tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57320812011-12-21T23:55:56.991+10:00Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.comBlogger4491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-78427058884081986312011-11-06T22:02:00.000+10:002011-11-06T22:02:58.740+10:00

Last year for Halloween, we dressed up Maia as R2-D2, but she didn't know the difference and we didn't get many miles out of that outfit. This year, Maia is still a bit young to really understand the holiday, but we did another costume. At this age, she'll pull off any costume that she feels restricts her, so we went with the easy "Little Red Ridding Hood." This year we also did a

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-79212409321323171442011-10-29T20:12:00.001+10:002011-10-29T20:33:44.806+10:00

Guam is a very Catholic island. I didn't grow up in a Catholic community so I'm still learning a lot about all of the holidays and numerous patron saints. One I'm still trying to figure out is St. Andrew, who, as far as I can tell, is the patron saint of bendy straws. Am I misinterpreting this sculpture somehow...?

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-54705285653297568272011-09-29T21:56:00.003+10:002011-09-29T21:56:50.540+10:00

Parking for Handicapped Children Only...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-54251512789594906852011-09-22T14:26:00.001+10:002011-09-22T14:29:01.857+10:00

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-39980476578397961942011-09-20T23:17:00.002+10:002011-09-20T23:17:29.349+10:00

It's a foregone conclusion that when a Caucasian and an Asian have a child that the child in question will have predominately "Asian" hair. At the least, a dark auburn if not totally black. But somehow, the Bodine blood must be pretty strong, because Maia's hair is all from Daddy's side of the family. Not only is it red, but also quite curly. Interestingly, though, it's soft and straight in the

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-27550326441620916402011-08-14T17:13:00.002+10:002011-09-21T22:12:40.041+10:00

"The major problem - one of the major problems, for there are several - one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well known fact, that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary:

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-39273754014107490722011-08-04T22:03:00.003+10:002011-08-04T22:34:29.007+10:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite band is They Might Be Giants (TMBG). They recently released their brand new album, Join Us. And with the release of this album, they rolled out a new fan club. I took the album name as a call and joined them immediately.As a cool perk, I not only got a good deal on the album, t-shirt, and advance downloads. I also got to be immortalized in the album

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-80412027168278774982011-07-24T21:02:00.002+10:002011-07-24T21:05:53.251+10:00

The good news: Anna made her own yogurt at home. The bad news: She used Maia's rectal thermometer to gauge the temperature...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-70051751119066930782011-06-22T07:23:00.004+10:002011-06-22T07:29:13.773+10:00

Sometimes Maia does things that look like only an adult should do, like read the newspaper, text, Yoga and so on. So, I filmed some and put this fun little video together. Enjoy!

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-77264778344430183332011-05-10T20:59:00.002+10:002011-05-10T21:13:56.700+10:00

How do you know when the Feds are just outside spying on you? Here's an easy way to tell. Using any wi-fi enabled device, search for available networks. If you see "FBI Surveillance Van" you might just wonder what the nonchalant flower delivery truck across the street is up to.And best of all, the network isn't even secured, so you may get some free internet access out of it...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-24589092366359849232011-05-06T22:16:00.003+10:002011-05-06T23:01:57.060+10:00

Poor baby Maia is sick. Despite the odds, she's barely been sick at all in her first year. She's trying to make up for lost time now. Last night she was having trouble sleeping, likely due to the fever and stuffy nose. So we took her onto our bed for a short time.While crawling around and just as she was half over me, she had a hiccup, which then accompanied a fountain of partially digested baby

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-6853781943536773372011-01-17T14:53:00.022+10:002011-01-17T22:50:58.881+10:00

Now that all the dust (and snow) has settled from my hectic Christmas trip, it's time to blog all about it.The worst part about living in Guam is how inconvenient it is to visit anywhere but the Philippines, Japan or Chuuk. This trip to Arizona would take 24 hours from our house to my parents'. We've never traveled with a baby before, so we were unsure of how the trip would fare. Maia was

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-62300206471198613812010-12-13T15:47:00.003+10:002010-12-15T16:52:07.614+10:00

If you are not familiar with the structure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, than telling you that we now have a stake in Guam means nothing.Let me break it down. We have two types of congregations, Branches and Wards. A group of Branches makes a District. A group of Wards makes a Stake. It's like the difference between a high school football team and the NFL. A high school team

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-74752097596352957262010-12-08T21:41:00.003+10:002010-12-08T21:55:27.321+10:00

Now that I have a baby, I find myself in isles of the grocery store I never visited before. On my last visit I found a special kind of baby formula.We have a phrase here for things like this, "O-I-G!" That stands for "Only In Guam" and is quite apropos here.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-50326723869058528552010-11-26T12:02:00.011+10:002010-11-26T13:29:39.357+10:00

This was Maia's first Thanksgiving. Neither Anna nor I have family in Guam, so we spent most of the day at home, just the three of us. In the evening we went to some friend's house where we got to have traditional turkey and mashed potatoes (as well as all the other fixings). I failed to take pictures during the feast.The next morning, since I still had work off, we went to the beach for a

