Photo Challenge: Shadow Boxing

I have finally taken a shadowed shot that I liked. This was very difficult for me. The first problem was that there is hardly any sun in Beijing to make shadows. Then when we would get some sun, my shots just wouldn’t turn out the way that I wanted them to. I still have a lot to learn if I want to just go out and get the shot. But I feel like this is part of learning, embracing the failure and learning to do better.

The photo that I finally chose as my Shadow Boxing photo is taken from just outside my window on the campus. I think that it is very apropos to my situation. The sun is going down just over the top of the building and plunging my once home into darkness. That’s pretty much how I felt as a was leaving Beijing. I felt that the sun was going down on a part of my life and I did not know when it would rise again. Here I am trying to catch the last rays of sunshine that I can possibly manage. Trying to savor every bit of sunlight before finding myself fighting through the darkness.

So here you are. “Last Moments”

Make Life Simple

"Life is not complex.  We are complex.  Life is simple,
and the simple thing is the right thing."
- Oscar Wilde

Today I stumbled upon a curious website: http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/01/60-ways-to-make-life-simple-again/ This site is aimed to “make life simple again”. God knows that we need that. We all yearn for the days of playing in the mud, running around in the yard for no other reason other than we liked the sound of our own feet as they hit dead leaves. These were good days. Somewhere along the way, responsibilities were given to us and we began to stress about things. Then we began to need caffeine in the morning so that we would have enough energy to wake up and accomplish all of these responsibilities that are, inevitably, very boring. Sadly, there’s not much that I can say to alleviate the responsibilities that we all face. But the website points out 60 things that they think will help to make us happier. Or at least reduce the stress of daily interactions.
Communication is the first on the list. I must say, this is one of the things that people have the biggest problem with. We never just say what we mean. Why is that? Personally, I sometimes feel that there is a tactical advantage in not telling the other person everything or maybe I just don’t feel like sharing. Okay, okay, I admit that this is not the best thing to do. We are bred to believe, that people are out to get us and that knowledge is the only thing that we have. There is an anonymous quote that I’ve learned that says, “There are two things that will help you survive: 1. Don’t tell everyone everything you know.”
Do you think that it is possible to still communicate effectively while not actually sharing the meat of the situation?
The next piece of advice given by this site is something that I’m really sure about. It says to not be friends with everyone around you. Yes, you should be polite, but you should really spend time on the relationships with the people who matter the most. This is kind of a big thing for me. Though I tend not to like everyone I meet, I do try to be nice to everyone. At least I try for a spell. Some people, though, mistake kindness for friendship. I am sure that I have been on the other end of this interaction more than a few times myself as well. How can you distinguish who will be a life long friend and who will just appear for a moment if they do not give them the opportunity?
The fourth item on this list is the one that I have the most problems with, “live below your means”. I have gotten better from being in China. But still, I am not good at it. For me, I will live below my means for a time, saving money all the while. Then, I will see something that I want or something that will contribute to one of my hobbies and I will spend my hard saved money on that. This cycle continues until something else comes along. I am great at creating budgets and savings plans. I run into the most trouble, though, when following the plans that I have set out. I think that I would have the most luck if I had someone who was in charge of my finances who I had to go and ask for money. Someone like a wife or something. ::smiles::
Anyway, take the time to read over this list for yourself. Don’t take everything literally, because they are just suggestions. But, It will definitely give you something to think about.
Dios vos bendiga
Akil

My Photo Challenge

Here is my brand new photo challenge to help me explore and increase my skills as a photographer. I will spend no more than one month on each challenge and I will post the photo that was taken to the blog along with the caption and completed challenge. If I don't know about a particular subject, I will research it before I take the photos. The photo must be taken and posted before I can move on to the next one.

Negative space Created: March 18, 2010
Take a photo of a subject, can be anything or anyone but it must use a large amount of blank expanse (negative space).

Pick me up! Created: March 18, 2010
Every morning, many people use a drink to pick them up for the day. It may be coffee, tea, juice, chocolate or even cow's blood. It has to be a drink though and you it's not necessary to show the drinker.

Metallurgy Created: March 18, 2010
Metal has been an important element in humanity's technological progress. Show mining, shaping, rusting, forging, welding. The metal should be the focus, not the final object.

