multi-tasking to a fault!!

so just in case i didn't have enough to do planning my wedding, i decided to start graphic design classes this semester at risd...thinking maybe i'd like it enough to work toward a certificate and make myself that much more marketable... :) i was pretty nervous before starting since creativity isn't really my strong suit, but two weeks in i'm feeling much better and actually enjoying it so far. and the best thing...work is paying for the classes as part of my professional development! love being in communications...

digital tools has started out with much more of a basic focus than i expected, which is great. some people in class have never even used a mac before, so at least i've got that experience under my belt. am looking forward to learning how to use photoshop, illustrator, and indesign -- designing and doing layout in word is faaaaar from ideal so will be so nice to be able to use actual design software. think we start photoshop this coming week, should be fun.

intro to graphic form also hasn't been as scary as i thought it would be...and i like that despite the subjectivity of art and design, there is very much a focus on precision and certain rules as well. we've done some work on gradations and letterforms (yay!) and can already tell my eyes have become a little more discerning this week, after some class critique and discussion. below assignment for this week isn't super-impressive but took a while and am happy with the result. we had to lay out three grayscales, from lightest to darkest, using newspaper text, newspaper solids, and pencil. it's amazing how many shades of gray there are...and i'll never look at a newspaper the same way again. okay, have to start working on assignment #2 and then back to never-ending wedding prep!!

2011 so far...

Okay, so it's been a while since I've last checked in...although have to say not much has happened wedding-wise since the beginning of the year. Most of 2011 so far has been spent working on the house (stop me if you've heard this one before...), and I'm happy to report that as of this past weekend, one floor has been completely finished!! After four long years, the studio loft is complete...only three more floors to go... We moved into the top floor space over the weekend, so Jack tells me the rest of the house should come along more quickly now. Guess I'll believe that when I see it!

The few wedding details that have been "nailed down" (I use quotes since things could maybe still be tweaked somewhat): Date = October 1; Place = Acadia National Park, Maine (exact location TBD); Colors = no longer red and black, thinking maybe a fall theme; Dress = purchased and ready for alterations in September, by which time I hope to have lost at least five pounds! Not too bad, right? We head up to Maine next weekend to scout out the park for ceremony locations, hopefully pick a reception venue, and meet with some vendors (florists, bakeries, etc.). When I don't think about it too much, it all seems so do-able...but then I start mulling over the details and begin to freak out. Invites should probably go out soon but have no idea what kind of invites/stationery we want to use...and then there's the registry too! Okay, going to stop writing soon in order to avoid having a complete meltdown...

On a totally unrelated note, the past few months have been interesting job-wise for both of us. Jack had the opportunity to go down to Haiti again, this time to evaluate the transitional schools that have been built over the past year. He spent about 10 days in-country, including being in lock-down the last weekend he was there due to the presidential run-off elections. As an aside, apparently provisional results indicate "Sweet Mickey" has won, should make for an interesting next few years. For my part, started yet another new role at Plan, this time as Senior Writer/Communications Specialist -- which so far has been great, not as much responsibility or stress as the past four years, plus I get to write and lead special projects like documentary partnerships and celebrity engagement!

We also took a two-week vacation to the San Francisco area in February, spending a few days in the city, then making a loop from San Jose to Palo Alto, down to Monterey and Carmel, east to Yosemite, then up to Sonoma to finish up with some wine-tasting... Museums, beaches, aquariums, waterfalls, mountains, vineyards, redwood forests...and tons of yummy food! We had a fabulous time, with beautiful weather most of the time as well -- would highly recommend such a trip to all of you! Now to think about where we want to go on our honeymoon... :)

another year over...

Hard to believe that 2010 is virtually over! I'm actually amazed that we've made it through the holiday season okay, what with everything going on at work, with the house, planning Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations, etc. Once October went by, think we were pretty much on automatic pilot for the rest of the year, figuring out how to get down to North Carolina for Thanksgiving (14-hour + road trip), organizing Christmas cards (thanks, RISD museum store), and then the whole present-buying thing (good thing Borders is always a good fallback)... So grateful for wonderful time spent with family -- including two new additions with baby Sadie and baby Mazzy!! Of course family keeps wanting to know when the wedding will be, and we keep saying we have no idea...but likely sometime in the fall of 2011.

