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Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda

La Vagabonda "As long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes but little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail.... If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." -- Henry David Thoreau (Walden)

So I did it, escaped the conformity of the corporate ratrace while I still had my youth and sanity, to see the world with my own two eyes and embrace all its beauty and ugliness. Central America to Europe to Southeast Asia in 2005; 2006 will find me exploring Seoul, Korea and environs in depth, since my travels never did bump me into those trees on which money grows....
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Joined on: November 11th 2004
Last Login: July 18th 2008

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Jenni-Jen, order by Date newest first.

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The trials of teaching
The trials of teaching
As you can see, it's a tough crowd...
"You speakee English? You want easy money? Come work my school!" -- (Excerpt from my third phone interview) OK, actually that was about the WHOLE interview. The bank account was looking rather paltry and I jumped on the train of easy employment, teaching English in Seoul along with tens of thousands of other native speakers. Despite my cynicism on life in Korea, I have to admit that the work itself was surprisingly pleasant and rewarding, even given my initial hand-wringing at the thought of having to entertain children all day long. And, while it is easy as pie to hop on [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 38 Comment(s) | 23 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 2500 words | [diary=118713] | 2007-01-13 15:46:05

Cherry blossoms at Ganghwa-do
Confucian boy
Danyang -- National Heritage Site #174927340?

The Geisha at Yasaka Shrine
The Geisha at Yasaka Shrine
And their many admirers elbowing for a photo -- Setsubun Festival, Kyoto
So .... do they or don' t they? This question undoubtedly enters the mind of many a tourist that strolls the narrow alleys of Hanamikoji Dori at night, while a soft golden glow inside the buildings lets them snatch a quick glimpse of those lucky few being entertained in the “world of willows and flowers.” Admittance beyond the quasi-impenetrable gates of the geisha houses generally requires a personal introduction and invitation from existing clientele, and, from what I hear, getting into the inner circles of wealthy Japanese businessmen is a pretty lofty achievement for a foreigner. Being outside the ranks of [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 6 Comment(s) | 42 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 3065 words | [diary=77833] | 2006-07-29 00:40:24

Smurf-like Archer Girl
Tiny Buddha
More beautiful color combinations

By Jenni Jen
April 21st 2006

A Tokyo Teaser

 Asia » Japan » Tokyo
Dragon Water Fountain
Dragon Water Fountain
Sensoji Temple - Tokyo
“The Land of the Rising Sun” … it really evokes a mystical romanticism, doesn’t it? But as with all clichés, one can’t help but expect that it has been over hyped. So I hovered outside the airplane lavatory with nose pressed to the frosty emergency exit window to make my judgment. (Of course, anyone with a little bit of forethought would have selected a seat viewing east to catch Japan’s namesake in full swing.) I scrutinized the dark bubble-gum pink ball bringing the Pacific Ocean slowly into view. Frothy white foam slept on the deep blue waves below, with a broad [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 6 Comment(s) | 25 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 1347 words | [diary=54098] | 2006-04-21 09:27:37

Taxis, Traffic, and Televisions
Kindercuties
Japanese garden detail

Pyramid of Perfection
Pyramid of Perfection
A beautiful day at Sri Mahamariamman temple, Kuala Lumpur
Hustling hawkers, exhaust fumes, international fast food chains, neon lights, traffic…. Though this was not the vision I had conjured up with Malaysia’s tourism mantra, perhaps Kuala Lumpur was a good microcosm of Southeast Asia’s cities. For the bad and the ugly in this part of the world were also accompanied by the bright and beautiful …colorful tropical fruits and flowers in the marketplace, the bold saris and skirts of the women, artistically carved temple decorations, eternal t-shirts and flip-flops weather, softly glowing paper lanterns, and the smoky aroma of tandoori chicken grilling. Beyond all the activity at street level, a [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 13 Comment(s) | 35 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 1389 words | [diary=50309] | 2006-04-02 14:23:15

