tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7981549782620792512024-02-18T18:30:26.684-08:00Therefore I Travel"Tell me not how educated you are; tell me how much you have travelled." - Mohammed.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-8012806553891847922009-01-11T22:52:00.000-08:002009-01-11T23:18:23.969-08:00Cheers to a New Year & another chance to get it right!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZGN0pYalHdHpUfKpdeXzN-iC2QVYg1uRF8BVHillhx8W-4zqBOwzopwZWvqjGxfKMCKumTxMubzqabQG1F0LneLgvwRwlGo7dBcvAaDyu1itQwNahxqYlEhckblp7UffcRXAAhiHbNk/s1600-h/HNY-funky.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290298900974052018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZGN0pYalHdHpUfKpdeXzN-iC2QVYg1uRF8BVHillhx8W-4zqBOwzopwZWvqjGxfKMCKumTxMubzqabQG1F0LneLgvwRwlGo7dBcvAaDyu1itQwNahxqYlEhckblp7UffcRXAAhiHbNk/s400/HNY-funky.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#6600cc;"><em>"I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.</em> "</span><br /><br />~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary<br /><br />... Okay- so I pushed it a little bit further than the 2nd... say- the 12th? Heck- what difference does it make so long as we`re still close to the beginning of the New Year and have 300+ days to look forward to? I`ve been a little late getting my act together. It`s not because I`ve been particularly occupied, but you know how it goes. The 1st is still technically a holiday. And then school doesn`t really begin until the 5th. And the first week is really only half of a work week since it started on a Tuesday. Anyways- scrap all that! Tomorrow is a Monday, it is a full week, and it is most definitely NOT A HOLIDAY---- so all bad habits are out the door from here on in!<br /><br />I know we don`t tend to stick to the resolutions that we make for ourselves at the dawn of a New Year, but I`d really like to this year & you just never know! Maybe I`ll take myself by surprise this year. Maybe not. All I know for sure is that a New Year wouldn`t be a New Year if we didn`t at least pretend that we were motivated to make some changes in our lives. So here goes- my 2009 resolutions defined (alas!):<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">1). Start running.</span><br />(This year I`ve learned in my psychology courses that we are in our prime (physically) in our mid 20`s. This being said- I want to get my body into great shape!)<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">2). Healthy eating leading to losing 10 lbs</span><br />(need to shed the 8 lbs I put on while living in the country)<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">3). Travel to at least 5 countries.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#993399;">4). Take part in more humanitarian work.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">5). Find a hobby. (Yoga?)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">6). Spend my money more wisely & save for September.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">7). Let my hair down & put myself "out there" more (not so stand offish)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">8). Live for the moment & worry less about tomorrow...</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">9). Be a social drinker & not a binge one.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">10). Interact more with nature (especially when traveling)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">11). Be a better person (kinder, etc)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc66cc;">12). Smile more.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;">13). Take more time to write.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">14). Learn to apply make-up.</span>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-18983942443035544542009-01-11T20:56:00.001-08:002009-01-11T22:17:50.569-08:00Merry Christmas to all... and to all a Good Night!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzkGi1Ry6Mwt2owBZIaXxlWRlxGhEQmiNxhBhsf3aJq0IblOVyzbo7dY9CKR5HOkKWhgJtZwCk76KTNP15BmoNBFBiFfnCyrB9hYH4zZ9GDIYBb1_Jg7VuW19ZwHmabYC_3790iXBHN0/s1600-h/38494_22802_319b165cef_p.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290287316497708914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzkGi1Ry6Mwt2owBZIaXxlWRlxGhEQmiNxhBhsf3aJq0IblOVyzbo7dY9CKR5HOkKWhgJtZwCk76KTNP15BmoNBFBiFfnCyrB9hYH4zZ9GDIYBb1_Jg7VuW19ZwHmabYC_3790iXBHN0/s320/38494_22802_319b165cef_p.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#336666;">Another year has come and gone (and another 8 weeks of bumming around home in my pyjamas have also come and gone... ) I will be flying out of Halifax on Friday morning- just a few short days away & am beginning to think that 8 weeks at home was probably a little bit too long of a vacation. Afterall- as humans- we adapt & when given the chance, we are able to easily adapt to our current surroundings and settle back to our previous environments... I am well aware that I need to do something more with my life than wake up at noon each day, read book after book, and indulge in bubble bath after bubble bath. My bank account needs refilling, there are about a billion more countries that I want to explore, and with the possibility of university just around the corner... my freedom clock is a ticking! Mind you- 8 weeks surrounded by the comforts of home & all that is familiar- it becomes that much harder to revert back to the "backpacker" lifestyle. There`s something rather comforting about having your clothes sit in a dresser, or to lie your head in a bed that consistently has the same comfort level. It`s nice to turn on the television and be able to tune into the comforts of the sitcoms you grew up with. Privacy & personal space are also much appreciated!</span> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290287458677154354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8m3MmFBvik4dCvqgkPSA20foumoP-rZbYv1Sjhwu6KHGMUc0wMylv4D-Jg5YGleP6ZpK7zjRrpEJQamMPs1rJ-OU4T4aIspHY4Aq8_DdzKC01pJnDD2CQqfb7gPriO0tWUpxKfFUxSQ/s400/u26561384.jpg" border="0" /><span style="color:#993399;">I know that I will be fine once I am on my way. I go through this little "freak out" every time it comes to leaving the comforts of a place I`ve adapted to. If I remember correctly, I was on the verge of a panic attack last year when it came to leaving for Australia- I thought every ache & pain I experienced was a sign that I shouldn`t go. It seems like a lifetime ago now, but when I was leaving the country pub in Western Australia- I remember thinking to myself "I wonder if I could get away with just one more night- I CAN`T LEAVE NOW!"--- and going through my breathing exercises to relieve the immense symptoms of anxiety I was feeling as I rolled my luggage along the hallway of the Inn. Again- within mere hours I was quite content with my life moving forward.</span><br /><br />I can`t help but feel a little bit apprehensive about embarking on another adventure- W<span style="color:#6600cc;">hat if things don`t go as smoothly as last time? What if I hate the people I work for, the job, the town? What if this year doesn`t even compare to the last one?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Nevermind. There`s no reason for me to be frightened or weary. Everything will be ok- it always is. The psychic told me that being brave enough to pack up all my things and ship myself over to Australia was the best thing that I could have ever done for myself (and she was right!)- and that it was just the beginning... I am thankful that I booked my flight to arrive back in Perth because it does make it a bit easier. I know the city, I know that there is work and where to fing it, and I know some other backpackers that I can call upon if need be. I can`t even imagine how scary the idea of heading back to Australia would be if I were arriving in a brand new city!</span><br /><br />I just have to keep telling myself- <span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>"This is no big deal! You`ve done it many times before & it was easy as pie. You can do this again... It`s what you love best."</em></span></div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-38343064892270390292008-11-24T10:09:00.001-08:002009-01-11T22:51:11.915-08:00Getting my head around things... Home for a rest...<div>Well- here I am. Home alas & yet I cannot wait to be " on the road again." It`s ironic because as much as I enjoy traveling & exploring the unknown- there always seems to be a countdown going on in the back of my head until I`m back in my own bed- surrounded by everything that it familiar... and yet a few days surrounded by the familiar & my feet are already beginning to itch! I don`t know if other travelers experience this and perhaps it might even be different my second year in Australia- but the grass really always does appear to be greener on the other side. How bizarre...