Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Gased!

This trip just gets better and better. So no details now, I'll let Misty do that, just know we're OK. But man, that HinRAF is a crazy outfit. That's Hindu Rights Action Force for the non SE Asianers and Hindus out there. For now, lets just say sunday in KL was an adventure, the riot made CNN here, not sure about the states. But again, a few tears and a sore throat is all that lingered and now we're in Pankgor Laut.

Ladies and gents, Pankgor Laut is breathtaking, and I don't use that term often. Misty's currently getting her grove on in the spa in some sort of disturbing (for the wallet :) ) 3 hour spa treatment. I just finished one of the toughest hikes foot for foot I've ever done, 3 KMs through heavy rainforest up a rain slick hill and back down. Humid as a 'mofo but one of the most fun things I've done on the trip. I was the only one to do it today, misquito bites and gallons of sweat aside, it was totally worth it.

This island is amazing. Beautiful beaches, great food and some of the coolest wildlife ever. We saw a family of sea otters playing, ginormous monitor lizards surfing onto the beach and sun bathing right outside our sea villa, last night we ate right next to a huge fruit bat who pulled up a branch next to our table and then there's the sleek gar fish and anchovies by the thousands and crabs and the unreal hornbills that fly everywhere. We saw 2 monkeys on the side of the road on the way here and hope tomorrow morning brings more of the bannana eating crazies to our door. Misty learned Batik painting an we're both having a great time.

Best. Vacation. Ever.

Tomorrow we spend the day at Pangkor Laut and then at night are driving to Penang for another stop on the trip.

Hope all is well with everyone... Sweet Sammy say'n Sawasdee people and have a great day.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

The 'Pore

Ladies and gents, it's Sweet Sammy guest blogging from the lovely and disturbingly hot and humid realm known as Singapore!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, we tore it up in Bangkok and feasted on some of the best food I've ever had. Thank you Mikki for the Roti Mataba suggestion, AMAZING! And the Thai dinner was unreal too. I pounded some Singha beer and Misty got a new piercing! Yes, the back alleys of Bangkok treated us real respectable like.

Tons of other crazy stuff happened in Bangkok and we're already planning our return trip, Menam Riverside hotel, we salute you. Best - Hotel - Ever.

Anyway, now we're in the 'Pore and loving our relaxing halftime with Steven and Audry. They're our super cool and amazing friends and are the whole reason we came on this trip. Really, better people are not to be found. We're staying at their place and enjoying a local's view. Clarke Quey is a crazy cool place with giant man-wangs that hold up huge umbrella's for the outdoor clubbers... and Chinatown was great, Misty has really branched out on her food pyramid, I'm proud.

Tomorrow we head to Kuala Lumpur as we resume our trek across SE Asia. We've done so much and we're not even half way done, though that milestone will come on our swank bus ride through Maylasia, but we'll blog about that later.

We send our love to you all and highly recommend each of you take your own SE Asian adventure, we're not even half way done and I must say this is the greatest trip I've ever taken, and as my fans know, I've taken some doosies.

Smooches,

SS & MB

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Bangkok!

Well, the city of angels is just that. Everyone here is so very amazing. (And our hotel is to DIE FOR)

A quick run down as to what we've been up to so far -

1. Free Happy Hour, In-room Mini Bar and Breakfast at our hotel. :)

2. Rode the water taxi farther into to town, saw the amazing GIANT reclining buddha, and the temples surrounding.

3. Saw the "Happy Buddha"

4. Went through the Amulet Market. Haggled yet again. Got cool stuff.

5. Saw the HUGE standing Buddha.

6. Climbed Golden Mount. Watched the sun set over the city.

7. Wandered through Thai back alley and found cool old crazy man with his midget (wife? girlfriend? who stared really menacingly at us) and bought hand-made monk alms bowls.

8. Walked through the night flower market and Chinatown.

9. Watched the weirdest Mischa Barton and Jennifer Jason Leigh movie.

10. Traveled to the old city - saw old capital ruins, rode elephants - ate lunch at a little local restaurant all the cops ate at.

11. Did I mention RIDE ELEPHANTS?!

12. Had afternoon tea by the pool.

13. Checked emails and got you all up-to-date on WHY YOU MUST PLAN SIMILAR TRIPS!!

And we're not even done yet - there's so much I didn't mention, and so much more to come. It's breathtaking here. I can't wait to share pictures and more stories!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Greetings 1,300 miles from NYC

Hello, everyone!

Well, god bless free internet at the airport! :)

We just finished two days in Hong Kong and it was FABULOUS. There are no words to describe how amazing this trip is - and we still have over two weeks left!

Hong Kong was amazing, and beautiful and wonderfully kindred. It felt like home, but on the other side of the looking glass. I'll write more when we get back - but a couple notes -

1. My butt is too big for pretty much EVERY seat in the trains and buses. I am not asian, obviously. My western-ness has been made abundantly clear.

2. I am a language savant! I figured out the symbols for "exit now" within five minutes in the airport, and have been pointing them out everywhere I see them to Sam since.

3. Sam is not sick of me yet.

4. My ability to sleep anywhere at anytime is a super power, we have handeled the crazy time change with an amazing amount of grace.

