Hong Kong baby!

The End of Alice in Wonderland--the Final Days in HK

2009-07-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

So I guess all good things must come to an end. Thus, I have left Hong Kong to return to the "real world." The real world in this sense being the US and law school. The real world to me also represents my long held desire to become a lawyer and represent the Maya of Belize and other underpriveleged people around the world. Finally, of course, it means returning to friends and family who I have missed dearly throughout my Asian saga.

Coincidentally and appropriately, I am reading Jean Paul Sartre's "The Age of Reason," which is about a man forced to face reality and the meaning of freedom. As he protests in the book, "The age of reason is the age of resignation"; in a sense, I agree with this statement, as leaving Hong Kong is, in a way, resigning myself to working a lot harder and getting to travel and do fun things like that a lot less. In another sense, working in Hong Kong, or anywhere for that matter, without working your way up or getting a degree means you have relatively little freedom due to financial and job induced time constraints. Thus, I am attempting to reach MY age of reason, however that may happen.

For the final Hong Kong hurrah, my good friend Peter and I decided to host an Alice in Wonderland themed party. Of course, I had to dress as Alice and all of my friends dressed as the characters in (my Hong Kong) wonderland. Much like Alice, I have recently felt like I just woke up from a very strange and amazing dream that is very far away. But I will never forget my wonderland or all of the amazing characters and places in it, and I will definitely return one day!

Cavorting in Kuala Lumpur

2009-05-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

The first thing that comes into many people's minds when they hear the words "Kuala Lumpur" is Catherine Zeta Jones swinging on the bridge of the stunning Petronas towers. And in fact, the Petronas towers are quite astoundingly elegant in their jagged, elegant way.

Yet there is much more to this city than amazing architecture. The first thing you notice upon stepping off the plane is the staggering heat. This heat is not a humid heat like Hong Kong, just an overwhelming feeling. Definitely a tropical city, although it would do well to employ less concrete in its infrastructure, as that is what traps in the heat and creates an often stifling sensation. Hong Kong uses a lot of concrete too, of course, but the buildings are often made of other, more porous materials that make it more bearable, not to mention, a much more attractive city.

The first day I dared to take a taxi to the Batu Caves. I say "dared" because the taxi drivers in KL are notorious, and for good reason--they constantly cheat you and take you for rides. Anyways, I found a rather amiable taxi driver from Indonesia who taught me some of the local lingo on the way to the Hindu shrine. The Batu Caves is a limestone hill surrounded by Hindu temples, and the site is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India. Upon arrival, I stepped into the temple on the bottom of the hill and was beckoned by the Hindu priest. Being the only non-Indian person in the place, I sheepishly approached him, and surprisingly, he blessed me and put white paint on my forehead. After taking some pictures, I began the ascent up the 200+steps to the actual cave, keeping a watchful eye on the mischievious monkeys perched alongside. Indeed, I will never forget the time I was in India and a monkey snatched my magnolia necklace right off my neck!

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, I was taken aback at the sheer size of the cave, with its massive drooping stalactites and holes in the ceiling--I swear it was something straight out of Planet Earth. I walked inside the cave a little bit, and turned a corner to find a beautiful sight-- the sun shining down brilliantly into the cave, with last night's glistening rain dripping down like a shining curtain. It would have made a nice romantic kiss scene in Indiana Jones.

That night my travelbuddy and exroommate Maxine went down to the Central Market to take a look at the local wares and textiles. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot of novelty in that seeing as we live in Asia, and a lot of stuff seems to be made in China and exported everywhere! All was not lost, however, as we found a delicious local Indian place next door and I chowed down some amazing naan and tandoori chicken. After walking through Chinatown, we freshened up at the hotel and went out for a few drinks. We ended up at Zook, a very trendy nightclub chain which we had already sampled and liked in Singapore. After chatting to some Malay Chinese in my broken Cantonese, we went upstairs and were offered some champagne. All in a day's work!

The next day we decided to try the "other" side of KL--the colonial side--by taking high tea at the old governor's residence. Set atop a mountain (of course), the house was a breathtaking alabastar building with verandas galore. They had wicker furniture and even a harp with a harpist playing darling! After careful deliberation, we ordered a black tea and a white tea with our set. Our set was delightful and included rhubarb crumble, scones, egg sandwiches and more. Ahh the life of a colonial!

Unfortunately, the pleasant side of the KL story ends there, as about halfway during the tea I felt ill and returned to the hotel. Turns out I got food poisoned from the hotel breakfast! I am still recovering today :( Anyways, I would recommend KL over Singapore as far as Malaysian cities go, as it has a little more spice and culture, not to mention less rules and sterility!

Funky Style Full Moon Party (Thailand)

2009-04-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started to appreciate techno-electro music in high school with the help of my German/Portuguese/Eurotrash friends, I have heard about the Full Moon Party held monthly in Thailand. Indeed, it is often compared to the debauchery that descends upon Ibiza during their parties, although it is more exotic, and therefore, kind of cooler in my book...

Having been to Phuket and Bangkok as a young child with my parents, traveling to Thailand was not on the top of my list of destinations, however. Thus, I put it off, and traveled to perhaps equally extraordinary sites in Asia these past two years. Then, about 6 months ago, an old friend of mine from Penn who I had kept in touch with told me she was moving to Thailand to teach. We excitedly assured one another that we would come see each other somehow/somewhere--being only 3 hours apart, after all, we had no excuse!

About a month ago, she finished teaching and started to plan her little backpacking tour around southeast Asia, and we decided we would meet in the small islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan and Koh Tao to have a fabulous, funky reunion at the Full Moon Party at the beginning of April.

Now that the introduction is over, I can begin my journey:

Having arrived in the evening in Koh Samui (the only airport on these islands), the adventure began--I had to find a way to Koh Phangnan, the next island over, during the middle of a rainstorm. Armed with nothing but my backpack and some cash, I gathered my wits about me and recruited some wayward travelers to share the cost of a speedboat over. The 25 minute boatride was one of the longest of my life! The boat was all over the place amidst the Perfect Storm style waves, and I thought how lucky it was that my mom didn't know I was there hahaha she sure would not have approved.

Once on Koh Phangnan, I became engulfed in swarms of young backpackers frolicking around the town barefoot. Making my way through them, I got on a jalopy type taxi vehicle and made it to my lodgings--a charming bungalow hideaway on the water by the name of Green Peace Bungalow. I don't think I have ever been happier to see someone in my whole life! We celebrated our reunion by having some drinks and dancing on the beach in the rain. We didn't feel a drop.

To my great disappointment, the rain persisted through the following day, with us managing to squeeze in a wet elephant ride with some grumpy elephants (not recommended). We then enjoyed some delicious local street fare before preparing for the big night. Through her travels, Juliet had met many like minded young adventurers who we met up with to paint our bodies in bright swirls and patterns. Around midnight, we were ready to go, and so were all 15,000 people on that beach. What a night.

The next day around noon, we sluggishly ventured to Koh Tao, a small, quiet island to the north. Koh Tao provided a welcome respite from the chaos of Full Moon, from the calmness of the waters to the hammock at our bungalow to the pounding Thai massages that we received. After a quiet night's sleep, we had a leisurely meal of spicy Thai food (YUM) and proceeded back to Koh Samui for my last night.

Koh Samui was definitely the most commercial of the islands, despite the popularity of Koh Phangnan's Full Moon Party. Of course, it is not on the level of Phuket or Bali in terms of grotesque tourist trap gimmicks, and thus we could still enjoy a lush Thai dinner at low cost and drinks at some local clubs.

As I woke up the final morning to return and rested in the tropical airport surrounded by lush vegetation and poignant bird calls, I couldn't help but wish that I was staying just a little bit longer in this remote part of the world. But then again, vacations are always too short...

KOH PHANGNAN

Full Moon Party (KOH PHANGNAN)

KOH TAO

KOH SAMUI (Last night)

Off the Beaten (Tourist) Map

2009-04-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

As I near the end of my stay here in Hong Kong, I find myself seeking out the remote sites located off the beaten (tourist/foreigner) map. Thus I found myself traveling to east Kowloon (on the mainland side, where foreigners hardly go as they live on HK Island) to see a small, remote fishing village centuries old. Appropriately named Lei Shuk Mun, or Coi (that Japanese fish) Village, it was full of big surprises. Apparently, I was one of the biggest surprises, being a Westerner in a remote village, and there were a lot of stares (much more than normal in HK, which says something!). I also saw a lot of deliciously enormous seafood fortune tellers and quaint tin houses in the village. Enjoy the pictures below!

The village/market entrance

The Seafood market--or something out of a sci fi novel??

Along the waterfront-some charms and funny signs

The Chinese fortune teller's seaside abode

The Wishing Tree

Hong Kong-A Gastronomist's Paradise

2009-03-04T23:12:00.000-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me when foreigners come to Hong Kong and approach local fare skittishly. The fear of food poisoning is relevant and real, though no matter what kind of place you go to, here or in the West, you can get sick. In fact, the only time I have gotten really ill here was when I ate at a really nice dim sum place (granted, I ate chicken feet, which was VILE, but at least I tried it!). I understand the concept of "comfort food," and wanting to enjoy the food that you know and love, but the whole point of visiting Hong Kong, which is so far away from home, is to go beyond your comfort zone. Come on, people!

That is why I have been so pleased with the adventurous attitudes of all of my friends who have visited me here in HK (Eileen, Megan, Lara, Corinne, Shane, Christian, Danielle, Santiago, and Chidiogo). They were all too eager to get their hands (and stomachs?) dirty, immersed in the delicacies that Asia has to offer. The most adventurous guest to date, perhaps, was my brother, Shane. He not only wanted to eat a lot (his goal was to gain 10 lbs, or so he said), he wanted to eat the most outrageous things. Hence, he even tried pigeon, which even I have not dared try. Flying rats? Not unless I'm starving!

Hong Kong is truly a gastronomist's paradise (Check out this link for a personal account of Hong Kong food:
http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2008/12/hong-kong-memoir). In fact, Hong Kong offers so much amazing exotic foods at such low prices, it's almost blasphemous to dine at a Western style restaurant, where the food is often mediocre and the prices exorbitant. Why not try Cantonese egg custard buns, Sichuan style spicy noodles, Shanghainese pork dumplings, or Beijing duck instead? Or, if you prefer south/southeast Asian foods, you can find delicious Vietnamese Pho, Thai Tom Yum Gai (coconut soup) or Indian curry. For the latter, you must venture to the notorious Chung King Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, where the place is so authentic that you almost feel like you are in a foreign country.

So come to Hong Kong--if not for me, then for the food!

