Girl on a Mission

Challenge Team Phase 2: "Well...that's a deep subject..."

2011-12-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

First of all, Merry/Happy (almost) Christmas, everyone!

I'm definitely in the holiday spirit: watching holiday movies, baking cookies, wrapping gifts and singing/humming Christmas music like it's my job.

And this year for Christmas--as a gift to people in developing nations--I'm raising funds to provide clean water, through a campaign called "Jingle Wells Round 2." As you can see by clicking on the link, we're just about half way to my goal of $500!

I'm passionate about doing something (however small) about the water crisis in our world.

So I was excited when I learned that as my second challenge team in northern Sri Lanka, I'd be part of team working to clean wells in order to provide clean water to the people there.

Honestly, I didn't know exactly what "cleaning a well" would entail. As it turned out, it involved hopping into the bed of a pick-up truck...

...taking a long scenic drive to a well somewhere...

...jumping into the well and swimming in it, plus attempting to scrub down the walls while pumping out the old water...

...and also inevitably having a mud/water fight in the process. :)

At night, we slept on the floor of a church, under mosquito nets...

And on Sunday mornings, we worshiped at the church we camped in...

Besides cleaning wells, our work also included cleaning and painting a couple of bus stops.

Here's a BEFORE shot of one of the bus stops...

And here's an AFTER shot of a different bus stop...

This post only begins to touch the surface of what my phase two challenge team was like. In short, it was exciting, unpredictable, exhausting, and an overall blessed time. :)

For more photos, check out the album titled "Sri Lanka: the north" on the right side, at the top.

[Note: I'm having some technical difficulties while writing this post and apologize for the funky alignments that I'm not sure how to fix!]

Challenge Team Phase 1

2011-10-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hello there blogging world, I'm back!

I was going to use the summer to write allll about my time on (and off) the Logos Hope, but wouldn't you know, summer has come and gone--and we're almost half-way through October!?--without any blog updates. Whoops.

So now I'm rewinding back half a year to share about the mission work I participated in during my five weeks in Sri Lanka while the ship was having maintenance work done.

During the first 2.5 weeks (called Phase 1), I was on a "challenge team" of five gals...

From left to right: Qian from China, Ganaya from Mongolia, Emma from the Netherlands and Sarah from New Zealand. In the middle is Pastor Sasi, who was our gracious host and such an amazing guy!

We stayed at a learning center along with a dozen teenage girls who we enjoyed hanging out with when they weren't at school. We did a whole variety of things with them--from girly makeovers and dance parties to teaching them English and playing baseball...

...and jumping around in the rain! (One of my personal favorite activities.) :)

There were also other kids from nearby neighborhoods that would come over for English lessons, songs and games...

I forget what we were playing here (we played a ton of different games!), but I was constantly entertained by this guy. :)

Besides spending time with the kids, we also did ministry work by making house calls--mainly to families affected by flooding--and praying with them. This was another highlight for me--just sitting and listening to the stories of people who had been through hard times, and hearing how God was providing for them.

In addition to ministry and entertaining children, we did some practical work. A few of the projects we worked on were: washing a hospital floor and bathrooms, cleaning up outside a hospital, planting coconut trees, helping build a wall, and cleaning up an outdoor marketplace.

Pastor Sasi showing us how planting is done.

Here's a look at the nearby town, which we often drove through on a three-wheeled tuk tuk car.

Our time in Sri Lanka was all about expecting the unexpected. There was one day that we were told we'd leave at 9 a.m. to go clean the marketplace. At 8:30, they asked if we were ready to go. Fortunately, we were ready early, dressed in our old clothes for cleaning. But then Pastor Sasi told us, "Change of plans. We're going to a school for differently-abled children, and you are leading the program!"

So we changed quickly into our Logos Hope team t-shirts and grabbed some teaching supplies we'd brought with us from the ship, including some balloons for making balloon animals.

Except I popped every single balloon animal I tried to make, so ended up drawing animal faces onto regular balloons instead! haha. Whatever works, right? We taught the kids different animal names in English, sang songs about animals, and then played games with the balloons. Not bad for making up the program on the spot. :)

I really liked the laid-back culture of Sri Lanka, which is so typical of hot climate countries. Certainly kept us on our toes!

An aspect of the culture I didn't particularly care for was the spicy food. I was already burning up from the heat, so I didn't want to eat anything that would burn my mouth, too! But I was grateful for the food that our hostess, Roni, made for us, and it was fun to try some different foods...

...like this meal, which actually wasn't too spicy, but very tasty. (Couldn't tell you what's in it though!)

Besides leading some English lessons, we also led worship at a couple of church services...

The last service we attended was Palm Sunday. We paraded into the church carrying swords made of palm branches, and were surrounded by palm trees.

It's as I look back on my time at the learning center that I realize how many different things we did! It was such a special time of fellowship. As Qian said one day, "My heart is so full and happy here."

To see even more pictures from my phase 1 challenge team, click here for my facebook photo album.

There's no place like home

2011-06-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

I had an overall wonderful experience on the Logos Hope, and there's so much I could say about it that it's kind of overwhelming!

But first, it really is so good to be back home again in Indiana (from India to India-na), just in time for the birth of my perfect & precious baby niece!! She's such a miracle, and it was amazing to hold her at the hospital when she was just over an hour old! Needless to say, the whole family is excited and happy that both Brittney and baby are healthy and well.

I also feel so blessed for the good health and safety that I had--during the time on the ship, then the five weeks of doing practical work in Sri Lanka, and the week of traveling up the coast of India.

God is truly AWESOME!! I'm in awe of His great love, His creation, and how He has a plan and a purpose for each person. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11:"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." It's for this reason that I don't need to worry, even though I don't have a job now, and I have no idea what my future holds.

It's obvious that my time on the ship was part of God's plan for me. It was inspiring, challenging, educational and exactly what I needed. From first-hand experience, I know how upsetting and disappointing it is when you make your own plan, and it doesn't work out. But that just means that there's something else you're meant to do instead.

For me, that "something" was serving on the Logos Hope, in the three-month program with these lovely people...

What a fun bunch! By the way, this was taken on Fun Night, when I danced to an Indian song with one of my Indian buddies, Giribabu. That's why I'm wearing a saree. :) I actually received the saree as a gift from one of the hosts of my first challenge team! I'll write about my Phase 1 Challenge team and share pictures next time, ok?

Me with my roommates (we're missing Anita) who shared the 10-person "party cabin," #111...

A look inside. (This is about the cleanest it ever looked, haha.)

I really miss all my friends from the ship, as I knew I would. It was so special to be part of such a unique, international Christian community--an experience that I'll always treasure. And in the coming days, I'll enjoy going through pictures, reflecting, writing, and posting about the last few months. Stay tuned. :)

Hello from Colombo!

2011-04-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

There's been a whole lot going on since I last wrote--never a dull moment around here, that's for sure!

During our nine-day sail from Dubai to Sri Lanka, I was busy with orientation, training, and daily activities like morning devotions, worship and prayer meetings. During the sailing, I also participated in all kinds of different fun activities, such as: drama practices, a skit night, an Irish dancing night for St. Patrick's Day!, swing dancing, a coffeehouse, games, etc. And of course I spent a lot of time just chatting, getting to know people.

Shortly after we set sail, I learned about the devastation in Japan. Being out of the loop and unable to get on the internet to read the news or check my e-mail was incredibly frustrating. But I finally got word that my friends in Kuji are OK, Praise God! Since then, I've heard stories and seen photos of the destruction in Kuji, and my heart goes out to my friends there. I have five new Japanese friends onboard the ship, and thankfully their families are safe as well.

The Arabian Sea was unaffected by the tsunami, and sailing was fine. The only time I felt a little sea sick was on the last night, when the boat was really rocking! I was stumbling around just trying to walk down the hallway, and at the same time was on an energy high from the dancing earlier in the evening--it was such a weird feeling!

About half-way through the sailing, I started my work in the Catering Department. I'm on the ''pantry team,'' which means I help keep the dining room clean. I work eight hours a day, five days a week (the days and times vary) vacuuming the floor, washing dishes, wiping tables, washing more dishes, refilling the juices, jams, teas, etc. and washing dishes again. It's not a glamorous job, but I work with great people and we have a good time together. Attitude is everything. :)

On my first day of work, the whole ship had an orientation about Sri Lankan culture (which was so interenting and informative.) I was really excited about the ice cream break after the orientation until I discovered that I'd be the one to wash all 400 bowls and spoons in addition to all the dishes from lunch! Washing dishes in a never-ending job, and on the days I work the morning shift, I have to start washing at 6 a.m.! Nothing like a mountain of dirty mugs to motivate you to get out of bed before the sun rises, haha. Ever since we've been docked in Colombo, I spend any time that I'm not working either:

A. Off the ship, seeing the city or passing out flyers about the ship's book fair.

B. On Deck 4, where the book fair is. I enjoy chatting with the local Sri Lankan people who come on board to visit.

C. Chatting/hanging out with friends on the ship. I absolutely LOVE making new friends from all over the world. :)

D. Sleeping! Non-stop socializing and dish-washing (especially at the dawn of ridiculous a.m.) takes the energy out of me.

Some local schoolgirls with "The Captain" on Deck 4.

So that's an update of what I've been doing recently. I continue to be impressed by how efficiently everything works on the ship--how all the departments work so well together--and I am thoroughly enjoying being part of this unique ministry!

It will be a long time before I'm able to update my blog again, since I'm getting ready to particpate in two different "challenge teams." The ship is staying in Colombo for the whole month of April for maintenance (called "dry dock"), so most of the crew is getting off the ship and going to different places around Sri Lanka to do service work. The month of dry dock is broken up into Phase 1 and Phase 2.

For Phase 1, I'll be on a team of five gals going to a childrens' center in a remote town that's a 10-hour train ride away from here! We'll be staying with different hosts for the next two and a half weeks and helping at the center however we're needed. I don't know many details, so it's quite an adventure.

I'll meet up with the rest of the ship's crew at a venue that's TBA, and find out where I'll be going for my Phase 2 challenge team...and who I'll be going with! Right now I have no idea. I'm excited about these mysterious challenge teams, and am looking forward to whatever is in store for the next month. Have a Happy April!

Love and hugs, Dana

Greetings from Logos Hope!

2011-03-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Sooo...I just spent the last hour writing a blog post, and now it's completely gone. BOOOO! This confirms that the internet on board really is as bad as they warned me it would be. Bummer.

It's the middle of the night and I really need to get to sleep (a combination of excitement and jet lag has made me an insomniac!), but here's a brief re-cap of the long blog post I just wrote:

I'm doing great so far, meeting new people left and right, and trying to memorize all different kinds of names! We had orientation all day today, and my favorite part of that was doing a scavenger hunt as a way to familiarize ourselves with the ship. We set sail at 6 p.m. which was really exciting with everyone cheering and waving! I can barely tell we're moving since it's so smooth...I'm happy to say that "smooth" is a good word to describe the entire journey thus far. :)

I'm absolutely loving being part as such an international Christian community (as I knew I would), and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next two and half months!

Going with an open mind & servant heart

2011-03-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

This time tomorrow, I'll be on my way toward the ship!!

Here's the plan...

I'm meeting a fellow "STEPper"/travel buddy/new friend in Chicago, getting on a 14-hour flight to Abu Dhabi, and finally boarding Logos Hope in Dubai. We'll sail straight away for 9 days to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The ship is having some special maintenance done there, so I'll most likely be off the ship doing service week for two weeks in Colombo. From May 11th to May 24th we'll be docked in Tuticorin, India. Then we sail to Kochi, India, where I'll be for the last two weeks of May.

