Finals Week- movie reviews

Well I am very proud of how well I am handling finals week for second semester- MUCH MUCH better than 1st. I am totally chill, had a dinner party the night before my first exam, and watched Talladega Nights- the ballad of ricky bobby- another will ferrell movie, this one poking fun at rednecks and nascar- totally hillarious! Today I celebrated the completion of my 7th exam by treating myself to a sugary soda, potato chips and cookies for an afternoon snack/pre dinner (organic and gluten free of course) I didn't go totally crazy here. Then I turned up the heat and curled up in a big comfy chair to watch the movie Kinky Boots- very cute film about a very traditional shoe factory that starts making boots for transvestities to save the business. So I'd say finals are going well.

Random Bits #1 The Subtleties of Shivering

So most of us know shivering as the body's way of keeping us warm by using our muscles to generate heat. What you may not know is what I learned today. What actually generates the heat is not a rapid contraction and relaxation of the muscle- rather it is the isometric contraction (tightening of the muscle fibers without movement of a joint). For example holding yourself up in position about to do a push up, or clenching your jaw- that clenching uses energy and generates heat to keep you warm. The shivering is the reaction of your muscle to being held so long in that contracted state. So to use the push up example, if you held that position a long time or any other static position where you are keeping a muscle tight, you would eventually start to shake. So the next time you are cold take notice to whether your jaw is clenched BEFORE you start to shiver!

Wow it's been a while

So where the heck have I been? Well lots of places really. I'll try to give a footnotes version. Got a sore back 2 days after my return home and it took me a while to realize it was because I was picking up my nephew who had grown considerably over the previous 9 months. I spent time with family, tried to catch up with all my friends, and packed my life up for a big move out to Portland. I was moving out to Portland Oregon to start School at the National College of Natural Medicine. Had a great cross country trip towing a trailer with what is left of my worldly possesions- I still own too much stuff. So there are lots more details but I will fast forward. I am in my last week of second semester now. It is incredibly tough, but I love it. So I will likely be peppering this blog with random health facts and tidbits!

She's BACK!!!!

cow in the train station
check the name of the travel company
me on metro 30 some hours into my journey
me climbing!!- well belaying
Indy and I at the Narrows
So I'm home again. Surpise! Once back in Pokhara I considered my options and how miserable hot it was in India right now. 115 degrees in Varanassi where I wanted to go, and upper 90's in Kerala- the other place I wanted to go. I figured India is difficult enough I don't need to go when it is this hot and the monsoons are due in a week. I have a ten year visa so I'll have to come back. I did spend a few days there however travelling overland from Nepal to reduce the cost of my flight home by leaving from Delhi. So a 10 hour bus ride from Pokhara to the nepal/india border. 3 hours by share taxi to Gorakpor where I waited overnight for the last bed in a non airconditioned sleeper car to delhi- not the most comfortable option but it is school holidays and it was the only thing available for several days. Funny enough I ended up getting on the wrong train the next day and got upgraded to an airconditioned sleeper anyway! Overnight on the train, all day in delhi and left at 11pm for home. 14 hour flight, 4 hour layover in Newark, hour flight and arrived at BWI at 10am. Wanted to surprise my family (they weren't expecting me for another 2 weeks) so I took a bus to metro, metro to germantown, another bus to damascus and was deciding whether to try hitchiking the last 10 minutes to home when I stoped in at the firehouse to ask about taxis. They asked if I'd ever been for a ride on a fire truck, and would I mind going along on a call if there was one. Of course not I replied! One of the guys said he would just run me home in one of their vehicles because I live so close. I arrived while mom was out at the store so I was able to give here a good try at heart faliure when she returned home and was standing in the next room. I scared her half to death. Got to surprise my sister and Dad as well. So I've been home catching up on sleep, eating, spoiling my dog, and hanging out with the family, and Oh yeah climbing! Went out with Indy to get on rock for the first time in 5 months, and I led, and it was trad, and it felt fantastic!!!!!!! I'm glad to be back and hope to see and talk to everyone soon!

Back to civilization- sort of

Me at 17,769 feet, and I walked the whole way!
My favorite Mountain Machhapuchhre as Seen from Annapurna South Base Camp
Annapurna South at sunrise
Well I'm back in Pokhara- Nepal's second largest city (still no buildings over 4 stories. I've spent 33 glorious days trekking around and among the Annapurna mountains. The Annapurna Circuit, and Annapurna Sanctuary treks. Over a 17,769 ft pass, and into the sanctuary where you are surrounded on all sides by amazing Himalayan peaks. Now I'm busy trying to put weight back on by eating steak, and anything else that strikes my fancy... and is available here. For the last month I've subsisted on potatoes and eggs, only slightly better than the typical Nepali diet of rice and lentils, but that is travel. I tell you Applebee's sounds really good right now. I'm missing things like salad, rare meat, and mom's meatloaf. There is plenty of chocolate here, french fries, and coke, but clean raw vegetables, and the kind of steak you guys have likely been enjoying grilled in the backyard are pretty tough to find. Yes I'm missing home a bit, and as you might have guessed protein! Despite the amazing beauty I am still in a country where you have to squat to pee, wipe with your hand, and watch your step on the sidewalks to avoid the cow shit! I should be home soon though- still shooting for mid June. I plan to head to India for a bit. It is incredibly hot there now, and the monsoon is fast approaching, but I'm so close that I really want to spend at least a bit of time there. Thinking of you all!
Love
Jody

Annapurna

So I've been walking 8 days thru tiny little Napali villages without running water, and most without electricity. Then I arrived in Chame and they have broadband internet! But still no road. This place is changing fast. The Annapurna circuit is amazing, I think I will be out here for a while. Thinking of you all!

The wait is over

Well I've been waiting in Pokhara for many days for word from my college on whether they will accept the courses I have chosen to fulfill my prerequisite requirements... Still nothing and it is driving me crazy that I am sitting here bored, and the mountains are so close. So I've decided to head out. I will be doing the Annapurna Circuit Trek, and hopefully the Annapurna Sactuary trek as well. The first walks around one of the tallest and most spectacular mountain ranges in Nepal and takes a minimum of 16days, the second goes right to the base of them and takes another 12 days. I plan to take my time and give myself up to 35 days to really enjoy it. I will be "tea house trekking" Which means that you stop in little restaurant/guesthouses along the trail for meals and to sleep. Makes it a bit more cushy, no tent or stove required. Also makes it a much more heavily travelled route. At any rate the Circuit trek at least is more an experience of the culture and scenery than of wilderness as you are walking the main route "highway" between dozens of villages, only there are no cars...yet. There are plans to push a road through over almost half this trek in the next few years, so it's a god time to go see it!
So no worrying about me until May 22, by which time I should be back and there should be loads of pictures up here for you to see!

Love
Jody

Quote of the day

On the T shirt of a Nepali Internet cafe worker; "If the world didn't suck... We'ed all fall off"