Jacob's International Experiences

Weekend Trip to Poland

2008-10-23T02:37:00.005-05:00

So last weekend I went to Poland. It was a fun trip (my first international travel by myself). I left on Friday morning as soon as chapel was out. So from the flat, I went to Stansted Airport. That took about an hour or so. I got to the airport and did all the typical checkin and whatnot that you do at an airport. I got to my gate. And guess what....My flight was delayed. So I chilled in the airport for like 2ish hours and then we left. I flew from London Stansted to Katowice, Poland on WizzAir. This was an accident on my part. You see, Katowice was like an hour and half away from Krakow (my final destination). So I improvised when I got there and found a shuttle to Krakow. Well, you see it was a WizzAir shuttle and I didn't have a reservation. So they let me on but I had to wait in the shuttle for like 2 hours before we ever left the parking lot. You see, WizzAir's flights were all late and people that had reservations were coming in. So we waited .... forever! Finally, we left Katowice airport and headed for Krakow. You see the driver didn't speak English but luckily one of the people on my bus spoke both Polish/English. She translated for me. When I got to Krakow, I didn't have a clue where I was. So she got me a taxi. I took the taxi to my hostel and it was all good. I checked in and relaxed for like 5 min. After dropping off my stuff, the girl at the desk gave me direction to Hard Rock Krakow and I was off. You see I love my Hard Rock Shirts. So I got one from Krakow. They don't even have a restaurant yet...but its coming soon. So I was one of the first to get a shirt from there. Afterwards, I walked around taking photos of Krakow at night. It is a very pretty town. It's super easy to get around in. The Castle was one of my favorites in the town, the market was cool, and all the little shops were neat to look at. I had ice cream that night before I went back to the hostel. When I got to the hostel, I pretty much crashed to prep for the following day. I was going to Auschwitz Concentration Camps One and Two for the day. That was so powerful. It's like you can still feel all the pain the prisoners went through when they tell you what happened in each of the buildings. I saw the death block (block 11), the death wall, the torture and experiment areas, the housing conditions, the gas chambers and furnaces, the toilets, the hair (all 180,000pounds of it), ... I saw alot that day. It was very overwhelming. I am glad I went to the camps. It is an experience I will never forget. I was pretty much exhausted after the 6 hour trip at Auschwitz. But I kept chugging along....I wasn't gonna waste time sleeping. So I went to the Gallery (the mall), heard a pop-group thing outside,walked around even more, went back to the Castle and saw it during daylight hours,and just mingled my way through the town enjoying the architecture of the buildings and the overall atmosphere of Krakow. Later on that night I went back to the hostel and took about an hour long rest. After that, I went to a Chopin-Mozart Classical Concert at Saint Giles Cathedral. That was awesome. The sound inside the domed rooms of the church was incredible. Very vibrant and rich sounds echoed through the building as the concert took place. It was very relaxing and peaceful. Following the concert, I went back to the hostel and chilled a bit more. That night a played cards with the other people staying in the hostel. They were cool. I now have 3 more Australian friends and 2 new Polish friends. It's all official because it is on facebook (lol). We were up to 1:30 that night playing games. I attempted to go to bed but people checked into the room at like 3:30 that morning. Naturally, they were not respectful of the ones trying to sleep. Somewhere around then, there was a Drunk Naked Irish man running around the place. I was in bed--but I heard all the commotion. It was funny. Finally---I was able to get some sleep. 2hrs later I got up. yeah, 5:30 in the morning. We got up. (Lizz-the australian and I). We got ready and the girl at the reception made us coffee and little sandwiches to go. She was very nice. I ran to the tram stop and, go figure, it didnt come. So I was late to the bus station and I missed my shuttle back to Katowice Airport (remember it was about an hour and half away). So I improvised. I ran around the buds terminal unitl I found someone who spoke English. She helped me. I ended taking a bus to Katowice the town. We arrived at the Katowice station and she helped me get a taxi to the airport from there. It cost me 120 zlottys (Polish Money/Currency). I only had 80 zlottys. So the cab driver and I made a deal through the girl that was helping me. You see the cab driver didn't speak Enlgish. I obviously don't speak Polish. So she did the conversing for us. I ended up paying him 80 zlottys and then topping off his gas tank at a gas station with my credit card. It was fair I thought. He drove SO, SO fast. Wow, wasn't use to that. The only thing we had in common to talk about was Michael Jackson. You see, one of Jackson's songs came on the radio there. I said Michael Jackson..."yeah". The cab driver gave a thumbs up. Then he starting jabbering in Polish again. So its all good. I got to my flight. Got back to London. Trained back to my flat. And I rested. That was the ending to my Poland Weekend Get-Away.

November 15th, 2007: Drove back to Christchurch from Queenstown

2008-10-11T08:46:00.002-05:00

November 14th, 2007: Milford Sound Cruise

2008-10-11T08:29:00.003-05:00

We got up bright and early that morning to get to Milford Sounds in time for the cruise. While driving there we saw the Southern Alps. They were gorgeous and covered in snow.If you want to know a funny story, just ask me or Jeniffer Mills or Brenda Breezeel about Jacob and the Swiss Alps-Southern Alps story--The cruise was only like a little over 2 hours long...but it was so worth it.

There are few words to describe the beauty that we saw on this cruise. I will allow pictures to do the talking. The bay opened up to the Tasmanian Sea. We saw two waterfalls, wild seals, and many beautiful mountains and valleys.

After the cruise, we drove back to Queenstown for night and prepared for trip back to Christchurch the following morning.

November 13th, 2007: White Water Rafting and Bungy Jumping

2008-10-11T08:19:00.003-05:00

So that morning, a few from the HUA group decided to go white water rafting in the river nearest to Queenstown. That was so much fun. On our boat, it was full of people from HUA, our guide, and two physicists from either Scotland or Ireland. The two odd balls were very stubborn and continually failed to listen to our guide. On one of the turns, they placed us sideways in a Class 3 rapid. Not cool,we nearly flipped. That was the second white water rafting trip I've don't with Harding. The first time was in Colorado on the Arkansas River that flows through the Royal Gorge.

After that, Scott and I has a sudden impulse to go Bungy Jumping. So we did. We jumped off of the Kawara(sp) Bridge. It is the first location in the world where someone bungy jumped. That was by far the scariest thing I've ever done. I do not know if I'll ever do that again. It was a thrill-thats for sure. Its not your everyday thing to jump off a bridge. I had issues. It took me like ten minutes to jump off. It wasn't the actually fall that scared me. It was the initial move and thought of letting going of the bridge when the water was screaming death to my face. But oh well...that was an inexperience in and of itself.

My Queenstown, NZ experiences were quite extensive. After bungy jumping, Scott and I went back to the hostel and grabbed our things. We then left with the rest of the group for Milford Sound. We went about half-way that night. We stayed in a little cabin near a lake for the night. There was a little town just down the road where we got hot chocolate and what not before settling in. It was a little chilly then and we were all exhausted. We did not venture too much in that town. We went to bed and got up early the next morning to go Milford Sound.

November 12th, 2007: Lord of the Rings Jeep Tour

2008-10-11T08:10:00.002-05:00

After the thrill of skydiving, I took part in a less energy draining activity. I took a Jeep Tour of a few of Lord of the Ring Locations. On my tour was my guide, a South African married couple, and myself. I enjoyed the tour very much, more so for the scenery. We saw the location where all the black horses, went storming down the river (from the 1st movie), we saw the rock where all the rings of the kingdoms were split up, we saw the Remarkable Mountain location where they filmed the famous scene of Gandolf on his horse. We saw a little old western town. We had afternoon tea. And I simply had a relaxing day. After the tour I retired for the night to just chill and enjoy the peacefulness of Queenstown.

November 12th, 2007: SKY DIVING TIME BABY!!

