i've always been confused by the word 'hometown'. in Vietnamese, it means usually where your ancestors are from in Vietnam. coming from an immigrant family who's moved a few times around Ontario/Quebec in Canada, i always feel that i have to explain where i was born and where i grew up.. it's particularly confusing when Vietnamese people are asking me. depending on who i talk to, i give a different spiel of where all my grandparents are from. what does 'hometown' mean to you?
20120331
20120114
vietnam trip 2012 - part 6 - intercity buses
the last time that i was in Vietnam was in June 2007, an experience that sadly i didn't blog too much about. however, i did blog about the trip for January 2007.
in January 2007, i took a group bus tour with SaigonTourist. it was a company my aunt suggested, a company that my uncle previously worked for and is well subsidized by the government. it was the pretty basic charter bus situation where stops and meals were planned out so it was easy for riders. i would suggest this type of trip if you were in Vietnam for the first time.
in June 2007, i took more of a backpacking tour which involved buying a set of open-bus tickets and stopping where i like, for however long that I like. it was the alternative method to travel also suggested by my aunt.
with the backpacking situation, you never know how decent washroom facilities will be until you are there. or how long you'd have to the next washroom break comfortably. you're gonna have to think for the all-night travel buses about having to use the communal bus toilet or making sure you don't have too much liquids, bring tissue paper wherever you go, etc.
we had seen the terms "sleeping bus" and "sitting bus" used simultaneously for different open-bus travel this time around. we were surprised to find that the sleeping bus was actually a bus with horizontal mattresses bunk beds. i had seen these types of buses in China and in Vietnam before, but had never actually been in one. let me tell you, it's better than sitting for 12 hours on an evening bus on getting your butt numb. unfortunately, that is something we gotta do tomorrow.
in the sleeping bus.. priceless, the expletive "fuck!" coming from an old cranky white guy realizing he's gotta tuck his 6-foot self in the corner next to us 4 mix of short and tall viet folk in the far back where he had no feet room. well, good luck on the rest of your trip.
in January 2007, i took a group bus tour with SaigonTourist. it was a company my aunt suggested, a company that my uncle previously worked for and is well subsidized by the government. it was the pretty basic charter bus situation where stops and meals were planned out so it was easy for riders. i would suggest this type of trip if you were in Vietnam for the first time.
in June 2007, i took more of a backpacking tour which involved buying a set of open-bus tickets and stopping where i like, for however long that I like. it was the alternative method to travel also suggested by my aunt.
with the backpacking situation, you never know how decent washroom facilities will be until you are there. or how long you'd have to the next washroom break comfortably. you're gonna have to think for the all-night travel buses about having to use the communal bus toilet or making sure you don't have too much liquids, bring tissue paper wherever you go, etc.
we had seen the terms "sleeping bus" and "sitting bus" used simultaneously for different open-bus travel this time around. we were surprised to find that the sleeping bus was actually a bus with horizontal mattresses bunk beds. i had seen these types of buses in China and in Vietnam before, but had never actually been in one. let me tell you, it's better than sitting for 12 hours on an evening bus on getting your butt numb. unfortunately, that is something we gotta do tomorrow.
in the sleeping bus.. priceless, the expletive "fuck!" coming from an old cranky white guy realizing he's gotta tuck his 6-foot self in the corner next to us 4 mix of short and tall viet folk in the far back where he had no feet room. well, good luck on the rest of your trip.
vietnam trip 2012 - part 5 - traffic on the highway
the traffic situation in Vietnam is really curious. while i recall the massive collective of moto-bikes/mopeds/scooters in Vietnam, i didn't notice the speed or how buses and vans drove on the highways and through cities.
i was thinking when Asians have a rep for driving badly, i think it's the case when they've learnt to drive in their own country before doing so in North America. while everything seems to be alright with the way they drove in their country, it's all wrong when they're in North America.
the road rules, the way people on the road move are completely bonkers through the eyes of someone from North America. i previously wrote about the honking part, but i hadn't really written about the speed drivers go and passing.
first, while a 440 km-trip from Saigon to Nha Trang with Canadian road regulations about 4.5 hours, it takes drivers in Vietnam 7 hours! drivers drive slow, drivers are sharing the road with other buses and trucks, and drivers are sharing the road with bikes and moto-bikes. you've got to be patient.
secondly, vehicles are constantly passing one another and, here comes the scary part, they pass each one the wrong side of the road, -just skimming cars going in the wrong direction.
unfortunately, for a person who is trying to sleep on a bus, the endless honking is something you gotta get used to.
i was thinking when Asians have a rep for driving badly, i think it's the case when they've learnt to drive in their own country before doing so in North America. while everything seems to be alright with the way they drove in their country, it's all wrong when they're in North America.
the road rules, the way people on the road move are completely bonkers through the eyes of someone from North America. i previously wrote about the honking part, but i hadn't really written about the speed drivers go and passing.
first, while a 440 km-trip from Saigon to Nha Trang with Canadian road regulations about 4.5 hours, it takes drivers in Vietnam 7 hours! drivers drive slow, drivers are sharing the road with other buses and trucks, and drivers are sharing the road with bikes and moto-bikes. you've got to be patient.
secondly, vehicles are constantly passing one another and, here comes the scary part, they pass each one the wrong side of the road, -just skimming cars going in the wrong direction.
unfortunately, for a person who is trying to sleep on a bus, the endless honking is something you gotta get used to.
20120112
vietnam trip 2012 - part 4 - saigon
when we got settled in at our hotel in Saigon (near our travel company), we had to wait for the husband's cousins to get in so we can hang out. it had only been 2 p.m. i lay down for a quick nap, and soon after, i realize that i just bombed and i just couldn't get up easily.
when the husband's first cousin and friend came and while i was sleeping, they went to exchange money, get a sim card, etc. apparently to get the best rates for money exchange is to get it at a jewelry store here, and that's where he went. i grudgedly get up to get ready for dinner and still again, wait for his other cousins to arrive. we walk around the neighbourhood and realize we've gone too far so we taxi it back to our street. we settle for a greasy spoon eating outside next to the cook with his walk in the open space. we have hotpot amongst other items. soon his other cousins come and we chat some more.
i'm realizing i have to go to the washroom but i'm a little nervous about the condition of the washroom that i might find where we eat, so i wait. we finally stop by a small Vietnamese pudding place and i got one of the husband's female cousin to take me. initially, the husband and i ordered something called 'Thai pudding'. while he got his first, we found that it had durian in it. i quickly change my order and shared a bit with him. he's not a fan either, but politely eats it. the dessert i had.. wait for it.. coconut flan in a coconut meat shell. the flan wasn't as soft as how my mom makes it, but still really good. it had shaved ice around it with coffee syrup. yummy!
we then made it back to our hotel and the husband crashed as soon as we got in.
in the morning, we had fantastic pho for breakfast at a small shop near by. i hadn't been impressed with the pho in Vietnam before, but this time, it was real good. yummy pho with yummy fresh noodles!
when the husband's first cousin and friend came and while i was sleeping, they went to exchange money, get a sim card, etc. apparently to get the best rates for money exchange is to get it at a jewelry store here, and that's where he went. i grudgedly get up to get ready for dinner and still again, wait for his other cousins to arrive. we walk around the neighbourhood and realize we've gone too far so we taxi it back to our street. we settle for a greasy spoon eating outside next to the cook with his walk in the open space. we have hotpot amongst other items. soon his other cousins come and we chat some more.
i'm realizing i have to go to the washroom but i'm a little nervous about the condition of the washroom that i might find where we eat, so i wait. we finally stop by a small Vietnamese pudding place and i got one of the husband's female cousin to take me. initially, the husband and i ordered something called 'Thai pudding'. while he got his first, we found that it had durian in it. i quickly change my order and shared a bit with him. he's not a fan either, but politely eats it. the dessert i had.. wait for it.. coconut flan in a coconut meat shell. the flan wasn't as soft as how my mom makes it, but still really good. it had shaved ice around it with coffee syrup. yummy!
