The Many Adventures of Lil Bud

Sold Out!

2009-05-17T16:55:00.002-04:00

Alright...I admit it...I'm a fraud!!! I've sold out and joined Facebook...sigh...I know, but just about everyone I know has it and apparently many of them are ADDICTS. As much as I don't want to feed the addiction, I have decided in the interest of ease and time I'm just going to be posting updates there for a while. When I have a lil more time and motivation, I'll blog a bit...maybe even post some of the better stories here... In the meantime, look me up on Facebook. Today I'm off to Argentina to start 9months of traveling :)

Hope you're all well, happy and healthy!!!

Much love!!
Lor

6 Semanas

2009-03-13T11:38:00.002-04:00

6 weeks left to work…to teach…to divertirme…to say goodbye… I can’t believe how fast the past two years have gone!! It’s strange though, in some ways I feel like I just got here, and in others, it feels like I’ve been here forever. I’m torn between being SUPER excited to see my family and friends in the US again and to travel, of course, and being REALLY sad that I’m leaving behind so many people I love and cherish. I know I’ll be back in November, but that’s just for a flash. And honestly, when you’re used to seeing someone EVERY DAY it’s hard to imagine going 6 months without seeing them! And texting…I’ve become a cell phone texting junkie! I have friends here that I hardly ever see, but you better believe that we text every day without fail. What will I do without my morning dibujito (cute little text to say I love you that usually comes with a pic of a teddy bear o algo)?!?

Some of the things I’ll miss MOST about PY, aside from my gente? Shopping on the bus – you’d be amazed at the deals you can score on the bus here! I mean really – soda, socks, toothbrushes, hammers, manicure sets, coloring books…some of my best shopping has been done while in transit! Terere. Not even because I like it that much, but because it means sitting around doing absolutely nothing but chatting, gossiping and watching people go by. Red dirt handprints on my clothes…left by loving, but DIRTY, hands after big running-jumping type hugs, walking with a million little arms wrapped around me, and giving piggy back rides. Rain. Playing in red mud, it’s an excuse not to do anything and I love watching the streets flood (there’s no such thing as drainage here). Horse drawn carts sharing the road with Mercedes and buses. Riding in the back of milk trucks and cargo taxis and squeezing 8 people into a taxi to go out for the night. Dancing until 5am and taking the early morning bus home with the church crowd. And to be totally honest – feeling a bit like a movie star when I walk around…although I have a love hate relationship with this aspect of my life.

What am I looking forward to?? Weddings - YAY Randi, Jason and Janet! :) Jumping hugs from my momma, my little brothers (aka dogs), family and friends, sharing my experience, driving (I’m a little nervous), international food! And traveling…lots of traveling!

For now, I’m focused on being here…sharing…spending time…loving… And remembering that goodbyes are never final, and in fact I’ll be back in November. Time to dry my weepin’ eyes and enjoy the next 6 weeks :)

By the way…recently went to Florianopolis, Brasil – wow…if you have the chance to visit the beaches of Brasil, GO!!! Gorgeous doesn’t begin to describe the beauty! Check it out...

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=274620995/a=40842554_40842554/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Love and Happiness!
L

Is it really 2009???

2009-02-06T08:44:00.002-05:00

Good grief Charlie Brown!

Xmas and New Years were fabulous!! Spent them with people I love and danced till sunrise :) So much more fun than going to bed early, waiting for Santa ;) hehehe So what DOES happen on xmas? Well...xmas eve we have asado (bbq), people generally eat around 11pm. At midnight we light off whatever fireworks remain and take to the streets to hug and kiss EVERYONE. Then around 1am we mosey to la discoteca where we shake our groove thangs till the sun comes up. Xmas day is spent sleeping late and then just hanging out, drinking clerico (like sangria). What about presents you ask? Well, if you're friends and family aren't gift enough...I don't know what to tell you. Its a tradition I fully embrace and would love to adopt wherever life takes me :)

The new year has found me incredibly busy! I am in the midst of COS (close of service) paperwork and a frenzy of everyone wanting more of me than I have to give. People know my time here is very limited and want to grab whatever part of it they can. I can't lie, I'm stressin a bit. But it's going to be OK...I've decided to clone myself so as to ease the pressure ;) hehehe

Truly though, it's going to be incredibly difficult to say goodbye to PY and to so many people I love and cherish. My solice is knowing that I will be back in November for Carmen and Danny's graduations...wouldn't/couldn't miss either one!!

So what IS the plan?? When will I FINALLY be home?? Please take a deep breath here..... Ok, so I'm coming home for about 2 weeks in May for Randi's wedding (YAY!!). As much as I'd like to see and visit everyone, I have to be realistic. I'm limiting myself to MI and Chicago (my grandma had a stroke a while back and I REALLY want to spend some time with her). I fly to Buenos Aires the 15th or so of May to travel with my friend Lara until November, after which i'll spend a couple months in PY before coming home. So expect to see me early 2010 :) Sorry, I know it's longer than I told you all...and believe me, I miss you too!! It's just that I can't let life, nor wonderful opportunities pass me by... And with any luck, I'll be coming home with a PYan youth or two :) Carmen and Danny are both wonderful kids and we're working on getting them scholarships/internships/work programs so they'll be able to study/work in the US. It's helping me with my separation anxiety. hahaha

In about a week, I'm off to Florianopolis, Brasil for a week of fun and relaxation with some of my better girl friends (volunteers). Although the timing is a little stressful, I'm absolutely looking forward to the trip!! I've heard wonderful things about the island and lots of PYans vacation there. We'll be renting a house so we can cook and hang out more tranquilas...it's also around Carnaval time, so it should be a fun time to be there...pics to come :)

Sending love and happiness!
Lor

I blinked...

2008-12-12T07:02:00.002-05:00

and there went another 3 months! Seriously, time goes by soooo fast!!! Well, with exception of the hours between 11am and 4pm when it´s 105 and humid....those 5 hours last eons. hehehe

Things are fantastic here!!! I can´t believe I only have 5 months left ;( Computer classes continue to go well, but I´m tired of repeating ¨no, we don´t have internet yet¨50 times a day ;) We´re working on it...it´s just expensive - $19 a month is the cheapest we can find and so far they don´t want to give it to us free just because we´re a community foundation...we haven´t given up yet though. Still teaching english and reading, writing and math. A few of the kids didn´t pass their grade so we´re getting ready for next year.

It´s summer here, which means varying levels of hot all day long. We´ve been lucky to have more rain this year than last, but it´s still not uncommon for it to cool off to no more than to 85 at night. Wow, que refrescante ;) This, my friends, is why we drink ridiculous amounts of ice cold tereré. Although I readily admit, to the dismay of many, that I still drink my steaming hot mate every morning, regardless of how hot it is. And in fact, get up earlier than I need to (5:30 generally) to do so. I do love my yuyos (natural remedies) and honestly can´t remember the last time I put medicine into my body. Why bother when there´s a yuyo for it? :)

I´m pretty sure I had mild dengue fever last week...having a fever of 103 when it´s 100 outside (and at least 110 in my bedroom) combined with body aches, headaches and a sore throat is not what I consider a good time. Thank goodness my dad sent me a shammy type cooling towell that holds it´s coolness for hours - it´s the only reason I got any sleep at all for those few days. Thanks Dad! Happy to report that I´m back to healthy and sweating instead of shivering in the heat :)

Didn´t walk to Ca´acupe this year...last year was enough. But I´m told it was just as crazy. Looks like I´ll be spending xmas in the new asentemiento (shanty town) that my contact has been working so hard on. I took two representatives from PC out there to check it out and see if it would be a good fit for a volunteer. They´ve decided to consider the location for a couple who will be coming in April. I´m sooooo excited!!! It´s a great spot full of people who are motivated to improve their situation, life, future for their children...I can´t imagine a more inviting place for a volunteer to be (even if it looks a little rough around the edges). Then New Years I have committed to spending with a friend of mine at her family´s house in a more country side/rustic area. Should be pretty chill. The people in my community are a little mad at me because they think I should be there and no where else, but I told them I´d definately be there for Dia de Reyes on January 6. I can´t be EVERYWHERE at the same time after all, but it´s nice to be wanted.

Hope you all are doing great! If there´s snow, please toss a snowball, make an angel, or just admire it for me. I have a pang in my heart, a longing for snow if you can believe it. I know, call me crazy, many do, ;) but it´s true. Enjoy your holidays, whatever they may be, and take time to love the people around you - after all, they are what matter.

In the meantime, I´ll be here...melting...sending you all a ton of love!
En Paz,
Lor

Che avy'a Paraguaype! :)

2008-10-10T17:32:00.003-04:00

I know...I know...TANTO TIEMPO!!!! It's been way too long...

Things here are fabulous! I started teaching computer classes recently in my neighborhood in my contact's house...we have three computers and right now I have 5 classes every Tuesday and Thursday - it's tiring, but soooo worth it! It's so funny that people just assume that I'm capable of teaching ANYTHING, but so far, I've got them fooled ;) It's only a basics course at this point, and I'm certainly versed in the basics! Good thing I've had so many jobs that required me to use a variety of Microsoft programs, haha. Oooo, and I learned how to use Paint here - fabulous program to help teach kids how to use a mouse! And a great way to color/draw without wasting paper!!

Still teaching English in the high school and municipality and tutoring the little ones....the girls soccer team is being lazy about practicing, but we still have tournaments - all the glory, none of the hard work ;) hahaha... Started working with a home for children without parents...makes me think of my foster care days. It's amazing - one family has made it's home a home for 28 children!!! And now they're working towards building a larger place more conducive to housing such a large number of kids. It is truly a work of love and pure altruism. Impresionante!

My Guarani is coming along. My profe, Norma, is a good friend of mine and she teaches Guarani and Spanish in a couple different schools...I have the luck of having free tutoring sessions with her every monday morning. She says she wants more students like me because I'm so motivated and excited about learning... Che avy'a astudiahina ha'e ndive (I'm happy to be studying with her) :)

Had a fabulous birthday! My host family from Guarambare came (for the first time) and my mom brought me a cake. We went to the villa to have lunch with everyone because it was also dia de san miguel and they always close the street and do a big lunch and have a party (it's our patron saint day). Then I took my family, for their first time ever, to the movies. Saw Agent 86 :) It was wonderful!! That night I had what turned into a house party...had planned on a few friends no mas, but once people know there's something going on.... So we danced and had a great time. Cleaning up the next day would be my only complaint. hahaha And so far, my 31st year of life has been going well :)

I hope to have pics to post soon... In the meantime, I have recent pics on my Orkut account - orkut.com (everyone here uses Orkut, it's like Myspace or Facebook) You can look for me using my full name no mas.

Hope all is well on your side of the globe.
Che rohaihu,
Lorien

Time flies when you´re having fun...

2008-08-05T10:48:00.002-04:00

Its been too long...I know. Where to start???

Way back in May I went to Ecuador with my bro and cuz...great times!!!! Absolutely beautiful country and fabulous bonding time :) Highlights: hot springs in Papallacta, butterflies, waterfalls and tucans in Mindo, the Equator line in Mitad del Mundo (even if it IS a tourist trap) and the gorgeous orchid gardens in Quito. I´d go back, but next time I´m hittin the beaches too!!

Back in PY I continue to lead a telenovela style life...full of drama, a few crazies, lots of movement and great friendships. I absolutely LOVE teaching it turns out. Not only are my alumnos fabulous, but it´s just fun and so rewarding. Perhaps ¨Teach for America¨ is in my future, if they´ll have me that is.

Lately I´ve been hanging out more and letting myself have a bit more fun. You certainly don´t have to be 18 to enjoy dancing till dawn (although I admit most of my time is spent with jovenes between 16-22). What can I say? Most people my age are married with kids already...makes me ever thankful that I´m still single footloose and fancy free :)

Speaking of being free...apparently I´ve been gone long enough now for people to begin to get impatient for me to come home. Hasn´t it been two years yet is a pretty common question these days. Well...I have some good news and some bad news. Good news: I have a fabulous opportunity to travel South America with a really good friend after my service ends (May). Bad news: I won´t be home quite as soon as I originally thought... I am now planning on being home in time for the winter holidays 2009, so roughly a year and a half from now. For those of you who are sighing and crying nooooooo right now, I promise I´ll stay in the states for at least a few months when I come back ;) hehehe

Oh....yeah....one last thing - the wedding is off. It´s a long story and all that really matters is that it´s for the best. The great news is that I´m immensely happy and enjoying my life! And that´s what it´s really all about isn´t it?

I promise I´ll do better about updating you all more often...I´ve been very negligent I know. Just know that I´m thinking of you all and sending lots of love!

L :)

Photos :)

2008-06-06T18:45:00.013-04:00

The amazing Iguazu Falls...

Uh huh...I was there...and it was CHILLY that day!

Me n Hector...my now 8 year old love and buddy

He's a creative one...and he LOVES the hooked on phonics book Mary sent!!

Birthday wine and cheese at Josh's place for Lara n Lauren (my VAC members)

The Jesuit ruins near Encarnacion...I'd live there - it was nice :)

Museum of myths...there are a TON in PY. That headless dog you see...if you see him it means there is gold/treasure wherever you saw him, but you can't tell anyone else about it because if you do, the treasure will disappear.

My girls are learning that they can play hard AND be good sports :)

That's it for now...everything is still great and I'm still happy :) Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

En Paz,

Lor

Recipe and English....

2008-04-18T10:55:00.003-04:00

So I can't get the card reader to work, so that means I only have the pic that Lauren sent me in an email to share this time...

Lauren and I all dolled up to go to Miss Paraguay

And now; you've got to have this fabulous recipe for flour tortillas :)

2 cups flour, 3/4 cup warm water, 1/4 cup oil, 1tsp salt, 3tsp baking powder

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in oil until crumbly. Add water and let sit in warm place for 1hr. Make golf ball size portions and let sit 15 minutes more. Roll out onto floured surface and cook in frying pan on medium-high...no oil needed. Enjoy hot :)

And now for the update part....

English, english y un poco mas ingles.... I'm teaching little kids english in the villa on Tuesdays, 10th grade english class on Wednesdays and youth in the Muni (like city hall) on Thursdays. It's been fun and I'm developing a bunch of new relationships as a result. My youth have ganas (motivation) to learn and as I like to incorporate interactive learning and role play into the lessons (songs and games for the little ones), we have fun too :)

I'm still giving charlas on healthy relationships, job skills, self esteem, safe sex, etc. on Wednesday nights and Friday mornings. Wed night I'm with 12th grade so we're focusing on life and job skills. Fri morning is 10th grade (same students as Wed morning) and we've been talking about healthy relationships. I'm absolutely in love with my students!!! So much energy, enthusiasm and curiosity. They keep me motivated and on my toes :)

Recently had three new volunteers (still trainees) come visit me for a week. Spent lots of time talking bout how things are here and answering questions. They got to give a couple charlas and participate in my classes and meet lots of the people who are important to me - good times!

Semana Santa (the week inbetween palm sunday and easter) meant lots of chipa (cheesy bagely type bread), no class, and spending time with friends and family. Went out to Guarambare to visit my old host family. How I miss them!

Was voted in as NVAC (National Volunteer Advisory Committee) Secretary...woo hoo ;) Means more responsibility and the chance to advocate for volunteers.

Soccer tournaments are going well. My girls are undefeated :) I'm a little proud...ESTANZUELA!!!...just a little. Saturday 18 kids of mine and I loaded into an old VW bus to play against kids from another barrio. I can't even explain how much fun it was! I think I had more fun on the ride to and from than AT the actual game, but igual, divertimos mucho y eso no mas vale :) Oh, and we WON =)

Got all dolled up to go to Miss Paraguay drag show...looked better than most, but certainly not all, of the drag queens. hehehe. Jose did my and my friend, Lauren's, make-up. It was intense. It was interesting because PY is such a machista, traditional society and transvestites are so outside that realm. There certainly exists a whole underground society here...and I've been lucky enough to be involved in both worlds.

Still spending enough time with Hector, the 7 year old who lives across the street, that I might as well be his mom. He does call me "tia" (aunt). I'm committed to helping him pass first grade and understand unconditional love. I love him like I imagine a parent loves their child, and can't imagine leaving him...so let's not think about that.

The Presidential Elections are on Sunday. We've been ordered to stay in our barrios because it's likely to get rowdy and dangerous. Vamo a ver.... It's tough because the Colorados (republicans) have been in power forever and it looks like a Liberal (Democrat) might just win. But thanks to rampant corruption, the Colorados won't go down easily or quietly. If I could vote, I could sell my vote to the Colorados for 150mil. To put that in perspective, that could pay most people's rent for the month. Certainly hard to pass up that kind of easy cash if you're struggling to put food on the table. They have no shame.

OK, so that's probably enough for today... My eyes are hurting from looking at the computer screen...can't believe I used to stare at one all day!! I'm going to try to get back online to update again sooner rather than later. Thanks for being patient :) And let me know if you have any specific questions...

Much love,

Lor

Tanto Tiempo!!

