Real Quick

Although I think I'm not looking too hot in this photo I wanted to share with everyone what I am doing this fall.



I wish I had a photographer. I was going to document myself, but there is no time for that at the races.

Other Pictures

Here are some photos that I really like from this summer.

Thailand


Oregon Coast

I want to start out with a classic from high school. Well, when I was in high school. Probably one of the only songs I liked on the radio at that time. I was too "angry" to like anything else.



Amazing.

Remember what I said about cyclocross and it being on. Well it can't get any on-er. Molly has won two Cross Crusade races. It's pretty tight. And I get to hang out and feel important and hand off bikes in the pit. I like it. Especially when I don't fuck up. I'm going to get Nate Shapiro to make me some custom work pants for working in the pits. Super stoked about that; everything he makes is top notch.

I wish I had some pictures to show you but I don't. Maybe soon. I'm finally paying off credit card debt and that is such a good feeling. But it means that I can't afford batteries for my camera. I do want a van. I'm going to dream about this:

But I'll probably end up with this:


I'm bummed that tattoos will have to wait. I wanna get all my skin covered up. Just sayn.

Also here is another great cake.

Cross is On

Is this your bike shop?

No Molly Cameron owns this shop.

Oh, the reason I ask is because you are in here all the time and always so damn helpful.

(get bashful)
Ha. Well, it's my job. Thanks.

What a great way to start the day. I didn't know I was so nice. Dude bought a $.60 spoke and tipped me a dollar.

Yesterday I worked in the pit for Molly. It turned out to be dry and there were no mechanical issues, so it was uneventful for me. Verg was fucking running around throwing wheels at every other person that came through. Busy day in the pit for Shimano; almost ran out of 10sp wheels. Something tells me there are a lot of people riding in the A's that don't know how to set up their bikes. I heard and saw about 5 tubulars roll off rims. None of them where ours though. So many people got flats, even on the sew-ups. Course or rider error?

Absense

Well I haven't updated in over a month I think. I'm not going to apologize because I'm not too sure there are "fans" of me. Most people know that I got into a nasty crash a few weeks ago and got a bad concussion. I've lost part of memory (as far as that night goes) and got a nasty scar on my chin (stitches). I woke up in the hospital not know what happened and with everyone looking at me just as scared as I was. Maybe more. They had to look at my fucked up self. Good thing I decided to wear my helmet.

Anyways after that I seem to not care about the internet of this blog. I supposed I will still write in it though. Or maybe start a new one.

Right now I am trying to get organized and feel a little grounded. There are a lot of things that I am going to sort out to help me get to where I want to be next. I am certain that I don't really want to have anything to do with the art world. It seems to sicken me these days. Maybe that will change in the future, but it won't be soon. The things that I want to do I am going to not talk about them here. When they happen you will know.

First thing to get done is finish walling my room. I have a new house in NE Portland. My room however is an attic space. So for the next few weeks I will be remodeling. It needs to get done fast. Its starting to get really cold and the rain is around the corner.

I will be working in the pits this cross season for one Molly Cameron. You can Google her. Hahaha. Should be fucking rad and possibly Euro.

There are other things I suppose I should write in here, but they don't seem important anymore.

Khon Kaen Drift, Bangkok and the U.S.

Yes seriously. I went to a drift competition. It was interesting to say the least. I witnessed a whole other world. I think I may have a guilty pleasure for anything with speed. I'm sure it's much more fun driving than watching. I was invited by a girl that I was introduced to who turned out to be a driver. Her brothers and herself are all racing-drivers-people of sorts. Anyways she turned out to be a better drift competitor than most of the guys. I have pictures, but you'll have to wait. The roll is still in my camera. There weren't any thug looking dudes there which was interesting, but there was a lot of DMX playing. Solid.

My time in Khon Kaen was mostly spent either eating or thinking. I tried lots of new street food and dishes. Went to the teahouse and hug out with Adisak. Hung out with a lot of Thai kids.