2008-10-11T07:08:00.004-05:00

Alrighty, this is the day I was looking forward to throughout the entire semester. I lost 30lbs that fall just to do it. I went on a strict Atkins diet to do so. That was hard the last leg of the trip. The cruise had all sorts of exquisite food, but I did not have any. I stuck to my diet. I broke it 3 times, each time for a pina coloda from ship. They were so good. My desert, if I chose to have it, was a Diet Coke with Lime. Yum... Anyways, the morning of November the 12th, 2007 I went skydiving. It was amazing. I did the highest dive I possibly could. I dove from 15,000 feet. AWW! That means I free falled for a whole minute. It was worth every penny. The view from up there was spectacular. I went diving with a company called N'Zone. Their jump zone is over the Remarkable Mountain Range. If any of you are Lord of the Rings fans, that location is where Gandolf sits on his white horse with a group a snowy mountains in the background. It is in the beginning of the first movie I believe. Anyway, I would so jump again. I love it. It is so much fun. At one point during my jump I tries opening my mouth and yelling something. Haha, bad idea...my tongues instantly felt like sand paper. It took my a couple seconds to catch my breath again. The fall didn't really seem like a minute long. It went by so fast. I wish it were longer. While falling, I didn't have that feeling of my stomach turning inside out. It felt more as if I was floating. You see the forces behind you pushing you down(gravity) and the wind resistance trying to hold up. They both, slow the free fall feeling and make it feel like your floating. Now then, it felt like floating. But I still definitely felt like I was falling over 90mph toward the ground. Initially, the mountains were small when we jumped out of the plane. But as we fell, the mountains became massively huge. I enjoyed that experience immensely. At the jump site, before they put into the plane, they walk you through an about 5 minute briefing of how to fall correctly out of the plane initially. That was all the prepping we needed. The dude attached to us(me) did all the work. I was quite literally on for the ride. You are suppose to fall out of the plane like a banana. And then when he taps your back...you can start moving around. After the free fall, the parachute is deployed. You are then jolted back up in the air very fast. Then we spiraled down to the ground. I told me jumped I wanted to have fun with it, so we spun down to the ground super fast for like 5 minutes. The whole jump itself took about6 minutes once we left the plain. Probably about 15-20 minutes total from getting on the plain and getting back to the ground. While we were climbing in altitude, I could see the plain's windows lining with ice. I thought that was cool. They gave us oxygen after we passed 10,000 feet. They said by law we had to have oxygen until we jumped. In the plane with me was Inabeth Donaldson, Ashley Buford, and myself. They take jumpers up in teams of three. Each of us had our film man and our guide diver. I was the first one out of the plane. There wasn't really any time to think...It was just like ... 3, 2, ,1...down we go. the initial roll out of the plane is exhilarating. The thought of nothing below you but ground and one wicked view is awesome. I would so go diving again. You should try it sometime. If you ever want more information just let me know. I will be happy to help you or answer any more questions about my diving experience in New Zealand. Hopefully, I will be able to dive somewhere else again sometime. Whooh, Im on like an energy high just thinking about it. Have a good day everyone.

Oh yeah, one last thing. After I went sky diving. I went out to eat. And we had subway. Then a few hours later I had Pizza Hut. It was marvelous.I totally gave up the Atkins diet.

Novemeber 11th, 2007-Drive from Christchurch to Queenstown.

2008-10-11T06:56:00.003-05:00

The drive was beautiful. We saw alot of the countryside of NZ. It was beautiful. We saw. Mt.Cook in the background-the largest Mountain in New Zealand. We stopped at a little shop for lunch and whatnot on the way. We also stopped and saw a little chapel on a hill with a lake and mountain range behind it. We got Queenstown later that night. We stayed at the Discovery Lodge in the heart of Queenstown.

November 10th, 2007-Arrived back into Brisbane-Departed for New Zealand

2008-10-11T06:51:00.002-05:00

When we woke up that morning we were back in Brisbane. We left the cruise ship and moved onward to the Brizzy Airport. We boarded our plane and left for New Zealand. We flew directly into Christchurch and went to the YMCA for the night. New Zealand has some super strict rules with immigrations. Like, if you have mud on your shoes when entering the country they can possibly make you throw them away. Yeah, weird. New Zealand is supposedly the youngest country in the world. They are known for their beauty and splendor--I will most definitely agree that NZ is incredibly beautiful. This is the cause for the strict rules upon entering the country. They are striving to protect the beauty of the country.

November 8th & 9th: Cruise-At Sea

2008-10-11T06:50:00.000-05:00

November 7th, -Cruise; Port Villa, Vanuatu

2008-10-11T06:46:00.002-05:00

In this little town we had to take a taxi to get to town. It was about a 10 minutes drive or like a 25/30 minute walk. One thing that impressed me here were their capital buildings. They had scriptures on them from the bible. I thought it was cool that, on their official buildings, they incorporated the teachings of the Bible. The pics will do the rest of talking for me.

November 6th, 2007-Cruise:Port Day-The Island of Lifou in the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia

2008-10-11T06:43:00.002-05:00

This island was drop dead gorgeous! I wanna go back. The waters are so incredibly crystal clear. This was my favorite stop on the cruise. Once again, I'll let the photos do the taking. While we were here I tried Coconut milk. That was good. It is a very remote little island that is only accessible by boat. We went swimming here in the little lagoon area and had a very pleasant afternoon.

November 5th, 2007-Cruise: Port Day-Noumea, New Caledonia

2008-10-11T06:40:00.003-05:00

This was a pretty little city. I enjoyed it. We got out for a few hours here. I took some photos, went shopping, and got my passport stamped. I will allow the pictures to do the talking for me. I enjoyed the port days alot during our trip.

November 4th, 2007-Cruise: At Sea

2008-10-11T06:24:00.002-05:00

This day was a laid back kind of day. I realized I do not like 'At Sea' Days very much. I got a little bored. The never-ending abyss of blue water. We played cards and had a very chilled day. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the cruise very much. But during the 'at sea' days it is very easy to become restless.

At night they had little shows going on. They were actually quite ridiculous. But its the fact that they were so ridiculous that made them funny. One of my favorite songs had lyrics to like this "good'ay good'ay and how ya goin". I cant remember the rest of the words now. All I know is that I got a good laugh.

There were many little events at nighttime on the top deck where prizes could be won. Our became well known to be the water group-lol. Naturally, the prizes from a cruise ship were alcoholic drinks and we technically weren't suppose to have them. Many people from out group won prizes like that, particularly Michael Brooker. haha, He won I think a couple of bottles of Champagne or something like that.. He kept them and later after the party started to die down he went to the Activities director and requested an exchange. They said that was the first time someone had ever asked to trade in an alcoholic drink for like water or something like that. So needless to say, it was that request that morphed our group from HUA into the water group. haha

Sometime during this cruise, the had a "South Pacific Idol contest". It was a mock off of American Idol and Australian Idol naturally. Anyways, we participated. I sang Circle of Life by Elton John from Disney's Lion King. Other various people from our group participated and we all had a jolly good time.

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Ok, I have to be honest. I stopped recording information in my journal after finals week. So from here on, I am going by memory. I do regret do not recording things in the journal. So I am doing it now, here online in this blog. It has been almost a year now since my HUA trip but I can still recall most of the events that happend those last two weeks of the Australia semester. Alrighty, thanks guys and I hope whoever is reading my blog is enjoying it.
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November 3rd, 2007- Boarded for our Week long South Pacific Star Cruise

2008-10-11T06:15:00.002-05:00

This was the first major cruise that I had ever been on. I was looking forward to it very much. Before boarding that morning we waited at the Brisbane port for a long time before boarding. The Cruise line looked at our passports, we boarded, and we were off. During the departure, the cruise ship became one big party. It was so much fun. They blew the whistle thing and turned up the music. Party, lol. It was fun. Most of us from the group went to the very top deck to watch Brisbane become a minimal little speck. We settled into our cabins and we were set. In my cabin there was Jordan, Michael A, Myself, and Scott. We then ventured around the ship to make ourselves familiar with our surroundings and where everything was located. Later that evening we had a mandatory meeting going through all of the "what if" situations and what we were suppose to do if any of those potential things were to happen. Throughout the initial part of the cruise I felt like a I had rubber legs. haha, I soon got over that. And the first day of the cruise was over.

November 2, 2007- Free day to pack, Pack for Crusie Departure

2008-10-11T06:14:00.001-05:00

October 29th-November1st: Finals week, packing to leave BroadBeach, Time to Prepare for the Cruise

2008-10-11T06:12:00.002-05:00

October 25th-28th, 2007-Free Travel minus the travel part.

