One thing to understand is that not all taxi drivers have gone to the "london cabbie driving school" and they don't all have an AtoZ in their heads. Particularly in Bangkok where they don’t seem to have an AtoZ, too many narrow alleyways (sois) that maybe shouldn't but are used as regular drivable streets.

So, back to the story. I went to the hotel and as I like to be more prepared than a boyscout I had a card with the address of my new apartment in both Thai and English. Give it to the concierge, he looks at me blankly and says "no idea where this is! let me call them and get directions". OK, not great start but no so bad. He rings up and when he comes back he has his best thai smile on. "All good madam, I will tell taxi driver". Fantastic, no problem here.

Get on the taxi, man starts driving. Got a proper kamikaze driver, nearly ran over 2 motorbikes and went through 3 red lights. Getting used to that, no problem there. The area where we are doesn't look very familiar, but then again I have only been in Bangkok 5 days and I have been to the flat twice, sort of knew where it was but not really that well. Anyway, after 15 mins the man stops in a hotel. NOO!! that's so not where I want to go!

Try to tell him that this is not the place, but wait... I tell him in English, but he does not speak English. He answers in Thai, but I don't speak Thai. Hmm lost in translation big time! Give him the card hoping he can take me home. He shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders. As we all know international code for "not the foggiest, mate". Right, no point loosing temper, getting anxious, lets come up with plan B. Get the map out and show him where we are going. Err he has it upside down and hasn't noticed.... not a good sign.

Eventually I say the name of one of the shopping malls around the apartment, he knows that. Cool, we have a plan C! after 20 mins driving I recognise the area, I know that to get to the car door he has to take right on one soi and left on another one. Of course I don't know which one of the 20 available he has to take. They all bloody look the same! Anyway, after much pointing about and much talking where neither of us understood a word of what the other one was saying, I was safely delivered home. Just 1 hour after I was expecting, never mind, made it and that's what counts, right?

My piece of advice: if you are about to get a taxi in a city you don't know, trying to go to a place you don't know either, that also happens to be brand new so nobody knows how to get there and if you don't speak the language and think the taxi driver might not speak your language either -> pack a smile and a tone of patience.

First up is Frank Water Projects

A relatively new comer to the charity scene it was started by Katie Alcott in 2005 as a not for profit social enterprise.  So far they have funded four water project in India through fundraising and the sale of  Frank Water Coolers and bottles.  This has allowed them to provide clean water to over 6000 people at each of the sites.

 They have the whole water for water thing going on. Their figures are pretty impressive when you look at it, for every new cooler of water you provide it provides the funding of 10,000 litres of clean filtered water for their projects.

The next project that will be up which ties in nicely with the African Rally is a project based in Ghana which with any luck if we sort out our Carnet de Passage in time we will be able to swing by and get a look at, get a few photos and the like. Int he mean time after makign a pretty good hash up of what these guys do, (i urge you to check out their website, they do a much better job than i will do)  i'll leave you with a few photos of what they have accoplished already in India.

These campouts are pretty basic and are scheduled near Mother's Day to give Moms a little break. They provide breakfast and some projects. We will be leaving after school/work tonight and heading south to have a great memory-building experience. I can't recall the name of the campgrounds, but I will post them in an update soon. I will also have some pics to share!

-Timmy

Picking up a year after the first one ended, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian finds the four Pevensie children still living through Nazi bombing raids in England and trying to go about their lives, all with the knowledge that the amazing world they left is one they may never get back to. Peter (William Moseley), the eldest boy, is having trouble adapting to life in our world after being a king and leading troops into battle in Narnia. This all changes when Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) sounds a magical horn, featured in the first movie, that calls the Pevensie's back to Narnia.

Caspian was the heir apparent to the throne of the Telmarines who have taken control of Narnia. The Telmarines, most of which speak with Spanish accents, have committed genocide and have tried to wipe out the Narnians. The Narnians aren't too happy about this and have fled deep into the woods to avoid being killed or captured. Caspian escapes when his uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) tries to kill him in order to make his own son the heir to the throne. The next two or so hours is basically the Pevensies re-uniting with the Narnians, now led by the exiled Caspian, and trying to oust Miraz and restore the land of Narnia to the Narnians.

