Most people in my life know how much I admire Oprah. I admire her so much that I often steal her ideas. For example, I love buying products that she promotes on her annual Oprah's Favorite Things episode. I also stole her Legends Party idea when I had my own Legends Party a few years ago to celebrate the special people in my life in Chicago (To my dearest DC friends, a Legends Party is definitely long overdue). Now, I'm about to steal another idea from Oprah. Each month in her O Magazine, she always ends with a one page article titled, "What I Know for Sure". I love this section of her magazine because she shares insights about her life. I also enjoy this section because we have all had feelings of certainty in our lives, no matter how small or large. My four month trip has given me a chance to think about "What I Know For Sure"....
*I love Facebook. It's such a great tool to stay in touch with people and it gives you the opportunity to create your own web page. I love 'Status Updates' because it gives you a glimpse of your friends' every day lives and brings your far-away friends closer to you. Let's face it, it's the best stalking tool without getting arrested.
*I have a weakness for guys with bright blue eyes, dimples, and a British accent. Seriously, if you have all three of these traits and you're not a psycho, I'M ALL YOURS. Now, if this guy with these exact qualities also checks out my profile on Facebook frequently because he is so interested in me that he really wants to know everything about me, I'M ALL YOURS and I'll even learn how to cook. One more thing...diving instructors, I love you too.
*I hated my last 8 months at YB but that was the best thing that happened to me. If I still loved YB, then I would still be there right now and I wouldn't have gone on this trip. At the end of the day, YB gave me 5 and 1/2 happy years plus 8 questionable months. YB gave me a taste of what it feels like to love a job. It brought me to Chicago, the city that I love. It also provided the means for me to take this trip. Thanks to YB, it also made me want to walk away in 2008.
*I'm looking forward to my next job. This will be my new adventure of 2009. I'm looking forward to applying my passion and hard work towards something that I strongly believe in. I have new expectations for job satisfaction. Before this trip, I needed to have 100% job satisfaction or else the world was crashing and I was ready to jump off a building. For my next job, I would be completely fine with an 80% job satisfiaction level or higher. I don't want to settle for anything else than 80% but there is more to life than Corporate America. I used to not think this way.
*My "dream toys" have changed. I've always wanted to own a Porsche 911 convertible, own a nice house in the city, and have a Crib Style Walk-In closet. These things are still on my list but it's now at the bottom of my list. If it came down to it, I would give up all my possessions to travel around the world and continue to meet incredible people.
*My dream job is to be an English teacher overseas. I would teach English during the school year and then travel throughout the country during the summer before I moved on to my next country and teach English again for another school year followed by another summer of traveling throughout the country. Ideally, this cycle would be repeated over and over again.
*I am glad that I experienced this trip as an American. During my travels, people would often refer to me as "Nancy, the American" or "Nancy from Chicago" and I would see and hear so many different reactions. I couldn't help but compare Americans to people from other conturies. During these last four months, I have had so many thought provoking conversations with different people from all over the world. These conversations opened me eyes and made me appreciate the great things we have in our country but at the same time it allowed me to see our downfalls. The biggest thing that would always leave me speechless was the fact that everyone I met knew so much about U.S. history, U.S. foreign policy, PLUS world history and world foreign policy. The minute people wanted to have a political conversation I was seriously dumbfounded. These political conversations weren't meant to be negative or argumentative, just a mere exchange of our thoughts on world affairs. I'm a chatterbox but those type of topics would leave me mute. Shame on me for not knowing anything else but my life in my American Bubble. This will be one of the first things that will change in my life.
*I already miss this journey tremendously. Even though I've only been home for 2 days, I truly miss the feeling of adventure and the butterflies I would get in my stomach because I wasn't sure what was in store each day . I'll miss the feeling of seeing something new for the first time and experiencing a whole new culture. I miss the people that I have met on this journey. AHHHH, these people have really touched my heart and soul in so many ways. I already miss the person that I would be meeting tomorrow if I were still traveling. ALSO....I'm going to miss traveling with my backpack. I've come along way since the backpack and I went to Greece 4 months ago. I hated it back then and now it's been my loyal buddy that's been with me through every city. I started to call the backpack Wilson after Wilson in Castaway.
*Even though I have raved about the people that I have met on this trip, this DOES NOT take away from the incredible people I have in my life in the U.S. I couldn't have done this trip without my friends and family. I spent plenty of money at internet cafes just to read and respond to all the thoughtful emails everyday. I seriously looked like a lunatic at times because I would be laughing hysterically at the funny emails my friends would write and I would also cry when my friends were going through a tough time and I couldn't be there for them, then I would have the moments when I would have the biggest smile on my face just seeing the kind words of my friends on the screen. I'll never forget the time when I went to pay for my internet usage in Munich and the cashier said, "You were reading a love letter." I told him I didn't have a boyfriend and he was surprised because he said the smile on my face when I was reading my email was the smile of someone who was in love. I am always happy and giddy when I read emails from friends. I guess the cashier was right. I am IN love....with my friends :)
Traveling through Europe and Asia has been the best thing I've ever done. This experience has inspired me in ways that I never imagined. Right now, I have no job and I have no home to call my own. That sounds depressing. However, I don't feel down about it. I feel so fulfilled and grateful from this experience. I am in this no job/no home situation because of my incredible journey and I wouldn't trade this journey in for anything. Am I nervous about not having a job and having my own place? OF COURSE. However, for the first time in my life, I'm actually calm and I'm working through it and doing everything I can to put the pieces together. I'm looking forward to applying all the great things that I have learned on my trip to the typical crazy hustle/bustle life that I love in the U.S. I'm also looking ahead and dreaming of my next 2 week vacation.....Australia 2010?!??!?!?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
My Last 13 Days....
The last 13 days of my trip have been spent in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Bangkok.
Koh Samui --- Christy, Steve, and I spent 4 days in Koh Samui (an island on the eastern shore of Thailand). Our first 2 nights were spent in Chaweng, a very popular and busy area with a lot of night life. We enjoyed our time here by taking long walks on Chaweng Beach and relaxing by the pool. Christy and Steve took a day trip to go for an elephant ride and to hang out with monkeys. Since I already went for the elephant ride with Keith in Chiang Mai, I decided to just hang out at the pool.
After our 2 nights in Chaweng, we made our way down to another region of Koh Samui and stayed at Lamai Beach. The beach in Lamai was definitely one of our favorites The water was a beautiful turquoise color and the beach was not very crowded so it made it more special. Our hotel was in a great location and we had a fantastic infinity pool that we enjoyed very much. The 3 of us are obsessed with infinity pools! The night life in Lamai was definitely not as beautiful as Lamai Beach. The night life was pretty seedy because there were so many old Westerners with these young Thai prostitues all over the place. All the bars and restaurants cater to these old Westerners by having these young Thai girls parade around the bar or dance on top of the bars. It's really a sad and unfortunate scene. It didn't ruin our fun but it made us realize that there are two different sides to Lamai....During the day time, it's absolutely picturesque. During the night time, not so much. After 2 nights in Lamai Beach, we jumped on a ferry to head north to another island.
Koh Phangan --- Koh Phangan is also on the eastern shore of Thailand and it is north of Koh Samui. Koh Phangan is famous for the Full Moon Party held each month. We were fortunate to arrive in Koh Phangan during the Full Moon time and enjoy the festivities. The Full Moon Party was on our last night in Koh Phangan so we spent the other 3 days just relaxing by the pool AGAIN! We rented a jeep to take around the island and that was definitely an interesting experience. Koh Phangan's roads are in horrible condition. It makes Chicago's pot holes look like a nice smooth basketball court compared to the roads on this island. Steve was our driver and Christy was the navigator. I just sat in the backseat. I was really impressed by Steve's driving skills and Christy's accurate navigating skills. Since everyone drives on the left side of the street in Thailand, their cars are designed to fit this driving model. Steve had to drive stick using his left hand, PLUS drive around the windy roads all over the island. I was just a passenger and it was exhausting and stressful to even go through this drive because there were so many high cliffs and the roads were so windy and bumpy. Steve was great under these circumstances and thanks to Christy, she got us to all of our scenic destination points.
The Full Moon Party is held at the Haad Rin Beach of Koh Phangan. This party attracts thousands and thousands of people from all over the world each month. We estimated that there were 6000 people at the beach celebrating the Full Moon with us. The beach has 10 different dance areas with 10 different types of music. Steve, Christy, and I danced the night away at the house music dance area. Dancing with Steve and Christy brought back a lot of fun memories that we have shared together in Chicago. We had a great time and we were glad that our schedule matched up with the Full Moon in January.
After 4 days in Koh Phangan, we flew back to Bangkok. Christy and Steve went on a shopping spree and found a lot of great crafts for their home, pretty dresses and accessories for Christy, and a new spring wardrobe for Steve. I'll never forget the look on their faces when we met up at the hotel after they bought everything. They walked into our room with a HUGE duffel bag that they had to buy because they couldn't fit their new goods into their luggage. They looked so cute because they were so happy and so giddy about their newfound stuff! They only spent 24 hours in Bangkok but that's all they needed! Christy and Steve left Bangkok on Mon night. It was really great to see them and have them enjoy this experience with me. I was so happy when we would meet new people and these new people would share their traveling experiences with us. I wanted Christy and Steve to get a glimpse of what I've been experiencing. They were both amazed (just like I was) by how much the rest of the world travels so much and embraces these life experiences. During our many meals together, Christy, Steve, and I had so many enlightening conversations about our lives in the U.S., our priorties, and what makes us happy. It was great to hear their thoughts and share our ideas to lead a more balanced life.
