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Countries
where I lived and traveled to...
Countries where I lived:
I went on my first big adventure accross the globe to Thailand in 1992,
and got the bug for traveling. However, I knew that I did not want to
only visit countries as a tourist but rather live and work there. It
took me some time before being able to fullfil this vision, and the
opportunity came around in 1995 when I was hired to go to Japan to teach
English as a second language. I stayed there 5 years and then returned
to Canada in 2000 to pursue university studies. It was in 2006 that
I was able to go back overseas, this time as a volunteer in Vietnam
and then in Nepal for my second volunteer posting, then
in Burkina Faso in Western Africa for my third and finally, a return to Nepal in June 2008 for my final posting with CECI.I love my life
which allows me to discover countries and people from within, while
at the same time doing work that I am passionate about in international
development. Read below for summaries of my travels around the world
and various stories of experiences that had an impact on my life...
Burkina Faso Map
  I
arrived in the captial Ouagadougou on June 4 2007 in the middle of the
night with my son Rémi and our dog Roxy. As we drove to our hotel,
I was shocked at how bare the streets were and our hotel was also very
humble. The next day, when I went outside, I was hit by 42 C heat. And
this was the beginning of our adventure here in Burkina lasted
one year. I worked as a Marketing Advisor for the Federation of Agricultural
Businesses of Burkina, helping its members to define and implement marketing
activities. Going into shops and meeting people, It was nice to hear
French spoken and be able to easily communicate with everyone. This
also helped Rémi to develop his language abilities which are
still a bit behind for his age. Landing in Africa was a shock more
then I expected, but in time we adapted and had a very rich and unforgettable experience. Read below some stories about our time in Burkina Faso, in French or English, and also a diary of our daily life there.
On the road to Bobo and Banfora
Daily life in Burkina Faso (June-August 2007)
Daily life in Burkina Faso (September-November 2007)
Daily life in Burkina Faso (December 2007-April 2008)
  I
arrived in Kathmandu on May 11th 2006 after a long journey and stayed
in a CECI passage house for two months, long enough to have an orientation
and language training. Rémi, myself and my dog Roxy settled in, and
I was happy not to have to stay in a hotel. At this place, I could easily
get a house routine going, essential to raising kids. We were lucky
to live near 2 large supermarkets where I was able to find everything
I needed. Life in Nepal started on the right foot, easy and accessible.
I also found learning Nepali language to be enjoyable, compared to the
difficult 6 tones of Vietnamese.
I quickly got to know the CECI volunteers and soon we were going out
and becoming friends. Kathmandu has many historical sights so I visited
some of them on weekends: Kathmandu, Patan & Bhaktapur palaces, Pashupatinath
temples, Buddhanath pagoda and others. I enjoyed strolling around Thamel
and surrounding areas through narrow alleys and streets. Nepal carries
an air of mystery with the traditional clothing of women, colorful et
graceful. The tika or red mark on the forhead, on men and women is also
intriguing to the newcomer.
After the initial 2 months, we moved to Chitwan where I was to begin
my mandate. I was happy to leave the busy capital for a quieter place,
but dreaded having to move once again and go through the adaptation
of finding an appartment as well as where to buy everything I needed.
In the end, it worked out, and the only draw back in being there was
the heat and humidity. Still, I found a nice place with 3 bedrooms,
and we stayed there until the end of April 2006 when my mandate finished.
We truly enjoyed Nepal and therefore did not hesitate to return in June 2008 for a new contract as Marketing and Communication Advisor for Fair Trade Group Nepal. This time, we were based in KTM so we had more access to a social life and cooler weather. Read below some stories about our time in Nepal as well as diary entries of our daily life.
Vietnam Map
  Vietnam
was my first volunteer posting and the achievement of a life long dream
of living and working overseas. I arrived in Hanoi in February 2005
for a one-year contract and I was anxious to see how it would all turn
out. It was an intense year, since we were in the last year of a project
called ILMC (Improved Livelyhoods for Mountainous Communities) and much
needed to be done to get good results. The adoption of a 2 1/2 year
old boy from a Saigon orphanage was also an emotional and demanding
"project" that carried on for the whole year. I also managed to do some
sightseeing to the central area of Hue and Hoi An plus in the North
at Halong Bay. All in all, Vietnam had a huge impact on me and I have
written a few stories to relate some of my experiences...
