Category Archives: Europe

Valentine's Day 2012 . . . went to vist a dear friend who lives in Italy. No, we're just good friends.

After visiting Henry & CERN, I flew to Italy!

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Girlfriend time!

After devoting MOST of my time to increasing my German vocabulary, I found I needed a girlfriend fix. Women, you know what I mean. Nothing like girl-girl time to laugh, eat, and just plain enjoy each other’s company.

Thanks so much Glenn for sharing your home and hearth!!!Without further ado, fav photos from this part of my trip:

le creuset orange

Cern, I got to go to CERN !!!

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Years ago, a young Jewish man left Yugoslavia just in time.

It was 1943, and in the words of Henry, the then almost 16-year old boy, “I just made it.”

A Quaker group was helping children (up to 15-years old) escape Eastern Europe. Once they arrived in the United States; it was up to other organizations to take over. Luckily for Henry, he was introduced to Joachim Prinz, an infamous rabbi who had stood up to the Nazis in Berlin. Now living in New Jersey, Rabbi Prinz introduced young Henry to the Michael Stavitsky family. Soon Henry was living with the Stavitskys and continuing his education.

Fast forward to February 2012. Henry, now in his 80s and a Professor of Physics at NYC, invited this lucky traveler for a visit to his home outside Geneva. One of the scientists working on the ISOLDE project, Henry periodically spends time at CERN.

How in the heck did this Southern-born and Southern-Baptist-raised woman receive this invitation?

Marriage. Purely a connection by marriage. I just happened to marry one of Michael & Evie Stavitsky’s two grandsons.In 1986, Henry generously flew to Tennessee for our wedding. Towing a heavy flaming-orange Le Creuset cooking pot, he and his wife Norma gave us one of our all-time favorite wedding gifts. (We’ve used it almost EVERY day of our over 20-year marriage!)

Though I saw Henry only once after our wedding, we maintained contact. Being a good Southern gal, as well as a proper Kappa Kappa Gamma, I made sure to include our distant aunt and uncle in our annual holiday missives. Good thing! Because this trip to CERN and my visit with Henry will remain one of my absolute solo-travel HIGHLIGHTS!

Thanks Henry for your generosity, good company, and yummy-yummy meals!

Ah, nothing like the sunsets off Kauai nei!

Hamburg, Germany

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A place to visit. Alone or with friends. Your call.

Here are some more shots from my archives.

Hamburg, Germany – 2012

Throughout the city are information placards which accompany actual segments of DIE Mauer, the wall. Germans speak of THE wall as opposed to the wall or a wall.

Berlin 2012 Photo Recap

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Has It Been TWO Years Already???

Two years ago, I had the honor of spending some solo travel time in Germany. It was awesome. I was there to improve my German (i.e. increase my vocabulary).

But looking back now, I realize it was also about continuing to learn how to live in the present.

The NOW.

THIS moment.

I made Lightroom galleries before of my fav pictures from difference portions of my trip, but now I have access to a groovy plug-in that let’s me do it here. In my Blog Glob. Yahoo! I LOVE some plug-ins!

So, without further ado, the Berlin part of my trip. : )

Freshly cut hair on the floor

The European phase of the trip is drawing to a close . . .

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Dear Friends,
Yesterday, while spending the day touring around Strasbourg on bike, I decided to get my hair cut. It was just time. As you can see from the above photo, it’s a lot shorter now than it was before.
What’s it look like?
Well, that will have to wait.
Not long after this photo was taken, the camera decided to stop working. Whether that was because I yet again accidentally dropped it on hard pavement or because I had just taken this photo, I don’t know. I’d been noticing for the past several days that the zoom motor was making an odd noise that reminded me of a person moaning while climbing steps, gasping while lifting a box of books, or panting after a slow and beleaguered sprint. It was tired.
Joan of Arc sculpture in Strasbourg
Joan of Arc
I do have photos to post from my visit to Geneva, Vincenza, Verona, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, and Strasbourg. They will arrive when the time is right.
Meanwhile, I’m off to Frankfurt today to meet a sorority sister from my college days. Tomorrow I’m going to Heidelberg (again with my friend’s bike in tow; so great how a person can bring their bike on some of the public transportation!) to re-enact the chicken dance that I learned there 30-years ago. : ) Care to join me? I think it’s going to be fun!
Saturday I’m bidding Germany auf Wienersehen and traveling to the land of fromage and croissants. I’m signed up to attend this cool dinner at Jim’s: http://www.jim-haynes.com/.  I’ll let you know how it is!
“Have I continued with my language studies?” you ask?
You betcha! The big surprise was that I’d use my French speaking skills to converse with people in Italy who don’t know English (or prefer to speak in French : ). And my current hostess has been so good about teaching me new words and phrases (and busting my butt to pronounce the ö correctly!  : ~ ) Today’s word? “stöbern.” Yes, that it had an “o” umlaut was handy indeed!
And a language thrill? Yesterday, when I asked for more cream for my large decaffeinated coffee (while in Strasbourg), the friendly waiter replied, “Prego.” (Italian for “you’re welcome”) I’ll take that!
And for now, I bid you all adieu. May your days continue to be bright, your nights peaceful, and your friends loving.
From your Zugvogel,
-s j
der Zugvogel = migratory bird.
My Berliner family gave me a new moniker. : )
Bedeutungen (meaning):
    [1] Biologie: Vogel, der die kalte Jahreszeit in warmen, meist südlichen Regionen verbringt, in die er im Herbst zieht. The only catch is that this Zugvogel did this in reverse by traveling to cold weather rather than warm weather!
Basel Courtyard

Aloha from Geneva!

