March 16th, 2006
I thought about taking a little creative license in talking about the transition challenges that I'm currently facing. However, I promised the good, the bad, and the ugly, so here goes...
So, the official break up is done. I thought we did this before I left, but I think we both kind of hoped that time would rewind while I was in Fiji. It didn’t. I’m going to spare you the details of the next few days because, quite honestly, I don’t want to relive them. I did enjoy a wonderful dinner with Meg and Kevin as they traveled back through HK, though.
The reason this transition is so tough is because (in no particular order)
1) I live in a dorm,
2) My two best friends in HK and two of my favorite people in the world just left me to return to school
3) My friends at school are having an excellent time while I am stuck here,
4) I can no longer hang out with the person that I shared a majority of my Hong Kong experiences with,
5) Because of my relationships with my ST’s and my GL, I don’t really know the other exchange students very well. I know them on a general level, but I’ve always had someone to hang out with, so they don’t necessarily think to invite me to things. I’m just going to invite myself.
The last one is really the biggest issue. Most of you know me well enough to know that alone time and I aren’t good bedmates. I like a little, but a lot of it makes me grumpy – which I do realize is ironic since I broke up with my GL over his grumpiness.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Flying = Boring. However, Flying with Cute boy = Not so boring
March 15th, 2006
Nothing to tell of since I left Fiji at 5:00 AM Hong Kong time and landed at my dorm at 11:30 PM. Lots of flying.
Oh yeah, Virgin-Atlantic is the best airline on the face of the earth! The entertainment is great and the flight attendant asked me a cute boy to sit together at the exit row for take off and landing. Playing cupid? I don't think I know his name, but his job is to sail between the Carribean and the Mediterranean. This was the first time I met a cute boy on a plane, so I'm hoping this bodes well for the next six weeks of my life!
Today’s Book – Tuesdays with Morrie – another excellent read!
Nothing to tell of since I left Fiji at 5:00 AM Hong Kong time and landed at my dorm at 11:30 PM. Lots of flying.
Oh yeah, Virgin-Atlantic is the best airline on the face of the earth! The entertainment is great and the flight attendant asked me a cute boy to sit together at the exit row for take off and landing. Playing cupid? I don't think I know his name, but his job is to sail between the Carribean and the Mediterranean. This was the first time I met a cute boy on a plane, so I'm hoping this bodes well for the next six weeks of my life!
Today’s Book – Tuesdays with Morrie – another excellent read!
I wish this plane would go West
March 14th,. 2006
My adventure is coming to an end. I’m having a little trouble dealing with the fact that I could be on my way back to the States right now. Safe and sound with no drama to speak of. Why did I decide to stay again? Sometimes I could kick myself!
We wrapped up our stay at Nanuya with a Village visit. The village was interesting. The villagers live on such a meager existence, but they seem entirely happy. Maybe they have it figured out! The kids were cute. The sad thing is that Fijian women are not treated very nicely. Rape and abuse are common and an attacker can repent from a rape simply by offering the girl’s father an apology. Seriously. Fijian women are allowed to talk to Western women in the context of selling to them, but other associations are not allowed as Western women are seen to be a negative influence on Fijian women. How sad. I’d like to slip them some sort of help, but I have to keep in mind that my Western beliefs don’t always translate into reality in the rest of the world.
My last night in Fiji was uneventful. I stayed at a hotel close to the airport and talked to a nice businessman over dinner. The people you meet when traveling are so interesting. We talked about politics, religion, traveling, and natural disasters. Best of all, this guy was just nice. He wasn’t hitting on me or being creepy at all.
Snorkeling for Snakes?
March 13th, 2006
Today’s quote –
“You know, in New Zealand and Australia, I missed TV and the internet, but here (in Fiji), I’m thoroughly entertained by watching this ceiling fan”
- M. Rickert, 2006 UNC MBA
Is that not the best ever? I cried over that one – mainly because she was so serious. You just have to picture Mindy looking at the fan in complete amazement.
After we missed the Cave tour, Mindy and I walked over to Blue Lagoon. I guess it’s a lagoon, but it is not Blue and Brooke Shields does not live there. Our beach at Nanuya is far prettier.
Today’s schedule – snorkel, rest, snorkel, nearly die from taunting a poisonous Coral Snake. Fortunately, Mindy is quite tactful and rather than screaming snake, she merely suggested that we head in to rest for a bit. I would have absolutely panicked. Maybe it’s best to not know what lurks on the ocean floor. Seriously though, the reef was beautiful and I saw some cool things – Mantaray, jelly fish, sea urchin, and supposedly squid. I don’t think I saw the squid, but Mindy did and she was right with me, so maybe I just didn’t know it.
Today’s Book – Finished Straight Talking – The lead character is more screwed up in relationships than I am!
Pam's Excellent Birthday
March 12th, 2006
Happy Birthday to Pam! Happy Birthday to Pam! She’s going to have a tough time topping this one. We left Beachcomber (not sad about that) for Nanuya Resort. Nanuya is out of this world. Situated on a beautiful beach just beside the Blue Lagoon (think Brooke Shields), the resort hosts a maximum of 16 guests in bures (hut style rooms). Unlike my Thailand accommodations, these rooms were most excellent. From our tree top bure (sorry, it wasn’t actually in a tree, but merely surrounded by trees on a huge hill), we could see the beach. This is where hammocks enter our life. A beachside hammock is God’s Gift to Amber – and Mindy, Pam, and Mickey.
The restaurant closes at 9, so after our birthday dinner and cake with Pam (who was serenaded during dinner) the staff invited us to have a drink with them to celebrate one of their birthdays. This was such a cool experience. We all made friends quickly and enjoyed such a wonderful time. We danced to American music, drank Fijian rum (with a ridiculous alcohol percentage) and drank Fijian beer. You can only buy Fijian beer and Fijian water in Fiji. I like both and prefer one or the other depending on the time of day. I do think it’s rather cool that I’m drinking Fiji brand water (just like what you get at home) in the country it was actually bottled. Little things make me happy! Ricky Martin makes Pam happy as she almost jumped over the couch to get to the dance floor (aka reception area) when she heard Ricky’s voice.
Today’s book – Straight Talking – total chick book – good break from real thoughts and nice to hear about someone else’s boy drama. 400 + pages, so it’s a bit of a time commitment.
Kiwi boys = Fun
March 11th, 2006
Not much to share about today. Sat in the sun. Mindy fell off of a diving boat – but she’s fine. We started Pam’s birthday celebration and watched a traditional Fijian dance/ fire show. I forgot to mention that we met two VERY cute Kiwi boys yesterday. Daniel and …. I’ll remember it later, I’m sure. They’ve made for fun entertainment over the past couple of nights.
Today’s Book – 5 People you Meet in Heaven – excellent – must read. It’s easy and gives you hope that this crazy life journey somehow makes sense in the end.
Am I supposed to dance to that?
March 10th, 2006
So, I laid on the beach for most of today. Most = ALL. I’m happy to say that I am not really sunburned at all thank to my generous application of SPF 30. I did take a break from the sun to get a beach side massage. What is a vacation without one of those?
Beachcomber is nice, if not exciting. It is the only resort on the island and you can walk around the island in 10 minutes. For about $50 USD, you get a dorm bed and three square meals. The food is decent, but not really worthy of my rating system as it wasn’t very different from food anywhere else. As for the exciting party atmosphere we expected, they nearly put us to sleep with Tracy Chapman. I’m not trashing Tracy, but she doesn’t make me want to dance away my troubles. I fully recognize that I have a lot of gall being troubled about anything while on vacation in Fiji, but I’m still a bit distraught about what could become of the next two months of my life.
Today’s book – Finished Blink – pretty good, but it could have been cut down to 100 pages at the max. Some from the beginning and some from the end would have pretty much been enough. Besides, NO ONE wants to hear about New Coke / Classic Coke / Marketing genius or Marketing failure. The story is done and should not be referenced in every book known to man. Seriously.
Fiji = Fantastic
Things are looking up. On the way over to Beachcomber Island, I met a girl who was meeting friends who also lived in Chapel Hill. Odd, you think? Well, as it turns out she is friends with Pam and was actually spending the week with Pam, Mindy, and I. Mickey is great. She made a great travel companion and we spent the entire day laying on the beach and sharing stories. I haven’t talked with anyone outside of Hong Kong in a while, so I had a lot of pent up chatting to do.
Mindy and Pam made it in around 9:00 or so. Their boat broke down a few times because of seaweed so their trip was quite eventful. I won’t spoil Mindy’s story though!
I’m tracked a couple of things during my Fiji stay – accommodations and books.
Accommodations - The first three nights I slept with 120 people in a huge hut. Fortunately, all 120 people weren’t there, but there were 120 bunk beds in the same open air room. I know it sounds like hell, but it was really quite nice and the people were very respectful.
Today’s book – Finally finished Me Talk Pretty One Day, Started Blink
A country where no one knows your name
March 8th, 2006
I didn’t invite my lap top on vaca, so I’m writing this a bit later.
The drama continues. So, I finally landed in Fiji, roughly 20 hours after I left Hong Kong. I went straight to my hotel desk to pick up my boat to Beachcomber Island only to find out that they didn’t have a reservation for me and that they couldn’t pick me up because the waters were too rough. So, to recap, I just landed in a foreign country without a place to sleep and in a rather seedy airport town. I hate when people make me cry, but tears were pouring out before I could stop them at this point. Two weeks of turmoil and a stupid hotel reservation is what actually causes my breakdown... Figures.
