Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Travel Dragon's LiveJournal:

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Saturday, July 19th, 2008
7:12 pm	Incomplete thoughts from my notes Today was a day of life. People fed the fish off the dock, and Humuhumunukunukuapua'a showed up. The children called him Humuhumu and laughed. Little black pufferfish and parrotfish and crabs came too. Three eels, two brown, yellow and green moved like poems slipping and sliding against each other under the waves quietly. There were birds today too. Little beads of life, jewels of red, gems of yellow. Finches and jays. Current Music: Canta Per Me - Eminence Orchestra (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
10:13 pm	Shake, Sonora The last two days have been interesting. I forgot to take my seizure medicine because I was so tired the other day. I got really shaky midday as a result, but managed to avoid seizures as far as I know. Today however things were not so good. Several times throughout the day my hands started shaking at random intervals, particularly my left hand. I also had a big headache through most of the day and the dizziness was worse than normal. Apparently I didn't look well either because several of my colleagues asked if I was okay. I'm glad I didn't have to teach today. Current Mood: tired (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 11th, 2008
8:42 pm	Our Tones Shifted and Our Consonants Spun I think people don't understand why I'm here. A lot of my family seems to think I'm here on vacation, some friends too. When I talk to them instead of asking me how class is going they ask me why I haven't gone swimming at the beach yet. I did homework at the beach tonight, but the most I've done is wade in the water. I haven't had the time to do any sightseeing or pleasurable activities. Hawai'i is beautiful, and distracting at times. In the classroom we have an amazing view. We're on the tenth floor and we can see straight out to the sea. Sailboats, cruise ships, even big warships go by. This weekend I was planning to go to Pearl Harbor, but I don't think I'll have time. Tomorrow I have to go to a potential job interview for a group from Korea. Hopefully that will go well. I've researched them a bit, and they look like a great place to work for even though I'd rather work in Japan. They offer great benefits, and their pay is fantastic - better than a lot of the places in Japan that I've found. They also offer insurance which a lot of the companies in Korea don't. I'm meeting with one of my classmates tomorrow to work on one of my essays for class, and then I'm hoping to get my lesson plan for Monday's class done either tonight or the Saturday morning. Surprisingly, I'm encountering a bit of prejudice from various people in regards to lesson plans and the idea of teaching. People seem to think that teaching is very easy, and when I have mentioned that I'm having trouble writing the lesson plans and performing them they seem to take that as to take that as a sign of weakness. People have even gone as far as telling me I'm not teaching the students useful enough information. When I mentioned this to my colleagues they said they had experienced the same thing. Anyhow, as hard as it is I am very glad to here. I have made it this far. I can keep going. Current Mood: accomplished Current Music: Against the Wind - Moya Brennan (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 7th, 2008
9:06 pm	Hawaii - from my first day I arrived in Oahu today. It’s more beautiful than I expected. Everybody always says that Hawai’i is beautiful, but I guess I expected less. I’m not sure why. I didn’t want to expect it to be as extravagantly wonderful as everyone said because generally when everyone says something is wonderful I expect something fabulous and am disappointed. Hawai’i really is amazing. The ocean looks like an emotion. If dark blue is brooding sadness this light smooth blue is soothing calm, unending with all the time in the world. I walked a lot today to try and get my bearings. I didn’t but that’s fine. I tried something today called Dole Whip. It looked like soft serve ice cream, but had no milk in it and was flavored like a pineapple. It was much more refreshing than ice cream and I would eat it on a regular basis if I had it available. I also randomly looked over a bridge today and saw hundreds of jellyfish swimming through the murky water. No one else seemed concerned. Of course, no one else looked over the bridge. I wanted to shout to the oncoming kayaker to look out, but I doubt it mattered in the end because he was in a boat and not swimming. There’s a Japanese ramen restaurant right next to my dormitory. It’s very much like the ramen restaurants I remember in Japan. The customer enters to a downstairs restaurant with stools at a bar and one or two tables, and there’s a guy serving people fast and furious. I found it interesting that I was the only non-Asian person there. I got to practice my Japanese too. The bar attendant seemed shocked when I ordered in Japanese, and smiled. Before he had been nice but unattentive, doing what a job required. After I spoke to him in Japanese his demeanor changed and he treated me like the other customers. I also got a discount for living in the dorm and enough leftovers for one or two more meals. Current Mood: dragon (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
