tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54556753074899248082024-03-14T10:49:40.970-04:00all things all things of the universe are miracles, each as profound as any. <br>
-walt whitmanepedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-51662189404093966942010-12-20T19:36:00.001-05:002010-12-20T19:38:21.614-05:00A 2010 recap videoBack home for Christmas, and hoping to post soon on a new computer. In the meantime, a good review in honor of the season:<br /><br /><object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F0QXB5pw2qE&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F0QXB5pw2qE&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-1385236525623184362010-10-22T19:31:00.002-04:002010-10-22T19:38:09.813-04:00Coconut Oil, you tell LIES<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQfLaaRjdRorzF3rV4S3TCkvw8vDCMhswn6nVZ4QhayqxEeYh60Mz4otYlAE-6tFVTWoOtdpAz7kfWgy5H-2yTQLVFG27OBHhf8rSeyod_c3LQttOcXnF0aK0RURpHnfkvFWVVl0n_Y6C/s1600/video+for+mom+074.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQfLaaRjdRorzF3rV4S3TCkvw8vDCMhswn6nVZ4QhayqxEeYh60Mz4otYlAE-6tFVTWoOtdpAz7kfWgy5H-2yTQLVFG27OBHhf8rSeyod_c3LQttOcXnF0aK0RURpHnfkvFWVVl0n_Y6C/s400/video+for+mom+074.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531018514515005170" /></a>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-44968430901260212762010-10-17T07:28:00.001-04:002010-10-17T16:33:02.954-04:00Traditional Stick Dancing<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmZ_3aMWK5I?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmZ_3aMWK5I?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-56904331163825171392010-10-17T01:10:00.003-04:002010-10-17T01:29:25.905-04:00where have i been?<div style="text-align: left;">working on this project:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://pohnpeihiking.blogspot.com">www.pohnpeihiking.blogspot.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsMKvINojwFLMHH1Pm1qVSi27fRmdhJuViwkWF_IUc_C5Gl5ASLg7xsxRc4Nqp7IzmUIWBsaEq9inLLef-Cymw5NHWTK6mhK-cogF0NKYgm73nC2Tj05U1NzOmeD76gRE72XXv4TS6Cc1/s320/7.WT+micronesia+1728.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528881997155781922" /></div><div><br /></div><div>check it out!</div><div><br /></div><div>i'll be back on here soon, though, with more frequent and less hiking-centric stories from the pacific.</div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-7141169240283591492010-09-13T07:19:00.003-04:002010-09-13T07:30:20.575-04:00hiking: nett ridge<div>nett ridge is a great hike that starts just outside of kolonia. its a great workout - very strenuous. it climbs to the top of the ridge behind us in the first photo, and offers a nice view of the river on one side, and of the reef on the other. this is one of my favorite hikes, and we had great guides this time - a group of young teens who husked coconuts for us to drink and fetched cacao for us to try out. the ridge has several japanese tanks and guns - given how much effort it is to walk myself up to the top, i'm at a loss to imagine the labor required to get such equipment so high up. </div><div>relatedly, we just celebrated liberation day this long weekend. it's a state holiday commemorating the end of japanese occupation during WWII. i just learned that pohnpei's holiday is three days after kosrae's because of the delay in passing the message of liberation from one island to the next. whether you've just celebrated liberation day or labor day, i hope you had a great long weekend!</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5pNZWmdnoeSI18eafNSj7w6jRZL0Aj09aw5zkY8m1ORPxxwz7CcIYhd9E5U79NQl20aY2C_mAj7aIA6VcDQnnp1f7f0Vo3gVShRlmw4IQ0cRbwtW9G9I_TEBClwa4KJSDeNB4rZDPNvp/s320/09.12+083.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516357345089755090" /><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1LcmzNdp5rgn9TBQZeqYMWcBwFQ8GSddByTHWu5tVZcU84TAEYbSU5C_ONFaNRJHEKfeCKsouZqBn7IGPHjUVjoN0IcTfEXwWlwwdrDzFiPX76v96g0m60ZkOcqWo5QJJ6iP3XsjF8y1/s1600/09.12+091.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1LcmzNdp5rgn9TBQZeqYMWcBwFQ8GSddByTHWu5tVZcU84TAEYbSU5C_ONFaNRJHEKfeCKsouZqBn7IGPHjUVjoN0IcTfEXwWlwwdrDzFiPX76v96g0m60ZkOcqWo5QJJ6iP3XsjF8y1/s320/09.12+091.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516357363167896178" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhng2dD7tmtqmEYBpX2Cx-fSkEwEe-1fOk3YIS1KZzPH_YhasZ2JAbYiHTtRq__XZivU9jeTnjsLw3ycaUAUI6aJXHPFIYqsxx8PZUX24aiTj_FzMbBK0WkXF06eA00VNKooxJUk30SjIir/s1600/09.12+085.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhng2dD7tmtqmEYBpX2Cx-fSkEwEe-1fOk3YIS1KZzPH_YhasZ2JAbYiHTtRq__XZivU9jeTnjsLw3ycaUAUI6aJXHPFIYqsxx8PZUX24aiTj_FzMbBK0WkXF06eA00VNKooxJUk30SjIir/s320/09.12+085.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516357358399165714" /></a><br /><br /></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-47243690445983300442010-09-13T07:05:00.002-04:002010-09-13T07:18:49.087-04:00hiking: pahn tikaipahn tikai is a beautiful hike in u. it's mostly a steep climb up a paved road, but ends with a short jungle scramble. the waterfall is in front of a bat cave - you can climb up to it, but i passed on the 'guano scramble' as i've done it before. i'd meant to take a photo of the reef on our way back, but we got drenched to the bone by rain instead.<br /><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl5culUSdOuVLFMeeaLbyDbJMsXhH8zu3cL70tbIZyZFv6NaDCCckPq0c1bDWQKEPY7rpk8XzgHMgZj6gqq9i53ZtYKotQV46uBFjuVaxOqSD7wQhv1U1IpmpXTfh0u0bSpQI6wRXhaWP/s1600/09.12+078.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl5culUSdOuVLFMeeaLbyDbJMsXhH8zu3cL70tbIZyZFv6NaDCCckPq0c1bDWQKEPY7rpk8XzgHMgZj6gqq9i53ZtYKotQV46uBFjuVaxOqSD7wQhv1U1IpmpXTfh0u0bSpQI6wRXhaWP/s320/09.12+078.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516354198716895874" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFIYGawfn5Qjf201SpasrFmjsUZEZ-Kn55rF-Ma4PCMkIDSCHYQKG27fq4OUdnriMJ6diYyXgz6PspcKvc_cjQzmel9haAvMEcbTj4pcrmIkh0Rt5D_64InHMfgpdXg1u3DGKBFz1hV7F/s1600/09.12+075.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFIYGawfn5Qjf201SpasrFmjsUZEZ-Kn55rF-Ma4PCMkIDSCHYQKG27fq4OUdnriMJ6diYyXgz6PspcKvc_cjQzmel9haAvMEcbTj4pcrmIkh0Rt5D_64InHMfgpdXg1u3DGKBFz1hV7F/s320/09.12+075.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516354191244004498" /></a><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_W2OFDwnaAGXoeKVSwP6IGcdIcX1un-sepbeTwmMgDKyEF9rlw01ToGiac-uXxpqngWWI_ZUd5E6ORyvR0Z4LbHh364ob-Pjg_0Q04PXsDJGqciQj5sLbBU3RFdWti6eB7cks4ejQ21Eo/s320/09.12+079.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516354207742631330" /></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-53789973440903643082010-08-11T08:35:00.008-04:002010-08-11T08:51:54.965-04:00angkor watour last stop was cambodia. we flew to siem reap, the town just outside of the ancient temples of angkor wat. i can't say that we got a true taste of cambodia - siem reap is quite the tourist town - but angkor wat was well worth the stop. below are a handful of photos from the hundreds i took on our single day visit.<br /><br />after angkor wat, we made our way back to bangkok by bus (if you try this route, schedule yourself a full day of miserable travel, by the way. you'll get to take exceedingly long and completely unnecessary travel breaks to your heart's content). after a night on khosan road (yowzas) and an afternoon at the movies, we caught our flight back to d.c. wonderful trip, though fast-paced and too too short. if you have any questions about anywhere we went or my experiences travelling the connections i mentioned, leave a comment and i'd be happy to answer any questions.<br /><br />as for now, i'm back in micronesia getting started on another year teaching public health at the college of micronesia. look for some posts from the pacific in the near future.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6Yr_dzSHf5s6-ZhNuUkp_TTaNGkwU8FRp-vvzIXqVXkMiGp053Oig4Xt4io9fSzMx5_zhLqhfWwUAQ-tI_CPteiPenaA-_GGFOrb6kMWhGZdpmopDs8h5jBDgTJWNAwcLXA894QCzxZ8/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; 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WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132684617118434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq120ozosXtSQDxSF1Addc2i16X3onmOJTIX5Z32j9lhikNRcAYAG2BGE8x2o-wW-CwMtDL1K931Rithyz6I5Qoys8jw3EKgDguJZcrHHnmi5Qhrypq09lBLyjSliIt8UJPTE4HmFFGuNq/s320/3.