where am I

Looking at my last post, I didn't have any ideas how to start writing again. A lot of things happened since my last writing. I got worried on how to start writing again with all the events and the airplane rides that I took in a matter of 2 months, I was left with the thought Where am I?

I will try my best to recount all the things in the past 2 months, but first to make it easier for me. I would like to start with where am I?

August 14

I took a flight from Cebu to Manila to Jakarta.

I arrived in Jakarta at 11:45 in the evening local time. After exiting from the immigration and getting my backpack, I followed what my host in Jakarta instructed me to do, look for a blue bird cab and gave the driver his address. ( I was still overwhelmed with big denomination of their currency) Since this was an unplanned trip, I did not have much time to study on the conversion rate.

The closest city I can relate Jakarta to is Manila. I thought that Manila has the worst traffic in the world equalling to those of New Delhi and Mumbai but Jakarta is far worst.

Buses and Taxis are the main mode of moving around the city. "Ojecs" or motorbikes can take you around fast but sometimes it needs a strong determination to face the fast running Ojecs racing in the main roads with big cars. One impressive transportation in Jakarta is the Bus way. If most countries have subways to transport commuters fast, Jakarta has a Busway that works like a subway but instead of being on a tube, it is a running bus with its own bus lane and stations to transfer to other routes as well.

For people who loves malls and shopping, Jakarta is the place. Malls are massive and modern.

W, my host trusted his apartment keys with me and helped me get a local sim card that can access the internet unlimited for 30 days.

I stayed with W for 3 nights and I headed to Bali flying to Denpasar via Batavia.

While waiting for my flight to Denpasar, I got an email from couchsurfing, that another host is willing to host me for a few days in Kuta. ( I got lucky on the last minute)

J, offered to pick me up at the airport. Since my flight arrived at 4pm and he still has to be in his office we decided to meet in one of the malls in Kuta.

Like W, J also trusted his apartment keys with me for 2 days.

On the first night we headed to the touristy Kuta beach for Beer. The beach is full of tourist and mostly surfers.

On the second day we rode his motorbike to a less rowdy beach with a magnificent view of the sunset. I offered to treat him for dinner and I thank him for showing me around because I have planned to head to the islands of lombok the next day.

(arriving at denpasar airport)

(a common sight everywhere in Bali)

The Trip from Kuta started at 6:30 am to Padangbai ( a little over an hour )

Arriving at Padangbai, we wait for the ferry that departs at 9am to Lombok ( around 4 to 5 grueling hours)

(leaving Padangbai to Lombok by ferry)

(my bed during the 5 hour slow boat ride)

With lack of sleep and a very uncomfortable ride, I was very tired when I arrived at Lombok Island. From Lombok port, I need to catch another bus ride to a smaller harbor ( almost 2 hours)

At around 4pm, I finally arrive at the harbor that will transport me to Gili Islands. I stayed in the harbor for an hour to wait for the small boats to fill up before it gets to the Islands.

At 5PM the small boat departed to the Islands.

I arrived in the Island at 5:30PM, without arranging any accommodation in the island, I was prepared to camp in the beach.

July to September are the high season in Bali and the Islands, which means prices can easily triple at this time. Bungalows near the beach are the most expensive ones. The farther from the beach the cost slowly drops. I was taken to a bungalow 10 minutes away from the beach. The price for the fan room is at 200,000 rps. Being on a tight budget but at the same time being very tired, I was tempted to get the place.

The craziness in me, tried to walk further until I reached a local village of fishermen and their families. With my heavy backpack, I just knocked randomly at local people's houses and asked if they have a spare room for me.

After 2 houses, I was referred to a boatman named Jamil. He offered to let me stay with his family for 50,000 rps

I stayed in his daugther room. The accommodation was very basic with outside squat toilet, what else can I expect at this high season for 50,000 rps.

In the evening I spoke with Jamil and I learned that I am staying with a muslim family and since its ramadam everyone in the family is not eating from Sun up until Sun down. They told me that everyone wakes up at 3am to start preparing to eat because everyone will not eat until 6pm in the afternoon.

I learned from Jamil that everything in the Island is expensive. The Island doesn't have fresh water and no electricity. Everything is transported by boat from Lombok. So i bathed in sea and showered with the same filtered salt water....

Life in the Island is very simple. No cars and motorcycles allowed in the island. The main mode of transportation is a horse by walking.

Internet in the island is also very expensive. Most internet shops charge 24,000 rps for an hour use of the computer.

He showed me around the village and told me where to get cheap food to eat, because restaurants by the beach are very pricey.

He introduced me to his family. His daughter Melanie is in elementary and is studying in the island's only school.

It is amazing to see the 2 face of the Island. Going to the beach side seeing foreigners getting massages on the beach side with their cocktails and beers and walking along the village where the locals main entertainment in the evening is talking among themselves and their neighbors to past the time.

Staying with the locals here made me appreciate the comforts I have at home but listening to their stories and their way of life is priceless...