While we're docked, local people will be boarding the ship to check out the bookstore.
I still don't know exactly where on the ship I'll be working/what I'll be doing during my time onboard, but I'll do my best to be flexible. :)

One of the other "unknowns" about this trip is what the internet situation is going to be like exactly. I've decided not to take my laptop since there are computers on the ship I can use, but there may not always be internet. So there's a good possibility that I won't be able to publish blog posts/pictures while I'm gone. I'll update as much as I possibly can, but I might have to write about the experience on Logos Hope once I'm home again at the beginning of June.

I'd love to get e-mails or cards while I'm gone! I've put addresses on the right side so we can be in touch. I'd definitely appreciate it if you could please keep me & my new friends serving onboard the ship in your thoughts & prayers. I'm both nervous and excited about this adventure that's about to begin!...

A good kind of craziness!

2011-02-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

Sooo...two weeks from this very moment, I will be on my way across the world to join 400 other Christians--from all different countries--to live/work/serve on a ship for three months.

I feel like I have to keep repeating that sentence out loud because I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this idea!!

I've had plenty of time to think about this ministry since it's been nearly two years ago when I first found out about it from a friend. But it wasn't until a couple of months ago that I started seriously considering it, and it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that it became a reality.

I feel the same way I did when I was preparing to move to Japan--so excited and grateful for the opportunity, but also kind of nervous because of the unknowns!

I got a wonderful packet of information from Operation Mobilization--the organization that I'll be serving through. I'm very impressed by the organization of this organization, (hehe) and it's been a pleasure working with them so far as I prepare for this missions experience.

I learned from the packet that anyone wishing to support this ministry can do so by making a check payable to Operation Mobilization and sending it to

OM USA
P.O. Box 444
Tyrone, GA 30290

If you write "Dana -- 2287937" in the memo, your donation will go into my account. I very much appreciate the financial support, as well as prayer support of course!

The envelope I received from OM included a devotional journal to help me prepare for this experience, as well as devotions for when I return home, which I think is really great and helpful.

I've been doing a lot of praying/thinking, and at some point--not tonight because it's late and I'm getting tired--I may write my thoughts here. (You might notice that I've deleted the link to my more personal blog "Keep Shining" from the right side. The blog still exists, but will remain inactive since I'll just be updating this blog.) :)

Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early to meet my dear friend Sarah Fehrman for breakfast, and then going to get a typhoid shot in preparation for the trip. (I've never had one of those before.)

So I'm getting ready for this 3-month adventure--mentally, spritually and physically. It's crazy, but it's a good kind of crazy. :)

The next adventure...

2011-02-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings! If you've popped over from my facebook page...hi, welcome to my blog now. :) It's been given a makeover and is ready to report my new, exciting news...

I've been accepted to participate in a short-term missions program aboard the ship Logos Hope!!

I'm REALLY looking forward to this opportunity since it combines three of my major passions: serving others, sharing God's love and learning about/interacting with other cultures through travel!

It's a unique ministry since it's more or less a floating bookstore of Christian literature. (books...a fourth passion!) I've been really wanting to serve/work on a ship for a long while now, and this (nearly) 3-month program will allow me to do that in a Christian setting, as part of an international community. :)

My first preference is to work in the bookstore, but I could also end up working in the galley or wherever I'm needed. We'll see. I'm going to go into this new & different experience with an open mind, as well as an open heart.

During my time on board, Logos Hope will be sailing between Sri Lanka and India--two countries I wanted to visit but didn't make it to while I was living in Japan.

Here's a link to the STEP program I'll be doing: http://www.omships.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=86&lang=en

The dates are listed on the web site as March 23rd - May 30th, but the ship's itinerary has changed, and the new start date is March 7th! (Eek!) So I have a lot I need to do in the next few weeks to prepare.

If you could please keep me & the ship ministry in your prayers, I'd really appreciate it. And if you'd like to make a donation to the ministry in support, please let me know. (My e-mail address is dana.sease@gmail.com.)

In other exciting news...
I'm going to be an aunt in June!!
I'm so glad that I'll be back home then, in time for Baby Girl Sease's grand arrival into the world. :)

A wintery weekend in NYC!

2010-12-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Spending a couple of days in New York with my girlfriend Ariel--before flying home to Indiana--was such a fantastic way to wrap up my travels! We saw and did a lot in such a short time (story of my life, haha).

We spent Saturday in Uptown and Midtown Manhattan -- Saks Fifth Avenue, Central Park, Time Warner Center, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Hall, Macy's on 34th Street, Times Square

Ariel standing strategically in front of Lady Liberty. Who knew that she's located just outside Central Park? ;)

Ice skaters! I *loved* Central Park and the beautiful view of the city. :)

This photo doesn't show it, but just outside Radio City Hall was craaazy busy! So many people!

A really sweet lady took this photo at Rockefeller Center for us. Again, the place was packed with people, just like at Times Square too...

I could totally be on Broadway! haha

Day #2: Downtown Manhattan -- Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Center Ground Zero, Greenwich Village, SoHo shopping district, Chinatown, Little Italy

We also went to Brooklyn by accident since we stayed on the subway too long, oops! But it allowed us to see a nice view of the city & the Brooklyn Bridge, which we wouldn't have seen otherwise.

We arrived at the financial district around lunch time and bought some hot dogs from a street vendor--the NYC thing to do, right? For the record, they were pretty good. :)

The World Trade Center site is being rebuilt with six new skyscrapers and a memorial to the casualties of the attacks.

Despite the freezing cold weather, we walked around two different neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan--Greenwich Village and SoHo--and did some window shopping. Later that evening, we went to Chinatown for dinner and foot massages, and walked through Little Italy on our way back to the subway...

Ariel lives in an apartment in Queens, so it was a long subway ride from Downtown! It was so nice spending time with her and seeing so much of the city.

And now it's nice to be back home again in Indiana for Christmas time! I'm not sure yet what I'll be doing next year, but I'm not going to stress about it. Instead, I'm just going to enjoy this time with my family. :) So I'm taking a blogging break, until my next travel adventure...whenever & wherever that might be.

Have a happy holiday season!

Au revoir, France!

2010-12-02T12:50:00.001-08:00

I spent my last day here touring the big, yet charming city of Lyon with a new friend from CouchSurfing. (I am quickly becoming the number one fan of this Web site, no joke.)

It was freezing outside, and I needed lots of hot tea & hot chocolate to keep me going as I walked around the city...

See Lyon's own version of the Eiffel Tower? (Haha, not really...it's just a TV tower.)

Lyon has it's own version of the London Eye, too. ;)

Crossing a bridge to get over to "the old city." Lyon doesn't usually get snow this early in the season; while it wasn't fun to walk around in, it was pretty to look at. :)

At noon, this clock inside St. John's Cathedral came to life with music and dancing figurines at the top. From there, we went to a silk shop...

Lyon is known for producing silk. It's also known for its sausages...

...which I tried at lunch. (along with some gratin) Deeelish!

After lunch, I took a cable car up to the grand cathedral (the great big beautiful white building in the first photo of this blog post), where I had a nice overlook of the city...

I couldn't wait to get out of the cold and inside the beautiful cathedral!

My pictures of the gorgeous interior (and amazing mosaics!) really don't do them justice.

I loved this nativity set...

...as well as the Christmas market I went to tonight! I need someone to explain to me why there are umbrellas on this tree, haha.

Ah, I'm getting sooo excited for Christmas!! I can't wait to spend this weekend in New York City (which will look very Christmasy, no doubt) with my girlfriend Ariel...and then going home to spend the days leading up to Christmas with my family. :)

Meet the Hatcher family...

2010-11-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

The parents are Amanda and Philip, and the girls (from left to right) are: Nathalie (age 8), Camille ("6 and a half"--the "half" is important to her), Abigail (9) and little Emily (who will be 5 next week).

As I wrote last time, I've really been enjoying my time here and the four ADORABLE girls!

These high-energy gals have kept me busy with all kinds of different things: playing with their train set and other toys, coloring, listening to them read stories, me reading them stories, teaching them how to write their names in Japanese, playing board games, playing made-up games, playing dress-up...

We had a "fancy dance ball" in our fancy dresses. :)

Three little "mothers."

They definitely keep me entertained! They've said some of the cutest things EVER. Here's a conversation from the other day at lunch:

Nathalie to me: "When you were in Japan did you see any of those big, bulky guys?"

Me: Haha, you mean sumo wrestlers??

Nathalie: Yeah!! Do they wear eternity clothes?

Abigail (I think): No silly, they don't wear maternity clothes...they wear diapers!

Hahaha!

Last night when the girls were getting ready to brush their teeth, Camille asked me, "Dana, do you like pink? Yes. Do you like sparkles? Yes. Do you like stars? Yes. Do you like Snoopy? Yes. Then you love my toothbrush!!!" [Then she got out her sparkly pink toothbrush with stars and Snoopy on it to show me. Sure enough, I loved it. :)]

And these are just two short examples of the cuteness I've experienced since Friday night. Ah, I love kids!

It turns out that I also love something called a "raclette party," which is a meal that looks this...

The potatoes are boiled in this special machine, and underneath are little pans of melted cheese. You use the wooden spoons to put the cheese on your potato, then top with different types of meat and sour cream. Delicious!

Tomorrow afternoon, I leave Toulouse and head to Lyon. I'm flying out of Lyon on Friday morning and return to the U.S. I'm definitely excited about being home with my own family!

Bon Appétit

2010-11-27T05:42:00.000-08:00

Bonjour from Toulouse!

I arrived here last night, and was met at the train station by the entire Hatcher family. What a welcoming committee! They're an American missionary family (friends of my friend Sarah), and I'm visiting them for the weekend.

The first thing we did when I arrived at their house was eat Thanksgiving dinner (leftovers). Especially since I didn't have a proper Thanksgiving dinner while in Le Mans, I was so happy about the meal!

Of course I've enjoyed the delicious French food I've been eating for the past month, too. :)

The French have a reputation for being serious about their food. In that way, I fit in quite well here. When I was in Le Mans, we ate lunch each day around 12:30 and dinner at 7:30. Both meals were sit down affairs that took time. We would have a main course, then a cheese and bread course, then dessert.

Crêpes are one of my very favorite French desserts! (We used to make them in my French class in high school.) I made crêpes one day with my friend Pauline...

Making crêpes in France = exciting times!!

I also went to a crêperie (a restaurant specializing in crêpes) a couple of times...

Nutella on the inside (yum!) and lots of whipped cream on the outside. :)

Thin buckwheat flour pancakes called galettes are eaten as a main course at a crêperie. I think of galettes as a non-dessert crêpe. They're especially popular in the Brittany region and are often served with cider.

This one had cheese & mushrooms inside, topped with sour cream. At a different crêperie, I had a galette with tomato & cheese. Liliane made galettes with eggs & ham a couple of times for dinner.

Just about every single day this month, I've eaten French bread, a baguette. At my homestay house, we usually had a baguette with wine and cheese. As Liliane said, "The bread, the wine, and the cheese--the three is happiness." :) It makes me happy whenever I see people walking down the street carrying a baguette in their arms.

Eating a sandwich made on a baguette with friends at the university in Le Mans. I sat in on a couple of classes at the university and really enjoyed meeting people there! :)

I've learned a lot about French cuisine in the last month, and will continue to enjoy eating it...

A typical Wednesday night at the dance club

2010-11-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

When you first arrive at 8:30, there's a lesson for beginners. Hello! That would be me.

