December 1, 2008
Sorry to report that not much happened through Europe. Had a lovely visit with Sarah in Berlin, in Munich catch my connecting train to Rome with less than three minutes to run from one train to another, Rome was much smaller that I thought, Barcelona was lovely and laid back, and I am currently on a floating shopping mall with cholesterol buffet. Today is an “at sea” day. I look forward to the next two. Tomorrow we will be in Portugal and the next in the Canary Islands. I really am not too sure what I will do for the six days after that which are all at sea. I am sure this is more interesting if you are traveling with someone else or a group. Much of this is too cheesy for my taste. For example, tonight is Formal Attire for dinner or you had today the meet and greet with the Captain (you could get a photo if you wished) – oh the photographers are everywhere here – everywhere you turn someone is ready and waiting.
I have enjoyed my conversations with the staff. And the real staff – not the happy, happy we drank the koolade staff – but the real ones who will admit when they are tired or having an off day. Not someone who is negative and complains but will give you a real answer to how are you – and does not sound like the Good Witch Glinda every morning. And I know they have a job to do – and this is how they make their money – but I hate having people clean up after me. Especially after you just chatted with them for five minutes, talked about where they are from and how they are making money to put themselves from business school – and then the come around to pick up the plate you just used. Not my thing.
I will say this – I am loving the gym – although it is fun to try and keep your balance on the treadmill as the ship moves. And after 15 months of single beds and train and ship bunks, sleeping in a king size bed is fantastic!!!!
Okay it is day nine of this trip and I am bored out of my mind. The first few days were good because we had stops and I could go walk around. Oh and if I ever do cruise traveling again I will never, never go on a shore excursion – I am not a tour group person – just give me a map – hell you do not even have to give me the map – but I will find my own way around and do more and be more entertained on my own. But now it has been four day (I think four days) of nothing but sea and stagnant people on their two weeks of vacation. I want to go wander and get lost and find little shops and sit and talk with people who do not work in tourism. I am sure if this is your vacation for the year or you were traveling with other – I know I am not their normal demographic – this would be lovely but I cannot wait to get the heck off this thing in two days in Nassau. So sorry no adventurous tales. Right now my mind is on the wedding and buying new jeans. I am now down to 15 days until the wedding. I have to laugh. Fifteen days until my wedding and I am sitting on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic.
December 18, 2008
“Any arbitrary turning along the way and I would be elsewhere. I would be different.” (Under the Tuscan Sun)
I am not sure there is anything else to say besides that. I am nowhere near finished. My road is very long and what is beyond the horizon is yet unseen. However, glancing back over 32 years, I have been many places, met many people, and done many things. Some of which I am very proud of and many more than I want to admit are those that I am not. But without them I would not be here doing this. Presently I am sitting on a train that is stopped in Jackson, Mississippi. A train that is leading me back to Chicago and face-to-face again with my horizon. In four days I will marry it. I had once said to a friend about a road not taken years ago – that yes had I taken it I would be doing something – but I would not be doing this. And I like this – I like where I am.
I do hope that what has been written here has not failed to stir imaginations, hearts, and desires. Now go. It is not as difficult as they may have told you, and far more hospitable and welcoming as some have let on. Read a lot, plan a little, and jump. I hope that soon I will be reading the thought and impressions of a soul that could not be contained and had to strike out on its own path.
To Be Continued.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
I want to live in Warsaw!!
November 19, 2008
I am very much in awe of this city. I am so happy that I ended up coming through here. And I am not sure when, but I will come back again. There is so much to see and all so very intense. I spent the majority or my day between the Warsaw History Museum and then the Museum of Pawiak Prison. Although built during Tsarist control over Poland in the 18s, it was a Gestapo prison for unruly locals you decided they did not like the Nazis and did things like – OH – fight back – blow up train lines – assassinate German offices – sneak food in to the ghetto – sneak Jews out of the ghetto – write against the Nazis – hold secret school to actually teach Polish history and culture (you know in Poland – crazy idea) – or any general thing someone might find annoying to a fascist regime.
At the history museum they had a great film made up of footage from just before the invasion and then during and after. And one part that really struck me were the color slides taken by a girl that had been an art student at the time. They are the only color records known of – she joined the underground resistance and was given the task of collecting cultural works through the city before they could be stolen or destroyed by the Nazis. But to see the sites in color – the sun shining in to the blown out windows of a church – the buildings completely destroyed and laying in the streets – to see them as people would have seen them – not in the grainy, archaic black and white but everyday color. That was amazing.
Another thing that struck me in all the footage (and let’s puff up a little Polish pride here), were all other women. There was so much film footage and photographs of women hauling bricks, shoveling debris, fighting with the underground, and being part of sabotage groups. It also made me wish my grandfather was still around to ask questions. His family had already been in the US for almost 50 years by the time of the invasion, but I would love to have known what was his family’s reaction to the news. Did they have any family still in Poland at the time? If so where were they? But even my mother will say that when she trying to ask him about Poland – he would just smile and never answer the questions.
Something else interesting was a list of methods used by the Nazis on the people of Warsaw for control. Among the death and destruction was the one that simply said: “Preventative actions”. WOW – preventative actions? So what all does or does not fall under preventative? Because you might have a car accident, I will make a law that says I will fine you or tamper with you driving privilege should you not do this. Because you might hurt someone if you take any kind of non-government approved drug, I will keep you safe and outlaw these drugs and go after people who make or sell them (sshh but we will not talk about the huge amount of violence and crime I have actually created by doing this thing on the chance that you might hurt yourself or others). Because there might be harm being done to children – oh yes that is right it is for the children – even though we have no proof, we will attack a with military force. Because that person leading that country who we used to back but is not longer our friend, nationalized an industry and stole private property companies in our country owned and is saying asinine things, we will invade. Oh what sorry that’s called pre-emptive not preventative. Wait? What’s the difference?
Boy I just made some friends – didn’t I?
I am very much in awe of this city. I am so happy that I ended up coming through here. And I am not sure when, but I will come back again. There is so much to see and all so very intense. I spent the majority or my day between the Warsaw History Museum and then the Museum of Pawiak Prison. Although built during Tsarist control over Poland in the 18s, it was a Gestapo prison for unruly locals you decided they did not like the Nazis and did things like – OH – fight back – blow up train lines – assassinate German offices – sneak food in to the ghetto – sneak Jews out of the ghetto – write against the Nazis – hold secret school to actually teach Polish history and culture (you know in Poland – crazy idea) – or any general thing someone might find annoying to a fascist regime.
At the history museum they had a great film made up of footage from just before the invasion and then during and after. And one part that really struck me were the color slides taken by a girl that had been an art student at the time. They are the only color records known of – she joined the underground resistance and was given the task of collecting cultural works through the city before they could be stolen or destroyed by the Nazis. But to see the sites in color – the sun shining in to the blown out windows of a church – the buildings completely destroyed and laying in the streets – to see them as people would have seen them – not in the grainy, archaic black and white but everyday color. That was amazing.
Another thing that struck me in all the footage (and let’s puff up a little Polish pride here), were all other women. There was so much film footage and photographs of women hauling bricks, shoveling debris, fighting with the underground, and being part of sabotage groups. It also made me wish my grandfather was still around to ask questions. His family had already been in the US for almost 50 years by the time of the invasion, but I would love to have known what was his family’s reaction to the news. Did they have any family still in Poland at the time? If so where were they? But even my mother will say that when she trying to ask him about Poland – he would just smile and never answer the questions.
Something else interesting was a list of methods used by the Nazis on the people of Warsaw for control. Among the death and destruction was the one that simply said: “Preventative actions”. WOW – preventative actions? So what all does or does not fall under preventative? Because you might have a car accident, I will make a law that says I will fine you or tamper with you driving privilege should you not do this. Because you might hurt someone if you take any kind of non-government approved drug, I will keep you safe and outlaw these drugs and go after people who make or sell them (sshh but we will not talk about the huge amount of violence and crime I have actually created by doing this thing on the chance that you might hurt yourself or others). Because there might be harm being done to children – oh yes that is right it is for the children – even though we have no proof, we will attack a with military force. Because that person leading that country who we used to back but is not longer our friend, nationalized an industry and stole private property companies in our country owned and is saying asinine things, we will invade. Oh what sorry that’s called pre-emptive not preventative. Wait? What’s the difference?
Boy I just made some friends – didn’t I?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Moscow to Warsaw
November 13, 2008
Well, it is the afternoon of the 13th. I left Korea a week ago today, and I have a day left ‘til we reach Moscow. Sorry I do not have much to report. Tow things have struck me. The people on the trains in China were far more social. People here are really not coming out of their berths much. I was never for want of someone to talk to on that trip. But on the up side it smells a lot less. You would think that after five days on the train people would be rather ripe, but so far there have been only two men who in the last day have walked passed me in the hall and I have had to hold my breath. I do think people are getting annoyed because I hog the restroom for a good 20 -30 minutes every afternoon. The facilities are much cleaner and everyone dace with me – NO SQUATTERS!!!!!I do believe those days are long behind me.
November 16, 2008
I think I am having Western Re-entry Shock. I got too used to people being way to pleasant in Asia. Through any awkwardness or language barrier, people were always willing to help. Now I am being faced with Western Large Urban Area socialization. Utter indifference – Where my time is always more important than your need for directions even if my job is at the “help desk” of the Metro Station or hostel. Do not get me wrong – I am greatly enjoying being here – I have just wanted to smack a few people on the forehead. Although I am noticing that younger women are the most helpful of anyone I have met.
November 17, 2008
There is just way too much to see here and too much of it is closed on Sundays and Mondays. I need to come back here. Let the planning begin Josh. Come on we will do a WWII tour if Europe. It will be fun!!!
Now here is my gripe about tourist traveling and was a big factor in me going to live somewhere. You get to a place. It takes you (well me at least) a good day to work out the transit system, where everything you want to see is, blah, blah, blah. And then you only have two days to go and do it all. You see things but do not get a good feel for things. I hate that. I want at least two weeks. This two/three day thing is frustrating.
So tomorrow around noon I will be in Warsaw (for two and a half days – hahaha). I am really just getting geared up for this weekend and getting to see Sarah. I am so excited.
Oh my goodness. I am loving my conductress on this train. I am on the train on the way to Warsaw, and this woman is fabulous. Now there may be many factors playing in on this. 1) I have a better handle on how things work, 2) I am listening for key works and not looking like a wall hit me when someone starts talking to me, 3) this is a frequent route into other European countries and there for common to have non-Russians, and 4) this woman is not a drunken, bi-polar psycho who yells at me one minute and is all happy and laughing the next. This conductress has been patient with my broken (bad) Russian. She is using short simple sentences (and gestures) and is smiling. Oh I like this woman. And people in the other berths are passing by and saying hello (well not hello literally). I like this train! This is a happy train! I like the happy train! Now the only thing I am anxious about – “the getting through Russian and Belarusian immigration and customs”. I have my visas, my migration card, the card was registered and stamped in Vladivostok – I am pretty sure all is good – but I will not be absolutely sure until they stamp me and let me get out of here. This is the one reason I can’t wait to get into Western Europe – No Visas required.
Other things I am thankful for. The social rule that when you are getting onto a subway car – you stand to the side of the door and wait for the people getting off the train to – well – get off the train. As opposed to charging right into the center of the doorway regardless of anyone who might be trying to exit. (Not like anyone in Seoul might do that.) Also I have cleared the area where a freakish magnetic human force Demands that no matter which side you walk on, or how far or fast you move to get out of the way – Someone! Everyone! Will smack right into you. And it is not a ‘oops’ brush of the arm – it is a full on shoulder check. Here is a tip Korea. When walking through crowded space and you are walking towards someone – twist the shoulders. Lessens the chance of collision and contusions.
Ah – someone just gave me three apples – this is also the same person who just offered me vodka. I turned him down so now he has given me apples. Oh good times.
Well, it is the afternoon of the 13th. I left Korea a week ago today, and I have a day left ‘til we reach Moscow. Sorry I do not have much to report. Tow things have struck me. The people on the trains in China were far more social. People here are really not coming out of their berths much. I was never for want of someone to talk to on that trip. But on the up side it smells a lot less. You would think that after five days on the train people would be rather ripe, but so far there have been only two men who in the last day have walked passed me in the hall and I have had to hold my breath. I do think people are getting annoyed because I hog the restroom for a good 20 -30 minutes every afternoon. The facilities are much cleaner and everyone dace with me – NO SQUATTERS!!!!!I do believe those days are long behind me.
November 16, 2008
I think I am having Western Re-entry Shock. I got too used to people being way to pleasant in Asia. Through any awkwardness or language barrier, people were always willing to help. Now I am being faced with Western Large Urban Area socialization. Utter indifference – Where my time is always more important than your need for directions even if my job is at the “help desk” of the Metro Station or hostel. Do not get me wrong – I am greatly enjoying being here – I have just wanted to smack a few people on the forehead. Although I am noticing that younger women are the most helpful of anyone I have met.
November 17, 2008
There is just way too much to see here and too much of it is closed on Sundays and Mondays. I need to come back here. Let the planning begin Josh. Come on we will do a WWII tour if Europe. It will be fun!!!
Now here is my gripe about tourist traveling and was a big factor in me going to live somewhere. You get to a place. It takes you (well me at least) a good day to work out the transit system, where everything you want to see is, blah, blah, blah. And then you only have two days to go and do it all. You see things but do not get a good feel for things. I hate that. I want at least two weeks. This two/three day thing is frustrating.
So tomorrow around noon I will be in Warsaw (for two and a half days – hahaha). I am really just getting geared up for this weekend and getting to see Sarah. I am so excited.
Oh my goodness. I am loving my conductress on this train. I am on the train on the way to Warsaw, and this woman is fabulous. Now there may be many factors playing in on this. 1) I have a better handle on how things work, 2) I am listening for key works and not looking like a wall hit me when someone starts talking to me, 3) this is a frequent route into other European countries and there for common to have non-Russians, and 4) this woman is not a drunken, bi-polar psycho who yells at me one minute and is all happy and laughing the next. This conductress has been patient with my broken (bad) Russian. She is using short simple sentences (and gestures) and is smiling. Oh I like this woman. And people in the other berths are passing by and saying hello (well not hello literally). I like this train! This is a happy train! I like the happy train! Now the only thing I am anxious about – “the getting through Russian and Belarusian immigration and customs”. I have my visas, my migration card, the card was registered and stamped in Vladivostok – I am pretty sure all is good – but I will not be absolutely sure until they stamp me and let me get out of here. This is the one reason I can’t wait to get into Western Europe – No Visas required.
Other things I am thankful for. The social rule that when you are getting onto a subway car – you stand to the side of the door and wait for the people getting off the train to – well – get off the train. As opposed to charging right into the center of the doorway regardless of anyone who might be trying to exit. (Not like anyone in Seoul might do that.) Also I have cleared the area where a freakish magnetic human force Demands that no matter which side you walk on, or how far or fast you move to get out of the way – Someone! Everyone! Will smack right into you. And it is not a ‘oops’ brush of the arm – it is a full on shoulder check. Here is a tip Korea. When walking through crowded space and you are walking towards someone – twist the shoulders. Lessens the chance of collision and contusions.
Ah – someone just gave me three apples – this is also the same person who just offered me vodka. I turned him down so now he has given me apples. Oh good times.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
New Picture
OKay there are some pictures of Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian, and Moscow. Check out the Life in Korea section on the left side os the page.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Damned that's a long train ride!
November 8, 2008
I’m off – I’m off - the train is rolling and I am on the Trans-Siberian headed to Moscow. I would giggle and dance, but the two guys in my berth might think I am insane. I already managed to spill water all over myself. They already know I am a cluts – they do not need proof of my insanity.
Now I may not be saying this after six day, but this is probably the most comfortable sleeper I have ever been in on a train. It is actually soft. Although I did get yelled at by the very big Russian lady checking tickets at my train car. I miss understood her and thought she was telling me I had gone to the wrong car. In fact she was just giving me stern instructions as to what number bed I was. Well I started walking away, and she gave this very discussed HET (Nyet) and bids he follow her. She takes me to my bunk. Sternly lectures me some more and leaves. This was a large woman in a long official grey overcoat and scary hat with short blond hair. I was scared. Yet somehow feel comforted that if we happen to be attacked by wolves of bandits – she will be able to fend them off.
November 9, 2008
Okay into the evening of the first day. I am trying to pace myself. Do not write too much. Do not read too much. Do not take out the IPod. Do not turn on the computer except to show pictures. Do get off at each rest stop. Take a chance for fresh, cool air. One thing they know on this train – heating! I thought I was going to melt last night.
So yesterday evening I befriended an older British couple in their way back to London. (They have been traveling around the for seven months – See – See – take notes Josh.) They were staying at the same hotel. While I was down in the lobby picking up WiFi, I realized they had their bags with them. I had heard them talking so I knew they spoke English. So as I was getting a water, I asked if they were waiting for a train. In fact they were – the same one I was waiting for. We chatted – and when it came time we all walked down to the station together. They are in the car next to mine and theirs in a two person berth. Very nice. I am in the four person berth. I figured it gave me a chance to meet more people. In my berth, it is me and three men in their 40s or 50s. Very nice guys. Two are friends and the other just got on the train this morning. Of the friends both are very nice, but the one does not talk or socialize much. The other has been helping me figure out Russian words so I can make real sentences. The other who just got on this morning has done the same. I am so glad I brought my computer. I was thinking about not doing so before I left, but it has been so useful in relaying the story of this lone American chick and what in the world she is doing. I even took some words I knew in English, Russian and Korean – like the words for teacher and wrote them out for them. “See, see I am slaughtering your language, but I know this other really funny looking one!!” Somehow it makes me feel vindicated.
While we were eating lunch, one of the men flipped over his knife and fork. He was making chopsticks and asking me something with a big smile. So I dug in my backpack and brought out my utensils bag – in which I had a fork, spoon, and metal Korean chopsticks. They were very impressed when I started eating the rice with them.
But they have all been very nice. Actually I have not gotten up to get my own hot water for tea or through away trash yet. Every time I did the one would shake his head and take it from me. Now I am thinking that the hot water part might be a matter of self-preservation. There is this rather intimidating contraption at the end of the car for hot water. He is probably thinking “I don’t want this clumsy fool to blow us all up!”
Day one has gone rather smoothly – five more to go. For now sit back watch the sun set and wait for dinner.
November 10, 2008
And thus bring a close to day two. Four more to go. Well kind of like 3 and 2/3. We should be pulling into Moscow around 6PM on the14th. I have passed away the time quite nicely not really doing much of anything. Even got up the energy to bundle myself up and talk a walk around the platform at the last long stop. It was dark and everything was dusted in white and it was snowing. And it was not an uneasy thought or make me uncomfortable in anyway, but I did mutter to myself “My goodness I am a long way from home.” I have never said that before. It took a snowy, dark, middle of nowhere stop in Russia to bring it out. If you would like to pull out an atlas, and I am not even sure you will find this town on there. Look to the right of the country going towards the Mongolian boarder. In English I think it would be spelled Chyernishyeusk Zab. I look at my berth-mate’s map and am floored at how little ground we have covered in 48 hours. Not like I do not come from a big country. The U.S. is not shabby on the square footage, but this is jaw dropping.
I mentioned earlier the kindness of my berth-mates. Well a few amusing stories with that. Last night I fell asleep with my day clothes on and on top of my bedding – these berths get so hot once the door is closed and everyone is sleeping. Well the gentleman on the other lower bunk reached his final stop late last night. Well as he was rolling up his bedding, he took his blanket and but it on me. Well it was either him or the very attentive gentleman above me (GAM). I was aware enough to know the blanket was put on me, but not enough to know who did it. Then the GAM right before we went into a tunnel reached over and put my reading lamp on for me. Now at that time I was laying on my stomach writing or reading. As we entered the tunnel, I realized I still had light. I looked up and thought perhaps I had left it on from before. I only realized he had done it when after we were out of the tunnel, he reached over and turned it off for me. Oh my!