2008-02-16T06:32:00.006-05:00

The good news is that you haven’t heard from me in a while because I’ve been busy with lots of good stuff :) Recently had our yearly 3 day leadership and gender awareness camp out at a biological reserve called Tati Yupi. It’s an absolutely gorgeous setting and well equipped - beds, running water, showers... It’s connected to and owned by Itaipu, the largest dam in the world and provider of 95% of Paraguay’s electricity. We got to visit the dam and watch the ¨illumination¨ Saturday night. Now, being a huge fan of Niagara Falls I’ve gone to watch their light show a few times. Imagine beautiful rainbow colors spread across rushing waterfalls, changing gently to the sounds of the music. THIS is more or less what I was anticipating from Itaipu. So imagine my, shall we just say surprise, when it was quite literally JUST an illumination. Quiero decir que they turned on the white fluorescent lights slowly until the dam was brightly lit. I must note - at least it was done to music ;) That being said, I was still quite impressed with the enormity of it all, and we only saw a fraction of that which makes up the complex system that is the dam. While environmentally I am torn on how I feel about dams, I was left in awe of this site. As I was ¨in charge¨ as camp coordinator I spent the majority of the weekend running around ensuring things went well. Fortunately I did still find some time to get to know the amazing youth participants (36 youth from across the country) and shake my booty on our make shift dance floor. Great times had by all! :)

Tuesday, we had the first of 2 workshops for the new beca (scholarship) winners. 50 young, bright Paraguayan women will benefit this year from the generosity of folks, like you Garry, who donated to the scholarship fund. 3 of them are MY girls. I could not be more proud and can’t tell you what a difference it makes for them. This was by far the best workshop and we are already looking toward the second, in October, to keep improving so that it is truly a meaningful and useful experience for the girls.

Carnival season has come to an end...there were a ton of celebrations; glitter, dancing, spuma (spray foam), half naked girls, lots of beer, and good times had by all. I found myself in Encarnacion this year with a few other volunteers. Last year was Villarica. Certainly a good time, but not something I need to take part in often ;) Our sister group has arrived, which means I’ve been in PY for a year! Crazy. This weekend one of the trainees will come visit me in Fernando to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a volunteer. Should be a good time...I get excited about sharing my community with others :)

School is getting ready to start up again so I’ll be busy with classes again soon. The new community center at my contact’s house will be ready soon and we’re hoping to get computers donated so that we can start computer classes as well. Lots of good work to be done!

Scholarship winners...my girls are in the front row; 6,7,8 from the right (behind girl kneeling in front)

During the leadership camp at Tati Yupi

The Illumination of Itaipu

That´s all for now...hope you are all doing great!!!! May spring come quickly ;)

Love and more love,

Lor

There are no words

2007-12-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

WOW....I've never said it so many times nor been at such a loss for words as during my two weeks in Peru. After 10 months of separation, I was reunited with my momma and papi in the Lima airport. I cried...I can't lie, it wasn't pretty, it's just that I was sooo excited!! Thanks to the most amazing travel agency - Auqui (which means Mountain Spirit) and agent - Carmen (which means song) in the world, we were whisked away by Hugo to our hotel and then the next morning back to the airport to head to Cusco. I'd never been greeted at the airport, or anywhere for that matter, with a sign bearing my name. And while technically it said my mom's name...I knew it was for me too and felt a bit special ;) That was the beginning of what can only be described as a picture perfect holiday.

Seriously, if you're plannin on heading to Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, talk to the folks at Auqui - they are amazing! I've never been on a guided anything, so I approached the trip with a bit of skepticism...but I have seen the light and I BELIEVE!!! I learned sooo much from our guides, and the majority of the time it was just the 3 of us with our guide (such as Ana Maria) and our trusty chauffeur, Antonio. We didn't waste any time trying to figure out how to get from here to there, we actually KNEW what we were staring at in awe, we got to get off the beaten track and go where most haven't even heard of, and we spent our time relaxed, safe, and well.

My pops has one of the camera cards, so I'm going to share some of what I've got and then give you all another dose once I get the other pics...

Inca experimental farming center...I've decided the Incas must have been the hardest working people on the planet to produce even half of what you are going to see below... You see what looks like lines going down the terraces? Yeah, those are steps that you can still walk on today. Wow.

How did they fit those rocks so neatly and nicely together she wondered? Word from our trusty guide Ana Maria says they made casts of the rocks and shaped them to fit together perfectly, without mortar/cement. Each rock holds another in place - naturally. Wow.

Ahhh, the streets of Cusco. A blending of the old and new traditions. I LOVE the babies on the backs. That's actually how they carry just about everything it turns out.

Inca security at your service...

Now I know this is going to be tough to wrap your head around, but those are salt pools. There is a really salty (I know because I tasted it) water flow over there on the left by the mountain and water is directed into these ponds (individually owned). They let the ponds sit, the water evaporates, and then they collect the salt. The top salt is used as table salt, the next layer for cooking puede ser, the next for animals, the next for the land, que se yo.... But it's all different grades and it's pretty impressive. Yep, wow.

Just in case you doubted it...we really WERE there. This ain't no photo shop beauty ladies and gents, that's the real, awesome, breathtaking city of Machu Picchu. And I touched it, breathed it, felt it, and let it wash over me...

And there's my trooper of a momma, making her way towards the Inca trail.

You've heard of southern hospitality? Well it's got nothin on South American hospitality! Herberth, behind me in the foto, is a friend of my mom's from OPC at home. His sister, Carmen, travel agent extraordinaire - in orange, invited us to her home to have lunch with her family. Turned out to be a feast with a group of amazingly warm and friendly folks - family.

On our way to Taquile Island in Lake Titikaka (60% of lake belongs to Peru, 40% to Bolivia), a group of kids were workin hard to get our attention...leads me to another observation: the children in Peru - gorgeous! People as a whole are beautiful, but the children...beyond gerber baby cute, sin dudo.

Uros...the floating Islands in Lake Titikaka (sometimes spelled Titicaca). Yes, I said floating. They are made of reeds and roots of reeds - demonstration below. Wow. Wonderfully friendly and loving people! I bought a beautiful picture from 9 year old Fabiola for 2 soles. She's an aspiring artist :)

Our captain guiding his co-captain through the reeds and back towards Puno. The lake sits at over 12,000 feet in elevation, and when we were on the island we climbed to over 13,000 feet. Think I've had a glimpse of what it might feel like in another 50 years to climb a flight of stairs. Whew...takes a lot of energy to do ANYTHING at that height!

Moving on back to Lima...we headed down to Punta Hermosa. It's apparently where folks from Lima have/rent beach houses for the summer. Think we were the only gringos there - quite a difference from Cusco and Picchu, which were swarming with other english speakers. A nice way to unwind and spend the last few days...layin in the hammock...readin on the beach...walkin along, going no where in particular...

and, of course, watching the sunset. One of my favorite past times :)

More to come, I promise. There's only so much I can regurgitate and you can digest in a single sitting (how do you like THAT picture?) ;) Hope you're all doing well and enjoying some extra time with family. Happy New Year and lots of love!!!!

xoxo, Lorien

PS - All is good in PY. As much as I loved Peru, it's nice to be home again.

Home Sweet Home

2007-11-24T07:16:00.000-05:00

Buenos Aires is like New York meets Paris with a Latin flair. It's enormous, beautiful, congested, full (of cars, people, parks, cafes, restaurants, shops, sites...), busy but not rushed, and quite frankly - overwhelming. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of everything - whether it was people, goods, or choices. I spent days just wandering aroung, which I admittedly love. Just walked and walked and took it all in...stopping every now and again for a cup of coffee (sooo good), to people watch, to sit in a garden and litterally smell the roses, or to write in my journal. And of course, I took a few photos...

Tango...a family affair in La Boca
La Boca in all it's colorful splendor

Ah, San Telmo market...these two were tame compared with some others!

Yes, he was just as creepy looking in person, and no, I would not have gotten that close if he was real!!!

Creative advertisement for condoms...

Grafiti - meet art

DC has pandas, MD has crabs, and BA has bulls

Yes that IS Barney's head you see in the Rose Garden :)

They heard I was in town...

Crazy chuchi mall...mirrors everywhere...couldn't afford a thing, but the bathroom was nice ;)

Yep...that's just ONE WAY!!!

There is a law that limits dog walkers to 10....the sidewalks are land mines of dog poop!

The mothers of the missing are quite active in the community

Talk about a good spot for a tree house :)

OK, so BA was beautiful...but I missed Paraguay!

Back in good 'ole Paraguay....we began our summer futbol (soccer) tournament yesterday. Good times :) Rain held off until we were finished for the day, por suerte!

More to come soon... Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and took time to remember all the wonderful people/memories/things/etc....you have in your life.

Sending love and happiness,

Lor

Vacation!

2007-11-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Woooohoooo!!! Going on vacation :) Omarcha!!!

I leave Saturday for a week in Buenos Aires...soooo excited!!! Although that's probably pretty obvious. I'll be meeting my buddy Kevin there; where we'll relax in a beautiful apartment in Palermo, eat good food, take in the sights, walk a ton, rest in the gardens and plazas, and dance the night away. Sounds like heaven, no? I'll let you know if I come back ;)

On Tuesday I went out to a friend's site near Acahay (which means here it is) to make masks with the kids for Halloween. They LOVED it! I made a goop out of flour, water and food coloring that was deliciously messy and oh so fun :) He told the "history" of Halloween and I think had a few of them scared...witches...monsters...you know, it can be a little nerve racking. Had our first trick or treaters at 6:45 am...they wanted to make sure Bri didn't run out of candy I think. He lives in the campo (country) and it's beautiful! As much as I love my site, I still love getting out to where there is no light pollution and people go to bed at 9pm. In contrast, I came home Wednesday because it was Alfredo's 5th birthday and I WAS NOT going to miss it! The party started about 9:30pm and some of his best friends were still out playing when I left at 11pm!

My dad came to visit last weekend...good times! Everyone was sooo excited to meet him and truly amazed at how much we look alike. At least now they believe I really do come from somewhere and I really do have family. It was also nice to be able to share my Paraguayan home and life with someone from my other home. Good thing he left when he did though, when it was a balmy 37 celsius and we at least had a fan to cool off by...it was 43 with blazing sun yesterday and Monday, when it hit 45, our power went out. No fan...no breeze...nothing but humid disgustingness. So what to do? Sit in the shade and drink terere por supuesto.

Gotta run for now...work to be done and terere to drink before I leave! Hope you all had a great Halloween and that life is treating you well.
Sending you lots of love,
Lor

Birthday Pics

2007-10-11T11:36:00.000-04:00

Yay for doble-quinces :)

Me, Lisa and her novio, Dani

Jill, Em and Dave

Me and Sarah

Me and my fabulous make-up artist and best friend, Jose

Good times :)

xoxo, Lor

Bound to happen at some point...

2007-10-03T09:49:00.000-04:00

So it finally happened...I got robbed. 4 months of not being able to lock my home - nothing (I just moved, btw)...months of walking alone at night - nothing (knock on wood)...but months of riding the bus finally caught up with me. The good news is that I wasn't hurt. Someone slashed clear through my canvass type bag with a knife - I'm certainly lucky I didn't get cut! I'm also lucky all he got was my phone. Easy enough to replace, just a pain because I just lost a bunch of phone numbers and even some texts I'd been saving because they make me smile; like Sangeeta's "life is no good without you" text.

The buses here are PACKED during rush hour - like the DC metro, and it's becoming more and more dangerous in the city. As much as possible, I avoid buses during the really busy times and now have a renewed sense of vigilence. So no worries...just don't think I was ignoring you if you sent me a text or called yesterday or today ;) Oh, and dad, bring your money belt with you to tuck under your clothes when you come visit! An essential item here.

Otherwise, life is good! Had a great 30th birthday weekend and will post pics soon when the card reader decides to work ;) Thank you for all the birthday wishes, cards, packages (thanks to Randi I even had candles and party favors!) and love!! It's great knowing I'm loved all over the world ;) heeheehee

Hope you're all enjoying the beautiful colors of fall. I'm sure enjoying the gorgeous flowers of spring here! The Tajy trees are in full bloom and they're gorgeous!!! Check out a few pics at http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=tajy+arbol&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Peace and much love!
Lor

Instead of b'day presents

2007-09-17T13:35:00.000-04:00

*Your donation makes this Peace Corps Partnership scholarship program possible*

PAFT is a scholarship program run by Peace Corps Paraguay Gender and Development Committee, and two Paraguayan Institutions - La Secretaria De Mujer and Union Profesional Empresarios Jovenes-UPEJ.

It provides young Paraguayan women ages 15-30 funds & leadership training to pursue their education and increase their ability to achieve financially independent and fulfilling lives.

But lets talk SUSTAINABILITY...This project is a Partnership Program---that means 30% of funds do come from outside resources like RPCVs and friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteers, while over 60% of all costs in the form of resources and labor are fulfilled by the two Paraguayan co-partner institutions of the program: UPEJ (Union de Profesionales y Empresarios Jóvenes) and La Secretaria de la Mujer.

Along with an economic award and a higher level of education, each winner is required to attend two leadership workshops where they increase their knowledge of: employability, responsible citizenship, opening cooperatives and budgeting, creating and implementing small-scale community projects, networking with other ONGs and becoming community leaders for their department.

To donate go here: Go to https://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/donors/contribute/regioncontrib.cfm?region=latinamerica A donation of $100 provides a young Paraguayan with the funds to continue her high-school education, $150 funds professionally focused training and a donation of $500 will sponsor a year of study at the University level. That means ANY amount makes a big difference!

Education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. This scholarship program provides essential funding and training to young women who have demonstrated a history of service to their community, exceptional academic potential and financial need. By providing young women leaders with the resources to continue their education, the scholarship program is ultimately helping young women and their families break the cycle of poverty and create economic and social options.

For more information contact:

Julie Silvernail
GAD Coordinator Peace Corps
Jsilvernail@peacecorps.py.gov

I will be nominating young women for this scholarship and can tell you it makes a big difference in their lives. Thank you for your continued love and support!!!
xoxo,
Lor

Not quite 4 score and 7 years ago....

2007-09-17T12:13:00.000-04:00

Nearly 3 decades ago, my resiliant momma gave birth to my brother (Linse) and me...and thank goodness - we were two weeks late! I think this occasion calls for the recounting of one of the most traumatic days of my life - birth.

As I said, we were two weeks late....call us lazy if you want, but we knew how good we had it and weren't rushin to get out. OK, really Linse was just being indesicive about leaving and blocking my path...but he doesn't like me to tell that part so pretend you didn't read that. Things were getting a little tight in the womb and we both wanted some room to stretch our legs so we decided we'd see what lay beyond our cozy amniatic sacs. We made a deal...we'd go head first and Linse would lead the way since he was closer to the exit. But once the water broke and contractions started, he panicked. In the heat of the moment, he wrapped my umbilical cord around my neck, spun me around and made a bee-line for the light. Disoriented and shocked by this assult I took a couple minutes to collect myself and then let the contractions push me out feet first, hoping for the best since it was getting harder and harder to breath with that cord around my throat. Once I finally made it out, blue and nearly unconcious, the doctors rushed me to the emergency room for some good ole O2. Not too long afterwards I was reunited with my momma and brother. I was still a little annoyed with Linse, but when I saw his pointy head and realized he'd forever be remined of this attack, although he likes to claim it never happened, I decided to forgive and forget (obviously it was too traumatic to forget, but at least I forgave).

For the past 30 years Linse has been my best friend, playmate, protector, confidant, and so much more. I can't begin to describe how lucky I feel to be a twin or how grateful I am that we have been and remain so close (although not geographically). It's certainly tough to be away from him this time of year, but the good news is that we're both doing what makes us happy and living where we need to be living right now. I'm in the barrio hanging out with jovenes and Linse is in school soaking up and dispensing knowledge.

Our b'day is a national holiday here in Paraguay (as it should be everywhere ;) - Dia de San Miguel/Victory at Boqueron. My jovenes would like to celebrate my "doble quince" (double 15) with me...I'd like to sit in a bathtub in a hotel in Asuncion and then go out dancing with my adult friends...it's a struggle. I'm figuring out a way to make everyone happy :) Life continues to go well here in Paraguay....it's getting hot again. Funny, it's not even spring yet and we're already in the 90s....can't wait for summer! ;)

Gotta run for now...but not without a special shout out to my parents who have loved me through so much - I know it wasn't always easy. And of course love to mis hermanos, amigos y extended fam. Life wouldn't mean anything without all of you...and I wouldn't be as proud of who I am if I didn't have so many wonderful people in my life. We are a reflection of those we surround ourselves with...thanks for makin me look good ;)

With a heart full of love and happiness,
Lor :)

More Pics

2007-08-26T12:05:00.000-04:00

Chocolatada #3

Simon says "toca su cola"

Chocolatada #2

Payasos = clowns

2nd birthday party in Guarambare

Family Planning/safe sex charla at my contacts house

Just a few more pics, no mas...

xoxo, L

Que haces?

2007-08-26T10:07:00.000-04:00

I know...it's been too long since you've all gotten a proper update. What can I say...it's been busy! Dia del Nino turned into two weeks of Chocolatadas (where we play games, eat cookies, drink hot cocoa and harass the clowns), which meant lots of prep and going door to door to request donations. Canvassing the neighborhood and interacting with folks we don't normally chat with meant the development of some new relationships/contacts and an opportunity for the youth group to be recognized. The group is already gaining a positive reputation and becoming more known in the community thanks to the hard-working youth and an abundance of work to be done.

