I'm in Phnom Penh still.

Congratulations Robert and Jamie! I'm not sure I'll make it to Vegas, but I wish you good luck, and happiness.


It's a little harder to write a post now because the times are so heavy. Writing about my own happiness or sadness while so many people have had it so rough seems rather self centered....but here goes. It's true were completely unaffected by the tsunami damage, but there are some indirect effects. Pattaya is full of people. I've never been here for a New Years, but the town was packed. New years was kinda fun, but my girlfriend managed to piss me off before the night was over. It's not a good idea to upset me at the end of my visa. I had to be out of Thailand by the 4th or 5th, so I packed my bags and left for Cambodia. Kind of a Draconian move, but it was a good excuse for me to get some time on my own. Paew's a great girl, but things seem to be moving a little fast for me. I'm supposed to be traveling round the world, and it feels as if I'm settling down in Thailand. Spending a couple of weeks in Phnom Penh isn't exactly the best way to clear your head, but at least my time is my own, and I can think about what I really want. I've decided, all I want is more! Living with Harvey in Pattaya now feels like being at home. It's incredibly comfortable, and as the days pass I could see myself staying there forever. The problem is I'm not really supposed to be at home. I'm supposed to be seeing the world. From LA this might sound rather strange, but the exotic flavor of far off places is rather fleeting. After a while the novelty wears off, and it all seems normal. When I first arrived here everything I did had a twist to it. Going to the market, or the movies had an exotic flare...like "I'm going to the movies in Thailand!". Well now it just seems like going to the movies. All this has made me kinda antzy. I feel like getting out of the comfort zone (again) and going out in search of adventure, and the exotic. All this has to be reconciled with my relationship with my girlfriend, and plans I've made with Harvey. Paew is expecting happily ever after, and Harv and I have some business plans in the works. I'm not feeling like I want to rule these things out, but I feel like I need more. Hopefully I'll be able to get to a few of the other countries in the region over the next few months, then resume my plans to complete the trip round the world. My sister Maureen has spring plans for Tuscany, so that would put me in Europe for a while, then I probably will come back through LA. At the very least I will by then have completed my mission and this blogs theme. After that settling down doesn't seem so bad, I think the whole idea of round the world is gnawing at me.

so much for whining....Phnom Penh is wild as ever. There seems to be a lot more people here as well. I think a lot of people in the region are picking alternatives to the destinations that were destroyed. Last Saturday Walkabout had the 24 hour drinking challenge. People who entered received a tee shirt, and had to drink thirty six drinks in a twenty four hour period. I didn't indulge, but I hung out to watch. It was hilarious. Only 2 people made it through the whole 24 hours, and those guys must have been superhuman, cuz they were back at the bar just a few hours after the challenge ended. Martini is staying busy. I went there my first night, which was a Sunday night, and it looked as if it was Friday night. I burned some CD's for them cuz their music in the outdoor bar was sucking. Now when I go in, the bar manager slips my CD into the player. It's nice when ya get what ya want....isn't it.