My last day in Thailand I spent in Bangkok. Adisak invited me down and graciously offered me a place to stay so I wouldn't have to pay for a hotel. So I said my goodbyes in Khon Kaen and took an overnight bus. Spent the whole next day hanging out with Adisak, his girlfriend Goy and his sister Poii in his organic food and stuff shop. It was fun. We talked, drank tea, made stamps and they made me food. After the shop closed we tried to make it to a gallery opening, but Bangkok traffic is infamous for keeping you form where you need to be. Then we went to a milk bar and ate toast with sweet toppings including one with bubble gum ice and jelly balls. Noodles were in order as well. The flower market was close by so we walked around there for a bit and they purchased flowers for there respective places of living. It was really cool, there were some beautiful flowers there that I have never seen before. I didn't have my camera which is kind of a bummer, but being that it was dark out it would have been a pain to photograph them. The girls went to bed after that and Adisak and I took a bus to a different section of town to walk around. There apparently is a water plant market sometimes but it wasn't the night I was there. That was a bummer. I really like aquatic plants, So instead we sat in the Democratic memorial, which happens to be a huge traffic circle and we talked for a few hours. During this moment I realized that I was worried about going back and I wanted to stay.

I happened to see a fixie kid going by.

The flight is what a 20 flight is. Except I flew on a great airline that has good food and tons of movies. Watched the new Star Trek, which they should rename cuz its not really Star Trek and a bunch of Japanese movies. I didn't sleep the whole time. I was so wasted at the end of the trip.

Being in the U.S. was and still is weird. I can't really explain how I felt. It was a little depressing. I am just now starting to recover from jet lag and such and the shop has plenty of work for me to do.

I'll leave you with this because I'm Italian.

Creep Goat and More

Two more pictures from Varanasi. I totally forgot about this. This goat was all up in my grill. I thought he was going to try to eat my shirt, so I had a staring contest. After we got up he just walked past where we were sitting. I guess he just wanted to get by and I'm a jack-ass for thinking he was like all goats.



The rest are from Thailand.





Seeing a pace-line in Khon Kaen was so unexpected. Especially on these mountain bikes.



I have no idea what this is, but is so METAL!

Pups. :(

Market at the school.



These bees have been here all summer. Everyone is afraid of them, but they are pretty chill.

...and if I lead, no one's in my way.

It seems as though for a lot of people they "find themselves" while traveling around the world. At least that's the cliche. I personally could not find this to be farther from the truth. I do not feel like me. With the time that I have had to myself, I've gone over who I was, who I am and who I want to be. I am certainly not going to transform into a entirely different individual. I have always been honest with myself. No, it feels more like shedding skin. In our memories and documentation we will remember the old me, and with determination I will make the changes I want to see in myself.

I'm sorry if this too mysterious for you. I think if I listed or tried to discuss the "changes" it would make them insignificant as well as not allow me any breathing room.

One thing is for certain and I will share it with you. What I am talking about are things that I want. Sure, you can argue that you are ultimately the product of your environment; but there is a large difference between that and not being true to yourself for the sake of pleasing and being accepted by others. I can recognize this behavior and its pattern throughout my life. It's going to stop here.

You may find it naive and/or cute that only two countries have had some "profound impact" on my life. Or maybe you'll be offended for some reason. That's fine, it's your prerogative to feel however you choose. I will certainly not ever tell you how to react to something I have created or written.

But know this: Its not just traveling to and experiencing two very different countries and cultures from my own that have affected me. Its that I know that I need to experience more. Learning about something from afar is not enough. The world is far larger than I previously interpreted and I have have lived a sheltered life. Every time I go somewhere new I expect my outlook will be the least of things to change.

There are a reported 203 "sovereign states" in the world which makes me think there are more than a hundred times more different peoples and cultures worldwide. I want to know of all of them. Maybe it will help me gain a better understanding of life.

New Baroness Too!

Check out the new song on Myspace. So good.