<br /><br />Anyways, I`ve been home for three weeks now- ample time to relax, study for my remaining psych exam, catch up on all of the shows I`ve missed, and stuff my face with all kinds of Christmas goodies (when really I had intended to spend this time at home undoing the damage of Neta`s cooking in Quindanning--- the pub where I stayed for 16 weeks to get my second year visa). I`m just going to enjoy it while it lasts & take each day one at a time. In about five weeks or so- I`ll be stuffing my clothing back into my backpack (which I might actually trade in for a suitcase) & will be boarding a plane back to Australia. And this time I`m going to try my best to live in the moment & not have this constant forecast of the future... I`m going to lie back & enjoy the uncertainty of tomorrow. Not everything needs to be perfect. Not everything needs to be planned. These are some important things I`ve learned about myself this year. I try too hard to control everything around me. Not everything needs to be written in an agenda. Things change. It`s ok.<br /><br />While home, I am going to be applying for two schools for admission into the Bachelor of Social work program for this upcoming September. It will be interesting to see if I get in--- and probably a whole lot more interesting to see if I actually end up going if I do. The thing is- this is hands down my absolute last shot in Australia- my final 12 months! And I love Australia. I really REALLY do. I love the weather, the lifestyle, the high standard of living, its diversity, its people... And if I leave it behind to go back to school in September- I`ll be throwing away 5 good months in Australia. I love how uncertain my future in Australia is when I`m there... It`s like a rollercoaster ride! Yet, back in school in Canada- It`ll be back to that boring & predictable (no social life) life I was so desperate to escape 2 years ago when I finally left behind Halifax & my student status... Hmmmm... All I know is that I`m not going to make any decisions now. I will wait and see what happens in a few months time when I receive word from the universities whether or not my application for admittance has been approved. Time will tell...<br /><br />Just a few words on my past year abroad---<br /><br />Getting on that plane & sending myself as far away from home as I possibly could (all by myself) was the best thing I could have done for myself. I learned more about the world around me & about myself than I have learned in the past 24 years of my life here on earth. I had a blast & never imagined that it would be half as great an experience as it was. If someone were to ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, what my favorite country was, or where I enjoyed myself the most--- I wouldn`t even be able to answer them. All of my experiences were unique & great in different ways and it would be therefore impossible to compare them. Of course each place I was had its fair share of times in which I thought I couldn`t bare another minute & also of times in which I couldn`t imagine ever having to leave... everything had its good & bad points, but overall--- all of the experiences were worthwhile! As I`m about to go back into the world a third time--- there are quite a few things that I`ve learned that I want to do differently & I will. I want to go out there with an even MORE open mind & I want things to just happen... one day at a time...</div><div> </div><div>Here are some pics taken while home (this time around...):</div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290292818731713890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCP4yDqbVoDpQX5l-A0fvTkkHlgL_bz6Wiw7nvpQ6533I99_bepW0EV4-_74oG9upvNofvvasVLyrQ7cefR2GRFQL9_hV2uSpkALF6OxbgVAlvu6GnASk4yHS_xo4e2UOXnoSHZ6oCGk/s400/Marcella+305.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290292391713795090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBf2icY4Ug1F3QMqun_jGwtZDWe1ZfjtetCA_3FY8mv-dkDkgt4ajYbYRl1jQq88hRkPcFTl7hTFr2m9pQdsQoJ5WRFrYioaTI8e5JvXA-PqWZdPqKRQ6AfQ3QguqMj8iPoDgw8-7M_U/s400/Marcella+320.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_zJK9yhD9eUdnf2k8xI1pxtowJv9jcozItfWzgoO_rQTaCVcC_MR85q-AZbYjqZDLoNLZZVrGxn8gZ1sxefP1ujMkk28j72UVFQ1gTnnwue6dgwrZpQsRIcJT1iROHCChhB4AB6eVvo/s1600-h/Marcella+342.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290293360093901746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_zJK9yhD9eUdnf2k8xI1pxtowJv9jcozItfWzgoO_rQTaCVcC_MR85q-AZbYjqZDLoNLZZVrGxn8gZ1sxefP1ujMkk28j72UVFQ1gTnnwue6dgwrZpQsRIcJT1iROHCChhB4AB6eVvo/s400/Marcella+342.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR35PKYK3vsq2yT9V1HKML8LIH4e6WmicA56TWr5yAWlc0B9XMiscK6TiAdfOnpnUIg949RrFR8cI-S_iqkhVSn0JOuyH8w4T7kVEKiKniBvtF61NNyJtfWllMkcR3ntybyTBhuVswLsg/s1600-h/n714265529_2376964_9186.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290292937885007634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR35PKYK3vsq2yT9V1HKML8LIH4e6WmicA56TWr5yAWlc0B9XMiscK6TiAdfOnpnUIg949RrFR8cI-S_iqkhVSn0JOuyH8w4T7kVEKiKniBvtF61NNyJtfWllMkcR3ntybyTBhuVswLsg/s400/n714265529_2376964_9186.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290293445668212178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8awXi-YIGcQCol88pNcfRSyD5_XUYg6CzP_CMm0nuGKAZPkR4z5dFpkHdC-o63FKIRjWlhDaUkG_R1p-IyJOVAAOxeyL0F7u0cdTv86-0-jnX74iITJAdIuNY1Ehub4uHcJ_WF1gShNI/s400/n714265529_2376974_2182.jpg" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFFkcXDV6rBcO-2hEBTNc1ooS2RWStn7r7F1AEpcBsorTdVNw_VGbBf7xZCqCLDGrmpaPHwLo-mjbtmnx0LlE9CPj5885Rreo_K-r-yMPgVkMwXKBRGUmAamIyui2JQZCw60ZY7dr1Ro/s1600-h/Marcella+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290292057427455042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFFkcXDV6rBcO-2hEBTNc1ooS2RWStn7r7F1AEpcBsorTdVNw_VGbBf7xZCqCLDGrmpaPHwLo-mjbtmnx0LlE9CPj5885Rreo_K-r-yMPgVkMwXKBRGUmAamIyui2JQZCw60ZY7dr1Ro/s400/Marcella+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcpc0P-LLfKMX2pOJZ0q0gu2a6LON1WY_HBsgRVFBWnqXPhEN03ZGg4IYhVpMpRb6PDeY-z7fPunQ3_XK2EHHHJYSET0ZZMLRrGAhQ-WO9GzzdIVzW2WrYvhY9F0WKoYPbMTrg3jrR6A/s1600-h/Marcella+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290291689502126690" style="DISPLAY: block; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnxCnUz0MPMb2kc59EhaCKVMftTC4fRNFWCK0U7XyFcAFmwdHa0X3IiIF-27xCXwbTlvSjsFwIdKbECGL4Jj7Z2GLI1BqG65xhZoeQbDMmw9fYyMMvzbsEGRzT8KlCfIWi8ZF8hc3f8I/s400/n524910625_4856658_4901.jpg" border="0" /><br />Overall, my year in the world has been the greatest learning experience of my life and I can only hope that my next adventure overseas into the unknown will prove to be just as enlightening. Among the many things that I came to learn in this past year- is that you have to take things one day at a time or you`ll wind up going crazy. I`ve learned that the flights we want aren`t always the ones we get, that hindrances like expired passports and required country visas sometimes stand in our way, and that as much as you research and think that your trip plans may be finalized- there`s always the chance that you`ll come across something that makes all the more sense- and you grab it! Just like that- any number of a million different factors can drastically alter your adventure`s course... and so they have!<br />While I should be writing this entry from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam- I write it from the island of Oahu in Hawaii. For months I had researched and planned a November stint in an orphanage in Vietnam, but in the end it did not work out the way that I wanted it to. The position I was offered dealt with children suffering from abnormalities, & physical and mental disabilities, and though it seemed like a good opportunity to lend a helping hand- I knew it wasn`t "my thing." Someday I hope to work along the lines of international adoptions, and so I would like to work in your typical developing country orphanage. In addition to the initial blow that the assignment wasn`t what I had in mind, I was living in Quindanning (45 minutes away from internet access) and I couldn`t get the necessary paperwork (visa for Vietnam entrance & passport renewed) in time for my trip`s start date.<br />I was starting to stress abit at the time about what I was going to do and where I would go for the month of November with Vietnam no longer a feasible option. I wouldn`t have been stressing if not for the simple fact that I just didn`t have the access to internet needed to fully research other possible routes. In the end, I trekked into the nearest down with Hayden, one of the Quinny locals who works in town, and spent a full day on the internet looking up flights, etc. In the end, I decided to extend my work at the pub by an extra 2 weeks & booked a flight for home with a stopover in Hawaii (Why not?). Stopping in Hawaii was my cheapest option and I decided that I would make it a 6-day beach holiday before heading home. I decided I may as well just head home as opposed to traveling anywhere else until December because I knew I just didn`t have the time to do the research I would need to do, anyways.