t seem to be lessening, so my hope that the water would recede seemed in vain. The crushing sensation intensified in my chest as my need to breathe grew stronger, and I knew if I didn’t get air I wouldn’t make it much longer.

If I had to die, I didn’t want to die scared and struggling. I thought about my family and how much my death would devastate them. In my mind, I repeated over and over to my parents, “I’m so sorry, I love you, I’m so sorry.” Then I opened my mouth and started inhaling the water. I wanted the pain to stop and after moment it did. As water filled my lungs, my vision went from dark to pure white. The weight of the water seemed to disappear and I felt light again. I was a moment away from either unconsciousness or death.

Before either occurred, something that was holding me suddenly shifted. I gave one instinctive kick with my left leg and suddenly my head was above water and I gulped a breath. The strong current of the wave grabbed me and pulled me across the small island. I struggled to stay above the river of water, and that struggle consumed most of my energy so that I wasn’t aware of where I was or of what else was happening around me. At one point I saw a building ahead.

The majority of the bottom floor had been washed away and water was racing through the newly created tunnel. The northern walls had also been knocked off, so that I could see straight into a hotel room. A Thai man in a blue shirt was standing in the room right in front of me, so I threw up my arm and he caught my hand. Another Thai man ran to his side and took my other arm. I looked up at them and cried, “Please hang on, please don’t let go,” but even as I pleaded I could feel my hands slipping away. They tried to get a better grip, but the current pushing my body was too strong and they had to let go of me in order to avoid being pulled into the water. I hope those two men know that I am alive, so that they don’t live with any guilt about their inability to rescue me.

I was swept under the hotel and a little farther before the wave died and the remaining water washed me onto a pile of debris on the beach. I immediately vomited and coughed up some water and sand. My contacts were gone and my ears were packed with sand, dulling my senses. My shoes and jewelry had been ripped off, but miraculously my bikini and sarong had stayed perfectly in place. I looked around for somewhere safer to rest. Nearby, a few feet of wreckage had piled around a palm tree. A Thai man stood on that pile, hugging the palm tree. I started making my way there, half walking, half crawling over the pieces of boats, roofs, bicycles, etc. The man pointed at my legs and shouted something in Thai. I looked down and saw that a section of my right leg was hanging off, held on by a small area of skin. “I know, I know, I’m hurt,” I replied to him—not that he understood me. When I finally made it up to the palm tree, the Thai man turned and left. Maybe he wasn’t injured and so was able to seek even higher ground. Or maybe he didn’t want to share his spot with some Western girl who might bleed to death next to him. Either way, I was alone. I took a closer look at myself and noted where I was hurt.

By this time my body had gone into blissful shock, so the pain and bleeding were subdued. The worst of the injuries was on my right leg where about a fourth of my shin was gouged out. I could see six inches of exposed bone. My ankle was also gouged and was swelling up like a melon. I assumed it was broken. I took the muscle and skin that was hanging off my shin and pressed it over the exposed bone. I tied it in place with my sarong, although the water and blood made my sarong slip off the first few times I tried.

From somewhere I couldn’t see, I heard an Australian woman shout, “Hang on, there’s another wave coming!” I struggled onto my injured legs and bear-hugged the palm tree. Luckily this was the third wave, and I was now on the sheltered side of the island. So the wave pushed debris hard into my back but didn’t reach over my head. When it receded, I lay down on the shifting rubble and realized that even if another wave came, I wouldn’t have the strength to stand up again. I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep. But I’d read enough to know that falling asleep while in shock could be a death sentence, so I struggled to stay awake. I remember looking at what I was lying on—some pieces of wood with rusty nails sticking out—and being grateful that I’d gotten all of the recommended vaccinations for travel. They were so expensive that I had nearly rolled the dice and gone without them.

Every few minutes I would yell, “Help!” or “Doctor!” and in the distance I could hear others doing the same. My cries were feeble because my lungs were still so full of water and sand that my breathing was quick and shallow. In retrospect I’m glad that my contacts were washed away, because I couldn’t quite make out the death and destruction around me.

Hollywood trains us to believe that when there is a crisis, the U.S. Air Force is just minutes behind, ready to airlift the injured to the nearest hospital. So even though I knew it wasn’t realistic, I kept waiting for the sound of helicopters overhead. Of course, at this point I figured the tsunami had only hit Koh Phi Phi, or perhaps a few neighboring islands. The extent of the tragedy and the need for resources elsewhere never occurred to me.

After about an hour, a few uninjured Westerners came down to the beach and I called out to them. They created a sling from a piece of material on the beach and half dragged, half carried me up into the second floor of a nearby hotel on a small hill. They lay me on one of the beds next to a woman whose blood had already soaked the sheets and who didn’t say a word the entire four hours I lay next to her.

A group of ex-patriots from various Western countries took turns taking care of us and going down to the beaches to help other survivors. One man tore up sheets from another hotel room and re-bandaged my leg. I allowed myself to be comforted by their cheerful assurances that everything would be all right, despite the fact that I could hear them crying once they left the room, wondering about their own loved ones. One woman found a half-empty bottle of Tylenol and offered me two. I laughed at the small dosage since I normally take four just for a headache, but accepted. The pain was seeping through the shock and becoming unbearable.

Finally we heard the sound of a helicopter and a few of the men went to find out where it was landing. The evacuation zone was on the opposite side of the island, so they had to carry the injured through streets that were occasionally piled four feet high with debris. The men managed to knock a few doors off of the hotel rooms and use the doors as stretchers to transport the injured. When my turn came, they found a park bench and laid me on it. The trip across the island took over an hour, although it could normally be done in ten minutes. The men kept stopping to lift me over obstacles or to put me down so that they could rest their arms. When we’d gone a short way I heard Hein’s voice and called out to him. He came over and assured me that he, Natalia, and Stephan were all uninjured. He helped carry me the rest of the way, got me settled, and went off to help transport other survivors.

The evacuation zone was nothing more than a relatively clear area next to a basketball court where the helicopter could land safely. All during my bumpy and painful ride across the island I had fantasies that the medics on site would be carrying shots of morphine and administering them with a heavy hand. I was disappointed to find that the medics had brought nothing with them except some gauze, iodine, and Tylenol. The area was full of bodies lying on makeshift beds or sheets and from every direction I could hear people groaning. Many of the injured had friends or family with them who were advocating for their care, insisting that their loved one be on the next helicopter or receive more Tylenol.

I was worried that I would be overlooked by the medics since I was alone and was only referred to as “Leg Wound”—which was not an impressive title in the midst of “Skull Injury” and “Broken Back” patients. My leg was still wrapped in ripped sheets, but the medics were worrying less about cleaning wounds than prioritizing who would take the limited spaces on the helicopter to Phuket.

When the sun went down the medics mandated that all the injured be covered from head to toe to keep the mosquitoes away. Already, flies were covering my legs quicker than I could swat them away. Hotel sheets and towels were used to cover the wounded, and the effect of so many bodies shrouded in white made the area look like a morgue. Sometime after dark Stephan and Natalia showed up by my side, and I’ve never been so happy to see friends.

The terrifying feeling of being alone vanished when they lifted back the sheet that covered my head and smiled down at me. They took turns taking care of me while the other went to help load patients into the helicopter, and we were able to smile and crack jokes together. But right behind each of our smiles was the fear for James and Bonnie. I was especially afraid for James. My escape was so narrow, and when James didn’t appear at the evacuation zone I was certain he didn’t make it. I felt guilty for lacking faith, especially when others reassured me that he surely okay and that lots of people were still being rescued. I tried to keep my spirits buoyed by hope and prayer, but the hope felt fake and hollow.

After each helicopter left, rumors circulated throughout the evacuation zone that it had been the last helicopter for the night and that anyone remaining would be left until morning. There were also steady rumors of another large aftershock in Indonesia and a subsequent wave coming our way. This fear made everyone jumpy and frantic whenever the wind would pick up for a moment. It underlay every movement of the night. When it appeared that I would not make it off the island that night, Stephan and Hein carried me to the second floor of an intact hotel near the evacuation site where I would be safe from a second tsunami. The hotel was only 50 feet away, but the journey took over 20 minutes due to large holes that peppered the ground and led straight into the sewers.

