You know...I love Puerto Rico. The weather is great. The scenery is great. The people are great. For me it's a little piece of Heaven. If I lived there though I would be located in either Ponce or maybe Rincon. More laid back, not so touristo. Although Mick lives in San Juan, it's a bit too much.
But can there be a better place to Salsa than in San Juan? No way.
Plus there's always the challenge of figuring out how to drive through the mountains.
I'll say this though: They don't speak Spanish down there. They speak "Spanglish!" Not that I can understand either.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Lost in the Cordillera...
Saturday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Came down a couple days ago to visit Mick, my son. He works days, so we only see each other after 7 PM when he gets off work. My nephew, Scotty, is with me. We rented a car today to cruise the island. Drove west a couple hours to Rincon, a beautiful artsy kind of town on the west coast. I went snorkelling at a beach called the Steps. It's an off-the-beaten-path kind of place. The reef is only a few feet deep, starting at the water's edge. Which is it's biggest problem. The ease of access has just about killed it. The once glorious Staghorn coral is all but gone. What skeletal remains still standing are covered by some almost cancerous type of growth. Aside from a few Brain Coral and some reef fish, the area is dead. If you consider a coral reef to be a single organism, this is a hell of a thing to have killed due to it being loved too much. I saw much of the same thing in the Red Sea. It's clear we are killing at least the shallower reefs. I'm glad I got to see some relatively healthy reefs back in the 70's.
Anyway, I always wanted to go up into the Puerto Rican mountains, which form the backbone of the island. This range is called the Cordillera. So after some searching and wrong turns I found a route up to the mountain ridge. Well, I must have been wearing my bad decision pants, because it turned out to be just that. After a hair-raising climb on a pretty narrow road we reached the top of the ridge. I've never seen a road with so many twists and turns. Somehow I must have got off course, because the road was no wider than a bike path in some locations. And I'd swear we were climbing at a 45 degree angle in places. But, even though we were clearly lost and NOT making good time, we knew something was up when we passed the same dog twice. Only he was laying on the opposite side of the road in front of an identical house with an identical couch we had passed 30 minutes earlier. After some dead reckoning we found a route down off the ridge toward what we hoped was civilization. Because I was getting concerned about running out of gas I put the car in Neutral as we coasted down. I went over three miles before I had to use the accelerator. When we arrived in the town of Yuaco I realized that for almost two hours driving we had made only about 10 miles of forward progress! But, for a while there I felt like I was flying a World War II fighter plane.
So we were late getting back to San Juan. But, all's well that ends well. Had a good dinner with Mick and got him safely home by 11:30. It's Saturday night and the natives are coming out to party. The prime party spot in PR is the Wyndham El San Juan Hotel, right across from my humble hotel. The traffic is unbelieveable. But, the fashions are even MORE unbelieveable. Yikes! Muy Caliente! 'nuf said.
Anyway, I always wanted to go up into the Puerto Rican mountains, which form the backbone of the island. This range is called the Cordillera. So after some searching and wrong turns I found a route up to the mountain ridge. Well, I must have been wearing my bad decision pants, because it turned out to be just that. After a hair-raising climb on a pretty narrow road we reached the top of the ridge. I've never seen a road with so many twists and turns. Somehow I must have got off course, because the road was no wider than a bike path in some locations. And I'd swear we were climbing at a 45 degree angle in places. But, even though we were clearly lost and NOT making good time, we knew something was up when we passed the same dog twice. Only he was laying on the opposite side of the road in front of an identical house with an identical couch we had passed 30 minutes earlier. After some dead reckoning we found a route down off the ridge toward what we hoped was civilization. Because I was getting concerned about running out of gas I put the car in Neutral as we coasted down. I went over three miles before I had to use the accelerator. When we arrived in the town of Yuaco I realized that for almost two hours driving we had made only about 10 miles of forward progress! But, for a while there I felt like I was flying a World War II fighter plane.
So we were late getting back to San Juan. But, all's well that ends well. Had a good dinner with Mick and got him safely home by 11:30. It's Saturday night and the natives are coming out to party. The prime party spot in PR is the Wyndham El San Juan Hotel, right across from my humble hotel. The traffic is unbelieveable. But, the fashions are even MORE unbelieveable. Yikes! Muy Caliente! 'nuf said.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Monday, March 21, 2005
My Letter of Resignation
March 21,2005
XXXXX X XXXXXXX
XXXXX College
75 College Avenue
XXXXXXXXXX,XX 07734
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX:
Time and tide have brought me to these unfamiliar shores. As you well know, with the death of Jan, my life has undergone and continues to undergo profound changes. The support of the Administration, Faculty and Staff throughout her illness and following her passing has been a great source of comfort for me. For that I will always be grateful.
But, at this point I find I am drawn in a different direction. Consequently I am submitting my resignation, effective the end of the 2005 Academic Year.
I will always be indebted to you and to XXXXX College for the wonderful opportunity afforded me. These past three-plus years have truly been a life changing experience. I thank you for that.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Wigal
CC: XXXX XXXXXX, Director of Admissions
Human Resources
XXXXX X XXXXXXX
XXXXX College
75 College Avenue
XXXXXXXXXX,XX 07734
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX:
Time and tide have brought me to these unfamiliar shores. As you well know, with the death of Jan, my life has undergone and continues to undergo profound changes. The support of the Administration, Faculty and Staff throughout her illness and following her passing has been a great source of comfort for me. For that I will always be grateful.
But, at this point I find I am drawn in a different direction. Consequently I am submitting my resignation, effective the end of the 2005 Academic Year.
I will always be indebted to you and to XXXXX College for the wonderful opportunity afforded me. These past three-plus years have truly been a life changing experience. I thank you for that.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Wigal
CC: XXXX XXXXXX, Director of Admissions
Human Resources
It's Done
Well, I cut my ties, sort of. I will cease my employment at the end of May. Even then they are willing, at least in theory, to have me do some work on a contractual basis. Hey, OK by me. If the work is interesting I'm interested. If not, I'll take a pass.
Have already gotten a couple possibly intriguing offers. I'm not jumping on anything yet. First, I have until the end of May and after that I have lots of travel plans, so for now I'm keeping my powder dry, so to speak.
I'll post the resignation letter tonight.
For now I feel pretty good. There were some tears, mine and theirs. But many congratulations too. I'll just have to get used to it.
Otherwise I think I'll post a picture of my new friend I've met.
Have already gotten a couple possibly intriguing offers. I'm not jumping on anything yet. First, I have until the end of May and after that I have lots of travel plans, so for now I'm keeping my powder dry, so to speak.
I'll post the resignation letter tonight.
For now I feel pretty good. There were some tears, mine and theirs. But many congratulations too. I'll just have to get used to it.
Otherwise I think I'll post a picture of my new friend I've met.
Lock and Load...
I've spent the weekend mulling over my decision to resign from my job. I am committed. Or maybe I should be committed. It goes against our mind-sets to quit a job without some definite other employment to jump to. We are ingrained to be at work. When we meet someone new one of the first things we ask and are asked is "so, what kind of work do you do?" It's largely how we define ourselves.
So, I am stepping away from that. It's a little like stepping off the edge of a cliff into the unknown. But, it is something I must do. After Jan's passing I find the daily grind to be just that. By the time I get home in the evening, take care of the dog and get a bite to eat, I'm beat. There's little to no time for anything else. I want to be free to explore the other possibilities in life. I have many travel plans for this summer. Some possibly interesting employment (part-time) possibilities. I'm on the Board of Directors of the local Crisis Intervention center. They always want me to increase my volunteer hours from the current "nothing" to "something."
Financially I'm OK. So if I chose employment or ANYTHING it will be strictly because it is interesting to me.
So tonight I'm nervous. It's still a helluva thing to do. But I know it is the right thing for me to do.
More tomorrow.........................
So, I am stepping away from that. It's a little like stepping off the edge of a cliff into the unknown. But, it is something I must do. After Jan's passing I find the daily grind to be just that. By the time I get home in the evening, take care of the dog and get a bite to eat, I'm beat. There's little to no time for anything else. I want to be free to explore the other possibilities in life. I have many travel plans for this summer. Some possibly interesting employment (part-time) possibilities. I'm on the Board of Directors of the local Crisis Intervention center. They always want me to increase my volunteer hours from the current "nothing" to "something."
Financially I'm OK. So if I chose employment or ANYTHING it will be strictly because it is interesting to me.
So tonight I'm nervous. It's still a helluva thing to do. But I know it is the right thing for me to do.
More tomorrow.........................
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Home is the Hunter, home from the hills.....
