New Zealand -- The Loud American(s) in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

hello from the future!

i am finally, finally checking in after over a week of meaning to and several attempts at posting. there is just so much to say and the longer i delayed it the more i had to say! strange no? i've been keeping a word document of all the things i should have said and posted but internet comes at such strange and brief intervals, and just keeping up with emails and the like seem to dominate my online time. but now i have one hour, one glorious hour guaranteed by the purchase of a chocolate thimble ($2NZD) at Esquire's, a place i'm finding myself spending more and more time at to internet-ize. the library is free but the internet is sporadic and you have to be oppressively quiet. speaking of quiet. one of the items we were warned about on our many hours of New Zealand education on buses hither and thither throughout this fantastic landscape was to be aware of our reputation for being 'loud Americans'. this is something i notice about americans of all ages, particularly those not from the WASP-y new england breed. once you escape the direct descendants of the Puritans and those of other faiths with socially conservative practices all hell breaks loose. i have a strange relationship with 'loudness'. my whole life i feel like has been lead in denial of the fact that i am 'loud'. yet i am very sensitive to situations that demand quiet tones without provocation, and find it painful when others cannot sense it. i am finding this more and more while i am here that we americans are just LOUD. i found myself shrinking into a wall when at this same cafe a few days ago with 3 friends and almost not speaking in order to minimize noise pollution. even on a bus on the way home from takapuna with 2 other friends there was almost literally nobody talking on the bus except us, and it was like every word echoed from the back of the bus and back around. i'm picking up the subtle social differences here. for instance right now, i feel a bit awkward about having my headphones in my computer. no one else in the cafe does, even the people who are by themselves. and walking around the city, having my headphones makes me feel strange and very obviously a foreigner. its just not done, and whenever i do see it, it seems very much the product of imported students or picking up on american tendencies, something i am noticing is something that separates auckland from the rest of new zealand. i've talked with many kiwis about this separation between auckland and the rest of the country. something of note that i must laud the city for first of all is its absolutely staggering diversity. for a city of only 1.4 million peeps, i walk down the street and continually hear the same range of accents and languages that i encounter in manhattan, with an interesting inversion due to where in the world we are. rather than the high number of people from african and latino backgrounds in new york, this city is predominantly the site of emmigration from asia, the pacific islands, polynesia, etc., but so many still come from all over the world, to live and to work or just sightseeing. something else that is remarkable about this city (and the country) is the presence and (slowly) growing power and representation of the indigenous people, the Maori. so many towns remain in the original tongue of the people, in the public library all signs are in both languages, as are most signs at my school. my school also offers incredible programs in both Maori and Pacific Studies, and now Maori is taught to all school children across the country. if students choose, they can hand in the coursework in Maori. i think its great but it must be a rum deal for the teacher who doesn't know the language! they have to outsource the grading i believe. i have been warring myself over whether or not i have the cojones to take Kapa Haka, which is an introductory, performance-based class on Maori song and dance. I've seen it performed about four times at this point and it is completely awesome, particularly what the men get to do! its so vibrant and violent. New Zealand's beloved national rugby team the All Blacks perform the haka before their matches to terrify the other teams. rumor has it that they may play an exhibition game in auckland before we leave and i have my heart set on finding tickets! to appease our All Black fever me and a handful of my Arcadia buddies are going to see the Auckland Blues (city pro team) this coming Saturday for just $15NZD! BBQ included! Can't beat it. And tomorrow a bunch of friends and I are taking a rental car down to Waitomo to go caving. I am bouncing off the walls thinking about this trip. Its a 2.5 hour drive south and we have a five hour date with the cave. In those 5 hours we are going to abseil down 300 ft to the cave floor, then 'blackwater raft' (sinister connotations!) through the underground river in pitch dark lit up by glow worms, zipline in the dark, rock climb up waterfalls and jump into huge pools and scramble over the cave floor to finally make it out! all accompanied by professionals of course. it is supposed to be one of the most wild and incredible things you can do in NZ, and that says something! i have no class on monday so i have plenty of time to recuperate and get my academic groove on for tuesday. wednesday i am going sailing on one of the America's Cup Yachts with two of my friends, and then the Auckland Blues game this weekend! Yipee!! So what have I been up to recently? I will post a couple of pics now and hopefully do a picture post soon! Suffice it to say i am seeing some jaw-dropping, breathtaking, not to be believed beautiful landscapes, skyscapes, oceanscapes, moonscapes ;). So much more to see. I love it here.

here's to sunshine,

mx

Real, it just got it.