Skyscrapers Created: March 18, 2010
With the Dubai Burj reaching unimaginable heights years ago, show us some tall structures. Try to depict the height and perspective by including surround buildings or things. No close-ups.

Bake and Bread Created: March 18, 2010
Hungry and wishing I had a fresh baked loaf of bread right here with the steam wafting into the air as you break into it. Show the bread and other various baked goods...still in the loaf pan, dough being rolled, a biscuit with melted butter and honey...a

Conservation Created: December 21, 2009
In this economy, we have have to use or re-use what we have. Have you been a victim of your saving losses? Do you have a creative way to photograph how in spite of your losses you adjusted to misfortune?

Carved Monuments Created: December 21, 2009
Post your best shot of a statue that was captured in such a way as to make that work of art your own and to evoke a powerful emotion to anyone viewing it.

Gratitude Created: December 21, 2009
Take a photo of something or someone that you are grateful for and let your creative eye do the rest.

Sunset Silhouette Created: August 24, 2009
Sunsets are commonly photographed -- this time, add a foreground interest silhouette. Make sure you submit a photo with a silhouette and a sunset!

From the passenger seat Created: August 24, 2009
Photos taken from any vehicle; can be a car, bus, truck, motorcycle, anything! Just don't hurt yourself!

Front Page News Created: August 24, 2009
A photo that might be seen on the front page of a local newspaper, for whatever reason. However, please be mindful of our photo posting policies.

First Love Created: May 05, 2009
Love for the first time is a very powerful feeling. Can be human, animal, abstract but it must evoke the feeling/emotion. Just keep the entries within the posting rules.

On the Phone! Created: May 05, 2009
With the prevalence of cell phones, you probably can catch anyone talking at one time or another. You photo must show a person on a phone (payphone, cellphone, any phone).

Past its sell by date Created: May 05, 2009
Expired. Products, things, even living things have an expiry date. Just how would you interpret this theme is entirely up to you but keep within the posting policy.

Fire Created: May 05, 2009
Fire. Useful, helpful and necessary in many ways, but also uncontrollable and destructive in other ways.

Solemn Ceremony Created: May 05, 2009
A capture of something that was observed or done according to ritual or tradition that demonstrates a strong sense of respect.

Adventures Created: May 05, 2009
A capture that conveys the feeling of adventure and compels the viewer to search for more avenues to explore in the capture.

Panoramics Created: March 01, 2009
Either a crop from a full frame image that works best in panoramic format, digitally stiched images that make a panoramic or images from a true panoramic camera. Regardless of choice, all images should only be presented in panoramic format.

Macro Mania Created: March 01, 2009
Captures showcasing your macro prowess. For example, the inside of a flower through the eyes of a bumble bee.

Camera RAW Created: September 24, 2008
Throw out those post-production techniques and automation: submit photos as captured by the camera. Show those skills in manual mode! Unmodified photos only, straight out of camera!

Low-light Created: September 24, 2008
Low-light and sometimes no light! Photo must contain a subject (people, object, etc) but with very low-light levels. No flash but you can light with candles, battery lamps, etc.

Great Place to Eat Created: September 24, 2008
A capture of your favorite restaurant. One that has a strong flavor of nostalgia and takes you back to the good old days!

Destruction or demolition Created: September 24, 2008
We frequently take pictures of things that are beautiful, pleasing to the eye, flowers, etc. But in our world things are also torn down to be rebuilt. In this phase our lives also exist. Take note of the posting policy!

Framed Created: September 24, 2008
A capture with powerful framing on one or more sides. Framing that guides your eye into the scene and holds it there.
December 01, 2008 -to- December 10, 2008 View >>

Candlelight Created: November 21, 2007
Photographs that are of people or objects taken by candle light....

Music is in the Air Created: March 24, 2008
Anything Musical. A band, an instrument, Street performer,radio, juke box...as long as Music is involved you've got the right note.

Wild Animals Created: March 24, 2008
How about everyone posting a photograph of their favorite wild animal. Everyone has a favorite! (Wolf, Eagle, Zebra, Lion, Tiger, etc.)

Baby Animals Created: March 24, 2008
You all have a favorite baby animal. Let's put them all out there for a parade of these little darlings.

"I could walk it blindfolded." Created: November 21, 2007
A scene from a personally familiar spot, whether in your house, office, school, or on the way to or from the daily grind.

In High Places Created: November 21, 2007
Captures from a perspective of incredible height. One that emphasizes seeing details in the distance.

WA on your Workspace! Created: March 24, 2008
WA celebrates 8 years! Show us your workspace where you edit, post-process and upload your photos! Only requirement is WA must be loaded on your monitor and be visible!

EYES Created: September 21, 2007
The eyes have it.... Shoot the eyes of someone or something. Food, things, pets - anything that has eyes! Eye of the Needle, and more! Just the eyes.

Follow the path Created: September 21, 2007
A path or walkway or even a roadway that winds through the capture to take you on an adventure.

Motion Created: July 22, 2007
Objects or people in motion. Your photo must convey the feel of moving or speed, be it dancers twirling or cars at speed. No photoshop motion blur effects.

Clouds Created: May 07, 2007
Suspended; touching nothing but sky. Be it day or night, big or small and with all sorts of shapes.


Long Exposure Created: May 07, 2007
Long shutter speeds... nothing shorter than 2-3 seconds. The longer the better. From light trails to star trails... anything goes as long as the shutter's open!

Love and Romance Created: May 07, 2007
A photo that represents love and romance. A single rose (or more), a couple sharing a kiss, chocolates, a baby's smile, ... the list is endless! Becuase we see love and romance daily... so let's share our photos & work!

Alphabets Created: May 07, 2007
Photos of subjects resembling alphabets - like V or Y of a tree fork etc. Preferably English alphabets - so everyone can understand. :-)

The Human Mankind in Monochrome Created: March 27, 2007
Your best black and white photo of a face, a scene or an object that has something special to reveal about the human condition

Break The Rules!!! Created: January 21, 2007
We all know about the Rules and conventions of taking pictures (Rule Of Thirds etc.)Take a picture that deliberately breaks as many of these rules as possible, but remains appealing to the viewer.

Textured Created: January 21, 2007
A single photo of textures, an object or several objects with interesting textures.

Wind Created: December 16, 2006
A photo which depicts wind/breeze. No PS effects. No "after-the-storm" photos either.

Sunrise/Sunset Created: December 16, 2006
Not just the colors. The Sun must be present.

Shadowplay - Self portraits Created: December 16, 2006
More shadows but with a slight twist - You must have your own shadow inside as the main subject.

Wide open spaces Created: July 19, 2006
Farms! Fields! Rolling hills! Windswept plains! Majestic canyons! Anything that implies a tremedous feeling of space and size.

Humorous Encounters Created: July 19, 2006
Who doesn't appreciate a good laugh? Take the funniest picture you can, whether it's posed or candid!

Old and New Buildings Created: July 19, 2006
Towns an cities are constantly being regenerated. See if you can capture this by capturing both traditional and modern architectural styles in an interesting and creative way. A juxtaposition would be a good start.

Fire Hydrants Created: July 19, 2006
They're everywhere, Make this ordinary fixture the main subject of your image

Life Created: July 19, 2006
Something that shows life...be it a new flower blooming or a child or animal playing. Show us what it means to be alive in this world.

Water! Water! Water everywhere Created: July 19, 2006
Waterfalls, moving water, taps dripping, buckets splashing... the element of life.

The Great Outdoors! Created: February 09, 2006
The great outdoors - wide open spaces, or narrow valleys - anywhere as long as it's not indoors!

Minimalism Created: November 22, 2005
Minimalism - defined by Merriam-Webster as 'a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity' Apply this to your photography.

Other cultures Created: November 22, 2005
Whether it be local or foreign, try to capture other cultures through their food, or festivals or even places where they live. try to show who they are and where they came from.

Color and Colours Created: October 19, 2005
What comes to mind when you think of white? A snow field? How about green? A forest? This challenge is to choose a color and then find a subject that illustrates that color.

Object Found in the House Created: October 19, 2005
A good one for a day where you can not go out to shoot due to the weather. Find an ordinary object in your house and make it look interesting and good.

Darkness Created: July 17, 2005
Picture of dark. Sense of darkness and foreboding. Photography is about light. so for this challenge, find something or somewhere dark and convey the impression of darkness.

Trees old and new Created: July 17, 2005
Capture the drama or mood that is inspired by trees, be they old, funny shaped, alone or in groups.

Poverty Created: March 08, 2005
Something that just makes you sit there and cry, while looking for a charity phone number to contribute to. Portraits are a good idea for this one. Note that ideally you should try to include a human element although dereliction may also work.

Deep Thoughts Created: March 08, 2005
Portrait of someone that looks deep in thought. They could be thinking about something really emotional, worried or some issues that occupy their mind.

Delicious! Created: July 17, 2005
Food, glorious food! Macro, wide, exotic or mundane, things we all eat, for hunger or for pleasure. If you don't win, at least you get to eat!

Lighthouses Created: February 14, 2005
Your best shot of a lighthouse, in any weather, at any time, anywhere in the world.

Right Place, Right Time Created: December 14, 2004
We all keep our cameras at the ready hoping for a photo op that is unusual, a moment in time, perhaps a bit of history.

My home land Created: December 14, 2004
What is your home town/country all about? Show it to us in a powerfull, emotion loaded one-shot. No montage, that would be too easy ;)

Bad Weather Created: December 14, 2004
Weather affects all of us, bad weather most of all. When the rains come or the storm approaches, it's time to take the camera out and not stay indoors!

Geometry in Nature Created: June 20, 2004
Any geometrical shape formed in nature, by an individual subject or a collection of subjects (Squares, Rectangles, Rhomboids, Circles, Spirals, Spheres, Polygons.....)

Emotion : Togetherness Created: October 06, 2004
Illustrate the feeling of togetherness with a photo. It can be any subject, togetherness can also be illustrated by objects...

"justa" Created: October 06, 2004
Taking photos of common things and making it unusual (example: Turning "it's just a picture of a dog" into "wow. what an interesting piece of art.. never would have thought of that!")

Interpretation : Song title Created: October 06, 2004
Capture the words or title of a song (please provide song title and artist) in a single photo. Avoid a collage or composite if possible.

Peace and Tranquility Created: June 20, 2004
Photo's of things that depict peace and tranquility in a crazy world

Night Time Is The Right Time Created: June 20, 2004
Photos taken outside at night. Any subject but no flash, just the light available and your camera skills.

Through a Window Created: February 11, 2004
Windows and then some! From home windows to aircraft windows! Windowed doors, stained glass, reflections from a window, car windows, well, you get the idea.

Natural November Created: February 11, 2004
The most dramatic, intense, emotional or striking natural landscape photo you can manage! Only limitation is that you'll have to include only natural objects. (not limited to November scenes)

Low Light October Created: February 11, 2004
Low light levels are often the toughest time to take any photo but I'm sure the results are worthwhile. Color or B&W, flash or long shutter speed as long as it's not in daylight!

Water, Water Everywhere! Created: February 09, 2004
Water is the main subject here. Must be a shot showing water in some form such as rain, lakes, oceans, water drops, or even artificial sources like fountains and your own bath tub!

Street Scenes, People and emotion Created: February 09, 2004
Any street scene, posed or candid as long as it involves people interacting with other people. If posed, only one person in the scene may be posing and the rest reacting naturally.

Reflections Created: January 12, 2004
Photograph a reflection of a subject but avoid the subject directly. Perhaps it can be people through a mirror, or trees and mountains off a lake.

Color and Colours Created: January 12, 2004
Choose any color, such as green, red, etc, then attempt to take a photo is almost monotone (of whatever color you picked). The only restriction is that no other COLOR be strongly evident.

Architectural Details Created: July 22, 2003
Close-ups of architectural details from old buildings or new ones too. Color or B&W.

Dereliction and Decay Created: September 03, 2003
Everything decays. It is the natural order of things and the challenge is to capture this much avoided subject.

Your Big Back Yard Created: July 22, 2003
Many feel they miss out on the grand landscapes of the West or our National Parks. This challenge is to see the beauty right at home. The goal is to find the most compelling image within 5 miles of your home or literally in your backyard.

The Wild Animal Created: July 22, 2003
All animals are wonderful, but wild animals are special in that they are the ultimate expression of freedom; they live or die according to their own talents or instincts. Show an animal being wild but with their individuality and personality.

Lines and Curves Created: July 22, 2003
How about a challenge photographing lines and curves. It could be a macro, abstract even scenic. A few examples: a row of corn or flowers (lines) or maybe a winding road (curves).

