Thirties and Thriving

Life shouldn't be boring or ordinary.

::flashback::
A woman came into my line at Starbucks and whipped up a conversation with me as I crafted her drink [Something caramel and cold given the Summer weather]. Typically the basic conversation starters are only needed due to our rule of making one's drink in under 3 minutes. BUT. we weren't busy at that time of day and she looked like she was not in a rush.
The lady was in her early thirties and looked Hispanic. She lost her parents when she was in her twenties and was an only child. After a few failed relationships and left with nothing else but a taste for adventure- she took flight. She had already been to over twenty-ish countries and still looking. "Variety is the spice of life and who says my thirties should be accessorized by a steady job and a house with a high mortgage payment?"

I will continue to travel. I don't have to necessarily be alone.

Connections

It sounds like a tag to one of our Homecoming Events. Wait- its the title to our alumni newsletter. I knew it rang a bell.

With my contract nearing an end. I am starting to get into the planner mode and work out schedules for trips and adventures back home.
Goal: Be the best uncle ever.
Goal: Wine and dine with my siblings---except Lukester
Goal: Invite people over to our house. Bring life back into it.
Goal: ROAD TRIPS. Orlando. Cleveland. Maryland. Raleigh. Dallas. Atlanta.

How does one start to fund this? Tonita told me that if you start a youtube fan page and get over 300 followers- Youtube will start funding you. What does one even start recording?

Lock and Load.

Who would have thought that olive oil could never replace butter in baking??

Butter gives the pastry a slight airiness as it bakes.

Just like salvation. Butter is an essential.

Jolt of Caffeine

The director informed me that I will no longer be considered as an aid to administration for the new school year. Because we are doubling in students, I will have to become a full-time teacher. My teaching hours will go from 9am to 540pm.
The schedule breakout will be:

Morning 7 Years Beginners: 4 students

Preschool 6 Years: 13 students
Preschool 7 Years: 13 students

Elementary level 1: 13 Students
Project Class: 4 Students
Elementary level 6: 13 Students
Pre Kindie Level 3: 6 Students

I need an advil and a cup of coffee.

APT 406

Closure. When I first walked into the set of apartments in the middle of nowhere I could only think to myself- why did I ever agree on coming to Korea...
The wallpaper is torn.
I sleep on a mat.
How do I work the air conditioner?
All the channels are in Korean >.< Unless I feel like watching "Everybody Hates Chris" reruns.

::Insert present day apartment with furniture and inherited goods from friends and countless dumpster dives::

My director informed me that we will be moving our stuff onto the fourth floor of the school. Her and her father are constructing dorms for all of the foreign teachers. While we are assuming a much smaller space, the trek to school would be reduced from 30 minutes to 30 seconds. My house-mate said it best, "I can literally wake up and walk downstairs."

APT 406 will be known for its dinner parties and coffee chats.

Change of Plans

I thought I was going to be able to fit in another country before my contract ends in April but it looks like time and money are no longer on my side if I am wanting to do the things I am proposing for the summer months in the US. Instead of going off for the Lunar New Year holidays, I will be heading over to HIGH1 resort with some friends and co-workers. So far, we have around 12 people going on the trip and the numbers keep growing. It started out with just abotu 3 people going [Tia, Ian, and I] and now look at this baby grow!

We're going skiing and I am scared out of my mind. I dont know what to expect but Pam seems to think that my anxious nature leading up to this will result in many bruises and whelps on my body from falling down on the slopes.

Dirty Dealings

In closing, when you are looking at doing shopping. Save it to the very end when you're in Delhi or at your final stop- whereever it may be. We met up with some friends there.
As a chosen few had said before, they hiked up the prices of the local goods to an astronomical price. Our friend talked down the local vendors to cheap prices and we were able to make out with a luggage full of goodies.

"Holy Elephants, Ive been Swindled"

There are those few brief moments where you look back at an event and realize---wait, that wasnt right...