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-90589831768967376092010-10-31T10:42:00.000+10:002010-10-31T11:24:47.917+10:00

Growing up, Halloween was always my favorite holiday. The costumes were fun. All the free candy you could eat. Going out in the evening with friends. It was all just so good. As I get older, I'm finding it harder to find good costumes and places to use them. I don't get much candy unless I buy it. And without kids to go with me, I don't have much excuse to go out trick-or-treating.Maia is still a

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-46474745389707653602010-10-16T21:46:00.003+10:002010-11-26T21:08:00.479+10:00

Ok, so it's bound to happen. When the big milestones of Maia's life come, I'm bound to miss some, right? Well, I've already missed the first. Maia rolled over. Ok, not huge, I know. But it's our first baby, and up till now, she's hasn't moved more than an inch without our assistance. So, to see her finally do something on her own is big enough for us.I was on a business trip when it happened. Mom

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-52011162372380392632010-10-10T12:32:00.003+10:002010-10-10T12:42:52.159+10:00

Where were you on 10-10-10 at 10:10:10am? I was driving a small car through knee-high water in Chuuk, FSM. Last year for 09-09-09 we had an impromptu office party. I remember on 10-01-01 at 10:01 I was back stage at a dress rehearsal for a play I was in. It was a big deal because it was a palindrome. I'm more excited for 11-11-11 at 11:11:11am. Not only is that a perfect palindrome of time, but

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-34552068206958034442010-10-09T13:16:00.000+10:002010-10-09T13:18:39.085+10:00

When on the road, don't mix up the travel shaving cream with the travel toothpaste. Minty fresh face, bad taste in your mouth.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-8624379986577264352010-09-28T21:51:00.005+10:002010-09-28T21:57:17.393+10:00

I just read that owner of the famous Segway product died...by driving his off a cliff.I know that most people incorrectly use the term "ironic" frequently. But, I think this may qualify, whether it actually is defined as ironic or not."Segway...Simply Moving"...but not so simple stopping...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-30316933695705157962010-09-18T09:23:00.006+10:002010-09-18T09:34:03.394+10:00

Having a Hawaiian name, Maia Lani really should have more Hawaiian style pics. So, this morning I took her for a little "tour" around the house and found this great little flower to put on her right ear. I tried some effects too. Not sure which one I like best, so I'm posting all three.OriginalB&W focusSoft Focus

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-34405862746367822632010-09-12T15:55:00.000+10:002010-09-12T15:57:33.204+10:00

When I was young I liked the game Operation. Remember that one? Its the one where to have to carefully remove plastic bones without touching the sides of the holes. Then my mom finally got me a Nintemdo. I played a lot of video games. And I was pretty good, too. I got so good at Super Mario Bros on NES that I could hold down the "run" button and have Mario race through each and every course at

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-66848177902400188722010-09-05T15:27:00.000+10:002010-09-05T15:43:57.824+10:00

I think it is clear that I like being noticed. I care more about people reading my blog than most teenage girls. But that notoriety comes at a cost. I've lived in Yigo for only 10 months. In that space of time, I've been asked to speak in my church's sacrament meeting 3 times. And its not like you think. I'm not the only white returned missionary here. I'm in a U.S. military branch. I should

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-9985013289101896912010-08-22T21:36:00.002+10:002010-08-22T21:38:33.235+10:00

I just got done milking my wife. Yeah, that was a phrase I never imagined myself expressing when I was young.And before you criticize me for sharing a perfectly natural part of motherhood, remember that Anna read my blog before she married me. She knew what she was getting into...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-24088559824418393112010-07-21T21:39:00.003+10:002010-08-22T22:29:33.744+10:00

I've mentioned in past posts about Guam Liberation Day. It's a big holiday here, much more celebrated than the 4th of July. This is the day that American forces took back the island from the Japanese during WWII. I've only been on island for it once before, my first year here. And I know that some people didn't care for my new-to-Guam "haole" view of it. Well, to be fair, it was mostly gut

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-81594473797258511802010-07-10T22:20:00.001+10:002010-07-10T22:22:40.993+10:00

Just felt a 5.9 magnitude earthquake that originated between here in Guam and Saipan. That's where they dumped Megatron in "Transformers." Be vigilant...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-52621832462089936422010-07-04T17:21:00.001+10:002010-08-22T21:35:00.006+10:00

In the LDS faith, we have a custom of blessing a baby within the first few months of life. It's a ritual that probably most closely resembles a Christening. Only, we do have a full immersion baptism at age 8 and there's no water in the baby blessing. The object of this blessing is to present the baby before the Lord, give him or her a name by which he/she will be known by the records of the

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-3871034898474990732010-06-05T13:00:00.001+10:002010-07-05T15:46:20.255+10:00

Now that the pregnancy is over I feel more safe sharing some things with you. Namely, the funny quotes and moments courtesy of maternal-minded Anna.Sept - Anna grips the car armrest as we drive over a speed bump because she doesn't want to shake the baby too much.Sept - "Do you remember the woman that you don't remember?"Oct 13 - Anna cries for no reason during dinner. She admits that she even

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-17841370806116322312010-05-25T20:03:00.006+10:002010-05-29T12:32:05.098+10:00

