THE HONEYMOONERS

After a 48-hour train ride from Adelaide to Darwin (made $200 cheaper by acquiring some fake student IDs in Bangkok), we arrived at the Top End of Australia, Darwin. When we woke the next morning, our own Real World began. We were picked up first along with two other girls that were staying at our hostel. So, now we're up to five, including our guide. We swung around and picked up another, then another, and then 3 more at the tour operator's office, where we had to pay and pick up our sleeping bags before all 10 of us embarked on our 3day/2night camping tour in the bush of Australia within the country's largest National Park, Kakadu.

The characters were:

Brad and Amanda: Two yuppy honeymooners from the USA.
Oliver: a German who, as he would say, is "making" his doctorate in physics and is on holiday from his internship in Canberra where he spends time splitting atoms (no, we don't know what that means)
Cira and Pauline: Two fiery Catholic Irish girls who loved to curse and smoke cigarettes, but were engaging from the start.
Diana: Nearly 6 feet, this bi-polar Swiss chick was simply wack. At any time, she was liable to bust out a song or conversely, not talk for hours. Can't write too much more about her because she was so mysterious, but I will say her hands were bigger than Oronde Gadsden's (holla to the Dolphins love)
Geoff, Charlie and Adam: Three English dudes from about 100 miles north of London, who are traveling together. Geoff is a wanna be playboy, wanna be tour guide, wanna be something. But, to this credit, he initiated all the craziness that happened - flirting, farting, drinking, etc.
Charlie is a squeaky Englishman with a real quirky sense of humor. Them too, Geoff and Charlie, were very much similar to Penn and Teller, feeding of each other and in their apperance as well. And Adam was a carpenter/handyman who was arrested "drink driving" as he would say, and faced a court day the day after we were to return back to Darwin.
Jack: Our tour guide, an ex-Army, controlling personality with a heavy dose of indeciveness.

Our first stop was the Crocodile Park, where we played with deadly snakes and then went aboard a boat on a crocodile infested river to feed the crocs. Somewhat unsettling, but never felt unsafe. We then continued on our 3hr drive East to Kakadu National Park. We traveled in a beat-up old Land Rover with no air conditioning, no radio and two benches in the back, 4 to each bench. And a trailer hitched on the back carrying our everything - food, clothes, tents, sleeping bags, etc. After a brief stop for a self-made lunch, we 'set up camp' in the early afternoon so that we could spend the day hiking and swimming in plunge pools that 'hopefully' didn't have crocodiles. After Amanda got the fire started for the group, we enjoyed Kangaroo bits, veggies and spuds (potatoes) for dinner, all cooked on Amanda's fire. The stars were absolutely incredible. The Southern Cross (the stars on the Australian flag) is almost always visible, but was so bright along with the rest of the solar system. In fact, we ate Milky Ways while looking at the Milky Way.

The next day we packed up camp about an hour before sunrise so that we could head to our next site. So by 5.30am we had already been up for almost an hour and already had a fire-cooked breakfast as well. We 4-wheel drove to the next site. Each time we got in the car, it was a minimum 45min drive. Our next camp site, though, offered toilets and showers - what a treat. We again set up shop early in the day so not to have to do it in the dark and headed out for our day of hiking, swimming and sitting.

In classic Real World fashion, there was drama on Day 2 as our controlling and scatter-brained guide basically denied Amanda (and me b/c I stayed with her) the second half of a hike because he felt we wouldn't have enough time to get thru "his" day since Amanda wasn't able to hike as fast as the group. He was completely wrong, both about his timing (we had so much time, in fact, that we noshed on fruit before the next hike) and about singling out Amanda because of her foot condition.

But, hey, what's a Real World without a little crying and animosity. And just as MTV's Real World is filled with twists and turns, so was ours. First we liked the guide, then we didn't. First, we didn't know about our roomates and later we formed friendships, close now with Cira and Pauline, the two Irish girls who we'll hopefully always stay in touch with. Nonetheless, the waterfalls, the camping, the wildlife was an experience we'll never forget.

Click here for pics of Kakadu Dreams

Hello from Sydney, Australia! The city is just as perfect as I remember it (4 years ago) and Bradley has fallen in love with Sydney just as I did! We are staying in a great part of town, Surrey Hills, which is central to everywhere. We have been here for about 4 days and have walked half the city! We're staying in a hostel, but payed the 10 extra dollars for our own room and own bathroom. It's a great atmosphere and any room is paradise compared to our last room in Thailand.

Our plane landed in Sydney at 4 in the morning. We hadn't felt any type of cold weather so it felt great when we got off the plane. We are in Australia's winter right now, but it's very mild. Everyday is sunny, and about 65 degrees. Perfect sightseeing weather. When we arrived at the hostel we couldn't check in until 1 in the afternoon! That was pretty annoying - we were wishing we had a hotel room, but luckily there were some comfy couches and a bunch of DVD's. After many hours of lounging, we checked into our room and slept for a while, then ventured out and ate at a food pub.

