Auditioned for Oprah's open casting call

To be the next TV host for OWN!  Check out my audition reel here.

Food & Travel, My Other Loves

Day 5

Had to stay home again today although by the afternoon, I felt like a semi-human being even though my head was totally clogged.  All hopes of doing yoga in the evening were dashed since there was just no hope breathing through my nose.

Why is it that really long, hot showers always makes you feel better even when you mostly don't?  The hot steam really loosened things up and I took the opportunity to clean out my nasal passages using my neti pot.  It definitely provided some relief. 

I watched alot of TV today, considering I rarely watch TV at all.  I zeroed in on one of my favorite channel  and watched my favorite cooks Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa), and Tyler Florence whip up delectable dishes.  Now, if I could only have Giada's kitchen with Ina's garden, and Tyler cooking nightly for The Husband and I, well, that would be a dream come true!  Ok, fine.  I'll settle for Giada's kitchen and Ina's garden.  And btw, how ADORABLE are the Neelys?  I interspersed some of the food episodes were some travel shows, particularly Globe Trekker.  It reminded me of how much I really love love to cook and how I would love to host my own travel show.

Heading back to work tomorrow and determined to get back to the sweat box.  With that, I leave you with one of the four Hong Kong video that I made last year for TripFilms, which focused on food.

Watch more of my videos at Tripfilms.com

Update! Read all about it.

I notice that I'm the kind of blogger who pauses and stops writing for a long time for a variety of reasons. Then, I somehow get inspired and I pick it up again. So here I am. Back. Almost one and half years later. Lots have happened since March 08.

Celebrated my 10 year college reunion. The weekend was amazing and it made me realize how much I missed my 4 years at school.

Barack was elected president! Woot! I still love me some Hillary and was disappointed when she lost to Obama. Nevertheless, I'm happy with how things turned out.

I became an official TripVlogger for a travelsite called TripFilms and I'll be posting some of the videos I made for them on our trip to Hong Kong. We owe them videos on the Philippines so I'll be posting those soon too. In the meantime, you can check out my videos at Tripfilms here.

MoJo and I went to Hong Kong for New Year 2009 and then on to the Philippines for two weeks to visit my family.

I started practicing Bikram yoga in mid-March and I am an official Bikram junkie!!! I was inspired to try it because of the inspiring healing story of the creator of this yoga, Bikram Choudhury. He crushed his knee in a weightlifting accident as a young adult and Western doctors proclaimed he would never walk again. He proved them wrong. This practice has healed countless people physically, mentally, & emotionally including myself.

I had arthroscopic surgery back in 1991 and my knee was never the same. I always likened my knee to a shattered vase pieced together. Over the years, it would lock out, feel tight, feel like there were air bubbles in. I didn't have any strength in it nor flexibility. In March 09, I was leaning heavily on a banister to go down stairs because my knee didn't feel strong enough. I've been an active person despite working out at the gym, running, power walking, hiring a trainer. But over the years, my knee just weakened. Besides the knee, I had other joint/muscle issues: I pulled my back out several times, the tendons in my shoulder were starting to fray causing severe paine, my wrists hurt (I thought I had carpel tunnel), my ankles were starting to hurt. In fact, you can read me blog about it back in 2005. I felt like I was a 30 year old living in a 60 year old body. It was depressing to say the least. One acupuncturist friend who treated me told me that my body has a tendency to produce high levels of acid (caused mainly by stress, anger, and the food I eat) that is causing my joint pain/injury. She recommended that I sweat the acid out. Enter Bikram yoga and the inspiring story of healing by Bikram himself. I made a commitment to practicing 5-6 days a week and after 5 months I am so happy to say that all my joint paint has virtually disappeared. I say virtually because my knee pain has decreased tremendously and is on its way to healing fully. I feel like I've been given a new body with my regular practice. In addition to all the physical benefits (did I mention that I've lost weight), emotionally and mentally I'm also a different person. I am happier, more centered and at peace, and most importantly, I've been able to manage the stress in my daily life so well. Things that would make me fly off the handle before, don't bother me anymore. It's been an amazing and transformative experience. But I had to earn it. Healing on any level is not passive; it is an active engagement of your mind, body, and spirit. It takes commitment, hard work, discipline, and yes, sometimes pain to achieve breakthroughs. There's a time and place for medicine. Yes. However, I feel our society has become so dependent on pills to solve our issues when in fact pills just treat the symptom (and create more problems with side effects) and don't target the cause.

And most recently, we just came back from vacation. We went on a 9-day cruise to the Caribbean. Let's just say I'm not running to sign up for my next cruise. It was good to spend time with MoJo's family and not have to work for 9 days. The best part was sitting on a deck chair, facing the horizon and reading a book. Other than that, I can do without the overconsumption of food, alcohol, and goods. I'll stick to off-the-beaten path traveling unless it's a cruise to the Galapagos or the South Pacific!

Encouragement & Inspiration

After a few days of signing up with 43things.com, I've already been cheered about 20 times by complete strangers! What a really neat community...and a cool concept.

I've been needing lots of inspiration these days to get me through this period of transition. So I bought me-self some books. Stopped by Borders and picked up two travel books as my wanderlust managed to unfailingly guide me to the travel section. I have heard so much of Gilbert's book and her spiritual journey speaks to my soul right now. While picking up Eat Pray Love, my eye caught another book one shelf lower.

Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story is the story of Maureen & Tony Wheeler, their love for each other and their love for travel, who together created the Lonely Planet guidebooks. Reviewers describe the book as beyond a mere travelogue but a combination of autobiography, travelouge, and business entrepreneurship. This book is just what I need to remind myself that when you do what you love, the money will come.

A Different Kind of Island

Picture courtesy of Mojo, taken on our penultimate day in Maui

The Acupuncuturist told me yesterday that I was not being present.

The A: Girl! You, your head is still in Maui!

JoJo: I could've told you that. I miss that place. I just don't want to be here.

The A: This city is wonderful; there are lots of museums, restaurants, and plenty of culture. Take advantage of it. Do something every week. I bet you those people on Maui would give anything to have what you have and live in NYC. This is the center of the universe! (twinkle in his eye)

JoJo (laments): I know. I love NYC. This is my home, where I grew up. I need to fall in love with it again. But it's such a rat race!

The A: You know, Manhattan is an island. (smiles) Bring some of that aloha back here.

JoJo: Yeah. (pause) With millions of crazy people living on it!!!!!!! Grrr...


Went back to work today. It's definitely the most direct way to get over the lingering jet lag that I'm still trying to hang on to. I'm spoiled, I know. I've been off for three weeks and had 5 days since returning to the mainland to readjust.

Isn't it funny how even if we've got it good, we are still never happy? Jeez. Need to reflect more on that ever elusive state of happiness. I know it doesn't have to be elusive. We humans just choose to make it that way. I need to also keep working on being present. I don't know what it is. Everyone feels a bit depressed after returning from a great trip. I just feel like I got the wind knocked out of me in a way that I've never felt from other trips I've taken in the past.

Maui III: Piko

The Navel, The Center

I was drawn to this necklace when I first saw it on the road to Hana.
Carved out of cow bone, the artist explained that this symbol is the piko.
The navel connects us to the source of life; it is the center.

It reminds me of my spirituality.
I have learned to trust my gut, to trust myself.
I am beginning to feel the connection between my mind & body & spirit.
I am still patiently learning how to be unafraid of my emotions.

Maui II: Mojo

All the pictures on my camera are of Mojo. He was so happy in Maui, discovering new types of flora, walking over and around lava formations, and trying all sorts of tropical fruits like papaya, chico, calamansi that are familiar to Filipinos.

Here's a beast of an avocado that we got from a tree that grows in the backyard of my aunt's mother's house. It was big, creamy, and so sweet. It's nothing like I've ever seen and tasted here on the mainland. The guacamole we could make with this avocado would be out of this world! The papayas we ate grew in the backyard of my uncle's house. We would pick the ripe ones and eat them. They were the sweetest papayas I've ever tasted...not the ones that taste awful. I liken them to tasting like armpits.

Mojo already looks relaxed on our first day on the island. We couldn't believe this was the beach by the airport! We could hear and see the airplanes as they took off.

He did get a little stressed at the luau, when he thought he had to dance a hula on stage in front of the entire audience. He prepared himself by drinking two mai tai's at a time.


Mojo and his shakas in front of a cresting wave about to crash on the shore in Nahiku along the Hana Highway. And below, our curiosity led us into a lava tube. Doesn't he fit right in and look like a geologist? He just needs a headlamp and a pick and he's all set.
We'll have to wait till he downloads his photos since his has lots of pictures of me. What a team!

Maui I

Maui is beautiful! It's my second day back and the shot of cold weather coming out of JFK just reminded me how much happier I am when it is warm outside.

Mom, Mojo, and I had a fantastic time staying with our family and visiting the island. We decided not to travel to the other islands and in the end, it was good decision. At the start of our trip, we thought we had plenty of time to see and do all the things we wanted. After a few days, we realized that we could only accomplish 1/3 of what we set out to do especially since I tried to surf every day and we spent quality time with our family over breakfast and dinner every day.

More stories and pics to come...look for a pic of me on a surfboard...if you're lucky, I'll post the video! Come back and check again. In the meantime, here's a bit to whet your appetite.

JanJan & I on New Year's Eve. It is Filipino custom to pop firecrackers on Dec 31. I stuck with the itty bitty sparklers since the bigger, noisier firecrackers scare me. :)

Our first day on the island, we still had to get our bearings, adjust to the time difference, and shop for some necessities. We took a detour and stopped by Kanaha Beach, in Kahalui. This beach is right next to the airport (can you believe it?) and a perfect spot for beginner windsurfers.


We were treated by my family to a luau at the Marriott Hotel in Wailea. In the background is Molokini, the partly submergered crater, and further back is another island, Kaho'olawe.

Finally, a shot of my aunt and uncle (with a shaka) who were our fantastic hosts during our stay. They approve of Mojo and are thrilled that he was able to eat all the Filipino food they served him, especially since we had rice for breakfast. It is typical for Filipinos to eat rice three times a day. :)

A Better Countdown

In my exhaustion last time, I forgot the most important countdown of all (besides the one to Christmas of course).

It's the number of days left to Maui. That would be 18 days. 18 days!

Dec 31 we fly out with our polka dots on and all. We arrive in Kahului in the late afternoon -- rent a car with racks for the surfboard, get some inexpensive snorkeling gear at the nearby Walmart, rent the surfboard for 10 days -- and arrive at my family's home in time to freshen up, unpack, and celebrate the New Year on the island in serenity.

Aloha Maui!

I want to:

• surf every morning -- just the idea of paddling out past the breakers makes me giddy!
  
• watch the sunrise at Haleakala Crater
• hike the trails or bike down Haleakala
• snorkel
  
• drive along Hana Highway
• get a massage on the beach
• practice yoga on the beach like that Rodney Yee
• spend time with my uncle, aunt, and grown cousins I haven't seen in years
• kayak -- it would be my first time but it seems like sooo much fun
• eat sushi on the beach

I'm procrastinating. Now back to writing.

Even NY Surfers are on Top of Each Other

There's no room
No space to rent in this town
-U2

We all know NYC is crowded. There are millions of people everywhere: the streets, the subway, the restaurants. Developers need to acquire the "air rights" above a low-rise building before the construction of something taller on top of it. The cemeteries are crowded. The garbage dumps are full so so we send our trash to another state. No space on the land, in the air, and even in the ocean, which I only discovered today.

