The countdown begins... 4...

My backpack is in Los Angeles, set and ready to go.  I even have one extra bag packed with me that I will later use to fill with Siberian treasures.  The bag currently contains chocolate covered almonds, coffee, and dried mangos to share with my future Russian friends who I meet on the Trans-Siberian.  If good conversation isn't enough to entice strangers to hang out with me,  gifts will!  I learned a lot from Burning Man.

I have one question, loving fans: should I still pack a pair of tennis shoes?  I can see the necessity of comfortable shoes so I can explore uncharted territory - my mom never fails to remind me how horribly China was without a good pair of walking shoes.  I mean, I really want to fend of the trench foot as long as possible.  Also, I really was hoping to jog around Odessa, Ukraine when I finally am stationary.  Getting to know the city over morning exercise sounds alluring.

Negatives: Remember my post "Heels and Vodka: A Lesson on Russian Culture" ?  Well, I keep having flash backs of the dirty looks I got while wearing tennis shoes the last time I was in Russia.  Also, tennis shoes are heavy unless you are wearing them, meaning I will most likely be wearing them all the time.  I already packed two pairs of heels and a pair of flats so shoes are starting to weigh me down!  Also, the movie about the girl gaily running around the streets of Moscow then suddenly getting mowed down by oncoming traffic has got me a little paranoid.  

So people, do I sacrifice some dignity in Russia in exchange for comfort or do I go big or go home and suck it up for fashion?  Have I matured enough in a few months to realize that comfort is everything (haha!).  Let me know soon, I fly out on Sunday at 7AM!

Burning Man, meet John Galt

To say that Burning Man was an incredible and spectacular experience is a complete understatement.  For those of you who have no idea what Burning Man is, it basically is a a week-long spontaneous community that forms in the middle of a desert in Nevada on the principles of radical self-reliance, whose sole purpose is to enable like-minded individuals to come and express oneself through many forms of art.  No currency is used and bartering with material goods is forbidden. 


During the day this community of 50,000 entertains itself by embracing it's inner child and biking around the desert exploring, climbing, playing, and so on.  People holler at you as you bike by and ask you to stop, share stories, and partake in their free crafts or drink at their bars.  My favorite part of the day was climbing on the myriad of enormous wood and metal art projects that jetted out of the Playa (desert).  Everyone comes prepared not only to keep themselves alive in the raging 100+ degree weather, but often bring little treasures to "gift" to friends they meet during the week.


At night, the Playa comes alive with people in outfits that can be seen from a mile away.  Glow sticks and LED lights are as common and necessary at Burning Man as jeans are in the United States.  You can spend your time wandering the desert looking at the different art installations that breathe fire or you can dance the night away at one of the many Playa night clubs that have platforms leading to netting, leading to poles and chains where people can climb and dangle from.  You can even play tether ball, simple - only that the ball is on fire (I actually singed some of my hair that night).  It really is a shock to me more people haven't died at Burning Man.

At first I wasn't sure if reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged before embarking on my journey to Black Rock City was a good or a bad idea.  The Utopian Valley in Atlas Shrugged is a great deal similar to the community that forms at Burning Man, because they are both locations where societies based on extreme self-reliance form.  The biggest difference: the verb "to give" is forbidden in the Valley in Atlas Shrugged.  One must pay or earn for anything he or she wants.  

During the week, I really wanted a shower, I would have paid good money for one - but the idea of ideally wandering by a place with a little shower station and having someone allow me to use it was worse than the grim and sweat I collected on my body.  Since I didn't pack little gifts to bestow on those who helped me out, I didn't want to feel like a moocher who was just taking and taking.

The interesting thing is that Burners really are there to make others happy and give back.  Everyone truly enjoys each other's company and believe in the community so much they want to make a difference however possible.  Some have presents, others have jokes or epic stories or songs.  The only real problem is the people who were like me - pure spectators who don't want to understand.  I slowly learned that if you are going to make the leap to spend a week roughing it and eating Indian food out of a plastic bag, go all out.  Embrace the world you have voluntarily joined and make it whatever it is you want it to be.  Even before I arrived and during my first few days, I told everyone I was scared of what to expect.  I should have taken a hint from Atlas Shrugged: "If you don't know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn."  

