I have very low standards when it comes to some things, but very high standards when it comes to others.
One thing I will not budge on is my insistence to enjoy my life. On that I will not compromise.
I hate coming into the Ministry. I hate pretending I am busy. In fact I have even stopped pretending doing that; I don't care who sees whatever I am reading on my computer screen. My life is slowly starting to turn into that movie, Offiice Space. I have checked out of this place and the motivation to do anything, and in small parts to live my life, is slowly starting to wane.
This is not for me.
I came here because I was inspired to come here. And now that the inspiration is gone, my time to leave draws near. It's funny, the same people who love this place are the same people who do not like my favorite place in SE Asia - Phuket, Thailand. That says it all. I enjoy the hustle and bustle, the movement and excitement of people. I travel to experience life and cultures that I would not otherwise if I were to stay put.
Anyways, time is expiring on my stay here. And the call to go train Kali (knife fighting) in the Philippines is growing louder everyday. My goal has always been to work few months and then go take a break for a month or two. Recess is almost here LOL
And in a nutshell, I have really learned why I put this sarcastic title to this blog in the first place: I do not want to climb any ladder of any sort! I am currently trying to start an organization which will allow me the freedom to travel and make a difference without getting caught up in the bureaucrazy of a foreign government.
So t minus one month and counting...
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Randomness
Last week I was certain I wanted to join the Marines. This week I am certain I want to get my Ph.D.
I found out the beach where I run is home to saltwater crocodiles. I started running more once I found out.
I read an entire 300 page book in one day.
My college soccer teams always seem to be very successful the year that I opt out of playing.
That is all for now.
I found out the beach where I run is home to saltwater crocodiles. I started running more once I found out.
I read an entire 300 page book in one day.
My college soccer teams always seem to be very successful the year that I opt out of playing.
That is all for now.
Monday, October 18, 2010
UN House Party
As we pulled up I kept thinking that this looked just like all the highschool parties I've ever been too: cars parking all over the street and in neighbor's lawns, and all I could think was how lucky they were their parents weren't around.
It was amazing, so many white UN vehicles everywhere. It was after seeing so many UN emblems that I really felt like I was in a developing country.
I was shocked at the contrast. Poverty everywhere around us, but when I walked inside there were free bottles of liquor everywhere, a booming sound system, and so many single UN workers wearing surprisingly fashionable stuff. As I got closer it was even more bizarre, because where I had only been witness to people my age getting hammered and partying, here were respectable people, well into their 40s and 50s, who are supposed to be responsible for developing this country, just wasted.
It was a great experience to see the reality of the "hard life" that UN workers have to have to deal with.
But I guess if you have to be here for a long time, you end up making it like home. And nothing says home like someone passed out in the back of a truck.
It was amazing, so many white UN vehicles everywhere. It was after seeing so many UN emblems that I really felt like I was in a developing country.
I was shocked at the contrast. Poverty everywhere around us, but when I walked inside there were free bottles of liquor everywhere, a booming sound system, and so many single UN workers wearing surprisingly fashionable stuff. As I got closer it was even more bizarre, because where I had only been witness to people my age getting hammered and partying, here were respectable people, well into their 40s and 50s, who are supposed to be responsible for developing this country, just wasted.
It was a great experience to see the reality of the "hard life" that UN workers have to have to deal with.
But I guess if you have to be here for a long time, you end up making it like home. And nothing says home like someone passed out in the back of a truck.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Languages
I was disappointed when I arrived to find out that no one uses one of the two official languages - the one I know. Colonial languages are dying out. Latin languages ain't what they used to be.
I decided to learn the official native language, and so I enrolled into a week long intensive course.
It has been 2 days, and I can already speak enough to have short conversations. This language is easy - there are no verb tenses. And even better, there are only 900 words in the language. The other words come from the colonial language which I know! A doctor told me he was speaking the language after a week; I'm starting to believe him.
