nervously bouncing my leg

last spring break...ever!

2007-03-13T04:15:00.000-05:00

it's official. the final key step to my transistion into the "rat race / working for the man" part of my adulthood, aka reality, is now complete.

spring break - the all-important cure for the winter blues that every student needs will no longer be part of my life. the term "spring break" has been replaced with "two weeks vacation."

this june, i'll no longer be paying $30k/year to sit in a classroom, i'll be paying $30k/year to work my ass off in an actual hospital. hooray!

at least i made my last spring break a memorable one.

mooching off my parent's timeshare access landed me in sunny cabo san lucas, mexico. these days i'm short on time (i'll explain, keep reading), so i'll sum up the trip with some random phrases.

getting snowed in in minneapolis, missing our connecting flight to cabo. spent five hours passing out on benches in the mall of america, when i could have been at my classmates destination wedding / reception (open bar on the beach). of course.
off-peak break = no young people = empty bars = boring, right? wrong. somehow, we made our own fun.
drunken people my parents' age falling off plastic chairs and face-planting in the sand.
creepy, old guys who bought me steak and lobster and margaritas since i was rolling at least 3 girls deep, just to have access to my friends. what can i say, i'm a lucky man.
playa del amor - appropriately named pristine beach for my "romantic getaways" with my lady.
fish tacos. the food (dirty mind).
in reference to my tall, brunnette friend: "senorita, you must be the reason for global warming!"
leaving out large metal pots on the nightstand, just in case any nocturnal puking happened.

this spring break also happened to mark the end of fun and relaxation for the next few months. you see, also this june, i'm actually supposed to take the daunting amount of knowledge i've crammed into my brain these past two years, retain it, and take a comprehensive exam over it. board exams. a slow death to my social life.

i've never studied so intensely or methodically before. and it's only been a week.

sure it's painful. in the end though, if i'm supposed to actually take care of real-life patients, i might as well be competent, right? come on, wouldn't you like to have a doctor that knows his shit, but also likes to take an occasional "nap" at bars after a few too many tequila shots? ...on second thought, don't answer that.

from dolts to colts!

2007-02-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

will sexy rexy take a pounding this sunday?

after years of post-season depression, my beloved indianapolis colts have finally made it to the super bowl! it's been a long journey following this team through their ups and downs.

it's funny how many emails i have gotten from old friends recently. the colts march through the playoffs somehow rung bells in people's minds -"oh yeah, dave's from indy. i wonder what he's up to?"...

from my days in colorado to volunteering in the marshall islands (i made my dad send me recorded dvds of every game), all of my non-indiana residing friends seem to correlate me with the colts. am i really the only colts fan people know?!? i mean, it's a small city, but not that small!

(on a side note, i know the real reason why everyone only has me as their lone indianapolis friend...BECAUSE US HOOSIERS RARELY LEAVE THE STATE!)

now, of course, the opposing team in this year's super bowl is chicago, where i live now. great...

in class, one of our professors asked who was a colts fan. i, a loyal guy, made a high-pitched yelp and raised my hand. i looked around. yup, i was the only one. here we go again.

for those of you who don't know, my next door neighbor a couple years ago was former colts' running back, edgerrin james. you know how pumped i was to be living next door to an all-star athlete? what was weird about the whole thing was that the neighborhood i live in in indianapolis is fairly modest. i do live by the colts practice facility, but it's not some posh place that rich athletes flock to...

of course, i took full advantage of the situation. got things autographed, played basketball with him, got a tour of his house (he had run d.m.c. on video conference one day - i said "wassup" - heh). my mom made him egg rolls for christmas, my aunt baked him cookies (edge referred to her as the "cookie lady"). really nice guy. down to earth. you'd think with his blinged-out "grill" and crazy dreadocks, i'd have some crazy parties to report, but he was pretty chill. i think he saved all his partying for the off-season in miami (where he lives).

so as you all go to your super bowl parties to watch the game, think of me will ya'? i'll be sure to be the only colts fan in the nearby vicinity...

what i really wanted for christmas...

2006-12-29T09:07:00.000-06:00

a perfect gift for your local japanese foreign exchange student!

buy it on amazon.com!

click on the pics to blow them up

family first

2006-12-26T23:55:00.000-06:00

the holiday season has arrived. in the nguyen household, this is a big deal. i mean BIG. you see, my dad is one of ten kids. and most of them live in indiana, which means a lot of people (spouses and my countless number of cousins included) cramming into one home.

it's been a tradition for all of my dad's side of the family to gather on christmas eve, eat an obsurd amount and combination of food (i'm talking egg rolls, holiday ham, pho, and sweet potato pie all on one table), and open presents at the stroke of midnight.

now that i'm older and not as consumed over what toys i'll be getting, i realized that i'm a part of a great, stable family situation. while other families need reunions to remember their relatives' names, i'm hearing the latest gossip about one of my cousins getting caught with a homemade bong that wasn't packed with weed, but with dried mint! i'm observing a talent show of all my little cousins playing instruments, doing magic tricks, or just being plain cute. i'm getting love advice from my uncle at the poker table...

...i'm holding hands in a prayer circle being reminded that our family is blessed.

while i wouldn't call myself the most religious of people, i know how fortunate our family is to be able to celebrate christmas the way we do.

about 30 years ago, during the vietnam war, my family escaped the destruction and horror of the war by fleeing on tiny motor boat just hoping to make it to a surrounding country. the chances of survival are slim to say the least. *check out the wikipedia article on "boat people" for a history lesson*

by luck or by the grace of god, my family made it to a refugee camp in thailand and was sponsored by an american surgeon to come and settle in the state of indiana.

through hard work and determination, everyone in my family has become successful in their own way in america, allowing the next generation (including myself) to never have to endure the pain and suffering they went through.

so while my little cousins eagerly ripped through wrapping paper to discover their new, high-tech toys, i now understood that for my family, christmas is not just about celebrating jesus' birthday, it's about seeing the look on their children's faces and thinking, "we made it."

growing up = growing old?

