tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35712327876631859922024-03-05T09:46:52.699-05:00The Man with 3 First NamesThe Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-68313666599061264292013-10-28T21:41:00.003-04:002013-10-28T21:41:55.003-04:00Spontaneous Sojourn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s hard
to break a habit – I’m back in the Cedar Lounge at Beirut Airport saying
goodbye to Lebanon again. It was only about 8 hours before my flight out of
Vienna that I decided to come to Lebanon this time. A friend who had indulged
in a few too many drinks insisted that we should go to Beirut for the weekend.
I learned never to underestimate how alcohol impairs a person’s judgment, and
he learned that I don’t joke around when it comes to Lebanon. Less than 24
hours from our hasty decision in a Vienna bar, I was soaking up the sun in
Beirut.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even with
the surprise visit, Lebanon welcomed me with open arms. I spent Saturday night
out with a friend in Jounieh, and the rest of the visit was spent catching up
with family and friends in Roumieh while eating too much… far too much. Riding
in the taxi from Beirut up to the village, the taxi driver and I chatted away
about Lebanon. The driver insisted that I should have a home in Lebanon and
live here. At the very least, he said, I should continue to visit at least once
a year. As I walked up the steps of my cousin’s house, the driver yelled out
the window, “I can see you are at home here!” <o:p></o:p></div>
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With the
exception of the seemingly never-ending conflict in Tripoli, things in Lebanon
have been relatively quiet recently considering the chaos just across the
border in Syria. Lebanon seems to be trying its best keep chugging along
despite everything being against it. The new masses of Syrian refugees escaping
the war have brought the total number of refugees in tiny Lebanon to well over
1 million (over 700,000 registered Syrian refugees, plus Palestinians and
Iraqis). This is an insurmountable pressure on a country of only about 4.5
million, but Lebanon never gives up. This country has seen too many millennia of
unrest, conflict, and disaster. It is this perpetual question of what comes
next that makes leaving Lebanon so hard. I never know what could happen between
now and my next visit, but I have to leave behind a beautiful country and many
people that I care about. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Going
through passport control at the airport tonight, the officer asked, “Do you
have a Lebanese ID? Your name is Lebanese.” I explained that my
great-grandfather was Lebanese, and he looked both shocked and pleased.
“Welcome, keep coming back,” he said. I don’t think he has to worry about
whether I will return. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-76655912181659377372013-09-05T07:59:00.000-04:002013-09-05T08:00:34.112-04:00Embracing the Good, Remembering the Bad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPj9qkklcDYhE-291IXz_vlCRcTUmucnv-RMhyivsFlEsn-YioTCY_vuA_eeUS4GfyhFU3Fu5lsFpsB_-fW5I1m70dz-u1t-8fI5Ve-zV5YgupU9RyQCags2NIZgOiTgPC6lCqXkX0b4YT/s1600/IMG_8366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPj9qkklcDYhE-291IXz_vlCRcTUmucnv-RMhyivsFlEsn-YioTCY_vuA_eeUS4GfyhFU3Fu5lsFpsB_-fW5I1m70dz-u1t-8fI5Ve-zV5YgupU9RyQCags2NIZgOiTgPC6lCqXkX0b4YT/s200/IMG_8366.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes, I think I might tip too much. When I returned to
Yangon for my last few hours in Myanmar, my guide was waiting at the airport
and practically started jumping up and down when he saw me. I thought I’d just
be going from the domestic airport over to the international terminal to wait
for my flight to Bangkok, but because I had such a long layover, the guide and
driver wanted to take me to a few last sites. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was almost like they trusted me now and wanted to show me
a darker side of Yangon because the last two sites we visited left me feeling a
bit uneasy. First, we went to see the rare white elephants. These white
elephants were found by the former military government, and they are considered
symbols of power and good fortune, so they were put on display in a public
garden. Five elephants stood chained to a cement display area. They rocked from
side to side and paced one step forward, one step back. The chains were heavy,
short, and tight, and you could see the scars left on their legs from these
torturous leashes. I love animals, but I’ve never been a sappy animal rights
person. Seeing this, though, seriously made my heart heavy with sorrow. The
elephants were so obviously in pain, but there was nothing to be done to help.
My guide said that he hates coming to this place because it makes him sad to
see such beautiful animals suffering. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryn2b0l_7gxa5UxFTBayu0DOXqgJdeolPWWAwfxr652RysKRorFb1GMp11ZbP3jDGNhPPZcPzfHJTHAwYIKqDcKd0YWqTkiCjJVGDucMsGSm5tZRhVVq-Nwug9JR0wusbwHxVfc8mIWpl/s1600/IMG_8331_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryn2b0l_7gxa5UxFTBayu0DOXqgJdeolPWWAwfxr652RysKRorFb1GMp11ZbP3jDGNhPPZcPzfHJTHAwYIKqDcKd0YWqTkiCjJVGDucMsGSm5tZRhVVq-Nwug9JR0wusbwHxVfc8mIWpl/s320/IMG_8331_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-pmuMtbU-xnQhXkLwwR8mU8gv_q1WmAMT7_ExwrvV8TPaXc4MqRkXNC-YuVodN_lH1GCBbuwbmcUVdtoSHADLkAuVRKPqRZp1gsqZMqAqR0gnokcwxFMLvl8WDG7jmg3TRa3dS7Tuu2v/s1600/IMG_8333_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-pmuMtbU-xnQhXkLwwR8mU8gv_q1WmAMT7_ExwrvV8TPaXc4MqRkXNC-YuVodN_lH1GCBbuwbmcUVdtoSHADLkAuVRKPqRZp1gsqZMqAqR0gnokcwxFMLvl8WDG7jmg3TRa3dS7Tuu2v/s320/IMG_8333_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5AXXBbGa-pIq4LMbtmToSME-CIeDUyaQwj9q4zGflUDHIXtVLopJSyYjLn2fT7TWy-ITvbLeyCQDa3P0tm9dsx6XObW7-VYJbNOxO6Sj7xrvXhgtixLOGiM9BHsPT9Ss9m1SHNN42Al0/s1600/IMG_8351_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5AXXBbGa-pIq4LMbtmToSME-CIeDUyaQwj9q4zGflUDHIXtVLopJSyYjLn2fT7TWy-ITvbLeyCQDa3P0tm9dsx6XObW7-VYJbNOxO6Sj7xrvXhgtixLOGiM9BHsPT9Ss9m1SHNN42Al0/s200/IMG_8351_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>The next stop was one last pagoda. This particular pagoda
was relatively new though, and most of it had been built by various members of
the military government. Everything was a display of the virtuous and generous nature
of the generals. The sad thing about this site, however, was not the source of
its <o:p></o:p></div>
finances, rather the fact that history is slowly being erased. One of the
generals was particularly hated, and once the current government was elected,
the public painted over all images and mentions of this general. I understand
and appreciate the desire not to honor a dishonorable man, but erasing history
feels a bit like burning books to me; it’s just wrong. If people forget about
this man, what is to keep another man like him from coming into power? <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ0fjf68gNV0mfPtHKqp3KEP21UJKZ3A3Ik-I8dRfv8LmIPsEWsqz-mRLU_XhJLOSc7d0gYQ-ceQ46R0GwvdU3K3sHG6IGbWVR8lhZ4Dr9Bl8pQwEBcoNVNRhF1TVqxEhdBeahzMCz7Bh/s1600/IMG_8354_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ0fjf68gNV0mfPtHKqp3KEP21UJKZ3A3Ik-I8dRfv8LmIPsEWsqz-mRLU_XhJLOSc7d0gYQ-ceQ46R0GwvdU3K3sHG6IGbWVR8lhZ4Dr9Bl8pQwEBcoNVNRhF1TVqxEhdBeahzMCz7Bh/s320/IMG_8354_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92kjpKpZvT0QfkhLGrUEtlhLZtjgqiLP5xrpIFhvQMRU6RWPIbQXBcmTeWqoUXRuEBDXf53Kq0d5uCjvi-fiZH7OE7c8xwXaO09nSC8zdhmapjfjtmlAIOWepepL9pOlRDzWsV3vl8RGQ/s1600/IMG_8363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92kjpKpZvT0QfkhLGrUEtlhLZtjgqiLP5xrpIFhvQMRU6RWPIbQXBcmTeWqoUXRuEBDXf53Kq0d5uCjvi-fiZH7OE7c8xwXaO09nSC8zdhmapjfjtmlAIOWepepL9pOlRDzWsV3vl8RGQ/s320/IMG_8363.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Heading back to the airport, we stopped for a quick drink,
and my guide gave me a small gift to remember him. It was a very colorful local
style bag, and he said, “I don’t think you will use this, but I hope you will
keep it as a souvenir.” He escorted me into the airport and then gave me a big
hug before saying goodbye. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Myanmar was such an amazing country, and I’m so glad I had
the opportunity to visit, and I hope to return again soon. I fear that the
country may be changing too fast for its own good, and the people may slowly
lose touch with the rich culture that makes this place so unique. After the countless
pagodas, markets, and monasteries, I can safely say that as incredibly
beautiful as this country is, its people are the most beautiful element of all.
I won’t soon forget their smiles, gentle eyes, and warm presence. </div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-56111475447551729382013-09-02T02:28:00.001-04:002013-09-02T02:28:57.538-04:00The Floating Market Doesn't Float<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My last full day in Myanmar, I was so exhausted from touring
every day that I really just wanted to be lazy and stay at the hotel, but the
guide had traveled almost two hours to take me out, so I finished breakfast and
jumped back into the boat (ok, slowly eased my way). Our first stop was the floating market. My
guide told me, “we are approaching the floating market, but most of it isn’t
floating anymore.” The only boat-borne merchants were the tourist souvenir
peddlers. All the other market-goers had gone on land.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl3pYzdc-woATeJ_D5de_Qw8q97d7L1oRP7XrwjmBXtHDRZXAS-NfEgcDhFondUmb48yJHSu39km7EYZwJI8hokKROjIBFxXsv389cGVmSVM4tzaMST__GhhrsAMJO_200u3xoluU0eFv/s1600/IMG_8121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl3pYzdc-woATeJ_D5de_Qw8q97d7L1oRP7XrwjmBXtHDRZXAS-NfEgcDhFondUmb48yJHSu39km7EYZwJI8hokKROjIBFxXsv389cGVmSVM4tzaMST__GhhrsAMJO_200u3xoluU0eFv/s200/IMG_8121.jpg" width="200" /></a>While visiting the market, we stopped at a large souvenir
shop to see the Padaung women that wear brass coils around their necks. “We
will see the Padaung ladies here, but they are not from here.” It turns out
they are brought in every day to work in the shop and let people take pictures
of them. They normally live in the Southern part of Shan State, but tourists
require special government permits to travel there, so they come to Inle Lake
to earn money posing for photos. The whole visit was beginning to seem a bit
comical; the jumping cat monastery where the cats don’t jump, the floating
market where the market doesn’t float, and the local ethnic tribe that isn’t
local.</div>
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We then proceeded to a gold and silversmith shop, where
jewelers were toiling away making incredibly intricate gold and silver jewelry
and trinkets. One young man was making a series of increasingly large silver
rings shaped like fish scales that were eventually pieced together to form a
wiggling fish. I was dying to buy some of the things in the shop, but I was
down to my last $15 USD for my stay in Myanmar. I knew that I needed to have
dinner that night and possibly pay an airport departure tax in Yangon the next
day. I think it’s the first time I’ve been in a shop when I literally didn’t
have a single dollar to spare. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy448NLhwZ4gg0eQy7GfgA0IGxGz58TZky__T_ny_v1S8s-x7qUZjYlhmb2eSbJecGxReJ1L0R2SEuejrhcejFgTdUvmpUChrNlBlyh9Mi_L4kc72az0Evog_JLEIn7gY8QQwXRDzUKHw/s1600/IMG_8181_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy448NLhwZ4gg0eQy7GfgA0IGxGz58TZky__T_ny_v1S8s-x7qUZjYlhmb2eSbJecGxReJ1L0R2SEuejrhcejFgTdUvmpUChrNlBlyh9Mi_L4kc72az0Evog_JLEIn7gY8QQwXRDzUKHw/s320/IMG_8181_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the silversmith, we went out to the thousand stupa
pagoda. While it’s true that the thousand stupa pagoda doesn’t have a thousand
stupas, it’s not quite as funny because there are actually 1054. There <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2bA122K1A6rcdb1d9uyZsWfAmro01xHkkLFbJlDzEE2eH2XnzCeTkzWNQ60wtRnELqZBzRZL7Ovw9Q1Iq6BAqW6_h7Fqg8v3vIHUZv0ooL-rlkP1FPU1J6kvsgQcAKuoJArPU2hSqJyl/s1600/IMG_8155_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2bA122K1A6rcdb1d9uyZsWfAmro01xHkkLFbJlDzEE2eH2XnzCeTkzWNQ60wtRnELqZBzRZL7Ovw9Q1Iq6BAqW6_h7Fqg8v3vIHUZv0ooL-rlkP1FPU1J6kvsgQcAKuoJArPU2hSqJyl/s200/IMG_8155_hdr.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzr2nduvObNbALyZc6V4rrh15xJB09_1lij_RFJ3bZ4AIDibIuKvujhfP19cEM1b9NWMbm2yAfgJxrhDPkbc4CJ398IN4z_w38e6OrXzX0DEuxT06JEg0My0NN7WIF-zc67qoji1lRftR/s1600/IMG_8145_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzr2nduvObNbALyZc6V4rrh15xJB09_1lij_RFJ3bZ4AIDibIuKvujhfP19cEM1b9NWMbm2yAfgJxrhDPkbc4CJ398IN4z_w38e6OrXzX0DEuxT06JEg0My0NN7WIF-zc67qoji1lRftR/s200/IMG_8145_hdr.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
are two
paths up to the pagoda, one covered staircase directly to the top of the hill
and one that winds it’s way through the village and the forest along the river.
We took the latter, and it was a perfect choice. I was paranoid that a snake
might crawl out and attack me or fall from a tree at any moment, but we got to
see more locals this way instead of just souvenir shops that I could no longer
afford. One woman was making fresh rice crackers, and, for the cook inside me,
it was very exciting to watch. Here, the rice crackers aren’t fried like usual,
rather they are cooked under hot sand over coals. The old woman placed the
cracker dough on top of the sand and then scooped the sand over the cracker allowing
it to quickly puff and crisp up. After visiting half of the pagoda, the guide
suggested that I go around to the other side to see the rest of the stupas.
Tired, I told her, “I didn’t count on the first side, so we can just pretend I
saw all 1054.” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jaPByj3O2cN0jAx7pAmUXuy8S1AyUz4Iw5K_B0aMq1qNUfsfFZETETVdYF5gIicRtLm6dRDlWDi-jU2FQ50mNsgHQXys6fRbtAmAnoopM-m4HZ2uxePoTiCvx3lG6EhPtyJ1S3WNAPya/s1600/IMG_8200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jaPByj3O2cN0jAx7pAmUXuy8S1AyUz4Iw5K_B0aMq1qNUfsfFZETETVdYF5gIicRtLm6dRDlWDi-jU2FQ50mNsgHQXys6fRbtAmAnoopM-m4HZ2uxePoTiCvx3lG6EhPtyJ1S3WNAPya/s200/IMG_8200.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next stop was another beautiful temple, where there were
five famous Buddha statues. “They are known for the five Buddha statues, but
you can’t see the Buddha statues anymore.” I was beginning to think this was
some giant scam, but it turns out the statues are still there and on display,
but worshippers have placed so much gold leaf on them that they have lost their
shape and look more like giant balls of gold. The five statues were always
considered important, and they are floated around the lake each year on a giant
royal barge for 18 days. Once, the barge capsized, and all of the statues fell
into the lake. <o:p></o:p></div>
Four were easily rescued, but the fifth could not be found.
Seven days and nine miles later, the fifth statue miraculously floated back
home to the temple. Ever since then, people have come in even greater numbers
to see the statues and cover them with gold leaf.<br />
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After an incredible lunch of local Inle food like a
caramel-like chicken with cashews, spicy tomato paste, local lake fish stuffed
with onions and tomatoes, fresh green bean salad, and a great pork curry, we
headed back to the hotel just in time for a major rain. I sat in my room
editing photos and watching the rain beat down on the lotus leaves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-38241780801062470272013-08-29T13:29:00.002-04:002013-08-29T13:29:36.476-04:00Sun in Shan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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24.Aug.2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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Raccoon face and a farmer’s tan – they all told me the sun was
strong here, but I couldn’t imagine it being that much of an issue on a cloudy
day. I left behind the dry reddish plains of Bagan and arrived in<o:p></o:p></div>
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a lush,
green, mountainous area in Shan state. The ride from Heho to Inle Lake was a
beautiful one that curved along the narrow mountain road through the hills. We
passed herds of cattle and families busy planting and harvesting rice. The road
crossed the narrow gauge railroad tracks left over from the British rule, and a
train was gently rocking over the bridge at barely more than a joggers pace. It
takes 15 hours to drive from here to Yangon and 20 hours by train. The locals
say the train ride is long and beautiful but very uncomfortable. Before we
reached the lake, we also stopped at an old teak wood monastery for a quick
look around. This was a teaching monastery, and it was full of young novices
that were all out bathing when we came by. Their maroon robes were draped over
every available rack-like surface to dry, and you could hear their playful
voices joking around until the head monk rang the bell, and they all rushed
back to class.<br />
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It’s funny how it is often the things we want to do least
that we enjoy the most. I was not particularly <o:p></o:p></div>
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excited about traveling to Inle
Lake, and almost cut it from my trip at several points. Once I arrived, I was
so glad to be here. Though still sticky with Southeast Asian humidity, Shan
state is mountainous, and the climate is much cooler than Yangon and Bagan.
Speeding along in the boat provided an enjoyably cool breeze. <br />
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Inle Lake puts Venice to shame. The villages that dot the
edge of the lake are only sometimes built partially on land; the majority rise
up on stilts from the lake. There are no roads leading to most of the villages,
so the only method of transportation is boat. We boarded one of the long narrow
boats to weave our way through the tapestry of floating gardens to the hotel.