Arrived in the 'Burgh around midnight last night. Stayed at the airport Hyatt (one last night in a hotel). Picked up the dog and finally got back to my house this afternoon. She (the dog) is pissed at me I think. And why not? Seven weeks away from her. I'm not sure she even remembers who I am.
But I wish to thank all those whose very presence during the trip made it memorable.
To Saad, Jennifer and Michelle (Taiwan), Wendy, George, Katherine, Usha, The Big "A", the singing Mr. Gupte, Joseph (special thanks), Boyd, Jason, Nasser, Hani, Rashid, John, Arvind, Peter, Miro, Silma, Ani, Bahar, Richard, Paul, Jennifer (Not from Taiwan), Eva, and anyone else whose name slips my brain right now, strictly due to jetlag, I assure you, I thank you all for enriching my life these past few weeks.
To Eddie, Mary, Betsy, Lynn and me Mum, thanks for keeping e-tabs on me during the trip.
In Mike's perfect world we all be together always.
On the other hand, to the SOB at the Emirate's counter in Delhi, who shook me down for 156 bucks (after I talked him down from $200!) for "excess baggage", I'll see you in Hell. If only I believed in Hell.
I know, I know... That's not the Buddhist philosophy. Hey, it's a work in progress.
But I wish to thank all those whose very presence during the trip made it memorable.
To Saad, Jennifer and Michelle (Taiwan), Wendy, George, Katherine, Usha, The Big "A", the singing Mr. Gupte, Joseph (special thanks), Boyd, Jason, Nasser, Hani, Rashid, John, Arvind, Peter, Miro, Silma, Ani, Bahar, Richard, Paul, Jennifer (Not from Taiwan), Eva, and anyone else whose name slips my brain right now, strictly due to jetlag, I assure you, I thank you all for enriching my life these past few weeks.
To Eddie, Mary, Betsy, Lynn and me Mum, thanks for keeping e-tabs on me during the trip.
In Mike's perfect world we all be together always.
On the other hand, to the SOB at the Emirate's counter in Delhi, who shook me down for 156 bucks (after I talked him down from $200!) for "excess baggage", I'll see you in Hell. If only I believed in Hell.
I know, I know... That's not the Buddhist philosophy. Hey, it's a work in progress.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Last Thoughts on Sofia (Bulgaria, not Loren)
Yeah, I know Sophia Loren-Sofia, Bulgaria. Both still good looking gals even in old age.
I have often thought and said places like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were in the 12th and 21st Centuries simultaneously. Camels pulling wagons loaded with computers.
Here in Sofia I think it is more like the 20th and 21st Centuries. To wit, the tributes to Sovietsky automotive genius: the Lada and Trabants. These cars are all over the place here. I also rode in a few Lada taxis in Baku, Azerbaijan (another former Soviet state). I believe it is safe to say these cars fit the classic definition of "Pieces of Shit" the moment they rolled off the assembly line.
Yet, they are still here. The Soviet Union is gone. Kruschev, Stalin, Lenin, all those nameless, faceless guys of the Politburo in Red Square...Gone. Their statues and busts all melted down for...plowshares? Mobile phones? Guard rails?
I think Lada and Trabant owners here take a perverse pride in maintaining these cars. Some of them look pretty good. Not GOOD. Just pretty good.
The only things Soviet you can find here now are the knock-off whiskey flasks sold to tourists in the flea market on the square outside St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox church. The quality of these far exceeds anything the Soviets ever made. Also you can get tons of "antique" Nazi memorabilia. More feux German/Nazi artifacts than the actual Nazi's made in their 12 year reign.
So thus endeth my 47 day world tour. This time tomorrow I'll be back in a strange place I have called my home. Thomas Paine said "I'm a citizen of the World. My religion is to do good." I like that sentiment.
One last thing, I was scanning through the TV channels the other night and much to my surprise I came across a station showing full-blown (Pun intended) porn. No soft core. This was the real McCoyievich. I thought I had inadvertently hit a pay TV thing on the remote, like in some hotels. But, nope. Regular channel.
And yet, they have no weather channel...
Some things just don't make sense.
I have often thought and said places like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were in the 12th and 21st Centuries simultaneously. Camels pulling wagons loaded with computers.
