Kim and I are in India right now...it is....well... different, dirty and difficult, and we spent a ton of hard earned money to come with a guide who turns out to not know much about it or how to get around without us getting ripped off :( we are going to give it a few more days and do our best to see the bright side of things and enjoy it as much as possible. I think that says something about this place that "we" are having to work so hard to enjoy it a little.(Jimmy I can hear you saying 'I told you so') Bangkok foot rubs, Thai street food and swing dancing is sounding awfully good to us about now! Instead we leave Calcutta in a few hours and take an overnight train to Varnasi. Wish us luck in sticking it out!

Ack! I'm in India!!!

Okay ... I'm going to give it a few days before I make my final judgement, but so far I'm not thrilled with India. I've been scammed in a temple, ripped-off by just about every cab driver in the fourth largest city in the world and have spent most of today holed up in a hotel room reading a book to stop being stressed out.

One of the reasons I came on the trip was because it was a "tour" and I figured it would be a lot easier or safer with a guide who knew the ins-and-outs of traveling through India. It turns out I may have had higher expectations than I should have.

So now I'm having to try and reset my expectation on this trip ... I'm going to spend about 2 - 3 times as much as I had hoped to while in India. The safety factor is pretty small and now I feel like I have to "keep on my toes" more than I would prefer to do for two weeks and I'm not yet sure what exactly I'm going to take away from this trip, other then a sense of relief of making it out of India in one piece.

Now, I'm totally willing to believe this is just the impression I'm receiving today ... but frankly, I just have the overwhelming feeling that being a white person in India means I'm an easy mark and that I should be robbed blind and that right at the moment I've got no one on my side except for my sweet DaLeiLei who is trying to keep me looking at the bright side.

So, on the bright side, India is interesting. The people are beautiful, the city is filthy, the poverty is everywhere, the caste system appears to be alive and well and traffic is hellacious. Pretty much everything I heard is true.

Hopefully, I'll have a much better set of things to report the next time I catch y'all up on India.

Peace.

Thailand feels like home away from home!

Here we are in Thailand again!

I love this country. The people are magnificent the food delicious and the temperatures are fantastic! I highly recommend Thailand to the person who wants an introduction to Asia.

We'll be leaving for India in another day and then will return here after. I promise to write more while I can in India but will give a much more detailed post when we're back in Thailand again. For now, I need to find some phad thai and a foot massage!

Peace!

Dance Camp Was Awesome!

After a late night packing Kim and I didn't get the earliest start on Friday. But we made it to Mendocino in time for Intermediate Lindy Hop class and dinner. Stompy Jones was awesome as usual and there was quite a large contingent of Foothill dancers that we knew. We danced until the wee hours and then made it up for Blues Dance class at 9:30 Saturday morning. After that we took Hand VooDoo Lindy (no idea why it was called that) and after lunch took Balboa Variations for the Not So Faint of Heart as well as Intermediate Balboa Moves. Another even later night of dancing to Stompy Jones after the fun and interesting Variety Show. Some amazing dancing going on in that rec hall in the middle of the Redwoods.

Camp Swing is so much fun that we are already looking forward to next year! And this time the food was amazing so that made it even better.

We cut out a little early Sunday morning to head for San Francisco where we parked the camper on Geary Boulevard and went to Wonderfoot for much needed foot massages and then had dinner with my folks at the Pacific Cafe.

After dinner we drove to the airport and spent the next 24 hours in transit.

I am now sitting in Bangkok catching up on e-mails and I am happy to report we are well and arrived safely. It feels good to be back here. Although I am feeling rather jetlagged the afternoon nap and shower have gone a long way towards making me feel more human. I am sure that as soon as I eat something I will be ready to go back to bed though.

We have all day tomorrow here and then leave for India Friday morning. I am not certain how often I will be posting from India but I will try and remember to take pictures and post as soon as we return to Thailand.

Get Ready ... Get Set ...

Okay, we're all packed and ready for the next chapter. Well, not "all" packed.

We didn't pack our entire house before leaving. I ended up having to write code for the whole time we were back in California before leaving for India, Thailand and Hong Kong so I couldn't have possibly done the work I needed to complete and pack my whole house in 8 days.

It was crazy ambitious ... and it didn't work. :) Oh well, when we get back in California there will still be the opportunity to pack up the house and get-a-long to the next destination. For now, we're off.

