*"douche", "phoque" and "faire cuire" are the only words/ phrases in the French language that are worth remembering.
*C-I-L-T is a dirty word, suitable for games of French Scrabble. (I have begun to question those who insist that literacy is on the rise...)
*Tila Tequila got her big break thanks to a leaked sex tape. Who knew?
*Knowing who Tiesto is makes you cool.
*$100 was worth more in the seventeenth century than it is today because of inflammation.
*Teaching about hypothetical sentences? Try using the verb "VENIR" as your example. The lesson goes as follows:
On the board, write out three sentences. "S'il vient, je serai contente. S'il venait, je serais contente. S'il était venu, j'aurais été contente."
When the students say that they're still confused, write the sentences in English: "If he comes, I will be happy. If he came, I would be happy. If he had come, I would have been happy."
When the kids start laughing, look up and read the board. Realize what you've done. Begin laughing so hard you can barely breathe. Stop lesson. Revisit the next day using a different example.
*the word "condom" is even more hilarious than drawing penises. On everything.
* les Filles du Roi were most definitely prostitutes, seeing as Louis XIV pimped them out and all.
* When in doubt just say "Ils ont rocked out". That'll pull you through.
* Wear short-shorts to gym. Then forget to change and wear them to class. Insist on doing lunges to and from the bookshelf every time you need to use a dictionary. This should occur approximately every five minutes.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Re-Surfacing
Admittedly, it's been awhile.
Understatement of the century...
It's not my fault though. See, I found a job. That's right, a "REAL" job.
Well, before I found that job, I found another one.
A bit has been happening...
Anyway, the point being, I have a job. A real, tried and true teaching job. I get up at 6 am five days a week, drive to Guelph and proceed to teach Grade 9s French. I am being trusted with their education.
I think I may have grown up.
How the hell did that happen?
More importantly: how do I make it stop?
Teaching Grade nine essentially consists of attempting to convince a room full of 34 hormonal vapid narcissists that they do not, in actually, want to talk about sex. They want to learn French. The result? Every textbook and handout in my class is covered, from top to bottom, in sketches of penises. What can I say? My little proteges are burgeoning Picassos...
And each one of them knows how to say "penis" in French. I considered it a "teachable moment".
Oh ya. Also, saying "we're going to take this up orally" is a really bad idea. Just in case you were wondering.
So the point is, I have a job. I am now a productive member of society. I have attained my goal.
So why am I yearning for Korea?
That's right. I'm desperate for those little hellions that made up 6A2. I would kill to have to sing "Pretty Leaves Are Falling Down" a million times a day for a week. To read "Bear Shadow" for the hundredth time in a day. To give Andrew a sad face for picking his nose and rubbing it onto Nicky's shirt.
Problem? I think so.
Understatement of the century...
It's not my fault though. See, I found a job. That's right, a "REAL" job.
Well, before I found that job, I found another one.
A bit has been happening...
Anyway, the point being, I have a job. A real, tried and true teaching job. I get up at 6 am five days a week, drive to Guelph and proceed to teach Grade 9s French. I am being trusted with their education.
I think I may have grown up.
How the hell did that happen?
More importantly: how do I make it stop?
Teaching Grade nine essentially consists of attempting to convince a room full of 34 hormonal vapid narcissists that they do not, in actually, want to talk about sex. They want to learn French. The result? Every textbook and handout in my class is covered, from top to bottom, in sketches of penises. What can I say? My little proteges are burgeoning Picassos...
And each one of them knows how to say "penis" in French. I considered it a "teachable moment".
Oh ya. Also, saying "we're going to take this up orally" is a really bad idea. Just in case you were wondering.
So the point is, I have a job. I am now a productive member of society. I have attained my goal.
So why am I yearning for Korea?
That's right. I'm desperate for those little hellions that made up 6A2. I would kill to have to sing "Pretty Leaves Are Falling Down" a million times a day for a week. To read "Bear Shadow" for the hundredth time in a day. To give Andrew a sad face for picking his nose and rubbing it onto Nicky's shirt.
Problem? I think so.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Of Deep Friers and Manure
When my 26th birthday rolled around this past April, I came to the realization that I'm now the other side of 25. Officially having begun the descent on the slippery slope that leads to thirty, I sometimes find myself thinking about where my life is going and what I want out of it.
Recently, McDonald's is featuring more and more prominently.
Allow me to explain.
I picked up a summer job thinking that I could make a little money, get back into shape and generally keep myself busy. It seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about sport horse breeding from a reputable and highly renowned place and, really, what better to do for a summer than ride and get paid for it?
However, now that I'm older, I have a greater sense of self-preservation. I still consider myself to be relatively young and stupid, just not as young and stupid as I once was.
I now have a problem with not being told vital information. Information that could, well, save me from dying or being horribly maimed while at work. My current employers apparently have no such qualms. Over the past few months I have fallen off more times than ever before, been cornered by a pissed-off alpha mare and been kicked in the head by the same horse that almost crushed me in cross-ties, all because no one thought it necessary to tell me about certain horses'... quirks...
During this time I have also witnessed a co-worker being kicked in the face by a feral foal and another who was almost crushed by a round bail; I've seen a foal euthanized because of a broken leg caused by unsafe barn design and generally been placed in unsafe conditions time and again because of managerial staff that have absolutely no horse or, for that matter, commonsense.
One day I was talking to a horsey friend about the BS that is my job when I admitted that I would rather work at McDonald's than spend another day at my current place of employment.
Her response?
"Ya, at least you know that the deep-frier is hot. You don't find out three months into your job when it finally tries to burn you."
Score one for Ronald.
Recently, McDonald's is featuring more and more prominently.
Allow me to explain.
I picked up a summer job thinking that I could make a little money, get back into shape and generally keep myself busy. It seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about sport horse breeding from a reputable and highly renowned place and, really, what better to do for a summer than ride and get paid for it?
However, now that I'm older, I have a greater sense of self-preservation. I still consider myself to be relatively young and stupid, just not as young and stupid as I once was.
I now have a problem with not being told vital information. Information that could, well, save me from dying or being horribly maimed while at work. My current employers apparently have no such qualms. Over the past few months I have fallen off more times than ever before, been cornered by a pissed-off alpha mare and been kicked in the head by the same horse that almost crushed me in cross-ties, all because no one thought it necessary to tell me about certain horses'... quirks...
During this time I have also witnessed a co-worker being kicked in the face by a feral foal and another who was almost crushed by a round bail; I've seen a foal euthanized because of a broken leg caused by unsafe barn design and generally been placed in unsafe conditions time and again because of managerial staff that have absolutely no horse or, for that matter, commonsense.
One day I was talking to a horsey friend about the BS that is my job when I admitted that I would rather work at McDonald's than spend another day at my current place of employment.
Her response?
"Ya, at least you know that the deep-frier is hot. You don't find out three months into your job when it finally tries to burn you."
Score one for Ronald.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Ladies of the Feline Persuation
I'm not much of a partier.
Don't get me wrong, I like to go out with my girls and cut the occasional rug. I can even hold my own with the liquor when the time's right (if, by "hold my own with the liquor" I mean "have two drinks before I'm intoxicated enough to forget what tomorrow's going to feel like", then I can most definitely, unquestionably, "hold my own with the liquor").
Anyway, it had been quite some time since I had cut a rug, or any other form of floor covering for that matter, so this past weekend I opted to accompany Loren back home to Barrie for a much needed, well-deserved nocturnal adventure.
While we were getting ready, the girls began chatting about clubs, bars and boys. Or the lack thereof in our respective age group.
Here's the thing: we have now attained a new rank. We have moved up a box on the census age bracket. We are all, for the most part, hanging out in that grey area that is 26-30.
And while our friends are settling down, getting hitched and contemplating the finer details of procreation, we are, well, not. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't like a member of the opposite sex to peak our interest from time to time. It would be an added bonus, and so much more acceptable, if those guys had, say, graduated high school. Even better? Had a degree, diploma or work experience to add to the resume.
This of course lead to the inevitable question, the inescapable query: given our recent descent on what can only be described as the slippery slope toward 30, are we, or are we not, potential cougars?
Come on ladies, from the moment you first walked into the club and realized that that guy you were chatting up at the bar was, in actuality, your grade 6 reading buddy, you've been asking yourself the exact same question.
So when, exactly, does one become a cougar?
Well this particular group of friends are true philosophers and so, on this fateful night, I was introduced to yet another important theory. While we may not have solved the age-old cougar riddle, I was informed that we, without a shadow of a doubt, are NOT cougars.
We are pumas.
That's right, pumas.
Although the exact reasoning of this distinction has been lost in a fog of Tom Collins', white wine and deliciously girly martinis, it stands to reason that, while we may be older than some of the guys out at the club, we are no where near old enough to be their mothers.
Which I suppose would qualify as a definition of a cougar...
Two birds, one stone.
This coming from the ladies who decided long ago that every woman must have a "dick match" somewhere in the world, and that she should neither give up nor give in before she finds it.
Solving the world's most pressing issues, one case at a time.
Don't get me wrong, I like to go out with my girls and cut the occasional rug. I can even hold my own with the liquor when the time's right (if, by "hold my own with the liquor" I mean "have two drinks before I'm intoxicated enough to forget what tomorrow's going to feel like", then I can most definitely, unquestionably, "hold my own with the liquor").
Anyway, it had been quite some time since I had cut a rug, or any other form of floor covering for that matter, so this past weekend I opted to accompany Loren back home to Barrie for a much needed, well-deserved nocturnal adventure.
While we were getting ready, the girls began chatting about clubs, bars and boys. Or the lack thereof in our respective age group.
Here's the thing: we have now attained a new rank. We have moved up a box on the census age bracket. We are all, for the most part, hanging out in that grey area that is 26-30.
And while our friends are settling down, getting hitched and contemplating the finer details of procreation, we are, well, not. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't like a member of the opposite sex to peak our interest from time to time. It would be an added bonus, and so much more acceptable, if those guys had, say, graduated high school. Even better? Had a degree, diploma or work experience to add to the resume.
This of course lead to the inevitable question, the inescapable query: given our recent descent on what can only be described as the slippery slope toward 30, are we, or are we not, potential cougars?
Come on ladies, from the moment you first walked into the club and realized that that guy you were chatting up at the bar was, in actuality, your grade 6 reading buddy, you've been asking yourself the exact same question.
So when, exactly, does one become a cougar?
Well this particular group of friends are true philosophers and so, on this fateful night, I was introduced to yet another important theory. While we may not have solved the age-old cougar riddle, I was informed that we, without a shadow of a doubt, are NOT cougars.
We are pumas.
That's right, pumas.
Although the exact reasoning of this distinction has been lost in a fog of Tom Collins', white wine and deliciously girly martinis, it stands to reason that, while we may be older than some of the guys out at the club, we are no where near old enough to be their mothers.
Which I suppose would qualify as a definition of a cougar...
Two birds, one stone.
This coming from the ladies who decided long ago that every woman must have a "dick match" somewhere in the world, and that she should neither give up nor give in before she finds it.
Solving the world's most pressing issues, one case at a time.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Roma
Rome was, as always, beautiful.
We did it right this time and opted to do a walking tour of the city and of the Vatican Museums. Even with a background in History, so much eludes me and I didn't think that it was fair for me to never have answers whenever Mum asked "What is this?". What can I say? My memory's crap.
We did the tours with the same company we used for the bike tour in Florence. It was a good decision, seeing as they have a 10 person maximum to their groups and you get little earphones to better hear your guide. Our guide for the city tour was knowledgeable, but was feeling the effects of the party the night before and was therefore less than enthusiastic. I get it, you're hung over, you see this stuff everyday, it's not a holiday for you, it's work but SERIOUSLY?!?! We're standing in the freakin' Coliseum and you're talking about FOOTBALL? At least PRETEND to be a little awed or interested or...something...
Our guide for the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica was the COMPLETE opposite of lackluster Massimo from the Coliseum. Guido (ya, that was his real name. You can't make this shit up) is an archaeologist who is currently excavating underneath the present city of Rome. He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and, in my opinion, a complete rockstar. I'm telling you, if he weren't a married, 50-something Italian national, I'd be off the market by now.