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There was an hour layover between trains, so I ventured outside Basel's Bahnhof to inspect the many wires.
There was an hour layover between trains, so I ventured outside Basel’s Bahnhof to inspect the many wires.

Dear Friends,

Hope you’re all well and happy.

Yesterday evening I arrived in Geneva where I’m staying with the most darling 84-year man who I know through Tony’s family. He’s on sabbatical at CERN for a year and got a special pass for me to go there during my stay. It’s sunny and cold here, very beautiful in fact.

Best wishes for a lovely February. Happy Valentine’s day in advance. : )

With warm aloha,

-S j

p.s. I managed to upload some pictures from my recent 3-week stay in Berlin . . . then I lost them, and THEN, a few years later, I was able to repost them here. Enjoy.

Berlin cement sign

Berlin’s “Taylor Camp”

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Last week I parked my friend’s bike under a construction platform* and went inside a corner restaurant that Tony and I had noticed in December. (At the time, they’d advertised a German language poetry reading; my husband in an I’ll appeal to her sensibilities frame of mind had suggested it as one of our evening activities; something else ended up rising to the forefront of our minds instead.) I ordered the Senfeier** and then struck up a conversation with the waitress as I asked her about the shadow theater that was taking place in the restaurant’s basement on the upcoming Saturday.

