Well, again it has been a long time since I have written anything on this blog. I guess I have been busy. However, this entry will talk about my trip to Xi’an. During the 4 day Easter weekend, Jack and I ventured off to Xi’an, PRC.
Perhaps many of you have not heard of this place, as it is much smaller than the likes of Shanghai and Beijing. However, Xi’an has a lot of historical significance. It is one of the oldest cities in China and was the capital of China during multiple dynasties. We were there for three nights and found some tours to join through our hotel. We saw many smaller attractions, although still significant in importance, such as the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Wild Goose Pagoda. We even rode bikes on top of the ancient wall that surrounded the city. The wall is pretty large, to where two lanes of traffic could drive on top, if they desired. However, you may only bike, have drivers take you around on rickshaws or golf carts, or simply use the two legged system of getting around. It took about an hour and a half to ride around the entire wall; stopping for some picture along the way of course.
The first tour that we went on took us to the site of a 6,000 year old village that had been unearthed and to the Wild Goose Pagoda. However, in between these was the world wonder known to many as the Terracotta Army. In 1974 (or such) a farmer had found a piece of a pottery statue while digging a well. Researchers began uncovering the remains and unearthed thousands of warrior statues; many of which had been broken and have since been restored. (there are still many that have yet to be uncovered)
The story has it that Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of China, who ruled from Xi’an) was a paranoid man. He knew that he would someday die and wanted an army to protect him in the afterlife. Therefore, he started the construction of an Army made entirely out of clay. He wanted them to look realistic so that others would think they were an actual army. (However, he wanted them bigger than his actual soldiers as he thought Chinese people’s build was too small) The process involved thousands of people and various processes of moulding, carving, and painting; which took around twenty some years to complete. The soldiers were then placed in rows as if they were ready for battle and were eventually entombed underground after having been damaged in a peasant rebellion. During the unearthing process, the paint fades as it hits the oxygen, having been buried for so long. (However, some small painted parts have been seen)
Note the first emperor above was also the one who ordered the construction of another world wonder… the Great Wall of China. (I guess this guy was compensating for something)
The following day we went on a separate tour. This one was an hour and a half bus ride away, to a mountain known as Mount Hua in Hua Shan. This is one of the most sacred mountains in China because of Daoist significance. We climbed up the mountain towards the South Peak which was about 2,100 meters above the ground. (um, trying to explain this height, um, about 6,900 feet, um 4 times that of the Sears Tower) So, what do you do when you are this high up on a mountain? Well, you climb on the side of it of course. Haha, we paid 30 yuan and got strapped on to a metal wire which followed down a metal ladder and across some plank boards on the side of the mountain. This didn’t seem too risky, as you were attached, even when you looked down. (please see my pictures) However, when you came to one of the wire attachments on the side of the mountain, you had to unhook your chord and put it on to the next wire. This means that a certain points, we were not protected by anything and could have fallen… to our death!! (ok, enough of the drama I guess. It was simply pretty high up and most people with a fear of heights would not be able to do it.)
Well, those are the major things in Xi’an. This was my first time to mainland China. Everything gets dirty in the Mainland and any slight manners that may have existed in Hong Kong were non existent here. I don’t want to write too much, but you can see in the pictures what everything looked like. (pictures coming soon; watch for link) By the way, I ate Chinese food for all but one meal during this journey. Even from street stalls. Craziness
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Philippines - Part Deux
It has been a while since I wrote again, as I have been extremely busy with work and other things. I will pick back up from where I left off… the Philippines. So, on the second full day in Boracay, Jack and I went to lie on the beach. Yes, I was trying to get a sun tan, which eventually turned into a spotted sun burn. Basically the next morning I looked as if I had been involved in a horrendous traffic accident or a house fire gone bad. (yes, some house fires are good, lol)
Anyway, as we lie on the beach Jack and I commented on the girl that was not too far from where we were lying down. Then Jack went to the water and when he came back, he said he had spoken to her whilst in the ocean. He said her name was Olga and she was from Russia and that the big guy she was with, oh his name just so happened to be Dimitry. Nice story Jack, really creative with the names. So, then I go out into the ocean as well, and Jack joins me. The girl from that had been lying on the beach (not too far from us) in her bikini came into the water as well and was approaching us. This was a little odd. Then she got pretty close and Jack said, this is my friend, Tim. Tim, this is Olga. Before saying hello to this girl, I looked at Jack and said, “you were serious”? haha, and he was.
So, Jack began to converse with Olga and she said she wanted to go for a ride on a Banana Boat. (yes the actual one; she was not hitting on Jack) So, Jack said, “oh sounds fun, we’ll go with you”. Although I had though we were going to go jet skiing. Well, we did go on the banana boat, for which I was a virgin. I must say that my first time was better than expected, but still not tons of fun. (I had low expectations to begin with and would have preferred the jet skis) Well, then I asked Jack if we could actually go to the ATV’s, another thing we had planned before the Russian had entered our group. And we did, but he asked her if she wanted to join us. Of course I didn’t mind as long as we didn’t have to pay to do something like the banana boat again.
The ATV’s were fun as we followed this guide on the typical path up to the observation area and back to the ATV shop. There were two stops on this voyage, the first of which was the observation tower. The observation tower was located at the midpoint of our ride and was a rickety structure of wooden boards atop a tall wooded hillside. You pay to go up and see the view from the top, however, on the way back down, I noticed that they also had animals on display; basically native animals that the locals had caged so as to collect money from showing them to the ATV riders. The animals included some birds, a large iguana, a bearcat, and a group of small monkeys, among other things. They were quite interesting actually and bravo to the locals for finding every way possible to entice visitors and take their money.
