One Month Mark in England

The 31st! The 31st!

Like my previous stays in Peru and in Hong Kong, I now celebrate the one-month mark in England. The sun finally came out from under the clouds, the snow is receding, and I can finally get some vitamin D! Funny to think, that reaching the one-month mark in Peru was such a struggle, but every one-month-er after that has been a "oh yeah" after I look on my pocket calendar.

Nothing terribly exciting to report on about my first month in England. The past week, I did see Prince Charles, who turned out to be a small man, and who honestly lacks any natural regal presence beyond his camel wool coat. But, he is a very nice man, who chatted with irritated, frostbitten college students who waited outside for an hour to catch a sighting.

Despite my constant complaining about the weather and the quirky slang, I have fallen in love with the fact that Britons have terribly food and therefore rely on jars of already-made curry sauces to add flavor. I have never eaten so much Thai Red Curry or Tikka Masala, but I'm not complaining but do ask me at the two-month mark. I have discovered that I am a wonderful cook but have yet to develop an annoying voice like Julia Child or the enthusiam of Emeril Lagasse.

Last week, I bought a half-dozen bagels for breakfast and was repeatedly mocked as 'the American' on my flat. England doesn't seem to have a language barrier, but definitely a food barrier.

Song Playing: In the Sun by She & Him

Location: Norwich, England, UK

Waking Up to Snow

A poor shot from my window during my first week in Norwich. But anyway, how exciting to a Californian and for a person living in Asia for the last four months!

Song Playing: Cough Syrup by The Jakes

Location, Norwich, England, UK

The Highlight of London

On my third.half day in London, braving the chilly winds and through the frozen toes, we went to Postman's Park near St. Paul's station, where Jude Law and Natalie Portman went to in Closer. Cute little park in the middle of London with a morbid, mournful air about it.

Location: Norwich, England, UK

Song Playing: Albert Hammond Jr.

Rerouted Mail #1: New Year's Eve

Written 31/12/09, but delivered 08/01/10

And it’s lift off… into the new year, that is, and done in nothing less Up in the Air’s George Clooney than on a flight. International flight, as well.

So, sitting alone at San Francisco International, without WIFI and bored… with nearly two hours to spare. Yes, I went all paranoid about security and arrived two hours plus, thinking after the Christmas-day-near-tragedy, the security is probably beefed up to the level of personal violations (aka full body scanners) and bomb-sniffing dogs after my strawberry Pocky sticks. But nope. With so little flights going out tonight (December 31st), the international departure terminal even dimmed its lights and taped off closed check-in counters. Security was also one of the breeziest, if not enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had. Not only did the guard checking my passport wish me a “happy new year”, probably sarcastically, the man before me also passed along gray tubs to place my belongings. In no less than five minutes time, I was determined as not a terrorist, just a cheap flyer, catching a flight to London on New Year’s Eve night.

That brings me to, NOBODY flies on New Year’s Eve. I’ve never seen Christmas night, which probably gives New Year’s Eve a running for the least ideal time to fly, but there’s barely a peep in the airport. I think everyone has embodied a sense of sadness that they’re flying on a night where booze, family, friends, kissing, and silly 2010 glasses are involved. I have too.

Anyway, moving on from my self-pity, LONDON! Fine, I’m not actually that excited that the caps end in an exclamation point. Another semester abroad, and yes, that is a pseudonym for another semester of travelling but this time with a tightening wallet. Actually, a coin purse now. The deadly combination of several “cheap” trips and visas prohibiting employment. Sorry, more self-pity.

Ahh, pull it together. You’re George Clooney.
Location: Gate 96, Terminal 1, San Francisco International Airport

The Return

Gone for exactly four months, and now I'm back home again, in the same chair, in front of the same television, but this time, watching the Jersey Shore (Yes, this is my first impression of the States upon returning... Lookin' Good, America.)

I've been home for six days... and unfortunately, I am bored already. Somehow, even though when away, I plan out these long extravagent days, traveling from one end of the city to the other on food adventures, I always just end up in front of the television (soon to be telly), watching MTV marathons, eating leftovers, and rummaging through the cupboards for some greasy snacks... Ahh, to be an American again.

Anyway, I am officially in love with Asia. The food, the weather (some parts of the year), the fast public transportation, the low cost of living; did I mention the food? So in summary of the four months I've been there, I have stayed in Hong Kong, traveled with Seoul and Bangkok, paid for an overpriced Chinese visa, took a train into mainland China, and all the tourist traps involved.

This year, I will forgo the annual New Year's Eve celebration, meaning a tub of ice cream, homemade cookies, and a Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks movie marathon, to board a flight to London for the new semester! I am curious, actually very curious, as to how the pilots, flight attendants, and passengers will celebrate at midnight, pacific time. "Attention all passengers, we have arrived at the new year...", perhaps...

Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

Song Playing: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z

One More Week in Hong Kong

I'm probably at the 3 months, 3 weeks mark of my Hong Kong stay. Uhh! But I love it here! Because of my student Octopus card, I take the metro anywhere in the city for under a dollar. My favorite thing at the bakery is this little cheesy puff at Yakazaki bakery, which are 25 cents USD each. I can get a milk tea boba, 24 oz for 1.50USD. No tax when purchasing items. McDonald Value Meals are under 4 USD. The weather finally dried up, resembling more of LA. A wonderful 20 degrees Celsius here in the middle of December. Finished all my 24 hr. finals, group projects, research papers, oral exams, etc. Here, the toilet paper comes in three-ply; the States doesn't even have that. And, for my four months of cell phone use, I've paid about a total of 45 USD. What else does a person want out of life?

But... in a week I have to take a 12 hr. flight home to San Francisco, stay 8 days, and hop on a place of some length to go to London. Then, meet up with Christina, and possibly have to leave again only to reenter as a Student. Silly, immigration office, you're just making more work for yourself by not accepting me as a student in the first place. Like I would really stay there illegally when I'm a U.S. citizen. Discriminate against a national from a developing region. Come on, now.

And look, I've found a cup cakery in Hong Kong. And only a dollar each!

I'm calling this place home!

Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR

Song Playing: One More Time with Feeling by Regina Spektor

Look at the Lao Wai 老外!!

老外 means white foreigner; think gringo in Spanish

Well, three weeks ago, I boarded an eleven-hour train to Guilin, China (桂林) on my 20th birthday. So, unless you call a hot cup noodle on board of the sleeping car of a Chinese train, with Chinese men crowding around the smoking ends a celebration, my birthday hat, cake, and candles had an early retirement on the top bunk of a claustrophobic bunker cell. Sorry, forgot to take any pictures.

Anyway, we arrived into Guilin at 6:30AM to sight of Chinese cab drivers, smoking outside the train station, trying to pick up riders. The usual sightseeing in Guilin: caves with portions that resembles terrified animals, hills that resemble elephants or camels, and general natural landscapes that resembles something ordinary. In China, nature just can't stay nature; it's only amazing if it resembles something, preferably an animal.

See the resemblence to an elephant? Now, that's amazing.

Camel, any one?

This portion of the cave resembles this:

Really, now?

So after walking through two caves that were lit with neon lighting and read descriptions such as the one above, we realized that the tourism board was most definitely high when they approved this. Only explanation.

After a day in Guilin, we took a bus to Yangshuo, where this fare lady on the bus thought she could fool the laowai and the huaqiao (overseas ethnic Chinese). So thinking that the fare was 10 RMB a person, we handed her a twenty, which she then hollered into our ears, that it was 15 RMB per person. So when we were pulling odd objects out of our pockets looking for a ten RMB bill, the lady uncleverly pulls a 10 RMB bill to the front of her stack of money so that whenwe hand her our additional 10 RMB bill, screams again in our ears "Oh, only twenty dollars here total." Already irritated by the fact that she was probably overcharging us, we both burst out in Mandarin, screaming that "you're conning us"; "I saw you move that ten over; no I gave you twenty already." Ugh! She's finally backed down, saying that she wasn't going to argue with us and then walks back to the front of the bus. China... *shakes head

Yangshuo, which reminded me of Aquas Calientes at the valley of Machu Picchu, survives off of the foreign and Chinese tourists who come for the sights of the grassly peaks over looking the Li River. Gorgeous, by the way! On day one, we ended up taking a bamboo raft ride on the Li River for 40 RMB total for 40 mins. In other currencies then, 6 USD for a slightly hefty Chinese man, smoking a cigarette, to pull an artificial bamboo boat up and then down the stream again for 40 mins. Sounds like a deal! Day two, we rented an electric bike because confession! I doubt that I can ride a bicycle. I know you never forget but do you really remember if you only probably rode a bicycle successfully for five minutes once when you were seven. Yup, doubts.

Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong