Category Archives: Asia

First day in Bangkok or a study in electric lines

Aloha my Friends in all parts of the world,

Happily, I can say that I arrived in Bangkok safe and sound. Met by a friend at 2 in the morning is surely something to be celebrated. Who’s the friend? The husband of a former college buddy, who I met while studying in Bonn, Germany. Her work is in Singapore at the moment, but we’ll meet up as soon as possible.

They’re generously putting me up while I study here for a month and are letting me use their home as “base-camp” during my subsequent travels. Yes, my sister told me already, and I agree; I’m a very lucky girl.

Their spacious apartment has beautiful views of the city,

and, perhaps best of all, a swimming pool ! : ) I already checked it out today, swimming lap after lap working out those sitting-on-a-plane-for-hours-and-hours and jet-lag cob webs. I think it worked because I seem to be fairly well “switched over.” Okay, you just wait and see, I can hear some of you experienced travelers saying. Perhaps, but for the moment, it feels like I made my first date-line crossing all in one piece.

I’ve pretty much been just taking it easy today, unpacking and getting used to the fact that I’m far, far away from my Kaua‘i home. But I did venture out for lunch and managed to snap a few shots of this area. Not sure how often I’ll actually add to my glob once school starts, so for now, this gives you an idea of what it looks like here. Enjoy!

lunch place

Veggie curry & papaya salad at table 10

Yum! (though I don’t think you would have liked it Mark)

Mango sorbet from another place down the road . . . Delicious!

Lots of vendors like this with assorted food items

Scooters galore! That’s the sky train above; I’ll be exploring that soon.

Now comes the study of electric lines . . .

stay pau for now : )

Enroute . . . and . . . I might have just met my first client ! : )

Aloha Everyone,

I’m sitting in the lovely airport in Taipei. Why lovely? They have free internet access and a comfortable place to sit during my 6-hour layover.

And, I might have just met my first client.

Client? you ask. What are you talking about?

Well, I’m heading to Bangkok to attend a four week CELTA course in order to earn a certificate to teach English to non-native speakers. I’d love to have a group of clients from all over the world, clients with whom I can have private lessons using Skype. And yep, who would then mahalo me using paypal.

And after I struck up a conversation with these nice young men who work here at the airport in security, one returned to give me his contact information saying that his friend might like to take English lessons. Now wouldn’t that be cool. : )

Meanwhile, here’s my itinerary:

I’ve already taken the 8+ hour flight from Honolulu to Tokyo.

And the 3.5 hour flight from Tokyo to Taipei.

I’m in the world of the 6-hour layover.

And here I’ve already met some very nice people. B i g S m i l e. The journey has indeed begun.

And, I ran into some acquaintances from Kauai. Yep, here in Taipei on the sky train I struck up a conversation with a man who looked so very familiar to me.

“Are you from Kauai?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“And your name, pray tell?”

“Brower.”

“We made a video with you and your wife years ago . . . for Ameritech . . . you were mountain biking . . . ” “Yes! with you and Thomas.”

Uh-huh . . . the world is indeed small. And standing right next to him? Me from the former Mema restaurant. Remember the one? In Kapaa? My husband and I had dinner there the night before Iniki struck September 11, 1992.

: ) And it’s just started! This journey of ours, for I do feel like it’s your journey too. I can feel you here with me walking by my side.

I love you all and appreciate your kind notes that keep trickling in. My friend Mary Hunter sent this precious prayer which was included in the May 24th edition of The Writer’s Almanac:

Flannery’s Angel

by Charles Wright

Lead us to those we are waiting for,

Those who are waiting for us.

May your wings protect us

may we not be strangers in the lush province of joy.

Remember us who are weak,

You who are strong in your country which lies beyond the thunder,

Raphael, angel of happy meeting,

resplendent, hawk of the light.

And for your viewing pleasure, some photos I snapped since I left beautiful Kaua‘i.

Ran into Marti at the Kauai airport

Big B747-400 plane in Honolulu

Highlight of Tokyo airport

Taipei airport

New friends

Hawaiians enroute to Bali

Chela & Susan Jane at the Kaua‘i airport at 5:45 a.m. May 24th