TravelStream™ news feed for member jasieniukrtw on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jasieniukrtw en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:14:35 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1252439173/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1252439173/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1252439173/tpod.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:14:35 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Culture Shock or Reverse Culture Shock: is there such a thing?We have been home for 20 days now and we are in the middle of getting our house put back together. I am at times amazed, shocked and appalled at all the stuff we have. To think I lived out of a backpack for a year with only a few choices of shirts and pants, I can’t quite comprehend the amount of clothing I am unpacking from boxes. If you know me you will know I am not a girly girl. I don’t like nail polish or long nails, though I did go through a bit of a phase in high school. I don’t like shopping, and therefore only do so when necessary. I prefer to be comfortable, so I like sweats or jeans and t-shirts or sweatshirts because above all I like to be warm. Even though I am unpacking a lot of clothing from these boxes, most of it is pretty crappy. I really prefer to rough around in the garden getting dirty, and so any clothing that is no longer suitable for public wear gets put on the ‘work wear’ shelf.&nbsp;I am spending time in the malls these days because there are a few things that the kids need for school. Thankfully they both feel there is not a lot that their wardrobe lacks, a positive offshoot of travelling and seeing so many people in need. They were able to pick up bits and pieces of clothing on the trip that they are happy to make use of for school, another good thing. As we wander around looking for clothes or school supplies I find I am turned off by all the people and all their wants - yes I realise we also appear to be in the want category, but to defend myself, the kids have grown this past year and their clothing and shoes from a year ago no longer fit. Simon has only one pair of shoes that currently fit (but with holes in them) which he bought in China. This means that he wore them through China, India and Africa and I want nothing more than for them to be unceremoniously thrown into the garbage! I know what we walked through.The most difficult part for me has been the return to radio and TV. The ads for everything centre around fear. “Wear this, eat this, drive this... or risk old age, frumpiness, unpopularity, theft, ugliness … blah blah blah", and did you know you can strap on a vibrating belt and lose weight while sitting on the couch eating potato chips and watching your favourite re-runs? Yesss finally something for the glutton in all of us. It’s not just the ads. The news is very disturbing. Someone was stabbed, hit and run, rollover, market crisis, job loss, no money, no hope, no hope, no hope. People just aren’t spending, they aren’t going to the dentist, they are worried over their jobs and their homes. We are very lucky. So lucky I sometimes can’t believe it. Jim has a job. His job as an English teacher of refugee students gives him the opportunity to interact with people from around the world, just like we have done for the past year. He is in a position to help not only the kids, but also the families who have come to Canada from war torn areas, to adjust to life here. He can offer them so much, right down to the useable household items that we don’t need. We really don’t need that much, and their needs are so high. With Jim’s job we receive dental benefits and with that we all have gone to have our teeth cleaned and had checkups. We went to the dentist a total of 7 times and all for the grand total price of $0.00. On the weekend we went to the farm for what seemed like a blip in time. We were peaceful again. On the farm there are no errands to run, few phone calls, no shopping and no invitations. I am not saying that we don’t want to see anyone, it is just that it takes time to consider our old lives and it is almost a conscious decision as to what things we want to keep active and those that we want to delete. Friends and visiting is a big aspect that we would like to not only keep, but enhance. We, like so many people, get busy and sometimes are too busy to even socialize. Peace is something we take for granted as we bustle through our day hooked in and wired up. The ability to walk among nature, climb a mountain - not the way the tourists climb Mount Fuji, in a cue which snakes up the side of the mountain. It is not strenuous climbing the volcano in this manner. I guess the experience is meant to be more contemplative anyway, a sort of religious experience. Nature in its most basic form is hard to come by, but we have it in abundance at our farm. Saturday night the air was so silent that all I could hear was the incredible buzzing in my ears. There wasn’t a breath of air, no moon and so many stars. We were thinking back to the night we spent at Tevele in Mozambique when we last saw stars like this.Every time I run water from the taps at home I think of how many months we travelled without having clean drinking water. The water coming from the taps in many countries is unfit for human consumption and the millions of people who have no choice but to live under these circumstances. I wonder somewhat pessimistically how long will <i>our clean water last?&nbsp;September 8, 2009I feel more relaxed this week. &nbsp;Maybe because I have been to the farm this past weekend. &nbsp;So many people have asked "are you glad to be home?" &nbsp;You wouldn't imagine that I would have a hard time answering that question. &nbsp;"yes and no" is my answer. &nbsp;I know that people don't want to hear a long monologue about the intricacies of culture shock or trip ending depression, but that is what it turns into. &nbsp;I know I should be positive, but my real character eventually finds it's way out, that 'realist' in me comes to the fore and reveals the positives and negatives of both travel and living at home. &nbsp;Then I worry about the studies that say optimists live longer. &nbsp;I need to work on that. &nbsp; As I wind my way through what seems to me to be a simple and so logical explanation, I look up to see my questioners eyes glazed over and a perma-smile pasted to their face, waiting for me to take a breath so they can escape, as they think to themselves, 'phew, don't travel around the world, it makes you craaazzzy!'&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1250032161/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1250032161/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1250032161/tpod.html Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:12:59 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