we then made it back to our hotel and the husband crashed as soon as we got in.
in the morning, we had fantastic pho for breakfast at a small shop near by. i hadn't been impressed with the pho in Vietnam before, but this time, it was real good. yummy pho with yummy fresh noodles!
vietnam trip 2012 - part 3 - airports
we had anticipated our first flight to be 16 hours, but it ended up being about 17 hours. two 20-minute delays at the start. i like to think it was that group of friends who basically stumbled their way in late and last, who really can't figure out how to fit their carry-on in the carry-on compartments. we move one of our pieces down to to help make it easier. the husband thinks that it's mostly because of transporting the checked baggage. still, i raise my fist at frilly customers who end up sitting behind me and putting their stinky foot on my arm rest. it wasn't stinky, but she sure got told.
we spent our time watching movies and sleeping. in total, we watched 4 movies. we tried to sync to watch the first movie together, which was kinda funny. i had bought some magazines just before leaving, but ended up reading them very little. i realize that perhaps i won't bring the magazines and book on the backpacking trip as i have so much stuff in my bag already.
obviously, our delay for our next flight which should have happened 45 minutes after we landed. wheel-chaired folks caused a mini-mass confusion where while we were delayed for an hour, people started lining up early. while i had already anticipated that we would have had to wait for an extra hour in the plane, we actually waited an extra hour in the area before the plane. we really could have enjoyed the airport by shopping before we "entered" the gate.
we finally make it to Vietnam and we get escorted by this "agent" to help us get through the entry gate faster. while i had no problem getting in in the past on my own, it seemed imperative and the only natural way for the husband's family to get through easily. the concept eludes me.
we get in and i realized that the whole airport was renovated. of course, we were late and it took forever for us to get our luggage, two of which were lost for a day. while the men wait for them, i'm taking out the items we need for our backpacking from our baggage exchanging them for items that we don't need, like the husbands shoes, etc.
leaving the airport, we're greeted by a few hundred people receiving family and friends outside. it was definitely overwhelming for me since previously i'd only arrived in the city in the evening. there were usually very few people. we see the husband's family's, and immediately rush to the side to wait for our ride. the husband's family is very excited to see us, especially his younger cousins who greet me as Chi., honorific for older sister.
we spent our time watching movies and sleeping. in total, we watched 4 movies. we tried to sync to watch the first movie together, which was kinda funny. i had bought some magazines just before leaving, but ended up reading them very little. i realize that perhaps i won't bring the magazines and book on the backpacking trip as i have so much stuff in my bag already.
obviously, our delay for our next flight which should have happened 45 minutes after we landed. wheel-chaired folks caused a mini-mass confusion where while we were delayed for an hour, people started lining up early. while i had already anticipated that we would have had to wait for an extra hour in the plane, we actually waited an extra hour in the area before the plane. we really could have enjoyed the airport by shopping before we "entered" the gate.
we finally make it to Vietnam and we get escorted by this "agent" to help us get through the entry gate faster. while i had no problem getting in in the past on my own, it seemed imperative and the only natural way for the husband's family to get through easily. the concept eludes me.
we get in and i realized that the whole airport was renovated. of course, we were late and it took forever for us to get our luggage, two of which were lost for a day. while the men wait for them, i'm taking out the items we need for our backpacking from our baggage exchanging them for items that we don't need, like the husbands shoes, etc.
leaving the airport, we're greeted by a few hundred people receiving family and friends outside. it was definitely overwhelming for me since previously i'd only arrived in the city in the evening. there were usually very few people. we see the husband's family's, and immediately rush to the side to wait for our ride. the husband's family is very excited to see us, especially his younger cousins who greet me as Chi., honorific for older sister.
20120109
vietnam trip 2012 - part 2 - last minute packing. weather.
hey!
we're making some last minute purchases before leaving in the evening today. apparently the shirt we got for the husband's grandpa won't fit him so we got to get another one today. our bags are packed and we're just doing random stuff today.
we're trying to bring the minimum anything electronics, -so that means cameras, too. we figured out that the husband's dad would like to play with the touchpad we have so we're bringing that, too. i think i would really like to bring the kobo i just got for Christmas, but i haven't loaded up any books on it really.. any real books that aren't free. i haven't figured out how to do that. i'd prefer to bring a paperbook anyway. and magazines.. stuff i don't really mind losing perhaps.
we also found out that it will be raining and dreary the week we're backpacking. wet and cold! but how cold can it get in Vietnam? 14 degrees + rain in Sapa. when i previously did this trip, i went in June so it was much better, the ultimate time to go. it should be fun, or at least in..ter..est..ting. one blog describes rain in Vietnam as miserable.. so we're prepared for it for sure.
when we got to the husband's parents house, we're traveling with them, they had boxes of boxes of gifts for their family and family friends there. upon arrival to their house, we had our two suitcases including our backpacks for the backpacking. today, with the shuffling, we've whittled down.. our backpacks as our carry-ons and one single suitcase that is only half full with.. mostly my stuff.
we'll be at the airport in about 10 hours. see you.
we're making some last minute purchases before leaving in the evening today. apparently the shirt we got for the husband's grandpa won't fit him so we got to get another one today. our bags are packed and we're just doing random stuff today.
we're trying to bring the minimum anything electronics, -so that means cameras, too. we figured out that the husband's dad would like to play with the touchpad we have so we're bringing that, too. i think i would really like to bring the kobo i just got for Christmas, but i haven't loaded up any books on it really.. any real books that aren't free. i haven't figured out how to do that. i'd prefer to bring a paperbook anyway. and magazines.. stuff i don't really mind losing perhaps.
we also found out that it will be raining and dreary the week we're backpacking. wet and cold! but how cold can it get in Vietnam? 14 degrees + rain in Sapa. when i previously did this trip, i went in June so it was much better, the ultimate time to go. it should be fun, or at least in..ter..est..ting. one blog describes rain in Vietnam as miserable.. so we're prepared for it for sure.
when we got to the husband's parents house, we're traveling with them, they had boxes of boxes of gifts for their family and family friends there. upon arrival to their house, we had our two suitcases including our backpacks for the backpacking. today, with the shuffling, we've whittled down.. our backpacks as our carry-ons and one single suitcase that is only half full with.. mostly my stuff.
we'll be at the airport in about 10 hours. see you.
20120107
vietnam trip 2012 - packing for vietnam
i'm watching the husband pack now. i am quite impressed. one medium-sized suitcase that fits a full backpack, -for one week of backpacking, plus gifts for family when we are there. no extra clothes for 4 weeks.
all of the husband's clothes are in the full backpack. for the other 3 weeks of the trip, he plans to just wash what he has in there. i'm intrigued by the efficiency. i follow suit and start unloading my bag. who needs 15 tank tops on a 4-week trip anyway?
essentially, we had planned for this 4-week trip since.. perhaps when we got engaged? i don't even remember. we always knew wanted to see Vietnam together. it's funny because we were in Vietnam exactly 5 years ago, but just as acquaintances, more like friends of friends in Canada. the husband sometimes jokes and said that's where he met his wife, that he had to go back to Vietnam to get a wife. he's from Vietnam himself.
i think it's completely worth it to just visit Vietnam over and over again. there is just so much to see and there is so much history along with the cultural aspects we could never understand from living abroad. in my previous trips, i saw so much and learned so much i don't ever think i can get sick of it.
i recently have been watching this series online called "Who do you think you are?" and it's completely addictive. it's about people (various celebrities) retracing their roots and figuring out how their family came about making the choices they did to end up where they live and lived. i realize that these celebrities are English speaking, hence for them it's definitely easier for them to search for their roots than for me where the records were in English, as an English speaker, to go to find where my roots are in China and Vietnam.
