Things 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!

General Facts about Normandy:

The cliffs at Dieppe

• Normandy is known for her cliffs and rocky beaches which are both stunning and dangerous. The highest cliffs in Normandy are by the city of Fécamp and reach a height of 110m.
• The Calvados region of Normandy is famous for, uh, Calvados. This is a type of brandy/whisky made from apples (mostly) or pears. I did not try it.
• Many places in Normandy experienced a lot of damage during the war from both sides of the fighting. This means that some towns, like Caen, look a lot more modern than others.
• In Normandy, there are more cows than people. (Okay, this last one isn't a fact, but it sure seemed like it. There are more cows in all of France than in Normandy though).

Now, here's what I noticed about France:

1. Dinner Time
I’d heard that Italians eat dinner late, but I didn’t realize that it’s also a thing in France. Every day at Verbosc, Michel and I would have a breakfast of bread/croissants around 8, lunch around 12-14:00 and then the hours would drag by. He wouldn’t even think of making dinner until 19:30/20:00. In Korea, city night life is also huge! But where I live on Jeju island, many restaurants close around 20:00 with last orders sometimes as early as 19:00. I’ve become accustomed to eating earlier. I also found that when I ate later and then still woke around 6/7am, I felt nauseous.

2. Yield to the Right

Random road near le Verbosc.

When driving in France (and apparently other European countries), if there is no signage indicating otherwise, you need to yield to the right. This system definitely has merits which help to ensure that other vehicles are able to emerge and get into traffic, but there were a couple very busy roads where cars were zipping along at 70km/h and a smaller road intersected, and not always easily spotted. If you are foreign to an area, it could be very dangerous; if cars were waiting at the intersection, those clicking along need to stop and yield. 

As a side note to driving, I have become accustomed to the use of mirrors everywhere on Korean roads and I don't think I realized how much I appreciated the extra vision they afforded until we're weaving through these French streets where everyone has really high hedges and harsh corners to the edge of properties. I was at times really concerned about easing around a corner because you really couldn't see very much. Long live the mirrors!

3. Recycling at the Grocery Stores
If you have lightbulbs or batteries or other odd recyclables, you can bring them down to your grocery store and deposit them in a bin. Very convenient.

4. Everything is better with Goat Cheese.

5. But seriously: Cheese and Bread?

Rack of baguettes at Duclos' Boulangerie.

People joke about the bread and cheese in France, but now I get it. Seriously. The bakery is the heart and soul of a town and people go every single day. 

Every morning, Michel drove to a bakery in Yvetot to pick up fresh bred for the day. What if we didn't eat all of the bread one day and had leftovers? Old bread isn’t for ordinary meals, peasant. Old bread is for toasting. (Although I secretly wished I could have toasted the fresh stuff, too!). 

There was also always some type of cheese on the go in the fridge, sometimes two. When guests stayed at the castle, we would serve cheese with breakfast, but at most, I think a hunk of cheese lasted 3 days before being fully consumed. I like cheese well enough, but on things. I don’t much like the feel of chewing into cheese. While I might like the taste, I usually need to pair it with another texture as a distraction. These people? I saw people cutting off pieces thicker than my wrist and biting it like an apple. Crazy!

6. Transportation: BlaBlaCar
BlaBlaCar is my new favourite car service, although I only successfully used it once. Really, it’s not much different from Uber or Lyft. The main difference being that commuters have posted their regular commute or planned routes. You can then find a car going where you’re going and jump in. BlaBlaCar has recently partnered with Ouibus, a cheaper bus service in France. You do need a phone number to set it up, which did cause me a couple of initial problems. With both my Korean and Canadian sim cards, I had trouble receiving the texts while in France. I ended up inserting one of my parental phone numbers, calling them over wifi, and getting the access code that way. Without it, I couldn't arrange any rides or send anyone any messages. (I also found some really cheap train tickets here, for when BlaBlaCar couldn’t solve my problems. This website and the accompanying app, saved me at least twice).

7. PDA

Maybe it's because I've been living in Korea for so long now and the most touchy-feely you tend to see is handholding or a side hug. France was not like that. On more than a couple of occasions, I saw couples full out making out. The worst (or best depending on how you look at it) was when this couple was on the subway platform across from me in Paris. The woman was holding a purse in her hand and the guy was holding an empty coffee cup and some trash. It started out simple enough with a gentle kiss, and then they both decided they'd rather eat each others face. So they did that for a minute or so (while a mom and three kids comes out of the entrance beside them and sits along the chairs at the back) and then they decide that the items in their hands are too much of an obstacle. So they quickly put them down near the wall and proceed to hold each other in a rapt embrace, bodies flushed together. 

Why did I watch this? I was mildly curious as to how far they would go. Luckily, my train arrived (causing no ripple in their tongue-locking action), and I left.

Love and Bisous (the cheek ones, not the crazy PDA ones)

The city of Rouen from the top of le Gros Horloge (the Giant Clock).

Thoughts from Caen

Dear 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 to go, but thought it'd be cool to see Juno beach since I'd already seen Dieppe and both were major incidents for Canadians during the Second World War. A quick google search spoke of William the Conqueror's castle and I was sold. (My patron, upon learning I was going to Caen, couldn't really understand the attraction aside from the nearby D-Day beaches. He argued that people go near Caen, but not to Caen. So maybe it was also part stubbornness that firmed my decision).

Most of the city was destroyed during the summer after the D-Day landings and in the late 1940s/50s, the main goal was to rebuild quickly so that people had places to live. This means that unlike some other cities in France, there are not as many stereotypic picturesque streets, although there are a few gems and hot spots. During my first night in the city, I learned about the Caen Memorial and decided to make it my first stop.

