Loco Mocos

Kyoto, Japan 2012!

2012-01-26T23:31:00.001-03:00

Tommy Lee Jones - The Boss, a photo by locomocos on Flickr.

Take a look at our Japan photos! There are a lot, so if you just click on the set, (japan 2012) you can pick the thumbnails you want to see!

We had a great time! We first stopped at Kyomizu-dera where we saw a wonderful shrine and cemetary.
Then we were off to Nanzen-ji where we jumped in front of the big wooden gate!
One of the most impressive places was the Fushimi Inari Tisha gate in Nara. It had 1000 redish gates and was really cool! We finished up our trip going to the Golden Temple and a few more zen gardens.
We ate sushi, miso, donburi, and tempura!
What a wonderful trip for just 2 days!

The Long Winter

2012-01-20T10:10:00.006-03:00

We're off to Kyoto, Japan tomorrow for 3 nights and 2 days of site-seeing. We will be staying in a hostel with 3 more of our buddies. I hope we will have a fabulous trip, and I can't wait to bring back some great photos.

On a different note, I have been training for a transition into kindergarten. Anthony and I have both been teaching elementary school, while only dabbling in kindy. But as our year in Korea came to a close, we decided we liked it here, and resigned our contracts. The only difference is that now I will be teaching 6-7 year olds all day, for a year program. Cross your fingers!
Recently, our school has been losing students. We used to have more than 200 students and the kindergarten program was the money maker. But in March, 2 classes of students will graduate, and we will be left with only one class of 11 kids. MY class! The kindergarten program is all day, everyday, for a year (our other classes are on a 3 month cycle, and parents only have to pay monthly - no contracts).

The area we live in is pretty new. Apparently it has only been about 15 years ago that this was all farmland. Now, there are giant apartment buildings EVERYWHERE. It's a little awe inspiring (especially when looking at construction times). But with more growth, there has been more and more competition for English Academies (private after school programs). What used to be the only English school in the area for 6 years, is now one of 50. So lots of competition, and lots of fickle parents.

So in March, I will be starting kindergarten. Let's hope it lasts for a whole year! And as much as I like teaching elementary students, Anthony suggested a change in pace for us, seeing as how we live, work, eat, sleep, and vacation together. He says 24 hours a day for a year is enough.

I think it's just because he doesn't like watching Star Trek after work.

Ice Fishing in Hwachon

2012-01-14T03:29:00.001-03:00

Cassie's Fish, a photo by locomocos on Flickr.

So we went ice fishing last weekend. It was pretty fun and I caught a fish! Who knew I have mad fishin skillz?.....

The festival was huge- over 10,000 people. We went with Adventure Korea and got some rock star treatment. We got our own private foreigner fishing area, and lots of cameramen. We were on the evening news, but I didn't see my multiple interviews.... probably because they were intimidated by the skillz.

It was fairly easy to catch the fish that they kept stocking in the water. But what was better than catching them, was eating them! Fresh fish on the grill with a little salt! Yum!

Anthony did some bare hand fishing. It was really cold in the northern part of S. Korea, and everyone had multiple layers of clothes on. So they made all the volunteers put on some tshirts and shorts, and walk on some icy, snowy path around a small pool of freezing water. Every one jumped in and tried to catch a fish with their bare hands. A few people succeeded. I kept my clothes on and took some pictures. Anthony said it was one of the most painful things he's ever done. He didn't catch a fish, but he was on the news! We did it with our tour group, but lots of people were PAYING MONEY to do this! Whaa????

There was sledding, ice skating, ice sports (hockey/soccer), snowmobiles, mazes and tons of people. We had fun and the next day went to look at some ice sculptures. It was a fun weekend. This weekend we are taking it easy, but next weekend is Chinese New Years. We are off to Kyoto, Japan for a couple days! We are super excited!

Winter Pics of Korea 2011

2012-01-04T23:50:00.001-03:00

The Best Kal Gook Su in Korea, a photo by locomocos on Flickr.

We have been busy this season - but my new years resolution has been to keep up on the blog. So I FINALLY uploaded some recent photos! Take a look at our photos of Winter in Korea! We have some of our school, Thanksgiving, my birthday, Anthony's band, and the giant FLEA. I'll post more soon!

Jack Black Wishes me a Happy Birthday

2011-12-16T21:54:00.007-03:00

So my friend Katherine went to a movie opening in Austin. She said Jack Black was there, and she waited in line so he could tell me happy birthday!
He loves me! I just knew it!

Thank Katherine! That's the best happy birthday since Planet Dan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MEEEEEEEEEE

2011-12-07T02:43:00.003-03:00

Hooray!
FOR my birthday, I recieved:

Boots - Anthony
AirPop Popcorn maker - Anthony
Earings and Barrets - Anthony
Hard Boiled Egg shaper - Anthony
Low Carb Toritillas - Mom
Laughing Cow Cheese - Mom
Crystal Lite - Mom
Fiber One Brownies - Mom
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray - Mom
Topsy's Popcorn Butter Salt - Mom
Cranium - Dad
Gravy Packets - Dad
Money for the wedding - Dad
Korean Guampa for Mate - Austin

I am still recieving more gifts as we speak....more to follow! Hooray!!!

Korea Visits

2011-11-12T05:07:00.005-03:00

At the world famous Namyangju movie studio:

With our buddy Brian, who was kind enough to be our guide.

Aunt Geri and Mary with Brian in the mock traditional village:

Raging with coffee ice cream:

For some reason, there is a giant piano-shaped bathroom.

We went on a trip with Kurt to the DMZ.

At the last train station in S. Korea.

Cassie is a pretty big deal....

Eating chipa guazu at the only Paraguayan restaurant in Asia.

And a bizarre statue/advertisement we saw on the street in Hopyeong:

A Halloween Favorite

2011-10-25T02:44:00.004-03:00

So, I figured out what I will be for Halloween. Yes, it's been done. Yes, it seems too easy.
BUT

My students are gonna love it!

Most of them know who Pippi Longstocking is, and have read her books. But in Korea, they don't celebrate much Halloween, so I can't just go and buy a wig and an outfit. I have to make it myself. So I'm not gonna go all out with the hair. I DID, however, buy some Apricot hair dye. Let's hope it works. I'm optimistic, and I saw this pic online, so I'm gonna try to copy it. It looks pretty 'Longstocking' to me.

Now, if only I could find a monkey. I found a lot of great costume pictures. Some of the cutest, I found here.
This was my template.

Of course I found a lot of different types of costumes. Lets just say I like this

Better than this

A couple good photos

2011-10-20T01:44:00.003-03:00

I've given up Diet Coke, but not squirrels.

Namhae Island

2011-10-18T22:59:00.006-03:00

We took a trip to Namhae Island, on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula.

The terraced fields are for rice, their main cash crop. They also grow a lot of garlic.

The area is also famous for makgelli, a homemade rice wine.

Sending up lanterns... Each one has the hopes/prayers of the person sending it up.

The locals set us up with an entire truck load of bivalves.

I caught this fish with my bare hands.

This truck window is rigged Korean-style... with a chopstick.

Eating the fish we caught... sashimi style.

And grilled.

Birthday Maddness!!!!

2011-10-05T03:10:00.005-03:00

Happy Birthday, Anthony!!!!

My Lunch

2011-08-10T22:42:00.002-04:00

I made my lunch to take to work, and I thought....this is a weird lunch. But it sure does look delicious.

I just made some pickles, and after about a week in the fridge, we opened them up. I actually like them. They taste fresh, not like sandwich pickles. I also made my quail eggs this morning.
I put the hard boiled eggs in a 1/2 cup of water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and simmered until the sauce was absorbed. Then I put a teeny bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds on them. Yummy.
And of course, some delicious cherry tomatoes.

Don't forget the vitamin water.

Popeyes Chicken in Maseok, South Korea

2011-08-08T19:39:00.003-04:00

We went to Maseok for a friend's birthday party, and was pleasantly surprised by there being a Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen in the Lotte Mart. Now, I know that Korea is not lacking in fried chicken joints, and this ain't no Go Chicken Go, but I really wanted to much on some southern style chicken! Plus the question....do they have the sides of biscuits and red beans and rice?

As I waited, if not a little giddy with antici.....pation, for my order, I looked at the menu and YES, they did have delicious biscuits, but NO red beans and rice. No matter. I ordered a small order of delicious chicken nuggets and seasoned french fries, which are hard to come by in Korea.

My order was called, I jumped up out of my seat and bounded to the counter to collect my hot tray of Louisiana fried goodness. And LO!
They drenched my nuggets in a sweet yet WAY too spicy hot sauce!!!!!
Whaaaaa??????
WHY?????? WWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY????
M'BAERE??????? NOOOOO!!!!!!

I was really sad.
I tried to wipe off the sauce with a napkin, but to no avail. In the end, Anthony had to help me out by eating all the parts of the nuggets contaminated by the hot sauce. This is what he gave me to eat.

The hot sauce somehow soaked into the chicken, so even the delicious white meat was contaminated by spicy sweet sticky sauce. Next time, I will say "Ani (no) Saw-suh (sauce)".

On a side note, we did see some interesting flip flops in the market. Balloon shoes are very popular here. This is taking it to a whole new level. Is this in the States? Scary....

Oven baked pork ribs

2011-08-08T10:11:00.005-04:00

I made some pork ribs in the oven a couple days ago. A grill or smoker would have done better, but you work with what you have. Another problem... You always want to cook pork low and slow. The lowest setting on my oven here is 160 C or 320 F. Ideally, you'd want to cook at 225-250 F.

In any event, here are the racks. And the Cass Red beer I usually drink.

Here is the bone side.

Ribs have a membrane attached on the bone side, so I cut that off by working a sharp knife between the meat and the membrane. I hear that it's easier to just score the membrane with a sharp blade. I'll try that next time.

After getting rid of the membrane:

Time for the rub. From far left then clockwise: brown sugar, onion powder, seasoned salt, cinnamon, celery seasoning, paprika, dry mustard powder. Basil and fine black pepper are in the middle.

To help the rub stick, and to give the meat a baked-on crust, mix one part water and one part mustard. Mop the ribs.

Raw but rubbed.

Add water to the pan to keep the oven moist.

After about 35 minutes, pull out the meat and give it a mop. I've tried tomato based mops in the past, but this mustard/vinegar one was tastier.

half cup water, half cup cider vinegar, 3 tbsp yellow mustard, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cayenne.

I wait about 30 minutes between mops. After the first mop:

After the second mop:

After the third mop,

After the 3rd mop, the ribs go into some tin foil to retain moisture.

About 35-40 more minutes, and you're good to go.

Leave tips here if you've got 'em.

The Candy Man

2011-08-08T10:06:00.004-04:00

We went to Insa-dong a couple days ago. We saw this candy maker putting it together in front of a crowd.

The sweets are tasty... He mixed a cereal-like grain (kind of like Kix cereal) with sugar and other seasonings. The end result is mildly sweet, crunchy and a little chewy. Good stuff.

Sanasa Temple

2011-08-03T05:21:00.008-04:00

A few photos from the beautiful Sanasa (사 나 사) temple in Yangpyeong. From the Yangpyeong subway station you can grab a cab to get out there.

Yangpyeong Market

2011-08-03T04:58:00.003-04:00

Yangpyeong is famous for it's outdoor markets. We lucked out and came to town while it was going on. Here are a few shots.

The fishmonger.

A stall selling bibimbap. It's a bowl of rice topped with egg and mixed veggies and spicy pepper paste.

Is that a carp?

These are our wonderful hosts from the Opirus pension. I bought some jalapenos (front right) and they make the lady give me an extra handful of peppers. A steal at 2,000W (less that $2).

Dried fish waiting for the chopping block.

The baby in the stroller was having a staring contest with the baby hanging on the string.

Dried shrimp, grains and rice noodles.

The bean sprout guy was really popular.

Going on Vacation

2011-08-03T04:01:00.006-04:00

We only have one full week of vacation a year, and we need to do some serious relaxing. We head to Yeongpyeong. Mountains, rivers, water parks, markets and delicious food.

Here's me on the way to the pension. It's off the light blue Yongmun subway line. Asin station. Notice the lady rocking the traditional hanbok.

Our room.

This picture is very racy for me.

This is the view from the balcony when it isn't raining.

After I relaxed for a while, I took a walk around the neighborhood.

Coco the dog came with me.

I was hungry when I got home. We cooked some sausage.

Ouch! Then our hostess brought us some kimchee and some dang jeng jiggae (soup with zucchini, mushrooms and tofu).

After dinner, a big old moth came to hang out on our window.

I was chilly and looked for a blanket in the closet. There were no blankets. Only snow pants. So I put on snow pants.

Also, Cassie just took a picture of some really creepy baby knic-knacks next to the tv in our room.

I'm going to have to turn them around so they aren't looking at me when I try to sleep.

Insadong

2011-08-03T02:45:00.006-04:00

We went to Insadong recently. It's famous for book shops, calligraphy, tea shops and Korean trinkets/souvenirs. There were lots of white folks, but plenty of Korean tourists, also.

One side alley was filled with stores selling any imaginable ceramic product.

After strolling for a while, we took a side street looking for a traditional Korean meal. It was big, filling and delicious. The entire meal was 26,000W, or $24 American.

Here is the meal, from front and center and moving clockwise. A spicy stew of egg, mushroom, zucchini, onion and shrimp, rice in the metal bowl, a bitter leafy green marinated in hot pepper sauce, a large potato pancake fried with green onion, bean sprout salad, a bitter green salad (similar in texture to collard greens), a hot pot of bulgogi (shaved beef cooked with a sweet teriyaki sauce) with onion, carrot, zucchini and mushroom, more rice, fish cakes with a sweet and spicy sauce, kimchee (spicy pickled cabbage). In the center there are two quail eggs marinated with dried beef and spicy peppers in soy sauce, a sweet and spicy sauce with hot peppers and onions and, finally, a serving of tiny fried fish coated in a sweet and spicy sauce.

I think we ate every last bite.

I read about a place called Ssazmie-gil on a great Korea blog here:

http://discoveringkorea.com/2011/07/06/insa-dongs-ssazmie-gil/

It's a mall with modern architecture, but the wares they sell are a mixture of traditional and modern. There were no chain stores, and each shop seemed to be run by the designer or creator of the goods inside. I usually hate malls, but this one, with it's ramps and independently owned shops, was well worth a look.

Cassie on top of Ssazmie. We're overlooking the courtyard and Insadong-ro.

We'd just finished eating that giant meal, but no Georgia boy can pass a sign that says "Homemade Spicy Sausage." So I ate that, too.

I didn't read about this anywhere else, but we passed a picture of Wonder Woman, so I said, "Let's go in." It was a strange pop culture museum/junk toy collection. It cost about $2 each to check it out. I'd suggest it to anyone.

I was more amused by the Cabbage Patch doll than she was.

Tapgol Park

2011-08-03T01:54:00.006-04:00

We took a trip to Tapgol Park in central Seoul. Here are some shots:

This stone monument was built at the Monument of Wongaksa Temple after the completion of a 13 story stone pagoda in 1467. The pagoda is gone, but this stone prop remains with recordings carved into the stone. The monument is almost 5 meters tall. The turtle is granite and the body and head stone are carved from one piece of marble.

I think it's an old man hangout spot under the pavilion.

This is the Wongaksa Pagoda. It's 12 meters tall and was built in 1467. It's the only surviving stone pagoda of the Joseon Dynasty. It's made of marble, which is strange in Korea. Pagodas are usually made of granite.

A few palm reading stands outside the park.

Some older men smoking and playing checkers.

Snackin' at Rice Story

2011-08-03T01:45:00.003-04:00

We stopped for a snack at Rice Story around the corner from our place a couple days ago.

Sweet and spicy pickled radish in the chopsticks. Sweet pickled cucumber and cabbage to the left. The cup on the right is a bowl of green onion and beef broth.

Cass was impressed by this secret napkin and chopstick drawer. You can keep the hot sauce you don't want to share in there.

Extra spicy noodles with shrimp, mussels and bean sprouts.

A few photos

2011-07-04T21:24:00.004-04:00

We've been eating a couple times a month a a great galbi place. Starting with the plate with the scissors and moving clockwise: marinated pork rib, dried octopus with radish and brown sauce, spicy zucchini and mushroom soup, marinated onions, pickled radish, two kinds of kimchi and sauce, gelatinous sesame tofu, cabbage salad with sweet dressing.

I noticed the scouts camping at the elementary school next door to our apartment. They're really roughing it.

This gate is right in the middle of a busy intersection:

"Originally called Heunginjimun, Dongdaemun Gate (East Main Gate) is National Treasure No.1. Dongdaemun Gate was built by King Taejo in 1396, renovated by King Danjong in 1453, and its present structure was built by King Gojong in 1869. Apparently people started calling the gate Heunginjimun from King Sejo’s (1455~1468) reign."

The Original Cowboys at work at world famous Moon Blues bar in Guri City.

Cassie rocking out a Madonna tune:

Hiking, Caving, Ferrying...is that a word?

2011-06-05T22:30:00.010-04:00

We went on a ferry ride and a touristy cave on a day trip with Adventure Korea. It was worth the $40, but I think the highlight was the ferry ride. The cave was pretty, but we had 80 people trying to walk through it in an hour. Next time, maybe we'll try a smaller group. Anthony said this site used to be a cave, but it collapsed and all that is left is the stone archway.

Here are some photos of Anthony and I at Soraksan National Park. Anthony climbed to a peak, while I took a cable car up into a different area. There were Buddhist temples all over, and lots of water falls. The mineral water stream tasted naturally fizzy! It was cool!

Here is our lunch after our hike

Sunyo-do Island

2011-05-05T21:15:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pics of our Easter weekend trip to Sunyo-Do Islands. It was a small group of islands in the western part of Korea. The islands were connected by foot bridges, that only allowed golf carts, foot traffic and bicycles. We rented bikes and tooled around the islands for 2 days and 1 night. It looked like an odd combination of an ALMOST tourist spot, and working fishing villages. Maybe if I had a ton of money, I could be the first big investor and exploit the natural beauty, as well as clean up the islands (there were trash pits everywhere).

This is a typical Korean meal. The small silver bowls are full of rice. Each person gets a bowl of their own, and as you can see, there are many salads. The bowl of soup has tofu and local muscles. To the right of the soup, is the meat dish. This spread is for four people to share. You pick a little bit of what you want, and put it on top of your rice bowl, or eat directly from the small side plates. Most of this food is too spicy for me. I ate some of the soup broth on my rice, and ate a little bit of the spinach, bean sprouts, and a tiny bit of meat. Everyone else gobbled it up! It is acceptable to ask for seconds of everything but the main course (soup and meat). Pretty healthy meals, if you think about it....

Do you have anything simple, like soup? Hold the eye balls....

A little rental house on the side of a cliff. We wanted to stay here, but it looked pretty abandoned at the time....not the season?

Local fisherman mending his nets

These are small anchovies that they fish, dry, and sell to the rest of Korea. People are crazy for anchovies here. They sell them by bulk. They are served with rice, and somewhat crunchy. Sometimes they add peanuts, which I enjoy.

Low Tide

Anthony ate some local muscles on the first day. He said they were the best muscles he had ever eaten. Then we had a bonfire and he drank soju, beer, and makali. Needless to day, he wasn't feeling too well the second day. He is waiting for the ferry in this photo.

A few interesting sights....

2011-04-27T08:46:00.004-04:00

Here are a few random shots of pure Korea:

This lady's job is to dance as she points people towards the parking garage.

Anyone need some breast cream? I suggest Lovely Jubblies breast cream, the finest on the market.

None for me, thanks.

It is very popular here to fence and fiddle at the same time. I have my first class next week.

Matching underwear is all the rage. I'm not sure if I'd go for the zebra stripe, though.

I'm sorry to be a bother, ma'am, but you'll have to join me in the Dong Office.

This green superhero really wanted a photo with me. Al pelo.

Would you care for a cup of grubs? Only W1,000.

Is it the system itself or the information that is ubiquitous?

This is a picture of Cassie sleeping diagonally and taking up the entire bed.

Royal Wedding Must Haves

2011-04-18T20:27:00.005-04:00

While I was online looking for a tasteful tea set, I found the very thing for our new pad here in Korea! Along with some other items I require to celebrate the Royal Wedding. Trust me, I will be watching on the 29th!

Hot Yoga

2011-04-12T20:32:00.006-04:00

So I started Hot Yoga the other day. The crazy thing was this guy:
ha ha. Just kidding. My class consists of all Koreans who wear a maximum size 4, and are super flexible. When I signed up, they gave me a 'One size Fits All' pants and tank top, that - we shall say- didn't fit all. In fact, the shirt only fit one of my boobs! I took a picture of myself squeezed into the outfit because I thought it was so funny, but alas, I am just too embarrassed to post it on the blog. I'll keep that treasure to myself. So just imagine....a stuffed sausage.

Anyway, April is the beginning of my work out month. So I have been walking for an hour up and down hills every T, R and Saturdays, and doing hot yoga MWF. So far, it's been great. I was a little turned off by the yoga at first, but I felt great afterward. Here is the routine.

As of now, I can do like 4 of those poses. My favorites are 13, and 26. Someday, I will be able to do this:
It's a start, and it's better than sitting on the couch. I have a six month membership. Plus it's supposed to get really hot soon, and we have no air conditioning. I think I will be able to do hot yoga in my house!

2011-04-10T22:13:00.005-04:00

I went to the baseball game last night (April 10th). The Doosan Bears were playing the KIA Tigers.

On the way in, ladies have beer/soju/snack carts set up. Beers are about $3. They could learn how to price gouge from the US.

A nice selection of Korean delicacies. The squid is dried then toasted on an open flame. On the right you can see some kimbap. It is rice, pickled radish, ham, tuna, cucumber and carrot wrapped in seaweed.

I had $8 outfield tickets, but weaseled my way up to the good seats. The managers were making some questionable decisions, in my opinion. In the third, after the Tigers knocked in 3 runs on five straight hits, there was no action in the pen. The Tigers third base coach was very conservative, especially since the players are quick on their feet and have relatively weak throwing arms from the outfield. They didn't pull the Doosan starter until after the 3rd, when he gave up 5 runs on 6 hits.

In any event, here are the Doosan Bears cheerleaders. As the evening went on they seemed to be wearing less and less clothing...

Strawberry Festival in Nonsan

2011-04-10T01:28:00.008-04:00

Yesterday we got up at 4 am to take the subway into Seoul, in order to catch a train to Nonsan for the Strawberry Festival! It's the first time we have been out of the city.

The train took about 3 hours, but we had purchased a ticket - which came with....a seat! I was super happy I didn't have to stand for 3 hours (like in some countries that have the letters PY in them). It was really neat to see the countryside. Unlike S.A. and USA, the countryside here is packed full of farming. There isn't any random space that isn't cultivated, except for the hills and mountains, which have made it impossible. Plus they reserve these areas for hiking and burial grounds. Koreans love to hike and garden, which is cool, cause I like to do those things, too.

We got to Nonsan and were able to follow the multitude of people off to see the fair. When we got there, many people were still setting up, and a couple hours later, after we left, we could barely walk through the crowd!

They were trying to level the muddy ground before lunch time.... they almost hit a mad granny trying to sell soup!
These ladies were wearing traditional korean dresses selling sweet strawberry chewy rice desserts

These ladies were making delicious strawberry jam

Here's the angry soup lady. I would be too, if that crane was blocking my business, and I had made this much soup.

The chinese noodle guy

Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries!!!!

They had a pastry competition. The chewy rice cakes were pliable, like the marzipan characters you see in the fancy shops. Lots of people made cakes, tarts, and little candies.

Some of the oddities of the festival were this seven piece saxophone jam band. Don't worry, their eighth member joined them before the festival was over.

The pan flutes guys came, and later played to a giant crowd. They sold all their pan flutes.

They had a petting zoo with a skunk, a turtle, and a monkey. What more could you ask for?

The Ginsu knife guy was there....

And so was the Slap Chop guy

We were able to catch a small city market on the way out of town, which made me really happy. Not everyone shops at the supermarket! The smells were awesome!!!!

The entrance to the market. It got crazier the further in we got. Veggies, pots and pans, clothes, grains....just like good ole Mercado Quatro

Lots of pork hanging from hooks!

We even found Scruffy. It took me a minute to put it together...this wasn't the only shop selling him and Fido...

This kimchee booth was awesome!

We had a good trip, and hopefully next week, we can go to the cherry blossom festival in Seoul.

I think I'm finally liking Korea.....

