Thursday, June 28, 2012
Complimentary compliments
I never knew how much a small compliment can go a long way. Or, maybe I did know and I forgot because I haven't been complimented in a looooooong time, at least not by a stranger. I was at the market today with my mom and I saw this guy who noticed me and was kinda looking at me semi-creepily, but only temporarily. He wasn't staring or anything, so that's a plus. He was near me and said, "May I ask what ethnicity you are?" and I said, "Oh, I'm Chinese." Then he said, "Oh, so pretty" and walked off without waiting for a response. It was such a sweet compliment and not creepy at all, as was my first impression of him. This got me thinking about compliments. They are such simple gestures that can make someone's day much brighter and happier. It doesn't take much time or effort and it costs nothing but can bring about such a positive impact. Maybe it's because of the lack of compliments I receive in my daily life that makes this one little compliment such a big deal. I don't know. I remember long ago, I would try to compliment at least one person a day. It really boosts someone's self-esteem, if only just for the day. I think it's worth paying someone a compliment.
I told my friend about this semi-creepy man giving me a sweet compliment and I told her that I should get complimented more because I deserve it! Not saying it in a conceited way, I just have high self-esteem! haha My friend agreed that I should get complimented more... and then she complimented me. Something about getting a compliment from a friend ... it's just not the same as getting a compliment from a stranger. I feel that friends compliment you because they are you're friend, they like you, they know you, it's almost as if they HAVE TO compliment you. But with a stranger...they don't really have anything to gain from it, unless they're trying to get into your pants. I mean a TRUE stranger. One that doesn't want to continue any sort of conversation with you after the compliment has left their lips. These compliments are REAL. Maybe I'm just crazy. Compliments from friends can be real too, but I, personally, don't accept it as easily as compliments from strangers. I'm a weird person. :)
Everyone should try to compliment a stranger on a regular basis, but only if it is genuine. Don't try to think of a compliment to give to that one person eating that sandwich in that one diner just to give a compliment. Do it because you sincerely mean it. It is great that compliments are complimentary! It's a great deed!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
My Journey into Special Education
Since I graduated from university, I wanted to gain more experience with special needs kids. However, through many rejections/no calls, I realized that it was a tough field to infiltrate. I wanted to get the experience but they wanted people already with experience. Geez Louise! It's always the same dilemma in many fields. You want the experience but you can't get it unless you already have it! Do they not understand the impossibility of this? Well, it only took 3 years for this seemingly impossible task to become possible! Today, I started my first day of work at a school whose students cannot attend regular public school for one reason or another. These students have autism, emotional disturbances, aggression problems, etc.
I am currently just a substitute one-on-one aide. This means that I work with a single student at a time with anything that they need. I do not know which student I am assigned until the day of. Today, I was assigned a particular student with autism. She arrives to school on a bus but her bus was in the parking lot and she was nowhere to be found. Other aides that have worked with her started giving me tips on how to work with her. All of them told me to be cautious because she is known to scratch and bite. She is very sensory, so she likes to be squeezed and tickled. Other tips were to give her short prompts - don't bombard her with wordiness. Let her think about what is said. She may need help walking. There was a lot of advice, I was trying to remember it all. Then the coordinator came and spoke to the other teachers in the same classroom. I heard him tell them that today is my first day and that he's not sure that this particular student would be a good way to start me off as she would be a handful. This worried me more than anything (not because she bites and scratches!) because he didn't think I would be able to handle her. She seemed like she would be an overwhelming case. I told him that I was ready and that I can do it! Everyone was preparing me so I was ready to just dive into the deep end.
At first, I was quite nervous. I didn't know what was right, I didn't know what was wrong. I was pretty much on my own in the beginning. After she rummaged through some books and toys, she finally sat down at her desk. I let her do whatever she wanted for a while so she wouldn't be overwhelmed by this new girl all up in her space. She decided to read a book. She loves books! Then, I attempted to get her to do some desk work. It was great! I had looked through her logs and saw that she had worked with numbers 1-3. I tried to get her to show me the number of fingers but she was unable to isolate her fingers. I helped her with the fingers and I made her fingers touch mine to go with the sensory side of her. Then I had her match the numbers and she did wonderfully! I was so happy! Then when we were doing this, her previous aide came with another teacher to observe me. I was feeling the pressure to perform because it was my first day! They were a great help though! We had her spell her name using letter cards and then we took her to the swings for a break. Then after a while, her behavioral therapist came for a couple hours and she was also very helpful. We reinforced her good behavior, like staying on task and sitting nicely. I was with her for about 6 hours, but it didn't feel like it. I had a great first day! I hope the following days will be just as great. I'm not sure if I will get this student again because I am just a sub. I don't really care which student I get because I want to get to know all of them. I'm so happy to finally get the chance to begin my journey into special ed.
Monday, April 30, 2012
UPDATE
I should really learn to be a better blogger. This blog could function as my memory, since my memory is quite horrible. Though this is true (that I have a bad memory), I hate when people say it to me. Like, I really hate it. Only I should be able to say it. It's like they are insulting me because I forgot one little detail about a minor event. It's not even important, sheesh. Can you blame my memory for selecting what it does and does not want to store? I haven't logged onto blogger in a LONG time. Everything has changed! I don't know how to use this anymore, haha. But I want to do a quick update!
Big news is that I'm starting graduate school in the fall! I am quite excited and worried. I will be attending Cal State Long Beach to get my Masters in Educational Psychology and a credential in School Psychology. I was set on School Psychology as my career path during my last year of university. Then, as you know, I went to Korea. When I was in Korea, I didn't really think about graduate school. Minimally, but not much deep thought. So, when I came back to America, I started studying for the GRE. I took the test, almost cried when I saw my results (they're immediate), applied to two schools, soon after I applied I decided I didn't want to pursue School Psychology anymore, got an e-mail saying I got an interview, decided to go to the interview for the experience, while at the interview day, I was quite intimidated by the other applicants but I also realized that School Psychology was definitely what I want, had the interview, thought my answers were horrible, the retired Professor praised my answers, I felt better, a week or two later, I found out that I got accepted. :)
Other news....my sister and brother-in-law were in LA for a month because my other sister got married in March. So did one of my good friends. My other friend will be getting married in September. A lot of people are getting married. Not me, thank goodness! :) I went speed dating with some friends and it was such a weird experience. The guys were...interesting. Sometimes, those 3 minutes are just way too long.
....and one day, I will get around to summarizing my SE Asian trip from what seems like light years ago!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Rock Bottom
I hit it today. Never in my life have I felt so terrible about myself. I've always been a positive person, no matter the situation, but as of late, I haven't been able to see the brighter side of things. I've lost it. Everything just seems so messed up in my life at the moment. I feel like the biggest loser in the world. I cried so hard today, the hardest I've cried in years. I feel like a major failure and it's the worst feeling ever.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Things I Miss About Korea
I haven't gone around to the enormous task of blogging about the rest of my Southeast Asian trip, so I'm gonna talk about things I miss about my life in Korea and Korea itself.
