Do it now.

Whatever it is.

Now is the time to do it.

But I don’t have the energy, the time, the funds.

Yes, you do. You just don’t realize it yet.

Do it.

Right now.

Call that friend who keeps popping in your head.

Hug your husband just because you want to.

Forgive yourself for whatever wrongs you may or may not have done.

Now.

It’s all we have.

Now.

That book you’ve wanted to write.

That song you’d like to sing.

Thoses flowers you’ve been meaning to plant.

Now’s the time to start.

Now’s the time to stand up, walk out the door, and jump off that huge metaphorical cliff that’s been waiting to show you there’s a pillow bed below.

It’s always been there.

Just out of sight.

There to catch you.

There to show you that you’re not alone.

You’re never alone.

No one’s ever alone.

Each and every one of us is surrounded by love.

Open you eyes.

You can see it.

It’s right there.

Sigh.

Yes, you see it now, don’t you?

And now,

feel it.

It’s there too,

in your heart.

It’s always been there.

Always.

It’s just up to us to show up,

to open our eyes and recognize

what’s always been there.

Always.

Yes,

now’s the time.

You knew it already, didn’t you?

I’m just reminding you of the obvious.

Time to stand up, scoot over, reach out, down or up,

whatever’s right for you.

‘Cause only you know what’s right for you.

No one else can tell you.

They may try.

And you can smile and listen and take it.

Or you can smile

and walk away.

Walk in the direction of your heart.

Your heart knows the way.

It always has.

Always.

It’s just up to us to show up,

listen,

and feel.

Yes, now’s the time.

I look forward to meeting you.

I’m sure our paths will cross.

All who follow their heart will collide into a huge burst of Love, at some point.

Yes, I feel it;

it’s true.

So what are you waiting for?

Oh,

you’ve already left.

: )

Bon voyage!

Peace be with you . . .

always.

Aloha from Geneva!

Taken during my one-hour layover in Basel.

Dear Friends,

Hope you're all well and happy.

I managed to upload some pictures I took during my recent 3-week stay in Berlin. You can check them out here: http://tvjuice.com/berlin3/.

Yesterday evening I arrived in Geneva where I'm staying with the most darling 84-year man who I know through Tony's family. He's on sabbatical at CERN for a year and got a special pass for me to go there during my stay. It's sunny and cold here, very beautiful in fact.

Best wishes for a lovely February. Happy Valentine's day in advance. : )

With warm aloha,



-s j

I’m here to improve my German.

Pure and simple. That’s my main goal during this phase of my solo travel.

A few of you had asked. Hence the concise answer.

When it first came to me that I wanted to come spend some time in Germany to improve my language skills, I thought that I would pursue an Arbeitserlaubnis, or work permit. I’d been told that it’s difficult for a foreigner to find a job here, so earning a certificate for teaching English as a second language seemed like a good idea, a good way to get my foot in the door. It also fit a side goal of mine—to improve my English language skills. But there remained this nagging thought that if I were to do that, I’d be speaking English all the time (while teaching, obviously) and that I wouldn’t get to do what I really wanted to do, which is improve my German.

Okay Susan*, I thought, maybe you’ll just have to do that for the short term until you find something else. Okay, I replied, I can do that.

But after I returned home to Kaua‘i (after 5-months in Asia), I realized that I also want to spend some time on island just being and not working a zillion hours a day (on projects for other people like Tony and I did for many, many years). What would it be like to have time to enjoy the island? (Yes, I imagine many of you have the very same question in the back of your heads.) So I decided that I’d stay in Europe for the 90-days allowed (without requesting a special visa).

“But what about work, sj? What about earning a living? Won’t you eventually have to go back to work?” you ask.

Well, I have faith that it will reveal itself in time. I’m on what I’m calling a sabbatical.

According to my computer’s dictionary, a sabbatical** is “a period of paid leave granted to a college teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year : she's away on sabbatical.” I think it fits. At one point in my life I was actually on track to be a college professor. As far as the “paid” part goes, well, let’s just say that a surprise inheritance arrived at exactly the right time to fund this dream of mine. Yes, I am a very lucky girl; I’m also very, very appreciative.

“Okay, so you’re spending the 90-days allowed in Europe. You’re main focus now is to improve your German. How are you going about that? Are you taking classes?”

Yes and no. I’m not attending formal classes at a school, but I am doing lessons on a cool web site I found called babbel.com. My goal is to spend at least three hours a day (like I did in Lyon 3-years ago) doing some type of “focused” study. I’ve been fairly loose with this and am allowing it to reveal itself. For those of you know me well, you know that I’m the type of person who generally starts a project, sets her nose to the grindstone and doesn’t raise her head until the task is done. I’m doing that in an albeit freer way. For example, an hour of conversation with a German native can count as an hour, and no, I’m not literally timing it. I’m just noticing that it’s somehow getting done each day. Watching movies in German also “counts.” Yes, I’m enjoying myself!!! And why wouldn’t I? Every single day I awake with a smile on my face. I’m so happy to be here; I’m so happy to be alive and on this journey of life!

“Okay, so you’re having fun. Where all are you going?”

That too has slowly been revealing itself. I originally thought that I’d be staying in one place for most of the time. I initially booked a room for a month in Berlin. I envisioned that I would become part of a community; perhaps do some volunteer work with a theatre company. But I’ve slowly been realizing that part of this journey’s theme is variety. While in Asia this past summer, it dawned on me that I was learning to be completely “at home” wherever I was. We all know the expression, “home is where the heart is.” Well, it’s true, and as I live more and more firmly rooted in my heart space, I find that I’m always at home.***

As far as the specific places I’ll visit (or have visited), here’s an outline for the moment:

-       Düsseldorf – Tony and I exchanged our home with two different German families. After Tony returned to Hawaii, I was able to stay a few nights longer in both beautiful apartments. : ) Yes, nice!

-       Hamburg – So many people had told me that this is a beautiful city, and as you saw from my photos (http://tvjuice.com/hamburg2/), it is. I really enjoyed my visit and would go back in a heartbeat. A very nice lady I met when I went swimming even invited me to stay at her place should I return! Yes, the magic keeps happening.

-       Berlin – When Tony and I were here in December, we stayed up late one night playing charades in a bar. We laughed so hard that our stomachs hurt. That night I met a wonderful group of smart and funny people; they’ve welcomed me into their lives. I’m currently staying at one of the gal’s apartment! She’s so much fun, smart (yes, I know that I used those very same adjectives already, get the point?), industrious, and she has sooo many books! And even a bike that she’s letting me use. Yes, I am one very, very lucky girl. : ) I’ll be here for 2-weeks for sure, maybe a little longer. Some more new friends may come to Berlin from Prague for a weekend visit; I’ll keep you posted.

-       Geneva – During World War II, Tony’s grandparents took in a young man from what was then Czechoslovakia; they considered him family and helped ensure that he got an education. He’s been a professor at NYU in the Physics Department for years and is now on a year’s sabbatial at CERN. He’s invited me to visit him. Yes, I look forward to seeing him again (he came to our wedding in Tennessee years ago and gave us an awesome flaming orange le creuset pot that we still use almost every day!).

-       Karlruhe – One of our home exchange partners lives and works in this town. She’s invited me to visit her and has said that I can join her as she drives to various places for her work. How cool is that !?!

-       Strasbourg – I don’t know anyone there but have just heard from so many people that it’s a wonderful city. I’d like to experience it firsthand. I imagine that I’ll find a wonderful place to stay through air b n b or another type of connection.

-       Paris – I depart for the continental United States from Paris; I plan on spending 3-nights or so there.

Years ago when I studied at the Uni Bonn****, I encountered very few people who spoke English. Granted, occasionally I met a fellow student who wanted to practice their English but that was exactly what they did, practice. Now, so many people speak English. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve recently realized that the skill of bouncing back and forth between languages is almost as important as being able to speak different languages. Once while Tony and I were at the Weihnachtsmarkt in Düsseldorf, we met a French family. I had so much fun speaking to them in French; we even ended up having dinner with them. So, as you can see, the above itinerary allows me ample opportunity to practice all of this: German, French, and the back-and-forth-language-bounce®, henceforth called baflb.

