Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Hello Pacific Perserverence
Konichiwa Tokyo: Domo Arigatou Gozaimashita Shiyomi!
I couldn't wait to get off the ship in Yokohama only to get back on again. Shiyomi Rakue, a friend of mine from grad school at Tulane came to meet me in port and it was my pleasure to spend most of my time in Tokyo hanging out with her and letting her show me around her hometown. We started the time with my giving her a tour of the ship. She was suitably impressed. One of the best things about showing a new person around the ship is that it refreshes it, giving you a chance to see it with new eyes. That actually turned out to be an invaluable gift. Domo arigatou gozaimashita Shiyomi! (I would say this over and over again during my time in Tokyo...)
I loved everything about Tokyo-- the skyline, the look, the vibe, the people. I was alive there, electric. It was a pleasure to just walk the streets. It's so much more polite, quieter, and cleaner than any other major city that I've ever been to. Best things about Japan include:
1) Electric Toilets! The one in my hotel had a remote! It allowed you to control the temp, pressure, and placement of the squirty bidet bum cleaner attached to the side. Easy peasy! I grew to love it :)
2) Fashion! Tokyo street fashion is amazing to see in effect. So many people are walking fashion plates that I immediately stepped up my game. I got lots of compliments too. This is the place for those big, done, falsie eyes and color saturated lips. It helped that I had a fatty asymmetrical braided style. I think I've found one of my signature looks.
3) The subway! I loved navigating the subways in Tokyo. They were challenging and confusing, but once I got it... the city opened to me like a flower. I spent an entire day alone sightseeing after buying an all day pass. It's the kind of city where that kind of experience is not only safe, but it shouldn't be missed.
4) Food! Even I, the seafood allergic, had amazingly good food. Shiyomi took me to a traditional Japanese restaurant that served only chicken. There I tried sake and wasabi for the first time ever in my life with no danger of allergic reaction.
5) The sights! Tokyo Tower, Odaiba Island, the Emperor's Palace, Mitsui Museum, Zojo-ji temple, Asakura, Harajuku, Roponggi, Shibuya ... the list goes on and on. Each and every place I visited taught me a lesson and made my jaw drop. Even crossing the street in some places was an education.
The worst things about Tokyo include
1) No way to access your money. No ATMs serve international bank cards exept the ones in the post office. You can imagine the inconvenience. Also, there is a 10,000 Yen limit to withdrawals. This is roughly 100$. Boo.
2) Smoking. Everyone does, and they can do it anywhere. Imagine the "no-smoking section" setup of the 50s in the US. That's how it is there. Boo.
3) Expensive cabs + the subway closing early = no going out late at night. Picture this. You want to go out and expereince Tokyo nightlife. But the subway closes early, like at 11 pm. Most clubs really start popping at 12 am or later. What's your solution? Cabs, of course. Except these cost 10$ every 2 blocks. Boo.
4) Expensive in general. Prices in japan generally run 2 to 3 times what you would pay in the US. For everything, even a combo meal at Mcdonald's. ($7 for a double cheeseburger meal that costs $3.50 in the US) BOOOOOOO!!!
I loved everything about Tokyo-- the skyline, the look, the vibe, the people. I was alive there, electric. It was a pleasure to just walk the streets. It's so much more polite, quieter, and cleaner than any other major city that I've ever been to. Best things about Japan include:
1) Electric Toilets! The one in my hotel had a remote! It allowed you to control the temp, pressure, and placement of the squirty bidet bum cleaner attached to the side. Easy peasy! I grew to love it :)
2) Fashion! Tokyo street fashion is amazing to see in effect. So many people are walking fashion plates that I immediately stepped up my game. I got lots of compliments too. This is the place for those big, done, falsie eyes and color saturated lips. It helped that I had a fatty asymmetrical braided style. I think I've found one of my signature looks.
3) The subway! I loved navigating the subways in Tokyo. They were challenging and confusing, but once I got it... the city opened to me like a flower. I spent an entire day alone sightseeing after buying an all day pass. It's the kind of city where that kind of experience is not only safe, but it shouldn't be missed.
4) Food! Even I, the seafood allergic, had amazingly good food. Shiyomi took me to a traditional Japanese restaurant that served only chicken. There I tried sake and wasabi for the first time ever in my life with no danger of allergic reaction.
5) The sights! Tokyo Tower, Odaiba Island, the Emperor's Palace, Mitsui Museum, Zojo-ji temple, Asakura, Harajuku, Roponggi, Shibuya ... the list goes on and on. Each and every place I visited taught me a lesson and made my jaw drop. Even crossing the street in some places was an education.
The worst things about Tokyo include
1) No way to access your money. No ATMs serve international bank cards exept the ones in the post office. You can imagine the inconvenience. Also, there is a 10,000 Yen limit to withdrawals. This is roughly 100$. Boo.
