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Interviewed for Radio Free School blog and re: unschoolers living and succeeding without college

April 28th, 2010

I was recently interviewed on the Radio Free School blog as part of their series of interviews of grown unschoolers who also chose not to go to college. You can check-out the interview here.

They’ve already interviewed Idzie who writes the blog “I’m Unschooled. Yes, I can write.” and Cameron Lovejoy who ran the Autodidact Symposium this year. (Now you can also read the interview of Jessica Barker, writer of the Life Without College blog.)

For many people, being able to get into college and do well there is the proof they want to show that homeschooling/unschooling works. Since I started researching unschooling in 1999 this list of colleges that admit homeschoolers was available from the great site Learn in Freedom!. Basically, every college I could think of, including good old Harvard, was on the list. And the list has grown.

But what I find really exciting is realizing that as homeschoolers, unschoolers, or anyone, we don’t NEED to go to college to succeed or prove ourselves. In fact, I see real hope in people trying to find their own path and create new ways of living that actually work. That’s part of what I talked about in the interview.

Awhile ago, I wrote a post called Unschooling College: Many Ways about the many options for people to “unschool college”.

I also recently discovered a great blog called Life Without College. It’s by Jessica Barker, a 19 year old unschooler who has tried some college classes but really found it didn’t work for her. She’s decided for the time being not to go to college and that she in fact doesn’t need it to succeed in life.

She’s actually written two posts about success: Defining Success: Part One and Part Two. The posts have started an interesting discussion in the comments section mostly about whether college is inherently bad.

Personally, I don’t think college is inherently bad. I’ve learned a lot from and enjoyed the college classes I’ve taken. Just again, it’s people trying to find their own way and creating new things that gives me hope.

You can do that before, after, or maybe even while attending college. But I don’t think it’s encouraged in college. And college really does get you in the habit of thinking and functioning in a certain way.

And at the end of it you’re often in huge debt. Then it’s hard to really explore the world in a free and thoughtful way with open eyes. You’re too busy at least thinking about how you’ll pay off that huge debt.

Anyway, it’s wonderful to see more people questioning college in the unschooling scene. The scene sure has grown a lot over the past few decades.

Many of my readers already saw the family of radical unschoolers on Good Morning America. A local Massachusetts family, who I know from conferences, was interviewed twice on Good Morning America and on the Joy Behar Show on CNN. They did a great job introducing many people to the concept for the first time.

Idzie did a nice post about it with commentary, links to the video interviews, and links to other cool blog posts about it: Unschooling Gets Publicity… in a Big Way!

And I liked the comment she quoted from Wendy Priesnitz’s Twitter account: “In the 70s, people were scandalized by idea of homeschooling; now [they're] scandalized by unschooling. This will pass. Evolution happens.”

Here’s to all of us continuing to evolve!

4 Comments Categories: adult unschoolers, college, grown unschoolers, homeschooling, hope, radical unschooling, success, unschooling Tags: college, grown unschoolers, homeschooling, hope, interview, success, unschooling

How to Travel Cheaply

March 18th, 2010

I’m at the InHome Homeschooling Conference in Illinois! I’m leading 4 workshops on Friday and Saturday. Lots of people signed up for the “How to Travel Cheaply” workshop. Here’s the handout I’m giving them with tips and links to help people travel on a budget.

Probably the first thing I’ll tell them at the workshop is that traveling around the world is often less expensive than living in the U.S. and it is quite doable!

Well, here it is:

Cheap flights
Tips for finding cheap flights
-Fly different times: much cheaper during certain months of the year (peak OR non-peak season) and different days of the week: usually Tues. or Wed. is cheapest but check all
-Fly from and to smaller, nearby airports: sometimes much cheaper
-Save money by taking inconvenient flights: overnight, early morning, non-direct, etc.
Flight Search Sites
www.kayak.com – searches almost every other website to find the best deals; prices already include taxes and fees; easy to use w/ many options: flight times, nearby airports, multi-city, etc.
www.goodairfare.com – sometimes has deals that Kayak doesn’t
www.statravel.com – special deals for students, teachers, and those under 26, many offices around the world
www.studentuniverse.com – special deals for college students: even if you’ve only taken some community college classes you may still qualify as college student

Places to Stay
Hostels
-Great, fun, cheap places to stay; not just for young people!; many are lovely, clean, comfortable, family friendly and conveniently located but some are not
-Read reviews online and talk to other travelers; change to another if one isn’t working
-Great way to meet lots of other independent or solo travelers: share experiences and travels tips; find casual travel companions for as long as you want – an afternoon, a week, a month, or more
-Group dorm rooms are cheap and great way to meet other travelers; often have bunk beds and shared bathrooms; sometimes separated by gender; tend to be very safe and include personal lockers for your valuables
-Hostels usually also have nice, inexpensive private rooms with private bathrooms
www.hostelworld.com – many cheap hostels and hotels in many cities around the world; easily book online; has photos, stats, and most importantly read recent positive and negative customer reviews about comfort, staff, cleanliness, noise level, convenience, etc.
www.hostelbookers.com – another option: very similar and sometimes has hostels hostelworld.com does not; but it doesn’t have those helpful negative customer reviews; but some positive reviews reveal possible negative sides too: “This is a great party place!” etc.