Shanghainese pork dumplings

Spicy Noodles

Cantonese egg custard buns (dim sum)

Us enjoying dim sum

Beijing Duck

Us enjoying Beijing duck

Christmas in Cebu

2009-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that Christmas in Cebu, Philippines, would be so religious? When I booked my 4 day weekend getaway to this tropical city in the heart of the Central Visayas, Philippines, I certainly didn't expect it to be so marked by the religious celebration of Christmas. Then again, I should have known, as the famous Spanish ships of Magellan landed in Cebu almost 500 years ago, on April 14, 1521. A cross marks the spot where he landed and died shortly thereafter at the hands of the native chieftan Lapu Lapu.

Indeed, when we walked through the sprawling, incongruous city of Cebu, we encountered many people lighting candles and singing hymns outside and inside of massive churches and cathedrals. Even near our hotel, on the small, poor island of Mactan, the locals would call out Merry Christmas to us on Christmas day as well as a few days thereafter. Only the Koreans, who have taken over many of the businesses in and around Cebu, did not seem to be consumed by this religious fervor.

Besides this interesting cultural discovery, we spent our time eating much of the local food (basically grilled meat and seafood), laying out on the beach (small and relatively unimpressive as it was), and getting $3 massages. Yes, you read that right--the cheapest massages ever! You better believe we had more than one!

Overall, I had a delightful trip with two of my ABC (American born Chinese) friends. Just as in Boracay, Philippines, the locals were exceedingly polite and helpful when they weren't trying to cheat us--they thought I was a rich Westerner, as people in Asia tend to think all Westerners are rich, and they thought my friends were Korean. The beach in Boracay was much more beautiful though, and I recommend it more highly if that is what you are looking for.

Hope everyone had as interesting and fun of a Christmas as I had!!

The Token..White Girl?

2008-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

With the exception of India, I have never lived in a place where I wasn't in the majority in terms of race. Of course, I never really considered this an issue, positive or negative. I traveled all around and became friends with people from many different socioeconomic backgrounds. I considered myself well versed in cultural/social/racial differences. That is, until I moved to HK, where I am definitely not in the majority.

Before arriving, I thought I knew what to expect, in terms of the fact that Asians look different from me. But the reality was so much more nuanced, as I came to learn rather quickly. For example, people would stare at me quite a lot. The men would never call out to me or anything-just stare. Particularly if I stood on the MTR (subway) in a low cut top. This is a fashion no no among locals--lots of leg is normal, but cleavage is a HUGE deal (no pun intended). This "cleavage" issue even came up in the school I was working in, as my colleagues would freak out if so much as a bra strap was showing. I don't think this had anything to do with the fact that it was a religious elementary school, either.

My height has also definitely been an issue here. As many of you may know, my students used to constantly ask me, "Ms. Murray, why are you so tall?" The most iconic example of this height wonder manifested itself in a classic essay a student wrote about me whereby he claimed that "Ms. Murray is very tall--perhaps as tall as a door!" Not for the first time, I also became the all around representative for and expert on the subject of Westerners, with my colleagues asking me all about Western culture, from the matter of elections to men in America.

One of the first times I truly felt like the token white person, however, was when I went on my trip to Vietnam last Christmas. 4 western girls and I embarked on an epic journey across China to get to Vietnam. We were the only white people on the trains, and Chinese locals often stopped in front of our cabin and just loitered, staring at these curious Westerners in their mist. When we were almost in Vietnam, we started playing Choi Dai Di, a Chinese game that is quite like poker, and some of the locals joined us. This was funny in itself, as of course there was no verbal communication involved, but the best part was that we were playing with these giant joke cards that one of my friends had bought at the market, and the locals just couldn't get over them--they thought that all us "big" Westerners must use these "big" joke cards!! There we were again, being the token white people!

When I started dating Zeno, I became even more acutely aware of the token white girl phenomenon, as Chinese men rarely date Western girls. Unknowingly, we became an item just by walking down the street. When I started attending his basketball games, I was always the only foreigner there, almost like the mascot for his team! I also became a bit insecure, thinking that I was just a trophy on his arm--did he really find me attractive or was I just a white girl on his arm? I have come to terms with this at this point, and am happy to be on his arm at any occasion :)

Zeno's birthday with the bball boys

Like last year, I am the only Westerner at work, but unlike last year, I don't have all my British/American/Canadian Chatteris colleagues as a support network, so it's a bit different. Recently, I have been involved in organizing Christmas decorations and parties for the tenants living in the building I work in. As usual it seems, I was the token white girl, so as usual, I was the MC at all the events:

After having worked and lived in all Chinese environments the past two years, I realize that no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try to speak the language or "fit in," it is impossible. I will always be a sheep in lamb's clothes here. While it's been interesting being the token white girl the past two years, I must admit being the minority is definitely overrated at times...hahahaha

My friend and I in traditional Hakka women gear

I shook my little touche on the catwalk...

2008-11-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

A friend of my colleague is an amateur photographer who has hardly taken pictures of white people, thus I had the honor of being his model for an afternoon, along with Zeno.

You may recall the entry I wrote about a year ago about camping in November? We used the same beach and surrounding area to take pictures. We also took some shots on the ferry journey there and back. My sister oh so delicately made fun of them, saying the pictures were "so Asian" and "such wedding photos." Regardless, we had fun being silly on the sands of Hong Kong that day...Enjoy!

Gwai Mui in the Green OR White Girl in HK's Great Outdoors

2008-11-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Of late, my interest in Hong Kong has become quite focused in the greener parts of this great city. As I mentioned in the last entry, although Hong Kong is famous for its bright lights, exotic food and cosmopolitan lifestyle, there is so much more to this dynamic place that I have called home for the last two years.

In fact, 2 weeks ago my boyfriend Zeno took me to a favorite spot of his childhood, the so called "Monkey Hill." He told me of this romantic place in the hills with a glimmer in his eye and a glistening smile.

While the park, including the resovoir indeed painted a beautifully pastoral scene, the monkeys were far from sweet--one of them jumped on Zeno's arm to get his water bottle! Unfortunately, the years of people feeding them have corrupted their innocence, and they are now rather aggressive animals. Zeno and I armed ourselves with sticks and made our way through the wild on that beautiful day in November...

UNESCO found something in HK...

2008-11-03T01:00:00.001-08:00

Despite the glitz and glam that everyone loves about Hong Kong, sometimes it's nice to delve into the few cultural hotspots that the city has to offer.

King Law Ka Shuk is one such place--an ancestral hall adedicated to the ancient Tang Family. It was later a study hall using the Bok Bok Chai traditional Chinese teaching meathod, and was built during the Ming dynasty. Recently renovated by the local authorities, it looks as good as new. In fact, UNESCO has lauded the reconstruction and awarded it several worthy international prizes. Enjoy my pictures below!

Taipa--the Other Other Macau

2008-10-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

One of the oldest colonial spots in the Orient was Macau. Starting in the 16th century, the Portuguese administered Macau for almost 450 years. From relatively humble beginnings, Macau blossomed into a major trading port and stopoff. Then, when the Portuguese formally returned the city to China in 1999, it went on to become one of the world's leading gambling spots. Indeed, its famous Venetian Casino and Resort Hotel offers a 550,000-square-foot casino three times larger than Las Vegas' biggest. According to a Smithsonian article I recently read, by 2012, Macau casinos are projected to outstrip the revenues of Atlantic City and the state of Nevada combined. With a population of just 531,000, Macau now has a GDP of more than $36,000 per capita, making it the wealthiest city in Asia and the 20th-richest economy in the world.

But Macau is so much more than casinos. Well, perhaps I should say that at least the small islands of Taipa and Coloane, located just south of Macau, are more than just casinos. Having only been infiltrated by the Portuguese in 1851 combined with the fact that it is a tiny island that is literally isolated, it has retained an essence of old world charm. While the dominating influence of casinos and show business is hard to escape when you are this close to Macau, there seems to be more of an effort on these islands to cherish the historical past, both Portuguese and Chinese. Ancient temples as well as colonial buildings are meticulously preserved and exhibited to the public. Many of its residents relish Portuguese and Chinese foods, and the restaurants cater to all kinds of combinations thereof.

For the first time since leaving Portugal, I really got the feeling that I was walking around an old village, replete with pasteis de nata, tiled walls, rusty street lanterns, and even a grotto dedicated to Luis de Camoes, the famous poet who wrote an epic tale of Vasco da Gama's explorations of the East.

Please enjoy my pictures below:

The "Ancient Greek God" Casino...words cannot convey the tackiness..

The Luis de Camoes grotto/park

The ruins of St Paul's

Treasure Island!

2008-09-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

The typical postcard from Hong Kong showcases the amazing Hong Kong Island Skyline, and the view looks down from the top of the highest mountain on the Island, appropriately titled "The Peak." What most people don't know is that Hong Kong Island, where most people live and all the businesses thrive, is one of over 260 islands in the South China Sea. Lantau Island, due west of Hong Kong Island, is the largest, home to both the Hong Kong International Airport and Disneyland. To the southwest of Hong Kong Island is Lamma Island,one of the smallest with a little hippy colony (I included pictures in an entry last year).

Most recently I had the pleasure of visiting Cheung Chau Island, which is famous for being a pirate haven and treasure trove. In fact, Hong Kong waters were always attractive to pirates due to the volume of trade, as anyone who has read Taipan by James Clavell is well aware. The most famous pirate was Cheung Po-Tsai, who ruled the seas for over a decade in the early 19th century. At his height, he commanded a fleet of 12,000 junk boats and over 50,000 men. He stored treasure in caves on small islands such as Cheung Chau. In 1809, there was a famous battle between this pirate fleet and the Portuguese, which led to negotiations and eventually the surrender of the pirates with impunity.

Apart from taking a peek at the pirate's treasure cave (which we found without the help of a map with an "x" marking the spot...), my boyfriend and I had a pleasant afternoon walking around this charming island, with its rugged coastline, mystical shore and local people. Please enjoy my pictures below:

Arriving in the harbor

Confused boy in a rickshaw

Elaborate sign celebrating the Chinese Olympic wins

Inspecting the local seafood wares

Shrimp out to dry in the afternoon sunshine

Village Square of sorts

Cute children

Reaping my incense blessings

Bright midafternoon illumination

Off season Dragon boat

Land, ho!

Enjoying the sights

Let me outta this place!!

Pirates of the Caribbean, eat this for location!

Sunset over Treasure Island...

Monkeying Around In Borneo & Bali

2008-07-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Having experienced the serene, sterile, surreal scene of Japan, it seemed quite appropriate to make Malaysia the next stop on my Asian adventure, as it is Japan's opposite in many ways. Malaysia is an exotic jungle of chaotic cities and wildlife compared to the cookie cutter streets of Japan. Malaysia, with its Strait of Malacca, has a history rife with piracy, adventure, and Islam, while Japan comes from a more streamlined tradition of feudalism and Buddhism. In Malaysia, we spent two days climbing up Mt Kinabulu, one of the tallest mountains in SE Asia; in Japan we caught a glimpse of Mt Fuji out of the stylish window of our Shinkansen Bullet Train. You get the idea.

