one rad little camp stove :)

check this out... so, i discovered this more than a year ago and i've been meaning to post about it ever since but... better late than never, ey?

it's a little camp stove made out of an aluminum soda/beer/whatever can. it burns methyl alcohol (you can pick up a bottle of HEET at any auto parts store or gas station). it's super efficient (about a capful can boil a liter of water). and there is essentially no cost for materials. here's a video on how to make one.

I heard about it from a couch surfer that i hosted while living in Seoul, Korea.  He was living in a van part-time and he said he used it to heat water, to cook, for basically everything.  I was stoked to learn about it, cuz it's pretty much the same thing you get when you buy a fancy camp-stove at REI, only it's free!  I never got around to making one myself, but the nice couch surfer dropped one off at my apt his next time passing through Seoul.  Now that i live in haiti, where electricity is scarce &/or spotty, i've been using it regularly to make my morning coffee, boil some pasta, etc.  now i've just gotta spread the wealth... cuz such a thing shouldn't be kept a secret.  below are some pics of the one i use (made w/ a red bull can... extra compact).  this model is a bit different than the one in the video, but same concept.  

this simple little thing seriously makes my life better and i love it for that.  i hope you try it out.. let me know if you do!  :)

nifty little stand, ey?

morning coffee, gotta have it

late night ramen fix ;)

Sun City Cribs

Welcome to my home in Bwa Nef, Cite Soleil, where i've been living now for the last  5 months.  :) 

I needed to upgrade from my initial temporary shelter, which was essentially 4 blue, plastic tarp walls, one door and a tin roof.  I had pitched my tent on the rubbly floor inside to sleep.  Needless to say, it was as hot as hell in there.  I had nowhere nice to chill during the day because it was too hot inside, and i had no yard or personal space outside.  Plus, there are so few trees in Cite Soleil that it's nearly impossible to escape the fierce, haitian sun.  

cozy, eh?

So, with all this heavy in my mind, one day, I spotted some trees [!] that were popping up over a small fenced in area.  On tippy-toes, I peeked over the fence to look inside and I saw a little shady yard w/ a little, rusty tin shack in it.  A woman and child were sitting in the yard.  I said hello and that I really liked her spot and then expressed to her that I wished I could live there.  She said, "Really?  Ok, then!".  So I replied, "But if I were to move in here, where would you then live?", to which she replied that she would just find another place and to come back tomorrow to talk.  And that is exactly what I did.  Within the week, I had my very own shanty house and shaded yard for the price of $250 for the year (and I was being generous)!  

cooking station

It was/is definitely an undertaking, but I'm one who loves these types of projects.  I painted over the rusty scrap metal walls, started replacing the dilapidated and dangerous scrap metal fencing with woven coconut palm fronds, had a new front door built, and got some free scrap wood to bang together some simple furnishings.  It sure has been a process, but I'm now living quite comfortably.  

composting bucket

There is electricity most of the time so I have a 2-burner electric stove for cooking and an oscillating fan for staying cool at night.  I now have 2 beds (a double for me and a single guest bed).  I use a simple bucket composting method for a toilet.  And I had a private water line run into my yard (it's all about who you know), so no more hauling water for me!  For bathing, i use the simple, yet refreshing, bucket bath method in an enclosed area outside.  I've also organized the rubble in the yard and hauled in some good soil to make a vegetable garden.  Life is shaping up for me in Sun City.  

Next upgrades will be a kiddie pool and a hammock!     :)  

i have a big bed!  :)

I've also recently placed my guest bed on Couchsurfing and hope to host some adventurous spirits in Cite Soleil soon and show them that it's nothing like what they've probably heard.  It has its days, for sure, but I like my life here.  Feel free to visit!

lakay se lakay [home is home]

ah!  bucket bath w/ peppermint bronners!

front gate

go surf a couch

i must say, my life has changed in a good way this past year with couchsurfing.org.

i mean, i now have a humble abode that i can call my own for a little while, so i figured i might as well share the wealth & host some rad travelers. meet some kindred & crazy spirits from all over... get some insights and learns some new tricks. plus, i'm building up some good travel karma for when i hit the road myself. this is the best idea evah.
















so these are some of the couchsurfing folks i've hosted in korea, a few of which i'll prolly stay in touch w/ forever. good vibes all around.