So now that we're through the stress and busy-ness of the holidays, back to concentrating on the house. It's been a little slow but still moving along, with the attic almost done! After getting the drywall in at the end of the summer, it's been plastered, primed, and painted. Now all we have to do is get the floor in, and we can move up there while the rest of the house is completed, hopefully by this time next year! Again taking longer than expected but guess that's how this kind of stuff works...if I only knew then what I know now.

almost ready to move!

Only two more weeks until the end of the month...and the move to 22 Bianco!! It's going to be pretty rough going for the first month or so -- although we'll have A/C, security system, cable and internet, basic appliances, we won't really have any walls or a working shower. Maybe I'm being a little stubborn about imposing this "early" deadline and insisting on moving in by September 1, but I really feel that after three years, it's time to get serious and force ourselves to be uncomfortable...or else it'll never get finished! Plus I don't want to deal with the messiness of a half-month lease...or my landlady trying to convince us to stay another year... It's altogether simpler this way -- definitely not easier but cleaner...

Have I mentioned that I HATE the moving process?! *sigh* Despite usually being in denial about these things, I actually have started packing slowly... My books are all boxed up, and the next room to tackle will be the kitchen with all the necessary wrapping. After that I'll tackle the bedroom and throw all the clothes in big plastic bins -- key because everything we move into the house will need to be covered/have a lid given there will continue to be a ton of dust (plastering, drilling, sheetrock, etc.) to accumulate in the foreseeable future.

Once we're more settled into the house -- I'm thinking by mid-October or so -- I can begin thinking more about the wedding. My mom called this morning to offer her help with the guest list...which I appreciate but can't even wrap my head around right now!! At least I have something to look forward to and hopefully take my mind off the fact that I'll be walking across the street to our neighbors' house to shower for most of September!! (Luckly they happen to be very good friends or else we''d have to rejoin the gym just to be able to freshen up in the mornings!) And lest it sound like I'm complaining, am trying to approach this whole move as an adventure...something to tell the kids about in 10 years... :)

countdown beginning...

One of the things I'm most looking forward to in our new house is central air conditioning!! And our own washer/dryer!! Having to haul all my clothes to the laundromat every two weeks or so for the past three years has gotten a bit old, especially since I'd always been able to do laundry at least in the same building in every other place I've lived (including at college!).

And even though I always tell people (and myself) that we don't really need air conditioning in Rhode Island -- where it's pretty hot for only about two weeks a year -- it's freakin' HOT right now, and the ceiling fans can only do so much. Thought I'd be used to it after three months in the Caribbean, but for some reason sweating continuously down there wasn't that big of a deal...and certainly nothing to complain about given the conditions that people were living in. Up here, it's not really that cool to arrive at the office with my makeup dripping down my face... Hopefully it won't last much longer...or I'll toughen up some more...

As far as wedding plans go, no more progress to report, I'm afraid. I'm still browsing dresses online but otherwise not thinking about it too much, except when other people keep asking when and where the wedding will be. I do know the wedding will be before the next Twilight movie comes out, however...given that Breaking Dawn won't hit theaters until November 2011!! Strange to think I'll be married by that time...and yes, of course I'm looking forward to the wedding more than the movie! :)

renovating...still...

The real priority this summer will be moving into our house...the house Jack bought in 2007 not long after we started dating and that he's been renovating for the past three years! We've come a long way since it was gutted and the foundation rebuilt three summers ago, but I have to admit it's not going quite as quickly as I'd like. The end result will be amazing, though, and hopefully moving into it before being completely done will serve as incentive to finish it up sooner rather than later...

