I’ve done that.

I’ve strolled along a beach in the Philippines.  I’ve taken a speedboat tour of the Islands of Thailand.  I’ve volunteered in a refugee camp in El Salvador.  I’ve preached about Jesus to the Yao and Chichewa people of Malawi.  I’ve been offered weed in Hawaii.  I’ve learned to dance Salsa with my girlfriend in Korea.  I’ve drank Tsingtao Beer in Hong Kong.  I’ve toured a cemetery in Taiwan.  I’ve been thrown out of a taxi in Thailand.  I’ve ridden a scooter in the streets of Seoul.  I’ve toured the DMZ.   I looked upon the forbidden land of North Korea.  I’ve climbed a volcano in Guatemala.  I’ve done a bike trek on a remote Japanese island.  I’ve survived a deadly earthquake in El Salvador.  I’ve drank Corona in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  I’ve made love in a Guatemalan lifeguard tower.  I’ve marveled at the Westminster Abbey.  I’ve bathed in a tub overlooking the vast African savanna.  I’ve conquered the Slickrock Trail in Utah.  I’ve stood at the gates of Buckingham Palace. I’ve eaten a fish sandwich on the docks of San Franscisco.  I’ve soaked in the hot springs in Montana.  I’ve eaten sushi in Japan.  I’ve had fish-n-chips in London.  I’ve driven a passenger boat in Atitlan.  I’ve had tacos in the streets of Mexico.  I’ve drank Guatemalan coffee in Guatemala.  I’ve ascended the pyramid at Chichen Itza.  I’ve seen wild animals on Safari in Africa.  I’ve looked upon Mount Kilimanjaro from a jet airplane.  I’ve fallen in love on top of the Empire State Building.  I’ve…

done these and many more things.

Tell me what you have done.

A Trip to the Country

After five hours on the road, we finally pull up to the small farmhouse.  April’s mother is sitting on the porch, arms crossed and stone faced.  She’s not happy to see me.  This is going to be a weekend from hell!

Betrayed

Officer Ramirez slid open the heavy oak door.  His heart immediately sank.  As an Officer of the Law, he was no stranger to the smell of burning marijuana, but it always broke his heart when it greeted him at his own front door.    

Watch Out, John Wayne!

Has this ever happened to you? You’re in a wild dusty town in Mexico where all the people are short, and you want to go into a saloon for a drink, and you see a bar and its got bright red saloon doors. And so you think, “I’m John Wayne” and you thrust your shoulders back, hands ready at the hip, and you go and smash those red doors open like the bad guy’s inside and you wanna kick some ass. And you don’t see the doors are only five feet high ‘cause everyone’s short. And you smack your forehead right off the door jamb and get thrown back out into the street where you just came from. And your friends laugh at you. And the people inside laugh at you and your face is as red as those big saloon doors. Has that ever happened to you? Well partner, It happened to me.  Merida, Mexico, May 2000.

Korean Wedding

Korean Wedding Ceremony

I step out of the taxi and light up a cigarette.  I’m in front of a Korean wedding hall.  Today, I get to see a real Korean wedding!

Lots of people in suits and dresses are milling about outside.  I look down.  Blue jeans, black shoes and a dressy button down.  I feel self-conscious.  “Don’t worry, they understand,” April says.  “You’re a foreigner.”  Yeah, maybe.  But I wish I had bought a suit. 

Woman of the Sea

An 80 year old Korean Haenyeo - Deep Sea Divers

On a recent trip to Jeju Island, we visited the Haenyeo Museum, where we learned about the women deep sea divers of Korea.  While touring about, we had opportunity to stop and take pictures.  We ended up helping drag their heavy bags of freshly harvested seaweed from the ocean, where they dried it alongside the road.  The woman we met is 80 years old.

Fresh Seaweed

Drying in the Sun

Me and my Haenyeo

Follow me to Korea!

"Follow me to Korea!"

I still have the dream.  I’m lying in my new girlfriend’s arms.  And… oh, I can’t bear it… and she looks at me sweetly and says, “Chris, my love, come live with me in Korea.”  And its a terrible, horrible dream because no matter how hard I try, I just can’t make my lips say the word, “No!”