The second stop of the ATV’s was at the end near the ATV shop. We followed the guide, and he stopped at this place, walking us inside. It was a butterfly conservatory. Basically a small netted garden and something else for us to have to pay for. However, this was pretty cool and not because of the sleeping butterflies. Instead, there were also bats. Large fruit fats that were hanging from the trees and bushes inside. The guide woke one up and held it before asking if any of us would like to. Of course I did, but the other two were too chicken. It was awesome, as I had never held a bat before or ever a large winged animal such as this. It hung by its claws from my fingertips and would spread its wings open so as to yawn. The wing span was probably 2.5 feet from tip to tip if that gives you a visual to its size. Definitely not the type of bat that I would find in my attic back home and kill with a shoe or broom. (depending of which was more convenient of course) We asked if they ate bats on the island and of course, he said yes. (I will have to get a picture of me holding this bat as my camera was out of batteries and it is on Jack’s)
We ended the ATVs, and departed from the Russian so as to eat dinner. Of course the plan, suggested by Jack, was to meet back up with her at the dance club later. Oh, I guess I should update on the guy. You see, as I had mentioned, this girl was on the beach earlier with some big dude. A really big guy, whom I had assumed to be her boyfriend (older rich dude with younger girl) However, as she did not invite him with us on either activity, we noted this wasn’t the case. Olga simply referred to him as her “friend”, Dimitry. Well, we got to the bar / dance club later and when Olga arrived, she brought her “friend” with her. Dimitry could not speak English, only Russian, and so if he were to speak, Olga would have to translate for him. However, he just sat there next her her. He was quite content with not saying a word and she was quite content without him speaking as well. Perhaps I should comment on the size of this guy’s arms. (perhaps as round as my head) He was probably 5 inches taller than me and about 150 pound heavier. Let’s just say he was big.
Well, at some point Jack came up with the idea that perhaps this guy was her security guard and that Olga was a wealthy royalty type from Russia. We verified through questioning that he was her security guard but did not figure out her social status. She came from the far, east side of Russia, somewhere north of Mongolia. Jack got her e-mail address so as to e-mail her some pictures (fully clothed I hope), however, he never shared it with me and has yet to copy me on an e-mail. Haha
Well, the next day we departed Boracay. When we got to our destination I was without Johan’s number. Johan is my friend from E&Y (originally from Sweden and then after 10 years in the US, moved to the Philippines for work ). It was in my e-mail account and so, we took a taxi to go to an internet cafe. On the way Johan called me on my cell phone and we returned to the airport to await him as he was coming to pick us up. I tell you this part of the story because once Johan got there, he informed us that taking a taxi is probably not the safest thing to do there. The taxi drivers will drive you to some remote place or to some bad part of town and threaten to drop you off there if you do not pay them a lot of money. This was my first lesson on the crime filled capital of the Philippines… Manila.
Johan works for EY and lives in a pimp apartment based on the low cost of living and the large amounts of money EY is giving him for being there. (obviously a different program from what I am in L ) He has his own driver, and an awesome car, which the firm pays for. He and his driver picked us up and took us to Johan’s place. (in Makati City, a district of Manila) While he went back to work for a few hours, Jack and I wondered over to a shopping mall (the Greenbelt) near by and had a snack. Apparently we were in the only “safe” part of Manila. (although a tank was driven through the front of the Shang-ri La hotel close by, just matter of months before. Yes, a tank) According to Johan, it is also not uncommon to read about bombs going off in shopping malls or other crowded areas. Needless-to-say it is not the safest place in the world. However, when Johan got off of work, we went to eat at a Cuba style restaurant and then off to the bars. It was a fun time, as his Irish friend (who works for Coke) named Garrett joined us. Garrett also had his own driver and on top of that, a bodyguard. (who followed us around the entire night but kept a distance and tried to stay hidden)
The bars we went to were not most respectable bars. We started out at a biker bar, where we played pool; it actually reminded me of places back in Athens. We then went to a couple of girlie bars, like Wan Chai back in Hong Kong. Funny thing is, I was walking across the street to go to an ATM and this guy stopped me. He was like, “hey man, you want some Viagra”. I was like, um, no dude. Don't need any, thanks. Then he said, “how about some cocaine”. I was like, “What?!? Cocaine?!? Did you seriously just ask me if I wanted cocaine?!!? Um, no, thats ok”. Haha. That was a bit crazy, but makes for a good story. (btw, I ended up giving away more money out of charity) I am too nice.
Well, that concludes our trip in the Philippines. If you ever have a chance to go, I would definitely recommend it. The people are all really nice and call you sir. The food is good and the restaurants / stores are really westernized in Manila. Just make sure you stay in the one safe district of Manila, called Makati City. Until next time...
Anyway, as we lie on the beach Jack and I commented on the girl that was not too far from where we were lying down. Then Jack went to the water and when he came back, he said he had spoken to her whilst in the ocean. He said her name was Olga and she was from Russia and that the big guy she was with, oh his name just so happened to be Dimitry. Nice story Jack, really creative with the names. So, then I go out into the ocean as well, and Jack joins me. The girl from that had been lying on the beach (not too far from us) in her bikini came into the water as well and was approaching us. This was a little odd. Then she got pretty close and Jack said, this is my friend, Tim. Tim, this is Olga. Before saying hello to this girl, I looked at Jack and said, “you were serious”? haha, and he was.
So, Jack began to converse with Olga and she said she wanted to go for a ride on a Banana Boat. (yes the actual one; she was not hitting on Jack) So, Jack said, “oh sounds fun, we’ll go with you”. Although I had though we were going to go jet skiing. Well, we did go on the banana boat, for which I was a virgin. I must say that my first time was better than expected, but still not tons of fun. (I had low expectations to begin with and would have preferred the jet skis) Well, then I asked Jack if we could actually go to the ATV’s, another thing we had planned before the Russian had entered our group. And we did, but he asked her if she wanted to join us. Of course I didn’t mind as long as we didn’t have to pay to do something like the banana boat again.
