Merry Christmas!

To get you in the mood, here is a classic video. Hope you enjoy. Also, I posted a bunch of new pictures on my Picasa web albums(link always on the right of this page). Check em out!

My family is moving this week, so its gonna be a little hectic. We happen to just be moving down the street, but its still a hassle. I am finding myself busier these days, which is definitely better for my psyche. I tend to get a little down when I am not occupied. I'm getting all my paperwork together for South Korea and getting more excited about it as the days go on.

This Christmas, I am trying to step back and realize the significance of all my family members being in the same place at the same time. I don't know if this is unusual for most people, but it did not happen for us last year and it won't happen next year, and you never really know what life situations will lessen the possibility of it happening for a long time! So if you are with your family and loved ones this Christmas, remember to cherish the moments :) Merry Christmas!!

What's next

I guess its finally time to inform my readers(or lackthereof) of my plans for this upcoming year. I have decided, after much boredom living at home, to continue with my traveling/living abroad. This time South Korea is lucky enough to host me. In the past several years I have heard many good things about South Korea and met some interesting people who are either from there or have worked there. I recently signed on with a school near Seoul and if all the Visa stuff goes smoothly, I plan on leaving at the end of February. The greatest part about working in South Korea is that the school will pay for my flight and for my apartment there. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

As always, starting a new chapter in life is a little scary. I won't have a friend by my side the entire time to lessen the blow of culture shock, which will be quite the change. I am excited though. I have sincerely missed teaching since I have been back, and look forward to all those adorable little Asian faces I will be teaching.

So there you have it, just when you thought you had me here for good. I hope to continue blogging, as I hope you will continue reading!

FINALLY back in the US of A

The stress of my final trip back to California was somewhat lessened and yet exasperated by a long layover in Vancouver. Lessened because I got to spend hours alone observing the now strikingly noticeable differences between Eastern and Western cultures and exasperated because all I really wanted was to get home to my soft American bed.

Some of the things I noticed on my 7 hour layover I was able to document (despite my overly fatigued body and eyes) in my journal.

The things I observed on my way home:

*Americans move much slower, but stay out of each others' way.
*Kids in North America are not as obnoxiously loud
*Everyone orders their own dish at a restaurant in North America, whereas Asian cultures seem to always share everything
*Americans are more friendly conversationalists(I think this was more of a language-barrier thing)
*Strangers don't talk about you and how weird you look!
*Everybody is talking loudly on a cell phone
*People obviously don't care about "saving face"(more to come on this)
*Toilets are very high! You can't squat! And the bathrooms smell just as bad here, its just a different smell.
*I know its gross, but I kept trying to put toilet paper in the trash can!

And believe it or not, those were some of the most shocking things. Other daily activities that I missed so much while I was in Taiwan, didn't seem as strange, maybe because I expected them. I was even able to drive a car normally and without incident. I was sure I was going to try to run red lights all the time.

One absurd thing did happen to me in the Vancouver airport that would never have happened in Taiwan. I was unable to check into my flight until 3 hours before departure. So, I hung out in a restaurant until the time finally came to check in. I meandered over to the Alaska Airlines counter and amidst about 15 confused customers all looking for the right place to wait, I found the appropriate roped-off area that read "wait here for the next available attendant". Normally I would have informed the rest of the wandering people that this was probably the right place, but I was a)extremely sleep-deprived/jet-lagged(i.e., delirious); b)somewhat still uncertain if I was even in the right place; and c)very anxious to get on that flight. So when the "next available attendant" looked at me and said she could help me, I started to walk forward. No sooner had I taken 3 steps that I heard a very loud and angry American man say "Um, excuse me, I think we were here first". I looked at him and saw that he was freshly showered, well-rested and had about 15 oversized bags with him, as opposed to my already-checked baggage. After waiting anxiously for so long, his anger debilitated my ability to speak and caused tears to form in my eyes. "I...I...I...but I've been waiting for so long...." I whispered. Luckily, the same flight attendant had helped me earlier and new my desperate situation, she kindly told the man that it would only take a minute to check me in and that he was in the wrong line anyway.