Photo of the Caen Memorial. Source: François Monier, Calvados Tourisme.

I didn't realize how big the memorial was until I stood at the entrance. I wasn't sure what to expect, initially, but it wasn't the structure that stood before me.

In the memorial, they had recreated a wall
covered in propaganda and news.

The giant slab of stone, rising from a well maintained field of green, had the words, "La douleur m’a brisée, la fraternité m’a relevée, de ma blessure a jailli un fleuve de liberté" written across its surface (Pain broke me, fraternity brought me up, from my injury flowed a river of liberty). An imposing reminder.

I arrived early just as the memorial opened at 9am and opted to get the audio guide for an extra couple of euros (ticket just under 20 euros, audio guide just under 5). In hindsight, there was a lot of information even without the guide and I wouldn't say that it was necessary to enjoy the museum and the experience. At times, I struggled with the guide because I was trying to read and listen at the same time--which I know uses the same part of your brain and doesn't work, but still... There was just so much to look at!

For those interested, you could also arrange a tour to the beaches, but as I already planned to head out to the Canadian Juno Beach Centre the next day, I decided not this time.

The memorial had a really cool set up and was divided into different zones. At the start of the tour, I entered a door marked pre-1945 and was taken on a directed journey through twisted corridors and a labyrinth of rooms (or at least, that's what it seemed like).

Anti-Hitler teapot. Would you keep
it after the war?

The walls were lined with various sources from photos, maps, journal/news excerpts, video interviews, and explanations. Along the way, they would show updated versions of maps, depending on the year/month of the war, for both the war in the pacific and Europe to show the stages of military and country control. Certain sections were set aside for daily life during the war, the holocaust, and key points of conflict, but on the whole it was structured around the timeline. I really liked learning about some of the ways the governments raised money for the war effort: anti-Hitler themed teapot, card games and board games being some examples.

Part of the display on the
Jewish Discrimination

In the post-1945 section, they not only discussed the immediate conclusions, but the dynamics of the cold war, the changing relations of power and between countries. There were even pieces from the Berlin Wall, which was definitely cool.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and thought it was presented and organized well (with a decent gift shop for war related materials). Unfortunately, I also quickly got information overload. From the text, visuals and audio stimuli my brain had trouble digesting and processing all of the information.

I spent about 7 hours at the museum and mainly left because (1) I felt like I couldn't absorb anymore information, and (2) I still wanted to see a couple other things in the city and I needed to be mindful of closing times.

So, while my patron questioned why Caen, I found a gem well worth visiting in a city that has been through a lot. If you are in Caen or visiting the beaches, I highly recommend you check it out!

Love and Hugs

Dear 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 appropriate shirt for the day.

As I've been spending time away travelling through other countries and meeting all sorts of people, I've been thinking a lot about what being Canadian means to me and to our identity. Why do I celebrate Canada Day? Here is a very *very* abridged timeline:

We are a country of blended (and chaotic) beginnings. With the race for colonization and imperialism, both the French and the English fought for ownership over the land and the native populations. It was an era of nationalism and the clash of prides. That history is littered with the fragments of broken treaties and unkept promises--from multiple parties.

In the mid-late 1700s, after many battles between the French and English (with First Nation allies on both sides), France lost the war and ceded ownership of what is now Quebec to England. The lingering sentiment between the two languages and people wasn't so "easily" settled by the shake of hands and French communities were not treated as well nor always respected by the English settlers.
But who were we then? Not a country yet... Just a gathering of settlements amidst clans of aboriginal tribes in a country the English claimed as their own.

To the south, the US claimed their independence from England with the bravado and volume they have become known for world wide. We were like a young toddler waddling along next to the 19 year old moving out and off on a motorcycle while mum and dad weren't looking. There was a fear that we would be invaded and absorbed, ripped from mummy's hand. This fear, along with a number of other factors that are too numerous for this abridged account, eventually led to acquiring our own independence on July 1st, 1867. Most people in Canada often say that the US had an exciting beginning whereas we just talked and talked and talked and then became a country. If they only looked deeper, they'd see the intrigue and plotting... and the planning of genocide.

In addition to the conflicts between the English and the French (with a predominantly English government enacting discriminatory policies that limited the growth of French like in Manitoba and Saskatchewan), the government oppressed AND continues to oppress native communities through policies (ie. residential schools) and the distribution of services (communities that are without water, stable education, or goods). A quick internet search today can yield a slew of articles on injustice issues and so really, it's no wonder that your birthday gets people riled up. What are we celebrating when so many of our own people--and some of the people who've been here the longest--are being mistreated and misrepresented? That needs to change. No birthday in the world can change that.

Canada, I know you can be better. I want us to be better.

 I think of all the people who live off your land today who are from countries all over the world. Whether they've moved because they want to or maybe because they've had to, you have become a safe place and a home for many. You unites us, and in the same way, you allow many to promote and share their own cultures.

So, Canada, you are far from perfect, but today on your birthday, I want to celebrate what we have come to stand for at our core, and our potential for the future.

Love & Hugs

Les First Few Jours en France

I 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 Korean and French. Would that be Korench? or Corançais..?

When people asked me questions, I'd answer yes or no... in Korean. My inclination when saying thank you was '감사합니다' instead of 'Merci.' And apparently 그 (pronounced like the French 'que') has become my place holder. (Let's not forget that I pass objects with two hands and bow slightly when saying hello/goodbye).