Well, the waiting is over. The Stork has come at last. And according to Anna, at looong last.The first thing I did is take copious amounts of pictures of Maia and send them to people via email, Twitter and Facebook using my cell phone. In my haste, I neglected to tell anyone the stats. Likewise you, my faithful reader, will have to read all the way through if you want that oddly gratifying

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-58812472006344656202010-04-05T19:08:00.004+10:002010-05-16T17:03:54.213+10:00

Do you think that in the preexistence spirits that are about to be sent to Earth are thrown a “Parent Shower”?Anyway, a few weeks back I got a very odd FaceBook message from someone I didn’t know named Debbie. I often immediately disregard random FB messages or friend requests. But, I figured there’d be no harm in at least seeing what medication they were trying to sell me just so I wouldn’t end

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-51470062458011405272010-01-01T18:41:00.002+10:002010-04-21T18:46:41.645+10:00

So after Saipan and Tinian we had a couple days left to enjoy home with my parents. We spent a lot of time working on the house as well. The yard looks a bit like jungles of the Amazon. With my parents help, it’s become a bit more like the Serengeti. I hope to make it somewhere safe enough to let little Maia run around back there safely. It’s surprising that a small yard can have so many hidden

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-8240367355725356432009-12-27T22:43:00.002+10:002010-04-12T19:37:43.181+10:00

Although I'd been to Saipan a number of times, I'd never been to Tinian. I've tried once before, but the ferry is a bit sporadic. This time, I took no chances. I called, emailed and asked everybody who'd know about the ferry. We checkout out of our hotel and did make it on.This map isn't remotely to scale, but the layout is vaguely close...Despite Anna getting sick on the boat (and missing the

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-85715591456585436602009-12-26T23:39:00.001+10:002010-01-17T19:08:47.746+10:00

I've been to Saipan many times in the almost 4 years I've been in Guam. I've not yet been bored with it. This was my parents first time there. Since I'd been there a few times before, I was able to play tour guide for them. We really only had one day in Saipan, but being a small island, that wasn't a problem.The biggest problem for me was waking up on time. We got to the airport when it was still

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-81316617554264342312009-12-25T22:52:00.009+10:002010-01-16T11:14:17.847+10:00

After Christmas shopping, decorating and landscaping, my parents finally got to relax a bit in their vacation in Guam. We woke up and opened our presents. For some reason, 90% of the gifts under the tree were for Anna. Not that we didn't all get our fair share of gifts.One of the things Anna got that she needed most was maternity clothes. She's been squeezing into clothes that didn't fit for a

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-12817474716196891292009-12-23T21:57:00.001+10:002010-01-03T19:40:42.498+10:00

The first day my parents were here we had the ultrasound. The second and third day we saw the island.It started with a drive down south, stopping at all the WWII stuff we could find. My dad likes the war stuff. This memorial is at Asan beach, one of two locations where the US approached when re-taking the island.Caves and fallout shelters left behind by the Japanese are common here.After some

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-26343540131761108812009-12-22T21:58:00.000+10:002010-01-01T22:37:46.231+10:00

Since I have left my childhood home for my mission, I hadn't spent more than a couple of years at the same home. On my mission I moved every couple months. I went home for just under two years before moving back to Hawaii to go to school. Then I moved every semester or two. After that I moved into an apartment. So, it's nice to finally have a home of my own that I plan to stay in for a

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-12931058030451278232009-12-21T15:20:00.005+10:002009-12-23T10:33:18.452+10:00

World, meet Maia Lani Bodine!Today we had our first ultrasound. My parents came to visit for Christmas so we scheduled the ultrasound so they could be there. The tech was reluctant to confirm the gender, but we had a good spread eagle shot between the legs and there was nothing there. So, this whole time we've been calling the baby "Benji." My mom suggested since it was a girl we just alter the

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-14690497559677514112009-11-29T13:37:00.009+10:002010-01-01T21:57:22.501+10:00

This month has been a whirlwind for me. Pregnant wife, new house (and associated repairs), and new doubled work load. So I have been looking forward to this long 4-day weekend. Anna and I teamed up with another couple from my office who are also away from their family, Joe and Lilian. Rather than do things the traditional way, we tried to imu the turkey. An imu is a low tech, underground pressure

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-15865981180943696952009-11-12T18:13:00.000+10:002009-11-13T18:28:29.126+10:00

Ick, it's true. I'm 30! Since when did I get old enough to be 30? This may be the Pearl Anniversary, but I don't feel new and white.I remember thinking how old 30 year olds were. And now that I am one I don't quite feel as old as I thought 30-somethings should. It's and odd feeling.As a child birthdays were always a big deal, and just like everyone else the day becomes less and less important as

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-91130118287532953682009-11-01T21:00:00.007+10:002009-11-09T13:20:26.444+10:00

Every year in Guam I join the annual underwater pumpkin carving competition put on by Guam Tropical Dive Station. This may sound odd. And it is. I bet you have no idea just how boyant a pumpkin is. Try diving with one and you will. When I rented my gear I asked for 20 lbs of weights. In scuba diving, that's a lot. Someone behind me said, "Sounds like someone needs to go to buoyency class..."The