in any case, i'm soooo happy to be visiting the places i had visited 5 years ago. i haven't traveled a lot, but of the bit of travel that i did, alone, i felt lonely and missed companionship in only one place. and that was Ha Long Bay. this time i get to share it with someone this time. i loved sitting on the deck on the boat with the motor off watching the sun go down surrounded by those beautiful, beautiful rocks. just amazing.
all of the husband's clothes are in the full backpack. for the other 3 weeks of the trip, he plans to just wash what he has in there. i'm intrigued by the efficiency. i follow suit and start unloading my bag. who needs 15 tank tops on a 4-week trip anyway?
essentially, we had planned for this 4-week trip since.. perhaps when we got engaged? i don't even remember. we always knew wanted to see Vietnam together. it's funny because we were in Vietnam exactly 5 years ago, but just as acquaintances, more like friends of friends in Canada. the husband sometimes jokes and said that's where he met his wife, that he had to go back to Vietnam to get a wife. he's from Vietnam himself.
i think it's completely worth it to just visit Vietnam over and over again. there is just so much to see and there is so much history along with the cultural aspects we could never understand from living abroad. in my previous trips, i saw so much and learned so much i don't ever think i can get sick of it.
i recently have been watching this series online called "Who do you think you are?" and it's completely addictive. it's about people (various celebrities) retracing their roots and figuring out how their family came about making the choices they did to end up where they live and lived. i realize that these celebrities are English speaking, hence for them it's definitely easier for them to search for their roots than for me where the records were in English, as an English speaker, to go to find where my roots are in China and Vietnam.
in any case, i'm soooo happy to be visiting the places i had visited 5 years ago. i haven't traveled a lot, but of the bit of travel that i did, alone, i felt lonely and missed companionship in only one place. and that was Ha Long Bay. this time i get to share it with someone this time. i loved sitting on the deck on the boat with the motor off watching the sun go down surrounded by those beautiful, beautiful rocks. just amazing.
20100609
spirituality
i believe that once i felt spiritual. i was inherently Buddhist. i believed in full circles, karma and being "good". pain was what you made of it. and with this, pure optimism that everything will fall into place. everything that is good will be not good, and everything that wasn't good would be good. whatever that means.
ever since, i returned from being abroad, i don't have this feeling anymore. my grandpa who passed away years ago isn't protecting me anymore. the shoddy situations where children are exploited for the benefit of ** adults continue to live in the small city of 2 million in chin, at bus routes going up the length of vietnam.
is there where my spirituality has gone?
ever since, i returned from being abroad, i don't have this feeling anymore. my grandpa who passed away years ago isn't protecting me anymore. the shoddy situations where children are exploited for the benefit of ** adults continue to live in the small city of 2 million in chin, at bus routes going up the length of vietnam.
is there where my spirituality has gone?
the move to Ottawa, a new home, a new housemate
i moved to Ottawa at the beginning of February. since then, i've been feeling more and more homesick. from the beginning, i knew things were almost all anew and that i had a lot to learn. from the beginning, i knew i was going to sign up for classes and activities in the city. since then, we've attended mostly badminton drop-ins. it's great, but really, it's not my kind of socializing.
i've spoken about taking up classes, learning to drive, meeting up with random strangers for language-exchange, etc.. however, i've found excuses for all.
before i go too far, if you look in the first paragraph, i've used the word "we" in one of the sentences. yes, so that's another big change. not only is it a new housemate, it's a significant other. it was definitely easier with just co-habitating with non-romantic activity partners, but to define your day to include someone who is meant to be in your daily life consistently, is somewhat a challenge.
i loved the independence that we both had living in different cities. now, as i realize this moment, i have to relearn that independence. i've grown dependent and i think i'm deteriorating. i need to not give excuses and just figure out how i fit in this city and how i can control more of what i do during the day.
i've spoken about taking up classes, learning to drive, meeting up with random strangers for language-exchange, etc.. however, i've found excuses for all.
before i go too far, if you look in the first paragraph, i've used the word "we" in one of the sentences. yes, so that's another big change. not only is it a new housemate, it's a significant other. it was definitely easier with just co-habitating with non-romantic activity partners, but to define your day to include someone who is meant to be in your daily life consistently, is somewhat a challenge.
i loved the independence that we both had living in different cities. now, as i realize this moment, i have to relearn that independence. i've grown dependent and i think i'm deteriorating. i need to not give excuses and just figure out how i fit in this city and how i can control more of what i do during the day.
20091120
reverse/re-entry culture shock
wow. so, i've been back for over two years, and being stunted not knowing why is was violently moody at times, i finally met the problem in the past few days.
since i'd been back, i actually had been really awful to the people who are closest to me, acting and finally coming to terms that i am a spoiled brat. in that time, i would turn to my two closest people and admitting that i could not figure out why i had become this way, even trying to offer to them and myself reasons for my "spoiled brat outbursts"; that i'm too spoiled by my boyfriend, that i've been on my own and i could deal without [some things from] those loved ones,.. i would get upset at myself for not having pinpointed the reason. i am, a very logical person. i need reasons for things, including behaviour.
i finally came across a reading in a textbook that i was going through with my students. it was about 'reverse culture shock'. i couldn't believe what i was reading. it was describing exactly what have been going through. it finally had a name. this anger was not something that was naturally from me. it was the result of something else. i felt incredibly relieved, -that i did not develop a bad nature, or that i picked up some negative habits from abroad. i was reacting the way i was supposed to act after being away for so long and coming back attempting to adjust back to my life in toronto, with my friend and family.
i quickly went looking for ways to get out of this stage. internet resources are telling me to get my mind on other things like, plan another trip. i think that is useless, completely. and so, two days have passed, and i think what has helped the most is, is realizing this situation as a first step. now, i'm just getting back in touch with family and friends to get myself back to sane.
since i'd been back, i actually had been really awful to the people who are closest to me, acting and finally coming to terms that i am a spoiled brat. in that time, i would turn to my two closest people and admitting that i could not figure out why i had become this way, even trying to offer to them and myself reasons for my "spoiled brat outbursts"; that i'm too spoiled by my boyfriend, that i've been on my own and i could deal without [some things from] those loved ones,.. i would get upset at myself for not having pinpointed the reason. i am, a very logical person. i need reasons for things, including behaviour.
i finally came across a reading in a textbook that i was going through with my students. it was about 'reverse culture shock'. i couldn't believe what i was reading. it was describing exactly what have been going through. it finally had a name. this anger was not something that was naturally from me. it was the result of something else. i felt incredibly relieved, -that i did not develop a bad nature, or that i picked up some negative habits from abroad. i was reacting the way i was supposed to act after being away for so long and coming back attempting to adjust back to my life in toronto, with my friend and family.
i quickly went looking for ways to get out of this stage. internet resources are telling me to get my mind on other things like, plan another trip. i think that is useless, completely. and so, two days have passed, and i think what has helped the most is, is realizing this situation as a first step. now, i'm just getting back in touch with family and friends to get myself back to sane.
