Manuscript Update: 2011 Fall ETA

I got a call from my publisher's VP of Creative and was told that they found an illustrator. I won't say who it is though, because who the hell knows if it's for real this time. We all remember what happened last time.

Anyway, they wanted to confirm that I was still interested in publishing my kids book with them. As I mentioned before, my contract ends at the end of the year so they need to update it (again). Once I agreed to this, they were going to contact the illustrator to confirm.

God, I hope this is happening because I've waited over three years now. I know exactly how long it takes to produce a book and it's not three years. But whatever . . . if I've waited this long, then fall 2011 isn't that far off. Yes, apparently it'll take another year to publish and get it out on the market. By then I will probably be in New Zealand having the time of my life. I'll need the extra cash influx so maybe this is working out for the best.

My fingers are crossed for this illustrator. I think this illustrator does some amazing stuff and will add so much to the story. This illustrator was, and still is, my first choice. Let's hope for the best.

Manuscript Stuck in Production Hell

I called my publisher to get an update on my manuscript. It's been three years total after all, and I haven't heard back from them since I submitted their requested changes in April.

I was told that all the manuscripts are backed up because they've slowed down production due to the bad economy. I'm not sure if I can believe that or not. I was told that they are now starting to release some books and are working their way through the backlog. If my book is three years old, how many others are before me?

It's quite infuriating to say the least. I was told that my manuscript was given to two illustrators, but they both turned it down. I'm not sure if that means they read it and didn't like it or they did sketches and the publisher didn't like it. I was told that if I could hunt around for my own illustrator it might help to speed the process along. WTF? I might as well go the independent route if I want to do that.

My contract ends in December so I'll need to decide what I want to do at that point. I'm able to either renew the contract and hope they get to it sometime in my lifetime or submit the manuscript to another publisher that may or may not want to print it. At this point, I'm leaning toward the second option. I mean, I used to work for these people and they don't really give a rat's ass about helping me in any way. I have to hunt them down to get an update. No one even answers my emails. I might as well see what strangers have to say about it.

Livemocha Reboot

Over a year ago, I found this awesome language site called Livemocha and signed up to take Italian and Japanese. Since then I've continued on and off (although more off than on) and have picked it up again this weekend.

I've now signed myself up for French and Swedish in addition to Italian and Japanese. Originally I thought French might be good to learn since I'd be able to practice with my friend Lan, who took it in college. However, after completing the first lesson I realize that it might just be too hard to do. I don't think my mouth and tongue can do what the French language is asking them to do. I mean, just how do you get those sounds to work at the back of your throat? I'll keep trying but at this point it's pretty hopeless.

I came upon Swedish kind of by accident. I was talking about Livemocha to a fellow JCCH volunteer yesterday and she said I should try a Germanic-based language like German, Swedish, Norwegian, etc. because this is what English is based on. I don't know if she's right or wrong about this, but I signed up for Swedish and am liking it so far. The sentence structure is similar to English (unlike Japanese). Plus the melodic way the words are pronounced sound kind of cool.

I don't know how much use I'll get out of learning Swedish as compared with something like French or Spanish (which I thought about taking as well). But I figure I'll probably get as much use out of Japanese as Swedish since both seem to be isolated to their own countries.

For now, I'll try to keep up with all four new languages and see how they go. At least I don't need to learn new alphabets for three out of the four of them. On the other hand, at least you pronounce all the sounds in Japanese. The other languages seem to use all these crazy diacritical marks that change the vowel sounds I'm familiar with into something totally different. Ack!

Travel Vaccines - Tetanus and Hepatitis A

I'm one of those people who avoid doctors like the plague and haven't been to one in a long time. Prior to getting a physical last year to clear me for the Visian ICL surgery, I probably hadn't been to a doctor since high school. Yeah, it's been that long.

But since I really want to travel, I figured I better get going with these shots as some need multiple doses in order to be effective. I've also got to do this while I'm still employed, because who wants to pay full price for these expensive vaccinations and visits?

