Thailand

As much as I love Europe and Germany. I told myself I am not allowed to go back until I go to another country or continent. Thailand had always been at the top of my list. Ever since I went to massage school in 2004 I really wanted to study Thai massage in Thailand. My ex had lived in Thailand for 5 years and spoke Thai, so we talked about going together but that fell through. So I decided that I was tired of waiting. It was time to make it happen.

I watched about six movies on my flight from DC to South Korea where I had a layover and the movies had me pretty emotionally destabilized. From Seoul we connected to Bangkok and there I was in Thailand, after all these years. I exchanged some money, got a cab to the backpacker district on Khao San road. My room was spacious, basic and I got in around midnight after traveling for about 30 hours. I walked the crowded street got some pad thai and decided it was time for some sleep. That didn't happen because my room was directly across from a nightclub with the loudest music I have ever heard in my life. My nerves were shot and there was no escape. Earplugs, TV, nothing could block it out, so I just had to wait.
Luckily, a friend of mine Mark-who is half thai, who I hadn't seen in years just happened to be in Bangkok for the month working came to my hostel and rescued me. We spent the day in temples and took a boat ride and he took me back to his grandmothers house where I got my first experience of bathing from a bucket. The next day my friend Mark and his mom took me to get a traditional thai massage. Mark's mom could barely walk pre torture session.

This was the most painful massage I have ever had, but I was extremely grateful for the authentic experience. This was not a place that westerners find out about. Pure torture session. Afterwards and the rest of the trip I just soothed myself with incredible street food and accessible coffee.

Originally I was going to study massage in Bangkok, but the Universe was sending me messages to go north, so after about 4 days in massive, crazy Bangkok I took a tuk-tuk to the train station and trained it to the more managable Chiang Mai. The day long train ride was one of my favorite days. I kept meeting people who were traveling for long periods. I sat next to 18 year old girl from DC that was traveling for 6 months alone all over SE Asia. As much as I love roaming and traveling I can actually be a big baby about it. I love it but its hard for me.

This was Mark's favorite temple, right in the middle of a huge shopping area. Bangkok was a little too intense for me and having Mark help me around was an amazing coincidence. He's an awesome human being and his mom is too. They were kind enough to make me feel welcome in a foreign land while I was extremely jet lagged and out of sorts.

 My sisters friend found out I was in Thailand and told me about a school she does charity work for and suggested I could stop in and visit. It was right outside of Chiang Mai. So she introduced me to a thai friend that also happened to be a tourguide. I found a great place to stay in Chiang Mai, a hostel like villa with a pool and a cost of 10$ a night. Once in Chiang Mai, I started touristing out.

Elephant camp. Rode an elephant. Played darts with one and got a kiss.

Then it was off to the Tiger compound. Pretty sure those are some drug addicted Tigers. Beautiful nonetheless.

I actually don't really like being a tourist. I feel like such a dork.

One can still be regal even drugged up.

Next it was off to the hill tribe school. Mark told me to bring me candies. I played soccer and badmindton with the kids. It was a beautiful day. I would like to do more.

The kids were beautiful and happy.

How does Angelina Jolie do it? One day wore me out.

So many beautiful temples. Great, cheap food. Make friends with a Canadian at the eco resort who has been traveling for 3 months. Flower festival. 5$ daily massages. Did my thai massage course and basically got one on one instruction. Thai teacher was hilarious.

"its no problem mister J, you can do everything. You good but you lazy. You hairy like King Kong, you eat too many hot dogs. Its no problem, you can do everything"

If you say so!

Random man sleeping in the street market.

I was ready to leave Thailand. So much order, beauty, chaos and color. I got some good rest in Chiang Mai. My only regret is that I wish I had more people to share it with. So thats why I am sharing it now. :)

From Chiang Mai, I took a bus to Bangkok and flew to Australia. Sometimes dreams do come true and they are nothing like the fantasies you had of them. I didn't make it to the beaches or the other surrounding southeast Asian countries. Maybe next time.

