Back to H.U.G. Guatemala for the Holidays - by Founder Emlyn Lee

Hola y Feliz Navidad! I’m back in Guatemala enjoying another Christmas in one of my favorite cities, Antigua. I decided to return back this year to check out our H.U.G. (Help Understand Give) Guatemala project, and to share this beautiful country and holiday season with my family and friends.

Although I usually travel alone or have a friend meet up while I check out or create new business developments for Cultural Embrace’s program, my oldest sister, Ann, brother-in-law, Bill, and 12 years-old niece and nephew, Michael and Alexa wanted to go on a meaningful vacation during the holidays. They currently live in a town right next to San Mateo, California (near San Francisco), so they thought it would be fitting to spend the holidays sharing it with children from our H.U.G. project in San Mateo, Guatemala (near Antigua). So this is a rare, yet very special treat to have my family join me on this holiday adventure.

I have customized this trip a bit from our typical Volunteer in Guatemala week program, or our popular requested Group Travel itinerary, so we can have a family fun-packed week. We are spending the first 5 days in Antigua…one of the most charming cities in the world. It is foreign-friendly city, with cobble-stone streets filled with delicious restaurant, cafes, shops, and hotels; yet it still maintains the local Guatemalan culture (indigenous and modern) and charm.

Most of our participants take 4 hours of one-on-one Spanish lessons with our partnering language school in Antigua, and I was thrilled when Michael and Alexa agreed to take lessons during their ‘vacation’. We enrolled them for two hours of Spanish a day for the next three days which is perfect for younger children and their attention span…and they had a blast! I loved hearing that they had more fun and learned more Spanish in the first two hours than all the years that they have been learning Spanish since age 3 from day care years. And to be honest, their attitude and confidence in Spanish showed immediately after their first class, as they were trying to speak Spanish to the waitress.

Ok, I can go on and on, but it’s 7pm on Christmas Eve. I certainly don’t want to miss a meal in Antigua, as the restaurants and cafes are delicious and beautiful. And then will join the locals and celebrate Christmas by attending a service at the Cathedral located in the town square. Feliz Navidad to you and your loved ones!

Bon Appetit- by Current Teacher in China Robin

This is just a snapshot of some random moments that actually happen to us on a daily basis.

Jeff and I are at dinner at our favorite restaurant, which translates directly to "Special Restaurant." We eat there at least 3 times a week. At first glance you wouldn't even think that this place was a restaurant, it looks more like a glorified storage shed. But this place serves up some of the best fried eggplant, dumplings, stir fried cabbage, etc this side of the Yellow River. So there we were, enjoying our meal of sweet and sour pork and egg and tomato on rice. Well, almost enjoying it. There was one very pesky fly that wouldn't leave us alone. So Jeff helps himself to the electric fly swatter tennis racket thing that the lady keeps behind her counter where you pay, and brings it back to the table. For the next 5 minutes, Jeff is swinging this thing around the room, or trapping flies underneath his deadly weapon on the tables next to us, all while the rest of China is trying to eat their dinner.

But this one particular fly proved very evasive. It was like watching some predator/prey documentary as Jeff would pause mid mouthful and swing at this fly until finally, with a might swing and a surprising ZAP! he got it. There was much rejoicing, at least on Jeff's part, as he tried to explain himself to the restaurant owner. We did get the thumbs up from the guy sitting next to us, while the rest of his table laughed it up at the ridiculous Americans.

Just another day in China....At least the zapped fly didn't land in our dinner...

Robin
Teacher
China

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My Experience Teaching English Abroad- by Current Teacher in China Luan

My name is Luan Lierman and I'm currently teaching in China. I first came to Yantai, China in 2008 with Cultural Embrace. Believe it or not, it's already been two years and China's become my home away from home.

I graduated from College in the summer of 08' and found myself wondering, "what's the next step?" I didn't have a teaching degree instead I had an International Business degree so firstly, I wanted to improve my language ability. Secondly, where's the best place to do business? China! I went online and typed in, "Jobs in China." Well, all I could find was teach, teach, teach.

Then I saw the Cultural Embrace website that caught my eye for several reasons. It wasn't just about teaching abroad. Cultural Embrace is about travelling and learning a new culture. After reading the purpose of Cultural Embrace, I felt I not only wanted to go learn Chinese, but I wanted to learn more about China, and take a leap of faith and try out my teaching skills.

Cultural Embrace helped me with my visa process, and prepared me for what I thought was going to be a 6 month journey, now has turned into a lifetime, as though it seems.

I've had so many amazing experiences in China. To mention a few: my fiance at the time came to visit me for a month, and he decided to stay and teach. In April 2009, we had a wedding ceremony in Yantai at a nearby Christian church. That was a big event. Over 300 of our students and their families attended. We later had our American wedding back in Washington during the summer. We come home once a year. The friends we've made in Yantai are lifetime friends. Zoe and Molly...I will never forget you.

I've referred several of my friends to Cultural Embrace and they've told me how satisfied they were with the service and communication.

To wrap it up, I just want to say "live your life to the fullest!" Travelling, working, or studying abroad can help expand your world and make it a more abundent place. Thank you.

Peace,
Luan Lierman
Teacher
China



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Teaching Writing Has Its Perks- by 2 Current Teachers in China Robin and Jeff

I asked my students to practice writing paragraphs by writing about one of their favorite things to do. I got this gem as a response.

"My favorite thing is play basketball. Playing basketball is a very cool thing becase I think if someone play basketball well, he or she will be pimp and easy to find boyfriend or girlfriend."

A for originality.

Jeff and Robin
Teachers
China

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A Day in the Life of English Teachers in China- by Current Teacher in China Robin

It has been a long time!!!! I swore I would not be the person who started a blog and then quit after a month, so consider this my attempt to make up for my previous neglect.

I had a few other blogs saved but they were lost when my computer was Chinafied, but also, life here has settled into a routine so I feel like suddenly we have become less interesting :)

An average day for us consists of a quick breakfast and then a scooter ride to East campus, where we have Chinese class with the other foreign teachers and exchange students, if one of us doesn't have to teach in the morning. We are either in Chinese class, or teaching English, until 11:40. Then we have two hours for a lunch break. Usually we fill this time with our p90x workout. Our friends Van and Luan have been working out with us, which keeps me from just blowing it off everyday. We have been using Jeff's living room as a gym for some of the workouts, but for the ones where we have to do an absurd number of pullups, we go outside to the playground thing in front of our building and workout there. As if being American in China isn't enough, imagine doing a plyometric workout in the middle of campus. We literally get groups of students that walk up right next to us, and then just stand there and watch for a little while. One of Van's students told him the next day that she saw him dancing with some other Americans in the park...sure, call it dancing. Anyways, Jeff wrote about all of this already so I shall move on.

