So we called the guy we had won our “free” cruise from, and it turns out it’s not free at all.  Not even a little bit.Basically, the deal is that he works through another travel agency, and basically does the work of funneling people to them for some cut of the profits, no doubt.  

However, it was a better deal than we could find ourselves.  At least, that’s what a quick search tells me.  But not by much.  So the question becomes, do we book the cruise ourselves for an additional $50 or so solely on principle?  Or do we succumb to the symbiosis and leech off him as he leeches off us?  Remember, he had said that the cruise itself was free.  

We would only have to pay taxes and port fees.  Or maybe, that’s all their is to the cost of a cruise?  In any case, he deceived us, and I don’t like being deceived.  Not even a little.  I also really REALLY cannot stand the fact that people gouge all things related to weddings, and only want to make tons of money off people who are getting married.  That’s one big reason our wedding is small.  Damn the man!

The “real” travel agent is scheduled to call us on Monday, so we are going to ask them a few questions about what is included in the money we’re paying them, and what else we should expect to have to pay for.  If it is even a little shady, we’re out.  

We’re also going to do some more extensive searching to see if we can find a cruise for less.  Though, like I said, he did get us a pretty good price on a room with a picture window during peak season…  But was it good enough.  That has yet to be seen. 

So I decided to do another fast yesterday, and a thought struck me.

From what I can recall of the bible and other religions, fasting is a regular part of life if you follow the guidelines set by them.  Which is interesting, because from what I gather, you should fast regularly to allow your body to catch up.  Additionally, from what I’m learning, you shouldn’t eat meat or other animal (dairy) products in abundance.  Mostly because it’s difficult for your body to break down.  So if you do, then you especially need to fast.  And it’s probably a good idea to pass on meat, say once per week?  Jeez.  That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

So, the old religions already knew this, and passed that wisdom on.  Wisdom from God (Which someone told me the ancient hebrew translated from the bible actually literally translated to “Powerful Ones”.  Aliens maybe?  I dunno, I’m not going to go that far.  Just something to think about). To me, God is everything. All the laws of physics and nature… that’s all God.  Know what else we got from God?  Don’t eat pork.  Why?  Just ask Chris Rock.  Or, think about it a little.  Poorly cooked meats, pork in particular, carries parasites and bacteria that are harmful or even fatal to humans if not properly prepared.  Technology that was unavailable at that time.  So it would seem either that people were eating poorly and getting sick, so it seemed God was punishing them.  Or there was someone who knew their shit, but needed a way to convince the populace to practice healthy eating habits.  And if history has taught us nothing else, it is that if you want to make a large group of people do what you want, you need a religion.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking.  Tom really doesn’t like or believe in religion.  Not true.  I don’t believe in a lot of parts of religions the same way some people do.  I believe that you need to learn the religious texts and ceremonies for yourself and let the message of those speak to you.  Not the priests.  Though they can sometimes be very helpful, they can also be harmful.  What I believe is that oftentimes, things can be misinterpreted, and that’s dangerous.  Basically, I don’t believe everything I’m told just because someone told it to me.  I like to discover things on my own, with God’s help. Sometimes, if you pay attention, God will speak to you, but not in words.  They say God works in mysterious ways, which I wholeheartedly believe.  But there are many people out there who will try to tell you exactly what God is saying to YOU.  I find that extremely hard to swallow.  Especially when I was in church school and I found everything they told me contradicted what I had learned from the bible.  At that point I made it a mission to read it for myself and make my own conclusions.  You’d be surprised what you can find with an open mind.

Anyways, I digress.  My original point was that I had noticed the interesting coincidence between Ancient Religious traditions and how they relate to modern health practices.  Additionally, I remember learning that among the many revolutionary things Jesus did, he also ate reclined (lying on your left side), just like the Romans did.  This was extremely controversial, but then again, so was much of what he did.  The reason for this being that it makes it easier to digest.  The same reason certain teas and desserts started.  Some things, such as Peppermint, Anise and Ginger, all aid in digestion.  And there are many things which our bodies struggle to digest.  Especially when you add in all of the chemically engineered products that are added to our foods today.  Which is why I mostly eat organic, natural foods, and prepare all my own spices and sauces as often as I can.

I have also decided to put myself on a schedule of fasting and less animal products.  Basically, you have to maintain a balance.  If you eat something difficult to digest, you must then give your body a chance to digest it.

I also believe that many references to the devil in the bible are just generic references to some malady that befell mankind.  The actual devil (Satan), the cast down angel, is clearly a replacement for Prometheus,  who, if you know any Greek mythology, was cursed for giving wisdom to mankind.  Interesting that the Church doesn’t want us to have wisdom, and yet readily hands it out in the bible.  Sounds like someone was trying to repress the knowledge-givers, so they made a system of doling out that wisdom right under their oppressors noses.

So anyways, I make connections like this all the time, and am always open to change, so if you feel I’m wrong, or blasphemous, or maybe you want to hear more of my thoughts on the matter, please leave comments!  I am very open minded and always willing to admit my mistakes, as love the opportunity to expand my mind.

Well, this was an unexpected decision. With all of the places we thought we’d go, Poland wasn’t even on the radar, but it’s off to Warsaw we go! I’ll back up and explain.

This weekend, Jess attended a job fair in Cambridge, MA for International Schools. These are usually American, but not always, but are all English Speaking. These are the schools that traveling businesspeople, diplomats, and other expatriates send their children to while they are living abroad. They are typically well-funded private institutions, and Warsaw is no exception!

