TravelStream™ news feed for member andy_lukes on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/andy_lukes en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:15:30 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1146074040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1146074040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1146074040/tpod.html Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:15:30 -0400 My life in Mexico

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Spokane, Washington, United States

Hey guys! Well, it has been a long time since we have talked again, so I thought I would write another entry. As you can see, I am back in the U.S. I have decided that this is where I am going to stay, at least for the near future. I had been planning this trip to Spokane for a while but in the couple of weeks before I left, decided to make it permanent. As much as I tried, things with Esme and I just didn't work out. I think the reasons are pretty typical of why people break up; different values, different plans for the future, etc., only compounded by the fact that we come from two very different cultures.

Anyhow, I figured the best way to make myself feel better is to jump right into the next thing. So I started a painting company in Spokane. It is called Superior Painting and we will be doing residential re-paints. I am looking at paint-sprayers right now and think I have decided on one called the Titan 440i. It is a big, red beast that spits out paint at 3200 psi. I met a maniac from Hong-Kong at the paint store and he told me, "DEES MACHINE MAKE YOU MONEY!" So that's the best endorsement I have heard. . . .

So, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what you are up to. You can send me an email or give me a call on my new cell phone #: 954-1582. Area code 509, of course. Oh, and by the way, let me know if any of your parents or friends in Spokane want their houses painted. I will run over there and give them a free quote.

Take care of yourselves and talk to you soon,
Andy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1141918080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1141918080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1141918080/tpod.html Thu, 09 Mar 2006 12:23:01 -0500 My life in Mexico

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Morelia, Mexico

Hey guys, how is everyone? Well, It has been a long time since I have talked with many of you. Let me know what you have been up to. I have been really busy lately. I am working in an English school in downtown Morelia. I find it very interesting. I have realized that just because you speak English does not mean that you can teach it! But I am learning "poco a poco" and think I am getting to be a pretty good teacher. I enjoy teaching. I teach for an hour or two hours and it seems like a matter of minutes, so I guess that is a good sign. No matter what mood I am in when I enter the class, by the time I leave I am in high spirits.

The other job that I have is somewhere between hilarious and ridiculous. I am a spinning instructor. For those of you who don´t know, this is a little popular sport in the states but it is a huge fad down here. There are spinning gyms all over town. It is an exercise class on stationary bicycles. So imagine this scene: A dark room filled with Mexicans in tight Spandex. Very loud Spanish electronica is playing. All of the Mexicans are looking up at a stage with a stationary bike that is illuminated with red spot lights. I am on the bike screaming things with my gringo accent like, "¡ANDALE!" and, "¡ARRIBA!" - - Sometimes during class I can´t help but laugh. But, the pay is great (for Mexico) and the owner lets me use the gym every day, even if I don´t have class.

Anyhow, the apartment is looking good. There is always more that you can do, I suppose, but you have to stop somewhere, and it is a rental. For now, it is a very comfortable place to live and I am happy there. I don´t have pictures right now because my laundry is all over the floor and I have to clean up a bit before take them!

My Spanish is surprising me. I am speaking better and better and I think my accent is already "muy Mexicano." I can understand almost everything unless people tell me something with a lot of slang or the person doesn´t have teeth (which happens more than you would think!).

In other news, Esme got a job offer in San Luis Potosí and moved there in the same day. I was shocked. We are still trying to work things out but it is difficult because it is a 7 hour bus ride from here and we both work Monday through Saturday.

The other thing that has been taking up my time is studying for the GMAT and my two online classes. I am planning on biting the bullet and going back to school for my MBA. Any advice on schools I should look at?

Book recommendation: T.C. Boyle´s "Drop City." It is a great book about a group of free loving hippies who live on a compound in norther California. They believe in living off the land and stickin´ it to the man. When "the man" declairs their compound unfit for human habitation, they decide to move up to Boynton, Alaska. Needless to say, their beliefs are put to the test and they find out that "living off the land" is harder than they thought. Great entertainment.

Well, that´s all from me.
Take care and write me!

