Mr. December

Can't believe I nearly forgot to post December's Speedo picture!  That was a close one.  This is another "old" one as I posted it on facebook quite some time ago.  I had to include it in the calendar at some point.  The photo is of me at the Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

Vietnam and the Nightmare before Christmas

Seasons Greetings!
I have a lot on my mind today and a lot of experiences and insights to share.  The main reason I have a lot on my mind is because I've had more than enough time to do some thinking lately.  Why?  Well, the answer to that question brings you to my current predicament.  Root canal in Vietnam.

On the 22nd of this month I took a night bus from the city of Hanoi to Hue.  I woke up with a little bit of a toothache.  Didn't think too much of it.  Time travel two days into the future, my thoughts were very, very different.  By the time I arrived in Nha Trang (beach resort city in southern-central Vietnam) on the 24th, I immediately sought out a dentist to get myself checked out. With the help of some personel at Novotel, I tracked down a dentist that gave me a free X-ray.  Root Canal.  I did this all in the morning, and by the evening, I had gone back into the dentist to begin my root canal procedure.  Merry Christmas eve!



The procedure requires that I go into the dentist on 3 separate occasions over the course of a week.  I just finished step 2 and it was probably one of the more painful experiences of my life.  I'll be the first to admit that this whole ordeal has been quite rough on me.  I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my entire life for a procedure that probably isn't all that complicated nor one that is all that life threatening (ok, not life threatening in the least).  Still, given the circumstances of being in a foreign land, taking care of myself, taking a cab to the dentist back and foreth to my hotel, all the while during the Holiday season....well, not exactly what I was expecting.  It's moments like these that I wonder if travelling has toughened me up at all or if I'm just a wuss.  I suppose it's the small things that have stacked up against me in this situation that have really mentally defeated me (and now physically too).  When the business card of the dentist office has a picture of Britney Spears on it, "professional" and "quality assured"  aren't the first words that pop into your mind.  If that doesn't slightly put you on edge, walk upstairs in the office where the magic happens.  Before you is one large, open  room with 6 dental chairs side by side, not separated by anything.  Another thing I'm not used to.  Now, begin the procedure.  In my previous dental experiences, there's often at least two people working on you at one time (if it's something more than your basic cleaning).  One person to man the suction, water, and handing over of tools, the other to do the primary task at hand.  I should have more faith in my current dentist, because she's doing everything on her own, and no, she doesn't have any more hands or arms than the ordinary person.  The mind is a terrible thing.  Before she starts any of the work, I'm already defeated and am expecting the worst.  Step 1 wasn't horrible, but not great either.  Step 2, which I just finished today was nothing short of excruciating.  Call me a baby, call me what you will, I'm ready for this nightmare to be over.  2 more days.  So close, yet so far away.  I'll let you know when I look like Britney.



View (or partial view) of Halong Bay, Vietnam



Jump back two weeks or so to my arrival in Vietnam.  Before all the tooth troubles, I was having quite an amazing time.  I went to Halong Bay with a group of amazing travellers for 3 days.  Halong Bay is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places in the entire world.  It's a bay with drops of jagged, karst topography erupting out of the ocean.  Although it wasn't exactly clear blue skies while I was there, it didn't matter.  The scenery was still breathtaking.  I also made it to Sapa, which every since I read about it in my travel book became a personal must-see for me.  Sapa is a small town Northwest of Hanoi located in a mountainous area near the border of China.  Known for its rice terraces and Hmong people, Sapa did not dissapoint.  Being winter time, it isn't the ideal time to visit Sapa.  I nearly didn't go because by many reports from other travellers who had recently been there, the weather was cold, rainy, and fogged over, making my picturesque views nearly impossible to witness.  In spite of my recent bad luck, the sun shined for two entire days when I went to Sapa.  I couldn't have been more thankful.  Sapa reminded me a bit of Lao because it is rapidly expanding and changing as a major tourist destination.  The amount of building going on seemed unbelievable.  The Hmong villagers made the greatest impression on me as I walked around Sapa and the surrounding villages.  Everywhere you went in Sapa, Hmong women and other ehtnic groups became your shadow.  All trying to sell things by initiating conversation with a couple standard questions.  "Where are you from?  What's your name?  How old are you?  Where are you going?"   You can't exactly ignore them, but hearing the repeated questions over and over again, knowing what they are after gets quite exhausting.  To many, it would seem Sapa has been taken over by tourism and traditional ways of life have been completely abandoned.  These women come to town day in and day out trying to sell several different handicrafts.  It's a little distrubing and sad to see in a way, but in another I'm not entirely convinced that such change is for the worst.  I walked through a couple different villages and saw much of the same thing.  Every other house or building seemed designated for selling handicrafts and tourist items.  A small army of women and children followed you around everywhere you went, talking with you the entire time, probably hoping by the end of your visit that you would buy something from them.  I managed to be entirely cold hearted and not buy anything from any of them, but at the same time, I also managed to connect with a couple of them in a way that I didn't initially think was possible.  I asked them about their daily life, and selling things to tourists.  I asked how they all learned English.  I asked what they did before they sold things.  I asked them what life was like before all the visitors.  Was it better, was it worse?  Many I talked to couldn't answer the questions becuase they were too young to know.  For as long as they lived, they were used to making things and trying to sell them to visitors.  Other who did know didn't seem to mind.  While they said selling things could be quite difficult at times (as nearly EVERYONE is trying to sell something), they also said that their way of life had improved and become easier.  Thanks to tourism came more money.  With more money came more infrastructure and access to resources.  Water, electricity, etc.  Their way of life is changing so fast, but in spite of all this change I was encouraged by the fact that many of these villagers were still holding on to their language, style of clothing, and general culture that identifies them.  I'm no expert on any of this, so take all of this with a grain of salt.  Just my impressions after a quick 2 day, 1 night visit. 



