Hey Look! It's Sydney and Pete!

Dudes, I don't know what you have heard about Sydney, Australia, but let me tell you something: It is beautiful. It's true! The people are beautiful, the weather is beautiful, even their trains are beautiful (you can sit upstairs or downstairs, and the seatbacks are adjustable so you can face either way. It's almost too nice). 

Oreos Never Tasted So Good

I wake up from the night before with no hangover. I should feel worse than I do but I'm lucky even though  I'm not that young. I lay on my back and rub my hands through my hair, trying to hold on to the beautiful dream I have just departed. Now I can't remember it anymore. The three-bed hotel room is windowless, it's impossible to know what time it is, or even if the sun had risen yet. I should be exhausted but I remember where I am and what I hope to see this morning. With hope I check the time and see that it is not too late to see it. I'm lucky. It's 5am in Quy Nahn, Vietnam, and I'll finally see the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean. I truly think this will be a monumental moment, forgetting that I've seen this in Hawaii with my sister, a fact I will later remember that will completely undermine the entire morning. But now I dress quietly, not sure whether or not to wake two friends, Kelvin and Mary.

My Favorite Guitar Player in Vietnam

The alarm clock in the hotel room is ringing. It's 5:30am on the Laos side of the Laos/Vietnam border and I'm more awake than I would have expected. We're supposed to board our bus in 30 minutes and I'm excited to see Vietnam for the first time.

Postcard from Thailand: Doggie Daredevils

The most unusual thing about this photo from Thailand is that there are only two people on the bike. 

Also of note, this bike was flying past us from the back of our songtao (cabbie where you sit in the back of a pickup truck that has bench seats along the sides and a cover overhead). 

Watching traffic in Thailand is a mesmerizing and terrifying experience. The golden rule is "whoever gets there first: wins" and all other general traffic rules are forgone. Despite the initial dismay, I soon realized the beautiful organization in this system, and thoroughly enjoyed watching busy Bangkok and Chang Mai intersections, as well as hopping onto the back of a moto-cabbie. Though I do prefer Vietnam, which requires riders to wear helmets. I bet the doggie helmet makers make a killing over there. 

A Hole in the Footpath (Australian for "Sidewalk")

On my way to work a few weeks back I was walking along, off in my own world, when I nearly walked directly into a gigantic hole in the concrete. What the what?!?! 

Let me note that the tape is not blocking off the hole at all. It's blocking the curb, which is also sinking into the Nothing. I looked in...

Of Course! It's Smile Brigade!

Hi! 

Welcome to my new blog, Smile Brigade. It’s very nice to have you here. I hope you enjoy yourself. I’m thinking I will enjoy myself, so I reckon that will probably translate to you. As you probably know I've been living in Melbourne, Australia for the past eight months and before that was traveling in Southeast Asia. I will be in Australia for about three months more before moving on to the next adventure. This blog will focus mainly on my travels and extended stays, although who knows what else I may choose to write about? I certainly don’t know.

Pictures! There will be many pictures. Here’s one: