Recurring dreams; why won't they just go away?

It's been about year since that dreaded phone conversation ended.  If you're reading this, you know what I'm talking about.   Had one of those dreams again last night.  I have no idea why.  It's one of those where you can remember everything.  The frequency has been less and less and since my stop in Japan and then moving out here. I haven't had any in this new apartment until last night.  I don't want to have these dreams anymore.  Waking up to reality is painful, so get the fuck out of my head!!!  

Ocean.

Salt on my tongue, sting in my eyes.  
The water brings a weightlessness.
Bobbing up and sliding down the wave crests, take a breath of cool dry air.
Descend below the surface, feel the pressure squeeze between the ears.
"Pop" as I equalize. 
World goes blue.
Kick.  
Respire.
One atmosphere, two, three. 
Glance at the the time.
Take look around, coral, pelagics; intermingling.
The surface of a different world basking in blue light.  
Look up at a vast rippling mirror, watching the bubbles rise.
Oh how cool.

"Life's a beach, and then you dive..."

Now I'm all for the simple things in life.  I seek enjoyment through the experience of doing something whatever it may be.  Spontaneity is key.  That's why I am.  Did I have a plan?  Of course not.  I've never had a plan.  And I do not seek one either.  Not to be cliche' but you only live twice; to learn what displeases you and to discover what thrills you.

Stress sucks, mundane sucks, empty promises suck even more.  What-if's are a waste of time to even contemplate.  You can't trust anyone other than yourself.  Only you will understand what it is like to do something.  Others' opinions which provide a useful point of reference cannot influence your decisions.

In end of 2007 when I finished my term abroad, through Thai customs I ordained for 14 days as a Buddhist monk.  While the experience was not the most interesting experience I did meet another fellow monk who had a piece of paper taped to his door with the following typed on it:

The Kalama Sutta:
“Do not believe in anything (simply) because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.

Do not believe in anything because it is spoken and rumored by many.

Do not believe in anything (simply) because it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

But after observation and analysis when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

-Buddha 
Anjunttara Nikaya Vol. 1, 188-193 P.T.S. Ed.


To date this is the most important bit of information I've ever come across.  Nothing I've ever learned or read comes close to this.  




So here I am.  The sand feels nice between my toes.  The wind is calm and the water looks inviting.


(Here's some recent photographs:)

About to hop off the kayak for a dive in Tumon Bay.

Following my guide who is from the island of Yap.  

At night on the reef at Gun Beach.  

Move #10 since 1986: UTM 55P 259248 1487096...

That's Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates in case anyone was wondering.  Hint: somewhere west of the Rockies.....  Why? WHY THE HELL NOT!?

(Aqualung-my friend...)


No actually this is kind of a stepping stone to get into either oceanography, fish migration patterns, sea cucumber genetics, or some wild idea of running a small charter tour service that could include sea planes, scuba divers, surfers, remote atoll beaches and one hell of good time!

Fuck I didn't get into any grad schools not even my safety and since I don't want real job, why not just instruct scuba instead?  This beats driving 100 miles on route 80 to and from NYC everyday!

In the process of moving.....again......

.....watch this space (will bring everything up to date with new material soon)

Enjoy the summer while it lasts!

2010 Association of American Geographers Annual Conference, Washington D.C.

April 14-18 2010 I was invited to attend the AAG annual conference in D.C.  The conference is the mecca for Geographers.  Geography related companies, non-profit organization, government departments, students, university professors all converged into two hotels for 5 days of lectures, exhibits, gatherings, wine and cheese.  My reason for going was to get out of New York City for a few days and take a break from commuting to and from New Jersey.  Other than that my job was to staff the exhibit of The American Geographical Society, walk around, meet people, push resumes upon prospecting employers and most of all have good time doing it!

This was my first time actually in D.C. other than passing though once.  I intended to take as many pictures as possible as well as meet up with a few old friends from Japan who I hadn't seen since a battle of the bands during junior year in high school.

