From a US point of view, almost everything in New Zealand is backwards. People drive on the left side of the road, walk on the left side of the sidewalk, and pass people on the left. The location of the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car really ...
For the most part, the majority of students when fulfilling a community service requirement will find that they enjoy giving back and being made to feel as if they made a difference. Perhaps like me, high school students will decide to take on service as a passion of theirs and ...
Too often faced with stigma around their hair, black women deserve to have that chance to make decisions about hair without associating it with pain, or politics, or shame.
And so the family departed from Queenstown and began the journey to Dunedin. As fate would have it, upon leaving the hotel lobby I heard the same song – a girl band remake of ELO’s Mr. Blue Sky – that had been playing when I first arrived (a circularity that ...
A few weeks ago, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published research confirming that IUDs are safe methods of contraception, not just for adult women, but for teenagers as well. A review of over 90,000 health insurance claims for IUD users found that less than one percent of them, ...
I spent the last day of the old year doing the Shotover Bungee Swing. I jumped from over 300 feet (with a few seconds of free fall) into a canyon. I guess I’m beginning the transformative process of becoming an adrenaline junkie. The chaps who run the Swing are a ...
Doubtful Sound is in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park and was used as a backdrop in The Lord of the Rings (so of course we had to check it out). Fiordland is one of the rainiest places on Earth; the Cullen’s really should have relocated here and left Western Washington ...
The past week was full of random, little tasks at work-I spent my week organizing case files, pulling notes of testimony, making exhibit lists, scanning in documents, dealing with prelims, etc. It was a short week because Good Friday is a holiday here, so we didn't have work on Friday. ...
Over spring break, 12 Whitman students volunteered at Portland's Emerson Charter School. Columnist Sayda Morales reflects on her volunteer experience and how giving service meant receiving the service of opened minds and outlooks on various education systems.
Kiwis refer to The Lord of the Rings fans as “Ringers.” My family is a rabid group of Ringers and we fed our hunger for all things Tolkienian (and my hunger for all things filmic) with a safari-style tour of Middle Earth shooting locations. We loaded up into a land ...
Queenstown: The adrenaline capital of the world. A place that resembles Lake Chelan with more cityscape and greenery, overlooked by mountains and a great gondola. Downtown is lovely, hip, and clean with a small-town feel (update: downtown is also the site of a concentrated drullet – dreaded mullet – population. ...
At the behest of an unnamed friend who has berated me for not writing more, I am endeavoring to update more frequently. Enough has certainly happened this week already! Monday was busy but uneventful-I spent the entire day transcribing 911 calls and putting together a binder for a case that'll ...
It’s our last day in Nelson and I’ve made a serendipitous discovery that I will share with you…. How to get an inverse Chaco tan in 5 easy steps: 1) Put on Chacos 2) Spray sunscreen on your feet 3) Scrap a few IQ points 4) Take off Chacos 5) Frolic in the sun for ...
As you might suspect, my friends and I talk politics a lot. Because I am a green activist and an Environmental Humanities major, I can’t resist bringing up climate change frequently; because a lot of them are hard science majors, they can’t resist offering technological as opposed to social solutions. ...
It is no wonder that Lincoln Alternative High School’s mascot is the phoenix. At Lincoln, the students and staff prove that from a sad and despairing place, someone stronger and brighter can rise. On Tuesday, Feb. 26 I attended a panel in which Principal Jim Sporleder, faculty, and a student ...
This week, Spencer discusses condom slippage/breakage and how to prevent either of these for safer sex.
On December 24th we made our way to the South Island and to Nelson, a city on the shores of Tasman Bay and the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand. Oddly enough, it has been warmer on the South Island than it ever was for us on the North Island. ...
I can't believe it's been over a week since I've updated this! it just shows how fast time flies. It's strange how you can be so busy, and yet so not at the same time. I wasn't overwhelmed at work this week, but when I look at the sheer amount ...
I went to high school with Gossip Girl, and as the series suggests, she also made my life quite difficult. Nestled comfortably in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Nightingale-Bamford School, costing almost as much as a Whitman education, loomed over me five days a week for four years.
The Hobbiton movie set rests picturesquely in a hilly area of private farmland near the North Island city of Matamata. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but I want to add: if you ever visit, try to go on the earliest tour at 9:30 so that you have the ...