Best Barn Shot Created: July 22, 2003
Sunrise or sunset, rain or snow, mist or fog. Color or black and white.

People at work Created: July 22, 2003
Almost half our lives are spent at work, and rarely do we carry this part of our identity into photography. This challenge is to capture the essence of a person's job or career in a powerful one-shot or collage.

Who are you? Created: June 02, 2003
Try to tell as much as possible about yourself in a photo. It doesn't have to be a photo of yourself. It can be anything as long as you can recognize yourself in it.

Long Exposures Created: June 02, 2003
This challenge is to attempt to shoot with long exposure. What I mean by long exposure is longer than 2-3 seconds. Light trails, waterfalls, city streets and even people can be interesting.

Shadow Boxing Created: May 21, 2003
Challenge is to attempt to use shadows in a creative way

Macro World Created: May 21, 2003
Close-ups of ordinary things giving it an alien look. The weirder the better.

Identity

My whole identity is shaken! It is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a new thing. My whole life I have been the only person in my family, aside from my mother, who has wanted to travel. Let alone the only person who has ACTUALLY done so. Then, suddenly, my little cousin decides that it would be advantageous to travel to Greece and study there. I am super happy for her to go to Greece. However, I've never been to Greece and I'm jealous. I don't do well with jealousy. Why couldn't she have picked some place that I've already been? Or some place that I don't want to go? Well, I guess that the latter would be somewhat difficult because I kind of want to go everywhere.

Bottom line. I'm not the only one with this traveling bug anymore and it scares me.

Day 2 - The decision is not made

Yes, here I am at day 2. 2 full days without food and it's strange. I know that I'm hungry but it doesn't really matter to me so much. I am still thinking about what I should do. And honestly, February is becoming more and more appealing. Or at least, mid-march. We will see.

Isaiah 58

1 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Fast or Slow

Day 1
I have undertaken my first fast ever. The goal is simply guidance and patience. I guess they are not so simple when you spell them out on the internet.

I am having trouble deciding whether to stick with this program or find my way back to the states after traveling a bit in China. I was tossing and turning about it for a substantial part of the night last night and "fasting" was laid on my heart. So, for an undetermined amount of time, I will be living by water and bread. I will supplement my lack of meals with extensive prayer and meditation. I don't know how long it will take for me to see what I need to and I honestly don't know how long I am able. As a student of fitness, though my appearance does not show, I know what to eat and when and how much of it to eat. So, I know that just bread and water is not the best for me, at all. But I know that this is where my answer will come from.

So, day 1 has come and gone (almost) and no food has entered my body. We'll see where this is going and I'll try to keep you updated as to my status

Psalm 37:7-9
"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land."

Tropical Paradise or the Mis-adventures of the Americans?

Okay, here we go. I am sitting down to try to recount all of the stories of my trip down to Hainan. I will not be surprised if it takes me a week to tell you all of the outrageous things that happened to my friends and me. These are my tales.

I have to say that we have discovered that women help men stay in line. Without women, a group of men with revert back to a bunch of child-like idiots. I mean that sincerely. Most, if not all of our exploits could have been counteracted by simple common sense. But then, it wouldn't have been a "man-venture"

Let me also say that none of us knew exactly how long we would be there. We didn't really have any idea of where we were going to stay or how we were going to get back. I did a little research into where we were going about an hour before-hand. But it seemed more interesting to just let things happen. Also, we all packed our bags within an hour of leaving the campus to catch our train. That's right, as we were walking out the door, my friends and I were still throwing stuff into our packs. :) This was just the beginning.

