Seattle Love

Hey Seattle, I love you! I realized that I never wrote about my former-home city. When this lil blog was born three and a half years ago, I was focusing on TRAVEL and my transition to Myanmar. Seattle did get an honorary mention as my road trip and travels began, but I think she deserves her own post; don't you?

As part of my USA visit, I booked two weeks in Seattle (note to self, and friends, please remind me, next visit should be 3+) at the beginning of December. No, that's not the most beautiful weather time to visit, but my friends look just as good in the gray. ;) When the clouds finally parted, as we descended, this was my first glimpse.

Seattle, impressive rain or shine

The first week I stayed at R's lovely home, visited a lot with Y and hit up some favorite spots. Araya's is an old favorite vegan Thai restaurant. My first meal in Seattle was at their Madison valley location; they had one restaurant when I first moved to Seattle (U-District), now they have three!

At Araya's with J, yes, I visited more than once. ;)

One of my favorite things about Seattle is the live music scene. It's also one of my most-missed aspects of living abroad. Seattle has small, medium and giant-sized music venues and there is something interesting happening every single night of the week. While living in Seattle I saw plenty of shows at the Paramount and I was amazed to see that another old favorite, the Pixies, had decided to visit Seattle on their tour at the same time as me. I managed to get a ticket to the sold-out show and they rocked as much as always. La la, love them!

A familiar landmark

As amazing as ever

Plum Bistro is an all-vegan restaurant on Capitol Hill. It's a cute, but tiny spot and they don't take reservations. Their mac n yease recipe is an experience (to die for!) and everything on the menu is delicious, whether you have dietary restrictions or not.

R and I visit Plum

It's an interesting experience to be in the states without a car. I spent a lot of money on taxis, Lyfts, Ubers, walked and got back into the bus system. I enjoy not having to own a vehicle, but that's something that is a lot harder to manage if you live in the US.

Waiting for my bus

In my first week, I also visited my beloved Eastside Prep. It has expanded and the physical layout and campus have changed a lot! Still, after visiting with former students, administrators and teachers, I would say that the soul of the place hasn't changed. Teachers: if you want to work in Seattle, apply here! Parents: if you want your kids to learn and grow in a supportive yet encouraged-to-stretch environment, apply here!

Another very vegetarian, vegan and gluten free friendly restaurant is Cafe Flora in Madison Valley. I love their tofu scrambles and coffee in the morning. Gosh, it's easy to have dietary restrictions and live in Seattle.

R, Y and I caffeinate and prepare for the day at Flora

After a week in the city I was whisked a little farther north for a couple of days to reunite with A and A (elementary school friends!). We chatted, chatted, joked and chatted one morning at the Skagit Valley Co-op in Mt. Vernon. They have a great natural market and lots of deli dishes too. My favorite was the turmeric almond milk latte.

Two old friends and one very new one.

My second week began back in Seattle, but West Seattle this time. Have I mentioned all the sunny days that Seattle shined on me? Maybe she was trying to woo me back... Too bad, during my stay here I signed a contract with would pull me south. 

Seattle skyline from West Seattle

I had my very own room at J and M's, J graciously let me use her car to attend Yoga training in Redmond at Sattva Yoga (I'm very close to finishing my 500-hour cert!), M made the best popcorn, J made the best vegan chilli, Bowie is the cuddliest kitty-company and J and I even had time to do a little touristing, too.

I was in town just in time for a show at the Skylark, featuring many friends and former colleagues playing their music.

One Sunday morning there was a reunion at A and V's new place in West Seattle. Everyone was moving too quickly for me to get any great photos (including the twins!), but here they are!

V oversees the prep

A in position barista!

J and I decided that our favorite spot for breakfast/brunch is Chaco Canyon Cafe. They have kombucha on tap and lots of delicious organic options!

Pike's Place Market, downtown is a not-to-miss spot on any Seattle tour and this trip was no exception.

Required photo shoot!

The last day was a walk along West Seattle with this one and lunch at my new favorite Thai spot outside of Thailand - Buddha Ruksa - before my airport drop. Time went super-fast and I hope I'll have time to see everyone next trip.

Thanks to all my friends for hosting me, treating me and driving (or letting me drive!) around! I've got such great memories of our time together. See you next time! Or, maybe... in Mexico???

The Best of Chiang Mai

I've wanted to get back to Chiang Mai ever since I visited with students for a school trip. A friend who moved there a couple of years ago and an awesome professional development workshop (Proficiency Models in the Foreign Language Classroom!) finally gave me the reason to return.

I flew out on Myanmar Air on a Friday evening.

You walk out on the runway to catch this plane!

My window seat.

