What Happens in MN Stays in MN.

Yeah right.

Day 1:
Mom drove me to SF airport for 7:25am take off.
Stopped by So Cal to pick up more passengers (wtheck, airplanes are like busses now?)... and a BUNCH of USC people got on.  a lot of OLD people wearing USC gear saying "Fight on" to random other USC people they saw... they were like all old.  I was wondering if there was some.. USC reunion for Minnesotans..
Transferred in Denver, Colorado
Finally landed in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Early bc no checked bags!
Called Go Direct  and I got to leave on an earlier shuttle.  Hooray!
Leona found me at St. Mary's Mayo Clinic.
We went home and snacked on veggie chips and made a quick dinner and waited for Dr. Han.
Who came home oh so late :( :(
It's okay!  We went for walks and talked and such!  She showed me around.. and I got to take the Junia Suite in Chez Han. :)
we also soaked oxtails..

Day 2:
Woke up bright and semi-early (okay not really), and after starting up the oxtail soup,
hit up Daube's bakery
then onto Harmony, MN for a tour  of Amish town!  Which turned out not to be a town really, but more of scattered settlements...  Leona aptly said it reminded her of her China tours where they basically take you from store to store in hopes that you'll buy from them.  hehe.
then.. an impromptu trip to IOWA!  (the border was only 3 miles away. how could I resist?)
Now if people ask me if I've been to Iowa, i can say .... YES!
stopped by at home to check on the oxtail soup (and to bathroom)
Went to downtown Rochester and waited for James! Who gave us a quick tour of the Mayo clinic.
We went to Chester's  for my birthday dinner (aww shucks guys!)
Then came home and checked on the oxtail soup.
Maybe went on a walk?
Leo and I ended up watching Bright Star,  which I wouldn't recommend for the casual moviegoer.    (before we watched, I made her read "Bright Star" and we did a quick analysis. HAHAHHA)
well, james was with us, but 5 minutes into the movie, he conked out. and randomly twitched. hehehe.

Day 3
Woke up late and mosied on over back up to Saskeetow?  Or some random named town near the Twin Cities... to hit up
A RENAISSANCE FAIRE!
Afterwards we went to Mall of America (biggest mall in the world) and hit up TWO rides at Nickelodian (sp?) Universe.  They were FUN.  especially the second ride.. i almost peed my pants it was so good!
James treated us to starbucks and unfortunately, my first pumpkin latte of the season was not that great.
Then came home and cut up watermelon...

Day 4
Church !  at Calvary Evangelical Free Church.  
Okay, I really loved it here.  I really really did.  And afterwards we went to a welcome/history of church/what we believe session (which is sort of like a pre-lim to membership) ..
  I was glad that I got to learn more about the Evangelical Free Churches and also about this church, and I was yeah, .. seriously, it's awesome to connect with believers anywhere you go.  They have a LOT of cool community outreaches here.  The pastor who was leading this was really careful in explaining things and just so nice and gracious and his wife (second wife: both of their spouses passed away) was really outgoing and friendly and a go-getter.  Anyway, I can't wait til my church gets bigger and has a varied age group etc etc.   EXCITING/excited for Leo/James.
then cheeeled .. read books, researched/began school apps...  James came in and out and procrastinated his essay by complaining that he was hungry.
then we went to Newt's where we et some fATTY burgers.
then James gave me a tour of the richer/older neighborhood and we played in a park.  (and even in Rochester, kids go to parks to smoke le veed!)
then came home, cheeled some more, and then Leo and I watched Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.   then looked up more awkward dance clips (where we ended up watching the ending of Never Been Kissed. GAh they just don't make chick flicks like that nowadays, and the A-Ha's music video , and the BeeGees' music vids )
then ... ahem, we tried to learn the staying alive dance. .. then James came out and we tried to get him to do the final dance with us.  Hahahhahaha.  I can't divulge any more information but all I can say is Leona has an awesome husband.    (we should've done THAt dance at the wedding)
then we all three went on a walk with a frisbee.  .. and came home.
Then Leo and i took random pictures... and. .. went to bed. :(

Day 5:
woke up super early.
Leo drove me to the airport
I slept and slept until Phoenix, Arizona
Then waited there for 2 hours until i landed in SJ, CA.
where parents+joy and I went to get jjajjangmyung, jjambbong, and tangsuyook.

