Saigon is fantastic!!! it's so beautiful and so crazy!! i've never had so much coffee and sun...we went to beach yesterday and got so sunburnt!! we felt so sorry for ourselves that we ended up getting our hair washed and massaged!! Jazz is still suffering from the panda effect and my leg is so painful and has that horrible dull ache!! :) but it doesn't detract from this awesome city! i experienced the saigon nightlife on thursday night; the teachers at ILA are so fun to hang out with. they are teaching me lots in preparation for cambodia. i was allowed to watch an adults class yesterday and after my crazzy pilgrims experience, it was interesting to see the lesson slowed down. i also found out how small the world really is; one of jazz's friends ... read more

After an amazing trip through laos, i've made it to siem reap in cambodia! i'm spending 5days here to see the city and go to the ankor wat temples. i'm so excited, but actually shattered! it's so hot here in asia!! what should have been a very boring day in Pakse (southern laos) turned out to be really fun! i met an austrialian who showed me the life of sitting, drinking and eating! I went the wat pho festival in champassak and it was such a traumatic experience even getting there! after my overnight bus i got loaded on to a crowded tuk tuk and whisked to my extremely overpriced guesthouse (after going down many winding and dusty lanes!!) i hired a bike on my second day and burned my hands forgetting that they would exposed ... read more

what a way to welcome in the new chinese year!! we were just walking up to a restaurant for dinner and found a hive of activity in chinatown!! after we finished our dinner we headed back to this site of activity and found ourselves amongst the locals enjoying a lion dance and caught a glimpse of the penang chief minister!! it was amazing watching two men in a lion costume jump from different podiums within the street!! our day was a bit random, we drove (and got lost so many times in penang and georgetown) around the island. we swam in the sea and had the local speciality on the sands!! it was phenomenal!!! we had tea in the street where the local policemen were hanging out, and it was perfect indian tea, so sweet and ... read more

Kuala Lumpur is so different to Singapore! the people, the smells, the cleanliness!! Both are so beautiful in their own way!! The smell of the street markets and sweat rushing through the congested KL traffic has made me fall in love with this country!! it's nice to not be surrounded by so many western influences! We explored the entire city (mostly on foot...that would be my influence, not my dad's) and after getting lost a few times, we saw pretty much every sight possible :) the national monument paid an important part for my dad as it depicted the Birtish and Malaysian army winning the indepenece of malaysia from the communists. it was very moving (especially after my dissertation!!). the national mosque was fantastic, we looked like purple jedis in our cover up robes! i'll post ... read more

Another thing to tick off my to-do list!! the blog has been created so all you lucky people can keep a tab on what i'm up to!! i've had way too much time to plan. After almost 6months back at the co-op, I only have 14 working days left!!! I really can't wait, Saturday and Sunday nights will be mine again!! I love the people but I left university in the summer to go back to the job which I was doing every holiday since before my degree began!! every tin of beans brings me closer to escaping! :) travel plans... Washington DC over new year to visit Alison!!!!! Flight to Singapore on the 20th January Teaching placement in Phnom Penh begins on the 25th February!!! and in between there are a few stops...Malaysia with my ... read more