tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47904402795667742172024-03-05T16:03:12.884-08:00SmartyGirlTravelMotto: I feel alive. More input! If you see life like Short Circuit's Johnny Five, this blog's the travel guide for you.Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-62771917428509360222012-11-27T19:00:00.002-08:002012-11-27T20:43:00.883-08:003 Tips: Hiking the Bay Area before 2013<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZVfDT8f0GvFeBh-G0W1btlJdqu4QInB1Xm9Q_mvcBZx5qT1aqrQoEQzjkbb4d9I5b99JawqK5ZJU7YOuJG5Wbnz0HD17RkDbhKxPqQclOGUa9dEMqzPcsQvnU03QOnMQ-hDZMuoVXuY/s1600/black+sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZVfDT8f0GvFeBh-G0W1btlJdqu4QInB1Xm9Q_mvcBZx5qT1aqrQoEQzjkbb4d9I5b99JawqK5ZJU7YOuJG5Wbnz0HD17RkDbhKxPqQclOGUa9dEMqzPcsQvnU03QOnMQ-hDZMuoVXuY/s400/black+sand.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Black Sand Beach at Mori Point Hiking Guide</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are you looking for a breath-taking way to wrap up 2012? </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35rfo_f0fzaoWFVjP_klGbeVm8ox8AEmoT0d-W31bdzcHoGZGDx1h517ypdJmP6O7-t0BWcw3EBsLx7EyYtonhrZGIy3F3JlrfRMB3_ypN-dldpYdGCX0vOb0SLt5eeak16CI5u_7NJg/s1600/m4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35rfo_f0fzaoWFVjP_klGbeVm8ox8AEmoT0d-W31bdzcHoGZGDx1h517ypdJmP6O7-t0BWcw3EBsLx7EyYtonhrZGIy3F3JlrfRMB3_ypN-dldpYdGCX0vOb0SLt5eeak16CI5u_7NJg/s400/m4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Hiking Guide Pacifica California</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Instead of the usual New Year's Eve festivities, why not treat yourself to hike</i></b> to a place you've never seen before?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSCmi_4bApLUFQjAKEdZcHbAxAehYqbFZcf77gJ1kMKBNUw5ZEBgLV4mFc4OETsl8TIAWN6GOrPjfU9yd0LDj1Z5VyV4grh1yISDM29j6ysMzL-Bcbo6_xbPf6ztgvbKSnDU0PkvoUic/s1600/mori3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSCmi_4bApLUFQjAKEdZcHbAxAehYqbFZcf77gJ1kMKBNUw5ZEBgLV4mFc4OETsl8TIAWN6GOrPjfU9yd0LDj1Z5VyV4grh1yISDM29j6ysMzL-Bcbo6_xbPf6ztgvbKSnDU0PkvoUic/s320/mori3.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Hiking Bay Area</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">My SmartyGirlTravel Hiking Guide recommended <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523">Ano Nuevo</a>, <a href="http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/mori-point.html">Mori Point</a> and <a href="http://www.bigbasin.org/trailsberrycreekfalls.html">Big Basin</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gR_jiZQHvj0aMZ7773vpmIn9Wh_3IEwDOJpUCSWPKvEfLXtQLGgWu7iZT6zku26uN7mVy1VAIjhhWFDeligqfWRTkauPWsgfttB65YoH-2qOen9CiypLvY2myFs72WfJW6hUZOEJK5g/s1600/mori1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gR_jiZQHvj0aMZ7773vpmIn9Wh_3IEwDOJpUCSWPKvEfLXtQLGgWu7iZT6zku26uN7mVy1VAIjhhWFDeligqfWRTkauPWsgfttB65YoH-2qOen9CiypLvY2myFs72WfJW6hUZOEJK5g/s400/mori1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Mori Point Pacifica California</td></tr>
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So I limbered up and tested a trail at Mori Point and jogged the black sand beaches.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">What are 3 tips that I'd share with SmartyGirl Travel Readers?</span></i></b><br />
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1. <b>Bring your jogger's mace</b>, as a safety habit, because there are cement structures and dark areas shaded by trees even during the day.<br />
2. <b>Wear moisture-wicking tech</b> long-sleeves and cap. This is better than cotton that traps sweat and keeps you cold and damp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6BwzHN_xkqMOFQw_pWNho-8qElFZtmOnNRg2JkQbiWLg5qwJCY6koZdAy0bz773vWDYNjWjABUh9nsz3x36w8VR-pspmKXGoYJZ7P3isahyphenhyphenfdcNnBvk1iQYMiQm2KTFXfqlXYHjRZ6E/s1600/trail+coast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6BwzHN_xkqMOFQw_pWNho-8qElFZtmOnNRg2JkQbiWLg5qwJCY6koZdAy0bz773vWDYNjWjABUh9nsz3x36w8VR-pspmKXGoYJZ7P3isahyphenhyphenfdcNnBvk1iQYMiQm2KTFXfqlXYHjRZ6E/s320/trail+coast.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Hiking for Women</td></tr>
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3. <b>Build up</b> for the steep hike and the Bootleggers' stair climb by skipping rope for 2 minutes per day. Reward yourself with an orange at the top!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>What are some things you'd like the sea to wash away?</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1G1rw5HKxHHHVAAw4fXo68DjKYrhzxW98LyH-MiZjKKP3ijJduSlriK6WS49kVSIebqEQzzKmBpOzbnuVzL3TmCR-0omKQwErqYQSCVjOlLz_2OKSGW6TwgP0vv8KaOAM5hI9L4s_lU/s1600/hat+hike+coast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1G1rw5HKxHHHVAAw4fXo68DjKYrhzxW98LyH-MiZjKKP3ijJduSlriK6WS49kVSIebqEQzzKmBpOzbnuVzL3TmCR-0omKQwErqYQSCVjOlLz_2OKSGW6TwgP0vv8KaOAM5hI9L4s_lU/s400/hat+hike+coast.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Hiking Bay Area</td></tr>
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It can be healing to write something in the black sand and let the waves wash it away.<br />
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For example, maybe you'd like to let go of something such an old hurt, a bad relationship, a negative habit. You may have heard it recommended to write a letter that you never send. However, I like an outdoors activity.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Draw the words (i.e. grief) in the black sand.</span> Sit next to the phrase and wait patiently for the waves to make it a blank slate.<br />
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I wrote my phrase with a dried reed I found on the beach. Then I listened to the watched the white foam of the sea bubble away my words on the black sand. It felt fantastic!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Happy Trails! Happy New Year 2013!</b></span>Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-40876454515219362142012-09-22T07:53:00.001-07:002012-09-23T18:38:52.708-07:00A Thanksgiving in France: An Interview with SmartyGirl Karrie as our Tour Guide<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7_oggU_KhVTYE8Ormq9Cspr7JQWM2sOpLrNGomgz6aQb7vDjGSzwv1YRSnjLErz8I8Z9rcxlBeW8O4cphqAHzpUXT91D8ZOrc1ySRR6PrZ1IS9R7v3_j3RNiciaOBzbIP46BCayWefk/s1600/Palace+Hotel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7_oggU_KhVTYE8Ormq9Cspr7JQWM2sOpLrNGomgz6aQb7vDjGSzwv1YRSnjLErz8I8Z9rcxlBeW8O4cphqAHzpUXT91D8ZOrc1ySRR6PrZ1IS9R7v3_j3RNiciaOBzbIP46BCayWefk/s320/Palace+Hotel.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol San Francisco's Palace Hotel</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">You've read my friend <a href="http://smartygirlhome.blogspot.com/2012/08/morgans-travels-to-france-guide.html">Morgan's travel guide to France</a>. Have you been inspired to display travel souvenirs as a prominent theme in your home decor this fall? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apartment Therapy's Micki Howl wrote an article titled, "<a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/travel-inspired-home-decor-mus-150953">Travel Inspired Home Decor</a>" that I recommend.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">In addition, I am confident that my interview with Karrie will persuade you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Karrie decorates her apartment with a French theme. Imagine a white vanity table and an elegant collection of perfume bottles. Like me she is fond of Art Nouveau architecture. Whereas I've only experienced <a href="http://www.parisperfect.com/blog/2011/03/art-nouveau-7th-arrondissement/">Art Nouveau</a> in Monterey at <a href="http://smartygirlhome.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-apartment-3-space-saving-design-tips.html">Seven Gables Inn</a>, Karrie has toured France to view it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">I study Karrie as she drinks a cold American Mocha Freddo topped with whipped cream as we sit, for this interview, in Peets Coffee and Tea in Lafayette. It is a chilly Thursday night in August, at 8 P.M. after a long work day for her in sales.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">She wears a crisp, long-sleeved, vertical striped blouse: black and white. Her makeup is classic with a pop of red lipcolor. In addition, her red accessories give her black and white outfit a chic, modern appearance.</span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Even though I am indoors, shielded from the Norcal night wind I shiver in my dark green miltary-style parka. </span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>The shivers are from goosebumps but also from the excitement of hearing Karrie's fantastic stories of Thankgiving in France, an aristocratic host family, riding the Metro carrying too much cash, a hospital trip after consuming an eclair and playing hooky to spend early mornings at the Museum of Decorative Arts.</em></strong></span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Imagine that you find yourself underemployed after college graduation, like many young people moving back to their parents' home in this recession. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">You read about a study abroad opportunity, six months in France to earn a certificate and you take out a loan to go. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecg42f7UJWq5DUokLcXTjAEbP121QTWhcxOboRJEmQhv8EJWGGlWXTNbv_vpL5xZbcHVADISC0GP9joO1pexxG41LyrnXIukCw2Sn-_yQ5M2Kq4rxdmHqWh7OTPXsHZynaJLBTcJRbGY/s1600/Karrie+France+1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecg42f7UJWq5DUokLcXTjAEbP121QTWhcxOboRJEmQhv8EJWGGlWXTNbv_vpL5xZbcHVADISC0GP9joO1pexxG41LyrnXIukCw2Sn-_yQ5M2Kq4rxdmHqWh7OTPXsHZynaJLBTcJRbGY/s320/Karrie+France+1.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Karrie Keegan in France</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What is a less common way to experience France?</span></em></strong> Karrie's host in France was a 70-year-old French woman aristocrat named Mademe de Cremier. Karrie had the unusual opportunity to experience the hospitality of "Old France". </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What are some aspects of "Old France"?