We played soccer with our freshmen friends on Sunday morning (7 am)

Floating Market in Can Tho, boats abound behind me.

Stove made from clay and beer can, the gas is supplied by Biodigested Pig manure, turned into methane.  Google VACB systems, its pretty cool.

Here are some photos to summarize what has happened in the past weeks.

Tonight was my first night in my homestay, and I am now well aware of the relative luxury in which our group has been living for the past two weeks. This is not to say that my host family lives in extreme poverty, far from it in fact. We have a pretty big house, with a full working kitchen, 3 big bedrooms, a dining area, and a great backyard garden (with shrine). What we lack however, is the air conditioning, full bathroom, balcony-river view, and full social independence that I had back when I lived at the Government-run “Guest House Number 2.” I don't want to sound like a whiny american pussy who's been spoiled by the capitalist middle-class paradise he has lived in his whole life, but thats pretty much how I feel right now. Granted, I've been here all of 3 hours, and have just had the mechanics of bathing here explained to me by my 14 year old host brother (hint: bucket) and am feeling a little vulnerable without my Wi-Fi access and free HBO. Nonetheless, I have unpacked my clothes, set up my mosquito net, and plugged in my fan, and am ready to buckle down for the next 4 weeks. It is a consolation that my family is very nice, and very accepting of my muddled attempts at speaking Vietnamese (I hear other families are known for their merciless teasing).

NOTE: After a bucket bath and some breakfast (of squid and fish noodles) I am feeling much better today.  More later!

!New Zealand! - whoa oh oh i'm on fire!

giday loves,
it is 11.30 on monday night in auckland -- i have touched down! i have (almost) all my things! i've eaten foodstuffs! -- and i'm pretty wiped. after a 13 hour flight with only a little sleep (but wonderfully chipper service and great wine!) and a pretty grueling trek through security and customs, I AM FINALLY HERE. and it feels amazing. we've done so much today i barely know where to begin, but i'm afraid i may have to save the exploits for a later date. suffice it to say my weary state stems from a full day of bus-ing and walking up and down hills and swimming in the ocean and getting a real winner of a v-shaped sunburn on my chest and nowhere else. i've already seen some incredibly beautiful, wonderful things but i will wait to do them justice in a later post. by the time we got back to the hotel round 7 i was pooped, put on some clean dry things and snuggled up in my bed by the window...got a picture of the sunset through palm trees in the park that abuts our hostel :). pictures to be posted soon too! basically the title of this post is in reference to the cause of my violent awakening after 2 hours of precious sleep in a real bed - a fire on the roof of our hostel! the kids who didn't go out on the razzle and i and the remainder of those staying all had to shuffle outside in a bleary confusion and watch the fireman actually tackle a real, living fire on the roof, extending hoses up with ropes and everything. miiiiiles from the fordham fire drill at 1 in the morning outside ohare where people have to be peeled from the beds via air horn and wait for 40 minutes while RA's check every single godforsaken room for life forms. nope, real fire! how and ever the boys got the blaze under control almost immediately and we were back in our rooms in about 25 minutes. i figured if i didn't update now i wasn't sure when my next shot would be -- tomorrow we are getting up early for a 3 hour bus ride to rotorua, a resort town with geothermal activity and hot mineral baths...i cannot wait! i also am very exhausted. more soon!
:)

(Impending)New Zealand - LA LAyover

hola,
i am currently listening to some easy jazz in the admiral's club in LAX, snuggled up in a leather armchair and trying to pep up with some espresso. no, this isn't a special episode of gossip girl. i would need an overly large and obnoxious leather tote bag that requires a family history to purchase, a few blackberrys, and absolutely perfect hair after being awake and traveling for the past 9 hours, and i fall far short of all requirements at present ;). after a rather hectic shipping out of boston, including leaving one of my bags at home (!only me!), the flight left as scheduled but as i was cracked out from barely any sleep, pre-trip anxieties (will i make any friends in new zealand? does the pilot know the way? will peter jackson please please be my academic advisor?) and an empty stomach (the worst!), sleep did not come easy on the plane. this was not helped by the veritable abundance of under-4-year-olds that accompanied me on the flight, including two who sat behind me on what was apparently their first flight. i begrudge them nothing, as i was also once an under-fiver, and also asked my parents why everything was the way it was, and made everything in to a song to be sung loudly and proudly in the absence of any other background noise. in fact i had a chilling reality check as we landed in LA when the little girl behind pointed out the window at a cathay international plane and said "that blue plane, with the flower, that's my FAVORITE!". wow. she could have taken the words right out of my mouth. sad but true. i managed to get a day pass (haha) for the admiral club to get a little peace and quiet before i have to hike it over to my terminal and go through security all over again and then [gulp!] my 13 hour flight! fortunately i have 'iron man' on my computer. i wonder how many times i can watch that before someone behind me requests assistance for me. now my next task for the day is to find a killer burger. 'how i met your mother' was playing on the plane and i foolishly watched it and foolishly agreed with the main character marshall's theory on the importance of a good burger. unfortunately watching all the slow motion close-ups of marshall eating 'new york's best burger' have truly taken their toll on me. i must go quench my burger fever or be really disappointed trying. and then...on to new zealand! will write again from the future :D
-mx

