what to do with my life.
When I was younger, like, 19, I wanted to be a spy.
Tiger Lily has also been an occupation I've considered but since I can't seem to find the second star to the right to go straight on 'til morning, that small dream has been put back on the shelf.
Being a spy would've been cool though.
I'm not that good with languages, and regrettably I'm not very stealthy because my ankles sometimes pop when I walk.
I cannot be a spy. There is no way I can turn off the non-stop songs running through my head and no way I can focus long enough to get through a single class period, let alone complete a secret mission.
Some other things:
I would like to know languages. At least conversationally. Sign language, French, Spanish, German and Italian. Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin would be helpful too but...let's be realistic, ain't nobody got time for that.
I would like to crochet, sew, and learn to french braid (just in case I have a daughter at some point).
I would love to be better at skiing, snowboarding, wake-boarding. I would love to be proficient at writing poetry and reading it, actually. And I would like to publish a novel under a pseudonym.
I want to learn to bar tend, fight fires, wrap an ankle, tie lots of knots, carve something out of wood, and describe what I taste in a phenomenal red wine.
I want to be a ballroom dancer, boxer, expert swimmer, long distance runner, triathlete, and photographer.
I want to visit more countries than states. (This has been accomplished.)
A spy would do all these things.
So really...I suppose I still just want to be a spy.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Blog Again Blog Again Jiggidy Jig
Blogging. I should be so good at it and yet, I have neither the patience nor nature to blog consistently.
Today's blog is about t-shirts. Or maps really. But my brain started with t-shirts. I like v necks a lot and i wish i could get more excited about pocket t's but i just cant unless they are long sleeved and awesome. Every time I travel to the ocean, ( trip to the ocean is non-negotiable in terms of this souvenir...i only buy these if i have actually been in or on the ocean) I always come back with a long sleeve tshirt with a map on the back. Occasionally there's a fish on the back or some boats, but always a map. I've always loved the way maps look and their function, even though I hate using them. I like the look and idea of them. Partly because maps always lead you to treasure and pirates love treasure and I love pirates and would be one of i could, and, side-bar, not the angry smelly Somali style pirate, think more refined Captain Hook type...ipso facto...I love maps. Maps can show you where to go but also remind you and inform others of where you've been. But they always lead to treasure. Always. There's a deeper meaning here, maps and treasure. But you already know it, so I'm not going to write it unless you ask me too. Also, I wish I had the body of a collegiate soccer player.
Happy Wednesday.
Today's blog is about t-shirts. Or maps really. But my brain started with t-shirts. I like v necks a lot and i wish i could get more excited about pocket t's but i just cant unless they are long sleeved and awesome. Every time I travel to the ocean, ( trip to the ocean is non-negotiable in terms of this souvenir...i only buy these if i have actually been in or on the ocean) I always come back with a long sleeve tshirt with a map on the back. Occasionally there's a fish on the back or some boats, but always a map. I've always loved the way maps look and their function, even though I hate using them. I like the look and idea of them. Partly because maps always lead you to treasure and pirates love treasure and I love pirates and would be one of i could, and, side-bar, not the angry smelly Somali style pirate, think more refined Captain Hook type...ipso facto...I love maps. Maps can show you where to go but also remind you and inform others of where you've been. But they always lead to treasure. Always. There's a deeper meaning here, maps and treasure. But you already know it, so I'm not going to write it unless you ask me too. Also, I wish I had the body of a collegiate soccer player.
Happy Wednesday.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Of The River
Wow, sure is far away from literally everything...except Mexico.
Baylor homecoming this weekend. I've never loved Texas and America quite so much.
Sanuk and Sawadee ka y'all!
- from Jen's iPhone
Baylor homecoming this weekend. I've never loved Texas and America quite so much.
Sanuk and Sawadee ka y'all!
- from Jen's iPhone
Friday, October 7, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Bagel Includer
Ok.
Kindle's are awesome. I took 4 modes of transportation (bus to subway to Skytrains to motorbike) to go pick up my new one today from Col. Kane, the Air Force attaché here in Bangkok who so graciously picked up a new one for me after I broke mine.
After traveling for over an hour to go those 22 miles in between his residence and mine, I decided to reward myself with a bagel and raspberry limeade from BKK Bagels, my favorite spot to go on Saturday's.
While finishing my bagel and IBC Root Beer (my limeade went too fast) the owner of BKK Bagel, who's name I would learn is Eric, introduced himself after asking if my twitter handle was jbotonis_11, which it is. A few minutes before he asked, I had tweeted about my "happy place" and tagged BKKBagel and hashtagged #bkkfatty on twitter. While I was perusing BKKbagels tweets I realized then that the US Ambassador, Kristie Kenney, tweeted a "Happy Birthday" to my new friend Eric, so I included my own well wishes on achieving being alive for another year. I had hopped the ambassador herself would need a bagel and drop into the bagel shop and I would get to introduce myself to her as well however, no such fate.
After a few minutes of sitting alone reading a novel, a fellow who looks just like Brad, my roommate from college's bf, sat down next to my table with two of his friends. Upon noticing my shirt, he "threw some diamonds" my way and I realized I was in the presence of a former frat guy, a nice SAE from Philly. We all sat and chatted for an hour then parted ways but it was almost like being in a pub in the states, striking up random conversations about anything that would connect us starting with college and turning to living in BKK teaching. One of the guys was from Trier, a city very near where I lived in Germany so we got to chat about our former home. My third strength is communicator, my second is includer. My first is WOO. I proudly used all of those today. My goal is to do this kinda thing every weekend until I know every American living in Bangkok that isn't here as an expat trying to date Thai women who they're 35 years too old for...
Sanuk and Sawadee y'all.
Kindle's are awesome. I took 4 modes of transportation (bus to subway to Skytrains to motorbike) to go pick up my new one today from Col. Kane, the Air Force attaché here in Bangkok who so graciously picked up a new one for me after I broke mine.
After traveling for over an hour to go those 22 miles in between his residence and mine, I decided to reward myself with a bagel and raspberry limeade from BKK Bagels, my favorite spot to go on Saturday's.
While finishing my bagel and IBC Root Beer (my limeade went too fast) the owner of BKK Bagel, who's name I would learn is Eric, introduced himself after asking if my twitter handle was jbotonis_11, which it is. A few minutes before he asked, I had tweeted about my "happy place" and tagged BKKBagel and hashtagged #bkkfatty on twitter. While I was perusing BKKbagels tweets I realized then that the US Ambassador, Kristie Kenney, tweeted a "Happy Birthday" to my new friend Eric, so I included my own well wishes on achieving being alive for another year. I had hopped the ambassador herself would need a bagel and drop into the bagel shop and I would get to introduce myself to her as well however, no such fate.
After a few minutes of sitting alone reading a novel, a fellow who looks just like Brad, my roommate from college's bf, sat down next to my table with two of his friends. Upon noticing my shirt, he "threw some diamonds" my way and I realized I was in the presence of a former frat guy, a nice SAE from Philly. We all sat and chatted for an hour then parted ways but it was almost like being in a pub in the states, striking up random conversations about anything that would connect us starting with college and turning to living in BKK teaching. One of the guys was from Trier, a city very near where I lived in Germany so we got to chat about our former home. My third strength is communicator, my second is includer. My first is WOO. I proudly used all of those today. My goal is to do this kinda thing every weekend until I know every American living in Bangkok that isn't here as an expat trying to date Thai women who they're 35 years too old for...
Sanuk and Sawadee y'all.
Location:BKK
Monday, July 18, 2011
Today I woke up wanting Subway and Starbucks...
It's really simply too hot here.
It's too hot and humid to walk anywhere if you care about how you will smell when you get there. You will sweat. A lot.
In an all out effort to maintain the image of good personal hygiene, I have found myself in an every day battle with travel and how to get to where I'm going without sweating like a "not so sin free lady of the night in church".
Public transportation in this country is...well it just "is". It's everything if you dont have a car or motorcycle. It's a seemingly complex and multi-stepped task to get anywhere unless you're willing to lose some $$ to the meter. If you choose not to use a taxi (or tuk tuk or motor bike) your modes
of transportation are buses, subways, skytrains and your own two feet.
Let's say you made the personal decision to move to Asia. To win the sweat battle you would take a bus to the nearest subway stop, turning the 20 minute sweatfest known as walking into a 4 minute air conditioned (or at worst fanned) bus ride. I find that using 8-15 baht is worth it to still feel like that shower I took 2 hours ago was not taken in vain.
Once you're at the subway, IF it has a stop on its route that's right where you wanna be, well super.
If not, you take it to the nearest BTS (haven't figured out those letters but it's a sky train) station to whisk you to anywhere you want to go. The BTS is really the luxury way to travel here. Air conditioned, goes fast, smells nice...almost relaxing if you can find a place to sit.