2011-04-09T07:49:00.000-03:00

Mr. Show - The Story Of Everest

2011-04-03T23:23:00.000-03:00

Philly Cheese Steaks

2011-04-03T22:49:00.006-03:00

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Pittsburgh, where we lay our scene.
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood make civil hands unclean

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,

And here, we attempt to recreate The Philly Cheese Steak - In South Korea

Bears vs. Twins Opening Day

2011-04-03T22:32:00.004-03:00

We went to see some baseball.... and you could buy all kinds of street food and bring it into the stadium. Also, you could BYOB. Weird thing is, they don't mark up anything if you buy it inside. Maybe .50 or so, but really, they don't even mark up KFC or Burger King! And cheap tickets were as low as $8. Really reasonable!

The stadium is home to 2 teams, and on this opening weekend, the 2 rivals were playing each other! It was crazy. They had cheerleaders and everything! The fans we NUTS! Cheering at every play - like catching a pop fly, to getting a batter out at first! It was so much fun!

This is Honus Wagner (at the Heinz Museum in Pittsburg)

NewsRadio - Baseball Promo

2011-04-03T22:05:00.000-03:00

Korean Beer

2011-03-24T10:34:00.010-03:00

There are about 5 or six types of widely available Korean beer. These include Cass, Max and Hite, all of which are low gravity lagers. I prefer the Max, but it is similar to any mass produced American lager. Not much flavor or color.

I came upon this 6 pack, and grabbed it to try something new.

It really works for me. It has a fuller flavor than the other lagers, and also helps to keep me regular.

Not only that, but it is designed and brewed specifically with youngsters in mind.

Thanks, Stylish Beer!

First Trip

2011-03-13T23:02:00.006-03:00

So we went to Seoul yesterday for the first time.
Rule Number 1:
Take an updated English subway map with you.
Really, that's all the problems we had. All the subways have English speaking announcements, and most maps have English names, but sometimes trying to find the English maps were tricky. So next time, a pocket map will be ideal.
The subway was so easy. I can't wait to ride it and do more exploring. Also, if you take a bus shortly after you leave the subway (or vice versa) the bus or subway is free. You just need a transportation card which you can buy at any convenient store.
It's awesome!

So below are some pics of our mini trip - which I was amazed at the amount of English speakers we met. Many from Canada - but we also ran in to a group of students from Harvard.
Mostly Korean girls who had valley girl accents!

Pocari Sweat is the Energy Sports Drink here in Korea

This guy is holding his girlfriends purse

We saw a lot of odd footwear trekking around the palace. Ladies sure don't mind wearing heels to hour plus tourist attractions...

Peace Corps at the Embassy!

Men who aren't toting their girlfriend's purses, usually have a man satchel

Or a European Handbag

And finally, KFC. We got off the subway and this greeted us. Hello, Old Friend!

2011-03-06T05:00:00.006-03:00

I made it out to the mountain behind our apartment today. It was a 5 minute walk to the park, then about an hour and a half to the top. The trail is 2 miles up to the top, with an elevation gain of around 2000 feet. I learned several things about Koreans. First, they love to hike. When I was huffing and puffing my way up the trail, groups of elderly were buzzing by me in both directions. Second, drinking heavily on the trail is acceptable.

Here are some pics from the hike:

About 200 meters up a muddy slope there was this traditional grave site and burial mound. The stone had dates noting that one person laying there was born in 1903 and passed in 2000.

On the trail following a frozen stream.

After hiking up for about 30 minutes, I came upon quite the party. These folks were part of a mountaineering group. They had a pretty impressive spread of food and drink. They were really tanked, and interested in talking to me for about 5 minutes. Then they gave me a Dixie cup full of soju and:

This cake. The man on the front right of the previous photo gave it to me. He said "Korean cake." I think it's a gelatinous paste covered in beans. The flavor is like gummy rice with a mild hint of sugar and salt.

A young English speaking girl took a photo of me and her friends about half way up the mountain.

The top, with a view of Namyangju-si in the background.

Here is a brief video with a view of what is going on at the top of the mountain.

Apartment Pics

2011-03-01T01:17:00.006-03:00

"GIMME FOOOOOOD!!!!"

"Whew. I almost lost it, there"

View from our apartment

Fancy Toilet. Please note the butt and flying woman...

Spare Bedroom #1 (we have Spare Bedroom #2, but it is currently our closet. Same size)

Front Door and shoe rack (No wearing shoes in the house!)

Fancy Toilet

Kitchen with sliding doors open to the utility room and kimchee station

Kimchee Kitchen (the 2 drawers are fridge #2 and 3)

View to left of Kimchee kitchen, to the washer. Look at all the trash from our old roomies we cleaned up! We have to wait till Wednesday to take it out.

Breezeway area next to master bedroom. Clothes drying and storage are perks!

Master Bedroom. The fancy toilet in the 1/2 bath is to the right.

Me on the kitchen telly

Main Bathroom

Anthony chillin' in the Living room. There is a mountain out through that window, which we will climb once the weather permits!

Our school director/landlord is coming over today. It is a holiday, and we are taking the opportunity to have him do a walk through of the apartment. A few minor problems, but nothing we can't do without for a while!
Our new school session starts tomorrow. I'm very nervous. Everyone wish me luck. I have 1 class of 14 middle schoolers - who think they are too cool to be in English class. Ugh. I have to keep a straight face and lay down the law in the first class - other wise they will walk all over me!

The New Home Place

2011-02-28T23:27:00.005-03:00

Well... We finally got our roommates out and the apartment to ourselves. It's a nice spot. We have mountain views out of all of our windows. The john has a fancy bidet and ass-warmer. There is a camera looking out our front door, and we can see who is out there while cooking in the kitchen. There is a separate kitchen area specifically for making kimchee, complete with a two drawer pull out refrigerator. We also have a side dish refrigerator in the kitchen, making 3 fridges in all. None of these niceties are really necessary, but I guess 3 fridges are better than one. And I'm not complaining about a toasty rear. Pictures to follow.

Rock Stars Arrive in S Korea

2011-02-22T23:31:00.003-03:00

First Impressions

2011-02-22T20:36:00.006-03:00

Kimchi

Check

House shoes

Check

Dunkin Donuts

CHECK

I have been in Korea for about 30 hours. I have found the 7-11, Dunkin Donuts, and Pizza Hut.
I'm feeling a big jet lagged, but not enough to shop at the giang E-Mart for Activia yogurt and Special K cereal.
And a slice of Supreme Pizza.

We got into Incheon Airport and were picked up by a driver. We were immediately taken to our school, where they were just finishing up for the day. At 8:30 pm. We were dirty, smelly, and after the 14 hour flight - pretty out of it.
But all I can say is WOW.

This ain't no Paraguay.
Which is all I have to compare it to.
The school is small and private. Kids go there AFTER public school and stay till 9pm! Korean kids usually have more school after their full day a public school in the forms of English school, Tae Kwon Do, music, or math school. Being a kid here doesn't sound very fun - but they are so dedicated! I am blown away at the English skills of some of these little little kids! I can tell them jokes! It took me 1.5 years to fully understand most jokes in Guarani!

We spent all day Tuesday shadowing a fellow Native teacher, and it was pretty long - or maybe it was just the jet lag. We get paid per class - so our days are pretty full up with at least 7 - 40 min classes. They diverse in skill level and age. I was pretty spent after 9 hours.
We do, however get lunch provided by a cook, so I will be able to taste all of her delicious Korean meals. We had bulgogi, which is rice with beef, kimchi, and creamed corn. There were also bean sprouts in a vinegar sauce. Our classes are typically 1-9pm, so we can eat right when we get into school.

After work, we went to E-Mart, which is like a smaller version of Wal-Mart. We bought a few food items and tried to look for a coffee pot. We will most likely travel into Seoul this weekend to look for one at Costco. Most people here drink instant coffee - but I didn't see any Nescafe! Haha! We also bought house slippers, as we are required to take our shoes off at the school. Mine are none too pretty - but at least comfy. I also bought some eyelid tape. It's to make the 'double eyelid' that westerners have. I'm tryin 'em out this weekend. Gonna get CRAY-ZAY!

We are currently in flux, as the teachers here before us are still in our apartment. They will be leaving this weekend, so until then, Anthony and I are sleeping in a twin size bed in a smaller bedroom. The apartment is so much bigger than we thought. I'm very excited and we have wi-fi. We will take photos after this weekend when our roomies leave. One teacher is going back to Canada, and the other got a position at a school in Seoul proper.
We are in a province Called Namyangju in a town called Pyongnedong (i think...i think i'm spelling it wrong). It's pretty lax here, and there seem to be buses that take you into neighboring areas that have more shops. But really, everything is in walking distance. It's about 10 min to school, and 20 to E-Mart and Pizza Hut. There is a movie theater, gym, subway and tons of eateries. It's like a little San Lorenzo (for those PC volunteers).

I will write a little more later, as I will now attempt to make some instant coffee. I certainly need it to keep up with little kids all day. I'm really excited to start teaching on my own on Monday. But first, I gotta get through day 2!

DC>NYC>Incheon>Namyangju

2011-02-19T19:30:00.002-03:00

Howdy, folks. We're headed to S. Korea tomorrow morning. It'll be around 15 hours from NY>S Korea. As a brief introduction, here are some interesting facts I gleaned from Learning to Think Korean by L. Robert Kohls.
--The Korean language is part of the Ural-Altaic language family, meaning it originated between the Central Asian mountain ranges of the same names. Korean, then, is unrelated to Chinese, although it is related to Japanese, Manchu and, interestingly, Turkish and Finnish.
--Generally, spoken language is intentionally indirect and more ambiguous than is the norm in the states. I'll update this idea with examples once I've had some personal experience.
--Koreans invented movable metal type a couple hundred years before old Gutenberg got around to it.
--Korean territory has been encroached upon repeatedly: by the Mongols (1234,1274,1281), the Japanese warlord Hideyoshi (1592-1598) and the Manchu invasions (1627,1636).
--Korea is about to have powerful foreign visitors once again... Ant and Cassie Doo.

I have to finish packing... It's tough to decide which books and song sheets to bring along.
More to come.....

We Are OUTTIE

2011-02-19T19:12:00.005-03:00

We are leaving for South Korea tomorrow.
I am trying to pack everything I own into 2 50lb bags. Anthony has 1 rollie bag, and a backpack...
Wha???

I don't think I'm packing that much, but apparently, 100lbs of clothes, shoes and yoga equipment.

Seriously, I don't know why he packs so little, and I pack so much. It is a delicate subject, but all I can say, is that I'm not getting left in the fashion void for 2 years AGAIN. No PY or Korean spandex for me!!!! I have been reading online that if you are a bigger sized lady, bring all the clothes you might need. I won't get caught drooling over linen button up shirts again. I'm bringing my own. In Paraguay, jersey t-shirt was the national fabric. For me and my ladies, it is not a very forgiving media.

As for tons of clothes, I am also bringing lots of shoes. Although I'm sure to find cute shoes over there, I am very picky. I don't like strappy heels for petite asian bodies. I like Docs and Mary Janes - which aren't quite in style like they once were. As for Ode to PY, I still have my Ipanema zapatias.

When all is said and done, the only thing I didn't bring is toiletries. I have a few items that will last me about a month, but I'm sure I'll be able to brush my teeth and wash my hair just like the locals.

Our phone will be turned off after today. We will arrive in Korea on Monday at 5:40pm local time. Wish us luck.

Resistance is Futile

2011-02-07T20:52:00.006-03:00

I've been reading more and more blogs on teaching english in South Korea.
It's amazing how many people are currently teaching ESL there, and even more amazing how many people are blogging about it.

As I have mentioned before, after reading many of these blogs, I feel confident and almost proud that I served in Peace Corps before moving onto this next adventure. It sounds like a cake walk. I've read a lot of pros and cons about South Korea - and lemme tell ya - people can be whinny about a lot of petty crap.
Now now, I'm not just tooting my own horn here....okay....maybe I am. But it begs the question, why go live and work abroad if the only thing you are going to do is to compare it to the country you are coming from?

The good part about most of the blogs that I read, is that at the end of them, everyone really enjoys/enjoyed teaching in South Korea. I assume that after the initial culture shock, people usually get over being annoyed at living in a new environment, and decide to just have a good time and 'live'. And as in the past I have used this blog as my personal ranting journal, I also assume that most people do the same with their blogs...so I'm constantly looking for the good posts, and breeze past the bad ones.

With this in mind, Amber turned me onto a great website that I would like to mimic here on Loco Mocos. I have invited Anthony to become a team member of Loco Mocos, so that he can share in 'ranting and raving', as well as his POV in living in South Korea. It's a Loco Mocos first, and I hope that we will be able to document our time here, and give our family and friends a little bit of insight into our shared adventure.