So Stoked! New Converge So Soon!

Not much more info besides album art and track listing.

God Didn't Save Your Life, You Did

Religion is fine and all. They are the result of some of the world's most compelling stories. It has allowed huge populations of people to survive through incredibly large periods oppression, not to mention the communities it tends to build.

I will however, never place any faith in something I have no proof of existing. God or whoever else doesn't know what's best for me nor do they control my life. I make my choices, just as those I interact with make choices for themselves.

Nor do I believe that everything happens for a reason or that there is some thing called fate. If that was the case, a lot of fucked up things have happened to a lot of people who have ended up with terrible fates. Or even still, an existence that doesn't even seem to do the word fate justice.

I recently have been around someone (though just for a few hours) that said she placed her life in the hands of God and Jesus is her savior. I could barely keep myself from telling her what a load of rubbish that was. To make it worse I read an article about how some girl had to jump out of a car before it rolled over a cliff. Her mother then commented that God was watching them and I thought "watching maybe, be he didn't do a damn thing." That girl was just smart enough to save her own life.

Sometimes I think getting a huge cross tattooed on my forehead wouldn't be enough to show my distaste for religion. But to each their own I guess. I will certainly not tell someone to not believe in a higher power. Just think it's foolish.


At any rate I want to see this movie along with Harry Potter when I get back.



Apparently its a little bit more than just a movie about aliens. And shit Peter Jackson has lost a lot of weight. He doesn't look at all like the same person any more.

Remember that time I was in Thailand and I told you nothing about what I was doing?

Also look at my tight ass jeans! I haven't had anything this tight on since I left the states. I can't wait to squeeze back into some.

Final Pictures from India

I developed two rolls of film here in Khon Kaen both shot over a course of time in India. One is from the first part of the trip and the other from the end. I did't realize, but most of the pictures from Varanasi are from the digital camera. Here are the few that I liked and retouched. There are more that I like but am not posting. The negatives that I had scanned were incredibly dirty so they were only quickly done.

They are not in order. They are backwards. I don't think it matters.

Maybe I have a Parasite.

I am now back in Thailand. My experience in Kolkuta was so frustrating that when I got to Thailand I felt relieved. I have come to the decision that all major cities in India suck ass. I know that I haven't been to all of them, but I have been to most, and based on what I have heard about Mumbai, I think my statement will hold true.

Unfortunately that feeling did not last very long. Last night I went to a hospital after having a severe headache, what turned out to be a high fever and diarrhea all day. Actually I think I had the diarrhea when I was in India. I was told that it is most likely a intestinal infection. Yay. Traveling in parts of the world where they only fry food is going to be rough on my body. I want some fucking steamed kale and quinoa. I ended up paying large portion of money for an injection and some pills because I don't have insurance. Though it was still incredibly less than any medical treatment in the US.

Getting from Varanasi to Kolkuta was ok. Another overnight train that gave me more sinus problems and an aching back and neck. This time there were a bunch on electrical and mechanical engineering students on the train that seemed to take a liking to me. I talked to one student for a while (I don't remember his name) and then went to bed. When I arrived in Kolkuta I immediately was offered over priced taxi rides to my destination. I got the correct fare and started the hour long journey across town to find out that my driver had no idea where my hotel was and dropped me off some where near it. I spent an hour looking for it with my bags while tired and hungry. Finally a young man took me to a place on his rickshaw called the number I had and dropped me at a hotel with a similar name. So I said fuck it and stayed there.

This hotel was ok, though the internet wasn't working and the restaurant in its main building was the only thing open for about a mile. Measly portions and not so great food. One interesting thing that I witnessed is that there were tons of communist flags and hammer and sickle logos graffiti-ed all over this particular part of town. Didn't find out what that was about.