And as of December 2008, we have now returned to Vietnam, this time based in Hanoi. I will be here as Chain Development Coordinator for a Belgian NGO, with its office here called VECO-Vietnam. Check out their web site for more details, and stay tuned for more adventures in these lands of exotic mysteries...
  I
never expected to be a teacher, and this really happened more by default
and chance than by choice. I was living in Vancouver at the time and
could not find work when a friend who owned a language school offered
me a part-time job teaching English. At first I was a little wary, but
I ended up liking it since it gave me flexible hours and a chance to
interact with people. This is how I met many teachers who had been to
Japan to work and had returned, with stories to tell. Soon, I was offered
a position in Japan which I accepted, but then got scared of leaving
everything behind and backed out. Later that same year, I was one of
13 people selected after 3 interviews from a group of over 200 people,
to go teach in Japan. My life in Canada was going in circle, so I could
not refuse to go this time. So off I went and spent the first 2 months
in Nagoya for orientation. I was there to teach children ages 2-14,
and had no idea how I was going to do this. Soon I was transfered to
Kanazawa where I stayed for the duration of my time in Japan. I ended
up teaching English to children for one year, then changed and worked
for an English Conversation School for over one year (ECC), and finally
spent the last 2 years teaching English in a high school. Those 5 years
in Japan amounted to my first experience of living and working overseas
and eventually, I realized that only half of my vision had come true.
Yes, I was working overseas but no, I did not want to make teaching
my career. So I returned to Canada and went back to school in year 2000.
I got a bachelor's degree in Political Science with a major in International
Relations, and followed with a Master's degree in Local Development
and Management of co-operatives. This would pave the way for returning
overseas as a volunteer in 2005...
Countries where I traveled to:
These are summaries and stories of short travels to countries in Asia
which happened, usually for short periods of time ranging from one to
two weeks. Still, these trips gave me a glimpse into the lives and culture
of its people which of course, had an impact on me....
Belgium Map
  Well, it came with the territory as they say, that working with a Belgium NGO at some point would entail a trip to head office. So off I went on Nov 17th to Leuven and had one week of orientation with 3 other new guys (one who will be working in Indonesia, the other in Tanzania and one guy for Honduras). It was good to get to know the NGO, its history, its new restructuration process, its programs and most of all, its people! I found Leuven and Belgium to be lovely, with many historical buildings, clean streets and great tho expensive restaurants. I even went to Brussels for a day and had a wonderful time walking around, buying chocolate and seeing the sights. For the second week of my trip we were off to the seaside to Newport, and hit a nice snow storm on the way. We had 5 intensive days of workshop, so I can't say much about that part of the country but the sea was nice. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most people in Belgium spoke French and English, so it was not a problem for communication, except when I looked at restaurants' menus (which were in Dutch).
My trip to Belgium
Guinée Map
  Since considering coming to Africa as a volunteer about a year ago, I have felt attracted to Guinée and curious to discover this costal country. However, I had heard that living and working there was not easy for many reasons. During its independance from colonial rule, Guinée was one of the few countries in Western Africa that closed a door on France and decided to go solo. The result was desastrous for infrastructures and industries which had depended so much on outside support. Then followed years of totalitarian rule, political tensions and civil wars. Through all this the country got poorer and life became more difficult despite the fact that it is rich in natural resources. Today there is some kind of political stability tho the country suffers from daily electricity and water shortages, corruption and horrendous quality of infrastructures such as roads. In January 2008, while I was considering my options for my next mandate, an interesting posting with Unterra came up on the net. So I decided to go to Guinée and find out for myself if I wanted to live and work in there or not. My trip was short, from February 10-14 2008 but I really got to know Conakry well and even met with CECI volunteers and staff. Despite a certain charm to Conakry, the nearby sea and a fine choice of restaurants, I decided that I did not want to go and live there. Still, I am thrilled that I went and was thus able to get a broader impression on the diversity of life in Western Africa. As such, this trip will remain for me an incredible experience. Read on about my adventure in the short story below, in English or French!
