Faith's Adventures at Sea

Sensational sights of Singapore

2011-04-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Marina Bay, Singapore

It's amazing how time is flying on this journey. We have such a warped sense of time to begin with - adjusting our clocks forward every few days (and today is our 2nd April 12th because of the international date line). It feels like our time in Asia - incredible as it was - went by in the blink of an eye. When I last wrote, we didn't know if we'd still be heading to Japan, and soon thereafter it was decided that we would not be able to stop there. The alternate options were South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwain. Although I was wishing with all my might that we would get to visit the Philippines, ISE decided that our best and safest option would be Taiwan, so we added that to our itinerary. We are now currently on the Pacific Ocean on our way to Hawaii, but I still want to try and capture the experiences and poignant moments we had at each stop… so since I left off with India, I'll pick back up with Singapore.

Singapore. What an amazing city. We came into the port in the early morning and got to see the sunrise over what appeared to be an extremely modern and well kept city. There was a feel in the air that this would be unlike any place we've been yet, and it was foreshadowing of the modernity we'd see in our later visits to China and Taiwan. Knowing that the season finale for Top Chef was taped in Singapore, Mark and I were ready to experience their culinary offerings. Another thing that I was really excited for in Singapore was to reunite with my cousin who I haven't seen in 15 years!

When we first arrived we got dropped off on the main shopping road, and the even the drive through the city was amazing. In our pre-port lecture to prepare us for the visit, Prof. Kluge mentioned that Singapore was an extremely clean (and safe) place. This couldn't be any more true - the streets were spotless, architecture was very interesting, and it felt like a really safe place as well. It was an added bonus to be able to drink beverages with ice in it, and even order water from the tap. No GI problems here :)

My cousin met up with us and she and her friend took the day off of work (they are nurses) to tour us around the city which was awesome because they knew the best ways to get to different places. We started walking through some of the underground malls that are again, super clean and very well organized. The subway stations are also there, so we hopped on and went to our first recommended place - Banana Leaf Apollo, which has a fish head curry soup that is the talk of the town. We then toured around town - went to Marina Bay which is this huge Vegas-like hotel with a huge ship on top of the three full-size hotel towers. It was right on the waterfront, where they also had a soccer field/stadium right on the water (not next to the water, but on the water). Singapore is also known for their 'Hawker Centers" which are basically street food centers, similar to a food court, where you can order different foods from different vendors. We went to the Newton Circus hawker center - and it was awesome! We sampled their chicken rice, among other dishes, and the ever popular chili crab.

Chili Crab at Newton Circus (yumm!)

The distinctive statue of Singapore is the Merlion (half merman, half lion), but there was a special project with it by the bay. There was another huge version of the Merlion on Sentosa Island, so we ventured out that way. Sentosa Island was amazing - it was basically a resort island with a 'Disney/Universal Studios' feel to it. Beautiful beaches, and a sky-luge - which my cousin bravely took us on despite her fear of heights.

Overall, Singapore was a complete highlight, even though we were only there for one day. I hope we get the chance to return and spend more time there - it was such a treat. Hands down, my favorite aspect of the day was getting to run around town and do all these fun things with my cousin. It felt so great to get to spend that time with her and reconnect. That was definitely another blessing to add to my list of things to be thankful for.

The Merlion on Sentosa Island

Reflections from India and thoughts & prayers for Japan

2011-03-14T02:25:00.000-07:00

Shore Temple at Mamalapurum

Where to begin? So much has transpired in the last week or so, both within our travels and in situations around the world, it's hard to know what to begin with. Prior to arriving in India, I was preparing myself to see and experience a wide range of extremities: extreme poverty, intense over-crowded settings, lack of personal space, smells, dirt, etc. In looking back at our time in India, it exceeded my expectations, and in the area we were in, these things were all tempered. Before we even arrived at the harbor, you could smell a distinct, indescribable smell of India. Many people mentioned that hours before we came to dock, the smell was in the air. When I opened up our window shade, we had arrived, but to my surprise I saw rows and rows of Ford cars lined up, ready to be shipped (later we found out they headed to South Africa). It was an odd but foreshadowing sight to welcome us to this country.

From the intense heat and dust, to the crazy rickshaw rides, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in India. A lot of people chose to travel to different parts of the country including Agra and Varanasi (Taj Mahal and Ganges River), but we decided to stay in South India. We were in Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu (apparently one of the wealthiest states in the nation). On our first day we took a city orientation tour, which included a stop and a fort museum where colonial items and a church were preserved. Then we were off to St. Thomas Cathedral, where supposedly the tomb of St. Thomas was buried. It was a very interesting (and Western) introduction to Chennai and India that left me a little perplexed. We got to drive through the town, see Marina Beach, which is the 2nd longest beach in the world, and finally we got to stop at an amazing Hindu Temple called, Kapalishvara Temple in the Mylapore area. That was an amazing site. We watched people smash coconuts onto the ground in a certain area, as an offering to remove evil spirits from their lives. The complex was a bit of a courtyard with lots of other little temples around. There was even one section where cows were milling around, and yes, this was in the middle of the city. That was something that will stay with me, seeing cows, donkeys, and other large animals lounging, walking, pulling carts alongside cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, and buses in a pretty metropolitan area. It was SO interesting. We also visited a special needs school called, SANKALP. We got to meet the founders, three women who created this school for children with autism, and another school for children with learning disabilities including dyslexia. That was a powerful experience as well.

Hands down, the food in India has been my favorite thus far. Although cautious, we were able to fully explore the spice-infused offerings and were not disappointed. The first place we tried for dinner was great - we had chicken biriyani, rice, curries, etc, all served on a banana leaf on a tin plate to be consumed with our hands, well our right hand to be exact (it's rude to eat or use your left hand there). It was awesome. The following day we went to a chain restaurant called Saravana Bhavan (which, coincidentally has a location in Sunnyvale, CA, about 20 minutes away from where we live!) Again, the food was amazing. This is a vegetarian restaurant, but after eating here (a number of times), I did not miss eating meat, and felt fully satisfied, and not gross afterwards. We tried dosas, which are a large thin crepe-like wraps that taste like a parmesan sourdough cheese crisp. You dip it into a variety of sauces, and of course, eat it with your hands. It was delicious.

Another highlight of our time here was our trip to Mamallapurum, which are ancient temples near the shore about 1 1/2 hours south of Chennai. Our driver, Raja, took us down and was great. There were huge original 7th century temples and stone statues carved out of a single rock called the Five Rathas. We spent quite a bit of time here thinking these were all there was to see. Then we found out that there were many more spots to see. My favorite was the Shore Temple which was overlooking the beach and the water. It was incredible to see such a beautiful temple so close to the shore, preserved and in tact for so long. Amazing and awe-inspiring.

And, no trip to India would be complete without the experience of looking, shopping, and bargaining. It is, after all, the home of many great and beautiful things we purchase and consume in the United States. We got to see a variety of places from street vendors to state of the art westernized malls. One thing to note, whenever going anywhere, if you appear in the least to be a tourist, your rickshaw or cab driver will take you to a 'shop' where they get commissions and perks for bringing customers. The first night we got roped in and a few overpriced items were purchased by our group members, but after seeing the prices at the malls and shops we realized these shops were very overpriced. It's part of the experience though, everyone had a story like this, where they wanted to go somewhere and were taken to one or two 'tourist shops' along the way.

I know this post is getting long, but I cannot leave without mentioning the tragedy in Japan. It was interesting because while we were in Chennai a few of my colleagues and I were trying to buy a Japan Rail Pass because you can only purchase them before arriving in the country. Due to a variety of random but fortuitous circumstances we weren't able to buy them, and afterwards just thought that it wasn't meant to be. Three days later, news of the earthquake and tsunami came, and it was mind blowing. It's hard to describe the feeling of being at sea, supposedly on our way to this country, and seeing what has happened there. Our shipboard community has been in the process of making 1,000 paper peace cranes for travels Hiroshima, and now that project has taken on new meaning. We don't know for sure what this will mean for our voyage to Japan, but more importantly we are holding in our hearts and minds a peaceful recovery for them from the devastation. With a huge world event such as this, we also learned that the ship is able to receive satellite news - so we have Aljazeera News on our TVs in our cabins now (which, by the way, is such a succinct, different, uncluttered, and direct approach to worldwide news). Seeing the images and hearing stories riles up our interests in helping out if we do end up going to Japan. Many people are talking about and asking how we can provide support or relief, and it's nice to see that interest amongst the community. We will see what happens next…but in the meantime, our hearts and prayers are with all those who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Mauritius, lessons, and life at sea

2011-03-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

It feels as though so much has happened since my last entry about Cape Town, and each place we leave feels worlds away. We had one day in Port Louis, Mauritius, which was an interesting stop. We visited the city center, but unfortunately because it was a Sunday many places were closed, including the Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO world heritage site that I really wanted to check out. After a bit of sightseeing through the markets, we decided to head to one of Mauritius' beautiful beaches. Our taxi driver took us past the fields upon fields of sugar cane to Trou Aux beach. It was divine... clear blue waters, soft white sand, and extremely calm waters. We dipped in and waded and swam for awhile. I wish we had more time, or a weekday to really get to know what the island was like, but we were pretty limited to the area around the port because there were preparations for a big Hindu festival, which congested many of the roads that would take us to different parts of the island. Nonetheless, it was beautiful and I'm grateful for the experience.

Up until this point, we've had a pretty smooth sailing experience with a few incidents here and there, but on this day, a number of people made poor decisions about alcohol. We had one really serious case, and though it was disappointing, it wasn't the majority of folks. This called for a community meeting the following evening and our Executive Dean addressed the entire community in a manner that I am still in awe of. He eloquently, gracefully, and pointedly urged each member to be responsible, make good choices, take care of one another, and remember that the majority of folks are here for the right reasons. He encouraged us to dive deeper in our conversations and make the most of what we know to be the second half of our voyage. I hope people were listening, and even if it didn't directly apply to their experience, I hope it helps to encourage accountability and collective responsibility. He's an extremely inspiring and poetic individual, and I thought that his talk changed the mood and (hopefully) set the tone for the rest of the voyage.

After this talk, we actually hosted what we believe is the first Women's Conference on Semester at Sea. With our crazy schedules and time flying like never before, we actually pulled the event together in 4 days, and it was fantastic. It was extremely gratifying to have organized a thought-provoking, interactive, well-attended, and well received program on board the ship. Over 200 people attended, and a number of faculty members commented on how good the program was. That was definitely a highlight for me thus far within my role on the voyage.

Other highlights from the week include: the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary dinner on March 1, an amazing birthday that I got to celebrate at sea with an unexpected stop at a secret military island called Diego Garcia, and an amazing authentic Indian dinner on the Indian Ocean. We didn't dock in Diego Garcia, but a submarine was constantly at our side and Navy Seals came on board to sweep and secure the ship and take 3 passengers who needed medical attention. It was quite an impressive feat that involved the British and US Governments allowing us to sail in, as no other civilians have ever been to this island. It was an incredible thing to witness, and my thoughts are with the three who needed to disembark. So far there have been a number of defining moments along the way, but I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity that it's giving me to reflect upon who I am, what I value, what privileges I've had in life, and what matters. There have been many great conversations and laughs, and overall we've been having the time of our lives.

On another note of our voyage, we've had to advance our clocks one hour ever few days, but tonight we advance it 30 minutes.... who would have thought. Off to bed, and ready for 2 more busy days at sea before arriving in Chennai, India.

Finally out to the beautiful Cape Town...

2011-02-25T23:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, what an amazing city. Cape Town is definitely a place that we want to return. We experienced so many great moments: breathtaking, inspiring, and thought-provoking. Our journey into Cape Town wasn't the easiest. On the morning we were to arrive, we got up extra early to watch the sunrise, and see our ship pull in to what we've heard to be one of the most stunning cities on the planet. The sunrise did not disappoint, it was gorgeous. What did disappoint was the tablecloth and the weather that prevented us from coming into the port that day. The winds were at high speeds, and the waves were rocking the ship so much so that when you looked out the windows, at times all you could see was the sky, and at other times all you could see was the water. We were stuck out at sea for over 24 hours because the mouth of the port was too narrow for us to safely enter. Despite that challenge, I was pleasantly surprised at how our shipboard community pulled together to make the best of this delay. We called it our 'snow day,' put on movies in the union, held games of mafia and other board games, and in the evening pulled together an open mic night that distracted us from our status of being stuck at sea.

Cape Town with the 'Tablecloth' clouds covering Table Mountain.

When we finally arrived - it was easy to see that Cape Town would be one amazing port. Where we docked was a beautiful harbor, and in some ways reminded me of the San Francisco bay area. The waterfront definitely smelled like Pier 39, and there were many familiar westernized features. It was a trip to see the neatly kept grounds, the gigantic mall greeting visitors, and the rides and confections that also had a Disneyland feel to it. After walking around the pier area, and getting our visit to Robben Island situated, we met up with some folks to go up to the top of Table Mountain. My student from Stanford, Amy, suggested that we go at sunset and bring a picnic, so that's exactly what we did. We went up at about 6pm, and took the cable car up to the mountain with a distinct flat top that warrants the name Table Mtn. It was phenomenal. The clouds were climbing over the rocks where we were standing, and started flowing down the mountain like a waterfall. It was an amazing feeling to literally be walking in the clouds. We explored the grounds and saw amazing views from each spot we stopped. It was incredible to see the clouds cascade down the mountain like a waterfall. The picnic, wine, and good company of friends capped off the evening into one that I'll never forget. It was ethereal.

The clouds rolling down Table Mountain at sunset.

The following days continued to live up to the high expectations we had of South Africa. This was one of the ports that I was most looking forward to, and it pleased me and challenged me in ways that I am truly appreciative of. We continued our exploration of the area with a train ride down the peninsula to Simon's Town. We stopped stopped in the beautiful town of Fish Hoek to play at the beach and grab some lunch. After arriving at Simon's Town and securing awesome accommodations at the Central Hotel with Merle (the sweetest woman we've met thus far), we went down to Boulder Beach where there was rumored to be lots and lots of penguins. The rumors were true, and we got to see a bunch of penguins on the beaches and in the wooded areas. It was great. The next day we went down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, which is the South Western most tip of Africa. It was amazing, the views and the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were highlights. We also got to see baboons and ostriches on our drive in and out of the national park (our own mini-safari).

We later made our way out to Stellenbosch, the winelands of South Africa. The wineries and surrounding area were great, and we felt blessed to be doing what we were doing. On our way out there, we got our first glimpse at the townships which served as a stark reminder of the recent history of apartheid era policies and infrastructure. It was very sobering to see the endless amounts of tin shacks piled up on top of each other in a condensed part of the land. I couldn't think of anything that is comparable to this in the United States, or anywhere else I've been thus far. It was also crazy because the area was so compacted, and yet was surrounded by sprawling amounts of land and soon vineyards. 19.5 million blacks were confined to these areas and restricted from basic rights such as education, work, and other things we take for granted. They made up the majority of the population, as there were only about 4 million whites who established homes and occupied much more land. It's crazy to think apartheid only ended in 1994, and it was a harsh reminder that it takes a lot of time to make change. I also have a new-found respect for Nelson Mandela as a leader, as he was able to prevent what could have been a destructive 'revengeful' uprise once apartheid was abolished.

Our final two monumental visits were to the Amy Biehl Foundation, and to Robben Island. Both again, were sombering experiences but provided hope and comfort in seeing how they were there to educate people and remind them of peace and unity. On our visit to the Amy Biehl Foundation, we were joined by one of the men who was involved in her murder. Filled with mixed emotions, this day challenged us in more ways than one. We got to see the work of the program in schools within the townships, and the power of forgiveness. Google Amy Biehl Foundation to find out more about her story. While we were at Robben Island, one of the former political prisoners who spent time there was our tour guide.

Needless to say, Cape Town provided us with lots to process both visually, intellectually, and emotionally. It left us with a lot of questions, and a strong desire to return. There were many other highlights of amazing food, great sights, beaches, and people, but these were some of the most significant experiences that I wanted to make sure to remember.

Searching for the words to describe Ghana

2011-02-12T01:23:00.001-08:00

Where do I begin? Ghana was so intense and amazing. I'm trying to gather my thoughts for this blog, but it's much more difficult than I anticipated. From visiting small dusty villages, beaches, walking through a canopy of trees in their national park, seeing the poverty, smelling strange and sometimes pungent things, to the most heart-wrentching visit to the slave castles and dungeons, each part of the trip was significant. Especially the slave castles... of all my life experiences, that was one of the most intense and powerful that I've ever had, so much so, that it brought me to tears hearing the details. We were incredibly lucky because we had an amazing historian, Ato, as our guide at the Elimina Castle. Before we actually entered any of the rooms, he stood with us in the courtyard in front of the church that stood between the slave dungeons, and he shared an amazing historical account of the elements within both African culture and European culture that contributed to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. He actually authored a book about the Elimina castle/dungeon, and was extremely prolific. He gently painted the picture of the horrific scenes and practices in the slave dungeons, while reminding us of the story and lesson for humanity in the midst of all of this pain.

On another note, I also had the opportunity to visit a women's empowerment group in Ghana because one of the SAS students set it up before she left. It's called the Leading Ladies Network, and they are absolutley amazing (leadingladiesnetwork.org). Yawa Hansen-Quao is the director and founder, and she personally picked us up from the ship in a bus and gave us a tour and hosted our visit while they did a seminar at the University of Cape Coast. They have a development person who is from the bay area, and will be back in May, and they are currently working on applying for a Global Fund for Women grant - what a small world!! It was a great visit, we went to the University of Cape Coast, and attended one of their seminars, then got to have lunch with the Ghanaian women... it was very cool, and reminded my of the WCC's work. It was interested how similar the topics were to what we cover as well, and great to see global work with the same purpose and strategy that we employ.

These few paragraphs only begin to scratch the surface of what I experienced, and what we experienced as a community visiting Ghana. I will definitely post some pictures soon as well, and I hope to elaborate before we get to South Africa. Thank you for sharing in my journey!

Approaching Africa...

2011-02-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

We are less than 24 hours away from reaching Ghana, and I can hardly contain myself. My first time being on the African continent, I am bracing myself for what is sure to be an intense and amazing experience. So far our plans include a Cape Coast historical tour, which includes a visit to the Kakum National Park, and some of the forts, castles, and slave dungeons along the coast. We also have plans to visit a women's organization at the University of Cape Coast, called: Leading Ladies Network. I'm so excited to visit this women's empowerment organization, it sounds like they have a lot of programs and offerings for their participants, and a good group of students are all planning to go.

It's a kinda crazy contrast because this past week we had the 'Sea Olympics' on the ship where the different 'seas' (areas on each deck that are separated into groups and assigned a color), competed in a series of events with the goal of building community and spirit onboard the ship. My role on the ship is an LLC, aka Living Learning Coordinator, and there are 8 of us who are in charge of each of the seas, along with a specialty area. My sea is the Baltic Sea, (go light blue!), and we actually placed 3rd in the overall competition! The prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place are that they get to be first, second and third off the ship when we dock in San Diego at the end of the voyage.

