My Star-crossed Day

I generally feel on top of the world.  I mean, I circumnavigated the world in 90 days, conquered the Mongolian dessert, braved the Siberian permafrost, and survived a bed bug infestation in Ukraine.  For some bizarre and inexplicable reason, this past Saturday I felt something no one should ever feel - defeat. 

It is true that worse things have happend to more amazing people, and I will attest that my group of friends had a great time and nothing went infinitely wrong.  There is no real explanation why, on Sauturday night, I anxiously counted down the minutes until midnight.  I am not a superstitious person, but I am positive that my stars and planets were not aligned on May 14th.

The day started off just fine.  It was the day after everyone's last final and we were going to celebrate by inner-tubing down this river located far south of Austin in New Braunfels.  My previous experience tubing with my friends in California led me to the logical conclusion that it would be an epic journey.  One year, we planned a tame 5 mile float in Healdsburg, but on the way to our entrance point we took a wrong turn.  We jumped into the river about 15 miles away from our end destination.  We realized how cold it was getting when the beer ran out, so we started calling out to our land-bound neighbors.  "Where's Healdsburg?" we would cry out.  In response, we received mocking laughs and sympathetic head shakes.  We realized our attempt to float to our friend's house was fruitless, so we all waded out of the water and blazed a trail through a local vineyard.  The owner saw our pathetic group of crying women and men wearing their boxers as shoes.  As Blanche would have put it, "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers."  He was our guardian angel; we would have spent hours in the cold hiking to our cars without him.  It was quite the Independence Day river trip.

This year's trip was much more regimented. We drove down to New Braunfels, rented our tubes, and jumped into a groomed river filled with hundreds of oddly shaped bodies, tattoos and personalities.  Although my bad luck started earlier in the day, it hit its peak soon after we hit the water.  Nat and I lost our group after funneling through a tube shoot that catapulted me and Nat into a wall.  In trying to catch up, we didn't realize there was a dangerous man-made 3ft waterfall.  At the fall, one of our friends got trampled by strangers, Nat bumped his head very hard, and I got assaulted.  Don't really need to get into the details, but a middle-aged man decided to take advantage of my half-drowned and mildly panicked state to make a move.  It took me a while to float over to Nat and scout for some cops, but by the time we led them to the scene and I gave an account, he had slowly creep away.  I watched this pervert escape, to live another day free to molest unsuspecting women.  

This violating episode combined with a few other scattered encounters left me afraid to even drive home at the end of the day.  A part of me seriously feared that I would get into a catastrophic car accident.  I felt generally defeated and couldn't wait for the day to just end.  Luckily for me it could have been worse.  At least I have an amazingly supportive and loving boyfriend and hysterical friends to laugh about this incident with. 

No Idle Hands Here!

My last month has been packed with adventures, visitors and non-stop hooping!  My AOII sister, former room-mate, Castro-club hopper and, of course, best friend, Tara came to visit.  She is a UT Law admitted student who made it to the finals for a scholarship.  She was flown out here to check out the campus and inteview.  I made it a personal goal to show her how amazing Austin is, cowboy boots and all!  We danced all night on 6th Street, went to my favorite restaurants and bars.  All in all, it was a successful weekend, though I believe she is leaning towards a different university that has a better program for public interest.  I told her if she went here, maybe we could be room mates again, but she told me she doesn't think she could live with Pearl!  Nat, I guess you are stuck with me and the little Pearl! 

After my visitor left, I devoted my time to the Austin Parrot Society.  We had a fundraiser for Bird Haven, a non-profit bird rescue, so we had a lot of work to do in preparation.  I am so happy to be a part of a group where telling people that I take my parrot on walks isn't an automatic "this girl is crazy" red flag.  I have an amazing group of passionate bird owners who are helping me find out about local vets, training techniques and feeding advice.  I even get recipes for birdie cakes!  We carpooled the the San Antonio Bird Mart to table and promote our fundraiser, but really it was the perfect excuse to buy Pearl and new discounted cage and toys!  I was told that I have the "gift of gab" by own of our members, since I was able to chat up any casual on-looker.