At last a medic looked at my leg again and realized it was worse than he’d previously thought. And Stephan, being a champion marketer, pointed out to him my ragged breathing. When the medic stopped to listen to my breath, he decided to put me on the next helicopter. His decision gave me the first moment of relief that I’d had in 12 hours. Stephan and a few of the other men put me on one of the hotel doors and carried me to the helicopter. I hated to leave without Stephan and Natalia, but they promised to find me in the hospital the next day in Phuket (Little did they know, the helicopter took us to Krabi instead, so Stephan, Natalia, and Hein wound up wasting the next day searching the hospitals in Phuket without luck).

I arrived in Krabi and they operated on my legs immediately, while I was still in the lobby of the hospital. The lobby was full of other gurneys and every square inch seemed to be packed with doctors, volunteers, or patients. A nurse cut off my bikini and threw a hospital gown loosely over me while a doctor started to unwrap my legs and feel the gouges. Amazingly, none of my bones were broken. My gasps didn’t make a dent in the overall noise level. Next to me, a man shrieked at the top of his lungs as a doctor poured disinfectant (I assume) into a hole in his arm. Luckily, my nurse must have given me pain killers because the next thing I remember it was morning, and I was laying on a hospital bed with both of my legs bandaged from knee to toe. My hair was still matted with sand and when I coughed, bits of sand came up with the phlegm. I felt ready for a night on the town.

My time in Krabi seems like a bad dream. I was wildly uncomfortable, both physically and emotionally. I didn’t know if Bonnie and James were okay, I hadn’t talked to my family, my legs throbbed, and other than the water that volunteers poured into my mouth, I was given no food or drink. I realized later how lucky I was to have a bed, but I didn’t know at that point about all the patients who were on the floor. My bed was sticking halfway into the walkway and didn’t have the standard hospital curtain for privacy. So when I used the bedpan, everyone walking through the busy room had a nice view. I was lonely and had no idea how or when I would get out of the hospital.

Fortunately, the people around me were amazingly kind and generous. One woman brought in her cell phone so that I could call my family. When I was finished talking to them she took the phone and told them—out of earshot—to get me out of the Krabi hospital, whatever the cost. She could see, better than I could, the inadequacy of the care I was receiving. Although I was no longer in shock, I was definitely still out of touch with reality. When I talked to my parents, I told them not to come to Thailand because I honestly believed I would be sent home in a day or two.

Back in the U.S., my friends and family were panicked and trying to figure out a plan of action. Lorri worked diligently from Hawaii trying to locate James and get me out of Krabi, making phone calls and searching the Internet. Finally my mother got in touch with Bryan Gaw, who was still in Bangkok. He did some research on medivac companies and got on the next possible flight to Krabi. At the hospital, he walked up and down the rows of beds, searching for me. But I was so bloated from the salt water and matted with blood and sand that he walked by me twice before a nurse helped him identify me.

Bryan stayed with me for the rest of the day and that night, calming me and keeping me as comfortable as possible. He brought the news that Bonnie was safe and James was still missing. During the day, he spent a lot of time on the phone, arranging for me to be transported to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok. We visited Bumrungrad as part of the study trip, and it is regarded as one of the top private hospitals in Southeast Asia. Bryan and I, along with ten other patients and various doctors, flew to Bangkok at dawn the next morning.

I was admitted to the ICU at Bumrungrad and diagnosed with pneumonia and septicemia (blood poisoning). Septicemia is a quick killer if left untreated, so I would have been in trouble if I’d remained at Krabi. My parents spoke to the doctors and realized that I wouldn’t be coming home any time soon, so my mother made plans to come stay with me in Bangkok.

Bryan stayed with me until my mother arrived, rarely leaving to rest. My days took on a sort of bizarre routine. Every morning I went to the operating room where I was put under so the surgeons could treat my leg wounds. Every afternoon a lung physical therapist would come and hit my back rhythmically, helping me to cough up the sand that still plagued my breathing.

My mother arrived two days after I got to Bangkok, and stayed with me for two weeks. I’ve always found it comforting to be with my mom when I’m sick, and it was heavenly having her there when I was not only sick, but in a foreign country and emotionally upset as well. We had many generous visitors in Bangkok, and thanks to everyone who sent their friends or friends-of-friends to come and see me. I stayed in ICU for a week, and then was transferred to a regular room.

After 16 days I was deemed fit to fly, and my mother and I came back to California on January 11th. We flew United Airlines business class with a doctor, and the journey was easier than I expected. I was met by an ambulance that brought me straight to the Stanford Hospital, where I have been ever since.

I’m not sure how much longer I will be in the hospital. As soon as the wound has enough muscle tissue growing in it, I will receive a skin graft. In a month I should be walking on crutches, and in two months it will be as though I was never in the tsunami.

Except, of course, for the scars…on my legs, arm, and stomach, not to mention in my heart.

Back on the island

2005-01-16T22:57:00.000-06:00

London, England

Well, it was a great holiday! I stepped off the plane in Austin to 75 degree weather and immediately had a nice jog around Town Lake. The weather did get a bit colder, but I had a wonderful time visiting with friends and former professors while in the Texas capital. Went on to Baton Rouge after about five days in Austin, and spent time with family and friends in BR and New Orleans. Wow, I missed Louisiana food so it was good to get some of that. We had my dad's traditional crawfish lasagna for Christmas dinner -- can't beat it.

I rushed back to England for a New Year's celebration in London with kid sister, big sister, bro-in-law, and a host of friends from the US. After a few days in London and a day showing my friends and fam around my lovely village of Cambridge, I was off to Italy with Adam Newcomer, Adam Lessing, and kid sister.

Awesome trip -- stayed with Gianluca in Sasso, which is his home village in the pre-Alps. We saw Trent, Verona, and a few other tiny (and beautiful) towns. Then on to Florence and finally Venice. One bit worth mentioning: we had a major flight delay in Venice due to fog, and we were treated terrible by RyanAir. I understand that they are a low cost carrier -- so what can you expect? -- but if you have the option, then I suggest finding other transportation means.

I'm back in Cambridge now, trying to hammer out a few papers that are due in the coming days. I've got about 7,000 more words to write -- not bad, really, considering the term was fairly chill.

Here are some pics from the winter trip. Click here.

2005-01-16T16:54:00.000-06:00

The Final Standings. Congrats to Reagan!

And the winner is (likely)...

2005-01-03T23:36:00.000-06:00

Looks like Reagan is going to pull through for the win...he is up by 3 as of now. Gonna be tough for us to make up the difference!

I am in Italy right now but will post an update as soon as possible.

WAR EAGLE!

2005-01-01T11:32:00.000-06:00

This will be updated ASAP...once I return to Cambridge tonight.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tea, Turkey, and Back to the US (for some much needed football!)

2004-12-05T23:52:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

This morning after breakfast, it was a cup of Earl Grey with a few ounces of milk. This afternoon it was a cup of green and a typical English “biscuit” called a digestive (really just a graham cookie with chocolate coating). Oh, and tonight before bedtime, it will be a nice cup of camomile.

The fact is: I drink a lot of tea in England. I never thought it would have happened this way. Friends and family members joked with me before I left: “You’re going to go off to England and start drinking tea and toasting the Queen.” Don’t pretend that you weren’t one of the people that said it to me.

But hey…you were right. All of you. I am officially a tea drinker now. Next time you visit me – whether in England or Louisiana – expect to find a kettle on the “hob” and to sit down for a nice cup of tea with me. Who knows? I might even toast the Queen.

And that time could be right around the corner, as I’m leaving on a jet plane come Friday at half ten in the morning. I’ll be in Austin from December 10-16, and then in BRouge until the 30th. I hope to visit with many friends and family – and enjoy some tea.