11:48 pm	Canta Per Me (Yes, it is the only song title I can think of in the middle of the night) I have a lot going on right now. I did my very first anime cosplay in the past month. I went dressed as Mireille Bouquet (the character in my icon) from the series Noir. I didn't win any prizes, but I did have fun, and people did recognize me which means my costume didn't stink too badly. I really just need to work on the hair. I can't afford a good wig at this point in time, but eventually, eventually, and I do need to see about getting a fake Walther to complete the costume and/or a pink purse. I've always looked costuming. I think for my next character I will see about Hyatt from Excel Saga or possibly Madlax from the series of the same name. I finished a doll I've been working on, and it turned out better than I'd hoped. A friend requested a sock monkey, and I've never tried making one before, so I figured I'd give it go with an old sock that doesn't have a friend. Aside from a lop-sided tail it's not too bad. If I had to remake it I would rework the tail and make the face puffier. On this doll tried making paws instead of just closing off the arms, and it looks very cute. It was a good decision. I leave for a Hawaii this Sunday. I'm taking my computer, but I'm not sure how often I'll be online. I will try to keep you all updated, and see what I can do as far as getting pictures. My dorm will be a block from the beach, so I'm very excited about that. I'm considering trying to learn how to surf, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to swim in deep ocean water what with a seizure disorder. It's kind of scary enough in a swimming pool. I've been studying a lot for my class. I've missed studying (because I'm an ultra geek). It's nice to study for a reason beyond just because I like it. English really is a beautiful and fascinating thing. Even though my degree in linguistics has more or less just become a fancy piece of paper I have, I'm so glad I have it. Knowing about this language and being able to continue learning about it truly makes me happy. I can't explain the depth of the joy that words, their etymology, that language brings to me. There is this world of words, sounds, texts, phonemes and so many things and I am in it; I am so glad. (12 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 7th, 2008
8:01 pm	Set Cheer = Woohoo! I have been accepted into the University of Hawaii's Cambridge CELTA program for ESL. Current Mood: cheerful (33 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 9th, 2008
12:05 pm	Beans, the Magical Fruit As I preparing a salad today I noticed on the can of black beans it said "Black beans - made of premium black beans!" which not only seems redundant, but strange. Should I expect my beans to be made of something else? (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
3:33 pm	Pants! Today I was walking at the Great Big Shopping Center near work and I saw a very small boy. He couldn't have been more than a two or three years old and he was ecstatic. He could have just thrown pennies into one of the fountains or he could have seen a bird in one of the palo verde trees, or maybe he just was a happy baby, but I watched him as I was walking and his pants fell down. He laughed loudly and looked around as if nothing had happened. His mom rushed over to help him as I giggled and walked past. Current Mood: giggly (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, April 21st, 2008
9:51 pm	I've Been Through the Desert Sometimes in my dreams to see the rest of the world I forget that I do in fact live in a glorious place. The desert provides beauty throughout the year, but never so much as in the spring. Bees, flowers and lizards. No breeze that day, but it was okay because it wasn't hot enough yet to matter. . Current Mood: happy (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, April 4th, 2008