The Road Less Travelled

What I could do in the next few years:

Option ONE
JOB/Volunteer in classroom setting

Apply for an accelerated* Multiple Cred/M.A. in Education from an acclaimed school** so that I can start my own alternative school (whether it be more of an independent study program like Templeton's program or more along the lines of a Classical Academy like SLOCA... currently leaning towards the latter)

Defer from my English MA program for one year (already ok'd with the director)

Go to school.

Finish my English MA program if i want to.

Start the school (decide between Charter and Private, currently leaning more towards latter)

*as in less then 2 years
** so that I look legit.. although you technically don't need anything to start a private school.  Why an M.A. and not a PhD?  You only need an MA for like a k-8 deal, plus I'm not actually interested in the philosophy/sociology behind Education, honestamente.

Option TWO
JOB / Volunteer with public international high schools (like OIHS where I was in 2009, or SFIHS, which BEGAN after i graduated Cal)

Finish my English MA / apply for single subject creds

Teach English for middle school or high school, ideally in an alternative or urban setting.

I would LOVe that actually.  I would love to teach middle school. honestly honestly honestly.

Option THREE (which could be easily melded with Option TWO)
JOB
Finish my English MA
Work somewhere
just save money and go to...

India
Europe
South America
Asia
etc
etc
etc

In no particular order.

Would LOVE to see the continental USA too.



I WANT to do one more than the other two.
I think one is better than the other two.
and two are always fall back plans if one doesn't work out.

HI ALICE!

My (only?) faithful reader
and SOLE commenter.

HIIIII



anyways, in other news

here are some things that affirm why i need to go back to norcal

socal:
- hair extensions
- accessories like crazies (dress up a tshirt with a floofy neckerchief)
- "detox"
- speed limit is too high (i'm an old lady)
- no pedestrians
- no bikers
- .... um i just realized, i haven't seen a single black person here.....  o_O
- beach is not close enough without a car
- traffic
- traffic
- traffic
- BAD ASIAN DRIVERS!
- IT'S COLD! WHY IS IT COLD DOWN HERE?
- everything is just a little over-manicured
- fuzzy NPR
- fuzzy Country
- no fake sushi rolls :-(
- every sushi joint i've been to serves more tuna than salmon
- no good soup/salad bars
- EVERYONE USES PLASTIC BOTTLES
- UCI DOESN'T PROVIDE DOUBLE-SIDED PRINTING!
- NO ONE RECYCLES




but i'll miss So Cal because some AWESOME people call it their home, yogurtland is yummy (but i think i'm weaning myself), Irvine actually has some awesome trails, AND it reminds me of Taiwan!!!!!

PS it also has an awesome spanish music channel.. no cheesy mariachi music, but some bonafide awesome spanish alternative rock / folk rock, yeah it rocks... ALSO i think the radio stations generally have LESS commercials than up in NorCal.

OH and i don't have to worry about getting mugged





Yesterday i was driving and i saw a yellow light. (oo Socal has LONG yellow lights).. i was far away, but i was like "oh it will be yellow forever".. so yeah, i ran a red.  and then a block later, A POLICE CAR APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE .. and drove next to me, then in front of me, then took a left turn and left.  *whew*  I was seriously .. amazed..  i NEVER get that 'lucky.'