My northeastern relatives and their neighbors had another chance to go skiing through their town centers this weekend, as the snowstorm Nemo barreled through New England, dumping feet of snow on its way. I am told that in places where weather like this is relatively commonplace--i.e. nowhere I've lived since ...
These past two days have shown me that you can never predict what can happen, especially when it comes to the criminal justice system. Think you’ve got your day planned? Think again. Have something scheduled for a certain time? Better make that a tentative appointment. Yesterday, I planned to leave work ...
I mentioned that I don’t like dogs, but it’s really nothing personal. The only reason I’m adamant about not liking dogs is because people nearly fainted when I said it, as if dogs died in masses as the words were leaving my mouth. As if I was inherently less human ...
The eagle has landed! Bedraggled, exhausted, cranky. And oh so relieved. The weary family of travelers steps off the plane after an overnight and harrowing ride. My mother sums up our familial relief at being released from the confines of airplanes and breaks out the quote of the day: Mom- “My ankles ...
"Don't be so afraid of doing something that you do nothing" These were the sage words of wisdom that were imparted to us yesterday night at TPC's Homelessness Colloquium by Broad Street Ministries representatives. I have definitely found that statement to be true this week, especially since I dived head first into my ...
When I interviewed Cynthia Fine, Community Health Educator at Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, a few months ago about painful sex, we had a great, in-depth conversation about not only pain during intercourse, but sexually transmitted infections; the importance of creating a positive, supportive atmosphere if you're ...
Journal Entry – Day 3 stranded in the Canadian airport bubble Life energy meter: down 18% Personal hygiene status: showered (success!), same clothes worn for three days (fail) I’ve begun learning my way around the airport – I’ve staked out my preferred computer plug-in, discovered ...
The itinerary for today included a trip to the Coromandel peninsula and a stop by New Zealand’s Hot Water Beach. Sitting in a Canadian airport, I’ve had plenty of time to look at pictures and imagine myself exploring these little gems. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Coromandel ...
We've been here 3 days now, and the housing process is fully under way. What does that mean? Cue the panic and the sizing up. Everybody has been milling around trying to figure out who they want to live with and potentially room with. Interestingly enough, it seems like people ...
My mother told me to title this entry “The Journey Begins.” But she is a happy and optimistic soul. I responded with an alternate title: “The Journey Attempted To Begin But Then It Got Beotch-Slapped In The Face By The Forces Of Evil, Inclement Weather, And Bureaucracy.” The foreboding signs ...
Ridiculous title, I know, but I’m victoriously celebrating the end of my bout with bronchitis (20 ish hour flights and infected bronchi mix about as well as orange juice and mint toothpaste). Also, I promise that this blog* will not be one giant Hobbit pun, though there will certainly be ...
From time to time, I get questions in my box that I can't fit into a whole weekly column, but deserve an answer anyway. Over the course of winter break, I thought I'd blow through some of these. Enjoy!
So, it’s finally happening. After a long semester of planning, antagonizing, massive email chains, and general excitement I am at last on my way back to the City of Brotherly Love. In accordance with some friends’ wishes, I’ll be documenting my journey a la blog! I haven’t really done this ...
Before I leave this country that I have come to love, I want to say thank you to several Moroccans whom I have had the privilege of meeting. Although most* of them will most likely not read this, I still want to express my gratitude. My host family: The hospitality with which ...
Quick note: This was written almost a month ago. I wasn't able to upload the photo that I wanted... and for some reason I still can't. So please know that I wanted to show you a cool picture of me riding a camel at sunset, but it's not happening. I'm writing ...
At 4:30, I woke up, did some final packing, got some breakfast, then rolled my suitcases for the last time down the medina towards an awaiting taxi. At the Rabat-Sale Airport, the plane took off before the sun rose. As we flew away from Rabat, I looked behind and could ...
I leave Spain in the wee hours of Friday morning and yesterday I finished the last of my finals- so I can officially say that the study part of study abroad is over and the abroad part will be, very soon. I'm simultaneously excited, a little sad, and feel like ...
I had an interesting (that's the most positive word I'm going to use) experience recently that I'd like to share with you all now that I've finally finished my exams and final papers! Two weeks ago, I started to feel sick- feverish, stomach pain... I was annoyed because it was finals ...
I was yelling at the TV for a lot of election night. I was at the Pio's election night liveblog headquarters (read: Managing Editor Libby Arnosti's house), watching a live feed of election coverage, as well as compulsively refreshing multiple tabs in my browser. As anyone who knows me ...