I learnt a lot from Guido, had a grade 11 brush-up from Massimo (although R.C. was SO much more thorough... she would have been disappointed, no doubt) and enjoyed my over priced gelatto as I looked upon the Trevi Fountain for the first time.
So that was day one. A combined-total of eight hours of walking, plus a trek from the Vatican City back to our hotel by Termini Station in the pouring rain. We were pretty much exhausted, but it was well worth it.
Day two saw us wandering around the city and hanging out at the Spanish Steps. I know they're a big deal and all, but I just DON'T GET IT. They're STEPS. Well designed, picturesque, beautifully adorned with flowers...but a staircase nonetheless. Mum says I just don't appreciate art. Who knew?
On my birthday (which I might add, is today...) I got to choose what to do (and rightfully so!) so we hoped on a train and got off in the middle of nowhere in Tarquinia.
As you all know, this was basically the home-base of the Etruscans. I mean, everyone who's ANYONE knows that.
You should all therefore also know that this is where the National Etruscan Museum is, as well as where some of the most beautiful and well-preserved tombs can be found.
It took us a solid day, but in the end we managed to visit each and every one of the tombs that was open to the public in the booming necropolis, including the "Tomb of the Flogging". Kinky kinky. (see below)
We also hung out for a time in the museum where I got to see some of the most creative and educational flatware I have ever seen! The Indian's may have created the kama sutra to bring couples closer together, but the Etruscan's sure do know how to educate the public on the finer details of a hot and steamy quickie! I tried to get some pictures, but the guards there are very good at their job...
And so my travels have just about ended. Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6 am and 24 hours from now I will be back at home, eating delicious food, chatting face to face with my closest friends and breathing in the ever comforting smell of my horses. There is always a sense of sadness at the end of a trip, but this time I'm also ready to go home, to find a base and begin a "life".
I'm almost certain that within a month I'll be eating those words.
We did it right this time and opted to do a walking tour of the city and of the Vatican Museums. Even with a background in History, so much eludes me and I didn't think that it was fair for me to never have answers whenever Mum asked "What is this?". What can I say? My memory's crap.
We did the tours with the same company we used for the bike tour in Florence. It was a good decision, seeing as they have a 10 person maximum to their groups and you get little earphones to better hear your guide. Our guide for the city tour was knowledgeable, but was feeling the effects of the party the night before and was therefore less than enthusiastic. I get it, you're hung over, you see this stuff everyday, it's not a holiday for you, it's work but SERIOUSLY?!?! We're standing in the freakin' Coliseum and you're talking about FOOTBALL? At least PRETEND to be a little awed or interested or...something...
Our guide for the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica was the COMPLETE opposite of lackluster Massimo from the Coliseum. Guido (ya, that was his real name. You can't make this shit up) is an archaeologist who is currently excavating underneath the present city of Rome. He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and, in my opinion, a complete rockstar. I'm telling you, if he weren't a married, 50-something Italian national, I'd be off the market by now.
I learnt a lot from Guido, had a grade 11 brush-up from Massimo (although R.C. was SO much more thorough... she would have been disappointed, no doubt) and enjoyed my over priced gelatto as I looked upon the Trevi Fountain for the first time.
So that was day one. A combined-total of eight hours of walking, plus a trek from the Vatican City back to our hotel by Termini Station in the pouring rain. We were pretty much exhausted, but it was well worth it.
Day two saw us wandering around the city and hanging out at the Spanish Steps. I know they're a big deal and all, but I just DON'T GET IT. They're STEPS. Well designed, picturesque, beautifully adorned with flowers...but a staircase nonetheless. Mum says I just don't appreciate art. Who knew?
On my birthday (which I might add, is today...) I got to choose what to do (and rightfully so!) so we hoped on a train and got off in the middle of nowhere in Tarquinia.
As you all know, this was basically the home-base of the Etruscans. I mean, everyone who's ANYONE knows that.
You should all therefore also know that this is where the National Etruscan Museum is, as well as where some of the most beautiful and well-preserved tombs can be found.
It took us a solid day, but in the end we managed to visit each and every one of the tombs that was open to the public in the booming necropolis, including the "Tomb of the Flogging". Kinky kinky. (see below)
We also hung out for a time in the museum where I got to see some of the most creative and educational flatware I have ever seen! The Indian's may have created the kama sutra to bring couples closer together, but the Etruscan's sure do know how to educate the public on the finer details of a hot and steamy quickie! I tried to get some pictures, but the guards there are very good at their job...
And so my travels have just about ended. Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6 am and 24 hours from now I will be back at home, eating delicious food, chatting face to face with my closest friends and breathing in the ever comforting smell of my horses. There is always a sense of sadness at the end of a trip, but this time I'm also ready to go home, to find a base and begin a "life".
I'm almost certain that within a month I'll be eating those words.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Santa Maria Del Fiore
I just realized that I forgot to blog about one of my favourite places in one of my favourite cities!
Santa Maria Del Fiore aka "The Duomo".
She's this absolutely stunning thirteenth century cathedral boasting a nineteenth century pink, white and green neogothic marble facade that miraculously managed to survive the Second World War (relatively) unscathed.
She's also one of the most secular cathedrals I've ever been in, thanks to the majority of her funding coming not from the church, but rather from the lay people of Florence. But that's about all of the history I'm going to write about here (I promise)... if you want to know more ask my cousin Emma, who, as it turns out, is a huge geek too and actually wrote a history paper about Santa Maria Del Fiore. At least I'm not alone in this vast wilderness...
It was love at first sight in 2006 but unfortunately we didn't get to climb the 463 steps up to the dome back then because one of my traveling buddies managed to break her foot in Ireland and we didn't think it was fair to make her trudge all the way up and back.
As it turns out, that was probably a great idea seeing as the steps are, in and of themselves, an adventure.
I could handle the confined, narrow, winding steps. I enjoyed the spectacular view of Florence from the top of the dome. What I was not prepared for was the walk around the INSIDE of the dome.
When you get halfway up the stairs, the path leads you to a narrow ledge that encircles the dome. It's about the same width as a person and has a railing and a plexiglass wall/ guard-type-thingy. The purpose of this walkway is lovely: you can see the beautiful depiction of the Last Judgement on the dome up close and personal, take pictures, admire the art. It's an amazing thing to partake of.
Unless you happen to suffer from vertigo and make the startling discovery that you are, indeed, claustrophobic when tightly confined on a narrow walkway some bazillion feet above the ground, being pushed along in a seemingly endless current of tourists while nothing but a thin sheet of plastic prevents you from plunging headfirst to a gruesome death.
It could happen.
Inevitably, as I made this discovery I was stuck behind a couple who, obviously unaware of the danger (and therefore blind to my clammy hands and crazy eyes), had to stop every two steps to admire the painting and take pictures while I clung to the wall and looked longingly at the exit.
On this day, I almost committed murder. But, you'll be happy to know, I (narrowly) managed to refrain. (GO TEAM!)
Eventually I did manage to look up. My effort was rewarded with a glimpse at a demon's rather large (and, of course, beautifully painted and anatomically correct) penis.
Magnifico.
**Seriously though, it's probably one of the most beautiful churches I've ever been in (narrowly beaten out for top spot by Saint Peter's) and well worth the trek to the top of the dome (even if you are a claustrophobic, vertigo-prone individual with a vivid imagination and a touch of the crazy).**
Santa Maria Del Fiore aka "The Duomo".
She's this absolutely stunning thirteenth century cathedral boasting a nineteenth century pink, white and green neogothic marble facade that miraculously managed to survive the Second World War (relatively) unscathed.
She's also one of the most secular cathedrals I've ever been in, thanks to the majority of her funding coming not from the church, but rather from the lay people of Florence. But that's about all of the history I'm going to write about here (I promise)... if you want to know more ask my cousin Emma, who, as it turns out, is a huge geek too and actually wrote a history paper about Santa Maria Del Fiore. At least I'm not alone in this vast wilderness...
It was love at first sight in 2006 but unfortunately we didn't get to climb the 463 steps up to the dome back then because one of my traveling buddies managed to break her foot in Ireland and we didn't think it was fair to make her trudge all the way up and back.
As it turns out, that was probably a great idea seeing as the steps are, in and of themselves, an adventure.
I could handle the confined, narrow, winding steps. I enjoyed the spectacular view of Florence from the top of the dome. What I was not prepared for was the walk around the INSIDE of the dome.
When you get halfway up the stairs, the path leads you to a narrow ledge that encircles the dome. It's about the same width as a person and has a railing and a plexiglass wall/ guard-type-thingy. The purpose of this walkway is lovely: you can see the beautiful depiction of the Last Judgement on the dome up close and personal, take pictures, admire the art. It's an amazing thing to partake of.
Unless you happen to suffer from vertigo and make the startling discovery that you are, indeed, claustrophobic when tightly confined on a narrow walkway some bazillion feet above the ground, being pushed along in a seemingly endless current of tourists while nothing but a thin sheet of plastic prevents you from plunging headfirst to a gruesome death.
It could happen.
Inevitably, as I made this discovery I was stuck behind a couple who, obviously unaware of the danger (and therefore blind to my clammy hands and crazy eyes), had to stop every two steps to admire the painting and take pictures while I clung to the wall and looked longingly at the exit.
On this day, I almost committed murder. But, you'll be happy to know, I (narrowly) managed to refrain. (GO TEAM!)
Eventually I did manage to look up. My effort was rewarded with a glimpse at a demon's rather large (and, of course, beautifully painted and anatomically correct) penis.
Magnifico.
**Seriously though, it's probably one of the most beautiful churches I've ever been in (narrowly beaten out for top spot by Saint Peter's) and well worth the trek to the top of the dome (even if you are a claustrophobic, vertigo-prone individual with a vivid imagination and a touch of the crazy).**
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Chianti Wine, Tuscan Oil and Naked (Marble) Men
Wow. That last post was pretty brutal.
I pledge to do better.
Well, to try to do better anyway.
My love affair with Florence has continued and, thanks to a whole lot of wine, may actually have intensified some.
On Friday Mum and I went on a bike tour/ wine tasting/ olive oil tasting. Despite my almost non-existant cardiovascular fitness, I had an amazing time. Chianti is a gorgeous area and the wine (and olive oil) we sampled were pretty much to die for (even the white, and I'm not usually into white!).
The only downside was that Florence is in a valley, so no matter what, if you want to get out you need to go up. And up. And up. All the way up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, to be precise. And then further up. This was all fine and good (I figured that I was doing my heart some good while at the same time crawling out of the carb coma I've been in for the past week and a half) until about seven pm when the lactic acid started to attack my poor quads. A word to the wise here: don't forget to drink loads of water and walk it off! I'm fairly anal about following this rule with my ponies but for some reason I figured that I myself would be immune. As it turns out, this is not true. Eventually (thanks to watchtvsitcoms.com) I fell asleep and (thank God) when I woke up, no pain remained but that which was caused from sitting on a man's mountain bike seat for seven hours.(which is, I may point out, not a great idea either...)
We met some pretty great people in our small group (almost all Canadians!) and it was great to watch how the sunshine, the "Tuscan Sun" and, primarily, the wine, took an already cheerful and chatty group to the next level of comaraderie!
Today was our last day here so we decided to take a quick trip out to Siena after an even quicker visit to the Galleria dell'Academia. Siena was very impressive, but I with I could say the same for the gallery.
Housing a respectful collection of thirteenth century paintings (think, "Madonna and Child" or "The Crucifiction", multiplied by ten on every wall of almost every room), a room chock full of nineteenth century plaster moulds of original marble statues and a hallway of *possible* Michelangelos, the main attraction is, not surprisingly, the original David.
Traditionally, thirteenth century art is often shockingly grotesque, however it creates an impressive contrast when coupled with David. He is at once bright, self-assured and pensive in a room surrounded by paintings which are dark and condemning. Although I found the overall collection a bit disappointing, I enjoyed analyzing the museological aspects of the gallery. Because I'm a huge geek. Check.
Anyway, as I'd mentioned, Siena was lovely. There's nothing that's a "must see" so to say, it's just that the entire city is beautiful. It's one of those laid back, relaxed, picturesque sort of places (despite the bus loads of tourists) that makes you wonder about the Italy of times long past.
I'm a geek, we've already covered this.