Fortunately, the reservation lady took pity on my and helped me find another hotel and promised to arrange for an 8 AM pick up. My only requirement was a single room with a private bath. I got the single room (and a comfy bed), but the only thing private about my shower was the lock that prevented the other users from coming in while I was in there. I was too tired to fight and I didn’t want anyone else to make me cry, so I decided to suck it up. Besides, I realized that no one on the face of the earth knew where I was staying, so the likelihood of someone tracking me down if I disappeared was slim. Better not to cause a ruckus. I can’t say that I’ve ever spent a night where absolutely no one knew where I was. Again, this is how girls go missing. Unlike trolling through Melbourne, though, I couldn’t help it this time.
I didn’t invite my lap top on vaca, so I’m writing this a bit later.
The drama continues. So, I finally landed in Fiji, roughly 20 hours after I left Hong Kong. I went straight to my hotel desk to pick up my boat to Beachcomber Island only to find out that they didn’t have a reservation for me and that they couldn’t pick me up because the waters were too rough. So, to recap, I just landed in a foreign country without a place to sleep and in a rather seedy airport town. I hate when people make me cry, but tears were pouring out before I could stop them at this point. Two weeks of turmoil and a stupid hotel reservation is what actually causes my breakdown... Figures.
Fortunately, the reservation lady took pity on my and helped me find another hotel and promised to arrange for an 8 AM pick up. My only requirement was a single room with a private bath. I got the single room (and a comfy bed), but the only thing private about my shower was the lock that prevented the other users from coming in while I was in there. I was too tired to fight and I didn’t want anyone else to make me cry, so I decided to suck it up. Besides, I realized that no one on the face of the earth knew where I was staying, so the likelihood of someone tracking me down if I disappeared was slim. Better not to cause a ruckus. I can’t say that I’ve ever spent a night where absolutely no one knew where I was. Again, this is how girls go missing. Unlike trolling through Melbourne, though, I couldn’t help it this time.
Germany is not on my list of places to visit this summer
March 7th, 2006
Thank heavens I leave for Fiji today! The last few days have been a complete disaster and Germany is my least favorite country in the entire world. The place spawns evil professors and nice boys who aren’t very nice post relationship. So, Meg and Kevin left on Monday and I had to face my GL at school. We went through the cordial lets talk about this and we’ll still be great friends on Saturday night, so I thought things might be OK. They’re not horrible, but those first few post break-up days are never fun as they are filled with awkward situations and tricky decisions on where one should sit in class. If I had my way, the Gla would have continued in the same manner that it started – new, fun, and exciting. I’m channeling Cher’s, “If I could turn back time” right now. Even if it was my decision to end my Gla, doing so is never fun and the beginning is always a million times better. Damn it. Maybe seeing Mindy and Pam and soaking up sun in Fiji will cure my blues.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the evil German professor – HS (Hitler’s Spawn). HS selected my group to present during the second class. I think that’s a bit early, but my conflict really arises from the fact that I will be on another continent that day. Germans are not flexible people. Not in teaching (they super authoritarian) or dating (they are sticklers for timeliness, which you all know isn’t my strong suit). Fortunately, one of the guys in my group helped me switch to a different team. But - not before I nearly burst into tears in front of the professor. Even the German boys hate this guy because he is SOOO German.
Thank heavens I leave for Fiji today! The last few days have been a complete disaster and Germany is my least favorite country in the entire world. The place spawns evil professors and nice boys who aren’t very nice post relationship. So, Meg and Kevin left on Monday and I had to face my GL at school. We went through the cordial lets talk about this and we’ll still be great friends on Saturday night, so I thought things might be OK. They’re not horrible, but those first few post break-up days are never fun as they are filled with awkward situations and tricky decisions on where one should sit in class. If I had my way, the Gla would have continued in the same manner that it started – new, fun, and exciting. I’m channeling Cher’s, “If I could turn back time” right now. Even if it was my decision to end my Gla, doing so is never fun and the beginning is always a million times better. Damn it. Maybe seeing Mindy and Pam and soaking up sun in Fiji will cure my blues.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the evil German professor – HS (Hitler’s Spawn). HS selected my group to present during the second class. I think that’s a bit early, but my conflict really arises from the fact that I will be on another continent that day. Germans are not flexible people. Not in teaching (they super authoritarian) or dating (they are sticklers for timeliness, which you all know isn’t my strong suit). Fortunately, one of the guys in my group helped me switch to a different team. But - not before I nearly burst into tears in front of the professor. Even the German boys hate this guy because he is SOOO German.
Sad ending for my Gla
March 5th, 2006
So, my Gla is over. I like to send out public announcements if I think they will be helpful and I think everyone can learn from this one. Telling someone that you are sick of him being a complete grouch and that you’re not in the habit of having to teach someone how to be nice is probably not a good idea. Especially if you’re about 4 or 5 drinks into the evening.
There’s a lot more to it than that, but suffice it to say that after the last week of complete turmoil over whether I was staying or going home, combined with my canceling our trip to the Philippines, my Gla met an early demise. I’ll spare you the details and drama, but I am disappointed – especially since my STs are leaving me in two days. Maybe I should have thought this through a bit better.
So, my Gla is over. I like to send out public announcements if I think they will be helpful and I think everyone can learn from this one. Telling someone that you are sick of him being a complete grouch and that you’re not in the habit of having to teach someone how to be nice is probably not a good idea. Especially if you’re about 4 or 5 drinks into the evening.
There’s a lot more to it than that, but suffice it to say that after the last week of complete turmoil over whether I was staying or going home, combined with my canceling our trip to the Philippines, my Gla met an early demise. I’ll spare you the details and drama, but I am disappointed – especially since my STs are leaving me in two days. Maybe I should have thought this through a bit better.
Staying, but not without a stop in Fiji
March 2nd, 2006
After serious, serious consideration, I decided to stay in Hong Kong for Mod IV. I should say that I decided to go home, then I changed my mind back and decided to stay. I can be so indecisive. This was an unbelievably tough decision (even though both options are fantastic). To be honest, I’m completely tired of talking about it and thinking about it. I’m a little nervous about staying, but I’m really excited as well! As my compromise, I decided to suck up the extra cost and still go to Fiji. This time next week, I will be laying in a beach chair in Fiji!
After serious, serious consideration, I decided to stay in Hong Kong for Mod IV. I should say that I decided to go home, then I changed my mind back and decided to stay. I can be so indecisive. This was an unbelievably tough decision (even though both options are fantastic). To be honest, I’m completely tired of talking about it and thinking about it. I’m a little nervous about staying, but I’m really excited as well! As my compromise, I decided to suck up the extra cost and still go to Fiji. This time next week, I will be laying in a beach chair in Fiji!
Should I stay or should I go now?
February 27th, 2006
I can’t remember the next line to that song. That is, however, the question that I face now. If I stay in Hong Kong for the next mod, then I will miss some things that I dearly cherish. 1) spending the last 6 weeks of my free time with my friends at school 2) my bed (I know this seems rather trivial, but it’s not really trivial at this point) 3) Fiji with Mindy and Pam. I’m not sure that is the exact order that those things belong in, but you get the jest. So, I am seriously contemplating whether I really want to stay in Hong Kong for another 6 weeks.
If I do stay for longer, I get to see the Philippines, Tokyo, and Vietnam. I can also hang out with my GL, which would be nice (assuming he returns to some semblance of the person he was at the beginning of the term). He takes this school stuff much more seriously than I do and, to be honest, he’s not terribly fun at the moment. He reminds me of a ex who one of the kindest people I've known, but hespent every waking moment stressing about work and being convinced that the full weight of his employer’s concerns rested squarely and solely on his capable shoulders. My GL doesn’t drink nearly as much as my ex, but the similarities are honestly a bit too close for comfort. Maybe that is the trade off with b school boys?
I’m also considering whether my desire to go home is related to the fact that my professor basically told me that Santa Clause doesn’t exist – the only way to successfully do business in Asia is through corruption and sex. I feel like I’ve been living in complete awe of this fantastically interesting place only to find out that underneath it all is an ugly, dirty, and demeaning culture. I still hold that his level in society as a self-titled dream maker and the fact that he has no problem pimping out women in order to meet his own business objectives influenced his discussion to the point where much of it can’t be held as realistic. It’s two days later now and I still feel sad about his views on Asia. I guess I know that some of it must be true and no matter what, it will never reconcile with my western morals.
I can’t remember the next line to that song. That is, however, the question that I face now. If I stay in Hong Kong for the next mod, then I will miss some things that I dearly cherish. 1) spending the last 6 weeks of my free time with my friends at school 2) my bed (I know this seems rather trivial, but it’s not really trivial at this point) 3) Fiji with Mindy and Pam. I’m not sure that is the exact order that those things belong in, but you get the jest. So, I am seriously contemplating whether I really want to stay in Hong Kong for another 6 weeks.
If I do stay for longer, I get to see the Philippines, Tokyo, and Vietnam. I can also hang out with my GL, which would be nice (assuming he returns to some semblance of the person he was at the beginning of the term). He takes this school stuff much more seriously than I do and, to be honest, he’s not terribly fun at the moment. He reminds me of a ex who one of the kindest people I've known, but hespent every waking moment stressing about work and being convinced that the full weight of his employer’s concerns rested squarely and solely on his capable shoulders. My GL doesn’t drink nearly as much as my ex, but the similarities are honestly a bit too close for comfort. Maybe that is the trade off with b school boys?
