Last days in Kashmir, On my way to Israel

Hello Everyone,

I will post some photos soon, still just need to figure out how to do it on other people's computers. So, I have finally reached my second destination, Israel. I am happy to say goodbye to India. Kashmir was fantastic, but I am sooo tired of Indian men!

My last days in Kashmir were spent hanging out in their beautiful gardens and on the second to last day, I went to Sonmarg, Kashmir. It was amazing! We walked for a short 4 km on a nice little trail and all of a sudden we were surrounded 360 degrees of the Himalayas. It's amazing how no effot was required to get to a place so incredibly beautiful! I was in heaven! The photos are great too!

Then, as I said goodbye to Kashmir, I went to their aiport to head towards Delhi! Wow! Before we even enetered the airport we had to go thru two security checks, which meant getting out of the cab and dropping my bags in an x-ray machine, then getting patted down. After doing that, then I could go inside the gates to the airport. Once in side, I went thru at least 8 more security checks, no lie! Many, many pat downs and intensive searches thru my bags. I had to take everything out of my carry on and they inspected everything, they were a bit perplexed about my traveling chopsticks and they just couldn't understand what they were for. I said "for eating, ya know." No, they didn't know. So the chopsticks, batteries, MP3 player and camera did not pass. From there I had to go visit another man, who then inspected these things. He said "What is this?" I said "It's an MP3 player." He said "Let me listen." So, I got out my headphones and he began to listen to my music, just to make sure it was what I said it was. So strange! From there, he took my batteries and chopsticks, put them in a sealed envelope and said I could pick them up once I got to Delhi. After this, then I wanted to go sit at my gate. Yeah right...not quite possible yet. Some security man kept pointing at me to go over there and I am just like GOD! are you seriuos? Yes, he was. So, I turn the corner and then I have to identify my bag before they will load it. Then, finally I was able to get into the Gate area. As, we began to board our plane, there was still one more security check we had to go through out on the runway...American have no idea how bad airports could be!

A quick airplane ride later I am in Delhi and I will stay there for the next 12 hours as I wait to catch my plane to Israel. At 2 AM, I decide that I will begin to check in. Thank god I love to do these things early, because for no apparant reason at all, only simply becuase he could, the Royal Joradanian airline man gave me the hardest time! I was on the verge of tears and nervousenss that he would not let me on the plane. Becuase I didn't print out my return ticket back to the States, he was thinking I was not planning on leaving Israel. He interrogated me about why I was going there, when I would leave, how much money I have etc? He then began to interrogate me about my visa for Israel, I kept saying , I don't need one, I can land on my passport. He refused to believe this until I told him for like the 10th time and then I got nervous, maybe I read it wrong, but I knew I hadn't. So, Finally after passing my passport around to about 10 different, useless men, and having me run around the Delhi airport looking for email to pring out my ticket to the States, they finally let me board! Ugh....it was a terrible time!

Now....after being in the Himalayas for 6 days, 40 minutes after landing in Israel I was sitting on a wonderful beach in Tel Aviv! Crazy how life can be so drastically exciting! I've only been here for less than 24 hours, but it is SOOOO nice to be in a country with some western flare! Yesterday, we went to this great little cafe, nice atmosphere, salads, cheese, no sweet bread, espresso, olives, beautiful people with acutal curves to their bodies! I was in heaven! It made me realize how living life in Taiwan, I lived without so many everyday things that people in western cultures get! I was culture shocked just to normal things I used to do everyday back in the States. So, I think being in Israel will be a good way to transition back into the States, I get a good taste of regular life again. They have beautiful big roads, nice traffic, people acutally follow rules when they drive, clean air...ahhh! What more can one ask for !? :)

This blog is getting long, so I will try to end it now. Noam has been the most amazing host ! He has made me feel right at home! Tonight we are heading to his home town of Tiberias and we will travel the North area for the next couple of days. Then head South to Jerusaleum. I will keep you all posted and hope life is going well! Miss ya! But I don't miss India! hehehe....

Strike day, Every day

Alright...it's Luke's last day and I am sad, yet happy to see him go. He is ready to go for sure! He has a hard time with the hasseling of people trying to sell us things all the time. Since traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia I am totally use to this. India's hasseling is NOTHING compared to that of either of those countries. So no bothers for me. He is definitly stressing about his Art project, so he is ready to go.
Let's see, I missed out on one complete day because I was SOOOO SICK! The most SICK! Ugh....I laid in bed for 24 hours and did not eat a thing! But our houseboat people were so nice to me, bring me Kashmiri tea to help my stomach, hot water bottles and blankets. It was nice to have someone take care of me for a change when I am sick....I still haven't eaten much of anything in the last 40 hours, but I feel much better.
Yesterday, we went to Phalgram, Kashmir. A beautiful little mountain town up in the middle of nowhere, where all the shepard people live. We started on a little trek up to some nature preserve, where the mountains were just amazing. It was very emotional experience for me, since it has been two years since I have returned to the mountains. My mind was flooded with lots of memories, most of them that I don't want to remember at this place and time. But, it was still a sight for my eyes to see and they were glued to all the peaks! Luke was a tropper as we made our way through the slippery mud and he carried our chips and water and sugary apple juice. For not being a mountain person, he didn't complain one bit! I love him for that! Well, with 4 KM left to go and still more beauty to see , of course, I started to get sick again! Ugh...so I had to turn back, I just couldn't handle feeling sick anymore. So, even though our trek was short, it was still beautiful. ON our way back, we walked down with a bunch of school boys coming back from a school field strip in the mountains, all of them carry packs with lots of gear on their backs. I asked one of them what they had been doing and he said "Ya know, hiking, rappaling, ice climbing, making camp, normal stuff." I was like, Yeah, normal stuff for you! hehehe.! Just amazing what other children learn what is normal, because we all know that is not normal state side.
When we finally got back down, Wassim, my awesome Indian friend who we met on the bus and who has been a great companion, took us to this little animal zoo. Now I hate zoos, but since we are here, I said "YES" just like Sally tells me to do, so we went to see! I was actually enjoyed it. We say a real leopard! Even though it was in a cage, it was still an amazing site to see! Then we just headed back into town and started our ride back home.
Now today, is Luke's last day, and of course, there just happens to be a strike for the next two days, which means everything has been closed down. I guess this is what happens when you live in a politcally unsound place. Nothing in town will be open. So...Luke is more than happy to leave and he is sunbathing in the garden behind our boat right now. I will spend the next 3 days, just relaxing in the gardens, drawing, writing, reading and chilling on the lake. I am happy for this. We've just been going and going. So, that is our update. Now on to Israel, I am super excited to get there! Hope everyone is good! I am thinking of you!

India and The Taj

Well...what is it about life's path that when we reach these ultimate destinations, like the Taj Mahal, and you see it for all of the wonder and beauty everyone raves about...and one just looks at it and thinks, "Oh. There it is." Why is it that the best part of the beauty of that day was not the Taj, but was just sitting in the park playing badminton with Indian children?! Shocking to me, but then again not really. I think life is truly all about the simple pleasures.

India is an interesting place, I can't quite find the words to describe it yet. My eyes are just amazed once again by how people live in such places, full of poverty, garbage and filth. Why is it that India is full of so many men? Everywhere! The only thing that lights up our eyes are the Indian women, in their beautiful colored clothing and jewlery. Their colors bring beauty to this place.

And the Food! Of course is Amazing! Yummy in my tummy all the time! It's a short blog today, we are just trying to get out of Delhi and Luke wants to check out the monkey temple before we begin our new day's adventure! Just wanted to share with you some thoughts...Stay tuned.

Taiwan Synopsis

Taiwan Synopsis

I can't think of a more difficult thing to do than to write up a synopsis of my one year and 8 months I have spent in Taiwan. Taiwan is a place that is bursting at the seams! it's full of people, color, scooters, flowers, greeness, noise, temples. It's on the brink of changes as the old generation fades away and the new generation tries to blend the two together.

I had the preconceived idea that most foreigners do when they arrive to exoitc Taiwan. Tropical island, great beaches, lots of fun in the sun and that pineapples grown on trees. For as long as I live I will never forget how those thoughts were gone in a blink of an eye. I was standing on Jhongshan Loo in the middle of chaos and it took all the courage I had to hold back the tears for America. I had remind myself that I came here to challenge myself and grow into a more worldly person. So I picked up my bags and knew I could handle anything that came my way. And... I would be able to do this because of the most amazing gift Taiwan has given me and that is the people that have come into my life.

When deciding to leave Iowa all I could fantasize about was all the amazing things I would be able to see and do. I never! Not once! thought I would meet some of my most treasured friends. Canadians, Brits, Japanese, Vietnamemese, Israli, South African, Kiwis, Taiwanese and fellow Americans. They have brought millions of smiles across my face, lots of adventures and plenty of shoulders to cry on. It's been the first time since I was 12 years old that I have had connections like this , so natural. As English teachers, we have 3 things in common. 1. is that we can actually understand each other 2. we all have adventurous spirits and 3. for one reason or another we all choose to come to Taiwan. Being surrounded by people with the same innate spirit of discovery is truly a profound experience. We all have the energy, initiative and easy going attitude to hop onto scooters to chase waterfalls, climb about in gorges, eat crazy food, camp and just experience and see what there is to see in a foreign land.

Though I am ready to leave Taiwan, there are many things I will miss. I will miss riding my bike among the rice paddies and up the mountains. I will miss the old pineapple farmers walking along the highway after a long day in the field. I will miss the beauty of Nantou County, Gao Shan Cha, maugie, the woman who hems my pants, the ability to buy fresh fruits and veggies for a week for less than $15 USD, pineapple season, mango season (the list could go on and on with Taiwan snacks!). I will miss my scooter and the freedom it has given me in this life. I will miss the glow of red lanterns, the rainbow Tao temples, and the time I have had to discover myself through hours of painting and listening to music.

I will definiltiy miss the sharing of cultures through class discussions with my students. Through them, I've able to receive the true Taiwan spirit. They've showed me what lies beneath the frustrating traffic, polluted air and the bin laden stains that cover the ground. They've showed me passion towards family, diligence in studies, how to treat a guest like a king, willingness and excitement to learn a second language. They've also taught me how to work hard, how to make a dollar holler and the best way to relax after a long stressful week, by heading to the spa and getting a real long massage!

Taiwan has changed my life forever. I have learned many lessons in my life that I won't discover until years down the road. It's made my life richer, my eyes and mind more open and it has taught me to love in ways I thought were not possible. It is truly "La Isla de Formosa" and Taiwan has truly touched my heart.

The Shift

Life is the moment in time where our one action, no matter how small or innocent, makes the difference.

With the wave of my hand, I was able to open up a smile into this world today. To lighten up the tensions on our faces and to create a small conversation between two cultures, where the only reason we are staring at each other is because we are curious. Curious to look, to see, to try and understand one another.

It's an amazing event when two eyes meet. The look, the quick examination of each other, how much we read in those brief seconds, how much we judge in a short period. Most people shrug these intimate little moments off, but I think these are the moments of most importance. It's where we really get to interact with human nature. To see it, for all that it is, isn't and wants to be.

It's where the change occurs. It's the moment between the inhale and the exhale of our breath. That's where and when life happens. In the least unexpected moments. When you meet someone on a train, connect over an innocent touch and let all precedence go.

Life happens when we listen to our heart, truly. When we act on life and not just wait. When we have the energy and courage to let go of our fears and insecurities and invite everything in.

Experiences are created when we are willing to take the risk, put our criticisms aside and do what we feel. When we connect our souls with our brains.

The paradigm of people's life in the 21st century is beginning to shift. It just might start with the fall of the most powerful country in the world.....but I think this needs to happen in order for awareness to be fully realized, in order for us to really understand the fragility of life.

The next step of Jessness

I Will Not Die an Unlived Life.

I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

--Dawna Markova

Cambodia

Oh! Cambodia went to fast. We got greedy and sped through it and now I wish I was in quite ole' Siem Reap instead of dirty Bangkok. But that's what one gets when rushing into things. Anyways...Cambodia!

What a beautiful country. I miss it already. Beautiful caring people, beautiful landscapes , quite, peaceful, relaxed. It was fabulous. Angkor Wat...magnificent! The entire complex is so amazing. I loved just walking around in the forests surrounded by peacefulness and old temple ruins. One of my favorite parts was just driving around in the tuk tuk. It was so nice, country road drives that took me back to Iowa memories. It also reminded me a lot of the Philippines. Very simple lifestyles, they mostly ride bicycles. The power doesn't always work and cows everywhere. For such a beautiful country, the people have suffered greatly and still do due to the 3-5 million landmines that exist there still!

Tonight, Derrick and I are on Kosan Road in Bangkok wishing we weren't here. Ugh...dirty, nasty, noisy city...We are leaving to go to the North tomorrow though, so only a few hours left here. Today, I feel that I am ready to head back to Taiwan, but we still have 16 more days. We will see how I feel in 2 more days, hopefully things will get better once out of Bangkok! Take Care!