sand storms are not cool.

Why did I ever think that sand storms were cool?

They're annoying. Highly annoying. Sand blowing everywhere, getting on and in everything. The wind feels like a blow dryer on high aimed at your body. And you can't see as far as you could on a clear day.

Oh, and what happened to the blue sky that I grew accustomed to?

As long as it doesn't rain, I think I'll survive. Raining mud is not very pleasant.

thinking ahead...

Just a few more months here. And then back to the so-called real world.

In the meantime, I'm looking at my bank account hard. Do I have enough money to go to China on a school trip? What about a few weeks in Brazil? Backpacking through Europe? Oh, and will I be able to afford a car and everything that comes with it? And books and fees for my first semester? Will I have to pick up another job or will unemployment be just enough? I might be able to pull it off, with my rainy-day fund intact. Or maybe I'll realize that I'm being just a little too ambitious.

There's other stuff that is bouncing around between the family back home and here. For awhile there has been talk of Driver moving. As in moving in with my parents and myself. It's scary, it's exciting, and I have no idea of how it's going to turn out. I've already written about our concerns about him driving back in the States. Add to the weaving and "I own this road" philosphy here that is normal for him to the fact that he's never ever driven in snow and I'm just anticipating trouble. Once we return, winter won't be too far away. Also, I know I'm going to run into the school of thought that cohabitating is bad/sinful/not a good idea and I have no idea of how to handle that. One of my guy friends is already calling Driver completely psycho just because of the moving plans. There's a method to the madness and it's not really anyone's business. There's a lot of research that needs to be done before the move: jobs, schools and covens, oh my. In the meantime, I'm crossing all of my fingers and toes hoping that it goes well.

And university! And my job in the planetarium! I can't wait to go back, even though I have to wait until months after my return to the States. The student crew that I'm used to won't be there. They'll have graduated and moved on to the Life After College. I have no idea of what other student employees will be there. Work will be strange without PhysicsGeek and EngineeringGeek. I'll probably have to study extra hard in my French classes just because I've let my brain rot and not kept up on my language skills. The same for my programming classes. I wonder if I'll go back to calling my professors "Sir" just like how I did after basic training.

Four more months. Just have to hang on for four more months of the hot desert sun and colorless sand.

thank you

I want to write about this before it slips away and becomes one of those things that goes into the category labelled "I'll eventually write about" and then never do.

This month is Asian Pacific Heritage month. On base we celebrated it tonight. Not wanting to miss out on good foreign cuisine, I went. All by myself. By the cool thing was that when I sat down at a table alone, I had others join me. They weren't military. They weren't DoD civilians. They weren't even contractors. They were Filipinos that live and work in the area -- part of the group that travelled through checkpoint after checkpoint with children in tow so that their children could perform for us as part of our celebration. By the time I finished my meal (it was delicious, by the way), I had explained the usual why I'm here, what I do, what I'm getting out of this deployment, and how much this meant to me that they came to base and celebrated with us.

For those very brief moments, I felt like I was living my ordinary civilian life again. Good food, good times, families and children and smiles everywhere.

Thank you.

quotes from friends

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I love my friends -- both near and far.

Quotes from my favorite high school era boys, who are still my best source of information as to how the male brain works:

Techno: Talk to you later, punk.
Rocky: Punk? Fuck that. I'm a super punk!
Techno: Ok, super punk!

Techno: Boys are stupid.
FakeBoyfriend: Duh. One of these days you're going to log in and tell me something shocking. Clearly, today is not one of those days.

Rocky still has an affection for the weird and unusual. I would be worried otherwise.

From Dragonette, when we were talking about mental health stuff: "The sandbox just makes you sad!" She's got a very good point. (Psst... I miss you!!)

And the whole three sentences I've heard from Driver since he's been out and about in Europe are a little anticlimatic when you've been waiting for news for days. "Me in Paris. Me good. I LOVE EUROPE!!" He won't write much, but as soon as he gets back he won't be able to shut up.

Primo's English isn't the greatest and hasn't made the leaps and bounds that MeuExAmor's did once upon a time. But the meaning is there and I understand him just fine. It's been too long since I've seen him.

