observations, humor, nonsense
Freebies: One of the nice things about Cuenca is there are many free events or places to visit at no cost. By popping into most restaurants or hotels you can discover a little booklet that tells you what is going on that month in the city. At Plaza de San Sebastian which is a very…
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Anyone who has been following me on the missing teacher or who knows my story, knows what a uphill road it has been back to teaching. After a few attempts to stay connected with the force-field known as education, I gave in trying to get through. So I pursued writing. I shifted my focus. And…
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Goodbye Chinese Sweet anger Draw me a curtain Give me a mask Push me off the stage The sour touch of your words Feel like dry leaves on my soul And bad milk in my bowl Goodbye Chinese Salty warmth Hold me back Shut my sight Wrap me in my ancestral blanket The savory touch…
Read MoreAnother crack at Spanish means a lot of things, including another crack at my self-confidence. Iāve started another Spanish class this week and so far it has been great. Iām surprised by what I do know and what I have remembered from my own studies. I also made the commitment to have fun. The stress…
Read MoreWhat is happening to Ecuadorās youth? It started with an advanced writing class I taught in which the studentsā final work would be a research paper and presentation. I didnāt know what to expect from a particular student because she changed her topic at the last minute. Well it was damn enlightening. She talked about…
Read MoreāThe limits of my language are the limits of my world.ā -Ludwig Wittgenstein Upon reading this I canāt help but think about learning EspaƱol and pasa Thai and how through language acquisition Iām trying to expand my cultural boundaries. But when I continued to stare at the quote I realized that language is much more…
Read MoreThe thing about being Asian in North America is no one thinks youāre subjected to any kind of racism. Weāre not brown enough so no one is the wiser. I imagine some white people tiptoe around black folks in an effort not to offend or say anything that might be construed as racist. Well, I…
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On a teacherās budget. . . I havenāt lived here that long but I wanted to put together a list of places to eat, like I did in Chiang Mai. And frankly, just a quick google search confirmed that there is not a good list out there. El Tunel on Honorato VĆ”squez is quite possibly…
Read MoreLiving abroad challenges your ability to withhold judgment because you are confronted with so many cultural differences on a minute by daily basis. At home it is, of course, still challenging to not make judgments on what people chose to do or not do. Itās hard not to think that the women who looks like…
Read MoreI was having a conversation with a colleague about how South American and Asian countries have a tendency to follow the countries they despise. Vietnam hates China and yet they seem to practice the governmental policies as the superpower they claim to want to do nothing with. The same goes with South America versus North…
Read MoreI am walking down the street when I hear: Konichiwa Ni hau Chino China Should I be offended? I know if a Caucasian person was walking down the street and a local Hawaiian yelled, āEh haoleā that would not be a good thing. Or maybe itās more like when Brendan Fraserās character from Blast from…
Read MoreI really do like my new place better than my old one but. But my landlady who is around 58 years old seems to enjoy yelling at her 70something husband. Apparently it is very common for Ecuadorian men to have a much younger wife. Of course the vice versa is unheard of. Now coming from…
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In high school, my brother (along with other students) were asked the question, āWhat makes Hawaii so special?ā Everyone replied with the typical responses like the weather, the islandās beauty, whatever, but Larry replied, āIf you took away the soft sand, the beautiful beaches, the warm sun, etc (enter eloquent words here), Hawaii would still…
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I blend. Oddly enough, I melt into the landscape of Cuenca Ecuador. Even though Ecuador is not known for having a large population of Asians I certainly do not draw the attention that my gringo friends do. And that suits me very fine. Because Caucasian women are so different here they catch the hungry eyes…
Read MoreHere is the second half of my parents story. Their story is an extension of my story and is part of the history I share with Thailand… Depending on how old I was I have heard slightly different versions of how my parents met. Iām not sure what triggered my desire, maybe nothing more than…
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The two times that I have been the most distraught since arriving here has been over the language. My inability to understand circumstances has catapulted the clichĆ© in over my head to new heights and demoralizing lows. These situations mimic things that have also happened to me in Thailand. It is not difficult to remember…
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An American I met last night asked if I noticed any similarities between Thailand and Ecuador. Having been here only 6 days I told her I had. I made the move from Chiang Mai to Cuenca because I wanted a change. I hadnāt been living in CM for very long, just under a year, but…
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A fellow blogger made mention of how lucky I was to straddle two worlds, both the Thai and the American cultures. (Perhaps this can be visualized by me riding an elephant holding a bald eagle. Anyway, scratch that, I donāt know what Iād want to be wearing. Oh! Maybe a muumuu since I was born…
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Getting around a new city can be an interesting challenge. And depending on your personality, can either make you break down curb-side or saunter down the sois like a local. Here you will find a brief guide on directions, catching a songtaew (red truck taxis) and riding a motorcycle around town.