But what I find interesting is the dynamic of this country in terms of languages. It is broken up into 11 districts, with each district having it's own language. The language I am learning now is technically the official language, yet outside of the capital few people speak it. Most people do not speak the colonial language. The most spoken language is that of its neighbor. But now this is where it gets tricky.
People over the age of 45 speak the colonial language.
Between the ages of 20 and 40 people speak the language of the neighboring country.
Primary schools are being taught in the colonial language, yet teachers themselves don't know the colonial language well enough to teach it so most kids don't actually learn it - they end up just learning the native language. Parents don't know enough of the colonial language to even help their kids with their homework. And while primary and secondary schools are taught in the colonial language, universities teach in the neighboring language.
Basically it's a giant mess, a giant cluster-F*$!
I have never seen a country so confused, and really, it's going to be decades before they sort this out.
This is just one of the many things standing between this country and development...
I decided to learn the official native language, and so I enrolled into a week long intensive course.
It has been 2 days, and I can already speak enough to have short conversations. This language is easy - there are no verb tenses. And even better, there are only 900 words in the language. The other words come from the colonial language which I know! A doctor told me he was speaking the language after a week; I'm starting to believe him.
But what I find interesting is the dynamic of this country in terms of languages. It is broken up into 11 districts, with each district having it's own language. The language I am learning now is technically the official language, yet outside of the capital few people speak it. Most people do not speak the colonial language. The most spoken language is that of its neighbor. But now this is where it gets tricky.
People over the age of 45 speak the colonial language.
Between the ages of 20 and 40 people speak the language of the neighboring country.
Primary schools are being taught in the colonial language, yet teachers themselves don't know the colonial language well enough to teach it so most kids don't actually learn it - they end up just learning the native language. Parents don't know enough of the colonial language to even help their kids with their homework. And while primary and secondary schools are taught in the colonial language, universities teach in the neighboring language.
Basically it's a giant mess, a giant cluster-F*$!
I have never seen a country so confused, and really, it's going to be decades before they sort this out.
This is just one of the many things standing between this country and development...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Come again?
There's no way she just said that. Sorry, I don't quite understand. What was that?
Did she really just say what I think she just said? I had to think back and quickly recap what just happened to make sure I was in the right context.
I had been riding in a taxi when the entrepreneurial driver pulled over to get another fare. Into the back sat a tall, Australian woman. In her fourties, she dressed conservatively, but the streak of pink in her hair alluded to something else.
After I introduced myself to her, we began talking about work. (I hate how all conversations inevitably follow this same pattern.) She told me she is involved in advocacy work. I pried a little further to which she replied "Sex advocacy."
Nonchalantly I asked her how an Australian woman ended up doing sex advocacy in a developing world.
"I used to be in the business."
Did that mean she was a pimp? Or was she a 'lady of the night'?
"So...you mean you like used to do that kind of work?"
"Yeah."
Wow buddy. I was shocked. But what came to me was a feeling of admiration - I admired the fact that she would have the courage to tell me that she actually did that. And even better for her to come out of the profession attempting to do something about it.
Another one of the interesting people I've met here.
Did she really just say what I think she just said? I had to think back and quickly recap what just happened to make sure I was in the right context.
I had been riding in a taxi when the entrepreneurial driver pulled over to get another fare. Into the back sat a tall, Australian woman. In her fourties, she dressed conservatively, but the streak of pink in her hair alluded to something else.
After I introduced myself to her, we began talking about work. (I hate how all conversations inevitably follow this same pattern.) She told me she is involved in advocacy work. I pried a little further to which she replied "Sex advocacy."
Nonchalantly I asked her how an Australian woman ended up doing sex advocacy in a developing world.
"I used to be in the business."
Did that mean she was a pimp? Or was she a 'lady of the night'?
"So...you mean you like used to do that kind of work?"
"Yeah."
Wow buddy. I was shocked. But what came to me was a feeling of admiration - I admired the fact that she would have the courage to tell me that she actually did that. And even better for her to come out of the profession attempting to do something about it.