Other than a final coat of paint, the outside of 22 Bianco Court is pretty much done -- new siding, metal roof, studio dormers, door awnings, and cement foundation -- and it's beautiful! The inside work is still ongoing, with most the rooms now framed. Next steps will be to get the mechanical elements installed (boiler, ducts, all that good stuff so we can have central A/C and heating!), then electrical wiring, insulation, and finally the sheetrock (walls!). I never knew how involved building a house was and how many little details have to be worked out in sequence before the next steps can be taken. So if I want a working bathroom and kitchen by the end of August, we have to figure out where we want to place all the electrical outlets, what kind of bathroom and kitchen fixtures we like best, whether we want dark (nope!) or light tile in the bathroom, the list goes on and on...

We haven't exactly been arguing but let's just say there's been quite a bit of discussion with few final outcomes as of yet. Part of me is fine with whatever Jack wants to do -- he's pickier than I am when it comes to design elements -- but I'd like the house to reflect some of my preferences and personality too. Just hoping there aren't any big blow-ups over the next two months... :)

In the meantime, think we're going with Kohler Stillness fixtures in the bathrooms, and sink (or sorry, washbasin) is a toss-up between the Duravit Vero 045480 and Lacava Aquamedia 5061. Who ever knew there were sooooooo many options for sinks?! It's seriously a whole new world for me, and so many options tend to be paralyzing. Thank goodness it's just a few more weeks of having to make such decisions!

engaged!

And now it begins! Hard to believe I've been back from Haiti for a month now...and that we've been engaged for that long also! I figured since I've been involved in dozens of weddings -- even planned/coordinated a few -- I'd have a better idea of where to start when it comes to my own...but no such luck. Just going to www.theknot.com is overwhelming, and their incessant "countdown" and checklist aren't really helping to make the whole thing less daunting. Still, have to admit looking at dresses and cake designs has been kind of fun, even if in some ways I feel like I'm doing all of this for someone else, still hasn't really sunk in that I'm the one getting married!

I should probably concentrate on first things first, like deciding where and when the wedding is going to be... That we haven't really nailed down those details is a bit stressful, since not much else can really be done until we have that info, but the procrastinator in me knows I have more than a year to plan this thing, so what's a few more months of uncertainty?!

So instead I've been exploring random possibilities such as buying a letterpress -- and all related equipment -- so I can design and print my own invites...as if we have the extra disposable income lying around! But I would consider it an investment for (hopefully) many future projects as well... :) I discovered the definitive website for all things letterpress yesterday (www.briarpress.org) and am a little obsessed right at this moment, despite the fact that I'm a complete novice and have only taken about 20 hours of letterpress printing class so far. Still, I'm maybe 30% convinced this hobby could actually stick (unlike others I've taken up over the years)...

Okay, back to the issue at hand... The one thing I'm pretty sure has been decided about the wedding so far is the color scheme...in case you couldn't guess already from this website: black/white (or natural)/red. Not bad, right? Maybe a tad formal but it's not going to be stuffy at all, just simple and clean. Any other suggestions ranging from venues to vendors are welcome -- could use all the help I can get!!

debate central

i'm ashamed to admit that tonight's is the first presidential debate i've watched so far... although my excuse is that ultimately it doesn't matter what all these candidates say during the campaigns, since it's business as usual once they get to washington. still not sure who i think would make the best president when i have the sense that our political system lends itself basically to perpetuation of the status quo.

i'm disappointed to have missed most of the republican debate, would have liked to have seen the verbal brawl, but the democrats have been mostly articulate in terms of specific plans and policies they would put into place once in office. i still wish they'd focus on the issues more instead of harping on and on about change versus experience -- as bill richardson said, when did experience become a bad thing? change doesn't necessarily equal positive change either, depends on how that change is brought about and the implications that come along with that change.

just some musings as i get more into the "politics" mode... rhode island's primary isn't until march 4, and we have a whopping 32 delegates. hopefully by then i'll feel informed enough to at least decide which primary to vote in!! :)

2008 around the corner...

another year come and gone...and now i'm 30!! it's so strange to be able to say i remember something from 20 years ago. for some reason -- completely irrational -- never thought i'd get to this age.