<br />Probably the dumbest idea of my entire trip was that of spending three nights alone in a hotel in Perth before flying out to Honolulu on the Tuesday. I spent 16 weeks literally surrounded 24/7 by people. We lived three girls practically on top of one another, when we weren`t chatting it up with hundreds of different people from behind the bar, we were doing so from the other side of the bar, or we were hanging out in groups around the fire outside, or talking with the women in the kitchen. There was always someone banging some kind of a tool or shouting outside my bedroom window, always someone to talk to, and always someone to hang around with. And all of a sudden my world had turned upside down and I was standing on a busy city street all by myself or sitting in my hotel room - all by myself. It probably wasn`t as depressing as I make it out to be, but it was just a little bit too much time to think things over. I may have only been in Quindanning for 16 weeks, but because I spent every waking hour surrounded by the same people- it felt as if I had known them my entire life. Without a doubt- of all the places I`ve had to leave- I would say that Quindanning was the hardest to say good-bye to. It`s always hard to look people in the eye and know that you are more or less saying good- bye forever. I know that with the passing of time I`ll often find myself wondering what all of the locals are up to & how the pub has changed (or whether it has at all). I used to joke to the others that I felt as though Red was my cranky uncle from down the street & as I say this- I wonder what he is doing right now... haha.<br />Anyways, after a 9 hr flight to Honolulu, I took a shuttle to the "Waikiki Gateway Hotel" about a 5 minute walk to the world famous beach. Of course my room wasn`t yet ready because it was still before 8am, so I went and grabbed some breakfast at the restaurant across the street (a veggie omelette...mmmm!) At noon, my room was still not ready and I was honestly too jetlagged to wander the streets any longer, so I quickly accepted a $5 upgrade to a room with a kitchenette and a balcony- and was on my way. I was tired to the point where I was near tears that my room was still not ready! haha. And so the next 6 days were spent lounging by the pool trying desperately to add some color to my now white skin (after an Aussie winter in Quindanning), exploring the shops (where I spent the majority of my time), walking around the streets, and shopping at the nearby Ala Moana outdoor shopping centre. I really didn`t do anything very touristy and didn`t take in any of the culture, but sometimes we just need a bit of space and time to unwind. Afterall, I had been gone a year and was on the last leg of my adventure- I didn`t want to have to do the hostel thing--- I wanted to be alone with ample of time to reflect on my year abroad... and that`s exactly what I did... and still am doing! (haha)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272291653152981954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLHlZ9VdH3otIhBdIqWAK5LvUrJps_0Kdr7zsfmoui8_FVaeYAkwIHG0IePpxJe3-wdVqPuWzqGANy-bLCCvq27axFGYVLMySWRfyhtUWUX3DNYoT6FfN_Nh3Qb9o2lE9ebabgEPUZa4/s400/42.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272288739614223186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcxZxagFUYcZFwGr-Ns3_R92AnlH3zlj8zxSRbQV6tF6pldgWzW1io00_I_gI3vYrEhT8_nNpK1ulw4kiiTh2Y2EnOdBX0yLX9d61cILpVyI8gvyvaksOJzsntXxNFwQCGZeGaCBPFxY/s400/n524910625_4873817_9816.jpg" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCebTD4E5WJYLXJdKpoIly_oUfJtPd7u1n-UcHkEZhNVy1TEVw8ovU5xZGc4c0aY3W7Rg8yMkbYt8YfeHdDlF66pNZ00JMYk6CEvimLz8b579UMlA3mlC8fLlSh9lYzrw-3mKHikXf2s/s1600-h/n524910625_4873922_311.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272288910950882194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCebTD4E5WJYLXJdKpoIly_oUfJtPd7u1n-UcHkEZhNVy1TEVw8ovU5xZGc4c0aY3W7Rg8yMkbYt8YfeHdDlF66pNZ00JMYk6CEvimLz8b579UMlA3mlC8fLlSh9lYzrw-3mKHikXf2s/s400/n524910625_4873922_311.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTVrJva_p3_udTgXdCPbfJTnfBfbfVX-UtYZbrfU7moP-iyIUxy4MwSkBqxezIOlsyHPnZ9wWGzmxCPU4Nzp8II2K5X4ZoI_PrlcbP_TNctxWRcR6ihh0_QGuQ2ZxsANOMR3jh2x9ipg/s1600-h/n524910625_4873921_9378.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272288851896943586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTVrJva_p3_udTgXdCPbfJTnfBfbfVX-UtYZbrfU7moP-iyIUxy4MwSkBqxezIOlsyHPnZ9wWGzmxCPU4Nzp8II2K5X4ZoI_PrlcbP_TNctxWRcR6ihh0_QGuQ2ZxsANOMR3jh2x9ipg/s400/n524910625_4873921_9378.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGXbtdw91tJICBEALlK8sbr7h7afvDx97aAN0ZMgflkXdaKCrHC-AxOfVEqshOHO4N_k2RV68xZswKUSHFatq6A94Gc3UTnJ0sWe6HbSn1BPCSqG3hf1nSkegxEpD2SFGRl5WpvokAzI/s1600-h/n524910625_4873899_5418.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272288800187018578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGXbtdw91tJICBEALlK8sbr7h7afvDx97aAN0ZMgflkXdaKCrHC-AxOfVEqshOHO4N_k2RV68xZswKUSHFatq6A94Gc3UTnJ0sWe6HbSn1BPCSqG3hf1nSkegxEpD2SFGRl5WpvokAzI/s400/n524910625_4873899_5418.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">My thoughts on Hawaii:</span></strong> I can`t say that I would ever necessarily want to go there again. After being on some of the beaches I was on in Southeast Asia, I didn`t find Waikiki beach to be anything very special at all. I found the shops to be full of REALLY tacky souvenirs (aka. junk). The feel of the city was that of being caught between an American influence & a Japanese one. The beach boasted brown sand. The shops that weren`t tacky were too high end to even consider walking into. Then again- I didn`t go to any of the shows or a Lu`au- so maybe had I taken in some of the culture my thoughts on Hawaii may have been a little bit more positive. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Hawaii, but I won`t be going out of my way to plan another stopover there in the near future. There are just too many other places to discover and explore......http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-57425681285259747962008-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:002008-12-09T21:46:50.269-08:00"Utes", Johnie Cash, Cowboy hats, & Sheep pastures= Feeling as though I`ve gone back in time 50 years...16 weeks spent living virtually in the middle of nowhere 2 hours southeast of Perth. The nearest gas station/ grocery store/ internet facilities were 45 minutes away. At times I literally felt as though I had gone back 50 years in time--- seeing the farmers pull up at the pub with their old style "utes" with their sheep dogs on the back while the farmers sipped an afternoon beer to Johny Cash in the background.... hehe<br /><br />At times I felt so absolutely lonely & isolated- frustrated at being so cut off from the rest of the world, but I lived there with two other girls and we got each other through it with our "shenanigans." The locals were really friendly & such characters! The pub/restaurant was really busy for the most part (which kept us on our toes)--- and the scenery & surroundings were beautiful. I was so sure that I couldn`t wait to leave and yet at the end of 16 weeks I was absolutely devastated when it began to register that the ending was near... Even now- 4 weeks later- I still think about good `ol Quinny all of the time. I wonder whose at the pub, what the locals are talking about, what band is playing this Thursday...etc etc. It`s funny how we see things differently once we remove ourselves from the situation. The hardest part to adapt to was going from always being surrounded by someone (we`d always be sitting in the pub when we weren`t working surrounded by people or us girls would be at home in the crash palace with each other)--- to being completely alone all of a sudden with no one to talk to. I decided to check into a motel in Perth for three nights to relax and have my own space. At the time it seemed like a smart idea- but once I was dropped off I found myself not knowing what to do with myself or with all of the space at my finger tips all of a sudden...<br /><br />Quinny will always be a fond memory. I think perhaps my constant thoughts of it to this day are the result of feeling as though there was no closure in respect to certain aspects of the experience. One minute things were just like they had been for the past three months- and the next I`m saying good-bye as though I`m just going for a short ride when really my bags are packed at the door--- and this is good- bye forever...<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272289323850238498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlHtJQUUOLCbciUi95CTe1e6B4Gw9k88WTcQEsPPOBnjanLAiSEPggVj2xBhatUbzHTgGPHNXkMGjNDLqfxRLNT9YbHSg-OqwHSb7PgxLkQC8tIeXlN8UMSpTIuouTec7xfkdJ-dMzAc/s400/14.Pub+where+Marcella+works+in+Quananning,Australia.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272290781708297106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApyzHIz8rAmqYvszeSA3lR1L01V4rpdUSiCI8_LDQaf5PCps0y7oad5C9pogqAkQTMS9YSDtLEI6vJz7af8LKpC_5Ymy2JEjWvszxst071bU6IyDzOxeNxH1DGFdFdSDddbbX1Lp9-Jo/s400/37.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272290842617464690" style="DISPLAY: block; 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When I arrived at the airport in the evening, I was sold on "the best value hotel" in the red light district. I admit that I must have been a little bit naive. I really just expected the red light district to mean I`d be in a high traffic area with lots of bars, restaurants & hotels.... haha!