After our workout, I have to run off to class at 2. I only have to teach 2 classes a day, Monday through Thursday, so I get a three day weekend every week, much to Jeff's chagrin. Jeff teaches 3 classes on Mondays and Fridays, but the middle of his week is much easier. He teaches 2 classes on Tuesday, 1 on Wednesday and none on Thursday. I think we are getting too comfortable when we complain about having to work 6 hours a day on the busy days.

We are working on adding some extra hours to our schedule through outside tutoring. I work three days a week at a Korean school in Huang Hai, the Korean village just 15 minutes walking distance from our apartment building. I also teach another group of students at another school once a week. These outside jobs pay better than our jobs at the Institute per hour, so we are trying to live off of just tutoring money so we can save our salaries. While teaching the college students has gotten a lot better, getting to teach kids who actually understand English and who have personalities reminds me that I do still like teaching. About three weeks ago, our tutoring hours doubled so we have much busier weekends. Jeff teaches kindergarden downtown, so go ahead and picture him standing there teaching the letter "E." "Eddie the Elephant has an eggcup..." (Of all the English words, these people want the kids to know what an eggcup is....)

After we get finished teaching, usually around 4 or 5:40, depending on the day, we walk down "Eat Street" to one of our favorite restaurants and get dinner. For about $6, we can get three giant dishes that not only feed us for the night, but serve as the next day's reheated lunch. We usually get kung pao chicken, some kind of fried eggplant dish which tastes AMAZING, and a spicy shredded potato dish. Having friends who speak Chinese has done wonders for our diets :)
After dinner, we come back home and take it easy for the rest of the night. Sometimes that means Jeff sits down for four hours in front of the TV to watch Season 8 of 24 (so I get a lot of time to myself...), or we grade some papers and maybe study some Chinese. Our current favorite pastime however, is descending the 12 stairs to Van and Luan's apartment to spend the evening eating fruit and getting riled up over a game of the Settlers of Catan. The beginning of the game usually starts out pretty friendly and casual, but once we get into it and people start collecting 7 points (you need 10 to win), that is when the yelling begins. Regardless of who wins, we always leave as friends...most of the time.

So there you have it. An average day in the life of Jeff and Robin in China. Sometimes we mix it up and pay badminton (MY NEW FAVORITE SPORT!!!!!! It's just like volleyball, except that the net is lower and I have one really long right arm!) Our friends Eric, Katie and Joni all love to play too, so I think we will be half moving into the gym in the winter. And there are the occasional spa days of course, but overall, life has settled down for us. We were talking over our barbequed squid last night about how happy we both are in China. When we first got here, I wanted the time to hurry up and pass because 10 months seemed so long and I wanted to get some of it behind us. But now it is already the end of November and I know that we will be on a plane headed west before we know it. So, here we are, trying to soak it in and enjoy the adventures as they come.

Well, I had better be going. I have to teach this morning in Huang Hai, and so does Jeff. Maybe we will stop at the Korean bakery and get some lattes on the way back! The ladies are planning to go downtown to do some shopping this afternoon(knock off Ugg boots here I come!) and then we are all meeting up at Mama's, the American restaurant, for a nice long dinner of fajitas! So life is good here in Yantai.

Robin
Teacher
China

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Climbing Machu Picchu y El Fin...-Final Entry by Current Teacher in Chile Caroline

After some extensive thought on the matter, I have decided that it is impossible to say "I climbed a freaking mountain!" without appearing as though bragging. After even more extensive thought on the matter, I have also decided that I don't care if it looks like I'm bragging, because I did in fact climb a freaking mountain and I'm pretty darn proud of myself. It was, without a doubt, the hardest physical thing I have ever done in my (rather sedentary) life.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is not for the faint of heart: it took us 4 days to hike about 28 miles up into the clouds. Some of the people in my group had run marathons before, and they said that this hike was in a lot of ways harder than a marathon (mostly because of the I-can't-breathe-in-this-altitude thing). I even found out that Katie Couric tried to do this hike and failed, which makes me more awesome than Katie Couric.

The first day was definitely the easiest day; it was mostly rolling hills (which is called "Peruvian flat" by the locals). The only bad part about the first day was my brilliant idea to buckle the chest strap on my backpack (which was set to the tightest setting) right after I climbed a hill, in order to take some pressure off of my back. Turns out that doing this almost immediately cut off all the blood that was pumping to my head, causing me to come pretty darn close to passing out. In addition to seeing some really pretty white lights, I was wobbling worse than Lindsey Lohan leaving a bar. Luckily, there was a vacationing doctor in our group that just happened to be right by me when this all this went down, so I was well taken care of.

Dead Woman's Pass. Those tiny dots in the middle are people.

The second day of the hike can only be described self-inflicted misery: 5 miles straight up to an altitude of 14,000 feet via the appropriately named "Dead Woman's Pass" and 2 more miles straight down. I basically spent the entire first part of the day regretting every decision that got me to that point, while at the same time hoping that sweet death would spare me from having to take one more step up that bloody mountain. Miraculously, I eventually made it to the top of "Dead Woman's Pass" (named for the mountain formation that looks like a very well-endowed lady taking a nap) without actually becoming a dead woman myself. The rest of the day was completely downhill to camp. I'm not sure if it's because my body was just so happy to not be going uphill anymore, but this downhill business turned out to be my forte: I rock-hopped my way down that mountain like a mountain goat and was the first one in my group back to camp that night!

Day three wasn't a bowl of giggles either; our guide Jose called it "The Gringo Killer" since the entire stinkin day was nothing but downhill on stupidly steep Incan steps. All my zeal for going downhill from the day before disappeared about 2 hours after we left camp that morning when my knees decided that they hated me. On top of everything else, there was some never-ending rain that made the whole day a broken ankle waiting to happen (luckily I had my trusty Gandalf walkin stick to keep that from happening). On the bright side, we saw some really excellent views and some Incan ruins. Even so, when this day was over my body hurt like I had been stabbed by a thousand spoons.

Yeah. It was amazing.

The fourth day began at the very un-Caroline hour of 3:30 am. This was the day when we hiked the final stretch of the trail to Machu Picchu. The first part of the hike wasn't bad at all and was filled with some of the most amazing views of the sun rising over the mountains and the cloud forest. Eventually we stumbled upon the final "Gringo Killer" which was basically a rock wall with tiny steps straight up. Finally, we made it to the "Sun Gate" that faced Machu Picchu over a valley. I would be lying if I said that pure exhaustion and relief didn't make me shed a few tears when I saw Machu Picchu for the first time. When we finally reached Machu Picchu, we took some time to do the obligatory photo shoot and then had a two hour tour of the city. There is no way that anything I could write would do the place justice, so just believe me when I say that you should go if you ever get the chance. Probably the only down side of my time at Machu Picchu was the overwhelming amount of tourists; it was like an ancient ruins version of Walt Disney World. I immediately resented the lot of them for being well dressed and showered while I was smellier and sweatier than a hobo.

A side-note on camping: I don't like it. Give me a shower and a Holiday Inn and I'm a happy Caroline.

