My earlier post about the holy month where we currently live got me thinking of my own favorite time of year: Christmas! And though I am not Catholic, I especially love the way Catholics celebrate Christmas until Epiphany, January 6. Because otherwise, it’s kind of a bummer, right? There’s all this to-do leading up to…
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Kuala Lumpur (“KL” to most) is Malaysia’s shiny, cosmopolitan capital, probably most known for the Petronas Towers (the world’s tallest twin towers) that shoot 451 meters into the sky. This town has about everything a visitor could want: history, activities, universities, museums, a bustling economy, a vibrant nightlife, good public transportation, tons of hospitals (should you…
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Whenever we used to think of China, more often than not, we’d think of Shanghai. And when we thought of Shanghai, images of 1930’s glamour, junk boats, cosmopolitan streets and seedy opium dens straight out of a Clavell novel came to mind. Turns out, Shanghai isn’t at all like that. It’s a modern, bustling city…
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Okay, I know this guy’s not Bill Murray. Or … I’m pretty sure. But the thing is, this photo was taken almost ten years ago when Sam and I were living in Germany. We took a road trip to Budapest, Hungary, and while there, I fell completely beguiled by this gorgeous hotel and spa built…
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When Sam and I lived in Tonga for two years, part of his job was to see the Peace Corps volunteers who lived in Samoa as well. On two occasions, when his stay there was for a few weeks, I was lucky enough to go with him! Both times we stayed in downtown Apia (Samoa’s capital),…
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Natalie currently lives and works in China, but before that, she taught EFL (English as a Foreign Language) in Romania for three years with the Peace Corps before serving as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Tonga! Teaching English in various capacities across three foreign countries over five years is no small feat, so I…
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Breand and her husband had the unique experience of living on ‘Eua island as part of their Peace Corps service. ‘Eua is a two-hour ferry ride from Tongatapu (Tonga’s capital island and where Sam and I lived during our two years in Tonga). It is also the oldest (30 million years older to be exact!) and…
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Michael Hassett is a Peace Corps Volunteer currently serving in Ha’utu, Tonga. Ha’utu is a tiny village on the southwestern side of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu. So, what’s it like to move from Pittsburgh to the middle of Oceania where you will spend the next two years of your life integrating into a culture about…
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Today’s post is an interview with Returned Peace Corps Volunteer John (“Sione” in Tongan) O’Malley, who served in Ha’apai from 2009 to 2012. John is now wrapping up his service in Liberia where he works as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader, but he’s generously taken some time to answer questions about his time in Ha’apai,…
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Kate Asleson and her husband Brett are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (“RPCV’s”) who served in the island group of Ha’apai from 2008 to 2010. They now live in St. Paul, Minnesota USA where Kate works in Marketing for Target’s corporate office and Brett teaches at an all immigrant/refuge English Language Learners (ELL) program high school….
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