but it's funny...as great as my 20s were (both ups and downs), i'm looking forward to my 30s too, think it'll be a time of challenges, change, and maybe some more stability too. i can't wait to explore new england some more (skiing is high on my list for this winter), get to know providence better (taking advantage of more arts and cultural events), take on additional responsibilities at work (if i don't burn out anytime soon), and spend time with loved ones (around the corner, country and world).

in the meantime, hope everyone has a great start to the new year and that we get to see each other soon...

so i've been reading...

maybe it's because i'm currently working at a bookstore (which i've enjoyed much more than i thought i would, given that working retail during the holiday season can be pretty grueling), but i've had the chance to catch up on my reading, getting recs from co-workers and seeing what's new on the shelves. okay, maybe dorky but i love it!!

and i came across this great poem in "march" (by geraldine brooks, written from the perspective of the dad in "little women"), which really resonated with me, although please don't think i'm having morbid thoughts or anything! just think it's kind of profound in a simple sort of way and expresses how i feel sometimes:

I am no longer eager, bold & strong.
All that is past;
I am ready not to do
At last, at last,
My half day's work is done,
And this is all my part.
I give a patient God
My patient heart.

kind of about trying to find my place or figuring out my life but not having the energy to think about it anymore... reasons why i also really love dido's "life for rent," all about viewing life as a temporary gift and realizing that if i don't put down roots, can't blame anyone but myself.

wow, think this is enough introspection for one night (am writing in taiwan), but some good thoughts with which to ring in the new year! am looking forward to 2007 and hopefully some welcome changes or at least some signs to point me in the right direction... :)

reflections

i sometimes wonder how my life would be different if my dad were still around... would his presence have been more of a stabilizing force? i miss him a lot, and i can't help but think things might have been better if i had someone to talk to about job choices, potential boyfriends, big life changes...

not that my mom isn't great, because she is. but we're so different, and we don't really understand each other...which makes it easier to just not really tell her anything than to have to answer all her questions and explain myself.

or maybe i just think my dad would have given me some boundaries, more direction... so i wouldn't have just quit my job and taken off to another country or moved to another state where i would have to start all over. maybe i just needed someone to say put his foot down and not put up with my b.s. rationale of having to experience my own mistakes to better learn.

what if? what if? what if?

new experiences...

well, i've been on the job for almost a month now, craziness! it's been kind of a steep learning curve, getting used to a new office, lots of different personalities, and doing a job that i haven't had a ton of experience with... still, i've been having fun so far and have really enjoyed knowing more about the film festival industry, getting to know austin better, and having more exposure to business development and corporate marketing/promotions as i seek out sponsorships from a variety of companies!

so what else has been going on?! sadly not much... i work quite a bit and now really really look forward to my weekends! i haven't been working long enough to be jaded yet, but getting up when it's still dark outside has definitely taken some getting used to!! that part hasn't been so fun... so try to take it easy when i have some time on my hands. still, work has helped my social life so can't complain too much... have a few events coming up that should be pretty cool: oscar party, a few receptions here and there, plus the opportunity to check out the competition at sxsw! i'm excited to experience it all, since i've heard so much about it, and i'm sad i'll be leaving in the middle of it to head back to nc...

highlight of the month has been sabina coming to visit, which was fun! it's always nice to connect with old friends and show them around austin since it's such a fun, low-key, chilled-out place. think she prefers the big cities, but at least we got to eat a lot of good tex-mex and bbq!!

so i'm basically staying put these days and dreaming about my next big trip whenever i make enough money to take off again!!

happy new year!

so it's been a little while since i updated this thing, mainly because i haven't had a picture to post with this new entry!! but figured i'd just broadcast what's been going on the past few months and then stick a picture in here whenever i get around to taking/finding one...

so for those of you i've horribly neglected over the fall (i'm so sorry!!), i actually took the plunge and moved to austin back in november, a few weeks before thanksgiving. i figured it was as good a place to be as any other, and since i seem to have a need for instability in my life, why not get used to a brand new place?! of course, i've been here quite a few times over the past two years, but it's still taking a little time to adjust to living in TEXAS, particularly given that i never thought i'd leave the east coast. how some things change....