Hotels
-Some cheap hotels you can find on the hostel websites and most of the flight search websites also include hotel searches: kayak.com, goodairfare.com, priceline.com, etc.
-As always: ask other travelers and read reviews online
-Some places are too far off the tourist path to have hostels but may have very inexpensive hotels

Houses and Staying in People’s Homes
-Rent a house for a whole month, especially slightly off the tourist path, for a great deal: really get to know a place and use as your hub for day trips in the area
-www.homeexchange.com or www.homebase-hols.com – join these networks for a small fee to swap homes with other travelers around the world
-www.couchsurfing.org – join this network to find people who will let you stay on their couch or extra bed for free; the organization’s motto: “Participating in Creating a Better World One Couch at a Time”
-www.servas.org – similar organization around for 60 years now: stay in people’s homes for free for a couple nights or more; their motto: “With every true friendship we build the basis for World Peace.”

Food
-Cook your own food when you can: another advantage to hostels, homes, and houses – they usually have kitchens where you can cook and in hostels you can cook with other travelers
-Eat at local restaurants and markets: have the authentic and usually much cheaper and more delicious food that local people eat
-Find cheaper restaurants often just a short walk from main streets and tourist areas

Guide Books
-These books can be a great resource for things to see, good cheap places to stay, safety tips, great restaurants and markets, etc.
-Includes wonderful and important historical and cultural information
-Often has very helpful and accurate estimates for your daily expenses (though this can change quickly over a couple years if the book is older)
Lonely Planet – Most popular book for independent and budget travelers; they have books for many countries and regions
Let’s Go – Made by students from Harvard for younger, budget travelers but helpful for any independent traveler; they mostly have books for European travel but a few other local and international destinations
Rick Steves – another great line of guide books by a popular travel tour guide

Learn the Local Language
-When bargaining for merchandise it helps if you can speak even a little of the language!
-But mainly this enriches and adds value to your travel experience: learning some of the local language(s) helps you connect with the people and culture in a fun and meaningful way, which is what travel is all about

Also, two great organizations I forgot to include on the handout I made for the workshop:

Willing Workers On Organic Farms or WWOOF – this organization enables travelers to work on organic farms around the world in exchange for room and board; great way to meet local people, work, and get a unique view of a country; no guarantee on the quality of the work, bedding, food, etc. but you can leave if it’s not working for you

Volunteers for Peace – has a great searchable database of many volunteer work opportunities around the world; camps last for as short as one week or as long as 6 months; they charge you for the camps (about $300) but includes room and board

1 Comment Categories: Uncategorized, financing world travel, homeschooling conference, money, preparing for travel, travel, worldschooling Tags: homeschool, homeschooling conference, money, travel

Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Summer 2010 Itinerary

February 5th, 2010

Believe me when I say, many of the best travel experiences are unplanned and unexpected. Nevertheless, I hope this itinerary will help people imagine the experience of going on Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Summer 2010 and will help give us a basis for our 3 week trip.

These days are full of beautiful, new, and exciting things but there’s also plenty of time to wander and time to relax and process all our experiences.

Our schedule is also open to suggestions from the unschooling and homeschooling teens and young adults on the tour, based on their own interests in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Enjoy and I hope some of you can join us!

Basic info:
Dates: July 20th-August 10th, 2010 (three weeks)
Cost: $4,000 w/ airfare from San Francisco, lodging, & Japan Rail Pass
Estimated expenses during trip: $1,000
Group size: 5-6 young adults
Recommended age range: 15-20 years old

Last year's Worldschool Travel Tour group joking around amidst the shining lights of Osaka's restaurants.

Itinerary

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010: Departure
Leave San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010: Arrive in Japan
Arrive at Kansai International Airport, in Osaka, Japan, in the evening. Take JR (Japan Railways) trains to Kyoto Station. Settle into our new 3 week home base in Kyoto, the center of Japanese traditional art and culture.

Thursday, July 22nd: Explore Kyoto
Walk around our neighborhood of Gojo Paradiso right near the center of town and get a great view of the city from the famous Kiyomizu-dera “Pure Water Temple”.

Friday, July 23rd: Buddhist Temples in Kyoto
Visit Buddhist temples of Kinkaku-ji, the “Golden Temple” on a garden lake, and Ginkaku-ji, the “Silver Temple,” with Zen sand sculptures and moss covered gardens.

Ginkakuji the Silver Temple with sand sculptures in the foreground.

Saturday, July 24th: Explore Downtown Kyoto
Wander bustling markets, beautiful art shops, souvenirs (including swords and lovely fans), modern department stores, and a Japanese video game arcade for those interested.

Sunday, July 25th: Rest and Reflect Day
Rest and reflect on the trip so far with group discussions and activities, and special time for individual journal, blog, and e-mail writing. Dinner at a real Japanese sushi bar.

Monday, July 26th: Soak in Hot Springs in the Mountains
Take a scenic train, plus light mountain hiking, to Kurama Onsen: a traditional outdoor, healing hot spring in the sacred Kurama Mountains north of Kyoto.

Kurama Onsen (hot spring) in the mountains north of Kyoto.