So today I woke up craving Subway and something from Starbucks. I haven't eaten a real meal in 5 days. I was going to make it happen.
To get to Subway and Starbucks I took bus #92 from my street to the subway station where I rode the train 7 stops to Sukumvit (a popular "Westerners" area of BKK) and then got on the BTS from there to go to Siam Paragon (biggest shopping mall/movie theatre/dining facility/"anything you want it to be baby" I've ever seen) which I know has a Subway right next to a Starbucks. It took me an hour and 9 minutes.
Next time you go to Taco Cabana or make that late night Whataburger run, or you happen to hit every red light on Valley Mills on your way to Chipotle, remember I'm in Asia, and I'd have to plan at least half my day around taking the trip to get to said food, and deciding if I really really wanted to go there because travel time is the same to Dallas and back, is a chore in and of itself.
Every weekend when I skype or text Claire Gubernator she asks "So what are you gonna do today?" which in my mind I answer with "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" even though most weekends the thought of how long it will take me to travel to get a frappe and a turkey sandwich with lite mayo is enough to keep me posted up in my bed starting that next disk of "Friends". (P.S. Reese family: I'm on Season 8 already but never fear! I plan on starting the whole series over again after October!)
So as you're sitting in your nice, clean, air-conditioned car... think of me and smile.
Because you're not in Asia, and that light is about to turn green.
:)
Sanuk and Sawadee y'all,
P.S. This is where I ended up instead of Subway because I used the word Chipotle in my blog...So then I wanted a burrito.
- from Jen's iPhone
It's too hot and humid to walk anywhere if you care about how you will smell when you get there. You will sweat. A lot.
In an all out effort to maintain the image of good personal hygiene, I have found myself in an every day battle with travel and how to get to where I'm going without sweating like a "not so sin free lady of the night in church".
Public transportation in this country is...well it just "is". It's everything if you dont have a car or motorcycle. It's a seemingly complex and multi-stepped task to get anywhere unless you're willing to lose some $$ to the meter. If you choose not to use a taxi (or tuk tuk or motor bike) your modes
of transportation are buses, subways, skytrains and your own two feet.
Let's say you made the personal decision to move to Asia. To win the sweat battle you would take a bus to the nearest subway stop, turning the 20 minute sweatfest known as walking into a 4 minute air conditioned (or at worst fanned) bus ride. I find that using 8-15 baht is worth it to still feel like that shower I took 2 hours ago was not taken in vain.
Once you're at the subway, IF it has a stop on its route that's right where you wanna be, well super.
If not, you take it to the nearest BTS (haven't figured out those letters but it's a sky train) station to whisk you to anywhere you want to go. The BTS is really the luxury way to travel here. Air conditioned, goes fast, smells nice...almost relaxing if you can find a place to sit.
So today I woke up craving Subway and something from Starbucks. I haven't eaten a real meal in 5 days. I was going to make it happen.
To get to Subway and Starbucks I took bus #92 from my street to the subway station where I rode the train 7 stops to Sukumvit (a popular "Westerners" area of BKK) and then got on the BTS from there to go to Siam Paragon (biggest shopping mall/movie theatre/dining facility/"anything you want it to be baby" I've ever seen) which I know has a Subway right next to a Starbucks. It took me an hour and 9 minutes.
Next time you go to Taco Cabana or make that late night Whataburger run, or you happen to hit every red light on Valley Mills on your way to Chipotle, remember I'm in Asia, and I'd have to plan at least half my day around taking the trip to get to said food, and deciding if I really really wanted to go there because travel time is the same to Dallas and back, is a chore in and of itself.
Every weekend when I skype or text Claire Gubernator she asks "So what are you gonna do today?" which in my mind I answer with "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" even though most weekends the thought of how long it will take me to travel to get a frappe and a turkey sandwich with lite mayo is enough to keep me posted up in my bed starting that next disk of "Friends". (P.S. Reese family: I'm on Season 8 already but never fear! I plan on starting the whole series over again after October!)
So as you're sitting in your nice, clean, air-conditioned car... think of me and smile.
Because you're not in Asia, and that light is about to turn green.
:)
Sanuk and Sawadee y'all,
P.S. This is where I ended up instead of Subway because I used the word Chipotle in my blog...So then I wanted a burrito.
- from Jen's iPhone
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