Now I am noticing a trend that everything gets very quiet between 4 and 6. All the berth doors close and folks take a nap or settle on their bunks. I did so for about 30 minutes but around 4:30 got puckish. So I decided to go check out the dining car and on the way say hello to the British couple. When I left GAM was napping. I was gone for perhaps an hour or 2. When I returned people were awake and roaming around. Well, GAM sat down across from me with a bright smile and asked “Jennifer okay?” “Yes I’m okay.(smiling) I went to the restaurant and talked with …” he filled in “ah friends” “Yes English friends.” I found it very amusing that he was concerned when I was gone for a long while. Very funny.
I’m off – I’m off - the train is rolling and I am on the Trans-Siberian headed to Moscow. I would giggle and dance, but the two guys in my berth might think I am insane. I already managed to spill water all over myself. They already know I am a cluts – they do not need proof of my insanity.
Now I may not be saying this after six day, but this is probably the most comfortable sleeper I have ever been in on a train. It is actually soft. Although I did get yelled at by the very big Russian lady checking tickets at my train car. I miss understood her and thought she was telling me I had gone to the wrong car. In fact she was just giving me stern instructions as to what number bed I was. Well I started walking away, and she gave this very discussed HET (Nyet) and bids he follow her. She takes me to my bunk. Sternly lectures me some more and leaves. This was a large woman in a long official grey overcoat and scary hat with short blond hair. I was scared. Yet somehow feel comforted that if we happen to be attacked by wolves of bandits – she will be able to fend them off.
November 9, 2008
Okay into the evening of the first day. I am trying to pace myself. Do not write too much. Do not read too much. Do not take out the IPod. Do not turn on the computer except to show pictures. Do get off at each rest stop. Take a chance for fresh, cool air. One thing they know on this train – heating! I thought I was going to melt last night.
So yesterday evening I befriended an older British couple in their way back to London. (They have been traveling around the for seven months – See – See – take notes Josh.) They were staying at the same hotel. While I was down in the lobby picking up WiFi, I realized they had their bags with them. I had heard them talking so I knew they spoke English. So as I was getting a water, I asked if they were waiting for a train. In fact they were – the same one I was waiting for. We chatted – and when it came time we all walked down to the station together. They are in the car next to mine and theirs in a two person berth. Very nice. I am in the four person berth. I figured it gave me a chance to meet more people. In my berth, it is me and three men in their 40s or 50s. Very nice guys. Two are friends and the other just got on the train this morning. Of the friends both are very nice, but the one does not talk or socialize much. The other has been helping me figure out Russian words so I can make real sentences. The other who just got on this morning has done the same. I am so glad I brought my computer. I was thinking about not doing so before I left, but it has been so useful in relaying the story of this lone American chick and what in the world she is doing. I even took some words I knew in English, Russian and Korean – like the words for teacher and wrote them out for them. “See, see I am slaughtering your language, but I know this other really funny looking one!!” Somehow it makes me feel vindicated.
While we were eating lunch, one of the men flipped over his knife and fork. He was making chopsticks and asking me something with a big smile. So I dug in my backpack and brought out my utensils bag – in which I had a fork, spoon, and metal Korean chopsticks. They were very impressed when I started eating the rice with them.
But they have all been very nice. Actually I have not gotten up to get my own hot water for tea or through away trash yet. Every time I did the one would shake his head and take it from me. Now I am thinking that the hot water part might be a matter of self-preservation. There is this rather intimidating contraption at the end of the car for hot water. He is probably thinking “I don’t want this clumsy fool to blow us all up!”
Day one has gone rather smoothly – five more to go. For now sit back watch the sun set and wait for dinner.
November 10, 2008
And thus bring a close to day two. Four more to go. Well kind of like 3 and 2/3. We should be pulling into Moscow around 6PM on the14th. I have passed away the time quite nicely not really doing much of anything. Even got up the energy to bundle myself up and talk a walk around the platform at the last long stop. It was dark and everything was dusted in white and it was snowing. And it was not an uneasy thought or make me uncomfortable in anyway, but I did mutter to myself “My goodness I am a long way from home.” I have never said that before. It took a snowy, dark, middle of nowhere stop in Russia to bring it out. If you would like to pull out an atlas, and I am not even sure you will find this town on there. Look to the right of the country going towards the Mongolian boarder. In English I think it would be spelled Chyernishyeusk Zab. I look at my berth-mate’s map and am floored at how little ground we have covered in 48 hours. Not like I do not come from a big country. The U.S. is not shabby on the square footage, but this is jaw dropping.
I mentioned earlier the kindness of my berth-mates. Well a few amusing stories with that. Last night I fell asleep with my day clothes on and on top of my bedding – these berths get so hot once the door is closed and everyone is sleeping. Well the gentleman on the other lower bunk reached his final stop late last night. Well as he was rolling up his bedding, he took his blanket and but it on me. Well it was either him or the very attentive gentleman above me (GAM). I was aware enough to know the blanket was put on me, but not enough to know who did it. Then the GAM right before we went into a tunnel reached over and put my reading lamp on for me. Now at that time I was laying on my stomach writing or reading. As we entered the tunnel, I realized I still had light. I looked up and thought perhaps I had left it on from before. I only realized he had done it when after we were out of the tunnel, he reached over and turned it off for me. Oh my!
Now I am noticing a trend that everything gets very quiet between 4 and 6. All the berth doors close and folks take a nap or settle on their bunks. I did so for about 30 minutes but around 4:30 got puckish. So I decided to go check out the dining car and on the way say hello to the British couple. When I left GAM was napping. I was gone for perhaps an hour or 2. When I returned people were awake and roaming around. Well, GAM sat down across from me with a bright smile and asked “Jennifer okay?” “Yes I’m okay.(smiling) I went to the restaurant and talked with …” he filled in “ah friends” “Yes English friends.” I found it very amusing that he was concerned when I was gone for a long while. Very funny.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
What do you do with a dancing sailor?
Now I know many out there have a great number of reservations about the fact that I travel alone. And believe me – to some degree I have them as well. But you do your research, plan as much as you can yet be flexible to realize that the best laid plan will go to pot at some point, be smart about safety but be open enough for new experiences.
And will all the risk that may still be there, I would never trade traveling alone for traveling with a group. There are so many encounters that would never happen any other way.
So let me tell you about the old, Russian guy in the lounge of the boat. I was sitting in one of the booths in the lounge watching a movie on my computer. And people were walking behind me to see what was going on. There are only four English speakers on the boat (myself and three guys from Canada) and there are really not that many people on the boat. So news of people who are neither Russian nor Korean travels rather fast. Especially if one happens to be an “American Woman” (please be sure to say that with a very deep, loud and boisterous Russian accent) which is what my name became among a – from what I could piece together – crew of Russian boats men traveling home.
As I am watching my movie, all of a sudden I feel someone pet the top of my head. I look up to see this old, Russian guy smiling back at me. He does it again and mutters the Russian word for beautiful. I tell him thank you but really can’t stop laughing – Come on if a guy can offer me money to marry his brother – why can’t an old, Russian guy pet my hair.
Anyway he sits down beside me. I offer him one of my earpieces to listen to the movie. We watch for a while and then begin a very rough conversation. I can shop and ask directions, but other than my Russian sucks! From what I can figure – he at one point had sailed to New Zealand. I showed him pictures of my students to drive in that I was a English teacher in Korea. I showed him pictures of Japan, India, and China. He kissed the top of my head. I was laughing so hard. It very much reminded me of the time when I took Cam and Jay to an Indian restaurant. And the old woman there took a great liking to Jay. Gave him free food and held him to her bosom. Eventually my battery ran low and I went wondering in search of an outlet. That is where I came across the Russian sailors. Oh it was so funny. Five Russian guys trying to piece together enough English to ask me questions, and they are all talking at once and so fast – I can only pick out words here and there. The one guy would keep asking his friends Kak (blahblah blah)? Kak is what. So he would ask “What is (an then some Russian word)?” And here I am thinking – Yes! Exactly what is that Russian words.
So this went round and round for a good 30 minutes or so. It was delightful. Then the dancing began. One of the guys, rather short, like a little Russian elf, through much labored miming asks if I would dance. Okay sure – why not. I am wearing my boots so there was no way this was going to be graceful. He calls for music and the other guys start clapping. It was a hoot. **** Okay I have to take a second and give it up for bread. I am currently sitting on the restaurant of my hotel in Vladivostok waiting for my dinner. I ordered a basket of bread. I have not had real – honest to God – bread in 14 months. Here I am eating a dark rye and drinking tea in Russia. I am a happy camper. ***
Okay back to the Russian sailors. So finally – and it was only 8 PM – one of the older one, but the one who first asked me to come talk, decided it was time for me to go to sleep. So after a round of hand kissing (them kissing mine), he walks me back to my bunk. I am in economy A class so it is a large area of sectioned off bunk beds. He walks me to my bunk, kisses my hand again, puts his hands together at the side of his head as if sleeping, points to the bunk and walks away. I just laid there on my bunk and laughed my butt off.
Then this morning, I go down to the lounge again and as I walk in I hear this very thick Russian accent (of course) “Ah American Woman”. And there is a big older guy smiling up at me. And this is one I have not spoken with the night before. In the end he was showing me pictures on his cell phone of his little boy, and I showed him pictures of Josh, my family, and my students in Korea on my computer.
Things to adjust to – 1) just about everyone is taller than me. I know there are some tall Koreans, but on average the men are my height and the women shorter. Now I am in the land of bears and hockey player. 2) Diminished personal space. Now it is not like India, but it certainly is not the guarded, walled distance of Korea.
*** Side not – my food is here – and I know there will be some suffering to be had this evening because I am eating Chicken Kiev. I have not made it a habit of eating meat and will always go veggie if I have the choice, but over the past year I have faced the eat meat or do not eat option while traveling. So yes Chicken Kiev in Russia. Things my stomach will not like this evening: the meat and the pool of butter that could drop a horse that it has been cooked in. But one pleasant self-discovery. On the side was this roasted tomato with melted cheese on top of some unknown veggie. I think a year ago I would have just eaten the tomato and cheese. Yet after chopped up squid and the snout soup for lunch yesterday (I only ate the noodles and broth) a little unknown veggie is no problem.
And will all the risk that may still be there, I would never trade traveling alone for traveling with a group. There are so many encounters that would never happen any other way.
So let me tell you about the old, Russian guy in the lounge of the boat. I was sitting in one of the booths in the lounge watching a movie on my computer. And people were walking behind me to see what was going on. There are only four English speakers on the boat (myself and three guys from Canada) and there are really not that many people on the boat. So news of people who are neither Russian nor Korean travels rather fast. Especially if one happens to be an “American Woman” (please be sure to say that with a very deep, loud and boisterous Russian accent) which is what my name became among a – from what I could piece together – crew of Russian boats men traveling home.
As I am watching my movie, all of a sudden I feel someone pet the top of my head. I look up to see this old, Russian guy smiling back at me. He does it again and mutters the Russian word for beautiful. I tell him thank you but really can’t stop laughing – Come on if a guy can offer me money to marry his brother – why can’t an old, Russian guy pet my hair.
Anyway he sits down beside me. I offer him one of my earpieces to listen to the movie. We watch for a while and then begin a very rough conversation. I can shop and ask directions, but other than my Russian sucks! From what I can figure – he at one point had sailed to New Zealand. I showed him pictures of my students to drive in that I was a English teacher in Korea. I showed him pictures of Japan, India, and China. He kissed the top of my head. I was laughing so hard. It very much reminded me of the time when I took Cam and Jay to an Indian restaurant. And the old woman there took a great liking to Jay. Gave him free food and held him to her bosom. Eventually my battery ran low and I went wondering in search of an outlet. That is where I came across the Russian sailors. Oh it was so funny. Five Russian guys trying to piece together enough English to ask me questions, and they are all talking at once and so fast – I can only pick out words here and there. The one guy would keep asking his friends Kak (blahblah blah)? Kak is what. So he would ask “What is (an then some Russian word)?” And here I am thinking – Yes! Exactly what is that Russian words.
So this went round and round for a good 30 minutes or so. It was delightful. Then the dancing began. One of the guys, rather short, like a little Russian elf, through much labored miming asks if I would dance. Okay sure – why not. I am wearing my boots so there was no way this was going to be graceful. He calls for music and the other guys start clapping. It was a hoot. **** Okay I have to take a second and give it up for bread. I am currently sitting on the restaurant of my hotel in Vladivostok waiting for my dinner. I ordered a basket of bread. I have not had real – honest to God – bread in 14 months. Here I am eating a dark rye and drinking tea in Russia. I am a happy camper. ***
Okay back to the Russian sailors. So finally – and it was only 8 PM – one of the older one, but the one who first asked me to come talk, decided it was time for me to go to sleep. So after a round of hand kissing (them kissing mine), he walks me back to my bunk. I am in economy A class so it is a large area of sectioned off bunk beds. He walks me to my bunk, kisses my hand again, puts his hands together at the side of his head as if sleeping, points to the bunk and walks away. I just laid there on my bunk and laughed my butt off.
Then this morning, I go down to the lounge again and as I walk in I hear this very thick Russian accent (of course) “Ah American Woman”. And there is a big older guy smiling up at me. And this is one I have not spoken with the night before. In the end he was showing me pictures on his cell phone of his little boy, and I showed him pictures of Josh, my family, and my students in Korea on my computer.
Things to adjust to – 1) just about everyone is taller than me. I know there are some tall Koreans, but on average the men are my height and the women shorter. Now I am in the land of bears and hockey player. 2) Diminished personal space. Now it is not like India, but it certainly is not the guarded, walled distance of Korea.
*** Side not – my food is here – and I know there will be some suffering to be had this evening because I am eating Chicken Kiev. I have not made it a habit of eating meat and will always go veggie if I have the choice, but over the past year I have faced the eat meat or do not eat option while traveling. So yes Chicken Kiev in Russia. Things my stomach will not like this evening: the meat and the pool of butter that could drop a horse that it has been cooked in. But one pleasant self-discovery. On the side was this roasted tomato with melted cheese on top of some unknown veggie. I think a year ago I would have just eaten the tomato and cheese. Yet after chopped up squid and the snout soup for lunch yesterday (I only ate the noodles and broth) a little unknown veggie is no problem.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Holding in Sokcho
This is it. My time in Korea and now at an end - well will be soon if they ever load this boat and get on the way. I am currently sitting on the floor of the terminal near an outlet. The boat was scheduled to leave at 3PM; however, we are now being told it will not go 'til 5 PM. Ah well. I am glad at this point that I brought my lap top. Or else I would be beyond bored at this point.
I left Seoul this morning at 8:20 on a bus. Got to Sokcho around 12:00 - walked over here and have been waiting ever since. Korea just won't let me go!!! I really just want to sleep. I really would like to sleep right now.
I left Seoul this morning at 8:20 on a bus. Got to Sokcho around 12:00 - walked over here and have been waiting ever since. Korea just won't let me go!!! I really just want to sleep. I really would like to sleep right now.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
New Taekwondo Kick
OKay, please take into consideration that I had just learned this kick the night before for like 15 minutes.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Wedding Plan Change
Let it not be said that my life was not adventurous. So there has been a change to the wedding plans. Now before you all start hyperventilating like my mother did when I told her – there will still be a wedding. The change has come in how and when it will take place. Josh and I have decided that we will be having a very small (as in whoever can make it) ceremony in Chicago on December 22 (yes in three months). Then over the course of seven months we will be hosting celebrations in Chicago, Bishop Hill, Pittsburgh, and Houston.
We are not exactly sure how the ceremony will be going down. It may be in the afternoon at the church I go to in Chicago or if that is not possible, it may just be at the JP. That will come together over the next couple weeks. On the 23rd we will then head to Pittsburgh for Christmas Eve and Christmas (no this is not part of the seven months of celebrations) then head on for a little vacation before he has to be back to work. After a few weeks, we will have a reception for the people in Chicago. A couple months later we will have a reception near Bishop Hill, IL where much of Josh’s family located. Then come summer we will have receptions in Houston and in Pittsburgh. My plan for Pittsburgh is to have a big picnic for all on Saturday, June 27th (the original day of the wedding). Houston folks – please you have to know my plan – everyone to Bibas. I will let you guys know when we will come to town well in advance.
So there is the plan. I have been dancing around ever since we decided on the changes a couple days ago. I look forward to celebrating with everyone over the course of the Fulton-Hawk Progress.
We are not exactly sure how the ceremony will be going down. It may be in the afternoon at the church I go to in Chicago or if that is not possible, it may just be at the JP. That will come together over the next couple weeks. On the 23rd we will then head to Pittsburgh for Christmas Eve and Christmas (no this is not part of the seven months of celebrations) then head on for a little vacation before he has to be back to work. After a few weeks, we will have a reception for the people in Chicago. A couple months later we will have a reception near Bishop Hill, IL where much of Josh’s family located. Then come summer we will have receptions in Houston and in Pittsburgh. My plan for Pittsburgh is to have a big picnic for all on Saturday, June 27th (the original day of the wedding). Houston folks – please you have to know my plan – everyone to Bibas. I will let you guys know when we will come to town well in advance.
So there is the plan. I have been dancing around ever since we decided on the changes a couple days ago. I look forward to celebrating with everyone over the course of the Fulton-Hawk Progress.
Monday, September 15, 2008
China Part 2
August 17, 2008
In Xi’an now. This is where the silk road begins and the Terracotta Soldiers, which I am going to see tomorrow, are just outside of the city. Now this will sound odd, but today is the first day I feel like I am in China. Shanghai is so western and modern, and Sanya is so beach town – so far from any major city. Here I am seeing ancient structures. Xi’an is surrounded by a wall with huge gates on four sides (my hostel sits right by one of them). The traffic actually flows through them. Massive multilevel drum and bell towers built in the 1300s. Even the modern building use a Chinese styles and designs. Now one thing that was much better about the first half of my trip – No Pollution. Blue skies in Shanghai – Blue skies in Sanya – Smog in Xi’an. Ah my taste of China.
August 18, 2008
You know the smog thing is really sad. Today I went out on a tour of the Terracotta Soldiers. It is about a 30 minute drive outside of Xi’an. And where it is located would be this lovely green flat plane surrounded by mountains – and it is surrounded by mountains – you just cannot see them through all the smog. As you look out from the museum park, there are these faint, ghostly shadows raising up from the ground.
Now the soldiers themselves – 2,200 years old – each unique – hundreds of thousands were made but only a few thousand unearthed. After the death of the king who ordered their creation, rebellious armies stole the real weapons each had and set the whole thing on fire – remember we are talking about a replica of a whole army – this is s lot of statues, horses statues, chariots – all set on fire and the roof that was meant to protect them collapsed. Charred, bruised, broken but they have managed to put some of the king’s horses and some of the king’s men back together again. A few days ago I was thinking about staying in Sanya an extra day and skipping Xi’an. Oh what a mistake that would have been. Currently I am on the direct speed train to Beijing. And according to the friendly voice, I will be there in 11 hours and 1 minute. I really do not know why the just cannot round to the nearest five. Example: the train left Xi’an at 8:16 PM. 16? Really? Why not 15? or if you really want to be safe, just leave at twenty passed. I think the most interesting thing for me is to look at the dates on things here and compare it to what was happening in the west. What was going on in Western civilizations 2,200 years ago? There is this fortress in Suwon just south of Seoul that was completed in 1776. Hehe.
August 20, 2008
Last day in China. Tomorrow morning I head home. I must say I am ready. Not that this has not been a lovely trip. I have seen many different things – I am currently waiting to leave on the tour to the Great Wall, but I cannot say I would ever make it a priority to visit again. I have seen the main stuff, and I feel satisfied. That is pretty much what I have to say on the matter.
August 22, 2008
Lord I am tired. It is not 20 after 11AM and my ship is sailing – Literally. This time tomorrow I will be back in Seoul. But in order to get here – I got up at 4AM to get a 6:30 train to Tianjin (it was an express train – wonderful thing- I think it was the fastest thing about my day so far – 30 minutes). Then I had the worst cab driver in all of history. He must have been at the end of his shift because he was on the verge of sleep the whole way. He kept slowing down to 60kph on the expressway and could not stay in a lane if his life depended on it. I had 14km of traffic honking for him to speed up and get over. I finally just started yelling – I know he did not know what I was saying, but hopefully it was at least getting through that I was pissed. The he had the nerve to try and short me on my change. Oh no- that was not about to fly. But anyway I am here and waiting for my mandoo to come.