Tuesday, July 27th: Fascinating Museums of Kyoto

Discover more about Japan by visiting art and culture museums, plus the sobering Kyoto Museum of World Peace: “takes a refreshingly honest look at Japan’s wartime behavior”

Wednesday, July 28th: Beautiful Nature in Kyoto
Explore Arishiyama Park, just northwest of Kyoto, with beautiful river views and lovely walking paths surrounded by bamboo groves. In the evening we have game night.

Thursday, July 29th: Shinto Shrines in Kyoto
Visit shrines of Japan’s native Shinto religion including Fushimi Inari Taisha the number one shrine devoted to the god of foxes, rice, business, and prosperity.

Teens from last year's tour walking under some of the many torii (gates) at the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shinto shrine.

Friday, July 30th: Explore Kyoto
More options for seeing Kyoto, open to people’s interests: including a samurai film studio, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, and the historical Gion District.

Saturday, July 31st, 2010: Tokyo Excursion
Hop on the famous Shinkansen “Bullet Train” to explore the bustling metropolis of Tokyo including Harajuku, famous for its creative “cosplay” costumes. Later get a night time view of the city from a skyscraper in Shinjuku, during the Sumida River Fireworks Display: the largest in Tokyo.

View of Tokyo at night from the Tokyo Municipal Government Building.

Sunday, August 1st: Day of Reflection and Huge Fireworks
Halfway through the tour, during the first half of the day we check-in and discuss the trip so far. Later we go to Osaka to the PL Fireworks Festival, the largest in Japan, and a great chance to experience a traditional Japanese summer festival where we can eat great food and see people in yukata: lovely light summertime version of the kimono.

A woman in a yukata, light summertime version of the kimono, and a man with that style of shirt at a fireworks festival in Osaka.

Monday, August 2nd: Rest Day
Spend the day resting after the busy fireworks festival weekend.

Tuesday, August 3rd: Himeji Castle
We get on the Shinkansen train again to see the most impressive medieval castle in Japan: Himeji-jo. Climb the tower for an amazing view of the old castle grounds and the modern city.

The sun setting on Himeji-jo Castle, the most famous castle in Japan.

Wednesday, August 4th: Scenic Mountain Hike
There are many wonderful day hike options from Kyoto that we can choose from on this day: we can see waterfalls, amazing trees, flowers, narrow gorges, rivers, and Biwako, the largest lake in Japan.

Thursday, August 5th: Open Day
This day is totally open for the group to decide what we do: take it easy, play arcade video games, sing karaoke, visit another temple, shrine, or museum of your choosing, explore markets, etc.

Friday, August 6th: Hiroshima on 65th Anniversary of Bombing
Take Shinkansen to Hiroshima to see the Shinto shrine and the famous huge floating torii (gate) on Miya-jima Island. In the afternoon visit Peace Memorial Park on 65th anniversary of atomic bomb being dropped by the US and attend memorial service where thousands of paper lanterns are floated down the Ota-gawa River as commemoration for the souls of those who died in war and a personal commitment to peace.

Memorial Service in Hiroshima, Japan with floating lanterns on the river in front of the A-Bomb on the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Memorial Service in Hiroshima, Japan with floating lanterns on the river in front of the A-Bomb Dome on the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Saturday, August 7th: Osaka Fireworks
Today we visit the second largest city in Japan and my home for most of 2004: Osaka. There are great markets and exciting restaurants in Shinsaibashi, Spa World in the center of the city, Osaka Human Rights Museum right next to Osaka Castle, etc. In the evening we’ll go to our last fireworks festival on the Yodogawa River.

Fireworks from the Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival in summer 2004.

Sunday, August 8th: Nara, Big Buddha, and Deer
Our last excursion we visit the old capital of Japan: beautiful Nara. We see the amazing Todaiji Temple with Daibutsu “Big Buddha” statue and feed cabbage to tame deer that wander around the town.

Last year's Worldschool Travel Tour Japan group in front of Todaiji Temple in Nara.

Monday, August 9th: Saying Sayonara
Last minute souvenir and gift shopping in Kyoto and saying sayonara to Kyoto and Japan.

Tuesday, August 10th: End of the Tour
Depart from Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan and arrive in San Francisco, CA, USA around midday of the same day. We say good-bye to the group and each fly back to our homes with some souvenirs, memory cards full of photos, and hearts full of life-long memories.

Notes: I write in certain days that we’ll have special time to rest, reflect, process, or write e-mails. But every day we’ll have time to check and write e-mail and stay in touch with family and friends back home.

And every day we’ll have group check-ins to see how everyone is doing, process our experiences, and address any issues in an open and safe way.

Some days we’ll get up early to take advantage of a full day and other days will be much more relaxed.

The whole time we’ll have a great traditional Japanese house in a great location all to ourselves, to hang-out, play games, and watch movies.

Please feel free to post any comments, questions, or suggestions!

And please contact me if you have any questions you’d like answered directly; or you or your child would like to take advantage of this opportunity to travel with a bunch of independent learners around the rich, beautiful, and complex country of Japan.