Returning to the topic of what I will do once I return to Kauai, I have BIG dreams. I want to do a variety of things. I want to continue to learn languages. I want to continue to improve the languages I do know (and/or am learning). I’d like to have a few Skype customers who I assist with their English learning. I’d like to write a one-woman play and perform it. I’d like to do more acting. I’d like to get paid for acting. : ) I’d like to do some translating from German to English (and get paid for it : ). I’d like to go sailing. I’d like to hangout with Tony and Rocket Girl. I’d like to biking, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, etc. I’d like to do an occasional sound job on interesting projects. Yes, I’d like to do lots of things.

But for the moment, my focus is on improving my German.

And with that, I bid you all auf wienersehen,*****

-s j

* There’s been this gradual progression of my name shift. I’ve been called Susan since I was born. I always liked my name. Remember how at different times in life you’ve probably heard someone say, “I hate my name!”? I was never that person; I always liked the name Susan. Then, for various reasons, I wanted to start using my middle name too. I have a very good friend whose name is Mary Hunter. No, Hunter isn’t her last name, it’s her “middle” name. Friends call her “Mary Hunter” in one breath. Okay, I thought, people can say “Susan Jane” in one breath too. However, when signing emails, I found that I preferred to simply write “sj.” As I’ve gradually made new friends over the past year, they’ve come to know me solely as “sj.” I like the sound of it. What should you call me? Whatever feels the most comfortable to you. And as the saying goes, call me anything, but just don’t call me late for dinner! : )

** (noun) |səˈbatikəl|

*** When I returned “home” this past Fall, I had a most unusual experience (for me). As good as it felt to be on Kaua‘i, I also realized that I’d been “home” for a long while. When I think back on different places where I stayed while in Asia, I remember how comfortable I felt there, in my room, the space that had become my “home.”  Whether it was for several weeks or just a couple of nights, something had changed within me; I had truly found peace wherever I was.

**** Rheinische Friedrich Wilhems Universität

Uni Bonn

***** a nod to my husband : )

Friends met and made along the way . . .

Aloha Thailand!

Aloha my friends,

Thanks for hitching a ride on this leg of my journey. I've enjoyed having your company.

Where am I writing this? I'm in Tokyo's modern and amazing Narita airport at a lovely and free internet access "cafe." (That's in quotes because the only way I see to get coffee, or any other beverage, is via one of those automat machines--like you see at rest stops along France's highways where I drank many of them with Dad back in our month-long trip, with Mom and sister Hannah, in the Fall of 1999. And I don't have the local currency for making a purchase . . . but of course they've thought of a solution for that, I'm sure, but coffee's not on my list of beverages right now. The next plan of action is to sleep and try and get in sync with Hawaii's time and day zone . . . )

After about a 5 hour layover, I'll hop on the next flight to Honolulu. When do I arrive there? 10:20 a.m. on Sunday. What time and day is it here now? 7 p.m. something on Sunday. Cool how that works. Due to my frugal and practical nature, I don't arrive on Kaua‘i until Sunday evening (using HAL miles). So, I reckon I'll take a bus to the beach in Honolulu for a dip and a shower. At least that's the plan, I'm open to however it unfolds. This "live-in-the-moment-and-keep-my-eyes-and-ears-open-to-all-possibilities" (or litmakmeaeotap®) form of travel has served me really well the past many months.

In moments of daydreaming, I'd imagined that I'd write a "*SJ's streaming consciousness thoughts and rambles about SE Asia" kind of something. But, at the moment, I'm not feeling it, so I'm not going to. (Okay, some of you are groaning that I already have with my long going on about coffee machines in France and the trip with my family ages ago . . . ) Granted, I may change my mind (or not : ). That's part of the beauty of following my heart; when it comes, it just flows. If it doesn't, then I do something else. There's always something else.

Kay den, 'nuff of that.

Love and blessings to you all. May the light always shine on you; may you always be surrounded by friends (even when you're "alone"); may you feel peace and happiness from the top of your head to the tip of your toes; may you enjoy each and every day on your journey of life, the best darn gift each and every one of us has been given.

***Sat Nam.

-sj

With my gal pal, Chela, who gave me a ride to the Kaua‘i airport early one morning at the end of May.

I had a long layover in Taipei. Prospective English lesson clients? Maybe.

Class #100 at the CELTA English language teaching school in Bangkok.

During the horrible third week (while passing through and/or over the CELTA wall), we couldn't calculate how much to pay at lunch! And it was easy math!!!

A smart and friendly student from Japan on my right; Isky, the talented actor from Kuala Lumpur, on my left.

The winners of fellow CELTA student Suelin's very original and unofficial awards (SJ, Alvin, and Isky, short for Iskander).

Moi with my Bangkok Kundalini yoga instructor, Sunderta.

The 12 trekkers from Denmark, France, Taiwan, Spain, and the United States, who first met in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

My first pals at FLO: Rick, the cameraman; Emily, the troll; and Kate, the giant.

With one of my students while at the beach with FLO (Future Light Orphanage). Recognize him from the dinner out in Phnom Penh?

And with another wonderful FLO student (who recently graduated from high school and started her advanced education course this month).

The fun summer gang of FLO-fans one evening in Phnom Penh.

One of my favorite students . . . okay, who am I kidding, they were ALL my favs!

Dani and Andrew, fellow FLO volunteers, returning "home" after a fun "getaway" to Phnom Penh.

Some of my younger friends at FLO. (Enjoying an apple, thanks to many of YOU !!!)

She's the most natural teacher . . . and she's a talented artist; she gave me a cool going away card that she made.

My friend Dani stopped over in Phnom Penh for one night (after visiting Siem Reap and before heading to Ho Chi Minh). FLO's wonderful chef, and my dear friend, Chancy, and I dropped everything to join Dani for dinner. That was how I found the perfect restaurant for when I would later accompany eight FLO students to dinner in the city. Look up the Friends restaurant in Phnom Penh for more info.

Remember when I wrote about that amazing last day at FLO when many of us went to the Pagoda? The little guy on the right is the boy who took my hand during our walk to and from the temple. : ) Aren't ALL three boys vibrant!

Oh, what a special day that was!

And I love this shot too much to not include it in my "wrap-up." It embodies so much of what FLO is about.

Did I tell you about the storybooks that my older students made? They were as varied and as fascinating as the Ss. "Were there recurring themes?" you ask. Yes.
Making friends (or the wanting of friends). Giants (fighting giants, killing giants, running away from giants). Poor people (who need help, who I want to help but can't, who I hope to help someday, who I want to come to school with me, who have no food). And magical animals or people (who do all k i n d s of things!).
Yes, I think the storybook project was a success.

We ended up doing the second of two scavenger hunts early on the Saturday morning when I bid FLO adieu.  Why? There was a powerful monsoonal rain the previous afternoon. It worked out well; I was able to pass out all their learning materials (their notebooks, storybooks, tests, etc.) AND give them lots of prizes which I'd gathered. There were even enough lollipops for all the little kids who were hanging out with us. (Thanks Dani, Sean, and Kai!)

How very special it was to look these dear human beings in the eye and know that our bond is eternal. Just the right number gathered for a very personal, unhurried, and precious farewell.

And then I began my "travels" . . .

My new friends from Australia (by way of Ireland) and Canada (Laura, Nick, and Leta respectively). We biked together and shared a tuk tuk in Siem Reap (when visiting the many ancient temples).

Here I was with a beautiful young lady from Laos who was taking her visiting parents on an excursion.

The beautiful young couple from Israel (who found me in Hanoi somewhere and somehow early, early one morning) with our trek guide.