We are in a very strange position of being home and yet not having a home to go to.&nbsp; Our home is rented until the 13th of August and so we have been staying with Jim's parents and out at the farm.&nbsp; The farm has been a great break from everything and Jim has been working on his strength from sun-up to sun-down doing various projects.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248886986/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248886986/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248886986/tpod.html Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:12:15 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Elmsted, England, United Kingdom

We are in the English countryside, staying with friends Chris and Celia who we met on our trip 18 years ago.&nbsp; Back then they were living in Singapore, but now have a lovely country home here&nbsp;with a bunch of ducks and greenhouses for vegetables.&nbsp;&nbsp;The peace and tranquility here is so relaxing.&nbsp; We have gone to Dover to walk along the&nbsp;white cliffs, painted plates, and&nbsp;attended church where both Chris and Celia sang in the choir.&nbsp; They are both very musical and the kids have spent time on the keyboard making their own music.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248803936/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248803936/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248803936/tpod.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:07:58 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Xerocambos, Crete, Greece

Staying with Mick and Rose gave us the oppotunity to swim in the ocean a lot.&nbsp; Unfortunately the hot winds of hell blew almost the whole time and we felt like a hair dryer was taking our breath and stealing every bit of moisture from our bodies.&nbsp; The island is very rugged, rocky, windswept and so dry at this time of year.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248803379/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248803379/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1248803379/tpod.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:58:50 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Agia Pelagia, Crete, Greece

We are pooped!!!!!We have been hard core sight seeing since Bologna and are so tired that nothing impresses us any more and we no longer have any desire to look at anything.&nbsp; Luckily this is a nice place with a swimming pool, just what we need to rekindle our energy.&nbsp; Our hotel is nice, one of the nicest we have had on the whole trip and it still cost only 80 Euro's.&nbsp; That's what happens when you get out of the large centres.&nbsp; It is still not affordable, but we have little choice in the matter as that price is about as low as you can find here.&nbsp; Our first night we walked to Agia Pelagia which is 1.5 Km from us down hill.&nbsp; Everything here is either up hill or down hill and the hills are steep!&nbsp; We bought groceries for our kitchen and found the walk back up not too bad.&nbsp; for the first two days the most we did is swim any where from 2 to 4 times a day.&nbsp; Jim and I got back into excercise, and the sweat rolls off as it is very hot here.&nbsp; Any exertion after 8am is too much to handle so I got up early and swam afterwards for a very nice workout involving the hills and the pool.We also went down to the ocean to swim in the impossibly blue water.&nbsp; It is so easy to swim in the ocean!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247505043/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247505043/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247505043/tpod.html Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:21:39 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Athens, Attica, Greece

I would have to say we are officially home sick.&nbsp; We are tired from overnight ferry rides in chairs, trains, more trains - some of which are somewhat restful, but most are not. The sight seeing has been fast and furious lately with big sights on the agenda and so little time.&nbsp; We have&nbsp;packed a lot into a short time, and are really tired out.&nbsp; We aren't crying at night time or changing our flight to an nearlier date, but ALL we can talk about is home and we arenow down to 19 days!!&nbsp; We are excited about spending 10 days on crete with a pool and a beach and hope to revive our energy.&nbsp; Id like to hike the samaria gorge, which is amazing in the photos, but will we have the energy???&nbsp; We saw the Acropolis this morning, it already seems like last week.&nbsp; We looked, took photos, but we are hard to impress these days having seen so much.&nbsp;&nbsp;We are officially burnt out.Athens is hot, but not untolerable.&nbsp;I don't see the pollution I have heard about here.&nbsp;We are spending the mornings sight seeing and the afternoons sleeping!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247068761/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247068761/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247068761/tpod.html Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:14:55 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Rome, Lazio, Italy

The trains in Italy don't run on time.&nbsp; At least we have never seen it happen.&nbsp; Today on the train from Bologna to Rome I thought I was on a train in&nbsp;India. No toilet paper, no paper towel, seats that no sane human would sit on...... So here we are in Rome, plum tired out from all the late nights in Bologna and all the time spent on the train going to and from Venice and Pisa.&nbsp; We need to recoup our energy because they say that a life time is not enough time to see Rome.Thursday June 9thWe spent 9 hours walking aroung Rome today and I am spent.&nbsp; I have uploaded photos for you to see, but cannot bring my brain to tell you what many of them are!! I have labelled those "Rome" and will correct the labels as I am less tired and have the time to research it.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247072643/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247072643/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasieniukrtw/1/1247072643/tpod.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:05:58 -0400 Jasieniuks Round the World 2008

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Interlaken, Swiss Alps, Switzerland

This is small town and lovely, with so much to do if you like adventure, climbing and hiking.&nbsp; We didn't have enough time in this lovely place.&nbsp; Bring lots of money if you come here, the gondola's etc. are expensive.
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Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

We have managed to find Vera and Emmanuel's flat and are spending 4 nights here.&nbsp; We spent the first day playing with their two older boys and the next two days travelling to Venice and Pisa....lots of travelling!&nbsp; More later.....
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Salzburg, Austria

We are camping just outside of Salzburg, and just like camping style, it poured this morning from 5:45 to 8:15.&nbsp; It gave us the excuse we needed to sleep in late.
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