Another one of the interesting people I've met here.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Just another day at the office...
It's taken about a week, but the reality has set in; I am working a desk job. It's crap. And I hate it.
I have no responsibility. The only thing I do all day is browse the internet, and the monotony is death. Today I successfully did nothing. Only a week in and it feels like I am wasting away, selling my soul...but for what profit??? It's an unpaid internship!!! Cruel, cruel world. I actually told some guy about my internship, and he was really impressed. He thought it sounded really cool. He asked me "Man, that's sweet. How'd you land that?" And I told him, "It's actually pretty easy. You can pretty much work anywhere in the world for free." That took the envy right out of him.
I have no responsibility. The only thing I do all day is browse the internet, and the monotony is death. Today I successfully did nothing. Only a week in and it feels like I am wasting away, selling my soul...but for what profit??? It's an unpaid internship!!! Cruel, cruel world. I actually told some guy about my internship, and he was really impressed. He thought it sounded really cool. He asked me "Man, that's sweet. How'd you land that?" And I told him, "It's actually pretty easy. You can pretty much work anywhere in the world for free." That took the envy right out of him.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
So one of my favorite things about traveling is the conversations I get to share with all sorts of different people. It's pretty humbling, actually. Here I was thinking I was this great world traveller, only to meet people who make me say, "damn."
1. Le Gran-Pere, La mere, et La Fille.
This Frenchie is in his 50's, with long curly hair, always pulled back. He is missing some teeth, but that never stops him from smiling while he sips his wine or smokes his cigarette. He has been traveling his whole life apparently, only stopping recently for 18 years to raise his daughter.
She is 20 years old, very cute, with thick, long, dark hair. Her English is not very good, but she speaks Spanish (they recently lived in Ibiza for 2 years - father and daughter) and obviously French.
Her new born baby daughter is just 2 months old, and is absolutely precious.
Apparently they have been traveling for just over a year. I did my math and knew that meant she got knocked up while traveling. I asked her about the story. She said it was very "romantique." He was a Thai fire spinner, and they had a lovely one month together. And apparently she loved Thailand so much she took a piece of it with her. She gave birth in the middle of Indonesia. Not at a hospital, rather at some friends house. Good friends I thought, only to discover they had known them in total for about a month. Talk about hospitality.
I wondered what they were going to do now, and she told me, "its ze first year of our triiip. Vee are traveliing for anozer 4 yearz." Wow. Determination. Not even a baby is getting in their way! And the father, far from being upset that his daughter got knocked up by some random guy, is just in love at having a granddaughter. Must be all the wine.
2. Mr. Apocalypse.
I asked this guy where he was from, and he said "I'm a soverign citizen of the world." What?
Luckily I finished reading this new book from Neil Strauss called "Emergency" which talks about preparing for when the government overturns all our rights, or some disaster strikes and the world turns into anarchy. (Insert any joke here). And Mr. Apocalypse, true to form, is preparing himself for that.
He has an Aussie citizenship. A Canadian passport as well. Chinese. And Vietnamese. I asked him if he had enough, and he said it was addicting. You think?
His goal however is to travel the world without having to use a passsport. He doesn't use facebook or give out his personal information because he is afraid of being tracked. Talk about trust issues.
He recently just got back from Thailand where he did a gun school to learn how to build and take apart guns, and also spent 6 months training Muay Thai.
Now he wants me to introduce him to the Minister so he can "dangle a carrot" in front of his face and bribe him to let Mr. Apocalypse build a power plant.
I am not making this up.
3. California Harley King
This guy started an aeronautics company shortly after graduating from college and sold it a few years ago. It was very successful. "Why should I save up to retire and have fun when I'm older? I might die. Maybe my ankles or joints won't work. Might as well do it now." And with that life's motto he has taken off on a motorcycle trip around the world.
His bike is massive. The custom fuel tank is unlike anything I've ever seen. It really looks like a big dirtbike, but I swear I saw it watching "Mad Max."