So we're off to Rome tomorrow; our last stop and another of my favourite places. Although I doubt we'll have free internet access in our room, I will blog at least once about The Eternal City. Pinky swear.
ps: it's Sunday by the time I actually got around to posting this and, because everything's closed, we headed to good old Mickey D's for coffee (which is sacrilege seeing as we're in Italy, but who am I to demand decent coffee on the day of rest?) and, much to my surprise, what do I see but MacDonald's CAFE?!?! That's right, a cafe. With real coffee and pastries and an espresso machine... I think my brain just exploded...
I pledge to do better.
Well, to try to do better anyway.
My love affair with Florence has continued and, thanks to a whole lot of wine, may actually have intensified some.
On Friday Mum and I went on a bike tour/ wine tasting/ olive oil tasting. Despite my almost non-existant cardiovascular fitness, I had an amazing time. Chianti is a gorgeous area and the wine (and olive oil) we sampled were pretty much to die for (even the white, and I'm not usually into white!).
The only downside was that Florence is in a valley, so no matter what, if you want to get out you need to go up. And up. And up. All the way up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, to be precise. And then further up. This was all fine and good (I figured that I was doing my heart some good while at the same time crawling out of the carb coma I've been in for the past week and a half) until about seven pm when the lactic acid started to attack my poor quads. A word to the wise here: don't forget to drink loads of water and walk it off! I'm fairly anal about following this rule with my ponies but for some reason I figured that I myself would be immune. As it turns out, this is not true. Eventually (thanks to watchtvsitcoms.com) I fell asleep and (thank God) when I woke up, no pain remained but that which was caused from sitting on a man's mountain bike seat for seven hours.(which is, I may point out, not a great idea either...)
We met some pretty great people in our small group (almost all Canadians!) and it was great to watch how the sunshine, the "Tuscan Sun" and, primarily, the wine, took an already cheerful and chatty group to the next level of comaraderie!
Today was our last day here so we decided to take a quick trip out to Siena after an even quicker visit to the Galleria dell'Academia. Siena was very impressive, but I with I could say the same for the gallery.
Housing a respectful collection of thirteenth century paintings (think, "Madonna and Child" or "The Crucifiction", multiplied by ten on every wall of almost every room), a room chock full of nineteenth century plaster moulds of original marble statues and a hallway of *possible* Michelangelos, the main attraction is, not surprisingly, the original David.
Traditionally, thirteenth century art is often shockingly grotesque, however it creates an impressive contrast when coupled with David. He is at once bright, self-assured and pensive in a room surrounded by paintings which are dark and condemning. Although I found the overall collection a bit disappointing, I enjoyed analyzing the museological aspects of the gallery. Because I'm a huge geek. Check.
Anyway, as I'd mentioned, Siena was lovely. There's nothing that's a "must see" so to say, it's just that the entire city is beautiful. It's one of those laid back, relaxed, picturesque sort of places (despite the bus loads of tourists) that makes you wonder about the Italy of times long past.
I'm a geek, we've already covered this.
So we're off to Rome tomorrow; our last stop and another of my favourite places. Although I doubt we'll have free internet access in our room, I will blog at least once about The Eternal City. Pinky swear.
ps: it's Sunday by the time I actually got around to posting this and, because everything's closed, we headed to good old Mickey D's for coffee (which is sacrilege seeing as we're in Italy, but who am I to demand decent coffee on the day of rest?) and, much to my surprise, what do I see but MacDonald's CAFE?!?! That's right, a cafe. With real coffee and pastries and an espresso machine... I think my brain just exploded...
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Quick Notes on Italy
I've rekindled a great love with one near and dear to my heart today-- Florence.
We arrived this afternoon and it was definitely like coming home. I say that a lot, so I guess there are quite a few places that I've grown to love in the past few years...
Florence is just one of those cities that you can't help but love. It's bright and busy, but infinitely in touch with its historical side (which, obviously, is important to me).
The train ride from Venice didn't hurt either. There's something comforting about the Italian countryside-- I think it may be that only rich, earthy tones are to be found, no matter where you look. It's beautiful and soft and, well, comforting...
Apparently I'm not at my most articulate today, so perhaps I should keep this short...
Venice was a quaint city and definitely nicer than I had anticipated (I had heard a lot of negative comments prior to my visit). It rained the whole time we were there, so it was cold and wet, but that didn't really detract from the whole experience.
It was beautiful but, like I said, it's great to be back in Florence.
We're here for six more days, so I'm sure I'll have more to write about (and hopefully I'll actually be able to express those thoughts and feelings by then...)
ps: the food has most definitely improved too!
We arrived this afternoon and it was definitely like coming home. I say that a lot, so I guess there are quite a few places that I've grown to love in the past few years...
Florence is just one of those cities that you can't help but love. It's bright and busy, but infinitely in touch with its historical side (which, obviously, is important to me).
The train ride from Venice didn't hurt either. There's something comforting about the Italian countryside-- I think it may be that only rich, earthy tones are to be found, no matter where you look. It's beautiful and soft and, well, comforting...
Apparently I'm not at my most articulate today, so perhaps I should keep this short...
Venice was a quaint city and definitely nicer than I had anticipated (I had heard a lot of negative comments prior to my visit). It rained the whole time we were there, so it was cold and wet, but that didn't really detract from the whole experience.
It was beautiful but, like I said, it's great to be back in Florence.
We're here for six more days, so I'm sure I'll have more to write about (and hopefully I'll actually be able to express those thoughts and feelings by then...)
ps: the food has most definitely improved too!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
La Bella Italia
I managed to find my way to Italy, despite my brief lapse into Abu Dhabi (a city in the middle of the desert, how cool is that?!?!), and I even found my mother at the airport. I'm pretty much a rockstar, I know.
Milano was, by all accounts, disappointing. It was dull and drab and left me feeling uninspired. Perhaps if I ever find the millionaire within I will venture back in the throes of Fashion Week and experience her in all her glory. Perhaps then it won't rain quite as much either... I've heard that Milano is the London of Italy and that the weather is often reminiscent of London's. I should have known what this meant and therefore been prepared for it (having just spent a solid chunk of time in sunnier climes I was unprepared for ten degrees and pouring rain) however London has always been good to me, showing her bright side on all of my visits... Oh well, despite my brief time in Milano, we all know she lives in the lime light!
Verona, by contrast, has been lovely. Despite the Romeo and Juliet kitsch that pervades the city, it's beautiful and relaxed (and blessedly sunny!).
And the Shakespearian throw-backs aren't all bad... legend has it that if you stand under Juliet's balcony and rub the breast of her statue you will find true love. Fear not! I polished her lady lumps thoroughly! I'll keep everyone posted regarding how that works for me...
Tomorrow we're off to Venice. I'm going to try my best to keep mum from falling into the canals (and, on second thought, myself as well) but I can't make any promises. I'm pretty excited to explore the city and am very anxious to get back to Roma too!
ps: no earthquakes to date...
Milano was, by all accounts, disappointing. It was dull and drab and left me feeling uninspired. Perhaps if I ever find the millionaire within I will venture back in the throes of Fashion Week and experience her in all her glory. Perhaps then it won't rain quite as much either... I've heard that Milano is the London of Italy and that the weather is often reminiscent of London's. I should have known what this meant and therefore been prepared for it (having just spent a solid chunk of time in sunnier climes I was unprepared for ten degrees and pouring rain) however London has always been good to me, showing her bright side on all of my visits... Oh well, despite my brief time in Milano, we all know she lives in the lime light!
Verona, by contrast, has been lovely. Despite the Romeo and Juliet kitsch that pervades the city, it's beautiful and relaxed (and blessedly sunny!).
And the Shakespearian throw-backs aren't all bad... legend has it that if you stand under Juliet's balcony and rub the breast of her statue you will find true love. Fear not! I polished her lady lumps thoroughly! I'll keep everyone posted regarding how that works for me...
Tomorrow we're off to Venice. I'm going to try my best to keep mum from falling into the canals (and, on second thought, myself as well) but I can't make any promises. I'm pretty excited to explore the city and am very anxious to get back to Roma too!
ps: no earthquakes to date...
Monday, April 13, 2009
India in a Virtual Nutshell, Part 2
After my last post, India continued to be a combination of columns A and B ("A" being uber cool and "B" representing experiences that had us yearning for the peace and anonymity of Canada).
On our last day in Jaipur, Caitlin and I both had henna done by a very sweet and incredibly talented woman called Sheshi. She invited us back to breakfast with her family the following day, which turned out to be a highlight of the trip.
Following a delicious meal of stuffed parantha and chai masala (my new favourite tea!), we were taken to the various temples where she and her children go to pray each day.
Unsure of my own faith, I've always been interested in the religion and faith of others and I tend to get overly emotional at important or potentially important places (I cried like a baby during my first visit to Canterbury Cathedral, Temple Church and Stonehenge, to name a few...). Surprisingly, I hadn't experienced this intense emotional connection at any of the Hindu temples we had visited throughout our trip. However, attending these places with Sheshi and her family was a more moving experience for me. These small, intimate temples proved to be much more appealing to me than the large, elaborate ones we had frequented. This, combined with the hospitality of Sheshi and her family, made it a wonderful morning, despite the presence of Creepy Driver Guy.
In the afternoon we headed to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Our visit was more than worth the 750 rupee admission fee; so much so that we could almost forget the hassle of getting past the guards! (Apparently mine and Caitlin's combined possession of a plug, a Nintendo DS and a deck of cards put us on par with Osama Bin Laden... While I realize that security measures are going to be high when visiting one of the World Wonders, I have yet to hear of an incident -- although I am not, admittedly, an explosives expert -- where anything at all was blown-up by a playing card... but like I said, what do I know?)
The Taj is, undeniably, a beautiful structure and a work of art. The outside is covered in verses from the Quaran and seeing it re-enforced my desire to learn more about Islam. Hopefully at a later date I will be able to do so!
After enjoying a lovely sunset in the shadow of the Taj, we headed to one of the sketchiest train stations I have ever been in (and I've spent a fair bit of time in some really dodgey ones...). It was alright though, because our sleeper trained proved to be a fitting match to the train station. Overnight trains in India are NOTHING like their European counterparts. I'm not sure why this surprised me, but sleeping in an open car, surrounded by all of our luggage and about thirty unknown men was not conducive to a good night's sleep...
Exhausted, and more than a little irritable, we finally arrived at Varanasi (and only three hours late! Here I would usually make some off-hand comment about Mussolini, but I'm not going to do that in case someone takes me literally and I get myself into a whole host of trouble... anyway, use your imagination. That way, whatever you come up with can't be pinned on yours truly, but rather only on your own questionable conscience and morality. :P)
The city of Shiva was an... interesting... experience. We went to the burning ghats to learn about Hindu funerary rites. As the most sacred city in India, it is believed that dying in Varanasi sends the soul directly to nirvana, thereby releasing it from the cycle of birth and death. My spiritual side found this incredibly intriguing, but my logical side couldn't help but think of the environmental effects of the way in which the bodies of the dead are disposed of.
When an Indian Hindu dies, the body is often brought to Varanasi to be burned on a funeral pyre of sandalwood (real or artificial). Upon arrival to the burning ghat, the body is washed in the Ganges and left to dry. Once cremated on the banks of the river, the ashes are scattered on the water. Everyone is desposed of as such, with the exception of children under twelve, holy men and lepers. These people are taken by boat to the middle of the river where their corpses are thrown over-board with a stone tied to their ankles.
Although the rite itself is spiritually appealing, it's also an environmental disaster.
The Ganges is so polluted that it's technically considered unsafe to bathe in, let alone to drink or cook with (the stats are actually unbelievable)... In addition to the sewage that runs freely into the river, and the garbage that is so carelessly tossed into the water, I doubt that the presence of human decay contributes to the sanitation of a water system that millions of people and animals depend on for survival.
The pollution through India (well, in the three states that we visited anyway) has put a bit of a damper on our trip. Everywhere you look there are massive amounts of rubbish: in the desert, in the cities, in the sacred Ganges... At one point we were driving past a man-made forest of saplings and EVERY SINGLE ONE of the trees had garbage tangled in its branches. In such a beautiful country where people are so patriotic, it's easy to imagine what a successful clean-up campaign could achieve.