</span></em></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Her host was proud of her aristocratic circle and kept a thick directory of all the aristocrats in Europe in her parlor. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Her black and white French hunting dog, Rodreig, went pheasant hunting with Madame de Cremier's male relative regularly. On hunting days Karrie would often smell fragrant red wine braised pheasant when she returned home during evenings from class. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba0bCz7NIhUr6laEAMrsZX48wlhy2SwN2hQVtkEcx_R5EI9T-ssJKKMppTWmLPvICIIgeLeBoH78ivkC3OgsEu9kcmJEwTQ_ZqwoLeh14S2zC41q5tIB0KZlAm-F7EccrDHqspYWIeWE/s1600/food+truck3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba0bCz7NIhUr6laEAMrsZX48wlhy2SwN2hQVtkEcx_R5EI9T-ssJKKMppTWmLPvICIIgeLeBoH78ivkC3OgsEu9kcmJEwTQ_ZqwoLeh14S2zC41q5tIB0KZlAm-F7EccrDHqspYWIeWE/s320/food+truck3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Food Trucks in San Francisco</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">This is radically different from "New France" as you can read about in the New York Times with its invasion of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/world/europe/food-trucks-add-american-flavor-to-paris.html?pagewanted=all">food trucks</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Her host was formal and insisted that she be addressed as Madame de Cremier. Karrie observed that her host was French slim and wore the <a href="http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2012/couture/christian-dior">fashionable pencil skirt</a> suits daily. That tiny waist! To picture this, think <a href="http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2012/couture/christian-dior">Christian Dior's Spring 2012</a> as seen in UK Vogue. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="e" href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9e66134979&view=att&th=13999f8b3ab70b4f&attid=0.2&disp=inline&safe=1&zw" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="0787253-R1-E027.jpg" class="hv" height="216" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9e66134979&view=att&th=13999f8b3ab70b4f&attid=0.2&disp=thd&zw" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Karrie Keegan in France</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong><em>What else seemed distinctly "Old France"?<span id=":1aq"></span></em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Karrie received a lecture on the debt by Americans to Louis the XVI, when my friend asked her host why she was going to mass to mourn the anniversary of the French King's death.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Karrie returned to her host's parlor after visiting the Museum of Decorative Arts, expressing her awe of the decorative arts display (interior decor exhibit) with furnishings 300 years old. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QqhATC__xLkYzq_HyKf2aoa7dGXhgLODt4pIsPHA5gC0Crx28SrG7N3I28lDOP6GJAH5lcS2fCAxwSH8cefdoCEjaQXNy-B-azPAN8cT3adBIVYzkcm6iCCl-WVuvXujCGT9q6CD3GE/s1600/Pied+Piper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QqhATC__xLkYzq_HyKf2aoa7dGXhgLODt4pIsPHA5gC0Crx28SrG7N3I28lDOP6GJAH5lcS2fCAxwSH8cefdoCEjaQXNy-B-azPAN8cT3adBIVYzkcm6iCCl-WVuvXujCGT9q6CD3GE/s320/Pied+Piper.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol American Palace Hotel's Pied Piper Tapestry Only 100 years old</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Madame de Cremier </span>did not share Karrie's awe. Instead she said, "The books and furniture in my home are 300 years old and that's why I want you to be careful when sitting on my furniture with your American derriere!"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Karrie did not envy the haranging the housekeeper received when the staff accidently damaged the host's <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/art-nouveau-artwork-for-contemporary-home-decor-art-nouveau-lamps-mirrors-vases-and-wall-art">wall art</a> while dusting. Karrie describes breakfast at her host's house as eating cornflakes in a museum. </span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Are French desserts really that different from American pastries?</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">In Karrie's case, she discovered that her body can't take the French doses of bakery fat and sugar. The described the giant almond meringues as big a dinner plates that she watched locals shatter and dip into French coffee.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilUnv87o7VavtJZLd2rVPWqKVBXBgLkjCFj2J6XrEXyIGNmnX-acD2CwdqJDfHWUV9n8XPuyaZ4IxR8MgnOSfXqWMEw3FiLp7ZrL2-USZ0YLinRgl24dGkN-na56Kf2dRQboWwumDF-k/s1600/Alpine+strudel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilUnv87o7VavtJZLd2rVPWqKVBXBgLkjCFj2J6XrEXyIGNmnX-acD2CwdqJDfHWUV9n8XPuyaZ4IxR8MgnOSfXqWMEw3FiLp7ZrL2-USZ0YLinRgl24dGkN-na56Kf2dRQboWwumDF-k/s320/Alpine+strudel.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Alpine Pastry Shop of Norcal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">She also described the richness of <a href="http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/choceclair.htm">French eclairs</a> that were sweeter and more buttery than she ever experienced. After one eclair, her stomach pains forced her to make her first visit to a hospital in a foreign country. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Yes, the desserts are "to die for." I believe Karrie would warn Americans to sample small bites rather than to copy the French and eat whole pastries in one sitting. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong><em>What are some non-verbal French rules?</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Karrie shared that at French magazine kiosks, you are not encouraged to linger. Instead you buy not browse otherwise you are chased away by angry merchants.</span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Also in constrast to sit-where-you'd like American eateries, in France waiters of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2006/apr/30/travelfoodanddrink.foodanddrink">gourmet bistros</a> will enforce the unspoken rule: Patrons who sit inside order full meals. If you are only ordering a coffee and a pastry you must sit outside. Karrie discovered this when she felt cold and choose a cozy corner to enjoy her beverage and dessert. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Other diners knew this but my friend did not. The waiters did not bother to be polite and asked her to move. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong><em>How did you deal with homesickness as an American in France during Thanksgiving?</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">Karrie ordered her butchered turkey from two American ex-pats who owned a specialty American grocery in France. The shelves were stocked with American brands such as Ritz crackers and Smucker's jam. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7mpyIdeWQ7SurgS-g5YRcOdU0AnyN8PiiaGCRvCDKocMxrc8GucylAHjskFkXaSUdbnAPY8-qgM7Jtt4RU1u7chAdC1b2U-BVZJQvw-3PFC88P4xqz7yz4up50XH_JuNAJtBAptPVrw/s1600/Strawberry+Grunt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7mpyIdeWQ7SurgS-g5YRcOdU0AnyN8PiiaGCRvCDKocMxrc8GucylAHjskFkXaSUdbnAPY8-qgM7Jtt4RU1u7chAdC1b2U-BVZJQvw-3PFC88P4xqz7yz4up50XH_JuNAJtBAptPVrw/s320/Strawberry+Grunt.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol American Cape Cod Strawberry Skillet Dumplings</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;">She rode <a href="http://www.transilien.com/web/site/lang/en">the Metro</a> from Paris, with a chilled turkey in her paper grocery bag two hours away to Limoges. She did this so that she could enjoy the company of other Americans and eat roast turkey with cranberry sauce. You can read more about <a href="http://www.lebestofparis.com/following-julia-child/thanksgiving-in-paris">American shops</a> in Paris here. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"></span>Do you have an unusual travel story to tell fellow SmartyGirls? Where have you spent American holidays abroad? Comment below.<br />
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Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-16647921865293306502012-07-24T21:36:00.003-07:002012-07-24T22:06:43.156-07:00Contemporary Art in San Francisco: Seen During the Work Week<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvnWehkV42cAwO1XiBtfXphoPsCuvTyZI4_ZFXnriOnjsIvlfksuQAJDIFzWXJwfatcVBn7xpdjfotcCtASj-LwH-D9ybXafvkqXgFaexLPuo_2bbOtKuObIaRnhuKexwQzoLjdBa-rM/s1600/nom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvnWehkV42cAwO1XiBtfXphoPsCuvTyZI4_ZFXnriOnjsIvlfksuQAJDIFzWXJwfatcVBn7xpdjfotcCtASj-LwH-D9ybXafvkqXgFaexLPuo_2bbOtKuObIaRnhuKexwQzoLjdBa-rM/s320/nom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol NomNom Vietnamese Sandwich Truck from SF Spotted in Walnut Creek</td></tr>
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Do you count food trucks as contemporary art? I do. If you've seen the decor inside some revamped busses like Le Truc or the NomNom Truck's exterior, you'd agree. Where else can you find art worth pondering during your lunch break?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEYFnkOdJPaQTc3QdxUeYhVqBgvtBKQ16OyGLdlbAXp6OY9H5d3VcPoI_RIiK7kgt4s_19FyCYAHIEmVQQiSQ2awADdTfErbGbLqD4v4hcSbCVncU-MYtrlxYmpFMrcpWkEl3Ya9uupA/s1600/deloitte+mission+plaza1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEYFnkOdJPaQTc3QdxUeYhVqBgvtBKQ16OyGLdlbAXp6OY9H5d3VcPoI_RIiK7kgt4s_19FyCYAHIEmVQQiSQ2awADdTfErbGbLqD4v4hcSbCVncU-MYtrlxYmpFMrcpWkEl3Ya9uupA/s400/deloitte+mission+plaza1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Jonathan Borofsky Steel Figures at 555 Mission Street in San Francisco</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTZKwdPPG4IW0-P8SStFbN-2s6kzLBgfYihOWUlMpOWAbeLOX6vtVMvpdNwk6L_GuKvFgSSvz6krBMJOS41IHfNfGk7VkcwttNPg19XL0T0fxROP8Bn-y2cxY1BIoai2d65-ZMFRlCv8/s1600/deloitte+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTZKwdPPG4IW0-P8SStFbN-2s6kzLBgfYihOWUlMpOWAbeLOX6vtVMvpdNwk6L_GuKvFgSSvz6krBMJOS41IHfNfGk7VkcwttNPg19XL0T0fxROP8Bn-y2cxY1BIoai2d65-ZMFRlCv8/s400/deloitte+2.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Ugo Rondinone's Sculptures at 555 Mission Street in San Francisco</td></tr>
