A Thousand Miles From Home (An Introduction)

Hello Peoples,

  Mr. Strange is back!  It has been far too long since my thoughts have hit the old intranet and made sane people run for cover or quickly disconnect their computers, but here I am.  This is a brand new blog and even though it will be run in much the same way as my previous one (with only one or two minor changes) it feels like a fresh start. I hope that it will be as effective of a tool for me to express myself as the old pompeii...blog.
  A couple of things you should know before you go too far with me here.

1) I'm really bad at picking one general line of thought and sticking with it consistently.  I wish I could tell you that this blog will be all travel stories or essays on the wonders of underwater basket weaving, but there is a good chance that if I did that I would be lying to you because I honestly have no idea where it will go.  Don't worry though, I'm sure, in fact positive, that there will be some travel posts here.  Oh, you should know though, that I am really bad about asking questions to which I don't know the answer.  My students will confirm this as it drives them batty on a daily basis.

2) No one is ever called by their typical name here.  I tell you this in case you haven't gathered that from the fact that I call myself "Mr. Strange."  I may post a list of the established names here in the future, but we'll see.

3) Hazel will be co-authoring this blog.   Yea Hazel!  She has a page which can be viewed by clicking on the right hand toolbar on this page. She hasn't posted anything yet, but I feel quite confident that her posts will be far more practical than my own and will probably do more to quench your thirst for knowledge about what is going on with us.

 Recently, Hazel and I have experienced a small relocation.  We are now living halfway around the world in what my friend Fortescue refers to, and what we here will in the future refer to, as the land of Telmar, home of the Telmarines.  It is quite the exotic place and I'm convinced that Darwin would love it here.  Telmar is survival of the fittest at its best.  From Taxi drivers who swerve and bus drivers who talk on their cell phones, to construction workers who leave table saws running in the middle of the sidewalk, you have to be fit to survive here.  Its a wonder I'm still around.  Anyway, if you read this blog further than today you will get the chance to read some of these harrowing adventures in detail. This, however, as the title implies, is an introduction.  The details can come later.

Being across the world has some disadvantages as well.  Its a strange combination that I am experiencing right now: 50% homesickness, and 50% complete contentment.  I have never been happier in my life than I am doing what I am doing now, but a large part of me misses the people and places that I have left behind.  Below is a small 2 minute snapshot of the last 2 years for Hazel and myself and some of what we've left.  Let it show you where we've been. Then you can experience where we're going.

*Please note: No smoking occurred for the making of this video despite appearances.