The Whitman College men’s basketball team dominated the University of California, Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, beating them 87-65 Thursday night at Ball Court. The Banana Slugs were overwhelmed immediately by Whitman’s defensive intensity, committing ten turnovers in the first half. The Missionaries raced out to a 20-4 lead behind their defensive ...
4:45 p.m. Rachel orders me to "commence a liveblog." And thus, we begin. 4:50 p.m. Chief Copy Editor Marisa Ikert arrives with snacks. And there was much rejoicing. 4:57 p.m. Sex Columnist Spencer Wharton arrives with chips for our salsa. 4:58 p.m. Rachel: "I should try to have a snark-free production night." Spencer: ...
Hallo! The month of November has been a very full one. At the beginning of the month, I had a wonderful visit from two Whittie friends, both of whom recently graduated and are now living abroad. For a weekend I pretended to be a tour guide, showing them touristy sites like ...
My week in Sumik Village, located in East Sikkim, researching women's malnutrition.
I arrived in Delhi two weeks ago, where I will be staying until December 1st. After two months studying sustainable development and social change in India together, the 18 of us at SIT have been kicked out of our Jaipur program nest and sent to all four corners of India ...
As many have you heard, or probably haven’t as from what I can tell from Western media, but things around here have heated up here. There are actually two points I would like to update you on – but first I want to reassure everyone that despite what has happened ...
[caption id="attachment_61052" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The day of: sitting on the set-up marriage throne.[/caption] My dear readers, I apologize for the long absence. I can only blame a combination of things, including a busy schedule full of research, moving, traveling, and laziness. ...
So I am supposed to be working on my International Relations research presentation right now (lots of virtual thanks going out to Joan Nyland, Carrie Housley, Matthew Vanneli, and Bruce Magnusson right now for teaching me how to efficiently do a research paper, since it takes me about twice as ...
It's nearing finals here, which means (for once) the same thing it does in the States: "study" abroad is now, officially, STUDY abroad. The way Spanish classes are structured, nearly all of our school work is loaded towards the end of the semester. Aside from a few assignments and our ...
HELLO! Many adventures later, I finally bundle up the energy and motivation to update my blog. I last left off with a week till Eid break and many essays to write and midterms to study for before I could leave to the beautiful countries of Oman and United Arab Emirates. Because ...
[caption id="attachment_59764" align="aligncenter" width="640"] RIP Hauli Bah Bah, ???-October 26, 2012[/caption] الحولي باع باع مايكو ما يشبع Hauli Ba'h Ba'h Ma yakul ma yashb'eh The ram goes baa baa He eats, but he doesn't feel full Okay, readers: it's quiz time. Name two Muslim holidays. Ramadan? Okay. One down. Is ...
Hallo! Or if you prefer, bonjour! I recently got back from a short, but lovely trip to Paris. My friends and I saw plenty of typical Parisian sights, like Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. We ate soufflés and baguettes and rode the Métro and wandered around in book ...
As a part of my studies with SIT, I am required to design and carry out a month long research project that pertains to sustainable development and social change in India. For my project, I plan to research women’s malnutrition in India, specifically researching factors that affect women’s nutritional status ...
We surprised you, didn't we. That's right, it's Tuesday and we're doing production. Why, you ask? Because I'm heading to Chicago tomorrow afternoon along with seven other Pio staffers to attend the Fall Associated Collegiate Press Conference. So we're making the paper tonight, because we love you all so much. ...
As my last blog post, I want to go back to business, to clarify a few things and to share some things I learned along the way. Shall we talk about education? As a human being, every day I live in the world, I receive education not only from school, but ...
First of all, sorry for the long silence everyone! I´ve been globe-trotting, hosting my mother here in Spain, and taking my midterms, and things have been on the edge of crazy. Before I head off to Paris this weekend to meet up with some fellow Whitties, I wanted to take ...
Friday, Oct. 26 Whitman won 3-0 against George Fox University during their home match on Friday. Whitman dominated all three sets while bringing the intensity with pink ribbons in their hair and pink laces on their shoes to show support for breast cancer awareness. Despite strong hits by George Fox, Whitman won ...
3:30 p.m. I arrive to a deserted office, with the exception of Opinion P.A. Maddie Coons. In the process of snacking, I manage to get honey stuck all over my hands. I feel oddly like Winnie the Pooh. 3:52 p.m. Production Manager Sean McNulty arrives, and fails to notice when I ...
