Continued from My British Gwag - Pt. 1

So, after about four hours of happy sleep, following our little pub crawl/play reading evening, I was awakened by Jane bursting back into the flat we were staying in, tossing things into her bag and preparing to depart for the airport, whereupon she would be returning to America.

Her departure was oddly anti-climactic, involving just me standing at the head of the stairs and saying, "K, then.  Um ... see you in the States."  And her responding, "Yep, bye.  Don't forget to make the bed."

Somehow, despite the strong affection and cross continental nature of my friendship with Jane, we're not huggy friends.  I guess we both just knew we'd be hanging out again soon, and we were, so it was all good.  Kind of like a few weeks ago, when I saw her for the last time before her move.  It was kinda like, "Thanks for the book ... um ... see you in London."  "K, bye."

Since I was up, and I only had two days left in the country, I figured I might as well shower and go about my day.  I ended up taking a train to Kensington where I checked out Hyde Park for a few hours and then went over to the Victoria and Albert museum and wandered around in contented bliss for a few more.

However, I have to admit that I was watching the time with taut anticipation.  Around 1, I got back on a train to Queensway, and made my way down to a shady little internet cafe with phones in the bottom corridor.  It's worth mentioning that I didn't have a working cell phone while I was in England, and that this was a constant cause of upset for me.

When Royce answered the phone, I immediately understood what Jane had been going on about concerning his phone voice.  Very sexy.  Even after the fact that he has a hot accent, it was a sexy phone voice.  He asked me if I'd eaten yet, and I said no, and he asked me if I wanted to go ahead and meet up then.

"Can you meet me at London Bridge?" he asked.

... Okay, come on.  Really?  

Yes.  Yes, for God's sake, I will meet you at London Bridge.

He went on to tell me it was quite a big station and that I should find him in front of the Burroughs Market.

Lucky for me, none of the people at London Bridge Station spoke English, and I had to find the market on my own.  I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't recognize Royce, since I'd only met him briefly, and like I said, he wasn't remarkably eye catching (though not unattractive).  

I found myself making eye contact with every shortish, blonde British guy who looked my way, which actually put me in a pretty compromise-able situation.  In fact, one of the guys was a clipboard-carrying solicitor for something like fair wage in Africa.  I went along with him until he needed my mailing address, then I told him I lived in Florida, and he gave me a button and went on his way.

Slightly amused, and carrying my button, I spotted Royce across the way, being accosted by another clipboard carryer, and looking rather annoyed by it.  I was strangely thrilled that I recognized him, and waved, rushing over.  

Royce snapped to the guy, "See! I told you she was coming," then quickly grabbed my elbow and steered me into the market.  

Chuckling to myself, I affixed the "Save Africa" pin to the bottom of my sweater as he, rather cordially, began the tour, telling me about the history of the giant farmer's market we were passing through.

Since I wasn't fully attracted to the guy yet, and was just so damn excited to have a new friend to talk at, I got him from cordial to chatty pretty fast, and as we exited the market onto the bank of the Thames, we were fast friends, talking about everything from the publishing world to what the American South is really like and even Royce's stance on Jane's drama with Grey (which, by the way, he's deeply invested in seeing realized).

At some point, we'd reached the bottom of the Millennium Bridge.  He shot me a sly look and said, "You know ... I've never walked across it before."

"Well, come to it, neither have I," I said, with a grin.  "Shall we?"

Now, aware of how absurdly romantic this already felt, when we got up onto the platform and a gypsy woman, in a long, red skirt was playing violin, and I noticed the sun was setting in a smoky haze of pink and silver, the only reaction to the absurdly piled-on nature of the thing I could muster was a laugh.

Later, I would refuse to explain to him what was funny, but he didn't feel moved to ask right away, as we walked across, experiencing mutual silence for the first and only time during the two days we'd spend together.  In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion he was laughing too, but only to himself, as not to disturb the rhythmic lapping of water serving as a metronome for the gypsy violinist we slowly moved away from.

After the bridge, he suddenly was very keen to show me the sights I hadn't seen yet.  We went to an art museum that featured Louise Bourgeois's giant spider statue outside.  I rotated under it in total awe (absolutely brilliant), and he was clearly intrigued by a female who thought that a giant spider was a thing of beauty, and let me tell you, it was.

He also took me to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, though it was locked up for a production.  All the while, we chatted continuously, and in fact, in retrospect, I said things to him that I'd never, ever say to a guy I'm trying to woo, because I was still trying to convince myself that he was friend material.  

After all, he has a girlfriend.  And according to Jane, she's just awesome.

