07 May 2008
08 April 2008
election day
today is the second election day in Korea since i've been here. (the first one was in December for the presidential election). for a country that has had a difficult and tumultuous history with democracy, i think they do a couple things right here.
1) voting holidays. schools, banks, government institutions and many companies are closed. the right and duty to vote is taken seriously.
2) in the weeks leading up to today, there has been massive campaigning in the streets of Seoul. it is much more active and visible here than in the States. i can't understand what they are saying, so i can't judge whether the campaigning is constructive or not. but i do, to some degree, admire the effort and pomp to which campaigning is done.
i've not been carrying my camera around. i wish i had because the campaign trucks are really interesting.
on a related but unrelated note, i've been thinking lately about how complacent (and complicit) i am. more and more i've begun to realize that i make the same intellectual, emotional, spiritual, financial, and physical shortcuts as the next person. this is not necessarily a bad thing; it's humbling in a good way. i'm normal.
1) voting holidays. schools, banks, government institutions and many companies are closed. the right and duty to vote is taken seriously.
2) in the weeks leading up to today, there has been massive campaigning in the streets of Seoul. it is much more active and visible here than in the States. i can't understand what they are saying, so i can't judge whether the campaigning is constructive or not. but i do, to some degree, admire the effort and pomp to which campaigning is done.
i've not been carrying my camera around. i wish i had because the campaign trucks are really interesting.
on a related but unrelated note, i've been thinking lately about how complacent (and complicit) i am. more and more i've begun to realize that i make the same intellectual, emotional, spiritual, financial, and physical shortcuts as the next person. this is not necessarily a bad thing; it's humbling in a good way. i'm normal.
05 March 2008
all ears
on my way to work this afternoon, the bus was playing the radio loudly. i have no idea what was on the radio (sounded like a talk show), but it didn't seem to matter to the bus driver whether or not his passengers wanted to listen to it. the bus driver's will was the passengers' way.
this, i notice, may be a continental phenomenon. in the six Asian countries i've visited in the past two years, there is a constant: noise, noise, noise.
on the streets, trucks are blaring advertisements: "strawberries! five thousand won! tofu! one thousand won!" vendors on streets use amplified horns to sell their wares. on long-distance buses, movies or soap operas are shown on an aisle monitor. in family-owned convenience stores, televisions are blaring. in subway stations, commercials are playing on large flat-screen monitors. in China, even the bus stops and elevator stations had commercial-playing monitors. and there is no such thing as gentle, easy-listening Musak in department stores. it's always the latest pop song - nice and loud so you can get sick of it even faster.
so this i find most perplexing - why all the noise?
i miss silence. i really really miss quiet.
this, i notice, may be a continental phenomenon. in the six Asian countries i've visited in the past two years, there is a constant: noise, noise, noise.
on the streets, trucks are blaring advertisements: "strawberries! five thousand won! tofu! one thousand won!" vendors on streets use amplified horns to sell their wares. on long-distance buses, movies or soap operas are shown on an aisle monitor. in family-owned convenience stores, televisions are blaring. in subway stations, commercials are playing on large flat-screen monitors. in China, even the bus stops and elevator stations had commercial-playing monitors. and there is no such thing as gentle, easy-listening Musak in department stores. it's always the latest pop song - nice and loud so you can get sick of it even faster.
so this i find most perplexing - why all the noise?
i miss silence. i really really miss quiet.
13 February 2008
Kuala Lumpur
as usual, i find there is little time to write - even as i travel. reminders to discuss:
1) Malaysia's ethnic and religious diversity
2) Chinese New Year
3) ear candles
4) Cameron Highlands
5) travelers met along the way
6) super VIP bus
7) sex trafficking
8) "Snow"
and Priya asked about the eyelash perm: it's a perm on your eyelashes to keep them curled. 400 baht (that's like $12) vs. more than 100,000 W in Korea (that's like $110).
i am doing my best to keep updated on personal blogs and international news. sad news for Korea because of the destruction of Namdaemun; hurrah for Obama who had been my second choice. Edwards has more grounded, progressive populist positions as well as much more governing experience; but alas, he is out of the race. my support thus goes to Obama, who gets my vote simply because his presidency will not ensure 20 years of dynastical governance. (he's a swell guy, too.)
in other news, i've had the privilege to visit with Joel & Sarah Heng-Hartse in two Asian countries now. it's so interesting to hear and share about our experiences living abroad: what we're learning, the foods we're eating, the cultures we're straddling, the decisions we're making for our futures. i realized on this trip that i've known them now for 5.5 years. not so long in the grand scheme of things, but long enough to remember reading books with them (Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and Divided by Faith), seeing them get married, saying goodbye when they left for Eureka, enjoying Sarah's homemade lemon curd Sarah she brought back from California, and now being in this continent together. it never ceases to amaze me how paths cross and what we do to keep them intertwined. they's very good peeps.
oh, we had swam in the Indian Ocean.