Varanasi was a terrible place. The food was decent, but we didn't eat Indian food. When you get something like food poisoning with a particular food, you don't really want to eat it any more. Anyways, the town is super sketch with organized crime and the tourists don't help at all. I can't imagine what India is like during the high season. I hate to say it, but most westerners traveling the world are terrible people. They some of the rudest people I have encountered. Not to mention ridiculous. When you go to India you should expect things like rats, poor people, power outages and spicy food. If you don't like those things then fuck off and don't visit. Do not start complaining to your hosts about how you are not going to pay a couple of bucks for you room because the shower didn't work for a day. Shit.

There are a lot pictures from Varanasi, but I will have to upload them whenever Justine gets a chance to do the same. I am leaving Bangkok tomorrow because it is expensive. I will go to Khon Kaen and then make my way to Chiang Mai.

More Adventure and I Still Hate Delhi

The trip from Bundi to Varanasi was long, tiring and confusing. All of these things however are normal for India. It starts in Bundi where we showed up to the busstand at like 10 expecting there to be a bus waiting. Nope. Instead there are people laying in the shadows and "platform" of the station. As soon as we stand still the "hellos" and "what your country?" start. Not really in the mood we make our way over to a man shouting "Kota" for a shared jeep. We get the price down to Rs20 and have the experience of taking a shared jeep for an hour. Not too bad. It was faster than the bus anyway. We get to the train station and get a general seating ticket to New Delhi. Let me tell you something about general seating. Its a free for all. You know those pictures that you see of the trains in India with people hanging on the side and sitting n the roof? Yes, that's it. We thought we were going to have to sit in the door all night. Luckily some young man made room for us. However while it was nice to be able to sit, 12-13 hours in the same position, trying to get some rest and making sure you aren't getting robbed is most exhausting. Did I mention that the train arrived in Kota at 1:50am? We finally get to Delhi late and go straight to the tourism office and get our next train ticket to Varanasi. We chill in Delhi for a bit and get a pizza. When it is time to catch our train we head to the Old Delhi station (different from the one we arrived at) and find that the train number on our ticket is not up on the board. Ten minutes til our train leaves we go onto the platforms and ask where are train is. We are directed to a platform that has a different train number on it but it turned out to be the same one. This time we had bunks in a sleeper. I will show you the bunks in a bit. I don't want to describe them. I would do them justice. Not that the pictures will either. This train ride (also over night) was not as bad. We just should have packed more food. We actually managed to sleep even with three fans buzzing near our heads, noise from the train (because there were no windows) and the heat. This train arrived 3 hrs late. No biggie. Then we had to deal with sketchy ass auto rickshaw drivers who mostly are wrapped up in some crime syndicate. We were not dropped off where we wanted and almost gave up finding the Guest House we were looking for. Justine ended up suffering from heat exhaustion and we chilled for the rest of the day and slept in today. I think I like Varanasi so far, but I will let you know later.

Train



Varanasi

Good Bye Sweet Bundi

So you may have read elsewhere that I had the pleasurable experience of getting sick in India. I feel like I almost made it. The weird part is that I can't figure out what I got sick from. I'm guessing it was the disgusting bathroom in our lovely rooftop room. The day before I got sick I'm pretty sure is the day I either cleaned out the toilet with steel wool or when Justine's pants fell in the toilet and I washed them. Whatever it was, it felt like food poisoning, which it wasn't because no one else got sick. I vomited til it hurt and could not eat the next day and a half. Mama gave me this natural medicine that seemed to do the trick. However, right after I was starting to feel better, Justine got sick from something. We were both out of commission for a while.

Here are some pictures from the past few days, as well as a few scanned prints. The prints are terrible quality so when I get back I will be scanning all my negatives and properly adjusting the color, light, etc.

Our lovely little hut.



Views from the rooftop.







An alien space ship hiding in the clouds.




Here are a few more photos from the fort in Bundi.





The "small" waterfall. It was amazing on the top, but that roll is still in the camera.








Justine look'n all sassy.



Our sometimes favorite kid. Actually not really.



This is Mama.



Me.



Hanging out.



Favorite Pigs.



Justine's additions to my tattoo.