Hi, I'm Still Here

I don't know if it's just because I had a REALLY quiet day cut off from just about everyone on the planet, or all of the Hippo staff went out to dinner tonight while I worked a busy hostel shift alone, or my days off are spent on my own all the time, or the heat and mosquitoes are getting to me in general, or WHAT, but I felt a little lonely tonight, and am getting kind of tired of my own company. Usually, I'm quite fond of my own company, because, let's face it, I'm a laugh-riot to be around (!), but after 2 weeks in seclusion at the back rehab spot, and then all of my days off since I've been back spent by myself, I'm getting a little fed up with just the company of my iPod, the short, two-word conversations I have with local sales clerks around here, my witty little observations on the fashion sense of some of the more scantily-clad young women around, and similar alone-activities. And, I don't know if it's my imagination, but I seem to have hit a dry-spell on comments to my blog, emails from peeps in my inbox, and letters from home. Have you guys forsaken me for more witty and interesting friends? Friends who aren't living so far away in such a tiresome place that most of you have zero interest in? Or, am I just being over-sensitive to the neglect? Don't answer that. I don't have a therapist here should I get the wrong response.

So, anyway, after a solid week back into the fray here at the hostel and at the radio station, I've got these few tidbits of news to share:

1. The high season is off to a staggeringly busy start as of July 1st. The Hippo is at full capacity almost every single night, which makes accepting walk-up guests who don't have reservations, or extending the stays of guests who do but like us so much they want to add a few nights to their total time here, a really tough juggling act. But, since I earn more money when we have more guests in-house, this is a good thing, and now, I can fund that trip to Italy after all.

2. My back is fine these days. I never pick up anything from the ground without going into a full squat and working my quads and glutes, but I'm fully-functional again now. I'm also taking fish food as a supplement 3 times a day too. Or, at least the container LOOKS like a bottle of fish food, and the contents SMELL like a bottle of fish food. But, really, it's brown colored capsules, and not multi-colored flakes, so I shouldn't joke. Those crazy Germans and their Vitaminkapseln mit Muschel-Extrakt!

3. Fire season began here this past weekend with a grassfire on the hill over part of the Budva Riviera just south of where we live. The blaze took more than 2 days to contain, and all last night, you could still see it lighting up a huge swath of the hillside while firefighters tried to get it under control. Budva is already suffering a water shortage, which tends to happen every summer when the population of the town jumps from 17,000 (local, normal population) to 70,000 (tourists and tourism industry staff added), but 2-day long grassfires that need water for putting out must really add to the challenge. I guess I should seriously consider taking fewer showers from now on. Those who have to live with me probably won't appreciate it, given how hot it is here these days.

And, finally, 4. Ponta Planet has been going strong these past few weeks and we've hit our stride as far as content and production values at last. I don't want to brag, but last night, when Nino, my engineer, was directing my voice-tracks, he made some sort of comment about it sounding good now that we're 10 shows in. What?!? We're 13 shows in, Buddy, and I thought we were sounding good 6 shows ago! Jeez, everyone's a critic!

If you guys get the chance, send up some smoke signals to tell me how you're going, or listen to a Ponta Planet show archived here on this blog (links to download episodes appear to the left of these ramblings). Prove to me that these feelings of neglect are all part of the lack of breast-feeding I had as a baby and nothing more.

Reports from the Field I: And Budva would be where???

So, a little bit of background as to why I'm in Montenegro right now. On April 22nd, I sent a dispatch home to friends and family which gave something of an explanation, and also my first impressions of things here...


D A T E L I N E : 22 April 2007; Budva, Montenegro

By now, over 2 weeks into my 6-month stint overseas (I love the way that sounds: I'm living overseas...), you're probably wondering what I'm up to. At least, those of you on the distribution list who knew that I was moving to Montenegro for 6 months. I'm sorry I've been so silent for the past 18 days. But, it's been an odyssey just to get here, get my bearings, get to work at the hostel, get around town while the main road is under heavy construction, get simple little necessities like hair conditioner and apples...

So, after a 45-hour period of travel that was made that hideous by a missed connection in Paris, I arrived in Budva, Montenegro on April 5th to a bustling hostel and my good friends, David and Nadya. I'm here to help them run a 2-story, 5 bedroom hostel that sleeps 24. And, when the summer tourist season begins, I'll begin my stint as the English-language radio producer/host of Ponta Planet. The show will run in English bi-weekly on Ponta Radio. With enough sponsorship, it'll also run in French, German, Italian, and Russian once a week each. But, those aren't my gigs, so let's get back to talking about me, shall we?

There's not much to report in the way of wacky anecdotes that fill you with delight and wonder at the exoticness of my new world. Yes, the Adriatic Sea is amazingly blue and beautiful. Yes, I'm meeting scores of worldly travelers (more than 50 so far this month!) coming through the hostel. And, yes, my days off are split between lying about on the beach soaking in the cool sea air and taking day trips to nearby towns which sell things like home-made prosciutto or which have city ruins that go back further than the Magna Carta. I've seen LOTS of incredible beaches, and walked through the narrow, stone-paved streets of LOTS of old towns (here, they're exotically called Stari Grads).

So now, in no particular order, here are some first impressions I've gathered in the past few weeks that I thought noteworthy:

Women here are absolutely stunning. They're well put together and extremely fashionable, even when they're just running out to pick up a carton of milk. Despite this, Montenegrin men stare at both me (for being Asian) and Nadya (for having shapely legs that go on forever) whenever we walk down the street. It's really unnerving how they never smile at you when you make eye contact and smile at them, though.

Construction zones in Montenegro (of which there are lots in Budva right now; they're expected to be completed before the official tourist season begins on June 1st) aren't off-limits to random passersby. You're welcome to walk under the moving boom of a backhoe to get across the street, no hard hat required. Just try not to get run over by the tractor that's sidling up to the backhoe so that the drivers can swap cigarettes.

There are no supermarket chains in this town. There is one Mega Market (tm) in the town center, and countless mini markets on every single residential street, where you can buy everything from a head of lettuce to freshly made Burek to toothpaste. We have 2 such mini markets right across the street from the hostel, one of which sells half-liter bottles of beer for 40¢ each.

Lots of Brits travel. They come to the hostel in droves and I'm starting to say things like "David and I went to uni together." and "Well, you'll find loads of ruins all over this bloody coast, now won't you?" because of them.

Feeling like you're half on vacation and half living a new life makes the days go by quickly, but makes your time away seem a lot longer than it really is. I'm 18 days in and it feels more like 80. I miss home a little bit. I miss my peeps a lot more.