20071115
backpacking, ben a la mode
i take claim to my week and scattered days backpacking in beijing and vietnam. it really wasn't much, compared to the other travellers that i had met in hostels and on buses. my trips weren't months of waiting for space on trains, bed space just to be next to impromptu lovers, fans of landscape that spand and spand and spand. for me, it was limited to weeks at a time.
like these travellers, i was looking for something. for me to go, literately, to the other side of the world was the extreme. i needed out for some reason. after years of deliberation and research, i found my way to the airport for the first time to go overseas.
teaching was central, a mode to pay for expenses and plant myself steadily for months at a time. however, i quickly learned that it was not only the experience of the ever fascinating "teaching overseas opportunity", but the access i had to see and experience more.
a month in living in Jincheng, Shanxi, we had our first trip to Xi'an. from there, it would start a series of planned small excursions. even just being in the city and visiting a friend's family home, or eating grilled Muslim food and drinking beer in the street with a local teacher (my favourite), or going to the park or shopping with students in the vasts selection of Chinese merchandise, enlighted and opened my eyes.
i should admit, i never realized that anything could surprise me. furthermore, the bug that had enticed me to leave home, was mostly initially just for air. who would have thought that the life we see at home, could not only look different but feel different.
i always recall the moment i got off the plane in Beijing from Toronto, i was almost paralyzed. i couldn't figure my way out. the way people move, was different. you'd immediately see this when you walk in another city.
the first time i backpacked was unfortunate, at least at the beginning, i made the bad choice of rooming with a friend who was in beijing for a different reason. we came to staying in a newly renovated, but badly planned space where to get a shower, we had to leave the main building. before using the shower, we had to call someone to turn on the shower water heater, wait a half hour, go to the shower room and hope that no one was looking through the window or walked into the door. that was the concern of a foreigner in a place like that, privacy stands tall for them. if you've been to china, privacy means something totally different. mosquitoes were also a killer in the room they provided us. after about three nights of that, i packed, wished my girl luck, and went to another hostel. that hostel was 35 yuan, that is $5.25 cdn a night.
i landed at a "foreigner-friendly" hostel. it was pretty cheap, but i quickly realized how they made their money. while their beds were $6 cdn a night, their service prices were way up there. for foreigners who've been backpacking for months, $4 cdn for a western breakfast was nothing. knowing the actual local costs for making western breakfasts, i am appalled how this hostel charges. in any case, i buy in 'cause i crave it. for living in china for over half a year, i deserve to treat myself to "home" food. however, the last time i was at that hostel, i found that they have increased prices for almost everything. they did this except for laundry where they had to compete against the new cleaners that were charging less for laundry a few steps away.
that was all the backpacking i did really in China, in Beijing. i met some hardcore backpackers who were all pretty interesting. some were interested in making friends, and others just mostly stuck to themselves. i did also meet a local friend there visiting a friend at the hostel. it was nice to meet someone who lived there.
my next and last backpacking experience was in Vietnam. i travelled from Saigon (south) to Ha noi (north) on a bus. it took two days one way, and because of the day trips i signed up for, i only ended up staying one and a half day in hostels. with backpack, i started from saigon. we spent evenings on the bus. i thought the charter buses in Vietnam were much better and roomier than the ones in Canada. i believe it depends on the company you go with. i should say that it cost peanuts one way, $24 cdn.
at every major city, we stopped for a few hours at the company office. the bathrooms were not spectacular, but what do you expect. on the way north, i met this lovely local girl from mid-Vietnam who was going to get her papers to study abroad in the big city. we had time in between buses, so we got to see parts of Hue. i had actually seen it already, but it was a treat for her. it was fun doing this with a local Vietnamese person, or even just another traveller. it was random and we weren't sure how safe we were on the back of these two motorbike taxis. she treat me to some nice local dishes and it was good.
there seems to be a great deal of trust when you are in the hands of another traveller. we both don't know where we are going, but we will get there by any means possible. i recall the time my new friend Thor and i were trying to get a taxi to drive us to a certain location in Beijing on a English-ridden map. there seemed to be no way getting there, especially after 4 taxis told us that they "just didn't know". i think back at how Thor was dealing, when i was negotiating with the driver. he must have realized to trust me, or there was no going to chill with other new friends at new hostel.
anyway, back to Vietnam. when i got to the north, i was frazzled. two days on a bus wasn't as bad as i had thought. later after dodging all the pesky motobike taxis, i thought i'd brave the map and navigate myself to my travel company office. however, that backfired and i worked the nerve to ask a driver to help me get there. i was warned about pricing, so i claimed a fixed price with him. i realized i was walking the wrong way.
navigating down the street with a bunch of knock-off agencies with my travel company's name and logo, i bumped into a sweet guy advertising a hostel to stay for about $10 a night. i knew i had an overnight stay out-of-the-city so i just kept the business card and continued on my way.
after registering at my agency, i decided to return to that $10 a night hostel and stay for the afternoon. i realized that i was beat and opt to stay and have a good nap. i did bargain with them, which was such a local experience, at least something i wouldn't do in north america for anything.
the evening i actually stayed in a hostel, i stayed at another "foreign-focused" location. they were cheap, but incredibly unfriendly. i didn't get to meet anyone really, however, i did talk to some guy who was at the bed at my feet, thanking him for turning on the light.
when i was there, i also did get to walk around the area. this was something i wasn't really keen on doing when i was in Vietnam the first time with a tour group. i walked right into a small shop and ordered a plum drink. it was great. i also got to talk to the local shop owners.
from the perspective of a South Vietnamese person, with family telling her that Northerners were not as friendly and to be careful, i terribly beg to differ.
in looking for a a net cafe near the hostel (the hostel had only two free internet computers), i bumped into a local young 20-something who helped me into some dark alley into a small internet show (with a bunch of kids). he then paid for it, too. i was fascinated and in total shock. this was one of many good encounters i had with people in Vietnam. i'll write more about the Vietnam trip in detail in another post.
okay, i lied. i did stay one more night in a various place when backpacking in Vietnam. i bumped into this girl when i was going south. we hit it off when we chilled in Nha Trang with a new local friend for a night. we stayed in the same hotel room, where our new friend helped us get a deal. he was a guy who worked in the travel company we were with. it was totally random.
now, with the backpacking episode done for a long time, i'm taking little adventures here in Canada. i wasn't sure as to what i should call it. i had inquired and taken rides from strangers between Toronto and Ottawa quite recently. i found these willing drivers from craigslist. after personally debating on whether this is hitchhiking or backpacking, i've decided it was more like backpacking. it was structured, a service, yet in some way random, sorta like the mediocre backpacking trips i had taken in Asia.
like these travellers, i was looking for something. for me to go, literately, to the other side of the world was the extreme. i needed out for some reason. after years of deliberation and research, i found my way to the airport for the first time to go overseas.
teaching was central, a mode to pay for expenses and plant myself steadily for months at a time. however, i quickly learned that it was not only the experience of the ever fascinating "teaching overseas opportunity", but the access i had to see and experience more.
a month in living in Jincheng, Shanxi, we had our first trip to Xi'an. from there, it would start a series of planned small excursions. even just being in the city and visiting a friend's family home, or eating grilled Muslim food and drinking beer in the street with a local teacher (my favourite), or going to the park or shopping with students in the vasts selection of Chinese merchandise, enlighted and opened my eyes.
i should admit, i never realized that anything could surprise me. furthermore, the bug that had enticed me to leave home, was mostly initially just for air. who would have thought that the life we see at home, could not only look different but feel different.
i always recall the moment i got off the plane in Beijing from Toronto, i was almost paralyzed. i couldn't figure my way out. the way people move, was different. you'd immediately see this when you walk in another city.
the first time i backpacked was unfortunate, at least at the beginning, i made the bad choice of rooming with a friend who was in beijing for a different reason. we came to staying in a newly renovated, but badly planned space where to get a shower, we had to leave the main building. before using the shower, we had to call someone to turn on the shower water heater, wait a half hour, go to the shower room and hope that no one was looking through the window or walked into the door. that was the concern of a foreigner in a place like that, privacy stands tall for them. if you've been to china, privacy means something totally different. mosquitoes were also a killer in the room they provided us. after about three nights of that, i packed, wished my girl luck, and went to another hostel. that hostel was 35 yuan, that is $5.25 cdn a night.