Here in Sofia I think it is more like the 20th and 21st Centuries. To wit, the tributes to Sovietsky automotive genius: the Lada and Trabants. These cars are all over the place here. I also rode in a few Lada taxis in Baku, Azerbaijan (another former Soviet state). I believe it is safe to say these cars fit the classic definition of "Pieces of Shit" the moment they rolled off the assembly line.
Yet, they are still here. The Soviet Union is gone. Kruschev, Stalin, Lenin, all those nameless, faceless guys of the Politburo in Red Square...Gone. Their statues and busts all melted down for...plowshares? Mobile phones? Guard rails?
I think Lada and Trabant owners here take a perverse pride in maintaining these cars. Some of them look pretty good. Not GOOD. Just pretty good.
The only things Soviet you can find here now are the knock-off whiskey flasks sold to tourists in the flea market on the square outside St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox church. The quality of these far exceeds anything the Soviets ever made. Also you can get tons of "antique" Nazi memorabilia. More feux German/Nazi artifacts than the actual Nazi's made in their 12 year reign.
So thus endeth my 47 day world tour. This time tomorrow I'll be back in a strange place I have called my home. Thomas Paine said "I'm a citizen of the World. My religion is to do good." I like that sentiment.
One last thing, I was scanning through the TV channels the other night and much to my surprise I came across a station showing full-blown (Pun intended) porn. No soft core. This was the real McCoyievich. I thought I had inadvertently hit a pay TV thing on the remote, like in some hotels. But, nope. Regular channel.
And yet, they have no weather channel...
Some things just don't make sense.
Monday, March 14, 2005
This Be We
The aura of my first dive in the Red Sea is still with me. Hani has invited me to Cairo to try the depths on the other side of the lake.
This Be Hani
In the interest of full disclosure, minutes before we jumped in I told Hani it was my first dive in 28 years.
He took the news like a champ, although I know he was concerned. But, once I was in the drink it was like old times. We only went down 18 meters and the reef wall was very nice.
He took the news like a champ, although I know he was concerned. But, once I was in the drink it was like old times. We only went down 18 meters and the reef wall was very nice.
This Be Me
I had an old PADI certification card from 1973! I think my last dive was in about '77 or '78. I thought the dive shop guy wasn't going to buy it, but I talked a good game and so my long scuba drought came to an end.
The morning after...
Well, after a short night's sleep (the only kind I know) I've re-read my first posting. It's OK. Still learning to negotiate this website. Can't quite get how to post my photo, but it'll come.
It's 0 degrees outside (Celsius). Think I'll go for a run. I try to keep up with my fitness as best I can.
It's 0 degrees outside (Celsius). Think I'll go for a run. I try to keep up with my fitness as best I can.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
The Start of the Best of what's Left
My first ever blog post. I'm sitting in Sofia, Bulgaria. Winding down from a 47 day around-the-world trek as an International Student Recruiter for a small, private liberal arts college in the US. It has been an exhilarating, exhausting, depressing, exciting, tremendous experience. I climbed on the Great Wall of China, visited the Taj Mahal, and scubaed in the Red Sea (First dive in 27 years!) Along the way I also did some damn good work for my college.
But, I have also come to a realization. Following the death of my wife of 25 years last September I have the rare unsought, unasked for opportunity to do something else. I have determined to resign from a job I've loved and seek a new life for myself.
I've always felt when we get too ensconced in our comfort zone we begin to shrink emotionally and intellectually. Only by pushing the edges of our comfort zones do we achieve real personal growth. Who knows where this will lead? I have some ideas of what I would like to do in the rest of this existence. But, I will leave all that for later. For now, it's enough just to make my initial statement and get started.
I hope this all doesn't sound too inane in the morning. I've had a long day and maybe a tad too much wine, but I've been mulling this over for a few days and so here it goes...
But, I have also come to a realization. Following the death of my wife of 25 years last September I have the rare unsought, unasked for opportunity to do something else. I have determined to resign from a job I've loved and seek a new life for myself.
I've always felt when we get too ensconced in our comfort zone we begin to shrink emotionally and intellectually. Only by pushing the edges of our comfort zones do we achieve real personal growth. Who knows where this will lead? I have some ideas of what I would like to do in the rest of this existence. But, I will leave all that for later. For now, it's enough just to make my initial statement and get started.
I hope this all doesn't sound too inane in the morning. I've had a long day and maybe a tad too much wine, but I've been mulling this over for a few days and so here it goes...
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