Choki Dhani

We are on leg three of our Golden Triangle Tour and are heading down to Jaipur [the previous capital of India].

Choki Dhani

We are on leg three of our Golden Triangle Tour and are heading down to Jaipur [the previous capital of India]. Once again, it is another grueling 6 hour drive to the big city.

With the broken English that the driver knows, he is able to tell us that it is called the "PINK CITY" because Prince Albert came down and the Indian officials built/painted all the main buildings in the city pink to honor his arrival. Nowadays, officials have declared that it is a monument/relic that should be preserved. If you are growing up in Jaipur you better like the color pink, because you have no option.

This place, by far, was one of the top points on the trip. We were able to see several palaces and monuments that the city had erected in the 17th century that are preserved to this day.


To any traveler going to India, please be advised that sometimes travel agents will book touring guides for you and cover their cost- BUT - it is generally understood that you tip them at the very end. We were unaware of what a suitable tip would be and so we just followed our gut on each situation.
Vrindaven tour guide for 1.5 hours-
Agra tour guide-
Jaipur Tour Guide-

An OCD Maharaja

After we arrived Agra several hours later, we were dropped off at "THE CRYSTAL INN." It is classified as a 3 star hotel but doesnt lack in any of the amenities. The hotel also has a rooftop restaurant with affordable prices and a massage center to boot. Nothing shady here folks. Save that for China.
It was quickly approaching dinner time but we were wanting to venture out before dinner. We threw down our luggage and just took of on foot toward local civilization. The reason for our change of travel was because our car driver was only paid to drive us this day. We would be responsible for anything extra.

Much to our surprise, we ventured out to the shopping district and just so happened to come across our driver. We offered to take us to some nice shopping places that Indians loved. Note: Whenever a driver offers to take you to a government shop- this means they recieve commission off of you and the prices are somewhat higher that at local shops. We found this out later.

At any rate, finishing out the night with Dal Tadka Curry with Roti and a side of a thai massage is always nice.

Koffee with Krishna

We hit the road at the top of the morning to make it to Agra at a good hour. Our stopover in Delhi ended up being a deadend because of our flight misshap.
We booked our whole trip through "HOLIDAY INDIA" and were p[leased with their overall customer service and accomodations. We were picked up at the buttcrack of dawn and made way toward our new city.

Agra is the city that houses the Taj Mahal. Luckily for us, the trip would be longer than expected given local portests. Upon our arrival, the government had enforced new lawas restricting some of the rights of the local farmers. As a rubuttle, thye blocked my major highways with their animals and refused to let people pass. In our case, all was not lost. We would just take the scenic route to get there. What a wise choice it was!
We were often greeted by lines of children just waiting to wave or just look at us through the window. Its refreshing to just see them happy and without a care in the world.

To break up the long distance, we came across a turnoff for Vrindaven [the birthplace of Krishna.] Vrindavan is considered to be a holy place by all traditions of Hinduism. The major tradition followed in the area is Vaisnavism, and it is a center of learning with many Vrindavan Ashrams operating. Its a center of Krishna worship and the area includes places like Govardhana and Gokul that are associated with Krishna. Many millions of bhaktas or devotees of Radha Krishna visit these places of pilgrimage every year and participate in a number of festivals that relate to the scenes from Krishna's life on Earth.