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-1549123447845969642009-10-29T13:07:00.002+10:002009-10-29T13:13:32.372+10:00

Ok, so I've been very busy lately with the move, and Conference weekend, and a new church calling as the District Executive Secretary, and also a job change (more on that in a future post). But with all things going on in my life, I have to announce one more big change in my life.Anna is pregnant!!!When I told my sister, Lacey, she asked if the baby was mine. A fair question. So, yes, I am the

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-17590593963299978902009-10-14T16:20:00.005+10:002009-10-19T13:21:28.221+10:00

After years of saving our pennies we have finally decided we had enough to go for our first home. The housing market has joined the economy and taken a dip. President Hussein has a significant $8k tax credit for first time home buyers. With all of that combined, the time was right.For a few weeks we've been searching through house listings and walking through house after house. My sister recently

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-90747153297006180322009-08-02T23:52:00.004+10:002009-09-15T16:02:45.200+10:00

For a place that is nothing more than a dot on the map in the middle of the vast blue oceans of the Pacific, Guam has it's share of fame. A few years back there was an email floating around about a job in Guam where a guy goes from village to village to deflower young women when they reach a certain age. Also, anyone who knows anything about WWII is familiar with Guam's importance in the war.But

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-83489356804351642082009-07-22T15:58:00.001+10:002009-09-09T13:38:56.402+10:00

Anna and I have many homes. We both live in Guam. She also has her home in Vietnam. I also have my home in Arizona. But Oahu, where we met, will always be a home to us as well.Rather than spend money on a hotel we stayed at our friend's condo in Kaneohe. Giving someone instructions might be tricky since her road crosses itself. But once you are there you are lost in the view from her balcony.I

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-13400640389038469292009-07-18T14:06:00.011+10:002009-09-03T12:42:29.193+10:00

I have taken Anna around Oahu, the Big Island and Maui already. Since we had almost a week in Hawaii I thought it'd be fun to take her to a new island, Kauai. But, as this trip was costly, Anna would only go if it was practically free. I used my frequent flier miles to get us there. Rather than stay the night, we flew in early in the morning and left on the last fight out, so we didn't need to

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-62440818316259748272009-07-16T10:04:00.001+10:002009-08-31T11:04:51.976+10:00

Every time I visit home in Arizona it's really more like a pit stop than anything. While home got my parents set up with WiFi through the house. Wired my parents computers into the network. Reformated and rebuilt my sister's computer. Helped my mom purchase a netbook and set that up. Updated my parents two desktop computers.Our original plan was to drive to St George to visit my grandma and Vegas

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-63469633900219178312009-07-11T22:31:00.008+10:002009-08-25T11:06:46.161+10:00

We woke up late this morning as we didn’t have to leave to the airport until 10 am. As Anna and I were about to go to breakfast our parents stopped us to tell us that the elusive monkeys were on the beach in back of the hotel. We ran there and got plenty of good footage. We were glad to finally see the monkeys we felt we had been entitled to see since the start of this trip.Yeah, everybody was

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-81234664678424611142009-07-10T23:49:00.004+10:002009-08-25T10:30:26.613+10:00

We purposely had no plans for this day so we could lounge around and enjoy the resort. As Anna puts it, she wants to play the tourist as much as possible. But, this resort wasn’t all we hoped it would be, so I wanted to do more activities. I tried to get anybody in our group to go with me. White water rafting and ziplining were the two things I pushed the most, but nobody bit. So, I just accepted

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-11632070488760918022009-07-09T18:58:00.003+10:002009-08-19T11:49:18.912+10:00

The one activity I was most looking forward to most on this trip was the zipline. And today was the day. Rather than just zipline alone, we did a package tour including horseback riding, hot and cold springs and a tour of Liberia (not to be confused with the Liberia in Africa). We loaded up in the bus and were off for the day.Once we arrived at the tour company's complex we began with the zipline

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-49485391937100575702009-07-08T22:21:00.009+10:002009-08-07T14:32:08.323+10:00

Having had enough of the resort for a while (and especially the food there), we left for the day on a beach tour. The tour bus was ours to command.We first stopped off at a place called "Flamingo Beach." This is like the Rivera of Costa Rica. An American came here and saw a pink bird. He assumed it was a flamingo, although it wasn't. Still, the name stuck. Despite the misleading name, this place

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-24910648488338486872009-07-07T22:20:00.007+10:002009-08-04T15:33:54.674+10:00

Today we split into groups. Most of the group went on a day trip to Nicaragua to see some poverty. Anna wanted to take it easy and play tourist at the pool. I went scuba diving. This was my first time diving in a wetsuit. It was uncomfortable, but not a big deal. I wasn't sure what I'd expect, but I really enjoyed this dive; probably two of my favorite. The boat took us out by this small island

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-6342084114550733432009-07-06T21:01:00.009+10:002009-07-31T16:19:31.790+10:00

