lunes, noviembre 28, 2005

who's your daddy??

(photo by kedra...she insisted i include that!)
ok ok ok ok, this will be the last time (this week) that i'll post pictures. this is of my dad (larry) and me hanging out in posing position in front of his house...the first time i'd seen him in 2 1/2 years. i like this pic. i'm looking forward to being as close to him personally as we seem to be in the photo.
i'm still hanging with my sister, very nice. my future roommate leanne has been detained for a bit (so she couldn't pick me up...don't worry, she's not in jail or anything!) so if you're of the praying kind, do that for her and her family, particularly for her dad.
i was watching, of all things, desperate housewives last night. the very skinny brunette character had just found her biological father, a fertilizer salesman. she was describing to her friends how she would tell him the news. the blonde one asked why it was so important to have that relationship, that she herself grew up without a father, and look how well she turned out. the other blonde one asked when she'd lost her virginity. i think the 1st one got the point.
then the brunette (and i'm not just being cute; i seriously do not know their names) went to her dad and the sight of her gave him a heart attack. he decided he wanted nothing to do with her. she vowed to keep trying to win him over.
in conclusion, racy clich茅d primetime does have something to offer. you just gotta look for it.

domingo, noviembre 27, 2005

more pics

i'm really proud of these pictures...i think that they're beautiful, if i do say so myself. i've always wanted to be a photographer, you know! and if you follow the links to my favorite online encyclopedia, you'll learn something, too!

My first visit to gay Paris. Not to complain, but it did not live up to the hype! But this thing sure is pretty.

Following the trail to Santiago de Compostela in Castrojeriz, Spain.

Remains of a 2000+ year old castle in Castrojeriz. Dude, I've slept in a castle on a mountain!

Lovely Vondelpark. I love this picture! I'm all talent riding a bike and snapping photos!

martes, noviembre 22, 2005

pictures for freekosaurus

here's ian in traditional incan tribal wear.



you're not cool unless you have your own handshake.

domingo, noviembre 20, 2005

welcome to miami (bienvenido a miami)

(ok, i just published this blog, and just so you know, it's frickin' long. just so you know)


(yall remember that will smith song from waaaay back??)
but i'm actually in atlanta, georgia, home of such marvels as coca cola, mlk jr., "gone with the wind", and of course, yours truly (you surely know me well enough to know i'd say that!)
anyway, it's my 2nd day in atl, and i'm doing okay. i started experiencing that "reverse culture shock" thing people kept threatening me with when i was in schiphol. there was this group of southern businessmen chatting away about such things as dubya and college football. i really, really had to have God be like "shanka knock it off!" because i was totally developing hateful feelings toward my fellow countryman. and then i had the delta 9 hour plane ride, which was no cause of complaint...though i did develop this headache, the flight attendant gave me some non-aspirin medicine and i was right as rain. aww.
and yes, there was food lol sorry twin.
i actually took public transportation to my sister's house. it was a pretty minute or two (that's southern slang meaning it took a while), but i got there just fine. i hadn't been on atlantan publ trans in such a long time; i think about 10 years! wow! i'm old enough to say that i hadn't done something in 10 years! lol craziness
and thank the Lord for pub tra; in amsterdam that 2 hour trip would have been so much more expensive, in atlanta $1.75 baby!
then my sister came and we hugged and chatted, and saturday morning we went and visited family. first stop my dad. we spent about 3 hours just talking. it was so nice! i even hugged him. thrice! and there is no God? lol please! we're going to hang out next weekend with chinese and bowling, my 2 favorite things to do. i'm so stoked!
i love my sister kedra (tae). we are so much alike...like we'll talk about stuff then switch subjects about 50 times and are still able to follow one another, and we have about the same sense of humor. i told her that we aren't as close as i'd like to be, but we get along so well that it really seems like we are. it's so great to be with her.
i went and saw friends and aunts and my other sister...i hadn't seen her in so long! my sister tae walked in pretending like she was alone and started talking to tawon, then i walked in afterwards. tawon's mouth dropped, then for a good 3 minutes she just jumped up and down screaming, then lunged for the hug. nearly hit the floor. never have i felt so loved in my life! lol it was so great.
i got to eat checkers fries; some of the best fries on the planet. we had american chinese buffet last night. can you just hear the swells of "star spangled banner" ? dude on the plane after we landed they totally played that over the pa. like right after they said "tot ziens" to our dutch flyers. i actually laughed out loud. then i went through the maze that is hartsfield and about 1.5 hours later, i claimed my belongings. it was cool though. i kept getting slightly funny looks from people...this black chick with these obviously european type clothes on and a guitar on my back. lol i was just 2 decades too late, people!!
ooh ooh then i went to wal-mart!! so far the pinnacle of my stay here! there was a salesgirl "playing" the bass. i had to go and try it. lol so fun!
anyway, i'd better wrap this up fellas. it's 730 am, and i have no idea why i'm up. i woke up at 640 (!?) and started cleaning (??!!)...i really don't know.

