tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79523102009-02-23T22:15:08.118-05:00Life Along the Charles River: A Tale of Two Cities <br>Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.comBlogger2395125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-74707599931345453752008-01-25T21:01:00.000-05:002008-01-25T21:40:11.162-05:00

No lie. I wouldn't be surprised if he had his finger on the trigger.I belive I last wrote from Flores, after the strange meeting with Sterling and a great Brit named Botz (short for Ian Bottomly), who is now about 45 but was previously in a punk band in the 70s. Also met a travel writer for The Guardian newspaper in London, who had some great stories from Central and South America.I took a day

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-47917059743735625912008-01-23T18:22:00.000-05:002008-01-23T18:28:31.572-05:00

In Flores, I am staying at a hostel called Los Amigos. Upon walking into the place, I saw a number of foreigners lounging in hammocks and the like, as the place is popular with the backpacking crowd.Sitting down at a table, I pulled out a book by Mishima, a Japanese author, that was lent to me by Kiira´s room mate Karen. Three other guys were sitting at the table, and one started talking about

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-60555648642475470362008-01-23T17:53:00.001-05:002008-01-23T18:17:43.431-05:00

Coming to you live from the island city of Flores. But for now, back to Omoa.Crossing from Omoa into Guatemala involved flagging down a highway bus filled with locals traveling to the border. Also on the bus was a guy from California, building schools and churches in Honduras. Because of visa issues (reminds me of Micah), he is forced to leave the country every three months, or be deported. We

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-78357797405502499742008-01-19T20:05:00.000-05:002008-01-19T21:04:23.237-05:00

Leaving La Ceiba, Honduras was easy enough, packed into a small van with 30 to 40 other passengers. The babies are amazingly quiet, but then again a good number are breastfeeding.The first stop on the way to the Guatemalan border was Tela, which the guidebook said ran a railroad to Puerto Cortez, a jumping off point for Guatemalan entry. Exiting the bus, I was blasted with the Carribean heat,

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-4018311396887478332008-01-18T09:01:00.000-05:002008-01-18T10:04:25.644-05:00

When we last left our heros, they were shacked up in a small hotel room above a bread shop in downtown La Ceiba, Honduras...Tony, one of the directors of the foundation for Cayos Cochinos, is quite an interesting fellow. His enthusiasm is contagious and he is always on the go, but in the coming days I learned that he should avoid the use of the word ¨definitely.¨Early Wednesday moring, Regina and

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-27552476743566306592008-01-14T16:58:00.000-05:002008-01-14T17:18:01.758-05:00

The shuttle from sleepy Antigua to the ruins of Copan, Honduras left at 4 in the morning, and was scheduled to arrive at 10am. The van was packed full of travelers, guaranteeing that no one received any sleep as we sped through hairpin turns. Arriving at the border, we were immediately inundated with moneychangers looking to cash in on the new shipload of expats. After a $3 exit fee, and a $2

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-29649334086384127842008-01-12T14:26:00.000-05:002008-01-12T14:41:38.142-05:00

The ride from Guatemala City into Antigua was fast and furious, alongside my driver Mica from Cuba. I was to meet Kyle and his friends outside of a hotel at ten in the evening, so I spent the day browsing the weathered cobblestone streets.Antigua is the old capital of Guatemala, before an earthquake caused a considerable amount of damage and the government at the time decided to relocate to what

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-69262057459812142262008-01-10T12:24:00.000-05:002008-01-10T12:54:11.313-05:00

Greetings and hello from Guatemala City, Guatemala. Touched town amid partly cloudy skies into the new terminal, which is currently undergoing construcion. The whole place is blank, as all of the shops, information desks, and necessities regularly found in the airport have been completely removed, and replaced with small tables.Walking out of the exit, I strolled past a large group of religious

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-72038829239722234432007-12-17T21:48:00.000-05:002007-12-17T22:08:39.203-05:00

The snowfall started last week, ceasing just in time to blanket the city streets in an envelope of white. Even on busier street corners, passersby trod in the footsteps of others, hesitant to push outside the established bounds. The untouched powder, now crisp from a few nights of numbing temperatures, crunches pleasantly underfoot just off the beaten path.It has been an interesting term, to say

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-78485685170291767042007-03-27T21:56:00.000-05:002007-03-27T22:10:04.411-05:00

