happy birthday to my biggest fan, my friend, my head cheerleader, my advice columnist, my fashion consultant, my accountant, my therapist, my chef, my maid, my silent financial partner, my chauffuer, my teacher, my seamstress, my life coach, my mover, my editor, my interior decorator, my hero......my mom to the person who always believes in me and what I am doing......no matter what country I am in or what job i do or do not have. I promise to be there to eat cake with you next year. [View Full Entry]

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The trip to Phnom Penh was, for me, the history class that I never took in high school or college and, unfortunately, never taught at Global Visions. Two weeks in Cambodia has been as eye opening as almost 5 months in China. At first, China seemed normal and not too far off from America, but the longer I am there, the less subtle the differences become. But, Cambodia, has just been a constant reoccurance of jaw-dropping revelations. The killings of the Khmer, the crazy number of lexus driving through a 3rd world country where most people don't have fresh water. Here [View Full Entry]

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My watch started beeping at 4:30am. I let it go for awhile, letting it sink in that today we would get to see Angkor Wat at sunrise, a somewhat prized right of passage for any visitor to Cambodia. After being here a week volunteering, learning, understanding a small piece of cambodia's history, seeing the same people over and over again, gaining a routine...bike....icecream...shower....nap, it felt time to be the true tourist. Even the day before, Jacinta and i biked to the temples, which was the opposite of tourist, who all used tuk-tuks, small carriage driven by a motorbike. Today we we [View Full Entry]

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It's been over a week in Cambodia. And it has been all good, hot and tiring, but still good. The pace of Cambodia is slow as with most countries similar to Cambodia. Plans happen 30 minutes after they are scheduled, dinner takes on average 45-60 minutes once you order regardless of who else is in the resturaunt, conversations last and linger....all of it is good. most of my days have followed a pattern of volunteering in the morning, napping in the sweltering afternoon, teaching english in the early evening with good conversation, many bike rides and great icecream squeezed inbetween. [View Full Entry]

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In the first 24 hours this is what I saw in Cambodia and later what I learned about Cambodia..... what i saw there are few paved roads, but mostly dirt, dusty, uneven, pothole filled roads what i learned later those roads that are paved were only done so in the last 2 years!! what i saw there many many luxury hotels which many tourist come to stay at. Bono rented the whole hotel of this one that cost $1200 a night. Which is just awesome for the Cambodias, whose economy must be getting a kick-start from all this tourism what i [View Full Entry]

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So it's been about a month since i have typed in this blog space, a simple recap.....found out i was off school on Dec. 18, bought a ticket on dec. 19, flew home on dec. 21, celebrated the ahrens' family christmas on dec. 22 (also know as watching meredith open presents!) did nothing but watch american's next top model marathons from dec. 24- jan. 4 (with a quick new year's eve stop with my brother and his daddy and me club members, who successful balance quieting a crying child in one hand while making a black russian with the other.....simply amazing) [View Full Entry]

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生日快乐- Happy Birthday. I have always been a fan of the birthday, but more and more, a my birthday has been about going to my favorite resturant, having any kind of dessert, and sharing a few good drinks. And for a few moments, I thought I would have to scrap that for this year. I don't really have a favorite resturant, I have many that I enjoy....Dessert isn't a word here....it means fruit, which will cut it when you have eaten to much, but not on your birthday, and getting together for a few "good" drinks during the week generally only [View Full Entry]

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Well, I did it again. I went to Hong Kong, and here I am post-relapse and felling empty, scheming imaginary scenerios that would cause me to go back immediately, and wondering how two cities, so close in proximity, yet so different in culture and experiences could lay right next to each other. It is "a tale of two cities", shenzhen, completely and wholly china and Hong Kong, is a complilation of the world, in fashion, food, in people, in language. Hong Kong has been touched by the rest of the world and it shows. You walk across a border crossing for [View Full Entry]

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Turkey day and hiking in the nearby hills. This is life in china. [View Full Entry]

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Never sure what to expect here in china. But I have come to understand when I see a stage....I know things are going to be big, very big. Whether its the opening ceremonies of my school's Sport's Day or the mini-american idol outside of the local Rainbow grocery store...it's always loud, full of decoration, costumes, and if at night, lights. Friday's Travel and Tourism Opening Ceremonies in Guangzhou did not disappoint. It was music was louder, the fireworks were grander, the costumes were more elaborate, the speeches were longer, and the line-up was more impressive. I still don't really [View Full Entry]

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