Just when our teacher tour thought Nafplio, Greece couldn’t get any more gorgeous and charming, the owner of our hill-top hotel invited us to go orange picking in his private orchard!
We decided to get our hands on those oranges on our last morning in Nafplio, as a heavenly pit-stop on our bus travel back to Athens.
Walk with me now as we pull into the orchard, climb off the bus, scamper past [...Read More!]
The ancient Greek gods did a lot of eating of their children.
Zeus ate Athena’s pregnant mother, only to have his daughter spring out of his head once Hephaestus split it open with an axe.
Cronus ate his first five children until his wife tricked him by switching a tasty rock for baby Zeus.
Inspired by the ravenous appetites of the Greek gods, on this teacher tour of Greece, we have been eating like monsters.
Only, instead [...Read More!]
“I’ve been trying so many things to get my students quiet so I can teach!” exclaimed a Boston-area fellow teacher, Carl, yesterday. “I tried yelling for attention all last year. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.”
I nodded, having been there myself. Carl continued. “This month I’m experimenting with just stopping and staring at kids who begin side conversations. I’ll just wait, and LOOK at them. Sometimes I’ll even murmur quietly:
“Hey, [...Read More!]
Article #8 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By Ryan, Age 16, 10th Grade in Boston. Born in the U.S. to parents from America.
Q: Ryan, you’re not just a vegetarian, you’re a vegan, meaning you don’t eat dairy, eggs, or meat! Was travel in China hard for you as a result of your diet?
A: Actually, nothing about our China trip was difficult! Before I arrived in [...Read More!]
Article #4 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By Toan, Age 18, 11th Grade in Boston. Born in the U.S. to parents from Vietnam.
Q: During our free hour in Beijing’s Night Market, word is that you sampled some INSANE foods. What exactly happened?
A: Well, first I went around trying to look for the scorpion. That was the first food I wanted to eat.
All the exotic foods in the market were [...Read More!]
Ok, first, don’t worry, I’m not in jail.
That lead photo was from my first night going out in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The party my friend Marleny and I ended up at was “Cowboy and Jail-themed,” hence the fake jail.
You see, from the first day to the last day of our month-long travels through Brazil in 2005, Brazil surprised and delighted us. I simply have to write about it now, in 2012, [...Read More!]
WOW. I have just returned to Boston from five of the most action-packed days in Spain imaginable, thanks to the free teacher training tour run by EF Tours. And… WOW.
The unquestionable highlight of the tour was celebrating New Year’s Eve 2011 in Puerta del Sol, Madrid!
Puerta del Sol is the very center of Spain (if you type “Madrid” into Google maps, the marker will appear right at Sol), and all points [...Read More!]
If you’ve read about my new fiancé Colin eating duck feet and pig tails in China, you may be shocked to learn that his family is vegan!
For maximal heart health, Colin’s parents, Diane and Estes, follow the Doctor Esselstyn Diet: no meats, fish, eggs, oil (even olive oil), processed grains, milk products, or avocados, and very limited sugars and salt.
You may be gasping now, especially if you are a meat-and-oil-loving American, but [...Read More!]
As a hip, world-traveling American, I am supposed to run in the other direction when I see a chain store from my native country, especially if that chain is a monster like Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts.
Buuuuut… it’s not that simple. You see, rather than being disgusted by the tentacles of imperialism in corporate garb, I’m frequently fascinated and impressed.
For example, check out the lead photo of this article. Dunkin’ Donuts of [...Read More!]
“Tell him in Chinese that we love his dumplings!” I hissed to Gareth as we walked out of the restaurant, passing by the saintly man frying and steaming the dumplings we’d just gobbled up.
My friend and I sidled up awkwardly behind the chef, waiting for an appropriate time to sing his praises.
Clouds poured from the steamed bun baskets. Oil sputtered from the giant black dumpling-frying pan. The man’s hand flew upward [...Read More!]