Andy

P.S. I will be home in about a month, I am coming back to Spokane and Seattle for a visit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1136484360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1136484360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1136484360/tpod.html Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:37:19 -0500 My life in Mexico

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Morelia, Mexico

Hello everyone. Well, I hope everyone had a happy christmas and a merry new year. What did you all do? This was the first christams that I have spent away from my family. Although I missed all of you back home, it made it easier because I am really starting to be accepted into Esmes family here. We spent christmas in the town where Esmes parents are from, Uruapan. We had a big party in the back yard of Esmes late grandmothers house that has since turned into a kind of communal residence that all the family members can use when they are in town. There must have been about fifty people there. We listened to loud banda music and danced all night.

Before midnight we asked for posada. It is a religeous thing that I really dont understand very well. It simulates a journey someone took in the times of Jesus where they whent from house to house asking for a place to stay and some food (posada). So we split up into two groups, one inside and one outside. The group outside sings a verse asking if they can come in and eat dinner then the group inside says, "Ummmmm. . . . I dont think so." this goes on for a surprisingly long time and finally the group inside gives in and the group outside goes inside and everyone sings a verse together. After that, we waited inside under the protection of the concrete roof for the townspeople to stop firing their guns in celebration and we ate a big potluck style dinner with tacos and carnitas and more rum and tequila for everyone.

Then one of the uncles came out dressed like santa. He had a present for every kid. Santa only says "ho" twice in Mexico. "Ho ho. . . ho ho. . . ho ho."

The next morning we woke up really early and drove to Puerto Vallarta for a week of relaxing by the pool.

Well, my apartment is coming along. I took my first hot shower there yesterday. There was a problem with the gas line. The people from the gas company told me that it was plugged. I saw a plumber outside and asked if he could take a look and he said I could just buy him a Coke as payment. As soon as he looked at the tank he realized that it was full of air from the factory. I guess they pressurize them before they ship them out to test for leaks. So it was just a matter of letting the air out and filling up the tank with gas. The guy that drives the gas truck told me that the previous tenent called them a couple of times to try to force gas into the tank and then just gave up and took cold showers.

The apartment is a mess of paintbrushes, hammers, rags, cleaning supplies and scraps of wood right now, but I can already see that it is all going to come together really nicely. I have termites in the roof, so every morning I wake up with dust in my hair and bed, but we came up with a great solution for it. we are going to put a piece of fabric on the ceiling droops down between each rafter. I think it will look very cool.

I am going to try to attach some pictures so that you all can see what it first looked like and soon (hopefully) I will attach pictures of the finished project. Once it is finished I will have a place for you all to stay so I hope you are making plans to come visit!

See you soon,
Andy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1134665160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1134665160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/mexico_2005-6/1134665160/tpod.html Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:18:21 -0500 My life in Mexico

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Morelia, Mexico

Hey everyone, how are you all doing? Well, I have been in Mexico for about a month now and am getting settled in. When I first got here I went to stay with the host family I lived with last time I was here. When I arrived, she sent me to live with her daughter and her husband and two little kids, Diego (2) and Paula (6mos.). That is where I have been staying up until now. But yesterday, I rented an apartment, at least I think I did. I gave a landlord money anyway. Things here are done differently than in the states and contracts and such are not so popular. She would have written me a contract that said whatever I wanted, but could have just as easily denied that it was her signature later.

When looking for an apartment here I took my uncle Rons advice and looked for what it could be, not necessarily what it was. Needless to say, the place is not perfect, but with a coat of paint and various repairs, it will be more than inhabitable. Some people might describe the place as "broke down" or "ugly," but I prefer the adjectives, "rustic" and "funky." It has a lot of pros and cons, but most of all I like the fact that it is in a great location and that there is a view. It is up on the roof of a three-story building and is set up so that to walk from the kitchen/dining room to the bedroom, you walk over the roof (which I refer to as the terrazita). I will post pictures next week.

Well, Esme and I are doing great. I am really glad that I made the choice to come down here to be with her. We are going to spend Christmas whith her family in Uruapan and from there go to Puerto Vallarta for new years. This will basically be the opposite of every holiday season I have ever had. What is normally skiing and snow-men will be replaced with swimming and sand castles.

Please write to me. I am really interested in subjects like winter. What is that like? Also, I am often on msn messenger in the early morning and the evening, look for me there. I should have a phone in about a week too!