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TLu9hIqWwSHVdPHBUtK4J265GRT-1cYgPVrHMDN3w9rZ5NhK8BZh0GhkdsiX8JQDM-BfXSruePkvJGnO-E66owqdIoqbNOHi8iSCrybSTmf-yBv3qMNL4FSmwp1-msKvYfD1B5FkUnQ5/s1600/4.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132680679824418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TLu9hIqWwSHVdPHBUtK4J265GRT-1cYgPVrHMDN3w9rZ5NhK8BZh0GhkdsiX8JQDM-BfXSruePkvJGnO-E66owqdIoqbNOHi8iSCrybSTmf-yBv3qMNL4FSmwp1-msKvYfD1B5FkUnQ5/s320/4.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0OxUbmillOKrmI8fjvTJr8AsWWIvOYNGAVnT9LbVYUFhHW7Nk743Xnknz4wDu436jA0b7IbZhies6wUAaJaH-v5M2Kyy52BuEz2l23Y7CmsB82vefhJxbKVPGKcIbmISdbFtyqF6f9kk/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132399017005074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0OxUbmillOKrmI8fjvTJr8AsWWIvOYNGAVnT9LbVYUFhHW7Nk743Xnknz4wDu436jA0b7IbZhies6wUAaJaH-v5M2Kyy52BuEz2l23Y7CmsB82vefhJxbKVPGKcIbmISdbFtyqF6f9kk/s320/5.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8ZLQ5-rIn-dKRjPux6xjAWR3aUE5xl_wHifV8JsHjuqW4krtkvLfFaCynDVaZQcr1vaIzfrqczhwXeUllBSIQL75POCIHohPcO5xKP9KLxVjRsGWHQ_P8_zlIMcrS9z7DmrBEiy5Tk_E/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132394513112722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8ZLQ5-rIn-dKRjPux6xjAWR3aUE5xl_wHifV8JsHjuqW4krtkvLfFaCynDVaZQcr1vaIzfrqczhwXeUllBSIQL75POCIHohPcO5xKP9KLxVjRsGWHQ_P8_zlIMcrS9z7DmrBEiy5Tk_E/s320/6.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVsjkcOF0UbncGVwBhSFEu12uZCD8dm4XhAdEVRfX1AkYb-XTMxouVfh8hMDstfF4g1eadl2RXRxuwbgAeoIXy0Com_E6NOR7d8nRaWQYYFrqci7KTthHuOoBEOoFxFLKb3pASBSJN_ce/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132393387111586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVsjkcOF0UbncGVwBhSFEu12uZCD8dm4XhAdEVRfX1AkYb-XTMxouVfh8hMDstfF4g1eadl2RXRxuwbgAeoIXy0Com_E6NOR7d8nRaWQYYFrqci7KTthHuOoBEOoFxFLKb3pASBSJN_ce/s320/7.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW9Q15wytJaOxtGNgJFu0gOtgAbNUTgN7GWiA-ea6jpMbRBEWT0cQUstUTYXnC4QeNwTYDVVYpjiY0yk_84SlAlUBsjoZj8E2RNS0X4UCQ_vk_CY9pHRB-UVUw0-VxBVkDpYrSPVPJiIt/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132383465582962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW9Q15wytJaOxtGNgJFu0gOtgAbNUTgN7GWiA-ea6jpMbRBEWT0cQUstUTYXnC4QeNwTYDVVYpjiY0yk_84SlAlUBsjoZj8E2RNS0X4UCQ_vk_CY9pHRB-UVUw0-VxBVkDpYrSPVPJiIt/s320/8.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKc_Og7YGmTeJoVGk5N8B7PQLbvY6zP3dayl0_ewKXAK89NF4aBJi3LosyMsL2z-LrxE7_iXHF88v1Qd4roSguE8m5PLZWkF3xgikolZAI5Yc4XXlsVYQ9eYz85WYyjci2P5WyMYxaDth/s1600/9.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132377601994578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKc_Og7YGmTeJoVGk5N8B7PQLbvY6zP3dayl0_ewKXAK89NF4aBJi3LosyMsL2z-LrxE7_iXHF88v1Qd4roSguE8m5PLZWkF3xgikolZAI5Yc4XXlsVYQ9eYz85WYyjci2P5WyMYxaDth/s320/9.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2uIg0_04XL85qZ0yGabxf70dJUSjMRSFad4Be2YAHzEVdlNvMMSKmz5bkXI6BXEH9Gusn_alviMtav4SvuHwhhXdybT-C_nout7WnSuYsDvGQc0iCW_b0rUwm9Y-S5yFmUHU-udralnT/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132159838309842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2uIg0_04XL85qZ0yGabxf70dJUSjMRSFad4Be2YAHzEVdlNvMMSKmz5bkXI6BXEH9Gusn_alviMtav4SvuHwhhXdybT-C_nout7WnSuYsDvGQc0iCW_b0rUwm9Y-S5yFmUHU-udralnT/s320/10.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSYamIDYlZElADFOHZjQBZutXioBUTMnhJiFGjGz9gOWz0If16sjsmNlg96Hxg4zNWdrV8JEY5qS9BTpFrNtcGlmXTJ-vAoFaJ4AL3DarMb9nsEEuQlFQMLBYjP4IMo-2RFuxOnHz07T3/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504132153609790450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSYamIDYlZElADFOHZjQBZutXioBUTMnhJiFGjGz9gOWz0If16sjsmNlg96Hxg4zNWdrV8JEY5qS9BTpFrNtcGlmXTJ-vAoFaJ4AL3DarMb9nsEEuQlFQMLBYjP4IMo-2RFuxOnHz07T3/s320/11.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>ps - on all these travel posts, you can click on each photo to see a larger size!</div></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-64971384224723931522010-08-09T05:36:00.008-04:002010-08-09T05:48:37.414-04:00vietnam<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">crunched for time, we flew into hanoi and spent a few days exploring the north of vietnam. many people take advantage of the 'open bus' and travel the whole country more leisurely. if we'd had the time, it sounded like a great way to explore many towns and experience the regional differences of north and south. maybe next time!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">hanoi itself is wild! swarming with motorbikes and very FAST - more so than any other city we visited. here's some sidewalk parking:</span></p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28lNA1Ah32GbXbuOq1n-ZLt6Xp35SFcpE4EGFpHQFksXJAvXQjLdP-RIlIlhhkX_vMSk0L-FzEpGfkF6ptp4sq-zhERXIrIQfOQtZNfVk2yi-gBJcI5qLT6hBYPQlarkiizRvfJJC_BZp/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28lNA1Ah32GbXbuOq1n-ZLt6Xp35SFcpE4EGFpHQFksXJAvXQjLdP-RIlIlhhkX_vMSk0L-FzEpGfkF6ptp4sq-zhERXIrIQfOQtZNfVk2yi-gBJcI5qLT6hBYPQlarkiizRvfJJC_BZp/s320/1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503342345198167026" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD3mL_1eCmE087i99t-796rc0GL3iBs7g6le66nQdY4KhbR47cSdleQXGSe7EfRHb3Z9q-9oevtTsepxpfFJFUQNzMYJX9dsi_blrAjvOb7XIgssv1ygeZvR50z-TPLULeVgUeUkvJLKf/s1600/2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD3mL_1eCmE087i99t-796rc0GL3iBs7g6le66nQdY4KhbR47cSdleQXGSe7EfRHb3Z9q-9oevtTsepxpfFJFUQNzMYJX9dsi_blrAjvOb7XIgssv1ygeZvR50z-TPLULeVgUeUkvJLKf/s320/2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503342337407589858" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-QVjt2SQwfy-9OqcyuH2Pn2MICOoDsPoMQ6UveXgb58vO2Qi_Hyl5kyhj9F4j-itFl1Y3zyujAyTWe2Ax5LGi0Hf2uoE8ICcxWzp3iFO7x0wtzJ8xASksSmJW9UOlqBRwCfShNEYtNJq/s1600/3.jpg"></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">we explored as much of hanoi as the 114F heat index would allow. specifically, we visited the prison museum at the 'hanoi hilton' and the temple of literature, a millenium-old center of learning.</span></span></p></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-QVjt2SQwfy-9OqcyuH2Pn2MICOoDsPoMQ6UveXgb58vO2Qi_Hyl5kyhj9F4j-itFl1Y3zyujAyTWe2Ax5LGi0Hf2uoE8ICcxWzp3iFO7x0wtzJ8xASksSmJW9UOlqBRwCfShNEYtNJq/s1600/3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-QVjt2SQwfy-9OqcyuH2Pn2MICOoDsPoMQ6UveXgb58vO2Qi_Hyl5kyhj9F4j-itFl1Y3zyujAyTWe2Ax5LGi0Hf2uoE8ICcxWzp3iFO7x0wtzJ8xASksSmJW9UOlqBRwCfShNEYtNJq/s320/3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503342333111288802" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-QVjt2SQwfy-9OqcyuH2Pn2MICOoDsPoMQ6UveXgb58vO2Qi_Hyl5kyhj9F4j-itFl1Y3zyujAyTWe2Ax5LGi0Hf2uoE8ICcxWzp3iFO7x0wtzJ8xASksSmJW9UOlqBRwCfShNEYtNJq/s1600/3.jpg"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">outside of hanoi, we visited two tourist hot spots of northern vietnam: halong bay (a would-be natural wonder of the world) and sapa (a region on the chinese border known for its terraced rice paddies).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">halong bay is gorgeous. there are thousands of islands throughout the bay, and wha</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">t feels like millions of boats carting tourists around. i enjoyed the highly international flavor of our boat - the 18 of us represented the nations of the US, new zealand, switzerland, france, germany, russia, south korea, the netherlands, denmark, england, and spain.</span></p></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrbcwt_vbEEthy9dB4QE0kyjSImK5ONOTgrMapS6PmVlO9zDspHDZmtquFRW3xWxUc9Be0tqh68Ao9fpGfB9pntbY9XJcKl8sVWTGKe8MWQralObdpBNmZ51w2p-TowGfk-P4qWr9AdzN/s1600/4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrbcwt_vbEEthy9dB4QE0kyjSImK5ONOTgrMapS6PmVlO9zDspHDZmtquFRW3xWxUc9Be0tqh68Ao9fpGfB9pntbY9XJcKl8sVWTGKe8MWQralObdpBNmZ51w2p-TowGfk-P4qWr9AdzN/s320/4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503342328583935266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">in halong, we swam and kayaked, dined and karaoked. most unexpectedly, we also visited caves.