My two lives

Ah Jhumpa Lahiri wrote this before I could :(.

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

courtesy: http://www.escuelai.com

Considering my FASCINATION with volcanoes, Costa Rica would be a prime choice to visit for a fool like me. It boasts of a series of volcanic mountain chains (that run) from the Nicaraguan border in the north-west to the Panamanian border in the south-east.

The volcano in the photograph above is the ever-so-active Arenal Volcano! A BEAUTY! As the website, www.globaladrenaline.com/ latinamerica/costarica/, states:

At the center of a national park in the northwest of (Costa Rica), the perfectly conical, 1,633 meters (5,356 feet) Volcán Arenal is everyone's image of a typical volcano. The volcano has been exceptionally active since 1968, when huge explosions triggered lava flows that killed several dozen people. The degree of activity varies from week to week; sometimes there is a spectacular display of flowing red-hot lava and incandescent rocks flying through the air; at other times, the volcano is more placid and gently glows in the dark. Don't even think about climbing Arenal. The best views at night (when the weather is clear) are from the western or northern side. Because the park was only created in 1995 there are very few facilities - only one lodge and camping is not permitted - so the best base from which to explore the area is the small town of La Fortuna de San Carlos.

The imposing Arenal Volcano rises in nearly perfect conical form out of the western end of the San Carlos plains. Its periodic eruptions of ash and molten rock, accompanied by thundering sonic blasts, are an unforgettable experience anytime, but become extremely spectacular after dark. When the light of day has dimmed, the glowing red igneous rocks ejected with each eruption trace fiery arches in the night sky before crashing down on the steep slopes and finally extinguishing themselves. Columns of lava also push their way down the sides of the volcano and pieces of the advancing sections continually break off under the weight of new flows bearing down from above.

At night, these falling pieces are visible as chunks of rolling red rocks, adding to the natural fireworks display between the frequent eruptions. From the 600-meter elevation where visitors are allowed to approach atop a lava flow from the 1968 eruption, Arenal rises another 1000 meters to its 1,633-meter summit, and although the peak is still 3 kilometers away, it is definitely "in your face!"

There is little vegetation or wildlife to be seen in the immediate area of the main viewing site since the effects of the major devastating eruption of 1968 are only slowly being overcome. Nevertheless, this area offers a unique opportunity to witness the early stages of lava flow colonization by a handful of plant species adapted to the task. Farther away there are other areas which escaped direct damage and provide better wildlife viewing in the forested sections, however, as yet the park service does not maintain any well-marked trails in these areas, which include the dormant Volcano Chato to the southeast of Arenal.

The settlers that colonized this region in the early part of the 20th century referred to Arenal Volcano as "the mountain" and apparently, despite its conical shape, did not realize it for what it is. Thus, when the quiescent volcano exploded on July 29, 1968, producing a cloud of hot volcanic gases and covering several square kilometers with lava, some 87 people living in the areas of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo lost their lives. Since this tragic eruption (the first following at least 300 years of inactivity, according to some geologists), Arenal has remained active, but fortunately at a level posing little threat to visitors.

hmmm RR's excited. pun NOT intended. :|

Random Musings - 2

I just got a phone call from mother who demanded that I apologize to my cousin (in india) who I had a conversation with about a week ago. Apparently, when she had told me that she has been working since she was 18, I had "ignored" her. Hmmm from what I remember, I did say "ok" to her over excited voice telling me that she had held a part-time job since she was 18. I don't quite remember "ignoring" her. :( Anyway, the family in India was quite upset with my behavior and mom suggested (demanded) that I apologize. Me, being a good girl that i am (ha!), called her up and apologized ... did the sweet talking that I am quite capable of and everything was hunky dory within minutes. She (cousin) ended up telling me that she was never upset at all and that she loved me.

All's well that ends well. :) mom happy, cousin happy, family happy ... but me is confused. What did I do wrong to upset them in the first place?

What is the big deal if she has been working since she was 18? I wonder to myself what the big fuss is all about. Heck, I've been working since I turned of legal age (16) to work. It's just the last 8 months that I've been a kaamchor hee hee ... but before that, I've worked pretty mcuh every free day of my life since I turned 16. I paid for my university (which, trust me, is not cheap), took care of all my personal expenses, and pitched in for brother/sister as well when needed ... but I never really bother (except now) to make a point of it. WHAT is the big deal if I did that? If I was healthy enough to earn for myself, why the heck not?

I don't see my work experience(s) as my accomplishments that need be appreciated especially cuz I started out so young JEEZ ... they are mere statistics on my resume. All that I see as an accomplishment is that I've had my financial freedom for a while now. Thanks to dad for once. He has never meddled in with my finances. I started up my own business .. he didn't interfere .. I set up a non profit organization .. he didn't interfere .. I paid for school cuz I wanted to ... he stepped back ... I took care of myself financially ... he let me. Today, my sister is walking the same path. Hopefully, my brother will be the same tomorrow.