I made an appointment and went in to Queens Medical Center's Travel and Immunization Clinic on Tuesday for a consultation. They have a person there who specializes in overseas travel, which is rare in Hawaii. I think the only other place is Straub Clinic & Hospital. Because my friend just came back from Africa and China, I went with her referral to Queens even though Straub is just minutes from my work place.

After a brief consultation, I decided to get the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) and Hepatitis A vaccination. I've already got my Hepatits B done. I've never liked needles, but I have to say that these shots weren't all that painful. I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that the person administering the shots was good or if my childhood memories were just blown all out of proportion. Anyhow, they didn't hurt too bad . . . or so I thought.

On Wednesday, when I woke up in the morning I noticed that my right arm was a little stiff. The nurse had warned me that the Hep A shot would feel as though someone punched you in the arm, but it was the Tdap arm that was throbbing. When I got home after work that day I had to take an Advil. I even fell asleep while waiting for a friend to call me for dinner!

Now, two days after the shot my Tdap arm is still killing me, and I've got this huge pink welt on my arm. I think the medicine is slowly spreading throughout my arm. It doesn't help that I've got sensitive skin so the inflamed area is probably larger than normal. I'm still dead tired, although this could also be due to work as we're extremely busy this week planning for a company retreat. When I got home from work today, I actually felt like going to sleep at 4:00 in the afternoon. I got chills (another side effect of the shot), which I found ironic since it was so damn hot outside. All in all, these shots suck.

The nurse gave me some literature on shots to prevent rabies, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever. It's hard to decide which ones to take though (and if I really need them) because my travel plans are so wide open at this point. I'd rather be safe than sorry so I might end up getting all the vaccinations I can get in case I change my mind and really do want to visit Egypt or Thailand.

Oh, and my exit strategy at work has been revised due to my shot schedule. I definitely have to stay through February now as I need to do a second dose of Hep A six months from now. March would be the earliest I could travel.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I've busy with my massive research project on New Zealand, working holidays and round-the-world traveling. However, I'm not sure this is a very effective way for me to go about this whole adventure.

As some of you know, I lean more toward a type A personality than a type B personality. Because of this, I continue to have this need to as prepared as possible. While other people would just buy a ticket and go, I am stressing out just from researching a potential trip.

The more I scour the web for information, the more I feel I am sinking under all that information. Yet, I cannot seem to stop myself from learning more. What's worse is that I hop from one topic to the next and never find a definite answer for anything. My mind is just buzzing with activity and before I know it, it's past midnight every night and I'm nowhere nearer my goal.

Each search just seems to creates more and more questions. What's the best credit and debit cards to use? Which financial institution has the least amount of fees involved with currency conversions and transaction fees? Should I open a bank in NZ when I get there? How do I go about setting up a NZ tax ID number? What's WWOOFing all about? How safe is it? Which mode of transporation should I use - public bus, backpacker bus, rental car or purchase a used car? What's the deal with travel insurance? How do you get covered for stuff like skydiving? How do you get work? Is it easy? What kind of work is available?

The questions are endless. I've started posting some questions on a New Zealand backpacker message boards and most of the advice is the same old Nike saying, "Just do it!" At some point I think I'll just be so overwhelmed with my researching that I'll end up just doing it out of frustration. The other info I'm getting through this site is pretty helpful though, and it calms my nerves because it proves other people have already done it so I'm not exactly blazing any new trails. The fear comes from the unknown, which is pretty normal, so I just need to jump this one hurdle and be done with it.

All Blacks Make Haka Hot

As you know, I've been doing my due diligence and Googling for info on New Zealand to prep for a potential vacay there. I'm still undecided whether I want to backpack it on my own or join a small-group tour that's a cross between adventure and budget. I'm leaning toward the tour, even though this vacay is supposed to simulate what it'd be like to be on the road alone.