i landed at a "foreigner-friendly" hostel. it was pretty cheap, but i quickly realized how they made their money. while their beds were $6 cdn a night, their service prices were way up there. for foreigners who've been backpacking for months, $4 cdn for a western breakfast was nothing. knowing the actual local costs for making western breakfasts, i am appalled how this hostel charges. in any case, i buy in 'cause i crave it. for living in china for over half a year, i deserve to treat myself to "home" food. however, the last time i was at that hostel, i found that they have increased prices for almost everything. they did this except for laundry where they had to compete against the new cleaners that were charging less for laundry a few steps away.
that was all the backpacking i did really in China, in Beijing. i met some hardcore backpackers who were all pretty interesting. some were interested in making friends, and others just mostly stuck to themselves. i did also meet a local friend there visiting a friend at the hostel. it was nice to meet someone who lived there.
my next and last backpacking experience was in Vietnam. i travelled from Saigon (south) to Ha noi (north) on a bus. it took two days one way, and because of the day trips i signed up for, i only ended up staying one and a half day in hostels. with backpack, i started from saigon. we spent evenings on the bus. i thought the charter buses in Vietnam were much better and roomier than the ones in Canada. i believe it depends on the company you go with. i should say that it cost peanuts one way, $24 cdn.
at every major city, we stopped for a few hours at the company office. the bathrooms were not spectacular, but what do you expect. on the way north, i met this lovely local girl from mid-Vietnam who was going to get her papers to study abroad in the big city. we had time in between buses, so we got to see parts of Hue. i had actually seen it already, but it was a treat for her. it was fun doing this with a local Vietnamese person, or even just another traveller. it was random and we weren't sure how safe we were on the back of these two motorbike taxis. she treat me to some nice local dishes and it was good.
there seems to be a great deal of trust when you are in the hands of another traveller. we both don't know where we are going, but we will get there by any means possible. i recall the time my new friend Thor and i were trying to get a taxi to drive us to a certain location in Beijing on a English-ridden map. there seemed to be no way getting there, especially after 4 taxis told us that they "just didn't know". i think back at how Thor was dealing, when i was negotiating with the driver. he must have realized to trust me, or there was no going to chill with other new friends at new hostel.
anyway, back to Vietnam. when i got to the north, i was frazzled. two days on a bus wasn't as bad as i had thought. later after dodging all the pesky motobike taxis, i thought i'd brave the map and navigate myself to my travel company office. however, that backfired and i worked the nerve to ask a driver to help me get there. i was warned about pricing, so i claimed a fixed price with him. i realized i was walking the wrong way.
navigating down the street with a bunch of knock-off agencies with my travel company's name and logo, i bumped into a sweet guy advertising a hostel to stay for about $10 a night. i knew i had an overnight stay out-of-the-city so i just kept the business card and continued on my way.
after registering at my agency, i decided to return to that $10 a night hostel and stay for the afternoon. i realized that i was beat and opt to stay and have a good nap. i did bargain with them, which was such a local experience, at least something i wouldn't do in north america for anything.
the evening i actually stayed in a hostel, i stayed at another "foreign-focused" location. they were cheap, but incredibly unfriendly. i didn't get to meet anyone really, however, i did talk to some guy who was at the bed at my feet, thanking him for turning on the light.
when i was there, i also did get to walk around the area. this was something i wasn't really keen on doing when i was in Vietnam the first time with a tour group. i walked right into a small shop and ordered a plum drink. it was great. i also got to talk to the local shop owners.
from the perspective of a South Vietnamese person, with family telling her that Northerners were not as friendly and to be careful, i terribly beg to differ.
in looking for a a net cafe near the hostel (the hostel had only two free internet computers), i bumped into a local young 20-something who helped me into some dark alley into a small internet show (with a bunch of kids). he then paid for it, too. i was fascinated and in total shock. this was one of many good encounters i had with people in Vietnam. i'll write more about the Vietnam trip in detail in another post.
okay, i lied. i did stay one more night in a various place when backpacking in Vietnam. i bumped into this girl when i was going south. we hit it off when we chilled in Nha Trang with a new local friend for a night. we stayed in the same hotel room, where our new friend helped us get a deal. he was a guy who worked in the travel company we were with. it was totally random.
now, with the backpacking episode done for a long time, i'm taking little adventures here in Canada. i wasn't sure as to what i should call it. i had inquired and taken rides from strangers between Toronto and Ottawa quite recently. i found these willing drivers from craigslist. after personally debating on whether this is hitchhiking or backpacking, i've decided it was more like backpacking. it was structured, a service, yet in some way random, sorta like the mediocre backpacking trips i had taken in Asia.
20070610
preview: restaurants, an incident
i actually can write a whole new site about restaurant service in china. since having worked in a resto in toronto for more than i year, i have an idea of the busyness that entails. of course, it's a little different here, -in many aspects.
i will just give you a preview, since i'm pressed for time. i'm leaving taiyuan tomorrow morning, and i have a dinner date with a friend in a while. and, i haven't collected all my thoughts on this topic yet. i will do so in full detail when i leave china, that day comes the end of this week. (on a tangent, i will return to china, but not anytime soon.)
an incident
about two weeks ago, i took my friends to a mall-ish food court to eat. as i was waiting for them to get their food, a overtly loud man is growing a fit, yelling at an employee. i look over, and at that instant, he pushes her from behind as they are walking to the food counters. no one flinches, but i.
i will just give you a preview, since i'm pressed for time. i'm leaving taiyuan tomorrow morning, and i have a dinner date with a friend in a while. and, i haven't collected all my thoughts on this topic yet. i will do so in full detail when i leave china, that day comes the end of this week. (on a tangent, i will return to china, but not anytime soon.)
an incident
about two weeks ago, i took my friends to a mall-ish food court to eat. as i was waiting for them to get their food, a overtly loud man is growing a fit, yelling at an employee. i look over, and at that instant, he pushes her from behind as they are walking to the food counters. no one flinches, but i.
20070511
in the "old country" & water
i lay on my friend's bed, tired and exhausted, watching her handwash her sweater. to us westerners, it's apparently something we would do if we couldn't do it in a machine. though, as i was there in my friend's bedroom, in about 10 minutes of her time, she is handwashes her sweater because that's what she has been doing for all of life, handwashing her clothes.
my girl, grace, does the same in toronto. of course, now i realize the absurdity of her not using a machine is not really absurd. grace is from malaysia, and i assume now that that's what people traditionally do there, as do people china, also. hell, they probably do it in some parts in canada, -i don't know. washing all your clothes by hand.. yikes.
i had mentioned this before.. about washing feet before you go to bed. it's customary for chinese people to do it in a small plastic tub. there's something more i gathered since being here. i had been in china for 14 months already. of course, being a foreign teacher, i have a 3 piece bathroom. in china, it's a luxury. bathrooms are luxury.
i had stayed at a student's home in a village where all they had was the village outhouse. i really couldn't use it, especially in the dark at night, and i'm sure smelly, so i just didn't. don't ask me how, but i relieved a lot later on.
i didn't wonder how they had to clean themselves then, but i found out a lot later on. on a walk to my favourite muslim grilled food in jincheng, my dear good friend wei chi explained to me that in some family homes, there is no bathroom. if they wanted to bathe themselves, they'd have to fork out money to go to the public bathhouse. if they want someone to help them scrub themselves down, they'd paid extra.
i recalled something else that i had mentioned in a previous entry. being at the community swimming pool, everyone was cleaning themselves down rigourously. and i had mentioned how ms. du asked me if i wanted a scrub? well. to me, i always prefer to shower at home. so i would wait, but these chinese ladies would do the whole works in the women's shower area in the centre. soap and shampoo and whatever.
having stayed at ms. du's when visiting jincheng two weeks ago, i understood more about the "phenomenon." for some people, they just don't have a modern shower at home. this was the case at ms. du's. actually, i lived a few nights there relieving myself in the outhouse in the back. it was humbling and i dare not sit. the outhouse wasn't as smelly as it could be, but it wasn't entirely comfortable half-way standing over a questionable modern toilet.
