The Night Before Life Goes On

As I finished up my packing (yes, Santa hat included!) and made the final copies of contact information for my parents, I took a moment to enjoy the last Orange County sunset I may possibly see for the next two years. No matter where I go and what kind of adventure I have had, my heart will always belong with home.

Semisonic's "Closing Time" states "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" and though I've left California numerous times since the start of this travel blog, this ending marks a new journey in the adventure of life.

And contrary to the theme of Carrie Underwood's popular song (and same name as this post), je suis prête! Off to Peace Corps Staging in Philadelphia!

One of Many Reasons

According to the Millennium Project, a report commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General, a billion people live on less than a dollar a day*. According to the World Bank, over three billion people (in other words half the world) live on less than $2.50 a day.

*Taken as of the end of 2006

Though arguments can be made regarding cost of living, exchange rates, etc., poverty is poverty. Poor is poor. Below is a beautifully directed video by Sara McLachlan entitled "World on Fire." Though I can't single-handedly change the world, I can make an impact. Let this be one of the many reasons I'm joining the Peace Corps and let it be one of the many reasons we live our lives for others.

Pre-Peace Corps Prepations

During this process, I have scoured through several Peace Corps blogs for a wealth of information. It seems that each volunteer felt overwhelmed with nervousness and excitement during their final weeks before jumping on that airplane. Though I am right there with them, I find my thoughts are much more unconventional from the norm.

Thoughts during my last week:

1) If packing had an Oscars, I'd be Jack Nicholson

After logging over 75,000+ miles since 2007, I've got packing down to a beautiful art form. After a test round, the next two years of my life can be put together in just 80lbs (see picture below).

Everything I'm taking with me!

Keep in mind that there is a full-size sleeping bag, a quarter ream of paper, and a plastic bowling kit in there. I told you. I'm good.

2) I really wish I had a donkey

There are three types of transportation a Peace Corps Trainee/Volunteer can receive: a mountain bike, a canoe, or a donkey. Unfortunately, I am receiving a mountain bike. After being fitted at a local bike shop, I am a size 13 - woohoo! I wonder what size canoe I would have received?

All bicycle-riding PC members must also wear a helmet at all times, otherwise, they will become "administratively separated." As I hate hat hair, I really wish I had a donkey.

3) I love my Swiss army knife!

Swiss army knives today can be trendy and chic. Mine is flat like a credit card, perfect for any girl to slip into a purse. Finally I have a reason to own a Swiss army knife and am pretty stoked about it. Next up will be to own my own machete.

Useful, light, and chic - perfect for any PC female!

4) Should I pack my Santa hat?

Having a petite head, it was always difficult to find a Santa hat with a good fit. While studying in France, I found the most fitting hat with snowmen decorated on it. As I will unfortunately be missing Christmas in the States this year, should I pack my Santa hat? Or is this too ridiculous to bring?

To bring Santa hat or not to bring Santa hat?

As one can see, I have some things to figure out.

Peace Corps Basics

As I prepare for life in Cameroon, I find that I frequently get asked a multitude of questions regarding my future Peace Corps service. Though most are aware of the organization, allow me to address the questions I hear most often:

So what exactly is the Peace Corps?
Created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the Peace Corps Act states that it's purpose is “To promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower.”

Almost 200,000 participants to date have provided their service and built mutual cross-cultural understanding in 100+ developing countries.

How long do Volunteers serve?
27 months. Three months training and two years at post working on your project(s).

What does Small Enterprise Development (SED) consist of?
Cameroon's SED program centers around two goals:

1. Promoting the development and sharing of resources available to businesses and entrepreneurs
2. Strengthening community members' management and business skills through training and consulting

Just think microfinance and international business development for my primary project. Secondary projects could include youth development and/or HIV and AIDS education.

Where is Cameroon?












Courtesy of the Peace Corps website

Do you get paid?
Though I will (hopefully!) officially be known as a Volunteer once training is completed, I will receive a stipend and essentially have no expenses. No rent or house bills, no student loan payments as they are deferred, medical and dental benefits fully covered, a stipend that covers food, entertainment, cell phone, etc. As long as I complete training, I'll be set for the next two years.