You find a partner and give a quick French self-introduction. Bonsoir, je m'appelle Dana. You try to explain to your new friend that you don't actually speak or understand much French, and you're also not a great swing dancer. (At this point, he is most likely already wanting a new dance partner.)

Then you turn your attention to the guy on stage who's giving instructions. You don't know exactly what he's saying since he's speaking French. But. You keep your eyes on him, watching every move he makes. (At this point, you sound like a stalker.) You do your best to mimic his movements.

You attempt to dance with your partner, giggling the whole time and doing your best not to step on his toes. After about 3 minutes, you rotate right to the next victim...err partner, and the process repeats.

Since there are more women than men, you give get out of the dance circle and give someone else a chance to dance. :) This gives you time to watch all the other couples and take a quick video...

(This song was in French, but most of the songs played at the club are actually English...and are also more upbeat!)

After the lesson is over, you get a chance to practice what you've supposedly learned. Naturally, the more you practice, the better you get! If you're lucky, you have a great dance partner like my host dad to make you look good. And you also have a nice guy volunteer to take a video of you dancing...

You find that swing dancing (or "rock n' roll dancing" as my host dad says) is a lot of fun to do, and you get hot quickly! When you want to take a break, you can watch the people who are regulars at the club show off their complicated moves...

Maybe--just maybe--one day you will be able to move like that!

So this is what I have to look forward to in just a couple of hours from now, when I go swing dancing in Le Mans for the very last time. For the past month, Wednesday nights have been a highlight for me because I love to dance. :)

Tomorrow is my last day in northern France before I travel to the southern part of the country, and I'm looking forward to going to an elementary school; I'll be teaching the kids about Thanksgiving, as well as some English songs. Should be fun!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, everyone!

Visit to Versailles...and back to Paris!

2010-11-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

I ended my last post by saying that I wanted to return to Paris sometime soon, and that's where I ended up going today. :)

And I spent yesterday in Versailles seeing the famous palace & its gardens. In the last two days, I've taken over 100 photos (!), so this post is going to be picture heavy. Ready?...

My first glimpse of the "Chateau de Versailles"

Inside the palace grounds, I met a couple of students from California (native English speakers, yay!) and spent a couple of hours talking & walking with them. The gardens are like a giant labyrinth; there are so many paths with hidden fountains to stumble upon, so it was fun to explore.

November is definitely not the most scenic time of year to visit the gardens, but there were still quite a few people walking around. It was pretty cold, but at least it wasn't raining!

Here are a few indoor shots (which I was kind of surprised were allowed)...

* * *

Today in Paris, where it was decently warm and sunny, :) I went to the famous sites that I missed when I was there on Tuesday. Such as:

Notre Dame: I loved the big, beautiful stained glass windows and seeing so many people from different countries.

The Louvre: I need another day in Paris to go inside the museum, but I enjoyed walking around the grounds & seeing the famous glass pyramid outside.

Montmartre: A hill that overlooks Paris & site of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart--lots of people!

This afternoon, I met up with a French student named Fred (who I met on the CouchSurfing Web site) and two of his friends. I had fun walking around Paris with these goofy guys...

The three stooges themselves, haha. We saw a few other characters today, too...

such as a man posed as a statue...

and a guy walking around with a bottle on his head. (!?)

Just like last time, I'll end with a few shots of the Eiffel Tower...this time I have night shots! (I love the tower even more at night.) :)

Well, it's getting late, and I'm tired. Bon soir!

My relationship with Paris

2010-11-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, Paris didn't make a great first impression a few weeks ago.

When I was just passing through the city on my way from Brussels to Le Mans, I was surprised by all of the graffiti-covered walls I saw. I was also surprised by the lady at Information who I tried to ask for help; she couldn't have been more rude or less helpful. Not impressed.

But I'm happy to say that Paris and I are on good terms now. :)

I went by car with Yves & Liliane, which took about three hours. (It would have taken only two hours had the traffic not been so bad!) The main purpose of our visit to the capital city was to see an exhibition of Claude Monet's paintings. On the way to the Grand Palais--where the exhibition was--we passed by this café...

Indiana represent!!

After parking, we walked across the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, where I saw the Arc de Triomphe...

Not far away at all was the our destination, the Monet exhibition.

We spent three hours inside, looking at over 200 of Monet's paintings that have been gathered from different art museums all over the world (one was even from Indy!) for this special exhibition. I had no idea that Monet did so many paintings and such a variety of subjects, too.

During the afternoon, we had some time to walk around the city...

We walked around the Palais de l'Elysée--a.k.a. the French President's Residence.

And then...

The moment I'd been waiting for...

I got my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!!

I kind of felt starstruck. After all, I was meeting something super duper famous in real life! "The Iron Lady" herself...

Getting closer... :)

The line to go up the tower was really long, and we unfortunately didn't have much time. Some other time I guess.

Yet another shot of the tower, different angle. Nearby the tower base, there was an artist at work...

You know you're close to a popular tourist site when you see people selling trinkets, too.

A shot of the Grand Palais, where I was earlier in the day.

Walking back to the car, past the Christmas lights!?, to return to Le Mans.

I've decided that one day in Paris definitely isn't long enough, and I'd like to go back sometime within the next week to continue getting to know it. :)

Japanese food, French style!

2010-11-14T00:24:00.000-08:00

On Friday afternoon, I went to the town center to meet up with a new English-speaking (hooray!) French friend named Oré...

Sidenote: Several people have told me since I've been here that the summer is the time of year to be in Le Mans--not November. (Sadly, the weather has been especially crummy this November.) But Oré told me that during the summer, the cathedral--the building behind us in the photo--was under construction.

So this is why it's a good thing that I'm here this time of year: to get a good picture of the cathedral! In that case...

Let me get another shot of it. ;)

Anyway...

I met Oré through the CouchSurfing Web site, which has turned out to be a great way to meet new friends my age! Through this site, I was also able to meet a few Americans who are students in Le Mans, and I hung out with them on Thursday at the university. I enjoyed making pizza with them and feeling kind of like a college student again. :)

With Oré on Friday evening, I had a lot of fun making sushi! She went to Japan over the summer and has a love of Japanese food & culture, just like me. It was so surreal to me to be making sushi in France while speaking a little Japanese.

Japanese rice + a French baguette = an interesting combination.

Our new fried Luyun (who's Chinese, studying French in Le Mans) joined us, too...

Making some sushi rolls...yummy...

The finished product! (Notice the apple tart for dessert baking in the oven behind me)

Aaaand the other finished product. :)

Even though we had Japanese food (plus French bread and a French dessert), the meal was definitely French style...

#1. We didn't eat until about 8 p.m. I've had to adjust to this since I've been in France--I don't normally eat dinner so late.

#2. Dinner was a two-hour ordeal, including apéritifs (pre-dinner drinks) and appetizers.

Oré's dad took this picture for us. Her parents made us feel special by getting out the special (super cool!) glasses for the champagne...which of course, is a very French drink!

#3. Instead of using chopsticks, we ate dinner with a knife and fork--one in each hand at the same time, which is how it's done here.

After dinner, we played Guitar Hero and Mario Kart on the Wii. I had a great time hanging out with these gals + Oré's parents, and I loved the combination of cultures!

Goodbye/au revoir/sayonara for now... :)

Fall photos: The France edition

2010-11-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's quite a rainy, dreary Armistice Day--as it's referred to here--in Le Mans.
(I feel like the sun should be shining brightly on a day that's about celebrating the end of war! Right!?)

As I wrote last time, I've enjoyed getting outside during my stay here...but definitely not today. It's a stay-in-the-house-with-a-cup-of-tea kind of day. And right now is a good time today to update my blog. :)

Sooo I thought I'd share some fall photos I've taken in the past couple of weeks--just like I shared last year from Japan. (No matter where I am, I love getting outside with my camera, especially in autumn!)

First, a stroll in the park...

And here's a different park on a different day...

Hello there. :)

While walking on the sidewalk to the town center, I came across these berries...

Pretty!

Close to the city, there's an area where the ground is blanketed in leaves...

I loved walking through this, listening to the leaves crunch beneath my feet. :)

A different angle.

Well, that's all for now. Have a happy (and hopefully sunny) day!

What I've been up to lately

2010-11-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

Bonjour! It's been a little while since I last gave an update, so here's a little list of some things I've been doing in the past week...

Made an apple tart & apple compote (which is like applesauce). Mmm, how I love apple desserts! Especially with vanilla ice cream. :) I have a few photos of the tart-making process...

J'adore this apple tart dish!

Voila! The mother tart & its child. (We had leftover crust to make a baby tart.)

Went window shopping. It was rainy and cold on Saturday afternoon, but that didn't matter. I got to spend time with a new friend my age who I met on the Couchsurfers Web site, and we had fun walking around the shops.
Went to the "cinema" (as they say here) with Pauline. Pauline is the daughter of one of my host mom's friends. She can speak English! It was great hanging out with her family for dinner and going to the theater to see an English movie--with French subtitles--but too bad that I didn't like the movie. (The American. Don't waste your money.)

Went to "the fitness club" with my host mom. I took a swimming aerobics class and was the youngest one by about 30 years. I tried my best to figure out what I was supposed to be doing (since the lesson was in French), but I mainly just made things up. ;)

Went grocery shopping. I really do enjoy grocery shopping in any culture. I like being surrounded by food and making some cool discoveries...

...like yogurt with my name in it! (Not just any yogurt, but yogurt that lowers cholesterol. Nice!) (I know. I'm easily amused.)

Sooo many croissants.

Helped two girls with their English homework. Their mom is a beautician, and we met at her office to practice English. They were such sweethearts. :)

We took a break from studying to have a snack...croissants! (They sure do love their croissants here.)

Explored the neighborhood. The weather was so lovely earlier in the week, and I made the most of it by getting outside & going for walks. Sometime soon, I'll post a few fall photos I've taken. Here's one for now...

Yves & Lilian, out for a Sunday stroll in a nearby park.

Unfortunately, the weather here has been rainy and cold the last couple of days, which has been kind of depressing. This gal likes sunshine!

Well, au revoir for now...

St. Malo & St. Michel

2010-11-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

Monday was a great day for sightseeing since #1 it was All Saints Day so my host dad had the day off work! and #2 it was a beautiful and sunshiny. :)

We drove about two and a half hours northwest of Le Mans (just "Mans" on the map below) to the coast, to visit the port city St. Malo...

The day before, a famous boat race called Route de Rhum began from St. Malo. (My host dad showed me this Web site, so I can follow the progress of the 85 boats over the next few weeks. Pretty cool.)

We saw several boats--of all styles & ages--in the harbor.

Because of its geographical position, St. Malo has one of the greatest tidal ranges in all of Europe. I took the above picture of this building on the beach around 11:30 a.m.

Just a few hours later, this picture was taken. Notice behind me is the same building as in the previous picture, now completely surrounded by water.
That happened fast!!

Strolling through the streets of this restored medieval city. (Much of it was destroyed during WWII.)

In the late afternoon/early evening, we drove another hour along the coast to visit a small rocky island called Mont Saint Michel, located on the border between the regions of Brittany & Normandy.

At the top of the island is the legendary abbey--a symbol of the French national identity--that resisted English attacks during the Hundred Years' War.

I wasn't at all surprised that the island was packed with tourists! The streets were also lined with souvenir shops, restaurants & creperies...

Crepes in the making. :) Love that big jar of Nutella!

Mont St. Michel is listed in the Top Ten attractions to see in France, and I can see why...

It's certainly impressive!

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-30T01:52:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of videos to share, but want to begin with this one (because it's only appropriate...and because I love it)...