The lovely lady on the left made my delicious (and expensive by Vietnamese standards : ) coffee; she was the only "game" in the market (and she'll do well)!

I had planned to meet Nat (and her friend, Gerry) the previous evening for dinner, but I went to the wrong restaurant (I initially met them on the boat trip to Ha Long Bay). "If I'm supposed to see them, I will, " I thought to myself. And sure enough, I did! Yeah, I love those synchronistic moments too. : )

On the boat with the "cook" who made my dinner one evening in Hue (with her son).

Remember the "locals only" café in Hue I told you about? Here we are again.

I met these friendly childhood friends from London while touring Ha Long Bay; we ran into one another in both Hue and Hoi An. While in Hoi An, we decided to share both delightful conversation and a delicious dinner.

A few evenings ago in Bangkok, I met up with some of my fellow CELTA graduates; we ate at a place called Cabbages and Condoms. Yes, condoms. Look it up on-line; it's a cool place with a good cause (and a tasty restaurant). Yes, it was great to see them again. They've all gotten good jobs (yes, teaching) in Bangkok!

Michele, my longtime friend who with her husband, graciously shared their Bangkok home.

I spent all day yesterday at a Kundalini yoga retreat doing white tantric yoga; it was amazing. The exercises are done with a partner. Meet my new friend, Japnan; she's a beautiful young lady (my nephew Jo Ryan's age) from Taiwan. Being a self-motivated person, she has her own business and is able to work from her home. Good for her! And she has the most beautiful dark brown eyes. It worked out perfectly that the retreat took place on my last day in Thailand (and SE Asia).

That's me looking up at the ceiling of Bangkok's Sunvarabhumi airport early this a.m.; or am I really looking down? What do you think? : )

Aloha Thailand!




*One entry was going to be: Vietnames Airlines, the Big Save of SE Asia, i.e. short line, long wait (thanks Tones for that tag line : ) ; it's one of his classics.

Another? Cheapest place in SE Asia per my informal survey? Vietnam
(Also, didn't see nary a McDonalds or Starbucks in **Vietnam, did see one KFC there though, in Hanoi, right in a major tourist area and intersection. There are a zillion KFC's in Thailand and Cambodia btw; they L O V E KFC in those two countries!)

And another, it's very L O U D in SE Asia, even in the countryside. Sometimes at FLO (in the middle of nowhere really), it would be SO loud as the neighboring communities blasted out their this'es and thats with the wind. (That was one reason I loved Luang Prabang so much; it was quiet there; it felt so much more restful than in other cities.) "Okay, what about LA?" I can hear you ask. "And NYC? And Detroit?" (Detroit? I've never been to Detroit. lol Always thought it'd be nice to visit Augie and Rose though.) Alright, got it; we Americans have very loud places too.


Things like that is was I had been imagining that I'd write . . . but not now, maybe another time (or not . . . I'm not making any promises one way or another).


**Didn't see one KFC or chain restaurant in Laos, but I was only in Luang Prabang. Don't know about Vientiane and other areas.


***Sat Nam is similar to namaste, which most of you know.
The following was copied from a website I found: http://www.kundaliniyogablog.com/-2006-11-12-sat-nam-definition/

"The Mantra Sat Nam

Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practicioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But what is the importance of Sat Nam, what does it mean.

I’ve heard the following interpretations for Sat Nam via my Kundalini Yoga instructors:

• Truth is my identity
• My identiy is Truth
• My True Self
• Truth is our identity

It has been called the process of naming ones self Truth. It can be used similar to Namaste, (the divine in me aknowledges and pays tribute to the divine in you.) Where the “Truth” is the divine.

Being one who likes to get to “Source” info, I decided to do some further research into the nature of Sat Nam. I made an assumption that Sanskrit is a rather root dialect and that “Sat Nam” in Sanskrit would provide supplemental information on the nature of Sat Nam.

I found this Sanskrit Dictionary, and looked up the words, Sat and Nam.