The Final Countdown

2011-01-25T14:13:00.005-03:00

We are leaving on February 20.
I have over 100lbs of junk I want to take.
Must I repack?

NO!

I'm having problems downsizing. I keep thinking of how badly I packed for Paraguay, and don't want to leave anything out. But the difference is that instead of taking 6 weeks to get mail, it only takes 6 days to South Korea. I had no idea checking 2 bags would be so difficult.

So maybe I shouldn't be too concerned with not packing everything I want. And really, all the items I want to take with me, should MAYBE be available in Korea. I mean, they ARE the leading country in recycling and hybrid automobiles.
I've been looking online, and it looks like everyone says to bring deodorant and tampons.
Check.
Bring 'American Size' clothing, if applicable.
Check.
Bring 4 seasons worth of clothing.
Check.
Some other blogs suggested a few things, but I think I am pretty lucky going from a 2 year job in an underdeveloped countryside - to a possible 2 year job in a completely developed city. I mean, they have subways! In English! I wonder if when traveling by bus, everyone will get a seat....

Big things I will bring, that I wish I had had in Paraguay:
Family Photos -
Nobody loves it more than to see photos of you and your family. It makes things more personal and allows people to identify with you. Plus it's a great conversation starter
American Games -
I will be teaching kids, so I want to bring a few games in English that I think they'll enjoy in the classroom. I know I can get a lot of this online, but I'm thinking some small stuff, like Bananagrams and possibly flashcards (cheapies from$1 spot). Kids love visuals.
Spices by mail-
Lots of people are saying to bring spices - and at first I blew this off. Until I remembered when my mom sent me Laury's Seasoned Salt in PY. I may have her do this again, cause I used it in everything. Taco seasoning was a treat in PY, as well as Chili powder. I will ask my mom to mail me seeds of the more basics like basil, thyme and oregano.
Movies -
I almost died in Paraguay from lack of mind numbing activities. I never read so many books in my life, but after Moby Dick - GEEZ! I just wanted some good ole Frat Pack. But I tell ya, night after night of Derek Zoolander makes Cassie not so Haaaaaapppppppy! My mom even sent down some much needed Star Trek, and even Data stared to get on my nerves. So we purchased an external hard drive, and got Kristin's dad and Anthony's cousin to upload us tons of movies and old TV shows. I think I'm in good shape. I can't wait to watch Bonanza....
Music -
We have been visiting a little place most people don't know about. It's called The Library. We have been downloading music like crazy. CRAZY. I had no idea they had so much music for FREE. I'm pretty excited just to add all this onto my ipod. This will entertain me for hours as I embroider all the friggin towels I bought for the trip.

This was a good site I found that I used for their packing list. Amazingly, there seem to be more lists for South Korea than for Paraguay. Go figure!

http://www.esl4kids.net/packing.html

Random Photos

2011-01-10T13:35:00.008-03:00

Anthony and I Halloween 2010

Chiefs game October 31, 2010
everyone complimented Anthony on his lovely metal head locks-
he didn't have the heart to tell them it was a wig!

Mom and I - please note the bag of popcorn I smuggled in.
I bought that coat for $5, hat for $.25. Looks like I've been a fan for years!!!
Also, #98 back there. Ah...salt of the earth.

Anthony and Travis Long, our Peace Corps PY buddy! live in America!

Anthony and I while hiking

Visa Me Visa You

2011-01-10T13:10:00.005-03:00

It is official. I just picked up my visa from the Korean consulate here in DC. I don't know if it's sunk in yet.

Five weeks and counting.
I will be visiting Denver at the end of this month to spend time with Ed and Kurt. I hope we will have lots of fun and I will take lots of good photos.

Other than that, not much to report. I'm a little unsure of what to pack for South Korea. I know my apartment is going to be way chuchi (guarani for hoity toity). I'm really excited not to have to take a shower out of a bucket this time. Also, I believe there is running water, although I'm told I shouldn't drink it.

My mom and I put together some items for my trip. Since I have tattoos and not sure what the cultural opinion is of them, I brought a lot of long sleeves - but no tents like when I was in Paraguay.
Work Clothes
3 pants
1 skirt
6 work shirts
3 cardigans
2 camies
1 dress
2 heels
1 flats

Home Clothes
2 Sweaters
4 long sleeved cotton shirts
4 camies
3 skirts
2 dresses
2 jeans
2 cargo
2 capri jeans
4 short sleeved shirts
tennys
flops
fluffy wooden shoe slippers from Kristin

Too much? It will be for a year, and most likely 2. I'm an 'American Sized' girl, so I've been advised to bring clothing that will fit me. The temp is supposed to be from a high of 85 F to 25 F - so I need to keep my bases covered. I hope when I get there, I can find a good seamstress who will make me any additional clothing.

I need to move onto toiletries and entertainment. This is going to be the tough part. Any advice?

Long Time, No Blog

2011-01-06T21:01:00.003-03:00

Well, it's been quite a while since I've been on the blogroll, but as New Year resolutions go, I decided to start blogging again. So - what's new you ask?

I am currently living in Washington D.C. with my boyfriend, Anthony.
We have just gotten a job offer and our visas to teach English in South Korea.
We leave on February 20.
The place we are teaching is just outside Seoul in a suburb called Gyeonggi Namyangju. I'm told it's about an hour ride to the city on the train. They are providing living accommodations as well as a decent salary.
I'll be honest. I'm nervous. I'm teaching kids - ages ranging from kindergarten to junior high. We just got some cds at the library on speaking Korean, but I'm still wondering how I am going to communicate with kids that young - in English ONLY.

If anyone has any suggestions or has taught in Korea, I would love to hear some helpful suggestions on ANYTHING. From teaching English to where to purchase good toilet paper. Any 'Must Bring' items? This is going to be a lot different from Paraguay, so I'm not sure what to expect. I guess that's why it's so exciting!

I DID IT!!! Healthy Kitchens: A Reality!

2010-05-11T11:25:00.002-04:00

my old house2
Originally uploaded by locomocos

My grant proposal finally went through! The women's comitte of San Antonio, La Pastora got the money to build healthy kitchens! After over a years worth of work, i just got an email that they are building!

I know I accomplished ALOT in Peace Corps, even if this much sought after grant company never made my project possible, but it sure feels great to actually SEE a change in people's lives!

I just hope that everyone puts a plaque above their new kitchens with my name and face on it! Gracias Lilu!!!

click on the picture to view my flickr account of ALL the ladies building their new kitchens!

Back in the USSA

2010-01-21T12:46:00.004-03:00

So as I am now back in the US, I have been getting used to consumerism again. I bought this cookie jar at a flea market in DC.

I've also got an appointment to get my tattoo colored tomorrow. I'm really excited. Other than that, I'm just hanging at my mom's house in Kansas City. Anthony flies in this morning, and we will begin our visit to the midwest. I think in a few weeks we will be driving to Denver for a visit, and who knows after that. But so far...I've eaten all you can eat pancakes, a superdog, went to the Smithsonians, and visited Carnegie Hall. I'll post some photos a bit later.

Columbia or Busted

2010-01-03T17:46:00.002-03:00

Mobile Carousel
Originally uploaded by locomocos

Hello all. I am now in the United States of America. I spent Christmas in DC with Anthony and his family, and went to NYC for New Years to spend some time with my ladies from Peace Corps. We had lots of fun and now I finally have some time to upload some photos from my vacation in Columbia.

We ended up visiting Bogota, Santa Marta, Tayrona National Park and Cartagena.

I seriously suggest Columbia for a vacation spot. We only had 2 weeks and I could've spent a whole month there! It rawked! We didn't have time to get to Ciudad Perdida or San Augustin. But we sure spent a lot of time going to various beaches, which was just fine with me. I worked on my tan and expanding my bathing suit.

Now I'm working on expanding my jeans. We plan on coming to KC around the 15th of January, and visiting Denver in Feb. We're gonna take Jeepster on a wild road trip throughout march, so lemme know if it's okay to crash at any and all couches!

p.s. click on the photo of me to see my pics on flickr!

Next stop, Columbia

2009-12-04T15:12:00.005-03:00

Well, I'm officially NOT a Peace Corps volunteer anymore. I am now officially a bum.

A bum going here:

San Augustín

Santa Marta

Cartagena

Ciudad Perdida

Bogota

I will be back in the states on the 22nd of December. I will be spending Christmas with Anthony's family in Washington DC, and afterwards we are heading to Kansas City around the end of January. I'm just a little nervous around a new family for the holidays. I mean, do they, TOO, celebrate Christmas Eve with povaticia? For the love of Pete, will they have a whoopie cushion?

We will soon find out....

The Last Hurrah

2009-11-16T12:48:00.007-03:00

I just got done with my last big activity with my community, hosting Long Practice of the new recruits, G31. I had 4 trainees come and work with my women´s group making soap, building compost piles, and touring various parts of Paraguayan Country Life. Remember when I was a little trainee and I wrote a poem about my experience? Well, hopefully these guys had more fun, and I think EVERYONE was super excited about their visit.

We had one day were the trainees had to get up in front of the ladies and do a presentation. Since I have more experience MAKING stuff instead of giving a speach about it, we MADE a Dia de Jabon (Soap Day!!)

We made Powdered Soap

Bar Soap used for washing clothes

Liquid Detergent Soap used for dishes and EVERYTHING else you can think of...

And Even Shampoo!!!

Afterwards, we toured some fields and even had a few free lunches!

this old guy made this special stool in the middle of his field just so he could sit in the shade under his mandarin orange tree - he knows what´s up

Paraguayan Rambo - Or as they say, 'Juan Rambo'

We all had a lot of fun, and as a special occasion, I made something that I have never before eaten in my life.

Pickles!

They were actually really good.

Here´s the recipe:

6 cups cucumbers , cut or or sliced
2 cups onion, chopped
1.5 cups vinagre (i used apple vinagre and it rawked)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Dill

Heat the liquids to a boil. Boil for 1 minute
Cut the cucumbers and onions and alternately layer them in whatever recipiant you´re using
Pour the boiling liquid over the cucumbers and onions
Marinate them in the fridge for a minimum of 4 days

At first I thought there wasn´t enough liquid, so I added a little bit of water after the 2nd day, just to cover the cucumbers. Really, it should be enough and the cucumbers made their own juice as well. You can add any kind of spice you want, and probably some hot peppers if that´s what you're into. Now I understand why so many people pickle EVERYTHING. It´s so easy and delicious on a hot day!!!!

Well, there you have it. Not only am I coming back from the Peace Corps and new and improved woman, I also know how to make pickles. Oh. And I got a stamp made, too.

When the heck are you DONE?

2009-11-03T09:12:00.007-03:00

I know, I know. I think everyone has been asking me when I'm finally going to be done with Peace Corps. But you know what? I came real close to extending my service in order to work with an NGO specializing in women's groups. It's something that I've begun to develop a real interest in.

But I have also developed a taste for geology. So I've decided to not stay in Paraguay, and look into Grad School options. When will I go to grad school? Probably not for a loooooong time, but it made me realize that I have NO idea what I want to do when I finish my service.

But hey, that's a good thing.

Peace Corps has given me a new view of the world, and all the possibilities in it. Maybe development work is not my bag, but women's groups ARE. For years I thought I was paving the way for women by working in male dominated industries, but I realized that I also need to be working WITH women to make any changes. Go figure.

What I've Learned

So I'm also writing my last essay, called my Desciption of Service. It's a 3 page paper on what I've done with my Peace Corps service for the last two years. At first I thought this was a silly bogus paperwork process, but I've realized that I really have done a lot of kool things with my two years. Not that I didn't do kool stuff back home, but it's just so much different. I mean, who knows how to cook all items over an open fire? What's it like to pull your water from a well everyday? Bucket Bath? I'm an expert. Speaking a foreign language 90% of the time, and trying to make jokes...I mean make jokes FUNNY, in a completely different culture? Preparing all my food without lipton soup packages? Heck, I know how to make my own cheese and yogurt now! This may sound awful for some people, but it's a very liberating experience....in retrospect! This doesn't mean that the minute I get off the plane I'm going to go straight to Sonic for a corndog and onion rings....

anyone want to wash clothes with me in an old tire?

So as my time comes to a close, I am looking at all kinds of new adventures. I have decided to try and get a temporary job as a butcher. That's right. A butcher. I've killed plenty of chickens and pigs here, so why not learn how to make the choicest cuts of meat and put them directly on the grill? I don't think i can lose on this one. But once again, I may change my mind and go to China to teach English after my first day in the slaughter house....