“Do you do shadow puppetry?” she asked.***
“No,” I replied.
“But the theater? Are you involved with theater?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Ich auch,” she quickly stated.
“You’re involved in theater too? Kool. Do you know of anything going on over the next few weeks where I could help out?”
“Hmm,” she thought for a moment, “No, but my mind’s been preoccupied since I’m going to Barcelona next week; I’m going to stay for four months.”
“Oh?” And something made me ask, “Are you from there?”
“Yes.”
It ends up that there’s a rather large community of people from Spain (particularly Barcelona based on my limited experience) who live in Berlin. Why? The cost of living is a lot less expensive. Many Spaniards do learn and speak German, but many don’t as well. How do they get by? Why with Englisch, of course! It’s the Latin of today’s world.*iv
“But oh,” she said suddenly, “there is something going on that you can participate in this coming Friday. It’s called Widersprüchliche Abend. Do you know what that means? It means that people contradict each other; that’s the focus of the evening’s activity. This week’s theme is: Ich bin nicht du.” (I’m not you.)
Sounds great, I thought, and with that I proceeded to ask her to kindly write the address in my little black book. She also wrote, “New Yorck.” Oh, I thought, that must be the setting of where one person isn’t another, New York.
My lunch came, and we ended our conversation.
Berlin egg potato mealBerlin eggs and potatoes
When Friday arrived, I prepared myself by using my new tried-and-true traveling navigation system, I googled the address, entered the corresponding “starting from” information and clicked “Route berechnen.” The next step, while in Hamburg, had been to write down the key direction notes on a scrap piece of paper. I then held it in my hand as I rode the bike from point A to B to C as the paper quickly became a wadded mess. Here, I have the extremely convenient privilege of using a printer. After making a few such print-outs, I’ve found that I usually simply need to make a note of the wheres and whens, using my new internal guide as the foundation to build upon.
Okay, it looked pretty easy, I thought. And with that I set off in the direction of Mariannenplatz 2.
As I rode up the bumpy Mariannestraße, I slowly became aware that I was entering a large circular complex of buildings. Number eight, six, four, two. That was easy! There was a crowd of people mingling outside smoking and laughing. Cool, I thought, looks like I’ll meet some more people.
But once I went inside, I only found a rather hip looking restaurant and the opening night of an art exhibition *v, but no one who knew about a Widersprüchlihe Abend.
Okay, I’ll just mingle for bit, I thought. I went into several different rooms and saw an assorted collection of all kinds of oddities: a completely dark room with LPs scattered along the floor (I could see them because someone gave me a flashlight to use so that I could see a little), a pallet covered with an assortment of video editing equipment from the mid to late 80’s when Tony and I began our production company (3/4” decks, Betacam tapes, etc. It looked like someone had gone into our studio and simply taken some of our machinery and put it on display!) Yes, a classic modern art type of exhibition.
Honestly, it wasn’t that compelling; so I bought a beer from a temporary stand set-up for visitors and continued to wander about in this massive two-story building. While upstairs in an empty wing, I happened upon two other people looking equally lost. Widersprüchlihe Abend? I asked. New Yorck, the female replied.
So in the way that people confidently set about to find an answer once they’re no longer alone, we proceeded to find a guard who directed us to exit the building at its main entrance, go around to the right, and there we would find New Yorck.
With beer in hand, I set out into the freezing cold with my new friends. The building was huge, so just around the corner took a good 2-minutes to reach. But lo and behold, there was New Yorck spray-painted upon the side of the building (along with all other types of things). We climbed the stairs and immediately felt that we were in the right place.
Tacheles art house Berlin
Inside the art house Tacheles
We had entered a world a million miles away from the yuppie vibe just on the other side of the thick walls. Graffiti covered almost every square inch of the flaking interior. There was a 3 Euro entrance fee which the kind waitress had told me about; it was being collected for the inhabitants of another building in the circular courtyard that had caught fire in December. Fortunately for the residents, that particular wing still stood, but the electricity needed to be replaced. Otherwise, I was told, Widersprüchlihe Abends are normally free.
In lieu of the standard stamp that one normally receives upon entrance to a paid event, I had the nail of my third finger painted a hideous yellow. “Wow,” I said, “That’s a first for me.”
“For me too,” she replied, as she held my hand and painted my nail. She then pointed to a pile of stamps in all shapes and sizes. “They’re all kaput. I just happened to have this polish on hand . . .”
Pretty innovative, I thought; though when I could clearly see the color later, I wondered how it was that she just happened to have this particularly hideous color on hand. And yes, of course she wouldn’t want to waste one that she really liked.
So what happened next?
There were maybe 20 people lounging on an assortment of dilapidated couches and chairs along the very wide hallway. A few feet further there was a bar where I later purchased a large bottle of beer brewed in Berlin. Just past the bar was a room where a video was being projected upon the wall. I crossed in front of about 10 people who were lounging on an assortment of chairs and stools and took a seat on what I realized must sometimes be the stage. As I got comfy and began to listen, I realized that the film had been shot in this complex. Hmm, it must have taken place in the early 70s, I thought. I recognized the hair and clothing style from when I was a kid. Intently following what they were saying (it was in German with English subtitles), I realized that the buildings that comprised the circular courtyard had been taken over by this group of young people (being interviewed). They were squatters who had formed their own community comprised of self-made rules and a practical system of organization for preparing meals, buying food, etc. It was essentially Berlin’s version of Kaua‘i’s Taylor Camp.
Berlin wall at the east side gallery
The East Side Gallery: three-quarters of a mile of the Berlin wall remains near the Ost Bahnhof (East train station).
During the evening I also learned that the complex had once been a hospital. When the wall was erected in Berlin in the early 1960s, it crossed very closely to these buildings, which were located in East Berlin.
East side gallery wall in Berlin
The East Side Gallery wall.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Kaua‘i phenomena, you can read about it here: http://taylorcampkauai.com/.
Once the film ended, it was casually announced that the contradictory evening would continue shortly with some music and an assortment of acts. I parked myself on a comfortable chair, now facing the stage and where I’d previously sat. Three different musical groups performed.
First came a fairly standard trio with a male guitar player, female singer, and male noise maker. I really don’t know how else to label him; he had a collection of noise makers that he played. The singer’s voice was surprisingly powerful as she casually sat and sang. The songs were essentially folk songs in a variety of languages.
Then an intriguing duo performed beat poet type of songs. The female sang in English, German, and French—the pronunciation of each language was pleasant and authentic sounding. It was fascinating how confidently and with such skill she also played a rather large saw.
The final musical act consisted of one male vocalist. As he sang, I looked around to see how everyone else was reacting. They were simply listening intently and nodding their heads. The performer was singing in the style of a ridiculous Saturday Night Live skit. For real. I kid you not. He sang with such volume as he dragged his voice around a variety of pitches in an assortment of languages. Though I was tempted, I didn’t embarrass myself and laugh, not in a making fun kind of way, but in a “Wow, so cool that he’s having so much fun!” kind of way. There was something so absolutely freeing about his musical performance. I think the applause he received was even louder than that for two the previous acts.
One of the women who’d been tending bar came out to casually say that the evening’s entertainment would continue now and then. There appeared to be no set schedule, and it was also fairly evident that it was going to be a long night.
Next followed an assortment of theatrical performances. They consisted of two to three people who gathered at the far end of the wide hallway and simply did things like peel a banana, eat it, and sit in a chair.
Okay, that was interesting.
I went back into the other room and visited with a variety of people from Berlin and Barcelona. Nice. We talked about a wide range of topics including the cool restaurant/bar close to a Spanish couple’s home. Even though they can speak no German, they love how friendly they’re treated by the locals since they live in the “hood.” Again, nice.
Suddenly the crowd of people came back into this projector/video watching/musical stage room. A small man leapt onto the stage waving a stack of papers. “Volunteers! I need volunteers!” he called out.
Being a former Tennessean*vi and simply sj, I raised my hand. What followed was a rather disjointed performance by the 4 participants who read the dialogue provided. I was Frau Schmidt. I think it was supposed to be funny, but perhaps there were just too many foreigners there (like me) for it to be a success. Regardless, the audience politely clapped when we finished.
And what was the gist of the skit? Well, this one woman was waiting in the wings. My character repeatedly said, “No one’s there.” After the third or fourth time of saying that, someone was suddenly there.
Yeah, I didn’t get it either; the Germans in the room appeared to laugh.
And on this rather anti-climactic note, the Widersprüchlihe Abend ended for me. It was around 1 a.m., and I’d had the experience I wanted—to be in the midst of an “underground” community of artists in a graffiti filled building. That’s Berlin. : )
And what’s on the program for tonight? I’m going to see “Die Impro-Ladies.” Just today I found this site: http://www.buehnenrausch.de/spielplan_februar.html. (Eine Bühne is a stage.)
As I watch the snow continue to fall, the question remains: shall I go there by bike?
Until next time.
-S j
* This is one of the weird things that happens when one immerses oneself in a language; words in the Muttersprache or another Sprache often fall to the wayside. Scaffolding! It just came to me; that was the word that I was searching for in this brain of mine. And in that same vein, I initially typed, “to the wasteside.” Sounded right to me.  : )
** Senfeier is a typical German dish that Tony and I had often seen advertised on restaurant boards while we were previously in Berlin; we had even bought a can of it that we lugged with us in our luggage. The helpful grocery store clerk had seemed a bit amused when we asked on which aisle it was; apparently it’s the kind of dish that’s commonly made at home from scratch. She seemed genuinely surprised that the store where she worked sold it in a can. The can version of Senfeier (mustard eggs) was okay, but nothing to get excited about. I figured the real deal from a restaurant would surely be better; it was.
*** Ja, our conversation was completely in German.
*iv Somehow I’d missed this English language phenomena, which had taken place over the past 20-plus years while my nose had been buried in the world of video and deadlines and learn-this-technical-something and that-technical-something, and this, and that, and how about this, and now it’s time for that. I’d first noticed how English dominates the world while in Asia last year. Where had I been? I thought. Under a spell, was my own inner voice’s reply. But now “awake” I’m slowly “catching up” to this modern new world, happily choosing to ignore parts of it that don’t interest me in the least. : )
*v It was called SPECTRAL.
*vi Tennessee was named the “volunteer” state because a record number of people volunteered to fight in both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War.
The wall outside a German pre-school.

