At the Jacksons (Trip Report part 4)

After the two-week stint in Ohio, I flew back to Vegas. I had a couple days left in the U.S. and was going to spend them with my sister Jayne and her family. They recently moved from Ohio to Vegas so it was cool to hang with them and explore some of the fun things they have discovered since making the move. The housing market is flailing so Jayne and her husband Tom decided to rent a house. Perhaps when the market settles they will buy a house. As for now, they are renting a very nice pad in Henderson, the largest suburb of Vegas. The house is really nice and has a killer view of the city.

Although I only had a few days with them, I got the impression that the Jacksons were digging their new surroundings. Tom is especially happy to be in a less harsh climate. Jayne started a job at one of the fancier hotels in the city a few days before I visited, I wish ya big luck with the new gig sis!

Here are a few more shots of Sin City:

The view from the patio at dusk. The patio is a very nice feature. It has a hot tub that allows you to soak and look out over the city and the mountains...good stuff!

The lower level of the backyard leading into the house.

Oscar. This is one of the coolest little dogs around. He digs his new place except the occasional passers-by. He is very territorial. Look at that mug.

Almost the same view as above but in the full-blown evening. You can see the lights of the Strip on the right.

Strolling along the Strip. Another perfect day in Las Vegas. It's tough to find fault with the climate. The sensory overload brought on by the overwhelming marketing of the casinos can be hard to digest.

Approaching the southern portion of the Strip. Up ahead is the New York, New York, the MGM Grand, the Luxor and the Excalibur. I read somewhere that there are more hotel rooms on that one corner than in any other city in America...is that possible?

Staring up at the fake Eiffel Tower. Part of the well-designed Paris Casino. It's all a facsimile of the real thing, but it's impressive.

The MGM Grand. This place is a nightmare. Once you are inside it's impossible to get out. They have very effectively hidden the exits. I once spent 20 minutes trying to find an exit in this place.

I need to thank Perry, Andrea, Jayne, Tom and Jordan for making my visit to Vegas a fun one. I had a lot on my mind and sometimes may have seemed distant. Nevertheless, I had a great trip.

Next time I come to visit I will bring Catherine, I promise.

A Great Day (Vegas Trip Report Part 2)

A few days after I arrived in Vegas, Perry allowed me to come to work with him for the day. He is a second grade teacher in the public school system in Las Vegas. I spent the day with a remarkable group of students at Hollingsworth Elementary. Hollingsworth is located in one of the rougher areas of the city and the most of the kids come from less-than-ideal home environments. Perry told me that quite a few of them live in the weekly-pay hotels in the neighborhood.

It takes a special kind of person to manage a group of kids with such challenges. The students are lucky to have Perry. I have known him for about 12 years now and I have never seen him happier than when he is leading this group. He has a great system set up in the classroom and the children seem to enjoy and thrive in it. It was tons of fun going through the steps that constitute a day in the life of a grade-school teacher in the U.S.

Below are some of the photos I managed to take that day.

A good view of the kids from Perry's desk.

Perry leading the charge. The children respond well to him. I think the classroom is the perfect environment for him.


I was especially impressed by how well disciplined the kids are. They have a set schedule throughout the day and follow it to a "T".

They never missed a chance to mug for the camera. Kids throughout the world love to be silly when the camera is pointed at them.

Towards the end of the day, they get a few minutes of play time.

Thank you Perry for allowing me to attend school with you. It has given me a lot to think about regarding my future. I took away nothing but positive thoughts regarding teaching in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas (Trip Report Part 1)

After a grueling day in the air, about 14 hours, I finally arrived at McCarran airport in Las Vegas. Waiting for me there was my best buddy on the planet, Perry. We quickly retrieved my bags and headed out to see the wonderful house that he and his wife Andrea bought this past year. The fact that they are homeowners is mind-boggling considering it seems like yesterday when we were struggling college students living in crappy old apartments.

I was pretty wired by the time we got to the house. He showed me around the place and we hung out for a little bit while waiting for Andrea to arrive. After she came home we headed out to the micro-brewery at the Main St. Station casino. This is one of my favorite places to nosh in Vegas because they have a killer meatloaf and tasty beer. After dinner, we strolled down Freemont Street, otherwise known as "old" Vegas or downtown. As far as I am concerned, this is the best part of Vegas. The strip is waaaaaaay over-developed and unfriendly. Downtown Vegas is much kinder to the $5 gambler, like me. After gambling and losing money for a few hours, we headed home.

The following are some photos I took while in Vegas. This trip wasn't so much about sight-seeing and taking photos as it was a chance for me to visit with my friends and talk about a possible future in Vegas. I did manage to snap a few. I hope you enjoy them.

Speeding around the city on the freeways is a whole lot more enjoyable with this view.

My best friend's house. It's a great place, very comfortable. They live on the outskirts of the city. This fact may not hold true for long because Vegas is growing like a weed.

Perry and his new truck. He has been so successful these past few years which should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows him. He is one of the brightest, kindest and hard-working people I know...only outdone by his wife!...lol

Running errands with Perry. I just can't help but snap photos of the mountains, they are amazing.

I really enjoyed this trip because I got a chance to just hang out with Perry & Andrea. Not do anything all that special, just the day-to-day stuff.

Belated Thanks

I don't think I made it clear how thankful I am to everyone for putting up with me on my trip home. Everyone, including mom, the sisters, and the Sundbergs. They all went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and I am truly thankful.