According to tradition and recorded evidence, Krishna was raised in the cowherding village of Gokul by his foster parents Nanda Maharaj and Yasoda. The Bhagavata Purana describes Krishna's early childhood pastimes in the Vrindavan forest where he, his brother Balarama, and his cowherd friends stole butter, engaged in childhood pranks and fought with demons. Along with these activities, Krishna is also described as meeting and dancing with the local girls. He loved the ladies ^_^
But our tour guide we hired upon arrival took us to different spots all over the city that were all associated with Hindu religion.
One of the weirdest parts was when he took us Krishna's parents house. The place was old [given the paint chipping and smell]. Surprisingly enough, one can look further into the passage ways and see plaques that read: MAY KRISHNA BLESS THE JOHNSON FAMILY IN THE USA. MAY KRISHNA BLESS SALLY IN THE UKRAINE.
Hmm. We were soon swept to the back and asked to kneel down. Now, at this point in my mind, I couldnt help but think that the guide was getting us to pay respects to Krishna and his bunch. Not a comfortable feeling. After a nudge and reassurance that we had to kneel so that they could show us what was behind the curtain. Of corse, it was figures of Krishna and his family. Treated as though it was an ancient relic, he explained that his mother was crying because she was so happy to see us. In addition, a donation made to them would be graciously acceptable if it settled well with our conscience.
Recalling some magic 8-ball quotes that I have recieved, I said- "Sorry, my conscience says no."

**

Communist Crap

China and I arent getting along right now. WE arrived in the Beijing airport aboard China air. We experienced a 7 hour layover in probably the most frigid airport I have ever been in. It was cold and had tons of windows and doors that just welcomed in the cold air. Being an incubator for everything that is sick and flu-like, I was not happy with my 7 hour stay here. If I could have held up a sign in protest, I would have. Instead, I went to get a chicken sandwich and rest in SRP coffeeshop. Surprisingly, this was the only coffee shop in that entire airport. To boast about being a great city, the Beijing airport was somewhat...Not.

[About halfway through our tenure at the airport, this picture captures what all of us were doing best...slowly dying]

If you have a layover in Beijing, make sure you bring a blanket, 2 coats, extra socks, a good book, and some friends. When in doubt, hide out in the coffee shop.
When we finally departed on our plane to Delhi, I was amazed at how UNHOSPITABLE the flight crew was. This could be attributed to being spoiled by Korean airlines. Just a guess.
Throughout the entire ride, nothing says "I love my job" more than:
1- hastling me about not having a pen to fill out my customs form
2- playing an airline movie in French.
3- Detouring my flight to another airport and leaving me without a clue to whats going on
4-spending 19 hours on the plane together

Where is the complaint department Air China?

White Christmas

Things are looking like Christmas around here. I am so stoked to see the snow coming down! Weve already had 2 snow days and it isnt even Christmas. To think that I will have a white Christmas...wait...Ill be in India...scratch that. T minus 7 days until departure.

Stripped of Dignity

Kenting Beach. My higlight of the trip. First of all we finally made it to the coast and it had the blue waters that I had dreamed of. Before coming on the tirp, I had started planning to go to the Philippines but because of circumstances, was unable to go. Being from the Georgia/Carolina area in the states, we werent readily close to blue water when we went to the beaches. We would have to travel for half a day to reach a coastline offering such a thing. One of the peaks about going to the Philippines was that it sheltered the 3rd best beach in the world: complete with blue water. Who would have thought that I could find it here in Taiwan? I think that Asia could share some of this beauty with the US.
We arrived in the afternoon and were welcomed by yet another overcast day. The bus dropped us off in the middle of Kenting and everyone let us know that we could reach the coast no matter what direction we went in. As part of the routine, we wanted to find a cheap place to stay that would also permit usage of scooters. This was one of our last shots to be able to rent scooters and we werent going to pass it up. When in scooter town, do as the locals do. Most people in the area would not permit foreigners without a Korean lisence to drive. Luckily for us, we found a guy who was good friends with our hotel manager. He let us ride for....%15 for 24 hours.
Not a bad deal. The three of us had to show them how well we could drive the scooters [or better yet, convince them that we were able to do it with no proof of a lisence].
I passed first. Sarah next. El, no dice.
That was just water under the bridge for us. Ellen would have to leave in the early morning and we rationalized it to be just a fair investment for her to ride with us.
Thus- we toured the island for a good 30 minutes before picking a beach where we would set up. God thought otherwise. To get some humor out of the situation, it started pouring down rain. One of the beach ladies wanted to rent her beach umbrella for 2 hours/ $30. No dice.
When we were contemplating the rash decision for cough up the money, oone of the other renters came over and introduced himself to us. Fox.

