Seriously? Buffy??

As many of you know, I have recently gotten hooked on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and having once shared the preconceived notions that are likely causing you to furrow your brow from confusion or even concern, I feel I should attempt to explain.

It should be noted, that I started watching the series on DVD. The TV medium, designed to keep us interested until our next weekly fix, can easily foster an obsession when supplied in concentrated doses. At least NetFlix has forced a two-day lull between disks.

Buffy is generally a hard show to talk about without sounding crazy. I inevitably end up using words like demon, vampire, werewolf, witch, dimensions... and their weirder contexts: "he's a vampire with a soul;" "yeah, her boyfriend's a werewolf, but it's only once a month, and they work through it;" or "she was a mystical ball of energy that the monks hid from the evil goddess by turning it into a human.” They don’t make it easy for fans to maintain credibility, but I’ll give it a shot.

While I did find the Buffy movie entertaining in that early-90's-cheese-fest kind of way, it’s important to know that the show is vastly different and better. The film was the source of most of my prejudices, but I eventually, at Krista’s suggestion, watched the first disk (4 episodes), partly expecting to be gathering evidence for my pre-judgments.

I can't say I loved it immediately, but I was surprised. The dialogue was quick and witty; the humor was corny and sarcastic; and the characters, endearingly nerdy—it was made for me. And Buffy, the teenager with super-strength and the destiny to defeat the forces of darkness… frankly, she’s one of the best heroes I know. She lives a life without secret hideouts or alter egos; a normal life with normal problems (not counting the “crazy” stuff, of course). She’s not dark and brooding (Batman, Wolverine), or saintly (Superman), or hopped up on her super-ness (Spiderman). She accepts her responsibility, struggling with it, but always managing to do the right thing even when it is unbearably painful.

Buffy’s greatest strength, the show’s and the girl’s, is the relationships and friendships. The monsters-of-the-week provide action scenes and unique conflicts, but the more familiar drama is why we keep watching.

It’s simply well-written with great characters and engaging stories. Joss Whedon the creator of the show has said, "I'd rather create a show that 100 people need to watch than 1000 people like to watch." This is why not everyone is going to like Buffy and why I tend not to recommend it; but it seems as though I’m one of those 100.

And yes, I am aware that I have now officially blogged about Buffy thus furthering my descent into the nerdy obsessed fan realm, but I hope this has provided an explanation for my new addiction... or at least more substantiated fuel for your Nicole-mocking fires.

Final Thoughts on India/Europe Trip

I'm back in Hawaii now, so I finally have time to reflect on my trips and come up with a summation of it all. The India and Europe trips so starkly contrasted one another that it would be senseless to talk about them as one--so I won't.

India was slower-paced, but while it should have been more demanding with high altitude hikes and very basic living conditions, I found it soothing and spiritual. We were quite active but allowed for plenty of time to absorb, relax, reflect. Joel and I were constantly engaging in political, psychological, or philosophical discussions; I completed four books; and having to "rough it" meant fewer distractions from both my external and internal environments. Cerebral exercise.

The landscapes we explored were like none I've ever confronted. While Alaska's peaks and glaciers were impressive, to say the least, I was not hiking and sleeping among them. There were multiple times when the sheer grandeur and spectacle of the Indian scene overwhelmed me, and my chest ached.

Other parts of India greatly tried my patience and tolerance. It was difficult being so obviously foreign and to the locals, so obviously rich. But Joel and I met great people along the way, from India and elsewhere, like France, Spain, Israel, Tibet, Australia, Poland, Canada--not so many Americans go to India.

I have little doubt that I will find myself in India again. Hopefully, next time I will be there in winter, so I can make it down south without melting in the 100+ degree heat; but if I do find myself there again in summer, there’s plenty more of the north I’d love to explore.

(Culture Shock? Interestingly, the most uncomfortable and out of place I've felt on any trip was in Heathrow Airport (outside London) after India.)