Che Paraguay

2009-09-17T19:01:00.007-04:00

Well since my flickr account is being a bum and for the first time in years, my blogger account is being an angel, I'll post some photos here until I can get my tech guy to straighten things out ;D

Comite de Amistad in San Antonio
(if you look closely, I am in the center - one of the only people smiling like a goofball....)

My ladies of San Antonio, La Pastora making Chipa

My neighbors....my good lookin neighbors....and me!

no, i am not bringing back a souvenir like this....

Meat Market

Mercado 4, where if Paraguay has it, THIS is where you find it...but you have to be patient, like searching thru the Westport Flea Market.

My own personal Paraguayan Band

Good Lookin Volunteers

Thomas Wonder, me and Anthony

Plans within Plans

2009-09-17T17:38:00.011-04:00

Is it bad that i haven't been into civilization for about a month? I don't feel any different, but when i come into the city, the first thing i do is put on my 'city clothes' and constantly want to wash my feet.

That's right, folks. I live in BFE. If I were to post pictures of what I look like on a daily basis, you would flip out. I'm tellin ya, it's worse than college. And I believe a lot of you had strong feelings about what i wore in college as well.

Hey...she looks Gooooood....

So last week was our Close Of Service conference. This means my group that I came in with over 2 years ago, now has to get mentally, medically, and materially ready to leave Paraguay in less than 3 months.

I will admit, I have had a few panic attacks already. Thoughts like, 'I won't be preparing the terere for my family when I get home' or 'What happens when I'm really craving deep fried tortillas from my favorite señora!'

But all in all, I think I'm ready to move on. To what...well...that's another question.

I'm trying to block out all the career stuff that I have to think about, like student loans, grad school, getting back into landscape design, etc. What I HAVE been thinking about is where i want to go when i get back for Cassie's Road Trip 2010.

After Peace Corps, Anthony and I will be traveling to Columbia. We want to tour the Lost City.This sounds like a great trek through the jungle for 6 days and 5 nights with nuthin but a mosquito net and a hammok. But seriously, should i bring 2 machetes or just one? It's a toughy.

After descending in the Washington DC area to enjoy Christmas with a new fam, should i pack heavy for the east coast winter? I have my thickest pair of torn up cargo pants I found in the Free Box at the Peace Corps office over 2 years ago. I think I'll fit in nicely in our nation's capital.

After a week's stay in Pittsburg I hope my 2 year old underwear that is about as big as my torso due to washing in a bucket suffice for a final plane ride back to Kansas City. My mom says i have tons of old clothes awaiting me in my closet, but alas, am I ready to don the high heels of hip urban bar fly society? Only time can tell.

My stepdad is giving me his old jeep, in which we can scurry off to Denver, Saint Louis, and finally Nashville, where I'm sure my talents on my brand new Paraguayan guitar will woo the socks off those record producers having dinner at the local Mexican restaurant in the strip mall. I am a one-woman paraguayan polka band. Thank gawd I kept the floral señor skirt which is 4 sizes too big, and just one big resewn mess. I think in Nashville most people only bathe once a week in a bucket too, right? I'm sure to find lots of friends.

while this is not a photo of myself, it is a photo of a peace corps volunteer bathing similar to myself- but i have never let my hair get that long....i swear....

Onto Georgia and then down to Florida, all the while camping out in the jeep in the cold March springtime. I just hope it's okay to use the bathroom where ever there is a spare bush. I mean, who wants to cart around corncobs the whole time when i can just use the thrifty nickel!!! Ahhh a week or two at the beach. Since Paraguay is a landlocked country, I just hope Florida has more than just 1 kind of fish, and the eels aren't so small. One can always dream....

So there it is, folks. After March, I will be fully ready for someone to just GIVE such a well adjusted Returned Peace Corps Volunteer a job. Preferably with up to an hour terere breaks.

Nice Try

2009-07-20T11:19:00.001-04:00

Healthy Kitchens a reality?

2009-06-26T14:58:00.005-04:00

So I've completed my work on my healthy kitchen project. My women's comite have completed all their documents, and I have turned over all the paperwork to the NGO I am working with in my community. We now only need her boss's signature to be able to turn in the application to the grant company. Supposedly they'll be ready by Monday. I am SO EXCITED.

If you remember I have been working on this project since January. I have given 6 presentations, got trees donated, and done countless project design meetings. All we need now are some good thoughts and a leetle beet more patience.

The project we designed is a concrete floor, sink, drains, screened window, new wood (for the walls), shelves and a work/prep table for each woman. The biggest thing was to get the animals out of the kitchen. And I don't mean the dog or cat. I mean chickens and pigs pooping EVERYWHERE. The ladies will build a little pig pen with the old materials from the existing kitchens, to house their animals. We have 13 families that will be benefiting from this project. Cross your fingers for me, and here are a few pics of the existing kitchens!

Does this look good cause I´m in Paraguay?

2009-06-20T09:53:00.002-04:00

Whoa. Look what I found on evite:

Leave it to sexy soul singer Luther Vandross to come up with the ultimate in over-indulgence. Elvis, your fried peanut butter and bacon sandwich has nothin’ on this.

For Fathers’ Day, here’s what most people usually make: hot dogs, beans, burgers served on normal buns (I shudder at the thought). Imagine how excited Dad will be when he experiences the crazy salt/sweet intensity of the bacon doughnut burger.

It’s certainly not good for you. In fact, if you have high cholesterol, for the love of God, stop reading now. But it’s unquestionably tasty and popping up all over the place, from a tiny doughnut shop in Massachusetts to the Food Network (Paula Deen created one for the “ladies” with an egg on top).

Here is the original recipe: glazed doughnut, hamburger patty, cheese and bacon. For a truly authentic experience, use a Krispy Kreme.

Bacon Doughnut Burgers
1¼ pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder (or whatever seasoning you prefer)
salt and pepper
4 slices of cheddar cheese
8 bacon slices
4 glazed doughnuts, sliced in half horizontally
Mix beef with egg and garlic powder, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, fire up the grill.

Place burgers on grate and grill until meat is to desired level of doneness. Top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last minute so the cheese will melt. Remove from grill, and let burgers rest 2 to 3 minutes to reabsorb the juices.

Meanwhile, fry bacon in skillet, place on paper towels when done, and pat off grease. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in skillet. Place doughnut halves in skillet and fry over medium heat until slightly toasty. Alternatively, place doughnut halves on grill over low heat until toasty.
Place patties on doughnut halves, top each with two bacon slices and remaining doughnut halves.

Makes 4

This is Peace Corps Paraguay!

2009-06-05T16:10:00.002-04:00

My friend Ricardo did this video for candidates of Paraguay! Most of the people in this video are current volunteers and I have drank beers with them! Good work! Hope you understand Paraguay a little more, and if this doesn't work, here's the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZA78xUzwTA

Notice the beekeeping, and detergent making! I work in the field as well, and yes, have driven an ox cart!

I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer, dammit! Not a Graphic Designer!

2009-06-05T13:35:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I was coming into Asuncion today for a flu shot, and I saw an add for a food festival coming up. The funny thing about food festivals, is that because Paraguayans are not very food adventurous, its the same staples over and over, just prepared by a different person. I would compare it to a BBQ cookoff, but its usually the same ingredients, and most likely, the same spices. Maybe just different amounts. So - to sum up - the food festival not too diverse, but booths and booths of say 5 great comfort food favorites.

But the logo for the festival is what got me:

What is that fork trying to say to you? I think...it looks...smelly. Notice, there is no food indicated on the fork. It's just...a... smelly fork.

Like I said, I'm no logo designer, but this reminds me of something someone put in a pile of poo. Then pulled it out and said, "hey, this stinks. Smell it!" and shoves it in your face.

I also just had a conversation with one of my ladies in site. She asked me why the economy in the United States was so bad. I realized as I started explaining to her, that she has no idea what economics IS. She never had a class in 9th grade where she watched that Michael Moore video about Flint, MI. In my broken Guaraní, I decided to talk to her about supply and demand, and the point of equilibrium (thank you Mr. Volker). I even had to take it down a notch and explain to her that most people live in cities, don't grow ANY of their own food or livestock, NOR have ANY relatives that do so. I had to explain that if the local mini shop down the road that sells flour, pasta, oil, and sugar cane whiskey ran out of customers, and no one grew beans or corn, what would they eat? Okay, so I'm not doing a great job of relating, but she didn't even understand how different our lives were in the united states, let alone a people that live in a city and produce NOTHING.

I had to break it down to what she understood. The stock market. And Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice.

It was a tough day.

More Photos on Flickr!

2009-05-04T13:13:00.001-04:00

Paraguayan Michael Jackson?
Originally uploaded by locomocos

Out of Money

2009-05-04T12:07:00.007-04:00

Fellin' a little down today. I have been working my butt off in site, and I got to come into town today for a little bit of R 'n R. I had planned on buying some delicious food, making some serious photocopies for my upcoming presentation, and possibly buying a much sought after blender. But when I get to the bank - guess what?

No money.

Because it's the beginning of the month, most government employees get paid. But instead of using a debit card, or pulling out a little cash for the week, most employees take out their entire pay checks - which leaves the bank line OUT THE BUILDING and the ATMs out of cash. My trip into town is pretty much useless, so I guess i will just use the computer, and come back this weekend when there isn't a Mary Poppins-like rush on the bank.

To top it all off, May 1st was a holiday, so I had a really really long weekend. Weekends are okay, don't get me wrong. The only problem is that nothing is open, and no buses are running. So I sat in my site while most people were gone visiting families. That is kinda a crapper about Peace Corps. Unless you make a really close family tie with a host family, or a nearby neighbor, sometimes it's hard not to be the red headed stepchild of your community. At least in my community, everyone just assumes you're doing something, so you almost have to invite yourself to hang out with other families, and let's face it. Sometimes it just gets tiring being the pushy outsider.
So the extra long holiday weekend consisted of me making bread the whole time, since I just got some new gas for my oven. It wasn't TOO bad, but enough to make me really want to get away to town for the day. Usually, there are a few other volunteers floating around, so we can usually meet up for lunch, or terere, or just shop together. But again, today is a crapshoot cause everybody is busy and I just want a buddy. Wahhhh.

Okay. So enough whinning. I'm over it. I just bought a hard-to-find Diet Coke, so I feel a little better. I will end up just going to the market and buying some cheap veggies and possibly an expensive can of pringles. I can make it in the country another week without spending a cien (or in the US - a dime)!

Last Thursday, we started our radio program. It's really ghetto....and FABULOUS!!!! I finally got ahold of the president of the coop, and he opened the radio door for me and my 2 closest neighbors in Jykyty (pronounced Joo Koo Too). We had a sound board, a cd player, and a microphone - with electrical tape all over everything. The beauty part about this, was that he showed us how to operate the cd player, mic, and volume, and then left us alone. We all spoke in Guarani and Spanish, and called our show Joparadio. Jopara is what people call the mix of the Spanish language and the traditional Guarani language. So if someone asks me which language I speak, I reply that I speak Jopara which in guarani means 'Mix' or 'all thrown together'. So if I had a basket of lots of different fruits and veggies I could say that I had a jopara of food! The name for the radio station has been used by other volunteers before, but since my coop antenae only reaches about a 3 mile radius, I don't think anyone will mind.
So because not too many people were listening, and it was our first show and we haven't gotten the word out quite yet, talking on the radio was really easy! We messed up and had bad feedback and awkward pauses, but otherwise, it was really chill and we had tons of fun! I'll bring my camera, and I'm going to try and tape a show - on a cassette tape, there is no computer - so maybe I'll be able to play it down the line!
We will be having our show every other week, so the next one is scheduled May 14th the day beforeThe New Star Trek comes out on Mother's Day.

I seriously doubt this will make it to Paraguay, seeing as how no one is a trekkie here except me, and a few people that still live with their parents in the city. Although that is very common here.....

Semana Santa

2009-04-27T14:44:00.003-04:00

cooking in the tatakuaa. they are using pans, but may paraguayans use banana leaves as cookie sheets!

anthony pickin his banjo. he has a garage door in his living room. i wish i HAD a living room.
I am working hard being very stoic. I think i am thinking about which to eat first.

making chipa. look at that dough! you take the dough and kneed it until it is shapeable into circles or whatever shape you like.

Paraguayans love to pose for pictures. Even if it´s behind a drunk guy.

we made PEEPS out of chipa!!!
Anthony´s host mom and host grandma. they love me.

