I'm a Mean Lean Cycling Machine!

The first productive thing I did in Holland was buy a bicycle. They have special roads designated for cyclers so just about everyone here rides one. Since I didn't ship my car or have any plans to buy one right away, I decided to give the bike thing a try myself. The first time I was here, I did the bus and tram thing, and that sucked. The last time I was here, I hitched a ride from coworkers and that was a pain in the butt, too. This time I am taking the most economical and efficient way to work.

I bought a used bicycle for 100 euros. Pretty pricey, but new ones cost like 400-600 euros!! You'd think there'd be a market for cheaper bicycles here but I guess you have to get something half decent or the sea breeze will rust it up pretty quickly. Anyways, I rode my new bike around the neighborhood feeling like a kid. It's been a long time since I've ridden one. I was having fun. I also felt a bit retarded though, trying to get used to it. It's not just riding. You have to make sure you don't hit anyone or get run over by a car. A friend of mine used to give another friend and me a ride on his bike (one on the handle bar and one on the bar in front of the seat). As often as we did the three-person bike ride, I'm surprised he didn't get us killed. I suppose by the time I'm done with Holland, I'll be as skilled as him in riding a bicycle.

Hello, Netherlands!!

My flight arrived this morning in Schipol at 0700. It was a bumpy ride and the audio system didn't work well so I sat through 2/3 of Kingdom of Heaven having no idea what the hell was going on. I got home (staying with same roommate as before) around 8ish, and decided I'd go back to sleep for a bit thinking I'd get up by noon or so. Well, the next thing I know it's freakin' 5pm. I slept the day (a nice one at that) away. On top of that, I'm going to have a hard time shaking jet lag off. Good thing I don't have to be in work until Thursday.

The next couple of days will be apartment hunting and running miscellaneous errands - like opening a bank account, buying a bicycle, etc. Or, I could just end up sleeping in every day. That would suck.

Bye bye, U.S. of A.!

Well, here I go leaving the country again, this time for who knows how long. I know I will miss home though, so I am sure I will be back at least once or twice a year for a visit. Anyways, next time you hear from me, it will be from my new country of residence.

It's the End of the World as We Know It

Or at least, it appears to be the end of my world. Eric Julien claims in his website, Save Lives in May, he has "received information psychically, which is corroborated by scientific data, according to which on May 25, 2006 a giant tsunami will occur in the Atlantic Ocean, brought about by the impact of a comet fragment which will provoke the eruption of under-sea volcanoes. Waves up to 200 m high will reach coastlines located above and below the Tropic of Cancer. However, all of the countries bordering the Atlantic will be affected to greater or lesser destructive and deadly levels."

The pictures below are from the above website. The left picture outlines the impact zones. The right is a regional diagram of where I live. Apparently, the area outlined in red is going to be underwater after the tsunami. I live about where the X marks the spot.



Normally, I wouldn't give a rats ass to predictions like these, but after the tsunami of '04 and hurricane Katrina, why should anyone be surprised if a comet came and wiped out half of the Atlantic coasts. I had indicated in past on occasions that it would be in the best interest of humanity if mother nature took out majority of the human population. Our world is falling apart, and I really do think it's just a matter of time before nuclear warfare or global warming or some other disaster destroys mankind. My prediction is that a series of disasters will slowly take us out little by little, until what's left of us poses no threat to the environment.

While I do not want to die, I have no plans to evacuate. My siblings and their family are all also in town this week, so it would really suck if we all died together. My parents would be so sad. What would also be annoying is that I'm scheduled to fly out on the 27th. I would be just 2 days away from escaping death. On the otherhand, what you don't see above is another image of Europe and its red line outlining the death zone. Most of Holland is already below sea level.... Anyways, I just hope that when my time comes, whether it's this Thursday or 50 years from now, that it is painless.

Well, I couldn't possibly call or e-mail every loved one before dying to say my good-byes. So I'll do it now. Sayornara amigos. I'll see you in the next life!

