Quiz, the Flow of Traffic and Bamboo

Travel check: number of beds/couches I have slept in since I began my travels on Sept. 15th (including my bed in my apartment in Baltimore and my home in Greenwich)

... 14... in 46 days. That's .304 beds a day!!


That's fourteen different bed sizes, mattress maleabilities (the plural is not a word, but you get the idea), sheet fabrics, pillow fluffocities (I'm pretty sure that is a word), room temperatures, atmosphere ambiances and 14 different snuggle buddies ... just kidding.









But enough about me ... it's time for some assessment.









Let's see how you do on this quiz. On the surface it seems like a quiz about me and my travels. I am not that self-centered as you think. My blog is not just about me.


This quiz is about you and your place in the world. Feel free to interpret the answers and choices in anyway that you can.


1. What is worse than getting your rental car towed from your own apartment complex?


a) Having Martin Sheen fall on it a la The Departed.

b) Allowing your "friends" to fill your entire vehicle with "female products."

c) Finding your entire car filled up with delicious, homemade Mrs. Cabrera pesto sauce, realizing you cannot eat it because you locked your keys inside!

d) Getting it towed twice.


If you picked choice "a", then you are a sicko, and we will never say anything bad about President Bartlet ever again.

If you picked choice "b", then you may or may not be a good friend of mine who already had this happen to them (he goes to a certain school in Utah ... let's just say it rhymes with Smigum Fun University).

If you picked choice "c" then, like me, you are always thinking of homemade food.

Now if you picked choice "d", then you know that yesterday was indeed the SECOND time my rental car from Philadelphia has been towed. Yup. At least yesterday morning I did not have to pay the $220 since it was my apartment complex's fault it got towed yet again. For the 4 days I've been back in Baltimore in the past 6 weeks, half of those mornings I walk out of my front door, look at where my car WAS parked, look to the left, look to the right, then once more again back to my spot, then throw my fist in the air and curse the gods.




2. Traveling around the entire east coast is exciting, but it has some very negative and unexpected consequences, such as:


a) a preference to listening to the "scan" button cruise every radio station - for a good 10 seconds a station - for hours on end.

b) convincing yourself that you can "read" the "flow" of traffic patterns and sometimes want to quit your job to restructure the rules of the road to elminate traffic forever.

c) becoming so drained from the constant driving that during the numerous times one is able to have social time with others, you would rather sleep and sleep and not be in a car forever.

d) memorizing the exact layout of gas stations.

e) all of the above.


If you answered either "a", "b", "c" or "d", then that's pretty sad, although answering "d" is very practical.


If you answered "e", well, then, you're me.









3. If YOU were on a 3 mile tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and not able to come home the entire time for two years, then you appreciate the little things in life. To be more exact, you get satisfaction from the SMALLEST, everyday things. You would be a little TOO excited for...



a) wall to wall carpeting.


b) Youtube video watching until 3 in the morning.


c) the option of a filet minon for dinner or a single block of fresh romano cheese, because neither of those things exist on small islands.


d) the prospect of having a girl speak to (but you're too afraid to talk back anyway, because you forgot how to)


e) Monday Night Football




If none of these apply to you, at least you should have said "e", cause that's pretty exciting regardless. (Who doesn't love Brett Favre? What a good ol' American.)



(Who wears t-shirts to press conferences?! A patriot ... of freedom, that's who!)







4. Visitng one's alma mater is great, but strange. Especially if you haven't been back on your campus for two whole years. The CRAZIEST thing you notice is:


a) there is a new "Cold Stone" esque shoppe (not shop) that previously did not exist.


b) there is a new sandwich and salad bar, but like all good things in HC dining, there needs to be a downside, such as waiting 45 minutes for the salad to be made.


c) you cannot snap your fingers and make any two freshmen males fight to the death, even though that was a power you once enjoyed while you were a senior back on campus


d) you feel completely at home, yet at the same time not at all


e) students would rather watch the World Series than go to mass, class or play the bass (ha, I bet you read it as "bass" rhyming with "sass", not "base" ... take that!).



If you answered "a" or "b", then you have not been on your Holy Cross campus in two years. These new additions are scary.



