Australia

Best 4 days ever. Australia was a totally last minute decision but I am so glad I got the chance to go there. I took a plane early from Bangkok to Melbourne Australia. I arrived at around 9pm local time. Luckily I had a friend in town named Slav so he picked me up and drove me to my host family's house. My host family was a couple named Amber and Aaron. Anyway, they were allowing me to stay in their home for free for a few days. Unfortunately their hot water heater broke right before I arrived so I actually ended staying with a friend of Slav's named Katie who was good enough to allow me to sleep on her couch and use her hot water. Katie had a roommate named Nikki who was from Brooklyn.
On my first night there Slav, a few of his friends, and I went to a few clubs which were very dressy and had very overpriced drinks. We also went to an English pub which was much more my style. Over the next few days Slav showed me Melbourne. We went shopping, to the theater, and to the tallest building in Australia called the Eureka Tower. Amber took me to the beach in St Kilda on a perfect sunny day and all the cute Australian boys were out in their ridiculous shorty shorts.
The city has the feel of Seattle. There are a lot of older brick building with trees lining the streets and the ocean nearby. Normally I don't like cities at all, they are busy and crowded and people overlook each other. But this city was very relaxed and kind. People were always good to me. I really hope to go back sometime soon.
I am now back in Bangkok and itching to get back to the USA. I feel like my time here has been well spent and Ive enjoyed it. But there is nothing like home. I cannot wait for my bed, my shower, and my truck that I'll drive to get a huge Dusty's burger and a Costco pizza. Can't wait!
Please comment and tell me your thoughts!

CAMBODIA

Cambodia was great! On Sept 28 I took a plane to Phnom Penh and was greeted warmly by a friend of my grandpas and her adorable daughter Mia who is 7. They even got us flower lais! We stayed at a lovely hotel but it had a insect problem. Bug bites galore. We also went to a great little place called the riverside bistro that had a live band. Also for the first time I left the hotel by myself! I got a tuk tuk, the main source of transportation, and went for a ride along the river and got something to eat. This may seem easy but it is hard to go out on your own in a place you aren't familiar with where you don't speak the language.
Mia liked to swim so we went swimming often. Her smaller cousin Pizza also came with us. It was poolside where I had my first mixed drink! Sex on the beach was the only drink in English so I blindly chose that.
One of my favorite parts about Cambodia is all the temples we went to. In the temples were monks who would bless you and grant prayers. It was a very strange ritual but also interesting.
On October 3 we took a short flight to Siem Reap in order to see the Ankor Wat. This is a park with a collection of very old crumbling Wats. It was more of a hike than anything but the views were amazing.

When we got back to Thailand much of it was flooded so Ai and I went to a shelter and helped move water, fold, sort and distribute clothing and a few other things. The shelter was a school and the entire gym was filled with homeless people trying to sleep. It was very sad but there were lots of young people there volunteering their time to help out.
FINALLY we are done recapping! Currently I am taking a break from packing a small suitcase to go to Australia tomorrow at 5am! WHOO! I won't get there until 9pm so I have a long day ahead of me. Alright, thanks for reading!

Airport Blues

I am currently sitting in the Bangkok Airways lounge. It isn't too bad actually. Some snacks, OJ, a couch, that's all I really need to be happy :) Anyway, I am on my way to Cambodia where I will spend 15 days with my grandpa in a hotel! A hotel!! I don't think Ive ever been so excited to have a nice bed, my own shower and yes... have somebody other than me clean. It is going to be glorious. I had to wake up at 4:30 to get a taxi to the airport. Luckily no problems with getting through to the plane :) I'll update again about Cambodia soon!