2) Smoking. Everyone does, and they can do it anywhere. Imagine the "no-smoking section" setup of the 50s in the US. That's how it is there. Boo.
3) Expensive cabs + the subway closing early = no going out late at night. Picture this. You want to go out and expereince Tokyo nightlife. But the subway closes early, like at 11 pm. Most clubs really start popping at 12 am or later. What's your solution? Cabs, of course. Except these cost 10$ every 2 blocks. Boo.
4) Expensive in general. Prices in japan generally run 2 to 3 times what you would pay in the US. For everything, even a combo meal at Mcdonald's. ($7 for a double cheeseburger meal that costs $3.50 in the US) BOOOOOOO!!!
Hello Shanghaied
Shanghai was dreary and grey, with a constant drizzle and cold that did its best to permanently seep into my bones. I wasn't even happy to have the ship stop moving really, especially after the two days "in transit" that turned into a very timeless and much needed rest from the rigors of shipboard life and the constant demands of the students. But time marches on...
My time in Shanghai was unfortunately short and filled with inclement weather but I did manage to:
1) Walk the Bund. It's amazing how much that area is changing. It is completely under construction in preparation for a big year in 2012. I remember when I first visited in 2000. We were oddities and wonders. A parade of friendly freaks. That is no longer the case. No surprise, not as much curiosity. China is opening to the West slowly but surely, like a furled rosebud blossom. There was a 14 ft tall digital advertisement for Weight Watchers playing in the square for goodness sake!
2) Buy an amazing pair of bootleg "heelies". I saw a hustle man in the People's Square wearing a pair strapped onto his shoes and I just had to have one of my own. I convinced two friends to buy a pair also and off we trotted to put them on and slip and slide around the dock in the freezing cold. I busted my ass in front of everyone, including Chinese custom officers. We all had a laugh. I am sure that I did as much for US international relations as Obama has with his speeches. After all, who doesn't like to laugh?
3) Had a day of bargaining and shopping at Qing Po Market. This is like a small city of flea markets. I bought so much stuff! I had so much fun. Ugg boots, Fendi bag, winter coat. You name it. Even MAC makeup. I love Asia for this.
My time in Shanghai was unfortunately short and filled with inclement weather but I did manage to:
1) Walk the Bund. It's amazing how much that area is changing. It is completely under construction in preparation for a big year in 2012. I remember when I first visited in 2000. We were oddities and wonders. A parade of friendly freaks. That is no longer the case. No surprise, not as much curiosity. China is opening to the West slowly but surely, like a furled rosebud blossom. There was a 14 ft tall digital advertisement for Weight Watchers playing in the square for goodness sake!
2) Buy an amazing pair of bootleg "heelies". I saw a hustle man in the People's Square wearing a pair strapped onto his shoes and I just had to have one of my own. I convinced two friends to buy a pair also and off we trotted to put them on and slip and slide around the dock in the freezing cold. I busted my ass in front of everyone, including Chinese custom officers. We all had a laugh. I am sure that I did as much for US international relations as Obama has with his speeches. After all, who doesn't like to laugh?
3) Had a day of bargaining and shopping at Qing Po Market. This is like a small city of flea markets. I bought so much stuff! I had so much fun. Ugg boots, Fendi bag, winter coat. You name it. Even MAC makeup. I love Asia for this.
Hello In Transit
I did the right thing, it turns out. I've really enjoyed this time. I slept in, got a day of spa treatments (I shouldn't have spent the money but it was still less than it would have cost to travel and eat in China for two days.), enjoyed a sit down meal, dressed for dinner twice, and attended an awesome FREE karaoke party. it was maganificent, and I'll be sad to see it end frankly.
Speaking of karaoke parties, this one was my first pleasant introduction to the experience. I sang several songs -- sang alone, in a duo, and with a group. I think my aversion to karaoke has been cured! What a great side benefit.
Hello Hong Kong
Hello Hong Kong. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I visited Hong Kong. I didn't really know enough about it, I guess. I mean, it's China... and yet not China. I knew that it was urban. But what does that even really mean?
It turns out that this surprise was a good one. I LOVED Hong Kong, completely, immediately, and with alacrity. As it happens, I only had two days there, having decided to get back on the ship and sail for two days to Shanghai. I never really considered the option of spending the whole time in Hong Kong and flying to Shanghai to meet the ship, although now, in hindsight, that option seems obvious. I didn't even know that I would want to stick around until I arrived.
Without time to plan, to research, I latched onto the first fun option that presented itself: a day at Kong Disneyland. At first, it was just a cheap option for something fun (and a bit familiar) to do. But as the time to arrival in port got closer, I got more and more excited. By the time I was climbing onto the special Disney Resort Line train with the Mickey Mouse ear windows on the train, I was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing in my seat.