Europe was a whirlwind of cities and sites. (I’m really glad I kept a journal to help me remember what we did where.) We stayed just long enough in each city to realize that we weren't staying long enough: "This place is interesting; let's go." It was great to see so much, but I think I prefer taking it slower.

It was confounding to visit Auschwitz, the old Jewish ghetto of Budapest, and then Berlin; seeing the geographical source of the death and torture--while destruction normally upsets me--it was hard to feel bad that most of Berlin (a city hundreds of years old) was built only in the last 20 years. However, it was inspiring to see Berlin, having been through so much with the Nazis and Communists, was now thriving and doing so with full acknowledgment of their past (i.e., remnants of the Berlin wall, museum for the euthanized handicapped, tomb of the unknown concentration camp victim, memorial for the Jews).

My mother's generosity in paying for most of my Europe expenses (it was up to me to get there) allowed me to enjoy that part of the world, but I expect that for the next few years my trips will remain mostly in the southern hemisphere where I can afford to stay longer. I don't know where my next trip will be, but I look forward to it.

Almost...

Chuck and Dan left early this morning, and Mom and Krista just left. So here I am in Hamburg, Germany waiting for my turn. I'm spending tonight in London near Heathrow. I just booked a place which seems small but nice.

I'll be spending Saturday night and the first half of Sunday in New York City. Then to CT until Wednesday when I fly back to Hawaii.

See you when I see you!

Germany- Berlin

So while I'm in Europe that has more internet cafes and faster access, we have so little time in each city that taking the time to check email and post blogs just doesn't seem to make sense.

Since the last time I've posted, we've been to Budapest, Vienna, and are now in Berlin. Budapest was so alive with people and music; so much so that we were able to hear and even see a Brian Adams concert from our hotel room. (That's right, the musician that brought us musical classics like "All for One and All for Love.")

By the time we got to Vienna, our trip had been progressing at such a pace that it had become hard to keep up the energy to explore, but I think we did ok. This trip is providing quick tastes of cities but no meals, if you know what I mean. On our sleeper train to Berlin (oh, by the way, the Europe trains are--not surprisingly--better than the Asian ones), we were delayed two hours by a train strike. Ah, workers and their rights. Germany's really gotta get over that and get with the times. ;)

I really like Berlin. Since 85% of it was levelled in World War II, it's quite new. It feels really alive and as though it's filled with stuff to do. Plus, it's been such a huge part of history for the past 60 years: the hot and cold wars...

Berlin still tomorrow and then onto Hamburg for one night before we all fly out and part ways. I will first meet up with Mom in NYC/CT before flying back to Hawaii to meet up with the rest of the gang. Then I get to see doggies!!!!

Sorry I can't post any pictures; there's no access to the USB ports in this cafe. Just know that I'm in Europe, near old buildings (well, maybe not so old in Berlin), and smiling.

Czech Republic-Prague

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update... and now there's too much to say to go into too much detail.

Joel and I hung out in Delhi for a day and a half. We were able to check out a few of the tourist spots and get a sense of the city. We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed a nice cool day of 86 degrees.

I went to Paris to the Bat Mitzva of the girl I took care of when I lived there. It was great, and I wore a dress that I had bought in India. I really miss Paris. My French wasn't so bad either.

Now I'm in Prague. Mom and I met in the airport, and went to the hotel to find out that Chuck and our friend Dan from Hawaii had surprised us by coming to Europe! That was not part of plan. Very cool.


(Ok, not the greatest picture, but it's better than nothing. Thanks, Dan.)

We're leaving on a train to Krakow tonight after three days here in Prague. I'm excited to see how a Western sleeper train compares to the Chinese and Indian ones I'm used to. I'll let you know.

Back to Delhi

McLeod Ganj has been a great experience. We have met many many refugees from Tibet and heard their stories--so powerful and tragic. China is making a concerted effort to wipe the Tibetan culture out. Many Tibetans are unemployed because they don't speak Mandarin; nor do they attend school if they don't speak Mandarin. The job situation has caused many Tibetan women to turn to prostitution, adding AIDS and HIV to their problems. China has set up many incentives to get more Chinese people to move into Tibet and push and breed out the Tibetans. We went to the Tibetan Library yesterday where they house some artwork that was saved from the country, and in the same complex is the Government-in-Exile as well as the Tibetan Torture Survivor Society where they provide physical and psychological care for the refugees that come to McLeod Ganj that spent time in Chinese prison. I don't want my blog to be another forum for Brodie-Buzzkill, but China is able to continue with these practices mostly because the world doesn't know they're doing it. The best way I can help the Tibetans we've met and their families is by making others aware of their people's situation. Click here to learn more.

Anyway, Joel and I are leaving McLeod Ganj this afternoon for Delhi. We've taken a Tibetan cooking class and were able to give a monk and two of his classmates English lessons. The Dalai Lama has been traveling and will be back in India sometime next week, so we haven't seen him. Joel may go to see him speak in Ithaca this fall. We've met so many great people here: fellow travelers, our cooking instructor, the monks, an aging American hippie promoting the Tibetan cause... we'd love to stay longer.

Joel will be back in New York on Friday; I will be heading to Paris for the Bat Mitzva of one of the kids I au paired for. I bought a dress here since I found out about the event while I was in India. Then I'll meet my mom and Krista (sister-in-law) in Prague a few days later. I'll be keeping up with my blog as much as I can from there too. Should be a pretty dramatic gear shift: Delhi to Paris to Prague...

Silly Bessie

This is one of the few pictures I was able to take on my camera before it broke. It seemed like quintessential India: we're inside a restaurant in Delhi and a cow walks up for a taste.

McLeod Ganj

This is the town where the Tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama are currently residing. India has sort of given them this town. It seems to have more Tibetans than Indians, and possibly more Westerners than either... not really, but there are a lot. Joel and I watched a very powerful documentary called Tibet: The Cry of the Snow Lion about the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

It's great to be here among Tibetan Buddhists who are able to practice freely and educate their children in their own language and traditions.

The tourist-town means that Joel and I are enjoying relaxing days of shopping, bookstore browsing, and eating a variety of foods. We're staying in our most expensive hotel yet: $15/night for the two of us. (We've been paying $5.) It's got electricity, a foam mattress, and even a hot shower! This is luxury.

Tomorrow we go to the Tibet Museum, Library, and check out the Dalai Lama's pad. I'll have more to say later, I'm sure.

For now here's a picture from McLeod Ganj that I stole from Google...

Gangotri (Day 14)

We are back in Uttarkashi, with the heat; however, we have been at over 3000m for the past week. That means it's been quite cold at night and a little chilly in the shade, but the sun at that latitude and altitude is fierce. Hawaii did not prepare me for it. My face and neck are fried even though I regularly wore a hat and sunscreen. I think the sun's heat explains why there isn't snow on the ground at such heights. We were above the tree line at some points.

We've been staying in places with very simple accommodations: bathrooms outside, if at all and electricity only for a few hours at night, if at all; and we've loved every second. One place was called an ashram, and while I did do yoga with an instructor, I'm not sure it would technically qualify as a place of spiritual learning. But it was very simple, and I loved it.

We hiked 23 kilometers over two days from Gangotri Village to the Gangotri glacier, then on top of the (melting) Gangotri glacier (which would probably be illegal in the US), and up to a mountain top/meadow called Tapovan at 4460m (which is higher in elevation than the altitude I was at when I last jumped out of a plane). The climb up to Tapovan is probably as technically difficult as a hike can be without needing equipment. The first half was a rock scramble followed by scaling a rocky, sandy cliff face and crossing a snow-melt stream cascading down it. We felt like champions when we made it to the top. There we spent a night in a cave-like hut that had been built under a giant boulder; then hiked the 23 kilometers back in one day. Needless to say, we're beat.