1) Malaysia's ethnic and religious diversity
2) Chinese New Year
3) ear candles
4) Cameron Highlands
5) travelers met along the way
6) super VIP bus
7) sex trafficking
8) "Snow"
and Priya asked about the eyelash perm: it's a perm on your eyelashes to keep them curled. 400 baht (that's like $12) vs. more than 100,000 W in Korea (that's like $110).
i am doing my best to keep updated on personal blogs and international news. sad news for Korea because of the destruction of Namdaemun; hurrah for Obama who had been my second choice. Edwards has more grounded, progressive populist positions as well as much more governing experience; but alas, he is out of the race. my support thus goes to Obama, who gets my vote simply because his presidency will not ensure 20 years of dynastical governance. (he's a swell guy, too.)
in other news, i've had the privilege to visit with Joel & Sarah Heng-Hartse in two Asian countries now. it's so interesting to hear and share about our experiences living abroad: what we're learning, the foods we're eating, the cultures we're straddling, the decisions we're making for our futures. i realized on this trip that i've known them now for 5.5 years. not so long in the grand scheme of things, but long enough to remember reading books with them (Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and Divided by Faith), seeing them get married, saying goodbye when they left for Eureka, enjoying Sarah's homemade lemon curd Sarah she brought back from California, and now being in this continent together. it never ceases to amaze me how paths cross and what we do to keep them intertwined. they's very good peeps.
oh, we had swam in the Indian Ocean.
05 February 2008
in paradise
aside from having limited internet access, i have not wanted to sit at a computer and update on my travels. this can only mean that i'm having the time of my life... also, until last night, we had not stayed in one place more than a night at a time.
highlights/lowlights:
1) buying fisherman's pants in a village market for 29B a piece (less than a dollar). they are so comfortable, airy and culturally appropriate (it is inappropriate to wear things higher than the knees or to expose shoulders in Thailand), so my two pairs have just about been the only bottoms i've worn this trip.
2) hilltribe trekking - met with downpours. on the second afternoon of our trek, it started to rain HARD. this was during the dry season, so our group was not prepared. on a shrug, Alan and i had decided to bring our rain shells just because they were light. they saved our packs from getting drenched. even so, our sleeping bags were wet along with some of our belongings.
3) on an elephant in a downpour. we were helpless, wet rats. no cover. just us, on top of an elephant, going through the jungle, in the pouring rain.
4) spending two nights in Karen hilltribe villages. the first was a smaller one (only 200 inhabitants). the second was somewhat larger with a school located in the village (600 inhabitants). regrettably, i didn't try to meet or talk to the local people - as i was tired, wet and slightly grumpy from the unexpected weather.
5) i didn't want to raft back to our pick-up point, but the trails were extremely muddy and slippery. and i was the only one in our group of five who wanted the hiking option, which meant that one of our guides would've been forced to walk with me - for five hours in the mud. so i joined the others, bamboo rafting for 3+ hours, again in the rain. but it was fun, albeit cold and wet. thank God again for the rain shell.
6) swimming and snorkelling in Krabi province. pictures to come. ultimate aquamarine paradise. i've seen nothing like this, and i thought Jeju, Halong Bay and the Three Gorges were incredible. the islands in Krabi are like Jeju and Halong Bay times 1,000. while i went on an island/swimming/snorkelling/caving excursion, Alan spent the day on a rock climbing excursion. though an avid rock climber, he had never climbed outdoors before. i too had never snorkelled. we both had fantastic times in Krabi.
7) now we are spending three nights in a mountain resort, 30 minutes from the town of Krabi. our mountain bungalow looks out to a huge limestone karst in this tropical forest. we are totally isolated from anything remotely touristy, doing absolutely nothing but eating, reading, sleeping and swimming in the natural pool. it is absolute paradise. the food at the resort restaurant is also very good, consistently the best we've had on the trip so far.