1. The food. I am a foodie and I love food and eating it. Korean food is no exception! Bibimbap, kimbap, samgyetang, eel, octopus, kimchi, gakduggi, naengmyeong, and the list goes on! Thank goodness Koreatown is less than 20 miles away!
2. My friends. As I've said before, I made amazing friends in Korea and I saw them much more often than the friends I have here in LA. Maybe because we had the exact same lives and we only had each other as friends. No other friends to hang with. Whether it was mere convenience for us to see each other not, I definitely enjoyed my time with them. I wish we still were all in the same city going to the same bars together.
3. Cheap haircuts. I only got my hair cut twice in Korea. Both times I went to what Koreans deemed "expensive" places. The first hair cut cost me $12. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but it was tolerable. The second hair cut I got was in my last weeks of being in Korea. I went to the top floor of the main department store, Shinsegae, and got my hair cut by Dawn. I love her and wanted her to move to California with me. She cut my bangs PERFECTLY. No other person has been given my trust to even attempt to cut my bangs (well, one other lady, but Dawn was much much better!). I think I paid less than $20 for the perfect haircut. Can't beat that!
4. My apartment. Yes, it was small, but it was MINE, ALL MINE! I enjoyed living alone, without my sisters, without my mom, without roommates. I could do whatever I wanted! I could leave my clothes all over the place. I could walk around naked. I could sing as loudly as I wanted. I could stay out as late as I wanted. I could come home as late and as loudly as I wanted. I could do ANYTHING.
5. Employment. I had a job. A full-time job. With benefits. And lots of holidays. Need I say more? Oh yeah, it was also just a 5 minute walk from my apartment.
6. No tax, no tip. The price it says on the menu/price tag, expect to pay that and no more than that. This made paying for restaurant bills a breeze, even with 15 people in the party. No need to calculate tax and tip. If you overpay by a little, expect the waiter to chase after you to give you your change. Riding a taxi? You'll get your change back, even if it's just 10 cents. Love that!
7. Bowing. I love it when the students (the respectful ones) would see me in the hallway and bow to me. It made me feel powerful. haha No, it made me feel respected and kinda honored. The students won't do it to foreigners if they didn't respect them the same way they respect their Korean elders, so when some kids bowed to me, it made me feel good!
8. Cheap healthcare. I got LASEK for a fraction of the price charged in America without sacrificing safety and up-to-date technology. Before LASEK, I also got glasses for super cheap - free eye exam! And I also got cheap skincare too!! And a cheap blood test! Oh, I miss having insurance.
9. K-pop. You can't live in Korea for any amount of time and escape the phenomenon that is K-pop music. I love K-pop!!! It is just so catchy and practically every song is accompanied by a simple dance move!
10.The festivals. Koreans love their festivals. They have a festival for anything and everything: kimchi, sand, mud, flowers, butterflies, etc. There's never a shortage of things to do in Korea!
11. Cheap transportation. Riding the bus is only about 90 cents, free transfer with a bus card which costs about $5 to buy. Just a one-time fee for the card and you fill it up with funds. Just scan when you get on the bus/subway and it deducts it from your card. Easy peasy! Also, everyone rides the bus, not just crazy people!
Which leads me to....Things I DON'T Miss About Korea
1. The 26 bus. It's always crowded without a doubt. The buses are so small in Korea, so you're bound to be standing for your entire commute because of the scarcity of seats. People all sweating and pressed up against you. Not cute. The turns of the bus just makes it even worse! The little rings you hold onto for balance are not stationary - they sway with you. How the hell does that help my balance? Man, I hated that bus with a passion.
2. No personal space. Everyone is so close to you! Why do you have to stand so close to me? Take a good 3 steps back, please. My goodness!
3. No concept of a line. So, I'm standing in line to pay for my groceries, to get on the bus, etc, and some old grandma just cuts in front of me. Um, hello, I was in line. How dare you cut me! I don't care if you're 88 years old, get to the back of the line!
4. The bush. Koreans don't say things straight to the point - they beat around the bush. If you got something to say, just say it to me, don't try to hint at it and hope that I can read your mind. So frustrating for me because I am not a bush beater, well, sometimes, but not with EVERYTHING. Geez, people.
5. Really white make up. I ran out of my press powder compact thingymajig that I brought from home and so I wanted to buy another one. I go into the biggest makeup shop in downtown Gwangju and look for the compact section. The darkest shade that they offered was practically vampire white. Koreans are so obsessed with having white skin! It's so opposite of what I like and am, so make up was a difficult one. I reluctantly bought the compact anyway and after I put it on, I was ghostly. I was so desperate. I think I tried to not tan so I would match the compact. Don't think I ever succeeded.
6. Modest upperbody clothing. If it's 100 degrees outside, sunny, f-ing humid, don't even think about wearing that tank top of yours. No no no. If you do, you will get looks from every which way. Girls in Korea do not show their shoulders, chest, upper arms, nothing. It is so annoying especially in the summer. It's so freaken hot outside and I have to wear something with SLEEVES AND A HIGH NECKLINE! They look at you like you're a prostitute. However, Koreans like to wear short shorts and the shortest skirts. It's really strange. If you show your legs all the way up to the butt cheeks, what's wrong with a little arm? And it also sucked because they all thought I was Korean, so I couldn't pull the foreigner card. 'I'm a foreigner, I can wear this!'
7. The education system. There is so much pressure put on the students. They work SO hard starting from very early on. I think it's important to instill good work ethic when the kids are still young, but it's just ridiculous how much pressure there is. My middle school students would start their day at regular school, go home really quickly (maybe!) and then catch the bus to go to academy for more studying, get home around 10, do homework, sleep, wake up and do it all over again. These kids don't get a chance to have a childhood. The teachers also hit the students (not anymore though, thank goodness!) as punishment. Totally not effective.
Hmm, I'm sure there's more for each list, but I can't think anymore!!!! I miss Korea though. More pros than cons :)
1. The food. I am a foodie and I love food and eating it. Korean food is no exception! Bibimbap, kimbap, samgyetang, eel, octopus, kimchi, gakduggi, naengmyeong, and the list goes on! Thank goodness Koreatown is less than 20 miles away!
2. My friends. As I've said before, I made amazing friends in Korea and I saw them much more often than the friends I have here in LA. Maybe because we had the exact same lives and we only had each other as friends. No other friends to hang with. Whether it was mere convenience for us to see each other not, I definitely enjoyed my time with them. I wish we still were all in the same city going to the same bars together.