The Army of Women trying to
sell you their handicrafts.
Difficult to resist, but not impossible



Sapa is not unlike many other places I've encountered on this road.  Once a rarely explored wonder now changing by the masses.  Of course, by visiting such a place I'm only further provoking such a change, but I've learned that such change is inevitable.  The world is becoming a smaller place each and every single day.  Yes, it is a little sad to see such hidden gems like Sapa transforming into a skyline of 5 star resorts.  But beneath the tourism and millions of women all selling very similar items there is still something more that does not change so easily.  Sometimes it's hard to find, sometimes you may not think it exists, but it is my firm belief that no matter where you go, the heart of a place lies in the heart of the people.  On the exterior, Sapa may seem like a dreadful place going the way of so many other overrun and over exploited destinations, but give it a chance, and give a further look, and I think you might be surprised. 



Rice Terraces in village near Sapa, Vietnam


Besides Sapa, I wanted to comment on another item that's really been turning my wheels lately.  I've encountered numerous people (mainly women) here in Vietnam who seem to be working on what most westerners would consider an ungodly work schedule.  My prime example at the moment is the young woman who works the night shift at my hotel.  Every single day of the week she works from 7 PM to AM.  She gets approximately 2 days off a month.  How much does she get paid a month?  $100.  The amount of work, dedication, and will of this woman (and several other people I've talked to) leaves me utterly speechless.  How does she do it?  How do any of them do it?  How does she even smile?!  What keeps her going? What makes her happy?!  The will of these people is beyond the strength of the strongest material known to mankind.  In the face of all it, it stirs up a number of different emotions inside of me.  Spoiled, pampered, babied - I feel humiliated in a way for ever complaining about anything in life.  Think about it - 7 days week, 12 hours a day, $100 per month.  I would be tempted to say that such a perspecitve has humbled me, but saying "humbled" in the past tense implies that I've been brought down to a certain level where the understanding might be mutual.  I am nowhere close to being thankful and humble enough for the things and joys I have in my life to compare myself to what she has to endure.  I'm humbled to a particular level, but I still feel inept and unable to truely understand what kind of life she leads and what she has to work for.  I know this is just one small thing in the world.  In reality there are thousands, if not millions, who have it even worse - no access to clean water, no food, living in war torn areas, etc. - the list could go on and on.  It's easy to forget these things, especially when it's nowhere near your daily movements - but because this has been staring me in the face for over the past 2 weeks, I thought I'd write about it to give you a friendly reminder:  Life sucks sometimes, but be thankful for what you have, you might be surprised how blessed you really are.  We enjoy an amazing standard of life in the western world.  Sure, it'd be easy to complain about a $1,500 root canal treatment, but take my word for it, even it is only $200 here in Vietnam, the`extra money at home is WELLLLLLLLLLLL worth the cost. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday - here's to a New Year, and a new smile like Britney's!


The transformation is nearly complete.  Bet
you can't guess which side I had the root canal.



Lao-Lao Land

For a second there, I thought I was doing a decent job of keeping this blog semi-updated. But seeing as I'm leaving Laos today, and that I haven't written a single thing about it yet indicates otherwise. Oh well, better late than never.

Pha That Luang Temple - Vientiane, Laos

I last left you readers in Bangkok where I departed ways from my sister Melissa on Nov. 25th. On the 26th, I arrived on the night train into Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Spent about 3 days there before heading to Vang Vieng (a city 4 hours north - more, less). Another 3 days there, and finally made it to the magical town of Luang Prabang, a winding, up and down, scenic, 6 hour drive north of Vang Vieng (give or take two hours depending on the number of bus breakdowns, number of accidents encountered, and bathroom breaks). I do indeed know this from experience. While this would seemingly be a very frustrating experience in most modern world countries, the rule of thumb in Laos is to not lose face by showing frustration, impatience, or any sort of anger. In this regard, the ever ubiquitous phrase "laid back Laos" reigns true in most circumstances. I don't know if it was because of my pre-conceived knowledge of the phrase, but immediately after arriving in Vientiane, even the motor cycles and mopeds seemed to move at a more relaxed pace. Not sure if that's a particularly relevant or real observation, or simply a factor of having lower speed limits. Take your pick.

Pha Yong Village, Laos

The last week, I've been blessed to meet up with an old family friend who has provided me with a wealth of experiences, knowledge, and personal memories that I will carry with me forever. As the in country director of a non-profit organization called "Pencils of Promise", Leslie and her group of workers have built and established approximately 15 schools in rural villages in their first year alone! I got to visit two such villages. One had a school that had been established and running for about a year. The other, celebrated the opening of the school in a very festive way. Two of my greatest experiences revolved around these village visits. The first village (Pha Yong) was located about 4 hours away from Luang Prabang. Riding in the back of a truck on a bench, a quarter of the experience was getting there, especially the last hour where we travelled on a bumpy,dirt road, occasionally driving through small creeks and traversing log like bridges. You got to love it when everyone has to get out of the vehicle in order for the truck to safely cross. : ) The 4 hour trip proved beyond rewarding. Tucked away in the hills and Mt's. of Laos, one could easily mistake the village for the mythical shangri-la. If the setting itself wasn't enough to win you over, wait til you meet the villagers and children.

Children of Pha Yong village

Upon I arrival, we were fed a feast of fresh fish, sticky rice, and some sort of shredded bamboo dish. After lunch, I spent the remaining daylight hours touring the village and playing with the children. At first, both the children and myself were a little shy. I haven't spent huge amounts of time with younger children, but as soon as you let yourself go they quickly follow suit. From playing games of chase, to dancing around, the children are an endless fountain of laughter and smiles. For how poor and simple the village lifestyle is, it knocks you flat on your ass to see how happy all the children are. And to see that they now have a more sturdy structure from which to study and learn inside is even more encouraging. To try and put some perspective on village life, they killed two chickens for us for dinner that night. This may come as no surprise to some, but maybe a huge surprise to others. Very rural, but oddly enough, maybe surprising in particular other regards as well. We're not talking stone age living here, but we're definitely not talking flat screen T.V.'s and wireless internet either.

If the trek out to Pha Yong seemed exciting, the trek back was even better. While on the dirt road, we picked up nearly every single person we came across and gave them a lift into "town." Haha, my personal favorite man we picked up brought on board a live porcupine in a wicker-basket that he had caught. Apparently porcupine meat is a delicacy here, so naturally the man was going into town to sell it at the market. Fresh as it gets. I just want to know how he managed to catch the critter.

