Blue Skies in China

Don't let ANYONE tell you there are no blue skies in China.

Main street by my place

When I came to China, I really didn't know what to expect as far as pollution goes because all we ever hear about is Beijing.  Yes, Beijing has the highest pollution index in the world, BUT China is a big nation and the US if 3rd on this list.  (Granted, China is still 4x more polluted than the US)

We are in the Zhejiang province and down here, we have some really lovely days!

Farewell, King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Portrait of the King taken in 1946

It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to his majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX, the 9th monarch of the Thai Chakri Dynasty) on this day, October 13, 2016 at 15:52pm.

After living in Thailand this year, I am shocked and saddened by the news of the King's passing.  I felt like he became a part of my life for that short amount of time I lived in Nakhon Pathom and like someone I knew just passed.

King Bhumibol is very much a part of every Thai person's daily life and has been for more than 70 years of his reign.  Everyone will be wearing black for 30 days and the country will be in mourning for a year.

Jazz Jam Session with Benny Goodman in 1960 (courtsey of Popperfoto Getty Image)

I know this is a huge loss for Thais and the country as a whole, but as a person that was lucky enough to  live in his beautiful country, I do feel the loss upon hearing about his passing even if I'm in a different country the this moment.

Many have a place in their home or work space dedicated to the King and he is greeted, honored and revered like a deity.  Whether you hear his anthem over speakers, see images of him and his family throughout the town and cities or even watching a movie and standing to honor him, King Bhumibol is loved and will be greatly missed.

18 November 2012: US President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador Kristie Kenney, meets with King Bhumibol Adulyadej of the Kingdom of Thailand, at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok courtesy of:Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Shock of the Day: Food is Home

I am currently chatting with a friend in Thailand and I made a realization that the concept of home has changed for me now that we are moving all over the place.  We'll it's more like my concept of home has evolved over the years.

I indefinitely consider Hawaii home.  It's where I grew up and lived most of my life.  My family is there and I've got a lot of memories invested in that place.

What has changed is it seems that now a days, especially since I'm moving more often and not making a firm home base as I did in Hawaii, I may have added a new criteria to the list.

FOOD (and drinks)!

Good food that make me feel at home.

Yes, I am now using a food as a way to feel anchored to my location.  It sounds weird but it's true.  At the rate that we are going at traveling and seeing new things, I won't have a new home home for a while and that fine.  I've now found that food is my way to connect myself to a place because it's as close to a feeling of home as I'll get on my fleeting visits or stay.

My first ever Flat White in Western Samoa in an Italian Restaurant of all places!
Best Flat white so far but whenever I drink it (now available at Starbucks) it takes me back to Samoa.

I guess you can say it all started with basing a good trip on the best food we can find in the region, but now it's come to the point where I miss food just as I would miss my home.  I get HOME SICK for food.  I can care less about the place as I've enjoyed my visiting and seeing new sites but food and drinks are where it's at!

YES, of course, meeting great people and seeing beautiful scenery is great but that in itself is an added bonus on top of the food.  I know it sounds a bit fucked up, me putting food over more tangible things like people and actual places but hear me out.

I miss people and associations and I also miss and yearn for those good times that we've had with them more than anything.  In fact, I still pine over my times with friends and family in Hawaii, Thailand, Japan and California even.  My separation from those people were really tough but I think once I left Thailand the first time, I may have mentally prepared myself for not coming back in a way I never did before.

Yes, I knew I wasn't going back to my other homes, but my leaving for Taiwan was different.  I knew I was leaving Taiwan in two months and then going back to Thailand for a week before heading for China.  That may have steeled me from getting too attached to people and places as I've done in the past.

Don't get me wrong, I made some really great friends there but in the back of my mind, I always knew I would leave so I lived more in the moment there than I did in most other places before hand because of that very finite end in sight.  Hence, why I've invested more into food and less into everything else.

I think that's why I really honed in on my need for food as not just a emotional crutch -which it really is - but also a thing to keep me grounded in my lofty state of carpe diem as I flit around like a butterfly moving from place to place.  My attachment to the places and people were just as fleeting as my attachment to the food but while I had it, I'm totally committed.

Doesn't this look amazing? Taiwan's famous Manguo Bing!  It tastes as good as it looks.

Once it was gone, it was gone.

Maybe I associate food as comfort and a way to feel safe and just....GOOD.

I really don't know, honestly!

Back to the ranch...

Maybe it's also because I can associate good food with great memories as well.  The cake below is my absolute favorite for it's subtle flavors and overall scrumptiousness but....it may also be well loved because it was also the cake I chose to be my wedding cake.

Almond Teres Cake at my favorite baker in Hilo Hawaii (BI) at Moonstruck Patisserie

I just know that when I'm in Hawaii, I want good poke, kalua pig and go to my favorite Hilo dives to make me happy.  These foods reminds me of home and familiarity and brings me to my happy place.


I know that if I am in Thailand, I want to go to Salaya in Nakhon Pathom and eat at "Crazy Bird" - We named it that because I have NO IDEA what to call it and have my Tom Kha, Prikang, and Gai Pet Met Mamuang (I can't spell Thai stuff) and then go around the corner, get Cha Yen or Nam Manaow to drink or even eat Kao Soi Gai.  I love getting my fresh fruits and Mango with Jim Nam and oh, Muslim chicken.  These foods remind me of our time living in Thailand and how all I had to do was walk across the street from my old home to get great food and around the block to get everything else I'm hankering for.

Cooling off with Malaysia's version of shaved ice, Cendol

Unagi in Hiroshima or Miyajima Island on a nice rainy day

If I'm in Japan, I need to eat Matcha ANYTHING but I also want to eat Shabu Shabu, I love their bento boxes - don't judge me but I find bentos from the grocery store to be the best!  Buying sweets and getting just about anything from vending machines - I mainly LOVE cold season because then you can get hot cocoa in a can from vending machines.  Don't get me started on all-you-can-eat/drink buffets over there because the food is VERY good (nomi houdai and tabe houdai)!  These food remind me of the great time I've had in Japan and I can always aesthetically appreciate the presentation as well as the great taste.

When I'm in Taiwan, I want to eat Mango Bing, Niu Rou Mian, and drink Zhen Jiu Nai Cha and many other great street food delicacies at the night market.  I just think about the batered deep fried mushrooms, jipai, bacon wrapped grilled cheese, nai cha and so many more good foods!

Now here in China, I am associating Niu Rou Mian and Chou Doufu and Rou Jia Mo with Shaoxing.

I can be home everywhere and when I eat good food I can feel at home because it's like a security blanket.

The Golden Rule I did learn though, was not to eat a country's cuisine in another country.  If that Thai food isn't from Thailand (or in my case from a specific eatery within BKK) don't expect it to taste perfect because you'll most likely be disappointed.

It will NEVER be the SAME!

You're just setting yourself up for failure because you were jonesing for that perfect Prikang, well, save it for when you go back for a visit.  If you find something that is exact, you're VERY fortunate but honestly, the best way to feel at home in these new places is to find what food is their specialty and eat at that location.  It makes it a lot easier to transition to the new place you are visiting or living in by giving you something you can look forward to or rely on.

So instead of wishing to revisit that same exact experience, how about try something new until the next time you can say hello to that 'old friend' again in the future.

I promise it makes the wait that much more bearable. 

National Holiday

China has National Holiday that starts on Oct. 1 until the 7th - Communism and whatnot - but the actual day is for Sept 29...not as auspicious as the 1st.

I remember having a conversation with our friends here about numbers and how it pays a lot into the culture.

In the US we have an aversion to the number 13 yet like the number 7.

Thailand loves the number 9 as it is a leap into future and fortune but hates the number 4

Here 6 is a great number and I think 9 but NEVER 4.  4 signifies death and I for

Japan has an aversion to 4 for the same reason.

No one likes 4 in Asia and it's usually for the same reason.

Numerology plays into a lot of things in life here.  Choosing good phone numbers with lucky numbers, getting married on a certain day, certain ages are considered to be lucky and celebrated.

I just find it interesting.  Oh, and there is no correlation between my pictures and the topic.  It just helps break up the monotony. 

