packing. and the days fly by.
mthood, and tending to the fire at the cabin tonight. snuggles with my nick.
parker nick jabin are coming up today! :o)

Movies
i bought fern gully. on vhs. and am bringing it back to chicago! so there.
and i'm tired. but i've just finished watching ice age with my mom. plus special scenes too. at the same time copying down recepies in anticipation of cooking.
Snow Trek
today I went snowshoeing!! with raj and his son sanjay. it was a lot of fun, despite my one size fits all gaitors not exactly fitting and instead being a reservoir for lots and lots of ice. did the trillium lake loop on the south side of mt. hood. 4 miles? not so much, but it was fun.

Merry Christmas!
Happy Birthday Jesus. :o)

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

take my advise. don't go see two weeks notice. it's horrible. way worse than maid in new york. and please please please if you go to a movie and the movie theatre is empty. don't sit right in front of the one of the only other people in the theatre (who just so happened to be the shortest). can you tell i was a little annoyed? ;o)
i got my pictures back from Costco today. it made me sad. the ones i was most excited for didn't come out at all, or were not so great. But at least some Taj Mahal ones were ok. I feel like i wasted the opportunity to take so many more pictures. looking over my 9 rolls i really didn't capture anything that i wanted to...
time to snap out of this pessimistic mood..
in other news my little party last night was a lot of fun. thanks you guys.
and three in a bed always makes me happy. ;o) *snuggle*

Now that I’m back at home with extra time and a laptop easily accessible I feel like I’m obligated to start writing in full sentences again. ;o) It’s been a nice homecoming seeing family and friends again, baking, reading, shopping, relaxing. I’ve really done almost nothing during break so far. Basically, I’ve stayed home, worn my fleece pants and a big baggy sweatshirt every single day and just lounged around drinking hot chocolate and eating lots of peppermint candycanes.
It seems as though this break many people are dispersed around the world. I feel a bit disconnected from everyone, but at the same time very happy that most all of us who have wanted to travel have had the opportunity to. We’ve each had such unique experiences, made new friends, and put new special meaning to new places. Canada, Alaska, Ecuador, Peru, London, Prague, Germany, Vienna, India, Chile, Mexico and all the places in between. It seems like every day it’s getting harder to stay in touch, but all the more enjoyable and fulfilling when we are able to see each other again.

Muslim prayers at dusk. Announced on loudspeakers to the city, to the country, to the world. Ramadan and feasting. Mosques illuminated by pink sunset and smiling capped men walking past, shyly staring at me. The memory now.
Portland Starbucks. Chai just doesn’t taste like chai. cha-aa-ya in hindi, that is. tora tora. nahiii hindi. only reading and writing, i am embarassed.

back again happy. truce. big smile. i've been waiting for this.....i'm deathly afraid of guns, and was constantly forting myself in with pillows. i'm not kidding. i was scared.
mew is fat. and everyone looks the same. back with the nick i know and love... MAX and Saturday Market. Central Library putting in the hours. And the Pioneer Courthouse Square Post Office that was invisible until today.
I LOVE PORTLAND [oregon!]

nyanza nyanza
fast typing to finish
then out to breakfast, and a day downtown
camera and film ready

new red leatherman to match my new red GiJoes shorts.
to make up for a dentist appt.
Party Sunday night! You're all invited! Open House.

thinking of you. and wishing i could stop and say hi.
i'm on my way home again. first stop: burgerville. cheeseburgers and friies. oh yum.
wishing for one more hour.
thank you for the hot chocolate

i find the hardest thing to do in emails is spell my name right. why is that?
and they are now friends again. which makes me smile. in time it works out.
two parties last night and i managed to stay awake until 1am. impressive with the jet lag and 12.5 time difference. i've missed my geosci grad students. talking with dave today was so much fun. seeing wedding pictures. giving him a hug. it's good to be back.
anticipating good times ahead with the new roommates. it's a good quarter, despite class conflicts already. it never ends.
snuggling with parker. so cute. and finally picking up warm clothes and my beloved fleece pants.
so many blessings today. and i realize how fortunate i am.
thank you so much.

anticipating noodlesetc. skating. smiles. and holding hands. red shiney bangles and layers and layers of clothes. it's strange to be back. my ears frozen. no hat or gloves yet. a suicide in shoreland. and tears.