since i've been here, i've been working on the job search and trying to focus on what direction i'd like my career (haha) to take... so far a sampling of jobs that interest me range from marketing and pr to event planning to research and advocacy...all of which means, in a nutshell, that i still don't know what i want to do. but it's okay, because at least i know WHERE i want to be for the moment, and austin is a fun place to figure out all these important life-changing issues. at least i won't lack for live music or a cool bar scene during my search!

in all seriousness though, if it hadn't been for the holidays and lots of people giving me pep talks every once in a while, i probably would've slid into mild depression, considering the number of resumes i've sent out compared to the responses i've received (like 100:1). job searching can be so frustrating and definitely takes a toll on the self-esteem. i'm hoping now that people are back at work from christmas and new year, hr responses will pick up and i'll be flooded with calls and emails for interviews!

in the meantime, i've been trying to keep myself busy in between looking for jobs: working part-time with mark and his dad at pioneer cycling tours and pioneer golf, volunteering at ten thousand villages (an awesome non-profit fair trade store with the mission to assist artisans in third world countries), and reading a lot (takes me back to my high school days!).

thanksgiving was a lot of fun, and mark's mom is a super cook who does amazing things with sweet potatoes, squash, stuffing, and turkey... i was fortunate enough to sample her dishes three times over the past two months!! christmas was very relaxing and peaceful, with mark's brother stephen making a trip back to austin from vietnam, and i got to meet him for the very first time on christmas eve! a few days later, my sister flew into town to hang out for a few days, which was really good for me, not being able to spend the holidays with my own family this year. she and i had a great time driving all over town (helped me figure out my way around better!), shopping, eating, and watching movies (although she usually fell asleep about 10 minutes into them). it was nice to be able to share my new life with her, and i'm so glad we got to spend some precious time together.... gets harder and harder the older we get, so i'm learning to appreciate these few moments we have!

as soon as gloria left, mark's cousins from england and scotland landed here, so we spent the week between christmas and new year's with them, touring around austin: texas state museum, zilker park, 6th street, ut campus, etc. and of course, they were here for the big national championship rose bowl game...which texas won!!!! was a very exciting week, beginning with new year's eve on 6th street and wrapping up with a historic national title for the longhorns! lots of bbq, beautiful warm weather, lounging about on lake austin, playing with the dogs, and just general relaxing before returning to the real world...what more could we ask for?!

so that's the news for now... i'll post some pics of my new place hopefully soon, so stay tuned... which reminds me, must get my camera fixed! here's wishing you all a happy and healthy 2006!

down time...

it's so anti-climactic... to have spent a year preparing for something, constantly talking about it and planning... and then when the time comes, time won't stop and before you know it, the wedding's over! feels so strange to not have to call my sister every day, asking about some little detail and making sure everything's on track (what time is the groom's cake being delivered to the restaurant? who's picking up the dove? is the soloist ready?!)...

i have to say, in my completely unbiased opinion, my sister's wedding was one of the classiest, most beautiful, and FUN weddings i've ever been to, complete with bar brawl at the end of the night! what could be more exciting than that?! seriously, it was a gorgeous day, perfect weather, short and sweet ceremony (not a dry eye in the house, not even mine!), delicious food (raw bar and chocolate dessert fountain), open bar, close family and friends... don't think she could've asked for anything better.

the weekend went by so quickly... started with mani/pedis for the bride and the bridesmaids, my first pedicure ever! for those of you who know how much i love my feet, my never having had a pedicure is pretty amazing! then it was off to the rehearsal at 4:30pm, followed by dinner at fortune palace for family and out-of-town guests. think we went to the airport every day last week to pick people up, flying in from all over the place! the 10-course chinese meal was fabulous, and the slideshow was definitely good for quite a few laughs, including at my expense (my sister insisted on putting in the most embarassing picture of me ever taken in my life). we finally got out of the restaurant near midnight and headed to downtown raleigh for some drinks, although most people -- including the bridal party -- turned in early because we had a big day ahead of us...