After a couple of days, the language has gotten better, but I still find my brain jumping to the Korean translations of some words before going underneath to the French. From a psychological point of view, I find it fascinating. From a functional point of view, more annoying. How do multilinguals ever manage to keep their languages straight?

Although, on a plus, based on my accent, no one has questioned where I'm from so far!

Love & Hugs

Travel Log: Indonesia Day 4

This 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 up, nurturing the FOMO culture. So here's a bit of a downer from my travel log to help keep things more honest.

Dec 20th, 2018

Rainy season is not a misnomer. I was lucky with 3 days of no rain for my first week in Malang on Java and I was beginning to think the rest of my trip would follow suit. Unfortunately nope. Today it poured all day. If I could go back in time, I think I would have hidden the day away inside with a book, but nope. I was trying to make the most of it...

The morning started off okay as I switched from Nuu's place to Wandi's via GoJek motorbike. Once I arrived at Wandi's and put my things away, his friend came to take me around the area on his motorbike while Wandi went to work. It was cloudy, but I wasn't really concerned, yet. We made it to the first temple all right, but a few minutes on the road afterward, it started spitting.

Walking around a temple area
before the rain.

Then the watefall unleashed. There I was on the back of a motorcycle, unprotected from these watery pellets, mentally kicking myself because my rain protection was attached to the outside of my backpack. My guide, while he couldn't speak English, didn't like the rain much either and pulled over to a random and slightly run-down porch (the only other occupants a chicken and her chicks). I hopped off, eager to put on my rain gear while he used a translator to tell me he was going to get a jacket from a friend.

It struck me a moment after he sped away that I probably should have been mildly concerned that he left me in the middle of nowhere in the rain. What if he doesn't come back, I thought for a moment, and then again as the minutes dragged on. I think it was nearly 20 minutes before he returned and we continued on our way. Sadly, there was no change in the weather.

Waiting for my guide
to come back.

We zipped up higher into the mountains and clouds and I wondered what gems were hidden by the rain and gloom. When we arrived at our next destination, we passed through manicured fields of green. Living on Jeju island, I quickly recognized the bushes for a variety of green tea, but had never seen so many rows weaving off in all directions. As we turned to head up higher, the road went from smooth asphalt to mini-bolders. Looking back now, I don't know how I managed to stay on the motorbike. It was like I was the ping-pong ball and the bike was the paddle. As the wheel moved forward, I was constantly jolted from my seat and I struggled to remain on the bike. When we finally made it to the flat trail and I dismounted, I was pretty sure I had done some permanent damage to my knees and dreaded the idea of returning back the way we came.

In case you forgot, it was still pouring and at this point, the clouds were so low that you could hardly see 100m in the distance. We took shelter with a group of teenagers and some older men beneath a bamboo hut. A small fire was going and I was grateful for a place by the warmth. If any photos of dripping, navy blue-clad nuns on the side of a foggy mountain appear on the interwebs, that's me. The boys weren't very discreet in snapping photos, but oh well. We didn't really have much else to do. One of the men spoke a little English and he eagerly tried to small talk while the others just listened or talked amongst themselves. For an hour. I'm not very good at small talk. Especially when I'm cold, wet, and trying to cross language barriers. But I want the record to know that he was nice and trying. When the rain finally let up enough for us to try the path, the man asked for a picture and even told me I was beautiful, although I really have to question his eyesight at that point...

Looking my finest in the weather.

Working in the rain.

I slipped down the trail (literally. I misjudged a step and ended up covered in mud and water), but at this point, it didn't really make a difference to my wetness level or mood. In the fields, I could see all of these women bundled in vibrant tarp-blue harvesting tea leaves. With the weather as it was, I was surprised they were still working away. Respect.

At last I arrived at an elevated lookout. Just look at my spectacular view (after everything that morning, of course I took a picture to document the experience):

Green tea fields in the rain.

I'm sure it's great on a sunny day, but it was just eerie in the rain and fog. I feel like this is where a horror film would start or end. After snapping that picture, I returned back toward the bike, my guide on my heels.

As we rode back down the mountain, the rain returned in force. At one point, it looked like we were trying to take the bike through a river. Considering the wetness, I assumed we were going back to Wandi's house, but nope. Instead he was taking me to another temple (because that's what Wandi had originally planned). All I wanted was to get somewhere dry and change my clothes. I was wearing a rain jacket, but it wasn't designed for this much water (more water resistant than repellant), and I could feel wet fingers running down my back and stomach. I couldn't see anything out of my glasses because they were fogged up and covered in raindrops, my shoes felt like mini pools that squelched with each step, and since water was underneath my shirt, I was certain it had managed to ooze through my bag as well. I was most definitely not in the mood to walk around another temple area.

If my guide had been there before, he probably thought it was the shortest visit of his life. I walked around in 5 minutes and then rushed back to the motorbike, visions of warm, dry clothes dancing behind my eyelids.

My guide contacted Wandi who came back to the house since his job was around the corner. It was not even lunchtime yet and I felt like the day was done. Wandi asked if I wanted some hot water to wash myself and I realized that there was no water heater aside from the plug-in element. My vision of warmth and dry clothes faded as I didn't want to keep Wandi from his work. I assured him I was fine, waved him off and then washed quickly clean in cool water instead. Definitely not the day I had envisioned.

I'm sure I could talk more about what I learned from this experience and how it was still valuable--and I'm sure it was--but it also sucked. Despite the warmer climate, I spent the next couple hours huddled under a blanket, chilled from the inside, my only company my book and the roaring sound of the wedding music blasting from the speaker on the street.