2008-10-11T05:08:00.003-05:00

October 21st-24th, 2007-Classes

2008-10-11T05:08:00.001-05:00

October 20, 2007-Moutn Tambourine Morning Tea; Q1 Observation Tower

2008-10-11T05:07:00.001-05:00

That morning we boarded the bus and headed for Tambourine National Park-Mt. Tambourine. The bus ride took about an hour. We got out at a Polish restaurant to have morning tea. I had actually had SOHO (sorta the equivalent of lemonade) and some type of cake. Here we sat down and enjoyed the view—we were right on the edge of a mountain. After I finished my tea, I began to pay with the Lorikeets. They are little colorful birds who love to play and eat your sugar. Everyone was playing with them. I personally had a little tug-a-war with one of them. My sugar packet was basically destroyed but its all good. It was here that all the Lorikeets landed on my shoulders and I had my photo taken that’s in the Harding Pettit Jean 2007-2008 annual. We then left and went hiking for about an hour. After the hike, we went to the Q1 tower back in Surfers Paradise. The Q1 tower is the largest residential tower in the world. We went up to the observation deck on the 77th floor. It was a cool view; for it was right on the beach and you could see for miles and miles. It was so pretty. Here we could see the whole layout of the BroadBeach & Surfers Paradise area.

October 18th & 19th, 2007- Classes

2008-10-11T05:06:00.001-05:00

October 17th, 2007-Australian Outback Spectacular

2008-10-11T05:05:00.006-05:00

This was a show designed to reflect Australia’s true outback culture, history, and environment. This musical drama had many horses, sheep, and other kinds of animals. It was indoors and very enjoyable. We were served a salad, a main entrée: steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and 2 other things, and lastly desert. Overall the show was Spectacular.
A) The historical significance was probably a little shaky as most shows are---but it did give me a glimpse of what it was like to live in and work in the bush.
B) It showed me that Australian Farmers are true examples of hard workers who like to have fun.
C) This reminded me of two shows at home.
1) T-E-X-A-S outdoor musical drama at Palo Duro Canyon &
2) The Dixie Stampede in Branson, MO & Pigeon Forge, TN.
D) It was fun, entertaining, and educational

October 15th-17th, 2007 Classes

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October 14, 2007-Fly back to Brisbane, Bus to Broadbeach in the Gold Coast, Lords Supper, and Chillax

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October 13th, 2007-“Free day”-Jungle Rainforest Tour

2008-10-11T05:02:00.001-05:00

This was my equivalent to free travel. I traveled with Collin S, Ashley B, Ashley T, Ashley O, Kelsey K, Scott W, Inabeth D, Lindsey M, Katie S, and Jennifer M.
So we all decided to do this tour. It was SO much fun. The tour consisted of the following:
1) A stop at a Scenic Overlook
2) A Stop in Port Douglas at a Zoo.
3) A Daintree Rainforest Walk at Mossman’s Gorge.
4) Lunch at a small welcoming café
5) River Cruise through a crocodile sanctuary
6) A trip to Cape Tribulation
The tour was far. We took many short stops at overlooks and whatnot. This tour was done by a mini-bus. Most everyone in the van was from the HUA group. We drove first-off to Port Douglas. There we went to a zoo and had a short tour of the city. We saw Kangaroos, Emus, and a Cassowary (an endangered bird). After the zoo, we went straight to the Rainforest. It was so beautiful there-Australia continually kept shocking me that day. We hiked a little ways and then we all went swimming in the gorge. It was HOT that day and we all were excited to jump in the water. That was my favorite part of the day. It was cool and the rapids were fun to swim in. Lunch was pleasant. The River cruise was interesting. While we were waiting for the cruise, we all played with these little rocks called ‘Burning beans’. These little rocks left like a bruise/burn mark on your skin. I let Katie Smith touch the Burning Bean to my skin…OUCH, it’s like she wanted to Brand me or something. She held it there for a very long time. On the cruise we saw a brief glimpse of a 4 year old crocodile. We saw a 2 year old crocodile and got many pictures of it. After the sighting were over our boat driver got showed us two green tree frogs. It was funny, they were called Green Tree frogs but one of them was brown. After the cruise we went to Cape Tribulation. This was a beautiful remote beach that we had fun in for about an hour. Afterwards, went back to the mini-bus and headed back towards Cairns. The trip back was like 3hours long. We went a ways off that day.
A) Helped me understand the beauty of the rainforest. I did not recall any historical importance on this free day of travel.
B) Made me respect my surroundings
C)Almost like visiting Yellowstone National Park back in the States—It was a unique trip.
D)Fun!

October 13th, 2007-“Free day”-Jungle Rainforest Tour

2008-10-11T05:02:00.000-05:00

October 11th and 12th, 2007- Great Barrier Reef on the Sea & Ocean Quest

2008-10-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

We left that morning for our two day trip on the reef. We boarded the Sea Quest and we were on our way. (Thankfully no one this time got sick). It was a 90 minute boat ride out to the reef. They we were able to scuba dive and snorkel. I snorkeled for about 20 minutes and then went back. I then went scuba diving. I’ve been scuba diving before in Cozumel, but the reef was completely different. It was crystal clear and fun. The first dive was with Jordan and Jennifer, our instructor was from Cuba. I dove again after lunch, except this time with Meagan and Jason. That was fun to. Here the photographer for Sea Quest found me and she took a photo of me with NEMO and Marlin! That was so cool, I totally bought that photo later. We then went back up and prepared to transfer to the Ocean Quest. That was larger boat that about 48 people for an overnight stay. There were 2 people per cabin, there was a tv, and there was a bathroom. Upstairs had a big screen T.V. and it was great. When we first boarded the Ocean Quest, we were given a briefing of all the activities on board the boat. They released us and soon thereafter we went diving again. This time the water was murky and once again different. But it was still cool to think “I’m breathing under water”. We came up and that was it for me diving that day. I rested a little and just relaxed. … watching the reef.  I was still absorbing the fact that I was on the famous Great Barrier Reef. We had dinner later that night and watched a few movies up on the big screen upstairs. We watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding & Last Holiday. Afterwards, I retired for the night. The next morning we were called bright and early to go diving. I believe it was six in the morning. The water was SO cold. I was definitely 100% awake after jumping in the water. This dive was in the same murky place BUT super special. I saw and swam with a real sea turtle, they same kind that were in the Finding Nemo movie. That was one of the coolest things ever. After that dive, dive number four, we went and had breakfast. I ate breakfast and about 30 minutes later they called all introductory divers for their final fifth dive. This dive was in the same location as our first dive the day before. We saw a wallaby and many other other species. We came up…had a rest and then went snorkeling. The last few dives were with Keith and Rebecca. We had lunch and then they asked us to prepare ourselves for transfer again, meaning to just pick up everything and clear out the room. We then watched Ice Age2 upstairs, transferred back to the Sea Quest, and left for/headed back to Cairns.
A) This trip allowed me to see what Australia is trying so hard to protect.
B) It helped me understand that there needs to be a happy medium/balance to the way we live our lives, especially when compared to the effect we can have on the creatures living in the reef. The reef is slowing dying and its all our fault. There are tons of projects to save the reef…but we all must & need to help.
C) We have nothing that compares to the Great Barrier Reef in the States
D) AWESOME! AMAZING! BREATHTAKING! SUPERCOOL!

October 10, 2007- Breakfast-HELICOPTER RIDE-Flight to Cairns.

2008-10-03T19:35:00.001-05:00

That morning I woke up bright and early full of excitement. I really wanted to climb Uluru but was not allowed…so this is the fall back plan.  I decided to do the next to best thing. I really wanted to see the view that everyone else saw from atop the giant monolith….so I did and then some more. The view was spectacular. I took a 35-40minute Helicopter Ride around Yulara, Uluru, and the Olgas. I was picked up from the hotel at nine and we left shortly after. The Flight…Awww, I saw SO much and SO far. It’s like the never ending abyss of red with a huge stone in the middle, Uluru; some mountains in the far off distance, and between the rocks/mountains were the Olgas that were, that’s right, red. I took plenty of pictures. It was a yellow helicopter and I was able to fly up front in the co-pilot seat. There were four others in the back. This was my first helicopter ride and it was a thrill. It was a great investment. No one saw the splendor of Uluru as I did. After the flight I was left at the airport to wait for the group to meet up with me (Like an hour later). We soon boarded our plane. We were rushed and pushed and told to hurry up and board the plane so we could take off. You see, the plane was running late. The flight had a very rough take-off. 3hrs later, we were in Cairns. We signed up for our first free-travel event. We went to dinner at a casino. We retired for the night.