the wedding morning started out pretty leisurely... we ordered room service and sat around chatting, waiting for the hairdresser/makeup artist to get to the carolina inn. it was fun spending those last few hours with my sister and just cherishing that time together... don't know when we'll be hanging out just by ourselves again! once tracy got there to start doing our hair and makeup, it was pretty much non-stop for the next 6 hours... moms and aunts and cousins and friends running in and out, me speeding to the airport to pick up mark, the photographer snapping away... then all of a sudden all the guests have been seated and it's time to go downstairs!! being the unemotional person that i am, i didn't take along any tissues, although my mom and sister have already started tearing up...

let me just say right now, thank god for wedding coordinators because i'm not sure what we would've done without nancy! somehow she got us all down to the salon, handed us our bouquets, and readied us to walk down the aisle. it was very surreal, taking my place up front and realizing "wow, this is my sister's wedding..." and as soon as she came through the doors at the back of the courtyard, i couldn't help but start crying! apparently she had a hard time too and had to stop walking for almost a full minute in order to compose herself, during which time i got things under control too. the rest of the ceremony was a bit of a blur, between re-tying the flower girl's shoe and reading from elizabeth barrett browning and seeing familiar faces in the crowd and remembering my dad... lots of emotion and love in the air, of course!
the family!
after the formalities, time to party! the cocktail hour was in full swing by the time we finished up the photo session, and i parked myself in front of the raw seafood bar for shrimp, oysters, and mussels... yum! got to catch up with some old friends, people i hadn't seen in a long time, and got that long-awaited first drink too. after a little while, we were herded into the old well room for dinner and dancing, which lasted until midnight! in between, there was the first dance (scott and gloria danced to "when you say nothing at all" by allison krauss), the father-daughter/mother-son dance, the toasts, cake-cutting ceremony (after gloria changed into a gorgeous red chi pao), and song requests: gasolina, bon jovi, madonna, all the good stuff, plus some oldies for the parents!

all in all, i think most of the guests had a great time, and i couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate my sister's marriage! she was definitely the belle of the ball, and i can't remember her ever being happier than she was on that day. and although it feels like scott's been part of the family for ages, it's nice to have him officially as my brother-in-law now. still getting used to the fact that my sister is married, but for now, better her than me!

wedding woes...

no, not mine! my sister's wedding is coming up on october 15, and although i love her dearly, all this wedding planning has been quite an undertaking!! from addressing invitations to reserving hotels to planning the bridal shower, plus all the little details like arranging favors, figuring out seating charts, and drafting the wedding program...it's enough for me never to want a wedding of my own!! i'm dead serious... have already warned my parents they need to get their fill with my sister and stepbrothers because if/when i finally decide to tie the knot, i'm taking off and eloping...

since i got back from dc last week (can't believe it's only been 7 days, need another vacation so badly!), it's been non-stop wedding, since we had to get the invitations out asap. the bridal shower is during labor day weekend, so that's the next project...with games to research, supplies to buy, menus to be decided...the list goes on and on!! at least everything seems to be coming together okay, what with flowers, music, invites, and clothing issues pretty much taken care of.

so i'm starting to get that restless feeling again, like i need to get out of here for a little while... but i guess i have plenty to keep me busy here, between job-searching and running around for my sister. looking for work has so far been somewhat half-hearted, since i'm still not sure where i want to go or what i want to do. i've applied to positions with consulting companies, educational programs, and random trade associations, some of which sound like really interesting places to work...but guess you never really know until you get there! i'll have to think long and hard if things pan out at any of these places, since i think the next move i make will most likely be semi-permanent, like maybe it's time to settle down?!

i'll keep you all updated as to what i figure out, when i get a clue...

back home!

so i'm back now...and although jetlag wasn't that big of a deal this time around, think i'm experiencing a strange sort of reverse culture shock, having spent the past three months in france. everything here is so much bigger than i remember, from refrigerators to cars to malls... and i swear i didn't know what to do with my left foot when i got into the car to go run errands my first day back! being more used to driving a stick-shift car now, i put my foot on the brake before starting the automatic and then thought, "i don't think i need to do that with this car..." very strange!