Speed Update

Ok so it has been over a week since I posted... sorry! I'll give you a summery of everything though.
1. I met Achara's (my grandpa's nurse) daughter Ai. She is 18 and very nice. I'm glad a found somebody my age to hang out with. But she goes to school so we can only hang out on the weekends.
2. I WENT TO THE ZOO!! I rode an elephant which was really fun and only a little scary. I also took pictures with an adult tiger and a baby albino tiger. There was also a Croc show where performers stuck their heads into the mouth of a croc.
3. I met a fellow American on the train!
4. I went to Siam Ocean World and did the Fish Bath where tiny fish nibbled on my feet.
5. I saw the reclining Buddha. It was very beautiful and not too crowded so I was happy with that.
6. I climbed Wat Arun. It is located on the west band of Chao Phraya River. I got a lot of great sunset shots here.
7. I went to Mansion 7 which is like a haunted mall. I went through the haunted house with Ai and she pretty much peed her pants. haha just joking. But it was kind of scary because actors kept jumping out from behind us and scaring us.
8. First club!! Ai and I went to the club at around midnight. Nobody checked her ID or anything. We entered to find a dark, very loud, and crowded room. We were allowed one free drink so we both got one and sat down. We got hit on a ton, we danced a little, we sang the whole time and had a lot of fun. We left around 3am, took a taxi to Ai's dorm and crashed.
9. Dinner at Thailand's Tallest Tower. I had a revolving observation deck that we went up to. Very beautiful view.
10. Finally, I got a Thai oil massage. It was relaxing but it was hard to tell the woman what I wanted because she spoke no English.

Whooo, that was a lot of updating. So today I am going to the store to buy supplies to make no bake cookies because its the only cookie I know how to make without an oven. Also I fly to Cambodia on the 28th.
Thanks for reading!

Big. Elephant.

So today I went to the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan. It is a HUGE elephant sculpture. It weighs around 250 tons and is completely covered in bronze. It is without a doubt the most beautiful man made thing I have ever seen in my life. The detail that went into every nook and cranny is insane! 

The museum's three separate floors symbolise the universe and are designed in accordance with the three-tiered cosmology of the Hindu-Thai Buddhist concept of Tribhumi.

The basement level represents the underworld. Alongside rare artifacts from furniture to ceramics and pottery, large display boards detail the history and construction of the Erawan Museum.

Moving up to the next level, depicting the human world, the exquisite interior decoration inside the dome-shaped architecture reflects a harmonious blend of Eastern and Western art. Highlights include the splendid stained glass ceiling on which a world map and zodiac are illustrated.

All these decorative stuccos are enhanced with countless pieces of crusted Bencharong ceramics.The finely embellished venue is supported by four embossed tin pillars on which are depicted religious tales. These standing columns portray the four Buddhist principles of virtue that help bring authentic peace to the heart of mankind and sustain the world.

A narrow spiral staircase passing through the right hind leg of the elephant leads to Tavatimsa Heaven, deep inside the elephant's belly.

This eye-catching room on the top of the museum marks the second heaven where Indra resides, and houses two superb Buddha images, glistening with gold. Portions of relics of the Lord Buddha are placed inside the walking Buddha statue below a replica of the Phra Phuttha Sihing.

!!!! READ HERE !!!!

Ok if that last bit didn't really sound like me its because I copied it from Wikipedia, I know BAD BLOGGER, BAD! But it described it really well and honestly that structure left me speechless. Anyway I have tons of photos and a video on my facebook so please check it out! More on my adventures later!
-Nicole