The next day was perfect. We took the bus to my old Uni, Maquarie Univeristy! We walked around campus and I showed Bradley where I lived, the Uni Bar, my old lacrosse field, and even the local grocery store I used to shop at. We ate lunch on campus and even bought sweatshirts from the campus store! It was so amazing to go back, I feel so lucky to be here again!

That evening we met up with one of Bradley's friends that he met at a real esteate course in Miami. Her name is Lynette, and she and her boyfriend Ian have showed us amazing hospitality in Sydney! She has 3 kids, one who is still in Kindy (that's what they call Kindergarten here) who is adorable! We went with her to pick her up from Kindy and then had a great home cooked meal at her house! It was amazing to sit down at a table and eat great food, not at a restaurant. We hung out at their beautiful house overlooking Sydney and sampled some wine from local wineries in Australia.

Wednesday morning we woke up and took a walk to the Botanical Gardens. I spent a lot of time here and couldn't wait to go back. Bradley loved the Gardens and was amazed by the flying foxes - thousands of huge bats flying and hanging upside down in the trees. I think he acutally got a little freaked out at first! We found an perfect spot in the Gardens that overlooked the Opera House. We sat there and read for a while before heading out. From there we walked around Kings Cross, the backpackers part of town. We found a cute cafe and had lunch. That night we met up again with Lynette and Ian at a restaurant and watched the soccer game and had a few beers. From there we headed to the casino on Darling Harbor and lost some money (not too much!)

So now we're about to fly to Adelade, a sleepy town where we will catch The Ghan, the train to Darwin. We will stay in Adelade for one night, then hop on the train for 2 nights. We don't have beds on the train so it should be interesting. Once we are in Darwin we are signed up to do a 3 day adventure tour in Kakadu National Park. It's hiking, camping and boat rides through crocodile infested waters. Wish us luck!

After the adventure tour, Bradley's parents are coming to meet us! We are so excited to be with family again. That's all for now! Cheers!

Remember the last day of school, smiling from ear to ear, text books and trapper keepers tossed until next year. Well, today was our last day at Ban Prao Neau Primary School in Nong Khai and it wasn't like that at all. In fact, it was more like the last day of summer camp (not quite b/c it IS still school), but we were deeply saddened to leave the kids and the staff. Although we were there only two weeks, we were treated like family from Day One. Whether we took the yellow bus or rode our bikes (about 3.5miles), school was something to look forward to everyday. The love from the kids, their attention and desire to learn English, and their smiles will never be forgotten. Our experiences each day left us wanting to do more. And on Thursday, when a party was held in our honor, we exchanged keepsakes and gifts in a celebration that was truly unique. While we sat in the middle of all the students, a temple-like offering was burned for us, which was handmade from banana-leaves, flowers, candles, etc (we can show you video for a better visual). The staff held our hands and shoulders and blessed us and prayed for us for a happy life, good luck and many babies. Then, we were showered with cards that were presented one by one by each student, pre-k thru 6th grade. And then, we were adorned with handmade flower necklaces and bracelets and lastly, EACH student tied a white string on our wrists. So yes, we both currently have about 140 white string bracelts on each of our arms. It symbolizes many things - marriage, happiness, luck and also a good-bye tradition. In exchange, all we were able to do was buy them some things - a new soccer ball, an animated world map, about 20 Thai-English books, some stuffed animals, stickers and other supplies, as well as a few presents for the staff. Right now, it feels like we did what we were supposed to do, and maybe with time, we will better realize how truly special our Thai Experience was.

In addition to the teaching, we also experienced some local events and cultural traditions. As you can see in the pictures (link attached), one afternooon we spent a few hours giving out bags of rice to those in need. This event happens only once a year, and the people line up in huge lines with tickets to claim their bag of rice (one bag per person) and a few second-hand pieces of clothing. The elderly were helped by their kids and grandkids so that they could get their alloted bag. We also celebrated with Pei Lan, the matriarch of the organization that we are here volunteering for, the half-year Chinese New Year. On the half-year, offerings are made in front of each spirit house for the ancestors. A ridiculous amount of food - duck, chicken, rice, soda, but also paper clothes and money are burned for them as well. Again, quite an experience.

Lastly, we want to congratulate our good friend Reg, who recently finished 23rd in the 2006 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Couldn't have happened to a better guy, and we wish him luck in his turn to a professional.