Classic. :)

According to my host parents, Halloween isn't really celebrated in France. Stores have tried to make it popular, but most people don't buy Halloween-themed merchandise or decorations since they don't celebrate the holiday. I guess that makes pretty good sense.

Nevertheless, you can still find Halloween costumes and decorations if you're looking for them...

I took this photo yesterday in Algers, which is about an hour southwest of Le Mans. We went there in the afternoon to explore the city.

My host mom and me outside of an old church, in a picturesque town between Algers and Le Mans.

We walked around this castle from the 16oos, but unfortunately weren't able to go inside.

I absolutely love the look of this building, which my host dad said is typical Normandy style.

After sunset, I traded my walking boots for dance shoes...for tango lessons! My host parents are serious tango dancers and even have special shoes that are only for tango dancing.

A video of them in action...

New friends--Froger and Constant. We gravitated toward one another since we were just about the only people under the age of 50, haha.

Froger did a homestay in Minnesota last year (the whole year!), which is where she first learned how to tango. She & Constant both have excellent English and I enjoyed chatting and dancing with them throughout the night.

At one point while we were talking and watching people dance, a man who must have been about 80 years old came up to me and said, "You are American? Will you dance with me? I have never danced with an American before...it will be exciting!" Haha!

Well...I was going to post a video from last night of professionals doing a tango demonstration, but I'm having technical difficulties with that. Grr.

Overall, last night was a fun night of trying to tango/trying not to look ridiculous on the dance floor!

Painting, dancing and keeping busy

2010-10-28T14:02:00.001-07:00

When I asked my host parents about their hobbies, they were quick to answer.

My host mom likes to paint. The room upstairs next to mine is set up as her studio, and her beautiful paintings are on display all over the rest of the house. Every Wednesday evening, she attends a paint class to learn new techniques...

I went with her to observe the class. Their exercise was to crumple a piece of paper and then paint the outcome using different colors.

Some people chose to work on last week's assignment of painting an object--such as the red jacket in the above picture. Even though the lesson was in French, I enjoyed walking around, watching everyone's progress. I also spent time drawing a sketch that I might *try* (key word) to paint with my host mom in her studio sometime.

In addition to art class, my host mom also attends a weekly English class. She really wants to improve her English, and having conversations with me is the perfect way for her to do that. :)

Since she doesn't work, we spend a lot of time together during the day--cooking, walking, visiting friends, shopping--and practicing English the whole time. Today she said, "I am very tired. Speaking English is so tiring!" Haha.

When I asked my host dad about what he likes to do in his spare time, he said (and I quote), "My number one hobby is rock n' roll club. And my number two hobby is--how do you say?--gliding? Oh. Paragliding."

Rock n' roll club and paragliding!? Nice.

Unfortunately, it's not the right time of year for paragliding, but it's never too cold for rock n' roll. :)

I went with him to his dance class the other night and had an absolute blast!! I tried to upload a video of him dancing (he's a really good dancer), but it's loading waaay too slowly to post right now.

What I can post now is a YouTube video of my host dad's favorite singer, Johnny Hallyday. After dinner last night, we watched a DVD of one of his recent concerts. So Johnny is still performing, and he now sings several different genres. But here's a video from back in the day of the only song of his that I recognized...only in French...

Hopefully, next time I'll not only have a video from "rock n' roll club," I'll also have a video--or at least some pictures--of tango dancing! Apparently, tomorrow afternoon we're going to a town an hour away to sightsee and dance the tango.

Should be interesting. Stay tuned... :)

Bonjour from Le Mans!

2010-10-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Meet Yves & Liliane Ory--the couple I'm staying with for the next month in northern France--helping them with English in exchange for room and board...

He's a computer programmer and she's a housewife. They have a daughter my age who lives in Paris, which is about a two-hour train ride from here. (I took the train here yesterday after taking a bus from Brussels and a train from Leuven before that...it was a long day! It was made longer by my train from Paris being delayed due to striking. Ugh.)

Anyway, I'm happy to be here, staying with such a nice couple in a lovely home...

Even though it's a country home, they live close to the city center. It's about a 30-minute walk, which I did with Liliane this afternoon.

My bedroom, where I'm writing from now. :)

Walking around Le Mans, trying to get familiar with the territory...

Le Mans is well-known for it's annual automobile race--just like Indianapolis!

The main cathedral is such a beautiful building.

In addition to exploring the modern area lined with shops, we also strolled around the historical section, where there are cobblestone streets. I've also eaten chocolate here already, so this means I don't need to change the title of my blog. :)

Last night for dinner, we had chicken & rice with zucchini, served with a baguette. My host dad says it's not a proper meal without bread. When I told him that I like a type of sweet bread with zucchini it it (Mom's homemade zucchini bread = yum!), he said, "Zucchini!?! In zee bread!?! Non non non." Hahaha

After the main course, we had a platter of different types of cheese. I thought that might be dessert, but then my host mom pulled out chocolate-covered flan! Oooh la la. We had caramel-covered flan tonight as dessert.

Two kinds of flan two days in a row--that's a first. :)

We had a cheese spread again tonight before dessert, this time served with wine. (And a baguette, of course.) So French! My host dad is serious about his wine; he has a list of exactly what's downstairs in the cellar and how old each bottle is.

So my time living in France--which is something I've wanted to do for years--has started out as a great cultural experience, and I love that! Learning about different cultures by experiencing them first-hand is definitely the best way.

Brussels, Gent & Antwerp

2010-10-23T03:26:00.000-07:00

During my stay in Belgium, I've been using Leuven as a base and making day trips to other cities.

Although I flew into Brussels last week, I didn't get a chance to explore it until Thursday. Brussels is the capital of the European Union, and is considered a melting pot of different cultures. However, seventy percent of people in Brussels speak French, and I kind of felt like I was in France when I first arrived. French (and some German) is spoked in southern Belgium (Wallonia), and in northern Belgium (Flanders) where Ashlee lives, Dutch is spoken.

I started out at the BIP (Brussels Information Place), where I basically learned how great & wonderful Brussels is. :)

I was definitely impressed by the BIP Expo, which had several interactive exhibits, including a giant map of Brussels. By clicking on the name of a specific region in the city, that area of the map would light up and a video would play. I especially loved that the Expo was free!

I picked up a "walking guide" at the tourist center and followed it around the city...

The flag flying on top of the Royal Palace indicated that the King was in. I decided not to pop in to say hi.

This is one of several parks in the city. Notice the rainbow by the fountain--the first rainbow I've seen in Belgium. (I saw them frequently in Ireland! Ah, I miss that magical place.)

There was lots of construction everywhere. Ashlee was definitely right when she said that Belgium is constantly under construction!

The tour ended at this arch, where there was a nice overview of the city from the top...

The town of Gent is about an hour train ride from Brussels. It's a student town (like Leuven) with cobblestone streets and several churches.

I loved the night view of St. Michael's bridge...

Antwerp--which is also in Flanders--is an alive city, where many people go to shop.

Ashlee and I went there yesterday in search of a leather jacket for her (we were unfortunately unsuccessful).

We enjoyed perusing the jewelry in the diamond district.

We also went to this castle and took an audio tour of the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens' house.

When I haven't been traveling around northern Belgium, I've been hanging out in Leuven feeling like a student. My time here in Leuven has felt a bit like a study abroad experience, which I never had in college. I've had good discussions with Ashlee on a variety of topics, and I've spent time at cafés reading, writing and preparing for my teaching job in France.

I leave for Le Mans, France (via Paris) on Monday morning, and I'm excited for Part 3 of my adventure in Europe! Au revoir for now.

A serious sweet tooth, indeed

2010-10-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's yet another post about sweets. :)

But you have to expect that from someone visiting Belgium. And from someone who not only likes to eat dessert first, but has also been known to occasionally eat dessert meals due to her sweet tooth...err teeth.

Anyway. I found this article about Belgian chocolate, which is what I wrote about last time. Not only are the chocolates here delicious, they are also beautiful--an "art form" as the article says.

This little shop in Leuven is busy every time I walk by it.

Or course, the waffles here are also kind of a big deal...

This is the "tea room" (that I can't pronounce the name of) where I had my first Belgian waffle in Belgium--definitely a historical moment. :)

Ashlee and I sat next to the window, which as you can see, is decorated for Halloween. Funny, since Halloween isn't really celebrated here.

And this is a little taste of heaven.

Truth be told, I was surprised that my "waffle with fruit" was topped with fruit cocktail instead of fresh fruit. But it's all good since I like fruit cocktail, too.

Next, I need to try a waffle from a street vendor, which Ashlee says are wonderful even though they're not served with sauce or fruit.

Here's the waffle section at the supermarket. Waffle cookies with a carmel filling called stroopwafels (which are from the Netherlands) are also popular. I tried one today and thought it was delicious.

I noticed that the bread section of the supermarket has a machine at the end that slices the big loaves--pretty cool.

I absolutely love sniffing out bakeries and looking at all of the different treats. Actually, I don't have to go into a bakery to smell the desserts--even the outside air smells sweet. No joke.

If only the weather were tropical (it's unfortunately cloudy & cold), Belgium would be my kind of paradise!

Working on my "To-Eat List" in Bruges

2010-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a lovely, sunny autumn day to visit the beautiful town of Bruges, and I'm so glad that Ashlee and I decided against making the day trip yesterday, when it was dreary & cold.

According to Ashlee, Bruges is a must-see destination for anyone visiting Belgium. It took us an hour and half by train to get there, and we spent all day walking around, admiring the picturesque town with its canal...

Just like in Leuven, I thought, "Ah, it's so cute here!"

As you can (kind of) see in the background, work was being done on the main church. Ashlee said that there's always construction being done in Belgium since the buildings are so old.

It might be hard to tell from the photo, but those swans were HUGE! We kept our distance.

The central plaza--the Market--was alive with activity. We sat near the statue to eat the "kip curry" (chicken curry) sandwiches we had packed and some of the amazing chocolate we had bought.

We saw several carriages throughout the day.

We also saw an interesting display of photography in the street.

As we walked around, we ducked in and out of several chocolate shops, trying different kinds of truffles and other treats. We were glad to find out that we could buy the small chocolates just two at a time instead of paying by the gram/kilogram, since it was better to sample exactly what we wanted that way.

My favorite truffle of the day was the crème brûlée flavor, which was incredible; it gets a 6 on a scale of 1 to 5.) :) As Ashlee said, "I feel like I'm eating something illegal!" it was that sinfully delicious.

Since Belgium is famous for its fine chocolate, waffles and fries, I have more of a To-Eat List instead of a To-Do List!, haha. It's a good thing I've been doing a ton of walking!

Belgium is also well-known for its beer, but that doesn't interest me like the other three do.

However, on Saturday night when I went out with Ashlee and one of her friends, I did try a beer I liked, called Kriek. But I liked it because it was cherry flavor & so sweet that it was almost like Kool-Aid.

I think it's interesting that each kind of beer has its own special glass, as you can see in the above picture of the beer wall.

We visited the Choco Story museum, where we learned about...you guessed it...the story of chocolate--its history and development.

Ashlee as a cocoa bean. :)

My I had my first batch of fries in Belgium topped with andalouse sauce (which is hard to describe, but kind of reminded me of Thousand Island dressing.) I bought these fries from a street vendor, which is the traditional way to get them. Fries were actually created in Belgium, and Belgians don't like it when they're referred to as French fries!

My first Belgian waffle in Belgium--which was another historical moment--was yesterday, but I'll write about that another time... :)

Goodnight for now (it's midnight here, but only 6 p.m. at home) & sweet dreams!

Lovin' Leuven

2010-10-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that I made it here, to Leuven, Belgium without any problems.