12:56 am	Eat It I was thinking earlier that I've eaten a lot of really strange things. I think the weirdest have been meat products that in the US don't normally get culinary attention. When I travel I tend to try whatever I can just to see if it's good and also to say that I've tried it. What's the fun of traveling if you don't try the local food? At home, for the curious, I tend to eat mostly vegetarian meals although, like when traveling, if the opportunity arises, I will try strange new things. I think the strangest thing I have tried thus far has been chicken feet. They were also the grossest. There was very little meat on them and they pretty much were just skin and bone, and weirdly they tasted a lot like cinnamon. It was very hard not to gag instantly. I do not recommend them. Although, perhaps there is a different way to prepare them that can make them better. I have seen other people enjoy them greatly. It may be an acquired taste. Sheep's head was pretty much like the rest of the sheep. I've never had a sheep that I've enjoyed. I've been told that when prepared well that sheep is a delight, but it all tastes either very bland or slightly sour. The sheep's head also had fragments of bone in it too as an added bonus since we got mammary pieces too. Sitting at the booth for the sheep's head was actually quite fun because the whole bizarre was lit up and salesmen were trying to attract people to stop. Some knew very little English, some were quite fluent. My favorite one kept shouting shouting rather nonsensically "What's up, Doc? Finger-licking good!" And then he would gesture to his kebabs. I love snails. Escargot I can take or leave, but snails in hot herbal, dirty water is beautiful. Not only does it smell tangy and taste spicy, but it's nice to look at. The snails and water are orange. I guess they get that from the dirt in the water, and when you get the bowl you have to be careful because it's burning hot, so you have to stay at the stand with all the other locals and slurp your snails with a toothpick. Plus, you get a good souvenir - a shell to take home! You know, I've lived in a desert much of my life, but I've never had the fruit until I went to Africa. I was walking along the side streets, and this guy had boxes of prickly pears, a bucket of dirty water and a knife. He was selling them for about 50 dirham which at the time was about $.75. I didn't think about the hygenic conditions at the time and I don't really know why I'm thinking about them now because I didn't get sick and I clearly won't several months later, but I paid him for it and watched him peel the skin off the fruit expertly after he dipped the knife into the water. Then he handed me the dripping fruit and I ate it in two bites, juice gushing. The sweetness made me realize how hungry I was, and I nearly bought another. I've eaten plenty of other things. You eaten anything weird? Current Mood: okay (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 10th, 2008
10:26 pm	Runnin' for the Door See you later, LJ-land! I'm East coast bound for a road trip and I'll see you in about two weeks. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 3rd, 2008
8:43 pm	Traveling, traveling... The phrase on "top of the world" doesn't make me think of someone happily at the height of their life breezing through any problem to come their way. I think of traveling. I think of wind and blue. When I saw the movie Jumper it was well described; the main character David Rice stated he was on top of the world and then he teleported himself away. He lost himself to the world. That's what I think of when I think of the phrase: being gone in the world and being completely unavailable and unable to be found. Time has no meaning because you don't know how long you'll wander or even if you'll ever stop. You are your home and you leave pieces of yourself everywhere, so you make the world your home. Current Mood: blue (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 29th, 2008
4:43 pm	I don't think need a rubber room, but hey that might be nice... I lose things a lot, and I don't remember to do things if I don't write them down, yet I remember really odd details. It makes me curious to how as to how my brain works, or any brain works. For example, I won't remember to feed my dog if I don't write down that it needs to be done but I'll remember that I woke up at 7:01 AM. I drive people crazy this way. I drive myself crazy this way. I was trying to clean earlier but I only contributed to the mess in that I lost a soda in the room. I do things like that all the time. I eventually find the sodas, or whatever I happen to lose but sometimes it won't be for a while - especially if I've already cleaned the area where I've set the soda. I suppose I could stop this problem all together if I stopped drinking while cleaning, but then who likes an easy solution? On a completely different note, there's an ad next to my entry box suggesting I create a pirate and play. It says you can create any gender you'd like with whatever hair style, color, skin, facial hair, torso and the legs of your choice. I want a female pirate with facial hair...I want Johnny Depp in an environment where I can control him! Why? I have no idea. I'm not even that big of a fan of the movies. Okay, I'm done now. Current Mood: amused (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 18th, 2008