So let me tell you about my favorite thing about China. I was really worried because this trip did not seem to yield the same kind of wonder and stories as my last one. Then I went to the Great Wall. The part I went to is about an hour and a half outside of Beijing – so the result is a much, much smaller crowd. Now the Wall runs along mountain tops – so in order to get up to it, you have two options 1) a 1-2 hour hike – okay or 2) a cable lift much like for skiing, up the mountain over the trees and rocks. Hahahahaha – Oh bless the heart of the Australian guy on the tour who ended up I the lift with me. I kept my eyes closed (except for the few times I opened the just to make sure this really did bother me) and he kept me talking the whole time. We discussed the social tensions between Koreans and Japanese. So there – score one for Jenn – she neither cried nor bent the bar she was white-knuckling. The Wall and ok the amount of stairs that came with it – and the variety of the stairs. From ones as tall as mid-calf to ones only a few inches high. But no matter how you look at it, you are climbing straight up – no gradual slope – vertical. Makes for a good time going back down.
Now who said there are not choices in communism. Just as you could walk or take the lift to come up – you have an additional choice going down – Which brings me to my favorite thing in China. Toboggan !!!!! Ok – yes my friends – if you so choose – and have no doubt I did – you can take a toboggan like scooter (equipped with hand break) all the way back down the mountain – And yes I took pictures.
So there you have it folks – sunburn, many trains, pollution, crowds, great food, a horrible taxi driver, and a toboggan ride down from the Great Wall – there is my trip to China.
In Xi’an now. This is where the silk road begins and the Terracotta Soldiers, which I am going to see tomorrow, are just outside of the city. Now this will sound odd, but today is the first day I feel like I am in China. Shanghai is so western and modern, and Sanya is so beach town – so far from any major city. Here I am seeing ancient structures. Xi’an is surrounded by a wall with huge gates on four sides (my hostel sits right by one of them). The traffic actually flows through them. Massive multilevel drum and bell towers built in the 1300s. Even the modern building use a Chinese styles and designs. Now one thing that was much better about the first half of my trip – No Pollution. Blue skies in Shanghai – Blue skies in Sanya – Smog in Xi’an. Ah my taste of China.
August 18, 2008
You know the smog thing is really sad. Today I went out on a tour of the Terracotta Soldiers. It is about a 30 minute drive outside of Xi’an. And where it is located would be this lovely green flat plane surrounded by mountains – and it is surrounded by mountains – you just cannot see them through all the smog. As you look out from the museum park, there are these faint, ghostly shadows raising up from the ground.
Now the soldiers themselves – 2,200 years old – each unique – hundreds of thousands were made but only a few thousand unearthed. After the death of the king who ordered their creation, rebellious armies stole the real weapons each had and set the whole thing on fire – remember we are talking about a replica of a whole army – this is s lot of statues, horses statues, chariots – all set on fire and the roof that was meant to protect them collapsed. Charred, bruised, broken but they have managed to put some of the king’s horses and some of the king’s men back together again. A few days ago I was thinking about staying in Sanya an extra day and skipping Xi’an. Oh what a mistake that would have been. Currently I am on the direct speed train to Beijing. And according to the friendly voice, I will be there in 11 hours and 1 minute. I really do not know why the just cannot round to the nearest five. Example: the train left Xi’an at 8:16 PM. 16? Really? Why not 15? or if you really want to be safe, just leave at twenty passed. I think the most interesting thing for me is to look at the dates on things here and compare it to what was happening in the west. What was going on in Western civilizations 2,200 years ago? There is this fortress in Suwon just south of Seoul that was completed in 1776. Hehe.
August 20, 2008
Last day in China. Tomorrow morning I head home. I must say I am ready. Not that this has not been a lovely trip. I have seen many different things – I am currently waiting to leave on the tour to the Great Wall, but I cannot say I would ever make it a priority to visit again. I have seen the main stuff, and I feel satisfied. That is pretty much what I have to say on the matter.
August 22, 2008
Lord I am tired. It is not 20 after 11AM and my ship is sailing – Literally. This time tomorrow I will be back in Seoul. But in order to get here – I got up at 4AM to get a 6:30 train to Tianjin (it was an express train – wonderful thing- I think it was the fastest thing about my day so far – 30 minutes). Then I had the worst cab driver in all of history. He must have been at the end of his shift because he was on the verge of sleep the whole way. He kept slowing down to 60kph on the expressway and could not stay in a lane if his life depended on it. I had 14km of traffic honking for him to speed up and get over. I finally just started yelling – I know he did not know what I was saying, but hopefully it was at least getting through that I was pissed. The he had the nerve to try and short me on my change. Oh no- that was not about to fly. But anyway I am here and waiting for my mandoo to come.
So let me tell you about my favorite thing about China. I was really worried because this trip did not seem to yield the same kind of wonder and stories as my last one. Then I went to the Great Wall. The part I went to is about an hour and a half outside of Beijing – so the result is a much, much smaller crowd. Now the Wall runs along mountain tops – so in order to get up to it, you have two options 1) a 1-2 hour hike – okay or 2) a cable lift much like for skiing, up the mountain over the trees and rocks. Hahahahaha – Oh bless the heart of the Australian guy on the tour who ended up I the lift with me. I kept my eyes closed (except for the few times I opened the just to make sure this really did bother me) and he kept me talking the whole time. We discussed the social tensions between Koreans and Japanese. So there – score one for Jenn – she neither cried nor bent the bar she was white-knuckling. The Wall and ok the amount of stairs that came with it – and the variety of the stairs. From ones as tall as mid-calf to ones only a few inches high. But no matter how you look at it, you are climbing straight up – no gradual slope – vertical. Makes for a good time going back down.
Now who said there are not choices in communism. Just as you could walk or take the lift to come up – you have an additional choice going down – Which brings me to my favorite thing in China. Toboggan !!!!! Ok – yes my friends – if you so choose – and have no doubt I did – you can take a toboggan like scooter (equipped with hand break) all the way back down the mountain – And yes I took pictures.
So there you have it folks – sunburn, many trains, pollution, crowds, great food, a horrible taxi driver, and a toboggan ride down from the Great Wall – there is my trip to China.
Friday, August 29, 2008
China Part 1
August 23, 2008
My words through China.
August 12, 2008
Like people who write their memoirs before they have had a mid-life crisis, it would have been rather premature of me to start writing before today. Well, actually, I must admit I did; however, I have been confronted a few times with better ways to begin. This then brings me to the classic question: “Where to begin?” Some say the beginning is the best, yet my beginning in China was rather calm. Let’s start with the present. Presently, I am on a train that has just left Shanghai for Sanya. Sanya is a small town on an island far southwest. We departed at 9:50AM Tuesday and will arrive 20:? Wednesday. So I have about a 34 hour trip ahead of me. And I barely caught this train. Now I may be a diligent planner and researcher, yet at times the more obvious details may escape me. When buying an advanced ticket be sure to check the date. I was all the way on the train – my bag on the bunk before I or anyone else realized the ticket was for tomorrow. So in “Amazing Race” fashion and after being handed off to three people who spoke no English. I was able to get out of the waiting lounge and run to the ticket counter. I have waited in many a long cue – in places with staggering population counts – you face the wait with a smile – except this time. I ran straight to the front (I did wait for the man already there to finish his business) thrust my hand through the window and nicely asked for an exchange. I got my exchange – even got 25 RMB back (good times) and hauled butt to the train. I even was able to get a middle bunk. If you are on the bottom, your bed gets used as a communal couch (learned that in India). And the top is a good seven feet up and you cannot see out the window. So here is sit with time to kill and the seat beginning to cool and dry.
Yesterday, was my first real day here. My first two were traveling. I left Korea on Friday at 7 PM and took a slow boat (about 23 hours) to Tianjin. Two things I did not know – the ferry terminal and the train station in Tianjin are 14 km apart and Women’s football (soccer) was being played there. In fact, it was China vs Canada when I arrived. So I go to buy my ticket for the overnight train to Shanghai – only to discover that any of the earlier trains I wanted are sold out. The best I can do is hard seat class for a train that leaves at 1:44 AM. t is 9 PM at this point. The time finally comes to board the train, and I have the rude awakening of what I have gotten myself into. This ticket does not guarantee you a seat – what you are guaranteed is to be crammed into the hall with barely enough room to shift the weight on your feet. Oh yes – I am in the ‘cattle car’. I must say it was far better then the ‘cattle car’ in India – which I only observed and never experiences. The trains in China are much, much cleaner. However, the open smoking policies – or the policies that are openly ignored - drives me nuts.
In full disclosure, even I who do not get rattled by challenges when traveling – had to work hard to maintain my spirit of adventure. But have no fear – this situation did not last long (oh by the way the train I was on way going to take about 16 hours to reach Shanghai – thus the despair). Yet I did make the acquaintance of a fellow detainee who spoke wonderful English. He confirmed a rumor I heard that once on a train you can pay the difference and get your ticket upgraded once there was room. However, the gentleman I needed to speak to was in a booth inside the cabin and I was near the exterior door.
After about 2 hours – shortened greatly by the conversation – we made it into the cabin where another gentleman gave me his seat. His traveling companion (who was now beside me) spoke English as well. Long story short after much pity was taken on the white girl with the long trip ahead – they got the conductor to push me to the head of the list (I would have been something like 29th) and in less than an hour I was in a bunk.
Thus confirming my belief that although there are many idiots and assholes – and usually they are louder than anyone else – most people are good and will help when the can.
Now having gone to my bunk around 4:30 AM or so – the presence of a foreigner in the cabin was unknown until I climbed down off my very tall bunk. You could feel the air move as all the heads turned. * WooHoo 22 hours more on the train * Anyway, there was a woman sitting on one of the fold-down chairs across from me. One starts to develop a skill for interpreting stares. There is the “wow you look strange” stare or the “leering old guy” stare or the “big eyed dropped jaw” kid stare – then there is the “I desperately want to talk to you but I am too afraid” stare. It is kind of like how Shannon looks when you are eating something she likes. So I gave off a hello and she came rushing over. Her name is Candice Zhang – she is an English teacher (thus explaining her fab language skills) and she and I had a fantastic almost five hour conversation. We even got to talking about the government and social changes I China, her views of North Korea, and China’s reaction to the fall of the Soviet Union. It was wonderful and surprising. I now that socially and economically the country has gone through a great many changes (the fact that there is still only one party and you can only elect people from that party still a bit backward to me but hey) but great developments have been made. However, with the whole communist approach, I was expecting a but more North Korea. The closest thing I have seen to my experience there was the raising of the Olympic flag during the opening – way to bring in the goose-stepping.
So this brings me to Shanghai. I am still in awe of what a breathtaking city it is. An elegant mixture of East and West. I stayed in a section of town called ‘The Bund’. Now considered an old section of town compared to the New York/Las Vegas light show going on across the river. All the buildings in The Bund are either Colonial-Georgian-Neoclassic-like dropping New York –Boston or DC on the coast of China.
I am very amused with the shopping experience. All I kept thinking is that this is a shined-up cleaner version of India with a girlie smile. Still stopping you in the street, charging you double, following you to haggle the price as you walk away. This does not happen in Korea. Stores will have people hocking the wares. They hires people to dance and put on shows in front of the stores, but they would not follow you down the street or block your path to give you a shpeel. Yet I guess it is a trade off for the more refined designs, architecture, and better food.
So I guess you are caught up – oh wait. I was sitting inside a shop having some ice cream and filling out postcards – and this young family of four is just beside themselves with delight to see a foreigner in the window. The older boy (maybe 8) waves at me so I wave back. And then like an attraction at the zoo, then father pushes the boy up to the window and proceeds to have the kid pose in front of me and takes a picture. “Welcome to the Monkey House” I mean the best equivalent I could think of is some rural family comes to the big city for the first time – and has their kids pose will all the Hispanics, Asians, and black people. “Ewee Billy look at dem folks!!” “They really do exist – I only don seen pictures before.”
There you go Chinese Rednecks!!!
Interesting, got another controlling government sign I was looking for. As we are traveling along, two police officers are moving through the car recording everyone’s IDs into this blackberry type thing – and with mine they actually take a picture. HHmm government tracking it’s citizens in the name of security. Yea no other country would do that – show me your driver’s license and give us you social security number to protect your identity and processions.
August 14, 2008
Once again I stand in awe of people here. There was a young guy (late 20s maybe) who because of a lack of beds in the car behind mine – ended up on the bunk below me. He was traveling with co-workers for training in Sanya. Spoke rough English but we got by. Took out his laptop to show me exactly where I was staying in Sanya. Offered to help me negotiate a cab. Ended up – sorry the young girl working at the restaurant I am at was standing over my shoulder watching me write – when I flipped my book over she saw the my cards written in English, Korean, and Chinese – So I just went through reading the English and Korean for her – So I ended up meeting his traveling companions – co-workers and his manager with his wife and baby girl. AS it ended up their hotel was not far from my hostel – so I rode with them and then he explained to my driver where I was going. He had also called the hostel 2 hours earlier letting them know I would be late and called the hostel as I was leaving in the taxi to let them know I was on my way. Then the next thing floored me – he paid my fare. Now it was literally less than a 5 minute drive so the fare was only 5 yuan (less than a dollar) – but regardless that was unbelievably kind of him.
So now here I sit again in the same restaurant as before. I am so sunburned. I do not get too many chances for sun in Seoul. Lying out is really not something that is done – so other than the roof of my building, it is hard to find a place. And as I was feeling the cost of my fun in the fun – I remembered ‘Oh crap – I have to carry a backpack tomorrow’. On that subject, I went to the train station to get my ticket for the next leg of my trip. this will be interesting. I will be going from Sanya to Guangzhou and then changing trains to Xi’an. And you cannot buy tickets for trains leaving Guangzhou in Sanya. There are two trains leaving about an hour apart for Xi’an about three hours after I get there.
August 15, 2008
Ok- I am so burnt – the kind where even if you are covered up you cannot be in the sun because the heat hurts. But no complaining, I will have color after this.
Leave it to kids to always put me in a better mood. Not that I was bad but – starting last night, I was feeling a bit weary. I am about half way through my trip here and I was feeling a bit – I am not sure – perhaps a bit down. Not that I am not enjoying myself – or seeing wonderful things, but I cannot help but compare this trip to India. Which I know really is not fair. I was simply so thrilled to be there no matter what happened or how tired or sore I was – I was just thrilled. China has never held any fascination for me. I decided to come because well I am so close and I have already been to Japan. So I guess the travel weariness had gotten to me easier.
But then I got on this train, and there is a lovely boy (14) and girl (13) who worked up all the courage in the world to come talk to me. Actually I made the first move. The girl was sending a younger boy to keep peeking into my berth every two minutes – so I moved out to the little table and bench in the hall. Then they hid in their berth and peeked out. So finally the older boy came out in the hall, and I offered him a peanut. He came and sat down and the girl came running behind him and sat down. Funny – her English was better, but she was so shy. They were looking at my writing (I had a letter to Josh sitting there). So I asked them if they could read it (trick question - even people whose first language is English have a hard time reading my writing). They said no – so I taught them how to write and read cursive. It was amusing to see all the adults walk past and stare at what these kids were doing.
One more example – that no matter where I am I will take the kids over the adults any day.
My words through China.
August 12, 2008
Like people who write their memoirs before they have had a mid-life crisis, it would have been rather premature of me to start writing before today. Well, actually, I must admit I did; however, I have been confronted a few times with better ways to begin. This then brings me to the classic question: “Where to begin?” Some say the beginning is the best, yet my beginning in China was rather calm. Let’s start with the present. Presently, I am on a train that has just left Shanghai for Sanya. Sanya is a small town on an island far southwest. We departed at 9:50AM Tuesday and will arrive 20:? Wednesday. So I have about a 34 hour trip ahead of me. And I barely caught this train. Now I may be a diligent planner and researcher, yet at times the more obvious details may escape me. When buying an advanced ticket be sure to check the date. I was all the way on the train – my bag on the bunk before I or anyone else realized the ticket was for tomorrow. So in “Amazing Race” fashion and after being handed off to three people who spoke no English. I was able to get out of the waiting lounge and run to the ticket counter. I have waited in many a long cue – in places with staggering population counts – you face the wait with a smile – except this time. I ran straight to the front (I did wait for the man already there to finish his business) thrust my hand through the window and nicely asked for an exchange. I got my exchange – even got 25 RMB back (good times) and hauled butt to the train. I even was able to get a middle bunk. If you are on the bottom, your bed gets used as a communal couch (learned that in India). And the top is a good seven feet up and you cannot see out the window. So here is sit with time to kill and the seat beginning to cool and dry.
Yesterday, was my first real day here. My first two were traveling. I left Korea on Friday at 7 PM and took a slow boat (about 23 hours) to Tianjin. Two things I did not know – the ferry terminal and the train station in Tianjin are 14 km apart and Women’s football (soccer) was being played there. In fact, it was China vs Canada when I arrived. So I go to buy my ticket for the overnight train to Shanghai – only to discover that any of the earlier trains I wanted are sold out. The best I can do is hard seat class for a train that leaves at 1:44 AM. t is 9 PM at this point. The time finally comes to board the train, and I have the rude awakening of what I have gotten myself into. This ticket does not guarantee you a seat – what you are guaranteed is to be crammed into the hall with barely enough room to shift the weight on your feet. Oh yes – I am in the ‘cattle car’. I must say it was far better then the ‘cattle car’ in India – which I only observed and never experiences. The trains in China are much, much cleaner. However, the open smoking policies – or the policies that are openly ignored - drives me nuts.
In full disclosure, even I who do not get rattled by challenges when traveling – had to work hard to maintain my spirit of adventure. But have no fear – this situation did not last long (oh by the way the train I was on way going to take about 16 hours to reach Shanghai – thus the despair). Yet I did make the acquaintance of a fellow detainee who spoke wonderful English. He confirmed a rumor I heard that once on a train you can pay the difference and get your ticket upgraded once there was room. However, the gentleman I needed to speak to was in a booth inside the cabin and I was near the exterior door.
After about 2 hours – shortened greatly by the conversation – we made it into the cabin where another gentleman gave me his seat. His traveling companion (who was now beside me) spoke English as well. Long story short after much pity was taken on the white girl with the long trip ahead – they got the conductor to push me to the head of the list (I would have been something like 29th) and in less than an hour I was in a bunk.
Thus confirming my belief that although there are many idiots and assholes – and usually they are louder than anyone else – most people are good and will help when the can.
Now having gone to my bunk around 4:30 AM or so – the presence of a foreigner in the cabin was unknown until I climbed down off my very tall bunk. You could feel the air move as all the heads turned. * WooHoo 22 hours more on the train * Anyway, there was a woman sitting on one of the fold-down chairs across from me. One starts to develop a skill for interpreting stares. There is the “wow you look strange” stare or the “leering old guy” stare or the “big eyed dropped jaw” kid stare – then there is the “I desperately want to talk to you but I am too afraid” stare. It is kind of like how Shannon looks when you are eating something she likes. So I gave off a hello and she came rushing over. Her name is Candice Zhang – she is an English teacher (thus explaining her fab language skills) and she and I had a fantastic almost five hour conversation. We even got to talking about the government and social changes I China, her views of North Korea, and China’s reaction to the fall of the Soviet Union. It was wonderful and surprising. I now that socially and economically the country has gone through a great many changes (the fact that there is still only one party and you can only elect people from that party still a bit backward to me but hey) but great developments have been made. However, with the whole communist approach, I was expecting a but more North Korea. The closest thing I have seen to my experience there was the raising of the Olympic flag during the opening – way to bring in the goose-stepping.
So this brings me to Shanghai. I am still in awe of what a breathtaking city it is. An elegant mixture of East and West. I stayed in a section of town called ‘The Bund’. Now considered an old section of town compared to the New York/Las Vegas light show going on across the river. All the buildings in The Bund are either Colonial-Georgian-Neoclassic-like dropping New York –Boston or DC on the coast of China.