Most of the tours I'm looking at treat you to a traditional Maori dinner and the videos I've seen of these things look like the Maori version of a luau. Instead of doing hula, they do the haka. My YouTubing research quickly led from these tours to haka done by various sports teams. The majority of the videos are of the All Blacks, a Kiwi rugby team. I don't know if they're the only team that does the haka or even if they're the only team in NZ. I don't know anything about rugby, but once I started watching the videos I couldn't stop.

There seems to be a variety of different haka, but the most common is the one that starts off, "Ka mate, Ka mate, Ka ora Ka ora." This is the one with which I'm familiar (and I assume most other people are as well). It bothered me that I didn't know the words beyond those first few lines. I think it's mostly because the chants are shouted and the words are never distinct enough to understand. Even after watching several videos, I still couldn't get the words down. I finally had to Wikipedia them and read the words while listening to YouTube. Who knows if Wikipedia is even accurate though.



Watching the various videos of the All Blacks, I noticed that these rugby guys are pretty hot . . . even with the ugly, macho-man faces they're making (or is it because of that?). The guys, of course, are all fit and muscular and they're yelling at the top of their lungs as I imagine the cavemen of old used to. And yet, despite all the movement and progress gained through women's lib, I still find their behavior oddly sexy. I mean, there's something to be said about the masculinity, agility and dare I say virility that these guys exude while doing this haka. Their intensity and focus is both intimidating and alluring. It's kinda like looking into the eyes of a wildcat.



And just so you know, I still can't get the words to the haka right. But I'm going to keep trying . . . you know, for educational and cultural exchange purposes and all! LOL!

Go Jump Off A Bridge

Honey, maybe I just might! And why stop there? Why not a plane as well?

I spent a lot of time yesterday looking into different options for a vacation to New Zealand. Yeah, I know it's rather sudden. It's not someplace I've mentioned here much (unlike Italy *sigh*). But all my previous research has pointed to NZ as a backpacker-friendly locale. There's a lot of young people who travel there so it should be easy enough to make friends while traveling alone.

Yes, undoubtably I'll need to go it on my own as my friends have various issues that aren't likely to be resolved before I completely implode. So, in order to relieve my own inner anxiety and escape the doldrums that is my every day life, I'd like to plan a solo adventure.

Since it'll be my first time traveling alone, I figured why not go big? NZ is the home of all extreme sports and I couldn't possibly go any bigger than that. So, I've been skimming through websites about various tour companies, transportation and lodging options and of course extreme fun by means of skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, hiking and even zorbing.

I'm debating whether to do the true backpacker thing and plan my own trip and bounce from hostel to hostel while enjoying the sights and activities or hooking up with a tour group. The good thing about going to NZ is that most of the tours are focused on active things so it's likely that the crowd will be younger and not your typical tour group. Still it'd be nice to just bum around on my own a bit too.

Anyone ever been to New Zealand? Any tips?

Disgruntled Much?

Lately I've realized that I'm becoming a lot more disgruntled at work. Most times I'm just there to punch the clock and don't have my heart and soul in the work. (Well, that's a bit deceptive because it implies that my heart and soul were once involved in the job when they really weren't.) I feel a lot more disconnected and find myself easily irritated by random things and people. Before I was able to dismiss or ignore them, but now I find that they just really bug me.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it. Besides actually landing a job in San Francisco, I don't think I want to find another job in town. Aside from these irritating events/people, my job provides very good benefits, I'm making enough to live and save a little and it's about a five-minute drive from my house. A girl can't complain about that especially when jobs are so scarce these days.

But despite all this, there's a growing restlessness inside me. One theory is that I've put off my quarterlife crisis for a few years and now it's just busting the door down and shouting to be heard. I don't really buy this though, because I swear I already had my quarterlife crisis (albeit a bit early) the semester before I graduated from college.

Another theory is that this disgruntled attitude has been fermenting ever since I walked through the door. Unlike other jobs where your expectations aren't dashed until several years later, this job doused my hopes after the first week or two. Apparently "enduring" isn't going to be enough anymore.