</bitterness>

Anyway.  

As it was rapidly getting dark, we'd begun to walk in the direction of the pub where we were meeting his friends for their comedy show.  I still have no idea where this pub was or how the hell we got there.  The magic clouded my vision, but I was already dreading the inevitability of having to meet the Girlfriend, and having the spell broken.

"So, what's your favorite thing about London, so far?" he asked me, snapping me out of my neurotic obsessing about his faceless, yet somehow uber hot girlfriend.

"The Cathedrals," I answered immediately.  I've always loved cathedrals.  I love the history behind them, I love their decadence, and the very irony of their existence.  I love the Romanesque and Gothic ones the most.

This clearly surprised him.  "Are you very religious?" he asked, with a hint of trepidation.

"No!  God, no," I answered, laughing.  "They're just so beautiful," I explained, and then gave him a minor overview of my obsession.  "We don't have anything like that in Florida," I explained.  "It's all beach condos and Mickey Mouse."

"Well, which ones have you been in, then?" He asked, visibly relaxing.

"Oh, none.  I did want to go into Westminster, thou-."

I was cut off by him demanding to know why I hadn't gone into one.  "Churches are, after all, public property," he said.  I honestly hadn't even considered that.

He picked us a chapel off of St. Paul's, a beautiful Romanesque structure with latticed doors, and ushered me up the stairs and inside, even as I protested to the discomfort of just going in.  My arguments fell silent as soon as I saw the inside, though.

It was all marble and stone, lit with candles all along giant curved arches.  We walked slowly through, him watching me, and me watching the church, completely overtaken by the whole thing.  Our footsteps were absorbed by the creamy Italian marble as we weaved our way through the fold out chairs left out for a mass or a wedding.

"Go to the alter," he said, softly.

"Why?" I asked, managing to tear my eyes away from the church to look at him.  When I did, I felt real attraction for the first time.  Just a flutter, in my stomach, but the way he was looking at me was intense and involved.  

"Trust me," he said.  And I did.

I left him with a glance over my shoulder to move through the empty pews, past the silly fold out chairs, onto the alter, elevated ever so slightly under a dome.  Once standing there, I looked at him expectantly.

"Now look up," he said, or mouthed at me.  I seem to remember us not speaking very loudly at all.

There was a fresco in the dome, a scene from Exodus, somehow managing to be ominous and comforting, a reassuring glow in the terror of a Flood.  I still think it was a strange choice for a church alter, but it was clearly very old, and there's no telling how the decision was made.  Regardless, it was incredibly beautiful.

I was startled back to reality by voices.  I glanced at him, but he clearly hadn't heard them.  He was watching me, still.

I walked quickly over to him and said, "Is something starting?" motioning to the people filing in.

"Oh, I dunno," he said, coming back to his senses.

"Maybe we should go," I said, motioning to the door, "So we don't get stuck in a three hour mass."

He laughed and agreed, and we walked out of the church and the warm shroud of unreality that we'd encountered inside.  We didn't talk about the cathedral while we walked the rest of the way to the pub, but I'm pretty sure we were both thinking about it.

Thank you for reading the first series of INTERNET ROMANCE: Love or Lust. Your comments greatly inspired me. For those who were touched by the similarities of their experiences with the incidents in that piece of literary work, like Dalisay, I hope it has healed the wound or at least gave anesthetics. For those who were adversely disturbed with guilt, like Ligaya, may you look beyond the pain that you have caused. For the many “Kenneths” out there, thank you for your apologies. For those who have suggested a sequel, I will attempt to quench your passion for lives real melodrama.

Here goes… the saga continuous…

                   Dalisay moved on and continued with her life. Her job has occupied most of her time. So, it was easy to forget the pain, the rejection, the humiliation and the deceit. In fact, the emotional trauma made her stronger. As one of Robin William’s famous punch line, “Trials are like washing machines; they twist us; spin us and knock us around but in the end we come out cleaner, fresh and better than before”.

          Dalisay continued chatting with friends in the internet but has erased the possibility of keeping in touch with the people who caused her so much anguish.  However, never did she expect, even in her sophisticated imagination that Ligaya’s obsession continued. Her stalking style modified and more covert, using her friends and relatives to peer into Dalisay’s profile in whatever website she is in. Dalisay on her part, consider this flattering and complimentary. She simply ignored the negative “shoutouts” of people whom she doesn’t know from Adam or Eve. “Mind your own business. He is mine now!” are suggestive “shoutouts” and therefore it should come from someone trying to reach out to Dalisay. Ligaya coundn’t deny the link, her photo would appear in those viewers photo albums and some of these viewers would admit to Dalisay the silly reason why they viewed her profile.