One day I hope to comeback to this place, where swimming 20 meters from the beach line, means swimming with turtles and swimming in a very big aquarium of exotic fishes.

I am returning to Bali tomorrow after 3 nights here in the island. I will bring back with me a lot of memories.

(one of the pricey places in the beachside)

my favorite pictures (to be given away)

Out of almost 2,000 photos, I scanned through some of my travel pictures and printed those that are my favorites.

After printing the 9 pictures, I realized how I wish to share the insights and learnings I gained from these trips. Since I am not good in putting all my thoughts into words, I guess sharing pictures to my friends will be a way to convey the wonderful feeling I had during my travels.

Here are some of my favorite pics and a little story behind the photos.

The Massai Guide. This man is our guide when we arrive at the massai village, arriving at the village on a wednesday. We were lucky to see the bustling and colorful exchanges of goods, which only happens once a week. The massai people are very strict with their photos taken. When we were going back to camp, I asked him If I could take a photo of him, He agreed but he looked away from the camera thus giving me this picture.

The orphans at Kibera. On my last day in Kenya, I decided to spend the day in one of Africa's poorest and largest slums. My first stop is an orphanage/school. I learned from this place the value of food to the orphans. It is rare that these kids get to eat a good meal. It is very common for them to partake a sticky liquid made from maize. I tried tasting it. It was just like a sticky flavorless water. Yet for these kids, it is a way to fill in their stomach to combat hunger, regardless of its tastelessness.

The warriors. The massai warriors doing their traditional dance, which involves a lot of high jumping in the air. After printing this picture, It made me realize how fortunate I am to experience such culture at this modern times. Looking at this picture made me think that while we are bustling with our modern gadgets, on the other side of the world, there are people living their normal lives in a very traditional and laid back way.

The smiling Massai. I like this photo because of the sharpness capture of the massai guy in contrast with his fading background. This for me is a lucky shot.

Early morning tour. The most intense and spiritual city in India. I arrived in what I describe as the city of deaths, Varanasi feeling suffocated, irritable and emotionally drained. All these negativity is because of the intensity and the power of the place that overshadowed me. Seeing death in its natural form, it gave me another meaning to life. I hired a boatman to give me an early morning cruise at the gaths. This image conveys how locals do their daily morning routines of dipping in the world's most polluted water, which they believe is a way of cleansing themselves from the impurities of life. After staying a few days in Varanasi, I appreciated its negativity and its intensity, making Varanasi one of the best places I visited in India.

The scavenger. I like this picture because of how the young kid's face transformed because of the facial expression. And up to this day I am not sure if this kid is a boy or a girl. I like the intensity of the kid's eye. One of my personal favorites.

The Sand dunes at last. We started the 2 day journey in the Thar desert around 9am we reached the area with vast sand dunes around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. The trek was very exhausting but the experience of sleeping under the stars and riding the camel for 2 days was all worth the exhaustion. Plus we are only a few kilometers away from one of my dream destinations. Pakistan.

The greeters. Entering the old Jaisalmer fort, these ladies cant be missed, from the bangles they are selling to the vibrant colors of their clothes. Since I don't intend to buy any of their goods, I bargained for a few rupees for them to be photographed.

The musician. This man is sitting in the middle of the massive fort, playing with his instrument the whole day for a few drops of coins in his can. I took this photo quite far from him as so not to distract him and I was afraid that he might be angry having photographed without his knowledge. To my surprise he genuinely smiled when he saw me taking his picture.

Two pictures given away already. Do let me know if you want one.

Promise... I will do better

This is for now.... But Promise. I will do better

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Captured Highlights of my Sem Sem trip

Last Month I went a place I want to call "Sem Sem".

Sem sem is close to my heart because, this is the country where my "itchy travel foot" started to itch. My traveling senses awakened in this country as I saw many backpackers in this hub.

This country started it all.

I wanna share some of the highlights of my short, much needed and enjoyable trip to the land of "sem sem".

1. Airplane food

I would have to say the Philippines has lost it's glory of carrying the first airline in Asia. With the steep competition of cheap airfares in our country, one could not expect the royal treatment that we use to experience on our glory days. Aside from flight attendants are getting dumber and uglier each flight. It is only in our land that cabin food are sold at a whooping price.

It has been almost a year since I took a decent (my standard of decent) flight. I miss the times when I was traveling like crazy and taking pictures of airplane food for me to blog about.

I booked my flight thru Kuwait Airways, that flies from Manila to Kuwait with stop over at sem sem.

Over my excitement I made sure to take a photo of my airplane food, no matter how blunt the food taste. It is still airplane food and I love airplane food.

(I'm loving my blunt airplane food)

2. In flight entertainment

No. not the typical "show me" game our local airlines use as their inflight entertainment.

But real inflight entertainment which shows movies and plays games and music while flying.

Even if the screen was small it was ok. I watched 2012 during the flight.

(can u see me at the screen's reflection?)