We are developing a relationship with a new Disco Pub that is scheduled to open in the near future, providing the Municipality OKs it...there has been some opposition from community members whose homes back up to the Disco, so our youth group developed a survey to take door to door to get the opinion of the community at large. So far, responses have been favorable because both youth and their parents prefer them to be close to home, especially late at night. The Disco is about 3 blocks from my house and provided they keep it secure and clean would be a great addition to the neighborhood. The owners are making our group T-shirts (with our group name as well as the name of the Disco) to wear when we have events or go door to door, and I'm hopeful we can work on developing positive activities for youth using their space (it's enormous!) such as Youth Night (dance night w/o alcohol) or as a space for youth to get together for informal classes such as English.

PC just celebrated 40 years in Paraguay with a visit from the Director of Peace Corps, Ron Tschetter, his wife, and the Regional Director, Allene Zanger. It was a weekend full of events and all went well. As an NVAC representative, I was invited to lunch with the Directors...turns out they are really good folk! Laid back, down to earth and genuine. Truly, I was impressed.

Been working with the Gender and Development (GAD) Committee on a leadership camp that we'll be putting on in Februrary and the Beca (scholarship) Program, which provides scholarships to women in PY to study at the University and Vocational levels. I'll be sending out more information on the Beca program soon and asking in lieu of a birthday present (if you wanted to get me something for my 30th) that you make a small donation. No amount is too small - it costs just $150/year for vocational programs and $350/year to attend University, and the benefits these young women receive as a result are priceless!

Charlas in the colegio continue to go well...completed the last of the Environmental Education charlas for now and am moving into Self-Esteem (one class is already working on this theme). Also partnering with a social service organization in the area to do more charlas outside of the colegio in the areas of Family Planning, Employment, Relationships, etc.

And no, I don't JUST work...I have some semblance of a social life as well. Have made some good friends within Peace Corps as well as in my community. Dancing is big here, and thank goodness because I love to dance! Have had the opportunity to check out some live music and will hopefully be going to see some live Jazz pretty soon at a little bar called Bohemia. And I'm close enough to Asuncion that I can go to the movies easily or catch up with friends when they come to town from other parts of the country. I'm also invited, qualquiere momento, to watch telenovelas with my youth...imagine soap operas in the states and take them down about 10 notches in terms of acting, plot, and videography and you've got telenovelas ;) Almost painful to watch, but people here love them so I endure.

Think that's about all for now...a doosey, I know. Until next time, be well, be happy, give hugs and love freely, and smile! :)

xoxo, L

Pics

2007-08-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

Campamento fun...

full on tackle followed...

Maracas out of recycled bottles and beans...

Merienda time (snacks)

Yep...I've got the prizes

Duck, duck, goose :)

Just thought you all might want to ver un poco...see what fun we've been having! Hope you're all great!

Love and more love,

Lor

Success!

2007-07-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

Yep, first day of camp was a success! :) Kids want more days, longer hours, more games, more of my attention...fabulous! As you might know, the camp is focusing on the environment, so we made beads (for necklaces) out of magazines and jewelry out of earth friendly materials (noodles and recycled stuff). The kids got really into it and walked away with some really lindo necklaces. On Saturday we're making playdough from flour, salt and water and kites from old plastic bags and other recycled material. We had a mini teatro about the life of a tree killed by an evil logger & games related to wildlife and deforrestation. My favorite part, though, was leap frog! Almost peed my pants I laughed so hard! Looking forward to tomorrow :)

Things have been going well...went out to Ca'acupe to celebrate my friend's birthday on Wednesday - my PC lil sis is a whopping 23 now. Had a sector (Education and Urban Youth folks in all PC PY) conference a week ago...it was nice to catch up with everyone and hear what others are doing in site. Couple people are in love, everyone likes her/his site, some are doing really innovative projects...good opportunity to share-that's for sure. On Sunday I head to Guarambare to see my host family from training. Tanto tiempo since I've seen them...it's time!

Have decided to continue practicing TKD without belts - the exams are too expensive and it's just not a priority. My profe is disappointed, but has agreed to keep instructing me as if I were progressing through the belts. One of my youth had a baby last week. He's tiny & adorable!! Certainly a reminder how things are different here - they dip his pacifyer in honey when he's cranky...isn't there some rule about not giving kids honey or peanut butter the first year in the states? Something about allergies? And as soon as he starts taking a bottle, he'll get milk loaded with sugar. The four year old in the house drinks coffee and has been known to wield a machete - maybe we're just too protective in the states??? ;)

It's still pretty cold here, although the sun helps a ton!! Gets down to the single digits (celcius) at night, and without the possibility of relief (except when huddled in my sleeping bag) it feels really cold. I'd like to say I'm getting used to it, but I'm not. Only solace is that it won't last much longer. Only another month or so of winter. That's another thing - days go by so fast!!!! I feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and my two years will be up! Remind me I said that on the bad days, but seriously, time is already flying. Maybe because it's winter and it's dark so early...I don't know, but it's true. Good thing is that I'm feeling like a part of my community and getting really comfortable here. Certainly at the point that when I travel it will be nice to come 'home'. That being said, I'm psyched!!! Going to Buenos Aires with a really good friend (from the states) in November :) I know, it's forever away, but at the rate the days pass for me, it might as well be next week! There's so much I want to see in Paraguay, so hopefully I'll have some time to travel within the country before then as well. In the meantime, I'll just keep hanging out with my kids and workin...could be worse ;p

I know I've left out a million things I wanted to write about...guess they'll just have to wait till next time. Till then, just know I'm happy, healthy, and sending you tons o love!

xoxo, Lor

Never a dull moment...

2007-07-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

More good times in PY :)

So I found out that one of my TKD instructors (the brother of the one I started working with, who is now practicing English with me before class) is also a make-up artist, massage therapist, and hair brusher. Yes, there is a specific person to brush hair in the chuchi (up scale) salons here. Apparently my hair needs a good shampooing and "shape" so he's going to cut it on Friday...AND he offered to teach me how to put on make-up. My beautification continues...I'll post a pic soon so you can see the progress ;)

The teachers are still on strike around here (MY teachers aren't striking, but because others in Fernando de la Mora are, we don't have class either) and winter vacation starts on Monday...looks like they'll be getting a month off when it's all said and done. It's a shame because the kids WANT to go to school, and go there every night just to see if they'll have class. Last night, I saw a bunch of them in the street on my way to class...ever optimistic that today would be the day...and once I found out we were still out of comission, I rounded them up and we played Escoba Quince and Casita Robada...two of my favorite card games here :) The first one is all about math and logic, so it's a good game to play in vez de clase...or at least that's what I tell myself ;) I'm so glad I have such cool kids around (and that they want to hang out with me) - it makes a HUGE difference!

A bunch of folks were in town this weekend for the 4th of July celebration on Sunday, so it was a fun time seeing everyone. Got to spend some quality time with my Jennie and then we headed for Asuncion to meet up with the rest of the crew and go dancing. Danced until about 3:30am - still early here, but late enough for us. Sunday was a good time. Lots of folks came out to celebrate. The Marines here were selling beverages & playin volley ball, far cry from my cuz's experience so far - shout out to my cuz, Jeff, in Iraq - glad you're coming home soon!! No fireworks, but at least they had ice cream. Turned out to be a gorgeous day - sunny and low 80's...couldn't ask for a better winter day ;) Got to chat with a bunch of PCVs and trainees that I didn't know yet, so that was a bonus too.

Things are definitely going well. I'm loving every moment with my youth and am feeling more connected with my community every day. While there are certainly frustrations - strikes, meetings that don't happen, miscomunications... overall, I'm happy and making progress. Still doing lots of research about global warming and environmental education - if you have any good activities or info for either high school or little kids, please send it on! And Mary, thank you so much for the activity book for ninos!!!

Talked with Kris and baby Kaj is happy, healthy, and home :) Congrats again sister, I'm sooo happy for all of you!!!

Until next time,
Fuerza y amor - L

It was the best of times....

2007-06-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

The newest edition to the family, Kaj (pronounced like Kai) Thomas Ruedel, was born June 24 (dia de San Juan) at 5:19am in Washington DC, 8lbs - 21 inches. Everyone is healthy and happy and Liana is a proud big sister! As happy as the news made me yesterday...can't lie, for the first time since I've been here, I lost it. Cried like a baby... All I want to do is hold my nephew, high five my bro-in-law and hug my sister...and I couldn't even call to share in the excitement. My friends here sent congratulations, but for the first time I wanted more than anything to be home. Doing better today...just anxiously awaiting photos!

It was an eventful weekend, that's sure! It's San Juan here...and que fiestas!! On Friday I helped my youth prepare typical Paraguayan comida to sell in the Plaza. We sold food, danced, climbed trees (yes, I still climb trees) and had an all around good time. On Saturday I headed into Asuncion to meet the most wonderful family! They're relatives of someone I know in the states...and they're fabulous! Have a feeling I'll be spending a good amount of time with them in the coming years. Then it was back to Fernando de la Mora for a youth group meeting and then a festival that night. The San Juan festival was so fun! Pelotas tata (flaming balls made of clothes, wire and karosene) were flying everywhere...one of my kids got hit in the head (poor guy), but felt better after I got him some ice. I only kicked one ball, but spent a good amount of time dodging the others. Peligroso (dangerous) for sure. There were casino type games, typical PYan food, beer, and lots of dancing. I spent the night dancing with my alumnos y jovenes...who were more than welcoming and excited to be jammin with their profe (professer). Good times! I am truly in love with my kids - they're fabulous!

July is going to be a really busy month, and I'm certainly not complaining - it's all good work with fabulous peeps! Will test for my yellow belt soon :) Still enjoying TKD, although now and then my muscles aren't so happy... On Saturday I'll be partying it up at the Embassy for 4th of July. Doubt we'll have fireworks, but it's something. Enjoy the festivities there, and if you can, send a pic of the fireworks - you know how I love fire ;p And keep those letters coming! They truly make my day :)

Until next time...be well, be happy, and love each other!
Love to all of you, Lor

Medio Ambiente

2007-06-17T08:52:00.001-04:00

Environmental Education...a number of my kids in the colegio (high school) voted to start with the theme of medio ambiente for our charlas. This is huge! It shows that there is a real concern and provides an open door to educate. I'm soooo excited!!! AND we're going to highlight medio ambiente at the camp we're having for the little kids in the neighborhood in July. So if any of you have fun ideas for projects/crafts out of junk or recycling insights, send 'em along!

Things continue to go well and I'm still happy (and MUCH healthier now). I won't lie and say everyday is a cake walk or that I have ganas (motivation) to do it all every morning...speaking two non-native languages all day is exhausting and there are days I'd rather just stay in bed (like when it's really cold). Thank goodness I can talk with other volunteers (in English) who understand my situation and that I have wonderful youth who make me want to keep working. And let me not forget the support and love I have from all of you as well! It matters. A lot. So thank you!

My youth group meets every Saturday at 3pm and we've elected officers and selected a name - Jovenes por el Futuro. I'm baking for them every week, which they love! Have a great recipe for carrot cake if anyone wants it ;) Trying to provide yummy, but healthier, snacks. So far - success. I'll take any recipes anyone has to give too! Something that requires pretty basic ingredients would be best...and if I don't have to bake it in an oven (uses lots of gas), even better!

Taekwondo is going well. Watched exams on Friday for belts...can't lie, I'm a little intimidated. But mine isn't until July, so I have time to practice :) The youth who I have class with, and helps me all the time...he did fabulous! The "Senor" said he was an example of discipline and TKD. Impressive. Thank goodness I have HIM helping me!

My MSR camping water filter is working great (thanks Lins!) and I have been enjoying clean water that's not brown (iodine tablets...yuck!) My polyngana (shallow, round bucket) is proving to be invaluable! I use it to filter water, to wash my laundry, sometimes for dishes, to carry things....whatever the need might be. That's something I LOVE about PC...learning to use one thing for a hundred different causes. Good stuff!

I have 4 packages waiting for me...YAY!!! Too bad I can't get them today because the office is closed. Soon, though, and I'm really happy that they aren't stuck at the port. The anticipation... I'm ready for my Chana Masala mix!!

Hope all is well there and spring is treating you well. Summer solstice is the 21st :) Winter solstice here.... Happy Birthday to my Uncle Glen (today)! Happy Father's Day to all those dads out there, and a special shout out to mine! Pops, enjoy the day on the water...Dad, hope that grandbaby is born soon! Our newest edition to the family should be here any day now....hang in there Kris ;)

Sending love to all!
xoxo, Lor

Updates and Photos!

2007-06-01T12:04:00.000-04:00

Good news! I'm relatively healthy :) Looks like I've got those pesky little parasites under control for the time being. It's REALLY cold here now...especially at night, so my nose is running all the time, but it's certainly nothing I can't handle. (I drink lots of tea) ;) My room stays colder than outside pretty much all the time...something I'm going to appreciate in the summer.

I'm giving "charlas" (interactive presentations) in the high school 3 nights a week now over topics like self-esteem, environment, communication, healthy relationships, leadership.... It's going really well and I'm quickly developing relationships with both students and teachers. Have a youth group meeting on Sunday to chat with some of them about puting on a camp during their winter break from school and to find out what it is they want to do (English classes, computer classes, community service - just a few of their ideas already) as a group. I'm working with some pretty cool kids, I'll tell you that! Also been meeting with other organizations in the area to find out about other resources and collaboration possibilities...not to mention just to meet more people and develop relationships.

Taekwondo is going well. I'm generally in class with only one other youth, who is a red belt, and he helps me work on form and formulas. He's developing more confidence and leadership skills through these interactions...whether he's aware of it or not yet ;) Diggin it!

All in all, things are good. Attached some pics below....more soon!

My new room

My finger got smashed a while back...it was UGLY! Almost normal now :)

Typical PY Dancin in Guarambare (for our families at our going away celebration)

Sunset over Asuncion

Typical Quincenera (15th b'day party) and my family from Guarambare

Love and miss you all!!!
Lor

Bottled, Boiled, or Treated

2007-05-14T15:36:00.000-04:00

That's it...no more untreated water! Back to square one with the Giardia...in the office today getting new meds - hopefully these actually work! It's a one time deal - 4 pills tonight to knock those little buggers on their butts. Keep your fingers crossed ;)

Had my "site presentation" this weekend....about 20-25 people showed up and it went well. Made some new contacts who hopefully will lead me to further project collaboration and met some more fantastic youth from the barrio!

I've learned that everything stops for the rain and slows down for the cold. But I'm OK with the relaxed pace...allows me to take it a little more easy as I try to get healthy. It's still pretty chilly here, but not as bad as it was last week. We've had a bit more sun, which helps. On the bright side, at least it's been cold enough to kill off the mosquitos! I'm in an area with a high rate of Dengue...so every mosquito killed is a bonus ;)

Don't have much time...just wanted to send a quick hello and update :) Hope you're all fabulous!
Be well,
Lor

I iron my underwear...

2007-05-09T13:28:00.000-04:00

for two very good reasons...bugs (the reason we iron everything) and when it's c-c-c-c-cold, they're nice and toasty ;) We're in the midst of a cold snap if you can believe it. I know it's cold because I can see my breath in my room and my nose feels like ice when I wake up. I'm not kidding, people...it's COLD! I can't tell you how glad I am to have a rigged up electric water heater that emits water that feels like it's burning the flesh from my bones (I can turn it on or off) on days like today. Even after Taekwondo this morning...still an icepop. At least the sun came out today so I could do my laundry. I moved my bucket around to ensure it was in the best sun in order to warm the water and so I could wash it without shivering too much.

Ended my treatment for Giardia (thank goodness) and I'm hoping I can go without having it as bad again....fairly unavoidable here since all the water is tainted, but I can limit how much I'm exposed to by boiling it at home and keep it under control at least.

Things are going well in the hood. I'm off to the night high school to present a plan/curriculum to the teachers tonight. Met with the Secretary of Youth yesterday and have been making my way around to various organizations and homes. Was presented at the Tercera Era (older folks) meeting and they seemed to love me...bodes well ;) I have my official presentation to the community on Friday. Not a clue what that's going to look like, but my contact assures me it's under control.

Hope all is well at home and you all enjoy a beautiful Mother's Day weekend!!! All you moms out there...take a break, relax, and hug your kids! They love you. Quick shout out to my momma - love you Momma Bud and I wish I was there to give you a 100 hugs!!

Be well and take care of each other. We're all we've got.
Lor

Fernando de la Mora

2007-04-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

It's official...I'm a volunteer!! Today is my first day "in-site". I recruited another volunteer to help me move my stuff into my new room yesterday, and today I'm meeting one of the family members at 1:00 to go in search of a bed and hopfefully a ropero (armoir). Bed is key...my floor is cement and I don't have so much as a rug. If all else fails, I'll sleep on my fleece couch cozy and sleeping bag for a couple days....let's hope I find a bed ;)

Leaving Guarambare was emotional, but I'm only a 45 minute bus ride from my family there so it'll be easy to visit...just need to make the time. My family in G'be is fabulous, and I certainly intend to see them relatively frequently. It was a nice feeling to have - that I was leaving "home" and that they want me to come home to visit. Gives me hope that I'll be feeling like Fernando is home in no time. Probably good that I've spent so much time bouncing from state to state and house to house....helps me set down roots fairly quickly.

