first 24 hours in Asia

greetings from Bangkok,

what an adventure this has already been! 

upon disembarking the plane at 5:15 am into the shuttered Seoul airport and making my way over to the massive windows at the edge of the terminal to watch the sunrise over the mountains - i fought the urge to pinch myself... it was such a dynamic span of 2 hours, to watch the airport transform from a ghost town to a bustling international hub! 

i had a lovely breakfast of bulgogi and rice wine and enjoyed the people watching from the 2nd floor perch in the food court.  I walked the length of the airport several times and found the Korean cultural center where I was able to make an ink print following the ancient practice and special paper.  I had a 6 hour layover and found the airport was quite equipped to support the travelers with time on their hands!

my friend Julie Giodano, (who introduced me to this program and has been teaching here for 1.5 years now) came to the airport to pick me up, which was such a welcome entry into a new country! we came to the hotel where i'll be staying and studying for the next 3 weeks (while i obtain my certification) and dropped off my stuff and went out on the town!  

we went to a wine bar (red wine is served cold here.... i'll stick to beer, thanks) and then met up with some other English educators who also live in Bangkok and had a great dinner from the hawkers (street food vendors) and went to hear a cover band do hits from the 60's... i was finally getting tired so we headed back towards the hotel and found a spot to get a Thai massage, this is very different from the western styles of massage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_massage and just what my body needed after the previous days! there are countless opportunities for Thai massage everywhere here and they cost about $7/hour..... i'm also hoping to take courses in learning the technique as well.  

we slept like babies and woke this morning for a nice breakfast provided by the hotel and set out to explore the neighborhood. on the next block is a large Buddhist temple compound, i can't believe my luck! we were invited to say prayers and bang the 7 foot gong and the bells... the sounds and vibrations were immediately comforting and centering.

this afternoon i will meet with the administrator of the program for the introduction and our certification course begins in the morning.  

stay tuned!

i hope this finds you all well and enjoying your day.

take care,

karen grace

this little machine was in the bathrooms at the Seoul airport-
push the button and 30 seconds of flushing sounds emerge....
for when you need some etiquette

bulgogi and shoju

this is next to the water fountain in the food court
what a concept... reusable drink cups

the print i made in the airport

Julie and me in the orchids

temple view

temple view

the gong and bells

all the plumeria is in bloom!

there are stray dogs and cats everywhere,
this little guy had some bucked teeth

so many hawkers

waterway just behind the temple

stop.change.start.

greetings from orlando,

alas, my previous musings of a stationary existence did not come to fruition... surprise!
i gave it a try upon returning to orlando after Alaska and the universe defiantly had different plans for me.  i couldn't find a job... any job. the car i bought died.  therefore i took this as a clear sign that it was time to continue my vagabond ways!
i sat with myself and asked the simple question.... if i could do anything what would it be? the answer was simple, i've yet to explore Asia, Africa and South America..... the daunting step was sorting out HOW?
i applied for work with the UN and embassies and was unable to find anything without a large chunk of time required to wait for a position... just then i got in touch with an old friend from Martha's Vineyard who has been teaching English in Thailand.  she connected me with the program she is working with and i secured one of the last slots in the certification course that begins in Bangkok on september 22.
fortune smiled upon me and i went back to MV to garden for the summer, which was arguably the best summer i've had on the island! i lived with Jennie and her son Gabe in their beautiful home in the woods up island in Chilmark.  we had a busy summer, filled with work, the beach, cooking and learning how to raise baby chickens and ducks.  time flew and before i knew it i was back on the boat returning to orlando to say hello and pack up for 7 months in Thailand!
once i arrive in Thailand i will become a certified TEFL teacher and have a 6 month contract with the ministry of education. i will not know where or which grade level i'll be working with until i have finished the course, but it will be somewhere in/around Bangkok.
there will be many firsts with this adventure: living alone, living in a country where i don't know the language, living in a place much warmer than orlando and living in an eastern culture.  i'm sure there are many more firsts i have no clue of yet, which is why i am so very excited to step onto the plane and get my butt kicked!!!
since leaving the ice i have been ready for the next career path, yet i knew i had to let it evolve organically.  although it's taken a couple of years, i think i've found my next mode of travel.  never one for backpacking, i've been looking for ways to become a part of communities rather than standing outside of them and observing, educators certainly have that privilege, especially overseas.  i have known of this opportunity to travel and work for years, but i suppose i wasn't quite ready to jump in...
i'm sure i'll have much more to share on here in the coming months, so... if you're inclined, stay tuned!
i hope this finds you well and enjoying your day.
take care,
grace

here are some photos of my last year...

hanging with maxxx on orcas island after AK

family and friends in orlando

popping through a rock at the quarry near gloucester, ma with mimi

jack, where are you?

sea grass on edisto island, sc

botany bay beach, edisto island, sc

there once was a tree...

bananas on my morning walk in orlando

quick trip to sf

stinson beach time with kenya

monarch breeding grove in pismo beach, ca

dad and Deogee just after we completed building and planting the
square foot garden

my first Persian new year celebration, in Atlanta

a quick stop in NYC

spring on MV is TOP(S)

garden art

cherry blossoms

Gabe and one of many Menemsha sunsets

PEONIE!

coy pond blossoms

afternoon dips in icehouse pond

poppy and diamond pooped after a hard day in the gardens

garden love

Jessica and Nathaniel came to MV to surprise me at at our
performance
of the Slave Songs Spirituals choir at the Union Chapel

one of the oldest rock walls on MV

purple

Reverend Phil playing one of his original pieces on
the pipe organ at the old north church in Boston where we
sang with the Slave Songs Spirituals choir 

my 1st monarch of the season on MV

tiger lily explosion

Gabe and the 1st egg of the summer