As for the actual work here on the ship, I love our LLC team! Everyone has been great to work with, has offered creative ideas/solutions and we really work well together (while having fun), which is pretty great for only knowing each other for a few weeks now. Here's a photo of all of us right after the opening ceremonies (thanks for the photo Bianca!)....

We have an all-star staff of motivated, creative, socially conscious, talented, individuals, and I'm so happy to get to work with them on this huge adventure. It's been interesting to not only navigate the adventures of travel along this journey, but also navigate life on board a floating university with different folks from different places and institutions. We have interport students and lecturers who join us for different stretches of the voyage to share their experiences from their home countries. It's been great (but not without its challenges). Overall, I continue to feel blessed to be here.

Now... onward to Ghana, let the adventures continue!

Back out on the big blue sea... from Brazil to Ghana

2011-01-31T06:00:00.001-08:00

Wow, our time out on the Amazon was amazing. Manaus is an interesting
city, very different from what you think of when you hear about Rio or
San Paolo. It's a bit industrial, and again you can see the colonial
influences in the buildings and churches. There was an interesting
touch of modernity in their malls, that reminded me of one you would
find in Southern California. We arrived on a Sunday, and the first
thing we went to go see what the Teatro Amazonas. It was an amazing
opera house, and it just so happened that when we went to see it, an
orchestra was going to be performing. So, we decided to stay and
watch. It was such a nice treat, the music was wonderful and
soothing, and the building sheltered us from the intense sweltering
heat, that one of my colleagues so aptly described as making her feel
like a piece of bacon.

It was a great way to start our stay in Manaus. That evening a few of
the Brazillian representatives on the ship organized a Samba night for
SAS folks, so we all journeyed by taxi to the street festival where a
band, performers, and lots of people were there to create an amazing
atmosphere. We had a great time, got to dance ourselves, and feel the
Brazillian Samba culture first hand.

A few other highlights include: swimming with pink dolphins in the Rio
Negro; trekking through the Amazon to see the largest tree there,
seeing huge lily pads, riding a few different boats to navigate the
river, fishing for piranhas, and seeing a sloth (which Mark got to
hold), and visiting a manatee rescue/conservation center, which was
very impressive. During our hike through the rainforest, we saw a
village woman who had a sloth, and was handing him to the group to get
money from us for pictures. It was actually a bit heartbreaking,
because this beautiful little creature was just getting passed around,
and it was actually really cute. Well, I think he summoned mother
nature to his rescue, because after a few minutes, it started pouring
rain hard. I don't think that I've ever seen it rain that hard
before, and we were all caught (mostly unprepared), and had to run
back to shelter. It was actually super fun, and we all were
cherishing this moment, knowing it would be a memory of the Amazon we
wouldn't forget.

We also got to see the 'Meeting of the Waters' where the Amazon and
Rio Negro rivers meet. It was so interesting to see the line
separating the dark dark chocolate color of the Rio Negro, and the
cafe con leche color of the Amazon. There are a few reasons that the
waters don't blend at that point: temperature difference (the Rio
Negro is warmer); Acidity, and Density. It takes 18 feet for the
waters to blend together.

Overall, I had a great time in the Amazon, and as we were sailing
through, kept having to pinch myself thinking, we are actually on the
Amazon right now. It was a treat. Brazil itself was not a country of
extreme poverty, but has one of the highest inequality rates in the
world (gap between rich and poor). While we didn't get to see every
aspect in the few short days we had, we are so thankful for what we
did get to see in the forest and villages we visited.

On the Amazon, reflecting on service…

2011-01-22T20:40:00.001-08:00


The Amazon River during the day

Sunset on the Amazon

I cannot believe that we are actually sailing on the Amazon River right now. It's kind of crazy to be going about our day to day work, and look out the window to see brown water, jungles, different
vegetation along both sides of the ship, and sometimes even a small village or canoes with kids going by. We've also had a few different types of insects join the voyage. Our journey takes us 1,000 miles
into the Amazon, where we will stop in Manaus for about 5 days. Surreal and beautiful, the sunset tonight was breathtaking, and the cloud formations and trees were like something out of a movie. It's
neat to see the different people on the ship gravitate to different moments. We were glad to witness the last sunset on the Amazon from the forward of the ship.

Earlier in the week we had an MLK Celebration, and it was great. Quite a few people were in attendance and we were able to show a clip of MLK as well as. Raja, Bianca and I co-facilitated this event, and made it a collaboration between spirituality, diversity, and service. I played a clip from one of my class projects I did on MLK, then Raja facilitated small group discussions. It was very heartening to have great discussions about service, social justice, and spirituality on
this voyage.

Another moment that stood out for me in the last week (or so), was in our required course: Global Studies. Jeffrey Kottler shared his amazing experiences starting the empowernepaligirls.org group to help provide education and new opportunities from lower castes in Nepal. It was so great to hear about his work and also to see the response by the students, faculty, and staff who are touched and interested in getting involved.

I've also had an amazing time getting to know the students and learning about their interest areas within service. There are a number of students interested in different human rights campaigns, and
it also happens to be that the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps will take place while we are at sea, so we'll be planning something around that as well. For now… off to sleep before some exploring in
Manaus tomorrow!

Snorkeling in the Champagne Reef...

2011-01-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

The Champagne Reef in Dominica

Our first stop on this amazing voyage was in Dominica (pronounced Do-mi-NEE-ka). Dominica is a lush tropical island in the Caribbean, with lots of vegetation and has a big export industry of bananas to the UK. When we first arrived, we wandered around the town, spoke to the local people, who speak English, and got a nice feel for the town of Roseau. Dominica is 65% Catholic, and 35% Protestant, which came with the French and Spanish colonialists.

Everyone we ran into was very nice, and strangers even stopped to say 'Welcome to Dominica!' I guess it's no secret when a huge ship like the MV Explorer comes to town increasing the number of people in town by 1000. Roseau's population is only 17,000.

A young boy pointed out where the markets were, and spoke with us for a bit. I loved meeting different people. We also met a few women at their market stands who taught us different words, and exchanged stories with us.

Our first SAS adventure on land was snorkeling in the Champagne Reef, and it was wonderful. They call it the Champagne Reef because of the bubbles that come from the sulfuric hot springs under water. It is supposed to be like swimming in a glass of champagne. There were just a few bubbles, but very cool nonetheless. We also got to trek to the Emerald Pool and Trafalgar Falls the following day. It was truly a tropical rainforest, hence the large quantities of rain that came down throughout our little hikes.

This first stop in Dominica overall was great - the students all got back to the ship on time (yay!) and generally everyone was healthy. Now we are on to the Amazon River, which is already a lot smoother waters.

The MV Explorer at the dock in Dominica

A first look at the dock in Roseau...

Sea at last....

2011-01-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe we've been at sea for a few days now. Classes have started for students, and now that our orientation schedule is over, I have a few moments to breathe and reflect on the fact that we are sailing our way around the world. Our schedule has been crazy and packed for the past few days from orientation to meetings, etc. but it has been fun and exhilarating as well.

One thing I wasn't prepared for was the actual rocking and movement of the ship. I knew I was going to be sailing, but there are literally times when you are walking down the hall, swaying side to side, or getting pulled from one direction to another. It's a trip and a reminder of how powerful the ocean waves are. It provides me with a great sense of scale. Unfortunately some people have struggled with seasickness, but I've been pretty blessed and feeling good. I felt a little queasy a few times, but ginger pills work miracles (I'm so glad I grabbed those at Whole Foods last minute - wow, Whole Foods seems like such a foreign concept.)

Another amazing phenomenon in this journey is that when you look out the window, you are surrounded by the vast ocean. I know that's not the most newsworthy observation, but it truly is stunning to see the sea with no land in sight. If I ever feel that this experience is surreal, all I have to do is look outside, and/or on the map of where we are and it simultaneously confirms that feeling and brings it to the present. The color of the water is no longer the bright teals and light blues that hugged the white sand beaches of Nassau. It is now a deep, rich, navy blue, that looks almost as if it were dyed that color. The sea just as calming as I expected it to be, and I look forward to more time outside on the decks. The rocking motion has also served as a great sleep aid, as even though I've had little time for sleep, what sleep I've had has been very deep.

The students on my deck, 'the Baltic Sea' are great. We had an involvement symposium last night, and over 200 students came to sign up for my area, Service Learning. It was very heartening, and they already had a dinner to get started with ideas.

We are a few days away from Dominica, and looking forward to it - our first port! The night before we arrive at each port, we have what is called a 'Port Lecture,' which is required. That's where we get updates about culture, safety, etc.

On the ship (not a boat)...

2011-01-10T10:00:00.001-08:00

The time has come... we are finally on board the ship, and learning
lots by the minute. The ship is great, a lot more spacious than I
originally thought, and we have learned to be creative with storage
strategies in our cabin (not room). I'm learning the shipboard lingo
- and just for your future reference, the MV Explorer is a ship, not a
boat, we are staying in a cabin (not a room), on the 3rd deck (not
floor). Oh and also for the record, it's a voyage, not a cruise :).

It's actually been quite fun to meet the faculty, other staff, and
family members on board. Everyone has been extremely nice, and I have
a feeling that this group of people will create an incredible
experience. We have a number of seasoned SAS faculty and staff
members on our voyage, and it's neat to hear their different stories
and perspectives. So, we are all on board, a few days before the
students, to complete our orientation and prepare for their arrival.
The schedule has been packed with good info, and I'm still trying to
get my bearings as to where things are on the ship.

Mark has some free time, which has actually been helpful for me, as
he's helping me with a few things I needed to get done... and I think
he's enjoying the basketball court and gym, all to himself. Lucky
guy:)

Off to my next orientation session...

On our way....