After Christy and Steve left, I still had 3 more days in Bangkok. I spent these last 3 days with my new friend Chris. I met Chris about a month ago when I was in Bangkok with Keith. Chris and I went our separate ways after we met but we remained in touch through Facebook. We managed to coordinate our schedules to meet up again before I left for the U.S. Chris is from England and he is traveling for 14 months. He started in India and he has been making his way through Asia and he is going to Australia and New Zealand next, then heading to Canada and the U.S. Needless to say, I'm extremely jealous of his traveling plans! Spending time with Chris has been wonderful and it was a great way for me to end my 4 month journey. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future....
My flight leaves in less than 12 hours. I will write one more blog when I get back to the U.S. with my final thoughts. Right now the big decision that I have to make is, "What am I going to have as my first meal? Steak or Mexican?" BTW....I had to get a new cell phone number. I will explain in an email when I get back and I will give you the new number in the email. I look forward to catching up with everyone soon! Your text messager is BACK!!!!!!
Koh Samui --- Christy, Steve, and I spent 4 days in Koh Samui (an island on the eastern shore of Thailand). Our first 2 nights were spent in Chaweng, a very popular and busy area with a lot of night life. We enjoyed our time here by taking long walks on Chaweng Beach and relaxing by the pool. Christy and Steve took a day trip to go for an elephant ride and to hang out with monkeys. Since I already went for the elephant ride with Keith in Chiang Mai, I decided to just hang out at the pool.
After our 2 nights in Chaweng, we made our way down to another region of Koh Samui and stayed at Lamai Beach. The beach in Lamai was definitely one of our favorites The water was a beautiful turquoise color and the beach was not very crowded so it made it more special. Our hotel was in a great location and we had a fantastic infinity pool that we enjoyed very much. The 3 of us are obsessed with infinity pools! The night life in Lamai was definitely not as beautiful as Lamai Beach. The night life was pretty seedy because there were so many old Westerners with these young Thai prostitues all over the place. All the bars and restaurants cater to these old Westerners by having these young Thai girls parade around the bar or dance on top of the bars. It's really a sad and unfortunate scene. It didn't ruin our fun but it made us realize that there are two different sides to Lamai....During the day time, it's absolutely picturesque. During the night time, not so much. After 2 nights in Lamai Beach, we jumped on a ferry to head north to another island.
Koh Phangan --- Koh Phangan is also on the eastern shore of Thailand and it is north of Koh Samui. Koh Phangan is famous for the Full Moon Party held each month. We were fortunate to arrive in Koh Phangan during the Full Moon time and enjoy the festivities. The Full Moon Party was on our last night in Koh Phangan so we spent the other 3 days just relaxing by the pool AGAIN! We rented a jeep to take around the island and that was definitely an interesting experience. Koh Phangan's roads are in horrible condition. It makes Chicago's pot holes look like a nice smooth basketball court compared to the roads on this island. Steve was our driver and Christy was the navigator. I just sat in the backseat. I was really impressed by Steve's driving skills and Christy's accurate navigating skills. Since everyone drives on the left side of the street in Thailand, their cars are designed to fit this driving model. Steve had to drive stick using his left hand, PLUS drive around the windy roads all over the island. I was just a passenger and it was exhausting and stressful to even go through this drive because there were so many high cliffs and the roads were so windy and bumpy. Steve was great under these circumstances and thanks to Christy, she got us to all of our scenic destination points.
The Full Moon Party is held at the Haad Rin Beach of Koh Phangan. This party attracts thousands and thousands of people from all over the world each month. We estimated that there were 6000 people at the beach celebrating the Full Moon with us. The beach has 10 different dance areas with 10 different types of music. Steve, Christy, and I danced the night away at the house music dance area. Dancing with Steve and Christy brought back a lot of fun memories that we have shared together in Chicago. We had a great time and we were glad that our schedule matched up with the Full Moon in January.
After 4 days in Koh Phangan, we flew back to Bangkok. Christy and Steve went on a shopping spree and found a lot of great crafts for their home, pretty dresses and accessories for Christy, and a new spring wardrobe for Steve. I'll never forget the look on their faces when we met up at the hotel after they bought everything. They walked into our room with a HUGE duffel bag that they had to buy because they couldn't fit their new goods into their luggage. They looked so cute because they were so happy and so giddy about their newfound stuff! They only spent 24 hours in Bangkok but that's all they needed! Christy and Steve left Bangkok on Mon night. It was really great to see them and have them enjoy this experience with me. I was so happy when we would meet new people and these new people would share their traveling experiences with us. I wanted Christy and Steve to get a glimpse of what I've been experiencing. They were both amazed (just like I was) by how much the rest of the world travels so much and embraces these life experiences. During our many meals together, Christy, Steve, and I had so many enlightening conversations about our lives in the U.S., our priorties, and what makes us happy. It was great to hear their thoughts and share our ideas to lead a more balanced life.
After Christy and Steve left, I still had 3 more days in Bangkok. I spent these last 3 days with my new friend Chris. I met Chris about a month ago when I was in Bangkok with Keith. Chris and I went our separate ways after we met but we remained in touch through Facebook. We managed to coordinate our schedules to meet up again before I left for the U.S. Chris is from England and he is traveling for 14 months. He started in India and he has been making his way through Asia and he is going to Australia and New Zealand next, then heading to Canada and the U.S. Needless to say, I'm extremely jealous of his traveling plans! Spending time with Chris has been wonderful and it was a great way for me to end my 4 month journey. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future....
My flight leaves in less than 12 hours. I will write one more blog when I get back to the U.S. with my final thoughts. Right now the big decision that I have to make is, "What am I going to have as my first meal? Steak or Mexican?" BTW....I had to get a new cell phone number. I will explain in an email when I get back and I will give you the new number in the email. I look forward to catching up with everyone soon! Your text messager is BACK!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Everyone! Keith, Steve, Christy, and I celebrated New Year's Eve at Koh Phi Phi island in Thailand. We were all at the beach waiting for the countown as fireworks went off in the sky. The beach scene was incredible as we were surrounded by so many people from all over the world. It was so neat to see everyone having a great time and celebrating the promise and hope of a new year. After our New Year's celebration, Christy, Steve, and I went to bed around 3 am. We were all beat and then Steve handed me the best gift: Ipod loaded with all the Gossip Girls episodes that I have missed. Even though I was beat, I managed to stay up all night to watch 6 episodes. I still had 3 episodes remaining so I wanted to save those for my flight home. I love you, Steve!
After New Year's, Keith made his way back to Bangkok to fly back to Chicago. Steve, Christy, and I decided to take a boat ride to a few of the island's special hotspots....
Monkey Beach --- A beach with monkeys roaming around! We were able to feed the monkeys and take pictures with them. Lots of fun!
Snorkeling at Phi Phi Ley --- I went diving again in Phi Phi Don before Steve and Christy arrived so this time we all went snorkeling. We enjoyed checking out the bright corral and fish swimming around us. The best part of this trip was when Steve and Christy said they definitely want to try diving in the future because they wanted to get closer to the undwater life after their snorkeling experience. I can't wait for our diving trip soon! Sarah Starr and Jason Cohen....you better join us!
Maya Beach --- This is the famous beach where they filmed "The Beach". Keith checked out this beach a few days before we did and he described it best, "It just doesn't seem real because it is THAT beautiful. It all seems made up." We all witnessed it for our own eyes and we fell in love with it too. We took so many photos but unfortunately our pictures don't convey the incredible beauty....Everyone must come here and see it!
After spending 3 days in Koh Phi Phi for Christy and Steve, 7 days for me, we started our island hopping tour of Thailand. Our next stop was Railay Beach. Railay Beach was another paradise. Railay was very nice because it was much smaller and more private. It was great to just relax and not deal with so many people everywhere. We spent 2 days here before we left for Koh Samui, an island on the east coast of Thailand. We've been here for 3 days now and we are loving every minute of it. I will write more about Koh Samui in my next blog. Right now, I want to write about my fellow traveling mates, Keith, Christy, and Steve.....
You always learn so much about someone when you are around them 24 x 7. I thought I really knew these guys because I spend a lot of time with them in Chicago. I am so comfortable with Keith, Steve, and Christy that I am completely fine just eating their leftovers off their plates. Just when I thought I really knew these guys, I was quickly reminded of new things I didn't know. The best part of a friendship is growing together and learning more about someone. I definitely have learned a lot of fun things about them these past few weeks.
KEITH aka The Gelmanator aka Button....The Gelmanator because Beaver named him this (I think). Button because my GFs from home used to call him Cute as a Button (which originated from Kate). Keith and I met through our mutual friend Dave 6 yrs ago and he was my first friend in Chicago. Keith and I couldn't be more opposite. We disagree on almost everything and the only thing we have in common is our love for clothes and Peking Gourmet. Oh, we are also from the DC Metro Area. Since we are complete opposites and we don't see eye to eye on things, I wasn't sure how everything would go on our trip together. We both wanted this trip to be great but we also had different agendas on our list. When push came to shove in Thailand, Keith was there for me when I needed him. He put aside his agenda and stepped it up for me on several occassions. Ex. He got rid of my Stage 5 Clinger...aka The Mayor. Keith could have been talking to plenty of single girls that were hanging onto him but he actually took care of my situation first before he went back to his girls. I didn't think he would but I was wrong. It's nice to be wrong sometimes.
