When I'm Not Obsessing...

One of the greatest joys of retirement is being able to choose how to spend my time.  My first choice was eating but I've discovered that too much "together time" with the 'fridge has consequences.

My second favorite activity is reading, but I'm conflicted.  My mom was a reader and used to sneak me batteries so I could read in bed with a flashlight.  My dad wasn't a reader and used to yell "Don't just sit there - do something!" every time he saw me with a book.  As much as I love to read it always felt like a guilty pleasure.

One of my favorite reading spots.

When I was working I used downtime to read.  You'll never catch me on a plane without a book.  I read while I blow dry my hair (which results in either strained muscles, weird hair or both.)  I whip out a book while waiting in line.  And since I was a kid, I've read at least an hour before I fall asleep each night.

Now, with my time my own, I'm able to indulge myself.  And I have.  Thanks to the Seminole County Library and Amazon, I can download books for free onto Mr. Kindle.

At first I read whenever and as much as I cared to.  But then I realized my dad might have been right - at least a little bit.  When someone stops by at 1:00 p.m. and I'm still in my pj's on the couch, spending quality time with Mr. Kindle, it's a bit embarrassing.   Another habit had become having a quickie with Mr. Kindle in the middle of the night.  You know how it goes.  It's 2:30 a.m. and I have to pee.  As I crawl back into bed I hear Mr. Kindle whispering to me.  "Take off my cover, sweetheart.  Let me share my stories with you."  Damn that Mr. Kindle!  He lured me in every time and there I'd be at 6:30 a.m., still reading and sleep deprived.

Now, I'm on more of a schedule.    Usually an hour of reading in the morning.  An hour or two in the afternoon and 2-3 hours before bed.  Mostly it works.  But if you drop by at noon and I'm in my jammies, you'll know Mr. Kindle is the boss of me.

You can often find Mr. Kindle and me snuggled up on the couch.

Here are a few of the books I've read recently:

Devil in the Grove - a true story of the "Groveland Four" and Thurgood Marshall - a tough read on many levels.  This took place in Lake County, adjacent to Seminole County, where I live.
Out of My Mind -a powerful novel about a young women with cerebral palsy.  Because of physical limitations, medical professionals assume she is retarded.  She's not - in fact she is brilliant and has so much to communicate.  Hard to put down.
Absolute Power - a fun to read story of a politician gone bad.  Obviously fiction since that would never happen in reality.
Still Foolin' 'Em - Where I've Been, Where I'm Going and Where the Hell Are My Keys?  - an autobiography of Billy Crystal.  It starts off strong with humorous stories of what it's like to be middle-aged (assuming you'll live to 130).  Then becomes more of a "I'm talented, rich and hang with famous people" book.
The All Girls Filling Stations Last Reunion  - If you loved Fried Green Tomatoes, you'll love this story by Fannie Flagg.  Family, romance and the first women fliers to serve the United States.
I'm a Stranger Here Myself - Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away - Great short essays by Bill Bryson when he returned to the United States after living/working in England for much of his life.  Seemed appropriate since I was returning to America after 5 years away.
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls - If you like David Sedaris, you'll love this.  If you haven't read him yet, you're in for a treat.  You might want to start with "Me Talk Pretty One Day".

I've read literally (pun intended) dozens more books since I've been home.  Most were novels which slid like junket across my tongue, leaving little taste behind.  That's paraphrasing Betty McDonald from "The Egg and I", one of my all time favorite books.   I'd list more but frankly, Mr. Kindle is demanding my attention and I have to run...to the couch.

I'm Home!

Sorry for the long hiatus between posts.  I take full responsibility for the days you've missed work, as you sat in your pajamas, laptop on your lap, hardly breathing as you waited for my words of brilliance upon which you've based all your life decisions.  Ok, so maybe you didn't notice.  But I have.  And I've missed writing.

You may have noticed a new title for my blog.  That's a hint that I'm changing directions, both in my life and in this blog. 

If you have a life and haven't read every post on this blog, let me give you a Reader's Digest update. (If you don't understand the reference to Reader's Digest, congratulations on your youth.  Google it.) In 2010, I left Florida and my life as an independent management consultant to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching in the beautiful village of Faga on the island of Savaii in Samoa.  That's independent Samoa rather than American Samoa.