3. Cheap haircuts. I only got my hair cut twice in Korea. Both times I went to what Koreans deemed "expensive" places. The first hair cut cost me $12. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but it was tolerable. The second hair cut I got was in my last weeks of being in Korea. I went to the top floor of the main department store, Shinsegae, and got my hair cut by Dawn. I love her and wanted her to move to California with me. She cut my bangs PERFECTLY. No other person has been given my trust to even attempt to cut my bangs (well, one other lady, but Dawn was much much better!). I think I paid less than $20 for the perfect haircut. Can't beat that!
4. My apartment. Yes, it was small, but it was MINE, ALL MINE! I enjoyed living alone, without my sisters, without my mom, without roommates. I could do whatever I wanted! I could leave my clothes all over the place. I could walk around naked. I could sing as loudly as I wanted. I could stay out as late as I wanted. I could come home as late and as loudly as I wanted. I could do ANYTHING.
5. Employment. I had a job. A full-time job. With benefits. And lots of holidays. Need I say more? Oh yeah, it was also just a 5 minute walk from my apartment.
6. No tax, no tip. The price it says on the menu/price tag, expect to pay that and no more than that. This made paying for restaurant bills a breeze, even with 15 people in the party. No need to calculate tax and tip. If you overpay by a little, expect the waiter to chase after you to give you your change. Riding a taxi? You'll get your change back, even if it's just 10 cents. Love that!
7. Bowing. I love it when the students (the respectful ones) would see me in the hallway and bow to me. It made me feel powerful. haha No, it made me feel respected and kinda honored. The students won't do it to foreigners if they didn't respect them the same way they respect their Korean elders, so when some kids bowed to me, it made me feel good!
8. Cheap healthcare. I got LASEK for a fraction of the price charged in America without sacrificing safety and up-to-date technology. Before LASEK, I also got glasses for super cheap - free eye exam! And I also got cheap skincare too!! And a cheap blood test! Oh, I miss having insurance.
9. K-pop. You can't live in Korea for any amount of time and escape the phenomenon that is K-pop music. I love K-pop!!! It is just so catchy and practically every song is accompanied by a simple dance move!
10.The festivals. Koreans love their festivals. They have a festival for anything and everything: kimchi, sand, mud, flowers, butterflies, etc. There's never a shortage of things to do in Korea!
11. Cheap transportation. Riding the bus is only about 90 cents, free transfer with a bus card which costs about $5 to buy. Just a one-time fee for the card and you fill it up with funds. Just scan when you get on the bus/subway and it deducts it from your card. Easy peasy! Also, everyone rides the bus, not just crazy people!
Which leads me to....Things I DON'T Miss About Korea
1. The 26 bus. It's always crowded without a doubt. The buses are so small in Korea, so you're bound to be standing for your entire commute because of the scarcity of seats. People all sweating and pressed up against you. Not cute. The turns of the bus just makes it even worse! The little rings you hold onto for balance are not stationary - they sway with you. How the hell does that help my balance? Man, I hated that bus with a passion.
2. No personal space. Everyone is so close to you! Why do you have to stand so close to me? Take a good 3 steps back, please. My goodness!
3. No concept of a line. So, I'm standing in line to pay for my groceries, to get on the bus, etc, and some old grandma just cuts in front of me. Um, hello, I was in line. How dare you cut me! I don't care if you're 88 years old, get to the back of the line!
4. The bush. Koreans don't say things straight to the point - they beat around the bush. If you got something to say, just say it to me, don't try to hint at it and hope that I can read your mind. So frustrating for me because I am not a bush beater, well, sometimes, but not with EVERYTHING. Geez, people.
5. Really white make up. I ran out of my press powder compact thingymajig that I brought from home and so I wanted to buy another one. I go into the biggest makeup shop in downtown Gwangju and look for the compact section. The darkest shade that they offered was practically vampire white. Koreans are so obsessed with having white skin! It's so opposite of what I like and am, so make up was a difficult one. I reluctantly bought the compact anyway and after I put it on, I was ghostly. I was so desperate. I think I tried to not tan so I would match the compact. Don't think I ever succeeded.
6. Modest upperbody clothing. If it's 100 degrees outside, sunny, f-ing humid, don't even think about wearing that tank top of yours. No no no. If you do, you will get looks from every which way. Girls in Korea do not show their shoulders, chest, upper arms, nothing. It is so annoying especially in the summer. It's so freaken hot outside and I have to wear something with SLEEVES AND A HIGH NECKLINE! They look at you like you're a prostitute. However, Koreans like to wear short shorts and the shortest skirts. It's really strange. If you show your legs all the way up to the butt cheeks, what's wrong with a little arm? And it also sucked because they all thought I was Korean, so I couldn't pull the foreigner card. 'I'm a foreigner, I can wear this!'
7. The education system. There is so much pressure put on the students. They work SO hard starting from very early on. I think it's important to instill good work ethic when the kids are still young, but it's just ridiculous how much pressure there is. My middle school students would start their day at regular school, go home really quickly (maybe!) and then catch the bus to go to academy for more studying, get home around 10, do homework, sleep, wake up and do it all over again. These kids don't get a chance to have a childhood. The teachers also hit the students (not anymore though, thank goodness!) as punishment. Totally not effective.
Hmm, I'm sure there's more for each list, but I can't think anymore!!!! I miss Korea though. More pros than cons :)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
VIETNAM - the 2nd time around
major rewind part IV
It came time to leave Korea. I thought I was gonna go home right away because my mom was supposed to have heart surgery, but then my sister told me that I had time to travel. I jumped on the opportunity because I LOVE to travel. Hmm, where to go, where to go? I decided that I wanted to go back to the semi-motherland of Vietnam to explore the northern and central regions because I didn't have the chance to do so the first time I went to Vietnam. So I purchased my one-way ticket to Hanoi, packed up my 70 liter backpack, and went on my merry way to the beginning of an amazing trip through Southeast Asia.
I arrived in the capital city and made my way to the newer Hanoi Backpacker Hostel on Ma May. It's a beautiful hostel. So big, clean, and equipped with a restaurant/bar, lounge floor with huge TV, and 2 computer areas. The dorms were nice as well - comfy beds, clean, equipped with lockers under your bed. I believe I only stayed one night because I was gonna return to Hanoi after I finished with Central Vietnam because my flight to Malaysia was from the Hanoi airport.
The time I spent in Hanoi (this first time), I went to the Temple of Literature, which was the city's first university. They have these huge stone rectangular plaques on top of huge turtles with names engraved on them. These were the diplomas!
I also went to the Museum of History (Bao Tang Lich Su). I saw lots of artifacts - drums, jewelry, statues, thrones, bells, china, swords, crowns, etc. It was a nice museum. After I was done roaming through the exhibits, I was super hungry and didn't wanna walk around too much to look for a worthwhile restaurant, so I just went to the restaurant next door. There were lots of Vietnamese people there so I figured it would be OK. It was a bit pricier than other restaurants but I didn't care; it was still cheap to me!