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<i><b>Have you seen the Tim Burtonesque sculptures near the Deloitte building at 555 Mission Street in San Francisco?</b></i> On Monday, I watched summer associates gather uneasily near <a href="http://inhabitat.com/a-look-into-san-franciscos-downtown-secret-gardens/dsc_0286/">Ugo Rondinone's</a> creations. These young men in women, dressed in blue blazers and red ties must have been wondering what does this art mean in a corporate space?<br />
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While I was in Los Angeles, I had to skip the actual Tim Burton exhibit at the LACMA because it was $20 over my budget. In contrast, you can see these fancifully scary sculptures for free outdoors. <br />
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You can find other Instagram shots by curious passersby too. If you are curious about <a href="http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/rondinone/artist-bio/">Ugo Rondinone</a>, you can travel to New York or read the artist bio on the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston site.<br />
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<i><b>Which of these two artists, with sculptures in SF, wrote numbers for three hours a day obsessively?</b></i> Borofsky. <br />
Carnegie Mellon Magazine's Ann Curran contrasts Jonathan Borofsky with Andy Warhol in her article, <a href="http://www.cmu.edu/magazine/02spring/borofsky.html">"Nobody Knows His Name, Everybody Has His Number"</a>.<br />
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After visiting the Bauhaus <a href="http://www.getty.edu/news/press/center/feininger.html">Lyonel Feininger</a> photo exhibit at the Getty Museum Center in Los Angeles, with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law I've decided to study modern art more closely.<br />
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What is the artist saying about the present? Will this message be meaningful a generation later? Share your San Francisco art photos with me. How do outdoor sculptures compare to indoor galleries?<br />
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<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-2493214531500110022012-06-13T12:36:00.001-07:002012-06-13T13:49:41.124-07:007 Travel Tips for Thailand: Summer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4xWhNqKBmMwODXyQiBi_cgcB_JyfTWdPphZ_NhnGn6oAc1MmQSLwfAcOPUtJQn_aiQPohAKCcP4z_Tfd0fD9XHnA8hHPpmgK9tmIpaK1hGDlPDug-Rv3rGdXOgJd6pqor9qa9ZSCQEE/s1600/thai+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4xWhNqKBmMwODXyQiBi_cgcB_JyfTWdPphZ_NhnGn6oAc1MmQSLwfAcOPUtJQn_aiQPohAKCcP4z_Tfd0fD9XHnA8hHPpmgK9tmIpaK1hGDlPDug-Rv3rGdXOgJd6pqor9qa9ZSCQEE/s400/thai+soup.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Creative Commons Thai Soup</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkPsSU2C3IkqTQ0lmGeTIeRiJl7RaKdq6rj7RIjZeCL9Pht3VdI3_fzJ7pTrci19R7iOv27-RHVG1zMvgQOkb0ftYwXbWXdKBSpd5oeB5VW1DRpeLbkt5CX15VK3l354gvFrmFb_gkWA/s1600/sugar+cane+juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkPsSU2C3IkqTQ0lmGeTIeRiJl7RaKdq6rj7RIjZeCL9Pht3VdI3_fzJ7pTrci19R7iOv27-RHVG1zMvgQOkb0ftYwXbWXdKBSpd5oeB5VW1DRpeLbkt5CX15VK3l354gvFrmFb_gkWA/s400/sugar+cane+juice.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Amazon.com <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goya-Sugarcane-Juice-11-8000-ounces-Pack/dp/B001SATOF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339619289&sr=8-1">Goya Brand Sugarcane Juice</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fEEYle-h2NSOsL73hOmldfgezzBr9jSdaqG-ZwzPU_SH0hVArPgGYd5wW6N_8xYUmfpfoh0kxMiMoZpI34isnHUUKngamc8dI_k9FYJaCZSez3IedAEFPc40QIM9qXvUACZB7NGLkcA/s1600/thailand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fEEYle-h2NSOsL73hOmldfgezzBr9jSdaqG-ZwzPU_SH0hVArPgGYd5wW6N_8xYUmfpfoh0kxMiMoZpI34isnHUUKngamc8dI_k9FYJaCZSez3IedAEFPc40QIM9qXvUACZB7NGLkcA/s400/thailand.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renee Marchol Thailand Travel<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you wondered what you'd tell your teenage self if you could time travel?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">These are the 7 travel tips for Thailand that I'd share with my 1995 self:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1. Don't be embarrassed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">2. Don't try too hard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3. Make bug bite prevention a priority.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">4.Carry mace if permitted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">5. Pack hand sanitizer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">6. Don't feel guilty dining away from the group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">7. Create food memories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Hi SmartyGirl of 1995,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You are embarking on an awesome hiking and culture trip to Thailand.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZHbOqzaw4O_9fqOTREkFQpQj48nX0aJyzSop2mp1H3Kn1qE30SEd3J00Gz7_eXcjmZyZkpjR4z4Cg8alJtyT4ApOBYF_tvKjG_VPIT9eWtYMmGnE-l_ZqkuSWc3DlksfINJJEvHK4E0/s1600/pad+thai2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZHbOqzaw4O_9fqOTREkFQpQj48nX0aJyzSop2mp1H3Kn1qE30SEd3J00Gz7_eXcjmZyZkpjR4z4Cg8alJtyT4ApOBYF_tvKjG_VPIT9eWtYMmGnE-l_ZqkuSWc3DlksfINJJEvHK4E0/s320/pad+thai2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://opencage.info/pics.e/large_11674.asp">Photo Credit: Open Cage Pad Thai</a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some of the good things:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Food photography that you do with your SLR camera won't be considered weird in 17 years. In fact, there will such things as food and travel blogs where digital photos will be displayed</li>
<li>In 17 years, you will be even more fit that you are now and you will do 5 hour-plus hikes with your husband. Though the 5 hour hike may feel like a trek of death, know that you will be even stronger later in life. You'll even take up year-round swimming to improve your cardio for such hikes.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Your Thailand journal will include:</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Wz7-wpkfRBliCsUVtZ-S7CfSQMAgsEfZ6Je1DqTQZ2DmH-ATSUvew9M0eNzmA3PV2VSB4hNkboMr3G57dTaoUrXxe7ygTqslwcUsHW_M67-2mmcchDsLkZTtzccCSTDqRVQLt0DjyWg/s1600/thai+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Wz7-wpkfRBliCsUVtZ-S7CfSQMAgsEfZ6Je1DqTQZ2DmH-ATSUvew9M0eNzmA3PV2VSB4hNkboMr3G57dTaoUrXxe7ygTqslwcUsHW_M67-2mmcchDsLkZTtzccCSTDqRVQLt0DjyWg/s320/thai+soup.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The two blankets smell stale. I slept all night with the sleeping bag over my head to avoid what the Australians call the "mozzies". They mean mosquitoes. I saw a tree burning. This dry part of the hike with red dust used to be a rainforest. It's a trek to the death. Still 5 more hours to the Karen hilltribe village. We smell because we ate fish, onion and tomato on bread, a lunch made by our guide named Sing. </i></b></span></div>
<ul>
<li>You are training your "explorer eyes" in Thailand. You will use this same perspective to travel within your home, the United States, and gain a deeper appreciation of New Orleans. The New Orleans that you know will be greatly changed so when you are there relish every bit of your stay.</li>
<li>Travel journals that you keep will be useful to you for the rest of your life. Be free. Don't censor yourself and capture what you think and feel. The details you write will trigger vivid, useful life lessons for adulthood.</li>
</ul>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some notes in your travel diary:</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">..back in room 305. A couple of ants don't bother me much. And the lizard's so little that as long as it doesn't crawl in my stuff I'm fine. Went down to Songkran Road and bought groceries to tide me over. I settled on crackers and soymilk. I paid 30 Baht instead of 60 Baht. So soymilk is about $1.23. Crackers were $1.80. I ate crackers without cheese because cheese was way too expensive. On a different night, I ate delicious fruit salad with banana slices with seeds that looked as large as peppercorns. Had some Pad Thai with veggies again. </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are the things that will challenge you:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>You may feel self-conscious having fountains of nosebleeds during the hike. Don't be scared. This is normal considering the physical strain of the hikes in hot weather. Don't mind the laughter. Laugh with your hiking group as you walk with tissue plugs in your nostrils to stop the bleeding. You'll also learn <a href="http://firstaid.about.com/od/bleedingcontrol/ht/06_epistaxis.htm">how to stop a bloody nose. </a></li>
</ul>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">You will write a journal entry that includes: ..I almost choke myself on my own blood. I splutter and turn my head to keep from dying while Fiona talks about a map and a place I can't see. </span></i></b></div>
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<ul>
<li>You may feel uncomfortable being called the non-white farang or foreigner. You will be met with incredulous looks when you answer that you are an American and you are not a Korean national. However, think of the advantages that you'll experience because you blend with the native population. You'll see and hear things that the obvious tourists won't experience.</li>
<li>Don't feel pressured to accept every invitation with the people in your tour group. Don't feel guilty about saying "no" to some invites to dine alone to process all the stimuli you've witnessed during the day. This is a good opportunity to journal.</li>