La Ingeniera (and fellow surfer chica) & I decided to go to Long Beach this weekend and test our recently learned surfing skills from Costa Rica. So we get up early to catch the 8:48am LIRR train out of Penn Station to Long Beach. It's a pretty good deal: $10 for a round trip ticket and $7 entry fee into the beach with only an hour commute. In fact, I was really surprised to see fellow Gothamists at Penn Station with their boards! It made me want to have a board too. Check out this one guy's really long board in an army fatigue bag! I suddenly felt reassured, at least there were going to be some beginners at the beach too. I imagined all these pros who would be yelling at me because I wasn't practicing proper surfer etiquette.

We rented boards at LB Surf, across the street from the train station. La Ingeniera rented what looked like a 6' board...and I chose a Soft Tops surfboard that looked about 8' in length. I had never seen a this kind of board before because it had a foam top, kind like the texture of a yoga mat but much thinnner, which meant that I did not need to use any wax. As a beginner, it felt stable and great under my body. For $40 we had our boards all day. I'm toying with the idea of buying a used surfboard, which goes for about $200-300. If I go out 4-7 more times, it would've paid for itself.

We walked the quarter of a mile to the beach and designated area for surfers. When we were on the board walk, we looked onto the school of surfers and were disappointed with what we saw. The ocean was FLAT! Flat like a pancake, flat like my chest. There were noooo waves except the ones that crashed right up at the shore. It would've been a perfect day to swim because the ocean was so calm but the water was COLD! A little dismayed but still excited, we picked our spot on the beach to park our stuff and quickly got in the water. It was big reality check when the cold water hit my body for the first few minutes that I was no longer in Costa Rica AND that it was the middle of August when the water was supposed to be the warmest.

With teeth chattering after a few minutes, I got up on my board and paddled out. I've never really successfully paddled out before but then again, I never had been in a flat ocean before. I told myself that if I wouldn't catch waves, here was my opportunity to get comfortable paddling, balancing on the board without rocking too much, sitting up, and learning to turn the board with my hands and feet. There was one time when I sat up on my board, fell off it, and flipped my board over. I panicked. I'm still not completely confident in the water (not to worry, I'm working on it) so when I discovered that my feet couldn't touch the ground and I had to somehow swim AND flip my board right side up, I freaked! After several seconds, I managed to correct myself but not without notice of a fellow surfer nearby. He asked me if I could flip my board as he laughed. I told him that I was figuring it out. And I was. I tried going under it and flipping it but that didn't work. So I held it aside and grabbed the other end and pulled it towards me but that meant another dunk under the water. Besides the bozo surfer who laughed, the other surfers were nice. I just warned them that I was a beginner and they softened up and even gave me tips. One guy who was giving a surf instruction even stopped to recommend that I sit back on the board. Another guy showed me the fastest way to spin the board around. All in all, a friendly group of surfers who returned my smile whenever I paddled by. I noticed a lot of Japanese surfers too, something I never would've expected.

After that incident where I felt mocked, I sat on the board and stared out into the horizon like a pro (even though it was all a facade) with 20 other fellow surfers, on the lookout for the next decent wave to catch. If a Martian fell onto the beach at the moment, it would probably wonder what was it we were looking at so mesmerized as we sat still on these 6-8 foot pieces of fiberglass. The really frustrating part was that there were just too many people and too few waves. So when a decent one comes along, after at least 5 minutes of waiting, EVERYONE paddles and tries to catch it. And I'm talking an average of 7 people on 1 wave, with only a foot separating them.

I managed to catch two waves but didn't stand up on the board. Both times, there was another surfer to my right a mere foot away! Again, I freaked out because I am too much of an amateur and can't control my board and I'm never sure how good the person next to me is at controlling his/her board! One guy crashed into me. And when it happened again, I had had it. I was freezing, my fingers were numb and my teeth were chattering.

This afternoon was an introduction to NY surfing. I definitely picked up some quality tips and felt more comfortable in the water with the board. La Ingeniera and I decided to take our boyfriends next time in early September. And after September, I'll be surfing again in the wonderful warm waters of Maui!

Aloha!

*sigh* that ukelele playing in the background sounds so nice against the crashing waves...

**wakes up out of reverie** *shakes head**

What? Huh? I'm not there yet? I have to wait till January to be in Maui...

Oh right, I'm in the office right now just dreaming about it. Aw shucks.

That's right kids! JoJo is heading to MAUI for New Year's to visit my uncle for 10 days. Mom & J will be with me too. I am absolutely giddy with excitement!!! I've never been but hear it is absolute paradise...the most beautiful of all the islands. I can't wait to see my family, some of whom I have not seen for at least 10 years.

The anticipation of my vacation will definitely keep me motivated to get through the fall semester, my penultimate semester of graduate school. I'm looking forward to frolicking in the sun and in the ocean, the laid back atmosphere, the kiking, kayaking...oh yeah, and surfing!!! Wahoooo!!!

Yeah, after all that ranting and raving yesterday about why Americans don't take vacations...I've just proven that once again, I'm in the minority. :)

Please Don't Make Me Go on Vacation: What?!?! Are you Mad!!!

In addition to the latest breaking news of the foiled airline plot in England, has anyone read today's New York Times Article entitled, "Please Don't Make Me Go on Vacation"? I've copied and posted it below for anyone interested in reading it. There may be a good reason why one would be adverse to flying en route to a vacation, in light of the recent events in the UK. Basically, the gist of the article says that Americans rarely use up all their vacation days (which are not a lot compared to other countries) because we feel we've got too much at stake at our jobs to leave for an extended period of time. The article suggests that "ambition, fear of being fired, feeling indispensable and self-imposed getaway guilt" are reasons that hold people back from using up their entire vacation time. And if one does manage to get away, (s)he brings the cell phone, laptop, and Crackberry...err, Blackberry along too.