6 Comments Categories: Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Worldschool Travel Tours, homeschooling, travel, unschooling, worldschooling Tags: homeschooling, Japan, teens, travel, unschooling, Worldschool Travel Tours

Worldschool Travel Tour: Overview of Japan in Autumn 2009 and More About Summer 2010 Tour

January 4th, 2010

My newsletter all about the Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009 with six homeschooling/unschooling young adults. Plus, info about the upcoming Japan tour in summer 2010 (see the itinerary for that trip): including a chance for a parent-child pair to attend the tour! Also, announcement of a tour to Europe in 2011.

Stranger in a Strange Land Newsletter: January 2010

Dear Readers,

Happy New Year! What a year and what a decade it has been!

Since I last wrote I led a three week Worldschool Travel Tour around Japan in November, 2009 with six homeschooling/unschooling young adults!

The trip went really well. One of the most encouraging things is that two of the teens who came want to go on the next Worldschool Travel Tour back to Japan this July-August, summer 2010!

I’m excited about that trip and planning other tours as well. More info at the bottom of this newsletter about future tours, plus some changes to the Japan in Summer 2010 tour including a chance for a parent-child pair to be part of that trip!

So I said, the Japan 2009 trip went well: but what did we actually do?

Well, we climbed a castle.

We saw beautiful Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

We fed deer and saw a huge Buddha statue in the old capital of Nara.

Nara - Rachel feeding cabbage to the deer in Nara.

Nara - Daibutsu, Great Buddha statue in the Todaiji Temple in Nara. (Photo by Tomoko: thanks to Tomoko for all the great candid shots of us at the sites, not just the sites themselves!)

We meandered through markets full of pottery, fans, world-class cooking knives, swords, sweets, and manga (Japanese comics).

Market in Shinsaibashi, Osaka - Eli and Conor admiring the cooking knives. (Photo by Tomoko)

We wandered around Kyoto discovering unexpected gems. We sang karaoke. We soaked in an onsen (hot spring) in the mountains.

Karaoke - Sarah and Hannah singing karaoke! (Thanks to Conor for getting this great shot in that room with poor lighting!)

We marveled at Tokyo’s Ahkihabara “Electric Town” and the fantastic cosplay shops in Harajuku with costumes from Elizabethan England, to punk, to 50s greasers. They love their costumes and electronics!

Ahkihabara, Tokyo - "Electric Town" in Tokyo. (Photo by Hannah)

Harajuku, Tokyo - "Typical" cosplay shop in Harajuku! (Photo by Tomoko)

We ate delicious food including udon and soba noodles, tako yaki (fried octopus dumplings), sushi, good Italian food, and a favorite of many on the trip: okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake fried right at your table, filled with cabbage and your choice of seafood, meat, noodles, etc.

Okonomiyaki - "fried as you like it" - eating Japanese pancakes. (Photo by Tomoko)

We also visited Hiroshima and heard a presentation by a woman whose mother was there when the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb. The mother has been volunteering for many years, talking to people about the horror of that history and the humanity on both sides. Now her daughter carries on the work.

Hiroshima - Daughter of a survivor talking about the history of the dropping of the atomic bomb. (Photo by David)

We were also able to be part of a special ceremony my little sister went to for seven, five, and three year olds: “Shichi go san”. We saw so many beautiful kimonos on the adorable kids!

Monks chanted and played traditional drums as part of the ceremony. Drums cross through all cultures and affect everyone I think. Anyway, I know these powerful vibrations seemed to go deep into my bones!

Shichi go san - Tomoko and Yuni in beautiful kimonos on the way to the temple for the ceremony for seven five and three year old children. (Photo by Becki)

Beyond getting us access to amazing, unique experiences like that, Tomoko Shibuya, my co-guide, was so helpful with giving us the inside info about Japanese culture and just making my job of leading the tour a whole lot easier.

It was definitely a steep learning curve for me with a group this size and trying to balance freedom for them and my responsibility to make sure everyone was okay. It worked out well, but I’m excited about future trips because I know there are plenty of things I can improve.

As is my goal with these tours, we all learned a lot about the culture and ourselves and went through a lot of personal growth.

In the words of a couple of the parents:

Testimonials

“I feel she enjoyed every aspect of the trip and has more confidence and determination to do the things she wants to. Many things have shifted since this trip. The biggest shift for us all I think is that I trust her more and more with her own life! What a relief that is as a parent!”

-Margaret S. from Louisiana, mother of Sarah

“I think he is counting the days until he can go back, he really loved it there. It truly was a great learning and growing experience for David and we do appreciate all you are doing and have done to open the world up to young adults.”

-Sherry T. from California, mother of David

I’m really thankful for the people who came on the trip, their supportive families, Tomoko Shibuya for helping lead the tour, and just for the fact that I can do this work I love and has so much meaning to me.

Wishing you all the best in the coming year!

-Eli

P.S. You can see all the blog posts I made during and after the tour, with photos and more details about many of the places I mention above, here.

Upcoming tours:

Worldschool Travel Travel Tour: Japan in Summer 2010

There’s still space for young adults on this tour and space for a younger child and a parent who is willing to help chaperone the tour! I’ve been hearing from more parents interested in taking their younger child on one of the Worldschool Tours so this is a great opportunity to do that with a discount!

I’ve now made an application form with some basic questions. Those interested please e-mail me and I’ll send you the application form.

More info about this tour on my site here.