The swearing in ceremony was nice. Thomas Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State, swore us in - he's actually a pretty funny guy and his speech was better than anticipated. Dave from our group spoke on our behalf...his speech was absolutely beautiful! After the ceremony we wandered around a bit and found the pool and tennis court (which I'm allowed to use whenever I want). The pool is gorgeous! It's plenty big enough to do laps in, and generally is uncrowded - que suerte! I even bought goggles the other day, because I certainly plan on swimming regularly (thank goodness it's free). I'm also going to look into taking Tai Kwan Do because there's a center in my neighborhood. Look out!

So this week will consist of getting settled in, saying hello to people in the neighborhood, learning my way around, and recovering (I've been sick lately - get to that in a minute). Next week I'll start making the rounds to organizations, schools, and foundations to find out what's going on in the community and what the needs and interests are. I'm sure I'll spend a bunch of time just sitting around chatting with folks and youth - that's to be expected. And I'll have to find a tutor for Guarani, because I need to be able to speak better than I do now. I've already had some offers (from when I visited my site a couple weeks back) so I can't imagine it'll be too tough to find someone.

I took my poop to the lab this morning, so hopefully they'll be able to tell me what's going on pretty soon. I think I have Ghiardia, but we'll see (lots of diarreah, nausea and vomiting). It's been a couple months...and it's consistently gotten worse, so it was time. Don't worry though, I'm maintaining as well as I can and will be fixed up in no time! It'll help too now that I'll have a change in water source - means that if they give me meds I have the opportunity to get better and STAY better :)

It's been cooling off a bit here. Just in the 80's, which is like heaven! Anything under 90 and humid is a relief!! It was actually COLD a few days because of the rain....starting to think it might be true that it really does cool off here in the winter ;) Hopefully it's getting nicer there - all the flowers should be out and the grass should be green. Someone please send a photo of the cherry blossoms...I know they were all worried that the season was going to be ruined on account of the weather, but I bet it was still beautiful!

I'm going to have regular access to email now...so don't hesitate to drop a line! I miss you all and think of you often. Thank you soooo much for those of you who have send cards and letters! I absolutely love to hear from you!!!

Hugs and Kisses,
Lor

My new site!

2007-04-09T16:49:00.000-04:00

I'm going to Fernando de La Mora...right outside of Asuncion!! I did my long field practice there and it was fabulous...honestly, it's a perfect fit and I couldn't be happier! I'm following up a really guapa (hardworking) volunteer and will have so many opportunities :)

I leave tomorrow for a week to visit my new site...have a couple weeks back in Guarambare to finish up training and then swear in as a volunteer and move. It's an exciting time for sure!! Lots to do :)

More to come soon!
xoxo, Lor

Cumpleanos

2007-04-02T18:23:00.000-04:00

So I forgot to bring my calendar that has birthdays on it with me....so PLEASE let me know when your birthday is....even if you think - there´s NO WAY she forgot MINE! I´m trying to make sure my list is complete :)

Things are great here! I promise to write a substantial entry soon....until then, just know that I´m happy and relatively healthy....aside from swealtering in the humid heat....

Much love,
Lor

Photos

2007-03-15T10:47:00.000-04:00

A few more photos :)

I went to my little sister´s school for the celebration of its´ anniversary....there was dancing, singing, presentations....very cute. In the picture of the kids in white t-shirts and jeans, my sister is the tallest one.

The picture of my mom and I is from this past weekend at an Asado - BBQ.

http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s245/budette/

Hope you´re all fabulous!!!
xoxo, Lor

Photos and Peanut Butter

2007-03-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

OK, so I didn´t personally upload anymore photos....however, my darlin Kate, lovingly referred to as Kahtay, has a ton on her site...

Go to webshots.com and search jdmessick. You won´t know who a lot of the people are, or where the photos are, but hey - it´s better than nothing, right. wink. I´m also setting up a photobucket account for all of us to use, so soon we should have a good gallery.

Also...I´ve got the peanut butter situation under control. smile. For those of you who would like to know what you can send....I would LOVE children´s books in Spanish and/or Yoga stuff in Spanish - even if it´s just printed off the internet. My Yoga class has really taken off and I´d like to leave the women here with something tangible so that they can continue when I leave.

I´ll write more soon...but now it´s off to clasepe!

Much love,
L

Photos!

2007-02-27T05:51:00.000-05:00

So there might not be a ton...but it's a start ;)

Click here:
http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s245/budette/

I'm working with my fellow volunteers to get access to their pics too...I'm still not taking a ton because it's unusual for people to have cameras here and I feel a little strange about pulling it out everywhere. I'm sure I'll get over it....but for now you have the important ones - like pics of my nails ;)

The volunteer visit went well...I didn't even get lost :) More on that soon!
Besos y Abrazos,
Lor

All by myself......

2007-02-23T15:14:00.000-05:00

Oh, yeah, you heard me! I´m travelling on my own to another volunteer site about 4 hours from here to spend the next four days. Should be a good time...something completely different and new! I´ll be going to Villarica...my coordinator tells me it´s got a cool vibe and there´s a University there. Other than that, I don´t know much. I´ll have to fill you all in later :)

Yesterday I went to Asuncion (the capital) with a fellow volunteer - Kate...had a great time! Learned that everything is out of my budget, bought some super glue, and ate falafel....what more could a girl ask for? ;) We also visited the PC headquarters. Pretty nice! They´ve got a great library with tons of resources and an awesome librarian!!!

Still having a great experience with my family! I´m eating well and am pretty much just plain ole pampered. My mom wanted me to look chuchi (fancy) for my trip to Asuncion, so she re-did my nails (with smiley faces this time) and got up early with me to do my hair. She´s too good to me! I learn something new every day and am trying not to feel overwhelmed. My language teacher is the bomb (fabulous), though, and she knows when we need a moment to digest. Today we were all tired, so we went outside and did some stretches and sang a really funny song in Spanish.

I´m teaching Yoga classes now. We´ve had two so far and I´m learning the words I need to teach in Spanish - aspirar, espriar..... Right now we have PC trainee involvement and lots of community interest. My mom offered to host us (we have a great front patio and yard) and my bro and sis participate in the class. My mom says she just wants to watch for now, and will join in one day. It´s pretty fun and I´m excited that it´s generating so much interest.

I know you all want pics...they´ll be coming soon...be patient. Till then, just know I´m happy and healthy and lookin chuchi ;)

With love,
Lor

Pampered Princess

2007-02-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

Yes...it´s true...my mom gave me a manicure and pedicure last night (for those that missed it, she´s a hairdressor). I have french tips and little flowers on my fingers and french tips and paw prints on my toes....I´m adorable ;) The wild part though, is that she also shaved my legs!!! Most of you know I´m au naturale - well apparently it´s just not that acceptable here. I learn something new every day ;)

The food is improving daily - more veggies, and my language is coming along. Tomorrow we host a day camp for kids in the community, so I´ll let you know how it goes.

Next week we have to find our way through other communities and on to Asuncion - what an adventure :) And next Saturday-Tuesday we head out to visit another volunteer. Lots going on! I´ve only had one shot so far - rabies - and it wasn´t bad. I´ve definitely got mosquito bites, but no dengue ;)

Saw a poor, sweet, cute, little rabbit get slaughtered and skinned yesterday - it was a little disturbing. I´m getting over it....

Gotta run for now, but I´ll write when I can.
Love to all of you!
Lor

Safe and Sound!

2007-02-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

For those who didn´t get the email....

Holas mis amigos! Todo está muy bien aqui!!!

My host family is amazing! I´m living with a couple who has a 12 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. The parents are so sweet and want to help me learn...which is great, but my head is so full with information that I´m not sure I can hold much more! The 12 year old makes it his business to teach me Guarani and helps explain things I don´t understand in Spanish (in Spanish, of course). The little girl speaks mostly Guarani, which is typical here - kids learn Spanish in school and then spend most of their lives speaking Jobara which is a mix of the two languages. I spend a lot of time just absorbing. They are sure to include me in everything as much as possible though. In fact, I don´t get enough alone time, really. It´s easier when the four year old is sleeping because she likes to look in my windows too ;) Privacy is definitely not a luxury I´m going to have here...

My language is coming along...however slowly...and I´m encouraged that I´ll be communicating better in no time. I went to my Abuelos home in the campo (country) on Sunday....talk about rural! My home is fairly modern, with a bathroom, running water (most of the time....it shuts off between about 5 and 10pm), and electricity (and thank goodness because I REALLY need those ceiling fans! It´s sooooo hot here!). But we also have chickens, ducks, pigs, roosters and bunnies in the back yard. The area where we´re living is definitely a mix of urban and rural...it´s just not the urban that WE think of when we think urban, ya know?

So far I´m eating lots of good fruit...the rest is coming...they´re big on starches and meat...lots of meat and have a difficult time understanding the whole vegetarian thing. Not too many big veggie dishes here ;) But my host mom tries to be accomodating and I´ll be cooking on Sunday, so I´ll have to make something fabulous. Any suggestions? Today we had bean soup...sooo good :) Oh, and I´ve become known as the one who doesn´t eat meat...que lastima (what a shame) mi abuelo (grandfather) says. But it´s all good.

What about the peanut butter, you ask? Well, going back to the privacy issue...the first night I was here, everyone helped me unpack my bags (it wasn´t really a choice, they just started pulling things out and putting them away) and the 4 year old girl found them and took them to her mom. What was I going to say? I explained what it was and gave it to her as a gift....Peanut butter is expensive here and she was very appreciative...even used it in the cake she made for Sunday - which was fabulous, by the way. Anyway, guess it´s a special thing here, so while I can eat it occasionally, eating it often is not an option at this point. Perhaps in the future, but I´ve only been here a few days. It´ll all be good...no worries :)

My training group is great. We have 35 total, 10 in Urban Youth Development. The 10 of us meet every day and then we all get together about once a week. My language class is a group of 3, which is perfect. We start our shots on Wednesday - yuck. Turns out we get tons of shots! I was hoping we´d get away scott free, but no such luck. Did I mention it´s hot here? I´m sweating like crazy right now!

Long and short of things - I´m happy and healthy. Oh, and I´ve been drinking the tap water since Thursday, so I think it´s a good sign that my body is adjusting well to the differences.

There´s just so much to tell...next time....until then, just know how much I love you all and that I´m thinking of you! Hope you´re great!!!

Con amor,
Lorien

And I'm off!!

2007-02-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning at 7am, which means it should still be hovering at about 2 degrees, I'm blowing this popsicle stand and heading south :) I'll be in Miami for a day and a half and then it's on to Paraguay. Can you believe I missed the Super Bowl by 2 days?!?

Of all the emotions I'm feeling (and believe me, there are too many to count) excitement it surely the most overwhelming. It's been over a year since I began the application process and nearly a year since nomination....and now - it's finally here.

I'll be updating you all as often as I can, but bear with me - there might be lulls and novels ahead ;p And I know I've said it before...but let me tell you again - I am extremely lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life. I experience more love in a day than many people have in a lifetime and I am so grateful. Know that I'll be thinking of you and sending you love and happiness in the months and years to come and looking forward to visiting with those of you who can make it down :)

With love and friendship,
Lorien

Freezin' in Texas

2007-01-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it?!? I came to Texas so see my long lost family...and it's snowing! Must have brought it with me I'm told...they'd probably love me in Paraguay if I brought a little cold weather ;p Checked it out today and the high is 96, low is 74. Sounds pretty decent for sleeping though.

It's been great being here! My mom and I are staying with my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Dale and I've had the chance to catch up with all my cousins (4) and numerous second cousins (there are 20!). It's been 15 years since I was in Lubbock, so lots has changed. My Aunt Nancy has been working on our family history (geneology) for some years -it's pretty cool (although some of it is embarrassing). I'm looking forward to helping fill in any gaps I can in the years to come and learning more about what we already know. We're traced back to the Cherokees (one of our ancestors was a chief!) on one side (grandmother's), but haven't gotten that far back yet on the other side (grandaddy's). So I have to ask...do you know where YOU come from? ;p

Hopefully I'll be able to fly home tomorrow...the south doesn't take too kindly to snow and they're not sure what to do about it. I'll be heading to Chicago just in time for some wintery weather there too...gotta get it in now I suppose - don't think I'll be seeing snow for the next couple years unless I head into the mountains.

Hope you all have power and heat (or at least a fire or someone to snuggle with)....cause if you don't already have it, the cold weather is coming!

Acgue,
Dances in the Snow

Home sweet other home

2007-01-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

Just got back from DC...what a great trip! It was fabulous to see everyone...I feel so incredibly loved and lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life :) I only wish I had more time to spend with you all...time goes so fast and it's tough to get enough quality time in. I do want to say thanks, though, to everyone who came out - my heart is so filled with love because of friends like you. Oh, how I miss you!

A bunch of you have been asking about sending me things in Paraguay...well...here's my address for the next couple years, beginning February 8:

Lorien Anderson, PCT (Trainee for the first 3 mos) or PCV (Volunteer after the 3 mo mark)
Cuerpo de Paz
162 Chaco Boreal c/Mcal. Lopez
Asuncion 1580, Paraguay
South America

If you want it to get to me before I leave PC, mark it and send it Airmail (takes two weeks)...don't send anything expensive and if you can, don't send anything in a box - Customs opens all boxes (but not padded envelopes as much) and they have sticky fingers. And for reference, because it's probably the thing I'll ask for most ...I like natural peanut butter - the kind where the only ingredient is peanuts (and sometimes salt). You'll spend more shipping it than buying it I'm sure...but hey, it makes for an easy birthday present ;)

You've also asked about vacation...my coming home to visit and you coming to see me. I get 24 days of vacation each year, and like any job, I have to have permission to take time off or to have visitors. That being said, I welcome all of you with open arms! I'm likely to take my time off to travel around South America because frankly, I might not have the opportunity again. So, if you've always wanted to check out Iguazu Falls or Machu Pichu - let me know when you can come down and we'll work it out :) For you adventurous types, I'd love for you to come check out my home town (wherever that may be) as well. I figure - give me a good 9 months to get settled in and start saving for anything late September and beyond. Linse and I turn 30 this year, so we figure we'll get together somewhere to celebrate - I'll keep ya posted ;)

I've talked with a few returned volunteers from Paraguay, and I'm feeling more excited than ever! As much as I still have some anxieties, being able to talk with others about their experiences has eased a lot of the angst. And thank you for all your encouraging words - they will continue to help me when I'm feeling frustrated and overwhelmed in the months to come.

The next few weeks I'll be visiting family and friends and getting ready to head out - I'm sure it's going to fly by, but I'll be around with access to email and a phone...most of you know I'm not the best about picking up the phone, especially when I'm busy, but you know where to find me and I'd be happy to hear from you :)

With lots of love!
Lor

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-01T18:42:00.000-05:00

Already January, eh? Feels more like March with these balmy temps...

It's been nice being home - relaxing, catching up with friends and family, and getting myself ready for Peace Corps. In the next month I'll be going to DC, Texas, and Chicago to see friends and family and give a few final hugs (no I'm not dying), so I've already started figuring out what I need to take, reading up on Paraguay, brushing up on my Spanish, and trying to teach myself a few words in Guarani (not easy)! My only disappointment - no snow in Michigan!! It's a crime, really ;)

As much as some days I feel pretty nervous...I'm mostly just excited. I remind myself that there are 150 volunteers already serving in Paraguay and I'll be going with a new group of at least 15 or 20 I imagine, so I'm certainly not alone! Besides, I'm pretty adaptable ;)

While things might be a bit busy the next month, I am around...so feel free to shoot and email or give me a call (at my mom's) because pretty soon I'll be going back to being more out of touch.

Hope you all had a safe and fun NYE celebration and whatever holiday you might/might not celebrate this time of year. And I hope you ate your black eyed peas today....they're good luck!

Lots o love,
Lor

Almost home....

2006-12-17T06:04:00.000-05:00

Get your cocoa...it's gonna be a long one!

It's 5:30 in the morning and I'm WIDE awake...in Jersey. Yesterday I headed to NYC to see my girls, Geeta and Wendi :) Tomorrow...it's home to see my family and friends in MI :)

I have such a mix of emotions. While I'm sad to see the trip end - because it really was fabulous - I'm also happy to be home....especially knowing that in 6 weeks I'll likely be heading off again for two years!

I feel that I haven't written a proper blog (novel) since leaving Casas Karen, so let me fill you in on the last couple weeks of the trip:

We took the bus from Los Canos de Meca to Algeciras, where we thought the ferry would be cheaper (rather than from Tangier), to find out that the ferry is the same price pretty much everywhere...it's just longer from Algeciras. But, we could hop a bus on the way back to Sevilla pretty easily from there so we bought our round trip tix on the fast ferry and set off for Morocco.