You all know my love for travel and how I spend at least 3 weeks in a new country every year. So when reading this article, I just couldn't FATHOM how someone could feel this way about vacations. My vacation time is precious to me and you better believe that I will take advantage of the 23 paid vacation days I am entitled by my employer every year. Let's start by saying that I am a rare case since the average amount of vacation time an employee gets from their job is 10-15 days per year. That's problem #1. And problem #2, the federal government has no mandate that all employees are required to take vacation by law unlike other foreign countries.

Here's what I think is problem # 3. Everytime I go overseas and meet Europeans & Australians, they always tell me that I'm the rare American they meet who travels for an extended period of time while the rest of my fellow Americans do not. It does not help matters that unofficially only 20% of Americans hold passports (go ahead, just do a google search if you don't believe me). Perhaps that figure will increase as security tightens and requirements for entry into Canada, Mexico and the Carribean countries will require it. But the fact is, Americans are generally not an adventurous crowd willing to step outside of their comfort zone to experience a country that is completely different from our own in culture, language, and food. I think this is where learning a second language at an early age can play an influential role in the introduction to foreign culture.

The article suggests that the biggest obstacle to taking a vacation is ourselves and our relationship to our jobs. I would further argue that our attitude to our jobs is strongly influenced by the culture of the workplace that no longer encourages individuality, employee loyalty, a sense of indispensability, and rarely acknowledges the importance of achieving a work-life balance.

I mean seriously, what is SO important in your job that needs such immediate attention that if it doesn't happen in 12-24 hours, the world comes crashing down? And if it IS THAT important, then shouldn't there be at least one person or two to know what to do in the event that you are not there...if you are sick, got hit by a truck or are, say on vacation??? The workplace these days is a cut-throat atmosphere that encourages face-time and lack of collaboration among colleagues. So many people think if they ask for help that it's an indication of their lack of time management skills, their inefficiency or intelligence...whatever, you name it! And these feelings lead to a sense of possessiveness about one's job responsiblities, another reason to not ask for help. Then the vicious cycle continues.

I am very lucky to have an employer that provides a generous vacation package and that I work for a boss who is happy to approve my request for a three week vacation. And when I go, I don't think about work and I certainly don't check my emails or voicemails when I'm away. No one hears from me until I get back. Period. That's because my boss encourages all of us on her team to truly act like teammates where ideas get tossed around, multitudes of document drafts are exchanged, information is constantly shared. I mean, isn't the the purpose of our technological gadgets so that we can work together to reach our goals collectively and efficiently? Instead, they've taken control of our lives and act as a short leash between ourselves and our jobs.

And in the end, is all that relentless energy we put into our jobs really worth our happiness and our health?

Courtesy of the New York Times -- August 10, 2006

Please Don’t Make Me Go on Vacation

By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

SOMEWHERE on a faraway beach, a cellphone rings, a BlackBerry buzzes, a laptop beeps.

It is an electronic requiem for the American vacation.

“I never go on vacation,” said Ellen Kapit, a real estate agent in Manhattan. “And when I do, I have my computer, my Palm, my e-mail and my phone with me at all times.”

Ms. Kapit’s habits are typical of today’s employees, who check for e-mail messages from work in between parasailing or floating in the hotel pool, consider a long weekend a major excursion and sacrifice vacation days by not taking them.

But even as the American vacation is dying, the anxiety surrounding it is surging, according to surveys of workers released in the last year. Employees are sweating over every aspect of their getaways, from whether taking time off dooms them to the want ads to whether the work they will face when they return will keep them from ever leaving their cubicles again. And if they finally do make their escape?

“You picture this great fantasy trip and it’s nothing like you ever imagined in your head,” said Randi Friedman, 27, a publicist in Manhattan who likened this lofty expectation to the high hopes Bridezillas have for their weddings.

“Nothing will ever be good because you have an expectation level that’s so high,” she said. “And that’s the problem.”

Indeed, expectations of just how wondrous the ever-shrinking American vacation should be have been ratcheted up to levels usually reserved for New Year’s Eve.

Perhaps vacation-enjoyment angst is inevitable, given all the agonizing about where to go, what to do, how long the vacation should be, and whether it is wise to even take a vacation in the first place. Beginning long before the plane ticket is booked, it occurs for myriad reasons.

“There’s a large increase in the number of people who worry that they will lose their job,” said Ellen Galinsky, the president of the Families and Work Institute, a nonprofit center for research on the American work force. In 1977, 45 percent of people felt truly secure in their jobs while only 36 percent have felt that way in recent years, she said, citing the organization’s surveys.

Ms. Kapit, who worked in advertising for 20 years before becoming a sales agent for Bellmarc Realty, said that when large companies were more loyal to their employees, the situation was different. “Since any company doesn’t care who they lay off and how long they’ve been there, everyone’s walking on eggshells,” she said. “Which is why I left my big corporate job.” Now she sets her own schedule and often works from her home near Hampton Bays on the East End of Long Island.

But plenty of employees worry about taking vacation for reasons that have little to do with job security. Some consider themselves to be indispensable. Many are competitive. “There’s the feeling that overwork is the red badge of courage,” Ms. Galinsky said, adding that people often compete to see who works the latest and the longest.

Ambitious workers can even be reluctant to ask a colleague to help out while they are on vacation. “They take it all on themselves,” said Jennifer Sullivan, a spokeswoman for CareerBuilder.com, the job recruitment Web site. “Those are the people that are probably working multiple hours on their vacation or not taking vacation at all.”

But it is not cruel Dickensian bosses and heartless company policies that prevent employees from enjoying — or worse, taking — their vacations.

“Mostly people work because they want to,” Ms. Galinsky said. “It’s mostly something that we’re doing to ourselves.”

Ambition, fear of being fired, feeling indispensable and self-imposed getaway guilt all help to explain why workers do not use all of their vacation days and why many prefer to take respites that are shorter than two weeks, even if they have banked significantly more vacation time.