          Life went on normally until one prophetic day an unexpected email came. Dalisay received a message allegedly coming from Kenneth but obviously written by Ligaya. The tenor was the same. The taunt was still there. She couldn’t hide her spontaneous arrogance too. Ligaya was haunted by her own story that she read in Dalisay’s “blogs” and journals. Even if she insists that she has stopped stalking, the inconsistencies of her messages tell otherwise. For example, how would Ligaya know Dalisays’s list of friends if she didn’t browse her profile? How would she deliberate know the name of Dalisays admirer and the guy’s romantic comments for Dalisay, if she didn’t read Dalisay “comments section”?

Evidently, Ligaya is bothered by the fact that Dalisay has remained single in status considering the many male friends appearing in Dalisay’s profile. There was still this fear that Dalisay would creep into their lives for vendetta and revenge. Her guilt has consumed her system. Her taunts no longer affected Dalisay, it was a pathetic attempt to destroy Dalisays restored self esteem.  

As a Filipina, Dalisay has this to say for Ligaya, “Makarma ka sana. Wala kang iniisip kundi ganid at libog! Nakakahiya ka sa kapwa mo Filipina. Magkaroon ka naman ng maski konting konsensya. Bahala na ang Dios sa iyo!” (May the things that you did go back to you. What’s in your mind is only greed and lust! You put the Filipina to a lot of shame. I hope you will have at least a little conscience. Let God deal with you!).

On the other hand, if there was any consolation for the recent emails that Ligaya sent, it was her assailment that she is at present living with Kenneth. Hopefully she is telling the truth. However, since her previous marriage still subsists, absent any legal declaration of nullity of marriage, her cohabitation with Kenneth is illicit due to its adulterous nature. Adultery is a criminal act and punishable under the Penal Laws of the Philippines and Penal Laws transcend international boundaries. They can however hide in the Bahamas.

Dalisay’s advocacy, to protect a Filipina became more steadfast. Albeit, initially she wanted to ignore the email entirely, she felt the need to thresh out issues once and for all. She answered the notorious email and advised Ligaya to remove any pathetic doubt that she still loves Kenneth and just leave her alone. She has yet to know if Ligaya has heeded her advice.   

           Optimistically speaking though, the recent emails from Ligaya were benevolent… It paved way for this sequel… and so here goes, the INTERNET ROMANCE: Love, Lust or Greed?

Dalisay met Luningning in one of her church prayer meetings. During the testimonial sessions, Luninging, not her real name, a nurse working in one of the local hospitals in Metro Manila, shared an interest experience. This was the beginning of a new frontier in Dalisays life. The following day, Dalisay was introduced by Luninging to a certain Joseph, not his real name, middle aged, tall and extremely good looking Norwegian American. You would wonder whether he is a movie star, but his good looks can not hide exhaustion. There was certain sadness in his eyes. He was just discharged from the hospital after being confined for more than a week.

Joseph came to the Philippines to meet his fiancé, Diwata, whom he had been chatting for two years. Joseph has provided financial assistance for her family with the promise that they will marry in the Philippines. He was lured into Diwata’s passionate chatting style and of course the sensual teasing that fueled his carnal desires.  

As promised, Joseph came to the Philippines. He waited four hours at the airport but no Diwata came. He went to the address that Diwata had indicated in her text messages but nobody by that name and description exists. He wondered in the dark alleys of Manila, was mugged, beaten and robbed. So he landed in the hospital where Luningning works and they became friends. No where to go, Luningning invited Joseph to their family abode and was welcomed.

Upon Dalisay’s intervention and friends in the legal community, Joseph was given free legal service. Thanks for the tenacious job of local law enforcers; Diwata was located, arrested and detained without bail. Formal charges of Estafa and Swindling were filed against her, without prejudice of filing criminal charges of sexual solicitation through the internet or prostitution. Main time, her internet days are put to hold unless another “Kenneth” comes to her rescue.

Diwata is married and with the consent of her husband, she indulges in cyber-sex relations with men in the internet. Some of these men like Joseph became her regular chat mate and lover. Some guys simply wanted a good time for a meager pay. There is always a money transfer outlet that would facilitate the “fee”. The dollars that came supported her family of six. It was an easy job.