On Monday July 6 we had our first real Costa Rican activity. We loaded up in a van and drove a couple hours to the active volcano, Arenal. On the way we saw our first, and last, Tucan.Not quite the same as the Fruit Loops mascot, Tucan Sam, but close enough...When we got near the volcano we stopped first to experience the rain forest. We had a good guide that really knew the place and explained

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-67710696171696722902009-07-05T16:03:00.006+10:002009-07-27T16:54:43.704+10:00

Our trip actually started July 1, 2009. Anna and I flew on a grueling 14 hour flight with 5 layovers from Guam to Hawaii. We had layovers in Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Kwajelen and Majuro. Most, if not all, of those places sound made up to most Americans, but when you land on them for an hour each you can verify they are indeed real. Anna on our layover on Kosrae.We landed in Arizona long enough for

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-75467363500061065612009-07-03T18:45:00.005+10:002009-07-21T07:20:10.680+10:00

I don't know how or why. I think I must excrete a special chemical that only affects the young.When I first came home to Arizona my younger nieces and nephews were a bit leery of me. Before long they were crawling all over me like a human jungle-jim. Think I'm exaggerating? Look here:Double PiggybackBeing chokedBeing choked to death...I may not survive this trip, and I just barely started...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-62157616597745728422009-06-21T11:29:00.004+10:002009-06-24T13:07:09.770+10:00

Everybody thinks they are unique - a snowflake of singularity. Truthfully, most people are just like so many, many others. Let's face it, if you've met one Canadian you've met them all. But Anna and I are truly one of a kind. Each an individual yet a perfect compliment to the pairing and also unique as a couple. I've blogged earlier about some examples here, here, here and here.Last night a

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-8392137278359327062009-06-14T09:02:00.002+10:002009-06-18T09:40:52.262+10:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I had been working on funeral arrangements for a member of my branch. As of now, it is finally all over.In the days leading up to the funeral of John N, the family who had lost an infant had a quiet and private funeral. Meanwhile, I was keeping busy with other members who were struggling with health. I visited two members in the hospital. One was hit by a car and

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-39128611998773600812009-06-08T11:30:00.004+10:002009-06-16T09:02:50.013+10:00

"I have a testimony that divorce is worse than death." - John NgringertrangIn my life I've been to only 3 funerals. The first was when I was very young. It was the funeral of my Grandfather on my Father's side. I don't remember a thing about it. I only know I went to it because we have a long standing story in my family about how my mom lost me at the funeral home and I wandered into the morgue.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-71477886398846228722009-05-25T15:37:00.011+10:002009-05-25T18:52:30.848+10:00

Guam has some fun foods. We have influences from all over Asia, the U.S. and unique local foods. Anna and I went on a hike recently and on the way spotted some red seeds that the locals use to make red rice. We've had it a number of times, but we had to try to make our own. The local red rice is more than just rice colored red, it has a unique taste. Despite it's looks, it taste nothing like

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-20297987240052164562009-05-08T15:24:00.000+10:002009-05-14T18:18:08.770+10:00

In Vietnam a birthday is no big deal. Yes, they keep track of them and will wish you a happy birthday if they happen to know, but that's about the end of it. For me, a birthday has always been like a holiday dedicated to that person. When Anna and I began dating I expected much more from her on my birthday than she was prepared to give. I understand now that it was because that idea was foreign

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-77934990425219969402009-04-30T15:25:00.002+10:002009-04-30T15:43:14.717+10:00

I read an interesting news article that narcissism is on the rise. Blogs, YouTube, twitters and the like are blamed for it. Funny enough, one of the first things I wanted to do when I passed my latest certification exam was blog it.So, everybody admire me!Anna pointed out that I did not yet get a certification that I was halfway through. It is a two part test and I needed to take the second part.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-87496046323786414812009-04-24T15:58:00.003+10:002009-04-24T16:23:18.593+10:00

I've been keeping this on the "down low" until now in case it didn't happen or I would do something to mess it up. But now it's happening and I am free to speak.Late last year a co-worker of mine, Joe, in a different department told me that he is now looking for his replacement (he is retiring). And one person he had his eye on was me. His department is Facilities Management and Project

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-91190901736469614402009-04-13T12:48:00.004+10:002009-04-13T13:11:35.785+10:00

Just because you don't have kids does not mean you cannot have Easter fun. We didn't really do much, however. We stayed home all day. We watched conference in the morning and slept in the early afternoon.When we got up we boiled 6 eggs and began to create. Well, ok, I have to admit that we were not very creative this year. It was very low on the creativity scale when compared to previous years.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-27137186547747510672009-03-24T18:21:00.006+10:002009-03-26T13:23:21.251+10:00

After running around my apartment parking lot for a few months now, I decided it was time to take my exercise to the next level. After a few weeks I started to clock and measure my route. It turned out I was running as much as 8k every other night.For what ever reason, I felt the next logical step was to join an organized 5k run. I went to a local sport store and grabbed a banner for the next 5k

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-56074025953722000652009-03-23T10:11:00.004+10:002009-03-23T10:32:19.385+10:00

When I was a kid, my family's favorite subject of discussion were Momisms. These are usually quotes, sometimes actions, of our mom. The kind where you wonder what was going on in her head. Like the time we all were escorted to our van and my mom freaked out that the van carpet had been stolen. They didn't take the stereo or anything else, just the carpet. A few minutes later it was discovered

