Cambodia

I just arrived back in Singapore after spending the week in Siem Reap province in Cambodia. I have never seen anything like the beautiful people, the language, the heat, the ancient history, and the recent genocide's aftermath. I am posting 2 pictures (I'll post more later), one of a boy from a village off of Tonle Sap Lake, (ironically meaning sweet fresh water) and the other of the Anghor Wat Temple that I took from the back of an elephant as we ascended a mountain. The contrast is ridiculously appropriate.

Up and...walking

I'm sitting at Mike and mom's desk and I'm torn as to which way to look: the computer (a new mac, with, as Mike calls it "brushed aluminum") I look to my right and out over the balcony and straight to the water. Right to a massive game of battle ship. There are about 100 long cargo ships in sight hovering out in some of the bluest water I have ever seen. Or I could look in to the apartment. Beige marble tiles span the office, living room, and bathroom. The ceilings must be 12 feet high, there are 3 balconies, one of which stretches out of my room (high class living!). It is so humid and already pretty toasty, but I've managed to wake up at a reasonable hour. Mike is showing me all of the things he acquired on his last trip of "bargaining" (I've seen his skills before and its quite a show.) he's wearing an "it's better in the bay, bay st. louis shirt" and drinking coffee to kick himself into gear after a long trip. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I wish you could all see this. It is too beautiful to describe and so cool to see where my mom has made her home.

I Arrive

Just got to momma's house. Alive, well, with swollen legs, and greasy hair. Ewww. Nice visuals.

Tokyo

In Tokyo. So. Tired. I have a five hour layover and then an 8 hour flight to Singapore. All these efficient short people everywhere. What to do for the tall American? Assimilate obviously. I'm already fluent in Japanese.

In the land of the giant.

Surprise, surprise, I'm in the Atlanta airport. It is, I'm afraid, my home away from home. But I'm checked in, through security, coffeed up, prepped for duty-free, and ready to rock. And roll. And sit in a tiny space for 14 hours. Yeah. Gotta get revved up. Well, to all of you that love the sound of my voice, I'll call when I get settled. And to those of you who don't like my voice, you're either not reading this or I don't like you anyways.

Auntie A. And Avah.

Here are a few pictures of me and the ol' niece.

Atl. How I love to hate thee.

In a traditional spurt of standby luck, I caught the second to last seat on a tiny airplane determined to weather the...weather. I flew out of Baton Rouge where I was staying with my dad and prepping for my asian adventure. Picture Bill Murray wandering eyes glowing with the shimmer of Tokyo lights, looking up at the skyscrapers and around at all of those short people. That will be me so soon I can hardly stand it. To Tokyo tomorrow morning, Singapore the following day and then Cambodia with madre and crew. I'm now sitting in the main atrium of the airport, charging up and waiting for my lazy brother to pull himself out of bed to entertain his sister. Oh, Atlanta. You are near and dear to my heart.

South By What?

This morning I woke up still dressed with one leg out of a half-zipped sleeping bag. My feet are twice their normal size and alley dirty. Wristband adhesive is caked to my arms. Tan lines zig and zag across my body. My ears are ringing and my head is cinched in at the seams. There have been several battles between South By Southwest and I -- mostly exhaustion battles -- and I think South By may have won the war. But, I tell you once if I tell you a thousand times, having an all access wristband to see more than 1700 bands in a borderline tropical, cutting-edge town, fed the audiophile in me until I just couldn't take any more. I think I will drive home in silence. Thank you to everyone who kept up with this vicarious adventure, and thanks Jennifer for putting together this forum, and thanks SXSW for the wristband and the good times. And thanks Cory and Marshall for the couch. And thanks Austin for hosting my revelries again.

A-town after Chi-town and L-R. Obviously I love the endearing acronym.

So. After a stop in Champaign after Chicago and then another in Little Rock. I'm in Austin. No tickets, no flat tires, and very little sleep. Off to bed and to the convention tomorrow. Ridiculous amounts of musicians in an awesome city here I come.
Sara and Colleen in Little Rock. Note the Mockingbird pint glass.
Me and Liza. Oh what fun little Doogie Howser is.
Avah getting clean after requesting a shower. She is her mother's daughter.
Weird you can't see the blood dripping from my nose in this picture. But hells yeah for an NBA game and a taste of the LeBron James magic.
The new business partners. Charlie and Ryan.

SXSW-bound

Click here to check out my blog for South By Southwest in Austin, Texas at One Times One

Chi-town

With VIP treatment, excruciatingly delicious food, great friends, beautiful snow, and fun new people, Chicago laid waste to anything I considered well-orchestrated and indulgent. After 48 hours, a birthday party and table at an almost obnoxiously hip club, an afternoon at a gym/spa/club/restaurant, and lunch at Lou Phillips the start of Route 66 I just got back to Champain and will spend tomorrow with Katy and Avah shopping for Singapore...off to Austin on Monday, and then SXSW for Tuesday...

Champagne...no. Champain.

After an 8 hour drive from Little Rock, I just arrived in Champain. After rabidly running around with Avah for a few hours and eating my mom's potato soup perfectly replicated by Katy, I'm headed to bed, and Chicago tomorrow to hang out with a friend from school and to a Bulls game sans Michael Jordan.