Of course, the tea should come as no surprise. I was an avid fan of sweet tea during my days in Alabama, and still dream of settling in for a nice pulled pork BBQ lunch with a cool glass of super sweet tea. Brings me back to my days at Auburn…

And while we’re on Auburn: WAR EAGLE! The polls were just released and as expected, Auburn will be heading to the Bayou State to take on Virginia Tech. Yet I just can’t seem to be disappointed in the BCS results. Auburn has gone 12-0 for the first time in history and we’re SEC Champs. I almost cried in joy last night (this morning rather – 4 a.m.) as my Tigers took the high road and ran the clock out against Tennessee instead of running up the score. Auburn is the #1 in my opinion, and our fabulous season could just be what “un-does” the BCS.

For those that are curious, I did get TURKEY last week for Thanksgiving. The Cambridge in America alumni club served a nice spread for Americans on Thursday, and I made it into London to celebrate with some UT friends (Heather Hill and Sarah Kirby).

Last night I attended my department’s Christmas party in London. It was a black tie affair at Sir Paul Judge’s sweet flat. Situated on the north shore of the Thames and just west of Parliament, this penthouse on the 18th floor had a spectacular view of the city. The food was pretty good – especially for Brit standards – and we had a good time watching Sir Judge get down on the dance floor with his wife. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries, but here are the pics from the month of November. Most are from feasts in my kitchen with my housemates, although a trip to Manchester is mixed in there.

Tomorrow night is the big Christmas dinner at Fitzwilliam College. Of course, I’ve changed the name a bit: Andy’s Birthday Dinner!

Off to Ireland

2004-11-21T23:07:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

I took a long weekend to Ireland last week with the help of my classmate Adam and Sarah. We had a great time. We spent the first two days in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The highlight of the trip was definitely a "black cab tour" that we took that highlighted the sights of the conflict in Northern Ireland. We learned a lot of history and saw some amazing wall murals. Next stop was in Dublin for three days and included a visit with my Irish friend, James "Old Jim" Lane. I met James at a conference in Geneva, and he came through big for us. Not only did he show us around the city, but he also let us shack up at his huge frat-style house. Nice.

One of the highlights of the trip: the Guinness. Before the trip I didn't even like Guinness. I'm a changed man. Wow, that stuff was good. Another highlight: leaving the Irish pub at 1 a.m. and checking the Auburn score. What a big win over Georgia! After spending a few days in the city, we took a one-day tour to the Irish countryside. Although our tourguide was a little obnoxious with his dramatic patriotism, we saw some splendid green hills and even spotted a rainbow. As people say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Check out the weekend travels here.

Snow!

2004-11-19T13:36:00.000-06:00

It snowed nearly an inch last night in Cambridge, which was of course a big deal for this southern boy! The first of many here in England, I suppose. Click on the picture for a full-size version of the picture.

It's like a Smiley Anders column

2004-11-08T18:43:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

I've been in England for six weeks and it's time for me to officially admit it: I've been a total slacker when it comes to maintaining this blog. From now on, there will be a Sunday update.

But to catch up on the past comical episodes, I'll write a rather long entry that resembles a Smiley Anders column: lots of tid-bits here and there. Fun stuff.

Jumping through hoops at the library
How is it that I just got a bank account and ATM card last week? What in the world took so long? On first observation, navigating through various English bureaucracies can be a major headache. Let's just take my most recent experiences at the library as an example. I'm at one of the leading universities in the world, and yet I still haven't been able to check a book out from the library. I had heard rumours from friends that the library closed early, so I checked online before making the long trek. Confident that the building closed at 7 PM (are you kidding me? 7 PM!), I showed up a few weeks ago with my list of books to check out at 6:30 PM. I whisped through the revolving door out of the cold weather into the historic building where many bright minds have studied before me.

At this point, I want you to think of a stereotype for a librarian. Then add an English twist to that stereotype. That's what confronted me.

"The library is closed," in a rather snooty English manner.

"Closed? The Web site says that it closes at 7 PM and it's only 6:30," in a rather arrogant American manner.

Admitting to the error, "Ahh...yes, you are right," she said. I smiled and stepped forward like I had slashed her armor off in a dueling fashion. She battled back. "You are welcome to come in and stand here in the foyer. But the stacks close at 6:45 and you must be at the stacks by 6:30 to request books." My armor fell off and she could see my pink boxers. I was there on time, in fact 30 minutes before the library closed. But I needed a book fetcher to get my books. Unbelievable!

I returned a week later, this time in the middle of the afternoon so I could get my books. It's like I was trying to break into Ft. Knox. How could it be so difficult to check out a book? This time I needed a note from my college saying that I'm a full-time student. "But I have this student ID here that says that I'm a full-time student." I stamored, already retreating because I wasn't even wearing boxers this time. The librarian spoke again. This time she sounded like the Queen from the Alice in Wonderland cartoon, "No letter?! Off with his head!!"

That marvelous class photo
The other day was a typical day in Cambridge, or at least how I envisioned it before coming here. It was time for my class picture and I walked up to the Judge Institute in time to catch an older professor getting onto his old-school cycle. He had an English-looking cap and a tweed jacket covered his brown wool sweater. The guy was probably near to using a walker, yet he hopped on the cycle and winded his way down the street. Did I mention that he was smoking a pipe? Then it started to rain.

Altogether, pretty typical. It does rain a lot, and it's already colder here than it is during the cold winter days in Louisiana. Not that I'm complaining. I have my first warm jacket and am rather enjoying the change of seasons. Witness the photo above of the colorful autumn leaves on Trumpington Street. Don't see that kind of season change on the bayou! So when I compain about the cold weather, or the wet weather, or the sunshine going away at 4 PM, just shrug it off. That's what I do!

Election
I've never been abroad during a presidential election, so I can't compare my experiences over the past few weeks to a past election. But it seems that the election was on everyone's mind. It's all that people wanted to talk about, especially once they found out that I'm American. Day in and day out, I was truly amazed at how closely the English and especially other international students were following the US election. Many followed it more closely than me!

This of course was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed discussing with my Arab housemates. They all had a unique perspective, in part because they have lived in the war-torn areas that many Americans only read about in the newspaper. But more importantly, they know all too well how their countrymen's attitude toward the US has shifted over the past few years. You all have seen the polls so I won't bore you. But many of you probably haven't talked with someone that was in the Middle East only a few weeks ago. It brings home the anti-American sentiment that you read about in the newspaper.

Those that know me well (or at all), of course realize that I wasn't pleased about the results of the election. But those that know me also realize that I'm patriotic and will support the US even if I don't agree with the president's foreign policy. I stayed up to watch the election results with friends from my college. Again, I was amazed at the number of students that stayed up to watch the results. Walking home around 4:30 in the morning, I noticed lots of lights still on and saw countless windows framing students huddled around TVs. Pretty neat.

Floating candles
My dad and Adam Newcomer have been good at asking about the floating candles at formal dining hall ala Harry Potter style. I've yet to see them, although I have had some great formal hall experiences thus far. In my first weeks here, I have had three formal halls at my college, Fitzwilliam, and also another one for my department at Kings College.

Even without the floating candles, the experiences have been great. The dinners start with sherry beforehand. Then we enter the dining hall for a three- or four-course meal. The food has been mediocre, but the company has been great. One interesting note though: each meal we've toasted the Queen. That's something that I didn't really expect, but have already grown accustomed to.

Punting
One of Cambridge's traditions is to go "punting" on the River Cam. While Adam and Jodie were in town a few weeks ago, we took a punt out from Darwin College and had a great time. You can see some pictures (see previous blog entry), but I just wanted to mention the first five minutes of the trip.

The punts (boats) are quite narrow and wobble quite a bit, especially when the passengers shift around. We all hopped into the punt at Darwin's boathouse, and immediately Adam said that we were going to fall in. He looked so nervous, as did the rest of the boat. Gianluca took the reins at the official punter though, and after about 15 minutes I think everyone was comfortable that we weren't going to fall in. Except maybe Adam.

Road trips
Friday night was perhaps the scariest moment of my life. The reason is simple: I rented a car in England. Wow, it took quite a bit of concentration to drive on the left side of the road and on the right side of the car. I was a nervous wreck, but made it from Enterprise rental to my house. Needless to say, I was more than happy the next morning to let Gianluca do the driving on our road trip to Manchester. Manchester was nice. So was the trip that I took to Norwich a few weeks ago. This weekend I'm off to Belfast and Dublin. I'll keep you posted.