Nice fellow. He seemed to really love Australia. He stayed at a place called "The Nunery" where to much surprise he was surrounded by women. He told me about a crazy night he had with a couple of Aussies, only to one-up himself with a night in New Zealand. He educated me on the finer things: Kiwi prostitution. In his words, "I dropped two and half g's to the owner and was like, 'what can you do for me'?"
The owner made him wait a week to prepare all the details, and the guy literally zoned off into memory land while telling me about him and 4 girls. "And I was surprised, it didn't fuck me up like I thought it would."
You be the jury.
These are just some of the fun people I meet while traveling.
-The Climber
1. Le Gran-Pere, La mere, et La Fille.
This Frenchie is in his 50's, with long curly hair, always pulled back. He is missing some teeth, but that never stops him from smiling while he sips his wine or smokes his cigarette. He has been traveling his whole life apparently, only stopping recently for 18 years to raise his daughter.
She is 20 years old, very cute, with thick, long, dark hair. Her English is not very good, but she speaks Spanish (they recently lived in Ibiza for 2 years - father and daughter) and obviously French.
Her new born baby daughter is just 2 months old, and is absolutely precious.
Apparently they have been traveling for just over a year. I did my math and knew that meant she got knocked up while traveling. I asked her about the story. She said it was very "romantique." He was a Thai fire spinner, and they had a lovely one month together. And apparently she loved Thailand so much she took a piece of it with her. She gave birth in the middle of Indonesia. Not at a hospital, rather at some friends house. Good friends I thought, only to discover they had known them in total for about a month. Talk about hospitality.
I wondered what they were going to do now, and she told me, "its ze first year of our triiip. Vee are traveliing for anozer 4 yearz." Wow. Determination. Not even a baby is getting in their way! And the father, far from being upset that his daughter got knocked up by some random guy, is just in love at having a granddaughter. Must be all the wine.
2. Mr. Apocalypse.
I asked this guy where he was from, and he said "I'm a soverign citizen of the world." What?
Luckily I finished reading this new book from Neil Strauss called "Emergency" which talks about preparing for when the government overturns all our rights, or some disaster strikes and the world turns into anarchy. (Insert any joke here). And Mr. Apocalypse, true to form, is preparing himself for that.
He has an Aussie citizenship. A Canadian passport as well. Chinese. And Vietnamese. I asked him if he had enough, and he said it was addicting. You think?
His goal however is to travel the world without having to use a passsport. He doesn't use facebook or give out his personal information because he is afraid of being tracked. Talk about trust issues.
He recently just got back from Thailand where he did a gun school to learn how to build and take apart guns, and also spent 6 months training Muay Thai.
Now he wants me to introduce him to the Minister so he can "dangle a carrot" in front of his face and bribe him to let Mr. Apocalypse build a power plant.
I am not making this up.
3. California Harley King
This guy started an aeronautics company shortly after graduating from college and sold it a few years ago. It was very successful. "Why should I save up to retire and have fun when I'm older? I might die. Maybe my ankles or joints won't work. Might as well do it now." And with that life's motto he has taken off on a motorcycle trip around the world.
His bike is massive. The custom fuel tank is unlike anything I've ever seen. It really looks like a big dirtbike, but I swear I saw it watching "Mad Max."
Nice fellow. He seemed to really love Australia. He stayed at a place called "The Nunery" where to much surprise he was surrounded by women. He told me about a crazy night he had with a couple of Aussies, only to one-up himself with a night in New Zealand. He educated me on the finer things: Kiwi prostitution. In his words, "I dropped two and half g's to the owner and was like, 'what can you do for me'?"
The owner made him wait a week to prepare all the details, and the guy literally zoned off into memory land while telling me about him and 4 girls. "And I was surprised, it didn't fuck me up like I thought it would."
You be the jury.
These are just some of the fun people I meet while traveling.
-The Climber
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