My parents decided to make a random trip to Austin to visit the same weekend of our fundraiser and I am so glad that they did!  I am sure that the event would not have been so successful without their enthusiasm and constant silent auction bidding.  We all learned a lot from Barbara Heidenrich from Good Bird, Inc.  She is a work famous bird behavioralist who has had amazing success with positive reinforcement and parrot training.  I am excited to get Pearl back next month and test out her new techniques!  We also did a Segway tour of Austin which was a fun mix of history lessons and rugged adventure.  Of course, thanks to my mom's Atkins diet, we dined at some of the best restuarants in Austin, Fogo de Chao and the Driskill Hotel.  Don't you love when family is in town? 

I am eager to receive my brand new LED hula hoop, compliments of Lighted Lifestyle.  I got to play with one in my class and cannot wait to that this baby to Burning Man!  It will look so cool out at night on the playa!  I am loving hooping.  It is an amazing cardio work out and I love just spinning and dancing with my hoop.  I would love to go to Hoop Camp this year in Santa Cruz, but I think due to Burning Man and lack of PTO, I will probably put it off for a year.

I have even been toying with the idea of becoming a Russian tutor.  I currently have one awesome beginner, but she is going abroad in the fall.  I think it would be a lot of fun to teach others and make a little spare change on the side. 

And that's what you missed...on GLEE!  just kidding, but I do love that show!   

Flash a smile, get some beads

Last weekend, I took a road trip to the infamous Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.  I had many preconceptions about how crazy it was going to be, so I adequately prepared myself.  I imagined Disneyland during its 50^th celebration meets Las Vegas on New Year's Eve.  I packed boots, dark make up, and plenty of Asprin.  I was even more excited because  my sorority little sister, Mary, was flying in to Austin to join us on our weekend to Mardi Gras.

Mary, me & Megan on 6th St.

I met Mary at the airport on Thursday evening and was extremely excited to show her Austin during our one night before heading off to Louisiana.  We chatted, got dressed up and picked up Nat and a friend, Megan, before heading downtown.  For those of you who are not familiar with 6^th Street, Austin, it is a site to see.  The police, rather than deal with cars hitting drunk pedestrians, close down a large portion of the street by setting up blockades.   This makes it legal and extremely convenient to do my favorite pass-time: jay-walking.  We bought $5 pitchers of alcohol from one of my favorite bars called Shakespeare’s.  We even saw our bartender at Cheers light shots on fire to make the famous Austin beverage “Flaming Doctor Peppers.”  It was quite the way to start the weekend.  We had to be up at 4AM to start our road trip so a good night’s rest would have been appropriate, but you know me better than that, right?  We finally crawled into bed at about 2AM, making the following morning brutal as I realized I was still in a mildly altered state of mind.  I went from sleeping in the parking lot on top of a suitcase to dancing up a storm in a matter of 60 seconds. 

My bed away from bed

The drive was entertaining.  We stopped for a meal of deep fried alligator tail, with a side of deep fried frog legs and deep fried craw fish- a true Cajun feast.  It rained on the way there, forcing the men folk to get out and wrap our baggage in trash bags while the ladies snapped photos.  After 12 hours of rain and traffic, we finally arrived at our off-Bourbon Street hotel.  A thorough inspection of the mattresses at our 2.5 star hotel concluded that our room was not infested with bed bugs, so we settled in and hit the town.


 We got so much look from flashing!  Flashing our beautiful smiles that is!  Check out my high neck dress if you don't believe me.

My lovely group of friends

Balcony where treats fall from!

We came out decked with bead, boas, yo-yos and many other random treats.  That was only the first night!  The following day we wandered around the city and had lunch at a traditional Cajun restaurant where I got my first order of jambalaya.  My only complaint about the weekend was the creepers waiting to snap pictures of your drunken bartering mistakes, and the rain.  The unfortunate weather conditions forced us to stay indoors most of Saturday.  Although we do look cute in ponchos!

Nat and me on a terrace during our lunch

Mary, me and Anna

At our refuge from the rain, we had jello shots out of a tube that looks like a syringe.  Does that sound familiar?  Remember my post about the injection shots in Kiev, Ukraine (Shot of Death)?  

Jello Shots!

I am convinced that since I did not see a parade during Mardi Gras, I should just take a trip to the capital of all Fat Tuesday celebrations: Carnival at Rio de Janeiro.  I can feel the wander lust rising…

Life just ran with that idea

The past two months have been full of more flights, adventures, old friends, parrots, entreprenurial ideas, BBQ, hula hoops, failures and successes.  I apologize for my delayed posts, but life just has a way of running when you aren't looking.  Now that I have wireless internet  forward to those precious two hours when you have wireless internet.  I lived my life abroad very meticulously.  I valued my Facebook more than I do now.  I actually checked my email once or twice a a day, rather than every 15 minutes thanks to "fetch new data."  So, here is my low down.  

