After some goading, from who I suspect is Chris Snyder, I suppose I could relate to you the details of an evening out while I was in Ohio.
Before I go any further I should preface the following story with some details. My sister Jill and I have always claimed the trivia crown. For many years we have gone head-to-head in numerous contests in order to one-up the other...it's intense! Neither one of us is willing to concede the title of trivia master.
We found ourselves in a position to once again do battle. A chain of restaurants throughout the U.S. known as Damon's has for years had a nation-wide trivia game that you can play while you eat and drink in one of their restaurants. It's called NTN Trivia and it's cool because you compete against the entire country, not just the restaurant you happen to be in.
Jill called up my good friend Chris Snyder to see if he wanted to join us. He obliged and we headed out to the local eatery. Also, Jill's two oldest boys joined us for a good dinner prior to the showdown. After noshing and enjoying hearing about the craziness of the lives of the boys, we said goodbye to them and headed over to the bar to show off our incredible grasps on the world of worthless trivia.
I had just had a good meal and was feeling pretty confident so I decided to take on Chris and Jill in a 2 against 1 challenge...perhaps not my best decision of the night. To make a long story a wee bit shorter, I think I did pretty well, I held my own. Considering I was playing against two folks that are considerably older than me (yikes, I am gonna pay for that remark), I think my performance was strong. If you ask my opponents, they might gloat in their victory...don't be fooled. The final score doesn't always reflect the quality of the competition. I had those two squirming and on the run throughout the evening!! My spirit has not been quashed regardless of the fact that the scoreboard didn't favor me. I accept the silver medal/loss in this battle but I certainly haven't lost the war!
One aspect of the challenge that I didn't see coming was Chris' wide knowledge-base. He was a worthy opponent. Don't get to comfy at the top Chris and Jill, I will return stronger and more committed than ever!...lol
In all seriousness, I had a lot of fun. Chris and Jill are two of the best people walking this planet. I am truly blessed to have these two folks in my life. The evening at Damon's was big fun despite the damage to my ego!
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Monday, June 02, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
At the Jacksons (Trip Report part 4)
After the two-week stint in Ohio, I flew back to Vegas. I had a couple days left in the U.S. and was going to spend them with my sister Jayne and her family. They recently moved from Ohio to Vegas so it was cool to hang with them and explore some of the fun things they have discovered since making the move. The housing market is flailing so Jayne and her husband Tom decided to rent a house. Perhaps when the market settles they will buy a house. As for now, they are renting a very nice pad in Henderson, the largest suburb of Vegas. The house is really nice and has a killer view of the city.
Although I only had a few days with them, I got the impression that the Jacksons were digging their new surroundings. Tom is especially happy to be in a less harsh climate. Jayne started a job at one of the fancier hotels in the city a few days before I visited, I wish ya big luck with the new gig sis!
Here are a few more shots of Sin City:
The view from the patio at dusk. The patio is a very nice feature. It has a hot tub that allows you to soak and look out over the city and the mountains...good stuff!
The lower level of the backyard leading into the house.
Oscar. This is one of the coolest little dogs around. He digs his new place except the occasional passers-by. He is very territorial. Look at that mug.
Almost the same view as above but in the full-blown evening. You can see the lights of the Strip on the right.
Strolling along the Strip. Another perfect day in Las Vegas. It's tough to find fault with the climate. The sensory overload brought on by the overwhelming marketing of the casinos can be hard to digest.
Approaching the southern portion of the Strip. Up ahead is the New York, New York, the MGM Grand, the Luxor and the Excalibur. I read somewhere that there are more hotel rooms on that one corner than in any other city in America...is that possible?
Staring up at the fake Eiffel Tower. Part of the well-designed Paris Casino. It's all a facsimile of the real thing, but it's impressive.
The MGM Grand. This place is a nightmare. Once you are inside it's impossible to get out. They have very effectively hidden the exits. I once spent 20 minutes trying to find an exit in this place.
I need to thank Perry, Andrea, Jayne, Tom and Jordan for making my visit to Vegas a fun one. I had a lot on my mind and sometimes may have seemed distant. Nevertheless, I had a great trip.
Next time I come to visit I will bring Catherine, I promise.
Although I only had a few days with them, I got the impression that the Jacksons were digging their new surroundings. Tom is especially happy to be in a less harsh climate. Jayne started a job at one of the fancier hotels in the city a few days before I visited, I wish ya big luck with the new gig sis!
Here are a few more shots of Sin City:
The view from the patio at dusk. The patio is a very nice feature. It has a hot tub that allows you to soak and look out over the city and the mountains...good stuff!
The lower level of the backyard leading into the house.
Oscar. This is one of the coolest little dogs around. He digs his new place except the occasional passers-by. He is very territorial. Look at that mug.
Almost the same view as above but in the full-blown evening. You can see the lights of the Strip on the right.
Strolling along the Strip. Another perfect day in Las Vegas. It's tough to find fault with the climate. The sensory overload brought on by the overwhelming marketing of the casinos can be hard to digest.