Long Time No See! (好久不見 - hao jiu bu jian) from Zhejiang!

Yes, it's been a long time since I've posted something.  I've been actively taking pictures and have posted some of my favorites on my Sept Zhejiang  Page.

Because people like pictures, I'm shoving some in so you don't have to click on my page that has about 50 pics queuing to load.

Great garden that is supposed to be a lover's garden but I don't know much else.  

At the base of a HUGE hill (mini mount) that we have to climb in order to get to another temple.  Lovely view, but I wish we went after a rainfall because of all the haze.  Still very enjoyable!

Almost at the top of Xiang Lu Temple.  See, it's a bit hazy, but the view is still pretty nice.  Yes, we climbed probably a 1000 some steps to get up here but it was worth it.  I'd do it again :)

 Happy to be back on solid ground and not have to get vertigo looking down

A wet day in Shaoxing's 2nd Ring...or is it the 1st Ring (meaning City Center)...?  Still peaceful and beautiful

Our city is known for all the canals and waterways.  Actually, there is a story about how one of the Emperors, Dayu, devoted most of his life trying to solve the city's flooding problem and actually constructed these canals over 1000(?) years ago.  A huge achievement at the time and kept the city from flooding.

Let no one tell you that you can't see the sky.  This is just outside my apartment building but I couldn't help but take a picture of the blue skies!  Normally, China is known for its pollution problem, but a friend of mine mentioned that Shaoxing has pretty good air quality because most of the textile industry moved to Hangzhou or other cities within our Province.  We do have a few hazy days where it drifts our way, but for the most part, I do see blue skies.

Today was extra beautiful because it just rained and washed away any haze that may have lingered.  It'll get colder soon and I'll be experiencing my first snow in almost a decade!

A museum that we didn't get a chance to go into but if you look at the hills, there are a few towers.  We visited those and will come back to visit other towers as well.  I'll swing by the museum then, too!

Keyan scenic resort.  It's like a Buddhist temple site merged with Disneyland.  Still cool to see!

I've seen a few Buddha's and in a few different countries at this point but I still enjoy looking at them and even noticing the difference from place to place.  This one is a bit rounder around the face that I'm used to seeing in Thailand but definitely not the portly, happy, jolly Buddha we in the west usually associate him with.

I may be bold in saying this but these are the best F***ing nuts I've ever tasted!  Each basket has a certain nut (peanut, cashews, pecans, walnut, brazilnut etc) but they also roast it right there in front of you!  I'm in LOVE with the lightly seasoned pecans and wish I had gotten 5 kg rather than .5kg.  I've practically devoured the whole bag in two days.  Not a bad price too for half a kilo of freshly roasted nuts.  I think it was about $5 and still warm when we paid.  There are just some things that you can't get in other places.

Needlees to say, I've found places to see, and things to eat that will keep me happy for a while but I'm also glad that China is such a massive country that I can probably spend the next 10 years or the rest of my life and still not see everything it has to offer.

I'm in China!

Well, It's been a very exciting two week so far and I think my most interesting journey yet.

I am not based on the outskirts of a small town and by small I mean the population is in the millions.  The great thing is it doesn't feel like it though.  Everything is so wide spread, I can't really say what it feels like a city because it's so sprawling.

Some shocks of the Week:

Well, do you remember Red Lobster and how you used to be able to choose a lobster of choice if you at there.  Now a days, people don't want to see their food before they eat and a lot of places that had that as an option are gone in America.

NOT IN CHINA!

Not only are there fish, but there are shrimp, snakes and turtles.

NO, I didn't choose any of those foods nor would I want to.  I will eat fish and shrimp but I will NOT eat reptiles.  In fact, if I were to choose a turtle or snake, I would do so just to release it for merit - which I don't think they do here as they do in Thailand - into the nearest body of water.  Lucky for me, I am in a city of rivers and waterways so I would have my pick in releasing them.

My husband was pretty shocked about a lot of the things here as we forget how easy it and accessible things are in Thailand.

Sure, there are certain restrictions on basic amenities, but everything else was so easy to take care of.  Where we are now, it cannot be said.