I’m also considering whether my desire to go home is related to the fact that my professor basically told me that Santa Clause doesn’t exist – the only way to successfully do business in Asia is through corruption and sex. I feel like I’ve been living in complete awe of this fantastically interesting place only to find out that underneath it all is an ugly, dirty, and demeaning culture. I still hold that his level in society as a self-titled dream maker and the fact that he has no problem pimping out women in order to meet his own business objectives influenced his discussion to the point where much of it can’t be held as realistic. It’s two days later now and I still feel sad about his views on Asia. I guess I know that some of it must be true and no matter what, it will never reconcile with my western morals.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Your Body is Investment Capital
February 25th, 2006
So, it’s Saturday and I am sitting in class. That is the first thing that is wrong with this picture. My Doing Business in Asia professor finally decided to teach us something. Well, let me tell you what he’s teaching us – 1) I can use my body for seed money because Chinese men only care about money and women 2) Lie, but do so with sincerity. I am not freaking kidding! I’m currently trying to sort through whether this guy is full of crap or if he is being honest. I can’t say that we like each other, so chances are pretty good that he’s just trying to piss me off – Ms. Conservative American girl. A few minutes before he told me to forget all morals, he said that guys who don’t have mistresses should try it out at least once. Afterall, when he worked in Canada, he didn’t like Hockey, but he went to a game so that he could decide if he really liked Hockey or not. This is the same guy that hired a woman to sleep with an investment banker that he was negotiating with. This guy, also known as husband and father to a family in Japan, fell in love with this woman and was putty in my professor’s hands. Does anyone else think about Devil’s Advocate? My professor is the Al Pacino (or whatever his name is). The poor investment banker is Keanu Reeves.
Oh yeah, no one really wishes you well according to Professor Immorality. Yeah, your family cares about what happens to you, but your friends don’t want good things to happen to you. People want other people to suffer and fail. I’m trying to keep in mind that I am in a different culture that doesn’t mesh with my own personal beliefs, but I find it really difficult to not throw my computer at this guy. He said that he has a hard time not offending people with this discussion – Do you THINK?
This guy is a philandering jerk! His country, his rules, but I don’t have to like it. He doesn’t have to care that I don’t like it and that is fine. I wish someone could tell me if this guy is legitimate or if he’s so full of himself and the devil that he’s completely loco.
So, it’s Saturday and I am sitting in class. That is the first thing that is wrong with this picture. My Doing Business in Asia professor finally decided to teach us something. Well, let me tell you what he’s teaching us – 1) I can use my body for seed money because Chinese men only care about money and women 2) Lie, but do so with sincerity. I am not freaking kidding! I’m currently trying to sort through whether this guy is full of crap or if he is being honest. I can’t say that we like each other, so chances are pretty good that he’s just trying to piss me off – Ms. Conservative American girl. A few minutes before he told me to forget all morals, he said that guys who don’t have mistresses should try it out at least once. Afterall, when he worked in Canada, he didn’t like Hockey, but he went to a game so that he could decide if he really liked Hockey or not. This is the same guy that hired a woman to sleep with an investment banker that he was negotiating with. This guy, also known as husband and father to a family in Japan, fell in love with this woman and was putty in my professor’s hands. Does anyone else think about Devil’s Advocate? My professor is the Al Pacino (or whatever his name is). The poor investment banker is Keanu Reeves.
Oh yeah, no one really wishes you well according to Professor Immorality. Yeah, your family cares about what happens to you, but your friends don’t want good things to happen to you. People want other people to suffer and fail. I’m trying to keep in mind that I am in a different culture that doesn’t mesh with my own personal beliefs, but I find it really difficult to not throw my computer at this guy. He said that he has a hard time not offending people with this discussion – Do you THINK?
This guy is a philandering jerk! His country, his rules, but I don’t have to like it. He doesn’t have to care that I don’t like it and that is fine. I wish someone could tell me if this guy is legitimate or if he’s so full of himself and the devil that he’s completely loco.
Finally! Something educational
February 24th, 2006
I went to the first interesting presentation in Hong Kong today. A former Exxon employee presented on what it takes to work in Asia. His views are below:
Basically, if someone in China says yes, they mean maybe. If they say there is an internal regulation, they mean they don’t like you and you’re screwed. Deadlines mean nothing to the Chinese and they are comfortable changing terms even after they are agreed upon – even if that agreement is in writing.
All interesting information and actually quite representative of some of the situations that I've witnessed personally.
I went to the first interesting presentation in Hong Kong today. A former Exxon employee presented on what it takes to work in Asia. His views are below:
Basically, if someone in China says yes, they mean maybe. If they say there is an internal regulation, they mean they don’t like you and you’re screwed. Deadlines mean nothing to the Chinese and they are comfortable changing terms even after they are agreed upon – even if that agreement is in writing.
All interesting information and actually quite representative of some of the situations that I've witnessed personally.
Greasy Veggies do not count!
February 23rd, 2006
I love Brazilian restaurants. I hope to have some pictures later. We went to Mongkok tonight, which is a large shopping area just south of school. Meg and Kevin waited for me at a bar just outside of the bus stop. You will be surprised to hear that I never saw the markets. For $10 USD, we could get 6 Heinekens which was more important / interesting than another market hawking the same things. My GL and another GB (German Boy) joined us a little later and then we took off for a Brazilian restaurant. Thankfully, I enjoyed a meal that didn’t involve noodles or rice! They only know how to make vegetables one way, though, so I still had crappy grease vegetables.
I love Brazilian restaurants. I hope to have some pictures later. We went to Mongkok tonight, which is a large shopping area just south of school. Meg and Kevin waited for me at a bar just outside of the bus stop. You will be surprised to hear that I never saw the markets. For $10 USD, we could get 6 Heinekens which was more important / interesting than another market hawking the same things. My GL and another GB (German Boy) joined us a little later and then we took off for a Brazilian restaurant. Thankfully, I enjoyed a meal that didn’t involve noodles or rice! They only know how to make vegetables one way, though, so I still had crappy grease vegetables.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
What end of term project????
February 20th, 2006
Schoolwork is catching up with me. I haven’t attempted much work at all since landing in Hong Kong and now, all of a sudden, I have two thousand things to do. At least I’m only taking three classes. I am playing the role of a lawyer in a class presentation this week. I hope my witness yells, “You can’t handle the truth” in the middle of questioning.
This week is really focused on school and organizing the next eight weeks of my life. So far, I am going to the Philippines (with my GL) during the weekend of March 17th and to Tokyo over Easter break with my GL and two other students. I’m planning to add Vietnam in there as well and with any luck, I am still going to Fiji at the beginning of March. Keep your fingers crossed. I have to pray that STA Travel can work something out that doesn’t cost me a million dollars!
Schoolwork is catching up with me. I haven’t attempted much work at all since landing in Hong Kong and now, all of a sudden, I have two thousand things to do. At least I’m only taking three classes. I am playing the role of a lawyer in a class presentation this week. I hope my witness yells, “You can’t handle the truth” in the middle of questioning.
This week is really focused on school and organizing the next eight weeks of my life. So far, I am going to the Philippines (with my GL) during the weekend of March 17th and to Tokyo over Easter break with my GL and two other students. I’m planning to add Vietnam in there as well and with any luck, I am still going to Fiji at the beginning of March. Keep your fingers crossed. I have to pray that STA Travel can work something out that doesn’t cost me a million dollars!
Man-Made Wonders and Men in Makeup
January 19th, 2006
Today I saw one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. The Great Wall of China is pretty freaking cool. I can’t describe the enormity of the wall or how steep the climb can get in parts. We hiked the wall for about an hour and a half, which was plenty of time. The view was great and standing on such a historical monument is unforgettable. Our hike was a bit tough in spots and some smarty-pants American gave us the award for panting when we reached the top. I can only imagine if we didn’t work out at all!
We ventured to the Silk Market in the afternoon, but I’m completely marketed out. I’m poor and the deals aren’t as good as the Chinese tourism officials would have you believe. At the end of the day, you’re still buying crap for the most part and crap isn’t worth nearly as much as the aggressive sales people think. Honestly though, if I had to put together a door-to-door sales team, my labor pool would consist entirely of market workers. They are relentless and don’t seem to mind rejection in the slightest.
We wrapped up tonight with a cultural experience that I enjoyed but don’t intend to repeat. The Chinese Opera is very interesting – for an hour. The costumes and make up are great, but the music is like nails on a chalkboard. All kidding aside, I am glad that I went and I will certainly remember the experience for a long time. Word to the wise – If your fancy hotel books tickets for you, tell them you want the cheap seats or else they will stick you directly in front of the stage and when you come in just before the show starts everyone behind you will look at you like you think you’re something special. Even the best seats in the house are cheap, but they were just too showy for our liking.
For anyone who might be interested in our hotel information – we stayed at the Peninsula Beijing. I will probably never get to stay in a Peninsula again, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even had my own adult bed again. Their turndown service consists of them refolding whatever you unfolded when you were last in the room and placing slippers and water beside your bed. I didn’t use it, but the speaker phone from the bathtub looked pretty interesting.
Someone Should Warn Ducks
February 18th, 2006
Another day to get after it. We like to see everything a city has to offer in a single day. Today, we saw the Forbidden City (which could use a good paint job and a good power wash), the Temple of the Heavens Park (which could use a half way decent bathroom), and the Pearl Market. We then topped off the night with an acrobatic show that is rivaled only by Circ de Soliel (sp?) and our first taste of Peking Duck.
The Forbidden City was cool. Glad we took the abbreviated route. My favorite part was looking into the Emperor’s private quarters. We couldn’t go into the room, but the room was very ornate. The throne was really interesting too, but again, they didn’t let you get very close to it.
I don’t have a ton to say about the Temple of the Heavens Park except that it’s a park with some cool buildings inside. My entire memory of this stop is scarred by my first use of a squat pot. Not fun! I don’t know why God intended for girls to pee sitting down, but he did. If he’d intended for me to pee standing up, I’m sure he would have given me better equipment to do so.