I am very amused with the shopping experience. All I kept thinking is that this is a shined-up cleaner version of India with a girlie smile. Still stopping you in the street, charging you double, following you to haggle the price as you walk away. This does not happen in Korea. Stores will have people hocking the wares. They hires people to dance and put on shows in front of the stores, but they would not follow you down the street or block your path to give you a shpeel. Yet I guess it is a trade off for the more refined designs, architecture, and better food.
So I guess you are caught up – oh wait. I was sitting inside a shop having some ice cream and filling out postcards – and this young family of four is just beside themselves with delight to see a foreigner in the window. The older boy (maybe 8) waves at me so I wave back. And then like an attraction at the zoo, then father pushes the boy up to the window and proceeds to have the kid pose in front of me and takes a picture. “Welcome to the Monkey House” I mean the best equivalent I could think of is some rural family comes to the big city for the first time – and has their kids pose will all the Hispanics, Asians, and black people. “Ewee Billy look at dem folks!!” “They really do exist – I only don seen pictures before.”
There you go Chinese Rednecks!!!
Interesting, got another controlling government sign I was looking for. As we are traveling along, two police officers are moving through the car recording everyone’s IDs into this blackberry type thing – and with mine they actually take a picture. HHmm government tracking it’s citizens in the name of security. Yea no other country would do that – show me your driver’s license and give us you social security number to protect your identity and processions.
August 14, 2008
Once again I stand in awe of people here. There was a young guy (late 20s maybe) who because of a lack of beds in the car behind mine – ended up on the bunk below me. He was traveling with co-workers for training in Sanya. Spoke rough English but we got by. Took out his laptop to show me exactly where I was staying in Sanya. Offered to help me negotiate a cab. Ended up – sorry the young girl working at the restaurant I am at was standing over my shoulder watching me write – when I flipped my book over she saw the my cards written in English, Korean, and Chinese – So I just went through reading the English and Korean for her – So I ended up meeting his traveling companions – co-workers and his manager with his wife and baby girl. AS it ended up their hotel was not far from my hostel – so I rode with them and then he explained to my driver where I was going. He had also called the hostel 2 hours earlier letting them know I would be late and called the hostel as I was leaving in the taxi to let them know I was on my way. Then the next thing floored me – he paid my fare. Now it was literally less than a 5 minute drive so the fare was only 5 yuan (less than a dollar) – but regardless that was unbelievably kind of him.
So now here I sit again in the same restaurant as before. I am so sunburned. I do not get too many chances for sun in Seoul. Lying out is really not something that is done – so other than the roof of my building, it is hard to find a place. And as I was feeling the cost of my fun in the fun – I remembered ‘Oh crap – I have to carry a backpack tomorrow’. On that subject, I went to the train station to get my ticket for the next leg of my trip. this will be interesting. I will be going from Sanya to Guangzhou and then changing trains to Xi’an. And you cannot buy tickets for trains leaving Guangzhou in Sanya. There are two trains leaving about an hour apart for Xi’an about three hours after I get there.
August 15, 2008
Ok- I am so burnt – the kind where even if you are covered up you cannot be in the sun because the heat hurts. But no complaining, I will have color after this.
Leave it to kids to always put me in a better mood. Not that I was bad but – starting last night, I was feeling a bit weary. I am about half way through my trip here and I was feeling a bit – I am not sure – perhaps a bit down. Not that I am not enjoying myself – or seeing wonderful things, but I cannot help but compare this trip to India. Which I know really is not fair. I was simply so thrilled to be there no matter what happened or how tired or sore I was – I was just thrilled. China has never held any fascination for me. I decided to come because well I am so close and I have already been to Japan. So I guess the travel weariness had gotten to me easier.
But then I got on this train, and there is a lovely boy (14) and girl (13) who worked up all the courage in the world to come talk to me. Actually I made the first move. The girl was sending a younger boy to keep peeking into my berth every two minutes – so I moved out to the little table and bench in the hall. Then they hid in their berth and peeked out. So finally the older boy came out in the hall, and I offered him a peanut. He came and sat down and the girl came running behind him and sat down. Funny – her English was better, but she was so shy. They were looking at my writing (I had a letter to Josh sitting there). So I asked them if they could read it (trick question - even people whose first language is English have a hard time reading my writing). They said no – so I taught them how to write and read cursive. It was amusing to see all the adults walk past and stare at what these kids were doing.
One more example – that no matter where I am I will take the kids over the adults any day.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
China Trip
The pictures from China are posted, but not labeled yet (sure you care to take a look). And the posting on China should be up soon.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Smack, Some Oil, and an Old Lady in Panties
Sorry it has been awhile. The term is now over and we have two days left to summer camp. As of this Wednesday (the 6th) I will be on vacation until the 25th. Wow the 25th – I am quickly approaching my one year anniversary here. But that is a topic for another message. Today is about physical awareness.
Last night I went to one of my favorite places in Seoul with two women from my taekwondo class –Dragon Hill Spa. This is a larger and better decorated version of the Korean Jimjilbang. Jimjilbangs are public bathhouses (now a days a combination sauna and spa). The sauna areas are gender specific – there are the pools, steam rooms, salt sauna, water massage pool – and then in the common area (where you wear the ever so stylish PJs they give you) is co-ed. Have an iced green tea, sit in the massage chairs, take a nap in a salt detox room, or hang out in the igloo room. I love this place. Pay $10 and it is a great way to spend two hours. However, last night I partook in something I had wanted to for some time – the full body scrub. Sounds good right? Well it is, but please let me give details.
In many saunas in Korea there are a very hard working group of older women, whose job it is to scrub down, oil up, and massage the undressed forms of the women who come to the Jimjilbang. The Jimjilbang Adjumas. I have had a number of massages – from the very conservative clinical western to the oil slathered loincloth wearing India massage – but I must say last night just amused me to no end. First of there of course no privacy. Well wait let me first discuss the uniform. Now I am not sure if this is true or is said in jest because it is seen so much – but I was once told that the standard uniform of the Adjuma in this field is a black lace bra and panties. And so far – as far as the different places I have been to - this is true. So here you lay on one of four tables in a very open room, with a very jolly old woman in her underwear. She will first start with the scrub down. I love this. They use these really rough mittens to exfoliate every inch of your body. And they really do come close to – really close – to getting every inch. But have no fear. They too understand that there are some places that a Brillo pad glove just should not go. You can literally see the dead skin peeling off. Kind of feel like a polished penny afterwards.
Then comes the oil massage. From the smell of it, I believe it was tea tree oil – good choice my lady! After having removed the dead skin it is time to renew the oils in your skin and relax. And yes it feels good – for the most part – however, there is a cultural belief here that in order to massage a muscle at some point in time that muscle must be smacked. You see it everywhere. Just as we would rub out or squeeze a sore muscle, Koreans will either take a fist or cupped hand and hit the muscle. Now I will admit when it comes to the lower back this really does feel good. I have been know to use this method myself to relieve lower back stress. But there is something about being naked on a table – now very covered in oil – getting you bottom smacked by some half naked old lady. I simply could not suppress the giggling. Heck as I am typing this I am laughing. It was 1AM, and I was getting spanked. I am glad that I have very few touch issues. I will however admit that having my hand messed with still drives me up a wall. You can blame an infant Cameron and his wicked tongue who liked peoples fingers in lou of a binkie. YUCK!!! Gross little child.
After the massage and the fresh cucumber mask, it was time to wash out any oil that may have gotten in your hair. Now logically if the hose to rinse out a person’s hair is only long enough to reach one end of the table – you would have the person start by lying down with their head at that end of the table. Oh apparently it is way more fun – once the table and client is all greased up – to take them by the shoulders and swing them around like a lazy-susan. I really do not know what was funnier the spanking or being twisted like a game of spin the bottle. My Adjuma was laughing at me the whole time. But I simply could not stop laughing. I had great fun.
I do really wish bathhouses like this still existed in the US. Yes - yes we all have indoor pluming, but there is a freedom and level of relaxation about walking through a room (of you own gender of course) all out there – no excuses – no apologies. And do not get all squeamish and germ-a-phobic on me – I trust the hygiene in many of these places more than I do most public pools back home.
And once you all clean and relaxed, you can put on your PJs and head down to the common room. There you have people sleeping peacefully on the floor or chatting with friends and family. Very communal. It is nice. It is something I will miss.
So what is next on my horizon? Well, in six days I am off to China for two weeks. I will give more of an update on that before I leave. This trip will bring me back to Seoul a few days before Sarah leaves and with a week remaining in August. I will come back at the end of my original contract and going into my new two month contract. I will have two months left in my “Life in Korea” chapter. Sarah and Carrie (a woman in Taekwondo who works for Samsung and is leaving on the 29th) have been talking about there “last times”. We go to restaurant or walk down a street and you hear “wow this is that last time I will do this or be here”. I know I will be approaching my “last times” and it makes me sad.
Many times today I have stopped myself from letting unimportant moment pass. Walk across the room and stop to look back at my desk and my bed. Really see it in the moment – right there as the light is fading outside – before I have turned my lamp on. Just stop and know this is where I am right now. Not thinking about what might have just happened and definitely not thinking about where I need to go or do next. Be here – right now. It makes me crave acting again. So much of acting is that. Living honestly in the moment. Not forcing anything – not acting the way you think you would act in a situation, but rather honestly reacting to the given circumstances of that moments – even if is it not exactly how it was the night before or how you think it should be. Actors try and strive for this night after night and yet we let this moment go minutes after minute in everyday life because of what have just happened or where we think we need to go next.
For ages all over the globe men have portrayed women on stage. Although this was because of social morays, many became very, very good at it. Graceful, elegant, feminine, beautiful – yet no matter how they tried or how in awe an audience might be – they still would never be woman. How frustrating – to work so hard for something you simply cannot be and yet watch so many take for grated. These honest moments are the same. To spend your life reaching for these – and everyday yourself and the rest of the world are throwing the real ones away. As if they have no meaning – as if you could always get a new one if you want. You can, but it will never be the one you let go. And if that one was not valuable to you, what makes you think you will hold on to the next one any better.
Physical Awareness – all out of a scrub mitten, some oil, and an old ladies in her knickers. Stay open – know where you are and who you are with – this moment does not come back.
Now it is time to walk through the rain.
Last night I went to one of my favorite places in Seoul with two women from my taekwondo class –Dragon Hill Spa. This is a larger and better decorated version of the Korean Jimjilbang. Jimjilbangs are public bathhouses (now a days a combination sauna and spa). The sauna areas are gender specific – there are the pools, steam rooms, salt sauna, water massage pool – and then in the common area (where you wear the ever so stylish PJs they give you) is co-ed. Have an iced green tea, sit in the massage chairs, take a nap in a salt detox room, or hang out in the igloo room. I love this place. Pay $10 and it is a great way to spend two hours. However, last night I partook in something I had wanted to for some time – the full body scrub. Sounds good right? Well it is, but please let me give details.
In many saunas in Korea there are a very hard working group of older women, whose job it is to scrub down, oil up, and massage the undressed forms of the women who come to the Jimjilbang. The Jimjilbang Adjumas. I have had a number of massages – from the very conservative clinical western to the oil slathered loincloth wearing India massage – but I must say last night just amused me to no end. First of there of course no privacy. Well wait let me first discuss the uniform. Now I am not sure if this is true or is said in jest because it is seen so much – but I was once told that the standard uniform of the Adjuma in this field is a black lace bra and panties. And so far – as far as the different places I have been to - this is true. So here you lay on one of four tables in a very open room, with a very jolly old woman in her underwear. She will first start with the scrub down. I love this. They use these really rough mittens to exfoliate every inch of your body. And they really do come close to – really close – to getting every inch. But have no fear. They too understand that there are some places that a Brillo pad glove just should not go. You can literally see the dead skin peeling off. Kind of feel like a polished penny afterwards.
Then comes the oil massage. From the smell of it, I believe it was tea tree oil – good choice my lady! After having removed the dead skin it is time to renew the oils in your skin and relax. And yes it feels good – for the most part – however, there is a cultural belief here that in order to massage a muscle at some point in time that muscle must be smacked. You see it everywhere. Just as we would rub out or squeeze a sore muscle, Koreans will either take a fist or cupped hand and hit the muscle. Now I will admit when it comes to the lower back this really does feel good. I have been know to use this method myself to relieve lower back stress. But there is something about being naked on a table – now very covered in oil – getting you bottom smacked by some half naked old lady. I simply could not suppress the giggling. Heck as I am typing this I am laughing. It was 1AM, and I was getting spanked. I am glad that I have very few touch issues. I will however admit that having my hand messed with still drives me up a wall. You can blame an infant Cameron and his wicked tongue who liked peoples fingers in lou of a binkie. YUCK!!! Gross little child.
After the massage and the fresh cucumber mask, it was time to wash out any oil that may have gotten in your hair. Now logically if the hose to rinse out a person’s hair is only long enough to reach one end of the table – you would have the person start by lying down with their head at that end of the table. Oh apparently it is way more fun – once the table and client is all greased up – to take them by the shoulders and swing them around like a lazy-susan. I really do not know what was funnier the spanking or being twisted like a game of spin the bottle. My Adjuma was laughing at me the whole time. But I simply could not stop laughing. I had great fun.
I do really wish bathhouses like this still existed in the US. Yes - yes we all have indoor pluming, but there is a freedom and level of relaxation about walking through a room (of you own gender of course) all out there – no excuses – no apologies. And do not get all squeamish and germ-a-phobic on me – I trust the hygiene in many of these places more than I do most public pools back home.
And once you all clean and relaxed, you can put on your PJs and head down to the common room. There you have people sleeping peacefully on the floor or chatting with friends and family. Very communal. It is nice. It is something I will miss.
So what is next on my horizon? Well, in six days I am off to China for two weeks. I will give more of an update on that before I leave. This trip will bring me back to Seoul a few days before Sarah leaves and with a week remaining in August. I will come back at the end of my original contract and going into my new two month contract. I will have two months left in my “Life in Korea” chapter. Sarah and Carrie (a woman in Taekwondo who works for Samsung and is leaving on the 29th) have been talking about there “last times”. We go to restaurant or walk down a street and you hear “wow this is that last time I will do this or be here”. I know I will be approaching my “last times” and it makes me sad.
Many times today I have stopped myself from letting unimportant moment pass. Walk across the room and stop to look back at my desk and my bed. Really see it in the moment – right there as the light is fading outside – before I have turned my lamp on. Just stop and know this is where I am right now. Not thinking about what might have just happened and definitely not thinking about where I need to go or do next. Be here – right now. It makes me crave acting again. So much of acting is that. Living honestly in the moment. Not forcing anything – not acting the way you think you would act in a situation, but rather honestly reacting to the given circumstances of that moments – even if is it not exactly how it was the night before or how you think it should be. Actors try and strive for this night after night and yet we let this moment go minutes after minute in everyday life because of what have just happened or where we think we need to go next.
For ages all over the globe men have portrayed women on stage. Although this was because of social morays, many became very, very good at it. Graceful, elegant, feminine, beautiful – yet no matter how they tried or how in awe an audience might be – they still would never be woman. How frustrating – to work so hard for something you simply cannot be and yet watch so many take for grated. These honest moments are the same. To spend your life reaching for these – and everyday yourself and the rest of the world are throwing the real ones away. As if they have no meaning – as if you could always get a new one if you want. You can, but it will never be the one you let go. And if that one was not valuable to you, what makes you think you will hold on to the next one any better.
Physical Awareness – all out of a scrub mitten, some oil, and an old ladies in her knickers. Stay open – know where you are and who you are with – this moment does not come back.
Now it is time to walk through the rain.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Oh yea I am a Bad A$@
Oh yea I am cool. Broke four boards with a side kick tonight. Yep Yep Feelin' good!!!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Power Toe
Well good news - I passed the test and now have my Orange Belt in Taekwondo. Bad news - it was done at the price of my big toe. So I am an idiot and did not point my foot far enough and managed to break the board with a direct hit of my big toe. Split the board horizontally and the nail of my toe vertically. Right now it is all taped up and feeling okay. (Oh but it hurt bad when I did it - the oh yea I cannot see straight kind of hurt) I don't have it in me to look at it yet.
Ah well - 19 more classes until my Green Belt and my next injury.
Ah well - 19 more classes until my Green Belt and my next injury.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Feeding the Fish
Sorry for the long hiatus – but I guess that is a good sign. Means things are going well. All is well. Although suffering from daily sore muscles and bruises from Taekwondo (FYI - I take my orange belt test tonight). I am actually very surprised to find out how much I am liking it. Not that I have ever shied away from physical activity – I love dancing, swimming, biking, but there is something about extreme sweat and letting some one kick at you. I never really considered it appealing before. However, I am finding class rather addictive. WooWoo Brown belt here I come.
So a couple of weeks ago I was scoring my students first drafts of their speaking test. They had to get in pairs and write a short dialogue using the phrases covered in this term’s lessons. After having it corrected by Sarah or I, they then had a couple weeks to memorize the script. And last week we graded them on their performance of the dialogue.
Well, teaching teenagers who have picked up a lot of English from movies, I have heard some strange things come from their mouths. However, the opening of one of the dialogues left me rolling all day. I look at their paper and the opening line is “Why are you so pee?” What? Pee? So I ask the girls what they mean by this. And at first they really cannot explain it. They are telling me that Naver (a search engine here) gave it to them as a translation. Okay, well. Think of another English word that might fit what you were trying to say and maybe we can figure this out. So they think for a second and the one girl says angry. And then the light went on. And I started laughing so hard. No, not “Why are you so pee?” – its “Why are you so pissed?”. What ever they put in for the Korean gave them a very literal translation of the slang. LOL “Why are you so Pee?” I love it!
So we have this one teacher here – I am so glad I do not actually teach with her. First of all she has earned the name “Guppy Fish”. Because whenever you try to talk to her about ANYTHING not matter how minor, she stares at you with her eyes wide and her mouth open like she is waiting for you throw her food. And if she is particularly confused her head starts to tilt to one side. I know that is some twisted way she is trying to be helpful when she actually speaks, but man she is an idiot.
Story One: I live in a small neighborhood called Jongam 1(il) dong. It is neatly bordered by the large main street and the hillside that wraps around it. Now since moving here I have lived nowhere else. My apartment sits at the bottom of the drive up to my school. I can go from apartment to office in under 10 minutes. And I do adventure beyond this neighborhood, but I am very familiar with the various shops and restaurant. Well a few months ago, I walked over to the GS25 (a convenience store around the corner) to get some milk before work one morning. As I am coming up to the store I see “Guppy Fish” and another teacher. They see me. The other teacher waves and goes on her way. Yet “Guppy Fish” is very perplexed. She stands in the middle of the street – mouth opened wide – and looks to me and then the direction of the school (which is behind me) and to me and back and me and back. And then the fateful words slip from her mouth. “The school is that way.” Oh my lord this woman thinks I lost. She really does not think I know I am walking away from the school. So I reply “ Yes but the store is that way.” With this I get a “ah” and a slow head nod. What I really wanted to do was look around dumbfounded at my lack of awareness and express how incredibly grateful I was that she saved me from being lost and lonely on my dangerous search for my work place I had been going to for 9 months and can see from my front step.
As I said earlier, I fortunately do not have to actually have to work with her. However, Sarah does. Now I must say Sarah has a pretty lad back personality. She is a good teacher, very creative, and responsible. Yet I have walked into Sarah’s classroom after 45 minutes of “co-teaching” with this woman, and Sarah will actually be shaking and stuttering. Unfortunately, (and this is a all over Seoul thing) there is no real definition to co-teaching. What are each person’s responsibilities and expectations? For the most part the Korean teachers are there for discipline and translation. Which is fine. We have one co-teacher in particular who is awesome. She has no fear and in very involved in the class. Her classes are always very fun and run so smoothly. And we have another teacher who has from time to time fallen asleep in the class. But usually no harm done. Just poke her for a translation if needed (her classes are the upper level ones so usually she gets to nap).