Joseph was relieved and was so thankful for Luningning, his “angel” who has given him comfort and security. Overwhelmed with that feeling, he offered her marriage and a good life in the states. It would have been a happy ending for a love story if Luningning accepted the proposition, but she politely declined. For Luningning, she is too young to settle down. With her nursing degree and training, it would be easy to go abroad. There is a growing demand for Filipino nurses and allied health professionals abroad. Joseph learned his lessons well and left for home alone.

The lesson of this story is: the Philippines, is not a country where one can do their wife shopping spree. Filipinas are not commodities. There may be irresponsible men or husbands who masterminded or served as accessories to their wives internet sex activities for dollars, which the majority of the populace just accepts with a shrug shoulder, there are also numerous decent Filipinas in this small archipelago.

Dalisay and Luningning are living activists against cyber-sex relationship. There maybe only a few of them in the world but if nobody stands up for what she believes in, even if it means standing alone… we will have nothing to lean on if the world falls apart.

Ligaya and Diwata hopefully will learn their lessons well. If they want to win the hearts of men through love or lust… it should not be at the expense of another Filipina or another woman. Sexuality is a sacred thing, not to be toyed around. Lust never last and greed is a bad deed.  

Although all seemed well when it ended well, the question still remains… the how’s and where’s of stopping the proliferation of virtual cyber-sex in the internet, in a country, whose favorite past time is the internet. Do we have to initiate a “No Internet Day” to dramatize anti-cyber sex? So absurd! Let our conscience kill and eradicate this social sex virus itself.

Recently, there were several arrest and closure of internet cafes being used as fronts for cyber-sex activities in Metro Manila and other provinces. Numerous girls of various ages, from matrons to teen-agers including gays were arrested and detained. We hope this continues as the government has already seen the evils this internet sex adventure will do to the moral fiber of our nation.

We do not want to resurrect “Maria Clara”, the timid Filipina of Dr. Jose Rizal’s (National Hero of the Philippines) novels, whose body is completely covered from neck to toe. We only wish that the Filipina herself will put pride in her being what she is… strong, firm, educated and uncompromising of her moral values.

The saga continuous…

Footnotes:

“Dalisay” - Pilipino (tagalog) female name that means purity.

“Ligaya” - Pilipino (tagalog) female name that means ecstasy.

“Luningning” - Pilipino (tagalog) female name mean brilliance.

“Diwata” - Pilipino (tagalog) female name mean goddess.

Kenneth – a masculine name that means handsome.

Joseph - a Hebrew Biblical name that means kindness.

Addendum;

Any similarities as to names, events and particularities are merely coincidental. This literary piece is a result of a compilation of data gathered from several Filipina’s experiences in their internet interaction with foreigners.

Intending to change its image as a gaming hub, PLDT-owned Netopia partnered with the software giant for an e-learning initiative called Angat Ka! , a program where participants can be certified online in basic and advanced computer programs.

The new program is currently offered through the Microsoft iCafe e-Learning Portal, which is available in all of Netopia’s 163 branches nationwide, the two companies said.

The curriculum is divided into 16 short courses which include knowledge and skills training in computer basics.

Besides offering subjects covering the Internet, the program also covers productivity programs, computer security, digital lifestyle, and detailed courses on the Microsoft Windows operating systems—Windows XP, Vista, and the 2007 Microsoft Office system.

George Tan, president of Digital Paradise, the operator of Netopia, said the tie-up came at an auspicious time.

“This is right up our alley because, as you might have noticed, we’ve been transforming our Internet cafes into educational centers," he said.

Last year, Netopia also linked up with Australia-based Englishlink for videostreamed English online training program and with RA Gapuz Review Center for online nursing training.

Michael Rawding, vice president for the Unlimited Potential group of Microsoft Corporation, said the company’s partnership with the country’s biggest Internet chain would give access the general public the chance to acquire important IT skills.

According to estimates, more than 70 percent of Filipinos still access the Web through Internet cafes.

Proponents of the program said they are targeting to attract about 100 students a month. The courses have also been suited to the local market, they said.

Each completed course will be saved in an online profile, which can be accessed with a Windows Live ID. All the courses can be accomplished in less than 12 hours, at the cost of Netopia’s standard Internet surfing hourly rate, the firms said.

A Microsoft certificate will be issued to those who complete the courses and pass the certification exam, the executives said. - GMANews.TV ]]> http://lmuston.wordpress.com/?p=52 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:45:28 +0000 lmuston http://lmuston.wordpress.com/?p=52 CHATTER, presented by Theatre Shop Productions (fringe, comedy, Glennie Hall, today at 6.30pm):

Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor

CHATTER is basically an old fashioned English mistaken identity farce, but updated using modern technology.