Paper Money
Three for Tea?
Sultan Abdul Samad building at sunset

Boats at Tup Island
Boats at Tup Island
Near Railay Beach, Thailand
In a candlelit room in Kanthaya, the beach that seemed to be isolated from the rest of the world, we learned via BBC radio that Burma had secretly changed its capital. Overnight the generals pulled out of Yangon and snuck 400 km farther north to Pyinmana, an out-of-the-way blurb on the map where plans for new government and army headquarters would be accompanied by fortified bunkers and tunnels. The official reason for the move given to the BBC Reporter in Thailand was to protect itself from a military attack by the U.S... ???? Arriving in Yangon one day before our visas [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 1 Comment(s) | 18 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 2866 words | [diary=46133] | 2006-03-13 09:56:47

Arriving in Railay Beach
Yangon street scene
Low tide view

Cute Ngapali kids
Cute Ngapali kids
Waiting for the next bodysurfing wave
It is said that one can only know one extreme once she has known its opposite; such as sorrow carving out a space in your heart so that you may also know love more deeply. And so it goes with life on the road as well, for the plucking of a travel pearl increases in value with every tight-lipped sea creature you have to battle in pursuit of it. Since the buses only run at night, getting from Bagan to Ngapali Beach overland is a two and a half day journey via Pyay. In theory, each journey takes about 10 hours, [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 20 Comment(s) | 24 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 3340 words | [diary=36567] | 2006-01-20 06:02:44

Sunset on Ngapali Beach
Giant Buddha
Best method of carrying firewood

The She Monks
The She Monks
Alms collecting in Amarapura
Upon finally reaching the big city, I somehow feel tricked; for instead of springing into the modernity that metropolises often bring, it seems that I stepped back into a bygone decade. Bus videos censor through the “love scenes,” music videos depict a would-be suitor trying desperately to wrest his young love from her parents’ ever-watchful eye for an innocent handhold, the after-dusk city streets are empty save for the occasional ice cream parlor patrons making their way home. The movie theater is showcasing an American film featuring Angelina Jolie, who might find the plump, size 12 representation of herself on the [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 5 Comment(s) | 17 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 2124 words | [diary=29681] | 2005-12-02 16:41:45

At least the clouds are good for something...
Sunrise over Mandalay
Temples, temples, temples

Floating out of the fogs
Floating out of the fogs
One of the first barges in the procession
The night could be described as nothing less than magical…sitting on the veranda of a restaurant in Nyaungshwe after dark, I watched the town slowly come to life as each restaurant, home, and shop lit dozens of candles and paper lanterns on their streetfront sides. The chanting coming from the main pagoda in town had been going steady for the past 24 hours, and the faded sing-songy mantra gave a sense of direction to the countless bicyclists and pedestrians making their pilgrimage towards the glow coming from the lambent golden stupa. Inside the temple grounds, worshippers found the shrine dedicated to [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 26 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 3488 words | [diary=28170] | 2005-11-21 15:15:09

The Glitz and the Glory
The Still of the Lake
Cute little girls in thanakha paste

If I could have crossed the border near Mae Hong Son, I would have left this country with a tempered view and an admiration for its aesthetical attributes as well as its friendly locals, but alas - frosting and sprinkles alone aren’t enough to make a bland cake into an award-winning recipe. My first stop after Sukhothai was the border town of Mae Sot, which turned out to have little to see other than gem dealers and buckets of wriggling eels at the market, but was interesting for the mix of people. Burmese men in their longgyi (long skirts tied at [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 11 Comment(s) | 16 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 2632 words | [diary=25207] | 2005-10-30 07:27:30

Sunset in Mae Sariang
Village boy in Doi Leam
Cabbages and Mountains

By Jenni Jen
September 29th 2005

Who Stole My Thailand?

 Asia » Thailand » North » Sukhothai
Though I had already waited out an eleven hour layover after a very short last night in Germany, I could scarcely think of sleeping on the equally long flight out of sheer excitement at FINALLY being on my way to Southeast Asia. Five years ago I had heard of the Freeman Foundation’s scholarships to study in Asia and had started this lovely obsession with the region, which continued long after my university nixed my plan to spend yet another semester abroad in Malaysia. After two failed holiday attempts to Southeast Asia, however, I was finally on board a Bangkok-bound plane and [View Full Entry]

Jenni Jen - La Vagabonda | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 13 Comment(s) | 20 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | 3357 words | [diary=22979] | 2005-10-12 06:22:27

Temple Detail
From the Foot of the Golden Buddha
Wat Pho Stupas



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