5. I love love love it here. If we don't come back, know you now have a place to stay in Southeast Asia.

Miss you all, love you more - cannot wait to share pictures!

~misty (and sam)

PS FLying to Bangkok is possibly the coolest thing ever to do on your propose-a-versary. Ya'll should try it!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Made it!

Well, I did all I could do. I organized all my files, sent out the emails . . .and headed home.

I think I am now officially on vacation!

And, while work lately has been fairly stressful and at times more than a little overwhelming -- as I left tonight I was reminded of something very important.

These people are some of my favorite people in the world. I am so very blessed. I was excited, but not a little bit sad to be leaving them for so very long.

I'll actually miss them. A lot.

(Well, not all of them. But quite a few. :) )

And so I sign off. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Much love,

Misty (& Sam)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Breath

Work piles on and on and on, I barely have time to get properly excited. Just when I think there's room to breathe, room to blink and relax . . . more comes my way.

I collapsed on the couch against Sam last night in tears, not knowing how everything would get done. Or at least done well enough for me to be happy.


Two days. Two days. Two days.





Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Busy Busy Busy

Well, let's see - what have I been up to?

Well, for those interested in a reason to come to NYC . . . in March, Nathan has a show running and yours truly will be showing some PAINTINGS in the lobby/gallery of the theater.

Yes, that's right, a show in Manhattan for little ol' me. I'm quite excited. It's a bit of a barter, I'm doing the poster/logo for their show and the producers/theater are giving me the space in return. I'm pretty excited, and not a little bit nervous.

So, friends, come on out to NYC and support two for the price of one! Nathan's show AND mine. Pretty sweet. We might even give you an autogrpah or two. (Ha. Or buy you a drink in thanks - which is probably worth quite a bit more.)

And . . . . PACKING.


Dear friends, I shall miss you, tho I'll try to post once or twice.

Starting Friday, Sam and I will be on the other side of the world - padding through ancient temples, riding elephants, trekking through jungles, and kayaking through the hongs of Phuket. (I might even take a meditation course in Bangkok.)


I'm deathly frightened and even more excited. The idea of going somewhere so different than where I'm at - to such a *foreign* place - well, as you can imagine, I can barely sleep at night with sheer anticipation. We'll more than likely be totally out of touch - mostly because of sheer technical difficulty, partly because we woudl like to be. It is a vacation after all.

But most of all, it's three whole weeks, just me and my love - exploring a new world just the two of us. No one else, no specific plans. Just him and me and new adventures.

I can't wait to tell you all about it when we get back.

Monday, November 05, 2007

MeMe

Comment, and I will comment back with a picture of the fictional character that most reminds me of you. Then post the same in your journal and join in the fun!

(My friends ala Ringling are doin' this and it's such fun - Mike told me I was Jordan Baker from the Great Gatsby - which !rock! I love that book. And she's not soooooo bad. Tho she's kind of cool in her badness . . . . )

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Food&Wine Fest & PIRATES!


We went away to Florida this past weekend to celebrate with some of our fave people. I got to spend an entire weekend with my "little sister" Sarah, not to mention Les and Andy, my parents and Cathy (Sarah's mom). We. Had. A. Blast.

Here are some highlights:






This is Sarah and I right before we got on the Tower of Terror. Sam campaigned all morning for her to join us, but I want to believe it was my pointing out I'd never ask her to do something on which she'd die that really sealed the deal.

On the way to the food and wine fest . . .



Ya'll. It's SO GOOD. I think everyone should meet us there next year. Anyone up for it?

Me and my favorite girl. (And yes, it's the next day and we went back. To EAT MORE.)

Almost all of us.

And, then, we were pirates!
Me and the Pirate Queen with our pirate faces.

Me with the most handsome pirate in the park.

More of our pirate crew. (Ya'll my parents went ALL OUT - it was awesome. As a group, we rocked, quite frankly.



IT was, to say the least, a great weekend.

I miss you guys already.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

of the 29th



Books.

Tissues.

Blankets.

Canvas.

Promises on paper.



730 days.

104 weeks.

2 years.

Cotton.



I know that every day is a gamble. I know that the world isn't made for such things. That it's cruel and hard. That our lives have connected at this point, at this time, through a series of unrelated events. That kismet has smiled on us. That synchronicity has paused for us.

I know the planets still spin on as always. That there is still great sadness. Still war and trauma and hopelessness in the air. That tears are shed, and will continue to be.

I know there is nothing perfect in this world. Including us.

Each day is merely a page of a calendar whispering through the air to the floor. The small ticking of the clock echoing it's repeated call.

That regardless of our actions, our words, our promises - the sun will set. It will rise again after night. Untouched by our hopes and dreams.


I also know that never before has my heart been so full. Never before have my dreams seemed so close.

I wake every morning with hope in my heart for the next moment. I fall to sleep at peace. The warmth next to me is ever so much more than another warm body.

Every day we wake up and choose each other. And in a world where magic is thin, where so much goes wrong - I see that choice we make each moment we're together (and apart) as a small miracle.

I don't know about the rest of the world. I don't know what comes after. I know I have always believed in the magic of this world. In the possiblity that dreams are real. That hope is everlasting and inpenetrable.



And I know he has made all of that as real as anything else in my world.

my beloved


mi cielo


mo chuisle


my very heart