Rambling

First of all, thanks to everybody who has been telling me that they are reading!
Second, today is my last day in Japan! Arrrh! I was just getting used to this stuff! Oh well. Tomorrow I have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn at like 2am so I can be showered and ready to travel at around 3:30. Yeah I spent my last day pretty lamely. Grandpa had to go to the dentist and I didn't really wanna hang in a waiting room for hours so I decided to wait at the house alone for a few hours! Yeah, not really a good decision either way. But yeah I watched some cartoons (in English thank god he had a stash of old DVDs).
For Thailand I'm really hoping to find some young people because there were pretty much none here.
I did make a friend though. Her name is Chieko. She teaches English at a middle school so she understood most of what I said. We went shopping in Hiroshima which was wonderful. Normally I am awful at shopping because I get really bored and frustrated but I had a lot of fun. There were some cool shops and I actually bought something! I got a dress, a purse, some shoes, and a couple gift things. Anyway, she was a sweetheart.
I am still unsure of how long I will be staying once I get to Thailand. I want to be home before Christmas. I have lots of things that I want to do once I get to Thailand. Riding elephants, going shopping, visiting Wats (temples) and traveling in a tuktuk. No nerves about travel tomorrow. I did fine without anybody guiding me from the USA to Japan so I figure that having a guide to Thailand should make things even easier.
Wish me luck. I'll update on living situations as soon as I'm situated.
-Nicole

A bomb museum

Warning: This post has mildly disturbing descriptions of what is housed in the Atomic bomb museum.


The memorial museum was good but gave me very mixed feelings. When you first arrive you can choose to rent a headset that is a narration of the artifacts and stories throughout the museum. The beginning had models of the city before and after the bomb, videos of it exploding, and pictures of the Japanese people. But slowly as the museum went on the images got more and more graphic. Pictures of people crying, fleeing, and then charred laying on the street under the rubble. Close ups of images taken of the victims with faces unrecognizable. There were stone steps that had been in the blast. On it was a large black stain where a person had actually been disintegrated. There were also lots of blood stained clothes and books from the children killed.
Stories of mothers that searched for their children for weeks to no avail. A letter from an older sister who's back had been turned to the blast. She had her baby brother on a sling behind her. He was completely burned to death, saving her life. But she killed herself two years later from the guilt. A story of a father who went to his daughters school to find her things after she died. In the gym were piles of bones bound together in cloth. He picked a random collection and took it home, treating it like his daughter.
But most disturbing were the actual remains. Bones, charred hands and feet in preserves. Even a life sized model of two children fleeing the city. They were back lit with a terrible red light. The kids had horrified faces and their skin was melting off their bones.
Although all these images were horrifying and humbling, the museum also made me very angry. It never mentioned Pearl Harbor, not once. It actually said that the USA had bombed Japan because it had spent billions on research for the A bomb and the countries citizens were eager to see what their taxes had paid for in a demonstration. I know that some countries, including my own, shift history to make themselves look better but what this museum was a lie. It acted as though the act was totally and utterly unprovoked. It also failed to mention that Hiroshima was only chosen because it was the largest military base in Japan at the time.
All in all I'm not sure what to think. But I know I will not be returning.

Adventure post from US airforce base

Well I am in the middle of a food court on the base. Here is the update. Monday I took a ferry to the island of Miyajima. This is where the  Mayajima itsukushima shrine is. It is a large red shrine. Every year there is a festival where a boat passes under the shrine to wish good luck upon all the ships, there are fireworks and dancing at the fest too. We were there during the off season though.
The island holds many deer. The deer are used to people so they will let you walk up and pet them. But if you have any food they will try to take it from you haha. Most of the Asian girls were screaming and running around scared of the animals. They were very sweet though.
So I have gotten a request (ahemNicoleJ) to write more about feelings and thoughts rather than just where I have been going. So here it goes.
I am still pretty homesick. The first few days were the worst but it slowly is getting less painful. I try to keep myself distracted in order to stay happy. I am always running around or listening to audio books or journaling. It is irritating not knowing what the menu says or what people are saying. The only Americans i have seen are on base and they are very busy so I dont speak with anybody outside grandpa in person. Grandpa and I get along most of the time. Of course there are small disagreements but nothing too bad yet.
I leave for Thailand on China Air on the 8th of September. I am nervous that I wont be able to connect with the Internet there. I have been online a lot lately talking to friends. It makes me happy to know people read my blog or like my pictures.It feels like they are kind of on the adventure with me.
On a side note I have also decided that Asian men are not my type, at all.
Ok so I think that is all for now. If you like this blog please comment, I read everybodys comments (Thanks Brian, Nicole, Cassie, and Uncle Chris). I love and miss you all.
Nicole Bixby

Day 2 & 3

Day 2

Woke up at 5:30am local time. This morning we make our way to the US military base. I was told that it was a Japanese base at the time of Pearl Harbor. The building where the order to attack the harbor still stands there. After showering I feel 100% better. There are many Lotus and rice fields where I am staying in the mountains. I was cleared for the base, bought a ticket to Thailand for the 8th, went to my first temple, ate my first Japanese meal (fried prawns), and went to the beach. We brought a snack to the beach, deep fried bread balls with octopus inside (ick).

Day 3

Today we went to a Castle called Iwakuni. First we walked across a wavy bridge (I'm not sure how else to describe it). Below was a river with fly fishermen. After walking the bridge we went to get ice cream and visited a friend of grandpa's at her restaurant. The building it was in had been in her family for over 300 years. She gave me some sightseeing guide and a notebook. Very nice woman; very bad English. To communicate she used a computer translator to tell me that because I had Japanese blood I have the protection of the Gods and that I am her spiritual sister.

To get to Iwakuni castle you must take a cable car. The castle was very beautiful but the museum inside was boring. Lots of swords with inscription in Japanese. The view was worth the long hot hike though.

Arrival

Hey I am ok. Trip was long and exausting. Too long and exausting to bother with a discription. My bags were misplaced so i have nothing to wear for the next few days. Customs didn't take long at all, maybe fifteen minutes. I saw my grandpa right away, the airport was smaller in Hiroshima, and we took a shuttle bus to the millitary base around a hour away where his car was. I had to wait outside the base becasue I have not been cleared yet. Then he drove me another fifteen minutes to his house.
 It is crazy over here. All the cars drive like 30 over the posted speed limit and they have strange LED lights on them. Colors like purple, orange, green, and red. Everything is damp and stagnent feeling, like you can stur the air. I crashed as soon as i saw my bed.
There is no privacy, my bed is in an adjoining room to his, I'll send pictures later.Outside the house there is a forest filled with monkeys that make a very strange noise all night. I'm feeling a little homesick already but I think once I have my bags and settle down a little bit I'll be ok.

Today is the day...

Today is the day, the sun is shining and I am getting out of here! I am currently sitting in the airport terminal fighting for my right to an outlet in order to plug in my laptop. My friends and family saw me off in my home town this morning at five am. I am so lucky. I honestly have the best people surrounding me. I managed to keep my "cool" until I was out of their sight when a few tears escaped. CHEESY I know, I couldn't help it. I have walked around the entire Seatac terminal at least three times. I know spending 10 hours on my butt will not be fun. They should put gyms in airplanes... But then you would probably have to pay to use the gym and everything about flying is already overpriced anyway. Get this... THREE DOLLARS FOR A SMALL WATER!! THREE DOLLARS! These crazy people must think I'm made of money.
Right now I am just killing time until my flight starts to board in about 40 minutes. The flight out of town was wonderful this morning. The sun was just coming up when we took off so it lit up the cabin all pink and orange. My plane is currently being fuled outside the window and its bloody huge. They engines are the size of three of me standing up.
Ok well I am about to pack up for boarding. Wish me luck!

19 Days and counting

A few days ago my passport came in the mail. After getting over the initial excitement of finally receiving it and realizing that I will actually have to go through with this whole big trip... I noticed something. I look like a cooked lobster. No joke. My face is so red and shiny! I have no idea why, I was not burned or hot at the time. Stupid cameras.Oh well, I only have to use that ID for the next ten years. No big deal. Picture is to the left for your entertainment.