Do you get vacation days?
As it's a job, of course! Two vacation days each month = 24 vacation days a year.

Will you have Internet access?
Maybe, maybe not. As I'm in SED in Cameroon, it's assumed that I'll have internet access; however, I shouldn't be surprised if I don't. Thus, I can write ridiculously romantic Nicholas Spark-esque letters like in "The Notebook" or "Dear John."

Can I visit?
Yes! And you should! Sato Travel (1-800-698-2554) can work with friends and family to arrange travel to visit a Volunteer. Peace Corps also specifically addresses this matter online. Now doesn't that make it easy for you to come and see me?

The Day in Dallas

It is only fitting that before leaving for Cameroon, I pay homage to the creator of Peace Corps himself, none other than President John F. Kennedy.

At Dealy Plaza, one can visit The Sixth Floor Museum, an exhibition of JFK's inspirational life, young presidency, and tragic assassination. Since it's opening in 1989, the museum has attracted over six million visitors who walk the same spot where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the former President.

Though no photography is allowed, I was able to take mental images of pictures such as Kennedy and his wife happily waving to the American public from their motorcade. The highlight though was seeing and reading the handful of Peace Corps references throughout the museum.

Little could the President have known that fifty years later, almost 200,000 Americans will have answered his call to service. I'm honored to be one of them.

The JFK Memorial, Dallas, TX

Longhorns at Pioneer Plaza at Young Street

Dallas's City Hall designed by world class architect, I.M. Pei

Tubing Time in Texas!

Happy May Day!

Today was spent partaking in one of the truest Texan traditions: tubing! Commonly referred to as "floating down the river," participants sit in inner tubes as the water flow gently glides them down the river for a few hours.

What do you do on the river? Chat, relax, drink, laugh, and be merry!

Hundreds of tubers can be found floating down the Comal on any sunny day

Sitting on my inner tube (thank goodness mine had a bottom, otherwise I would have fallen through!)

Though the Comal River sits as the shortest river in the world at 2.5 miles, it sits at a warm 70-72 degrees. As it is spring-fed, the river is ideal for relaxing tubing. Be warned though! Early on, there is a tube shoot that can trap any novice tuber if they get caught in the current (speaking from experience!).

Tip: Putting a ziplock bag inside another ziplock bag does wonders for your digital camera and other belongings. And be sure to hold up your drinks and sunglasses at the tube shoot if you want a chance to enjoy both for the remainder of the river!

Along the way, I had the pleasure of meeting some French students that helped me practice my Français. Interestingly, one of them worked in Business Development and praised me on joining the Peace Corps. It is safe to assume that most Americans know the Peace Corps, but it's a real treat when foreigners recognize it. High five!

With our French friend after the day's success!

Back on the UT-Austin campus, we discovered the Graduation Longhorn! Though there will be no mention of an upsetting college football game from 2005, the following picture shows that USC Trojans and Texas Longhorns can co-exist harmoniously.

Forever and always, fight on!

For dinner, we met with Alec Swafford for another mini-Europe reunion (see all Rome posts in September 2008). The night air was cool and breezy as we shared tacos on the deck of Cuatros.

Reunion at Cuatros

As Austin is known for being the "live music capital of the world," Chris Wu and I headed off to the Elephant Room and listened to some Latin jazz before heading of to Malaia, Downtown's newest nightclub.

Thanks, Austin! I will miss you!

A Taste of Austin

After a quick night out in Dallas's Lower Greenville, Chris Wu and I headed off to Austin! As he is a amateur chef and hearty "foodie" (matched by the fact that I will eat anything and everything), we made a detour to the small town of Taylor, Texas. There, we would bask in the deliciousness of Louie Mueller Barbecue!

Voted the "Official Best Barbecue in Texas" in 2008, Louie Mueller represents a meat lover's heaven! Slow-cooked brisket, hand-rubbed pork, and marbled rib-eye steak are just some of the choices for a mouth-watering meal.

Brisket, rib-eye steak, sausages, and more! Mmm...

Be warned though! The spiciness can provide an intense experience!