7:23 pm	Soup is Good Food I made soup today. Two different kinds because I was making easy soup. I made broccoli soup and cauliflower soup. I hadn't intended to make it, but I needed both the space in the refrigerator and to get rid of the vegetables before they spoiled. I had the broccoli soup for dinner and intend to have the other for lunch at work tomorrow. I may make carrot soup tomorrow - I had a ridiculous amount of carrots...three bags, I think. I think I may have found the perfect meal for myself. It's easy and takes less than thirty minutes. It's not that I won't spend longer than thirty minutes preparing a meal, but sometimes I'm just too tired or don't have the time. Current Mood: chipper (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008
7:51 pm	Viva Pinata! So today I tried this video game called Viva Pinata and it can only be described as OMGLLAMASWTFBBQ! Yes, only the Internet has allowed me to describe it accurately. As my boss would say, "Thank you, (insert random non-sentient thing)!" Anyway, so this game made no sense. It started out asking if I wanted to play at home. Huh? Am I taking the game on a picnic? Where else at am I going with it? Then it cuts to a parrot announcer and randomly goes to a race course. There are four pinata racers, a burro who is a jackass, a fox who is little more than a tail of doom, a bear and Marge Simpson's hair. Sometimes the players throw caramel at each other, or green slime, grow faerie wings, fart, burp, fly through the sky, crash into ice or lanterns, break ice sculpture, fall off bridges or various other things. If you do well in the race you get a sunshine ribbon and the right to brag. If you do poorly then you get a cactus. After the race you get a chance to redeem yourself if say, you couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. How? By smashing other pinatas, of course. Anyone else see a problem with a pinata killing other pinatas? Next you get to blow a boat down the river by drinking soda and burping! Drink, shake your booty and burp! After that it's another race! The next challenge is a to see how long you can hold a bomb before it explodes and knocks the candy out of you. It's sort of a demented version of hot potato. Instead of burns you get death. On the plus side, the other contestants get to eat your insides. The penultimate challenge includes spiders! Everything's better with spiders! Yeah, so if you squish a spider with your butt it explodes into candy. This happens to the other contestants too. Although they don't explode they just lose candy from some holes in their body, I guess. Mystery orifices. Finally you're dressed as some sort of pinata warrior and put in a roller derby where you try to kill each other by running headlong into one another. Smack the candy out of each other! It's not a bad game, but it's confusing as hell. It's hilarious to watch someone trotting the jackass down the race course or zip along as Marge Simpson's hair and run into a wall. Occasionally the screen washes over with blood for reasons I can't figure out, but whatever. It does have a twitch factor due to being highly stimulating, but in a lighted room it's okay. Viva pinata! Oh, and if anyone knows how to get Linux to make tildes could they tell me? Current Mood: amused (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 7th, 2008
10:16 pm	Things that Make You Go Hmmm So I was getting in the shower, as you do, and I stepped in, under the flow of water. I closed the door to the shower and started going about my showerly business and felt a horrible pain in my feet. At first I figured I just stepped down wrong or it was just something that would pass, but it continued to get worse, so I lifted up one of my feet and looked at the bottom to find cactus needles. Why there were cactus needles in the shower I don't think I'll ever know. My best guess is that the dog tracked them in and was sniffing around in the shower earlier in the day. Current Mood: nauseated (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
4:06 pm	Happy birthday to my favorite fandom floozy, seemag! I hope your day is a good one. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, January 4th, 2008
5:04 pm	Clouds in my Tea I truly enjoy tea, probably drink a dozen cups a week. It is my coffee. So for myself I ordered a sampling a various teas from around the world from my favorite tea company since at the few stores I have found their teas at, I have found very few selections. I tasted them all. ( Read the tea leaves... ) Current Mood: satisfied (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, November 17th, 2007
5:56 pm	Life in the Fast Lane So I got accused of doing drugs today by a customer at work. It was...weird. The reason she accused me? As far as I can tell because I stumbled and started to fall over while in front of a bookshelf. Her friend found it very funny, but I just found it weird, and not a very polite thing to say to a stranger either jokingly or seriously. Current Mood: confused (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, November 9th, 2007
3:26 pm	Prompt #2 colley says write about Fiona and friends! ( Click for ferrets! ) Current Mood: cheerful (9 Comments |Comment on this)