A couple of days ago I got back from the Netherlands, but it seems like a lifetime ago. The culture shock I experienced first going to Europe, and then returning to Morocco, was overwhelming. English was everywhere. I was surrounded by a good deal of wealth. Women weren't wearing headscarves. Women ...
Dox, Dox, Dox Had pretty rough last two weeks so I didn't update my posts until now. I am sorry but here we go :) I wanted to blog about my Dox section for a long time. Dox section, is located the third floor in Prentiss. This is where I spend ...
Saturday, Oct. 20: Women's: The Whitman women’s soccer team defeated George Fox University 1-0 Saturday at the Whitman Soccer Complex with a performance even more impressive than the score would seem to indicate. Despite not scoring a goal, Whitman put forth one of their best stretches of soccer yet in the first half. ...
Last night I got back from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) fall orientation in Köln, and today I feel as if I've seen the future. Not the clear sort of future you might see in a crystal ball or through time travel- especially because time travel terrifies me- but a ...
Thoughts on gender dynamics, gender inequality, and the power of education in India.
The Pio is back with another liveblog! 4:15 p.m. I arrive in the office after a long day of interviewing political candidates in Walla Walla. Production Manager Sean McNulty is hard at work on this week's wine map. 4:35 p.m. I head to a meeting with the ASWC Nominations Chair to report ...
Here’s the thing about Rabat: it’s not a very beautiful city. It’s a decent enough place—there’s a nice walk along the river, and it’s fun to wander around the old medina—but the region itself is not very scenic. Same with Casablanca and Marrakech. But Chefchaouen is something else. Nestled in the ...
Friday, October 12: The Whitman volleyball team put forth a solid effort but could not overcome the impressive performance of the University of Puget Sound, who are ranked 13th nationally, losing 22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 22-25 on Friday night at George Ball Court. The Missionaries jumped out to an 11-7 lead in the ...
I want to talk to my boyfriend about sex, but I think he is a lot less comfortable talking about it than I am. We've been dating for a while (and are sexually active), but I don't know how to have the dialogue without coming across as pushy ...
Any advice columnist is going to draw on their own life experiences when writing advice. Sure, not solely, or even primarily—even the columnists with the most interesting lives couldn't experience everything their readers write them about. But in establishing connections, drawing parallels, and setting the scope of their column, ...
Hello dedicated readers! We're back with a second Production Night Liveblog, written by Editor-in-Chief Rachel Alexander and Managing Editor Libby Arnosti. (Update: and Web Editor Blair Hanley Frank, who asked if he can join us.) Will we finish before 2 a.m.? Will Rachel finally die of a sugar overdose after ...
While my experiences in India have been wonderful so far (just read my personal blog to find out), there are more than a few things that I miss about home. Some are expected (family, friends, familiar food), while others have surprised me. Here two of the latter: Dogs. There ...
Friday, October 4 The Whitman volleyball team was able to overcome a shaky start to beat the Linfield Wildcats convincingly three sets to one on Friday night at George Ball Court. The beginning of the game placed the spotlight on the referees more than the either of the two teams competing. Due ...
This past week. Wow. But first, the response I got from last week's post, "A Single Drop" was extremely empowering, such to a level that is quite hard to describe. Hearing from my friends that they were going through the exact same thing (except perhaps the weird dog moment) in ...
First of all, I have to make a confession. I did not choose to live in Prentiss. When I was picking dorms, I named Jewett first (because I am energetic and love to party), Lyman second ( I am kind of laid-back and chill), and, after that, I put Prentiss ...
As of starting writing this post, it is 10:39 p.m. on October 2, which means that it is 3:39 over in Walla Walla. We just had our daylight savings time end, so we've already fallen back an hour. I think about Whitman constantly, and what life must be like back there. ...
I am about to head out for a weeklong trip to London for CIEE’s fall break, so in the spirit of travel I thought I would share a little bit about the places I’ve been so far. After four days of class a week, I have been traveling every weekend ...
Since last Friday marked the end of our three-week-long Orientation Intensive Language (OIL) course, and this week marks the end of our first month in Deutschland, I feel that it's a good time to share my progress in the most challenging and the most rewarding part of living abroad: interacting ...
