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Page 2 of kiwisandcurries Travel Blog Posts
March 4th 2012
Get comfortable, this is a long one! The four of us strangers from the other side of the globe were brought together only two and a half weeks ago and with our varied educational backgrounds, personal values, and life experiences we have made up a very unique, yet effective team. John is the motivator! He makes things happen and at the end of a long, fulfilling day he is always ready for "one more interview". I am the critical one or as Natalie calls me "the analytical thinker". I look at each situation from every angle and evaluate the positive/negative impact of every decision made. I can admit, that at times, my over-analysis is a bit overwhelming and counter productive. Natalie keeps us all on the positive track, reminding us of our purpose here in India ... read more
March 4th 2012
The small stuff that entertains us.... On the way to the slum one day Natalie decided that she should initiate a poll to determine which is the worst smell in India and the choices would include: a) body odor, b) livestock (cows, pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits, dogs, monkeys), c) cow patties drying in the sun (actually not that bad), d) human feces from the communal toilet (large holes dug in the ground), e) burning garbage/plastic, f) side walk urinal stations with urine streaming down the street, g) my roommates after weeks of eating beans. It's a pretty tough call.... but I think it might be a tie between d), e), and f). India is a country full of many contradictions and each day we add another to our list. Examples include but are not limited to ... read more
February 20th 2012
The month of February brings it's own set of distractions and emotional challenges for me. Even though I find myself on the other side of the world, entrenched in a different culture/language/environment, my thoughts are often drifting back to my family back home. My protective nature leads me to worry about my Mom and siblings as I wonder how they are coping this month? The month of February brings with it the date of my Dad's passing and some of my most cherished and heart wrenching memories of the last few weeks of my Dad's life. The 26th of February marks the two year anniversary and I find comfort in knowing that my mom will be surrounded by our never failing support system. But still i wish i could be there. I still replay the same ... read more
February 18th 2012
Heather, Natalie, and I arrived at our new homestay in Faridabad late last Sunday night (February 12/12) after a long day spent in Agra visiting the Taj Mahal. Our new host family consists of Shri (dad), Mamta (mom) and their two daughters Naisa (age 4) and Naima (3). Another important member of our new family is a volunteer named John. John has been staying in Faridabad with Mamta and Shri for the past ten weeks. The three of us girls had no idea what a whirl wind we had just been dropped into. First stop on Monday morning was to the slum school which would be our home base in the weeks to come. What an awesome and completely overwhelming experience. As we walked along the dirt roads lined with garbage, stray dogs, and livestock we ... read more
February 11th 2012
India has gone relatively smoothly so far. My airport pick up went well and then I waited for another volunteer's flight to arrive before we were driven to our home stay. Because it was very late (1:00 a.m) we went straight to bed. It wasn't until morning that we would have a chance to explore our new environment so of course, my anticipation didn't allow for a very restful sleep. Not only that, it was difficult to sleep because I was freezing cold. How come nobody told me that winter in India was going to be cold? I guess skipping one Canadian winter has made me weak as I can't put on enough layers of clothes to keep me warm. The evenings cool to around 6 degrees Celsius (no heater in the home stay) and warm ... read more
February 5th 2012
Michelle and I flew from Christchurch to Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia together on an eleven hour flight. Upon arrival, Michelle and I had to go our separate ways as I would be spending a couple of days in Malaysia and Michelle was catching a connecting flight to Thailand. I wish Michelle luck and safety on her travels and thank her for being a supportive ear and positive energy this past month as we travelled through New Zealand together. After landing in KL I teamed up with a girl I had met on the plane to navigate the bus system together. No problem! After a 1 hr bus ride and a ten minute taxi ride I had arrived at the hostel (Matahari Lodge) that I had previously booked on Hostel Bookers. First thing is first, explore surroundings! ... read more
January 31st 2012
The time spent on the South Island of New Zealand flew by just as fast as the time spent on the North Island. However, some of the lengthier bus rides through the mountains had proved to be a bit challenging . I thought that I had gotten over my "motion sickness" but apparently the windy roads have proven to be too much for me (I am sure my friend Kim can attest to how "pleasant" I am when "car sick'). I had to take Gravol nearly every day which consequently made me the worst (or best?) bus partner for Michelle as I was knocked out for a couple hours during each ride. January 20 & 21/12- Kaiteriteri We arrived on the South Island and the first spot on our itinerary was Kaiteriteri, a beautiful beach town ... read more
North Island
Published: January 22nd 2012Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington » Lower Hutt
January 21st 2012
So here I am, two weeks into my travel adventures and I have already seen and done so many exciting things that it is hard to believe it was all possible in such a short time. I met up with my travel partner, Michelle, and we both decided to participate in the Kiwi Experience which is a hop on-hop off bus. Basically the bus drops you off wherever you want on a predetermined route and each individual gets to decide how long they want to stay in each place before arranging to hop back on the bus. Because it is high season, Michelle and I have booked our entire schedule all the way to Christchurch (where our flights depart) in order to ensure that there is room for us on all the buses when we need/want ... read more
January 8th 2012
After approximately 40 hours of travel time (which included four flights totalling almost 18 hrs and 22 hrs spent wandering aiports in Regina, Calgary, Los Angeles, Fiji) I have arrived in Auckland, New Zealand with a very sore neck and a new confidence in my abilty to navigate airports! Who would have thought that if you just paid close attention there would be signs everywhere to point you in the right direction and, if that failed, you could easily find an information booth with someone to help you find your way. Once arriving in Auckland I caught the city bus to the hostel I had previously booked on Hostelworld.com. The hostel that I stayed in is called Base Auckland and I bunked in a 6 person dorm room (all females). After getting my room key I ... read more
What? At the age of 26 I will be surrendering to the unknown as I travel around the world for one year and leave behind my family/friends, job, house, and comfort zone. This blog will be the means for family/friends to follow me on my journey as I learn and grow from my experiences.
When? January 2012-December 2012
Where? Four continents and 12 + countries (New Zealand, India, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Kenya, Tanzania, Australia).
Why? In October 2009 my dad, Norman, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and he passed away in February 2010 a... full info
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