After I got back to Iquique I only had a week left before I would take a plane back to Santiago. My last week was spent saying goodbye to all of the friends I met, bonding with Mateo, and having the most awesome going away ceremony thrown for me at my school. They even gave me my own school uniform! The kids were really sweet and gave me lots of little goodbye notes; I can honestly say that I will miss them and am so glad that I was able to be there to help motivate them to learn some English.

Saying goodbye to my host family was especially difficult. I gave them all some little Texas gifts that my wonderful family sent me from home, and they were super excited (especially my host dad when he was introduced to a beer koozie for the first time). I even gave Mateo a festive holiday sweater to add to his closet, as well as an enormous doggie biscuit in the shape of Texas that said "Woof, y'all" on it. He seemed pleased. I will definitely miss my host family and my wonderful co-teacher Isabel; they welcomed me and cared for me like they had known me my entire life.

I caught my plane back to Santiago on the 24th to attend the closing ceremony of the English Opens Doors program at the United Nations headquarters. Now that the program has officially ended, I have moved into my buddy Melissa's apartment in Santiago until December 7th, when I fly back to Texas. Melissa and I are planning on doing a little travelling to the towns surrounding Santiago as well as a 5 day trip to Mendoza, Argentina next week. I will be doing a final post after that to let you know how awesome it is :-)

I've uploaded all of my Machu Picchu pictures and my going-away pictures from Iquique to my online photo album. You can see them by going to http://carolineenlaciudad.photoshop.com/. Enjoy! Until next time, here is the philosophical question of the day:

Why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?

-Caroline
Teacher
Chile

P.S. - To those of you feeling sorry for me for missing Thanksgiving, fear not: I brought the turkey-lovin' down to Santiago! Melissa and I bought a 10 pound turkey (which was pretty difficult to find) and named him Juanito. We bought all the stuff to do my grandmother's fantastic recipes of dressing, broccoli with olive butter, pan gravy, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Since neither pre-made pie crust nor canned pumpkins exist in Chile, the pie was really a labor of love. In the end, everything turned out delicious and I got to share my Thanksgiving traditions with 3 Mexicans, 1 Colombian, and a Chilean. They loved it!

Juanito gave his life so that I could have my Chilean Thanksgiving. Gracias Juanito!

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Great- by Current Au Pair in France Stephanie Pratt

Sorry it's been so long, I have no excuses except that I'm just living. My computer was broken though for a little while, but I think even if it was fixed I would have been distracted. Distracted is the perfect word for how I feel. I can't concentrate on anything because I have so many thoughts swimming around my head right now.

Unfortunately I'm still dealing with awkwardness in the house but I think I'm the only one who feels it. There are just some things I don't understand I guess. I feel uncomfortable sometimes but I think I'm just having trouble letting myself be seen in anyway other than as an employee which is not the point of the placement. I'm getting better every day at opening up to this wonderful family and I think that they are starting to see my efforts to connect with them.

On another thought, I went on a vacation not too long ago at the end of October. I went to Berlin, Koln, to Brussels and back to Paris. It was AMAZING. In Berlin I got to see an amazing exhibit on Hitler at the National Museum there. In Koln I walked to the top of the Koln Dom. Why? I don't know but after a 97 m hike up the tiniest whirliest stair case my legs were shaking and I could barely walk. It was worth the hike though and it was an amazing view in a beautiful church. In Brussels I went to see a friend's band play, did I mention I was with my friend the whole time? No? Okay well I was with emmie; she's best friends with my best friends older sister. She lives in Berlin, and since I moved to Paris it made sense to meet up at least once. Anyway, so in Brussels I went to see a band on Halloween, dressed up as Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. I unfortunately have no pictures of me in my costume. But I did a photo project and tried to take a Polaroid of every gas station we stopped at. I got back to Paris November 1st, and now I've been working, floating around, going to school and day dreaming of my next excursion to London.

I warned you I feel distracted, I'm changing subjects now. Paris has been wonderful to me and I'm looking forward to this Friday evening. I found some good clubs and bars that play actual music and not ONLY techno. Thank goodness. Tonight me and my friend Lindsey are going to do the twist and maybe shout. By shout I mean invite these French boys we meet that are new to Paris as well. Oh la la Paris has so much to do. I wish I was just a little closer to Paris. I have nothing to do until tonight. I'm tight on money so I can't go entertain myself by shopping and it is almost not worth it to go into Paris, come home to eat and get ready and go back. That is easily and hour and a half of just travel time. Le Vesinet is beautiful but come on the only young spot is closed right now to be re-modeled. Just my luck. So my options are to browse through expensive old lady stores, browse through the monoprix, go to a park and freeze, eat (but I shouldn't because I'm bored or spend the money) or sit at home. I chose sit at home.

Well, look at these pictures now.

Stephanie Pratt
Au Pair
France

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Memories in the Making- by Current Participant in Australia Amy

It's incredible how quickly time is going by and yet at the same time it feels as though I've been living here forever! This entire experience has been incredible from the exotic wildlife, festivals, and beaches to the sometimes foreign English language! All of this has been made better by the fantastic group of friends I've made in my short time here. It's been about a month since I've updated my blog (as some of you have kindly pointed out to me);) so I'll just update you on what I've been up to in the past few weeks.

A few weeks ago one of my many English friends, Ceri, from work told me about Rhys Darby performing in a local suburb. He plays the manager, Murray, in Flight of the Conchords and is absolutely hysterical. Being the poor low-budget travellers that we are, we went back and forth as to whether or not to splurge on the tickets. We decided to be rational and resigned to putting our funds toward future travels, until Ceri's boyfriend got her tickets for her birthday. That was all the rest of us needed to immediately log online and order tickets!...the show was definitely worth it! I had never been to a live stand up comedy show and now I'm sure they will pale in comparison as he had us in stitches from start to finish. The best part was getting to meet him after the show. It was a moment that you wait for, hoping you'll get to meet him and say something brilliant and memorable, but when the time actually came I was just all smiles with a stuttering "you were great, so great!" WHAT?! ah well, I've never been known for my coolness! haha

A new experience that I was very excited about was getting the opportunity to play the part of an extra in a short film, "Second Face." It's a story about a guy and a girl who go online after being fed up with the dating scene and each pose as the opposite sex. The twist is that they are both confessing what they've done to their friends in the same coffee shop only to run into...(spoiler alert!) ;) Anyway, I had to quickly overcome my giddy"ness" each time I heard "action!" and focus on my role. That role being spending the day in a coffee shop pretending to chat with complete strangers who I believe to have convincingly portrayed to be my closest of friends. As if just being on a real live "set" wasn't good enough, we ate cake all day long, take after take after cake, err take. It was a day I will never forget, as now permanently added to my hips!

Onto the races...the race that stops the nation to be exact. So I took a day off from the phones to work as a bartender at one of the biggest events in Australia--the Melbourne Cup. This is similar to our Kentucky Derby but consists of races held all over the country and literally the whole country stops work to watch the races. It was so great to be a part of such a massive event. To be honest I was more intrigued by the hats and fashion being paraded on the lawn than I was by the racing! I made an attempt to place bets prior to race day but due to mine and Sarah's inability to work the OTB machine, race day passed without our money on any horses. Oh, and Americain was the winner of the day!