I spent the entire day schlepping around the park, amazed at all the similarities and differences I observed, too many to name. I rode Space Mountain 6 times because there was no line! Can you believe it? I bought mouse ears, watched a live High Schol Musical Show in Chinese, and almost lost 2 fingers on the Dumbo ride. (I even got a chance to see the Disney first aid station to get patched up -- luckily the feeling has mostly returned to my fingers).
The next day I spent in the ladies market. I have no idea why it's named that, as there were plenty of men there and they sold items for women and men.
All in all, Hong Kong was amazing, but all I got was the merest taste. I will be going back, and with enough time on my schedule to experience all it has to offer. That's the thing about this voyage -- it's a gateway drug for the travel addiction of a lifetime. I'll be back for another fix soon.
It turns out that this surprise was a good one. I LOVED Hong Kong, completely, immediately, and with alacrity. As it happens, I only had two days there, having decided to get back on the ship and sail for two days to Shanghai. I never really considered the option of spending the whole time in Hong Kong and flying to Shanghai to meet the ship, although now, in hindsight, that option seems obvious. I didn't even know that I would want to stick around until I arrived.
Without time to plan, to research, I latched onto the first fun option that presented itself: a day at Kong Disneyland. At first, it was just a cheap option for something fun (and a bit familiar) to do. But as the time to arrival in port got closer, I got more and more excited. By the time I was climbing onto the special Disney Resort Line train with the Mickey Mouse ear windows on the train, I was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing in my seat.
I spent the entire day schlepping around the park, amazed at all the similarities and differences I observed, too many to name. I rode Space Mountain 6 times because there was no line! Can you believe it? I bought mouse ears, watched a live High Schol Musical Show in Chinese, and almost lost 2 fingers on the Dumbo ride. (I even got a chance to see the Disney first aid station to get patched up -- luckily the feeling has mostly returned to my fingers).
The next day I spent in the ladies market. I have no idea why it's named that, as there were plenty of men there and they sold items for women and men.
All in all, Hong Kong was amazing, but all I got was the merest taste. I will be going back, and with enough time on my schedule to experience all it has to offer. That's the thing about this voyage -- it's a gateway drug for the travel addiction of a lifetime. I'll be back for another fix soon.
Hello Vietnam
Reading this blog, one might think that I spent all my time in Cambodia and none in Vietnam, but that's actually not true. I spent 2 days in Vietnam and 3 in Cambodia. The ship docked in Ho Chi Minh City for the entire 5 days, and I leftthe country briefly during our time there. While I was in Vietnam, I enjoyed:
1) A traditional Vietnamese Massage at The Golden Lotus Foot Massage Club. This was AMAZING. Both the service and the price are reason enough to fly to Vietnam. I got 120 minutes of massage including swedish, deep tissue, reflexology, warm stone, shiatsu, and chiropractic massage techniques as well as 2 tea ceremonies serving Lotus, ginseng, and green teas as well as fruit for 21$, tip inclusive!!!!!!!!!!! I was so boneless when I left that I had to be wheeled out. Every part of me was relaxed. Just thinking about it makes me sigh.
2) I had chicken nuggets and watched the World Series Game on a flat screen. 'Nuff said. Ain't technology grand?
Vietnam is a great country, and I loved my time there again. It was one of my favorite ports on the first trip, and I am happy to say that remains the case today. I was astounded by the amount of development and progress that have been made in the mere 9 years since I visited. More buildings, more skyscrapers, more cars... and still no way to cross the street without taking your life into your hands. :)
1) A traditional Vietnamese Massage at The Golden Lotus Foot Massage Club. This was AMAZING. Both the service and the price are reason enough to fly to Vietnam. I got 120 minutes of massage including swedish, deep tissue, reflexology, warm stone, shiatsu, and chiropractic massage techniques as well as 2 tea ceremonies serving Lotus, ginseng, and green teas as well as fruit for 21$, tip inclusive!!!!!!!!!!! I was so boneless when I left that I had to be wheeled out. Every part of me was relaxed. Just thinking about it makes me sigh.
2) I had chicken nuggets and watched the World Series Game on a flat screen. 'Nuff said. Ain't technology grand?
Vietnam is a great country, and I loved my time there again. It was one of my favorite ports on the first trip, and I am happy to say that remains the case today. I was astounded by the amount of development and progress that have been made in the mere 9 years since I visited. More buildings, more skyscrapers, more cars... and still no way to cross the street without taking your life into your hands. :)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Hello Cambodia: Siam Reap!
Cambodia has knocked me off of my feet. It's one of those places you know so little about that your expectations may as well not exist for their insubstantiality. Even so, I am not prepared for how completely my heart has opened and I have embraced this country. Every sight, sound, and experience has been a mountaintop one.