Our first stop - Tangier. Now we'd been warned - Tangier is grungy, dirty, dangerous...full of con men...skip it and head straight for Asilah or Marrakesh... Well that just turned out to be a bunch of BS. Tangier is a port town, and as such, is a little rough around the edges...but it deserves a day or two and has more to offer than pushy guides waiting for you at the port. The Medina (city center) and Souks (markets) offered spices and fresh foods at much lower prices than anywhere else we visited in Morocco and the town, albeit huge, is pretty nice - set on the water and bustling. The one thing that was a little creepy for me was the sheer volume of men sitting at cafes (all day long!) staring (and I mean STARING!) at everyone who passed by. There was a clear separation between men and women, evident much more in northern Morocco than in the south, but people were still really friendly. We found a nice little hotel....when he told me 270 a night for a double I took a deep breath and said 'Oh, OK...thanks' and nearly ran out of there....until we realized that it was 270 Dirham, or about 27 bucks. Now THAT I can do. We got some good food (mmmm....tabbouleh) down the street and met a really nice guy (our waiter) who was happy to help us with our Arabic and to practice his English. We got tickets for our first overnight train, heading to Marrakesh, and stored our bags at the hotel after discovering that the train station doesn't have a left luggage place and the bus station won't take your bag unless you have a ticket, and walked around to check out the town. Turns out McD's, which is usually only good for using the bathroom (free), has some prime real estate in the city and an outside terrace that overlooks it. So we figured we'd take some pics, enjoy the view, pee and be on our way. Not, of course, before checking out the birthday party, though. Too cute! Versions of happy birthday played while kids were being kids and moms were being moms (no dads of course) ....reminded me that we really are all so much more alike than different!

The train ride to Marrakesh took about 11 hours....thank goodness we had a sleeper! Only four to a room, we shared with a couple of Spaniards who were pretty familiar with Morocco and interesting to chat with. But don't let that fool you...we slept most of the way. Makes the time go soooo much faster! And the cots are pretty cozy...they give you sheets and everything :)

Ahhh, Marrakesh! Immediately off the train we're expertly ushered into a 'petite taxi' (cheaper than the Mercedes taxis) and dropped of at the main square; Djemma el Fna - Assembly of the Dead, the busiest square in all of Morocco. It took about a minute to understand that people either wanted to sell you something, act as your guide or receive a handout. It was all a bit overwhelming. Searching for a hotel, we found many CHEAP options...settled on the Peace Hotel the first night...moved on after that for the remaining nights. The square was absolutely alive, no matter the time of day....the souks (markets) full of everything from spices and Jilabas (traditional robes) to shoes and cell phone accessories. It was difficult to look too much...there was so much pressure to buy! While annoying, it also meant we got some decent deals ;) Even worse than the souks, though, for pushy vendors were the food stands. Every night a huge area of the square was covered with outside eateries selling everything from Harrira (bean soup) and couscous to snails and plates of meat. It was cheap and everyone pretty much had the same stuff, although the quality did vary. They guys trying to get you to sit down were something else. They'd bombard you, pull you, kept talking until you were out of ear shot....it was pretty ridiculous. The first night we saw two people overcharged while we were eating, so we added up what we thought it should cost and handed it to them when we were done...worked out perfectly...we're so savvy ;)

Now something that deserves it's own section is honinger (I really have no idea how to spell it) or ginseng spice tea. It's fabulously spicy...known as natural viagra...gives you energy when drunk in the morning, and makes you 'hot' when drunk at night. We later found out that this is not widely available and I think we embarrassed a cute old man in Rabat when we asked if they served it. It's a blend of ginseng, ginger root, cinnamon, a few types of pepper, anise, cardamom and a few other spices. And it's sooo good!! We had it at least once a day while we were there :) One night we were standing around drinking our tea, wondering what was in it, and when we asked, Aziz, a police officer in a nearby town, answered. He was a really nice guy and we chatted for a while. Then we got onto the subject of religion...if his buddies hadn't been ready to leave (for about 30 minutes before he actually did get going), Adam would have been in for a full conversion attempt. It really is inspiring so see the level of faith and conviction some people have about the beauty of what they believe, whether or not I agree with them.

During our time in Morocco we met dozens of friendly people who wanted more than to just sell you something...they wanted friendship and positive exchanges. Friendship and brotherhood can not be over-emphasized. Men walked around holding hands with other men - not as a sign of sexual intimacy, but as a sign of friendship. Women held hands with other women as well, but not women and men generally unless married. It's a society in which it is OK for a man to have his arm around another man or to simply enjoy the company of another man because they are brothers...friends. That I really liked. There were other things, like the separation of men and women that I wasn't so keen on....but the brotherhood...it warmed my heart.

There was a film festival going on in Marrakesh while we were there. One of the screens was in the big square and another was just down the street in a beautiful theater. We went to see Earth, part of the series Fire, Earth, Water by Deepa Mehta. We weren't ready for the intense drama that ensued....we were just hoping it might be in English or have pretty pictures... Turns out Earth is a film about the independence and breaking apart of India (into India and Pakistan). It is intense, disturbing, and incredibly well done. Highly recommended.

Once we'd had our fill of Marrakesh, or at least a good taste of it, we headed for the capital city, Rabat. Rabat is much more modern, but still a nice blend of old and new....donkey drawn carts still share the road with Mercedes and motor bikes are everywhere. The souks have a more modern feel - Garry you would have been in heaven with the selection of Chucks - but there's still the same ole spices and such as well. We got bamboozled into a little tour of a palace that now serves only as a rental facility for weddings and grand parties. It was pretty cool, but a bit sketchy as well...after giving the 'guide' what I thought was fair ($10) and what he told me was less than half of what he normally got (whatever hon), he wasn't angry or rude...he still walked us back through the maze of streets to the medina in which he'd spotted us and was chatty and friendly. Again, I repeat, the people of Morocco that we had the pleasure of knowing were really, just friendly, even when you didn't do what they hoped for. Rabat is a nice city, but not somewhere we felt the need to spend too much time. Pretty soon we were off to Asilah....a beach town 40 minutes south of Tangier. Met a really nice guy on the train - Rahid....notice that it's only the men who talk to us? Yep....

All those guidebooks that tell you to skip Tangier and head to Asilah? Yeah, well I suppose it's because they like smoking hash.... We were offered more hash in 2 days in Asilah than in the rest of our time in Morocco combined! Most people took us for Spaniards, so we heard "quieras buena hashish?" and "fumas?" again and again. I'm sure Asilah is hoppin in the summer, but with the cold weather setting in, this beach town was pretty dead and the locals were pushing extra hard to earn a buck - we managed to avoid being sucked into another tour ;). The medina was beautiful though, with murals on many of the walls set against the sea.

Monday morning we walked to the train station, battling hurricane level (really people...) winds to remain upright. At one point we went across a bridge and literally had to hold onto the railing to not get blown over. But we made it and hopped on the train back to Tangier to catch the ferry to Algeciras. Spent a bit of time in Tangier gathering a few last minute necessities such as dried fruit and nuts ;) and got to the port in plenty of time to make our 2:30pm fast ferry. Went to information to find out where to go...showed her my ticket even...sent us around the way to wait so we could find out we didn't have the right tickets to board - we'd have to change them. Went to the company's storefront down the way to find out the fast ferries had been canceled, we'd need to get on a slow one....but we're not sure when they're running...maybe 5pm? Just go up and wait. Nice. On the way back we run into a guy who works for the company who is somehow going to get us on the ferry that just told us our tickets are no good....OK...I've learned to not ask too many questions, just accept the help. Lo and behold, our tickets are magically transformed and we're invited onto the boat (that doesn't leave for another hour and a half). I'm sick before we even start moving....Adam started feeling it not too long later. It was a rough ride....when we reached port, we had 20 minutes to jump on a 2 and a half hour bus ride to Sevilla. Thank goodness we had a nice driver who pulled over and let Ad puke on the side of the road....really, it was a rough night.

We got to Sevilla before midnight and took the easy way out - a taxi straight to the hostal of Buen Dormir, yes 'good sleep'. Thank goodness it was a nice place :) Neither of us felt well the following day, but I felt good enough to get up and check out the town. It was beautiful!! And it was in full Christmas swing....poinsettias everywhere and even a temporary market full of mangers and other Christmas decorations in one of the main squares. There was also more construction going on than I'd seen in a while...and people were actually working! The second day we tried to go to Alcazar, one of the beautiful old palaces....until that is, we found out it was 7 euros to get in. Hmmm....thanks, but no thanks. So we wondered through a couple parks - go figure, and made our way to Plaza de Espana, the largest plaza to be called by this name in Spain. It was awesome!!! Mosaic tiles everywhere...impressive architecture, and it was nearly empty. Each city had it's own little mosaic with a couple benches and a map showing it's location. It was built for a fair back in the 20's...you'd think it had housed royalty, but all we could see were some government offices. Nice place to work. After a full day of taking in the sites, we headed to an intimate Flamenco show at the Cultural Center. It was set in an old courtyard and there were probably 30 people there. We got there early to get front row seats (there were only two rows), and it was so worth it. Two dancers, a singer and a guitarist - each equally amazingly talented. Certainly the highlight and passion of Sevilla. Met a girl from Seattle who moved to Sevilla to study and perform Flamenco....says it's a difficult place to get work because it's such a center for it, but that also makes it a great place to study.

Thursday morning (6:30am) we hopped on a flight to Dublin....ahh, back in good ole Dublin. It felt strange to have people speaking to me in nothing but English and to hear so much English around me. Sure makes things easier...but also a little less interesting ;) It was cold and rainy (go figure) our two days there, so we took advantage of the time to chill out, get some much needed extra rest, and watch the Never Ending Story - I admit I had never seen it...oh the poor deprived childhood I must have had... ;) The one place we did make the trek to was the Guinness Storehouse to pick up a couple souvenirs/gifts that I didn't want to lug around with me for 4 months. We also found an awesome Pakistani owned Indian restaurant called Tasty Hut. They'd been open 3 months and the owner was fantastic!!! Met up with Bri, a girl from Canada we met in Greece and her friend Trevor for some 'live jazz', which turned out to be a woman on piano and one on vocals singing songs like 'natural woman'. Not bad, just not what we expected. Had one final pint of Guinness and called it a wrap.

The flight home was loooooong, but uneventful. Customs took my avocado, but otherwise let me through without a problem ;)

And now we're sittin in luxury in Jersey. I've taken a hot bath, eaten tofu, worn jeans and slept in one of the most comfortable beds ever....it's sooo nice! And I can't begin to explain how awesome it was to see my girls yesterday! I'm looking forward to coming home and being able to unpack and really be done traveling. It's been an incredible experience....and now I'm ready to rest for a little while.

Thanks for reading and keeping up with us as we traveled. All the positive energy and thoughts have been much appreciated, and although I don't generally respond to the comments, I read and enjoy every single one. I'll be keeping this blog through Peace Corps and plan on updating it as much as possible...so stay tuned :)

Happy holidays...whatever it is you celebrate, and be good to each other.

With love and happiness,
Lor

Paraguay!

2006-12-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

OK, so I don't have all the details yet...but I do know I have been invited to serve in Paraguay :) leaving February 5th, doing Urban Youth Development!

Right now I'm in Dublin...just got in this afternoon from Sevilla, which was gorgeous! Morocco was fabulous as well. The people there are just so friendly (aside from the pushy vendors that would probably sell you their mothers if you made a good offer). There's so much more to fill you all in on...but right now I just want to enjoy the last couple days of this journey before coming home to prepare for another.

Happiness,
Lor

Peace Corps Update....really....

2006-12-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

I am still in shock....I got my medical clearance!!

Now it is apparently a problem that I am a vegan who is willing to adjust her diet (reluctantly) to include fish, eggs, and poultry if necessary, but am not willing to eat a red meat diet. I explained in approximately 15 different ways that red meat makes me ill and as much as I do not wish to add animals back into my diet, I would be willing to do so in small quantities. Apparently PC is now worried that I might be serving somewhere that red meat is the primary source of nutrition?? In what bizarre world is meat less expensive than beans?? Good grief!! I have decided that they will only be happy when I agree to hand over my soul and my first born. All I can do now is hope for the best, keep following up, and trust that whatever is best will be.

For now, I am enjoying Morocco! Have a few more days here, a few days in Spain, two days in Dublin, a few in Jersey, and then I am home sweet home :) Good bye sandals, hello snow. Yeah snow!! Snow angels, snow men, snow ball fights....ah, good ole MI in December.

Looking forward to seeing many of your smiling faces soon!
xo, Lor

Gypsies in the Palace

2006-12-02T07:19:00.000-05:00

Karen went away to Madrid...and Ad and I moved into Casas Karen I :) It was fabulous!! Our last three nights here were spent in a comfortable bed, with running water, and enough space to stretch out. We had company two nights of the three and made big dinners that we ate by the roar of the fire - it was fabulous! Now we´re rested and ready to head to Morocco, which we´ll be doing in a couple hours. More buses, ferries, trains and planes in our future for the next couple weeks before heading back to the states. About a week/week and a half in Morocco, a few days to a week back in Spain, a couple days in Dublin, two days in Jersey, and I´ll be home! I can´t believe how fast these months have gone! I really am happy to be coming home for a while, though - I´ve missed my friends and family!!!

Not sure if I´ll have the chance to blog again while we´re on the road, but know that I´ll be safe and home soon.

Love to you all :)
Lor

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2006-11-23T05:08:00.000-05:00

Or Tofurkey Day, as I like to call it ;)

I am thankful for so many things....the life I am able to live....the adventures I am able to experience...the love and support I have from my friends and family...the wonderful people I meet every day...the love I share with so many....and I am so thankful for each and every one of you!

Love and hugs to you today and every day :)
xoxo, Lor

Good news from the States!!

2006-11-11T05:34:00.000-05:00

WARNING: Many of you will disagree with the sentiment that follows....if you´d rather not hear any more about how great it is to have less Republicans in office, please stop reading now.

Let me begin by saying YAY!!!!! Great to hear that you all are over there working hard to put a bit more blue back into the system....until we can go green, I´ll settle for blue ;)

I know what the campaigns can be like, and the work is frustrating and sometimes without reward. So a big thank you to all of you who I´m sure worked tirelessly is in order! I hope this will mean a more balanced and thoughtful government that can get its work done without trampling on the rights of the citizens it is meant to represent. And I truly hope we can start moving forward again instead of back.

But let us remember that our representatives are only as good as we make them....this means holding them accountable to their promises and platforms. It means being more than just citizens, but involved constituents. It means reminding those who say they stand for ¨equality¨ that same-sex marriage is an issue of equality, not something outside that realm, and that being ¨pro-enviroment¨ doesn´t just mean you reclycle.

I look forward to hearing more good news and am looking forward to better times. In the meantime, try to keep those slippery politicians in line ;) Hopefully next time I´m in abroad it will be less embarrassing to be American, and by the time I get home I´ll have something more to be proud of.

Great work, guys!!!

xoxo,
Lor

Bizarre doesn´t begin to describe...

2006-11-04T11:03:00.001-05:00

the REAL Casas Karen. You know, the seedy underbelly...the mess in the closet...the nut case behind the name.... OK, so it´s still the ideal location :)

Our work continues to be varied, and now includes cooking lunch for Karen and walking her dog. Hmmmm...not what I imagined when we came, but whatever - it´s pretty cushy. Patrick, the caretaker, is hysterical. An absolute riot and a wealth of information. We´re learning about the complete lack of structure this place exists on and are honestly amazed that it functions as well as it does. It´s a marvel, really. The reason there´s still no vegetable garden? Because the decision to just go ahead with it after other WWOOFers had cleared and prepared the land just wasn´t/couldn´t be made. The reason there´s still an outdoor shower contraption that´s absolutely falling down in disrepair? Because the decision can´t be made what to do with it. The reason it takes so long to get work like painting or plumbing done around here? Because no one will work for the owner...she´s too much of a nut case and she has that reputation throughout the village. It´s sad, really....but she is truly, certifiable. At first I thought she was just energetic...a little over-ambitious...a little scattered, but generally together. Let me be the first to say - I´ve been wrong before. But behind the psychosis, there´s a pretty nice person, so I can´t be too hard on her :) I´ve decided that if anyone ever wants to major in Sociology, they should absolutely spend a year volunteering as a WWOOFer. It´s absolutely fascinating!

Today was one of our days off, so we went down to the beach, had a picnic and checked out the people wind-surfing. Very cool!! On Tuesday, our other day off, we attempted to ride our bikes to Barbate (about 9 kms from here). At about km 3, Ad got a flat tire, so we ended up walking the bikes through the mountains the rest of the way. It´s a bustling port town that still observes siesta time...so at about 3:30 we found ourselves looking for an easier way home. Thank goodness for Patrick - he came to pick us up :) We also spent some time walking through the parque natural collecting pine cones so that we can harvest our own pine nuts. I now understand why they cost $10 for a little bag! It´s a pretty intensive process!! But what could be better than fresh pine nuts and wild rosemary and lavendar? Makes leaving the figs and grapes just a little easier...

We met the guy who runs the falafel joint down the road, Amit, the other night. Turns out he and his wife used to live in Patrick´s bus and work here as WWOOFers. Said he´d be happy to help us out, seeing as we´re new to the neighborhood and all....they seem like good people. We´re heading out with Patrick tonight for some fun....should be a good time.

All this to say we´re settling in...good thing since we´ll be here till the first of December!

More soon and I´m still waiting on those Halloween pics!! Thank you, Sangeeta, for taking me seriously and sending yours on...you looked fantastic!!!!