Erin Krause, a spokeswoman for the travel Web site Expedia.com, which publishes an annual Vacation Deprivation online survey, said, “Americans are not using all of their vacation days and it seems to be getting worse.”

“We are not taking advantage of the time our employers are giving to us,” she said.

That is particularly surprising given that in the United States full-time employees have 3.9 holiday and vacation weeks off a year. But this is paltry when compared with European countries, including the United Kingdom (6.6 weeks), France (7) and Italy (7.9), according to the 2004 figures compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A study released last year by the Families and Work Institute found that American workers have on average 16.6 paid vacation days but that more than one-third of employees (36 percent) did not plan to use their full vacation. (The data for the survey of 1,003 adults who were employed full or part time by someone else was collected by Harris Interactive over the telephone between Oct. 7 and Nov. 15, 2004. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.)

The study also found that only 14 percent of Americans go away for two weeks or more at any one time. “I don’t think I’d take a two-week chunk unless I didn’t have anything going on,” Ms. Kapit said, “and then I’d probably be worried I’d never have anything going on.”

Even those at the top of the corporate ladder, who have a generous amount of vacation time, do not necessarily use it.

“The reality is the more responsibilities you have, the less time you take off,” wrote Anderson Cooper in Details magazine last year. “You have too much to lose. I’m convinced a big reason I got my own show on CNN was the fact that I kept filling in for people who were on vacation. Now if I leave the anchor chair too long, I worry Eve Harrington will take my place.”

But even once workers get over their angst about what length vacation to take, many grapple with separation anxiety — how often to check in with the office.

About one in five people do some amount of work during vacation, according to the Families and Work Institute study.

Downsizing, labor market volatility and the country’s shift from an industrial economy to one based on service and knowledge have helped create what Ms. Galinsky described as a “rapid-fire” way of working. People expect instantaneous responses to their e-mail messages at all hours, vacation or no vacation. The boundary between work and home life is now fluid, she said, adding that “we plan life off the job the way we plan life on the job.”

And that may not be a good thing. The Families and Work Institute study found that overworked employees are more likely to make mistakes, to be angry at their employers and at colleagues who do not work as hard. These employees are also more likely to have higher stress levels, experience symptoms of clinical depression, report poorer health and neglect themselves.

Still, employees continue to work during their vacations to ensure they are not swamped upon their return.

“It doesn’t give you that chance to refresh and recharge,” said Ms. Sullivan, who oversaw CareerBuilder.com’s annual vacation study.

Getting away does not in itself guarantee relaxation. Fifty percent of Americans need two days to unwind and 50 percent need more than two days, according to the Families and Work Institute study.

And then there is the matter of inflated expectations. Two years ago, Ms. Friedman, the Manhattan publicist, scheduled her first official vacation in four years. Soon she was suffering from a bad case of vacation expectation syndrome.

Ms. Friedman, who loves her work and defines herself in large part by it, envisioned sunny skies and tropical temperatures in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. But when she arrived, the sky was overcast, nighttime temperatures were in the 60’s and an entire day was rained out. Her vacation fantasy did not include donning sweaters and cowering beneath an umbrella. “I was so miserable,” she said.

Ms. Sullivan said today’s employees put a lot of pressure on themselves to have trip-of-a-lifetime vacations.

“They have to pack in all these activities,” she said, “and everybody has to be happy and smiling and it has to be perfect weather.”

As Ms. Friedman said, “It’s your one trip.”

Ms. Friedman acknowledges that, like many work-obsessed people, she is her own worst vacation enemy. As soon as her plane landed in Mexico, she checked her BlackBerry and cellphone for work messages. Upon arriving at her hotel, the first thing she did was locate the business center. Then she spent much of the first two days of her vacation sulking in her room, wishing it were warmer and sunnier.

But she received a very different kind of hotel wake-up call when she turned on the television and saw that a tsunami had devastated Asia. Suddenly, her overblown vacation fantasy became insignificant.

“That’s when I put it into perspective,” she said.

Ms. Friedman did not stop checking her BlackBerry and cellphone for the rest of her time in Cabo San Lucas. But she did enjoy herself, sweater and all.

“Life is too short to not appreciate every moment of it,” she said. “I realize that’s why I work so hard, to take these vacations.”

Estoy en Costa Rica: Week III

When Sophie and I went our separate ways, it was the final week of my trip. There was no one heading towards the Carribbean side of the country and I was determined to get to Tortuguero National Park to see the large green sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach. There was no direct way to cross the country from Santa Elena to Tortuguerro so I had to backtrack to San Jose and spend the night.

I took practically a day's worth of travel to get to the Tortuguero because the national park is only accessible by boat or plane. And since I was a budget traveler...it had to be boat...and the cheap boat option at that (read: take the boats the locals use to get to Tortuguero and pay a mere $10 rather than the fancy tourists boats that charge from $50-200 pp depending upon the "type" of excursion you do). Although it took me practically the whole day to get there, it was well worth it.

Once I arrived, I managed to book myself on a turtle tour that evening and was warned to wear dark clothes since the mama turtles have very good eyesight. At 8pm, my guide picked me up and I joined 8 others who were in my group. We walked single file along the beach for about a mile when he said that there was a turtle on the beach preparing to dig its hole for her eggs. It would take 30 minutes so we waited. While waiting, another turtle happened to come on shore! We we were soooo shocked but were instructed to make no movements and no sound. By this time there were 100 people on the beach and we all quietly waited, stood very still in the dark as this new turtle inched its way up the beach. It was massive yet all we could make out was this huge hump slowly crawling up away from the ocean. We were excited at the prospect of seeing another turtle hatch its eggs but after 15 minutes, my guide cried out, ¨The turtle is leaving.¨ She decided to abort her plans of laying eggs on the beach and book it back to the ocean. Apparently, the turtles are very sensitive to the slightest movement and are picky about where they will lay their eggs. It was cool to see how fast the turtle booked it back to the ocean. And it was MASSIVE!!! The entire length of her body was as long as me! We focused our attention back on the first turtle who was about to lay its eggs. Each group took turns looking at the beautiful event. I got to witness with my very eyes, less than a foot away, a green sea turtle laying some of its 100 eggs in the beach! It was one of the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. I definitely think it's in my top 5 life experiences although now I have to come up with what the other 4 are. LOL. I have no pictures of the blessed event because flash cameras or any kind of light are absolutely not allowed because it will scare the turtles but you can check out fellow flickr peep, juvertson, who has a nice photo of a birthing sea turtle (I don't know how he managed that picture in the dark).