Steps from the University of Texas at Austin sits the Texas Capitol at over 300 feet tall. The Capitol's architecture is of the Renaissance Revival-style, resembling much like the California Capitol in Sacramento!

Visiting the Texas State Capitol

Tip: Swing by the Visitor's Center for a free map of downtown and to learn everything about the good ole' Lone Star State.

At a local happy hour at Cain and Abel, we were reunited with my backpacking buddy and Austin host, Lillie De Alba (see Greece and Italy posts in September 2008). After catching up, it was soon time to head off to the number one attraction in Austin: bat watching!

On our boat cruise waiting for the bats!

Every evening at sunset, up to 1.5 million bats fly out from under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. As the largest urban bat colony in North America, it's a sight to watch!

Downtown Austin

The little bats were actually kind of adorable in this traveler's opinion! And according to our tour guide, the endangered Mexican free-tailed bats feed on migrating cotton bollworm moths, thus reducing our need to utilize pesticides harmful to the environment. Though no current program is set up for the Congress Avenue Bridge, one can still adopt a Mexican free-tailed bat.

I apologize for the poor cinematography, but if you look closely, you can see the bats!

After cooking our lovely host a pasta dinner, we headed off to Austin's 6th Street. Interestingly enough, 6th Street highly resembles Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Thus, further proving my belief that the world is more alike than we believe.

We spent the night hopping from Spill to Shakespeare's to Maggie Mae's to the Library. With plenty to do, Austin sure provides a fun time for any traveler!

Official Peace Corps Acceptance

"I, Krystina Nguyen, am accepting my invitation to serve as a Small Business Advisor Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, departing June 2, 2010.

I hereby certify that I have read the Volunteer Assignment Description, Online Welcome Book, and Core Expectations and agree to abide by the policies therein."

Woohoo!

Snowboarding Time!

While visiting Canada, I knew I would have to try snowboarding! Thus, after borrowing copious amounts of winter wear from my lovely hosts, we headed off to Blue Mountain, the largest ski resort in Ontario.

Unfortunately for Sheena Archie and me, the bunny slopes were not that bunny, but rather a bit steep for novices to learn how to snowboard. Sheena and I had opposite problems - she could control, but couldn't balance; I had great balance, but couldn't stop! By the afternoon, we simply decided to fly down the mountain and enjoy ourselves. Since I couldn't stop, I would just fall down to slow myself down. Numerous people told me that I would fall tremendously my first time, but does it count if you do it on purpose? Still fun nonetheless!

Snowboarding (or at least attempting to!) at Blue Mountain

Castles, Hot Chocolate, and Casinos!

As we slept in and Victoria was able to grab snowboarding equipment for me from a friend, we had a later start today. Thus, we raced to the Castle Casa Loma to get inside before closing time. Upon arrival, all we could see were hundreds of kids!

At the parking lot, the attendant stated that though the castle was open for at least another half hour, they stopped selling tickets about five minutes ago. Wanting to make it inside, we parked the car and tried our luck. Interestingly enough, perhaps because of the literally hundreds of young children, there was chaos and no ticket taker at the door, so...off to explore the castle we went!

Finished in 1914, the castle was constructed with a Gothic Revival-style and originally served as the home for Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a Canadian soldier and financer who brought hydro-electricity to Toronto.  The castle was simple with basic rooms any castle (or even house) would have. We discovered the hundreds of children were apart of the Girl Guides of Canada (equivalent to the Girl Scouts of America). It was adorable as each Girl Guide wanted to tell each of us how many patches they had and what they were awarded - too cute!

Mary's Sitting Room at the Castle Loma

We drove down to the Distillery District, a great date spot, and had hot chocolate at Soma. Their Mayan Hot Chocolate mixed Venezuelan chocolate, cinnamon, Australian ginger, orange peels, Madagascan Vanilla, and Soma's secret blend of spices - delicious!

The Distillery District

On a last-minute whim, we decided to drive the hour-and-a-half down to Niagara Falls! A fan of waterfalls, I could only describe it as an enormous, gorgeous hold-in-the ground waterfall (in the best possible way)! Being that it was cold and we only wanted a few quick pics, we parked the car, ran out to snap some photos, and jumped back in after seeing the most powerful waterfall in North America. The sight was one to see with the lights reflecting in the water; the air was one to smell with the cool, fresh scent!