Con Paz y Felicidad!
Lor

Livin´the Dream!

2006-10-28T09:20:00.000-04:00

It´s true....we're only working 25 hours a week, have our own camper - compact, but functional and clean, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and are sandwiched in-between the mountains and the sea. We can even hear the roar of the waves from our camper! Oh, and the stars absolutely light up the sky at night. It´s unreal to think how much beauty there is that so many of us living in cities just don´t see.

Los Canas de Meca is about an hour outside of Cadiz and within two hours we can be in Morroco. It rained the first couple days we were here, but we didn´t work anyway, so it didn´t much matter ;) We went to the beach our first day here, and while it´s beautiful, unfortunately there seems to have been an oil spill or illegal dump or something. There was tar over much of the beach, and I still have the reminents on my feet to prove it! Got most of it off using vinegar, but there was some that was just too stubborn. So now I have paper towell in-between my monkey toes and a little more comes off each time I try....could have been worse I suppose...I could be one of those poor seals or penguins covered in oil with no way to get it off. We brought it up to Karen, our hostess, and she said it was NOT normal! She called the police and natural resource management folks and said if they don´t come out and do something soon, she´ll go to the papers. Looks like someone went out to survey the area (we went to watch the sunset last night) but nothing has been done so far. We have a couple good pics - including one of the bottom of my foot covered in tar....we´ll try to get those uploaded soon.

Our work is varied, which is nice. Patrick, the caretaker, is really laid back and easy to work with. There isn´t actually a farm here yet. They´ve been composting and getting the area ready for a garden, but so far there are just a bunch of plants and some herbs around the land. We think we´ll be able to help spread the compost and prepare the soil to plant - it´s a good time for that here...the weather is cooler but still warm and while there is plenty of sunshine, there is a bit more rain than other times of year.

Our travels through Italy and Spain were fantastic!

Quickly - Cinque Terre was stunningly beautiful and peaceful, Rome I loved much more than I thought I would (great green space), Florence was nice (although we couldn´t get on the wine tour to Chiante like we hoped to), and Venice was fabulous (ridiculous amounts of shopping). I need more time in Italy next time.

Barcelona exceeded my expectations. It was beautiful and there were green spaces and parks everywhere! My one complaint of Italy - not enough green space....completely remedied in Spain. We found our favorite restaurant so far as well - Juicy Jones - chalk full of vegan fair and a different Indian platter each night. It was unreal it was so good! We´ve already recommended it to 10 or 12 people. LOL The hostel we stayed in was out of the city near Park Guell - where all the Gaudi stuff is (awesome does not begin to do it justice). It was a perfect location, but full of high school groups! We might have been the oldest ones there with the exception of the chaperones. But it was cheap, clean, and we got our own room for two of the three nights. Oh, and I learned that they speak Catalan in Barcelona - mix of French and Spanish...nothing like what I learned in school!

Madrid, where they speak Spanish, was again full of green space and parks and was just beautiful. Unfortunately it rained a good deal while we were there, but that just forced us inside to get some culture ;) Picasso, Dali.....some really random modern "art"....good stuff. We stayed at Cat´s Hostel - ridiculously loud, but we met some fantastic people and ended up hanging out with a good group while we were there. Even went to watch the Barcelona vs. Madrid Futbol game on Sunday night. Saturday and Sunday we ended up at places where we were the only English speakers - it was pretty nice.

And now we´re at Casas Karen - www.casaskaren.com if you want to check out the luxury we´re living in ;) There´s so much more...but there´s only so much time you have to read and I have to write :)

Hope you are all doing well and getting ready for my favorite holiday. Yes, Halloween :) Dress up as something crazy and send me a picture! I´ll be missing the trick-or-treators here.

xoxo, Lor

What day is it??

2006-10-22T04:11:00.000-04:00

Hey all :)

I´ve gotten a few emails about my not blogging lately....not to worry, I´m happy and healthy...just haven´t wanted to spend 9 euro (you heard me right) and hour to blog.

I´m in Madrid one more day and then heading to Cadiz for the second farm on Monday. I´ll have more access to internet there (I hope) and will update you all then :)

Love and hugs to you all!!!
Lor

PS - I LOVE Spain!!!!

Final days of Arta Bio....

2006-10-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

which will live im my memory forever. All said and done, Arta Bio was a great experience! While it might not have been ideal, it was certainly interesting!!

I have to admit that I became a bit disheartened while weeding kiwi's that admittedly had not been weeded yet this year....they just have too much to care for to do it right, and more than they could possibly use. If the aim is self-sufficiency, they'll need to scale back quite a bit! Aside from these moments of "why even bother?", I did end up enjoying the experience. I made a friend in Barbara, was called a "thinker" by Giorgos, and have been told that I am "allowed" to come back and volunteer again any time. LOL ;)

So let's see....where did we leave off...ahh, weeding. Yes, weeding....well that didn't change. We continued to weed, except when we planted spring onions - also called scallions where I'm from and I use them to cook, not plant - but it was good work. We moved on to weeding the Kiwi's, which turned out to be amusing....we played "find the kiwi plant" and took photos of our triumphs over the grasses which were taller than all of us. It also happened that Thali and Ludwig (the dogs) brought home another little pup that day. She was delicious! Adorable, soft, quiet, playful, mischevious...she followed us to the kiwi field and tried to eat the leaves of the plants, sat right where I was trying to weed, and would steal your glove as fast as you put it down....we named her Kiwi, and adopted her as our own. Unfortunately it only took a couple days for the fleas to find her and our hosts to put her on a leash (which she didn't like one bit!) but we still just loved her. Good grief - three dogs and two cats kept at a home that no one other than volunteers inhabit at this point....I only wish I could have taken them with me.

Anke's parents arrived a few days before we left. They came out to the Straw-bale house and we introduced ourselves. Anke's mom was the only one who spoke any english, but her granmother wanted to talk to us, so we smiled and nodded :) What was strange, and a little uncomfortable was that one of the first things Anke's mom said to us was that it was very difficult for them to visit her there on the farm. Her disapproval shining through, perhaps looking for validation from us. I, instead, focused on the beauty of the farm...the sunsets, the herb garden, how much Anke had accomplished in such a short time....it really made me appreciate (even more than I already do) how supportive my parents are of my decisions - even when they aren't the best decisions. Having them there made everything quite a production! Not only did they clean the house - it looked completely different than when we'd arrived - but Anke showered, wore clean clothes, and catered to them. We were invited for lunch on Monday (they arrived Sunday afternoon) and had a fabulous meal with wine and even homemade, vegan ice cream! Frozen bananas put through the juicer, covered in homemade cherry sauce (mom - I know you have a ton of bannanas in the freezer...now we know what to do with 'em), beyond delicious! The following day we made lunch for oursleves, which was actually pretty nice. I made curried pumpkin and chick peas with veggies....good stuff :) Made me excited to be able to cook while we're at Casas Karen.

Her family worked while at the farm...cleaning wheat, preparing corn kernals, cleaning pumpkin seeds....her father even helped us weed on the last day! I think he'd grown restless from all the sit-down work he'd been doing. I really enjoyed one of her grandmothers...even though I scarcely had any idea what she was saying, her good nature was infectious and I felt that she truly wanted to be happy for and supportive of Anke. It was nice to see....she loved her enough to put aside judgement and just find a way to be happy for her.

We were planning to go the Arta fair the afternoon of our last day of work (mostly just vendors selling their wares), but it rained so that didn't work out. We spent our last working hours dancing on chick peas (to get them out of their shells). It was probably the most fun we've had working :) The rain was incredible...it just didn't stop! It rained and rained and rained....the sound was fairly soothing on the tin roof and it meant that there was no loud music - not too shabby. It also meant our plans of fig and grape picking the afternoon or morning before we left was out of the question - which was too bad since we'd been eying those figs....but I figure we'd had plenty while we were there. What's funny is that I've never been a big fig fan...probably because I've only had the purple/black kind and I like the fresh green ones much better. You never really know if you like something until you've had it fresh, I suppose.

During our last days working, I wondered around humming the tune of "favorite things" from the Sound of Music, making up silly little versus that related to Arta Bio. Adam and Barbara chimed in after a while with a few lines of their own, and we decided to write our fearless hosts a funny little ditty that went like this: (If you don't know the tune, try looking it up online...it'll make reading the song make a bit more sense)

Ode to Arta Bio

Sunrises, sunsets and trips to the sea,
Lemon Verbena to put in our tea.
Blackberry picking and killing mosquitos,
olive bread, fresh figs, and yellow tomatoes.
Muesli and orange juice that Giorgos brings...these are a few of our favorite things.

When mosquitos bite, while I'm weeding,
when I'm feeling stiff and sore.
I think of a few of my favorite things,
and I couldn't ask for more!

Giorgos' joking and Anke's teaching,
exchange of knowledge without all the preaching. (a bit of a stretch :)
Pumkin and curry and ratatatoulli, (yes, it's mispelled on purpose so it fit)
banana ice cream with cherries all gooey.
Muesli and orange juice that Giorgos brings...these are a few of our favorite things.

When the bathroom leaks, when it's raining,
when I'm feeling cold and wet.
I think of a few of my favorite things,
that never make me fret!

Kiwi and Ludwig and Thali and geckos,
meals with Dimitri are always...(pause)...mmm, NOSTRIMOS!!!
The Sound of Music and other great classics
a sturdy straw-bale house, we've seen George's tactics.
Muesli and orange juice that Giorgos brings...these are a few of our favorite things.

When the disco beats, while we're sleeping,
when we're feeling tired and sad.
We think of a few of our favorite things,
Arta Bio ain't so bad!

It was a smashing success! They took a photo of us singing, laughed throughout the song and cheared when we'd finished. We gave them the song, written out on scrap paper we found at the house and signed by all of us. Anke said it was the nicest gift a volunteer had ever given them, and I believe her. They really seemed touched - evidenced by the fact that Giorgos didn't charge me for the fax I sent that night (he's always scheming for a way to make a buck!) Dimitry loved it too, and the next morning Grigorios asked us to sing it with him so he could get the tune right. Needless to say, we were glad we'd taken the time to write it, and that we weren't too bashful to perform ;)

The morning we left went much too quickly, but no one likes drawn out goodbyes anyway. Dimitry offered to drive us to the bus stop...said it was a pleasure and told us again how much he liked us, which meant a lot coming from him - he's genuine, gentle, bright and engaging....a true gentleman! After our quick hugs and words of well wishes we were told again that we were welcome back anytime. Who knows...maybe one day. I'd be curious to see what's become of the farm after a few years time.

I know our experience at Casas Karen will certainly be much different....but it's all about the experience. Currently, we're experiencing Italy. So far, so good. We've had both pizza and gelato (yes they make some without milk) already...tomorrow - limonchello ;) I'll keep you posted. Until then, lots of love and hugs!

Lor

Birthday Bliss

2006-10-03T15:50:00.000-04:00

First of all...thank you, thank you, thank you for all the kind birthday wishes :) I do appreciate your thoughts and warm wishes!

If you are feeling wary, tired of working, like you need a vacation; and might experience pangs of jealousy from reading about the most wonderful day(s) ever, please stop reading now.... OK, now where to begin??

We arrived on the beautiful island of Corfu on September 28 at 5pm and were greeted by Paul in his friendly Sunrock shuttle. Corfu town is bustling and cramped, and while it looked enchanting from the sea as we approached, I was just as happy to leave the hustle and bustle and head for the hills.

About 15 minutes later, with my heart in my stomach thanks to Greek driving (which even this Englishman has adopted), we arrived at Sunrock...a lovely hostel tucked back from the road overlooking the sea. We were greeted by other backpackers who had accepted work in exchange for room and board at the hostel and enjoyed the view from the roof-deck while waiting for Madelena to show us to our room....our clean, bug-free, beautiful room with a real bed and a balcony overlooking the sea. We must have appeared as little rag-a-muffins who had never seen a hotel before the way we kept commenting about how nice everything was, our eyes as big as saucers. First order of business? The sunset - of course! I can not wait to upload these photos!!! This was most certainly the most incredible sunset I have ever seen....on the water...in Greece...while sitting on the beach. The sunset alone was enough reward for my hard work and endurance of so many other things on the farm! But this was just the beginning.

After the sunset we took hot showers :) I haven't felt that clean in AGES, and it was absolute bliss! Weeks of grime just melted away...I was a new woman! We also ordered a half liter of homemade wine from the hostel and proceeded to relax until dinner - included in the price of the hostel!! We drank a lot of wine during our stay in Corfu...and I have to say, the Greeks have some pretty good stuff...just stay away from the Retsina ;) Our first night, the employees (working for room and board) outnumbered the guests and most of them were American. We had a good time chatting, enjoyed some pretty decent food and were invited to the beach for a bonfire. We contemplated going...but then thought about the clean warm bed waiting...no music playing, no dogs barking, the sound of the waves crashing, a good night rest almost gauranteed... and we succumbed to our need for rest. Aside from the mosquitos buzzing in our ears, it was fabulous!

September 29...my "golden birthday"...we slept in, had pancakes for breakfast (included - nice amenities at this hostel!) and made our way to the beach. Pelekas beach...small, uncrowded, and relaxed. We soaked up the sun...ate baklava soaked in honey...drank good wine...and just relaxed. It was absolutely heavenly! We heard there was a "mud beach" nearby - also a nudist beach, but the mud part outweighed the nude part, so we decided to venture over. We found the beach, but did not see the mud...it was a bit disappointing, but we vowed to ask again - we figured we were just in the wrong place - and try again the next day. So we went back to our beach and relaxed some more - rough day, I know. About 6pm we decided to head in to shower and then watch the sun set. Again - hot showers...ahhhhh.... We watched the sun set from the beach - it was lovely, but there was a layer of clouds above the horizon that blocked most of the sun's disappearance into the sea. We did catch glimpses of the bright pink sun, however, and the colors in the clouds above were a nice gentle pink. We ventured in to the dining room and had a delicious meal! We even had a shot of uzo after dinner, which was disgusting, but when in Greece! A few more travellers had arrived, so we took some time to talk with new people and get this - relax some more ;) Bliss I tell ya, Bliss!

The next morning we asked again about the mud beach. Nikki told us that it was, indeed, the nudist beach we wanted and that we just needed to go into the sea and dig around for the mud. OK - second try....we scaled the steep, dirt "path" to get down to the tiny, secluded beach. Leaving our inhibitions and our clothes on the beach, we waded into the sea in search of mud. After a few minutes of feeling around on the shallow, sandy ocean bottom, we felt the smooth mud we were in search of. After gathering enough to cover us from head to toe, we retreated to the beach and began the transformation to sea creatures. We caught a few odd glances, but were otherwise ignored. As we sat on the beach to dry, we could feel the mud tighten on our skin and watch the mud turn from a deep gray-green to a light greenish-gray. It was sooo cool ;) After washing off in the sea (at least we thought we'd washed it off until we dried and could still see faint shades of mud all over us) we returned to the other, more modest side of the beach and relaxed (if you can believe it) for the rest of the day. At this point, we decided to stay another day. Neither of us needed much convincing from the other that this was a good idea. It was something we needed...something we'd earned...something so obvious.... Well, our one extra day turned into two because there were no ferries to Italy that next day it turns out...oh, shucks! ;) Corfu, and Sunrock in particular is a fabulous place to rest, relax and rejuvinate.

I'm sorry to leave you all in such a rush....and I will indeed get back to our last days in Arta next time, but my time is up. I'm due on a ferry to Brindisi in about an hour. We're travelling through Brindisi...taking a train straight to Napoli, where I hope to get back online. Soon, in any event.

So thank you again for all your love, thoughts, wishes and comments. I leave you now, fully rejuvinated and ready to take on Italy! Bring on the Gellato ;)

Hugs!
Lorien

The Scorpion and the Plunger

2006-09-20T07:43:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while since my last post....we've been too busy to get to town until now....and I feel the need to begin with my saga from last night.

After another long day of weeding (I'm not kidding when I say we weed for six hours a day - except for the days it's eight hours - 6 days a week) I had the honor or horror (depends on your point of view at the time) of taking the first cold shower. Now, usually, this means you flush the bugs that have accumulated through the day down the drain. Well, last night was a special night. The scorpion was back and he was in the tub. What to do? So first I grabbed the lotion bottle because it's one of those with that comes to a flat edge at the top, and scooped him out of the shower onto the strip of tile that lays haphazardly between the shower and the wall. Good, no problem....I step into the shower and feel the cold water on my face. But, oh no...couldn't be that easy! He decides to slide right back into the shower. OK, plan B. So I grab the plunger and put it on top of him. Neutralized I figure, safe enough. About 30 seconds later, I see his pinchers come out from under the plunger, and then, lo and behold, he comes scurrying out. OK, this is not good. I'm wet and cold, and showering with a scorpion who's probably pretty ticked off at me at this point. Immediate action needed. So, I grabbed the plunger again and scooted him out of the tub onto the wall. I think he must have been more terrified of me because he ran into the wall as fast as he could and then looked back out at me before continuing his venture into the many crevasses that lay beyond the part tile, part brick, part plaster walls. I showered with one eye always on the ground, just to be sure.....and emerged victorious (aside from the 5 or 6 mosquito bites that come standard with every shower each night).

