Paradise

So this past weekend I got to spend 3 amazing days in the Maldives. For those of you who don't know the Maldives is a group of Atolls (circles of Islands) that is basically paradise on earth. The Maldives boasts something like 120 islands. None of them are longer than 5 miles and many are way smaller than that.

We stayed on a resort island own by the Sheraton. It was amazing. When we arrived they had a tiny yacht waiting to take us to the Island. On the way the dolphins played in the boat wake, which apparently is a rare treat. The beauty of the islands was stunning. The water was so clear and the beaches were so white.

After settling into our rooms we all went to the beach. Unfortunately the first day was a bit overcast but we didn't care. But favor smiled upon us cause the rest of the weekend was gorgeous. 

On Saturday I went scuba diving for the first time ever. It was a truly amazing experience. Four of us went to have our introductory session. We had an intro video on hand signals and how to continuously breathe otherwise our lungs would explode. And got fitted with out gear. Wearing 4 weights on a belt, a heavy tank, and all those tubes I couldn't see how I wouldn't just sink to the bottom of the ocean. But it turns out that a body is pretty buoyant. 

Unfortunately two of our group couldn't equalize (It's like popping your ears on the plane. It releases internal air pressure and you can't dive without it. It would be like trying to continuously get the rings on the bottom of a 12' foot deep swimming pool). It was down to just my manager and myself. On our training dive to get us acclimated to the experience and proper technique we saw manta rays and eagle rays and plenty of fish. We we only underwater for about 20 minutes but I was hooked. We scheduled our first dive for early afternoon. I was so excited to get to see reef life.

The actual dive was amazing. Our max depth was 11.5 meters or around 40 feet. I think the most surprising thing is that you don't realize how deep you are until you look up. We saw a reef shark, moray eels, a napoleon fish, an octopus, and a ton of fish.

Napoleon fish - That isn't me but I needed a person to show size

The best thing happened at the end. I had another 20 minutes of swimming air but my swimming buddy/manager had run out of his swimming air and needed to ascend. We needed to stop at 5 meters depth and wait for three minutes to allow our bodies to adjust to the new pressure. Our dive instructor was looking at his watch and I was looking at the sea life below. My manager kept on trying to get my attention but I wanted to see all that I could before we surfaced. I finally turned to see what he wanted me to see. There was a wall of silver blue fish extending from the surface to the top of the reef. It had formed a half circle around us. It was one of the most gorgeous things I have ever seen. if we had still been on our dive we would have missed it because it was above us. Suddenly I wasn't angry that we had to surface sooner than I wanted.

Our last day the sun came out and the view was even more breath taking. We tried to get as much sun and sand in before we had to leave that afternoon. It was an amazing weekend and I can't wait to go back (although to a cheaper resort).

It only got this crystal clear and blue on the last day

View from my room

India week 2

There are so many things to talk about that I don't know where to start. Should I focus on India? Working with a new team? How I got sick this past weekend? Maybe I will skip the last one.

India has finally decided to show me what monsoon season is. Contrary to popular opinion formed by the movie Jumangi, Monsoon is not a long thunderstorm that lasts days. In fact it is quite the opposite. It is heavy intense rains that start suddenly and end just as suddenly and there is definitely not enough rain in those 3 - 4 minutes to cause a house to fill with water (sorry Interscope) and no lightning or thunder. There isn't enough time.I have learned to recognize when a storm is about to hit. The winds pick up dramatically and you can see the clouds grow darker rapidly. Here are two pictures I took at the resort we were at last weekend. If I could show you the time stamp you could see that they are about 2 minutes apart.

Not gonna happen

This quick occurrence of rain is a major pain in the ass. One minute you are enjoy your weekend in the pool and then you feel the difference in the air as the humidity rapidly rises. Twice I had to jump out and run for my nook and purse on the deck and book it to the relative dryness of the hotel terrace. Another time a coworker and I were looking at souvenirs from some locals on the beach and had to run back the half mile to the hotel, sure we were going to get soaked. Unfortunately we had not paid them for their goods yet and waited for us patiently on the beach while we exchanged some of our currency at the hotel. Fortunately it was one of the few times the rains didn't open a can of whoop ass on us and they remained dry. Below is a picture of the two very nice woman and a very pushy woman (far right) who let us try on their Saris. We didn't end up buying any of them.

All in all it was a great weekend. But now I have to get back to doing actual work. I leave you with a picture of me in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately I didn't realize at the time that I was back lit. Oh well I will take what I can get.