Having remembered the envy that I felt in Fall 2000 when my friends talked about their time here, I chose to buy an extended 3-day tour of the Temples of Angkor. It included ten temple tours, including Angkor Wat, as well as a boat tour at Tonle Sap. Even as I sent in the form to purchase the trip, I didn't know what I was buying. With an ignorant insousiance, I figured I'd read up later in preparation for the trip and all I'd see and hear. No such luck. I crammed a bit of history on the great Khmer civilization that ruled for thousands of years here and the Khmer Rouge, and I thought I had been pretty successful at it, until I came to visit and realized that I'd had the barest of knowledge of the topic of study.
Lessons Learned:
- Cambodia is a democracy now. It used to be a communist country.
- Cambodia is a Kingdom. It has a king, but he's a figurehead.
- The Cambodian language is Khmer.
- "Angkor" means city. "Wat" means temple.
- "Siam" means Thailand. "Reap" means defeat.
- "Sous Sday" means hello.
- In less than 4 years in power Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime executed/starved 25% of the population. There are now 15 million people living here. 3 million perished.
- The "killing fields" is a bit inaccurate in that executuions were perfomed in fields all over the country. There was no formal place where these executions were performed. Bodies are still being found.
- "Naga" the Serpent King/God, is carved all over the Khmer, Hindu, and Buddhist Temples here. He is a protector deity to the Khmers. Many of the temples were built as early as 800 A.D. as Khmer temples and then Indians arrived with Hindu religion and Buddhism from the Chinese/vietnamese. Many of the temples were built as one thing and now exist as another.
- "Apsara" is the celestial dancer. She's pretty fierce.
We arrived in Siam Reap, the nearest city to Angkor. We started or temple explorations with Ta Promh, the "tomb raider" temple, nicknamed for the film that was shot there. The entire complex was overgrown with vines and trees, left unrestored, both because of the structural instability of the place without the root systems and also to give the experience of the French that arrived and explored the jungle to find the many ruins of Angkor (which itself holds 300 temples). Technically, we only saw/explored .03% of what's actually there! It was so exhilirating and exciting to clamber up, down, around and under broken pillars and cave ins. I must have taken a million pictures there alone.
Next we visited Angkor Wat until sunset. Surrounded by a large moat, with outer and inner temples and courts, Angkor Wat is a lot to take in, and I'm not sure I've even assimilated everything that I've seen. There are no words to describe my disbelief that such a place could be built largely by devoted volunteers working for the price of good karma (FREE) with no heavy machinery, no balances, no cranes. Many of the stones were too heavy to transport over land and were floated to the construction area! I also can't believe that a people that never mastered the flying buttress built so many arches. These are "false", in that they don't curve, but it's still amazing that they made a way to complete these projects and sustain their huge society.
We ate dinner and watched some dance performances. The Cambodian woman performing a dance in the traditional style was amazing. Her balance and flexibility rivaled any ballet principal as she balanced largely on one foot, bending her leg behind her back. Her hands seemed double-hinged, rolling and folding back and forth continually against the wrist. I was getting sore just watching her. I remember thinking as I watched the dance, the beautiful costumes and folk stories, that a great evil had arisen and greatly damaged, almost destroyed, this beautiful and rich culture. I sent up a prayer then and there for God's blessing on them, God's covering of protection. I prayed for their spirits to be healed. For peace to abide. Interestingly, it already does... of all the places I've visited on this voyage, without exception, Cambodia is the most serene. I have a sense here that the people have found contentment and peace on the strength of their gratitude, their deep joy of living, alone. Maybe it is their lesson to the world (aka me). South Africa's was forgiveness and reconciliation. Over time, I have come to believe that each nation has one great thing to teach the world. I'm gradually making it my mission to find out what each one is, even America's (currently have no idea).
Angkor Wat at sunrise is not to be missed. Chris was right! (Thanks man:) I felt blessed just to watched the colors change over the building, snapping ineffectual photo after photo. After breakfast, we ran the gamut of temples, hitting Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of the Leper King, and the Elephant Terrace. I remember we had just walked away from Bayon, where many people had taken advantage of elephant rides around the temple (I refrained to save 15$ since I'd already ridden them in India). We stopped so the guide could tell us a story. I was standing on a high rock and looking at the sky, at hole in the thin canopy that the grove of trees made. Right then, the gentlest of breezes blew... and I felt it. Holiness. I was at my exact center. God was there. And I knew that I loved this country and always would. I
After lunch, the tour continued to Pre rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, and Preah Khan. At this point, I'm sure that anyone would agree that a person should and would be "templed out", but even though it was ridiculousy humid and hot (I had 8 different sweat/grime layers on my skin; like a fossil record of the day) but I wasn't because each of the temples that we visited, was absolutely different. One had giant buddhas, another had a lake inside and we had to cross to the temple of a long balance-brdge made of 2x4s. It was a great day. After dinner, I went with some students to the night market, where I proceeded to do my level best to single-handedly beef up their GDP!! I've never felt so good about blowing money -- it was my pleasure to put money in the hands of the new entrepreneurs (at a reasonable price of course).