Sat

1. being
2. real
3. that which really exists
4. the real existent truth

I’ve seen it written that Sat means Be, or more apprpriately Be-ness. Which would be the essence of being. (HPB’s Secret Doctorine) I suspect some careful analysis would find an interesting correlation between Be-ness and emptiness. (For those of Buddhist faith)

but onward to Nam.

1. To bow
2. To submit or subject oneself

And so one is bowing to Truth, to Be-ness the essence of being.

And the active interpretation of Sat Nam emerges.

Sat Nam

H~"

And for those of you who read this far, this just came in today's "calendar" email from Julie Redstone:

46.

To experience God one must live in the present, 

for it is in the present that new experience arises.

Let go of thinking and be in the moment.

It is in each moment that God may come to you.

***

In Memory of Julie Anne Mercer Lee

My dear friend, Julie Anne Mercer Lee, left her physical body on September 27th after a courageous 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Her husband and two sons miss her dearly; they are ALL LOVED by many.

Here are some photos of Julie aboard the SS Norway where we were both working as Fit with Fun instructors; we're the two babes lying on the floor in the group shot.

Godspeed Julie on your journey!

with warm aloha,

-sj

p.s. there's also a shot of Julie with her parents, second from the last.

Made it to the movies! (a l o n g one . . . : )

Hi Everyone,

It's Friday evening in Chiang Mai, and I made it to the movies! (the 2011 European Union Film Festival) There's an Italian one ("The Last Pulcinella") playing as I type, but I figured watching two movies was enough!

What'd I see? "Above the Street, Below the Water" (2009); this Danish film was a bittersweet tail of changing relationships. I'd recommend it . . . but not for kids. Next came a German movie, "Run if you Can" (2009) about an unusual threesome. Also good. Also not for kids really.

How did I get there? With my orange scooter that I rented for 150 baht from a place across the street from the hotel (where I could have rented one for 250 and had it delivered to me; I figured I could handle the walk across the street and save 100 baht! : )

How much did the movies cost? Nada! They were free. And the soda and popcorn was a whopping 55 baht. Some things in Thailand and really, really cool.

"Okay, what else have you been doing?" You ask.

Well, I went on a three-day, two-night trek up into the mountains north of CM.

But before I tell you about that, I gotta (yes, gotta : ) tell you that some more magic happened Monday night after I posted my last glob entry. How the way back to my hotel I ran into one of my new friends! I'd met this nice lady and her son and girlfriend during the cooking class. We'd ridden the same vehicle to the place and hung out with each other all day. Then, when it came time to leave, they threw me (not literally, but almost) into another bus since I was a lone duck. I got to quickly say goodbye to this nice British lady, but not the other two. And here it was, around 10 p.m. and I was on my way back to the pad to eat SJ-made phad thai and mango sticky rice when I ran into her! She told me how her son had been so disappointed that he hadn't gotten to say goodbye . . . I'll just to to the hotel, I said. And I did. While she went searching for a place to change their plane seating, I found their inexpensive-but-very-nice-350-baht-a-night hotel. Introduced myself to the proprietor who was playing cards with a group of fun-loving women, convinced them that I had indeed just seen the mother . . . and was not a mass murdered, and gained entry into the building. Up one flight and there they were enjoying their specially made food with a Chang. : ) We had a fun visit (with the mom too who returned quickly unsuccessful with her mission) until my eyes were drooping so heavily and my stomach was growling incessantly . . . but, I think my noodles tasted so much better having been tempered with a helping of new friendship. So it goes . . .

Okay, the trek. "What was it like?"

Well, it was fun; it was muddy; it was lazy; it was goofy; it was a great success.

It's so amazing how you can throw 12 complete strangers together in the back of a truck (they have a special name for it that I'm too lazy to look up, excusez moi, s'il vous plait), stir a little, add some heat, and cook up a tasty stew of new friendships. By the end of three days, we were practically kissing cousins.

"What'd we do?"