Tomorrow morning we leave for "Camp Swing" in Mendicino. Sunday night we fly from San Francisco to Thailand. From there we hop to India.

Today I was talking with someone who asked, "Are you excited?" and I realized, "Yes, I am." After he asked me I realized that this was the first true moment of excitement that I've had the time to enjoy. And now ... about 4 hours later ... I'm REALLY FRICKIN' EXCITED!!!!!

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Peace.

Two days to Dance Camp!

As a kid I got to go to summer camp when I was 11 or 12. I remember being nervous and excited before leaving. I remember worrying about getting along with the other kids and making friends. Well I guess I have grown up a bit because I am not nervous now just excited and glad to have this opportunity to go to camp as a grown-up. Of course this time I won't be making corn-husk dolls or lanyard keychains or hiking for 2-5 days at a time in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. I was lucky enough to go to Quaker summer camp. The food was amazing and I learned to love homemade honey-butter and apple-butter. I got to go hiking in Blue Ridge and learned that I am wickedly prone to blisters on my feet, which reminds me....

Travel Tip of all travel tips....take shoes you've already broken in...and real socks (thorlo, ultimax, smartwool) there is nothing like huge blisters to spoil a good time!

This time round, I am going with Kim and other friends to the Mendicino Redwood Camp, several miles inland from the coast. There will be classes all afternoon Friday, all day Saturday and in the morning on Sunday. On Friday night and Saturday night there will be dances with live band "Stompy Jones" and costume contests for Halloween as well as a talent exhibition with some amazing talent.  I plan on working on my Lindy Hop and Balboa Swing technique as well as perhaps learning some new Charleston and perhaps even some Shag. 

Camp ends Sunday mid-day and we will head directly to the airport as our flight to Asia leaves that night.  A mere twenty some odd hours later we will arrive in Bangkok to begin the next leg of our big adventure. I am excited about that too, but first things first...Let's Dance!!

Check out the camp band at www.stompyjones.com

or check out the camp at www.campswing.com

[ Removed ] A Call To Arms: Podango In Trouble

Depending on how closely you watch this blog, you may have read my previous posting titled "A Call To Arms: Podango In Trouble". I have taken down the post for a few reasons:

1. It appears that the studio may close soon.

and

2. The illness that has Liana Lehua is much too serious to worry about her "company" when our thoughts should just be with her.

After reading a number of follow-ups to this story, I believe that the seriousness of the situation has very little to do with the Podango studios and has everything with Liana's health and that is where I think we should focus our good wishes and good will. Thanks for taking the time to read this, you can read more here.

http://leoville.com/2008/10/17/1885/

Peace.

Back to the mainland!

So tomorrow we fly out of Maui. It will be a sad departure in a small way but we have so much to look forward to at this point that it will also be another step in the great adventure that we've started this last month.

Work has been crazy and I'd really like to get things organized as much as possible before taking off for India in just under two weeks.

It's 10 more days until Camp Swing in the Mendocino redwood forest.

And now ... I'm sitting in Maui, in a pair of shorts, enjoying the warm breezes at 10PM at night.

The other day, a friend on twitter (@exoticat), introduced me to a "Bucket List" and I really love the idea! So ... I'm keeping my list on twitter ... search the stream for #TTDBIKTB ... "Things To Do Before I Kick The Bucket". http://tinyurl.com/4o8lvt

Also, I've started at Twine for the topic and if you'd like you can visit my twine here: http://tinyurl.com/4slfkt

If you need an invitation to Twine, let me know.

Okay ... see you all soon on the Mainland! Aloha Maui. You are truly a joyous place to spend time!

Peace.

Okay, Late as ever I found the "simpsonize yourself" website. It is cute. I do find it interesting that the only "body type" wearing flip-flops and a Hawaiian shirt was so very thin. I'm having to admit ... it would look more like me if I lost a few pounds ... but I do enjoy the yellow pallor!

Get yours at: SimpsonizeMe.

Things in Maui are going okay. Work has been very trying this last week and even though I have a great internet connection I am struggling to get done a project before returning to the mainland to pack up the house and then head to India.

Hence, I'm procrastinating now and simpsonizing myself and writing a blog entry. You got a problem with that? Anyhow. The weather is perfect, the ocean beautiful and the West coast of Maui is splendid. Come visit when you can!

Peace.

To own or be owned!