CHRISTY aka Small Fry aka Vinny Chase....Small Fry because she's petite, under 100lbs, and in great shape. Vinny Chase because she is an actress and I'm waiting for her to make it big so that we can be a part of her Entourage. I didn't go to Cannes when I was in France a few months ago because I'm planning on going when Christy gets nominated for an award! Since Christy is petite, I told her it must be nice for her to wear a bikini any day of the year and KNOW that she'll look hot. She said that she does have issues because it is very hard to find a bikini that fits her well because she is so small. We decided to go shopping today to find her new bikinis because she usually has to order them online. When we were shopping, I couldn't help but notice the bikinis were so cute because they were so small and pretty. I felt like I was shopping for a doll. It was fun dressing up my doll Christy! Shopping with Christy made me see what she was talking about in regards to finding the right small size BUT I think the majority of us would be happy with that problem :)
STEVE aka Popper aka Stevie....Popper because his last name is Popp. Stevie knows me too well and truly gets me and my absentminded/neurotic tendencies. When he found out I was leaving for this trip, the first thing he said was, "Now Nancy, I'm going to need a copy of your passport before you leave because you know you might lose yours." I lose everything and Steve knows this and he is always one step behind me picking up anything I leave behind like my cell phone, wallet, purse, etc. We are basically like Hansel and Gretel since Hansel would pick up the bread crumbs that Gretel left behind. I thought I knew Steve pretty well but here's another little tidbit.....Steve sleeps with his clothes on. Not his PJs, but his clothes that he wears out at night. He says he only does this in the summer when he is wearing shorts. Ex. Since it's hotter than hell in Thailand we are obviously wearing summer clothes here. Steve went to bed wearing his cargo shorts, polo shirt, and his belt! When I woke up in the morning, I thought he just passed out that way so I didn't think anything of it. Well, I saw him do it again the next night so I asked him and he said, "Yeah Nance, I just sleep in my clothes." Interesting........
Keith, Christy, and Steve are also finding out about my quirks too....Even though Keith and I have probably shared over 100 meals in the last 6 years, he was amazed and shocked by how much I eat while we've been on the trip. He has been encouraging me to enter an Eating Contest. Steve and Christy have now witnessed my Early Morning routine when I get up and disappear for a few hours. My gal pals from DC know this about me all too well. The funny thing about my Early Morning routine is the different responses that I got from Keith, Christy, and Steve. Keith told me, "Don't wake me up when you leave. Just leave quietly." Christy and Steve told me, "Wake us before you leave. We want to go with you!" Thanks guys for a great time in Thailand! You guys brought Chicago with you and I'm looking forward to going back to Chicago soon!!!
After New Year's, Keith made his way back to Bangkok to fly back to Chicago. Steve, Christy, and I decided to take a boat ride to a few of the island's special hotspots....
Monkey Beach --- A beach with monkeys roaming around! We were able to feed the monkeys and take pictures with them. Lots of fun!
Snorkeling at Phi Phi Ley --- I went diving again in Phi Phi Don before Steve and Christy arrived so this time we all went snorkeling. We enjoyed checking out the bright corral and fish swimming around us. The best part of this trip was when Steve and Christy said they definitely want to try diving in the future because they wanted to get closer to the undwater life after their snorkeling experience. I can't wait for our diving trip soon! Sarah Starr and Jason Cohen....you better join us!
Maya Beach --- This is the famous beach where they filmed "The Beach". Keith checked out this beach a few days before we did and he described it best, "It just doesn't seem real because it is THAT beautiful. It all seems made up." We all witnessed it for our own eyes and we fell in love with it too. We took so many photos but unfortunately our pictures don't convey the incredible beauty....Everyone must come here and see it!
After spending 3 days in Koh Phi Phi for Christy and Steve, 7 days for me, we started our island hopping tour of Thailand. Our next stop was Railay Beach. Railay Beach was another paradise. Railay was very nice because it was much smaller and more private. It was great to just relax and not deal with so many people everywhere. We spent 2 days here before we left for Koh Samui, an island on the east coast of Thailand. We've been here for 3 days now and we are loving every minute of it. I will write more about Koh Samui in my next blog. Right now, I want to write about my fellow traveling mates, Keith, Christy, and Steve.....
You always learn so much about someone when you are around them 24 x 7. I thought I really knew these guys because I spend a lot of time with them in Chicago. I am so comfortable with Keith, Steve, and Christy that I am completely fine just eating their leftovers off their plates. Just when I thought I really knew these guys, I was quickly reminded of new things I didn't know. The best part of a friendship is growing together and learning more about someone. I definitely have learned a lot of fun things about them these past few weeks.
KEITH aka The Gelmanator aka Button....The Gelmanator because Beaver named him this (I think). Button because my GFs from home used to call him Cute as a Button (which originated from Kate). Keith and I met through our mutual friend Dave 6 yrs ago and he was my first friend in Chicago. Keith and I couldn't be more opposite. We disagree on almost everything and the only thing we have in common is our love for clothes and Peking Gourmet. Oh, we are also from the DC Metro Area. Since we are complete opposites and we don't see eye to eye on things, I wasn't sure how everything would go on our trip together. We both wanted this trip to be great but we also had different agendas on our list. When push came to shove in Thailand, Keith was there for me when I needed him. He put aside his agenda and stepped it up for me on several occassions. Ex. He got rid of my Stage 5 Clinger...aka The Mayor. Keith could have been talking to plenty of single girls that were hanging onto him but he actually took care of my situation first before he went back to his girls. I didn't think he would but I was wrong. It's nice to be wrong sometimes.
CHRISTY aka Small Fry aka Vinny Chase....Small Fry because she's petite, under 100lbs, and in great shape. Vinny Chase because she is an actress and I'm waiting for her to make it big so that we can be a part of her Entourage. I didn't go to Cannes when I was in France a few months ago because I'm planning on going when Christy gets nominated for an award! Since Christy is petite, I told her it must be nice for her to wear a bikini any day of the year and KNOW that she'll look hot. She said that she does have issues because it is very hard to find a bikini that fits her well because she is so small. We decided to go shopping today to find her new bikinis because she usually has to order them online. When we were shopping, I couldn't help but notice the bikinis were so cute because they were so small and pretty. I felt like I was shopping for a doll. It was fun dressing up my doll Christy! Shopping with Christy made me see what she was talking about in regards to finding the right small size BUT I think the majority of us would be happy with that problem :)
STEVE aka Popper aka Stevie....Popper because his last name is Popp. Stevie knows me too well and truly gets me and my absentminded/neurotic tendencies. When he found out I was leaving for this trip, the first thing he said was, "Now Nancy, I'm going to need a copy of your passport before you leave because you know you might lose yours." I lose everything and Steve knows this and he is always one step behind me picking up anything I leave behind like my cell phone, wallet, purse, etc. We are basically like Hansel and Gretel since Hansel would pick up the bread crumbs that Gretel left behind. I thought I knew Steve pretty well but here's another little tidbit.....Steve sleeps with his clothes on. Not his PJs, but his clothes that he wears out at night. He says he only does this in the summer when he is wearing shorts. Ex. Since it's hotter than hell in Thailand we are obviously wearing summer clothes here. Steve went to bed wearing his cargo shorts, polo shirt, and his belt! When I woke up in the morning, I thought he just passed out that way so I didn't think anything of it. Well, I saw him do it again the next night so I asked him and he said, "Yeah Nance, I just sleep in my clothes." Interesting........
Keith, Christy, and Steve are also finding out about my quirks too....Even though Keith and I have probably shared over 100 meals in the last 6 years, he was amazed and shocked by how much I eat while we've been on the trip. He has been encouraging me to enter an Eating Contest. Steve and Christy have now witnessed my Early Morning routine when I get up and disappear for a few hours. My gal pals from DC know this about me all too well. The funny thing about my Early Morning routine is the different responses that I got from Keith, Christy, and Steve. Keith told me, "Don't wake me up when you leave. Just leave quietly." Christy and Steve told me, "Wake us before you leave. We want to go with you!" Thanks guys for a great time in Thailand! You guys brought Chicago with you and I'm looking forward to going back to Chicago soon!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thailand Part 2: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Koh Phi Phi
I decided to spend the last month of my trip in Thailand because I wanted to enjoy the beautiful beaches before I went back to the cold weather in the U.S. My friend Keith from Chicago met me in Bangkok to spend 2 of my 4 remaining wks. This is what we have been up to these past 13 days....
Bangkok - Keith and I enjoyed the city life in Bangkok. Bangkok is like any other major city in the world: great nightlife, delicious food, high energy, tons of shopping, and lots of people. We went to a few bars and a club. When we were at the club we noticed so many older Western men with these young 20 yr old "girlfriends". It was so gross because these men could be my grandfather! Then it hit me that people thought I was Keith's "thai girlfriend". This has been assumed everywhere we go. We spent one night in Bangkok before we flew to Chiang Mai the next morning.
Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai is located north of Bangkok and it is known for its many temples and
and its beautiful natural surroundings. Keith and I are both beach people but our friend Jill told us that Chiang Mai was a MUST SEE in Thailand so we took her advice. Keith and I loved Chiang Mai because it had the great offerings of a city with a quaint small town feel. We spent 2 days in Chiang Mai before we went further north to a small village that was about an hour away.
We decided to do a 2 day hike to this village and stay overnight to really experience this village life. The hike was a lot of fun but definitely challenging because the path was steep and rocky, PLUS it was close to 100 degrees. When we reached the top we landed at our destination: a small village with a bunch of huts and dirt roads. These huts were the size of a typical condo in Chicago or DC. They all had roofs made of straw and the huts didn't have any windows or doors so you can see right through them. Keith and I stayed in one of the huts that was organized through our tour group. Our group consisted of 10 people and we all slept in one room on top of a thin mat. Our shower was just a hose w/cold water. There was no electricty in these huts so they had to cook our food over a fire and use flashlights to walk around. There was obviously no plumbing either so no toilets. Instead, just a hole in the ground. We were definitely roughing it in this village. After dinner, we walked outside and looked up in the sky to see so many bright stars shining since we were so far away from the city lights. It was definitely breathtaking!
We only spent one night here but it was definitely an experience I will never forget. Before we had dinner in our hut, Keith and I walked around to check out the area. As I mentioned earlier, there are no sidewalks or grass. The ground is just plain brown dirt everywhere. There are families that live in these huts with their little children. Keith and I saw several kids and adults kicking a ball around in the dirt. There was no goal to kick the ball into. They were just kicking the ball to each other. I'll never forget the smiles on the faces of these kids and adults. They seem to be having the time of their lives laughing and enjoying this game of kicking the ball. At that moment I wondererd if there was anything in this world that could make them happier than that moment of kicking the ball? I couldn't ask them because they didn't speak English. This scene really opened my eyes because these people only have the clothes on their backs and that's pretty much it. I didn't see any funiture or any appliances/electronics in their see-through huts yet they seem to be extremely happy and fulfilled. This image has been on my mind since we left the village.
After our time in the village, we started our hike down and went to an elephant camp. Once we arrived at the camp, we took an elephant ride through the forest. It was fun for the first 15 mins and then Keith and I got bored since it went on for about an hour! After our hike and time in the village, we spent one more night in Chiang Mai before we went to southern Thailand for BEACH TIME!!!!
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in Phuket which is Thailand's largest island. We both heard great things about Phuket so we were excited to spend time here. Phuket is definitely NOT a hidden secret because it felt like everyone in the world was there. Phuket is a beautiful island but it's extremely touristy and very commercialized. You don't feel like you're in a foreign country...instead you feel like you're in L.A. (not that L.A. is a bad thing).
After two days in Phuket, we took the ferry over to Koh Phi Phi island to spend the next 4 days. Once we arrived in Koh Phi Phi, we absolutely loved it! Even though it is a much smaller island, there is plenty to do and everyone on this island seeemed like a bunch of young professionals so you don't run into many riff raff characters. This island is filled with many tourists from Sweden. We quickly learned that this is the #1 Vacation spot for Sweden. Keith and I weren't complaining because the Swedish men and women are gorgeous....all tall, blonde, bright blue eyes, great bodies, etc....now I can see how Tiger Woods' wife fits in to Sweden. The beaches in Koh Phi Phi are very beautiful and more relaxing because it's not as crowded as Phuket. The nightlife in Koh Phi Phi reminds me and Keith of Chicago in the SUMMER! Anyone who has been to Chicago in the summer knows that there is no better place in the world than Chi-town during the months of May through Sept. Koh Phi Phi is this way but all year round....now you can see why we love it so much! Aside from laying out everyday, I went diving again and enjoyed the underwater life. I wish fish could talk because I wonder what they think of us when we hover over them.
Originally, Keith and I were planning on going back to Phuket for New Year's because Steve and Christy were flying into Phuket on Dec 30th. We have now changed our plans and we are all spending New Year's in Koh Phi Phi. I can't think of a better place to ring in 2009! Christy and Steve arrived early this morning and we are having a great time! Today was his birthday....Happy Birthday Steve!!!! Happy New Year everyone!!!!
Bangkok - Keith and I enjoyed the city life in Bangkok. Bangkok is like any other major city in the world: great nightlife, delicious food, high energy, tons of shopping, and lots of people. We went to a few bars and a club. When we were at the club we noticed so many older Western men with these young 20 yr old "girlfriends". It was so gross because these men could be my grandfather! Then it hit me that people thought I was Keith's "thai girlfriend". This has been assumed everywhere we go. We spent one night in Bangkok before we flew to Chiang Mai the next morning.
Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai is located north of Bangkok and it is known for its many temples and
and its beautiful natural surroundings. Keith and I are both beach people but our friend Jill told us that Chiang Mai was a MUST SEE in Thailand so we took her advice. Keith and I loved Chiang Mai because it had the great offerings of a city with a quaint small town feel. We spent 2 days in Chiang Mai before we went further north to a small village that was about an hour away.
We decided to do a 2 day hike to this village and stay overnight to really experience this village life. The hike was a lot of fun but definitely challenging because the path was steep and rocky, PLUS it was close to 100 degrees. When we reached the top we landed at our destination: a small village with a bunch of huts and dirt roads. These huts were the size of a typical condo in Chicago or DC. They all had roofs made of straw and the huts didn't have any windows or doors so you can see right through them. Keith and I stayed in one of the huts that was organized through our tour group. Our group consisted of 10 people and we all slept in one room on top of a thin mat. Our shower was just a hose w/cold water. There was no electricty in these huts so they had to cook our food over a fire and use flashlights to walk around. There was obviously no plumbing either so no toilets. Instead, just a hole in the ground. We were definitely roughing it in this village. After dinner, we walked outside and looked up in the sky to see so many bright stars shining since we were so far away from the city lights. It was definitely breathtaking!
We only spent one night here but it was definitely an experience I will never forget. Before we had dinner in our hut, Keith and I walked around to check out the area. As I mentioned earlier, there are no sidewalks or grass. The ground is just plain brown dirt everywhere. There are families that live in these huts with their little children. Keith and I saw several kids and adults kicking a ball around in the dirt. There was no goal to kick the ball into. They were just kicking the ball to each other. I'll never forget the smiles on the faces of these kids and adults. They seem to be having the time of their lives laughing and enjoying this game of kicking the ball. At that moment I wondererd if there was anything in this world that could make them happier than that moment of kicking the ball? I couldn't ask them because they didn't speak English. This scene really opened my eyes because these people only have the clothes on their backs and that's pretty much it. I didn't see any funiture or any appliances/electronics in their see-through huts yet they seem to be extremely happy and fulfilled. This image has been on my mind since we left the village.
After our time in the village, we started our hike down and went to an elephant camp. Once we arrived at the camp, we took an elephant ride through the forest. It was fun for the first 15 mins and then Keith and I got bored since it went on for about an hour! After our hike and time in the village, we spent one more night in Chiang Mai before we went to southern Thailand for BEACH TIME!!!!
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in Phuket which is Thailand's largest island. We both heard great things about Phuket so we were excited to spend time here. Phuket is definitely NOT a hidden secret because it felt like everyone in the world was there. Phuket is a beautiful island but it's extremely touristy and very commercialized. You don't feel like you're in a foreign country...instead you feel like you're in L.A. (not that L.A. is a bad thing).
After two days in Phuket, we took the ferry over to Koh Phi Phi island to spend the next 4 days. Once we arrived in Koh Phi Phi, we absolutely loved it! Even though it is a much smaller island, there is plenty to do and everyone on this island seeemed like a bunch of young professionals so you don't run into many riff raff characters. This island is filled with many tourists from Sweden. We quickly learned that this is the #1 Vacation spot for Sweden. Keith and I weren't complaining because the Swedish men and women are gorgeous....all tall, blonde, bright blue eyes, great bodies, etc....now I can see how Tiger Woods' wife fits in to Sweden. The beaches in Koh Phi Phi are very beautiful and more relaxing because it's not as crowded as Phuket. The nightlife in Koh Phi Phi reminds me and Keith of Chicago in the SUMMER! Anyone who has been to Chicago in the summer knows that there is no better place in the world than Chi-town during the months of May through Sept. Koh Phi Phi is this way but all year round....now you can see why we love it so much! Aside from laying out everyday, I went diving again and enjoyed the underwater life. I wish fish could talk because I wonder what they think of us when we hover over them.
Originally, Keith and I were planning on going back to Phuket for New Year's because Steve and Christy were flying into Phuket on Dec 30th. We have now changed our plans and we are all spending New Year's in Koh Phi Phi. I can't think of a better place to ring in 2009! Christy and Steve arrived early this morning and we are having a great time! Today was his birthday....Happy Birthday Steve!!!! Happy New Year everyone!!!!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Saigon
After my time in Hanoi and Halong Bay, I worked my way down to the center of Vietnam and went to Hoi An, Nha Trang, and now I'm in Saigon. The train ride to Hoi An was beautiful because you get to see the coastline of Vietnam. Prior to arriving in Vietnam, I knew that Vietnam was in Asia and that was about it. I had no idea Vietnam was situated on the coast and their coastline is longer than the coast line of California. It was definitely a beautiful sight!