The first movie was filled with Judeo-Christian allegory, but this one is nearly devoid of it. The only main theme that I could pick up on is this idea of absolute faith, belief in something without having proof of it. Basically, only Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley), the youngest, believes that Aslan (Liam Neeson) will return; whereas everyone else, even the other siblings, believe Aslan has abandoned Narnia. This absolute faith is what saves them in the end.

The rest of the movie is a well-done adventure with some rousing battles and sword fights. The abundance of action, however, makes me question the PG rating is received. In the first movie, there really weren't any humans, aside from the Pevensies. Here, the Telmarines are human, fighting against the Narnians, and the children do get plenty of opportunities to slash and shoot their way through ranks of Telmarine soldiers. Honestly, I'd say this movie should've been PG-13 for the bodies that pile up by the end of the movie. Granted, there really isn't any blood, but when you see Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes) swinging his sword and striking enemy soldiers, you know those guys are dead.

There is a bit of a romance that develops between Caspian and Susan Pevensie (Anna Popplewell), but this romance is very brief and not very well-developed. Humor is more prevalent throughout this movie, as well. There are some good one-liners said by the children and by Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage). Also, the audience that I saw this with absolutely loved Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard), a chivalrous mouse who leads a band of mice that fight against Miraz and his troops.

The only thing that really bothered me were these 'glorious charge' moments. For example, the Pevensies are leading a raid on the Telmarine castle in an effort to force a surrender from Miraz. When the Narnian troops finally enter, Peter yells, "For Narnia!" and the troops valiantly rush forward. However, this is about the hour-and-a-half mark, so this obviously isn't the end of the movie. Repeat that phrase (occasionally replacing 'Narnia' with 'Aslan') roughly three or for more times. Yes, moments like these can really fire up the audience and make them cheer, but if you do it too many times, it loses its intended effect. The last charge, though, really got the audience excited. And occasionally the acting is cheesy, especially from Lucy.

Prince Caspian is, in my opinion, a better movie than the original, simply because there's just more going on screen. There's more action, more humor, and it all moves along at a brisk pace. The movie runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes (slightly longer than Speed Racer), but there's enough going on that anyone should be able to sit through this. But, like I mentioned before, the violence level is amped up a bit, so be weary if you're planning on bringing the little ones.

8.5/10

So many phrases
So many more to forget
But it’s true what they whisper;
douse me in diesel,
roll me in dust.

Born out of nothing
Comes something;
More than I’ve known.
The spaces of the wilderness
working silently and unconditionally-
Their chaos
A mentor to my own

Option A: “Hare-ing along”
Tick, tick, tick
Tick.
Welcome to old age!
Our sincerest apologies for the delay,
here’s the present we promised; Maturity.

The new black was the tortoise in time
So You changed your locks,
Ingested a new distraction,
Just to frame yourself in the moments

B:
that queued around the river’s bend,
as the breeze willed you to stop
and appreciate the limbs
waving their support:
“We’re the silhouettes”

Count Dracula was once an ardent defender of Christianity but lost his faith when his love decided to kill herself and he feels guilty for her death. Thus to feel better he wanders aimlessly sucking the blood of others to quench his thirst. As a player you will travel through a rich variety of decors and locations as you hunt; a hunt full of leaps and bounds that will take you throughout Europe, to London and to Transylvania via Vienna and with a breathtaking stop in Egypt. Plunge into a Gothic adventure, where everyone’s every move is driven by the horror of blood and the longing for Eternal Love. Supported by a sound track quite terrifying, the player is forever propelled towards more suspense and horror preparing to take part in the struggle between two conceptions of the world: chaos and order, fantasy and reality.

Synopsis
"Bent on the destruction of the human race, the sinister underground organization, the Shockers, secretly plan to plunge the whole world into chaos. But the Shockers don't count on the revolt of two experimentally "reconstructed" human beings, The Masked Riders, who rise against them to thwart their diabolical plans. The first Rider fights to protect all that he holds dear, the second, crippled by a wasting disease caused by the Shockers' fiendish experiment, fights to uphold his own principles. Two years after The Masked Riders first do battle with the Shockers, a third Rider arises to confront them, known only as "Version 3". The arrival of the third Masked Rider will hurl our heroes into their most terrible battle yet and the fate of the world wil hang in the balance." -

Stream

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v9841086kzzyHKxb

<or>

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v8800729CS8gt8nm

Download

Kamen Rider The Next (Extended Version)(DVDrip)(2007), english subbed, japanese language

http://rapidshare.com/files/113219031/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.001
http://rapidshare.com/files/113219076/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.002
http://rapidshare.com/files/113219087/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.003
http://rapidshare.com/files/113219144/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.004
http://rapidshare.com/files/113219143/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.005
http://rapidshare.com/files/113219145/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.006
http://rapidshare.com/files/113219080/TNKRNEXTEXV.zip.007

When he told me where the car was, I asked "what did you give me." He grinned and said "You'll like it; it's a silver Jeep. I was thinking Jeep like a BIG YUKON kind of thing, but when I saw it, it is Jeep like the size of a Toyota Rav 4, and I really love silver.