Niagara Falls - gorgeous!

The rest of the night was spent in the casino with about three full hours spent playing Casino War. No one walked away with any major winnings, but it was good stuff nonetheless!

All Around This Town!

We headed off to the city of Markham for what Victoria and Amy To call "mainland" dim sum at Ding Tai Fung. Unlike Cantonese-type dim sum with its push-carts and point-at-what-you-want-style, Shanghai-type dim sum is ordered straight from a menu. Additionally, dim sum pieces can also have soup inside of its pieces.

Shanghai-style dim sum at Ding Tai Fung

The girls and then I headed off to Honest Ed's Discount Store, a discount treasure at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Since 1948, the showy store serves as a landmark in Toronto with over 23,000 lights for its store front and dozens of witty signs hung inside. Thick winter coats? $3! Leather boots? $20! Good stuff!

Honest Ed's! More than a discount store - it's a landmark!

We then headed off to the famous The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), one of the "world’s leading museums of natural history and of world cultures." In this traveler's opinion, the museum impressively lived up to its expectations! The architecture of the building was creatively planned with multiple expansions while the inside exhibits features over six million pieces in over forty galleries.

Royal Ontario Museum. Creative architecture, no?

The Gemstone Collection had to be the girls' favorite with the Children's Playzone winning the runner-up position. What can I say? You're never too old for interactive museum exhibits involving dinosaurs and dress-up!

Later that night, we went to Smoke's Poutinerie for a poutine dinner. With the girls ridiculously shocked that I had never eaten poutine in my life, I tried the gravy-covered French fries and cheese curd with some chili! Delicious, but definitely not for one on a diet!

Chili poutine...mmm!

The relaxing night ended with live jazz at Rex Jazz & Blues Bar. The band consisted of four fifty-year-olds that could play and rock like they were in their twenties. Good stuff!

Touring Toronto

As I was traveling by bus from Buffalo to Toronto, there was unfortunately no stamp to be had on my passport, but the double-decker Megabus proved an efficient journey! I made my way to Toronto's bus terminal to meet up with my lovely hosts, Victoria Nguyen and Rachel Taguicana. Through CouchSurfing, they were originally my guests in Los Angeles.

Tip: When traveling from the U.S. to Canada (or vice-versa), it is much cheaper to fly domestically to say, Buffalo Airport, and take a bus over the border than to fly internationally.

One of Greater Vancouver's signature restaurants

Right away, we dropped my backpack in the trunk and headed out to explore downtown. We had a savory Italian dinner at Milestones which overlooked Dundas Square, a mini-version of New York's Times Square. After catching up, the girls were nice enough to give me a quick walking tour of Downtown.

Toronto's Old City Hall - nice shot, Victoria!

We found ourselves in front of Wanda's to taste some of Toronto's finest Belgian waffles. The "hole-in-the-wall" shop provided a delicious mix of caramel, ice cream, whipped cream and powdered sugar all on top of the waffle. A must stop for any local or tourist!

Classic Belgian Waffles with whipped cream? Don't mind if I do!

To my surprise, we stayed at Rachel's parent's house since that was closer to Toronto than their university. What a nice surprise! We spent a good half an hour catching up with them before bed and told them of the sites we had planned to see the next day, including the Casa Loma castle.

"Oh, I used to live in the Castle Loma," Rachel's dad commented. "But then I moved out because the government taxes were too high!"

Ice Sculptures and Dueling Pianos!

The highlight from the week's training came tonight with a discount! Simply known as "Ice!", the two-million pound art display was imported to the Gaylord National Resort from China. Hand-crafted by 40 Chinese artisans, the ten-scene ice sculpture puts one in awe.

The tour begins by putting on an over-sized blue coat to keep goers warm inside the -9ºF tent. Upbeat holiday music plays right from the entrance. From there, one enters a wonderland of sleds, bridges, Christmas trees, and even giant penguins all made entirely of ice!