I’m here to improve my German.

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Pure and simple.

That’s my main goal during this phase of solo travel.

A few of you had asked. Hence the concise answer.
 
When it first came to me that I wanted to come spend some time in Germany to improve my language skills, I thought that I would pursue an Arbeitserlaubnis, or work permit. I’d been told that it’s difficult for a foreigner to find a job here, so earning a certificate for teaching English as a second language seemed like a good idea, a good way to get my foot in the door. It also fit a side goal of mine—to improve my English language skills. But there remained this nagging thought that if I were to do that, I’d be speaking English all the time (while teaching, obviously) and that I wouldn’t get to do what I really wanted to do, which is improve my German.
 
Okay Susan*, I thought, maybe you’ll just have to do that for the short term until you find something else. Okay, I replied, I can do that.
 
But after I returned home to Kaua‘i (after 5-months in Asia), I realized that I also want to spend some time on island just being and not working a zillion hours a day (on projects for other peoplelike Tony and I did for many, many years). What would it be like to have time to enjoy the island? (Yes, I imagine many of you have the very same question in the back of your heads.) So I decided that I’d stay in Europe for the 90-days allowed (without requesting a special visa).
 
“But what about work, sj? What about earning a living? Won’t you eventually have to go back to work?” you ask.
 
Well, I have faith that it will reveal itself in time. I’m on what I’m calling a sabbatical.
 
According to my computer’s dictionary, a sabbatical** is “a period of paid leave granted to a college teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year : she’s away on sabbatical.” I think it fits. At one point in my life I was actually on track to be a college professor. As far as the “paid” part goes, well, let’s just say that a surprise inheritance arrived at exactly the right time to fund this dream of mine. Yes, I am a very lucky girl; I’m also very, very appreciative.
 
“Okay, so you’re spending the 90-days allowed in Europe. You’re main focus now is to improve your German. How are you going about that? Are you taking classes?”
 
Yes and no. I’m not attending formal classes at a school, but I am doing lessons on a cool web site I found called babbel.com. My goal is to spend at least three hours a day (like I did in Lyon 3-years ago) doing some type of “focused” study. I’ve been fairly loose with this and am allowing it to reveal itself. For those of you know me well, you know that I’m the type of person who generally starts a project, sets her nose to the grindstone and doesn’t raise her head until the task is done. I’m doing that in an albeit freer way. For example, an hour of conversation with a German native can count as an hour, and no, I’m not literally timing it. I’m just noticing that it’s somehow getting done each day. Watching movies in German also “counts.” Yes, I’m enjoying myself!!! And why wouldn’t I? Every single day I awake with a smile on my face. I’m so happy to be here; I’m so happy to be alive and on this journey of life!
 