Our first stop was Kota Kinabulu, the capital of the region of Sabah on the Malaysian side of the island of Borneo. As you may or may not know, Borneo is the fourth largest island in the world, and is host to three countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. KK, as most people refer to it, is a rather unassuming city of many backgrounds--Malay, Indonesian, Filipino and Chinese. This makes for some very interesting markets, and we had some fun at the Filipino Market:

Odd sweet tasting local fruit

Fish Market & Sunset

Ironically, having never seen them in China, we got a chance to witness Sabah's Chinese Society's Annual Dragonboat Races:

Come to think of it, China seemed to follow us around--our tour guides to the Western Mangrove Wetlands were Chinese Malay! They showed us the indigenous Proboscis Monkey and glittering fireflies by sunset on a riverboat:

After a few days rest we headed down to the Hindu island of Bali, Indonesia, for a sunny respite from our wildlife adventures. I can think of worse things than frolicking amongst Aussie surfers on vacation...:)

We got back to nature upon our return to Malaysia, and climbed Mt Kinabulu with the help of an indigenous man who was our tour guide. We walked more than 6 km, we somehow we made it!

Big in Japan (Tokyo to be exact)

2008-07-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

After 5 fun filled days in Kansai area with Akemi, Megan and I boarded the Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo. When they said that Superman was faster than a locomotive, I don't think they knew about the Shinkansen--damn it was fast! And the pride and joy of Japanese people.

Two sweet older Japanese ladies met us in Tokyo, thanks to Akemi's hyper planning skills. Exceedingly polite as Japanese tend to me, they were eager to please, and so were we. After some back and forth, we decided on a short itinerary that included the Imperial Palace, Kabuki Theater, Tokyo TV Tower, the Fish Market, Shibuya (Times Square/shopping), and Akihabara (electronics superstore). We were about to be inundated with kawaii-ness!

The Imperial Palace was massive but barely visible due to the greenery and the high gates, so it was rather disappointing. Kabuki Theater, on the other hand, was AWESOME! Who doesn't like watching a guy in drag, I mean seriously?! Hahaha Anyways this ancient theater prohibits female actors, so all the men dress in kimonos and the men dress as shoguns to put on quite a show. It's all very exaggerated, with a ton of makeup and hand gestures, ultimately making for hilarious entertainment.

Outside the theater

Just to give you a taste...

Tokyo TV Tower

Fish Market

Shibuya shopping area

I also had the pleasure of meeting up with an old Japanese friend from high school, who showed me around the funkier sides of Tokyo:

On my last morning, Satsuki surprised us by dressing us up in authentic kimonos--they were so beautiful, but definitely not made for tall women!! It took two hours to dress Megan and I up and do our hair, so of course we had to take a bijillion pictures. Here are a few:

Kawaii [Cute] Japan!

2008-07-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

To me, Japan has always been this beautiful place shrouded in mystery, lying across the ocean. It was perpetually inaccessible. Until I lived in Asia, that is.

Back in February I emailed this old friend of my mother's named Akemi. My mother knew her in Brazil, and even taught her some English (runs in the family I guess...) In any case, I corresponded with Akemi and we began to arrange for me to visit her in Japan. Japan was becoming more than just a dream destination.

On June 5, 2008, my friend from college, Megan, and I got on a flight to Kansai Airport in Osaka, Japan. Akemi and her husband, Shojiro, came and picked us up from the airport. They explained that they lived in Nishinomiya City, a "bedtown" which is a Japanese-English word roughly translating to suburb (people work in the bigger cities of Kyoto or Osaka and sleep in nearby "bedtowns"). Upon arriving at her house, I couldn't help but notice that she had labeled everything in the house with big letters so I wouldn't get confused by the Japanese! She also brought to our attention the high tech Japanese toilets with buttons determining the direction you wanted water to be sprayed (behind or bidet style)!

I quickly realized that Japan is not only extremely high tech (with no natural resources to speak of, technology is their only real money maker), it has a very specific aesthetic. This aesthetic is encompassed by the word "kawaii" which means "small and cute." Everything in Japan was kawaii!!! See for yourself in the pictures taken while I was out and about in the Kansai area (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara):

Cactus arrangements ready to buy

Decorated store fronts

Ubiquitous Hello Kitty

Of course, it is also impossible to overstate the prevalence of and reverence for historical Japan. Hello Kittys notwithstanding, Japan is teeming with temples and relics of its proud past:

Himeji Castle (shogun fortress) near Kobe

Shinto shrine atop fortress

Umm can you direct me to the suicide quarters of the fortress? Thanks!

Kawaii "spring flower" lunch atop Mt Kobe

Nimo-jo Castle in Kyoto

Ryoanji Zen Buddhist Rock Gardens

The Golden Pavilion w/traditional gardens

(Akemi & Shojiro)

Kiyomizudera in Kyoto

Sorry for the inconvenience of the construction *bow* !!

Todaiji Temple with deer(!) in Nara

Try Taipei On for Size

2008-07-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

I sincerely apologize for the lapse between my last entry and this one. The delay is inexcusable, but unfortunately, inescapable.

I have been very busy in the last few months, first in finding a job in HK for next year, and then in globetrotting, or I should say Asia trotting, after teaching ended in May. Needless to say, I have several entries in store for you with lots of goodies.

In the beginning of May, for the celebration of Buddha's Birthday (and the corresponding long weekend) I traveled to the political pariah known as Taiwan. As I stepped off the plane and started walking towards baggage claim, I was visually assaulted with government sponsored political posters advocating Taiwan's admission into the UN. The most vivid one I can remember had a whale suspended in a glass cup filled with water, saying something along the lines of drowning without political representation/recognition. Model United Nations debates and political science studies aside, I knew I wasn't in China.

At first glance, Taipei seems a lot like the Shanghai or some of the other major metropolises of China, but on a smaller (and cleaner) scale. The Japanese occupation's legacy is tangible in the architecture as well. And don't get me started on the food---oh my God it was all so good and eclectic! The night markets are famous for strange foods, and I tried a lot of things, though I stayed away from the snake being offered in snake alley--yuck!

After spending a night at a weird hip hop/rock infused club with tee shirt tearing contests (don't ask) we enjoyed a quiet respite up north at the fisherman's wharf, strolling along the boardwalk. Another day I spent many awe struck hours at the National Palace Museum, admiring works from China that Chang Kai Shek "stole" or "rescued" from Mao's forces in the late 1940s.

Overall it was a peaceful city-- quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, and steeped in its very own, if very contentious, history.

National Palace Museum

Chicken hearts..mmmm

Snake Alley

Singapore Slinging!

2008-05-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Do you know what may be called heaven on earth? With the risk of sounding like an alcoholic, I would say it is drinking a Singapore Sling at the sleek bar of the Raffles Hotel, or under an umbrella on the hot sands of Sentosa Island. Interesting how my choices both involve drinking and warm weather, which Singapore has plenty of.

Singapore is practically equatorial, and is thus graced with warm, if not hot and sticky, weather year round. Sir Raffles found this gem of an island on travels abroad, and accurately predicted its potential in terms of strategic importance for Britain. For one thing, the Strait of Malacca, the infamous narrow passage that merchant ships would have to traverse to get to the Spice Islands and the Dutch East Indies, is quite nearby. Yet this Strait was also seeping with marauders and pirates, so having a base on land was quite valuable. It was also the only British presence way out east, with the exception of Hong Kong, of course.

Indeed, many people like to compare Hong Kong to Singapore, so I will insert my own two cents here. Both are incredibly cosmopolitan cities, with Hong Kong having a much higher population density, but Singapore is more diverse, hands down. With a Little India, Arab Town and Chinatown amongst the mainly Malaysian population, it's quite a hybrid. Having said that, the authoritarian nature of the government also supresses the most mixed, or funkiest sides of town.

As one taxi driver informed me, strict fines are usually accompanied with canings of the highest order. When I looked shocked, he did not hesitate to show me a video of a man getting violently caned on his butt that was on his cell phone! I guess locals keep this kind of footage around to remind themselves not to get carried away!

The city was quite charming with its tropical trees, innovative architecture (which HK has surprisingly little of), lovely boat quays, delicious foods, fascinating temples, and sunny, albeit man made beaches. Yet somehow it seemed a bit sterile as well, a little artificial and a little too quiet. You can't even chew gum, you have to go to a pharmacy to get a similar substance if anything!

Ultimately, despite my enjoyment, I found myself glad to be back in Hong Kong, a magnificent city all its own.

Singapore Slinging!

Arab Quarter

Little India

Chinatown

Artsy Architecture

The Middle of the Middle Kingdom

2008-04-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

From March 25-28, my roommate from Hong Kong and I made an epic journey to Xian, the ancient capital of China, located in the center of China around 12 hours by train from Beijing. We took an overnight train there, stayed one night, and took an overnight train back. If you have never taken a train in China, then you haven't really lived--as my friend Peter puts it, you have to go into Mainland China mode, which involves pushing, shoving, and glaring your way onto the train. For a Communist country, it really is surprisingly every man for himself.

Xian was the capital of China for 13 dynasties, and is a truly ancient city. In fact, I visited the ancient village of Banpu, which existed over 6000 years ago, as well as the Terracotta Warriors, which were constructed by the first Emperor of China around 200 BC. He is considered the first Emperor because he united the warring states of ancient China under his rule, which became known as the Qin Dynasty. Being a bit of an ego maniac, as kings tend to be, he ordered a grand mausoleum built and a corresponding grand terracotta army to protect it. In total, 700,000 people spent 40 years building the tomb and the army. Needless to say, they do not disappoint!

I wanted to be part of the glory...

Xian is also responsible for the advent and proliferation of silk: around 5000 years ago, a woman discovered silk here and thus she provided the origins for the silk road to the west. Interestingly, since the silk road spread all the way to the Mediterranean, philosophies and religions such as Buddhism and Islam came to China by this means. As a consequence, Xian still retains a bustling Muslim quarter, and we got to see a beautiful hybrid Chinese/Muslim Mosque, as well as enjoy such delicious foods as lamb dumplings. We also visited a silk factory and witnessed the silk making process, which was entertaining albeit gross. I also enjoyed seeing traditional Chinese architecture inherent in the central Bell Tower and Big Goose Pagoda (we didn't bother with the Little Goose Pagoda for obvious reasons!).

Bell Tower

Big Goose Pagoda

The Chinese Great Mosque

Of course, we couldn't go to inner China without some cultural clashes. Hence, when my roommate and I went to a New York Times recommended bar, we spent about an hour trying to get gin and tonics, explaining, diagramming and describing what we wanted, before they brought out a can of tonic water and two shots of whisky. When I tried ot explain that whisky is NOT gin, the manager brought out a bottle of tequila. I gave up and we got beer.

Classic Chinglish

At that place and others, I was asked to pose in pictures with local people--for the first time in my life, I was a celebrity. I guess I better take my 15 minutes of fame when I can get it!!