Beautiful photos. I like [them] all. Amazing, awesome. Even [though] you are in there for a work you try to have time to get some fun. Enjoy this, you deserve all [of] the good things. With love, Primo

ItalianGrandpa, who has emailed me without fail since I left for training nearly a year ago: "Techno, we are at Aunt's. Will say hi for you. We miss you here, hurry home."

From Knocker, an Aussie sailor whom I met in Hong Kong. We trade notes on military life and the "weird" cultural stuff we encounter while we're away from home. His shipmates are a crazy bunch.

Singapore is ok. Went to a place called the '4 floors of whores' tonight. There were working girls everywhere. They didn't like me saying no. I was worried about one that talked to me. Her voice was deeper than mine. Left after that. It's not my thing.

And back at the planetarium, one of the professors sat on the phone with me coming up with snarky mottos for my job, all based around "paperwork corps!"

I miss them all.

back to the sandbox

I've been back in the desert for about a week now. No more Chinese, no more struggling with chopsticks, no more skyscrapers, no more yummy homemade meals and sleeping in until the construction work woke me up. Back to sand, sun, paperwork, plastic silverware, and o'dark thirty workouts.

My supervisor is on vacation, his back-up has medical stuff going on, and therefore, I am running around this base trying to get stamps and signatures. I managed to make a full bird Colonel rather upset over the stamping and the signing thing -- they dragged me back into the office later that evening to explain myself. Fortunately, because I have absolutely no clue what is going on, I was spared the Colonel's wrath via the Major.

Driver is on leave, and I'm missing him. He's backpacking Europe alone. Some of the people I spend time with while he's normally gone are also away. Moping around, keeping to myself, trying not to sleep all day. Today feels like how Sundays felt when I first got here: lonely, boring, empty, long.

At least I'm past the halfway mark.

unsent note to one of my baby cousins

Dear Cousin 2,

One day you will understand.

Right now you are probably confused and hurt and think I don't love you because I have been gone for a very very very long time. Your mom tells me that you ask if I'm hurt, if I'm okay, if I'm going to die. Yes, honey, I'm fine. No, I don't think I'm going to die. I know that you don't understand that I work in an office and that other Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen keep me safe. One day you will.

Until then, I hope your mom can explain it in a way that you can understand. Think of it as a vacation, and that Cousin Techno will be home very very soon. Because that's the place I want to be.

Miss you and everyone else dearly. And I will see you soon.

more odds and ends

This is what Hong Kong looks like from the top of a double decker bus.

Ferry ride is over! Getting ready to dock.

Rickshaws for sale. No one uses these for transportation in Hong Kong anymore.

This is the creepy doorman that laughs at everyone who comes home late. Dragonette, her sister and her father have all asked him why he laughs -- none of them can understand his reply. I wasn't going to take his picture, and then he laughed at me while I was waiting for the elevator. Notice how it is only 11:30 PM.

This is the view from Dragonette's room. I know that many wouldn't consider it pretty, but it sure as heck beats sand. There are five big dogs that live on the roof on the building to your right. They bark. A lot.

I leave tonight to go back to the sandbox. Not exactly looking forward to it, but I don't have much of a choice. At least I know how to pack extremely light.

out and about today

Overview of temple we visited today in New Territories.

Statues in the outer area. I wasn't allowed to take photos inside.

More dragons!

Another lotus flower. I think they're pretty.

Different temple, right next door. They let me take pictures inside... and they had more to look at, and were a lot less touristy.

First lion that I've seen painted. He's rather colorful, isn't he?

To rot your brain

Oh, I love broadband that isn't filtered or censored. Internet videos and cartoons, how I missed you so.

From my favorite Brit animators: Cucumbers and Pandas has fulfilled my panda-obsession as of late, Mango has been the WTF vid, Death Kitty and the Fat Man have made go "aww", and Kenya and Badgers are still my all-time favorites.

My favorite squirrel and his human describe a fortune cookie much better than I can. Yes, I spent $25 to send fortune cookies here. Why? They're American. Seriously, go Google it.

From Fuzz: Charlie and Candy Mountain. I'm still not sure if it was distrubing or funny. Maybe both. Poor, poor Charlie.

Anyways... enjoy the fluff. There might be pictures later, there might not be. I have a book that's calling my name.

reality?

From International Herald Tribune:

The United States military announced Wednesday that most active duty army units now in Iraq and Afghanistan and those sent in the future would serve 15-month tours, three months longer than the standard one-year tour.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who announced the change at a news conference at the Pentagon, said that the only other way to maintain force levels would have been to allow many soldiers less than a year at home between combat tours.