As far as what we've been seeing, I can't really describe it. As I said before, it's obvious why this is a spiritual epicenter for so many people. Gangotri is said to be the spiritual source of the Ganges river. Thousands of people make pilgrimages there every year to bathe in the glacial river. We did too--it was cold. We met a photographer named James along the way, and he hiked with us for a while; I think his pictures will help give you an idea of the beauty that surrounds here in Uttaranchal (the name of the state). Click here and then go to "A Fifth Season" to see what I mean.

Now we're on our way to Darhmasala and McLeod Ganj where the Dalai Lama is currently living in exile. We're excited to get a strong taste of Tibet without having to get more visas. There should be internet access there as it's now a huge tourist location, so I shouldn't be out of contact as long as I was this last time.

Joel and I have been quite successful at avoiding the heat and rain. The high elevations coupled with my general good fortune have kept us cool and dry. When we descend (like today), it is hot and monsoony, but we'll be heading back up to elevation soon.

I know it sounds crazy, but I think Joel and I are going to complete our first trip to India without going to the Taj Mahal. The weather and crowds down there kind of scare us. We are both confident that we'll be back here one day, so we'll get it next time.

Day 6

So the last picture I posted was taken in Deviayatal (3000m). Nice, huh?

This one was taken at Chandrasilla at 4000m. Will is on the far left (nice sweater, right?) and Joel's in between us. We could see Nanda Devi (7800m) from there, which is the second largest peak in India... I think. It looked like it was just floating in the clouds. It was a peak seemingly not connected to anything sticking out above white puffs. It was really cool looking adding just a little more surrealism to the already marvelous spectacle.

I think it was over 100 degrees yesterday. It was like opening an oven, so I think it was dry heat too. It was insanely hot, but I didn't want to kill myself, you know? Just pure heat. Today wasn't so bad. We're in Uttarkashi right now and heading to Gangotri tomorrow where the glacier is. We have a 14k trek to a hotel, then a 5k trek to the glacier. We'll leave our big packs in town as we've been doing.

I can't believe it's only our 6th day. We've been going non-stop and plan to keep going.

Dharmasala is on the itinerary--where the Dalai Lama currently resides.

Day Five (of 24 in India)

Namaste!

Internet connections are scarce and cut in and out when we do find them. Plus, brown-outs are frequent here due to the heat and amount of electricity people use to escape it, so it’s usually the hottest times of day that the fans stop turning. (We haven’t found much in ways of AC). I’m not sure how hot it’s been but probably upper 90’s. Will doesn’t think it’s broken 100 since we’ve been here, but I find that hard to believe. I’ve showered only twice since my arrival, and that was two days in a row. Sounds gross, but I’m loving it! (I deodorize often, don't worry.)

Anyway, we are having an absolutely wonderful time. We have traveled up north toward the Himalayan foothills. It is very easy to see why this region is one of the religious centers of the world: it is beyond words. Last night, we spend the night at 3600 meters—cold, but the view of the snowy monstrous peaks in the distance made it all worth it. Hiking at that altitude means we walk 50 feet and take a break. It’s much harder than I expected. We think temperatures got down to the 20’s where we were last night, but we had layers and heavy blankets. The night before we were at 2500 meters--also cold. Neither place had electricity so the meals prepared by the locals were done in clay stoves. It took a while but was very much worth the wait. Pretty much all the food here is vegetarian! I’m in heaven.

We spent 3 hours this morning at the top of a grassy peak (4000 meters and a little chilly) watching the sun rise and highlight the surrounding ranges. It was just the three of us! We had a small mountain top and small stone temple all to ourselves. We enjoyed the silence and let the sun warm us as the air tried to cool us. It was… don’t know what to say other than this was probably the most memorable Shabbat of my life.

Will is going to head back to Delhi to catch a flight home. Joel and I are going to continue on and hopefully climb a glacier—after a few days rest. My poor knees. They’re ok, but the climbs down can be tough.

My camera broke. It’s pretty unbelievable, but Joel and Will both have digital cameras; so it will be easy for them to send me pictures of the trip. They’ve also been really great about handing me the camera when I feel the need to take a shot, so it’s not as tragic as the China-camera situation.