2006-12-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

last week i celebrated my 25th birthday. it was quite fitting to celebrate my birthday in various ways. now that i'm right in the middle of my twenties, i feel like i'm straddling the fence of sophistication/maturity vs. running wild. here's a run-down of my "birTday" fun:

on the night of my birthday, i had a fancy dinner at the kendall college dining room with some close friends. this is a great hidden spot in chicago where student chefs (some of the best chefs in chicago graduate from here) prepare fou-fou meals and student servers take care of all your needs. i admit, it was nice to just wine and dine and spend hours conversing over good food. = getting old.

the next night, my "amazing" girlfriend (whom i've only known for a couple months) went all out, suprising me with a night out on the town. started with some tasty sushi and saki at kamehachi and ended the night at one of my favorite jazz clubs, the (new) velvet lounge. interestingly, we had the opportunity to meet up w/ some friends for a drunken night downtown, but i chose to keep the night intimate and special. = getting old.

i knew it was coming...the early twenties side of me came a'calling, making sure to remind me that i wasn't old just yet. yes, i had a drunken night with the fellas last night. post-exam, we tail-gated with tall boy cans of miller high life and greasy chinese food. stumbled into the united center for the chicago bulls vs. (my beloved) indiana pacers. post game? yeah, more drinking with various bouts of rowdiness. = still young.

i guess based on these events, i'm leaning toward getting old, but a little "craziness" never hurts!

here are some more pics of my extended birthday celebrations:

happy turkey day!

2006-11-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

i started at a young age...

the "spark"

2006-11-21T02:59:00.000-06:00

people watching has become my new favorite hobby these days studying alone at various coffee shops and restaurants. it's visually much more stimulating than the notes i stare at for hours upon hours...

recently, i noticed this older, married couple eating a quick dinner nearby. the odd thing was they did not utter a word to each other. they silently ate their food and stared off into space.

for some reason, this little scene had me thinking: does my future hold the same boring, rut-filled fate?

while marriage has not crossed my mind yet, i've been bombarded with the concept of marriage lately - the highs, the lows, the joys, the struggles, etc.

the big news in my family is my sister's engagement. my big sis. engaged. what?!? soon, she'll be buying a dog, moving to the burbs, and staying in on saturday nights. for some reason, this scares me.

my sister has always been the structered one, living her life in her comfort zone. in that respect, i'm happy she's settling down and found someone she wants to be with for the rest of her life.

with newlyweds, i can see why people get married. the "spark" between the couple is alive and well. they work together as a unit and give each other a sense of happiness and contentment that no one else can provide.

but what happens to this "spark" years down the road?

last month i learned that a close family friend (a doctor - yikes!) was having an affair with his nurse and is filing for divorce with his long-time wife. these are the kinds of things that scare me about marriage. what triggered this need to abandon his wife? was the "spark" between them gone? did he find a new "spark" with this nurse? was his life so familiar and boring that he felt the need to bust out his rut?

my parents just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. congrats. thirty years is a LONG time. but somehow, through the ups and downs, they've made it work. marriage truly is hard work. and they put in the time. while the "spark" between them has faded, it has been replaced with this deeper sense of love that i have yet to experience and therefore cannot explain.

in many ways, i think our society gives up too easily when it comes to marriage. divorce is rampant and commonplace these days. i think we've been brainwashed in this "me-first" society to think that if we don't feel the "spark" anymore, move on. we don't work hard enough to rekindle the "spark" or make things right. it just seems easier to end things and continue the pursuit of happiness. that's kind of sad.

i hope i take these lessons learned and apply it to my relationships. i seek the "spark" just like anyone else. it's an amazing feeling. but i know now that this "spark" can't be the only factor in a relationship. there are other elements that come into play that keep relationships happy and healthy. with a little hard work, i think you can break out of a routine-filled rut.

but where do you draw the line? how much work is too much work? i guess that's one more thing i have learn...

boo! - yah!

2006-10-31T19:53:00.000-06:00

happy halloween!

that's what friends are for

2006-10-15T01:08:00.000-05:00

a blatent, cheesy stevie wonder reference. sorry.
---------
i've been told that the friends you make in med school will be some of your closest friends in life. i'm now a believer.

the life of a med student is a unique experience to say the least. it truly is hard for outsiders to comprehend what we go through. the balanced life you had before med school literally has to take a back seat to a new life of extremes. these days, i consistently pull all-nighters, pass out at odd hours and locations, booze like crazy when there's one "free" night (to remind myself that i once had a social life), etc. oddly enough, i'm used to this life now. and so our my med school friends.

my sister has commented on how the breakup with my (non-med school) girlfriend last year was blessing in disguise (she hated her anway, heh), allowing me to bond more with my classmates. instead of seeking solace from a girl who couldn't relate to my worries and stresses, i gravitated towards the guys i live with now. it made a huge difference. i'm much happier now.

so here's to the crew at the spice shack...you've seen me at my worst (the histology pratical freak-out comes to mind) and you put up with my frequent sleep-deprived bitterness towards the world, and somehow you still like to hang out with me. thanks.

from left to right: 2.0, p.y, nu-gin, mans, & shanks

nu-gin

2006-09-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

Learn this...man!

the spice shack

2006-09-23T02:46:00.000-05:00

a new school year has begun. back to the grind of furiously studying and nervously bouncing my leg. that's med school for ya.

but some things are different this time around. now a one-year veteran, i know what to expect. i know i can skip class to study on my own and not feel guilty about it. i know there will be long nights in the library. i know there will lots of bullshitting when i'm supposed to be concentrating. i know i'm not the only one who struggles sometimes...

also this year, i've ditched the apartment and moved into an amazing house with 4 of my best friends in school. cleverly dubbed "the spice shack." come on, 3 indians + 1 egyptian + 1 vietanmese guy all living under one roof = lots of spice. the house is huge. everyone has their own space. close to coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, libraries, and parks. couldn't ask for a better location.

sure rent is a lot cheaper, but the best part about the house is living with a group of guys again. call me a male chauvinist, but it sure beats my experiences the past two years...

when i lived in the marshall islands, i essentially lived in a " teacher dorm" with 6 girls and 1 other guy. you think that'd be a dream come true (that's some damn good odds), but gawd, was that a trip. i already know girls are impossible to understand, but living with a group of them is a completely different story. the complaining, the crying, the cuddling. a marshallese "wow" to that. the overdose of estrogen was unbearable at times.

this past year i lived in a single apartment. yeah it was nice to have some privacy when i had the (now ex-) girlfriend over, but other than that, the sunken feeling of coming home from a hard night of studying (alone) to an empty place sucked. the only person around was the crazy, old lady across the hall who had the knack of catching me in the parking lot and talking my ear off. and then there was the obnoxious little girl above me who would stomp around her mom's apartment into the wee hours when i thought kids were supposed to be in bed.

it's nice to have that ol' frat house feeling back of "no girls allowed" (well, not always. heh).

with guys, everything is chill. we'll clean up when it gets gross. we'll replace frozen pizzas we steal from each other when we get the drunken munchies. we'll settle disputes over some beers. we'll call each other out for telling a bad joke or story...no bickering. no pettiness. no grudges. it works.

we apparently have already been deemed the party house for the year. here we go...

wha' happen'?