This morning was another early rising, but no regrets. We took a short drive down to Tonle Sap, a HUGE lake on or around which half a million people live. We saw houses on stilts on the way to the docks where we caught a motorboat ferry for a tour of the lake. It was amazing. I and some of the more intrepid students climbed onto the roof of the boat to catch great views and take amazing pics. It was an entire society on a lake, complete with restaurants, schools, autoshops, pool hall, etc. Little kids paddled by in large galvanized tubs. Some other sights included floating rafts of steno torches like the ones used in buffets and a weird net slapping system of clearing the nets of the fish they catch, which are as small as sardines. It was another world entirely from our own, although I was vaguely reminded of the people that live in houses on the edges of Lake Ponchartrain and the bayous (everything makes me homesick -- it's a disease!).
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing guide we had from Destination Asia. Khet to the round, handsome Khmer face of many of his countrymen, but what struck me most about him was his spirit. Projecting outward through his voice, constant smile, and gentle sense of humour was one of the most serene spirits I have ever met. There is a place inside that I imagine is quiet and still, and endless wellspring of the deepest and strongest joy. The kind born of the divine. I am not sure of his religion, but he knows God, that much is certain. As a man in his late 30s, he is not technically a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide, but he is ceratinly a victim, and his testimony during our ride home from Angkor on the second day touched everyone who heard it very deeply. As a child, he has no memory of the oppression of slavery or field work, but it was 6 or 7 years before he met his two older sisters and father, who made their way home from the fields after the Khmer Rouge fell from power. He has an older brother that they believe died during that time (no proof -- never returned home, body never found or identified). He clearly recalls tagging along with his father through killing fields at 7 years old, searching through piles of bodies, the stench unimaginable, looking for a face he'd never seen, but whose loss he felt all the same. In lieu of a burial, they wrote his name on a piece of paper and threw it into a grave. Even as I write this, tears are on my cheeks -- I too know the pain of missing family members in the wake of disaster. There is NO comparison between the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina and the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, but pain is pain, and loss is loss, and in this, he is my brother. I'll make a vow here and now to remember his family in prayer.
Having remembered the envy that I felt in Fall 2000 when my friends talked about their time here, I chose to buy an extended 3-day tour of the Temples of Angkor. It included ten temple tours, including Angkor Wat, as well as a boat tour at Tonle Sap. Even as I sent in the form to purchase the trip, I didn't know what I was buying. With an ignorant insousiance, I figured I'd read up later in preparation for the trip and all I'd see and hear. No such luck. I crammed a bit of history on the great Khmer civilization that ruled for thousands of years here and the Khmer Rouge, and I thought I had been pretty successful at it, until I came to visit and realized that I'd had the barest of knowledge of the topic of study.
Lessons Learned:
- Cambodia is a democracy now. It used to be a communist country.
- Cambodia is a Kingdom. It has a king, but he's a figurehead.
- The Cambodian language is Khmer.
- "Angkor" means city. "Wat" means temple.
- "Siam" means Thailand. "Reap" means defeat.
- "Sous Sday" means hello.
- In less than 4 years in power Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime executed/starved 25% of the population. There are now 15 million people living here. 3 million perished.
- The "killing fields" is a bit inaccurate in that executuions were perfomed in fields all over the country. There was no formal place where these executions were performed. Bodies are still being found.
- "Naga" the Serpent King/God, is carved all over the Khmer, Hindu, and Buddhist Temples here. He is a protector deity to the Khmers. Many of the temples were built as early as 800 A.D. as Khmer temples and then Indians arrived with Hindu religion and Buddhism from the Chinese/vietnamese. Many of the temples were built as one thing and now exist as another.
- "Apsara" is the celestial dancer. She's pretty fierce.
We arrived in Siam Reap, the nearest city to Angkor. We started or temple explorations with Ta Promh, the "tomb raider" temple, nicknamed for the film that was shot there. The entire complex was overgrown with vines and trees, left unrestored, both because of the structural instability of the place without the root systems and also to give the experience of the French that arrived and explored the jungle to find the many ruins of Angkor (which itself holds 300 temples). Technically, we only saw/explored .03% of what's actually there! It was so exhilirating and exciting to clamber up, down, around and under broken pillars and cave ins. I must have taken a million pictures there alone.