John Galt's pledge in Atlas Shrugged was as follows: "I swear by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."  The more I think about it, the more I realize that that is exactly what ever Burner there is doing.  They are enriching their lives by making themselves happy with the hope, not expectation, that everyone else will do the same, resulting in a damn good time for all who attend. 

This quote really relates to how I feel after gaining a much greater understanding of the "morality" of Black Rock City: "The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live."  

How in the world was it possible that I walked away from Burning Man feeling closer to Ayn Rand's philosophy than ever?  Who is John Galt?  Well, my friends, anything is possible at Burning Man and I guess you will just have to wait and see for yourself!   

TSA Warning!!

I was stopped by TSA in LAX airport on my way to Burning Man because my backpack looked suspicious.

TSA: "Before I search your bag, is there anything sharp or dangerous inside?"
Erika: "No, just a couple lightsabers. But don't worry, they are only training tools an are not fully functionally. They are not capable of instantly cauterization. "
TSA: "OK, so I am looking for two lightsabers... Wow, haha, I thought you were kidding!"
Erika: "Nope, I really am just a geek."

Upong further inspection and another x-ray just to be safe, TSA returned my lightsabers and rendered them harmless.

He had a huge smile on his face when I left, so I like to think I made his day.

Урра! Наши паспорты приехали!

Ребята!

Сегодня наши паспорты приехали.  Спасиба за Виза Экспрэс!  Было очень легко.  Я болновалась, потому что на моей фотографмии я улыбалась и это не приятно для России.  Не понимаю почему людям не нравится улыбаться... но я знаю, что иногда когда я улыбаюсь не можете видите мои глаза.  По моему, мой рот не красивый без зубов!  Итак, я играла денги и победила!

Подумаете...что сделает если Россия сказала нет и отказала, что нельзя приходить!  "Покеда, Джеймс!  Маршрут изменился!"

Я почти готова!

People!

Today our passports came back in the mail.  Thank you, Visa Express.  It was actually super easy to get a visa with this company.  We just sent them our passports, a money order, some passport pictures and *poof* our passports had visas!  It was so convenient because there are 5 of us who needed visas for China, and I needed a visa for China and Russia.  I was worried because I was smiling in my passport pictures and I know that is not cool by Russian standards.  I don't understand why Russians don't like smiling faces...but I guess it is true that when I have a full smile on my face, you sometimes can't see my eyes.  In my opinion, my mouth looks ugly without a full set of pearly whites!  So, by sending them pictures of me smiling, I made a gamble and I won!

This was actually a legitimate concern on my part though.  Think about it...what would I have done if Russia said, "no" and refused my entrance into it's country!  "Buh-bye, James!  There has been a slight change of schedule!"

With my passport in hand, I am almost ready to start traveling!

Oh, Blog! How I've missed you!

Loyal readers, the mighty few who actually have asked my why I stopped writing, thank you for your "unrelenting" support.  My boyfriend, Nat, once referred to my love as "unrelenting," and tried to convince me he meant it in the best possible way.  Having the predisposition that this adjective is generally used in a negative way, I decided to look it up myself.  According to dictionary.com:

un·re·lent·ing  /ˌʌnrɪˈlɛntɪŋ/ [uhn-ri-len-ting]  –adjective

1. not relenting; not yielding or swerving in determination or resolution, as of or from opinions, convictions, ambitions, ideals, etc.; inflexible: an unrelenting opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment.

2. not easing or slackening in severity: an unrelenting rain.

3. maintaining speed, effort, vigor, intensity, rate of advance, etc.: an unrelenting attack.

—Synonyms
1.  relentless, merciless, unmerciful, ruthless, pitiless, cruel, remorseless.
2.  unremitting, implacable, inexorable.