Beijing: A City of Olympic Proportions

2008-04-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

From March 21-25, and then 28-29, I ventured into the capital of the Middle Kingdom for an Easter extravaganza.

When I got out of the airport, my first impression was that it was freezing and foggy. My second impression was that it was that in fact it wasn't foggy, it was just polluted; the sky was a yellow gray haze.

Beijing, a city of almost 20 million people, is sprawling, with wide avenues, stifling traffic, hutongs (quaint albeit dirty alleys lined with small houses and inner courtyards), remnants of an imperial past, reminders of a Communist present, and ubiquitous construction sites part of the Olympic preparation fervor.

Going in chronological order, it makes sense to talk about the famous beacons of the imperial past. On my first full day, I booked a "Secret Great Wall" tour, ie a tour to a part of the wall that on a positive note is not crawling with tourists, but on a more negative note, is quite delapidated and not as impressive. I spent about 1.5 hours hiking up the mountain with my friends form Hong Kong and a friend from Shanghai who is a fellow Penn alum, following our guide who was SEVENTY TWO years old! He was laughing at our amateur hiking skills. We got to the wall, walked along it in the frigid cold for about 2 hours and then hiked back down. I feel like I made a pilgrimage, but it was totally worth it!

The Great Trek...

Great Views

Great Wall Graffiti

On the following day, we walked through Tiananmen Square, which, by the way, is such a juxtaposition of old and new: the ancient square is flanked by Sino-Soviet Style architecture such as the People's Congress. The Forbidden City is as imposing as it seems, with 980 surviving buildings, 8,707 bays of rooms covering 720,000 square metres. Actually, I was most impressed with the Imperial Garden in the back, and I loved the Chinglish signs! We rewarded ourselves after the days of walking with a delicious dose of Beijing Duck for dinner.

The classic Tiananmen Sq image

In case you need a place to gather your thoughts in the Forbidden City...

Pictures just don't do it justice but I tried...

Speaking of anachronisms--I spotted a cute girl sporting a traditional Chinese hat

Beijing Duck *Homer style drool*

We needed a rest after all of that sightseeing, so the following day we just hit up the Temple of Heaven, which is quite a masterpiece of Chinese architecture, where the Emperor went to pray and make sacrifices. We did a bit of shopping and ended the night with a Mongolian hot pot dinner.

Temple of Heaven

Hot pot galore

Fast forward to present day Beijing happenings and culture: on Tuesday, we ventured into the 798 Art District, an industrial zone that has been converted into a series of art galleries displaying much of China's up and coming art. I was fascinated to find that a lot of the art was quite subversive and anti-Communist--a friend who lives in Beijing told me that Chinese art is becoming quite an industry and source of revenue, so the government probably turns a blind eye.

You want to talk about the pending Olympics? I could not walk for five minutes without a) seeing posters and billboards either displaying electronic countdowns to the Olympics down to the second or showing the cutesy multicolored panda-like mascots of the Olympics, affectionately named Fuwa, or b) get accosted by a local trying to sell my paraphenalia with Fuwa images. Granted, my hostel was right next to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, so I should have expected it to be a bit of a tourist trap.

Then again, there are so few foreigners in Beijing, that the locals always assume you are a tourist. Despite this fact, and although the authorities constantly proclaim that they are ready for the games, I did not see any English signs or speak any English to local people besides at the tourist sites and at my hostel. My Western eyes were shocked to see children with slits in the back of their pants that serve the purpose of allowing them to do their business on the streets whenever they please. Unlike Hong Kong, where the authorities compulsively put up signs to prevent spitting, in Beijing, you have to watch where you are walking to avoid incoming incidents. The airport terminals are miles apart, and it took a bit of maneouvering to even find where to catch a bus from one point to the next. I hate to say it, and my teachers in Hong Kong were loath to hear it, but Beijing is not ready for the games.

From Tuesday to Thursday one friend from HK and I traveled to Xian before returning to Beijing on Friday. See the next blog entry for details on that side trip. We came back to Beijing for one last hurrah, and what a hurrah it was! My friend who lives in Beijing, who also went to Penn (I swear Penn is taking over the world!) took me to an unforgettable place for dinner. The restaurant was called the "Cultural Revolution Restaurant" and wow was it an eye opener! I walked in to see waiters clad in farm boy outfits, women clad in red guard outfits and pleated hair, and some of both genders dressed in green uniforms complete with the green hat and red star! As if that wasn't shocking enough, some of them were performing Communist era dances and songs before a backdrop of a huge Mao propaganda poster! When I sat down at the table (the only table of white people in the sea of red flag waving Beijingers) I asked someone if this was a joke, and she replied she really didn't think so...

Overall, it was an imposing city with an imposing past, present, and future...I'll reserve judgement on that until I see the games in August 2008...

Better Than A Fortune Cookie....

2008-03-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

When I lived in India as a child I had a nanny from Tibet. I distinctly remember her telling me that when she was a child, she had her whole life spelled out to her by a Chinese fortuneteller. He/She told her that she would get married when she was 30, and lo and behold, she did.

How much are people influenced by what people tell them is their pending fate versus what actually is their fate? I'm using fate loosely in this context of course, as I stubbornly believe that people have free will, but I just don't know to what degree.

I had a chance to test fate myself by going to a Chinese fortune teller yesterday next to the famous Taoist, Buddihist & Confucian Wong Tai Sin Temple. Did you know that in China you can get a degree in fortune telling? Chinese fortune telling, or Zi Wei Dou Shu, is an ancient respected art that literally means the study of a person's life based on the movement and location of the Zi Wei Star and 100+ other stars at the specific time the person was born.

The Procedure:
1. I gave my fortuneteller my "Four Pillars of Destiny": the moment of my birth: year, month, day, and time.
2. Using Chinese astrology, the fortuneteller first determined my sign on the Natal Birth Chart or Mìng Pán. From this I learned that I was born in the year of the Rat, not the Ox as I had thought, as I was born on the cusp--the cut off date is February fourth every year.
3. The Chinese believe there are five elements, or Wu Xing, including Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth (sorry for those Captain Planet fans out there, there is no "heart"!). A complete horoscope thus includes an animal and an element. The fortuneteller determined that I belong to the "water" class and that it was very strong.

The Results:
As a Water sign, he said I was not wealthy or a businesswoman. In a brief palm reading side note, he said the fact that my pinky was short confirmed this fate. Finally, he said I would be "famous" in my profession, but that I wouldn't be wealthy. So far so good :)

Since different years are associated with different elements (and animals of the zodiac) he foresaw varying fortunes for different years, although overall I am lucky. In Fire years, I would be wealthy. In Wood years, I would make a lot of progress. In Earth years, I would be powerful. In Water years, I would lose money, and in Gold years, I would regress. All of this is very vague, but it gets better.

Due to a combination of factors, the fortuneteller interpreted that my best years would be from 21-41. In those years, I would gain progress in work, power, honor, and good relationships. Then from 41-51 I would regress (menopause, children?), but from 51 onwards it would be good again.

Apparently, my best years for love are 2008 and 2009. I guess I better get crackin! He told me that although I wouldn't be wealthy, my husband would be as I have a high nose bridge. Face reading is an integral part of fortunetelling, and he said I was lucky based on my face. I guess there are worse things to hear :)

A Feng Shui analysis, the ancient Chinese art of arranging objects to create balance in one's life, was the final part of my session. Based on my Water sign, he said I could decorate my house in red, pink, blue, green or yellow, but that I must stay away from black and white. I must also place the pillow on my bed in the direction of east or south. When I told him that I was born in Brazil (the "south") he was pleased, taking this information as corroborating evidence. But I shouldn't get too cocky--I clearly also need porcelain horses to balance out my strong Water sign (porcelain represents Earth and horses represent Fire).

I am very intrigued by this prophecy, but as some of my more cynical friends said, let's hope he's not also in the porcelain horse industry...

Days That Will Last A Lifetime/Lara's Visit to HK

2008-03-02T02:41:00.000-08:00

My lovely little sis Lara came to visit me in Hong Kong from February 22nd to March first. It was one of these things where it seemed like she was here forever while simultaneously it seemed like such a short period of time passed. Needless to say we had an amazing time, and I miss her so much already.

I tried to fit into one week all of my favorite parts of Hong Kong, including the markets (goldfish, antiques and Stanley), the Chi Lin Nunnery, the fishing villages and beaches (Lamma Island), the food, and Macau, so you might have seen pictures similar to the ones you will find below in my earlier entries. However, I also took the opportunity to try out some new delicacies, such as the Horse Races and the famed Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula Hotel. Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry it has taken me so long to write an entry! HK life is all consuming (in a good way!). :)

Macao-Portugal Nostalgia & The A-Ma Fisherman's Temple

Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula Hotel

Lamma Island Paradise

A Night at the Races

Hong Kongers are OBSESSED with Japanese food...

My Little Reporters Club Field Trip to the Peak (Lara & I were chaperones)

Fun Filipino Stylin

2008-02-14T03:36:00.001-08:00

Imagine turquoise waters lapping at your feet.
Imagine prickly palms swaying overhead.
Imagine a soft sea breeze caressing your sun soaked body.
Imagine reggae beats wafting in the air.
Imagine an ice cold beer in your hand.

You don't need to imagine it if you are in the Philippines.

For my Chinese New Year holiday I managed to get myself a package (all you wayward old school travelers, don't roll your eyes at me) to the beautiful island of Boracay, in the center of the Philippines, about 2 hours by plane, bus and boat from Manila. Ordinarily, I like to rough it and neurotically plan every step of my vacations, but this time all I wanted was a few days of real rest and relaxation at a reasonable rate, so a friend and I booked 5 days at a lovely beach resort on the White Beach (that's its name, I'm not kidding) of Boracay.

Consistently nominated as one of the world's most beautiful beaches, the beach certainly did not disappoint. When we weren't splayed out on the sand, we were tropical bar hopping and people watching. Oh, and we spent a day on the boat fish watching too (aka snorkeling). We met quite a few random travelers, as Boracay is definitely a tourist spot, but I wouldn't exactly call it a tourist trap as it is not exorbitantly expensive and it manages to retain a lot of charm. Besides, the natives were so friendly! Even the constant echo of "Sunglasses MAAAAAAM" and "Massage MAAAAM" was not irritating. Most of the people we met were all smiles, despite the obvious poverty that they resided in. To my amazement, I learned that the native language lacks a word for depressed or unhappy,leading me to conclude one of two things:

1) They are in serious denial, or
2) Most people are truly happy, or at least content.

I'd like to think it was the latter. Hell, if I was surrounded by such natural wonder all of the time, I think I'd be damn happy!

The "Lust Caution" Birthday Bash

2008-02-09T02:47:00.000-08:00

"Lust Caution" is the latest movie by Ang Lee, Hong Kong's very own favorite native director. Unlike "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," this movie is the antithesis of Hollywood, focusing less on special effects and more on, you guessed it, characters and plot development. The film takes place in 1930s-1940s China, spanning the pre WWII era as well as WWII. It skillfully portrays the Hong Kong/Chinese resistance to the Japanese through the lives of 6 young people, complete with fabulous cheong sams or chip aos (Chinese dresses), mah jong games, and, naturally, romance, espionage and intrigue.