The Pearl Market was really cool and I purchased my first real set of pearls. I really should figure out how to stop my one for you, one for me habit. I’m a far better negotiator than when I left home, though. I’ve also learned not to freak out when strange people touch me and try to pull me into their stores. I still don’t like it, but I don’t yell at them anymore.
The acrobatics show was so freaking cool that I really can’t explain it. I took some videos, but I still don’t know how to upload them. I’ve not been to Circ de soliel (still don’t know how to spell it), but I can imagine it’s on the same level. The kids in the show accomplished some amazing feats and I hope that they all end up in professional shows throughout the world. I’m not sure what else a talent like standing on your one arm while on a pedestal and then switching arms can do for you, but I hope they each make the most of it. I think the girl who twirled 5 umbrellas simultaneously takes the cake!
Our final stop of the night was to enjoy Peking Duck at one of the local hot spots. I’ve liked Duck for quite a while, but this was really good Duck. You basically make tacos out of the meat. I like to separate myself from the cartoon characters, but Daffy Duck did cross my mind once or twice.
Another day to get after it. We like to see everything a city has to offer in a single day. Today, we saw the Forbidden City (which could use a good paint job and a good power wash), the Temple of the Heavens Park (which could use a half way decent bathroom), and the Pearl Market. We then topped off the night with an acrobatic show that is rivaled only by Circ de Soliel (sp?) and our first taste of Peking Duck.
The Forbidden City was cool. Glad we took the abbreviated route. My favorite part was looking into the Emperor’s private quarters. We couldn’t go into the room, but the room was very ornate. The throne was really interesting too, but again, they didn’t let you get very close to it.
I don’t have a ton to say about the Temple of the Heavens Park except that it’s a park with some cool buildings inside. My entire memory of this stop is scarred by my first use of a squat pot. Not fun! I don’t know why God intended for girls to pee sitting down, but he did. If he’d intended for me to pee standing up, I’m sure he would have given me better equipment to do so.
The Pearl Market was really cool and I purchased my first real set of pearls. I really should figure out how to stop my one for you, one for me habit. I’m a far better negotiator than when I left home, though. I’ve also learned not to freak out when strange people touch me and try to pull me into their stores. I still don’t like it, but I don’t yell at them anymore.
The acrobatics show was so freaking cool that I really can’t explain it. I took some videos, but I still don’t know how to upload them. I’ve not been to Circ de soliel (still don’t know how to spell it), but I can imagine it’s on the same level. The kids in the show accomplished some amazing feats and I hope that they all end up in professional shows throughout the world. I’m not sure what else a talent like standing on your one arm while on a pedestal and then switching arms can do for you, but I hope they each make the most of it. I think the girl who twirled 5 umbrellas simultaneously takes the cake!
Our final stop of the night was to enjoy Peking Duck at one of the local hot spots. I’ve liked Duck for quite a while, but this was really good Duck. You basically make tacos out of the meat. I like to separate myself from the cartoon characters, but Daffy Duck did cross my mind once or twice.
Tianamen Square Never Felt so Cold
February 17th, 2006
Welcome to Beijing! I can tell from minute 1 that I like Hong Kong better. However, Hong Kong isn’t really China, so Beijing is a necessary and exciting part of my exchange.
After a very bumpy and definitely more eventful flight than I like to have, my STs and I landed in Beijing. The trickster cabbies couldn’t trap us into taking an expensive cab ride thanks to our trusty travel guides. I wouldn’t recommend picking a restaurant out of one of our guides (the restaurants are all out of business by the time they make print), but the guides are pretty good at navigating and experiences.
Beijing is COLD. I don’t mean Chapel Hill or Charlotte cold. I mean COLD. Not to worry though, I purchased some North Face gloves and a hat with a Kangaroo that is supposed to be popular too. I’m sure neither purchase was a fake even if they did cost a combined 4 USD. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Tiananmen Square is pretty cool. I don’t know much about the history other than I remember my Dad telling me that I was watching history during the riots there in the late 80’s. Researching the riots is on my list of To-Do’s. One would think I could have researched the riots while in China but with China’s revisionist history, I’d prefer to use a legitimate resource. Besides, China openly admits to tracking internet activity and prohibits its people from watching BBC or CNN. I bet the US conservatives with they could enact the same laws in the states! J Folks, I think I’m becoming more liberal every day. Don’t worry though, I still wear my fiscal conservatism like a badge of honor. I’d probably be thrown out of business school otherwise.
Our final stop on our first night was the famous food street market outside of our hotel. The food was 50/50… 50 percent excellent and 50 percent untouchable with a pole of any length. Think whole baby squirrels and scorpions on a stick. Not kidding, people, not kidding! The mystery meat English muffin/ biscuit like sandwich was by far the winner of the evening. The only thing close was the roasted brulee’d strawberries. The roasted corn would have made excellent popcorn, but I can’t think of any other decent uses for it.
Welcome to Beijing! I can tell from minute 1 that I like Hong Kong better. However, Hong Kong isn’t really China, so Beijing is a necessary and exciting part of my exchange.
After a very bumpy and definitely more eventful flight than I like to have, my STs and I landed in Beijing. The trickster cabbies couldn’t trap us into taking an expensive cab ride thanks to our trusty travel guides. I wouldn’t recommend picking a restaurant out of one of our guides (the restaurants are all out of business by the time they make print), but the guides are pretty good at navigating and experiences.
Beijing is COLD. I don’t mean Chapel Hill or Charlotte cold. I mean COLD. Not to worry though, I purchased some North Face gloves and a hat with a Kangaroo that is supposed to be popular too. I’m sure neither purchase was a fake even if they did cost a combined 4 USD. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Tiananmen Square is pretty cool. I don’t know much about the history other than I remember my Dad telling me that I was watching history during the riots there in the late 80’s. Researching the riots is on my list of To-Do’s. One would think I could have researched the riots while in China but with China’s revisionist history, I’d prefer to use a legitimate resource. Besides, China openly admits to tracking internet activity and prohibits its people from watching BBC or CNN. I bet the US conservatives with they could enact the same laws in the states! J Folks, I think I’m becoming more liberal every day. Don’t worry though, I still wear my fiscal conservatism like a badge of honor. I’d probably be thrown out of business school otherwise.
Our final stop on our first night was the famous food street market outside of our hotel. The food was 50/50… 50 percent excellent and 50 percent untouchable with a pole of any length. Think whole baby squirrels and scorpions on a stick. Not kidding, people, not kidding! The mystery meat English muffin/ biscuit like sandwich was by far the winner of the evening. The only thing close was the roasted brulee’d strawberries. The roasted corn would have made excellent popcorn, but I can’t think of any other decent uses for it.
It's official - I'm STAYING! - for a while longer
February 16th
So, I have good news! Well, I think so anyway. My original plan was to return to the states on March 16th with a stop in Fiji on the way. I’ve so enjoyed my time here and I so look forward to experiencing more of Asia that I have decided to extend my stay and until the end of April / first of May. I will be home in plenty of time to attend beach week and to travel the rest of the summer with my friends, but I will also get to explore Tokyo, Vietnam, the Phillipines, and maybe Singapore. I hope that I can still go to Fiji, but I’m not entirely sure how that is going to work out at this point. I already miss everyone and am sure that I will only miss everyone more over the next two months, but I really can’t afford to pass up this experience. I am sure I would regret it!
So, I have good news! Well, I think so anyway. My original plan was to return to the states on March 16th with a stop in Fiji on the way. I’ve so enjoyed my time here and I so look forward to experiencing more of Asia that I have decided to extend my stay and until the end of April / first of May. I will be home in plenty of time to attend beach week and to travel the rest of the summer with my friends, but I will also get to explore Tokyo, Vietnam, the Phillipines, and maybe Singapore. I hope that I can still go to Fiji, but I’m not entirely sure how that is going to work out at this point. I already miss everyone and am sure that I will only miss everyone more over the next two months, but I really can’t afford to pass up this experience. I am sure I would regret it!
The Case of the Missing Lectures
February 15th
So I have my first exam tomorrow. I’ve been to four classes (3 hours each) and the professor is yet to lecture on ANYTHING. I honestly don’t know what he talks about other than the fact that he is rich and made a lot of money. He puts slides on the web, but he has NEVER shown a slide during class. As you can imagine, our class is a little frustrated that we will now be tested on material that 1) he didn’t teach us or recommend that we read or 2) he doesn’t even include in his own power points. I’m fine with a research project, but call it what it is and don’t try to pass it off as if you taught us something. Fortunately, the Germans complain to administration a lot so the professor had to make some changes to the exam and he is now being forced to actually lecture on the topics. The lecture is on a Saturday and I still have to take the stupid test tomorrow, so I can’t say for sure who won. Looks like he did.
Interesting fact about Asian culture – I recommended that the professor make the test a take home (like all of my tests at home) so that we could put the appropriate amount of effort into the exam. The professor responded by saying that he couldn’t do that because the Chinese students would cheat and would not do their own work. Apparently “Honor Code” does not translate in Mandarin or Cantonese.
So I have my first exam tomorrow. I’ve been to four classes (3 hours each) and the professor is yet to lecture on ANYTHING. I honestly don’t know what he talks about other than the fact that he is rich and made a lot of money. He puts slides on the web, but he has NEVER shown a slide during class. As you can imagine, our class is a little frustrated that we will now be tested on material that 1) he didn’t teach us or recommend that we read or 2) he doesn’t even include in his own power points. I’m fine with a research project, but call it what it is and don’t try to pass it off as if you taught us something. Fortunately, the Germans complain to administration a lot so the professor had to make some changes to the exam and he is now being forced to actually lecture on the topics. The lecture is on a Saturday and I still have to take the stupid test tomorrow, so I can’t say for sure who won. Looks like he did.