<br /><br />Firstly- I was asked upon check in whether I`d like to rent my room by the hour or on a nightly basis. I was confused as to why they would offer such a thing... hehe (boy- I really am naive). Also, as a woman alone- I felt as though the hotel staff treated me as though I was dirt beneath their feet (now I realize that it was because they thought I was a prostitute in their hotel... fair enough). Anyways, it really wasn`t until morning that I realized just where I was when I went to cross the street to go to the drugstore and an Indian male approached me asking me how much I would charge him (at this point- I was still confused- thinking what a jerk he was for being so direct! hehe.. when really such a question would be perfectly normal there). To make matters even worse- the tattoo I got in the Philippines was badly infected and I could barely get around!<br /><br />The strangest experience occurred even later that afternoon when I was walking down the main strip & was called over to one of the tables by an older Indian man wearing all kinds of jewelery. He was sitting at an outside table at one of the restaurants with several white men. I figured I had to at least say hello back, as it was the middle of the day. I couldn`t just run away! He fell in love with my blonde hair and refused to believe that I wasn`t a prostitute. He was sure I must be a Russian prostitute to be all alone in this area. He was determined to make me one of his girls & kept trying to make me offers. He kept telling me how much money I could make and was determined to get a yes out of me. I just kept laughing at his suggestions. He was quite the character! I doubt I`ll ever again meet anyone like him! Imagine- sitting in the red light district of Singapore with one of the main pimps! Next thing I knew- two older German men came to sit at the table and the pimp called over two Thai women who obviously worked for him. He starts asking the men if they`d like these girls and the men comment on how ugly & fat they are (to their face while we all sat there). I couldn`t help but laugh, thinking to myself "this really cannot be happening- this is all just a dream." A group of men come running across the street from the back alleys where they`ve obviously been doing some illegal gambling or drugs (or both). It`s 10am and yet there is a young Asian women wearing a mini skirt, high heels, and fixing her make-up on every inch of the main streets--- hoping for some business... Honest to god- I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I really was witnessing all of this. You see movies with this stuff & you read about this stuff- and yet you don`t believe it`s reality until it`s there very real before you! Later on, I went into the downtown bit of Singapore where it`s all very posh boutiques and the contrast was so shocking! It was literally like stepping out of one world and into a very different one...<br /><br />Two nights later, after being told by a taxi driver to change hotels because I was crazy to be staying where I was as a white woman all alone & getting sick of all the attention I was getting from the men- I checked into a hotel closer to downtown Singapore for some peace of mind. I walked around Little India, checked out the markets, and watched some television in the evenings. I was glad to be away from the craziness of the red light district & to escape my new "friend".... but I was also happy to have seen that side of things. It truly was an "experience.".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-81039088046401018542008-11-24T09:56:00.000-08:002008-11-24T10:33:16.907-08:00Saying Good-bye to the Philippines...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4ABRdbvxUxMGgnLbydFqGhTk66YQ_nG4cRfb_gkI5nAaPouYc4jtUhYmApw6cTLJaPuxHMWqhvaQn_f9QSiB3uRyNWPnMXM0kXr9xZJ6kQFz0tclkuVH6Jqsso_qZ_1xl-vkZHhvkLY/s1600-h/71.Marcella+and+host+family+in+Ormoc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272293938295101346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4ABRdbvxUxMGgnLbydFqGhTk66YQ_nG4cRfb_gkI5nAaPouYc4jtUhYmApw6cTLJaPuxHMWqhvaQn_f9QSiB3uRyNWPnMXM0kXr9xZJ6kQFz0tclkuVH6Jqsso_qZ_1xl-vkZHhvkLY/s400/71.Marcella+and+host+family+in+Ormoc.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2Yx2eCBXZ_91hYYRf0QvXJW0tEvOX85d8H87Ntz65yx5EOU4Q2w8YxL57f7jAQ423aU6V1HBnnoWlIumCto6Dwts-dong0yaqxUmAizD0AfGN0gem9Q7pG-lmiEAzy3KE1j0Fca1pd4/s1600-h/76.Marcella+..after+the+typhoon+in+Ormoc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272293847885253010" style="DISPLAY: block; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmbbuZANRCFpwQDE5Z34hE0G49aTj1r7-CW6i83aqVXE5KHlVnyWPtOE5uwbFnKVl2Nf16W9MKsUVsqfLJTOsv778hzzXA4or7RlKE4pPvZSEu1bVi4FZE8aKQv8EODAGlhOUYdhALBA/s400/94.Marcella+vacationing+on+Boracay+Island,Phillipines..July+2008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsBHnPsdDz4aQWyS0BJ516NMtRGyj4esHnpB3TePb90r11dnY1brbga6NKSZlBQgLqZvPxDrr1PekuInb1N3E77BTgJ6ztHFdwIFHUHq0yvzeW4RIk_iqBZZvImxPh_gYBGLY87WhOx0/s1600-h/100.Map+of+the+Phillipines.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272292487598287986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsBHnPsdDz4aQWyS0BJ516NMtRGyj4esHnpB3TePb90r11dnY1brbga6NKSZlBQgLqZvPxDrr1PekuInb1N3E77BTgJ6ztHFdwIFHUHq0yvzeW4RIk_iqBZZvImxPh_gYBGLY87WhOx0/s400/100.Map+of+the+Phillipines.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmohtY2IEVozaJbSu9ORpZ0BjaoFlRJDOttsOl-3-TkImv0Y2LS3CUr-TghCxPekPdX8Zz_L_Km0Ak9EHNtw9tEsj1QEaGLSob69Bt1vPu_zMyUS3jpX4oh6RnQtn7sHv2ty2qW7PFXA/s1600-h/99.Map+of+Boracay+island,Phillipines.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272292409081678066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmohtY2IEVozaJbSu9ORpZ0BjaoFlRJDOttsOl-3-TkImv0Y2LS3CUr-TghCxPekPdX8Zz_L_Km0Ak9EHNtw9tEsj1QEaGLSob69Bt1vPu_zMyUS3jpX4oh6RnQtn7sHv2ty2qW7PFXA/s400/99.Map+of+Boracay+island,Phillipines.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-5800472239172187412008-06-17T21:53:00.000-07:002008-06-17T22:04:42.622-07:00June 15, 2008: "Oh Frig- There`s a Filippino Anne!"<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx2UFZgAk_v3siIz4S-pSpNIcLT4GS6U13w36BUFckMieJWblNBNmrhkFP7b_chJQGZDxU09z7POElCIjoYkBCdZUFVi6SxoirpjYNf0EpZJiJjwWGeBBJFySVGD1bu2gi0kjz6kYs_k/s1600-h/n524910625_3286002_8393[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213082819126496274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx2UFZgAk_v3siIz4S-pSpNIcLT4GS6U13w36BUFckMieJWblNBNmrhkFP7b_chJQGZDxU09z7POElCIjoYkBCdZUFVi6SxoirpjYNf0EpZJiJjwWGeBBJFySVGD1bu2gi0kjz6kYs_k/s400/n524910625_3286002_8393%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My lord---- so apparently there is a Filippino version of Anne & as luck would have it--- I am living under her roof for the next 3 weeks! She cooks up a feast that would be big enough to feed an entire country and she sits there and watches me while saying "eat eat!" (She refuses to sit down--- she watches me from the kitchen). Then when I tell her I am full she replies with "EAT! EAT." However, when I tell her my clothes are feeling tight, she tells me "Marcella- control." (sound familiar?) </div><br /><div>This morning, I went to iron my shirt and she grabbed the iron out of my hand. "Nannie do. Nannie do!" (apparently no one else in the house can do anything quite like she can--- sound familiar?) </div><br /><div>Of course Nannie`s first question to me upon my arrival was "you Catholic?" and I was stupid enough to respond with a "yes." She dragged me to both a Catholic Women`s League meeting & a church service this morning. After 3 hours of church for the day, I thought I was in the clear, but then she springs on me that she teaches both junior and senior religion classes!!!!!!!!!!!! ("Marcella- you sit and observe with me") I tried to use the excuse that I need to prepare my classes for tomorrow and she guilt tripped me! Her words "If you can`t- that ok" (and then with a sad pouty face) "I like you observe. I like you observe. But that ok" (the guilt trip--- gee who invented that?) </div><br /><div>She chases me around the house with a tube of neosporin insisting that I cover my mosquito bites--- "Marcella, it`s good. You put! You put!" (Sound familiar?)</div><br /><div>Needless to say, I will be meeting Filippino Anne in an hour to watch a religion class (after which she will sit me down and pour about 5,000 calories down my throat) sniff sniff. On a more positive note, like our Canadian Anne, Filippino Anne has a hard time staying awake for the most part. She doses off quite often throughout the day--- bringing a bit of piece to us volunteers! haha<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213082895672168770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzbwDz9RMav0oBsJBOiWcki8Dfcf21rUG8hCwxuHVSb42qsumzqCcFOk_NJxwKAx5A1I36HoO2J3a6IFdRGPdUU4TelhJ5rzCBvTmumg5dQiROnx65DABxMSCIvCrU4l7QmJZaYkpRiU/s400/n524910625_3286003_9023%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-32456979978161579442008-06-17T21:24:00.002-07:002008-11-24T10:41:01.616-08:00June 11, 2008: "Heartbroken yet IN LOVE in the Philippines"<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAq15-zXZ0c6Uo-nie8uba0vvLyVajLsvFFjBhUrk_A50KGaPU1GiBxMLiZSXlR2nKnYB-PQDEg6WpzLaHOeI_HJXpDLmpoWSRbhoYHDU0wrZtv3lwA0H-mUGVI8rsJOdd-X9bw6aiy8/s1600-h/66.At+the+Center.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294744921724018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAq15-zXZ0c6Uo-nie8uba0vvLyVajLsvFFjBhUrk_A50KGaPU1GiBxMLiZSXlR2nKnYB-PQDEg6WpzLaHOeI_HJXpDLmpoWSRbhoYHDU0wrZtv3lwA0H-mUGVI8rsJOdd-X9bw6aiy8/s400/66.At+the+Center.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreN0fssj4haRSlN4pya6xonPwg_DfQwunhjuu5y-SIf_qv5BoyCdcGcGCdO1mw7BhqknqNLhxyv6IFXrBPBvl9HFs3j_3fErv7crkb3Sahc4jOZN7v_LitYP3b2OEdFNn4W21_Iz8kk0/s1600-h/69.At+the+Center.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294553330675858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreN0fssj4haRSlN4pya6xonPwg_DfQwunhjuu5y-SIf_qv5BoyCdcGcGCdO1mw7BhqknqNLhxyv6IFXrBPBvl9HFs3j_3fErv7crkb3Sahc4jOZN7v_LitYP3b2OEdFNn4W21_Iz8kk0/s400/69.At+the+Center.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213077700381009058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiPOkkuOH9XxuvDn3cVOMkE4YGLZ_zsJiGncwkVyycP0hXvPFkuZS2KJUeplWVU3n8BPO7y3PTxcDwAYC2Ewuyu1FnUZXJJQQdCiTa2yi4UCeaPZ-aim59-UcaLINCJOpZzP8ZAa6lpM/s400/n524910625_3297374_6557%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="color:#6600cc;">I started my placement today in a small city named Ormoc in the province of Leyte. I am working in a "Holding Centre" that houses about 30 boys ages 10- 22 who were either picked up from a life out on the streets or who were left at the centre by parents who either couldn`t afford to keep them or who flat out didn`t want them. There is also a section of the centre that serves as a jail cell for nine boys who are pending rape, theft, or public begging charges.</span><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The facility is government- run and receives a yearly budget that barely covers school enrollment & uniform fees, and barely puts three meals a day on the table (the children eat rice three times per day--- they never get any fruits, vegetables, or goodies because such food items are expensive by Filippino standards). The center is prison- like in appearance in that it consists of barred up cement rooms and lacks color. Basic items that we take for granted like pillows, blankets, drinking cups, eating utensils, soaps, shampoos, flip flops, etc are lacking. The children sleep on mattresses that look like they might have been chewed on by rats, using their tiny arms as pillows. They have so little and appreciate even the tiniest offering. This afternoon I brought them a box of chocolate wafer cookies and they reacted as though someone had just handed them the world. They are so polite and appreciative!</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">Before I went to see the boys today I was a little bit worried because I am not used to teenage boys. A girl working in an all boy institution? I didn`t know how I could relate to them. I thought little kids would have been so much easier! I guess there was a guy here a few weeks ago who was here for a month and the kids got so attached to him that they were all crying when he left. I guess it was really pitiful--- these kids have nobody. Anyways, I visited with them this morning and I had nothing to worry about. They may be teenagers, but they almost seem younger in age than they really are. They are very curious & just love the company. We sat at my laptop and listened to music (they love music!). We also practiced some Filippino. Basically, I said a few sentences and they`d laugh at my expense.... They were in love with my digital camera and giggled at videos they took of one another.</span> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#009900;">The placement will be good for me because it is run by a team of social workers. I have so much that I can learn from them! I sat down with the director today and she wants me to help them with their homework in the afternoons. I expressed to her that I really want to help them and would really like to know what their needs are: toothbrushes, t-shirts, whatever! She said that they appreciate any little thing SO MUCH--- and that it means so much to them but that they never like to talk about it with volunteers because they are embarrased of how poor their living conditions are. Today I found myself at the department store pricing virtually EVERYTHING! Imagine- most of these kids own a single t-shirt--- and in the store a t-shirt is only $2! Honest to God- I just met them and they are almost my age---- but I have sooooooooo much love in my heart for them!!!! If I could adopt them all and bring them back with me to give them a better life--- I wouldn`t think twice! There`s not a doubt in my mind now that social work is what I want to do with my life. There`s so much poverty and sadness out there--- I want to help.</span> </div><br /><div>And to think that our kids at home throw a crying fit if the other kid got more fries or there`s no ice cream left in the freezer! Things that these kids could only ever dream of.... <span style="color:#ff0000;">ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING!!!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213076745690295506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWlWflKobvDEhfFYDi5dcZ-uNJ-FfJzpYoKUQjbcW42M64NZa03aTqK_Scv8rPo0WDOAghcfSkFDPnZZSjv-lsKVCZnws6nehDlzo41X1YWMtkpPM74YwS38hNw8nZ0r1DB1ZbWBxTGg/s400/n524910625_3251673_2648%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294684637100642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtm8bNF_0J8OTSZmFPadlZXr5NPPAHiN1c5TVXsAEnXPyxQTxWQxBfPVM8ukg5RHn7RIyNQh3aE2AgKwep7JZef1dL7c0ahT7IPlYYBJ0Hu2g3NeXOZBB0ppPE7QCNFHwDOQhTMgeuEF4/s400/67.At+the+Center.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294618001482658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLaY_hz93XxguTDdadwGmh-2fa-hQYvmerm2e162iJPodUCL3M8HOG5t6RM9COPpGIpHNoFKRslRFBw7293XvX8fz4s_uICu0XpHbRMx5NeE7M1zva0LzMSPy3wj1yD8JTr7ACCQLVSw/s400/68.At+the+center.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213076882036423138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9AJxd6cEIgJVRyf3QJCB8kZHJJhZ4cBvs5pe3bkPg3Fm5PXgkDp7P6O3d1_2DTXjqkaz6BpBekUHScIfpuWXCbdVUztqkmGvlgxmnxEsYA8Ae2Xnl0fvX6_Gov1hA9_GJIdVEICfQps/s400/n524910625_3285987_5163%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213077023854106386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R0SFgfEw8e2egBmWeot57b1TaSVwopLQrg6QP_OfC93lsSm481Odypa3SV4Ics-4h_z2IsT-sCBP30h0Qd8E2UVftztH6cWzyCP_gecnI9Kv5PJ_7VgmCzRhWb3BxvfL6tkkrTIdPTo/s400/n524910625_3285988_5762%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294814129779298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6Ad4JBh2lkxzxAa1JRNJ3s8bqcEeTfJooRiMwyzlfQ3LKtVbRjHZRGxtlLi1CwAc8WR4IOL0lmdKPggBfDEbx__WfvN1IiqENNhKy7rFVYWqROqBBq8WYkcnB8BewsEgY8DJ_bD2pNs/s400/65.At+the+Center.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294487492249074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_sva5BMXCCcPhdCGAy7l7oIShjbr9Nrvvk1NxLmpmqYrtWG2Yy_00Wi-duSdHHA7NviauxPIqhd7qo83xQsgz61cvIbe2YLAfOHE-DQuXRWDUuVHCttcoXvqBvj7gsnhNtlcBRfaVP8/s400/70.Marcella+and+some+of+the+staff+at+the+Center.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213077203066179250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhquZEFfohdCXIBi-gmLlLVvpeA-zcygSbY5ZOszrvZjDuWYSukmDksng9FwjGwCb0FhVGChvq6GpgJ5CxdulrdKUk9NqipBLqUPnujg4xvuy7r5lxctD0HJP0VIpW4AkV96QNkWHnjjw/s400/n524910625_3285989_6463%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213077359345926514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdpXBfMJQ-ItAIG9-H6fNDqLRAhMzrwm3nJs3kts4ZORk3HiPC5qqOrpCHGjdeKaZ78-ODEAkMTL4xCeF-xL-4KgkKrWUDn5sR0Nd5s-rWzXU-bAx5RkYyt7BlC-1ZT_q5qUC31_Qyg0/s400/n524910625_3285991_7082%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213078195618872642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4IYCW9fhqF9jyn8davgi1Ke_fSrrDhx0MmTXvgrLJiDbAzsyiHbVPJA0FVA-UvrIDHtC97B2ho1bqVCKxVtW4hAXeUAWBFB7j2gf4i5f3QSjv1E1EZm771tGdmpm2dFHy_KvT9dlXqA/s400/DSC01015.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213078414857617842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5iuwpMV5zOXaakge8Tzu9fO-XwJiibEEewQrZFqkWDNUQP1WJecBMbarqS3hhENMHLtfTuJv3jzPUOtcX4u5ykgjbz_XROFg9fW_GgVDIuAbeAnKTUb0ghWgieyLo3y4iqqVzRuibBo/s400/DSC00989.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213077543754047314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJrIiybjJJvZ69uRqyTTf8C1UrPRNy0UPRwY1H4wF6AZm_4xHbhcK6BK4qd8F1ZaWe19lnTC2_31AEbzYZMrlWWm4TynPGWnDanLjeQSl4mUf4AKhOUkEFuyMbZs3s6JX7MCyDk3wIo0/s400/n524910625_3286001_7733%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294270896557730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcG8kJN-K97mrkDOi11E8RfmCKX7qhu-T3tNi4hyqY8850QD5n43ImfNdK0tHWW8TDwvSA-gvxF1EdI9mCNMBe_tsK3C1N0Z-azkIs_Ew709n8bDdEHnKUbbEntPFTdqp68SCZzNnPfvM/s400/74.Typhoon+in+Ormoc.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294419983314450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCBvKPUd1tAHdcQzMrLY39OfiHQYUlj5PO8sOSpgbx4GfT9CO5XI7c2RfC2-UYV4_Kk26AO_1q7tVq9Sf-0v3NWuvAeCVnl39vYSM3x6ISaWdBn-OYf-3lEBaujs9QwUMpDLZ-GZRIaE/s400/73.Typhoon+in+Ormoc.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272294350296370338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiottJsV5fTTVfg3gdjsD6_bLmzwLR9Hxhb6RqinELNcRjARyX1KsQFT53lJbBOo9HjQDSC7tTMdX58jc-drNkAtAI3QDWHbPpy-Qv4iZw3tYgbjqxZz1f7pE5-tw9RgQChlHGRQCfztYg/s400/75.Typhoon+in+Ormoc.jpg" border="0" />.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-6320278844930082822008-06-17T21:24:00.001-07:002008-06-17T21:24:32.978-07:00June 8, 2008: "Children Left to Wander the Streets".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-57214999060060253142008-06-17T21:23:00.003-07:002008-06-17T21:23:56.044-07:00June 7, 2008: "Malaysia in Review".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-45897924704343974312008-06-17T21:23:00.001-07:002008-06-17T21:23:32.388-07:00June 7, 2008: "Perched in the Front Seat".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-56738924486724334852008-06-17T21:22:00.001-07:002008-06-17T21:22:51.562-07:00June 6, 2008: "It`s 40 degrees outside---- I`m Hot, I`m Tired & I feel like a Lepur!".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-91286756828689161032008-06-17T21:21:00.002-07:002008-06-17T21:22:05.740-07:00June 6, 2008: "I Had a Bad Day".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-75495458609575119642008-06-17T21:21:00.001-07:002008-06-17T21:21:42.165-07:00June 4, 2008: "Oprah, I`ve found my Happy Place".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-25238064118285661772008-06-17T21:20:00.001-07:002008-06-17T21:21:08.685-07:00June 4, 2008: "Apparently I had to come to Malaysia to get a good night`s sleep (or two!) haha".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-86992883192102686532008-06-17T21:19:00.000-07:002008-06-17T21:20:23.887-07:00June 2, 2008: "When in Rome, Do as the Romans do".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-8374757055147685912008-06-17T21:18:00.000-07:002008-06-17T21:19:47.418-07:00June 1, 2008: "Lessons Learned".....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-31422946004086468942008-05-31T05:07:00.000-07:002008-05-31T06:02:45.402-07:00Goodbye to you, Surfside!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0Rd3C3DEClK5I68ll5l5x0Tf1w8yKAFY1fBkmGpcA2HZ0sNpm9M4YF-G3gV964tKdWNd56jpeoJpD6qCksmPBoFiH7_XZC35nPVxwJFUtz9_nRRILNyDX5RYXPzLn0vRfjYz2wrE4pA/s1600-h/n587027211_609357_8913.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206517759020746594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0Rd3C3DEClK5I68ll5l5x0Tf1w8yKAFY1fBkmGpcA2HZ0sNpm9M4YF-G3gV964tKdWNd56jpeoJpD6qCksmPBoFiH7_XZC35nPVxwJFUtz9_nRRILNyDX5RYXPzLn0vRfjYz2wrE4pA/s400/n587027211_609357_8913.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well- this is it! As I sit here typing this final blog entry from my desk at Surfside, the large pointer on the clock is slowly pushing its way toward ten o`clock... marking the grande finale to my stint here in Coogee! Only the unknown rests ahead...</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I`m not so much worried about setting out for unfamiliar territory. What really worries me is being alone again. For the past five months, I`ve been constantly surrounded by other people. I`ve been constantly hunted down, bombarded with questions, and bothered. There have been virtually no moments of personal space, utter quietness, or "alone" time. In fact, the first few months in room #3 at Surfside were characterized by 20 girls virtually living on top of one another, waiting in line hours for a crack at the washroom. I have never had to eat alone, watch television alone, or so much as cross the street on my own. In fact, I can`t even remember the last time I was REALLY able to concentrate on the television. I`m so accustomed to having to strain to hear the television over the giggles and stories being passed around by the other girls. I`m used to constant chatter, endless evenings out on the town, dinner dates, and group junk food binges in front of the television! Tomorrow night, I shall find myself all alone in a hotel room and I`m not quite sure how I will deal with it giving the fact that I`m so used to having to share everything with everyone... The very idea of it seems almost eerie!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This afternoon, I stocked up on books to see me through the next six weeks. If worse comes to worse, I`ll just pull out a good read. Plus, there`s always facebook as a means to keep up with the rest of the world. Besides, I`m heading out to some of the shopping capitals of the world. There`s nothing quite better than spoiling yourself with new "comforts" from the shopping plaza... hehe... And when all else fails, there`s always the poor vendor dude at the end of the street who is always looking for someone to talk to... (good lord--- let`s hope it doesn`t come to this! hehe)</div><div> </div><div>I wouldn`t even know where to begin if asked to sum up my past few months in Coogee living the hostel life. It`s had its ups & its downs. There have been numerous moments when I`d wanted to run screaming. There have been times when I`d wanted to pull out all of my hair. There have been times when I`ve questioned my backpacking ambitions. On the other hand, there have been LOTS OF LAUGHS, lots of great nights out, lots of friendships made & lots of lessons learned.</div><div> </div><div>On that note- it is time to say good night, put the Coogee chapter behind me, and move toward the next... Goodbye to you, Surfside!</div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-2685179908600220492008-05-26T04:21:00.000-07:002008-05-26T04:31:19.282-07:00Damage Done<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRHyzIs-XPmPJ8UJAA3D3Yj4Il8IiBfVCGYGwzyNVr4771zj8eRTI0mmgyC-6MCUmVoAhY8GH8fhmyEwRIApgVI5zVha7ASqh-HlTZk6fR5P4_n3OJZpJQph0XrvR7evJlF_StQZ-WjA/s1600-h/9780330361477.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204647406129627730" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRHyzIs-XPmPJ8UJAA3D3Yj4Il8IiBfVCGYGwzyNVr4771zj8eRTI0mmgyC-6MCUmVoAhY8GH8fhmyEwRIApgVI5zVha7ASqh-HlTZk6fR5P4_n3OJZpJQph0XrvR7evJlF_StQZ-WjA/s400/9780330361477.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This morning I finished reading the memoir "<span style="color:#ff0000;">Damage Done</span>" by Warren Fellows. It is one man`s account of years spent in a Thai prison after he was arrested for drug trafficking heroine between Australia and Thailand. I have never in my life read anything so graphic and gruesome! I didn`t even know it possible to write in such a way! The book details the inhumane treatment of criminals in the Thai prisons--- from fattening up cockroaches to feast on them, spending hours wading in a sewage tub full of crap, vomit, and pee, watching men being beat to death before your eyes and then having the body remain in your cell for days, shooting up heroine from the intestines of a pig to get a hit, feasting on cats and sewage rats, being beaten, tortured, slaughtered...</div><br /><div></div><div><span style="color:#000099;">DAMAGE DONE ALRIGHT!!!!</span> I don`t know who suggested to me that I read such a nightmarish book only 5 days before I myself make my way into these Southeast Asian countries. These often corrupt countries. I know that in this case the author had indeed been guilty of drug trafficking, but you also hear stories of innocent travelers being caught with drugs that were planted by the law officials themselves (looking for a money bribe!)... </div><br /><div></div><div><span style="color:#3333ff;">WOW!!!</span> I have to admit that the book freaked me out a little bit... sigh... Time for me to head to the bookshelf and find myself a nice light read... sunshine & lollipops...rainbows & teddy bears...</div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-67751651470509631362008-05-25T03:27:00.000-07:002008-05-25T04:05:32.590-07:00A tug at my heart strings...<span style="color:#6600cc;">Sitting in my room with a troubled & lonely Cambodian girl last night reinforced my thoughts of wanting to work in a social worker position, preferably with an international component: international adoptions, refugee counseling, etc... As I sat watching this poor woman fall apart before me & listened to her pain--- it felt so unbelievably good to be able to be there for her... even if it was just lending an ear to her...</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Working, living, & breathing the hostel--- surrounded by my group of friends who`ve been here as long as I have--- I admit that I can be pretty ignorant at times. I go about my day without really giving much attention to newcomers. I`ll extend a "hello" here & there, but that`s about it. For example, a few nights ago, a tiny Asian woman checked into the apartment. I was busy getting ready to go out and meet the Banffers in the city, so although I noticed her, a man, and a child settling into the corner bed near the washroom--- I wasn`t really paying too much attention to the scene.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">The next two days that followed, I`d enter and exit the room, offering a simple greeting---going in & out of my room, thereby passing the Asian girl who most times would be quietly reading a magazine on the couch. I don`t think I was mean, but I also wasn`t going the extra mile to make small chat...