If you answered "d", then perhaps you would rather I give more serious insights throughout my blog instead of silly, silly comments ... like answer "c" ... which was once true.



If you answered "e", then, like me, you like making fun of Red Sox fans.





(I took that picture myself. Holy Cross now has helicopter transportation from dorm to dorm.)






I think that will do it for now. Mail in your answers and whoever has the highest points will receive a prize.





Remember, you're not having fun at your job until you sleep in .304 beds a day!

New Feature - Being Nice to AJ Lets You Put Your Website on my Blog!

That's right. Here is a cool website from good friend Kristen in NY.


www.watersunclothing.com

It mostly sells name brand sportswear for cheap and has some cool functional clothing (super nanotechnology winter clothing and shirts made entirely from bamboo... which is surprisingly soft!) Plus, if you go on before Dec, you can enter to win a Duofold Duo Dri jacket (lightweight, water resistant, good for jogging.)

Plus, every time you click on that website, $1 will be donated to the Pay AJ's Towing Fee Foundation. It's a great cause. It will change your life.

I'm famous

http://www.holycross.edu/publicaffairs/features/2007-2008/volunteerfair_07

Dumbledore is also a Yankees fan.

Travel check:

Since September 15th until October 19th I have been to New Orleans, Mobile, Baton Rouge, Philadelphia, Wheeling WV, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Erie PA, Greenwich, Schenectady NY, Philadelphia again, New York, Baltimore, Washington DC, back to Baltimore, back to DC and now back to Baltimore.

That's Spring Hill College, Southern University, LSU, Loyola University in New Orleans, Wheeling Jesuit University, Univeristy of Dayton, Xavier University, John Carroll University, Mercyhurst College, Union College, Villanova University, St. Joseph's University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Loyola Maryland, and then Catholic University of America.

(Those colors are nice, right?)

4,377 miles from New Orleans to Wheeling.

2,233 miles since then.

47 hours of driving since Wheeling.

That's 6,610 miles total. What!

So that's what I've done so far. I'm currently chilling in my apartment in Baltimore. The girls, my roommates, just went out for a night in the town. I would join them except I'm still exhausted from my week in Baltimore and DC and, you know, that whole month on the road.

Oh yeah. I'm recovering from a crippling cold that I barely survived. 50 degree weather for the FIRST TIME IN over 28 months will do that do you. So I'm recovering from that.

Before my roommates left, I fixed myself a little celebratory drink (I fixed it BEFORE they left so I wouldn't be that guy that makes himself drinks alone ... but now they're gone, so I guess I'm drinking alone) to celebrate the fact that I've survived the first 5 weeks of traveling, non-stop talking, constant shmoozing and walking on a tight rope ... literally. I joined a circus. Not a figurative circus. One with elephants.

While I'm writing, and I realize that what I'm writing is not that exciting, I make things up. So here is a picture for you to enjoy:

(The name of the picture is "Global Face" ... no joke.)

Anyway, I'm off to Boston this Sunday for the Boston College, Holy Cross and Providence College round. It ought to be a busy yet very fun time.

.....

Ok! So now I'm writing from Boston. I'm a few miles away from BC, where I spent my day in the Hillside Cafe meeting with students. I was soooooo tired a few days ago when I was back in Baltimore that I just fell asleep while leaving the computer on. Crazy.

This job is exhausting. I've said it before and I'll say it again: my job is really exciting and very interesting and will probably not do anything like this ever again, but it's really exhausting.

I have discovered two similarities between my time now and my time in Micronesia:

1) I have no social life. Over there: small island, only 4 other Americans, very conservative culture, no venues for socializing, too busy with school. Over here: 40% of my time is meeting people, 30% of my time is driving, 20% is doing work/planning for my travels and meetings ... and that leaves me about 10% left. Not to socialize, but to SLEEP.

2) I have no idea what's going on in the news. Over there: no TV, 24 hour power was rare, internet was sketchy, didn't feel like catching up with the news since most of what was being reported did not feel like it fit on a small tropical island. Over here: always in the car, listening to books on tape such as Charlie Wilson's War or Farewell to Arms, or resting away from the TV. NO time to care about what's going on in the world.