(Impending)New Zealand - Traditional Night Before Packing Fiasco

good morning all! not that i would ever, ever refer to just past midnight as 'morning' in any other context, but with a rise and shine time of 5.30am, it may as well be morning for me! i'm up late as usual trying and failing to pack efficiently and sensibly. i do have what i think is a very rational explanation for my seemingly irrational packing behaviors and practices but time spent waxing lyrical on this will strip away the precious minutes i have for sleep. i just wanted to check in now because i'm not sure if i'll be able to post from LAX tomorrow (although i have a sneaking suspicion that will be possible)...i really hope i can because i will be enjoying and becoming extremely well-acquainted with the innerworkings of LAX during my ten hour lay-over. i wish that was a joke. but never fear, i have books, the interwebs, and an active imagination - i'm sure i will find a way to pass the time! i had best be off to bed to endure what is going to be a completely wacky day.5 of travel and simultaneously grieving for the loss of february 15th, which will be completely lost to me in the air, and of which i will have to wait until july's trip home to recover. now...i wonder if i can fit just oneee more pair of shoes into that duffle bag...
:)
talk to you in new zealand !!
-margaux

As the Buddhists Say:

"No way to happiness, happiness is the way."

Our first lecture on the culture and history of the Mekong Delta taught us this proverb, as well as a slough of other interesting facts about Vietnamese beliefs, culture and identity.(the lesson also included a rousing rendition of Oh My Darling by our professor) Almost as exiting as the lecture were the 20 or 30 students who showed up to watch us learn, and talk to us afterward. They were all extremely enthusiastic, and there was much name writing and phone number exchanging. They insisted that we join them after our language class for some sugar cane juice and Che Boui (which is apparently a pudding made from some kind of bean, dried grapefruit husk, and coconut innards boiled together). Both were delicious, and the company was certainly lively.

I had fried chicken for lunch today, it was very fancy and very expensive ( about $2.50), but it was worth it. We had chicken again for dinner at a karaoke club place that was blaring euro-pop and backstreet boys for the entire meal.

I towed my roomate to class this morning with a bedsheet tied to our respective bikes, and only almost crashed and died once. His bike has now been fixed, and all 6 of our bikes are back in working order, though I still need a lock. My quest for an electric razor is ongoing, and may never be completed, so don't be surprised when I come back looking like Jonathan Frakes on season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

View of Hai Ba Trung, the street on which our guesthouse is located.

Laundry. We made a makeshift plug using a cup and a can of beer (333-vietnam brew)
Duy and Khoa, with bowls of Che Buoi.
Most of the group and our Dai Hoc Can Tho entourage.

Happiness to Everybody

View from our balcony at the guesthouse. The other side of the river, mostly fishing-family houses.

Another view from our balcony. That's the Mekong River, btw.

Quite possibly the most flattering picture taken of me this trip. Featuring "Comrade Repsol", my bike.
"Glorious Feats. Waste Basket. Happiness to Everybody"