A third theory, which may be the most truthful of all, is that I'm just a product of my generation. I am not satisfied with an unfulfilling job where there is no communication, collaboration or creativity. I'm not satisfied with simpling doing my part and not being able to make a difference. I don't believe in the self-sacrificing, team-building B.S. that is pushed down our throats when management continues to be self-serving mercenaries. I don't like the top-down style of management and the conformity that is disguised by sprinkles of independence.

All of that is well and good, but now what should I do? For about as long as I've been toying with the idea of moving to San Francisco, another idea has been freestyling it throughout my brain. I've always thought it was completely unrealistic, but who's to say what is or isn't realistic? Society would have you believe only in convention and the normal hum-drum life. But what's "normal" these days anyway?

So this semi-crazy, vaguely irresponsible yet possibly thrilling and life-altering idea that's been passing in and out of my consciousness for about two years now is this: quit my job and travel full time. I don't even know how this is possible without using up my entire savings account. But dare I even think that it might just be worth it? After all, money is only money and can be made as quickly as it can be used.

With this idea constantly resurfacing (especially after bad days at work), I've continually looked for ways to make this happen, even as I tell myself that it's completely nuts. I keep reading blogs about people who have taken a career break and extended vacations. I keep trying to track down and assess how realistic their route, budget and travel distance are. I keep wondering if I couldn't just replicate this myself.

Could I really do this?

Just A Quickie

Not much going on lately, but I just wanted to check in to make sure y'all knew I wasn't dead.

I'm looking forward to catching Dear John this weekend with my friend JC because she and I both love us some Channing Tatum. Planning to ball my eyes out though as I'm thinking it might be a little bittersweet? It's based on a Nicholas Sparks book and isn't there always something to cry about in his books/movies? Maybe I should go with waterproof mascara for this little outing of ours?

Other than that . . . well, I've been in new employee training class at work. No, I didn't get a new job. But, I'm sitting in on these new hire classes to get some ideas for newsletter articles. I'm running low on topics and my brain is too tired to think creatively. I'm hoping a quick review on everything will rejuvenate me. Also, it's just one way to get away from my desk and be with other people.

I'm still contemplating this and any other job. I mean, it'd be nice to quit and travel until the money dries up but that takes some guts. If I don't have the balls to do that, then I guess I could just take an extended vacation (one to two months maybe?) to travel around Europe or something. Or, I can save that money and pack up for San Francisco, hope I can get a job there and use the cash as reserves until I can find a job. Tough decisions.

. . . And I'm Back

Just returned home from my Vegas jaunt this morning - 3:30 a.m. this morning to be exact. I was supposed to arrive at 12:15 p.m. yesterday, but our plane had some kind of mechanical failure light pop on. We were midway down the runway when the pilot put on the breaks. Thought it'd only take an hour to check out, but they ended up sending us back to a hotel to wait it out. Because of this, I'd say there are about 200 people tired out of their minds today.

While many people would love an extra day in Vegas, it'd be a lot better if they'd known ahead of time. Many of the people, who must've been older than God, pulled all-nighters on Wednesday since we had a 5 a.m. call time. This turned out bad since we were stuck in vegas for another 12 hours or so.

At the hotel, we were given meal vouchers so at least the food was free. But how many times can you really eat a buffet? The flight home was long and made longer when we didn't lift off till about an hour after scheduled. This time, in the new plane, a door light wouldn't come on. They had to call in the maintenance people to fix it.

Despite this, I had a nice time in Vegas. I got to go shopping and see Jersey Boys at the Palazzo. We tried to see the Platters, Coasters and Marvelettes, but the show got canceled. This is the second time I've been in Vegas and haven't gotten to see this show. It must be a sign. I ate at Olive Garden (yum!) and saw some hotels. I got in some gambling time and wouldn't have lost so much if we left on time. But since we were delayed 12 hours, I ended up putting a bunch of money back into the slots. Damn it!

The weather was a nippy 30-40 degrees the entire time we were there. I think after the first day we became immune to the cold. After a while it just felt nice and not OMG freezing. We were able to walk around in capris and a long-sleeved shirt with a light jacket. A positive thing about arriving in Honolulu at 2 a.m. is that the temperature was 74 degrees. If we'd arrived at noon as scheduled, we probably would've fainted from the 80-degree heat.