After a roller coaster two years in Samoa I returned to Florida, planning to also return to my life as a consultant.  I spent a couple of months at home with my mouth hanging open in amazement as I considered what had changed in my absence.  Then, as a way to ease back into the consulting world I took a several month assignment as a Senior Consultant in Malawi, Africa.  I loved Malawi, I loved the people I worked with and I realized that I preferred first graders to CEOs.  So after another couple of months at home I headed to Mandalay, Myanmar where I taught first grade at an international school for more than two years.  I decided it was time to head home and I did, after six weeks traveling in Thailand and Vietnam.  If you'd like a few more details on those years on my life and there's nothing good on TV, check out my previous posts.

Now I'm home and officially retired.  I'm also in what I call the hallway.  You know how they say when one door closes, another one opens?  In my experience that is true.  But, they don't always happen immediately.  I call that time between the door closing and the next opening the hallway.  The hallway can be scary, relaxing, annoying, perplexing and a whole bunch of other adjectives.

So, dear readers, the next posts will be my thoughts about coming home, life in the hallway and what might come next.  Hopefully, there will be humor, photos and who knows, maybe a bit of travel tossed in.  I promise to regale you with a description of my new hobby - being on hold with Social Security Administration and other fun stuff.  Tell your friends, it's gonna be fun.

Ramblings About Being Home

It's Sunday morning and I'm enjoying being home in my new apartment.  Enjoying the view through the floor to ceiling windows and listening to Sarah Brightman.  I thought I'd use the time to capture some impressions I've had during the last month.

• First thought when I deplaned at JFK:  "What a dump!"  After the airports in Bangkok and Narita, which are sleek, comfortable and modern, JFK suffered in comparison.  Second thought:  "Americans are so fat!"  Yes, I own a mirror and I'm aware of the pot calling the kettle stuff...but after so long in a country where people are very slender, it was amazing to see so many obese people, most of whom were eating giant slices of pizza courtesy of  the nearby food court.
• I love to drive.  I never used to but during the last 4 years I've had limited access to a car.  Being able to hop in my car and run errands or just go for a drive was such a treat.  One morning I talked to a friend as she drove in to work at 6:00 a.m.  I told her I'd already been out to get my favorite 7/11 coffee and go for a drive.  "Why?"  she asked.  "Because I could."
• Long haul flights aren't so bad, if you know how.  Because I have lifetime status on Delta (thanks to flying over a million miles on them) I'm able to reserve my seat when I book my flights - even the restricted seats.  I fly either 747s or 777s on the Bangkok/Narita and Narita/US flights.  I've discovered the perfect exit row seats.  Tons of leg room, ability to get up without crawling over anyone or vice versa.  Almost as good as first class.  I take my down blanket, which folds away to nothing, noise cancelling headphones, eye mask and moisturizer.  I read and watch movies.  Time flies. Pun intended.
• I love my friends.  We pick up where we left off and it seems as if I've been gone a days rather than months.  I can't express how much their love and support means to me.  I miss just hanging out with people who get me and laugh at the same stuff I do.
• I love my new Myanmar friends.  Two of the guys on the staff were waiting at the airport - nice to see familiar faces.  BTW - because I get a work visa on entry, instead of standing in line with all the tourists/locals at immigration, I go to a small office.  The ladies there know me now and are always friendly.  After 5 minutes to get my visa, one escorted me to the "Diplomat" desk.  As people in the long immigration lines watched, wondering who the hell I was, I laughed with two of the immigration officers.  Some started to get into line behind me but were firmly told to get back in their long line.  Did they think I was really a diplomat?  Rock star?  What a disappointment for them if they saw me hop in the Ayeyarwaddy International School bus.
• When I got off the bus at school two friends were waiting with flowers.  They and the staff carried my luggage upstairs and we checked out my new apartment and gossiped.  More friends stopped by to catch up and welcome me home.  I miss my old friends in the USA but love my new ones in Myanmar.
• Saw a billboard on the way to the airport in Bangkok:  "Do not tattoo Buddha.  Do not buy or sell Buddha for decoration.  It is disrespectful."  Glad I've refrained from buying any of the beautiful statues and paintings of Buddha I've been tempted to buy.
• As I type this, I'm watching a small truck pass.  It's making about it's 20 pass on the small road outside my apartment.  People often use the road to help new drivers practice because they can drive on the deserted road that stretches in a square around the school compound.
• Mandalay is a desert.  Flying in yesterday it was obvious that the rainy season hasn't started.  The land is parched and everything is even dustier than when I left.
• I was assured it was "cool" yesterday at only 100 compared to recent temps of 106.  It wasn't so bad in the shade but brutal in the sun.  That didn't deter the boys I saw playing in a field near the airport.
• Why is a Big Mac $1 cheaper in the Bangkok airport than in my local McD's in Lake Mary?
• I'll be dining on Subway today.  Purchased at Don Mueang airport yesterday.  Yum.
• I heard yesterday that there's no cheese again at the store.  Damn.  I hope it returns soon.  
• One of the English classes I'll be conducting for school staff starting this week will be using debate as the format.  Should be great fun.  Another teacher is already doing it and said that they get big crowds for the weekly debate.  
• I miss my kids.  Many of them will be coming to summer school but that doesn't start until the end of May.  Hopefully I'll run into some of them around town.
• Construction is booming in Mandalay.  Mostly large hotels and giant private homes for wealthy Chinese families.  Mansions on a scale that would make Real Housewives green with envy.
• A bus, followed by one of the white pickups used for local transport just pulled into a driveway across from the school.  Wonder what's up with that?
• I'm planning to expand my social life this year.  I hear the American Center has a great library and weekly classes/events for expats in Mandalay.  I'm also planning to see if I can get a book or cooking club going for parents of the kids at the school.  Would be fun and a good way to socialize more with locals.
• The full-size bed I'd been promised didn't appear in my room.  I slept last night in the same twin bed I've had for the last 8 months.  I'm torn - is it better to have the comfort of the larger bed or the space that I have in the room with the twin?
• The small truck continues to circle the school.  I'd better quit watching it and typing and head for the shower.