On the other hand, I truly hate travelling for 24 hours straight and then getting into a strange car and driving for about an hour on Seattle's congested freeways at going home time.

I think he felt sorry for me because when he entered my driver's license it was DECLINED! It had expired! Thank God I had another one, a lifetime license from another country, but I have to run down to tomorrow and get a new Washington State one. I was SO embarrassed.

(Seattle is heartwrenchingly beautiful at this time of the year; blue skies, huge showy rhodedendrons in bloom, it is just gorgeous)

Here is what I saw: congestion congestion congestion - Seattle has outgrown the highways built many years ago. Potholes, bad spots in the pavement, accidents waiting to happen. Oh wait! These are the same things I complain about in Kuwait!

One thing you will NEVER hear me complain about in Kuwait - People in Seattle just drive SO slow. Penalties for speeding and penalties for accidents you cause are so huge, so severe, and people are stultifyingly SLOW!

Asterix at the Olympic Games [2008]

DVDRip, XVID | 592x336 | 23.98fps | 603Kbps | MP3 48000Hz stereo 128Kbps | 706.37 MB

Language: greek, Subtitle: bulgarian, croatian, czech, english, greek, macedonian, romanian, serbian

Asterix, Obelix, and their friends have entered the famous Olympic games in Athens. They're determined to taste victory, but the Gauls face formidable competition from both Greeks and Romans. Will it be a Gold Medal for Asterix? Or will he suffer the agony of defeat?

Screenshot

Download

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

OR

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Subtitle

Password: sait0n

source

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves--in finding themselves.

-André Gide

Adventure is not outside man; it is within.

-Thomas Eliot

Sabi nila bawat piso mahalaga, nalaman kong totoo yun... Nung panahong nahihirapan pa akong magkaroon ng pera, sa di inaasahang pagkakataon may kagimbal-gimbal na himala ang nangyari sa aking buhay... isang bulok na piso ang tumambad sa aking harapan...(GRABE ANG LALIM NG TAGALOG KO... BINABALINGUYNGUY NA TULOY AKO...) Hindi ko makakalimutan ang pangyayaring iyon, 1997 pa nga ang nakalagay sa bandang ilalim ng PISO...

Biglang may lumapit sa akin at sinabing "kuya taya ka naman sa ending", napaisip ako kung itataya ko ba ang piso ko para sa pagkakataong manalo ng jackpot na tumataginting na 70pesos, pero naisip ko na gusto ko na itong gastusin nung araw ding yon... Kaya hindi ako tumaya sa bata at naglakad ako, nakakita ako ng tindahan bibili sana ako ng MANI, kaso naisip ko na nakaka-taghiyawat nga pala ito... kaya umisip ako ng ibang bibilhin... CANDY ang naisip ko, kaso sumakit nga pala ang ngipin ko nung nakaraang araw kaya hindi ko na binili... Nagisip uli ako, naisip kong bumili ng sigarilyo kaso naalala ko na hindi pala ako naninigarilyo, kaya nagisip uli ako...(GRABE, NAUBOS NA UTAK KO KAKAISIP...)

