There is not a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow...

On your computer is a fun little game called minesweeper. Basically, you try not to die. I die alot. I did probably at least 5 hours of dieing this weekend. My many deaths were interfering with my paper due next Tuesday. As I result, I uninstalled minesweeper. Now who's dead?

Today I almost washed my hair with Old Spice body wash. I noticed it after I put it in my hand. Last time I noticed after I had put it in my hair and worked up a lather. I'm sure it washes hair fine, but its smell is almost overpowering when used at that concentration that close to your nose.

Stuff is scattered all around my room. But I know where everything is. So many things that need to be done, written here and there on bits and pieces of paper.

Tomorrow I have to dress up and get my grad photo taken, which means I can't do what I did today and wake up 10 minutes before class starts.

Stats class is deathly boring. I've limited myself to one stats class a week. I'm to old to spend my time in stats class.

A trusted source has informed me that Golden Oreos do not take up milk. I will have to test this. Speaking of milk, I have milk in the fridge that expired a dozen days ago.

Above is a picture of a cd that has a whole bunch of Paul Oakenfold music on it. Oakenfold is my favourite artist.

Yahoo buys everything.

Today I made and ephemeris.

Half of this post disappeared the first time I published it. I was gonna get very angry, but changed my mind.

Across the Universe...

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"Across the Universe" ~ The Beatles

Words are flying out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Images of broken light which
dance before me like a million eyes
That call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a
restless wind inside a letter box
they tumble blindly as
they make their way across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Sounds of laughter shades of life
are ringing through my open ears
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
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Goldbar...

Went to Goldbar Park for an hour this afternoon and took some pictures. Batteries died right after I spotted a bird pirched on the top of a spruce. Oh well, I only have 3x zoom so prob wouldn't have been able to do much with it. Plus, it was ugly. I might try to hit the river valley again tomorrow afternoon before the snow melts.

Return of the Vacationers...

A poem I wrote this evening...
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"Return of the Vacationers" ~ Samuel J. Zondervan

The little travelers fluttered by my window
Delighted to be headed home after a southern winter
A veer to the left, a veer to the right
Up and down through the spring breeze
A seemingly incoherent, turbulent trajectory
But ordered beyond comprehension
Stunning aerials, all passengers flying together as one
A swift approach to the runway
Smooth landing into Aspen Airport
Short layover as friends straggle in on various flights
A roar of engines

Liftoff!

Hundreds of travelers framed against the northern horizon
Gently receding into tiny specks
And then gone…
Until next year.
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Tickets...

Went to the travel agent this morning and bought flight tickets, itinerary looks something like this:

Leave Edmonton 7:45 am on May 12 (Air Canada, airbus A319, flying time = 1h 35m)
Arrive in Vancouver 8:20 am on May 12

Leave Vancouver 11:35 am on May 12 (China Airlines, Boeing 747, flying time = 12h 25m)
Arrive in Taipei 3:00 pm on May 13

Leave Taipei 10:20 pm on May 13 (China Airlines, Boeing 747, flying time = 3h40m)
Arrive in Bangkok 1:00 am on May 14

Intending to do homework for the rest of the day, I spent much time reading about airplanes and looking at pictures. Then I moved on to reading about various airplane disasters. China Airlines likes crashing.

My upper right arm kept having twitches or muscle spasms or something, it was pretty cool.

I spilled some water. I didn't cry.

Mathematics...

Can love, beauty, piety, and good be reduced to mathematical equations? Can mathematics explain why somebody cries after watching a sad movie? Can mathematical equations explain why the fragrance of a rose or the smell of fresh rain in the early spring morning is so delightful and hiking through the mountains is a so inspiring? Can mathematics explain how this girl can make me so shy and nervous but at the same time make my day by smiling at me?

Noah vs. evolution...

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Genesis 6:17-21 (NIV)

I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.

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What I suggest is that if one believes the story about Noah and the flood, then one must also believe in evolution. 1.4-1.7 million species have been identified and classified. It is estimated that the total number of species currently on the earth is 4-30 million. (see http://library.thinkquest.org/ 25014/what/today.html) Even if one were to subtract the microorganisms, plants, and species that live in the water, Noah could not possibly have put all these animals on the ark. There must have been less species then than there are now.

Porcelain...

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"Porcelain" ~ Moby

In my dreams I'm dying all the time
As I wake it's kaleidoscopic mind
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to lie
So this is goodbye
This is goodbye

Tell the truth you never wanted me
Tell me

In my dreams I'm jealous all the time
As I wake I'm going out of my mind
Going out of my mind
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Solitude...

