Education About Asia: Online Archives

Web Gleanings: Experiences in Asia –Travel Journals and Blogs

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JAPAN

A Life in Japan (Video)

URL: http://www.alifeinjapan.com/

This documentary is almost one hour and twenty minutes long. It can be downloaded to one’s computer or watched on the Web page in a variety of formats, including English (with or without subtitles), Japanese, and Swedish. Several people from different countries respond on screen to questions – like “What is your purpose in coming to Japan?” posed by the filmmaker. It is interesting to hear the responses which, in some cases, are very similar. The interviews are interspersed with videos of scenery, city life, and other views of Japan.

Kakehashi Project Student Photo Journal

URL: http://ewsis.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/kakehashi-project-student-photo-journal/

A group of high school students from New York comment on their trip to Japan. Their remarks about the kindness of and the good interchanges with their host families will reassure any student reader that a trip to Japan can be worthwhile and fascinating.

What’s It Like Living in Japan

URL: http://www.shonsblog.com/random/living-in-japan/

This page is part of a longer blog written by a young woman living in Japan. She has posted six short videos, mostly about shopping and eating. They provide a sense of what life is like and would be appropriate for viewing by precollege students.

A Walk in Japan

URL: http://awalkinjapan.wordpress.com/

The author of this blog spent a year in Japan participating in the JET program. The site includes commentaries and video pieces, many on his travels within Japan. It is easy to navigate the site by simply scrolling down the home page and clicking on items of interest.

INDIA

An Indian Year

URL: http://anindianyear.wordpress.com/

This is the online journal of a college student from the University of California who spent eleven months living in Nagour, India. His posts range from comments on cricket to Christmas in India to various trips he took.

The Exchange Student’s Guide to Living in India

URL: http://livininindia.wordpress.com/

This is not really a guide, as indicated in the title. It is rather a collection of posts and photos about visiting North India as part of an exchange program. The first post is in 2011; the blog ends in May 2012.

In Love with India

URL: http://erasmus-in-india.blogspot.com/

This blog begins in 2005 when a Belgian student has the opportunity to go to India as an exchange student. She arrives in Mumbai and then goes to live in Bangalore. She speaks of daily life, of Indian customs, of bus and train travel, and other interesting topics. The majority of the entries date back to 2005 and 2006.

Elizabeth in India

URL: http://blog.smu.edu/studentadventures/category/elizabeth- in-india/

Elizabeth, a student at SMU, spent a summer in India working as an intern for the Water Literacy Foundation. She points out the good and the not-so-good of her experiences in India and emphasizes that one cannot have unrealistic expectations when dealing with a non-Western culture, as she defines India.

CHINA

Living a Dream in China

URL: http://sarajaaksola.com/

Sara had always been interested in China, so when she had the opportunity, she went there to study. She dropped her history major and majored in Chinese as a second language, even writing a thesis in Chinese. By clicking on the archives link at the top of the page, one finds a listing of the titles of her posts. They date from June 2010 to the present.

China Non-Stop

URL: http://www.chinanon-stop.com/

The author of this blog has conveniently placed the topics he covers near the top of the blog. The greatest number of entries are about Chinese society, followed by “Business in China” and “Changsha,” where he resides.

Shanghai: Inside Student Blogs

URL: http://blogs.iesabroad.org/tag/shanghai/

This is a collection of student blog posts about their time in Shanghai during a study abroad program. A few posts pertaining to Shanghai are shown for each student. For more blog posts from each of them, click on their names.

SOUTH KOREA

Seoul Sub→urban

URL: http://seoulsuburban.com/

An American teaching English in Korea has undertaken a project to look at the neighborhoods of Seoul. The blog is organized by stops on the Seoul subway system. Like most blogs, the entries are posted in reverse chronological order and provide details and photos for each subway stop neighborhood. If one has a particular neighborhood in mind, there is a search box; otherwise, there is no easy way to navigate the site.

Koronicles

URL: http://koronicles.wordpress.com/

A couple living and working in Korea document with text and photos their time there. The site is attractive and easy to navigate. The archive listing and a selection of topics appear on the right side of each page. There is also a list of the most recent posts.

INDONESIA

Our Spice Islands Adventure

URL: http://spiceislandsadventure.wordpress.com/

Although this family has ended their stay in Manado, North Sulawesi, their blog remains online. Through the photos and the writing, one can see how well they were integrated into the fabric of Indonesian life.

Jakarta News

URL: http://mylifejakarta.blogspot.com/

This blog begins in 2009 and has a wide range of subjects. A few examples are the detailed chart of the cost of living in Jakarta, with comparisons of commodity costs in several other countries, a photo display of many of Jakarta’s sights, and a description of bus travel.

Katherine and Bruno’s Adventure Abroad

URL: http://kandbabroad.wordpress.com/

Katherine and Bruno travel a lot. These pages look at their time in Indonesia. Because they live in Jakarta, most of their entries focus on this city. They not only look at the positive aspects of living in Indonesia, but also cover the negatives, such as the pollution, the lack of transportation, the slums, and the crime.

SINGAPORE

Notabilia: A Crafty New Yorker in Singapore

URL: http://notabilia.wordpress.com/

This is the blog of a crafter from New York living in Singapore. Because of her interest in crafts, many of her posts cover this field. She has entries on ceramics, the book arts, fabrics, and sewing in Singapore and elsewhere in Asia.

THAILAND

American Expat in Chiang Mai

URL: http://americanexpatchiangmai.com/

An American man and his wife move to Thailand with all their possessions and build a life in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. His blog covers experiences of daily life, including dealing with the medical system, the customs, and a guest post about marriage and divorce. One can read about his travels around Thailand, the unusual food items, and the highlights of Chiang Mai.

Joey’s Bangkok Blog

URL: http://joeysbangkokblog.blogspot.co.uk/

This is the blog of an eight-year-old American boy who lives in Thailand. It is interesting in part because one can see the perspective and the activities, at school and at home, of a child who is living in a foreign country.

Bangkok, I Love You

URL: http://bangkokiloveyou.com/

This is a very attractive and easy-to-navigate blog. The featured entries are posted near the top of the home page, and below are photo tags that display both the category (like “Food and Drink”) and the latest entry in a particular category (like a restaurant review.)

Jamie’s Phuket Blog

URL: http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com/

There is a lot to read and see on this blog. The author has posted many photos and videos of the people and places in Phuket, an island community off the coast of Thailand. Along the left side of the home page are links to some of the blog posts. In addition, there are listings of things to do in Phuket, favorite restaurants and beaches, and posts about life on the island.