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-83414392059670748452009-03-11T11:02:00.000+10:002009-03-11T11:02:00.445+10:00

Is it just me, or is this blog turning into a exercise journal?Anyway, I noticed another thing in my life that I think must be a result of my exercise efforts. When I was younger and skinnier, I was the kid's fun guy. For what ever reason, children always wanted to play with me. I was Uncle Fun and my sister, Lacey, was Aunt Boring to my nieces and nephews. On more than one occasion I could

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-36431324225780733012009-03-04T09:30:00.012+10:002009-03-05T15:35:10.684+10:00

Today I got an email from an old friend of mine from BYUH (the friend isn't old, just our friendship). I have to admit that I look forward to email from her probably more than anyone else I know. Every time I read an email from her I always end up laughing out loud. And when I reply to her, I often find myself inspired to be just was witty in my replies.All of this fun email banter got me

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-16094891271193464302009-02-18T16:05:00.003+10:002009-02-23T16:40:41.516+10:00

Today is a day of mixed blessings. Long story short, my pants kept falling off all day.Since I started WiiFit, I have now lost over 20 lbs. And with that came an inch or two off my belly. I do like that, but with that comes the need for new clothes. I hate having to buy new clothes, even if it is because of a good thing.Today at work, I had a "sweaty day." Every so often, I have a day where that

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-13636194086006732532009-02-12T11:12:00.000+10:002009-02-12T11:12:01.087+10:00

So, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has now joined the ranks of YouTubers. Check out their new YouTube page. I think this is a good technological step forward for the Church to help get out uplifting and spiritual content on an increasingly sinful platform. At the same time, it also makes it seem like the Church is giving a big "thumbs up" to YouTube and perhaps it content,

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-12787860649326213002009-02-09T10:59:00.004+10:002009-02-09T11:21:39.809+10:00

I think one of the things I liked best about Anna when we were dating is that she thought I was cute. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Brad Pitt. So when a girl thinks I'm cute, she's a keeper.But, alas, I gained weight once I got married and when you live with someone and see them first thing in the morning you really start to see the flaws. Anna's never been rude to me, but I think it's

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-44074031827299068352009-01-18T16:28:00.001+10:002009-01-19T14:52:52.713+10:00

My wife has been encouraging me to blog more. And frankly, I have had problems with motivation. And when I do think of good things, I often forget them before I get a chance to blog. So, at the risk of getting to know my couch better, I'm going to blog about Anna. :)I don't think I've gone one whole day with Anna where she hasn't made me laugh. Her humor is not like mine at all. She's funniest

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-69337763059929172482009-01-09T10:35:00.005+10:002009-01-09T11:00:57.105+10:00

The Postman has halted all my mail! And it is pending a federal investigation. Fun times...The apartment I live in does not have mailboxes. The post offices on Guam are always full of long lines, open till close, and there isn't any that are all that convenient for me to go to. For this reason, I started using a mailbox store that is in the building I work in, PostNet.Yesterday, a co-worker of

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-14741683919903783962008-12-30T13:40:00.001+10:002008-12-31T14:04:18.061+10:00

The time between Christmas and New Years in our house was almost more jolly than the holidays themselves. Anna has been hard at work (some days harder than others) at getting her CPA certification. Her first exam did not go well, and she didn't pass. Her second exam went better and she passed. Over a month ago she re-took the first failed test. For some odd reason the scoring process takes

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-27485311137547308312008-12-26T16:06:00.007+10:002008-12-26T17:40:03.229+10:00

Being from Arizona, I'm not missing the lack of a white Christmas. But I do miss cold ones. Christmas without cold air is just not the same. But, I figured that I might as well make the most of this unique warm December climate.About a week before Christmas I officially kicked off the season by scuba diving with Santa.Scuba SantaOn Christmas day, Anna and I hit the water again with some friends.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-35930229244786464142008-12-02T14:51:00.005+10:002009-01-09T11:29:04.678+10:00

This year I got my Christmas gift early. I asked Anna to get me WiiFit, which is just as much for her as me (ascetically).If you are unfamiliar with this product, it's more than just another Nintendo game. It's a home workout program. It comes with a balance board that is also a scale. Each day you take a fitness test and measure your body mass index, weight and "WiiFit age." I also spend some

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-43054163313276175612008-11-18T09:38:00.001+10:002008-11-19T09:45:32.554+10:00

You might have seen on my flickr page that I had a pirate costume for Halloween. That's not entirely true. I was dressed up as a pirate just shortly after Halloween for a Geocaching activity. It's called a "Flash Mob."A flash mob is where you suddenly have a swarm of people arrive at a place suddenly for a short time, then just as quickly as they come, they leave. It's an odd but fun thing to do.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-23540763449750037782008-11-05T14:26:00.005+10:002008-11-05T15:15:42.832+10:00

Maybe now Anna can finally talk me into moving to Vietnam...