</span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi0kHErtcb5kCTH-cUCFlLc8LpbPHp0BWtsHuCvvM5VvTHheI634mtKad0MjncFTiijmRie67kW0qcRNlPX889Y8y7m3YMNZbmnLImM5jhnGTl3IG_yXZWFBgPEW2yQt3uDqPOY2baHlP/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi0kHErtcb5kCTH-cUCFlLc8LpbPHp0BWtsHuCvvM5VvTHheI634mtKad0MjncFTiijmRie67kW0qcRNlPX889Y8y7m3YMNZbmnLImM5jhnGTl3IG_yXZWFBgPEW2yQt3uDqPOY2baHlP/s320/5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503342318482115058" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">my favorite view? sunset</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg4rPxvqJqlZtgyaZyx75VEI1HzFbDi-dImJJPDcNP90yybX3ocZHEQxvKSqVXGaQ4cj3OLSTf-3fRYezT7bz3rf5wVjCwsTbdRchmVfLm6l7_Pwcg8OZHxHwwU_93e8Ele3U4rxh602F/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg4rPxvqJqlZtgyaZyx75VEI1HzFbDi-dImJJPDcNP90yybX3ocZHEQxvKSqVXGaQ4cj3OLSTf-3fRYezT7bz3rf5wVjCwsTbdRchmVfLm6l7_Pwcg8OZHxHwwU_93e8Ele3U4rxh602F/s320/6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503341950817345826" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg4rPxvqJqlZtgyaZyx75VEI1HzFbDi-dImJJPDcNP90yybX3ocZHEQxvKSqVXGaQ4cj3OLSTf-3fRYezT7bz3rf5wVjCwsTbdRchmVfLm6l7_Pwcg8OZHxHwwU_93e8Ele3U4rxh602F/s1600/6.jpg"></a></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">after halong we took a night train up to sapa. no way to describe it except to say that it was absolutely stunning and post some shots</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></p><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PgsA8RIHevSeyl_JPdyQuEuvaYoBvXM_QClHEtzIhzNSKRofm1TIDMRBf0SQtbmEFZf2t7E5SX7Lz1MTpjt1MY1Ba87tTqFt05jE84CbdbNratpbcSRLierbyO200os8iq5zQ308FS8V/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PgsA8RIHevSeyl_JPdyQuEuvaYoBvXM_QClHEtzIhzNSKRofm1TIDMRBf0SQtbmEFZf2t7E5SX7Lz1MTpjt1MY1Ba87tTqFt05jE84CbdbNratpbcSRLierbyO200os8iq5zQ308FS8V/s320/7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503341940155499490" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsphGyfSJ_bFVpdnjq7WIY_AT_i_zkET_YC43SvceNvevGHoUCIS_WRpIm_oUEhkCBbKTskXeFifdCJvHR_eIaeESOR2LGQvKBy0uiNUqsTlE36nV0P7h2tCm0HOmz3_0S2IVgKBq4s8Gg/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsphGyfSJ_bFVpdnjq7WIY_AT_i_zkET_YC43SvceNvevGHoUCIS_WRpIm_oUEhkCBbKTskXeFifdCJvHR_eIaeESOR2LGQvKBy0uiNUqsTlE36nV0P7h2tCm0HOmz3_0S2IVgKBq4s8Gg/s320/8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503341933723946802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">our guides were these lovely, friendly women.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PvJ2oVKGx-6TjhQdXpZLx1deKxD6x6kCC8A735TbSKYCPYy3uxTgjKqJeKdGpXyTRlesMuKNi-iPoyfBUYGIWSKgd7Bn4y9EFg7HIGhe250Zu_b46ACfkl4VWZfVoB78SGhX3ZiCEnlA/s1600/9.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PvJ2oVKGx-6TjhQdXpZLx1deKxD6x6kCC8A735TbSKYCPYy3uxTgjKqJeKdGpXyTRlesMuKNi-iPoyfBUYGIWSKgd7Bn4y9EFg7HIGhe250Zu_b46ACfkl4VWZfVoB78SGhX3ZiCEnlA/s320/9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503341922806718658" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the mountains are a natural boundary with china to the north, and brought thoughts of switzerland and colorado to my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIe_0PT3s5GCXOF9Odg9UvPChqXmWHKDq243rRRgYRYV_M-kkYpgjA4gvHd98JQX7qz7PBw_TOyUgWxZLF7BUHZQBYm0RPGbYxcSNDeTk0JwBNoQvRPmlacv4Jw8rHnSb2XnRUeWSNFlS/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIe_0PT3s5GCXOF9Odg9UvPChqXmWHKDq243rRRgYRYV_M-kkYpgjA4gvHd98JQX7qz7PBw_TOyUgWxZLF7BUHZQBYm0RPGbYxcSNDeTk0JwBNoQvRPmlacv4Jw8rHnSb2XnRUeWSNFlS/s320/10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503341916563526402" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">yowzas, the length of these posts is exploding!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">thankfully, only one country is left to report - cambodia.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-42696897098827453032010-08-01T10:38:00.008-04:002010-08-01T10:58:46.806-04:00laos<div>we entered laos from the thailand border at chiang rai. it's a really common point of entry for people hopping on the mekong. we took the slow boat trip to luang prabang, a two day trip that i really recommend. despite warnings that our stopping point would be run down and without power, our overnight was pleasant and well-lit. the river itself was absolutely gorgeous.</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm91fj2a2KQoSbb0R9XRQS1X4RhTYoSo12fCXACRWVO3GKVVaoWxXe-nUnNSf9r4OQDYaBoj5cS3Fg9D7U0IbYJofdlvWS0kX6AtshTzdX88ptYRqHZ3IgK3xf08-JczonbGJW_SQSOkR6/s320/2010.southeast+asia+265.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500451750661966578" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>luang prabang as a town is a UNESCO world heritage site, and so enjoys plenty of funding and protection from over-commercialization. it felt at times like a small french village, and was one of my favorite places to stay. i definitely hope to return one day! while there are excursions similar to those we did in thailand (cheaper, too), we stayed in town for our two days. we escaped the sun at the royal museum and by climbing to the shady temple at the top of town. walking around town was a lot of fun, and there are many wonderful cafes to pass the time. also, lots of shopping and art galleries.... plenty to do!</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGRLnufi1n48HmUWjRXNVBakpWIknxD3zT2AdelX9dkAFPmI7qcunoE3kAQVm9PHM9GsEj_dzF44tcrNuTt7XSEnmMsVdjH5DRxmlirucjZfEMROfjEB7Fqmsc8sqDrApheeX_Fe0w0PU/s320/2010.southeast+asia+315.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500453717077950450" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhEBMKghnTZ8SCc_4iGGq5h_HpryX9_7KhS3cIXkJ4EosdYeztqs7xGYRR-brYGrA_TEcoZjHEhOjli6TnKF4829EU5GAxC7D0D40UhezPxF0bXBHzEyspeEgbFMkdGrErZLUMU8n67gj/s320/2010.southeast+asia+330.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500451762152595218" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>from luang prabang, we took an overnight bus south to the capital, vientiane. we skipped over vang vieng, which is a town very popular among tourists for its tubing in the river. almost everyone and their mom seemed to have a 'tubing in vang vieng' t-shirt, so perhaps we missed out. sadly, three weeks isn't enough time for everything, and so we passed by vang vieng in the still of the night. (well, perhaps not the <i>still</i> of the night. overnight busing isn't really meant for quality sleep.)</div><div><br /></div><div>vientiane wasn't nearly as quaint as luang prabang - rather, it fit the bill as a capital of a developing country (though still small and navigable.) we took out bikes for the day, and enjoyed exploring the city - especially a beautiful sunset on the mekong.</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxhg8wZ6pIXF4a1MG-Uq3bM6KbxPRt37NJoQxHd8C0IB9XQ-PEzGHX2GOMk6UQkSf8EbV6MbFTqZTjM0umTDGb9L_OePSM9bnGlLN_AGPShMvJojo4mCqOe2lFxTZCUqtvaZikirOBW-S/s320/2010.southeast+asia+439.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500454987918846562" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhh2MiXUDlU5NbMwiKZkEJLdHLAD29XidJPr-nwLnWiNseMd7UNLOGIyGWV3ysyK4YvOHAQEPr0JPthAz9wzitigOxNtLnBO3yipWfM3WtvrlLj5dy3STrqKQVHrlQ6KbyHSOlLDBRNy9/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+459.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhh2MiXUDlU5NbMwiKZkEJLdHLAD29XidJPr-nwLnWiNseMd7UNLOGIyGWV3ysyK4YvOHAQEPr0JPthAz9wzitigOxNtLnBO3yipWfM3WtvrlLj5dy3STrqKQVHrlQ6KbyHSOlLDBRNy9/s320/2010.southeast+asia+459.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500451770403103042" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>in all, laos was my favorite country to visit. i will definitely return - it's a beautiful, friendly, fun place. next up? we fly to hanoi and explore northern vietnam.</div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-34328068860038707582010-07-28T15:22:00.008-04:002010-07-28T15:41:26.617-04:00thailandin thailand, we spent our first day in bangkok. i enjoyed the water taxi, and exploring the royal palace.