  It's a bit of a stretch for me to put this country down as a place where I travelled to since I was there only for 3 days. So I can't even claim to "know" Mali but still, I got some general impressions from staying in Bamako after my trip to Guinée. I can say that it was refreshing to get there and no longer have to worry about cops and corruption, or even looking down for fear of getting in trouble. But there ends the positive points. I found Bamako to be of little interest with no small restaurants or "buvettes" like we have in Ouaga, and nothing to see or do. So after even one day of walking around, I stayed at the hotel and read. The fact that Mali is a Muslim country shows in the drab and conservative look of people (women wearing veil) and the city (alcohol is not allowed). So all in all, I got to really appreciate Ouagadougou in Burkina and see that it is a much nicer city then Bamako. However, I cannot speak for the rest of the country which I hear has a lot to offer to tourists, including the famous Timbouktou at the edge of the desert and at the "end of the world". Still, you can read on about my travel there in the story under Guinea above. By the way, notice the similarities between the flags of Guinea, Sénégal and Mali ?
Sénégal Map
  It was with great joy that I visited Senegal during the Xmas Holidays of 2007. After the harsh time in Burkina Faso, it was a welcomed change to visit this coastal African country. I found the people in Senegal firendly and relaxed, the food diverse and tasty, the sea with its beaches stunning and just a general sense of ease in being there. I loved my trip to Toubab-Dialaw, a couple of hours away from Dakar and also our visit to Bandia Reserve. There, I saw some amazing giraffes trot by and could not believe how graceful these animals are. Dakar is also a capital city not devoid of charm, with beaches nearby and paved roads (unlike Ouagadougou). I am now determined to go there for my next mandate and hope that it will be so. Inshallah (God willing)! Read on about this great trip in the detailed account below. Lire le récit de voyage dans le texte suivant:
 I
think that since Tibet holds so much mystery to westerners, I prefer
here to put a short history of this territory. If the world will not
recognize it as a sovereign country, at least here it will be regarded
as such.
 In
September 1949, Communist China, without any provocation, invaded Eastern
Tibet and captured Chamdo, the headquarters of the Governor of Eastern
Tibet. On November 11, 1950, the Tibetan Government protested to the
United Nations Organisation against the Chinese aggression but the Steering
Committee of the General Assembly moved to postpone the issue. On November
17, 1950, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama assumed full spiritual
and temporal powers as the Head of State because of the grave crisis
facing the country, although he was barely sixteen years old. On May
23, 1951 a Tibetan delegation, which had gone to Peking to hold talks
on the invasion, was forced to sign the so-called "17-point Agreement
on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet", with threats
of more military action in Tibet and by forging the official seals of
Tibet. The Chinese then used this document to carry out their plans
to turn Tibet into a colony of China disregarding the strong resistance
by the Tibetan people. What is more, the Chinese violated every article
of this unequal 'treaty' which they had imposed on the Tibetans. On
September 9, 1951 thousands of Chinese troops marched into Lhasa. The
forcible occupation of Tibet was marked by systematic destruction of
monasteries, suppression of religion, denial of political freedom, widespread
arrests and imprisonment and massacre of innocent men, women and children.
On March 10, 1959 the nation-wide Tibetan resistance culminated in the
Tibetan National Uprising against the Chinese in Lhasa. The Chinese
retaliated with a ruthlessness unknown to the Tibetans. Thousands of
men, women and children were massacred in the streets and many more
imprisoned and deported. Monks and nuns were a prime target. Monasteries
and temples were shelled. On March 17 1959, the Dalai Lama left Lhasa
and escaped from the pursuing Chinese to seek political asylum in India.
He was followed by unprecedented exodus of Tibetans into exile. Never
before in their history had so many Tibetans been forced to leave their
homeland under such difficult circumstances. There are now more than
one hundred thousand Tibetan refugees all over the world. It has been
almost 40 years since Chinese occupied Tibet and the Dalai Lama is still
in exile today, lobbying with the international community for concrete
action. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1989 for His Non Violent approach to the issue of Tibet.
Crossing Tibet from Kathmandu
to Lhasa, March 2007
Thailand Map
  Thailand
was my first big travel and happened rather suddenly. A good friend
of mine, Michelle, was just coming back from working and living in China
in 1992. She was telling me about her experience, and of Thailand also
where she had gone on a vacation. Well, a click or a light just went
on in my head, and I knew I had to go there. I had no money, no job,
and no idea how to make this happen. I started painting houses to make
money, and doing odd jobs here and there as only young people can do.