Moving along ... I AM watching the TV right now in my friend's apartment. Just the local news. As you must know, the Red Sox won last night. And watching the local news here in Boston is, well, kind of cute. Cute is the word I have for it. EVERYTHING has to do with the Red Sox winning. They are reporting the weather in relation to the World Series games.

"Here is the weather in Boston, New York ... and Colorodo. Oh, it's raining in Cleveland, where they are landing right now." ('they' = the Indians who are flying home from the loss yesterday in Fenway)

I know the city is allowed to be happy for the win last night, but if every inch of the local news has to always relate back to the Red Sox (I just saw a piece on the news about the paint job of the field) borderlines on insecurity. But I'll be nice and say the whole thing is very cute.

Speaking of sports...

Notre Dame fans. I know you love your Golden Dome, but check out the dome on the Basillica at Catholic University of America. Very beautiful. When I stop being lazy, I'll upload the nice picture I took of it. For now, here is one from the internet:

...Ok, I'm sorry, back to a previous topic. The news on the TV is now on a story about the matchup ... no, not the matchup between the Red Sox and the Rockies, but between the CITIES Boston and Denver.





I may take back the "cute" comment and go back to "insecure."





What can I say? I love NY.

Interview with AJ - My Job

Hello everyone,

This is a very special blog you're getting today. In order to really understand me and my travels, in order to really get to know me, I thought it would be insightful if someone asked me questions and I answered them back.

Luckily, we have renowned blogger, future Nobel Laureate for Peace (he can make pretty cool slide shows too), writer of such One Acts like "Death of a Saleswoman - The Roudy Musical", Mr. Daniel Cabrera.

Let's begin the show. Enjoy.

(note: this interview took place over IM. 89% of this has not been altered. When I use big words, that means I probably used a thesaurus when editing the interview.)

Daniel: So, let's talk about your job

AJ: Sounds good

Daniel: First off, let's get the record straight ... do you have a job?

AJ: I don't think I made that clear when I started this blog. I do have a job, though. I guess it's full time because I'm, you know, always busy, but it ends in March.

Daniel: A job is still a job

AJ: Well, according to your blog, a job can be a bit boring at times. I think mine is awesome.

Daniel: What's the most awesome thing about your job and why?

AJ: Meeting so many different people; students, Jesuit priests, Jesuit Volunteers, people working for the colleges. They're full of great experience and are doing interesting things.

Daniel: I've heard some people ask this, so I'll relay it: are you going to be a priest?

AJ: No.

Daniel: Are priests going to be you?

AJ: I guess if they complete the application process and training... just kidding. They need to pass the obstacle course.

Daniel: Let's talk about your office

AJ: Sure. I'm actually there right now, alone, on a beautiful Saturday.

Daniel: So you're typing from your car?

AJ: Almost. I'm back in Baltimore for the first time in a month, so I have the luxery of being in the second floor of my office building.

Daniel: But you're not parked on the second floor?

AJ: The stairwell is pretty big, I think my Corola can fit up the stairs. But I didn't try today.

Daniel: You drive a lot for this job, often for long stretches of time. Does that get lonely?

AJ: Not really, actually. My job consists of always meeting new people, giving presentations, sitting down and having one-on-ones. It's great and gives me so much energy, but since I have to be "on" all the time, it is nice to just be by myself and listen to music. It's my time to not have to talk.

Daniel: Do you have CD's or listen to the radio, or sing your own songs?

AJ: I mostly listen to the "scan" button.

Daniel: How about pit stops? You must have seen some interesting things.

AJ: The trucker stop in the middle of PA was interesting. Big fat men in overalls playing hunting arcade games. The scenery of upstate NY is also really beautiful.

Daniel: Any quaint bits of americana? Or any world's largest ball of lint?I suppose truckers in overalls is quaint, but more like that?

AJ: Not yet. The East Coast is pretty chill.

Daniel: When you reach 88 mph while driving do you travel through time?

AJ: Oh yeah, I thought that happened to me every time I reached 88. I would travel back a few decades, even one century in an instant. But then I realized that I was just in Ohio.

