| I always keep my eyes open for interesting people, | | | | back to Canada was harsh. I went from + 30 degrees |
| and Krista Scott just absolutely grabbed my attention. I | | | | to -25 degrees. I had also gone through this amazing |
| first met Krista 2 days ago on a whitewater kayaking | | | | adventure, while life for my friends had pretty much |
| weekend where she accompanied our group to do | | | | stayed the same. It was difficult to adjust when I came |
| our first kayaking lessons on the Ottawa River. In the | | | | back. But it gave me the idea to take an ESL |
| van she told us that she recently did a 13 month trip to | | | | (Teaching English at a Second Language) program to |
| Australia where she did all sorts of harvest work in | | | | get myself an international career.3) Please tell us |
| different locations. She also mentioned that she | | | | about the ESL program that you took.The brochure |
| completed an ESL program at the university and is | | | | for Trent University's ESL program literally fell into my |
| heading off for her first teaching assignment to | | | | lap one day. I decided to take a one-year program at |
| Vietnam this fall. I knew at that stage that this was a | | | | Trent in Peterborough (Ontario). It's a great program, it's |
| very interesting young woman and I decided I would | | | | 2 semesters long and includes 100 hours of theory and |
| get to know her a bit better.Krista is a very cute | | | | 20 hours of practical teaching. The classes were small, |
| young woman, always in a good mood and sporting a | | | | there were only 10 of us. Most of my co-students |
| great smile. Later that evening, Krista gave a special | | | | were retirees who were launching second careeers.4) |
| performance after sunset at the campground of | | | | You have plans to go on your first ESL teaching |
| something called "poise", a former Martial art | | | | assignment to Vietnam. What's in store for you?In the |
| developed by the Maori people that involves the | | | | first year after graduating you don't have a lot of |
| rhythmic twirling of two long wires that have a wick at | | | | choice with ESL since you don't have real teaching |
| the end that is set on fire. One of her co-workers was | | | | experience yet. I wanted to go to Vietnam, but I figured |
| playing the bongos and the performance did have a | | | | I would more easily be able to go to Korea or Japan |
| very aboriginal feel to it. The image that is created in | | | | where there is a big demand for certified ESL |
| the dark is of circles of fires whirling around the | | | | teachers. Contrary to China, in these 2 countries you |
| performer in perfect coordination with the rhythm.So | | | | definitely need credentials to work in ESL. Through a |
| without further ado, here is Krista Scott, a very | | | | stroke of luck I found out that one of my friend's |
| adventurous, endearing young woman, as you will | | | | parents lives in Vietnam and he will be able to make |
| discover yourself.1) Please tell us about yourself.I am | | | | some local connections for me and I am planning to |
| 25 years old and I'm originally from Cobourg, Ontario. I | | | | head over there in September. I don't know exactly |
| have always loved the outdoors and loved to play | | | | yet where I am going to go, but I am sure I will find my |
| outside. When I finished high school I wasn't ready for | | | | first ESL assignment with his help.5) You learned how |
| university. I went travelling to the prairies and started | | | | to do "poise" (an impressive twirling of 2 long wires |
| working in a restaurant in Regina. I met a lot of cool | | | | whose ends have a wick that is set on fire) in |
| people along the way. From there I went west to | | | | Australia, tell us more about that.Poise was originally a |
| work in Alberta as well as in Whistler, B.C. There I | | | | martial art used by the Maori people and it involves |
| worked in a grocery store and at Boston Pizza and | | | | two wires with a wick at the end that is set on fire. |
| spent the rest of my time snowboarding. I also ran into | | | | Then at night you twirl the wires in different patterns |
| a lot of Aussies there. I knew this was a place that | | | | around your body, usually set to music or drums. I met |
| was going to suck you in with its addictive lifestyle, so I | | | | some people in Australia who taught me some pretty |
| decided to head home. Based on my friendships with | | | | good moves and I have been performing occasionally |
| these people from Australia, I decided to get a working | | | | in public or entertaining people on the campground with |
| visa for that country, something that was pretty easy | | | | it. It's a really fun thing to do.6) You now work as an |
| to get for a Canadian citizen. I had decided I wanted to | | | | intern for this adventure travel company called |
| go to Australia to travel and work there for a year.2) | | | | Equinox. What do you do there, how did you get the |
| Please tell us about your 13 month adventure in | | | | job?The way I landed this job was another one of |
| Australia.After a couple of stopovers in Alaska and | | | | these chance encounters. I was actually supposed to |
| Hong Kong I landed in Australia. In Alaska I had a | | | | do a 6-week road trip out to Eastern Canada with a |
| chance to see the Aurora Borealis, while Hong Kong | | | | friend of mine. One day my brother and I went to a |
| struck me as a very busy and smoggy place. But the | | | | pub and ended up chatting to Blair, who is the manager |
| airport is on an island, which was really interesting.I | | | | at Equinox' rafting location on the Ottawa River. He |
| landed in Sydney and headed over to New South | | | | had just lost an intern, so he asked me if I would be |
| Wales to link up with a girl I had met at Whistler. I | | | | interested. It sounded great so my friend and I decided |
| bought a 1984 Toyota Tourago camping van which | | | | to postpone the road trip and I am working right now |
| had a flat nose because the engine was right under | | | | as an intern for Equinox from mid-May to September |
| the seat. I had a tent and a stove and I lived out of the | | | | until I go to Vietnam. Right now I am working as a |
| van. During this time I realized for the first time how little | | | | cook and I also help out with the kayaking courses.I |
| you need to live. I often slept on the roof of the van, | | | | love being here, it's just like being a child. Work doesn't |