The second village wasn't nearly as far away, but distance isn't indicative of the awesomeness of either place. This time around, I had the opportunity to witness the opening ceremony for a new school Pencils of Promise built. From another village feast, to blaring karaoke music, beerlao with ice (seems a little odd, but beer with ice does tend to grow on you after a while), and a couple shots of lao lao whisky (a backyard brew that can pack quite the bunch sometimes), not to mention dancing (described by Leslie as square dance, only Lao style), I had an incredible time. I particularly enjoyed the dancing because as a foreigner, I wasn't supposed to invite people to dance. Rather, I was expected to sit and wait until I was invited to dance. Thankfully, I was asked to dance on several occasions so my feelings weren't hurt. : ) Haha, the whole scene was very festive and everyone was having a great time. The most ironic thing though was that only the adults seemed to be celebrating even though the school was obviously for the kids. Back to the Karaoke real quick. When it comes to parties and Karaoke, Lao people mean business. They brought an entire truck load of equipment out to the village for the party - easily 6 speakers. And they weren't afraid to use it. I'm surprised I'm not deaf today.

The woman that made all my village visits possible, Leslie
Make sure to check out Pencils of Promise
on-line! And yes, that is a real monkey.

There's so much else I want to tell you about Laos, but I'm having a difficult time deciding what to inform you about and what to leave out. From the history concerning Hmong people and the Vietnam war, Unexploded ordinance, to the modern and huge influence of China - Laos is a country the is undergoing quite a bit of change in a very short amount of time (relatively). In Luang Prabang, China is paying for a new airport to be built, which will allow 747's to fly in. In Vientiane, there is a satellite city the Chinese government paid for and bought. The Mekong river is lower than it has ever been thanks to dams further upstream in China. And tourism and foreigners are becoming more and more common place everyday. I'm a perfect example of this. Although none of this is inherently bad, it's food for thought to see how much it will change Laos, its people, and its culture. If I were to return to Laos after 5 years, I'm confident the place would seem extremely different. The world grows smaller everyday. It is my hope that Laos can progress and advance in way that it isn't taken advantage of, but this may be difficult. I'm not exactly sure. Time will tell.

When you get the chance, try and find read up on Laos a little bit. It isnt' exactly the first place many of us think about when we look at other places around the world, but I'm fairly certain you'll be nothing short of fascinated.

Next stop: Hanoi, Vietnam. I'm taking a 10 hour bus back to Vientiane, and then another 24 hour bus to Hanoi. Yuck. The things I do to try and save money.

P.S. - if you are ever in Luang Prabang, make sure to eat at a place called "Smile Burger" - by far the best burgers in town. : )

Monkeys, Elephants, Festivals, oh my!

Loy Krathong Festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hard to believe the 22nd of November is already upon us. In just 3 days, Melissa's fairy tale vacation comes to an end. : ( I use the term "fairy tale" lightly though as we both suffered from some sort of food poisoning about a week ago. It hit Melissa in the morning, half-way through her trip, and all I could think was "what luck" - especially since the only problem I've had my entire time travelling is an ear infection. However, what goes around comes around, and by the middle of the night that same day, the sickness came for me as well. Ironically enough, the next day marked my half-way mark (6 month anniversary) of travelling. Figures.


Last time we wrote, we were in the city of Ayuthaya. Today, we find ourselves in Chiang Mai, a city much further north. I find it a bit difficult to select some of the highlights between then and now, but I suppose I will choose a couple of my favorites and then Melissa will probably do the same.

Monkeys in Lopburi, Thailand

Lopburi: This city, best known for having monkeys inhabiting part of the city, provided 2 days of entertainment for us. Although we probably didn't need to spend this much time there, exploring places with a comfortable window of time makes everything seem less hurried and less stressful. The monkeys largely occupied only one of the temples in town and perhaps a block radius around it. Like a plague of locusts, they absolutely inundated the sidewalks, streets, telephone wires, and awnings overhanging the shops. Quite the sight to behold, when Melissa and I had to walk by, the word "gauntlet" repeated endlessly inside my head. They stared and walked beside us, looking as if they were ready to attack or jump on us at any moment. One evening, we went a fair distance away from our accommodation for dinner. The return journey would have required passage through the monkey's turf at night, not something I looked forward to at all. Luckily for us, we made some friends at dinner that night, and they ended up giving us a ride back to our place.

While no monkeys did anything to us while walking around the city, Melissa did manage to have one jump on her while inside the actual temple area (aka, their inner sanctuary). She tried posing next to one for a photo and the next thing you knew, one of them jumped on her purse. Naturally, she freaked out and the monkey immediately jumped back off. The only misfortune? My inability to capture the moment on my camera. : )

Elephant riding in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai: Before coming here, we toured the city of Sukhothai (another city with a million and one temples and ruins). It took us a bit longer to get here than we intended as our encounter with Dr. Sicko (just for you Byron) kept us grounded for a couple extra days. We had no intention of attempting to take a 5.5 hour bus ride in our current conditions at the time. We arrived here on the 19th. Since that time, we have gone riding on elephants, seen more temples, gotten our health back (for the most part), and biggest of all, experienced the amazing festival called "Loy Krathong." For the 11th full moon of the lunar calendar, they have a special "full moon" festival where they also celebrate the mother/goddess of the river and/or water. To celebrate, most places throughout Thailand make little boats out of Banana leaves and flowers and float them down a river with a candle and stick of burning incense. Chiang Mai does this, but they also do something unique to the rest of Thailand. They light paper-balloon like lanterns and send them off into the night sky to cast off evil spirits that the individual may have accumulated over the year. Aside from parades, fireworks, beauty contests, and just pure craziness, the balloons were by far my favorite part of the festival. Seeing the night sky dotted with hundreds of lit-lanterns is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

----------(Melissa now)---------

What to add? Jeff has done a good job of summing up our recent events. I guess I can tell you a little about Sukhothai and the Wats we saw there. We actually rented a bike for $1 for the day. The bikes were one speed fits all, and we toured the old city and ruins. We saw so many ruins, I can't even tell you the names of all of them right now. Our hostel had free bicycles for us to use. One night, Jeff and I set out for dinner, but they only had one bike left. Never fear, there was a bench-like seat on the bike, so Jeff got to do all the work, and I just held on. That was pretty fun, at least for me. :)

In Sukhothai, Thailand.  Somehow managed
to avoid getting hit.