2006-09-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

this pretty much sums up our little housewarming party. a little too many mojitos and tequila shots. fill me in on what happend, because i sure don't remember. yikes. sorry.

on a different note, my sister and i saw ben harper in concert last week. front row. boo-yah. if you haven't seen him live, you are missing out on one of the best performers in the business. his raw emotion was inspiring. he left every ounce of energy on stage. from his guitar-slinging riffs to his solo acoustic encore, he moved the crowd in every way. a memorable 2.5 hour set to say the least.

this past weekend was chicago jazz fest. checked out joshua redman play a fantastic tribute to john coltrane at the chicago symphony center. if i could only play the sax half as good as him...

for all you fools that missed critical mass last month, we're doing it at the end of september. literally hundreds of bicyclists took over downtown chicago at rush hour. hilarious seeing bewildered motorists trying to make sense of it all. the highlight - taking over michigan avenue and cruising the magnificent mile at sunset.

randomness

2006-08-20T04:10:00.000-05:00

couple things...

if you come and visit me in chicago, i will show you a good time. my old high school friend, bryce, is here visiting for a couple days. so what do i do? i scour craigslist in search of last-minute tickets to see dave chappelle do his stand-up act at rosemont theatre tonight. done and done. i've never laughed so long and so hard in my life. dave brought the good shit.
for all of you colorado dwellers, my uncle just opened a vegetarian asian restaurant in aurora, co. very eclectic, trendy, and healthy. help a brotha man out and go eat there! drop my name, and i'm sure he'll hook you up. i'm his favorite nephew afterall! here's the link to windows cafe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
attention all chicago bicyclists: on friday, august 25 around 5:30 pm, let's meet at the daley plaza (washington and dearborn) for crtical mass. what is critical mass? in short, it's a worldwide bicycle movement. on the last friday of each month, bicyclists take over the streets of downtown chicago. next friday, the chicago critical mass will commemorate the first anniverserary of hurricane katrina. along with riders around the country, chicagoans will roll the streets to remind everyone that the tragedy in the gulf continues. this initiative is being organized by rising tide north america. they're asking massers to decorate their bikes or pass out flyers calling attention to environmental justice for the katrina climate refugees. i did one of these rides in denver years ago, and it was a blast. get ready to go thrift store shopping and by some crazy nawlin' threads. you know i will. email/comment me for more information.

music mania - part 3

2006-08-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

lollapalooza. the mother of all chicago music festivals. two days of music bliss. my buddy from college, carl, came out to chicago for the week. he's a big music fan as well (we were in a college rock band together). what better way to show him downtown and its great music scene than to go to the fest. also got to meet up with an old high school friend, sara, at the shows. we got our groove on.

a sample of some of the bands we caught: gnarls barkley, common, kanye west, ben kweller, go! team, hot chip, wilco, and red hot chili peppers. amazing lineup. amazing crowds.

drunk carl, sara, and i gettin' down to kanye.

music mania - part 2

2006-08-14T01:47:00.000-05:00

pitchfork music festival. an indie rocker's paradise. if you haven't checked out pitchfork on the the internet yet, you're missing out on some damn good music reviews. this site has such a massive following, a good review of your album can launch your career. it also means that this festival was sold-out.

this is where julie, my music partner-in-crime came to the rescue. she scored two VIP passes courtesy of her sister's boyfriend who works for emusic.com (another great site to score great indie rock/blues/jazz tunes). we had backstage watching/listening access. mingled with (male) rockers that all sported the tight, tight jeans look (i think i heard my balls whisper thank you to me). chowed on free food. drank free beer. left the VIP area every once in a while to hang out with the "commoners." ahh, it feels good to be important. or pretend at least.

i must say, we had the most fun at the side stage tent with the lesser-known bands and djs. we were digging cansei de ser sexy (css), a crazy brazilian band that had a lead singer wearing a rainbow/leopard skin leotard and glen kotche (the drummer from wilco) doing a jaw-dropping solo percussion set. we shook our booties to djs a-track and diplo. we liked diplo so much that we went to smart bar for his afterset and danced the rest of the night away. let me tell you, that girl can dance. she wore me out. nice work, jules.

the highlight of the festival had to be the icecream man. this guy is amazing. he's trying to roll in his icecream truck around the country giving away free ice cream bars. so for the VIPers, we had free, all-day access to this guy. the fat kid in me ate a lot of ice cream that weekend. i hung out there so much that i'm even on his website! *click on the link and click on page 2 of the pics*

truckin' to the grand finale, lollapalooza.

music mania - part 1

2006-08-13T01:01:00.000-05:00

i left my ipod and all its glory at home for safe keeping during my travels. if you know about my love of music, you know there were some tears shed when i said goodbye it. that also means i was craving music as much as a fat kid craves cake (hey. i can say this, because i once was that fat kid!) when i got back to the states.

i confess. i went on a live-music binge. you see, i’m keeping my word about making this one of my best summers ever.

first stop, wicker park fest. my old stomping grounds. it was nice to be back and feel the vibe of this "i'll never wear j.crew but i'll blow all my money at second-hand boutique shops to look shabby-chic" area of chicago. rob walters, a great keyboardist/organist, and karl denson, one of my favorite modern saxophonists, played a free show busting out some funky grooves. it felt good. real good.