When I left Dublin yesterday, it was a dreary, dismal day--which matched my mood. I was not happy about leaving Ireland and saying goodbye to Jarlath.

It was crazy how once the plane rose above the clouds, the view turned from downright depressing into this...

Gorgeous!

I spent the plane ride reflecting on my time in Ireland, and also gearing up to meet my friend, Ashlee...

I'm staying at her apartment and hanging out with her whenever she's not busy studying. (She's working on her doctorate in comparative theology.)

This was the view that greeted me from the train station, when I first arrived. (Except that it was dark out.) I knew right away that I liked this place. It's cute and quaint! :)

Ashlee took me on a walk around the city this afternoon, and here are a few photos I snapped during the tour...

Cobblestone streeets! (Hence, the new name of this blog. I'll get to the chocolate treats part a little later...)

This is called "the beetle on the needle." Ashlee and I agree that it's pretty ugly. (More ugly than pretty! haha)

In addition to the beetle, there are several "weird statues" (Ashlee's words) around the city, too. This is one of about five or six that I've seen so far.

I've also noticed lots of bikes around here...

...and LOTS of tables & chairs outside cafes. Ashlee said that in the warm evenings, it's hard to find a seat--which is hard to believe since there are sooo many seats!

Another one of the "weird statues."

Lovely architecture. :)

We walked through an area that used to be a convent. (See the little nun statue on the top right?) Now, it's an area where professors and students live.

After the walk, we went out for dinner (I had delicious lasagna) and then to a super cute cafe for my first official Belgian chocolate...

Hot frothed milk, served with a chocolate on a stick (used to swirl in the milk) and a chocolate truffle. So. Lovely.

I'm looking forward to more lovely chocolate treats in the very near future... :)

Impressions of Ireland

2010-10-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful country! I took this picture at Glenveagh National Park last week.

This is the mountain that we decided not to climb. I was happy enough just taking a photo of it. :)

* * *

Well. I've had a grand (almost) month here, and I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye tomorrow.

Looking back, I've sure met a lot of people, been to a lot of places, seen a lot, done a lot and eaten a lot. :)

I've felt welcomed since the first day and have enjoyed "having the craic and banter" with so many friendly folks. I've noticed that on the whole, the people here seem optimistic, despite the economic recession. They're quick to offer a cup of tea, and I love how visiting peoples' homes without an invitation ("calling in") is such a popular thing to do.

When I tell people here that I enjoyed my roadtrip around the country and have been to 20 of the 32 counties, most people say that's more than they've been to! That really surprises me. I figured that Irish people would travel around the island for vacation, but instead they tend to travel abroad in Europe.

The food has been terrific, and it probably comes as no surprise that I've eaten potatoes--"in some form or fashion" as they say here--every single day. Irish stew and fish & chips are a couple of popular dishes that I've eaten more than once. Tonight I had a delicious dinner with Jarlath's brothers' families, and I'm still full from that!

It's hard to believe that tomorrow night at this time I'll be in Belgium! (This blog will soon be getting a makeover since I'll no longer be on the Emerald Isle.) I'm excited about experiencing the people, the culture, and the sights there. And the food, of course. Hellooo Belgian waffles and chocolates!

So while I'm not looking forward to leaving Ireland, I am looking forward to continuing my adventure in Europe.

Where one door closes another door opens...

Learning the lingo

2010-10-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

Did you know?: The official language of the Republic of Ireland is Irish even though most people don't use it.

Everyone speaks English. But. It can definitely be different from the English I'm used to! And of course, they speak with a different accent, too. (I've been told by a couple of people here that they like my accent. But I don't have an accent! haha.)

When I hung out with Jarlath in Japan, he taught me some "Irish English" expressions used in everyday conversation. For example:

What's the craic?/What about ye? = How's it going?
Take 'er handy = Take it easy.
All the best! = Goodbye--wishing you the best

In the last few weeks, I've learned a couple of new expressions, too. For example, Jarlath's niece, Millie, is often told, "Don't be bold!" meaning "Don't be naughty."

I've also noticed that a pacifier is called a dummy, the trunk of the car is the boot, and a stroller is called a pram. The word "wee" is used all the time! For example, "Would you like a wee cuppa tea?" And the phrase "so it is"/"so I did" is used a lot, too. For example, "I went to the supermaket, so I did."

Yesterday I went to the supermarket (so I did). :) It's called ASDA,* which is owned by Wal-Mart, and it seemed like the whole town of Strabane was there. Just like at home, it turned into an hour excursion, and we ran into all kinds of people! Unlike at home, I noticed a tiny popcorn section & Pop Tart section...but a whole aisle labeled "Teabreak," full of tea (go figure) and an assortment of biscuits (a.k.a. cookies) to eat with tea.

*Jarlath would like to add that ASDA is the craziest place ever. That's all.

A few days ago, I went to a session. (which was also a wee bit crazy.)(Did you notice my use of the word "wee" there?) ;) A session is an informal gathering of musicians who play traditional Irish music, usually at a pub. I had a video of one in my first blog post in Ireland. Here's a picture from Thursday night...

Today--for the first time ever--I went to a Gaelic football match. It began with people dressed in kilts marching in, followed by the teams. Then everyone faced the Irish flag to sing the national anthem.

Gaelic football seemed to me like a combination of football (a.k.a. soccer) and American football.

It's different from the regular version because they can score points by kicking the ball through posts above the goal. (like American football) Of course there are other differences, too, which you can click here to read about since I am not the gal to explain the rules of any sport!)

Unfortunately, the team we were rooting for lost by only one point, but it was still fun to watch. And the weather today was lovely. :)

Well, cheerio for now. All the best!

Calling in and around Strabane

2010-10-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that I've been in Ireland for exactly three weeks--time has gone fast!

Next Wednesday I'll head to Belgium for Part 2 of my Europe Adventure, and then two weeks after that (October 25th), I'll go to Le Mans, France, where I'm staying for a month--helping a couple with English. So that's the plan. :)

This week, I've been using the Houston home in Strabane as my base and taking little day trips with Jarlath.

These statues--nicknamed "the tinnies"--are in Strabane, near Jarlath's home, at the main roundabout into the Republic of Ireland.

A few days ago, we took a nice, afternoon bike ride around the town, calling in to some of Jarlath's friends.

"Calling in" is a common way to pass the time here--visiting a friend or family member's home for a cup of tea (which is often served with a "biscuit" or some other kind of sweet) and a chat. :) So I've continued to meet lots of people and drink lots of milk tea.

I've been trying several different kinds of European chocolate bars, too, and rating them on a scale of 1 to 5. So far, Cadbury's Caramels, Frye's Chocolate Cream, and Twisted bars have each received a 5. :)

Every evening, Jarlath's nieces call in to the house to visit their Grannie Rosie and Granda Francie, Jarlath's parents.

This is Millie, posing with her special pal, Rabbit. Millie keeps me laughing and is not afraid to show off her hip hop moves!

On Wednesday, we went to a castle ruins only 20 minutes away from the house...

...where it was extremely windy!...

Also within a 20-minute distance is the house of President Woodrow Wilson's parents...

We spent a different afternoon at Ulster American Folk Park, a living history museum that reminded me a lot of Conner Prairie.

The folk park tells the story of emigrants who left Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries.

After seeing the indoor museum exhibits about emigration, we went outdoors, beginning in the "Old World" (Ireland).

We walked from building to building, visiting with the guides, who were dressed in costumes of the time period. Then, we left the Old World by stepping onto a ship...

...and came out the other side, in Baltimore, where we experienced life in the "New World."

Back in the U.S.A.!

I learned that many of the emigrants who left Ireland during the time of the famine in order to set up in America, found life there to be just as hard--"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," as one of the guides said.

It was interesting to learn about emigration from the Irish point of view. With this park, I felt like I got the complete story since we transitioned from the Old World to the New.

This is how they groove in Ireland

2010-10-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Instead of pictures, I have a few dance videos to share with you tonight!

This first one was taken in Dublin, where we participated in a free dance workshop as part of Culture Night. It was a lot of fun--"good craic," as they say here. Jarlath was pretty good at it, and was even made the leader of our group...

Yesterday, when Jarlath put on his father's cap in addition to wearing a green sweater, I said, "Wow, you're looking very..Irish!" So I got out my camera, and we ended up making this video of him demonstrating his dance moves(and his mom joined in, too!)...

Once again, good craic. :)

And now, to end with a grand finale, here's some professional Irish dancing, the Riverdance. Enjoy!

From Galway back to Strabane

2010-10-02T11:06:00.001-07:00

We're back safely in Jarlath's hometown, and I'm ready to share the last installment of photos from our roadtrip...(as I drink a cup of tea)

Standing outside Dillon's Jewelers in Galway, where the original Claddagh ring was made.

Best rainbow I've ever seen! For sure.

Having a (beautiful) cup of tea in the pub where some scenes of John Wayne's The Quiet Man was shot. That's John Wayne on the TV in the background--in a documentary about the making of the movie.

Ashford Castle, now a 5-star hotel, also where some scenes of The Quiet Man were filmed.

Stone walls & sheep. :)

In the small town, Knock, we found a couple of shops with Jarlath's name.

On the way to Donegal, we made a brief stop in Sligo to see the grave of writer W.B. Yeats...

So many crows circling above the cemetary. Creepy!

Once in Donegal, we stayed at Jarlath's brother's place, by the ocean. I borrowed a wet suit and went (body)surfing in the FREEZING water!

Feeling like a superhero with the suit on, haha.
(I didn't feel at all super afterwards, when I was wet & shivering!)

Overall, I had a great time driving around Ireland, and am glad that I still have another week and a half to take in as much as I can. :)

Greetings from Galway

2010-09-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Just like last time I updated, I've seen a lot and taken tons of photos in the last few days!

I'll begin this post with a few pictures from Blarney (just north of Cork), which is famous for its castle and the Blarney Stone.

I didn't realize that the famous stone is actually at the top of the castle, and you have to wind your way up spiral stairs to get to it.

Once at the top, you bend over backwards in order to kiss the legendary stone--to receive the gift of gab.

Kissing the stone. (So if this post ends up being wordy--but I doubt it will, since I'm tired--it might be because I kissed the magical stone, haha.)

Kissing Jarlath. :) (Behind us at the top is the Blarney Stone.)

We walked around the castle grounds and came to a "wee magical place"...

I expected to see a leprechaun or fairy at any moment.

We drove back into Cork and went to the English Market for lunch.

From Cork, we drove south around the coast through Skibbereen, which is known as the town that was most severely affected by the Great Famine in the mid 1800s.

On Wednesday, we started driving north-bound to Killarney, first stopping in quaint wee town called Kenmare...

At an outdoor market, I saw this book about a famous Irish singer named Dana! (pronouced like "Donna.")

Ahh, too many signs!! And not a single one of them was for the road we wanted. HA.

A few magical photos from the drive to Killarney...

We walked through the Killarney National Park and saw Ross Castle...

...and lots and lots of boats...

And this morning we took a 3-hour bike ride through parts of the park that we didn't see yesterday evening...

...such as Muckross House and gardens...

...and Torc Waterfall...

From Killarney, we continued traveling north, and took the ferry to cross the Shannon Bay.

This was a first for me--pretty cool! (Actually, it was cold!)

On our way here to Galway, we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher...

This view looked familiar to me, but I didn't know why. I just looked it up, and learned that the movie Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was filmed here, as was Princess Bride.

Well, that's all for now. I'll have to post the other photos I've taken on Facebook...some other time. :) Have a Happy First Day of October!

Hello from Cork!