Time for my version of the Loy Krathong festival. Although everything Jeff said is true, I just want to add in a few more things. From probably 7pm to past 11:30pm there was never a dull moment in the sky. Between the lanterns and fireworks, there was a constant and consistent party in the sky. It was beautiful! I think one reason this festival is so fun is it's not just about the tourists. It is a huge party for the people here, and thankfully, they are so happy to include the tourists. They want you to be a part in their celebration and it is a uniting feeling. The atmosphere that is created as I waited for my own, personal, balloon to fill up with enough hot air to rise was like a kid anticipating Christmas. With every balloon that is sent up, there are fireworks going off, and people cheering. It is a type of celebration in which I've never seen, and my words are a pitiful description of how magnificent it truly was.

One other thing I will comment about, and then I'll beg for pictures (but no video this time). One of the temples in Chiang Mai had a shaded garden connected to it. In the garden were little wooden street-like signs hung on the trees. The signs had quotes on them in Thai and English. Jeff and I wandered around this garden, escaping the heat for a bit and reading all these quotes. The only sound that I could hear were the monks chanting in the temple that we were at. It was such a calming experience and nice change from the bussle of the city.

I look forward to my return to the States for many reasons. To sleep in my own bed, to flush a toilet with a handle instead of dumping a bucket of water into the toilet, to brush my teeth with tap water, to not be sweating while I sleep, and I'm sure the list could go on. However, I will miss everything here, and I'm sad to leave. I will miss travelling and bonding with my brother, the tuk tuk drivers always wanting to give you a ride, the people welcoming you as family, the warmth of the sun at the end of November, the genuine excitement in the people about their festivals, the custom of taking off your shoes before going into stores and everywhere, the relaxation of having no plan...and THIS list could go on for even longer than the last. Most of all, I will miss the land of "smiling people," with hearts two sizes their hands.
 
---------------------------------------------------(Back to Jeff)-------------------------------------
 
I nearly forgot to post November's Speedo Picture!  A bit dated now, however it's still in front of a fairly iconic place in Singapore.  Ignore the man that got in the way.  I wasn't about to wait for him to get out of the way because I didn't know if I'd get in any trouble for wearing a Speedo in public in Singapore.  Better safe than sorry.

Happy November, and early Thanksgiving!

Guest Writer

Apparently I can expect a new wave of readers for a brief period of time.  Unbeknownst to me, my sister Melissa told people that while she was travelling with me that we'd be sharing this blog so that if someone wanted to read up about her, all they would have to do is look here.  Of course I have no problem with that, but a little heads up would have been nice - I mean, I might have to reevaluate what I'm going to write and how I'm going to say it now that I have a wider audience.  Who am I kidding?  I'm not going to sugar-coat anything for you.  That being said, let's discuss my personal favorite topic: bodily functions and the bathroom.  To put it somewhat politely, I've been going to that bathroom much less frequently than normal lately (we're talking 5 days straight at least).  I'm in no pain or anything, but one has to wonder, where the heck is it all going?!  If anyone can enlighten me on this topic I would greatly appreciate it. 

Muay Thai Match - swing and a miss

Alright new readers, now that we've been introduced, let's talk about what Melissa and I have been up to.  Our first couple days together we explored Bangkok where we did everything from going to a Muay Thai match (actually 8 of them for 3 hours, quite the extravaganza) to watching some 200 odd people do aerobics in the public park for 40 mins.  After Bangkok, we ventured down to the island of Koh Chang in the Eastern part of Thailand.  The bus ride itself came straight from the devil himself.  With a demonic baby on our left that never stopped screaming in its waking moments (what a horrible way to live right?) to the couple in front of us that couldn't go 5 mins without kissing each other - well, suffice it to say that 5.5 hours never felt so long.  I suppose things could have been worse, but for all my travelling experience lately, it hasn't been nearly that bad in a loooooong time.

Once on Koh Chang, Melissa and I managed to do nothing for about 3 days straight.  I suppose this a matter of opinion, but let's be honest folks, I woke up, slowly got out of our bungalow (literally, straw covered hut), walked down to the deck/lobby area where I soaked up the glorious shade and read a book.  By mid-afternoon, I'd grow hungry, walk 7 mins into "town", consume food and beverage(s), walk back, read more, lounge more, nap, fart, go the bathroom, read some more, walk up the hill to the bungalow, watch the sunset, walk back into town and now repeat the previous steps until bedtime (minus the sunset part).  Life's pretty difficult on the road sometimes, let me tell you.  Melissa is having a hard time adjusting to this schedule, but I suppose she'll tell you that (in her own words) in a bit.

Sunset from the front porch of our bungalow

We left Koh Chang by way of minibus to the city of Ayuthaya, the old capital of the Thai Kingdom.  Our minibus ride was phenomenal.  Either our driver tried out for the movie Crank or actually believed he was living out the storyline of "Speed."  Maniac-man wove between traffic and straddled the edge of the rode at intersections so that he could by-pass the line of traffic waiting for the light to turn green.  Haha, at one point, someone in the back seat even threw up.  Now, I can't be certain whether or not the driving was to blame or whether they were genuinely sick, but I think we can safely assume the driver didn't help the situation.  Ultimately, I suppose you just have to pick your poison.  Baby and couples from the 5th inner circle of hell conspiring against your sanity, or Mr. "life is a video-game" driver.  Haha, all part of the fun!

I've blabbed on long enough.  The title of this post is indeed "guest writer", so I suppose I ought to let her give her 2 cents.  Here she goes ------------

Hi all!!! Well, to start off, most of what Jeff said is true! We did however walk about 25min, one way, to a different beach in Koh Chang and that walk was HOT and hilly. It was beautiful though! Unlike Jeff, I also swam (instead of read) and played volleyball with a group of four Canadian guys. They have been friends since elementary school and are now travelling after college. Pretty amazing.