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSDLGTXyu9v49f4gHR21qafFq9ZkImarOo8Z1_gxVU_Ohd8NBeMHVjmfqvC1WBb_tGuvHtpD6MZxbFnWVVTjEm044DA_Oo5uIR0k4Ab8mMpAk-kRwbg1oxNs7_KtJNT0B18TUI7pJylzj/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSDLGTXyu9v49f4gHR21qafFq9ZkImarOo8Z1_gxVU_Ohd8NBeMHVjmfqvC1WBb_tGuvHtpD6MZxbFnWVVTjEm044DA_Oo5uIR0k4Ab8mMpAk-kRwbg1oxNs7_KtJNT0B18TUI7pJylzj/s320/2010.southeast+asia+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499040235204125826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNU_dKTKf26xfzzcEFgDu8LHMzRhz3c3drnYeC-gPceOf-ClwhujO5B6VLKO0z37BGqklDEigNKZGsijvNRF7UR8X_zKovzqM_EXmO0dVp71NmOCt8z_gDiW9BbkjBbk6uspF6bnGEr0i/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNU_dKTKf26xfzzcEFgDu8LHMzRhz3c3drnYeC-gPceOf-ClwhujO5B6VLKO0z37BGqklDEigNKZGsijvNRF7UR8X_zKovzqM_EXmO0dVp71NmOCt8z_gDiW9BbkjBbk6uspF6bnGEr0i/s320/2010.southeast+asia+048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499040243181262658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />the next evening, we caught the night train up north to chiang mai. it's a nice smaller city, and we took several tourist-y expeditions while we were there.<br /><br />seeing (and riding) elephants:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuBLiiIvP5ZPqR7YpcTXUXGTF96rgO9-hStkOtCB9P5n8o9vtOjrhytrlOIT_-cfPAKtR2Ai-Ff7bX4EPonrLW1o3aQLhJJHJRN6aMFNs3Lu7-F_cP1IMii75u6w-Tb4Ie43mzTLt7K0H/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+089.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuBLiiIvP5ZPqR7YpcTXUXGTF96rgO9-hStkOtCB9P5n8o9vtOjrhytrlOIT_-cfPAKtR2Ai-Ff7bX4EPonrLW1o3aQLhJJHJRN6aMFNs3Lu7-F_cP1IMii75u6w-Tb4Ie43mzTLt7K0H/s320/2010.southeast+asia+089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499041073107160242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and zip-lining in the rain forest!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcJfO4AUUSgoYSkxBWhHH2T-I_sV56WGnZSllDXUCgHjfq4lbggluH8T3L366ZnJYqg2JtKziEy9628Pm8D06pwgC79rj7EVpP4mzDytN73k3Cts0aHjwS9mJPkoRYoR8zqR0Jh0FZzts/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+168.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcJfO4AUUSgoYSkxBWhHH2T-I_sV56WGnZSllDXUCgHjfq4lbggluH8T3L366ZnJYqg2JtKziEy9628Pm8D06pwgC79rj7EVpP4mzDytN73k3Cts0aHjwS9mJPkoRYoR8zqR0Jh0FZzts/s320/2010.southeast+asia+168.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499041079466903394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />chiang mai itself was also really nice.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIvam0RFiYh1kBa9Lk6lUuCTNQIncY60DIQ6cecofavvJq_TiMkSPG80mwcVwsRUk97jklqIoIlAKq_oJeSdqUfOuZsG3h1jlFZ7NR8AYKn8MH7wQFxlFhDtnpZSPDeyvz8tXugRXjpAw/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+197.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIvam0RFiYh1kBa9Lk6lUuCTNQIncY60DIQ6cecofavvJq_TiMkSPG80mwcVwsRUk97jklqIoIlAKq_oJeSdqUfOuZsG3h1jlFZ7NR8AYKn8MH7wQFxlFhDtnpZSPDeyvz8tXugRXjpAw/s320/2010.southeast+asia+197.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499042304676119282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQnTu9I31QFApO-P8dfwOrcPMVg9r5WVy3jb_xdsrRGpcn2uFs_boJrcuSrKnw0toVRCVKmeEUFZ6pBOVMvbL8hURbRE8eTNIPEIBoFpKd9TSKS48Zg_6oVFQ0Lv1eNC6kiFLJwwsgoNE/s1600/2010.southeast+asia+135.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQnTu9I31QFApO-P8dfwOrcPMVg9r5WVy3jb_xdsrRGpcn2uFs_boJrcuSrKnw0toVRCVKmeEUFZ6pBOVMvbL8hURbRE8eTNIPEIBoFpKd9TSKS48Zg_6oVFQ0Lv1eNC6kiFLJwwsgoNE/s320/2010.southeast+asia+135.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499042310278688066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />next post: we head east to the laos border.epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-519393895144055102010-07-03T06:50:00.002-04:002010-07-03T06:56:15.387-04:00hello againhi friends.<br /><br />i'm in laos. i was in thailand. sooon i'll be in vietnam and cambodia! then i'll be in the united states. and then possibly micronesia.<br /><br />i've been a terrible blogger, but pictures are coming as soon as i'm stateside (or in a permanent spot). promise!<br /><br />xoxo.epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-53966738787481640862010-05-07T20:18:00.002-04:002010-05-07T20:39:37.058-04:00land of the free, home of reasonable traffic normsi've been reflecting on my time here a lot recently. one thing i've noticed is that the things that make me most frustrated on a day to day basis almost all have to with driving. i'm looking forward to some time in the states, where the following practices are not common and socially acceptable:<br /><br />-driving right-hand drive cars on the right side of the road<br />-allowing your children to stand on your lap while you drive<br />-using brights as the only lights you have<br />-sleeping in the middle of the road, sprawling across both lanes<br />-leaving your car running and unattended for 15 minutes while you put the laundry in<br />-driving in reverse for extended distances along the main road<br />-letting your children hang out of car windows as you speed along<br />-driving so recklessly that the people sitting in the back of your truck fall out and into the road<br />-passing people with complete disregard to the blind curve directly ahead of you<br />-parking on the side of the road and leaving your brights on<br />-decorating the back of your taxi with 151-proof rum labels<br />-opening your car door while driving to spit betel nut on the side of the road... without checking for pedestrians that may very well be hit with your car door or showered in betel nut spit<br />-driving (without exaggeration) 5-10 miles an hour between 4 and 8pm because its sakau time and you're just that mellow<br />-using a car that lacks doors, a roof, a windshield, or any semblance of emissions control<br />-doing ANYTHING you want to do behind the wheel, because there is zero police presence for traffic-related things. (excepting the traffic guys who direct traffic at lunch hour by blowing their whistle at every single car that passes.)<br /><br />i'll stop there. there are certainly deeper frustrations and more important issues facing pohnpei. but today, i'm looking forward to interstates, seatbelts, traffic laws, and police to actually enforce them.<br /><br />see you stateside, suckas! i'm in hawaii may 12, and in northern va may 20.epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-49889568385122998262010-04-18T01:13:00.002-04:002010-04-18T01:16:44.985-04:00soursopi'm not sure i can live without the king of delicious tropical fruits, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursap">soursop</a>. anyone ever seen it for sale in the us?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Soursop_fruit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 274px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Soursop_fruit.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-1683024259642464132010-04-11T23:58:00.002-04:002010-04-12T00:30:01.938-04:00april 12<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs475.snc3/26023_715187012346_1502238_42558029_7907867_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 540px; height: 720px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs475.snc3/26023_715187012346_1502238_42558029_7907867_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>as of today, I have exactly one month left as a worldteach pohnpei volunteer. time flies!<div><div><br /></div><div>i know that compared to the fall, my blogging has limped along this spring - in the normal way that travel blogs do, as adventure settles into the ordinary. i've been telling myself for weeks that i would blog as soon as i had news to report on my next step, but as nothing has solidified, i'll save that post for later. </div><div><br /></div><div>instead, i present to you a synopsis of my typical week in pohnpei:</div><div><u>monday</u>: morning run, teach from 8:30am-7:50pm, eat dinner and crash.</div><div><u>tuesday</u>: hike sokeh's ridge, teach from 10:30-12:30, grade/lesson plan/run errands in the afternoon, play ultimate frisbee in the evening.</div><div><u>wednesday</u>: morning run, teach from 8:30am-6:50pm, book (short story) club meeting.</div><div><u>thursday</u>: hike sokeh's ridge, teach from 10:30-12:30, grade/lesson plan/run errands in the afternoon, go to aerobics class in the evening.