We're back in Delhi now (and it's not so helish now that we're fully prepared and know exactly what to expect!) trying to fill the time before our 5 am flight to Abu Dhabi. We're both anxious to continue our travels so that we can (...wait for it...) reflect on our experience here in India. It has been a good one, albeit utterly exhausting, overwhelming and, at times, disheartening. Despite all of this (and the fact that I have yet to have an epiphany of any sort!) I'm very glad to have come, seen some of the country and to have had the opportunity to experience a bit of the culture, thanks to some of the amazing (and amazingly creepy) people we met throughout our travels.
So I'm not going to promise to write more in the weeks to come, seeing as I can't seem to keep a promise to save my life as of late, but here's hoping!
On our last day in Jaipur, Caitlin and I both had henna done by a very sweet and incredibly talented woman called Sheshi. She invited us back to breakfast with her family the following day, which turned out to be a highlight of the trip.
Following a delicious meal of stuffed parantha and chai masala (my new favourite tea!), we were taken to the various temples where she and her children go to pray each day.
Unsure of my own faith, I've always been interested in the religion and faith of others and I tend to get overly emotional at important or potentially important places (I cried like a baby during my first visit to Canterbury Cathedral, Temple Church and Stonehenge, to name a few...). Surprisingly, I hadn't experienced this intense emotional connection at any of the Hindu temples we had visited throughout our trip. However, attending these places with Sheshi and her family was a more moving experience for me. These small, intimate temples proved to be much more appealing to me than the large, elaborate ones we had frequented. This, combined with the hospitality of Sheshi and her family, made it a wonderful morning, despite the presence of Creepy Driver Guy.
In the afternoon we headed to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Our visit was more than worth the 750 rupee admission fee; so much so that we could almost forget the hassle of getting past the guards! (Apparently mine and Caitlin's combined possession of a plug, a Nintendo DS and a deck of cards put us on par with Osama Bin Laden... While I realize that security measures are going to be high when visiting one of the World Wonders, I have yet to hear of an incident -- although I am not, admittedly, an explosives expert -- where anything at all was blown-up by a playing card... but like I said, what do I know?)
The Taj is, undeniably, a beautiful structure and a work of art. The outside is covered in verses from the Quaran and seeing it re-enforced my desire to learn more about Islam. Hopefully at a later date I will be able to do so!
After enjoying a lovely sunset in the shadow of the Taj, we headed to one of the sketchiest train stations I have ever been in (and I've spent a fair bit of time in some really dodgey ones...). It was alright though, because our sleeper trained proved to be a fitting match to the train station. Overnight trains in India are NOTHING like their European counterparts. I'm not sure why this surprised me, but sleeping in an open car, surrounded by all of our luggage and about thirty unknown men was not conducive to a good night's sleep...
Exhausted, and more than a little irritable, we finally arrived at Varanasi (and only three hours late! Here I would usually make some off-hand comment about Mussolini, but I'm not going to do that in case someone takes me literally and I get myself into a whole host of trouble... anyway, use your imagination. That way, whatever you come up with can't be pinned on yours truly, but rather only on your own questionable conscience and morality. :P)
The city of Shiva was an... interesting... experience. We went to the burning ghats to learn about Hindu funerary rites. As the most sacred city in India, it is believed that dying in Varanasi sends the soul directly to nirvana, thereby releasing it from the cycle of birth and death. My spiritual side found this incredibly intriguing, but my logical side couldn't help but think of the environmental effects of the way in which the bodies of the dead are disposed of.
When an Indian Hindu dies, the body is often brought to Varanasi to be burned on a funeral pyre of sandalwood (real or artificial). Upon arrival to the burning ghat, the body is washed in the Ganges and left to dry. Once cremated on the banks of the river, the ashes are scattered on the water. Everyone is desposed of as such, with the exception of children under twelve, holy men and lepers. These people are taken by boat to the middle of the river where their corpses are thrown over-board with a stone tied to their ankles.
Although the rite itself is spiritually appealing, it's also an environmental disaster.
The Ganges is so polluted that it's technically considered unsafe to bathe in, let alone to drink or cook with (the stats are actually unbelievable)... In addition to the sewage that runs freely into the river, and the garbage that is so carelessly tossed into the water, I doubt that the presence of human decay contributes to the sanitation of a water system that millions of people and animals depend on for survival.
The pollution through India (well, in the three states that we visited anyway) has put a bit of a damper on our trip. Everywhere you look there are massive amounts of rubbish: in the desert, in the cities, in the sacred Ganges... At one point we were driving past a man-made forest of saplings and EVERY SINGLE ONE of the trees had garbage tangled in its branches. In such a beautiful country where people are so patriotic, it's easy to imagine what a successful clean-up campaign could achieve.
We're back in Delhi now (and it's not so helish now that we're fully prepared and know exactly what to expect!) trying to fill the time before our 5 am flight to Abu Dhabi. We're both anxious to continue our travels so that we can (...wait for it...) reflect on our experience here in India. It has been a good one, albeit utterly exhausting, overwhelming and, at times, disheartening. Despite all of this (and the fact that I have yet to have an epiphany of any sort!) I'm very glad to have come, seen some of the country and to have had the opportunity to experience a bit of the culture, thanks to some of the amazing (and amazingly creepy) people we met throughout our travels.
So I'm not going to promise to write more in the weeks to come, seeing as I can't seem to keep a promise to save my life as of late, but here's hoping!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
India in a Virtual Nutshell, Part 1
Alright, so just because the connection in Delhi was faster than Malaysia it does not mean that the connection outside of Delhi will be the same...
We've been in India for just over a week now and I can honestly say that it's nothing like I thought it would be... Everyone always says that their first visit to the Indian Subcontinent is a life-altering experience. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I was expecting something monumental to overtake me. That has yet to happen and, in all honesty, I'm a little disappointed. I feel as though I've really come into myself during my time in Korea and Malaysia; I took a step back from my day to day life and made some very important realizations and, subsequently, equally influencial decisions. Perhaps it's because of these earlier revelations, or the fact that I need to leave the country before I feel the full extent of my travels. Maybe it's just because I've been feeling a little homesick lately. Whatever it is, it's definitely not what I expected. So what is it?
Delhi is pretty much my definition of hell. It's a bustling city that's been overcome with tauts. One day, while stopped at a red light with my window down, a little girl came begging for coins. Seeing as I didn't have any (and I refuse to encourage small children to beg) I said "no rupees" and proceeded to ignore her. That was all fine and good until she stuck her finger IN MY MOUTH. It was pretty horrible.
It's also very sad because people of every age are involved, from the oldest women I've ever seen outside a nursing home to the youngest infant. It seemed as though everyone was demanding money. Although this is pretty prevalent throughout India, Delhi was by far the worst. It hurt my heart but it's impossible to know the difference between the people who are truly in need and the ones who see it as easy money. Thank goodness there are legitimate cherities out there to donate to!
As I mentioned earlier, we were only in Delhi a short while before we decided to hire a car and a driver and get the hell outta dodge. That driver (not-so-affectionately deemed "Creepy Driver Guy"), although very attentive and omnipresent, has ended up being uber sketchy. Realizing this early on I gave him my best ice queen (which, as some of you know very well, can be downright freezing), and he seems to have gotten the point as his affections rapidly focussed on Caitlin. Although keeping him at bay has been a bit of a struggle, we've managed and it hasn't hindered our trip at all. It also helped that we had Creepy Driver Guy's not-so-creepy friend with us for a couple of days. He (more-affectionately-deemed "Creepy Driver Guy's Friend" turned out to be a sweetheart (albeit one in search of a mail order European bride...) who introduced us to his family in the village of Dudu (just outside of Jaipur).
This experience was a refreshing change of pace from the beggers and the tauts as we finally got a glimpse of the "real" India. It was a little difficult because tourists don't ever go to the village, so we were the main attraction for a few hours, but overall it was really cool. Everyone was so welcoming and warm and their hospitality will not be forgotten. It was so sweet to see how excited everyone was to meet new people and to hear about a different culture, even though communcation was difficult (which is, by the way, the understatement of the century). At one point Creepy Driver Guy's Friend pulled out a bunch of bananas to give to the kids and it was amazing how outrageously excited they were for bananas! I guess when you live in the middle of the desert, they are a rare delicacy!
Speaking of deserts, the camel safari was very cool. I didn't think I would ever consider the desert to be a beautiful or magical place, but it really is (and I don't care how "Hallmark" that sounds!). Again, it's one of those things that you can't fully understand without experiencing it, but I whole-heartedly believe that everyone needs to watch the sun set in the desert from the back of a camel, and count the stars whilst sitting beside that amazing animal, at least once before they quit this world.
So all in all, my first trip to India has been a mixed bag. I've fallen madly in love with tea and fully intend on planning a visit to Darjeeling at some point in the future, but other than that, I'm not sure I will return. I suppose, when all is said and done, only time will tell.
We head off to Agra tomorrow and then are on to Varanasi before Caitlin and I part ways. I'll write again when I get the chance, but I thought I should post this asap as I've been getting special requests for more blogging! ;)
Until next time
xxoo
We've been in India for just over a week now and I can honestly say that it's nothing like I thought it would be... Everyone always says that their first visit to the Indian Subcontinent is a life-altering experience. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I was expecting something monumental to overtake me. That has yet to happen and, in all honesty, I'm a little disappointed. I feel as though I've really come into myself during my time in Korea and Malaysia; I took a step back from my day to day life and made some very important realizations and, subsequently, equally influencial decisions. Perhaps it's because of these earlier revelations, or the fact that I need to leave the country before I feel the full extent of my travels. Maybe it's just because I've been feeling a little homesick lately. Whatever it is, it's definitely not what I expected. So what is it?
Delhi is pretty much my definition of hell. It's a bustling city that's been overcome with tauts. One day, while stopped at a red light with my window down, a little girl came begging for coins. Seeing as I didn't have any (and I refuse to encourage small children to beg) I said "no rupees" and proceeded to ignore her. That was all fine and good until she stuck her finger IN MY MOUTH. It was pretty horrible.
It's also very sad because people of every age are involved, from the oldest women I've ever seen outside a nursing home to the youngest infant. It seemed as though everyone was demanding money. Although this is pretty prevalent throughout India, Delhi was by far the worst. It hurt my heart but it's impossible to know the difference between the people who are truly in need and the ones who see it as easy money. Thank goodness there are legitimate cherities out there to donate to!
As I mentioned earlier, we were only in Delhi a short while before we decided to hire a car and a driver and get the hell outta dodge. That driver (not-so-affectionately deemed "Creepy Driver Guy"), although very attentive and omnipresent, has ended up being uber sketchy. Realizing this early on I gave him my best ice queen (which, as some of you know very well, can be downright freezing), and he seems to have gotten the point as his affections rapidly focussed on Caitlin. Although keeping him at bay has been a bit of a struggle, we've managed and it hasn't hindered our trip at all. It also helped that we had Creepy Driver Guy's not-so-creepy friend with us for a couple of days. He (more-affectionately-deemed "Creepy Driver Guy's Friend" turned out to be a sweetheart (albeit one in search of a mail order European bride...) who introduced us to his family in the village of Dudu (just outside of Jaipur).
This experience was a refreshing change of pace from the beggers and the tauts as we finally got a glimpse of the "real" India. It was a little difficult because tourists don't ever go to the village, so we were the main attraction for a few hours, but overall it was really cool. Everyone was so welcoming and warm and their hospitality will not be forgotten. It was so sweet to see how excited everyone was to meet new people and to hear about a different culture, even though communcation was difficult (which is, by the way, the understatement of the century). At one point Creepy Driver Guy's Friend pulled out a bunch of bananas to give to the kids and it was amazing how outrageously excited they were for bananas! I guess when you live in the middle of the desert, they are a rare delicacy!
Speaking of deserts, the camel safari was very cool. I didn't think I would ever consider the desert to be a beautiful or magical place, but it really is (and I don't care how "Hallmark" that sounds!). Again, it's one of those things that you can't fully understand without experiencing it, but I whole-heartedly believe that everyone needs to watch the sun set in the desert from the back of a camel, and count the stars whilst sitting beside that amazing animal, at least once before they quit this world.
So all in all, my first trip to India has been a mixed bag. I've fallen madly in love with tea and fully intend on planning a visit to Darjeeling at some point in the future, but other than that, I'm not sure I will return. I suppose, when all is said and done, only time will tell.