| looking at the stars.In South Australia I stayed in a | | | | even feel like work, we have so much fun here. There |
| working hostel that connected me to harvest work | | | | is so much freedom here, you don't have four walls |
| opportunities. I found these places through the Lonely | | | | around you and people are just so friendly. I am |
| Planet guidebook, which was tremendously helpful. My | | | | learning so much. I am learning about the white water, |
| first harvest work assignment was to sort potatoes in | | | | how to read the river and I am picking up the basics of |
| a shed. This was midnight work since the potatoes' | | | | river rafting and kayaking. One day I might want to |
| skins would crack during the day time. The heat was | | | | become a river guide. I'd definitely like to come back |
| often stifling at 42 degrees Celsius. After the potato | | | | next year after my ESL assignment.7) Tell me about |
| harvest I also harvested grapes and onions. In total I did | | | | the lifestyle here at this outdoor adventure camp.The |
| about 3 months of harvest work there.At that time the | | | | lifestyle is very basic which is great. We have 12 |
| engine in my camper van seized up and I had to buy a | | | | people here permanently, and just like some of my |
| new engine. After it was fixed, together with 8 other | | | | colleagues, I actually sleep in a tent. Other colleagues |
| people we decided to drive to Central Australia and | | | | of mine actually have built a tree house and live there, |
| we visited Ayer's Rock (Uluru) and various other little | | | | and another co-worker of mine has created a shack |
| towns in the area. I heard lots of outback stories from | | | | out of discarded materials that has a boat for a roof. |
| the locals while we were there. We also went to a | | | | It's a very simple life with basically no conveniences, no |
| town called Cooper Pedy, a place where everybody | | | | TV, no Internet. We get by with so little here.Hygiene is |
| lives underground in caves since the weather is too | | | | pretty basic, we brush our teeth, comb our hair. There |
| hot. We stayed in a hostel where the bunkbeds were | | | | are no laundry facilities on site, so I just wash my |
| located in a cave. While I was there I also talked to a | | | | t-shirts in the shower.My work schedule is from 7 am |
| group of Hell's Angels bikers, who seemed to be | | | | to 7 pm. We get the rafting or kayaking gear ready, |
| pretty cool people as long as you didn't upset | | | | go to the river, unload. Or when I am working in the |
| them.From there I went to the West Coast which is | | | | kitchen, I am preparing the meals for the day. There |
| just a beautiful area. There you can have all sorts of | | | | are not a lot of rules here, but everything still seems to |
| beaches to yourself. I went to a place called Exmouth | | | | work.8) What are your plans for the future?Other than |
| and from there I explored the Nigaloo Reef which is | | | | going to Vietnam to teach ESL I don't really have any |
| unique since the corals start right at the beach. The | | | | long-term plans. I am a very spontaneous individual and |
| scenery is breathtaking. While there I did some harvest | | | | I generally trust that I'll be in the right place at the right |
| work and I ended up picking apples.Next I explored | | | | time. I don't know what's in store for me. Friends have |
| Northern Australia, including the cities of Cairns and | | | | often said you are like a missionary, you go to different |
| Darwin. There I got a surfboard and did lots of surfing.I | | | | places, help out and don't get paid for it.As far as ESL |
| explored places like Margaret River and Esperance. | | | | is concerned, I would be interested to teach English in |
| My friend from Canada had joined me and we stayed | | | | places like Bali or Thailand, in small communities. I have |
| in hostels, parked by the side of the road, camped in | | | | also thought of going to Africa, to help build schools. |
| caravan parks. At that time I realized that sometimes | | | | But people have warned me and said in places like |
| a hot shower goes a long way....Queensland was my | | | | these you need to have money to be able to bribe |
| next stop, it's a beautiful place with lush rainforest. I got | | | | people.I just love to help. Somehow I think it'll all come |
| myself a job in banana harvesting, started working in | | | | together. If I stay the happy person that I am |
| the shed, sorting bananas. Then I asked to work | | | | somehow I think it will all work out.Thank you, Krista, for |
| outside, which was very unusual for a woman. I got to | | | | your time. It's been great meeting such an energetic |
| drive a 4x4 and cut down banans with a machete. | | | | positive spirit. I wish you all the best for your time in |
| Harvest work is done about 80% by backpackers. | | | | Vietnam and for anything that might happen for you |
| The local harvest workers are a different crowd of | | | | afterwards. Stay in touch and let us know how your |
| people and they sport some amazing mullets. They | | | | first ESL assignment goes!Susanne Pacher is the |
| are a little reserved at the beginning, but if you make | | | | publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions( |
| an effort they are really approachable.On the Gold | | | | Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel |
| Coast I met up with the same people I had travelled | | | | and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel |
| with earlier, we mostly did surfing and bummed around | | | | experiences, interviews with travellers and travel |
| the area. We also checked out Frazier Island, did some | | | | experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, |
| swimming with the sharks and some skydiving. I later | | | | contests and many other features. You will also find |
| told my dad that I went skydiving and he said he would | | | | stories about life and the transitions that we face as |
| have really worried about me if he had known. But | | | | we go through our own personal life-long |
| when I was back in Canada, my dad and I decided to | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in our first |
| go skydiving together and he really loved it. That was | | | | travel story contest( and have a chance to win an |
| great.My last stop in Australia was Sydney again from | | | | amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River. |
| where I came home. The culture shock of coming | | | | |