Next week: What in the world am I studying over here?

Cambridge Pictures

2004-11-01T01:33:00.001-06:00

Cambridge, England

Look here for some great pictures from the past month in Cambridge!

Descriptions under the pictures will be up soon.

Eastern Europe Pictures Part 2

2004-10-31T19:36:00.000-06:00

Cambridge, England

Finally catching up a bit! Click here for pics from second half of Eastern Europe trip.

Soon...very soon

2004-10-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

I still don't have Internet in my room but was planning on posting a long blog entry tonight. Unfortunately, the computer lab at this fine institution closes at 10 PM. (everything else seems to close at 5 PM, except the pubs -- 11 PM).

Coming soon...hopefully with some pictures and fun stories!

Money in the Bank

2004-10-02T04:08:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, England

A few notes worth mentioning at the beginning of this entry.

First, congratulations to my great friends Robby and Lauren Hayes, who got married today in Jackson, Mississippi!

Second, I will be updating the blog in the coming days to reflect the current status of my adventures. Alas, this means that much of the Eastern Europe lagniappe will disappear. But I wanted to mention (before his picture goes away) that Adam Newcomer has finally joined the European adventure. Although he was not able to join me in Eastern Europe, he is currently in England travelling with Sarah and will meet up with me in Cambridge next week.

My personal update is rather uneventful. I arrived in London last weekend and spent a few days with Sarah and a few other friends from UT. Then it was on to lovely Cambridge to settle in before orientation started on Thursday. To make a long story short, after originally being placed in a house infested with mice poop, I was able to switch to another place which is conveniently a lot closer to my department. I have my own room with a (pathetic) bathroom en suite and a shared kitchen (between seven). The David Gedding house is pretty nice, and basically a house that has been converted into dorm-style living for grad students. I say "dorm-style" because my room really does look like a dorm room at a US university. I suppose the only mystique of my place is that the first floor is a nice little coffee shop and 24-hour grocery. This kind of gives the pad a big-city feel.

Orientation started on Thursday for my programme, so that has eaten up much of my time thus far in England. After meeting my new classmates - 28 in total, 4 Americans (all studied undergrad in Cambridge, MA but me), 6 Brits, and a multitude of other nationalities - over tea on Wednesday, we were off to London on Thursday to take an insightful behind-the-scenes tour of Parliament (Westminster Palace) and meet with members of the Office of Science and Technology. On Friday, we took another field trip. The first stop was at Renewable Energy Source (RES), which is a company that installs wind farms throughout the world. The neat thing about that stop: RES has a zero-emission corporate headquarters that operates using wind power as energy. I'll post some cool photos from that stop. The second visit of the day was spent at a coal power station. Didcot is the largest of its kind in the UK, and it was quite interesting to see the contrast of "old school" vs. "new school."

I've tried to settle in but have been met with miserable success. First off, it seems near impossible to create a bank account here. Incredible! You would think that a guy (or gal) that shows up at the bank with a rather large check would be able to create a new account at the bank. Oh, but not here - I've gotta have a note from the president, my mom, and more. To even get an appointment with the bank, I've got to bring a letter from my college stating that I am legit. To get a mobile phone, I'm supposed to have lived in the UK for the past 3 years. The other big project to finish: finding a bike. The free market system is in full effect here. Remember in microecon when you drew all those S and D curves? Then you would be presented with some peculiar situation in which the demand suddenly increased, resulting in a shortage. Welcome to the bike market in Cambridge. Welcome to an increase in P. I'm talking about a junk bike for 50 pounds at the cheapest (about 100 US). The only other problem in settling in is that there does not seem to be a good one-stop store like Target or Wal-Mart. The result: lots of walking around town and searching at random little shops for random items like a laundry basket or toothpaste or a lamp.

All this is fine though. It has been awesome being here thus far. I really like this college-town. My only true complaints:

1) It's already getting cold! I've been sporting a polarfleece the past few days. I'm just not used to this type of weather in September.

2) Cambridge is quite expensive. Basically, the prices of most things (food, clothing, transportation, etc.) are the same number of pounds as the number of dollars that you would pay in the US. So a Big Mac costs 2£ vs. $2 in the US. Of course, 2£ does not equal $2. So the bottomline is that most things cost twice as much here. Fun.

I am currently in the Fitzwilliam College - don't worry, I'll explain the college system of Cambridge soon - computer lab listening to the Auburn vs. Tennessee football game. Yes, it's nearly 4 a.m. here. But I'm an Auburn Tiger. War Eagle.

Some Final Thoughts: Awesome

2004-09-22T22:23:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I travelled for a total of 39 days. I saw eleven different countries. I sat still on planes, trains, vans, cars, ferries, and buses in transit for over four days (113 hours). I lost 17 pounds. I spent $2,249 on the entire trip (transportation, food, lodging, Imodium AD, etc.). There have been 3,902 hits on the blog and a total of 28 entries.

28 entries! Surely that should be enough to have covered this little trip. And yet I feel that I have utterly failed at truly portraying the awesomeness of this experience.

Simply put, the trip was just that: awesome. And I don't mean "awesome" in the 8th grade sense of the word. It's not a "Hey, that looks cool...awesome!"-type of thing. Admittedly, it's not much more complex than that. Still in all, it's so much more.

Awesome is waking up (rather late) in the morning and not knowing which country you'll be in at the end of the day. Your only responsibility: figuring out how you're going to get there.

It's sitting on the side of a railroad track in Macedonia with one of your best friends in the world and having a conversation about Seinfeld's favorite pasttime ("nothing"), and then realizing that you'll probably never be at that spot on Earth ever again.

It's sharing a cup of coffee with a friend surrounded by a charming city atmosphere, and recollecting all the other awesome shared cups of coffee that you've had throughout the world.

Awesome is staying up until 6 a.m. just so you can share a few laughs with buddies living on Eastern Standard Time.

It's starting a meal in a random country without any prior knowledge of what you're about to experience, and then stuffing your face with food that's so good that you could cry.

It's starting a meal in a random country without any prior knowledge of what you're about to experience, and then eating trail mix for dinner because the food is so bad that you could cry.

It's stomping out anti-American sentiment with a warm smile over a cup of tea.

It's realizing in the middle of a meal that you'll remember that particular dining experience for the rest of your life.

It's being lost and almost missing a train, and feeling like you flat out need a hug from Mom. Then you miraculously make the train in time and it's Christmas morning 1987 and you just got your first Nintendo.

Awesome is paying to use the toilet and then being handed two small squares of TP.

It's losing 10 lbs because "free breakfast" at a hostel for six weeks straight means lots of bread and jam (and liverwurst if you're Damon).

It's losing 7 more lbs because the food in Turkey isn't as appetizing after a few days of visiting.

It's collecting stamps in your passport.

It's being able to communicate with someone even though you don't speak the same language.

Awesome: growing a moustache -- because you can.

It's getting a personal email from a friend or family member located thousands of miles away saying that he/she misses you, or he/she loves you, or that he/she simply enjoys reading the blog.

It's preparing for an overseas move from overseas. (I move to England on Saturday.)

It's boarding a nasty dirty train for the first time and being grossed out. Then it's boarding an even dirtier train a few weeks later and thinking nothing of it as you fall asleep to the voices in Serbian.

It's seeing capitalism try to muster up the strength to overtake the old communist ways, and marvelling that the "mustered up strength" isn't enough for a few restaurants to be in business yet.

It's getting away from the West for a while and not seeing any Americans for a few days.

It's learning how to say "thank you" in yet another language, and then realizing why you do it when the waitress grins at you when you leave.

What's really awesome is the smiles that you see in lesser developed countries. Smiles (and happiness) seem to come so easy there.

It's taking 242 pictures of the most amazing sights, but realizing that those aren't the most precious things to be taken from the trip.

For the rest of my life, I will remember my summer trip to Eastern Europe. When people ask about it, I'll always tell them that it was awesome.

Now you'll know why.