Sunny has asked for a food update. um, it's been okay. not the gastromical experience i remember from fall of 2005, but still good. part of it is that we've had only a few opportunities to choose our own places to eat. the other is that Alan has a weak stomach and thus must always be careful where and what he eats, especially in new environments. nonetheless, he's been more adventurous with his eating than i would be in his situation - and so far, his stomach has not revolted against him in any dramatic way.
tonight is our last night here in Phanom Bencha Mountain Resort and in Thailand. tomorrow morning, we hop on a minivan for nine hours into Malaysia.
highlights/lowlights:
1) buying fisherman's pants in a village market for 29B a piece (less than a dollar). they are so comfortable, airy and culturally appropriate (it is inappropriate to wear things higher than the knees or to expose shoulders in Thailand), so my two pairs have just about been the only bottoms i've worn this trip.
2) hilltribe trekking - met with downpours. on the second afternoon of our trek, it started to rain HARD. this was during the dry season, so our group was not prepared. on a shrug, Alan and i had decided to bring our rain shells just because they were light. they saved our packs from getting drenched. even so, our sleeping bags were wet along with some of our belongings.
3) on an elephant in a downpour. we were helpless, wet rats. no cover. just us, on top of an elephant, going through the jungle, in the pouring rain.
4) spending two nights in Karen hilltribe villages. the first was a smaller one (only 200 inhabitants). the second was somewhat larger with a school located in the village (600 inhabitants). regrettably, i didn't try to meet or talk to the local people - as i was tired, wet and slightly grumpy from the unexpected weather.
5) i didn't want to raft back to our pick-up point, but the trails were extremely muddy and slippery. and i was the only one in our group of five who wanted the hiking option, which meant that one of our guides would've been forced to walk with me - for five hours in the mud. so i joined the others, bamboo rafting for 3+ hours, again in the rain. but it was fun, albeit cold and wet. thank God again for the rain shell.
6) swimming and snorkelling in Krabi province. pictures to come. ultimate aquamarine paradise. i've seen nothing like this, and i thought Jeju, Halong Bay and the Three Gorges were incredible. the islands in Krabi are like Jeju and Halong Bay times 1,000. while i went on an island/swimming/snorkelling/caving excursion, Alan spent the day on a rock climbing excursion. though an avid rock climber, he had never climbed outdoors before. i too had never snorkelled. we both had fantastic times in Krabi.
7) now we are spending three nights in a mountain resort, 30 minutes from the town of Krabi. our mountain bungalow looks out to a huge limestone karst in this tropical forest. we are totally isolated from anything remotely touristy, doing absolutely nothing but eating, reading, sleeping and swimming in the natural pool. it is absolute paradise. the food at the resort restaurant is also very good, consistently the best we've had on the trip so far.
Sunny has asked for a food update. um, it's been okay. not the gastromical experience i remember from fall of 2005, but still good. part of it is that we've had only a few opportunities to choose our own places to eat. the other is that Alan has a weak stomach and thus must always be careful where and what he eats, especially in new environments. nonetheless, he's been more adventurous with his eating than i would be in his situation - and so far, his stomach has not revolted against him in any dramatic way.
tonight is our last night here in Phanom Bencha Mountain Resort and in Thailand. tomorrow morning, we hop on a minivan for nine hours into Malaysia.
27 January 2008
ahh...
the weather is pleasantly warm,
i've gotten a massage and an eyelash perm,
the tummy is happy with Thai food,
i've taken to eating western fast food lately
'cuz i'm so sick of Korean food,
so the gastronomic change has been most welcome,
i've just seen the world's largest reclining Buddha at Wat Pho,
this evening, our tour group leave for Chang Mai
on an overnight train.
i've gotten a massage and an eyelash perm,
the tummy is happy with Thai food,
i've taken to eating western fast food lately
'cuz i'm so sick of Korean food,
so the gastronomic change has been most welcome,
i've just seen the world's largest reclining Buddha at Wat Pho,
this evening, our tour group leave for Chang Mai
on an overnight train.