There are 3500 acres of farms actually built on top of the water using moss
naturally occurring in the lake. The local cash crop is tomatoes, and the sweet
juicy red jewels pop straight from the water to trucks bound for all corners of
Myanmar. I enjoyed a nice tomato salad at lunch with local tomatoes, onions,
ground peanuts, oil, and lime juice. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi95lYbyAgOKwQsouWU7Rhindk_M2td6a7IbaVcgY5NPY9XLggo7_XYXY3VuyeV_d_e1aCVeAuHanIG1MemPKU_kerrx2UB4zuXykSxAaOYc7szyKcqMygw-00FwVZR0Pyw-wwGVjBtTIg/s1600/IMG_7851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi95lYbyAgOKwQsouWU7Rhindk_M2td6a7IbaVcgY5NPY9XLggo7_XYXY3VuyeV_d_e1aCVeAuHanIG1MemPKU_kerrx2UB4zuXykSxAaOYc7szyKcqMygw-00FwVZR0Pyw-wwGVjBtTIg/s200/IMG_7851.jpg" width="133" /></a>When the puttering of the diesel motors at the back of the
boats ceases, the locals use a one-legged rowing technique that I have not
encountered anywhere else in my travels. Teetering at the edge of the boat on
one leg, the other jets out wrapped around the oar with one hand holding it in
place. This allows them to use their full body weight to propel the boats and
collect <o:p></o:p></div>
fishing nets at the same time. At the age of six, most of the locals
are already well-experienced with this technique. In the afternoon, I saw young
school children rowing their way home with one leg on their small canoes. It
made me wonder how many times they fall in the water before they learn the
balance needed for such a maneuver, or maybe I am just more clumsy than the
people of Shan state. <br />
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I watched the lotus fiber weaving process, something else
unique to this region. The fiber is pulled from the lotus stems one small
thread at a time, and it takes thousands of stems to make enough thread for one
scarf. Because of the labor involved, lotus fabrics are too expensive for most,
so they also blend the fiber with silk during the weaving process. We also
stopped in a blacksmith village and to watch boat makers hard at work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Later, we floated up to a village known for making cheroot,
a local type of cigar. They wrap tobacco, dried fruits, and spices in an outer
leaf sealed shut with sticky rice glue and with cornhusk as a filter. This is a
typical job for young girls because it is easy to learn the cheroot making
technique unlike the years of training it takes to become a skilled weaver. The
girls all seemed cheerful enough, but they complained that it is difficult
sitting on the ground for eight hours a day. I have trouble sitting on the
floor for more than 30 minutes; I can’t imagine an entire day of it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve spent a large portion of my time in Myanmar thinking I
could plummet through the floor at any point. Have you ever seen the YouTube
video of the woman in China that fell through a seemingly normal sidewalk? I
was convinced that was my destiny in Yangon with the cement sidewalk blocks
randomly rocking with the sound of a hollow thump. Here in Inle, everything is
built of wood hovering over the lake. Most of the construction is pretty solid
teakwood in which I generally have a fair amount of faith. The problem is that
sometimes these teakwood planks are about two meters long with no supports in
between. I can feel them bow under my not-so-typical-for-Myanmar weight, and I
anxiously calculate step after step. I hunt for the support beams and try to
step as closely to them as possible. Where none are visible, I wait for others
to pass, and then I pray. I think the only thing worse than possibly injuring
myself in a splintered-wood splash into a Southeast Asian lake is the thought
of damaging the home or workplace of these people that are just trying to get
by with what they have. It would also be regrettable that there would be no
CCTV camera recording my graceful plunge into the murk. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDwXwJY27P7R50yB2foaEKMJ2goj3Z1fxY6To_UJ7blot7mw1rYE57O5BBJvojFBJgKS2MCwtU9z9QrKyvCZIwjCHsYCeNxMILI_esImAIyavm7-fMTz7fIs8XCaM422OsTwRkud3Rd7s/s1600/IMG_8092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDwXwJY27P7R50yB2foaEKMJ2goj3Z1fxY6To_UJ7blot7mw1rYE57O5BBJvojFBJgKS2MCwtU9z9QrKyvCZIwjCHsYCeNxMILI_esImAIyavm7-fMTz7fIs8XCaM422OsTwRkud3Rd7s/s200/IMG_8092.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIp3GVo11GVeEEja7V2HwUeohI0ZyUD7ZeuDPpDKHTwj3LW5t3A_PZx6Dee667aprcYapEJwM6fobcTwWPd_R2M839dVUarp0XnjzLU2RmJ21toNpc3x2bRMfV61g2MBVmJSl_SiwUCJ4/s1600/IMG_8095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIp3GVo11GVeEEja7V2HwUeohI0ZyUD7ZeuDPpDKHTwj3LW5t3A_PZx6Dee667aprcYapEJwM6fobcTwWPd_R2M839dVUarp0XnjzLU2RmJ21toNpc3x2bRMfV61g2MBVmJSl_SiwUCJ4/s200/IMG_8095.jpg" width="133" /></a>We ended the day with a short visit to the famous “jumping
cat monastery.” The monks here have long been fond of cats, and the last head
monk trained the cats to jump through tiny hoops – a show that attracted many
tourists with cameras. For better or worse, the monk that trained the cats
passed away, and the new head monk likes the cats but not the show, so group
after group of tourists cruise on up to the monastery expecting some phenomenal
feline routine only to discover a bunch of lazy kittens curled up around
building.</div>
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Now, I myself am curled up under my mosquito net listening
to the symphony of frogs, crickets, and god knows what other creatures just
outside my door. Tomorrow is my last day of touring, and I have to admit that I
am somewhat relieved. The journey has been incredible, but I am used to a much
more relaxed pace when traveling without guides. I look forward to lounging by
the pool in Bangkok for a day before jetting back to Vienna.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-16906393373087626392013-08-27T04:08:00.001-04:002013-08-27T04:08:35.492-04:00Making Kids Cry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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23.Aug.2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lesson learned: never give your name to a young souvenir
tout. With two days left on my visit to Myanmar and only a 7<sup>th</sup> of my
budget left to spend, I’m trying to learn to say no, but I think I might have
nightmares because of it. This evening, after a long day of more temple
touring, I went on a sunset cruise along the Ayarwaddy River. When we embarked,
there was a crowd of people trying to sell me souvenirs, and I told all of
them, “no, thank you.” One young boy said, “maybe later,” to which I didn’t
even reply. He asked where I was from and what my name was; he was probably
about 10 years old. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My guide and I drifted along the river watching the sunset
behind the hills and drinking gin and watermelon juice. The local villagers
were bathing and washing clothes in the river. Babies in their mothers’ arms
waved as we passed by. Young boys would seemingly appear from nowhere as they
jumped from the treetops into the river. The traditional longyi, a type of
sarong worn by the men here, doubled as a towel for the guys to dry off after
their dip in the river. The simple bamboo floors of their houses would have
likely splintered under my weight. They didn’t have much, but they were all
smiling, laughing, and enjoying life for what it is. I chose not to take any
pictures because I felt like it was an intrusion on the privacy of the
villagers, and I selfishly wanted to take in their smiles through my own two
eyes and not the lens of a camera.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciDfdbH726qdnU6nIEVnUezDaIp4fwdOkgPJEOJKpD3SYbq-xNHDob_wy-fXJ_Ll0d_QxPyjnOXVVS_TueZmN_ByBoar2xkhKCuXjYsRgkr0XChbb_EluS_HgOMnsjrgTuxNU1Io7-t4M/s1600/IMG_7666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciDfdbH726qdnU6nIEVnUezDaIp4fwdOkgPJEOJKpD3SYbq-xNHDob_wy-fXJ_Ll0d_QxPyjnOXVVS_TueZmN_ByBoar2xkhKCuXjYsRgkr0XChbb_EluS_HgOMnsjrgTuxNU1Io7-t4M/s200/IMG_7666.jpg" width="133" /></a>Once the saffron colored sun had disappeared behind the
horizon, we headed quickly back to the riverside. The sales team was out in
force to welcome me back to dry land, but I held firm and told them all no. As
I climbed into the van, I heard the voice of the young boy running towards me
crying out my name. “But I waited for you! Please don’t leave!” It crushed me
to drive away hearing him still <o:p></o:p></div>
calling out to me by name. My guide seemed
somehow proud of me for finally saying no to someone, but it felt like a punch
to the gut each time the boy cried out my name. Just thinking about it again
makes me want to grab a ride back to the river right now to give him the dollar
he wanted for his postcards. It’s difficult to admit, but I look forward to
returning to Austria where I can callously ignore people asking for money since
most of them honestly have little appreciation for all that they have. <br />
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Now, I am laying in my bed listening to the sound of the man
playing a wooden xylophone at the hotel restaurant. Sounds are such an integral
part of the travel experience for me. I can’t imagine being in a new place and
having my ears plugged with headphones and my iPod blaring. If it were just
about seeing a place, one could sit at home and look at photos on the internet.
No, traveling is about experiencing a place. Feeling the heavy sticky heat,
smelling wafts of shrimp paste and pickled tealeaves, and earing the
clickety-clack of the boat motors over the laughter of children and the chimes
of the temples. Drowning out real life with the sounds one listens to day after
day is wasteful of life’s gifts. Some people get bored without music, but, as
much as I love music, I believe the sounds around us can be far more
entertaining. You just have to learn to relax and listen. Hear sounds, identify
them, and try to visualize them. It’s a sport of the mind that will engrave
everlasting memories into your brain. Sadly, I am going to drift off to sleep
hearing a young postcard salesman yelling my name, hoping to earn just one
dollar from my pocket.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-31364914978900440492013-08-26T10:44:00.001-04:002013-08-26T10:46:02.351-04:00The Middle Way<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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22.Aug.2013<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1z0X9GF3_1m_K3v_Qiqx-ebOqc6AQCCXT4LxygyA93-djVRsHWhbijmVCUQz8e8ZqNJbMe4QlhM3BzVgvsy76tv_Ec3_2Ic2QwTbb9m50ZsAhpt0dspBWrKKXcBnYqRDArWzwaJVUMfH/s1600/IMG_7570_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1z0X9GF3_1m_K3v_Qiqx-ebOqc6AQCCXT4LxygyA93-djVRsHWhbijmVCUQz8e8ZqNJbMe4QlhM3BzVgvsy76tv_Ec3_2Ic2QwTbb9m50ZsAhpt0dspBWrKKXcBnYqRDArWzwaJVUMfH/s320/IMG_7570_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There once was a King that wished so desperately to follow
the ways of the Buddha that he was exceedingly generous. He was willing to give
away everything that he had for the happiness of others. If a passing peasant
saw his diamond crown and wanted it, the King would freely remove the crown and
give it to the peasant as a gift. One day, a demon, wishing to bring bad will
to the King, demanded that the King kill his own children. The King thought
that to follow the Buddha, he must be willing to give up all his own happiness
for others, so he listened to the demon and killed his offspring. This is one
of the many stories I’ve heard over the last two days that demonstrate the
importance of the Buddhist tenet of finding the middle way. It’s strangely
apropos that everything I’ve seen recently has something to do with finding the
middle way because an acquaintance on facebook recently posted a status lauding
her ability to do nothing because of her generous parents, which sparked a
series of both harsh and supportive comments from friends. For me, the
combination of this facebook controversy and the series of local legends I’ve
heard here in Myanmar pushes me into an evaluative state of introspection. Am I
anywhere close to finding the middle way?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXjr-tMCG4vIQHAU0vs783-yvV4rb7U-Njr0nNIMjbtDJwLvQcFBbkxjnDEMWvrMBZxY98caqZBAEgXJwXSlxPvxtomJtqIIrZJgJlqv-rXk4MbIjPgc1Lwqj_DIcMKoOTGnekcvflqXA/s1600/IMG_7333_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXjr-tMCG4vIQHAU0vs783-yvV4rb7U-Njr0nNIMjbtDJwLvQcFBbkxjnDEMWvrMBZxY98caqZBAEgXJwXSlxPvxtomJtqIIrZJgJlqv-rXk4MbIjPgc1Lwqj_DIcMKoOTGnekcvflqXA/s320/IMG_7333_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUyMSWnGyLZDYvS0nLFOHik1rFMPGsFOoumSOTNyE9YAOwHzMmff7pKH-OMGegXLhv8HOdXxzwGebWps5vVykFVdl-k2xgc_p21XxA3C_YEVHMomoN9EsDy6eHlcwi1qOzMQo-s5w1gRn/s1600/IMG_7059_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUyMSWnGyLZDYvS0nLFOHik1rFMPGsFOoumSOTNyE9YAOwHzMmff7pKH-OMGegXLhv8HOdXxzwGebWps5vVykFVdl-k2xgc_p21XxA3C_YEVHMomoN9EsDy6eHlcwi1qOzMQo-s5w1gRn/s200/IMG_7059_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>Wandering around the Ananda temple in old Bagan, I could
here the soothing sound of birds chirping outside while the peaceful yet
somehow watchful eyes of the Buddha stared down at me. I’m enjoying life. I
take advantage of my many blessings in life to experience new places, new
people, and new potential. Travel is my biggest weakness and my greatest
strength. I spend more time and money on travel than I probably should, but it
has been such a crucial part of my education and who I am that I can’t imagine
what my life would be like without it. So far in life, many would say I have
not worked much. Firstly, I believe it is far more accurate to say that I have
earned very few pay checks in my life because I have worked hard at studying,
volunteering, interning, building lasting relationships, and improving myself
step by step. Secondly, when I work, I am dedicated to it, and I always strive
for excellence and success. I have not, however, accepted the common American
viewpoint that the only way to be successful is to work yourself to death. I
cannot begin to count the number of teachers over my life that have told me,
“quality, not quantity.” This maxim does not apply solely to academics, rather
to life in general. Working too much leads to lower overall productivity and
reduced work product quality. The same is true for one’s downtime; doing
nothing will eventually reduce one’s quality of life in one form or another. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This journey has been a reward to myself for finishing my
LL.M. thesis, but in a matter of days, I have managed to learn and experience
so much. It is my hope that by putting these moments, these senses, these
lessons into words, I might be able to share my experiential wealth with others
in some sort of effort to find this elusive middle way.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7j6DkKaa7u7PAb6lSuyI2jOIZqsCdInTPlVNzWj9G4SBlcDgYmoINGD_HajXNvVLy5kyXRwX0YC_cqVl1mTPb8KBv8cXRLRa1JhIJAoyABPz_RIFf1TVzHBR7i57QOndFswA88N5ERwp/s1600/IMG_6992_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7j6DkKaa7u7PAb6lSuyI2jOIZqsCdInTPlVNzWj9G4SBlcDgYmoINGD_HajXNvVLy5kyXRwX0YC_cqVl1mTPb8KBv8cXRLRa1JhIJAoyABPz_RIFf1TVzHBR7i57QOndFswA88N5ERwp/s320/IMG_6992_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJNI8muWrEfc8fLVgFa4rbLz25SfDFqCPv9r9YzSAJa2pLQi2bSlW8Zf1JSA0J6iWYIRsiwNO46kbXIDQn90CKYqARiLdvSIYuy-tqIK16asmRrMGDwG09VmBDGx9KfaFhbvoGs6NVIlN/s1600/IMG_6971_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJNI8muWrEfc8fLVgFa4rbLz25SfDFqCPv9r9YzSAJa2pLQi2bSlW8Zf1JSA0J6iWYIRsiwNO46kbXIDQn90CKYqARiLdvSIYuy-tqIK16asmRrMGDwG09VmBDGx9KfaFhbvoGs6NVIlN/s200/IMG_6971_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>Yesterday started with a walk through old Yangon. This was
the moment that I was first confronted with the decaying tropical grandeur of
British Rangoon. I kept waiting to see old English gentlemen turn the corner in
linen suits and white caps. We popped in to the old post office to find that
time had stood still in this Victorian masterpiece of handwritten bureaucracy.
Locals queued up at counter after counter making payments, getting papers
stamped, and getting things inspected and weighed before they were finally able
to slap a stamp on and drop it in one of the two red boxes at the main entrance
for outgoing mail. The old ceiling fans rocked back and forth, ready to tumble
from their weary fixtures at any moment. The stamped metal flooring had
withstood the test of time, that is, except for the crumbled rusted portions
covered with simple sheets of plywood through which I anticipated tumbling to
my death, or at least the death of whatever poor local I landed on top of, in
the blink of an eye. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx1w0gz0sLwdbJQzwk31jqzeLLXWVRzbhL0hFKXsqQoLaJI4AS0xKlGjpKg9jVk9DIlqiA2KZ8BhLsN_Qee5Xfe8oCfQnpu_okzuQYF5Wmb2m75cwh89lezaD_lo5oODUapvdtEeyUiJV/s1600/IMG_7007_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx1w0gz0sLwdbJQzwk31jqzeLLXWVRzbhL0hFKXsqQoLaJI4AS0xKlGjpKg9jVk9DIlqiA2KZ8BhLsN_Qee5Xfe8oCfQnpu_okzuQYF5Wmb2m75cwh89lezaD_lo5oODUapvdtEeyUiJV/s200/IMG_7007_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>From the post office, we continued on to the Strand Hotel,
where foreigners have come to waste away their days in Yangon since the 1940s.
The bar was a classic wood and marble affair with a beautiful pool table in the
corner. We paused for a drink and to soak up the atmosphere. I ordered a $7 USD
bottle of San Pellegrino that was large enough to share, and my guide was
excited to try both sparkling and Italian water for the first time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYqGru1DciCvJIjwAaufDadHNWyaxAHLeAh61AzfX1ni9wrFXswnoOPrAD7zh12vEUd64SwSTmwy9qQyhplPB1_P7YNYIpzQn5o5GtioBC39qf_n-XGyWuLZedOEK45r0C0Qp3IxM2JA0/s1600/IMG_7012_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYqGru1DciCvJIjwAaufDadHNWyaxAHLeAh61AzfX1ni9wrFXswnoOPrAD7zh12vEUd64SwSTmwy9qQyhplPB1_P7YNYIpzQn5o5GtioBC39qf_n-XGyWuLZedOEK45r0C0Qp3IxM2JA0/s200/IMG_7012_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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We also walked along the riverfront, and visited a market
boat. These large vessels cruise up and down the river picking up people and
their goods to sell from township to township. The rusty old boat was packed
full of everything from vegetables to t-shirts and families living their lives
the only way they know how. A young baby was napping in a makeshift hammock of
fishing net hung from the ceiling, kittens roamed about hoping for some food
scraps, and women ground their Thanaka to protect their faces from the sun. We
visited a local temple before making our way to the National Museum. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Upon arrival at the National Museum, I was warmly welcomed
by the new Museum Director. He had been informed about my visit and was eager
to hear my feedback. The man knows the Myanmar history better than most, and he
has grand ambitions for a museum stuck with the burdens of poor funding and
government bureaucracy. He has only been with the Museum for a matter of
months, but it was clear he was already doing whatever he could to protect the
museum and its treasures from gradual decay and irrelevance. He left me to
explore the museum, but the assistant director soon came looking for me to
explain some of the exhibits I was looking at. The museum was quite large, and
the displays seemed to go on and on forever. One of the most important exhibits
is the Lion throne of Mandalay. The throne had been taken to India and later
England during the colonial period, something that Myanmar was still clearly
bitter about even after the throne was returned. The assistant director
explained to me that all of the other thrones were destroyed in fires, so I
told him that maybe the greed of the colonial powers had its benefits after
all. One hall of the museum shows the geographic origins and traditional
clothing of each of Myanmar’s 135 distinct ethnic groups. I was struck by the
story of one group’s tribal symbol; it was a bird that can grow very large, and
when the female mate dies, the male flies as high into the sky as he can before
freefalling to his death. I guess love is a complicated thing even in the
animal world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We rounded out the day with a surprise visit to the local
travel agency responsible for my tour and a walk around Chinatown. Since our
stop at the travel agency was unannounced, my guide decided to have some fun
with the manager and told him I was there to complain about how things had been
so far. The manager had fear in his eyes and a knot in his throat when he
turned to ask me how things have been since my arrival. There have been few
occasions in life where I have seen someone look so relieved as when I told him
everything was great. We talked about some of the changes happening in Myanmar,