3. My name's new spelling

While I was waiting for my flight, I decided to kill time and kill myself with a single serving of Yellow cab's hotwings.

Having nicknamed JP. I am use to people from starbucks writing JT or Jaypee in my coffee cup. My eyes widened when I saw the name written on my receipt. This was the first time a person misspelled my name this way. I wish I can commend her for being different, or in our local dialect "iba ka"!

(I can't believe my name can be spelled this way)

4. The Sex show

Sem sem is known for it's red light district. The 1st time I was there, I went to a ping pong show, where unbelievable objects came out from unexpected parts of a woman's body.

This trip I went to Pattaya, the sin city of asia. My friend and I booked a ticket for their famous sex show. After seeing the show, I can say that the ping pong show is nothing, I mean NOTHING compared to the sex show. I was corrupted that night. Dang it!

Sorry no cameras allowed.

5. Jetski

I know it sounds so lame, but it was my first time to try riding a jetski. As lame as it sounds at least I had my first jetski in semsem.

After my Sem sem trip. I am now in saving mode again for my holiday this July.

I am studying interesting places to go in Nairobi, Kampala and Kigali and Dubai

I am going to try my best to squeeze in 4 countries in 2 weeks. Goodluck to me

(thanks to ronell for buying latest addition to my collections)

Mcleod Ganj at last...... I can breathe

Yesterday morning after a 14 hours of really bumpy bus ride from New Delhi I arrived here in Mcleod Ganj. After being used to the "slums" crowded and really polluted places in India, I was surprise to see a quiet, cold and calm place. Mcleod Ganj.
It is really nice to feel comfortably cold again.
Mcleod Ganj is in the northern part of India. It shares part of the Himalayas. It is so pleasing to see part of the snowy mountain while walking in their uphill streets.

I am not planning anything on this India trip. I just feel the place that I visit and decide on how long do I stay in that place. In most places I only stay a night or 2, except for Varanasi which I spent 4 nights just to get to know the place more.
Arriving here at Mcleod Ganj, honestly I want to stay here really long, infact calling Air India and extending my flight has constantly been bugging me.
Aside from the laid back atmosphere here, I have kept myself busy by volunteering in teaching english to some refugees. It is inspiring to teach english to people who really wanted to learn and at the same time listening to their experiences.


Last night, I was thinking of listing down my favorite cities in the world, for sure mcleod ganj wont be on the top list but for sure it will be there.
While I am typing this post, I am really looking forward to 4PM when I will start my volunteer job again....

Thank You Varanasi

I have been traveling really fast around North India. I have been alternating sleeping in some guesthouses, trains, buses, and guesthouses again.
I finally arrived in Varanasi, India's most holy place. Indians believed that the Ganga River along the gaths of Varanasi is a holy place. They bathe here to cleanse themselves. Many Indians come to this place to die. They believe that if they die in this place they escape "re-incarnation" .
I was shaken when I first arrived in this place. It was March 11, a "holi" day, it is a big celebration for Indians, they drank in the streets and spray paint all over themselves and to everyone else.
Roads were closed, and we had no option but to walk in the streets where Indians throw paints at us. It was a little traumatic walking with a girl companion. She was being harassed and touched all over by some drunk Indians.
Among the places in India that I have been to, Varanasi is the closest to the word "slums".
I stayed in the area near the gaths with very narrow, and dirty paths. People, cows,goats,dogs feces and garbage ruled the path. It is really the slums.
During my first few days, it was such a shock, seeing people carrying a dead body, to be burn in the "burning gaths".
Burning gath is a place at the foot of the river where they pile up stocks of wood and burn the dead person's body in the public and then throw their ashes in the river. This for them is the way to die and escape re incarnation.
I am not an emotional person, but on my first day and first time to see a dead person burnt down and seeing his flesh slowly melt and eaten up by the fire, I can't help but feel so emotionally drained at how they treat dead people. It was really painful looking at a person's body slowly melts until the bones are exposed until they turn into ashes. I can't help but think that these "creatures" they burned are once human beings like us who felt pain,joy, and they are once alive with emotions.
I shared this feeling to some travellers I met along the way. And through this experience I gained a whole new perspective about death. Here are some of their views:
Spanish couple (who lost their daugther) : That is just a body, we will all die and it cannot feel anything.
An interesting conversation with:
Carl(an english man traveling for 8 years): That is their way of life. That is how they see and do things.
Me: I just feel so negative looking at how they treat their dead relatives. In our culture we pay last respects to our dead and even make sure that they are laid to rest very well, with all the funeral arrangements and ceremonies.
Carl: That is our culture. We are just "beautifying death" with all the funeral and stuffs. But the end of it all, it is all the same. It just our body. It is just a "thing"


Aside from death and dead people being a common sight in Varanasi, The place for me is so intense. This is the first place that I have been to that I get so drained, so emotional, so irritable, that I easily feel so suffocated and I just want to shout "NO!!!!!!" to indian people trying to grab my attention and sell me some of his goods.
I get drained because the streets are so narrow, it is so crowded, and it is just full of animal dirt lying around, and poverty at it's worst is clearly showned in this area.