One month later, I had packed all my bags and left for a 2 month trip
to the land of Siam. Unfortunately, I was pretty unhappy at the time
and found that most travellers were also looking for something and a
bit lost. I went through the motions and did all the tourists attractions,
including the ancient cities of Ayuthaya and Sukothai, then south to
the islands and finally north. No matter what, I felt miserable. Finally
I heard of a meditation called Vipassana which could be done at Wat Ram Peug monastary near Chiang Mai.
It was supposed to be tough, 26 days days of silence and only meditation.
Having nothing to lose, I went and "checked in" for this retreat. There
were no teachings, only meditation which started before 6am and until
late at night. At first, it was about 6 h per day, but by the end it
was almost 18h per day. Meals were at 6am and 10am, tho not a feast
to look forward to in themselves. I cried almost everyday, but facing
my fears and emotions put me on a life long path of trying to find inner
peace with myself. Somehow I made it through the 26 days, and even went back shortly afterwards for yet another 10 days of retreat. Did it help? On some level I am sure. Was I healed and happy? No. I have returned to Thailand 3 times since, either for a retreat or to relax and enjoy this dynamic country. I was due to go for Xmas 2005 when I was in Vietnam but by then I had just identified my son at the orphanage. So I took the plane ticket and threw it in the garbage since no refund was possible and spent the Holidays with my new son. In my mind, the trip to Thailand would happen another time, and it did the following year when I went with Rémi to celebrate Xmas and New Year 2007 (read below).
Golden 2006 Xmas
holidays in Thailand
  I
went to Korea twice while I was living in Japan. Actually, it was quite
near to us since I was on the side of the island facing the East Sea.
Our small town of Kanazawa had an international airport which flew directly
to Seoul in less that one hour. We even had North Korea's missile launches
just fall in the sea pretty near us and causing quite a stir with the
Japanese government at the time. Japanese and Koreans are sworn enemies,
and as an English teacher, I quickly learned never to mention Korea.
Still, my curiosity was peaked and I went and loved it. Seoul is of
course a big city, but not without charm. I roamed around a nice antique
market and found some beautiful treasures. The foods is just great,
if one likes having kim chi as a side order with everything you eat,
and I do. The national dish of Bim Bap is also delicious, cooked in
a granite bowl with rice, egg, meat, veggies and spices. You mix all
these when it is served hot at your table, and it is just yummy ! I
found the Koreans to be confident and bold, a trademark which was welcomed
after the more submissive, shy and passive Japanese. And I couldn't
help but feel for them for all they had gone through in their history
trying to save their culture, at war with the Soviets and with the Japanese.
I only stayed a week and mostly did some sightseeing around Seoul, to
the ancient palaces where their royalty, now in exile, used to live.
I also made it a bit outside the city tho I cannot now remember the
name of the places. The thing I found most challenging was eating with
thin metal chopsticks, espcially with noodles. I will need to practice
some more before my next trip...
  I
don't really feel like I can say that I traveled to China since I only
went to Beijing. It is such a big country with variations in culture
and environment from one end to the other that really, I only got a
glimpse of the most populated country in the world (1,3 billion). Still,
I went there in March 1997 when nature and weather seemed to be very
bleak and grey, but I found that this added an air of calm and mystery
to the place. I visited the forbidden city, the temple of Heaven and
yes, of course, the Great Wall of China. I wanted to go on my own by
bus, but somehow this seemed difficult and I ended up going on a one-day
package tour. Big, big mistake. We were taken to a jade factory and
a few others I am trying to forget as well as rest areas where we stayed
for long periods of time. I was restless. Finally, we got to the ultimate
destination, the Great Wall. We were told that we only had 1 hour and
that the bus would return at that time. I was furious. I "climbed" the
stairs to the Wall at Badaling but found a completely renovated and
spanking new Wall with railings and agressive peddlers. I decided to
walk, hoping to find the orginal construction and remains of, and it
took more than 45 minutes before I got to it. Now it was starting to
have character and look like a historical monument. I kept wanting to
walk since the view of the Wall on the crest of the mountains kept changing
with every step. But then I was reminded that I had to return to catch
the bus back. Reluctantly, I retraced my steps although I did consider
missing the bus and continuing on this discovery. I spend the week in
Beijing regretting my decision and decided to return to the Wall, this
time on my own. This proved to be more difficult than expected. I found
my way to the bus station, tho when I asked if any of the buses were
going to the Wall, no one seemed to understand and they kept bowing
and saying yes, yes. What to do ? Luck was just around the corner as
I bumped into a foreigner who was living and teaching in China, and
he knew a few words of mandarin and was thus able to get us on the right
bus. He was with a friend, and they were good company for the trip.