</div><div><u>friday</u>: morning run, teach from 8:30am-7:50pm, try to summon the energy for an evening with friends, tequila, and karaoke.</div><div><u>saturday</u>: try and skype with the family, consider updating the blog, swim/snorkel/hike/laze about, go to church, sing some more karaoke or play some bridge.</div><div><u>sunday</u>: hiking club and yoga in the evening, possibly head to the movies. </div><div><br /></div><div>repeat x 15, and you've just experienced the last three months of my life. life is good, and comfortable, and quickly wrapping up. i'll be in hawaii with my parents from may 12-may 19, and back in the dc area may 20. most likely i'll be travelling in southeast asia in june, and will possibly be returning to pohnpei this summer. but, that's a big 'possibly', so i'll save the future for another post.</div><div><br /></div><div>in the meantime, please mark your calendars - may 29th, my family is having a memorial day party in fairfax, and it would be wonderful to see as many of your lovely faces there as possible!</div><div><br /></div><div>i've just added a few more pictures to 'pohnpei II' on facebook, and I'll direct you there for pictures. hope you enjoy!</div></div></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-19214604341191671252010-03-04T21:57:00.005-05:002010-03-04T22:16:50.644-05:00hiking sokeh's rock<div>i can't believe that it took me so long, but last weekend i finally hiked the 'rock' of sokeh's - one of the most famous landmarks of pohnpei, and one of it's most strenuous hikes. it was amazing! it was also incredibly dangerous, but i can't wait to go again. the side of the rock is a rather steep cliff, and you climb using a rope and an old pipe as a guide. i'll let the pictures speak for themselves:<div><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapHu4JhlKfPjmfdg8Cp2ERu4A3b74xXJQINXYQ2sZhjKvtmucPpmfiwVBwZG12fuqhpJKEHRE77DO3qhr0IE61rAIYXT3VCMBDEubApXYnTG76MSdMySTsi1tNWlJT3Gy-qxZyMBLA_QP/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+141.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapHu4JhlKfPjmfdg8Cp2ERu4A3b74xXJQINXYQ2sZhjKvtmucPpmfiwVBwZG12fuqhpJKEHRE77DO3qhr0IE61rAIYXT3VCMBDEubApXYnTG76MSdMySTsi1tNWlJT3Gy-qxZyMBLA_QP/s320/2009+Micronesia+141.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444981976802888354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aa1I7tovhYe-KCQnlTi7iVm5kUhXf4zlfYesFGFSc8g3UFMMQGqrEtEvTOHISf2fTPhA2wwXkARQPAU9nb6nWhLXhkL8oUjTvRMyNtFD9UROXVI_fw1pqapZsDc09dRJhH-vYS0f36mR/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+074.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aa1I7tovhYe-KCQnlTi7iVm5kUhXf4zlfYesFGFSc8g3UFMMQGqrEtEvTOHISf2fTPhA2wwXkARQPAU9nb6nWhLXhkL8oUjTvRMyNtFD9UROXVI_fw1pqapZsDc09dRJhH-vYS0f36mR/s320/2009+Micronesia+074.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444981967483548658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifw89B4jKQVtcoOO9AjQvMp7yHl2eJRlRF4PZDwkrh2YX9Smvs26-0ddaosLVn4mgIIlP6wTOreQFskUdeoojhRKdEuhGjPPj6shHOaTlUmqdjpIHk8UywD-yf94xYdlF8jCF_EcD11giu/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+101.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifw89B4jKQVtcoOO9AjQvMp7yHl2eJRlRF4PZDwkrh2YX9Smvs26-0ddaosLVn4mgIIlP6wTOreQFskUdeoojhRKdEuhGjPPj6shHOaTlUmqdjpIHk8UywD-yf94xYdlF8jCF_EcD11giu/s320/2009+Micronesia+101.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444981956980377026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqAcJ62Pq5d7SsT7R6KapgV1Qi4-hD4LrCmWLRfDElh01e58bk9lxV3oe4wCOUr14Xt2VSHqWX9tSmoPjOnhAZC4AnmRPy6JgmEVDXTxnO3AhuUNLFuJA7rya-q_MqjtfGcUVWBz43Tq8/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+093.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqAcJ62Pq5d7SsT7R6KapgV1Qi4-hD4LrCmWLRfDElh01e58bk9lxV3oe4wCOUr14Xt2VSHqWX9tSmoPjOnhAZC4AnmRPy6JgmEVDXTxnO3AhuUNLFuJA7rya-q_MqjtfGcUVWBz43Tq8/s320/2009+Micronesia+093.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444981946356321266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjZHIfyomVf07vRhWApOSips_nl105y0AfKuYXA10yFdPN8eUR642q1YwX3TJnmq6g22qRezYE1MmUzo8yttLRaHhbMDPys8d3zXHGkE3IoNKJPz-OUmjp5IYKsEkVkw6XWRVQS4Xgl1l/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+086.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjZHIfyomVf07vRhWApOSips_nl105y0AfKuYXA10yFdPN8eUR642q1YwX3TJnmq6g22qRezYE1MmUzo8yttLRaHhbMDPys8d3zXHGkE3IoNKJPz-OUmjp5IYKsEkVkw6XWRVQS4Xgl1l/s320/2009+Micronesia+086.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444981935744931154" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-30700111807643477322010-02-16T00:16:00.002-05:002010-02-16T00:23:56.149-05:00free diving in mokili came across a journal entry i wrote while on the field trip ship over christmas break. as i have no exciting adventures or pictures to share, i thought i'd post this reflection of free diving in mokil instead.<div><br /></div><div>when the sea is clear, light sees to rise up from the depths in rays not unlike those from the sun. in mokil atoll, nature's finest - barracudas, sea turtles, white tip sharks - dance in the spotlight of these streams of light. when the sea is clear, vision extends as far as the light can penetrate. the spectrum reveals relative depths. at the surface, pinks and reds abound in coral and fish,. descending, they disappear, followed by yellow and green, until a deep indigo masks all detail but black. in an atoll as isolated as mokil, there are none of civilization's tarnishes. no beer cans, no rusting engine parts. no names scratched onto coral, no bleached coral, dead from pollutants. just life. beautiful, bountiful, thriving life in many forms of splendour. schools upon schools of fish dart around well-fed sharks. holes in coral reveal stories of life below. the sheer architectural grandeur brings to mind the ruins of an ancient civilization - only in a much more alive way. does life require isolation from global humanity to retain such purity? i am humbled and awed to have experienced such a place, and at the same time heartbroken by its frailty and ever-so-slight potential for survival.</div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-78697425976429510502010-02-05T17:44:00.005-05:002010-02-05T18:05:34.863-05:00some images<div>1. puppy! (still in need of a name and soliciting suggestions).</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BekcFTwf9JKriU4TR2qDfDNKDWiRfuRpoYVn_F6mGONyOM7j88zP4i_hIHfx7g1ispGClTuqFbAZW3BqZkoOL2R4eD8_OVXEEThWral-_SANyeRq_p46ettfG4bj7hsKY05hfHOJXTI8/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+834.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BekcFTwf9JKriU4TR2qDfDNKDWiRfuRpoYVn_F6mGONyOM7j88zP4i_hIHfx7g1ispGClTuqFbAZW3BqZkoOL2R4eD8_OVXEEThWral-_SANyeRq_p46ettfG4bj7hsKY05hfHOJXTI8/s320/2009+Micronesia+834.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434895697931032498" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>2. pohnpei has world-famous pepper. what does pepper look like before its processed? like this.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXr9oiLQZ2CiV5I6uuTg-dUAzl0HkYi-MPpO2B3JGHTXCY5K5tmuzI1g5oEpwbcKJdU_TmnZxXurzH7NZYrHczw_KYwrxOrDpXwv8dWqGwu5hBWU6vdzL6atDveuvbY38GlEYhOm1goI5/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+825.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXr9oiLQZ2CiV5I6uuTg-dUAzl0HkYi-MPpO2B3JGHTXCY5K5tmuzI1g5oEpwbcKJdU_TmnZxXurzH7NZYrHczw_KYwrxOrDpXwv8dWqGwu5hBWU6vdzL6atDveuvbY38GlEYhOm1goI5/s320/2009+Micronesia+825.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434895316386501058" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>3. why i like to sleep in hammocks on reef islands: the sunrises.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jhKmqkAUt4O3DG3zzqNb5rncBOP-vvOD1PfWBiThwr7EZRCeLCcvTOYr4dzMuvP3e0hTuFmImpvC1753mN-GiU6kWLQmuX_kYzGOn7TkrKxVmR2Lo0QFWLv0I4OdYrHAR00wGpn4ppdS/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+801.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jhKmqkAUt4O3DG3zzqNb5rncBOP-vvOD1PfWBiThwr7EZRCeLCcvTOYr4dzMuvP3e0hTuFmImpvC1753mN-GiU6kWLQmuX_kYzGOn7TkrKxVmR2Lo0QFWLv0I4OdYrHAR00wGpn4ppdS/s320/2009+Micronesia+801.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434894923500830738" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>4. some mementos from my outer island trip.