Now, I think if I hadn't been out of the country for so long, this situation would have caused me to just write off that guy as a stupid American jerk and move on with my day. But I was really offended by this....I mean, this guy has no right to be so rude and has no idea what my situation is. The difference with this and Taiwan is that almost always they would make sure they were following the rules and NEVER raise their voice at a stranger like that.

Anyway, eventually I made it home. When I got the United States stamp in my passport and the guy at the counter said "Welcome Home" I literally started crying. Whoa, it was very strange and very unexpected to have that sort of reaction. Oh well, I guess that is what culture shock is all about. Strange, unexpected feelings.

Home, part 1(actually a recap of Hong Kong)

Yeah, yeah, I know its been actually 3 months since I've been home and before that I didn't post anything for a very long time, I have felt a sudden desire to post anew. Too bad this feeling didn't come up more often when I was in Taiwan, huh?

Well, to recap, I ended my contract with American Eagle Institute on July 25, 2008. It was the end of a year long love-hate relationship. I had mixed feelings of excitement, freedom, nostalgia, and a little sadness. I have definitely missed the kids since I have been gone, and as you will find our later, may have caught some kind of teaching bug that will draw me back into the field again. Letitia, one of my genius students said to me, "Teacher Emily, I will always remember you." It was one of the sweetest things I have ever heard. And quite possibly true. Do you remember your Kindergarten teacher?

So, after some very sad goodbyes and a night of stressful packing, Bethany, Donovan and I headed to Hong Kong. It was a pleasant flight, and Bethany and I even "received" some "complimentary" spoons from Thai Airways. They have REAL silverware on Asian airlines. Wow.

Hong Kong was fantastic. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined, and also more crowded and smoggy than I could have imagined. There is a HUGE foreign community in Hong Kong, which was a welcome change from Hsinchu. It was a nice place to begin the transition slowly back into western culture (if you didn't know, Hong Kong was owned by the Brits up until 1999, giving it a uniquely combined western and eastern feel). In Hong Kong, we enjoyed our first Mexican food in a WHOLE YEAR!!!! We did have fake Mexican food in Taiwan, you know, Chili's and homemade attempts, but in Hong Kong there was an actual Mexican food restaurant with Guacamole, Dos Equis and Enchiladas! It was Ah-mazing(yes, the novelty of Mexican food has only slightly worn off since that day). I've heard several times from different people that you have to eat your way through Hong Kong. This is the truth. While our unadventurous selves did not try any new crazy Chinese foods, we did enjoy some good pub food, Thai food, Mexican food, and Indian food. It was fantastic.


First Guiness in a very very long time:

Other than the food and drinks, the three of us ventured on a very smoggy day to the top of Victoria Peak. Great views, but unfortunately the insane amount of pollution from China makes it less aesthetically pleasing than it probably was 20 years ago. Here it is anyway:



Another typically touristy thing to do in Hong Kong is ride the ferry across Kowloon Bay. Also an affordable and enjoyable way for anyone who needs to cross from Hong Kong to Kowloon or vice versa. Pictures of course, are worth 1,000 words.

Bethany on the ferry during the day:

The view at night was MUCH better:

The most exciting thing that we did however, was not a tourist pursuit by any means. While walking the famous elevated staircase, before reliving our Guatemalan childhood with this sign:



Bethany and I saw an advert for a very cheap mani/pedi. WOOHOO!!! For some unknown reason, these are very expensive in Taiwan, so we never got them done. We decided to indulge on this day after a long year of hard work in Taiwan. So, we sent Donovan on a hunt for a great bookstore and spent a girly afternoon getting manicures, followed by some white wine on a rooftop patio. Oh, it was definitely as good as it sounds.

the finished product(and yes, those are some lovely Thai appetizers):



enjoying wine:


Sigh. What a great day that was. All in all, however, Hong Kong was bittersweet more than anything. My year in Taiwan with Bethany was a great one, and Hong Kong was the end of that. Who knows when we will ever be able to spend time like that together again? I'm not going to lie, I shed more than a few tears that weekend. It's definitely hard to leave your best friend/partner in crime/roommate/personyoudoeverythingwithallyear. BUT, we will see each other again in January, so I guess it can't be that bad.