My final days were spent not zipping around on a bus but rather chillin' out in the sleepy town of Cahuita. So many of the travelers I met prior were encouraging me to get to the Caribbean side and spend time here because it has a really relaxed vibe and a strong rasta culture thanks to the population's Afro-Caribbean descent. I felt like I was in a whole 'nother country actually cuz reggae was playing everywhere, the locals spoke English, and the food had a Caribbean flavor (lots of coconut milk and spices...yum) rather than Spanish. This is also the place where I learned how to walk at a snail's pace since it was sooo hot and there was no place I was rushing to go.

For $15 per night, I got my own private room with bathroom at the Spencer Seaside Lodge and I was a mere 50 meters away from the sea. Each room had walls with painted murals. Mine happened to be a map of the country, which would've been useful if I ever forgot where I was. Ha!

More importantly, I got to hear the crashing waves at night lull me to sleep and wake me up each day. To the right is the view from my room/door. In the short distance between my room and the waves, you'll see coconut trees from which several hammocks were hung. And about 2 feet from my door were bananas still hanging on the vine; some were ripe and ready to be picked and others were still green. Guests were welcome to an unlimited supply of bananas at any time.

I felt sooo at peace and so relaxed because all I did was eat, sleep, go to the beach, swim, sunbathe, and read for four days. For a day trip, I took the bus 16km south to neighboring yet larger Puerto Viejo. Compared to Cahuita, it felt like a metropolis when in fact it really is still a small town compared to the rest of the places I had visited. But beccause I felt a more touristy vibe, I got out of Dodge quickly by renting a bike and peddaled the 6km to a nearby beach, Punta Uva (see left). It was beautiful and scarcely populated with a few tourists and Tico families sprinkled about. The water was so calm that it was perfect to swim in. I managed to surf one last time too in nearby Cahuita National Park on my last day. I spent several days here. And on my last day, I surfed one last time. All in all, a wonderful way to end my trip.

When I got back to San Jose and heard all typical city noises, I longed to get back to my haven on the beach! I couldn't believe a mere $15/night got me a room by the sea. Man, what a life...and what a steal!!

Estoy en Costa Rica: Week II

My second week in Costa Rica was spent traveling with Sophie, a young British woman who had never been out of the country till now, and was plowing through Central America in 6 weeks with a final destination of Mexico City. We met in Jacó attending the same surf camp and discovered at dinner one evening that we were traveling alone. We left it open as to whether we really would meet up in a few days time to head north to Monteverde for the cloud forest and La Fortuna for Volcan Arenal. In the end, it worked out and she was my travel companion for a week.

With the beach and the country's natural beauty within a two hour distance, I spent very little time in the capital city of San Jose. Perhaps I've had my fill of South American cities but San Jose didn't seem remarkable compared to the European feel of Buenos Aires or the sheer grandeur of the snow-capped Andes as a backdrop to the caldera in which Bolivia's La Paz sits in. The only really nice thing about San Jose is the incredible variety of international cuisine: Thai, Indian, Japanese, Italian, French, Argentinian, Cuban. One remarkable thing I did in the San Jose vicinity was to visit Volcan Poas. Check out the sulfur fumes emitting from right side of the crater.

Traveling with Sophie was loads of fun and our personalities complemented each other. We stayed in hostels the entire week since our minds were looking ahead to when we would finally separate. Hostels allowed us to meet tons of people. In the end, Sophie found someone to go north with while I was not as lucky but ventured off on my own towards the Carribean side of the country.

While we were together, we visited Volcan Arenal in La Fortuna (the main reason why tourists visit). Because we were there during rainy season, the volcano was often shrouded in cloud. On clear days, you are able to see its perfectly spherical cone. And at nights, you could see red lava spouting out of its top. Here's the best view I had of the volcano in the three days/two nights we were there. In spite of the lack of visibility, we hiked at the base of the volcano and saw sloths, howler monkeys, and all types of birds along the way. We visited a beautiful nearby waterfall and swam at its base and we went one evening to Baldi Hot Springs, one of the many local thermal hot springs in the area and found swim up bars and hammocks and tons of people just having a great time.

Days later, we crossed Lake Arenal to get to Santa Elena, the base from which people visit neighboring Monteverde & Santa Elena Cloud Forests. Sophie and I took a morning tour of the cloud forest which was incredibly lush and peaceful. We saw more howler monkeys but the elusive quetzal was nowhere to be seen.

Monteverde Cloud Forest is particularly special because it straddles the Continental Divide, allowing for several types of climates to co-exist lending itself to an incredible amount of biodiversity in a relatively concentrated amount of space. Beautiful!

I took a tour of a coffee farm, Café Monteverde, a cooperative of farmers and their families who are committed to an environmentally sustainable method of farming (coffee and otherwise) without the use of chemicals or pesticides and whose coffee is sold to the international Fair Trade market. I passed up on going to the Quaker Cheese Factory for fear that I would break down eat the cheese (still on accupuncturist's orders: no dairy...among other things).

One new thing I experienced while in Santa Elena was a zipline canopy tour. It was tons of fun but I wouldn't recommend it if you have a fear of heights.

