tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67916355944184689782024-03-12T23:24:57.523-04:00Raemation StationRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-3097555924744733882019-07-28T08:17:00.000-04:002019-07-29T08:27:24.006-04:00Things I've learned about France (or at least Normandy)Well there we go, my second European country. In some ways, very similar to England (a lot of meat and potatoes, fancy churches, pay toilets...) and similar to Canada (driving on the right, and the metric system). Pretty much all of my time in France was spent in the region of Normandy and so most of what I learned might not apply to all regions of France. As ever a work in progress, here we go!
Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-52502023250087022742019-07-19T06:27:00.002-04:002019-07-19T08:31:54.697-04:00Thoughts from CaenDear people of the blogosphere and travel enthusiasts,
I've been taking a bit of a different approach with my travels this summer and have planned my few overnight trips less than 48 hours before departures--and sometimes only the bare minimum: transport and accommodation. The sights I sort of decided on the fly.
Last week, my visit to Caen was no exception. I didn't really know where I wanted Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-75801538247892935842019-07-01T10:36:00.000-04:002019-07-01T10:36:26.327-04:00Dear Canada,Happy Birthday! Today you are "officially" 152 years old.
There has been a lot of hype around your official birthday in the last couple of years. Especially during Canada 150. Like many countries around the world, you have a shadowed history with skeletons buried only as deep as last season's fashion line. I wish you didn't, true, but I can't just ignore and pretend they're not there.
An Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-44534304845578943852019-06-28T05:38:00.000-04:002019-06-28T05:38:28.000-04:00Les First Few Jours en FranceI have been speaking French since I was 6 years old and I even learned to read and write in French before I learned in English. I still remember a reading test in grade 12 where I read a passage at random to my teacher. The main feedback I received? You mispronounced some words as if they were French.
And yet, after 4 years living in Korea, I landed in France to find I speak a weird mixture of Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-30194583940287308182019-01-08T07:33:00.003-05:002019-01-08T16:47:11.883-05:00Travel Log: Indonesia Day 4This week back at work, people are sharing their travel stories. I love hearing about amazing places and potential "nexts" and have also received a couple compliments on my photos from Indonesia. "It looks like you had a great time," I hear, and yeah I enjoyed my trip, but there were also days that sucked. This reminded me how social media is often used for the good. We post to bolster ourselves Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-19617008978328508202019-01-04T18:39:00.000-05:002019-01-08T07:34:41.560-05:00Travel Log: Indonesia Day 3Dec 19th, 2018
Today I was reminded the importance of The Moment. In specific, being in the moment and enjoying where you are when you are there. Especially as nowadays I feel constantly on the go at my job, jumping from one thing to the next. Sometimes I feel like I have to go through a checklist of places. You go, you see, you go on to the next one. Almost like a competition to see how many Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-31671148076128519492019-01-03T20:49:00.000-05:002019-01-04T18:50:12.354-05:00Things I've Learned about IndonesiaAnother post-vacation list has been brewing between my ears and I'm excited to organize some of my observations. Whether you are new to my blog or an oldie, I hope you enjoy this post. ;)
Indonesia - Fast Facts:
* There are over 17,000 islands in Indonesia
* 90% of the country is Muslim; 90% of Bali is Hindu
* There are two types of Muslim groups marked by either the blue or green colouringRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-65544556554510080522018-06-15T21:02:00.000-04:002018-06-16T23:56:08.326-04:00Things Students Say Year 3Well that's it: the end of year one of official teaching. I can say I've survived a year in the classroom.
*Self high five*
You hear very different things from the Middle School than senior school, and I wasn't always as good at recording them down. But here are some of my highlights:
~*~*~
August 18 (Eavesdropping on Grade 6 students on the way to the library)
Student A - Now that we're in Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-10558227948778359352018-06-07T09:52:00.001-04:002018-06-07T09:52:21.099-04:00Kid Normal: Super without Super Powers?