Vegas Vacation

Is it sad that all I care about is not being at work? The count down to vacation isn't about the traveling. It's simply about not having to work. With that in mind, I only have one more day before I can relax into my vacation.

I don't fly out till Sunday and still have to do some laundry and pack. It's going to be freezing up there - probably in the 50s during the day and 30s at night. Good thing I picked up a thick jacket in preparation for Japan. At least if I don't get into JET, I'll still have made use of the thing.

I've got a tentative itinerary for the trip that is packed with shows and tours. The first night my BFF and I plan on going to the Plaza Hotel & Casino, which is just around the corner from where we're staying at the Cal. Depending on how fast we can get there from the airport, we wanted to catch Rat Pack is Back. Yes, we'll be the youngest ones there but who cares? It's the faux Rat Pack! Who could pass that up?

On Monday night, my sister and nieces fly in and we're planning to do a Haunted Vegas Tour that includes a seance. The reviews I read were mostly positive. I don't know if my younger niece will be down with the seance though. It might just freak her out.

Tuesday is Jersey Boys night for me and my BFF. My sister will be at a work function and my nieces will be on their own. Afterwards, the plan is to go clubbing. Know of any good spots we should hit up? We wanted to check out Minus 5 Ice Lounge at Mandalay.

On Wednesday, my sister and nieces are going to Criss Angel. I'm skipping that and will have a free couple of hours. Wonder if I can hit the Megabucks during that time? It only takes a minute, right?

We fly out on an 8 a.m. flight on Thursday. Because of this, we'll probably pull an all-nighter and just gamble or hang out. No sense sleeping for a couple hours when we need to be up early anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane ride home.

777

I cannot wait to go to Vegas for an extended Girl's Night Out. I'm going with my sister, BFF and nieces. We leave in only one week. Thank goodness.

Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, I still feel quite disgruntled about work. In the past, this has indicated that it is time for me to search for new opportunities in the job market. However, since I've applied for JET all I can do is wait. And the wait is killing me.

Other JET applicants are probably stressing about getting into JET. I'm not really feeling that stress. My anxiety is just waiting to hear back either way so I know if I should start looking for another job or not. I can't very well apply to other places at this point because it'll screw things up if I get into JET.

Thus, my eagerness for a trip to Vegas is really just a diversion of the inevitable waiting. I can only hope to win millions of dollars, which would allow me to quit my job. What a dream that would be.

Waiting Game

I've been so busy this week that I forgot to check whether or not my JET application made it to D.C. Finally got around to checking tonight and it arrived safely on Monday afternoon. Priority Mail was apparently enough to get it there in time. I was not going to pay a minimum of $17.50 to go Express Mail. If that were the case, I could've done FedEx or UPS. Crazy!

Anyway, I guess at this point there's nothing more to do but wait. I am hoping the time between now and the interviews will go fairly quickly. I am really getting fed up with work and am looking forward to a vacation soon. I dream of leaving for some European jaunt and never coming back. I may just need to settle for a quick trip to Vegas with my sis. I waiting to hear whether or not my BFF can go with us.

Kensington Park Hotel - Fit for Royalty

Everyone knows that traveling can be expensive. On tight budgets, oftentimes the first place you cut is your hotel quality because all you really need is a place to lay your head at night. However, this can be one of the most important parts of your trip. Who wants to share their bed with bedbugs or mites after a long day of sightseeing? That can truly ruin a good time, don'tcha think?

My experience at Kensington Park Hotel in San Francisco has been wonderful. It is one of the Personality Hotels in SF and is located at 450 Post Street, right in the heart of Union Square. I stayed there in November 2008 for a couple of nights and again on my recent weeklong adventure.