Well, I am in India

About a month and a half ago my senior looked to me and a coworker and said "We need someone to go to India." Even if I hadn't wanted to go my coworker's wife is pregnant and I knew there was no way that they were going to send a soon to be brand new father on travel that would take almost a full 24 hours to get home. Luckily, while India has never been high on my to do list, it has been a place I wanted to see.

So now, I am in India. It is my third day here and I can say that every day brings new insights. 

The very first thing that I noticed about India was the lack of lights. Which makes sense seeing as how it is a developing country but for me it was startling. Bangalore is the third largest city in India (behind Mumbai and Delhi) but on landing you only see groups of lights. Small clusters as opposed to seeing a sprawling city laid out by power grids that you would normally see flying into New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia or any other city in the US. To see how little lights there are check out the images as from space. The thing that blew my mind is that India has around 4x the amount of people but is 1/3 the size of the United states (including Alaska).

Living near or in cities for the past four years has made me accustomed to the lights, sounds, and smells of a city. Bangalore fits none of these preconceptions. The lights are fewer, there are constant sounds of construction absolutely everywhere, the traffic is worse than LA (takes 1.5 hours to go 15 kilometers, don't ask me how far that is in miles), and it isn't near as hot or as pungent as everyone made it out to be. The heat has cooperated with us and been around 82 degrees. The humidity is no where near as bad as Atlanta in July and for a rainy season all we have had is clouds (knock on wood). The food has been spicy but I try to attempt some new dish at least once every meal, I fear even the smallest mosquito, and good lord is the city dirty. With constant construction and projects left half finished, the remains of those half buildings and the dust from the new buildings clutter the streets. I bet my dad would love all the material that has been left over to recycle (should have moved to India, Dad).

The best thing so far has been getting to know the people. I still can't understand the Indian head wobble (it is a thing, google it) and it causes some difficulty in understanding someone when I am interviewing them or trying to get information from them. But they are so generous and kind. And the colors that they wear are amazing. The saris here are absolutely gorgeous. They are mainly jewel toned and extremely ornate, with beads and gold colored threads. I can't wait to go buy myself one. The women love to discuss clothing (as does most women) but they are keen on telling you how they live, to share their culture. About learning to drive, how the bindi is more of a fashion statement now than a religious aspect, how gaining the middle class in India is hard but once accomplished could mean switching to the same job in a developed country bringing more comforts  that come with first world countries and more money to send home to support family.

So far, in my three days here I have been inundated with culture and I am loving it. This weekend I go to Goa where all the beaches are. Hopefully monsoon season will decide to delay a little longer so I can enjoy what the countryside has to offer (like elephant rides). Hopefully pictures will be up soon.

Summer Vacations: Kiawah and Grandpop

When I was younger a lot of our friends and family use to joke about the "summer sabbatical" that the Bakers would take come the end of swimming season. Usually the Saturday after the last meet we would strap on the trusty turtle car top carrier, load up the car with luggage, swim gear, beach house activities, and attach our bicycles and we were off on our month long trip to visit family.

Our visits consisted of a week at St Augustine beach in FL with my mom's family, a week in the smokey mountains, and a week at my grandparents house and then another week or two at Kiawah Island with my dad's side of the family. My grandparents owned a time share house walking (or biking) distance to the beach and we would rent another house from their friends down the street. Our beach time was filled with turtle hunts (trying to find baby turtle nests hatching at 6 AM not killing them), crabbing at the dock, and reading on the beach. And maybe a severe burn or two, although those were mainly mine. Our lunches were rolled down in coolers and we ate dinner in any dinning chair we could find back at the house. There was a pool fairly close and usually our parents would insist on giving us a week of tennis camp regardless of the fact that the rest of the 51 weeks in the year we never even looked at a racket. (Kristen was the shining exception to this rule). One summer I even managed to get surfing lessons instead and, before being promptly stung horribly by a jellyfish, managed to stand up on my ridiculously long foam board.

Relaxing on the dock

Everyone needs the Khaki and White T Look

Some of the best memories that I have of Kiawah are on our yearly boating trips. Grandpop was never a big fan of the beach (he loved those golf courses though) so every year he would take us out in a boat that we would rent for the day. Grandpop was always the captain. I remember him being a very big man with a very big presence but as he got older his gait was a little less steady. That gait changed when he was on the boat. As soon as he set foot on that boat, he had sea legs like no one else. All 6 of us grandkids managed to flounder our way onto a seat somewhere but that Big 6' 3" man would swing one leg over and start barking orders. (But to be fair to him he always barked orders.)