Hoi An is a very quaint town known for having the best tailors in Vietnam. There are close to 500 tailors in Hoi An. Hoi An is the size of Lincoln Park in Chicago so that is a lot of Tailors in one area! Since these tailors mostly cater to tourists, their turnaround time is very quick....24 hours or less. I ended up getting 6 dresses made and they were all done in 8 hours. Amazing! The customer service in Asia is top notch too. The business owners and anyone in the service related industry will go above and beyond for your business. I told the tailor that my flight was leaving at 9 am the next day for Nha Trang so I wasn't sure if that would leave her enough time to make the dresses because I was in her store at 6:30 pm (15 hrs before flight). She told me she would be finished by 11:30 pm and she will bring the dresses to my hotel. Sure enough, 5 hours later she showed up with my dresses and had me try them on. She needed to go back to her shop for final adjusments and left them with the hotel receptionist when she was done. Aside from enjoying the tailors in the area, I really loved the nice small town feel of Hoi An. My time there was very relaxing and a great place to wander around and check out cafes and restaurants.
After 3 days in Hoi An, I made my way further south to Nha Trang. The guide books mentioned that Nha Trang has the best beach town in Vietnam and they were certainly right! It was so great to just lay out at the beach and catch up on books and write in my journal. I experienced a major FIRST when I was in Nha Trang. For the first time in my life, I actually just layed out at the beach ALL DAY LONG for four days. Usually when I'm at a beach or by the pool, I get restless after an hour so I go for walks or go shopping. NOT THIS TIME. During my 4 days in Nha Trang I loved just laying around and enjoyed the down time. WELL, I should be more specific about the down time....the down time consisted of massages, manicures, pedicures, fresh fruit, and reading and writing in my journal. Back to the customer service...it's seriously top notch. I just had to lay there and they would come around and do everything for me. The prices are even more unbelievable. In both Thailand and Vietnam, things are extremely cheap. DIRT CHEAP. Massages are about $10 - $15 for an entire hour. Mani/Pedi is about $12 TOTAL FOR BOTH. I gave my masseuse a $15 tip because she was really good and she insisted on giving me a mani/pedi for free. I told her I didn't need one because I already had a mani/pedi the day before but she wanted to change the color for me because of the tip that I gave her. Once again, this is a perfect example of how generous and kind the Vietnamese and Thai people are. They really don't have much but they are still very giving. I'll never forget what a Thai woman said to me after I went in for a wax (which was $35/for basically everything from head to toe including a 20% tip). I told her how expensive waxing was back in the U.S. and she asked, "WHY SO EXPENSIVE? WAXING YOU HAVE TO DO. NO CHOICE." I love it. Why should necessities cost so much???
I spent my time in Nha Trang with Corrine and Stephane. Corrine and I met at a restaurant by the beach. She was sitting at the table next to me and we just started talking and realized we had a lot in common. Corrine is from Switzerland and she is taking 6 weeks off to travel in Vietnam and Thailand. She is planning to meet up with me, Christy, and Steve in Thailand. She is going to Koh Tao to get her diving license before she meets up with us. I told her to go to Jesper of course. Stephane and I met each other in Bangkok and he and I both went to Koh Tao together to get our diving license. After Koh Tao we went our separate ways...He went to Laos and I came to Vietnam. We finally met up in Nha Trang so it was great to see him again. He may also be meeting up with me, Christy, and Steve for the Full Moon party in Thailand.
Spending this much time in Asia has been very interesting. When I was in Hong Kong people thought I was chinese. When I was inThailand people thought I was Thai. Now I'm in Vietnam and people think I'm Vietnamese. When I say I'm none of these they ask if I'm Mexican or from Spain. I think I get Mexican a lot because I'm dark right now and most Asians don't prefer to be tan. They love the porcelain pale look. I went to buy moisturizer for my face today and everything is "Whitening Formula" or "Best Whitening Moiosturizer". No sunless tanning moisturizers in this neck of the woods.
Aside from being seen as a Mexican, I have unfortunately been viewed as a prostitute in two different occassions. Once in Thailand and once in Vietnam.
Thailand: I was hanging out with this guy Ely (from Canada, traveling to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) at a bar in Bangkok. He told me he read this book about a prison in Bangkok and I remembered Jason telling me about this book so I told him that I wanted to read it. He said he was finished with it so I could go back to his hotel with him and he would get me the book. I waited for him in the lobby of the hotel when he went to get the book. As I was waiting, I noticed a sign in the lobby that said, "THAI FRIENDS WELCOME. 300 BAHT PLEASE". I read the sign and thought, "Oh how nice. They really want the guests to have a true Thai experience so the hotel is encouraging the natives of Thailand to hang out at the hotel so the guests can really immerse. That's nice the hotel will pay the natives 300 baht to hang out at the hotel." 300 baht is about $9. When Ely came back with the book, the hotel receptionist tells him that he can bring his Thai friend (ME) upstairs for 300 baht. I told the receptionist, "Oh it's okay. I'm korean but thank you." Ely takes me outside and starts cracking up. He says that Thai Friends are prostitutes and the guests that bring one of these friends up to their rooms have to pay 300 baht.
Vietnam: On my first day at Nha Trang Beach, I was talking to this British guy James who was in the lounge chair next to me. We pretty much spent the first half of the day talking together and we had lunch too before he had to leave for the airport. After lunch, I came back to my seat and this guy named Guy comes over and sits in James's chair next to me. Guy is pretty attractive and he is probably in his late 30s. He seems pretty nice and we're having a good time. Guy says he is a recruiter from Denmark so I tell him about me and my job before I came on this trip. Guy asked me to dinner and during dinner he basically comes out and tells me that he is recruiter for entertainers. I still don't get it. I respond with, "WOW, that's great. I'm sure your job must be so fun and interesting. I bet a lot of people envy your job." He tells me more about it and it turns out he is a glorified Pimp and he was trying to get me to work for him and pimp me out. I told him that I wasn't interested obviously and asked him what gave him that idea. He responded with, "You're the only Asian girl hanging out at Nha Trang beach with a bunch of Europeans and Australians. Generally, the Asian girls in this type of setting are prostitutes and I thought you marketed yourself on the Internet when you told me you did Internet advertising." We both got a pretty good laugh out of it and then he had to leave after dinner to go "recruiting".
Both instances were harmless so I can laugh about it now. I arrived in Saigon early this morning and I will be here until Friday. On Friday I will fly back to Thailand and spend the last 4 weeks of my trip there. Keith will be waiting for me when I get to Bangkok on Friday and Christy & Steve will be joining us on Dec. 30. As for my Vietnam bike ride?!?!??! I was originally supposed to get to Vietnam on Dec 2 and my bike ride was suppossed to start on Dec 3. As most of the world knows, the Bangkok Airport was shut down for a week due to protestors so I was unable to leave for Vietnam until Dec 4. I missed the bike ride but I had the option to do a 2 day bike ride in Saigon. I had every intention of doing it but I kept on extending my stay in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, and Nha Trang by an extra day at each location because I really liked the cities. Now, it just left me with 3 days in Saigon so the bike ride was not possible. I was really looking forward to it but I'm glad that I was able to be flexible with my stay in the other cities. I definitely plan on doing the bike ride in the future. My 2 weeks in Vietnam have been amazing and I definitely plan to come back here again to do the bike ride and explore other parts of Vietnam. For the rest of my time in Saigon, I'm going to enjoy this busy city and also check out an orphanage. Let's hope no one there thinks I'm a "Thai Friend".
Hoi An is a very quaint town known for having the best tailors in Vietnam. There are close to 500 tailors in Hoi An. Hoi An is the size of Lincoln Park in Chicago so that is a lot of Tailors in one area! Since these tailors mostly cater to tourists, their turnaround time is very quick....24 hours or less. I ended up getting 6 dresses made and they were all done in 8 hours. Amazing! The customer service in Asia is top notch too. The business owners and anyone in the service related industry will go above and beyond for your business. I told the tailor that my flight was leaving at 9 am the next day for Nha Trang so I wasn't sure if that would leave her enough time to make the dresses because I was in her store at 6:30 pm (15 hrs before flight). She told me she would be finished by 11:30 pm and she will bring the dresses to my hotel. Sure enough, 5 hours later she showed up with my dresses and had me try them on. She needed to go back to her shop for final adjusments and left them with the hotel receptionist when she was done. Aside from enjoying the tailors in the area, I really loved the nice small town feel of Hoi An. My time there was very relaxing and a great place to wander around and check out cafes and restaurants.
After 3 days in Hoi An, I made my way further south to Nha Trang. The guide books mentioned that Nha Trang has the best beach town in Vietnam and they were certainly right! It was so great to just lay out at the beach and catch up on books and write in my journal. I experienced a major FIRST when I was in Nha Trang. For the first time in my life, I actually just layed out at the beach ALL DAY LONG for four days. Usually when I'm at a beach or by the pool, I get restless after an hour so I go for walks or go shopping. NOT THIS TIME. During my 4 days in Nha Trang I loved just laying around and enjoyed the down time. WELL, I should be more specific about the down time....the down time consisted of massages, manicures, pedicures, fresh fruit, and reading and writing in my journal. Back to the customer service...it's seriously top notch. I just had to lay there and they would come around and do everything for me. The prices are even more unbelievable. In both Thailand and Vietnam, things are extremely cheap. DIRT CHEAP. Massages are about $10 - $15 for an entire hour. Mani/Pedi is about $12 TOTAL FOR BOTH. I gave my masseuse a $15 tip because she was really good and she insisted on giving me a mani/pedi for free. I told her I didn't need one because I already had a mani/pedi the day before but she wanted to change the color for me because of the tip that I gave her. Once again, this is a perfect example of how generous and kind the Vietnamese and Thai people are. They really don't have much but they are still very giving. I'll never forget what a Thai woman said to me after I went in for a wax (which was $35/for basically everything from head to toe including a 20% tip). I told her how expensive waxing was back in the U.S. and she asked, "WHY SO EXPENSIVE? WAXING YOU HAVE TO DO. NO CHOICE." I love it. Why should necessities cost so much???