then a quick trip to indianapolis. i spent most of my short time there at home, getting fed. well fed. but i did take some time to go see my buddy will and go to “the roots” concert that was conveniently happening when i was in town. Of course, being indiana, the legendary roots crew were playing at 8 seconds saloon (click the link. you’ll be just as shocked as i was). yep, a country western bar. what?!? anyway, the roots put on an amazing show, while i was jamming on the country line dancing dance floor. that’s indiana for you.

i’m pretty picky with live hip-hop/rap. usually i leave shows disappointed, because most of the time, rappers just bring on a dj and play their songs exactly like their cd. with the roots though, they’re the complete opposite. they’re an actual band, with the lead “singer” being the rapper. they rocked the house, improvising, soloing, covering random songs, and providing massive energy. dope.

next stop, indie rock.

istanbul, not constantinople

2006-07-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

finally getting around to posting about the last leg of our trip - istanbul. what an amazing city. "where east meets west" is istanbul's slogan, and it's very true. even geographically, the bosphorous river splits the city between two continents: an asian side and a european side. a little mix of ancient history with chic cosmopolitan. historical castles next to towering skyscrapers. muslims in traditional headdresses mingling with girls in miniskirts. loved it. the miniskirts...no, i mean the whole vibe of the city.

what made the istanbul experience that much better was that siva's friend from undergrad, sina, hosted us for the three days we were there. sina has spent most of his life in istanbul, and he took us far beyond the tourist hotspots...

sure, we spent an afternoon checking out the magnificient architecture of the blue mosque and hagia sofia museum, and the bustling grand bazaar (we bought a hookah) and spice market, but for the rest of the time we lived like locals. albeit young, hipster locals.

straight up, sina is a baller. we got a taste of his life for a few days. we stayed at his high rise apartment overlooking the river, we dined at trendy restaurants, walked/stumbled though istiklal caddesi, a street dedicated to shops, restaurant, bars, and clubs that thousands of istanbulites flood every night, hung out with his beautiful friends, the works.

the highlight was dropping ridiculous amounts of loot at this megaclub called sorti. we had a four-course meal at one of sorti's four posh restraunts, supper club (check out the website photos and you'll understand). the restraunts then close late-night to make this amazing open-air club right on the river. yachts even pull up to get into the club. we mingled with pro soccer players and turkish movie stars. ridiculous. it was such a good night that we partied all the way up to our 5am red-eye flight back to chicago. it's fun to throw money (that i really don't have) around somtimes.

maybe when i'm thirty-something and finally making money, i'll be able to live like sina. until then, i'm back to making kraft macaroni and cheese. bummer. i should have gone into business...

our experience would have been completely different without sina. we would have gotten lost in the eighth largest city in the world, and most likely gotten suckered into all the tourist traps. we lived like true istanbulites, except for the fact that we ran out of money and couldn't afford the russian prostitutes that is apparently a popular nightcap in istanbul...ha!

even old new york, was once new amsterdam

the american dream? dream on?

2006-07-27T20:25:00.000-05:00

i'm (free!) reading this great little book nickel and dimed - on (not) getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich (thanks, melissa. i know you told me to read this years ago). anyway, this lady decided to do some investigative journalism in its purist form - she quit her job as an essayist and became part of the "unskilled" working class that millions of americans are a part of. she wanted to find out if she could work a low paying job, such as waitressing or housekeeping, find a cheap place to live and make ends meet. obviously, if you've ever worked a shit job in high school or college (i worked plenty, including time as an oil sample tester - long story), you know that it would be nearly impossible.

what i find interesting about this book is that ehrenreich challenges the myth of the american dream. some of the co-workers she meets have this blinding optimism that if they work hard enough, they'll make it big. in reality, she believes, most, if not all, will never break through.

until now, i've subscribed to the idea of the american dream. my parents and extended family are living examples: refugees from Vietnam, working jobs, getting through school, and eventually becoming successful.

but with a massive flood of immigrants in recent years, the support they recieve when starting off isn't as good as thirty years ago. it's true that my family had american sponsors who helped them get settled.

i guess what i'm trying to get at is, this book reminded me of an iranian family siva and i met on a bus from cappadocia to istanbul. a group of 10-15 of them had been traveling by bus all the way from iran though turkey to reach istanbul and fly to the united states. suprisingly (or not), some of the family members approached us at a rest stop and asked if we were americans. we said yes. then the questions came pouring out: what is california like? what is oregon like? jobs good in los angeles? jobs good in portland?

from how they were dressed and the sheer number of them flying to the u.s., i assumed that this was a prominent family in iran, or at least part of the educated class there. aside from asylum or the fear of war, the american dream still drives families like this from around the world to come to the states. but what will they do when they get there? their english is sparse. their nationality will probably create some tension. the only jobs they'll get will be the jobs ehrenreich got. in no way, will they have the same affluent life as they did back in iran. is it really worth it to come here?

for my journalism minor in college, i did similar research about the current situation of new immigrants. i even helped sudanese refugees get settled in colorado springs. and my only positive take on the american dream is that it still exists, but in a different form now...

the modern american dream exists mostly for the next generation.

it is the immigrant parents who work 2 or 3 low income, "unskilled" jobs, that still make time to push their children to excel in school, who have the best chance of seeing the rewards of the new american dream. the parents may never have an easy life, but their kids have a shot.

no doubt. my life has been much easier compared to my parents' humble beginnings in america. shit, i just traveled around europe for a month, something my parents would never have considered when they were my age...they were too busy trying to get by.

so here's to the iranian family. best of luck. i hope they achieve some variation of the american dream.

schoolgirl crush

2006-07-23T23:56:00.000-05:00

the saying "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is completely true. for me at least...
sundays slow way down in turkey for some reason, even though the islamic holy day is friday. so sundays means slow bus service. this left siva and i in a jam. we wanted to explore more of the cities in cappadocia, but there were few buses and money was getting tight. in the end, over much debate, we rented a moped. one moped.

if siva and i hadn't bonded over the past 3 weeks, then sharing a moped did.

we clumsily cruised around and took in the sights. i was feeling a little "brokeback" as manu would call it.