Reflections on the Turkish Sell

2004-09-21T19:19:00.000-05:00

Istanbul, Turkey

-Written by Sarah in Copenhagen, Denmark

Since my family is in the retail industry, I have always been exposed to the art of selling. Everyone has their own definition of 'customer service' and everyone has their own style or flair. The luxury goods industry is very tricky.

That said, I have never ever ever ever experienced anything like theTurkish approach. When Andy and I were in Turkey there was never a day when we walked down the street without someone offering to show us a carpet. We got used to this pretty quickly; we actually came to expect it. Right away we learned not to think of it as annoying (although it was) but as creative and amusing. I can't begin to understand the energy it must take to try and sell carpets in Istanbul. To be successful, you have to be charming. You should also be funny and if you occassionally know what you are talking about when it comes to your product, that doesn't hurt either. I think that Andy would agree when I say that the single best line was, "Sir, a carpet for her dowry?!?" We both stopped, turned, laughed and commended him for his efforts.

But it takes more than just one-liners to win us over. On our first night in Turkey we met Joseph (though we didn't know his name then). We went to buy water and as we passed his brother's store he asked if we wanted to be his last customers of the night. We said, "No, thanks." When he asked if we wanted to be his first customers the next day, Andy said that we would be by at 6am. Joseph was surprised and without missing a beat said, "Sir, no I am sorry. I will be looking at my dreams at that time." The next night we walked by again. Andy yelled to him, "Wherewere you at 6am?" The friendship was born. We walked by Joseph every night and on our last night (even when we weren't feeling our best) we sat with him on his camel bag (carpeted double pillow) and drank cherry tea. We were his guests. We talked about how he was on holiday from school (he's 18) and how he lives in Van... eastern Turkey near the Iraqi and Perisan borders... and about his religious beliefs and the political situation between the Turkish and Kurdish people. The conversation was very interesting and in the end, it worked. We were so fond of Joseph, a purchase was actually made. I don't know if it's because he called me *Pavlova* (because I'm "so sweet" he said)or if it was because of the cherry tea or the hookah. And I don't know if he was setting us up for a purchase (I don't want to believe that) but I don't really care. The two hours spent with Joseph, his cousin Selim, and the 16 year old who worked at the nearby restaurant, Hakan, were really fun.

Oddly though, not everyone who is a salesman in Turkey wants to sell their products. One guy at the Grand Bazaar wanted to talk about the NBA; he didn't care if we even looked at his pashminas. But maybe that was a tactic too, in the end, because he was apathetic to our spending, I wanted buy something from him (I didn't though).

So, everyone has their thing. Some we will remember and some we have already forgotten. Bottomline is that if you want to sell carpets inTurkey you better get creative.

War Eagle!

2004-09-19T18:46:00.000-05:00

Atlanta, Georgia

What a game yesterday in Auburn, Alabama! In our 2nd annual SEC game of the year trip, I witnessed the game with a solid crew from UT (Adam, Frank, Alex, and Nick). We had an awesome time, and it was even better that Auburn won.

Here are some pictures from the game:

http://www.dotphoto.com/Go.asp?l=newcomera&P=&AID=1802465&T=1

http://www.dotphoto.com/Go.asp?l=ahk&P=&AID=1802333&T=1

I am back in Atlanta now, sick with what seems to be a true Sultan's revenge from Turkey. On to Baton Rouge tomorrow.

On the Road Again

2004-09-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C.

I made it back safely to the U.S. late last night and am about to start the long drive to Atlanta. Then it's on to Auburn on Saturday for the SEC West matchup of the year.

I'll provide a few concluding thoughts on the trip in the coming days, but in the meantime I'd better get to driving...

High and (oh so) Low

2004-09-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

Istanbul, Turkey

If I recall correctly, foreshadowing has been discussed once or twice on this Weblog.

The strange monster hits again.

I last left you with a brief yet descriptive note: the Turkey Trots were in full effect here in Istanbul. If only it had stopped there. As the "sayings" go here, the turkey has trotted for miles now and the Sultan has had full revenge. Yes, Sarah and I are still quite sick.

The fevers have subsided, but we are now thoroughly dehydrated and (I for one) ready to get out of this place. The city really is a marvelous place to visit, if not for the disaster health effects we have suffered just for being here. And this after we have been quite careful about what we eat and drink (only cooked vegetables and bottled water).

Despite these past few days of misery, we have mustered up a bit of energy to slowly see some of the city sights. And two nights ago for a brief few hours, we were able to completely forget about our sickness.

Charmoin and Crawford Tatum, good friends from Auburn, put me in touch with one of their friends from Turkey. If only I knew what we were getting into when I agreed to meet up with Emin for dinner. Emin is a delightful ball of energy. He reminded Sarah of the Turkish version of Thomas Farmer, and he reminded me of a mix between Willie Elias and Farmer. Witty, full of passion, genuine. Emin is flat out "fun to be around."

I spoke with Emin on the phone and asked him how I would know who he was when we met up at 6 PM on Monday night. "Oh, you'll know," Emin explained. And he couldn't have been more right. We were standing in front of our hostel when a taxi came tearing around the corner. Out pops a cheerful, shaved head Turkish guy in a sharp suit, shouting "Andy" and giving me a handshake and hug. A delightful first impression.

Emin whisked us away and between cell phone calls with US traders, he gave us a run down of the city. The traffic was terrible, so we went straight to dinner. I can't do the dinner justice in my description. We had a four-course meal at a very nice restaurant on the Bosphorous River, which separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side. From one of the best views of the city, we had calamari, fresh fish from the Bosphorous, traditional Turkish desserts and coffee, the strong national alcohol called Raki, and a lot more.

The food was excellent, but the company was even better. Once again, keep in mind that Sarah and I are both sick at this point. Hours earlier in the day we had wanted nothing more than a warm bath and a couch and TV for a movie marathon. Yet Emin really did make us forget about our sick stomachs (even if I had to go to the WC a few times during supper). Looking back, it amazes me that one personality can truly provide a temporary medicine.

It was definitely the "high" of what mostly has been an oh-so "low" time in Turkey.

Pay It Forward

2004-09-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

Istanbul, Turkey

One topic that has yet to be discussed on this Weblog is the various languages that I have come across thus far on the trip. I've been in 11 countries to date with just as many different languages. Admittedly, many of the countries that we have visited have had quite a few English speakers. But others -- like our most recent visit in Bulgaria -- have had very few English speakers.

This posed a major problem yesterday when we got ready to make our way to the bus station for our "6-8 hour" (this will be important later) ride to Istanbul. We had reservations for the 11:30 a.m. bus with a micro-bus company, but had no idea of the company name, location, etc. All we had was a small post-it note that the hotel manager gave us after making the reservation. The scratched note was in Cyrillic, so ultimately our fate on making the bus on time rested with the taxi driver's ability to decipher the script.

Funny. He understood the note, but we ended up at an apartment complex. It didn't seem like a probable place for an international bus departure, but the dude didn't speak any English! Finally, after we said "Istanbul" about 13 times (at different paces, intonations, etc.), he understood and proceeded to drive us to the front of the apartment complex, which was indeed the location of various businesses -- including our Nikkilen bus company!

We were a little delayed in departure because of a rather large skirmish in front of the bus that occurred just before departure. We're still not sure what happened; the only things we know are: 1) a guy hit another guy; 2) people keep yelling "mafia"; 3) the police interrogated a girl that looked like the oldest daughter in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Finally on the road, we settled in for a jostling ride to Istanbul. Sarah slept for much of the way, while I enjoyed the scenery. The past few days I have been taken back to my summer in Ethiopia. Finally another setting that is totally non-Western. Driving through Bulgaria was amazing, especially the small villages. It was funny; we were in this huge bus driving on barely navigable roads and the bus barely even fit. At one point, we were slowly cruising through a small village. I looked left and there was a crew of boys chopping wood. On the right I spotted a donkey pulling a cart full of "something." And all the while, the little town shops and houses were about two feet from the bus window. Yes, the roads were that narrow.

