This morning my mother, my wife and I returned home from a whirl wind tour of California.
We slept and went to the pool with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew and niece and my wife and I.
Now we got to pack and move to Vancouver by mid-July.
I will give you some info on that one.
Peace
While Alex (my old college roommate) and I rode the Trans American Trail we met two guys that were retired and they were doing the same things. Check out his web site. It is wild what this man has done. He told Alex and I that he used to me a typical middle class overweight coach potato. After retirement, a friend invited him to go out on a hike; afterwards he was addicted to adventure traveling. He has done a lot of different type of trips. If you ever wonder if you could ever do a trip like khaki in Mexico or ride across country on a bicycle this guy can show you what you will need. For all the trips he shows his packing list and budget.
Yesterday we had a great day at my sister’s Part II of her wedding. Linda and Erik hosted a West Coast reception. It was a lot of fun. Bishop Soto came out and gave them a blessing. That was very kind. We got to meet some of Erik’s family.
Today Lisa and I spent the day in Hanford. My wife and I went to visit one of her old time friends. Aida and her family just moved here two weeks before our wedding and we got to see them for the first time as a married couple. We went to Kawea Lake and rode on a pontoon for some time. It was a lot of fun. We also watched “Catch That Kid” with her two daughters. That movie was not worth seeing. I give it two thumbs down.
Tomorrow we return to Fountain Valley and we leave on Tues.
50 States Bike Tour Sunday 6/13
Join the Washington Area Bicyclist Association this Sunday, June 13th, for the 2nd Annual 50 States Tour. The 50 States Tour is a 60-plus mile unsupported ride designed for more experienced urban cyclists used to riding in city traffic. The tour will take participants to every state-named street in D.C.
The best way to enjoy the tour is by riding in a group so bring your friends and family! The ride occurs rain or shine. Helmets are required.
The ride will begin at the WABA offices at 733 15th Street NW (between NY and H)in downtown Washington at 8am. Riders are asked to check in at the start area starting at 7:30am where they will be sent out in small groups. A $10 donation is suggested for the route cue sheets. Event t-shirts, WABA memberships and
updated DC Regional Bike Maps will be available for sale at the start. Below is
some information that will help you have a safe and enjoyable ride.
1. Wear your helmet! Helmets are required for all WABA events.
2. Ride with a group. Bring friends or hook up with other riders. Since the 50 States Tour route will not be signed, careful reading of our route cue sheet is necessary. Riding with a group allows for some riders to serve as navigators while others watch for traffic and besides, it’s more fun that way!
3. Observe all traffic laws, rules, regulations and common sense. You are a vehicle per D.C. law so ride accordingly. When in fast, heavy traffic, riders must ride single file. Ride with the flow of traffic. If you become confused,need to study the cue sheet, or suffer mechanical or other difficulty, move out
of the street onto a sidewalk or into a driveway. Do not ride in the door zone and always know what’s going on behind you.
4. Be Prepared! As mentioned above, the 50 States Tour is unsupported so be prepared for any eventuality. Below is a list of what you should carry with you on the ride:
Identification
Tools, pump and patch kit
A good map
Food and Water (but there will be places to stop along the way) A cell phone in case of emergencies or to catch up with friends
Money for the Metro. Metrorail and Metrobus will be your sag.
WABA has also designated 6 meeting points along the route where you can catch up
with friends. The meeting points are located near areas with food and rest
rooms.
We hope to see you there!
This evening when I was looking forward to a relaxing night at home the fire alarm went off. I was ready to just stay in my apartment because I was ready for bed and now I had to change my clothes. When my wife and I got to the back of the building there was only two families outside and they were both from our floor. I was thinking, “Aw, man. Why didn’t we just stay chilling at home?”
It was good we didn’t. I got to spend about an hour talking to our next door neighbors about life here in America and what life was like for them in Bolivia. It is interesting to see the differences in culture in one country. My neighbor says that he and his wife are very different even though they are both from Bolivia. He is from the high mountains where it is cold and people are very serious and she is from the hot region where people like to party. He says their cultural differences are sometimes very difficult to navigate in their relationship. So much for the bi-racial marriage.
