Plans? When were those made?

Sometimes plans have to change. We were going to visit a neighboring country this week, but to do that, everybody in your group needs a passport. And sometimes, vehicle windows get broken and passports (and the backpack that it was in) walk away. I still have mine, but Aaron wasn't so fortunate.
Anyway, our friends all came to the rescue. Two different families, who had better things to do, contributed their time hauling us all over this country. There was a whole lot of driving (multiple states traversed) and waiting (in line and in waiting rooms), but at the end of day, all of us can once again prove we are American citizens legally abroad.

Picture evidence. We don't have any pictures from the more official buildings from today, but I will say that the American embassy is pretty nice, and if you're a citizen, you get to go to the front of the line in, but you still have to leave your electronic devices at the front desk.

Can!

Way more pictures are up: this one updated and this album new.

After leaving the college, we went to the National Park. National parks are different here because they are the jungle, which is awesome. Leeches are annoying, though none actually bit me this time (I was the only one in our group who could say that.).

Also, I got to try durian. If all goes according to plan, that is the last time I will do that.

college life

The past week, we stayed in a boys' dorm at a rural university. The wifi required registration, and we weren't able to communicate well enough to buy it, or something. The computer lab is only open for a few hours a day, pretty much exactly when other things were scheduled for us. Colleges are different in different countries (lots more rules here with dress code and separate areas for guys and girls, for example), but the students are basically the same (guys skateboarding down the hall and scattering when a staff member shows up, for example).

Internationals are extremely uncommon visitors at this campus, which makes for lots and lots of stares (and a rather lengthy autograph session at a primary school). One thing I've found that gets laughs is to ask people where they are from before they can ask me; and also catching people who sneak photos of us, and then posing for a better one. All the students and the faculty are very friendly, from free food and drink to guided tours. At one point, we were interviewed with a microphone for the assembled first year students.

Friday night, we were invited by our neighbor to a drama that he was going to be in, so we show up and slowly realize that it is an event for the female students. We started to leave, thinking that we had been "punk'd," but the people putting on the show convinced us to stay, then gave us the big comfy chairs in the very front of the hall and inserted a "very warm welcome" to us, by name, in the program. Afterwards, we even got a meal. The program was several dramas about foreigners invading and locals overcoming and about college life. They were not in English, but it was really funny anyway. My favorite was the slow motion fight scene, in which the neighbor who invited us took part.

It was super fun hanging out with everybody, and we had some pretty serious ultimate games, sometimes despite rain or at least mud.

pics up

here

Day of Rest

Not much to report for today. We leave in the morning for another place. We will be there for about a week. Apparently, facebook is having a problem with photos, but I will get more up soon-ish.

opposites

The internet where we're staying has been down. I saw some interesting wildlife since my last update--monkeys that will try to steal your camera if you get too close and a leech...right after it dropped off my leg. Leech bites don't hurt, but they sure do bleed for a while. Anyway, a trip to the rainforest is worth a little leech.

We also hit downtown a couple of times. Big cities are always exciting. Tall buildings, expensive but super good food, crowds. Many pictures to come at a later date.

Rockstar

Today we spent the whole school day at secondary school. Reportedly, I look like a mix of Harry Potter and Bill Gates, and, of course, we are pretty tall. We taught ultimate and then walked around the campus, stopping for snacks at the canteen. We also got to field a few questions about America in a couple of classes.
At a different school, in the afternoon, we learned how to play handball. We hear that America has a team. For the uninformed, it's kind of like playing basketball on a soccer field.
Action: here

Moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of rice

We are staying in a small city now for a few days, visiting at area schools and playing ultimate and teaching some English. Our schedule is filling up. Plus I got to show off my chopstick skills to a Chinese guy.

I have pictures posted here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2248017&l=df7ef&id=7002204

Homestay

We went to a cave in a mountain yesterday. The cave has a room where the light coming from the hole in the top makes it look moonlit in the middle of the day. Also, you can walk up and out of the other side and all over the mountain. It was jungly and terrific.

There's this program here where for like $17 a day, you can stay with a family and they feed you. It's pretty much awesome. They have to have a Western style (ish) bathroom, but they don't necessarily speak English. That just makes it more fun. We played games with the kids and ate crazy fruit and crazy spicy stuff and rice for three meals. It's pretty much awesome.

Flexibility

Watched an ultimate tournament today. Entertaining, and long. We caught up with some friends from earlier in the week and made some new ones today. There is a school here to prepare students to finish their studies in another country, and we met a couple of guys who plan to go to the University of Minnesota. We told them to buy big coats.

Adventure

One thing I like a lot is adventure. I think I got at least my fair share tonight. After my first experience with grass jelly tea, the group of us white guys drove around in a big ol' van on a bunch of back roads way outside of the city looking for a gas station with the gas light on. God made our gas last long enough, so no problem. Also, He probably had a hand in protecting us while we were backing up in traffic...several times.

durian smells

I walked past some durian (it's a popular fruit) in a market this morning. It smells a lot like feet. I hope I get to try it.

Saw a recording studio from the train today.
Jamming Studio
Garage Music Production
I like the sound of that.

KFC is probably the most popular Western restaurant around here. Makes me a bit of a celebrity, I guess. Anyway, we finally went to one today, and it happened to be staffed by deaf people. I think it was the first time I've finger-spelled in another language.

Wednesday

Visited a university today and played some frisbee, first with the staff, then with some students. Lots of fun. Very tiring, being that it's exercise, also being that it's always hot. Much water and fried banana and curry puffs kept us going. Everybody there was super nice and welcoming.

cari makan

Went to the end of the line today. That is a pretty long trip, actually to another state, where not so many people who look like Americans go. And when I say look like Americans, what I mean is look like Bill Gates, because that's what a guy we talked to said I looked like.
So if you want to look like a billionaire, find a ton of sarongs for good prices, and get a sampling of the latest Bollywood musical hits, I know a place you can go.

Jalan Jalan

We hit the capital today for some sightseeing. Also back to the big city for walking and meetings with people. Continuing the food theme: tried squid and stingray. Ate without utensils for one meal. I still like rice.
Tomorrow looks like another day of train rides and walking and talking.

Roach

Little encounter with a not so little roach last night. It flew onto my shirt. Biggest one I've seen ever, and I lived in Alabama.

Sunday

Slow day today, which was nice. My first trip to Carl's Jr. First time for chicken bacon. Also had a strawberry McFlurry later; that was pretty great. Oh, and watermelon juice today, too. Like watermelon, but liquid-er.
This blog is pretty much all about food and/or drink.
Oh, and this: jet lag is real, but I'm overcoming.

So, scavenger hunt in the big city today, almost every item involving walking up to random strangers who may or may not speak English and asking questions. It went well. Met one guy who wanted to talk so much that he offered to buy us drinks (and food), so we sat at the restaurant and talked about our countries and our beliefs for a good while. I had honeydew juice; yeah, they make that here.
Also, trains are the same here as other countries, for the most part, and fried rice can be super spicy.

Day 1

So I am here. My body doesn't know what time I want it to act like it is. Happy 4th of July! Good times today meeting people, getting orientated, changing money, eating some interesting food and happy with it, etc. As far as development and sights to see, this city, at least, strikes me as closer to Germany than the African places I've been. It's hot, but we have air con.