for sam

Sometimes the skies of Rising Star in India were filled with dragonflies.
It simply added to the magic of the place.

(I think this little guy was actually dead, trapped inside our bathroom. Explains why he held so still as I clamored up onto the trough-shaped sink to get a close-up shot. At least he got to see the sky one last time?)

RIP Eva Hirt

... was the subject line of the email KJ sent out to announce the demise of our good friend Eva (and the party in her honor). When I say "demise", I of course mean her departure from California to follow a foolhardy dream called "Colorado", but SOME people (Todd Petersen) took it to say the OTHER meaning of "RIP", and... well, happened to freak out a bit. Oops. Then again, when I gave the pose instruction to "wave goodbye to Eva" for a photo at said party, he was also the one to answer by lifting up his shirt. Soo....

So Eva ISN'T DEAD (though we no longer speak her name), she's just gone. Gone. :( Gone to the land where kittens and cowboys roam free, and Trader Joe's is just a pipe dream. It hasn't quite hit me yet, and I'm in total denial anyway, but in honor of her and as closure for me (you leave me, our friendship is OVER), this blog post is dedicated to:

EVA JANE HIRT
2003 - 2009
Roommate, Travel Buddy, and Friend

Please enjoy the following sitcom/romantic comedy video montage of flashbacks and memories of our time together. Except, it's not in video montage format, not even a slideshow, so you'll just have to scroll through the images and read the captions as husky thought-bubble voice-overs. Oh, and for the sentimental background soundtrack, imagine me humming "Wind Beneath My Wings" or some similar cheesy lament that would make eva want to barf.

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, PEEVES...

__________________________________________________

My life before Eva Hirt...

and Eva before I met her...

And then, our worlds changed at Kamp Krusty IV, Yosemite, 2003...!

Since then we've been fast friends, roommates twice (three if you count when I had a key to their Ohio pad), and travel buddies MANY times, including to TAHITI...

Moorea, French Polynesia

Leigh's two "wives", Tahiti

kayaking Moorea

claaassic eva-- grossed out by gross smells

NEW ZEALAND

Takapuna, North Island

Jet Boating near Hamner Springs, South Island

spelunking near Westport, South Island

eva gagging because some bird poo got on her, Akaroa, South Island

traveling with eva is good times because she supports the eating of a bunch of crap

meat pies, Christchurch, south island! (one of my fave pix of little peeves)

NEW YORK

we're both cheap... didn't actually go UP the empire state building

* * * * *

.... A WHOLE LOT OF OUTDOORS AND CAMPING....

HAVASUPAI

eva's much better at conquering her fear of heights than I am

Havasu Falls

JOSHUA TREE

DEATH VALLEY

you're not actually supposed to run out onto the 'Racetrack'... oops

and YOSEMITE, many, many, many times

* * * * *
GOOD TIMES WITH EVA

backyard campouts

hikes to the nearby Albertson's

disco skating for kj's bday

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-due" parties... (eva does not waste food)

Death Valley half-marathon

sneaking into the VIP party at Kevin Bacon Night

being really good examples at Girls Camp

80's Night at the Hollywood Bowl

halloween-- not afraid to look scary

and Eva's favorite holiday,
CHRISTMAS

dragging our tree across Huntington Drive... doesn't everyone carry their own tree home?

SELECTING OUR TREE FROM THE FORESTS OF HUNTINGTON...

(not sure why I'm talking with a lisp in this clip)

* * * * *
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT EVA

she was born on our nation's bicentennial AND she loves Tim Riggins

deathly afraid of bears

says she's from Alaska (though her snow-shoveling skills suggest otherwise)

sometimes hates biking (and reeeally hates ocean swims) but triathlete-s anyway

loves to EAT

has no shame

LOVES her FRIENDS :)

and she can kick -- stretch -- and KICK.

You are the wind beneath my wings, peeves.

miss you already :(

goodbye Rising Star

This video is purely in accompaniment of a post on my India blog. Which, again, won't give me video for free. Grrrr.

But if you're to lazy to go look at it, I'll explain here... this is the view out the bus window as we left on Friday night for the airport (I myself was to come back later, and fly out Saturday, so I had to experience the goodbyes twice :(

oh and I had the video setting on a low quality by accident. Oops. Oh well.

(oh and by the way, I am NOT finished blogging about India... there wasn't enough time there to do it justice... so if you're interested in reading/seeing more, please keep checking back! Thanks yo :)

i love you Rosemary

This is my little Rosemary. I am now not only her "Auntie", but officially her sponsor :)

If YOU would like to sponsor a child at Rising Star Outreach, click HERE. Let me tell you, I've seen the sponsorship program live and in action, and it's real... and it's helping these children to be the FIRST generation from the leprosy colonies who will be productive members of society, and to break the mold that has cast them for so long. It was so hard to choose just one of the children to sponsor-- I love them all! -- but I also can't deny others this opportunity (even we as volunteers were "fighting" over the kids who still needed sponsors! They're going fast! :) Each child needs three monthly sponsors to cover the cost of their education and boarding (hostel) at Rising Star.

Oh and by the way, I know this post is on the "wrong" blog... dumb wordpress requires money to put video on my India blog. Almost worth it, for this clip. (But luckily Blogger is more generous :)

I love you Rosemary... !

that's a whole lot of BSS

Sooo... I have a new respect for the President of our United States, and it comes from his presence here in India.

It's not just that most people (even in remote rural leprosy colonies) seem to know who he is, it's that he is a symbol for hope of ALL kinds, even when that hope extends to, say, using his face to sell difficult farm lots or solicit enrollment in a local computer college or to incite revolt against a conflicting political party because Obama=Change, everyone knows that.

Especially, though, it's because you see his face in full color on these advertisements, smiling and happy and pretty much telling you, "Hey-- you want change? Attend this computer college. I did, and look where I am now." HOPE for all ages.

The BSS Computer College is the most prevalent of all the Obama-ads I've seen, and though I've caught a peek a number of times, as well as had my own personal encounter with the real-live Obama in the past I've never been in a position to be quick enough to actually photograph one of the posters.

All I know is, it ain't no lie, dreams do come true where Obama is concerned. BSS dreams, obviously, in hoping that the mere presence of his face on their ad will inspire massive enrollment, and one of my own personal goals definitely came to fruition today, on the drive to Bhathalapuram when I finally snagged a photo of said ad. True, I had to suddenly yell "Obama!" the moment I glimpsed it and then force Kelsey and Kristin down and out of my way as I lept a whole 2 feet horizontally across the van to aim my lens out their window at a moving target, all within a 2.5-second window of time, but I know -- I KNOW -- it was my hope in Obama that gave me the strength to do it. Thanks, Barack! And I'll definitely attend your computer college, no probs.


Though, I must say... no disrespect to his handsome profile, of course... but those smiling mustachioed faces surrounding him are also pretty tempting prospects. I have no idea what they're advertising, but you can be sure I'm buying it. Or attending it. Or giving my firstborn to it, whatever.

I was slightly disheartened on the trip back from the colony, though, when we saw this competing ad for the Apollo computer course. Who does she think she is, this random young Indian girl?? She is no Michelle Obama, that's for sure. Poor poor Apollo Computer Education LTD. It's too bad they weren't able to sign on Barack before those sharks down at BSS got him. Or, er, used his image without permission.


But, really, who am I to say which is the better face of computer education (and change)? Take my poll (to the left) and tell me what you think. And then, as a thank you, please feel free to use my posted image of Pres. Obama for your OWN ads and posters, it's totally de rigeur and, naturally, makes so much sense in any venue or theme. Happy posting and polling!