Bucket List 2014

Before I left for Europe in 2007, a co-worker asked me what my travel goal was.  I hadn't really thought about it; I had a travel bucket list (consisting of: EVERYWHERE), but I hadn't ever really thought consciously of a goal.  I replied to him 'I want to live on every continent'.  Seven years and two continents later, this is still my goal.  Although I sometimes feel like I haven't accomplished much travelling (this scratch map I got as a gift made me realize just how big the world is and just how little I've seen), when I think back to things that used to be on my bucket list that I've now seen or done, it's a pretty good feeling.  Just because I didn't have a physical list to check them off, doesn't mean I haven't accomplished things I wanted to.  I've taught English in Japan, been in a film in Scotland, heard a muezzin calling to prayer in Istanbul, been ripped off in Budapest, brought in the New Year singing karaoke in Seoul, slept on a beach in Australia, camped in the Rockies, seen the sun set from Santorini, caught a midnight train from Paris, seen sumo in Osaka, eaten pizza in Naples, harvested potatoes in Switzerland, paid $12 for a shower in Hong Kong, lied to immigration officials, missed flights, been sick, slept in countless airports and NEVER had my luggage lost OR anything stolen (knock on wood).  I've also done a lot I never planned on doing (ie. becoming a ninja in Kyoto), but that's part of the joys of travelling!  So here's my current, ever-evolving list of travel aspirations:

1. Work on a kibbutz in Israel - The hippie/farmer in me has wanted to live and work in one of these communities for a long time.  I have a feeling I'll say I'll stay for a month and end up not wanting to leave it sounds so up my alley.

2. Travel the Trans-Siberian railway - Being part Russian, I've always wanted to see where my grandmother's family came from.  I would love to be able to go to Russia with my grandma, but seeing as she's 96, I don't think that will happen.  So that plus my love of train travel combined sounds like the perfect adventure for me!

3. Volunteer/live in India - India is definitely up there in my top places to travel and has been for a long time as well.  Because of my interest in pursuing a second degree in international development, one of my travel goals has been to volunteer along the way. In India, I particularly want to go to Goa, the old hippie hangout of the 60s and 70s (see a hippie trend here?)

4. Take a safari in East Africa - Africa is one of those places that everyone I meet who has gone there says it will steal your heart and you'll never want to go elsewhere.  Perhaps this is my excuse for leaving it waiting for so long.  But no trip to Africa would be complete without seeing the great migration on the Serengeti in the summer months.  The whole goal of volunteering goes for here as well.

5. Travel more of Europe (particularly Scandinavia and Eastern Europe) - After living in Europe for two years, there's so much more I want to see.  Some of my favourite cities I've ever been to are Prague and Budapest so I'd love to see more of Eastern Europe.  As well, a lot of my best friends while living in Australia were from the Scandinavian countries, so I really want to be able to visit them again.

6. Travel across Canada - It's confession time.  Before this past summer, I had only been to two provinces in Canada (besides seeing the insides of airports).  I guess the lure of somewhere far away and exotic had me saving every penny to hop on a plane out of here again!  So of course, I'd like to see my own country a bit more and visit friends and family along the way.

7. Egypt and the Sahara - A great wonder of the ancient world...need I say more?

8. Go to the Antarctica - This is so very expensive and so very far off into the future but no bucket list would be complete without it! Perhaps via South America?

9. Study Spanish in South America - Spanish is one language I've always wanted to learn because it's used in so many countries around the world.  Instead of doing it as a minor at school, why not just go live there and learn it by immersion?

10. See Morocco -  Ever since I was in Spain, I've been kicking my butt I didn't head over to Morocco...perhaps one day.

11. Climb a mountain (either Everest, Fuji, or Kilimanjaro) - After the past few years, health is becoming a new found priority of mine, so perhaps one day this can be a reality.

12. Go to Petra - I'm not an Indiana Jones fan BESIDES the fact that this was in the movie.

13. The Amazon River and Rainforest - I've been obsessed with going here every since I was in elementary school playing The Amazon Trail in computer class (perhaps I should do The Oregon Trail as well?).  I also really loved Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? Perhaps these games are what started it all...?