Love,
Andy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1128608580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1128608580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1128608580/tpod.html Thu, 06 Oct 2005 10:51:26 -0400 My Peace Corps experience

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Guarambare, Paraguay

Hey everyone, how are you all doing¿ Well, Its funny how things work out. Even though I came here with the best of intentions, I have decided that Peace Corps is not for me. I know this may come as a shock to some of you but I havent come to this decision lightly. I dont know yet when I will be coming back but it will be within the next couple of days. I really had a chance to step back from this experience and ask myself why. I decided this, for me, it is really more of a test of endurance than anything else. I wanted to see if I could do it. I decided that, yes, I could live in a hut and cut myself off from my friends and family for two years. But I really dont want to.

I want to make it work with Emeralda. I asked myself if I could give her up. Yes, I think with great pain I probably could move on, but that just isn't something I want to do. I think if I give up on love now, love is gonna give up on me (to quote the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn).

Also, I came here all excited about Guarani. I thought, how cool, the indigenous language in Paraguay is still dominant. That is admirable, I think I will go learn it. But, now that I have started I have been reminded how difficult it is to learn another language. The only reason I speak spanish is because I really wanted it and still do make an effort to practice and spend hours studying vocab. that is just something I am not willing to do for Guarani.

Most of all, I have no complaints about Paraguay, the people here or the Peace Corps. They are all great, but just not for me right now. Its all about timing.

Like I said, there are a lot of reasons for my leaving Paraguay and I look forward to talking to each of you about them when I get back.

Until then, suerte,
Andy

P.S. could someone in Spokane pick me up at the airport?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1127948220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1127948220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1127948220/tpod.html Wed, 28 Sep 2005 19:24:11 -0400 My Peace Corps experience

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Miami, Florida, United States

Hey guys, thanks for posting comments already! It was so nice to hear from those of you who posted or sent me personal emails. It is nice to know that I will have so much support while I am so far away. . .

Well, tonight is the night. We fly out of Miami at 11:30 for Sao Palo, Brazil. Then catch another flight to Asuncion, only to catch a bus to Gaurambare, where we will be thrust directly into the hands of our host families. Our director told us to "look our best" for meeting our families. I had to laugh because I think we will be looking far from "our best" after 14 hours in transit.

This hotel that we are staying in is like a cruel joke by the Peace Corps. There are not only mints on the pillow, but aroma-therapy sprays, complimentary ear-plugs, eye-pillows, curtain clips, oatmeal bars of soap, eucaliptus-scented shampoo and even a cd player with a relaxing disc. It is nice. We are all soaking it up because we are likely not to see anything close to this for more than two years (probably not even hot showers from what I have heard). But even while breathing the scented air and grooving on the mood music, I can't relax. We are right by the airport so every ten minutes or so a plane deafeningly passes over reminding me I will be on one of them very soon. I am ready to go. I am ready for the next step in this adventure. Well, I have to go re-arrange my luggage, the shuttle will be here soon!

Love you guys!
Andy

P.S. Does anyone have Whitney's email? I seem to have misplaced it.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1132972440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1132972440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andy_lukes/paraguay/1132972440/tpod.html Sun, 25 Sep 2005 22:02:12 -0400 My Peace Corps experience

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Miami, Florida, United States

Well, my trip has officially begun. I left Spokane this morning for Miami and am here now. It all finally seems real. As many of you know this has been a long-anticipated trip. Since I first started looking into the Peace Corps about two years ago, I have gone through so many stages that have finally landed me here. It started as an idea, then became a desire, then an actual plan when my file was sent to the Latin American office, then I really second-guessed that plan when I met Esme while studying in Mexico, and now I have made the first step and begin my orientation tomorrow. Although I have studied and analyzed this decision to no end, it still seems like I am stepping off into the unknown. There is still so much I don't know about these next two years.

Although I havn't met most of them yet, I found out that there are about 30 people in my group. I think tomorrow will, more than anything else, be a "getting to know you" session. We will be here in Miami getting vaccinated and getting our papers in order until we fly out to Asuncion, Paraguay on Wed. night at 11:30pm.

take care,
Andy
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