I went to my first show (aka the movies, aka cinema) in Sydney and it was quite an experience. Tickets to the show are $20 and that's before you get your popcorn and icee! The interesting thing is that you reserve seats like you would at a concert so you can ensure the perfect seat and still walk in right before the previews and not have to crane your neck from the leftover seats in the very front row. Once you get inside the theater you completely forget about what you've paid because it is as though you have your very own recliner with arm rests...so very nice! It's probably a good thing that tickets are pricey because my love for going to the show could get the better of me here in Oz and I'd have nothing to blog about but movie reviews!

An interesting event that we just attended was the Redbull Flugtag annual competition. This is where anyone that wants to can register to build a flying contraption and compete to see whose creation will fly the furthest off the platform into the Harbour. Although there were a number of really elaborate designs and coordinating costumes, I don't think there were many engineers in the group of contestants! Most of them just dropped off the edge with the teams jumping off the ledge behind it. There was an obvious winner whose design resembled that of a hand glider...ingenious concept! ha Needless to say it was a good day and the sun was finally out. I will never underestimate the Aussie sunshine again though, as I got a pretty good sunburn after only a few hours. Lesson learned!

One of the more difficult parts of meeting all of these wonderful traveling friends is that we all move in our different directions sooner or later. We had to say goodbye to Ceri and Mark just last week as they set off on the tail end of their trip before heading back to England. We sent them off in style properly with a good night of food and drink and made Ceri's night with a book of crossword puzzles all to herself that didn't have American answers like the book she had to share with me! haha Ceri also gave us each a Christmas ornament to place on our orphan Christmas tree to remember her by. We will miss y'all! xo

On a lighter note, we celebrated Sarah's 30th birthday 80's style! I was a bit concerned that not everyone who saw us realized that we were actually costumed. Maybe it shows their accepting, nonjudgemental culture or maybe it is a sign of poor fashion sense...but who am I to judge?! Regardless, we had a blast and didn't just leave it at the outfits, we brought back the Roger Rabbit and any other horrific dance moves we could muster. Good times were had by all!

And to save the absolute best for last, and to share what is a bit of a confession. I have become a bit obsessed with the reality talent show that is X-factor here in Australia...not only do I have a crush on one of the hosts, Boyzone singer Ronan Keating, but am absolutely crazy about one of the contestants, Altiyan Childs. I'm convinced we'll all be saying "we knew him when..." one day in the near future. Well, with my partners in crime (and fellow X-Factor addicts), Liam and Sarah, we made the hour long trek across town to see Altiyan perform live in his hometown before the grand finale. We were relieved to see that we weren't the only crazy adults so we weren't surrounded by only teeny-boppers, though there was a close call between Sarah and a determined 10 year old in an altercation about getting to the stage..thankfully it didn't get too ugly! We're all still a little starstruck and are planning a party for the grand finale!---It sounds a bit sad when you put it in writing, but it's 'what's on!' so I must report honestly, despite my dignity. :)

Hoping for some good beach weather this weekend and then preparing for my Thanksgiving away from home. I'm in charge of Thursday's dinner with my non-American family after work--will do my best. Then on Saturday I've been invited to celebrate with some American families from church at one of their homes so that should be really nice. Between the warm weather & no family around it won't feel much like Thanksgiving, but I'm also more aware than ever before that I have plenty to be thankful for.

Hope everyone is well, sorry again for the long delay between posts!
Take care! :)
xoxo
Amy
Participant
Australia

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¿Dulce o Truco?- by Current Teacher in Chile Caroline

Halloween is not popular in Chile. In fact, it only made its way down from the United States about 10 years ago and has been slowly growing in popularity ever since. Since my lesson last week in class was about Halloween and all of the fun vocabulary that goes with it, I was able to see which kids were very pro-Halloween and which kids were being told by their parents that it is evil pagan celebration. Even so, none of the kids seemed to mind when I played the Monster Mash and attempted to do the dance from Michael Jackson's Thriller video.

My kids dancing to the "Monster Mash" with some "Thriller" moves thrown in

I was even invited to a couple of different Halloween parties this weekend. Cursing the fact that I left my German fraulein dress from last year at home, I went with a friend to Iquique's largest flea market to costume hunt. After 4 hours of digging through a glorified garage sale, I encountered a lightly used Alice in Wonderland dress that I found to be perfectly analogous to my time here in Chile. Not only was my costume a hit, but I also had a lot of fun telling people that I was "Alicia en el pais de las maravillas".

Me in my costume (over my clothes) after I triumphantly found it at the flea market. That chick in the background is totally jealous. 

Last week I had my "Big Show" with all the kids and all the fairy tales and all the stress. We had a room full of about 65 parents and at least 2 babies who were consistently crying throughout the whole thing (I like to think they were just overwhelmed with the sheer brilliance of the show). Other than an epic battle I had with the sound system and a few forgotten lines, it went really well. For your viewing enjoyment, I have uploaded some of the acts to YouTube. Since the kids were speaking a delightful hybrid of English and Spanish, you probably won't be able to understand much of the dialog. Regardless, the kids looked pretty darn cute in their costumes and seemed to have had a good time.

Here's the link to the Three Little Pigs- those guys at the beginning are the "Three Stooges" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIIyD2rEACg

Here's the link to Aladdin. As long as you don't mind horribly off-key renditions of "A Whole New World", you will probably enjoy it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE5kE8V9tlE

And finally, here's the link to Little Red Riding Hood; please note the great pause before the music starts at the end and know that I was backstage whispering obscenities to the antiquated sound system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXO5I2LNHCo

Okay, so in previous posts I have mentioned my desire to do some traveling around South America, specifically to Machu Picchu. Well, in five days I am doing just that... albeit in a bit of a different way than I had previously thought. Those of you who know me know that I am not the most outdoorsy type of gal; my idea of "roughing it" is to stay in a 10 bed hostel dorm with a shared bathroom. However, I am about to take a big friggin leap outside of the Caroline Comfort Zone onto the Inca Trail... 4 days and 3 nights on the Inca Trail to be exact. That means that I will be hiking (gasp!) and sleeping in a tent (double gasp!) and going without a shower for a few days longer than is socially appropriate. Yes, that's right: there will be no luxury train up to Machu Picchu for this girl; I am hiking 28 miles (through a very reliable tour company, so you won't have to worry) up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Will there be pain? Yes. Will there be blisters? Probably. Will I be sick from the altitude? Most definitely. But, upon my survival of this crazy trip, I will be able to say that I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and not many people can say that. So, during the days of November 9-12, I ask that you send positive energy my way as I attempt something that is so very far outside of my comfort zone. Also, if you would like to send some Icy-Hot alongside that positive energy, I know that my aching body will thank you for it after the 12th.