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3w_GQNK9yUBRo8GmS2igFAw_thZP_KsbxKF7kDP_GkmpcCbg_Qg5cv1TpFYbENHeLenITDitawfxO-zEiwW5-nOeeYk_muAEuNSQoKOUZHIZ60IrTVYV0olRJhskeqp-U5EeGN795BXX/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+782.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3w_GQNK9yUBRo8GmS2igFAw_thZP_KsbxKF7kDP_GkmpcCbg_Qg5cv1TpFYbENHeLenITDitawfxO-zEiwW5-nOeeYk_muAEuNSQoKOUZHIZ60IrTVYV0olRJhskeqp-U5EeGN795BXX/s320/2009+Micronesia+782.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434894483447032290" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-71483400784137400842010-01-21T22:46:00.004-05:002010-01-21T22:49:09.591-05:00journalingsince its been a while since i've blogged, a sample of journal entries from my new spring semester esl students. the first is one of my stronger students, the second , a girl after my own heart.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">I really want to see my life like this after five years from now. First, after five years from now I see myself working. I will have my own house, my own car, maybe I will have a small family that I will adore, a family filled with lots of love and joy. I will also have my own money. The income or money earning can support both me and my parents. On that time there will be a strip dancers on my car and also I will have an helicopter. My helicopter will very special because there will be a swimming pool inside. So I will be the famous or wellknown person.<br /><br />[Next to a magazine ad for lasagna] This picture can show, what I'm gonna talk about. I'm talking about a food. This is my dream to eat this food. If I eat reach where this food came from or who can made this for me, I think it will be a better life for me to have.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-70666472180204467442010-01-02T17:42:00.005-05:002010-01-02T17:58:05.009-05:00voyager imagessome pictures, in reverse chronological order:<br /><br />arriving back to pohnpei at dawn:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo6rBldLJg0Wj8DdLtaALulRC57lVzIHo5WLJ6BhyphenhyphenJS5_CXtI6jZphtNHFgreVEvRUe-ml52m70QEJFTVctvUUgt28UGDp1MpfDLXYx_emdRWz4l-se9rxj9zMBpl0hHoFmWbR2PxE7Q2/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+721.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo6rBldLJg0Wj8DdLtaALulRC57lVzIHo5WLJ6BhyphenhyphenJS5_CXtI6jZphtNHFgreVEvRUe-ml52m70QEJFTVctvUUgt28UGDp1MpfDLXYx_emdRWz4l-se9rxj9zMBpl0hHoFmWbR2PxE7Q2/s320/2009+Micronesia+721.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278748635529282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />holding a BIRD on the boat!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7evzRkjLAS3w4XA0V1Lz11Bq1L9IUwTw_jazOGV4n5zOYitWJ7yCQHYLT5ZLSM5QCTu85E1xUpAqBTE3ifunMbRNI16BthqJ5eabL7lXySE8kTx-xAt2oq2ZrTL7wa0MeF6rYin5zq_m7/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+718.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7evzRkjLAS3w4XA0V1Lz11Bq1L9IUwTw_jazOGV4n5zOYitWJ7yCQHYLT5ZLSM5QCTu85E1xUpAqBTE3ifunMbRNI16BthqJ5eabL7lXySE8kTx-xAt2oq2ZrTL7wa0MeF6rYin5zq_m7/s320/2009+Micronesia+718.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278745762885346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />kids jumping off the deck to kill time at mokil:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O0qq_LJunGO2X43nlclvb8Eelm1Pc8s6LFJ8028GvETZbBYnUWp5ieRSPNowG4NCOVX2rbKLJDrz0zW0WO0kBBt_19kyqUB2atWFMI9kJurrmXJi7r6USRgbKg0F7NSxzB5-mD5ItIq5/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+708.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O0qq_LJunGO2X43nlclvb8Eelm1Pc8s6LFJ8028GvETZbBYnUWp5ieRSPNowG4NCOVX2rbKLJDrz0zW0WO0kBBt_19kyqUB2atWFMI9kJurrmXJi7r6USRgbKg0F7NSxzB5-mD5ItIq5/s320/2009+Micronesia+708.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278736946620866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />sprouting coconuts at pingelap:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R6zUawKC3ZaHk1U62RIeIXI2E_L71c4VkV1E093wO2pP9vNFakq0Velt-qxg0vMoSaS6jKm3ZKefPuTv8ghgXF7Ix4tVEKyHwTjQin_4lMDZ-k-ka80BR5X-srrT8q_Wpt5NVMez_OT1/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+653.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R6zUawKC3ZaHk1U62RIeIXI2E_L71c4VkV1E093wO2pP9vNFakq0Velt-qxg0vMoSaS6jKm3ZKefPuTv8ghgXF7Ix4tVEKyHwTjQin_4lMDZ-k-ka80BR5X-srrT8q_Wpt5NVMez_OT1/s320/2009+Micronesia+653.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278033935468738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />traditional pingelapese outrigger canoe:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFk2Ww2jwhjmroG3u_lu8fSwAAJnef88FeSBr4y4qNgbsyPw2PR75grKn9lv_DhmjrGuMs4TBVLDhUM6ALPSgcoC999_jkbg7ZbbelzT3bvjDMKRsPtGu7bRnJVyZDzpq5TAiHd7WrzCq/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+629.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFk2Ww2jwhjmroG3u_lu8fSwAAJnef88FeSBr4y4qNgbsyPw2PR75grKn9lv_DhmjrGuMs4TBVLDhUM6ALPSgcoC999_jkbg7ZbbelzT3bvjDMKRsPtGu7bRnJVyZDzpq5TAiHd7WrzCq/s320/2009+Micronesia+629.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278024285274146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />arriving at pingelap at dusk:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyU6YYWEizVzRKWIvnJQPbjdgVHwCgcVgzE4DhPXm8YPn9xEs3yeo1nCk2rMw0xBmWQCo6IMzRRt_XsXd7YHCkgvv9SsbnZWYi6fpYJtBujPQ-pvR8BRMXXBzq75Zf9-oqr35CA9X9oAVi/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+580.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyU6YYWEizVzRKWIvnJQPbjdgVHwCgcVgzE4DhPXm8YPn9xEs3yeo1nCk2rMw0xBmWQCo6IMzRRt_XsXd7YHCkgvv9SsbnZWYi6fpYJtBujPQ-pvR8BRMXXBzq75Zf9-oqr35CA9X9oAVi/s320/2009+Micronesia+580.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278014689165714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />mokil:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQInq1ZaiyvYwOw1C3Yt5CCCrGrccbC6FRgtEIK-m14UYk2De4MLoaxEwJ6h7v9_z97D6FH1O4hTJknEDIcmbZW_m4Rf3kvVWZ4Sm75p6B76GTBKWkndiMA0b09JAFsrwzoVYcrmkxx0OV/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+565.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQInq1ZaiyvYwOw1C3Yt5CCCrGrccbC6FRgtEIK-m14UYk2De4MLoaxEwJ6h7v9_z97D6FH1O4hTJknEDIcmbZW_m4Rf3kvVWZ4Sm75p6B76GTBKWkndiMA0b09JAFsrwzoVYcrmkxx0OV/s320/2009+Micronesia+565.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422277381965531858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />leaving pohnpei at dusk:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslJxuAsdOZm2O1lhIbpQOpRUFmBDREP_CqA0nefbfTh7-bGwlCeWBk5-pK_5pNd8VgWkVr6RzuOfIhTAQXs-jfyMrp_Z0Xi0szAvOWh92_ZcmZroQiAwiPKzN42Y-2CKWCufTf45twCwX/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+490.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslJxuAsdOZm2O1lhIbpQOpRUFmBDREP_CqA0nefbfTh7-bGwlCeWBk5-pK_5pNd8VgWkVr6RzuOfIhTAQXs-jfyMrp_Z0Xi0szAvOWh92_ZcmZroQiAwiPKzN42Y-2CKWCufTf45twCwX/s320/2009+Micronesia+490.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422277376318889394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />the caroline voyager:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uHk1e8YJCg7DfomtNq4IsVRPzmlcWSi0-IQ3DG2TPndjhbxPVOdpFo6b8LlqOcE-dPOTGYKg_FDGbqiYFlW7fhDHjywjoU5AkGNSd5SpF4O5phHcM-5s9P-gfk0pDtsTsjMMBswCypvB/s1600-h/2009+Micronesia+479.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uHk1e8YJCg7DfomtNq4IsVRPzmlcWSi0-IQ3DG2TPndjhbxPVOdpFo6b8LlqOcE-dPOTGYKg_FDGbqiYFlW7fhDHjywjoU5AkGNSd5SpF4O5phHcM-5s9P-gfk0pDtsTsjMMBswCypvB/s320/2009+Micronesia+479.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422277367198715714" border="0" /></a>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-2605306423010369532010-01-01T05:17:00.003-05:002010-01-01T05:48:36.664-05:00a trip aboard the caroline voyagerearlier this week, i was able to travel to two of pohnpei's outer atolls - mokil and pingelap. with a group of other teachers, i bought a deck spot on the caroline voyager, a cargo ship that takes supplies and passengers out to the far islands a few times each year. almost all the passengers were in great spirits and ready to visit home, and the atmosphere was a lot of fun. i was excited to see several of my students aboard, too.