</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#333399;">Last night at around 12:30 am, I took a quick jaunt up to reception to make sure things were under control (the drinking hangout). When I got back to apartment #3, this poor Asian girl was sitting alone on the couch, tears streaming down her face. I sat on the opposite couch and asked her if she was okay. Next thing I know--- she`s sobbing as she breaks down and tells me that she just arrived from Cambodia and is in Australia visiting her 6- year old daughter.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Six years ago, an Aussie traveler in Cambodia got her pregnant. Once the baby was born. By means of actions (because her English isn`t exceptional and the word caesarian is probably not one that she uses too often) I was able to understand that it had been a very difficult birth (as she`s just a tiny little thing). While she was recovering, the boyfriend had fled the country with the baby to come raise it in Australia. By the time the poor woman was able to seek legal aid in Cambodia, he already had a case built up--- he could provide a better life for the baby in Asutralia than she could ever possibly in Cambodia. This woman lives in Cambodia raising two other children---- one of her sister`s (a sister who was beaten to death by her own husband), and the other child whose mother died from HIV when she was just a baby. Anyways, don`t kid yourselves that this generous Aussie man flies the woman of his child in every year to see her. After years of struggling, the courts finally told him that he would have to fly her in once a year for one month and allow her $5/day spending money while in- country. Because her budget is $5/day, she can`t even afford to go anywhere in the city to explore (in Cambodia her income is $50 a month so it`s not like she can save to come here). Apparently there are about 8 members in her family, all of whom live in a one- room shack back in Cambodia. The things she was telling me about the standard of living in Cambodia were heartbreaking...</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#663333;">Anyways, the reason she was so upset and broke down in front of me is because she was supposed to see her daughter that day, but the father didn`t show up. Here I sat face to face with this heart broken woman --- who is struggling in a foreign country--- no money--- can barely speak the language--- frightened--- heartbroken--- and feeling all alone. I`m telling you--- it tore at my heart strings as I sat there listening to her. We watch movies about the sex trade in the Philippines, girls being kidnapped for ransom, White men buying Asian woman & children and it`s almost too shocking to believe. But it is very much real.... this woman is a prime example. An example of a woman who put her trust in a White man, only to be thrown aside like garbage and robbed of the only thing she ever really cared about... her baby girl.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#003333;">The story of her daughter being taken from her was not the only heartbreaking part of the conversation. She also expressed her sadness at her age. She told me that what makes her most sad about losing her daughter to Australian society is that she knows in her heart that it will be her only one. Through her tears, she told me that any girl as skinny as she is considered a lepur in Cambodia. The men will automatically think she has AIDS and keep their distance. She also said that her age is a major factor. She says that at 28 no men will even give her a second thought. Women in Cambodia have babies at 14, 15, 16. They are desirable when they are young. Once a woman reaches 25 or 26--- it is almost impossible to find a man.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#993399;">I sat awake for a long while last night trying to take it all in. I couldn`t shake the picture that had formed in my head--- A tiny frightened Cambodian woman who can barely speak English sitting down with a confident Australian little girl who speaks a mile a minute in English and who wouldn`t recognize even a word in Cambodian... A girl who is growing up with everything and who has no idea the extent to which it breaks her mother`s heart to have to stand by and watch from afar.</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>F*CK!</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#333399;">I`ve been a bit apprehensive at the idea of leaving for the Philippines very shortly--- but listening to this woman`s story helped me to realize that there is nothing to be afraid of. I want to be of help and service to others who find themselves in less than desirable situations just like Samnang...</span>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-90967455639309398672008-05-24T03:37:00.000-07:002008-05-24T04:27:37.936-07:00Feeling a wee bit Blue.. Fearing there will be some Nostalgia...<em><strong><span style="color:#333399;">Nostalgia:</span></strong> a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time...= <strong>Surfside?</strong></em><br /><br /><strong><em></em></strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203893879887348210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSitotwMWpYEebtXyrpLLP6cEQT90UL3szKQz6nNj-VGSlTbvY2aklKyGR8Q-RDB1caaRI0oobCBDVtYf0fUI2dS-YOC-DAsprsedRIcKcW-vlG-FONwFHf-QphGEJ61rlbeKfSBrjts/s400/Marcella+001.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203895988716290562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGN6ePlMs4QiWkZNyIzM1Ccil9SlVaPBAMug1_NDFwd1Fp8_LOccTC7dg_7yPJ_t9hwX25HbAM2dGQWJKGvnEw77KOKnZtcSK2wDRjRHGxNoP-jtbPK1SRPmsxvyGGz0xbA2Jfa9p25AA/s400/Marcella+002.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203898110430134818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGfbVGv0AlJNEiOEMH0BNU7euoA8haP8Yj2-F38WAMmx4IFkZalStQaskGiAHrPxi6xD6H8FoV1XvWvnjmqa6l1koG3-fXYS95M6hbmTZ2E3V9ymvWFLpMwA0mmnZezITJbFv1IqbRxc/s400/Marcella+004.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203897062458114578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyFJSAVCPRwY8AOGx9pOzRiLiOK2YpOELXiyYvPJXKfp2XNBXNw_NMSRczqeIGYeucXlfLWh2WSdakVUlrCtyDeThbP4s3vKsGDZs7z0t5bRZqKkUUugQBnYkLmujRlFcksRjOXEc4iI/s400/Marcella+003.jpg" border="0" />Any place I`ve ever been or any job I`ve ever had, I`ve counted down the days to my last & have been ready more than anything to leave. I find that with traveling, I always arrive at that point when every last bit of me recognizes that it is time to keep on trekking--- to leave the current job, current dwelling, current friends, and current town behind & to keep moving forward.<br /><br />I`m just not sure that I`ve reached that point yet here in Coogee. The truth of the matter is- I`m moving on because the plan I laid out for this journey dictates to me that it is time for me to leave. It`s telling me that I must move on to bigger things--- that my station is elsewhere if I want to accomplish everything in time to go home for Christmas. With a week left in Coogee (at Surfside)--- I`m feeling a little bit Nostalgic. I`m fearing that the minute I walk out these hostel doors that I`ll be filled with feelings of longing to be back in room #3 surrounded by the familiarness.<br /><br />Before I arrived at the hostel, I doubted the very idea that there could be a job out there that I`d actually want to go to each day. I couldn`t imagine such a job that would actually have me want to get out of bed for in the morning, or in which I`d actually not be bothered with putting in a few extra unpaid hours. The truth of the matter is--- while I do get annoyed from time to time with the immaturity of some backpackers, or the repetitiveness of their demands--- I enjoy the social bit, the laid back feel of coming to work and not having someone looking over my shoulder, the hours, the location, the tasks, being able to relate to my surroundings and being surrounded by so many other wandering souls (as it seems to justify my own). Coming to work is not a chore. It is not something I dread or could cry at the very thought of. It is by no means the most glamorous job there is going--- but I love the responsibility, the freedom, the perks, the location... I really do like it a lot! And so as I continue my journey and close the doors to the "Surfside Chapter" I am in fact feeling rather blue...<br /><br />But despite the feelings of apprehension that I am experiencing, "<span style="color:#6600cc;">what must be must be..."</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg6EhTfyN7950S7E7XGfQ-kiGrl536jnr_O_e4oxs5yZtQvAfAPDYcjiYS8QkEeLrWvVX712w0uU8JBq5KNJQ_T8brH1rc8OgVtq30ndT6brlHpiH-Gl88aRnAlHh7TQbOxThGyO3z28/s1600-h/Marcella+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203898939358822962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg6EhTfyN7950S7E7XGfQ-kiGrl536jnr_O_e4oxs5yZtQvAfAPDYcjiYS8QkEeLrWvVX712w0uU8JBq5KNJQ_T8brH1rc8OgVtq30ndT6brlHpiH-Gl88aRnAlHh7TQbOxThGyO3z28/s400/Marcella+006.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203899506294506050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8W_A-pgBX3bw4U3ObFOJdp_vaVFWfm5lj5afXr1TpSfEyis86jR3sVKUTBhEv3-ttOJ0MUzRUUPBtXgwURhrm9CNIZf4nKpmZ4vWgEwotF6My5wG5p2bkmoEJie-bikAlFnTsbjRZaw/s400/Marcella+007.jpg" border="0" />.