I remembered yesterday afternoon, my 3rd day in Varanasi, I just chilled in the rooftop of my guesthouse's restaurant overlooking all the narrow houses and the river. I was just lying around the wooden bed in the resto trying to think clearly. But I really cannot think straight, I just want to get out of the city before I get so negative. It was such a heavy feeling. I was drowning again with heavy heart.
I decided to buy a train ticket and cancelled my planned trip to Nepal to go to Delhi and see things from there.
Fast forward today March 14 2007
I met the spanish couple again while I was going for a late lunch.
We had a a very good conversation, about our feeling towards Varanasi. I told them the negativity and "blackness" i see in this city. They shared that they also get very drained while walking in the streets. They said that everyday it is different, sometimes you get a good feeling of the city some days it is just so negative, but that is the beauty of this city. It is very intense and emotional. The man who is a psychologist in spain even shared that some europeans who travelled in Varanasi from Europe tend to develop a minor "schizo" disorder because of the shock and the city's feeling.
At the end of it all they shared we just have learn to accept the city and its way of life. Its holiness, its poverty, its slums and that death is related to this city. Then we learn to appreciate and see things differently.
They also shared some things about positivity. I have high regards of the couple. Despite the tragedy they experienced of lossing their daugther. When they speak even with their poor english, I see a very vibrant color radiating from them. And after our 3 hour lunch, I completely appreciated Varanasi.
Too bad I have booked a ticket for New Delhi tonight at 12. I have a few hours left in Varanasi. After writing this post I am going to sit on the burning gaths again and see dead people being burn until their skins melt and bones exposed.

And this time I will see things differently. I will thank God for the time being. for the short time I am alive, for my family, for the people who I met and learned a lot. And I will thank God for giving me this chance to see death at another angle.
I feel a lot better now... Thank You Varanasi

Much needed travel.... Follow up

Ey, i just got a message from my Mom. She was asking where I was and told me why I haven't been on the internet lately.
I actually did not tell them that somebody broke into my apartment because I would know that they would be freaking out and would insist I better go home at once. I just made up and said that my computer was destroyed because it got wet while I was walking in the rain.

So I decided to call her and update her. ( See it is so difficult without the computer)

Me: Hello Mom
Mom: Oh hello! where are you now? How come you were not online for a long time ( surprised!)
Me: I am in China.
Mom: So you are back from India?
Me: No, I am leaving this thursday.
Mom: I thought you left already you have bot been online for a long time, we thought you were
already in India.
Me: Nope. I am still here. I told you my computer is destroyed and I cant afford to buy a new
one now since I will use my savings for my trip.
Mom:Oh okay, just let us know where you are so we will know where to find you.
Me: Ok Mom. How's dad?
Mom: He is fine, He is here now. So when are you coming back here?
Me: I don't have the exact date yet, but from India I will go back to China then head home.
Mom: Oh ok. Just be careful and take care.
Me: Alright. Don't worry. I will. ( I gave her my flight details and the time difference from India
and home)
Mom: How many days will you stay in India?
Me: Uhhm, I still don't know, it depends. (I was caught off guard because it would be ridiculous to tell her I am travelling to India for a month. Yes, it is very unlikely from people in my family to travel for a long time).
Mom: Ok just don't forget to call us from time to time.

Yes my friends, I am a good liar. I don't know how my family would react when they would know that I will be travelling for a long time.

Goodluck!

Much needed travel

I have decided to put an end to being gloomy and on the down side. Lately my days here in China has been nothing but depressing. I go out of my apartment in the morning and go back to my apartment in the evening. Honestly, I am starting to feel very lonely living alone. I have not bought a new computer because of budget constraints. Now I have realized how dependent I am with the internet. I read blogs, news and listen to music and communicate with friends and family back home through the internet. I don't blame myself for being hooked on the internet, it is my source of information and keep me company in a foreign land.

Tonight is my last night in my apartment. This is also another issue, after somebody broke into my apartment and stole my computer, I certainly don't feel safe anymore. I have a current issue with my landlady who is making it very hard for me to get my money back( I have paid for the whole term of my stay here and a month's deposit). It's just so hard for her to return back my money, and always insisting that her apartment is safe and she won't give me back my money since i broke our contract.
She is making it more difficult for me.

Tomorrow I will go to shanghai and get my Indian Visa and I will leave for Mumbai the next day. I booked for Shanghai-Mumbai Feb. 26 and return to china via Delhi to Shanghai on Mar. 24. The whole trip would cover almost a month. I haven't planned anything yet nor have I booked any place to stay. I just read some facts about India and how to get around the whole country by land.

I will try my best to forget about China while I will be there. I have also looked into volunteering to some orphanages in India just to keep me back to on track.