I've always been rather impressed with Google. An all around great company, the stock made a lot of people rich and they provide a wide range of useful, well-developed products. Back in the beginning of my blogging career, I used to post loads of photos to my site, which required a large amount of time on my part - resizing, tagging, uploading, finalizing, editing - you get the idea. Then, along

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-10139491367398683512007-03-19T00:32:00.000-05:002007-03-19T00:34:41.408-05:00

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-67629591292309481612007-03-13T18:33:00.000-05:002007-03-13T18:36:18.074-05:00

Shigeru Miyagawa, professor of Visualizing Cultures, offers this piece of advice while describing tips for effecting writing and oral presentation:In this country, you have to have a sense of humor or you'll perish.In Japan , if you say a person has a sense of humor, it's a kiss of death.

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168741149156445942007-01-13T21:17:00.000-05:002007-01-13T21:19:09.160-05:00

Matt, Jon, and Spencer above the cloud line at Hakuba

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168741052586506642007-01-13T21:11:00.000-05:002007-01-13T21:17:32.593-05:00

Micah's Live set at ClapperMatt and I making a "Club 803" sign in StarbucksJon and Matt in OsakaClapperClub 803, finished productThe MegaMac in Japan, consumed promptly at 10:30 AM on opening dayMatt in Hakuba StationNagoya by nightSkiing in HakubaFunny Snowmen

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168740707170694432007-01-13T20:58:00.000-05:002007-01-13T21:11:47.230-05:00

Inari gate atFushimi-Inari in KyotoMicah, Yuuki, and I giving our gansta peace signsAt Fushimi InariOn the mountainMatt in Hiroshima's Peace ParkPeace memorial in HiroshimaJon an Bill, sleepingAtomic bomb dome in HiroshimaMatt on the train with Japanese study book in handIn a 100 yen shopAmi, Micah, Spencer, and myself in an Oden restaurantScenery in HakubaNagoya stationMatt and Minoru drinking

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168739893509095922007-01-13T20:56:00.000-05:002007-01-13T20:58:13.556-05:00

The weather remains pleasant as sunlights breaks through frosty windows in my little part of Osaka. It's been quite an interesting couple of days, spanning the rivers of Hiroshima to the mountains of Nagano, with stops in Okayama, Matsumoto, and Kyoto in between. I missed decimal place in Hakuba had me thinking we were to play $100 for ski rental, when in fact the price was closer to $10.I'll let

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168132191541280462007-01-06T20:07:00.000-05:002007-01-06T20:09:51.546-05:00

Nick The Record at SoundChannelMinoruMetro

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168132044829117812007-01-06T20:00:00.000-05:002007-01-06T20:07:24.833-05:00

Club Metro in KyotoSometime around 3 a.m.Minou, doing his DJ setMinoru teaches Matt some DJ movesMicah and Bill

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1168131068736126752007-01-06T19:48:00.000-05:002007-01-06T19:51:08.800-05:00

It all began at 4 a.m. on a Wednesday. Exiting the La Quinta suites under the cover of darkness, I made my way by shuttle to the Pittsburgh International Airport. My destination: Osaka, Japan. Before I could set foot on the plane that would take me half way around the world, I had to get to San Francisco via Detroit.Despite all the delays and difficulties I’ve been hearing about airlines in the

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1166049582296361472006-12-13T17:39:00.000-05:002006-12-13T17:39:42.503-05:00

A Prairie Home Companion sound check 

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1166045300899867282006-12-13T16:28:00.000-05:002006-12-13T16:28:20.926-05:00

Streets of NY 

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1166045094573749282006-12-13T16:24:00.000-05:002006-12-13T16:24:54.606-05:00

The hot dog in question 

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1166045022402463972006-12-13T16:17:00.000-05:002006-12-13T16:23:42.453-05:00

Was how my weekend in NY came to an end. On a whim, following an interesting series of events Friday night, I jumped on the first bus Saturday morning to the city. College has a way of beating you down toward the end of the term, and watching the Boston skyline shrink against the rising sun was surprisingly rewarding. I recognized two girls on the bus, whom had both been at Theta Chi the night

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1164907518261728232006-11-30T12:25:00.000-05:002006-11-30T12:25:18.286-05:00

David gets a new haircut 

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7952310.post-1164907499157845352006-11-30T12:24:00.000-05:002006-11-30T12:24:59.180-05:00

Whitney's band at the post-apocalyptic halloween iron pour 

Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684512249913956100noreply@blogger.com0