October 9, 2007- Relaxing Morning, Tour of the Olgas Mountains, Desert Animal Presentation

2008-10-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

Most everyone went climbing Uluru this morning, I did not. I chilled at the hotel and went swimming and simply relaxed. Later that afternoon I went to the plaza and booked my activities for the next morning. Then I came back, ate lunch, and the group left for the Olgas which is short for” many heads”. We hiked a beautiful path between two of mountains. It was about ½ mile each way. I enjoyed it very much. Then we returned and ate dinner at the hotel. After dinner we went to the Desert Animals Show Presentation. That was kinda creepy. I hate snakes. Yikes, no thanks. Snakes, lizards, dingos, etc…

October 8, 2007- Travel to Ayers Rock aka Uluru, Dinky the singing Dingo (Dog), Sunset over Uluru

2008-09-27T04:41:00.002-05:00

We loaded the bus that morning bright and early. The total trip from Alice to Yeotara(sp)(nearest town to Uluru) is about 6hrs. We traveled for about an hour and stopped at a place called “Jim’s Place”. He was known for his singing Dingo Dog names Dinky. This was pretty cool. Jim came out and spoke to the group. We went around back to a room with tables, lots of newspaper articles, and old piano. He brought in Dinky and gave us a warning that whenever he played a note on the piano Dinky would come and sing along. SO he played a note…Dinky began to sing. It sounded like a faint moan that just kept growing. Eventually Dinky got up onto the keys of the piano and started walking back and forth on top of them. He was playing the piano, singin his little Dingo heart out and doing his own thing. Jim stopped him after a while and asked if anyone knew how to play the piano. We all sent Michael Brooker to the front. He(Michael) began to play and Dinky came/went up to Michael real close. Like face-to-face. And Dinky began to sing. Michael and Dinky, The Dynamic Duo, yeah that sounds good. Lol. After this Jim thanked us all for coming and we went on our merry little way. We loaded the bus and then trekked on for about another hour. We stopped and ate lunch then. It was starting to get a little warm on the bus. We loaded back up and struggles through the rest of the ride to Yulara. People were getting sick, crying…it was SO HOT on that bus. It was like we were in an oven that had four wheels traveling through the blazing emptiness of the outback. Later on we were told it got to about 114 degrees F that day. Put yourself in a glass box, then place that glass box outside in the sun, then turn the temperature up to 114. Then you would be in the same conditions we were in on that bus. That last part of the ride was almost four hours long. We arrived at the Outback Pioneer Hotel and had a rest. We then went on to Uluru for our tour. The monolith is breathtaking. You can look at it for hours and not say one word. It contains iron in the rock. So naturally, it is a little red. It was very pretty to look at. We walked around part of the base of the rock. We learned about some of the stories and beliefs of the Aboriginals and the Dreamtime—reflecting over how their ancestors made the rock. I did not belief any of that stuff, but I thought the stories were interesting. We then went to the base of the rock and watched the sunset. Here we had light snacks and enjoyed one another’s company. We watched one of God’s beautiful creations fade off into the night. I took picture here almost with everyone from our group. Hooray for HUA FALL 2007! Then we went back to the hotel and crashed for the night. It was a long day.
A) It made me respect God’s creations even more. The Dingo, The amazing monolith called Uluru, everything…
B) I thoroughly appreciate how they respect nature.
C) There is truly no comparison at home like Uluru.
D) I love Australia’s Beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 7, 2007-Anzac Hill, School of the Air, Shopping Time

2008-09-27T04:41:00.001-05:00

We went to Anzac Hill first off that day. It had some type of memorial at the top. I took lots of picture here. It really reminded me of home. The vast emptiness surrounding the town, the rolling country side, everything in general from that view…it all reminded me of being back at home in Borger.
The School of the Air is the largest classroom in the World. They use a radio and some computers and broadcast live to kids in remote areas. It’s quite a different set-up. I’ve never heard of anything quite like it. Then we went shopping.
A) The school of the air shows how they strive to teach children and socialize them to the standards of today.
B) This showed me “To what length” Australia goes to educate their youngsters. The memorial at Anzac shows how they take pride in their past.
C) The School of the Air creates a connection to the students in any situation. Mail, Radio, internet, etc… It shows that Aussies place education with the upmost importance like us in the States.
D) Alice Spring and all the locals are unique.

October 6th, 2007-Flew to Alice Springs, Flying Doctor Service, and Andrew Langford Didgeridoo show.

2008-09-27T04:39:00.005-05:00

When we arrived in Alice, I totally felt like I was in Australia. During our landing-All we saw was red, red, red, red, and more red. The outback was screaming hello to us! We gathered our things and left for the The Flying Doctor Service. We had a tour of one of their facilities. The Service is to provide immediate emergency attention to those far from a city or hospital. For the outback, this is your equivalent to an ambulance. I appreciate their work very much, they have saved countless amounts of lives. Afterwards we had lunch on our own in Alice spring outdoor mall/shopping center. Then we went to the hotel. The ac didn’t work very well. But go figure…it was very hot in the outback. After a rest, we went to a didgeridoo show. That’s where I bought my didge case and Dad’s didge. The man was awesome at playing the didge-but he sounded like he was on crack or something. Very laid back when he spoke and acted like he was on some type of high. I ended up purchasing one of his CD’s because I thought he was kinda cool.

A) The primary cultural significance is that
1. The flying Doctors save lives over a vast empty area and
2. The didgeridoo show tied in with Australia’s native people and their beliefs in the Dreamtime, the Aboriginals.
B) This show did not enhance my understanding of the local culture. However, it did make me appreciate those who can play the didgeridoo.
C) The Aussies respect & and try to remember their natives just as we do in the states.
D) Cool!

October 5th, 2007-Free day to Pack. We left Brizzy

2008-09-27T04:39:00.003-05:00

October 5th, 2007-Free day to Pack. We left Brizzy

October 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2007- Classes all day.

2008-09-27T04:39:00.001-05:00

October 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2007- Classes all day.

September 30, 2007-Cleveland Church

2008-09-27T04:38:00.001-05:00

September 30, 2007-Cleveland Church

September 29, 2007- Humpback Whale Watching

2008-09-27T04:37:00.002-05:00

This event made me appreciate Australians concern and care for animals/species within their own environment. We saw a dead calf that was victim of the food chain, most likely by Killer Whales. We saw many whales that day and a few calves. Every time a whale would come out of the water someone would yell “Breach!”. The breached were cool to see but incredibly hard to catch on camera. Some people got sick, I did not. That was the first time that I experienced that saying “You a look a little green”. I literally saw many people from my group turning green in the face from sea sickness. The ride was rough. I’ll give it that. Some people had issues that afternoon. Most were ready to get off the boat. I enjoyed the ride-A LOT. The whales are huge. They like to scratch their backs on the bottom side of the boat. They are very entertaining. Once the whale(s) feels comfortable around the boat it like to play. They bring their calves up closer. It was very pleasant for those of us who were not sick to watch and experience.

September 26th, 27th, & 28th, 2007- Classes all day

2008-09-27T04:37:00.001-05:00

September 26th, 27th, & 28th, 2007- Classes all day

September 25, 2007- Classes and Night Kayaking on Brisbane River

2008-09-27T04:36:00.000-05:00

The experience on the river was very relaxing. We had little lamps on the back of the Kayak. We went against the current.-up river and then turned around. We kayaked for about an hour and half.

September 24, 2007- Classes all day

2008-09-27T04:35:00.002-05:00

September 24, 2007- Classes all day

September 23, 2007-Cleveland Church

2008-09-27T04:35:00.001-05:00

September 23, 2007-Cleveland Church

September 22, 2007- Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin Zoo)

2008-09-27T04:34:00.002-05:00

I saw the zoo and all of its inhabitants: the alligators, a tortus, Tasmanian devils, elephants, tigers, etc…along with the famous crocodiles. We watched a show in the World Famous Animal Planet Crocoseum. I ordered my Didgeridoo and sent it home.
A) Once again, to teach us respect for nature.
B) It enhanced my understanding because I now know why everyone fears the Croc. –Along with the Koala Sanct.—be carefull and respect the other creatures in our environment.
C) Reminded me of a zoo again.
D) It was fascinating that one man, Steve Irwin, could accomplish so much.

September 21st , 2007- Classes

2008-09-27T04:34:00.001-05:00

September 21st , 2007- Classes

September 20, 2007- Aboriginal Culture Show.

2008-09-27T04:33:00.000-05:00

Here we learned about the different tribes, some of their beliefs, and rituals. We got to experience the journey of a peace stick, some dancing (I actually participated), and we painted our own boomerang.
A) The aboriginals are Aussie’s original backbone of society-hence it is very important for their cultural survival.
B) The Aboriginals are fighting to preserve their land. It gave me a new found respect for their ways and traditions.
C) It reminded me of the Native Americans and their struggle to survive.
D) It reminded me of my families past.

September 18th & 19th, 2007- Classes.