So, next time you hear from me I will (hopefully) be able to share all the ups and downs of my climb to Machu Picchu (pun intended). Until then, here's the philosophical question of the day:

If people from Poland are called "Poles," why aren't people from Holland called "Holes?"

Caroline
Teacher
Chile

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Discover China- by Founder Emlyn Lee

I'm rounding the corner for my final stretch in China, and heading to Shanghai before my return back to the States. I just spent the past 5 days in one of my favorite areas of China- the Guilin/Yangshuo area. This is one of the most aesthetically beautiful parts of China that provide inspiration to many artists, poets, and is printed on the 20RMB Chinese currency bill. Yangshuo has been known as a backpacker and adventure travel haven for years, and the infamous West Street has developed even more to be a hub for bars, cafes, restaurants, vendors, and discos to appeal to the Chinese and foreign markets alike.

The beautiful Guilin/Yangshuo area

The reason I came out here was to meet up with and check on our Discover China - Travel, Volunteer, and Cultural Exchange program. Cultural Embrace has partnered with a local non-profit to provide a wonderful blend of Chinese cultural, educational, adventurous, and humanitarian aspects in the area. We have created weekly programs to offer a diverse opportunity to experience the 'real' China, allowing our participants to: integrate within the local village, learn more about the Chinese culture, including several ethnic minority groups that live in and near the area, embark on some fun and adventurous recreational activities, and give back to the communities.

Our local coordinator, Isabella, is a delight, one of my favorite coordinators that we work with around the globe. She is a former English teacher in the Northern region, and genuinely cares about the community, participants, and village people. Plus, she's fun, adorable, and has the most pleasant 'hao de' (translated okay or alright) and smile that will make anyone reciprocate her happy demeanor. My brief description does not give justice to the a la carte week options you may choose, so go see for yourself, to gain a better understanding and experience of fascinating China.

Isabella!

Cultural Week: Participants will fly or take the train in to Guilin. You will be met by a local representative, and depending on the time of arrival, you will either overnight in downtown Guilin, or go straight down to Fengyan village. The gender divided bunk bed accommodations is a highlight of the Fengyan experience. Our base is home to an ancient building, over 100 years old, that has been recently renovated to include wi-fi, Western toilets, and hot water, yet preserves the ancient old ambience. All meals are included and cooked by a private chef and served family style. This cultural week orientates the traveler with Chinese culture, basic and essential Chinese phrases, social habits, and expectations of our participants in China. The week is filled with sight-seeing excursions, such as: Confucius and Buddhist temples, farm lands, ancient Chong Shen village, Li River cruises, and much more. Participants will get a chance to have tea and visit local homes and families, and a chance to meet local farmers, students, and decide what type of work they want to do if they are on the volunteer week.

Yangshuo Adventure & Travel Week: As I mentioned earlier, Yangshuo has been a backpacker and adventure traveler refuge in China. Rock climbing, mountain biking, white water rafting, tubing and much more are available during this weekdays, and your evenings are at leisure to relax your muscles, or check out the hip nightlife scene of Yangshuo. Our accommodations in Yangshuo are upgraded dormitories in a local private school. All of the foreign participants are situated on the 3rd and 4th floor of a hall, and have wi-fi, Western toilets, hot showers, and included meals.

Trekking Week: Three hours North of Yangshuo is Long Cheng, home to the Yao minority, and a spectacular area for trekking and hiking. We include a week-long trek, led by local minorities to maintain sustainability within the local community, and they will take you through farmlands, local villages, and the backroads of China. These spry older ladies, aka as Longhair villagers, will wear their minority clothing (not sure how they don't get hot), skipping along the steps without catching their breath. These ladies are also known as Longhair minority, since they do not cut their hair after 18 years old, and wear their floor-length hair in an unique bun. Every day's trek ranges 4-8 hours of leisure-paced hiking. You will overnight in comfortable, clean and conveniently located hostels/hotels each night, with all meals included.

Me with a Longhair villager

TaiQi/Kung Fu Week: There are two kungfu and tai qi academies located near Yangshuo district. Participants that want to learn, practice, and discover the beautiful art form and disciplinary workout will love this opportunity. Be the "Karate Kid" during your time in China, and learn from nationally praised kungfu masters. Participants will live on site in clean, comfortable, and Western friendly accommodations, with all meals included and instructions in Chinglish.

Volunteer Week: Giving back to the community is a major part of our mission and passion at Cultural Embrace, and we provide several opportunities for our participants to volunteer in China.

If you wish to stay in the Yangshuo/Fengyan area, you may opt to:

1. Tutor and teach basic oral English at public elementary, middle, or high schools (depending on your age preference)
2. Help local villagers and farmers during their harvest season (seasonal). 

I recommend joining our Teach in China program http://www.culturalembrace.com/4444669_24622.htm if you are able to commit 14+ weeks, as we may be able to offer you a paid stipend for your longer-term teach placement.

If you wish to spread your wings and visit other parts of China, we have a fantastic opportunity for you to work at a Panda Conservation Reserve in Chengdu, and help at a local orphanage in Henan Province. There is a local coordinator in each destination that will inform you of your duties, schedule, and expectations, and assist with all ground transportation, language translations, etc. Both sites have shared clean and comfortable accommodations for the foreign volunteers with all included meals.

All of these weeks are available throughout the year, and you may choose the weeks and types of travel and program you want to do. Come and join us to Discover China!

Discover the Similarities... Share the Differences,

Emlyn
Founder of Cultural Embrace

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Five Senses of China - by Founder Emlyn Lee

Sensation is defined as: "an unprocessed result of stimulation of sensory receptors in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or skin." Perception is defined as: "one's ultimate experience of the world involving further processing of sensory input." If human's perception and experience are determined by our process to translate our sensory stimulation, then what is my perception of China? Let me use my five senses to share my experiences China.

Sight: There is a lot to see in China. Not only is it the most populated country in the world, but it is a diverse country too. You can see that China is economically busting at the seams. Skyscrapers and cranes dominate the cities. Cars, many of them luxury brands, dominate the highways and roads. Malls, plazas, and street vendors fill the streets, no matter what time of day or night. Some of the world's most marveled architecture (modern and historically) are found throughout China, yet farmlands, rice fields, pagodas and temples resembling the 'traditional' China are still prevalent throughout the nation.

Sound: This is what I currently hear as I close my eyes: motorcycles, buses, trucks, and cars driving by; random car and truck honks; 2-3 people talking loudly (which is typical Chinese speaking volume); the water in the pipes from someone upstairs taking a shower; a guy hawking a loogie; TV from an apartment across the quad. It is Monday, after midnight, and my hotel room is facing inside a quad, off a busy street in downtown Guilin.