My love is like a severe storm or a civil rights opponent.  I guess the whole "not swerving in determination or resolution" is flattering.  For the future generations who read Nat's Honor's Thesis, you will see his tribute to my "unrelenting love" in the acknowledgement section.  Thanks, baby!  ;)

Anyways, what have I been up to??  Well, I moved out of my fabulous SF apartment where I was briefly living with my best friend, Tristan, and moved back down to Los Angeles County to live and work at my parent's clinic.  My dad is a doctor and my mom is the office manager (cute, huh?).  They pay me handsomely enough to give up my sweet SF life and move back to the exciting city of Rowland Hts... haha  For the most part, I have been working at their clinic and taking many vacations on the side.

Since I moved back, I joined Nat's family along for their family reunion in Monterrey.  Highlights of the family reunion: Monterrey Bay Aquarium, seeing dolphins jumping not far from the shores and successfully managing to infect about 5 of Nat's family members with the Norovirus (food poisoning/24 hr flu) while on a family retreat... sorry guys!!


Nat and I looked up how difficult it would be to get a jellyfish tank.  Apparently they require a circular tank or they get stuck in the corners of the tank - crazy, huh?


I also went camping in the Santa Cruz County with the Santa Rosa Crew for Nat and Bobby's Birthday.  Childhood friends, both born on the same day, same hospital, and both dating fabulous women named Erica, spelled with a "c."  Highlights of the camping trip: over 30 mosquito bites (about 8 on my face alone!), a rope swing into a mini lake, winning a card game of BS while waiting since 7AM for the ranger station to open so we could make a campsite registration, stories around a campfire, and raccoon encounters.
 
From there, Nat and I eventually drove back to So Cal.  Highlights of So Cal: Venice Beach with my sister and her husband, Jacob; first construction of the dome we are to live in at Burning man, and loading up the car for TX.


Nat and I packed all of our stuff into my little Hyundai Accent hatch back and began the journey to Austin.  Highlights of the drive to TX: meeting up in Phoenix, AZ with Michael Caruso, Nat's high school friend, and Angelina Lin, my good friend from my study abroad program in Russia '06; a whole lot of nothing in New Mexico, and meeting my aunt Delia in Dallas.

Check out our pimped out ride down to Austin.  My uncle from Sacramento hooked us up with cheap furniture from his distributor in Dallas.  We drove my aunts truck from Dallas to Austin, then back up to Dallas... then drove our car back down to Austin the following day... phhhew, that's a long drive!


 It took us 4 hrs, since going over 53 MPH caused swaying!


Austin was fabulous of course.  Highlights of Austin: Apartment decoration, craigslist (everyone was selling their stuff to move to CA!), party at our new place with Austin friends we know from CA, hookah at the Arab Cowboy, pool party with Will, my ex-coworker from Health Diagnostics; lunch with Ginger Banks, past international president of AOII; and belated birthday dinner for Nat at Ruth's Chris.

Double-fisting hookah; I think I have already mentioned how much I love hookah!


Since I have been home, I have been preparing odd scraps of clothes for Burning Man, and successfully packed my backpack for my trip abroad. My trip is in less than 3 weeks... scary, right?

Everyone, I left my love in Austin, TX. When he told me he would see me in December, "It's only 120 days..." the longevity of my trip hit me and I couldn't but cry.  So, I decided to risk the side effects of one more flight and am going back to Austin before my journey.

On Sunday, I am flying to meet Mark in Reno, NV so we can party it up before heading to Burning Man and meeting Qui (little sister), Diana (older sister) and Jacob (husband).  After one week of crazy night events, bright lights, sand storms and burning art, I will be back on a plane to Austin on September 5th.  I am flying back to LA the morning of Sean's wedding (remember, the one I had to reschedule my tickets for?). Yay for cheap flights on 9-11! 

So there you go, you are all caught up!  Now, if I could only exude the effort to type this up in Russian.  I could definitely use the practice.

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!