Coulda Woulda Shoulda

I'm sure the late Chris Farley will not mind if I steal a line from his motivational speaker on SNL to say that currently, I am living in van down by the river. I suppose it's a bit more than that as it's a van down by MANY rivers...and mountains....and wee towns....and forests... I'm currently seeing New Zealand, a country that I can only say has touched my heart even with the portable toilet and the cold shower I endure every day. And I really can't imagine doing it any other way. Every morning, a new walk or seal watching adventure or horsebackriding through Lord of the Rings territory. Every afternoon a 3 hour car ride along rodes with the most beautiful scenery that you will ever see in your lifetime. Every evening, cooking dinner in the middle of nowhere, emerging from our van to turn the gas on and off as we look out up from the valley towards the mountains and see nothing but moonlight, hear nothing but birds. Getting back to nature is one of the most specta...

Since we've been travelling, I have come across some interesting cultural differences among the countries we've been to. I thought, in Cliff Claven style, I would share with you some of the more bizarre and weird laws and customs from where we've been. MALAYSIA *As the country is predominantly Asian, you do see many women with headscarfs and dressed in the full Muslim attire. Be sure to look closely, though, as you're more than likely to see some Prada shoes, a top-of-the-line Nokia phone and a matching designer handbag to finish the package. *You're less likely to have trouble finding a shop open on Sunday then you will on Friday. And if you're around on Friday, be sure to listen for the bells. *Buses don't have toilets. Most Malaysian food is made up of curries. Now, YOU trying finding something to eat on the days you have to travel 5 hours on a bus. Travel day is starve day. SINGAPORE *You cannot own governement housing in Singapore unless you are a citi...

It's hard to believe we've been on the road for over a month and yet it feels like a century ago I was going to bed at 10:30, getting up STILL EXHAUSTED at 9:00 to go and teach a full day until 6:30. My Korean has definitely waned, although, I have to admit the odd time I do turn around when I can hear it in the street. I have to shake my head and look around just to remind myself that I'm no longer in Korea. Malaysia was everything we had hoped for. Sandy beaches, delicious food, friendly people. So much of what you're looking for when you're on holiday. It had beautiful beaches, some corally, some sandy, all relaxing. Sometimes we'd see crabs scurrying along at nighttime. Other times we'd find hundreds of dead little jellyfish that had been swept to shore by the tides. The water was always breathtaking. All those blues and greens you seen in pictures. So remarkable in fact that I did pinch myself one or two times. Australia has been the "home away fro...

So much has changed since I started ignoring this blog at the beginning of our travels. It certainly hasn't been because of the lack of things to say. More the opposite. But the internet connections in Malaysia were not stellar, especially on the islands and now that we're in Australia, we've simply been spending time eating and drinking and enjoy the company of English-speakers that I haven't really had a good chunk of time to sit down and have some verbal diahorrea on this thing. I think I'm also now in a better place to properly reflect on my time in Korea, one which I do not regret and have come to look back on as a wonderfully wacky and weird experience. Part of me feels like I've gone to the moon and back, that this entire year I've been so disconnected with so many things that everything is new to me. Take for example, pop culture. I had NO IDEA Christine Aguleria had a new CD out OR that she was pregnant and just hiding it. Ditto that on Nicole Richi...