Uh..i don´t know.

making a blanket. anthony´s host family weave blankets and hammoks. I really sucked at it.

My easter egg. They don´t know this tradition. It´s a little like the eater bell David Sedaris talks about in Paris.

So there are just a few pics. if you´re interested in more, go to my flickr account!!!

Too many Recuerdos....

2009-04-03T10:24:00.001-04:00

My dad sent me this and asked if I had been in Paraguay too long....

A new Photo

2009-04-03T09:48:00.004-04:00

I have nothing to post. This coming week is Semana Santa, which is the biggest holiday in Paraguay. It is because of Saints week that we got all that glorious scantly clad, foamy, drunk Carnival last month. This month - lent. And then....CHIPA.
This coming week I will be taking lots and lots of photos of 'JUST WHAT IS SEMANA SANTA, PARAGUAY'. I will post them as soon as possible.

but for now, my mother has asked me to change the photo because she doesn't like that stick guy in a hospital bed picture.

Boxes of wine are the norm in Paraguay. It's really better as there is no trash pic up, and there are bottles and trash just lying around all over the place. At least boxes can be burned in your trash pit. Not that I endorce burning trash. Tastes like Boone's Farm. With better pictures....

Carnival, Oviedo! Who is spraying foam at that innocent man???

After my Women's race in Asuncion, PY. All the photos taken of this day were after I just ran my heart out. I look awful. Yuck. I am a tomato face.

I am a tough tomato face.

There you go, mom. Hope this is better!!! I promise to post more next week of my exciting adventures of eating as much food as possible!!!!

I'm So EXCITED about Development Work!!!

2009-03-09T15:27:00.007-04:00

So just a little blurb about what I´ve been up to lately. I´m currently working with my womens group on a 'project'. Most people know that this word means 'free stuff from grants' so everyone is really excited. I´ve decided that my community needs some heavy duty health solutions. Of course, so does every other community, but my community has some experience in working with a specific grant company, so we're gonna give it a whirl.

My 'project' is Healthy Kitchens. Most women cook on a dirty old fogón, dirt floor, pig/chicken pens next to the hook where the meat hangs for a week. So my idea is to get a grant that will give us concrete floors, screened in window, cabinets and an indoor sink. My community has running water, but most just have 1 spicket outside somewhere. Along with this grant, i will be giving informational talks, and we will be building trash pits, compost piles, and a drain pit (in landscaping, it would be a sunken drain - covered hole filled with rock to slowly seep the used water back into the landscape). This will take care of mosquitos, rats, and snakes that frequent the average Paraguayan trash pile out back.

Right now we are in the designing stage and it´s going pretty slow. I´m trying to let the women drive the project and just interveen when necessary. My next design meeting will be on budgeting. We tried a little of this last week, and only a few people actually participated while the rest just sat and stared. It´s hard getting people to come out of their shells.

I´m also starting a radio show in my county of La Pastora. I will be going into the COOP on Wednesday with my closest neighboring volunteers to set something up with the intendente. I´m really excited. Maybe we can figure out how to tape a show and I can post wav files or video of us talking in Guarani. I´m pretty sure all the Paraguayans will laugh their butts off.

A side note is that I´ve finally gotten a spanish tutor, so maybe I'll finally be able to talk to people who live in the rest of South America.

I´m starting a cooking class with one of my other womens committes. Our first attempt at homemade bread didn´t quite go as well as I had hoped, but we're easing into it. The soap making has been going well too. I think I may just start my own company when I get back to the states.....

Big news on the personal front is that I'm training for my first official 5k run. My friend Kristin is my trainer and I´m really excited. I realize I've been a little stressed out in site (with my project and being eaten to death by all things bug). But as Elle from Legally Blonde says, 'Exercise causes endorfins, endorfins make people happy. Happy people just don´t kill their husbands.' Not that i am in danger of killing anyones husband, but maybe a random mitai'i throwing rocks at my house. So i figure I´d better start exercising more. My race is March 22, so wish me luck.

Nothing else to report. I still love hearing from all of you. I miss you and the countdown is started. I get out in December and it´s already March! Time is FLYING!!!!

Just a few random pics...

2009-02-24T15:59:00.002-03:00

buildin my lean-to

SANTA!!! I know him!

San Telmo, Buenos Aires

Lujan, the day after my 31st bday

2009-02-17T10:15:00.002-03:00

My friend Paul sent me this article from Colorado Springs, CO

Here's a fun post from the Colorado Springs police blotter.

Incident Date February 4, 2009 Time 1:54:00 AM Division Gold Hill Shift
III
Title Robbery Location 145 N Spruce Street
Summary Officers responded to a robbery at a 7-11 at 145 N Spruce St.
The victim said a white male in a black jacket, blue jeans and wearing a
black mask entered the store with a sword. The suspect demanded money
from the victim. He left with an undisclosed amount of money. The
suspect then left southbound on foot. Officers searched the area,
however no contact was made with the suspect.

At approximately 0220 hours, at a 7-11 store at 2407 N Union Blvd a male
matching the previous description, entered the store with a sword. He
demanded money from the store clerk, however he did not obtain any money
at that location. He left the store on foot in an unknown direction.

There was no vehicle description in either robbery. There were no
injuries to either victim. The sword was described as a Star Trek
Klingon type sword, a "Batleth".

I love trekkies. Even trekkie robbers. I especially love it that he got no money!!! Wha????

Carnival!

2009-02-10T11:00:00.004-03:00

Well, it´s February again, so what does that mean in Paraguay?

Carnival!

Booze, foam, and yes, scantly clad women in a parade that lasts all night.

I decided to update my blog, but I can´t seem to load my photos, so this one will have to do.

I just got back from Encarnacion, Paraguay, where Anthony and I went to Carnival. It was pretty crazy, but I guess we went on a bum night, cause apparently other volunteers who went down after us told me some stories that i cannot repeat on this blog. No no, nothing bad! Let´s just say, a lot of foam....

After Encarn (which is about a 6.5 hr bus ride from Asuncion), we went up to Santiago where we attended a music festival, which was more like a rodeo. Another bus took us to where we went swimming in the river in Ayolas. This was about a 2.5hr bus ride Northwest of Encarcacion. I then headed up to spend the night in Anthony´s site which is in Carapegua (which is close to Paraguari on the map).

I´ve just gotten back to Coronel Oviedo, which is my main city. It´s really hot and i´m lugging around a giant backpack with lots of dirty, dirty clothes. I´ve decided that this year, I will be visiting lots of fellow volunteers to see the rest of Paraguay (not just my little portion!). A way that volunteers can do this is by working with their buddies! For example, I want to visit my friend Anne who lives near Ciudad del Este. In order to do this, we will be making soap at her site with her women´s comite! It´s productive for the communities, as well as for the volunteers who want to spend a few short (i mean 5-6) hrs on a bus to see the rest of the country! I love my job!

I have lots of fun activities planned within my own community, for example worm composting, fogón improvement, and community gardening! I plan on taking lots of photos, so keep an eye out for some updates!

Is Paraguay ready for Japanese fashion?

2009-01-16T08:25:00.001-03:00

ugh. i bet you they are.

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T13:37:00.002-03:00

Blog in Review

2008-12-28T11:07:00.006-03:00

Since I have lately been ill, AND in the United States with WiFi, I have been pondering the internet lately. I have since being here, joined Facebook, which after a long hour trying to figure out how to upload the limited photos on my mom's computer (because yes..my laptop has finally died. I guess G3s aren't invincible like i once thought) I realized that I am the only person on the internet that wasn't on facebook. My mom even had a profile! WTF??? I too, have gone to the dark side. I will be adding my facebook link to my links section if anyone is interested, but seriously, it's just like myspace without all the bands. But you all know that.

I have also been trying to organize my blogs. Since I have been blogging since 2004 thanks to my ole favorite, Planetdan, I have a crapton of blogs before the invention of posting labels. While a labourous journey at first, I find the real reason for doing this is to take some time to review some of my favorite posts (or at least some of the most amusing).

As I was browsing I founds a few of interest:

scenarios

Read the comments, very concise

let's take a moment to reflect

These posts made me laugh as i now have concrete floors and call myself lucky, not to mention having had a real ant problem. To read the other apartment posts, just type 'apartment' in the "search this blog box"

rock bandana

This just made me laugh to recall my drunken discussion with Greg

what i did at school today

one of the few landscape plans online, but don't worry. this didn't even make it into my portfolio. Just an average day at the office.

i rant, therefore i am
I still believe this

and now for something completely different
i like the discussion this post got

apparently this programmer hates his job
still makes me laugh

class reunion to remember
cause my yearbook photos are hilarious

how many jello shots can i do?
because this made me laugh out loud (about the lip gloss)

i think my car is christine's evil cousin
ahh...when i miss the dart, i read this post

report: sci-fi fantasy movie seen as kid did not withstand the test of time
and of course, Krull

so a few for a read, but really I'm just sitting around being sick. So if you're bored take a look. If you're really bored, just search the for the word 'quiz' on my blogs, and do as many internet pop quizzes as you want. I used to belong to Quizilla.

Holiday Cheer

2008-12-28T11:00:00.001-03:00

Povaticia (not bernice's)
Originally uploaded by locomocos

Yummy povaticia, spiral ham, and eggnog. All the things i wish i was eating if i didn't have the friggin flu. I've been sick for the last week and can't seem to beat this thing. Welcome back to the US, i guess. At least I am sick with a flu (that i have since found out most people have been having for 2 weeks) is that I'm at my mom's so she can baby me. I've been drinking orange juice and 7up galore. I felt a little better last night, so my stepdad made me a ginormous steak. I couldn't even eat half of it, but it was good. I'm barely able to talk, as I lost my voice, but my mom turned on the in home intercom so I could summon her whenever I needed. I've been watching Star Trek and Magnum P.I. for the last 4 days. Being sick is even starting to feel normal.
Scary.
I leave for Nashville tomorrow. Let's hope I don't infect my dad!
I've got some new photos on flickr! Check 'em out!

it's a christmas miracle

2008-12-27T12:26:00.001-03:00

We've been avoiding the real issue.....

2008-11-18T14:42:00.005-03:00

A slow procession....

At age 3

At age 12

at age 21

Hmm...guess who's turning 31 in less than a month....

Did you say 31? Uhhh....

It's not much, really!

2008-11-13T08:16:00.008-03:00

This is it. The list of all lists. I have been in Paraguay for 1 year, and I am homesick for certain...shall we say...important items.

When I say items, I really mean food.

My mom asked me to put together a list of some food and things I wanted to do when i came home for a couple weeks. Oddly enough, the 'Things to do list' was a lot shorter than the 'Foods I have to Eat' when I get home.

Here are some highlights:

Things I haven't done in a year and would like to:

Eat Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar (there is NO cheddar chee in PY)
Drink good beer
Go to the Movies and eat popcorn and hot dogs
Go Bowling
Take lots of baths
Go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without squatting and getting a mosquito bite on my kashi*
Get a pedicure (although I'm pretty sure my feet are far beyond help at this point)
Get FAT

Food I must eat to accomplish last objective on things to do list:

Totinos Pizza
Coffee - I've been drinking Nescafe for a year, people!!!
Sammiches
BBQ - without the sauce. so just grilled meat without chunks of fat and gristle
Dunkin Donuts
The Feast at the Ameristar Casino
a Chinese buffet
Pizza Street
Nachos

So there you have it folks. Just SOME of the things I've been missing. Trust me, I have lots more, but I only have 3 weeks....

*Guarani for Hoo-Ha

What pretty toes you...WHAT IS THAT???

2008-10-28T16:02:00.001-03:00

What pretty toes you...WHAT IS THAT???
Originally uploaded by locomocos

You saw it here first, people. My first scorpion. I think Les Stroud of Survivorman would NOT go hungry in Paraguay. There are mini scorpions a plenty in my HOUSE.

This is just making it all the more imperative that I have a wonderful Christmas vacation. NO SCORPIONS, TARANTULAS or HORN NOSED BEETLES.

Thank you. That is all.
I will post more later when i have more news.

Nashville, USA

2008-10-11T08:13:00.004-04:00

Well, looks like my dad will be flying me down to Nashville for New Years this year. Anyone have any idea what a lone gal can do in a city with a Gran Ole Opry for New Years?
I might try to get ahold of a return Peace Corps Paraguay volunteer who told me to give him a call if I was ever visiting, but we'll see if it actually works. That's one of the good things about Peace Corps. You always have a friend, where ever you go. Even if you don't know each other that well!
In any case, I hope to see as many people as possible for Christmas!