Seeing as I had a cheong sam tailor made here, not to mention that I love this movie, I decided to host a classy "Lust Caution" themed party. Indeed, my invitations read "Dress is 1940s Shanghai Style." I provided the sparkling wine, and my guests graciously provided some delicious delicacies. My dear friend Peter has a lovely apartment where we hosted the party, and it even came equipped with an oven (yes this is a HUGE deal in Hong Kong) so we even got some baked goods!

Enjoy some pictures from the fabulous party!

Market Mayhem

2008-01-25T00:45:00.000-08:00

I am of the firm belief that you can buy anything in Hong Kong. It may not be easy to find, and you may have to go to a specific shop or street specializing in that item, but you will find it eventually. For example, I remember when I first got here and needed to buy some mundane household item like a plug or an adaptor, and was promptly directed to the "electronics market." At first I thought this might be the name of a chain of electronics stores or something, but no: there is an actual street in Mongkok where they sell nothing else but electronic goods. This doesn't mean that you can't find electronics anywhere else in Hong Kong, but they probably won't be as good or as cheap. On the other hand, if you need something like light fixtures, you will be hard pressed to find them unless you go to one street in Wan Chai.

I suppose the assignment of certain trades to certain geographical locations is not unique to Hong Kong or China. In fact, you can find a "Blacksmith Street" or "Gold Street" or "Diamond Street" in other cities around the world. Yet in Hong Kong, I soon found out that there were specific markets and stalls for all kinds of random things--A Bird Market, A Goldfish Market, A Jade/Pearl Market, A Flower Market, An Antiques Market and generic clothes and food markets abound as well. The array of designer stores put New York to shame as well--I don't think there is an Armani Flower Shop on 5th Ave, do you? To give you a little taste of the array of goods available in distinct locals, I took some photos:

The Bird Market

The Goldfish Market

The Flower Market

The Cat Street Market (Antiques Market)

The Costumes Market

The Central Market (Typical Chinese Market)

The Designer's Market (It's huge in HK)

Angkor WHAT OR NAMCAM's Final Chapter

2008-01-06T02:41:00.000-08:00

From the classically Eurocentric point of view, the period from roughly about 400 AD to 1400 AD is known as The Middle Ages. This period encompasses the fall of the Roman empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance. Yet this view of history neglects the rise of advanced civilizations in other parts of the world; in Cambodia, in fact, this period saw the emergence of the largest temple complex in the world, namely Angkor Wat and other temples aforementioned.

Angkor Wat is THE largest temple in the world- the outer wall is 1025 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, and is surrounded by 30 m of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. It is everything the guidebooks (and archaeologal accounts) says it is and more. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavaraman II, it was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, but later became Buddhist. Supposedly 50% of the slaves from Burma, Mongolia, Vietnam and Thailand died building it.

All the temples at Angkor face east except Angkor Wat, which faces west, the direction of the sunset, which symbolizes death. The different entrances to the main temple complex were meant for different people, so kings, nobles, military officials and animals came in different ways. The five towers are mountains surrouding the central tower, which is the Hindu Mt Meru. The King was buried inside the central tower. 6 libraries surround the main temple as well.

Please see below for pictures, though of course they don't really do it justice...

Floating in a Sea of Majesty OR NAMCAM Part II

2008-01-03T01:44:00.000-08:00

As if our travels in Vietnam weren't enough to satisfy even the most voracious sightseer's appetite, we hopped on a plane from Hanoi, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia on December 28, 2007...

We stepped off the plane to rays of sweet sunshine and tropical surroundings, and I felt like my adventure had just begun. The charming little airport had palms and landscaped ponds to welcome us to the ancient land of Cambodia. We got to our lovely hotel and promptly languished by the swimming pool before going to sleep.

The next morning, at 8:30 AM sharp, S. Thy, the tour guide that I had arranged for, arrived and whisked us off on our first stop of a two day tour of the ancient ruins of Angkor. Throughout our time with him, I took copious, archaeological (nerd style) notes of which I will draw from extensively to give you a small taste of the majesty and awesome nature of these temples and palaces. Philistines beware!

1) Angkor Thom
"Capital City," this was a major Buddhist capital built by King Jayavaraman VII at the end of the 13th century, about 100 years after Angkor Wat. It has 5 gates, but there are two on the east side, a lucky one (where people came in) and an unlucky one (where they brought the dead out). We crossed a bridge lined with 54 stone buddhas representing the 54 ancient provinces in Cambodia, and mathematically speaking, 5+4=9 which is a magic number in Cambodia. We then entered through a gate with many faces on it. These faces represent the face of the king/buddha (what is it with kings immortalizing themselves all the time?!).
The Bayan Temple is located in the center of Angkor Thom, and is King Jayavaraman's supreme attempt to reconcile Hinduism and Buddhism, as it contains elements of both. Faces adorn the temple's 54 towers, and represent different things in the different religions; in Hinduism, they are the faces of Brahma, the creator, but in Buddhism, they are faces of Buddha. A strict Hindu succeeded the king and removed many of the sitting Buddhas from the temple, but it is still seen as Buddhist due to the prevalence of the lotus flower motif. The tour guide claimed that about 95% of the current Cambodian population are Buddhist but retain many Hindu practices.
Faded engravings of traditional Cambodian Apsara dancers with their upturned hands and feet can be seen throughout the temple. Deeply intricate engravings also survive on some of the outer walls, depicting scenes of battle between the ancient Cambodians and the "Jam" people, or Muslims from current day Vietnam. An interesting art historical sidenote: you could tell who the Chinese mercenaries in the pictures were due to their beards, and that the number of umbrellas next to people signfied rank.
The Bayan Temple took 27 years to build, and was unfinished. Like all of the Angkor buildings, sandstone and limestone were carried from far off quarries by water buffalo or down river. Unfortunately, about 50% of this temple has collapsed by now, and supposedly 30% has been hacked off and stolen. I was still impressed, so I can just imagine how amazing it once was!

The Baphuon Temple within Angkor Thom was a Hindu temple built in the mid 11th century, and served as the Royal Palace (King's) personal temple. Lingas, or geometric carvings representing the gods Shiva (destroyer), Vishnu (Protector), and Brahma (Creator), cover this temple. The temple was undergoing intense restoration funded by the French and Japanese, and there was rubble everywhere.

2) Ta Prohm Temple
"Tree Temple" or now better known as the temple Angelina Jolie swung through in the Lara Croft movie. It was somewhat appalling to the intellectual side of me to hear the tour guide refer to it thus, but at the same time, I suppose anything that brings attention and regard to these ancient wonders is a good thing :) Anyways, back to my archaeoligcal banter: Ta Prohm Temple was built in 1186 by King Jayavaraman and was dedicated to his mother. At its peak, this 1km by 800 meter complex held 12,000 people who lived and worked within its grounds. This figure includes 650 Apsara dancers who worked for the king. The most gripping feature of this temple, however, is the extent to which the jungle has taken it over--the silver Ficcus and entangled Banyan trees literally drape and invade the temples. Of course, the trees rip apart the stones, but in other places, the trees and rock are in symbiosis, holding each other up.

3) Basat Kravan
Built in 921, this is the second oldest temple in all of Angkor. It was built of brick as they still did not have the experience or technology to build with stone, but this gives it a unique character, plus it is bright orange. Like many of the other buildings we visited, the steps are very narrow, and the doors are very small, forcing all who enter to tread slowly and carefully and literally bow down before the gods. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, and its five towers each host carved pictures from Hindu lore. One picture depicts Vishnu standing on the Indonesian Garuda bird, which is a symbol of Hinduism. Another shows Vishnu's wife Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty

4) Mebon
This temple was built in 953 AD in the middle of a reservoir, thus it became known as the "Island Temple." The reservoir has dried up since then, but the name stuck. Not as grand as most of the other complexes, the most memorable aspects are the giant carved lions and elephants adorning the outside corners. Most of the Angkor boulders that make up the complexes have small holes which people used to move the boulders. At Mebon, however, there are many many holes, leading people to believe that there may have been a stucco facade that has since disintegrated or been stolen. Some even say jewels adorned this isolated gem of a temple.

AWAITING PICS FROM THE NAMCAM CREW

5) Pre Rup
Pre Rup literally means "turning the body" and functioned mainly as a crematorium. Built in 961, Pre Rup is another pre-stone era structure made of brick, but on a much grander scale. In fact, the central tower is supposed to look like a mountain as in Hinduism, the gods live on a mountain called Mt Meru (kind of like Mount Olympus in Greek mythology I'm guessing). 12 towers represent 12 months of the year as well as the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. It retains a resolutely rugged appearance due to the use of volcanic rock as well.

AWAITING PICS FROM THE NAMCAM CREW

6) Banteay Srei
Translated roughly as the "Citadel of Ladies," this temple complex was built in the 10th century, which makes it older than Angkor Wat. It was built by King Rajendravaraman, and contains two libraries as well as places workship. Srei comes from the Hindi or Sanskrit word Sri which means beauty. This Hindu temple is a bit out of the way and is quite small but the level of detail in the engravings is so astounding that crowds flock here almost as much as to Angkor Wat. The engravings tell various Hindu stories, such as the most famous one about Ravanna and Rama, two beings who squabble after one of them steals the other one's wife. The whole thing sounded rather similar to The Iliad actually, with all the warriors fighting over a pretty girl. There is a monkey king character in the Hindu tale too who is seen on many of the Hindu temples. This was the first time I caught a glimpse of Ganesh, the Indian god with the elephant head, and actual tesselations with cobras and gerudas (both Hindu symbols).

7) River Carvings/Kabal Spean
Having received many enthusiastic recommendations, we resolved to visit the fabled Hindu river carvings in the heart of rural Cambodia. Our guide drove for over an hour from Siem Reap, then we trekked up a mountain for about an hour before we reached the goal of our pilgrimage: fantastical carvings in the river bed and on the river banks. These carvings included figures of the gods as well as Lingas, or geometric carvings representing the gods Shiva (destroyer), Vishnu (Protector), and Brahma (Creator). It was thought that as the water passed over the lingas, it would become holy. Unfortunately, Lakshmi's face was cut off one of the stones in 2003 (Thy thought it was the Thai but he also had a serious chip on his shoulder regarding the Thai so who knows?).

AWAITING PICS FROM THE NAMCAM CREW

Good Morning, Vietnam!!

2008-01-02T00:47:00.000-08:00

NAMCAM 07/08 (Vietnam and Cambodia 07/08) is the name of the holiday/adventure/escapade that I recently made with 5 other girls--Eileen from college and 4 lovely ladies from Chatteris. NAMCAM started as a dream--a dream to see as much as possible of southeast Asia in a short amount of time. NAMCAM became a reality when I mentioned my aims in passing and rounded up people to join me.