Having emigrated years ago, Albie (Asher Stoltz) returns to South Africa to marry Tiglet (Alex Halligey), a woman he’s only met on the website Second Life. He doesn’t know what she looks like, or even her real name. However they have already been "intimate", having had cyber sex.

Albie’s met at the airport by his estranged brother Adler (Wayne van Rooyen), who is also about to meet someone he’s only communicated with through modern technology, business client Tillie (Shannon Esra).

The two brothers haven’t spoken since the incident which prompted Albie to leave South Africa in the first place, the murder of their father.

With Albie’s cellphone having been stolen and Tiglet being out of airtime, the four people are reduced to communicating through two phones, adding to the confusion.

Of course when the four meet at Casablanka night club, it’s obvious that the wrong partners are going to end up at the wrong tables.

Tiglet (aka Amy) is appalled by the way Adler is reducing what she thinks of as a romantic situation to a business negotiation, while Tillie is disgusted by how lecherous the guy she was expecting to conduct a deal with is.

Add to the mix Tillie’s best friend internet cafe manager Madelien (Stacey Sacks) and Amy’s school teacher friend Karien, both of whom are confused by what is going on, and you have all the ingredients for a hilarious farce.

What really sets this production apart is the projection of the characters’ email, Facebook, 2^{nd Life and SMS communication onto a big screen behind them.}

This works quite well, however with different colour text representing the different characters, some of it is almost impossible to read – particularly the parts written in purple.

Tonight is the last night of this productions’ run, so if you have ever flirted with someone online, only to worry whether your message may have been sent to the wrong person, then this is the comedy for you.

-system harus stabil

-system paket

-strategi menghadapi liburan

-membangun nama

-pelanggan adalah raja

1 line speedy warnet : maks 11 komp

1 line speedy office : maks 6 komp

2 line speedy office : maks 12

It was in an internet cafe near Schoenhauser Allee when I met my future day-long stalker, Mathias. I would have not minded in the least if the Mathias I knew last fall took to stalking me, but this was not my luck. I guess we can't choose our stalkers.

After he had done all my work for me, he asked me if I wanted to sit and talk and offered me coffee. He worked at the cafe but internet cafes don't require much work, mostly lounging. I declined the drink but stayed to chat. I learned he was a history major, specializing in suprise-suprise German history, who spoke in a really unintelligable voice but was very smart when he could be understood. His features were somewhat like his voice, hard to describe and unusual. He told me about the Texan German accent surfacing in the large German population of Texas, (that is truly bizarre) and I told him about my past life in Venice dependent on boats. As the time passed I could not decide my feelings for him- he had beautiful eyes, but something about him was quite enigmatic. He invited me to watch the soccer game, Deutschland versus Portugal, with him and his friends the next day. I was ambivialent but agreed and gave him my number. He made full usage of it.

I received a phone call later that day from an unknown number, and answered to learn it was him. Over the phone he was almost impossible to understand with his low gruff voice, and I thought it was someone calling for a job interview. Finally I realized it was him, and gathered that he wanted to see me again that night. I said fine, since I would be very nearby visiting my friend later anyway. Then I checked my text messages, and realized he had texted me twice within three hours of our first meeting before calling. Well I thought, he was not one to let an oppurtunity slip.

I changed my plans for the night and forgot to call him, but he did not forget our "date." He called and called again, and texted and then finally I called him and explained I was not coming and told him in exasperation "du bist zu ernst fuer mich" (you are too serious for me) after which there was a silence between us, which I closed with "tschuss" and he simply hung up on. I thought it was over. However I woke up in the morning to see another text and another missed call, both received before 10 a.m.

So, in all 9 text messages and 7 phone calls later, I have an internet cafe that i must permanently avoid and another proof of the steadfast German character being just TOO MUCH. How can you like someone if they won't leave you alone?

• Ημερησία
• Καθημερινή
• Capital.gr

Η κυβέρνηση κλείνει τα internet cafes, βάζοντας ένα χαράτσι 1.000 ευρώ το χρόνο ανά μηχάνημα και απαγορεύοντας την είσοδο στους ανήλικους!

Το νομοσχέδιο έχει ήδη σταλεί στην Ε.Ε. για έγκριση από την αρμόδια Διεύθυνση και θα ψηφιστεί στα γρήγορα από το θερινό τμήμα της Βουλής.