2008-09-27T04:32:00.003-05:00

September 18th & 19th, 2007- Classes.

September 17, 2007-Brisbane City Tour, Koala Sanctuary, Mt. Cootha

2008-09-27T04:32:00.001-05:00

Brisbane is a beautiful little planned out city, especially with the river flowing right through it. The Koala Sanctuary was A to the MAZING! I held a 2 year old koala named “Shessy”. I also saw and pat Kangaroos and a lot of other things. The sanctuary goes to a lot of lengths to save the animals they have. After that we went to Mt. Cootha-it offered a spectacular view of Brisbane from up on high. It was inspiring.
A)It showed me Australia’s view on nature and its inhabitants.
B)It did not enhance my understanding of the local culture.
C)Reminded me of our zoos.
D)The Koalas were definitely a once in a lifetime kind of thing.

September 16, 2007-First Australian Church Service in Cleveland

2008-09-27T04:31:00.003-05:00

September 16, 2007-First Australian Church Service in Cleveland

Sept 15, 2007- Grocery Shopping Day

2008-09-27T04:31:00.001-05:00

Sept 15, 2007- Grocery Shopping Day

September 14, 2007- Fly to Brisbane, Australia.

2008-09-27T04:30:00.000-05:00

We flew to Brisbane and I payed 5 Aussie Dollars on the plane to watch President Bush’s Speech from the States.

September 13, 2007- Science Museum, War Memorial, Parliament House, Embassies.

2008-09-27T04:29:00.002-05:00

We woke up and left the formula one, ugg-don’t stay there and went to Parliament. On our way, I guess you could say, we drove through Parliament Alley-We saw the outside of a lot of embassies.—the one that called to me the most of course was Brazil and the good ‘ole USA embassies. The US embassy is the largest one in Aussie. We went to the Science museum for like 2 hours.—then off to Parliament. The roof was very unique. It had huge flagpole in the middle. We sat in on the House of Representatives and saw Prime Minister Howard-fun, fun, fun. Howard could never answer a question. After that we went to the Australian War Memorial-where they commemorated all of their fallen soldiers from all of the wars they have been involved with. Ya know, every war that USA has been involved Aussie has without a doubt jumped right in. They have been in every war that the US has been in. They are one of our number one supporters. The planes were cool—However, the tomb of the unknown soldier was the best. They played a ceremony and closed the tomb at 5 o’clock with a bagpipe.
A)The parliament showed me the Aussie view of politics—super crazy! The Memorial showed me their spirit and pride in their country; especially for those who died for it.
B)It gave me a new appreciation for the military.
C)Reminded me of all our memorials in the states.
D)very cool!

September 12, 2007-Harbour Cruise; Drive to Canberra

2008-09-27T04:29:00.001-05:00

September 12, 2007-Harbour Cruise; Drive to Canberra

September 11, 2007. Free Day in Sydney

2008-09-27T04:28:00.002-05:00

We went to Luna Park (it was closed), walked over the Sydney Bridge, walked around downtown, went jet-boating and saw the mission impossible 2 house (awesome!), went to the botanical gardens, climbed in the trees like monkeys, and watched the sunset over the harbor at Macquarie’s Chair. The sunset was one of my favorite memories from Sydney. It has the Opera House (the sail as some call it locally) and the Harbor Bridge in background. It was so pretty. Awe, I’m a sucker when it comes to sunsets.

September 10, 2007. –Sydney City Tour, OPERA HOUSE, Barracks, and Sheep Station.

2008-09-27T04:28:00.001-05:00

It’s been-no it seems like I’ve always wanted to come to Sydney—pretty much to see the opera house. The tour was interesting. Sydney was a fascinating place. It’s very clean and laid out well. Old Sydney has its own aroma. Elegant, pleasant, welcoming. The Tour was an hour long. Immediately following we went to the S.O.H. I was overwhelmed with the thoughts that I was finally there/here! The roof was supposed to represent a series of Ellipses by a Danish Man Utzon. He won the international design competition. It had 1,055,941 ceramic tiles that do not absorb water. The Concert hall holds 2,679 people. The building as a whole cost 102.5 billion Australian Dollars. The Opera Theatre is 8 months Opera, 3 months ballet, and 3 weeks modern dance every year. The organ had 10, 134 pipes, 5 keyboards, and 131 stops. The ceiling was made of soft drop wood. Seats were made of hard wood to help the sound. The Foyers wad the only location where we could take pictures. No pictures inside the beautiful concert hall. Everything sounded crystal clear inside there. WOW, amazing! Following the S.O.H., we went for lunch at the barracks—for fish and chips, a very popular dish in Australia and most British based societies. The Barracks themselves were very old. They housed convicts originally, then it was basically a looney bin for women like convicts, then it became a government seat, and now it is retired building and is a museum. After the barracks we headed out to the sheep station. We had tea and some type of cake. We saw many farm like animals there. He showed us how to properly throw a boomerang and also taught us some boomerang history. Then the man showed us a herd of sheep –I got to pet a big sheep and hold a baby. He told us how they raised the sheep and sheered them and that entire process. After that we had an Aussie BBQ. Yummm…We had a lot fun dancing with some red-neck Australian band. An example of some of the lyrics were as follows:“ A sheep or two, kangaroo, A clothes line in the back…and an old rocking chair”. That was truly an amazing day.
A) The Sydney Opera House is the second most recognized symbol in the world—It is an Icon for Sydney. The barracks were there when the colony was formed. The sheep station was culturally engaging.
B) It showed me how and why they do some of the things they do.-specifically the sheep station.
C) Their Opera House is like our Statue of Liberty. The sheep station is very much like our ranches at home—except with a few different emphasis and processes.
D) I loved it all!

September 9, 2007. Arrival in Sydney-Pizza Hut

2008-09-27T04:26:00.000-05:00

We arrived to Sydney, Australia! We went to Pizza hut. After that Kelsey, Jennifer, and I went to Hard Rock Cafe. That was wicked cool. Then everyone pretty much crashed. The flight was very draining.

HAPPY BUDDHA!

2008-09-03T15:19:00.004-05:00

Ok, I have to explain why I kept saying Happy Buddha. When we were in Guilin and waiting to do to the river boat cruise, there was a little market-like area with a few vendors. Some of the vendors had little kiddos. This little girl came up to me with a little fake flower thing.

*In China you learn how to say No to buying things. Or else it would seem like you buy the whole country.*

So I said No to the little girl. She kept bugging me and bugging me. I said no alot. But I laughed and she knew she had my attention even though I was trying to run away from her.

You see, she kept saying "Pretty flower for Pretty Buddha. Happy Buddha" Everyone around me was getting the biggest laugh out of the whole thing. It was crazy. She kept running after me. Over and over and over again. "Happy Buddha, I see you. You want pretty flower."

She snook up to me and went "Happy Buddha" and pet my stomach. I couldn't help but laugh and once again...the process started all over again.

So I was vendor attacked by a little "Happy Buddha speaking, flower sellin Chinese girl". I never did end up buying the flower. But the phrase 'Happy Buddha" stuck to me. And probable forever will. lol. It is a good story. You have to admit that.

So being Happy Buddha and all I found a small-miniature buddha at the Market in Yangshou. So I have a little Buddha to remind me of that one time in China with the little Flower selling girl. And I am the "Happy Buddha"..

I hope you all get a laugh out of this story. For it brings much joy to me and many others.

Later yall.

September 8th, 2007: Silk/Pearl Market and Fly to Sydney, Australia!!!!!!

2008-09-03T15:14:00.003-05:00

This morning we went back to the Silk market. Same 'ole, same 'ole. I enjoyed the bargaining once again for one last time. We headed for the airport and we were off. We flew from Beijing to Shanghai. Shanghai is such a nice airport. Then we left Shanghai and were off to Sydney on the 10.5hour flight.

September 7th, 2007: Moon Hill, Cormorant Fisherman, Flight back to Beijing

2008-09-03T14:57:00.004-05:00

First off, we went to a local river where we saw bamboo rafts and other things. We got on the rafts --on mine it was Dr. "B" and his family, Mrs. Pam, Julianne, and Jennifer, and Michael B. Our raft was like the Chinese version of the Titanic. We kept taking on water. We saw the cormorant fisherman that use birds to fetch fish and bring them back. Def. a cool way to go fishing. A better to fish if you ask me. I'm assuming it was their profession and living. We had our pictures taken with the birds on our arm.