The ATV’s were fun as we followed this guide on the typical path up to the observation area and back to the ATV shop. There were two stops on this voyage, the first of which was the observation tower. The observation tower was located at the midpoint of our ride and was a rickety structure of wooden boards atop a tall wooded hillside. You pay to go up and see the view from the top, however, on the way back down, I noticed that they also had animals on display; basically native animals that the locals had caged so as to collect money from showing them to the ATV riders. The animals included some birds, a large iguana, a bearcat, and a group of small monkeys, among other things. They were quite interesting actually and bravo to the locals for finding every way possible to entice visitors and take their money.
The second stop of the ATV’s was at the end near the ATV shop. We followed the guide, and he stopped at this place, walking us inside. It was a butterfly conservatory. Basically a small netted garden and something else for us to have to pay for. However, this was pretty cool and not because of the sleeping butterflies. Instead, there were also bats. Large fruit fats that were hanging from the trees and bushes inside. The guide woke one up and held it before asking if any of us would like to. Of course I did, but the other two were too chicken. It was awesome, as I had never held a bat before or ever a large winged animal such as this. It hung by its claws from my fingertips and would spread its wings open so as to yawn. The wing span was probably 2.5 feet from tip to tip if that gives you a visual to its size. Definitely not the type of bat that I would find in my attic back home and kill with a shoe or broom. (depending of which was more convenient of course) We asked if they ate bats on the island and of course, he said yes. (I will have to get a picture of me holding this bat as my camera was out of batteries and it is on Jack’s)
We ended the ATVs, and departed from the Russian so as to eat dinner. Of course the plan, suggested by Jack, was to meet back up with her at the dance club later. Oh, I guess I should update on the guy. You see, as I had mentioned, this girl was on the beach earlier with some big dude. A really big guy, whom I had assumed to be her boyfriend (older rich dude with younger girl) However, as she did not invite him with us on either activity, we noted this wasn’t the case. Olga simply referred to him as her “friend”, Dimitry. Well, we got to the bar / dance club later and when Olga arrived, she brought her “friend” with her. Dimitry could not speak English, only Russian, and so if he were to speak, Olga would have to translate for him. However, he just sat there next her her. He was quite content with not saying a word and she was quite content without him speaking as well. Perhaps I should comment on the size of this guy’s arms. (perhaps as round as my head) He was probably 5 inches taller than me and about 150 pound heavier. Let’s just say he was big.
Well, at some point Jack came up with the idea that perhaps this guy was her security guard and that Olga was a wealthy royalty type from Russia. We verified through questioning that he was her security guard but did not figure out her social status. She came from the far, east side of Russia, somewhere north of Mongolia. Jack got her e-mail address so as to e-mail her some pictures (fully clothed I hope), however, he never shared it with me and has yet to copy me on an e-mail. Haha
Well, the next day we departed Boracay. When we got to our destination I was without Johan’s number. Johan is my friend from E&Y (originally from Sweden and then after 10 years in the US, moved to the Philippines for work ). It was in my e-mail account and so, we took a taxi to go to an internet cafe. On the way Johan called me on my cell phone and we returned to the airport to await him as he was coming to pick us up. I tell you this part of the story because once Johan got there, he informed us that taking a taxi is probably not the safest thing to do there. The taxi drivers will drive you to some remote place or to some bad part of town and threaten to drop you off there if you do not pay them a lot of money. This was my first lesson on the crime filled capital of the Philippines… Manila.
Johan works for EY and lives in a pimp apartment based on the low cost of living and the large amounts of money EY is giving him for being there. (obviously a different program from what I am in L ) He has his own driver, and an awesome car, which the firm pays for. He and his driver picked us up and took us to Johan’s place. (in Makati City, a district of Manila) While he went back to work for a few hours, Jack and I wondered over to a shopping mall (the Greenbelt) near by and had a snack. Apparently we were in the only “safe” part of Manila. (although a tank was driven through the front of the Shang-ri La hotel close by, just matter of months before. Yes, a tank) According to Johan, it is also not uncommon to read about bombs going off in shopping malls or other crowded areas. Needless-to-say it is not the safest place in the world. However, when Johan got off of work, we went to eat at a Cuba style restaurant and then off to the bars. It was a fun time, as his Irish friend (who works for Coke) named Garrett joined us. Garrett also had his own driver and on top of that, a bodyguard. (who followed us around the entire night but kept a distance and tried to stay hidden)
The bars we went to were not most respectable bars. We started out at a biker bar, where we played pool; it actually reminded me of places back in Athens. We then went to a couple of girlie bars, like Wan Chai back in Hong Kong. Funny thing is, I was walking across the street to go to an ATM and this guy stopped me. He was like, “hey man, you want some Viagra”. I was like, um, no dude. Don't need any, thanks. Then he said, “how about some cocaine”. I was like, “What?!? Cocaine?!? Did you seriously just ask me if I wanted cocaine?!!? Um, no, thats ok”. Haha. That was a bit crazy, but makes for a good story. (btw, I ended up giving away more money out of charity) I am too nice.
Well, that concludes our trip in the Philippines. If you ever have a chance to go, I would definitely recommend it. The people are all really nice and call you sir. The food is good and the restaurants / stores are really westernized in Manila. Just make sure you stay in the one safe district of Manila, called Makati City. Until next time...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Philippines
Last weekend was lunar new year or "Chinese New Year" as everyone calls it here. Chinese new year is a three day public holiday in Hong Kong, and therefore time for vacation during busy season. Jack and I went to the Philippines. We left on Saturday and switched planes in Manila to go to Boracay. Boracay is an island with white sand beaches and blue waters, about an hour flight from Manila.
