http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Susan-P/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Susan P en-us Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:32:20 +0000 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:32:20 +0000 Its been a while since my last entry and ironically as soon as I wrote about my daily work life everything changed.Long story short the English team at Gnesis dropped from three to four midAugust changing all of my classes. For the start of the new semester which began last Monday we grew back to four with the addition of a lifesaving assistant named Gustavo.My schedule has changed as http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Bahia-de-Caraquez/blog-742263.html So far Ive blogged about special days at school and the tropical paradises Keiron and I have visited since our plane touched down in Quito two months ago. But you may be wondering what our everyday life has been like. I was asked by one friend for example if we have running water and electricity.I cannot let fundamental questions like this go unanswered so Ive decided to post an update http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Bahia-de-Caraquez/blog-733861.html The past few weeks have brought Keiron and I into the clutches of hundreds of tropical birds and hundreds of dancing elementary school students in traditional Ecuadorian dress.ltspangtltspangtIts hard to say which experience was more vibrant and exotic the first was a trip to the nearby nature reserve of Isla Corazon or Heart Island and the second was the celebration of Family Day a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Bahia-de-Caraquez/blog-728491.html Part One Bongos The weeks since our arrival to Baha de Caraquez have been rife with exploration saltwater and boisterous children. Getting accustomed to all of my classes at Genesis has made the weeks alternately challenging and rewarding and exploring the surrounding area has made the weekends an exciting reprieve. During our first real weekend Keiron and I headed to the nearby beach town http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Bahia-de-Caraquez/blog-721877.html Its impossible not to feel the salt air in all corners of Bahia de Caraquez.ltspangt The lively little town occupies a peninsula on Ecuadors west coast surrounded by the River Chone on one side the Pacific Ocean on the other and the estuary where the two meet at the very tip.ltspangt From the doorstep of our house for example sand warm water and jutting mountains are just a f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Bahia-de-Caraquez/blog-717618.html I made it home to PA two weeks ago and it39s been wonderfully relaxing spending time with my family new and old and friends. I39m seeing my hometown in two ways at once it39s as if I never left but also as if I39m in another foreign country. In the past when I39ve come home from abroad I39d thought someone had hit a giant Staples39 easy button. But this time after m http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Pennsylvania/Bucks-County/blog-638579.html Here I am in the teachers39 room at my commercial high school with a beautiful bouquet of pink lilies propped up on my desk. School39s officially out for summer but the copier is still humming and people are shuffling around busy with I39m not sure what tying up loose ends I suppose. In exactly one week someone else will be sitting at this desk living in my apartment and introducing http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-628666.html I wrote this article for Awa Life the newsletter for JETs in Tokushima Prefecture which came out todaySix Japanese men in cowboy hats vests and plaid flannel shirts a group by the name of Cabin Home fiddled strummed and jammed away Typhoon Songdas howling winds as they took the stage on Sunday May 29th. I was an attendee of the fifth semiannual Tokushima Bluegrass Festival supporting http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-625619.html My latest pursuits are in the physical realm and have transformed my ugghtheweekisonlyhalfover Wednesdays into superawesomefourhourworkout Wednesdays. Yes four hours of working out in one day starting at 530 am. I don39t recognize myself either.It all starts with a 45 minute bike ride to the farther of my two schools. Happily this is just the right time for me to plow throug http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-617959.html At my latest work party my high school39s kendo sword fighting coach invited me to meditate with the team at a local temple. Twice a month as part of their training they practice Zazen medition which comes from Chinese Zen Buddhism.At first I was just excited to have such a unique experience and didn39t think about how difficult it might be to sit motionless for half an hour. But wh http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-613270.html For the Golden Week holiday The Susan Team my Canadian friend Susan and I ventured to the other Japan for a rejuvenating girls39 retreat Okinawa baby.The tanning pina coladasonthebeach weather we daydreamed about at our desks left much to be desired. But being a sunshinespoiled Miami girl it was easy to appreciate the physical and cultural beauty of the Hawaiilike islands without http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Okinawa/Naha/blog-609880.html Celebrating hanami seems disrespectful with so many people suffering in the north and Japanese people are cancelling vacations and parties to show solidarity with the victims. But cherry blossoms or sakura have been blooming all over Japan and as the weather slowly infects me with spring fever it's also hard not to enjoy the season. I experienced big league hanami in Kyoto two weeks ago and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-593757.html What with the recent disaster and my parents coming to visit I didn't have a chance to write about the culmination of the past three months of my life. I'm talking about the JET Musical an adventure that has kept me from sleeping in since January. In a good way of course.The musical a longstanding tradition in Tokushima is a way for us to contribute to the community. There are some fans w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-590121.html There's been a lot of Japanese governmentbashing lately because of their response to the nuclear crisis but something I read today on Mother Jones really hit meA natural disaster accident or terrorist attack that might be statistically unlikely in any year or decade becomes ever more likely at the halfcentury century or halfmillennium mark. Given enough time in fact the unlikely become http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-589084.html The disaster in northeast Japan isn't news to anyone and friends and family witnessing the disaster through the media have been filling my inbox with messages of concern and support. Thank you I have never felt more loved.It is surreal for me to be living in Japan at a time like this. On the one hand I'm extremely close to the disaster zone closer than I've been to any headline news catastro http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-588121.html In Tokushima warmer days are signalling spring's return. But in Hokkaido the northernmost island of Japan walls of snow coat the rural landscapes as well as the skyscrapers of its capital city. Two weeks ago a group of JETs plus Francesca my sorority sisterturnedfellowAsiaexplorer braved this frigid frontier to see Sapporo's annual snow festival Yuki Matsuri. Alight with ice and snow http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hokkaido/Sapporo/blog-578672.html Alas graduation for both of my schools is on March 3 and I will have to say goodbye to my current students and break in a new batch. Knowing I only have a few more classes with each group has gotten me reminiscing about my teaching experiences thus far. I've really gotten attached to my students especially the ones who make me laugh. Who knows if they'll remember me fondly or at all but th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-579357.html Recently I've become a bit of a patron of the arts. Most of my weekends until the end of March are dedicated to the annual Tokushima JET musical Treasure Island which we'll perform for our students their parents Japanese teachers and friends. As for my artistic contribution I've choreographed some of the dancing including a dance to Hard Knock Life from Annie and will be playing Penelope http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-562869.html This year my Christmas and New Years were spent with elephants monkeys temples and sunshine on a 17day backbacking adventure through Southeast Asia. The Deets We flew into Bangkok bussed down to the beach island of Koh Pha Ngan bussed back again and flew to Siem Reap Cambodia. From there we bussed to the capital Phnom Penh and flew to our final destination Vientiane Laos.The Favs O http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-559977.html Christmas is here Last weekend I kicked off the season with a trip to a decked out Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and I started the process of filling up on comfort foods to fight my holiday season homesickness. At the USJ City Walk at Bubba Gump Shrimp of all places the other gaijin and I stuffed ourselves to the point of immobility. I had my first veggie burger in months covered in fre http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokushima/Tokushima-/blog-551225.html