And yet there is “Guppy Fish”. Story Two: This being actually manages to actually create dysfunction in the classroom. Sarah and I created these stamp cards. Every time a student VOLUNTEERS to STAND IN FRONT of the class and perform the role play for that week, the student gets a stamps. Depending on the number of stamps you have, you get a certain amount of extra point towards your final grade. Now this is in our classes only. This does not apply to the English classes the have with the Korean English teacher (who are our co-teachers). So this nitwit gets it into her mind that every student should get a stamp. And that she will take student who are too shy to the back of the room to do the dialogue with her – and they should get a stamp for this. NO!! The stamp is for those who are willing to do the extra work and go in front of the class. We have plenty of students with low English skills and are shy but are willing to put themselves out there. No! You do not come in here and decide you are going to do this your way. How is this fair to the other 34 classes who do not get stamps like candy.
Or my favorite. Story Three: There is a rule: No Cell phones or MP3 Players in the classroom. If we see it, we take it and give it to your homeroom teacher. Usually if you want a kid to behave just say you will report them to they homeroom teacher. They kids are scared of these folks. Anyway. A few weeks ago, a girl had her MP3 player out and Sarah took it. They girl whined but Sarah ignored her and went on with class. After class the girl come up to Sarah asking for the player back. Sarah repeats the rule: it is going to your homeroom teacher. The girl then starts to pitch a fit. Stamping her feet on the ground (mind you she is 14). In enters “Super Guppy”. She listens to the girl’s ranting and then starts to plead the girl’s case to Sarah. Sarah repeats: No MP3 Players it goes to the homeroom teacher. Guppy: But she says she only had it out for a second. She was not listening to it. Sarah: No. It goes to the homeroom teacher. Guppy: Tell me what you think you saw.
WHAT!?!? *&^$%^&*&%%#!!!!!!!!! Tell you what she thought she saw? How about the rule is no MP3 Players – It’s her class – tell you what she thought she saw.
She is of no help in the class. Students will be talking or hitting each other and she is standing right there and says nothing. Just blankly staring off into space. I am so glad I do not work with her. She is such a good example of how a push for high grades and test score do not make someone good at what they do. On paper she looks great, but possesses not common sense.
Ah well. There are twenty school days until summer vacation. And eight weeks until Sarah leaves. That will be rough. Not so much on the leaving – I will very likely see her in November. She will be in Prague doing a training program at the time so we are going to try and meet up. But when she leaves that means I have two months left. With a new teacher and school in full swing – that time will move so fast. So much to do.
Okay it is almost lunch – time to go feed the fish.
So a couple of weeks ago I was scoring my students first drafts of their speaking test. They had to get in pairs and write a short dialogue using the phrases covered in this term’s lessons. After having it corrected by Sarah or I, they then had a couple weeks to memorize the script. And last week we graded them on their performance of the dialogue.
Well, teaching teenagers who have picked up a lot of English from movies, I have heard some strange things come from their mouths. However, the opening of one of the dialogues left me rolling all day. I look at their paper and the opening line is “Why are you so pee?” What? Pee? So I ask the girls what they mean by this. And at first they really cannot explain it. They are telling me that Naver (a search engine here) gave it to them as a translation. Okay, well. Think of another English word that might fit what you were trying to say and maybe we can figure this out. So they think for a second and the one girl says angry. And then the light went on. And I started laughing so hard. No, not “Why are you so pee?” – its “Why are you so pissed?”. What ever they put in for the Korean gave them a very literal translation of the slang. LOL “Why are you so Pee?” I love it!
So we have this one teacher here – I am so glad I do not actually teach with her. First of all she has earned the name “Guppy Fish”. Because whenever you try to talk to her about ANYTHING not matter how minor, she stares at you with her eyes wide and her mouth open like she is waiting for you throw her food. And if she is particularly confused her head starts to tilt to one side. I know that is some twisted way she is trying to be helpful when she actually speaks, but man she is an idiot.
Story One: I live in a small neighborhood called Jongam 1(il) dong. It is neatly bordered by the large main street and the hillside that wraps around it. Now since moving here I have lived nowhere else. My apartment sits at the bottom of the drive up to my school. I can go from apartment to office in under 10 minutes. And I do adventure beyond this neighborhood, but I am very familiar with the various shops and restaurant. Well a few months ago, I walked over to the GS25 (a convenience store around the corner) to get some milk before work one morning. As I am coming up to the store I see “Guppy Fish” and another teacher. They see me. The other teacher waves and goes on her way. Yet “Guppy Fish” is very perplexed. She stands in the middle of the street – mouth opened wide – and looks to me and then the direction of the school (which is behind me) and to me and back and me and back. And then the fateful words slip from her mouth. “The school is that way.” Oh my lord this woman thinks I lost. She really does not think I know I am walking away from the school. So I reply “ Yes but the store is that way.” With this I get a “ah” and a slow head nod. What I really wanted to do was look around dumbfounded at my lack of awareness and express how incredibly grateful I was that she saved me from being lost and lonely on my dangerous search for my work place I had been going to for 9 months and can see from my front step.
As I said earlier, I fortunately do not have to actually have to work with her. However, Sarah does. Now I must say Sarah has a pretty lad back personality. She is a good teacher, very creative, and responsible. Yet I have walked into Sarah’s classroom after 45 minutes of “co-teaching” with this woman, and Sarah will actually be shaking and stuttering. Unfortunately, (and this is a all over Seoul thing) there is no real definition to co-teaching. What are each person’s responsibilities and expectations? For the most part the Korean teachers are there for discipline and translation. Which is fine. We have one co-teacher in particular who is awesome. She has no fear and in very involved in the class. Her classes are always very fun and run so smoothly. And we have another teacher who has from time to time fallen asleep in the class. But usually no harm done. Just poke her for a translation if needed (her classes are the upper level ones so usually she gets to nap).
And yet there is “Guppy Fish”. Story Two: This being actually manages to actually create dysfunction in the classroom. Sarah and I created these stamp cards. Every time a student VOLUNTEERS to STAND IN FRONT of the class and perform the role play for that week, the student gets a stamps. Depending on the number of stamps you have, you get a certain amount of extra point towards your final grade. Now this is in our classes only. This does not apply to the English classes the have with the Korean English teacher (who are our co-teachers). So this nitwit gets it into her mind that every student should get a stamp. And that she will take student who are too shy to the back of the room to do the dialogue with her – and they should get a stamp for this. NO!! The stamp is for those who are willing to do the extra work and go in front of the class. We have plenty of students with low English skills and are shy but are willing to put themselves out there. No! You do not come in here and decide you are going to do this your way. How is this fair to the other 34 classes who do not get stamps like candy.
Or my favorite. Story Three: There is a rule: No Cell phones or MP3 Players in the classroom. If we see it, we take it and give it to your homeroom teacher. Usually if you want a kid to behave just say you will report them to they homeroom teacher. They kids are scared of these folks. Anyway. A few weeks ago, a girl had her MP3 player out and Sarah took it. They girl whined but Sarah ignored her and went on with class. After class the girl come up to Sarah asking for the player back. Sarah repeats the rule: it is going to your homeroom teacher. The girl then starts to pitch a fit. Stamping her feet on the ground (mind you she is 14). In enters “Super Guppy”. She listens to the girl’s ranting and then starts to plead the girl’s case to Sarah. Sarah repeats: No MP3 Players it goes to the homeroom teacher. Guppy: But she says she only had it out for a second. She was not listening to it. Sarah: No. It goes to the homeroom teacher. Guppy: Tell me what you think you saw.
WHAT!?!? *&^$%^&*&%%#!!!!!!!!! Tell you what she thought she saw? How about the rule is no MP3 Players – It’s her class – tell you what she thought she saw.
She is of no help in the class. Students will be talking or hitting each other and she is standing right there and says nothing. Just blankly staring off into space. I am so glad I do not work with her. She is such a good example of how a push for high grades and test score do not make someone good at what they do. On paper she looks great, but possesses not common sense.
Ah well. There are twenty school days until summer vacation. And eight weeks until Sarah leaves. That will be rough. Not so much on the leaving – I will very likely see her in November. She will be in Prague doing a training program at the time so we are going to try and meet up. But when she leaves that means I have two months left. With a new teacher and school in full swing – that time will move so fast. So much to do.
Okay it is almost lunch – time to go feed the fish.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Jongam in the AM
FYI - If you go to the Life in Korea photos section, look under the video tab. You will find two "Jongam in the AM" videos. This is a morning TV show that Sarah and I do every morning at our school. Now I will warn you these two are from really early on in our broadcasting career - but we have fun. So if you want to see me acting a fool at work, go take a look.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Happy Teacher's Day
Oh there was all kinds of love everywhere today. Big time hippie love fest. I am not really sure if this was just a Jongam Middle School thing or a city wide event, but to go along with Teacher's Day today - it was Free Hug Day. As the students came through the gate this morning, teachers were lined-up waiting to ambush the kids with big felt mittens. Free hugs - I am down with that. And as you can see from the picture to the right, I was out there hugging away. In fact, the picture you see was taken by one of the newspapers that was there covering the event (TV stations were there too). Leave it to my VP - the big old media whore - to get them there. I was also interviewed about my feelings regarding Teacher's Day and the Free Hugs.
Well to all you teacher's out there - not matter what the venue - Happy Teacher's Day!!!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Busted in Mokpo
Happy Birthday Buddha – I have the day off.
I want to make sure you all don’t miss it – Today is Buddha’s birthday – more importantly I have yet another day off school in May. Last week we had Monday and Tuesday off (Monday was Children’s Day and Tuesday was school foundation day). There are no other days off until summer break (which isn’t much of a break for me since I have to teach a three week summer camp) but hey. So last weekend I went to Jeju-do. Jeju is an island about a 4 hour boat ride off the southern coast. It is toted as Korea’s Hawaii. I decided to take the train down to a town called Mokpo and then take the ferry to the island. The ferry ride to the island was amusing. Another example of how to use space differently. I took the car ferry over which – although takes a little longer is cheaper then the speed ferry. Now there car ferry has two classes – second and third. I was in second, and I am so glad for that. Third class is one big room with over a hundred people and their luggage. You come on in – take your shoes off at the door – and sit on the floor. Now second class was a bit better – you still are on the floor, but you are in a room with only 9 or 10 other people. You can stretch out and sleep. And each room has a TV.
Now there are many fun, interesting, and crowed places to visit while in Jeju; however, I really did not want to talk to anyone – so I headed for the more deserted side of the island. I stayed in this great guesthouse right by the water. A very off the main road kind of place that even some of the cab drivers do not know how to get to. The weather was not ideal, but it was good enough to have a nice long weekend, climb some rock, see some waterfalls, and walk through a lava tube (this is a tunnel in which lava from the volcano used to flow out of – no worries it is all dried up now).
One of the things that impressed me about Jeju were the stone walls that they build around their houses and fields. They are much like the walls you would see in New England or in pictures of Ireland – but these ones are made of Lava Rocks. So it gives the walls a look until their own. For pictures of the walls and other lovely sighs in Jeju, you can check out the photo section. There are also pictures from the Weekend from Hell some months back I wrote about and from a more recent trip to Gyeongju. I have been to other parts of this area before, but this time I got to rent a bike and see the central part of the city. The fascinating and slightly creepy thing about that place is the ancient burial mound that date back to the early Shill Empire around 1500s. There are also the remnants of a fortress wall that was around during the time of Rome. The trees have all grown through it and all that is left is this strange stone path around the hill sides, but yet it is very awe inspiring to be someplace that old – that has not been in your normal field of reference. With the way the trees have grown, it did give me a feeling of Cair Paravel when the four children come back to Narnia in the second book.
Now the most amusing part of my trip last weekend was when I was coming back to Seoul from Jeju-do. I went through Mokpo again to catch my train. And it was there that I realized that small town cops are the same no matter what country you’re in. Now for the most part, people here follow the rules no matter what – even if they do not know why they have to do something a certain way or if they agree with it – but like most big cities some things fall by the way side. Such as Jay-walking. Most streets here in Seoul are way too wide and far too heavy with traffic to even try to cross. There are even times when crossing with the cross-walk can have it’s dangers since scooters and motorcycles do not see to have to follow any rules here about where they are allowed to go – and from time to time you have the motorist that is just in too big of a hurry to stop for the red light while you cross.
But if it is a narrow street or an area with less traffic – people in Seoul with cross. This is apparently not approved of in Mokpo. I was walking to the train station when I crossed a two-lane (one in each direction) road with no cars and the cars that could be there had a red light anyhow. Well silly me also did this right in front of a police station. Just as I realized where I was standing, a cop came out and proceeded to lecture me (in Korean) about Jaw-walking. Okay yes I did bad – bad me, but really what are we getting out of this. I think I was supposed to be scared – and I was really trying to be respectful (although I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing). I said nothing the whole time other then “OK, OK, OK,OK…” And to top it off three other cops are standing in the door of the station laughing. I am not sure which of us they were laughing at, but it made it all that more ridiculous. Yes, yes I jay-walked –but give me a ticket or stop talking. I told a couple of my Korean friends about it and they agreed with my idea that he was basically bored.
Oh well I am going to take my little trouble making, delinquent self to bed. Check out the pictures.
I want to make sure you all don’t miss it – Today is Buddha’s birthday – more importantly I have yet another day off school in May. Last week we had Monday and Tuesday off (Monday was Children’s Day and Tuesday was school foundation day). There are no other days off until summer break (which isn’t much of a break for me since I have to teach a three week summer camp) but hey. So last weekend I went to Jeju-do. Jeju is an island about a 4 hour boat ride off the southern coast. It is toted as Korea’s Hawaii. I decided to take the train down to a town called Mokpo and then take the ferry to the island. The ferry ride to the island was amusing. Another example of how to use space differently. I took the car ferry over which – although takes a little longer is cheaper then the speed ferry. Now there car ferry has two classes – second and third. I was in second, and I am so glad for that. Third class is one big room with over a hundred people and their luggage. You come on in – take your shoes off at the door – and sit on the floor. Now second class was a bit better – you still are on the floor, but you are in a room with only 9 or 10 other people. You can stretch out and sleep. And each room has a TV.
Now there are many fun, interesting, and crowed places to visit while in Jeju; however, I really did not want to talk to anyone – so I headed for the more deserted side of the island. I stayed in this great guesthouse right by the water. A very off the main road kind of place that even some of the cab drivers do not know how to get to. The weather was not ideal, but it was good enough to have a nice long weekend, climb some rock, see some waterfalls, and walk through a lava tube (this is a tunnel in which lava from the volcano used to flow out of – no worries it is all dried up now).
One of the things that impressed me about Jeju were the stone walls that they build around their houses and fields. They are much like the walls you would see in New England or in pictures of Ireland – but these ones are made of Lava Rocks. So it gives the walls a look until their own. For pictures of the walls and other lovely sighs in Jeju, you can check out the photo section. There are also pictures from the Weekend from Hell some months back I wrote about and from a more recent trip to Gyeongju. I have been to other parts of this area before, but this time I got to rent a bike and see the central part of the city. The fascinating and slightly creepy thing about that place is the ancient burial mound that date back to the early Shill Empire around 1500s. There are also the remnants of a fortress wall that was around during the time of Rome. The trees have all grown through it and all that is left is this strange stone path around the hill sides, but yet it is very awe inspiring to be someplace that old – that has not been in your normal field of reference. With the way the trees have grown, it did give me a feeling of Cair Paravel when the four children come back to Narnia in the second book.
Now the most amusing part of my trip last weekend was when I was coming back to Seoul from Jeju-do. I went through Mokpo again to catch my train. And it was there that I realized that small town cops are the same no matter what country you’re in. Now for the most part, people here follow the rules no matter what – even if they do not know why they have to do something a certain way or if they agree with it – but like most big cities some things fall by the way side. Such as Jay-walking. Most streets here in Seoul are way too wide and far too heavy with traffic to even try to cross. There are even times when crossing with the cross-walk can have it’s dangers since scooters and motorcycles do not see to have to follow any rules here about where they are allowed to go – and from time to time you have the motorist that is just in too big of a hurry to stop for the red light while you cross.
But if it is a narrow street or an area with less traffic – people in Seoul with cross. This is apparently not approved of in Mokpo. I was walking to the train station when I crossed a two-lane (one in each direction) road with no cars and the cars that could be there had a red light anyhow. Well silly me also did this right in front of a police station. Just as I realized where I was standing, a cop came out and proceeded to lecture me (in Korean) about Jaw-walking. Okay yes I did bad – bad me, but really what are we getting out of this. I think I was supposed to be scared – and I was really trying to be respectful (although I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing). I said nothing the whole time other then “OK, OK, OK,OK…” And to top it off three other cops are standing in the door of the station laughing. I am not sure which of us they were laughing at, but it made it all that more ridiculous. Yes, yes I jay-walked –but give me a ticket or stop talking. I told a couple of my Korean friends about it and they agreed with my idea that he was basically bored.
Oh well I am going to take my little trouble making, delinquent self to bed. Check out the pictures.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Peter and Toni
On the side (sshh) I tutor a brother and sister in conversational English. Actually the job is ridiculous. I get paid pretty well to go play with two very cool little kids for an hour twice a week. Well today I brought my camera. They have seen the videos from home of the family - so I told them I wanted show my family video of them.
Here is some video. I so wish Jay and Corbin could meet these two. You all would have a blast.
I have been with them since November. I took over for one of the teachers at my school who was leaving. They family is very nice, and I have such a great time.
So I was very tired today and had lost my voice yesterday. I am not looking my best here. Sorry.
And now to close out the show. I give you an original song and dance by Miss Toni Lee.
I think she says it best with "The End"
Here is some video. I so wish Jay and Corbin could meet these two. You all would have a blast.
I have been with them since November. I took over for one of the teachers at my school who was leaving. They family is very nice, and I have such a great time.
So I was very tired today and had lost my voice yesterday. I am not looking my best here. Sorry.
And now to close out the show. I give you an original song and dance by Miss Toni Lee.
I think she says it best with "The End"
My Take on Korean Fashion
April 13, 2008
Starting analysis of modern female fashion. I like clothes – not in the fashionista must have the latest or never seen before style kind of way. I like the history of clothing – the way clothing has affected cultures politically and socially and how clothing has been affected by these things. Seoul has proven to be quite the place for both men’s and women’s fashion. Now before I get further along, let me state that no, not everyone wears the same exact thing – there is evidence of individual personality, social and economic standing – the following analysis is coming from seven months of observation of the general population I see walking down the street. I will primarily focus on women’s fashion, but there will be a bit of men’s as well.
I will break the female population into two categories and they are basically young and old division – The Modern Woman and the Adjewma.
The Modern Korean Woman’s fashion is very interesting to think about. In a way it is almost like watching the western fashion of the 60s, 70s, and 80s and not in a retro kind of way. Here the mini-skirt is new and defiant kind of thing. Except for weddings, funerals, and holidays the tradition Korean dress (Hanbok) is not worn. Although I was told by my old tutor (who is in her 20s) that when she was young it was her school uniform. This being said – the Korean woman has only in the last 10 years had real freedom/ expression in her clothes. So here comes the really, really short skirt and the ridiculously high heels (I am not kidding – I have been women wearing heals on the beach – I get so excited and feel the desire to yell out “You so sister!!!” every time I see a woman in flats.)
This has actually led me to want to know about any kind of feminist movement in Korea. Are there any writers, artists, or political figures out there. Because even with the slightly hooker wear, there is this mixture of Channel, ironic modesty, and kiddy porn. Let me explain – For the majority of women here it is a criminal offence to walk out the door without the hair, the make-up, the heels, the bag, the works. I was telling some of my co-workers that when I lived in Houston particularly – if I was running sort on time, I would go to the store with curlers in my hair. My logic: I have a show to do tonight and 20 things to do by then and my hair is a pain to curl – Hold your head high and go get you bread and milk big whoop! They were shocked. The shock was then followed by the signature nervous giggle and a “oh no I can’t do that.” You should see my on my way to work for a Ren Fair: flip flops, bloomers, chemise, corset, and curlers pumping gas at 7 AM. Oh it is quite a sight!!!
So that is the Chanel factor I don’t quite get. Then there is the ironic modesty. Now I some of you will not have an issue with this – I am not saying wait they so is wrong, but it is ironic. So you have the mini-skirt but then they will wear leggings underneath and a shirt up to their chin and the hooker heels. Who are you kidding here? Yes you are covered up, but it is not like you are actually hiding anything. On top of that you are wearing shoes that force your lower back to push forward, your butt to go out, and your chest (if you have one) to push out. Heels are designed to be sexual!!! And they taller they are the more sexual it gets. Please they are not called Hooker heels for nothing – and that is the mildest of the nicknames.
