Thailand

So... Thailand. Interesting place. Meagan, CJ (two of my really good friends in Shanghai) and some other people from South Africa all came together. We stayed together for several days before we went our own way.

Sept. 27th We were supposed to leave late at night on the 27th. It got postponed till 740 the next morning.  Good and bad. 740 is too early for public transportation.  So The South Africans were just going to go sleep at the airport. For me vacation is not sleeping at the airport.  I checked into a cheap hotel by the airport. The airline gave them a hotel room. I was jealous at first.  They did not get it till after midnight and had to wake up and catch the shuttle at 4. I got mine slept and slept till after 5. Then I took my time and had no rush. Cost of the room was less than a cab would have been in the morning and I had a decent rest. A win in my books.

Sept. 28. We landed and then went to check in at our hotel. Phuket is much bigger than I was led to believe. The first night we stayed in Patong beach. We checked in and got some food.  Then we changed and walked around a little. Then we went to the beach. Waves and deep water. Heaven.  Unlike Korea and China, they are not afraid of the water here. So my friends sat on the beach and some occasionally went in. I went in and rarely came out. I was in until dark. We explored the main street.  Unlike anything I have ever experienced. Real hard to describe. It's almost Mardi Gras, spring break, university bars, Hongdae, Itaewon, and Jing’an all rolled into one. We did not go clubbing or bar hopping or see a ping pong show (not the sport). All of which we planned on doing. We walked, drank, and gawked... we also sat on the beach for a bit. That part was relaxing.

Sept. 29. Next morning we went out got breakfast. Bacon. Actual bacon. Bacon in China is not bacon. Its salted ham. Bacon here is bacon. Went back to the hotel and took a minibus to the ferry. Phi Phi Island, here we come. The ferry took 2 hours. Fine by me because I like boats. Get to Phi Phi and get to our hotel. Check in. Get changed. Head out. Get dinner.

Now I thought Phi Phi was going to be relaxing at night. Nope. We went to the beach, and it is beach club after beach club. First night I was down to party. I did. They sell regular drinks and buckets if booze like whisky coke.  The clubs have fire shows where performers do tricks with fire.  So we watched those. Then there were contest like fire limbo which I tried and failed at... but just trying gets you a shot. Then there was a giant jump rope.  So I did that many times (each try was a free shot... the winners would get a free bucket of alcohol).  Well CJ and I did it. And we did well. Really well.  After the jump rope contests were over I saw they did not announce the winner. So I took CJ to the bar and told them that we had the most jumps. Confidence does a lot and we got a free bucket. Then we went to another place and another place all night. I got a lion painted on my chest. Danced on stage and just had fun.

Sept. 30 Next day we got up early and had breakfast. Then we went on a boat tour. It was a longtail boat (traditional junk type of boat that uses a car engine as an outboard connected directly to a shaft to a propeller). So we went to Bamboo Island to swim. Mosquito Island to snorkel, a reef to snorkel, and to Maya Island where the made some famous movie. All in all beautiful and amazing. All of us were tuckered out. We decided to be low key that night. We walked around and explored the island. Though my right foot was in bad shape. My flip flops and sandals rubbed my foot raw and I got several blisters that popped.  Got some band aids and an antiseptic to put on them. We sat on the beach for a little. It’s just so loud. I left them behind because they wanted to check out a club. Our hotel had a balcony so I sat and had a beer. You could still hear the music but it wasn’t deafening. They came back shortly after me because they were actually not in a club mood either)

Oct. 1 Next day after breakfast we went to the beach to sit and swim... well I swam... no sitting. I swam with my shirt on because I got a major sunburn on my back (thanks snorkeling). Well after a while I wanted to do something else. I wanted to kayak. Nobody else did. Oh well. So I did it. I kayaked to monkey beach and got to see monkeys and got to touch one. Then I went snorkeling again... cause I love being in the water and it was amazing to see the fish. So I had fun. That night we ate dinner on the beach. Some wanted to party, and they did. I stayed out for a bit. But I still wanted to relax. So I went back to the hotel and sat on the balcony for a while. I went to bed. It may seem anti social but loud deafening music can be just as anti social... and the main thing I wanted from vacation is relaxing.

Oct. 2 Next morning we went to all you can eat breakfast.  Lots of good food all of which I had a little of... then Bacon. A ton of bacon. A little later we went for massages. I opted for the aloe sunburn massage to relieve my cherry red back. Great. We went for one last drink overlooking the bay on Phi Phi and we had to catch our boat back to Phuket. The person with the tickets thought the boat left at 2:30... When we get there... nope. 2. So we had to pay for a different boat. Meagan and CJ were staying on Phi Phi. We said our goodbyes to them. Anyway I sat out on the deck in the shade. We get to Phuket and split ways. I head to Karon Beach where I will be staying for the next 2 nights. I got to my hotel Baan Sailom. Wonderful. Very close to the beach but not right on the main street by it. So while I did not have a beach view, I also did not have to listen to the noise associated with the street. I got checked in and got changed so I could go to the beach.  I was too concerned with taking pictures while in the water I made what could have become a fatal mistake. I got stuck in a small rip current. I did not know at first cause I was treading water to take pictures... then I looked back and the shore was getting further away.  Luckily I knew what to do and escaped without being sucked too far out. I swam for a little more then the hunger bug bit. Went back to my hotel and showered and changed. I went to the main strip. Much more toned down that Patong beach. If I were in the mood for going out, it was much more my style... but I was in the mood to relax. So I went to my hotel and did just that.