and he expressed his excitement and concern for the rapid growth in tourism. He
could not have been happier about the steady increase in foreign visitors, but
he also feared what his life would become like as he took on more and more
work. As this young man with so much energy, excitement, and pride pushes
himself to keep up with the speed of change in this country, will he be able to
find the middle way?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbESrdMmKm6swNVZQUy-Pp_IXnExUObSVk_ZiJQ_X79llNu3zIPeNo3CICNNO7_SwG_Bxp-Tvtp8U3G0yQZBMHZPrRlCaBlBNAFuZAQpsKbi9GUdr5wa81PfkOhehthVO1v_qRCbX8s_G/s1600/IMG_7075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbESrdMmKm6swNVZQUy-Pp_IXnExUObSVk_ZiJQ_X79llNu3zIPeNo3CICNNO7_SwG_Bxp-Tvtp8U3G0yQZBMHZPrRlCaBlBNAFuZAQpsKbi9GUdr5wa81PfkOhehthVO1v_qRCbX8s_G/s200/IMG_7075.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvHP7wL0Ol0OAVfrjWCzqDmZk_zzjVvi6FrO1_CAbWt-Fg8yYcGESzRkkFxoSvsRRl-er2OLVM_GlHXAj9ELPUuTvY7T3sx19EEwQoBg3WUtlitSrT38tuwxn4fjOu6yijob2-kKlpl7e/s1600/IMG_7100_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvHP7wL0Ol0OAVfrjWCzqDmZk_zzjVvi6FrO1_CAbWt-Fg8yYcGESzRkkFxoSvsRRl-er2OLVM_GlHXAj9ELPUuTvY7T3sx19EEwQoBg3WUtlitSrT38tuwxn4fjOu6yijob2-kKlpl7e/s200/IMG_7100_hdr.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_97kp1wxOumtHLyl0hdQKo34APO8ac_fsT4GHTQGKnSeVNyJ3bmB-dv7f86WgsY30Fv2XZ2QE9_EHIDq9989cvs7T_eZPS_8p4W174WzbQMbbVRoDxjTdLu08wI1i0AlQ4F-peoMen9l/s1600/IMG_7103_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_97kp1wxOumtHLyl0hdQKo34APO8ac_fsT4GHTQGKnSeVNyJ3bmB-dv7f86WgsY30Fv2XZ2QE9_EHIDq9989cvs7T_eZPS_8p4W174WzbQMbbVRoDxjTdLu08wI1i0AlQ4F-peoMen9l/s200/IMG_7103_hdr.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTHrGPeTVp18cBOUkZTC1Gnvbwzb4N64yRwp1sqTpIq0hQ7hLV20uiolmdQ4G_eQtyj3TMOZGX14rnA9QEh_EjZBBMfpEscKiirk5qFTbOSV1eL53nm8p_bnbCx_nSItKKI5rf95r-NX6/s1600/IMG_7089_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTHrGPeTVp18cBOUkZTC1Gnvbwzb4N64yRwp1sqTpIq0hQ7hLV20uiolmdQ4G_eQtyj3TMOZGX14rnA9QEh_EjZBBMfpEscKiirk5qFTbOSV1eL53nm8p_bnbCx_nSItKKI5rf95r-NX6/s200/IMG_7089_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>Changes are clearly happening sector by sector here because
we also visited the antiquated train station. Another grand structure frozen in
time, I loved exploring the station and watching the smiling people prepare for
their long journeys on rickety trains that had been in use since the 1940s. My
guide was also eager to show me “the plastic shop.” It was a warehouse full of
everything plastic; I’m pretty sure this is where the spirits of plastic lawn
furniture end up after they die. Every hideous color of plastic furniture
imaginable towers around you like a forest of Chinese dyes and resin. I felt
ashamed for even thinking about the cheap tacky nature of the furniture when my
guide proudly said, “we come here for interior decorating; it’s the best most
people can afford.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIapHMMyn7gLumbSd0mdc6YprYmsv_HLy92avlnW570b3ZX1kPrJKJYm5oifytV_Z5-PtHdJlk_hgqsP4m8Oo57boZXmv4UUySGAsqi4PL7MKs0sJOvrCc9dcyYP2sxagK29A86mzm0xDM/s1600/IMG_7123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIapHMMyn7gLumbSd0mdc6YprYmsv_HLy92avlnW570b3ZX1kPrJKJYm5oifytV_Z5-PtHdJlk_hgqsP4m8Oo57boZXmv4UUySGAsqi4PL7MKs0sJOvrCc9dcyYP2sxagK29A86mzm0xDM/s200/IMG_7123.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Before sunrise, we were back on the road to the airport to
catch my flight to Nyuang U. We did a quick drive by of “the Lady’s” house, the
affectionate term for Aung San Suu Kyi, the mention of whose name could have
gotten you arrested a few years ago. At the domestic air terminal, I finally
saw the Yangon airport I was expecting. It felt like visits to the Hickory
airport during my childhood back in North Carolina. Security was more for show
than prevention, at least when it came to foreigners. Passengers lined up with
their handwritten tickets to check their luggage and receive their handwritten
boarding pass complete with a sticker for the seat number, and a bright yellow
airline sticker for the passengers to wear to identify themselves. The little propeller plane hops from airport
to airport in Myanmar like a bus with wings. We swerved from side to side as we
powered down the runway, but I made it to Nyuang U, the gateway town to Bagan,
in one piece.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHyiu1L5t5L32HbTpcXTgeV9ZSEnc0Nm9Y1ZiVPfM9tyLgEs9wF-IOZhVHF00mBc2J5pcUFAV3y9TDB1-ZFSsuhCOdFQ9JzlzEo6p7yKarPswgbpXbF8iAiDPAHw5JwVcsYEOII6SKX8M/s1600/IMG_7430_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHyiu1L5t5L32HbTpcXTgeV9ZSEnc0Nm9Y1ZiVPfM9tyLgEs9wF-IOZhVHF00mBc2J5pcUFAV3y9TDB1-ZFSsuhCOdFQ9JzlzEo6p7yKarPswgbpXbF8iAiDPAHw5JwVcsYEOII6SKX8M/s320/IMG_7430_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Old Bagan is amazing. Temple after temple dot the horizon as
far as the eye can see. The problem that I’ve had since I’ve been here is my
inability to say no to the people. In my long list of travels, I’ve learned to
quite efficiently give people the cold shoulder, but the people here are so
nice that I find it difficult to ignore them. One young girl asked me if I’d
like to by a small elephant family carved from stone. I smiled and told her,
“no, thank you,” but she kept following me. She introduced me to the mother
elephant, the father elephant, the brother, sister, and baby elephants. She
told me, “it’s ok, think about it, maybe later.” She followed me up the stairs
to the terrace, warning me to watch my head the <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5SSQ6sNyJzfArdPvZZnwjFZNIVgTJe_uqOBOxjhhQST_EeBX5Wt3mC8xz6BuYaUF7HKCzFpSSQbjLgISnEhrzyV9buIxPyS18HRPF3FSeLFxj6R1jhVP7TQ-CRzyGN4SIsx4UKEDYush/s1600/IMG_7444_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5SSQ6sNyJzfArdPvZZnwjFZNIVgTJe_uqOBOxjhhQST_EeBX5Wt3mC8xz6BuYaUF7HKCzFpSSQbjLgISnEhrzyV9buIxPyS18HRPF3FSeLFxj6R1jhVP7TQ-CRzyGN4SIsx4UKEDYush/s200/IMG_7444_hdr.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
whole way. After snapping some
photos and before heading back down, she asked me again, “you want to buy
elephant family?” I asked her how much, to which she replied, “3,000 kyat,”
which is roughly $3 USD. Now, I could have said no, or I could have bargained
with her to save another dollar, but if my one dollar can help pay for her
family’s dinner, how can I in good conscience keep it for myself. I gave her
the money, and she ran down the stairs to get me a bag. On the way out of the
temple, the mother gave me an almost apologetic thank you that only served to
confirm the value of this small purchase to the family. If it had been a larger
purchase where I could have potentially saved myself at least $5 USD by
negotiating, I would have, but I couldn’t bring myself to quibble over cents
that mean so little to me and so much to that young girl. Unfortunately, a
dollar here and a dollar there add up eventually, and I might soon run out of
room for elephant families in my suitcase.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRTzE1kUKdjBbV9sVhMJZtMqYGjnytBH2iLldOw6cSaGlqfc3gtJ1G-lcqfPnvYPhGCxd6rL0-75E4OVpSLbghwXqypuAzUI3hkb_Kohibt0FjxB3VRZzKTs9OnP71U2Azp1zTjXHg9JW/s1600/IMG_7533_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRTzE1kUKdjBbV9sVhMJZtMqYGjnytBH2iLldOw6cSaGlqfc3gtJ1G-lcqfPnvYPhGCxd6rL0-75E4OVpSLbghwXqypuAzUI3hkb_Kohibt0FjxB3VRZzKTs9OnP71U2Azp1zTjXHg9JW/s200/IMG_7533_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>We ended the day watching the sunset from atop one of the
many temples (though one of the few tourists are allowed to climb), and my
guide explained to me some of the suffering the local people have gone through
over the decades. He was born in old Bagan, but his family was forcefully
relocated like many thousands of other families to new Bagan. I could see how
he still looked out over the plains of temples with a sense of longing and a
connection to his past. Things are relatively good in his life now, but
something will always be missing because his heart is at home somewhere that he
can no longer be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have things very good in life, and I have never had to
personally experience the kind of suffering that these people have powered
through. My hope is that just by being here, spending my money, hearing their
stories, and sharing them with others, I am somehow helping. My path may still
be considerably closer to the path of comfort and self-interest, but I try to
do my part, and I never take my blessings for granted. I haven’t yet found the
middle way, but I am not as far off as some people I know, and Buddha never
said that enlightenment came easy.</div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-87918016804248564002013-08-21T12:03:00.000-04:002013-08-21T12:05:55.320-04:00The Hidden Beauty of Yangon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmszbKkUnRqLP7VgMQF8WKRLcKEX4PDWzefPoEt-eiTOIypW9V8QC91sUFs2Oxj_QK7gza4dDKrKXJLWLNMNhs6FtrHSj1_aJkWRVSUon5ZnwB_YS4nU8UKO4nuu4HfFu7V7L6PKIU8pW/s1600/IMG_6622_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmszbKkUnRqLP7VgMQF8WKRLcKEX4PDWzefPoEt-eiTOIypW9V8QC91sUFs2Oxj_QK7gza4dDKrKXJLWLNMNhs6FtrHSj1_aJkWRVSUon5ZnwB_YS4nU8UKO4nuu4HfFu7V7L6PKIU8pW/s320/IMG_6622_hdr.jpg" width="320" /></a>The drive from the airport was peppered with sudden
outbursts from my guide like, “I hate studying!” or “I LOVE Hamburger!” – it
was always highly entertaining and often somewhat startling. Apparently, the
tour company informed the local team that I was a very important guest, so the
guide and driver were eager to impress. The car was even equipped with a stand
for the flags of Myanmar and the United States though I was a little concerned
about the “Differen” cologne bottle – not different, not difference, just
“Differen.” Arriving in Yangon, I was first struck by the clean modern airport;
it was much better than I had expected. Change is happening fast in Myanmar,
and it’s hard to imagine that only a couple years ago, a simple mobile phone
would cost a person over five thousand dollars. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After checking-in at my nice lakeside hotel, I asked the
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the normal rate, so I went ahead and changed a hundred bucks. I was tempted to
change more because I knew I’d be in Myanmar for almost a week, but when the
girl from the hotel pulled out a stack of cash and an electronic money counter,
I was glad I didn’t. This was by far the largest wad of cash I have ever had in
my hand. That $100 USD bill I handed her represented just below what the
average person here earns per month. It’s an odd feeling knowing the
significance to another person of the money you are holding in your hand. I
felt like I could own the world with that much cash in my hand, but I also felt
ashamed for others to see how easily I pulled out $100 from my pocket knowing
how much they had to work for the same amount of money. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vgEv-TZaMS8jJKCZzaOWhtzMPnZzL5n6M6zynziit3nLNxx2LYrcKJlfe9jTSseCW9xSZydCsxf4g0VTdh-h2z8Hv44dFjLsKbtBoP25o8HMMsqiJxrmyP0BNVXUo_XIdqJoHC-ZR7sL/s1600/IMG_6586_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vgEv-TZaMS8jJKCZzaOWhtzMPnZzL5n6M6zynziit3nLNxx2LYrcKJlfe9jTSseCW9xSZydCsxf4g0VTdh-h2z8Hv44dFjLsKbtBoP25o8HMMsqiJxrmyP0BNVXUo_XIdqJoHC-ZR7sL/s200/IMG_6586_hdr.jpg" title="Bogyke Aung San's House" width="200" /></a>My giant stack of cash safely tucked away in my camera bag,
we set off to explore Yangon. Our first stop was one that was strictly off
limits only a few years ago but is now a museum, the former home of General
Aung San, father of Nobel Prize winning Aung San Suu Kyi. I got to see the car
in which the General was assassinated and to explore the old wooden house. The
old teak furniture from the 40s reminded me of some of the furniture in my
grandparents’ house growing up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zglqv5kcV0VwcB2aMgZhOhmmlorX89viLZQOhEhyphenhyphenPlOqVw-eLbR7_szLtiAdnD8bE-MnoWcqNBV1nI_ZPTBdu3UEfOIoOQ4Se3c2c7_fZ38kJCn8-eTad2iW5rgyv8v3cpiRXqWw5JQg/s1600/IMG_6611_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zglqv5kcV0VwcB2aMgZhOhmmlorX89viLZQOhEhyphenhyphenPlOqVw-eLbR7_szLtiAdnD8bE-MnoWcqNBV1nI_ZPTBdu3UEfOIoOQ4Se3c2c7_fZ38kJCn8-eTad2iW5rgyv8v3cpiRXqWw5JQg/s200/IMG_6611_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNWnkv3KB8bxQzR38HamKfBEHkFp_7N0RLChUQlIHwF3k1DuYuukUFo-UllnVoN6Jwz-0OjRBMGQAvF1eLiDNxoxZyeEBUjlYhTpxa0ZPMcj2Z-6O6WZAfTHCeAgOXcFvSazvGE6Ckt01/s1600/IMG_6596_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNWnkv3KB8bxQzR38HamKfBEHkFp_7N0RLChUQlIHwF3k1DuYuukUFo-UllnVoN6Jwz-0OjRBMGQAvF1eLiDNxoxZyeEBUjlYhTpxa0ZPMcj2Z-6O6WZAfTHCeAgOXcFvSazvGE6Ckt01/s200/IMG_6596_hdr.jpg" width="133" /></a>Our next stop was a short walk along Inya Lake. Next to this
lake, one of the generals built a massive restaurant in the old architectural style.
It’s beautiful, but a dinner and dance show costs $23 per person. It sounds
perfectly reasonable until you remember what I just said about the average
monthly wages here. That said, it is a striking example of the old architecture
of Mandalay, and the elements of the building come together to tell many
important legends from the local culture – might as well have the rich tourists
pay for it. As local culture still frowns upon young couples showing public
affection before marriage, Inya lake is where a lot of the Yangon youth come to
hold hands or kiss by the lakeside. Life seems so much simpler when your
biggest concern is whether a neighbor might see you holding hands with your
high school sweetheart. Across the lake, one can see the shining exterior of
the Shwedegon Pagoda in the distance. Before we could explore the most
important Pagoda in Myanmar, we had to make a stop to see the reclining Buddha.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGoZTr4TpsDrvyQvlYn6wAFu95YvMuoNSnIl1T6eiDBBkHgX9oSi4HaYsvZncp3jMDnZvi2XJoRK7VB08g1kRY0Qj0Q9SKKDgrGk8wiHPIrmaZf-VjMTs1i35P5aRCMse6ULnqblojgjL/s1600/IMG_6631_hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGoZTr4TpsDrvyQvlYn6wAFu95YvMuoNSnIl1T6eiDBBkHgX9oSi4HaYsvZncp3jMDnZvi2XJoRK7VB08g1kRY0Qj0Q9SKKDgrGk8wiHPIrmaZf-VjMTs1i35P5aRCMse6ULnqblojgjL/s200/IMG_6631_hdr.jpg" width="200" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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I’m sorry to admit that I don’t find Yangon to be a very
beautiful city. Overall, it just feels like a busy, neglected city that is a
little dull visually. There are parts of it though that have incredible beauty
and character, and the real beauty of the city is in its people. Everyone you
see walking the streets seems to appreciate life for what it is, and they are
always quick to flash a smile at a passing foreigner. Souvenir touts are
overtly present, but not pushy. One simple “no, thank you” sends them quickly
on their way. The reclining Buddha was one of those beautiful pockets of Yangon
where splendor and spirituality combine. The massive reclining Buddha is
remarkable, but the part I loved most about the visit was watching the people.
Some offering their prayers to the Buddha, others deep in meditation, a few
just lounging around conversing with friends, even some cats roaming around
looking for some offerings of their own – life was happening at its own special
pace. One lap around the giant reclining Buddha, and then we made our way down
to the monastery. An old teak wood building from the early 1900s, it is still
an operating monastery, and I trekked up the creaking wooden stairs that were
ready to buckle beneath my weight just to see where some of the monks were
living. On our way back up the hill, one of the monks stopped us and said that
I looked like a strong man. He was a happy monk with a potbelly and a friendly
smile. He squeezed my arms, told others that I was big but healthy and then
asked how much I weighed. Reluctant to lie to a holy man, I told him my weight
and he smiled and grabbed my arm again. Fearing he might ask me to carry
something for him next, we started walking again, and the monk wished me safe
travels and told me to come back again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tired from the long day of traveling and touring after only
four hours of sleep the night before, I was not particularly excited to
continue on to the Shwedegon Pagoda, but I knew I had to. Partially
disappointed that my guide wanted to give me the lazy tourist experience and
partially thankful not to have to trek up the never-ending staircase, I boarded
the elevator to the pagoda with little hesitation. We strolled around this
massive complex of stupas, pagodas, shrines, and banyan trees under the
intermittent downpours of the monsoon season. My bare feet didn’t mind the wet
floors, and I barely noticed the water creeping up the legs of my jeans because
I was just in awe of my surroundings. The gentle fairy-like tinkle of the spire
bells being blown in the wind was interrupted from time to time by the
soul-stirring toll of the large prayer bells being struck in odd-numbered
rhythms for good luck or in thanks for answered prayers. The only feature that
made me pause from curiosity rather than stare off in awe was the technicolored
light show adorning many of the Buddha statues; it felt a little like “Buddha
Goes to Vegas.” We wandered the complex for hours before sitting next to a
chanting woman in one of the shrines and watching as the daylight faded away,
and the pagoda began to shine under the night sky. It was really a magical
place, and I could have stayed much longer, but we had to get dinner at some
point. <o:p></o:p><br />
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I enjoyed a Myanmar Beer and a flavorful, albeit chewy, beef
curry for dinner. A simple plate of vegetables stir-fried with garlic accompanied
the curry, and I ate every last bite while debating an elegant way to pick the
strings of beef from between my teeth. A quick brush of the teeth, and I was
off to bed for a long night of much needed sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-60594189758967746972013-08-19T09:29:00.001-04:002013-08-19T09:33:35.612-04:00Bangkok Docs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurVR66cOta3kaGb2-3-ELXkaFtlss56bs9dWBrmtb4sr-Mm4eK8MyTeWUNZ_xUaDtSqWsl8hIjzYJ6Qz5cWtHfytXOX5FMH3iQQxyPbogYwsfDp6-tCbkmtt6fxPZhOQqCeHZIdP81wHx/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurVR66cOta3kaGb2-3-ELXkaFtlss56bs9dWBrmtb4sr-Mm4eK8MyTeWUNZ_xUaDtSqWsl8hIjzYJ6Qz5cWtHfytXOX5FMH3iQQxyPbogYwsfDp6-tCbkmtt6fxPZhOQqCeHZIdP81wHx/s320/photo-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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A normal person comes to Bangkok to see the Grand Palace,
the reclining Buddha, the floating market, and some of the other key sites of
the city. This was my second visit to Bangkok, and I still haven’t managed to
see any of those sites. I decided to try something new this visit – medical
tourism. It has been 10 years since my last doctor’s check-up, and I just
turned 30, so I decided I would take advantage of the inexpensive healthcare
here in Thailand and get a full health screening. In other words, I just spent
my only day in Bangkok at a hospital.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The experience was worthwhile though because I was able to
get my medical needs taken care of at a very low price, and I was able to see
what the world of medical tourism looks like firsthand. Bumrungrad Hospital is
considered one of the best hospitals in Thailand if not Asia. They have been
putting a lot of effort into promoting themselves as a medical tourism
destination; i.e. foreigners that can’t afford procedures at home can travel to
Bangkok and get them done at a top-quality facility for a fraction of the
price. The hospital even has its own full-service residence, where one can live
in a 5-star suite complete with hospital bed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I went to have an “Executive Health Screening.” Upon
arrival, it took me a while to find my way to the correct building, but there
were staff everywhere that spoke English and were happy to direct me. Once in
the correct building, I made my way to the “sky lobby” where I provided my
passport and contact details and was issued a laminated patient card that I can
use on future visits. I then spent the day being ushered from place to place
throughout two stories of the building being administered test after test. What
fascinated me most was the sheer quantity of patients with whom the nurses were
dealing. There had to be at least 50 patients in each waiting room at any given
time. On this visit, most of them happened to be Arabs on their post-Ramadan
vacation to Thailand. The nurses were calling out names one after one
practically non-stop. The nurses recognized me as one of the few non-Arabs
there, so they always came to find me without yelling out my name all the time.