towards sunset, we stopped at a "park" entrance to look around. while siva went off to take more pictures, i stood around in a daze. randomly, three turkish girls walked up to me. one of the girls, funda, approached me with two big pieces of cake. in broken english, she offered me cake. i gladly accepted. we conversed as best we could. she really wanted to get to know me. a few awkward, language-barrier pauses later, she invited me (and siva) over to her family's picnic. i was flattered. i liked her initiative.

we drank lots of tea as i observed the family dynamics, particularly the dad who seemed a little suspicious of us. i don't blame him. randomly (again), funda blurts out "you should come and stay at my home tonight." *snap!* any "brokeback" feelings had now subsided.

that would be one helluva "homestay."

unfortunately, her mom understood her enough to say the turkish word for hotel. i picked up on the body language. it was not going to happen. diyassed. by the mom.

we politely exchanged info and parted ways. i hopped back on the moped with siva, feeling "brokeback" once again.

istanblur

2006-07-21T20:58:00.000-05:00

ended the tour of turkey with a bang. a three-day bender in istanbul.

just got back into chicago. i'm exhausted. i need a vacation from my vacation.

more stories to come...once i remember what i did exactly.

by land, by sea, by (hot) air

2006-07-18T07:34:00.000-05:00

i splurged. again.

my credit card company is in love with me right now.

siva and i decided that we couldn't pass up a chance to view the strange valleys of cappadocia (see previous post) by hot air balloon. no matter the debt that keeps piling up.

i've always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon, but never really had the opportunity. and this was the perfect scenery to lose my ballooning virginity.

before sunrise, we got our asses out of bed and soon floated around the area for an hour. the only way to describe the ride is with a marshallese "wwoooooww!" an amazing experience. such a different visual perspective.

plus, the balloon company gave me an official certificate, stating that i completed my flight. i think i'll frame it. heh.

in the land of a thousand (rock) penises

2006-07-18T07:32:00.000-05:00

or is it penii?!?

the region of cappadocia is one of the strangest, most fascinating landscapes on earth. no joke.

located in central turkey, centuries of volcanic activity, plus wind and water erosion sculpted the land into a scenery that looks like it should be in super mario world. there are literally thousands of these towering phallic symbols that sprout from the ground. the picture up top doesn't do this place justice.

for centuries, people hand-carved out rock churches, monastaries, and homes in these rock formations. some of the townspeople still live in "caves" today. of course, we bought into the hype and slept in a cave dorm. we hiked through the various valleys, mountain biked through the terrain, toured underground cities and rock churches, and rode camels (another tourist splurge).

goreme, the town in cappadocia we set up shop in, is my favorite spot in turkey so far (only istanbul is left). it has a great mix of small town, rural turkey in the outskirts with a bustling, modern main centre. although tourism is huge here, it still somehow maintains its genuine turkish charm.

the scenery doesn't hurt either.

camel jockeys

put us in a nissan xterra commercial!

2006-07-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

the outdoor, adventurous side of me has been unleashed. after the sail boat dropped us off in the modern, fishing village of kaş, we sea kayaked the mediterranean, paddling over kekova, "the sunken city." since it is prohibited to swim in these ancient ruins, the best way to get up close and personal is by kayaking. the waves were a little choppy, but we saw how two massive earthquakes destroyed and plunged the city underwater.

hopped on a bus to olympos, but spontaneously decided we were done with the backpackers scene (olympos is a haven for them/us) for a while, and hiked along the beach to the sleepy beachtown, çirali. got a "treehouse" - more like a shack on stilts - on the beach. but before we let ourselves pass out, we trekked a couple kilometers at nightfall to chimaera, the eternal flames. a strange, jaw dropping phenomenom.

called in turkish yanartas (flaming rock), chimaera consists of some two dozen permanent gas vents in the ground, grouped in two patches in the lycian mountains. for centuries, these vents have been spitting out fire 24/7. a bunch of myths were made from these flames, of course, and it has baffled geologist somewhat. the trail sign claimed it was the inspiration for the olympic torch/flame that burns during the olympic games, but i don't buy it.

anyway, it was a sight to see. using my trusty, little headlamp to guide the way, we headed toward the bright flames randomly glowing on the side of the mountain. the place reeked of methane. i was curious to see what would happen if i farted near the flame, but i was afraid i'd set my ass on fire...so i held it in.

off to a region called cappadocia that is supposed to have even more amazing outdoor excursions.

is this burning, an eternal flame?

the pros and cons of backpacking

2006-07-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

backpacking this extensively has been an experience in itself. most of my previous abroad experiences have been settling in one place. i can't decide which i like better...

on one hand, this constant traveling is exciting. always in new places, seeing and experiencing new things in rapid succession. i mean to see three countries in about a month is ridiculous!

being part of the backpacker scene also means meeting a lot of other backpackers from around the world. for the most part, we've met some great people and have made friends along the way. sharing traveling stories, learning about other cultures, new drinking/dancing buddies. my favorite conversation is trying to explain what a fraternity is and how it's not like the "revenge of the nerds" and in the end agreeing that it's kind of a weird (borderline stupid) concept.

of course, there are always a few bad apples. particularly the pretentious backpacker who has travelled everywhere and makes it quite clear to everyone, rattling off countries in every topic of conversation (ie "when i was in ______ i wiped my ass this way - i kid, i kid). it just irks me when they talk shit about other travelers who party or don't do things their way. hey, if someone wants to spend their money to party in turkey, then so be it. as long as they're enjoying themselves. sure, they miss out on some great sites and experiences, but that's their prerogative. i'm just glad they travelled in the first place.