We walked. Through rice fields (with water is "regular" rice, without is sticky rice, so they say . . ), down muddy paths, up paved roads, through Karen villages, and in a bamboo forest . . . and we hung out--till noon the second day. We played cards, smoked bad cigarettes (well, some of us watched, but it was fun), learned goofy Karen jokes, listened to locals play some intruments, tried the instruments ourselves (one was a 7-string somethingorother), ate rice, lots of rice, and noodles, and well, drank Chang beer . . . oh, and we swam in two different swimming holes with waterfalls (the water was mostly clear). At the first one, the water was quite strong and two of the darling Spaniards almost got washed away (for real), but our 25-year old Karen guide moved the quickest he ever did during the 3-days and "caught" them and then got them to safety. His name? "Call me potato," he told us the first day. And we did. I lost track of how many times the lovely Spanish ladies yelled, "Potato! Potato! There's a spider! Potato!"

: ) Yeah, it made us all smile too.

"And the rest of the 12?" you ask.

A family of five Danes--a really beautiful family, two teenage boys and a fiesty 11-year old girl. She's strong! She often lead us as we walked. A pair of three who met while backpacking. One is a French former model (male). And two live in Arizona, though they met in Burma. Yep, makes sense in that goofy happenstance way that traveling and meeting people just somehow works out so perfectly.

5 Spaniards, 5 Danes, 1 French man, 2 women from Arizona (an American young lady who'd been studying in Singapore for a year and will be returning "home" soon and a Taiwanese lady who calls AZ home--where she teaches Art, "K through 8," she explained), and moi, the smiling, laughing lady from Kauai . . .

And on the trek, we also rode elephants. I enjoyed it overall, but my heart didn't feel like they were treated well. Our little guy was so hungry; he kept stopping to eat leaves, branches, whatever he could grab. We gave him two bags worth of bananas and sugar cane . . . but something just didn't feel completely right.

And we rode these long bamboo poles (about 7 or 8, I think) that were temporarily strapped together with strips of black tire. There were four of us to a raft. The group I was with (the 3 backpackers) was fairly tame; we sat, laughed, got wet bumps, but generally, played it cool. The three Spaniards and eldest Danish boy (who speaks very good German AND English btw) had a rip-roaring time! They rolled the raft several time, got dunked even more, and even took the bamboo poles and steered their way down. The guide looked a bit terrified at the end (for real! his eyes were BIG when they came in ! lol ; )

It was definitely a trek machine . . . a very well organized and oiled machine cranking out one batch of 12-tourist-trekkers after another. Some mastermind has organized the movement of this chain of people from one Karen hut and one Karen "7-11" to another. And they all seemed to be having a good time. And the natives? Well, I think they're definitely making use of their resources (the terrain and themselves). We often hung out with the small family at the two places where we stayed overnight (we 12 slept in the same hut; there were groupings of 3 mats under the corresponding mosquito nets. The rustic toilets had the kind of basin that you stand on and squat . . . there were large containers of water from which we'd scoop water to pour into the tiny bowl . . . you get the picture).

Tomorrow I head out for BKK where I'll do heaps of laundry and get myself organized for the next 8-week portion of this saga (Cambodia where I'll volunteer teach).

The rest of the evening promises some fun scooter riding and some food . . . maybe a heap of tasty noodles. Today I found the wat on the hill 16 km to the northeast of town, along with some sleeping dogs, waterfalls, and pretty scenery.

I've enjoyed this part of Thailand; yes, it's been my favorite so far . . . but I do still remember fondly that trip along the River Kwai . . . and the fun boat ride in BKK, and, and, and . . .

Didn't read through this, so please excuse me for my missssspellings and Freudian slips.

Do hope you're all well and enjoying yourselves wherever you are--having a good meal, watching a good movie, reading a good book, or just hanging out with friends and family.

Aloha and a bientot,

sj

I made it!

C'est moi! Fini!