I had a bowl of pho and FINALLY an avocado milkshake! My first time in Vietnam, I was unable to track down an avocado milkshake because it wasn't the season. I guess 2 months later, the season had arrived and I was thrilled. It wasn't exactly what I expected but it was still good. A bit warmer than I liked (I don't think they blended it with ice. I'm a stickler for ice-blended drinks!) but it was still drinkable.
I walked around aimlessly and saw a few sights, including the St. Joseph's Cathedral, the Opera House (Nha Hat Lon), the Monument of King Le Thai To, streetside barbershop, the Ngoc Son Temple, the Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake), and other places around the Old Quarter. I was also able to get some che, dessert. Yum. I love Hanoi; it's such a great city.
Hue
I went to Hue next. I met Brian there at the Hue Backpacker Hostel, which is associated with the Hanoi Backpacker Hostel. Going to Hue, I took my first sleeper bus. It wasn't the most comfortable sleeping conditions but it's a lot worse for someone who is taller than 5'7". I am so grateful for my small stature in times like this. I had booked the bus during my wander around town and it had left later that night at about 8pm. They had us meet at 6 or some time ridiculously early and just had us wait for ever to actually depart. When I had gone to the 6pm meet up time, we went over to a travel agency (a different one than the one I had booked through) and I saw this tall, lanky, pale boy. I asked him if he was going to Hue as well and he said yes, so I befriended him. We talked, I got to know him, and we went on the bus together. His name was Aleksi and he was from Finland and a baby at only 18 years old, traveling on his own. I don't think I would've had the guts to travel alone at 18, but at 24, I was OK with it. haha. He didn't have a place to stay in Hue but he did have a Lonely Planet, one of my requirements for a potential travelmate. I'm so shallow. hahah I told him where I was headed to and we used his handy dandy LP to locate the hostel. We booked our beds and were put in separate rooms.
We ended up doing our own thing that day. I went to walk around alone and he explored as well but with a couple of his roommates. I walked to the Citadel but I didn't go inside because I was saving it for when I meet up with Brian. I went to get lunch at this restaurant where they support the blind and deaf. I had some weird banh trang that felt like toilet seat covers and I had some weird vegetable mixture to wrap inside. It tasted good, but very different. As soon as I left the restaurant, I saw Aleksi and the two new buds, Justin & Faheem. They were on their way to eat lunch. They invited me along and I was reluctant because I had already eaten, but I had nothing else to do, so I joined them and actually ended up going to the Citadel with them. Thank goodness I did because when I met up with Brian, he had already gone. The Citadel is the historic residence of the rulers of Vietnam. It's really old and I love the antique look of it all.
The following day, Aleksi and I took a bike ride around town. I wanted to go to the Thien Mu Pagoda so we found our way there as well. We weren't sure if we were going in the right direction even though we followed the scant street signs. We eventually made it there. It was nice and I enjoyed bicycling there and back and all around. After the pagoda, we went to eat bun bo hue, the local delicacy and a favorite of my mom's! It was DE-LICIOUS!
After that, we parted ways and I rode to the Dong Ba Market. I rode there a couple times but didn't walk through it because I didn't have a bike lock! It was really packed and hectic. The ride there was also crazy - I almost hit a lady on a motorbike because she was stupid and cut me off and slowed down in front of me for no reason!
Hue Backpacker Hostel does a happy hour where you can get free beer for an hour. We would gather there together and just chat. One night, I saw Brian and he was speaking to a couple new people, Sarah and Evan. I was hesitant at first because they just looked too cool for me, but we all ended up becoming really good pals! We all had an amazing night out together. We had dinner at a great little restaurant down the street from the hostel. The waitress there was so funny and worldly. She had a friend from every country. And then Brown Eyes, a crazy bar/club with a good mix of locals and foreigners. We had so much fun dancing the night away! We left the bar and Sarah, Brian, and I decided to get some late night food. We stumbled across a little roadside pho restaurant but the old man was closing up shop. He said he would stay open for us and he made us some very peppery pho. It did the trick and ameliorated us tipsy folk. Then early the next morning, Aleksi, Faheem, Brian, and I took the bus to Hoi An, the ancient city.
We spent a couple nights in Hoi An at the Grass Land Hotel, which is where the bus dropped us off. It was an OK hotel. It had an indoor pool, but I don't think anyone ever uses it. They also offer free bikes for you to ride! I love bikes, so this was a goodie for me! We took advantage of this and we went bike riding around town. We went to the riverside, through the little alleys and shops, and then to the beach! We got a bit lost but via a roundabout route, we made it! We weren't prepared (no bathing suits, no beach towels, no nothing), so we didn't spend too much time there. We did spend enough time there to bury Faheem though who stripped down to his boxers. Brian also sculpted a wee-wee on his sand body which may or may not be true to size.
Later that night, we "splurged" on a gourmet meal on the riverside at River Lounge right across the bridge. We all opted for the prix fixe meal and it was probably the most amazing thing I ate in Vietnam. I had spring rolls - fresh and fried, pumpkin soup (YUM!), boneless chicken in a sesame/soy/ginger reduction with rice and mango. Soooo good and it was only about $10.
After dinner, we went to sit on the OTHER side of the river for some "local" beer. We thought it would be some special Hoi An beer, but it was just 333 in a can. I guess by "local", they meant Vietnamese. I guess it's "local". =/ The river was beautiful with the lit up lanterns in animal shapes, e.g., dragons, fish, etc. It was so colorful and the light reflecting from the restaurants on the river's surface was just a sight to see. After our beers, we took a stroll around town only to be harassed by promoters trying to lure us to go to their bar. We ended up following this guy to some bar in the boonies. Aleksi, Brian, and I were kinda reluctant while Faheem was confidently following the shady Vietnamese man through a deserted street. With a sigh of relief, we arrived at a bar that actually existed with tons of graffiti on the wall that proved that there were customers at one point in time because there were none at that moment. We were the only ones there! Eventually a few more suckers entered the bar and enjoyed a game of pool.
The next day, Faheem left early to go to the tailor shop to get multiple custom-made suits for his disproportionate body. Aleksi, Brian, and I went later and unexpectedly got some clothing made. I got a blazer and Brian got a pair of shorts and a button-up. I paid waaaaaay too much for my blazer. I forgot to bargain; I got so caught up in the process! I've never gotten anything tailor made prior to this, so it was very exciting to have something made just for me! After the tailor shop, the three of us decided to buy a ticket to go through the ancient city. We got to see some souvenir shops, a temple with a drum made with animal skin (you could still see the hairs!), and the Japanese Bridge. I got a bit sick after a while so we took a breather and then headed back to the hotel.
When we arrived at the hotel, we were surprised by a couple of old friends, Sarah and Evan!! I was so happy to see them! We met on the bridge to go to dinner together. Brian insisted on going to this one street that we had seen earlier when riding in a taxi. We wandered around like crazy trying to find this street! Finally, we stumbled upon the street and had some delicious food! I had some chicken cooked with some passion fruit. So exotic! Teehee.