 

Home sweet coffee shop

I love coffee shops and that culture is one of the things I like most about Austin. This is about the places I have experienced so far, really enjoy and why. When you spend as much time as I do in coffee shops, they become like a kind of home and as a homeless, wanderer,nomad-anyplace that feels like home is great. I also want to mention, I'm not a coffee connoiseur(more of a caffeine addict) by any means, there are people that can taste and detect berries and chocolates, etc. I'm not one of those people. I am an unsophisticated snob.

Thunderbird coffee was the first coffee shop I found in Austin. I visited in 2009 and played a tennis tournament and was staying nearby. When I moved to Austin some years later it was nice to make a landmark in my mind, since I didn't really know anyone in Austin, at least I knew some places. The espresso is excellent. Its bright and colorful inside and has outdoor seating. It's one of my favorite coffee shops of Austin and there are a plethora to choose from. They sell T-shirts with the logo which I have been tempted to buy on multiple occasions. Thunderbird has a very distinct smell, and all your clothes will smell like it. It smells something like coffee and toasted bread.

The next coffee shop I fell for happened when I moved to Austin. I stumbled upon it haphazardly and saw someone moving out of the apartments across the street so I called the number and sure enough a spot had just opened up. I have extremely little patience when it comes to looking for an apartment. So I ended up moving directly across the street. Flightpath is spacious and has the best barista in all of Austin(you know who you are).

 She runs that joint monday-friday. Even with all the space it still fills up and when I lived across the street it was my second home. Breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and sometimes pizza for dinner. It was ultra convenient and they serve a local Kombucha when you can't handle anymore caffeine. The coffee and espresso are really good and I love this place so much, it hurts me to say there are places which have espresso drinks that I prefer. It feels traitorous. Flightpath is number one in my shriveled heart.

Apparently this place wins the competition for best coffee drinks and I can understand why. Its good shit. There are a few locations, so I go when I can, but the downtown location hasn't been convenient to me and you have to pay for parking in that area. However if your down there and want an amazing espresso drink, this is the place. There cortado is as good as I have had. That's my snobby thing, to have a really excellent cortado with a pretty heart or leaf design. Is that too much to ask?

This is my new favorite coffee spot. Its located in south Austin and convenient to where I am staying. Has great cortados, but they aren't on the menu. Bagels are also excellent. Handful of baristas are all very knowledgable and friendly. The only downside is that it gets a bit cramped inside. On nice days they have a back patio amidst some incredible oaks.

Also in my top ten is Cenote. It's in the hip part of 6th street and the food and coffee are superb. They serve the local Cuvee brand. Its usually pretty packed inside and has nice outdoor seating, which part of it is currently being redone. Its also conveniently located across from the library. So you can really dork out there.

 

I have to mention another locale near Cenote on E 4th st. Its called the Coffee House and its a wholesale coffee place with great coffee for purchasing and also espresso machines galore. The reason I have to mention it is not because I hang out there or because they provide Austin with an enormous amount of coffee. Its because my friend C works there. I moved to Austin not knowing anybody, but it turns out that wasn't true. I ran into C at I love Video, another Austin institution my first few months here. C and I are from the same tiny town in Maryland and our parents go to the same church. We actually hung out a few times in high school and ate acid together. So it was a trip running into her and realizing how small this world is. She gave me a lovely tour. This place is definitely worth checking out, especially if you need an espresso machine, they have loads.

So these are my favorite spots in Austin. I will mention a few other great places. There is Mozart's on the water, which is a wonderful location great place to lounge and get your coffee shop on. Theres also a couple of spots located in strip malls. Trianon, which is off bee caves, which I discovered through joining a local writing group. A friend of mine told me about a cool place, Strange Brew, which is very unprententious and an all around cool space. Looks like it doesn't get too crowded there either, so if you need some quiet workspace during the day its very conducive for that.