Approaching the southern portion of the Strip. Up ahead is the New York, New York, the MGM Grand, the Luxor and the Excalibur. I read somewhere that there are more hotel rooms on that one corner than in any other city in America...is that possible?
Staring up at the fake Eiffel Tower. Part of the well-designed Paris Casino. It's all a facsimile of the real thing, but it's impressive.
The MGM Grand. This place is a nightmare. Once you are inside it's impossible to get out. They have very effectively hidden the exits. I once spent 20 minutes trying to find an exit in this place.I need to thank Perry, Andrea, Jayne, Tom and Jordan for making my visit to Vegas a fun one. I had a lot on my mind and sometimes may have seemed distant. Nevertheless, I had a great trip.
Next time I come to visit I will bring Catherine, I promise.
Friday, May 09, 2008
A Great Day (Vegas Trip Report Part 2)
A few days after I arrived in Vegas, Perry allowed me to come to work with him for the day. He is a second grade teacher in the public school system in Las Vegas. I spent the day with a remarkable group of students at Hollingsworth Elementary. Hollingsworth is located in one of the rougher areas of the city and the most of the kids come from less-than-ideal home environments. Perry told me that quite a few of them live in the weekly-pay hotels in the neighborhood.
It takes a special kind of person to manage a group of kids with such challenges. The students are lucky to have Perry. I have known him for about 12 years now and I have never seen him happier than when he is leading this group. He has a great system set up in the classroom and the children seem to enjoy and thrive in it. It was tons of fun going through the steps that constitute a day in the life of a grade-school teacher in the U.S.
Below are some of the photos I managed to take that day.
A good view of the kids from Perry's desk.
Perry leading the charge. The children respond well to him. I think the classroom is the perfect environment for him.
I was especially impressed by how well disciplined the kids are. They have a set schedule throughout the day and follow it to a "T".
They never missed a chance to mug for the camera. Kids throughout the world love to be silly when the camera is pointed at them.
Towards the end of the day, they get a few minutes of play time.
Thank you Perry for allowing me to attend school with you. It has given me a lot to think about regarding my future. I took away nothing but positive thoughts regarding teaching in Las Vegas.
It takes a special kind of person to manage a group of kids with such challenges. The students are lucky to have Perry. I have known him for about 12 years now and I have never seen him happier than when he is leading this group. He has a great system set up in the classroom and the children seem to enjoy and thrive in it. It was tons of fun going through the steps that constitute a day in the life of a grade-school teacher in the U.S.
Below are some of the photos I managed to take that day.
A good view of the kids from Perry's desk.
Perry leading the charge. The children respond well to him. I think the classroom is the perfect environment for him.
I was especially impressed by how well disciplined the kids are. They have a set schedule throughout the day and follow it to a "T".
They never missed a chance to mug for the camera. Kids throughout the world love to be silly when the camera is pointed at them.
Towards the end of the day, they get a few minutes of play time. Thank you Perry for allowing me to attend school with you. It has given me a lot to think about regarding my future. I took away nothing but positive thoughts regarding teaching in Las Vegas.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Las Vegas (Trip Report Part 1)
After a grueling day in the air, about 14 hours, I finally arrived at McCarran airport in Las Vegas. Waiting for me there was my best buddy on the planet, Perry. We quickly retrieved my bags and headed out to see the wonderful house that he and his wife Andrea bought this past year. The fact that they are homeowners is mind-boggling considering it seems like yesterday when we were struggling college students living in crappy old apartments.
I was pretty wired by the time we got to the house. He showed me around the place and we hung out for a little bit while waiting for Andrea to arrive. After she came home we headed out to the micro-brewery at the Main St. Station casino. This is one of my favorite places to nosh in Vegas because they have a killer meatloaf and tasty beer. After dinner, we strolled down Freemont Street, otherwise known as "old" Vegas or downtown. As far as I am concerned, this is the best part of Vegas. The strip is waaaaaaay over-developed and unfriendly. Downtown Vegas is much kinder to the $5 gambler, like me. After gambling and losing money for a few hours, we headed home.
The following are some photos I took while in Vegas. This trip wasn't so much about sight-seeing and taking photos as it was a chance for me to visit with my friends and talk about a possible future in Vegas. I did manage to snap a few. I hope you enjoy them.
Speeding around the city on the freeways is a whole lot more enjoyable with this view.
My best friend's house. It's a great place, very comfortable. They live on the outskirts of the city. This fact may not hold true for long because Vegas is growing like a weed.
Perry and his new truck. He has been so successful these past few years which should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows him. He is one of the brightest, kindest and hard-working people I know...only outdone by his wife!...lol
Running errands with Perry. I just can't help but snap photos of the mountains, they are amazing.
I really enjoyed this trip because I got a chance to just hang out with Perry & Andrea. Not do anything all that special, just the day-to-day stuff.
I was pretty wired by the time we got to the house. He showed me around the place and we hung out for a little bit while waiting for Andrea to arrive. After she came home we headed out to the micro-brewery at the Main St. Station casino. This is one of my favorite places to nosh in Vegas because they have a killer meatloaf and tasty beer. After dinner, we strolled down Freemont Street, otherwise known as "old" Vegas or downtown. As far as I am concerned, this is the best part of Vegas. The strip is waaaaaaay over-developed and unfriendly. Downtown Vegas is much kinder to the $5 gambler, like me. After gambling and losing money for a few hours, we headed home.
