To Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve.

Yesterday, I was teaching my students some new english phrases like "head over heels" and "wear your heart of your sleeve." I was having a hard time explaining what it meant to wear your heart on your sleeve to my ESL (english as a second language) students, so I brought out my superb acting skills. What happened next was one of the cutest things I've experienced as a teacher: 

PS - Brad, if you are reading this...I tend to use you as an example a lot in my lessons because my students have met you and they think you are funny. Don't let that go to your head. 

Me: When my brother finds out something sad, he will say "Oh, that sucks. That makes me sad." But, when I find out something sad *cue sobs, cries, and full body shakes.* 

Students laugh. 

Me: I wear my heart on my sleeve. I show my emotions easily and intensely. 

L: Melissa, I have a question. 

Me: Yes, L. 

L: What was your job before you were a teacher? 

Me: I was a student like you. I was a high school student, then a university student, and now I am a teacher.

L: Oh. Because you could be a famous actor! 

The students all started yelling "YA!" and clapping. I then said thank you and took a grand bow. 

I love my students and my job. They say the most wonderful things! 

Southeast Asia Vacation - VIETNAM

So here I am, about a week and a couple days after arriving home from my month long vacation and I am finally writing it all down. The memories, the moments, the excitements, the beauty. All of it. I am proud of myself; I have struggled in the past to journal in a notebook. I never keep up with it. Honestly, I get bored of it. Which is funny that I've kept this blog for this long. But, nonetheless, I journaled in every city and destination we were in. So, while I'm late and slack in keeping up with my blog in terms of my vacation, I do have it written all down as it happened in my journal sitting by my bed. Memories are a beautiful thing. 

I am going to do this summary and highlights of my vacation in three separate blog posts. One for each country I visited while away on my Southeast Asia adventure! So first: VIETNAM! 

Really though, I should say southern Vietnam. Unfortunately, a month is not long enough to see as much of Vietnam as I would have liked plus Cambodia and Thailand. So, we (I should also clear up now that whenever I say "we" I am referring to Brittany and Erin and I - my two friends that I travelled with on this wonderful trip!) decided to stick to southern Vietnam where it would be warmer. Our first stop was Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), also known as SaigThe American team who are brother and sister were really good. They were last to skate in the third heat. Scott and Tessa's heat is warming up now. on. 

Now, this trip was not short on bumps in the road. I mean, it's me. When does anything ever go smoothly and without disruption in my life? So, my amazing travel luck began with a little mishap at the airport in Ho Chi Minh. After collecting our Visas and heading to the luggage carousel, I noticed that my backpack was off the rig and on the floor, wide open and my things scattered around it. After careful examination, I figured out that I was missing 4 bags: three zip lock bags of clothes and electronics, and a purse that I intended to use as my day-to-day bag that I had packed hygiene products in for the flight. Luckily, after visiting lost and found I found the clothes bags and the electronics bags, but the purse was gone and it has never been found again. At first, I thought that the backpack had probably just burst open in the plane and they threw all of my belongings on the carousel as they found them. But the more I thought about it, and the more I went over the picture in my mind of how I found my bag, the more I am convinced that someone opened my bag and took the purse thinking it was filled with purse like things (money, passport, credit cards, etc.) But, AH HA! it wasn't, and that awful person got a lovely surprise when they stopped and opened the bag to find tampons, a brush, medication, and some hair products. 

After I cursed and fumed away in aggravation, we found our way to the hostel we were staying at in the Backpacker District in HCMC. The first thing I wanted to do upon arriving there: SHOWER! After my shower and moments before the girls and I were to head out for a meal and exploring, I started to feel some awful pains in my stomach. And they kept getting worse and more intense. I told the girls to go ahead, that I wasn't hungry and I should probably wait until these pains pass before I leave the hostel. While they were gone, the pains got so bad and I started to get really sick (I won't go in to the details, you can imagine...) and then these big red blotches started appearing all over my body. I have had allergic reactions in the past, but not like this. These blotches were the size of tea saucers on my body, and they were EXTREMELY itchy. Eventually, they started swelling off of my body. Every time I went to the bathroom to be sick, I came out with new blotches on my skin. Even my scalp was burning and itching uncontrollably. When the girls arrived back to the hostel, I rolled over and looked at them and I kid you not, I said to them "I think I'm dying..." Shortly after that, we ended up at the nearest clinic where I was given an IV and medications to make the reaction go away and the sickness in my body to cease. I lost track of time and I couldn't tell you how long we were there, but I know that when I woke up I felt SO MUCH BETTER! Erin and Brittany were so patient and they sat by my bed even though I couldn't keep my eyes open and I know they were just as tired. Thanks, girls! 

So that was Day 1. Needless to say, I was pumped for Day 2 and that it really couldn't be much worse than day 1 was. 

We did some amazing things in HCMC, and I quickly fell in love with this place. HCMC has a huge backpacker population. There is always people coming and going out of this city. People from everywhere and all corners of life. I think that this was probably one of my favourite things about being in HCMC. This being my first time traveling internationally (besides the US), I was excited to see what this backpacking culture was all about and see if it fit me and my personality. I LOVED meeting all of these new people and hearing their stories. My favourite night in HCMC was when we went out in the Backpacker District. There are bars and pubs everywhere, and we ended up at a bar where we ended up getting free drinks because we were "hot girls!" Yes, the bar was advertising free cocktails for "sexy ladies only!" and I guess we fit the bill. As the night carried on, we ended up befriending girls from the UK, a guy from the states, and brothers from Germany. It was such a fun night, and we ended up leaving with memories and some great tips for our upcoming travels. 

I definitely wouldn't say that I am a history buff, but I do enjoy learning about different cultures and their past. So while I knew about the Vietnam War, I definitely didn't know a lot and would never be able to explain it to someone in a conversation. So, what better way to be given this knowledge than in Vietnam itself. We spent some time learning about the war and how it evolved and what it entailed. What I didn't realize about the war was how brutal and ruthless it was towards the Vietnamese people. I know that I don't have the full stories, and I know I have so much more to learn, but what I did learn was very eye opening and impacting in many ways. Most of the stuff I learned about the Vietnam War was during our visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. These are underground tunnels at various depth levels that were used as a means for the Vietnamese people to hide from the enemy and to protect themselves. Our tour guide, who called himself John Wayne, was so knowledgeable about the subject matter and taught me so much. He knew the ins and outs, and he was very passionate about his culture and its history. At the end of our trip, we got to have an opportunity to crawl through the tunnels. While I wouldn't say I am completely claustrophobic, I don't enjoy being in small, tight, dark spaces. And that's just what these tunnels were. My chest got tight and my heart started to beat a lot faster, but I pushed and crawled my way through the tunnels. Because when in Vietnam! We also visited the War Remnants museum where we learned even more about the war through pictures and stories. 

That's the face of confidence right there!

Other things we did in HCMC: 

 *- took a day trip through an area of the Mekong Delta, a water way that flows in to the Saigon river used for the transportation of goods. It also surrounds these little islands inhabited by people who are crafters and farmers. 

 *- went to the night market for shopping. 

 *- enjoyed some delicious, delicious food like Pho, fresh spring rolls, and Vietnamese coffee (addicted!)
 *- visited Handicapped Handicrafts, a business that sells handmade crafts made by Vietnamese people affected by Agent Orange. What a powerful and special place!

Pho. Yummy, yummy Pho!

Traveling through the narrow water ways of the Mekong

After spending 4 days in HCMC, we spent the weekend in a beach town about 2 hours away from HCMC called Vung Tau. I'm not going to talk much about this place because there really isn't a lot to say. All we did was sit on the beach for two full days. However, I can't say I'd ever be chomping at the bit to go back. This place definitely wasn't one of the more popular beach towns, but we chose it because of it's proximity to HCMC as we had to get back there to catch a flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and feared the traffic getting in our way of getting back in time for our flight. So, since it wasn't really a tourist hotspot, we did get the beach all to ourselves which was quite relaxing and peaceful. But the town itself was a little dirty and run down in ways. However, we made the most of it and it is a good memory! I mean, it's the place where I first put my feet in the South China Sea. That's a special kind of memory, folks!

I can't wait to go back to Vietnam. I've already started considering taking another trip to this beautiful country so I can see more of it, especially the northern area near Halong Bay. There is a lot of this place that I haven't seen, and I don't think that I can say I've REALLY been in Vietnam until I see more of it. So for now, I'll tell people I've been to southern Vietnam only.

Next up, we move on to Cambodia! Stay tuned :)

Hello, Vacation!

4 weeks of vacation! What an adventure to come. 

The packing is complete, the dishes are done, the garbage is taken out, my fridge is bare. Now all that's left to do is get myself to the airport and take flight! 

Tonight I am leaving for a 4 week vacation in Southeast Asia. I'll be traveling through Southern Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. This vacation has been in the planning stages for the last 3 months and now it's finally time to go. I can't believe it! And I can hardly wait!

Things I will be doing while I am away:

      * visiting the Chu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam.

      * riding along the Mekong Delta and visiting the floating markets in Ho Chi Minh City.

      * Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia.

      * possibly horse back riding through the rice fields in Cambodia.

      * cooking classes in Vietnam and Thailand.

      * eating ALL of the Vietnamese & Thai food. (FINALLY eating ALL of the authentic Thai curry).

      * washing, feeding, and riding elephants in Thailand.

      * visiting a tiger sanctuary (my favourite animals!).

      * beaches, beaches, beaches. Relaxing, relaxing, relaxing. Reading, reading, reading. *sigh*

I know I am probably forgetting some things, and I know there will be other things we get ourselves in to while we are away. I'm just so excited to be on vacation, to be seeing another part of the world, and to be traveling with some great friends!

Oh, and for fresh CLEAN air and sun. Man, did I ever take that for granite before coming to Beijing! 

I'll be posting on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter while I am away. If I can get good internet service at some of our hotels, I'll be sure to post on my blog for family and friends as well. 

Bon Voyage!
Or I guess as they (or I, because I probably say it wrong or in the wrong context) say in Beijing: huí tóu jiàn (see you later!)

Twenty-Five.

Before you read this post, please take a look at the blog post I wrote for my twenty-fourth birthday. I think it will help to put this one into perspective: click here.

Ok, so I am curled up on my bed with a blanket and I'm reading my blog post that I wrote for my twenty-third birthday and then the one I wrote last year for my twenty-fourth birthday. And I've got to say, I have changed a lot over the last two years. And I am so fortunate, blessed, and lucky to be able to have had the experiences I've had over the last year and a bit. Like, SO FORTUNATE! 

In my twenty-fourth birthday blog post, I wrote that my year's theme would be "surprises." Well, this year folks my theme would have to be "changes." Last year I found myself in an emotional place about my birthday. I had just returned back to my home in Calgary after being home in New Brunswick for Christmas vacation. I had reunited with family and some of my closest friends and I know I was feeling nostalgic, a bit home sick, and resistant to the change I had decided to make: moving to the other side of the country. I felt that my birthday would be lonely and that people would forget about me. I know I was being foolish and insecure, but that's me. I come up with these scenarios in my head that are insanely unrealistic. I know I'm not the only one out there that does this, right? (right?) However, I was so wrong. I had a wonderful birthday. Of course I did. 

This year I am feeling proud. I typed that and I then I said in my head: "...yeah." And I smirked and I nodded. I am proud of myself people! I can be so hard on myself, and after reading my twenty-fourth blog post I said to myself "Girl! Look at all of the things you have gotten to do! Look at all of the people you have met and all of the things you've seen. Stop moping around and start being thankful!" 

I never wanted to be one of those people who settled. I was so afraid that I would be comfortable with my small town life that I would never leave or get out. There is a big world out there and it's meant to be seen. In my life I want three things: love, experiences, and happiness. I mean - I want MORE than just those things. But I feel like if I have those three things surrounding myself at all times then I'll be the best person I can be. Today, I can say that I've finally accomplished things and begun to do things that up to this point I had only imagined of. Currently in my life, I have love, I am gaining amazing experiences, and I'm happy. So happy. 

My twenty-fourth year saw laughter and tears, weight loss and lifestyle changes, a relationship, new friends and reuniting with old friends, kicking an old habit (bye bye nail biting), an amazing summer that included a road trip to PEI with Amanda, a family reunion in Ottawa, a drive along the Gaspe Peninsula, picking up an old sport (golf with the family), camping in Fundy with the best friend, and then a big move to another country. As my twenty-fourth year began to wrap up, I also accomplished a lot of firsts and ticked a lot of things off my bucket list - I moved to another country, I walked the Great Wall of China, I zip-lined and rode a tuk tuk, I gained new experiences in a new and interesting culture, I started my first teaching job and I spent my first Christmas away from home. 

So, thinking back to the theme of change in my twenty-third year I can positively say that I have changed in a number of ways. I try to see things optimistically and I try not to limit myself. I feel as though I have matured and become a little bit more confident in myself mentally, emotionally, and physically. As much as I despise myself for using this saying right now - YOLO. You only live once. I gotta see it all now while I can. And that's exactly what I am doing. 

Twenty-five. A quarter of a century. I imagined myself dreading this birthday just as much as I dreaded my 20th birthday. But, it's going to be great. I think it has a lot in store for me. 

Listen to me...I sound so grown up! 

Here's to life, love, experiences, happiness - Always & Forever! 

xo

Christmas in China.

Merry Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas. Seasons Greetings. Happy Holidays. Shèng Dàn Kuài Lè. 

No matter how many ways you say it, no matter how many times, it feels a little less so this year. I don't want to make this post sappy and depressing, because I don't feel that way ALL of the time lately. Just when I'm alone and able to reflect on my own thoughts - isn't that always the way. 

I went back and read some of my old Christmas posts from the last two years of blogging. This time last year I was back home for the holidays from Calgary. I was writing a post from the airport crossing my fingers my flights wouldn't be cancelled because of the snow. A year before that I was finishing up my first internship and heading to Saint John to celebrate Christmas. This year though will be very different. This year I'll be spending my first Christmas away from home. Away from my family. I wrote a post two years ago about traditions and how important they are to the meaning of Christmas to me. Many of those traditions are dependent mainly on family. And this Christmas my family is all the way on the other side of the world. Back home. In Canada. 

I have one day off for Christmas on Christmas Day. Which happens to be in the middle of the week. I guess a blessing in disguise is that I'm surrounded by fellow Canadians who are also away from their families this Christmas. Together, we will create new traditions, do things that will make the day feel as much like Christmas as possible, and I'm sure we will share stories of Christmas' past and reminisce on what we would be doing if we were home. I'm sure there will be tears and heartache, but then I have to remind myself how blessed I am to be on this adventure. To be seeing and doing these things that I have only imagined and dreamed of up until this point. That in itself is a gift in so many ways. The cultures I get to experience, the growing up I get to do, the amazing people I get to meet, the inspiring students I get to teach, and the finding of myself that occurs. These are things some people never get the chance to do, and I'm doing it all before I turn 25...just barely :) 

There is so much more I want to say, and so much more I want to reflect on, but I don't know how to start and I don't know how to convey how I am truly feeling. I think my friend Erin said it best this evening in that she just feels "numb." I have really loved teaching my students about how important Christmas is to me and the rest of the Canadians. In fact, yesterday one of my students out of no where wished me a Merry Christmas. I almost leaped out of my chair and gave him the biggest hug (I chose not to in fear that I would startle him too much. He's the jumpy kind). However, I think the smile on my face and my genuine thank you did the trick. That moment of kindness and warmth made all of my homesickness go away. For just a little while. 

Being an ESL teacher in China has actually put a wonderful new spin and touch on the Christmas spirit this year. Teaching these students about Christmas, the symbols and traditions surrounding it, the history, and what Christmas spirit is all about has been the starting of a new tradition I'm really looking forward to in the coming years. A highlight was when I delivered Christmas cards and candy canes to each of my students yesterday. They cheered and said thank you and Merry Christmas again and again. As I sat down and looked at them in their holiday excitement, I remembered how much I love this season of giving. I love that I got to share with these amazing students the wonderment that is Christmas. I don't know if it impacted them the same way that it impacted me, but it is a memory I will always cherish. 

So, looking ahead: Christmas away from home is difficult. It can be lonely at times. And the homesickness is always within reach. But thanks to my students, my friends, the internet, and Skype, I'm making this first Christmas a special one. One to always remember. 

Another China frist. 

Merry Christmas, everyone! Love you, always and forever. 

My China Firsts.

Sorry. It's been a while since I last wrote a post. Typical me. Get in to a groove of things then leave it all behind. But I'm back. 

Beijing has been my new home for three months now. I've made some amazing friends, some amazing memories, and done some amazing (and crazy!) things. I've experienced many "firsts" in China. Sometimes I find myself chuckling at the fact that I had to travel to the other side of the world to experience some of these things that I probably could have done back home in Canada. But in all honesty, I'm glad that I've had these firsts in China. It makes them even more special and memorable. 

I went zip lining for the first time ever in China. Whilst mountain climbing at Shengquan, we stumbled upon the opportunity to zip line from one mountain crest to another. I didn't hesitate in the slightest to take part in this thrill. Of course I winced and "cried" prior to being released down the zip line, and I screamed at the top of my lungs while zipping down the chord, but I loved every minute of it and would do it again in a second. The most hilarious part was at the end of the ride wherein you had to stop yourself by sticking out your legs and gliding full force into a hug gymnastics mat leaning against a fence. Good thing I have decent knee strength.

I've eaten some pretty interesting and unusual things for the first time ever in China. Things like scorpions, sheep stomach, and duck neck. Now, I can't say I particularly enjoyed any of them, but if I had to choose one to eat again above the others which one do you think I'd pick? Definitely not scorpion - that was the hardest thing for me to eat. They tasted similar to french fries until you crunched in to their body and their insides (stop reading now if you are squeamish) exploded out everywhere in my mouth. Not a good taste nor a good texture. I remember screaming A LOT while trying to eat them. Eventually, I got it down with a chug of water.  Duck neck wasn't terrible, but crunching in to the bones unexpectedly was a BIG turn off. Surprisingly, sheep stomach I could do again. It was served as a soup, and if I had eaten it without being told it was sheep stomach I would have just thought it was chewy noodles with a spicy broth on it.

I think I've written before here on my blog how interesting, complicated, and complex the driving here is in China. Truly it is an art and I don't think I could ever perfect it. Ever. Nor do I think I ever want to attempt it. I've also seen traffic jams that trump any other traffic jam I have ever witnessed in my entire life. I remember one time traveling with my family in Boston (maybe? Correct me if I'm wrong Dad...) and we got stuck in an insane traffic jam. It was absolutely locked. No one moving. A car even overheated beside us and was billowing smoke everywhere. The traffic never locks here in that way, but there are cars everywhere and horns are always honking. But the best way to beat the traffic in the city is to take a tuk tuk. They can squeeze between cars and take small side roads that cars don't travel on (or aren't supposed to anyways - they always do and it makes me so angry!). I've taken my first tuk tuk ride in China (thanks for sharing the moment with me, Amanda). I've even tuk tuked in a formal dress heading to ball. Fairytale-esque? I always feel like such a kid while taking them. They start, and my giggling begins. For no reason. Just "I'm having so much fun" giggling. Just like a kid.

China has been good to me. I've been enjoying my life here, my job, and all of the experiences I'm getting to have. One first that I'm going to have soon that I can't say I'm looking forward to is my first Christmas away from home. It's been on the back of my mind a lot lately as the date gets closer and closer. Because I am working at a Chinese school, I don't get a Christmas vacation like I would in Canada. I do have Christmas day off from work, but that's it. It's probably a good thing I'll be working leading up to Christmas and directly after as it'll hopefully keep me busy and occupied enough that my homesickness won't be as extreme as I am anticipating it to be. Also living with a bunch of crazy Canadians will help as we'll all be together and celebrating Christmas in our own China way. But it'll be hard, different, and a little less like Christmas.

Enough about that though. No need to get emotional yet. China has been an amazing adventure and I can't wait to see what is around the corner next! 

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

I just went back and looked at past blog posts - Amanda, this is the third birthday blog post I've written to you (2011 & 2012). That means I have kept up this blog for two years, going on three! ME! Who was doubtful and said to you on that night when I opened the blog that it probably won't last more than a month. Look at me now! Thank you.

Today is my friend Amanda's 24th birthday! While looking back and re-reading the past blog posts I've written to her on her birthday I felt mixtures of nostalgia, joy, and thankfulness: Nostalgia for the moments we have shared together, joy for the memories we have created, and thankfulness for the friendship we have created. Amanda has taught me a lot over time. She has helped me to grow and taught me what a solid and honest friendship should be. She has also inspired me to be a bigger person and to do great things.

This past year was the first time in our friendship where we lived apart from each other. And not just in different cities. We lived on different sides of the world: me in Calgary, Alberta and her in Beijing, China. I've seen many friendships diminish with distance. But when you put two people together who cherish a friend, a relationship that means you have someone to lean on and confide in, someone that listens to you in times of happiness, sadness, and darkness, a person who picks you up when you are down - that's a friendship that lasts through thick and thin, near and far. 

Amanda, as you begin your 24th year, I want to reflect on what this past year has meant to me and our frienship.

Firstly, you inspired me this past year. I remember upon arriving back in Calgary from my Christmas vacation at home, I FaceTimed with you at an ungodly hour in the morning and talked through with you where my head was at with my career and the future. I saw how successful and happy you were with your adventure in China and I wanted that for myself. You inspired me to capture the moment, to take it all in while I have the time, and to just jump!

You should also know that you taught me honesty this past year. To be honest with myself and to be honest with others. Though we didn't get to FaceTime or Skype as often as we both would have liked while you lived in Beijing and I in Calgary, when we did I often left our conversations feeling motivated and rejuvenated. You listened to my woes and you reminded me to just be true. With friends, with romantic relationships, and with family. You got me through some hard times, and for that I am thankful. 

Distance doesn't have to change everything. I am so happy that we had this past year to grow our friendship. If nothing else, this past year has taught me that we will be friends forever (as cliche as it sounds). You play an important part in my life, and though I may not always show my appreciation as clearly as I would want, you should always know that I love you and who you are. You don't ever need to change. Just keep on being you! I only hope that I have impacted you in a small way the same way as you have impacted me in such a big way. Honestly. 

Happy Birthday, Amanda! 

Love, always and forever.

Melissa