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On The Bright Side

WOW! THANK YOU!

This morning I realized that the hit counter on my website said 9995.  I posted a note in my facebook status, wondering who would be number 10,000.  Pete totally cheated and logged on three times.  Jeff claims he would have had it had Pete not cheated.  I made sure I didn’t log on for hours, as the last time I hit a milestone, I was the one who was the lucky “winner”. Oi.

At some point during my life in Japan, I created a blog, On The Bright Side.  Last year, shortly before I set out on my travels in March 2008, I established this website to more easily and thoroughly communicate with you the life adventures I am so fortunate to enjoy.

I just want to THANK YOU for stopping by and taking time out of your day to visit On The Bright Side, check in with me and keep in touch.  It means a lot to me, as I really enjoy posting these stories – sometimes great, sometimes silly, sometimes even a bit sad.  They are just bits and pieces of my life and I am happy to share them with you.  Now, if I could just get you all to leave more comments!  That’s the goal for the next 10,000 hits!

In all sincerity, though, thank you.  I’m grateful for your friendship and for your continued clicking.  May you be the lucky one who logs in hit number 20,000!  : D

 

On the Bright Side,

Shanna

Get a life!

What gang sign is that? I am such the loser that I meant to put an L on my forehead and ended up with this weirdo version.  I’m so NOT cool!

 

Berlin was great on many levels.  I got to spend a romantic weekend with a very cute boy.  I enjoyed sightseeing in a remarkable city in the world, one more pin for my map. I’m truly fortunate to “have to” go to Berlin once a year.  I like traveling for work!  The exhibition was amazing and provided an opportunity to learn a lot about the travel industry, as well as provided a view of the bigger picture.

But on the plane back to Hanoi, I was working on my 3-month report for the owners, and as my list of things I’ve accomplished at work grew longer, I recognized that my list of personal achievements would pale in comparison if I had to write those down.

And that’s not me.  I’m the gal who gives 110% in everything I do.  Of course I want to be the best I can be at work, but at what expense?  Until I made time to write updates for the entire month of March, how often did I update my blog here?  How many photos have I taken in and around Hanoi?  And what have those photos mostly been of -my commute to work.  Yes I’ve met people, but I haven’t made much of an effort at making new friends.  Correspondence with my Japanese students or friends?  It’s been months.  Keeping up with my On The Bright Side newsletter? Writing to my friends? Writing in my journal?  Exploring my new surroundings?  Exercising and taking care of myself?  No no no no and no.  That doesn’t make me feel too good.

I had a rough week back at work this past week.  I was fighting jet lag like crazy and I got side-tracked with interviews for Press Club staff (20 hours!) instead of focusing on the bigger picture and following up after my trade event.  So by the time the weekend came and my half day of work on Saturday turned 4:00 pm. I simply stopped.

I had the Tang man pick me up and take me to a furniture shop called Dome.  I looked at sofas and dining tables and scheduled an appointment with a designer who will come to my home, measure my windows and space and suggest designs and colors and pieces to buy.  I’m excited.  I can’t wait to have a proper living space with fun, lively and bright colors.  I may end up paying more than I should, but I simply want a lovely home to return to at the end of the day.

I did more research on the motorbike and asked our HR Madam, Ms. Ngoc to help me by the Honda AirBlade I’ve set my heart on.  I finally sent my parents my wish list – there are some things they can send which would add convenience or luxury to my life. And I got my HSBC banking account set-up online so I can transfer money to my US account.

I got a little bit more organized at home and actually wrote a “to do” list for my maid.  I do, at least, have a maid who comes once a week.  I still feel weird about having a maid just for me, but she helps me tremendously.  It was awesome to come home from Berlin to a perfectly in-tact home.

So – I apologize once again for not updating you more often.  Enough is enough.  Sharing these life adventures with you gives me tremendous joy.  The thing is – I’ve got to get out of the office and live a little so I have something interesting to share!  I have got to get a life…

On the Bright Side,

Shanna

Bread Ladies

On my way out to Halong Bay to visit our boat, The Emeraude, the highway was peppered with these women who sell french bread.  Some sit passively as this woman in the photo, but some stand and try to wave down cars or motorbikes passing by.