Next layer. Kiddy Porn. You have your heels, short skirt with tights, fashionable bag that you could two small children in, the hair is perfect, yet you are wearing a Minnie Mouse shirt, your shoes have bows, and oh that skirt is Catholic School Girl style. And you are 24 years old. Are you kidding me? What corner of the bookstore did you get the inspiration for this one? That is one thing that has amazed me – is what grown professionals are willing to wear in public. Minnie Mouse, Mickey, Hello Kitty and these are not just women. Men – Men wearing Mickey Mouse sweaters with great pride!!!
Okay so let me talk about the men. To count the times I have wanted to walk up to a guy on the street or subway and say “ Excuse me sir but do you realize that you are wearing a woman’s sweater, jacket, jeans?” or “Why do you have your girlfriend’s purse?” This is true with Japan too – because they are getting these clothes without the same cultural history or gender stigmas, they use the clothes differently. I man will see a long belted sweater and like the color – like the feel and never think this is not something a man wears. It is funny to see a young couple walking down the street. Both in jeans and both with big shiny bags – it can actually be hard to figure out who is who.
Yesterday is the first time I have bought any clothing outside of socks here. I actually found a shirt that I really liked and looked good on me. It is very frustrating not to be able to shop here. First is the size issue: I do not have the Asian girl build. And even those that are not stick thin do not gain carry weight the same way I would. As the years go by and the children come, the women here are definite apples. All the weight goes to the middle and the arms and legs stay very thin.
This is as good a time as any to bring up the Adjewma. Adjewma is the name used for older married women. There is this strange metamorphosis that occurs to women here once they are married and especially after they kinds come. First it is they hair. Most women after marriage will cut their hair rather short (if they do not do it after marriage, it will usually happen after they kids come.) Now this is not unusual even at home, but here woman can actually be pressured and criticized by other women for not projecting the right image. As time marches on it is all down hill – there is a joke that in Korea there is three genders male, female, and Adjewma. All of that Chanel “it is a woman job to be beautiful” stuff goes out the window and here comes the track pants and the big sun visor. You should see them are they roam the city in their pack of four or five – they are a force to be reckoned with.
So buying clothes here. I mentioned the size issue. Even shoes – most store to not carry over an 8 or 81/2. And the fashion for shoes here is there thin and very pointed OUCH!!! You do not see many sandals also. Which is a shame because that is all I wear when it get warm (which it has been upper 60s – 70s for a few weeks now). And even when people do wear sandal like shoes they will wear sock. Oh it makes me laugh. They really do have a toe issue here.
Second on the shopping is the style. There are so many things I look at and laugh. I simple cannot bring myself to wear that – Hey it looks fine when you wear it but I can’t. Also is the cut of the clothes – even if it is my size the cut of the clothes looks ridiculous on me.
But it is very interesting to observe. They way the changing roles and views of women is seen in the fashion, but how it also collides with the traditional social norms. How what are seen as obvious gender categories at home – simple have no baring here. And how once you social responsibility is done you are then you can then – I do not know what to call it – you are then free of the requirement of being feminine or you are free to be comfortable. I am not sure what it is.
Ever once and a while you will find the artsy type. They are dressing for themselves, but for most people you go through school wearing your uniform (most students go straight from school to tutoring or academies so they wear their uniforms ten hours a day), in college you dress to impress and find a spouse, you then dress for your position and then for the kids and then you simple stop trying. Everyone is always in a group. Even at home – no one is as unique as they want to believe, but here just do not seem to be that may options to fall into. What would they do with the teen that changed her hair color like some people change sock – or decided to call her friend to come over because she wanted her to shave the side of her head. Or even got bored on night and cut her little brother’s hair. I am sure they would have loved the ripped up jeans to the family events (but then again my Grandmother was wearing an ever so fashionable yellow velour sweat suit). Oh the days of the striped sock, crinoline skirt, and Army jacket. Yet again pair that with the little boy in his plaid shorts (one of three pairs he is wearing), stripped t-shirt (also layered) and crocheted pink hat. You won’t see that walking down the street here. Sorry wait take that back – I have seen some pretty horrific pattern combos here – but they were being worn by a 30 year old not a 3 year old.
I am sure there have been plenty of odd thoughts and shaken heads over what I have worn. Dress as you wish – just don’t break your ankle in those shoes.
Starting analysis of modern female fashion. I like clothes – not in the fashionista must have the latest or never seen before style kind of way. I like the history of clothing – the way clothing has affected cultures politically and socially and how clothing has been affected by these things. Seoul has proven to be quite the place for both men’s and women’s fashion. Now before I get further along, let me state that no, not everyone wears the same exact thing – there is evidence of individual personality, social and economic standing – the following analysis is coming from seven months of observation of the general population I see walking down the street. I will primarily focus on women’s fashion, but there will be a bit of men’s as well.
I will break the female population into two categories and they are basically young and old division – The Modern Woman and the Adjewma.
The Modern Korean Woman’s fashion is very interesting to think about. In a way it is almost like watching the western fashion of the 60s, 70s, and 80s and not in a retro kind of way. Here the mini-skirt is new and defiant kind of thing. Except for weddings, funerals, and holidays the tradition Korean dress (Hanbok) is not worn. Although I was told by my old tutor (who is in her 20s) that when she was young it was her school uniform. This being said – the Korean woman has only in the last 10 years had real freedom/ expression in her clothes. So here comes the really, really short skirt and the ridiculously high heels (I am not kidding – I have been women wearing heals on the beach – I get so excited and feel the desire to yell out “You so sister!!!” every time I see a woman in flats.)
This has actually led me to want to know about any kind of feminist movement in Korea. Are there any writers, artists, or political figures out there. Because even with the slightly hooker wear, there is this mixture of Channel, ironic modesty, and kiddy porn. Let me explain – For the majority of women here it is a criminal offence to walk out the door without the hair, the make-up, the heels, the bag, the works. I was telling some of my co-workers that when I lived in Houston particularly – if I was running sort on time, I would go to the store with curlers in my hair. My logic: I have a show to do tonight and 20 things to do by then and my hair is a pain to curl – Hold your head high and go get you bread and milk big whoop! They were shocked. The shock was then followed by the signature nervous giggle and a “oh no I can’t do that.” You should see my on my way to work for a Ren Fair: flip flops, bloomers, chemise, corset, and curlers pumping gas at 7 AM. Oh it is quite a sight!!!
So that is the Chanel factor I don’t quite get. Then there is the ironic modesty. Now I some of you will not have an issue with this – I am not saying wait they so is wrong, but it is ironic. So you have the mini-skirt but then they will wear leggings underneath and a shirt up to their chin and the hooker heels. Who are you kidding here? Yes you are covered up, but it is not like you are actually hiding anything. On top of that you are wearing shoes that force your lower back to push forward, your butt to go out, and your chest (if you have one) to push out. Heels are designed to be sexual!!! And they taller they are the more sexual it gets. Please they are not called Hooker heels for nothing – and that is the mildest of the nicknames.
Next layer. Kiddy Porn. You have your heels, short skirt with tights, fashionable bag that you could two small children in, the hair is perfect, yet you are wearing a Minnie Mouse shirt, your shoes have bows, and oh that skirt is Catholic School Girl style. And you are 24 years old. Are you kidding me? What corner of the bookstore did you get the inspiration for this one? That is one thing that has amazed me – is what grown professionals are willing to wear in public. Minnie Mouse, Mickey, Hello Kitty and these are not just women. Men – Men wearing Mickey Mouse sweaters with great pride!!!
Okay so let me talk about the men. To count the times I have wanted to walk up to a guy on the street or subway and say “ Excuse me sir but do you realize that you are wearing a woman’s sweater, jacket, jeans?” or “Why do you have your girlfriend’s purse?” This is true with Japan too – because they are getting these clothes without the same cultural history or gender stigmas, they use the clothes differently. I man will see a long belted sweater and like the color – like the feel and never think this is not something a man wears. It is funny to see a young couple walking down the street. Both in jeans and both with big shiny bags – it can actually be hard to figure out who is who.
Yesterday is the first time I have bought any clothing outside of socks here. I actually found a shirt that I really liked and looked good on me. It is very frustrating not to be able to shop here. First is the size issue: I do not have the Asian girl build. And even those that are not stick thin do not gain carry weight the same way I would. As the years go by and the children come, the women here are definite apples. All the weight goes to the middle and the arms and legs stay very thin.
This is as good a time as any to bring up the Adjewma. Adjewma is the name used for older married women. There is this strange metamorphosis that occurs to women here once they are married and especially after they kinds come. First it is they hair. Most women after marriage will cut their hair rather short (if they do not do it after marriage, it will usually happen after they kids come.) Now this is not unusual even at home, but here woman can actually be pressured and criticized by other women for not projecting the right image. As time marches on it is all down hill – there is a joke that in Korea there is three genders male, female, and Adjewma. All of that Chanel “it is a woman job to be beautiful” stuff goes out the window and here comes the track pants and the big sun visor. You should see them are they roam the city in their pack of four or five – they are a force to be reckoned with.
So buying clothes here. I mentioned the size issue. Even shoes – most store to not carry over an 8 or 81/2. And the fashion for shoes here is there thin and very pointed OUCH!!! You do not see many sandals also. Which is a shame because that is all I wear when it get warm (which it has been upper 60s – 70s for a few weeks now). And even when people do wear sandal like shoes they will wear sock. Oh it makes me laugh. They really do have a toe issue here.
Second on the shopping is the style. There are so many things I look at and laugh. I simple cannot bring myself to wear that – Hey it looks fine when you wear it but I can’t. Also is the cut of the clothes – even if it is my size the cut of the clothes looks ridiculous on me.
But it is very interesting to observe. They way the changing roles and views of women is seen in the fashion, but how it also collides with the traditional social norms. How what are seen as obvious gender categories at home – simple have no baring here. And how once you social responsibility is done you are then you can then – I do not know what to call it – you are then free of the requirement of being feminine or you are free to be comfortable. I am not sure what it is.
Ever once and a while you will find the artsy type. They are dressing for themselves, but for most people you go through school wearing your uniform (most students go straight from school to tutoring or academies so they wear their uniforms ten hours a day), in college you dress to impress and find a spouse, you then dress for your position and then for the kids and then you simple stop trying. Everyone is always in a group. Even at home – no one is as unique as they want to believe, but here just do not seem to be that may options to fall into. What would they do with the teen that changed her hair color like some people change sock – or decided to call her friend to come over because she wanted her to shave the side of her head. Or even got bored on night and cut her little brother’s hair. I am sure they would have loved the ripped up jeans to the family events (but then again my Grandmother was wearing an ever so fashionable yellow velour sweat suit). Oh the days of the striped sock, crinoline skirt, and Army jacket. Yet again pair that with the little boy in his plaid shorts (one of three pairs he is wearing), stripped t-shirt (also layered) and crocheted pink hat. You won’t see that walking down the street here. Sorry wait take that back – I have seen some pretty horrific pattern combos here – but they were being worn by a 30 year old not a 3 year old.
I am sure there have been plenty of odd thoughts and shaken heads over what I have worn. Dress as you wish – just don’t break your ankle in those shoes.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
I am Yoga Master
Oh yeah that's right - I did it - with out assistance off a wall or someone holding my legs - I stood on my head. Yup look at the white girl go - she is standing on her head. I am so cool!!!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Cultural Exchange
Sorry I have not been around in a while. School has started back, and I have been a bit busy getting things together. I have a post that I started sometime ago on my analysis of Korean fashion - I will get that up at some point perhaps with photos.
However, today's cultural moment has nothing to do with Koreans. It actually involves the other Native English teacher at my school Sarah. I may have mentioned Sarah to some of you before, but for others here is the story. Sarah is 25 and from Ireland. She lived in Korea before for a year two years ago - went back to Ireland - had a really hard time finding a teaching job - hated working in an office - so decided to come back to Korea. Which is very, very lucky for me because I think Sarah is great. She is a wonderful teacher and so easy to get along with. She has such good ideas and works with others ideas as well. This past week we started doing a morning announcements video broadcast for our school. In English of course. We will be doing this ever Tuesday through Friday for about 5 minutes during homeroom. We are having a blast!!! I could not imagine having a better co-worker. And what is even nicer it that although we get along very well, we both have our own interests and are not put off at not hanging out all that time. Many of the teachers have asked us if we go out together outside of school and are always surprised when we say no. Maybe once or twice a months we might see a movie together or have dinner. This past Tuesday we went to see the Reduced Shakespeare Company at the Sejong Centre but that is about it. We see each other at work and then do are own thing. A lovely arrangement.
Over that past few months, Sarah and I have had a few laughs over how and what each of us says. I have American words and phrases that she laughs at and I with her Irish. And these differences are expected - we grew up a really far way apart. However, there was one thing that really took me by surprise, and I must say I am very proud to have been part of a cultural first for Sarah. As I was eating an apple with peanut butter, Sarah mentioned that although they have peanut butter in Ireland, it really is not used much. So the idea that I was putting it on an apple was very strange to her, but this was not the shocker. I was mentioning other things peanut butter went with - and then she said something that made my head snap up:
"I have never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
WHAT!?!!?!?! Never. Did you have a childhood? What do you people eat on that island?
After a few moments of puzzled staring, I asked her if she would like to try one and she said sure. So the next day I brought in a PBJ sandwich (strawberry jelly of course) for her to try. Her first words were "HHmm it is sweet. Pretty good" Well dah!!
See I knew I came to Korea for a reason. I just never knew it was to share PBJ with Ireland.
However, today's cultural moment has nothing to do with Koreans. It actually involves the other Native English teacher at my school Sarah. I may have mentioned Sarah to some of you before, but for others here is the story. Sarah is 25 and from Ireland. She lived in Korea before for a year two years ago - went back to Ireland - had a really hard time finding a teaching job - hated working in an office - so decided to come back to Korea. Which is very, very lucky for me because I think Sarah is great. She is a wonderful teacher and so easy to get along with. She has such good ideas and works with others ideas as well. This past week we started doing a morning announcements video broadcast for our school. In English of course. We will be doing this ever Tuesday through Friday for about 5 minutes during homeroom. We are having a blast!!! I could not imagine having a better co-worker. And what is even nicer it that although we get along very well, we both have our own interests and are not put off at not hanging out all that time. Many of the teachers have asked us if we go out together outside of school and are always surprised when we say no. Maybe once or twice a months we might see a movie together or have dinner. This past Tuesday we went to see the Reduced Shakespeare Company at the Sejong Centre but that is about it. We see each other at work and then do are own thing. A lovely arrangement.
Over that past few months, Sarah and I have had a few laughs over how and what each of us says. I have American words and phrases that she laughs at and I with her Irish. And these differences are expected - we grew up a really far way apart. However, there was one thing that really took me by surprise, and I must say I am very proud to have been part of a cultural first for Sarah. As I was eating an apple with peanut butter, Sarah mentioned that although they have peanut butter in Ireland, it really is not used much. So the idea that I was putting it on an apple was very strange to her, but this was not the shocker. I was mentioning other things peanut butter went with - and then she said something that made my head snap up:
"I have never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
WHAT!?!!?!?! Never. Did you have a childhood? What do you people eat on that island?
After a few moments of puzzled staring, I asked her if she would like to try one and she said sure. So the next day I brought in a PBJ sandwich (strawberry jelly of course) for her to try. Her first words were "HHmm it is sweet. Pretty good" Well dah!!
See I knew I came to Korea for a reason. I just never knew it was to share PBJ with Ireland.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Passage through India: Fourth and Final
February 7, 2008
So now I am back in Delhi. I have a flight at 2:00 AM. I went by a shop I had been at last time – I had ordered a very simple dress made – so I picked that up. I think I am going to try and make my way to the national museum.
After laughing in the faces of two drivers who quoted me prices for the drive to the museum that were 6 and 3 times the actual price. I went to the pre-paid auto rickshaw booth. I finally made it down to the museum. Unfortunately, the one exhibit I would have liked to have seen most was closed – jewelry. Oh well – the rest of it was interesting. The extent to which this country is run down has no bounds. If someone would simply take a soapy towel to the base boards and corners, it would make a world of difference. With all the poverty and unemployment – how few rupees could you get away paying someone to clean – collect garbage in the streets. That is something that is so frustrating – how complacent residences are about throwing trash on the ground. The guy that the 1st German woman (Katerina) and I met laughed at us because we carried our trash around with us until we could find some kind of receptacle. I have had a few people say to me – “Oh just drop it – it is India “ yeah well that is the problem. They could probably develop a highly efficient collection system, but until the people changed it would not matter.
The museum was okay – a decent way to kill a few hours – but rather disappointing. For a place with such a long and involved history, the museum was rather dull. I found the same to be true of the armory exhibit at the City Palace in Jaipur. They had all this old stuff and so they threw it on the walls and in cases with little rhyme or reason.
Basically I have been puttsing round the old section of town killing time until I will meet my driver (Raj) from the last time. I am going to head out to the airport insanely early. Wow, it feels like forever (I guess it is better then the time passing too fast.) It also feels strange that when I say I am going home I am not talking about the U.S. What is also rather unnerving is that I am now in my sixth month of Korea. I am almost half way through my contract. This is where I feel time slipping through my fingers. When I get back I need to sit down and make a list of what I want to do. I will do that after I get all this onto the blog. I am sitting in that tiny café that Katerina, Haeng Min and I were in my last night in Delhi before Agra. I really like this place, it is so tiny and the service is slow even for India, but you never know who will sit down beside you. I just finished a great conversation with a couple from Turkey. I amt tired and have no more patience to haggle and argue with drivers and shop owners, but I am sad about going.
10:24 PM
Flying out of Delhi airport. They are very thorough. Forget not going to the gate if you do not have a ticket. You cannot enter the airport without having your passport and ticket (or e-ticket). Then you go through the first line of security. Anything you want with you in the cabin- you have to get out of your bag now. They x-ray your bag and then bind it with a thick plastic zip-tie sort of thing. At least you know no one else is getting into our bag. Then you check in with your airline and then immigration. Countries do not care when you leave their country so it went quickly. Now I am sitting in purgatory – I am here so early I cannot proceed through the next security check. I am in a minimal wasteland of duty free shops and a Subway.
My gate has been assigned. I am through the second wave of security. It is funny – there is a separate metal detector for women to walk through. Once you walk through it, you then go into a little cubicle where a female guard scans you with a hand metal detector. I know why it is there, but the private female search room amuses me. At this point I just want to go to sleep. I got up at 3:30 AM this morning to catch the 5 AM train to Delhi. I want to sleep and go home and play with my saris.
Alright so what are my over all impressions of India? Was it what I expected? Was I disappointed at all?
Well, first off, time is cruel. These beautiful palaces, tombs, and mosques are so impressive. You cannot help but be in awe of the people who built them, yet you walk outside their walls and you are faced with a place that is falling apart. The dirt, the trash, the scams, the poverty, the begging, the children begging, the adults who are standing there pushing the child to beg, the noise, the traffic you never could imagine, the livestock everywhere, the dead livestock in the open sewers with the man pissing into it. Yet there are the towers, the minarets, the gates, the forts, the amazingly colorful birds, the smell of incense and spices that makes you dizzy, makes you smile and then it is gone, the soft flow of brightly colored fabric of some of the most beautiful women you will ever see.
I am very glad I came, and I am already thinking about what I will do if I get to come back again. The part that did disappoint me was the people. Out of all the people I cam in contact with, I only felt I could trust six. Everyone else oozed with double talk and dishonesty. As much as I liked Jaipur – I was so happy to get out of there. I was becoming so annoyed with anyone who spoke to me. It was all so predictable.
1) What country are you from? (even if I answered I started lying. You could hear the $$ signs when I said U.S.)
2) What is your name? (make something up or deflect by asking them theirs and still not give them yours)
3) Your first time in India? (code for I want to see how green and gullible you are.)