<li>Oftentimes, scary men will approach you. Some will mistake you for a sex worker because you are travelling without a male companion as a single gal. Use your voice and facial expressions to enforce your "no". The scissors that you carry in your pocket, for self defense, will not be as effective as your confident voice. Because of this trip, you will care about the victims of <a href="http://humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand">human trafficking</a>. Back in the United States, you will live in cities where it will be wise to carry mace on jogs, when you are on a Girls' Night Out and to and from your parking garage at work. By that time you'll also be a green belt in Krav Maga self-defense. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcm_Zdbv6QOuFlWtM_4l0os9an19P8oebvuokQyVXr5XS-ZmOQ6XUZs_-_iF9f8fO5tbFgBxhP2dy97rKhcZzftzsZuA77bl3LE2tVM0mgdzyGaXEnM0nFBFKdMd78EGaybEHmQn_MLDg/s1600/hilltribe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcm_Zdbv6QOuFlWtM_4l0os9an19P8oebvuokQyVXr5XS-ZmOQ6XUZs_-_iF9f8fO5tbFgBxhP2dy97rKhcZzftzsZuA77bl3LE2tVM0mgdzyGaXEnM0nFBFKdMd78EGaybEHmQn_MLDg/s320/hilltribe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/babasteve/405604383/sizes/z/in/photostream/">BabaSteve Flicker Thailand Hilltribe</a></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Your travel diary will include this: ..I think the moustached letch propositioned me. For 200 Baht. Hey! At first I didn't get what he meant. The friend that he was with smacked him upside the head when I showed my annoyance. Did he think to try it with me because I was the only non-white farang in the group. Probably. Rude and crude joke. </span></i></div>
<i><br /></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is how the trip might change you:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hxQVC5_8kDX47Ck0nc1hbZjWALT2JAovvCqE1-sgtDCzZwAY2EGo6VvUax_aC_tX87D3KmYwFbj4F5RMGxPVo2ioUiKH6G1Qtr2O4shBzOxW88fTXQzIvf8KSxctkh5BYIjH7KG-RWU/s1600/thailand+lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hxQVC5_8kDX47Ck0nc1hbZjWALT2JAovvCqE1-sgtDCzZwAY2EGo6VvUax_aC_tX87D3KmYwFbj4F5RMGxPVo2ioUiKH6G1Qtr2O4shBzOxW88fTXQzIvf8KSxctkh5BYIjH7KG-RWU/s320/thailand+lunch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>You will set out on this trip to Thailand as part of your anthropology college studies to experience field work living with two hilltribes. However, uou'll discover that the city violence will not spare the countryside. Don't be overly heartbroken when you see on CNN that hilltribe girls will be kidnapped to work in the sex trade by armed men from the city. All is not lost. You will meet nonprofits and friends in the state that help these children. You may be saddened by the world but don't lost hope. </li>
<li>Don't feel bad about switching your focus to your college English journalism classes. You will become an English major and teach underserved youth for 6 years in social work nonprofits and in the ESL classroom. This will appeal to your sense of adventure though you will sacrifice income for this cause. What you witnessed at the hilltribe school of a teacher with only a fifth-grade education will stay with you forever. </li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">On a lighter note, you will crave the following foods every summer because of your Thailand trip: nutty sesame seed crepes cooked over a campfire, large pink slices of sweet-yet-bitter Thailand papayas, cilantro chicken with lemongrass, and <a href="http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/206348.html">sugar cane</a> water box drinks. The photo above is from <a href="http://opencage.info/pics.e/large_882.asp">Open Cage Creative Commons "Thailand lunch"</a>. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I haven't traveled to Thailand for over a decade but every summer, I make sure to eat Thai food that triggers my travel memories. You can find a decent recipe for <a href="http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaisnacks/r/PapayaSalad.htm">Green Papaya Salad</a> through About.com. Unfortunately, I have been searching for 17 years and I haven't found Pad Thai close to what I ate in Thailand. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Thankfully, <a href="http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-vietnamese-lemongrass-chicken/">Vietnamese cuisine</a> is available in California and its flavors come close. I've discovered that some Vietnamese restaurant food tastes closer to authentic Thai food than orders at American Thai restaurants. Share your summer travel story by adding your comment below. </span></div>
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<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-25144907328666377722012-04-26T08:06:00.001-07:002012-04-28T08:36:28.816-07:00Upcoming Summer 2012 Travel Guides: Erica Tyler as Associate Editor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnop_MzsoVAooaw4Q3OiBf9nL-0p-b2pQXHWFbQTKVYe7lDTQWU-Sysx-feuNM4tsViToKm5rosYJGjtFQgL8nj4_k-buv10YT9KbckSteGCLwuJRltKbrUqiZh0egdJSXbS6rbzKuAU/s1600/Editor+Erica+profile+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnop_MzsoVAooaw4Q3OiBf9nL-0p-b2pQXHWFbQTKVYe7lDTQWU-Sysx-feuNM4tsViToKm5rosYJGjtFQgL8nj4_k-buv10YT9KbckSteGCLwuJRltKbrUqiZh0egdJSXbS6rbzKuAU/s320/Editor+Erica+profile+photo.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: SmartyGirl Associate Editor Erica Tyler<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Erica Tyler</span></b> is a Northern Californian transplant now residing in <st1:place><st1:placename>Orange</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>County</st1:placetype></st1:place> who used to work in research and real estate but is now focusing on writing as a career. Erica is an avid reader and a slow runner, but she loves to try new things and thinks that <b>we only regret the chances we don’t take.</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">SmartyGirl Readers, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please welcome Associate Editor Erica Tyler. For the next three months she will be overseeing articles in SmartyGirlEntertainment and SmartyGirlTravel. Her service trip to Nicaragua, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, is just one of the many places she has traveled. <b><i>Disclosure: The Associate Editor has not received payment to endorse any company, brand, blog, travel destination or product.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Editor-in-Chief SmartyGirl Renee</span><br />
<br />
<i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">What are 3 places that Erica would revisit? </i><br />
<br />
Here's a first blog post from Erica, as our SmartyGirlTravel Guide, as a reply:<br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 200%;">Travel can be an escape, a luxury
and in many cases a necessity in order to regroup from the rigors of real
life. Yet, most of the time we focus on
where we haven’t been, but what if we focus on places we’ve already gone? If you could revisit three places, which ones
would you choose?</span><span class="MsoCommentReference" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4YIN1pJ-MKE_Ux7G7yIUu910ALlu9IoG6sM50DfybyzJfHtn_AtMbe96AJaZWO-A4Kl7KiEZ-yj2gRuidjTRJ2OE357oY6HBYryuSEn_EAC1Ii1W5npiLfRWvvS19cyGCSibBQWs51M/s1600/Banana+Plantation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4YIN1pJ-MKE_Ux7G7yIUu910ALlu9IoG6sM50DfybyzJfHtn_AtMbe96AJaZWO-A4Kl7KiEZ-yj2gRuidjTRJ2OE357oY6HBYryuSEn_EAC1Ii1W5npiLfRWvvS19cyGCSibBQWs51M/s400/Banana+Plantation.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: SmartyGirlTravel Erica Tyler Banana Plantation</td></tr>
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The three places I’d like to revisit
are: 1) <st1:place><st1:city>Granada</st1:city> <st1:country-region>Nicaragua</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
2) <st1:place><st1:city>Negril</st1:city>, <st1:country-region>Jamaica</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and 3) New York City-realm of <b>Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy</b>. <span style="line-height: 200%;">Each of these places are unique yet offer
the same ability for escape, albeit in dramatically different ways. The excitement of </span><st1:state style="line-height: 200%;">New
York</st1:state><span style="line-height: 200%;"> is a huge</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> contrast to the rather laid back attitudes of Negril and </span><st1:city style="line-height: 200%;">Granada</st1:city><span style="line-height: 200%;">
but it is no better or worse in terms of being able to find something fun to
do.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQ7Kt6agbNxwJaCtRYqW93yL9EELt2uDHShpQcptXPjW7NWyGQs_g5IEMT989P_Eu8sFpFTC_GogWmdsgrwkeTTYx4s5_KaxfTPkiyGGOC5BGivraHvz4VSTgRig-R4lFlEhNidrRS2E/s1600/30rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQ7Kt6agbNxwJaCtRYqW93yL9EELt2uDHShpQcptXPjW7NWyGQs_g5IEMT989P_Eu8sFpFTC_GogWmdsgrwkeTTYx4s5_KaxfTPkiyGGOC5BGivraHvz4VSTgRig-R4lFlEhNidrRS2E/s1600/30rock.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: IMdb.com <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496424/">30 Rock </a>Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin</td></tr>
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<st1:city>Granada</st1:city>
is lovely, lively, a bit rustic, and certainly moves along on its own
timeframe. Yet it is a peaceful place,
particularly in the mornings when it is still quiet as everyone is sleeping in
from the late night which often includes numerous people populating the streets
as late as <st1:time hour="3" minute="0">3 A.M.</st1:time> with music, laughter,
sometimes dancing and a copious amount of revelry and alcohol. Yet, it is not all jovial fun; there are numerous
stray dogs roaming around, strangely not in packs but they are quite a sight and
take some getting used to. Also, sit at
any of the plentiful outdoor tables and you will be asked numerous times to buy
something from street vendors or children who go right up to your table; most
of the time they are selling pottery but in one memorable case a man had a
cooler of <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-ceviche-8899">ceviche</a>; you learn to politely, but resolutely say no.</div>
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This aspect of <st1:city>Granada</st1:city>
is something you have to confront and accept if you are to stay there and enjoy
the city and surrounding areas, because it is absolutely gorgeous and filled
with natural beauty. Mountains, lakes, warm
weather and volcanoes to name just a few.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjp7i6bPNINmSKlh5yiY_-txRJZA1zw_TVfzi28gejw2nPYgyoF4lNvcBmfLhPW6Peshiro7qnjbqhsy-omuy3IxtH5Sv7FcDTu_CyTGaUwjAqoi0a_aoDFPTl9j6rfN0jGQrAzhwfs0/s1600/Brid+in+Tree+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjp7i6bPNINmSKlh5yiY_-txRJZA1zw_TVfzi28gejw2nPYgyoF4lNvcBmfLhPW6Peshiro7qnjbqhsy-omuy3IxtH5Sv7FcDTu_CyTGaUwjAqoi0a_aoDFPTl9j6rfN0jGQrAzhwfs0/s400/Brid+in+Tree+(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: SmartyGirlTravel Erica Tyler Bird in Tree</td></tr>
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If
you are the adventurous type, then <span style="font-size: large;"><b>you must take a tour of Masaya Volcano at
night</b></span>; the tour is a harrowing and exhilarating experience that includes a trip
into a dark cave where if you are lucky and your camera flash is good enough,
you can get a picture of one of the many bats residing within. There is a local chocolate factory where you
can take a class and make your own chocolate bar as well as take a tour of a
cocoa and banana plantation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_un6h5pudN1w6V5Kqe3JRdA2ht8vuGpNdp8vsazHtxnl8WyR7tMt63rPgEoLK0_k_Udy81v9CLl3WhsQHOds8JQZyVICnGs8t7kpY_WM3laSaL3U0xA73WEhiOdeGSjhYoOY-0SVAcQ/s1600/choc+travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_un6h5pudN1w6V5Kqe3JRdA2ht8vuGpNdp8vsazHtxnl8WyR7tMt63rPgEoLK0_k_Udy81v9CLl3WhsQHOds8JQZyVICnGs8t7kpY_WM3laSaL3U0xA73WEhiOdeGSjhYoOY-0SVAcQ/s400/choc+travel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: SmartyGirlTravel Erica Tyler Granada Chocolate Class</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;">There is a
cluster of 350 islands where you can take a tour and see the surrounding homes,
birds and other natural wildlife and experience a sense of awe at the beauty
and surrounding peacefulness. Sitting in
the boat, smelling the water, hearing the birds that fly gracefully overhead,
your first thought will be to quit your job and take claim of one of the island
homes-that is until you see the asking prices.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWPuqNjouo2rXgKHxLaGIYNZXcWVhiEkaYu8n8rBI887CwHRz67z5iKK5FjbzfP-pft-obOaV04B1Wnz9R3v6hEXsk8bOm5e4LE-XhFuMeRxG6jpnRl-p2Ji9seDcKtG04Lw7shkDKlI/s1600/Bird+erica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWPuqNjouo2rXgKHxLaGIYNZXcWVhiEkaYu8n8rBI887CwHRz67z5iKK5FjbzfP-pft-obOaV04B1Wnz9R3v6hEXsk8bOm5e4LE-XhFuMeRxG6jpnRl-p2Ji9seDcKtG04Lw7shkDKlI/s400/Bird+erica.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: SmartyGirl Erica Tyler Bird</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:place style="line-height: 200%;"><st1:city>Negril</st1:city>,
<st1:country-region>Jamaica</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="line-height: 200%;"> has a gorgeous
stretch of beach that looks and feels endless; once you arrive all you will
want to do is listen to Bob Marley or Jimmy Buffet and relax. Numerous resorts
populate the beach, but if you are able to get away from the resort and go to
the Margaritaville that is right on the sand, and have a Red Stripe while
sitting in a hammock looking out at the ocean, you will find yourself not
thinking about anything, but sun, sand and rest. There are merchants on the beach who will try
to get you to buy things, and getting in a cab makes you want to tell the
driver to go slower than 90 miles an hour, but it is still worth a visit to
experience the beauty of an island that, while it does have issues with safety,
can still be a lovely place to visit.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><st1:place><st1:city>New York</st1:city>,
<st1:state>New York</st1:state></st1:place> is a mythical place that seemingly
should not be able to live up to its reputation, yet it does. </span> </b>There is truly something to do there just
about anytime of the day. Ride the
subway (depending on the time can be quite an adventure), getting a slice of
pizza at 3am in a little shop where it’s standing room only, going to a packed
club that only gets crazier as the evening progresses. Going to central park, taking the ferry to <st1:place>Staten
Island</st1:place>, visiting the Statue of Liberty, or taking in a show on
Broadway-take your pick as this is just a partial list. It’s impossible to experience everything the
city has to offer in one, two or even five trips. </div>
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Each of these three places has issues
of safety and in some instances language barriers, but if you are a conscientious
traveler and go with an open mind, a hidden wallet, and keep your senses you
will have a wonderful experience. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Best wishes,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Erica</span></div>
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<br /></div>Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-55649690529545815642012-03-08T13:39:00.001-08:002012-03-08T17:39:53.297-08:00Tour South Korea: 7 Foods for Spring<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQtHP8kEAt0nA7Xt-QmbCA1QUjQaipzfFaY6aJYZ9Orw_-nCMnTAqi9GTZ624bG5riEjYi4nZDOUjsZGXFnN9IM3EPR7qaf1QsayeWc_0s6D-oQfV9bqA_6mvnZrB5tqUlpa779sRNC0/s1600/naeng+myeon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQtHP8kEAt0nA7Xt-QmbCA1QUjQaipzfFaY6aJYZ9Orw_-nCMnTAqi9GTZ624bG5riEjYi4nZDOUjsZGXFnN9IM3EPR7qaf1QsayeWc_0s6D-oQfV9bqA_6mvnZrB5tqUlpa779sRNC0/s320/naeng+myeon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flicker <a href="http://opencage.info/pics.e/large_10956.asp">Open Cage Naeng Myeon</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While I'm enjoying Los Angeles, with its seemingly eternal Spring, my sister is feeling chilly in <a href="http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/South_Korea#%21/items/flickr-4205614911">South Korea</a>. </span>She is eagerly anticipating warmer weather in Suwon.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Glossary:<br />
gochujang - red pepper paste<br />
ddeokbokki - cylindrical rice cakes<br />
odeng - fish cake slices<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvQ0-QfldN_mt8s6YGHtSBLgrbKGwOxNrCYmWCUvx8357_WvhdGrNo9BlmBgjAVSvWSJI2C0rnZ-rRvnM7E4CsTw1MsyBn5TsjJksJQ7A26Ou5JUzdBWTgwQM9FAiIRkM9pf1O7kdT-U/s1600/k+pepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvQ0-QfldN_mt8s6YGHtSBLgrbKGwOxNrCYmWCUvx8357_WvhdGrNo9BlmBgjAVSvWSJI2C0rnZ-rRvnM7E4CsTw1MsyBn5TsjJksJQ7A26Ou5JUzdBWTgwQM9FAiIRkM9pf1O7kdT-U/s1600/k+pepper.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/korean-food-supply-500g-Gochujang/dp/B002WTE0MQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331243800&sr=8-3">Amazon.com Gochujang Pepper Paste</a></td></tr>
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kimbab - Korean take on the California roll<br />
tobiko - Japanese flying fish eggs<br />
tang ja myeon - Korean interpretation of Chinese sweet and sour pork<br />
jajjang myeon - black bean noodles<br />
meaeun soon sal yang nyeom - fried boneless chicken with a sweet, spicy sauce<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To keep warm, she is eating dishes spiced up with gochujang</span>. This week she has eaten <i>ddeokbokki with odeng</i>. From what she relates, it seems that Korean culture includes many social activities that revolve around girlfriends exchanging small presents and treating each other to dining out. My sister's co-teachers introduced her to the food above.<br />
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Ddekbokki is often paired with mozzarella cheese and <a href="http://aeriskitchen.com/2009/03/sweet-potato-dessert-%EA%B3%A0%EA%B5%AC%EB%A7%88-%EB%A7%9B%ED%83%95-goguma-mattang/">sweet potatoes</a>.<br />
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Here is her review of the 6 other foods she has tried this week:<br />
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1. <i>Kimbab</i> can be okay or very good. The two types that she sampled, in a resturant near her Suwon apartment, were only fair. She doesn't plan to return to that cafe. However, she gave me a description of kimbab fillled with pork or orange-hued fish eggs. Since my sister is accustomed to fresh tobiko or <a href="http://www.sustainablesushi.net/the-fish/masago/">masago</a> in California, she was dissapointed by the fish egg kimbab. It didn't measure up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMmFnEq1F6UewOuXwB0FFFDEYhXvtN0VcUEsN2Nks42dHBtSJndDtU2fawcwiDv1q1jwHijbNvMAo9JTyXYx1wx79zSTUYXwXZBTTjK6rXWV_TcOmnuWWBUpB9uiIijygwgiJSdec-LU/s1600/soba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMmFnEq1F6UewOuXwB0FFFDEYhXvtN0VcUEsN2Nks42dHBtSJndDtU2fawcwiDv1q1jwHijbNvMAo9JTyXYx1wx79zSTUYXwXZBTTjK6rXWV_TcOmnuWWBUpB9uiIijygwgiJSdec-LU/s320/soba.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hackaday/2282946754/sizes/m/in/photostream/">Creative Commons RobotSkirts Soba Noodles</a></td></tr>
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2. <i><a href="http://dolsotbibimbap.com/korean-cold-noodles-naengmyeon/">Naeng myeon</a></i> is a cold, refreshing Spring buckwheat noodle dish with a slighty sour soup base. Since it's still winter, where she lives, few restaurants are serving this right now.<br />
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3. As an alternative to cold buckwheat noodles, she ate the hot winter dish of <i>tang ja myeon. </i>She says that this was pretty good and inexpensive for under $7. Tang ja myeon is a combination of the dish tang su yok (sweet & sourpork) + jajjang myeon (black bean noodles). <a href="http://mykoreankitchen.com/2006/11/02/korean-black-bean-paste-noodles-jajangmyun-in-korean/">My Korean Kitchen</a> gives a tutorial on Korean Black Bean Paste Noodles if you'd like to replicate this at home. <br />
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4. <i>Meaeun Soon Sal Yang Nyeom Chicken</i> is a deal at $6 because my sister has seen the same sweet and spicy chicken dish for $17.<br />
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5. Dried fruit and veggies at a World Mart can be delicious. She recommends the Vietnamese brand that is carried in Korea that includes a mix of <a href="http://outofthegarden.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/pakoda-for-a-spring-snowday/">jackfruit</a>, taro, banana and sweet potato. I suggest that you can make your own baked taro chips using <a href="http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2010/04/oven-baked-taro-chips.html">Tiny Urban Kitchen's recipe</a>. If you'd like to know the difference between jackfruit and durian, <a href="http://www.fairchildgarden.org/livingcollections/tropicalfruitprogram/jackfruit/growing-a-jackfruit-tree/">Fairchild Garden</a> is educational.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTcBgj4iAsJaOLnXybHCcQYgjfkH6E3lH-o2Wtf9kYC3Wq_kTEVwCZphcIhbBVUsrQ_Z-hY-u0eSGypL6ZxREsv6LfepY4F9vfbBgI_ACFa_FsrpE27DgzQ9kknLAF83sru_XQTyC9_A/s1600/walnut+pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTcBgj4iAsJaOLnXybHCcQYgjfkH6E3lH-o2Wtf9kYC3Wq_kTEVwCZphcIhbBVUsrQ_Z-hY-u0eSGypL6ZxREsv6LfepY4F9vfbBgI_ACFa_FsrpE27DgzQ9kknLAF83sru_XQTyC9_A/s320/walnut+pie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelaion/3961882584/sizes/m/in/photostream/"> Creative Commons Michaelaion Walnut Pie</a></td></tr>
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6. Cherry tarts, blueberry pastries and mini walnut pies in her new town were just fair. She doesn't plan on buying them again.Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-37504880202133283112012-02-27T15:20:00.001-08:002012-02-27T16:02:42.900-08:00Algae Cupcakes in Suwon Gyeonggi-do Korea<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziCr4B4277a9irl4_VwcWivy1i3qZC-9YgulJyxWUniX0jhICQubN5MRAdn9keigk8wusK9tZc2WLXQ6da1DMdMqtgh0_-W2g6jklfVHV87IG2pajQZdt5lc6QJCLgQuEvwN-4SP9Y58/s1600/monkey+cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziCr4B4277a9irl4_VwcWivy1i3qZC-9YgulJyxWUniX0jhICQubN5MRAdn9keigk8wusK9tZc2WLXQ6da1DMdMqtgh0_-W2g6jklfVHV87IG2pajQZdt5lc6QJCLgQuEvwN-4SP9Y58/s320/monkey+cupcakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellatrix6/3259157603/sizes/m/in/photostream/">Nikoretro Cupcakes</a></td></tr>
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My sister Sabrina accepted a new teaching contract so she from a rural area to her new school in the city. She'll be teaching 5th graders, 6th graders and one kindergarten class. This is a change from last year because she taught several classes of kindergarten and a few camps for the older students. She will do well and she's already made friends with her new co-teachers.<br />
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I asked her about new foods she's tried in South Korea and these are her top three picks for the week:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qpauDoWFc2hVLT4ABElBxnrLtALdzi18-PlPBkUqni998lhwqWpMn4XKTv8DmnbolX6tM132DE6A8XPIGbfBJmwqp5dvvlqzaMcuhKEunkcyNqOfUhA946VYrJ3w7ZSoI-jUJdyv3Ao/s1600/croissant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qpauDoWFc2hVLT4ABElBxnrLtALdzi18-PlPBkUqni998lhwqWpMn4XKTv8DmnbolX6tM132DE6A8XPIGbfBJmwqp5dvvlqzaMcuhKEunkcyNqOfUhA946VYrJ3w7ZSoI-jUJdyv3Ao/s320/croissant.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aseiff/3498048272/sizes/m/in/photostream/">Aeseiff Croissant</a></td></tr>
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1. <b>Croissants at<span style="font-size: large;"> Hello Cat Cafe</span></b><br />
This was a fun experience for my sister because back in the United States she cared for several pets: a dog and a bunny. This cafe has cat trees for the shop's Tabby and Persian cats to climb. Sabrina was unable to discern if these cats were up for adoption or just friendly hosts to boost the ambiance of the cafe. Watch the this video for similar <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iih1zGklBEg">cat cafes in Korea</a>.<br />
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She reported that the dining area had hand sanitizer for patrons to use after petting the friendly cafe cats. One cat pleaded for a bite of my sister's croissant but settled for being her company.My sister observed that rules for animal rights are very different from America. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7D0KzzZilGHmF5M-lRZiuz1HZ7aUrM6_4K-eqxUH4V58ZIZEOQfph4rYas5qc8HJxzzqMubDXjmCH-DenAvDCeNb56dCij3IDsnC8wnX9VTam_qbhsBzKsKe_PHj0S0S2zJWcJIPFTcE/s1600/tabby+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7D0KzzZilGHmF5M-lRZiuz1HZ7aUrM6_4K-eqxUH4V58ZIZEOQfph4rYas5qc8HJxzzqMubDXjmCH-DenAvDCeNb56dCij3IDsnC8wnX9VTam_qbhsBzKsKe_PHj0S0S2zJWcJIPFTcE/s320/tabby+cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alikai/1376882931/sizes/m/in/photostream/"> Alikai Tabby Cat</a></td></tr>
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She doesn't want to adopt a pet in South Korea because most of them are not healthy according to American standards. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqYhX_D0n-9CeXSGxWAATVE7mCbwnqM2whOdu8dRHrWNDm7rypPtRLTUZbs1oZKF47UOqe0UrwWhP3PGmxZ_kNP0a1v1wmfS-AFlRGvn4E5VyZwasXkCi7IzMi2yJADqnPnNW5RbEsA8/s1600/macaroons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqYhX_D0n-9CeXSGxWAATVE7mCbwnqM2whOdu8dRHrWNDm7rypPtRLTUZbs1oZKF47UOqe0UrwWhP3PGmxZ_kNP0a1v1wmfS-AFlRGvn4E5VyZwasXkCi7IzMi2yJADqnPnNW5RbEsA8/s320/macaroons.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cumidanciki/5212527461/sizes/m/in/photostream/"> Cumi & Ciki Stacked Macaroons</a></td></tr>
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2<b>. <span style="font-size: large;">Earl Grey Tea Macarons</span></b><br />
Sabrina enjoyed the French-style sandwich cookie for $2.50 each. She liked the bite of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18PlAZS3Tc0">macaron</a>, which she describes as between cake and cookie texture. She recommends the citrusy-tea flavor of the Earl Grey Tea macaron. She also tried a wasabi macaron but the wasabi bite was in the aftertaste. <br />
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3.<b> <span style="font-size: large;">Algae Cupcakes</span></b><br />
My sister explored a cupcake shop with her new co-teachers. Together they shared an algae cupcake and a <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easy-red-velvet-cake/465a4893-8208-4753-9802-fa2c51d6379f">red velvet</a> one. She like the algae cupcake and its green hue. Since we grew up eating seaweed snacks an algae cupcake wasn't that strange.<br />
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<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-79068205559886233512012-01-30T20:50:00.000-08:002012-01-30T20:56:12.920-08:003 Things Better than the Natural History Museum Store<span style="font-size: large;">When I visited the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County this Saturday, the museum shop displayed a black tshirt emblazoned with "Science is Sexy"</span>. Do you agree? I'll answer with maybe.<br />
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I'd say <span style="font-size: large;">"Science is fun, scary and sometimes cute."</span><br />
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<i><b>What was fun at the Natural History Museum?</b></i><br />
Gawking at the hundred pound gem-quality jade. Hey, what can I say, I grew up admiring jade jewelry. Plus it's Chinese New Year. My friend also pointed out a mineral and gemstone that looked just like a snowman hugging a column. The three others in the group agreed. So cute! Besides all that cuteness, magnificent and mysterious shards of tourmaline shone. Some of the minerals created shapes like brain coral. <br />
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<b><i>What was scary?</i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyN6LL4DUHgvnOj7cDkNlMQC6RjvmyIhz2HyLfbKDlqmWQnPadmL_OGgs_W8Lka4OMKyGy16x2x928p5QmyvYHOAoF31d1KyLgqQuOOonNA_8z9yZS0dXbU-mCeMp_91tBA84DynYSWA/s1600/oarfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyN6LL4DUHgvnOj7cDkNlMQC6RjvmyIhz2HyLfbKDlqmWQnPadmL_OGgs_W8Lka4OMKyGy16x2x928p5QmyvYHOAoF31d1KyLgqQuOOonNA_8z9yZS0dXbU-mCeMp_91tBA84DynYSWA/s320/oarfish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons Oarfish</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6d7W5P1os86xodmlzFaxZbPnlw_k4ACM4pJU70HGmuqKhMxfhLHjUZE67AdqWe4zSaGWnJoUbK1HLCrbLdtW7blkp84cKqm_S1ohvwBXg3tKYxvK13YIE8NRLa_CgJ7N4vln9ON0Fr0Q/s1600/megamouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6d7W5P1os86xodmlzFaxZbPnlw_k4ACM4pJU70HGmuqKhMxfhLHjUZE67AdqWe4zSaGWnJoUbK1HLCrbLdtW7blkp84cKqm_S1ohvwBXg3tKYxvK13YIE8NRLa_CgJ7N4vln9ON0Fr0Q/s320/megamouth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons Megamouth</td></tr>
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The preserved oarfish and megamouth found near Catalina Island in 1984 and 2006, respectively, were frightening to me. I would not like to encounter either during an open water swim. The oarfish looked like a sea serpent over 9 feet long with antennae-looking parts like a creature from very deep waters. The megamouth was shorter but it's head was 3 feet by 3 feet. Like it's namesake, it's mouth looked uncommonly large. The fact that these creatures are modern day freaks me out. They look like they are from a time long past.<br />
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<i><b>What was cute?</b></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLNNFEUA2nRHqeL0WeGO0Uv6AYzynjG-UlLw0GIH3C4N3rEfK1gWXiuOfi7X_uJ9GerHxnYE-tRbkJr4Nt7DmLUVVs-XAWMNwNHH18pzQp-cBBIdZXDWStbRIZYGO68OXpGAGLSZggpI/s1600/peccary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLNNFEUA2nRHqeL0WeGO0Uv6AYzynjG-UlLw0GIH3C4N3rEfK1gWXiuOfi7X_uJ9GerHxnYE-tRbkJr4Nt7DmLUVVs-XAWMNwNHH18pzQp-cBBIdZXDWStbRIZYGO68OXpGAGLSZggpI/s320/peccary.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr Geograph Org UK Peccary</td></tr>
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The Fossil Huntress play was witty, educational and humorous. One actress with a Mary Poppins-accent presented a story to the audience. Her character lived near cliffs in England that were speckled with fossils. Her family sold these thinking these were common seashells until a palentologist came to her booth one day to explain their value to science. Other actors dressed in prehistoric sea serpent and teen triceratops costumes performed for the audience. The audience could watch the sea animal's terrible jaws when consuming a fish and the gait of the triceratops. This was important because 10 years ago, scientists believed that triceratops walked closer to the ground like lizards.<br />
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In addition to the play, the taxidermy North American and African Mammals were a sight. The young coyotes, baby Kudu and mountain sheep were heart-meltingly cute. My favorite exhibit was of the Peccaries, a family of mammals that looked like bristly boars but belonged to something other than the pig family. The "piglet" was the same size as a chihuahua and it's eyes were fierce-looking. Mighty adorable!<br />
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I'd recommend this museum as a great date trip or just a family outing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Museum Hopping!</span><br />
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<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-55294177546131875202012-01-28T17:52:00.000-08:002012-01-28T20:56:00.229-08:00Apgujeong, the Beverly Hills of Korea<span style="font-size: large;">My sister teaches English overseas at a public elementary school rather than at an Hagwon, a private school afterschool program. When she isn't lesson-planning she explores Korean culture.</span><br />
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<i><b>Where did she travel this week?</b></i> She uses Norbert Paxton's The Rough Guide to Korea for some of her travel plans. This guide called <a href="http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/247">Apgujeong</a> the Beverly Hills of Korea. Why? Because everywhere you look you find advertisements for plastic surgery and valet parking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLuIQnpnMx7_y3Rtn1H6oEjz25LvUaF4XaxHsC9UMGcxlKuwpIcDd11a8QvbXBS8Hzpmlo6bw9ozTSF7wM2gUVnBmPTYDXRdH60qSDsdr_dct6DC4CaJ1HmETD3dxSSEy8vkmurk7yTw/s1600/pasta1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLuIQnpnMx7_y3Rtn1H6oEjz25LvUaF4XaxHsC9UMGcxlKuwpIcDd11a8QvbXBS8Hzpmlo6bw9ozTSF7wM2gUVnBmPTYDXRdH60qSDsdr_dct6DC4CaJ1HmETD3dxSSEy8vkmurk7yTw/s320/pasta1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr CesarFotos Pasta</td></tr>
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<i><b>Did she go anywhere where Korean dramas were filmed?</b></i> She traveled to <a href="http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/seoul/229">Gangnam</a> too but fans of <a href="http://www.dramacrazy.net/korean-drama/pasta/">"Pasta"</a> can recognize landmarks in Apgujeong.<br />
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<i><b>Did you notice anything different about Korean versus American dating customs?</b></i> My sister observed that guys in Korea that she exchanged numbers with texted her within 3 hours to ask her out. This is different from in America where she usually expected a 3-day waiting period. She explains that in Korea, the custom is for Korean men to be very persistent. The ritual is that they obtain the girl's phone number and text the same day. The girl can ignore the text, not reply and the guy knows he has no chance with her. <br />
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<i><b>Can you give me an example of how <a href="http://www.eatyourkimchi.com/dating-in-korea/">guys in Korea</a> make their approach?</b></i> My sister toured the city of Seoul with three of her co-teacher girlfriends: a Scot, a Chinese-Canadian, and a Londoner. Korean men would subtly hover around the group, then invite themselves into the conversation. The men would express interest through the best Korean speaker in the group. This means my sister heard a "date-me" pitch from a Korean guy who claimed he worked for Hyundai of the American South (i.e. Alabama), through her "interpreter" girlfriend. My sister nodded politely said she wasn't interested and told him to leave but have a nice day. He stayed. "Korean men persist," says my sister. Only after the third "goodbye", did he give up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flickr Foodistablog Sweet Potato Pie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Flicker TubeDogg Cheddar Cheese</td></tr>
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<i><b>How did you use your Korean-speaking skills this week?</b></i> My sister is very proud of herself that she ordered delivery in Korean this week. She ordered a noodle dinner on one night. On another day, she ordered a pizza. No, not the blueberry one I mentioned in a previous post. This pizza had shrimp, cheddar cheese, sausage, bacon and sweet potato mousse. She said it took her several days to finish the leftovers for that one pizza, mostly because the mousse was so filling. She won't order that pizza again. If you want to try a Korean-style pizza like this one in the States, Los Angeles has a <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-pizza-los-angeles-3">Mr. Pizza</a> that serves up a pie with this mousse. <br />
<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-69461105832574483452012-01-25T21:22:00.001-08:002012-02-25T21:04:13.632-08:00Building Homes in Nicaragua<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">My friend and hero, Erica, just returned from volunteering for <a href="http://www.habitatoc.org/page.aspx?pid=343">Habitat for Humanity</a></span> for three weeks in Nicaragua.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Lifting Bricks for Habitat for Humanity</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler and Habitat for Humanity Team</td></tr>
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<b><i>What did she do there?</i></b> She mixed cement and lugged bricks that were 30 pounds each to create homes for families living near natural waterfalls but in abject poverty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Habitat for Humanity</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Habitat for Humanity</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Habitat for Humanity </td></tr>
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Before Erica and her team of 12 arrived, the families lived in tin shanties without windows with one room living spaces with kitchens that blanketed everything in soot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Crushed Beans for Chocolate</td></tr>
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<b><i>What were the physical demands? </i></b> Erica, a marathon runner, worked from 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. doing heavy labor so that the families could have homes with brick rather than dirt floors and better ventilation. I am in awe of her. She describes her heavy toil with such a positive spirit and hope for the citizens of the area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Pestle and Chocolate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Cacao Beans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Nicaragua Trip</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler at Apooyu Lagoon</td></tr>
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<b><i>How poverty-stricken are the locals?</i></b> Children from walking age to 12-years-old beg or sell trinkets on the street. Homeless dogs wander the streets for scraps. Erica talks about the gentleness of the culture and the natural beauty that still exists despite the areas wounded by civil war and earthquakes. Horses, pigs, and cows roam the streets. Animals are not fenced in.<br />
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<b><i>How did she prepare for the trip?</i></b> She volunteered every month with her coworker in her neighborhood in the States to build homes using power tools. She stayed fit by doing her running training and kickboxing. This prepared her well because in Nicaragua, only hand tools such as machetes were available.<br />
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<b><i>What is a tip she'd share with other first-time visitors?</i></b> Manugua is not a safe place. Spend more time in Granada when you are on your free time after you've completed your service project.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Fried Cheese, Plantains and Beans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Chocolate Drink</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Chocolate Bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler in Granada</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1egusEDGJa-TVvTqmCL2kGZy3IZDlUdyZwkCPParNKv4quZ9V7zcLn1XMTOyARyDsyzVo0n02hcYKEue1xU01C09ZYElPLhLz2azjbhJjQI0tJKEdLqRiiz1DqZzw9fvDFL6DDPgk9DQ/s1600/nicaragua+water.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1egusEDGJa-TVvTqmCL2kGZy3IZDlUdyZwkCPParNKv4quZ9V7zcLn1XMTOyARyDsyzVo0n02hcYKEue1xU01C09ZYElPLhLz2azjbhJjQI0tJKEdLqRiiz1DqZzw9fvDFL6DDPgk9DQ/s320/nicaragua+water.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler Travel to Nicaragua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dj4s1PrVaU0j_3cgjiKx9eHEiJ2O4xhSyL4TsnQC3vuBiYIuZ4YnruO1A_2IqviJC1xLktCFYuUIS08zFTcAvBTF_dgmi4ezd0YvUoAci93IGhG5qiaIF0ZhxvJi2jg0o7Z5A_h2Wc4/s1600/masachapa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dj4s1PrVaU0j_3cgjiKx9eHEiJ2O4xhSyL4TsnQC3vuBiYIuZ4YnruO1A_2IqviJC1xLktCFYuUIS08zFTcAvBTF_dgmi4ezd0YvUoAci93IGhG5qiaIF0ZhxvJi2jg0o7Z5A_h2Wc4/s320/masachapa.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler in Masachapa</td></tr>
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<b><i>What were her lodging, transportation and meal arrangements?</i></b> The team stayed in a decent hotel by the beach, slept in hammocks and rode together to the construction site. The hotel delivered food to the volunteers during the day. On a free day, she took a chocolate making class, in Granada, from bean roasting to adding sweetener. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHBegdyX8RofFzFOKf-17IzakyQga1K60yoQ340w_vErR5eUXOVaX_bphP9Q1oIdd4AY97Px6WTyqQRlO1_qaEMau_xEeZc5RgP21cVMUriFx00Kbz7srKYoQZuaBzdtheqUMcxp1JRE/s1600/kid+nicaragua.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHBegdyX8RofFzFOKf-17IzakyQga1K60yoQ340w_vErR5eUXOVaX_bphP9Q1oIdd4AY97Px6WTyqQRlO1_qaEMau_xEeZc5RgP21cVMUriFx00Kbz7srKYoQZuaBzdtheqUMcxp1JRE/s320/kid+nicaragua.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Erica Tyler's Trip to Nicaragua</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:rmarchol@gmail.com">Tell me</a> your story </span>of doing a service project outside the United States.Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-56084761957584351342012-01-24T22:44:00.000-08:002012-01-26T05:09:41.489-08:00Concerts, Donuts and Teaching in Korea<span style="font-size: large;">I spent part of this evening celebrating the second day of Chinese New Year with my sister, who is teaching English overseas </span>in Korea over Skype. She gave me entertainment news about the concert that she'll go to next week, food reviews during this snowy week and five tips for others who might want to teach in Korea.<br />
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<i><b>First, entertainment news. </b></i>She will watch Beast in concert next weekend. When she was stateside, she watched the Wonder Girls and 2 P.M. in San Francisco.<br />
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<i><b>Second, food tidbits.</b></i> Three noteworthy desserts. Two main dishes. And one oddity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDkqlLZa_Y8rFZ5Jmkz1XMeLV8we16jBLuboU7YICmczdHQJgnM62PhnwUvi_RD3LCghyphenhyphenvjqPSdw37XjXjdaChq_iY2lHnDTGPo5txkQ-wDbJaW613mCGYTGK28tjxPfj78l0IM14JNg/s1600/green+donut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDkqlLZa_Y8rFZ5Jmkz1XMeLV8we16jBLuboU7YICmczdHQJgnM62PhnwUvi_RD3LCghyphenhyphenvjqPSdw37XjXjdaChq_iY2lHnDTGPo5txkQ-wDbJaW613mCGYTGK28tjxPfj78l0IM14JNg/s320/green+donut.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Creative Commons Green Donut</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Dessert:</b> Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts in Korea offer Bavarian cream, pistachio glaze and cafe hazelnut pastries. I am especially interested in the Bismark bar as described by my sister. Chocolate candy coating, filled with Bavarian cream on one end and chocolate filling on the other. She also likes the green pistachio glazed raised donut. Yum!<br />
Though restaurants are closed right now during Korean New Year's, donut shops are open for business.<br />
<b>Main Dishes</b>: Korean Chicken with Onions and Cold Buckwheat noodles. More detail next time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOgrDX0JVU3mTeHbl9pGRNjkFxGMRZGQ2ofjDHWXXTvr-2tXJhb1FzSK-Tedp_WXhH_D0EikPx73NPcwiWYebiIq0SSJ7d0IqDy-mAuc5Q-lcInirl8-ibUNHAg_845jXQArk96940q8/s1600/bavarian+cream+donut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOgrDX0JVU3mTeHbl9pGRNjkFxGMRZGQ2ofjDHWXXTvr-2tXJhb1FzSK-Tedp_WXhH_D0EikPx73NPcwiWYebiIq0SSJ7d0IqDy-mAuc5Q-lcInirl8-ibUNHAg_845jXQArk96940q8/s320/bavarian+cream+donut.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Creative Commons Bavarian Cream Donut</td></tr>
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<b>Oddity:</b> Blueberry pizza with walnuts, mozzarella cheese, raisins and wedges of savory potato. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLRpQKQ1yu1eforcdvVQhPis6_EjPSGgLMZBkg5MYp2yZIJSeDph7awKXijrZuMkIlBerChJNuNJ6_-O6U-nIiWozcPqFszppSq79kol7TnH7LmQQEbh9OAG01iteY5444lJbdd6byhw/s1600/blueberry+lime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLRpQKQ1yu1eforcdvVQhPis6_EjPSGgLMZBkg5MYp2yZIJSeDph7awKXijrZuMkIlBerChJNuNJ6_-O6U-nIiWozcPqFszppSq79kol7TnH7LmQQEbh9OAG01iteY5444lJbdd6byhw/s320/blueberry+lime.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Creative Commons Blueberries</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Lastly, practical tips. Five tips from my sister, the EPIK Program kindergarten teacher.<br />
1. <i><b>Earn your Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate</b></i> before you apply to http://www.epik.go.kr/<br />
Why? You are eligible for a higher salary than other candidates without such certification.<br />
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2. <i>G<b>ain classroom experience 12 months before you apply</b></i> to a program teaching English overseas. She taught Math and English at a Korean school in California for a year before she applied to the program managed by the Korean government.<br />
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3. <i><b>Ace the interview</b></i> by answering honestly during your Skype interview why you want to teach in Korea. Is it for the cultural experience? Are you already interested in the pop culture, music and entertainment? Do you want to grow as a teacher? Do you already know the language? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRJZPvp7gb7nk2tDxlZmz8aUiSWsfdV8BM1gh0MuFbnO3pDswsxdwPWCqFKxhxJa05HtGsLU56qr3aMWSiAjYb64GwACm3m8eubyTMueA54uZcqTwxVSD4JmOYJp92PBfm8-ex_rQo5c/s1600/Korean_New_Year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRJZPvp7gb7nk2tDxlZmz8aUiSWsfdV8BM1gh0MuFbnO3pDswsxdwPWCqFKxhxJa05HtGsLU56qr3aMWSiAjYb64GwACm3m8eubyTMueA54uZcqTwxVSD4JmOYJp92PBfm8-ex_rQo5c/s320/Korean_New_Year.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Creative Commons Korean New Year</td></tr>
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4. <i><b>Confirm expectations </b></i>with your employer. In exchange for teaching, your employer may provide a salary and housing for you during your contract. For instance, my sister's employer arranged for an apartment for her with a full kitchen that she does not have to share with a roommate.<br />
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Your obligations may include teaching during the regular school year in addition to summer and winter camps. You will spend a great deal of time lesson planning and adapting for your audience. For example, during a typical day my, sister may be expected to teach nearly 60 kindergartners in one classroom with only two teaching assistants for classroom management. <br />
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5. <i><b>Enjoy coworker friendships</b></i>. Who are some of the other teachers selected by the program? My sister has made friends with fellow teachers from South Africa, Australia, London and America. It's a 50/50 split between male and female teachers, predominantly in their 20s.<br />
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If you are curious about my sister's adventures in teaching, read future lenses and check out images of Korea on <a href="http://pinterest.com/whitebunnycandy/">her Pinterest board</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Traveling!</span></b><br />
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<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790440279566774217.post-73859755658158828302012-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:002012-01-19T18:09:22.121-08:00Korean Music Winter 2012<span style="font-size: large;">My sister has returned to Korea</span> after a visit with the family in
December. So of course I Skyped her recently to ask her about music trends she likes
in the new year. For fellow Americans who are following Korean bands such as 2 P.M. and Infinite, you might be interested in MBLAQ.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here are two boy bands and three girl groups that appeal to me this winter:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXfghAdSru6ALQ8czPn_5TM-PaxzxyDphSq-2cEcgcBmMGNPl_yvh7t3dIpe18x_J7xaspfQ3jdAXY1RDzD3wZxSUQCNEbJJIzFxNkYMC-wu1mqWgbYIe2chKDOsiv61fbw5NOuXOIMY/s1600/kpop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXfghAdSru6ALQ8czPn_5TM-PaxzxyDphSq-2cEcgcBmMGNPl_yvh7t3dIpe18x_J7xaspfQ3jdAXY1RDzD3wZxSUQCNEbJJIzFxNkYMC-wu1mqWgbYIe2chKDOsiv61fbw5NOuXOIMY/s320/kpop.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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1. MBLAQ<br />
My favorite song by this R&B/pop band is "I belong to you". Who can resist a song that begins with "I'm sorry, girl" like the formula of great American MoTown? You can find this song on <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#%21/s/I+Belong+To+You/3Q5nNh?src=5">Grooveshark</a>.<br />
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2. Infinite<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/zpT4EkgSIQg">"Nothing's over"</a> reminds me of the guilty pleasure of listening to American boy bands of the 1990s. Sunny music about young love.<br />
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3. Afterschool<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/DC766xWLldM">"Ah"</a> is just so cute as a video. It's also a study of coy poses that are distinct to Korea. <br />
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4. WonderGirls<br />
Their song "Nobody" reminds me of the flirty beats of Debbie Gibson and hand clapping of Prince music of the 1980s. In other words, I dig it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjz6xXIQ4MTxhbpdg8N7QCZpyEEqyRjUSDfn4F9QlqW4IJTenhFt9QPJQgJBtrOJspiAUiHtPFozBGrECdmXWNeo4Rjy8Erl0xLzvLjjgv7c3oOSK-mbBSMjgO_y5vpJPd8qwACHgg_9c/s1600/purple+pansy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjz6xXIQ4MTxhbpdg8N7QCZpyEEqyRjUSDfn4F9QlqW4IJTenhFt9QPJQgJBtrOJspiAUiHtPFozBGrECdmXWNeo4Rjy8Erl0xLzvLjjgv7c3oOSK-mbBSMjgO_y5vpJPd8qwACHgg_9c/s320/purple+pansy.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>
5. Son Dambi<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/iP6k8l4x2U4">Son Dambi's "Crazy"</a> video will remind you of Liza Minelli's slinky moves in cabaret. <br />
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<br />Renee Marcholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049150401248538176noreply@blogger.com0