the sink i used was in the kitchen, which was just a room with a table. her produce was in the shelf under it. i didn't shower for a few days, until i returned to taiyuan.
for one of those nights, i stayed at a former student/girl friend's room. she had rented it for about 120 yuan (which is about $17 cdn) per month. i had actually seen a place like this before of another former student. it wasn't as nice, but it was only 50 yuan ($7.50 cdn) per month. anyhow. this traditional courtyard style home didn't have a full bathroom. it had a squat toilet room, but very well maintained. i still don't get how people clean themselves. probably in a way with warm water and a towel. it's very different here, in the "old country."
i had been to homes where if they had bathrooms, it would have a sink, a toilet, and a shower area. it is rare for a family to have a bathtub here. for me, the first city i was in, i was happy with the bathroom they gave me. now, in another, i'm stuck with a small room; toilet and shower. the bathroom sink is, for some reason, in another area of the house, but next to the washing machine. i have a separate kitchen sink which is good. in addition, the bathroom floor is unfinished. i just wear plastic slippers in there when douching. fun times.
my girl, grace, does the same in toronto. of course, now i realize the absurdity of her not using a machine is not really absurd. grace is from malaysia, and i assume now that that's what people traditionally do there, as do people china, also. hell, they probably do it in some parts in canada, -i don't know. washing all your clothes by hand.. yikes.
i had mentioned this before.. about washing feet before you go to bed. it's customary for chinese people to do it in a small plastic tub. there's something more i gathered since being here. i had been in china for 14 months already. of course, being a foreign teacher, i have a 3 piece bathroom. in china, it's a luxury. bathrooms are luxury.
i had stayed at a student's home in a village where all they had was the village outhouse. i really couldn't use it, especially in the dark at night, and i'm sure smelly, so i just didn't. don't ask me how, but i relieved a lot later on.
i didn't wonder how they had to clean themselves then, but i found out a lot later on. on a walk to my favourite muslim grilled food in jincheng, my dear good friend wei chi explained to me that in some family homes, there is no bathroom. if they wanted to bathe themselves, they'd have to fork out money to go to the public bathhouse. if they want someone to help them scrub themselves down, they'd paid extra.
i recalled something else that i had mentioned in a previous entry. being at the community swimming pool, everyone was cleaning themselves down rigourously. and i had mentioned how ms. du asked me if i wanted a scrub? well. to me, i always prefer to shower at home. so i would wait, but these chinese ladies would do the whole works in the women's shower area in the centre. soap and shampoo and whatever.
having stayed at ms. du's when visiting jincheng two weeks ago, i understood more about the "phenomenon." for some people, they just don't have a modern shower at home. this was the case at ms. du's. actually, i lived a few nights there relieving myself in the outhouse in the back. it was humbling and i dare not sit. the outhouse wasn't as smelly as it could be, but it wasn't entirely comfortable half-way standing over a questionable modern toilet.
the sink i used was in the kitchen, which was just a room with a table. her produce was in the shelf under it. i didn't shower for a few days, until i returned to taiyuan.
for one of those nights, i stayed at a former student/girl friend's room. she had rented it for about 120 yuan (which is about $17 cdn) per month. i had actually seen a place like this before of another former student. it wasn't as nice, but it was only 50 yuan ($7.50 cdn) per month. anyhow. this traditional courtyard style home didn't have a full bathroom. it had a squat toilet room, but very well maintained. i still don't get how people clean themselves. probably in a way with warm water and a towel. it's very different here, in the "old country."
i had been to homes where if they had bathrooms, it would have a sink, a toilet, and a shower area. it is rare for a family to have a bathtub here. for me, the first city i was in, i was happy with the bathroom they gave me. now, in another, i'm stuck with a small room; toilet and shower. the bathroom sink is, for some reason, in another area of the house, but next to the washing machine. i have a separate kitchen sink which is good. in addition, the bathroom floor is unfinished. i just wear plastic slippers in there when douching. fun times.
20070507
taking in the view by taking the bus
upon taking the bus to see my good friends in my first city in china, i thought that this would be nice to write about.
i remember my first bus trip in china. from jincheng, we traveled to xi'an in another province. it was a 9 hour long trip with washroom pit stops that would ward me off from long-distance travel in china forever. in any case, the scenery was beautiful. and, when i say beautiful. it was more than that.
traveling between montreal and toronto all my life, i didn't realize how beautiful land can be. especially, in that part where everything was mostly flat.
my trip between xi'an and jincheng was breathtaking. even though we would take quick turns along the mountainsides and almost fall off the mountain, we could see the majestic course that nature took all these thousands of years. "it is past bodies of water, that makes the ridges in the land like that." there would be layers and layers of earth with perfectly grown grass on each layer. and it would be land after land of this for miles.
there's more. i remember mud, lots of mud/clay homes. i wondered if people actually lived in them still. i looked for traces of life, but didn't find any. knowing now from what i have seen, i wouldn't rule it out.
in vietnam, the scenery was beautiful also. except, it was rivers and green everywhere. going north from saigon, near hue, palm trees filled the land. we went by beaches and through valleys.
travel like this is precious.
i remember my first bus trip in china. from jincheng, we traveled to xi'an in another province. it was a 9 hour long trip with washroom pit stops that would ward me off from long-distance travel in china forever. in any case, the scenery was beautiful. and, when i say beautiful. it was more than that.
traveling between montreal and toronto all my life, i didn't realize how beautiful land can be. especially, in that part where everything was mostly flat.
my trip between xi'an and jincheng was breathtaking. even though we would take quick turns along the mountainsides and almost fall off the mountain, we could see the majestic course that nature took all these thousands of years. "it is past bodies of water, that makes the ridges in the land like that." there would be layers and layers of earth with perfectly grown grass on each layer. and it would be land after land of this for miles.
there's more. i remember mud, lots of mud/clay homes. i wondered if people actually lived in them still. i looked for traces of life, but didn't find any. knowing now from what i have seen, i wouldn't rule it out.
in vietnam, the scenery was beautiful also. except, it was rivers and green everywhere. going north from saigon, near hue, palm trees filled the land. we went by beaches and through valleys.
travel like this is precious.
20070316
vietnam trip 2007 - part 4 - more on social poverty.
i should have written this in the last posting, but i forgot. triggered watching a friend's vlog on youtube about his time in india. the vid is called "hardest part" on www.youtube.com/zzolaman, if you're interested.
before i came to vietnam, i had already been told by my friend rita about the poverty there. she mentioned a story about a woman asking for money carrying a baby when she was there. of course, this was under the blistering vietnam sun. rita's immediate reaction was telling the woman that she should get the baby indoors, into the shade. probably anyone's first reaction.
so, that was the story that i thrived and regurgitated on when i talked to people about my then, impending trip to vietnam. now of course, seeing it for myself, including my own experiences mentioned earlier, the depth of this problem is apparent, it just burns a hole at the bottom, even further.
i had also seen the woman that rita spoke of. this time, her child was not a baby anymore. by the looks, probably 3 or 4 or 5, still breathing, i imagine, flung over her shoulder. skinny. malnutritioned. even if you give this mother money, it's evident, it's not going to her child. it's seemingly hopeless unless the people are educated or made to understand that you can't do this to a being. this child is used a prop. it's sad. and true, it exists in this part of the world.
before i came to vietnam, i had already been told by my friend rita about the poverty there. she mentioned a story about a woman asking for money carrying a baby when she was there. of course, this was under the blistering vietnam sun. rita's immediate reaction was telling the woman that she should get the baby indoors, into the shade. probably anyone's first reaction.
so, that was the story that i thrived and regurgitated on when i talked to people about my then, impending trip to vietnam. now of course, seeing it for myself, including my own experiences mentioned earlier, the depth of this problem is apparent, it just burns a hole at the bottom, even further.
i had also seen the woman that rita spoke of. this time, her child was not a baby anymore. by the looks, probably 3 or 4 or 5, still breathing, i imagine, flung over her shoulder. skinny. malnutritioned. even if you give this mother money, it's evident, it's not going to her child. it's seemingly hopeless unless the people are educated or made to understand that you can't do this to a being. this child is used a prop. it's sad. and true, it exists in this part of the world.