We went through customs, immigration, etc. and got cool little visa stickers for a bargain price of 20 USD. Here's where the 6-8 hour figure is important. We arrived to Corlu, Turkey around 9 PM -- almost ten hours after our departure -- and stopped for a bathroom break etc. We were hungry and had no Turkish lira, and there were no ATMs in sight. Despite this, I got the urge to ask one of the local vendors -- a young man -- how much for one of his pretzel, pastry thingies. He signaled "three" and then I just nodded, knowing all too well that I could get one of those treats for a small 300,000 lira (about 20 cents) that I didn't have. I boarded the bus emptyhanded, but the kid followed me. He gave me a longing look, like if I didn't buy the pretzel from him then I would hurt his feelings, or worse: his business would go under.

Then came the language challenge that I first brought up in this entry. I had to explain that I had no money. I made what I figured was a univeral "no money" signal, a kind of snapping/rubbing of my fingers with my thumb. It worked. The kid understood. But he pushed a bit further, stuttering out "only" and showing three fingers again. Again with my poor sign language. This repeated one or two more times.

Finally, the boy truly understood. He walked up the stairs to the bus and handed me the pretzel. He said something in Turkish that I didn't understand, and then smiled at me innocently. I told him again that I didn't have money, and then a lady next to me interrupted. She explained: he said that I could have the pretzel, pastry thingie for free.

This poor kid in small town Turkey gave me food because I had no money. What a humbling experience that was. And how kind of the boy to do that.

*And just to let you know, we made it okay to Istanbul (after a crazy van ride later in the night that I'll write about later). Now Sarah has the fever and I'm posted by the toilet. Gotta love the Turkey Trots.

Brrrrr...in Bulgaria

2004-09-11T11:04:00.000-05:00

Varna, Bulgaria

Beautiful beaches in Bulgaria? Who would have thunk it?

But it's true! We settled in for a nice lunch and tea yesterday afternoon along the coast of the Black Sea. Afterwards, we strolled the golden sand beaches. Just one problem: it's really cold here (especially for this southern boy). Still in all, Varna has been a relaxing beach town to visit. It reminds me of the little beach towns -- yet to be tackled by tourism -- that dot the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Unfortunately, both Sarah and İ have had a bit of the Bulgaria Blues (read "upset stomachs"). İ suppose this is to be expected when journeying abroad. But even worse: I developed a fever last night. This is quite unusual for me, but İ am feeling a lot better now.

The keyboard that İ am currently using is terrible (the keys stick) and truly driving me crazy, so İ am going to have to cut this blog short. On the way to İstanbul via bus today!

One last note to Auburn friends: İ'll be at LSU vs. AU next week with some UT friends. Let me know if you can help with tickets.

25 years of Communism

2004-09-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

Bucharest, Romania

-From Sarah

Because Andy was up until the wee hours drafting players for his fantasy football league, we got kind of a late start on exploring Bucharest. (To be fair, I was more than happy to sleep in...) After scouring the book, turns out there isn't that much to see, so we narrowed our focus and decided that our goal was to see Nicolae Ceausescu's parliamentary palace and cruise around to get a feel for the city. The palace, unfortunately, was closed until November to tourists but we did walk around the massive structure (2nd largest building in the world, the Pentagon being the first). While it is currently the parliamentary building and civic center, it was built to be the "House of the People" and serve as Nicolae's legacy really. It was completed in time for his execution in 1989. Ironic.

It's striking to see the pervasiveness of the old Communist ways of this country... tennements right next to shiny new buildings, or old 'bloc' housing with Samsung billboards on top, ATMs on every corner and no where to really spend the money (esp lacking restaurants). Every time we ventured out to find a meal we were faced with a long trek to find somewhere, ANYWHERE to eat. It was really odd. A guy that we met at the hostel said that he was here 7 years ago and nothing had changed. It saddened him that in 10 years the progression away from Communism was so slow. He gave countless examples of this including one interesting account about a train conductor not allowing him to lay down on the train (even though it was pretty empty) because, in his opinion, the Communism of the past had forced this man into making the lives of the people just a little harder than necessary.

In Brasov, we were waiting for the train to Bucharest when a little gypsy girl walked over to us and asked for a piece of my chocolate bar (it was sticking out of the side pocket of my bag). I gave her some after a minute of thought (she was speaking Romanian) and she ran away. Ten minutes later a little boy came over (equally as small and dirty) and he had been talking with the girl. He came over to me and rubbed his belly. I gave him some, he wanted more. Then she came over again and I gave them a bit more each and told them that was it (in italian because it is closer to romanian than english). He looked like he was going to hug me, but I flinched a little and he just patted my arm as a thanks, I think. They walked away to look for more food. I wasn't sure if candy was good for them or not. I wanted to give them the whole bar in a way but didn't want to contribute to their malnutrition. They were all alone. No parents, no adults. They conducted themselves like little people. It was sad. No childhood. Lots of stray dogs, and kids walking alone here.... It's really something.

I know this happens in other countries, and my own, but the ubiquity of it makes it much more apparent.

*By the way- the howling of the dogs every single night, all night long, only adds to my feeling that yes, all stray dogs in Romania are in fact rabid. In case anyone was wondering...

Draft Day in Romania

2004-09-08T04:26:00.000-05:00

Bucharest, Romania

The visit to Transylvania has come to an end and we have arrived in Bucharest (after a smoke-infested train ride through the scenic mountain region). It would be nice if I could provide some graphic prose about the visit to Dracula country. It would be nice if I could tell you a tale. It would be nice to have a Hollywood-type photo to share on this blog.

We'll have none of that coming out of Transylvania. The visit was well worth it, but it turns out that our journey to Bran Castle to see Dracula's former residence was just for fun (and not for legend). We hopped on an antique city bus and took the 45 minute bumpy ride from Brasov out to Bran. Upon arrival, we were greeted by countless Dracula/vampire souvenir stands. Exciting. I've always wanted wine that looks like blood and a little puppet that has fangs. (Don't worry, Pops. I got you one too.)

So we made our way through the throngs of locals to the front door of the castle. We stop. We read the long narrative posted outside of the castle. Hmmm. No mention of Dracula there. Turns out that Vlad Dragula "might" have visited the castle once (although my travel book says that he actually lived there). Still in all, it was a neat castle and worth the visit.

But the real subject at hand: NFL football. Most of you know that I am an avid fan of football -- college and NFL. Well, it is currently 4:40 AM here in Bucharest, and I am logged in to a chatroom so that I can take part in my traditional fantasy football league with the LBJ School (UT). Now that's devotion. Unfortunately, I'm not that happy with my draft so far (*or the end results), mostly because these aren't guys that I usually root for. Just for those curious folks, here is the team that I put together from the other side of the world with the overall pick number listed first.

2 LaDainian Tomlinson (RB SD)
23 Terrell Owens (WR PHI)
26 Travis Henry (RB BUF)
47 Laveranues Coles (WR WAS)
50 Brett Favre (QB GB)
71 Dolphins Defense
74 Jeff Wilkins (K StL)
95 Antonio Gates (TE SD)
98 Willis McGahee (RB BUF)
119 Reggie Wayne (WR IND)
122 Tatum Bell (RB DEN)
143 Brad Johnson (QB TB)
146 Chiefs Defense
167 Anthony Thomas (RB CHI)
170 Anthony Becht (TE NYJ)
181 Jerry Rice (WR OAK)

In other news, I have to mention a quick bit about Sarah. She read in one of the guidebooks that there are a lot of rabid dogs in Romania. Now, keep in mind that this is the poorest country that Sarah has ever visited, so she's already having a bit of culture shock (mostly on the low prices, but also the poverty). I will put it simply: we have seen a lot of dogs in the past few days and according to the lady from Kentucky, every one of them has rabies. Funny stuff.