“Okay, so you’re having fun. Where all are you going?”
 
That too has slowly been revealing itself. I originally thought that I’d be staying in one place for most of the time. I initially booked a room for a month in Berlin. I envisioned that I would become part of a community; perhaps do some volunteer work with a theatre company. But I’ve slowly been realizing that part of this journey’s theme is variety. While in Asia this past summer, it dawned on me that I was learning to be completely “at home” wherever I was. We all know the expression, “home is where the heart is.” Well, it’s true, and as I live more and more firmly rooted in my heart space, I find that I’m always at home.***
 
As far as the specific places I’ll visit (or have visited), here’s an outline for the moment:
 
–       Düsseldorf – Tony and I exchanged our home with two different German families. After Tony returned to Hawaii, I was able to stay a few nights longer in both beautiful apartments. : ) Yes, nice!
 
–       Hamburg – So many people had told me that this is a beautiful city, and as you saw from my photos (http://tvjuice.com/hamburg2/), it is. I really enjoyed my visit and would go back in a heartbeat. A very nice lady I met when I went swimming even invited me to stay at her place should I return! Yes, the magic keeps happening.
 
–       Berlin – When Tony and I were here in December, we stayed up late one night playing charades in a bar. We laughed so hard that our stomachs hurt. That night I met a wonderful group of smart and funny people; they’ve welcomed me into their lives. I’m currently staying at one of the gal’s apartment! She’s so much fun, smart (yes, I know that I used those very same adjectives already, get the point?), industrious, and she has sooo many books! And even a bike that she’s letting me use. Yes, I am one very, very lucky girl. : ) I’ll be here for 2-weeks for sure, maybe a little longer. Some more new friends may come to Berlin from Prague for a weekend visit; I’ll keep you posted.
 
–       Geneva – During World War II, Tony’s grandparents took in a young man from what was then Czechoslovakia; they considered him family and helped ensure that he got an education. He’s been a professor at NYU in the Physics Department for years and is now on a year’s sabbatial at CERN. He’s invited me to visit him. Yes, I look forward to seeing him again (he came to our wedding in Tennessee years ago and gave us an awesome flaming orange le creuset pot that we still use almost every day!).
 
–       Karlruhe – One of our home exchange partners lives and works in this town. She’s invited me to visit her and has said that I can join her as she drives to various places for her work. How cool is that !?!
 
–       Strasbourg – I don’t know anyone there but have just heard from so many people that it’s a wonderful city. I’d like to experience it firsthand. I imagine that I’ll find a wonderful place to stay through air b n b or another type of connection.
 
–       Paris – I depart for the continental United States from Paris; I plan on spending 3-nights or so there.
 
Years ago when I studied at the Uni Bonn****, I encountered very few people who spoke English. Granted, occasionally I met a fellow student who wanted to practice their English but that was exactly what they did, practice. Now, so many people speak English. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve recently realized that the skill of bouncing back and forth between languages is almost as important as being able to speak different languages. Once while Tony and I were at the Weihnachtsmarkt in Düsseldorf, we met a French family. I had so much fun speaking to them in French; we even ended up having dinner with them. So, as you can see, the above itinerary allows me ample opportunity to practice all of this: German, French, and the back-and-forth-language-bounce®, henceforth called baflb.
 
Returning to the topic of what I will do once I return to Kauai, I have BIG dreams. I want to do a variety of things. I want to continue to learn languages. I want to continue to improve the languages I do know (and/or am learning). I’d like to have a few Skype customers who I assist with their English learning. I’d like to write a one-woman play and perform it. I’d like to do more acting. I’d like to get paid for acting. : ) I’d like to do some translating from German to English (and get paid for it : ). I’d like to go sailing. I’d like to hangout with Tony and Rocket Girl. I’d like to biking, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, etc. I’d like to do an occasional sound job on interesting projects. Yes, I’d like to do lots of things.
 
But for the moment, my focus is on improving my German.
 
And with that, I bid you all auf wienersehen,*****
 
–s j
 
 
 
* There’s been this gradual progression of my name shift. I’ve been called Susan since I was born. I always liked my name. Remember how at different times in life you’ve probably heard someone say, “I hate my name!”? I was never that person; I always liked the name Susan. Then, for various reasons, I wanted to start using my middle name too. I have a very good friend whose name is Mary Hunter. No, Hunter isn’t her last name, it’s her “middle” name. Friends call her “Mary Hunter” in one breath. Okay, I thought, people can say “Susan Jane” in one breath too. However, when signing emails, I found that I preferred to simply write “sj.” As I’ve gradually made new friends over the past year, they’ve come to know me solely as “sj.” I like the sound of it. What should you call me? Whatever feels the most comfortable to you. And as the saying goes, call me anything, but just don’t call me late for dinner! : )
 
** (noun) |səˈbatikəl|
 
*** When I returned “home” this past Fall, I had a most unusual experience (for me). As good as it felt to be on Kaua‘i, I also realized that I’d been “home” for a long while. When I think back on different places where I stayed while in Asia, I remember how comfortable I felt there, in my room, the space that had become my “home.”  Whether it was for several weeks or just a couple of nights, something had changed within me; I had truly found peace wherever I was.
 