Following our Chinese Titanic Fishing Experience we started our way back to the Guilin airport. On our way back we stopped at Moon Hill, which is exactly what it sounds like. It was a large cut in a Hill that was/is in the shape of a moon. Then we saw some rice fields. They were not that impressive. We made it to the airport and for the first time I flew with someone. Ya see...with all my flight issues getting to China, it naturally screwed up my tickets for the whole trip within China. We used paper tickets and all of my tickets basically had to be reissued. Haha, on the trip from Beijing to Xian I didnt even have a seat. They put me on the seat where the extra stuartesses sit. Yeah, this is were mu famous phrase came in. IT WAS NOT PLEASANT! lol. So anyways, after guilin everything was back in order and I was able to sit with people from our group. We arrive in Beijing.

A) The amount of creativity the Chinese put into making their living--having birds fetch your fish for you.

B)How they take the most simple, natural thing and turn it into a hobby or profession. The take and engage in everything that surrounds them .

C)We fish and it takes a tremendous amount of patience.(sp). They send the birds out to do our job in a matter of seconds. This doesn't relate much towards my values but I admire their resourcefulness even more now.

D)The raft and the entire raft trip was relaxing, enjoyable, and peaceful.

September 6th, 2007: River Boat Cruise to Yangshou, River Show, Market Place, Spades, Hard "seat" cafe

2008-09-03T14:37:00.005-05:00

Today we got up at 6 in the morning, ugh, to prepare for our cruise to Yangshou on the Lee River. Many famous people of cruised this river. The beauty with all of the mountains are well known throughout all of China and the world. Its beauty was put on the 20 Yuan(Chinese Currency) bill. Though it had beautiful scenery and I enjoyed it thoroughly...myself and others became a little bored. So we had the FAMOUS LEE RIVER SPADES TOURNAMENT! Whoot Whoot. The cruise took 4hrs. If we would have driven it would had taken us about 30 minutes.
*interesting fact- the area that we cruise was the main location where the Survivor China show was filmed*

We arrived at Yangshou and walled through yet another market to our hotel. There we were set free unitl 6:30 that night, the time to go the cultural river show (Which was SO cool!).I wondered about in the market and found myself my own little "Happy Buddha". I also found a Hard "seat" cafe. Obviosuly a mock of Hard Rock Cafe-Lunch was great there was great. It was the best burger I had throughout my whole stay in China. The Banana Milshake was different but pleasant.

Following on through the day was the River show, which was fantastic. The cultural music, the story I did not understand, the lights. Oh, there were lights that lit up the mountains, fog on the lake, people with flames, and people with dresses that lit up. It was 70 min well spent. This show was/is held in the largest outdoor theatre in the world.! I would highyl recommend this River show to anyone.

A)Boat Ride- to respect and honor China's natural beauty.
River show- to reflect on China's taste for the performing arts by reflecting the culture as a whole.

B)Make me remember that nature should not be underestimated, forgot or abused.

C) We do the same thing in the States to honor beauty--Yellowstone, Texas Outdoor Musical Drama, etc...

D)The rivershow gave me goosbumps. I learned its not always about ourselves.

September 5th, 2007: Buddah Palace Hill, Free Day, Prince's Palace/Office in Guilin

2008-09-03T14:24:00.002-05:00

That morning we were able to sleep in if we wanted. Breakfast was at the normal time. The The Four of us went to get my families pearls. That was a long AM--it took us and hour and half to get the price down. We were lat getting back to the hotel and the group left us. Vince, the tour guide, left waited for us and took us to meet up with the group at Buddha Hill. Everything at the hill was carved into the stone. Yes, we saw a "happy Buddha"-I had my picture taken with him. After that we went to the location of prince office. We the saw the walkways were the princes and princesses walked. We saw the unique drawings/carvings on the stairway.-they were similar to the ones at the Forbidden City. We saw a cultural dance and scrolls within the office. The tree of Yin and Yang (2 trees that merged into one), a well, and the mountain that overlooked all of Guilin with the palace of Longevity on top. I thought the palace looked more like a hut..but whatever.

A)Buddha cave, it showed their dedication to religion. Prince Palace provided a glimpse of the princes duties-which we were directly under the emperor.

B)Buddha Cave-it shows hows the culture ties individual uniqueness into all their work. Guilin is made and known for it stone.

C)I think it shows that they (the chinese) place their religion above all things, like we do for the most part in the states.

D)It made me respect the beauty of Chinese Culture even more.

September 4th, 2007: Seven Star Park, Elephant Hill, Cave, River Cruise, Pearl Musuem.

2008-09-02T21:43:00.012-05:00

This morning we went to the Seven Star Park and saw Camel Hill, a better view of a panda, and an absolutely beautiful waterfall. (many photos were taken).

Then on to Elephant Hill were we took a group shot and our names written on fancy scrolls in Chinese;
Then on to the Reed Flute Cave that had many fascinating similarities to common objects-like a snowman, lady liberty, a girl sleeping, etc... Everything was lit up by neon lights inside. This place reminded me so much of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

The River Cruise was once in a lifetime. The City of Guilin all lit up from the view of the 2rivers and 4 lakes that flow through the city.

Guilin was my favorite city in China--just for its sheer beauty. We also visited the Pearl Museum where they taught us that Seawater pearls only contain one perfectly round pearl per oyster. Just a little b.t.w., I can tell you if a pearl is fake or real now. I'm like a pro. Freshwater oysters contain up to 10 pearls but there are a random mix, usually they are not perfectly round.

Clinton gave his famous speech at Camel Hill. Elephant Hill is a major attraction in Guilin, for everything made of stone is very popular. The numbers 6 & 8 mean wealth and good fortune will come to you.

A) I learned that China uses its unique environment and natural surroundings to represent itself in a political, national, and global stage--hence why Clinton chose Camel Hill for his speech location.

B)China does alot to show off their uniqueness to everyone; therefore, that in itself shows that China is proud of there natural wonders and are willing to show/share it with others.

C) The caves trully reminded me of Carlsbad Caverns patterns and such. They enjoy beautiful scenary just as we do. The lights of Guilin. They respect everything.

D)I learned to appreciate how much work, time, and effort it takes to preserve something of historical importance or natural beauty.

September 4th, 2007; Pearls

2008-09-02T21:32:00.003-05:00

Order Form:
Mom- Pink Freshwater Dangly Pearl Earrings
Pink Freshwater Pearl Necklace
Black Seawater Pearl Dangly Earrings
Black Seawater Pearl Necklace
Mema-Pink Freshwater Stud Pearl Earrings
Pink Freshwater Pearl Necklace
Black Freshwater Stud Earrings
Black Freshwater Stud Necklace

Laura Jean, Mark, Julianne, and I went one morning. We bargained so much that we got the pearls 40% off from the original price. It was a blast. We did this by special request from my mother and mema.

September 3rd, 2007:Pandas, Fly to Guilin

2008-09-02T21:13:00.007-05:00

Today we saw the Panda Conservation Center. We had an Irish guide. The majority of the animals had been "rescued" and will be there permanently. There was one panda up in the tree that walked down in front of us. The panda was adorable and I want one! lol

After the conservation center, we took a hike up a mountain to a temple-like area. The hike was fascinating and exhilarating! The view of the mountains. The clear view from the top by the old Chinese temple. It all makes me think how much God truly blesses us.

A)The panda is distinct to China and in turn is a major specimen of there culture.

B) At that time, I wanted to go back and volunteer.

C)The well being of this center compared to the center in the US are no where close to each other.

D)I learned that Pandas are very endangered. I thought their care needed major improvements. I observed, what I believed to be cruelty. There were cages that were WAY to small. I was very irritated by this.

September 2nd, 2007: Ban Po Village, Terracotta Warriors

2008-09-02T20:40:00.005-05:00

The Ban Po Village contained some interesting artifacts on one of China's first civilizations. lol, some of the items reminded me of like prehistoric golf balls.

We went to the Terracotta Factory after visiting the ancient village. The terracotta is molded then heated for 10hrs at an extreme heat. No one face looks the same.
The actual terracotta warriors were found by a farmer in 1974 who was drilling a water well and found some of the pottery. The warriors are/were suppose to guard the emperor in the after life. There are guards, archers, soldiers, and generals. There were about 6,000 terracotta warriors that were found. They use to be covered in bright colors; however, when they uncovered the warriors their colors evaporated. You see the air is very contaminated and the soldiers were ancient and were not exposed to the climate for some time. So naturally...everything deteriorated rapidly. That is why they have stopped digging. They believe there are more warriors to be found in that vicinity.They are going to wait for future advancements in technology that will help preserve any other uncoverings. They also haven't uncovered the emperors tomb for the exact same reason. There is no way to preserve what they find. Plus, the emperors tomb is mythed to have boobie traps. ya see, the emperor was a very superstitious person. So all that said...they have made all of there discoveries for now. No more digging for now. In the future there will be more.