So, we set out to the train station, that was pretty routine. We stopped for a snack, because we all forgot to eat first, and boarded the train at about 7 PM to go on our tropical adventure. The first night we just kind of stayed up and talked and joked about miscellaneous things. It was a great time. Then, as with all of the trains, they shut off the lights at 10, so we kind of just rolled over and went to sleep. We all awoke as late as we could the next day. I managed to prolong my waking up until about 11. My friends managed about the same. After coming to, brushing our teeth washing our faces and having a little bit of breakfast, we all came to the realization that we were going to be on this train for the WHOLE day! We laughed awkwardly about it and settled into talking or reading or joking or whatever we wanted to do. Mark and I had the middle bunks in our area while Adam got the top bunk. Chinese people are friendly enough that they don't want you to sit in your bunk all day. Honestly, it's hard to do. There is not enough room in any of the bunks, save for the bottom, to sit straight upright. So, one of the ladies on the bottom bunk gestured to me to have a seat and relax. So I did and we had ourselves a little conversation, in Chinese. She was patient and helpful, though she understood what I was saying. She spoke slowly and deliberately, which was helpful. After a while we brought out the cards and invited the other member of our suite to join us in a card game. We let them teach us a card game, with surprising success, all in Chinese. So we laughed and played and that took up a few more hours. Here we are, on this train, slowly chipping away at the time on our way to paradise. Towards the end of the day, we had become somewhat of friends with our Chinese roommates and we offered them some of our food and they offered some of theirs. We (I) had as in depth conversations as I could manage with them.It wasn't perfect, but it was great practice. Well, the lights went off again that night and we knew that we would wake up at our destination, but we continued to talk for a bit with our new friend. About 11 or so, when we had all pretty much retired for the evening, our friend asked us where we were going to stay in Hainan. We told her calmly that we did not know because we had no plans. She asked again where we were staying and I gave her the same response. She repeated for a third time and I told her that I understood but we had no idea where we would go. She may have thought it was a disconnect up until that point. But you could instantly se her face go from friendly to stupid Americans, to stupid men, to genuine concern all in the flash of an eye. Our friend, whose name we never remembered, proceeded to inform us that our train arrived in Haikou at 3:30AM and not 6:50. So there would not be any busses running.

Our original "plan", if you can call it that, was to get off the train in Haikou and then mill about the city for a bit. When we were tired of that, we would hop onto one of the hourly departure buses to the south of the island, Sanya. Now, the one thing that I had checked and was one hundred percent sure of was our arrival time in our first city, Haikou. Obviously I was wrong! :) So we, my new "friend" and I, spent the next hour figuring out what we should do, changing our tickets, finding a hostel, and panicking a little bit...but in a good way. At half past midnight, we finally figured it out, we thought, and headed to bed.
Next, my friends and I received an awakening by a burly looking man with a billy club and a flash light who effectively said, "pay up or get off". I'm not 100% sure he had the billy club. But at 3:30 in the morning you assume that the burly looking gentleman in the uniform has a billy club...it's just a rule of thumb! So we paid the money and drifted back to sleep until the time that I had ORIGINALLY thought came around. At 7 we got off the train and found ourselves in the middle of a train station in the middle of nowhere. The plus side was that it was SUNNY and BEAUTIFUL! I would have traded anything for that.

So after walking around lost for an hour or so, we got help from this friendly man from Idaho. Yes, that's right a random fellow from Idaho just happened to be walking down the road while we were all incredibly lost. After giving us a heading to make it to our hostel, we asked this stranger what he was doing here. To which, his response was, "living". We asked him to elaborate, and he went on to say, "just living man. That's all". We all nodded in approval and went on our way. We finally made it to our hostel about 3.5 hours after we arrived in the city. No, it should not have taken that long. Yes, we were very lost. No, it didn't matter. You will find that those three responses hold true to my ENTIRE story! So we'll just call them (a) so that I can reference it easily. :p

After making it to the hostel, making some quick friends and realizing that we were ravenously hungry, we ran up to the room to shower and change in preparation to attack the day! Hostel life is not always pretty, it is rarely fancy, and sometimes it's just sad. But, there is one constant redeeming quality about hostel life and that is BREAKFAST! You have no idea how much your day and outlook on life improves once you have had some good ol' fashioned bacon and eggs with toast and coffee. To be honest, if we had the money, we wouldn't even stay in the Ritz if it didn't have breakfast. It's the way of the world.