While I was walking today to China post to send some of my things back home. I just realized I need to breath another air. I need to be out of China for a while to appreciate all the things and all the people here. I just need to be in a new environment and a new place that speaks another language and practice a different culture.


I really hope that this much needed travel would bring me back to my old self and appreciate the things that I have rather than linger over spilled milk ( this is from a chinese friend Huangran)

Finishing this entry, I am trying to smile and tell myself: INDIA here I come =)

We all need SAVING

Today is my 6th day in Xi'an.
I have met some people walking in the dark side of life. Listening to their stories, I really felt so sad. Why do some people have to work jobs that they don't want to work? People are very desperate to earn money. With my limited chinese, I wish I can express that there is always hope despite how hard life is.
I have been feeling so down since yesterday. I got an email that one of my workmate back home was diagnose with Cancer. She is very young and her kids are very young. She is a very soft spoken person. She is always positive and very cheerfull.
As much as I don't want to question the nature of things. I really can't help but ask.... Why is life unfair? Why do bad things happen to good people? It is just so sad =(

Today, I was still feeling a bit melancholy, I decided to go to for a walk at the Muslim Quarters. It was crowded with people buying stuffs for the coming Chinese New Year. Observing the crowd, I just can't help but see the negative side of life. I told myself that for today I am not going to take pictures of places but I will spend time taking pictures of people's faces.

I wish I know how to resize the pictures I took so I can post it here, but the computer in my hostel is in Chinese and I can't figure out a way to make the files smaller. I decided to just post one photo.

Let me share with you a song that hopefully will inspire us when things in our life are on the negative side.

We all need Saving

ooh, ooh come on come on ooh ooh, come on come on
you have got to move on
this is not the you i know
this isn't realit's just all you can feel
and that's the way that feelings go
and whether or not it's right or wrong
you'll do what you will do
but when the cloud in the sky starts to pour in your life
its just a storm you're braving
well don't tell yourself
you can't lean on someone
cause we all need saving
sometimes
say what you will
but the time that we fill
while we are on the Earth
should not be alone
we were meant to be known
you make me what i'm worth
but i can't keep you from yourself
you'll do what you will do
when the cloud in the sky starts to pour in your life
it's just a storm you're braving
well don't tell yourself
you can't lean on someone else
cause we all need saving
and i don't know
why it has to be this way
and i don't know
the cure
but please believe someone else has felt this before
when the cloud in the sky starts to pour in your life
it's just a storm you're braving
well don't tell yourself
you can't lean on someone else
cause we all need saving
we all need saving
sometimes
sometimes

The Call

Xi'an

Everything seems to be ok in this backpacking trip. On my 3rd day here in Xi'an I got a message from my brother to go online in the evening. He told me that my Dad wants to talk with me about something.

Getting this message, I am a bit concern because it's very unlikely for my Dad to strike up a talk with me. Having lived away from my parents since I was young, Me and my Dad seldom talk specially If I am away. Though our relationship is perfectly fine, we are not the type who really take the time to talk on the phone. It's always my Mom who checks on me from time to time.

And getting that message, I know it is something serious.

Since I just brought my backpack, I decided to leave my computer in my apartment in Suzhou. It would be impossible for me to go online this day.

I decided to call my Mom and asked her what is the thing that my Dad wants to talk about. My Mom told me that my Dad wants me home already and help them in our business.

My thoughts:

I think in my own way, I have done everything that I want to do with my life( I know it sounds so serious). But yes, I think I already did!

Firstly, I want to try to work in a reputable company back home, which I did (having worked for Citi for more than 3 years is enough for me). Secondly, I have always wanted to live on my own, having my own apartment while I was working in a bank satisfied that want. Third, I want to work and live abroad. Staying here in China by myself for a little over a year is ok for me already. And I must admit that sometimes it gets lonely, not having the comforts of home. And lastly, I want to travel on my own capacity (financial capacity that is!). While working here in China, I was able to travel for as long as 1 month. Though I mostly travel alone, which is a good way to meet people from different places, again sometimes it also gets lonely. But the experience of travelling and discovering places and immersing myself with different cultures is good enough to overcome the loneliness of travelling solo.

More Deep thoughts about going home:

Being away from home and having all the independence has taught me a lot of lessons that I would have never learned if I did not take this chance to live in China and travelled along the way.

A few months ago the thought of leaving China makes me feel sad. Right now that my chinese working visa is expiring next month, and I am currently out of job, and having stayed in China for a year, I still feel sad but deep inside me there is a slight feeling of relief having to be in a place that I can really call home. I know I will be sad when the day comes that I have to leave China, but I think it would not be as sad as the feeling I had a few months back.