Heck, getting decent internet is a pain in the ass, let alone having access to Facebook or anything google related.

I will say though, it's a bit liberating not having access to those things because it makes you realize how much time you actually spend on them but I definitely have more time on my hands.

Heck, I finished a book in less than a week - I'm a slow reader - when I haven't read a physical book in a year.  I don't miss it as much as I thought I would but I still want to share my experiences with people so I still take pictures and I still post blogs.  I may only do so once or twice a month rather than....all the time.

We've met some great people and look forward to making more friends.

It's been great learning about China and I can't wait to start traveling this huge country!

Bye, Tainan!

It is with a heavy heart that I leave Tainan, my home for the past two months.

I feel that my time here has been both fast and at times, really slow but I've definitely come to love this area of Taiwan as home.

Tainan has so many really cool places to visit and I enjoyed the food immensely!

I'm ready to move on to the next part of our journey but not without a bit of regret.

I will miss the scenic places I've acquainted myself with over the past two months.

Until we meet again.....

Dry Spell in Writing and New Writing Prompts

The last post I posted was around the 15th of July, or somewhere about there.  I've been trying to write something every week at the very least as my brain is too tired to write everyday at this point.  I really should get into the habit of writing everyday and now would be a good time to practice that habit when I'm now inundated with work and that'll be what I'll have to deal with when I move.  Not only that, my brain is inundated in trying to decipher a new language so I feel my actual English skills are diminishing drastically.  For my sanity and further deterioration of my English, I will try and keep a ritual to do a small bit of writing everyday, on my down time and make it a habit rather than a treat to myself.  

Today, It's the first weekend where I have time to myself where I don't have to go on a guided tour arranged by my program or anything else so I figure, I can take a moment or two to write a bit.  I've been writing the shocks of the day just to keep up writing if I can't write in general be even that is not keeping the habit for me now but I think I may have a new solution.  

Description Writing of Locations!

I know, nothing new but for me, I think it'll be a great way to at least get those writing juices back a-flowin' (<---- Prime example of what Chinese has done to my English) :P

I personally like to find pictures like these that are beautiful around can be found in various places around the world.

Step 1: I like thinking about places like these and trying my best to describe them just as an exercise.

Step 2: I add some embellishments like animal life, plants, weather and sounds etc.

Bonus: Use it for something your are currently writing.

Heck, you can take any picture and do that exercise and it'll help you get started.

Used from a Creative Common's page by Thraen

I think artwork can spark a bit of inspiration.  You can just write about the scenery or even what is going on in the art piece but I do find it helps.

Give it a try!

Shock of the Day: Switching Languages and Acquisition

Chinese is officially my third language that I'll be learning but I'm having some interesting switches going off in my head as I search and try to speak.

I was in Thailand from Dec-June and thought I haven't formally taken in classes in learning Thai, I've picked up enough everyday vocabulary that I used on a daily basis.  Now, I'm in Taiwan and the official language is Chinese and my mind is blown confused as to what language to use.

I met a girl from Bangkok in one of my classes and I tried to use some of the meager Thai that I learned with her but for the life of me, I could NOT remember simple phrases like Aroi Mak (delicious) or even how to count.  I took me a good hour or so of thinking hard about how to say, 'delicious'.  It's crazy as I've said that term almost on a daily basis but my brain was not having it.

I guess I haven't really learned how to do the language switch that well and I just say the first thing that comes to my head...which isn't always right.

That's another thing!  I find myself saying random other things as I'm searching for the word that I'm looking for and it's either a repeat of something I just said or a word in a completely different language!

It's frustrating to say the least.

Another pet peeve that I've noticed about learning a different language is the fact that I will repeat a word or phrase a billion times in hopes of it making it to my long-term memory storage.  I am usually sorely disappointed when it's really in my short-term and gets dumped with other useless information since I'm in an immersion environment and my brain is going through language acquisition and lifestyle overload.  It's during those moments that I find the most dominant language that is NOT English come up and take over when I try and search for words and end up speaking Japanese.