(link to Goodreads)
If I’m being honest, when I first picked up the novel Kid Normal by Greg James and Chris Smith, I put it back. While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I was definitely guilty. I mean, the edges of the pages are yellow, and not in what I’d consider an attractive way.
Cover of the book. Image courtesy of Goodreads.com
At the time of purchase, I was at my school's Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-3463179867506826982018-04-07T04:25:00.000-04:002018-04-07T04:25:13.861-04:00Things I've Learned about JapanLater than I anticipated, but here it is. Another country, another list. I worry that my time spent in Korea and other nearby Asian countries confounds some of the characteristics that are still unique apart from my childhood and adolescence in Ontario... If you need an intro, see my two previous posts on Osaka or The Geisha.
Early Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto
1. Convenience Store Power-up
Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-22053923854516710132018-03-29T21:13:00.000-04:002018-03-29T21:13:13.536-04:00The Geisha: Nothing but Questions
Lantern Lights; Gion, Kyoto.
What do I know about Japan? A smattering here or there from my avid interest, but I'm far from a learned scholar or dedicated historian.
So far, this trip has spurned more and more questions. With each new experience and realization, I'm struck by another burst of unknown. As we travel between different sites and streets, the lack of English translations leaves Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-58204145378907525362018-03-20T07:01:00.000-04:002018-03-20T07:01:03.184-04:00Thoughts from Osaka: Cosplay, Sumos & Universal StudiosDear Osaka,
Thank you for the last three days. You were great. What a wonderful intro to an incredible country. Your city streets were alive with excitement and eye-candy. Of all that we did and saw, three things stand out. One was planned, the others spontaneous.
First: Universal Studios, Japan
The Harry Potter fans that we are, how could we resist visiting Japanese Hogwarts?
Spot-on view Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-22553690900857259072018-03-16T05:29:00.000-04:002018-03-16T05:29:40.959-04:00Japan, At LastDuring the spring when I was seven years old, a magical event happened at my school. Teachers transformed their classrooms from the mundane desk/work centers to far off places. They hung up photos of breathtaking scenery, wore strange clothing, brought in interesting food, and taught weird games. In essence, they brought us the world.
For seven-year-old me who only knew the names of a handful ofRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-55935236157649660532018-02-19T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-19T08:00:39.244-05:00Thoughts from Pyeongchang 2018Where to begin?
When I first moved to Korea 2 and a half years ago, the Pyeongchang Olympics were a distant star on the horizon. Yeah I wanted to go, but I had no idea if it would actually happen. At the time, I didn't know if I would still be living in Korea! Et maintenant? Well.
Pyeonchang was amazing. Crazy. Unforgettable. Unbelievable.
Outside Gangneung Train Station, Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-24942147278589272072018-02-13T00:52:00.001-05:002018-02-13T00:52:12.422-05:00Olympic Fever
Go Canada Go!
Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-63047027126641117622018-01-23T06:09:00.002-05:002019-01-07T19:18:21.672-05:00Hallasan Musings
Halla from the Eorimok Trail
I am forever spoiled by Halla Mountain. Throughout the year, I am awe-struck and inspired again and again by this thumbtack-like mountain.
Some days, her royal Majesty refuses to deign us with her presence, rising above the low-hanging clouds that hug the ground. And on others, her magnetic force pulls in the few clouds, caching her face beneath a veil. How shy Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-10244978843031832702018-01-09T05:47:00.001-05:002018-01-09T05:47:34.022-05:00Thoughts from Hong KongI have spent the majority of my time over the last couple of days inside of a room staring at my computer screen while my 8 delegates participated in Harvard Model Congress Asia at Hong Kong University. The 3 day conference consisted of long days and committees where my girls, generally used to a mono-cultural environment, were thrown into multicultural settings with students from all over Asia. Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-38605335218983215782017-12-16T16:47:00.000-05:002017-12-17T10:45:21.742-05:00At last, Christmas BreakWith a limp hoorah and a staggering gait, I’ve made it to Christmas. I am exhausted. Physically, mentally and a tad emotionally.