Next we visited Angkor Wat until sunset. Surrounded by a large moat, with outer and inner temples and courts, Angkor Wat is a lot to take in, and I'm not sure I've even assimilated everything that I've seen. There are no words to describe my disbelief that such a place could be built largely by devoted volunteers working for the price of good karma (FREE) with no heavy machinery, no balances, no cranes. Many of the stones were too heavy to transport over land and were floated to the construction area! I also can't believe that a people that never mastered the flying buttress built so many arches. These are "false", in that they don't curve, but it's still amazing that they made a way to complete these projects and sustain their huge society.
We ate dinner and watched some dance performances. The Cambodian woman performing a dance in the traditional style was amazing. Her balance and flexibility rivaled any ballet principal as she balanced largely on one foot, bending her leg behind her back. Her hands seemed double-hinged, rolling and folding back and forth continually against the wrist. I was getting sore just watching her. I remember thinking as I watched the dance, the beautiful costumes and folk stories, that a great evil had arisen and greatly damaged, almost destroyed, this beautiful and rich culture. I sent up a prayer then and there for God's blessing on them, God's covering of protection. I prayed for their spirits to be healed. For peace to abide. Interestingly, it already does... of all the places I've visited on this voyage, without exception, Cambodia is the most serene. I have a sense here that the people have found contentment and peace on the strength of their gratitude, their deep joy of living, alone. Maybe it is their lesson to the world (aka me). South Africa's was forgiveness and reconciliation. Over time, I have come to believe that each nation has one great thing to teach the world. I'm gradually making it my mission to find out what each one is, even America's (currently have no idea).
Angkor Wat at sunrise is not to be missed. Chris was right! (Thanks man:) I felt blessed just to watched the colors change over the building, snapping ineffectual photo after photo. After breakfast, we ran the gamut of temples, hitting Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of the Leper King, and the Elephant Terrace. I remember we had just walked away from Bayon, where many people had taken advantage of elephant rides around the temple (I refrained to save 15$ since I'd already ridden them in India). We stopped so the guide could tell us a story. I was standing on a high rock and looking at the sky, at hole in the thin canopy that the grove of trees made. Right then, the gentlest of breezes blew... and I felt it. Holiness. I was at my exact center. God was there. And I knew that I loved this country and always would. I
After lunch, the tour continued to Pre rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, and Preah Khan. At this point, I'm sure that anyone would agree that a person should and would be "templed out", but even though it was ridiculousy humid and hot (I had 8 different sweat/grime layers on my skin; like a fossil record of the day) but I wasn't because each of the temples that we visited, was absolutely different. One had giant buddhas, another had a lake inside and we had to cross to the temple of a long balance-brdge made of 2x4s. It was a great day. After dinner, I went with some students to the night market, where I proceeded to do my level best to single-handedly beef up their GDP!! I've never felt so good about blowing money -- it was my pleasure to put money in the hands of the new entrepreneurs (at a reasonable price of course).
This morning was another early rising, but no regrets. We took a short drive down to Tonle Sap, a HUGE lake on or around which half a million people live. We saw houses on stilts on the way to the docks where we caught a motorboat ferry for a tour of the lake. It was amazing. I and some of the more intrepid students climbed onto the roof of the boat to catch great views and take amazing pics. It was an entire society on a lake, complete with restaurants, schools, autoshops, pool hall, etc. Little kids paddled by in large galvanized tubs. Some other sights included floating rafts of steno torches like the ones used in buffets and a weird net slapping system of clearing the nets of the fish they catch, which are as small as sardines. It was another world entirely from our own, although I was vaguely reminded of the people that live in houses on the edges of Lake Ponchartrain and the bayous (everything makes me homesick -- it's a disease!).
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing guide we had from Destination Asia. Khet to the round, handsome Khmer face of many of his countrymen, but what struck me most about him was his spirit. Projecting outward through his voice, constant smile, and gentle sense of humour was one of the most serene spirits I have ever met. There is a place inside that I imagine is quiet and still, and endless wellspring of the deepest and strongest joy. The kind born of the divine. I am not sure of his religion, but he knows God, that much is certain. As a man in his late 30s, he is not technically a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide, but he is ceratinly a victim, and his testimony during our ride home from Angkor on the second day touched everyone who heard it very deeply. As a child, he has no memory of the oppression of slavery or field work, but it was 6 or 7 years before he met his two older sisters and father, who made their way home from the fields after the Khmer Rouge fell from power. He has an older brother that they believe died during that time (no proof -- never returned home, body never found or identified). He clearly recalls tagging along with his father through killing fields at 7 years old, searching through piles of bodies, the stench unimaginable, looking for a face he'd never seen, but whose loss he felt all the same. In lieu of a burial, they wrote his name on a piece of paper and threw it into a grave. Even as I write this, tears are on my cheeks -- I too know the pain of missing family members in the wake of disaster. There is NO comparison between the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina and the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, but pain is pain, and loss is loss, and in this, he is my brother. I'll make a vow here and now to remember his family in prayer.