<div><br /></div><div>we left pohnpei at 6pm and travelled overnight to mokil, arriving around 6am. unfortunately, this portion of the journey was marked by my discovery of seasickness. thankfully the seas calmed a bit for the rest of the trip, and i learned a valuable lesson - that being horizontal fixes a seasick tummy.</div><div><br /></div><div>after a brief visit to mokil, an atoll with around 100 residents, three of us forged onwards to pingelap atoll. pingelap is the focus of oliver sacks' book <i>the island of the colorblind</i>, and it was really exciting for me to see a place i had read so much about. we travelled to pingelap in the afternoon, and arrived in early evening. as we pulled up close to the reef, we could see the entire community outside waiting for our arrival. we were a special surprise to the peace corps volunteer in pingelap, who wasn't expecting our visit and is in an exceptionally isolated post.</div><div><br /></div><div>in exploring pingelap, i was struck by the number of abandoned houses. the population is slightly larger than mokil, but i am told is under 200. the signs of rapid population decline are evident, as more and more people move to the main island of pohnpei. i was likewise struck by the number of outrigger canoes. canoe racing is a traditional activity, but they are not too common in pohnpei proper. they were beautiful.</div><div><br /></div><div>one of the most fun parts of our time in pingelap was unloading the cargo with the community there. there was a palpable excitement as we carried boxes and boxes of canned goods and ramen in for the store, and as people received mail and packages from family and friends. it felt like a party! </div><div><br /></div><div>on the journey back to mokil, we had a much smaller group. we bonded over breadfruit, taro, and bananas, and the most freshly caught tuna i'll likely ever get to eat. as we waited for the fishing boats to pick us up and take us into mokil, little boys jumped off the voyager and played in the ocean.</div><div><br /></div><div>in mokil i had a chance to snorkel while the ship loaded copra (a form of coconut that is the only export of the atolls). i wish i could share pictures of what i saw. it was beyond anything i've seen before, and one of the most incredible things i've ever done. i saw sea turtles, so many sharks, barracudas, and coral that was decidedly alive. </div><div><br /></div><div>another overnight trip, and we returned safely to pohnpei - just in time for new year's! i had a blast celebrating here, and hope you all had a good night too. the celebration of the new year continues here tonight - lots of honking, banging on drums, screaming, kids dousing cars with water balloons and hoses. lots of fun! </div><div><br /></div><div>no pictures today, but look back soon (or on facebook) for some pictures from mokil and pingelap.</div><div><br /></div><div>hoping you all have a wonderful 2010 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!</div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-88738126850561930332009-12-25T06:12:00.013-05:002009-12-25T17:43:47.268-05:00merry christmas!<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">i hope you all have had a lovely holiday. judging from the pictures i've seen, it looks like the east coast is enjoying a white christmas. you can imagine that the weather here is quite different - please enjoy the snow for me! </span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">i'm trying to hop on a cargo ship that is travelling to a few outer islands this weekend. if all goes according to plan, i'll have a chance to visit some of the most isolated places on earth - i'm excited! </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">as promised, some photos to sum up the first half of my year here: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">1. the street where i live - part of my walk to and from school every day. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP_mX02niLLj4_jf0rw3NWOnsgAd8guz3SzjrLJFc_HDRoWnDOUP6J89y5EAndVwKwGPWAmdR1Y97qqeH03EY8EsRL8JlRT6ZA_Z1DSETpELJoEdPkWnwAj5IH-0hl-ibt7uufp-CQF6a/s320/2009+Micronesia+385.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419301958773600786" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">2. my every-day-of-the-week class from fall semester. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyVBpaeCpPvQ1zJbHnViZbqb8UcjQSZNBA5cwxre2s8Jpal-pftsbC-Bzj_EgQrWYKdzVYSJf44bdFhPYrlgdbtUqMn9wAU5_tpugFL2VPRe_gJPBHDuubxqEo1MiW1IBloj_mUizxOVF/s320/2009+Micronesia+387.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419303106086743650" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">3. my office staff. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvveXIxXVddTMZG2k33Kdo4f7OBRnl2xz7U1C8xeUyR_vTJDcKSGYfH5BNrNbzz8sFzR0aTwXTX05pQodJJXK-J-zXLxvHcaWroRRSz03g3kiPEpnXOzjToFeqozPhcTFoLa24QhnsjAN/s320/2009+Micronesia+396.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419303911174336626" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">4. a traditional yapese dance in progress, celebrating christmas. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRFYJSy0jFRBrfOzw5Bv01L0a8o4Ng9R-4TveUmd7-m-UoosnT6KauzRVdoNdgiCCJQ3CJk7TLAKyyhLsLkZ9Z2Hmk7Q_sysJM8_NDzECqB3UCZdM7mNp48IVnJVDOtqnJD7Ce8JLkn2d/s320/2009+Micronesia+449.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419307382750823490" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">5. some boys playing on an old japanese radar array. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-AS7Wb66hDeZpR1i00PSXlb8tG-4VUczw6CGm-mmZzWAX4-qVY7rWBkv5awWqQeQE5XaeqOsiaGZfujF3SsGGp0-zoiLAelcl7zhDxJcND39sh1tED9WjGdqERqNXKHK3Bza_bOsmmLm/s320/2009+Micronesia+456.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419305183505631922" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">6. the star of a pig roast birthday celebration. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUBjlP0gAH9Lss3JI_iFCHMlDSQce7OVmqOzhkTOYey3GTtxFmyLXDgdLwlTXKVksj270dFezJUxR9pMSpAr2BI72nLCj3SqDxr_wp-SsbyjlpePcRkIvoFktPMClXqdHPYziSU5kDQOW/s320/2009+Micronesia+466.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419305884293333506" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">7. telecom decked out for the holidays.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIl1NOxxLmMfKr67cHq-St2kAtOX5bKHmy1cyJ3zG4rK-SsTdA9C6EoyncxhRisvoz910HRgOd6oQmBSQCyMANuXkbSgmqNTYN196VWEbeHzQbLp40ZgokvhxH5lnA-VxAibYtHzE0_Rn/s320/2009+Micronesia+402.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419306477510862274" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-42275974219945917672009-12-08T01:08:00.002-05:002009-12-08T01:19:12.568-05:00the more things change...the more they stay the same. actually, in pohnpei, things pretty much just stay the same. i've been watching the facebook pictures of east coast snow come rolling in with great jealousy! its hard to believe its december (mid-december!) already. pohnpei is drowning in the rainy season, but temperatures and appearances are otherwise exactly the same as when i arrived in july.<div><br /></div><div>well, not exactly. its headed into mango season again, and we're thankfully through breadfruit season. breadfruit doesn't fall from the tree until its past-ripe, and so my walk to school had been filled with fallen, rotten breadfruit all-too-popular with the flies. haven't tasted breadfruit? you're not missing much, at least in my opinion. its great if you're going for starchy calories, and a good local food choice, but i'm not dying to mix it in with my fruit salad. </div><div><br /></div><div>its also christmas, and i think you would be able to tell that here even blind, deaf, or braindead. there are decorations EVERYWHERE, and christmas carols to drive even the biggest xmas fan insane. the partying has already begun, and looks to continue full-tilt until january. oh, my.