On to South Africa
Coming from a very small, homogeneous town amidst the forests of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I knew there was a vast world I must explore. After spending a year in France/Switzerland at age 16, an intense desire to learn about as many cultures as I can emerged.Athena
Now, as I am about to finish my doctoral degree in International Education, my passion is to learn about as much of the world as I can. I can honestly say that I learn more from the diverse people I meet than they do from me. I hope to take what these amazing people teach me to each of their countries so that I can be an 'educated' tourist and learn even more about their cultures through respect and a deep desire to have the true local experience at each place I visit.
So, here I go, continuing my explorations. Now, with modern technology, you can explore with me, learn about the unfamiliar, and open your mind to new places and new approaches to life.
Travel Blog Posts
Language, Literacy, and Bugs...
Published: April 20th 2008Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto
April 17th 2008
Wow, today's excursions were very eye-opening. First, we visited the Mdelwa-hlongwane school in Soweto where 100% of the students are black (even though integration is 'accepted' now) and these students are primarily Zulu. After lunch, we visited The Molento Project, in downtown Johannesburg, which is a literacy and language organization, and then we had a group dinner at an excellent South African restaurant. MDELWA-HLONGWANE SCHOOL As soon as we arrived at the school, we were greeted by the principle and she took us on a tour of the school. I cannot quite describe the hospitality and the welcoming atmosphere as we walked into the main administrative building. I have found that no matter where we have gone so far, everyone has been so generous and hospitable, this school was no exception. As we walked through the ... read more
Demographics, History, and Humility
Published: April 18th 2008Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto
April 16th 2008
04-18-2008: Sorry all, behind already on these entries - had a problem at the hotel in Johannesburg with the internet connection. In a very ritzy hotel in Cape Town now and with a strong internet connection... Will try to catch up tonight, if not - will catch up tomorrow! 04-16-2008: This program is great (People to People Citizens Ambassadors) - they do a great job of informing us about the history and culture of South Africa before they send us out to talk to government officials and school administrators. They are definitely making sure we are going into this experienced, informed, and prepared. People to People organizes professional delegations in many fields so that all professions can exchange views, ideas, and approaches. If you don't know what this program is, People to People is an organization ... read more
April 15th 2008
Hey All - I made it! It was a long plane ride, but luckily we stopped at Dakkar ,Senegal for a bit and had a chance to wander inside the plane and stretch. When we were about to take off again, the airline attendants sprayed the plane (while we were in it) to sanitize it for airborn illnesses. The claim that it was totally safe, that made us all real comfortable... As most of you know, I am terrified of flying, but thanks to xanax and ambienCR, I slept the whole way. Good thing is that I am not jet lagged (at least today); bad thing, I didn't do much on my dissertation! Not too much to finish, and since most of the people I am with have already complete their EdD's, so I have a ... read more
Detour to NYC
Published: April 14th 2008North America » United States » New York » New York » Manhattan
April 14th 2008
I took a little detour to New York to visit my friend Tekau and so I could see Rent on Broadway before it is gone forever on June 1. If there is any show I have ever wanted to see it is Rent, so I got my chance3! I also bought a poster with all the cast's signatures. I just went to FedEx and sent it back to myself in Michigan so it doesn't get damaged - then, it's going in a frame and right up on the wall! I"m so excited I was finally able to see Rent on Broadway. Before the show, Tekau showed me around NYC since this is only the second time I've been here. The first was for work and I was too busy making sure we didn't lose any of ... read more
March 21st 2008
Counting down to my next international adventure. I have been invited on a professional delegation to South Africa where we will be learning about their education system and how the evolution of their social system (pre- and post-apartheid) has influenced access to primary, secondar, and tertiary education as well as how the evolution of societal values has influenced the values and approaches to education. This is another dream come true trip for me, so one of my major goals is to share it with you. I'll be in S. Africa from April 14th through the 23rd, so stay tuned for another amazing adventure!... read more
I'm Home!!!!!!
Published: January 23rd 2006North America » United States » California » Los Angeles » Pasadena
January 8th 2006
19 hours of travel, and only 3 hours lost! On the way to Thailand, even though we travelled 22 hours to get there, we arrived 2 days later, losing a whole day. The way back to California, we left Bangkok at 8am and arrived in Los Angeles at noon! Now, I just hope I can stay up the whole day to try not to have to deal with the jet lag. I am so thankful that I have had the chance to experience such an amazing adventure. As those of you who know me are aware, I am pretty obsessed with learning all I can about all the cultures I can. Although I interact with students from everywhere in the world, especially Asia, and learn a lot from them, there is no experience like learning first-hand. ... read more
One Night In Bangkok... literally!
Published: January 23rd 2006Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok
January 7th 2006
Only one night left, and since Christine and I are flying out at 8am tomorrow morning, we really don't have the whole night. We have to be at the airport tomorrow morning by at least 5am, and the airport is minimum an hour from our hotel, so we are going to have to get up at 3am! I am considering not even going to bed tonight. That way I will be exhausted on the plane and not worry so much about the bumps. In other words, I won't be such a baby during turbulence :) Anyway, I must say, the best night's sleep I have had yet on this trip was last night. I am sure the alcohol helped a bit, but for some reason, the sleeper car bed was the most comfortable I have had ... read more
Buses, Trains, and Automobiles
Published: January 23rd 2006Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
January 6th 2006
The trek back to Bangkok begins - luckily we had a few hours in Chiang Mai to get a break between modes of transportation. First, we took those trucks with seats in the back to the bus station in Chiang Rai, then hopped on a MUCH tamer bus back to Chiang Mai. No pukers this time - yeah!!!! :-) We had 4 hours in Chiang Mai to do whatever we wanted - and of course, I took that time to back up my digital photos on a disk and get a massage! I went to the same woman who massaged me earlier in the week. I tipped her very well, so she was VERY happy to see me. Other than at Wat Pho, her massage was definitely the best. Actually, I would say Wat Pho and ... read more
The Golden Triangle - 3 countries in less than 30 minutes!!!!!
Published: January 23rd 2006Asia » Burma
January 5th 2006
Ah, waking up to the sounds of the bustling of city streets - and no roosters!!!!! To top the morning off, we found a Mexican restaurant and had burritos for breakfast! Believe it or not, they were very good, and not too different to what we find in California. The adventure for today - the Goldent Triangle. This is where Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand all meet together, separated only by the Mekong River and its branches. The first thing we did was get dropped off at the Myanmar border. We had to pay an entrance fee of $5 to get across the border and they kept out passports! That made us all nervous, but that was the policy. We got them back, with stamps when we crossed back into Thailand, so no harm no foul ... read more
January 4th 2006
OK, can't take the roosters anymore. There are thousands of them, I swear, all over the hills. They don't even wait until the sun comes up to crow! And once they start, they never stop! Thousands of them, crowing, for hours! Needless to say, between the hard, bamboo floor and obnoxious roosters, I am going to be SO happy tonight when I have a real bed to sleep in, and oh yeah -- a REAL HOT SHOWER!!!!!!! Don't take this the wrong way, I have thoroughly enjoyed the trek and would do it again anytime I had the chance, but NO MORE ROOSTERS!!!!! :-) OK, now that I got that out of my system, how about a real journal entry... Our morning began with breakfast and a visit to the local Chinese language school where we ... read more
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