I have had to raise the price of the tour to $4,000. That’s about a 10% increase from the last Japan tour: flights are more expensive and I now realize how much everything adds up.

The estimated daily spending money seems to have been accurate: an additional $1,000 can cover transportation, food, admission costs, and a good amount of shopping as well.

Worldschool Travel Tour: Holland and Germany in Spring 2011

Four week tour of canals, tulip fields, medieval cathedrals and historical Berlin with price and exact dates TBA. I’m excited about leading my first trip to Europe and looking into different options right now.

Stay tuned for updates in this newsletter and on my blog and contact me if you have any questions!

3 Comments Categories: Japan, Stranger in a Strange Land Newsletters, Worldschool Travel Tours, homeschooling, teen unschoolers, travel, unschooling, worldschooling Tags: Germany, Holland, homeschooling, Japan, unschooling, Worldschool Travel Tours, worldschooling

Fushimi Inari Taishai – The Shinto Shrine for Foxes and Business

December 14th, 2009

I’m finally doing another post from the Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009! This is from a Shinto shrine near Kyoto called Fushimi Inari Taisha. It’s famous for its many orange gates and is the number one shrine in Japan for the Inari “kami” (god) which rules rice, fertility, foxes, and business.

Fushimi Inari Taisha - Possible business meeting in front of main gate.

Fushimi Inari Taisha - Possible business meeting in front of the main gate.

Fushimi Inari Taisha - This Shinto shrine is the number one in Japan for the fox god: Inari.

We started heading up the mountain passing through many, many gates…..

Fushimi Inari Taisha - Two roads diverged.... Each gate is donated by a company to support the shrine and hopefully their own business.

Tomoko explained that each gate is donated by a business or group of businesses. This is supposed to help bring their business good luck.

And each wooden gate naturally deteriorates over time so the business has to keep paying for the upkeep of their gate. If a business is unable to pay the gate breaks down and eventually just cut removed.

Fushimi Inari Taisha - Rachel taking a shot of the tunnel when no one else is walking down.

It was a surprisingly long walk up the mountain….

Fushim Inari Taisha - When we finally reached the top of the mountain where the shrine is we found a Shinto ceremony just ending.

For some reason they were cooking tangerines this strange fireplace.

For some reason they were cooking tangerines in this strange fireplace on the stairs. They said it was okay to take photos but would answer Tomoko when she asked why they were doing it.

Fushimi Inari Taisha - Candles burning at the top of the mountain next to the ceremony (we were told it was okay to take photos)

So here’s where things started getting more interesting….

We’re just starting to head downhill when we notice a sign that says “This way to the waterfall.”

We decide to take this alternate path. Some might point out it was one particular person in the group who really wanted to do this (it wasn’t me but I won’t say who). But the point is we all thought it would lead right back to the main path.

Especially when we saw what a steep and strange path it was through the forest. They couldn’t expect us to go all the way back to the main path from here.

The steep path we choose which we thought led to a waterfall.

Turns out it didn’t lead back to the main path and didn’t lead to any waterfall we could find either! At least we hoped the slow drip they had that emptied into a plastic bucket wasn’t what they were referring to when they said “waterfall”.

Anyway, after some semi helpful directions from one person we basically kept walking down hill on a paved road.

We came to a bamboo grove and there was so much bamboo and so much was cut down we realized it must be a bamboo farm.

Bamboo grove we thought might be part of a bamboo farm.

Fushimi Inari Taisha - We passed by a vegetable farm on our adventure.

So we finally realized we had gone down a completely different path but it looped around back to the train station we had come from.

One of those unexpected travel adventures!

Then when we got back to Kyoto we finally had sushi!

Toro - More expensive high quality fatty tuna nigiri sushi. Delicious!

Yuni in front of the sushi conveyor belt.

David and Conor trying sushi - even if they didn't end up really liking it.

Now I was really happy to finally have sushi. But I was surprised how many people hadn’t had it in the US but more importantly: many of them didn’t really like it!

Becki, Conor, and David didn’t like it much. Though David had the excuse that soy sauce makes him nauseous so he couldn’t add that to his. Hannah had to admit she liked it but still didn’t like the idea of raw fish. Rachel was actually the only person who seemed to really like it.

And Sarah is fatally allergic to seafood so she couldn’t even partake. Yes, that’s right we managed to spend three weeks in Japan without Sarah accidentally eating anything with seafood. It was a challenge! But Sarah was good natured about it and people in restaurants were helpful and understanding.

Anyway, the way it works at the sushi bar is you choose a plate of whatever looks good as it comes by you. Only you have to pay attention to the color of the plate because that indicates how much the item costs.

Then at the end of the meal they count up your plates and that’s your total. Mine was about ¥2000 or 20 bucks. Not bad, considering. I could use some sushi right about now!

That’s about it from that day. Thanks for reading and I’ll try to keep posting in the coming weeks!

1 Comment Categories: Kyoto, Worldschool Travel Tours, food, travel, worldschooling Tags: food, Japan, Worldschool Travel Tours

Short video: Cool machine makes traditional sweets in Kyoto market

November 30th, 2009

While exploring Kyoto on the Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009 I took this short vid: a cool machine makes traditional Japanese sweets. Then I panned out to give a view of the hallway market, or shoutengai, with locals and the homeschoolers/unschoolers from the tour!