Chinese Opera Singer

Smell: Besides walking along a street vendor or restaurant cooking their delicious dishes, there probably aren't too many times you want to take a deep breath in of China. It's a polluted country, with little chance to smell the roses. But I have to admit, all the times I wrinkle my nose walking near bathrooms, train stations, supermarkets, smokers (who disregard blowing cigarette smoke in anyone's face), stinky tofu cooking...every time I return to China, these fragrances listed above are the familiar and 'refeshing' smell of Zhong Guo!

Taste: Leave your Sesame Chicken, General Tso Chicken, and Beef and Broccoli orders at home. Authentic Chinese cuisine ROCKS! Plus, each region has their own special flavor and cooking styles that ordering the same dish in Northern China may taste completely different than in Southern China. Take noodles for example, they look, taste, and are cooked differently within each province and region. Whether you like spicy, sweet, salty, soft, sticky, or crunchy textured foods, China has it all. There is a popular idiom referencing the way that Chinese eat...if it doesn't have 'table' legs, it will be eaten.


Touch: There are over 1.3 billion people that live in China, in an area smaller than the States. Face it, somewhere and somehow...you will probably rub elbows and shoulders with someone in China. Personal space doesn't really exist, and you often feel like you are on the most crowded bus, street corner, marketplace, or store in the world...which you probably are. I balance my frustration of pushy and crowded China with another touch sensory-Chinese massages. The Chinese are so good with foot reflexology and acupressure points. Okay, this may be a generalization, but most street corners have massage spas/parlors, with an hour massage costing only ~US$10! Just a simple $2 hair wash in salons includes a head, shoulder and back massage. I certainly am able to embrace this touching culture!

Discover the Similarities... Share the Differences,
Emlyn
Founder of Cultural Embrace

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Playing Favorites to Teach Abroad- by Founder Emlyn Lee

I know parents aren't supposed to play favorites, yet since I gave birth to C.E., I admittingly have a favorite program...Teaching English abroad. My first international experience back in 1995 was to Teach in China, and it is the foundation of Cultural Embrace's existence. After I graduated with a liberal arts degree from the University of Maryland-College Park, I didn't know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I actually had a nice corporate job, with a lot of potential to grow, but wearing pantyhose and heels were not appealing to me, and I needed a change from the metropolitan D.C. area. I contemplated Peace Corps, but not knowing where I'd be placed for two years, and the long application process was less appealing than taking the GREs and filling out grad school applications. So, I gave my first post-student 'networking' skills test a try, and contacted my Qi Yi Ma (Aunt #7) living in Wuhan, China, and asked if there were any opportunities for me to do something in China.

I recall my mother calling me one evening, asking in her "Oh no you di'int" tone what I did, because Qi Yi Ma (Aunt #7) CALLED from China. This is pre-Skype, pre-mobile, probably pre-cordless phone days. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if poor Qi Yi Ma had to connect long distance through a local Chinese operator to call the States. Anyways, my networking skills worked, because Qi Yi Ma hooked me up with a teaching gig at an university in Wuhan, China. Three months later, I packed a huge suitcase and duffel bag, and flew across the globe to teach English at the Wuhan Iron and Steel University.

Fast forward fifteen year (gulp-really?!), and I am back in China, but instead of being in front of the chalkboard, I'm working behind the scenes meeting with several of our ground suppliers and local coordinators for our teach, intern, volunteer, Chinese lessons, and group trips. I am checking up on our sites to make sure our ground operations are up to par and to discuss any issues we had from current and past participants. Plus, I'm finding new opportunities to expand our programs and services, as I want to China to expand their language training, in and out of their country.

I play favorites with teaching abroad because I think it's one of the most rewarding and affordable ways to travel. What better way is there to live abroad, get paid a comfortable local salary (usually with housing included), give back and be involved within a local community? Plus, most schools in Asia (China and Thailand) offer airfare reimbursement stipends at the end of the teaching contract. And, let's not forget to add the stress free work schedule and lifestyle, with loads of opportunities to travel, and its positive enrichment for your personal, academic, and professional endeavors!

Discover the Similarities- Share the Differences is my personal and career mantra, and since teaching abroad is my baby, I tend to put more attention and efforts with language training. Cultural Embrace plans to work with local communities abroad and in Austin to teach youths the ability to create change in their communities. We will strive to make a difference in the lives of others, all over the world, teaching them English through subjects discussing the fundamentals of leadership, civic engagement, and creativity.

We have several opportunities for you to teach abroad. If you are able to commit for a full semester (~4 months) to one academic school year (~8 months with a vacation break), we will pre-arrange a paid teaching placement in Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. If you are only available for 1-12 weeks, volun-teaching is another great option. We will organize an unpaid placement within a school, community center, or with a local host family. This is another meaningful and affordable way to travel and immerse within the local community, with accommodations and most meals included. We offer placements throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Everything is pre-arranged and organized prior to your departure, so you will not stress out where to go, or what to do. Foreign language and experience are certainly helpful and more influential in the placement process, however, it is not a requirement. Some of our programs include an on-line TEFL training, or in-country orientation and training, or you may opt to take additional TEFL lessons.

Check out our Teach program http://www.culturalembrace.com/teach.html, and in a few weeks, we will have our updated 2011 programs and details. There will be a lot more opportunities combined with cultural orientation, teaching training and excursions. I can't wait for you to experience one of my favorite things to do in this world!

Discover the Similarities... Share the Differences,
Emlyn
Founder of Cultural Embrace

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Greetings from Beijing, China- by Founder Emlyn Lee

Ni hao! Greetings from Beijing, China! I have been here for exactly one week, and FINALLY feel like my brain and body are working on the right time zone. I attended a 4 days conference for the youth travel industry, and will spend the next two weeks visiting our site projects for our Teach, Intern, and Volunteer in China programs, and work on some new business development. I'll definitely share more details and insight of my experiences here, and how I hope this visit will improve our programs and services to this fascinating destination.

I am giving the 'touristy' things to do in Beijing amiss, as I have been to Beijing numerous times, either as a tourist, or having lead group tours. So now, I get the pleasure to sit back and embrace the local culture. Ironically, I am sitting in a Starbucks, in the HouHai district, which is in the heart of Beijing's Lake District. I know, Starbucks isn't really a 'local' thing, and in fact, I avoid the green and white chains back in the States, but not only is this one of the only places that offers free wi-fi, but it's everywhere in Beijing, and dominated by Chinese and foreign people alike. In fact, I'm sitting next to three local young Chinese girls, sitting around their netbook watching videos, giggling, bopping their heads, and singing along to Eminem and Rhianna. At a table across from them, there are three young Westerners peering over each other's shoulders, looking at a Mac screen with earphones on. Do you think they could be listening to the same thing? Who knows, but for me, at this moment, this coffee shop is a true representation of how we continue to Discover the Similarities and Share the Differences. Whether through food, coffee, music, people and ways to spend a lazy, chilly, Saturday afternoon...that's no lie.