2010-09-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm writing tonight in the dimly lit, but lively common room of Bru Hostel. The place is full of travelers from different areas of the world, and we've been listening to a guy from New Zealand sing & play guitar while I upload and edit photos that I've taken during the last few days of our roadtrip--from Dublin all the way south to Cork.

Here are some of my favorite pictures to give you just a glimpse of some of the sights we've seen...

A family knocking down chestnuts in Phoenix Park. As Jarlath taught me last year, there's a game played with chestnuts, called Conkers, that is popular in the U.K. & Ireland.

This rocky road brownie was as good as it looks. :) {We had milk tea to drink, of course. I've been averaging about three cups a day.}

In beautiful Wicklow County--just south of Dublin--we went to Powerscourt Waterfall and Gardens.

This next photo cracks me up...

Jarlath as a leprechaun! haha (He just looked over my shoulder at this and said "aw, good grief!" while shaking his head. But I'm still keeping this picture posted.) ;)

Aaaanyway...the stroll through the gardens was absolutely lovely...

From the beauty of the gardens, we continued driving south through a bog area called Sally's Gap. It could also be called The Middle of Nowhere because that is certainly what it felt like...

See? No sign of civilization or wildlife for miles (err..kilometers). It was almost creepy.

On the other side of Sally's Gap was Glendalough...

...which is well-known for its monastery and scenic views, and is where we stayed at a hostel and had a full Irish breakfast the next morning.

This was a real treat since breakfast is usually just cereal or toast.

We've been grabbing a cheap sandwich/snacks for lunch, and then sitting down for dinner at a local restaurant or pub. (Tonight I had fish & chips for the first time in Ireland--deelish!)

We stopped in the cute country town Fern--long enough to stretch our legs--on the way to the next biggest town...

Wexford. (Where I spotted an adorable elderly couple walking arm-in-arm, and just had to capture the moment.) :)

"Aw, it's a little cottage with a shamrock above the door! And I'm wearing my "shamrock shirt" from Japan!" ("The life is beautiful and Happy.") Let's get a photo. :)

I took this shot on our drive to Waterford this morning.

Waterford is known for its crystal, and I was as careful as could be while walking around the displays!

I loved the scenic coastal drive south of Waterford...

Isn't Tramore a cute town? And we also drove through Dungarvin, where we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to check out the Dunhill Castle ruins...

See me peering out the window?

And finally, we made it here to Cork. Whew, all caught up now. :)

Well, the live music has stopped, it's getting late and time to sign off. Tomorrow we'll explore Cork before heading on to Kerry.

Slán go fóill! (Irish for "See you later.")

Down in Dublin

2010-09-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is Jarlath, and due to Dana's blog entry being lost on upload, I'm your guest blogger.

So here goes...it's gonna be as blunt as a plastic spoon in a knife fight!

This is a picture of Dublin's coloured doors (I know...there is a "u" in colour!).

This is me touching hot pillars...I like to do in my spare time - really it's the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin where the famous Easter Rising took place in 1916, and that's a bullet hole from then.

23rd September was Arthur's Day, dedicated to the founder of Guinness, Arthur Guinness. The company hosted a series of concerts around the city and parts of the world via TV link up to mark the event. As the company was founded in 1759, everyone in the audience and on stage toasted "To Arthur" at 17:59 to honour him - oh there's a 'u' in honour, too...hehe!

The famous comedian/TV presenter Patrick Kielty with the band aptly called The Hoosiers who we listened to and enjoyed.

This is inside a wee church dedicated to St. Augustine & St. John's which was opposite the concert we went to.

This is Dana jumping for joy at Dublin's Hall of fame --amazingly this was one take!

Dublin's cobbled streets --watch yer heels!

Some boy out on a day release programme chatting madness...

...and then two more day releasers with Molly Malone - She wheeled her wheel barrow, through Streets broad and narrow, crying cockles and mussels, alive-alive-ohhh!

A big game of Monopoly in Dublin!

A wee bit of culture at Trinity College where we saw the famous Celtic artwork 'The Book of Kells'. It ornately displays in Latin the four Gospels.

A big sign for a wee magical place that we never got to see for it was sold out. :(

But as luck would have it, sure didn't we meet one of the wee buoyos in the street looking for gold - although he was not so wee as he was bigger than Dana!

Eating sushi with Takai. Takai is living in Ireland for one year and learning English (haha...with an Irish accent!).

The Irish President's Residence...very easy to find...haha...I would have never have guessed that the beacon of Irish democracy is beside the zoo!!!

That's about it and sums up our visit to Dublin. I hope you enjoyed it. ;)

Along the Causeway Coast

2010-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Jarlath and I took a mini road trip around the coast of Northern Ireland--starting in Strabane and ending in Belfast.

First Stop: Benone Beach

Mussenden Temple

We took a stroll along the beach and got back in the car the moment it started raining!

Second Stop: Dunluce Castle

"Wee Cottage" :)

A wee picnic by the castle ruins

Looking out to the sea

Third Stop: The Giant's Causeway--Ireland's top tourist attraction

According to legend, a giant named Finn McCool created this unusual rock formation as a path to cross the Irish Sea to Scotland.

Ta da! Here is is. Hooray for bright blue skies!

The basalt colums were actually created by a volcanic eruption millions of years ago.

Fourth Stop: Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge

Crossing over to a small island where local fishermen catch migrating salmon & visitors admire the view...

Final stop: Belfast

World-renowned Queen's University

Famous mural in the Nationalist area of a Republican prisoner named Bobby Sands who died in the hunger strikes in the early 1980s during "the troubles."

The international wall of murals dedicated to nationalist struggles around the world.

The famous Harland & Wolff cranes called Samson and Goliath--a symbol of Belfast and its ship-building industry--where The Titanic was built.

I enjoyed seeing so much of Northern Ireland in such a short time, and I'm looking forward to another roadtrip around the south, starting with Dublin tomorrow!

What's the craic?

2010-09-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Translation = What's up!?

This is where I'm staying--Jarlath's parents' home in Strabane, Northern Ireland.

Since I arrived three days ago, I've been busy exploring the territory and meeting Jarlath's friends and family left and right.

And I met the biggest pig in Ireland, too...

Touch his left ear for good luck. :)

The weather is the only thing that hasn't been lovely so far. (As you can see from the above picture, it's quite wet here. And chilly. But I was warned that it would be, so I was prepared.)

Here's the view overlooking Strabane...
And this is what the landscape of Ireland looks like on a beautiful day...

Yesterday, Jarlath and I went to the community center (where this photo was taken) for a special event of music and free scones & tea. I've had more scones in the last three days than I have in the last three years! haha

Anyway, here's a "wee" video I took yesterday...

Today has been a relaxing day--especially compared to yesterday, when we were running around all over the place! The rain let up in the afternoon so were able to go out for a nature walk...

I'm looking forward to wherever the path might lead us tomorrow... :)

My last blog post from Japan

2010-08-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

Gosh, that title was kind of weird to write!

But yep, the time has come.

As I said in my sayonara speech to City Hall folks, it's been a great two years.

I'll miss the good friends I've made here -- both Japanese friends and other ALTs.
I'll miss living near the ocean and driving along side it.
I'll miss the fresh sushi and other seafood.
I'll miss hearing the shouts of "Dana Sensei!" as I walk down the street.

This list could go on, but the bottom line is...

I will miss Japan.

Of course there are things I won't miss, too. (Like little kids looking at me sometimes like I'm an alien, or the challenge of simple tasks due to the language barrier, or the lack of central heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.)

But overall, I have a wonderful experience here, and Japan--its people and its culture--will always have a special place in my heart.

It's been delightful sharing my Japanese life with my family sine Wednesday afternoon. They have been extremely busy, and I've worn them out by doing lots of: walking around Kuji, trying different foods, shopping, and meeting people. Mom and Deanne got to try on kimonos yesterday afternoon while Dad and Devon went to the beach. They've enjoyed their time here, just as I have.

Even though I've been saying goodbyes for the last few weeks, it still seems like today has come quickly! I'd like to leave Kuji by going out with a bang! So here are some photos I took of setting off fireworks with friends last week...

Goodbye, Kuji.

Or as my students always said...

"Seeeeee youuuuu!"

"Fifty nifty United States..."

2010-08-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

I've had a personal mission/game I've been playing for the last year and a half or so.

I noticed that in addition to wearing t-shirts with interesting/funny English, students were also sporting apparel of different U.S. states. So I decided to see how many of these state shirts I could get pictures of.

My total is 44 out of 50. Not bad. The six states I'm missing are: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, and Vermont.

I've made a whole ablum of "U.S.A. t-shirts" that you can access by clicking on the title over on the right side. (Or you can click here.)

Here are a few of my favorites from the album...

"Come here, West Virginia..."

"Noooo!"

This boy could be part of the Lollipop Guild from The Wizard of Oz -- he has the same expression.

So. Precious.

I love the boy doing the army crawl in the background.

Preschool buddies--so cute!

And here are a few photos that aren't in the album because they're kids wearing t-shirts of countries...

Well, peace out for now...

In about 30 minutes I'm going to the station to welcome my family to Kuji! I'm excited to show them around and have them experience my Japanese life. :)

Tidbits of culture

2010-08-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Just as it's hard to believe that my time as an ALT in Japan is coming to an end, it's also crazy to think that I've written over 260 blog posts about it!

Despite all the posts, there are still aspects of Japanese culture that I've failed to mention. So I want to write a little bit about three things that are very popular here:

The game "Rock, Paper, Scissors"

In Japanese, it's called "Jank-ken" (or Jan-ken-pon). And it's pretty much the way to decide anything and everything.

The game usually starts by both players chanting, "Saisho wa gu!" at the same time, (It means "Starting with the stone!") while pumping their fists. Then they shout, "Jan-ken-pon!" On "pon," they throw down either a rock, paper, or scissors. Ties are broken by two more fist pumps and "Aiko desho." ("Looks like a tie.")

So it's the same rules, just with a special chant.

There have been many, many times at elementary schools where I have taught the English version of the game, (a simple "Rock, paper, scissors, 1,2,3" instead of a chant) and there have been many, many lessons in which "rock, paper, scissors" was somehow incorporated.

The Backwards Park

I don't know why everyone parks backwards into a parking space. I guess it's to make a fast get-away? (It sure makes for a slow getting-in, though!)

But it seems that the backwards park is an unwritten rule here...

And it's a rule that I always break. I find it much easier to pull into a space and reverse out of it. Plus, it's easy to find my car when it's parked the opposite way as all the others. :) Dare to be different.

Recycling

In Japan, there's a recycling pick-up day--like trash day--that's once a month. Plus, there are recycling bins at the front of grocery stores and outside of convenience stores.

In my apartment, I have a little recycling can beside my trash can...

Also pictured is my "eco bag" that I take with me when I go shopping. :)

I've developed some good environmental-friendly habits while living in Japan, and I plan to take those with me wherever I live next.

Karaoke in Kuji

2010-07-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

The word "sayonara" has been mentioned in this blog a lot recently.

(I guess you'll have that when you're saying goodbye to people for three weeks and attending numerous sayonara parties.)

What I've failed to mention before, is that more often than not, a party here actually consists of two parties...or even three. After the first party, there's usually a second one. And in my experience, the second one is usually at a karaoke place.

So I've been singing a whole lot of karaoke lately. But am I sick of it? Nope. :)

Each time I go, it's a different mix of people and different songs.

When I go with other ALTs/foreigners, we sing mainly English songs that everyone knows. When I go with Japanese friends, I listen as they sing Japanese songs, and it's a good way for me to practice reading hiragana, and hear/learn some new songs. I especially love going with my co-workers because it's fun to see them let loose and have fun out of the office.