It's funny though, will all the bugs, critters, lizards and snakes that we come into contact with every day....the most vexatious are absolutely the mosquitos. If they carried disease, I would certainly be dead by now. We've been working more in the herb garded lately, and while I love the smells of the lemon verbana, sage, lavender and rosemary...it's mosquito heaven - especially in the evening. Worst place to be bitten? So far - the stomach. They take forever to go away, and itch more than the rest.

On a more positive note, the straw bale house is becoming much more of a home. We've even taken to baking our own bread! It's pretty cool - we separate the wheat (from the bad stuff like little stones), they mill it, and then we use it. The recipe is simply whole wheat, salt, olive oil and warm water. Takes about 30 minutes from beginning to end to make and eat - perfect! We've tried it with olives (grown on the farm) and rosemary from the herb garden so far. Both batches were fantastic if I do say so myself! Oh, and I found out that you can't eat olives from the tree...without being soaked in brine, they are "horribly bitter and disgusting" - Anke's description.

We continue to gather fruit and try new things....for example - passion fruit and cactus fruit. The cactus fruit is a bit more dodgy - there are tons of little thorns that need to be burned off the outside before they're safe to eat. When we harvested them yesterday, Adam and I had our share of those little thorns all over us...I couldn't imagine having them in my mouth! Ouch!!!! And really, the fruit isn't worth it to me...tastes like papaya....but Barbara loves them, so she's in heaven. Tomorrow, we make quince sauce (like apple sauce).

We have breakfast together every morning - fruit and mueslix, and now we have herbs for tea - lemon verbana and mint is my favorite. It's really nice to start the day together and gives us some time to wake up before going off to kill some weeds and destroy some homes (all those poor little ants).

Anke's parents and grandparents are coming to visit on Sunday, so the last couple weeks has been all about making everything look nice. So, that herb garden, that looked more like a jungle last week, needed tons of work. The veggie garden, the grapes, the trees...everything needs weeding, and some haven't been done in a year! It's a lot to do in a short time, but we're getting it done (and making her look good) so she can be proud of what she's doing when they come. Apparently they'd prefer her to be earning money in a job anywhere, or really doing anything but farming, so it's even more important for her that things look fabulous. Oh, what we do for our parents ;p

It's rained twice now. Just for part of two different days. I'm happy to report that the only place that the roof leaks is in the bathroom - easy enough to clean up, just not so conducive for using the toilet while it rains. We shelled beans one morning, the other rain was on our day off - go figure. We are apparently entering the rainy season soon...another reason all the weeding needs to be done quickly. We're learning about different plants and such, but we both wish the work was more varied. If for no other reason - our aching knees.

We've learned a lot about our hosts over the past couple weeks - they have very lofty goals, they take on waaaay more than they can reasonably accomplish, they are the king and queen of bold statements (all organic farmers, except vegan of course, spray their farms with animal blood), they have a general disdain for people who don't want to work on farms, they profess the desire to be self-sufficient but then don't want to shell beans or clean wheat to use (so instead they buy beans, rice and lentils from the store), they complain about people being wastefull and utilizing too many resources and then plant 100 Ginko trees (in all they have 2500 trees planted on their land). They have more planted than they could possible use - ever, but don't want to sell to the people in town because they don't want to deal with "those people"....but if they do sell things, they'll give people who want to come work on the farm a good price and try to "rip off" the others. They love classic movies (Romeo and Juliet, the Graduate, Sound of Music) and like to watch them over and over and over again. Over all, they are very nice people - just a bit off....perhaps misguided. Interesting, though...definitely interesting.

We've decided to stay until September 27th. We'll leave the morning of the 28th and head for Corfu - an island between Greece and Italy - to celebrate our birthdays (both on the 29th) and relax for a bit. On the 1st of October, we head for Italy.

Wish I had more time, but that's all I've got for now. Hope you're all doing well and staying happy and healthy.

Much love!
Lor

And you all call ME granola?!?!

2006-09-11T08:25:00.001-04:00

I'm Martha Stewart compared to this crew!!

Well, we've settled into our new home nicely. It's still just as dirty, but so are we, so I think it bothers us less ;) We've become accustomed to the spotted slug (it's huge) that enjoys crawling along the tile in the bathroom, the tiny geckos that dart in and out of the walls silently (they're actually pretty cool), the rats that seem to be chewing their way through the straw at night, the cats that poke their heads in the fridge every time it's opened, the gnats that surround us at the "main house" during dinner, and even checking the sheets and pillow every night before laying down - just to be sure.

What I haven't gotten used to quite yet is the lack of the dirty-unsanitary line that exists at the farm - evidenced by the fact that our hosts don't even rinse their plates after dinner....just leave them dirty on the table for the next meal (Adam and I rinse ours every night), the scorpion in the bathroom this morning (little, but still a scorpion), the dog that barks beneath our window half the night, and the incredibly LOUD music coming from the after hours club over 1 kilometer away. After hours meaning it starts going about midnight and doesn't stop until about 6 or 7am. Apparently the club doesn't have a license, and when Giorgos has complained to the police in the past they've told him - The club does not have a license, what can we do? Are you kidding? Nope. So, he circulated a petition and got all the neighbors to sign a complaint. He went into town today to issue a formal complaint...hopefully it will help. It's really ridiculous - if it's loud enough to wake us up over a kilometer away....I don't know how the people who go there can stand it! The little dog (there are two) hates it too...he barks a lot depending on the music - seems to bark more when the music is worse ;)

We've been weeding a lot....and I mean A LOT!!! Aside from weeding orange, peach, apricot, and olive trees, grape vines, corn, cabbage and other veggies, we've cleared, tilled and prepared a field so we could plant strawberries, and picked walnuts, black berries and figs (they're green figs and they are soooo tasty!!). We'll be gathering walnuts for an hour each day until they're all gathered....we pick berries whenever we see them - they grow wild on the side of the road, and they go very well in our morning mueslix. We've even stolen - shhhh - a few grapes from a neighboring farm - tasted like Welches grape juice, no kidding!

We work for 3-4 hours in the morning (somewhere between 7 and 11:30am) and 3 hours in the evening (between 5 and 8 generally) to avoid the hottest part of the day. I like the schedule - gives us plenty of time to do whatever else during the day - like walk into town and hit the internet cafe to update all of you on our lives ;) Some days we just relax a bit...learn a few more Greek words...pick berries ;) It's pretty chill, and the work, while laborious, is not very difficult. We can even listen to music (thank you for the MP3 player Geeta!!!) while we work. Pretty nice to jam to some Al Green while I weed away ;)

We've seen so many gorgeous sunsets already, and set against the mountains....ahhhh....oh, and I watch the sunrise from bed every morning - tough, I know ;) We went to the sea last week in the afternoon one day - it was incredible! The water is crystal clear and so refreshing. I haven't felt that clean since we've been here!!! Only it's not quite so safe to go in after the tide starts coming up....TONS of huge jellyfish! Unfortunately we left just as the sun was going down - there was still dinner to prepare and all....watching the sunset from back window of the car as we drove away, ahhhhhhhh, it was absolutely breathtaking and heartbreaking all at the same time. How could we leave at the most beautiful moment of the day? It made me wonder if I'd ever take it for granted if I lived here....would it ever be less enchanting? I can't imagine ever being anything but in awe. We're told we'll be heading for an even more beautiful beach this week - MORE beautiful?? Count me in! Only thing is that it's 100 kilometers away, so there's no chance we'll stay for sunset. When we leave the farm, I'm determined to watch a sunset from beginning to end from a beach in Greece. Could be on the mainland...could be Corfu....but it will be! It's just so difficult to fully describe the beauty of the water....even the river that runs through town that we're told we can't swim in looks clear and gorgeous!

Good grief there's just soooo much to write and so little time....

The food here has been great! Anke is a fabulous cook (I just pretend that the conditions are sanitary) and we came at a time when fresh veggies are plentiful. The little yellow tomatoes are awesome! And yes, I'm getting plenty of nutrients, momma ;) Lentils, beans, grains, veggies....mmmmmm....we even got curry the other night (although it can't compare to my Geeta's cooking)! We eat leftovers from dinner for lunch the following day, and Anke gave us some fresh orange marmalade...soooo yummy....for bread in the morning, which sure beats mueslix with orange juice. Although the orange juice is freshly squeezed...so that's pretty good too. She made these incredible fig balls the other day that I renamed to Fig Truffles and have decided we need to market because they are so nostrimos (delicious) :) And like I said earlier, we're picking figs and berries and have even had a few strawberries. There's also a market in town with plenty of cheap, good stuff....so all of you who were worried I'd starve should be more hopeful I can fit in my pants by the time we leave! ;p

Overall, I'm really glad we're here. Anke and Giorgos are super nice and Demitry, Girogos' brother-in-law is fabulous!! Barbara, the other volunteer, couldn't be nicer - and she's fun too! She's from a Germanic part of Northern Italy and grew up on a dairy farm. And even though our hosts are a bit odd (to say the least)....I feel really comfortable here...and that's what's important.

Oh, I almost forgot - we watched the Sound of Music the other day (took two days because it's so long). It's the first time I've seen it, and I know Stephanie (in VA) will be very happy that I finally saw it ;) It was actually pretty good. It's apparently one of Giorgos' favorite movies. LOL Who would have guessed? One thing I can say for sure, is that there is never a dull day, and they never cease to surprise me.

I know I've left out a ton of stuff....but hopefully that gives you enough for now. You can always check out Adam's blog too - adshock.blogspot.com.

Until next time, Sagapi (I love you) all, and thank you for reading and sending the positive vibes - yes, I can feel them.

xoxo,
Lor

PS - we haven't seen any of those nasty little bugs in our beds lately...YAY!

Our own reality show

2006-09-06T07:13:00.000-04:00

Getting to Arta was a bit more challenging than getting to Delphi....

We were told to take the bus to Nafpaktos and from there we could catch a bus to Arta. No, he did not have a time table for when buses left for Arta, so we decided to take the early (10:15) bus to Nafpaktos just in case. It took 3 hours to go about 60 miles because of the route and the roads we took, but it was breathtaking! We travelled close to the sea most of the way and I'm not sure I've ever seen water so beautiful. See through sea foam green close to shore blended into turqouise, which melted into the deep blue sea....simply mesmerizing.

Upon arriving in Nafpaktos we found the bus station closed and no posting for a bus that might head to Arta. We asked in the cafe around the corner and were told that we needed to go to another station - about 1 kilometer that way. Turns out one of the two guys we were talking to had been to Jersey...seems A LOT of people have been to Jersey, lived in Jersey, or have family in Jersey. It's wild. Anyway, we started walking "that way" and with no station in sight, decided to stop and ask again. We wondered into the right market because we found a very helpful couple. She spoke enough English to help us understand what he was saying (yelling) and he flagged down the bus and told the driver what we needed. All we could do was rely on the kindness of strangers whose language we couldn't speak to find our way....so now were were in the bus driver's hands. He let us off at an intersection about 15 minutes later and told us to walk 1 kilometer (everything is 1 kilometer) to the gas station....so we did....when we asked about the bus to Arta there, we were told to walk 1 km down to the next station. Low and behold, when we arrived and asked about the bus to Arta, we were told it would pass by about 3pm (it was now 2:40). A number of buses came and went, none of them bound for Arta. And then we saw it - APTA! At 4pm we were on another bus...one step closer to the farm.

We arrived without a problem, called the farm, and were told that Giorgos was out on the farm and he wouldn't be back until after 8pm...we should call back. So we left our cell number and went to get a few groceries and look for an internet cafe. We had at least two hours to kill. The bus station is apparently in the older, smaller part of town. We strolled around sticking out like sore thumbs with our packs and sad attempts at the Greek language. The guy in the bakery seemed to take pity on us and in his gruff mannor gave us free sesame sticks (which are actually round). So we bought a couple cookies and moved on to the market. After that we stopped at the old man bar for a beer, and I have to say, I don't know that I've met nicer people anywhere...but it's funny because people seem annoyed or even mad when they're being helpful or really nice. It's a little bizarre. We ended up missing Giorgos because the call wouldn't go through to the cell phone and he came to pick us up when we weren't at the bus station.... When we called back we were told to walk to the old Arta Bridge....again we asked for directions and were told it was about 1 kilometer up the road - straight up the road. After walking a good 2 kms, we asked a couple girls on the street - Arta yefira? Yeah, it was straight up the road, but it was a loooong way... So, 1 km turned into about 5 or 6...we were hot with our packs, but it really wasn't that bad. And we learned that Arta is quite a large town! The bridge was very cool - old, stone, and used only for walking now.

Giorgos picked us up and took us the rest of the way. We stopped at the main house for dinner with him, his girlfriend, Anke - a German horticulturist, and Barbara, another wwoofer from a Germanic part of northern Italy. Cluttered does not begin to describe this house, but everyone was friendly and happy to have us there. We were told that the next morning we could sleep in because they had business to conduct in the morning - we'd begin work about 2pm. Sweet!

Then we walked to the straw-bale house, which is where we're staying. It's a fairly large house with an addition going on the top of it out closer to the fields. We were greeted by two dogs - chained out front the majority of the time - and two cats - near starving it turns out. The place is literally made of straw (big bricks of it) and plaster. There is some metal that lends support and a tin roof, and some wood mostly for the stairs and around the windows. Everything is makeshift and looks in disrepair. The amount of clutter is overwhelming. It's really dirty....but we're already getting used to that. Our room is pretty simple - two cots, a few benches to put our things on, and a window with a screen that wouldn't keep out a pigeon (and doesn't keep out the cats) much less flies. As we were preparing to make the bed, something told me to pick up the mattress (really more of a pad), and there they were - tons and tons of little silver bugs on the mats between the mattress and frame - the kind that make your skin crawl. We folded up the mats and took them downstairs to shake out - yuck and yuck!!! When we went back, we put the mats down, the pad from the other cot, the pad from our cot and a quilt before putting our sheets down - thank you soooo much to my momma for making us sleep sacks that velcro together - we've used them everywhere, but never needed them more than now!!! So far, the creepy crawlers haven't made their way up to us.

All the animals have fleas, and the cats are way too hungry. Giorgos says they don't feed them much because they want them to hunt, but these cats are so hungry that any time we open the fridge, they climb inside, and when we have anything to eat, they are all over us. We ended up giving them some food so they'd leave us alone, and decided to start feeding them at least a little everyday because it's just not right not to - they are sooo skinny....

The first day was pretty chill. They didn't end up getting back until after 4pm so we didn't start working (weeding) until 5pm - we worked until 8:30. I started the day with cereal that turned out to have bugs in it...yum, yum! Now, we check everything! There's a makeshift balcony outside of Barbara's room, so we'll be hanging out there a lot - it's the nicest place in the house ;)

Today we woke up about 6:45 and started weeding at 7:30. We worked until 11am and then came to town. It's too hot to work in the middle of the day, so we'll work another 3 hours this evening when we get back - 6 hours each day is what is expected, and I think that's reasonable. Did you read that? Too hot to work in the middle of the day! :) YAY, Greece!

My time is almost up, so I'm going to have to leave the character development until next time ;p

Love to you all!!!
Lor

150 Kilometers and a world apart!

2006-09-06T06:16:00.000-04:00

Bustling, big, dirty Athens...meet quiet, quaint, beautiful Delphi.

So we went to Athens to see the ruins...little did we know it would be the only thing we'd want to see. Athens is a huge city full of stores full of junk geared toward tourists, endless amounts of people hustling everything from kazoos to plastic sunglasses, people begging for money, a taverna at every turn with staff dedicated to getting you in and seated, high end stores for shoes, clothing, jewelry, oh, and did I mention lots of stores? While I didn't expect it to be quaint by any means, I thought there still might be a sense of charm or just a little something special...well....not so much. This is not to say there is nothing to love about Athens, it's just not my kind of town.

The Acropolis and the numerous sites of ruins were fairly cool, but again, I think I expected something more awe-inspiring. It didn't help that half the ruins had scaffolding all over them... detracts from the wonder of the building when it's getting a face lift I suppose. Although it is very impressive what they have been able to preserve and the endless amount of marble that seems to have existed back a couple thousand years ago. Now, I like marble as much as the next girl, but let me tell you, those stairs are downright dangerous! We were slipping all over the place!

Our hostel/hotel was a bit seedy, but my main complaint is the smoke that permeated the place, oh, and the noise right outside our window wasn't ideal either. The first morning, there must have been some sort of celebration or protest because we awoke to honking horns (NY times 50) and walked by a lively demonstration not too far away. The second morning was a good deal quieter, but still like being in the heart of Manhattan. Side note - being here makes me soooo appreciate the laws that separate smokers from non-smokers in restaurants and bar smoking all together in common areas. Even as I type, the smoke filling this cyber-cafe is invading my lungs and giving me a headache.

Ok, Athens....seeing as we weren't overwhelmed with the city, we decided to bolt earlier than planned and head to Delphi (many people just do a side trip to Delphi from Athens). We got up and spent the better part of the day seeing more sights and walking about the city before picking up our packs from the hostel and heading to the bus station. We knew this - take the 24 bus until you see Terminal B bus station (down a side street...no the bus does not actually stop there) and you can catch a bus to Delphi from there. So, we jumped on the bus without tickets (oops, should have gotten those at the subway station) and by the grace of god I saw the KTEL sign from the road we were riding on point down a side street....hoping it was the right station, we jumped off the bus and headed toward what looked like a station. No problem! Within a couple minutes we had tickets on the 5:30 bus to Delphi....thank goodness!