Home is...

On March 2 I flew from Bangkok to Lake Mary FL.  I was met by two great friends who brought a sign, wine and flowers.  It was great to see them and also nice to head to my home in Lake Mary where my house sitter had left things exactly as they were when I left last July.

One of my fellow AIS teachers spent her vacation SCUBA diving in the Philippines and trekking to the Everest base camp in Nepal.  I spent the month doing nothing.  She has great photos but we both had a good time.

My life sounds much more glamorous than it is.  Yes, I jetted half way around the world to Florida to vacation for a month.  While there I did what most people do every day.  I spent time with friends, going to the beach, watching tv and surfing the internet.  I went shopping.  I planned meals to indulge in the stuff I can't get in Myanmar (iceberg lettuce and zucchini were right up there with stinky cheese).  I slept a lot.  I did laundry and went for drives.  Not exactly the kind of adventures that anyone would make a reality show of.  But it was great.  Just the kind of break I needed.

I don't know if it's age that's slowing me down or if it's because I get to experience a different culture and new adventures every day in Myanmar but when I have time off now, I'm more interested in chilling than seeking out the next new thing.

I flew in to Bangkok in the middle of the night last night after traveling over 30 hours.  Rather than immediately cab it to the other airport and then wait hours for my flight to Mandalay, I opted to get a hotel near the airport and spend a couple of nights.

I woke up early this morning and am working on staying awake to try to get back on Asian time which means that while it's 3:21 p.m. right now in Bangkok, it's 3:21 a.m. in Florida and my body wants to go to sleep.

Did I take the Sky Train into the city for a little shopping and sight seeing?  No.  I watched the news and surfed the 'net.  Then I went for a walk to buy some iced tea and street food for lunch.  I also scheduled a 2 hour massage at the hotel.  It was a splurge but what the heck - $21 for a wonderful massage.

Now, I'm relaxing in air conditioned comfort with the television on and the internet humming.  I'm looking forward to hearing the stories about Nepal and the diving.  I doubt if she'll want to hear about the afternoon I spent on my vacation playing cards with a friend.  I won't be posting photos on Facebook of me holding a friend's new grandson.

Tomorrow, I'll be passing rice paddies and water buffalo as we drive from the airport to the school.  I'll be bartering in the open market.  I'll be settling in to my new apartment and catching up with friends.

I'll be back in my Myanmar home.  Not exciting but the perfect life for me right now.