Last time we met, I was on a last minute flight to San Diego to visit Nat's family for the holidays.  We had a splendid time, enjoying the weather and not throwing up all day.  I say the later because last time I met Nat's family for a family reunion, I successfully managed to inject about 75% of his family with the Norovirus aka stomach flu.  I am not sure if I will ever out grow my nickname "Typhoid Mary."  

After that, we were on a flight to Las Vegas for our 4th Annual Santa Rosa Crew Vegas Trip.  I think every year gets better and better!  I guess the first year we went was 10 days after my second nose surgery which in retrospect was probably not the best idea.  I was on hydocodone, couldn't drink, and got a bloody nose after being wacked in the face by a drunk friend.  Oops!  Since then, we have made so many fabulous memories I can't even begin to relay them all.  I got to ride a mechanical bull hands-free, watch an electric violin and DJ chick duo and stay out almost as late as I did in Ukraine!  The best part was playing cards in the back of our rented RV all the way back to Santa Rosa.  Some of us didn't get enough sleep, so they crashed together in the one little bed in the back. 

Next stop, San Francisco!  Let me tell you how nice it was to be back in my city!  I got to see my old roomate, best friends, old co-workers and my old favorite spots.  It was kind of difficult to get over the fact that last time I was in SF, I lived there, had a room, and my parrot.  I really miss my friends, but we got to go out in the Castro for an amazing night of dancing.  Then we got to hit up a couple of places for bottomless mimosas and brunch.  I might even be on the wall at Hot Cookie 

I now have an amazing group of close friends here in Austin and I am getting to know the sites much better.  The night life and outdoors life is amazing here. 

Random facts about my new life:

• After a couple of weeks of turning down offers, being rejected from employers and weighing out my possible options, I am now working full-time at an OB/Gyn office in North Austin.  I may now know more than I wanted to know about the miraculous journey of pregnancy, but hey, never hurts to start doing research early...way early.
• I have decided to take up new hobbies to keep busy while Nat studies.  Last week, I made my first set of hula hoops.  Good exersize, a must-have skill for Burning Man, and will look amazing if I can eventually set them on fire!
• Speaking of Burning Man, I bought my ticket and cannot wait to join my sisters, and Mark, along with our new additions to the playa, Tristan and Kara!
• I made arrangements to fly Pearl to Austin on May 22nd!  I am excited to start wandering the streets of downtown with her and continue to support the motto "Keep Austin Weird."
• I was elected Events Coordinator of the Austin Parrot Society and look forward to start organizing their fudraisers, events, etc
• I have decided to collect feathers from the parrot rescue I volunteer at, make jewelry out of the molted feathers and sell them to raise money for the organization.

This Friday I embark on an 8 hour journey with 5 best friends to New Orleans for Mardi Gras!  I imagine I will be yelling at people to throw me beads as I used to yell at the patrons of the Blue Bayou to throw me pieces of bread before I came face to face with the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Let's hope that my experience dodging hords of people at Disneyland has adequately prepared me for the madness that will ensue this weekend.


I think that just about covers it all.  Do I like to keep busy or what?? 

Свадьбы! : Weddings!

В прошлом неделые, мы с Натом поехали на свадьбу!  Было очень весло и прекрасно.  Мне нравилась свадьба, потому что не была только один день, но свадьба была почти одна неделия!  Были Пикник, BBQ, вечеринки, и так далее.  Наших друзей, который поженились, зовут Брайн и Кэйти.  Мой парень, Нат, они познакомились уже десять лет назад в Санте Розе.  Кэйти и Брайн были вместе девять лет!!  Как долго, да?  Поетому, я чуствую хорошо (мы с Натом были вместе почти шесть лет) с моей ситуацией.  Я очень люблю моего друга, но мы не готовы для брака.  Может быть когда Нат покончает юридическую школу.

Мы с друзей танцевали, выпились, и смеялись.  Мы с Натом даже танцели "Свинг!"  Было замечателно!  Марк много выпил и тацевал на столе!  Как забавный.