With all the dust and pollution from the highway, I can’t imagine what that bread tastes like!

On the Bright Side,

Shanna

Vietnamese Beauties

On my tour of the Citadel and Forbidden Purple Palace, I was waiting for my tour guide to park his motorbike.  I took a few shots of the citadel with the huge flag and then turned around to find my guide.  I saw four Vietnamese ladies getting prepared for a photo shoot.  The one in the purple was getting the one in orange prepared.  At first I didn’t think this was a great photo, but now that I’m looking at it again, I think it’s a good candid!

On the Bright Side,

Shanna

Gotta love it!

A quick hello and a note to let you know that things are going well in Hanoi.  I hope to negotiate a contract on my apartment tomorrow, a huge task which I will be very glad to get out of the way.  I now have a cell phone and am starting to feel a bit more settled.  Not 100%, mind you, but closer.

On my way back from apartment hunting today, I just had to pull out my camera and take this photo.  Mind you, I was on the back of a motorbike, so it is not the clearest photo in the world, but you get the idea.  I don’t think I will ever tire of seeing what the Vietnamese can carry on a motorbike!

I hope to continue to post snapshots like this.  Stay tuned.

And when I get a break this weekend, I will continue my story from home hunting.  You would not even believe…

On the Bright Side,

Shanna

All Good Things Come To An End

After a terrific twenty-eight days, the European tour has come to and end.  The tour ended in Greece, after just a few short hours in Athens.  My flight schedule took me back to London, where I pondered the idea of traveling to Spain to find work.  I mentioned in my previous post that I wouldn’t mind staying in Europe, particularly Greece or Spain.

Well, after greater contemplation, I realized I was unable to camp out in Spain, or anywhere in Europe.  Hotels and transportation cost a pretty Euro or Pound and I simply could not afford to stay and look for work.

What that means, my dear friends, is that – SURPRISE! – I’m writing to you from San Diego!  I’m back in the good old US of A.  I just got back on Monday, and have spent the last couple of days recuperating from a long and delayed flight.  I’m also adjusting to being back in the U.S.  Reverse culture shock always seems to hit me harder than culture shock.  How weird is that?  I do love being immersed in foreign cultures!

I find it oddly coincidental, that I returned from my travels the same exact day I returned from Japan last year.  Interesting how things fall into place that way.  Even though a year has passed, I still miss Japan and often thought of my friends, students and life in Japan while I was traveling throughout the world.

My goal, while here in comfort of casa de papa y mama, is to polish up my resume, do some research, and figure out what the next step is in my life adventure.  After five months living out of a backpack, I need a break, a job and routine in my life.  I love, love, love traveling and exploring the world, but even “Shanna the Adventurer” has her limits!  It was time to come home.

What I feel so grateful for is that I am in the unique position in my life that I can do anything and go anywhere I choose.  Yes, I will look for jobs in Spain and Greece, as I said before.  And I will still keep bugging Kurt in Vietnam to find a way to put me in that Sales and Marketing position in Hanoi.  But I will also research opportunities a little closer to home and see what pops up.  It just may be time for me to settle in the US again and plant some roots here.  We’ll just have to see.  Point being, I’m open and flexible.

I have posted my resume online here.  And you know me well, so if you would like to forward my resume to someone you know, please feel welcome to do so.  If you know someone who’s looking for a person like me, please put us in touch.  Any efforts you make on my behalf are GREATLY appreciated.

Soon enough, I’ll be writing my OTBS newsletter, both an Asian version and European version, to highlight some of the experiences I’ve had during my journey.  I know many of you have kept up with my travels here, but I’m hoping to tickle some of my friends and acquaintances who haven’t visited the website as frequently as you!  Look for that news very soon.

If you want to reach me, you can find me on my cell.  It’s the same number I had previously.  I’d be delighted to hear from you and catch up in person.  Thanks so much for being so supportive and I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Cheers,

Shanna

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