The following are some photos I took while in Vegas. This trip wasn't so much about sight-seeing and taking photos as it was a chance for me to visit with my friends and talk about a possible future in Vegas. I did manage to snap a few. I hope you enjoy them.
Speeding around the city on the freeways is a whole lot more enjoyable with this view.
My best friend's house. It's a great place, very comfortable. They live on the outskirts of the city. This fact may not hold true for long because Vegas is growing like a weed.
Perry and his new truck. He has been so successful these past few years which should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows him. He is one of the brightest, kindest and hard-working people I know...only outdone by his wife!...lol
Running errands with Perry. I just can't help but snap photos of the mountains, they are amazing. I really enjoyed this trip because I got a chance to just hang out with Perry & Andrea. Not do anything all that special, just the day-to-day stuff.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
On My Way
I will be boarding the plane to the U.S. in about 6 hours. I am currently going a little crazy trying to make sure I have packed everything I need and am ready to go.
I plan on posting about my adventures while back home. I will do my best to chronicle my trip.
L.A., Las Vegas, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Charlotte, here I come....lol.
I plan on posting about my adventures while back home. I will do my best to chronicle my trip.
L.A., Las Vegas, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Charlotte, here I come....lol.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Airfare Victory
I knew that if I was persistent I would score a reasonable price for non-stop round-trip tickets to L.A. I have spent the past month or so scanning the various sites and can now claim mission accomplished. Despite the rising fuel costs and the across-the-board fare increases, I managed to get two tickets on Malaysia Air for only NT$45,000 (about $1400 American).
That is substantially less than their competitor's rates. I really wanted to take Singapore Airlines, but they wanted NT$70,000 for the same flight. Actually, the Malaysia Air ticket is better because it gets us into LAX an hour earlier. This is crucial because we have to go through immigration purgatory. The tickets I purchased give us about 3 and a half hours in L.A. before we connect that evening to Vegas. I think that should be enough time to collect our bags and convince the immigration officer that we are not hardened criminals trying to pull a fast one of "the man". I have had miserable experiences at LAX before and that was traveling alone as a U.S. citizen. I gotta be prepared for absolute insanity this time...ugh.
It's time to start putting together an agenda for the trip. We are going for a long time, about 30 days. I plan on taking her to many of the places that are important to me and introducing her to the people that I love. I think it is gonna be great.
That is substantially less than their competitor's rates. I really wanted to take Singapore Airlines, but they wanted NT$70,000 for the same flight. Actually, the Malaysia Air ticket is better because it gets us into LAX an hour earlier. This is crucial because we have to go through immigration purgatory. The tickets I purchased give us about 3 and a half hours in L.A. before we connect that evening to Vegas. I think that should be enough time to collect our bags and convince the immigration officer that we are not hardened criminals trying to pull a fast one of "the man". I have had miserable experiences at LAX before and that was traveling alone as a U.S. citizen. I gotta be prepared for absolute insanity this time...ugh.
It's time to start putting together an agenda for the trip. We are going for a long time, about 30 days. I plan on taking her to many of the places that are important to me and introducing her to the people that I love. I think it is gonna be great.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Cheerios & Wind-up Alarm Clocks
This past week I have been blissfully discovering some great shopping spots.
Chris, my neighbor and soon to be co-worker, has a membership at Costco. He was kind enough to let me tag along with him last time he went...I struck gold! I was like a kid in a candy store. Some of my biggest scores were Cheerios, Chunky soup, California pistachios, Treetop apple juice, dried kiwis, and Pop-Tarts. What a great place. I barely scratched the surface. Planning on going back sometime this week.
Last night, we trekked over to the north-east side of the city. I rarely get over there. I live in the extreme south-west. There are two coveted places that beckon you to take the long subway ride...Ikea & Outback steak house. I convinced Chris to join me and we headed that way. Ikea is a pretty nifty place. Tons of stuff that would go perfectly in any apartment, remarkably useful. It takes forever to get through the place, but you always end up with both arms full of gadgets and such that are bound to make life easier. Last night I found a great little wind-up alarm clock. Remarkably useful considering that it's starting to get hot here and during this time of year we have our fair share of power-outages. Everyone starts cranking up the air-conditioning and it overloads the circuitry...kinda frustrating. I bought a few other little items to help streamline my life. I saw many other things that I'd love to have for my place but I resisted the temptation...everything in moderation...lol. After perusing that Swedish manufacturing mecca we headed next-door to the Outback. Sheesh, my stomach is still aching. We both had the garlic steak plate with mixed vegetables and a blooming onion. Good stuff. It's a nice break from the usual dining experience here (no fish!).
Thus far my holiday vacation has been great. The next 5 days should prove to be just as fun, I hope. I picked up a Taipei day trip book from the hostel. It's time to pick one or two things to do and give them a whirl...stay tuned.
