India.Ari gets lost in the ether, in the chaos

I've got things to focus on these days, important things, meaningful things. I've got to make my credit card fluctuate within a certain range, I've got to set out on an ambitious plan to accomplish something that at one point seemed remarkably ambitious but in hindsight, after accomplishing (or, quite possibly, not), will most likely seem trivial and surprisingly unsatisfying. I've got to wake up in the morning and feel like I am the man I've become, like there's a path leading somewhere and I'm on it. I've got to bullshit with the real-lifers, criticize with the cruel gang, and sympathize with the sufferers. I've got to keep in touch, get in touch, touchy-touch, and touch up. 

So, basically, what my personal forecast is telling me is that I've got to be distracted by things out of my control for sometime. Things that hold sway over future self-forecasts and therefore merit attention. Unfortunately, for us on-again-off-again lazy people, this means giving up certain "treats" such as blogging and making no money, although making money is still a distant prospect at this juncture. Also, my mental forecast has been transmitting dark clouds and fatigue for a while and may need a period of retuning and reworking before anything like coherent messages are released. Also, I'm just tired of blogging.

So I think India.ari is going on hiatus, and most likely quietus. As I've said before I'd like to keep writing about something somewhere, for some good reason. I've got some ideas, and combined with some good I might be onto something. We'll see. I'll try to keep in touch with everyone. I would love to keep in touch with everyone. Send me emails and stuff. 

And remember. Reading is FUNdamental. So keep reading. Just not my blog.

india.ari

"There is a time for blogging and a time for remembering that blogs have only existed for a few years so give it a fucking break already."

-Bono, U2 or maybe that famous writer. I don't remember. 

not thinking

ok, i am back in bangkok staying at the same hostel as two weeks ago, just flew in from luang prabang, laos. laos is really nice, bucolic, chill, mellow. did many things with adam. got caught in a freak monsoon while tubing down the mekong river. lots of lighting, thought death might be near, adrenaline pumping, adam shouting, we luckily got a boat ride back in the storm and shook the driver's hand at the end then drank some crap whisky and shivered for a while.

it's that time of year in asia when everyone throws water on each other for 4 days. yesterday got soaked in the back of a tuk tuk countless times. feels good mostly. celebrating the thai new year or something. tried to read a bernard malamud book but really hated it. thought a lot about blogging but apparently can only find the motivation when traveling alone. motivation is fading as my 8-months in asia comes to a close.

not sure how life back in the states will be, but i am looking forward to it. looking forward to heat under 90. don't know what else to say right now. flew in a propellor plane for the first time in ages, have vague memory of vomiting as a child after exiting a propellor plane, and then getting the chicken pox. not sure if those were related incidents. sold my backpack to a guy on the street for 7 dollars after refusing to sell it to the street vendor for half that. the guy told me his wife was from india and then the next minute he told someone else she was from nepal. he also made us "do the deal" in an alley as if anyone would care. i hated that bag. i used to for 3 weeks and it broke 3 times...wow that guy i just mentioned just found me in this internet cafe and gave me a key to a lock that i accidentially left in the bag. and i was just about to accuse him of being a doped-up ex-hippee loser. but now i think he's cool.

life is still strange, but less so since leaving india. god am i glad to be out of that house.

wardrobe debriefing

Back with Adam, things are good. We are skipping the Grand Palace today to try and go see Wong Kar Wai's new movie instead.

In other news, am concerted that if I don't get out of Asia soon, by the time I get back to the States my wardrobe will be irredeemable. I can't seem to handle shopping in small shops while surrounded by lots of eager store clerks, my already delicate sense of style is quickly overwhelmed and I make unadvisable purchases.

Yesterday I bought a gray, short-sleeved silk shirt for nearly $30 when I had all the intentions of buying nothing. This is a funny story involving tuk tuk rides, gaudy buddhas, giant buddhas, taylored suits and with the general theme of me being slightly ripped off and slightly bored and indifferent to being slightly ripped off. But it will have to wait.

Tonight we head to Laos.