I spent my time in Nha Trang with Corrine and Stephane. Corrine and I met at a restaurant by the beach. She was sitting at the table next to me and we just started talking and realized we had a lot in common. Corrine is from Switzerland and she is taking 6 weeks off to travel in Vietnam and Thailand. She is planning to meet up with me, Christy, and Steve in Thailand. She is going to Koh Tao to get her diving license before she meets up with us. I told her to go to Jesper of course. Stephane and I met each other in Bangkok and he and I both went to Koh Tao together to get our diving license. After Koh Tao we went our separate ways...He went to Laos and I came to Vietnam. We finally met up in Nha Trang so it was great to see him again. He may also be meeting up with me, Christy, and Steve for the Full Moon party in Thailand.
Spending this much time in Asia has been very interesting. When I was in Hong Kong people thought I was chinese. When I was inThailand people thought I was Thai. Now I'm in Vietnam and people think I'm Vietnamese. When I say I'm none of these they ask if I'm Mexican or from Spain. I think I get Mexican a lot because I'm dark right now and most Asians don't prefer to be tan. They love the porcelain pale look. I went to buy moisturizer for my face today and everything is "Whitening Formula" or "Best Whitening Moiosturizer". No sunless tanning moisturizers in this neck of the woods.
Aside from being seen as a Mexican, I have unfortunately been viewed as a prostitute in two different occassions. Once in Thailand and once in Vietnam.
Thailand: I was hanging out with this guy Ely (from Canada, traveling to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) at a bar in Bangkok. He told me he read this book about a prison in Bangkok and I remembered Jason telling me about this book so I told him that I wanted to read it. He said he was finished with it so I could go back to his hotel with him and he would get me the book. I waited for him in the lobby of the hotel when he went to get the book. As I was waiting, I noticed a sign in the lobby that said, "THAI FRIENDS WELCOME. 300 BAHT PLEASE". I read the sign and thought, "Oh how nice. They really want the guests to have a true Thai experience so the hotel is encouraging the natives of Thailand to hang out at the hotel so the guests can really immerse. That's nice the hotel will pay the natives 300 baht to hang out at the hotel." 300 baht is about $9. When Ely came back with the book, the hotel receptionist tells him that he can bring his Thai friend (ME) upstairs for 300 baht. I told the receptionist, "Oh it's okay. I'm korean but thank you." Ely takes me outside and starts cracking up. He says that Thai Friends are prostitutes and the guests that bring one of these friends up to their rooms have to pay 300 baht.
Vietnam: On my first day at Nha Trang Beach, I was talking to this British guy James who was in the lounge chair next to me. We pretty much spent the first half of the day talking together and we had lunch too before he had to leave for the airport. After lunch, I came back to my seat and this guy named Guy comes over and sits in James's chair next to me. Guy is pretty attractive and he is probably in his late 30s. He seems pretty nice and we're having a good time. Guy says he is a recruiter from Denmark so I tell him about me and my job before I came on this trip. Guy asked me to dinner and during dinner he basically comes out and tells me that he is recruiter for entertainers. I still don't get it. I respond with, "WOW, that's great. I'm sure your job must be so fun and interesting. I bet a lot of people envy your job." He tells me more about it and it turns out he is a glorified Pimp and he was trying to get me to work for him and pimp me out. I told him that I wasn't interested obviously and asked him what gave him that idea. He responded with, "You're the only Asian girl hanging out at Nha Trang beach with a bunch of Europeans and Australians. Generally, the Asian girls in this type of setting are prostitutes and I thought you marketed yourself on the Internet when you told me you did Internet advertising." We both got a pretty good laugh out of it and then he had to leave after dinner to go "recruiting".
Both instances were harmless so I can laugh about it now. I arrived in Saigon early this morning and I will be here until Friday. On Friday I will fly back to Thailand and spend the last 4 weeks of my trip there. Keith will be waiting for me when I get to Bangkok on Friday and Christy & Steve will be joining us on Dec. 30. As for my Vietnam bike ride?!?!??! I was originally supposed to get to Vietnam on Dec 2 and my bike ride was suppossed to start on Dec 3. As most of the world knows, the Bangkok Airport was shut down for a week due to protestors so I was unable to leave for Vietnam until Dec 4. I missed the bike ride but I had the option to do a 2 day bike ride in Saigon. I had every intention of doing it but I kept on extending my stay in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, and Nha Trang by an extra day at each location because I really liked the cities. Now, it just left me with 3 days in Saigon so the bike ride was not possible. I was really looking forward to it but I'm glad that I was able to be flexible with my stay in the other cities. I definitely plan on doing the bike ride in the future. My 2 weeks in Vietnam have been amazing and I definitely plan to come back here again to do the bike ride and explore other parts of Vietnam. For the rest of my time in Saigon, I'm going to enjoy this busy city and also check out an orphanage. Let's hope no one there thinks I'm a "Thai Friend".
Friday, December 12, 2008
Hanoi and Halong Bay
I spent my first week of Vietnam in Hanoi and Halong Bay. Prior to arriving in Hanoi, I was advised by Mai (a native of Vietnam who has been living in Japan for the last 10 yrs...we met in Venice) "Beware of the traffic." I thanked Mai for the advice but I started to wonder why I would need to be warned of traffic. After all, every U.S. metro area has REALLY bad traffic. I'm sure I can handle this. Besides, I'm not driving anywhere so traffic won't be an issue for me. When I landed in Hanoi, I quickly realized what type of traffic she was referring to: The Motorbike Traffic aka the Scooters running through town. These scooters are EVERYWHERE. I'm guessing that there are 50 scooters to every 1 car. Once I saw all these scooters zip by everywhere in Hanoi, I began to realize that I did indeed need to BEWARE OF THE TRAFFIC.
Crossing the street in Hanoi is not an easy task since you generally have HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of scooters buzzing by. There are traffic lights at certain intersections but not for the majority of intersections. I made the mistake of running across the street the first time and tried to dodge the the scooters as they were all heading towards me....BIG MISTAKE. I almost caused a few accidents because I was jumping in front of scooters so fast they didn't see me coming out of nowhere. A really nice Vietnamese man on the other side of the street saw this happen and he advised me that the safest way is to walk at a normal pace and just look straight ahead of you. He told me not to look at the scooters heading my way and just walk straight ahead and I will be fine. He also told me if I followed his instructions, I could even walk with a blindfold and I wouldn't have any problems because these motorist know what they are doing. He was right. I didn't do the blindfold test but I got the hang of it and I found it fun crossing the street.
Once I got the street crossing part down, I started to explore Hanoi. I enjoyed Hanoi very much because it is a very quaint and warm city. I loved the nice lakes and parks around the city and I also loved seeing the contrast in areas where you could see the French influence. I also did the toursity things like checking out the Ho Chih Minh museum, the Ho Chih Minh masoleum, and the Presidential Palace. Hanoi has such an interesting history with not just the Vietnam War but their deep past under China and France. Again, another list of things for me to read further when I get back.
After 4 days in Hanoi, I went up north to Halong Bay for 3 days. Halong Bay is one of the most breathtaking places that I've ever seen. It definitely rivals the Greek Islands. Halong Bay is one of the contendors of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and it was also the setting for James Bonds' film Tomorrow Never Dies. Halong Bay consists of almost 2000 islands all lined up along the northeastern part of Vietnam. Our group took a boat cruise through the area for 3 days so we were able to hike through a few of the islands, visit a remote village, and explore through a cave. (I will post all pics when I get back to the U.S.)
During the time that we were at Halong Bay, we also spent a few hours kayaking. Out of our group of 10, there were 2 kids (brother and sister from Australia). Indy, the 6 yrs old girl, insisted on kayaking with me. I felt like throwing up because I've never kayaked before and now I was responsible for this little girl. If I knew how to kayak, I would have been gung ho about this but I was completely clueless. I told Dee and Andrew (Indy's parents) that I didn't know what I was doing but they were totally fine with it. They said Indy was a good swimmer so it won't be a problem. Indy and I got into the kayak and wait for the others to get in their kayaks. Our guide is in his own kayak and he leads us down the bay. Well, Indy and I have problems because I steered us in the wrong direction and now we are about 200 yards away from everyone else. We are trying our best to turn the kayak around and it's not moving the way we want it to. Instead we keep on moving futher and further away and now we're about 500 yards away and our group looks smaller and smaller in the distance. Indy get feisty and says, "I'm going to jump in the water and turn this kayak around for us." I told her not to. She then gets feistier and says, "NANCY, WE NEED TO TURN THIS AROUND. DON'T WORRY I'LL JUMP IN THE WATER AND TURN IT FOR US." I'm now in disbelief. I'm thinking to myself, "This 6 year old is about to save the day." I couldn't let this happen. I did not want to jump in the water but I had no choice. What would her parents think if a 30 year old just sat in the kayak and let this kid fix the problem? I jumped in the water and started turning the kayak around when our guide showed up minutes later and tied our kayaks together so that we could be rejoined with our group. Once our kayaks were joined together, I realized kayaking was fun...I just had to sit there and enjoy the scenery.