</div><div><br /></div><div>rainy season is nothing to sneeze at, either. our tuesday night ultimate frisbee game is almost always played in a total swamp, and i've lost my shoe more than once in the mud. its good fun, though, and we're ignoring the very real possibility of serious injury and enjoying dramatic slips and slides through the muck. </div><div><br /></div><div>otherwise, the flowers are still blooming, the parrots still flying, the geckos still chirping, and the bananas still growing all over the place. coconuts continue to fall in dramatic fashion, and the sun keeps beating down. zero chance of a white christmas for me!</div><div><br /></div><div>that said, i hope the holidays are treating you well! i'm hoping for a white christmas for all of you, and thinking of you often. more pictures soon, once finals are over at the end of this week. :)</div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-79866192942663159292009-11-25T05:19:00.012-05:002009-11-26T01:37:36.900-05:00a bat cave, a rainbow, and black coral<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">a few weeks ago, i hiked up to a bat cave. it was a nice, steep hike, and ended in a very surreal location. the cave is built into a ledge under a waterfall. because of the way that the cliff hangs, the wall is incredibly dry and strikingly lacking in plant life. pohnpei is known as the garden island, for good reason - its nothing if not green. the hike was fun, if unfortunately high in bat guano content. here's a shot of the cliff - notice how plant-free it is! </span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQ7rg1BS7Lf7wemhnmoXyH9Hwsl40U8YPxX_QOBHna6QE-2w0-oqEWQQuL348Zw0F0bjeQFvUI8JPUFmtwyH6Hyr-xKVBElvrkzU_o2zExgP_Rx1GRr2RX1ENDyFJdiaqy6X6MqiYytPt/s320/2009+Micronesia+131.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408294153227384130" /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">last weekend, i camped on an island close to pohnpei called black coral. it was wonderful - words don't do it justice. the island is very small (perhaps the size of a football field), and lies very close to another island. the channel between the two islands drops pretty low and has a sandy bottom - which makes for the bright blue line you can see in the photo below. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6UtPxRxCv5LvKnf3CKQ2_felJ7wLbaTSn_k70VILhaFuj1ANH91TCqgBOpb1tbTMiJnG4N5qpUAa7Ri_6HO2JFAymKEjSCP3c18wQGNzHbXe0fEBP6N5WWDFbpk6XtHeY5ClMVxVJbcV/s320/2009+Micronesia+199.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408256478825132722" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:georgia;">it was super-relaxing. lots of eating, lots of reading, lots of incredible snorkeling, and lots of cards. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSZVIuGhBUN07wmwblIMIGaE1RtDX4WvcpMXPG0wiUuDenIlIwt2YmkGiTnfTFHAvqxpp3m1sO2JsbOMQ21sxU7KwbbAHZbrVjMZ1C28tIukRGE7AHF8RhWmhFEIiEwFovFSMcASZnsZv/s320/2009+Micronesia+189.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408259403755509730" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">we also got a nice view of pohnpei from a distance - its always nice to be reminded that pohnpei is, in fact, an island. sometime routine takes over and its easy to forget that its a small place. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5_j6Ani5zZI2MWIhHcHbNW0ePGO_gOioybli8NhOWrVKMfVSqO8dFEuCrMuULfBw_2DjsrEA6nBCQjsDsHPArmhZaVygzcuKLC0903C-TOFItiMF86GZejsLZrg4m0UBFxA85gCcGJEt/s320/2009+Micronesia+164.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408261603686908306" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">we had two days on black coral, making for a nice long weekend away. its hard to believe, but i'll be done with this semester in less than two weeks now. winter vacation doesn't have any concrete plans, but i'm sure it will fly by and spring semester will be upon us very soon. we're looking forward to having many visitors in december - many volunteers have family coming, and some of the worldteach kosrae volunteers are coming for a week to see pohnpei. speaking of seeing pohnpei, how's this for an image of sokeh's rock? </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_pzrEmuGOHsR_5drtKp0ESq0XDNM-c5_EqLxCLbBs-GPM1a10MjT_G94lfIVRIYHbgKAM3NHA1zVGuBhqQeGjIJ66WrVKdfF1hXwQd1tJH0NR7eKjSFRSOy8-2oph8aRRpqdCTa7KdEl/s320/2009+Micronesia+159.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408263611308876146" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">thanksgiving isn't celebrated here, but we're having an american thanksgiving on saturday, to be followed by a 'variety show' of incredible performers. i'm looking forward to the weekend and planning to make mashed potatoes! i hope everyone at home has a wonderful thanksgiving, and jumps quickly into the holiday season... pohnpei started celebrating christmas about a month ago and new years promises to be the event of the year!</span></span></span></div></div></div>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-76795210827922754252009-11-18T05:18:00.002-05:002009-11-18T05:29:01.277-05:00a general update<div>not too much new to report these days. school is going well, though a lot of my students have hit a brick wall in their focus. less than three weeks left of the semester, though, so i'm doing the best i can to keep them motivated until the end. i've been pleased on the whole with my first run, and i'm looking forward to taking the lessons i've learned and doing a better job next semester.</div><div><br /></div><div>we've got a busy schedule for our weekends until the middle of december - crazy how busy my social calendar has become. we're looking forward to a weekend at black coral, an outer island that is reputed for having some of the best snorkeling around. after that, we're having american thanksgiving - something i am looking forward to, though it will be sad to be away from home! </div><div><br /></div><div>some photos from snorkeling in nan madol again - thanks mike for the underwater pictures!</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3LzsGOlXgqXQXjCgW6oWJtwpcqF0dsrQDRpiyKHmeuUlY5HQApmhq0HQB6xGttwtoKn6yct6ALVdtxKhmp8XMn8UWl4Ik-WtMd4B9qlS97H7xxO_-J7OWEqqoyzkAb74zsmVEtriIHqS/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3LzsGOlXgqXQXjCgW6oWJtwpcqF0dsrQDRpiyKHmeuUlY5HQApmhq0HQB6xGttwtoKn6yct6ALVdtxKhmp8XMn8UWl4Ik-WtMd4B9qlS97H7xxO_-J7OWEqqoyzkAb74zsmVEtriIHqS/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405386834966688578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidziS8pAIqo96wcaP2cy2qF5spqNsUuQ_zFHe_b1j7qQ6wIxLliyQiUK6pmjN602_oqnz2gRo4IJnjtqhwVHvkNlXlBXX4AQbl0Ie-rtMmdDm4_lzLDF2sQIG-gOJBZkAmVkhgbo2yCVF0/s1600/IMG_0381.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidziS8pAIqo96wcaP2cy2qF5spqNsUuQ_zFHe_b1j7qQ6wIxLliyQiUK6pmjN602_oqnz2gRo4IJnjtqhwVHvkNlXlBXX4AQbl0Ie-rtMmdDm4_lzLDF2sQIG-gOJBZkAmVkhgbo2yCVF0/s320/IMG_0381.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405386828837946770" /></a>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455675307489924808.post-41728362806163671972009-11-02T19:10:00.004-05:002009-11-02T19:20:55.953-05:00scuba and halloweenfriends! i am scuba-certified. hooray!<br /><br />here's a shot of where we did our confined water dives. as there are no swimming pools on pohnpei, we were "forced" to do our dives in the lagoon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q6yMEAKXniIxYLcRleevCbVDdpDClVyyEU0lRJnxChOLfaRMMlPzVveYD8jtD8Om1Uj253F8Qsyk1zGrFh7hD4mTpHDIjw7qNi_wBG3mG5quvj7f8-E8BQ5Kfa8GhVRfxNqkkE70XNm5/s1600-h/Picture+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q6yMEAKXniIxYLcRleevCbVDdpDClVyyEU0lRJnxChOLfaRMMlPzVveYD8jtD8Om1Uj253F8Qsyk1zGrFh7hD4mTpHDIjw7qNi_wBG3mG5quvj7f8-E8BQ5Kfa8GhVRfxNqkkE70XNm5/s320/Picture+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399664538964101218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />this weekend was halloween. the expat community here went a little crazy... but it was awesome! i love halloween, so it was a treat to celebrate with so many super-dedicated costume makers. my roommates and i:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/4067698375_26f3568694.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 447px; height: 397px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/4067698375_26f3568694.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>epedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539886675596039482noreply@blogger.com1