After breakfast, we agree that we are ready to attack the day and see some beautiful sights. So we go up to the front counter where we meet Jason. *There a couple of VERY important things that you need to know about our friend Jason. Jason is as stupid as can be. Most of our being lost or confused was partially, if not wholly, because of Jason. We spent a lot of time mocking Jason for putting us into some crazy situations and equally as much time making fun of ourselves for continuing to go to him for advice. Anywho, we meet Jason and ask him where we should go. He points us to this beach that he says is BEAUTIFUL on the Northwestern side of the island. So, we all look at each other and agree that it's a good idea. Then we think that we should rent some bikes and have a nice little ride out there instead of paying for a bus or a cab. That way we can see the city and enjoy the day. After buying a map of the city and renting our bikes, we set out. Everything was going great...then for some reason, we couldn't find where we were on the map and just decided to wing it. We took a right and started heading up into the mountains. In retrospect, this was dumb. But, we were guys with bikes and a bunch of time. So we rode and rode. Up and down through people's land and around people's houses. We stopped here and there if something looked cool or if we have to pee. But it was great for a while because we were seeing the part of the island that people don't see. It was the part of the island that people are sometimes afraid to see. It was the real part of paradise. We passed through slums and ghettos and back alleys and farms. Right now, see not (a) because we are good and lost and didn't even realize. But it was okay. Well, my friend's bike hit a screw and got a flat tire. I noticed it just as we were entering another ghetto so we dismounted and started to walk our way through. It was a beautiful day and the locals were sitting outside. We gestured to his flat tire and shrugged our shoulders inquisitively. They all responded by telling us to continue walking for 300 meters and there would be a man who could fix it. 300 meters passed, then 400 and then we came to this gaggle of rick-a-shaw drivers lounging by the corners. When they saw our American faces, they lit up with the prospect of a fare. They were trying to take us wherever we wanted to go even though we had our bikes in tow.
We managed to convey what we were looking for and they solemnly pointed us across the street to this little shanty of a house where a man covered from head to toe in grease was located. We went through our whole charade of flat tire language and asked him if he could fix it. He set to work right away. His fingers danced along the tire like a professional pianist. He patched the tube and replaced it into the tire as if he'd been doing it his whole life, which is possible. When he was finished, we gratefully asked how much. This is where it gets interesting. He holds up one finger and says, "qi kuai" which is seven yuan. We confirmed this with him several times because we were confused by the hand gesture. He nodded affirmatively every time. So Adam hands the man a 10 yuan bill and waits. The grease monkey disappears into his shop and fiddles a bit and then comes out and just looks at us. (by this time we've drawn a crowd of 5-7 people staring at the foreigners) We look back at him, confused...So I take over with my Mandarin skills. Asking him very frankly about the price. "You said 7 kuai?" "Yes, yes." He replied to me. I said, "okay, well...he gave you 10 kuai" "yes, yes" he responded. "Okay, well, you give us 3 kuai then". The man looks at us calmly and with as straight a face as I could ever make and says, "I don't have 3 kuai." My friends and I are looking at each other confused and laughing a little on the inside and what is happening right now. So we ask him again. And the same response, "I don't have 3 kuai." I, then, point to his assistant squatting behind him and ask if HE has 3 kuai. The repairman turns and exchanges glances with the boy and turns back to us and just as calmly as before he says, "He doesn't have 3 kuai." So, the three of us are busting out laughing by this point, along with most of the bystanders, because we know that we are being taken for fools. But we say, " okay man, whatever! You can keep it, we're going home." So we depart.
Finally, we are on our way out of the ghetto and down the mountain. Keep in mind, that this WHOLE time, we have no idea where we are on the map. When we finally arrive at an intersection that we can identify, it turns out that we had gone off the map in the lower south east corner and swung all the way up to the tap and were coming in at a downward angle from the Northeast. We were SO confused and SO lost. But it still didn't matter (a). By this time though, a few hours had passed (4 or 5) and we are still determined to find this beach that Jason has pointed us to. And on we ride.
We finally found the beach, after about 45 more minutes of riding. I convinced the guys to take a walk on the beach with me. We did and we talked about all kinds of things. politics, society, economics, girls, drugs, money, beer, girls, life, philosophy. All kinds of things. We talked about the things that you would think that three intelligent, well-read, funny, world travelers from similar backgrounds would talk about. And it was a blast. We talked and walked until the sun was so low that we could see it's red tint starting to appear from it's descent. We were still a very long way away from where we thought the hostel was and darkness was fast approaching! And here we were in a strange city by ourselves, in the dark. It was just as dumb as it sounds. But we managed to get the hang of riding bikes in traffic and on the streets. Problem was that after 7 hours of being on these bikes, our butts were hurting like crazy and all we wanted to do was get off of them. Using some clever navigating and stopping just before every major turn and intersection, we made it back to the hostel in one piece, 9 hours after we left.

Marcus