Interesting fact about Asian culture – I recommended that the professor make the test a take home (like all of my tests at home) so that we could put the appropriate amount of effort into the exam. The professor responded by saying that he couldn’t do that because the Chinese students would cheat and would not do their own work. Apparently “Honor Code” does not translate in Mandarin or Cantonese.
Hong Kong Valentines Day
February 14th
Happy Valentines Day, Hong Kong style. Talk about cheese! Jeez… anyone who thinks Hallmark created Valentines Day has never been to Hong Kong where you couldn’t find a Hallmark if one did exist and where the holiday is put up so high on a pedestal that single Kongers wallow in self pity for a full day over it. I read that 20% of VD flowers in HK are purchased by women who ship them to themselves at work. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s that much different or if my perception is just different because it seems to be so much cheesier here. Stuffed animals and cartoon characters are the big gifts here. Little old American me thinks give me a bottle of wine and something to eat and we’ll call it good. Now, I’ve had my share of fancy Valentine’s Day in the past, but I think I’m growing out of that. Maybe.
All that said, my GL “picked me up” with some very nice roses and we went to a great Tapas restaurant in SoHo named Boca. I usually hate when people put things in quotes that they shouldn’t, but since neither of us has a car, it’s funny to think of my GL picking me up. Even though I live close to school, getting to my apartment from campus is pretty time consuming by public transportation, so his picking me up is a sweet gesture. The Sangria was pretty watery, but the eggplant with goat cheese made up for it. After dinner we went to an Italian wine bar for a night cap and then started on the hour long train ride back into suburbia.
I often wish that my school was located on HK Island. I would love to live closer to the action with the exception of Sundays (when I will NEVER step foot on HK Island again). It’s not like I’m in the type of suburbia we know in the states. I live in urban suburbia, it just takes a long time to get here from where I like to hang out.
Happy Valentines Day, Hong Kong style. Talk about cheese! Jeez… anyone who thinks Hallmark created Valentines Day has never been to Hong Kong where you couldn’t find a Hallmark if one did exist and where the holiday is put up so high on a pedestal that single Kongers wallow in self pity for a full day over it. I read that 20% of VD flowers in HK are purchased by women who ship them to themselves at work. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s that much different or if my perception is just different because it seems to be so much cheesier here. Stuffed animals and cartoon characters are the big gifts here. Little old American me thinks give me a bottle of wine and something to eat and we’ll call it good. Now, I’ve had my share of fancy Valentine’s Day in the past, but I think I’m growing out of that. Maybe.
All that said, my GL “picked me up” with some very nice roses and we went to a great Tapas restaurant in SoHo named Boca. I usually hate when people put things in quotes that they shouldn’t, but since neither of us has a car, it’s funny to think of my GL picking me up. Even though I live close to school, getting to my apartment from campus is pretty time consuming by public transportation, so his picking me up is a sweet gesture. The Sangria was pretty watery, but the eggplant with goat cheese made up for it. After dinner we went to an Italian wine bar for a night cap and then started on the hour long train ride back into suburbia.
I often wish that my school was located on HK Island. I would love to live closer to the action with the exception of Sundays (when I will NEVER step foot on HK Island again). It’s not like I’m in the type of suburbia we know in the states. I live in urban suburbia, it just takes a long time to get here from where I like to hang out.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Photos from Bangkok
Not sure why I can't get these to show on the actual page with the Bangkok post, but this will have to do. Sorry!
Outside of the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Temple in Bangkok
Kevin's first foot massage. Ask him about the bruises when you see him!
Kevin and Meg in a long boat on our ride through Bangkok
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Me peeing on fish through the crack in the pier.
Outside of the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Temple in Bangkok
Kevin's first foot massage. Ask him about the bruises when you see him!
Kevin and Meg in a long boat on our ride through Bangkoknu=3245>79;>;6;>WSNRCG=32334;8;42;34nu0mrj.2.jpg">
Me peeing on fish through the crack in the pier.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Pictures of Bungalow in Phi Phi
This is how I found my toilet. Notice there isn't a back on it because it doesn't flush. You pour water from that nasty black bucket. I can't tell you if the toilet is dirty or if the last person "flushed" because the water is just as dirty. Yuck!nu=3233>3<7>:87>23243<7;7828;ot1lsi.5.jpg">I
I am contemplating my escape in this picture. Think "How in the hell can I get to nicer accomodations without being a big baby." Followed by "OK, so I have to spend 24 hours here or I will hate myself for being so high maintenenance"nu=3245>79;>;6;>WSNRCG=32334;8;38;63nu0mrj.5.jpg">
Kevin loved this place. I hope you can see the sarcasm in this cheers!
As I said, not just for Expedia commercials. Kevin thought it was pretty funny that I slept with my entire bag on the bed so that my nasty bathroom roommate would not get on my clothes. These wouldn't upload to the actual post, so I had to put them here.
Amber = not good with technology
Kind of sad, since marketing it seems to be my life's work.
M&M - Mainland and Macau
During the day on Friday, my STs and I went to Shenzen in Mainland China. Shenzen is at the end of our rail line and is only 20 minutes from our train stop. You still need a Visa to get in and customs can be a bit tricky. The customs guy didn’t believe that Meg was actually the person in her passport photo and had to call for a second opinion. Fortunately, they let her through.
The 16 words and phrases of Shenzen:
1) Lady
2) Boss
3) Lookie
4) Copy
5) Purse
6) Watch
7) DVD
8) Movie
9) Bag
10) Fendi
11) Coach
12) Gucci
13) fake
14) good
15) best price for you
16) follow me - my shop
These words are often combined in such a way that they make absolutely zero sense and the store clerks hurl the words at you as they attempt to pull you into their store. Some of the more aggressive clerks even stand in front of you to block your path. I’ve now perfected what I call the model look – stare straight ahead without acknowledging anything around you or making eye contact with any person or thing. I felt pretty horrible about it at first since such behavior is incredibly rude, but it was necessary to survive. I bought my first fake jeans today. I tend to be very opposed to such things, but I’m so sick of my clothes and so poor that I gave in. My new R&R’s are fantastic and they set me back a good $150 less than the real versions (which means I paid about 20 for them). I can’t even tell the difference!
After returning from Shenzen, I met my GL and some of his friends for a little adventure out in Central HK. We went to Lan Kuai Fong again, which is where all of the tourists hang out. Hanging out with Germans tends to lead to drinking German beer, which we did. Then we headed back to where it all began for my GL and me – a dance club called Hei Hei. We finished the night with a kebab and I can still taste the garlic.
Saturday took us to another China SAR (Special Administrative Region). Macau is an island just a stone’s throw away from mainland. We went through customs again (cool stamps) and spent the day eating Macanese food and walking through casinos and Portuguese streets. Macau is very similar to Europe in its architecture and the majority of the people are Portuguese, so the island feels completely different from Hong Kong or Mainland. Great date night with my GL.
On Sunday, my STs and I went to LKF for a few drinks and dinner. We decided to start a bar crawl. One drink per place. The second place was a Mexican restaurant, so we opted for chips and salsa and a pitcher or margaritas, which slowed down our bar crawl. We finally found our restaurant and enjoyed the spiciest Chinese food known to man.
The 16 words and phrases of Shenzen:
1) Lady
2) Boss
3) Lookie
4) Copy
5) Purse
6) Watch
7) DVD
8) Movie
9) Bag
10) Fendi
11) Coach
12) Gucci
13) fake
14) good
15) best price for you
16) follow me - my shop
These words are often combined in such a way that they make absolutely zero sense and the store clerks hurl the words at you as they attempt to pull you into their store. Some of the more aggressive clerks even stand in front of you to block your path. I’ve now perfected what I call the model look – stare straight ahead without acknowledging anything around you or making eye contact with any person or thing. I felt pretty horrible about it at first since such behavior is incredibly rude, but it was necessary to survive. I bought my first fake jeans today. I tend to be very opposed to such things, but I’m so sick of my clothes and so poor that I gave in. My new R&R’s are fantastic and they set me back a good $150 less than the real versions (which means I paid about 20 for them). I can’t even tell the difference!
After returning from Shenzen, I met my GL and some of his friends for a little adventure out in Central HK. We went to Lan Kuai Fong again, which is where all of the tourists hang out. Hanging out with Germans tends to lead to drinking German beer, which we did. Then we headed back to where it all began for my GL and me – a dance club called Hei Hei. We finished the night with a kebab and I can still taste the garlic.
Saturday took us to another China SAR (Special Administrative Region). Macau is an island just a stone’s throw away from mainland. We went through customs again (cool stamps) and spent the day eating Macanese food and walking through casinos and Portuguese streets. Macau is very similar to Europe in its architecture and the majority of the people are Portuguese, so the island feels completely different from Hong Kong or Mainland. Great date night with my GL.
On Sunday, my STs and I went to LKF for a few drinks and dinner. We decided to start a bar crawl. One drink per place. The second place was a Mexican restaurant, so we opted for chips and salsa and a pitcher or margaritas, which slowed down our bar crawl. We finally found our restaurant and enjoyed the spiciest Chinese food known to man.
Back to HK
February 6th – 12th, 2006
I’m writing this after being back in HK for a week and not too terribly much has happened, so I’m just going to give the highlights of the week. I thoroughly enjoyed lunch with my GL on Tuesday morning. We went to a nice Thai dinner that night. So good to see him! My STs and I went to a Thai restaurant as soon as we landed on Monday night. I’m not ready to face Chinese food yet. I’m on sabbatical from food challenges.