Chris, my neighbor and soon to be co-worker, has a membership at Costco. He was kind enough to let me tag along with him last time he went...I struck gold! I was like a kid in a candy store. Some of my biggest scores were Cheerios, Chunky soup, California pistachios, Treetop apple juice, dried kiwis, and Pop-Tarts. What a great place. I barely scratched the surface. Planning on going back sometime this week.
Last night, we trekked over to the north-east side of the city. I rarely get over there. I live in the extreme south-west. There are two coveted places that beckon you to take the long subway ride...Ikea & Outback steak house. I convinced Chris to join me and we headed that way. Ikea is a pretty nifty place. Tons of stuff that would go perfectly in any apartment, remarkably useful. It takes forever to get through the place, but you always end up with both arms full of gadgets and such that are bound to make life easier. Last night I found a great little wind-up alarm clock. Remarkably useful considering that it's starting to get hot here and during this time of year we have our fair share of power-outages. Everyone starts cranking up the air-conditioning and it overloads the circuitry...kinda frustrating. I bought a few other little items to help streamline my life. I saw many other things that I'd love to have for my place but I resisted the temptation...everything in moderation...lol. After perusing that Swedish manufacturing mecca we headed next-door to the Outback. Sheesh, my stomach is still aching. We both had the garlic steak plate with mixed vegetables and a blooming onion. Good stuff. It's a nice break from the usual dining experience here (no fish!).
Thus far my holiday vacation has been great. The next 5 days should prove to be just as fun, I hope. I picked up a Taipei day trip book from the hostel. It's time to pick one or two things to do and give them a whirl...stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Back On The Island
Sorry for the long stretch between posts, didn't have time for blogging during my stay in the U.S..
I had a great trip. It was great to see everyone. Here are some of the highlights of my trip...
I flew out of Taipei on Friday night on Singapore Air, a freaking fantastic airline. The flight was about 11 hours to L.A.. The misery of the long flight was lessoned by the great service on the plane which included bigger seats than the normal economy class fare, hot wash cloths prior to eating the fantastic food, an extra pair of socks, a toothbrush/toothpaste, unlimited free drinks/cookies/chocolate bars, and a TV screen with an insane amount of free movies/TV shows/video games included in every seat. Amenities like these make traveling such a long distance tolerable.
I arrived at about 10pm in Las Vegas. Perry & Andrea greeted me with their usual silliness. It was excellent to see them. Life is a whole lot easier knowing that you have such wonderful friends. We threw my bags in the trunk and went to get some dinner at a great little brew pub inside the Main Street Station casino. After eating the scrumptious meatloaf, we headed over to The Plaza casino to play a little poker. We sat at a $2-4 Hold-Em table until about 4am...I was feeling pretty shaky considering I didn't sleep on the plane. I think I may have been down about $60 for the evening, which included an unsuccessful run at a 1 cent Addams Family slot machine. Time for bed.
Over the next few days we ate some terrific meals, gambled a bit, and talked a lot about my potential move to Las Vegas to start a teaching career in Clark County, NV.
*They took me to an excellent Italian restaurant, the name escapes me, but it was awesome.
*I had a chance to meet Cletus, the newest member of the Sundberg household. He is a cute, slightly slow, little feline. I can't imagine Cletus having a better home.
*Andrea introduced me to the latest version of the Wheel of Fortune series of slot machines. It's a penny machine that has a wheel nearly as big as the one on the game show...lots of fun. I managed to win about $250 playing it over the course of my stay...not too shabby.
*Played some Pai-Gow poker. As usual, not much profit or loss. Pai-Gow is a great game if you want to play cards and not lose you wallet.
*Perry & I discussed my joining him for a day at his work. He is a 2nd grade teacher in Vegas. He explained that it would be cool if I would shadow him for a day and see what teaching there was all about. I agreed.
*I simply had to have some good Mexican food while I was in Las Vegas. Willy & Jose's was the spot. Had some killer flautas drenched in guacamole...good stuff.
Time flew and before I knew it it was time to board the plane for Cleveland.
Arrived in Cleveland 6am Monday morning.
*Mom picked me up at the airport and drove home in the nasty cold and snow.
*Mom had some beef stroganoff waiting for me and I ate until I was about to burst.
*I spent the next few days chasing Bubba & T-Bone, my cats, around the house. They both seemed very happy and in good health. Mom spoils them.
*I managed to sort through a lot of my stuff and found a bunch of things I could use here. Mostly clothes and books. Found a few pair of shoes that seemed well suited for my time here. I think the best thing I did was I managed to whittle down all the crap I had stored in mom's basement. She may be moving in the not-so-distant future so I tried to organize my stuff to make it easier to throw in a storage facility if need be.
*Got to spend some quality time with the family. Everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits considering how miserable and gray the weather was. It was great to see the Hallinans, thanks for coming up to see me you crazy people!
*I barely slept during my time in Ohio. Got to see the sun come up on several of the days I was there...ugh.
*Mom was just doing her thing...she's a tough cookie.
*Made several trips to Marc's & Target to buy stuff to bring back to Taiwan. I was like a kid in a candy store. Walking through the aisles and wanting to buy EVERYTHING! I knew I had a limited amount of space but I was determined to utilize it fully...more on my stash later.