Dining J.R.R. Tolkien Style

2004-09-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

Brasov, Romania

-From Sarah

Mmmmmm... Romanian food. Did I ever think that I would say that? Probably not. And to be honest, I am only basing this exclamation on one meal, but still, it was quite delicious. Let me back track for a second. We are currently in Brasov, Romania very near the Bran Castle that Bram Stoker writes about in Dracula (we are heading there today, actually). We arrived by train last night, found our hostel by having our taxi driver look not at the map on the brochure, but the picture, dropped our sacks and headed to a recommended restaurant called "Bella Muzica." We walked in, and then down a flight of stairs to the dining area. Andy had to do some ducking as the beams of theceiling were fairly low. Welcome to the Hobbit Hole, we thought. It really did look like the house that Frodo and pals lived, with rounded sides and all. We sat down at the table, were handed English menus and told that when we were ready we should push the red button. Along with the food menu was a song menu so that we could choose a little bella muzica for our dining pleasure. Could life get much better? Yes, they had Kenny Rogers on that menu. Fantastic.

We ordered beers, bean soup in a bread bowl, entrees and a side of polenta. I had chicken with mushrooms and cream; Andy had the prok platter. Because this restaurant is technically a Hungarian-Romanian-Mexican joint, we were served a complimentary shot of Romanian Plum Moonshine, followed by chips and salsa. Nice. When the enormous beers for $1 each arrived, so did our bean soup. Now, this was no ordinary bean soup mind you because with every bite you could scrape the side of the bowl and get a serving of bread with it. It was delicious. When the entrees arrived, the Kenny began to play. By the end of the meal we were so full that I couldn't even look at the dessert menu (seriously, what?!?). Known for their hospitality, our Romanian waiter wasequally as delightful as the meal itself. We waddled out of the restaurant very full, and very happy... all of this for less than $20 US dollars, total. I heart Bella Muzica.

*Note: This entry was written yesterday but is being published today because of the incredibly amazing computers in Romania.

*Note 2: We're presently on the way to Bella Muzica for lunch on the way out of town to Bucharest. Watch for an entry later today about Dracula's castle.

All that...and a Post Box!

2004-09-05T16:16:00.001-05:00

Cluj Napoca, Romania

It's funny. Right before Damon left, I asked him if he had ever narrowly missed catching a train -- i.e. had he ever run up to a moving train quite late and had to jump on at the last moment. I believe that the literary term in use here is "foreshadowing."

Damon's answer was "no," although he has on several occassions gotten on trains in which he had no idea where they were going. If only Damon was here earlier today.

The plan was to leave Budapest on the 4:10 PM train. Sarah got the schedule online, and we were quite certain that it was leaving from the east station. This was in part because the Web site indicated so, but also because we had attempted to buy the tickets the day before at the said station and heard no other word contrary on the source of departure.

After making lunch, we left for the train station with a quick stop at the Internet cafe and American Express exchange for some Romanian lei. (By the way, I am now a multi-millionaire. So are you if come and visit me here.) We hop on the metro with (what we think is) plenty of time to buy tickets, chill out, board the train, etc. All the while, we were looking for a post box so I could drop off the postcard that I got for little sister Lizzie. If only she had sent me her address sooner!

And if only Damon was there. He always insisted on arriving at the train station 15 hours in advance. Sarah and I were there over an hour in advance, and I was already kind of nervous. So we walk up to the line to the purchase the tickets. Oh...by the way, the train leaves from the west station, the teller informs me.

Yikes. Now we're both really nervous. Less than an hour to get to the other side of town, and we're supposed to catch the "tram across from the McDonald's" to get there. Exciting.

As I finish up the purchase, Sarah goes to scout out the tram situation. This is when the story -- at least from our perspective -- got interesting. There we were: tickets purchased, hostel in Cluj Napoca booked, and a train to catch on the other side of town in 45 minutes. More exciting.

We frantically search the McDonald's area and cannot find the darn tram. We even ask a local teen, and he tells us an even different route. You know that feeling you begin to have when your favorite team is down by an impossible amount with just minutes left? That's how I felt. But Sarah came to the rescue, as she recommended checking around the corner.

Eureka, there was the tram. We hop on board with 25 minutes to catch our train. I'm following our route along the map, estimating in my head how long it takes us to go one city block then multiplying how many blocks we have to go. Yet all the while Sarah is multi-tasking. "You know what would be great," she says. "If it took six minutes to get to the train station and there was a post office in front so you can drop off the postcard for Lizzie."

Are you kidding me? We're about to miss the train and she's thinking about the postcard to Lizzie?

But guess what? The bus did in fact take six minutes to get to the station. We jump off and bust through the crowd. As we turn the corner, the gates open and there in the bright sunlight: a post box. (There was a musical interlude at that moment -- one of those higher-pitched, angel-resounding "Laaaaa".) I slipped the postcard in the box without even breaking stride, took 100 more steps, and we both boarded the train.

The story would be a little better if we had to jump on the moving train that I had asked Damon about. Still in all, it was quite an adventure. Fun. Exciting. But mostly nerve racking!

The famous baths of Budapest

2004-09-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

Budapest, Hungary

I'd love to write one of those travel books. I think I would do a pretty good job at it. I'm a level-headed guy, have fairly good taste, and can write with ease (although the quality can certainly be questionable at times).

I'd really love to write one of those travel books about Hungary. Or maybe just an article in Southern Living or something. Or maybe just a blog entry.

Hungary. It's a lovely country...really, it is. Budapest, formerly the city of Buda on the western shore of the Danube River and Pest on the eastern shore, is a beautiful place located right in the center of Europe. The great location seems to have provided the city with a decent economy and an interesting cultural twist. Buda is the quaint area of the city: narrowly winding streets and cute little shops litter the landscape surrounding the majestic Royal Palace and beautiful Matthias Church. Pest is the commercial area of the city: busy and colorful streets and Westernized clothing stores dot every corner.

We visited all the major sights of the city, excluding a walled-in park of the various Communist statues saved from long ago. There were plans to attend, but we just do not have the time now. Upon arrival on Wednesday, we did a bit of trekking around to find a place to stay (as Sarah outlined in the first blog entry from Budapest). On Thursday, we checked out the largest church in Budapest, St. Stephen's, as well as the 2nd largest synagogue in all of Europe. Additionally, we saw the Parliament building, the opera house, and did some shopping in a great outdoor market. After bartering at the market, we returned home with the groceries for a feast of a dinner. Yesterday we saw various sights, including a long visit to the national Museum of Modern Art. My favorite painting was a nice Monet, while Sarah loved a Rodin sculpture called The Kiss. The afternoon was spent at a famous Hungarian "bath."

This is where my writing of the travel book would come in handy. The travel guides make the Hungarian baths sound like these marvelous natural spring baths with massage parlors, saunas, hot tubs, etc. Of course, Sarah was quite excited. Of course, I was less than excited. In any event, we ventured over there yesterday afternoon and both of us were sourly disappointed. The baths turn out to be little more than a public swimming facility. Mind you, I have nothing wrong with public swimming facilities. But I was expecting something right out of the Roman history pages. We swam for a modest 30 minutes and then jetted the set.

Today, we saw the previously mentioned Palace and Church in Buda. But this brings me to my final point for the travel book. All in all, the city was a nice one to visit with many interesting sights, good food, and a busy night life. But time and time again, Sarah and I were confronted by rude and unhappy people. I will not go as far as to make any generalizations on this point. Afterall, our landlady and two sellers at the market were quite nice. But other than that, I have noticed that the people are not nearly as friendly as in other places in Eastern Europe. In the end, Hungary needs to learn a little southern hospitality.

In other news, the plans have changed. We are going to Cluj-Napoca tonight, which is the unofficial capital of Transylvania. Then we're hitting up two nights in Brasov so we can visit Dracula's castle. And finally we'll make it to Bucharest on September 7th -- right in time for my online fantasy football draft!

Speaking of football, I am sick to my stomach about missing the first big day of college football. To set the record straight, Auburn is number one in my heart. WAR DAMN EAGLE! But I've gotta give a shout out for #2. HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Personal advertisements

2004-09-03T17:54:00.000-05:00

Budapest, Hungary

Tomorrow I will post my official blog entry from Budapest. In the meantime...

Ad 1
My little sister, Lizzie, just started college at the University of Texas at Austin. Funny, right when I leave (and my older sister leaves Dallas), the gal goes to TX.

