On The Globe Again

China-Bound

ontheglobe — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:39:32 +0000

Not having left North America for over a year, my feet were getting terribly itchy. So I decided to get out to China for a few weeks. I’ve always wanted to climb in a beautiful place called Yangshuo. The plan is to fly in to Hong Kong, then head to Guilin and Yangshuo for some climbing, and finally visit [...]

A New Year

ontheglobe — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:48:29 +0000

I can’t say I’m sorry to see 2011 go. It was a quiet one for the blog, as well, and I’m hoping to do better with it this year. However, even for a “bad” year, it was still pretty damn good! Here are some highlights. Slideshow: Best of 2011 And now, bring on 2012! :)

Footie and Nationalism

ontheglobe — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:09:54 +0000

I love the World Cup. The earth’s energy goes up a notch. It’s so much fun to see people from all walks of life get so very excited – all over the world, over a (mostly) harmless game. It’s a time when citizens of different countries, each with their own internal problems, can bond as [...]

Video: Marathon de Paris

ontheglobe — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:37:10 +0000

My friend Beth and I decided to go on a “long-ish” run together in April. Our chosen weekend just happened to coincide with the Marathon de Paris! So we decided to go run alongside them for a while, to cheer the runners on. We started somewhere between kms 27-28, and just couldn’t stop. We ran [...]

Video: Hitting L’Haute Savoie

ontheglobe — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:44:58 +0000

This leetle video is low in image quality but pretty much embodies what I love about life. I spent a weekend with friends in the Haute Savoie back in March, and had a fantastic time. Finally got the video up – here you go!

How to Lose a Wallet

ontheglobe — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:43:47 +0000

Any traveler of any kind, even one who just goes to a neighboring city, is at risk of being stranded by losing a single, small item. You guessed it (was it the title of the post that gave it away?) – the wallet. Too often we put all of our most important items in a [...]

Update on Stef & Eamonn’s Wedding

ontheglobe — Sun, 30 May 2010 08:11:29 +0000

For those of you who are just dying to know how my friends fared after the Eyjafjallajökull fiasco, they did indeed make it to their lovely wedding in Ireland (via boat and trains from London), as did most guests. There were unfortunately some loved ones missing from the states, including the bride’s brother, sister-in-law, and [...]

Everything has been Eyjafjallajokulled

ontheglobe — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:08:46 +0000

Sigh. Every day I am hearing more and more stories about people close to me affected by the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. I have friends stuck in Jordan, Sydney, Seattle, Singapore, and the UK. Some are happy – extended holidays! Hooray! But the glum, I feel for the glum. One friend might lose his job. Two friends are getting married [...]

Fire in Paris

ontheglobe — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:31:36 +0000

Just a few weeks ago, I posted a blurb about missing a great shot of firefighters. I didn’t think I’d get a chance to see them up close again. Well, last night I got real close. I left work and began walking toward the climbing gym for a standard, non-St-Paddy’s evening, when I noticed a [...]

Verona, Italy

ontheglobe — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:51:42 +0000

I did a quick weekend trip over to Verona, Italy, where my parents are staying for a few months. This travel thing kinda runs in the family. ;) Full slideshow here. Verona is a cute town, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, nestled in the sharp bend of the Adige river. It is most famous [...]

Thoughts on growing old

ontheglobe — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:40:10 +0000

Recently, I read an article written by an elderly woman which I found sweetly moving. She discusses what it’s like to age, and says that happiness in the later years is based a lot on luck, and a lot on attitude. Food for thought. I’ve often wondered at the different ways to age… to either [...]

Best tourist shot ever, and I missed it

ontheglobe — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:40:40 +0000

Just seen: a group of firefighters with incredibly shiny gold helmets and two bright fire trucks congregating around a building. Next door: a couple nonchalantly sips drinks in the window, obliviously looking into each others’ eyes and down into their straws while firefighters are running in and out of the door just feet away. I [...]

Paris on Sale

ontheglobe — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:08:34 +0000

I had no idea what I was about to get into. My friend Nacho and I had just finished watching Avatar (if you ever want advice on how to smuggle 4 hamburgers, 2 cokes, and 2 fries in to a movie theater, let me know). I won’t delve too much into my thoughts on the [...]

Help Haiti

ontheglobe — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:27:54 +0000

I just donated, and so should you. Like, really. Don’t drink your latte today, eat dinner in, whatever.

Ode to Free Wireless

ontheglobe — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:43:52 +0000

Taunting me One little bar It looks so close Yet feels so far Blipping blip It comes and goes From the list No one knows Refresh refresh Network list Click again I will persist Waiting, waiting Will it take? Hoping, praying! What is my fate? God, I promise To email U Every night A prayer [...]

The Montmartre Jazz Band

ontheglobe — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:54:47 +0000

The very first time I went for a wander in my “arrondissement,” I heard these guys before I saw them and they drew me in with their toe-tapping Swing. Really wished I had some Lindy Hop partners in town; it would be fun to tear it up in the square with these folks. Happily, I [...]

Chez Moi

ontheglobe — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:36:31 +0000

I share with you a little video of my new place, where I have been assiduously Hermiting. Warning: bad accents inside. View at your own risk.

The Hermit, Period.

ontheglobe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:02:36 +0000

I’ve just arrived in this wonderful city and what do I do? Hide in my little apartment. I go to work in the morning, and home at night, and that’s it. Repeat. What? No running around Les Galleries Lafayette? Or heading up the Eiffel Tower? Champs-Elysées? Louvre, anyone? Nah. Not yet. A little wander around [...]

Moving to Paris

ontheglobe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:51:11 +0000

Let the next adventure begin! I am now starting to get settled in my tiny studio flat in Montmartre, and it’s wonderful. After all the trials and tribulations leading up to this point, I’m glad I came. In a way I feel like this stint is partly about closing the “Europe chapter” on my own [...]

Tough Transitions

ontheglobe — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:41:16 +0000

People often think of the wandering nomad as a sort of exotic creature, living an idealised life with no problems, flitting gleefully from one place to another without a second thought. Sure, there may be some glitches here and there, but it’s nothing compared to the constant wonder, amazement, and adventure of the road, right? [...]