Hi Everyone,

The CELTA course is officially over, and I made it! Fortunately, I ended on a high note with my best practice teaching session ever. I decided that I really wanted to have fun, and I did. I still prepared a lesson plan, still had an idea of what I was going to do and what I needed to cover in order to help the students clearly distinguish the difference between present simple and present continuous (I jump every day. Is this a habit? Yes. So it’s . . . present simple. I am jumping. Am I doing this now? Yes. So it’s . . . present continuous), and still met my aim . . . but THIS time, I had fun!

And I think they did too.

One of my fellow trainees told me, “You had me too; I had to watch to see what was going to happen next.” : )

Now that makes me smile.

“So what’s next?” you ask.

I’m not sure exactly.

I have 4-weeks “free” in Thailand before I report to an *orphanage in Cambodia where I’m going to volunteer teach for 8-weeks. They’ve asked me to teach two classes a day: one with Elementary level students and one with Pre-Intermediate students. “The ages of the students?” I’ve been told that the ages will range from 11 to 17. “The class size?” I’ve been told that it might be with 15-20 students or 35 and more. So . . . your guess is as good as mine.

I’m to supplement their regular classes with a curriculum focusing on speaking and writing. My rough sketch is to have a theme for each week, a collection of practical things that they can really use. I’ll take what I learned this last week at CELTA and put it into action. “What are those things?” you ask. Well, for starters, I’ve been told that the students like a rhythm, a pattern, so that they know Wednesday is “story” day and Tuesday is “games” day, etc. Friday will be the “review” day. I think I can use the same theme for each class; I’ll just grade my language (do my best to make it match their level) and adapt the activities for the two different levels.

So, this is where YOU come in! I have already made a very, very rough sketch of what those 8 themes will be, BUT I’d love to hear from you. Get your opinions on what YOU think they should be. I’ll keep you posted on what comes in and what I decide to do.

I’ve got a collection of shots from yesterday’s party. Have fun checking out who I’ve been hanging out with for these past 4-weeks. And you’ll notice me with two other students holding official-looking certificates. The fun gal-pal–fellow-trainee who hosted the barbeque two weeks ago surprised us at the “unofficial” but “real” party after at a Mexican restaurant called “Coyote.” (“Mexican?” Yes, I know. There’s e v e r y t h i n g here! “The food?” It was good, but of course it doesn’t even come close to Marcie’s! No place or person could!) The “winners” of the certificates were selected in a fun happenstance kind of way immediately after she pulled them out of her bag. When you read the label on mine, you’ll see that it essentially says, “Biggest Nerd.” : ) Yep, that’s me. And happily so.

Okay then, time to sign off and enjoy the day as a carefree student who’s just “graduated.” What will I do? Not sure. I may go to that HUGE market at the end of the BTS line that a friend on Kaua‘i told me about just a couple of nights before I left, just a few weeks ago really . . . that seems like ages ago!

And, I’m lucky enough to have been invited to a “Bangkok Vice” party tonight to celebrate the 50^th birthday of a new friend’s husband. I’m supposed to “dress to impress—Miami Vice style!” Fortunately, I already have one cool top . . . I’m wearing it in the shot at the top of the page. : ) Thanks to my buddies from the retreat I attended back in February on Kaua‘i, I stepped out of my normal realm of dressing and tried on a “different” looking top from the sales rack at Roots. And this is what I found; I love it!

And I love you too.

Thanks dear friends for coming along with me on this journey. I have a feeling that it’s just getting started.

With warm aloha,

SJ

* http://www.flo-cambodia.org/

It just so “happens” that a group from the Honolulu rotary club will be there for part of the time that I’m also there! Ends up they sponsor or help out this orphanage. Yes, small, small world.

Shots from the closing day . . .
International House staff
iH Teachers
Ditto
The "official" party
Party group shot
New friends . . .
More new friends . . .
And more new friends!
Moi and a new student friend
Trainees and students
CELTA pod THREE plus one
Party grinds. Notice the mangosteen and rambutan?
Class "action" shot 1
Class "action" shot 2
(I was acting out what it is to be a detective . . . it made sense at the time : )
Can you tell that we're having fun?!?!?
Da certificate close-up . . . I think my smiley face was contagious . . . : )