To continue on with our trip we have been seeing many Wat's in Ayuthaya. Wat's are temples, if you didn't know. We walked around the city today for probably 5 hours looking at different ones. All of them are amazing!!!!!! I won't say much about them, because they are things you just have to see, but I will tell you one story. Outside the Wat that holds the biggest Buddha in Thailand a young lady (about my age) was sitting there with a kid from the streets. She had given the kid an ear piece of her ipod, and they were listening to music together. The little guy (couldn't have been older than three) was just smiling and giggling, and holding onto her leg. It was really precious! He had clearly made a new friend and wasn't ready to let her go. Throughout our walk today the kids along the road would be so excited to see us, they'd stand up, yell something to get our attention, and just wave like crazy with the biggest grin on their faces. I once heard a quote that goes something like, "So many languages in the world, yet a smile speaks them all." It's been fun to see how true that is.

Melissa in front of Wat Chai Watthanaram

Okay, I'm sure this is getting pretty long, and I'm going to make Jeff add some pictures to help you see how amazing everything is. Thanks Jeff for letting me be a guest writer...(maybe if I'm nice I'll get one more post in before I return home). :)

This is the first and last video I will ever attempt to post.

It took about 3 hours to upload. I pray it works.

Melissa shot this video - before watching, pick your horse...

Red or Blue?

Reflections

I suppose the problem is that every time I sit down to try and write something, I have a hard time thinking up what to inform you about.  I'll begin as randomly as possible and just go with what's on my mind.  Food.  After being in Singapore for one week, and spending some time here in Bangkok, the amount of food on the streets being sold is truly a sight to behold.  In Singapore, a lot of the food and restaurants are organized in food courts and hawker centers.  The food is cheap, freshly made, and extremely delicious.  In Bangkok, the food is more commonly found in the form of small stands or tables along the side of the road. The street food is nearly everywhere.  I can't get over it.  Women, grinding up ingredients in a bowl, meat on sticks roasting over some coals, and sometimes there's even little aquariums filled with shrimp like creatures.  All of these stands are packed and unpacked everyday by the people who run them.  It's not uncommon to see motorbikes or scooters that have a side car of sorts that is actually a food stand.  It's truly amazing.  Ordering food at these stands can sometimes be a little tricky, especially since the majority don't have menus.  Luckily, Thai people are extremely friendly and patient, and a warm, friendly smile goes a long ways here.  Walk up, point to something, or simply say "please decide for me"  (and then hope they understand a little English), and wa-la!  You just got served!  It can be quite a gamble, but I haven't really had anything that I didn't like.  Haha, my most interesting meal so far was given to me by some locals at an outside bar.  We were chatting and having a good time and then they insisted I try some of their food.  A little spicy, and slightly unnerving at first, because there were live shrimp like creatures jumping around in the dish (one even managed to jump out of the bowl and onto my lap).  Haha, despite these two parts, I admit, it was a very delicious treat.

A couple days ago, I felt like I got a fairly local experience by riding the public boat on the canal through the city.  For 15 baht, or 50 cents, I was taken across the entire city.  The boat was jam-packed with people.  I have no idea how they managed to squeeze me on, but they did.  Had my stop not been the very last one when everyone was getting off, I believe it would be safe to say that I would have been screwed, especially if the boat docked on the opposite side of which I was standing.  The canal looked fairly filthy, the status of houses along the canal weren't all that impressive, but everywhere you looked, people were going about their business, hopping on and off the boat.  Everyday life.  It was refreshing to see and reminded me how differently people live.  The world is a vast and amazing place - everyday I see things firsthand that make me think more and more about my own lifestyle in new and different ways.  I've seen and done quite a few things, but for all my experience, I will never stop learning from others, nor will I ever stop being impressed by the sense of humanity and kindness in this world.  Travelling is a very humble and character building experience.

Some other reflections regarding travelling.  It can be very challenging.  No duh, right?  Not knowing your way around, not knowing the language, not knowing what to eat, or how to properly eat without offending anyone, finding a place to use the bathroom, etc. etc.  The list can go on and on.  But, there are other challenges in travelling on your own that I hadn't really thought about all that much until this trip.  The biggest one is identity and self-awareness.  Ultimately, I define who I am and how I want to act.  However, the people that surround you also have a major influence on who you are and can make or break whether or not you feel like you can be "yourself."  At home, I know who am and I never really have to question it.  I'm surrounded by the people that I know, and the people that know me as well.  I can be "me" without having to worry about what they think or how they will react. I decided who I wanted to be, but having those around me that make me feel ok in my own skin is also a big part of it as well.  On the road, I'm no longer in my natural habitat.  Not only do you not know anyone, you aren't even familiar with your surroundings.  A lot of people say, when you go off to college for the first time, it is your opportunity to completely redefine yourself.  Travelling the way I am sometimes feels like that, but on steroids.  On this path, and unnatural habitat, I have to constantly ask myself, "is this something I really want to do?"  "Are these people I'm hanging out with, people I really enjoy?"  I'm constantly evaluating who I am and what it is I really want to be and do.  It's extremely exhilarating and tiring at the same time. Life is extremely dynamic and ever changing.  Personally, I'm a person always seeking to improve myself.  Ways to change, and ways to grow.  Being stagnant in this category is something I don't handle all that well.  However, the self-reflection road can be difficult at times because like most things in life, there must be a balance.  I am always seeking to grow and learn...always changing.  But within that change, there must be some sense of peace and harmony in being content with who you are.  For me, life is about finding this balance.  On the travelling road, I'm moved to evaluate things on a daily basis.  At home, this doesn't always come so easily, especially in the daily grind and routine.  

 So what does this all mean?  Haha, have I completely changed?  Am I a new person?  The funny thing is that I can feel myself changing, but I can't describe how.  Maybe things will be more translucent with time, but for now, I know I'm having the time of my life, and sometimes there's just no easy way to describe my interaction with the local Thai person who had the heart and openness to try and converse with me at the bar, even though they hardly knew English.  Nor can I really describe how a smile and body language speaks so much more sometimes than actual words.  How do such experiences change me?  I'm not quite sure, but I know they're having an affect.   My experiences flow together like the tributaries that make the mighty Amazon.  Distinguishing them at moments can be extremely difficult.  Haha, be assured though, I'm still the same Jeff you knew when I left - except I've gained a little weight and my hair has probably faded to brown a bit more. : (

Well this post got a little too sentimental.  Next posting I'll make sure and tell you about some crazy sign or experience I had.  I will leave you with this, it's nice to know that people care about what I'm up to and that they are thinking about me.  It helps me remind me of who I am.  Thank you for that.