Why'd I go back? First off, the price was right. Obviously, from looking at its website, Kensington Park can be a bit high for most budgets. However, remember that you're in SF and that everything is pretty expensive. I got a great deal for air and hotel from Honolulu so I booked it right away. There were other air/hotel deals out there (believe me, I combed all the usual sites and then some), but when Kensington popped up within my budget, I jumped at the chance to stay there again.

What I learned last fall is that their beds are truly heavenly, especially after a day of walking up and down hills or in and out of stores. I have never slept on a bed better than this one, and this includes my own bed at home. I don't even know how to describe it to you. It's just the right firmness and softness to ease your aching body to sleep every night. You melt into the comforter and are engulfed by softness.

Another good quality about this hotel is that the staff is very accommodating. My flight arrived at 5:55 a.m. and by the time I got to the city it was around 7:15 a.m. Despite this ungodly hour, the staff allowed me and my BFF to check in way ahead of schedule. (When we called to double check that they had our reservations, we put in a request for early check-in but they said they couldn't guarantee anything.) I can only imagine that either we looked pretty had-it from the red-eye flight out of Honolulu or that the staff was very, very accommodating. I like to believe the latter but cannot be sure.

The room we were given (#4 on the fifth floor) was a bit smaller than the one we received on our last trip. However, this could also be because we were only two people and last fall we had three. Even though the room and bathroom were smaller than before, they were still very satisfactory. Everything was clean, which was a definite plus. There was no mold, mildew or hair in the bathroom. The beds were made and everything seemed to be in order. For a peek at the rooms, check out their website. Yes, those are probably professionally done pictures and no doubt are enhanced with a little help from Photoshop. But, trust me. That's exactly what the rooms look like, if not just a tad less bright and vibrant. Still, the beds and rooms definitely live up to the PR/marketing hype of the website.

Another good thing about the staff is that they're very friendly. I hate to admit it, but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the guy at the front desk. There were actually three different people at the front desk at different times of the day and night. However, the night shift/early morning guy definitely stood out. He's the guy who checked us in (this time and last time if I remember right). Every time he saw us, he'd greet us with a big smile and address us by our names. Yeah, he actually remembered our names! Amazing when the hotel seemed to be almost fully booked. This kind of customer service is a sign that Kensington Park is really going the extra mile for its guests.

If you're not convinced by now to try this hotel on your next SF visit, let me add that it's only a skip away from all the shops at Union Square, steps away from the Muni (cable car and buses) and just a couple of blocks up from BART. The location is hot, hot, hot. So definitely try Kensington Park Hotel because it's fit for royalty.

Reality Bites

Well, it's my first day back from my SF vacay, and I'm struggling to get through work. So much to catch up on.

I got back into HNL at around 5:45 p.m. last night but it took an incredibly long time to get our luggage. I'm not sure what Northwest was doing. I saw them unloading baggage from the plane, but it took almost an hour to get our stuff.

By the time I picked up my car in Ewa, had dinner and drove back to my place in town it was around 10:00 p.m. A quick cold shower (I do not know how we've survived the heat all these years. I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West, melting away in the heat.), I tried to unpack the essentials but left most of the stuff on the floor of my living room. Figure I can go through it tonight.

Despite the fact that it was almost midnight here (and 3:00 a.m. SF time), I had a hard time sleeping. I guess I didn't want the fun to end. Once I closed my eyes, I'd wake up back to the old grind.

And here I am . . . back at the old grind. Ugh!

Stay tuned for some food pix, tour reviews and a recap of my adventure in SF.

Trip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

So I'm off tonight on the red-eye from from HNL to SFO. Wish me luck. Normally I can't sleep a wink in a new place, especially when that new place is hurtling through the sky at God knows what speed. But, I'll really, really try this time. I'll need to because if we're lucky our wheels'll touch down before 6 a.m. SF time.

I need to be up and ready to take on those massive hills. Damn it! I knew I should've did a bit of work up St. Louis Heights. Definitely would've got the old heart pumping and legs churning. Luckily, we're getting a muni pass. That'll get us on and off all the buses and cable cars we want. Plus we're doing some tours so all we've got to do is get to the pick up point and we're golden . . . like the bridge (which is actually red, so I'm not sure what the deal is there).