...and for those of you who might be wondering...what is couchsurfing? well, here's a plug:


couchsurfing is a global non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries & territories. members use this system to give/get a free place to stay and, more importantly, to come together for cultural exchange, friendship, and learning experiences. the mission statement is to "create inspiring experiences".


an important thing to note: couchsurfing is NOT about the furniture -- not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it's about making connections worldwide. we can make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. thru this, we can open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. we can create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. so sign up!

changing the world, one couch at a time. dig it :)

lunar new year

hooray for long weekends! yeehaw. i had no yoga on sunday. it was the lunar new year & st. valentine's day (hey, it involves chocolate & love, so i'm not knockin' it) in one fantastic weekend.


one of my favorite gals, trisha, and i took this oppor-tunity to bust outta the city and venture somewhere / anywhere new. we scoped some couchsurfing profiles in search of the quirky /cool/fun ones on the peninsula. sent out a few requests, got a few responses & went w/ a fella named will, from montana, who now lives near the coast way down south.

we arrived via bus, well prepared for a good time(instruments in tow) & bearing gifts: valentine chocolates (re-gifts from our students), a handcrafted card, oatmeal raisin cookies (which turned out to be the best cookies i've ever made), spicy veggie chili (a la trisha), 5 bottles of wine, some soju, two tubs of homemade hummus and some sugar & cinnamon for morning french toast.

saturday morning, will & his friend, wes, led us on a hike in jirisan national park. trisha & i had both hiked jirisan before, but not this part, and not in the dead of winter. we couldn't have asked for a better day. the sun was oh so kind, and the whole landscape was covered in the most perfect layer of sparkly snow.

the forest was quiet, aside from the faint crunching underfoot & the tinkle of crystalline leaves as we brushed by.
we pushed our way through snowy bamboo thickets, making the first tracks in the glittering crust of snow. crispy, red leaves cradled snowflakes in their curls and every brittle twig was dipped in pure, yet tasteless, rock sugar. a waterfall was still gushing with life while all else was frozen. and the view of the snowy ridges from our peak was pretty darn amazing.












after slipping and sliding in our cold feet part of the way down, trisha and i couldn't resist the urge to become mountain cats (she was an ocelot...i, a lynx) and we bounded down through the fresh powder in no time, leaving our hosts a ways behind. near the bottom, we came upon some manicured and seemingly sacred grounds dotted w/ primitive cave-like dwellings ... like the shire in hobbiton, or something. i suppose the place is usually alive w/ cultural ceremonies and what not for tourists on any other weekend, but this was a special holiday. the lunar new year. everyone was keeping warm indoors, somewhere, celebrating in tradition with their families.



so the guys caught up w/ us as the sun was starting to set. it was growing colder and we needed to find a place to sleep for the night. but everything appeared to be closed. we finally came to a small, traditional-style home w/ a light on so we knocked on the door. a small woman slid the door open and then a baby (with the most brilliant and genuine smile in the world) appeared in the door frame. we communicated in our minimal korean that we were looking for a place to stay and the woman briefly consulted a sweet-looking elderly lady before inviting us inside. they asked if we were hungry, which we were indeed, and they made us a big meal, which was served w/ pride by the grandma herself. the family was all together and it was obvious that we were imposing a bit on their holiday, but they were so gracious and friendly. we passed some time with the family, exchanging many smiles and head-bows, before we retired to the room that they had arranged for us.


that night felt like a high-school sleepover. the room was freezing and we had only few blankets, so we huddled together on the floor, sipping wine and eating cookies as we giggled over hours of silly stories before finally falling to sleep.


in the morning, after being served a complete breakfast including kimchi AND dongdongju (milky rice wine), we hitched our way to the bus stop back to will's place. we were all dirty & exhausted so, after showering, we decided to watch goodwill hunting while eating chili and hummus..oh, and lots of wine. later, we migrated to a neighborhood friend's place where we continued to drink and watch 80s music videos. i couldn't have asked for more out of a long winter weekend. smiles a-gogo. :) :) :)