On Monday night, after the formal dinner where I gave a speech and received a yukatta, a small group of us went to the second party to sing.

Here's what I mean about having folks having fun out of the office...

Yep, this is my boss, Yamadate. He's kind of a special case though because he's goofy a lot of the time. :)

Karaoke is a good place to go for drinks. At the local karaoke place, you get all you can drink (alcohol included) for an hour for about $7.

As I've explained to Japanese friends here, karaoke in the states just isn't the same. Instead of a single person on stage performing for an audience, it's a lot more fun as a group activity. But still, sometimes people here choose to sing solo, and that's cool too; it's fun to cheer them on, and it's sometimes good for a laugh. :) That reminds me of a karaoke story from a few months ago...

In between songs, I was talking to a Japanese guy I'd just met who was trying to name all of the Great Lakes. He named them all but Lake Erie. The lake he was missing finally dawned on him, and he proclaimed, "LAKE ELLIE!" (hehe). And that reminded him of the Ray Charles song "Ellie, My Love," which he then *attempted to sing.

*key word in this sentence :)

It was quite entertaining.

Tonight, Nate and I have a sayonara party with the other local ALTs and friends from Kuji. There is sure to be karaoke afterwards. This will make the third time this week that I've sung karaoke! I guess that before I leave Japan (a week from tomorrow! eek!), I'm getting my karaoke fix.

I will definitely miss it.

Farewell speech

2010-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

On Monday night, Nate and I had a goodbye dinner with Kuji City officials and co-workers from the Board of Education.

We were both given flowers and yukattas. (a summer version of a kimono, worn at festivals)

Sporting our new outfits.

A full-length shot. My yukatta kind of goes with the carpet, haha.

With the Kuji City Mayor.

Nate and I also gave speeches in Japanese. Here's the English version of my speech...

Good evening, everyone.

Before I moved to Kuji two years ago, I didn't know much about Japanese culture. I didn't know anyone in Japan. I didn't know any Japanese - other than "konnichiwa," "arigatou," and "Onaka peko peko. (" I'm hungry. ") Isu creamu wa arimasuka?" ("Do you have ice cream?")

I told my family and friends in Indiana, "Don't worry about me in Japan. I know how to ask for ice cream, so I'll be fine!" :) But I still think they worried about me moving to the other side of the world. They said, "Two years is a long time!"

But the past two years have gone by very fast! That's because they've been a wonderful two years. Of course there have been challenges, but the last two years have mainly been full of great times, interesting experiences and fantastic memories.

Now, I can say that I've learned a lot about this interesting country, and I've shared my experiences with friends and family in America through my blog.

Now, not only do I know people in Japan, I have many good friends here. Japanese people are so friendly, and I've felt very welcomed in Kuji since day one.

Now, my Japanese has come a long way since when I first arrived and pronounced Iwate as "I wait."

Now, I consider Japan my home. I'm still not exactly sure what the future holds for me, but I know that I want to keep traveling and keep having great experiences learning about other cultures. I also know that no matter where I go, Japan will always have a special place in my heart, as will the people of Kuji City.

Thank you, everyone, for helping make me feel so at home these past two years. I appreciate it so much.

I originally had my speech written in Japanese to post here just for fun, but Blogger or this computer?, decided to automatically translate it to "English." (You'll see in a second why I have to put quotes around that.)

So now just for kicks, this is what happened when my speech was translated by the computer...(It makes me chuckle because this is sometimes how people here talk to me when they've used a Japanese to English on-line translation site.)...

Everyone, good evening.

I knew almost nothing about Japanese culture until two years ago to Kuji.
Japan did not even know.
Japanese know that "Hello" "Thank you" "I'm starving" "Do I have ice cream" was just.

My family and friends in Indiana in Japan that I do not worry.
I learned how to ask where the ice cream'll be OK! Communicated with.
Still, everyone, "I'm a long two years," I was concerned that going and going halfway around the world.

But two years went too quickly.
Surely it would be very nice for two years.
There was also difficult, of course, still had a great time the last two years a lot of wonderful memories and stuffed enjoyable experience.

I am now and learned a lot Iemasu to this interesting place called Japan.
And we share this great experience with my family and friends in the U.S. through my blog.

The cut of a good friend you know too many people in Japan.
Japanese people are so kind, I felt strongly that everyone is welcome since it first came to Kuji.

I also Japanese, "Iwate" the "I wait" has improved compared to the first Oita Japan had been pronounced.

Japan is my second home.
What are what the future holds for me, but I still do not continue to travel in the future and would like to continue to go through a wonderful experience different cultures.
The Kono先 wherever you go with me, Japan, and everyone will continue to reign Kuji best seat in my heart.

We thank you for giving me a comfortable environment for treating as if they were the last two years.
Everyone, thank you very much.

Yep. Kuji continues to reign the best seat in my heart alright. :) haha

"Shake it like a polaroid picture..."

2010-07-25T00:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the annual ALT sayonara party, where we stayed in cabins in Yamada, just like last year.

I admit that I didn't take many pictures while I was there. However, I did "shake it like a polaroid picture," (a line from the song "Hey Ya") which is one of many tunes I danced to last night. :)

Before the late night dancing, I did lots of socializing, lots of eating of delicious grilled foods (and s'mores, yay!), and spent the afternoon at the beach, which I do actually have a photo of...

Yuka and me in our summer beach attire. :)

As expected, the water was very cold. But also as expected, I had a good time hanging out with friends...even the part when I was thrown in the water and one of the guys put mud on my back and seaweed in my hair.
(I retaliated by splashing. And sadly, it was not very effective.)

Today, we took our time driving back to Kuji, stopping at the Mos Burger--a Japanese fast food chain--where I ordered a seafood sandwich made with a rice bun...

This was a first for me. Very tasty!

From Mos Burger, we went to Baskin Robbins, (I highly recommend the Hawaiian Crunch flavor & Love Potion) and then we stopped at a really pretty overlook area...

Walking down to the lower platform...

This week, the sayonara parties continue as I'm down to only 12 more days left in Kuji.
Craziness.

Take 1 and Take 2

2010-07-21T02:26:00.000-07:00

Monday was a random holiday here (Marine Day), and Jon, Georgia and I decided to make use of the nice weather & the day off work to go the beach!

First, we went to a pool separated from the ocean by rocks. Check it out...

Take 1:

This place is just minutes away from Samuraihama Elementary School, where I went for the very last time on Friday.

Take 2 of the ocean pool:

We didn't get more than just our feet wet since it became overcast and the water was FREEZING. But we stayed for a little while before driving further up the coast to Taneichi Beach, which is by far the nicest beach in our area. It's about 45 minutes away from Kuji, but it's totally worth the drive because the beach actually has sand. :) Since the sun came out, we got in the (again, FREEZING) water to jump waves.

Later on, while lying out on the sand (yay for sand!), we heard "Auld Lang Syne" being played over the intercom...on repeat! It must have played about 10 times. So random.

Or so we thought. My English conversation class informed me tonight that "Auld Lang Syne"--"the goodbye song"--being played over and over means that it's closing time. Hmmm...well, that explains why we pretty much had the beach to ourselves once the song stopped playing, haha.

On Tuesday, I taught at Ube Elementary for the last time. At the end of day, I said goodbyes for about 30 minutes before I finally left, but it wasn't sad, as you can tell from the pictures...

Take 1:

The entire school came out to the lobby to wish me farewell...over and over again. (kind of like "Auld Lang Syne," they were on repeat mode!)

Take 2:

After every single student gave me a high-five, they went outside to make a tunnel, using their arms for me to walk under...all the way from the front door of the school to my car!

After another round of high-fives, some hugs and some more pictures, I finally drove away...and was chased down the driveway by students yelling "BYE BYE DANA SENSEI!!!" Mercy.

That brings us to today...

I had to say goodbye to Yamane Jr. H.S. at a farwell ceremony that had for me. The principal gave a speech (in English!), then the students took turns speaking, then it was my turn to say a few words. (in both English and Japanese). They gave me a little photo album of pictures and messages, as well as a sign with my name on it in kanji. Then I played a little concert for them.

Take 1:

That's the principal giving me bunny ears! Ah, I'm really going to miss him.

Take 2:

My turn to give him (sideways) bunny ears. :)

So that's what's been going on for the last few days. I haven't been bored, that's for sure!

Sayonara Concert

2010-07-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Videos are now posted at the bottom.

Last night I sang and played the flute & guitar (not all at the same time, haha) in a farewell concert that Kenji, my guitar teacher, organized.

My friend who owns a shop just outside my apartment couldn't attend the concert, so yesterday afternoon I played a little private concert for her and a few shoppers. It was a good warm-up practice for me, and she seemed to enjoy it and even wrote in her blog about how the song "Tegami" brought tears to her eyes.

On the flyers that Kenji's printing company made, the concert was called "Dana on Stage with Friends."

The friends who performed were: Gary, Adam, Lee, the small church choir, Mr. and Mrs. Onodera, Hideto and Kenji.

Here are a few photos I took:

Gary playing the flute beautifully. :) Beside him is a poster of the program.

Adam (right) is also taking guitar lessons from Kenji. Last night was his guitar debut!

Jon, Georgia, Kenji and me with a poster that Kenji made for the concert.

Here are a few videos of some of the performances:

"Arigatou gozaimasu!" :) ("Thank you.")

Not a traditional Japanese wedding party

2010-07-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

Since Bobby is British and Mai is Japanese, their wedding party on Saturday was a nice blend of the two cultures.

There was a nice mix of Japanese and ALT friends--as well as Bobby's family from England--in attendance. The elegant dinner consisted of both Western and Japanese foods, and was served with silverware and chopsticks. After the dinner, Mai and Bobby had their friends do musical performances, both in Japanese and English.

The happy couple. :) One of the things that I really like about Bobby is that he is always smiling.

At their party, I saw a cell phone printer for the first time, and I thought it was pretty much the coolest thing ever!! People could print pictures from their phones, write a message on it, and then post it to a bulletin board...

What a great idea!

I didn't take a whole lot of photos at the wedding because I was too busy eating, dancing and socializing, but I did manage to take a picture of my favorite foods that were served (imagine that, haha) during the seven-course meal...

Mmm, pumpkin soup! Before the soup, we were served carrot mousse, which was a first for me. It was...interesting. Not bad.

Love the little "kiddie pool" (as my friend Alana called it). The meat was so tender it fell apart at the slightest touch of my fork. :)

This fabulous fruity/chocolatey dessert was definitely a favorite course...but that kind of goes without saying. (Spell check is having a hissy fit about the word "chocolatey"--and the word "hissy," too--but I'm keeping them both in. So there, spell check!)

In a traditional Japanese (Shinto) wedding, the bride changes outfits several times. In a traditional Japanese wedding party, I'm guessing that the bride doesn't usually get on stage to play the steel drum!...

She rocked it!

If you want to read about what a traditional Japanese wedding is like, click here.

(Just a few) things to be happy about :)

2010-07-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

(Saying sayonara to friends in Kuji is NOT one of them.) So far, I've had to say final goodbyes at four of my eleven schools.

Today was my last day at Kuji Elementary, and I felt like a rock star since I performed a "mini concerto"--as the teachers and students said--on stage for the entire school! (which I'm guessing is about 600 people, eek!) But despite feeling like an admired celebrity, it was still hard when the time came to walk away.

My dad made a good point when he said that it can be hard saying goodbye to people you hang out with for a week at summer camp--let alone people you've gotten to know over two years!

Very true.

Although it's sad that this is my last month in Kuji, there's also been a lot going on to be happy about. Such as...