Hideaway in the Mountains

It wasnt much of a stretch to get to our next stop on the trip. Koi split form the pack and went to a water amusement park. When we heard from him later on he said that he felt out of place becuase there were so many families/couples there. A person like him should be able to adapt to any situation he is palced in---especially if he is in cophoots with his girlfriend- BEER.

Taroko Gorge

We went straightway to one of Sarah's finds- Taroko Gorge. She had discovered this place that was nestled in the mountains while looking up palces to travel while in Taiwan. You would be amazed at how much traveling one has to do on such a small island.

Cancheon-on

Over here, thats what they say when you're stressed out....

"its going to be okay"

I cannot help but be reminded of Ingrid Michaelson in these moments.
I went over on my cell phone bill ocne again this month. Will I always continue to have this gift of gab? This is really starting to nip me in the wallet.

India Bound

Looks like for Christmas, I will be heading over to India with some friends. We will be spending the 25th [December] through the 1st [January].
We will be flying in Delhi and traveling through Jaipur, Agra, Mathura, and back to Delhi. Not too shabby. Anyone ever traveled there before?

Taiwanese If You Please

We started out our trip with a broken leg. Sarah and I had arrived at the airport and were without our third musketeer. For this adventure, we had lost Paul but gained Ellen. She was one of Sarah's buds over in SoKo who thought Taiwan would be a great ,also cheap, place to mark off her travel list.

Sarah and I had been pampered by the luxuries in business class aboard Asiana Airways. When you board the place, you are given a vast array of newspapers and periodicals, greeted by name, and given an option of champagne or juice. Due to the ambiance and surroundings, I thought the champagne would start the trip off nicely. We were given a three course brunch and then sent on our way into the destination airport near Taipei. After waiting for a short period of time, we departed by bus to civilization. We checked into Taipei Hostel, an original name for such an original place. A friend had recommended this hostel to Sarah and I and followed through with the advice. While the environment isn't the most inviting/updated....its cheap and disease free. One of the perks about the place is that it is accustomed to foreigners who are interested in traveling around. The front desk worker is fluent in English and gives good sightseeing advice.

The top places to see in Taipei are the Taipei 101 building and the Logshan Temple. There is one subway line that runs between the two places and are about 5 stops away from one another. While many may suggest that you make an appearance at the night markets, hold off until later. Tainan is the place to go [its oldschool Taipei]
The Taipei 101 building was the worlds largest building up until the past 5 years where India took the prize. Apparently, they have been battling this for ages.
Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors common in its area of the Asia-Pacific. Planners aimed for a structure that could withstand gale winds of 60 m/s and the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500 year cycle.The extraordinary height of Taipei 101 combined with the demands of its environment called for additional innovations. The design achieves both strength and flexibility for the tower through the use of high-performance steel construction. Thirty-six columns support Taipei 101, including eight "mega-columns" packed with 10,000-psi concrete.

Longshan Temple was built in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers. The temple has been destroyed either in full or in part on numerous earthquakes and fires.
During World War II, on 31 May 1945 it was hit by American bombers during the Raid on Taipei, who claimed the Japanese were hiding armaments inside. The main building and the left corridor were damaged and many precious artifacts and artworks were lost in the ensuing fire.
Taipei residents have nevertheless consistently rebuilt and renovated it, and did so again after the end of the Second World War a few months later. Longshan is seen as an emblematic example of Taiwanese classical architecture, with southern Chinese influences commonly seen in older buildings.
Like most temples in Taiwan, the Temple worships a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such as Matsu [goddess of the sea].

Can anybody point me to the nearest bed?\We crashed for the night and found it hard to sleep...we were scared to touch uncovered parts of the bed. Our sheets were a twin on a full size bed.