Моя сестра тоже женилась недавно!  Был во вторник!  Она позвонила мне и сказала, что ее новая имя "Диана Кэс."  Наш фамилия "Бэтрэс" и его "Кинг."  Прекрасно!  Я рада - Яков умный и отличный человек.  Мне надо планировать свадьбу - Уррра!!  Но будет трудно, потому что я поеду за границу очень скоро... фигичк.

Last week, Nat and I went to a wedding!  It was so incredibly fabulous.  I really liked the wedding, because instead of being just one day, the wedding was almost an entire week!  There was a picnic, BBQ, and a myriad of parties.  The names of our friends who just got married are Bryan and Katie.  My boyfriend, Nat, met them ten years ago in Santa Rosa.  Katie and Bryan have been together for nine years already!!  That seems like a long time, right?  It's funny, because their relationship makes me feel better about my own situation (I have been dating Nat for almost six years!).  I really love my boyfriend, but we are definitely not ready to get married.  Maybe when Nat finishes law school.  Whenever it is, I just hope it can be as amazing as Bryan and Katie's Wedding

We danced with our friends, drank, and laughed.  I even got to Swing dance!  It was awesome!  Mark drank too much and danced on a table.  So very amusing.

My sister also got married recently!  Tuesday!  She called me and said that her new name was "Diana Kes."  Our last name is "Batres" and his is "King."  Cute, yea?  I am glad that they are together, Jacob is so smart and just an awesome guy.  So, now I need to plan a wedding - Hurray!  But, I think it's going to be tough since I am going abroad very soon...shoot.

Кальян : Hookah

По моему, я очень классная девушка, с кем кто-нибудь хочет подружиться. Иногда, я болнуюсь, что в России будет трудно подружиться с новыми друзьями. Почему, я - пессимист? Я улыбаюсь, поболтаю, и так далее. Но, знаю что в Европе и Китае, всех людей курят! На улице в барах люди поболтают вместе и курят. Мне кажется, не удобно стоять на улице без сигареты или напитка... Я надеюсь, что это не доставает мне много хлопот!


Что надо сделать? У меня идея! Давай мы курим кальян!


Я началась курить кальян в Беркли в вечеринках. Мой первый раз, не знаю почему, но после того, что мы курили , я не чуствовала хорошо. Было страно, но сейчас мне очень нравится кальян! Я даже могу дунуть «О» с дымом!


Мы с Джеймсом нашли бар кальяна в Мышине в Сан Франсицко. Там мы уже курили два раза, и так я решила пойти там пятницу. Мы с друзьями (Нат, Марселос, Оля и Тайлор) погуляли в Оз Кальян после обеда. Я думала, что Яша, человек который там работает, меня будет узнавает, но когда я пришла, он забыла как меня зовут. Он даже забыл, что я пришла там в понедельник! Оля сказала, что это потому что он обкуриный. Его глаза медленее, и он говорил много с руками. Я надеюсь, что это не случается если я много курю кальян.


Итак, это мой планн. Когда я не чуствую быть пьяная, лучше курить кальян. Это как я буду подружиться с новыми друзями.



Ну, знаю, что все будет в порядке!

Мы с Олгой : Olga and me

In my humble opinion, I am a very cool girl that anyone would love to be friends with.  However, I often worry that it will be hard to make new friends when I am in Russia. Why am I such a pessimist?  I smile, I chit-chat and perform other such social interactions with ease. But, it is my understanding that everyone in Europe and China smokes! On the streets outside of bars people make friends as they stand around and chat over a cigarette.  It seems to me, that it is very awkward to plainly stand around on the street without a drink or cigarette in hand.  I really hope this doesn't cause me too much trouble


What ever will I do? I have an idea! Why don’t we smoke hookah instead!


I started smoking hookah at parties while I was studying at Berkeley. The very first time I ever tired it, I am not sure why, but I felt very sick afterwards.  It was very strange, but now I really love hookah!  After years of practice, I can even impress people by blowing smoke rings!


James and I found this hookah bar in the Mission district of San Francisco. We have gone twice and since it was a pretty neat place to hang out, so I decided to go there last Friday. So I rounded up some of my friends (Nat, Marcelus, Olya and Taylor) and we walked over after dinner. I thought that the owner, Yasha, would have recognized me but when I arrived, he didn’t even know my name! What’s worse is that he had no memory of me, even though James and I were there on Monday. This is of course, slightly embarrassing and depressing, since James and I always chat with him in Russian.  Olya says this is because he was stoned or on drugs. I suppose his eyes were a little slow and he talked a lot with his hands, making the suspicion not too far off.  I really hope that I don’t suffer a similar fate if I smoke too much hookah.