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-22551486199891503432008-05-24T03:18:00.000-07:002008-05-24T03:37:20.951-07:00Indian food, chocolate cake.... & Leonie!!!<span style="color:#6633ff;"><strong>Thursday, May 22:</strong></span> <div><br /><div>Living in Sydney is characterized by the constant influx of Banff faces... This week brought with it a surprise visit from my old roomie from Banff, Leonie... Leonie, who has been busy traveling & working throughout Canada and the USA over the past year and a half, decided on a whim that it was time for her to return home to Australia (she`s from Perth but decided to pay a visit to Shaina & I on her way home).</div><br /><div>Tonight, Shaina and Leonie decided to come visit me over at Surfside and I couldn`t have been more excited. Honest to god--- the build up to seeing some familiar faces--- I felt like a "fat kid in a candy store" (pardon the not particularly tasteful mataphor...hehe)</div><br /><div>Once the girls arrived at the hostel, we busied ourselves with preparing some butter chicken curry... and it was delicious!!! Here are a few pics from the reunion...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203889189783060946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhOu5AT73RsDkTwFPCe73KAKYOs7BQc5Csncd1ujC4J4JCt5xJuwqsFpzZOGLhQSLc2pTYWDxy68Kr5-ULk6G1VVSRQiRJkFoqbFY5AsgMsPLPwIeIy_VXzcUwacWUe6R8QX53yuPS90/s400/Marcella+009.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203889791078482402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWljnFjlH9Oj5WRjeWxDwMNO-F-12KAYXJJXTcfeSlsniXL7v_b56FCwNwYwq3nFWsvlANT644E4MW9qwg1k7oWHfV6setZL_G1h_CHi-U_oSEwLXq16RhBgh-XlwEeXshjX66dXztHY/s400/Marcella+012.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-63101475359024237472008-05-20T16:02:00.000-07:002008-05-20T20:38:15.296-07:00I travel alot...<div><div><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="color:#009900;">... I hate having my life disrupted by routine</span> </span><span style="color:#000000;">(hehe)</span></strong></em></div><br /><div>Only another 10 days remain to my "Coogee" travel chapter. On the one hand, I am thrilled at the idea of exploring new destinations, witnessing new ways of life, and meeting new people. I am setting out on a resume building journey, thereby setting the ground work for my future career! I`m looking forward to living cheaply, working with children again, increasing my perspective on world poverty, and feeling like I made a difference in the world (even if it`s only in a very small way). For about a month now (since the orginal Surfside crew moved on), I`ve been going through the motions of work, eat, and sleep in making my way toward June 1st. I`ve been lying low in waiting for my departure time from Surfside to arrive.</div><br /><div>On the other hand, my adventure is not without it`s fair share of feelings of apprehensiveness.<br />Again, I am venturing out into the unfamiliar and that is always frightening to a certain extent. What is living with a Filippino family going to be like? Will I go through culture shock again? What if I don`t have the necessary creative juices to be successful at this particular placement? What if I can`t find work when I come back into Australia as easily as I would like to? What if I dislike the work I secure? What if I try and "wing" my Malaysia and Philippines travel and wind up finding myself without a roof over my head or without transportation back to the main city to catch my flight? What if my passport goes missing? <span style="color:#ff0000;">What if? What if?</span> </div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;">WHAT IF???</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;"></span></strong><br /> </div><div>I guess, at this point, the best way to deal with my concerns is by being as prepared as possible for any kind of obstacles that I may encounter along the way. This being said, my last ten days in Australia will be spent researching everything from currencies--- to climate--- to modes of transportation--- to town maps! Honestly, if one of my fellow backpackers were to see all of my printouts or witness all of my googling in the run of a day, they would look at me as though I had two heads with this look of utter disgust that reads "have you lost your freaking mind?".<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWHj8dWbxeRiILGfCaOLUO_thpIFR7apJDc6Z1r8zlv7jbzEHZHU4UR_W8rANyhb9lybeX2W1L0-yLIvpD6OSeO1zI_1Yy9f-hs3tP3t-Lc37MrEa-Ed127F-HyaXuYXjWu5wCStdQuA/s1600-h/ist2_3482898_two_headed_green_monster.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202669974526182354" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWHj8dWbxeRiILGfCaOLUO_thpIFR7apJDc6Z1r8zlv7jbzEHZHU4UR_W8rANyhb9lybeX2W1L0-yLIvpD6OSeO1zI_1Yy9f-hs3tP3t-Lc37MrEa-Ed127F-HyaXuYXjWu5wCStdQuA/s200/ist2_3482898_two_headed_green_monster.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>But to tell you the truth--- it`s not so much the worry that leads to my overplanning--- it`s a love of being in control of every possiple situation--- and an insane love of learning & planning!</div><br /><br /><div><strong><em></em></strong></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;">"Traveling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.'"-</span></em></strong> Lisa St. Aubin de Teran </span></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798154978262079251.post-60840777457192814392008-05-17T00:29:00.000-07:002008-05-17T01:29:34.528-07:00Fall Foliage in May???... How backwards!<strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">" Leaves in the autumn come tumbling down,Scarlet and yellow, russet and brown,Leaves in the garden are swept in a heap,Trees are undressing ready for sleep."</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201248086948135778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhWVxhD86tEqgvky8A_RIEaqy7iCwmcMj6EL7U_IWQNbotloJIci7dO2urRD3qLMipunYdcUryqdhKJ6-m1pZ5yYggsbeLCgcSHK6EkQSrA29OSm85OzFY_kf1BDcKvvINSCV6WHfyis/s320/Marcella+001.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em><span style="color:#993300;">Sometimes I find it pretty comical when I take a moment and really think of how very little I know about other parts of the world.</span></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"> When I was packing to come away to Australia, I was focusing on tank tops, shorts, bikinis, and sleeveless tops. As I reluctantly chucked aside several skimpy tees to make room for a single sweatshirt, I thought to myself, "I`m packing this, but silly me--- I`m NEVER going to have need for a sweater in AUSTRALIA!" I had this glorified image of Australia as being that surreal foreign land across the ocean comprised of year- round pristine white sand beaches, 30 degree weather, and scorching hot weather that makes your skin melt day after day! Haha--- boy was I wrong! While there are in fact days in which you can get away with wearing merely a tank and a pair of short shorts, by evening--- (when the sun has set which is about 5pm these days! Yeah- I know! Craziness!) it is actually really chilly outside.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#666600;">A few weeks ago, I actually added a second doona to my already existing one! Upon checking into my room a few months back, I found it odd that the hostel supplied comforters in Australia. I thought that a light sheet would have been suffice... and here I am these days harboring two doonas! haha</span><br /><span style="color:#666600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">I am turned completely backwards as a result of the queer weather! It`s nearly June and I find myself kicking aside bright orange leaves as I make my walk down the streets of Sydney. With the days growing shorter, the weather resembling that of Fall back home, and the need for layered clothing all of a sudden, I am convinced that Christmas is just around the corner...</span><br /><span style="color:#666600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I AM SO COMPLETELY CONFUSED!!! EVERYTHING IS SO BLOODY BACKWARDS ALL OF A SUDDEN...</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsc9NSRkg7C25lTV7U6gZjBfe1YjRqK2QoQ0qdpPvq03-6mnKH6riJncBVHwd48ycjvO4MdqmUnb3sRs-lqatB3ZvMWW8pFICcVGt_TXJRI4d8SXov90QJPTZyJiIZYwMJ_P3uPQAZtc/s1600-h/Marcella+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201251432727659394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsc9NSRkg7C25lTV7U6gZjBfe1YjRqK2QoQ0qdpPvq03-6mnKH6riJncBVHwd48ycjvO4MdqmUnb3sRs-lqatB3ZvMWW8pFICcVGt_TXJRI4d8SXov90QJPTZyJiIZYwMJ_P3uPQAZtc/s320/Marcella+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAdXE8PTKRFTwFFgmVnIFrYO7pav68Sd_53LZXujnjXV99uiaizhsfrl9coU9tPRTSTZA4d6X-VgmotJXJ9dm4rcb31v4v9GoaYm3VQRKg_zM_M-d23mDzPcnNcs5gvrCRdYPdk8He4E/s1600-h/Marcella+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201250569439232882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAdXE8PTKRFTwFFgmVnIFrYO7pav68Sd_53LZXujnjXV99uiaizhsfrl9coU9tPRTSTZA4d6X-VgmotJXJ9dm4rcb31v4v9GoaYm3VQRKg_zM_M-d23mDzPcnNcs5gvrCRdYPdk8He4E/s320/Marcella+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>.....http://www.blogger.com/profile/00234484160394848680noreply@blogger.com0