So now you know if you are ever in Austin and need a great cup of coffee or are looking for a place to call home.If things ever get too bad you will always have somewhere you can go during the day. Please let me know other places I don't know about that you like.

 

Sydney

I had wanted to go to Australia since I was 12 or 13 and watched the Australian Open. I dreamed of being an exchange student there. Finally at the age of 31 I was realizing my dream. Melbourne was my first stop and of my 4 nights there, most of the time was spent recovering from food poisoning and to make matters worse, I tweaked my knee so walking around was nearly impossible, but that didn't stop me from hobbling around a few days and seeing as many sights as I could. By the end I was feeling a little better and it was off to Sydney.

Melbourne had a lot of cool graffiti and buildings, I would of liked to see more of it.

My new and dear friend Jhanna picked me up at the airport in Sydney. Although we had just met a few months earlier, we spent 2 months at Esalen, which can be like spending 10 year with somebody. She was nice enough to let me stay with her and show me around all the beaches like Bondi. Sydney is really a beautiful city with a high quality of life. The only downside really is that it is expensive! The biggest thing I can't get over about Australian culture is that they say, How you going? Instead of How's it going or How are you doing. The question stumps me everytime.

 

I was expecting brutally hot weather but its pretty pleasent most of the trip. After not knowing anyone for a few weeks, seeing Jhanna is like eating after being starving. Its so great to be around someone I know and care about. I am starting to mentally and physically prepare for a tennis tournament I signed up. I haven't played a tennis tournament in over 2 years, so I am rusty and nervous about my knee and lack of conditioning. The good news is I don't have any pressure on myself, the tournament coincided with the dates I got a flight, so I thought it was a great idea to play. Tournaments are always a great way to meet people. Speaking of meeting people I have one of those strange stories that just has to be mentioned. Funnily enough, Jhanna and I had been talking a lot about omens, signs and synchronicity and how we interpret them and do they have any meaning and if so, what is it?

So Jhanna had made dinner reservations for Valentines day for me and one of her close Aussie friends she wanted me to meet. Let me remind you, I don't really know anyone in Australia except for Jhanna who I met 2 months prior. So she dresses me up in a nice shirt and we go to Long grain, an upscale Thai restaurant. It turns out, that I do actually know someone else in Australia. Sort of.

Remember when I played that tennis competition in Cologne in 2010?(Deutschland blog entry) I had met Ross randomly there, he was staying in the same hotel as Daniel and I and I ran into him at the internet lounge area. I remember him telling me he had just been to Berlin and that he was a designer of some sort, furniture or something. So we all had a lovely dinner. Jhanna was flabbergasted, what were the chances? Did it have any further significance? I interpreted it that I should keep playing tennis! Afterwards we went to Ross's furniture and design store. The man is a genius. He creates sustainable furniture and accessories that are beautiful and great for the environment. His store was mind-blowing beautiful. I bought a journal. Afterwards we all went for some gelato in Bondi. It was a great Vali day. The next day my tournament was starting.

The tournament was in Olympic park, where they play the annual Sydney pro tournament and where they had the Olympics. Its a wonderful venue and they put my match in the stadium. I end up playing allright and winning my first match. I am happy and surprised, it feels good to be back playing a tournament, to have an adrenaline rush and to have a win.

The stadium may have been empty but my heart was full. What a great dream come true. My next match I lose to the overall winner and play a competitive match. I couldn't have asked for a better come back tournament.

This is the after tournament dinner. There were a few other fellow Americans playing and Tyrone, the one next to and behind me, made a really kind effort to take me under his wing and make me feel welcome. He let me hang out with his crew, found me housing during the tournament, fed me, got me some practice matches and hits, in addition to rides to and from the venue. So I can't thank him enough, he was also hosting another American and playing in the tournament and balancing his own private life. That's why I love the glta tour, its a great way to travel, meet people, and make friends. They were glad that by the end I had loosened up a little, and I couldn't imagine a better visit to Sydney.