Some of the many impressive ice displays!

The highpoint of ice exhibition would be the two-story slide! Climbing up the stairs covered by a red carpet, one can choose four various chutes to slide down. Be careful at the top though! As I checked myself when an employee warned to have the parka cover the thighs, I slipped and down the chute I went!

Racing a four-year-old down the two-story slide!

Candid look at the main room

A good friend, Cyndy Hernandez, came out to see the Bright Star Fountain Show before we headed out to watch dueling pianos at Bobby McKee's (conveniently located across the street from the Gaylord ). Through smiling and making friends with the bartender, we somehow received 50% off our food and drinks as we chatted away and listened to the piano showdown. Cyndy finished off the night by requesting her favorite song, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.

Dueling pianos at Bobby McKee's

As it was the last night of training, theconference attendees headed to the hotel's rooftop bar and nightclub, Pose Ultra Lounge. There, the co-workers and I met up with one of our colleagues to celebrate her 50th birthday. Woohoo!

Holiday at the Harbor

A recent business trip to Oxon Hill, Maryland brought me to the newly constructed Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center (across from Washington D.C. on the shore of the Potomac River) . Just opened in April 2008, the 2000 room hotel features an 18-story glass atrium and a rooftop nightclub. Being December, the resort also exhibits nightly snowfall, indoor and outdoor light shows, a Peeps scavenger hunt, and a two million pound ice exhibition from China. Not too shabby!

View of the Gaylord National Resort from the Potomac River

Thus, after training days, it was nice to have dinner with the co-workers in nearby Alexandra, Virginia and then relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Thumbs up for the Gaylord!

The National Harbor Christmas Tree Light Show! Watch for the stars!

Gaylord's Bright Star Fountain Show - almost Bellagio-esque!

The East Coast Childhood Experience

Today provided an outstanding New England childhood experience that is recommended for all children and those at heart!

After accidentally sleeping in until noonish, Max and I headed off to our fun-filled day at March Farm in Bethlehem. While waiting for our hay ride, we roamed around one of the two pumpkin patches. The following picture describes the surprises and smiles by children we saw!

One of the many adorable kids with the HUGE pumpkin!

The hay ride proved a bit bumpy, but took us to the apple-picking farm. There, we found ourselves picking and eating every few steps. The favorite: the Macoun apple! Crisp and smooth, the apple proves a sweet treat!

Tip: The best apples are the ones at the top as they lie untouched and overlooked from others!

On the hay ride with all the kids and families

The "great lengths" we had to go through to get the best apples!

After filling our bag with apples, we headed into the Corn Maze. Eventually getting lost in the five acre maze, we decided to run like the wind off the trails! Scary corn maze.

Lost in the corn maze!

After the visit to March Farm, it was time for a more grown-up activity - wine tasting! At Haight-Brown Vineyard, one can taste a dozen wines for only $15 including chocolate, cheese, and a glass to take home! Sounds good to me!

The vineyard provides a variety of red and white vines including its specialties only available in Litchfield, Connecticut. My personal favorite was their Honey Nut Apple. Blended with honey, the light white wine tastes better than its name with its fruity flavor! Ironically enough, the wine utilizes apples grown from March Farm.

Wine tasting at Haight-Brown Vineyard

To finish up the day, we headed to downtown Litchfield and actually ran into Max's mom taking a walk by Litchfield Law School, the first law school in the United States. We soon headed back to Stratford to jump on the train home.

Litchfield Green Church - Arguably the most photographed church in New England

The leaves were falling and then air was crisp. Thanks for the great weekend, Connecticut!

Beaches, Lighthouses, Bridges, & Waterfalls!

The Sunday morning started with an 8:15AM phone call by my next host, Maxwell Kinkade, letting me know that he would pick me up in about forty-five minutes. Who does that?

The first stop would be the waterfront town of Stratford and its beaches. Please note: Though nice to take a walk on, East Coast beaches are more appropriately known as shores as they lack surfing waves like the West Coast! After skipping rocks and searching for sea glass, we headed off to the cozy restaurant of Marnick's for lunch.