We decided on Vietnam (NAM) first of all because it is quite close to Hong Kong, and is even accessible by train overland through China for around US$60. First we got a train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou in China, then we convinced/forced a taxi cab driver to drive us 5 frazzled white girls to another train station to catch the overnight train to Nanning. I don't recall having ever ridden on an overnight train, but I am sure it would never have compared to this one!! The compartment was about the size of, say, a SHOEBOX hahahah with six beds in it (3 beds on each side in bunks)! I knew we would be bonding during this trip, but this was serious! Needless to say, we caused quite a commotion being the only white people on the train, and occasionally people would just stand outside our cabin and stare inside (we endured being made a spectacle as we lacked a curtain or any other privacy inducing barrier). We made it to Nanning around 6 AM, and inhaled some prisoner style food before getting a 3 hour train to Pinjiang, China (a bordertown). On this train, we made some "friends" by playing a card game I learned at Penn from friends in Hong Kong called Chinese Poker, or Choy Dai Di. Once in Pingiang, we got a cab to the border, walked across, went through painful immigration, and then got another taxi to Dong Dang, all the while taking in the scenery of French architecture amidst motorbikes sporting dead pigs. We finally negotiated a bus ride from Dong Dang to Hanoi, and arrived at our hotel in the late afternoon. Whew!

Hanoi, the "city inside the river" seems to be similar to most southeast Asian capital cities: busy, loud, narrow, and FULL of motorcycles. One tour guide told us that in a city of 6 million, 5 million have motorbikes. Now picture that in a city with no sidewalks and see what you get! I never knew I could be such a fearless jaywalker! haha we stayed in the charming old quarter, perused the local silk markets, and admired the French architecture. We eagerly caught a Water Puppet Show, a uniquely charming Vietnamese art form. We also made a pilgrimage to the Temple of Literature, the country's oldest university, founded by Confucius in 1070, which was magnificent. AND of course, being the foodie that I am, I assumed the food in Vietnam would be marvelous, but I had no idea how amazing it truly would be! French baguettes for breakfast, pho noodle soup on a charming street for lunch, and fusion for dinner--can't complain, seriously.

As our myriad NAMCAM planning meetings progressed, we discovered that there was a beautiful place called HaLong Bay where we could take a cruise, and it was only a few hours from Hanoi, our home base for our stay in Vietnam. HaLong bay means "descending dragon" because it consists of huge, pointed limestone cliffs in the middle of a bay, so it seems like the back of a dragon. I imagined it would be just as Never Never Land would have looked, it was so magical! We spent a luxurious Christmas Day and "Boxing Day" as the Brits call it on a boat, feasting on seafood delicacies and stopping on the isles to look for pirate's treasure (ok ok there was no treasure but we did go to caves!)

Finally, we did a day trip to the "Fragrant Perfume Pagoda" which is a Buddhist temple inside a cave out in the countryside. To be honest, the temple itself wasn't that impressive, but the landscape was from a postcard--languid rivers, lotus flowers, and a canoe ride to top it off.

Please see below for pics!

French architecture at the border crossing

More French architecture

Christmas- Vietnam style

Communism in the streets

The only quiet spot in Hanoi-Hoam Kiem Lake

Cool cafe over the lake

The Temple of Literature

Halong Bay aka Never Never Land

The Fragrant Perfume Pagoda Pilgrimage

Get Thee To A Nunnery! Or at least try some cool temples...

2007-12-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is hard to remember that I am in China. Hong Kong is so fast paced, with its myriad of high rise buildings, designer shopping malls, and oh yeah, the whole freedom of expression thing. Yet in the past few weeks I have come face to face with a facet that Hong Kong shares with China, whether China will admit it or not: religion.

The Chi Lin Nunnery was the first stop on my religious excursion, and wow was it beautiful! It was built relatively recently, in 1934, but its authenticity is bolstered by the fact that it is built in a traditional Tang dynasty architectural style, meaning that there are no nails; the buildings consist of wooden dowels, and bracket work holds together the 228,000 pieces of timber. Feng Shui principles are also apparent, as the buildings face south towards the sea and their back is to the mountains. A main hall is surrounded by small buildings housing bodhisattvas (beings that have reached enlightenment), and a lovely pond is in the centre of it all. Next to the Nunnery, I got to enjoy a traditional Chinese garden, which I must say reminds me of traditional Japanese gardens. Or should I say the opposite? Regardless, the garden was gorgeous with its bonsai tress, rock art, and geometric lotus and coi filled ponds.

The second stop I made was to the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, which is basically a big complex built to honor Hong Kong's three major (traditional, non western) religions, namely Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. Different altars honor the different beliefs, but a recurring theme is that of fortune--people kneel and shake chim (sticks with fortunes written on them) while burning incense and making food offerings. Adjacent to the temples lies the Good Wish Garden, and outside the complex, locals offer to tell your fortune for a small fee.

Centipedes, Antlers, Bird Nests- Oh My!

2007-12-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I happened to book a hotel in Sheung Wan (which is also where I later decided to live). Sheung Wan also happens to be the historical center of Chinese Medicine shops, thus upon my first stroll through the neighborhood, I experienced an onslaught of pungent, unfamiliar smells and sights. Shop after shop offered strange and unusual goods, of which I hadn't the faintest idea of the origin.

A major street in my neighborhood: Ginseng & Bird's Nest Street

Typical looking Chinese Medicine Shops

Now I have gotten used to the smells, and don't even notice them. Plus, I got a short seminar on Chinese medicine that explained some of the background stories and purpose of the goods sold in the shops.

CHINESE MEDICINE 101

-Philosophy:
1)Like Western Medicine, the main purpose of Chinese Medicine is to cure diseases and help someone recover. The second aspect, however, is a more general goal to improve the immune system.
2)The Chinese believe that everything is about balance and contrast, so they often describe and analyze malady in terms of yin vs yang, hot vs cold, wet vs. dry, and dark vs. bright.

-Physiology: The Chinese believe that there are five major organs including the lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas and the liver.

-Diagnosis/Steps the Chinese Medicine Doctor takes:
1) Ask the patient what is wrong, obtain some basic information
2) Physically examine the patient by looking at the face and tongue
3) Feel the patient's pulse (to discover a strong or weak pulse and determine the level of circulation)
4) Smell the patient to detect if something is wrong
5) Analyze and assess the situation before prescribing something.

-Potential Remedies:
1) Drink/eat traditional medicine (over 5000 items, all more gross than the next in my mind!)
2) Acupuncture
3) Massage
4) Bone therapy

-Traditional Medicine Examples:
1) Crocodile Meat is used to alleviate asthma
2) Fossil bones are used to cure insomnia
3) Deer antlers are put into soup to stop pain, cure crying

4) Bird's Nest are eaten to improve the skin and increase longevity

5) Centipedes for god knows what!

Signs, Symbols and Sentiment

2007-12-02T04:11:00.000-08:00

Signs vs. Language/Signs as Language

1)In the early 20th century, French anthropologist Ferdinand de Saussure formally coined the term semiology--the science of signs, (of which linguistics is only part of the story).

2)In the 1950s, French Anthopologist Claude Levi Strauss expanded on semiology by exploring various human phenomena such as kinship before concluding that certain structures (like kinship) are universal, it is just the content, the codes and signs, that are culturally specific.

3) Strauss contemporary, French Anthropologist Ronald Barthes proposed that local signs carry larger cultural meanings. He also noted that signs/language is infused with meaning by different people to communicate different, rather arbitrary connotations (for example, brands in advertising).

It is this latest evolution of structuralist philosophy, the idea that the social construction of reality or cultural paradigm is produced within a culture through its unique system of signs, that I have adopted in my everyday life. In fact, I realized that this is so much the case, that I read and analyze street signs here in Hong Kong as much as I can.

Overall, I have found the Chinese (or at least those in Hong Kong) to be paradoxically both intolerant of those less fortunate, such as beggars, and compassionate, especially to the elderly. They are also exceedingly safety conscious and cleanliness conscious (I am told this is due to SARS).

Additionally, as anyone who has been to Chinatown can appreciate, I find that business establishments adopt names that are quite straightforward and literal. I am not sure whether this is merely due to a lack of english, a lack of creativity, or an unspoken linguistic code among businesses that discourages flowery language...

See for yourself:
THE SUBWAY
No hawking/No Begging Sign asking people to report violations

Sign telling people to contact station staff if they are sick, with the image of an open hand

Sign asking people to give up their seats for the old and disabled "Show you have a loving heart" with a heart in the text and image

Sign over all the subway trash cans asking/telling people not to spit as it spreads germs (unbelievable that they actually really need to put up the signs...)

ELEVATORS
Ubiquitous DORAEMON (Hello Kitty for boys) signs in elevators (unthreatening, familiar cutesy cartoon is used to communicate important safety messages)
"Keep Clear of the Lift Door-Safe Use of Lifts"

"Don't Overload Lift-Safe Use of Lifts"

"Children must be accompanied by adults when using lifts-Safe Use of Lifts"

"When trapped, keep calm. Alert the caretaker by pressing the alarm bell button-Safe Use of Lifts" *note it says WHEN trapped not IF you get trapped hahaha*

BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS
"Very Good Seafood Restaurant"- Very good advertising!

"Smooth Investment Co., Ltd"- In case you had any doubts...

I Went Camping...in November!

2007-11-25T01:07:00.000-08:00

You heard me, I went camping! ME the girliest girl with parents who are city people through and through managed a WHOLE night in the WILDERNESS! HA! Take that Indiana Jones....:)

Basically, all of the people in my program managed to survive a whole night on Pui O Beach near Mui Wo on Lantau Island, and managed to have a great time! We took a 40 minute ferry from the heart of the city (it's called Central for a reason) to Lantau Island, a massive, green island to the west, took over a local bus and ended up in what seemed like a different country--there were wild animals and everything! Haha it was actually pathetic how excited we all were to see cows after living in Hong Kong for a few months...

Check out the few photos below for beautiful Pui O Beach; I'll even promise to take you if you come and visit!

How Many Faces Can a Buddha Make?

2007-11-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

It is said that the human face can make hundreds of facial expressions with a set of just 53 facial muscles. Because so much of human sociological interaction is nonverbal, the ability to express emotion and accurately recognize facial expressions is essential. One study I found showed that people can recognize 85% of facial expressions. This also relates to the concept of physiognomy which refers to analyzing features of the face to gain insights into someone's character or personality.

I recently visited the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a local temple built by Shanghai craftsman with almost 13,000 Buddhas, all expressing different facial expressions and poses. So I asked myself, how many faces can a Buddha make? Can one adopt physiognomy in this case to determine the character of Buddha or the religion of Buddhism?

Although ultimately I could not determine the answer to this question, I had fun taking pictures of the Buddhas and guessing the emotion expressed, as you can see below...(and I hope people don't get offended by my interpretations...:) ).