*The Sunday before I left mom threw me a party. I was shocked to see about 20 people showed up to say hello. The food was outstanding and it was great to see everyone. It's cool to know I have so many people back home supporting me in this endeavor. Aunt Janet & Uncle Pat came to the party and they looked great. Grandparenthood is good stuff. They couldn't be more proud. A bunch of the nephews and nieces were there, it's shocking to see how they have grown up. Chris Snyder, a great family friend stopped over to chat. He is a really cool guy that is a valued member of our extended family...always good for a few laughs. The party was a great success thanks to the efforts of my mom and sisters.
*This trip home wasn't so much about visited family...it was more about tying up some loose ends. It helped me better see where I am headed and what I should be doing. It showed me that my life in Ohio is pretty much over. I can't imagine a scenario that would require me to return to living there. There is very little opportunity in Ohio. I love my family as much as the next guy, but I simply don't think I could thrive in that environment.
*After a tearful goodbye to mom, I boarded yet another plane to head back to Vegas for a few days.
*A late arrival in LV on a Tuesday night was not the best plan considering that both Perry & Andrea had to work the next morning. Sorry about that goof, it was purely unintentional.
*The following day they both had a rather hectic schedule so I just hung around their apartment during the day while they did the work stuff. It was a good time to do final preparations for my big flight back to Taiwan. I had an unexpected charge flying out of Cleveland...one of my bags was a few pounds over weight so they charged me an additional $25...ugh. I wasn't about to dig through my stuff at that point. Therefore, I set about on Wednesday to remedy the problem by shedding some unnecessary stuff. I gave a book to Perry and transferred some of the weight from one of the big bags to my carry-on.
*Wednesday night was fun. We went out to a really great Mexican restaurant. It was very tasty. Everything tastes great when you know you won't have anything like it again for quite some time...lol. After the meal, we made our way over to the Sunset Station casino for some more Wheel of Fortune and Pai-Gow. This time I made about $80 and decided to stake Perry & Andrea with $20 each at a Pai-Gow table. They are working hard towards saving money in order to buy a house so I knew they weren't too anxious to spend their money in a casino. I told them that they could pay me back if they doubled their money. I had just won the cash so it really wasn't a big deal. We played for a few hours and Perry managed to come out ahead...Andrea couldn't catch any good cards. Perry & I spent much of the time discussing our teaching exploits. The next morning I was going to go to school with him...pretty psyched about that.
*Thursday morning was an early one. It was going to be a looooong day. I woke up at about 6:30 and quickly got ready to go to school. We arrived at the school and Perry showed me around. Nice facility. He took me through his daily routine. Due to the exploding population, his classroom is in a portable located next to the playground. Although the school is just a few years old, they don't have enough room to support all of the students. The school is located in a rough area of town but you'd never know it once inside. I think it's a very good environment for the kids. His class was simply adorable. About 20 little 2nd graders...cute as could be. They really seemed to like Teacher Perry. It was quite evident from the get-go that Perry is where he belongs. He is an excellent teacher. His room was well put together and the kids seemed very well adjusted. Watching him lead the group was inspiring. These kids all come from less-than-ideal home situations and they need a stable force like Perry in their lives. It didn't take long for me to feel like one of the group...the kids seemed to take a liking to me and I had lots of fun.
*The school visit helped solidify my belief that I am a teacher. It felt good. I think, eventually, I will join Perry as a teacher in Las Vegas. Not sure when it will happen, but it will.
*After the final bell rung, we grabbed some food, headed back to the apartment, and prepared for my departure.
*Sadly, I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Andrea. I didn't realize that I wouldn't see her on Thursday. She is very busy. Her career is taking her places. Seeing what she is doing is very inspiring. Every time I talk to her it seems like she is doing bigger and better things...
*After saying goodbye to Perry I proceeded to the USAir check-in counter. I got a nice surprise from the friendly check-in counter attendant. After weighing my bags and realizing that somehow they were still too heavy, she decided to do a little magic. I mentioned to her that my final destination was Taipei and she asked me for my itinerary...moments later she informed me that USAir has a "baggage agreement" with Singapore Air. This means that she could tag my bags to Taipei and I would qualify for the international weight allowance, 20 more pounds than is allowed on domestic flights...yahoo! What a relief, I wasn't about to part with more of my stuff. Also, this meant that I wouldn't have to deal with baggage check-in at LAX, a big headache.
*The three-hour layover in LA was a drag. What a zoo. I managed to bide my time by reading a few magazines and perusing the over-priced shops.
*The flight from LA to Taipei was grueling. The flight path back is very different from the one that goes from Taipei to LA. Taipei to LA is about 11 hours, LA to Taipei is closer to 14...ugh.
*Thankfully, I had some great food and movies to keep me from going insane. Little Miss Sunshine is an incredible movie, I highly recommend that all of you see it.
*After paying too much for a fancy Mercedes taxi to take me from the airport to my apartment, I arrived home at about 7am Saturday.
*Exhausted, I spent about an hour unpacking some of my bags and then crashed. I slept for about 10 hours and woke up tired...lol.