The kayaking story is not over....after kayaking for 2 hours, we were now back at the dock to return our kayaks. Indy gets out of the kayak first and then it was my turn. As I put one foot on the dock, the other foot is in the kayak and the kayak starts drifting away. I tried my best to put pressure on my foot so that the kayak comes back towards the dock but it was not happening. Half my weight is on the dock and the other half is in the kayak. You can guess what happened next....the kayak drifted away and I fell into the water because I couldn't get my other foot the dock. Our guide hurries over to grab the kayak and then he gets me. I seriously felt like Jack Tripper. This is something that would have happened to him if he went camping with Janet and Chrissy.
After two cities in Vietnam, I can honestly say that I really love this place. It is definitely near the top of my list of favorite cities and countires. Not only is this country beautiful, the Vietnamese people are wonderful. They are so warm and genuine. Even though the majority of these people do not have a lot of money, they still manage to be giving and generous. A good example was when I was in Hanoi, I was craving a snack (Big Schocker) and I saw this street vendor selling baguettes (French influence). The sign said 5000 VD which is about 30 cents. I gave him my 5000 VD, grabbed my baguette, and walked away. About 20 feet away, I saw the baguette vendor running towards me with a baguette. I immediately freaked out thinking that I must not have given him enough money and now he is chasing after me. I looked around me and all these people are staring at me so it looks I stole the 30 cent baguette. When the vendor catches up to me he tells me in broken english that the 5000 VD is for two baguettes. I told him it was no big deal and I'll just take one (I know I could eat two but why go there). He insisted on giving me the other one and I told him that he could have it. He smiled and we said goodbye. TWO DAYS LATER I'm walking down the same street and this guy sees me again. He remembers me and insists on giving me the baguette. I told him I would give him 5000 VD again for the baguette but he would not accept. We go back and forth, over and over again, and finally HE WON unfortunately.
Crossing the street in Hanoi is not an easy task since you generally have HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of scooters buzzing by. There are traffic lights at certain intersections but not for the majority of intersections. I made the mistake of running across the street the first time and tried to dodge the the scooters as they were all heading towards me....BIG MISTAKE. I almost caused a few accidents because I was jumping in front of scooters so fast they didn't see me coming out of nowhere. A really nice Vietnamese man on the other side of the street saw this happen and he advised me that the safest way is to walk at a normal pace and just look straight ahead of you. He told me not to look at the scooters heading my way and just walk straight ahead and I will be fine. He also told me if I followed his instructions, I could even walk with a blindfold and I wouldn't have any problems because these motorist know what they are doing. He was right. I didn't do the blindfold test but I got the hang of it and I found it fun crossing the street.
Once I got the street crossing part down, I started to explore Hanoi. I enjoyed Hanoi very much because it is a very quaint and warm city. I loved the nice lakes and parks around the city and I also loved seeing the contrast in areas where you could see the French influence. I also did the toursity things like checking out the Ho Chih Minh museum, the Ho Chih Minh masoleum, and the Presidential Palace. Hanoi has such an interesting history with not just the Vietnam War but their deep past under China and France. Again, another list of things for me to read further when I get back.
After 4 days in Hanoi, I went up north to Halong Bay for 3 days. Halong Bay is one of the most breathtaking places that I've ever seen. It definitely rivals the Greek Islands. Halong Bay is one of the contendors of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and it was also the setting for James Bonds' film Tomorrow Never Dies. Halong Bay consists of almost 2000 islands all lined up along the northeastern part of Vietnam. Our group took a boat cruise through the area for 3 days so we were able to hike through a few of the islands, visit a remote village, and explore through a cave. (I will post all pics when I get back to the U.S.)
During the time that we were at Halong Bay, we also spent a few hours kayaking. Out of our group of 10, there were 2 kids (brother and sister from Australia). Indy, the 6 yrs old girl, insisted on kayaking with me. I felt like throwing up because I've never kayaked before and now I was responsible for this little girl. If I knew how to kayak, I would have been gung ho about this but I was completely clueless. I told Dee and Andrew (Indy's parents) that I didn't know what I was doing but they were totally fine with it. They said Indy was a good swimmer so it won't be a problem. Indy and I got into the kayak and wait for the others to get in their kayaks. Our guide is in his own kayak and he leads us down the bay. Well, Indy and I have problems because I steered us in the wrong direction and now we are about 200 yards away from everyone else. We are trying our best to turn the kayak around and it's not moving the way we want it to. Instead we keep on moving futher and further away and now we're about 500 yards away and our group looks smaller and smaller in the distance. Indy get feisty and says, "I'm going to jump in the water and turn this kayak around for us." I told her not to. She then gets feistier and says, "NANCY, WE NEED TO TURN THIS AROUND. DON'T WORRY I'LL JUMP IN THE WATER AND TURN IT FOR US." I'm now in disbelief. I'm thinking to myself, "This 6 year old is about to save the day." I couldn't let this happen. I did not want to jump in the water but I had no choice. What would her parents think if a 30 year old just sat in the kayak and let this kid fix the problem? I jumped in the water and started turning the kayak around when our guide showed up minutes later and tied our kayaks together so that we could be rejoined with our group. Once our kayaks were joined together, I realized kayaking was fun...I just had to sit there and enjoy the scenery.
The kayaking story is not over....after kayaking for 2 hours, we were now back at the dock to return our kayaks. Indy gets out of the kayak first and then it was my turn. As I put one foot on the dock, the other foot is in the kayak and the kayak starts drifting away. I tried my best to put pressure on my foot so that the kayak comes back towards the dock but it was not happening. Half my weight is on the dock and the other half is in the kayak. You can guess what happened next....the kayak drifted away and I fell into the water because I couldn't get my other foot the dock. Our guide hurries over to grab the kayak and then he gets me. I seriously felt like Jack Tripper. This is something that would have happened to him if he went camping with Janet and Chrissy.
After two cities in Vietnam, I can honestly say that I really love this place. It is definitely near the top of my list of favorite cities and countires. Not only is this country beautiful, the Vietnamese people are wonderful. They are so warm and genuine. Even though the majority of these people do not have a lot of money, they still manage to be giving and generous. A good example was when I was in Hanoi, I was craving a snack (Big Schocker) and I saw this street vendor selling baguettes (French influence). The sign said 5000 VD which is about 30 cents. I gave him my 5000 VD, grabbed my baguette, and walked away. About 20 feet away, I saw the baguette vendor running towards me with a baguette. I immediately freaked out thinking that I must not have given him enough money and now he is chasing after me. I looked around me and all these people are staring at me so it looks I stole the 30 cent baguette. When the vendor catches up to me he tells me in broken english that the 5000 VD is for two baguettes. I told him it was no big deal and I'll just take one (I know I could eat two but why go there). He insisted on giving me the other one and I told him that he could have it. He smiled and we said goodbye. TWO DAYS LATER I'm walking down the same street and this guy sees me again. He remembers me and insists on giving me the baguette. I told him I would give him 5000 VD again for the baguette but he would not accept. We go back and forth, over and over again, and finally HE WON unfortunately.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
More Incredible People!
I've been in Hanoi and Halong Bay these past 6 days and I cannot say enough great things about Vietnam! I absolutey love this place and it is quickly rising to the top of my favorite places in the world. I plan to write more about Vietnam in my next few blogs but I want to catch up on a few incredible people that I have met in the last 10 days....
After Koh Tao, I went back to Bangkok for 4 days before I left for Vietnam. I met this woman named Gay who was staying in the same place as me. Gay is 82 years old from Minnesota but she has spent the last 60 years of her life in Hawaii. Gay was in Bangkok for a few days and was set to leave for Butan after Bangkok. This woman is amazing. She has traveled around the world for over 60 years. Gay does not look 82 nor does she live the life of a typical 82 year old. She has so much energy and she is ready to take on any adventure. Gay said something to me that struck a chord...."You are never running out of time. Don't ever feel like you are." A perfect example would be the fact that she went to law school when she was in her mid 40s. After she got divorced she decided to go to law school and graduated when she was 45. After a successful career as an attorney, she was apointed to be a judge in Hawaii and that was the last position she held before retiring. Gay was really cute and said that she could officiate wedding ceremonies so I should consider getting married in Hawaii so she could do the ceremony. Then she said, "You better get married in the next 10 years because I may not be around after that." It made me sad to hear her say this : (
After Bangkok, I left for Hanoi and spent a few days there (I will write about Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam in a separate blog.) before leaving for Halong Bay. My Halong Bay trip consisted of me and 9 others: 6 Australians, 1 German, 1 Irish, and 1 English. We all have diverse backgrounds and we are all different age groups. We have really enjoyed experiening Vietnam together as well as getting to know each other. Here are a few more incredible people....