 

Jhanna gave me a few books to read on my long flight home. I had discovered Bryce Courteney in Bangkok, by reading the Power of One. It was an amazing book. Apparently he had moved to Australia(hes from S. Africa) and wrote a handful of other books. She lent me April Fools Day and it destroyed me like only an unbelievable true story can.

 

Deutschland

I went to Germany for the first time in 2010. I visited Berlin and then went to play a tennis competition in Cologne. My trip to Berlin was brief and I fell fast and hard. It was one of those dreams of perfect timing. The weather was ideal and I had been meditating a lot, so my perceptions were open.  I rented a bike and cruised around the city, wanting to take in as much as possible.  I stayed in a hostel in Mitte. The architecture is a mix of old and new, art is everywhere and it's so clean its practically sparkling.

I think this translates to We all remained.  

I was cruising through the city one afternoon and was planning to go to the Zoo or a Frida exhibit when suddenly I found myself in an open square, you see this a lot in European cities, however this square was different as it had abstract slabs of different sizes and shapes. I was magnetized toward it, as I didn't know what it was. As I got closer the strangest thing happened to me, I felt a wave of energy hit me and then I started crying for no apparent reason, so I was very curious now.  What was this strange square with all the shapes.

 

It turned out that it was a Holocaust memorial. I had been to memorials in the States before and never had this reaction. There was a museum underneath that I spent some time in and it further destabilized me. It's hard to wrap my brain around, that this city just not too long ago was decimated and now is thriving and beautiful. I feel the same way about Germany, whatever dark periods in their history, their society has moved forward, learned its lessons and is now one of the most compassionate, intelligent places on the planet. 

In the Tiergarten, an artist has made an exhibition which I love. He has collected 5 gigantic stones from 5 continents. Each one symbolizing something. Europe(awakening) Africa(hope) Asia(forgiveness) America(love) Australia(Peace). Its a strong statement for world peace and the artists life work, as he sailed to all these places and brought these stones back, is truly incredible.

So this was my first trip to Berlin. The past, present and future are all swirling around me. I want Berlin to be my future. I think if Berlin can make something beautiful out of what was lost and destroyed than so can I.

I trained it to Cologne next and got to connect with some of my tennis friends. Cologne was so much fun. They really know how to live in Cologne, its very earthy.  Usually I don't drink, however, I had been strict long enough, so after tennis was over, I let myself go.

This is my good friend from Miami, representing Mexico. We trained a lot together.

This is the magnificent cathedral of Cologne, its central to the city and wasn't destroyed during the war. I think that's where nightcrawler lives.

Thats me and one of my favorite people on the planet, Daniel. My Asian doppelganger. We are actually very different but we both play 2 hands on 2 sides, maybe thats why we always lose. I don't mind losing because I have so much fun with D- and I love him like a brother. We lost 1st round, but I made it to the quarters in singles.

 

The next summer I am headed back to Berlin. I have a longer stay this time. 2 weeks and I sign up for German classes. Its only 2 weeks but I am kind of dipping my toe in. I arrive in the city and its cold and rainy.

 

I train it to Alexanderplatz and walk to Prenzlauer Berg where I have housing through the German school I am attending briefly, GLS. My host is a writer who chainsmokes and speaks perfect English like most Germans. He is very helpful, he is willing to practice with me, but 2 weeks isn't a very long time to learn a very complex language and I can't get past, Wie geht's oder

Welcher sprachen sprigst Du?

How many times can you ask someone how they are or how many languages they speak.

He lives in an old building with high ceilings and huge doorways. He asks me if his apartment disgusts me. I am too polite to say yes. He tells me of his dreams to go back to Africa and invest his money into making crops and helping the economy there. Clearly he is a good person and I like him, I just can't breath in his apartment, its only 2 weeks and forces me to get out and explore.