Daniel: What's the most frightening thing that's happened on one of your trips?

AJ: I once ate an entire bag of those pretzel nacho Combos and felt fine afterwards.

Daniel: How are you able to stay over at some colleges without having to do frat initiations?

AJ: I let them know ahead of time that I was applying to sororities only. I had to be very strict about that.

Daniel: What do you think of the new fall TV lineup?

AJ: Let's be honest (LBH), since I'm always on the road, I have no idea what's happening on TV. I don't even know the sports schedule. It's exactly the same situation I was in when I was over in Micronesia. That's sad, if I think about it.

Daniel: Well, you're not missing much ... except for Kid Nation

AJ: Is that show any good? A real life Lord of the Flies?

Daniel: Well no. Not enough. Still, sweeps will come eventually.

AJ: I see ... no, actually, I don't see.

Daniel: You're travelling from Maine to Florida, is that correct?

AJ: Not directly, but my area is essentially between those two states.

Daniel: Have you considered being like Forrest Gump and operating a shrimping boat instead?

AJ: Only when I was driving through Alabama.

Daniel: Do you adopt the local accent and/or dialect wherever you go?

AJ: All the time. It helps with recruiting.

Daniel: Can you give an example?

AJ: "Hi, how are you today?"... hear that? Perfect Arabic accent.

Daniel: Does giving your presentation ever become tedious? Repetitive? Monotonous? Repetitive? Monotonous? because you've done it so many times? Does it ever become repetitive?

AJ: Not really, because I feel like I get better and better each time, more relaxed and confident. I do have this one joke I use in the beginning, and it's weird trying to pretend I just came up with it on the spot every time.

Daniel: Well, it looks like we're running out of time

AJ: But we have all day.

Daniel: This is making me hungry

AJ: Which part of my answers is making you hungry?

Daniel: Me talking makes me hungry

AJ: Understandable.

Daniel: Ok, last question: would you rather drive your current car and have gas paid for you, or would you rather drive the Batmobile but pay for your own gas?

AJ: I think I'd rather fly a helicopter and pay for my own Navy SEALS.

Daniel: Interesting. That's another way to see the world, I suppose... other than joining JVI.

AJ: No. JVI is the only way.

Daniel: Sounds good

"Hatame maste"

Current location: the President's house at Union College, Schenectady, NY (20 minutes from Albany, the second capital of NY state).

Question: What is round on both ends and hi in the middle?

Answer: How you say good morning in Japanese. “Ohio gozimas!”

OR, if you want the less corny (and, let’s be honest, less impressive) answer, you get the state Ohio. Here are a few facts about Ohio. The state motto is “Are we the east coast? Are we the Midwest? We don’t know!” and there are plenty of rolling, green hills in the south and flat farm land in the north. There are some sports teams sprinkled throughout the state with some cities attached to those teams.

(Geography lesson: this is NOT Ohio, but it's somewhere close!)

Overall, Ohio was pretty awesome, and I bring this up because I basically toured the whole state in 4 days last week.

I had three volunteer fairs back to back to back. A volunteer fair, for those of you not familiar, is usually a two hour event in a huge room packed with tables upon tables. On these tables are fancy table cloths with fancier display boards. Then you have the great people, interesting people, standing by each table representing the organization. If you like doing good or volunteering or traveling the world or living in community while living simply and all of that jazz, then you’ll get a kick out of these fairs. The batch of students are, for the most part, pretty awesome, since, you know, they are like the A.J. back in college (hot). And the reps manning (or womanning?) the tables are all former volunteers themselves who like to volunteer and do good. Do gooders, we call them (no one really calls them that).

Back to ohio gozimas, ken kideska. Watashi wa AJ-tess.

Sorry, I revert to the only three phrases I know in Japanese. It’s my way of saying I actually DID learn something in the Nesia.

Back to Ohio, land of the free. Monday October 1st was the University of Dayton. Huge campus with pretty buildings. Tuesday was Xavier University in Cincinnati, smaller campus but even prettier buildings. Cincinnati was great, the couple I stayed with were great, even though I didn’t even meet the wife who happened to be an FJV.

SIDE NOTE: It’s great when I meet awesome people on this trip, yet it stinks when I simply just crash and am in and out before I really get to meet these nice strangers.

Anyway, Cincinnati, apparently, is known for it’s ice cream (and that’s it … just kidding?). When people found out I was going to Cincinnati, they immediately told me to go to Graeters, an ice cream chain that even Oprah recommended (well then it MUST be good).

SIDE NOTE QUESTION: Oprah indirectly decides the direction American society is heading towards, your thoughts?

But, yes, Oprah is right once again; this ice cream was amazing. Taste tested some walnut coconut fudge, which was godlike, so I immediately bought the hazelnut chip ice cream. (In English Skills, that is what we call lack of coherence). Seriously though, I was between so many flavors (my breakfast on Wednesday was back to Graeters for the cookie dough … no joke).

Here is a link to their website. http://www.graeters.com/index.cfm I should get paid by them for this.

That brings up another deep insight on my wonderful travels across the country which enables me to meet wonderful people and see the purple majesty of the spacious skies that is America: I’m definitely getting fat! My irregular eating schedule (one day I’m eating in Little Italy in Cleveland, the next I eat a Subway sandwich and an energy drink as my only meal of the day) and the constant sitting on my tuckus on the road isn’t really helping my already Mr. Universe-esque physique. So that is, technically, a downside.

I say technically because, well, I don’t really care that much. My wit and charm will carry me through life(if you didn’t roll your eyes just there, you are special).

Back to that state somewhere near Pennsylvania. Wednesday was a 4 hour drive up to Cleveland where Alex (the JVC Northwest recruiter) and I peaced out from the city where the Patriots crushed the Begals (yeah!) to visit John Carroll University. Another great school, big into JVC and JVI (they are affiliated with the J), and I definitely received a boost of energy from the enthusiasm of the students.

Thursday was Erie, PA to Mercyhurst, a very small yet very beautiful campus, yet JVC, unfortunately, was not that big there. That just happens at some of the places I visit. But everyone there was incredibly nice, especially the Americorps volunteer and his wife with whom I stayed with. At least I spoke with a few students who were into post grad service. If you want to get a feeling for how familiar these students are with JVC, let me quote one girl who came up to my table:

“The only place I heard of the Jesuits was from the movie The Exorcist.”

Cool comment, but not that great at the time. I AM surprised that her own Jesuit reference didn’t sell her on the idea of an Ignatian-guided volunteer service. There are just some things in life that surprise you.

So my Ohio adventure was a good one, so I have nothing but positive feelings towards the forgotten state (who am I kidding, if it’s not in the Northeast, it’s usually forgotten … I’m a New England snob).

Well, after my nice weekend back in Greenwich (following an 8 hour drive from northeastern PA), I am now in Schenectady, NY, 20 minutes from Albany, at Union College. It is home to the only 16-sided building on any college campus...according to the President of the college (and good friend former Dean of Students at HC Mr. Ainlay), the ONLY 16-sided building in the Western Hemisphere. Fascinating, yet can someone verify that for me? Thanks.

Seriously, though, everyone has been extremely nice, stayed with an FJV and campus minister and religion professor Tom Boland, who is an HC grad. Good people.

I leave for Villanova tomorrow morning (leave by 5 in the morning for a 4 ½ hour drive). I’m a road warrior (I was not the one to give myself that title, but I’m sticking with it).

I’m kind of a big deal.

I know people.

So, thank you faithful readers for your support, your contributions, your allegiance, and your answer to this question:

If you were to make up a motto for any U.S. state, what would it be?

Oyasumi nasi!

Pumpkins are Patriotic

So I'm about to leave Wheeling and embark on my adventure to Ohio. Wheeling was a great time, and the WJU community was very hospitable. The Mother Jones House that I stayed at was also a fun time. They made me feel very comfortable and were incredibly cool. That house is like a mini JVC, where students apply to live in an intentional community. Good times.

I would say that this would be my first time into Ohio when I leave in an hour. But it's not!

The first time I entered the great state of Ohio was when I took the Amtrak to South Bend from Worcester, MA. Fine, I only passed through. And I was asleep most of the time.