The lovely bit that applies to me:

Army National Guard or Army Reserves are supposed to be mobilized for no more than a year at a time, including nine months in Iraq or Afghanistan, under a policy announced by Gates in January.

Extending tours, shortening tours. But only for the Army. We already have some of the longest tours -- how is this going to change things?

Driver's convoy was hit by a roadside bomb during this mission. Everyone is fine, the equipment did the job it was supposed to do. Just worried. I know the trucks will keep them all safe, I know that they know what they're doing, and I know that he usually returns quickly and always in one piece. But there are people out there that are trying to kill Coalition troops. They do try. Some are successful. Sometimes, I hate his job. This is one of those times.

Temple

Overview of a building on temple grounds.

Temple with worshipper.

Small tower of Buddhas.

Statue with offerings of incense (in threes).

There be dragons! Was carved into a potted planter.

More dragons. People were throwing coins into this. I kind of suck at it.

Incense, worshipper, alter.

Seated golden Buddha.

Close up.

Ancestor Worship

Grave with offering.

Offerings for dead relatives. These are things that are believed to help their lives in hell.

Unexpected cross in a Chinese cemetary.

Hillside of graves.

odds and ends from School of Arts

Roar!! Lion guarding a doorway.

Door god? Door guard? Can't remember.

workshop visit

Today, in a few hours, I have an appointment with the wonderful people at Hong Kong Space Museum to get a behind-the-scenes look of their planetarium.

Yes, I am a total geek.

Hong Kong Park

Koi in a pond. So many colors!

There were turtles everywhere basking on rocks.

You can still see the city from the park. But that's okay.

Observation tower. Very long spiral staircase up to the top. I think the sign said it was 30 meters tall.

A view of buildings on the climb up to the viewing platform on the observation tower.

Circle window in Tai Chi Court.

Triangle window in Tai Chi Court.

Statue, circle window and plants near the exit of the Tai Chi Court.

Birds in the aviary. Many many different species are kept in the park's aviary. This is also a spot where everyone with a SLR camera was snapping away.

This is actually in the Zoological and Botantical Gardens, a short walk away from the park. The inscription reads "In memory of the Chinese who died loyal to the Allied cause in the wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945."

Fountains in the park -- also a spot to find people snapping away. The big mushroom shaped fountain actually has a path where one can walk inside.

Yuexiu Park

Sculpture inside the park. There were many like this in a row.

Dirt path branching off of a paved path, winding into the bamboo and trees.

Skyline of Guangzhou from the Zhenhai Tower.

Lotus flower in a pond in the Korean Gardens.

Five Rams Statue, symbol of Guangzhou.

I believe that Yuexiu Park is the largest in China. It is definitely huge. Lots of stairs and steep inclines so it was a bit tiring getting around from one point to another. Very beautiful, though.

Guangzhou Zoo

Yes, Dinosaur World was really that cheesy. But that's okay.

We all love Engrish. At least they tried. There were many many places in China that didn't even bother with English translations of anything. Definitely an experience of being illiterate.

Yeah, I have no idea either. He was just sitting there, off to the side. A relic from better days, perhaps?

This is what a peacock looks like when it's tired of the exhibit it belongs to and decides to look around.

And this is what a strutting peacock still in the exhibit looks like.

My mom told me to go see pandas. Unfortunately there are no pandas on exhibit in Hong Kong at the moment, so Dragonette suggested that I try in China. I went... and the panda was asleep. Sad.

Guangzhou Zoo is the largest in Southern China. And it is a pretty big zoo with a lot to see, but a bit of a letdown after the zoos I've visited in the States.

Just remember...

It's not everyday that you realize that all of that time that your parents spent training you to use a western style toilet is useless. And that there is such things as a proper and polite way to eat with chopsticks. Oh, and you will probably need a visa to enter mainland China. Because they really will turn you away at the border.

Headed back to Hong Kong soon, with the glories of English signs, western toilets and uncensored Internet access.

Expect pictures.

they didn't make it very far

This is dinner tonight.

This is dinner trying to escape.

They didn't make it very far. And yes, we did cook them before we ate them.

In other news, I'm leaving for mainland China soon.

Wish me luck.