5 Places I Just Gotta Go

I know you guys aren't expecting a post this soon. So I won't count on a response for another week or so. Anyway, as the title states, I'm going to write about 5 places I really want to go, in no particular order.


Savusavu, Fiji--I've been to Fiji 3 times, to 4 different islands, and Savusavu is, by far, my favorite. There's a song about Savusavu the koro wananavu--basically Savusavu the cool village. There is a curry shop, The Harbor Cafe, at the south end of town that has the best curry I have ever tasted, ever. My friend Tora and I called it The Curry Cap. That alone is enough to want to visit again. It doesn't compare, however, to the view that you have coming down into Savusavu as you drive from Labasa. God's Country. No related book.


Mediterranean Coast of Spain (Barcelona and Valencia)--This is the part of Spain that is responsible for Paella--something akin to and, perhaps the ancestor of, Jambalaya. It is also home to 2 of the greatest soccer clubs in the world, FC Barcelona and Valencia CF. Another side note: this part of Spain was a thorn in Franco's side and leans a little to the left. Right now, as I'm typing, if I could go anywhere it would be this part of Spain to practice my Spanish and learn Catalan. Related book--Barca by Jimmy Burns.


La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina--This is another soccer trip. I love Boca Juniors. They are based in a barrio full of color called La Boca. It was a hotbed for immigrants from Genoa, Italy. Have you ever tried Gnochi? It's big in Argentina and mighty tasty. Plus, River Plate v. Boca Juniors is thought by many to be the greatest soccer rivalry in the world. La mitad mas uno. Related book--Rayuela (Hopscotch in English) by Julio Cortazar.


Tuscaloosa, Alabama--My Paternal Grandparents are from Alabama. They were sharecroppers. So for me this is nostalgic. I am very sensitive to the differences and similarities between places that share points on the compass--The South, The West, The North, The East. I am particularly drawn to The South. I would like to go to school at the University of Alabama, just one of the checkpoints on my Follow Forrest to Happiness Tour. I'm putting it in writing right here, right now; The Crimson Tide have the best uniforms in all of sports. And remember, The Stars Fell on Alabama. Related book--To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.


Angel Stadium, California--I don't like Southern California, but I'm intrigued by the palms, the ugliness, the traffic, the Spanish names, and the greatest baseball player of the last decade--Super Vlad. At heart, I'm a fan of the national league style of baseball. But, there's nothing like a huge Dominican sending a bounced pitch over fence, hobbling around the bases like his legs are asleep, and throwing an overexcited runner out from the right field wall. Related book--Ask The Dust by John Fante.

Talkin' Costumes For Bob Dylan's Birthday Bash Blues

Update: I ran 5 times last week, turning in my best 5k time to date--25:28--read "El Inmortal" by Jorge Luis Borges in Spanish to knock out my short reading and language goals, and am writing a few days late on my blog. I'll have to post again this week to try and catch up.

Now to the post. I've heard of people having parties with a Bob Dylan theme. Everyone chooses a character from a Bob Dylan song and dresses in kind. Awards may be given: Best Costume, Most Creative, Most Obscure, etc. So as I was putting my Bob Dylan collection on my computer today, I thought that it may be fun to choose 5 of my favorite songs and see if I could squeeze 10 characters out of them. So here it goes.

1. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"--An orphan with a gun, crying in the sun; An empty-handed painter, drawing crazy patterns on sheets. Probably 3 or 4 others.

2. "Ballad of a Thin Man"--The geek that asks "How does it feel to be such a freak?" and hands out bones; A lawyer that discusses lepers and crooks; Mr. Jones, who knows something is happening but doesn't know what it is. Probably 4 or 5 others.

3. "Visions of Johanna"--Louise with a handful of rain, tempting you to defy it; The night watchman, clicking his flashlight asking whether it's him or them that's insane; The Ghost of 'lectricity; Mona Lisa with the highway blues. There are others.

4. "Million Dollar Bash"--Big Dumb Blonde's friend with his checks all forged; Silly Nellie, telling a yarn.

5. "Isis"--Isis; A friendly archaeologist.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Bob Dylan's birthday is May 24th. It would be very cool to compile a list of possible characters and the songs they come from, then spread the list around and have people sign up for a character. Finally, we'll have a big birthday bash with food and drink, possibly a band, and just have a nice time. Now, I realize this might take a little more thought and research than some are willing to put in, but if it sounds like a good idea, let me know. We still have 4 months to plan.