Ibibili ko sana ng chocolatekaso bukod sa nakakasakit na ito ng ngipin, ito ay nakaka-taghiyawat pa...(OO! Tama, Nakaka-taghiyawat pa ang pagkain ng chocolate... May natutunan na naman kau...) Kaya(as usual) nag-isip uli ako...(GRABE, NGAYON KO LANG NAISIP NA MADAMING BESES PALA AKONG NAGISIP NUNG ARAW NA YUN...)Bibili na lang sana ako ng JUNK FOOD kaso naalala ko ang sinabi ng MOTHERNESS ko na wag daw kumain ng JUNK FOOD...(Kakainin daw ng MONSTER ang Tyan ko... Auko nga mangyari un...) at muli... NAG-ISIP uli ako (WAG KA MAG-ALALA IBA NA INIISIP KO NGAYON) napagtanto ko na wala din naman akong maisip na bilhin kaya umalis na lang ako (SABI KO SAYO IBA NA INIISIP KO EH...) Kaya muli akong nagpatuloy maglakad at sa daanan at nakakita ako ng banner ng bakery kaya pinuntahan ko ito para bumili ng tinapay... Kaso sarado pala ang bakery... Kaya umalis ako at naramdaman ko ang di pangkaraniwang pakiramdam, parang gumuguhit ang init sa aking lalamunan at para bang desyerto ang pakiramdam (SA MADALING SALITA... NAUUHAW NA AKO) Naghanap ako ng mabibilhan ng ice tubig at nung makakita na ako ng konting liwanag sa aking paghahanap (SA MADALING SALITA... NAKAKITA AKO NG ICE TUBIG FOR SALE..) ay biglang sinakluban ng kadiliman ang natitira kong pag-asa (SA MADALING SALITA... NAKITA KONG 1peso at 50cents ANG ICE TUBIG NILA) kulang ang pera ko... Kaya naglakad uli ako..(Kaya ako nauuhaw eh.. Lakad kasi ako ng lakad...) Biglang may nakita akong pamilyar na mukha.. Pinsan ko pala.. Mangungutang sya ng piso... inisip ko kung papautangin ko sya... at naisip kong wag na lang... kaya umalis ako... at nakakita ako ng TUGUDOINKS(isang term ng mga taga sa amin para sa slot machine o kaya fruit game) Dun ko na lang naisip n gastusin ang piso ko.. Akalain mo ba namang TUMAMA AKO ng 10pesos.. Eh natuwa ako itinaya ko ulit... at pagtingin ko sa pera ko ay wala na pala ito dahil natalo na...

Kaya hanggang ngayon naglalakbay pa rin ang piso ko... Sa mga naglalaro sa TUGUDOINKS baka kayo na ang may hawak ng piso ko...

MORAL OF THE STORY:Wag ipang-TUGUDOINKS ang pera para hindi ka mawalan ng pera..

SONG FOR THIS STORY:Ka-tono ng ako ay may lobo...

Ako ay may piso... tinaya sa FRUIT GAME... Di ko na nakita... Naubos na pala... Sayang lang PISO ko... Tinaya sa FRUIT GAME... Kung pagkain sana... Nabusog pa ako... huhuhu..

"Most cherished in this mundane world is a place without traffic; truly in the midst of a city there can be mountain and forest."~ Wen Zhengming (1470-1559)

This time though I gotta hand it to the mecca of Disney World Epcot and their International Flower and Garden Festival. Their multitude of gardens range from the nostalgic flower sculptures of childhood heroes to the "Sculpture Garden" filled with wonderful works of art on loan from some of Florida's most prestigious collections.

A unique theme in this years festival is the practice of conservation in gardening. A very relevant theme in this time of seemingly perpetual waste and environmental doom and gloom. There are several gardens that exemplify tips to eco friendly gardening and water conservation including their "Green Garden (low input gardening)," "Lush Xeriscapes (minimizing water), " and my personal favorite the "Water Garden Wonders," a creative and beautiful water garden which uses rainwater. Pretty cool huh?

Venue: Epcot Theme Park
Date Range: 03/19/08 - 06/01/08
Schedule: Daily
Event Type: Festival- Arts Festival
Event Cost: Included with admission to Epcot

Great Deals on Great Spots
My Pick: The Skinny on the Wyndham Resort

Locale:
Orlando is sunny, tropical and perfect Resort atmosphere which is why my Orlando pick this week is the Wyndham Resort. This gorgeous 42 acre resort sits on a lush an tranquil lagoon-laced oasis a stones throw from major attractions and includes a complimentary shuttle to Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Wet 'n Wild.
Hotel Specs:
Augustines Bar and Grille serves buffet style breakfast and a la carte meals which I particularly enjoy because I can get up, eat what I want and bail to enjoy the day. Also at Gatorville, tropical bevs and unique fare is served poolside which is a nice touch, especially if you like to start early. The hotel has three gorgeous heated pools a fitness and a fitness center for you body buffs.

Guestrooms:
It's nice to have a little insight about the rooms your in so here ar the basics. These classic Florida-style guestroom's feature madras fabrics and bamboo furniture that tropical feel. They are also equipped with high speed internet access and feature several amenities including Golden door toiletries and in room massages by appointment.