The Willoughbys --- This is a family of 4 from Australia. The parents are Dee and Andrew and they have 2 kids (Indiana 6 yrs old, Levi 5 yrs old). They are all traveling together through Vietnam for five weeks since the kids have a 6 week summer break. They also went to Bali in July for 3 weeks during their winter break. I admire these parents for continuing to live out their passion for traveling after they have had kids. They definitely don't let it slow them down. They are eager to bring their kids to new places so that they can learn more about different cultures and different people. I will write more about their kids in my next blog. They are hilarious and extremely bright! Dee and Andrew definitely love a great adventure....a few years ago, they bought a school bus and remodeled it into a home with state of the art appliances and furniture. This family lived on this bus for a little over a year because they figured they didn't need too much space since the kids were really little then. Now that the kids are bigger, they live in a 4 bedroom house.
Eileen from Ireland --- Eileen was a banker for Morgan Stanely in the London office before she was laid off in June. During this time she was fixated on the U.S. election and wanted to contribute to Obama's campaign. She quickly discovered that you have to a U.S. citizen to donate so she decided to volunteer instead. Eileen flew to Columbus, OH to work at Obama's campaign HQ in Ohio for 7 weeks. I asked her why she chose Columbus and she said because it is a critical swing state and she really wanted to make a difference. After the election she traveled to Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and now Vietnam. She is heading back to London next week. I was blown away by Eileen and her passion for U.S. politics. This is person that can't even vote in our election yet she still decided to spend her own money and time to work towards this election. Eileen also considers Obama a true Irish man because of his name...O'Bama. She plans to celebrate Inauguration Day with Democrats Abroad in London.
Barack Obama --- Obviously I haven't met him on this trip BUT he has been a critical person during my travels. Before I left for this trip I thought that everyone in the world loved the U.S. and loved Americans. WELL, this was certainly not the case. I was definitely in for a surprise when I arrived in Europe and I heard the negative opinions that the majority of people around the world had about the U.S. The main reason for the negative impressions of the U.S. is mainly due to Bush. Everyone I ran into could not stand him and they are just dumbfounded by Americans for electing him twice. I had to remind people that most Americans can't even stand Bush either so we are all in the same boat. It was also really interesting how people did not want to be recognized as an American. Example: The Canadians are great people. Every time I run into a Canadian, they always have the maple leaf emblem somewhere on their body. It may be on their hat, shirt, backpack, etc. It's usually small but it's there for everyone to see. I figured it was really nice to see that the Canadians had a lot of country pride due to this display. I learned eventually that it really doesn't have that much to do with country pride...it's their way of telling everyone that they are not from the U.S. They don't want to be mistaken for Americans. I ran into a few Americans in Italy that told me they go around telling people that they are from Canada because they don't want to deal with any negative backlash.
I have never been mistreated during my trip even though everyone knows I'm an American. HOWEVER, I have been treated like a celebrity ever since Obama was elected. When I was flying out of London to go to Hong Kong, I was reading the Audacity of Hope at Heathrow and EIGHT different people came up to me telling me that they love Obama just by looking at the cover of the book. I only read 4 pages in the airport because I was caught up in conversations with these people. The minute I told them I lived in Chicago, they would seriously let out a little scream for joy. Same thing for me in Thailand....Jesper (my diving instructor who I love) told me that people were crying when they watched the election results. Talin and I were in Croatia during the election and the next morning the hotel staff, the border control officers in Bosnia, and the retail store owners were all congratulating us. When I was in Spain, I was talking to these Spaniards on the train and they said, "Now we definitely want to travel to the U.S. because Obama is President." I met this businessman in the lobby of my hotel in Hanoi and he told me that they have noodle dishes in Japan that they named after Obama. In London, Jacqui and I saw signs for Obama cocktails. I seriously have these type of occurences on a daily basis since the election. A CNN reporter said it best...."It seems like all the negative thoughts about the U.S. have erased the minute Obama was elected." The one thing that I really missed out on during my trip would have to be the Obama victory party at Grant Park....I bet it was incredible! However, it has been VERY interesting to see the different countries react to this next chapter in America's history. I look forward to celebrating Inauguration Day in D.C.!!!
After Koh Tao, I went back to Bangkok for 4 days before I left for Vietnam. I met this woman named Gay who was staying in the same place as me. Gay is 82 years old from Minnesota but she has spent the last 60 years of her life in Hawaii. Gay was in Bangkok for a few days and was set to leave for Butan after Bangkok. This woman is amazing. She has traveled around the world for over 60 years. Gay does not look 82 nor does she live the life of a typical 82 year old. She has so much energy and she is ready to take on any adventure. Gay said something to me that struck a chord...."You are never running out of time. Don't ever feel like you are." A perfect example would be the fact that she went to law school when she was in her mid 40s. After she got divorced she decided to go to law school and graduated when she was 45. After a successful career as an attorney, she was apointed to be a judge in Hawaii and that was the last position she held before retiring. Gay was really cute and said that she could officiate wedding ceremonies so I should consider getting married in Hawaii so she could do the ceremony. Then she said, "You better get married in the next 10 years because I may not be around after that." It made me sad to hear her say this : (
After Bangkok, I left for Hanoi and spent a few days there (I will write about Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam in a separate blog.) before leaving for Halong Bay. My Halong Bay trip consisted of me and 9 others: 6 Australians, 1 German, 1 Irish, and 1 English. We all have diverse backgrounds and we are all different age groups. We have really enjoyed experiening Vietnam together as well as getting to know each other. Here are a few more incredible people....
The Willoughbys --- This is a family of 4 from Australia. The parents are Dee and Andrew and they have 2 kids (Indiana 6 yrs old, Levi 5 yrs old). They are all traveling together through Vietnam for five weeks since the kids have a 6 week summer break. They also went to Bali in July for 3 weeks during their winter break. I admire these parents for continuing to live out their passion for traveling after they have had kids. They definitely don't let it slow them down. They are eager to bring their kids to new places so that they can learn more about different cultures and different people. I will write more about their kids in my next blog. They are hilarious and extremely bright! Dee and Andrew definitely love a great adventure....a few years ago, they bought a school bus and remodeled it into a home with state of the art appliances and furniture. This family lived on this bus for a little over a year because they figured they didn't need too much space since the kids were really little then. Now that the kids are bigger, they live in a 4 bedroom house.
Eileen from Ireland --- Eileen was a banker for Morgan Stanely in the London office before she was laid off in June. During this time she was fixated on the U.S. election and wanted to contribute to Obama's campaign. She quickly discovered that you have to a U.S. citizen to donate so she decided to volunteer instead. Eileen flew to Columbus, OH to work at Obama's campaign HQ in Ohio for 7 weeks. I asked her why she chose Columbus and she said because it is a critical swing state and she really wanted to make a difference. After the election she traveled to Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and now Vietnam. She is heading back to London next week. I was blown away by Eileen and her passion for U.S. politics. This is person that can't even vote in our election yet she still decided to spend her own money and time to work towards this election. Eileen also considers Obama a true Irish man because of his name...O'Bama. She plans to celebrate Inauguration Day with Democrats Abroad in London.
Barack Obama --- Obviously I haven't met him on this trip BUT he has been a critical person during my travels. Before I left for this trip I thought that everyone in the world loved the U.S. and loved Americans. WELL, this was certainly not the case. I was definitely in for a surprise when I arrived in Europe and I heard the negative opinions that the majority of people around the world had about the U.S. The main reason for the negative impressions of the U.S. is mainly due to Bush. Everyone I ran into could not stand him and they are just dumbfounded by Americans for electing him twice. I had to remind people that most Americans can't even stand Bush either so we are all in the same boat. It was also really interesting how people did not want to be recognized as an American. Example: The Canadians are great people. Every time I run into a Canadian, they always have the maple leaf emblem somewhere on their body. It may be on their hat, shirt, backpack, etc. It's usually small but it's there for everyone to see. I figured it was really nice to see that the Canadians had a lot of country pride due to this display. I learned eventually that it really doesn't have that much to do with country pride...it's their way of telling everyone that they are not from the U.S. They don't want to be mistaken for Americans. I ran into a few Americans in Italy that told me they go around telling people that they are from Canada because they don't want to deal with any negative backlash.
I have never been mistreated during my trip even though everyone knows I'm an American. HOWEVER, I have been treated like a celebrity ever since Obama was elected. When I was flying out of London to go to Hong Kong, I was reading the Audacity of Hope at Heathrow and EIGHT different people came up to me telling me that they love Obama just by looking at the cover of the book. I only read 4 pages in the airport because I was caught up in conversations with these people. The minute I told them I lived in Chicago, they would seriously let out a little scream for joy. Same thing for me in Thailand....Jesper (my diving instructor who I love) told me that people were crying when they watched the election results. Talin and I were in Croatia during the election and the next morning the hotel staff, the border control officers in Bosnia, and the retail store owners were all congratulating us. When I was in Spain, I was talking to these Spaniards on the train and they said, "Now we definitely want to travel to the U.S. because Obama is President." I met this businessman in the lobby of my hotel in Hanoi and he told me that they have noodle dishes in Japan that they named after Obama. In London, Jacqui and I saw signs for Obama cocktails. I seriously have these type of occurences on a daily basis since the election. A CNN reporter said it best...."It seems like all the negative thoughts about the U.S. have erased the minute Obama was elected." The one thing that I really missed out on during my trip would have to be the Obama victory party at Grant Park....I bet it was incredible! However, it has been VERY interesting to see the different countries react to this next chapter in America's history. I look forward to celebrating Inauguration Day in D.C.!!!
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