Fast times

I'm behind.  There's no doubt about it.  Life on the road gets busy at times and I have not done the greatest job lately of posting blogs.  I don't have the most time in the world at the moment, but true to my word, I knew I at LEAST needed to put up October's Speedo picture of the month!  To some of you, this picture is old because I posted it on facebook.  However, I'm not certain all of you have found me yet.  I tried posting a larger version of it in order for you to be successful in my "Where's Waldo" like challenge.

Shibuya crossing, Tokyo, Japan.  Word on the street is that over
 a million people cross this intersection everyday.

To briefly update you on a couple other things before I go...I am now in Bangkok, Thailand.  I spent last week in Singapore for about 7 days.  At the moment, I'm exploring Bangkok while waiting for my sister to arrive who will be joining me for about 3 weeks.  Through an odd series of events, she discovered a new found freedom, and I happen to believe that she might be enjoying it too much.  Then again, I can't blame her.  After all, who am I to talk?

The current plan at the moment is to spend about 2 and half months in SE Asia, exploring Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  From here, I'll move on to Jordan in Mid-January.  These are my where abouts.  Now, once I get back from the massive weekend Market today and rest up a little bit, I SHOULD be able to write a much longer post informing you of exciting tales and happenings.  Ok, not really, but I will be writing more, of that you can be certain.  Happy Early Halloween! 

Easy-peazy, Japanezy!

My room for the night at
an Internet Cafe

Tonight's posting is being brought to you from none other than McDonald's! I'm not ashamed to say that I am never above a cheap, crappy meal. Besides that, however, there is an additional reason I am here, and that is to kill time. You see, tonight I am going to stay at an Internet cafe. Sounds weird, I know. But in Japan, sleeping at Internet cafes is quite common and very much accepted. Most Internet cafes offer a range of overnight package deals depending on the number of hours you intend to stay/sleep and the kind of accommodation you prefer. The cheapest rate gets you a computer and a chair. Very basic, and very difficult to fall asleep in. The next class up, you often get a number of different choices. Essentially you get a cubicle with a computer. You can decide on getting a reclining chair at a desk, or a lower desk that you sit on the floor to use and the floor is usually padded and/or has some type of tiny seat that folds flat. I always opt for the floor like computer desk because as some of you may know, I am very much ok with sleeping on the floor and in certain situations, actually prefer it. Now, this isn't all that the Internet cafe has to offer. In addition to being one of the cheaper options for places to sleep (besides the train station), you also get free drinks the entire night (coffee, pop, tea, hot chocolate, etc.) and in most places you also have a shower! Hot diggity dog! What else do you need? Not much.




Capsule Hotel - very cozy

 Of course, if the Internet cafe isn't your thing, there's always the classy Capsule Hotel, although these tend to be a little more expensive without the benefits of unlimited drinks and Internet. I stayed at a Capsule Hotel for one night, just so I could say I did it, and after the experience I told myself I would never abandon the Internet cafe for a Capsule Hotel ever again. The Capsule Hotel reminded me of submarine bunks, although I'm fairly sure submarine bunks are very different. Forget the submarine. Let's imagine the morgue instead. Imagine sliding into your proper slot, only this one is a little larger allowing you to sit up without hitting your head. Oh, and you have a small T.V., so this morgue is quite lively. When it boiled down to it, both experiences were fine. However, when taking the Yen into consideration, the advantage goes to the Internet cafe in my humble opinion. Don't take my word for it though, because it is not like I have stayed at every Internet cafe and Capsule Hotel in Japan. In fact, I have had a couple crummy experiences at Internet cafes where they played music until 1 am and then turned it back on at 7. Very frustrating.



Shower and Spa

 Oh, and before I forget, I should mention that the showers at Capsule Hotels are often locker room style. If this is something you are uncomfortable with, you better get used to it if you come to Japan. Showering while sitting on a small stool is the typically shower here. A wall will be lined with shower heads located at waste height. Below them, the stools you sit on. Wash yourself sometime while sitting on a stool and let me know what you think. I found it to be...difficult isn't the right word....let's go with...unnatural. I just wasn't used to it. As different as the locker room shower may be, one thing I could get used to is the spa, or "onsen." Many bathrooms also have a hot spa with refreshingly hot water that you can soak in after a long day of riding trains and running around with a 18 Kilo bag on your back.

Ok, enough bathroom talk. I suppose I should tell you a bit about my adventures of late. I arrived in Japan about a month ago (Sept. 14). The first two weeks were spent seeing Tokyo and the surrounding area - the next two weeks (or, past two weeks), I activated my Japanese rail pass and began the whirlwind tour of my life around Japan. If you come to Japan and intend/hope to see several different places, the rail pass is the way to go. In my two week tazmanian devil act, I managed to go to the following places...

Osaka
Kyoto


Festival in Sendai.  Dancing
and singing in a
parade like fashion.

 Hiroshima
Miyajima
Takayama
Shirakawago
Furugawa
Tsumago
Magome
Nagano
Matsumoto
Sendai
Matsushima
Yamadera
Akita
Kakunodate
Hakodate
Sapporo

Granted, some of the above places I only spent an afternoon in, but if you map it out, you will see that I covered a lot of ground. And yes, there is a train that connects the main island, Honshu, to the northern island, Hokkaido. They literally tunneled under the ocean. Pretty incredible.

I couldn't tell you my favorite place. Hakodate had some incredible squid. Matsushima was beautiful. Hiking from Tsumago to Magome (7-8 km) was a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Sendai was unique for a festival I happened to stumble upon - really, I could go on forever.



Shirakawago and
thatched roof houses

 Between all the things I saw and did, the Japanese people are still the part of this place that has made the greatest impression on me. Almost without fail, anytime I rode a train and had someone sit next to me, they would try and strike up a conversation. They would try and practice their English, they would insist on giving me whatever candy or food they were carrying with them (which was commonly some type of seaweed candy - not my favorite, but tolerable), and they would always thank ME, as if I had done something for them! It is crazy.