Happy Buddha (classic)

Petrified Buddha

Guilty Buddha

Amused Buddha (trying not to laugh)

Exasperated Buddha

Pondering Buddha (a la Rodin)

Nervous Buddha

Forgetful Buddha

Disgusted Buddha

Deranged Buddha?

The beginning of an "emotional journey" hahaha

After climbing about 400 steps, we reached the Temple Complex...

Halloween in Hong Kong

2007-11-04T18:37:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered that there is no word for tackiness in Chinese--the closest would be the Chinese word for bad taste, but its connotation signifies "out of tradition" or "breaking with tradition." Halloween in Hong Kong epitomizes the Chinese people's unfamiliarity with the concept of tackiness, or rather, that they are very familiar with the concept! All the restaurants are covered in fake spiderwebs, shrunken heads hang from the ceilings, they have gross, unappetizing Halloween looking dishes, and the wait staff get totally decked out. The stores embrace the theme as well, hoping that foreigners will be attracted to how dedicated they are. And in Lan Kwai Fong, the bar/club area where many expats congregate at night, many natives adorn Halloween attire. Many women are not that creative though, simply wearing cheong sams (those traditional, long Chinese dresses), and take the idea of "dressing up" for Halloween a little too literally. Thus, when people from my program and I went out in real funky costumes, we got even more stares from the locals than normal...

Please enjoy pictures from Halloween...

Lan Quai Fong tackiness...

Me as Charlie Chaplin/Borat/A Fine Gentleman

Go Get Em Pardner!

Stay Away from MA woman!

Me with Doraemon (Boy's version of Hello Kitty)

The Knocked up White trash bride, the Gentleman, and the 50s housewife with rollers, cigarette, and valium in tow!

Nonchalant gentleman and Chinese bandit

Um...Could Asian Kids Get Any Cuter?

2007-10-27T03:58:00.000-07:00

I realize that my blog entry content has been generally monopolized by my adventures in and around Hong Kong, and that people may believe that all I do is go traveling and exploring. While this is not entirely incorrect, I do have a job as well :) Thus I have dedicated this entry to describing being an english teacher, or Chatteris Native English Language Tutor, in a Hong Kong elementary school.

While many schools in Hong Kong have professional, experienced native english teachers on staff in addition to young inexperienced ones (like me), my school has instead opted to solely put their faith in me and my skills, such as they are. My job therefore requires me to think fast and on my feet, and to be tougher than most jobs in the past have ever required. The older children (9-11 year olds) assumed I was a softy and could get away with anything seeing as many classes involve fun games and speaking focused activities. After the first few weeks with some nightmarish classes, I decided it was no more Mr. Nice Guy, and created discipline charts with stars and crosses. Oh, and I am also employing the death glare to great effect...The younger children are much easier to deal with as they have yet to become rebellious and blase about school, though their level of energy can be difficult to contain sometimes. This is good and bad, for they can be difficult to control, but they also endearingly yell out my name in the hallways and offer me their snacks, making me feel like a local celebrity. They are so damn cute, how can you get mad at them? Most children, young and old, hilariously never cease to be amazed by my height as well, constantly asking, "Ms Murray, why are you so tall?" And when they feel like giving me a particularly great compliment, they tell me that I look like Harmony from Harry Potter :)

I have increasingly found myself drawing on my years of being the daughter of diplomats, tiptoeing around the fact that I am not a Christian though I am in a devoutly Christian school. The Chinese, particularly the women, tend to be very shy as well, so I have had to diplomatically ask teachers for feedback and deal with odd comments. Overall, the teachers are very sweet and I have little to complain about in that regard. For example, one day when I was not feeling particularly great, one of the teachers said, "OH, I like it when you wear your glasses, you look like American movie star with your glasses." hahahaha I have no idea where she got that idea!

Please see below for some pictures of the cutest children you have ever seen!

Doing Shanghai in Style

2007-10-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

(Preface: please check out the last post to see recently added photos of my bellydancing)

Now that my shameless self promotion is out of the way, I will spend the duration of this blog plugging Shanghai, or "The city above the ocean" as it means in Mandarin. Shanghai is a city of so much history, and yet the fact that most of it was blown away in World War II makes for interesting sightseeing; most of it has been reconstructed either in a classically ancient style or in an abruptly modern way. Indeed, I don't think I have ever seen so much construction work going on in my entire life. I brought a friend from Hong Kong who speaks Mandarin and spent time in Shanghai last summer, and we luckily stayed with my friend Danielle from Penn who teaches english in Shanghai. She lives in a charming area of the older part of the city, on the western side of the Huang River. Pudong is the eastern side of the river, where the airport and much of the newest construction is currently underway.

The first day we wandered the streets, admiring the wide open avenues and greenery which was such a contrast from the densely packed narrow sidewalks of Hong Kong. Both cities are densely populated (Hong Kong, 8 million, Shanghai 17 million), but Hong Kong covers a much smaller area. In People's Square downtown, we bumped into some tourists from the Xian province in China who brought us to an exquisite traditional tea house, where we witnessed and participated in a lavish tea ceremony. Us women held the tea cup in a certain way to promote beauty whereas the men were told to hold the cups in another way to promote luck in business. The traditional tea cup with saucer, cup, and cup cover symbolized heaven and earth with the tea leaves in the cup in between representing people. This ritual was truly an anthropologist's dream come true :) We topped the day off with a customary trip to the Oriental Pearl Tower to see the city from above (yes, they use the Chinese word for Oriental in the name I am not being politically incorrect...). As you will see in the picture below, it is hard to tell whether this is a building, a spaceship, or a science fiction writer's fantasy!

The second day we made our way down to the Jade Buddha Temple, where I think all the white people in Shanghai congregate (or at least all the annoying tourist groups). It truly was a stunning complex though and was the token cultural stop of the day. We progressed to the famous Yu Garden, which is a typical Asian looking garden with the tesellated wall designs emulating Chinese characters and rock formations adjoining still streams. It looked Japanese to my eye until I realized that so much Japanese culture stems from Chinese culture, which the Chinese are quite quick to point out.

Truthfully, we spent much of the rest of the time shopping, although I am proud to admit I was one of the few tourists not coveting and buying knockoff handbags...We dined at some amazing Shanghainese restaurants and had some drinks at some local bars, including some gay bars for fun. Who would've thought you would find prominent gay bars in China, considering the fact that it is severely looked down upon and having AIDS is actually a punishable offense.

I ended my trip to Shanghai with a trip on the new Maglev train, a train that never touches the ground and travels SO fast. It was interesting to see the sprawl that is Shanghai central with its surrounding rice paddies woosh by in about 7 minutes from downtown Shanghai to the airport. We need to face facts, guys: the Chinese are getting there, and fast!

Check out some photos from the trip!

Suburbia amidst the skyscrapers

A City of Contrasts-Old and New

The former Soviet Consulate: Take THAT comrade!

People's Square-downtown Shanghai

Cool looking Museum of City/Urban Planning

Tea ceremony

Oriental Pearl Tower aka Space Shuttle

My friend Peter & I before takeoff

Smog filled view from the tower: Huang River

The Jade Buddha Temple

The Star of the Show

A quiet respite

Tranquility

Buddhist figures

Buddhas, Beaches and Bellydancing

2007-10-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

Alliteration always makes things sound appealing, doesn't it? Anyways, this past week I experienced good joss, a Chinese word for luck or fate. Exactly a week ago I went to a bellydance lesson just to get back into the swing of things, and to my delight, afterwards, the teacher asked me to dance at her restaurants in Hong Kong! Wait a minute, I thought, you want me to do my favorite thing in your restaurant? ummmm yeah! So now I am getting fed Middle Eastern food and getting lessons in return for dancing with another lady twice a week in the evening at a very respectable Turkish restaurant. Who would have thought!

On the weekend I went to see the largest sitting Buddha existing in the outdoors on a beautiful green island near my house called Lantau Island. It was quite a trek to get there but completely worth it! Not only did I get to see an astounding bronze Buddha, but the monastery nearby was quite breathtaking as well. The following day I relaxed at a beach called Big Wave Beach, really the only beach equipped for surfing. Aaaaaah this is the life!

Please see below for pics from my adventures!

Hong Kong skyline

The Big Buddha

A statuette near the Big Buddha

The monastery next to the Buddha

Inside the monastery

Below the altar

The COOLEST dragon columns EVER

The dancers

Having a blast!

Holiday Happiness

2007-09-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

This week was a great week--I got to experience the popular Chinese Mid Autumn Festival and I got 2 days off of work! The second day off is actually tomorrow, as it is National Day...sweeeeet. Mid Autumn Festival celebrates the annual harvest, and the legend behind it involves star-crossed lovers reuniting every year at this time, when the moon is full. Indeed, the ancient holiday focuses on the moon, and families get together to watch the moon and eat mooncakes-- a rather foul concoction of lotus paste and 2 hard boiled eggs. I watched the celebrations at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island, admiring the lanterns overhead and the families eating together.

On my day off, I went biking into the New Territories, the wide expanse of land between Hong Kong, the city, and mainland China, with some ladies in my program. We had a blast and enjoyed breathtaking views together.

Yesterday, my program, the Chatteris Educational Foundation, celebrated by taking us on a junk boat trip--basically, we all went on a big boat trip out into the southern Chinese Seas and had a glorious time. The sights were truly incredible, we gave sunburn a whole new meaning (especially those pasty brits) and I discovered a hidden talent for wakeboarding, much to my delight!

Enjoy pictures from my happy holiday :)

Mid Autumn Festival

Mid Autumn Festival lanterns

Mid Autumn Festival Fire Dragon Dance

New Territory Sights-juxtaposing nature and manmade structures

Junkboat Joy

Where Pictures Can't Even Tell Half The Story

2007-09-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong really is one of the most amazing cities in the world, and that is no overstatement--it has the big city lights and action, the small town ancient traditions, delectable eats, fabulous bars, all the street markets you can imagine (ladies, goldfish, bird, jade, pearls, electronics), and island getaways to boot! I feel so lucky to have the time to explore such a treasure trove of delights!

One such treasure is Stanley Beach-- a gorgeous beach located on Stanley peninsula on the south of Hong Kong Island, reached by driving through lush mountains. My preferred route is by double decker bus, which gives vertigo a whole new meaning! Right next to the beach is the famous Stanley Market: an exhibit of clothes, trinkets and traditional Chinese goods such as jade. I tried to capture the beauty and essence of Stanley by camera, and although I definitely did not succeed, I hope I will make some of you envious enough to hastily book a flight over here :)

Macau-Tao Interessante!