This is actually the first video I’ve ever posted to YouTube. At first I thought it didn’t work but when I checked my account when I got home I found it had!

Now that I may or may not have gotten the hang of it, I hope to post more clips from the trip on YouTube. Maybe even start making my own vlogs on YouTube: video web logs. That could be fun.

In the meantime, I’m gathering feedback from people from the Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009 and already working on more plans for the Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Summer 2010!

Kyoto, Japan - Cool machine in Kyoto, Japan shoutengai market making traditional sweets.

Comment on this post Categories: Japan, Kyoto, Worldschool Travel Tours, homeschooling, travel, unschooling, video, worldschooling Tags: homeschooling, Japan, Kyoto, travel, unschooling, videos, Worldschool Travel Tours, worldschooling

Back Home from Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009

November 25th, 2009

Hey everyone, I’m finally back home and posting again after Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009. Six unschooling/homeschool teens and young adults and I spent three weeks exploring the Land of the Rising Sun.

Here I’ll start with the last photo from the trip just after we cleared customs in LAX:

LAX - The whole group right as we got back in the U.S. This photo was taken by Becki's mom who met us right at the gate. Then they both boarded another flight for home.

LAX - The whole group right as we got back in the U.S. This photo was taken by Becki's mom who met us right at the gate. We're exhausted but most of us are still smiling!

I got about half way in my blog posts during the trip. My exhaustion grew and also some things happened that required more processing!

For one thing we visited Hiroshima on November 11th the day after Veteran’s Day in the United States.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - Japanese school kids looking at a watch that froze at the exact time the first atomic bomb was dropped at 8:15 a.m., August 6th, 1945. A quote from the owner of the watch is seen in English on the left and Japanese on the right.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - Japanese school kids look at a watch that froze at the exact moment the first atomic bomb was dropped at 8:15 a.m., August 6th, 1945.

Here’s the quote on the poster (in English on the left and Japanese on the right):

A dragonfly flitted in front of me and stopped on a fence. I stood up, took my cap in my hands, and was about to catch the dragonfly when…

We rushed off to our next destination Miyajima: a Shinto shrine on an island off of Hiroshima famous for its huge gate, sometimes on the beach sometimes in the water depending on the tide.

Hiroshima - Miyajima Tori - Miyajima Gate at high tide. (This photo was taken by Tomoko.

I regret the way we did rush away from the A-Bomb museum. I’m not sure if we should have had two days for Hiroshima next time or if it was good to have something beautiful to see right afterwards.

Maybe we just needed to leave earlier: these are the type of things I’m reflecting on as I plan future trips!

Miyajima is also famous for its many adorable and hungry tame deer.

Hiroshima - Miyajima Shrine - One of the many adorable and hungry tame deer on the island.

Hiroshima - Miyajima Shrine - My step mom Tomoko and my little sister Yuni who were both a huge help on the trip! Really Tomoko gave us many wonderful insights into the sites we visited and Japan in general!

Hiroshima - Miyajima - Six unschoolers/homeschoolers ages 5-25 hanging out at the Miyajima Shrine on the water.

Hiroshima - Miyajima - Six homeschooler/unschooler travelers ages 6-25 hanging out at the Miyajima Shrine on the water.

We visited other shrines and temples and also a castle in the last week. Himeji-jo is the most famous castle in Japan. We saw it:

Himeji - View of Himeji Castle as the sun sets on an autumn day.

And we climbed it to earn an amazing view of the ancient castle grounds and the modern city:

Himeji - View from up in the Himeji Castle in mid November.

Anyway, I’ll probably do posts just for Himeji, maybe a couple for Hiroshima, and of course I’ll mention the food we ate and the restaurants we went to! (I know people noticed I do that lot!)

Osaka - Shinsaibashi - All of us at a great restuarant in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.

Osaka - Shinsaibashi - All of us at an exciting restuarant in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.

There was also some fun karaoke singing and my little sister had an amazing ceremony that Japanese kids ages 3, 5, and 7 go through called Shichi-go-san.

She and Tomoko both wore beautiful kimonos for the event. But anyway I’m in a rush and gotta go now!

Shichi go san - Modern Japan - Tomoko and Yuni on the move in the Osaka subway system wearing their beautiful kimonos.

I’m just kidding: I’m actually totally jet-lagged and will really take it easy and just reflect on the trip for awhile now.

I’ll try to make a bunch of posts in the coming weeks anyway. Questions always motivate me so feel free to contact me directly or leave comments here!

I’m glad to be home and celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow.

The universe knows I have a lot for which to be thankful! That includes a wonderful family and work that satisfies me on a deep level: writing and leading these Worldschool Travel Tours.

Thank you for being a part of that by reading this!

5 Comments Categories: Japan, Kyoto, Worldschool Travel Tours, homeschooling, teenaged unschoolers, travel, unschooling, worldschooling Tags: homeschooling, Japan, Kyoto, teens, travel, unschooling, Worldschool Travel Tours, worldschooling

First Kyoto temple: Ginkakuji – “The Silver Temple”

November 14th, 2009

It’s been an exciting week for us seven unschoolers/homeschoolers in Japan! We’ve been to many places but now I’ll post photos from the first temple we went to in Kyoto: Ginkakuji – “The Silver Temple“. Above the famous sand sculptures the maple leaves are just starting to turn bright red.

The colors of the leaves in our neighborhood in downtown Kyoto still hasn’t changed much. But just a little further north and closer to the mountains that surround Kyoto, at Ginkakuji some of the leaves were bright red, some orange, and some still green. That includes of course the evergreens as well.

In the gardens of Ginkakuji - The Silver Temple - View up into the colorful trees.

We took a bus from Kyoto station that got us near the temple. But we walked through part of the Philosopher’s Path first: famous walking path around the city along a river that’s red in the fall and full of cherry blossoms in the spring.

My step-mom Tomoko Shibuya, with my little sister Yuni, came along. She helped us a lot with basic logistics and info about the history and cultural significance of certain things.

Philosopher's Path - Walking along the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto.

Then we got to Ginkakuji: we walked through a hedged path before arriving at the entrace:

The unschooling/homeschool girls of the Worldschool Travel Tour on the hedged path into the Silver Temple.

The unschoolers on the Worldschool Travel Tour on the hedged path into the temple.

Ginkakuji - One of the first sand sculptures you see on your way into the temple grounds.

Ginkakuji - View of the famous sand sculptures and the Ginkakuji Temple itself.

Ginkakuji - View of the famous sand sculptures and the Silver Temple itself.

Ginkakuji is a Buddhist temple but Tomoko pointed out this Shinto Shrine is also on the temple grounds. She said that's something unique about Japan - native Shinto and Buddhist are often together.

In Japan native Shinto religion and Buddhism from mainland Asia have mixed together harmoniously it seems for centuries. In fact, some Japanese were confused when they embraced Christianity but found out the European missionaries wouldn’t allow them to also continue practicing Shinto and Buddhism.

After the main temple ground area you walk past ponds and then up a short path into the mountain forest.

Ginkakuji - View of the top of the path with red leaves, orange leaves, green leaves, and evergreens.

Ginkakuji - Close up of one of the ponds where people throw in coins and the trees drop leaves.

Ginkakuji - View of a moss covered tree, the red maple leaves, and the temple from the top of the path.

Ginkakuji - View of the temple grounds from the top of the forest path.

Ginkakuji - The temple was actually under restoration while we were there. Still beautiful though!

Ginkakuji - The "Silver Temple" was actually under restoration while we were there. Still beautiful though!

Well, that was the first one we went to! We’ve been to a bunch more temples since: near Kyoto, near Hiroshima, and just got back from Nara today.

But I’ve been realizing it takes me too much time for me to write them and the posts just get too long if I try to include everything in my new posts!

So I’ll soon post out next day at Fushimi Inarimon: the Shinto shrine of many, many gates that support the whole business world of Japan!

4 Comments Categories: Japan, Kyoto, Worldschool Travel Tours, homeschooling, travel, unschooling, worldschooling Tags: Ginkakuji, homeschooling, Japan, Kyoto, travel, unschooling, Worldschool Travel Tours, worldschooling

My Blog was nominated for a Homeschool Blog Award!

November 10th, 2009

My blog was nominated for a Homeschool Blog Award! It’s under the category: Best Current Events, Opinions, or Politics Blog. It’s great to have my unschooling blog nominated. And honestly I’ve really been wanting to merge social awareness and action with the freedom of homeschooling.

As Marianne Williamson said:

“There is no single effort more radical in its potential for saving the world than a transformation of the way we raise our children.”

That’s always been my motivation for homeschooling. I mean I left school because I love to learn. School was getting in the way.

I was upset by the lies I was learning and the time I was wasting when I could be finding out the truth.

Now I continue to promote homeschooling, unschooling, and all freedom in education because I think it’s our best hope. I really do.

I think it is just as Marrianne Williamson says: radical. It’s going to the root: how we are raised, how we live, and how we learn or are prevented from learning. I think the freedom of unschooling and homeschooling are what enable a radically new way of doing this.

In the end unschooling is about throwing off all the rules and expectations of how children and students are supposed to live and learn.

Homeschooling is about the family and the community, rather than the government, the church, or other huge impersonal institutions, deciding how children will be raised and educated.

And I guess radical unschooling is about sticking to that throwing off of expectations and rules as the actual way people live and learn.

I think in practice all radical unschoolers have some rules and expectations. Personally I think rules and expectations can be pretty helpful! But I can understand some people just plain having a strong aversion to the very idea of them: many, most, or all of us have suffered under arbitrary and harmful rules and expectations.

In the end, for me, it’s about exploring and honestly looking at the world and ourselves. Then finding out what actually works for each person or group in each situation.

To do that we need a whole lot of freedom. And I’ve found hearing and reading other people’s journeys, opinions, and just information about the world very helpful for my own journey and understanding.

So I hope my blog with all its opinions, politics, and info about current events is helpful to other people as well!

Meanwhile, us seven unschooling/homeschooling teens and young adults are really enjoying worldschooling around Japan on Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009! Today is a rainy day so maybe we’ll take it easy or explore Kyoto more and see some shoutengai: indoor hallway markets.

Thanks for reading and thanks for voting for my blog if you feel so inclined!