I can say with pride that I have accumulated quite a bit in my life in the "work experience" sector but I don't like to talk about it (on ryze and otherwise) and do NOT want appreciation. Reason: I did what I did cuz I thought that was best for me. I wanted to work; hence, I did. Again, if I was/am physically capable to work, why wouldn't I? I wish I could tell my cousin that I would've "shown a reaction" if she had told me that she didn't have a part time job. I might've asked her if she had any physical or mental issues that are restricting her from taking care of herself ... cuz if there are none, she should be working!

Nothing special about it. Nothing worth appreciation. Just mere acknowledgement should do. Suck it up, kids!

Bah!

yep, i have officially lost (it?)

Many times before, I've thought of writing up odes to people who made a substantial difference in my life merely by being a part of it but laziness always got the best of me. Today, once again, I had an urge to write about this one individual ... for the simple reason that I am in complete awe of him. The man never gets upset with me! Not upset with ME? Now, that is a feat in itself. I am moody, I am impatient, I am rude at times, I seldom think before speaking: in a nutshell, I can be a female dog (ha) in its best form, which HAS cost me a few friends in the past ... but ... no one has showed me patience like he does.

Whenever I am in a sticky situation these days, instead of letting my hands fly to my hips and tongue wagging back n forth, I draw my inspiration from him ... I think of him and I'm smiling within seconds. He is to me what Ritalin is to an ADHD patient (if that analogy works). I have pretty much done everything in my power that could've possibly caused him to flip at me but to no avail. I can tell him anything and everything - all the gory details - about my past and present (certainly future too if I knew my future) but nothing flares his temper. He's always so calm, rational and grounded when talking with me that I'm always left bewildered. People like that do exist? He tells me that he is a different person altogether at work, where he does have to be strict with his employees as a part of his job ... but ... I fail to see it.

I am mesmerized. If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up (cliche?) ... but he gives me what I want ... says what I want to hear without me even having to hint at it (yeah, contrary to my previously held beliefs, it does happen!) ... complements me so well that it feels at time that there could not be a better fit ... and to top that, (quoting him) "[he is] good looking" haha ... given all that, who would really want to wake up? Certainly not me. It's a beautiful dream. Ah, I'm speaking like hopeless romantics who I used to despise only a few moons ago. Pfft.

Is this love? Am I in love? I do want to claim it but I'd rather not. Maybe my definition of love would differ a year or two from now ... but I sure am gonna enjoy this newfound feeling ... hmm definitely alien for me ... but beautiful nevertheless ... yep, beautiful is the word. :) Never sensed the power of the word 'beautiful' before ...

hmm ... alien indeed.

Random Musings (Part 1)

Never did I think I'd run across someone more talented than me in the art of "rambling" but (unfortunately) he does exist: a crazy medical student from the shakin Cali (pun intended).

My question for today is: What makes us 'ramblers ramble'? Personally, I do my thinking as I type/write. I throw my thoughts up on paper without a care for grammatical errors and/or political correctness. I just write what my subconscious mind tells me to (after it presumably drugs its conscious counterpart into a coma, that is). The written product usually is something I would've never imagined to write. It's only after I am done that I read it and surprize myself with the realization that I actually wrote all that. Honest ... I seldom know what i am writing until AFTER I'm done writing. Then, yes, I do edit at times (mostly not). That's how I ramble. That's my style. That's me.

But why?

hmmm

I wonder again ...

On Blogging and Bloggers

I have often wondered if I blog for my benefit or for others' benefit. Why do I blog? When I first started blogging, my intention was to use it as a vehicle to vent my frustrations and, in the process, recycle those frustrated ideas into products that some might deem 'creative works of art'. (ha!) As clocks ticked away, my addiction to 'venting' kept on steadily rising, and I didn't even realize when it was a habit ... but ... like someone wise once said - all good (or bad) things come to an end - my blogging pace slowed and I didn't post anything for weeks. Now I am back ... rather ... I want to be back ... I wonder why?

I wonder ....
If we (bloggers) blog to make our otherwise mundane lives interesting by sharing them with the world?
or
Do we have lives so interesting that they NEED be shared with the world to lighten it up?

I do wonder ....

Let me know ?

guess who's back?

yeh, the R's back!

heh after a long hiatus, I figured I should come back to the blogworld and continue preaching my mind boggling (and enlightening) philosophies on life. Since it would only confirm my foolishness if I were to tell you about where I've been hiding all along, I shan't. But (yeh, at times, I use a preposition to begin a sentence too) I will tell you that this over-a-month long expedition to oblivion sure was worth the confusion. :)

Now that I am back, my brain shall be back to concocting fanciful stories to share with you. I have a few brewing already but gotta wait until they materialize fully.

Until then

With love

R :)