*start sympathetic side note* - i hope i don't come off like one of these people in my blog. sure, i've traveled a lot, but that's just my thing. it makes me happy. if you want to prioritize eating corndogs, more power to you. i want this to be a way for you to come along for the ride, while i pile up the debt! *end sympathetic side note*

on the other hand, what backpacking lacks is sense of community. when you travel so fast, you forget to slow down and take it all in.

some of the most memerable times in turkey has been not what i've seen. it's been:

sitting outside in small town turkey with siva drinking beers, playing chess, and smoking apple tobacco out of a sheesha (hookah) while old men walk by and try to give us tips in turkish.
abruptly waking up at 4 am to the islamic "call to prayer" that is blasted across every city, every morning.
briefly talking to a turkish tv news reporter on "holiday" about his experiences in eastern turkey and how slanted the u.s. media is.
drinking raki (turkish black licorice hard alcohol) with aytu, a young turkish student, about his mandatory service in the turkish military.
hanging out with the cabin boy of our sailing trip, both ogling at one of the hot, MARRIED australian passengers, and realizing that hormones are hormones no matter the nationality and language difference (and also learning later that "finike" is a port town in turkey, not the turkish word for "sex." whoops.).

those times are too far and few between for my liking. that's where the advantage of living in a community comes in. you get to rid yourself of the tourist stigma...plus the fact, you learn more of the language. i feel like such a jackass knowing only how to say "hello" and "thank you" in each country. it's pitiful.

so what does this all mean? not sure. but it may mean i'll come back to turkey some day and stay put...for more than a couple days at least. you can't just scratch the surface with this intriguing blend of islamic culture shaken and stirred with a modern and westernized twist.

shooting the shit at a hookah lounge with joe, a british backpacker, in kaş.

turkish delight

2006-07-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

there's something about the water that invigorates me. from booze cruising around the world on semester at sea to riding on a homemade outrigger canoe in the middle of the pacific ocean in search of coconut crabs, water and i have always seemed to click.

it's no different here in turkey. after ephesus, we headed to the sea town of fethiye. spent the night at a great hostel where the owner made us one of her famous turkish "sexy dinners." we partied with a couple of their young turkish workers, drinking and dancing to turkish pop. the next morning, we got on a turkish gület, a wooden sailing ship. along with some other travelers, we sailed along the turkish mediterranean coast line and stopped at some beautiful spots along the way for two days and one night. the turquoise waters, the crashing waves, the endless blue horizon...it doesn't get anybetter.

but it can.

it so happened that it was a full moon the one night on the ship. siva and i slept on the deck of the boat under the full moon and stars. it was so romantic, i almost spooned with him...just kidding. no, really. kidding.

we're back on land and planning some more outdoor adventures in turkey. we are going non-stop here!

at butterfly valley, a little cove where thousands of monarch butterflies gather (in august - got here a little too early) to mate.

pondering my love of street food

2006-07-12T17:49:00.000-05:00

i love street food. all around the world, i crave vendors on the side of the road selling random cuisines. my salivary glands tingled with delight every time i bought a currywurst in germany, a pork gyro pita in greece, and meat kababs and döners in turkey. don't know why though...is it because i feel more part of the community eating what the locals eat? is it because it's so cheap? or is it because i'm a gambling man and love the suspense of whether the food will come out solid at the other end? ha!

but i've always wondered, what is the equivalent of street food in the u.s.? is it the shriveled up hot dog you see at your local 7/11? if that's the case, maybe i should reconsider my love for street food. maybe all the locals snicker when i eagerly eat it up. they're probably thinking "that dumbass is eating shit i'd never touch in a million years!"

your thoughts?

living like kings

2006-07-12T06:08:00.000-05:00

after draining my bank account (more like loan money) with the euro, the turkish lira was heaven sent. finally, a currency that was weaker than the stuggling dollar! boo yah!

from here on out, this is going to be a whirlwind tour of turkey, traveling almost the entire western coast and then some. usually only staying a day or two in each city. putting our backpacks and sandals to use, for sure.

so with what seems like more money, we can eat a little less street food, drink a little more beer, and splurge on random "needs".

for example, today i was just walking down the street, saw a local barber shop, and thought to myself "i haven't shaved in a while" (yeah, i'm a freak asian that actually grows more facıal hair than just a dirty stash)...so with some extra lira in my pocket, i went in and got a professional shave. seems quite excessive, but man it felt good. old school-style. brush-on shaving cream, single blade, aftershave lotion, the works. for a couple u.s. dollars! it's good to be kıng.

speaking of royalty, our first stop in turkey was ephesus, the best preserved ancient city in the mediteranean. one of the seven wonders of the ancıent world. above is a pick of the library. cool columns, statues, ampitheaters, and such. kind of strange to be able to walk around in the ruins like that. should be in a museum or something.

not being much of a history buff, and reading all the background about this place made me realize that i know nothing about the greek/roman/ottoman empires. but since i'm kind of shallow, all i could think about was how sweet it would be to throw a toga party there...heh.

being a frat boy doesn't mean i'm greek

2006-07-10T12:46:00.000-05:00

*updated/edited* - mykonos island, greece was definitely the "holiday" portion of our trip. for those of you not down with the snotty euro lingo, "holiday" means "vacation" to us plain ammerricans. and what does one do on "holiday" on mykonos? you party. period. besides the beautiful, white architecture and decent beaches, the rest of the island is filled with posh bars, clubs, more clubs, and fast-food drunken munchies stands.

greece can best be described by the characters we met....

mike - first night. just got ınto town. siva and i went to a bar to watch one of the world cup games. siva decided to go find cigars for us, leaving me alone at the bar table. a couple minutes later, a white guy comes up to me and asks if he can sit down. i say it's taken. relieved i spoke english, he introduced himself. because mykonos is also known to be a gay party island, i was sizing mike up in my head. was he gay? was he hitting on me? shhaatt! it didn't take long to realize that he was straight...

when siva came back, one of the first things that came out of his mouth was "so you guys like pussy, right?" a self-proclaimed "fucking dirty sailor," mike, a private in the navy, proceeded to tell us stories of the prostitutes that he was slept with all over the world. he was on military leave for a week on the island by himself. kind of strange, but he knew all the hot spots. we cruised for chicks. drank a lot. mike made a fool of himself most of the time. my brutal italian game spitting did not work. we lost mike as he tried to hit on these 40-something year old swedish women. ate late night gyros and passed out.

liam and samantha - great older, solo backpackers we met at our hostel. we ate a great dinner, wıth the famous, local pelican waddling past our table. discussed how insane ıt is for americans to only get two weeks of vacation time. liam from england gets 4 weeks. samantha from australia is traveling around the world until september. america does suck in that aspect. live to work instead of work to live. quite sad, actually. we drank at some bars by the coast, then strapped on our dancing shoes/sandals (great beach parties as well!). i love seeing white people dance.