I'm going to stop there for now. I will continue to update the next couple days to bring you all up to speed. I know I have been bad at this, and can't promise anything, but I want to keep this going for myself, more than anything(yes, that may be selfish). Maybe that's the best motivation I can have? I want to be able to look back 20 years from now and have some decent documentation of these months. Hopefully this can be it.

Slothful Sloths

In the Chinapost today:

"Researchers found the Sleepy Sloths from steamy jungles are not nearly as sleepy and slothful as originally thought."

I always had a feeling they were wrong about that one.



Check out the new pictures from Dragon Boat Weekend.

Update

I finally got some more pictures up, you can find them at the link on your right. I'm working on putting some more up. Last week, Rikki and Kyna visited me, and some of Bethany's cousins visited her. Its been crazy and hectic. On Saturday, my parents come to visit me as well!

Other than that, there isn't much new to speak of. I am thinking about staying longer than just a year to study Mandarin. I keep on wishing that I knew the language, and considering how cheap it is to study, the fact that I have nothing else to do at home, and that I could put off figuring out what career I want to go into, it seems like a good idea.

More to come on that obviously. I'm really not sure what I want to do, or if I have the means to do it!

Until next time, enjoy the pictures!

Kevin Bo-bevin

So, wit this whole teaching thing, I didn't realize how attached to my students I would get. Last semester, we had 20 Eagles(my Kindergarten class). Now we only have 17, soon to be 16. The three that we lost at the end of the semester I was sad about, but with such a big change as a new semester, its to be expected. I recently found out however, that I will be losing another student, Kevin. I would be lying if I said he wasn't my favorite student. Kevin is a very cool, serene student. He is going to grow up to be one of those guys everyone wants to be friends with. We have taught Kevin to say "stick it to the man" and "no big deal", and he will have long adult-like conversations with you about where you are from, your family, and what you did for lunch. Kevin is moving with his family to Taipei on Friday, and I will genuinely miss him. Don't get me wrong, I love many of my other students and love talking to them, but Kevin is one of a kind...

here he is:

Thailand

First let me say that it seems to me that relaying my expereince in Thailand on a blog would be impossible...with that said, let me summarize in as few words as possible. If you want to know details, call me! Write me! It would take ages....

Bethany and I spent time in Bangkok, Koh Pangang, and Koh Samui. Bangkok feels like a hell hole when you first arrive. The Thai people have mastered the art of ripping tourists off and will attempt(and succeed an unbelieable amount of times) to charge you 4 times(not exagerating) the amount for any given taxi ride. It took us a couple days to pick up on this, and we probably lost an unnecessary amount of money.

Apart from shopping and temples, there really isn't much exciting about Bangkok. Its hot, muggy, and crowded. We were anxious to get out of there and took a night train to Koh Pangang. This island is famous for its Ful Moon party, which we missed. It sounded a little crazy for me though. Instead, we got there in time for the Half-Moon party, which is a party in the middle of a jungle. I thought it just felt like a big outdoor club.

We spent most of our time in Koh Samui, laying on the beach, shopping, laying on the beach, meeting people, reading, and laying on the beach. This was the main purpose of our trip to Thailand....to lay on the beach.

To compare Thailand to the Philippines, I would have to say that on first impression alone, the Filipino people are much friendlier. I have the feeling this had to do with where we were though. In Thailand, we didn't really get the chance to get out of the tourist traps. Although the places we went were fabulous and beautiful, the majority of the Thai people we met had most likely been taught from an early age how to haggle the tourists. The Philippines is not as busy, but you meet a lot of interesting people in Thailand.

I want to go back! I started read The Beach for the second time now that I have been to the same place(we actually went to the same Marine Park...if you've read the book) and its given me an interesting perspective, even though its a novel.

I continue to have a huge thirst to travel. One would think that it may go away with a few trips to foreign countries, but it has just caused me to add more places to the list of where to go. The ideal thing would be to find a way to make enough money to travel for a year or two. Obviously with my shopping habits, this is highly unlikely. A girl can dream though. I guess I need to start the search for a rich husband....

on that note, until next time!

brief commentary on the Philippines...