14. Stay in an ice hotel - There's one in Quebec, there's one in Sweden...seeing as these are both on this list, there's no excuse!

15. Angkor Wat - Because lost cities are where it's at!

16. Macchu Pichu - Speaking of lost cities...












17. Easter Island - ...and uber remote islands.

18. Rio de Janeiro - I've dreamt of seeing the Christ the Reedemer statue ever since I dated a guy who had it on his favourite T-shirt...weird reason, I know.

19. NYC - In keeping with the whole "let's see some things on my own continent" theme.  I've never felt particularly drawn to North America, but the more I travel, the more I realize travel is about going somewhere you've never been, it doesn't necessarily have to be across the ocean where you don't understand the language.  And I really like RENT.

20. Cruise Ship - I don't want to GO on a cruise ship, it's not really down with my style of travel.  Rather, I'd like to work on one, or better yet, volunteer on the Peace Boat.

21. Great Wall of China - Because it can be seen from space!!!!












22. Return to Australia/New Zealand - Last October marked my ten year anniversary of setting out in this weird and wonderful world on my own.  Australia holds a special place in my heart for many reasons; it was the first place I lived overseas and first place I travelled on my own at the mere age of 20.  It showed me what travel is and inspired me to do more.  As cliche as it is, it's where I found myself, or at least a huge chunk of me.  Ever since I left in 2004, I've said I'll be back and I hope to make that dream a reality soon.  Plus, I never actually saw New Zealand in the year I was there (too busy partying...hey, I was 20!)

23. Backpack Central America - I need to continue practicing that Spanish I learned in South America as I work my way back North!

24. Go to California - If I had to choose any State to visit, this would be it.  So many cool cities (LA, San Fran, San Diego), great weather, and everyone I've ever met from Cali has been so stereotypically Californian (laid back, down to earth and awesome!)  I wouldn't mind timing it in order to hit up Coachella as well.

25. Victoria Falls and the Devil's Pool - The Falls alone look amazing, but the Devil's Pool (a sort of natural infinity pool formed right on the edge of the waterfall during the dry season, which you can sit in if you dare) looks like an amazing experience.

26. Galapagos Islands - I may not be using my science degree, but I'm still a bit of a geek deep down. Ever since first learning about Darwin's Theory of Evolution as a youngster, these islands have been on my hit list.

27. Open a hostel - OK, so this is YEARS down the road, but I already have it all planned out in my head.  The problem now is where to settle down to actually have it!  We all know the best hostels are run by former travellers.

28. Get a better blog/be more dedicated to it - This is something I'm hoping to do within the next year.  New domain, much more regularity to when I post, and hopefully better writing!

I should probably stop at some point, I could really go on forever...go to the Olympics, learn to swim (so I can surf and scuba dive)...the list really is endless.  If I can come back to this post in a year and cross a few things off I'll be more than happy!  And hopefully I'll have discovered a few more amazing places to add.

Wakarimasen!

So I've been talking about starting a travel blog for this upcoming (and now nearly two months in) trip, and recently a certain someone has been bugging me about it to no end. So today after yet another job interview, I've decided to begin, rather than staring at my computer watching Shameless episodes download and eating unrecognizable and definitely mispronounced Japanese food.

I've been here in Tokyo nearly two weeks now 'looking for a job' and have since settled in quite nicely, although the first few days were definitely not so easy. I have never experienced culture shock like I did upon arrival in Tokyo, and I have never thought when walking through the streets of any city 'What the hell am I doing here??!!' It most likely had something to do with discovering on the first full day here that the Japanese Association for Working Holiday Makers went bankrupt back in AUGUST. Thanks SWAP, for informing me that the one saving grace I was counting on upon arrival would not be assisting me in learning Japanese, opening a bank account, getting a phone, finding a job, applying for an Alien Registration card, finding a place to live, and basically just functioning. Why did I pay them $500 again???