I'm at a loss of words right now to tell you more about Japan. After being here just over a month, a lot of things have become 2nd nature to me. It is a little hard to reflect on some of things that astounded me at first. Litter and trash is a perfect example. There is very little of it anywhere. At face value I suppose this doesn't seem all that special. BUT, when you are here and you see how few garbage cans they have, it will suddenly seem out of this world. I am not exaggerating in saying that garbage cans are really only located in 2 places. Near convenient stores and train station stops. It is possible to seem them elsewhere, but they are extremely rare. How the heck do they do it? Keep the place looking like Disneyland with so few garbage cans?! It's because they are Japanese and they actually follow the rules and do what society asks them to. No one crosses the street unless the walk signal is showing, even if no cars are coming. You'll occasionally see a person cross "illegally" if they are in a hurry, but again, very rare. Since everyone follows the rules, you actually feel guilty yourself for breaking them. I didn't litter anywhere, but I admit, there were a couple times that I crossed the street when I didn't have the right away. Another thing that left an impression on me (related to work, dedication, and customer service), while riding the trains, there are women who come through the different cars with a food and beverage cart. Every time they go through the door to a different car, they bow to everyone. When I say every time, this means they do it when they enter, and when they leave. They actually bother to turn around, face the car of people, and give a small bow and smile before they exit. It took me a while to notice that they did this - but once I did, I couldn't help but watch every single time. The women must have thought I was extremely strange because no one else even cared to look at them or give them any notice, whereas I watched them with some stupefied grin on my face, amazed by their dedication to do such a thing even when no one else was watching. It was even easier for me to watch if she was cute. : )

Lastly, I feel I should touch on one last subject before I close the book on Japan. There are a million and one things I could write about, especially as it concerns people and their genuine sense of kindness. What I want to bring up is Hiroshima. I'm only going to make one comment, and then I'm going to let my pictures do the talking (as I took several at the museum). I believe everyone can learn a lesson from the Japanese. For as devastating and terrible as the A-bomb was on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I never once received any sort of animosity from anyone in Japan. I was always regarded with kindness and acceptance. "America?! You are from America!? I love America." Time and time again. For all that happened in the past, it would seem the people of Japan have moved on. Of course, I had no involvement in the A-bomb and wasn't even alive for it. But, being an American, you can't help but feel a sense of guilt for being American. Despite the fact that I am related to this event and that our countries were once at war, the people did not hold any of it against me. They treated me as an individual and loved me all the more. To me, it seems some of us never forgive or forget the ones that do wrong unto us. Sometimes we become so wrapped up in the "wrong" that was committed that we end up reciprocating the same wrongs. Eventually, it becomes a vicious cycle with no end. If Hiroshima taught me anything, it is that despite the wrong, there is power in forgiveness and love. We must learn from the mistakes of the past, and we must build upon them. I believe this message can be applied on both the large scale (such as never using nuclear weapons again) and more importantly, on the small, daily scale, where we often have the most influence upon those around us. Alright, enough philosophy - I hope you get a small sense of what I experienced through some of the photos below.

Land of the Rising Sun

Harajuku, Tokyo.

Approaching my two week stay in Japan, I must say that, like nearly all places I've been so far, I have had an incredible time.  I'm particularly happy because I have had the opportunity to see a couple different friends in Japan since being here.  So far, I've spent the majority of my time in Tokyo.  I'm not going to write a whole lot at the moment, but I will mention a couple things that have stuck out so far.

1.  To generalize, Japanese people are extremely polite and friendly.  I'm amazed time and time again by how helpful everyone is.  One of my first times riding around on the trains in Tokyo I realized that I was on the wrong line.  Using the 3-4 pages of Japanese phrases in the back of my travel book I was able to fumble the words "excuse me" and "where is X?" out of my mouth.  Almost instantaneously after asking one person on the train, a group of people descended upon me, each offering up their assistance with their varied levels of English proficiency. 



My first Bento box.  Delicious

 2.  Japanese toilets are amazing.  You've probably seen pictures, or even heard about the toilets that come with all the bells and whistles, BUT until you get to use one, you have no idea what you are missing out on!  Heated seats (useful during winter), built in air fresheners, and a water facet like device on top of the tank.  I've even encountered a toilet where the lid automatically goes up once it detects motion.  Somehow, I need to figure out how to get one of these toilets back home.

3.  To generalize (again), Japanese people are dedicated in anything and everything that they do.  I went to the grocery store one day and I observed a man "directing" traffic near the entrance to the parking lot.  I say "directing" because in reality, he didn't need to be there.  Clearly, people could have figured out how to avoid pedestrians and other cars without him.  Despite the pointlessness of his position and the fact that he was wearing a long sleeved uniform in 33 degrees C heat, he did his job with a seriousness and dedication that I'm not sure I can quite describe.  What I can describe is the lack of a look of frustration, tiredness, and just over all feeling of dismay in disliking his job.  Upon watching him, every movement he made, every expression made it seem as if this job was the most important thing and that it was his duty to serve the people as best as he could.  I was stunned.  For a job like this, I would expect most people to do it with no enthusiasm, no care, and a huge sense of apathy.  This is just one of a million examples I could run through.  My favorite thing in relation to this subject is walking into stores.  When you walk into a 7-eleven for example, one worker will shout out "welcome" to you, and a milisecond after that all the other workers will shout out "welcome" as well, even if they are hidden behind a row of goods stocking the bottom level of a shelf.  If one didn't know better, you might think that they were sounding off an alarm that a white-redheaded foreigner had entered the place.  Haha, as you leave, the alarm goes off again, only this time they are saying "goodbye."

A scene from Nikko and the burial
site of Tokugawa Ieyasu
(important historical ruler of Japan)

4.  Japan is a mixture of the old and the new.  I got a real sense of this when I went from walking around the electronic district (akihabara) in Tokyo where I got to play with all of Sony's newest toys and inventions, to hopping on the train next to some sumo wrestlers.  Ok, so maybe this isn't the greatest example of "old vs. new", but I suppose I'm trying to portray the idea that for all of Japan's modernity and seemingly "western" style, there is still a very distinct element that makes Japan, Japan.  No where else have I viewed people bow to each other with such respect and normality.  It is a part of Japan.  Something you don't really see anywhere else. 