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-7037025282949471532008-11-01T14:58:00.004+10:002008-11-05T15:10:48.048+10:00

Another year, another slew of costumes. I usually have two or more costumes for Halloween. This year, I had three.The first was for the Branch Trunk-or-Treat. The second came out of a youth activity called "Where's Waldo," based on the popular children's picture books. The adults dress up in disguises and walk about the mall while the youth see who they can spot. "Nate" was easily the best one

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-55162163262370180032008-10-30T11:04:00.001+10:002008-10-31T11:30:09.864+10:00

My friend sent me this video. I think it's pretty darn funny. I don't support Obama and even if I wanted to vote for him, it wouldn't matter since I live in Guam where we don't' get a say in the U.S. presidential elections. Still, funny stuff, especially because I'm in it.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-78341729724635688112008-10-28T21:26:00.000+10:002008-10-28T21:27:32.196+10:00

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-88632377200484737182008-10-21T10:59:00.003+10:002008-10-21T13:37:15.742+10:00

Hot Drinks... This is a never ending "hot topic" (pun intended). It seems that people out there really love their green tea. Well, I've had it, and I will take the soap box once again, dodging the fiery darts of some fellow members, and hope to lay to rest this debate.Question: Is green tea against the Word of Wisdom for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?Answer: Yes.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-64738366198699088972008-10-14T13:29:00.003+10:002008-10-14T13:35:02.226+10:00

I can't believe it. I've been hijacked. No, not my car or air plane. My website, JaredBodine.com! I'm not very thrilled. If you check it out now you'll see what I mean. I still haven't quite figured out the extent of the damage, but I know they've wiped away all of the photos from my site, and who knows what else. I'll have to rebuild my site now. Ick. I'm getting tired of html development.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-21913013271314630272008-10-11T09:15:00.004+10:002008-10-13T10:17:44.282+10:00

I mentioned a few weeks back that I went to see the doctor (and it didn't go so well).Last week I got a call from the doctor saying she went over my results from the urine and blood work and wanted to see me again to go over the results. *Gulp*So, met with her this week. I normally don't get uncomfortable in hospitals or waiting rooms. I keep my cool pretty well. But knowing that they called me

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-32989744372030019462008-10-09T09:03:00.005+10:002008-10-14T13:36:43.041+10:00

I'm not one to blindly (and without profit) plug a site or service. But thought this one was cool and I can also show off my work.Microsoft recently created a new site called Photosynth. Long story short, it takes a huge heaping of photos from a given locale or scene, blends them together where they overlap and creates a "walk through" of them. Not quite a true 3D expirence, but still pretty cool

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-88614157683917559582008-10-02T21:18:00.001+10:002008-10-02T21:18:42.550+10:00

I have CHD, and I'm Lovin' It!, originally uploaded by jaredbodine.Comedic photo of cover of the newspaper in Saipan. It explains how you have Chronic Heart Disease (CHD) and is brought to you by McDonald's. I'm guessing the editor got some flack for this one.

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-83035381411606293132008-09-25T08:13:00.004+10:002008-09-25T08:59:16.345+10:00

I grew being inundated with wives' tales. One that most people can identify with is that I couldn't go outside without a coat, because somehow being cold, gave you a cold; even if you were not actually exposed to the cold virus.When I was young, my mother also told me a few times to be wary of getting vaccinations. She wasn't opposed to them as a general rule. And as a child I got my fair share

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-86980780098893317182008-08-18T11:07:00.003+10:002008-09-09T10:35:58.481+10:00

When Anna and I are sitting together and she feels compelled to hug me something always sullies the mood. She hugs, then stops, looks down at my stomach and then smacks it. Sometimes she will grab what she can and squeeze. Then she will look back up in my eyes and say, "I love you, except for this one. The rest of you is fine, but you have to loose the belly."I am prepared for this complaint. I

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-27042776678882392052008-07-25T18:30:00.008+10:002008-08-27T18:41:21.540+10:00

N 14 deg 22.839'E 120 deg 34.677'Of all things we saw on this trip, Corregidor Island was one of the "must see" spots for my dad. He's a bit of a history guy (that's what he got his Masters in). If anyone has any interest in WWII, then they would definitely have interest in Corregidor. I was very ill educated on the subject of Corregidor until this trip. I do have interest in WWII, but never

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-71121022212402246782008-07-24T17:54:00.005+10:002008-08-25T11:36:31.579+10:00

N 14 deg 00.560'E 120 deg 59.780'It takes some time to wrap your head around this one. Taal Crater is special. As I said in the title of this post, this is where you have an island in a lake in an island in a lake in an island in the ocean. Let's use Google Earth to help explain it.Here you see the Philippine Sea to the bottom left, then the island of Luzon, then Taal Lake, then the crater that

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-79546655589323444752008-07-23T12:30:00.007+10:002008-08-18T14:55:11.113+10:00

After the temple trip and we moved into our hotel, we started being tourists again. Through my co-worker's travel agency we booked a 3 day combo tour that'd give us the gist of what there was to see in Manila.We battled traffic all day. I was disappointed in the jeepneys we saw. I was hoping the ornate decoration would give me something to look at while we were stuck in traffic. The jeepneys have

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-24977666927053926672008-07-19T18:46:00.009+10:002008-08-15T12:20:41.581+10:00