We head off to Agra tomorrow and then are on to Varanasi before Caitlin and I part ways. I'll write again when I get the chance, but I thought I should post this asap as I've been getting special requests for more blogging! ;)
Until next time
xxoo
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Namaste
Now that we're in Delhi I seem to have found a better internet connection, however seeing as we leave for a camel safari today I can't guarantee that I'll be blogging much more frequently. I know, I'm a horrible person. But on a positive note... yes, you did indeed hear me correctly CAMEL SAFARI. As in, riding a camel through, and sleeping in, the desert. Which is basically camping. I know some of you are oh so very proud right now...
I'm hoping my legs will hold up for this safari. I'm not sure how much you actually use your legs while riding a camel, but if it's anything remotely akin to riding a horse, I'm in trouble. See, here's my problem...
Our final weekend we went to Cherating which, despite all the hype, turned out to be nowhere near as nice as Langkawi. But they did have a riding facility. On the beach. With endurance horses. Needless to say, after having been nowhere near an equine in the past seven months, it didn't take much convincing to get me on the back of a feisty little grey Arab mare...
Now when you haven't ridden in seven months, the last thing you should probably do is go for an hour and a half long canter down the beach. In shorts. In a Wintec saddle. I am currently half crippled for all my muscle stiffness and have wonderful rub-burns on both my calves, but dammit it was worth it! It was just me and my "guide" (who barely spoke English but who was, apparently, incredibly excited to have someone to ride with) cantering for a full hour and a half (with a few walk breaks but I was still in awe of the mare's stamina! Beret would have had a heart attack I'm sure)down the beach (good footing!) on a beautiful day. The fact that we've been walking at half-speed and that the five hour flight to India just about killed me are but a small inconvenience. ^^
So that brings me to India... good food, good weather, amazing textiles (I'm trying oh so very hard)it's pretty great. Although my first day in Delhi found me wishing I could curl up in a ball and assume the fetal position. It is probably THE number one craziest, most hectic place on the face of the planet. I almost got run over by an ox cart, an autorickshaw, a bicycle and a motorcycle in a single attempt at a road crossing. No jokes.
While it's been an experience, we're desperate to get out of the city. We've hired a driver/ car to take us around the state of Rajathstan for the next two weeks (definitely the way to go: convenient and affordable). Between him and the train system we'll see quite a bit, although the short period we have here meant that we had to cut out some of the places we wanted to see, most notably (for me, anyway) Mumbai and Darjeeling. I've just taken that to mean that we have a solid excuse to come back sometime. So, if anyone's interested, I'm planning a return trip...
I'm hoping my legs will hold up for this safari. I'm not sure how much you actually use your legs while riding a camel, but if it's anything remotely akin to riding a horse, I'm in trouble. See, here's my problem...
Our final weekend we went to Cherating which, despite all the hype, turned out to be nowhere near as nice as Langkawi. But they did have a riding facility. On the beach. With endurance horses. Needless to say, after having been nowhere near an equine in the past seven months, it didn't take much convincing to get me on the back of a feisty little grey Arab mare...
Now when you haven't ridden in seven months, the last thing you should probably do is go for an hour and a half long canter down the beach. In shorts. In a Wintec saddle. I am currently half crippled for all my muscle stiffness and have wonderful rub-burns on both my calves, but dammit it was worth it! It was just me and my "guide" (who barely spoke English but who was, apparently, incredibly excited to have someone to ride with) cantering for a full hour and a half (with a few walk breaks but I was still in awe of the mare's stamina! Beret would have had a heart attack I'm sure)down the beach (good footing!) on a beautiful day. The fact that we've been walking at half-speed and that the five hour flight to India just about killed me are but a small inconvenience. ^^
So that brings me to India... good food, good weather, amazing textiles (I'm trying oh so very hard)it's pretty great. Although my first day in Delhi found me wishing I could curl up in a ball and assume the fetal position. It is probably THE number one craziest, most hectic place on the face of the planet. I almost got run over by an ox cart, an autorickshaw, a bicycle and a motorcycle in a single attempt at a road crossing. No jokes.
While it's been an experience, we're desperate to get out of the city. We've hired a driver/ car to take us around the state of Rajathstan for the next two weeks (definitely the way to go: convenient and affordable). Between him and the train system we'll see quite a bit, although the short period we have here meant that we had to cut out some of the places we wanted to see, most notably (for me, anyway) Mumbai and Darjeeling. I've just taken that to mean that we have a solid excuse to come back sometime. So, if anyone's interested, I'm planning a return trip...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Yippee!
It's official! I'm allowed to visit India! I picked up my passport, complete with a shiny new visa, today! :D
It's about damn time too! In the process of getting these visas we've experienced rats and cockroaches, gotten lost (more than once) trying to find a bank in Chinatown, been spit on by homeless men (well, Caitlin was, but I felt her pain...), had an excellent discussion with a Brit and a Scottsman in a pub about String Theory, had a super sketchy conversation in the same bar with a Malay, a Singaporean and an Indian (complete with a marriage proposal. Ya, I'm that good.) and just been frustrated in general. Not to mention having to come to another country to have the process completed!
Not that I'm complaining, because I've pretty much decided that I love this country.
I'm just sayin'...
Our flight leaves on Monday evening and I am uber excited. Words can't even express...
ps: Here's sending lots of love and a big birthday shout-out to all of my friends/ family with birthdays this week! I hope everyone had amazing birthdays! xxoo
It's about damn time too! In the process of getting these visas we've experienced rats and cockroaches, gotten lost (more than once) trying to find a bank in Chinatown, been spit on by homeless men (well, Caitlin was, but I felt her pain...), had an excellent discussion with a Brit and a Scottsman in a pub about String Theory, had a super sketchy conversation in the same bar with a Malay, a Singaporean and an Indian (complete with a marriage proposal. Ya, I'm that good.) and just been frustrated in general. Not to mention having to come to another country to have the process completed!
Not that I'm complaining, because I've pretty much decided that I love this country.
I'm just sayin'...
Our flight leaves on Monday evening and I am uber excited. Words can't even express...
ps: Here's sending lots of love and a big birthday shout-out to all of my friends/ family with birthdays this week! I hope everyone had amazing birthdays! xxoo
Monday, March 23, 2009
Planes, Trains and Mannies by Trannys...
So we've just arrived back in Kuala Lumpur after an amazing weekend on the island of Langkawi. This spot is a popular tourist destination and is, apparently, a hub for Malaysian and European tourists alike, however it was pretty dead this weekend, despite a footy tournament that was going on right outside our beach-front chalet. I know, life is tough...
The journey to Langkawi was pretty epic. First we had to take a seven hour train ride from Kuala Lumpur to the town of Butterworth. Given my intense scrutiny and dislike of public restrooms (and by "dislike" I mean "I find them utterly appalling and refuse to use them")this trip was a feat in and of itself. I'm not about to use a bathroom on a train at home, let alone a squat toilet in a public restroom that happens to be moving... (side note: I'm also a terrible squatter..)So I made it a point to drink absolutely nothing on Thursday and managed to get through the journey without visiting the little girls' room (which, given Caitlin's description of these facilities, was pretty much a God-send).
It was about 10 pm when we hopped off the train, so we opted to take a cab across the longest bridge in South East Asia (I feel like an old lady incorporating facts like that into my blog, but this thing was massively long...)seeing as the ferry was only running hourly by this point and we didn't feel like waiting. As soon as we made it to the island of Penang we found a hotel which was unfortunate because our hotel-grading abilities must have been blocked by either the lack of food or water in our systems. This place was NASTY (facilities and patrons alike...). By far the worst place I've ever attempted to sleep; "attempted" being the key here... No worries, because the ferry to Langkawi left blissfully early the next morning, so we didn't have to stay in that room for long.
The three hour ferry ride was incredibly beautiful and calming--Langkawi is the biggest of a group of islands off the south west coast of Malaysia (any further south and we would have been in Thailand, literally) so there were lots of tiny islands to gaze upon as well as fishing boats to observe and, when all else failed, the wide open Adaman Sea! Although sunblock may have been a good idea seeing as I did wind up with the sexiest farmer's burn Malaysia's ever seen...
We found a clean, cheap chalet on the beach to pass the weekend. It was right in front of the football so we got to listen to music, watch the tourney, sunbathe and swim all at the same time. When we were sufficiently roasted (it didn't take long for our Casper-esque bodies to turn a nice shade of lobster, despite the Coppertone) we hung up our suits and treated ourselves to manicures and pedicures. As I'm sure you have deduced by this point, the exceptional aesthitician who did my manicure was definitely a tranny, beard and all. I mention this not because I'm opposed to having my nails done by a transvestite, but rather because in a country where anything outside of heterosexuality is seriously frowned upon, I was surprised to see someone so openly transgendered, especially on the island of Langkawi with its predominantly Muslim population.
It ended up being a horrible manicure. Not because of the aesthitician's sexual orientation (obviously) but rather because in my quest to find a neutral colour of nail polish from an astonishingly small selection I wound up with beige nails. That's right, BEIGE. Think of the women in your great grandmother's bingo group. Think Spanx and mothballs. It didn't even look like I had fingernails. It was freakishly horrifying and I immediately (well, after taking a few pics to document the adventure...) bought some remover and rid myself of all evidence of my terrible decision making (for those of you who have ever become frustrated with my indecision, THIS is evidence as to why I should never, ever choose anything. Could you imagine if that had been a meal?!?!)
Speaking of meals, I had some of the best of my life on the island. I'm not even joking. God I love food...
After our self-indulgence we returned to our chalet to discover that our nice, conservative, black one-piece bathing suits had been stolen from the drying rack outside our room. Back to the main strip we went, returning with rather revealing bikinis (you'd think that in a predominantly Muslim community you'd be able to buy a one piece...). After that we hung everything to dry in our bathroom. (Aside: seriously, who steals bathing suits?!?!)
All in all, it was a great weekend. Langkawi is a gorgeous place and the beach was lovely; this was the first time that I've actually experienced bath water warm water! Because we enjoyed it so much we, obviously, decided to stay in Malaysia, despite our close proximity to Thailand. Guess I'll have to save that for another adventure...
And now we wait for our Indian visas. Hopefully we'll have some time to hit up the east coast (apparently the beaches there are even nicer than Langkawi) before we fly to Delhi next week. In closing I leave you with a few interesting things I've leart this week:
--Muslim women often swim fully clothed (hence the lack of one piece bathsuits).
--Those hoses in public restrooms are not for cleaning the area around the squat toilet when one happens to "miss". They are actually intented to be used as bidets. (I'm not a machine, I was bound to have to use one sooner or later. The restroom that is, not the hose. Ewy.)
--When you have 7 hours on a train, you become an epic Tetris player.
The journey to Langkawi was pretty epic. First we had to take a seven hour train ride from Kuala Lumpur to the town of Butterworth. Given my intense scrutiny and dislike of public restrooms (and by "dislike" I mean "I find them utterly appalling and refuse to use them")this trip was a feat in and of itself. I'm not about to use a bathroom on a train at home, let alone a squat toilet in a public restroom that happens to be moving... (side note: I'm also a terrible squatter..)So I made it a point to drink absolutely nothing on Thursday and managed to get through the journey without visiting the little girls' room (which, given Caitlin's description of these facilities, was pretty much a God-send).
It was about 10 pm when we hopped off the train, so we opted to take a cab across the longest bridge in South East Asia (I feel like an old lady incorporating facts like that into my blog, but this thing was massively long...)seeing as the ferry was only running hourly by this point and we didn't feel like waiting. As soon as we made it to the island of Penang we found a hotel which was unfortunate because our hotel-grading abilities must have been blocked by either the lack of food or water in our systems. This place was NASTY (facilities and patrons alike...). By far the worst place I've ever attempted to sleep; "attempted" being the key here... No worries, because the ferry to Langkawi left blissfully early the next morning, so we didn't have to stay in that room for long.
The three hour ferry ride was incredibly beautiful and calming--Langkawi is the biggest of a group of islands off the south west coast of Malaysia (any further south and we would have been in Thailand, literally) so there were lots of tiny islands to gaze upon as well as fishing boats to observe and, when all else failed, the wide open Adaman Sea! Although sunblock may have been a good idea seeing as I did wind up with the sexiest farmer's burn Malaysia's ever seen...