It's funny though, I feel learning Chinese has enforced my Japanese language which I'm happy to say, a lot has definitely converted to long-term memory but all the Kanji that I thought I forgot, I am relearning them now and suddenly remembering how to say them and what they mean.

It's really an interesting thing going on in my head at the moment.  I can't describe how confused I am but it's been a great learning experience and I'm glad to say, I'm slowly learning Chinese despite it all!

Shock of the Day: Memory Card DELETED!!

NOTHING is worse than finding out that you deleted all your pictures and videos from your memory card.

This is not the first time it's happened, but it still sucks.

The first time I had this happen to me was when I was in Singapore.  I didn't enjoy my trip too much but the highlight of my trip was going to a Louvre installation and taking enough pictures to fill a 1 GB (10 years ago, that was a LOT) card and video of the best flamboyant guide describing to high schoolers why the Greek sculptures of heros and men were not as "endowed" as one would expect.  I still remember it today, "If you look at some of the figures, you'll notice that the men are not as endowed because during this time and era, what was considered to be masculine differed to our own definition of beauty today."

Hilarious and educational.  I guess I don't need the video to remember thinking, how cool it is to video this tour and also take pictures of all this art because many places will not let you take pictures or video.

I'm just grateful that I loaded all my pictures onto Facebook before I made the mistake of deleting everything.

Lesson learned....again!

Shock of the Day: Baby Turtle!

We have a beautiful campus here at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, complete with ancient sites from hundreds of years ago and a tranquil pond that many like to come and practice Tai Chi at every morning.

Well, speaking of ancient sites and pond, here is what I'm talking about:

THIS is the entrance to my school

This is the pond in front of my building where class is held

So, I should not be surprised by what else this university may have to offer as far as shocks and awe.  Well, last week, I was walking under that very ancient site - I look down when I walk because sometimes you find some pretty cool things at your feet.  I don't normally walk under the gate but for some reason I did, and I'm really glad I did. It helps to pay attention and looking around as I saw a weird looking rock I walked by; no bigger than half of a bar of soap.  Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a turtle shell and I picked it up to see if it had been hollowed out or what, because one doesn't simply walk by a turtle shell and not inspect it.

When I lifted the shell, the little guy was tucked in as if hiding.  I was worried that it was dead or hurt but it seemed to be fine so I decided to place it by the pond where I've seen many of its kind, ducks and other animals chillin'.  I figured it would be better than it sitting there and someone accidentally stepping on it as it was very negligible and blended in well with the scenery.  

I took it to the bridge area and placed it on the bank of the pond where it was just a few inches away from water.  I was also just under some bushes too because I was worried about the little guy being out in the open and exposed to potential predators.

I set him down and hoped for the best but finding a turtle on my walk to school was definitely a memorable shock of the day (but not as epic as my friend Pat's rescue of a catfish)

Shock of the Day: Week 2 Surprise

A few friends and I went to see the sights around Tainan this past weekend now that the Typhoon Nepartak have blown away.  Luckily it has left little damage in its wake on our side of the island, though the west side is not so fortunate.

Being cooped up in our rooms for so long, (a day and a half about), we decided to make a walking tour out of the next day to make up for the lack of activity from the previous day.  A few have already see some of the sights we were looking for but when we mentioned that we were going to the Confucius temple, a classmate mentioned that we needed to check out the Narrow Door Cafe.

Narrow Door Cafe, you say?

Why, yes, that is exactly what I did say.  How narrow you ask?  Well, let me show you!  (I know, I'll stop.)

Bear in mind, it has been raining for two days straight and so the small alleyway was flushing out everything out of the entrance and so we were all leery at first but curiosity got the better of us and we went in anyway!

We were not disappointed to say the least.  The entrance itself it worth checking out as it's funky, almost seedy but definitely cool.

Shock of the Day: Catfish

This is a catfish.

This is a catfish in front of a Library.  He's a bit ambitious but he doesn't let thoughts like 'lack of water and legs' stop him from his goals in life.  Apparently he was chillin' like a villain and trying to make his way around on his fins while basking on the path.  

Then came my friend Pat.  He was out for a walk and found this determined mudsucker and dashed his dreams away by putting him back in the nearest body of water.  