We got there and walked around, ate some dinner and then hit up a few bars later. The one bar, which my senior manager had told me about, is called the "Hobbit House". This bar is unique to the Philippines, and is actually a franchise. Although there are only two, one in Boracay and the other in Manila. What makes it unique is that all of the employees at this bar (hosts, hostesses, and watresses) are all ... um... little people. Yes, a mixture of both midgets and dwarfs. We went back the next night in which I had 5 imported beers, awarding me a free shirt en titled, "small is beautiful". Of course I quickly put the shirt on and posed for a pic with a couple of my new small friends.
So, that was Sunday night, but still not the most exciting part of my Sunday. Late morning, Jack and I went Scuba Diving. Yes, neither of us had ever been scuba diving and I was probably not supposed to as I have asthma. However, we went to a guy (seemed to be a middle aged Scottish guy) who worked out of a small place on the beach. I think most places require that you do two swimming pool sessions before going into the ocean, however, I will remind you again that this guy works in a tiny building on the beach. He gave us the waiver forms and said for us to mark "no" to each of the health related problems (one line specified asthma) or else we would have to go and see the doctor for clearance first. He said that would make us have to wait longer to get in the ocean, so not to worry about it, we would be fine.
Well, he explained the tank components and then we suited up and went out into the shallow part of the ocean. There were 5 of us in total, including Ken, the instructor. I was fine til this point, but then we started practicing the safety procedures. For the first time I started breathing under the water. Well, I was scared to death. (yea, I am not afraid to admit it) I had to breathe with just my mouth, and was looking under the water for the first time ever. (I can't open my eyes under water without a mask and had never been snorkeling before) Ok, so, it is all new to me, but then I was getting worried, because the instructor had emphasized not to hold your breath or to breathe really fast. Well, with my asthma I usually breathe out of my nose a lot and hold really long breathes. I went under the water and found that I had held my breathe some and then started breathing fast to recover. Ok, a little bit of panic, and I was the first to do the safety procedures. This involved dropping the regulator (mouth piece), finding it and puting it back in, dropping it again and signaling to the instructor that I was out of air and to take his emergency regulator. This is all under water, while I was already panicing. So, I stood up out of the water after one failed attempt and then was somehow able to do it on the second try, but swallowed a lot of water in the process and jumped back out of the water immediately afterward.
Everyone else did theirs fine. Then it was time to go on the boat and out to a reef where we would be going down, 30 meters below the surface of the water. I was worried the whole way out there and questioned whether I should even go down. I didn't want to panic with my asthma and have to come back up, taking away from everyone's fun. Well, I was nervous up til when everyone fell back into the water and even after I did the same. At this point, flippers are on and I am in the middle of the water with nowhere to stand. the intructor has already taken 2 down and the other dive master is taking Jack first as I am still a little hesitant.
I have my regulator in and am looking under the water just at the surface. I hold onto the anchor rope and while inches under water I focus on the others below. I keep focusing on the others and I guide myself further and further down the rope, until finally I find that my mind is off of the breathing, I am as far down as the others, and am away from the rope. It is amazing. The fish are swimming everywhere and the dive master gives me a pack of crackers. I crush it up, open the end and let the crumbs fly out. The fish are now swimming all around me and I tried to touch them. I only slightly touched a few as the little bastards are fast. (I'd like to see how they do on land) Well, I don't know what else I can say except that we were under water for at least 30 minutes, 30 meters down, and I saw clown fish (nemo) and touched a star fish. The coral and the entire experience was awesome.
That was long, so I will continue the rest in another blog. To be continued...
We got there and walked around, ate some dinner and then hit up a few bars later. The one bar, which my senior manager had told me about, is called the "Hobbit House". This bar is unique to the Philippines, and is actually a franchise. Although there are only two, one in Boracay and the other in Manila. What makes it unique is that all of the employees at this bar (hosts, hostesses, and watresses) are all ... um... little people. Yes, a mixture of both midgets and dwarfs. We went back the next night in which I had 5 imported beers, awarding me a free shirt en titled, "small is beautiful". Of course I quickly put the shirt on and posed for a pic with a couple of my new small friends.
So, that was Sunday night, but still not the most exciting part of my Sunday. Late morning, Jack and I went Scuba Diving. Yes, neither of us had ever been scuba diving and I was probably not supposed to as I have asthma. However, we went to a guy (seemed to be a middle aged Scottish guy) who worked out of a small place on the beach. I think most places require that you do two swimming pool sessions before going into the ocean, however, I will remind you again that this guy works in a tiny building on the beach. He gave us the waiver forms and said for us to mark "no" to each of the health related problems (one line specified asthma) or else we would have to go and see the doctor for clearance first. He said that would make us have to wait longer to get in the ocean, so not to worry about it, we would be fine.
Well, he explained the tank components and then we suited up and went out into the shallow part of the ocean. There were 5 of us in total, including Ken, the instructor. I was fine til this point, but then we started practicing the safety procedures. For the first time I started breathing under the water. Well, I was scared to death. (yea, I am not afraid to admit it) I had to breathe with just my mouth, and was looking under the water for the first time ever. (I can't open my eyes under water without a mask and had never been snorkeling before) Ok, so, it is all new to me, but then I was getting worried, because the instructor had emphasized not to hold your breath or to breathe really fast. Well, with my asthma I usually breathe out of my nose a lot and hold really long breathes. I went under the water and found that I had held my breathe some and then started breathing fast to recover. Ok, a little bit of panic, and I was the first to do the safety procedures. This involved dropping the regulator (mouth piece), finding it and puting it back in, dropping it again and signaling to the instructor that I was out of air and to take his emergency regulator. This is all under water, while I was already panicing. So, I stood up out of the water after one failed attempt and then was somehow able to do it on the second try, but swallowed a lot of water in the process and jumped back out of the water immediately afterward.