Also, this weekend i am getting a PCT! A trainee! Remember about a year ago when I was a trainee and visited my first real volunteer!!! I remember i got a pique! Ew! I wonder what this guy with think about visiting me in my dorm room of a house! hahaha!

So I was reading a PCTimes magazine that had a funny quote from a bookmark!

“Some people see the glass half empty, some people see the glass
half full, a Peace Corps Volunteer sees the glass and says ‘Hey, I
could take a bath in that!’”

Baloney and rice anyone?

2008-10-01T09:18:00.001-04:00

Baloney and rice anyone?
Originally uploaded by locomocos

This is a typical paraguayan lunch. the baloney is not typical. it is a delicacy. New photos on my flickr account!

I'm excited to be working with a couple new women's groups. we made bread the other day (see photo) and these new ladies are a L.A.F.F. Riot! I never realized how naughty a group of Paraguayan women could be! Maybe I'm just finally understanding the language!
Ha!

Enjoy!

Friggin' Navidad, People!

2008-09-21T08:27:00.002-04:00

William L.Doolittle

to me, sneakypie9

show details Sep 13 (7 days ago)

Cassie,

The dates are now: Depart Dec. 16^th and return January 5^th. The total cost with cancellation insurance is $2,012.25. $670.75 each. I can’t wait to see you.

Love,

Dad

Wholly crappola! That's a ton of cash, but well worth it! I'll give up Madonna Buenos Aires tickets on my birthday - ANYDAY so i can come home and spend it with my family!!!

Back in the Saddle

2008-09-12T12:08:00.003-04:00

Well, after my breif brush with the blues, I'm back into a sustainable development mode, and have barred down, buckled up, and gotten back in the saddle. I'm working with a new women's commite which will hopefully refresh my once stale feelings of motivation.

Every volunteer goes through a tough spell, whether it's at the beginning of service when you're developing relationships, through the middle, when communities no longer think you're a lovable cartoon character, or at the end when all you can see is the light in the tunnel, and have champagne wishes and tilamook cheddar dreams. My September is booked solid with meetings, projects, and new planting times. The month is almost half over, my pocket book is empty and my mom just sent me 6 boxes of Kraft Maccaroni and Cheese. I only have good things to look forward to! My parents are also trying to negotiate buying me a plane ticket to come home for Christmas. If all these things are happening at the speed of ludicrous, then why do I get so down? Not for lack of love for Paraguay.
I'm actually very happy, but sometimes get really frustrated. I mean, why won't Ña Fulana change the way she has been killing pigs for the last 30 year after I've shown her in my limited, childlike Guarani that the CORRECT way is more sanitary for her dirt floor, wooden plank kitchen?

Well, if you put it that way, I guess if you're gonna get frustrated, do so, and move on. So I've taken a hold of my own destiny, AGAIN, and decided to chill out, do what I can while I'm here, and learn some much needed Spanish. Guarani is great and all my community speaks it. If you speak only a FEW WORDS in areas outside of your site, people LOVE it, and love you. They think it's WONDERFUL you are learning their indiginous language. They give you discounts on otherwise "foreigner" prices, and heck, throw in a free empeñada or two! But lo, the most important aspect of the Lilu Blues is that I can't express myself. I need a better grasp of language to do this, and for some reason, spanish just makes sense to me. I'm not giving up my Guarani, or my other language, Pantomime, but I've decided to get a tutor and study study study. Hopefully after another year, I'll be able to tell the joke about the Rabbi, the Priest, and the Minister.

I think it will go over pretty well by the time I'm ready to make like a tree, and get outta here.

Nobody leaves here without singin the blues...

2008-08-31T09:24:00.003-04:00

And so, like Elizabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting, I too have sung the blues. Albeit begrudgingly, and with a shrug in my shoulders, I, PCV Cassie Doolittle, have had a bad week.

Da da du dah dant

I was working in Paraguay
Just the other day

Da da du dah dant

I gave a talk on Parasites
And meds to hold them at bay

Da da du dah dant

One of my ladies came to me
With her kid wanting play

Da da du dah dant

Asking for more free meds
Because she had a sister in the neighboring village that had a lot of kids but didn't have time to come to the prevention session, and she promised she would tell her all about sanitary conditions and blah blah blah blah......

Da da du dah dant

when i looked down at her baby's feet
and he had no shoes and a dirty seat

And it's so hard....

Da du dahnt da dahnt da dahnt

Being a PCV in Paraguay

I got the
Da Daaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh
P C V PY blues!!!!

And although I'm feeling better this week and I'm in the city eating ice cream and street meat (I love street food from a sketchy looking cart) I am still frustrated with my work. But the good thing about Peace Corps is that it keeps you on your toes. I figure i need to approach certain challenges with a different view. I'm trying to think outside the box, or at least in Paraguay, think outside the banana field. What's the point of staying frustrated when all you really need is some terere and meat on a stick to think through your issues!!!

Mystical Crystal rock people

2008-08-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

Mystical Crystal rock people
Originally uploaded by locomocos

I have some new photos on my flickr if you´re interested.

Long Long Fork

2008-08-04T11:17:00.006-04:00

It´s been a while since I´ve had time to sit down and blog up something interesting. But really, not much has been going on.

After my trip to Peru, I´m trying to get back into the groove in my site by baking bread. I made my first loaf of bread with my friend, Ña Gladys. It had swiss chard, onion, and garlic from our garden. I gave some of it to my señora as well, and she gave me a funny look when she ate it. She told me pretty bluntly that I didn´t kneed the dough long enough, and it needed more salt.

Screw you critics. I ate the whole thing myself. And Gladys didn´t complain. So boo on you.

I´m in charge of the Peace Corps Paraguay Fun Activities Commitee for Thanksgiving 2008. I´ve decided we're going to do a summer camp theme as long as I get a bullhorn and Camp Director t-shirt. Although I can´t decide if it should be fun 80s summer camp, or scary 80s horror summer camp (see Friday the 13th 1-10???).

There are some people that think since it is THANKSgiving, that possibly costumes with blood all over them would not be appropriate. But I ask you, if you could choose between Meatballs and Sleepaway Camp, which would you choose?

Meatballs with Bill Murray and some weird alien (although i can´t be sure but i think that was meatballs 2) or Sleepaway Camp, one of the best horror movies to date.

I know which way I´m voting. After all, this is important stuff when thinking about sustainable development. Right? RIGHT???

At least it´s keeping me from making naked pancakes and throwing kids over the walls. Even if it is a long time away. So if anyone has any ideas of fun activities, like hot dog eating contests and relay races, let me know. I also need to figure out a clever name for our camp. I´d like for it to be in Guarani, but I´ll take any suggestions. Camp Chippaguazu or Camp Eatalottafood are kinda what I´m looking for.

Frogger in PERU????

2008-07-11T10:22:00.001-04:00

Frogger in PERU????
Originally uploaded by locomocos

Hey Everyone! I´ve uploaded my photos onto my flickr account! And anyone who has ever been to the Doolittle Family Reunion on July 4th can recognize this game!!!!

Peru Rawkd

2008-07-02T14:12:00.003-04:00

I'll add the rest to my flickr account. But just FYI - it was great and I had a great time with my mom!

Goin to Peru

2008-06-25T06:20:00.004-04:00

So I´m in the airport at Lima waiting for my mom. I´ve been here about 5 hours and I ate 2 dunkin donuts, cheesy bread from papa john´s, doritos and a frappachino from Starbucks. I don´t need to visit the states any time soon. This place is magical. I should just hop back on a plane to Paraguay for another 9 months.

On a lighter note - I've uploaded some new photos on Flickr and have a little ditty to relate.

So this is just a hypothetical story, ok?

In training, there were many things we were taught about Paraguayan customs and culture. A big session we had was on Paraguayan social customs. For example, here it is acceptable and even supposed to be flattering if men hiss at women. It means they think they´re hot stuff. Another example is if a woman dances with a man too long at a fiesta, it means they are dating. If you leave your window open at night, it is an invitation for ANY man to come in and hop into your bed. And if you send a 'saludos' (by telling a friend or sending a text message that says saludos) to someone, and you recipricate it - it means you´ve accepted an advance from the solicitor. For example: Tell Jose I sent him 'saludos'. Jose sends 'saludos' back. I am now dating Jose.

Another big example is being alone with the opposite sex. Just don´t do it unless they are too young or too old.

This brings up many problems in my line of work. I am supposed to work with farmers. But all the farmers are men. I am a woman. One suggestion is that I take a little kid from the community with me. Another is to become friends with the farmer´s wife - and then it would be understood you were only there for sustainable development.

But what if one of your farmer´s didn´t have a wife, was older, and in no way a threat to you? Home free right?

Well....

So hypothetically, a female volunteer was in the field gathering tree seeds with an older Paraguayan farmer. By older, say in his 50s. No wife, no other chaperones. This has happened before, except this time the question comes up:

Innocent Farmer: What are you gonna do with all these tree seeds?

Hilariously Funny hypothetical female volunteer: I´m gonna grow these trees, become a carpenter and make furniture!

Innocent Farmer: Are you going to make cradles for babies?

Hilariously Funny Hypothetical female volunteer: Other peoples babies, but none for me.

Sassy Innocent Farmer: You´re not going to make babies instead?

*Important side note* Paraguayans constantly make dirty jokes. It´s part of the unspoken sexual tension throughout this country. I´m finally understanding the language a little better, and wonder what I have agreed to for the last 6 months. I´m also finally able to hold my own and be sassy right back. Sink or swim, people.

Hilariously funny hypothetical female volunteer: Are you kidding? I don´t want to MAKE babies. I just like practicing! Hahahahahahaha!!!!.

Not so innocent Farmer takes this as in Paraguayan culture dictates: This girl is making advances on me. I´m going to try and kiss her.

Not so funny hypothetica female volunteer: Whoaaaa!!! What the???? I gotta go.

On the way back to the house, awkward silence. What just happened? This guy is as old as my dad! I better come up with some chit chat quick.

Stressed out awkward hypothetical female volunteer: So are you going to the fiesta this weekend?

Confused Farmer: Yes. And you? We should dance at the fiesta.

Hypothetical Female Volunteer trying to run away fast: Yep! We'll dance the polka! See you later!

Now as the hypothetical female volunteer walks away, she realizes that by Paraguayan standards, the farmer did everything he was supposed to do. SHE came onto him. She also realized that by asking him if he was going to the fiesta, she just ASKED HIM OUT!!! Will her foot EVER come out of her MOUTH!!!!! HE is totally innocent and confused by the LOCA Americana!!! She did EVERYTHING she was ever taught NOT to do in training! Could she have MADE any more mistakes??? Other than just taking her top off - I don´t think it could've gotten any worse!

So her solution to this problem, to save her work relationship with her farmer and save a little face - she decides to hide in her house until she leaves for Peru.

The End.

Totally Hypothetical of course.

Sustainable Developement, or is it just Beer Pong?

2008-05-30T15:49:00.003-04:00

So I´ve uploaded some new photos on my flickr account.
Here are some highlights of my last couple weeks. I got to visit a field with a Paraguayan farmer who is actually using a rollo cuchillo and siempra directa. 2 of the biggest agricultural practices we push here in Paraguay.

Farmers in Paraguay have been farming the same stretch of land for years. Even generations. The big problem is that instead of adding nutrients back to the soils and leaving the fields to fallow for a season, the farmers continue planting the same things over and over, leaving the soil devoid of any plant food. Artificial fertilizers are bought, but alas, most farmers can´t afford them for their consumable crops, only their commercial crops (if they have any). A smart way to farm this land is to rotate crops, use green manures - such as planting a crop of beans which are filled with Nitrogen which feed the soil. Using mulch is a great way to contain the moisture in the soil, and the less turning over of the soil, the less topsoil your scraping off. Siempra Directa is direct planting. Planting directly in the soil without hoeing. You fertilize by planting an abonos verde over your land to add nutrients. You cut the abonos verdes down with an ox drawn rollo cuchillo - or rolling knife (which is really what it is). Its a round compressor filled with water to make it heavy, and knives sticking out all over it to cut the abonos verdes. You then leave the abonos verdes to become a mulch cover, and then plant your crop seeds directly into the cut, mulched field.

We got to check it out with the farmer and my local counterpart for my department of La Pastora. It was pretty cool. I really hope my farmer gets to check this out when we go to our seminar next week.

