June 2011
1 post
Anonymous asked: Hi I am curious what program you went through to teach overseas and whether you would recommend it?
May 2011
1 post
My blog has moved!!
You can still enjoy the same great travel stories at my new site: www.thejewricantraveler.com!!
April 2011
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Education in Vietnam
An old student of mine recently reached out to me requesting I proofread her paper on the importance of education in Vietnam. Some of the statistics listed in her paper surprised me, such as 40% of students in the Mekong Delta dropped out of school in 2009, most of them being upperclassmen. Whether this statistic is accurate or not, I can’t actually say for sure, but from what I saw during...
March 2011
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Mini vacation to Stowe, Vermont
Until recently, I found it hard to believe that I managed to take a 21-hour flight to Vietnam and have yet never managed at least a five-hour drive north of NYC (that didn’t include New York). So for my first trip of 2011, three of my closest girlfriends and I headed up to Stowe, Vermont for a weekend filled of skiing, hot chocolate by the fireplace and the most important - relaxation! Also,...
February 2011
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Photo of the Week: Willis Tower in Chicago
I’m ecstatic to announce that I’ve just recently accepted a new job, where I will not only be doing what I enjoy doing, but will also require me to visit my client in Chicago frequently! Here’s a photo from my last visit to Chicago’s Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). This photo is almost symbolic of how I’m feeling: A little nervous to take that first...
January 2011
2 posts
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Notes from Vietnam: Vietnamese Lunar New Year
“Dear my teacher!
Vietnamese Lunar New Year is coming, I am excited to enjoy it. Our school will have 2 weeks off from 27Jan to 9Feb. This time for me to come back my home town, decorate my house, prepare foods and visit my relatives. This is also the good chance for me to see my old friends and visit my teachers. On occasion of Vietnamese New Year, I hope that you and your family will...
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Notes from Vietnam: Happy New Year!
“Hello teacher! I haven’t signed in Facebook, so I wish you a Happy New Year by email. May your New Year be filled with the happiness and so much health! Your cute student, :-)”
December 2010
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Bali - My favorite desination in Southeast Asia
If there was one destination in all of Southeast Asia that I could revisit, hands down, it would be Bali. Even though the island is small, there are so many different types of landscapes and activities so there’s something for everyone. Once I got off the plane, picked up my luggage and went outside, I remembered to try to catch a cab from outside the airport gates. By doing this, I...
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Photo of the Week: Christmas Tree at Rockefeller...
Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center (2008)
November 2010
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25 Accomplishments in 25 Years
To commemorate my 25th birthday, I thought it might be fitting to list out 25 life accomplishments thus far. Some are unique to me while others can be said for everyone. Feel inspired and enjoy!
I’m alive and healthy
I lived in another country for six months (Vietnam to be exact)
I graduated from college with a bachelors degree
I overcame a delayed-speech problem when I was younger
I...
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Notes From Vietnam
It’s been five months since I’ve lived in Vietnam and I STILL get emails from students. I can’t describe how much I love them.
“Dear Teacher! this morning I took a speaking test, I tried my best and I got 4.5/5.Thank teacher so much! I am having trouble with my listening,but I promise I will try and practice more to improve it.!!!” - Moon
“How are you today?...
October 2010
1 post
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September 2010
8 posts
frakkk asked: So after travelling and living around Asia for a while, what's your favourite fruit? or the fruit you'll definitely be missing?
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My adventures in Jakarta, Indonesia
One of the last destinations on my five week backpacking adventure was Jakarta, the capital and largest city in Indonesia. Before I arrived, I learned that Jakarta was dubbed ‘The Big Durian,’ which for those who are familiar with this type of fruit, know that it smells like swamp ass; however, to many people, it has a sweet, delicious taste.
When my friend and I arrived at the...
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Photo of the Week: Baha'i Gardens in Israel
With the Jewlidays wrapping up this weekend, I thought it would be fitting to display one of my favorite photos taken from Israel: The Baha’i Gardens in Haifa.
To view the rest of my photos from Israel, please visit my Flickr photostream by clicking here.
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Photo of the Week: Singapore
On next week’s Top Chef, they’re leaving D.C. and hitting up Singapore, one of my favorite countries! I was completely obsessed with the architecture, the cleanliness, and their top notch bus and train system. I wanted to share one of my favorite photos from the area: a picture of me with the popular Merlion statue. I’m so adorable it hurts!
To view the rest of my photos from...
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Climbing Mt. Kota Kinabalu (Part 2): Pushing my...
After making it to the top, it was time to get back down. Everybody has this preconceived notion that going down is always better than going up. Those people have obviously never tried climbing down Mt. Kota Kinabalu. My legs were in absolute pain since I worked a whole different set of leg muscles, muscles that I haven’t used in quite some time, and I needed assistance from my tour guide...
August 2010
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WatchGetting to the top of Mt. Kota Kinabalu, a 13,435 foot (8.9 kilometer) high mounain on the Borneo side of Malaysia, was certainly no easy feat, but once I finally got there, I realized the pain was well worth it. I arrived just as the sun was rising, exposing the breathtaking surroundings and what we’ve just climbed.
RELATED ARTICLES Video: Mount Kota Kinabalu: Above the Clouds Climbing Mt....
mscaglione asked: Hey how have you been? I'm missing Asia so much right now! I'm sure you're missing Vietnam just as much.
elephantshoo asked: Hey Christina! I am currently teaching English in Thailand and will also be returning to New York quite soon actually, so I am trying to plan some "before I return to the states travels". I am wondering if you have places you definitely recommend? Things to see, etc? I have visited Vietnam and have traveled throughout Thailand. Right now I am thinking Cambodia, Indonesia and possibly...
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WatchMount Kota Kinabalu: Above the Clouds
This video was taken after hiking up six kilometers to the cabins. As you can see, we were right above the clouds. The air was slightly thin and made a few people light headed.
RELATED ARTICLES: Climbing Mt. Kota Kinabalu (Part 1): Pushing my body to the limits Climbing Mt. Kota Kinabalu (Part 2): Pushing my body to the limits Clouds in Malaysia
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Photo of the Week: Elephant Kisses!
This photo makes me smile every time. While at the Elephant Rescue Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I got a sloppy (yet very sweet) kiss from a baby elephant. How adorable is this?
RELATED ARTICLES: Video: Laziest Cat Ever Video: Feeding Elephant Bananas Chiang Mai Video: Elephant Scratching Himself
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Climbing Mt. Kota Kinabalu (Part 1): Pushing my...
Climbing up Mount Kota Kinabalu, a 13,435-foot (8.9 kilometer) high mountain on the Borneo side of Malaysia, was without a doubt the hardest activity I’ve ever put my body through, and it goes down as one of the most memorable accomplishments in my life.
The brochure said that people of all ages participate in climbing the mountain. What the brochure neglected to mention is that you...
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Photo of the Week: Balinese Dancer
In honor of the movie Eat Pray Love, I’ve decided to post one of my favorite images from when I was in Bali. This image was taken from Ubud, which was where the author Elizabeth Gilbert lived in the book. These type of dancers perform traditional Balinese dancing, which you’ll see videos of in a future blog post!
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Notes from Vietnam
I love that I continue to get emails from students. I <3 them!
“Hi, my teacher - Long time no see. How are you? I really miss you and our class. What do you do now? Continue your work as a teacher? Hope to see you in recent day.” Sincerely, Campbell
“Dear my teacher, How are you these days? I miss you very much. Now, I am in vacation in my hometown. On August 9th, I begins...
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My trip to Penang, Malaysia
If there was ever a time I felt like I was going to die, it was definitely when I took a van from Krabi, Thailand to Penang, Malaysia. I know I said I thought I was going to die in the past, but this time I’m serious. It was so bad I actually wanted to fly a plane, and if you know me, you’d know I’m deathly afraid of flying.
Once in Penang, I stayed at the best guesthouse...
July 2010
7 posts
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Advantages and disadvantages of traveling solo vs....
I never thought I would be the type of person to travel alone; it sounded scary to not only be traveling alone, but to be a woman traveling alone! However, after putting my fear aside and actually going about doing it, I believe traveling solo is definitely worth doing at least once in one’s lifetime. Here’s are two lists outlining the advantages and disadvantages of traveling solo,...
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Railey Beach, Thailand
Another destination out of Krabi is Railey beach. I was originally going to Railey for the rock climbing, which it’s popularly known for because of the different size limestone mountains, but decided to just take the slow boat over for the beach. Overall, the island is absolutely stunning, relaxing, and great for couples and families. It would be ok for solo travelers, although I...
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The Beaches of Ko Phi Phi Don Islands, Thailand
After four days in Bangkok, it was time to head south to Krabi and continue my solo adventure. As expected, the driver was reckless and fast, just like every other driver I’ve encountered on my trip. Luckily it wasn’t my time and I managed to live another day. I’m glad I survived because Krabi was pretty.
Krabi isn’t known to have a lot of touristy things; however,...
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Can Tho Bridge - Vietnam
Here is a photo of the Can Tho Bridge a few days before it opened. I was fortunate to ride it the next day when I left Can Tho for travel and home. The story behind the bridge is that it was suppose to be completed a couple years ago, but then suddenly one side of the bridge collapsed killing at least 50 people. The completion marked a huge milestone and there was a huge celebration...
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June 2010
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“[Since] you are trying to learn Spanish, you have to eat and sleep for good healthy!” -Student
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Getting to Laos from Vietnam was no easy feat
During my backpacking adventure through Southeast Asia, I kept a log of simple, short notes that I could look back on so I could write blog entries to show everyone. Looking back on how my friend and I got to Laos, I’m going to do a copy/paste job of my notes because I think it’s funny reading it. I hope you can appreciate.
Took 22 hour bus ride from Saigon to DaNang [central...