2007-09-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you mix Colonial architecture, Asian food, European pastries, and the universal penchant for gambling? I would say Macau comes pretty damn close--whereas Hong Kong is the definitive British-Chinese hybrid, Macau is the Portuguese-Chinese version. Of course, from what people tell me, Macau has changed considerably in the last five years, since its independence from its paternalistic European influence. Yet there are still indelible signs of the Portuguese, such as in the architecture, the wide avenues, or avenidas as they are called, the food (I had such amazing food, including the classic pastel de nata), and even the language. Indeed, after cruising through the main Largo de Senada, or Senada Square area, with its customary Ruins of Sao Paulo and Fortaleza do Monte/Fort on the Mountain, Maxine and I ventured by bus to nearby Taipa/Coloane Island, only to find ourselves listening to a weird Portuguese/Chinese dialect! Taipa was much more quaint than Macao, as it lacked the tacky casino-filled streets and resembled the Portuguese countryside in its quiet countryside and town squares. We ended our mini vacation the way most Chinese and Portuguese people would--with food! Merrily we enjoyed a classic Portuguese dinner at a lovely restaurant called Fernando's, replete with sardines, arroz com bacalhau (rice with codfish) and sangria. Que bom!

A restaurant whose namesake is the Portuguese national symbol

Largo do Senado

Kickin it

A local shop

A pretty inner courtyard with azulejos

Church of S Domingo

Brazil or Macao?

The Ruins of Sao Paulo (front facade is the only thing left)

Fortaleza do Monte

I'm glad they made that clear...hahaha

Macau-Where the average gambler gambles 5X what a Vegas gambler does

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

2007-09-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I met some people staying at the Chungking Mansions-- a delapidated, notorious, poor excuse of a building that is part slum, part hostel, part haven for migrants, and part Indian restaurants. I believe there was a famous movie filmed here as well. In any case, I visited the neighborhood where it is situated, Tsim Sha Tsui, more affectionately known as TST, and found myself bombarded by the usual Hong Kong ubiquitous street signs, as well as surrounded by Indian men badgering me to come to their tailor shops or to buy "a watch madam?" I have included the pictures from TST below, as well as a picture of one of my favorite night spots, and one picture from the housewarming party I had at my house last friday, which, might I add, was a resounding success, despite the cramped quarters.

The face of shadiness

The customary Indian harassers

TST's Nathan Road

TST's hustle and bustle

"The Feather Boa"-SOHO's gorgeous hidden treasure of a bar

Playing my favorite role: hostess with the mostess

The Highest Peak

2007-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Anybody afraid of heights needn't bother with one of Hong Kong's main attractions--Victoria Peak. Situated over 400 m above sea level, with the main route being a steep tram up the mountain (apparently the steepest in the world), it is not an excursion for the weak at heart. Having said that, it was a truly thrilling ride. Please see below for today's adventure, first through Hong Kong's stunning botanical and zoological gardens, then up the mountain with a tram, passing by the wealthy mid levels, until ascending the top, the Peak. Unfortunately, we experienced pre-typhoon weather, with a typical haziness precluding any great shots of the city, but we managed :)

Tycoon Court--oh the decadence of Hong Kong's Midlevels!

Midlevel dramatism amidst the foliage

At the gates of HK Botanical & Zoological Gardens

En Route-Visions of HK in 45 degrees

Think you are on a roller coaster? Guess again, it's the tram!

A charming belvedere

On the lookout

Dim Sum- What God must eat for breakfast

2007-09-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

So I ate Dim Sum for brunch today for the second time in Hong Kong, and wow! It is just so delightful and a real cultural experience (yes I am an anthropology nerd...). The only thing I can really compare it to is Spanish tapas or Mediterranean mezze, as it consists of a bunch of small dishes that everyone shares. People walk around the restaurant pushing carts of interesting looking food and you just pick out what you want for the table. Today I had one of my favorite Chinese foods, namely char siu ban, or barbequed pork buns: delicious pork encased in thick rice dough. I also ordered chinese broccoli, which is another favorite believe it or not, as they are a special kind of crunchy veggie served with oyster sauce. I have found a lot of Cantonese Chinese food contains pork, a few contain chicken or beef, but rarely have I encountered lamb. For the really adventurous, chicken feet and cow stomach are readily available as well. I have as yet not been brave enough to try these delicacies, nor have I had monkey brains or bird's nest (bird saliva soup...yuck). In fact, one of the pictures posted in my last entry depicted a birds' nest shop. Seafood restaurants abound, particularly in my neighborhood, and give a whole new meaning to the word fresh as all the seafood is pretty much kept in tanks to be killed on the spot once you order it (often they offer you the honor of choosing which one you want and then they kill it in front of you). I think animal rights' activists would have a fit over here! hahaha Overall, the food experience here is very memorable, cheap, and as long as you can avoid the MSG, you are golden!

Here are some more pictures from my stay here, and this time I wasn't lazy and added comments appropriately. Mainly they depict my neighborhood, people in my program, and there is one of my school. HOpe you enjoy them and feel free to comment on anything you find interesting. Miss you all terribly, come to HK ASAP!

Singing karaoke--I'm becoming more Asian every minute! :)

Me and a fellow Chatteris person at Shek O beach

Incense burners inside the Man Mo Temple (the outside of the temple featured in the last posting)

Hollywood Road Park-an oasis next to my apartment

I swear I'm in a movie

So feng shui

A local antique shop

Doraemon--a kind of Hello Kitty for boys

Cute childrens' board at school

Pictures of HK in all its glory

2007-09-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

This one's for you Matty...

2007-08-31T03:59:00.001-07:00

Ok so Matty (my friend from Penn who has been graciously showing me all the hot spots in Hong Kong) yelled at me yesterday for the dearth of posts on my blog, so this one is dedicated to him :)

Yesterday my roommate Maxine (a lovely lass from Orlando, FL) and I moved into our new apt. This involved moving all of our stuff from the hotel on Kowloon side to Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island. Seeing as we are girls and apparently have no form of self discipline when it comes to clothes, we had WAY too much crap and made quite a spectacle of ourselves to our neighbors. By the way, we are the only gwailos (white people) in our building, and it seems the whole neighborhood! We finally made it and had to clean up the whole place, but now it looks quite snazy if I do say so myself :) We went to get the locks changed today, which was an ordeal in itself, obtaining directions from the locals--I enjoy living amongst the locals, but maybe they do not share my sentiments?? hahahaha Anyways it turned out ok, and the lock guy even gave us tips on local restaurants. Our real estate agent told him we were teachers so that we would get a discount, which was very kind of him. I think Maxine and I are going to invite the agent to our housewarming party, as he has been so helpful in getting us settled. PLUS that means we just MUST have a party soon :)

Today I visited the school where I will be teaching, a private Christian elementary school called Kowloon Rhenish. Two of the local english teachers showed me around the school, which was very cute with hello kitty type stickers everywhere. They also gave me a Winnie the Pooh notebook, which was sweet (Pooh is HUGE over here). Then we went to a western lunch with the Principal of the school, who ended up treating all of us. She was quite interesting, having studied in New Orleans many years ago of all places. The only potential point of contention is the fact that it is not a secular school, and I am obviously not Christian. It kind of hit home when we said prayers before lunch today. When they asked me if I was religious, I hastily told them that my mother was Christian and my father was Jewish, so I was very tolerant of all....a fairly diplomatic answer I hope! This prompted the Principal to tell me about how Chinese values were similar to Jewish ones (family emphasis etc)...to which I just smiled and nodded hahahhaa

Well I am off to a night on the town with some new friends and some old--I found out a friend from high school in Portugal is now studying here, and a friend from Penn is visiting. It's such a small world and I love it!
Hope to put up pics soon w internet in my own place, and hope to talk to you all soon! Big kiss!

2007-08-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Lei Ho Ma! Hello! This is just a quick update on what I have been doing and enjoying in Hong Kong:

1) New bachelorette pad! That is right, I have found myself a beautiful furnished apartment in the quiet neighborhood of Hong Kong Island called Sheung Wan that I wrote about in my last blog. THere is a great view of a park with Chinese style buildings and a pond, a nice kitchen, bathroom, and two decently sized bedrooms. Almost best of all, there is a washing machine (that is quite a luxury here let me tell you!).

2) Beach. I went to Shek O Beach yesterday which was a picturesque spot between hills on the southeastern side of Hong Kong Island. Some kids in the program and I had to take mini bus through the snaky roads to get there, but it was completely worth it. We were probably the only white people (gwailos) there, but that kind of makes things more interesting, doesn't it?

3) Mong Kok. This neighborhood on the Kowloon or mainland side of HK is the most densely populated area in the whole world! It puts Times Square to shame! hahaha there is a great ladies night market though that is worth battling through people to get to--I anticipate chunks of my next paycheck will be spent here buying decorations (Chinese scrolls) and kitchenware (bowls and chopsticks) for my new apt. Also, any electronics you could possibly think of, or even imagine you can find in the electronics market here.

4) School Orientation. The main reason it took me awhile to write this entry is that in addition to apt hunting I have been in training, which really took it out of me! The kids are really cute (6-11 years old) , and while most of the girls are really stereotypically Asian (giggling and meek), the boys are quite rambunctious! They give themselves english names at a young age, so the spectrum runs from average British names like Tom and Albert to random ones like Cybil and Kitty (there are a TON of kittys hahaha).

I start school next week and move in to my new place, so I will have to update you on new comings and goings at that point!

Whew I made it!

2007-08-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! SO I finally got around to getting this set up, although unfortunately you won't see any pics for awhile...I am currently staying in a hotel in central Hong Kong, in an area called Yau Ma Tei. Soon I hope to go to the ladies night market in nearby Mong Kok to splurge on clothes (I keep telling myself I will buy work clothes..yeah right!). Tonight is Karaoke night with the other kids in the program, when we will undoubtedly take some more "Asian" pictures. This is a term I have coined, perhaps unpolitically correct, which involves people making the peace sign and cutesy faces and poses, as they do ubiquitously here. In any case, there are many sights and sounds to tell you about--first impressions of HK here we go:

Sheung Wan neighborhood: full of Chinese medicine stands with all kinds of goodies that you don't want to ask about...or necessarily smell...basically it consists of ginger, dried fruit and seafood.

Causeway Bay neighborhood: consists of "Times Square" and the corresponding fashion billboards everywhere, plus the packed flow of people, and a nearby World Trade Center, believe it or not!

Central neighborhood: This is where the typical pictures of Hong Kong are usually taken, and is quite scenic indeed. It includes the longest escalator in the world stretching up the mountain. It is also where the white or "gwailo" population tends to go out to be fabulous at nighttime-in Lan Kwai Fong. Thus, as you can imagine, there is a plethora of sleazy British men hahaha but also a lot of cool people.

Midlevels: Up the mountain from Central, it is where most of the rich people live (summit on the hill scenario). Once I get a chance, I will take a picture of the quintessentail Midlevel apartment building, called Tycoon Court! Not coincidentally, HK is home to the highest concentration of Mercedes and Rolls Royces in the world!

Can't wait to speak with you all! I miss you all terribly and hope to show at least some of you Hong Kong in person sometime!!