my date and time thingy still reads 130 pm. aww.

martes, noviembre 15, 2005

yay! that dang jet plane finally arrived!

it'll be taking me to atlanta this friday at 1010...i'll be in the us of a at 3 pm. craziness! but i'm very excited. i am so looking forward to going to my church(of the nations)...it will be wonderful to back in athens. and these last couple of days are even chock full of activities! today i went to see the amsterdam queen's symphony practice at the concertgebouw. it was supa cool. there was a solo violinist (first chair, is he called??) playing up a storm...it was so beautiful! that was my first time inside. and i went with linda, heidi, and magda, which was very nice. then i finally took some pictures of amsterdam...while biking. lol i live life to the fullest!!
then we went and had lunch and chatted as ladies are wont to do. now i'm typing this and wasting time before i have to pack and clean my room.
tonight i want to go to the home group...i hope hanne's going...she is now if she didn't know it before!, since i have a bike to get me there (yay linda!! have fun in austria!), and i want to go to the worship meeting in the willemstraat cause it sounds like coolness. pure coolness.
tomorrow i'll visit the jordan. that should be lots of fun. they have a staff day ice skating, so i hope they have a wonderful time. gosh, i wish i could go...*mischievous grin*
then i have to lug my butt to the airport a full 3 hours ahead of the flight. yes math wizards that's 7 in the morning. well, 710 in the morning, cause i can picture marco or laurissa or meghan politely pointing that out. lol. dude, i didn't even know they made a 7 in the morning...grrr. but there i shall be with passport and e-ticket in tow.
well then, those clothes sure ain't gonna pack themselves. i might as well get back into my southern vernacular. shucks. cuz i'm goin' home!! yay!
oh! and i spoke to barbara the other day! we had us a good time cackeling. it was so great to hear from her!

lunes, noviembre 14, 2005

Katya and Shanka's KillerSmoothie!!

  • a cup of yogurt
  • milk
  • 2 trays of ice cubes
  • 1 banana, sliced
  • vanilla ice cream
  • a splash of orange juice
  • a breakfast cup of strawberry jam
  • 2 packets of decaf coffee
  • 3 more trays of ice cubes
  • vanilla sugar
  • milk
  • coconut flakes
  • 1 whole banana
  • milk
  • cashews
  1. blend the first 7 ingredients very well in a blender until concoction is smooth and creamy.
  2. pour into a cup and enjoy.
  3. spit out (or swallow at own risk) and completely abandon idea of drinking any more since the product is so hideous.
  4. blend (in another jar) the next 4 ingredients until no longer clumpy.
  5. you may have to use the highest setting to get the lumps out...give it about 10 minutes or so.
  6. pour into a cup and enjoy a very delicious blend.
  7. have Katya add to the first drink disaster a whole banana and about 4 pounds of cocunut flakes.
  8. take a sip of it and nearly choke as the cacophony of coconut flakes completly coat (like the alliteration??) your esophagus rendering you partially unconscious.
  9. add cashews and blend again.
  10. now drink both drinks in different glasses with 2 straws at the same time, and enjoy!! it's actually not that bad. seriously.