Well, its been awhile since I went to the Philippines for New Years, but since I am leaving for Thailand on Friday, I figured I needed to record my experience from my last trip first, while its still fresh.

We left for the airport on Friday afternoon, December 28. Thus began the use of various modes of transportion needed to arrive at our final destination: Comotes Islands, Philippines. We caught a Taxi to the Highspeed Railway Station(HSR), followed by a train to Touyen, and a shuttle to the airport. Everything went relatively smoothly up until we got to the Philippines.

The plane arrived in Cebu, Phillipines at about 2am. We figured we would wait until the Port opened and take the earliest Ferry to Camotes Island. We made friends with a Police Officer and he was kind enough to call a legitimate, safe Taxi for us at 4am. Our Taxi driver, James, took us to the port, where we discovered that there were no tickets for the 6am ferry. James convinced us to let him drive us to the next closest port where there would be another ferry leaving in 40 minutes. He drove like a maniac, but we got there and paid some guys to get us on the livestock filled ferry even though we didn't have tickets. It was a beautiful boat ride...the sea was calm and we got to see a quite amazing sunrise.

We got to Camotes around 11, and as we were getting off, two guys came up and asked if we were going to the Santiago Bay resort. They charged us 50pesos each for a motorcycle ride(Habal-Habal) to the resort. Riding with a huge backpack on the back of a motorcycle is quite difficult, let me tell you.

Santiago Bay resort was more beautiful than the pictures. There is no picture that could do that place justice. The first day, my ears were ringing because it was so quiet. The whole time we were there, there were only about 5 other families. It was paradise. I almost don't want to tell anyone about it so it won't be ruined. For 5 days, Bethany and I explored the islands with the help of our Habal Habal drivers, Wendel and Freddy. We went through breathtaking caves, rode on a bamboo boat, discovered sea creatures we had never seen before, and watched amazing sunsets. It was the perfect vacation, and much needed after teaching Kindergartners for 4 months.

On the way back, we had just about the most frightening 4 hour illegal boat ride I could ever imagine. I can't say the most frightening I've ever had, because it was the first 4 hour illegal boat ride I've ever had. Bethany and I were forced to rent a small 8 person boat with some Filipinos after all the Ferry tickets were sold out. We had to catch a flight that day, so we had no choice. So, we hopped on a small motor boat in the pouring rain and ventured out into the open sea. It was no longer the calm sea we had experienced on the initial ferry ride, but it had turned into a tumultuous sea with 8 foot swells. Bethany and I were very afraid that we were not going to make it out of this...We kept asking a Filipino lady in front of us if she was scared, and she continually said no. It was only afterwards that she admitted to being scared and that she had been praying the whole time. Well no kidding, me too.

The boat finally made it to Cebu, but instead of landing in a normal port, we had to land on a small beach that happened to be someones backyard. Why, you might ask? Because we were not allowed to do this...no one but us and our Habal Habal drivers back on the Island knew we were on that boat. Smart thinking, going into a stormy sea in a small boat when the coast guard has no idea where you are....won't be doing that again.

Needless to say, we did make it out alive. We proceeded to pack all eight of us onto a rickshaw and then stuff ourselves into a bus with dozens of other people. Eventually, we made it to a taxi that took us to the airport. It was there that we discovered that every single article of clothing we had packed was entirely soaked. I'm not gonna say I wasn't a little frustrated. We eventually made it back to Hsinchu, where it was actually now cold(it hadn't been before we left), making the wet clothing even more terrible.

I've gotta say, it was worth it though. The beach, the sun, the people....if you ever get to go to the Philippines, I highly recommend it. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Now onto new adventures! Two weeks in Thailand will ensure lots of fun stories!

Notice

I'm going to try to get around to posting about the trip to the Philippines this weekend. In the meantime, there is a new link for my photos on the right--->

I don't have pics up on Picasa from the Philippines yet, but they can be found on Facebook here and here.

Enjoy...let me know what you think!