Click here for some pics from our time in Nong Khai

As Bradley and I were thinking of what we could do on our weekend with two days off from teaching, we realized that directly across the river is a whole other country, Laos. The thought of seeing a new country was exciting, as well as a hotel with AIR CONDITIONING and a HOT shower. So that was that, it would be our first break from our itinerary. To get there was kind of a process. You have to take a tuk-tuk to the border, stand in the immigration line, stand in another line to give in your paperwork, then wait for a bus. We were so happy to somehow find a car service that does everything for you in a nice air conditioned car! Instead of it being 10 baht (50 cents) it cost us 50 baht ($1.50) I don't know why more people don't do that, there were lines everywhere! It was crazy - when we passed through the border there were people in masks spraying the car b/c of bird flu!
So we got to Laos unsure of where to stay, and found the perfect hotel. It was pretty expensive for the run down city of Vietiene ($60) but we loved it! The room was great, no hard beds, and T.V.! Right across the street was a great place to get grilled cheese or a veggie sandwhich. (b/c we have become vegetarians for this leg of the trip) Next to that, there was the most amazing spa that we have been to! We both tried Laos massages, and the next day got scrubs. They really were amazing and only cost about $5 per treatment.
We did sight see and go to the famous morning market, but mostly relaxed and got pampered after our week of teaching. Laos is a lot like Thailand, a lot of poverty, unpaved roads, and friendly locals.
On Sunday when we arrived "home" we realized how much we were beginning to love the small town we are now living in, Nong Khai. We ride bikes everywhere here (provided by the organization) and you can't go too far without knowing someone. There is a great small town homey feel here and we love it.
Teaching is still great, today we taught a lesson on colors and had each class make their own color book. I am seriously thinking that Bradley and I should go into the team teaching buisness beacuase I think we're doing a great job. We are too funny and can't stop buying the kids things here and there, box of crayons, books ect. They really don't have anything and we just feel so blessed. That's all the news for now, Mr. and Mrs. Shapiro are doing great!

Before we write about our experiences thus far after just finishing our first week volunteering, we wanted to report that our most recent time in Bangkok was 'sanook maak' (a lot of fun). We stayed at a really cool, themed-room hotel called Reflections (you can check out their website by googling Reflections Hotel, thanks Uncle Joel). We finally toured the Grand Palace and Wat Po, which has the biggest recling Buddha you'll ever see. By the way, Buddhas inThailand Temples are sometimes specific to the day you were born. For example, Amanda was born on a Tuesday and the Tuesday Buddha is fittingly Reclining Buddha. My Budda is Standing Buddha as I was born on a Wednesday. So, if you take the time to find out what day you were born, maybe we'll get you a little present. Anyway, we also got custom-made clothes. I got 3 suits, 8 shirts, 4 ties and Amanda got 1 suit, 2 shirts, an extra pant and 2 scarves. No need to disclose what we paid, but i will say it was barely over 4 digits. But the best part of our time in Bangkok was meeting and hanging out with Lily and Wayland. Lily is a former exchange student of Amanda's Dad's school and Wayland is her friend who is originally from New Orleans, but now lives and teaches in Samphran, an area just West of Bangkok. We had dinner with them one night on Ko San Road and then visited their school the next day, which is probably one of the nicest schools in all of Thailand. We saw an elephant and crocodile show in the afternoon and also got a massage curtesy of Lily and Wayland. They, and everyone we met with them, were all so generous, kind and thoughtful, and we look forward to staying in touch with them.

Well, onto to the current. We flew into Udon Thani and took a 45 minute van ride to Nong Khai, where we are now, volunteering at Ban Prao School, which is a Primary school (pre-K thru 6) in a rural village with about 140 students. We were greeted by Sabine, who runs the program along with Pei Lan, and Pookey, our Thai teacher (we have informal Thai lessons everyday at 5) and shown to our room. It's probably a lot like your rooms - no air conditioning, a hard mattress made out of straw, an electric fan. And a bathroom, only downstairs, with no sink or hot water, with a portable shower head used both to shower and clean the floor. You see, the toilet does not automatically flush. In fact, when you go #2, your toilet paper DOES NOT go in the toilet. It goes in the trash can next to you and must be emptied by us about once a day. And for #1 or #2, the flushing mechanism consists on filling a small tupperware bowl with water and splashing the excrements down. And believe it or not, we have it good. We COULD HAVE a squatter toilet (just a hole in the ground), a roomate and a mosquito net wrapped around our bed for when we sleep.

But when we got to the school Monday morning, none of that mattered. We watched the kids, in uniform, raise the flag and sing the King's anthlem (He's celebrating his 60th year on the throne, longest standing monarch in the world, King at 19 years old). We met Kam Dee, the principal, and learned that we'd be teaching mostly 4th, 5th and 6th grade. However, we've obviously also read books and sang songs to 1st thru 3rd and played with the pre-K kids as well. The school goes beyond relaxed - it is completely outdoors with the classrooms all lined up on a one floor wooden structure on stilts. Students come and go as they please as do the teachers. Often times, there won't be a teacher in the classroom. We don't have a curriculum other than whatever we want to teach that day, preferably involving English. And the kids are awesome. They are so respectful, not out of fear, just true respect of us, their teachers and themselves. Although they are kids and sometimes act like it, the girls, and even the boys, are always hugging each other, encouraging each other and showing one another affection. We just finished up our first week and feel so close to all the kids and staff, and we're pretty sure they feel the same. Amanda has been amazing in planning the lessons - family, occupations, how do you feel, Simon Says, book readings with puppet shows, etc. As cliche as it sounds, you really have to see it for yourself, but we'll get pictures up as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading.