Home, Sweet Home!

It has been quite the adventure. Ever place I visited was wonderfully beautiful and rich with culture and people. I was reminded why I LOVE traveling so much. The only downside is sleeping...as in jet lag, beds and sleep deprivation ;-) I have been home for a week and never more happy to sleep in my own bed. It has taken a bit to get acclimated to this time zone again while trying to step back into work, unpack and basically get situated. I am closer now.

If I had to highlight the trip I would say:

1. The incredible reception I received around the world on behalf of President Obama (I felt like he was family)
2. Connecting with old friends
3. Singapore was a wonderful surprise
4. All the amazing food
5. Getting an idea of where I want to return to to spend more time

This will satiate my travel bug for a minute but in reality may have firmly rooted it in my being ;-) I have already pinned my map and begun daydreaming about the next one. Where have I not been yet? Hmmmm...

Anyway, I am not sure what will become of this Blog. I have thoughts to keep it going to share this first year with President Obama and my own own personal journey. We will see what manifest but for now, thanks for sharing my experiences with me.

Nancy

Sydney

I have been neglectful to this Blog while in Sydney. I arrived a week ago and none of my adapters worked here so my camera batteries died the first day (so only a few photos from Sydney), and William and I have been running around the city leaving very little time to write. Not to mention that when it comes to technology sweet Australia is a little behind. It is so expensive to have the Internet in general that most folks are still using dial up...you can imagine how long it takes to load newer sites and Facebook is a mess. They get charged by MBs downloaded so I generally tended to stay offline. Wireless is even less common, so I have been the relative hermit. Funny, I was sure Aus would be the one place I would have a regular connection.

Anyway, Sydney has been a wonderful trip. Seeing it as a resident far surpasses seeing it as a tourist. The food is lovely, the beach pools are cool, and the "bush" is lush and beautiful. I arrived during a heat wave, but without the humidity, it was bearable. We swam everyday at these really neat pools and and talked until we could no longer keep our eyes open. It has been 2.5 years since the last time I saw William at his going away party in SD. I have been reminded why I love him so much! Our time has been easy and relaxing...we have laughed a ton and had some deep moving discussions. There is nothing like being face to face ;-) I have been introduced to many of his wonderful friends and feel confident he is in good hands.

Unfortunately, Australia is in the midst of a tragedy with several bush fires burning around the east coast. Many lives have been lost unnecessarily. When I think that most of the fires were started by arson, I become so discouraged. I guess I will never understand how things like that are possible....it is truly beyond my comprehension. However, in tragedy we usually get to see great acts of kindness and that is also the case here. People are doing what they can to help the victims and there is a sense of "we are in this together," so everyone is pitching in. he weather has turned cooler in the last day and there has been a little rain which has helped a bit and allowed time for firefighters to catch their breath. My prayers are with them all.

Today I head back to the US and end this magical journey. I have experienced so many emotions on this trip. It has filled me up and offered me some insight into what my next step could be. I have reconnected with amazing people and have really seen how small our world is. I could not have imagined just how impacted the world would be by what Americans would consider a US financial crisis...if this does not prove we are interconnected then I do not know what does. We must begin to look out for and take care of one another...our future, our lives depend on it.

I Love Singapore!

I am in Singapore now, this was meant to be a short stop over to visit my friend Gina whom I use to work with at the JCCS. She left San Diego just under 2 years ago and moved back to Singapore with her family. It was on the way to Sydney and i wanted to see her...so I stopped. I came a day earlier than expected because of what I previously explained about Phuket...there was nothing there for me and another day with Gina would be worth the effort to make the change. It was a very good decision! It has been a full and rich visit. Gina is still as crazy, funny and sweet as ever, and Singapore is beautiful and diverse. I had the added bonus of finding my old friend Darrin Clarkin who also lives here with his wife. I have not seen Darrin since he graduated USIU in 1987...it has been a long time and he looks exactly the same. To make the world even smaller, while on my way to Singapore from Phuket a former student from CSUSM recognized me and said hello with his wife Amanda who was also a grauate of the credential program. They are living and working in Singapore...and loving it. We had a great chat and hope to stay in touch.