Read MoreI always thought pĆ t tai was a strange name for a dish. PĆ t means fry. Fry Thai? But then I thought about french fries. Perhaps not so strange after all. . . Chiang Mai food! CM Gate Market is for early risers. Working Thais grab breakfast and lunch (for later) and many other goods such…
Read MoreAs I look around my little Thai apartment I am filled with gratitude for this remarkable experience, my first experience living as an expat. It seems like a very long time ago when I was taking the TESOL course in Bangkok. (They used our class photo as advertisement.) I was lucky to be part of…
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Living in Chiang Mai or visiting during the burning season is hell.
Read MoreThailand offered free tourist visas for the past year and when I went to extend mine for another month, I had to pay for an āapplication feeā. I was pissed. I handed my two 1,000B bills to the immigration lackey, along with my paperwork and passport, and walked back to the seating area in a…
Read More(or: speak language thai can a little) I stopped my formal learning of the Thai language when I stopped taking classes. I stopped at Thai 2 and the classes go up to Thai 7 or 8. We were getting into reading and writing so I was introduced to the basics but haven’t touched any of…
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Normally this is not the kind of stuff I write about, but there seems to be a lack of this kind of information. Which surprises me since Thailand is supposed to be a cliche. So where is all the information about traveling in country? Most likely buried deep under the archives of How to Tell…
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I used to hate the way I looked. Ug. If I was a guy, Iād be in bliss since there are so many beautiful women in Thailand. Thankfully, I read something a long time ago that comforts me. Itās from Marianne Williamson, āThereās room for all of us to be beautiful.ā A Return to Love…
Read More(*part 2 of: oh donāt be such a pad thai) If you havenāt figured it out, I was a picky eater and hated vegetables. When I was a wee little sprout I remember taking a bite of peas and looking up at my mom in repugnance. āYuck! Do I have to eat this?ā āYes.ā I…
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As an Asian woman Iām pretty much expected to be a good cook, kind of like how Asian men are suppose to be a mathematical geek or Bruce Lee. I loathe the stereotype and relish it at the same time. The kitchen was my motherās domain. And while I should have followed, could have followed,…
Read MoreYellow is the new black. Now donāt get excited. Titles are supposed to grab your attention. All this discrimination against the Chinese certainly has. . . I didnāt really think about it until now. You know, I was aware that teaching English in an Asian country might be tricky because of my ethnicity. And I…
Read MoreI like Thailand. I donāt know why. I mean there is a lot to despise and be disgusted by. Like all the dog poo, exhaust and burning. The smell alone would make most people get back on the plane had they not paid so much to get here. But this morning, after another night of…
Read MoreAs the New Year picks its self up from the strain of celebration, I started to think about my future and my past. I started to wonder if I had found what I was looking for in Thailand. Itās hard to think back to the girl who was so eager to have the experience of…
Read MoreThailand for some reason inspires me to write. It inspires me to write poetry and stop in the middle of the sidewalk to pull out my notebook and jot things down. Maybe Iām just paying better attention but I usually pay attention to whatās going around me. Well, sometimes I fall down because Iām looking…
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Asians can be very harsh towards one another. They judge each other by a different set of standards. Iād say āwe,ā but I donāt think I fall into this category.
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I listen and watch expats, fellow friends describe how they feel ā the phases they are going through and I think, āI wonder if Iāll ever feel that way.ā Sometimes I think, āHow sad, Iāll never go through that.ā And then I go through it and realize Iām not that special and I was wrong.
Read MoreI spent my first Christmas away from home alone. I was house-sitting for a friend, well technically it was a trailer in Hermosa without heat in the middle of one of the worst winters of Colorado. Since I was in the middle of nowhere and not much for TV, I decided to throw myself into…
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Life, the Universe, and Lani 
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