4) How long have you been in India? (same as #3 – can be used in place of #3 or in conjunction with #3)
5) Are you married or single? (never say single even if you are)
6) Are you traveling alone? (never say you are – always be on you way to meet friends)
7) How long will you be in India? (between this question and #4 I want to figure out how much money you might have with you)
8) a) Oh come let me show you my shop/ cousin’s shop/ brother’s shop.
b) Oh where are you going – I can get you a rickshaw.
a/b1 ) oh not I can get you a good price.
9) (can come in at anytime – especially early on if you won’t talk to them)
Why? What you do not like Indian people? Why do Western people not like to talk to Indian people? You do not understand we are just wanting to know. Many Indian people do not have good education so they do not know about these places and they want to learn?
(Guilt Tactic)
[Younger siblings or cousins skip this part]
{Oh shut the fuck up you asshole. Yes you are right. I hate Indian people!!!!! I came to this country for my holiday because I hate Indian people.}
I understand that you are trying to make a living, but don’t follow me down the street, don’t harass me when I decline to answer a personal question, and I might be more open to looking in a shop if it was not a guarantee that you are going to jack the price up at least 4 – 6 times what you would charge to a local. And do not look so shocked when I call you on it.
And because of the society – it is of course always men. I only had one woman try and talk to me during this whole trip.
Now there is one pleasant little island in this lake of crap. Kids!!! I had a great time with the team of girl at the train station. I so loved hanging out with the girls at Ladli. And today a huge group of schoolgirls were at the museum. They would come up – standing straight and tall – and say hello. I would say hello back and shake their hands. Some of the later girls caught on and would come up with their hands extended. They would often ask the same questions mentioned earlier, yet it was never annoying. They were genuinely wanted to know. Pavja (the student captain of the team was so funny) she kept giving me cookies and chips. If I would try and decline, she would say something about not turning away her kindness. And as good manners go in the west, I would say thank you after accepting her offer. Finally she laughed and asked “Why do you say thank you – we are friends. You need no thank you for friends.” I wish I could have had more time with them. We were comparing music and movie tastes – and they had been listening to the western and Hindi music on my IPod when they had to go.
The girls at the museum today where making such a noise, and blocking the entrance ways that the guards had to come shoo them along a couple times. I am even on a few more rolls of film. I liked failing miserably at hula-hooping and dancing around with my little helper. Oh and you should have seen my crappy craftsmanship when the girls were teaching me how to make a necklace.
Yea – It was a good trip.
[Okay all that is the end of the India journal. I have been back in Seoul for two week and a half now. Seems like ages ago. I am rather annoyed because I could have stayed longer if it had not been for two days of work we had to come back for in which we did nothing. Sarah and I simply sat at each other’s desks and talked about vacation, a few ideas for the coming school year, and how stupid it was that we had to come back (she had been visiting her aunt in Singapore). This is the last week of February and my half way mark is upon me. I am not sure if I am ready for it. There are many people (ok Josh – the rest of you I am okay for a while just emailing you and talking to you on Skype) and things I miss at home, but I know that once I leave here I am really not going to get another chance like this to do some of these things. I want to get down to Australia to visit Caleb – I know how much it sucks to live somewhere and no one comes to see you, I want to go to the Philippines, I want to go to Vietnam, Russia and China I will do on my way home this year or next, but it would be nice to put if off a year and have Josh come with me. I would like to have more time with my co-workers and to see what else I could do with this position. But for now time is what it is. I will keep working at a job I really enjoy and take opportunities for new adventures as they come up. Oh I may be going back to North Korea in the spring. A town closer to Seoul is being opened up for visitors. This one sounds like it is a tour into an actual town. I will keep you updated.
Well my notes are finished and I am out of Earl Grey. If that is not a sign to stop, I am not sure what is.]
So now I am back in Delhi. I have a flight at 2:00 AM. I went by a shop I had been at last time – I had ordered a very simple dress made – so I picked that up. I think I am going to try and make my way to the national museum.
After laughing in the faces of two drivers who quoted me prices for the drive to the museum that were 6 and 3 times the actual price. I went to the pre-paid auto rickshaw booth. I finally made it down to the museum. Unfortunately, the one exhibit I would have liked to have seen most was closed – jewelry. Oh well – the rest of it was interesting. The extent to which this country is run down has no bounds. If someone would simply take a soapy towel to the base boards and corners, it would make a world of difference. With all the poverty and unemployment – how few rupees could you get away paying someone to clean – collect garbage in the streets. That is something that is so frustrating – how complacent residences are about throwing trash on the ground. The guy that the 1st German woman (Katerina) and I met laughed at us because we carried our trash around with us until we could find some kind of receptacle. I have had a few people say to me – “Oh just drop it – it is India “ yeah well that is the problem. They could probably develop a highly efficient collection system, but until the people changed it would not matter.
The museum was okay – a decent way to kill a few hours – but rather disappointing. For a place with such a long and involved history, the museum was rather dull. I found the same to be true of the armory exhibit at the City Palace in Jaipur. They had all this old stuff and so they threw it on the walls and in cases with little rhyme or reason.
Basically I have been puttsing round the old section of town killing time until I will meet my driver (Raj) from the last time. I am going to head out to the airport insanely early. Wow, it feels like forever (I guess it is better then the time passing too fast.) It also feels strange that when I say I am going home I am not talking about the U.S. What is also rather unnerving is that I am now in my sixth month of Korea. I am almost half way through my contract. This is where I feel time slipping through my fingers. When I get back I need to sit down and make a list of what I want to do. I will do that after I get all this onto the blog. I am sitting in that tiny café that Katerina, Haeng Min and I were in my last night in Delhi before Agra. I really like this place, it is so tiny and the service is slow even for India, but you never know who will sit down beside you. I just finished a great conversation with a couple from Turkey. I amt tired and have no more patience to haggle and argue with drivers and shop owners, but I am sad about going.
10:24 PM
Flying out of Delhi airport. They are very thorough. Forget not going to the gate if you do not have a ticket. You cannot enter the airport without having your passport and ticket (or e-ticket). Then you go through the first line of security. Anything you want with you in the cabin- you have to get out of your bag now. They x-ray your bag and then bind it with a thick plastic zip-tie sort of thing. At least you know no one else is getting into our bag. Then you check in with your airline and then immigration. Countries do not care when you leave their country so it went quickly. Now I am sitting in purgatory – I am here so early I cannot proceed through the next security check. I am in a minimal wasteland of duty free shops and a Subway.
My gate has been assigned. I am through the second wave of security. It is funny – there is a separate metal detector for women to walk through. Once you walk through it, you then go into a little cubicle where a female guard scans you with a hand metal detector. I know why it is there, but the private female search room amuses me. At this point I just want to go to sleep. I got up at 3:30 AM this morning to catch the 5 AM train to Delhi. I want to sleep and go home and play with my saris.
Alright so what are my over all impressions of India? Was it what I expected? Was I disappointed at all?
Well, first off, time is cruel. These beautiful palaces, tombs, and mosques are so impressive. You cannot help but be in awe of the people who built them, yet you walk outside their walls and you are faced with a place that is falling apart. The dirt, the trash, the scams, the poverty, the begging, the children begging, the adults who are standing there pushing the child to beg, the noise, the traffic you never could imagine, the livestock everywhere, the dead livestock in the open sewers with the man pissing into it. Yet there are the towers, the minarets, the gates, the forts, the amazingly colorful birds, the smell of incense and spices that makes you dizzy, makes you smile and then it is gone, the soft flow of brightly colored fabric of some of the most beautiful women you will ever see.
I am very glad I came, and I am already thinking about what I will do if I get to come back again. The part that did disappoint me was the people. Out of all the people I cam in contact with, I only felt I could trust six. Everyone else oozed with double talk and dishonesty. As much as I liked Jaipur – I was so happy to get out of there. I was becoming so annoyed with anyone who spoke to me. It was all so predictable.
1) What country are you from? (even if I answered I started lying. You could hear the $$ signs when I said U.S.)
2) What is your name? (make something up or deflect by asking them theirs and still not give them yours)
3) Your first time in India? (code for I want to see how green and gullible you are.)
4) How long have you been in India? (same as #3 – can be used in place of #3 or in conjunction with #3)
5) Are you married or single? (never say single even if you are)
6) Are you traveling alone? (never say you are – always be on you way to meet friends)
7) How long will you be in India? (between this question and #4 I want to figure out how much money you might have with you)
8) a) Oh come let me show you my shop/ cousin’s shop/ brother’s shop.
b) Oh where are you going – I can get you a rickshaw.
a/b1 ) oh not I can get you a good price.
9) (can come in at anytime – especially early on if you won’t talk to them)
Why? What you do not like Indian people? Why do Western people not like to talk to Indian people? You do not understand we are just wanting to know. Many Indian people do not have good education so they do not know about these places and they want to learn?
(Guilt Tactic)
[Younger siblings or cousins skip this part]
{Oh shut the fuck up you asshole. Yes you are right. I hate Indian people!!!!! I came to this country for my holiday because I hate Indian people.}
I understand that you are trying to make a living, but don’t follow me down the street, don’t harass me when I decline to answer a personal question, and I might be more open to looking in a shop if it was not a guarantee that you are going to jack the price up at least 4 – 6 times what you would charge to a local. And do not look so shocked when I call you on it.
And because of the society – it is of course always men. I only had one woman try and talk to me during this whole trip.
Now there is one pleasant little island in this lake of crap. Kids!!! I had a great time with the team of girl at the train station. I so loved hanging out with the girls at Ladli. And today a huge group of schoolgirls were at the museum. They would come up – standing straight and tall – and say hello. I would say hello back and shake their hands. Some of the later girls caught on and would come up with their hands extended. They would often ask the same questions mentioned earlier, yet it was never annoying. They were genuinely wanted to know. Pavja (the student captain of the team was so funny) she kept giving me cookies and chips. If I would try and decline, she would say something about not turning away her kindness. And as good manners go in the west, I would say thank you after accepting her offer. Finally she laughed and asked “Why do you say thank you – we are friends. You need no thank you for friends.” I wish I could have had more time with them. We were comparing music and movie tastes – and they had been listening to the western and Hindi music on my IPod when they had to go.
The girls at the museum today where making such a noise, and blocking the entrance ways that the guards had to come shoo them along a couple times. I am even on a few more rolls of film. I liked failing miserably at hula-hooping and dancing around with my little helper. Oh and you should have seen my crappy craftsmanship when the girls were teaching me how to make a necklace.
Yea – It was a good trip.
[Okay all that is the end of the India journal. I have been back in Seoul for two week and a half now. Seems like ages ago. I am rather annoyed because I could have stayed longer if it had not been for two days of work we had to come back for in which we did nothing. Sarah and I simply sat at each other’s desks and talked about vacation, a few ideas for the coming school year, and how stupid it was that we had to come back (she had been visiting her aunt in Singapore). This is the last week of February and my half way mark is upon me. I am not sure if I am ready for it. There are many people (ok Josh – the rest of you I am okay for a while just emailing you and talking to you on Skype) and things I miss at home, but I know that once I leave here I am really not going to get another chance like this to do some of these things. I want to get down to Australia to visit Caleb – I know how much it sucks to live somewhere and no one comes to see you, I want to go to the Philippines, I want to go to Vietnam, Russia and China I will do on my way home this year or next, but it would be nice to put if off a year and have Josh come with me. I would like to have more time with my co-workers and to see what else I could do with this position. But for now time is what it is. I will keep working at a job I really enjoy and take opportunities for new adventures as they come up. Oh I may be going back to North Korea in the spring. A town closer to Seoul is being opened up for visitors. This one sounds like it is a tour into an actual town. I will keep you updated.
Well my notes are finished and I am out of Earl Grey. If that is not a sign to stop, I am not sure what is.]
Friday, February 22, 2008
Passage through India: Volume 3
I woke up late, slowly ate breakfast, and walked up to the station. All went well: Instead of going to the gardens, I found a decent driver who offered going to Ahbar’s Mausoleum and Itemad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) for a good price. Because of the time of day, there was a load of traffic between the two places. So besides the amusing people who would literally just stand beside the rickshaw and star at me – I got to have some very pleasant conversation. Hw was from Agra, but his wife was from outside Jaipur. He had three kids. The basics. Talked about the tourist season in Agra and the different people that come. It was also on this ride I saw my first elephant carrying wood down the road. While I was at Itemad-ud-Daulah (also called the Baby Taj because of the materials it is made out of, it shape but much smaller size) I was walking along the back wall that runs along the river. The river is very low at this time of the year, and people were drying straw out there. Cows were walking along. A few children were playing – one child in particular kept yelling hello and waving even after I waved back half a dozen times. I heard some pounding below me and saw some more people working on the wall. Now I had noticed before that it seems as if families are used to do much of the public works projects. You will often see an older gentleman and then a handful of guys going down in age – and a stray girl or two. Here I had what looked like a mother, father, and three small kids. The woman was standing looking away from me for a moment when the little girl out in the river yelled to me. At this the mother looked up and said hello and something else I did not understand. I said hello and she repeated the something else a few times, grabbed the hoe, and started mixing the red mortar. The whole time she kept repeating the word. I finally figured it out – Picture. She was telling me to take a picture. Let me give you a little background here. You realize quickly that you have to be very careful who you ask for something as simple as directions or where a bathroom is at. Many times you will ask such a question – the person will answer and then old out their hand for money. I know it is a poor country and my money goes very far here, but give me a break. The same goes for pictures. I have a picture of Katerina petting an ox at the Taj Mahal. The owner (I assume that is who it was) came up and had held his hand open. That is what this woman was doing. She was saying – hey look at me this makes a good tourist picture. And then you can give me money. A rather twisted form of prostitution. Needless to say I did not take the picture. I am amused though because I have had on multiple occasions – were people will as to have their pictures taken with me. One will ask and the next thing I know I am standing there with a line. I finally asked a young guy who asked to have his picture taken with me yesterday why. I mean come on – I have come here to India – you are Indian – shouldn’t it be me running around having my picture taken like I am standing with a costumed character at Disneyland? His only answer was ‘to remember’. Okay I guess you do not see that many white chicks.
Side note again – I am now sitting in a little street “restaurant” in Sawai Madhopur. After a fight with a driver over which hotel to choose. Actually I told him where to go and then he insisted on walking in with me. Sure sign he was going to try and get a commission out of this. I knew it for sure when the man quoted the room as 300 rupee. More than twice the amount listed in Lonely Planet. I walked out and the cab driver kept lowering the price and then telling the price at another hotel. It annoyed me so much that I just started walking down the street in the opposite direction than I wanted to go – just so he would not know where I was headed. Anyway I am in Sawai Madhopur and what is really cool is there are barely an tourists. I know there is a couple from the Czech Republic somewhere in town because we were on the train together, but I do not know where they are staying. And I saw an older couple waiting on the train platform as I was coming down. But no one else right now. (FYI- I realized that the train was not really going to come to a complete stop at the station – so I actually got to hop off a slow moving train – that was fun) The lone white girl stares are so funny. I really do not know what I would have to do at home to get the same. Perhaps get naked, paint myself purple, and walk down State Street. And I am still really not sure if anyone at home would notice that. So anyway there are these two young guys working at this place. And they are very amusing. In about three minute intervals, they will come over and stand about four feet from my shoulder and just watch me. They were asking what I was writing, said my handwriting was very nice – I laughed and explained that at home people think my handwriting is very bad and hard to read. I asked the one if he could write in cursive. He said yes and I told him his writing was probably much better than mine. So I handed him my book and pen. I showed him the teenage students’ writing and showed him again that these Indian students’ writing was much better than mine. It took the poor kid forever to figure out what to write.
My name is Vikas Sharma. I am reading in a MBA. I live in Sawai Madhopur. I want to see a U.S.A. My hobby is making a friend.
They came back again and asked what my job is. I asked then what they both did (both claim to be students). They asked me my hobbies – I asked them theirs. They asked me where I visited and such. They told me one of their friends was going to study business in Sydney. I told them my brother lived there. One of them just came back again to see if I needed anything again. I think this is the sixth time. So while walking back to my hotel that second day from Agra.
February 2, 2008
Sorry about that. It was starting to get dark so I wanted to walk over to the train station and be back at my place before it was too late.
8 hours later
And again. Well it is a good sign that I have not time or opportunity to finish any of this. I am sitting down at a restaurant in Sawai Madhopur ( a different one – let’s see how far I get) After sleeping for fourteen and a half hours, I headed out to the RTCD Tourist Complex to book myself a ticket on a tour of the Ranthembhore National Park. As I was walking u to the window, I saw the Czech couple I had met yesterday at the Agra train station. There is no sense of order here. If you think you will try and get something by standing in line – you are dead wrong. It is all about pushing from the side and talking louder and faster than the next guy.
February 3, 2008
Thank the Lord for Western toilets, showers, hot water, and Lysol. I arrived in Jaipur this afternoon to my first of two hotels I am staying t here. Now I like to consider myself somewhat earthy – not grunge or granola – but I can go a day without a shower and I have learned the fine fine-art of the squatter toilet. Yet one can only take a bath out of a bucket so many times. And oh little advice – toilet paper is not the norm here. What is - is a little faucet with a cup beside the squatter. And I balked at the Japanese bumwasher. But alas I am in a place with a Western toilet with paper, actually hot water, and a shower with enough pressure to wash my hair, and a floor I can walk barefoot on. So it being Sunday and many things (believe it or not) do choose to close here on Sunday or close early. I decided to use this time in my sunder Palace to relax and be a bum before heading out into yet another noisy, dirty Indian city. [I must also admit that I was not feeling real well that day too.]
So with the background entertainment of cable TV playing Indian music videos, I attempt to try and catch you up on my journey. So after the Baby Taj, I made my way back to an area called Taj Ganj. This is an area that was first developed by the workers of the Taj. It is now a narrow, congested maze of shops and residence. Where I was staying happened to be on the other side of this outside the East Gate. I have already walked through this area a number of times in the past couple days with very little hassle. My mission now was to find Chap Stick or some equivalent for my lips. As I am walking down the street, this guy leaning against a motorcycle yells out something about my earrings.
‘Where did you get your earrings?’
‘A store in the US.’
‘ How much did they cost?
‘Not much. They are not expensive – cheap nothings.’
‘Can I see them?’
‘Why?
‘I want to make a copy of them’
‘What?’
‘Come over here so I can copy them.’
‘Sorry. I need to go.’ (I did. I was still looking for my Chap Stick.)
So I think nothing of it. I found a small store with something for my lips. I turn around to go find food and there is the motorcycle guy. Oh please. So he explains how he makes jewelry and just wants to make a photocopy of them. I sigh. No please it will only take a minute – he swears he is not selling anything. Surprisingly enough he was telling the truth. He copied my earrings and did not try to sell me anything. So I get my earrings back and start down the street again. Not two minutes later another man stops me – commenting on my earrings and asking to copy them. I laughed. Okay fine here. While he is copying the earrings, I wander into his shop. Really nice shop – especially for here. And the stuff is really good too. When he comes back, I started asking him a few questions about the pieces. He makes everything himself – mostly silver but he does work with gold. Okay I am a sucker for an independent artist. I asked to look at some of his stuff. While I am doing so, a rather tall woman comes in. She seems to be rather familiar with the owner. She is also speaking English with a rather eastern European accent. Her name is Anna, and she is German but currently working out of Spain. She is in India to meet up with a horse trek she is helping to lead across Rajastan. She had been in the shop earlier that day or the day before. Lon story short the three of us had a grand time. I spent about four hours looking at different pieces of jewelry (Cat you would have been proud.) Anna decided to postpone her exit for a day so that she and I could go to Fathehpur Sikri. It is a fortified ghost city outside of Agra that had to be abandoned due to a water shortage in 1585. They have since fixed that problem. They have redone the gardens within the fort and the land around it is beautiful, rich green farmland. So Anna and I made plans for the next day, and I finished my purchases. Besides fulfilling a goal of visiting India, I also wanted to buy fabric and earrings while I was here. For handmade silver with real semi-precious stones, him price were rather good. I the end I bought 6 pairs of earrings, 2 bracelets, 1 ring, 2 small hoops for the piercing at the top of my ear (I had lost one some time back and could not find a decent replacement in Korea – so he made me 2), and a gift for Josh that he made in 24 hours. I think I made this guys week. So the next day Anna and I went to Fatehpur Sikri and he worked on my stuff. Now during this four hour, I had mentioned that I was getting married and wanted to buy a couple saris while in India to use for my wedding dress. I asked him what a good price was. Of course the prices he was giving me were what an Indian pays for them. There is no way a shop owner would offer me those prices. So he offered to go to a shop close by the next evening when I picked up my stuff. Everything he made was lovely! We then went over to look at saris (Anna went too to look for scarves). The owner of the sari shop was not pleased because he was not able to get away with jacking the price up. I got five saris for 1800 rupees – about $46 for all five. 1800 rupees was what a shop in Delhi tried to sell me a sari I hated for. So I now have the material for my wedding dress and then some. What ‘til you guys see it!