Gina has given me the tour of a lifetime (in 3 days), I have met her wonderful friends and got to spend some quality time with her mom who is a funny and wonderful woman. We have planned all activities around what we want to eat and have had extremely good weather on our excursions. The Singapore Zoo is a national treasure and someting not to be missed if you ever visit. I have one more day and will be sorry to go tomorrow morning...the only upside being that I will get to see my good friend William in Sydney which could brighten anyones day (if you knew him you would understand). I will post more pictures once I get settled in Aus...I can't believe this trip is going so fast!

Thailand - Phuket

I left Bangkok and went to Phuket expecting to find a remote beautiful place, with gorgeous scenery and clear blue water. I got everything but the remote ;-) Phuket, Kata Beach to be more specific, on first glance could be Cabo, Puerta Vallarta or any other Mexican destination you can think of. It is full of White toursit from Europe with really bad sun burns. I mention this because it was such a shock to me. When I go to England I expect to see White people so it is not necessarily something I notice because it is expected, I did not however expect it in Phuket especially after leaving Bangkok. The only Thai people around were those in service. I have been told that this was further so due to Chinese New Year, which is a massive celebration in this part of the world. It is the one time people really do take off work, close down shop and go to family. It is a wonderful tradition and a very happy and festive time here. But, if you know me you must know it is not me (unless the circumstances are perfect i.e. girls weekend, no boys and no kids). Ohn, a friend of my friend Steve, set me up in a nice hotel and arranged a boat/Canoe day trip for me. THIS was perfect. It was a relaxing outing on calm waters with cute boys taking care of your every need. Since I was traveling alone so I had my own guide named Sam who was very sweet and kind. He was full of useful information and quick to smile and laugh, which I think is common for Thai people. They are simply happy people and you become happy in their presense. It really is contagious. They ask all kinds of questions that Americans would consider inappropriate, they say what is on their mind (unfortunately for me this was usually related to my size, I am big in America...but I am HUGE here ;-), and they share easily. My ego got to take a much needed break and I got to enjoy a truly beutiful culture. I will return but will plan a little differently and get more of the culture and less of the tourist.

Thailand - Bangkok

After 4 long and crazy days in Dubai, I have headed for Thailand. In Bangkok I got to spend time with my friend Chalit whom also went to USIU-E and who was kind to look after me then and now. Seeing Bangkok with a native is wonderful. I got to see places and eat at places the average tourist does not. The Thai are serious about their food and basically we planned what we were going to do around great food. Everything is fresh and spicy...I am in food heaven! I am still sleep deprived but am slowly adjusting to this time zone....slowly. The fact that I am typing this Blog at 1:13 AM may not be the best evidence, but I am closer I think. I took a nap today which might be the problem. Oh well, I get to sleep in tomorrow.

So far nothing is what I have expected. Bangkok is a lot like LA...big, smoggy and on the move. Traffic is constant and it was by the sheer skill and knowledge of Chalit that we made it anywhere. It took me a couple of days to realize they drive on the left...too long in the UK, I swear I do not know the difference anymore. It becomes a problem; however, when both sides seem wrong. Luckily I was not not driving...I would have just drove in the middle of the road. Driving in Thailand is not for the meek...between the trucks, cars and motorbikes, it is insanity on wheels. Add pedestrians in the mix and you begin to wonder why there are not more fatalities. I had my fortune told at the Grand Palace Temple, he said I would live a long life so I just held on and took deep breaths...I survived.

I landed on Chinese New Year Day (year of the Ox) so Chalit took me to his families for lunch to celebrate...more amazing food. It was neat to learn about the traditions and see the red everywhere. It is a holiday so many places were closed, which was just as well since it turns out I only needed one day to spend all my money. I am sleepy, feeling old cus my ankles have swelled up due to the heat. I was told on Facebook by my friend Matty that whining on vacation was not allowed so I am trying to suck it up...the Motrin makes sucking it up a bit easier ;-) So fat ankles aside, I am having a ball.