Welcome back! To continue my previous post: Highlight three: I will never forget the first themed brunch I had at Whitman. It was the first Sunday after I moved in to campus. My section girls had a brunch with the all-guys section from Jewett (that is where the gentleman who is ...
The Whitman women's soccer team played well but ended up with a 0-0 tie against Pacific Lutheran University on Sunday at the Whitman Soccer Complex. As was the case Saturday, the Missionaries established control early on. Center midfielders Hallie Swan and Jaclyn Rudd were solid as usual, and outside players such ...
Saturdays are quickly turning into my least favorite days of the month. Since my weekend begins Friday, my Saturday has transformed into a stay-at-home day where I must do all the homework I procrastinated doing all weekend. Along with homework, other thoughts meander in and out of my consciousness throughout the day. Today ...
For the last four weeks I've been living with an Indian family in Jaipur. The intention of homestays is for us to be immersed in the culture and language. While living with an Indian family has given me the chance to practice my Hindi a little (tora tora), the part ...
Despite dominating possession for most of the game, the Whitman women's soccer team fell to the University of Puget Sound 2-0 at the Whitman Soccer Complex on Saturday. Whitman took immediate control of possession in the first half, looking nothing like a team that has not beaten the UPS women since ...
Even though I've attended Whitman for a little over two years now, I still seriously question the practicality of a liberal arts education within today's world. I often have moments of terror as to where my politics/sociology degree will take me after I'm beyond the walls of "Whitman's bubble".
What a weekend! As I try to catch my breath and reorient myself for a week of classes, I will try to take some time to reflect upon this hectic, but oh so fantastic, weekend. This past weekend CIEE organized a three-day trip to southern Jordan to experience its main attractions. ...
It began with a stomachache. Then it got much worse. As I woke up to the 4:30am call to prayer Monday morning, I felt a jabbing pain in my abdomen. My body was fevering and I couldn’t keep any water down. “So this is what travelers sickness feels like,” I ...
I take day-trips to France and Switzerland with my program.
Hi everyone, and welcome to our first liveblog of the semester! Every Wednesday night (and on into Thursday morning), the staff of The Pioneer gather in the newsroom, tucked away on the top floor of the Reid Campus Center, and put together a paper. The following is a faithful account by ...
[caption id="attachment_55920" align="aligncenter" width="640"] With the women of my host family. From left: Karima, myself, Rita, Nikki, and Camilla. Bottom: Fatima with Assiya[/caption] [caption id="attachment_55910" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Some of the boys ...
Note: this is one part of two updates. I have spent the past several days in a rural village where access to internet has been limited, so this first post is about the week before, and the next will be a reflection on my stay in the village. Hello Whitman! I ...
One thing I do every day here in Alicante is speak Spanish— a LOT of Spanish. As I explained in my first post, language immersion is a huge deal in my program and was one of the main reasons that choose to come here, to Alicante. Not many people speak ...
I’ve been here for almost a week now! (When I started this post, now I’ve been here for two and a half) I know how to take both of the options for busses to and from the centre-ville, which is where IES is, and I bought my phone today, and ...
The Whitman volleyball team made quick work of Willamette University Friday night at Ball Court, sweeping the Bearcats three games to none. Before seizing control of the match, Whitman had to withstand a back-and-forth first game. Neither team was able to hold a lead for long, nor extend a lead ...
To make a quick introduction of myself, my name is Vicky Su and I love doing Volunteer jobs. This line of self-introduction originates from the first day I moved into Whitman. When we introduced ourselves in my dorm section, we were asked to use "I like ..." and then a ...
During my stay in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, I go hiking in the Black Forest.
I know that my writing this for Whitman's Pio is essentially preaching to the choir, but I wish to vent a bit about the incredible hatred and ignorance of the film "The Innocence of Muslims." For those unaware of the situation, a man in America raised $5 million to create a ...
In a game against Willamette Bearcats this Saturday at the Whitman Soccer Complex, the Whitman men's soccer team held their own through two overtimes and ended 0-0. In the first ninety minutes, Whitman dominated possession, with great shots by senior Andrew Clark and sophomore Joe Virdon, but Willamette managed to hold up their ...
“It’s something to do with culture.” That’s what Carmela, my host mom, says every time we have a conversation about things that are different in Spain than they are in the U.S. We spend a lot of time talking about this, mainly because it comes up easily and Is interesting ...