Discover the Similarities... Share the Differences,

Emlyn
Founder of Cultural Embrace

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Q&A about Cultural Embrace's Work in Australia Program- by Past Participant Jennifer C Campbell

Hey hey guys! I'm very excited for everyone's interest in Cultural Embrace's Work and Travel Program, as my W&T experience was absolutely incredible, and urge each of you to boldly go after what draws you. Dive into every opportunity to broaden your perspectives, challenge yourself with unknown territories and live adventurously. You won't regret it!

My experience was awe-inspiring, and I'm still wholeheartedly living its effects. Miriam Beard explains it best, "Traveling is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."

This final blog is a (Q&A) of commonly received questions and concerns and my best advice and explanations to provide an overview of my experience. Just a tip before we get into it: As I've said, backpacking/traveling is regularly a fine line between a plan and a few ideas that might sort themselves out, so don't get too hung up in trying to plan every move. Your plans are likely to scatter and change with the people you meet, travel and job opportunities, expenses, and just generally blowing with the wind... so keep an open mind for adventure's sake.

And we're off...

Program Details:

Q. So, the program fee, is it worth it?

A. Only you can decide if the fee is "worth it." If you have a fully scoped understanding of how much of the Cultural Embrace program's support services you would take advantage of, you can better assess whether or not it's right for you. After considering all of the services (listed in this final blog just below and also on http://www.culturalembrace.com/5772939_24622.htm under 'Introduction' and 'Program Details and Highlights'), weigh them against the cost of the program fee.

Q. What support services does Cultural Embrace's program, including their in-country partner company, offer?

A. Let me see here...

• Working Holiday Visa assistance
• General inquiry assistance (housing, city/area advice, etc.)
• YHA (hostel) discounts and three days of hostel accommodation including breakfast
• One month free luggage storage
• Private mailbox in the partner company's Sydney office with mail forwarding available anywhere in Australia
• Job assistance (the big one) through the partner company's in-house placement team
• Weekly emails with exclusive job opportunities throughout Australia
• Partner company's in-house travel agency which offers exclusive travel deals
• Airport pickup
• 24/7 Emergency Assistance
• Fifteen partner company locations across Australia with free Internet access, both wireless and on their provided computers (also, the constant in-office traveler/backpacker presence in each location allows you to continually meet people who need roommates, travel mates, etc.)
• Cell phone setup: provided SIM card and also device purchase opportunity
• General orientation in the partner company's Sydney office covering state laws (each of the states, including Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, and the three territories, Northern Territory, Jervis Bay Territory and Australia Capitol Territory, have their own parliament and laws- including vocation certification laws), transportation tips (buying a car vs. public transport), destination overviews, safety tips, casual work information, tax information, superannuation information, general information, etc. - pretty much everything you would expect and then some.
• Tax File Number and Bank account set-up with Westpac Bank, which seems to have an ATM and branch on every corner. Also good to note, Westpac Bank is part of Bank of America's global alliance, which means you can access your Bank of America account via BOA debit card at Westpac ATMs without the $5-$8 overseas account withdraw fee. (Excellent!)

Work:

Q. How much aid does Cultural Embrace's in-country placement team offer in the job hunt?

A. The amount of aide the placement team extends in your job hunt is really up to you. Although they cannot guarantee you a job, they do offer plenty of resources to find employment throughout Australia.

The placement team is available to aid you in resume, interview and field certification preparations, and provides you with access to an exclusive job database where you're able to fill out a profile/resume section for easy online application (similar to the process on funjobs.com and careerbuilder.com). The placement team also sends out weekly emails with lists of job openings (mostly resort, hospitality and farm work positions) located all over the country.


Key: Every job Cultural Embrace's placement team offers up- through emails, database, etc.- are exclusive to those who use their services. As you can imagine, this exclusivity can be a huge advantage.

Q. What kinds of jobs are available?

A. Working Holiday Visa only allows it's holders/travelers to work in positions for up to six months without sponsorship... and because most companies are not looking to sponsor travelers, your job options can be limited. The majority of jobs travelers hold are in the casual work and hospitality fields- bartending, wait-staff, resort work (hosting, cooking, cleaning etc.), temp work, construction, retail, and promotional work.

But of course, there are cases where you meet somebody who knows somebody who can put in a good word for a position outside of casual work, or you score an interview based on your ridiculous amount of experience and expertise in a field. I did have a few traveler friends who held jobs outside of casual work- one worked in public relations, one was a pharmacists assistant, another a nurse and another an architect assistant- and each had exceptional and verifiable work experience.

So, depending on your experience and expertise you may be able to find something in a non-casual work field, but again, you'll find most of the opportunities available to you lay in casual work and hospitality.

** Certification courses are compulsory for any position requiring you to be around alcohol and/or gambling, or public service jobs (such as construction assistant or flagger jobs... which pay VERY well.) Certification course prices vary per certification and per state, however when you file for your taxes upon your return to The States you will most likely receive the cost of the course(s) back.

Q. How fast did you find work?

A. The amount of time it takes to find a job depends on the season, the city and what you're looking for... just as it is at home in the casual work field. Holiday seasons require more hospitality and casual workers, which is great, but it's important to apply and be ready for work while hiring is prime. The closer you get the holidays the fewer the jobs as employers have filled their positions. Mid-November would be a good time to have found a job in preparing for the Christmas/New Years season... jobs will start to open back up after New Years when Uni kids are going back to school and travelers/backpackers are heading out. Again, it's just as it is at home, pay attention to the types of jobs the city supports and keep your ears open.

I found my Surf Camp Aus job, my first job, through connections pretty quickly, and was working about two weeks after my arrival. My bartending job, my second and last job, took me around three weeks to find, mainly because it was so close to the holidays. If you're looking, and it's a good time for hiring (or just not a bad time), you shouldn't have a problem finding work within a couple of weeks or less.

Q. How do employers feel about employing travelers?

A. As far as casual work and hospitality goes, high turnover rates are typical, and it's my experience employers see hiring travelers as "fitting the bill." Occasionally you will run into retail stores desiring longer-term workers and that won't hire visa-holders, but it's pretty rare.

Q. Can I expect to be paid enough to save up for travel?

A. Depending on where and how often you work, and your cost of living, you may very well end up with some savings for travel. If your paycheck is reasonable -more than balancing out your weekly rent, bus/train passes, etc.- and you're not spending every extra dime going out, then it's likely you will have enough to save for a bit of traveling. I saved a pretty decent amount of my working money to travel, but I also ate bean paste on bread and oatmeal for months, slept in cars on road trips and finagled beers from fellow friendly beach-bums instead of going out in the city as often.  It's definitely doable if you're committed to putting money back. J

Q. I want to find a job that will help further my career, and not just work in non-technical/ casual work fields, is this possible?

A. Refer to 'Q. What kinds of jobs are available?'

Hostels/Housing:

Hostel Overview: As far as meeting people goes, hostels are great accommodation because you're living in a room with one...five...eleven other travelers (except in skandy places where they offer rooms with twenty+ travelers... always interesting) and it's impossible not to strike a connection with someone around.