Hello Halloween!
Back to Halloween... the infectious excitement of Halloween actually started the night before. I was stunned to see my students running around our sea at 3am, giggling, dressed in their costumes or actively scavenging for scraps to make into costumes. The next day, students began appearing dressed up for the holiday immediately. Some attended class and meals in costume, others waited until dinner or just after to get changed. If I was asked one time about what I wanted to be for Halloween, I was asked a million times. I was a saloon girl, by the way. I re-used a costume that I had purchased online in 2007 and have only worn twice (although in 2008 I didn't dress up). It is quite sexy, consisting of a short fuschia and black dress with a multi-colored can-can underneath, black stocking (or fishnets, which I didn't have), heels, a fushia garter, headband, and black fan made of died ostrich feathers (I actually got that in the UK -- didn't come with the costume). I made my face up competely, added some bindi designs and falsies to my eyes, and was ready to rock.
When I got to the party, I went picture crazy! Everyone had dressed up, and so many of the costumes were amazing, not only for their design but also for their cleverness. So many of the students did not come onto the ship with a costume, but made something amazing while on board. Fortunately, there was a costume parade and a costume contest. I didn't envy the judges! There were quite a few amazing entries. Faculty and staff didn't compete:(
The contest winners were:
1) in the kids division, "the transformer" (one of the older kids cut up, painted, and taped cardboard to himself in all the right places to look like Optimus Prime)
2) in the male division "SAS Picture" (a guy dressed up as one of the cheesy art prints in the cabins, complete with the backside graffiti -- people were leaving messages on his back all night)
3) the female division "the creeper" (girl who dressed up as Japanese horror girl in the Ring and the Grudge)
4) the group division "the rickshaw" (2 guys that tranformed a tricycle into a bicycle rickshaw complete with paper-stuffed legs hanging out...amazing)
5) and finally the overall creative divion "speed racer barbie" (girl who dressed up like a biker chic and made a life-size barbie box complete with celophane window!!! It was decorated with logos and sales language... amazing)
And now for the best part.... THRILLER! I have been assisting one of the students, Paulo, as a hip hop instructor since early on in the voyage. In the spirit of Fall 2000, I put a bug in his ear about doing a surprise performance of Thriller during the Halloween party. It was gleefully accepted, and for the past month, the class has been learning the choreography and practicing. One of the students clipped the music for us to include some sound effects. It was so great the way we executed it: Maria cleared the dance floor about halfway through the party and was pretending to do the costume party when she was "interrupted" by this massive growling noise. Pretending confusion, she backed out of the way. The lights went out. Enter Thriller ghouls and goblins. When the lights came back on, we were rocking and rolling. The performance went by in a flash. We held our pose at the end to the sound of thunderous applause. Everyone was really excited and congratulatory. I was so proud of the students who performed, because they worked really hard and it took a lot of guts for some of them to be in a dance performance. Many of them exclaimed at the rush performing gives you. I wasn't surprised at the feeling of course, but I had no idea how much I'd missed it until that night.
Happy Halloween!
Namaste India: Delhi & Jaipur
I signed up eons ago not only to purchase the Taj Mahal & Jaipur official Semester at Sea trip, CHE 04, but had also eagerly upped the ante on the trip by volunteering to be trip leader, a decision 100% motivated by the fatty discount that trip leaders get for spearheading a trip. Over time on the voyage, I learned that trip leadership is actually nothing to sneeze at, and those discounts are earned with blood and tears as often as not. Horror stories on student misbehavior, bad guides, and itineraries that failed to live up to their descriptions in the field manual. After receiving more details on the trip itinerary, a vigorous one with long bus rides and early morning wake up calls, I begin getting a little nervous about how it would all go. By the time I was attending the trip leader meeting after logistical pre-port, I had a case of the shakes, nervous striking snakes in my belly, and I would have given anything to shove my trip leader envelope into someone else's hands!!
Thankfully, my anxieties proved of little subtance. We started out our trip auspiciously, as the first people to leave the ship. We boarded the bus for the 40 minute ride to the airport. India has interesting travel security rules that in many ways exceed even what is required in the United States! In an effort to avoid lost baggage and other snafus (an inevitability when traveling in India) we all took carry-on bags, and the only checked baggage was a giant bag packed with all of our liquids and toiletries, batteries (including camera and cell phone batteries), and sharp items. In India these things are not allowed in carry-ons, even in small amounts. Each member of our 32 person trip was obliged to pack their items in a small ziplob bag labeled with their name which they then placed in the communal checked baggage. Lukily, our giant bag-o-toiletries survived the trip and was never lost. Only mild spillage. Robitussin. It was me. Oops :)
Our flights round trip experienced major delays, each being delayed by an hour. Thing is, in India the time they give you for your flight is actually not the time that you take off from the runway. It's the time to be past security and at the gate. The gate is not the place where you board the flight, however. The gate is the place that you wait in line for the bus. The bus then takes you to the tarmac, where you board the plane. Our flights were great though, the seats wide and leather. We were given meal vouchers for the flight as a part of our trip, and so we enjoyed transportation closer to American business class than the steerage type travel we suffer in the US for 3 times the cost!