sara and chantelle - met these canadıan sisters (!) on the ferry to the island of samos (our drop-off island to turkey) after our stay ın mykonos was complete. we hung out with them for the rest of the time on samos. we drank ouzo, the greek black-licorice hard alcohol of choice and swapped traveling stories until we parted ways in turkey the next day -- they headed north to istanbul, we headed south. what does "hung out" mean for you siva euro-booty watchers? i'll let you decide...heh.

of course, siva has the all pictures. i rarely pull out my huge camera. so you only get a nice, scenic shot of a church. sorry.

thanks to PY and someone else who decided to remain anonymous for the comments. everyone else, let me know you're alive! stories of turkey coming soon. peace.

typınğ şuçkş h€r€

2006-07-09T09:44:00.000-05:00

safely made it to turkey this morning. now, i just have to figure out this turkish keyboard...i feel like one of my marshallese students hunting and pecking wıth my index fingers.

danke, deutschland

2006-07-05T03:42:00.000-05:00

one country down, two more to go. i'm actually wasting an hour sitting in an internet cafe in the picturesque island of mykonos, greece typing this, so i hope some of you are actually reading this!

germany was a good warmup for the rest of our backpacking experience. at least for siva, it gave him a chance to see a part of europe that has a more familiar feel to it. now on to more exotic locales...here are the highlights besides all the world cup festivities:

reeperbahn, hamburg - also known as the "genital-zone." the famous red-light district. sex shops and strip clubs to your left, posh clubs and restaurants to your right. a crazy blend of visual stimulation. AND oh yes, the prostitutes. it's very legal here. let's just say there is an actual pecking order amongst the hookers...the all-stars strut their stuff in the most exclusive and expensive street called Herbertstrasse, where plate-glass windows allow the women to display their "charms" to window shoppers. this street is only open to men over the age of 18. the sausage fest was truly a sight. since siva, matt, and i are such gentleman, we tried to be generous with our euros and buy a girl for this old man on crutches who seemed to need some more than us...but the girls waved their fingers at us and told us they still have STANDARDS! ha! unbelieveble. the bench warmers work outside that street. apparently, a girl wearing a fanny pack meant they were working. hot. the line of the night from one these girls to me: "you want to have sex with me? --no. --why not?!?" i must still have standards. heh.

a downright crazy night. staying up til 5AM, stumbling over to the "fischmarkt" the famous fishmarket that opens every sunday morning by the harbor. very seattle, fish-tossing, like. a memorable night/morning to say the least. what about siva's euro-booty watch you ask? let's just say, we haven't stooped to paying for euro-booty. yet. heh.

bremen - a storybook quality town near hamburg. siva and i daytripped it and hopped on a train and took in the sights. old-school buildings, mixed with new, modern structures.

berlin - we borrowed matt's landlord's old bmw convertible and road-tripped it on the autobahn to berlin. autobahn in a convertible. my hair was out-of-control. we flew down the autobahn. caught some sights: the berlin wall (see pic below), the jewish memorial. and one more "fan fest" watching germany lose to italy. thousands more gathered in berlin watch this game. literally a sea of red, yellow, and black. now that everyone in germany is depressed, the decision is clear. go italy - "forza azzurri!"

now, we are chilling in mykonos, greece. i'll hopefully be able to post pics soon. beautiful white-washed buildings, beaches, and crazy nightlife. we've already got stories...more to come...

deutschland mannschaft

2006-07-02T09:08:00.000-05:00

to translate:

deutschland = germany
mannschaft = team (you guys have dirty minds)

while germany has never been on the top of my list for travel destinations, attending a world cup has. i have not been disappointed. football hysteria is at full force here. although we couldn't afford tickets to the actual game in hamburg, there was a "fan fest" area set up for the rest of us. amazing. literally throngs of people of all cultures gathered at hamburg's largest world cup party. 50,000 people in 80,000 square-meter area (hey i'm in europe now, gotta use the metric sytstem). every country that participated in the world cup each had a food/drink stand giving it a very diverse atmosphere. what was at the american tent you ask? spare ribs, hamburgers, and ben and jerry's. ha! bunch of fat-asses.

what made this more exciting is the fact that germany is still in the world cup. of course, there are a handful of argentinians and british fans hanging around (american fans are m.i.a.--suprised? no.), but you'll mostly see a sea of red, yellow, and black. so siva, matt (siva's friend who is working out here), and i donned our deutschland faux-hawks and joined the party. swilling german beers, eating currywursts (brats withh curry ketchup), and singing chants. the intensity and excitement of the german vs. argentina match we watched came to a climax when germany won the sudden-death, penalty kick overtime. the crowd erupted.

soccer/football brings the world together like nothing i've ever seen. personally, i believe two things can be considered international languages: music and sports. while i've been to international jazz fests and rock concerts where any nationality can appreciate a growling saxophone or air-ripping guitar, there's something about football that everyone can relate to...except us americans. i can't figure it out. is soccer too boring/methodical? not enough stimulation for our ADD society? too much technique and finesse for our brute force mentality?

the oft-mocked slogan of this world cup is "a time to make friends," but it carries an essential truth. we've bonded, we've cheered, we've jokingly talked shit...at least to anyone who can speak a little english.

on tuesday, we're celebrating america's birthday by hopping on a train to berlin and watching germany take on italy at another "fan fest." it's going to be crazy.

my problem is who do i root for? during the last world cup in 2002 (see previous post), i was living in italy for the summer trying to learn italian through my college. this is where my world cup fever first started. i still have an affinity toward italian culture: the food, the wine, the women, the midday nap,

really, you can only scarf so much bockwurst, bratwurst and various other wursts on the run before you realize there's a reason you don't ever go to german restaurants back home.

but do i really want to get my ass-kicked wearing my italia jersey in the middle of berlin? we'll see.

sono americano

2006-07-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

world cup 2002 remembered:

italy vs. south korea. quarterfinals. everyone leaves work/school to watch the match. i'm at a bar in orvieto, italy with some of my classmates. the game goes into overtime. everyone is nervous. italy scores three times, but each one gets called back for offsides (that year, world cup was in korea and japan...rigged? maybe). everyone is pissed. somehow, the south koreans finally score a goal and the game is over. everyone is furious. AT ME. I scream, "sono americano, sono americano!"

even italians think we all look the same. heh.

nu-gin and carlton go to europe!