My mum's Christmas Tree
I’m so glad to be home in Canada for a bit (even if it’s cold). First order of business: get caught up on some Zzzs.
Coming back from our November break, I didn’t think it would be too, bad. After all, we only had 5 weeks to go and sure, Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-84927476888786712742017-11-15T04:51:00.000-05:002018-04-01T07:33:35.732-04:00Things I've learned on a CruiseI think it’s important to go out on adventures and try new things. That being said… If I didn’t, I suppose I would never have packed up my life and moved across the world to Korea. Ha. But that is neither here nor there.
View of the Ruby Princess from the Port of San Diego
Last week, one of my friends from high school got married on a cruise ship. After scrounging up pennies and time off, a Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-45218882736806821032017-11-01T09:16:00.000-04:002017-11-01T09:17:10.539-04:00NaNo, Beginnings - Raw
Good luck to all you writing-folk! (NaNoWriMo Website)
So it begins, she thought as she held
the pencil—wait no—as she… nevermind I did like that, let’s go back:
So it begins, she thought as she held
the pencil hovering over the blank piece of paper. NaNoWriMo…
There was a sense
of foreboding in the air, a slight crisp energy or maybe a slight chill. Had
music been playing, it would emulateRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-91598992083316901872017-10-28T18:35:00.000-04:002017-10-28T18:35:37.695-04:00Korea According to 6th GradersThis week, I asked some of my students for "Facts" about South Korea. I wanted to know what they would say when asked to share about their country and who they were. Despite the fact that everyone wrote down their own idea before giving it to me, it was interesting that I had only two people write about the same fact, and then even then they each told me different details. Check out the list Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-59376677110641163222017-10-15T20:25:00.002-04:002017-10-15T21:09:23.877-04:00Inktober
Day 1: Was supposed to be fully shaded and I gave up. Ha.
(Inktober 2016 post)
Halfway through the month, and I have to be honest. I'm struggling. A bit.
To recap in case your new to the term, Inktober was an initiative started by artist Jake Parker. Find out more here! The goal is easy: for every day in the month of October, draw a picture. In ink. Hence Ink-tober. I like the idea of Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-85747873153653388162017-10-05T07:52:00.001-04:002017-10-05T07:52:33.308-04:00Une vie bilingue? / A bilingual life?
Je veux m'excuser aux francophones car d'habitude c'est ma mère et ma grand-mère qui corrige un peu mon orthographe. Je sais bien que j'aurais des erreurs de grammaires. (Oncle Geoff et Tante Thérèse, si les erreurs sont atroces, ne me disent pas).
Désoler.
J'utilise toujours les règles anglaises pour les virgules.
On continue.
À travers l'école élémentaire, secondaire et puis à Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-80201271772192235682017-10-02T02:04:00.000-04:002017-10-02T02:04:16.197-04:00A Rainy Day in SeogwipoUsually, on rainy days I hole up in my room with a book or movie. Maybe I go to a café and chill, but generally rainy days are low key (with tea!).
Posing by the Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
Yesterday was slightly different.
My friend and I had originally made plans to go hiking. The forecast earlier in the week spoke of rain late on Sunday continuing overnight through Monday. As Sunday approached,Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6791635594418468978.post-91397165359643833242017-08-18T19:05:00.000-04:002017-08-18T19:05:32.687-04:00Week One = Done!I do love beginnings. Those first few minutes in a movie where the camera swoops over, in or around the setting, the audio helping to stage the scene; those first few pages in a book when the story is still unknown and could take you anywhere; that moment when you first go to a new place and are able to escape certain preconceived expectations like a reset... There's just so much potential for Raehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04360330224176959559noreply@blogger.com0