PIFF is one of the biggest film festivals Asia has ever seen. It's on par with most popular film fests of the world such as Cannes and Toronto, yet I had never known this till I attended this film fest this year for the very first time. This event is what puts Busan on the international map. This year it took place from October 8-18th and many guest appearances were had, including Josh Hartnett. The screenings take place in 2 main areas of Busan: Haeundae and Nampodong. Because I live right smack in the middle of the Haeundae action I was [View Full Entry]

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It's been about 7 weeks since I arrived in Busan and it's been a whirlwind. I had great plans of hiking, sightseeing, and exploring the city but so far all I have accomplished is lying on three beaches and getting to know the nightlife areas. The expat community in Busan is a lot smaller than Seoul; somehow everyone knows each other no matter what part of Busan or greater Busan you live in. It makes for a more intimate community in a city setting. Busan is definitely more laid back and that promotes a chilled out vibe for the foreigners and [View Full Entry]

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Coming home is always something to look forward to, but this time I didn't get that anxious feeling in my stomach as the plane landed and I saw my hometown after 15 months. In that moment I knew that my love for Toronto had changed forever. Before leaving home I knew I didn't belong. Every time I leave to travel and come home, I always feel like a different person and that Toronto just doesn't do it for me. But what keeps me coming back are my family and friends. After 3 months of family and friend time, plus some exploring [View Full Entry]

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I've read and heard tons of stories of people setting foot in India and being totally mystified. Until I came here myself, I found it hard to believe. Now, I can't imagine someone not feeling the mystical mist that is this country and everything it embodies. Like any other major country with a population it can barely support, India as well has it share of great problems. But at the end of the day, there is just something about this land, something that no one seems to be able to put a finger on. Perhaps its the fact that you are [View Full Entry]

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If there is one thing I have learned from being in India for a month, that is to never underestimate the diversity of its cultures and people. I went from living in a town where we got daily power outages to Banglore, the IT capital of India. This city is like no other I have seen in Asia, let alone India. The IT parks are designed in the American fashion giving you an outer body feel while you drive through the Microsoft and Yahoo buildings. The streets are filled with boutiques, coffee bars, cafes and trendy restaurants. I want to stop [View Full Entry]

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Mumbai is the new face of India. It's a cosmopolitian city in which 55% of the population live in slums. Contrast survives side by side with the most expensive properties in the world next door to aluminum boarded shacks. It's crowded, multi-ethnic, humid and crazy! I stayed with a friend here who has been living here for a few years, in a suburb of Mumbai. As with all big cities Mumbai is also made up of several areas which make up the city, but the real Mumbai is really only the Colaba area which is the southern tip of the peninsula. [View Full Entry]

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I took a train in sleeper class from Virdhunagar to Mumbai. The journey took 36 hours and is the quintessential Indian experience! At first 36 hours seems like a lot of time... a day and a half, but it didn't not feel that long at all. I had a seat right by the window which was very lucky. Because I booked the ticket only a few days before I had been on the waiting list until the day before I was due to leave. The train ticketing system in India is something I will never understand! You can get everything you [View Full Entry]

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I've spent 10 days in Virdhunagar and have mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. The teachers I've met at the school are very sweet and kind. They have really left an impact on me. But being a foreigner sometimes just means money and I've been put in some awkward situations regarding the subject that has added a sour note. Being immersed in a real town atmosphere made me feel more strange at times than comfortable due to the stares and simple minded thinking of the people here. Then again, this was a real learning experience into the livelihoods of everyday Tamilians [View Full Entry]

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Kanyakumari is the southern tip of Tamil Nadu, very close to the Kerala border. It's most known as the spot where three seas meet: Arabic, Bengal and Indian. It's best to see it during sunset or sunrise. Unfortunately I missed both! I did a day trip to Kanyakumari taking the train early in the morning at 3am with a local girl I met while in Virdhunagar. We could only get unreserved tickets since we were purchasing the day of travel, which meant I was riding with the locals in overcrowded compartments hoping for a seat.... on the ground! It was actually [View Full Entry]

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My adventures with David in India have come to an end as David returned to Germany a few days ago, and I have moved on to Virdhunagar, a town about 40 minutes south of Madurai. I am volunteer teaching at a local private school for the next 2 weeks. Although the school is private it caters to the underprivileged offering free education to those that can't afford and also charges very low class fees. After coming here I have learned a lot about the Indian education system. I'm teaching spoken English to children from the age of 4 - 9 years [View Full Entry]

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