Happy April Fool's Day!

Happy April Fool's Day!

Many of the ancient cultures such as Romans and Hindus and the medieval Europeans used to celebrate New Year's Day on sometime near the vernal equinox that could range from March 20th to April 5th. In the Julian calendar, April 1st was designated as the New Year's Day and was so celebrated till 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII ordered the adoption of the new Gregorian Calendar, which specified January 1st as the New Year's Day. However, due to slow communications and resistance of people to change their traditions, many people continued to celebrate New Year's Day as before on 1st of April.

Many French resisted the change and neoiites dubbed them as fools and played pranks on them. They started sending them on 'fool's errands', sent them the fake invitations for parties and tricked them into believing something false. The victims were called 'Poisson d'Avril' or 'April Fish' as the naïve fish gets caught easily and children would often tag of a fish's picture on someone's back. Thus, April Fool's Day originated and was popularly celebrated in England and in the American colonies.

Here are a few classic jokes I talked about on the air today...

1.)  Sneak up on your victim while they are sleeping and put some shaving cream in their hand. Then tickle them on the nose with a feather and watch while they give themselves a face full of foam!

2.)  While the victim is asleep, reset all the clocks ahead two hours. When they wake up they will panic and think they slept late and are late for school or work.

3.)  If it’s raining on April’s Fools Day: put some confetti into their umbrella, close it and wait for the victim to open it.

That last one's my favorite, cause its been raining here and it would work... I better hide my umberella...

Re-Learning

I came into the Navy as a still photographer, and I learned how to use Adobe Photoshop in school and it is what we used on the ship.  Adobe Photoshop 7.0 was the last program I had experience with.

This is the old Photographer's Mate Symbol

So when the Navy merged and I was no longer a photographer, but a "Mass Communication Specialist" I moved from Italy to Greece and had my first run-in with broadcast journalism.  

Mass Communication's Specialist Symbol

Found I had a knack for Anchoring the news, very much enjoyed it... but everyday I was learning something new I was forgetting my old skill set.  The program costs a lot of money and I just didn't have it to spend.  So I waited, and waited while reading about all the new updates and watching the prices skyrocket and thinking I will NEVER have photoshop again!

And one day... in Korea I FINALLY got my hands on Adobe Photoshop CS4!  I have only read about its wonders!  Then I tried to use it... I remembered how to use its basic functions but jumping from Adobe Photoshop 7.0 to CS4 was a bit of a challenge.  So I got some refferance material to learn from and practice with. 

Soon enough I will be a photoshop master again!

-Sam-

Random Thought...

Not that your not clean to begin with but have you ever noticed how much cleaner you feel when you use a brand-new loofa?  Or that your teeth seem whiter after using an brand-new tooth brush?

Tattoo Party

Saturday night we headed to an exclusive Tattoo party which was on the 21st floor.  I love tattoos, and I've got a nice big piece and looking to get more.  I almost walked away with some new ink!  But I'm glad I didn't!

The artists were doing tiny flash pieces for free!  And for those who got work done at the party they can go to the studio and get an additional $100 worth of extra ink.

These artists are well known and are some of the best artists in Korea!  Unfortunately as military members we are not allowed to get tattooed out here.

Its Set!

April 10th is my dive into the shark tank! Me and one other person I work with!

SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!

Our subject of the story who is going in the water with me says "if the sharks get frisky just lay on the bottom, cause they can only eat on their way up to the surface..."

Wish us luck and pray that we won't be eaten!

Birthday!

Our friend Sam, also known as Little Sam or Sammy Sunrise had her 21st birthday! They tried to make a German Chocolate cake but it turned into a German Chocolate-like coconut pan of brownies. But still Yummy! And the guys didn't want to sing, party poopers...

Happy Birthday Sammy!

Strange Things I Saw Today...

Now this is not in chronological order, but from least strange to "WTF?"

-I was in the salon today and saw a little girl who was between the ages of 9 to 11, and was getting her hair dyed.

-A Seemingly American man and Korean woman holding hands and speaking Russian to each other.

-A guy with a rhinestone gun belt buckle.

-Tattoos being done for free at a tattoo party. (almost got one)

-A girl in the salon with 2 other friends or sister, breaking out small bottles of wine, and one of the girls opened it by biting the cap and using both her hands to twist it open.

I Don't Want You To Get Eaten...

It seems as though the first thrill I will be going on is Shark Diving! As the underwater shooter...

My boss comes into the studio yesterday saying "we aren't sure how dangerous the sharks are, and I don't want you to get eaten. So if we can put you in a cage, I'm fine with that"

My reaction... eh, I'm really not too worried about it, I won't be wearing jewelry and the camera isn't shiney (sharks are attracted to shiney things)

Then her phone rings and she runs out of the studio and I hear the faint beginning of a conversation "Oh, so the sharks aren't dangerous?..." Then it fades off in the distance.

http://www.scubainkorea.com/index.htm

This is the link to the website, we are NOT diving in open water... but thats ok, still with sharks! I'll just view this as practice. I've looked all over the site and can't find details on what kind of sharks they have or how many. I guess I will get that info at the Aquarium.

-Sam-

Work...

Here is the board and computers I use during my show, don't be afraid, its easier than it looks!

For my friends and family far away...

This is what my desk at work looks like on an organized day :-)

My goal is to turn my desk into a coral reef!

I was bored before my work day officially started...

Juggling

I've always loved reading! I love leaving this world and entering another... I have this habit of reading a few books at one time, and it always baffled my mom! I tried this experiment where I only allowed myself to read one book at a time, so I can get through them faster and, well... it didn't work.
Currently I am juggling 4 books!