If you have any other advice, tips, tricks, hotels events or travel ideas be sure to drop me a line or leave a comment and let me know!

Regie: Rob Minkoff

Cast: o.a. Jet Li, Jackie Chan en Michael Angarano

Runtime: 113 mins.

Trailer
MovieMeter
IMDb
Official Movie Site

• DVD Specs:

Source: R5
Video: PAL 16:9
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subs: Custom Dutch
Artwork: Covers + Labels

Until next time...

Waddle on!

Bodge101

For your next day of driving, let’s go south on Highway 11 headed for the Puna District. Leave early and expect to get back just after dark because this area is furthest from Kona and contains some of the most beautiful, yet hidden, wonders on the Big Island. It is from Puna that, currently, the only up-close viewing of flowing lava is possible. You may want to pack a cooler for this day trip.

As you’re passing through Kainaliu, just south of Kona, a quick stop at Kona Joe’s Coffee Plantation, for some great Kona Coffee, will jump start your day. See their ad in the sponsors section in your Tour Guide. If you are driving straight to Puna, plan on about 3½ hrs drive time to get to the first sights in this discussion. If you have missed any sights that you wanted to see on the southern route, refer to Frank’s Travel Hints #1 and #2 and catch them on the way...just don't forget to allow for extra time.

Along the way you will pass Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This is a fascinating place and not to be missed, but we will reserve it for a full day later.

The first turn is about 20 minutes past the park entrance at the town of Kea’au. Look for the stop light on the highway and the Highway 130 sign. The Kea’au Shopping Center has some great places to eat, like Paradise Bar and Grill, and is a good restroom break.

The first stop, in the Puna district, is the town of Pahoa. You will think you have just stepped back into the Wild West as Pahoa has a unique atmosphere like nowhere else on the island. Cute shops, and a great farmer’s market on Sundays, lends to picture taking and shopping. Tour Guide will suggest that parking is easiest at the Community Pool just a block from downtown, and there are public restrooms here.

Continue driving further into Puna on Highway 132 through the lovely tree tunnels to a magical stop at Lava Trees State Park. This gorgeous rainforest park is filled with birds and tropical plants and flowers. What makes this park so intriguing is the lava trees. Tour Guide will tell you how old lava flows surrounded the trees, leaving spires of hardened lava, giving it an eerie look. There are trails for hiking and bird watching is spectacular. This is also a good place for a restroom break as it will be a good while before the next restrooms are available. Highway 132 leads you to Highway 137, the Kapoho-Kalapana Road--the only road in America that is named for two towns buried by a volcano.

Turning toward Kapoho on Highway 137, the next stop is the Kapoho Tide Pools where you can experience great shoreline shell collecting and fantastic snorkeling amongst vibrant corals and tropical fish in protected tidepools. Though hard to find on your own, Tour Guide again knows the way to this secluded sanctuary and ancient village. Port-a-potties and showers are the only facilities here.

Just a few miles down Highway 137 is Ahalanui Hot Pond. This tropical park is centered around a hot spring that mixes with ocean water to create one of the most relaxing and soul recharging oases anywhere. Tour Guide gives you the history of what this area meant to the ancient Hawaiians. Picnicking, hiking, swimming and “expert only” surfing are some of the things to do here. There are restrooms, showers and water available also.

As you continue along the coast road, you will next encounter McKenzie State Park. Here the Ironwood trees create an unusual ambience of a pine tree forest. The sheer cliffs and majesty of the ocean beg for photographing. Swimming would be near impossible here, but the hiking is spectacular. Tour Guide will give more information about this other- worldly park. A permit is required for camping and the facilities are a bit run down.

Not far away is Kahena Beach. This beautiful black sand beach involves a bit of a scamper to get down the cliff, but is well worth the effort. Tour Guide will give you the easiest path to take. You may notice that this beach is “clothing optional”, thus it’s popularity. Swimming here is good, but currents can be strong if you get too far from shore.