Tip: At Stratford, one must seach for sea glass a.k.a. beach glass a.k.a. mermaid's tears a.k.a. lucky tears! Originating from glass bottles, sea glass is formed from being tumbled and smoothed by sand and water.

Lying on seashells at the beaches of Stratford

Before leaving town, we stopped by Stratford Point Lighthouse. Established in 1822, the station is privately owned by the Coast Guard. Though not open to the public, one can capture great shots by land or sea.

Stratford Point Lighthouse

On the way to apple-picking, our lovely GPS took us up and down roads that were arguably trails. We were unfortunately half an hour too late and thus, headed off to Oxford. Though no locals have heard of Southford Falls State Park, it was marked as one of the top tourist attractions in Connecticut through Google search!

With its attractive waterfalls and picturesque scenes, Southford Falls proves a most secret and charming destination to visit!

One of the many waterfalls on the Eight Mile River

A typical New England covered bridge. We can tell its authentic because it's red!

We continued the drive up the Northwest Coast of Connecticut stopping whenever we glimpsed something that peaked our interest. Detours included Hodge Memorial Library & Museum to pick up a collection of free books and White Memorial Park to go deer watching.

At Max's home, the women drank wine while the men moved furniture between floors (his mother liked to say that's the way it should be!). The best part about traveling to friends' homes? Meeting the parents and Sunday night dinners! There's almost nothing better than seeing the way people grew up and hearing embarrassing stories about them from their parents!

Sunday night family dinner. Check. Game night with the brother and his girlfriend. Check. Pool, stargazing and off to bed for more adventures in Connecticut!

New Haven

Columbus Day weekend called for a quick trip to Connecticut to visit friends. Jamelle Nelson and I met at Washington Square Park in New York to take the 90 minute train ride to New Haven. A surprisingly great tourist destination, a young person can find lots of adventure in the "Constitution State."

After yesterday's drinks at Geronimo and attending an 80's-themed party with future lawyers at Yale's Graduate Professional Student Center (yes, you read that correctly), I dropped my graduate school friends off at the Goldman Law School Library and headed off to East Rock Park.

The original Facebook at Goldman Law School Library..in print!

The thirty-minute walk to East Rock Park provided quite scenic as this weekend marked the transition of summer to autumn. In other works, the leaves were in the midst of changing colors!

Time for autumn on the East Coast!

The tranquil getaway allowed one to escape everything but the stillness of the lakes and the breeze of the wind. The 425-acre park provided numerous surprises consisting of owners and dogs diving off bridges to models and photo shoots with red mustangs! After an hour or so of hiking, it was off to a contemporary art gallery!

East Rock Park, New Haven, CT

ArtSpace Gallery provides rotating contemporary art exhibitions free to the general public. The current exhibit features "The Weekend Inventor" showcasing the continuously evolving relationship between art, technology, and innovation.

Martha Lewis's Plan B. She describes the work as "a magic carpet of sorts that is either a utopian dream or a dire escape plan"

Upon returning to Yale, I stumbled upon hundreds of Yale students running as police manned the nearby streets. A student claimed to me that they were in the midst of Bladder Ball. Previously played between 1954 and 1982 before being banned by the administration, the premise involves each respective residential college trying to attain possession of a giant six foot inflatable ball. Obviously.

The forbidden game of Bladder Ball! Notice the Yale student hanging off the fence.

While waiting for the others to finish up studying, I headed off to Downtown New Haven a.k.a. The New Haven Green. Completed in 1638, the 16-acre park belongs to five descendants of the original settlers of the green. The appointments are life-long and once one member passes away, the others gather in private to choose a new co-owner. A story much appropriate for an Ivy League college town!

The United Church in New Haven Green

Last up in New Haven was a visit to Long Wharf Pier, home of the Amistad - too bad the Amistad was M.I.A.!

Long Wharf Pier

The night came with helping my host, Matias Sueldo, put about seven holes in his wall to hang an oil painting (it looks good if I may say so). We then headed off to dinner at Frank Pepe's Pizza, famous for white clam pie.

Note: White clam pie is not a dessert, but a cheeseless pizza. Why do they call it that? No clue.

Let the exploration in Connecticut continue!