Parties -- In addition to the many sayonara shindigs this month, I also had another birthday party! (See, I wasn't kidding about this year's birthday being the b-day that doesn't end, haha.)

I'd never had a "parfait party" for my birthday until last Tuesday at Okawame Jr. High with Junichi. What a treat!
The election happened yesterday
(a.k.a. The people with bullhorns are gone now--hooray!)

In Japan, election folks campaign by driving their loud & obnoxious vans around the city, making announcements and speeches. I did NOT appreciate them parking just outside my apartment at 8 a.m. on a Saturday(!). Therefore, I am NOT sad to bid them farewell...it's more like good riddance!

Making new friends -- Last weekend, I met Tomoko, who lived in New Zealand for five years, and she is lovely...

This weekend, I made many new friends in Morioka when I went to Bobby & Mai's wedding party. Which brings me to...
Friends getting married -- I'll write more about their wedding celebration next time. :) But I will say this...I had a lot of fun dancing!
Trying new foods -- like the cold Chinese noodles with various toppings that we had at my English conversation class yesterday...

This was really good!

Well, that's all for now. It's about time for Tomoki to come over for his English lesson.

By the way, Tomoki brought me fresh peaches the other day, and that of course always me very happy! :)

"When you wish upon a star..."

2010-07-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

At my conversation class on Wednesday, everyone wrote a wish to tie to a branch.

We did this because July 7th is a special day, called Tanabata in Japan.

Here are our English wishes. You can (kind of) see that my wish is for safe travels. :)

In addition to making a wish on Tanabata, people hope for clear skies so that two lovers from a folk tale are able to meet each other. According to the story, the Milky Way separates the star-crossed lovers (literally star-crossed, ha), and they're able to meet only once a year, on July 7th. Click here for the story and to learn more about Tanabata.

The lovely folks of my English conversation class. :)

The Tanabata festival in Kuji is the first weekend in August, which is when my family will be visiting. Yay!

The beginning of the end

2010-07-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

That's what it's felt like ever since I've been back from my short visit home.

With one month left in Kuji (as of today! yipes!), it pretty much is the beginning of the end. This is one busy busy month, let me tell you...

Lots of things to do, people to see and sayonara parties to go to. :)

So there's a lot to look forward to, but at the same time, I have a lot of goodbyes to say. And that's hard.

The goodbyes have already started: I had my last day at Taiyama Elementary on Monday, and it was way more emotional than expected.

As I was getting ready to leave the school, my favorite first grade student grabbed my leg screaming "Nooooo!" and wouldn't let go. Then as I was walking to my car, the entire school came to the windows to bid me farewell. "Goodbye Dana Sensei!!" It felt so final.

I sat in my car and cried before I could leave the parking lot.

Here are a few photos from Monday:

Love these girls!

This is the cutiepie who wouldn't let go of my leg. He's one of my top candidates for "kid I'm going to sneak home in my suitcase." ;) I had to take this picture of his paper plate craft to get a decent shot of his face since he won't sit still long enough for me to take his picture. I don't know how the teacher did it! (But his "A.D.D.-ness"--yep, that's a word now--is part of his charm, haha.)

Presents! The bookmarks on the left were handmade by one of the teachers. The two big heart books are full of thoughful messages from my 5th and 6th grade classes. Everyone at this school is sooo nice.

Today was my last day at Yamane Elementary, and once again everyone came out to wave me "sayonara." I was given several goodbye messages and a photo album of pictures from times at the school. Once again, it was sad. (Although I didn't cry this time.)

In the next few weeks, I have eight more schools to say goodbye to, so this really is just the beginning. :(

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T01:38:00.000-07:00

I went to a festival today, but there was no BBQ and no fireworks.

And it wasn't to celebrate independence. (I don't know exactly what the festival was for, actually.) I went with my friends Hideto and Lee to perform a few songs on stage. :)

Remember back in April when I posted about learning the song "Tegami?" Well, "Tegami" is one of the three songs that we played today. Kenji (my guitar teacher) took this video of it:

I've sung "Tegami" several times now--the last time was on my birthday when I played for my students at Misaki Jr. High. (My students couldn't believe I could sing in Japanese! haha)

In addition to "Tegami," today we played another Japanese song and "Yellow Submarine" since most Japanese people know songs by The Beatles. (The Carpenters, ABBA, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey and Avril Lavigne are some other performers that many people here can sing along to in English.)

One of my favorite teachers ever--who has made appearances on this blog before--was in the front row of the audience today with his wife and daughter. It was really great to see them!

He described his daughter as "a monster," but she is sooo cute!

I love this family...

I'm thinking of my family and friends today in America, as you celebrate! Notice that I wore red, white and blue in July 4th spirit. :)

"Tanoshin de!" ("Have fun!")

Before and After: The Wedding

2010-07-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back at my desk in City Hall, I feel like my time at home for my brother Derek's wedding was a dream or something.

But I have pictures to prove that it really did happen...

Before the long flight: At Narita Airport in Japan

I ran into my friends Chiharu and Michael! They lived in Iwate prefecture last year, but then moved to Scotland, where Michael is from. They came back to northern Japan to visit, but I was sad that it didn't work out for me to see them. Then lo and behold, there they were at the airport! So I got to see them after all. :)

After the long flight: Finally able to hug my family after 18 months!!!

At this point, I'd been traveling for approximately 26 hours (train, night bus, another train, plane, another plane), and boy was it great to finally be in Indy! I was highly emotional as well as highly sleep-deprived. Actually, the last six days can be described that way.

Of course it was totally worth it and crazy/exciting to be home. I saw lots of friends & family, ate lots of home-cooked food, and gave lots of hugs.

It was an honor to be a bridesmaid in the wedding, and I'm very glad I got to be a part of the big day.

Before the Ceremony: Hanging out "behind the scenes" with Brittney

She is sooo gorgeous! And I absolutely love that dress. :) What a long train!

After the Ceremony: Family picture with the married (!!) couple

After the wedding we all headed to an elegantly decorated reception area, where we danced, socialized and ate...homemade wedding cake!

THE CAKE: Before assembly:

See all those cakes and all those blue sugar flowers? My mom made them all. She is amazing like that.

After assembly: Both beautiful AND delicious!

What a work of art and a labor of love.

After the trip: The return journey back was pretty uneventful--no problems at all, just like the trip there. I made some friends from Quebec who sat beside me on the plane, and a friend from India. (One of the things I love most about traveling is meeting such diverse people.) I've enjoyed showing friends in Japan pictures from the wedding, and I passed out candy from the rehearsal dinner to all of my co-workers.

It was so nice to spend some time with my family, and I wish Derek and Brittney a long, happy marriage. :)

Go Japan!

2010-06-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

It was the loudest and most spirited I've ever seen Japanese people be. The place was packed--standing room only--with most people wearing soccer jerseys.

I wouldn't consider myself a huge soccer fan, and I'm definitely not hardcore enough be up in the middle of the night to watch World Cup games. But the 8 p.m. Japan vs. Holland game on Saturday night was a lot of fun to watch.

Or, more accurately, the fans of the game were a lot of fun to watch.

They would hoot and holler every single time a Japanese player got possession of the ball. If the ball got anywhere close to the goal, everyone went crazy. I can't imagine how berserk they would have been if Japan had scored!

Despite Japan losing to Holland 0-1, it was a good weekend in Morioka, starting with a cookout Saturday afternoon with other ALTs.

It DUMPED rain, bringing an abrupt end to the gathering, until we all met up again in the evening for dinner and the game.

And now, I'd like to share some pictures I took a few days ago of some really pretty flowers I passed by on my way back from a meeting at Kuji Elementary School...

Me being a stalker in the bushes to get these shots of a high school couple holding hands! (It's very rare to see people holding hands in public here.)

I love these unique purple flowers!

Hello, little あり ("ari"= ant).

Well, the long journey home for Derek's wedding begins tomorrow night, and I am SO EXCITED!! (about being home & the wedding, not so much the long trip.) Can't wait to hug my family!!! Ahhh! :)

It's the birthday that keeps going...

2010-06-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

...and I'm not complaining! :)

My birthday(s) started on Wednesday--the day before my actual date of birth
--when I was sung to at Yamane Jr. High and given a beautiful handmade card from each student...

Never before have I received a b-day card with a big pop-up cucumber on it...

Ha! I've been teased about cucumbers ever since I was caught picking them out of my salad during school lunch a few weeks ago.

That night, I celebrated my birthday with my English conversation class by going out for dinner (no cucumbers, haha) and karaoke! I received a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a beautiful orange scarf (that even matched the flowers)...

The scarf is so much fun because it can be worn so many different ways--as I was shown. :)

What a great group of people! I love meeting with them for an hour every Wednesday.

At the end of dinner, they sang & gave me a super cute cake...

Well, it was cute until I watched Keiko take a knife to my face! AH! Love the strawberry guys chilling out on the side. :)

The glorious day of June 17th had absolutely perfect weather, and I enjoyed the drive along the ocean to Misaki Jr. High School, listening to music with my windows down and stopping to take a few photos, as I love to do on sunny days...

Oh, happy day!

One happy b-day girl, wearing her b-day scarf. :)

At Misaki, Nakano Sensei told the students that it was a special day, and we would NOT be using the English textbook! (That announcement was received with much cheering.) Instead, we played English games in each class, and I also played guitar and sang a couple of Japanese songs I've been learning.

After work, Nate bought a "German Feasto" pizza for us to share, which we ate in a nearby park. He's been going on for months about the deliciousness of this potato-covered pizza, and it was about time I tried it.

Quite a historic moment: I finally have my hands on a "German Feasto!" Sure enough, it was really good, as are all of the unique pizzas I've had in Kuji. (Shrimp + corn pizza is one of my favorites.)

Afterwards, I practiced my guitar by the ocean (lovely!), had a guitar lesson, and ended the day with chats on Skype.

It was definitely a great birthday! Both days of it. :) And the celebration continues as I keep getting birthday greetings on Facebook today from the other side of the world (because of the time difference) AND I have a BBQ with friends tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for the b-day love!! I have an amazing family & friends, and I feel so blessed!

Konbanwa!

2010-06-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

That's "good evening" in Japanese. (It's evening here, anyway.)

There isn't much to report from my weekend since--apart from volunteering at preschool and having an English conversation class yesterday--it just consisted of rest & relaxation. :)

So instead, I'll take give you a teaching update...

Last Monday, I taught every grade at Taiyama Elementary School, and it was a real treat to teach first grade because I usually teach only the older grades. I went around the classroom shaking the hand of each first grade student, grinning from ear to ear the entire time because they're just so cute!

When I walked into the fourth grade classroom, I was greeted by lots of smiling kids, some clapping, and some artwork for me on the blackboard...

The artists sitting in front of their work. It says, "Hello Dana Sensei" at the top. :)

Aww, they made me look so cute!!

On the other hand, here is a drawing of "Dana Sensei" that I was given by my sixth grade students at Yamane Elementary School...

That looks just like my scarf. :)

At Yamane Junior High School, the English teacher had me give a presentation about America and American sports, food and school life. She asked me to draw some posters to go along with my talks...

That "basketball" = yikes! haha. I try.

I also made a poster listing some other responses to "How are you?" besides the standard, "I'm fine (thank you, and you?)"

Something new that I've been doing at Yamane J.H.S. is creating English newsletters about my weekends for the teachers and students. Here are the three that I've done so far...

We read it together in class, and the English teacher helps them understand the meaning.

In other news...
Nine days from right now I'll be starting the journey home for Derek & Brittney's wedding, and I am excited!!
That's all.