anyways, the last three months were a lot of fun but tons of hard work too... spent most of may and june living in a town called annecy, on the border of switzerland and a short drive from geneva. those two months were relaxing but busy, checking out the music festival in town, preparing for the upcoming tour, traveling to see other bike races, working on the new pioneer cycling tours website (www.pioneercyclingtours.com), and practicing my french!



beginning in july, mark and i started following the tour de france, heading up to the northwest of the country to see the team presentations and the first few stages, and spending a few days with some friends in chateaubriant. we then went back to annecy to pack up our apartment and get ready to pick up the 14 americans who signed up for our tour de france trip this year...

so from july 11-20, it was non-stop work, from constantly assembling/disassembling bikes, loading/unloading onto the rental vans, cleaning, topping off water bottles, interacting with hotel staff, making sure the clients were happy and healthy, camping out at viewing spots along the tour de france race route, buying groceries, setting up tents and tables, the list goes on and on!! think the other guides, mark, and i averaged about 4-5 hours of sleep per night, and i don't think i've ever done so much physical labor in such a short amount of time, ever! but despite a few unfortunate incidents, the trip went off beautifully and we received a lot of positive feedback from the guests. for our first year, think we did pretty darn well! there's always room for improvement though, and we learned a lot about the tour business in general, what to expect, how to better prepare...so hopefully next year will turn out even better!

after dropping everyone off in geneva or toulouse, mark and i continued on to paris to watch the finish on the champs-elysees, meeting up with some friends and cheering on the riders. although the day started out cold and wet, as soon as the riders entered paris and made their way up towards the arc de triomphe, the sun came out! we watched them circle the route from the arc to the place de la concorde seven or eight times, plenty of time to get some decent pictures. of course, lance ended up in yellow once again, and i guess it's nice for him to go out on a high note. i can't wait for next year though, and the opportunity to watch a REAL race, in which the cyclists actually battle it out, as opposed to one guy dominating the entire scene...

with the end of this year's tour de france, mark and i decided to go up to the northeast and scout out strasbourg and the alsace area, in advance of tour de france 2006, which is departing from strasbourg. we spent a few days in wine country, driving around vineyards and small towns with a decidedly german influence (architecture, food, language), booking hotels, learning about the area, and then went back to his aunt's place in the alps to pack up and get ready to come home!

i've now been in nc for a week now, just relaxing and running errands... it's nice to have a home to come back to, since my parents spend most of the year in hong kong, and i can have this place to myself. still, guess i now have to figure out what most of you are probably asking yourselves: what next?! i'm not really sure, although i have applied to some random consulting jobs here in north carolina and elsewhere. i've also sent my resume in to unesco's young professionals program in paris, so we'll see whether that pans out. otherwise, i'm just hanging out down here until my sister's wedding in october, helping her out with the wedding preparations. other than some side trips to d.c. and austin in the next few months, think i'm staying put for a little while!

homebound!

definitely won't be missing this place once i leave on sunday! the political situation has been pretty interesting, especially since it turns out it'll only be a one-candidate election and everyone knows the president's going to win again. still, there's not much of anything here, nothing to do really, and no one to hang out with....very unlike addis.

still, it is right on the water, and i have some fabulous pictures of the beach. actually spent the entire day today (friday is their only day off during the week) on this island off the coast of djibouti, and aside from the heat and having taken my malaria pill on zero food (don't recommend it as i got kind of sick), was very relaxing, and the water was soooo nice, very warm and super-clear. i've heard this area and up north (red sea) is beautiful for scuba-diving and snorkeling, so maybe that's their claim to fame here....



wrapping up my stay, none too soon, and will be back in dc on monday night, just in time for the ncaa championship game!! will be holding my breath this weekend for carolina to pull through the semis, should be a great final four! can't wait to get back to the states, will see you all soon....

settling in...

well, even though it's only thurs night, it's the weekend! being as it's an islamic country, plus the weather makes it impossible to work entire 8-hour days here, people get fri off and work sat and sun...although i think in the american spirit we're going to take both fri and sat off... would you expect anything less from me?!