N 14 deg 36.082'E 121 deg 04.162'After my family returned from the south of Vietnam, we packed up again and left for our last destination; The Philippines.We got into the country in the evening. All we wanted was to do was go to our accommodations and get some rest. One of my co-workers, Freddie, owns a travel agency in Manila, so we booked our Philippine sight seeing and travel through him. We

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-3688921983065644112008-07-17T15:57:00.003+10:002008-08-12T21:28:07.494+10:00

Ok, so I think I’m a pretty good tourist. I don’t ask stupid questions. I don’t cross the lines we aren’t supposed to. I respect the sacred things of the places I visit. And I always try to enjoy the local cuisine. But at some point I have to say enough is enough.After three weeks of eating throughout South-East Asia, I have just about had my fill of dishes were I had to ask, “What is that?” I

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-59423262460078028872008-07-16T15:39:00.001+10:002008-08-05T21:50:13.554+10:00

N 20 deg 36.833’E 105 deg 44.033’While my parents, their friends and my brother with his Fiance went south to Da Nang, Hue, and Hoi An, I stayed in Hanoi with my in-laws. I’d went to those places last year. To ensure I wasn’t bored, Anna’s parents took us to the Perfume Pagoda.This pagoda is famous among the locals. Every new year (by the Chinese calendar) they flock to the Perfume Pagoda. This

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-74396723545939725792008-07-15T15:07:00.005+10:002008-08-04T17:07:38.441+10:00

N 20 deg 54.160’E 107 deg 01.078’The van picked us up early and we began our three hour drive to Ha Long Bay. This is a very scenic part of Vietnam on the open water. Our transportation upon arrival at the docks was a junk. No, that’s not just a name; it was actually a piece of floating junk. If I had a dollar for every cockroach I had encounters with I’d get the tour for free and they’d still

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-83455481391694444402008-07-13T19:40:00.002+10:002008-08-04T17:08:03.764+10:00

N 21 deg 02.163'E 105 deg 48.720'As we arrived in Vietnam, the only thing on my mind was Anna. It had been weeks since I had seen her and soon wasn’t soon enough. After the annoying process of getting my Visa and paperwork done, then gathering luggage and finally leaving customs, I ran into her open arms. It felt so right to be there.Anna’s parents were there as well. Her mom was at our Arizona

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-53378912372533945162008-07-10T14:07:00.008+10:002008-07-31T14:26:15.110+10:00

What I didn’t know before this trip is that Angkor Wat was just the government center of the region. As I mentioned in the previous post, there are over 3,000 more temples – and that’s just the ones that survived and we know about. No, we didn’t go to all of them, but it sure felt like it. We got to see the ones that have giant, Omec-like faces carved into them. Some temples were restored to

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-78549736117757696712008-07-09T18:26:00.010+10:002008-07-31T13:54:25.086+10:00

N 13 deg 24.749E 103 deg 51.963Angkor WatThis first of the Seven Man-made Wonders of the World that I have been to. Way cool. Words cannot express the way you feel walking around a temple that is the epicenter of a lost metropolis the size of Los Angeles. Yeah, I’m not making that up. I always thought that the Angkor Wat temple was the whole lot of it. There are actually about 3,000 temples

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-12615874411123827822008-07-08T11:55:00.001+10:002008-07-31T13:53:34.309+10:00

N 11 deg 29.070E 104 deg 54.085Today was somber. It was overcast with scattered showers. But also, genocide with scattered victims.We woke early to board a flight to Cambodia and bid Thailand farewell. We arrived in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. The cloudy sky and prevailing wind let the air feel surprisingly cool. In order to work around the local siesta time, we headed straight to the first

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-55502124534066833592008-07-07T20:24:00.000+10:002008-08-04T17:08:24.161+10:00

I know that temples are one of the main sights around Chiang Mai, but really. How many can they cram into a city? We decided to see only a small handful of the more famous ones. I somehow caught onto a theme: Buddha. At what point do they look around and say, “Ok. Maybe we have enough epagoges of Buddha…no wait, just one more.”I quickly lost recollection of which temple is which. I do have some

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-83876546209503723092008-07-07T13:20:00.004+10:002008-07-12T20:21:26.969+10:00

N 18 deg 55.128E 98 deg 54.935Supposedly, there are three things Chiang Mai is known for. Temples, the night market, and prostitution…er, wait, no; monkeys.We went to the premier monkey show. Honestly, not as great as I expected. There were some caged monkeys, chained monkeys and a small show. The show was really more of a video kind of venue, so I don’t have many stills. But they had the monkeys

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732081.post-29553184735229111732008-07-07T11:17:00.000+10:002008-07-31T13:47:28.833+10:00

N 18 deg 46.330E 98 deg 58.797Our last night in Chiang Mai we went to see a cultural dance show with dinner. We actually got bumped at first. Our driver called them up and explained that my brother is a big wig at the embassy and we got put back on the list. My brother isn’t exactly some VIP, but we weren’t about to say otherwise.The one surprise was that there were no chairs. Floor room only. At

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854818974163974776noreply@blogger.com0