**** Rheinische Friedrich Wilhems Universität
 
 
 
 
 
***** a nod to my husband : )
I went to school here back in the early 1980s. Took an exercise class in the room over the road with my friend Michèle. : )
I went to school here back in the early 1980s.
Took an exercise class in the room over the road with my friend Michèle. : )
This owl talisman backpack first entered my life while in Düsseldorf. It's a backpack made for kids. : )

Jetzt geht’s los . . . oder . . .

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I’m off! Back on my “solo” journey . . .

Was? Was meinst du denn SJ damit?
Well, I mean that after having a wonderful month at home on Kaua‘i and then two wonderful* months of travel with my husband, I’m now on my own again.
Where’d I go during that time, you ask?
Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving with my sister and her family; Europe: Berlin, Prague, Nürnberg, und Düsseldorf, part of which we shared with my Mom.
Checkout the following links for photos of the Mother Chronicles: Mom, Mom 2, Mom 3.
Tony btw wrote some kick ass copy damit (that means “with it” in this instance; there’s something a little bit goofy and fun when a person mixes several languages around in one’s head; some things just sound better in one language over another).
He also made a fun travelogue of his take on Düsseldorf. Bear in mind that my husband is one incredibly (and that’s an understatement : ), incredibly unique individual. That means that this is Düsseldorf as seen only through the eyes of Tonester.
You can check it out here.
If you normally don’t like silly, it’s probably not your cup of tea, but if you’re the type of person who loves to see things in a different light, it’s for you. : )
And while you’re there, why not also check out some of his JazzBug stuff? It’s loads of fun. He’s in the adding kind of mood; so you may want to include his link in your list of favs, so you can easily visit it from time to time.**
Alright, so now down to the nitty gritty of this phase of SJ’s Journey.
Back in Spring 2010 when I had a most memorable dream where a clock in my oldest sister’s bedroom (in my parents’ house) began to say in a goofy-ass, over-dramatic voice, “It  i s  time; it is time; it is time . . .” I knew that (alright, I won’t state the obvious : ).
But I knew that I’d been “coasting” for way too long, and it was, a-hem, time to get “back on track” to matters of the heart.
And for me, that includes travel.
Where to?
My first thought was Germany.
Years ago I began to learn German while in Junior High School. A month-long trip to Southern Germany at the impressionable age of 14 sealed the deal; I was hooked. What had seemed like a classroom game became very real when I found myself in a country where people really did speak this jawohl language. I soon found a way to return to Germany and work as a chambermaid for the summer; next followed a year at the Uni Bonn.*** After that, I managed to somehow jump from Phys Ed major with a B.S. to German Lit. major with a M.A.
That same sense of adventure also led me Hawaii where for 25-years I worked with my husband in our own video production company. Yes, I managed to keep the German language in my life somehow, occasionally reading a book or watching einen Deutschen Film, but I felt like I’d never reached the skill level I’d wanted to reach.
Which is why I went to Asia for 5-months.
Das ist doch Blödsinn! Was meinst du denn damit?
Yep, it was a little crazy to first go to Asia to improve my German, but the short answer to a long story is CELTA. That’s where I earned my ESL teaching certificate, which may enable me to live and work in Europe one day. (For those of you new to this glob, try reading earlier entries to discover how all that went down . . . )
So, here I sit on the train from Düsseldorf to Hamburg. After 6-weeks of practicing switching from English to German and back again (thanks Tony and Mom for the great practice!), I’m now in the “let’s stay in German” oder “nur Deutsch sprechen und denken” mode of the trip.
Not quite sure how much I’ll add to my glob during this phase of the journey, but I do think I’ll choose the following moto (spoken by a wise old man), “Don’t be afraid to be stupid!”
Tschüß for now mes amis!
-sj
*That makes 3 wonderfuls. My grandmother used to always say, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.” We Hyltons all do our best to say, “W3.”
**The above ad was brought to you by makers of fine coffee.
***The official name is Rheinische Friedrich Wilhems Universität.

Friends met and made along the way . . .

2 Replies

Aloha Thailand!

Aloha my friends,

Thanks for hitching a ride on this leg of my journey. I’ve enjoyed having your company.

