full mo---

since we last spoke (the title of a good album as well... anyone on the artist?):

1) picked up a TINY bit of german
2) danced with 20+ thousand people on the beach at 7 am
3) have a growing interest in mountain biking as a hobby
4) rode an elephant (and hated it)
5) rode on some form of transportation for 36+ hours
6) have been up at 5 am twice
7) went back to bangkok for a short bit
8) got a cd
9) climbed a "mountain"
10) thought i was indiana jones at one point
11) ate a spider
12) got an invitation to come out for oktoberfest - 2007
13) stayed in a HOTEL room--- ohhh dear. sub point: had a hot shower. sub point: that was one of two showers since we last spoke.
14) learned of a very cool place to stay in vietnam: na trang (sp?)
15) thought about making some progress on an apartment search in chicago (please..)
16) saw a shooting star
17) got about halfway through my book and dont have too bad a headache
18) talked with my parents
19) learned a very cool card game: shithead!

i'll elaborate more with a bit of time. i am having trouble gathering all my thoughts as odd as that sounds.

in some pretty sad news, my cousin died this past week. very scary and serious stuff. it was on the news and in the papers which i read from over here. very chilling. its difficult to type words that describe the intricate emotion associated with the death of a loved one. so i just ask that if you are the prayer or meditating type to channel some positive energy towards the families of scott and melissa in this time of need. i cant thank you all enough for the support i have received.

i dont mean to be a downer, but that has been on my mind this past week.

in funny news: this past weekend i went on a mountain trek here in chiang mai. we were told to bring certain things, etc in order to be prepared for this trek of sorts. we show up and bryan and i are the only "non-couple" on this excursion in our party of about 10. that started things off in a jovial spirit. we begin the day with a hike and the guy that is taking us is completely piss ass drunk off a days worth of whisky, but he will not stop laughing in this high pitched voice which makes him closely resemble a small girl. we do not understand a SINGLE word the guy tries to say in english. and i mean as we are going up this damn mountain in tough terrain with all kinds of critters and shit all over-- you kind of want a "guide" to "guide" you along. well, this guy was good for about nothing other than the pungent odor of whisky as he spoke. we pressed onward up the mountain and the one thing i did actually understand the guy say, i didnt follow. see, we got to this area of the trek where there was a water hole. the guide told us to swim in it or else we would really be hot going up the mountain. HAH! i laughed to myself as i looked at my sturdy pack and infinite amounts of trekking equipment. i thought as i looked at my figure i closely resembled indiana jones... and indiana jones was not swimming in that damn water hole. he never drinks water for that matter. so i passed on the swim and damn near sweated my life away as we climbed up about the steepest portion of the mountain. the old drunk bastard was right, damnit. i got a kick out of it.

and im sure everyone wants to know about the damn full moon party as well. all i can really say is this: INCREDIBLE.

ok... more. well. lets see. the ingredients for a full moon party:

1) a full moon
2) a beach
3) dancing, dancing, dancing, jumping, dancing, singing, dancing, dancing, dancing, jumping
2) 20,000+ people from all over the world on a portion of an island designed for about 5,000.
3) lots of red bull
4) lots of whisky/vodka
5) for many-- lots of drugs (i happen to be scared silly of the thought of an experience in a thai jail)

now, simply take the ingredients, stir them together in a mixing sort of fashion and you have one hell of an experience-- a party, rather.

the highlight was high and far seeing the sun come up, drunk as a skunk with bryan, jumping and dancing like mad to a perpetual thud of bass and music from all angles--- and all this time as the light from the sun increased, realizing the sheer amount of people that were surrounding you on the beach looking to do exactly the same thing.. so many people, so much fun.

it should be noted that the collective sweat that bryan and i had produced from our little jumping and dancing extravaganza could have easily drowned a small animal. i think we had a radius of at least 10 feet on the circle that formed around us... and that circle didnt form so that a group of people could marvel at the sight of our crafty dance moves, but rather for safety purposes. the fist pumping and yelling i could tell scared off many people (i am serious here) throughout the night.

those that know me well are well aware of this fist pumping and yelling that manages to find its way in to the finest of evenings.. ahhhh, mark... you get me?

best party i have been to (other than, of course, the 40's party for my 21st birthday party on orchard street-- hahaha)

i will get a bit more up later in the week. later dudes..