So, one of the reasons for the big life change I've been going through comes from about a year ago when I realized a few things ...

1. I have owned all of the toys that I thought would be great fun to own. Don't get me wrong ... I love toys! I have enjoyed the hell out of most of the toys I've owned and have had great experiences trying all sorts of sports from boating to motorcycle racing to 4x4-ing to woodworking to just about anything! But, most of the time there was a huge commitment to owning these things that made me feel much more like the slave than the master. For every toy I possessed, some amount of free time was spent maintaining the toy or earning enough to be able to use it.

2. To me, a description of being middle class means owning a bunch of stuff and having to work hard to keep it, whereas, being rich means having the funds to own what you want, but, also having the funds to rent things when you want them and let others take care of the maintenance, upkeep and upgrading costs. Being rich means not being owned by your "stuff!"

So now, I'm loving the idea of not being owned by material possessions ... although, as I stated above, I still love toys. I have a sweet little computer (MacBook Air) and a number of bicycles, a great truck / camper combo and a few other toys ... but the thing that is really getting me excited ... is getting rid of more and more stuff!

After we get back to Colfax from Maui, I expect we will do a whirlwind job of packing up our residence and getting it ready to rent while we are in Asia this winter. It will be wonderful if it could be earning enough money to take care of the things that come up while we're traveling ($3K in plumber's bills this month so far from a rotten pipe) and keep us light, mobile, and free of being owned by "stuff!"

Peace.

Maui No Ka Oi!

Yes Maui is the best! Kim and I are just having the most wonderful time here. 

We decided that we didn't want to rent a car and have to deal with the expense, parking, theft issues, fuel costs etc. So instead we got off the airplane and took the bus. Someone else drove, it was nice and air-conditioned and we met some fun people on the way. I even traded e-mails with a gal from Australia. She said we could come stay with her in Sydney and I said she could stay with us in California when she visits. Only catch with the bus is, they don't like you to have too much luggage. They looked at us a little sideways because of the size of my bag but because I held it on my lap I think they let it slide.

We checked into the Napili Surf Monday afternoon with just enough time to take a dip in the ocean shower off and catch our rideshare to the Maui Lindyhopper's monthly dance. (SwingMaui.org) We lucked out and it happened to be their annual Luau potluck so we got dinner too! I can't imagine there is anywhere you can get a fabulous Luau dinner complete with purple sweet potatoes, shredded pork and fried rice along with a whole evening of music and dancing for only $10 per person!

We danced until 10pm, which felt like 1am to our bodies and were staggeringly tired but happy by the end.

The first full day here got off to a fabulous start with a 7am dip in the ocean. We had the beach to ourselves and enjoyed the cool, wet, wake-up swim. Then we went next door to the Gazebo where they make the most evil of delicious pineapple pancakes with coconut syrup!

To make up for not having a car, we took the bus to Lahaina and bought some cheap, used, beater, cruiser bikes for getting around. Mine is ugly, only has one working speed, and is perfect...I can lock it to a railing and not even worry if it gets stolen or rained on.

Since then we have made a point of swimming at least 2 to 3 times a day in the ocean. We ride to the market or into Lahaina and we are eating really well from the Honokawai Farmer's Market and fresh fish from Napili Market.

So Todd picked us up as well as two other friends to take to the dance. One of whom was Linley, a soon to graduate massage therapist. Yesterday she came over with her table and I gave her a massage in exchange for one sometime next week. It felt good to cut the nails off and stretch my arms and hands after a week off. She was nice enough to leave her table with us so I will try and work on Kim later. What, the massage therapist's husband getting a massage??? You must be joking!

I think everyone should get over here to Maui as I can't rave about it enough.  You have to experience it yourselves!

Gotta go swim the ocean is calling...

Hugs to all,

Dana

(Da Happy LeiLei)

Could It Be Any Sweeter?

So, right now I'm convinced life couldn't get any better!

I've been working, using a high-speed internet connection here in Maui. I've swam in the ocean and pool a few times today. Outside my front door is the beat-up cruiser bicycle that I bought yesterday to replace the car I have had in my life for years.

It feels like a perfect world for me right now!

Sorry, I forgot the camera cable so I can't post new pictures for another few weeks, but as soon as they are there, I'll get 'em put online.

Our friends Kevin and Pam are going to come over from the mainland and see us in a week or so and we'll all go out dancing when we can!

Peace!