But that's beside the point. The next day I checked out of my stiflingly hot, $50 a night, 6 bed dorm to something a bit cheaper, and much colder. I had e-mailed this hostel back in December while in Scotland and out of the maybe 5 I managed to e-mail in between pints, this is the only one that replied. So I asked the girl at reception if the manager was around and mentioned that I had been told I could do some cleaning in exchange for a bed. She said she remembered and would call her boss to see if there was any work at the restaurant. Wtf?? So I of course just smiled and said 'OK'. 20 minutes later a little Chinese man walks in reception smiling. And speaking Chinese. We sit down at a table and he conducts his 'interview' with Shi (reception girl) as the interpreter. After determining I speak no Japanese, was wanting to clean at the hostel, and am here looking for a job teaching English, she (and Shi) says 'Do you have any plans tonight?'

'Well no,' I say, 'Its only Saturday night in downtown Tokyo town.'

So I end up going on a silent 20 minute subway ride with my new boss (who's name I don't know) to one of his many Chinese restaurants (which I also don't know the name of). I walk in with him and surprise surprise! Nobody speaks English. This just keeps getting better and better. But hey, a true backpacker will do just about anything for a free place to stay, a Tokyo metro pass, a free meal a day, and a few yen in her pocket.

From what I had gathered back at the hostel there was a tour group of about 70 Chinese men coming through for a meal, so they could use my help serving. This would be easy enough. Just walk out with the plates and set them down on the turny thing in the middle of the table and walk away. I've never been a waitress because I know I'm a clutz and prone to spilling things, but I'm sure I can do this.

I'm supposed to be there four hours and the first hour consists of me basically standing around in my own world, smiling and laughing when it seems appropriate, and wondering where the EHO's are with these cooks and their cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. Maybe I'll say I don't want the free food after all because I'm vegetarian.

And then suddenly there's a storm of Chinese men, swarming around, through the kitchen, filling the restaurant with even more smoke and mindless (to me) chatter. And then there's bowls and plates being thrust into my hands and motioning me to take them out. 'Well this isn't so bad now is it? I can do this!' I think to myself, 'It's a bit lonely but on Monday the boy from Mexico will be in and he speaks English!'

Wait a second, where's the ball from my lip stud?? Oh shit...I glance around the room to see if anyone has found it in their plate of Kung Pao chicken, or whatever it is I'm serving. But I'm interrupted by more rapid hand gestures, I suppose indicating to me to get a move on.

I rush back to the kitchen and grab two huge, full, heavy bowls of some sort of soup. Maybe I'm pro enough now to handles three, with one resting on my arm? No, it's probably a bit early for that. I hurry back to the tables and reach over a little Chinese man to set one of the bowls on his table. What's that sound? It sounds like screaming, but why? Where is it coming from? It sounds so close...oh wait, it's coming from right beside me. Below me in fact. The little Chinese man. I look down and see it is him screaming. Because I am spilling the other giant bowl of soup on him as I'm setting the other one down. The two tour leaders are already there wiping it off him and chattering away. Do they ever stop their mindless chatter??? But this time it's aimed at me. I try and remember how to say sorry in Japanese but it doesn't really matter considering they're Chinese.

I literally run back into the kitchen, hoping they'll send me home or at least let me do dishes, but no, they thrust more plates and bowls at me. I walk back out into the restaurant, and can feel all 140 eyes burning holes into me as they glare at the giant who tried to drown the little old man.

Finally they all get up and leave and we can start cleaning up and once its all done (an hour early...is that just lucky or do they just want me gone?)I get to go on another awkward 20 minute metro journey back to the hostel.

"Boss says you did very good. You can have tomorrow off and meet him in reception at 9:30am Monday morning and he will get you a metro pass and take you to the restaurant with Jorge."

OK, well maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe all new servers lose facial jewelry and give third degree burns to a grandpa on their first day.

Or maybe not.

Monday morning rolls around and I'm told I can just clean at the hostel until I learn a bit more Japanese.

Welcome to Tokyo.

Wakarimasen, I just don't understand.