20070312
vietnam trip 2007 - part 3 - social poverty.
one afternoon, we went to a religious site. i really didn't know until i got there. my viet is pretty good, but when the tour guide goes into highschool level viet, i get lost. i'm not sure if i was the only one. after all, i didn't get an itinerary in paper form. basically, i was just following the guide around. anyway.
the religious site. the cathedral was one of two in vietnam. the other was in saigon. it was terribly mashed up during the war. there was this grand structure of this fantastic site. it was a tree. i forgot the name, but it was so strange. along with the middle part of the cathedral/tower, it was not destroyed. it has godly-like branches and stemmed out to mushroom like umbrellas. there was a service going on.
there was this bin of water that had the words "nuoc duc me." hey, to me it was funny. literately, that meant "virgin mary's water." it was in a solar power heater thing. ya.
this site was probably the poorest we saw the folk. not only poor but some had such physical disabilities. such as in pain staking, burns, inactive muscles, blindness.. this was where the people on my bus gave them money. it's not that i don't think it's a good cause, but i believe it's not anybody's responsiblity but the government's to take care of these people. i'm sad and slightly upset at this.
this stands next to the encounter of children working in the sand dunes at mui ne. immediately when we get off the bus, children come up and tell us if we want take a slide down the sand, we'd ask for them and donate for their plastic mat. before we got off the bus, the guide warned us about these children. they were young and giving them 5,000 dongs would suffice. that's 30 cents. another thing, don't give just for giving. there was this sweet girl, very smart alec. she tailed me and the aussie guy for a while. these children were from ages 6 to 14. basically, this is what they do on their time off, away from school, if they go to school.
i talked to a boy and that girl about themselves. they told me that 1 out of 10 children have the luck to go to school. i wasn't sure if they were exaggerating, but seeing that these children were out there, i doubted that less. we were near the best resorts in vietnam, and i can see that work in the resorts was totally the thing for everyone. everyone who lived here was part of that industry. these children will grow up to do the same.
the girl said that we can donate for services at any price. i was very relunctant. i don't think it's right, for some reason. anyway, she finally convinced the aussie guy to give it a try. which he did. apparently, a fellow child got angry that she got the money. and at 32,000 dong from the suggested 5,000 dong, that girl was extremely ecstatic. 32,000 dong is 2 bucks.
the religious site. the cathedral was one of two in vietnam. the other was in saigon. it was terribly mashed up during the war. there was this grand structure of this fantastic site. it was a tree. i forgot the name, but it was so strange. along with the middle part of the cathedral/tower, it was not destroyed. it has godly-like branches and stemmed out to mushroom like umbrellas. there was a service going on.
there was this bin of water that had the words "nuoc duc me." hey, to me it was funny. literately, that meant "virgin mary's water." it was in a solar power heater thing. ya.
this site was probably the poorest we saw the folk. not only poor but some had such physical disabilities. such as in pain staking, burns, inactive muscles, blindness.. this was where the people on my bus gave them money. it's not that i don't think it's a good cause, but i believe it's not anybody's responsiblity but the government's to take care of these people. i'm sad and slightly upset at this.
this stands next to the encounter of children working in the sand dunes at mui ne. immediately when we get off the bus, children come up and tell us if we want take a slide down the sand, we'd ask for them and donate for their plastic mat. before we got off the bus, the guide warned us about these children. they were young and giving them 5,000 dongs would suffice. that's 30 cents. another thing, don't give just for giving. there was this sweet girl, very smart alec. she tailed me and the aussie guy for a while. these children were from ages 6 to 14. basically, this is what they do on their time off, away from school, if they go to school.
i talked to a boy and that girl about themselves. they told me that 1 out of 10 children have the luck to go to school. i wasn't sure if they were exaggerating, but seeing that these children were out there, i doubted that less. we were near the best resorts in vietnam, and i can see that work in the resorts was totally the thing for everyone. everyone who lived here was part of that industry. these children will grow up to do the same.
the girl said that we can donate for services at any price. i was very relunctant. i don't think it's right, for some reason. anyway, she finally convinced the aussie guy to give it a try. which he did. apparently, a fellow child got angry that she got the money. and at 32,000 dong from the suggested 5,000 dong, that girl was extremely ecstatic. 32,000 dong is 2 bucks.
20070311
vietnam trip 2007 - part 2 - sites & beautiful children.
well. i knew before heading there for a month, that it would not be enough. i had planned this "homecoming" for about 4 years, since 2nd year university. initially, it was my destination for teaching abroad, but that obviously wasn't. i don't know if i will go there for teaching english, but i will definitely return to visit. hence, this july. re: i just came back spending all of february there.
i took a tour from saigon up to mid-vietnam/hue'. and. it was life learning. if you want to see ancient buildings that have not become "renewed" by paint, but are essentially dilapidated, mid-vietnam is the place to go. everything is just as is. very little is invested in the upkeep. i do have to say, it's pretty impressive for vietnam. where china has sites that are well sponsored by the government, vietnam has mausoleums that are quite unique. they probably exist in china, but i haven't seen them. not near beijing, nor xi'an.
there was the 2nd last emperor's mausoleum where the "house" above the body was completely made of porcelain. pieces put together, to make a beautiful colourful montage to every corner of the room. also, for an emperor that reigned closer to the beginning of the nguyen dynasty, i recognized the similarity of the tomb being on a mountain, but on this mountain, there was place for people to chill, and study. there were lakes and houses where folk would pose poetry and literature. of course, this was for the people of high status. but, to have this sort of thing just steps away from the buried dead, i thought was interesting. an answer was that death, was natural. it was common, buried, but exists around us. i really like that. i guess that has some spiritual relevancy.
when we spent our 3rd night of the tour at quy nhon, a small city somewhere between saigon and hue, i didn't expect to have such an impression. after inquiring about the internet at the hotel i was staying at, the attendent's answer of "$2 U.S. an hour", i snubbed and went out to take a look at the folk opera playing outside. (at the other hotels, it was 5,000 dong per hour/30 cents an hour.) i went out snapping pictures here and there, making lots of flashes, people were staring. i wanted the moment, and i did make a video. i will put it up sometime. it was in traditional viet, which was even harder for me to get the gist of.
there was a group of kids. they were so beautiful. they asked me a lot of questions. at that point, i really didn't want to say that i was foreign. i just said that i was from saigon, but teaching in china. this is what i can do, communicated to children in vietnam, since my viet vocab is just up to there. i don't like to take pictures of children if i don't have permission, but they begged me. they were really cute. they were so innocent. the eldest offer to visit my hotel room, which i explained was a big no-no. to visit a stranger in their hotel room is no good. another boy repeated after me that it wasn't so good. brings to show, if you tell kids, they'll learn and function with that. they asked me if i would return with the pictures. that boy says i could be in the lobby (sometime?) and they can come by to see them. how even more beautiful. unfortunately, i lost those photos, due to my stupidity with my camera the night after. the boy did asked me if i will visit again, the eldest knew i may not. i said i would, sometime in the future. for them.
well. more later on vietnam.