Anyway, as most of you can imagine, Lizzie is quite busy getting settled into the college life. So busy in fact, that she can't send her big brother her mailing address.

If someone has that address, please email it to me. Aredman71@aol.com

Ad 2
My good friend Sjoerd Nikkelen from the Netherlands is looking for some contacts in Maui. He just got a job there as a director of an international television program, and needs some contacts to the "local scene heroes." As Sjoerd told me, a guest role on a Dutch national television show is their reward... for what that's worth to an American.

My first entry...the pressure

2004-09-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

Budapest, Hungary

-From Sarah

Yesterday morning we woke up in rainy Vienna and walked to meet a good family friend of Damon's called Gunther. He is a native Austrian and was quite a nice tour guide. He told us to meet him at Starbucks nearthe Opera House. Starbucks? With all of these amazing Viennese coffeeshops with gluttonous pastries.... but to be fair, it was pretty easyto find. He gave us some inside scoop on Vienna and showed us to St Stephen's and Hapsburg Palace. In St Stephen's we were rewarded witha great view of the city and managed to snap off a couple of nice pictures. One of us is afraid of heights and even they enjoyed the view, I think. After saying goodbye to Gunther we wandered around the city a bit, before saying goodbye to Damon a few hours later.

We left Vienna this morning headed for Budapest and even got a nice Hungarian stamp in our passports with a car symbol. Fantastic. Because we didn't have a place to stay yet we got dropped off at the information center where we were paired up with a lovely Hungarian woman who would be our landlady for the rest of our stay. She only speaks about 6 words of English, and we don't know her name, but her apartment is nice, and she smiles a lot. Since my Hungarian is rusty,we haven't had many interesting discussions, but I am pretty good at smiling we seem to get a long fine. She fixed Andy and I teawhen we arrived. She was excited about the tea.

All in all, Budapest looks to be a nice town. It's very pretty, and has a really cool vibe to it. We have big plans for this place so hopefully the next blog entry will be exciting. I have a bath house stop in my future... I can't wait.

Also, watch for Damon's final blog posting with his overall thoughts of the trip.

Cést la vie, Mr. Moustache Man

2004-08-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

Vienna, Austria

Damon and I went to sleep the earliest of our trip last night and maybe our lives (actually probably not for Damon). The pillows called at 9:30 PM and we answered the challenge. But we were up early this morning on the way to Vienna. Many hours before - probably a little after we were in bed - Sarah was hopping on board a plane to cross the ocean blue.

And now we are all here. We just finished eating a home-cooked dinner. We´re still not quite sure what it was. We combined some chicken (for Sarah) and some kind of meat (pork?) with some kind of frozen vegetable mix. What was in that stuff? As Damon said at dinner, there were a lot of little "doughy, softie, bready things." He is always so poetic. In the end though, we had quite our fill and an enjoyable time visiting in the courtyard rose garden of our hostel. For all those LBJ grads from ´04, we spent much of the time discussing how cool our class is and how our Follies will never be topped.

Damon leaves us tomorrow night, but we have plans for a breakfast with his good family friend, Gunter. Then we will check out a few sights - maybe a crime museum - and bid the kid adieu. And by the way, Mark: Damon´s hair is not just "frosted." It also has a close resemblence to a Brillo pad.

One more thing to note: I shaved the moustache off early this morning. I actually look worse now. Okay, maybe not...

Get ready for the real pictures!

2004-08-29T18:37:00.000-05:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Finally! An Internet cafe that has some speed! Explorer Cafe uploaded at nearly 50 kbps (vs. 2 kbps at most other places). So I have been able to upload all of our pictures to this point. I created a sub-album on dotphoto and tried to change the picture names so you will have a little background. The first 61 pics are at the previous link, but the new picks are below.

Click here for set 2!

I'd like to add the pictures directly to the blog so you don't have to go through dotphoto. But it is somewhat of a hassle in that I have to download a software program to put pics on the blog. Once I am settled in England, I will be able to put pics on here more easily.

Enjoy.

Cheers to the Slovenians

2004-08-28T17:19:00.000-05:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Let's be honest. Before reading this blog, how many of you knew where Slovenia was? Or perhaps a better question -- how many of you knew where Ljubljana was?

And how unfortunate. But get ready to start hearing about Slovenia and Ljubljana. Bet you didn't know this little country is the 2nd richest in the EU. Bet you didn't know that Ljubljana is the new rave on the European backpackers' tour. So much in fact that when Damon and I arrived yesterday afternoon, we could not find a spot in any of the local hostels.

Nestled among the Alps and on a quaint little river, Ljubljana is very scenic. The city is rather small (about 290,000) and this might explain why the hostel/hotel industry has not caught up with the sudden tourist boom. Without a room and lugging around huge packs, we ended up in the tourist office in the city center and luckily gained a spot in a local private home for 35 euros per night. Unfortunately, the house is located about 3 km outside of the center. Thus, we had to book it over there last night.

Mind you, this is after a rather long day of travels and fresh off of a sleepless night (remember, we took the night train from Belgrade to Zagreb). We were tired and hungry and so the hike across town did not appeal to us. Yet we did it. I will be honest at this point: I think that it was the most miserable that Damon has ever been in his life (definitely on this trip). He wanted to get a taxi, but I pressed on.

I could feel his eyes bearing through my backpack as I trekked on. The kid was tired but we finally made it to our cute little bungalow. We were greeted by the friendly caretaker. He speaks about 6 words of English, but that was enough to give off a hospitable greeting and welcome.

After unpacking and a quick shower, we headed to the local sports bar. We wanted to watch the USA basketball team play Argentina and according to the tourist office, the sports bar was sure to have it. Ha. We caught a few highlights of the Olympics, but no USA basketball. I guess it's better that we didn't!

We had a relaxing day in this beautiful Slovenian weather. I am currently wearing khakis and a sweater; there is a fresh breeze cooling this little cafe along the river. We are about to head out on a two-hour evening tour of the city. Tomorrow we are going spelunking in a cave about 50 km from here.

By the way, I fixed the link to the pictures (for those that were having trouble). I will put up more soon. The ones from Athens are great, and I look forward to sharing them.

Also, the blog got its 2000th hit today.

Pictures

2004-08-27T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here is the link to my dotphoto album. I will upload more photos (including Olympics) as soon as I can.

Click here

A hectic bit

2004-08-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

Zagreb, Croatia

Zagreb, Croatia? How did we get here?

The plan was to leave Belgrade last night on a night train for Slovenia. But when we went to get our tickets, the train to Slovenia was about 60 USD. The train to Zagreb was only 23 USD, and a train from Zagreb to Slovenia is only 13 USD. So we save money plus get to see the Croatian capital.

We finished off our visit last night in Belgrade with a movie. Both Damon and I were in need of some down time, so we snuck into the Tuckwood complex to check out Van Helsing. It is a pretty good flick, and kind of makes me want to check out Tranyslvania in Romania. In any event, the interesting part of the movie story is that the theater was right in the middle of the Serbian government center. Walking to the cinema, we noticed at least 3 or 4 buildings that were severely destroyed. The windows were gone and they literally looked as if they had been bombed. That is when we realized that they had. Interesting to see a movie in a theater next door to a whole block that was under seige a few years back. It puts a unique perspective on how close to home air attacks can hit an average citizen. Later that night, I was reading the Tuesday edition of the USA Today, and there was a front page article about the air raids going on in Iraq including a picture of a bomb dropping on what appeared to be a government building. Makes you wonder how many of those strikes are hitting right next to the local Tuckwood cinema complex.

And now I sit in an Internet cafe, finally uploading some pictures to dotphoto. I will put some on the blog eventually, but it really is a pain to do. In the meantime, let me tell you a bit about Zagreb. After a short walk around the city, I have full intention of coming back to this country. The capital city is quite clean and tidy. The mass transit system seems excellent, and the people are friendly. All in all, the city seems like an up and coming European metropolitan. This definitely makes me want to come back and visit Zagreb, and then continue on to the famous coast!

We are off to Slovenia in a few hours to do some cave exploring tomorrow and tours of Ljubljana. Then it is off to Vienna, where my path will part from Damon and join with Sarah.