It was impossible for them to do the same with the mysterious black figures
gliding through the hallways with their eyes peering from behind the
niqab. One woman, rather than constantly
removing and retying her niqab, simply wrapped her hijab entirely around her
face, which made her look like some villain from the ninja turtles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Overall, the experience was still very much the same as
going to the doctor in most developed places, but I did get far more tests done
for a price I could only dream of back in the States. After several hours of
tests, I was able to sit with the doctor and discuss all of the results; the
detailed report will be sent to me by email. It is quite an impressive system
that must make them a fair amount of money based on the number of patients they
were churning out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhLYT6YgWZe-1-w_zJTMVlnxBcxhN44qyIF26L_tpZh-9z3oneghtzdBEnGGFj4ZQPR7tjHnwfxX1EWgl4e6G9CSr_aW2sg0FAbVjDMUC_qCwnhrsD6OuHyvrBBenXQXYtTsBnEkTfD6F/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhLYT6YgWZe-1-w_zJTMVlnxBcxhN44qyIF26L_tpZh-9z3oneghtzdBEnGGFj4ZQPR7tjHnwfxX1EWgl4e6G9CSr_aW2sg0FAbVjDMUC_qCwnhrsD6OuHyvrBBenXQXYtTsBnEkTfD6F/s200/photo-3.JPG" width="200" /></a>Once my day at the hospital was done, I grabbed a taxi to a
tailor that the hotel had recommended. I don’t think there is ever a time that
Bangkok does not suffer from horrible traffic, but if there is, it certainly is
not Monday afternoon. I was able to pick out some fabrics to have a few suits
and shirts made, and the tailor is stopping by my hotel this evening to do a
fitting before I jet off to Myanmar in the morning. The tailor's driver took me back to the river, where I grabbed a boat back to my hotel's dock. I have to leave at 4:30AM
to make sure traffic doesn’t make me late for my flight to Yangon, but I am
excited to see what Myanmar has to offer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-43905885951829588792013-07-06T19:59:00.002-04:002013-07-06T19:59:57.310-04:00Life Repeats Itself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've come to believe that life really is a pattern of cylces that repeat themselves over and over again. We progress through life finding ourselves at different stages that we will eventually look back on as learning experiences when we end up in similar stages at later points in life. At least, that would be the optimistic viewpoint. <br />
<br />
Another year, another night of reflection at the Beirut Airport sitting at an aging computer terminal in the Cedar Lounge. It's been over a year since my last late-night flight out of Lebanon, and I'm no less disappointed to be leaving this time as any other. I don't know if I'll ever understand what it is about this place that draws me back time and time again. Is it the smiles, kisses, and loud voices of my many family members; the huge spreads of fresh, delectable food every day; the intense mediterranean sun and the cool sea breeze; the free-spirited nature of the people; or even the excitement and stress of not knowing what news the next hour might bring? I don't have an answer, but I know I have to hold back the tears of joy everytime I am heading to Lebanon and the tears of sorrow everytime I am leaving.<br />
<br />
Lebanon is caught in one of life's cycles. It is a country with so much to offer, but I doubt it will ever be truly appreciated by the masses because of the political, religious, and idealogical conflicts of its own people and the outsiders that bring their conflicts across the borders. Lebanon cycles in and out of periods of peace and instablility. Some days the country seems to flourish and other days it suffers under the stresses of the world's many problems. My hope is that one day the Lebanese leaders will learn to look back at the cylces of unrest that have plagued this beautiful country for centuries, if not millenia, and try something different to break the cycle. <br />
<br />
As for me, I have found myself nearing the end of another year of studying with only hazy plans ahead. This stage of the cycle of life is one that I am all-to-familiar with, but it never gets any easier. I'm officially a licensed attorney now, and I will soon have yet another degree to add to my resume. The problem is that I am no closer to knowing what it is I want to do or even where I want to live. Home will always be North Carolina in some way, but it is probably one of the lowest ranked locations on my list of potential placed to live and work. Austria has always treated me well, and I have a great deal of gratitude for the life-changing experiences and people that I have encountered while living there. Lebanon calls me back over and over again, but I don't know what my life would be like living here fulltime. So many questions to answer, and so many decisions to make. I have stressed about these difficult life decisions in the past, and things have always turned out ok. I hope that the next stage of the cycle is a good one for me and the country of my ancestors. </div>
The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-13376585430225059172012-10-07T18:00:00.000-04:002012-10-07T18:00:55.479-04:00The First Days of a New Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I've written
before about the blessing of feeling at home in so many different places, and
I’m reminded of that everyday that I wake up in this beautiful city. I moved to
Vienna two weeks ago, and it has been a whirlwind of exhausting activity and
utter excitement. I spent most of the first week shopping and assembling
furniture with one of my best friends, without whose help I’m not sure I would
have survived. Once my apartment was in habitable condition, I was left with
the errands and bureaucracy that go along with a move to another country. At
some point this past week, I finally sat back and realized that while there was
much I could and probably should do, for the first time since I arrived in
Vienna, there was nothing I had to do. That is when I really started enjoying
my new life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oberlaa Cafe, Währinger Strasse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc2w8nePuZaAbkCxUdB0j2DMrNlKY23uZZKruA2Zl6fcGPSrsFYj2DLVW-N9uDMQ-p7fUnyDldgiOjvyLbZk5tZ4SqlIgqgTsLs3XrEeTZIq2EPOWRRHKefe4OCWufPe-LEB-Fp3ft4GF/s1600/IMG_3714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc2w8nePuZaAbkCxUdB0j2DMrNlKY23uZZKruA2Zl6fcGPSrsFYj2DLVW-N9uDMQ-p7fUnyDldgiOjvyLbZk5tZ4SqlIgqgTsLs3XrEeTZIq2EPOWRRHKefe4OCWufPe-LEB-Fp3ft4GF/s320/IMG_3714.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volksoper Subway Station</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One day, I
woke up and went for a wander through my neighborhood. I stopped by the
Lebanese snack shop downstairs to say hi to my new Arabic-speaking buddy I had
met a few days earlier. I told him I need to improve my Arabic, so he only
speaks to me in Arabic now, and I’m really excited about the practice. A little
further up the street, I wandered through one of the nearby parks, and then
found my way to my local wine shop. The place is filled with all sorts of
goodies from wine and liquor to gourmet foods, and the shopkeeper was happy to
help me pick out a good local bottle of wine. A bit in the opposite direction, I
took a stroll through the Kutschkermarket, my local fresh produce market. I
have yet to try the food at the small snack stand operated by the market cheese
booth, but the food looks and smells delicious. The old folks of the
neighborhood hang out and gossip on the benches under the large tree in front
of the market. Across the street is a well-known coffee shop and patisserie,
and an ice cream shop next door. The Italian restaurant down the way has
stereo-typically slow Italian waiters, but the food is generally quite good,
and they have the best bruschetta in town.<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6_v6ueJc7wOj8ko_tu8MW8ecf0fRikJIXsFIZlo9kKErFoOXDqhyphenhyphen0La91Yb-AMOOgTbynB4rzo91HmiM8SYsyNf0NV79dzjL2-AabKyuKnsfGn5TIdAyTx4dZTs76LtB38m0qumFMycf/s1600/IMG_3712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6_v6ueJc7wOj8ko_tu8MW8ecf0fRikJIXsFIZlo9kKErFoOXDqhyphenhyphen0La91Yb-AMOOgTbynB4rzo91HmiM8SYsyNf0NV79dzjL2-AabKyuKnsfGn5TIdAyTx4dZTs76LtB38m0qumFMycf/s320/IMG_3712.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Kutschkermarkt<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXDgFDS_-GsaL-nNcEOuPQ0f0PEi2E4SnbeIf7Cb448-YITAUYNIdHRyXrdgNdG9rmWMH9nXMUXM08zzkoSeLvK1gcS7gvGKZmVHBgngvkJ_DopESCwQYyWjlzDnSXWsJBntZFdjaZ1P4/s1600/IMG_3744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXDgFDS_-GsaL-nNcEOuPQ0f0PEi2E4SnbeIf7Cb448-YITAUYNIdHRyXrdgNdG9rmWMH9nXMUXM08zzkoSeLvK1gcS7gvGKZmVHBgngvkJ_DopESCwQYyWjlzDnSXWsJBntZFdjaZ1P4/s320/IMG_3744.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freyung Passage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGukgfx0Q9lF8MmFExCC5qjp-KUORaFzYF6TEOcjctQg1su5sPBWE3EWMutSAF4djlajJI2b9H9spPl04RjOi4hvwd1yy-OAjnCDU_0B5BFwLCeeWp0cXoffYahhImnBjEFY8ediaygAn_/s1600/IMG_3746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGukgfx0Q9lF8MmFExCC5qjp-KUORaFzYF6TEOcjctQg1su5sPBWE3EWMutSAF4djlajJI2b9H9spPl04RjOi4hvwd1yy-OAjnCDU_0B5BFwLCeeWp0cXoffYahhImnBjEFY8ediaygAn_/s320/IMG_3746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palais Ferstil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I met some
of my classmates Wednesday evening for a drink, and then Felix and I went for a
Lebanese meal at my old standard across from the University. The manager was
happy to see me again after an extended absence. I’ve also been doing my best
to catch up with old friends that I haven’t seen in quite some time.
Remembering the old days when we were so young and naïve leaves the mind
lingering in a nostalgic state, but then we shift to current activities and
learning about what has and has not changed about us since those younger days.<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY2AXNSuCjYrWGkxEeAwG-1UA7r4sIlAZlCXUF92Y7mAtSW1ygxoD1GaqlqZVh1oa5cNrCXqBGKiZNWSxK_Vect0Avjbm1B1FBx-J6HMyVqmdauy12hNyemwQINiGY4Z1GArzkGEB3MR5/s1600/IMG_3780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY2AXNSuCjYrWGkxEeAwG-1UA7r4sIlAZlCXUF92Y7mAtSW1ygxoD1GaqlqZVh1oa5cNrCXqBGKiZNWSxK_Vect0Avjbm1B1FBx-J6HMyVqmdauy12hNyemwQINiGY4Z1GArzkGEB3MR5/s320/IMG_3780.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Cafe Museum, Karlsplatz<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9WoVmFScer_ztGhEiERjCSgVc7Ou3iGVqqs4NosTL1NMkv_4VUrIrHKAYlwoOCf90sAcTgG0RXk5-xe3VFMJMU6qL2KX_uV2W07o_asy33Ocl8KGZtiiQ1hNUhyphenhyphenve5HGXCRPo0psQFyj/s1600/IMG_3782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9WoVmFScer_ztGhEiERjCSgVc7Ou3iGVqqs4NosTL1NMkv_4VUrIrHKAYlwoOCf90sAcTgG0RXk5-xe3VFMJMU6qL2KX_uV2W07o_asy33Ocl8KGZtiiQ1hNUhyphenhyphenve5HGXCRPo0psQFyj/s320/IMG_3782.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Karlsplatz<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
Saturday, I started the day off with a walk through the inner city stopping
briefly to enjoy the music and festivities of a small wine festival being
hosted by one of the banks. What better way to recruit new accounts than
free-flowing wine, a brass band, and bankers in lederhosen? The occasional
yodel brought a smirk to my face and a strange sense of comfort to my heart.
Shortly thereafter, a group of protestors marched by, trailed by the police,
carrying a sign advocating women’s rights. The young protestors seemed to have
their real objectives tangled up in an adolescent sense of rebellion, and they
stumbled over their angry chants. “Kein Gott, Kein Staat, Kein Patriarchie!”
they would yell twice, but the third time people started forgetting what they
were supposed to say. Eventually, the whole group was mumbling until the group
leader would use the loud speaker to get everyone back on track again. It
bothered me that they chanted for an end to religion and politics as part of
their mission to help women, but my concerns quickly subsided along with the
annunciation of their slogan. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_hzt1QDvJLEM-_rjpIY3y02mxb-TdYXPVEPQr3udLNhrsZVjQ8znMvDkJbPWnmnVOtxnKTUaE6nzhTSJ0UqBFNbE97I7U0d_JuL7-b3QRusmALjlieAg34z-TRKaQx5_-Qkfetyh26-D/s1600/IMG_3789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_hzt1QDvJLEM-_rjpIY3y02mxb-TdYXPVEPQr3udLNhrsZVjQ8znMvDkJbPWnmnVOtxnKTUaE6nzhTSJ0UqBFNbE97I7U0d_JuL7-b3QRusmALjlieAg34z-TRKaQx5_-Qkfetyh26-D/s320/IMG_3789.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erste Bank Wine Festival am Graben</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZ9L9LiKU5YFUSPzq-UA4c08XFnIzNfXsXZpwjX3MKXlgtAc-5qzAfozCsPuMSppbGi0GGgOu60s10kxKtOUCNpQba4M1he1zfiiUc6GKbfyzdEX8jvWr7FS4WT8WjPyt1C8Y8Kdm-qmr/s1600/IMG_3751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZ9L9LiKU5YFUSPzq-UA4c08XFnIzNfXsXZpwjX3MKXlgtAc-5qzAfozCsPuMSppbGi0GGgOu60s10kxKtOUCNpQba4M1he1zfiiUc6GKbfyzdEX8jvWr7FS4WT8WjPyt1C8Y8Kdm-qmr/s320/IMG_3751.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Kohlmarkt<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguG5akyC3rorYccxSSXPxQfkwa-K7loPiAb10H1dh4Ed3u5soEtunQsKkk-1mvxvA1OTtBiD3w38MZdWoO-SDuJlXFFCu-AeDKsexpHGjxPHdS5lYJEVplvsstMqg4BUfID3qwg5bMyKUe/s1600/IMG_3756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguG5akyC3rorYccxSSXPxQfkwa-K7loPiAb10H1dh4Ed3u5soEtunQsKkk-1mvxvA1OTtBiD3w38MZdWoO-SDuJlXFFCu-AeDKsexpHGjxPHdS5lYJEVplvsstMqg4BUfID3qwg5bMyKUe/s320/IMG_3756.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Am Graben<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnA03wrgBu6_JMx01aMq1UVdy3QNTEn_oIQz_jttURrs1UROgOcyUTT7PngCBHkca95d0jdOJcTQqMFqhjzrcqEUBHQxV6QZQ6Ms5i2Mg4pMv2tYu05I771t5xW9a1ic_dVmYcO8CUq2J/s1600/IMG_3922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnA03wrgBu6_JMx01aMq1UVdy3QNTEn_oIQz_jttURrs1UROgOcyUTT7PngCBHkca95d0jdOJcTQqMFqhjzrcqEUBHQxV6QZQ6Ms5i2Mg4pMv2tYu05I771t5xW9a1ic_dVmYcO8CUq2J/s320/IMG_3922.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoch- und Deutschmeister Band</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Two of my
classmates met me to see the Hoch- und Deutschmeister Band perform their last
march of the summer season. The band is a throwback to the old military bands
of the Austrian Empire, and we marched behind them through the city to the
Hofburg Palace where we lounged in the sun beneath the oxidized bronze glare of
a Roman-styled Austrian Emperor while the band played classics like “The
Beautiful Blue Danube.” <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjga1UMfDcfuWyU-Anqyt2mLZLSf6YE4D8KXpSSsJR9Sbkq3WO2kigI6t4Gbz2IIp6OXgkLhWfmRPSZZNTYVs19hplAxGSEgI1Ur8rPr1JAgCiF-vZ77_GVtinq42zUQDTE2d4CfpR22PR7/s1600/IMG_3904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjga1UMfDcfuWyU-Anqyt2mLZLSf6YE4D8KXpSSsJR9Sbkq3WO2kigI6t4Gbz2IIp6OXgkLhWfmRPSZZNTYVs19hplAxGSEgI1Ur8rPr1JAgCiF-vZ77_GVtinq42zUQDTE2d4CfpR22PR7/s320/IMG_3904.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a
quick tour of the inner city, we met up with yet more of our classmates to grab
an introductory drink and get to know each other a bit before classes start. I
am almost certainly the oldest in my class, which is a new feeling for me, but
not an unpleasant one. Later in the afternoon, we browsed through the
Naschmarkt, the large outdoor food market in town. That evening, I met up with
another old friend and his girlfriend for some drinks and a very pleasant
dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant. Maybe (or almost certainly) I’m a bit
odd, but nothing feels quite so empowering as being personally greeted by the
owner and waiters of a restaurant. It probably means that I eat out too much,
or just eat too much in general, but the false sense of importance it gives me
is one of my more harmless vices.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I started
Sunday off with a couchsurfing brunch near Spittelberg, where I met some really
fun people and even another alumnus of my high school. Afterwards, I took two
new visitors to Vienna for a cold wet walk around the rainy city. They seemed
to be in awe of the grand palatial buildings and rich history and culture of
which Vienna is full. A quick prayer at St. Stephens Cathedral, and we were
once again wandering down a chilly Kärtnerstrasse. My companions soon asked
about the possibility of seeing a classical concert, and I was immediately on
my phone checking schedules. It just so happened that a concert at the
Musikverein was starting in 15 minutes, so we picked up our pace and made it
just in time to grab a couple tickets and relax in the warmth of the concert.