Brisk
chicago cold.
sleep and a stomach ache

Bombay Sunset
at prathiba's.
train friends, and sketchy men. i ran off into the taxi. scared.
coloba wishes i could stay.
only minutes before i head to the airport. and the hellos felt like they just started. this isn't fair.
i love india. said without hesitation, though it took a while.
sad and happy. i want to go home. i want to stay.
and the man wants me to go to dubai. he'll pay. i didn't promise, even over tea at the Taj sea lounge.
the candles are burning. the diety is pleased with flowers draped around the neck. silver bell.
the cab driver is silly, and 187 Rs is a good price. especially with a ripped bad holding your present. and not lost.
my passport is safe, as is the plane ticket. now to just board.
14 year old lady. chatting on the train. so cute. so nice. so a new penpal. i loved the ride back. minus now looking back on some things. bombay sunset over the india ocean. all day long asking if i'll ever see it again. i hope. i hope i hope. i want to come back. just be patient [years].jared all of your emails have mysteriously been deleted somehow. hope you're doing well....
--flying over the indian/atlantic/europe -- back soon..........
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
;o)

hyderabad is great.
and i finally found the perfect present. i think i hope you'll like it.
only a few more hours. and then time to explore bombay.
i'm going to freeze to death in chicago.
on my own.
ice skating and skipping on cold.
herbal face packs. younger brothers. corn row braids and superman.

I just got an oil head massage. And henna put in. Although Mirha almost cried when her hair turned orange (they had never henna'd a blonde before) mine turned out fine. It was relaxing, although at times different than expected. I have never really had a massage before...
Autumn quarter is finished.
in only a few hours i'll be on a train to Hyderabad!

blah.

just welcome. welcome.
mira nam kristy hai. tin taze annanas lijiye.
i feel sick. of wasting time. of being inadequate.
6am and you're still sleeping. i'm yawning and about to wake up.
revive.
tipu's tiger. vijinagara. aihole. badami. bijapur. goa.
manguesh temple. meguti temple. vittala temple. krishna temple complex. virupaksha temple complex (vijinagara), vitthala temple complex. hazara ramachandra temple. "underground" virupaksha temple. jain temple. vishnu temple. "madhava" temple. ellamma temple. tiruvengalanatha temple. shiva temple. jambulinga temple. kadasiddheshvara temple. jambulinga temple. galanatha temple. jain temple. sangameshvara temple. kashivishvanatha temple. virupaksha temple (pattadakal), mallikarjuna temple, papanatha temple, durga temple, ladkhan temple, mallikarjuna group temples, buddhist temple (aihole), meguti temple, mosque-temple, yellamma temple, bhutanatha temple (badami), jambulinga temple, mallikarjuna group temples, sri ranganatha temple, ...................... this list continues.

i'm all templed out.

they brought me chai.
and the mosquitos are viscious.
My last hours here at Deccan College.

i have no motivation.
less than 24 hours.
but i do have cheap tickets to and from Hyderabad.
And I definitely got someone fired today.

flaming ice cream when i was shy and young and you took me in. i still remember that night. glitter tube tops changed into skirts. SE love. you wouldn't understand unless you were there. you can't fathom what it means. new places and associations. puzzle tree bark--the mystery of nature. i still need wedding gifts and still regret not attending. i'm so sorry--something i can never take back.
Home: anticipating sleeping by the fireplace and cuddling in my fleece blanket. hot chocolate and beadwork.
Oregonian since 1981
now beaten up and dirty, but still stuck on my yellow nalgene. thank you katherine. i'm thinking of you.

i hate this. i have no motivation to write my paper because i know that i still have a day and a half to type it in. which is ridiculous becauase i really want time to go wander around Pune a little more before I leave. but at the rate i'm working, there will be no time to do anything. i've sat in this internet cafe for three hours now only to actually write one sentence of my paper. it's so hard to focus though when there's strange music blasting in your ear. ok enough complaining. i complain way to much in this journal, and i just can't seem to stop.
on a more positive note: i can't wait to see friends and family again! Less than one week until I return back to Chicago.

i need to unwind. i need to walk. and breathe again. and say what i need to say.
proud: of the new firefighter, of the strong lady alone, of getting over him, of strength and compassion. not of keeping in touch. and not of discipline, not recently at least.

Go ahead laugh.
I just can't help but share: Geologists discover world's oldest rocks

Visit my new guestmap [top left]!

don't wriggle off the hook.
and don't forget, i'm coming home soon.
and the memories are coming back. good ones bad ones. don't regret it please. it wasn't that bad. the future is still paradise. and some questions go unasked. lets not bring that back up. lets start again in a different way. the way where we smile and realize __ that.
GPO two today with Audrey. let's not go there... in explanation. it was tiring and three hours long and finally my books are shipped in yellow fabric all sewn up with string, but only on three sides. book rate. sea mail. for the next 3 months they will be sailing the Atlantic, on their way to see me again.... (we hope). and another letter was almost sent to California, Canada. but then realized his mistake, and we made eye contact and both laughed. It's ok. Maharashtra was foreign to me too a bit ago.
Hindi went. and finished. it's over it's over. and it doesn't feel like it. i'm going to miss Sudhir.
no time to update. but i love chris's new guestmap.

A good way to win $1,000: Green Essay

Back in the city I know and love: Pune