Highway 137 used to become the Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, but it has been cut by several miles of intervening lava flows. Today, it ultimately ends at Highway 130, the road back to Kea'au and the Hawaii Belt Highway. At the intersections of Highways 137 and 130 are the remnants of the town of Kalapana, buried in the 1960 eruption of Kilauea. Tour Guide will tell you all about the eruption, the heroic recovery efforts, and lead you on a brief hike to Kaimu Black Sand Beach, the newest beach on the Island of Hawaii. From the end of the road you can frequently see the both the eruption cloud over Pu'u O'o Vent and the steam plume where lava is entering the ocean, both several miles distant. At night, the glow from streams of lava pouring down the pali can sometimes be seen from here. Although hiking to the lava can be an experience to cherish, it is dangerous and hard work. The best, and most consistent, viewing is by taking an air tour, such as Big Island Air or Paradise Helicopter Tours.

Heading back from Kalapana, you will want to take Highway 130 toward Pahoa and Kea'au, you pass the famous "Painted Church". Tour Guide can tell you the history of this fascinating place. Just a little farther north is the intersection of Highway 130 with the road to Royal Gardens Estates, which currently leads to the Hawaii County-maintained lava viewing area. Call the Lava Hotline at 808.961.8093 for current eruption updates, lava viewing information and times of road openings and closures. As you continue towards Kea'au you will pass the Steam Rooms--a field of steam vents in small craters where locals go to take steam baths. Tour Guide has information on finding these craters and how to safely enjoy the wonders of natural, volcanic steam baths.

Upon returning to the Hawaii Belt Highway at Kea'au, one can proceed in either direction back to Kona, north through Hilo, a bit shorter and faster, or west through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park which, though longer, is much more scenic. If time permits, you may want to stop in Volcano Village, just off the highway, for some food, gasoline, shopping or maybe even some wine tasting. This may be the last gasoline available until you get back to Kona as it is many times hard to find an open gas station in the rural part of Hawaii Island after dark. Find your hotel in your Tour Guide and get turn-by-turn directions right to the door.

]]> http://fplteensread.wordpress.com/?p=43 Thu, 15 May 2008 18:42:24 +0000 Book Mavens http://fplteensread.wordpress.com/?p=43

Title: The Night Tourist

Author: Katherine Marsh

Summary:Jack Perdu is a smart, lonely teenager with a penchant for translating Latin classics. After his mom was killed by falling scaffolding in New York when he was little, he and his professor dad moved to New Haven. When Jack is hurt in a near-fatal car accident, his dad sends him to the city to see a specialist, and as he waits for his return train, he meets Euri, who offers to show him another side of the city. But Euri is no ordinary schoolgirl - she is a ghost, one of thousands who roam Manhattan at night, to haunt their still-living families and friends, recreate the circumstances of their death, or just have fun in the city. As long as he holds Euri's hand, Jack can move like the ghosts - so he and his new friend begin their search for Jack's mom, evading ghostly 'guards' hunting for living persons hiding in the spirit world, and meeting famous New Yorkers of the past.

In this imaginative retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, Jack must decide what is most important to him: His new friend Euri, determined to find a way back to the living, or solving the mystery of his mother's sudden death.

Who will like this book?: Anyone who likes a good adventure story. Fans of the Percy Jackson series and mythology.

If you like this, try this: For another retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, read Nightsong by Michael Cadnum. A fun book about the 'other side' of New York City is Gods of Manhattanby Scott Mebus.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

it was a balmy, carribbean day.  a group of young americans had arrived on the island of cayo levantado and were enjoying the beach and each others company, sipping on rum-coconuts.  the alpha-male and therefore obvious leader of the group was a man of impulse.  he went by the name cpt. fredrico bonito.  the captain's curiousity led him into many situations that dared him to explore. cayo levantado was new to him, expansive, and full of wonder. he announced to the group a "grand adventure" that was soon to be under way, one that would encircle the entire island.

many members of the group met the idea with distaste, telling cpt. bonito the irrationality of the plan and the many dangers that were to lie ahead.  the group had heard horrendous accounts of alien creatures lurking around the island. many explorers had never made it back alive.

the rejection only fueled the captain. he set on the adventure despite pleas not to go. he was followed by only 3 vivacious and bold women, roxy, doodles, and frotch.  the first leg of the journey was pure pleasure.  just the excitement of exploration had the foursome giddy with delight.  the leader decided that a trans-aquatic route would be taken due to the shallows surrounding the island and the wonderful views of the land it afforded.  they had only made it 100 yards out from camp before roxy the sassy, ever independent vixen decided the trek was too troublesome. the group laughed in her face and ventured on. 

the captain safely led them around the port of entry to the isle, a place known for crooks and prostitutes. the dangers of this area did not approach the adventurers due to the keen eye of their leader. it was during this time that frotch made mention of patches of dark bushels in the water. the group had never seen anything like them before, but it was the captain's hastiness that decided time spent researching these foreign bushels would only destroy the progress of the grand adventure.