Hungry for their first conference win of the season, the Whitman women's soccer team ground out a solid 1-0 victory over the Willamette Bearcats Saturday at the Whitman Soccer Complex. The Missionaries again got off to a strong start with Whitman dominating ball possession in the first half. Whitman was able ...
Despite a promising first half, the Whitman women's soccer team lost their home and conference opener to the Whitworth Pirates at the Whitman Soccer Complex Wednesday afternoon. The Missionaries put on quite a show in the first half, bombarding the Whitworth goal with 11 shots while only allowing one. The Whitworth ...
After some help from google translate to ensure I was spelling it correctly, the title of this post “ahlan wa sahlan al jama’a al urdineeh” was written in Arabic. This phrase translates to “Welcome to the University of Jordan!” (exclamation point added by yours truly). Through my program I have officially ...
Have you ever had a dream where you’re running but not running fast enough? The other day I was standing in a bazaar in Jaipur Old City when a man bumped into my backpack and took off running.
Namaste! Two weeks have already gone by in India. While I can't say I feel at home yet (and I'm not sure I ever will, when my looks alone bring stares in public), adjusting to life in Jaipur has been more of an adventure than a struggle (though always some ...
[caption id="attachment_54275" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Looking down in the Center for Cross Cultural Learning, where I'll be studying this semester[/caption] Salam Aleikum, Whitman! [caption id="attachment_54273" align="alignleft" width="400"] a busy street in Rabat's medina ...
Living with a host family was one of the things I was most excited and nervous about coming to Spain. I think this is a pretty common sentiment among students studying abroad. It's a hard thing because living with someone, as anyone who has ever had a roommate knows, is ...
[gallery columns="2"] Last night was an experience. As I was sitting in my homestay mom's cousin's uncle's house for his 86th birthday, reality finally set in. I'm in 'Amman, Jordan and I will be, for a really really long time. Wowza! A lot has happened these past three days. I don't know ...
At 12:09 AM the night before I depart, I sit on my bed and think, "What do I write?" At the start of summer my initial self doubts of whether I was introspective or eloquent enough to blog or document my study abroad experiences rampaged. I mean, while researching how ...
This morning I embarked on my yearlong adventure away from Whitman to study abroad in Nantes, France and then Mérida, México. It’s nine thirty am and I am already chilling in the Pasco airport, which was not an originally planned stop in my trip. I decided that I should leave ...
Namaste from Jaipur! It’s been a little over a week since I’ve arrived in India but I can’t adequately sum up my experience in one blog post.
Hello everyone! I have now been in Spain for just a little over a week, and there is so much to talk about! As promised though, here are some tidbits about my experience navigating a new city and exploring Alicante: GETTING AROUND One of the reasons I choose ...
While preparing for liftoff (which, as of writing, is only two days away, ohgoodnessgollygeewhizcrapIneedtofinishpacking), I've been asked by multiple people, "Why Morocco?" It's a good question: Morocco is hardly the normal study abroad destination. (I'm one of two Whitties spending this semester in the entire continent of Africa.) In fact, ...
Well first of all I’m sorry about the long silence! I fully intended to post right after I got to Spain and tell the story of the travel experience and my first days here- but in a perfect example of the culture shock I’ve been experiencing over the last week, ...
Hindi textbooks? Yes. Malaria meds? Yes. Gifts for host family? Yes. Cell phone charger? Sh*t. Where did I put it? I don't notice how tightly my back and shoulders have tensed until I finish zipping up the suitcase. I begin to feel my heart beat faster, and before I can sit down and take a breath, ...
It’s time. I’m going to India! I can hardly believe it. I feel as though I've spent the past year hopping from place to place—from Walla Walla, Seattle and Los Angeles. But now that I'm finally comfortably settled in at my parents' home in Salt Lake City, the thought of ...
Britney Spears once penned, "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman." She then proceeded to put these words into song, and then had this song featured in her 2002 sort-of-smash hit Crossroads (also starring a pre-Avatar Zoe Saldana). Well said, Ms. Spears, well said. The beauty of Britney's lyrics lie in ...
It is my last day in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, for four and a half months. Everything is packed and ready, so much so that I could sit here right now and list off, without looking, the exact contents of my suitcase and backpack that are sitting six feet ...
How do you feel about e-readers? These newfangled devices that allow you to press buttons instead of turn pages and download nearly any book in thirty seconds? Skeptical? Yeah. I’m feeling that. Maybe I’m just quoting every snobby book purist ever, but isn’t there something to the feel of paper between your fingers? ...