2011-01-07T21:42:00.001-08:00

The time has finally arrived! After a great farewell meal with the Everetts, and a tearful goodbye with little Abigail, we are now at SFO eagerly awaiting our flight. Not that we need any more reasons to know that this is going to be an amazing experience, but we got the last two business class upgrades for our flight at a super great price! I have a feeling the extra legroom and seat room, and cocktails will help us sleep well on the red-eye.

I love the travel butterflies I get before any big adventure but this time is so different. It is by far the longest and biggest journey I have yet to experience and I am so looking forward to each moment of discovery along the way. For now, taking care of some last minute online things and getting ready to relax on our way to paradise.

The final countdown....

2011-01-06T01:09:00.000-08:00

Wow.... I feel like I can consider myself a pretty well traveled person, but the experience of preparing and packing for this upcoming voyage at sea has been like none other. I had no idea all the prep work that went into packing for a 3 1/2 month voyage around the world. After multiple trips to the travel clinic for medications, lots of errands, finishing a few letters of recommendation, tying up loose ends, cleaning our house to prep for a sublet, and of course, prepping our technology, I am so wiped out. I am also SO thankful that our first stop is the Bahamas, and we are ecstatic about arriving and just relaxing for a few. I am used to fully and thoroughly preparing for and researching about the country I am about to visit, but because there are so many countries, it's been hard to dive deep. Nonetheless, I am so excited about this new adventure and can hardly wait to meet the other staff, faculty and students who will be on the voyage. It's really a shipboard community, and there are already a lot of connections being made.

Now, for the final days, we've pretty much wrapped up our packing and cleaning, and will be heading up to Roseville for a final girls night with my sister and some friends. For Christmas I gave my twin nieces, Abby and Sophie, a globe so that they could follow along on this adventure too. They know that their auntie is "going around the world on a boat." They also plan to talk to me via the globe and send me lots of love. Abby asked if I would write to her, and I'll most definitely be sending those two some notes from Auntie abroad.

We'll be on a plane, on our way in exactly 2 days, YAY!

Journeys of a lifetime

2010-12-29T00:16:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that in 9 days, we will be embarking on quite possibly one of the biggest and most amazing trips imaginable. In previous adventures, I've likened some of my experiences to the Amazing Race, but this is by far the closest to it. It is something I've been wanting to do ever since my undergrad days at UCI, when I would hear the stories of my mentors in the Dean of Students office talk about their travels as administrators on a floating university that circumnavigates the world.

I am SO excited to be headed out on Semester at Sea. On January 7, we will be leaving our humble abode to embark on a journey of a lifetime. After a quick stop in Atlanta, to visit some family, we'll head to the Bahamas where we embark on the MV Explorer, our home for the next 108 days. Our itinerary is as follows: Bahamas, Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Japan, Hawaii, and finally San Diego. We will actually be traveling down the Amazon River in Brazil -- wow! With about 700 students and 100 faculty and staff on board this small cruise ship, my job will be to facilitate reflection activities and promote awareness about community service and learning. I'm ecstatic about this opportunity to bridge my dissertation work and recent experiences in Bolivia, all together on a voyage unlike any other I've been on before.

Another journey of a lifetime coming up, is that I'll be getting married in the fall! My fiance, Mark, will be on board the SAS voyage as well. One thing we are looking forward to doing as part of our personal pre-wedding journey, is learning how to say 'I love you' in each language and find out about the different customs and traditions for celebrating love. This journey will have so much meaning in so many ways. Not only will I be traveling with my life partner, but it just so happens that I have a few great friends who will be on board as well. Another good friend will be meeting up with us in Vietnam. Once in a lifetime is an understatement, and 2011 literally feels like a dream.

Right now we are in packing mode... both for storage and the trip. How do you pack for 4 months on a boat traveling around the world? Well, I'll do my best, and have various experiences to draw from to help me out - and I need to remember to pack light since I'm sure to accumulate things along the way. One perk of heading out on the Spring voyage is that we will skipping winter this year. Well, okay, we've got a few days in here, but for the most part, being in the Southern hemisphere will be great. As with every experience I've had abroad, it's impossible to know what I will see, who I will meet, what experiences we will encounter, but one thing I know for sure is that this is going to be an AMAZING adventure and I am looking forward to each step of the way.

Reflections on Bolivia

2010-11-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Just this past weekend I had a reunion with the students with whom I traveled to Bolivia last summer, and it was a great time to reminisce, get together, and think about where we were and what we did. Even though the busy-ness of being back at work and on campus got the best of me, I realized that I wanted to go back and finish writing about our experiences there. Over the past few weeks, I've attended conferences and presented on the topic of how international service influences college students, and thought about how it's also changed my life for good.

In looking back at our experience, our time in Tiraque was not without its challenges. From being in a new environment, in a school that had never had this type of volunteer program before, to navigating a scenario where our volunteers were inadvertently put into a position of perpetuating a paternalistic educational paradigm, to language barriers, the group weathered a lot of difficult situations. But what I learned is that it is true that what defines a person is not the situations that they encounter in life, but how we choose to respond to them. I think each person did the best they could in the moment, and there were also a lot of great experiences we all look back on fondly.

As we left Tiraque, the last day we participated in a march, which was actually pretty fun. The night before we helped students make posters and signs, then we marched around the town chanting, "Tiraque Limio" and "No Botar Basura" - and Martin the director mentioned that this was a true piece of Bolivian culture, to protest. As we said goodbye, there were lots of hugs, and well wishes, and wondering of what would come next for each of us on our respective paths. The connections that were made would leave a lasting impression on each of us, and continue to be part of our own experiences as we reflect back.

Before we left Bolivia, we stopped in Cochabamba one more time to do last minute shopping for souvenirs at La Cancha, and watch the World Cup finals... which was pretty cool. It was neat to see Spain win the World Cup at a Brazilian Cafe in Bolivia :). Then we got to take a trip to Copacabana, right on Lake Titicaca, which was a phenomenal little town. It was a great break and treat to get to spend our last night in Bolivia in a great hotel right near the water. It gave us the chance to see more of this country that we only scratched the surface of getting to know in the month that we were there.

We also stopped over in La Paz for 1/2 a day, and did a quick walking tour of the city, walking through the witches market, different plazas and districts, and getting a glimpse at the capital city.

Overall, words cannot describe this trip... from unforgettable freezing cold showers, to touching moments with the students at the talent show, to great group bonding and journaling marathons. There are a million little moments that just thinking about them brings a smile to my face. I'm thankful for the experience to participate in this trip, and also thankful for the memories and friendships that I was able to make along the way.

Tiraque and the environment

2010-06-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Tiraque´s medio del ambiente

We arrived in Tiraque over a week ago... and what once was an unfamiliar dusty colonial small town, has come to be almost like a second home. When we were first told that we were going to be in a rural village, I had images of huts and lots of animals roaming around. While the streets are paved, there are still a lot of dirt roads and stray dogs. The hotel we are staying at happens to also be home to the local radio station. There is music blasting at almost all hours of the day and night. This town is unlike any town I´ve been in before. There´s a very nice plaza with a church and government building on opposite sides of the square. And, the homes and stores all look the same, behind what looks to be adobe casas. There are no signs, so you literally walk into what could be a home, restaurant, tienda... it´s really different.

We are working with an alternative education school called, Centro Tata Esteban, and their director, Martin, is an amazing guy. We are working in small groups to help the school and community build awareness about environmental issues. The group that I am a part of helped to organize a Concurso para limpieza del rio (river clean up contest), and it was amazing. Students from the school as well as other children and students from the community came out in droves. Tiraque has a large Quechua population, and before the introduction of plastics and other packaging materials, they were used to throwing banana peels and other things in the streets. It also doesn´t have a big waste managment program, so many people dump waste near the river. It was incredible to see all the students and kids picking up SO much garbage. Some of the things they brought out from the river included tons of plastic bottles, trash, cans, car parts, and unfortunately some dead animals. I was amazed to see the kids so enthusiastically cleaning the river and the streets. One of the professors at the school said that this day did make a difference, because the kids learned about keeping the river clean, and the adults were shamed to have the children clean up their mess. Apparently Tiraque has a local news station, and there was 30 minutes of coverage. It´s a very small town (3500), so practically everyone knows we are there, and an older gentleman even said ´gracias´after passing by in the street.

That is just one example of the different things we´ve been doing here. We are currently on a mid-point trip, for reflection and to catch up on some necessities. We head back to Tiraque in a few hours.

One more amazing experience we had, on June 23, a group of us got up at 5.30am to climb a mountain near the town, which has a big cross at the top. It was dark outside, but felt good to be awake. We were going to celebrate they Aymayra , or Andean, New Year. The tradition is to try to climb to the highest point and put your hands to the sun, to catch the first rays of sunlight in the new year. I´ve seen many a sunrise in my life, especially back in the SPOP days, but this was literally breathtaking. We climbed as far as we could, and after a little adventure got to the top just in time for the sun to rise. The views of the town and surrounding areas was amazing. I´m so glad I got to participate in that moment... it was incredible. That´s all for now. It seems that time here is a bit different... slower, yet busy at times. And for all of you who are wondering, yes, the world cup has been fun and amazing to watch from down here. Every restaurant, hotel, or any place with a public tv, has world cup info 24/7. I may not know what else is going on in the world right now, but I do know that Germany won, and Argentina beat Mexico yesterday.

Until next time....

A day en la escuela y en La Cancha

2010-06-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were very fortunate to have the chance to visit a school in the southern area of Cochabamba. This is supposed to be the more impoverished area, with dirt roads and brown colored square buildings covering the mountaintop. The landscape here is very monochromatic. It feels like and is a different world. The people we have met son muy agradable. The principle and other leader gave us an over view of their school, El Molino. It was a private school, though not to be compared to what we think of when we say private in the US. The children ranged from pre kinder to high school. They were all wearing navy blue and red uniforms. There is no government subsidy for education, and in order to cut costs, the children only have school until about 1¨30pm.