"ahhhhhhhh! bloody hell!!!" screamed doodles, flailing around in the shallows. frotch and the captain turned to see their fellow adventurere jumping in and out of the water like a deaf-mute dolphin. with no explanation she turned back. it was obvious doodles did not have the fortitude for this trek.

with both roxy and doodles gone, fredrico and frotch were able to make great time.  they began naming the wonderous sights around them. "makeout cove" and the "enchanted forest". they were very creative people. at this point in the journey the water became deep, and the two found themselves swimming.  fredrico knew that after so much muscle expenditure that the two needed to return to the shallows.  it was with this that they headed closer in to the island.

"AHHHHHHH! BLIMEY MOLLUSK SKULLS!!!" it was the captain. he had been hit. without paying attention to his surroundings (a usual for the captain) he had fallen upon one of the bushels that frotch has so recently pointed out.  the pain was unbearable. hopping from one foot to the other, the captain continued to land on the alien creatures. bending down to touch his foot, his hand made contact with the water demons too.

"spike bombs!" he shouted, at the horror of frotch. she let out a shreik and ran to her leader.  the two hurried to the sandy beach a few yards away and examined the bloody mess that had become their captains feet and hands.  black needles were protruding from his skin. an underwater porcupine of sorts. frotch began pulling the spikes from her captain. let it be known that he took it like a man and never let out a tear.

once the 20 odd spikes were out of him, it was only appropriate to continue on. the two grand adventurers made it halfway around the cove before they came upon great cliffs and a tumultous, angry sea.  if they were to continue on, death was certain.  using frotchs resources and ability to use trails, the two made a dash, barefoot and bloody, into the heart of the island. here they saw locals who looked at them in dismay, obviously out of place and without the proper tools for such an inland trek.  laughs, jeers, and taunting calls were made at the two, but they perservered.

for what seemed like an eternity, the two finally got a glimpse of the campground and the other americans. though they did not complete the round-about-island adventure, they had survived.  the lessons they had learned and their battle against the evil spike bomb had made them into much stronger individuals. their friendship would last a lifetime.

Spring and summer is a great time in Boulder. Right now, the town is lush with flowering trees, and we've had a nice mix of beautiful warm days and just enough rain (and occasionally snow) to keep the grass green. A couple of things I'm looking forward to this summer in Colorado:

• Concerts at Red Rocks (and other places - like Feist at Fillmore Auditorium, July 15th!!)
• The Boulder Farmer's Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays (a very authentically Boulder experience)
• The Outdoor Cinema (I LOVE watching movies outdoors - something about it invites the audience to participate more!)
• The Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day (yay to my sister and all my friends who are running the 6.2 miles!)
• Hiking with Fenway (we went on a great hike to Royal Arch last weekend, will add pictures later)

The summer of comic book action is upon us, with Iron Man already raking it in and The Dark Knight on its way soon. Before Batman returns to the big screen, however, we'll be treated to a new version of The Incredible Hulk.

The full-length trailer for the Louis Leterrier directed film was placed before Speed Racer and it's a doozy, clocking in at a whopping two minutes and 40 seconds.

Many people are looking for The Incredible Hulk to undo the damage done to the green guy by the Ang Lee version, which I happened to enjoy quite a bit. Nevertheless, this Edward Norton Hulk should be a damn fun ride for the summer and fits in nicely as a solid-looking blockbuster.

Enjoy the trailer.

Trailer:

Today I just walked around Shin-Yokohama and visited the Ramen Noodle museum. There wasn’t a whole lot to really see there. This picture is the rising sun from the 39th floor this morning in the land of the rising sun and the second picture is the hotel Prince, the tall round blue building that we are staying at.

I walked over to the museum and it wasn’t open yet, so I walk around and found the local park. There was a lot of day care groups of the cutest little ones. So in the park were the very young, the old, and me! I sat awhile and drew a few pictures of the stadium and the green area around the park. I then walked down to the Ramen Noodle museum.

The museum was really different. The museum part was the smallest part of the building.

The gift shop was three times larger than the information area.