We would cruise around the marshes of Kiawah and St Johns Island. Fishing, crabiing, swimming, and freaking out about what touched our leg in the murkey water. Although usually it was just some scared fish and a slightly more threatening crab, one time my dad caught a shark. A small one maybe a foot long, but that was enough to convince me that I needed to stay dry and retain all 10 of my toes.Lunches were fought over and debated as to whom actually wanted the ham and mustard sandwich instead of the refreshing PB&J. We found islands to explore and felt the wind go through our hair as Grandpop manned the wheel.

Some of the best times were when we would each get a chance to be captain. Grandpop would call us up to stand in front of the captain's char and would let us steer. His arms would wrap around us to lay one hand on the throttle and the other on the console on the other side. Many times his time worn hands would cover ours to safely navigate canals or to ensure that we didn't capsize. This day out was his day with family. He didn't enjoy the beach like we did so he gave us a day with him. A day to explore like we couldn't on land. To say, even though he didn't frequently say them out loud, that he loved us.

It has been a while since I have been to Kiawah. I try to make it there every other year but sometimes work prevents me. This year I get to go back the week of June 10th. I can't wait to be there, to take a break from work, to relax in the sun, to read something other than CPA exam material, and to enjoy the beach. Maybe this year we can take a boat out and remember the man who made one day in a sea of days seem special every year.

When I was 16 I got his old car. He was telling me drive
safe and to not get into an accident cause then he would kill
me himself. One of the few times I heard him say "I love you " first.

View from the Dock at Sunset

Sister Trips

My mom and her sisters had a wonderful tradition when I was younger. Every year they would meet up for a week, sometimes in a brand new city and sometimes down in Atlanta, and have a sister trip. It was a great trip that they got to spend time together as adults without the responsibility of taking care of kids and husbands. For a week they got to be just sisters.

Unfortunately for those not in the rankings of sister this equated to being taken care of by Dad for an extended period of time. Some of the funnier baker stories have come out of these times. My father is an amazing dad and I constantly feel blessed to have his guidance and love. But I also freely admit that he could never take the place of Mom. I know this due to experience. Many times while I was living at home and mom was gone we would get chicken broth soup for dinner. That’s right. Broth soup. Hot flavored water. One time dad got so adventurous as to try and make us quiche disregarding the fact that Kristen is a picky eater, I didn't like eggs, and none of the four Baker kids had ever had quiche before.

Those weeks of momlessness were filled with stress of food and carpool duty. After a while we managed to get it down with a minimal amount of fuss. By the time I went off to college we had learned that Wawa and Dominoes pizza were our friends and that the kids had to keep track of each other because we couldn't leave Kristen at church AGAIN.

The best thing about sister trips is that Katie, Kristen and I got to have our own. After I graduate college and was momentarily unemployed, Katie was accepted into a study abroad program in Oxford, England. The fates conspired and had Katie ending her spring term right around the time I would be finishing my tour of the European continent and Kristen had spring break. It would have been wrong not to take advantage.

At Tower Bridge with our friend Mia

Katie at her Fave tea drinking spot in Oxford

Come that March we all met up in London and had a very confusing and fun couple of days before heading to Dublin, Ireland for St Patricks day. I can honestly say I have never had as much fun on any trip as I did with Katie and Kristen in those cities. I had to pay a price for that fun though, in the form of an all out row with Katie on the streets of Dublin at 2 AM.

On the Ha' Penny Bridge in Dublin Ireland, March 17, 2009

I should mention that Katie and I, if you don’t already know, are no where near peas in a pod. I am more of a berry on a bush and katie is a wildflower in a meadow. As far apart as you can be. This often results in fights as we learn how to communicate with each other and realize that what we were thinking is not what the other is thinking. Luckily we had a very patient and understanding youngest sister who knows us both so very well she could translate for us.

“Jessica, Katie isn’t suggesting that we go to Bath AND London AND Oxford AND Belfast. She is throwing out different options as she thinks of them. Katie won’t have made a decision until she is boarding the train for the next city”

Traveling is such hard work

“Katie, Jessie thinks that you have made a decision regarding where you want to go next. She could care less WHERE we go as long as she can plan it out so that we aren't sleeping under a bridge”

We ended up spending the next day roaming around Dunlougahary (P.S. I love you anyone?) and then heading back to Oxford. Which as it turns out regardless of multiple plans and counter itineraries  you can still get robbed.

My last sister trip was with Kristen after her semester Studying Abroad was over. Kristen, Grandmom, and I met up in London, showed Grandmom the sights (including seeing Les Mis for the first time) and then shipping her off home while Kristen and I hit up Barcelona (the only city between the two of us that we hadn't both visited and wanted to). I got to use my smattering of Spanish and we learned that the Spaniards don’t start partying until 2 AM. Well past either of our bed times.