A)Showed me the amount of effort one emperor would go through to satisfy himself. The warriors to protect his body.

B)The amount of detail put into each individually unique soldier. The time put it. The planning. The abilities of this culture to make something so wondrous.

C)The chinese went to a huge length to protect the Emperor in all regards~just as we do for our officials. There warriors. Our Secret Service. Things of that sort.

D) It was breathtaking to see one of the newest discoveries of the century up close in person.

September 1st, 2007: Flight to Xian, City Wall, Tang Dynasty Show, Asia's Largest Fountain

2008-09-02T19:46:00.013-05:00

We got up bright and early to fly to Xian. We arrived and went to the hotel for a few minutes, then we went immediately to the City Wall.-it surround the entire old part of the city. The Bell tower is in the center. The wall is fairly large. It has a draw bridge and a moat. The wall was originally used to protect the city, for Xian use to be the capital and the home of the emperor.

The Tang Dynasty show was actually a Dumpling Dinner/Cultural Dance Show. The Dumplings were awesome! The show itself provided a glimpse of the time with ladies in elegant dresses with dancing and music. The mask dance was my favorite.

Here in Xian, we also went to the largest fountain on the Asian Continent. It was time to music. We ran and played in. It was good 'ole splish splashin time.

A)The wall was built to protect. The show was to reflect on the old ways of the Tang Dynasty with China's past.

B)It showed the amount of work that had to be part in to perform such an art. Be it building a wall or dancing with music.

C)Dancing is not very popular in my background. Music is though. I have a high respect for there style of music. It's so unique.

August 31st, 2007: Tiananmen Square, Hutong Bike Tour, Lama & Confucious Temple

2008-09-02T19:13:00.006-05:00

Tienanmen Square was kind of bland. It was the location of a large protest in 1989. It is the largest square in the world.

The Hutong tour on bike was definitely a dive into old Beijing. We had dinner at a local home in Hutong and heard about the hostess' husbands late medals and such.-they were on CNN. Everyone knew their neighbors, that's for sure. The beams above every doorway defined where and what social class you are. It also defined what social status your children could marry into. Cross-Social status marriage were frowned upon. The 2 seater bike ride was unique. It took us threw the original city of Beijing.

The lama and Confucius temples were red and based on Buddhism and the Chinese respect for Confucius' knowledge.I never knew about all the different statues "Gods" in Buddhism. It is a completely opposite 180 type of religion.

A)Tienanmen Square is major political place for China.

B)This showed me how much respect they have for there leaders. For example, Chairman Mao's picture, the memorial, the China Museum.

C)They reflect on there leaders as we do ours. They have the Mao picture/Memorial--we have Mt. Rushmore and Lincoln Memorial, which is the same in that regard.

D)The Hutong was enlightening to see how people really lived. Tienanmen Square, it was cool to finally see.

August 30th, 2007: Temple of Heaven, Tai Chi, Market

2008-09-02T18:27:00.004-05:00

2 Corinthians 4:16 "so we do not lose heart. though our outer nature is wasting away out inner nature is being renewed day by day".

The temple was very open. We went exploring. It was very peaceful and unique once again.
There was a singing lady and man, the hitting of the face and more.

As for the Tai Chi, lets just say my energy did not match the Tai Chi Masters. :) The Market was fun. At the temple there was earth, earth, earth, earth, the Temple, earth, and more Earth, and one extremely clear/bright blue sky. This is where the Emperor came to pray. Everything at the temple was very open and welcoming and natural. This is where most people, still today, go to in order to help focus and center their energy.

A)This just reaffirmed that the emperor had a greater faith than himself. For he went their to pray.

B)People of all cultures have some type of faith-faith in something larger than life.

C) Though we probably have faith in different beings. Our two cultures (The US & China) and my beliefs and the belief of the emperor and his people ALL believe in a higher calling of unknown possibilities.

D)The temple was very elegant. Tai Chi did not do anything for me. Bargaining at the market is alot of fun.

August 29th, 2007: Great Wall, Silk Factory

2008-09-02T18:14:00.005-05:00

Phil. 4:13 "...Christ, Strengthens me."

I have always wanted to see the wall. I was so excited. It is a total of 4,000 miles long. It was SO cool! The wall began in the Quin Dynasty for unification with the Emperor Qin Shihuang.

There was a little market at the base of the moutain where the wall stands. There were so many people who raided me.
Oh boy!, that wall was a beast to climb back on.--I definitely bought an "I climbed the great wall t-shirt". The wall is very large. The lift was cool.

After the wall we went to the Silk Factory. That was awesome as well! There's the bug that makes the caccoon-then they soil it the caccoon-then spin the silk off-then make stuff. Everything was of high quality. I got a comforter cover and pillow cases--hmmm. soft.

A) To build a wall to protect China for many different aspects. One main reason being war. The took prisoners and males from every family to build the wall. It took 20% of the population to build the wall. It was a serious blow to the economy. The silk is respectable and one the few ancient customs and practices still in use.

B)The Chinese must have patience. It took forever to build the wall and silk making is a delicate process.

C)It makes me think that they have the largest and longest wall protecting their coutntry. In retrospect, the US has the longest and largest unprotected border in the world with Canada. The US would never take time to build that.

D)The wall was impressive and mind-blowing. Silk is cool. China was cool.

August 28th, 2007: Forbidden City, Class, Kung Fu Show

2008-09-02T17:59:00.005-05:00

They postponed our trip to the Forbidden City to today. So I lucked out. I missed the Summer Palace, thought Im bummed out about that-Im super stoked that I was able to see that City still. I was running on no sleep that morning. Ya see, I got into Beijing at 4:15 in the morning. We got up to have class at 9. After class was the Forbidden City. This was the location that is popular from the Disney Film Mulan. That was cool and huge culture dive. There were 9,999 rooms within its walls. Everything was painted in red. Red signified the color of the palace in Heaven. The emperor was the closest living person to Heaven, hence everything red for his city. The color yellow represent(s) royalty. The Emperor had 3,000 wives. Let me say that again. 3,000 wives. Yikes. They seemed to have a them of "longevity" throughout the entire city.
The day seemed to drag a little while we were in the city. After the Forbidden City, we went to dinner and a Kung Fu Show. The art was impressive, but I was just too tired to appreciate it. My lack of sleep was kicking from the plane.

A)The forbidden city was home for the emperor throughout the year, except for the summer. In the summer he lived at the summer palace. The city was used for two dynasties. So it was the capital back in the day

B)This experience helped place things in order. Like the classifications of different people, social classes, etc...

C)Compared to the US to China. In the US everyone is equal. It is just the opposite in China-everyone is classified into a certain field. My personal values do not place any one person closer to heaven than any other, except for Jesus Christ.

D)I thought the city was interesting and unique. It's like I learned a "cliff notes" version of Ancient Chinese History. Plus, I admired the overall beauty of the Forbidden City itself.

August 25th, 2007-August 28th

2008-09-02T17:51:00.002-05:00

Today was time for the departure to H.U.A. Things went a little crazy. My 6:40 am flight was delayed to 11:00am (Amarillo to Dallas). I missed my flight in Dallas to San Francisco; therefore I missed my international flight.

I ended up staying at my Aunt's house in Dallas for the night. She helped me prepare for the next days event. You see, Now I was traveling to China alone. EEEK! Plus, I had lost bags. they did not if they made it to SF and went on to Beijing OR if they were just waiting in SF OR if they were lost in Dallas. Whatever. Luckily I packed like a smart traveler and kept some clothes and toiletries in my carry on bag. So I was oober stressed and that day was over.

The next morning I left bright and early on the first flight to San Fransisco.

The International flight the following day was postponed/ delayed 9 HRS! This made my day seem to be extremely long and drawn out. I had three mothers who 'adopted' me that day, they were also going to China. I landed in Beijing with no luggage very tired and worn out. From this ordeal, I learned that patience is a virtue.

Format for reading my experience from HU Australia2008

2008-09-02T17:44:00.005-05:00

Alrighty then everyone. I obviously did not start this site last year when I was in Brazil and Australia. So this is what I'm gonna do in reference to how I'm gonna type up my experience from Aussie. Im gonna type up exactly what I put in my journal. For the most part, I kept up with my journal throughout the whole semester in Aussie last Fall. Alrighty here I go.