All the pictures of the chiefs had the same look as the Iron Chief. I guess you have to look mean and intense to cook in Japan.

 I then went down stairs and there was a large area of restaurants set up to look like a town in the 1930’s. Each restaurant had a different noodle type from the different regions of Japan. It was dark and a bit weird.

I learned two important things about the Japanese today. One is do not fool around with their food. They are very serious about eating. They spend a great deal of their time gathering food. You don’t see anyone walking and eating but a lot of shopping for food. At noon all these little stations on the side walk set up and they sell their lunch dishes. There are a lot of people buying from them. It is really a small cottage business type of business.

The other is that they love animated, bright colored, everything! What we would think is for children in U.S.A. is loved and used and on their clothing for everyone. Even the very old! Oh the other thing I keep noticing is that there are all kinds of things people use and wear with English sayings on them but most don’t make any sense. It makes me think that most of the Kanji stuff we have on our stuff probably doesn’t make sense either. I laugh thinking about all the tattoos people have on them that probably say silly things. We think it says "PEACE" but it really says "May the calmness of world live in places with trees forever!"

Just recieved this as an email but it just what i was talking about seeing all the time.

Will maybe I noticed a couple of other things: Everyone wears uniforms for everything. The kids are all in uniforms for their schools. All the business people wear dark suits with ties that are similar in style.  Workers in labor jobs all have a uniform that tells you what they do.

The only group who has a variety of styles are older woman who are not working. There is a full range from very elegant to traditional kimonos. Young women who work are in black suits too some even wear ties.

Japanese people do everything with music. There is music for everything during the news on TV, on the streets, to queue you to cross the street, to make you aware you’re approaching something. The funniest was when I go shopping and the music is American from jazz to hip hop to the 40’s big band. There was one trendy shop playing hip hop and every other word was M ** or N word. No one there had any idea what they were listening to. Some of the older women there looked like they would have fainted if they did. It was so bad I could not stay I was so uncomfortable.    

I walk around for a couple of hours and found a great book store. I got Alaina the “Hungry Caterpillar” in Kanji. It is really cute. It was fun looking at all the children books in Japanese that I know in English but they were read back to front in Kanji. They also had all the Harry Potter and Star Wars books. There was a small section of English books but they were not as interesting as the others. I was looking for a book of  Kanji symbols to English dictionary so that I can use the knitting books I bought. I got a really nice book and two that teach you how to read Kanji. The characters are not individual sounds linked together but a concept that link together to tell a story. You do not read with phonics you read with comprehension of an idea link together. It is a whole different way of thinking.   I wonder how a dyslectic reads I guess they have you going instead of coming back. Who knows?!

Tomorrow I am going back into Yokohama and visit the Silk Museum. I bet it will be very different from the Ramen Noodle factory museum!

!!!

It was after dusk near to 7.30 pm two weeks back...

A white pulser landed near in front of the gate. A man woring black check shirt waved his hands  and it was none other than my friend santhu...

We had already planned to go for havingfood from outside. About half kilometers away located the bombay pav bhaji shop and we steered towards it...

Blazing wind.., gushing street lights..., moving houses... dats what i have seen...

The bike got to a sudden stop direct in front of the northern guy ,making pav bhaji, in front of the shop. His eyes made a splash of horror when he heard the sound.., diverting his concentration from his dedicated job of making bhajis.

Side by side laid plenty of chairs for people to have rest and have hot bhajis from the shop...   

My eyes turned to one girl having sparkling eyes, yes she was sitting in one chair with her friends.. Her eyes showed the brightness, courage, enthusiasm, splendour... everything...

I kept on observing... kept myself straight waching her ,her actions, reactions, talks, ways, expressions... everything... 

At last, maybe after some time,  came the voice of my friend " Its time to go come.. come fast.." something like that....i dont remember... I kept on watching her...

The voice became louder and louder, developing itself from just harmless to pulling my hand, pushing like that... At last i had to surrender but still kept myself looking straight to the girl...

I started the bike...raised the accelerator... after that what happened i cant recollect...

It roared and raised like a lion out of control and vigourous... The engine cylinders began throttling at sonic speed, and it jumped to the road, like a wild beast trying to catch its prey by directly landing on top...

Opposite and by sides came two or three cars which my lion managed to sweep between and after some 45 blasting seconds we were safe home riding on the road...

Thats what it happens when we are bound to be adventurous... but made my mind next time not to be too adventurous like that, dont be one...