But more importantly, I was in Ohio last Friday night, where I experienced a nice welcome back to the good ol' U.S. of A. That's right, I enjoyed a nice stroll into the heartland of America to witness the annual Pumpkin Festival in Barnesville.

What was great about this little excursion was how incredibly nostalgic it was. If you are like me, the fall season is my favorite. It intices so many emotions and memories and senses. There is a magical feel to the whole season. The cooling of the air, the darkening of the skies. School is underway, the holidays are approaching, and so on. The different food, the leaves changing, the bundling up of clothing. The change from the bright and bubbly summer is gradual but significant. I'm sure you can all recall these feelings every September, and perhaps pinpoint these feelings more accurately and eloquantly than me.

Now, imagine these emotions, this transition into the magical atmosphere that is autum, and multiply that by like 1000000000000000000000000000 billion. Yeah, that's me. Right now. And the Pumpkin festival sparked that intense reaction that has left me in a nostalgic state of innocent, childhood bliss ever since.

Imagine it's September, then October, getting later in the year, and the temperature, the climate, the season is exactly the same as it was in August. And you're not surrounded by small country towns putting up scarecrows and Halloween decorations, the leaves are NOT changing, and the wind is not getting chillier. That was what I experienced my first autum in Micronesia two years ago. We all love season change, but one of the cultural shocks was being denied that. Palm trees, beautiful snorkling in the pristine lagoon, and humid humidity (it's that hot!) all season long.

Check that: for me, and anyone else in the 'Nesia right now, it's like a 28 month-long August.

So, now I am back. I am experiencing those wonderful feelings of Autum once again. The nostalgia, ladies and gentlemen, is ridiculous. Surreal. It's ultimately a great, sweet feeling.

And there was something very patriotic about walking down a very small Appalacian town in the hills on a bustling Friday night, where the whole town comes together to put all of their spirit and energy and pride into celebrating pumpkins and all of their might.

Here is their website: http://www.barnesvillepumpkinfestival.com/Default.htm

(I saw one of them that night! The actual Pumpkin Queen!)

The little things that can only be found in America stood out to me:

All the high school students working the booths at the carnival concession stands.

Every store, private, family owned, chains, with pumpkin paintings on the display windows. If a store did not show its pumkin pride, I think a brick would have found itself hurled through.

The fried food. So much fried treats and what nots. I had myself a bloomin onion and a good root beer float. It tasted like ... freedom. (The 800% of grease in the onion made me feel queesy, but that patriotic type of queesiness....you know what I'm talking about!)

A 70 year old man in a bright orange (orange being the color of pumpkins) yelling into a microphone examining the dozens of pumpkins brought in to be weighed.

Little kids with pumpkins painted on their faces. Or dressed up as pumpkins...or actually inside a pumpkin.

(This picture, sadly, could have been me when I was 2 years old. I think it says somewhere in the Constitution that all parents must dress their infants as pumpkins for their first Halloweens. I'm pretty sure it's the 28th Amendment.)

Bands of country singers (definitely not professional singers. I think anyone could have jumped on stage if they have handled a guitar or banjo before. I don't even think sobriety was a requirement). We sat and enjoyed the renditions of the Day-O song mixed in with the Beverly Hill Billies theme. (???)

Oh yeah, there were a lot of pumpkin flavored food. Pumpkin juice, bread, pie, icecream, drinks, cake, donut, shrimp (just kidding).

And finally, huge pumpkins. Like Barry Bonds pumpkins (hey-oh)! This year's winner (which was posted up on that digital clock that those banks have, of course) was over 1,200 pounds. I touched it. I would have had a picture with it, but my batteries died (probably from being overwhelmed by the pumpkin spirits that engulfed all of us all evening).

What great times. The fact that it was 59 degrees that night and it made me want to be run over by a truck is besides the point. It was a great cultural experience, part of the reason why I took this job. Exploring middle America is a new experience for me. I got a taste of one of the many flavors of this country. It certainly opened my eyes to what is around us.

For example, a small thing I noticed was that I was definitely the only minority in the entire town.

Viva Cuba!