We finally arrived to Delhi late. We met our tour guide for the entire trip, Ramesh and he escorted us to the bus. Giving us an abbreviated night bus tour (boo) instead of the city tour we were supposed to have, we went to our hotel, The Lalit. The Lalit was AMAZING. Five star accomodation. Having been dressed (apprpriately) in a pair of ratty, too-big capri pants and an Obama tee shirt, along with my dirty and busted sneakers (which I am getting rid of after the voyage), I immediately was chagrined and felt underdressed. I was fit for the back entrance! However, I held my head up high. When I got to the room I felt even worse. It was beautiful, had a large flat screen television, and an amazing bathroom. I felt that it would clinch my plebian status to take pix of the room, so I made a video (not that much better). I had a nice dinner, a long bath, and went to bed.
The next morning after breakfast, we hopped onto the bus for a bus tour of New Delhi and a long ride to Jaipur. When we arrived, we took a tour through the city of Jaipur also and saw many things. Palaces, temples... the streets were a montage of curious and compelling sights: sacred cows in the roads, sacred cows and dogs scavenging in piles of garbage, fruit and spice markets, massive snarls of telephone and electricity wires in the sky (their power grid must look like a pile of spaghetti noodles), entire families on mopeds, bicycle rickshaws, men peeing on the street (apparently not a big deal), BMWs and Mercedes next to people in oxcarts, dust sweepers losing the battle against the amazing dust, beautifully dressed women in saris, billboards, advertisements, roundabouts, elephants, beggar children, the list is infinite.
After a day of touring Jaipur, we checked into the Hotel Mansingh. They had prepared a special dinner and show for us. A traveling troupe family of performers sang, danced, and entertained while we scarfed down delicious buffet food in a small courtyard by the pool. The trees were decorated with lights and the popular hanging mobiles of birds, elephants, and stars of India. I remember that they served
Hello Victory: Fall 2009 Sea Olympics
October 20, 2009, Indian Ocean.... a day that will live in infamy for the Fall 2009 voyage.
I'd been mentioning the Sea Olympics since my first sea meeting, and even went so far as to teach the old cheer I created in 2000:
Who da man?!
Andaman!
It is still as popular as it ever was... again...if it ain't broke.. :)
Finally the day arrived, weather perfect, sea eerily placid, like glass. Mouths agape, my sea decked out in orange, our official color, and met on the pool deck for a mini pep rally and group pic. It was the beginning of a truly triumphant day. The opening ceremonies were really fun, and my sea made me proud by dominating the ceremony with our spirit chant and torch made out of a foam pirate cannon (which one of my students donated after swiping it from a pirate ship tour in Cape Town :). We won first place in that event. I wasn't surprised. My sea is made up of the cool kids, the kids always skating on the line, getting into scrapes. It's a noisy sea of magnetic personalities, loudmouths and future leaders. My own little cellblock of beloved delinquents. I call them the Gridiron Gang, and I love 'em. Finally they had a chance to channel that restless energy.
The day went by in a flash, with my sea dominating the many events and challenges like the spelling bee, synchronized swimming routine, flip cup, water pong, pull ups, volleyball, makeup boy, make me laugh, pictionary, scattergories, scrabble, tug-o-war, dodgeball, banner contest, relay race, and don't forget the lyrics. It was all hilarious to watch, and demanding to judge -- I had to judge the water pong and don't forget the lyrics events. Only 2 headaches that I had that day.
The end of the day brought an amazing pic-worthy sunset, and the 7th pool deck filled with excited and happy students. Barbeque was served, and ice cream, and the music was pumping. Many students jumped in the pool fully clothed! Everyone was sweaty and exhausted and smiles were on every face. In the end, it was no surprise to learn that we'd won first place, but there was an upset when it was announced that the Balearic Sea, a small group of 27 members with the sea color of pink snatched 3rd place from the jaws of seas twice their size and more. When we heard that we'd won, the spirit and response was amazing. We danced and cheered for hours and are still riding the high!
Our victory pizza party on deck 6 is scheduled in a few days and I can't wait. More importantly than winning the prize-- the right to exit the ship first in San Diego, avoiding the long wait in customs -- we built an amazing team. My sea has spirit, and they love me right now... I intend to bask in it! It's like I've been known to say...
If you're having sea problems I feel bad for you son
They got 7 losing seas
Andaman ain't one
Hit me!
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