After our talk in the main room where they served us coca cola (which tastes much better here because it´s made from real cane sugar), the head maestra got a blowhorn and gathered all the children in the little playground and and told them to pose for una photografia. She then took us each to the different classrooms, and introduced us to the students, almost as if parading us around. It was a bizarre feeling, but it was probably equally bizarre for them. We saw some of the older kids taking pictures of us on their cell phones, which was ironically a comforting feeling. They also had these cool and inspiring quotes painted all over el colegio, como, ¨No te sientas, solo estoy yo para compartir tus penas.¨ y mi favorito, ¨la escuela no es el edificio, es el espiritu¨ (the school is not the building, it is the spirit). After our ´tour´ we were able to play with the kindergarten children, and had a great time exchanging names and telling stories about ourselves, and asking questions of them. It was a highlight for many.

After a great lunch at a place called La Campa... we went to La Cancha, the largest market in South America. It was overwhelming. I´ve been to a number of different markets internationally, and I can say this was like no other. We did a brief walk through one portion, which had many interesting smells, and many intersting things ' from amazingly beatiful fruitas y, meats, clothes, blankets, pastas, sweets, local superstitions (llama fetuses), and muchos otras cosas. Again, my best word to describe the market was overwhelming. We also had to be careful in terms of safety. At one point, 5 men tried surrounding our group, scoping us out since we were obviously tourists. They then tried to grab one of the students in the back of the line, but luckily on of the FSD leaders was able to save him from being robbed. It was a good reminder of where we are. There are very few tourists here, so we, especially as a large grupo, stand out mucho. (as you can see, my spanish is starting to creep into my thoughts, and writing. I´m so glad to have this practice).

This is all for now. We are looking forward to our time in Tiraque, where our service will take place. (there will be no internet there, so my next update won´t be for at least a week). I´m excited about the fact that we will be working with the children and teachers to develop our goals together. overall, it´s been a great experience. hasta luego...

As you can see, my spanish skills are starting to peek in here and there, even in my thinking, que bueno.

Un Bien Viaje

2010-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well... yesterday we had quite a packed day of travel from SFO to Miami to La Paz to Cochabamba. Actually the last leg of that epic travel line from La Paz to Cochabamba was my favorite. It was a quick but breathtaking 35 minute flight over the Andes Mountains. Los montañas son muy grade y maravilloso. It was almost as if could fly right through the mountains and reach out and touch them. It was gorgeous, and was one of the most unbelievable views I´ve ever seen from a plane. The mountains were sharp and strong, peaking into the clouds. It was a bit of a rough landing, but when we got on the ground, I noticed a business man do the sign of the cross. I couldn´t help for smile and agree with his appreciation for being safe. We later found out that the mayor of Cochabamba was on our flight, along with their ambassador to Cuba.

As for the itinerary, we are staying in Cochabamba for the first few nights, to get oriented to Bolivian culture (and the altitude) and then will head to Tiraque. At our orientation, led by Mauricio, Julianne and Daniell from FSD, we fournd out that there are only 3500 people in this small town, which apparently doesn´t have many restaurants. But there are many Chicharias (bars that sell Chicha, a local homemade liquor). They have arranged for us to participate in a protest, a debate with the mayor and local officials about their environmental efforts, and a day with the local tv and radio stations. It all sounds so amazing and surreal. We are really looking forward to this opportunity, and have no idea what to expect.

The students all seem to be adjusting well, except for one unfortunate case of altitude sickness. I´m so proud of them.. all very conscious of their presence here, and very respectful. They are also having a lot of fun, and it´s great to connect with them, and see them grow and get to know one another better during this trip as well. We visted their Christo - the ´largest´statue of Jesus in the western hemisphere. It was huge! We were winded climing the 50 or so steps to get to the top - hopefully we´ll adjust to the altitude soon.

Well, tomorrow we leave for Tiraque, where there will be no internet access. It is also supposed to be super cold in this town o(due to a high altitude of 10,000 ft), with temperatures at about freezing in the evenings. When we told someone we were going there, the first thing they said was, ´hace much frio aca´. At least they had heard of Tiraque, as other Bolivianos whom we met at the internet cafe had not. Later we´ll be taking a trip to the region of Chapare which has more sub tropoical temperatures, and will be warm and humid. Muy interesante.

Pre-departure thoughts...

2010-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well, in a few hours, we will be embarking on what is sure to be an exciting adventure to Bolivia. This time I've correctly identified my flight time/date, and started packing a week in advance :). We start with a flight from SFO to Miami, and have a 45 minute layover before we transfer flights to La Paz (yikes, lets hope for an on time arrival). Then we hop on another short flight to Cochabamba. For the first few days we are there, we'll be staying in Cochabamba for a general orientation, and then we'll head out to Tiraque, to El Centro Tata Esteban, where we will be spending most of our time.

A few nights ago, my friend Liz organized a great dinner where I got to meet a few of their friends who engaged in service in Bolivia (one did the Peace Corps, and the other actually interned for FSD!) It was an amazing time, and I'm so glad we got the chance to talk about Bolivia. Meredith, who worked with FSD before, actually knew the folks we'd be working with and it was very comforting to meet someone who had such great things to say about her experience.

I'm extremely excited for this trip, and am looking forward to so many things -- the students' experiences, meeting and getting to know the people and making lasting relationships, contributing in any way we can, seeing a new land, learning about indigenous culture, and recognizing personal growth and understanding in myself. I know that this will be unlike any trip I've had before, and am looking forward to being challenged and stretching beyond that which I've been comfortable. One of my favorite parts of travel is the eager anticipation with which you meet the experience. I have no idea what will transpire, who I'll meet, or what I'll learn, but that is part of the excitement. It translates into a lot of life experiences, and over the years I've come to embrace and cherish that anticipation. It's like the butterflies you feel when you know something good/exciting is about to take place. Once I'm there, I'll know what they were about. Until then...

Reflecting forward... back to South America

2010-06-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been almost two years since my visit to Ecuador for my research on the influence of international service on college students. That was an amazing trip, with wonderful students, and my experiences since then have been equally amazing. I've finished up the dissertation, and the process is officially complete. I enjoyed each step of the way, from my conversations with the students to travels near and far, the process provided me with invaluable lessons and a continued energy to assist students in their own journeys abroad. In about two weeks I'll be embarking on yet another trip, this time to Bolivia, with another group of students. I'm ecstatic and will once again be documenting parts of the journey here. The title of this post pays homage to the 2010 Stanford Women's Leadership Conference, whose theme this year inspired me to think back to my previous experiences as I embark on yet another adventure. I've had a chance to informally get to know the students with whom I'll be traveling, and am completely looking forward to getting to know each one on a personal level. They seem like an amazing group, full of anticipation, hope, cautious optimism, sincerity, and wonderful energy.

In the meantime, I wanted to post one final reflection from my time in Ecuador that made it into my dissertation. I was determined to include a creative heartfelt piece in order to hopefully bring the readers a little closer to the experience. Enjoy...

Prior to engaging in this research project and traveling with the students from VILA to Ecuador, I made note of my previous understandings of what challenges the students may have faced, and what experiences might have been for the people in Quito. I imagined that the experience would be quite different for each student, as some had traveled internationally before, and for others this was their first experience in a developing country. I expected that this experience would be life-changing for some, and exciting or interesting for others. Little did I know that this experience would change the way I see myself in relation to others as an interpretive participatory researcher.

One particular experience where the participatory nature of this research and entanglement with the volunteer experience came to life was when I accompanied a group of the VILA volunteers to the Plaza Grande, also known as Plaza Independencía, where the President's Mansion was located in Quito. The volunteers came up with the idea of reaching out to the shoeshine boys and girls who were selling candies in the Plaza. These children did not participate in the local programs where the volunteers were stationed, so the volunteers wanted to bring a moment of playfulness to their day, allowing the children to just be. The volunteers brought water, baskets, soap, and a tub and invited the children to play with the bubbles and have fun. At first I was not sure how the children or passers-by would receive this gesture of service, but I soon saw that my concerns were unfounded. Because the volunteers were there the week before, the kids recognized them and immediately ran up to the volunteers, even helping them set up. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, working cooperatively with each other and even welcoming other young children who were not working who wanted to play with the bubbles. The smiles on their faces were the reward the volunteers were looking for.

I was sitting on a bench next to the group with my notebook, watching the joy on the peoples’ faces. The kids, the volunteers, and even people passing by could not hold in the smiles that the bubbles incited. It was particularly fun to watch a big bubble float away, and see nearly everyone who was there in the Plaza cheer it on and watch it float up into the sky out into the unknown. Before I knew it, two of the shoe-shine boys came to me and asked in Spanish, “¿Por qué no juega usted?” (English translation: “Why aren’t you playing?”). Since I had no good excuse, I rolled up my sleeves and dipped my hands into the greenish water that not only helped the kids to make bubbles, but also cleaned their hands from the shoe polish and dirt that served as reminders of their working reality. The two boys continually blew bubbles using only their hands and shared them with me, transferring the bubbles from their hands to mine. This was a simple moment that was very powerful in demonstrating the act of being with the children and the student volunteers. In that moment as a researcher, I realized how important it was to be involved in the experience, and not just observe from the outside.