After dinner, we, of course, had to go for some drinks! Sarah and I really wanted to go to a bar, but Faheem and Aleksi wanted to buy a bottle of whiskey and some coke and just drink on the street. We weren't sure if it was acceptable or illegal or what. In the end, Sarah and I were quelled into the mobile bar scene and had a great time! Sarah really wanted to go to a karaoke place and we spotted one. We went through the corridor and it looked like a residence. They told us the karaoke place was closed. I don't know if they meant forever or just for the night because I don't even think this place existed! Sarah befriended a Vietnamese guy who said he knew of a place and then he led us there on some false pretenses. We stayed for an hour, sang some songs, paid for one bottle of whiskey but drank 2, and then scurried off when Faheem ordered us to in extreme dramatic fashion. I don't remember if it was before or after the karaoke place, but we also went to a club. There were some half-naked ladies dancing but the place wasn't really our scene. Sarah and Evan left without notice but we found them sitting on the curb drinking some whiskey. After the whiskey, we inevitably felt the hunger pangs set in, at least Sarah and I did. We really wanted to find some food but nothing was open at that hour. Sarah and Evan hopped on a motorbike, Brian and I hopped on another, and (we thought) Faheem and Aleksi hopped on another. These moto-drivers said they would take us to get some food. We drove on for what seemed like forever in the darkness with no restaurant in sight. Brian was behind me saying that we shouldn't have gotten on the motorbikes because we were warned not to ride so late at night. He was afraid we'd get sodomized by these guys. I was a bit wary as well but what the hell, I'm in Vietnam! And for the record, there was no sodomy that night. But there was pho! After our lovely meal, we headed back to our respective hotels. As soon as Brian and I got off our motorbike, Faheem yelled to us from the balcony. Yeay, they're alive! We went upstairs to have a chat. They had taken a taxi home. Where they got the taxi, I do not know. There were barely any motorbikes available! The next day, Brian and I were headed back to Hanoi (via plane!) to meet up with David and go on our trip to Halong Bay!
We went back to Hanoi Backpacker Hostel and found David. We relaxed until dinner time and when dinner time came, there was a tug-of-war as to where to eat. Brian wanted to eat pizza at the hostel because there was a special promo that night. David and I wanted to eat somewhere authentic Vietnamese because we're in Vietnam! We won the fight and went down the road to eat some delicious curbside BBQ. It was so good and I was so happy after that because quality food does exist in Vietnam and we found it!
The next morning, we went on our way to Halong Bay. I was so excited for the trip but also a bit reluctant because Brian and David wanted to do the overnight trip on the boat. I didn't want to sleep on the boat because one of the boats sank and a few people died. Eek! But freak accidents do happen but they are not frequent. We took a minibus with 30 people total to go to the dock to board the little boats to get to the big boat. While in the bus, we all introduced ourselves and said a little tidbit about ourselves. I mentioned that I didn't know how to swim and I didn't think if tonight was gonna be a good idea. Everyone was like, "Uh...what are you doing here!? You know you're gonna be a boat, right?" hahah Yes, yes I did, but I guess I'm a risk taker!
We get on a big boat, eat some lunch, and then get paired up and assigned to rooms. Some people were couples or friends so they roomed together, but there were loners like me who didn't have a partner. I ended up rooming with a girl from Ireland named Eimear (pronounced ee-ma, yeah, those Irish people have a messed up language, haha, just kidding!). She was really sweet. So sweet that I was OK with sharing a bed with her.
After lunch, there was some picture taking of the beautiful scenery from the top deck, some swimming by the swimmers, some activities with the longest beer bong known to man, sea kayaking, cave exploring, and lagooning. Halong Bay is full of limestone rock formations varying in size and shape. It is such an amazing sight, and when we were there, it was very misty, so that definitely added to the mystique and mystery of this fairy tale place.
We went kayaking and I was so scared to be so close to the water! The kayak gets all up in there. Thank goodness it was a two-person kayak. I went with David and we were a pretty good team. At least I think so! He probably thought I was a weakling because at times he would say, "Just stop paddling." haha I thought I was doing OK! We went to a cave that is rarely visited by tourists (or so we were told) and it led to a lagoon. Some people went swimming in the lagoon. It looked beautiful! I wish I could swim =( Then we headed back to the big boat. David and I were one of the first pairs to arrive. It was beginning to get dark and as David and I were paddling, I saw the water light up. I excitedly asked David, "Did you see that??" and he's like, "What?" and I said, "THE WATER! It lights up when you hit it!" and then he witnessed it. So cool. Then later, I heard the group leader yell to us to look at the phosphorescence of the water. That's what it was! I thought the Vietnamese people dumped a crapload of food coloring into the bay. hahah
That night, we had the boat party and it was pretty fun. Well, we had dinner first, and then we played some quick drinking games, and then a massive game of King's Cup/Ring of Fire, except there was no Cup and no Ring but there was like 50,000 decks of cards in this game. We actually had 2 games going on simultaneously because if we didn't, you'd have to wait forever for your turn. This game was unlike any other game I've ever played. Usually, when I play different versions of it, there are lots of similarities, but this one was beyond different. There were rules like Confession where you had to confess something and everyone had to decide whether or not it was an extreme enough confession, if not, you had to drink. Some people confessed things like, "My dad introduced me to his friend and then I ended up having an affair with him." Scandalous."I had sex with my best friend's sister and he doesn't know about it." Uh, OK. Brian said, "I kissed a girl and I liked it." haha That was his pretend confession; he said something else afterwards. I'm SO glad I didn't pick the confession card! There was another one called Troll where you had to go under the tables and stay there until the next Troll card was picked. While you were under there, you could tap on anyone's leg and they'd have to give you a sip of their drink. There was another rule where you had to switch one article of clothing with the person of the opposite sex to the left of you. There were many other really fun rules. After the drinking games, we had a dance party. The whole night was just so much fun. Halong Bay was the perfect backdrop for all the festivities.
The next morning, we had an early wake-up call and breakfast. We get to the dock, get off the boat, and onto the minibus on our way back to the hostel. We get back to our hostel and then for dinner, we ended up having a delicious hot pot dinner with a Canadian guy I started speaking to at the computer station. It was so good and the portion was so large that it probably could've fed a small village.
I had my flight to Kuala Lumpur the next day. I love Vietnam but it was time to explore another country! So the next day, the boys and I headed to the Hoa Lo Prison (where John McCain was a POW during the Vietnam War!) and a random temple. I wanted to go to the Ho Chi Minh Mauseoleum, but I didn't end up going. Maybe next time!