Pretty dusky views... BUT that colorful haze is pollution. Yangon is one of the worst cities in SE Asia. :(

My friend, J (yes, of Laneway fame), picked me up at the airport and off we zoomed on her scooter. We enjoyed gluten free, vegan pasta and duty-free Spanish wine with her boyfriend, cat and three dogs and we set our plan for the weekend...

The Best Coffee: Ristr8tto - great selection of beans and beverages, artfully crafted. Coffee should be treated like art, in my opinion.

...with soy milk and water to stay hydrated. 

The Best Wrap: Food for Thought - Being gluten-free, I don't eat a lot of wraps, but Food for Thought makes their own and they are amazing!

Avocado wrap and sweet potato fries

Best Place to Wander: Downtown - While Chiang Mai may not be as pedestrian-friendly as parts of Europe, it is a much more walkable city than Yangon. Parts of downtown are closed from traffic, there are great night markets, plenty of massage parlors and loads of shops.

A temple near downtown

There are pedestrian paths along these canals for miles.

Best Saturday Night: Wine and art! We cleaned up our mess, promise Mom.

My kitten painting amidst the craftermath...

Best Boutique Hotel: Kate and Hasu - Located just outside of old town, this hotel is a find. It's modern, clean and great value. Staff are friendly and helpful and breakfast is included. There is also a roof deck with loungers and a pool! I stayed with J the first two nights, but needed to be nearer my conference on Monday and Tuesday so this was my home. 

My little room - probably the best bed I have slept on in Asia.

Pre-conference coffee poolside

Iced coffee, coconut milk yogurt and thai sticky rice dessert (made blue by natural dyes from the peaflower)

Best Place for a Conference: The Shangri-La! This is probably the best swanky hotel as well, but it has the price tag to match.

We attended the conference in style

Best Street Statue: These rats!

Best Yoga Studio: Namo is a little studio near old town. Classes are held on the second floor studio, there are plenty of props and knowledgeable teachers. 

Best All-Around Vegan Restaurant: While many places in Chiang Mai offer vegan options, Vegan Heaven boasts a 100% vegan menu with many tasty Thai, Asian and even a few Western options. I ate here twice, but didn't snap a picture.

Best Chocolate Cake: Amrita Garden has a lovely outdoor seating area, many delicious vegan and gf food options, including this decadent chocolate cake.

Best Comfort Foods: Butter is Better has many classic diner options. They cater to those with food challenges as well, but it is tricky if you are gluten-free and vegan, as many of their gluten-free options contain eggs and many of their vegan options rely on wheat.

Best Baked Goods AND Veggie Thai: Blue Diamond is another little oasis in Chiang Mai. It has a beautiful patio, gf and vegan muffins, cookies and cakes and amazing Thai food.

Best friend in Chiang Mai goes to this one. :)

Just Finished Reading:

A History of God by Karen Armstrong - This book delivers what the title promises. A fascinating and educational read.

Just Finished Making:

Vegan and gluten-free Mac-n-cheese! Whether you have food challenges or not, this is a healthy take on my childhood favorite.

A Day in my Teacher Life

Today is Wednesday December 7, 2016. I published my post about a Day on the Camino yesterday and I came home from work today with the best intentions - to put away the organic produce from my weekly delivery and to then work out. However, I felt my energy draining and my push waning as I sorted and organized the vegetables. It was almost 5 o'clock and all I wanted to do was sit down and be quiet for a few minutes, in ears, body and mind.

While I took a break under my blue mosquito net I reflected on the day. I hadn't had a moment to myself unless you counted while I was getting ready in the morning, going to the bathroom or checking email during my prep period!

Anyway, I thought I would share today, as a complement to the other post and for my non-teacher friends who wonder what I get up to all day.

6:30am - The alarm goes off! Here we go the day is starting! I feel pretty rested and I'm happy when I wake up. I put on Chvrches, make coffee, blend a smoothie and get ready for the school day.

7:30 - I arrive at school. The commute is amazing; I walk across the street. I drop my stuff in my classroom, switch on the air conditioning and go to fill my water bottle, pick up copies and order sushi for lunch.

7:40 - A Spanish 2 student finds me in the main office placing my lunch order... oops! I was supposed to meet her to show her part of a film that she missed. I rush back to the classroom and get the movie started so she can get caught up. A few other students wander in and also watch. I check my work email, load my gradebook and answer a few What's app texts from friends.

7:55 - Spanish 2 begins. I let the whole class watch a repeat of the first few minutes as they settle in. Then, we move through a warmer, I return their Diaries and Classroom Citizenship evaluations and we move into questions about the final. This is a high-achieving class - they have a lot and some good ones! For almost an hour, we have a back-and-forth of questions and clarifications. They are really focused and I love Spanish. It's a good time.