I have so much more to say, of course, but I should go try and find some dinner. I’m also looking very much forward to a shower. Mmmmm, yes, shower.

Hopefully, I’ll post again soon, but I'll try to keep the next one shorter.

Internet connection very slow. Blog I wrote lost.

Quick version (to be expounded upon later):
Very colorful
Great food
Layer of dust on everything
HOT
Having fun [big smile]

Write more soon when better internet... don't know when that will be...

How India and Europe got crammed into 6 weeks...

Short answer:
Joel asked me to go with him to India; then Mom asked me to go with her to Europe. I said yes to both. Living in Hawaii, as far as I'm concerned, India and Europe might as well border.

Long answer:
Last year I was talking with Joel about my upcoming China trip and he suggested that he and I go to India together at some point. While we had no specific plans, I know that (especially when it comes to traveling) if I say I'm going to do something, I do it.

A few months ago, Joel brought up India again, but now in the context of "do you want to go this summer?" ...So it was soon time to look for flights.

My mother has caught the travel bug something feirce recently (the impending retirement and all) and asked me if I wanted to go on a trip with her to Eastern Europe this summer. My only hesitation in accepting this was the potential for conflicting dates, but a week separated the two, so voila!

Mom invited the rest of the Brodie clan but only Krista was able to go. So it'll be the Brodie women.

I'm spending just over three weeks in India and two weeks in Europe. I don't know what either itinerary is going to look like yet. I do know that Joel has mentioned the Himalayas and Mom wants to go to Italy to see family--yes yes, I know that that doesn't qualify as Eastern Europe.

I've also learned that Joel and I are venturing to India at the absolute worst time of year to go: monsoon season. When it's not overbearingly hot, it will be pouring; but it's not like that's stopping us. "Oh no, I'll just wait for the next India trip to come along and hope it will be during a nicer season." Yeah, right.

So I'm hoping to see as many friends as possible while I make my usual East Coast pit stop. Ideally, I'd love to hang out for longer than what appears to be a speed-dating stint.

Quick Update...

In the beginning of this month, I started another job so I'm now working for the Hawaii Family Support Institute and the Consuelo Foundation. Both are organizations that work with families that need help: one focuses on helping poor families with problems, while the other focuses on the prevention of child abuse.

My laptop suddenly died on me. This is probably a blessing in disguise, but I still want another one.

My knee popped out two weeks ago. I'm fine, but I'm no longer training for the triathlon.

We got a new puppy! Her name is Lili and she's a lab-pit bull mix. Piahi is having a tough time adjusting to the new member of the family.

I'm considering going to grad school in the spring.

I'll add more detail later...

Some photos

Two Years in Pictures

Yup... Shabbat

This past August I decided to start (sort of) practicing Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest or Sabbath. I don't watch TV, use computers or phones from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. While based on the Jewish tradition (trust me, Orthodox Jews do much more than I do), my decision to do this is not about God but about me. The more time I spent with people who kept Shabbat and the more I learned about it, the more sense it made. They explain it as a day to forget about everything that's urgent and focus on what's important: friends, family, themselves, spirituality... For me, it's also one day a week where I give up the distractions of my electronic addictions. When I'm not sitting around watching TV or chatting online, I do more with my friends and family here in Hawaii: play games, go surf, or just talk. My weekends have become more relaxing and rejuvenating since I now read and nap more. I even find that I'll work harder other days knowing that I have Shabbat to look forward to. So while, at first, it may seem archaic and bizarre, it's been a great way to regain some focus and has been freeing rather than restrictive.

Hopefully this makes my whole "ritual" seem less weird. If not, I'd love to answer any questions... and if that doesn't work, I'll just remain your weird Jew-ish friend. That's cool too. :)

Gotta Love It!

CNN did a story about how some school bullies have started getting their friends to record the beatings of fellow students, so they can post them online to further humiliate their victims. What an unimagined bonus the bullies received when their victims' pummeling got international airtime on CNN. Cheers to you, Anderson Cooper.