Love and Hugs

Travel Log: Indonesia Day 3

Dec 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 places you can add to your belt. With this trip, I'm trying really hard to linger. While it has been challenging for me, I have been rewarded so far with great people and experiences.

This morning, my new friend Ekky told me that one of Nuu's friends was available to show me a waterfall. After a slow morning of breakfast and chatting, we made our way to the meeting point where Nazar met us with his motorcycle. By now I am feeling more comfortable on the back of a bike, which was good as it took at least 45 mins to get there. My tall legs proved a problem as I had to keep them in a cramped position as we rode. I felt like a crab with her claws forced up against my shell.

The last leg of the journey was along the side of a steep, forested hill. The trail was only a foot wide in some spots and the drop was far. I definitely pictured falling to my death... When we finally arrived at the mini parking lot, I was so happy to stand on my own and dreaded the thought of returning to the bike for both reasons.

Along the base of the valley. Two of our
young guide-friends.

But before that the waterfall. We made our way down the winding trail to the bottom of the valley. We could hear the roar of the water (and some very vocal insects) before we saw the river open before us. We were at the base of the valley and the foliage was thick on either side. As we followed the river around a bend, we saw a thin bamboo bridge maybe 4 beams wide.

As we started to cross the bridge, I noticed a group of 8 young boys jumping into the water near the base of the falls some 50 meters up stream. A couple were definitely naked. They saw us from a distance and I pretended I hadn't noticed yet by turning more to the right while they ran for some clothes. I was surprised to see a couple smoking as we approached through the remaining trail. The youngest looked like he was 5 or 6 and the oldest no older than 11, maybe 12. By now I've been told that smoking is a large part of Indonesian culture. In many rural parts especially, families pass down blends from father to son. Despite government efforts to discourage smoking, it's not going anywhere. Ekky even told me that when faced with the choice, many of her friends would buy a pack of cigarettes over food when money is tight. But it's one thing to hear this and another to see a group of kids younger than my own students lighting up.

The falls, Coban Jidor.

Large rocks encroached the river near the base of the waterfall, making a mini-pool and a small rapid-slide. A great spot for jumping around on a warm morning. The water was cold and smelled like clay, but refreshing after the hot journey on the back of the motor bike. At first, I was only going to dip my feet in, but the boys kept staring at me and I could tell some were shy. I wanted to make them comfortable, or at least make them see me as a regular human and not just a foreigner with light eyes and skin. A couple were casually tossing stones at stacks near the base of the waterfall so I joined in. With a lucky shot, I knocked over a tower and the competition began with us scrambling for more stones to throw. When the towers were all collapsed, the only thing left was to jump into the pool. In shorts and a t-shirt, I wasn't prepared to swim, but with most of the boys in their underwear, I guess I blended in.

As the sun moved overhead and the valley became eclipsed in shade, we made our way out. A day well spent with moments to remember. I enjoyed the ride back along rural roads (and luckily the way out was not along the same narrow hill face as the road in!). The cities get so congested that it was nice to see what life is like on the outskirts. Plus the landscapes are beautiful.

Our gang of new friends.

I'm glad we lingered. I'm glad that it was more than just a photo-opt and that we made a connection, if small, with those boys.

Love and Hugs

P.S.

My friend put together a mini video with some of the moments. Feel free to check it out:

Things I've Learned about Indonesia

Another 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 colouring on Mosques
* Money is counted in Rupiah
* There are over 750 languages across the country with Bahasa Indonesian being the main language (Locals also speak maybe 1-3 other languages depending on where they live)
* Neighbourhoods aren't "developed" like North America. People buy land and then build their own homes with contractors which makes neighbourhoods more unique
* Many people have caged birds in their yard as it is a sign of wealth (goal: most beautiful song = bragging rights)
* The food is delicious

Waiting in Traffic.

1. Transportation
First, Indonesians, like in Malaysia and Singapore, drive on the left side of the road. Second, motorcycles are life. I can't say that I saw many buses--aside from a few intercity buses that is. The main transportation around the city is by scooter/motorcycle or motorcycle taxi. Unless you have a lot of luggage, avoid using a car. Traffic can get really congested and the benefit to motor-taxis is that they know how to zip between and move with the flow of traffic. It is very easy to use online apps like Grab, Uber or the Indonesian GoJek to get from A to B, to send something to someone else, or to order pick up and delivery. I opted to use GoJek when I had to arrange my own rides because it told you how much the price would be if you paid in cash or through app (with a discount) when you ordered the ride. As a foreigner, you will get cheated at some point, but it doesn't have to be with GoJek! (Side note: in really tourist-heavy parts of Bali, they discouraged online transit apps because they wanted to promote the use of local providers).

2. Smoking Culture
Smoking is ingrained into the culture, especially for the men. I saw young children passing around a joint of some sort at different points of my trip. At times, they looked no older than 6 or 7. The government has put out initiatives against smoking, but they haven't really made an impact. One of my new friends told because smoking is part of family traditions. People aren't always smoking tobacco; secret family recipes are passed down from father to son through generations and it's hard to stop that sort of family tradition. That being said, she also mentioned how many of her friends, when forced to pick between a pack of cigarettes and eating a meal, would pick the cigarettes.

3. (Lack of) Fitness Culture...
Potentially because of 1 & 2..? I went on a tour of Mt. Bromo on East Java with mostly Indonesians. It was about a 2k walk from the parking area to the base and then up a steep section of stairs. It was across sand/volcanic ash, so not the best for breathing, but I felt like the majority of people hardcore struggled. I wondered how much exercise they normally get day to day. Locals also gave me weird looks when I said I wanted to walk places. I knew it was hot out, but it wasn't too hot for a stroll.