Τι κρύβεται άραγε πίσω από μια τέτοια ενέργεια;

Ποιοί είναι άραγε αυτοί που έχουν μόνο να κερδίσουν από μια τέτοια ενέργεια εκτός από τους φρουτάκηδες; Ποιοί είναι επίσης εκείνοι που μπορούν να ανταπεξέλθουν στο κόστος των 1.000 ευρώ το χρόνο ανά μηχάνημα, αν όχι οι φρουτάκηδες;

Το πλήρες σχέδιο νόμου είναι εδώ.

Anju Villa, in the homely Montagu Complex of 14 villas, Euros 65/ £50 / ZAR 760 per day, Sleeps 6, with swimming pool,  2 mins walk from beautiful beach Flic en Flac, self-catering; 110 sq.m. Built 2006; Airport transfer and internet access available on request; cleaning service inclusive; Registered with The Mauritius Government’s Tourism Authority;

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Onto the details: I cooked a pair of eggs in the kitchen, finished my packing, and left the ICU dorms at 9:15. It took me a little longer to get out of Daejeon than it did it my practice runs, because my backpack was fuller and heavier than I expected- I'd guess it's a good 10 kilograms.

After weighing the pros and cons of taking backroads or the main road, I decided to take the main road:

Main road cons:
Not as good scenery
More cars: more dangerous and smells worse

Main road pros:
Not as many elevation changes
Actually exists

I'm convinced that the map I have only loosely corresponds to reality. I was convinced that I needed to follow a certain road until the end, but trying to do so took me up a mountain and off in the wrong direction. I still don't know exactly where I was, but I spent half an hour on that little detour and wasted a lot of energy climbing the hill. I don't trust the map anymore, except for the main roads.

The main road is not a highway, by the way. Sometimes it's four lanes, sometimes two, but the speed limit is usually only 80 kph (50 mph) and the cars are good about going around me when the shoulder gets narrow. It's probably safer than the backroads because the shoulder is generally wide and there are no sudden turns.

The Korean scenery is really nice (green mountains everywhere!) but also really predictable (green mountains... everywhere). On the local roads, you at least see things like temples and nice flower beds, but the main road doesn't really offer a lot to see besides mountains and the occasional rice field. I took a few pictures, but there's only so much to see before you feel like you've seen it all.

By about 3 hours in, I was starting to get really tired. I never had a problem with 2 hours before, but this was the first time reaching the 3 hour mark, so I guess it stands to reason. Unfortunately, seeing the sign that said "Gimcheon, 62 km" when I'm already exhausted didn't really help with morale. But the one near the end proclaiming only 12 km to go was bliss.

I don't think my eating habits were the best. Around 11:30, I stopped at a grocery store and bought sausage bread and some milk. Around 1:30, I stopped at a convenience store and bought some rice balls. Around 3:30, I stopped at a small-town grocery store and bought some bread and refilled my water bottle. When I arrived in Gimcheon, I went to the supermarket and bought a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and ate about half of each. So I think I'm doing ok for carbs and protein, but I really need to eat some veggies.

I'm meeting Matt in 20 minutes to go make dinner, so I'll get my veggies then. I got in touch with Matt though couchsurfing.com, and he offered me a place to stay here in Gimcheon, so I offered to make dinner. The problem is that I don't actually know many recipes, and most of the ones I do know require Japanese ingredients. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

I need to go to city hall now, so it's lime to leave the PC bang. It looks like my fee for the time is only 1,200 won (I think the exchange rate is about 1,040 these days). There are some elementary school looking boys behind me playing some FPS, and the guy in charge of the store is watching Korean-subbed anime. PC bangs are pretty nice.

I'll have to upload pictures some other time. Look for another update tomorrow, as I head to Daegu!

(Den helt store dille i Baghdad er internet-caféer)

Baghdad: Under de skamskudte bygninger, barrikaderede gader og sikkerheds-checkpoints, lever Iraks ungdom en tilværelse som vi kender den fra vesten. I en normal irakisk husholdning, finder man således ofte computere hvorpå børn chatter lystigt, eller netværker på arabiske Artos.

Kilde.

Yesterday, I drove not only a stick shift for the first time in my life on roads and highways, but a stick shift on the right side of the car and the left side of the road. I didn't crash! I went to a township about 30 minutes away to talk with a man who's doing incredible things with music education. He's an established, local gospel singer and has a ton of resources, and he's put them to good use. Teaching kids to play anything they want. Teaching them about recording and live sound. Recording demos for them. On and on the list goes. What a great guy and a great story he has. And a big heart for music and kids in these underpriveleged areas. I learned quite a lot. On my way there, I passed the largest township I've ever seen and second largest in the country, Khayelitsha (Ky-leet-cha). It just kept going. Mile after mile after endless mile I drove by the place. The shacks were worse than anywhere I've seen. The entire valley was filled with this and I couldn't see the other side. I want to go back and take pictures and just drive through. What a sick place, just minutes away from the wealthy and historic downtown Cape Town.

Today, I got to work and almost immediately spilled tea... onto my computer. Most of the letter keys still work. The B and the N stopped working. All of the numbers are gone except 5 and 6. The right and down arrow don't work. The delete key doesn't work. The +/= key doesn't work. Everything else is running fine except I can't log onto my computer without typing my password which consists of one or more of the above mentioned keys. I tried to change the password from the guest account to one I could actually type. It changed, but somehow it got screwed up. So, my keyboard is a little screwy and I don't even know the main password that is used for almost every function on my computer including logging on and accessing all of my photos, documents and work information. Just my luck. I got an external keyboard for cheap, so at least I can type, but still don't have the password. And it screams (beeps loudly) at me when I turn it on because that's what it does when there's a keyboard error. SO I'm now at an internet cafe and some nice man is looking at it/trying to crack my password with software. I won't know until tomorrow. We'll see what happens.

After dinner today my brothers and I decided to trek back out...unfortunately, there was not a whole lot to choose from as it is a Wednesday night and most "bars" close at midnight, sigh... We met some New Zealanders from Christchurch who gave us some recommendations that we hope to check out.

I feel like I just came back from a spa. The Lake Maria State Park spa, yeah.

Meanwhile, Ryan was supposed to go back to Boston for some training thingy, but they pushed it off till June 1st which is good b/c he soooo didn’t want to leave MN. And that works out perfectly b/c now we’ve got two more weeks to get to my sister’s. I definitely need to look at a map. I’m smart, I swear, but when it comes to geography I’m a complete airhead.

Ryan just told me we’re already on our way to Badlands National Park and then to Custer State Park…and yeah, that does sound familiar. I’m not even joking. when I say I’ve been in a daze, I meant it! I’ve been in a daze for days. ha.

He even already booked a hostel. So that’s cool, Badlands here we come!

I’m so rude, I didn’t even ask how all of you are doing. I hope you’re all well!

• Adventure Travel in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota area
• Nature and Wildlife in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Grand Marais, Minnesota area
• Outdoor Sports and Recreation in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota area
• Places to Visit in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota area
• Nature and Wildlife around Mt. Rushmore and the South Dakota Badlands
• Outdoor Sports and Recreation in Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands
• Places to Visit around Sturgis, Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore and Rapid City

Anju Villa, in the homely Montagu Complex of 14 villas, Euros 65/ £50 / ZAR 760 per day, Sleeps 6, with swimming pool,

Book with confidence...Phone or Text Anita (2 direct lines) in Mauritius +230 93 19 727 / +230 45 20 769 (photo on website) who will be pleased to answer your questions, discuss your requirements and arrange your reservation for you. Or, Email llewelynpritchard@blueyonder.co.uk
 Kanyaka, Flic En Flac, opposite beachZal (above) Grand Bay (Baie)Salmah (l) Grenadier (l) Villa Latanier (r)

Salmah, Kiss,

Les Orchidees, Albion, (all Flic En Flac)

Kiss bungalow apartment, (2nd row up on right) Flic En Flac, Mauritius from  183ZAR / 15Euros/  £12 per night sleeps 4, 2 bedrooms one en-suite, American style kitchen, beach 5 mins  walk, private parking for 4 cars;  450 Euros / £346/ ZAR 5559 per month, maximum let one year dependent on availability; Further Details: http://placestostaymauritius.wordpress.com/

vacation rentals, self catering, apartments, studios, villas, flats, flic en flac, grand baie, Mauritius,

NEED MORE CHOICE?

ENQUIRE ONLINE HERE:

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/flic-en-flac/52835 (Orchidees)

                                                                                                                                                http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/flic-en-flac/47773 (Albion)

WANT MORE OPTIONS?

CLICK HERE:

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(A good selection of fairly priced, very good quality, rental properties in either Flic En Flac or Grand Baie.)

PHONE or TEXT Anita (2 direct lines) in Mauritius 00230 93 19 727 

00230 45 20 769 (photo on website) who will be pleased to answer your questions, discuss your requirements and arrange your reservation for you.

Or, email llewelynpritchard@blueyonder.co.uk

Take immediate advantage of our

*Free (added value), personal care, Mauritian hospitality service*

- for a really great start to your  holiday –

by simply giving Anita a call or texting her to let us know the name of the apartment you have chosen and your flight number.