Just before 9am we move into a game which reviews verb conjugations. It's a lot of fun and this leads us up to the end of class at 9:29. Yes, that is what time first block ends. At this point, I have a whole seven minutes to transition between classes, take care of personal needs (water, bathroom) and touch base with students.

9:36 - Spanish 1 begins. I return their Diaries (Yes, there has been a lot of grading lately, and, yes, there is always a lot of grading.) and we move into homework correction. They've been working through a review packet in preparation for the final exam. We do a review activity and play a game in this class as well.

11:10 - Class finishes and it's time for lunch. Today I have a lunch meeting with some Student Council representatives and any high schooler who wants to pop in and give feedback about the uniform. We can't promise to make changes, but part of StuCo's role is to hear the student body's voice and present opinions and concerns to administration. I pick up my sushi delivery and help moderate the meeting until 11:50. After the meeting ends, I chat with my three StuCo reps about how it went. Then, they move on to class. I eat a few more bites of my lunch and look at my email.

12:03 - My colleague, former language teacher in the Chinese department, stops by for a Professional Learning Community. We discuss our recent integration and field trip, book ordering, plans for next year and more. I type up our notes and post them to our Google page.

During my "free" period, I float between emails, grading some late work, an impromptu meeting with my principal and refilling tea and then deciding to go for a small cup of coffee.

1:35 - Here comes my second Spanish 1 class! We repeat much of the previous lesson, but it is later in the day and every class is different, so I differentiate.

3:10 - School's out! I organize my room a little and my StuCo kids begin entering for our meeting. A Spanish 3 student stops by to make up a quiz and then we are rolling into our meeting. It's an intense one today, with one member resigning (we knew she was going to) and a lot of wrap up from first semester.

4:40 - The meeting wraps up and I pack up! I stop on the ground floor of the school to pick up my Fresco deliver box and run into some of the seniors who are excited to be finishing a music/choir rehearsal. I remind a Spanish 4 student about our coffee plan for tomorrow and carry my box home. I text my neighbor and she comes down so that we can divvy up the beautiful locally grown and fairly purchased products: carrots, potatoes, leeks, fennel, basil, radishes, zucchini flowers, rocket and more. I store this away.

5:15 - I flop down on my bed and do some of the thinking that I mentioned at the start of this post. :D
I love my job, but I would also like to have a little energy left over at the end of the day. I opted to read for a little bit, write this blog, cook some healthy food and finish watching A Day Without a Mexican instead of pushing on to the gym. It's important to me to have some quiet time.

Anyway, that's just one day. A lot happens besides teaching and I hope that it was informative for you to learn a little bit about what goes on for me at school. A busy day, yes, but not untypical. It's 8:37 now and I am going to shower, stretch, tidy up a bit, read and c-r-a-s-h. Tomorrow will be same-same, but different.

And please do grant me some extra credit points for two posts this week! :)

A Day on the Camino

Though many of my days on the Camino have a lot in common, I hesitate to use the word "average" in describing my experiences. Each day does bring a new surprise, challenge or mini-adventure. The experience of walking this pilgrimage is also quite personal... my average day will not necessarily look like what you have been through or will experience.

I did the first week of the Camino, from Pamplona to Navarrete with a friend and that experience was very different from the two weeks I walked alone from Astorga to Santiago. I liked both experiences and feel happy that I got to have some company and some solo time on my first Camino.

Still, many family members and friends are asking for more Camino stories and I do think I can round out my three week experience into a representative day here.
 

This is what I remember...

You wake up. Sometimes because of the light pouring in through the curtains of your private room, sometimes as a result of your alarm or perhaps because of the not-so-quiet roommates who have decided it is time to get their day started. The earliest I hit the trail was 5:30am (my last day, and yes, it was still dark, and yes, I was scared walking through the woods alone...despite logically knowing that the most dangerous place for a woman is in her own kitchen) and my latest was maybe around 10am, leaving Logroño after a bit too much wine the night before... The point is that getting up and getting out is the push every morning. Many of the albergues have check out times of 8am... it's not really a sleep-in kind of experience, but if you stay in hotels then you can leave when you like.

I splurged on a private room (10 euros) in Cacabelos.

You get coffee. Sometimes I would walk for an hour or so before stopping to caffeinate. Other times, an americano was required in order to get my legs moving. Most days you pass through quite a few towns and the Spanish are serious about their café so you are not lacking in options. One of the beauties of the Camino is that it has a very friendly set-up, with plenty of resting stop options. Most of the coffee is espresso, so small, strong servings, instead of the large, weaker cups that most people from the states are used to. Alternative milks have not made their way to Spain in abundance, so it was a rare day that I found a latte with soy milk.