From the top of Mt Bromo looking back the way we've come. The "parking lot" is in the distance.

4. Timelines & School
When I was staying in Malang on East Java, I learned that the prayer bells ring at the Mosques at 4:30 in the morning. My new friend Ekky told me that for many families (and especially moms), this is when they start their day. This conversation revealed the difference in school days. Schools start around 6:30-6:45 every day. In high school, classes then end at 2 in the afternoon. (So at least they aren't in school for longer!). She went on to explain how Indonesians have a different view of time. For instance 12pm-2pm is afternoon, 3pm-5pm is evening, and after 6pm it's night. So close to the equator, the sun sets around 6pm and it makes sense, but I don't know if I'd want to be at work so early every day! It would take some getting used to.

Nasi Campur at a Warung restaurant in Kuta, Bali

5. Food
Deliciousness.
Can I leave it at that?
Indonesian cuisine uses a lot of peanuts (not in all dishes, but if you are allergic, keep that in mind). Like many Asian countries I've visited, rice is a huge staple. And why not when the country grows rice locally? Other dishes (spiced vegetables, meat, eggs, etc...) are available as sides. In many restaurants, it is sort of set up like a buffet line but you only pay for what you eat. This makes it easier if you are vegetarian or if you aren't super hungry. These style of restaurants had a sink readily available because traditionally you eat with your hands.

My time in Bali made me realize that "tourist" Bali also offers a lot of "tourist" foods, too, like the instagram popular smoothie bowls. Yeah it's easy to get a lot of fruit in this country, but if you are looking to experience Indonesian culture and foods, make sure you also check out local restaurants! The best ones are delicious and very affordable.

Setting up the tent on the street.
The large object on the left is the speaker.

6. Wedding Culture
Another fun fact I learned while in Malang is that December-January is "wedding season." Specifics for wedding attire and structure vary across the country depending on region, so I can only speak to what I saw on East Java, because yes, I crashed a wedding. And then I was invited to another (although sadly I wasn't on East Java anymore and couldn't attend! ㅠㅠ).

Weddings are held at the home of the richer of the two getting married. A giant tent-like structure is built out front a couple days before and a giant speaker is procured. From then on, the family blasts the neighbourhood with music at all hours of the day. Since my friends house was right across the street, I can attest that it was deafening. As I explored the neighbourhood, I passed a couple of other tents set up, too. Not all of them were at the music stage yet, but some were letting the whole world know that the wedding was coming.

Inside the tent a day later.
Just a couple hours until the wedding!

Standing awkwardly with the bride and groom. Her dress was absolutely stunning.

I was leaving to catch a bus shortly after peeking in on their ceremony (and somehow also sharing the food!). I was not expecting a black and gold wedding dress. In case you can't see the picture, she looked like royalty with a golden bouquet, crown and veil. Her dress was a black velvet waterfall that cascaded down the stairs of the makeshift stage. It looked like a beautiful ceremony and I was honoured to be there for a small part.

All in all, I feel I could add more to this list, but I'll cap it here for now (I originally started with 10 but wanted to keep it shorter!). I have a couple of post-journal entries that I want to share, and I'll weave in the other observations that way, mayhap.

Stay tuned.

Love and Hugs

Things Students Say Year 3

Well 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 middle school we can read the older books!
Student B - I know! I used to sneak them when Ms. A wasn't looking last year.

Sept 4 (Grade 6 student about the Secret Garden)
"Yay! I am reading an old Englished old book!"

Sept 13 (Gr 6. While working on a formative cartoon on mythology on their own...)
Student A: "Student B says frog legs taste like chicken."
Student B: "This is true! Frog back legs."
(Me: why is this related to the task?).

Sept 13 (Gr 6. Chairs and desks move above our class).
Students: "Earthquake!"
And: "North Korea's attacking!"
One student: "If there was a war you'd already be dead."
How we seem to jump to conclusions...

Sept 14 (Gr 6)
Student: "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Me: "Secret. If I did what kind of boyfriend would I have?"
Student: "A handsome one."
Me: "Oh Ye--"
Student: "Like Justin Bieber."
*face palm*

Nov 20 (Gr 6, Written)
"Bandits usually look like... Big muscular body, grumpy faces, and a huge bag like Santa Claus's, to put things inside that they steal."

Feb 20th (Gr 6)
Student: "I don't like you very much when we have assessments."
Me: "Glad to know your affection is so deep."

Mar 12th (G6)
Student: "Ms. B, who else is coming on the trip next month?"
Me: "Humans."
Student: "No really? I thought we invited cows."

March 13th (G7)
Student looks at me intensely then: "I've seen your top before! At... Christmas."
Me: "Yep, I did wear this at Christmas. Great memory."

Mar (G6)
Student: "You have a good face Ms. B. It's like a stone."

All the time:
Multiple Students: "Ms........ B...riard."
Me: "I've taught you for how long and you still can't remember my name?"

Mar 14th (G7s)
Giant group of grade 7s comes into my classroom at the end of the day and pile up on the rug and bean bags in my room (10-15. I teach 2-3 and 3-4 are in my homeroom and the rest I don't teach at all).
Me: "What are you all doing in here?"
Students are silent for a beat.
Student A: "Uhhh... Ms. B we love you."
Student B: "You're so pretty."
More chorus responses.
Self-esteem boost check?

April 4th (G6)
Student: "Your neck looks like a giraffe."
Me: "Thanks...?"

April 6th (G6)
"Happy Birthday--you look tired."
Compliments at their finest.