I was in bed early and slept like a baby. I slept late... but it was well deserved and needed.

Oct. 3 I woke up and relaxed and had coffee in my room. Then I decided I wanted to go on an elephant ride, as they are popular.

Now I am not sure what I think about elephant rides. You know, with things such as animal rights and abuse etc. But I did a little research and it says most of the elephants are taken good care of. So I went ahead and did it. The elephants did seem cared for. Elephants are also the symbol and animal of Thailand so they are treated with respect.  Along the tour it was allowed to stop and snack and was not seemed rushed. See there is a trail for them but the elephant seemed to be able to choose its own path to some extent.  The keeper didn't have to yell at or hit the elephant once. So I think the elephants were okay. At the end, I gave my elephant handler a tip... I folded the money into an elephant.  He was happy. I saw him ride the elephant to the other handlers and was yelling in Thai holding it up with a big grin on his face. So the elephants were good... On the other hand the monkeys... they had little monkey houses with monkeys. I’m sure it was not their permanent home... just their display home. But still being chained up like that seems not good. It was interesting. If the monkey behaved it had a long chain and could play around. If the monkey was bad... they shortened the chain to keep it from playing. So... nevertheless it was a great experience.

After I get back I see one of the people that helped me book the elephant ride. He was a tailor. Well I went to his shop... and bought a jacket. One that would be made and tailored for me. I came to China with a light leather jacket but no real jacket for the cold. So I figured I might as well. It would be a useful and cool souvenir from Thailand. So I get back to the hotel and of course it is time for more beach swimming.  As I am walking nearly to the beach I hear someone yelling 'help' and I look out and in the same spot I was in the day before another person was stuck in the rip. Very quickly people that were in the water already were swimming towards him. It was getting late and if that guy had been swimming 30 minutes later he may not have gotten the help he needed. I walked a little further down the beach. I also decided it was not the wisest decision to go far so I stayed waist deep only. Note to anyone reading this... swimming alone anytime in the ocean especially dusk and night is extremely stupid and unsafe. That being said, do as I say and not as I do.

After a nice swim and lying on the beach I decided to go to my hotel and swim in the pool. Mosquitoes (or sand fleas) were biting by the ocean. So I swam awhile there. Then I decided to relax to a different level. I went to the market and bought a small bottle if Thai whisky (definitely was not whisky) and a cigar. It was late and I wanted to listen to the waves. I went back to the ocean. I smoked a cigar and drank this Thai alcohol and listened to the waves. Absolute peace and tranquility. Then since it was late I decided to get some street food. I get back and eat it then go to bed.

Oct. 4 Disaster strikes around 2am. The dreaded food poisoning.  Vomit and diarrhea. I felt miserable. I was also very concerned because I was supposed to fly to Bangkok in the afternoon. Something that I was thinking about between my bouts of bodily fluids. Now I would like to blame the street food... but I only had it between 1 and 2 hours before it struck. It seems like it normally takes between 6 and 12 hours. Anyway around 7 it calms down and I sleep. I wake up the next day around 11 and feel okay other than being a little tired and a little sore. So I am happy about that but also confused.  Normally when I have had food poisoning before I’m ill for at least a day and sometimes 2. Never just a few hours. So I pick up my jacket, check out if the hotel, and head towards the airport.  I check in early. The airport was an experience. Small and crowded with a large area in the middle to wait to board, but no seats by the specific gates. Different than almost every other airport I have been to. I wonder if there is a reason...Well it gets close to boarding time so we start to like up by gate 9. Then it gets changed to gate 66a, we wait there...then 66b line up, then 5 where we stand for a bit, then 9, but only briefly then back to 66a. Finally we board at 66b. (Note there is only gate 1-10, 66a, 66b) but still on different sides of the domestic terminal. Maybe that is why there us no specific seats by the gates. So we board and fly to Bangkok, I sleep pretty much the whole 1.5 hours. One of my biggest pet peeves is people running from the back of the plane trying to weasel their way off. It disrupts the flow. Anyway when it is my turn to retrieve my luggage from the overhead bin an Asian lady and a German guy are pushing their way up so I block them. I allow the people that have been trying to get their bags down to get them down without being pushed. The German does not like this. He confronts me. I tell him it’s not a race and to let the people off in front first... he mumbles something about how I must have been in Asia to long cause I’m acting like these animals and that I'm white so I shouldn't act like that. I don’t get it... but whatever.

I take a cab to my hotel. Nice place with a bathtub. So I stay in and take a bath. Nice... but I’m still too big to take a nice bath... but a soak was good.