This has been the never-ending post...sorry, my mind was racing.
I had a great trip. It was great to see everyone. Here are some of the highlights of my trip...
I flew out of Taipei on Friday night on Singapore Air, a freaking fantastic airline. The flight was about 11 hours to L.A.. The misery of the long flight was lessoned by the great service on the plane which included bigger seats than the normal economy class fare, hot wash cloths prior to eating the fantastic food, an extra pair of socks, a toothbrush/toothpaste, unlimited free drinks/cookies/chocolate bars, and a TV screen with an insane amount of free movies/TV shows/video games included in every seat. Amenities like these make traveling such a long distance tolerable.
I arrived at about 10pm in Las Vegas. Perry & Andrea greeted me with their usual silliness. It was excellent to see them. Life is a whole lot easier knowing that you have such wonderful friends. We threw my bags in the trunk and went to get some dinner at a great little brew pub inside the Main Street Station casino. After eating the scrumptious meatloaf, we headed over to The Plaza casino to play a little poker. We sat at a $2-4 Hold-Em table until about 4am...I was feeling pretty shaky considering I didn't sleep on the plane. I think I may have been down about $60 for the evening, which included an unsuccessful run at a 1 cent Addams Family slot machine. Time for bed.
Over the next few days we ate some terrific meals, gambled a bit, and talked a lot about my potential move to Las Vegas to start a teaching career in Clark County, NV.
*They took me to an excellent Italian restaurant, the name escapes me, but it was awesome.
*I had a chance to meet Cletus, the newest member of the Sundberg household. He is a cute, slightly slow, little feline. I can't imagine Cletus having a better home.
*Andrea introduced me to the latest version of the Wheel of Fortune series of slot machines. It's a penny machine that has a wheel nearly as big as the one on the game show...lots of fun. I managed to win about $250 playing it over the course of my stay...not too shabby.
*Played some Pai-Gow poker. As usual, not much profit or loss. Pai-Gow is a great game if you want to play cards and not lose you wallet.
*Perry & I discussed my joining him for a day at his work. He is a 2nd grade teacher in Vegas. He explained that it would be cool if I would shadow him for a day and see what teaching there was all about. I agreed.
*I simply had to have some good Mexican food while I was in Las Vegas. Willy & Jose's was the spot. Had some killer flautas drenched in guacamole...good stuff.
Time flew and before I knew it it was time to board the plane for Cleveland.
Arrived in Cleveland 6am Monday morning.
*Mom picked me up at the airport and drove home in the nasty cold and snow.
*Mom had some beef stroganoff waiting for me and I ate until I was about to burst.
*I spent the next few days chasing Bubba & T-Bone, my cats, around the house. They both seemed very happy and in good health. Mom spoils them.
*I managed to sort through a lot of my stuff and found a bunch of things I could use here. Mostly clothes and books. Found a few pair of shoes that seemed well suited for my time here. I think the best thing I did was I managed to whittle down all the crap I had stored in mom's basement. She may be moving in the not-so-distant future so I tried to organize my stuff to make it easier to throw in a storage facility if need be.
*Got to spend some quality time with the family. Everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits considering how miserable and gray the weather was. It was great to see the Hallinans, thanks for coming up to see me you crazy people!
*I barely slept during my time in Ohio. Got to see the sun come up on several of the days I was there...ugh.
*Mom was just doing her thing...she's a tough cookie.
*Made several trips to Marc's & Target to buy stuff to bring back to Taiwan. I was like a kid in a candy store. Walking through the aisles and wanting to buy EVERYTHING! I knew I had a limited amount of space but I was determined to utilize it fully...more on my stash later.
*The Sunday before I left mom threw me a party. I was shocked to see about 20 people showed up to say hello. The food was outstanding and it was great to see everyone. It's cool to know I have so many people back home supporting me in this endeavor. Aunt Janet & Uncle Pat came to the party and they looked great. Grandparenthood is good stuff. They couldn't be more proud. A bunch of the nephews and nieces were there, it's shocking to see how they have grown up. Chris Snyder, a great family friend stopped over to chat. He is a really cool guy that is a valued member of our extended family...always good for a few laughs. The party was a great success thanks to the efforts of my mom and sisters.
*This trip home wasn't so much about visited family...it was more about tying up some loose ends. It helped me better see where I am headed and what I should be doing. It showed me that my life in Ohio is pretty much over. I can't imagine a scenario that would require me to return to living there. There is very little opportunity in Ohio. I love my family as much as the next guy, but I simply don't think I could thrive in that environment.
*After a tearful goodbye to mom, I boarded yet another plane to head back to Vegas for a few days.
*A late arrival in LV on a Tuesday night was not the best plan considering that both Perry & Andrea had to work the next morning. Sorry about that goof, it was purely unintentional.
*The following day they both had a rather hectic schedule so I just hung around their apartment during the day while they did the work stuff. It was a good time to do final preparations for my big flight back to Taiwan. I had an unexpected charge flying out of Cleveland...one of my bags was a few pounds over weight so they charged me an additional $25...ugh. I wasn't about to dig through my stuff at that point. Therefore, I set about on Wednesday to remedy the problem by shedding some unnecessary stuff. I gave a book to Perry and transferred some of the weight from one of the big bags to my carry-on.