i took a tour from saigon up to mid-vietnam/hue'. and. it was life learning. if you want to see ancient buildings that have not become "renewed" by paint, but are essentially dilapidated, mid-vietnam is the place to go. everything is just as is. very little is invested in the upkeep. i do have to say, it's pretty impressive for vietnam. where china has sites that are well sponsored by the government, vietnam has mausoleums that are quite unique. they probably exist in china, but i haven't seen them. not near beijing, nor xi'an.
there was the 2nd last emperor's mausoleum where the "house" above the body was completely made of porcelain. pieces put together, to make a beautiful colourful montage to every corner of the room. also, for an emperor that reigned closer to the beginning of the nguyen dynasty, i recognized the similarity of the tomb being on a mountain, but on this mountain, there was place for people to chill, and study. there were lakes and houses where folk would pose poetry and literature. of course, this was for the people of high status. but, to have this sort of thing just steps away from the buried dead, i thought was interesting. an answer was that death, was natural. it was common, buried, but exists around us. i really like that. i guess that has some spiritual relevancy.
when we spent our 3rd night of the tour at quy nhon, a small city somewhere between saigon and hue, i didn't expect to have such an impression. after inquiring about the internet at the hotel i was staying at, the attendent's answer of "$2 U.S. an hour", i snubbed and went out to take a look at the folk opera playing outside. (at the other hotels, it was 5,000 dong per hour/30 cents an hour.) i went out snapping pictures here and there, making lots of flashes, people were staring. i wanted the moment, and i did make a video. i will put it up sometime. it was in traditional viet, which was even harder for me to get the gist of.
there was a group of kids. they were so beautiful. they asked me a lot of questions. at that point, i really didn't want to say that i was foreign. i just said that i was from saigon, but teaching in china. this is what i can do, communicated to children in vietnam, since my viet vocab is just up to there. i don't like to take pictures of children if i don't have permission, but they begged me. they were really cute. they were so innocent. the eldest offer to visit my hotel room, which i explained was a big no-no. to visit a stranger in their hotel room is no good. another boy repeated after me that it wasn't so good. brings to show, if you tell kids, they'll learn and function with that. they asked me if i would return with the pictures. that boy says i could be in the lobby (sometime?) and they can come by to see them. how even more beautiful. unfortunately, i lost those photos, due to my stupidity with my camera the night after. the boy did asked me if i will visit again, the eldest knew i may not. i said i would, sometime in the future. for them.
well. more later on vietnam.
20070310
vietnam trip 2007 - family in the native land.
it has been a while since i wrote. since last, i had a wonderful chance to go to vietnam for a whole month. mostly, i stayed at my aunts. we'd go into the city on her motorbike (very cool, by the way). we'd stop by her old house to park the bike and go grocery shopping. food galore. i was full every minute i was there in the country.
i got to see both my grandparents' old homes in saigon. i feel like everyone i know in china. i mean, in canada, we all live slightly oblivious to the history that our parents had when they were younger. how they lived, what they enjoyed, and the pains they took when they were our age. as a child to newcomers in canada, i finally got to see the life my parents left and brought upon them, the hardships that went on when they did so, even when they landed in canada. i love vietnam.
i met family that i never knew existed until recently. they lived in the same house my father did when he was young. it was humble and no new renovations, or any at all. they were working hard to make ends meet. i met two cousins that i didn't know existed. all in a world of their own. they had their problems and life, part of my family that i didn't know too much of. these aunts were very chatty compared to the rest of my dad's family in canada. which was real nice. and how my mom's side was very interlocked with my dad's side in vietnam. they knew each other pretty well.
well. that's just part 1 of my vietnam adventures. i loved vietnam. i will go again in july before i head back to canada.
i got to see both my grandparents' old homes in saigon. i feel like everyone i know in china. i mean, in canada, we all live slightly oblivious to the history that our parents had when they were younger. how they lived, what they enjoyed, and the pains they took when they were our age. as a child to newcomers in canada, i finally got to see the life my parents left and brought upon them, the hardships that went on when they did so, even when they landed in canada. i love vietnam.
i met family that i never knew existed until recently. they lived in the same house my father did when he was young. it was humble and no new renovations, or any at all. they were working hard to make ends meet. i met two cousins that i didn't know existed. all in a world of their own. they had their problems and life, part of my family that i didn't know too much of. these aunts were very chatty compared to the rest of my dad's family in canada. which was real nice. and how my mom's side was very interlocked with my dad's side in vietnam. they knew each other pretty well.
well. that's just part 1 of my vietnam adventures. i loved vietnam. i will go again in july before i head back to canada.
20070130
net bars in china.
i'm good now. at the net bar in taiyuan. it's actually in a tea house. a nice one. i was in a shitty one the other day. i set out looking for the net since the earthquake in taiwan had caused problems with the servers for weeks on boxing day. first, i went to the world trade hotel. after being discouraged by their absurd prices of 1.5 kuai a minute, i went to a nasty net bar for 2 kuai an hour. i can literally feel my skin burning off. i'm sure it was not only because i had this face wash thing done the day before, but it was just the nastiness of college aged bums and some nasty guy hacking beside me. i totally held my breath for the longest time. for my 2 kuai/30 cents worth of net time, i will never step into a net bar in china again. of course, this net bar is in a nice cafe, so it's okay. but man..
20061215
mornings
well, since i have mostly afternoon and evening classes, i could sleep in in the morning. for a while, i did.. but even that.. sleeping in meant sleeping in until 8am. i do watch movies at night, but sometimes i don't have the urge to. and when i get to bed at 10 or 11, i won't fall asleep until past midnight. it's kinda sad.. but yes.. my mornings..
when i first got here, i realized that it could be pretty noisy living in the school residences. there is a tape that plays at 8am every morning, people running up and down the stairs (staircase next to my room), and older folk doing tai chi in the main courtyard. one thing about china is everyone's understanding about how important exercise is for their body. in the mornings, in parks and other spaces, people do tai chi together. everywhere. in towns. cities. also, in the parks they set up these gym equipment that would remind the westerner of the jungle gyms in the west. or you can think of gym equipment made of metal, in the simplest form. people hop on and move their thing. the government really invests in stuff like this for the people, which is great i think. oh yes, i had been meaning to tape the older people doing taichi outside, but i have forgot so many times. then, a cold day in november, they stopped doing it. i lost my chance.
hmm.. at certain times of the day, there is a man going through the residence's garbage bins, looking for useful things for himself. in jincheng, in taiyuan.. very common in china, i think. also, there is a nice man that i recognize who uses this twiggish like broom to sweep the ground, also the grounds for the running track. the workers would take their broom and make a big sweep from one side to the other. then, another big sweep, on side to the other. one day, i was very insensitive and laughed (in my head) when leaves fell to the ground where he had swept.
those are some mornings of mine.
when i first got here, i realized that it could be pretty noisy living in the school residences. there is a tape that plays at 8am every morning, people running up and down the stairs (staircase next to my room), and older folk doing tai chi in the main courtyard. one thing about china is everyone's understanding about how important exercise is for their body. in the mornings, in parks and other spaces, people do tai chi together. everywhere. in towns. cities. also, in the parks they set up these gym equipment that would remind the westerner of the jungle gyms in the west. or you can think of gym equipment made of metal, in the simplest form. people hop on and move their thing. the government really invests in stuff like this for the people, which is great i think. oh yes, i had been meaning to tape the older people doing taichi outside, but i have forgot so many times. then, a cold day in november, they stopped doing it. i lost my chance.
hmm.. at certain times of the day, there is a man going through the residence's garbage bins, looking for useful things for himself. in jincheng, in taiyuan.. very common in china, i think. also, there is a nice man that i recognize who uses this twiggish like broom to sweep the ground, also the grounds for the running track. the workers would take their broom and make a big sweep from one side to the other. then, another big sweep, on side to the other. one day, i was very insensitive and laughed (in my head) when leaves fell to the ground where he had swept.
those are some mornings of mine.
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