one day. :)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Irvine,+CA&daddr=Las+Vegas,+Nevada+to:Grand+Canyon+Caverns+to:Dallas,+TX+to:NEw+Orleans,+LA+to:Niles,+MI+to:Rochester,+MN+to:Salt+Lake+City,+Utah+to:Whiskeytown,+CA&hl=en&geocode=Fev5AQIdepj6-CnjQJFoDt3cgDE5mkpgdbV6pw%3BFdYQJwIdMJoi-SnRffWkgre-gDGjebPV5tXMOg%3BFbsjHgId0zpA-SFM7OcuDvWd0A%3BFYuI9AEdfWg7-ilLl0V79xlMhjGPZ0f2pJvsuQ%3BFbI5yQEd5KGh-illghGyVKQghjG00yJe6FsG2w%3BFYlFfgIdn93b-ikVQKtU7yoRiDEpknx1PI3JaA%3BFX-3nwIddQV9-ilLLF-jS1_3hzE9xmFWFxyV8A%3BFcv1bQIdma1U-SntMdGIlD1ShzHKMU1IoLdTWw%3BFSgZbAIdB-Ox-CknWWbcqvbSVDHWTiJl884uyw&mra=ls&sll=37.020098,-104.414062&sspn=29.880642,56.513672&ie=UTF8&ll=39.571822,-114.257812&spn=30.818316,56.513672&t=h&z=4

teaching is the new currency for travel.

:)
i live vicariously thru travelettes.net


i saw this website: http://www.worldteach.org/index.html from Nick Kristof's column on a proposal for a "Teach for the World" program. Except for the fact that I think Teach for America sucks out your soul, I think it's a pretty sweet program.

I wish i'd been smart about things in college and really pursued the study of a language. Instead I stupidly dabbled in three and as a result, gained nothing in any.

I don't know why.
I used to be such a homebody.
but Wanderlust seems to be the new word in my head these days.

I think when my heart gets heavy and buys into the lie of "not being free" I try to remember Hebrews 11:13 and my modified Matthew 6:33 prayer(/passive threat) from the summer between freshman and sophomore year.

"Lord, heaven better be better than Spain." *


*this is MY blog; MY thoughts.. I don't NEED to put a disclaimer. but JUST in case: I'm not claiming that traveling isn't in line with seeking first His kingdom. Just for me, and my mindset, I need to be careful. That's all.

DunZo!

so i took a zen like nap where i was still thinking but when my alarm clock woke me up i forgot what i was thinking about! only that all my 7th graders were in it!!

Then took a motor-taxi to my test taking place.

proceeded to do the writing; (meh first essay; higher hopes for second one)
went to the bathroom and pepped up myself by going pee, doing jumping jacks, and air punches.

then took the rest of my test.

i HATE how the GRE makes you click "see score" TWICE.

and i was HAPPY!

ironically, I got way higher in math than verbal and i added up my score wrong.. and was STILL happy. and then i re-added my score and that was better.

i walked out and then tried to jump and touch the doorpost but my rainbows slid out from under me so i sort of scamper-ran into the next hall where a girl who had just finished a different test was waiting for the elevator.

we congratulated each other; i took the sky train home. bought some gaucho-like weird cloth pants, bought grace and kathy some jewelry (the first purchase was a bargain blah; second purchase was a "i'm satisfied"). then on a whim got a massage (since everyone said you should get massages in thailand). i ended up getting the full body oil shabang by a girl named Janeg (rhymes with shabang) and she taught me how to count to ten. she was 23. it was weird getting a massage from a girl my age.. for some reason.

then i bought indian fooodd.. and that makes me excited because it's been a long while since i've had me some naan.

and now i'm trying to figure out what to do before TOMORROW WHEN I SEE MY DADDY




and a big shout out to the BIG DADDY UP ABOVE. seriously; he's so gracious. He's kept me safe; out of near misses, brought me random camaraderie, and yeah. <3

Hooray I gain an hour!

I thought RIGHT NOW.

so let me break it down for you.

arrived in Thailand
took a Taxi to my place.
"soodt soi.. no no, soodt soi.. soodt soi" --> end of the Alley (Thank you Mark!!!)

got settled in (all self-serve; kind of cool; i felt so independent)

woke up twice in the night; once because it was two hot, second because it was 7am.. and MY BODY IS WIRED TO WAKE UP AT 7.. what the FREEZY? IS THIS THE JUNIA I ALL KnOW? I DON't KNOW!