Today was our first full day in Can Tho, and the beginning of classes for the next 6 weeks. We've bought bikes, helmets, cell phones, SIM cards and some other long-term items for our stay. Three of us had bike troubles, myself included, though my mishap was a bit less serious than the others. It appears that the people who sold me my bike didn't tighten the pedal bar to the bike very well, so it came loose (and off) while I was biking in the middle of the road. Luckily we were traveling with an envoy of Tien's (the program assistant) pals on motorbikes, who were able to locate a guy on the street who could fix it. It cost 3,000 dong (about 17 cents american) for him to put a new nut on the pedal bar (which he got our of a coffee can filled with a variety of nuts and nut like pieces). Best of all was his hat, an old old white and red Michigan hat! This whole process, from breakage to fixage took less than 5 minutes, which is one of the many reasons I'm beginning to love this city. Unfortunately, one of my groupmates had a less fortunate accident, when his chain broke clean off his bike, and he had to be towed to the guesthouse by tying his chain to the back of another bike and holding it while on his own bike. His hand is still recovering.
I had bread for the first time in almost a week, a small pastry at the University cafe; it cost about 6000 dong (40 cents).
Yesterday we went to a public pool on bike-back, and made a LOT of friends. Us westerners are quite the spectacle, expecially to the younger generation, who are less timid and always want to practice thier english. We had a blast, though I did loose my bike lock keys, which meant breaking the lock with a hammer. No big deal, I guess.
Today: saw Vodka for sale: One Liter = 14,000 dong ( 60 cents)
Pictures of Can Tho tomorrow.

Vietnam-"Can Tho" Attitude

A post of some photos this time, as I am too tired to be coherent. I am in Can Tho now, and will stay here for 6 weeks, studying and immersing. More on that next post.




Hot Pot, Elsa, and Tien (our Program Assistant)
Aflack, Afack, Aflack,Aflack. Ducks on the ferry across the Mekong.
I bought a rice mold from these women in the market in HCMC.
I bought some dates from her.
Tomorrow's Post: Bike Buying, Pool Swimming, Menthol Water Drinking, and more..

Vietnam-One Hundred Percent

"Tram Phan Tram!", or literally one hundred percent (hundred per hundred) is the traditional vietnamese exclamation when downing your drink in one gulp. Tonight was our first free night, and the 6 of us chose to spend it at a bar. ended up at a place called "Allez Boo" in the backpacker district. It was not, as I expected, a French-Haunted House themed restuarant, but rather a touristy 3 story place with a hoard of very friendly, flanel wearing waitstaff, who were all too happy to intorduce themselves to you on the street and herd you into their establishment with shouts of "very good" and "happy hour." We did get a deal though (6 free shots of vodka brand vodka), and a great view on the third floor. Not a bad night all in all.

Statue at one of the peoplees committee buidings in HCMC. I'm pretty sure the round thing on the left is sputnik.
I'm heading to bed, chao nha.

Vietnam-If you pretend the motorycle isn't there, it won't hit you.

The title of this post sums up the basic strategy for anyone trying to cross a busy Vietnamese road (like those in Ho Chi Minh City, where I am now). As long as you walk out from the curb at a steady pace, the traffic will flow around you, anticipating your movement. It's a very Zen sort of pedestrian philosophy. Or it would be, if it weren't for the thousands of screaming motorbikes and busses flying past you at unspeakably un-safe speeds.

Pho - is delicious.


My first glimpse of Vietnam. The closer we got to HCMC the harder it became to see anything below the thin cloud cover. In fact, we reached a point where the clouds were completely covered by yellow smog, which, besides ruining the view for the rest of the flight, made the clouds look as if they were encased in amber, or floating in some sort of yellow tincture.
Hours Spent Sleeping / Hours since travel began = 4/45

Vietnam-time is an illusion

I knew something was wrong when the display on my 747-200 personal video screen read 28:31 as the local time in Hong Kong, our destination. Now I'm no five star general, but I'm pretty sure military time stops at 23:59 and resets at 0:00.
This strange occurrence pretty much sums up my temporal experience for the last 29 hours. The only connection I had to real time was my watch alarm going off, telling me to take my anti-malarial meds.
The sun is rising here in Hong Kong, and one of our group, Jens, is playing some sweet soft tunes on his travel-size guitar. I feel as though my day should be ending, but in 4 more hours, we'll be in Ho Chi Minh City, (supposedly) ready to start our first day of orientation.

The package reads: "Pasturized Process Cheese Food Swiss-Type Flavor"
Was this from the Hong Kong flight? Nope, the Detroit-L.A. flight.
More to come, after I change my clothes...

this is what happens when you're the last one to leave!

evening all, margaux here. as i am the last one to depart these united shores, and our dear tk is to depart tomorrow, i took it as my solemn duty to fool around on google maps for about forty-five minutes and try to come up with a map that will show our various locations relative to each other and our home base. enjoy my limited handiwork, complete with witty commentary on what we shall all be doing in our respective locations. cheers :)

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112208654847691010549.000461fa181090f77d990&ll=49.15297,-150.46875&spn=105.541001,315&z=2