After a little while, a gentleman in his late 30s who looked to be a tourist from a neighboring Latin American country approached one of the student volunteers and said, “I noticed you are doing this project for the kids. Is it just to make them happy and play with them?” She replied yes, and explained that they were students from the United States participating in volunteer projects in Quito, but they wanted to reach out to these children who were not able to come to the center. He then said he had wanted to do something nice for the kids, so he reached into his pocket and gave her ten dollars to buy all of the children ice cream. The ten dollars was more than enough to provide an ice cream to each of the fifteen to twenty children who were there. They were ecstatic and so appreciative to the man, each one thanking him for his generosity and kind spirit. He was inspired by the student volunteers to contribute in his own way.

This moment was truly a fusion of my horizon that I will never forget, and seeing the connection amongst each child, volunteer, and passerby allowed me to understand the influence of international service as far reaching as it could be. My understanding of the experience of international service focused on the volunteers and the community members involved with the projects. My horizon fused with the boys’ reality in that moment, as I looked down at the dirty soapy water and appreciated their comfort in approaching me to participate and share in the fun. Prior to this, I did not see the extent to which the interactions with others could have an effect on everyone involved. I realize that this is not representative of every single moment in international service, nor is it a long-term solution to the problems of poverty and working children. I did see that the volunteers were determined to make a difference in one moment in time. And, if this memory of that day in Plaza Grande can elicit such good feelings in me, perhaps it’s a memory that will stay with the children and will bring a smile back to their faces providing inspiration for their own imagined futures.

Los Estudiantes son muy bueno

2008-07-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

This week I have had the pleasure of accompanying the students in VILA to their respective sites where they are volunteering here in Quito. The first two days I got to go with some students who were working in the markets in the south side of the city. The volunteers were two Stanford students, and a French student from Austria and a Scottish student. Together, they were running a day program for the street children there, and kids of people who have little tiendas en el mercado. This particular week, they were teaching the children about different parts of the earth. Out of their own pockets, the volunteers purchased materials to make volcanoes con los niños. Since there are so many volcanoes in Ecuador, it was a good lesson, and the kids got to name the ones they knew, and they seemed to really enjoy it. The day started with the volunteers setting up, then going around the market to gather the children. Most were very eager to come with the volunteers. They sat in a circle and sang lots of songs in español. I was so surprised at how into it each of them were. Both boys and girls were eager and excited to sing the songs and play the games (including, pato pato ganzo a.k.a. duck duck goose). Most of the kids clothes were in poor shape, but others clearly had new clothes on. After the songs, they each participated in making the volcanoes. At the end of each day, they go with the volunteers to wash their hands with soap and water, and brush their teeth. It was really amazing. I´ll send pictures soon. The following day, they had a similar routine, but instead of volcanoes, they created a mural of the ocean, and the kids either colored in or drew sea creatures. Again, they were all very excited about the project and were generally very obedient. Very impressive.

Wed. and Thurs I went to Casa de la Ninez, where five other students were volunteering. This was an interesting experience. It is basically a camp, which also offers social services for kids and their families, with pretty nice facilities (though it is located right next door to a jail, and you can actually look down into the courtyard of the jail from the Casa). Although there were seemingly more resources at this location, the volunteers were a bit frustrated with the disorganization and miscommunication from the director. I´m really glad I got to see this first hand, because it was truly and interesting situation. The VILA volunteers have a lot to offer, and it seemed that their skills were not put to great use. They did play games with the kids and do art projects, but it was very haphazardly with Ecuadorian volunteers yelling and treating the little kids very poorly. In any case, the VILA students were making the most of it.

A few more sites I´ve had the chance to check out include El Panecillo - this amazing hill with views of all of Quito. Atop this hill is a huge silver stature of the Virgen de Panecillo w/ wings. She is the virgin saint that looks over the city and connects Quito to the sun. It was interesting climbing inside to the area with the view -- to me it was very reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty (climbing inside a tin lady).

Friday I accompanied another student, Maria, at CENIT and her volunteer work included bringing los ninos to la dentista. It was really amazing to see the work she was doing, talking to the parents about dental hygene and bringing the kids in for check ups and fillings (yikes!) The dentist office was a little stall in the mercado, it was far from a dentist office you see in the US (cement floors, paint coming off the walls, etc.) But, she kept things very clean and sterilized things in a hot oven-like box. The kids that came by for check ups that day had lots of cavities, one little girl, probably 5 or 6 years old had 10 cavities! I don´t know how else they would get dental treatment because CENIT subsidizes half of the cost ($12 for 1 filling total).

Inti Raymi Adventures

2008-07-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? Well, this past weekend, I was extremely fortunate to be invited (by a friend - Pablo, of a friend - Kat), to a local festival north of Quito, in the mountains. It was part of the Inti Raymi celebration, where local indigenous groups celebrate their heritage and honor the sun. It was amazing. Pablo invited me to come along with him, and two friends (from England and Slovakia) because some of the villages do have volunteers, usually from the peace corps, who help with different projects. We got up early on Saturday, and drove about two hours north. It was a beautiful drive, very mountainous, and a bit dry, and there were lots of colorful little pueblos along the way. The sky was expansive, and a beautiful blue with clouds touching the mountaintops. When we arrived near the town, which was surrounded by green beautiful mountains, we stopped to ask an older woman for directions. She happened to be the sister of the woman who invited Pablo, so she hopped in the car and guided us to the celebration site in the communidad de Eugenio de Caja. We stayed with a host family, who were very gracious and took good care of us.

Since we arrived a bit early for the festival, we went up to Otavalo, a town about 20 miles north of this community, which is famous for its artisan markets and indigenous crafts. It was so colorful, from roasted corn, fresh fruits and vegetables, to colorful blankets, bags, and alpaca sweaters. We also stopped at a quesoria (a local cheese making house) that made queso fresca. They also have volunteers who come to help them maintain the building and the business, and I got the chance to speak to some of the community members who said they were in need of more volunteers to help them with marketing and distribution. I had some good conversations with the people there. The cheese was amazing, and they were saying that unfortunately some of it goes to waste if they are not able to distribute or sell the cheese fast enough (since it´s fresh, it doesn´t last very long). This stuff would sell in a heartbeat in the US, totally organic, fresh, handmade from an indigenous community needing funds.

When we got back to the house, the host family prepared a meal, which consisted of hominy, small pieces of fried pork, half of a fresh avocado, and a roasted potato. It was actually good and filling. Then we headed out down to the celebration area, and our hosts walked us out to the main road, which was a bit confusing. They instructed us to get into the back of this pick-up truck, so we did, not really knowing where we were going, but we knew it had something to do with the fiesta. They took us to another family´s home for the pre-celebration, and they offered the family a live chicken (as did about 20 other families). This community was San Augustine de Caja, and they offered us food, and many beverages. There was lots of dancing with chickens, singing, guitar playing, colorful dresses and masks. The masks symbolized the indigenous community´s interest in preserving their heritage, and putting on a fake mask to keep that within them. It also had a mirror on the forehead, which was to reflect and honor the sun. The beverages were an experience in themselves. Chicha (a mild homemade liquor of yucca or oats and spices) was in a bucket, and they scooped out a cup full of drink for you to have, then you give them back the cup for the next person to drink. They also insisted we drink a mandarin infused pure whiskey to warm us up in the cold weather. Again we were to take a quick shot, and give the cup back for the next person. (They also used this process for soda and fruit wines). Because it was part of the celebration, I couldn´t say no - it wasn´t the cleanliest experience, but it was awesome.

After the pre-celebration, we were herded onto the main road. They had a truck in the front with people playing guitars, and a 18 wheel truck with a huge flatbed, where they had a band and speakers blaring the music. So, we (100+ guests) walk and dance right onto the Panamerican Highway, yes a two-road highway, and start heading back to where the main celebration was taking place. Cars were honking, some were taking pictures, buses and trucks were passing us by, but it was incredible - dancing, singing and drinking on the highway that Che Guevarra rode through on his motorcycle. After about 2 hours of walking/dancing we finally got to the large festival, and it appears that these pre-celebrations took place in other communities, and they all converged in one open field, surrounded by mountains, to dance, drink, sing, and eat. It was fun. It was also really cold. Overall, I can´t really do justice to the experience, but I felt really blessed to have been able to participate in such an amazing event.

I´ll have to save other stories and descriptions about the hostel and Stanford students who I got to visit in action for another time.

Quick stop in Lima en route to Quito

2008-07-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it, despite almost missing my flight by an entire day by misreading the departure date and time (note: leaving at 1:30 in the morning of the date on the ticket means that date, not the following date).

As I mentioned in my previous post - I had a 7 hour layover in Lima, and decided to venture out. I met an older Panamanian guy on the plane who was really concerned for my safety because of what he´s heard of Lima. He said he was concerned about going in on his own, then when he heard I was planning to do that, he had to go with me. Then another guy we were sitting with from Savannah, GA jumped in on the conversation as well - they were really nice. It ended up that the Panamanian gentleman couldn´t come into Lima due to visa restrictions, then Brant, from GA, offered to share a ride to his hostel, and he ended up coming with me to the part of Lima I wanted to check out - Miraflores (right on the ocean). That part of Lima was great, and there were handgliders over the cliffs. For future reference, if you are in Lima, check out ¨Vista al Mar¨restaurant, and try the ceviche - muy bueno!

Well, my impression of Lima is mixed. So, the city itself was way more 'advertised' than I expected. The signs for stores and malls were huge, and there were big lights and signs everywhere. There was also a lot of dust and empty buildings, it almost reminded me of the scene in the future in Idiocracy (sans the piles of trash everywhere).

Our cab driver was awesome, and my Spanish got a major work out that first day. He took us to the hostel, then Miraflores, and offered to pick us up and bring me back to the airport. He was super nice, and even gave me his cab number for any return trips. The ride to (and from) the airport was long due to traffic, but by the end we were really talking a lot, which was fun. Speaking of traffic, it was similar to that in the Philippines ' no regard for lanes, other cars or buses, it was pretty intense! But that´s the way things are there.