Now I have to say, I love riding the bus in Greece because we go by some of the most beautiful mountains, seas, towns....however slow it may be.

We arrived in Delphi around the time we were supposed to - no bus runs on time here - and got off where we hoped we were supposed to....it seemed right....we even asked the driver if this was the Delphi stop - yes it was. Adam wasn't so sure, but with my insistance, we got off anyway. So then we start asking around to see if we can find someone who speaks enough English to direct us to our hotel - we have a street address. First guy? No idea what he's trying to say, and we're afraid he's pointing to the town lit up in the distance a good half hour drive from where we're standing. I'm getting a little nervous that I've put us in the wrong town....next guy we see - he has beautiful rooms, 33 Euros - when we explain we have reservations at Hotel Acropole (also listed as a hostel and hotel) he says it's all the way on the other side of town - but he had lovely rooms available. Great. And how far is that? Down three flights of stairs (the town is built into the mountain) and about a 5 minute walk. Relief came over me as quickly as doubt had filled the pit of my stomach, and we were on our way. The next day, we went to the bus station to see about getting to Arta, and sure enough, they had put us right in front of it the night before...it's about the size of a postage stamp, nestled in among the other store-fronts.

Hotel Acropole....highly recommend it!!!! It's beautiful, quiet, friendly, clean, and it has some of the best views in town. And it's quite affordable! Our room opened to a balcony overlooking the sea and town below and the mountains all around us. There was no noise, no smoke, no pollution....it was fabulous!

Sunday, our only full day in Delphi was fantastic! We woke up late (just before 9am) and had a leisurely breakfast (included at the hotel). Then we made our way to the ruins - about a 10 minute walk through this peaceful town. And they are awesome! Set amidst the mountains and a quiet little town, you get a much better feel for what it might have been like to live way back when. The museum had some incredible pieces in it and there were a number of depictions of "amazons" - women warriors - which made me proud ;) Adam took a bow on the stage of the old theatre and I practiced my discus throwing in the old stadium before he challenged me to a wrestling match....it was a good day. Again, the marble...not so good for walking, but we made it no worse for wear.

When we were done with the ruins, we headed down - thankful that we weren't with a tour group - in search of nutrition. Grape leaves and pizza - there is pizza everywhere! LOL With no where we had to be, and nothing we had to do, we went in search of a grassy field to play frisbee and chill out. Well, we soon discovered that there really are no grassy areas. Just mountains, rocks, and water. And unfortunately we weren't that close to the water....so we settled for hanging out on the balcony. Watched the sun set, which was beautiful and enjoyed our last night of freedom before heading to the farm.

Our trek to the farm is a whole other story....

Agapi from Greece!
Lil

I can't believe it....I'm actually WARM!!

2006-09-01T04:08:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness for Greece! For the first time in over two weeks, I've been able to feel genuinely warm standing still (as opposed to sweating from running for the train with my pack on). We got here at 3am....so we haven't seen much yet...but the prospect of walking around all day in this beautiful weather leaves me caring less about where we go, and more just about going. Although don't get me wrong, we do plan to see "the sights" ;)

But first...where did I leave off last time....ahhh, Trebic. After Trebic we headed to Vienna for a night. Vienna is a huge, beautiful, huge, clean, huge, expensive city. Our hostel was nice - very busy! And we ended up meeting a few nice folks like Ryan who was teaching in Oman and is now on her way to teach in Saudi Arabia....originally from North Carolina! She was quite cool. There seemed to be a number of American and other English speaking tourists there....I hadn't heard that much English anywhere since Dublin. Outside the hostel, the streets were bustling with tourists from everywhere in this upscale town. The buildings, while gorgeous, were not enough to keep us from hopping on the 2pm train to Budapest....the lure of Budapest was just too powerful. And what a train it was!! After riding on Czech trains for a few days, this Austrian train felt luxurious indeed. One of the coolest sights from this train? Fields and fields of Sunflowers....absolutely beautiful.

As we got off the train, we were met by a dozen or so entreprenuers trying to sell us a room in their home...pictures, descriptions...each one was of course the best. It was the first time I'd seen that done, and I couldn't help but wonder about the potential for either the host or the guest to be taken advantage of or put in danger. But then again, I guess that could happen anywhere. As we'd already booked our hostel, we walked confidently by, smiled and said no thank you.

Unity hostel - new venture in a great central location in Budapest. Peter and his buddy (can't recall his name) opened the place up after years of working in high end hotels and staying in hostels. It's a great place, situated in an old apartment building. The little old lady next door does the cleaning and the two guys take shifts staffing the place - tiring to say the least! But Peter says he's happy they're doing it and that they will be getting help soon for the night shift.

Budapest was different than I imagined. Less Bohemian than I pictured as cliche as that sounds. It's incredibly modern and has a number of the same stores as the states (like office depot). The Palace and castle are gorgeous and Parliment is ridiculous! The views from the Citadel - incredible, and the liberation statue, inspiring...the parks and flowers, vibrant....Budapest certainly has an energy all it's own. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by the baths. Really, they were just strange...people pointing and telling you where to go and what to do. My massage was definitely out of the norm - here, lie naked on this table next to this other girl (separate table), and no we're not going to give you a sheet to cover up, don't be ridiculous! And it wasn't quite a massage...more of a rub down with baby oil. The thermal baths were relaxing, but I'm not sure I need to bath with that many old naked women (the young ones wore suits) again any time soon. But it's all about the experience, right?

We were going to check out Statue Park, where they have moved all the old socialist statues...but it was an hour by tram/bus or 30 minutes and expensive by direct bus...and then we had to pay to get in....so seeing as we'd have to spend a decent amount of coin and it would take up a good part of the day, we decided to skip it. We'll check it out online ;)

Again, we met some interesting people....a group of girls from Scotland with their "Praha Drinking Team" sweatshirts (or "jumpers" as they called them) - young enough not to be embarrassed to wear said sweatshirts...a nice guy from the UK...a very cool couple from Miami...and some other random people. Ah, and then there was "Treehugger Dan" - the name of his new and used bookstore. Nice guy from Minnesota who has been in Budapest for 16 years and just got his 5 year visa. Said he has another 8 years before he can apply for dual citizenship. LOL He sells fairtrade coffee and books and is into saving the envrionment - my kind of businessman, indeed.

And now we're in Athens for three days....so much to do and explore! I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks for reading...I hope you are all doing well and staying happy :)

Love and Sunshine,
Lor

Guess Where???

2006-08-27T16:36:00.000-04:00

Give up? I´ll give you a hint....Trebíc....still no?? Czech Repbulic...South of Praha (Prague), between Cesky Krumlov and Brno. Ahhhh, you say, I know exactly where that is! lol ;)

Praha....gorgeous does not begin to describe this city. We stayed in a hostel at the bottom of Petrin Park....at the top were amazing views of the city and a beauty all itś own....a perfect location. The castle...the parks...the bridges...all of the Jewish Quarter...the Spanish Synagoge....all just ridiculously gorgeous. There must have been a billion tourists in town, but it was still somewhere I´d like to visit again.

And then there was Cesky Krumlov....tiny, quaint town....I could have stayed a week! Relaxing, beautiful....still touristy, but not overwhelmingly so. We watched a folk band play in the town square...they sang in Czech, but we definitely recognized some of the songs. If I were to go back, I would rent a kayak and head down the river...it looked like a great time!

And now weŕe in Trebíc....not exactly charming, but itś quiet and the hostel is brand new (clean!) ;) There is definitely more of a language barrier here....we are pointing and signing as best we can though. lol. Tomorrow weŕe off to Vienna for a night, and then itś on to Budapest.

Itś definitely been a bit whirlwindy...but I´m enjoying seeing the country side from the train (can I say, I love the train!!) and checking out all the different towns and cities. I´ve honestly been surprised at how built up it seems here (Cz Rep) and how beautiful so many of the homes are with their orange-red roofs and brightly colored exteriors. I was not surprised by all the beautiful farmland though.....ah, farms...I am certainly looking forward to some time on the farm in Greece....a day trip here and there will be all we need to plan for....how relaxing!!

Hope youŕe all doing well ;) Thanks for reading!
Sending love from beautiful Czech Republic,
Lor

Brugge...Brugge...Brugge....

2006-08-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

How I wish I was still there....Brugge is, indeed, beautiful and enchanting. It has a small, quaint feel that makes you feel welcome, comfortable and peaceful. The canals flow gently...the grass is green and lush...there are more bikes than cars...the sound of the bells permeate the city streets...and everything closes at 5pm. It's completely different during the day and at night! As I walked around at 4pm it was bustling, at 9pm there were many times I was the only one on the street (side streets mostly)!

I visited the Chocolate Museum - soooo worth every moment! The history of chocolate is more fascinating than I knew and there was a good deal of information about the ancient Indian cultures mixed in as well. One chocolatier in specific was highlighted at the museum. He helped many aspiring chocolatiers get their start - of course I found dairy-free dark chocolate at his shop ;) Oh, and I learned that chocolate is actually good for your cholesterol (not the junk people pass off as chocolate in the states, but the good stuff) ;) at that it is the drink of royalty. So go ahead, induldge!!

The highlight of my stay? De Halve Maan Brewery of course! Family owned and in operation since forever, we had a lively tour guide that gave us many helpful hints, such as the tidbit that corriander helps prevent hangovers and is an aphrodisiac. Oh, and wheat beer and other unfiltered brews are a decent source of vitamin B :) I have pictures of a can collection that rivals that of my former housemate, Stephen, that I will upload when possible. I even got to see the farmers come to collect the barley husks to use as feed for their cows. So cool, it came down a shoot from the brewery still steaming hot and was dumped right into their trailor. Apparently it's good nutrition for the cows and helps them produce more milk.... Oh, and St. Arnold is the patron saint of beer - he saved many lives travelling from village to village encouraging families to brew beer at home when the infested water was wiping out villages of people.

I met several cool people there, including Sharon, a hot yoga instructor, and Lolta, who came to Brugge to meet her internet boyfriend....but it's just too much to go into at the moment (they charge you all kinds of cash to use the internet here).

My travel to Amsterdam was less than ideal, but I made it. It was a bit of a shock when I walked out of the train station - this place is huge! It's a giant city compared to Brugge and there was soooo much going on (I got in at 9:30pm).

We had a very cool jam session in the park today - Adam on his uke and Francios on his guitar with four strings (should be six)....then there were the bazillion SM&O University students that eventually surrounded us and were beyond rowdy and excited to sing. Good times, good times....

More to come soon....sorry guys, but I can't spend too much time in here ;)

Love to you all and thanks to those who have been commenting (Geet, Chris...) I do read them :)

xoxo, Lil

Off to Galway

2006-08-18T05:55:00.000-04:00

First - Dublin, which reminds me of a quaint version of NY (without all the tall buildings). We were exhausted on Wednesday, but persevered and made it to the Guinness Storehouse and Pheonix Park....plus explored a lot of the city just walking around. While mildly disappointed by the Storehouse (I've been spoiled by New Belgium - best brewery ever) the Guinness tasted fabulous up there in the Gravity Bar. We decided that it was the longest day EVER - leaving NY on Tuesday at 7:40pm...catching a few winks on the plane and arriving in Dublin at 9:00 in the morning, we realized we had a whole other day before we could sleep. We nodded off a little in the park....which is when we decided it was time to get moving again ;p After a little something to eat we headed back to the hostel to crash....I was out by 10:30 and I can't even begin to explain how good it felt to lay my head on that pillow!! My 4 bunkmates from Rochester, NY and 2 from Germany all went out - thank goodness - for the night, so aside from waking in the middle of the night when they came in, I slept like a baby.

Thursday left us feeling most refreshed, and after breakfast in the dining hall where I met William, a piano teacher from northern Portugal, and two girls from Torrino, Italy, we made our way out to the Natural History Museum and Art Gallery. I have NEVER, EVER, EVER, seen so many dead, stuffed animals, insects, fish, etc. It was utterly disturbing at first...I mean you could see the stitching in some of the animals skin! After a while, I was surprisingly OK. The insect exhibit was soooo cool :) The Art Gallery was interesting - there was a Yeats exhibit which was pretty sweet. But I have to say - in general, the "Traditional" Irish art wasn't really doin' it for me.

On to the Archbishop Ryan Park - beautiful. One thing that stuck out as a bit odd were two headstones - one dedicated to those who have been abused and the other dedicated to children who died at birth.

We hopped on the bus and went out to the National Botanic Gardens (surprising I'm sure) ;p Gorgeous, simply gorgeous!! First we checked out the sights....more succulents and cacti than I'd ever seen - Linse, I got you some good pics! Lush green and bright colors everywhere... not to mention the trees...very cool trees...ahhhhh. We found a nice spot to play some frisbee (Adam got it stuck in a tree, but used his manly skill of stick throwing to retrieve it), write in our journals and play some tunes on the uke. Then it was off to Porterhouse Brewery - an Irish brewery with some damn good beer....my Weiss had serious banana undertones goin on and Adam's Porter was smooth and yummy. From there we walked to an Indian restaurant (Geeta you would have loved this place) that was quite different than we were accustomed to - all the more reason to try it! After some delicious food we made our way back to the hostel to grab some warmer gear and drop off our pack and headed to the Arlington Hotel (how ironic) on Bachelors Walk for some traditional Irish dance and music - pretty chill...good times - all that mattered was that we found some live music.

Our hostel was pretty nice, and huge! Almost 300 beds, but no mixed dorms - which makes sharing toothpaste and shampoo a little more of a challenge, but we managed. Today we're off to the Galway area - we're staying in a hostel (Ben Lettery) near Clifden at the foot of the the mountains for some chill time hiking and exploring. Ahhh, the cliffs of Ireland - the beauty that awaits. Figure we'll go into the little nearby town for some local action :)

Oh, and I have to say - I love the bus! The drivers are more than helpful and friendly, and we've met a couple interesting people riding around. Ahhhh, the joys of public trans ;)

More to come soon....
Peace and Love,
Lil

Safe and Sound

2006-08-16T08:02:00.000-04:00

We're safe and in Dublin :) We've checked into our lovely hostel and are off to explore.....more soon!

Much love,
Lor

And.....we're off!!

2006-08-15T01:17:00.000-04:00

From Arlington to Michigan to Jersey to Rhode Island and back to Jersey....it's been a busy month!!! I wish I could have talked to all of you one more time before leaving, but time has gotten away from me. Please know that I'm thinking of you and hope you are all fabulous!

Wishing you all peace, health, happiness and much love :)

Until next time,
xoxo
Lor

We're not scared....

2006-08-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

...there has never been a safer time to travel :)

We are going to (hesitantly) check our backpacks because we're not giving up our burts bees...no way, no how!

They're saying to get to the airport 3 hours early....watching the news this morning you'd think I'd need three days to get through security! I see hours of people watching in our future - oh, the many lives we'll covertly invade....the stories we'll make up about them....the fun we'll have watching the impatient ones who can't sit still...ah, the airport...good times!

If anyone is flying in the next couple days, we'd love to know what to expect...so drop a line :) The rest of you can go ahead and laugh...I'll be sitting at the airport doing the same thing ;p

Much Love,
Lil

The Plan

2006-08-08T07:35:00.000-04:00

OK, so here's the plan for Europe....

August 15 - fly to Dublin (arrive 9:30AM August 16) Hang out around Dublin....Guinness Storehouse, pubs, botanical gardens, etc.
August 18 - travel to the west coast of Ireland - Gallway area for hiking and exploring
August 20 - back to Dublin
August 21 - 6:25AM flight to Brussels (49 cent flight before taxes! Sangeeta would be so proud) then catch the train to Brugge. Sample fine Belgian beer and chocolates - what a great combination ;)
August 22 - take an evening train to Amsterdam to check out the scene
August 24 - 9AM flight to Prauge - oh, yeah....
August 27 - travel to some small towns on the way to Budapest - who knows where yet
August 28 or 29 - find our way to Budapest - paddle down the danube...check out the baths...
August 31 - late flight to Athens to get our fix of ancient culture and ruins
September 4 - hop on the bus for a five hour trek to Arta to work on Arta Biological Farm - a vegan farm with orange, kiwi, and walnut trees, grains and plenty of veggies.
October 1 - hop a ferry to Italy....

That's as far as we've gotten on the planning....we'll have three weeks to get from Greece to Cadiz in the southwest corner of Spain. Life is soooo rough ;)

More to come....
Hugs!

Jumping into the technology age

2006-08-07T10:25:00.000-04:00

I said I'd do it...eventually anyway....move on into the 21st century. After Sangeeta got me the MP3 player, I thought - what am I waiting for? It's time to blog. ;p

So, this is how I'll be keeping in touch while I'm away in Europe for the next four months, and then Peace Corps (no more cell phone after this week). Just remember - if you post a comment...we can ALL read it. I'll still have my email account for those more personal, "oh, how I miss you" emails, not to worry ;p

Ah, my first ever blog....created in Jersey of all places, for all those I love.

Hugs,
Lil