So...I missed my flight to Malaysia. I misjudged how far the airport was and the time it took to get there, so I went to Malaysia Airlines' headquarters to book a new ticket and then back to the Hanoi Backpacker Hostel and requested to be in the same dorm room as Brian and David. They were surprised to see me! That night, I went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Show via my first ride in a rickshaw. The show was OK...not really my kind of thing, but I had heard that in Hanoi, you just HAVE TO go see a water puppet show. I think the artistry and skill needed to perform the show is cool, but the "orchestra" so to speak was not giving off a good vibe. I know they are just supplying the music and your eyes should be focused on the puppets, but they were sitting to the side in plain sight. They should at least put some effort into showing that they enjoy what they're doing, or fake it! The next day, I didn't go anywhere. I stayed at the hostel until it was time to leave for the airport. I went to the airport early to avoid missing my flight AGAIN!
It came time to leave Korea. I thought I was gonna go home right away because my mom was supposed to have heart surgery, but then my sister told me that I had time to travel. I jumped on the opportunity because I LOVE to travel. Hmm, where to go, where to go? I decided that I wanted to go back to the semi-motherland of Vietnam to explore the northern and central regions because I didn't have the chance to do so the first time I went to Vietnam. So I purchased my one-way ticket to Hanoi, packed up my 70 liter backpack, and went on my merry way to the beginning of an amazing trip through Southeast Asia.
I arrived in the capital city and made my way to the newer Hanoi Backpacker Hostel on Ma May. It's a beautiful hostel. So big, clean, and equipped with a restaurant/bar, lounge floor with huge TV, and 2 computer areas. The dorms were nice as well - comfy beds, clean, equipped with lockers under your bed. I believe I only stayed one night because I was gonna return to Hanoi after I finished with Central Vietnam because my flight to Malaysia was from the Hanoi airport.
The time I spent in Hanoi (this first time), I went to the Temple of Literature, which was the city's first university. They have these huge stone rectangular plaques on top of huge turtles with names engraved on them. These were the diplomas!
I also went to the Museum of History (Bao Tang Lich Su). I saw lots of artifacts - drums, jewelry, statues, thrones, bells, china, swords, crowns, etc. It was a nice museum. After I was done roaming through the exhibits, I was super hungry and didn't wanna walk around too much to look for a worthwhile restaurant, so I just went to the restaurant next door. There were lots of Vietnamese people there so I figured it would be OK. It was a bit pricier than other restaurants but I didn't care; it was still cheap to me!
I had a bowl of pho and FINALLY an avocado milkshake! My first time in Vietnam, I was unable to track down an avocado milkshake because it wasn't the season. I guess 2 months later, the season had arrived and I was thrilled. It wasn't exactly what I expected but it was still good. A bit warmer than I liked (I don't think they blended it with ice. I'm a stickler for ice-blended drinks!) but it was still drinkable.
I walked around aimlessly and saw a few sights, including the St. Joseph's Cathedral, the Opera House (Nha Hat Lon), the Monument of King Le Thai To, streetside barbershop, the Ngoc Son Temple, the Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake), and other places around the Old Quarter. I was also able to get some che, dessert. Yum. I love Hanoi; it's such a great city.
Hue
I went to Hue next. I met Brian there at the Hue Backpacker Hostel, which is associated with the Hanoi Backpacker Hostel. Going to Hue, I took my first sleeper bus. It wasn't the most comfortable sleeping conditions but it's a lot worse for someone who is taller than 5'7". I am so grateful for my small stature in times like this. I had booked the bus during my wander around town and it had left later that night at about 8pm. They had us meet at 6 or some time ridiculously early and just had us wait for ever to actually depart. When I had gone to the 6pm meet up time, we went over to a travel agency (a different one than the one I had booked through) and I saw this tall, lanky, pale boy. I asked him if he was going to Hue as well and he said yes, so I befriended him. We talked, I got to know him, and we went on the bus together. His name was Aleksi and he was from Finland and a baby at only 18 years old, traveling on his own. I don't think I would've had the guts to travel alone at 18, but at 24, I was OK with it. haha. He didn't have a place to stay in Hue but he did have a Lonely Planet, one of my requirements for a potential travelmate. I'm so shallow. hahah I told him where I was headed to and we used his handy dandy LP to locate the hostel. We booked our beds and were put in separate rooms.
We ended up doing our own thing that day. I went to walk around alone and he explored as well but with a couple of his roommates. I walked to the Citadel but I didn't go inside because I was saving it for when I meet up with Brian. I went to get lunch at this restaurant where they support the blind and deaf. I had some weird banh trang that felt like toilet seat covers and I had some weird vegetable mixture to wrap inside. It tasted good, but very different. As soon as I left the restaurant, I saw Aleksi and the two new buds, Justin & Faheem. They were on their way to eat lunch. They invited me along and I was reluctant because I had already eaten, but I had nothing else to do, so I joined them and actually ended up going to the Citadel with them. Thank goodness I did because when I met up with Brian, he had already gone. The Citadel is the historic residence of the rulers of Vietnam. It's really old and I love the antique look of it all.
The following day, Aleksi and I took a bike ride around town. I wanted to go to the Thien Mu Pagoda so we found our way there as well. We weren't sure if we were going in the right direction even though we followed the scant street signs. We eventually made it there. It was nice and I enjoyed bicycling there and back and all around. After the pagoda, we went to eat bun bo hue, the local delicacy and a favorite of my mom's! It was DE-LICIOUS!
After that, we parted ways and I rode to the Dong Ba Market. I rode there a couple times but didn't walk through it because I didn't have a bike lock! It was really packed and hectic. The ride there was also crazy - I almost hit a lady on a motorbike because she was stupid and cut me off and slowed down in front of me for no reason!
Hue Backpacker Hostel does a happy hour where you can get free beer for an hour. We would gather there together and just chat. One night, I saw Brian and he was speaking to a couple new people, Sarah and Evan. I was hesitant at first because they just looked too cool for me, but we all ended up becoming really good pals! We all had an amazing night out together. We had dinner at a great little restaurant down the street from the hostel. The waitress there was so funny and worldly. She had a friend from every country. And then Brown Eyes, a crazy bar/club with a good mix of locals and foreigners. We had so much fun dancing the night away! We left the bar and Sarah, Brian, and I decided to get some late night food. We stumbled across a little roadside pho restaurant but the old man was closing up shop. He said he would stay open for us and he made us some very peppery pho. It did the trick and ameliorated us tipsy folk. Then early the next morning, Aleksi, Faheem, Brian, and I took the bus to Hoi An, the ancient city.
We spent a couple nights in Hoi An at the Grass Land Hotel, which is where the bus dropped us off. It was an OK hotel. It had an indoor pool, but I don't think anyone ever uses it. They also offer free bikes for you to ride! I love bikes, so this was a goodie for me! We took advantage of this and we went bike riding around town. We went to the riverside, through the little alleys and shops, and then to the beach! We got a bit lost but via a roundabout route, we made it! We weren't prepared (no bathing suits, no beach towels, no nothing), so we didn't spend too much time there. We did spend enough time there to bury Faheem though who stripped down to his boxers. Brian also sculpted a wee-wee on his sand body which may or may not be true to size.