In my last blog entry I set myself a seemingly simple goal—to climb at least one more time before I head back to Walla Walla for school. When I wrote that entry I hadn’t climbed outside for several weeks. While I joked about my goal being easy to accomplish I ...
Today I’m going to talk about one of my all-time favorite summertime beverages: cold-brewed iced coffee. I’m not talking about pouring regular coffee over ice and calling it a day. I’m talking about the glorious, chocolatey-silk tasting iced coffee. The nectar of coffees. This isn’t your give-me-some-caffeine-because-I-have-to-wake-up beverage. It’s so ...
Note: This post was written on Sunday, August 5th. After a relaxing “day off” at a hotel near Narita Airport, I am now waiting for the ticket counter to open so I can check in to my Singapore Airlines flight to Los Angeles, which departs at around 7:30 this evening. As ...
Before we begin the usual shenanigans, let’s make one thing clear: I highly recommend you watch the movie BEFORE reading this book. That’s right. You heard me. I won’t say it again. Before you start throwing anything heavy at me (Wait! No! It’s not really me! It’s your computer! Stop! Don’t throw ...
On Saturday, I traveled by train from Kanazawa first to Shin-Osaka Station, and from there to Kansai International Airport where I caught my fifty-minute flight to the southern city of Kagoshima. At Kagoshima Regional Airport, I was greeted enthusiastically by Mao and her mother, Shinko, who were clutching a homemade ...
I'm so sorry for the delay in my posting, but I've had an incredibly busy week and a half! PII classes ended on Wednesday with the completion of our Spirited Away text. As it turns out, studying the movie only increased my love for Hayao Miyazaki's beautiful story and art. I ...
Last night I saw the preview of Shakespeare Walla Walla’s “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” at the Powerhouse Theatre. Some of the humor needed a little fine-tuning, but all in all I had fun. Three male actors give a very brief run-through of all Shakespeare’s plays. As you can ...
After my first full week break (much needed) from climbing in a while, my muscles felt nice and relaxed, and I enjoyed getting to boulder at Stone Gardens Seattle yesterday. Stone Gardens seems to be doing well for itself lately. In addition to having a great, popular climbing gym in ...
Until last Sunday, I had only ever heard about the Whitehouse Crawford. I’d heard people say things like: “It was amazing,” and “I’ve never eaten like that before,” and “The olive oil ice cream is out of this world.” Well, then obviously this restaurant is out of my league (I thought). ...
First off, I’ve noticed I’ve (unintentionally) ended the title of almost every of my blog entries with an exclamation mark. I’ll try to break that habit, starting with the title of this entry (see above there is no exclamation mark). Lately, I’ve gotten a chance to catch up with old climbing ...
Last week’s classes were primarily dominated by preparation for PII’s annual speech contest, a much celebrated feature of PII’s curriculum. Every PII student, both 2nd and 3rd year, had to compose a five-minute speech on a topic of their choosing and speak in front of their classmates and professors on ...
If anyone knows where the blueberries are, please tell me. Maybe I’m a little late to the game, but I can’t find them anywhere. Disclaimer: at risk of totally embarrassing myself, I will tell you that a good friend informed me of the very best blueberry-picking spot and told me that ...
I don’t remember when I first read “Pride and Prejudice,” but I do know that I have read it at least six times since. I am a strong believer in the re-read. A well-written book can survive innumerable goings-over without becoming boring or dull; just because you know what happens ...
I awoke on Saturday with a sort of half-baked plan to visit Myouryuuji Temple in west Kanazawa, also known as the Ninja Temple for its myriad booby traps and secret rooms (in truth, the temple has no relationship with ninja or ninjutsu). I attempted to contact some of my friends ...
This week has been a rough one for everyone in the family. On Monday I woke up and checked my phone to see that I had received an email from my friend Mao Matsushita in Kagoshima with the terrible news that her mother was sick in the hospital. She explained ...
Last weekend, the day after the 4th of July I headed to Vantage, Wash. to climb during the weekend with a group of friends. I climbed with Kayla Erickson (who I have mentioned in previous blog posts) and Kayla Culmback. To differentiate between the two we would sometimes call Kayla ...