An added perk was the appearance of the 86 year old composer Friedrich Cerha
after the orchestra had just performed one of his works. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYgGDeuTmmG1Nu2MkQZuAOvGz3WLhKLdUBv4XA_HDDz0zwHINCbMnmRzStp_3P3cg28f1AzIoyRCTAUm4mT0AN2GJC4yO6DSZ6WXvQGOdY-jaB_6jPnf_QXCcvHzjVKbgwdV6nsCr-nrP/s1600/IMG_3787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYgGDeuTmmG1Nu2MkQZuAOvGz3WLhKLdUBv4XA_HDDz0zwHINCbMnmRzStp_3P3cg28f1AzIoyRCTAUm4mT0AN2GJC4yO6DSZ6WXvQGOdY-jaB_6jPnf_QXCcvHzjVKbgwdV6nsCr-nrP/s320/IMG_3787.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musikverein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sitting
back and staring at the gilded details of the ceiling while the mind absorbed
the peaceful melancholy of the Ravel piece that the pianist played, I couldn’t
stop thinking about how fortunate I really am. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-8840312268784917822011-07-05T18:09:00.002-04:002011-07-05T18:35:40.472-04:00Until Next TimeI'm back in my spot of contemplation as I await my departure from Lebanon. Sitting at the same computer in the Centre d'Affaires in the Cedar Lounge at Beirut International Airport, I always like to take a minute to appreciate my time in Lebanon before boarding my flight to Frankfurt.<br /><br />There really is nothing else like family. My cousin Raymond said it best this evening as we sat on his balcony looking out over Roumieh. He said that all of us may have different experiences and different viewpoints, but when we sit together we can see something special in each other that runs in our blood. Flatteringly, he remarked how special it is to have a cousin like me that three generations after leaving Lebanon can still feel the spirit of this country and our family. After about 10 days of hearing my cousins say less than loving words about my other country, it was a great feeling to hear Raymond raise a toast "to Lebanon, to the US, and to the greatest cousin in the world."<br /><br />I don't know if his last comment was quite accurate, but maybe he was talking about someone else. Regardless, it is me that is unbelievably fortunate to have such a large group of distant relatives that so willingly welcome me as part of the family. I am even more fortunate to have an immediate family that is close and truly care for each other, but there is something particularly gratifying about returning to one's roots. The feeling grows stronger as one begins to understand those roots. It is as if the tiny frail ends of a tree root have suddenly found new nourishment and grow strong, wrapping themselves around the source of this nourishment.<br /><br />My younger cousin, Jean Charbel, Raymond's son, asked me today if I would stay in Lebanon forever. "Why you have to go back? Stay here. We have many universities in Lebanon." I promised him that I would try to come back next summer, but he insisted that next month would be better. The prophetic youth then told me that someday I would live in Lebanon with a beautiful wife and a happy family. I told him that I would like that very much.<br /><br />So here I am again with such mixed feelings, preparing to leave one home to return to another. Each time I visit Lebanon, I become a little more aware of the country's shortcomings and the difficulties of living in a place like this, but at the same time, I grow more and more attached to the people and the culture. There is no problem or defect that Lebanon could ever have that could sever my love for this country. It is a place like no other, and it will always be part of me.<br /><br />For tonight, Lebanon, I say, "Until next time."The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-73192793889678764772011-06-28T04:18:00.003-04:002011-06-28T04:51:43.119-04:00HomeSitting by the old stone church surrounded by family and friends, I watched the sunset behind the alter as the choir sang the movingly melancholic songs of a Maronite mass honoring St. John. I feel a sense of peace in the midst of this chaotic land of conflict and prejudice. Why is it that I feel so comfortable in a place full of so many problems? I feel at home. I feel a sense of belonging that is somewhat inexplicable. Three generations before me, my great-grandfather left this land to find a better life. I am so far removed from this place, and yet it is a part of me that I can't escape. Whatever part of Lebanon flows through my blood, its influence over me grows stronger with every moment I am here.<br /><br />Despite the innumerable problems that Lebanon faces on a daily basis, there is something enchanting about this country and its people. They are a people that find it so easy to hate, both others and themselves, and yet they are a people so warm and hospitable that it is often difficult for an outsider to comprehend. Lebanon is a country of constant contradictions, but that is part of the intrigue.<br /><br />I am a very lucky person because I feel as if I have so many homes. I was born and raised in North Carolina, and it is clearly my home by definition, but I feel at home in so many other places. After four years living in Austria, it is easy to understand why I feel at home there; I know my way around, I understand the language perfectly, I sometimes speak the language well, I have great friends there, and I feel comfortable there. I am also at home in Lebanon, the land of my ancestors. My family's history in Lebanon has brought the country close to my heart, and I will always consider it one of my homes. I have also spent over 10 years traveling regularly to Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia & Hercegovina. Despite having no real connections there other than some of my best friends, I feel at home in those far off countries.<br /><br />I recognize how lucky I am to feel at home in so many places because I have seen the pain of those that are forced to live somewhere that they don't feel at home. On this visit to Lebanon, I have been working with an organization helping to resettle Iraqi refugees. I had the honor of interviewing a young woman from Iraq that is living here in Lebanon while waiting to be resettled with her husband in the states. Her life and the lives of her family were threatened in Iraq, so she has a genuine fear that may prevent her from ever seeing her real home again. She lives in Lebanon, a country that she admits is beautiful, but she does not have a home here. Many factors keep her from feeling any comfort or sense of belonging here. I wish I could explain the sadness that this woman feels living here, separated from her husband by bureaucracy, but it is something you can only appreciate by seeing it in her eyes and hearing it in her voice.<br /><br />There are so many people in this world that have no home or have been forced out of their homes. I am thankful in so many ways that I have been blessed with so many homes.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-50981828926403356512009-09-14T17:08:00.002-04:002009-09-14T17:30:41.461-04:00The Typhoon Broke My Umbrella<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07AiHDZX4n_POkzeZuJ519y3wxSF-b9jQ4zGijGRSRb4PV5McTGWOS6dBHiKZsEMHcPY1Wmq1IwR40UJ1Rn431Oe2B5Nf5KEII4K7DisKXXD69PMc2auJULKwmsaZpN6qMBzypjJddE2T/s1600-h/IMG_8718.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07AiHDZX4n_POkzeZuJ519y3wxSF-b9jQ4zGijGRSRb4PV5McTGWOS6dBHiKZsEMHcPY1Wmq1IwR40UJ1Rn431Oe2B5Nf5KEII4K7DisKXXD69PMc2auJULKwmsaZpN6qMBzypjJddE2T/s320/IMG_8718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381436840896298914" border="0" /></a>The Star Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong Skyline<br /></div><br />Crossing the bridge from Kowloon to Lantau Island on my way to the airport, the Hong Kong “Symphony of Lights” illuminated the island outside the car window. The sky scrapers were flickering with colored lights while lasers danced in the sky. It was a fitting farewell from Hong Kong and Asia. In a few short hours, I would be on board my Singapore Airlines flight to San Francisco - returning to American soil for the first time in almost three months. My heart raced with anticipation of any number of things: the excitement of flying my favorite airline in the world, getting closer to home, catching up with old friends and family, starting school, wondering when and where my next trip will take me.<br /><br />My short stay in Hong Kong was pleasant enough. I can’t say I fell in love with the city, but I enjoyed myself and would be happy to return someday. I spent my first day wandering around the city in the dismal pre-typhoon weather. All of the shopping malls and various points around the city had signs stating that signal 3 had been raised for the Special Administrative Region, i.e. a typhoon was anticipated to hit within 12 hours. I had an umbrella with me, but less than an hour after leaving the hotel, a gust of wind literally ripped my umbrella to pieces. The metal frame of the umbrella had snapped into multiple pieces, and the fabric had ripped. I tossed the umbrella in the nearest garbage can and continued wandering around the harbor in the wet, windy weather. I paused to snap some photos of the statue of Bruce Lee along the Avenue of Stars.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmifoeuuR3oph8gOPfLECJqIpVDHAntNDlF9mmvwpXkT4NEpyJkIvKdq8EznC3tMsgNNi0qriuBG5sJ2G4zgTogXDKXl-w-ZPvC_37MYa2OohKWpH_ZhQ3SSR2t3028pxmmOMxUjpNQWy/s1600-h/IMG_8746.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmifoeuuR3oph8gOPfLECJqIpVDHAntNDlF9mmvwpXkT4NEpyJkIvKdq8EznC3tMsgNNi0qriuBG5sJ2G4zgTogXDKXl-w-ZPvC_37MYa2OohKWpH_ZhQ3SSR2t3028pxmmOMxUjpNQWy/s320/IMG_8746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381436838723723282" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The next day, I felt bored with Hong Kong already. The weather was still wet, sticky and cloudy, so my outdoor activities were limited, and I just wasn’t in the mood for museums. In the evening, I decided to go ahead and hop over to Macau. I walked down to the ferry terminal, grabbed a ticket, and boarded the next hydrofoil to Macau. Although the typhoon had passed without ever hitting Hong Kong, the water was still incredibly rough from the windy weather. The two Japanese girls behind me couldn’t quite handle the ride, and they spent the 1.5 hours taking turns running to the restroom, seasick bag in hand.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQqYrkOnlltACql_9RK0v6Cdp0Nkn2EWwnP8v4k3fEDXtmbt-KSSJ7-oWUe8z0FZIXPV-Kf0PvPOxbnRWjZtWpGIYGIrcPfDcZ5984v2DC3-CQolw4z0mDsTEUuCnIyOKYeynxXWRSWWp/s1600-h/IMG_8770.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQqYrkOnlltACql_9RK0v6Cdp0Nkn2EWwnP8v4k3fEDXtmbt-KSSJ7-oWUe8z0FZIXPV-Kf0PvPOxbnRWjZtWpGIYGIrcPfDcZ5984v2DC3-CQolw4z0mDsTEUuCnIyOKYeynxXWRSWWp/s320/IMG_8770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381436866996414402" border="0" /></a>I would probably point a canon at that building too<br /><br /></div>I was pleasantly surprised with what I found in Macau. Floating into the port, one can’t help but notice the gargantuan Las Vegas style hotels and attractions that line the Cotai Strip. MGM Grand, Wynn, The Venetian - they’re all there, along with some local casino establishments. I took a cab into the center of town and the ruins of Sao Paolo. I climbed to the top of the fortress, snapped pictures of the old facade, all that remains of St. Paul’s church. Later, I wandered down the cobblestone pedestrian only streets that weave their way through the old Portuguese colonial buildings. Macau isn’t as refined as Hong Kong, but I found it’s rough-edged character enchanting.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua-hZndZYTLS76v9dy5ARHvkGH8j5c_A85UuEsHAmqhKYm3iRkgraLEn6AAXbuPzFVRd5PNEn871WJ-1rHFJhzUPsDAfGK-dfvWeofqwaI9QD3vYFbcP7NUkwE_G_kOwh3sP2hjShocsm/s1600-h/IMG_8793.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua-hZndZYTLS76v9dy5ARHvkGH8j5c_A85UuEsHAmqhKYm3iRkgraLEn6AAXbuPzFVRd5PNEn871WJ-1rHFJhzUPsDAfGK-dfvWeofqwaI9QD3vYFbcP7NUkwE_G_kOwh3sP2hjShocsm/s320/IMG_8793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381436860076952642" border="0" /></a>Ruins of Sao Paolo<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">After making a couple laps around the old city, I started hunting for a good Portuguese or Macanese restaurant for dinner. I ended up at a small restaurant tucked in an alleyway near the cathedral where I enjoyed some Pasteis de Bacalhao (Fried Salt Cod Cakes) and Arroz de Marisco (seafood rice). The food was outstanding and served in massive quantities. I felt bad leaving behind so much of the giant pot filled with deliciously creamy rice loaded with prawns, squid, octopus, clams, mussels, and fish. Properly satiated from dinner, I walked back to the ferry terminal and was back in Hong Kong by 1AM.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIErdAf_d_UDf0n2iHsgVO47vARIHOmNtySdVkNJJZ_b2JRWTuHYl9ZylCI57B0SeTXD2kX_rRoFZ6JlRoZKpxTczXFZaKKNAzBZV6IJVYtpO-sMfnYTAW440Gg3cAcg4VmYeI1bJhxLod/s1600-h/IMG_8823.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIErdAf_d_UDf0n2iHsgVO47vARIHOmNtySdVkNJJZ_b2JRWTuHYl9ZylCI57B0SeTXD2kX_rRoFZ6JlRoZKpxTczXFZaKKNAzBZV6IJVYtpO-sMfnYTAW440Gg3cAcg4VmYeI1bJhxLod/s320/IMG_8823.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381436851423654514" border="0" /></a>They really are everywhere<br /></div><br />Hong Kong was my last stop in Asia, and I was on my way back to the states, but my journey wasn’t over yet. I spent a few short hours sleeping in San Francisco before an early flight back out of the US to Vancouver. I spent a great weekend with my good friend Jon wandering around Vancouver, eating good food, and having some good laughs.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-91383849857839032682009-08-05T01:27:00.010-04:002009-08-07T04:55:07.711-04:00I might like you better, if...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWENnDO7_0tVC2yJwhQgKzefRTUZnpfXaCNdbh1psYKkg8woH723kEqvUTWSuXZItChrrYBxxXUtDiCcHl4j9FdJfaM-uZGUi8kdLRl-rtSLiTJOzFfr756w1ovQjTb3ZRZIFPblS7Zv9e/s1600-h/China+140.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWENnDO7_0tVC2yJwhQgKzefRTUZnpfXaCNdbh1psYKkg8woH723kEqvUTWSuXZItChrrYBxxXUtDiCcHl4j9FdJfaM-uZGUi8kdLRl-rtSLiTJOzFfr756w1ovQjTb3ZRZIFPblS7Zv9e/s320/China+140.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367139236866757122" border="0" /></a>Old Lijiang<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSchVG5SzQQGFD8Cuo-dS0GlZlkJDBI_qsOv2DbOpOGAuJIgzvyVt-HXLf5H81yZAo1XxzXMq2yXJ2bGLUu-0ncwCXT1wfItLMI5D563doem-8NcRw03QYLHxEalIOUVFcTrA1BjyOFrVO/s1600-h/China+250.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSchVG5SzQQGFD8Cuo-dS0GlZlkJDBI_qsOv2DbOpOGAuJIgzvyVt-HXLf5H81yZAo1XxzXMq2yXJ2bGLUu-0ncwCXT1wfItLMI5D563doem-8NcRw03QYLHxEalIOUVFcTrA1BjyOFrVO/s320/China+250.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367141178305887938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDstmYQavxpkeFl-L2Ln9CEwlx4dkViJozjEnqHGy8CDZxbhq_7jSjZ1AJizNiYNn7dvSFcrvRV5F_acpicZSpx9snPa_SAN46vdxFBNQWhyiNTon5p_4DdQoRTbCsqpW9wSBKnrb3gb1Y/s1600-h/China+142.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDstmYQavxpkeFl-L2Ln9CEwlx4dkViJozjEnqHGy8CDZxbhq_7jSjZ1AJizNiYNn7dvSFcrvRV5F_acpicZSpx9snPa_SAN46vdxFBNQWhyiNTon5p_4DdQoRTbCsqpW9wSBKnrb3gb1Y/s320/China+142.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367139464284165378" border="0" /></a>Naked fire, eh...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Sa3UcsnF2TEQHbKmD5nfFqy3zKxMZAH1m4KzVZpZUzHu2LRj3ThdtUsFbuxrOQHBit4Wa4WPfRf5tZl9o5_5lwPSvM8gm3wgIjnxrhldcbwNjs5TPI8dQVIMMqzZ1Zf4hrRfrn2t3oGo/s1600-h/China+210.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Sa3UcsnF2TEQHbKmD5nfFqy3zKxMZAH1m4KzVZpZUzHu2LRj3ThdtUsFbuxrOQHBit4Wa4WPfRf5tZl9o5_5lwPSvM8gm3wgIjnxrhldcbwNjs5TPI8dQVIMMqzZ1Zf4hrRfrn2t3oGo/s320/China+210.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367140121622513106" border="0" /></a>Maybe this has something to do with the naked fires<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jbzkaaP0uB89BmIXb70fB1j8tiJJQcsz6qTpnWV-g1KlGeNxJ9_P2K5TSqTVp3miucnFgEhlS1rY9STF4UP6N4cUWWl4qQQmeCuCxx5IK8N98G0ekJdrOtmC7ERD-RdviQdKa5swlh0p/s1600-h/China+238.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jbzkaaP0uB89BmIXb70fB1j8tiJJQcsz6qTpnWV-g1KlGeNxJ9_P2K5TSqTVp3miucnFgEhlS1rY9STF4UP6N4cUWWl4qQQmeCuCxx5IK8N98G0ekJdrOtmC7ERD-RdviQdKa5swlh0p/s320/China+238.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367140317715848786" border="0" /></a>Uhhh???<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXoxn7Ehy_R0x-RE6_RGo334bdJuAym3bGvtVNJU7UmfEyZSustYSUWUQTBPX01r3fLHngmC8ED-LPulvA96o9RtjahH2dUlJcvkKb95CWBBoUPI-EjcksK8R93h43J8_ExohzO7QRxfH/s1600-h/China+251.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXoxn7Ehy_R0x-RE6_RGo334bdJuAym3bGvtVNJU7UmfEyZSustYSUWUQTBPX01r3fLHngmC8ED-LPulvA96o9RtjahH2dUlJcvkKb95CWBBoUPI-EjcksK8R93h43J8_ExohzO7QRxfH/s320/China+251.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367141189341707810" border="0" /></a>Yes, miss, I did just take your picture<br /><br /></div>I may have walked a little too quickly from the plane towards passport control in Chengdu, but I was trying to keep up with a particularly long-legged American in front of me that was setting the pace. I worked myself into a very slight sweat in the warm humid airport. The quarantine officer took my H1N1 declaration, gave it a once over and then sent me on my way. As I walked through the gate towards passport control, though, an alarm went off because my temperature was too high. An officer jumped towards me, grabbed my arm and said, “We must take your temperature again.”<br /><br />Before landing, they had played an informational video on the plane about customs and quarantine procedures in China and the new protocol for the prevention of the spread of Swine flu (H1N1). The video started with a shimmering red and gold image of the Chinese state emblem and pomp music like that of an old news reel - both suitable for a communist propaganda film. The film was in Chinese with English subtitles, but they had neglected to consider the readability of the subtitles against different backgrounds, so the white text was projected onto a white background during most of the film, so I only caught a few key words. My favorite part of the film was watching the cartoon depictions of different flu symptoms. Nothing like a runny nosed cartoon character to get you excited about visiting a new country. I guess I had been properly warned about the strict health precautions being taken at the entry points to China.<br /><br />I followed the officer behind a curtain in the quarantine area, where I was handed a face mask and asked to sit down. A doctor gave me a thermometer and asked me to place it under my arm. He then proceeded to review my declaration and repeat most of the questions verbally. “Have you had trouble breathing, runny nose, congestion, fever or other symptoms recently? What cities and countries have you been to in the last 7 days? Where are you staying in China? What is your mobile phone number? What is the phone number of someone else that knows your travel itinerary?” The questions went on and on. The doctor took back the thermometer, recorded the temperature and asked me to wait because another doctor was going to check my throat. I guess it’s a good thing I had an over 5 hour layover before my flight to Lijiang. In the end, they had collected too many passengers of questionable health to make me wait any longer for the check-up. “Your temperature is normal, so we will let you go now, but please contact the authorities immediately if you develop any symptoms.”<br /><br />Passport control and customs were a breeze after worrying that I might get stuck in some medical quarantine area for god knows how long. I found my way to the China Airlines check-in counter, but they wouldn’t check me in for my Lijiang flight because it was still too early. I pleaded with them to just check my bags and then I could wander the airport hands free until it was time to collect my boarding pass. The agent agreed, took my bags and printed out my boarding pass, which she then set aside and said I could collect in 4 hours. Luckily, the Chengdu airport has a surplus of tea houses with internet access, so I settled down in front of a terminal with a glass of jasmine tea. It didn’t take me long to realize that the health inspections weren’t the only sign I was in China. Youtube, twitter, facebook and my own blog were, among many other sites, inaccessible from within the PRC. It took me a while to figure out what I could do after I checked my email, but I ended up checking the news and browsing the couch surfing site.<br /><br />Eventually, I was granted my boarding pass and went on to my connecting flight. On board, a young, short Chinese woman was sitting next to me. After she had already fastened her seatbelt and settled into her seat, she decided she needed her reading light on but couldn’t reach it. I figured out what was going on, and I turned on her light for her before she had to move all of her stuff and get out of the seat. She said thank you, one phrase I could understand, and then proceeded to ask me something in Chinese. I told her that I don’t speak Chinese, but that didn’t slow her down one bit. She gave a look of disappointed understanding and then continued conversing with me in one of the few languages in the world that I have absolute zero comprehension of. Eventually, she smiled and went back to reading her book. I then switched my focus to the news being shown on the overhead screens. Once again, it was a poorly subtitled Chinese broadcast, but one story really caught my attention.<br /><br />“This year’s butter cow and butter calf at the Ohio state fair will be accompanied by an equally buttery farmer and his wife.” No need to worry about what they think about Americans on this side of the world - they know we have excellent butter sculptures in Ohio.<br /><br />After having collected my baggage in Lijiang, still laughing about the buttery farmer, I stepped outside to find a taxi. I was directed to the next taxi in line, which was being watched over by its rather surly female driver. She was probably only in her late 30s or early 40s, but she looked like she was almost 60. I told her the name of my hotel, and she said 100. I didn’t catch what she was saying the first time around, but once repeated, I realized what she was saying. I figured her asking for 100 yuan for the ride to the hotel was a signal to start bargaining, but since I had reached the limit of her English, we weren’t getting very far. One of the airport staff saw me struggling, came over and said, “meter?” Yes! Meter! That’s all I want is for her to use a meter. The ride into town was silent, and I feared for my life every time Little Miss Giggles overtook another vehicle on a blind curve in the dark. Once in town, Giggles decided she had had enough of the silence and turned on some music. The last thing I expected was for the CD to start playing a techno beat, but I was pushed over the edge when the lyrics came on. “I might like you better, if we slept together.” It was impossible to contain myself any longer, and I started laughing out loud. The driver just looked at me like I was crazy.