Oct. 5 Slept in the next day. I walk around the neighborhood and lo and behold I am close to the US Embassy.  So I take a picture. 50 steps later security comes up to me from nowhere and asks to see the pic. He makes me delete it. I am shocked.  So I continue walking and head to my hotel. I write an email to the embassy and ask if that is standard practice. That evening I get a reply which pretty much said yes it is. I get it... but then since the Embassy is US territory and governed by US law so I would think that photography would be allowed.  Oh well. I then took a Tuk-tuk to the grand palace. A tuk-tuk is a hybrid motorcycle taxi. There were tuk-tuks in Phuket, but they were more open air minivans. Anyway spent several hours at the grand palace. I did not get to see the emerald Buddha as it was a Buddhist day and it closed early. But the entire grand palace grounds were stunning and beautiful. Amazing colors and architecture. After the grand palace I was walking around and started talking to a random Thai person. Like my mother, I have a knack for talking to random people. And Thai people are super friendly and seem to really like America and Obama. So he talks to me for a while and tells me some stuff to do. He flags down a Tuk-tuk and negotiates a great price. This tuk-tuk will take me to 3 places, and he waits for me at each. First I go to Lucky Buddha. It is only open on special Buddhist days, so while I did not get to see the emerald Buddha, I got to see Lucky Buddha. Then to a fabric market. So, I decided to get some shirts made. They are cheaper than shirts tailored in Shanghai. Then I went to Big Buddha (or standing Buddha).  Then I just wander. I end up by the kings residence.  Since it is late I get stopped before I get to a picture taking point because its dark and I didn't feel like walking only to be able to see nothing.  Then I walk more. I walk to a subway stop. Take the subway to Siam. A main district. I eat an overpriced but delicious early dinner there. Walk around more then walk home (several kilometers away). I chill at home till I am ready for actual dinner. Well I was planning on the Thai restaurant by my hotel. Closed Monday.  So I think about the sushi place in the hotel. Over 300 baht for 1 roll. Nope. Only one other place close by that is open. BBQ. Now it is written in English, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It turns out to be Korean BBQ. I did want to try it in Thailand so it worked out. It was better than many Chinese KBBQ joints, but nowhere near actual KBBQ. Anyway. Turned out to be a delicious and meaty dinner. I did not get soju as I normally do with KBBQ as it was more than double the price of it in China (China is double the price of it in Korea). Anyway I go next door to the hotel and relax and sleep.

Oct 6 The next day I followed my theme of sleeping late. Got up and decided to go to Chinatown.  Everyone says it’s a must. I went to see the golden Buddha. You may have heard of it. It was covered in gold plaster, and when it was accidentally dropped when moving the plaster chipped and revealed a gold Buddha. Very neat to see. There was also a museum about the Chinese in Thailand.  Then I walked around Chinatown. I talked to another Thai, whom also hailed a tuk-tuk and brought me to sights.  Then the driver took me to a long tail boat ferry terminal.  Normally 6-8 people rent a boat. Well it was just me. I did it anyway.  So I took an evening cruise up the river and got to see the sunset over temples and the city. I get dropped off by a subway station. Went to my hotel and swam in the pool for an hour or so. Then go get changed and head to a night market. On the way I noticed something. My clock was off. I had been an hour off my entire time in Bangkok. I was okay with it because I was not sticking to any schedule. I walked around the market. There is a lady boy show and a muay thai show at night. I figure I would go see one the next day. I head home, and hit the hay.

Oct 7 I wake up at a reasonable time. As I am getting ready, I hear the crash of Thunder and the pitter patter of rain. Yup. A heavy rain storm. Okay, whatever. I drink my coffee and sit in a comfy chair and listen to the rain and relax. Not bad. When the rain finally lets up it’s already the early afternoon. I decide to walk around. I stop at a small beer bar and get a brew. There were no local craft beers there but there were craft beers from different places. I had one with a cheesy name...I think Ryan and the Beaster Bunny, and it was from NYC and it was delicious. I miss good beer. Then I walked around and go to several famous Thai malls. At one, there was some pageant. I end up talking to the Miss USA for awhile. It was weird having a conversation in American English. While I have a few friends in SH that are from the US we don't normally have 'conversations' we just talk. I didn't take a pic with her as so many people do. Just spoke and left. I ate at McDonalds. I know boring.... but I enjoy trying it in different countries as each as their own special menu items. In Thailand they had spinach pie, a samurai pork burger, breadsticks, a deluxe cheese burger and rice dishes. I did not have the rice dishes cause I am not a rice man and they have some of those in China. I then headed to Asiatique (the market I went to the day before). I bought a ticket for Muay Thai live. A show about the history of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) and then 2 actual bouts. I walked around the market shopping for my co teachers. I wanted to do something other than magnets or knickknacks. I shopped around and found the best deal on Thai handmade soap and also some small incense burners. Then I bought some luggage to put it in. Ended up being a bit more expensive than I planned but now I have extra luggage. C'est la vie. The Muay Thai live show was interesting. I would see it again. But the writing/story was disjointed and odd and hard to follow but the stage combat was fantastic. So if you go see it, go and appreciate the show but don't follow to story in English... just make up your own. The Muay Thai fights did not last as long as I expected. But it was still fun to see. Well I got out in time to go to the Bangkok Calypso Cabaret. A ladyboy show. I went. Meh. The crowd was bad so I’m sure it made the acting difficult for the actors and actresses. I tried to clap and whatnot... but the audience was silent. So I’m sure it would be better with a better audience. I know thespians feed off the crowd, and if the show, like this one is made for the audience to cheer and clap... and nobody does...it makes performing hard.  Also it would have been better not being a guy there alone... finally, I think the sound designer sucked.  Or at least did not set up the show for a not full crowd.  It sounded like everyone and everything was coming from the center speaker. The audio was not balanced beyond putting every track in the center. It bothered me. Especially for a high price and famous show.