so it's much much quieter here than in addis, it's a smaller country, people aren't as visible in the streets, and everything pretty much clears out in the afternoon. very different from what i was expecting after being in a bustling, dirty, crowded african capital, but at least i get to breathe clean air here and am not having problems walking around due to the high elevation!

sometimes i forget where i am, since so many things here remind me of france, from the language (duh) to the architecture, to the food and supermarket products! i'm running out of moisturizer, but never fear since they carry my french brand here!



have no idea what to bring back for souvenirs, since there are no indigenous natural resources here really, no handiwork or craft-type things like in kenya, sudan, ethiopia, nigeria. better for me, although would be nice to bring something back to remember this little country by. maybe this weekend if i manage to get out of the city! otherwise i'll be lounging by the pool for like 15 minutes before i decide it's waaaay too hot to be outside. take care and will write again soon!

from djibouti!

hope everyone is doing well!! just wanted to send a quick note and let everyone know everything arrived in one piece this time, luggage and all! after almost 24 hours (plus a 12-hour layover in paris), got to djibouti sun morning, with the hot sun and humid air to greet us.

the first thing to hit me was how much stickier this place is than ethiopia, which sheds light on why people here only really work from 7:00am to 3:30pm, since it's just too hot to be active at all in the afternoon. once things close up, most people spend the rest of the day chewing qhat (sp?), the local drug of choice, a plant with hallucinogenic properties that you chew for hours....guess they get any amusement here they can! and for those of you wondering, no i'm not going to try it!!

i have to say, traveling with a former u.s. ambassador is definitely the way to go, as the ministry of foreign affairs was on-hand to meet us at the airport, shuttle us into a private, air-conditioned room, take care of customs matters, and collect our luggage for us! and saying we're with the u.s. embassy helped secure some pretty decent hotel rooms in an otherwise completely-booked hotel. so, all in all, a good day's work....with some long (and early!) days ahead of us. we'll be meeting with opposition and governing political parties, media reps, civil society organizations, other international organizations, and whoever else wants to give us their opinion of how the elections here will go.

so far this place has a very different feel than addis, much quieter and more low-key. djiboutiville is located right on the gulf of aden, so is surrounded by water, and its port is extremely busy, with thousands of containers coming through every day. there's also the presence of numerous military forces: u.s. camp, french camp, and german offices in our hotel! aside from the smoking, the germans haven't been too bad, and think we'll be bumping into them quite a lot. haven't seen many u.s. or french soldiers yet, since they keep on-base most of the time, but there are quite a number of expats in the city, probably how the french supermarket and the few higher-end restaurants stay in business!

anyways, will send more updates as i get settled in... am glad it's only for two weeks, as this weather is waaaay too hot for me!!

stateside for a weekend!

i'm back in the u.s. now, arrived in d.c. fri afternoon and then promptly spent about 6 hours in the car during rush hour on the drive down to nc... not so fun! but definitely good to be home, even if just for a few days....

yup, as most of you have come to expect, there's no such thing as stability in my life! here i was, having just gotten to rome on my way back from ethiopia, and the receptionist at the hotel told me i needed to call the office back in d.c. so the next thing i know i'm being asked whether i want to go to djibouti for two weeks, to help iri out with a pre-election assessment (election day is april 9). the temptation to continue making some sort of living, and the chance to practice my french, was too much for me to overcome, so i agreed!

so...after spending this weekend in nc doing laundry and running errands (bank, library, post office, etc.), i fly back to d.c. on monday morning and then leave for djibouti on thursday... craziness!! the current plan is to come home on april 2, so shouldn't be too bad!

had a fabulous day in rome, wandering around the city on foot (it's the best way to see a place!) and visiting st. peter's, vatican city, the coliseum, spanish steps, a few different piazzas (practically on every block), tons of fountains, eating delicious homemade tortellini and relaxing at an outdoor cafe with a cappucino. oh yeah, can't forget the yummy gelato either!!



as soon as i get my computer fixed up, i'll send pictures... can't wait to see some of you in d.c., and promise to respond to emails the next few days!! have a great weekend!