Woke up at 8 (which is 7 Thailand time).. and walked to Family Mart and bought shampoo and toothpaste. Scruuuubbed that nasty not brushed teeth feeling out of my mouth and showered.

came down for breakfast by 8am (9 tw time).. and met some people from China. Actually, as I was leaving, I met another dad and his two cute kids from China.

pancakes and small bananas and.. JACK FRUIT.

okay guys; Jackfruit TASTES like DURIAN but it's not wet; it's more.. like a dry lychee or a plasticky, thick balloon type of texture. Niiice.... (one bite was enough)


Then went upstairs to figure out how to get to the chinese embassy to get my visa.

I went out the back, walked by the Canal and watched the boat taxi thingies go by; and found the MRT station; got off, walked 10 minutes in the beating hot sun and went inside the CROWDED embassy.
waited and waited; was nervous because it was 11:15 and my number was 80 numbers behind... would I ever make it? I have to get to my test by 12:30!

and then, as i waited anxiously while also trying to be "zen" .. i realized, the office closes on Weekends. There's no way i can even pick up my visa.

So, i picked up and walked back. haha. MRT back was fine. on the way i examined some foods and a young girl with wide eyes looked up and i bought some sort of food item from her. I need to learn how to count in Thai and say "how much?"

I then decided to try my hand at the boat thing... and of course, it was super packed; i couldn't get to the side i needed to get off.. the guy hadn't picked up my fare yet. so i got off one stop down.

(the way you get on and off is the boat sort of slooows down and you just get on and off. unless there's a bunch of people, for which it stops).

I then saw a motorcycle taxi and thought "what the heck!" and told him "Sukhumvit soi sip sam".. and we were OFF. me gripping the back of my seat (I don't want to grab his waist).. and somehow i misdirected him; but i knew where i was (just one alley over) so i walked back along the canal, and stood outside the gate and yelled for someone to come unlock it.

the thai lady who works there is very sweet and i showed her something I bought (something wrapped in leaves.. those are always exciting surprises). she said "Oh very very good! coconut, rice, sugar! boil and boil again! steam! how much?" i said "8 baht" and showed her the 3 fingers that Taiwanese people characteristically use to express "8" and she was confused. Ohh 8 baht! good price. cheap!



I then came inside, met another lady and her daughter who's been in the mainland for 14 years. And then I decided to eat quickly and go to take my test.. and THEN REALIZEd... I GAIN AN HOUR!!!


WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


so gonna take a quick nap and then i'm off.


I'm glad today was a sunny, well hydrated, take my mind off things, walk around day.... and now.. for test.
yaghers.

Oh the irony

email excerpt from daddyO

Junia, you will do well with English. You just need to do one
practice test for math. Remember, what the question is asking.
Sometimes the question is looking for the difference, not the final
number. GRE is easier than SAT, I heard, because many people out of
school is taking it.


EXCEPT
that MATH is easy; GRE vocab is crazy hard; so is its reading comprehension. See I hate antonyms because it's just testing for straight up vocab memorization. At least sentence completions you can see the context and for analogies you can build bridges; but antonyms are so stressful and then I end up picking synonyms. :-/


And Math isn't that easier.. but I think .. I'll be okay.


Arrived in Thailand.
and the place I'm staying at, Bankok Hospitality Center is a Baptist hostel that's really hidden away. Thankfully the Wakefields told me about it and WOW, it's SO nice.
I'll explain more later.

or now.

Basically it's self check in, self sign up for breakfast, self pay, self everything.
I thought i'd be getting a tiny room but I have this large room with one full bed, 2 twins, and 1 baby bed.
They charge by person/night. 400baht/night.

I'm savin like a ... raven?

i

wish