This post was written on a scratch paper while I was contemplating my thoughts in Xiangzimen Youth Hostel in Xi'an. I want to put this in record so that when I will be home and re reading my post, fond memories of this backpacking trip would drown me. Photos above is the exact place I wrote this post

The Irony:

Despite feeling a little ready to go home for good, my facebook status as I am writing this is

Xx Xx needs to satisfy his travel urges.....soon

Now in Pudong Airport

I am catching my breath as I am typing this entry. I just got here in Pudong Airport. In 10 minutes my flight to Xi'an will be called for boarding.
I woke up extra early this morning for I know I have to catch the airport bus from Suzhou to Pudong. My Flight is 11:50 AM I know that If I take the bus at 8:00 am I would be in Pudong at 11:00AM.
When I arrive at the bus terminal, it was before 7:00AM. They told me that the next bus to Pudong will be at 9:00 AM which means that If I wait take that bus, I would definetly will miss my flight, since it will take 3 hours from Suzhou to Pudong Airport.

Suddenly I was swarmed by drivers offering to take me to the airport for a hefty price of 650 rmb! If I take the airport bus it would just cost me 80 rmb.

I told the driver its very expensive. He tried to bargain to 500 rmb.
I called my chinese friends if they can offer some help, Luckily Suench, answered his phone obviously still in bed, he told me he will call their company's rent a car service and provider and will take me to the airport at 300rmb.

He just told me to stay in the station and the rent a car service will pick me up there.

To cut the story short, because my flight is now called for boarding. I got here in the airport just in time. The queue to the check in area was extremely long!

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone

Krispy, Free hugs, Ski

I just arrived from the 2 hour bus ride from the Hyundai Sangwoo ski resort.
Here's what happened, I originally planned to go to Yongpyong Ski resort, which is what my hostel recommended and I read in my book that it is very famous, because they shot some scenes of the Korean TV series Winter Sonata in this resort.
I researched in the internet on how to get there. First bus leaves at 5:50 in the morning.
Meeting point will be at Lotte Mart entrance.
To go to Lotte Mart, I need to take a subway to Jamsil Station and get out at exit 4 and take a 10 minute walk to the Lotte Mart. Since the first bus leaves very early, I also checked the time for the subway to open.
First train runs at 5:30 AM, and from my hostel it would take me 20 stops to get to Jamsil station.
When I got to the Lotte Mart, it was around 6 AM. I was happy because there we're people in their ski costumes, obviously waiting for the bus as well. Finally, as stated in the website, ride on the purple ski bus. When I looked at the sign it says"Hyundai Sungwoo Ski". I told the driver I want to go to Yongpyong, he then informed me that the bus has left already and the next trip would be 9AM. Left with no choice and no plans, I hopped in the bus to another ski resort.

Plan was not effected...but never the less, it was a good experience. I did not ski because I am physically not ready, having barely 3 hours of sleep. Importantly, I am financially not capable also, ski rentals are expensive, taking a lift is expensive, hiring an instructor is the most expensive. So what I did, even if I am not in proper ski attire, I bought a ticket to take the lift, and rewarded myself with a hearty breakfast buffet in the bakeshop.

Krispy Kreme.

Manila, Hongkong, Taipei, and Seoul. What do these cities have in common? They have franchise of the mouth watering Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Now the quiestion is... Why not in Mainland China? Yes I have been deprived with krispy kreme since I got to China. After more than a year of deprivation, I stuffed myself with Krispy Kreme yesterday. They must have known that I have been deprived for a year already, because I ordered for 2, they gave me 1 free..... slurp...

Free Hugs.

I saw some korean girls holding the free hug placard. I was just observing them. It must be with the korean culture, the girls were just stared and sometimes avoided when they open their arms, gesturing for a hug. I think it must not be easy offering a free hug on a cold winter, and being avoided and declined. I took a picture of them and they gladly posed with their asian peace sign. After posing for me, I went near them and Hugged them... I felt that they were relieved because somebody accepted their free offer. As we hugged they say " Gamsa Hamnida" means thank you.

1st things first

Tomorrow will mark my 1st year when I came to China. I am officially a year in China tomorrow.
It's nice to be able to experience the four seasons in China. The heavy snow last Winter, the unnoticed spring the scorching hot summer and my favorite autumn. And now it's winter time again. Time flies when you are having fun.

There are a lot of experiences that I did for the first time last year. And it was cool to end the last day of the year travelling. Spending Christmas in China and spent New year in Korea.

1st things first ( for the year2009)
-First time to see and actually walk in a frozen lake... though it's dangerous as I approached the thin ice.
-First time to eat Bulgogi and authentic Korean BBQ
-First time to experience the history of Korea... (being at the N. Korean Border and actually getting inside the tunnel dugged by the N. Korean armies)
-First time to live in a traditional Korean house
-First time to be butt naked in a Public bath... (trying to dare myself)
-First time to get the "free hugs" world sensation ( it's a warm feeling getting a hug from a stranger)

With that I have to go.... I need to sleep early because I am trying to get up at 4am to catch a bus to the Korean Mountains to add
-First time to ski ( Hopefully I'll manage to wake up extra early)

Happy New Year 2009! A toast for a year filled with first time and adventures!
Cheers everyone!

where do I write?