Anyway, see you in a week. No blogs from SF as I'll be too busy enjoying myself and eating till I tip over. Lucky for you, you'll get to see all the food pics when I get back.

Hello World!

Thank god I made it to Friday! Only a day and a half more before my trans-Pacific flight to happiness. Got home today and felt completely happy for the first time in a long time. First song to pop into my mind? The Partridge Family's "Come On Get Happy." Yes, it's quite possibly before my generation, but I think it summarizes my feelings perfectly.

SF Here We Come

By the way, I forgot to mention that me and my BFF finally booked a vacation for early May. We're going back to San Francisco to finish up playing tourist at the places we didn't have time to see during the two days we were there last November.

Hopefully this time we'll get to explore the neighborhoods more. I want to get a good feel of the place because I still have my sights set on moving there at some point. So, if anyone gots a job hook up in SF for me, lemme know.

I started researching the rent prices as soon as I got back from my last trip and honestly, Hawaii ain't got nothin' on SF. The rents are sky high with barely anything hovering around $1,000 a month. They're more like $2000 or else you share with a jack load of roomies. But, that might not be so bad considering I'd be new in town and wouldn't know where the heck to go or how to get there.

The main concern I have is finding a job in this economy. I would totally love to work in publishing, but I suppose marketing is probably ok with me too. Non-profit work would be wonderful as well. But, of course, all these jobs are contingent on there actually being openings during a time when people are getting the pink slip left and right. Also, a willingness to hire from outside the state would have to be there, and I think it's not likely when so many competent people in the city are jobless already.

Anyway, I've pretty much settled for sitting tight for the time being. We'll see where this little life of mine takes me. In the meantime, this bank ad gives me hope that some locals can make it in the city.

Vacation Planning Hell

I've been tracking airfare and hotel prices for over a month now trying to find a cool little vaca spot for me and my BFF. Unfortunately, the prices keep fluctuating like crazy. Every time I think we're almost there, the price skyrockets. We haven't found our ideal deal yet, but I have hope.

Of course, it doesn't help that we're in Hawaii. Most people are trying their darndest to get to this island paradise. We're trying like hell to get off the rock. It's a matter of perspectives, you see.

In any case, I've decided to put my language lessons on hold for now since we won't be taking that European jaunt any time soon. Guess it'll have to wait till 2010 like we were originally planning.

More and more it looks like either San Francisco or Seattle. If we really get desperate, we'll do Vegas up. Apparently there are two-for-one deals coming out of Vacations Hawaii. How can you pass up a four- or five-day trip for $350 when air, room and food are included? You just can't argue with that.

I really don't want to go to Sin City though. I'd rather visit the other two places. However, at that price I could go to three shows/concerts in Vegas just for the price of getting to SF or Seattle. Ah decisions, decisions.

Livemocha - The Java of Languages

I found a cool website called Livemocha that is half social networking and half language acquisition. Basically, it's a MySpace or Facebook for those trying to learn a foreign langauge.

Since my plan is to travel to Europe (Italy being highly favored) in 2010, I figured I'd try to learn some Italian. I'm sure I won't become an expert, but if I can get a couple of common phrases down I'm sure it'd help a great deal.

At the same time, I figured I might as well spruce up my Japanese as well. I mean, I took nihongo in high school and made it through Japanese 302 in college, but it's been a while since college and I haven't had to use any of it. At this point, I'd have to say that I've forgotten most of it.

So, the other day I signed up for beginning Italian and Japanese. The program is pretty interesting. And, the best part is that it's free. It's very interactive (other community members reply to your lessons) and there are parts of each lesson where you're asked to write or speak. I find this really helpful.

So far, so good. My suspicions about my deteriorating Japanese ability were confirmed. The worst part of all is that I can't read any of it. All the kanji look foreign. Also, since I've never taken any Latin-based languages, I'm learing Italian from scratch. It's a challenge but I'll keep at it and see if I can learn a thing or two.