Poor Nepartak - I'm naming him after the Typhoon - will not be walking on land today.  Not today....

(although, Pat is a hero for saving this little guy, there was talk about making him an unofficial mascot and I will say, I would be down with that idea)

Back to being a bottom dweller until the storm.  Then his dreams of being a land walker will come to fruition once again!  Until then, just keep swimmin' and filtering that mud!

Lunch Time Update on Nepartak (as of Noon July 8, 2016)

Super Typhoon Nepartak has officially be downgraded to Category 2 and the eye should be somewhere near where I am at the moment.  The gust of wind is strong but I'm still not sure if it'll be stronger yet.

I didn't sleep much last night, not sure if it was anticipation or just because I went to bed early and found myself awake again at midnight.  I took videos every few hours just to reassure my family and friends that I'm alive and well.  When 4 am rolled around, I remember distinctly hearing the wind pick up and took a video shortly after.  We read a few articles about how the east side of Taiwan got hit around 3am ish and so we were probably getting the precursors to the storm at 4.

Last I checked there was one fatality from drowning in Taiwan but mainland China already had 20 fatalities on Thursday and total of 160 all together.

Lots of rain and wind, obviously, and surprisingly enough, I think I've only heard thunder 5 times or less so maybe we don't have much of an outrage (knock on wood).  Just in case, I did prepare two buckets of water if we needed it to flush the toilets.

Just for a bit of humor, I will post this comic about Taiwanese and Hong Kongese (is that a word?) in Typhoons.

Shock of the Day: Nepartak & Calm before the Storm

Thursday Week 2

Well, we have a Typhoon heading our way.

Not just any Typhoon, but Nepartak Super Typhoon Cat. 5 - Typhoon.  

I know this may sound cavalier of me but I don't really feel any which way about this typhoon as I'm waiting for it to come.  I remember when Iselle hit the Big Island 2 years ago and we played this same waiting game of "when is it coming?"  Last time we guesstimated it would be 12 hours late + change and it's the same this time around.  What was supposed to hit Taiwan at 12:00 July 7, 2016, is still not here as of 2:10am July 8th.  I originally speculated it would be 12 hours late again but I'll have to amend that statement and even go on a limb and tack on another 5 hours so...5am...?

The waiting is still a bit nerve-wracking but not as bad this time around despite this story being uber strong and Iselle actually downgrading to a tropical storm.  I guess rule of thumb for me is, if the locals are not as concerned, well, when in Rome...

I did however stock up on food and water for two days just in case we can't leave our dorm for any reason.  I honestly don't know what to expect for a storm like this but we'll just have to wait and see.

For now, I'll ride out this calm before the storm and drink my Suntory Chuhai when it finally hits as we did for Iselle.

I'll definitely follow up this blog with an update in a day or two depending if we have power or not.

Shock of the Day: Nepartak & Calm before the Storm

Thursday Week 2

Well, we have a Typhoon heading our way.

Not just any Typhoon, but Nepartak Super Typhoon Cat. 5 - Typhoon.  

I know this may sound cavalier of me but I don't really feel any which way about this typhoon as I'm waiting for it to come.  I remember when Iselle hit the Big Island 2 years ago and we played this same waiting game of "when is it coming?"  Last time we guesstimated it would be 12 hours late + change and it's the same this time around.  What was supposed to hit Taiwan at 12:00 July 7, 2016, is still not here as of 2:10am July 8th.  I originally speculated it would be 12 hours late again but I'll have to amend that statement and even go on a limb and tack on another 5 hours so...5am...?

The waiting is still a bit nerve-wracking but not as bad this time around despite this story being uber strong and Iselle actually downgrading to a tropical storm.  I guess rule of thumb for me is, if the locals are not as concerned, well, when in Rome...

I did however stock up on food and water for two days just in case we can't leave our dorm for any reason.  I honestly don't know what to expect for a storm like this but we'll just have to wait and see.

For now, I'll ride out this calm before the storm and drink my Suntory Chuhai when it finally hits as we did for Iselle.

I'll definitely follow up this blog with an update in a day or two depending if we have power or not.