Having to travel for more than an hour by bus to work everyday, I make it a point to make use of the travel time. I bring my notebook with me and try my best to write down whatever I can scribble just to help me kill the time.


If I am travelling in the plane I always carry my computer with me so that I can easily turn it on and start collecting my thoughts. This way it helps make the flight bearable.

I don't know why every time I am in a moving car, boat or plane or even train I always get inspired to think well and If I think well I want to write it down. I noticed this when I went to Uni and I have to travel from home for a long time.

Dragon Air/Cathay Pacific
In my previous post I mentioned about my options and fare prices going to Hong Kong.
Dragon/Cathay is the most expensive. Even if it's a little premium over the rest of the airlines, I choose this airline because I know they have good service, good airplane food and individual screens.
Because of these good amenities, my plan to write a blog while in the plane for the 2.5 hours flight was forgotten.

All the time I was glued on the screen watching 1 episode of Grey's Anatomy, Listened to airplane radio station (which by the way has excellent choice of songs whether it be chinese, cantonese, english, indian)


Also one remarkable thing about this airline is that they serve really good food. As the plane ascends, the attendants would hand out menus... How sweet can that be?
The food is really good, not to mention the free drinks and beer I can get. But I chose orange juice since I just had my morning coffee.
And the best part is they are serving dessert... Ice cream..... Haagen- Dazs..... no less

By the way, Grey's Anatomy.

I have been following this series when I was back home. I am no longer updated with the series since I got here in China. While watching Grey's anatomy in the plane, I realized that I kept a very striking line in one of the old episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I just kept in my phone's draft.

Our history is what shapes us, what guides us...

Our history resurfaces time after time after time

So we have to remember:

Sometimes the most important history, is the history we are making today...

This line is an inspiration for me to leave my comfort zone in my old job, and risk and try an adventure here in China.... Hoping to make my His.....story

Hong kong airport sad feelings

After 6 days in Hong Kong and crossing to Macau with some friends from Uni. It's time for us to part ways, they would be going back to Philly and I would head back to Shanghai. I felt a little homesick leaving because it would mean that party's over and it's back to reality.

I felt more homesick maybe because I know that they would be going home and I would be back to China and alone again.

We booked the same schedule its 11:00 am. Manila for them and Shanghai for me. I was expecting to spend time with my friends in the airport. But unfortunately they were assigned a gate exactly opposite to my assigned gate. It would be very difficult to run to my gate when our flights are gonna be boarding at almost the same time. I decided to just wait for my flight in my gate, I don't want to risk being late. I can't afford to be left by my flight.

While waiting for my flight, I can't help feeling restless and I kept on looking at the flight screens to see whether their flight has boarded already, at the same time imagining the time that I would be going back home too. I pictured my friends would still be in happy mood inside the plane, while I am lost in translation in gate waiting for my flight to board.

I decided to take a photo of the flight screen
Their flight is 5J111 to Manila, while mine is CX... to shanghai
In the picture, our flights were separated by an 11:00 am flight to Paris.

Luckily I chose a very good airline. My homesickness was eased when I was inside because of the airplane food and the airplane entertainment.

Hongkong.... Not so Keen.... Undecided

My friends back home are going to HongKong on the 23rd of this month. They have been planning this trip for a long time already. And I know for a fact that having to organise this isn't easy for them since they have to make sure they get permission from work and they had a hard time deciding the date that would allow everyone to be able to join the trip.

They have invited me long ago, and I committed myself to meet them in HongKong. I am a little familiar with some sights in HongKong and how to get to some places using the subway system. And importantly cross boarder to Macau by ferry. My friends are rooting for me to help them navigate the city.

Honestly, I am not so keen in going to Hongkong this month for several reasons.

1. I am saving money for my planned trip to either Russia or Kenya early next year.
2. This trip would be my 4th time to hongkong in less than 3 years, not including the stop overs
coming to and from China to Cebu.
3. 4 days in Hongkong is 4 days less from earning money in China.

Because of this, until now I haven't really taken this trip seriously. Last friday I decided to check the airplane schedules and prices from Shanghai to Hongkong. I also compared the price if I fly domestic to Shenzhen and take the ferry to Hongkong. ( I did this route January of this year).

Here are some options that I saw but not confirmed yet:

Option 1 China Eastern Airline RMB2246 ($325)

Oct 22
20:00 Pudong
22:00 Hong Kong
Oct 27
11:50 Hongkong
14:10 Pudong

Option 2 Dragon Air/Cathay Pacific RMB2396 ($347)

Oct 22
19:30 Pudong
22:10 Hongkong
Oct 27
11:00 Hongkong
13:20 Pudong

Option 3 Shanghai Airline/China Eastern RMB 1940 ($281)

Oct 22
8:20 Hongquiao
11:40Shenzhen (via Guangzhou)
Oct 27
11:10 Shenzhen
13:00 Hongquiao

3 options. But I haven't decided on which option to take. The 3rd option is the cheapest but I have to stop in Guangzhou for 45 minutes, and I have to consider the cost in taking the ferry from Shenzhen to Hongkong.