Everyone else did theirs fine. Then it was time to go on the boat and out to a reef where we would be going down, 30 meters below the surface of the water. I was worried the whole way out there and questioned whether I should even go down. I didn't want to panic with my asthma and have to come back up, taking away from everyone's fun. Well, I was nervous up til when everyone fell back into the water and even after I did the same. At this point, flippers are on and I am in the middle of the water with nowhere to stand. the intructor has already taken 2 down and the other dive master is taking Jack first as I am still a little hesitant.
I have my regulator in and am looking under the water just at the surface. I hold onto the anchor rope and while inches under water I focus on the others below. I keep focusing on the others and I guide myself further and further down the rope, until finally I find that my mind is off of the breathing, I am as far down as the others, and am away from the rope. It is amazing. The fish are swimming everywhere and the dive master gives me a pack of crackers. I crush it up, open the end and let the crumbs fly out. The fish are now swimming all around me and I tried to touch them. I only slightly touched a few as the little bastards are fast. (I'd like to see how they do on land) Well, I don't know what else I can say except that we were under water for at least 30 minutes, 30 meters down, and I saw clown fish (nemo) and touched a star fish. The coral and the entire experience was awesome.
That was long, so I will continue the rest in another blog. To be continued...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
I'll be home for Christmas... or Vietnam??
Yes, I went to Vietnam (Hanoi) for Christmas for 5 days and 4 nights. I was just going to go alone, but two of my new friends decided they wanted to join me as I found cheap flights and a cheap hotel. When I say cheap hotel, I mean $30 USD a night and that was for the Executive Room (upgrade). :-) The two friends that joined me were Adrianne and Enrica, both girls from Toronto (originally HK). Yes dad, it was just me and two girls, but they are only friends. Get the dirty three some thoughts out of your head. lol
Well, of course as many of you know, I love to travel and so I arranged everything for us. I spoke with my friend Ha, who is from Hanoi, but is currently studying in Chicago. I asked her for advice and such. She gave me more than advice, she gave me her cousin's contact information, as he was going to be back in Hanoi for the Holidays. Now, believe it or not, her cousin's name is Jack as well. Who would have thought that I would meet more Jacks in Asia than in the U.S.
Well, we got to Hanoi and ate at a fancy restaurant called Bobby Chin's after the girls did some dress shopping. (for those who are wondering, they were able to get long silk dresses hand made out of the design / color they chose for about $35 USD. Silk ties were about $7 USD. ) Bobby Chin's was expensive for Vietnam standards, around $65 or $70 per person. Now saying that, let me explain what we had for dinner. It was a set Christmas Eve dinner with a few options. I can't remember all of the options, so I'll tell you what I can remember. Caviar, Foie Gras (goose liver pate for the less expensive eaters reading this blog. don't worry, I had to ask as well), lobster something or other, some sort of fancy soup, filet mignon, and creme brulee for dessert. a bottle of french wine and a glass of champagne. All of this for each person, which would roughly have cost around $350 each in the U.S. (guess) So, expensive for Vietnam, cheap for the rest of the world. (and yes, I ate all of it)
The motorbikes (scooters) in the city are everywhere. They say about 6 million motorbikes. The traffic is horrible and the motorbikes drive together in a group. They are crowded on the streets to where you cannot cross even if you mastered Frogger at the age of 3. When something such as a car or bike is in front of them, they go around the sides and then come back together as one. (just like a school of fish) They use the bikes to carry everything and stack them high. We saw motorbikes with eggs, live chickens, pigs, and dogs, all stacked in crates on the back. The guide on the shuttle bus said that they can even carry a cow on there if they need to transport it. (not sure how)
That night Vietnam won a soccer match in the finals of the Southeast Asia Cup (as I was told) against Thailand. I guess they had never gotten this far in a tournament before. The celebration had began before our dinner had finished, and the streets were packed. The noise from the rally on the other side of the lake was like a swarm of humming cicadas. Of course I wanted to join in, so I purchased a flag from a vendor on the street (it was attached to a piece of bamboo which acted as a flag pole) I waved the flag around and was shouting, "yeah, Vietnam, number one". Well, everyone seemed to love it as I was an obvious westerner joining in the fun. They all gave me thumbs up and pats on the back and joined in on the shouting along with me. It was like have an OSU flag in a crowd on game day and shouting O-H. Fun times.
Day two, we woke up and took a shuttle to Halong Bay. A World Heritage site and supposedly one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. It was cloudy that day, or else it would have been pretty amazing. Either way, the bay is full of limestone rock formations coming out of the sea. They say there are 3,000 little islands there. We boarded an old junk boat and toured along the bay, stopping at the "Cave of Surprises" on one island and kayaking around for an hour or so, as well. We stayed on the boat that night and took the shuttle back to Hanoi around noon the next day. One fun part about Halong Bay were the water vendors. These are women in little boats who will float up next to the junk boats when they are anchored and try to sell snacks and beer.