Where am I writing this? I’m in Tokyo’s modern and amazing Narita airport at a lovely and free internet access “cafe.” (That’s in quotes because the only way I see to get coffee, or any other beverage, is via one of those automat machines–like you see at rest stops along France’s highways where I drank many of them with Dad back in our month-long trip, with Mom and sister Hannah, in the Fall of 1999. And I don’t have the local currency for making a purchase . . . but of course they’ve thought of a solution for that, I’m sure, but coffee’s not on my list of beverages right now. The next plan of action is to sleep and try and get in sync with Hawaii’s time and day zone . . . )

After about a 5 hour layover, I’ll hop on the next flight to Honolulu. When do I arrive there? 10:20 a.m. on Sunday. What time and day is it here now? 7 p.m. something on Sunday. Cool how that works. Due to my frugal and practical nature, I don’t arrive on Kaua‘i until Sunday evening (using HAL miles). So, I reckon I’ll take a bus to the beach in Honolulu for a dip and a shower. At least that’s the plan, I’m open to however it unfolds. This “live-in-the-moment-and-keep-my-eyes-and-ears-open-to-all-possibilities” (or litmakmeaeotap®) form of travel has served me really well the past many months.

In moments of daydreaming, I’d imagined that I’d write a “*SJ’s streaming consciousness thoughts and rambles about SE Asia” kind of something. But, at the moment, I’m not feeling it, so I’m not going to. (Okay, some of you are groaning that I already have with my long going on about coffee machines in France and the trip with my family ages ago . . . ) Granted, I may change my mind (or not : ). That’s part of the beauty of following my heart; when it comes, it just flows. If it doesn’t, then I do something else. There’s always something else.

Kay den, ’nuff of that.

Love and blessings to you all. May the light always shine on you; may you always be surrounded by friends (even when you’re “alone”); may you feel peace and happiness from the top of your head to the tip of your toes; may you enjoy each and every day on your journey of life, the best darn gift each and every one of us has been given.

***Sat Nam.

-sj

With my gal pal, Chela, who gave me a ride to the Kaua‘i airport early one morning at the end of May.
I had a long layover in Taipei. Prospective English lesson clients? Maybe.
Class #100 at the CELTA English language teaching school in Bangkok.
During the horrible third week (while passing through and/or over the CELTA wall), we couldn’t calculate how much to pay at lunch! And it was easy math!!!
A smart and friendly student from Japan on my right; Isky, the talented actor from Kuala Lumpur, on my left.
The winners of fellow CELTA student Suelin’s very original and unofficial awards (SJ, Alvin, and Isky, short for Iskander).
Moi with my Bangkok Kundalini yoga instructor, Sunderta.
The 12 trekkers from Denmark, France, Taiwan, Spain, and the United States, who first met in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
My first pals at FLO: Rick, the cameraman; Emily, the troll; and Kate, the giant.
With one of my students while at the beach with FLO (Future Light Orphanage). Recognize him from the dinner out in Phnom Penh?
And with another wonderful FLO student (who recently graduated from high school and started her advanced education course this month).
The fun summer gang of FLO-fans one evening in Phnom Penh.
One of my favorite students . . . okay, who am I kidding, they were ALL my favs!
Dani and Andrew, fellow FLO volunteers, returning “home” after a fun “getaway” to Phnom Penh.
Some of my younger friends at FLO. (Enjoying an apple, thanks to many of YOU !!!)
She’s the most natural teacher . . . and she’s a talented artist; she gave me a cool going away card that she made.
My friend Dani stopped over in Phnom Penh for one night (after visiting Siem Reap and before heading to Ho Chi Minh). FLO’s wonderful chef, and my dear friend, Chancy, and I dropped everything to join Dani for dinner. That was how I found the perfect restaurant for when I would later accompany eight FLO students to dinner in the city. Look up the Friends restaurant in Phnom Penh for more info.
Remember when I wrote about that amazing last day at FLO when many of us went to the Pagoda? The little guy on the right is the boy who took my hand during our walk to and from the temple. : ) Aren’t ALL three boys vibrant!
Oh, what a special day that was!
And I love this shot too much to not include it in my “wrap-up.” It embodies so much of what FLO is about.
Did I tell you about the storybooks that my older students made? They were as varied and as fascinating as the Ss. “Were there recurring themes?” you ask. Yes.
Making friends (or the wanting of friends). Giants (fighting giants, killing giants, running away from giants). Poor people (who need help, who I want to help but can’t, who I hope to help someday, who I want to come to school with me, who have no food). And magical animals or people (who do all k i n d s of things!).
Yes, I think the storybook project was a success.
We ended up doing the second of two scavenger hunts early on the Saturday morning when I bid FLO adieu.  Why? There was a powerful monsoonal rain the previous afternoon. It worked out well; I was able to pass out all their learning materials (their notebooks, storybooks, tests, etc.) AND give them lots of prizes which I’d gathered. There were even enough lollipops for all the little kids who were hanging out with us. (Thanks Dani, Sean, and Kai!)
How very special it was to look these dear human beings in the eye and know that our bond is eternal. Just the right number gathered for a very personal, unhurried, and precious farewell.
And then I began my “travels” . . .