I have also been on a cleaning frenzy. Normally I let my room get pretty bad before I spend the whole day cleaning it out to where it looks decent. But I keep having the urge to clean more and more. First it was just the floor, a little vacuuming here and there to get rid of my friends the dust bunnys. But then I ventured under my bed where the monsters live. We are talking a jar of peanut butter... lord only knows how long that had been there. Gross. Then I got crazy and cleaned my closet! Now that I think about it, I suppose I'm cleaning so that if anybody in my family ventures in when I'm gone I don't want them to remember me as a slob. Which is crazy because they already know that I'm messy.

I went on a shopping spree. Not really but I remembered that I don't actually own a hairdryer among other things that I only share with my sister. Hopefully my paycheck comes in the mail so I can pay for more helpful things like lotion and product. I am kind of worried that none of my brands will be in Thailand and I'll have to use all sorts of strange things with names i cant pronounce. I can just imagine myself in the supermarket scratching my head over all the freaky bottles written in Thai (which i cant speak or read in the slightest). Or worse. I'll love the stuff and then get back home and never ever be able to use it again. I will be forever unsatisfied with my Aussie shampoo.

Speaking of buying things I was hoping to bring little gifts for the people that take care of my grandpa. I think there are three girls, 18, 14, and 7. I have no idea what to bring though. Ideas please?

Well that is all for now. Thanks for reading. Please comment!!!!

Seating

Okay, so I just got my seating arrangement for the 10 hour flight from  Seattle to Japan. I will be on a Boeing 777 in seat 32B(aisle). When I looked up where it was I was not terribly impressed. I am 5 rows from the nearest TV, 5 rows from the nearest bathroom and the emergency exit. So I am smack dab in the middle of the "economy class" seating. I'm not complaining though. The seating goes 2-5-2 across and I am on the left side isle so I should count my blessings. I could have ended up in the middle of the center section with two people crowding either side of me. God forbid I would have to go to the bathroom.
Just out of curiosity I looked up the cost for a similar flight while in first class and the price was over double what I paid!! It's true that I will have to pay for snacks and try to get by eating stale nuts for 10 hours but people have survived worse. $2,000 is just a crazy amount of money to spend on a flight. Not to say that if I did posses the money I wouldn't take that offer.
Anyway, I am just counting down the days until I leave (and the things I have to get done BEFORE I leave). And I hope somebody is reading this. It kind of feels like a journal at this point. If any of my Facebook friends read this please comment on my wall so I know that I'm not wasting my time typing this to nobody. Thank you and สายัณห์สวัสดิ์ (Goodnight).

Plane Tickets!

Today the rubber hit the road! I am now $1,071.30 poorer! Whoo! Haha. Well that was a weight off my shoulders though. Now all I can do is pray that I don't get a seat next to a baby, a child, a talker, a snorer, a "bigg'un", or an Elbow'ean Bonaparte (conqueror of the armrest). Because 10 hours is a long time to be trapped next to any of those types of people. How difficult could it possibly be for the creator of the universe to sit me down next to a polite young adult with some kind of amazing accent? Honestly?
ฉันต้องการโชค (Wish me luck)
Nicole

First Post

Well this is a little premature considering my trip isn't for another month but here it is. I will keep a blog for friends and family who are interested in keeping up with me while I travel throughout Asia. My plan is very loose but so far it consists of this:
Arrive on a flight from home to Seattle at 6:40am. Layover till 1:32 then fly from Seattle to Tokyo (10 hour flight UGGG). Then fly from Tokyo to Hiroshima at 5:40 (their time) and finally meet my grandpa in the Hiroshima airport at 7:15pm. I don't know about you but to me that is a lot of travel for one day.
I am swappping "lists" with a friend so what I do will be influenced by that, so far my only bucket list item is to get a picture atop an elephant. So if anybody has any suggestions for things to do I would love your input. I plan on hitting up Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, and maybe Vietnam.
Ok that's all for now. พบกันไหม่ (Goodbye for now)
Nicole