We hit the road for an hour or so, then in a small town God only knows
where, the bus stopped and everyone got off. I was sure that we had
not arrived, and thanks to my new-found friend, we were able to find
out that we had to get on another bus. And we did. Once at the Wall,
we took our time and I was able to just take in this awe inspiring place
set in nature. I loved every minute of it, and even thought that the
next time, I should bring a sleeping bag and some food to do a night
out. We met some Swiss guys whom we befriended, and one of them stripped
naked while the other took a picture. He said he always did this on
landmarks. We continued on, but I was intrigued and wondered if I'd
have the guts to the same. I got nervous thinking about it, then thought
"what the heck" and stripped with the Great Wall behind me. By then
we were alone and there was no one around to bear witness to this scene,
execpt my friends and my camera. Full moon pictures and frontal ones
with hands hiding the you-know-what à-la Demi Moore pose, and
these momentos as unforgettable. At the end of the day we returned to
Beijing, and I was pleased to have yet again been able to take in this
amazing site.
Crossing Tibet from Kathmandu to Lhasa -
March 2007
Philippines Map
  I
went to the Philippines in 1998 on a Christmas vacation while living
in Japan. I stayed in Manila only for a few days and was surprised to find armed guards everywhere.
I went to a shopping mall and had to go through metal detectors, only
to find inside a gun shop ironically named "Guns for Fun", though these
were the real thing. There seemed to be a lot of security, also when I went to a bank to change travellers cheques and was questionned by guards as to the purpose of my visit before being allowed to enter. One evening,
I took the address of a bar from a guidebook and gave it to a taxi.
He let me off in a really run-down part of town but still I got out of the cab and entered the
said building to low lights and dark hallways. I quickly decided to leave and felt lucky to be able to hail
a taxi in those deserted streets, and got back safely to my hotel. A
few days later, I left for the island of Boracay and stayed there for
over a week. There were all kinds of restaurants from Greek to Italian and many services catering to tourists,
as well as lovely beaches. I am sure that if
I had ventured off the beaten track and spent more time traveling the country, I would have
discovered many wonderful places but this will have to be for another trip.
Cambodia Map
  Cambodia
is one of those countries that deeply touched and moved me when I went
in November 1999. The streets of Phnom Pen were in pretty bad state
and people looked so poor but somehow, they were so kind and friendly.
It was hard though sitting at a restaurant guest house and having a
beggar ask me not for food, but for my chicken bones and leftovers.
I went to the school that was converted to a torture center during the
Pol Pot regime and upon entering, I felt compelled to walk in silence.
There was an atmosphere of such sadness to the place yet it felt so
important to be a witness to this. Of course I also went to the famous
killing fields and was moved also but to a lesser extent, probably because
we were outside so the breeze and the trees made it easier to bear.
I made it to the north in Siem Reap where the famous Angkor Wat lies.
It is one of those world monuments that totally moved me, just being
there and feeling so humble that men, so long ago, had been able to
build such huge landmarks with incredible art and beauty. I took a 3-day
pass and many other tourist said there were templed-out after the first
day, but not me. I could't get enough and my favourite, beyond the obvious
Angkor and Bayou temples, was Bantey Sri, 20km away from the main group
of temples. The setting is so beautiful and the carvings on this miniature
temple so exquisite that again, I marvelled at the skill, time and number
of people that it must have taken to do this. Did mankind really evolve
or did they just have different skills that we have today ? I also felt
deeply grateful that somehow, Angkor Wat had been spared the destruction
of Pol Pot.
My trip to Sihanoukville and Phom Penh for Xmas 2009 and New Year 2010
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Trudel and cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes.
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