6 Week Mission = Lifetime of Memories

2008-09-01T22:58:00.000-05:00

Brazil was my first major overseas adventure. While on this adventure I feel that I grew spiritually exponentially. I just want to tell ya a few of my memories from Brazil outside of LST.

The picture below is of a neighborhood in Florianopolis(also called Floripa).

The Higher up you live the poorer you are. Thats all I know.

The below shots of Floripa were taken from the boat from our day cruise. The bridge below was designed and built by the same man who built the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA.

One key thing that the Brazilians beat us hands down at is their version of a barbecue. Oh My, WOW! You haven't had a barbecue until you have had a Churrasco (Brazilian word for barbecue). There are many different types of meats and all of them of their own unique way of being prepared. My team and I were blessed to partake in two Churrascos while we were there. They are usually for some type of event or celebration. A party. Lots of people. A very, VERY social occasion. As one type of meat was finished and served, the other was on the grill being prepared and cooked. There are pictures below of one of the parties I went to. It was a birthday party for one of the members of the church. His nickname meant "Mountain", for he was so tall. This party lasted for about 4 0r 5 hours, it was a blast. It was awesome

My favorite soda is the little green bottle you see above. Guarana. It is SO good. It comes from a fruit grown in the Amazon. The best description would be like mixing a Gingerale with a Sprite but that really gives it no justice.

Going into this mission trip, I initially felt a little scared and out of place. My host family made me feel at home and very welcome. I stayed with the Machado family; Maurcio, Fernanda, Thomas, Theo, and Tito.

For the picture below, from the left: Fernanda Machado, Mauricio Machado, Thomas Machado, Sarah Borgelt, Theo Machado, Will Brown, Ben Graves, Alexandre, Priscilla, Sarah Vinzant, Myself, Larissa, and her son.
This is pic of the families who hosted us for the summer. 3 families. There two people missing. Larissa's husband and Tito Machado.

We hung out every evening with the Machados. We also got to know most of the youth group. We went to the movies alot. You see, there was a nice mall down the road about a mile from the machados home. It was called Iguatemi. Inside was the newest theatre in town. So needless to say...like most people here in the states. We went to the movies. Below are photos of Iguatemi and some of our movie night groups. Our very last movie night we invited everyone-our students from class, the youth group, everyone we grew close to during those fast 6wks. It was a blast. In total we saw three movies in theaters (Pirates of the Carribean 3, Zodiac, and Fantastic Four: Silver Surfer) and countless movies at home. We had a blast. Ok...here are the photos.

Another thing I did in Brazil was sand surf. That was a first for me. We went twice. The First time it was just Will, Theo, and I. We went out near Joaquina (Sp) Beach to the sand dunes. We took a board, sorta like a snow board, and off we went. It was a blast. The hills were a pain to climb. Somtimes we lost control of the board(s). We never knew what was going to happen. Will and I were both amateurs at the sport but we did our best to have fun. I believe Theo got a real good laugh out of the whole thing.

Another cool thing was the little wild fire we came across one time on our way home. We were heading home from the church. Ok, a little pre-story to the story. During our stay in Floripa we we moved once. You see the Machados sold their home while we were there. They use to live in the main part of Floripa near the University. We moved out to a rental-like home next door to their beach home. They were still remodeling the beach house and weren't ready to move in. The house is located about 25 minutes outside of the town on the South part of the island. ok, back to the story. We were driving past this field and we saw A LOT of smoke. So Maurcio stopped to see what was up and if he could help. You see he is sorta like a neighborhood leader. The field was about a 3 minute drive from their house. It was pretty close.

We stopped. Got Out. Watched the fire as the firefighters did their work. You see, they used a mop~like looking thing to beat out the flames they found in the field. I found this very interesting. So after a while we got back into our car and a couple of the firefighters got into the car with us. We went around to a back part of the field. We went looking to see if the fire had spread. That was cool. So I got to meet some of the firefighters from Brazil. Here are some the photos from that night.

Well...By all means, this is not all of my memories and good times from Brazil. However, this is all for now. God Bless Everyone.

Free Day in Florianopolis!

2008-09-01T21:11:00.000-05:00

On a Let's Start Talking Mission trip you hold classes everyday except for Saturdays and Sunday mornings. On one of our Saturdays we took a day cruise to two different islands with historical forts from World War II. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. It was beautiful day and the forts were interesting to see. I will post some photos here on my blog as a preview. After the photos you will find a link(s) to other albums online hosted by my Facebook account. Don't worry you do not have to have a Facebook account to view these albums. They are open to the public.

This was an 8hr trip. It included time on a boat, two islands, and lunch at sea food restaurant.

Enjoy ...

INSTRUCTIONS TO VIEW PHOTO ALBUMS:
All you have to do is copy and paste the following link(s) into your web browser.Click go or enter. Enjoy, it will take you to the album. I hope you enjoy the pictures from our little expedition. There are four albums.

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044603&l=cc7cb&id=71005449

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044604&l=9f072&id=71005449

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044606&l=fff55&id=71005449

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044609&l=0e573&id=71005449

The Church in Florianopolis

2008-09-01T17:19:00.000-05:00

Hey yall. I would like to take you on a tour of the church building in Florianopolis. The church building is three stories tall but very thin. I found it quite pleasant and very homey. The group above is my fellow team members from the LST mission trip. They are the best friends a person could ever wish for. They are a blessing in my life. From the left is Ben Graves, Sarah Vinzant, Will Brown, Sarah Borgelt, and then Myself. We are standing in front of the church.

So as the song says "Lets start from the very beginning"-the entrance.

These Three photos are the church sign hanging out front the main gate/door, The lobby with the the wicker like chairs (there is a desk not shown in the bottom left corner of the picture w/a phone, and then of course the front door and the gate.

Just around the corner from the lobby is a little room with a sofa and some huge bean bags. One of the cool hang out places in the church. Sometimes we even napped there.
Next is the classroom on the bottom floor. You will see the location for baptisms in the back on the other side of the window
(some people go to the beach for the baptisms).
There is small hallway that connects the main front lobby and the kitchen. In the middle is this classroom. Now then...on to the kitchen. We've made our way down the hallway. And now your in the equivalent of a fellowship room. In the back is the actual kitchen.
We had so much fun in this kitchen. Everyday we would have a group devotional~AmAzInG!~and we would cook lunch together. We jammed out to music while cooking alot. Our food was awesome.Yum for food and fun. I'll put a photo of one of our meals next.
Alrighty then, now we're gonna back up to the main lobby/entrance and go up the stairs to the second floor. On the second floor there are 3 classrooms. Two normal classrooms where the youth group have their classes on Sunday mornings and then a room for smaller kiddos. The next photo is the hallway going upstairs. After that is a picture of another lobby-like room before you enter the classroom area. The 3rd picture was my room for classes with LST. It is also the room where the older members from the youth group met/meet. The 4th photo is the little kiddo room.
Now we are going to continue up to the 3rd floor. Which is sorta like a multipurpose room/ auditorium and meeting place for Sunday morning worship. The previous small hallway continues past that second floor lobby~like room. If you look down the stairs as your walking up to the second floor, you can see the kitchen. You will see the photos leading up to the 3rd floor next.
So now it's time to see the 3rd floor. This is the location where most of LST parties were held. There is one photo of the overall room and one photo looking out the window towards the baptistry.

Welp, this concluded our tour of the Floripa Church. This place really feels like another home to me. I had so many great memmories here. I love this place and all of the people who attend it.

Reflections of Brazil

2008-08-30T11:30:00.000-05:00

Brazil was an absolutely amazing experience. I participated in a Let's Start Talking summer mission trip for six weeks during the summer of 2007. The aim of our mission was to develop personal relationships with our readers. Our classes initially where to better develop our students conversational English skills. Our textbook consisted of clips from the Book of Luke from the Bible. In the classroom it was a one-on-one setup. Meaning one teacher (myself or one of the other four members of my team) and the student. Each class the reader/student/friend read from the textbook and answered questions that corresponded with that days lesson. It varied each day on how many lessons we completed. Sometimes we would have one lesson and just talk about our daily lives. Or sometimes we would do five lessons and talk only a little.

Every week we would host a party with our readers and people from the church. This helped create a tie with our students to the local church. (You see how the mission was setup now?)

I would love to speak more about our trip. If you are interested, just let me know. I will post photos of one of my class sessions and a few of the parties we had with our students.