So there, that is my plan. When I don’t feel like being a drunk, I will switch to hookah. That is how I will make new friends.


Well, now I know that everything is going to be just fine!

Я говорю, я говорю, спасибо Вам! : I say, I say, thank you!

Спасибо большое, друзья! Я рада, что у меня так много друзей, которые хотят помогить мне!

Моя сестра из АОП, Рачель Капп, сказала, что я должна подружиться с ее друзьями, которые из Украины! С ними я буду продиться и высилиться по Украине.

Мама Джеймса сказала, что мы можем забронировать дорогой номер в Москве с ее "тейм шером."

Мне надо позвонить Ирина, которая работает где я делала мой операция ЛАСИК. У нее семья в Одессе и она сказала, что может быть я могу снимать комнату там.

Конечно, мой новый друг Давид, который живет в Киеве - очень интеллигентный человек. Я знаю, что он - не зануда! Я рада, что мы будем высилиться!

Клавдя будет купить билеть самелота скоро, и она будет найдет меня попути. Мы будем путешествовать по Украине, чтобы смотреть достопримечательности! Ее семья жила в замоке на Черном море много лет назад. Посмотрите!   Замок Клаудии   Уууууууура!

Но, сейчас, мне надо учиться. Я хочу, что Украинские люди идивляться, когда они с мной говорить. "Эрика, ну ты крут!"



Thank you so much, friends!  I am excited that I have so many friends who want to help me out!

My sister from AOII, Rachel Kapp, told me that I should befriend her friends from Ukraine!  I will wander and have a great time through Ukraine with them.

Jame's mother said that we can rent an expensive room in Moscow with her time share.

I need to call Irina, who works at the office where I had my LASIK operation.  She has family in Odessa and she said that maybe I can rent a room there.

Of course, my new friend Dave, who lives in Ukraine is awesome.  I know that he not a boring person.  I am excited to hang out with him!

Claudia is going to buy her plane tickets soon, and she is going to find me along the way.  We are going to travel through Ukraine together, in order to see all of the tourist sites.  Her family lived in a castle on the Black Sea many years ago.  Check it out!  Claudia's Castle

But, now, I need to study.  I want Ukrainian people to be surprised when they talk to me.  "Erica, you are cool!"

*The words in bold are from my private lessons.  In order to learn, I try to use new words as often as possible.

Украина : Ukraine

Люди,

Что я буду делать на моей поезде?  Вы знаете, что я поеду в Пекин и Россию, но может быть вы не знаешь, как я поеду в Украину.  Я хочу жить в Одессе и работать с детей, у которых нет дома.  Там я могу преподавать им английский язык.  Сегодня, мы с моей хорошей подругой, Клавдя, обедали вместе.  Клавдя одна из моих любимых подруг.  Мы вместе учились русский язык в Беркли, были в самый sorority АОП, танзивали Swing, и мы тоже родилась в тот самый день!  Я рассказала ей о моей поездке, и она мне сказала, что она хочет поездить со мной по Украине!  Ее семья из Украины и поетому, она тоже хочет путешествовать там.  Конечно, я буду рада если на моей поезде будет Клавдя.  Она говорит по русски!  Я тебя люблю, Клавдя!  Давай мы поедем в Украину!!  Пожалуйста!

Мы с Клавди - мы приготовили пирошки вместе четыре(!) года назад!

Claudia and I - we cooked piroshi together 4(!) years ago!

People,

What am I going to do on my journey?  You know that I am going to Beijing and Russia, but what you maybe do not know is that I am going to Ukraine.  I want to live in Odessa and work with homeless children.  There I can teach them English.  Today, I had dinner with my good friend, Claudia.  Claudia is one of my best girl friends.  We studied Russian together at Berkeley, were in the same sorority АОП, Swing danced together and we were also born on the same day!  I told her about my trip, and she told me that she wants to travel with me through Ukraine!  Her family is from Ukraine and therefore, she also wants to travel to there.  Of course, I will be excited to have Claudia with me on my trip.  She speaks Russian!  I love you, Claudia!  Let's go to Ukraine!!  Please!