The Google Nexus 7

This is my first post via my new tablet, the Google Nexus 7.  I am just testing out some of it's features for when I go to Europe.  Right now it seems to be working fantastic, I am typing on it with a bluetooth keyboard I got online and it weighs about 10 oz. Together about a pound and a half. This is lighter than any netbook you'll find and with a much less camped keyboard. The function of typing on this seems to work fairly effectively, I have the 7" tablet about 2.5 feet away from me and I can see the entire post and what I'm typing just fine.  This tool should more than suffice for my travelling needs!!!!

New "Sites That Make Me Happy"

This post is mostly for my mother, whom may not like my recent site post.  naughtynomad.com is a site about a very raunchy traveler who not only goes where he wants regardless of the danger but also seeks to conquer the woman of that country, he calls it getting the country's flag.  This site may upset some people but his writing style cracks me up and there is a lot more to his site than "slaying the next dragon."  This guy has traveled all over Africa, been shot at, been within feet of explosions, he's truly fearless and I greatly appreciate that.  for instance, this link, one is nuts!!!!, and two he's done some of em!!! which is hard to believe.

http://naughtynomad.com/category/10-great-adventures/

BE INSPIRED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB3kNJrcoGM

this is kind of neat.... you're not ugly... I promise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pyCI_intrQ

this made me happy

My first attempt at a story

the classic taipei subway story of how I got violated by a small asian man on a subway

to make this shorter and sweeter, my buddy and I (cameron who had never traveled out of the U.S. in his life) had just arrived in Taiwan and managed to get kicked out of the house we were staying at in two days... with 14 days still left in our trip.

So there we are, 7 AM on the side of the road hailing a taxi in Taipei, no idea what to do... also slightly traumatized.

We find a hostel and sleep for 14 hours straight... upon waking with a determination not to let our trip go to waste, I don my most touristy clothing in an effort to get back at Taiwan which had just made a valiant attempt to defeat myself and my adventure partner.

To Taipei 101 (second tallest building in the world), through the subway, the jammed,crowded subway in my fedora, white aviator shades, Hawaiian shorts and Hawaiian shirt.

Real cynical me, decked out

On the subway... angry at the world.... abandoned in a foreign country

I'm of a mood and as I am standing there... I feel something... just a little brushing around my groin region.

I'm on a CRAMMED subway... it's nothing.

It happens again...just a quick little something bothering my business downstairs, I look down and see nothing but notice this asian guy with his hair all crazy and his man satchel hanging from his shoulder kind of giving me the sketch eye.  You know when a person just keeps weirdly looking at you out of the corner of his eye?

I'm a little weirded out but again i tell myself i'm on a subway.

AGAIN, it happens this time I look and see his hand kind of turned towards me... so in my asshole american outfit I STARE him down... but i'm still unsure if what I think is happening is happening...

only when I see him leave me (who just unknowingly caught him in the act) and go stand by my homophobic buddy on the other side of the car do I realize this guy is some sort of weird American violater.

As I see my buddy twitch and struggle uncomfortably next to this tiny little asian man who is now making moves on my buddy, I start laughing OUT LOUD on a crowded subway in my american clothing.  I don't care about a thing except that I've just participated in one of the most hilarious experiences of my life.  So I continue to Laugh obviously in the twilight zone.

The violater gets off the train.  I walk over to my buddy and ask simply, straightforward, "were you just touched?"  He said quietly, almost sad, "yes, *sniffle* yes I was"

and so began our journey in Taiwan.

And ended with this guy teaching me how to surf.  When all the hostels were booked he let us crash at his place. 

LifeGrin is all about sharing those moments that force that involuntary twitch of happiness we like to call a grin. Whether it's through mischief, adventure, success, everyday life, a certain song or video it's these moments that make life awesome.

#LifeGrin(:

Oh yeah, I just went there, in dire hopes that it at least made you grin ;).  If so, you're judgment is invalid, if not this is a line I just heard the other day and it made me grin real big. 

Next time someone texts you asking how soon you will arrive at an event, simply reply:

"I'll be there in about 5 minutes.  If I'm not, read this again."

Enough with the shenanigans.  I became inspired to make this for two reasons, my mother, who's boundless love... is literally free of personal boundary asking for life updates on the daily.  If you can't beat em, (don't try, your mother will always win) join em, hence this blog.  

My mother the "Camel Conqueror" 

Two, myself and a group of friends are traveling to 12 different countries this summer in Europe and this a great way to share our adventures and lessons learned.

Here is a lesson from Costa Rica: don't always go the touristy route.  We went to this waterfall at the ass-crack of dawn (who's dawn?) and avoided all the tourists that arrived a couple hours later.  Being the only people in the world at a waterfall like this was pretty cool. 

Nauyaca Waterfall, Costa Rica (and yes we scaled that thing and dived off of it)

I'm starting this blog a month and half before the start of our trip to get the hang of things.  If anyone has advice they want to give leave comments!!!! I will share them with the rest of the world.  I will hopefully be organizing pictures into a cloud so I can just post links to the full album.