Instead of public transport or driving however, I chose general aviation to get me there and back again.  A new Czech friend I had met at the Hackettstown airport near my home who just happens to own a small plane and frequents D.C. a lot offered me a ride. After 4 days of planning and weather watching, we almost didn't fly at all.  But nevertheless we saw good weather and seized the opportunity to get to D.C. fast.

So here it is, enjoy the views.........

Early morning ground fog kept us from leaving for about an hour.

The fog started to burn off as soon as the sun got higher in the sky.

My ride awaits.....

Jozef's '71 Piper Cherokee 180 Archer sitting on the fuel pad at Hackettstown Airport.

Back.

Front.

Very comfortable interior really.

Joe and I somewhere over PA.

I was a really nice day to go flying!

Joe for some reason like to sit in the right seat so I was at the controls in the left.  Its easier to see the primary instruments from the left but Joe's been doing this for 40 years.  We were making very good time.  (The coffee cup top is not actually part of the instruments it's just a home made cover for teaching when you loose particular instruments, in this case the attitude indicator.)

I brought along my little GPS for extra situational awareness.  (Cheating really....)

Over Baltimore Harbor.

Over Baltimore Airport.

Arriving at College Park, MD.

On final at College Park.

Aprox. 1 hour and a half to go 146 nautical miles (168 statute miles).

The ramp at College Park.

Catching the Metro at College Park (green line.) Reminds me of the Singapore MRT and Bangkok Skytrain, perhaps they got the idea from D.C?

Had my first afternoon there off so I got a quick tour by Joe before he flew home.

I've been wanting to visit Air and Space since I was little kid so Joe took me here too.  Nice that it's free admission!  Left to right: Ryan NYP (NY to Paris,) Sputnik, Spaceship One, Bell X-1.

Apollo-Soyuz docking. I think every kid dreams of being an astronaut/cosmonaut.

The Rutan Voyager.  I never thought it was really this big.  

What is launched from a B-52, goes Hypersonic at the edge of space (62miles high) powered by a throttle-able rocket motor, burning ammonia, liquid oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, wears a coating of ablative paint for re-entry protection and has to jettison part of it's tail to land on a ski upon the dry lake bed at Edwards?  An X-15.  True astronauts were made in this machine i.e not "spam in a can!"  The Air Force was sending pilots into space while NASA was still blowing up on their launch pads.  

(Before the internet was available to me I used to go to libraries and read about these stuff like this......)

"I Heart D.C."

Met up with an old friend from high school: Daniel-san!  We went drinking.

They had this sign in the appropriate place.

They even had a Pac-Man table!

I really like how the D.C. metro has lots of space to breathe and doesn't smell like urine like the NYC Metro does.

First day of the conference walking up and out of the metro at Woodly Park-Zoo. 

Street musician performing at Woodly Park.

Didn't stay for long the first day as my coworker gave me the afternoon off.

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency booth.

Went back down the tube to go sight see the rest of the afternoon.

Stopped by the Monument.

There were "tea-baggers" protesting there.

Must have been prep for some kind of wind power promotional event.  Cool geodesic dome.  I would like to live in one someday.

People relaxing on the grass at the Washington Monument.

Ducks in the fountain at the WWII memorial.

I went for a long walk across a bod of water and wound up eventually at Regan International.

Women's Crew on the Potomac?

Dandelions along the jogging path by Reagan International.

People were just hanging out watching the planes landing and taking off.

Never been quite this close to  a jet before.  You can see this one was dealing with a little left crosswind.

more aircraft......

This small jet; Cessna Citation or something similar, Gulfstream? Had gov't markings on it. VIP?

Bike/jogging path next to the airport.

Day 3 at the AAG conference.  These are our editors for Focus magazine.

With Prof. David Keeling, chair Geography department at Western Kentucky University and the guy in the middle sat on Prof.  Magee's PhD board at University of Washington back in the day!

American Geographical Society's booth.