(March 26 through March 29) After winter quarter was over, I decided to drive down to San Francisco from Portland to relax and sightsee before leaving for Colombia. The ten-hour drive is spectacular. The mountain ranges are beautiful and the scenes are breathtaking. Southern Oregon and Northern California are beautiful. I arrived into San Francisco late Thursday night. Driving into San Francisco is amazing. The nightscapes of downtown lit up are spectacular. I arrived into the Excelsior neighborhood of San Francisco where my friend Daisy lives. Daisy and I worked together in Mexico fi [View Full Entry]

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It was a shame that I didn't get to spend Christmas time with my family this year. However, Shanghai had plenty of the Season's spirit. Everywhere one turned Santa's big smile was there to greet you, or drawn "Merry Christmas" signs on windows were at every other store. Even street vendors set up shop to sell all types of Christmas merchandise. The shame was that even with all this spirit, Felipe and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in an empty bar in Suzhou because there were no trains to Xian--though Ivy, the bartender, did provide good conversation with her [View Full Entry]

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One of the sections of the wall opened for tourists is located two hours northeast of Beijing. The Simatai section is beautiful. The views seen cannot be described by words. I am hoping some of the pictures will show the beauty. Felipe, Alex, and I left the hostel at about 6:30am. The hostel in Beijing set up the transportation, hike, and meals. Though the price quoted to us did not include the two entry fees, it was still worth the hike. Leaving the capital while still dark, I took short naps here and there whenever Alex decided not to wake me [View Full Entry]

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What a wonderful time we had in Beijing. Over a week of exploring the capital, and its surroundings, was great. We stayed at the Sulitun International Hostel (near the Worker's Stadium) in the northeast side of the city within walking distance of the Dozhimen subway station. Arriving early evening in the city, the first stop was a delicious dinner at a local restaurant that was fit for five or six people. It was eaten--and finished--by my brother and I. Large plates of Chinese brocolli, stir-fried vegetables, and pork were devoured with cold (but not great) beer. The evening was spen [View Full Entry]

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Well, the year has had its ups and downs. The city of Portland (and the most of the state of Oregon) is wonderful with lots to do and see (and drink). Living in Beaverton for most of the time really didn't help me get into the atmosphere; but, once in Portland, you feel why the city is one of the best in the country. Grad school has definitely been a great experience. I have learned things that I would not have imagined, and I have had the opportunity to go to Colombia to do fieldwork with the grant money that I [View Full Entry]

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BOGOTA Bogota has plenty to offer. The city center is beautiful, and walking throughout is easy and relatively safe--just "no de papaya" and you will be fine (in other words use common sense). The Plaza Bolivar is a beautiful spot for travellers and tourists alike: the Prima Catedral, el Palacio Narino, the Bolivar Monument, the Palacio de Justicia, and other government buildings can be found here. Around the area, one can find a number of museums. I visited some of them last year--Casa de Botero, Casa de la Moneda. Others, like the Police Museum, are close by. Tran [View Full Entry]

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(August 30, 2007 through September 9, 2007) This time upon arriving to Medellin, I took the 'colectivo,' a mini-bus, which only costs 5,500 pesos. You can find the 'colectivo' once you step outside of the airport, and a blue sign with a bus is visible. Mostly business people were on board, only with two foreign couples, the ride was quiet and I had a chance to view the scenery that the road provides. The 'colectivo' drops the passengers off in front of Hotel Nutibara, right in the middle of downtown. The area is shady and full of people asking for money, [View Full Entry]

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(August 22, 2007 through August 30, 2007) I left midday for Bogotá on Wednesday August 22; the plane ride of under thirty minutes was not even long enough for me to get a nice nap before meeting up with Janneth and her family. Earlier I woke up feeling sick not only with a stomach ache, but also with cold like symptoms. Apparently, most of the members at my sister's household also woke up with the same symptoms. The problem was blamed on eating lentils, with pork, too late the night before. Whatever the reason may have been, I had a continuous [View Full Entry]

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(August 13, 2007 through August 22, 2007) Though when leaving Cancun I was sad, an indescribable feeling came over me. I was now on my way to Medellin, a city that I had not stepped on since I was eight, when my family migrated to the United States. A mixture of happiness, nostalgia, anxiousness, excitement, and concern came over me; something that I had not felt before, and I certainly did not know how to comport myself. Using my Colombian passport for the first time since I left the country, I was extremely nervous when handing it over to the migration [View Full Entry]

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(August 1, 2007-August 6, 2007) My third time in Cuernavaca, three years after I had first stepped in the land of tequila, as my friend Kozme calls it, we ended up doing the same thing we did the last time; I am not complaining. The group--Janneth, Lucia, Elkin, and I--arrived into Jiutepec on Wednesday, where Adrian lives, just before midnight. Adrian and Bere were waiting for us with plenty of beer, and we brought plenty of rum. The first night was exactly the same as the first night I was there two years earlier. We talked, drank, and remembered good times. [View Full Entry]

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