My new friends from Australia (by way of Ireland) and Canada (Laura, Nick, and Leta respectively). We biked together and shared a tuk tuk in Siem Reap (when visiting the many ancient temples).
Here I was with a beautiful young lady from Laos who was taking her visiting parents on an excursion.
The beautiful young couple from Israel (who found me in Hanoi somewhere and somehow early, early one morning) with our trek guide.
The lovely lady on the left made my delicious (and expensive by Vietnamese standards : ) coffee; she was the only “game” in the market (and she’ll do well)!
I had planned to meet Nat (and her friend, Gerry) the previous evening for dinner, but I went to the wrong restaurant (I initially met them on the boat trip to Ha Long Bay). “If I’m supposed to see them, I will, ” I thought to myself. And sure enough, I did! Yeah, I love those synchronistic moments too. : )
On the boat with the “cook” who made my dinner one evening in Hue (with her son).
Remember the “locals only” café in Hue I told you about? Here we are again.
I met these friendly childhood friends from London while touring Ha Long Bay; we ran into one another in both Hue and Hoi An. While in Hoi An, we decided to share both delightful conversation and a delicious dinner.
A few evenings ago in Bangkok, I met up with some of my fellow CELTA graduates; we ate at a place called Cabbages and Condoms. Yes, condoms. Look it up on-line; it’s a cool place with a good cause (and a tasty restaurant). Yes, it was great to see them again. They’ve all gotten good jobs (yes, teaching) in Bangkok!
Michele, my longtime friend who with her husband, graciously shared their Bangkok home.
I spent all day yesterday at a Kundalini yoga retreat doing white tantric yoga; it was amazing. The exercises are done with a partner. Meet my new friend, Japnan; she’s a beautiful young lady (my nephew Jo Ryan’s age) from Taiwan. Being a self-motivated person, she has her own business and is able to work from her home. Good for her! And she has the most beautiful dark brown eyes. It worked out perfectly that the retreat took place on my last day in Thailand (and SE Asia).

That’s me looking up at the ceiling of Bangkok’s Sunvarabhumi airport early this a.m.; or am I really looking down? What do you think? : )

Aloha Thailand!

*One entry was going to be: Vietnames Airlines, the Big Save of SE Asia, i.e. short line, long wait (thanks Tones for that tag line : ) ; it’s one of his classics.

Another? Cheapest place in SE Asia per my informal survey? Vietnam
(Also, didn’t see nary a McDonalds or Starbucks in **Vietnam, did see one KFC there though, in Hanoi, right in a major tourist area and intersection. There are a zillion KFC’s in Thailand and Cambodia btw; they L O V E KFC in those two countries!)

And another, it’s very L O U D in SE Asia, even in the countryside. Sometimes at FLO (in the middle of nowhere really), it would be SO loud as the neighboring communities blasted out their this’es and thats with the wind. (That was one reason I loved Luang Prabang so much; it was quiet there; it felt so much more restful than in other cities.) “Okay, what about LA?” I can hear you ask. “And NYC? And Detroit?” (Detroit? I’ve never been to Detroit. lol Always thought it’d be nice to visit Augie and Rose though.) Alright, got it; we Americans have very loud places too.

Things like that is was I had been imagining that I’d write . . . but not now, maybe another time (or not . . . I’m not making any promises one way or another).

**Didn’t see one KFC or chain restaurant in Laos, but I was only in Luang Prabang. Don’t know about Vientiane and other areas.

***Sat Nam is similar to namaste, which most of you know.
The following was copied from a website I found: http://www.kundaliniyogablog.com/-2006-11-12-sat-nam-definition/

“The Mantra Sat Nam

Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practicioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But what is the importance of Sat Nam, what does it mean.
I’ve heard the following interpretations for Sat Nam via my Kundalini Yoga instructors:
  • Truth is my identity
  • My identiy is Truth
  • My True Self
  • Truth is our identity
It has been called the process of naming ones self Truth. It can be used similar to Namaste, (the divine in me aknowledges and pays tribute to the divine in you.) Where the “Truth” is the divine.
Being one who likes to get to “Source” info, I decided to do some further research into the nature of Sat Nam. I made an assumption that Sanskrit is a rather root dialect and that “Sat Nam” in Sanskrit would provide supplemental information on the nature of Sat Nam.
I found this Sanskrit Dictionary, and looked up the words, Sat and Nam.
Sat
  1. being
  2. real
  3. that which really exists
  4. the real existent truth
I’ve seen it written that Sat means Be, or more apprpriately Be-ness. Which would be the essence of being. (HPB’s Secret Doctorine) I suspect some careful analysis would find an interesting correlation between Be-ness and emptiness. (For those of Buddhist faith)
but onward to Nam.
  1. To bow
  2. To submit or subject oneself
And so one is bowing to Truth, to Be-ness the essence of being.
And the active interpretation of Sat Nam emerges.
Sat Nam
H~”
And for those of you who read this far, this just came in today’s “calendar” email from Julie Redstone:
46.
To experience God one must live in the present, 
for it is in the present that new experience arises.
Let go of thinking and be in the moment.
It is in each moment that God may come to you.
 
***