Please Enquire about our additional services (Prices and Deals):

http://www.travel-library.com/apartments/africa/mauritius/flic_en_flac/les_orchidees.html

 Airport Taxi Return Transfer

Maximum 4 people: 60 Euro Or, private van/ minimum six people: 85 Euro Return

Car Rental

From 25 - 50 Euro per day

Wedding at Sea

Make that very special day extra-special! Drinks included in the price.... From 500 Euro

Flic en Flac to Grand Bay

Full day return by private car or minibus from 275 Euro....

Dolphin Ocean Visit

Come and see some of the most intelligent creatures on the planet! Meet new people make new friends! Eat, drink and be happy!... From 163 Euro

 Big Game Fishing

Mauritius is renowned for its Marlin and other really big fish! Come for an adventure of a lifetime!...From 225 Euro

Daily Tours Around The Island

Discover the fabulous variety of sights and attractions in Mauritius. Round the island private car/ taxi/ minibus maximum 4-6 people: 60-70 Euro ...From 60 Euro

GUESTBOOK

At first I thought this was too good to be true but it wasn't!

Brilliant!

Best holiday ever!

Coming again!

Thank you so much Anita's Affordable Apartments. Gail, Cardiff

Will be definitely using Anitas Affordable Apartments again. Thank you! Mr & Mrs Thomas, Wales

We had a brilliant time and it was great value for money. Mr & Mrs Leonard, Teeside

We loved the great variety of things to see and do. For a small island. there really is something for everybody. Feel like we've only touched the surface of the culture, lots more to find out next year! Peter and Jean, London

ACTIVITIES, EXCURSIONS, SIGHTSEEING:

BEACH AND SEA: beach fishing, boat trips, coral reef, deep sea big game fishing,

http://www.fftourist.com/excursions_deepsea.php?pg=excursions

glass-bottomed boat trips to swim with dolphins, diving, water sports,Blue Safari Submarine; Undersea Walk, Sailing Boat to Isla Mauritia, Catamaran / Parasailing (including lunch, drink & transfer);

LAND-BASED: Tennis and Horse Riding in Flic En Flac, Golf within 30 mins drive; visiting crater lakes, Coconut island; Chamarel coloured earths; great for walking and cycling holidays, fascinating tropical fauna and flora, National Parks, golf, sega dancing;

http://www.mauritius.net/general_info/culture.php

HONEYMOONS, FOOD AND NIGHTLIFE: Mauritius and Honeymoons go hand-in-hand! http://www.mauritius.net/what_to_do/honey.php

Chinese, Creole, European, French, Hindi, Mauritian and Seafood restaurants' culinary delights; http://www.mauritius.net/general_info/cusine.php

casino and clubs are only a few of the many tastes to try on your multi-cultural, unforgettable holiday experience of a lifetime!

SPOILT FOR CHOICE!

YOU MAY DECIDE TO VISIT:

Grand Bassin, a place of Hindu pilgrimage; Or,

Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens with Giant Amazonica Water Lillies. Or,

You may just want to enjoy the sugar cane plantations, sub-tropical forests, stunning sunsets, volcanic mountains or walking with lions!

A Catamaran trip to Ile Aux Cerfs is unmissable!

 http://www.mauritius.net/what_to_see/east.php

 Or evening cocktails and a BBQ cruise.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS! COME! ENJOY!

TAXI AIRPORT TRANSFER: about £15-£20.00;

CAR RENTAL: Airport or Flic En Flac collection available;

HIRE A TAXI 1/2 OR WHOLE DAY WITH YOUR OWN DRIVER GUIDE: Flic En Flac taxi rank near apartment, from about £15.00;

HIRE a SCOOTER or BIKE instead?

HOW TO GET THERE:
Air Mauritius: daily non-stop flights from major cities worldwide. Other major airlines: Air France, Emirates, British Airways, South African Airways, Air Zimbabwe, Condor, Commair, Air Europe, Virgin; Budget airline - Air Seychelles.

NEAREST TRAVEL LINK: Airport: SSR International Airport, Plaisance: 45 km, approximately 30 minute drive.

USEFUL GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MAURITIUS:
http://www.mauritius.net/general_info/index.php

USEFUL GUIDE BOOK: Spectrum Guide to Mauritius Pub. by Camerapix International 1997

OTHER USEFUL ADDRESSES:
Mauritius Tourist Promotion Authority

Government of Mauritius

Flic en Flac Tourist Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Air Mauritius

Air France

British Airways

Emirates Airlines

Air Fares Compared

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