<br /><br />Waking up the next morning to a gray, rainy sky in Lijiang, I felt tired and a bit short of breath. Crap, was I indeed coming down with a case of H1N1? Had they inadvertently exposed me to the virus while I sat waiting in the quarantine area at the airport? I didn’t have any other symptoms, so I sat back and tried to think what could be the problem. Suddenly it occurred to me that I wasn’t too far from Tibet. What’s the elevation in Lijiang? I got on the computer to google the information, and sure enough, Lijiang sits at an altitude of about 2400 meters (almost 8,000 feet), more than high enough for some minor altitude sickness. Symptoms of altitude sickness include fatigue, shortness of breath and dehydration among others. Coming from an elevation near sea level, it is no surprise that I was having difficulty acclimating to the new altitude. To adjust to long-term stays at altitudes above 5,000 feet can take as long as 30 days. Yay! I’m not dying, I’m just oxygen deprived! The internet recommended lots of rest, avoid physical exertion, drink lots of water and ask for some oxygen for severe cases. Feeling more comfortable having self-diagnosed my condition, I opted not to be the American dork asking the hotel for oxygen, but I did follow the rest of the advice.<br /><br />I spent some time wandering around the old town of Lijiang, which is picture perfect. The streams and canals around the city were crossed by numerous stone and wooden bridges. The old architecture of the Naxi homeland was a taste of “true” China, albeit in an almost Epcot fashion with everything so well-renovated and full or tourists. I lost my way down the narrow stone alleys of the town, which was the perfect way to explore. At one of the squares, a group of elderly women were performing traditional Naxi dances. It seemed as though the lead woman knew what she was doing, while the rest just kept looking around at each other for clues. There were a number of pauses and missteps, but it added to the charm factor of the whole thing. Walking away from the dancers, I heard the jingling of bells and the shouts of horsemen. I turned to see two traditionally dressed men riding horses rapidly down the road. I grabbed my camera to take the picture, and they turned and rode directly towards me. I was in definite danger of being trampled by two small horses ridden by two small men, but in the end, I passed right between the two… just barely.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK44pXG1b0zWsc5L7dzk2MSNFXA81Z0Xv_rcXhWI3ba15snd2Q9zoe16Hd71QUhj5_NSPB2ADeNkZEl7Ee38SI9EcF04xYzWQB5v9ERYXH5Xd4lskB8vSlLeTViylDik5Zilgi2bsaKSo/s1600-h/China+194.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK44pXG1b0zWsc5L7dzk2MSNFXA81Z0Xv_rcXhWI3ba15snd2Q9zoe16Hd71QUhj5_NSPB2ADeNkZEl7Ee38SI9EcF04xYzWQB5v9ERYXH5Xd4lskB8vSlLeTViylDik5Zilgi2bsaKSo/s320/China+194.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367139940605314370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8en88G0U5u-B2S3o-0RpOon0jLpmtR4WA2HLMq0-1fwv2XJqPcTrWHaL7vyF04A7W6v2PG2MJAZmrc6EIkTxVHycXFicoTaI5eK2lchd7s-gPpGln8GeZJSGpY6oEhkU2FKPw2KBEub65/s1600-h/China+188.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8en88G0U5u-B2S3o-0RpOon0jLpmtR4WA2HLMq0-1fwv2XJqPcTrWHaL7vyF04A7W6v2PG2MJAZmrc6EIkTxVHycXFicoTaI5eK2lchd7s-gPpGln8GeZJSGpY6oEhkU2FKPw2KBEub65/s320/China+188.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367139695122734082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The shopping was tempting, but I couldn’t cope with the trouble of transporting some of the beautiful ceramics, and I just couldn’t quite justify purchasing one of the large traditional fox skin hats, though I’m still a little disappointed about that one. The smell of dried yak meat wafts down every street and alleyway of Lijiang, and once I saw where the smell was coming from, I figured out what I had just had for breakfast. I had picked up a sushi roll from the buffet with some mysterious brown shreds inside. It didn’t taste like any fish I had tasted before, but I couldn’t quite place what it did taste like. The smell of the yak meat was a perfect match to the flavor still lingering in the back of my mouth. Yak sushi, breakfast of champions.<br /><br />I’ve enjoyed my limited time in Lijiang, although I keep peering towards the mountains in hopes of catching a glimpse of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, but the clouds this time of year seem to just sit permanently on the peak. The first day, I wasn’t even convinced the mountain existed the clouds were so thick. Over the course of time, I have seen the base of the mountain and some of the lower peaks surrounding it, but the clouds refuse to give up their resting place, and I’ll be leaving without having seen the main peak. Such is life.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-30457119756776913282009-08-04T01:24:00.003-04:002009-08-04T01:56:18.119-04:00Just a drink, a martini, shaken not stirred<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyIE2eYUR1A73bs3Ag33rpvweoWFJZg3ogXGE2jJUPZz_i2bzyHAEWqSK2XZFSdo-2c3uj79BHtzOzrIrLacQrKvnyb6_X6KJ63JhCEXygQsZqnfnYIfQhB9NMTVOfGpfGoXxYhVxKcyu/s1600-h/Krabi+089.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyIE2eYUR1A73bs3Ag33rpvweoWFJZg3ogXGE2jJUPZz_i2bzyHAEWqSK2XZFSdo-2c3uj79BHtzOzrIrLacQrKvnyb6_X6KJ63JhCEXygQsZqnfnYIfQhB9NMTVOfGpfGoXxYhVxKcyu/s320/Krabi+089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365981760328384130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeYzDYSFJP3AaWWFFxGEJhyphenhyphenfovXWSzHV8eJ9oy2bl7k-9zDJhcq3XFYunEOMcI4L-00P8kosIQKw18KTw3_HBs6eL2ivSc29oOWRWj18IxR2qypk1HaohBzky9TzZH-3ZyeJufLzGEeUO/s1600-h/Krabi+038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeYzDYSFJP3AaWWFFxGEJhyphenhyphenfovXWSzHV8eJ9oy2bl7k-9zDJhcq3XFYunEOMcI4L-00P8kosIQKw18KTw3_HBs6eL2ivSc29oOWRWj18IxR2qypk1HaohBzky9TzZH-3ZyeJufLzGEeUO/s320/Krabi+038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365981747091230418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvD-Stx_ORnB2A6u2ABWhWic8LblNcHj5YToO0zdBhwioxAHlihHhqT9CB6T2D_8cqei0z3B4-d29x752uq9i28_gNLUVzU_LWQK5JxUSMZuR4TTHx3VGX5thjOfD2uwiyhm7d7D3D85r/s1600-h/Krabi+073.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvD-Stx_ORnB2A6u2ABWhWic8LblNcHj5YToO0zdBhwioxAHlihHhqT9CB6T2D_8cqei0z3B4-d29x752uq9i28_gNLUVzU_LWQK5JxUSMZuR4TTHx3VGX5thjOfD2uwiyhm7d7D3D85r/s320/Krabi+073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365981756370987138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Riding off into the sunset on a speed boat with mountains of limestone jetting out of the water, it all felt very James Bond. Was I on my way to check in at a new beach resort, or was I unknowingly being transported to a meeting with Dr. No? Arriving at Rayavadee, the Cambodian method of wading through shallow waters was unacceptable for a guest like me. Instead, because the boat couldn’t reach the resort pier at low tide, they brought a dock out to me by tractor. It was all rather peculiar, but I loved it. Two guest services personnel were waiting on the dock to welcome me, and back on the beach, the guest services manager had my check-in documents ready. I was escorted to a beautiful open-air waiting room where they brought me a fresh coconut milk and lime welcome drink, and I signed the registration papers.<br /><br />I was eligible for an upgrade, but they suggested I take a look at both bungalows first. The higher category room had a private “hydropool” in the garden but was located further from the beaches and main pool. The lower category room they had prepared for me, however, was directly beside the main pool with a view of Railay beach, and the interior was identical to the other bungalow. I opted for the room with a sea view that already had a chilled bottle of Prosecco waiting for me. The bungalow was fantastic, full of mahogany and all the creature comforts one could desire. My favorite part of my orientation tour, however, was when the young lady escorting me around the resort pointed out that the closet was double sided with one door on the bedroom side and one door in the bathroom. “If you need the restroom quickly, fastest way through the closet.” I spent the first evening in the room giggling childishly at how wonderful this place was (and imagining myself rushing through the closet to the toilet). I popped open the bottle of Prosecco, ordered some room service and made myself at home.<br /><br />The next morning, I enjoyed breakfast at the main restaurant and then walked around the resort taking some photos. I spent a few hours swimming and enjoying a perfectly sunny day. I walked to all three beaches on this 26 acre property and had some excellent French fries in the Grotto bar inside a cave at Phranang beach. I wanted at least one perfect day of beach relaxation on this trip, and I lucked out and got it. It was, afterall, monsoon season, and showers could have put a damper on my beach time at any moment, but the sun was shining all day.<br /><br />Should I take the M1 to the M2 down to 342, or stay on the service road all the way to Railay beach? It may sound like trying to figure out which highway to take to get somewhere, but this is what was going through my head while trying to find my way back to my bungalow late in the evening after a great dinner of steamed sea bass with ginger, chilies and lime at the Krua Phranang Thai restaurant on the opposite end of the property. The paths around the property were quite narrow, full of vegetation and not incredibly well-lit. the exception was the service road, which was wide enough for golf carts to pass by and had plenty of lighting. The real question is which way I was least likely to be attacked by wild animals. Against my better judgment, I decided to take the smaller, shorter path to my room. Sure enough, while walking quickly down the path trying to ignore the unidentifiable sounds of the night, rustling in the bushes and splashes in the ponds, a medium-sized gray monkey jumped straight in front of me on the path and looked me in the eyes. I glared right back at him, he let out a yelp and bolted faster than he came. I guess I’m one scary monkey.<br /><br />Some more breakfast and some more swimming in the morning before I had to bid farewell to my short-term home at Rayavadee. The staff encouraged me to come back and spend more time soon, and I agreed to try my hardest. Back on the speedboat tilted up at full speed towards the mainland, my Bond-like adventure was over.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-12143943446245118822009-07-31T12:24:00.001-04:002009-07-31T12:24:53.387-04:00I've had a very interesting welcome to China, but alas, access to my blog and facebook have been blocked by big brother. Just a mobile post to say I will be posting again on Tuesday, inshallah.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-80818589815605702642009-07-30T08:07:00.004-04:002009-07-30T11:48:14.243-04:00Gimme one dolla'<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXf6RhKzyqDWKLywdcpE49KwKHvhlbHk1EFaSrqMGLCUim68g0gVXxb9wPcDOMsfFmE3iFrCQi7wFCjpsnEcI6B0tbR5UgvUsjE5Duh_BenWN_y5_x0SiQVrnA48-70QN4iGJElWB-5Ysk/s1600-h/Cambodia+284.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXf6RhKzyqDWKLywdcpE49KwKHvhlbHk1EFaSrqMGLCUim68g0gVXxb9wPcDOMsfFmE3iFrCQi7wFCjpsnEcI6B0tbR5UgvUsjE5Duh_BenWN_y5_x0SiQVrnA48-70QN4iGJElWB-5Ysk/s320/Cambodia+284.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364279681131136898" border="0" /></a>Photo-op in front of Angkor Wat<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaAfcMSnUU_qM0SJ_bkcHO7PW1MIPhqIYCh-s17Qxo16CzvaVCt0FdZZoFCzIDM_iodYLGPYJfk80CXYpwr-ip9YMmG0fudHrgUe6l3k3b8-BUsFzpfesADujGkt2e1DS_2WXksH1WlVY/s1600-h/Cambodia+421.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaAfcMSnUU_qM0SJ_bkcHO7PW1MIPhqIYCh-s17Qxo16CzvaVCt0FdZZoFCzIDM_iodYLGPYJfk80CXYpwr-ip9YMmG0fudHrgUe6l3k3b8-BUsFzpfesADujGkt2e1DS_2WXksH1WlVY/s320/Cambodia+421.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364279671761990034" border="0" /></a>Raining at Bayon Temple<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCYmyyJf4yBHpgnPIVnXgrySsvSVH7Zyszytu81oHWVQkXnA7ukgzV81MxqnxPeXI8TzEaP6DMgvO1mI43RoUeeqNao9BTMOQTFPpbDg5UsKLiavutZhtjugYae-ZOcyTJy83bRbnBwQI/s1600-h/Cambodia+467.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCYmyyJf4yBHpgnPIVnXgrySsvSVH7Zyszytu81oHWVQkXnA7ukgzV81MxqnxPeXI8TzEaP6DMgvO1mI43RoUeeqNao9BTMOQTFPpbDg5UsKLiavutZhtjugYae-ZOcyTJy83bRbnBwQI/s320/Cambodia+467.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364279666139836162" border="0" /></a>Ta Phrom Temple<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rkosDRxQ4a7535IkwGCYco4AQXeVEaCOoO_3zZTUFqkIbnBW1Erji07fHkv4Y-tmLw4Yr3YSE354Jh-m6HrOGQiJ4FZ0LNfLwFNZAKC4dmoRu5VDwDkevedHBU02JlPbpgOPVpVLPV9L/s1600-h/Cambodia+559.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rkosDRxQ4a7535IkwGCYco4AQXeVEaCOoO_3zZTUFqkIbnBW1Erji07fHkv4Y-tmLw4Yr3YSE354Jh-m6HrOGQiJ4FZ0LNfLwFNZAKC4dmoRu5VDwDkevedHBU02JlPbpgOPVpVLPV9L/s320/Cambodia+559.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364279660136628434" border="0" /></a>Some kids helping move the rice seedlings<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXGMzXnem08QZtpsS4s5wG3oSdZEEjE-l24tHYQptkDKzDcZg_Dvp2NDp5L5eB6N94m-jjAFCRLNESnCdZAE1b0GSwLn_qj8D75iECiVPG3gr9G45fnPaP2fnBZbgLYqdiGEmmVKGJhLo/s1600-h/Cambodia+562.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXGMzXnem08QZtpsS4s5wG3oSdZEEjE-l24tHYQptkDKzDcZg_Dvp2NDp5L5eB6N94m-jjAFCRLNESnCdZAE1b0GSwLn_qj8D75iECiVPG3gr9G45fnPaP2fnBZbgLYqdiGEmmVKGJhLo/s320/Cambodia+562.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364279652365008642" border="0" /></a>West Bantay Lake in the storm<br /><br /><br /></div>I hate rain - always have. Give me snow or give me sun, just don’t get me wet unless I plan on it. The meteorological madness that let loose the last two days apparently didn’t care to pay attention to my preferences. Harsh sunlight and incredible heat, downpours of biblical proportions that may last 10 minutes or may last all night, the weather bounced between these radical conditions with only seconds of notice. Despite the obligatory moisture that goes along with rainfall and is noticeably in contradiction to my opening partiality towards remaining dry, I actually found the sudden storms both afternoons perfect for the setting. The scenes created by the torrential rainfall beating against 1,000 year old temple ruins or whipping across the rippling lake were almost cinematic in nature. If I hadn’t been worried about my camera getting too wet, I would have been running around in the rain taking more photographs.<br /><br />I started out yesterday exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat. For those of you familiar with this national symbol of Cambodia, you probably have an image in your head of the temple and may suspect that there is a surrounding complex. The few of you that have had the opportunity to visit know that there is so much more to it than that. Angkor Wat is but one temple complex in an expansive national park full of ruins. Temple after temple rest amongst the trees and lakes that go on for miles. After visiting the main temple, I returned to the hotel for lunch and a swim before setting out again in the afternoon. It was while visiting Bayon temple that the skies opened up, and we sat surrounded by the leaky stones of the temple, smiling Buddha faces peering at us from all directions. It was another one of those moments, where I felt as if I was standing between eras. The ancient pride of the Khmer people lying in silent testimony of the former greatness of this land as the percussion of the rain drowned out the sounds of modern life. The steady beat of water dripping through the stones reminded me that time had not been suspended.<br /><br />Walking back to the car with our umbrellas overhead, a young girl approached us on the elephant terrace. She was wearing pajamas, soaking wet, and jumping from puddle to puddle making a bigger splash each time. The girl started chatting playfully with my guide, and as he paused to explain something to me, she reached for my umbrella, and I reluctantly handed it over. I was nervous she might take the umbrella and bolt, leaving me to face the elements, but instead she stood beside me stretching to her limits to try and hold the umbrella above my head. When the guide finished talking, she motioned to me as if to say, “Get moving, we have stuff to see.” My guide asked her what grade she was in - fourth. Then he inquired as to what exactly she was doing here - selling postcards of course. That’s when she remembered that she’s supposed to be working. “Hey Mr., you want postcard? One dolla’! Ok, ten postcards, one dolla’!” Frustrated by my negative responses (I had already bought 10 postcards from another young girl), she finally said, “Ok, no postcards, just give me one dolla’!” She followed us to the road constantly reminding me that I should just fork over some money because she told me to, but switched targets very quickly when a group of Brits were getting ready to get in a Tuk Tuk back to their hotel. She blocked the entrance of the Tuk Tuk, leaving them standing in the rain, smiled innocently and said, “Gimme one dolla’!” Priceless, simply priceless. That night, the rain came harder and harder, thunder rumbling incessantly with occasional flashes of lightning. At some points, I thought the hotel might float away the rain was so hard.<br /><br />In the morning, things had calmed down, and the sun was out like usual. We returned to the Angkor complex to visit Banteay Srei temple, another example of intricately carved elegant temple architecture from year 967. From there, it was on to Ta Phrom temple, used in the filming of Tomb Raider, and then on to one more temple, the name of which I can’t recall. We also made a brief stop at the Landmine Museum, something not every country has. The civil war in Cambodia only officially ended in 1998, so tragic remnants of the decades-long conflict still dot the country. Signs litter the roads between town and the temples, ‘Mine Field Cleared by…” I know that should be a positive message, but it really makes me wander how many non-cleared fields are a short walk away.<br /><br />My touring program continued in the afternoon, when my village guide came to take me out to his village. We rode down another dirt road pocked with large holes, ditches and puddles of unknown depths. Once in the village, we started walking around as the guide explained his village origins, the social intricacies of village life in Cambodia, and the local farming economy. We stopped at the home of his siblings to see how the planting of the rice seedlings was going and to enjoy some fresh coconut water. The driver had left the village to drive to the other side of the lake where he was supposed to meet us after a leisurely boat ride. Trekking through the fields and forests near the village, I once again started thinking about those mine field signs. In heavily mined areas, it’s always best to stay on paved surfaces, but instead, I was making my way through drained rice paddies and rural dirt paths. Brilliant. Turns out my worries were misdirected. My guide pointed out an ant nest on the ground surrounded by rather large black ants. “These ants are very poisonous and aggressive, so just jump over them.” Fabulous, just what every fat American in shorts and sandals wants to hear while wandering through the countryside of Cambodia.<br /><br />I made it to the shores of West Bantay Lake without any ant bites or exploding landmines. The boat was tied to a post a good 5 meters into the lake and it wasn’t getting any closer. I took off my sandals and waded out to the boat. I’m not quite sure how I accomplished it, but I managed to climb aboard the boat from the water, and then we looked out into the distance and saw a wall of water coming towards us. The dark clouds dimmed the sunlight, the wind picked up and began to turn the lake into an angry sea. Suddenly the rain dropped on us as if the gods were taking turns pouring buckets over us. The wind was blowing the rain sideways, soaking us from all directions. Rather than sitting on the edge of the boat, we were standing in the middle, directing our efforts to finding the driest place possible in a makeshift swimming pool. We watched as small fishing boats were rocked from side to side, taking on more water until they sank almost completely into the lake. For a brief moment, the rain subsided, but the guide looked out into the distance and said, “One more coming.” After a second round of being beat about by bullet-like rain and rough winds, we were left with a sunny blue sky and proceeded across the lake where the car was waiting.<br /><br />The last stop of the day was a silk farm, where I saw how silk worms were grown and fed, how they spin their cocoons, and how the cocoons are turned into raw and fine silk for weaving. The Artisans de Angkor silk farm finds people from the villages and brings them out to the farm for training and then allow them to work for the locally significant sum of $150 USD per month. It’s income that they wouldn’t otherwise have, and a skill set that they can take with them anywhere. Most of them are also given English lessons at the silk farm, another skill valuable in the long-term. We often forget how fortunate we really are.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-38947683189404432062009-07-25T08:45:00.001-04:002009-07-25T08:45:30.123-04:00No chance to access the Internet, but I am sitting in a theatre in Cambodia waiting for a dance performance to begin.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-11949517012058832792009-07-23T11:52:00.010-04:002009-07-24T03:07:34.365-04:00Rollin' down the River<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-hwhusU6CI8UciiwjD_34NHnxklH0U97oNcgncx_TXPJfxikBaJDC9mIpoo8_AN3cDnSi0OcIEiCcaO5zono2zg_ob8CjYMc64fqVbDwSqDg27jVMOqI_pJhN6b3ne3BB8UQX_hVKC5T/s1600-h/Laos+112.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-hwhusU6CI8UciiwjD_34NHnxklH0U97oNcgncx_TXPJfxikBaJDC9mIpoo8_AN3cDnSi0OcIEiCcaO5zono2zg_ob8CjYMc64fqVbDwSqDg27jVMOqI_pJhN6b3ne3BB8UQX_hVKC5T/s320/Laos+112.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361917778892293874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDuih2yw_eAr4TNarYijVMn4TNeWwBBBBT91lIIOz5YxBOH3PNe6JGGsCt9Z8kgoK-HmPNrQunM8UCgGphXR8_uUNwOt7tRslOCHtWlT0Q31X-b6Gz3dB8aPvvELpE7RkQw26A1txFLU6/s1600-h/Laos+127.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDuih2yw_eAr4TNarYijVMn4TNeWwBBBBT91lIIOz5YxBOH3PNe6JGGsCt9Z8kgoK-HmPNrQunM8UCgGphXR8_uUNwOt7tRslOCHtWlT0Q31X-b6Gz3dB8aPvvELpE7RkQw26A1txFLU6/s320/Laos+127.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361862816840091714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEzuqjx7n8WmiRLw-8XcRChvQhjeSP4AogirrL9sx1WkxOak0nSBuHCNOXfonda7KM_KGCCi-IOFqg1S7gEO8Xm2InD23QRFINazaVILPkA6_6yBd4XMbK3ANz7xXFepeMEZJcXazM_p5/s1600-h/Laos+137.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEzuqjx7n8WmiRLw-8XcRChvQhjeSP4AogirrL9sx1WkxOak0nSBuHCNOXfonda7KM_KGCCi-IOFqg1S7gEO8Xm2InD23QRFINazaVILPkA6_6yBd4XMbK3ANz7xXFepeMEZJcXazM_p5/s320/Laos+137.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361861978320155506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA419xgVyqqm7GagAHBIy-i5fKNAfz4Jr5PW-vpCC8KGrls1h6jv-FxKEY83ct2Oq1ln1KkRbdv_hH0vmRfltDOiEJi-wpadnz8UkcM2MkTWSGUeRwBbyprpIsjgn82VlGoMpn8-JcmAi/s1600-h/Laos+163.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA419xgVyqqm7GagAHBIy-i5fKNAfz4Jr5PW-vpCC8KGrls1h6jv-FxKEY83ct2Oq1ln1KkRbdv_hH0vmRfltDOiEJi-wpadnz8UkcM2MkTWSGUeRwBbyprpIsjgn82VlGoMpn8-JcmAi/s320/Laos+163.