http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Mango/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Mango en-us Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:14:14 +0000 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:14:14 +0000 It's one of AJ's buzz phrases. AJ is of course my buddy and a cousin of my best friend Kylan who masterminded the whole Jamaican adventure I'm about to chronicle in this here blog. He likes to emphasize the truthfulness of what he's about to say or to diffuse the bluntness of what he just blurted out with those 4 words. So I too am not gonna lie.... it's been a helluva long time since I poste http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Ocho-Rios/blog-76724.html I made one rule for myself for my ski trip to Germany don't try anything stupid. But much like bones rules are meant to be broken.Fortunately my one foray into snoboard hotdogging ended without any serious injury and much like Lindsey Jacobellis' silver medal boardcross run humiliating but surmountable with enough BS and the whole yeah well I don't see you trying it factor. There was a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/North-Rhine-Westphalia/Winterberg/blog-46511.html So we were out having a couple of pints for my birthday on Tuesday at the Half Moon and Erik and I suddenly proclaim we're headed to Amsterdam This was the greatest idea ever at the time. Upon arrival to the hotel we decided a nice dinner and celbratory cigar would be a better idea. But not to wuss out of a proclamation made whilst out socializing we decided to go on Friday and see the land o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-7625.html Well one more week down and I'm starting to feel a little fat and sassy to quote a Don Hertzfeldt cartoon. I sit around at work all day I'm helpless to resist the variety of the Shell cafeteria at lunch and living out of a hotel forces me to eat out every night. No such thing as a hotel gym in the Netherlands and I'd rather buy all new pants instead of going joggin around The Hague in rainy http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/The-Hague/blog-45683.html ...SSDD was also another potential entry title but it was rejected for possible negative connotations that I feel degrade the cheerful spirit of my ongoing European adventures. And go on we shall. I'm back again for the third time. First it was 6 months in 2005 then 2 weeks in January 2006 and now another month or maybe more here in March. I'm here so much it's getting comical. I've run http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/The-Hague/blog-44700.html ...and the party never ends. At least it didn't this week. It's now almost 4 on Saturday and all I've managed to do is check email and eat some cashews. I finally had the opportunity and ability to get in a full 12 hours of sleep so sleep I did. It feels good since it's been a busy week.MondayAfter 3 months away the Shoarma pizza from Pizza Dennis never tasted so good. The sweet taste of v http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/The-Hague/blog-38076.html 'Belgium'...well maybe it's 'Girl All the Bad Guys Want' but nothing ruins a song's appeal like too much Grammy praise and radio overplay...except maybe if it's being performed by Nickelback. Those guys are notalentassclowns. In any event let's go with Belgium since that's where this is all leading anyways.As options are limited for a weekend trip medieval city hopping next door in Belgi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/West-Flanders/Brugge/blog-37198.html Ok so you'd think that for something as simple as a few paragraphs of attempted wittiness that I could keep this thing updated at least a few times a week but here I go again falling into weekly reviews. I have my reasons. That being said here's as painless of a recap of the first work week of the trip as I can musterFirst the whiningAbout the blog title... I think those guys said it best http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/The-Hague/blog-37125.html Duty calls and Brian answers.Especially when it involves an expense account business class travel and catching up with the NL gang. For lack of a full line of American television and thanks to the marvel of hotel WiFi the blog is back in action.So yup at the request of my 'colleagues' I'm back in the Netherlands for a quick 2week stint to try and kick some ass and take some names. Thanks http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/The-Hague/blog-35975.html Well the European adventure is finally over and I'm back home in good 'ol Texas. I got back on Friday Oct 7th. It's been a couple of weeks so I figured I needed to close out the trip with at least a lil sumthin' sumthin' cuz nobody likes an unfinished story.My last week in the Netherlands was a blast. That Monday was the last quiz night so the shoarma pizza tasted extra good as did the sw http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/Houston/blog-24121.html Well not just yet but pretty soon. I threw some dates out earlier but nevermind cuz I booked my flight and unless my 'leaving do' that's European for 'going away party' gets ridiculously out of hand I'll be snuggled into my cushy business class seat on October 7th at 1030 AM Central European Time and bound for that good ol' IAH airport we all know and love.As I'm writing this that's a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-21239.html Ooh when it rains it pours. Almost 3 weeks without an entry and then WHAM 2 entries in one day. To quote Steve Martin from My Blue Heaven I amaze even myself.It's been an pubfilled adventure these past three days. Monday was by far the most successful quiz night to date. With only a team of 3 we took on two other teams twice our size and came away with a whopping margin of victory. A http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-19681.html Well no not really all cute single females under the age of 25 please disregard Katherine please disregard previous disregard but yeah...since my visit to the Moulin Rouge in Paris trip 2 I've had freakin' Lady Marmalade stuck in my head at all random times of the day and night right now being no exception.You'd think I'd be over it by now since it's been a whole week and I've had a f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-19384.html ....uh like lend me your ear so I can tell you about my trip Just a warning this one's a mofo kids. You better 'go' before you mentally 'leave the house' for Rome cuz I'm not stoppin this blog for any potty breaks ya hear Hope you can remember all this stuff...I could spring a pop quiz on this stuff at any time upon my return home which has now been decided as October 5th by the wayHo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-17843.html The monkey is off my back I finally got around to taking the big trip...Paris and Rome packed into a single week. Now I can get back to general weekend laziness and sleeping until ungodly hours of the midafternoonSo that I can light up both France and Italy on the little TravelBlog map and so that both you and I don't get totally bored with an epic blog entry I'll split the 'Big One' into tw http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-17757.html So I actually did start working on this entry on Tuesday but now I'm finally finishing up on the 8th.Just when I thought I was out the pull me back inYou know the movie...or at least you should if you want my respect. I thought I was about to give up on the blog but Rowzee says he and Amy like it and far be it from me to disappoint a fan So yeah Chris is in from Houston this week....j http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-15512.html Shell has an corporate level initiative called 'Diversity and Inclusiveness' which basically sets out to create an environment of understanding and respect for all the differences that make all our unique cultures great and easy to make fun of for that matter.In this spirity of Diversity and Inclusiveness and in the spirit of watching a pink and rainbowcolored spectacle Shruti and I headed o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-15911.html European life goes on...Alas another week. What have I been up to nowIt's Sunday...and I've been about as productive as usual which is not at all. What did I do you might ask Breakfast. That's it. Hey look I'm already resigned to the fact that I'll never solve world hunger or partake in any other significant acts of personal greatness so no point beating myself up about it I'll just http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-14632.html The answer Bust. The trip was doomed from the start We'd been talking about a weekend trip to Berlin for our gang but what should've been Eugene Jen Ross Louise Shruti and Brian whittled down to just Shruti and Brian buying lastminute train tickets to Berlin on Friday afternoon. Strike one. Of course last minute tickets cost about 3 times as much as the 58 Euro tickets you can get if y http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-14629.html Yeah I'm hurting. Huge bruises on the inside of both knees a sore shoulder and neck a scratch on my arm and possibly some mild after affects of blunt force head trauma. No Tanya Harding didn't put a hit out on me and no I didn't get sacked like Chris Simms at TXOU. I engaged in a much more brutal sport yesterday GoKarting. To celebrate Ben's 27th birthday a bunch of us met up at an a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-13988.html