*Wednesday night was fun. We went out to a really great Mexican restaurant. It was very tasty. Everything tastes great when you know you won't have anything like it again for quite some time...lol. After the meal, we made our way over to the Sunset Station casino for some more Wheel of Fortune and Pai-Gow. This time I made about $80 and decided to stake Perry & Andrea with $20 each at a Pai-Gow table. They are working hard towards saving money in order to buy a house so I knew they weren't too anxious to spend their money in a casino. I told them that they could pay me back if they doubled their money. I had just won the cash so it really wasn't a big deal. We played for a few hours and Perry managed to come out ahead...Andrea couldn't catch any good cards. Perry & I spent much of the time discussing our teaching exploits. The next morning I was going to go to school with him...pretty psyched about that.
*Thursday morning was an early one. It was going to be a looooong day. I woke up at about 6:30 and quickly got ready to go to school. We arrived at the school and Perry showed me around. Nice facility. He took me through his daily routine. Due to the exploding population, his classroom is in a portable located next to the playground. Although the school is just a few years old, they don't have enough room to support all of the students. The school is located in a rough area of town but you'd never know it once inside. I think it's a very good environment for the kids. His class was simply adorable. About 20 little 2nd graders...cute as could be. They really seemed to like Teacher Perry. It was quite evident from the get-go that Perry is where he belongs. He is an excellent teacher. His room was well put together and the kids seemed very well adjusted. Watching him lead the group was inspiring. These kids all come from less-than-ideal home situations and they need a stable force like Perry in their lives. It didn't take long for me to feel like one of the group...the kids seemed to take a liking to me and I had lots of fun.
*The school visit helped solidify my belief that I am a teacher. It felt good. I think, eventually, I will join Perry as a teacher in Las Vegas. Not sure when it will happen, but it will.
*After the final bell rung, we grabbed some food, headed back to the apartment, and prepared for my departure.
*Sadly, I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Andrea. I didn't realize that I wouldn't see her on Thursday. She is very busy. Her career is taking her places. Seeing what she is doing is very inspiring. Every time I talk to her it seems like she is doing bigger and better things...
*After saying goodbye to Perry I proceeded to the USAir check-in counter. I got a nice surprise from the friendly check-in counter attendant. After weighing my bags and realizing that somehow they were still too heavy, she decided to do a little magic. I mentioned to her that my final destination was Taipei and she asked me for my itinerary...moments later she informed me that USAir has a "baggage agreement" with Singapore Air. This means that she could tag my bags to Taipei and I would qualify for the international weight allowance, 20 more pounds than is allowed on domestic flights...yahoo! What a relief, I wasn't about to part with more of my stuff. Also, this meant that I wouldn't have to deal with baggage check-in at LAX, a big headache.
*The three-hour layover in LA was a drag. What a zoo. I managed to bide my time by reading a few magazines and perusing the over-priced shops.
*The flight from LA to Taipei was grueling. The flight path back is very different from the one that goes from Taipei to LA. Taipei to LA is about 11 hours, LA to Taipei is closer to 14...ugh.
*Thankfully, I had some great food and movies to keep me from going insane. Little Miss Sunshine is an incredible movie, I highly recommend that all of you see it.
*After paying too much for a fancy Mercedes taxi to take me from the airport to my apartment, I arrived home at about 7am Saturday.
*Exhausted, I spent about an hour unpacking some of my bags and then crashed. I slept for about 10 hours and woke up tired...lol.
This has been the never-ending post...sorry, my mind was racing.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Sawat-dii Bangkok Part 2
When I last checked in with everyone, I had gone to bed on Saturday night. Well Sunday would prove to be one of the most interesting days I've had in recent memory.
I got up and did the morning paper thing with a nice breakfast. After finishing my breakfast, I decided to jump into a tuk-tuk and cruise the city. After checking out the Grand Palace, which I couldn't get in because there was some official ceremony going on, I told the tuk-tuk to take me to some of his favorite temples and interesting sites in the city. He then took me to the Temple of the Lucky Buddha. What an awesome sight. The artwork was mind-boggling. It was very peaceful and felt like I had stepped back several hundred years. Next he took me to this great little area of food stalls. Although I told him that I just ate breakfast, he insisted I try some of the food. It wasn't bad. Not sure what most of it was, but I survived. He then took me to the Temple of the Standing Buddha. This place was cool! At the entrance, you get a little cage with 3 or 4 little birds in it. You walk to the base of the statue and release the birds. What a remarkably life-affirming experience that was. The statue itself was frighteningly huge. There was a woman at the feet of the Buddha praying. I did my best not to disturb her. She looked like an ant at the feet of an elephant...the effigy of Buddha dwarfed everything around it. On our way out of the temple I told the tuk-tuk driver that I wanted to see some of the crazier parts of Bangkok...he obliged. Before I knew it, he was pulling up to a massage parlor! I spent the next two hours getting one of the most intense massages one can imagine. She twisted me into a pretzel and moved me in directions I didn't think I could go! When it was all over I felt freaking great! I told the tuk-tuk driver that I had had enough for the afternoon...he took me back to the hotel. Believe it or not, the entire trip in the tuk-tuk cost me about $3 American!!!
