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blog #9: same-sex marriage reaction

As I said in class today, for blog #9, write your reaction to same-sex marriage. You can write about any opinion you have about same-sex marriage. Your blog is due next Friday, December 9th. (I changed from Wednesday to Friday)

Blog #7/#8 Assignments: Hot topic and free topic

For blog #7, please write your opinion about a hot topic in the news--something that is currently a controversial issue, i.e. Yasukuni Shrine, cool biz, same-sex marriage, etc. It can be any topic, as long as it is controversial now. Just write YOUR OPINION about the topic.

Post your blog by Wednesday, November 23rd

Blog #8 is a free topic.

Post this blog by Wednesday, November 30th.

Blog #6: free blog

Blog #6 is a free blog. Write about anything you wish by Wednesday, November 16th.

Blog #5: your opinion on something mysterious

For this blog, I want you to develop your opinion more about the next class topic: life's mysteries/superstitions, etc. Choose ONE question below and write your opinion about it:
1) Do you believe in fortuntelling? Why or why not?
2) Do you believe in UFOs and life on other planets? Why or why not?
3) Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?
4) Do you think our dreams can give meaning to our life? Why or why not?

You can choose another question if you want, as long as it is related to a mysterious theme.

* Post your blog by next Wednesday, November 9th
* As usual, comment on at least 2 of your classmates' blogs every week

Another incredible Greek meal with new local friends 

Enjoying Greek wine and heavenly Greek food with my buddy Nikos 

Steps For a Perfect Holiday

In this article, I especially agree with numbers 7, 9, and 10.

I agree with #7: Leave time for serendipity because I have learned from my travel experience that the best experiences are usually spontaneous and unplanned. When I was younger, I would read guidebooks very excitedly, and then be disappointed when different places didn't live up to my expectations. Although planning can also be an essential part of travel, you also need to leave enough time for unplanned encounters. If you follow a tight schedule and just do what the guidebook says, you might have a good trip, but you probably won't have a magical trip. Leave some days unplanned and expect the unexpected!

I also love #9: When you've got a lemon, make lemonade, and not just because it's a cool expression. (By the way, in English a "lemon" has a negative nuance, as we call a car that has all kinds of mechanical problems a "lemon." But "lemonade" is something nice and tasty, so this expreession means to make good things out of bad experiences.) Again, it's up to you to make the most of your travel experiences. When I was in Greece this March, I wanted to go hiking to a famous gorge, but there was more snow than usual and the path was unreachable. Instead of sitting inside and moping, I just set off up a mountain and walked through snow for 5 or 6 hours. I caught a terrible cold, but I saw some amazing scenery and had a magical experience walking through the snow alone like a little kid.

Finally, of course I agree with #10: Go local. Since I took part in the Ship for World Youth, I am very fortunate to have great contacts around the world. Also during my trip to Greece, having a great friend there made my trip so much better. I was disappointed with some of the touristy sites in Greece, but when I visited my friend in his hometown it was by far the highlight of my trip. I met real Greek people, had mouth-watering local food, and drank a lot of ouzo, the national drink of Greece. If it weren't for my friend, my trip wouldn't have been as half as good. Make friends and go local!

Who is this woman? She is one of my American heroes. The first student to tell me who she is or why she is famous will get the next prize... 

Chinryu-an: The Coolest Guesthouse in Japan

Hey, everyone, I thought I would also write a free blog about a recent trip I took. Before I finally someday leave Japan, I would like to see as much of this great country as possible. For some reason, I am especially attracted to unusual or hard-to-get-to places. That is why I finally took a trip to Yakushima this past summer. Of course Yakushima is not unusual, as it gets hordes of tourists, but almost none of my Japanese friends have been there.

I was also attracted to Yakushima because I'm an outdoorsy person. Two of my biggest passions these days are hiking and mountain biking. This might sound boring to younger people, as I also wasn't into activities like these at all when I was a student. But these days one of the most important factors in my travel plans is finding places with big, beautiful mountains and breath-taking scenery. Of course Yakushima has both!

I was incredibly lucky during my stay in Yakushima. Yakushima is known as the rainiest part of Japan, and the locals even joke that it rains 35 days a month! When I was there, however, I was blessed with three days of gorgeous, non-stop sunshine. I had the perfect lifestyle on Yakushima. I woke up by 7 AM, had a nice breakfast at my inn, and then I was riding my bike or climbing a mountain by 8 or 9. Then, after a hard day working my body and taking in awesome views, I could kick back with a big cold beer and then a filling dinner.

What I probably liked most of all about my stay in Yakushima, however, was the lodging! My travel book highly recommended a little place called the Chinryu-an Guesthouse. I don't always like to listen to guidebooks, but it seemed like a cool place. Well, the guidebook definitely hit the nail on the head this time. When I stay somewhere, I am most concerned with comfort and atmosphere. Chinryu-an absolutely had both. It looks like a tiny log cabin from the outside, but it manages to somehow be both spacious and cozy on the inside. Plus, I could sleep on a cool bunk bed that was like 10 or 15 feet high above the ground. I felt like a kid again, even though it was such a pain climbing up and down the ladder whenever I forget something.

One of the cool things about this guesthouse was the host, Chinryu. He used to be a Tokyoite, but has now settled for the more peaceful pace of Yakushima. He definitely made me and everyone feel right at home. He gave me tons of useful information about the local mountains and other interesting spots. What I liked most about him was he wasn't afraid to give his honest opinion. After he warned me not to go to a certain place because there would be too many tourists, I had a lot of respect for him. He definitely knows the island like the back of his hand, as he told me, "if you go hiking in this place, you'll only see about 5 people all day." And I ended up seeing exactly 5 people. It was a little creepy but very very cool!

Another good thing about the guesthouse is that it's an interesting mix of Japanese and foreign guests. So, I got to chat with an Italian who was traveling around Japan, meet a nice British couple who were working on organic farms in Japan, and also meet nice and interesting Japanese people from all over the country. I even talked to one girl who had stayed in the same guesthouse more than 1o times.

Anyway, I have a lot of places left to see in Japan, but hopefully I'll find time for Yakushima again. My goal next time is to cycle all the way around the island, which will take around 8-10 hours. That will be quite a feat, but with cold beer, great food, and Chinryu's big, crazy smile waiting for me, I'm sure I can do it!

The Friendly Staff at Chinryu-an 

Chinryu-an Guesthouse: Home Away From Home... 

Yakushima: the rainiest place in Japan? 

Blog #4: free blog

Blog #4 is a free blog. Write about anything you wish, but not just about your day. It doesn't have to be about travel. Any interesting topic is OK!

*Post your blog by Wednesday, November 2nd.
*Don't forget to comment on at least 2 of your classmates' blog entries for blog #3: Steps to a Perfect Holiday

Blog #3: Steps to a Perfect Holiday

Today I gave you a handout which titled "Steps to a Perfect Holiday." Skim the 10 suggestions given in the reading and choose 3 that you agree with the most and write about why. Don't just choose the first ones, but skim them all and make your decisions. Remember to explain your decision fully:

i.e. I agree with #3, that you should "read up before you go" because...

* Post your blog entry by next Wednesday, October 26th.
*Don't forget to comment on at least 2 of your classmates' blog entries for blog #2: free topic.