New Year's Revolutions

Resolutions. Revolutions. What's the difference? With the first one resolves to change or become better. With the second one recognizes he/she must revolt against the old habits, destroy them, and conquer them. Spoken in a truly dark pink tone, eh? This year I have ponder a few changes in life, and now I'm going to put them in writing:

1. I will run at least 4 times a week, every month. OK, this is a physical goal. I'm striving for fitness. And in all of my time in education I know that goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. I can do this. I have for the last 2 weeks, totalling 25 and 21 miles respectively. Most of the time it will feel good. Sometimes it will suck. But it provides time for self-improvement, self-reflection, fresh air, and auditory pleasure--I always take the i-pod. Along these same lines, I would like to run 1,000 miles this year. We'll see how the body and spirit hold up.

2. I will improve my Spanish by studying at least 1 day a week, every month. Language, like other things, follows the old maxim "Use it or lose it." I've had some great opportunities working with ESOL students and would like to take a 2 or 3 week trip to a Spanish-speaking country to brush up on the skills--maybe Mexico, hopefully Argentina, Ideally Spain. As a morale booster, I only own hero jerseys of players from Spanish-speaking countries, and I drink the crap out of yerbamate.

3. I will write at least 1 post a week, every month. I'm talking this blog, visbits. The family blog doesn't count. For one, I don't post on it, and secondly, I have to remind my wife to wipe blogger blood from the corners of her mouth every time she turns off the computer. She's an animal. As stupid as it might sound, I want to be a writer. And what better way to become a writer than writing? I'd like to say I have writing quirks--writing naked, or upside down, or from the bathroom--but I don't. Maybe those will be side effects of my insatiable typing.

4. I will read 1 short story or 1 poem a week, every month. Classics. Contemporary. Spanish. Whatever. As I ponder a starting point, I would like to read some Chekov, Hemingway, Garcia Marquez, Cortazar, O'connor, Levis, Neruda, and David Kirby. If anyone is intersted, we could start a reading club. Not a book club, which at times seems daunting, especially to those that see reading as a chore, but a forum in which we could share short, realistic readings that have the potential to open us up to profound insight. We could also include essays or verses from scripture or other religious writing. Let me know if you're interested. My Cholinergic System is going crazy right now.

5. I will not divulge my 5th goal. It has to do with things spiritual and familial. Sorry to be so obtuse.

Anyway, these are my short-term revolutions, which I can measure week-by-week and month-by-month. Feel free to ask me how I'm doing with my revolutions or let me in on yours. We can be goal buddies. That's it for the present. The future consists of more lists and possibly something about lifetime goals and aspirations. Paz.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Here it goes, my attempt at a list. I just finished reading "High FIdelity" by Nick Hornby--the movie features Jack Black and John Cusack. The characters use lists as a way of revealing character. For instance, if a person puts U2 in a top 5 list it says a lot about that person, maybe enough to sever or intensify a relationship. So here is my first list:

3 Ways to Escape

1. Fox Football Fone-In--In the summer we switched to DirectTV. With the most basic package a guy can pay 12 bucks a month and get a slew of sports channels-about 27 FSN, GolTV, and FSC (Fox Soccer Channel). We don't, however, get ESPN. Needless to say, I traded in my daily fix of ESPN News for a more Methadone-like dose of soccer--weekends packed full of matches and weekdays full of reruns. Anyway, on Tuesday evenings, FSC runs a show called Fox Football Fone-In--2 action-packed hours of Stephen and Nick bantering back and forth about football from all over the world, especially England. Oh and they bash the MLS constantly. What is it about multiple fat guys talking about sports that makes me feel so comfy in my skin?

2. Ambient Music--Ambient music basically consists of 2 things: a lack of lyrics, ususally, and scintillating technologically-based music. As weird as it sounds, this music makes a great alternative soundtrack to nature. If you're interested, check out Brian Eno, Stars of the Lid, and Mum.

3. 90-minute Chunks of Running Every 2 Weeks--You bet Pre's mustache that I love running, but, up until just recently, the longest I would run in 1 session was 45-55 minutes. A few weeks back, however, I started to use every other Saturday to run off as far as I want and lose myself amidst the pain, heavy breathing, and, of course, ambient music. Sure, I walk a little. I leave the house with a tentative attitude and an I-should've-started-this-a-long-time-ago gait and return with a Chuck Norris-like beard. Not really. I can't even grow sideburns. But I feel like Chuck Norris, and that's better than anything you get at a head shop.

Well, that's all. If someone does happen to read this, share your own list, or Chuck might beat you down. But never fear his tears are the ultimate panacea.