After that I headed into town to see Indiana Jones 4. I´m only going to make a couple statements about that movie.

Uh...what?

All I can say is WOW.
Apparently not even an atomic bomb can kill Indy - but bad acting surely will.
And DON´T call me Shirley.
Now now, it was Indiana Jones after all. And I really liked the part where it was...Indiana Jones. Waste of time? No. Will I see it again? Yes. Is Temple of Doom better? You bet.

After that I mosied on down to Carapegua to visit a fellow volunteer at his site. It sure is different than mine, and he even has a bathroom with a HOT shower. I´m super jealous. When I spoke to him about peeing in a banana field and bucket bathing, he looked at me like I was from the Looney Bin.
Great.

BUT we did get to listen to some great Paraguayan polkas from his community (I think ALL of them showed up) a little bluegrass from us PCVs and heck, even a couple rounds of beer pong. All and all, a good night.

I can´t wait for next week.
Oh yeah, and I´m starting a radio program. It´s all in Guarani! Yikes!!!

Che Shrekicha

2008-05-23T14:00:00.008-04:00

Shrek = Cassie: A Case Study

So I was sittin' in my swamp the other day, and I decided to list the reasons as to why I, PCV Paraguay Cassie Doolittle, am just like Shrek. First I'll write up the list, and then we can discuss.

Top 10 Reasons why Shrek is Cassie, and Cassie is Shrek:

1. Shrek and Cassie live in a swamp

2. Shrek and Cassie have layers. Shrek is an onion, Cassie is Parfait.

3. Shrek and Cassie eat bugs (although Shrek does this intentionally, I do it while eating my beans and oatmeal)

4. Shrek has plaid pants with holes. Cassie has ugly pants with holes.

5. Shrek is an Ogre. Cassie feels like an Ogre compared to the average petite Paraguayan.

6. Shrek is a Lone Fairy Creature in a world of men. Cassie is a lone Norte Americana in a world of Paraguayans.

7. Shrek and Cassie have a quirky sidekick. Shrek has Donkey, Cassie has the Virgin of Caacupe

8. Shrek and Cassie have gross teeth (especially after eating barbecue. It's almost impossible to get all the meat out of them with or without floss)

9. Shrek is on a quest for a deed. Cassie is on a quest to DO a good deed.

10. Shrek finds a princess as disgusting as he is. Cassie will someday find a disgusting prince, too...? wait...I might rethink that one....

So there you have it folks. A Case study of Shrek and Cassie. Get Outta MY SWAMP!!!!!

Cassie Loves Mr. Show and Sunsets

2008-05-09T13:42:00.008-04:00

So I´ve been watching a lot of Mr. Show on my DVD player out here in PY. Yup. I´m rotting my brain at night instead of reading novels. What can I say? I spend all day speaking 2 languages, working agriculture in a different country, while promoting rural health. I need some down time, and Mr. Show TCB. I mean, who could pass up David Cross with some guest appearances by Ben Stiller, Dave Foley and of course, my boyfriend, Jack Black!

I´ve been working a lot in women´s garden´s lately. Oddly enough, people don´t seem to value home gardens as much as they should. In a poor country where people make about $4 a day (farmers that is) you´d think a home garden would be a necessity, and people would have perfected it by now. But just like McDonald´s and Big Gulp back home, people pay for convenience instead of taking time to do it yourself. I can´t get too mad. I constantly come home after a tough day out in the field and wish I could whip up and instant 5 min Chicken Viola or go to a HYPERMART so I could get everything I need in a little time as possible. Although life is slower in the country, it certainly doesn´t mean that there is never enough time in the day. In response to all the other quazillion jobs a woman has to do here in the Paraguayan countryside (ex. feed all the farm animals, take care of kids, hand wash ALL the clothes, clean the house, go to the field and pick the beans and mandioca, prepare all 3.5 meals, serve terere when the men come in for their mid morning break, milk the cows, cut and bring in firewood for the stoves, wash dishes, make the beds, fix misc broken unelectrical items around house) they also are in charge of the gardens. Sure maybe their husbands might contribute and maybe fix the fence so the chickens and pigs don´t get in, but really - women run the roost. So having a lindo garden usually falls to the wayside, and what little money they have can be spent on buying a few crappy veggies the local almacen (little market that sells a handful of staples) can provide.
So my job has been to help create these gardens in a better way - by introducing new techniques (the use of compost, companion planting, mulch, natural pesticides, and new veggies). This goes along with better nutrition in the home, more than just a diet of mandioca, beans, tomato and onions.

So as I´m feeling pretty good the other day, I was terere-ing with one of my women after a hard afternoon in her garden. It wasn´t too hot, but a nice cool down was in order. I feel like I´ve taken her one step closer to better health for her family. She is especially poor in my community, and never has any fresh veggies. She usually never has anything to feed her family of 8 with besides mandioca and beans from the field. Their small parcel of land only yields about 1.5 hectacres of cotton, which is the cheapest selling crop while the most expensive to grow. I feel like I´ve accomplished something. I feel like her and I deserve a little time away from the house, kids, husband, and any other duties. I want to enjoy a fresh pitcher of terere. Her daughter pulls water from their well and places it in the years old, beaten up thermos. There is a small fish swimming in the water. After bringing it to her attention, her young daughter reaches in and plucks the fish out and throws it to the chickens. She smiles as her mother continues to pour the terere for me, and shows me the wet, rotted old tennis ball she also brought up out of the well. As she turns it over in her fingers, I look back at her mother, who nods to her. She throws the ball to her younger brother and they run off. The mother hands me another 'ha' of terere and I sip it looking into the sunset.

New Blog

2008-04-30T11:06:00.008-04:00

So I don't get much time to surf around on the internet anymore, so i have to rely on other people to open up my eyesight for good blogs, jokes, and other quick forms of internet entertainment. My mom sent me a link to this blog, and I really liked this entry:

http://napkinsketches.blogspot.com/2008/02/when-trilogy-was-king.html

check it out and the other rantings. i think it may be worthy of going on the blogroll.

Rant on, my friend. Rant on.

The Bare Necessities

2008-04-23T14:21:00.001-04:00

The Bare Necessities
Originally uploaded by locomocos

New pictures on my flickr account!

IST, DVD, and Bryan Adams

2008-04-15T14:09:00.010-04:00

I´ve been out of my site for the last week at IST (In Service Training) at the ole school in Guarambure. I stayed with my host family in Porvenir, which was by the city of Ita during my first three months of training. It was awesome.

I got in and first thing I did was buy a new pair of jeans. What does a new pair of jeans do for you? Gives you CONFIDENCE. I knew i looked good in my jeans, so I headed off to Porvenir and met with my host family. I was nervous. I was dreading it. I overreacting! It rawked! I had my old room with screens, a bed, hot shower, good food, and most important: I could communicate with my family! My language has improved so that I could actually talk to them, instead of using pantomime! Crazy, right? By the end of the week, my family actually gave ME presents, instead of vice versa. It´s custom here to brings gifts when you visit someone, so I bought them a nice guampa (cup to drink terere) and some toys for my little host nephew. They gave me a bedspread and sheets, since I told them I had neither! How sweet! Plus they really wanted me to come visit for a birthday party in about a month. How cool was that? I felt like a daughter and family member, instead of some scruffy Peace Corps Volunteer.

After my weeklong language class where I got to reconnect with my entire group of new volunteers (we call it our 'G' since our group of volunteers call number is G25) I headed to Asuncion for the weekend of fun, excitement, and shopping. My dad sent me money to buy a portable DVD player (after he MAILED me one from the states and I fried it by plugging it into my outlet without a transformer). I can´t wait to watch the entire first season of Monk! Thanks Dad!!! This means that as of NOW, friends and family can mail me burned dvds if they so desire. PLEASE!!!!

Can it get much better than that?

Only wanted to stay a while
Only wanted to play a while
Then you taught me to fly like a bird

Baby - thought I'd died and gone to heaven
Such a night I never had before
Thought I'd died and gone to heaven
Cause what I got there ain't no cure for

CASSIE!!!!

Yes. Bryan Adams came to Paraguay. I went to his concert in Asuncion and LOVED IT!!! Did any of you dear readers ever get a mix tape from me back in the late 90s or early 00s? Well, chances are I put some guy yelling my name at the end, beginning, or middle of your tape. It was Bryan Adams singing to me. And last night, he sang again...
And rawked Paraguay!!!

I think I like him even MORE than before after seeing his show. Crazy, right? What has Paraguay DONE to me? Long story short - I had a good week. I even got a package from my mom that included the best meal and my most craved food:

That´s a Crock!

2008-04-01T10:42:00.008-04:00

So, I was walking to Oviedo this morning with Erin. I had been visiting her site for the weekend, and we got rained in. No buses, and definately no walking into town on the muddy roads. It was a little cold, and i didn´t bring any sensible mud shoes, socks, or clothes. We were talking about fashion and how in Peace Corps, it seems to be non-existent in the campo (country). We thought that the city volunteers when seen at the Peace Corps office in Asuncion always looked so cute and put-together. We had also taken the time while I was visiting Erin to look at the 2 ginormous Vougue magazines her friends who just visited from NYC brought for her.

I thought, well if I lived in the city, I too would look cute. But then I thought, wait- I look cute now! I mean of all the things I wear (and borrow from other volunteers) at least I have not created the biggest setback and or death of fashion. I have never in my whole life worn a birkenstock, and more recently, the revamp and awful fashion faux pas, The Croc.

And no, if you put charms on your Crocs, that doesn´t make it better.

The Croc is a garden clog. I believe my mom owned garden clogs long before crocs were popular, and can I just say, she never wore them to the grocery store - let alone to her work. Socks with your Crocs? Are you kidding? What about a plastic shoes tells people that it´s okay to wear them with socks? I mean, I thought the whole premise for this shoe was comfort, as well and the ability to stick your foot underneath the spicket if you foot got dirty. How can you do that with a sock on? No, no one wears garden clogs around in Paraguay. I´m seriously doubting they wear them around in Paris, London, or even friggin New York City. Think of the Birkenstock of the early 90s, people. This is the same for the early 2000s, and I bet you´re saying you wouldn´t be caught dead in ratty hippie shoes like you once were.

The question of Paraguayan fashion is much different. There really ISN´T any. I know while in Peace Corps, I will most likely NOT ever look cute or attractive to anyone. First, I´m not in a completely tight pair of jeans. Tight jeans are world renown, but what is really popular is a really tight, 2 sizes too small shirt to go with the tight jeans. That and women here really don´t have large chests, which I and many of my PCV girlfriends have been finding out while trying to shop. Why can´t we find a shirt that doesn´t make the state of Delaware actually look like Brazil? Body types alone, it´s tough to look good while at the same time building a latrine or harvesting cotton south of the equator. Let´s put it another way. I came here expecting to work my azz off, but i didn´t expect the need to SHOW the azz off. But like every woman after six months of living in the middle of no where, you want to feel pretty. Even if it´s to impress the mosquitos and occasional ox cart.

On a lighter note, our Easter week went by pretty fast and I just got back from a much needed weekend trip to Asuncion for a NVAC meeting. Every area of PY has a representative come to meetings every couple of months to hear about the goings on in Peace Corps. I had a wonderful time and really felt like I was more connected to other volunteers. I now bring back all my wonderful knowlege to the rest of the volunteers in my area -which consists of me, Erin, and one other volunteer (we had a group of 5, but 2 of them leave in April and aren´t getting replacements). Some groups have as many as 15 people in there region, but I guess we are special.

Here is a picture of me with one of my senoras and her daughter. They made me a special 'Lilu' chipa for the Easter week, which they call Semana Santas (Saint Week). Everywhere I went I was helping hand grind corn to make chipa, a gummy snack bread (made of ground corn and pig fat). Wednesday of Easter week is chipa making day, Thursday is feast day, Good Friday is a fast of only chipa bread and juice, and Saturday is set aside for visiting and church.

I hope everyone had a good easter and ate lots of chocolate bunnies and deviled eggs. In a couple weeks I have a three month re-connect and some language training. I get to stay in my training community for a week and stay with my host family in Porvenir! I´m really excited! Check out my pics I uploaded on my flickr account, and I hope to update more photos as soon as I can!

Calvin Klein or Gioven Kelvin?

2008-03-11T15:59:00.001-04:00

Calvin Klein or Gioven Kelvin?
Originally uploaded by locomocos

I have some new photos on my flickr account if anyone is interested. Just go to the sets on the right side of the page to access them. They should all be in Peace Corps Year 1 folder!