My neighbor used to be a big time banker in Bolivia and when the an economic crisis hit the banks hit rock bottom. He now works as a parking valet. It is nothing like he was used to. He said he used to go into the office when he wanted to and now he has a boss that is very demanding. He is trying to learn English to get a better job to provide for his family. He said that in his country life was different. He said here time seems to move much faster and there is hardly any time to be with family. He used to eat lunch and dinner with his whole family and here he only has Sundays off to be with his family. He and his wife work hard. They opened up their lives as if Lisa and I were their only friends. The told us about their hard times and their good times. My Spanish isn’t all that great, but I didn’t really need to use it b/c they were doing all the talking. At the end of the night Lisa and I felt very fortunate to be able to get to know our neighbors a little better. We want to invite them over to have some Arabic food. They also want to have us over for some Bolivian food.
This weekend Lisa and I saw the movie “In America”. It was a film about an Irish family trying to make it in NYC. It was a deep film. I was struck by Jim Sheridan’s creativity. I enjoyed the “ET” references and movie clips. That tugged at my heart b/c I remember that was the first movie I can recall from my childhood where I felt emotion. It was an incredible story of struggle and perseverance and so much more. It was impressive how the innocence and love of a child can drive away fear. I was touched by the ability of the two young girls to reach out to a man haunted by death. He opened his heart and there was healing.
It is a very emotional movie. I recommend it.
Here are some lines I liked from the movie:
Johnny: Are you okay little girl?
Christy: Don’t “little girl” me. I’ve been carrying this family on my back for over a year, ever since Frankie died. He’s my brother too. It’s not my fault he’s dead. It’s not my fault I’m still alive.
Johnny: Ah, Christy.
Christy: Mom was always crying because he was her son. But he was my brother too. I cried too… when no one was looking. I talk to him every night.
Ariel: She did, Dad.
Christy: I talked to him every night, until…
Johnny: …until when?
Christy: Until I realized I was talking to myself.
I got these lines off of the International Movie Database.
Last night I went to hear Dr. TE Koshy a chaplain at the Syracuse University. He wrote a biography on Bakht Singh Chabra. He was a dynamic disciple of Christ that made some incredible contributions to India. Dr. Koshy was discipled by Bakht Singh.
He had some incredible testimonies. He even handed out a draft of a book he is writing, called the Invested Life.
More to come.
Upcoming Event: Hip Hop Convention
This is a quote from Kate Bowman in an article titled “Turning Ryhmes Into Votes”:
“Why don’t young people vote? Well, this society hasn’t given them anything to vote for,” Kitwana insists. “At this point, they feel like, why bother?”
THIS, KITWANA believes, is partly because the “old guard”—those who spearheaded the black power movement in the 1960s—have unintentionally overlooked the issues facing those born after that era. Outside the black community, few people notice the vast and growing generation gap that exists between civil rights leaders and the hip-hop generation—but it’s an understandable chasm. For starters, there are quantum differences in how culture is transmitted; while the old guard sought its identity in close-knit families, churches, and community centers, the hip-hop generation’s values are “beamed in” through media and the Internet. Just as social uplift and nonviolent resistance were central to civil rights leaders, the hip-hop generation identifies with a series of firsts: In addition to being the first post-feminist generation and the first AIDS generation, they are also the first shaped by a globalized economy that invites extreme consumerism.
That means the hip-hop generation has grown up in a world that found a completely new way to marginalize young blacks. They are the first to enjoy the fruits of the civil rights movement, living in a society where rights aren’t explicitly denied based on race. But this also means, Kitwana says, young black people are living in “an American dream that doesn’t fit anymore.” Because they grew up without legal constraints, this generation of black citizens were led to believe that they were full and equal partners in American society. But though legal restrictions have been abolished, institutionalized racism and de facto discrimination remain, producing a jarring mix of apathy and anger in those affected.
According to Kitwana, the hip-hop generation needs to be given the authority to address these challenges. “
I think this would be a great event to attend.
Today I went mountain biking with the kids from my school. I think I am going to have some sore muscles tomorrow. It was a lot of fun hanging with the kids outside the class room.