So I head back to my hotel and go to sleep pretty soon afterwards.

Oct 8 I wake up but laze around my hotel. There really isn't too much time before I need to head to the airport to head back to Shanghai. I pack up and leave my bags at the desk. I decided that I would just walk back to the mall area and around there.  I am getting pretty hungry at this time. There was a place I almost ate at the day before that I decided to go back to. It was an American BBQ joint that imports wood for it smokers from the USA. Yes... I know it is my last meal in Thailand... but when I walked past the day before the smell was too good to ignore.  The food was superb. The meat literally fell right off the rib. I grabbed a rib bone and lifted.  It pulled right out of the meat and came off clean. The sauce was great. Coleslaw was spot on and the bbq beans had a ton of bacon in it. Absolutely amazing food. Better than a lot of bbq I've had in the states. A great last meal for a great vacation.

I walk back to the hotel and get my bags and catch a cab to the airport. I check in... They weigh my bags (carry on and the suitcase full of soap for my coworkers). Well spring airlines weigh both together and if it is over 15kg you have to pay. Whelp... it was 9kg over 15. I end up having to pay over 3000bhat to check it (more than I paid for incense and soap and suitcase). Oh well... not much I could do. Check in and wait around. As I am wondering around the airport I spot a Dairy Queen. No big deal because they are all over China. But on closer inspection this one had dairy queen food. All of the ones in China (at least that I have seen) only have ice cream. So of course I had to get a Chili Cheese Dog. Delicious.  If the Dairy Queens started selling food in China I would be happy. (Nobody In China believed me when I was telling them that in the US Dairy Queens had food... but then again they did not believe that Dairy Queen was a Company that started in the US).I finally get on the plane. All is good except the lady next to me was ill... needless to say I'm fine when I get back... but about a day after it hits.

What proceeds from then turns into a hellish adventure and so far maybe the

Most painful week/weeks of my life. That’s a different story though...

So in all it was a great vacation. It was not as relaxing as I had planned on it being. Thailand is an exotic and fun place with a ton of stuff to do… but it is not a place where you can just get away and relax… I mean you can, but it was my first time there and I wanted to see a lot. Even so, I always thought of Thailand as a slow relaxing place no matter what part you are in. I knew it was big into Buddhism, so I thought it would be a zen like place. Nope.  But I really enjoyed all parts of it (except for the parts limited by my body). I would like to go back, but I think many parts would be more fun with friends. I had a blast the last half by myself, but I think parts would have been fun with a companion (but not a scheduler… a wanderer like myself).  Also… I have always loved Thai food, and this trip made me love it so much more!

So that was Thailand!

Click here to browse some of my photos. I took a lot more, but cut it down just for the ease of browsing. I also took video clips that I put together into one odd video of different sights and sounds of mytrip. 

Hong Kong Adventure

So here is my recent trip to Hong Kong. In went to change my Chinese tourist visa into a Chinese work visa. I had to leave mainland China to do so. I know I have not posted about being in Shanghai in a while. I have literally had a post typed for a month, and I just never posted it. I will soon. But I figured I would get this one up. There are going to be a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes in this. I was going to go through and clean it up, but I am lazy. I typed 99.9 percent of this on my cell phone as I was in HK or on the airplane, or in a taxi. So, I will use that as my excuse. I will post a link to my pictures sometime (hopefully soon)

Wow... this trip to hongkong has been a roller coaster. That might not be the best way to describe it, but its something. It started off it what may be most ironic ways to start out a trip. At the airport. Yes, i know there is no irony in that, but there is a little in the fact it was the wrong airport. Shanghai has 2 airports. A domestic and an international. So, in my hubris i went to the international one. Which is the correct one to go if you are flying direct... but I had... or was supposed to have a layover in Xiamen. That makes it domestic. Well by the time i sort it out, i do not have enough time to get to the other airport. Normally it would be no bug deal. But for me, my visa expired on that particular day. Which means i had to get out of China or risk fines, jail, or not being allowed back in China.

So I had to buy another ticket with another airline. It was direct so I was supposed to get in at 6. A whole hour before my other plane would have gotten me there. Win! Except when we were on our final approach literally less then 10 mins before touch down the engines spool up and we start to get high. We had been experiencing turbulence the whole flight. Well the captain gets on the mic and says we cant land and we have been routed to Xiamen. An hour away from Hong Kong. We get there. We wait and wait and wait. Nothing. We ask flight attendants and they know nothing. I proceed to make a single serving friend (fight club). We we talk and a lady comes by with a crystal (acrylic ) ball with her master teacher in it and starts talking about energy and positive and negative. Entertaining. She was us to hold the ball to spread positive energy. After we do... what happens? All of the cabin lights turn on and the plane comes to life. Interesting. Well we are still chatting with her and she gets her husband and both talk to us for an hour about energy and spreading positive energy. Well a flight attendant comes and we ask if she knows anything nope. She continues on her way and another comes by moments later (they are walking through the cabin the whole time pouring drinks etc. I assume this crystal lady has already talked to this attendant. She gives the attendant the ball. Immediately the plane starts to move. We are pushing back from the gate. She gives the ball back and the pilot come on and says we have been cleared for takeoff. Everybody rushes back to their seats and the flight attendants prepare the cabin. We are in the air minutes later... at about 11:45pm. Yay!

In hong kong finally... after about 8 hours on a plane that should have only been 2. So we are at the airport. I brought with me RMB (Chinese money) because i was told it is easier to change it into Hong Kong dollars. Makes sense. That is if the money changers were open at the airport, which they were not. I was only going to change 100 and then use a cheap changer near my hotel. Well getting in and through customs after 1, public transit is closed. Which means taxi. Well a taxi from the airport is about 400 Hong Kong dollars. So i pull the money from an ATM. Simple. Instead of bringing 50 100Rmb notes i could have just used a bank of China atm. Oh well. Get to my hotel after 2. I go to a 7-11 and get a beer and a sandwich. I go to bed.

Instead of going to the China Visa office at 9, I sleep. I am tired. I get up, get on the metro, and then cant find the visa office. There is no address posted on the building it is in. Meh. I go in and do the paperwork and wait. Everyone said the waiting is the worst part cause it takes hours. Well hours for them was 15 minutes for me. Super easy and fast. I take a ferry across the river from hong kong island to Kowloon (sp?). I talk to a tourism person and she tells me that since the weather is good I should take the tram to the top of the mountain on Hong Kong island. She also has many other great ideas and suggestions like going to the money museum at 2 IFC on the 55th floor. So i go back over to hong kong island. I go to the money museum and it is actually very cool and has stunning views. I then walk to the tram... As I said, the lady said the weather was nice. Well nice to her is different than nice to me. Yes it was clear out... but it was over 30° and humid as heck. I do not deal with heat very well. I sweat. I sweat a lot. Well... Hong Kong is kinda a tropical island. So I am screwed. I get to the tram drenched with sweat... pretty much from here on out I am wet. The tram is an old cable car train up the mountain. Pretty neat. The view from the top is awesome. I take it in and take pictures. Then i go to the tourism booth and the guy there tells me i should hike a trail (it was actually a paved small road). He told me the views were better and they were. He tells me i should go to the symphony of light instead of staying at the top of the peak.

I take a bus down. I take a ferry across and get there as it starts. Its interesting. They play music and some buildings light up and change colors and shoot lasers into the sky. They do this every day. It would be cooler if all buildings participated. I was more taken in just by the skyline... the music part was good but for me at least not needed to enhance the experience. I walked around a bit and saw some kid crash his rc helicopter into a tree. So i tried shaking the tree as his mom tried the controls. I said we needed something to throw. With no rocks or sticks around, mom tries her flip flop, which almost gets stuck. I proceed to use my shoe. One throw and the chopper is down (so is my shoe). I walk a little more, ferry back to hki walk around a little, get fast food, come home, then watch an Anthony Bourdain show where he comes to hongkong. I sleep.

Wake up and go to the visa office to pick up my visa. My throat is a little sore and i am a bit sunburned. Once again super quick and easy. Let me say,one Chinaism is that they are afraid of cold water (not actually scared, but the term is close enough). Even if they get it from a water filter machine they have to add warm water. Why? Cold water makes you sick . Historically, very true, because they had untreated dirty water. Some parts of China they still have to boil it. But the legend continues even at our school. Kids fill up a cup 95% cold and then add hot water. Heck some kids do 99% cold and then add just a drop of hot... I was talking to co teachers before. A lot of them also add hot water to cold because cold water makes you sick. One admitted he liked cold but around the wife he had to have warm water or shed get mad. Why the tangent? So at the consulate office in Hong Kong using bottled water with a machine that filters, i drank 3 cups of cold water (hongkong hot and humid even early) the guard stops me and shows me there is hot water.

Anyway after my visa I went to one of the places Anthony Bourdain went tod to get some roast meat. I walk to a park instead of eating in a hot crowded restaurant, so i can get a breeze. It was yummy, but honestly pretty on par with Chinese roast meat places. I went to watch the noonday gun get fired. There's a history to it... google if you are interested. It was fun to see. Watch it yourself http://youtu.be/Zkz484Gxxb8 After the gun, i noticed there were little old women driving boats. I had no idea why, but people got on she they take them somewhere and drop them off. Of course I have to see what its about. She speaks almost no English and wants to know where I am going. I just say i don't know and shrug my shoulders. She thinks for a moment and says 100. 100 for an adventure (less then 15 usd). So i get on. A minute later I realize what it is. It is a ferry to take people to and from their yachts. Well. O get the grand tour of the area, and she takes me to where chinese people have their old fishing boats amd what look to be house boats. She takes me around and not quite into the actual harbor but by the breaking wall. It was fun cause some of the yacht people tried flagging her down to pick them up. She ignored them. I was like a king. After my 30 minute tour i disembark.

I head over to Kowloon to visit the space museum (free on Wednesdays). It was okay. Great for free... not sure if i would have been happy if I had to pay. Then again i have high expectations for space/science museums. I then walked around for a bit. Took the metro and went and saw a famous old temple. Not an ornate on the outside one. It was made of brick. It said something about its history but i can't remember. Anyway they were burning a ton of incense in there. They had cool spiral incense that burns for 7 or 8 days. Then I saw the toy and hobby museum. Interesting. It was full of old and new action figure dolls plastic character toys. It was cool looking at some of the things. Some I knew I had, others I had no idea they existed. It had them from all over the world and gave explanations about who and what some of them were and the history of them.

Time to go to my apartment and nap. I have already walked miles in the hot humidity and it is taking a toll on me. I want to see and do so much because who knows if ill come to Hong Kong again. (People say November is the best time... not as hot and humid) I get up and proceed to head down to the harbor to watch the symphony of lights from the other side. On the HKI side, at least where I was, there was no music. I actually kind of liked it, because of trying to figure out the lights with the music, you just got to take in the lights for what they were. And the pier I was on I could see both the HKI side and Kowloon. I walked to the IFC mall as I heard there was a roof where people eat, and it is public space even though there are restaurants right there. So I went up to sit. An announcement comes on about the Guinness World Record light show at the tall building across from the harbor. So i stay and watch it. I recorded it so check out the like so you can see it too http://youtu.be/95MdGfG_uic. I then walked around and found the longest covered escalator. Im not exactly sure how it claims the title as there are some thing like 23 sections to it. But all together is is like 800 meters long going up to the mid levels. It toom about 20 minutes. In the morning it runs down and the afternoon it runs up. So now I am at the top... and what happens next. I have to go down. Well screw walking down the stairs. I decide to just walk down sidewalks on intertwining roads. I get home. I stop by 7-11 and get some ramen and Gatorade. I shower and get ready for bed...

well then i start feeling ill and cant sleep. I get chills. Hot and cold at the same time... pretty much feeling like crap. I go so far to even look up doctors in Hong Kong (since i have to work on Saturday ). My throat is still maybe like allergies or something but everything else... well pretty sure it was heat exhaustion and dehydration. Finally get to sleep after hours of tossing and turning. Wake up feeling much better. Throat bad but everything else good. Also I am soaking wet. So it's like i had a fever and it broke. I decide i am just going to play the day easy.

 I get up and go to the maritime museum. Very interesting. Not much to say other than that. I spent nearly 2 hours there and could have spent more. But I wanted to take a harbor tour. The boat set sail at 3:10. It was a classic look Chinese Junk boat. Though instead of sailing under wind power it used a motor. Anyway. It was 120 for 45 minutes. There were only 2 other people on it besides the crew. I took off my socks and shoes and just took it in. A night cruise is 200 (a symphony of lights cruise is 300). I do want to take a night cruise... but I won't do it this time around. After my sail i went back to the maritime museum. On the top floor there is a restaurant /bar and it was happy hour... i was gonna get tea... but i decided on beer instead. Its my day of relaxing. I had 2 pints and went on to my next adventure.

Ding ding... that is the nickname of the hong kong trams. They are narrow double decker electric trams that run on tracks. People use the. Instead of subways. They are cheap. One price instead of the prices that increase the further you go. They are called ding dings because the driver uses a bell to warn pedestrians and cars. Resulting sound... ding ding I took a ding ding to the end of the line on the west side of HKI. There was a dock where ships get loaded up. Despite all of the heavy machinery it was open. People were there playing games, sitting, talking, taking pictures. I of course had to join. So I go and take a few pictures of the sunset. It was lovely. I walked around the area for a while. Just soaking it in. I get back on a ding ding.I head the other direction. I got off at a stop. Grabbed some dinner. Got on the subway and headed back to my hotel. I still was not feeling great and needed to get up early. Granted it was already nearly 10.

I woke up in the morning, showered and got ready to leave. Walked to the airport express train. Took it, checked in and boarded. Lo and behold. Once on board we get word there is a problem with air traffic control... so we sit. The flight attendants serve us our meals, so I knew it was gonna be a wait. Luckily it was only an hour. So smooth sailing from there? Nope. We land in Xiamen as we are supposed to for my layover. This time, since its planned and scheduled I get off the plane. I go through customs and immigration. No problem. I get my new ticket and go through security. That was a mistake. Normally getting through security is a good thing. Well it was supposed to be a 3 hour layover. I had a movie and was ready to go... Well it was a stormy day in China so flights were delayed. 5 comes and goes (when I was supposed to leave)... as does 6,7,8,9... finally get to board at 9:30.

So why was going through security a mistake? Well they are in the in the middle of redoing the airport. So, there was one coffee shop open (and a few limited supply shops). Add on top of that I think if there was an air conditioning unit, it must have been set at like 30 degrees cause it was warm. So, there is an airport with literally thousands of layovered passengers and one dinky coffee shop and 2 crappy markets. Luckily at about 7, the airlines gave us food! Granted it was still airline food. I took it as a celebration of when I should have been home. Anyway, if i did not go through security I could have gotten fast food outside of the terminal. Better yet, i could have explored Xiamen. I would have had 7 hours to do it. Taken a bus and explored the city... heck, a lot of (at least some) airports in Asia have free tours if their cities for layovers. But nope. I went through security. You could be saying to yourself... why didn't you leave and get a new ticket and come back in... well that would have worked... if i had known when my plane would leave. Nobody at the airport new. Our gate had a delayed boarding soon sign up for 5 hours.

So i finally get to Shanghai. Now it is Taxi time (public transit is closed)!!! The line, no exaggeration is at least 500 meters long. The entire length of the terminal and then 4 zig zags. It went relatively quickly. I still did not get home till after 12:45. So, from hong kong to Shanghai door to door. 15 hours.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hong Kong and I can see myself coming back. I did not get to experience any of the night life whether it be bars or markets. I also didn't eat at any fancy restaurants. Nor did I get to chill by the beach. But in the 3 days I was here I did a ton and had fun. Though next time i may want to go in the winter (its warm, not hot). Hong Kong is what New York could be if they took pride in the city. Dont get me wrong, New Yorkers are proud of the city... but Hong Kong does a lot to make their city clean friendly and accessible. The metro system is great, clean and efficient. It is super international. Big buildings and a beautiful skyline. Almost everyone speaks English.

Literally it did not feel like being in Asia. I could have been NYC and not known (other than the cleanliness and lack of cabs honking and no constant sirens). It still has a different feel. Some parts are very Asian but since HK was controlled by the Brits till 1997 there was a super strong western influence. It is a great place to go if you want to travel internationally but are afraid of being completely immersed or afraid of not being understood. Its like a foreign country or something exotic lite... that's really only if you are familiar with being in a big city. If you are not it would be much more of a shock. But it was so close to being western it could easily have fooled me. I mean there are definitely different areas with different feels and some are more Asian... but heck, Chinatown in Flushing Queens feels like Asia. Granted i did only get to explore a small part of it...

One thing i super appreciated was the signs posted all over no hawking and no spitting and saying there was a fine for doing that. All over Korea and Shanghai it is a common sight and sound to hear and see people hawking and spitting out big loogies. Very rare did i see it in Hong Kong.

Sadly i did not get to enjoy any of the night life during my time in Hong Kong. I mean, there were many things i did not get to enjoy. It just means more to do when I go back!

Shanghai has begun.

I can already tell you that Shanghai is much different then Seoul. I think in good ways, but I can see how a lot of people would not like it as much as Seoul. Its really hard to explain, but I will try. These of course are only observations from an extremely brief time here, so it may change… but here it goes. Shanghai is more like NYC. I miss NYC, not the prices, but the city. Shanghai reminds me a lot of it. While it is in China and filled with Chinese… it is diverse. There are over 50 recognized Chinese ethnic groups while Korea is pretty much one (historically there are a few different groups that made up Koreans, but they have been largely considered one for over 1000 years). So while they speak some form of Chinese, they are different groups. Also the number of foreigners in Shanghai is impressive. There are tons of people of all different races from different nations, and unlike Korea, they are more than just students, military, and ESL teachers… okay, so diversity is one thing. Another is grittiness. If you have walked along the streets on NY you know grittiness. Shanghai has it. Its not just the look and feel but the attitude. That’s what I get here, and I like it. Also there are multicultural and ethnic restaurants all over the place. Not as much as in NYC, but much more than Seoul.

I used to say that Korea was like high school. The fashion, the trends, the cliques…. Just the demeanor. Already being here, I can see that there is no set trend among the people. People here seem more individualistic (weird being communist and all).

Also, I know this will change the longer I am here and see more… but the driving. It may be worse in ways, but it seems like an organized chaos. The motorbikes seem to stay in the bike lane and do not ride on the sidewalk as much or as often as they did in Korea. Also, motorbikes do not have airhorns. Korean ones did, and dang… they used them all of the time. Even the cars here do not have them. When people honk, it is because they are warning a person they are coming, or warning they are there. They also do not just hold down the button for minutes on end… just a quick little honk. They know how to use horns for the most part.

Anyway…

I have been busy. I got here Friday night. Saturday I met with Joy (person from School) then went exploring, Sunday I observed the school where I will be working. After work I went out and found an apartment (more on that later). Monday-training. Tuesday-training and after training going out for St. Pats. Wednesday-training and after went out for Korean BBQ with people I was training with, then bowling, then to a bar with cheap wings.  Thursday I worked. Friday I had off so I walked around and explored. Saturday I observed class and taught my own class. Saturday night I went out with Tim for some beer and food and met his GF. Sunday I worked and taught my own classes. Monday I worked. I covered another teachers classes as did all week. I am busy, but the schedule is pretty chill… at least right now. Tuesday I played basketball with some co-workers and their friends, and wouldn’t you know I rolled my ankle. I am not lucky with ankles. It hurt, but I kept playing. I went to work after ball. Wednesday I worked with a hurt ankle, as I did Thursday also. Its still a little swollen. I looked at the market by me for an ace bandage, but did not find one. I may go to walmart on Friday (yes, there is a walmart in Shanghai) and I bet they will have one. I’m sure the market by me did as well, but I could not find it easily. I think a store like walmart will be a little easier to shop at… but who knows.

Saturdays and Sundays are the only full days of work. 9-5. In that time though, at least right now I only teach 3 or 4 classes. The rest is office hours. Once I am done with probation (trial period) I do not have to stay all day, just teach my classes. Weekdays I work from 2-8. Only teaching at most 2 classes. Once probation is over, it goes down to 4-8. Classes though can either be 45 minutes or 1.5 hours. The 1.5 hour classes are the little kids (kindy age) and the 45 minute classes are elementary/middle school age.

It is a lot different then ECC. ECC was super focused on book work and writing. Here, not so much. Kindy classes, we are supposed to listen to songs, dance, sing, and play tons of games. They have books, but do not use them in the classroom. Each class has a projector and computer, with a smart board. We project all of the materials (books etc.) onto the smart board, and it is interactive. So it reads the stories, plays music, has games, and we can write on it digitally. Its great for the young kids, and is super helpful for the older kids too. The teachers room is small and crappy… but the technology makes teaching so much easier and efficient. Also, we have the local teachers in the classroom at all times too, which is great for instant translation and just as an extra helper to do stuff. Also it keeps things much more organized… I mean still chaotic, but there is some flow that works really well.

Anyway, I am learning a bit about the phrase “TIC” or This is China. The initial cost of moving here are much higher than initially thought. China is a reimbursement culture. Which means, I have to pay it all up front, and the I will get paid back later.  When is later? After my probation period. I wish I would have known… but oh well. One good thing is the extremely low cost of living. There of course will be much more about this topic later, but for example, I was happy paying 6 dollars for a full meal in Korea. Here, 4 gets me just as much or more. Beer is 2 bucks for what was 6 in Korea. Groceries are also cheap, but I have not bought any yet. Taking the subway is only about 80 cents (trains are pretty darn nice too). Also, anyone reading up on China hears about corruption or cheating the system or something… For my apartment, I am supposed to get a paper that says my apartment is 5000 Yuan a month. No more, no less. This cuts down my tax by nearly 1000 Yuan. But to get the form, I will have to pay the landlord 250 Yuan (just to fill it out). Sound scammy? Yup. But that’s they way business is done here.

Apartment. I found an apartment and put down a deposit on it. Fingers crossed it all works out. It is a little more than I wanted to spend… but sometimes its necessary to get something that you want. I am not going to post about its details, so I don’t jinx it. I am supposed to sign a lease on Saturday

My biggest problem right now is my computer. It started acting funky before I left the USA and it has continued to get funkier.  I either am not lucky with laptops… or I do too much with them (treating it more like a desktop then laptop). I am pretty sure that this one actually just has a loose wire (USB problems) something wrong with my wireless adapter (software or hardware?), and just a few other little things (windows firewall not working even through admin run). If I had reliable internet connectivity, I might be able to diagnose. But my hotel does not have reliable internet connectivity… and I’m in China so I am behind the Great Firewall (China blocks a lot of stuff). Things that I could probably easily fix in the US. But living overseas adds a layer of difficulty. Once I get to my new apt… I think I will create a restore disc, wipe the hdd, and reinstall everything.

But yup… that’s life right now. I’m pretty stoked to get settled into an apartment. I really haven’t had the drive to do too much being stuck in a hotel room. Without access to laundry, I don’t want to get my clothes dirty. With no refrigerator, microwave, or oven, I am limited on food to eat (no leftovers or takeaway). If it was only vacation, that would be different… but I am living out of my hotel room.

Okay, that’s it for now…  I'll try to do a once a week, if not more.

End of Korea

Well, I have not posted anything in months.  Nearly half a year. Wow.
Life has been going great and I have been having many exciting and wonderful adventures. It would be impossible to actually catch up... but I needed to do something because my time in Korea has passed and I am starting a new experience.

Korea was great to me. I made many friends and experienced new things.

It was my first opportunity to experience being a minority. It was not a bad experience at all, but I got a small taste what some other minorities feel in the US.  Sometimes it got old: constantly being warned food was too spicy, surprise by using chopsticks,  or the foreigner bubble on the subway where every seat is taken except for the ones next to you.

I did so many things that i cannot fully list, but can just do a little... i visited palaces, Suwon fortress,  ice fishing and caving, zip lines and bare handed fishing. I climbed, hiked, and wandered the cities. I snuck up on rooftops just for a beautiful view.  I did the DMZ. Swam in the sea. Flew to Japan twice... Nagasaki and Tokyo. Busan fun. Saw a naval battle renactment of Admiral Yi in Jindo. Top of the 63 building and N. Seoul tower. Baseball and soccer, but only basketball once....so much more

I have had tons of food. Korean BBQ, soju, beer, soups, stews, veggies, sundae (blood sausage), ramen burgers, animal anus and intestines,  raw sea food soup. Beef which is expensive and pork which is cheap. Spiced, sweet, and marinades galore. All different cuts. Kimchi and rice. Cold noodles and black noodles,  sweet spaghetti and sugary garlic bread. McDelivery at midnight or at anytime.  Pizza with good topings or crazy weird things. Dumplings. Coffee and tea.  

I taught kids. Adorable little things. Classes galore.  For Kindy I did France, Australia, and Denmark, and this year Greece and Denmark. Older classes too many to list. Kids loved me and I loved them. I taught them and they taught me. Some days were the same but most were different.  Good and bad, exciting and boring,  new and old. The best memories are of my kids... but I cannot type it. It is unqualifiable. It is just the feeling and memories of it.

Seoul and Korea did get a little boring.  But so has everywhere i have lived. Ihave a constant need for adventure. As soon as where I am living starts closing in... i have to escape.  I dont know why. So I do love Korea but i just needed, well craved, a change. What change?  China. Shanghai. Also a big city like NYC and Seoul... but it is a city of 25 million in a country of a billion. Bigger than any other. A language that is made of pictographs instead of an alphabet (korean looks like pics, but it is an alphabet ). So thats what I'm up to.