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361861126145704146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Luang Prabang exudes an enchanting character unlike any other I have experienced thus far in Southeast Asia. I love how the French colonial architecture has mixed with local design elements and nestled itself among golden temples, lush greenery and the waters of the Mekong and Khan rivers. The town is quite small and very quaint. I’m not the only Farang (foreigner) to fall in love with this place, as almost every other shop, restaurant or hotel is owned by a Westerner, but the place is not a tourist trap, it is still quintessentially Lao. Today, I set out with my guide to discover just exactly how Lao the area really is.<br /><br />It was raining hard as we left the town, and my guide was concerned that we may have trouble getting down the road to the village. One phone call ahead to the village and his worries were moot because it wasn’t raining there. Turning off the main road, I quickly realized the source of his concerns. The road to the village was a narrow dirt road with many steep hills and sharp curves, and when I say “dirt road,” I don’t mean a North Carolina style dirt road paved with gravel, rather genuine dirt that when mixed with large quantities of water would turn into a slippery, muddy path of nastiness. Once at the village, we boarded one of the traditional long narrow wooden boats with a local fisherman for a short cruise down the river. We stopped at the various nets and bamboo traps along the way to check for the morning’s catch. On the other side of the river, we stopped for a demonstration of how the local Lao Lao rice whiskey is made.<br /><br />The Lao Lao village was small and rural. There are no access roads, only the river. Chickens and dogs roamed freely around the village while young ladies wove silk and grandmothers tended their grandchildren. A petite middle-aged woman came out to welcome us and took us to the site of her Lao Lao production. She had already steamed some sticky rice in the morning to prepare for our visit. She washed the sticky rice repeatedly before draining it and mixing it with a rice derived yeast. Normally, they make the yeast themselves also using sticky rice, but during the rainy season, they cannot dry the rice because they have no drying machines. Once mixed with the yeast, the rice is added to a large pot for fermentation. After weeks of fermentation, the rice produces rice wine, which must then be distilled to make rice whiskey. Long stalks of bamboo are used to fuel the fire underneath the distillation barrel. The ends burn in the fire, and the stalks are pushed gradually deeper into the cinders as they burn away. A metal distillation funnel and a lid sealed with a cloth rim ensure that the rice whiskey makes it’s way into a clean jar through a cloth filter.<br /><br />Following the demonstration, I bought a couple bottles and we moved on to some old caves downriver. Originally thought to be the home of a Naga (a mythical serpent), many animists used to make sacrifices in the caves. One of the local Kings decided to turn the cave into a sacred place for Buddhists as well, hoping to convert some of the local village people. Soon the caves were filled with Buddha statues. From as early as the 15th century, the Buddhas of varying size and shape peer tranquilly out towards the river. The hike up to the upper cave was long and exhausting, and the thick sticky air made the journey daunting. A wet sweaty mess, I survived and saw the place where my guide’s family and other villagers once hid during the war, side by side with centuries of Buddhist history.<br /><br />Back at the village where we had boarded the fishing boat, my guide’s father, the former village chief, invited us for a traditional lunch in his home. We sat on the floor and enjoyed truly local fare. Chicken soup, minced pork and vegetables steamed in banana leaves, stir fried ‘morning glories’ (which upon googling, I just discovered are on the USDA’s “Federal Noxious Weed List” and the plants are illegal in the US…Mmmm…they were good though), fried river shrimp, bamboo shoots and hot chilies mixed with crab paste, all served with sticky rice. The food was delicious, especially the noxious weeds. I think my guide’s father was concerned at my single marital status because the lunch conversation seemed to revolve largely around weddings and marriage traditions.<br /><br />After lunch, we went to a small village where we watched paper being made from mulberry bark, and then proceeded to a silk weaving village. The silk weaving village was a real treat because it was truly off the beaten track. We drove down another even more treacherous mud road as far as we could, walked across a rather rickety bamboo bridge, and then wandered down the path through the village to the silk weaving center. The women there demonstrated how the silk is dyed using natural products, as well as some of the long weaving process. One young lady was working impressively fast at a rather difficult pattern of silk. The owner of the center said that this particular girl earns as much as $6 USD per day because she is able to finish more weaving every day.<br /><br />Tired after a long day of exploration, I took an afternoon nap before heading out for a walk around the night market and finding some dinner. I ate at a small restaurant called Arisai, which was excellent. The owner was a Lao gentleman who moved to Paris in 1975 when the communists took over. “Now we are able to come back.” he told me, and come back he did. His restaurant was elegant with a definite French flavor.<br /><br />This town has a way of feeling both exotic and comfortable at the same time. The Lao people are very friendly, and they have taken the best of their colonial history and blended it seamlessly with their local culture and heritage like a fine woven silk of overlapping patterns and colors. On one side of the street you may have people enjoying sticky rice and steamed fish while fresh croissants and pain du chocolat are being served on the other. The sophistication of a French town met by the peaceful country existence of the people just a short way down the Mekong. I’m both surprised and delighted by what I have discovered here.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-6337052154359058292009-07-22T08:00:00.000-04:002009-07-22T08:00:03.700-04:00Morning on Phou Si Mountain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKwnR_vahcNFF_EtAis8PVJlIXWkpRGkgjGmC7DQVd3SUwaUxnPt7i8RTGxmAPTRXwwwhw0MLYZWV-NvZqR_uJGEenarO0qJamjg7-nayfl2VSj-EMfqzw9jvlbKWUjDOLokJghOZv9z5/s1600-h/Laos+040.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKwnR_vahcNFF_EtAis8PVJlIXWkpRGkgjGmC7DQVd3SUwaUxnPt7i8RTGxmAPTRXwwwhw0MLYZWV-NvZqR_uJGEenarO0qJamjg7-nayfl2VSj-EMfqzw9jvlbKWUjDOLokJghOZv9z5/s320/Laos+040.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361095856664610466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdluUgEsOyII49lCP3Egdm-QMR0LKs8Ny3_4XuB4-v4PJidrIrPwAns5JZ2497GIH404esrPZM1kXG_5QLE9wPYXSctuFfUCgDViRoGsZNx78lKm6j12dKTpOJxrg9E7tACHabcKakgzD/s1600-h/Laos+028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdluUgEsOyII49lCP3Egdm-QMR0LKs8Ny3_4XuB4-v4PJidrIrPwAns5JZ2497GIH404esrPZM1kXG_5QLE9wPYXSctuFfUCgDViRoGsZNx78lKm6j12dKTpOJxrg9E7tACHabcKakgzD/s320/Laos+028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361095844197756642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZuTnSBGKuZPF90Z9spyziYgBXLYzZFX65H0DoRP5VTfXq5GQUvdt3ULXSqcxaPNFMS_NpS-hVBI5mOVMgX1HvkcdwEogT0jLHZNEKnacg1xkzMeQqah6MNt7uvh5x2PR3oHBBm7K5khb/s1600-h/Laos+054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZuTnSBGKuZPF90Z9spyziYgBXLYzZFX65H0DoRP5VTfXq5GQUvdt3ULXSqcxaPNFMS_NpS-hVBI5mOVMgX1HvkcdwEogT0jLHZNEKnacg1xkzMeQqah6MNt7uvh5x2PR3oHBBm7K5khb/s320/Laos+054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361095841466290194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZW5kgW8uaNql4zmSeAJilZcypmzNcUiqT6a6G42R47AR1sUxxQpWzI2pecGcsQHbGjCD3fWxp7Qr1fW-mJwdyTwiFpREhezm7HD8Bg-ciB49tJv75PWt7GvfXcPrDlbZ2KVNk3J0Q09Qz/s1600-h/Laos+077.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZW5kgW8uaNql4zmSeAJilZcypmzNcUiqT6a6G42R47AR1sUxxQpWzI2pecGcsQHbGjCD3fWxp7Qr1fW-mJwdyTwiFpREhezm7HD8Bg-ciB49tJv75PWt7GvfXcPrDlbZ2KVNk3J0Q09Qz/s320/Laos+077.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361095831835679458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwjWIFiQcwXlXZ6j3yGdFpZrZK2IgU-wpLZbpZ5WDABq7SBejTWPSJjY38W1gJ664m-ssf-wnazPMHa4QXJSl6OkZESoxCCExHlMJMVukqN5Ow6RQEIw9woPfpFAU899j2xLAtV_3wM5d/s1600-h/Laos+066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwjWIFiQcwXlXZ6j3yGdFpZrZK2IgU-wpLZbpZ5WDABq7SBejTWPSJjY38W1gJ664m-ssf-wnazPMHa4QXJSl6OkZESoxCCExHlMJMVukqN5Ow6RQEIw9woPfpFAU899j2xLAtV_3wM5d/s320/Laos+066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361095823529954466" border="0" /></a><br />It’s only 7AM, and I’ve already given alms to about 300 Buddhist monks and climbed Phou Si Mountain (just for comedic value, ph does not make an F sound in Lao). Pulling my camera out of the bag to take some photos of the monks, the lens immediately fogged over thanks to the incredible humidity. The sun had just finished rising as I knelt by the side of the road with my basket of sticky rice. The monks began to file past like an army of faithful draped in bright orange robes, each carrying a pot for collecting food. Locals and foreigners alike dropped sticky rice, candies and cookies in pot after pot as the monks and novices whizzed by.<br /><br />Side by side with the more fortunate people giving alms were children and adults from poorer families also kneeling with baskets in front of them. As the monks passed by, they would drop some of their alms into the baskets of the poor people. It was a full cycle of giving occurring in a matter of seconds out on the hot moist streets of Luang Prabang.<br /><br />My hands were unaccustomed to gathering the small clumps of sticky rice, so I was moving too slow for many of the monks. Knowing that there were many more waiting behind them and they had already collected plenty, several of the monks would pass by me without receiving anything when I wasn’t moving fast enough. Although I was giving more generous portions of rice than the locals, I was much more conservative than most of the foreigners. Eventually, however, my rice did run out, so I waited for a line of monks to pass before I rose to take some photos.<br /><br />Not realizing that she was purchasing rice from a street vendor, an inappropriately dressed Dutch woman was dropping sticky rice into the monk’s pots by the fist full. When she got up to leave, she was followed by the women who had been shoveling rice in front of her for the last hour. Not having negotiated a price for the alms, she was suddenly confronted with a hard round of negotiating.<br /><br />With most of the monks having passed by, we hopped into the van and drove to the foot of Phou Si Mountain. It’s not a monolithic mountain, but in the heat and humidity, trekking up the hundreds of steps was challenging. Along the way, I passed a large black scorpion hanging out by the side of the path. I was relieved to see that he had as little interest in me as I did in him. At the top of the mountain, I was faced with beautiful views over the city settled between the Mekong and Khan rivers. Fog was rolling between the mountains as the sun slowly melted it away. We walked around the stupa and past the monastery, where more people were presenting alms to the city monk. Over the top and back down the other side, covered in sweat, our morning on Phou si was over.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-89086758131369173292009-07-21T11:04:00.006-04:002009-07-21T21:12:11.156-04:00No More Virgins in Chiang Mai<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowGA-hxcWPNR8PtAqFW5Y-pBUvHqUASN3O7dA-3O1mYIY-8iaNa-gpAP3roBJtVZrt6jTsWeEvi1yl7bj7Ufc_JM004Wt6ZhGB9eWoekNWboBFz4lvIw2j1bZ33yYApZ1kvftow0mjseR/s1600-h/chiangmai+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowGA-hxcWPNR8PtAqFW5Y-pBUvHqUASN3O7dA-3O1mYIY-8iaNa-gpAP3roBJtVZrt6jTsWeEvi1yl7bj7Ufc_JM004Wt6ZhGB9eWoekNWboBFz4lvIw2j1bZ33yYApZ1kvftow0mjseR/s320/chiangmai+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361084791729228322" border="0" /></a><br />“Passenger Stephen George please come to the service counter.” I thought maybe the announcement had something to do with making sure my luggage was transferred from my Dubai flight to my connecting flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, but the news was a little less mundane. The Thai Airways staff had received a message at the gate requesting that they notify me that my flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang in 4 days had been cancelled. I think the gate staffed were pleasantly surprised and somewhat relieved at how well I took the news. I took the phone number for Lao Airlines in Chiang Mai and thanked them for letting me know. Why should I get upset? I’m on vacation.<br /><br />I made it to Chiang Mai where I was met by a compact, energy-filled, young lady who was to be my tour guide for the next couple days. For those of you that have met my friend Uzma (Hi Uzma!), Gina is the Thai version. Her smile and her bubbly personality were contagious, and I think I spent most of my time with her laughing. Having not slept much since I left Doha, I was a little tired and chose to take a long nap at the hotel when we arrived. Gina returned in the evening to take me to a local khantoke dance performance and dinner.<br /><br />I had a very large and enjoyable dinner of chicken soup, yellow curry with pork, crispy noodles with tamarind, fried chicken with herbs, fried bananas, chili paste with tomatoes, chili paste with eggplant, sticky rice, steamed rice, fresh cucumbers and long beans, stir-fried mixed vegetables, and fresh fruit with sweet rice cakes for dessert. Gina thought it would be best that I sit on the floor to have a real local experience, and once I saw the “tables”, I completely agreed with her decision. The tables still didn’t have seats, they just brought you and the food a bit higher. By the time the dance performance was starting though, my right leg had gone completely numb. I was trying so hard to follow local etiquette and keep my feet behind me to prevent pointing the soles of my feet at someone (a sign of disrespect in Thailand), but I was beginning to worry that my leg might fall off from lack of circulation. I managed to maneuver into a more comfortable position without offending anyone. On the way back to the hotel, Gina mentioned that she hoped it would not rain in the morning. She explained a local ritual to prevent rain that involves having a virgin place an upside down stalk of lemongrass into the ground. "Problem is, impossible to find virgin now!"<br /><br />The next day, Gina and I, despite a little rain, went up to Doi Suthep, a local mountain crowned by an important Buddhist temple. The mountain is called Elephant mountain because the legend says that an elephant carried the remains of the King to the top of the mountain and then died itself. “Do you know why the elephant died?” Gina asked. “Try walking up the mountain and you’ll know,” she answered for me.<br /><br />At the temple, I learned to always walk clockwise around the temples and how to pay respect to Buddha in the Thai style. When visiting the mountain, it is said you are allowed to make one wish, so I followed the tradition and wished away. There is also a very interesting tradition involving asking an elephant figurine any questions you might have. You first ask the elephant your question and then try to lift the figurine with your pinky (for men, ring finger for women). Then, you repeat your question, but ask the figurine to become heavier or lighter if the answer is yes. I tried it, and I liked my answer.<br /><br />The day continued with visits to a Jade workshop, teak carving factory, silk weaving factory and a few more temples. When the tour ended, Gina asked if I would like to join her for the special Sunday “Walking Street”, a local market where they close down some of the main streets in town to allow vendors to set up their goods for sale. Together, we wandered around town a bit looking at all the cheap goods on offer. We stopped at a street stand to try some of the local noodles, which were fantastic; spicy and sweet, full of flavor, and right up my alley. After our spicy dinner, we grabbed some black jelly, a strange herbal gelatin made from the root of a Chinese herb that supposedly helps lower cholesterol. The jelly is shaved off a giant jiggling mass, placed in a bowl of crushed ice and topped with palm sugar. It was a perfect dessert.<br /><br />Gina didn’t accompany me on Monday. Instead, I took an all day Thai cooking class. We went to the market in the morning and then prepared six different Thai dishes during the day, eating each one after we were done cooking that particular course. It was a fun class, and Thai food is a lot less complicated than I thought. During my first day in Chiang Mai, I had visited a tailor to have some new suits made for school since many events require formal business attire, so after the cooking class, I stopped by for my final fitting before they pack up the suits and ship them home. You have to love a place where you can get three bespoke suits made in two days and it costs the same as one suit at home. I polished off the day with a walk through the night market where I bought some tasteless t-shirts for gifts.<br /><br />This morning, I packed up and went with Gina to the airport where we said our goodbyes. Boarding my Lao Airlines flight to Luang Prabang, I wasn’t the only one that found it amusing that we were flying a small Chinese-built propeller plane. Several of the young Western travelers whipped out their cameras and started posing in front of the plane. I had to practically fold myself in half to fit through the door of the plane, and I kept hitting my head on the overhead compartment doors that were a little less than overhead for me. At one point during the flight, people sitting towards the front started turning around with a look that screamed, “What’s that smell?” The smell was our inflight meal being passed out by the stewardess starting from the back. Despite the smell, I chomped right into the pork meatball sandwich. It wasn’t the best meal of my life, but it didn’t kill me.<br /><br />There’s something delightfully old-fashioned about sleeping in a four-poster bed surrounded by a mosquito net blowing gently under the breeze of a ceiling fan (ok, so I have an AC unit too). I’m laying here getting ready to call it an early night here in Luang Prabang, and I have a very pleasant first impression of this town. The French colonists left their mark on this small town full of colonial era buildings, bakeries and coffee shops, yet the town has a distinctly Lao flair to it. I wandered up and down the main street of town this evening and visited the night market. The people here seem friendly and easy-going, and I think I’m falling in love with the overall atmosphere. It’s hot and sticky outside, but somehow that adds to the experience. I had dinner at a traditional Lao restaurant recommended by my guide here, and I’m not entirely sure what I ate, but I enjoyed it. I started with some fresh spring rolls and then moved on to a Luang Prabang Pork Casserole (really more of a hot pot type dish) with sticky rice. The spring rolls were very familiar, but I’m not sure I want to know which parts of the pig were in my pork casserole. There was a lot of indistinguishable gray and white minced meat, some of which I think were different organs, but even with my highest suspicions, not knowing for sure meant I was able to eat and enjoy. Tomorrow, I have an early start to my Lao adventure, so I’m off to eat my goodnight cream puff (Vive la France!) and drift off to sleep under my mosquito net.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AafRODBjSzv43IaJTj2iP0pTmLMeIsxXbTY5I7uSS9H3NAIWWUnTqQVofYMNz3TzgAy-DAjM8WtKZBMzd8DAfvvDSrCxXpMwLMs3z901F1ngBtURh6EC9jlD1H33-GhCeUTkJQKQMXGb/s1600-h/chiangmai+123.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AafRODBjSzv43IaJTj2iP0pTmLMeIsxXbTY5I7uSS9H3NAIWWUnTqQVofYMNz3TzgAy-DAjM8WtKZBMzd8DAfvvDSrCxXpMwLMs3z901F1ngBtURh6EC9jlD1H33-GhCeUTkJQKQMXGb/s320/chiangmai+123.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361084785047252594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>A beautiful day in Chiang Mai<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80wwDHVzGH1UBqSYLwI5VylJorrjIfe43i8FZMuqy6nD4Mu5P8OMhV4IM7iS0NqIfMtsauxQeyg9guGoFOGwGyrHUhBzVXv35Ry-47-C48r8XYCQo7KgoDbwic5jygCIIF_p3qc_vXJl9/s1600-h/chiangmai+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80wwDHVzGH1UBqSYLwI5VylJorrjIfe43i8FZMuqy6nD4Mu5P8OMhV4IM7iS0NqIfMtsauxQeyg9guGoFOGwGyrHUhBzVXv35Ry-47-C48r8XYCQo7KgoDbwic5jygCIIF_p3qc_vXJl9/s320/chiangmai+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361084778873527250" border="0" /></a>Squat and wish - guess Jessica is good for something!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Vkyvoa4kDHVLccGxLFHQ4OAU0TBP6zPywqcFlfwXzdxGDb0UCn7zc0S3mEJU4KryE7SXlSnds34a9aqVRg_XrylaEFX2_BYLpsVwkBI_4Ez2ZC89vzD5y6yA0Z0y6gFa1fZE76mazChC/s1600-h/chiangmai+145.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Vkyvoa4kDHVLccGxLFHQ4OAU0TBP6zPywqcFlfwXzdxGDb0UCn7zc0S3mEJU4KryE7SXlSnds34a9aqVRg_XrylaEFX2_BYLpsVwkBI_4Ez2ZC89vzD5y6yA0Z0y6gFa1fZE76mazChC/s320/chiangmai+145.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361084770452617634" border="0" /></a>Gina and I at the Yaang Come Village Hotel<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRv8pTO5fWVbXuw2fSxq9UHQqlRxx3XtzGn1V8LWf9psNwuu_7zSNnqv8djuL8Mu4kswethkiEegh-u3OZVi3cuA1r01QBTL3KBZbjUb1cxz7oJbMyd-dCwvp5f8wRruGaiYbpK4U8zVMO/s1600-h/Laos+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRv8pTO5fWVbXuw2fSxq9UHQqlRxx3XtzGn1V8LWf9psNwuu_7zSNnqv8djuL8Mu4kswethkiEegh-u3OZVi3cuA1r01QBTL3KBZbjUb1cxz7oJbMyd-dCwvp5f8wRruGaiYbpK4U8zVMO/s320/Laos+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361084766954670210" border="0" /></a>My room at the Hotel Les 3 Nagas in Luang Prabang, Laos<br /></div>The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-14826131606130613272009-07-20T12:13:00.000-04:002009-07-20T12:13:00.788-04:00Flight attendants are now demonstrating how to fasten and unfasten your seatbeltThe call to prayer is echoing through the Dubai airport, and I have chosen to pray for the surprisingly large numbers of clueless travelers wandering the planet. I’m no fool - I know that I travel much more than the average person and have the benefit of years of learning experiences. Only recently, however, have I come to realize that there are some people out there that are truly incapable of figuring out the most basic elements of travel.<br /><br />On my way from Amman to Doha, I was boarding my Qatar Airways flight when three very small, very pushy Indonesian ladies were trying to force their way past me onto the plane. One particularly scrawny one kept trying to squeeze past me pushing my backpack from side to side in the process. I was severely annoyed and purposely blocked her every move. Once on board, it turned out we were all sitting together in the same row…joy. I’m not sure how exactly the girls made it from Indonesia to Jordan, but it appeared as though they had never been on a plane before in their lives. They repeatedly tried to fasten their seatbelts backwards and could not figure out why it wasn’t working. Once I showed them how the seatbelts worked, we started for takeoff. One tiny bump while climbing to cruising altitude, and the girls covered their faces in fear. When the flight attendants came around with food and beverages, the girls pushed the seats in front of them repeatedly expecting the tray to drop down - I showed them how the trays work as well. After the meal, the gentleman in front of the girl in the window seat decided to recline his seat. It came back suddenly, and the girl screamed and put her hands in a defensive position. When one of them wanted to get up to use the restroom, I had to once again demonstrate how to unbuckle the seat belts because just trying to stand up wasn’t working. When we landed, I let the girls get in front of me so that they could push and annoy someone else.