April 25th (G6)
"We say that you're salty, but really you're sharp."
"Even if I think the grade is salty, when I read through the comments I think you're exactly right."

May 14th (G6)
"The other grade sixes think you're scary or pretty."
"One or the other? Not together?"
"Yeah."

(same student as above, a little later in the conversation)
"No one can read your emotions."

May 22nd (G6)
Student A: "Ms. B, what does the K in your name stand for?"
Me: "Secret."
Student A: "No seriously."
Student B: "Is it Kelly?"
Me: "Do I look like a Kelly?"
Student A: "No. Is it Kendall? or Kay? Like just the letter?"
Me: "Do I look like a Kendall? or Kay? I could dig it."
Students: "Nooooo."

May 28th (G6 news article)
As a teacher, you have to build up your reputation somehow...
"Ms. Briard is the saltiest teacher."

Kid 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 book fair and I wanted to get a variety of books from all sorts of genres and styles for my classroom.

As I arrived at the check out, Kid Normal had migrated back into my basket. Thus, my fate was sealed.

No regrets.

The novel is about Murph Cooper. Desperate to find him a new school after a recent move, Murph ends up in “The School.” Unbeknownst to Murph and his family, the School is for children with special powers called “capabilities” or “capes” for short. Children enroll to learn how to control powers like super strength or speed so that they can either enter the world as future heroes, or merely gain control of less desirable capabilities (transforming your head into a giant fog horn or summoning two tiny horses) and return quietly to the normal world. Murph, being a normal kid, doesn’t quite fit in. But with an evil wasp-man on the loose, he just might have to step up!

The novel is a blend of images, text, and font choices that come together to add a depth to the story, especially when it comes to sounds. The authors work full time as radio DJs and they bring in extra noise with radio-like elements that make the story really leap off the page. Full of jokes, pop culture references and the occasional aside to the audience, I can almost imagine them reading parts of the story aloud! A truly enjoyable ride.

While I fell in love with the overall story and quirky cast of characters (again, summoning miniature horses?), my favourite part of the book is how James and Smith use descriptive language--something I never thought I’d say. The descriptions, however, are hilarious. Half of the time they don’t make sense, or they are over exaggerated. At times, they compare characters, settings and objects using similes and metaphors that are utterly ridiculous and I can’t help but burst into laughter.

For the hysterical writing, engaging plot, and interesting characters, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story and can laugh at themselves.

Happy Reading!

P.S. This post was initially written for a project with my grade 6 students this term, but I liked the book so much I wanted to spread the word.

Things I've Learned about Japan

Later 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
Similar to what I saw last year when I visited Taiwan, I found that the convenience store is on a whole other level than the convenience stores in Korea or back home in Canada. You can get train or bus tickets; tickets to some museums; scan, print or photo copy documents; use a free toilet and wifi (in some locations); and get small grocery items or bento boxes. While we did visit the grocery store a couple of times for a bit more variety in selection of bento boxes, many 7-elevens, Family Marts or Lawsons provided us with what we were looking for. AKA: lots of mochi.

Noodle Sandwich anyone?

2. Picnic Like a Pro

Inokashira Park, Tokyo

We arrived in Tokyo for the peak of cherry blossom season and found the parks packed with tourists and locals alike every day. Why weren't they at work? I wondered. My friends told me that because it is cherry blossom season, big companies host picnics together. Interns are tasked with claiming a spot early in the day, laying down the mats, and then waiting patiently until the others later arrive bringing catered sandwiches, pizza, chicken and booze.

Taking a selfie next to a pro-box picnic group. (Ueno Park, Tokyo)

Some parks had signs saying no tables or tents, but the really creative people got around this through the use of boxes. I wish my company would throw a cherry blossom picnic!

Picnics for days! (Yoyogi Park, Tokyo)

3. The Garbage Can?
I remember reading a couple abstracts/summaries from psychological human interest websites that have implied that visible garbage cans make people produce more litter and trash and I can see the logic. I suppose that's one of the reasons Japan is known to be super clean: Public garbage cans don't exist. Some subway stations might have a recycling can or two, but many don't. If you get a coffee or drink to-go, you might come to regret it later.

While this can be a positive in deterring people from producing trash, it also has a fallback on what is thrown out or recycled: I never knew where or how. And there are a lot of tourists. I can't imagine that everything is being thrown out in the most recyclable manner if there are other people like me who can't read or find the instructions and thus just toss garbage in any bin that they find. For the cherry blossom parks, some had huge bins available labelled with different categories, in English even, but if I didn't live in Korea, I wouldn't have known what Vinyl was. What was the difference between non-combustible and some of the plastics/recyclables? Walking further down the lane you could see the huge dump sites where they gathered trash at the end of the day. Did they bother to sort it again?

Pros and Cons, I suppose.

4. The heated Toilet
My bottom has officially been spoiled. All I want forever is to perch upon a warm throne as I'm taking care of business.

One of our hostels part way through did not have the heated seat, and I felt a moment of loss. When it's a bit chilly out, that brief warmth as you find relief does much to soothe the soul.

5. Wait in the Queue
Everywhere we went, we would see queues outside restaurants, cafes and other establishments. Sometimes they were only a couple people long, but other times, they were massive with at least an hour wait, maybe more. Certain ramen shops, for instance, have people lining up at all hours of the day, even for breakfast (source: Personal Interview with our Japanese friend).

Were the restaurants and attractions really worth the wait? Or were they waiting because others were waiting first? The Jury's still out on this one...