There are hostels around every corner in most of Aus, with a range of prices and amenities, some with in-house bars and clubs and others with a kickin' it vibe and awesome beach access, small ones and huge ones, nice ones and the occasional dirty one... bla bla but most are a good time and provide an affordable and clean place to sleep. Out of all the hostels in the country I jumped around to, there were only two I remember seriously despising- one in Sydney, and one in Melbourne... both were overpriced, dirty and seemed to collect serious agro wankers...  aggravated jerks...- it happens, but it's definitely uncommon to find yourself uncomfortable after checking in. 

You can check out: http://www.hostelworld.com/ for hostel ideas, reviews, prices, amenities, locations, availabilities, contact info and online booking. This is a great website, but always check around with other travelers for suggestions!

Big Tip: If you're looking for accommodation around the holidays in Sydney especially, think of your housing situation as you would the job scenario I explained-- Try to find accommodation by mid-November (and I highly suggest pre-booking/pre-arranging accommodation if you are planning to show up smack in the middle of the season/December to early January). There are a million extra people in Sydney around New Years time, and a huge number of them are travelers looking for accommodation just as you are. (Sydney is the place to be around and on New Years... top-notch music festivals and shows are almost weekly events, busy beaches and raging nightlife... people from all over the world flock here for good reason.)

Hostels will book up quickly, and cheap/affordable more permanent accommodation has mostly the same story. For example, some hostels, specifically in Bondi and Coogee areas of Sydney, will have been completely booked since the winter (June/July/August) or earlier for most of December and January... it's crazy. I definitely knew a few people who had to find floors of more settled or sneaky hostel-staying friends to sleep on for weeks and others who had to leave the city because there wasn't any available accommodation... Don't make that mistake!

Q. What can I expect to pay for hostels?

A. For shared rooms you're looking at anywhere between $18-$40, depending on the number of roommates, city, location and amenities. Check out the hostel world site listed above, and or your Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, etc. for specific price examples.

Q. What kind of housing can I expect to find if I choose to stay and work in one place?

A. The housing options are pretty well ranged. You can find places with one month leases up to one year leases, with weekly rent from around $100 AU to the sky's the limit, share houses to typical apartments or condos, shared room or singles accommodation, and on and on. (Accommodation rents vary depending on the city and area of the city you're looking to live.)

For Sydney you can check out: http://sydney.gumtree.com.au/ (It's an awesome site, much like craigslist and has some of everything- including housing and even a few job leads.)

Other hostel quick tips: Lockboxes will quickly become your best friend -check for this asset wherever you plan on booking. Also, do your best to research hostels before putting your card down to reserve several nights. Hostels typically won't refund your one or two-night deposit if you're unhappy with the accommodation upon arrival/change your plans after the 24-hour cancelation deadline.

Travel:

Q. How much should I save up before I head out to work and travel Australia?

A. Along with proof of diploma to qualify for the Working Holiday Visa, the Australian Department of Immigration can ask for proof of financials showing a specified minimum amount. (I believe I was required to show an amount somewhere around $1,000.) Although the department may not ask for financial proof during your visa application process, it's a good idea to have it for customs agents upon your arrival in Aus just in case. 

Aside from this, the more you save up the longer you can adventure or just hang before working. Again, depending on your lifestyle you can easily blow through a huge sum pretty quickly (especially that first month because you'll want to be exploring and out and about every day and maybe night) even if you're a seasoned traveler practiced in doing things on the cheap.

Quick Tips: Use the kitchen, walk when you can to save your bus pass, and remember taxis are for divas, oatmeal is your friend and goon (extremely cheap Australian box wine) is usually only your enemy in large quantities.

Q. Do most people save up for traveling before they leave for or after they've gotten to Australia?

A. It goes both ways. It seems every other country in the world recognizes living out of a backpack for a year as a right of passage, so, some travelers have been saving for years for their great adventure (but virtually always plan to hit several countries), and most still work to make extra cash. Others, like myself, who decide to travel only a few months before departing, save as much as they can before heading off and pick up work ASAP upon arrival to save for traveling.

Q. Is it pretty easy and affordable to travel within Australia?

A. Here's a list of great affordable means of travel... not including hitchhiking which is unsurprisingly very popular: 

• Cheap in-country flights- most one-way city-to-city flights from southern Australia, along the east coast, to the Northern Territory range from $39AU to $140AU if you plan at least a month ahead. (Flights to and along the west coast are a bit more expensive as the west coast is farther away from hubs like Sydney and Melbourne and has only a few airports. Check out: http://www.jetstar.com/gx/en/index.aspx - awesome airline.
• Public rail transport is about the same cost as flight prices a month or so ahead of departure dates. (Trains that offer accommodation, amenities, tour guide-like services etc. will obviously be much more expensive.)
• Greyhound Australia has affordable city-to-city and multiple-city passes, as do companies such as OZ Experience, which offer the hop on hop off bus experience.
• Hiring camper vans such as Spaceships with friends is also a cheap route if you split rental and gas costs.
• Purchasing cars can end up being affordable if you can resell it at the end of your use and you typically split gas costs with travel mates.

I flew, used public buses and the Experience company, took rail transport and road-tripped in friend's cars and hired vehicles. With my experience, I don't suggest hiring vehicles unless it's a camper van and you're splitting costs with at least two friends, but aside from that note all means of transportation were pretty equally affordable in the end.

Also, Cultural Embrace's in-country partner company has an in-office travel agency, which offers exclusive travel deals and trip discounts. Although I didn't use the agency as I usually booked my travel and trips last minute or went along with friend's plans already in action, I knew several people who took advantage of the in-house travel agency and got some excellent deals on sailing in the Whitsundays, dive trips up north near the Great Barrier Reef, trips to the Outback and on.

Q. How easy is it to travel to other countries from Australia? Is my Australian Working Holiday Visa limiting?

A. Mixing travel through Australia with trips to nearby countries is easier, cheaper and more convenient than I anticipated.

Your Working Holiday Visa allows you to escape and re-enter Australia as you please, so it's pretty easy to globe trot a bit and come back and work when you run out of money. Some causal work positions across Australia even provide you with holiday pay, which means you can earn a set hourly rate while you do a bit of traveling = excellent.

Looking just a couple of months ahead of desired departure dates, I've seen round trip flights from Sydney as low as $140AU to New Zealand, $400AU to Fiji, and $600 Bali (about $250AU cheaper if you go from Darwin)- Thailand, Japan and Papa New Guinea are reasonable as well. Again check out: http://www.jetstar.com/gx/en/index.aspx

So, while you're in Aus working and saving, or working to make rent saving your savings, traveling Australia is just the tip of the roving opportunities in this part of the globe. Take FULL advantage of being in an excellent location/hub and venture out!! It's absolutely one of the best pieces of advice I could give you.

I hope this clears up some of your questions and concerns about Cultural Embrace's Work and Travel Australia program, and the general adventuring Australia experience. But please continue to feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or comments. It's always great to hear from you guys!

Live fully,

Jennifer C Campbell
Former Participant
Australia

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