Relaxing Day

I didn't do a whole lot today. I was expecting some friends from SF to arrive and had agreed to show them around. Things got complicated when the phone in their apartment didn't work, but eventually we did hook up briefly. As I took Tess to buy water and empanadas, it hit me how acculturated I am. I didn't have any communication problems and felt very confident going to places I had never been before. That is a big change from 3 months ago!

I made a ricotta rice pie for my Italian class on Wednesday. I've been playing around with a recipe I found but decided to go with it as is (except that I added a little cream cheese to hopefully make it creamier). I also make it without a crust, which makes it easier. The rice kind of forms a bottom layer that makes it easy to get out of the dish.

I am nervous. I don't know what it will taste like or if my classmates will like it. It's silly. I have made this in the past and it was a big hit, but for some reason for my Italian class I am nervous. Here is where I found this recipe.

I heard back from the guy at school who is in charge of sabbaticals. I think he is an interim dean or something. I don't know him.

He told me I can't move my sabbatical forward like I was planning. I need to travel 80% of the actual semester. Bummer. But he did approve my change as long as I am traveling 80% of the time. So my plan for next year is to spend only 3 months in Buenos Aires. That will mean I won't have to leave the country to get my visa renewed and United Airlines won't give me a hard time! I'll be here from August to the end of October. Then I will return to SF for a few weeks, unpack and pack, take care of whatever business I need to take care of, celebrate my 50th birthday and head in the other direction (well not exactly) to Thailand. I'll spend about a week in Bangkok taking a week's worth of cooking classes, then head to Bali where I will get massages and traditional Balinese healing treatments and just lay back and relax, then back to Bangkok for a few more days before returning home.

That is quite a trip!

It turns out what I do on my sabbatical is not that important as long as I am traveling. I'm glad I took classes though because if I didn't have a reason to leave my apartment twice a week, I would end up becoming a hermit. Also, I did meet some nice people in my classes, who I hope I will keep in touch with.

I was sitting on my computer playing a game and waiting to hear from Lorena and Tess when my friend Jake, who was my college roommate skyped me. We were both born in the same year and our birthdays are close together. He always used to call me on my birthday and then I'd call him in December for his. We kept in touch over the years, even when I was in Japan. But then he got married and had a daughter and we lost touch. Amazingly, on this trip when everyone from my past is coming out of the woodwork (especially through facebook), Jake appeared and today was the first time we spoke in nearly 7 years (or more). It was great talking to him and I am still amazed at how technology is changing how we live. I think this is only the beginning.