50,000 words: this is the magic number which by technicality, separates the novel from the novella.
Closing in on a nearly 8 month hiatus, the HUP! blog is alive again, spurred on by the ingenious incentive of National Novel Writing Month or NANOWRIMO. The task is simple, and the appeal of committing just a small portion of time for 30 days straight in order to complete my first novel seems simple enough. 1,666 words a day.
What's it about?
This author has a few ideas in mind, as well as a unifying theme. However, it would be unwise to uncover this, as things are sure to change. Clearly the research will not be as extensive as a proper novel, however, the simple act of putting pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard, is a poetic justification in itself.
Certain events are said to change lives. I believe that completing a novel is such an event.
With that said, let us begin the countdown to November 2011's NaNoWriMo. 54 minutes remaining. Good luck, fellow competitors.
As the title indicates, I will summarize my travels with not my own words, but those of other travelers, who have better captured what it is to journey. But first, I'll give you the quotes:
15 countries, 15 weeks.
330 hours on bus, which may not include all the day trips.
No more than 5 days in any given place.
Umpteen facebook friends to reconnect with in future travels.
Dollars/credit spent: not important.
Here's Ernesto Che Guevara, before his epic and life changing journey to explore South America. I'll open on his quotes from "The Motorcycle Diaries" as I had hit the same route as Che during part of my voyage.
"What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land"
Wandering around our America has changed me more than I thought. I am not me any more. At least I'm not the same me I was.
Tourism to Mexico has been marred as of late due to the escalating drug violence and which has included not only police authorities and dealers, but has also lead to the unjust murders of civilians, children and tourists who had no connections whatsoever to the wars.
It is a shame that the blood has stained a country otherwise known for its culture and music, food and passion. Many people now associate the food of Latin America with that of Mexico, even though this is sometimes not the case (in allusion to South America). The Mexicans have the closest ties to North America for the simple fact that they are in closest proximity. The tourism hit defers the further exploration of the country, which, for the majority of tourists, is limited to resort areas like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta.
However, let us not forget that the real essence of Mexico does not lie in the white sand surrounding the $6 bucket of Corona's being lapped up by the turquoise water. No, Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata led their revolution across the land, in order to free the people and redistribute the wealth. Perhaps one day, when borders are not such a bloody mess, Bolivar's dream of a united Latin America, supported by Marti and Neruda, will refer to all of the Americas, the New World.
For now, Mexico still provides a getaway, some beach time, and flavor in our lives, despite it's turmoils.
The English colony of Belize stands out among its Central American counterparts for its allegiance to the Queen, and consequently its main language, English. However, a strong Latino and Caribbean flavor is present.
It is interesting to note that the infamous Mayans were able to repel the Spanish, only to fall to the British Buccaneers. The Kriol language is intriguing to the ear, with hints of English amidst a slurry of words from African languages.
Caye Caulker is a typical island getaway, highly accessible to from the capital of Belize, Belize City, as well as a port to and from surrounding cays and Mexico/Honduras. Coral reefs surrounding the area are home to thousands of fish species, and the famous shark and ray alley in the protected national park is a spectacle for all.
Amidst the ruins that were once a testament to the mighty Mayan civilization, modern Guatemala is still rich with culture, yet struggling to keep up with the industrialized world. There still remain patches of rain-forest, hearkening back to the natural environment from which we all emerged.
There is certainly many a reason to visit the nation, and once there, further incentive to return. This author's short-lived stay will certainly be followed by a tour of the pacific side in the near future.
"Seinfeld" the sitcom which has reached cult status, has remained appealing and many can relate to its hilarious situations. As it was addressed in the episodes during which Jerry and George were marketing their pilot episode, the show about "nothing" could either be hit or miss. Now, there are Seinfeld naysayers, however many have found such a deep comical connection to the show, for the very fact that the most detailed and seemingly unimportant daily occurrences are highlighted and scrutinized.
Perhaps the reason why a sit-com like Seinfeld is still watchable is because it is the little things that are what we draw meaning from. This idea was reinforced for me when I came across a lecture by Neil Pasricha, author of 1000 Awesome Things, on Ted Talks. His talk was referring to the creation of his book, an expansion on his blog, which had gone viral in 2010. This Canadian author had experienced the highs of life, and had been sunken by the lows. Then amidst the lows, he realized that we need to stop and appreciate the little things that are constantly going in our favor; he realized how lucky we really are. In his lecture, he identified the 3 A's of awesome, and subsequently of happiness: attitude, awareness and authenticity. Here's the video:
These awesome occurrences are evidence of our collective human nature; deep down we retain the childhood awe and curiosity, yet we simply forget to express it. Here are my top 15 awesome things from the book:
1. Illegal naps 2. Getting the milk to cereal ratio just right (neither cornflake beach, nor drowning in white) 3. Staring out a still water 4. Paying with exact change 5. Absolute silence 6. The smell of books 7. The gas arrow on the dash, indicating the side for the tank opening 8. Fixing electronics by smacking them 9. Hitting a bunch of green lights in a row 10. The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk 11. The friendly nod between strangers doing the same thing 12. When you're watching one of your favorite movies and you realize you don't remember how it ends 13. Getting a trucker to blow his horn 14. When you know your TV remote so well you don't need to look at the buttons 15. Remembering how lucky you are