Before Sophie and I said our goodbyes, we managed to dance salsa with local Ticos at a local bar/club and we left our mark of our shared Costa Rica experience at a local restaurant. Tourists are encouraged to draw on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper with their names, their date of visit, and where they are from (I even saw one sign drawn by a woman from the Philippines! Imagine that!). We couldn't pass up the opportunity...and since there was no longer space on the walls, we decided that the surfer chicas deserved a place on the ceiling. Ya dig it??

Estoy en Costa Rica!

Hey folks, the blog has not been updated of late. I left for Costa Rica on July 2 and won't be back en los Estados Unidos until July 22.

A quick update on me (with some pictures to follow on flickr):

Learned to surf in Jaco (there's an accent on that last o but can't figure out how to do it on this dang keyboard) for an entire week. Attended an all girls surf camp with dos otras chicas. Our surf instructor was a badass Tica named Shilka who taught us in thong bikinis cada dia. I was able to stand up twice on a long board (read: a good length for a beginner like me) on the first day. By the third day, I graduated to a shorter board! All in all, I was bruised and beaten by the waves by Friday. But still felt exhilarated when I finally caught waves and rode them that I'm officially an addicted surfer.

Putzing around now in the rest of the country. Heading to the Cloud Forest in a day or so and am currently in the town of La Fortuna, trying to get a glimpse of Arenal Volcano. But alas, it is rainy season and the summit is shrouded in clouds. After Monteverde Cloud Forest, am headed to the Carribbean coast for an even more laid back vibe with a taste of rastafari culture.

Costa Rica Surfer Chick!

Costa Rica, baby! Here I come! I wanna be a surfer chick. I wanna be a surfer chick.

I'll be attending an all-girls surf camp through Third World Productions for a week so I can learn to stand on a board and ride a wave. Then, two weeks of traveling around the country. Yeah!!!

I will realize the dream in July!

The Travel Itch

All this talk of traveling has made me itching to get on a plane. So when this happpens, I just look back at some of the amazing places I've been:

Me watching the sun set at the Delicate Arch.
Arches National Park, Utah (2001)







This statue, like many Incan artifiacts originally intended for display was completely covered with a thin, gold plate. When the Spaniards arrived, they melted all the gold, kept it for themselves, and exorcised the object by chopping off its nose, and branding a cross by one of its ears.

Tiwanaku, Bolivia
(2003)

Iguazu Falls, Argentina (2003)
Me on a ski lift on the Argentinian side of the Andes (2003)

Isla del Sol y Lago Titicaca, Bolivia/Peru (2003)
Hiking the top rim of Isla del Sol,
the island in which the sun was birthed
according to Incan mythology.

Day 1 of the Inca Trail, Peru (2003). This picture may help you understand why the Incas called this place "The Sacred Valley". I look at this photo and ask myself, "How can you NOT believe in a God?"

Day 4 of the Inca Trail. Arrival at Machu Picchu.

Chillin' on the beach in Zanzibar (2004).

For more pics, check out my flickr album.

It won't be Ghana this year

Well folks, it looks like Ghana isn't happening this year.

Based on my work demands, the only month that I can get away is July. And Ghana in July is HIGH season. This means that a round trip ticket from JFK to Accra is $1700! I almost fainted. I have never spent so much money on a plane ticket, not even to the Philippines.

If The Roommate remained, I would've saved the money and visited my friend E, who is in Accra on a fellowship till August (If I go, it would be the 3rd continent E & I would spend time in. We met on the Inca Trail in Peru). But now that The Roommate is leaving on April 1st, my typical monthly savings will go to rent. So I really can't pull off a $1700 ticket.

This situation leaves me with two options:

• Visit someone I know and stay in free lodging
• Visit someplace closer to home (read: Central America)

If I were to go to Central America, it would have to be Costa Rica. Why? There is so much to do in Costa Rica: the beaches, the rainforest and jungle, the biodiversity, the really good infrastructure. What else can you ask for in a country? And a trip to Costa Rica would not be complete without learning how to SURF.

Which then got me thinking about my wanting to try something new. And since I've always wanted to learn how to surf, maybe now is a good time to learn. If I end up hating it or not able to do it, at least I would've tried it. But a 3 day, all-inclusive surf camp in Costa Rica looks like it'll cost me $800. Yikes! I'll have to use my frequent flier miles to get there and really go budget traveling. As of right now, I do not have a travel companion. Even though I have no problems traveling alone, it would probably be better and cheaper to travel with someone.

This then led me to thinking about my first option which is to visit my uncle and his family living in Maui. Maui!!! Apparently, the most beautiful of all the islands of Hawaii and the island which my uncle has been inviting me to visit for the last several years. I could stay with them and take surfing lessons too.

Thinking thinking. Will be thinking about this for a little bit. If you have any suggestions, I would welcome them.

Only Been to 5% of the World! Ack!!

Check out one of Douwe Osinga's really cool projects. Below are countries in the world I have traveled to. It makes me realize that I really have to jump back on the traveling bandwagon. I missed my new country this year because of school...I'm sooo pissed that I broke a special promise to myself!!

My hope is to perhaps see two new countries in 2006. One will definitely be a three-week trip to Ghana to visit E who I met on the Inca Trail 3 years ago. There's a possibility that I might go to Tuscany, Italy and stay with newly married friends who are renting a villa for 3 weeks in March.

Top 5 Places JoJo Desires to Visit:
1. Vietnam
2. Australia/New Zealand
3. Italy
4. Costa Rica
5. The Pacific Islands of Fiji, Tahiti, and Easter Island

So little money, not enough time, and always stuck workin' for the man. * heavy sigh*



Below is a map of where I've been in the US and I must admit, that TX, MI, OH, and a lot of southerns states south of VA are due to airport layovers or driving through en route to FL. Missouri is a "real" visit though; I have family there and I helped facilitate a one-week college workshop for Native American high school students at Wash U back in 1999. If you take away these states and the Southwest, and add OR, it would look quite similar to the last presidential election. Ha! Can you tell I'm a flaming liberal??? 'Nuf said.

