Tears coming from a piece of paper

Some of my favorite people in the world are in Oman right now. People who know these guys know they are just awesome. I can't really describe what it is to work with them and to know that they are just going to rock the world in the very near future.

I got the best letter from one of them today... that just.. ROCKED MY WORLD! It reminded me how little things can be huge things for other people. Anything can mean everything. To you and to others.

Maybe things that we do every day are worth something! And when you realize that.... you know you should keep doing them! Life is great.

Showing pictures to my aunt

One night I'm sitting on my bed talking to my aunt and showing her pictures. It's when talking to others that I realize how lucky I've been with experiences I've lived, the places I've seen and the people I've met.

When showing her pictures I found myself saying, this friend lives in Egypt, this one is from Belgium, these two are in India and are from the US and the UK, I talked to people in 6 different countries just today. And then she asked me, how many countries have you visited? and I said 11. To many that might be nothing. But when I'm talking to people that have never left the country and that have given up many dreams, it means a lot.

Coming back to Venezuela was great opportunity to see what I left behind and appreciate where I have gone and how much I have grown. Sometimes we change and don't realize how much.

I no longer think that getting married is a requirment before getting to be 25. Oh yeah.. that's the first question I get when I see family and friends I haven't seen in a long time. To that I respond.. yeah I graduated from college last year, got a great job, live in NYC, have visited many countries, I'm happy. But they still hang up on the fact that I am not married haha. Not saying I won't get married but I had other things I wanted to experience before jumping into that! Well if you see me with a baby next year you'll say Venezuela changed me again hehe.

Two months later...

While I was in India I was blogging almost every day. I got to Venezuela and I haven't said a thing. I think in India I was using it as a way out and I've been too relaxed at home? Well I have been busy.

Leaving India was a bunch of mixed feelings. I was glad to come back home after so long. But I got really sad to leave my awesome roommates there. I know I will see them sometime soon! Miss you guys!

Being in Venezuela has been great. Definitely different living with the parents again after 7 years. But I am no longer a teenager and being able to say "I want to take you on a vacation" and doing it is a step up! I have spent awesome moments with the family mostly. I'll be posting later about my adventures here, even if they are out of order.

For now, I am very excited to say that I got my work visa and I will be traveling back to the US in 29 hours. I think it'll be interesting to go back to the land of processes and having the feeling again that you can get what you want through customer services... even if you have to fight a little.

On Sunday I'll be in Miami and get to see a great friend. On Monday, I'll head back to NYC straight to the office. It'll be great to see many people after 4 months. There better be sushi and martinis that night!

Going back to "mi tierra natal"

I'm going back to Venezuela!

I am having paper tickets shipped from the US. Yeah I know.. I had to buy my tickets there so I could get a deal. The best bid here was $3000 from Europe to Venezuela. I can't fly through the US since I don't have a visa but was lucky enough to find a cheaper option going through Europe. Those that have priviledged passports should appreciate them.

I will be leaving India on Thursday August 9th at 9:15am. My internary includes 4 countries. I will spend 1 night in Munich then head to Madrid to later arrive to Caracas later that Sunday. Still missing a flight to Valencia but thanks to those dollars out in the Venezuelan (black) market I should be getting a good deal.

It's a long overdue visit. I haven't been to Venezuela in 3 years and even back then I only spent 5 days with my family. I haven't seen my parents in over a year so they are very excited. I am also making it in time for my dad's birthday. First I'll spend with him in 7 years.

So anyone.. if you want to visit Venezuela while I'm there you have an invitation. I should be leaving at the end of September so you have plenty of time!

Arepas, Merengue and Rum... here I come!

Where will I be next Tuesday?

This is the first post in 2 weeks when I was actually updating my blog even twice a day for a while. Yes, I’m not that much of a freak now. Things have been busy as I am trying to do many things with almost no access to the internets (yes they are plural).

A couple of weeks ago I went to Hyderabad and the best was getting to sleep on a very comfy bed (real mattresses are nice) and the worst was getting licked by a man when entering a monument. No I'm not kidding... it was his tongue on my shoulder.

These past two weeks have been insane at work because the internet in our office here has been down, up for two days during which the VPN in the US office was down (which means I could not connect or do any work) and then after getting the VPN fixed I was informed by the IT people that our wireless in the office here was completely down again (but this time it meant that they were not fixing it). Betsy is fighting with them to see if we can get set up but of course they won’t do it quickly. Everything has to take two weeks to get done. In the meantime I'm working from home (when the power cuts allow me to).

Why am I getting into so many details? Well.., these two weeks I've done a lot of thinking. And it has come to two options: 1. I stay and live the cultural experience while doing some traveling and prove that I can face the many many challenges I’ve faced while being here OR 2. I decide for my job and make a move where I have the infrastructure and stability I need to fulfill my responsibilities (which means not leaving Paul with the weight of them and sacrifice his sanity). If you guys know me you know I chose number two.

I will be leaving India as soon as possible… probably will make it to Venezuela within the next week (granted I get an appointment with the US embassy there). If not, I will be going somewhere in Europe. If these options fail, I have an appointment with the embassy in India at the end of August but then I’ll think about moving to a resort in the South while I wait. That’s it… I only have 3 continents to choose from (unless someone tells me they have someone in Australia that wants to help me).

I’ll update everyone soon once I know where I will be next Tuesday.

Being Thrown Off A Rickshaw: CHECK

OK... got the checkmark on that one.

Ben and I were on a rickshaw when i see a motorcycle coming on the left but did not see the bike on the right when trying to get away from the former we crash with the latter and next thing I feel is the ground under me. Yeap... hand and ankle got the hit... but the first thing i checked was my laptop of course. No damage there. I turned left and Ben had been thrown off too. I knew that the thing hadn't been the typical thing of a foreigner being thrown off a rickshaw when nobody around us laughed.

We are both fine. Now definitely remembering it as yet another experience in India.

Btw.. this was the same rickshaw driver from "ten points if you take that man down" (see below). I guess he got 50 points for this one.

Hyderabad Here I Come... and There Comes My Money!

So after some very tough weeks I get to take a break and travel. There is a board meeting this weekend (on a boat btw.. I'll even make the finance update to get on that boat... no Betsy, I'm not serious) and I'm tagging along. I will be away from Friday afternoon through Sunday. No idea what I'll be doing there but who cares!!!!!!! What matters is that I'll be away from Gurgaon for more than 60 hours.... 60 long hours. I simply can't wait.

AND... it seems like I'll finally get paid this week... two months of draining my savings and my brother.. but finally I get my own money (monkey money ma'am monkey money!). I'll def be doing some traveling. What's the point of taking rupees back to the US? Now I just need to convince some people that I need 30 days of vacation... anyone have some really good convincing tactics (torturing is not accepted as I am not in the same geographical location)? If you know who I work with blackmailing information is welcome.