 

The neighborhood is very convenient, I can walk to class, walk to Alexanderplatz, Mitte.

 My class is extremely international, people from all over. Denmark. Canada. Israel. Spain. Egypt. USA. Its a great place and way to meet people. Our German teachers are so sweet, Meike and Katarina. They are very patient as we butcher. I feel like I am back in high school and full of anxiety and anti-social behavior.

Learning German for 2 weeks is exhausting and although I want to learn the language, I know its not going to be easy. I become friendly with a Turkish lad(Berlin has a huge Turkish population) who works at an internet cafe. He offers me encouragement and good advice.

"You have to talk with ze German people"

I know he's right but this is not the Berlin I remember from a year ago. I am in a different place. Berlin has lost its magic and I feel very lonely. There is so much I love about Berlin, I am just not ready to be there long term. vielleicht später(maybe later).

 

 After 2 weeks, I am ready to leave. I know learning German is going to take some serious commitment, time and energy. I know I can do it and I want to.

I realize that trip that becoming a German citizen is too much of a struggle, maybe I can spend summers there, when the weather is pleasant and I can learn to Sprechen sie Deutsch at my own pace,  write, and bike around the city. Sounds like a dream to me.

Austin affects

This is my 9th month in Austin over the last 2 years. So this blog is like giving birth to my Austin baby. This is longest I have spent anywhere since I left Miami, so I guess it's home. When people ask me, where's home base? I am stumped.

I decided for my 30^th birthday I would move to Austin Texas where I don’t know anyone. A fresh start. I get a place for January, a little cottage through craigslist. I wrote down the wrong address, so I think I was scammed when I arrive, but eventually I figure out where my cottage is and I have to climb the fence to get to it, as I am doing so a young woman walks by, I tell her that I am not a criminal, that I rented this place but they locked the gate, she agrees with me, that I am not a criminal and that is the only way to get in.
One month in Austin isn't enough for me, so I got a 6 month lease here.  

 

Its right across from Flightpath, a cool coffee shop in the Hyde Park neighborhood. I stumble out of bed every morning and hang out across the street. Flighpath has the best barista in Austin, maybe anywhere, we get to know each other through that few minute window of daily coffee ordering, she's from Detroit and she runs the shit out of that joint.
If Austin were a person, he would be a young, friendly dude. Easy going, openminded, plays the guitar, smokes pot, has a dog, well educated and easy to be around. I am pretty sure cities have genders.
 Moving here was spontaneous, unexpected. I was just in the process of finishing a rough draft of my first book, basically a kind of bi-polar memoir and it was very serious and drudged up all kinds of stories and feelings from the past. I didn't want to think about my past anymore. I wanted to do something fun, I wanted to sing, write songs and learn to make music, so that's what led me to Austin.
I buy a guitar in Austin, take a few lessons and just start teaching myself through the internet, it's not that hard, it just takes time. The first song I can officially play is called Florida by Patty Griffin. It's hard to explain the role Patty or her music has had in my life, but one day I will try. Just yesterday I got to see her live at Waterloo records. Wow! She was the real deal. With people like Patty, I used to obsess over and put on a pedestal. Now things have changed, I am more into my own life and my own process. These people that are so great and have achieved something, I still respect and appreciate a ton, its just that I no longer see them as different from myself, which I used to do. Having this poverty mentality of them being extraordinary and me needing them to help me like I am some begger.

I start to get antsy by the summertime, so I take a roadtrip out to California. Pass through Big Bend.

Big Bend is barren and has a stark beauty and I am alone and listen to a Grimes song, Oblivion on repeat. I wish I could share this with someone. After leaving Big Bend, I drive for maybe 5 hours without seeing a single soul. I am hoping with all my heart that my car doesn't break down. It doesn't and I drive through El Paso and Jaurez is on the left. This is one of the most unique places in the US to drive through or witness. Mexico is on the left, a huge wall, border patrol everywhere, America on the right. El Paso. I just drive through because I am anxious to get to Phoenix where I have accommodation. The city of Juarez and the amount of border patrol haunt me.