“In the fashion world, what are mules?” We came from the heat, disoriented, into the lounge. The clear voice boomed above us. (We do this weekly, actually.) Every Tuesday is trivia night at the Red Monkey, and even though I don’t consider myself a trivia junkie by any means, I love the ritual. ...
The new semester got off to a busy start with the revelation that our homework load has just about tripled for the duration of the upcoming month. We have readings from our Spirited Away text every night with related grammar and content worksheets, and in addition we have a kanji ...
My coming into possession of this short story collection is really a classic example of the “Intrigued Student” phenomenon—an occurrence in which the student in question is completely and utterly caught by an assigned reading for a class. I have always been a fan of short but masterful stories, and ...
Last week, I kicked off the beginning of July by climbing outside with a group of three other Whitties--Tristan, Tom and Sebastian--at Exit 32, better known as Little Si. Little Si (near Mount Si) is a short, family friendly hike (2.2 miles one-way) but it is also a very popular ...
With Thursday’s mid-term exam behind me, I boarded the train to Tokyo Station light-hearted and ready for a fun weekend. The train voyage took about 4 hours total, as I had to change trains in the resort town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture (in 2015, engineers will complete the direct ...
Dont you love it when books just appear on your shelves? I have lately been in the mood for something a little creepy and wouldnt you know it, a collection of ghost stories hand-selected by one of my favorite authors of all time materializes in our reading room. It was ...
Well, I was in a bit of a more depressive mood last time I wrote, but today I’m in a great mood in regards to climbing! I haven’t gone on any particularly hard climbs lately but I feel strong and feel like my climbing ability is steadily improving this summer. ...
My busy week began on a surprisingly mellow note with the revelation that Tuesday's "small test" had been cancelled. Having anticipated a long Monday afternoon and evening cooped up studying, the news was very welcome indeed! I took advantage of my relatively free afternoon to catch up on my favorite ...
Working in a tasting room, I often forget how much of the wine industry depends on the whims of nature. A co-worker (I’ll call him Alex), who has been involved in several seasons of harvest and crush, recently described the relationship between the industry and the local environment. I’d like ...
Although this school week was only four days long due to the Noto Trip, it seemed to last an eternity. Anxious about my test on Wednesday, I stayed up late studying on Monday, the night of my return from Noto, and went to class the next day feeling ...
I have yet to climb outside this summer. Alas, there seems to be a curse against me climbing outside lately because all the plans I've had to do so this summer have fallen through. Most recently, I was planning to climb at Little Si, also known as Exit 32, a ...
The first book from Shakespeare and Company that Ive read and finished! It went by so fast; like most Agatha Christies that Ive read, I just couldnt put it down. The first of her books that I read was And Then There Were None, one of her most famous and ...
On Sunday morning, the PII students gathered in front of Rifare to board the bus to the Noto Peninsula. It was a cool and drizzly morning, and we were all kind of worried that the bad weather would persist for the duration of our trip, but ...
Walla Walla can sometimes feel lacking in culture, especially if you’re more used to city life. Even though I know there are artists, writers, craftspeople and chefs living all over this town, I forget about them because I so rarely find myself in places where I feel their creative energy. ...
I am currently sitting in the airport terminal in Paris after spending about a week wandering the streets and seeing the sights of the City of Light, and let me tell you, it is an unsung booklovers city.
Turns out I only made it until 8:00 AM after tentatively pledging to sleep in until 9:00 this morning. After a true Saturday-morning breakfast of donuts and tea, I went with Ai-san to several denkiyasan (electric appliance stores) in search of a new washing machine, as the one at home ...
After yesterday’s doom and gloom, I am happy to report that today was a much better day. This morning began with a breakfast of toast, yogurt, and fruit that would have been standard had it not been for the addition of a sort of glutinous rice jelly topped with green ...
I'm about a quarter into my summer study abroad program here in Japan, and the whole experience continues to be a mixed bag. The week started out with our first "small test" (we don't call them quizzes because in Japanese, the word kuizu usually refers to quiz shows on television). ...
I know many before me have already noticed this, but I cant stop myself from saying it again: the light in Walla Walla is incredible. (Especially in the summer, especially at sunset.) And I have a confession to make. The way that crazy-beautiful light plays on those miles of subtle ...
Recently there’s actually been some exciting stuff going on in my life outside of climbing. Most significantly, I finally got my driver’s permit with the goal of getting my driver’s license by the end of this summer. I’m already 21, well on my way to 22 (my birthday is in ...
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