Friday night, after our return to Hanoi, we ate some pho on the street. Pho are Vietnamese noodles with some meat, cooked in a big pot. The pho we ate was authentic. I mean the people come out and cook this big stew pot on the sidewalk and put a little plastic table and stools next to it. The table and stools are those for like a toddler to sit on. Seriously, I felt like I was playing on my little niece's toy picnic table. I ate the noodles, but not the chicken as I did not trust it. (freshly plucked with skin and bones still in it) Later that night we went with Jack and his friend Hong to a teen night club. (Ha didn't mention Vietnames Jack was only 19, lol) Of course drinking is legal at any age in Vietnam. It closed at midnight and so we went to another bar that actually just opened at midnight (Solace). This one was on the river and was pretty good. However, the walls of the dance floor were covered in aluminum foil. Not sure why.
We were out kind of late but woke up early to start our new day on Saturday. We began by seeing the Ho Chi Mihn Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the government when they switched to a communist party and during most of the war. His body lies in state (as you would see in a funeral home) in a glass case; much like that of fellow communist leaders, Mao Tse Tung and Vladimir Lenin. What most people don't know is that this was against the wishes of all three. Being communists, they wanted to be cremated, as they said the land should be used for farming. (actually sounds pretty good, too bad their own followers disobeyed their final wishes)
There were many things around the mausoleum, including the one legged pagoda, Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts, and the museum. We saw each before heading to the Ethnology Cultural Museum and the Temple of Literature. (first college in Vietnam) We followed this by touring the Hau Lo Prison, where John McCain was held as a Prisoner of War.
To end the day, we ate dinner at Vietnamese Jack's house with his family. His mother had cooked us a traditional Vietnamese dinner. Their house is awesome; it is four stories and has eight bedrooms. It was a great experience and we learned a lot. Three main items of interest. His dad said that the Vietnamese people would have been happy if John McCain would have won, as they like him there. He had been back to Vietnam 10 times since he was a POW and says he owes the Vietnamese people a favor as the doctors saved his life when his plane crashed. However, he says that with Obama having won, it will change the perception of America by the rest of the world. America now looks like a true democracy.
Second point, I asked if they consider Vietnam communist still. Jack's dad is part of the Communist party but said that they are communist on the outside and capitalist on the inside. He said that if they weren't capitalists, then he would not be able to own such a house. (he is in the upper management of a private company that deals in construction, landscaping, and agriculture) Third point of interest was that they have two German Sheppards as pets. Well, they said they don't usually eat western breeds of dogs as they don't taste good. However, they said dog meat is the best meat around. One of the girls and I agreed that we would never try it. Jack did say that if his dogs were to get old and were going to die, they would probably eat them anyway.
That night Jack, his friend Hong, and I went back to the two bars once again. We ate Pho when we left the bar, around 5 in the morning. The girls and I then woke up and took rickshaw rides around the lake. (the small bikes with the seats on the front of them, in which someone pedals you around) We ate Vietnamese subs and then headed to the airport. We had a great time all around.
Well, of course as many of you know, I love to travel and so I arranged everything for us. I spoke with my friend Ha, who is from Hanoi, but is currently studying in Chicago. I asked her for advice and such. She gave me more than advice, she gave me her cousin's contact information, as he was going to be back in Hanoi for the Holidays. Now, believe it or not, her cousin's name is Jack as well. Who would have thought that I would meet more Jacks in Asia than in the U.S.
Well, we got to Hanoi and ate at a fancy restaurant called Bobby Chin's after the girls did some dress shopping. (for those who are wondering, they were able to get long silk dresses hand made out of the design / color they chose for about $35 USD. Silk ties were about $7 USD. ) Bobby Chin's was expensive for Vietnam standards, around $65 or $70 per person. Now saying that, let me explain what we had for dinner. It was a set Christmas Eve dinner with a few options. I can't remember all of the options, so I'll tell you what I can remember. Caviar, Foie Gras (goose liver pate for the less expensive eaters reading this blog. don't worry, I had to ask as well), lobster something or other, some sort of fancy soup, filet mignon, and creme brulee for dessert. a bottle of french wine and a glass of champagne. All of this for each person, which would roughly have cost around $350 each in the U.S. (guess) So, expensive for Vietnam, cheap for the rest of the world. (and yes, I ate all of it)
The motorbikes (scooters) in the city are everywhere. They say about 6 million motorbikes. The traffic is horrible and the motorbikes drive together in a group. They are crowded on the streets to where you cannot cross even if you mastered Frogger at the age of 3. When something such as a car or bike is in front of them, they go around the sides and then come back together as one. (just like a school of fish) They use the bikes to carry everything and stack them high. We saw motorbikes with eggs, live chickens, pigs, and dogs, all stacked in crates on the back. The guide on the shuttle bus said that they can even carry a cow on there if they need to transport it. (not sure how)
That night Vietnam won a soccer match in the finals of the Southeast Asia Cup (as I was told) against Thailand. I guess they had never gotten this far in a tournament before. The celebration had began before our dinner had finished, and the streets were packed. The noise from the rally on the other side of the lake was like a swarm of humming cicadas. Of course I wanted to join in, so I purchased a flag from a vendor on the street (it was attached to a piece of bamboo which acted as a flag pole) I waved the flag around and was shouting, "yeah, Vietnam, number one". Well, everyone seemed to love it as I was an obvious westerner joining in the fun. They all gave me thumbs up and pats on the back and joined in on the shouting along with me. It was like have an OSU flag in a crowd on game day and shouting O-H. Fun times.
Day two, we woke up and took a shuttle to Halong Bay. A World Heritage site and supposedly one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. It was cloudy that day, or else it would have been pretty amazing. Either way, the bay is full of limestone rock formations coming out of the sea. They say there are 3,000 little islands there. We boarded an old junk boat and toured along the bay, stopping at the "Cave of Surprises" on one island and kayaking around for an hour or so, as well. We stayed on the boat that night and took the shuttle back to Hanoi around noon the next day. One fun part about Halong Bay were the water vendors. These are women in little boats who will float up next to the junk boats when they are anchored and try to sell snacks and beer.
