I'm back in a sunny Chicago, tanned and rested after an experience that's worthy the often overused adjective "amazing".

A chronicle. This will nicely tie up with all the other stories in nomadlife.


Austin, Texas

"It's hot here; but it's dry heat so it's OK" is the first impression you get when you stepped outside the air conditioned Austin International Airport. Austin baby; welcome to the Hippy capital of Texas.

Within the hour of my arrival, I was annointed with a new nickname, "the dode";ask Jesse for explanation; and finding Mixmaster, Trent, Angie chillin' out drinking in Jesse's "melrose place" apartment complex (complete with kidney shaped swimming pool). This place would witness a wild and noisy party much later on in the day.

Soon after Mixmaster and I did a survey of our immediate surrounding by  running around the adjacent UT campus area at 1 pm huffin and puffing throughout the short running course; we ended up in the refreshing cold pool water at the end of our run.

Chillin' with good friend in an afternoon heat was highlighted with a game of throwing a big yellow dock doll from the second floor balcony down to the pool. This afternoon was all about "getting the cheapest beer available; it's the quantity, not quality, that counts; think volumes". Beers and good friends in a lazy hot afternoon, what else could one ask for? Well, apparent there was one more.  The Madison contigent and I bitched and moaned like a high school girl about the lack of shisha and pressured Phil to solve this problem. The much waited shisha arrived later without tobacco and the ceramic bowl; it was DOA (dead on arrival). We tried to McGyvered it but failed; Esprit de Corp hit bottom.




AIESEC Austin International Showcase

With the 4 dollar entrance fees what you got was a sold out show of eclectic mix of shows  dominated by martial arts showcase; Wontong showed that he kan kick ass, flying and jumping around showing fancy Wushu moves. The most fun part of the show was definately the Afro beat band where Surya and Fnord play Djembe and Percussion, supplying the funky beat to the dancing  crowds on the floor. I recognized Fella Kuti beat in one of their encore. Cragness Polish dancing was a delight.

Good job Aiesec Austin.

Trudy's

Surya had been bragging about the heavenly Mexican Martini at this jammedpacked bar on a Friday night. It looked, smelled and tasted like Margarita in a Martini glass. Slowly our party of five  blossomed to  35 or so people within the hour. We were taking over the place. Drake arrived.

Trudy's had a policy on allowing at max two Martinis per person; Mixmaster tried to get away with the rule and almost thrown out by our waiter.

The fun marched on to Jessie "La Calista" apartment for an after party. This is where the infamous Sheila and Drake  passed out on the couch picture was taken; It was wild and noisy at 3 am in the morning with drunkards trying to play on the pool; I met Cristina part of Cragnes, more radiant in real life that the pictures you see on Dturk blog;

Tragedy of the Common.
Saturday morning started when I left Adam's apartment back to Jesse's loiterring thorugh the lenght of Red River road soaking the early morning atmosphere of the city. Adam had gracefully agreed to host Angie and I after  Jesse's party; all of us assumed that Jesse's place would not be available because many  people would crashed there. I found early that morning at no one stayed over because we all had assumed the same thing and stayed somewhere else.



The next brunch at "Juan in a million", which is located in the original main street of Austin, a narrow street littered by graceful old houses. Juan Million's taco definately "makes me feel good"; quoting Adam's heartfelt recommmendation of the place's breakfast Tacos.

Campbell's hole.
We spent the afternoon the Green Belt, a stretch of greens in the middle the city; Mel and I hopped around the rocks in finding the perfect rock to enjoy the sound of flowing stream and sunlight. The steady beat of a drum circle and the strong smell of openly smoked pot colors the festive atmosphere of the place.

I love this fucking place.

As the evening approach, we moved to the Feast, an event of grilling 75 pounds of beef and sacrificing two innocent chickens. I met La Contessa in this feast and she was as dazzling as ever since the only last time I met here back in 2000. Ta - ta would  drunkenly walked around threatened to kick my ass and I asked him to take a number and joined the long line. Celeste jumped on me screaming and giggling when she realized I was there. All of us  ate and drank our way to obvilion in preparation for the next highlight of the evening, the highly anticipated High Society party.


High Society started just past midnight and lasted until dusk at fnort + agnes residence. The mix of free flowing alcohol and spent energy proved to make a very interesting night; at one point, I joined a group of people staring skyward at the moon and trying to figure out the length of a particular cloud in the night sky; and I managed to recruit three girls to do the head shaking "cement mixture" drink; and let it be known that this party has the highest ratio of hot women to man.

The party ended with saying goodbyes of people leaving Austin to their home; there would only three of out of towners stay until Monday.

The day started with Mel offering to pick me up to have lunch at Mother's Garden with her group, which I agreed to until Jesse pointed out that that was a vegetarian restaurant. That wouldn't fly. Jesse and I ended up in a yummy Dim Sum place after rounding up eight people to come with us.

Weed Run.

While Saki and Cragnes spent a healthy activity back climbing hills that afternoon, I was part of the convoy of eight bikes to go to a weed dealer place; riding a tiny bike with broken brakes through small streets near the campus  and had the opportunity to observe the Austin way of buying pot.

Last Supper.



Chips and Guacamole, Vietnamesse Spring Rolls and Pad Thai were the menu of the evening; a bountiful dinner to say the least. Ruth's Guacomle and Jessie's cooking would be missed. And we managed to fix the DOA Shisha and smoked it after dinner.