Reporting from Home Base

Greetings from San Francisco!

Pineapple bun says hi too, before its imminent demise.

Ahh! The feeling to be back home with a warm pineapple bun and Vitasoy Lemon Iced Tea Juicebox in hand. Can life get any better?

As an overachiever, yes it can. I have a thai massaman curry that needs to be satisfied... Oh, the tummy has spoken.

Anyway, I've been piggin' out for the last week at home. Since I avoided most deep-fried or similar foods in England, such as fish and chips, chips and gravy, gravy-filled pies, etc, the entire five months has been somewhat of a diet from culinary goodness. So in compensation, I've dedicated my San Francisco to revisiting the world, namely Asian cuisine, that my stomach has so fondly missed. I started off with a roast duck rice, stocked up on Lemon Iced Tea Juiceboxes, devoured steamed BBQ pork buns and egg custards, and dunked my vietnamese spring rolls in pho. Still on my list, korean chicken drumsticks (to die for!), thai massaman curry with rice, a strawberry tapioca, jamba juice, SUSHI!, and more... No worries, it will come to me.

Despite my tummy's worldly adventures, at this point, I don't have any. Yup, landlocked to America. It's an odd feeling that's sinking in. That when I was binge-watching America's Next Top Model, I felt nostalgic about Nigel Barker's accent, as if it was foreign and possibly thrilling to hear. Maybe I spent too much time at Target today and all this America is coming too fast...

Washington D.C. in a week... Maybe if I re-vision George Washington as Simón Bolívar, perhaps the thrill might come back...

Location: San Francisco, CA

One Month Mark in Hong Kong!

Welcome to the One-Month Mark!

I remember reaching that one month mark in Peru only to be left alone by my fellow volunteers at Cusco Airport a few days after. But, the funny thing I just realized is that I haven't celebrated a one-month mark in the States since July, nor will I until hmm... July of 2010. Does that earn me expat status?

Being in Hong Kong for a month has made me really appreciate weather I have always taken for granted. I have learned the feeling of upper-lip sweat, now understand the need for an umbrella (not that I practice that nor will I ever; I will just return home looking like burnt toast), have experienced the native ritual of standing in front of the air conditioner. Oh, how I miss the San Francisco fog, or even dry Los Angeles, 85 degree heat sounds attractive right about now. Other than the weather being worthy of complaining, the mosquitos. Oh, those darn things that makes my legs look dalmation-themed. I never heard one buzz across my ear, but I sure see the remnants of their gluttonous appetites. Enough with the complaining about my last month here, classes at Chinese University of Hong Kong has begun. Human Rights, Love in Indian Culture, Intermediate Mandarin, Korean Society; I mean business, yo! Taking classes Monday to Wednesday with Thursday and Friday means 'hello' East and Southeast Asia! One weekend in October for Seoul (aka Seoul-Trippin' in October) and another very long weekend in Bangkok (any play-on-words for Bangkok would just be inappropriate.)

To mark my time here in Hong Kong, or really having a base in Hong Kong for the rest of my Asian travels, I will purchase some cheap Moleskine replica and write down all the memorable Lost-in-Translation English I see here in Hong Kong, as well as Seoul and Bangkok.

Here's the breakdown of the price of food in Hong Kong:

1 USD = 7.75 (or 8) HKD

24 oz of Milk Tea Tapioca = 11HKD

Bowl of Won-Ton Noodle Soup = 16HKD

Student Fare of Train from University to Kowloon = About 5 HKD

Vanilla Bean Flavoured Beard Papa = 12 HKD

McDonalds Big N' Tasty Meal = 26 HKD



Beautiful. Call me king 'cause I sure eat like one.

Location: Shatin, Hong Kong SAR