I have read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass a long time ago, and after seeing the new Tim Burton movie (which did NOT meet the hype) I wanted to re-read them.



Escape, is about a woman escaping the Polygomist lifestyle, very interesting.



I have all 4 Dexter books on my Kindle, and making my way through them. Love the TV show and I jumped at buying them when I discovered there was a book series!



Colaline, the movie is NOT for children! It was so creepy, easy read, interesting book... I enjoyed it, but still... creepy.

I grew up with the rule if a movie was a book, I wasn't allowed to see the movie until I read the book. So I really lean towards books are better! Like Memoirs of a Geisha, WONDERFUL book, not so with the movie...

Or, The Shining, great book AND great movie!

Enjoy your books and movies! I love 'em both!

-Sam-

Random Thought...

Had a thought today, I kind of have been lacking on my Bible and Devotional reading... and I find that when I do read my devotionals in the morning before work I am in a much better mood :-)

Wrestlers

The evening my friend Rob and I became rock stars! The International Championship Wrestling came through town! I watched a lot of these guys as a kid! I was completely star struck!

Billy Gunn, Scottie too Hottie, Bob Holly, Steven Thorn and Disco Inferno! And more! We took them out and hung with the magician as well... Crazy night, lots of fun.

We are ROCK STARS!

-Sam-

Yellow Sand season... again...

Asian Dust' (also yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind or China dust storms) is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia sporadically during the springtime months. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia, northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East. Sometimes, the airborne particulates are carried much further, in significant concentrations which affect air quality as far east as the United States.

Yup, its that time of the year again... where my sinuses act up and my head and neck aches worse than ever... Migrains are starting this year though, my eyes hurt!... and it hits me the same time everyday.   It'll pass though, and then Monsoon season!
 
Stay healthy!
 
-Sam-

Do You Believe in Magic...

One of the best parts of my job is meeting the talents coming through.

This is Michael Kent, a Comedy Magician who is from Columbus Ohio.

-Sam-

Thrill

Those who know me pretty well know that I am a little... off... when it comes to fear.  Especially thrill seeking fear!  I have virtually NO fear of hights while my mother and brother and terrified of them.
We have a Korean travel show called Korea On Location, and the news department is doing a Thrill edition.  I volunteered for anything and everything!

The 3 thrill seeking events are paragliding, which I'm not sure that I am going to, but it would still be awesome to do! 

Bungee Jumping... which I have always wanted to do!  I know Crete had one of the highest bungee jumps in the world and I never got around to it.  But this time, I'm going!  I have 2 opportunities to go, one is with the travel show, and the other is a Radio DJ bonding trip!  I will go to both, I love the feeling of being weightless, and falling!  There will be a small hand-help camera in my hand and one from the tip filming the jump and we are hoping to put one on the ground to capture the jumpers coming down!

And finally, something I have DREAMED about doing since I first learned how to swim, since I first pretended to be a mermaid... Shark Diving!  I will have an underwater camara with me while other shooters will be filming the preperation and enterance to the water! 

Wish me luck!  And pray for my safety!  I will let you know how it goes!

-Sam-

Headless

So I have this Teddy Bear, and he was cleverly named BearBear! Well when I was a child my dad, mom, brother and I all packed and piled in the car to visit family and friends in Florida. My mom opened the back of the car to get BearBear for me, she grabbed him by the ears and YANK! Off came his head!

 

Apparently there were some heavy suit cases on top of him. Head... clean off. Talk about traumatizing! My mom tells that story but never says how I reacted, and I don't remember. But he got sewn back up and the crisis was averted.


So his head stayed on for a long time after that. Then there was a small hole in the side and didn't go any further so I didn't worry about it too much.

A few weeks ago I was curled up in bed watching tv and I changed my position. BearBear makes a really great pillow and I moved him with me, grabbed him by the top of his head and POP! A stitch severed and who whole back of his neck came undone! I almost cried! I lack the sewing skills to put him back together in a quality way so I put a safety pin on him so it wouldn't get worse.

I have to find time to take him to get sewn.

Teddy Bears have been pretty important in my family, my grandma picked out BearBear, she said he spoke to her... not really, not it that crazy way... but she had the feeling I would like him. I got him for Christmas when I was 1, and other than the neck he has stayed intact for 24 years! Been to 3 other countries with me and has survived through all the things I have with me! My parents divorce, leaving my father's house, every heartbreak I endured. I have my Teddy Bear!

Sounds a little weird I know... but I'm ok with it. My mom still has her childhood stuffed animal!

-Sam-

Changes

I have been feeling very restless lately. When that happens I like to change things up. Today I updated the look of my blog, make it a little more interesting. Tomorrow I may change my hair which is my go to move. Think I will go back to being a red-head.

I am looking to make a huge change soon. I want to get out of the Navy. I have no problems with the military it has been good to me and given me so many opportunities to travel, learn and grow. But its the little things that are driving me crazy. Standing at the front door just to call an empty hallway to attention? C'mon! I don't care... we just moved to a new daily working uniform and how I have to buy a new pair of 150$ boots? I don't think so... I do not care, my boots are black and steal-toe tip I will continue wearing these thank you.

"A happy heart makes a cheerful face, but heartache crushes the spirit" Proverbs 15:13

Bottom line is, I'm not happy. Too much drama, too much heartache. I don't mean to get all emo on you but my goodness... I'm done with all the heartache. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. And thats what I have been doing. So now its time for a serious change.

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live."

I believe I can do more outside the military, and I do have the Navy to thank for that and the push to do better for myself.

I'm not really sure where I will end up, Canada, back in Cleveland or Washington state... We'll see, its very exciting and I look forward to my new adventure.

-Sam-