<br /><br />Finally, I understand why they demonstrate how to fasten and unfasten seatbelts in the airplane safety announcements. I was amazed by this random case of total unawareness, but it appears not to be an isolated case. Flying this morning from Doha to Dubai, an Indian fellow seated next to me had already successfully fastened his seatbelt (upside down), but he decided he wanted out. He started rubbing and pulling on the belt buckle. His efforts gradually became more and more frantic as he feared that he had strapped himself to the seat for life. I tapped him on the shoulder and showed him how to release the buckle. He repeated my actions and breathed a sigh of relief… then he put the belt back on, upside down again.<br /><br />I was also amazed by the way some of the Arab passengers would outright ignore the requests of the flight attendants to do things like sit down, fasten their seatbelts, make sure their children were safely seated, move their purses, open their window shades, etc, etc… It’s amazing how little some people care. It was somewhat amusing to look around the plane at the number of passengers using airsick bags to pack away parts of their meals for later.<br /><br />I’ll have to admit that I’ve also become a bit of a germophobe thanks to the media and the outbreak of H1N1. I have become painfully aware of every cough, sneeze and sniffle on the plane. A passenger a few rows back on one of my flights vomited during landing, and the flight attendant came by to ask all of the questions I was wondering. Is he just airsick? Has he been sick before flying? Does he have a fever? Unfortunately, he and his friends didn’t speak a word of English, so I guess we’ll never know.<br /><br />Traveling isn’t easy anymore, and for some people it appears to be even more difficult than one might expect. I try to remind myself, though, that as annoying as the ignorant might be, with a little help, they might learn to be a little bit more pleasant.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-19494841360290592892009-07-19T12:06:00.000-04:002009-07-19T12:06:00.902-04:00Doing Doha<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhxg5WBtHAhy7ynM4A-Y7kk_DQWVXw_2smDBcF0A8dqiByVzhijSgEU7ICrm8HPD8gTC0QdDqAGiR8KiteoynBLZG0uawAAivcEV_uJT0dLc1CoeSw08pCLOQjIILJppfY1Hamb3eX6tJ/s1600-h/photo(3).jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhxg5WBtHAhy7ynM4A-Y7kk_DQWVXw_2smDBcF0A8dqiByVzhijSgEU7ICrm8HPD8gTC0QdDqAGiR8KiteoynBLZG0uawAAivcEV_uJT0dLc1CoeSw08pCLOQjIILJppfY1Hamb3eX6tJ/s320/photo(3).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359462505267645474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpkFlINzaKj3NUm7zWmZVpwMEgpMajJEcx_wS_Wz_aDiQ72OfmmnoZRGoyn9hF480_1MblxHpprQXBMXRyVKqvZk3Q5yniCDUl9Xa8RD-phvBt77SuH8fSYBlvo3YTaxdPQpdlCPZ2Y9B/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpkFlINzaKj3NUm7zWmZVpwMEgpMajJEcx_wS_Wz_aDiQ72OfmmnoZRGoyn9hF480_1MblxHpprQXBMXRyVKqvZk3Q5yniCDUl9Xa8RD-phvBt77SuH8fSYBlvo3YTaxdPQpdlCPZ2Y9B/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359461909886583506" border="0" /></a><br />Visiting shopping malls in foreign countries is always a great way to gain insight into the life of the local middle class. With one full day in Qatar, I spent, perhaps pathetically, several hours of it in the Villaggio Shopping mall in Doha. Villaggio is designed to be like a compilation of Italian cities, complete with a Venetian-style canal and gondolas. Unfortunately, this Vegas-like imitation didn’t even manage to reach second-rate theme park style. The canal is a short straight waterway through the middle of the mall, and the gondolas are staffed by young Asian guys that press start on the electric motor. Walking through the mall, there was a significant amount of activity around the giant Carrefore hypermarket and the surrounding everyday shops like H&M.<br /><br />At the end of the canal, just before the food court (which was complete with Coldstone Creamery and Krispy Kreme Donuts), a small stand selling children’s books and music on Islam was blaring Koranic Suras read by a deep creepy-voiced man albeit with great annunciation. Past the loud lessons of Islam, one reaches the Via Rosso, the brightest, cleanest and flashiest portion of the mall. This almost completely deserted wing was replete with designer shops from Bulgari to Zegna. Inside every other shop, one could see women in the most elegant of Abayas, covered from head to toe in gracefully flowing black silk trimmed with jewels, their eyes peeking through a Niqab. The women were almost always reluctantly accompanied by middle-aged Arab men in gym clothes - mostly Adidas shorts and muscle shirts.<br /><br />There are two common types of dress in Doha, traditional Arab costumes and Western clothing. Women of all ages seem to pull off both styles well. There is something mystical, almost magical about a gaggle of black clad women with their faces hidden floating by. Their age can be approximated by the evenness of their stride and the size of their backsides. At least in this portion of the world, butts seem to gradually enlarge with age. Older women are more likely to have a limp or unbalanced walk, whether this is caused by muscle pain, bone weakness or uneven ballast from their buttocks is anyone’s guess. The girls with slim figures and graceful footwork proceed into the second round of the game. Younger girls are more likely to have a glittery colored trim to their Abaya, but you must also decide whether it was their father or their husband that gave them the extra cash for such a flashy getup. With their faces covered, you are left to judge their beauty by their hands and their eyes. The beauty of a woman’s hand can be significant; fine, soft, delicate, well-manicured, the shape becomes as exciting as the curves of a model when the mind is left to wander. But the eyes… the eyes are the window to the soul. One can see a lot about a person’s life, attitude and beauty from their eyes.<br /><br />Arab men are much better off sticking to the traditional thobe and gutra outfit of the gulf. The simple, lightweight outfit can be as casual or dressy as one wants. It is all about how a man carries himself in the outfit and small details like cuff links and the quality of the fabrics. Young Arab men that choose to dress in Western clothing seem to have the unfortunate habit of making themselves into uber-trendy, arrogant, Eurotrash peacocks, showing off their feathers by wearing sunglasses indoors or sporting the occasional black leather fedora.<br /><br />The people watching at the mall only got better when they started setting up for a children’s performance in front of the Virgin Mega Store. The show appeared to be state sponsored with the goal of teaching people not to talk on the phone while driving. Seems to be an interesting tactic to raise the next generation of Qatari drivers with a general understanding of traffic regulations, but one has to wonder if that generation will survive through the present set of drivers. During the show, one performer was glued to his phone at all times. He announces that he is going for a drive, which is immediately followed by the gathering of kids from the audience for a song and dance on stage that tells parents not to talk and drive. With an annoying children’s song like that, maybe they’ll get the adults to stop talking on their phones while driving afterall. “Please don’t talk and drive, oh Papa, you’re gonna die.” (I’m taking some poetic liberties with the translation of the lyrics). Following the dance number, there is the sound of a car crash and some very foreboding music. The mobile-phone-loving actor soon appears with his face wrapped in red bandages… very creepy, but it was soon followed by another annoying song with all the kids dancing on stage. In the end, the gentleman didn’t learn his lesson, and I think he died. Time to sing another song kids!<br /><br />As interesting as it was, I didn’t spend my entire visit to Doha in the mall. My entire mission for the visit was to visit the new Museum of Islamic Art, and that’s exactly what I did as soon as they opened on Thursday. The I.M. Pei designed building is beautiful, both inside and out. The building almost makes the beautiful pieces of art inside it pale by comparison. I think they did a fantastic job collecting and displaying pieces of Islamic art from different periods. The carved wooden doors from Syria and Egypt were my favorites, but there were also some amazing examples of metalwork, ceramics, paintings and carpets. I am curious how an illustrated page from an old Ramayana is classified as Islamic art, but it was a beautiful piece. All in all, I spent about three hours perusing the museum. They also had an impressive temporary exhibit about the “Book of Secrets,“ and Islamic text written in Moorish Spain and currently housed in an Italian library. The book is full of mechanical inventions, and the texts and illustrations were painstakingly restored by the MIA team. The exhibit used large flawlessly functioning touch screen computers to allow visitors to read the book page by page and see 3D models of the inventions and how they function. Unfortunately, the museum shop would not ship any purchases, and I didn’t feel like taking the time to make a run to the post office, so I missed out on some great books, DVDs and porcelain pieces.<br /><br />Doha was a pleasant enough city to visit, and I’m very glad I made it to the museum. I got lucky because there was talk of a sandstorm while I was in town, and it was speculated to be the largest in many years, but it never materialized (although looking outside here in Dubai, visibility just dropped drastically). I’m also pleased with my visit to Qatar because it was my first time couchsurfing, and it was a great experience. I stayed with a young couple, Melissa and Dan, working in Doha. It was a perfect first, and I look forward to more couchsurfing to come!The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-74130350082536480312009-07-18T11:57:00.000-04:002009-07-18T11:57:00.566-04:00A Treatise on Middle Eastern Driving Habits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKYZvv801Clg3ofjuTgBm_JpAu4cjYM94j2fIsEx-snDbVWExbV4asK9tWOLxxPjC2pvLICrYnYZ73El_cstSgRAUjPDHKmeTNWY8nPWz7CCDydNoIWmIblC02VPwZfH1Xv5D0Uk-SF4P/s1600-h/syria+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKYZvv801Clg3ofjuTgBm_JpAu4cjYM94j2fIsEx-snDbVWExbV4asK9tWOLxxPjC2pvLICrYnYZ73El_cstSgRAUjPDHKmeTNWY8nPWz7CCDydNoIWmIblC02VPwZfH1Xv5D0Uk-SF4P/s320/syria+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359460538031973986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiz6ZLqEK6J2uEp2EKs045nyOE5U5cdNMraWE0c9EuIkZCeZNQFew6xwBKC6zUpG8zIRtEVfQWFiyFS_xxrmzU7M3EiDFtI6D_fRwSX4XGSBBwO97r4W3RVa0Fz43C40WYKD4QfabRfXzN/s1600-h/iraq+218.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiz6ZLqEK6J2uEp2EKs045nyOE5U5cdNMraWE0c9EuIkZCeZNQFew6xwBKC6zUpG8zIRtEVfQWFiyFS_xxrmzU7M3EiDFtI6D_fRwSX4XGSBBwO97r4W3RVa0Fz43C40WYKD4QfabRfXzN/s320/iraq+218.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359460529536520818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgID2fTpk6ylCJdL9LhYP54GskcAFm0XycTaRF_wg2ca2-jF9DFbIicotdVt-Fyfmb1BSKfBtY2GzXqyfkMlFNWwtKbCGW8Nt8uypkHBXOLpoziZOtmJoIWX3xzkIY2mUXBJv9EUt2FNZsu/s1600-h/iraq+217.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgID2fTpk6ylCJdL9LhYP54GskcAFm0XycTaRF_wg2ca2-jF9DFbIicotdVt-Fyfmb1BSKfBtY2GzXqyfkMlFNWwtKbCGW8Nt8uypkHBXOLpoziZOtmJoIWX3xzkIY2mUXBJv9EUt2FNZsu/s320/iraq+217.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359460522452196706" border="0" /></a><br />The following text deals primarily with the norms of traffic and driving in the Republic of Lebanon, however, examples are also taken from Iraq, Syria and Jordan where noted. Driving in the Middle East requires a select set of skills, the most important of which is awareness. Traffic functions differently in this region, and one should take note of some of the many differences explained herein.<br /><br />- Most roads do not have painted lines, and when they do, they are merely suggestions of lanes, not regulatory markings meant to be followed. Two lane roads can easily become three or even four lane roads with a little precision driving. This is particularly important to note during heavy traffic when extra lanes are most likely to appear in order to increase the slow yet smooth movement of vehicles.<br /><br />- Much like painted lines on the highway, most regulatory signs are also merely placed for encouragement. One-way roads are two way as long as there is room for two cars to fit. Going the wrong direction on major highways is perfectly acceptable if it is the closest route to your destination - stay as far to the left as possible and flash your lights at every passing car just to ensure their awareness of your position.<br /><br />- The use of car horns is obligatory as an aid to other drivers. If someone is nearing your position on the road, give two gentle toots to alert the approaching driver. When driving past the home or workplace of a friend or family member, give a toot as a friendly greeting. On blind curves, it is advisable to honk once, especially if you are towards the center of the road or even completely within your own ‘lane’ - this is a warning for opposing drivers to merge slightly to the correct side of the road. Short blasts of the horn are always helpful tones with no negative or confrontational connotation whatsoever. One long loud honk, however, is a sign of anger and frustration - you are advised to remedy the situation immediately.<br /><br />- Speed bumps can appear with little or no marking at the most random of locations. Always be prepared to brake suddenly or gain some minor degree of air time. In the case of Iraq, pay attention to other drivers for signs of an approaching speed bump - any speed less than 160 kph (100 mph) probably means there is either traffic or a speed bump.<br /><br />- Military checkpoints should not be frightening, and they certainly don’t indicate a significant delay in your journey. Approach the soldier slowly with your window down and interior lights on if driving at night. A general greeting, wave of the hand and a thank you are all that are required of you for a quick pass through the checkpoint. Only prepare your ID or documents if asked. Even if your hosts demonstrate otherwise, it is always inadvisable to threaten to run over a soldier at a checkpoint. If the checkpoint has no barricades, no flags and no uniforms, it is probably not a checkpoint at all, rather militia members offering propaganda in exchange for donations - feel free to engage in conversation and/or negotiation.<br /><br />- In Jordan, it is perfectly normal to see a smiling camel riding in the back of a pick-up truck.<br /><br />- Popular opinion, or at least that of my cousin Mounira, suggests that having to stop for a herd of sheep or goats crossing the road is good luck, and one should unroll the window and inhale the scent of real life.<br /><br />- Do NOT, however, inhale the air from any tunnels. Air circulation is not common and fumes can be noxious.<br /><br />- Most cars in the Middle East are programmed to start an electronic beeping from the dashboard when the speed of the vehicle reaches 120 kph (75 mph). This appears to be more for the annoyance of all passengers than a warning to the driver of dangerous speeds. The exception to this appears to be in Jordan, where traffic police are abundant, and speed limits appear to be strictly enforced. If renting a car in the region, avoid Volvos if you have a lead foot, the high pitched tone of the warning is loud and ear-piercing - damn Swedes.<br /><br />- One must always watch for the heads of customs officers popping out of the ground at border crossings. At the Syrian-Jordanian border in Jaber, customs agents stand in holes in the ground in order to tap the bottoms of automobiles as they pass over head to make sure nothing is hidden in one of the underside tanks. Don’t drive too fast through the border, lest you inadvertently decapitate a state official (something that certainly can’t be good). It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it… I guess.<br /><br />- If a road appears to be just wide enough for a golf cart to pass through, it is probably still meant for two way traffic, unless it is located in a city, in which case there will probably be too many cars parked on the sidewalk to allow two way traffic.<br /><br />- The following are the expected best practices for crossing through an intersection with a traffic light. Green means slow down and check for people running red lights. Yellow is just a color added to the signal for excitement and has no real meaning. Red means slow to an almost complete stop but accelerate again if there is no cross traffic. When turning right on a red light, it is possible that you will cause an accident if you stop completely; proceed slowly into the oncoming traffic.<br /><br />- In most countries, traffic circles are used instead of traffic lights to allow smooth transit through an intersection for traffic approaching from all directions with the simple rule of yielding to traffic already in the circle. In the Middle East, however, traffic circles are often an excuse to install even more traffic lights, as lights are needed for entering the circle as well as proceeding around the circle.<br /><br />- Pedestrian crossings are few and far between, so pedestrians seldom use them and cars seldom respect them. Always watch for pedestrians in the road. If you see an outstretched palm facing you with a slight incline, this is a polite request to slow or stop for the crossing pedestrian.<br /><br />- To signal another driver to slow down or stop, clinch the finger tips of one hand together with your palm facing upwards and move your hand slightly in a downward direction.<br /><br />- Turn signals are a sign of earnest desire or necessity to move in a particular direction. They should not be used in occasions when you should be able to proceed with little hindrance, but will generally earn you either a warning toot or space to proceed with caution when used properly. If other vehicles do not seem to be respecting your turn signal, open your window and start flopping your hand up and down - this is a signal to other drivers that something drastic is about to occur.<br /><br />- Beware of flopping hands.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571232787663185992.post-87609035254375736812009-07-17T11:20:00.003-04:002009-07-17T11:47:46.618-04:00A Last Crusade for Jordan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4RURvLxq3WnxZ5xaymkDgKabGIrYIB6anNDS-Ao4Ns1wOXAoAt9lq4GWdRqhlU85bWuDh0JVvPd8z5ssgfCoOB3GlTzrUGbbLHkO-MTaIRgMEtRHs2dfusQSkDkyNtjSm-RNhwkm-pwR/s1600-h/jordan+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4RURvLxq3WnxZ5xaymkDgKabGIrYIB6anNDS-Ao4Ns1wOXAoAt9lq4GWdRqhlU85bWuDh0JVvPd8z5ssgfCoOB3GlTzrUGbbLHkO-MTaIRgMEtRHs2dfusQSkDkyNtjSm-RNhwkm-pwR/s320/jordan+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359454618565815186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7Vt_1Lnm11rwJATXAaCKOedX0ntRrqqqOoifG-_8e65u5GzQKnK_bBztgUVzoqD-j-vg_sJ4eZQCKaGsaNicdXCpAZfUoTkVHEWNMkVAefTHQj6NFA_agMWlgGBecPxqQExOitLJhyphenhyphen2p/s1600-h/jordan+282.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7Vt_1Lnm11rwJATXAaCKOedX0ntRrqqqOoifG-_8e65u5GzQKnK_bBztgUVzoqD-j-vg_sJ4eZQCKaGsaNicdXCpAZfUoTkVHEWNMkVAefTHQj6NFA_agMWlgGBecPxqQExOitLJhyphenhyphen2p/s320/jordan+282.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359454606143074194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EwswqQE238WOqejWnRT1COdawnEwtmpuFro9LXj4jh0gzpIzDsdNJMl-s2hpGyIk5ioJIonZSkKNqgIetd7mjI_9XEDzk8ZyI1wuIOfSOKgTn40QF5J2ez5vaLizYo4djHOvexn37ODd/s1600-h/jordan+108.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EwswqQE238WOqejWnRT1COdawnEwtmpuFro9LXj4jh0gzpIzDsdNJMl-s2hpGyIk5ioJIonZSkKNqgIetd7mjI_9XEDzk8ZyI1wuIOfSOKgTn40QF5J2ez5vaLizYo4djHOvexn37ODd/s320/jordan+108.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359454602955169890" border="0" /></a><br />My attempt at getting some sun on the beach in Aqaba was perhaps a bit too earnest. I ended up with a slight burn on my shoulders and a little bit on my legs as well. Being the skilled person I am, I managed to tan just the left half of my right leg, front and back. Despite these small setbacks, I had a very pleasant and relaxing visit to Aqaba, staying at the newly opened Kempinski Red Sea Resort. The hotel is so new, in fact, that they won’t have their grand opening until late August. It was a fantastic opportunity to stay at such a nice hotel because the young staff were excited about the new property, eagerly serving the few guests, and they weren’t yet disillusioned by the often frustrating life in the service industry.<br /><br />I asked the concierge on duty if she thought it would be possible for me to get a car and driver to take me to Petra, see the site and then proceed to the Amman airport in time for my 5PM flight to Doha. There was a bit of confusion as we talked through the process, but I was patient and helped her understand exactly what I needed, and eventually we had it all set. I would leave at 7AM, drive 2 hours to Petra, spend 3 to 4 hours walking around and then continue on for the 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Queen Alia International Airport.<br /><br />At 7AM, I was closing up my suitcase as the phone rang. It was the concierge letting me know that my driver had arrived. I went downstairs to checkout, and she had breakfast and lunch packed up for my journey. It was a pleasant surprise, and the perfect example of how staff can go above and beyond before they learn to hate guests. It’s unfortunate for us nice people, but there are far too many overly demanding, impatient and outright rude customers out there to expect service staff to always offer service with a smile.<br /><br />We made it to Petra right on time. The driver helped me purchase a ticket, and then I set out hiking through the rocks. It was early enough in the morning, that there were few other tourists there, so at times I felt like I was all alone in this incredible location. When the wind would blow through the rocks, I could almost hear the whispers of ancient Nabatiya telling me stories of ages past. I can’t begin to explain how picturesque Petra really is. A cool breeze blew through the rocks offering relief from the intense desert sun. Coming across the major structure of the ancient Nabatian city was breathtaking, and it really felt like a step back in time with no sounds of modern life nearby.<br /><br />An enchanting morning of exploring part of the ancient world was over, and I was back in the car speeding away to the airport. I made it to Amman with plenty of time to spare and was soon on my flight to Doha.The Man with 3 First Nameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532156259253617203noreply@blogger.com2