A very lucky day! Soy milk latte and a gluten free chocolate muffin. 

You walk. Yeah, that's kind of the point of doing the Camino (for my Spanish rookies caminar = to walk)... but a lot happens during the walking. Maybe you talk to a friend, new or old. Maybe you put in ear buds and zone out to music. I usually preferred to be present to my surroundings, so I opted to use music to motivate me when I was really dragging or if there were noises I wanted to block out (traffic or loud school groups were usually the culprits). Maybe you think about how pretty Spain is, notice sore muscles or think about the plan for the day. Or maybe your brain just drifts...

Passing through another gorgeous Spanish town.

Steep climb as I enter Galicia

Windy path one foggy morning outside of Astorga

Follow the shells!

Wildflowers and Sunshine

You get stamps. When you start the Camino you need to get a pilgrim's passport. This shows that you are an official walker and it is necessary if you are checking into any of the albergues (hostels). It is also proof that you did the walk and you must show it in Santiago in order to receive your official certificate. You get stamps at cafes, restaurants, churches, sometimes stores and the hostels along the way. For many pilgrims this is their most treasured souvenir from the way.

Tip: Keep your passport in a plastic bag or sleeve so that it survives those occasional rain showers!

I filled up my first passport, so I had to get a second one.

Other side of my passports. 

You drink wine. Okay, so there was only one day in which a wine fountain was on the path, but it was a very cool stop. A monastery in Spain runs the winery and there is a spout especially for pilgrims. Check out their live webcam to see thirsty walkers sampling the vino (remember the time difference between where you are and Spain!).

Sampling the vino

The fountain - notice that there are two spouts, left is wine, right is water. Stay hydrated!

You walk. For me, wine during the day is counter-productive to walking, so most of the time after a water, coffee, snack or simple rest break, I would get back to the walking! My shortest day was a mere 12.5 kilometers (once again, after that night in Logroño...) and my biggest push was 28.7, when I set out from Cacabelos and finally stopped in Las Herrerías de Valcarce.

Entering Galicia.

These Columbia boots worked great for me.

You break. What worked best for me were short, frequent breaks. Sometimes I would have a snack, sometimes I would gaze out at the countryside and sometimes more coffee was in order! Below, are two pictures of donativos, these are rest spots set up for pilgrims that simply ask for a donation. There are some really lovely people on the way! 

  

You walk. Keep going! Just follow the shells and you will be okay! Promise.

This might have been the first day! Somewhere past Pamplona?

Repeat the rest and walk pattern. Remember to put your feet up (and even take off shoes and socks) during breaks. Another coffee is always a good idea. And keep drinking water!

You rest your feet. After you reach your spot for the night, there are a lot of daily to-do's! You find your lodging, drop your stuff, shower, do some hand-washing and rest your feet. There is a certain calmness in this routine and just focusing on taking care of the basics for yourself each day. I heard some horrible stories of blisters and lost toenails so feet-care is definitely a priority!

Swinging my feet off of the balcony in Portomarín

Soaking in the ice cold creek at Ribadiso

Enjoying the late evening sun and a glass of liquid sunshine in Palas de Rei.

You eat dinner. After walking all day it's pretty exciting when it is time to eat! Many local restaurants offer a pilgrim's menu, with a few courses, bread and wine for around 10 euros. This is a nice option if you want a lot of food. There are plenty of tapas options (small plates) and establishments to sample the region's wines as well. Many albergues offer kitchen use and I cooked some tasty meals of gluten free pasta and salad while on the road. 

Pulpo (octopus), served Galician style, with olive oil and smoked paprika. 

Gluten free beer and tapas in Pamplona

Hurray, tapas!

Tapas bar in Burgos

Evening entertainment. Maybe... Many pilgrims will flop into bed, read, write, listen to music, use social media and simply crash. If you have enough energy, then you meet up with fellow pilgrims, venture out for a drink, or wander around whatever small town you happen to find yourself in. Many nights I was in bed before sunset (which is quite late in summer in Spain). Oh, and don't forget to text your mom!

Martini in Burgos.

Checking out the next day's route and eating olives in Muruzábal.

Swimming pool at the hostel in Barbadelo

I believe this was Spain vs. Italy... it was quite an intense game!

There's Santiago! His likeness is all over the Camino.

You sleep. Despite the shared accommodation, basic facilities and sore muscles, I slept great on the Camino. I recommend wax earplugs to block out any noises and a sleeping sack.

 ---> So, who is joining me on my next Camino?!?

Wisdom from the Camino: Where are your dreams? Live them before dying.