I have to decide within this week so I can finalize everything.

But anyway, I have committed myself to go with my friends, I can't afford to back out right now. I will just think of this trip as a way to relax away from work and spend time with people that I don't see often anymore.

Zhao, My Host, the person who gave me another impression of Chinese people

(words in the conversations were not the exact words used... but the thought remains the same)

Zhao is my host in Sichuan. He made sure I was taken cared of. From the time I arrive at the Chengdu Airport, he was already waiting for me, despite the countless times of telling him not to fetch me at the airport. I don’t want to cause so much trouble for the fellow. But he really insisted of meeting me at the airport.

Zhao is the first Chinese person who invited me to stay in his apartment. I was not sure on how to react to the invitation. I insisted on staying in a hostel so that I won’t have to bother him so much. Again he insisted that I stay in his apartment. I was thinking this would be an interesting experience having to stay in a Chinese home with a Chinese fellow.

Through him I was able to get to know deeper some Chinese cultures learned more how Chinese people see things differently.

Firstly, Zhao introduced some of the famous Sichuan Dishes….. Yes they are all spicy and undoubtedly very delicious!
He is a very graceful host; Zhao introduced me to some of his Chinese friends and even went his way to travel with me to nearby Sichuan towns.

I will try my best to recall some conversations I had with Zhao that made me learn something new about Chinese people and how he sees things.

Zhao: I wish one day I can travel around like you.
Me: Yeah you should travel. You will learn a lot and gain many experiences
Zhao: It’s not so easy to travel. I need to work and earn money.
Me: That’s right. But through traveling you will discover that there is still a bigger world out there. It’s not just China. Though China is really beautiful
Zhao: We Chinese people in China are like inside a Great Wall…..

I was taken a back on how he describes China’s enclosure to the outside world. With the strict implementation of information coming in and out of china, they are very particular on cable channels, blocking some internet sites certainly; there is limited information in China.

We also spoke about the shape of a person’s face and how Chinese people view it. Zhao told me that if a person’s face is round and he has a broad forehead, he is deemed to be somebody who is going to be rich.

Me: Does that mean that I’m poor? I have an oval shaped face...
Zhao: Yes….
Me: Uhhhmm?

We talked about Chinese families, on how Parents play a part in a person’s life decisions.

Zhao: I really like shanghai, I hope one day I can visit shanghai, it’s very modern city
Me: Why not try looking for a job in Shanghai? Or maybe in Suzhou?
Zhao: I want to but my parents would not allow me to be far from them.
Me: But you are earning your own money already and you can be independent.
Zhao: I cannot leave my parents here, they are old.
Me: Wow your parents really affect the decisions in your life.
Zhao: Yeah… how about you?
Me: I have my brothers and sisters, and I can always go back home anytime.
Maybe this is so because of the one child policy… You don’t have brothers and sisters to help you take care of your parents.
Zhao: Maybe…

We talked about music…
Zhao has a very good taste in music. I was amazed because most the Chinese people I know have the same taste in music. It is mostly western music that became popular few years ago. But Zhao’s music was very up to date. It is a shame; a Chinese person gave me some songs to upload in my ipod. His choice of music is really impressive. Aside from that he helped me upload some Chinese songs too!

Me: I’m really impressed with your choice of music.
Zhao: Why?
Me: I thought Chinese people are not so updated with western music
Zhao: No not all, I always use the internet
Me: I’m really impressed!
Zhao: Well we are all the same people. We listen to one music

By the way, Zhao also watches popular western TV series… Can you beat that?

Zhao, thanks for your hospitality and for sharing your time when I visited Sichuan. I have learned
A lot from you..Thanks for the goodies from luojiang =)

Deng yi haha! kuai yi ti er( quiet'r)

Collecting my thoughts in the plane…

I am so overwhelmed with new insights during my 6 days travel to Sichuan province. So overwhelmed, that I don’t know where to start and how to contain everything.

I am in the plane right now. 3 hours to shanghai from chengdu. I will try my best to recall the events in the last 6 days. I will be writing about my Sichuan experience.

Let me first share some pics I took from the airport.

I just finished 1 entry…. So timely Lunch is served now…;-)

Wheeew Airplane food again… It’s rice, chicken with sauce and peanuts. I’m sorry I cannot describe the other foods. They are packed and all written in Chinese. And I am not so hungry to eat this. I might just give this to some Chinese kids in shanghai.
I’ll continue my 2nd entry after my lunch..

Getting excited for my much needed break

Next week is a National Holiday. It's only in China that I will experience having such long holidays. Most companies, schools and other institutions would be close for a week.
On my part I'm really starting to get stressed out with work and I need a good damn holiday.
I'm really looking forward travelling to Beijing the 2nd time around. I'm mostly excited to see the olympic venues and sites related to it.
I'm gonna share more about it when I come back with pictures of course!
Thanks to Abbie and flying Sable for coordinating the trip