Now, I´m in Quito and it´s absolutely beautiful. I've been lucky with the weather, I checked before I left, and it said rain for days. But it´s been sunny with beautiful blue skies over this long narrow city between the mountains. It´s gorgeous. And the buildings in Old Town show the Spanish colonial influence (as well as the numerous churches and cathedrals). The hostel I´m staying in is extremely quaint, and luckily quiet (I´m just a bit over the crazy party hostel days). Anyhow, I´m so excited to start my research, meet with the students, and even with a few Ecuadorian contacts who work with American college students doing service. For now, still getting acquainted with the city, and my Spanish... hasta luego!

An New Adventure - Suramerica

2008-07-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well - it's time for me to hit the road again (well, technically the sky)! I'm leaving tomorrow for South America - Quito, Ecuador in particular -- where I'll be traveling to begin collecting data for my dissertation research on international service and student identity/leadership. I'm so excited to be heading down there, to experience the culture, see the Andes, observe students in action, talk with community members, understand the situation, and to improve my Spanish. Who knows - I may even attempt to write an entry en espanol.

The students I'll be visiting belong to a group at Stanford called Volunteers In Latin America (VILA), and they have been working with street children in Ecuador for a number of years. The students have been extremely warm and welcoming of my research, and they themselves have prepared for this journey in a quarter-long course exploring the issues of Ecuador, international service, etc. I'm so glad that I'll be able to join them. They will be living in Ecuador for two months.

I'll be staying in a hostel in La Mariscal and am looking forward to meeting new friends along the way. One of the students told me that this area is often called 'gringolandia' because a lot of travelers stay there... but I'll probably be able to get by a little easier without complete fluency in Spanish.

Right now - I have few expectations. I'm going in with an open mind - have a few places that I want to visit, but for the most part I want to get lost in the experience, and bring back some good information that will be useful as I continue on the dissertation journey.

The first part of the trip will be an adventure in itself, as I've opted for a 'round about' flight to Quito, with two stops. One in El Salvador for a short time, and the other in Lima, Peru. I'll be in Lima for about 7 hours - and am hoping to take a cab into the city and at least see a little of Peru, maybe grab some ceviche, which I'm told is excellent there (as well as in Ecuador.) Well, wish me luck -- and thank you for sharing in the the journey with me!

The Final Destination – Meeting the Yellow Leaf in Nan

2007-06-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the final chapter of this amazing journey. Our trip to Thailand capped off the whole adventure. We first got to Chiang Mai, spent the night there, then took vans to Nan where we visited the Yellow Leaf. It was a powerful experience. My professor has deep connections there, and we met some of her friends at a grocery store, to bring food and staples to the Yellow Leaf people (along with other items we brought from the US). The actual 'road to their village' was beautiful. Lush greenery, banana trees, rolling hills, another twisty road. We passed a few other villages that seemed much more well off (featuring school children with uniforms). When we arrived at the Yellow Leaf village, I recognized the road from a film we watched in class. The van had gotten stuck in the mud, and people had to walk toward the village. Apparently, the Princess of Thailand recently visited the Yellow Leaf, and in preparation for her visit, the government paved more of the road towards their village. The last km or so was still a dirt road.

When we arrived, our professor was greeted with open arms, and the wife of the chief of the village came and embraced her warmly. The children gathered, and were observing us with sincere curiosity. One of the men started distributing fruits to the kids, and they were so cute, yet it was clear how impoverished the village was. It was also clear that they have made great strides in the last ten years. There were two new huts built for families, and a few families now farming on their own (thanks in part to the land my professor’s non-profit organization purchased for them). Long story short, the Mlabri (Yellow Leaf) were hunter-gatherers and years ago were enslaved by the Hmong in Northern Thailand to work on their farms. My professor learned about this, and began visiting the Mlabri in Burma, Northern Thailand, and Laos. Over the years, she gained their trust, and has been able to help them create a sustainable livelihood, They presented her with a hand-woven bag, and a man who lives in one of the new huts offered her the only thing he could, a hand-carved staff he had made. It was so touching. We got to leave our supplies with the village chief, and you could feel the rumble of the people that they were excited. The ultimate highlight for me was seeing Split Ear, who came in from working in the fields. He is an older Mlabri man who was once chief of this tribe, and was wearing a short sleeve, button down shirt and a loincloth. His name is due to his split ear that he has on the left side. No one knows how old he really is (including himself). We had seen him in videos in class and he has apparently been written about in various anthropological journals. We were told that at first he didn’t really like our professor, and wanted nothing to do with her. Over the years, they built a strong relationships based on trust and understanding. His presence was magnificent, and though there was a language barrier, he spoke to us and welcomed us with open arms, and his charm and humor emerged within minutes. It was definitely an amazing experience.

After one night in Nan, we headed back to Chiang Mai, rode elephants at a conservatory outside of the city, had lunch at a street market where they served rice in a bag along with the meat of your choice, hit up the Night Bazaar (apparently the largest night market in SE Asia), and prepared for our final journey home.

We had a 6 hour wait in Bangkok before our flight back to SFO, and 3 of my classmates and I decided to take a trip into the city to see the Grand Palace and anything else we could. This was the ultimate finale for my ‘amazing race’ parallel. My professor warned that if we don’t get back to the airport by 3, or 3:30pm, we’d miss our flight home. This led to the rest of the group deciding to stay at the airport. The four of us had confidence we could do it, and it was SO worth it! We hopped into a cab from the airport, and went straight to the palace. Then we got into tuk-tuks which drove us to another temple, and some other random side stops. It was a fun adventure. Then back to the palace we got our tickets, and began taking pictures and exploring the grounds (after John had to ‘borrow’ pants from the front, as jeans were not allowed). The palace was ornate and amazing! It seemed like everything was covered in old and jewels, and the structures, and details were incredible. After a good lap around the grounds, it started pouring rain! The timing was perfect, we had seen what we wanted to see. We regrouped near the entrance, grabbed a cab, and headed back to the airport. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for me.

I can’t put into words how much I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this trip. It was overwhelming, exciting, challenging, and exhilarating. I learned so much about myself and others, and look forward to the next adventures in life.

Quick Stop at Angkor Wat

2007-05-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

We got to Cambodia yesterday afternoon, and indulged in some spa treatments after a long journey. It was just what we needed to push through this last 'leg of the race'. (I kept comparing this journey to the Amazing Race, and all the way back from SFO have been referencing it in those terms). This morning at the crack of dawn we went to Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom in order to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was overcast, but luckily it was cool. We took little Tuk Tuk's from the hotel and it was awesome. They also drove us between sights and all around the area. Each time I think about all the breathtaking views an sights we've seen thus far, and I am still impressed and amazed at this wonder. It wasn't as hot as we were expecting it to be, so that was nice that we went so early. Now things are definitely starting to heat up (it's 10:30am here).

It's unreal to see such a magnificent structure that is soo old, one of the lost civilizations. Some of the local police were showing us where Tomb Raider was filmed, and some other unique areas. Aside from that little bit of pop culture, the rest of the complex commanded awe and respect. It was interesting to see the detail in the stone, and the size of everything. Again, I fear pictures can't capture the magnitude of the structures, but the feeling of just being there was amazing. We did some Buddhist prayers in one of the structures with incense, and were 'blessed with luck' by the monk there (for only a $1 tip!) It was awesome.

The Buddhist influence is very striking here, and it isn't uncommon to find temples and shrines everywhere you go. Hinduism is also somewhat present just from an observer's perspective. It's interesting, one of my classmates just read that Thailand has adopted Buddhism as the 'official' religion of the country. He was saying that while that is clearly the majority there, there is a big Muslim constituency in the south near Malaysia, and that will cause some big conflicts.

Back to Cambodia - we are staying in Siem Reap, which apparently has grown tremendously over the past ten years. Another colleague came here in 1996 and said it was very different and overdeveloped. I guess post 9/11 in 2004 they started seeing a surge in tourism here for Angkor Wat, and built 75 new 5 star hotels, which mostly remain empty or less than half full. Tonight we are going to the night market to continue our shopping adventures as well :) I wish we had a little more time in Cambodia, but we are heading out tomorrow afternoon to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and finally the Yellow Leaf.

p.s. I think my best bet for posting pics will be after the trip, I'm just finding it hard to justify the time on the computer. I'll be happy to send them along to anyone interested!

Renegade drop offs in Sa Pa

2007-05-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

It is unbelievable how beautiful the road to Sa Pa was. Once again, I was taken by the intense scenery with tall lush mountains, waterfalls, clouds covering the tops, it was gorgeous dotted with bamboo trees, rice terraces, water buffalo, etc. Pictures can't capture the depth and beauty of the mountains and valleys that we can see from our hotel which are very similar. I can't tell if I like Sa Pa so much because of itself or in comparison to the previous place we were at. Sa Pa is a quaint village with lots of shops and people from the Black Hmong tribes selling embroidered items and jewelry. It's somewhat reminiscent of an Alpine Village, but its in Vietnam, with lots of ethnic minorities, and rice terraces around. The French founded this town, and made it a vacation spot back in the day. It's definitely a refreshing difference from Paso.

Yesterday we were summoned to meet in room 211 with an empty day pack. We assembled and started packing our 'inconspicuous' bags with childrens clothes, candies, toys, medical supplies, and headed down the hill. Since we weren't having much luck distributing items due to the strict commie oversight, we were going to trek into villages in the mountains and go into their homes to distribute the goods - a renegade mission! It was super fun, but not as renegade as we thought it would be. Some of the villagers spoke English pretty well - mostly due to the tourists that visit the area. It was still neat to venture into the hills, see the people and talk with them, and distribute items. Another crazy thing was taking a motorscycle back to up the twisty road, up the mountain, into town. We didn't feel like walking all the way back up, and there was a motorcycle stand that was offering rides for $1. So, who could resist? Nevermind that I have never been on a motor bike before, when we took off, I had to close my eyes. He was driving really fast, and turning on an angle at each of the turns! After a little while I got used to it, and saw the amazing views. We almost got run off the road by a van, and a herd of water buffalo, but again - made it safely back to home base. We will be visiting more villages today, but this time not so undercover. It was a fun experience.

