Latest Blog Posts
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- Manufahi, Timor Leste
I have been in Timor-Leste for 5 weeks at this point. A month and one week. In that time I have taken rigorous classes in language, and the ideals of the peace corps. I currently am marked at the halfway point of training. In just a little over a month I have become conversational in this language, and on our most recent proficiency test, I was evaluated at Intermediate low. The amount of progress one can achieve when devoting the right amount of time, being in the right environment, and with good teachers is astounding. If someone showed up in… Read more: Manufahi, Timor Leste - Intro to Timor-Leste
Dili One of the Peace Corps staff once equated the word ‘Malai’ to be equivalent to ‘Beyoncé’ and I find the comparison the most accurate there is. If you saw Beyoncé walking down the street in full performance (western) costume you would run into your house to tell your friends to come outside to see Beyoncé. It is an experience they don’t have often and excites them every time. There is no ill will when shouting Malai, just that it is new and exciting and something they don’t experience often. As I am not a celebrity at home it is… Read more: Intro to Timor-Leste - The ship – Andrea Jensen
If there were a single word to describe Alghero it would be “Blue”. Looking out from the deck of the sailing ship everything is Blue- The water, the sky, and even the mountains in the distance are blue. The sea water is the purest blue color I have ever seen in my entire life. The purest, most pigmented, thing on this Earth. It is as if god took the blue from the Sardinian water and used it to create all other shades and hues of blue as we know it. They all seem to be derived from this stunningly pure… Read more: The ship – Andrea Jensen - Exploring Sardinia
Travels to Capo Caccia, Punto Giglio, Magomadas, and other fun trips on days off. This post is about exploring small towns and natural beauty in Sardinia. Punto Giglio Punto Giglio, like many other places along the Coast of Sardinia, is a cliff overlooking the sea. The hike to the top is incredibly long and hot. Sparse trees offer little shade and the steep path is lined with large chunks of inhospitable rocks. A small overpriced restaurant lies at the top, a long rectangular building with no distinguishable features. A short ways away from the cafe are old WW2 outpost ruins.… Read more: Exploring Sardinia - Alghero
Alghero, Sardegna. A town on the western coast of one of Italy’s islands. It is known as the walled city – great stone walls rise out of the ocean to surround and protect the city from pirate attacks. The walls used to be far above the houses within, however were halfed about a century ago to allow the sea breeze into the streets and keep the temperature down. Nowadays you can walk along the edge of the wall overlooking the coast, before wandering further into the city and cobbled streets. Ancient defenses still sit atop the wall. Instead of instruments… Read more: Alghero - The Stowaway – Smokey
Stray cats wander around the city of Alghero, well kept but wary of strangers. The city decided to maintain the stray cat population by feeding and neutering them, allowing them to roam free without increasing the population. There are designated feeding centers around the city walls which locals refer to as “cat sanctuaries”. Most of the cats are fed there but also search for food- Such is the story of Smokey the cat. Smokey is a soft gray cat with short fur that has found her way onto Andrea Jensen. She simply started showing up one day. The owners of… Read more: The Stowaway – Smokey
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