Friday night, after our return to Hanoi, we ate some pho on the street. Pho are Vietnamese noodles with some meat, cooked in a big pot. The pho we ate was authentic. I mean the people come out and cook this big stew pot on the sidewalk and put a little plastic table and stools next to it. The table and stools are those for like a toddler to sit on. Seriously, I felt like I was playing on my little niece's toy picnic table. I ate the noodles, but not the chicken as I did not trust it. (freshly plucked with skin and bones still in it) Later that night we went with Jack and his friend Hong to a teen night club. (Ha didn't mention Vietnames Jack was only 19, lol) Of course drinking is legal at any age in Vietnam. It closed at midnight and so we went to another bar that actually just opened at midnight (Solace). This one was on the river and was pretty good. However, the walls of the dance floor were covered in aluminum foil. Not sure why.
We were out kind of late but woke up early to start our new day on Saturday. We began by seeing the Ho Chi Mihn Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the government when they switched to a communist party and during most of the war. His body lies in state (as you would see in a funeral home) in a glass case; much like that of fellow communist leaders, Mao Tse Tung and Vladimir Lenin. What most people don't know is that this was against the wishes of all three. Being communists, they wanted to be cremated, as they said the land should be used for farming. (actually sounds pretty good, too bad their own followers disobeyed their final wishes)
There were many things around the mausoleum, including the one legged pagoda, Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts, and the museum. We saw each before heading to the Ethnology Cultural Museum and the Temple of Literature. (first college in Vietnam) We followed this by touring the Hau Lo Prison, where John McCain was held as a Prisoner of War.
To end the day, we ate dinner at Vietnamese Jack's house with his family. His mother had cooked us a traditional Vietnamese dinner. Their house is awesome; it is four stories and has eight bedrooms. It was a great experience and we learned a lot. Three main items of interest. His dad said that the Vietnamese people would have been happy if John McCain would have won, as they like him there. He had been back to Vietnam 10 times since he was a POW and says he owes the Vietnamese people a favor as the doctors saved his life when his plane crashed. However, he says that with Obama having won, it will change the perception of America by the rest of the world. America now looks like a true democracy.
Second point, I asked if they consider Vietnam communist still. Jack's dad is part of the Communist party but said that they are communist on the outside and capitalist on the inside. He said that if they weren't capitalists, then he would not be able to own such a house. (he is in the upper management of a private company that deals in construction, landscaping, and agriculture) Third point of interest was that they have two German Sheppards as pets. Well, they said they don't usually eat western breeds of dogs as they don't taste good. However, they said dog meat is the best meat around. One of the girls and I agreed that we would never try it. Jack did say that if his dogs were to get old and were going to die, they would probably eat them anyway.
That night Jack, his friend Hong, and I went back to the two bars once again. We ate Pho when we left the bar, around 5 in the morning. The girls and I then woke up and took rickshaw rides around the lake. (the small bikes with the seats on the front of them, in which someone pedals you around) We ate Vietnamese subs and then headed to the airport. We had a great time all around.
Hiking and Biking
Went hiking and biking a few weeks ago. (two weeks apart)
Hiking from Happy Valley to Stanley (on Hong Kong Island), which you can see pictures of in my new slideshow. The hike was perhaps only 3 miles, but was over the mountains. There are two peaks that the Westerners call the twin sisters, as they are of similar heights. You have to go down one and up the other, no matter which way you are headed. To get to the top, either way, you have to climb over 1100 stairs. Fun Fun.
Biking was in the New Territories (in the northern part of Hong Kong). For this we went to a certain area and rented bicycles. We biked along the river and mountains for somewhere between 15 and 20 miles.
During this time I perfected the "Hong Kong Pose". I call it the Hong Kong pose, but really it has no official name. I had noticed it when I had first gotten here. Everyone seemed to be giving a peace sign, every time someone took a photo of them. I thought it was strange and during the biking trip with Jack and 5 of his friends (all locals), I inquired of this peculiar behavior. I joked that the next time someone takes a picture of me, that I will give a peace sign so as to fit in. Well, they informed me that it wasn't a peace sign, but a "V" for victory. After I finished laughing, I tried to determine why they would be giving a "victory" sign for in Hong Kong, and why for every picture. As far as I knew, Hong Kong had nothing that they had been victorius over. No battles, no sports, no beer competitions. Well, the locals didn't know why they give the victory (aka peace) sign, they just do. So, I have decided to implement it in almost all of my pictures to come. (as I hate having my picture taken, and this is a way to make them all as goofy as possible)
Hiking from Happy Valley to Stanley (on Hong Kong Island), which you can see pictures of in my new slideshow. The hike was perhaps only 3 miles, but was over the mountains. There are two peaks that the Westerners call the twin sisters, as they are of similar heights. You have to go down one and up the other, no matter which way you are headed. To get to the top, either way, you have to climb over 1100 stairs. Fun Fun.
Biking was in the New Territories (in the northern part of Hong Kong). For this we went to a certain area and rented bicycles. We biked along the river and mountains for somewhere between 15 and 20 miles.
During this time I perfected the "Hong Kong Pose". I call it the Hong Kong pose, but really it has no official name. I had noticed it when I had first gotten here. Everyone seemed to be giving a peace sign, every time someone took a photo of them. I thought it was strange and during the biking trip with Jack and 5 of his friends (all locals), I inquired of this peculiar behavior. I joked that the next time someone takes a picture of me, that I will give a peace sign so as to fit in. Well, they informed me that it wasn't a peace sign, but a "V" for victory. After I finished laughing, I tried to determine why they would be giving a "victory" sign for in Hong Kong, and why for every picture. As far as I knew, Hong Kong had nothing that they had been victorius over. No battles, no sports, no beer competitions. Well, the locals didn't know why they give the victory (aka peace) sign, they just do. So, I have decided to implement it in almost all of my pictures to come. (as I hate having my picture taken, and this is a way to make them all as goofy as possible)
Monday, November 24, 2008
New Pics and Posts.