Anyways, at this job fair, Jess received 10 offers! This may not seem like much, but when you’re trying to decide which foreign country to spend the next 2 years of your life in, it’s pretty huge. Not to mention that the organizer Jess was working with had never in 30 years heard of someone getting that many offers. He could have been flattering her, but the impression I got was that most people got maybe 3 or 4 offers on average.

Well, after hours of deliberation and research, we had narrowed our choices down. But here is the full list:

1. Cambodia – Phnom Penh
2. Thailand – The Prem School (near Chiang Mai)
3. Thailand – Bangkok
4. China – Beijing
5. China – Suzhou
6. Japan – Tokyo
7. Poland – Warsaw
8. The Philippines – Manila
9. Egypt – Cairo
10. Panama – Panama City

The decision was very difficult. The school in Manila had an excellent package as far as salary and benefits. Probably the best of them all. However, the location and job were less than ideal (though not bad by any means). As much as we wanted to go to Japan, it would be too expensive to live there (at this point), and the job wasn’t a perfect fit. We really wanted to go to the Prem School in Thailand, but were very intimidated by being so immersed. Additionally, the job was not as good of a fit as the Warsaw school. But we really hope to go there at some point in the future, if only to visit. Bangkok was a little too overwhelming for us, being simple rural folk.

Little by little, our list shrank to Manila, Thailand (Prem school), and Warsaw. Of the three, Warsaw was the best fit for the job, with good pay/benefits, as well as most likely being the easiest transition to living abroad. Plus it’s centrally located in Eastern Europe, and gives us some travel opportunity. To give you an idea, it is as far of a drive to Paris and Milan as it is to the beaches of North Carolina. Maybe even a little closer. But definitely quicker travel, since we’ll be able to take a train.

Ideally, we will be saving my entire paycheck, and a good chunk of Jess’, since housing is paid for. And that’s if we live frugally. We can also travel relatively inexpensively and see everything we’ve ever wanted to see! Not to mention learn languages and culture right up close. It is going to be an adventure, and I can’t wait!

I’ll be working from home, telecommuting with my current company. I need to work out all of the details, though, but it is going to be really awesome. Difficult, for sure, but I have no doubt it will be worth it.

[edit] The school Jess will be teaching at is the International American School of Warsaw. Here are some more informational links:

US State Department on the International American School of Warsaw

I just got a text message from Jess this morning – She got the job in Japan!  This is pretty exciting news.  She will most likely accept this position, but she still has other interviews to attend, and we have to compare the offers before a final decision is made, but Japan is where she wanted to go most, and it’s on my top 3 list, too, so I think that’s going to be our destination.

But before we can do that, I need to do some research, and take care of our housework.  I’ll post any updates as I get them.

It’s looking very much like Jess and I will be overseas next year for a span of at least 2 years.  She is applying to some international schools for 2 year contracts.  The International Schools are American schools in other countries that the children of ambassadors and other diplomats attend.  They are similar to private schools.  Most of them will pay for housing and some travel, and some pay very well.  So our hopes are not only to see the world a bit, but also to bank some money so that we can afford a house when we get back.  We’ve been trying to save, and have made some good progress, but it’s definitely an uphill battle.

One nice thing is that I’ll still be able to work remotely for Mestek.  That’s great for many reasons.  1) I love the job.  2) I’ll have a job when we come back in 2 years.  3) I’ll have a job while we’re abroad, so I won’t be bored and we’ll also have that extra income.

Everyone’s been telling us “Do it!”.  Most also adding “before you have kids” or “while you’re still young”.  As much as I hate to move away again, after getting comfortable here, I think it will be an excellent experience.  Not to mention a great way to make some extra money.

Ideally, Jess would like to go to Japan, and I can’t say I’d mind going there either.  We talked to a girl who had just returned from a few years in Japan and she loved it.  So that bodes well.  I’m not big on crowds or cities, but I think I can adjust.  Alternately we’re hoping for Italy, though I heard things aren’t that great there now both politically and economically.  So I guess it won’t be much of a stretch from the states!  I also wouldn’t mind most any other country, as long as it’s safe.

Regardless, I’m simultaneously looking forward to, and dreading the change.  But  it’s an opportunity I just can’t pass up.

This past Saturday was our second night spent rocking out at Gianca and Amy’s place with Josh, Tracy, Ben, Karen, and Troy playing Rock Band and some Wii games.  We had a blast, but I had to promise not to hog the drums.  I’ve always liked the drums and wanted to play them.  With Rock Band, I actually can.  And apparently, with a few drinks, I got really possessive.  I guess I didn’t want to let the dream go.  And I won’t have to, since I’ll be buying some real drums at some point.

The game is extremely intuitive, and great fun with a full group.  You feel like you’re really playing the songs.  I wish there was more selection, but I’m pretty sure there is downloadable content, and that that content will be extended.

The Wii was really fun, too, but just can’t compete against Rock Band.  Though we did have some really good tennis matches.  I wish the boxing was a bit more responsive, but it was still good.  Bowling was fun, too, but I was worried I’d smack my hand on something.

As the night moved on, we progressed to Karaoke, which was surprisingly fun.  Normally I’m not the sing-in-front-of-a-crowd type, but I’m getting more comfortable with it, and Jess keeps telling me I have a good voice, so I guess I’m starting to believe her.

We almost busted out the Greek dancing again.  I tried to give lessons last week, but wasn’t as coherent as I should have been for teaching.  But we all had fun with it.  I think we were all too tired this week.  As it was we got back really late and were exhausted all day Sunday.  Lucky for me, I’m not a huge football fan, so I didn’t miss out on the Superbowl.