Fuji Mountain across Lake Kawaguchiko

6. The Incredible Fujisan
A part of my heart belongs to the mountains, I know this already from living on Jeju island with Hallasan in my backyard. Of everything we did in Japan, our day trip to Fujisan is in the top three. We had lovely weather, if a little hazy, and easily saw Mt. Fuji from the distance as our bus wove through post card-perfect valleys. I wish we had had the time to do more day trips away from the big cities!

Mt. Fuji and Cherry Blossoms!

Bicycle rental stores were very close to Lake Kawaguchiko's bus/train station, although more expensive than anywhere else that we went (1500 JPY for a day! Some other places were 500 JPY. Also side note: If you are tall, try the bike out a bit before you commit, they are mainly designed for Japanese people and as such, not all shops carry bigger bikes). The day was warm and it was a beautiful ride around the lake. There are different attractions and things to do, but we opted for a carefree circuit and attempted picnic along the lakeside trail (Next time we would choose our food more wisely).

There are five lakes around Mount Fuji that draw in tourists. They say the best time to see the reflection of the mountain is either early morning or in the evening and unfortunately, by the time we arrived, there was a constant ripple across the surface. Still, the mountain was stunning and we snapped more pictures than we needed. Our only regret was perhaps our limited time. We had trouble booking tickets online and ended up buying more last minute. The earliest bus out and the latest bus back only gave us 4.5 hours there. Shayna and I agreed that spending a night if you can would be so worth it.

I definitely want to go back during another season to see how the lake-side scenery changes. Who knows, maybe I'll even try to climb the mountain one summer during open season?

But for now,

Love & Hugs

The 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 me hungry for clarity and understanding

Some of the largest (and also mundane) questions revolve around the enigmatic Geisha. I have a fragmented image of how this entertainer fits into Japan's history and wonder how this profession has been shaped and altered by modern society. What has remained a constant amid the multiple changes that technology and the structure of relationships has wrought?

My sister is more the expert on Geisha. For the grade 12 English ISU (Individual Study Unit) at our high school, students had to pick a fictional novel that focused on a social issue/structure. During her year, Shayna picked Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Through reading the novel and supplemental research, she learned a lot about the profession (I on the other hand, read Schindler's List and studied the delightful topic of genocide). With this background in place, Kyoto became one of the highlights of our trip.

It was only natural that upon arriving in Kyoto, one of our first tasks was to walk the streets of the famous Geisha quarter: Gion.

Early Morning Streets on our way to "become" Maiko.

If you are looking for a chance to dress up in kimono, Kyoto is the place. If I had 100 JPY for every kimono rental shop that we saw, I could afford an extra week of travelling around Japan, easy. That being said, while there are a lot of kimono rental shops, there are not as many that advertise full Geisha/Maiko attire. As this was high on our list of to-dos, I researched ahead of time and decided on this experience after comparing plans and prices. Shayna and I really wanted to walk through the streets in costume. Many makeup plans were limited to a dress-up and a mini-photo shoot only which wasn't really our style.

The makeup artists were experts at their craft. After stripping and donning the kimono underwear, they quickly painted our faces down to our collar bones and around the back white, added colour to our lips and eyes, and then moved us off to the wig station. We decided to try the "half" wig as it's supposed to make it look more natural. Really this should be called the 80-90% wig; most of our hair was kept back with only the first inch around the forehead and temples pulled free and dyed to weave back into the wig. 

The wigs were heavy. The questions come charging in: How much hair did a Geisha have to create the hairstyles sans wig? Could they have done their makeup alone? Or did they have partial assistance with the white? How long did they have to maintain the hair and makeup? Memoirs of a Geisha talks about needing to sleep carefully in order to keep their hair from going flat, but is that really true? Nowadays?

With hair and makeup done, I didn't recognize myself as we moved on to select kimonos. Shayna and I were going for the Maiko style which is more Geisha in training. Maiko are known to wear more patterns compared to the full-fledged Geisha who is more mature and... "subdued" maybe? We each stood in turn as these small Japanese ladies directed our arms like planes landing on a runway. I lost count of how many pieces of fabric they arranged on our bodies with ties.

Ready to stroll the streets!

Who first designed the kimono? How did they decide to use so many parts? Why?

Pretending to look pensive. Did it work?

Fully dressed, we heading out to the streets.

I struggled hardcore walking. The shoes have a thong like flip-flips but also have a reverse heel so that your toes are a couple inches above the ground. If you put too much pressure over your toes, you teeter forward. I tried so hard to be graceful and then ended up doing the awkward don't-fall-catch-your-balance-hand-wave more than a couple times as we wandered around the neighbourhood. Since people were staring, that was a little embarrassing. Some strangers asked us for photos, too.

Today, I wonder, do Geisha walk around fully-dolled up? Or do they travel more covertly? 

When at last we returned for the take down it was both sad and a relief. But this presented another obstacle. All that makeup did not come off easily. I think it took me almost 30 minutes of hard scrubbing using the provided oil and cleansing soap. Plus since part of our hair was dyed and waxed into place around the wig, that was another 10-15 minutes of soap-rinse-&repeat. A whole lot of work to take off some makeup. Does it get faster with practice? How long does a Geisha spend taking off their makeup? Would they be doing that every single day, then? Nearly an hour before they can retire to bed, only to wake to do it all over again?

I itch to dig deeper but currently lack the proper tools and time. The Geisha experience is one I won't soon forget. While it was fun to play dress up, I choose to remember the undertones and the questions, hoping to one day find the answers.

Where has the past Geisha come from? Where is she going now in the future?

Love & Hugs

Thoughts from Osaka: Cosplay, Sumos & Universal Studios

Dear 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 of Hogwarts across the Lake.