We found a clean, cheap chalet on the beach to pass the weekend. It was right in front of the football so we got to listen to music, watch the tourney, sunbathe and swim all at the same time. When we were sufficiently roasted (it didn't take long for our Casper-esque bodies to turn a nice shade of lobster, despite the Coppertone) we hung up our suits and treated ourselves to manicures and pedicures. As I'm sure you have deduced by this point, the exceptional aesthitician who did my manicure was definitely a tranny, beard and all. I mention this not because I'm opposed to having my nails done by a transvestite, but rather because in a country where anything outside of heterosexuality is seriously frowned upon, I was surprised to see someone so openly transgendered, especially on the island of Langkawi with its predominantly Muslim population.
It ended up being a horrible manicure. Not because of the aesthitician's sexual orientation (obviously) but rather because in my quest to find a neutral colour of nail polish from an astonishingly small selection I wound up with beige nails. That's right, BEIGE. Think of the women in your great grandmother's bingo group. Think Spanx and mothballs. It didn't even look like I had fingernails. It was freakishly horrifying and I immediately (well, after taking a few pics to document the adventure...) bought some remover and rid myself of all evidence of my terrible decision making (for those of you who have ever become frustrated with my indecision, THIS is evidence as to why I should never, ever choose anything. Could you imagine if that had been a meal?!?!)
Speaking of meals, I had some of the best of my life on the island. I'm not even joking. God I love food...
After our self-indulgence we returned to our chalet to discover that our nice, conservative, black one-piece bathing suits had been stolen from the drying rack outside our room. Back to the main strip we went, returning with rather revealing bikinis (you'd think that in a predominantly Muslim community you'd be able to buy a one piece...). After that we hung everything to dry in our bathroom. (Aside: seriously, who steals bathing suits?!?!)
All in all, it was a great weekend. Langkawi is a gorgeous place and the beach was lovely; this was the first time that I've actually experienced bath water warm water! Because we enjoyed it so much we, obviously, decided to stay in Malaysia, despite our close proximity to Thailand. Guess I'll have to save that for another adventure...
And now we wait for our Indian visas. Hopefully we'll have some time to hit up the east coast (apparently the beaches there are even nicer than Langkawi) before we fly to Delhi next week. In closing I leave you with a few interesting things I've leart this week:
--Muslim women often swim fully clothed (hence the lack of one piece bathsuits).
--Those hoses in public restrooms are not for cleaning the area around the squat toilet when one happens to "miss". They are actually intented to be used as bidets. (I'm not a machine, I was bound to have to use one sooner or later. The restroom that is, not the hose. Ewy.)
--When you have 7 hours on a train, you become an epic Tetris player.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Selamat Petang!
Apologies in advance for any spelling/ grammatical errors. I'm writing in cafes for the duration of this trip so I won't have time to proof read and edit!
So we decided to spend some time in Malaysia before heading on to India because we were unable to gt Indian visas in Seoul. After a long series of unfortunate events, Caitlin ended up having to overstay her Korean visa and was therefore hiding out illegally in the country, which essentially made it impossible to contact any government offices of any kind, seeing as she was risking immediate deportation...
Naturally, we were concerned about getting out of the country, and had worked up fantastic scenarios in our heads of Caitlin being whisked off to a secret immigration office where unimaginable events would have occurred. As it turned out, it wasn't a big deal and they let her out of the country without so much as a sideways glance. Go figure.
We arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. It was a reasonable flight and I would highly recommend flying Malaysian Air to anyone traveling throughout Asia. We had several issues (having to cancel and reschedule, extend our layover, etc) and they were very helpful and the price was quite good. In all honesty, they've definitely taken top spot in my list of "favourite discount airline"!
Malaysia, or at least Kuala Lumpur, has so far proven to be a low-key yet highly enjoyable place. It's a little dirty, it was incredibly difficult to get my money exchanged (ie: all but impossible) and I had to kill cockroaches in our hotel room last night, but nevertheless it possesses an undeniable charm that I'm all but positive you need to experience to fully understand.
It's an incredibly diverse city. After experiencing the homogeneity of Seoul for so long, Caitlin and I were absolutely astounded by the variety of EVERYTHING. We just sat in a street side restaurant and people watched for an unbelievably long time, just taking it in. Maybe it's reverse culture shock, but I just feel incomprehensively lucky to be a part of such a multicultural city at the moment!
Added bonuses: it's VERY warm and humid (although a little overcast... Still, I'm not complaining seeing as we knew full well when we decided to come here that it was the beginning of the monsoon!), there's food that's not galbi and bibimbap (we went to an AMAZING vegetarian restaurant today and ate VEGETABLES! It was pretty incredible...), everyone speaks English (we were fully prepared for the kind of communication difficulties we experienced so frequently in Seoul, but we haven't encountered a single issue so far!)and EVERYONE we've met has been unbelievably kind and helpful. I'm not sure, perhaps it's just because I'm happy to be on vacation but so far I'm pretty into Malaysia!
We applied for our Indian visas today, and we have about a week before they'll be ready, so we're contemplating heading south to a beach somewhere and possibly on to Thailand, but we haven't decided on anything yet. I'll be sure to keep "everyone" posted!
Selamet Jalan, until next time!
So we decided to spend some time in Malaysia before heading on to India because we were unable to gt Indian visas in Seoul. After a long series of unfortunate events, Caitlin ended up having to overstay her Korean visa and was therefore hiding out illegally in the country, which essentially made it impossible to contact any government offices of any kind, seeing as she was risking immediate deportation...
Naturally, we were concerned about getting out of the country, and had worked up fantastic scenarios in our heads of Caitlin being whisked off to a secret immigration office where unimaginable events would have occurred. As it turned out, it wasn't a big deal and they let her out of the country without so much as a sideways glance. Go figure.
We arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. It was a reasonable flight and I would highly recommend flying Malaysian Air to anyone traveling throughout Asia. We had several issues (having to cancel and reschedule, extend our layover, etc) and they were very helpful and the price was quite good. In all honesty, they've definitely taken top spot in my list of "favourite discount airline"!
Malaysia, or at least Kuala Lumpur, has so far proven to be a low-key yet highly enjoyable place. It's a little dirty, it was incredibly difficult to get my money exchanged (ie: all but impossible) and I had to kill cockroaches in our hotel room last night, but nevertheless it possesses an undeniable charm that I'm all but positive you need to experience to fully understand.
It's an incredibly diverse city. After experiencing the homogeneity of Seoul for so long, Caitlin and I were absolutely astounded by the variety of EVERYTHING. We just sat in a street side restaurant and people watched for an unbelievably long time, just taking it in. Maybe it's reverse culture shock, but I just feel incomprehensively lucky to be a part of such a multicultural city at the moment!
Added bonuses: it's VERY warm and humid (although a little overcast... Still, I'm not complaining seeing as we knew full well when we decided to come here that it was the beginning of the monsoon!), there's food that's not galbi and bibimbap (we went to an AMAZING vegetarian restaurant today and ate VEGETABLES! It was pretty incredible...), everyone speaks English (we were fully prepared for the kind of communication difficulties we experienced so frequently in Seoul, but we haven't encountered a single issue so far!)and EVERYONE we've met has been unbelievably kind and helpful. I'm not sure, perhaps it's just because I'm happy to be on vacation but so far I'm pretty into Malaysia!
We applied for our Indian visas today, and we have about a week before they'll be ready, so we're contemplating heading south to a beach somewhere and possibly on to Thailand, but we haven't decided on anything yet. I'll be sure to keep "everyone" posted!
Selamet Jalan, until next time!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Few of My Favourite Things...
One of my favourite things to do is to sit by a window on a rainy day and just experience the weather. The dampness in the air, the smell, the sound... without a doubt I am happiest on rainy days.
Unfortunately, it doesn't actually rain much here, outside of the monsoon that is. I can actually count the number of days it has rained since my arrival. Three. No less and no more. And not one of those days included a storm. If I'm happy on rainy days, I become damn near ecstatic with the coming of a storm.
So imagine my surprise, the sheer joy I felt, when I awoke this morning and saw that it was raining!
Immediately I poured myself a cup of coffee, grabbed my book and sat on the window ledge in Rachel's apartment, completely content.
Other than finding time to enjoy the weather, this first week of vacation has been full of rediscovery. JeeYoung, Kyle's girlfriend, told me of a bookstore where I could find not only English books, but French as well. Thanks to her I have begun reading again and it is because of the hours spent at said bookstore that I had a book to read this morning. I had almost forgotten how much I love reading, but between The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Le Petit Prince and introducing Caitlin to The Wheel of Time I have managed to fully re-immerse myself in literature.
I've also re-discovered South Korea. After six months of working here, Seoul had become just another place to live. I found myself confined to Bundang and not taking the time to explore the city and experience the culture. Having some time off has allowed me to relax and absorb the environment and, as a result, the city has become almost new again. I guess this just re-enforces the fact that I am not meant to live and work as I travel, but purely as vacation and for enjoyment.
So for a week Caitlin and I have been doing a whole bunch of nothing, vacation-style. Wandering Seoul, eating our favourite foods, drinking our favourite coffee, hanging out with (and squatting in the residences of) Rachel and Kyle (affectionately deemed "Auberge Rachel" and "Chateau Harris", respectively)and preparing for the next leg of our journey.
We leave for Malaysia on Monday and will be spending a bit of time there before continuing on to India. Although this wasn't originally in the cards, I'm embracing the spontaneity and am trying not to freak out too much. Caitlin is being very supportive and understanding, indulging my planning urges by agreeing to be at the airport earlier than necessary to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
More on Malaysia and why we're hanging out there later. As for now, I need to grab another cup of coffee and get back to my book.
Unfortunately, it doesn't actually rain much here, outside of the monsoon that is. I can actually count the number of days it has rained since my arrival. Three. No less and no more. And not one of those days included a storm. If I'm happy on rainy days, I become damn near ecstatic with the coming of a storm.
So imagine my surprise, the sheer joy I felt, when I awoke this morning and saw that it was raining!
Immediately I poured myself a cup of coffee, grabbed my book and sat on the window ledge in Rachel's apartment, completely content.
Other than finding time to enjoy the weather, this first week of vacation has been full of rediscovery. JeeYoung, Kyle's girlfriend, told me of a bookstore where I could find not only English books, but French as well. Thanks to her I have begun reading again and it is because of the hours spent at said bookstore that I had a book to read this morning. I had almost forgotten how much I love reading, but between The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Le Petit Prince and introducing Caitlin to The Wheel of Time I have managed to fully re-immerse myself in literature.
I've also re-discovered South Korea. After six months of working here, Seoul had become just another place to live. I found myself confined to Bundang and not taking the time to explore the city and experience the culture. Having some time off has allowed me to relax and absorb the environment and, as a result, the city has become almost new again. I guess this just re-enforces the fact that I am not meant to live and work as I travel, but purely as vacation and for enjoyment.
So for a week Caitlin and I have been doing a whole bunch of nothing, vacation-style. Wandering Seoul, eating our favourite foods, drinking our favourite coffee, hanging out with (and squatting in the residences of) Rachel and Kyle (affectionately deemed "Auberge Rachel" and "Chateau Harris", respectively)and preparing for the next leg of our journey.
We leave for Malaysia on Monday and will be spending a bit of time there before continuing on to India. Although this wasn't originally in the cards, I'm embracing the spontaneity and am trying not to freak out too much. Caitlin is being very supportive and understanding, indulging my planning urges by agreeing to be at the airport earlier than necessary to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
More on Malaysia and why we're hanging out there later. As for now, I need to grab another cup of coffee and get back to my book.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Cue the Fat Lady...
It's finally arrived. My last day.
After today I think that I'll have some pretty amazing things to talk about, seeing as I'll be exploring India in just over a week's time!
I know, I know. I was SUPPOSED to leave on March 8th, but there were some minor technical difficulties that stood in the way of Caitlin, myself and our early departure. Namely a delay in the visa application process and the fact that my backpack has yet to arrive from the Great White North. Like I said: minor. Mere details.
So the next week will consist of coffee, the DMZ and, hopefully, the arrival of my luggage. Then it will be nothing but curry and the Taj for a solid four weeks.
So there it is. She had better be warming up those vocals, because I expect something spectacular to play me off stage!
After today I think that I'll have some pretty amazing things to talk about, seeing as I'll be exploring India in just over a week's time!
I know, I know. I was SUPPOSED to leave on March 8th, but there were some minor technical difficulties that stood in the way of Caitlin, myself and our early departure. Namely a delay in the visa application process and the fact that my backpack has yet to arrive from the Great White North. Like I said: minor. Mere details.
So the next week will consist of coffee, the DMZ and, hopefully, the arrival of my luggage. Then it will be nothing but curry and the Taj for a solid four weeks.
So there it is. She had better be warming up those vocals, because I expect something spectacular to play me off stage!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Pomp and Circumstance
The school year is coming to an end; this is the final week of classes before our students get a week off and a new academic cycle begins.
The seven-year-olds are leaving our kindergarten program to attend regular elementary school and will now become members of our after school program, the six year olds are the new sevens, and a whole new influx of five year olds are coming to fill the baby classrooms.
Not that this really affects me, seeing as I'm going to be in India in T-Minus 12 days, but it's still a bit of an emotional time.
Not to mention, there's always the graduation ceremony.
Our six year olds "graduated" (they still have one more year left, but they have their own ceremony anyway) on Tuesday and although it was a stressful day, it was also pretty fun.
I was so proud of all of the students in all three classes, especially 6A1 (Caitlin's class) and 6A2 (my class), the six year old classes that I have come to know the best. First I got to see 6A2 frolic on stage in their Musical English (yes, that's a class) production of "The Jungle Book". Then 6A1 showed everyone what they'd learned through Dr Seuss' ABCs. This was followed by my class rocking their "When I Grow Up" speeches and finally 6A2 and 6B strutted their stuff in their Musical English production of "Peter Pan". It was ridiculously cute. Especially since the spider in "Peter Pan" (ya, I didn't know there was a spider in that story either but hey, this is, after all, Korea...)wore a Spider Man costume and the bat (again, I know...)was really Bat Man...
I have to say however that the star of the show, the one who really stole the limelight on this particular occasion was, as usual, yours truly.
Being the only person on staff who somehow managed to memorize the entire school motto along with all the kids (and seriously, this thing's epically long), I was asked to lead the students at the end of the ceremony. This was all fine and good until I stepped onto the stage for my introduction only to completely wipe out thanks to my four inch heals and the plastic-coated stage (words can't actually explain this fall... I promise I'll post a video as soon as the DVDs are available). No worries though: while the audience stared on in abject horror, Caitlin promptly picked me up and our director thrust the microphone into my hand. The recitation itself went off without a hitch!
Despite graduation being over and done with, we still have a week left of classes, which primarily consists of completing grammar textbooks. I have no doubt that it's going to be a brutal week, followed by a less-than-exciting training week. However, the countdown to India is now official and a new adventure is about to begin :D
The seven-year-olds are leaving our kindergarten program to attend regular elementary school and will now become members of our after school program, the six year olds are the new sevens, and a whole new influx of five year olds are coming to fill the baby classrooms.
Not that this really affects me, seeing as I'm going to be in India in T-Minus 12 days, but it's still a bit of an emotional time.
Not to mention, there's always the graduation ceremony.
Our six year olds "graduated" (they still have one more year left, but they have their own ceremony anyway) on Tuesday and although it was a stressful day, it was also pretty fun.
I was so proud of all of the students in all three classes, especially 6A1 (Caitlin's class) and 6A2 (my class), the six year old classes that I have come to know the best. First I got to see 6A2 frolic on stage in their Musical English (yes, that's a class) production of "The Jungle Book". Then 6A1 showed everyone what they'd learned through Dr Seuss' ABCs. This was followed by my class rocking their "When I Grow Up" speeches and finally 6A2 and 6B strutted their stuff in their Musical English production of "Peter Pan". It was ridiculously cute. Especially since the spider in "Peter Pan" (ya, I didn't know there was a spider in that story either but hey, this is, after all, Korea...)wore a Spider Man costume and the bat (again, I know...)was really Bat Man...
I have to say however that the star of the show, the one who really stole the limelight on this particular occasion was, as usual, yours truly.
Being the only person on staff who somehow managed to memorize the entire school motto along with all the kids (and seriously, this thing's epically long), I was asked to lead the students at the end of the ceremony. This was all fine and good until I stepped onto the stage for my introduction only to completely wipe out thanks to my four inch heals and the plastic-coated stage (words can't actually explain this fall... I promise I'll post a video as soon as the DVDs are available). No worries though: while the audience stared on in abject horror, Caitlin promptly picked me up and our director thrust the microphone into my hand. The recitation itself went off without a hitch!
Despite graduation being over and done with, we still have a week left of classes, which primarily consists of completing grammar textbooks. I have no doubt that it's going to be a brutal week, followed by a less-than-exciting training week. However, the countdown to India is now official and a new adventure is about to begin :D
Sunday, February 15, 2009
PS:
I'm not sure why the dates are all messed up, but I published "Love and Kisses" on Valentine's Day, and "Updates!" on the 15th...
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Updates!
Ok, so the movie didn't end up happening...
After dinner we hopped on the subway, intent on visiting with a high school friend of Caitlin's for the night. It just so happened that we were even more intent on Caitlin breaking her previous Tetris record on Nintendo DS and therefore did not realize that while we were indeed on the subway, we were going in the wrong direction. This finally became apparent to us about ten stops later (although still missing that record).
So we hopped off the train and found a new one going in the correct direction. Although this little misadventure did put us a solid thirty minutes behind schedule, it was well worth it, thanks to a soju-filled adjama (old lady), an equally intoxicated university student and his not-so-intoxicated friend who spoke decent broken English.
The adjama was insistent that Caitlin sit with her and her sister, despite occupying the "elderly, disabled or pregnant" people's seating. Seeing as she didn't speak any English she demonstrated this desire by walking over to us, grabbing Caitlin's arm, pulling her to the seat and, when Caitlin attempted to politely decline the offer, hitting her in the breasts until she sat down and stayed there.
She then proceeded to invite us to her apartment for a cup of coffee, an offer that was graciously interpreted by the not-so-intoxicated guy in between fits of laughter at the sight of the adjama beating his intoxicated friend away from us when he tried to (jokingly) point out that, seeing as Caitlin is neither elderly nor disabled, she must indeed be pregnant, seeing as she was occupying the reserved seating (FYI: had it not been for the invitation of the adjama Caitlin would never have been sitting there, as those seats are solely reserved for their special patrons and it's a big social taboo to occupy them otherwise).
Needless to say, we declined the offer and within half an hour we found ourselves not in a movie theatre, but rather in a noribang.
Noribang is essentially a private, sound-proof karaoke room. Anybody who has ever heard me sing is, at this point, thanking God for soundproofing and feeling more than a little sorry for the three other people locked in the room with me. Despite sounding more like a frog than a cat in heat by the end of the night, I do believe I did many artists proud. Or, at the very least, belted out everything from "Tiny Dancer" to "Wannabe" to "Kryptonite" to "Black Velvet" (and beyond) so loudly that the original singers had no idea what hit them.
PS: Did I mention that I also booked a flight to India for March 14th? :D
After dinner we hopped on the subway, intent on visiting with a high school friend of Caitlin's for the night. It just so happened that we were even more intent on Caitlin breaking her previous Tetris record on Nintendo DS and therefore did not realize that while we were indeed on the subway, we were going in the wrong direction. This finally became apparent to us about ten stops later (although still missing that record).
So we hopped off the train and found a new one going in the correct direction. Although this little misadventure did put us a solid thirty minutes behind schedule, it was well worth it, thanks to a soju-filled adjama (old lady), an equally intoxicated university student and his not-so-intoxicated friend who spoke decent broken English.
The adjama was insistent that Caitlin sit with her and her sister, despite occupying the "elderly, disabled or pregnant" people's seating. Seeing as she didn't speak any English she demonstrated this desire by walking over to us, grabbing Caitlin's arm, pulling her to the seat and, when Caitlin attempted to politely decline the offer, hitting her in the breasts until she sat down and stayed there.
She then proceeded to invite us to her apartment for a cup of coffee, an offer that was graciously interpreted by the not-so-intoxicated guy in between fits of laughter at the sight of the adjama beating his intoxicated friend away from us when he tried to (jokingly) point out that, seeing as Caitlin is neither elderly nor disabled, she must indeed be pregnant, seeing as she was occupying the reserved seating (FYI: had it not been for the invitation of the adjama Caitlin would never have been sitting there, as those seats are solely reserved for their special patrons and it's a big social taboo to occupy them otherwise).
Needless to say, we declined the offer and within half an hour we found ourselves not in a movie theatre, but rather in a noribang.
Noribang is essentially a private, sound-proof karaoke room. Anybody who has ever heard me sing is, at this point, thanking God for soundproofing and feeling more than a little sorry for the three other people locked in the room with me. Despite sounding more like a frog than a cat in heat by the end of the night, I do believe I did many artists proud. Or, at the very least, belted out everything from "Tiny Dancer" to "Wannabe" to "Kryptonite" to "Black Velvet" (and beyond) so loudly that the original singers had no idea what hit them.
PS: Did I mention that I also booked a flight to India for March 14th? :D
Friday, February 13, 2009
Love and Kisses
I find myself this Valentine's Day content and inundated with chocolate, despite being female.
Here in Korea Valentine's Day is a "guys only" event, with the female half of the equation expected to flower love and adoration onto their boys, the boys to bask in the light of female worship, and the singles to sit on the sidelines and wait for their day of glory come April.
Everyone has their day here: Valentine's Day is followed by White Day (March 14), which is when the ladies get pampered. White Day is followed by Black Day (April 14), which is when the singles get to eat cold, black noodles and wallow in the misery that is life as a bachelor or bachelorette.
Apparently being a teacher means that I've been granted immunity from these rules, seeing as I received so much chocolate on Friday that I may soon turn into a truffle, or better yet, a GuyLian Seashell...
As for my plans? Caitlin and I going to book our flights to India (Happy V-Day!), grab some green curry at the ever-amazing Silom, get a manicure and catch the on-screen version of He's Just Not That Into You.
Nothing says "I Love You" like a day of self-centered self-indulgence.
Here in Korea Valentine's Day is a "guys only" event, with the female half of the equation expected to flower love and adoration onto their boys, the boys to bask in the light of female worship, and the singles to sit on the sidelines and wait for their day of glory come April.
Everyone has their day here: Valentine's Day is followed by White Day (March 14), which is when the ladies get pampered. White Day is followed by Black Day (April 14), which is when the singles get to eat cold, black noodles and wallow in the misery that is life as a bachelor or bachelorette.
Apparently being a teacher means that I've been granted immunity from these rules, seeing as I received so much chocolate on Friday that I may soon turn into a truffle, or better yet, a GuyLian Seashell...
As for my plans? Caitlin and I going to book our flights to India (Happy V-Day!), grab some green curry at the ever-amazing Silom, get a manicure and catch the on-screen version of He's Just Not That Into You.
Nothing says "I Love You" like a day of self-centered self-indulgence.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Go Team!
I feel like I should purchase a cheerleader outfit and some pompoms. I'm so proud of us. We actually made it out of Caitlin's apartment not once, but TWICE this past weekend. I know, I too am a little concerned that the end of the world is drawing near. But in the absence of Armageddon I'll just go hunting for those pompoms...
So it wasn't anything expressly interesting that made us leave the comfort and security of the Bundang, but I promised I would blog more, so this is what you get...
We finally ventured to the CoEx mall on Saturday and managed to get our hot little hands on the Nepal guide we've been seeking. Getting English books is a bit of a chore as it is here, let alone decent travel guides to somewhat random countries, but thankfully for us, CoEx has the BIGGEST Lonely Planet section I have ever seen anywhere on Earth, and they are blessfully all in English.
We were planning on heading to a coffee shop and calling it a day whilst curled up with our newly-acquired travel bibles, but somehow Kyle managed to convince us to meet him in Myeongdong to pick out some new glasses and, in the spirit of routine (from days previous), the night found us in our little wine bar in Itaewon, sipping sangria and gazing at the Mini that occupies three-quarters of the venue's interior.