Madam I'm Adam

Hi, my name is Adam and I am a nomad among other things and this is my new blog. Adam is actually my middle name and in the spirit of something new and change, I wanted to go by a new name. I have to say this is always a struggle, to try and put myself out there and explain who I am.

Cancer napkin

I hadn’t seen her since we worked in downtown Frederick together. We met at Tauraso’s, when I was 18 and trying to get out of Frederick, desperately and fast. I asked her what her story was as she stood by the focaccia. She was on the older side to be starting her career as a waitress. She had white hair and translucent skin that was borderline albino. She was a Midwest gal, grieving the loss of her parents and wanting to keep busy.

I had moved to Miami and was back visiting eight years later and my dad told me he saw my old friend Alice working at the Starbucks off 85. The next day I stopped by for a frappuchino and she was in the coffee shop version of the “weeds”.  She didn’t  have time for eye contact but she did manage to scribble something on a napkin and hand it to me along with the verbal instruction to open it once I was outside.

I obeyed and could barely handle the suspense, why couldn’t I open it inside? I was sucking down on that frappuchino when I opened it. There were two things written inside. Her phone number. This statement.

I have cancer.

Alice and I had been through a lot together and I had spent a good amount of time with her since my pattern of befriending women over 50 was becoming well established. From listening to her over the years, I gathered she was a photographer for Frank Lloyd Wright,  was meant to be married to her first love who tragically ended his own life right before the wedding and her passion of sailboating had to be stopped due to her incredibly mid west whiteness. When we worked at Tauraso’s she repeatedly would tell me of the home she was looking for in Scotland to retire in.

Scotland?Great! When can I visit?

I was sure she was going to get out of Frederick first and live out my ex patriot dreams. However, things never seemed to materialize with Alice. She promised me over 10 times she would take my pictures but she always cancelled because the light wasn’t right. She was convinced I should be a model and if it would get me out of Frederick faster, I would have done more than model for her.

Now, she was a Starbucks barista passing out cancer napkins to friends she hadn’t seen in awhile. I was on my way to the airport and I must of had to blow my nose, because I lost the napkin before I ever got the chance to call and console her. You give someone your number and a cancer confession and the least you expect is a phone call. There has to be a better way to come out of the cancer closet. I tried calling Starbucks to get her number but they wouldn’t give it to me.  It was hopeless trying to explain. She has cancer and she gave me a napkin with her number on it, but I lost it, can’t you bend the rules? This is cancer we are talking about.

A few years later and I was back in Frederick, getting some coffee at the Starbucks downtown and I ran into her.

Hey Alice! How’s the cancer? She started the conversation there, so I figured it was appropriate to continue it.

It’s in remission.

Oh, that’s great, what are doing with yourself?

She told me she was working across the street at Acacia and that she was late and she couldn’t talk.

I said, oh ok-I will come and see you so we can catch up. Hey what happened to Scotland, I managed as she was walking out the door.

I got Cancer!

Alice waited on me at Acacia, I filled her in on the last years. Told her I finished my first book, she said she wanted to buy a copy. I told her I would let her read it if she gave me feedback. So we set up a time to meet the next day or so, and I never saw her again because she got food poisoning.

Despite all the uncertainty of our friendship, Alice was a good friend, she listened and was there for me in bad moments of my life. We worked at Tauraso’s together and she got me a job at Venuti’s when I was going through my most severe depression. Having a glass of wine after a long shift with her seemed to make the days go by easier. She was peculiar, my friend and I am still waiting for my photoshoot, whatever else the case may be, I am sure of this.
She was a trendsetter.

I am pretty sure one day cancer napkins will be all the rage.