A little poem I wrote late one night last summer...
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"Dark Solitude" ~ Samuel J. Zondervan

Not even the moon accompanies me tonight—
She is trapped behind a curtain of clouds.
Mellows tears from the sky
Dance a sad waltz down my window.
A soft, whispering breeze
Rustles leaves on the enchanted trees
And inspires a forlorn melody from the chimes.
A lonely truck rattles past,
Stealing the silence,
Leaving nothing to comfort me.
The only voice is of the radio,
But it cannot reach out and touch me.
Nothing can; nothing tries.
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Lovesick blues...

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"Lovesick Blues" ~ Kyprios (excerpt)

Love is the only invincible feeling, pure yet it's haunted
Given it's the only thing we need, but when given too freely from the needy we don't want it
So we lose it, spend our days tryin' to find it
When we find it we spend our days walking blinded
Blinded by happiness, jealousy, most times spent confused
Hate to love it but I do, and them's the love sick... blues
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"Avoid Animals..."

Right arm = tetanus, typhoid
Left arm = tuberculin skin test, hepatitis A
Declined = influenza, rabies, japanese B encephalitis

Went to the travel clinic today to get vaccinated with Lindsay (she's coming to Thailand also). They wanted to do this thing called a tuberculin skin test where they inject some crap underneath your skin and it might turn into a red bump and then you come back in a couple days so they can look at it. That sounded kind of annoying so I tried to get out of it by telling the nurse that I had already had a tuberculosis vaccine. Result? Instead of getting the injection and coming back in a couple days, I have to get an injection, come back in a couple of days, then come back in a week to get another injection, and then go back two days later. So that means four trips to downtown Edmonton.

Things I've done to prepare for trip:
-got passport
-got digital camera
-got 1 GB compact flash memory card for camera
-got wisdom teeth removed
-got vaccinations

Things I need to do:
-get visa
-get airplane ticket
-get mosquito net
-get laptop hopefully
-health insurance
-baht, traveller's checks
-eat lots of potatoes
-pack
-leave
-oh, almost forgot, pass all my courses and graduate
-prob other stuff which I can't remember and hopefully remember before I leave

Heart of Gold...

What makes a great song great? Thoughful lyrics or enchanting music. Or both. Anyways, its hard for me to share enchanting music with you (although I could recommend artists) but every once in a while I'm gonna share some lyrics from a song I really like. Lyrics are poetry.
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"Heart of Gold" ~ Neil Young

I want to live,
I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.
It’s these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.

I’ve been to hollywood
I’ve been to redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind, it’s such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.

Keep me searching for a heart of gold
You keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.
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Some people search for hearts of gold; others search for pots of gold.
What are you searching for?

It starts with one thing...

Hey all,

Welcome to my blog! What is a blog, you may ask? A blog is a web log. Its like an online diary where I can say whatever feels right at the moment. I hope to add a posting at least every other day, so you'll know what I'm up to despite the distance between us.

So, I was at a Rez worship service last February/March (I usually didn't go) and their was a lady trying to recruit students to teach at this school in Nonthaburi, Thailand called Global English School. I let her words percolate through my brain for half a year or so, contacted her for an interview....so I'm leaving in May. On a jet plane. Looks like I'll probably be teaching junior high math and computers.

So Sammy, you may ask, do you like the sun and hot weather? No, sun gives me headache and heat makes me fell blah...guess I'll have to get used to it. So Sammy, I hear you ask, do you like Thai food? Prob not, not really into spices, but I’ll get used to it. Sammy learn Thai? I spent 9 years learning French in school and still suck at it, but I plan to put more effort into learning Thai and hopefully will be more exposed to it. So Sammy, why are you going to Thailand? I like to experience new things. I wanna overload my senses with new sights, sounds, and smells. I wanna see if I’m cut out to be a teacher before spending 2 years and $$ on an ed degree. I want a bit of a break between my undergrad degree and my next educational venture. I wanna experience and learn about a different culture. I wanna be a Christian rolemodel to non-Christian kids. Do I feel called by God to go to Thailand? No, I never feel called to do anything, but afterwards when I’m looking back I feel like God has been nudging me.

I hope to keep y’all updated on my whereabouts and doings. Feel free to respond to my posts or just say hey by adding a comment to a post or by emailing me. I have a companion site at Flickr where I post photos, so check it out here.

So…I hope you’ll join me in my travels….