Dubai - The USIU-E Reunion

It was a whirlwind day, I left the Inauguration and headed to the airport for a 13 hour flight to Dubai. I am still trying to catch up on sleep a week later ;-) I landed in the evening, walked around Festival City, called a friend and met up with the first lot of IUE folks for drinks. I made it to bed at 4:30AM. Everyday for the next four proceeded similarly. It was great to see my friends from college whom have not changed much at all. A few pounds, a few wives, a few kids...but basically the same. We picked up where we left off and many still can drink like they did 20 years ago...I was not one of them.

Besides seeing everyone, eating way too much and walking every inch of the shopping miles, the highlight had to be going to a dance bar where...you guessed it...woman dance for money...fully clothed and the men send tiaras. Go figure. All the woman from our group were like, "why are we here?" It was a good laugh though and really any excuse to spend time together was OK.

So, Dubai is truly in the desert...there are a million and one cranes in the air and at the moment, motionless. They have been hit hard as well economically and are trying to regroup. It will take time. When do you think the male leaders of the world will realize we are interconnected? Nothing happens in isolation anymore...they need to be more thoughtful...find their feminine side...something!

Tangent aside (whew), Marwan, Walid and Yehia spent my last day with me, keeping me entertained from lunch until they dropped me at the airport at 8 PM. We laughed a lot and reminesced. I remembered why I loved them. I am glad I made the effort and hope we don't wait 20 more years.

Highlights:

• Water for the tub coming out of the ceiling in the Intercontinental Hotel
• Sharing a room with Ben, Jacs and family for last two nights
• Turkish delight
• Dancing on the Dhow dinner trip
• Trying to remember everyone (and their wives) names
• Lunch with the boys
• Seeing Ski Dubai
• My little pink skirt
  

Inauguration Day - A Few Days Later

It has taken me a couple days to get my act together...getting over the jet lag and simply processing the events of Inauguration day has been a bit of a task. The day was a whirlwind of rushing to wait. The immensity of the crowd was beyond my imaginations expectation...but I really had nothing to compare it to so it should not be such a surprise that I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. Roughly 2 million people..numbers like that are thrown around on a semi regular basis and because we hear it often enough, we think we comprehend what it actually means. But not until you are walking among the said 2 million can you really begin to know immensity of it. I was overwhelmed...overwhelmed by what it meant to be in a crowd that size, overwhelmed that that many people were also "possessed" to be there (because to call it less than a "possession" would be sorely inaccurate), overwhelmed that I would not only witness history in the making but be a part of that history. I am sure my friends and I (like many others) will appear in thousands of photo albums, to be shown to those who could not join us, as nameless masses who "were also there."

Once we braved the subway, walked the streets, and stood in a very long line in a tunnel in DC to get to the "Purple Gate" that bore the name of our inaug tickets, we finally made it in the gates and got to our place in time to watch Aretha sing, the swearing in of VP Joe Biden, the orchestra play and finally (what we had been waiting for) the swearing in of President Obama. it was a humbling and moving moment. I WAS THERE! President Obama spoke eloquently to me and the world...and we listened intently to his message with hope and gladness in our hearts. We made it!

Shortly after his speach we began the trek back to Taisha's. It took sheer determination (and a little strength) to make it back down the subway to Bethesda where we were staying. By the time we arrived, we were worn out. we watched the rest of the events on TV while I prepared for my flight to Dubai that evening. I was in a haze all afternoon, I tried to work but could not stay focused. I finally gave up and declared the day a National Holiday in my mind, closed up my computer and watched the parade.

I have to thank Taisha for her hospitality, Celisa for her positive spirit and motivation, and Penny for her mob connections (AKA as the AKA's and her Dad) that can manage to get tickets to anything they put their mind to and mostly because some very significant moments in my life have been spent with her.