8 Comments Categories: homeschooling, radical unschooling, unschooling, worldschooling Tags: homeschooling, radical unschooling, unschooling, worldschooling

Mikuni, Osaka, Kawaramachi, Kyoto, and Harajuku, Tokyo

November 9th, 2009

We had a pretty busy weekend on the Worldschool Travel Tour with us seven unschooling young adults: we went to my old little neighborhood of Mikuni, Osaka and to Kawaramachi the bustling center of Kyoto on Saturday. On Sunday we went to Harajuku, Tokyo which is famous for its “cosplay”: people who show off amazing and often bizarre outfits.

My step-mom Tomoko just arrived in Osaka the night before with her daughter, my little sister, Yuni on Friday night. So we visited them Saturday morning and had some tako yaki at my favorite place in the neighborhood I used to live in: Mikuni.

Mikuni is just a few train stops from the center of Osaka, the second largest city in Japan, and it was my home for eight months in 2004. I hadn’t visited since 2006 so it was a trip.

Tako yaki, fried octopus dumplings, being made in my old neighborhood of Mikuni, Osaka, Japan. The finished one are on the right.

Rachel showing off the delicious tako yaki covered in mayonnaise and scallions.

Tako yaki - Becki, Eli, and Rachel eating fried octopus dumplings in Osaka, Kansai, Japan: the capital of tako yaki.

Not everyone was willing to try the strange new food but I was glad many were and a couple liked it! Rachel and Becki really liked them but Hannah was surprised and disappointed she did not like it.

Then we took a walk down the old Mikuni Shoutengai: the hallway market I walked down almost every day when I lived here.

Mikuni Shoutengai front view.

Mikuni Shoutengai view from the other end.

Then we walked from there to Shin-Osaka station and took a short, free, 15 minute Shinkansen “Bullet Train” using our Japan Rail Passes. We went to downtown Kawaramachi to get some late lunch.

Dragonfly that landed, and stayed, on Rachel's elbow in Kyoto, Japan. Tomoko told us that's cosidered good luck.

We found this okonomiyaki place: that’s another food this Kansai is known for. “Okonomiyaki” means “fried as you like it”. It’s a pancake with cabbage where you decide what else you want to put into it or put on it: I had mine with beef, others had pork, and some have seafood or soba noodles.

Here are couple okonomiyaki photos I stole from Hannah but check out this post from Hannah’s blog for a whole bunch more from that day:

Okonomiyaki: Eli, Sarah and David had okonomiyaki, Japanese pancakes "fried as you like it" in Kyoto, Japan. David's flipping his over.

Okonomiyaki finished with Hananh's yaki soba in Kyoto, Japan. Then we ate it all directly off of the grill.

The next day we went to Shibuya and Harajuku: two areas of Tokyo. Shibuya has the Times Square of Tokyo: huge bright intersection with lots of adds and millions of people.

Shibuya intersection - the Times Square of Tokyo, Japan - one view.

Shibuya intersection - the Times Square of Tokyo, Japan - another view.

Truth is I think most people were kind of disappointed. It’s really just a shopping place. If you’re not actually looking to buy anything there’s not much to do.

But we did find a really good place to eat:

Udon noodles in broth with pork on top and tempura one the side - deep fried squash, squid, lotus root, and fish cake.

Then we went to Harajuku, the area of Tokyo known for cosplay people:

Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan - this street is full of cosplay and other clothing shops.

Sarah in a cosplay shop in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan. She was the one who really wanted to go to one of these shops but two other people also got outfits. It was fun to look around anyway.

Meiji Jingu Shrine Gate in Harajuku. I managed to make it look like we weren't in the middle of Tokyo, Japan one of the biggest metropolises in the world!

Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan 2009 - the group with Satoru and Yuni in the Harajuku Park.

After chilling there for a bit we got back on the Shinkansen and went back to Kyoto.

The Shinkansen Bullet Train in Tokyo that took us back to Kyoto in 2.5 hours

Eating ramen near Kyoto Station after a long day in Tokyo.

Hannah really liking the ramen.

Ramen with gyoza: fried Chinese style dumplings.

Alright, that’s it for now. Will post soon about our adventures around Kyoto: we’re finally seeing the famous temples and gardens in Kyoto.

Thanks for visiting everyone!

4 Comments Categories: Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Worldschool Travel Tours, homeschooling, teen unschoolers, travel, unschooling, worldschooling Tags: homeschooling, Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, travel, unschooling, Worldschool Travel Tours, worldschooling

Eli Gerzon

Writer, Traveler, Worldschooler

Blog:

Interviewed for Radio Free School blog and re: unschoolers living and succeeding without college

How to Travel Cheaply

Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Summer 2010 Itinerary

Worldschool Travel Tour: Overview of Japan in Autumn 2009 and More About Summer 2010 Tour

Fushimi Inari Taishai – The Shinto Shrine for Foxes and Business

Short video: Cool machine makes traditional sweets in Kyoto market

Back Home from Worldschool Travel Tour: Japan in Autumn 2009

First Kyoto temple: Ginkakuji – “The Silver Temple”

My Blog was nominated for a Homeschool Blog Award!

Mikuni, Osaka, Kawaramachi, Kyoto, and Harajuku, Tokyo

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