My wallet got a little exercise in this town as well. My two friends, Pam and Kim, and I met a 6 year old Black Hmong girl who was super sweet, and we were walking around with her. We bought her a whole new outfit (from head to toe), because her clothes were in such bad shape. She was beaming afterwards. It was a great experience, and we saw her later that evening wearing the clothes.

Finally, I can't believe how long this trip feels, and that I have 2 more countries to visit. Some people in our group will be leaving in a few days when we return to Hanoi, and the rest of us will trek on to Cambodia, and Thailand - where we'll meet the Yellow Leaf. It feels like we've been traveling for months, time has been really interesting out here.

Adventures in Paso

2007-05-23T03:44:00.000-07:00

Today we ventured out to visit more villages in NW Vietnam. The views were once again spectacular, very mountainous, along the Red River, then along various creeks, etc. We had 2 crazy things happen, the first village we visited, a Red Hmong village, was near the Laos border, and we were stopped by communist police, who kept us in the village for a while as they checked passports, etc. We weren't allowed to give any goods to the village but they took us on a tour. It felt very uncomfortable, as they were seemingly trying to hide any corruption and show us some of the nicer huts. There was electricity in this village, and it was incredible to see the mud huts w/bamboo and leaves, and little to nothing inside except for a chair and a television. Just goes to show how far technology and media go. The place that I am blogging from right now is also an interesting site, dirt roads and floors outside, pretty grimey, yet there are 20 computer stations.

The other interesting adventure was that while we were having lunch on the side of the road (literally, oh and lunch = rice, peanuts, mangoes, and bread) our bus driver was smoking some beetlenut out of a bong-like contraption, and just as we were getting on the bus to head to the next village, he started puking. The tour guide asked if anyone had an orange, and then gave that to him, and he got up. It wasn't very comforting to know he was going to drive us back through the twisty, mountainous roads. Needless to say, I'm super glad to be sitting here out of harms way for now :)

Tomorrow we are off to Sapa, and will be visiting more villages. It's incredibly humbling and challenging to go from village to village to be either welcomed or turned away. Thuy, our guide, was saying the police didn't want us to give anything to these ethnic minority villages so they don't rise up against the government.

Finally, we are staying at this insane little hotel right now in Paso. Highlights from myself and others in the group include - spiders, rats, no A/C, a restaurant only open at certain hours, a piece of bread for breakfast, language barriers, paper thin walls, mosquito nets (thankfully), and showering from a waistlevel faucet coming out of the wall in the bathroom.... But, I am definitely not complaining, because I know it could be worse. I also know that we are staying at some really nice places along the way.

That's all for now!

Hanoi and Halong Bay

2007-05-22T03:41:00.000-07:00

Hanoi was a great city. We stayed in the French Quarter and ventured by foot around town. The French influence on the buildings were not as striking as I thought, but the architecture and feel were definitely distinct (as well as the communist flags on every house and business - even the little pineapple stands along the road). After a day there, we headed on a bus 3 hours northeast to Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. The drive up was awesome - passing rice terraces, villages, palm trees, homes and shacks right next to each other. The tall narrow homes (to avoid property taxes) and the big corporations stood out as well. It was very interesting. Apparently three years ago, the government built a bunch of tall homes outside of the city of Hanoi to create 'suburb-like' areas outside of the city, but no one wanted to move there, so now they are just abandoned.

Once we arrived at Halong Bay, we boarded a boat, had fresh seafood, and embarked on an overnight journey on the water. It was absolutely breathtaking (pictures coming soon) - the rocks and islands were peeking out of the water which made it look like a huge dragon - hence the name (?). We got to explore different caves in the bay, and climbed the highest point in the bay (about 500 steps) for some more amazing views. That part was really fun, but literally by the morning we were all suffering from cabin fever. Let's just say we weren't staying on any luxury cruiseliner on the water.

Then we headed back to Hanoi, and then onto a flight to Dien Bien Phu. There we visited a war memorial, cemetary, and history museum. It was reminiscent of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. One of the most memorable moments was climbing up A1 Hill, a famous site where the Vietnamese defeated the French, and all of a sudden 3 young men came running down the hill as fast as they could. We all stared with bewildered looks, then within a matter of seconds, the hardest fiercest rain we've encountered thus far hit with strong winds. We were all soaked, and our Vietnamese tour guides (who have been with us the whole time here) said it looked like the gods were shooing us away from the bunker. It was pretty powerful to see the areas, and the cemetary.

The REAL highlight of Dien Bien Phu for me has been visiting the ethnic minority village to begin some of our service. We spent an afternoon at a local schoolhouse (with walls made of bamboo and dried mud, and roofs of banana leaves and straw). Our first stop in the journey was to the Xa (Kho-Mu) people. Unfortunately the community secret police were there and the chief of the village was made to distribute the items we brought. We gave the children clothing, basic school supplies, and much more. The biggest challenge was the language barrier. I had to try hard to fight the tears away, the children looked so sad and scared to see us. Then when we started playing with them, they started to warm up to us. I played catch with this young boy (about 4-5 years old), and he wouldn't stop. I also was able to leave a SWLC bag with the teacher of the village, and took a picture with her. We were taking pictures of the children and showing it to them on the cameras... they were amazed and intrigued.

Now, I am in Paso, a small village in NW Vietnam, near the Red River, on the way to Sapa. We will be here for two nights, and will be visiting some more small ethnic minority villages, thje Black Thai (Thai Dam), and Red Zao. The road here was insanely beautiful. I don't think I've experienced a more scenic drive (other than Big Sur). The mountains were green and lush, and the road was winding all over the place. This part of the journey is definitely the heaviest and the most rewarding. Its very weird though, as we want to capture the moments on film, I can't help but to feel bad about taking pictures. The only way I can is by connecting with the kids/families and showing it to them afterwards - as part of the experience.

That's all for now. Overall, it's been absolutely amazing, humbling, and refreshing to experience another culture, interact with the people here, and enjoy the sights. The conditions of some of the homes have been eye-opening (again, somewhat similar to some areas in the Philippines). It definitely makes me appreciate everything we have, and in some ways makes me envy the freedom of simple life some have here too. I've definitely questioned the lens and perspectives by which I'm experiencing different feelings and reactions to what I've seen. It's all about the journey.

p.s. the food in Vietnam has been fantastic, and it's been fun being adventurous with our meals, but I'm definitely going to stay away from certain specialties (Thit cho). Next on the agenda after a few days in Paso, Sapa.

Monkeys in Malaysia

2007-05-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

I had almost forgotten the amazing feeling of being in a different country, seeing the sights breathing the air, feeling the culture. Since this is the first time travelling abroad (since Argentina circa 2003) I have had the itch to travel for awhile.

Kuala Lumpur is a metropolitan city with a tropical feel. It in some ways reminds me of the Philippines. We did some sightseeing, relaxing, and venturing out. The highlight of the area for me was the Batu Caves. It's a Hindu Temple in the side of the mountain, with 273 steps to the top. When you get up there, you are greeted by monkeys, some nice, some not so nice. They were everywhere (and added to the not so nice smell in the cave). Inside of the caves at the top were beautiful shrines to different Hindu Gods. I took many pix.

The city of KL itself was a bit less than impressive, but the skyline was beautiful with the Petronas Towers. Another thing I enjoy about travel is noticing the colonial influences on the architecture, culture, and town. The Bristish and Muslim influences were everywhere. Finally, the people in Malaysia were extremely nice and gracious. We were staying in a pretty nice hotel, but aside from that they were super friendly and went out of their way to help. It was interesting because one guy was saying that in the last few years the Minister of Tourism had instituted a new Malaysian way of saying 'welcome/hello' by putting your hand over your heart and saying hello. He said some people were resistant (for obvious reasons), but many people did it.

So now, I'm actually in Hanoi, Vietnam. We arrived last night and are heading out to Halong Bay today to spend the night on a boat in the bay. I am so excited to see the picturesque scenery. Another day in Hanoi, and then from there we're heading to the west, Dien Bien Phu and SaPa, and will be visiting some villages.

2 side notes:
1) In Malaysia I was consistently mistaken for Malaysian - or they definitely knew I wasn't. It's interesting because I was thinking about how I felt when they mistook me for a local, and was greeted by warmth and sincereity. I almost felt proud for the mistake. In some of my experiences within the US, when questioned about my identity, it evoked a much more defensive response in me, for obvious societal reasons. It's a simple reminder of how appearances and perceptions are complex and are still at play in our interactions with one another.

2) I have truly enjoyed getting to know my classmates better. We've had lots of late nights and long flights, and it's been great.

Looking forward to the next chapters....

I'm off

2007-05-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I am heading out to the airport in a few hours and am SO excited to embark on this journey. This will be my first time to Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, and my first time blogging. Thanks to my world-traveling students, I've been fast-forwarded into the real world by starting this online journal. I'm also looking forward to chronicling my experiences as part of my interest in studying the influence of international experiences on students.

I haven't been to this area of the world in 12 years, when my family and I visited the Philippines. I can't wait to explore, meet the people, experience the cultures, etc. Our first stop - after a 20 hour flight w/a stop over in Taipei: Kuala Lumpur... I'm looking forward to some good sight-seeing in the city and surrounding areas (Petronas Towers and the Batu Caves).