20 January 2008
Mc Lazy
has it really been an entire month already? between trying to stay sane with two jobs, there has been very little time to relax. when i do, blogging is the last thing on my mind. not that i think y'all are sitting at the edge of your seats waiting for updates, but anyway...
there will be more frequent updates soon, because yes - i'm about to hit the road again. i'll be going first to Thailand. my friend Alan and i will be in Bangkok first, and then joining an Intrepid* group to Chang Mai and the northern hill tribes. after a week in northern Thailand, we will head to the idyllic beaches of the Krabi Province (still trying to decide exactly where). a few days on the beach with books should help us unwind. both of us have had a pretty crazy past couple months.
after that, we will head down to Penang, Malaysia where we will bring in the new year (yes, again) with Joel & Sarah, the two friends with whom i stayed in Shaoxing (refer back to this unfinished post. maybe this time, i'll actually finish what i started writing. sigh... i'm clearly not succeeding in being a good correspondent.) anyway, i think we're bracing ourselves for a wild and crazy celebration with other tourists and locals (including 43% ethnically Chinese Malaysians) in Penang.
due to work obligations, Alan will be heading back to Seoul a week before i do. i'll stay in Malaysia another week (making my way to Kuala Lampus), before flying back to Bangkok, to then fly back to Seoul. all in all, it should be a great 3 weeks. i will try to share more while on the road...
not a day goes by that i think, as i experience Seoul (again), about the things to share on this blog. Seoul is such an interesting place, and i'm learning how to better straddle the line between being a foreigner and being a "Korean". but alas, i have not been writing updates - and the thoughts/insights fly out of my mind almost as quickly as they enter it.
but here's one little tidbit: Mc Delivery's. no, i'm not kidding. with just a touch of eight numbers, one can get a McDonald's meal delivered right to one's apartment door. feeling much too lazy to bundle up and brave the cold, yesterday Alan and i did the unthinkable: 1) we ordered two sausage McMuffin meals and a hotcake meal, 2) paid about double what we would've paid in the states (nearly $13), and 3) greedily consumed it all. blog post title credit: Alan Lee.
---
* two years ago, i went on another Intrepid tour while in Thailand. it was a wonderful experience because of their philosophy about traveling responsibly. i had a great time, so i'm using them again. if you should decide to travel abroad and take an organized tour for some or all of your trip, i highly recommend Intrepid (or GAP Adventures) for your travel plans.
there will be more frequent updates soon, because yes - i'm about to hit the road again. i'll be going first to Thailand. my friend Alan and i will be in Bangkok first, and then joining an Intrepid* group to Chang Mai and the northern hill tribes. after a week in northern Thailand, we will head to the idyllic beaches of the Krabi Province (still trying to decide exactly where). a few days on the beach with books should help us unwind. both of us have had a pretty crazy past couple months.
after that, we will head down to Penang, Malaysia where we will bring in the new year (yes, again) with Joel & Sarah, the two friends with whom i stayed in Shaoxing (refer back to this unfinished post. maybe this time, i'll actually finish what i started writing. sigh... i'm clearly not succeeding in being a good correspondent.) anyway, i think we're bracing ourselves for a wild and crazy celebration with other tourists and locals (including 43% ethnically Chinese Malaysians) in Penang.
due to work obligations, Alan will be heading back to Seoul a week before i do. i'll stay in Malaysia another week (making my way to Kuala Lampus), before flying back to Bangkok, to then fly back to Seoul. all in all, it should be a great 3 weeks. i will try to share more while on the road...
not a day goes by that i think, as i experience Seoul (again), about the things to share on this blog. Seoul is such an interesting place, and i'm learning how to better straddle the line between being a foreigner and being a "Korean". but alas, i have not been writing updates - and the thoughts/insights fly out of my mind almost as quickly as they enter it.
but here's one little tidbit: Mc Delivery's. no, i'm not kidding. with just a touch of eight numbers, one can get a McDonald's meal delivered right to one's apartment door. feeling much too lazy to bundle up and brave the cold, yesterday Alan and i did the unthinkable: 1) we ordered two sausage McMuffin meals and a hotcake meal, 2) paid about double what we would've paid in the states (nearly $13), and 3) greedily consumed it all. blog post title credit: Alan Lee.
---
* two years ago, i went on another Intrepid tour while in Thailand. it was a wonderful experience because of their philosophy about traveling responsibly. i had a great time, so i'm using them again. if you should decide to travel abroad and take an organized tour for some or all of your trip, i highly recommend Intrepid (or GAP Adventures) for your travel plans.
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