Orlando, FL

To celebrate graduation, I took a trip down to Orlando with fellow classmates, Kelly & Melissa. Luckily, Kelly's family down there gave us the hook up - one put us up in their very nice home where we chilled mostly by the pool, and the other got us into Disney World for free. We spent the first day at the Epcot Center and MGM Studios. I was a tad disappointed in both, even though I had been there and enjoyed it way back when. The international pavillions no longer excite me after having travelled so much in the last decade. Also, I've never been too keen on roller coasters, and simulation rides seem to make me more nauseaus the older I get. Furthermore, the shows in these parks are on the cheesy side and performed by amateurs at best. The next day, we went to Animal Kingdom. It was my first time there, and I liked it much better than the other theme parks. Despite all the people, I got a sense of being out in nature. The mini-safari wasn't bad either. Still, I think this could be the last time I go to theme parks in the U.S. It almost seems pointless to go unless you like the thrill of rides. I suppose I am getting old, but whatever.

The rest of the stay down South involved mostly hanging out by the pool and shopping. On the drive back up to Virginia, we stopped in Hilton Head to drop Melissa off so she can join her parents who are there for the week. We stayed a night in their guest bedroom. They had a pretty nice place there - a 3BR place just for the 3 of them, through time share. I'm starting to think I need to stop this budget traveling thing and start doing the luxury travel thing a bit more. I have a few options: 1) travel less and spend more on each trip, 2) get rich, or 3) marry rich. I'm not sure that traveling less is an option yet for me. Maybe by the time I'm 40 I could be making enough to live a little better. As for #3, maybe I need to start stalking some of the diplomats and royalties in or visiting the Hague. If anyone has any other bright ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Book Review: Life of Pi

Back when I was traveling the world in 2003, I saw several fellow travellers, mostly English, reading this book. I never got my hands on one until now. The book has received great reviews and awards, and for good reason. I found the initial chapters to be slow but by the second section, I could not put the book down. Canadian author Yann Martel tells in the book a story about an Indian boy, Piscine, who survives 227 days at sea on a lifeboat after a shipwreck. Saved on the lifeboat along with Piscine is a Bengal tiger. Piscine must face the challenges of surviving in the face of nature and predator. Intertwined in this story about animals and survival is religion. Interesting perspectives are introduced to make you go hmm.... Anyways, even though it is fiction, I found motivation in the boy's courage and strength to survive. There are some talks about making a film based on the book, so be sure to read it before the movie comes out.

Graduation

Today I received my Masters of Engineering in Modeling and Simulation from the College of Engineering at Old Dominion University. The commencement was held at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia.

What a fitting end the ceremony was to the grueling 2 years of graduate studies. Actually, neither was really all that bad (I ended up with a 3.93 and was initiated into Tau Beta Pi), but sitting through actual graduation was somewhat painful. I had to get up at 0600 in order to be on campus by 0800. It takes about an hour for all the students to get robed properly and lined up according to their degrees, so by 0900 we were marching into the stadium. The speakers were brief, except one, the honorary degree recipient & CNN host/reporter Wolf Blitzer. Not only was his speech long, but most of the graduates seemed to find it irrelevant to the particular event. The speech, which revolved around the current criticisms journalists faced & the war in Iraq, was hardly motivational. I, for one, was quite disappointed. The longest part of the ceremony was the 'walk' where graduates go up to the stage to receive their 'fake' degrees and shake various people's hands. There were probably 500 graduates for this particular commencement. (The school holds a separate commencement in the afternoon for other colleges.) I took a short nap during the first half. When it was my turn to go up, I did manage to have a moment of cheer and put on a smile for the ODU president and other people. Then I went back to my seat only to spend rest of the 2.5 hour ceremony literally cursing the jerk-offs behind me who were letting their cell-phones ring and being obnoxious in every which way possible.

So why did I bother walking you say? It wasn't in my plan to, but my friends were attending since they invited their families. I did want to share this moment with the girls that helped make these past two years bearable, if not at times enjoyable. If they were going to suffer through the ceremony, I figured I'll suffer right along with them.

When shaking the president's hand she asked if I planned to pursue my Ph.D. My mind said hell no, but I politely replied, "maybe." My only motivation to do a Ph.D. is so I can make people address me as Dr. so-and-so. Whether it is enough or not, I'm not too keen on becoming a student again. At least for now, going back to school is not in my future plans. If anything, I hope those that know me will remind me if I get any crazy ideas how much I disliked being in school.