California Dreamin'

School starts tomorrow and before my life gets sucked into the world of books and papers, I thought a 10 day vacation would be a good idea. California is always my fall back vacation since I love the dang state and I've got friends to stay with in LA & San Fran. MoJo & I went for our very first "faraway, get-there-by-plane" vacation. The plan: 10 days from LA via the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway 1) to San Fran with pit stops in Santa Barbara, SLO (San Luis Obispo), San Simeon, Big Sur, Salinas, and Gilroy.

Here we are in Muscle Beach in Venice. Check out our hairdos!

We stayed with Angelito in LA. It was good to see him and catch up! Drama and gossip were exchanged at record speeds since there was much to tell. I miss him since his departure from NYC but I have a feeling he'll be back.

Visits to other friends and family occured including one at a chinese buffet with the A clan on MoJo's big birthday!! He seemed a little sad at turning a big number but I know he will come to embrace his wise age. I love you honey!! Old man or not! Just kidding. LOL :) We also got to see friends that I consider family. Three G brothers were present with their spouses/significant others; unfortunately the eldest and dad were missing from the group. Fun times and tons of laughter were had by all.

Up to Santa Barbara we went where we were greeted by amazing weather typical of Southern California minus the glitz and facade of Los Angeles. Rosemary and lavender were growing in bushes along the sidewalk and in spite of its touristy feel, Santa Barbara still felt quaint and provinical. MoJo & I thought it would be a nice place to retire.

On the right is a picture of Mission Santa Barbara, one of the many missions built by Franciscans in CA all forming a chain in the state. These missions were similar to the ones I saw in Argentina.

North of Santa Barbara, we stayed in SLO (as the locals call it) as our home base for exploring Hearst Castle in San Simeon. En route to San Simeon, we drove by a sign pointing towards the town of Harmony, so of course I had to take a picture and pose somehow in relation to the town's name (I have other pictures of me at The Gap, AZ and Paradox, NY. A little quirk of mine, I know) so here I am doing a variation on Vrksasana (Tree Pose); I am one with the earth. Ommm....

A trip to the central coast is incomplete without a visit to Hearst Castle. Worth a look if you're in the area.

Next stop Big Sur for 2 days of hiking and enjoying the striking beauty of the jagged coastline. Too bad it was foggy the whole time. The sun evaded the coast but was found a bit inland. I had done this trip 5 years ago and the weather was perfect. I was sorely disappointed this time since it wasn't how I hoped it would be especially since MoJo had not done this drive before. If visibility is really good, you can see miles ahead of you and perfect sunsets too. When you drive the windy roads, it's just you and the road along the edge of a huge cliff with the ocean to one side and the cliff on the other. We did not see sunsets nor stars. The plus side was that we stayed at Kirk Creek Campground, a first-come, first-serve campground of only 35 sites that is located at the top of a cliff right by the ocean. It was still really nice nonetheless. And sweet MoJo reassured me that the drive, in spite of the fog, was still spectacular. "Mysterious" was how he described it.

The next day, we were off to the north for SF. Unlike other tourists who probably would've gone to Monterrey and Carmel, we decided to go a different route and head towards Salinas where Nobel Prize winning writer John Steinbeck was born and raised. We visited the Steinbeck Museum and I come away with a whole new appreciation for Steinbeck. I read Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony in HS (on the left is me on the red pony...maybe I should send it to my HS English teacher?) but never really liked his work. I think it was because I couldn't really relate to the people in his stories (the farmers, the migrant laborers) and therefore couldn't fully imagine the story in my head. Now, I am looking forward to re-visiting Steinbeck and reading The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, The Winter of Our Discontent, or even his non-fiction books like Travels with Charley or America and Americans. *sigh* So many books...so little time.

One gallery at the museum had a traveling exibit called "The Graceful Envelope". The Smithsonian's Postal Museum encouraged artists and calligraphers to decorate envelopes and mail it to the Smithsonian for entry into an annual contest. Each year, the contest may have a different theme like this one on the left, which was "Pushing the Envelope". You see Paul Bunyan in the top envelope (don't forget to look closely at the stamp) and another equally good entry on the bottom. Quite ingenious and beautiful were many of these graceful envelopes.

With our tummies growling, we headed 20 miles northeast to Gilroy, the "Garlic Capital of the World". You can tell by the smell in the air when you drive into town. Since MoJo & I are huge garlic lovers, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to sample heavenly, garlicky dishes. Below is MoJo enjoying a delicious Gilroy Garlicky Chicken dish at Mama Mia's. I had the winning 2005 Garlic Festival Cook-Off dish, Basil and Garlic-Stuffed Sea Scallops Wrapped in Prosciutto. We even had a chance to sample garlic ice cream. Amazing!!!

Before (see his look of anticipation) & After (see his sad yet satiated look)


The final stop after Gilroy was San Francisco! We stayed with friends I had met 2 years ago at this time while hiking the Inca Trail. The Acupuncturist in Training & The Journalist (see our picture in my previous entry) were, like Angelito, the best hosts. They were welcoming and generous with their time, their food, and their space. Their little bungalow in Oakland was so cozy and we were happy to call it home for the next several days.

MoJo & I ate our way through the Bay Area, taking in Ethiopian, Vietanamese, Japanese, and oh, the heavenly Mexican food. Yum. I don't know what it is out west, but the Mexican food is sooo much better than home.

We schlepped the hills of San Fran to visit Chinatown, North Beach, the downtown area, and we even stumbled upon Little Saigon! We visited Alcatraz and imagined what it would be like to be a prisoner. And after a trip to just two Sonoma vineyards for some wine-tasting, we came away with 4 bottles of wine. Now MoJo has begun to discern the different nuances of wine and can move beyond his usual, "it's fruity" description. All in all, a wonderful trip which already seems like a distant memory.