This year my sister Katie will be going back to Oxford to be a graduate mentor to those in the program that she was a part of 4 years ago. Maybe this will be another opportunity for a sisterly trip. Or even better, we include John and make it a Baker kid trip.

Either way if someone I know is over seas (I am looking at you Ali) I will find a way over so that I can experience all the cultures that I can before settling down.

Tumblr down the Rabbit Hole

So last fall my wonderful friend Ali and I decided to do a half marathon. The problem is we didn't decide on a marathon until the end of this January. Which meant that I didn't have to start training until the end of this January. Luckily Ali knows me and sent me an easy schedule to follow and it has been a blast.

My schedule usually involves me going to the Gym after getting back to the hotel after a long day. After grabbing some dinner and studying (or getting sucked into TV) I head to the Gym. This usually resulted in me going at 10 PM or later. I needed to find a source of motivation to get my Butt to the gym. I had hoped to find it in Tumblr.

Tumblr, for those who don't know, is a social media site that allows what has come to be known as micro blogging.  Small snippets of information that then get shown on your homepage.I joined a while back but hadn't done anything much with it. I knew it to be place where pictures could be shown and searched for fairly easily. I figured finding inspiration on this site would be easy.

I hated how right I was. Within moments of searching for "Fit inspiration" on tumblr I got inundated with posts of extremely skinny girls with quotes and tags like "OMG look at her thigh gap. I want one." or "You can see her collarbone so clearly. #MyGoal". It's even worse if you look up thin. There are pictures of women who clearly have an eating disorder and these images are being passed around from one woman to girl to woman again as the ideal for what they want to look like. It's only slight better for those who want to be fit. Pictures of women whose hair and make up are perfect, who make doing pull ups easy, are barely sweating, oh yeah and on top of it all they just happen to do it in tiny running shorts and a sports bra.

Ummmm No. To all of this. This is unhealthy. Going to the gym isn't easy. You don't look fabulous, or you shouldn't at the end if you have been training right. It's hard work and at the end of the day most body types don't allow for a thigh gap (and really when did that become a thing?) or collar/hip bones that stand out. We should be focusing on showing people how to eat right and by golly if they want a chickfila chicken sandwich on a saturday then they should eat it. If they are tired and want a day to just relax then they should have it. And they shouldn't feel guilty for it. So many of these pictures and motivational pages have subtle message saying if you don't do it you won't meet your goal.

 Should people be fit? Of course they should. But that doesn't mean that they have to start bench pressing and doing squats. Being fit for one person may mean competing in muscle man type of things and for others it might be a walk or playing in the park with their kids and the new dog.

Because let me tell you something. I won't have a thigh gap, I won't have a collar bone that sticks out, I might not weigh 120 ever and I can gaurantee you that I will not be going perfectly coiffed to do my exercises ESPECIALLY if I am in what is essentially underwear. And you know what? I am 100% ok with it.

Kinder Gentler Jessie

When I was growing up I had a soft shell. Everything that even remotely could be considered a dig (even if it was playful ribbing) was taken as a insult or demeaning. It didn't help that in my small middle school there was a popular crowd and the very UNpopular crowd (you can guess which one I was in. Hint: not the first group). I wanted desperately to fit in and I couldn't manage it. I was (and still am) socially awkward  To protect myself against hurt I tried to create a tough outer shell and biting attitude. The attitude, ironically, only got worse around the people who loved me the most.

Luckily I have wonderful parents that understood what was going on. Instead of berating me for what I can only assume was an over reaction to everything, they would lovingly tell me "Kinder Gentler Jessie". I remember my parents telling me that they loved me for who I was and that they were sad that I was hiding behind a tough exterior. They showed me that although the world is tough and sometimes hurts that I didn't have to be like it. I could continue being who I was. Every time I was sharp and had a mean edge my parents would quietly say "Kinder Gentler Jessie".

This lesson still applies in my life today. Although I feel I grew up and let go of most of the hurt from the past, sometimes the actions I learned long ago still assert themselves. One particular Friday I was having a really rough day. Work wasn't going well, I was frustrated, and I didn't feel like the situation was going to be better. The fact that the weekend was hours away did not make this feeling any less. In fact, it felt worse because the week was over and I felt like nothing had been accomplished from Monday, that I had just been a spinning cog in a wheel. I was talking to a close friend of mine and was taking out my frustration and presenting a hard front which resulted in me needlessly harsh and judgemental. The response was quick "I don't think I like Friday Jess."

In a flash I was back in my kitchen hearing my mom's voice saying "You need to be a kinder and gentler Jessie". I apologized to my friend and tried to remember that I do not have to be a reflection of my situation.

Proves that sometimes a lesson is never fully learned