Shayna finding her wand. Photo-op only.

From the reviews and blogs I saw online, I was a little worried that we were throwing money down the proverbial toilet when we decided to head to USJ. With Hogsmead our main motivation, we decided against the Express Pass (an extra 200 USD) and planned to get their early in order to beat the crowds. Everywhere said that even if you arrived at the park an hour before opening, it might take you a couple hours to get into the Harry Potter section. The park's general opening times are listed online, but vary from day today.

Somehow we got lucky.

We arrived at USJ around 7 on a Monday morning and joined the throngs of people standing at the gates. Around 720/730, the express pass guests were released into the park. We could see them running through the bars toward their desired rides. Then, at 745, they let us in, too.

New Hello Kitty Crown?

Shayna and I booked it to Harry Potter World, expecting to get a timed ticket at Central Park first (as said online), and yet we were ushered right in. We waited maybe 40 minutes for one ride and then explored all the shops, ending our time in Hogsmead by 930. It seemed almost too easy.

We continued our exploration of the park, stopping here and there as we walked through different sections and laughing at some of the items sold in the shops and booths. A lot of people were wearing different head gear (hats, headbands, crowns). It was definitely a fun atmosphere, although Shayna and I found that the actual number of rides was a little discouraging. Two or three per-section and yet five or six shops to bleed you dry…

Still, no regrets.

Second: the Cosplay

Who are these people? No idea. Ha.

During our first day in Osaka, we found out (by accident) that there was going to be an Anime/Cosplay Festival on the morrow. We couldn’t believe our luck. Apparently one of the biggest—if not the biggest—Cosplay event in Japan was happening the following day with full sections of Osaka’s streets blocked off. 콜! And off we went.

This was part of the main street that held a parade, but a number of side streets were also full of characters and spectators. 

A couple of characters posing for cameras.
Identities unknown.

We had no idea what we were walking into (and I have too many photos to add to this post! Ugh!). The hostel worker shrugged it off as a festival, yes, but it was not like the other festivals I've attended. If there was order, it was not translated. There were a few moments where I turned around, momentarily panicked because I thought I had lost Shayna in the fray.

The streets were packed and the costumes impressive. Professional photographers crowded around some of the more impressive costumes and the cosplayers themselves posed with mini-signs asking for twitter followers or Instagram or something (the signs were mostly in Japanese but that’s what it looked like). While we didn’t know all of what was going on: What was the general layout of everything? Was there a central hub? Were there theme areas? Was there a costume contest somewhere? Despite these and other questions, it was still a wicked experience, especially as cosplayers ranged in ages, genres and nationalities. It was cool seeing how people put time and effort into assembling different costumes.

The Spider Crew.

Deadpool.

We only wish we knew more of the costume characters. There were some western characters and the timeless classics (Marvel, Harry Potter, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon...), but there were so many that we didn't know. Both of us are a little rusty when it comes to the current trends in anime and manga.

Another unknown, but a wicked costume.

Third: Sumo Spectating
When Shayna was in Korea back in February, she mentioned in passing that it would be cool to go to a Sumo Match. She did a bit of research and learned that (a) there is this tournament happening during the entire month of March in Osaka and (b) it was really hard to get reserved seat tickets (especially as a foreigner), but that General Admission tickets could be bought for same day admission first thing in the morning.

Waiting in the rain for tickets to go on sale! No idea what the banners actually say...

Fast forward to arriving in Japan. After learning that most Japanese people have Sunday off (and thus the line gets more competitive on Sunday mornings, we joined the ticket line Tuesday morning at 7am, already behind a good number of people. We stood in the spitting rain and cold until the tickets went on sale at 745am, procured a ticket (2100 yen), and then waited until 815 for admission. The bouts started at 845 and continued all day with the better, more advanced matches scheduled for mid-afternoon to late afternoon. Many people, once they have their ticket, head out to do other things, returning later. As we were leaving Osaka in the afternoon, we wanted to watch as many matches as we could.

We got tickets! General Admission is only in the four corners of the area (dark purple seats).

The area was fairly empty when we came but slowly started to fill-up as we watched. It was like watching a sleeping dragon slowly awaken as more and more energy arrived with each guest. While we couldn’t stay, we wondered what it would have been like at the peak during the Intermediate and Senior level bouts.

Around 830 when things were still being set up. Really, nowhere had a "bad" view. Just a "bad photo" view.

Each bout was brief. One referee-like person sang an opening and then the two opponents stepped into the dohyo. Then, the second referee-like person presided over the match. On each side of the dohyo sat judges. The north, east, and west sides had one judge each while the south side had two judges and the “next” ref. On either side of the east and west judges sat the contenders for the next two bouts. Upon entering the ring, the sumo wrestlers would face SE/SW (respectively) and perform a couple stretching/squat configurations before returning to the center to face each other. Some bouts lasted mere seconds, others lasted a good minute. At times, the two wrestlers seemed evenly matched and would be locked in what looked like a strange hug, neither moving. And then wham! One would go flying out of the ring.

Watching a bout.

I don’t think I’ve spent so much time watching half-naked men before in my life. I’m also positive I left with more questions than when I entered. Why do the "refs" change so frequently? Why are they always in different robes? What do the strings represent for the sumo wrestlers? Are matches by weight or experience? And those are just the tip.

It was a really cool experience and I would consider going again, hopefully with someone who could help explain the finer points of the sport. That, or after I do more research.

All in all, Shayna and I are stoked for the next phase of our trip. Onward to Nara and Kyoto!

Thanks again, Osaka. For the crowds, the costumes, and the half-naked men.

Love and Hugs