See the new link in the photo section for new pics and read the two new posts below.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
November activity...
Since the last time, there hasn’t been too much going on, but here are the major items. Last weekend I went to Lamma Island with one of my new friends from work, Pramit. We hiked from one side to the other and you can find pics in my new link. (when I get them in here tomorrow) Lamma Island is one of the less inhabited islands within Hong Kong. We had to take a 25 minute fairy ride to the island, even though you can see it with the blind eye, from the southern side of Hong Kong Island. I dont think I saw one car while on that island. However, I did find what Shryock's house would look like if he lived on an island coast. (please refer to pics)
There are a lot of seafood restaurants on Lamma Island as well. The most famous being the Rainbow Seafood restaurant. I did not eat at either of them, however, I did take pictures. The crazy part about these restaurants is that the seafood is still alive and you pic it out. Not just for lobster, but for prawn, squid, and all kinds of fish. (again, you can see the pics)
Also last weekend I played soccer with another friend from work, Eugene. I was the only Gweilo on the team, but it was fun. (I am really out of shape)
I have booked the airfare to come back to the U.S. as well as scheduled two additional trips. For $1900 US, I was able to get a roundtrip ticket from HK to NYC as well as two short trips. I will go to Boracay in the Philippines (via Manila) during the Chinese New Year in January and will go to Xian, China during Easter in April. You can wiki these two locations, but Boracay is an island in the Philippines with white sand beaches and Xian is where the Terracotta Army was found. (and is still there of course)
Ok, so the week before last I went to the Goldfish Market, Flower Market, and Bird Market on Prince Edward Rd. in Kowloon. (the peninsula part of HK) This was really sweet. Let me start with the easiest to describe as I passed through it briefly, the flower market. The flower market is basically a street with numerous vendors selling flowers, houseplant, trees, and flower pots; any type that can be grown in the region and of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. The bird market was a line of shops which had birds (go figure) of different types, that one can purchase. There are mainly small song birds, mainly in individual cages. There are also some parakeets, canaries, and parrots. One bird said hello to me, but that was the only one that I found could talk. There are also many breeding grounds there for “live” bird food. Containers full of crickets, maggots, and worms. (yes, there are seeds as well, but aren’t as interesting to see)
Although the bird market was pretty cool, the Goldfish Market was the best. This is an area about 3 city blocks long in which this one street has tons of shops with fish. When I say fish, I am talking small fish to big fish that you can purchase as pets. Most are smaller fish which they already have in plastic bags, hanging on the sides of walls. They have a lot of exotic fish, prawns, turtles (never knew there were so many different types), and others that you can purchase as well. There are even shops here with other types of pets, most popular being rabbits and chinchillas. As with the bird cages and the flower pots, there is also everything you need to take care of a fish or other pet. They have aquariums from 5 to 50 gallons (or even bigger), food of all sorts, and every piece of aquarium exhibit you could think of. (pirate ships, bridges and the like) This place is great and definitely worth visiting.
That should catch you up for now. Pics to come soon!
There are a lot of seafood restaurants on Lamma Island as well. The most famous being the Rainbow Seafood restaurant. I did not eat at either of them, however, I did take pictures. The crazy part about these restaurants is that the seafood is still alive and you pic it out. Not just for lobster, but for prawn, squid, and all kinds of fish. (again, you can see the pics)
Also last weekend I played soccer with another friend from work, Eugene. I was the only Gweilo on the team, but it was fun. (I am really out of shape)
I have booked the airfare to come back to the U.S. as well as scheduled two additional trips. For $1900 US, I was able to get a roundtrip ticket from HK to NYC as well as two short trips. I will go to Boracay in the Philippines (via Manila) during the Chinese New Year in January and will go to Xian, China during Easter in April. You can wiki these two locations, but Boracay is an island in the Philippines with white sand beaches and Xian is where the Terracotta Army was found. (and is still there of course)
Ok, so the week before last I went to the Goldfish Market, Flower Market, and Bird Market on Prince Edward Rd. in Kowloon. (the peninsula part of HK) This was really sweet. Let me start with the easiest to describe as I passed through it briefly, the flower market. The flower market is basically a street with numerous vendors selling flowers, houseplant, trees, and flower pots; any type that can be grown in the region and of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. The bird market was a line of shops which had birds (go figure) of different types, that one can purchase. There are mainly small song birds, mainly in individual cages. There are also some parakeets, canaries, and parrots. One bird said hello to me, but that was the only one that I found could talk. There are also many breeding grounds there for “live” bird food. Containers full of crickets, maggots, and worms. (yes, there are seeds as well, but aren’t as interesting to see)
Although the bird market was pretty cool, the Goldfish Market was the best. This is an area about 3 city blocks long in which this one street has tons of shops with fish. When I say fish, I am talking small fish to big fish that you can purchase as pets. Most are smaller fish which they already have in plastic bags, hanging on the sides of walls. They have a lot of exotic fish, prawns, turtles (never knew there were so many different types), and others that you can purchase as well. There are even shops here with other types of pets, most popular being rabbits and chinchillas. As with the bird cages and the flower pots, there is also everything you need to take care of a fish or other pet. They have aquariums from 5 to 50 gallons (or even bigger), food of all sorts, and every piece of aquarium exhibit you could think of. (pirate ships, bridges and the like) This place is great and definitely worth visiting.
That should catch you up for now. Pics to come soon!
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