I have much more to write about Japan and what I've been up to, but I need to keep this one short for the time being.  My actual main goal of this post was to make sure and pin up September's Speedo Picture before the month ended!  If you've seen my photos on facebook, you've already seen this one.  It is an oldie, but goodie. 

September:  Great Wall of China

Post-Post

I just discovered the "caption" button to add to pictures.  So of course, I had
to add one on a photo that doesn't really need it.

Greetings from within the Silk/Iron Curtain! I'm currently writing this on Sept. 11, but since the Chinese government blocks youtube, facebook, and common blog websites (like the one I use), I'm writing this now with the intention of posting it later. All of this being said, let's get to it shall we?

I've been in Beijing for almost a week now. Where to begin? I've pretty much seen and done the major highlights - Forbidden City, Tiananmen Sqaure, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Temple of Heaven, Night Markets, and of course, the Great Wall. The Great Wall was by far my favorite and most spectacular. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more. I actually got to hike around on it for about 3 hours. Quite pleasant. The most interesting part, in my opinion, was looking along the horizon and seeing it snake along the ridge for as far as you could see. Also of interest, in the distance (where you weren't allowed to walk) you could see the wall in its more "natural" state of being (hadn't been repaired or reconstructed). Trees and plants were practically growing through and on top of the entire thing.



One of many special items to eat
 at the night market.  yummy!

As for other things in Beijing....let's talk about squatter toilets (somehow I always manage to relate something in posts to bathroom/bodily functions). I don't know if you've ever used one, but a tip to potential future users (especially males), make sure to move your wallet to your front pocket before attempting to use it. Believe me or not, this sort of accident didn't actually happen to me, it happened to a friend of mine I met at the hostel. Haha, whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you, because I know how "friend of mine" sounds. In all honesty, as much as I'm up for trying and wanting to do new things, I haven't had the courage to use the squatter toilet yet. I intended to, but lately I've had some travel sickness issues (no more details needed). Using a squatter toilet would be weird enough, but doing it while not on the most normal of circumstances, well forget it. Maybe my last day here I can make something happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

By the way, did I mention I'm famous? At least that's how I've felt in going to many of the tourist places here. At Tiananmen Square for example, I had several people (families, kids, couples) come up to me and ask to get a picture with me. At first I was a little weirded out, but eventually I kind of went with it and took some pictures myself. All these people asking to get pictures with me were more than likely other Chinese people from outside of the big city. A white foreigner, let alone with red hair, is not something they see all that often. According to a friend I've made who has been living in Beijing for the last 7 years, my face is probably on a dozen different mantels now. Haha. The weirder thing was when I walked around with a shirt tucked under my hat to protect the back of my neck from the sun, people were literally pointing, taking pictures, and laughing with their friends. This too, attracted several people in getting a picture with me. I just smiled and went along, but I never thought something so simple could seem so weird.

Another new favorite topic of mine, mistranslations. These can come in several different forms, but my two personal favorites that I've seen in Beijing are technically correct...they just don't sound right. My newest favorite T-shirt (a very common one) reads, "I *heart* (the symbol) BJ." Of course, BJ is short for Beijing, but for nearly any English speaker, you can't help but laugh at how well such an abbreviation works out. 2nd correct, yet odd translation, is found on several menus - "Beef with Rape" Now, rapeseed, also referred to as "rape", is indeed a real thing (I checked up just to make sure), but seeing as I had barely heard of it, let alone never seen it on a menu (which I admit, may simply be a part of my own ignorance), one can't help but think of this as a mistake. After piecing it all together (that it was referring to rapeseed and that it was a legit thing), I remember thinking, "wow, rape isn't what it used to be." Never thought I'd hear myself think that. But now that I think about it a little more, which word usage do you think came first? Rape (in reference to the seed), or rape (as the crime)? Anyone who can figure out the history of these words and if they were at all related in some fashion or another at one point gets major bonus points and maybe even a little Red book, or if it's your sort of thing, an "I *heart* BJ" shirt. Seriously though, I will send a gift to the first person who is able to solve this life-mystery for me. I did a little research on my own, so I have my own theory, but I want to see if anyone comes up with the same answer.

At the Temple of Heaven -
trying out to be
Hu Jintao's new dancer.

Aside from the fun of languages, I did get to ride one of the fastest trains in the world a couple days ago. I took a day trip to Tianjin, a city on the coast, east of Beijing. The ride takes about 30 mins and tops out at a speed of around 330 km/h. Pretty impressive. Not a whole lot to see or do in Tianjin, I mainly went to see the country side a bit while riding the incredibly fast train.

What else was I going to say? Oh I know. Back to the subject of the Great Wall. While walking around it, one can't help but think about how ludicrous a 1,000 km length wall really is. I suppose in theory it would deter a person or two from crossing, but if someone REALLY wanted to get over it, it probably wouldn't be all that difficult. 1,000 km. You would have to have sooooo many people standing watch to cover that distance, and then they'd have to be diligently watching at all times. Do you think that really happened? Of course not. As insane as the wall is, I had to wonder, who's more insane though, the people that spent years and years and years and years building it, repairing it, etc., or us, for trying to build something similar along the Mexican border? Hahaha. I'm not trying to get political on you here, so I apologize if this last statement offended you. I understand the reasoning behind our "wall", I'm just saying, when thinking about the Great Wall of China, you can't help but think about our own "wall" in our country. No matter which side of the "wall" you stand on (see what I did there?!), you have to admit, there is an interesting parallel between our modern day wall and the Great Wall of China.

Ok, enough tip-toeing around potential political issues. Let's wrap this up with a quick update on the "list" of things I was supposed to do while travelling around the world. So far, these are the items I've completed....

Got A Byron Bay T-shirt (for Byron)

Went to the top of Victoria Peak

Tried Dim Sum in Hong Kong

Tried Kangaroo, but not Kangaroo tail - does that count?

Tried some crazy, local food

Some items I've failed to complete...
 
Throw a boomerang at someone
 
Find out what "fire and ice" was in HK
 
Visit Steve Irwin's grave


When in Rome/Beijing



 

Does anyone have anything else to add? Sleep on it and let me know. By the time I post this, I will be in Japan. I arrive(d) Sept. 14th in Tokyo, and will be in Japan until Oct. 21st. Long time. Who's ready for sushi?