Wednesday and Thursday night were pretty chill. I watched the new Justin Timberlake movie on Thursday. I can’t recommend it because JT sounds like he’s about 12 years old and people die at odd times and I’m not sure why. I do feel a little guilty for watching boot-leg movies, but when in China….
I’m writing this after being back in HK for a week and not too terribly much has happened, so I’m just going to give the highlights of the week. I thoroughly enjoyed lunch with my GL on Tuesday morning. We went to a nice Thai dinner that night. So good to see him! My STs and I went to a Thai restaurant as soon as we landed on Monday night. I’m not ready to face Chinese food yet. I’m on sabbatical from food challenges.
Wednesday and Thursday night were pretty chill. I watched the new Justin Timberlake movie on Thursday. I can’t recommend it because JT sounds like he’s about 12 years old and people die at odd times and I’m not sure why. I do feel a little guilty for watching boot-leg movies, but when in China….
I Live in a Terrorism Target
February 5th, 2006
I’m glad my parents didn’t know where I stayed the last night in Phuket. They were already worried about me as it was. If they knew I was staying at the Best Western Bangtao with full-fledged security guards, they may have worried even more. I wanted a picture with the security guard, but I thought they might lock up farang (tourists) like myself for suggesting such a thing.
I like to think of our Thailand hotels as being shaped like a U. We began the trip in excellent accommodations in Bangkok. Then, we stepped down slightly to a shared room in Phuket. Then, the bottom fell out of the accommodations and we reached the bottom of the U. As I adjusted and stopped being such a baby, the Rantee Beach accommodations rose slightly higher. The final hotel in Phi Phi was quite nice and the BW topped off the trip at the height of the U. The BW Bangtao is the nicest BW on the planet. Three pools, lovely beach, great rooms with great balconies…. I like it!
If anyone is keeping count, I am now at my fourth massage in 10 days. Two Thai, One oil, and One foot reflexology style. You’re probably not keeping count, though. Today’s cost for mani, pedi, and hour long massage – 12 USD
We closed out our Thailand trip with an incredible meal on the beach. I think we counted 5 plates each (including salads). We are definitely gluttonous. But, since none of us knows when we will eat Thai food in Thailand again, we thought we’d better enjoy all of it.
My favorite Thai dishes (which all get 4’s even though I will have to eat them in Hong Kong) – Tom Yum soup, Pomella Salad, whole fish with chili sauce, Papaya salad with coconut rice, anything with Lemongrass, curry – red, green, and masaman
Things I miss about HK – My GL. I hope I still have one! I’m not sure how I expected to feel after not seeing my GL for 11 days, but I miss him.
Bring on the Farang!!!
February 4th, 2006
I heart civilization. A lot! After three nights, I was ready to see civilization and to shower in a location separate from where I potty. Fortunately, my STs were excited about civilization also. Kevin tossed around the idea of staying in beautifully secluded Long Beach for our last night in Phi Phi. I told him that I would meet them at the ferry terminal the next day if they wanted to stay there, but that I needed to interact with civilization. I was a good sport, but I’m still quite spoiled. At least I own up to it.
We spent our last night in an awesome hotel. Think infinity pool overlooking Tonsai beach, a massage in a glass room overlooking the ocean, and a real life comfy bed. Even though I planned to ban make up from my existence for my stay in Phi Phi, I actually put a little on and wore a dress. I didn’t even feel guilty for shaving my legs (which I also planned to avoid).
On a sad note, the area around our hotel was the hardest hit on Phi Phi. The hotel is in excellent shape at this point, but they are still in the process of rebuilding the bar area and most things between the main area and our hotel (which is a five minute walk away from the tourist craziness) is still pretty much destroyed. They built a nice rememberance park on the site and construction is underway for what looks to be homes for locals. Very sad and a little eerie.
Rantee Beach Top 10
February 3rd, 2006
Top 10 Things I Love about Rantee Beach – (an early apology for the cheesiness)
1) The beautiful beach
2) I can snorkel and still see my bungalow from the water
3) The seclusion ensures complete relaxation
4) You could hit the ocean with a shell from anywhere in the resort
5) Tune In Restaurant (which was built from Tsunami debris) owns the best swing in the entire world
6) Tune In lets you eat on the floor while the Welch waiter/ bartender puts on a fire show
7) Excellent conversations with my STs. I have such smart and interesting friends.
8) People from Wales and Australia
9) Sleeping with my window open and the ocean purring outside.
10) Learning that I really can do whatever I put my mind to doing and that my Dad was right when he said nothing is impossible.
The highlight of the day (although, honestly, every minute is a highlight at this point) was taking a hike from our side of the island over to the other side. Once you reach the top, you can see both sides of Tonsai (the main beach areas). So we heard anyway. We made a wrong turn and missed the view. We thoroughly enjoyed the hike, though. It was strenuous, very steep, and very freaking hot. As many of you know, I have some fairly serious balance issues that I developed during a lengthy hospital stay when I was eight, so steep hikes are tremendously challenging for me. I was really nervous about tackling the hike, but I refuse to let things like balance limit my experiences, so I marched on. Thankfully, my STs are very patient people and they didn’t mind going slowly. I love how friends take care of each other. My team is cool.
Are showers really necessary?
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February 2nd, 2006
I’m not sure I’ve ever spent this much time in the same area. I am happy to say that things were much better on the second day. I definitely chilled out and I moved to a new room that was closer to Meg and Kevin. They promised I could stay with them if I got really scared. Isn’t that cute? By the time I went to dinner on the first night, I was acclimated enough to agree to stay for the full four nights. By the second day, I was thoroughly enjoying all of it – except for the obvious bits. Once you do something once, you feel more comfortable. I seriously considered not showering for my entire stay, but I couldn’t make it past the afternoon of the second day. I showered in my STs room, though. The walls in the bathroom of my new bungalow only made it about half way up my chest and I wasn’t terribly excited about showering in front of the locals who were building more stellar accommodations on the hill behind my room.
Today’s Lesson – Even if you need a bucket of water to flush the toilet because it doesn’t really flush, you should not leave water in the bucket over night. Said bucket will become a swimming pool for an unwelcome roommate.
Mosquito Nets – Not Just for Expedia Commercials
The pictures really make this entry, but you have to look at the first post on the page to see them, unfortunately. I have a hilarious video if I can figure out how to upload it.
February 1st, 2006
Arrival in Phi Phi (sounds like Pee Pee)
Oh…. It’s been an interesting day. I’ll start by saying that I take pride in being the kind of girl who can handle any situation. Sometimes I have to really work at it. With that, I begin:
Our hotel host met us at the 7-11 on Phi Phi. The Tsunami severely damaged Phi Phi, but most places completely rebuilt in the 13 months since. Not 7-11. That’s wouldn’t be worth mentioning except for the fact that it is the very first thing you see when you get off of the Ferry. After about 10 minutes, we figured out that even though we confirmed our reservation a couple of days before, the resort was full. They arranged for us to stay at a similar place just a 5 minute walk along the beach. Ok.
We took our long boat to the calmer side of the island and as we jumped out of the boat (still in knee deep water which was kind of fun since I was wearing a skirt), our host told us that we could in fact walk to the other resort – at low tide. Whatever. We don’t want to go to their silly resort anyway. And the adventure begins….
The Great - The view from my sweet little bungalow by the ocean
The Good – My hammock that swings along peacefully on my porch with the view.
The bad – The floor might have been more comfortable than my first bed, but the second bed was livable.
The ugly – I almost cried at the thought of spending one night – let alone FOUR – in any proximity to the bathroom that accompanied the backside of my bungalow. I would call it an outhouse, but I think an outhouse must have four walls to be considered out. I love camping, but quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting a camping trip in the middle of Thailand. I certainly wasn’t expecting a freaking mosquito net above my bed.
The ugliest of the ugly – A spider the size of my palm living in my bathroom.
So, while Kevin blissfully reveled in our paradise on the far side of Phi-Phi, I contemplated my escape. I think the pictures say it all. In the first one, I am thinking how in the hell am I going to get back to the main area and how can I do it without being a complete baby. In the second one, Meg and I just had a conversation about how I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but that I would at least stay for 24 hours. Kevin wasn’t privy to the conversation, so he thought we should cheers to our new home. He knew I was traumatized, but I didn’t want to spoil his fun, so I tried to hold it in.
February 1st, 2006
Arrival in Phi Phi (sounds like Pee Pee)
Oh…. It’s been an interesting day. I’ll start by saying that I take pride in being the kind of girl who can handle any situation. Sometimes I have to really work at it. With that, I begin:
Our hotel host met us at the 7-11 on Phi Phi. The Tsunami severely damaged Phi Phi, but most places completely rebuilt in the 13 months since. Not 7-11. That’s wouldn’t be worth mentioning except for the fact that it is the very first thing you see when you get off of the Ferry. After about 10 minutes, we figured out that even though we confirmed our reservation a couple of days before, the resort was full. They arranged for us to stay at a similar place just a 5 minute walk along the beach. Ok.
We took our long boat to the calmer side of the island and as we jumped out of the boat (still in knee deep water which was kind of fun since I was wearing a skirt), our host told us that we could in fact walk to the other resort – at low tide. Whatever. We don’t want to go to their silly resort anyway. And the adventure begins….
The Great - The view from my sweet little bungalow by the ocean
The Good – My hammock that swings along peacefully on my porch with the view.
The bad – The floor might have been more comfortable than my first bed, but the second bed was livable.
The ugly – I almost cried at the thought of spending one night – let alone FOUR – in any proximity to the bathroom that accompanied the backside of my bungalow. I would call it an outhouse, but I think an outhouse must have four walls to be considered out. I love camping, but quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting a camping trip in the middle of Thailand. I certainly wasn’t expecting a freaking mosquito net above my bed.
The ugliest of the ugly – A spider the size of my palm living in my bathroom.
So, while Kevin blissfully reveled in our paradise on the far side of Phi-Phi, I contemplated my escape. I think the pictures say it all. In the first one, I am thinking how in the hell am I going to get back to the main area and how can I do it without being a complete baby. In the second one, Meg and I just had a conversation about how I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but that I would at least stay for 24 hours. Kevin wasn’t privy to the conversation, so he thought we should cheers to our new home. He knew I was traumatized, but I didn’t want to spoil his fun, so I tried to hold it in.
Pop-eye the Thai Man
January 31st, 2006
I can’t believe January is ending. I’m going to talk to our administrator when I get back to HK to see if I can stay for the extended term. I can’t tell you how much I love this experience and I’m not ready to be half way through with it. I doubt I’ll be able to stay, especially since I don’t want to miss beach week, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed anyway.
Today was much of the same. We returned to Pop-eye’s, our favorite ocean side resort. Popeye’s opened up two months before the Tsunami and then had to shut down for three months afterwards. Everything is brand new. Kevin and Meg took a jet-ski out for a while. I’m reading Memoirs of a Geisha and couldn’t be moved from my umbrella covered chair for hours. We enjoyed dinner and another beautiful sunset at a small restaurant on the water. The food takes a while because it really is as if you are enjoying dinner at a local’s private house. Delicious!
What percentage of women in Thailand work in the world's oldest profession?
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January 30th, 2006
Today might be a cop out, but it was the most enjoyable cop out imaginable. We went back to the area where we ate the night before and grabbed beach chairs and pina coladas (well, maybe I was the only one with a p.c.). Think Carribean resort with Thai staff and unimaginably good food. Guys, Thailand has cornered the market on great food. I hope I can still eat Chinese when I get back to HK.
After a wonderful day at the beach, we took the resort shuttle into Phuket’s nightlife area of Patong. I still want to jump in an antiseptic bath every time I think about it. Thailand is known for the prostitutes that offer services for under 20 USD. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed a real-life prostitute and I shudder to think about the path their lives took to deliver them to such a position in life. Meg and I both held onto Kevin like he was the only life raft on a sinking boat and made our way in and out of the main drag as quickly as possible. We glimpsed into one of the louder bars to see a guy and a girl dancing on a table and then watched as he pulled his pants down to his ankles and tried to… you get the point. That was the last straw. Dinner was good, but it was my least favorite meal in Thailand so far. Half of the bill was for shrimp too, which is crazy. I’m glad I saw Patong, but I hope to never see it again.
Today’s Food – Banana Pancakes (4) I’ve been trying these all along but the street vendor ones are the best so far.
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January 30th, 2006
Today might be a cop out, but it was the most enjoyable cop out imaginable. We went back to the area where we ate the night before and grabbed beach chairs and pina coladas (well, maybe I was the only one with a p.c.). Think Carribean resort with Thai staff and unimaginably good food. Guys, Thailand has cornered the market on great food. I hope I can still eat Chinese when I get back to HK.
After a wonderful day at the beach, we took the resort shuttle into Phuket’s nightlife area of Patong. I still want to jump in an antiseptic bath every time I think about it. Thailand is known for the prostitutes that offer services for under 20 USD. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed a real-life prostitute and I shudder to think about the path their lives took to deliver them to such a position in life. Meg and I both held onto Kevin like he was the only life raft on a sinking boat and made our way in and out of the main drag as quickly as possible. We glimpsed into one of the louder bars to see a guy and a girl dancing on a table and then watched as he pulled his pants down to his ankles and tried to… you get the point. That was the last straw. Dinner was good, but it was my least favorite meal in Thailand so far. Half of the bill was for shrimp too, which is crazy. I’m glad I saw Patong, but I hope to never see it again.
Today’s Food – Banana Pancakes (4) I’ve been trying these all along but the street vendor ones are the best so far.
Where am I????
January 29th, 2006
Happy Chinese New Year! You’d never know it in Thailand. Especially not Phuket. Phuket was highly damaged during the Tsunami, but most of the damage happened in the Patong beach area. Layan beach, our little haven, was largely unaffected except for the restaurants lining the beach. Our resort is beautiful and the people are really nice. The cab driver was scary and Kevin had to ask him to slow down for us. Whiteys like us aren’t used to traveling so fast on roads that barely exceed one lane roads.
Today’s Food – Langons (1) They may be a primary product of Thailand, but I’m NEVER trying one again. I promise.
Our first beach day was pretty rugged. The beach directly in front of our resort disappears at high tide, so they shuttled us to a local’s beach. The beach was beautiful and the people were so nice. I asked the tiny restaurant for a couple of small slices of watermelon and pomello and I ended up with two huge plates of each. The cook was visibly excited when I greeted her with Swati-ka (hello) and said that her food was Aloi (delicious). I didn’t spell either word correctly, but I think phonetics are best.
We ended our day on the beach with a romantic sunset dinner for three. How cute, right? Watching the sun set while enjoying a beer at a table with my feet in the sand is my idea of heaven. The food was excellent. I’m glad I didn’t go to the bathroom until after dinner.
Oh yeah – I now travel around in the back of a truck.
Shopping and Fighting
January 28th, 2006
We accomplished so much yesterday that we didn’t think we had much to do today. We considered journeying to the floating markets outside of Bangkok but since we weren’t positive when they were closing, we opted out. I figure I’ve seen a boat, a river, and a market so I can probably imagine something close. Instead, we headed to the Chatuchak market, which is ten thousand times better than the night market in Hong Kong.
Things I have too many of – Purchases to make (especially with my one for you, one for me habit)
Things I have not enough of – Airline luggage allowance
Things I pretend to have but don’t – Money, but I ignore this because a beach bags costs 4 USD. I bought the cutest Hello Kitty beach towel too. I think it’s funny.
Everyone says you must do a real Thai massage when in Thailand. Everyone is right, but even as I write this (a few days later), I can’t honestly tell you if I enjoyed it. If you enjoy having someone crack your back, this is your thing. I hate it. I felt great afterwards though! I wasn’t as out of it as the day before. I’ll give it an 8, but I can see how some people could give it a 10. Not a bad way to spend 10 USD.
New experience – being positioned in a back bend with a small Thai woman underneath me pushing her feet into my back. Hmmmm…..
I’m not a violent person and don’t tend to enjoy watching violent sports. Until today. Kevin’s travel book recommended that we see a Thai boxing match. We grabbed dinner at a night market next to the event stadium and then settled in to watch some Thai kids beat the crap out of each other for 5 rounds of 3 minutes each. Folks, this is not WWF. I’ve seen both and can affirm that Thai fighting is definitely real. I didn’t see any serious kung-fu kicks and the main event ended after only two rounds, but I was fascinated. I preferred the second fight after the beer started to loosen me up a bit, though. Thai boxing is a popular gambling spot for the locals, so they actually sat together and gambled. I’m always amazed at how the world naturally segregates itself. The Thai men all sat in the stands and gambled, while all of the whiteys sat in the chairs on the floor. The event location seems to set it up that way since they show you a crazy gambling scene and then offer you an upgraded ticket.
Today’s food – Banana wrapped in glutenous rice and a banana leaf (3)
We accomplished so much yesterday that we didn’t think we had much to do today. We considered journeying to the floating markets outside of Bangkok but since we weren’t positive when they were closing, we opted out. I figure I’ve seen a boat, a river, and a market so I can probably imagine something close. Instead, we headed to the Chatuchak market, which is ten thousand times better than the night market in Hong Kong.
Things I have too many of – Purchases to make (especially with my one for you, one for me habit)
Things I have not enough of – Airline luggage allowance
Things I pretend to have but don’t – Money, but I ignore this because a beach bags costs 4 USD. I bought the cutest Hello Kitty beach towel too. I think it’s funny.
Everyone says you must do a real Thai massage when in Thailand. Everyone is right, but even as I write this (a few days later), I can’t honestly tell you if I enjoyed it. If you enjoy having someone crack your back, this is your thing. I hate it. I felt great afterwards though! I wasn’t as out of it as the day before. I’ll give it an 8, but I can see how some people could give it a 10. Not a bad way to spend 10 USD.
New experience – being positioned in a back bend with a small Thai woman underneath me pushing her feet into my back. Hmmmm…..
I’m not a violent person and don’t tend to enjoy watching violent sports. Until today. Kevin’s travel book recommended that we see a Thai boxing match. We grabbed dinner at a night market next to the event stadium and then settled in to watch some Thai kids beat the crap out of each other for 5 rounds of 3 minutes each. Folks, this is not WWF. I’ve seen both and can affirm that Thai fighting is definitely real. I didn’t see any serious kung-fu kicks and the main event ended after only two rounds, but I was fascinated. I preferred the second fight after the beer started to loosen me up a bit, though. Thai boxing is a popular gambling spot for the locals, so they actually sat together and gambled. I’m always amazed at how the world naturally segregates itself. The Thai men all sat in the stands and gambled, while all of the whiteys sat in the chairs on the floor. The event location seems to set it up that way since they show you a crazy gambling scene and then offer you an upgraded ticket.
Today’s food – Banana wrapped in glutenous rice and a banana leaf (3)
One Day in Bangkok
January 27th, 2006
A day to get after it!
Starbucks is my friend. I’m sure Meg didn’t pick the hotel because I can see the Starbucks from my room, but I am thrilled anyway!
If you haven’t heard about toilets in less advanced Asian countries, let me tell you. We’ve all heard of outhouses and a few of us probably actually used one before. My Great Grandfather’s outhouse in Tennessee looked like a palatial toilet compared to the one I used today. I’m not accustomed to taking pictures in bathrooms since I feel pretty strongly that most everything in a bathroom is pretty private. Today, Meg and I took pictures though. I’ve never peed on a fish before and thought the moment should be carefully documented. Seriously, I stood over a missing plank in the pier and peed. If it wasn’t such an emergency, I probably would have waited for nicer amenities, but beggars can’t be choosers.
River Cruise – Pictures and words can never capture the next hour of my life. Meg, Kevin, and I headed down the river that runs through Bangkok in a long boat. While waiting for our opportunity to pass through the lock, we watched a woman bathing in the very same water that we just peed in. Quite honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve witnessed anything more futile. Maybe it’s just my silly Western customs, but I don’t see how putting absolutely disgusting water on your body really helps. Fascinating to see, though. The houses along the river were really shacks propped over the water. The porches were filled with some of the most beautiful flowers. I guess this is the kind of culture shock that I expected in Hong Kong. Picture a scene from Tom Sawyer with Buddhist temples thrown in occasionally. I’m so frustrated that I can’t really drawn the picture for you. With any luck, this scene will be etched into my memory forever.
Lunch for three = 3 USD = 120 THB
The Great Temple and Emerald Buddha
The life of a Buddha is a pretty cool one. They sit around looking beautiful while people worship them in a beautiful temple. I’m not sure what I expected to see at the largest Temple in Bangkok, but reality is almost always better in such a situation. The Temple grounds were exquisite and I learned so much from my immersion in the Buddhist world for a few hours. A couple of lessons – never wear you shoes in a Temple and never point your feet at a Buddha. Everyone sits in the temple with their feet to the side and under them. Oh yeah – Women aren’t allowed to speak to or hand anything directly to a monk. I thought this wouldn’t be a big deal at all, but the monks interacted with quite a few people and I would really have enjoyed talking to them. Why do I have to be a girl????
We haven’t shopped in a good 18 hours, so we decided to head to the mall where you can get all of the great knock offs. I wish I could buy knockoffs. The problem is that I will always know it’s not the real thing – even if no one else ever knows. If I could get past this, I would be the proud owner of lots of fancy jeans and purses. Oh well… maybe I will come around when we head into Mainland China. Back to the ride to the mall though – I fell asleep (like always) and the driver stopped along the way to buy fried bananas from a street vendor. I think Bananas are the primary food staple in Southern Thailand. After we found some fancy boy jeans for Kevin, we headed back to our hotel and onto our Thai Massage experience. P.S. – Kevin is going to be far fancier that Kurt and Dave when he gets back to Chapel Hill. He even reads InStyle Magazine now. OK, so he didn’t really have options, but he did squeeze in a quote later.
How does that song go? “Hurt me bad in a real good way?” That should be the slogan for Thai massage. Meg, Kevin, and I went for an hour long Thai foot massage this afternoon. The actual event was pretty painful. The second following the pain was fantastic. This was Kevin’s first foot massage and although he was a bit nervous at first, he adjusted nicely and walked out just as relaxed and out of it as Meg and I did. 1 hour of torturous pleasure = 7.50 USD
If you’re in Bangkok, please visit Lemongrass Restaurant on Sukhumvit road. You won’t regret it! Lemongrass is one of the best restaurants that I’ve encountered. For about 13 USD each (pricey in these parts of the world) Meg, Kevin, and I enjoyed a huge dinner with two new fantastic foods. Everything on this list gets a four mainly because I intend to eat them again for the rest of my time in Thailand.
Pomella Salad, Spicy Thai soup, Lemongrass chicken (no head or bones thankfully)
I can’t imagine a more perfect vacation day. I only wish more of the people that I love could be here to share this experience with me!
A day to get after it!
Starbucks is my friend. I’m sure Meg didn’t pick the hotel because I can see the Starbucks from my room, but I am thrilled anyway!
If you haven’t heard about toilets in less advanced Asian countries, let me tell you. We’ve all heard of outhouses and a few of us probably actually used one before. My Great Grandfather’s outhouse in Tennessee looked like a palatial toilet compared to the one I used today. I’m not accustomed to taking pictures in bathrooms since I feel pretty strongly that most everything in a bathroom is pretty private. Today, Meg and I took pictures though. I’ve never peed on a fish before and thought the moment should be carefully documented. Seriously, I stood over a missing plank in the pier and peed. If it wasn’t such an emergency, I probably would have waited for nicer amenities, but beggars can’t be choosers.
River Cruise – Pictures and words can never capture the next hour of my life. Meg, Kevin, and I headed down the river that runs through Bangkok in a long boat. While waiting for our opportunity to pass through the lock, we watched a woman bathing in the very same water that we just peed in. Quite honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve witnessed anything more futile. Maybe it’s just my silly Western customs, but I don’t see how putting absolutely disgusting water on your body really helps. Fascinating to see, though. The houses along the river were really shacks propped over the water. The porches were filled with some of the most beautiful flowers. I guess this is the kind of culture shock that I expected in Hong Kong. Picture a scene from Tom Sawyer with Buddhist temples thrown in occasionally. I’m so frustrated that I can’t really drawn the picture for you. With any luck, this scene will be etched into my memory forever.
Lunch for three = 3 USD = 120 THB
The Great Temple and Emerald Buddha
The life of a Buddha is a pretty cool one. They sit around looking beautiful while people worship them in a beautiful temple. I’m not sure what I expected to see at the largest Temple in Bangkok, but reality is almost always better in such a situation. The Temple grounds were exquisite and I learned so much from my immersion in the Buddhist world for a few hours. A couple of lessons – never wear you shoes in a Temple and never point your feet at a Buddha. Everyone sits in the temple with their feet to the side and under them. Oh yeah – Women aren’t allowed to speak to or hand anything directly to a monk. I thought this wouldn’t be a big deal at all, but the monks interacted with quite a few people and I would really have enjoyed talking to them. Why do I have to be a girl????
We haven’t shopped in a good 18 hours, so we decided to head to the mall where you can get all of the great knock offs. I wish I could buy knockoffs. The problem is that I will always know it’s not the real thing – even if no one else ever knows. If I could get past this, I would be the proud owner of lots of fancy jeans and purses. Oh well… maybe I will come around when we head into Mainland China. Back to the ride to the mall though – I fell asleep (like always) and the driver stopped along the way to buy fried bananas from a street vendor. I think Bananas are the primary food staple in Southern Thailand. After we found some fancy boy jeans for Kevin, we headed back to our hotel and onto our Thai Massage experience. P.S. – Kevin is going to be far fancier that Kurt and Dave when he gets back to Chapel Hill. He even reads InStyle Magazine now. OK, so he didn’t really have options, but he did squeeze in a quote later.
How does that song go? “Hurt me bad in a real good way?” That should be the slogan for Thai massage. Meg, Kevin, and I went for an hour long Thai foot massage this afternoon. The actual event was pretty painful. The second following the pain was fantastic. This was Kevin’s first foot massage and although he was a bit nervous at first, he adjusted nicely and walked out just as relaxed and out of it as Meg and I did. 1 hour of torturous pleasure = 7.50 USD
If you’re in Bangkok, please visit Lemongrass Restaurant on Sukhumvit road. You won’t regret it! Lemongrass is one of the best restaurants that I’ve encountered. For about 13 USD each (pricey in these parts of the world) Meg, Kevin, and I enjoyed a huge dinner with two new fantastic foods. Everything on this list gets a four mainly because I intend to eat them again for the rest of my time in Thailand.
Pomella Salad, Spicy Thai soup, Lemongrass chicken (no head or bones thankfully)
I can’t imagine a more perfect vacation day. I only wish more of the people that I love could be here to share this experience with me!
One Night in Bangkok
January 26th, 2006
I will never recommend that anyone travel on Cathay Pacific. We checked in two hours early to find out that we didn’t have seats. We eventually got onto the flight, but had to run to catch it. Whatever – it’s past me now, so I’ll stop complaining.
Arriving in Thailand is a cultural experience all on its own. The mixture of modern infrastructure and blatant poverty is shocking. We left the airport in a nice car and drove into a lawless area with tuk-tuks (mopeds with seats on the back) everywhere. Street vendors line the streets and some of the street vendors are actually on the street. They drive mopeds around with carts of food on the side. Amazing!
Another cool thing about being in school during this experience is that many of my classmates are taking similar trips. My STs and I met up with Devon and Nickel for a hot pot dinner tonight. They seem to be really enjoying their trip and are actually going to Cambodia this weekend. Cool, right? I wish I had enough time to do the same. I definitely enjoyed seeing a couple of familiar faces and hearing about their experience so far. We are lucky people.
Today’s Food – lots of mystery foods, but 7.50 USD included more food and beer than I needed.
Things I heart - King Sized Beds!!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
1-25-06
I journeyed to the famous Hong Kong horse races tonight. Kevin predicted Meg and I would lose interest after the fifth race. He was completely right! I did win a race though. I bet on Horse 3, who I picked based on name but whose name I quickly forgot, and won 24 HKD. I only bet 10, so it was a decent return. Yes, I bet another 30 HKD before I won. All in all, I bet roughly 4 USD and earned 3 of it back. I did spend 7 on dinner though.
In other news, I braved a visit to a Hong Kong hairstylist. I’ll let you know what I think after I style it myself. Right now, I’m undecided.
Nothing interesting to report on the food front, but I’m heading to Thailand in a few hours, so hopefully some exciting food adventures lie ahead!
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