After chilling out at the hotel for awhile, I met a Dutch guy named Herman who wanted to go hang out on Khao San Rd.. We decided to hike on over, have a few drinks and take in the crazy atmosphere. The clothes vendors are hard to resist. I ended up buying a bunch of stuff that evening. My take included a few DVD's, some shirts, and a handful of trinkets. I had yet another helping of PadThai.
I had the stereotypical dog-fight with a vendor. I stopped at his stand and was checking out the wallets. I picked one up and asked him the price, he said 600 Baht...as they always do, he followed that by saying "but I can give you a good discount price"...lol. I responded with an "ok, how much?". He said "550". I looked at him in disbelief. 550 Baht is a handsome sum in Thailand. I put the wallet down and said "no thank you". Of course he came back with a "wait, what do you want to pay?". I said I might be willing to pay 400...that was a mistake! He then came back with "500". I put the wallet down and began to walk away, felt his hand on my shoulder and "ok, ok, let's deal". Problem was, I really didn't want to pay 400...lol. After deflecting a few minutes of fast-talking by him and his buddies, I got away unscathed.
The street was especially lively that night, lots of interesting street performers and the like. At about 2a.m., I decided to call it a night.
I woke up early on Monday. I figured I better make use of the time I had. My flight was leaving at 1:30 that afternoon. Had the requisite great breakfast, jumped in a tuk-tuk, and flew around the city. Caught as many interesting sites as time would allow. Found a few folks that were looking to share a taxi ride to the airport, and I was off.
What a freaking great time! I am going to go back to Thailand as soon as I can. I had a picture-perfect weekend. One of my few regrets was not taking more pictures. Oh well, next time I will be quicker with the camera.
I got up and did the morning paper thing with a nice breakfast. After finishing my breakfast, I decided to jump into a tuk-tuk and cruise the city. After checking out the Grand Palace, which I couldn't get in because there was some official ceremony going on, I told the tuk-tuk to take me to some of his favorite temples and interesting sites in the city. He then took me to the Temple of the Lucky Buddha. What an awesome sight. The artwork was mind-boggling. It was very peaceful and felt like I had stepped back several hundred years. Next he took me to this great little area of food stalls. Although I told him that I just ate breakfast, he insisted I try some of the food. It wasn't bad. Not sure what most of it was, but I survived. He then took me to the Temple of the Standing Buddha. This place was cool! At the entrance, you get a little cage with 3 or 4 little birds in it. You walk to the base of the statue and release the birds. What a remarkably life-affirming experience that was. The statue itself was frighteningly huge. There was a woman at the feet of the Buddha praying. I did my best not to disturb her. She looked like an ant at the feet of an elephant...the effigy of Buddha dwarfed everything around it. On our way out of the temple I told the tuk-tuk driver that I wanted to see some of the crazier parts of Bangkok...he obliged. Before I knew it, he was pulling up to a massage parlor! I spent the next two hours getting one of the most intense massages one can imagine. She twisted me into a pretzel and moved me in directions I didn't think I could go! When it was all over I felt freaking great! I told the tuk-tuk driver that I had had enough for the afternoon...he took me back to the hotel. Believe it or not, the entire trip in the tuk-tuk cost me about $3 American!!!
After chilling out at the hotel for awhile, I met a Dutch guy named Herman who wanted to go hang out on Khao San Rd.. We decided to hike on over, have a few drinks and take in the crazy atmosphere. The clothes vendors are hard to resist. I ended up buying a bunch of stuff that evening. My take included a few DVD's, some shirts, and a handful of trinkets. I had yet another helping of PadThai.
I had the stereotypical dog-fight with a vendor. I stopped at his stand and was checking out the wallets. I picked one up and asked him the price, he said 600 Baht...as they always do, he followed that by saying "but I can give you a good discount price"...lol. I responded with an "ok, how much?". He said "550". I looked at him in disbelief. 550 Baht is a handsome sum in Thailand. I put the wallet down and said "no thank you". Of course he came back with a "wait, what do you want to pay?". I said I might be willing to pay 400...that was a mistake! He then came back with "500". I put the wallet down and began to walk away, felt his hand on my shoulder and "ok, ok, let's deal". Problem was, I really didn't want to pay 400...lol. After deflecting a few minutes of fast-talking by him and his buddies, I got away unscathed.
The street was especially lively that night, lots of interesting street performers and the like. At about 2a.m., I decided to call it a night.
I woke up early on Monday. I figured I better make use of the time I had. My flight was leaving at 1:30 that afternoon. Had the requisite great breakfast, jumped in a tuk-tuk, and flew around the city. Caught as many interesting sites as time would allow. Found a few folks that were looking to share a taxi ride to the airport, and I was off.
What a freaking great time! I am going to go back to Thailand as soon as I can. I had a picture-perfect weekend. One of my few regrets was not taking more pictures. Oh well, next time I will be quicker with the camera.
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