Perry & Andrea carted me all over Las Vegas. It was lots of fun. I hope they find that perfect house soon.

Mom really knows how to make me happy...she cooked me all of the foods I only dream about here. Also, she was there to help me make a few decisions all the while knowing that being home is an emotional thing for me. I spent a good bit of the week on an emotional roller coaster and mom knew I needed to work through some things. She gave me my space and I was able to deal with them effectively. Mom is such a stabilizing force, although she denies it...

I didn't spend near enough time with the sisters, I never do. I suppose I was a bit selfish with my time and, looking back, I regret not seeing more of them.

One glaring absence during my visit was my youngest sister, Sydney. I guess she had a bit of a falling out with my mom. They haven't spoken in months. What a shame, I would've enjoyed seeing her. We have had a pretty tumultuous past but I love her just as much as the other sisters. I certainly hope she can patch things up with mom. All of us need mom in our lives.

It's been tough getting back into the swing of things here. It's strange how just a few weeks away can turn things upside down. I think the other teachers did a fine job in my classes...it's just tough to reconcile the missed class time. I am just now feeling like I am getting back in the groove.

Not sure when I'll be heading back home again. I hope the next trip is every bit as good as this one was.

Return to Bangkok?

As most of you know by now, I am heading home for a visit in mid-January. Well, I just found a killer trip deal for Bangkok over the Chinese New Year, in mid-February. Ugh, I dig Bangkok, big time. This is tough. If I do this it will seriously cut into my budget for the trip home. NT$8000 for a round-trip flight to BKK is a steal over the holiday. I have 4 or 5 days off, sure would like to spend them running wild in Thailand. I know that I have to go back again before I move back to the States. Time to crunch some numbers...

My itinery for the trip home is locked in, bought the last of the tickets yesterday. Flying into LAX on Jan 12th, catching another flight that evening to Vegas. Staying with Perry & Andrea for a few days before leaving for CLE on the evening of the 14th. Hanging with the fam until the 23rd. Flying back to Vegas on the evening of the 23rd. Gotta another day or so in Sin City before scooting back to LAX to catch return flight to Taipei...what a trip.

The whole shootin match cost me about $1050 American, not too shabby.

My Next Opportunity?

As I mentioned earlier, I am taking a trip home in January. Part of my journey involves a stop off to visit my favorite couple of crazies, Perry & Andrea. I'm gonna be spending a few days with them in Las Vegas, their home. Anyhow, Perry & I Have been discussing the possibility of yours truly becoming a teacher in Vegas. It's the hottest market in the country for teachers, they are paying very well and the demand is sky-high. The school district there has many options as far as alternative licensing is concerned. I am confident I could do it. As far as I can tell, it's about an 18 month program. From everything Perry has told me, it looks like I won't have any problems getting a full-time teaching gig once I get the license.

I love my job here, but I have to seriously consider the long-term picture. I have had nothing but good things here and I think I need to see if I can parlay my good fortune into something more concrete in the States. I don't believe I'll ever have an easier set-up then I do now but it is just not something you do for 20+ years. I am well aware that teaching in the U.S. is a very different experience then over here, I think I can handle it.

The thought of leaving my kids here is heart-wrenching. I know it's a cliche', but many of the children I teach are MY kids...the attachment runs deep. If this Vegas teaching opportunity happens, it's gonna be a tough transition. I have had plenty of shifts in my life, but most of them came as a result of dissatisfaction with what I was doing at the time. This one won't be quite that simple. I am very happy with just about every aspect of my life here. This move will be driven by my need to shore things up in the distant future.

I've got lots to think about in the coming months.

25,000 Pennies! & Chillin in L.A.

I have arrived! This past week has been crazy!

I spent 3 days in Las Vegas with Perry & Andrea prior to flying over here. It was great. I needed an opportunity to vist with them. As usual my time with them went by waaay to fast. It was a blast. I managed to win about $250 on a penny slot machine...amazing.

I flew into LAX on Saturday afternoon, that's when the insanity started. Anyone who has flown knows that you have to show the ticket counter person the credit card that you used to purchase the ticket. Well, i bought my ticket from LAX to Taiwan several months ago and since then my bank decided to issue new debit cards. I bought my ticket with the original card and the number changed...not good. They tell you to cut up the old card, I did. So i was in a bit of a pickle. The folks at the ticket counter made me rebuy my ticket on the spot...ugh. Thankfully it was only about $100 more than the other. The only remaining issue is to make sure that the airline properly refunds my money for the original ticket. It wouldn't be that big of a deal but dealing with the bank from overseas is a headache.

Not soon after that silly situation they announced that the plane was overbooked. They offered me $400 cash, a free hotel room, a $20 meal voucher, calling cards, and a pass to the airport V.I.P. lounge if I'd be willing to wait and go on the next flight, which was in 7 hours. Of course I took it. What a deal. I hung out in a very nice hotel for the afternoon and eventually made it back to the airport that night. The flight was uneventful, long, but uneventful.

I arrived in Taipei Monday morning at about 5am. What a crazy city. It's hot here. Thankfully the hostel is air conditioned. The hostel ("Taiwanmex Guest House") is great. A cool mix of folks from all over the planet. At only $13/night it's a steal. I am about 5 minutes from the subway and the main train station. It is about 4:30am local time as I am writing this...jet lag.

Time for me to attempt to get some sleep. I'm gonna do my best to keep this thing updated as often as I can.