Fatehpur Sikri was good. It was nice to have someone to hang out with. The really fun part was riding the local bus to and from. The trip takes about an hour one way. And man they will cram whoever and whatever on that fit. There was no livestock on either trip, but I am sure if you were willing to pay for the ticket no one would stop you. I was slightly annoyed in the beginning. With as many people as the fit on there of course there are not enough seats. I got up twice to make sure that some local women who were just going to squat down for the trip got a seat. Not a single man was about to get up until they realized that I was going to stand for the trip. I know women are viewed differently, but how even more demeaning to not get up for your own countrywomen, but to have the same man get up for a foreign woman.
[Addition to my journal. On the way back to Agra there was this very fun little girl behind me. maybe about 7 years old. I would tap her hand real fast and then look away and then look at Anna and point as to say she did it. The girl would laugh, and when she thought I was not looking, she would squeeze her hand between the seats and poke me in the side. Then she would also point at Anna. But THE BEST part was when she gave me a carrot. She gave me a carrot and I must say best carrot ever. I returned the favor by giving her one of the oranges we had bought earlier. There was a gentleman sitting behind us that translated for her and the woman with her (I do not think it was he mother). She told him that she was so happy to get such a nice gift from me. AAAAWWWWWHHHHHH I told her that I was also happy to get such a nice gift from her.]
So I bid the jewelry man goodbye, and Anna and I parted ways. As mentioned before I was off to Sawai Madhopur to the next morning to the National Park. That was story about the group of school girls, the Czech couple, the guys at the restaurant, and no tigers.
Wow, I think I have caught you up with everything. It is now Monday, the 4th and I changed hotels. Nothing bad – it is just that neither hotel had openings for all they days I would be in Jaipur. I will be at the Hotel Pearl Palace for the rest of the time. This place is amazing. It is inexpensive, the interior design is fantastic, the staff is great, and the food is the best I have had so far. So far I like Jaipur way better then Delhi. It is a bit cleaner and the streets make more sense. This evening I went to Kerala Ayurveda Kendra for a massage. Ayurveda is a style of message and other therapies that uses a lot of heated oils. There is a therapy called sirodhara. They take about 2-4L of warm oils and slowly and steadily stream the oil over your forehead for about an hour. They say it reduces stress, tones the brain, and helps with sleep disorders. I did not feel like washing that much oil out of my hair so I went for the massage. From beginning to end it was great. First off the pick you up from your hotel and drop you off back at your hotel. You are led into a cozy warm room by a very short Indian lady. She (women for women and men for men) then instructs you to undress. The US and parts of Asia are the few places that use draping or clothes during massage. I knew this and was very glad that I have few nudity issues or touch issues. So you undress and the lady is in the room the whole time. She takes a long rectangle of gauze this ties at one end. She ties the strings around you and then pulls the gauze through your legs and tucks it in the back to form a bikini like bottom. You then climb up on this high table and lay down on your back first. She then proceeds to slather you in a thick layer of oil. So there you are naked and greased up. Now between the music, the smells, the oils and the person working for your relaxation, I started having images of Ester. This becomes even more prevalent when it comes to getting the oils off. First the lady takes a cool towel and wipes you down. Then she gets a very, very hot towel and lightly waves it against you to steam your pores. Then she takes a slightly hot towel and wipes you down. It is very funny to sit on the side of the table and then just stand in the middle of the room as someone essentially gives you a sponge bath. You are waiting for the ladies-in-waiting to come dress you and the jewels to be brought in on pillows.
Earlier today (4th) I walked over to the train station to get my ticket to Delhi on the 7th. While I was there I met yet another German woman. She has been living in Jaipur for two months doing an internship with AIDS patients. She is getting ready to go home next week and is going to do a little traveling. We got to talking – went to lunch. I have really good luck with these German chicks. No big story – we parted after lunch, but I think it is amusing that I have found a German chick to hang out with in three different cities.
So tomorrow I am off to Amber (pronounced Amer) Fort. It is just outside the city. Then after lunch I am going to a place called Ladli. It is a center for teenaged-orphaned girls – where they can get a basic education and learn a craft or jewelry trade – enough to make a living that could keep them off the street. The girls who have progressed enough can sell their work at the center and 100% of the money goes back to the girls and their care. And I being one who loves earrings and is in the market for a few more pairs would rather spend my money there then a vendor who will triple his prices because of what I look like. I will let you know how it goes.
February 2, 2008
Yesterday I went to Ladli. As I mentioned before it is an organization that provides street kids a basic education and teaches them a marketable skill such as jewelry making, embroidery, or sewing. It started out just assisting girls, but has also opened up for boys at another facility. The kids tend to be between 6 and 18, but they will not turn away a 3 year old who comes with a sister or brother. So they have ages 2 – 19 in the program. Ladli is a branch of an organization called I-India in the Jaipur area. They provide housing, clothes, food, an education to kids whose other choices would be theft, begging, or prostitution. Oh the other thing I likes about Ladli is that from the time the girls start the program, they assist them in opening a bank account where they can save money from their crafts to be used once they leave the program at 18 or 19.
I was there for about two hours. Most of the time I was sitting on the floor with them as they were working on their projects. There was about 40 or 50 of them working in the room at that time. They have teachers there to monitor their progress and quality. There was one girl (13 years old) who I kept calling ‘Boss Lady’ and she kept laughing. When I first saw her, she was logging in what each girl in her group had made. So I asked her if she was the boss. From then on I called her ‘Boss Lady’ – she did not seem to mind. I asked her to take me around the room and show me the pieces she had made. As we were walking around a few more girls came up to introduce themselves. There was one who became my helper. Her English was not very good but I did get out that she was 10 years old and does go to school in the morning. She had first come up to me when I was walking around with ‘Boss Lady’. She was the last of a group of girls who came up to ask my name and other question. I shook their hands – which they thought was funny – but the last girl, my helper, just did not let go. Okay – I can deal with that – so we walked around holding hands – swinging our arms – I spun her around a few times – she showed me the stuff she made. I now have a pair of earrings and a necklace she made. As well as a necklace by ‘Boss Lady’ and earrings by a couple of the other girls who were shadowing. So my helper bagged all my stuff up and we went outside to hula-hoop. They have a volunteer program there and they are open to anything teach English, music, dance, art, whatever – if I get to come back, I will definitely try and work out some time with them.
Side note again – I am now sitting in a little street “restaurant” in Sawai Madhopur. After a fight with a driver over which hotel to choose. Actually I told him where to go and then he insisted on walking in with me. Sure sign he was going to try and get a commission out of this. I knew it for sure when the man quoted the room as 300 rupee. More than twice the amount listed in Lonely Planet. I walked out and the cab driver kept lowering the price and then telling the price at another hotel. It annoyed me so much that I just started walking down the street in the opposite direction than I wanted to go – just so he would not know where I was headed. Anyway I am in Sawai Madhopur and what is really cool is there are barely an tourists. I know there is a couple from the Czech Republic somewhere in town because we were on the train together, but I do not know where they are staying. And I saw an older couple waiting on the train platform as I was coming down. But no one else right now. (FYI- I realized that the train was not really going to come to a complete stop at the station – so I actually got to hop off a slow moving train – that was fun) The lone white girl stares are so funny. I really do not know what I would have to do at home to get the same. Perhaps get naked, paint myself purple, and walk down State Street. And I am still really not sure if anyone at home would notice that. So anyway there are these two young guys working at this place. And they are very amusing. In about three minute intervals, they will come over and stand about four feet from my shoulder and just watch me. They were asking what I was writing, said my handwriting was very nice – I laughed and explained that at home people think my handwriting is very bad and hard to read. I asked the one if he could write in cursive. He said yes and I told him his writing was probably much better than mine. So I handed him my book and pen. I showed him the teenage students’ writing and showed him again that these Indian students’ writing was much better than mine. It took the poor kid forever to figure out what to write.
My name is Vikas Sharma. I am reading in a MBA. I live in Sawai Madhopur. I want to see a U.S.A. My hobby is making a friend.
They came back again and asked what my job is. I asked then what they both did (both claim to be students). They asked me my hobbies – I asked them theirs. They asked me where I visited and such. They told me one of their friends was going to study business in Sydney. I told them my brother lived there. One of them just came back again to see if I needed anything again. I think this is the sixth time. So while walking back to my hotel that second day from Agra.
February 2, 2008
Sorry about that. It was starting to get dark so I wanted to walk over to the train station and be back at my place before it was too late.
8 hours later
And again. Well it is a good sign that I have not time or opportunity to finish any of this. I am sitting down at a restaurant in Sawai Madhopur ( a different one – let’s see how far I get) After sleeping for fourteen and a half hours, I headed out to the RTCD Tourist Complex to book myself a ticket on a tour of the Ranthembhore National Park. As I was walking u to the window, I saw the Czech couple I had met yesterday at the Agra train station. There is no sense of order here. If you think you will try and get something by standing in line – you are dead wrong. It is all about pushing from the side and talking louder and faster than the next guy.
February 3, 2008
Thank the Lord for Western toilets, showers, hot water, and Lysol. I arrived in Jaipur this afternoon to my first of two hotels I am staying t here. Now I like to consider myself somewhat earthy – not grunge or granola – but I can go a day without a shower and I have learned the fine fine-art of the squatter toilet. Yet one can only take a bath out of a bucket so many times. And oh little advice – toilet paper is not the norm here. What is - is a little faucet with a cup beside the squatter. And I balked at the Japanese bumwasher. But alas I am in a place with a Western toilet with paper, actually hot water, and a shower with enough pressure to wash my hair, and a floor I can walk barefoot on. So it being Sunday and many things (believe it or not) do choose to close here on Sunday or close early. I decided to use this time in my sunder Palace to relax and be a bum before heading out into yet another noisy, dirty Indian city. [I must also admit that I was not feeling real well that day too.]
So with the background entertainment of cable TV playing Indian music videos, I attempt to try and catch you up on my journey. So after the Baby Taj, I made my way back to an area called Taj Ganj. This is an area that was first developed by the workers of the Taj. It is now a narrow, congested maze of shops and residence. Where I was staying happened to be on the other side of this outside the East Gate. I have already walked through this area a number of times in the past couple days with very little hassle. My mission now was to find Chap Stick or some equivalent for my lips. As I am walking down the street, this guy leaning against a motorcycle yells out something about my earrings.
‘Where did you get your earrings?’
‘A store in the US.’
‘ How much did they cost?
‘Not much. They are not expensive – cheap nothings.’
‘Can I see them?’
‘Why?
‘I want to make a copy of them’
‘What?’
‘Come over here so I can copy them.’
‘Sorry. I need to go.’ (I did. I was still looking for my Chap Stick.)
So I think nothing of it. I found a small store with something for my lips. I turn around to go find food and there is the motorcycle guy. Oh please. So he explains how he makes jewelry and just wants to make a photocopy of them. I sigh. No please it will only take a minute – he swears he is not selling anything. Surprisingly enough he was telling the truth. He copied my earrings and did not try to sell me anything. So I get my earrings back and start down the street again. Not two minutes later another man stops me – commenting on my earrings and asking to copy them. I laughed. Okay fine here. While he is copying the earrings, I wander into his shop. Really nice shop – especially for here. And the stuff is really good too. When he comes back, I started asking him a few questions about the pieces. He makes everything himself – mostly silver but he does work with gold. Okay I am a sucker for an independent artist. I asked to look at some of his stuff. While I am doing so, a rather tall woman comes in. She seems to be rather familiar with the owner. She is also speaking English with a rather eastern European accent. Her name is Anna, and she is German but currently working out of Spain. She is in India to meet up with a horse trek she is helping to lead across Rajastan. She had been in the shop earlier that day or the day before. Lon story short the three of us had a grand time. I spent about four hours looking at different pieces of jewelry (Cat you would have been proud.) Anna decided to postpone her exit for a day so that she and I could go to Fathehpur Sikri. It is a fortified ghost city outside of Agra that had to be abandoned due to a water shortage in 1585. They have since fixed that problem. They have redone the gardens within the fort and the land around it is beautiful, rich green farmland. So Anna and I made plans for the next day, and I finished my purchases. Besides fulfilling a goal of visiting India, I also wanted to buy fabric and earrings while I was here. For handmade silver with real semi-precious stones, him price were rather good. I the end I bought 6 pairs of earrings, 2 bracelets, 1 ring, 2 small hoops for the piercing at the top of my ear (I had lost one some time back and could not find a decent replacement in Korea – so he made me 2), and a gift for Josh that he made in 24 hours. I think I made this guys week. So the next day Anna and I went to Fatehpur Sikri and he worked on my stuff. Now during this four hour, I had mentioned that I was getting married and wanted to buy a couple saris while in India to use for my wedding dress. I asked him what a good price was. Of course the prices he was giving me were what an Indian pays for them. There is no way a shop owner would offer me those prices. So he offered to go to a shop close by the next evening when I picked up my stuff. Everything he made was lovely! We then went over to look at saris (Anna went too to look for scarves). The owner of the sari shop was not pleased because he was not able to get away with jacking the price up. I got five saris for 1800 rupees – about $46 for all five. 1800 rupees was what a shop in Delhi tried to sell me a sari I hated for. So I now have the material for my wedding dress and then some. What ‘til you guys see it!
Fatehpur Sikri was good. It was nice to have someone to hang out with. The really fun part was riding the local bus to and from. The trip takes about an hour one way. And man they will cram whoever and whatever on that fit. There was no livestock on either trip, but I am sure if you were willing to pay for the ticket no one would stop you. I was slightly annoyed in the beginning. With as many people as the fit on there of course there are not enough seats. I got up twice to make sure that some local women who were just going to squat down for the trip got a seat. Not a single man was about to get up until they realized that I was going to stand for the trip. I know women are viewed differently, but how even more demeaning to not get up for your own countrywomen, but to have the same man get up for a foreign woman.
[Addition to my journal. On the way back to Agra there was this very fun little girl behind me. maybe about 7 years old. I would tap her hand real fast and then look away and then look at Anna and point as to say she did it. The girl would laugh, and when she thought I was not looking, she would squeeze her hand between the seats and poke me in the side. Then she would also point at Anna. But THE BEST part was when she gave me a carrot. She gave me a carrot and I must say best carrot ever. I returned the favor by giving her one of the oranges we had bought earlier. There was a gentleman sitting behind us that translated for her and the woman with her (I do not think it was he mother). She told him that she was so happy to get such a nice gift from me. AAAAWWWWWHHHHHH I told her that I was also happy to get such a nice gift from her.]
So I bid the jewelry man goodbye, and Anna and I parted ways. As mentioned before I was off to Sawai Madhopur to the next morning to the National Park. That was story about the group of school girls, the Czech couple, the guys at the restaurant, and no tigers.
Wow, I think I have caught you up with everything. It is now Monday, the 4th and I changed hotels. Nothing bad – it is just that neither hotel had openings for all they days I would be in Jaipur. I will be at the Hotel Pearl Palace for the rest of the time. This place is amazing. It is inexpensive, the interior design is fantastic, the staff is great, and the food is the best I have had so far. So far I like Jaipur way better then Delhi. It is a bit cleaner and the streets make more sense. This evening I went to Kerala Ayurveda Kendra for a massage. Ayurveda is a style of message and other therapies that uses a lot of heated oils. There is a therapy called sirodhara. They take about 2-4L of warm oils and slowly and steadily stream the oil over your forehead for about an hour. They say it reduces stress, tones the brain, and helps with sleep disorders. I did not feel like washing that much oil out of my hair so I went for the massage. From beginning to end it was great. First off the pick you up from your hotel and drop you off back at your hotel. You are led into a cozy warm room by a very short Indian lady. She (women for women and men for men) then instructs you to undress. The US and parts of Asia are the few places that use draping or clothes during massage. I knew this and was very glad that I have few nudity issues or touch issues. So you undress and the lady is in the room the whole time. She takes a long rectangle of gauze this ties at one end. She ties the strings around you and then pulls the gauze through your legs and tucks it in the back to form a bikini like bottom. You then climb up on this high table and lay down on your back first. She then proceeds to slather you in a thick layer of oil. So there you are naked and greased up. Now between the music, the smells, the oils and the person working for your relaxation, I started having images of Ester. This becomes even more prevalent when it comes to getting the oils off. First the lady takes a cool towel and wipes you down. Then she gets a very, very hot towel and lightly waves it against you to steam your pores. Then she takes a slightly hot towel and wipes you down. It is very funny to sit on the side of the table and then just stand in the middle of the room as someone essentially gives you a sponge bath. You are waiting for the ladies-in-waiting to come dress you and the jewels to be brought in on pillows.
Earlier today (4th) I walked over to the train station to get my ticket to Delhi on the 7th. While I was there I met yet another German woman. She has been living in Jaipur for two months doing an internship with AIDS patients. She is getting ready to go home next week and is going to do a little traveling. We got to talking – went to lunch. I have really good luck with these German chicks. No big story – we parted after lunch, but I think it is amusing that I have found a German chick to hang out with in three different cities.
So tomorrow I am off to Amber (pronounced Amer) Fort. It is just outside the city. Then after lunch I am going to a place called Ladli. It is a center for teenaged-orphaned girls – where they can get a basic education and learn a craft or jewelry trade – enough to make a living that could keep them off the street. The girls who have progressed enough can sell their work at the center and 100% of the money goes back to the girls and their care. And I being one who loves earrings and is in the market for a few more pairs would rather spend my money there then a vendor who will triple his prices because of what I look like. I will let you know how it goes.
February 2, 2008
Yesterday I went to Ladli. As I mentioned before it is an organization that provides street kids a basic education and teaches them a marketable skill such as jewelry making, embroidery, or sewing. It started out just assisting girls, but has also opened up for boys at another facility. The kids tend to be between 6 and 18, but they will not turn away a 3 year old who comes with a sister or brother. So they have ages 2 – 19 in the program. Ladli is a branch of an organization called I-India in the Jaipur area. They provide housing, clothes, food, an education to kids whose other choices would be theft, begging, or prostitution. Oh the other thing I likes about Ladli is that from the time the girls start the program, they assist them in opening a bank account where they can save money from their crafts to be used once they leave the program at 18 or 19.
I was there for about two hours. Most of the time I was sitting on the floor with them as they were working on their projects. There was about 40 or 50 of them working in the room at that time. They have teachers there to monitor their progress and quality. There was one girl (13 years old) who I kept calling ‘Boss Lady’ and she kept laughing. When I first saw her, she was logging in what each girl in her group had made. So I asked her if she was the boss. From then on I called her ‘Boss Lady’ – she did not seem to mind. I asked her to take me around the room and show me the pieces she had made. As we were walking around a few more girls came up to introduce themselves. There was one who became my helper. Her English was not very good but I did get out that she was 10 years old and does go to school in the morning. She had first come up to me when I was walking around with ‘Boss Lady’. She was the last of a group of girls who came up to ask my name and other question. I shook their hands – which they thought was funny – but the last girl, my helper, just did not let go. Okay – I can deal with that – so we walked around holding hands – swinging our arms – I spun her around a few times – she showed me the stuff she made. I now have a pair of earrings and a necklace she made. As well as a necklace by ‘Boss Lady’ and earrings by a couple of the other girls who were shadowing. So my helper bagged all my stuff up and we went outside to hula-hoop. They have a volunteer program there and they are open to anything teach English, music, dance, art, whatever – if I get to come back, I will definitely try and work out some time with them.
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