2006-06-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

the journey begins. will this be a true-life sequel of "harold and kumar go to white castle?"...

instead of white castle, our intoxicated state will probably lead us on a hunt for weiner schnitzel, gyros, or kabobs. almost as good as a crave case (p.y.)!

i'm anxious to see how this trip will unfold. i haven't backpacked this extensively, hitting three countries (germany, greece, and turkey) in a little over three weeks. siva (my med school buddy) hasn't backpacked ever. neither of us know any of the native languages. i guess the uncertainties make it that much more exciting.

many questions remain:

-will this trip just be a full out party, an actual cultural experience, or both?
-what crazy characters will we encounter?
-how many street food vendors can we endure until one of us has to bolt to the nearest stall?

but the biggest question still remains:

-will siva get euro-booty?!?

by the end of this trip, the carlton you know and love will never be the same again!

thankfully, siva will be without his cell phone and texting capabilities. when i post a story, you will know that we are truly having a good time, not the "if siva is really having such a good time, how does he have time to text everyone that he is having such a good time?" thought that runs through my mind every time i get a text from him at 2am.

so check back every so often for a good laugh...

i (heart) craigslist

2006-06-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

how craigslist has influenced my entire summer (in one longwinded, run-on sentence):

while i wait for my mountain bike to get fixed up by Mike who posted about tune-ups for $30, i buy shot glasses at his advertised yard sale for the new house my friends and i are renting from Leann the realtor whom we befriended searching through "for rent" posts, using the money i earned working my job as a foreign exchange student greeter and airport shuttler that i applied for from a job posting; but i better hurry back home, because Sumit, my new roomate/subletter, who responded to my post about living in my apartment while i'm away in europe, is moving in sooner than expected (i wonder if i should invite him to this music festival that Bloc Party is headlining...there are a lot of cheap ticket postings...or maybe i should reply to that "i love asian guys" post in the personals section-ha!?).

the end.

pink/orange dilemma

2006-06-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

there is a new "el" commuter train route called the pink line in downtown chicago that started this week. and man, this could be problematic.

today, i was late for work because of this new pink line. if you don't know how the "el" system works, i was trying to hop on the orange line that connects with the blue line that takes me to o'hare airport (where i'm working this summer). at the train stop i was at, the orange, pink, green and brown lines run throughout the day.

already running late, i waited impaitiently for an orange train to come. first came a green, then a brown...and then a lighter, brighter color appeared in the distance...it had to be an "orange"! i hopped on immediately. then i hear the automatic intercom system say "this is a pink line train to 54th and cermak" SHHHAAAAT!

this train was taking me due west out of the loop, when I was supposed to go north and east on the loop. to say the least, it took a couple more transfers to finally get to the airport that morning.

funny thing is, this wasn't my first battle with the colors pink and orange. my first "B" in school was caused by these two colors. i remember it well.

first grade. eastbrook elementary. mrs. plankenhorn. she handed out a blank picture of a teddy bear. our goal was to listen to her directions and color in the bear according to what she said.

-"color the bear's body brown." i dutifully color him brown.
-"color the bear's bow tie blue." check. blue.
-"color the bear's nose pink."

OH NO! i don't have pink. i only have the basic box of 8 crayons. i didn't have it, so i used orange instead to color in the nose. i was distraught. i didn't know what to do.

i remember getting back my picture the next day with a big, red "x" on the nose. i came home crying to my mom. it wasn't fair. i knew she said pink. i knew she said pink. but i didn't have pink, mom! my mom laughed.

from then on, i got the kick ass box of 64 crayons with the built-sharpener and 4 different shades of pink. boo-yah.

i swear i'm a legit writer

2006-06-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

before i forget, i know i told some of you that i was a journalism minor in college and that while interning at the pittsburgh post-gazette, i wrote this opinion piece on my experiences of traveling to Vietnam (my parents' homeland) and being a first-generation American. a little more serious than what you'll find here. really cool to see my name in actual print and getting paid for it though. so yeah, i really can write. at least that's what my diploma says. as always, comment away.

"all american, after all"

(siva and i are happy that i'm having a good hair day)

shaaat!

2006-06-03T03:45:00.000-05:00

first year of med school. done. to be honest, i'm not really sure how much i've learned.

here's what i know so far:
- diabetes. apparently everyone has it.
- "flung to the breeze." 1874.
- all. physicians. take. money.
- frotterism.

i 've filled my brain with rote memorization and have very little knowledge to show for it. surge and purge. surge and purge. am i worried? a little. will i do anything about it this summer? probably not. will the boards kick my ass? definitely.

i am burnt out. not just from the academic side of med school, but from the toll it took on my life in general. or lack of it.

i can't believe it's been one year since i've come back from teaching in the marshall islands. my life, my world flipped dramatically. i remember how slowly days went by in the middle of the pacific ocean. besides teaching lice-infected, raging pink-eyed kids, i would alternate my time laying on the beach, snorkeling/spearfishing, and throwing rocks at coconut trees in hopes of scoring a nice, juicy coconut to quench my thirst. you know, the important stuff.

recently, i didn't alternate anything at all...i studied (ie crammed). period. most of the time, alone. my thrill of the day would be checking my email eight times a day, thinking about where i'd eat for dinner, and getting five hours of sleep. unbelieveably depressing and lonely.

i don't regret going to med school though. when i finally piece everything together, it will be amazing to have the knowledge and power to heal someone. cheesy, but true.

in my last summer vacation ever, i'm taking back the lust for life that med school slowly drained away from me. i'm exploring parts of the world that i haven't reached yet. i'm eating at every tamale and gyro stand in chicago. i'm connecting with the great people in my class that i somehow blew off during the year. i'm playing music. i'm free reading. i'm spending an entire afternoon in bed. making out. amen, brotha. amen. it's going to be a good summer.

jumping on the bandwagon...

2006-06-03T02:37:00.000-05:00

oh man, i'm blogging...wha' happened?

while i've straight diyasssed blogging in the past, i've realized that it is a good way to collect my thoughts. and i've had a lot of thoughts this past year...