On Sunday morning we did manage to find our way to a coffee shop to lounge with our growing Lonely Planet library, although we opted for a change of scenery and, as a result, of beverage. The Tom N' Toms coffee shop at Ori Station really is a gem, so we relaxed there until Kyle came to whisk me away to our mystery luncheon with my Korean teacher, Michelle.
We had absolutely no idea what to expect as our cab pulled up to Michelle's apartment complex, seeing as this meeting was so top-secret I didn't even know about it until about an hour before we were expected at her place. As it turns out, it was to be a simple Thank-you/ Good-bye lunch (she is my Korean co-teacher and Kyle is her daughter's homeroom teacher)and it was, overall, a pleasant experience. It was my first time being invited into a Korean home and therefore also my first time eating a traditional Korean meal in a Korean home. For the record, my chopstick skills have improved exponentially since my arrival! I could totally rock Wagamama's world, if I don't say so myself...
After that I made my way back to Tom N' Toms for yet another latte and another chat (this time with Kyle) until I found myself on a train bound for Seoyheon station and a long-overdue dinner date with Julia. I somehow managed (despite having just consumed a five course meal) to pound back a strawberry marguerita and a chicken burrito whilst discussing our current lives, future plans and reminiscing a bit about the past.
I was home by nine pm, sufficiently stuffed full of good food and settled almost immediately into a Harry Potter movie and a long chat with a good friend.
All in all, the weekend proved to be a success. Fingers crossed for a repeat five days from now!
So it wasn't anything expressly interesting that made us leave the comfort and security of the Bundang, but I promised I would blog more, so this is what you get...
We finally ventured to the CoEx mall on Saturday and managed to get our hot little hands on the Nepal guide we've been seeking. Getting English books is a bit of a chore as it is here, let alone decent travel guides to somewhat random countries, but thankfully for us, CoEx has the BIGGEST Lonely Planet section I have ever seen anywhere on Earth, and they are blessfully all in English.
We were planning on heading to a coffee shop and calling it a day whilst curled up with our newly-acquired travel bibles, but somehow Kyle managed to convince us to meet him in Myeongdong to pick out some new glasses and, in the spirit of routine (from days previous), the night found us in our little wine bar in Itaewon, sipping sangria and gazing at the Mini that occupies three-quarters of the venue's interior.
On Sunday morning we did manage to find our way to a coffee shop to lounge with our growing Lonely Planet library, although we opted for a change of scenery and, as a result, of beverage. The Tom N' Toms coffee shop at Ori Station really is a gem, so we relaxed there until Kyle came to whisk me away to our mystery luncheon with my Korean teacher, Michelle.
We had absolutely no idea what to expect as our cab pulled up to Michelle's apartment complex, seeing as this meeting was so top-secret I didn't even know about it until about an hour before we were expected at her place. As it turns out, it was to be a simple Thank-you/ Good-bye lunch (she is my Korean co-teacher and Kyle is her daughter's homeroom teacher)and it was, overall, a pleasant experience. It was my first time being invited into a Korean home and therefore also my first time eating a traditional Korean meal in a Korean home. For the record, my chopstick skills have improved exponentially since my arrival! I could totally rock Wagamama's world, if I don't say so myself...
After that I made my way back to Tom N' Toms for yet another latte and another chat (this time with Kyle) until I found myself on a train bound for Seoyheon station and a long-overdue dinner date with Julia. I somehow managed (despite having just consumed a five course meal) to pound back a strawberry marguerita and a chicken burrito whilst discussing our current lives, future plans and reminiscing a bit about the past.
I was home by nine pm, sufficiently stuffed full of good food and settled almost immediately into a Harry Potter movie and a long chat with a good friend.
All in all, the weekend proved to be a success. Fingers crossed for a repeat five days from now!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Living the Dream
So Caitlin and I have this little problem: we’re both hard core caffeine addicts. This probably wouldn’t be so much of a problem as a way to casually meet and discuss the recent events in our lives whilst enjoying a warm, tasty, comforting beverage, except for the fact that I pretty much live with her over the weekends. Which means that our coffee drinking sessions are not merely limited to a couple of hours on a specific day, but rather last each day, all day throughout the weekend.
That’s a lot of coffee.
Especially since we don’t limit our coffee intake to home brewed Bodum goodness. We have to go out for specialty coffees. Which are not only ridiculously expensive but are also full of unwanted calories. And our particular favourite is probably more calorie-laden than most:
The Coffee Bean’s White Chocolate Dream.
That’s right White Chocolate Dream.
It’s a latte with a perfect splash of, well, white chocolate. A definite “don’t touch me” moment if I ever had one.
We even have a nickname for the experience of purchasing and enjoying this beverage. We call it “living the dream”, which I’m sure sounds ridiculous and overdone and a whole host of less than favourable adjectives, but that’s only because you haven’t had the opportunity to “live the dream”. Even non-coffee drinkers couldn’t help but enjoy this experience.
Now I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I haven’t been blogging about Korea lately, or much of anything really, not because I’m lazy, not because I’m uninspired, but rather because I haven’t been doing much of anything Korea-related.
I’ve been drinking coffee.
Caitlin and I have been spending the majority of our weekends this past month laying around her apartment, drinking coffee, watching movies and planning our quickly-approaching (though not quickly enough) trip to India. I mean, you can’t really fault us. It’s cold and, well, we’d prefer to hibernate.
Except that we’ve recently come to realize that we actually do need to start doing things, if for no other reason than to prepare for this trip of ours. Plus, if Caitlin ever manages to retain her passport for an entire weekend we would love to see the DMZ before we leave.
Plus, we’ve also decided that we must have a case of the winter blues and getting out and about will probably do nothing but make us feel better.
So what I’m trying to say is that I hope I’m going to be posting more often in the near future as I may actually have something to write about. I’m not promising anything though, seeing as I’m turning out to be rubbish at keeping my word...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Come One, Come All!
Alright, I get it. I'm not good at this whole "post with consistency" thing.
In my defense, I do have a few posts written that I've been wanting to post, but haven't been able to due to lack of pictures. I'll try to remedy that this weekend...
I had my first (and, I suppose, only) Open Class yesterday. At this point, you may have an overwhelming urge to ask "Open Class? What is this thing you speak of?" Don't worry, I'm about to tell you.
Instead of having normal parent-teacher interviews, which are stressful enough in their own right, Korean hogwans invite the parents of each student to come and sit in on, and participate in, one of their children's classes.
This is on top of the fact that each classroom's door has a little window in it so that Mummy can stop by and watch her child any time she sees fit.
Oh, and have I mentioned that we have cameras in each of our classrooms so that the Principal, the Director, the Maintenance Staff... anyone and everyone can "look in on us" from the comfort and privacy of their office?
So I COMPLETELY understand the need for an Open Class. Really, I do.
But I digress.
So last Tuesday I was informed that it was time for 6A2 to have their Open Class. Normally, this would cause me a little bit of stress. However, OISE had all but rid of me of any need I may once have felt to experience paralyzing fear at being judged while trying my damnedest to instill knowledge into the minds of today's youth. Thank-you Usha and, of course, Olga.
Now Open Classes are a big deal, for the school at least. They're often what determines whether or not a student re-enrolls the next year, or a parent recommends the school to their friends. So, if you don't get it right the first time, you have to keep doing it over until you do. One colleague had to redo hers three or four times because the parents weren't satisfied. They couldn't understand why their children weren't speaking, didn't seem to be having fun.
I could be wrong, but perhaps it's because their parents are all stuffed into their classroom, waiting anxiously for their little Einstein to re-discover the Theory of Relativity while simultaneously composing the world's next great symphony and achieving their black belt in Taekwondo. But like I said, I could be wrong.
Ya, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration. A bit. Parents here are VERY concerned with their child's academic success and are not above using corporal punishment to help their little darlings achieve. I'm not passing judgement, I'm just saying... if I knew that I was going to get a whack when I got home for answering something incorrectly at school, I wouldn't talk either.
Ok, back on topic.
So I knew that I had to get it right the first time. Mainly because a lot of effort goes into planning these things and, well, I'm a little lazy. I'd rather hang out at Caitlin's, watch zombie movies and eat soup on a week day night....
So, to make an already long-ish story a little bit shorter, I will not be re-doing my Open Class. My nine Mums and 1 Dad were thoroughly impressed with how well my students are doing and seemed to enjoy making shadow animals with their children (give me a break, we're learning about shadows right now).
So now I'm on my way to Caitlin's. 30 Days of Night, here I come!
In my defense, I do have a few posts written that I've been wanting to post, but haven't been able to due to lack of pictures. I'll try to remedy that this weekend...
I had my first (and, I suppose, only) Open Class yesterday. At this point, you may have an overwhelming urge to ask "Open Class? What is this thing you speak of?" Don't worry, I'm about to tell you.
Instead of having normal parent-teacher interviews, which are stressful enough in their own right, Korean hogwans invite the parents of each student to come and sit in on, and participate in, one of their children's classes.
This is on top of the fact that each classroom's door has a little window in it so that Mummy can stop by and watch her child any time she sees fit.
Oh, and have I mentioned that we have cameras in each of our classrooms so that the Principal, the Director, the Maintenance Staff... anyone and everyone can "look in on us" from the comfort and privacy of their office?
So I COMPLETELY understand the need for an Open Class. Really, I do.
But I digress.
So last Tuesday I was informed that it was time for 6A2 to have their Open Class. Normally, this would cause me a little bit of stress. However, OISE had all but rid of me of any need I may once have felt to experience paralyzing fear at being judged while trying my damnedest to instill knowledge into the minds of today's youth. Thank-you Usha and, of course, Olga.
Now Open Classes are a big deal, for the school at least. They're often what determines whether or not a student re-enrolls the next year, or a parent recommends the school to their friends. So, if you don't get it right the first time, you have to keep doing it over until you do. One colleague had to redo hers three or four times because the parents weren't satisfied. They couldn't understand why their children weren't speaking, didn't seem to be having fun.
I could be wrong, but perhaps it's because their parents are all stuffed into their classroom, waiting anxiously for their little Einstein to re-discover the Theory of Relativity while simultaneously composing the world's next great symphony and achieving their black belt in Taekwondo. But like I said, I could be wrong.
Ya, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration. A bit. Parents here are VERY concerned with their child's academic success and are not above using corporal punishment to help their little darlings achieve. I'm not passing judgement, I'm just saying... if I knew that I was going to get a whack when I got home for answering something incorrectly at school, I wouldn't talk either.
Ok, back on topic.
So I knew that I had to get it right the first time. Mainly because a lot of effort goes into planning these things and, well, I'm a little lazy. I'd rather hang out at Caitlin's, watch zombie movies and eat soup on a week day night....
So, to make an already long-ish story a little bit shorter, I will not be re-doing my Open Class. My nine Mums and 1 Dad were thoroughly impressed with how well my students are doing and seemed to enjoy making shadow animals with their children (give me a break, we're learning about shadows right now).
So now I'm on my way to Caitlin's. 30 Days of Night, here I come!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Being French
So it would seem that one is not allowed to be French in Korea. In fact, it appears to be very much frowned upon.
Everyone looks as you oddly when you try to speak the French language; they're all like "ANNYEO" (ummm, that's "no" in Korean... in case anyone was wondering. Ya, I'm practically fluent...). Plus, they also disapprove of sitting in the French style. That is, sitting side by side as you drink your cafe, as opposed to facing one another.
Last night Caitlin and I attempted to challenge the Korean anti-French sentiment. In a busy Starbucks we chose to sit side by side and see whether or not anyone would sit in the same manner opposite us. Well, I decided to challenge my theory; Caitlin was merely a not-so-unwilling participant in my ploy (albeit, one who got a Caramel Latte out of the whole thing), occasionally stating "Ummm, is this allowed?". Whatever our roles, the outcome was indeed decisive--the only people who ventured to sit opposite us was a couple, the female half of which was heavily pregnant and was looking rather uncomfortable. And, as soon as we stood to leave, the man immediately moved his seat to be opposite his wife.
So there you have it. In a not-so-scientifically-correct experiment we have concluded that Koreans would rather not be French.
We have also realized that I'm kind of missing Europe and have become rather nostalgic about my trip to Paris this past summer.
You may also have come to the conclusion that we have been consuming astronomical amounts of coffee since our Winter Holiday began.
More on that later.
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