Later that night, we "splurged" on a gourmet meal on the riverside at River Lounge right across the bridge. We all opted for the prix fixe meal and it was probably the most amazing thing I ate in Vietnam. I had spring rolls - fresh and fried, pumpkin soup (YUM!), boneless chicken in a sesame/soy/ginger reduction with rice and mango. Soooo good and it was only about $10.
After dinner, we went to sit on the OTHER side of the river for some "local" beer. We thought it would be some special Hoi An beer, but it was just 333 in a can. I guess by "local", they meant Vietnamese. I guess it's "local". =/ The river was beautiful with the lit up lanterns in animal shapes, e.g., dragons, fish, etc. It was so colorful and the light reflecting from the restaurants on the river's surface was just a sight to see. After our beers, we took a stroll around town only to be harassed by promoters trying to lure us to go to their bar. We ended up following this guy to some bar in the boonies. Aleksi, Brian, and I were kinda reluctant while Faheem was confidently following the shady Vietnamese man through a deserted street. With a sigh of relief, we arrived at a bar that actually existed with tons of graffiti on the wall that proved that there were customers at one point in time because there were none at that moment. We were the only ones there! Eventually a few more suckers entered the bar and enjoyed a game of pool.
The next day, Faheem left early to go to the tailor shop to get multiple custom-made suits for his disproportionate body. Aleksi, Brian, and I went later and unexpectedly got some clothing made. I got a blazer and Brian got a pair of shorts and a button-up. I paid waaaaaay too much for my blazer. I forgot to bargain; I got so caught up in the process! I've never gotten anything tailor made prior to this, so it was very exciting to have something made just for me! After the tailor shop, the three of us decided to buy a ticket to go through the ancient city. We got to see some souvenir shops, a temple with a drum made with animal skin (you could still see the hairs!), and the Japanese Bridge. I got a bit sick after a while so we took a breather and then headed back to the hotel.
When we arrived at the hotel, we were surprised by a couple of old friends, Sarah and Evan!! I was so happy to see them! We met on the bridge to go to dinner together. Brian insisted on going to this one street that we had seen earlier when riding in a taxi. We wandered around like crazy trying to find this street! Finally, we stumbled upon the street and had some delicious food! I had some chicken cooked with some passion fruit. So exotic! Teehee.
After dinner, we, of course, had to go for some drinks! Sarah and I really wanted to go to a bar, but Faheem and Aleksi wanted to buy a bottle of whiskey and some coke and just drink on the street. We weren't sure if it was acceptable or illegal or what. In the end, Sarah and I were quelled into the mobile bar scene and had a great time! Sarah really wanted to go to a karaoke place and we spotted one. We went through the corridor and it looked like a residence. They told us the karaoke place was closed. I don't know if they meant forever or just for the night because I don't even think this place existed! Sarah befriended a Vietnamese guy who said he knew of a place and then he led us there on some false pretenses. We stayed for an hour, sang some songs, paid for one bottle of whiskey but drank 2, and then scurried off when Faheem ordered us to in extreme dramatic fashion. I don't remember if it was before or after the karaoke place, but we also went to a club. There were some half-naked ladies dancing but the place wasn't really our scene. Sarah and Evan left without notice but we found them sitting on the curb drinking some whiskey. After the whiskey, we inevitably felt the hunger pangs set in, at least Sarah and I did. We really wanted to find some food but nothing was open at that hour. Sarah and Evan hopped on a motorbike, Brian and I hopped on another, and (we thought) Faheem and Aleksi hopped on another. These moto-drivers said they would take us to get some food. We drove on for what seemed like forever in the darkness with no restaurant in sight. Brian was behind me saying that we shouldn't have gotten on the motorbikes because we were warned not to ride so late at night. He was afraid we'd get sodomized by these guys. I was a bit wary as well but what the hell, I'm in Vietnam! And for the record, there was no sodomy that night. But there was pho! After our lovely meal, we headed back to our respective hotels. As soon as Brian and I got off our motorbike, Faheem yelled to us from the balcony. Yeay, they're alive! We went upstairs to have a chat. They had taken a taxi home. Where they got the taxi, I do not know. There were barely any motorbikes available! The next day, Brian and I were headed back to Hanoi (via plane!) to meet up with David and go on our trip to Halong Bay!
We went back to Hanoi Backpacker Hostel and found David. We relaxed until dinner time and when dinner time came, there was a tug-of-war as to where to eat. Brian wanted to eat pizza at the hostel because there was a special promo that night. David and I wanted to eat somewhere authentic Vietnamese because we're in Vietnam! We won the fight and went down the road to eat some delicious curbside BBQ. It was so good and I was so happy after that because quality food does exist in Vietnam and we found it!
The next morning, we went on our way to Halong Bay. I was so excited for the trip but also a bit reluctant because Brian and David wanted to do the overnight trip on the boat. I didn't want to sleep on the boat because one of the boats sank and a few people died. Eek! But freak accidents do happen but they are not frequent. We took a minibus with 30 people total to go to the dock to board the little boats to get to the big boat. While in the bus, we all introduced ourselves and said a little tidbit about ourselves. I mentioned that I didn't know how to swim and I didn't think if tonight was gonna be a good idea. Everyone was like, "Uh...what are you doing here!? You know you're gonna be a boat, right?" hahah Yes, yes I did, but I guess I'm a risk taker!
We get on a big boat, eat some lunch, and then get paired up and assigned to rooms. Some people were couples or friends so they roomed together, but there were loners like me who didn't have a partner. I ended up rooming with a girl from Ireland named Eimear (pronounced ee-ma, yeah, those Irish people have a messed up language, haha, just kidding!). She was really sweet. So sweet that I was OK with sharing a bed with her.
After lunch, there was some picture taking of the beautiful scenery from the top deck, some swimming by the swimmers, some activities with the longest beer bong known to man, sea kayaking, cave exploring, and lagooning. Halong Bay is full of limestone rock formations varying in size and shape. It is such an amazing sight, and when we were there, it was very misty, so that definitely added to the mystique and mystery of this fairy tale place.
We went kayaking and I was so scared to be so close to the water! The kayak gets all up in there. Thank goodness it was a two-person kayak. I went with David and we were a pretty good team. At least I think so! He probably thought I was a weakling because at times he would say, "Just stop paddling." haha I thought I was doing OK! We went to a cave that is rarely visited by tourists (or so we were told) and it led to a lagoon. Some people went swimming in the lagoon. It looked beautiful! I wish I could swim =( Then we headed back to the big boat. David and I were one of the first pairs to arrive. It was beginning to get dark and as David and I were paddling, I saw the water light up. I excitedly asked David, "Did you see that??" and he's like, "What?" and I said, "THE WATER! It lights up when you hit it!" and then he witnessed it. So cool. Then later, I heard the group leader yell to us to look at the phosphorescence of the water. That's what it was! I thought the Vietnamese people dumped a crapload of food coloring into the bay. hahah
That night, we had the boat party and it was pretty fun. Well, we had dinner first, and then we played some quick drinking games, and then a massive game of King's Cup/Ring of Fire, except there was no Cup and no Ring but there was like 50,000 decks of cards in this game. We actually had 2 games going on simultaneously because if we didn't, you'd have to wait forever for your turn. This game was unlike any other game I've ever played. Usually, when I play different versions of it, there are lots of similarities, but this one was beyond different. There were rules like Confession where you had to confess something and everyone had to decide whether or not it was an extreme enough confession, if not, you had to drink. Some people confessed things like, "My dad introduced me to his friend and then I ended up having an affair with him." Scandalous."I had sex with my best friend's sister and he doesn't know about it." Uh, OK. Brian said, "I kissed a girl and I liked it." haha That was his pretend confession; he said something else afterwards. I'm SO glad I didn't pick the confession card! There was another one called Troll where you had to go under the tables and stay there until the next Troll card was picked. While you were under there, you could tap on anyone's leg and they'd have to give you a sip of their drink. There was another rule where you had to switch one article of clothing with the person of the opposite sex to the left of you. There were many other really fun rules. After the drinking games, we had a dance party. The whole night was just so much fun. Halong Bay was the perfect backdrop for all the festivities.
The next morning, we had an early wake-up call and breakfast. We get to the dock, get off the boat, and onto the minibus on our way back to the hostel. We get back to our hostel and then for dinner, we ended up having a delicious hot pot dinner with a Canadian guy I started speaking to at the computer station. It was so good and the portion was so large that it probably could've fed a small village.
I had my flight to Kuala Lumpur the next day. I love Vietnam but it was time to explore another country! So the next day, the boys and I headed to the Hoa Lo Prison (where John McCain was a POW during the Vietnam War!) and a random temple. I wanted to go to the Ho Chi Minh Mauseoleum, but I didn't end up going. Maybe next time!
So...I missed my flight to Malaysia. I misjudged how far the airport was and the time it took to get there, so I went to Malaysia Airlines' headquarters to book a new ticket and then back to the Hanoi Backpacker Hostel and requested to be in the same dorm room as Brian and David. They were surprised to see me! That night, I went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Show via my first ride in a rickshaw. The show was OK...not really my kind of thing, but I had heard that in Hanoi, you just HAVE TO go see a water puppet show. I think the artistry and skill needed to perform the show is cool, but the "orchestra" so to speak was not giving off a good vibe. I know they are just supplying the music and your eyes should be focused on the puppets, but they were sitting to the side in plain sight. They should at least put some effort into showing that they enjoy what they're doing, or fake it! The next day, I didn't go anywhere. I stayed at the hostel until it was time to leave for the airport. I went to the airport early to avoid missing my flight AGAIN!
MARCH ON
major rewind part III
First off, SORRY about my blog - I just don't wanna put in the time and effort to format it correctly. It's a bit annoying though because I hate looking at it when it's not neat, but I guess I just won't look at it. Or I'll fix it later. (EDIT: it's been FIXED!!)
March
The Korean school year starts March 1st, so....I was back to school! My 2nd graders became my 3rd graders, my 1st graders became my 2nd graders, and my 3rd graders were long gone. It was nice to see my new 2nd graders though because I didn't get to see them much during the previous school year. My new 3rd graders were still brats for the most part, especially the boys. The girls were a lot better, of course.
I finished teaching on March 25th and all my students were so sad! Well, the ones that actually liked me, anyway. They were saying, "Don't go! Why go America? Good teacher! No go!" Some of them even gave me gifts and letters! They're such sweethearts. I do miss my good students.
Damyang with the Girls
Okailey, Sonia, Shirlen, and I went to the Damyang Bamboo Forest because Shirlen had never been there before and there is nothing else to do when visitors come to Gwangju. We had a pleasant stroll through the beautiful greenness and I just enjoyed spending time with the girls before I left Korea for good!
Ann's Birthday // My Last Weekend in Gwangju
Amidst the routine nights-out in Downtown Gwangju, we had a night out for Ann Lau's birthday, which also happened to be my last weekend in Gwangju. Actually, I planned it that way. I wanted to be in Gwangju to celebrate her birthday, so I stayed a few days longer. It worked out great though because I was able to stay in my own apartment - I originally thought I had to sleep over at a friend's.
For Ann Lau's birthday, we went to that famous outdoor galbi restaurant again but it had remodeled drastically and the menu wasn't even the same. It was a completely different restaurant, haha. But we ate there anyway! Then we went to German Bar and Soul Train, y'know, the regular spots. I had such an amazing time just being around all the friends that I had made in that short year I was in Korea. I am so so grateful to have met them. They all really do have a unique place in my heart. They made my experience in Korea that much better than if I didn't make any friends at all. I definitely made some friends for life.
Jirisan
Maggie is definitely one of the friends that I met while in Korea that I will keep for life. She is such a sweetheart and I love her to death! I asked her to go hike Jirisan with me. I had never been there before and I love me some hiking, so I really wanted to get in one more mountain before I left Korea. I didn't do as many peaks as I would've liked, but it's OK! I actually lost all my Jirisan photos - I don't know where they all went!!! So, now I must steal Maggie's photos.
Then, after all this fun stuff, I packed up my things and left my tiny apartment. It was the 2nd time my place was actually CLEAN. The first time was when I moved in.
First off, SORRY about my blog - I just don't wanna put in the time and effort to format it correctly. It's a bit annoying though because I hate looking at it when it's not neat, but I guess I just won't look at it. Or I'll fix it later. (EDIT: it's been FIXED!!)
March
The Korean school year starts March 1st, so....I was back to school! My 2nd graders became my 3rd graders, my 1st graders became my 2nd graders, and my 3rd graders were long gone. It was nice to see my new 2nd graders though because I didn't get to see them much during the previous school year. My new 3rd graders were still brats for the most part, especially the boys. The girls were a lot better, of course.
I finished teaching on March 25th and all my students were so sad! Well, the ones that actually liked me, anyway. They were saying, "Don't go! Why go America? Good teacher! No go!" Some of them even gave me gifts and letters! They're such sweethearts. I do miss my good students.
Okailey, Sonia, Shirlen, and I went to the Damyang Bamboo Forest because Shirlen had never been there before and there is nothing else to do when visitors come to Gwangju. We had a pleasant stroll through the beautiful greenness and I just enjoyed spending time with the girls before I left Korea for good!
Amidst the routine nights-out in Downtown Gwangju, we had a night out for Ann Lau's birthday, which also happened to be my last weekend in Gwangju. Actually, I planned it that way. I wanted to be in Gwangju to celebrate her birthday, so I stayed a few days longer. It worked out great though because I was able to stay in my own apartment - I originally thought I had to sleep over at a friend's.
For Ann Lau's birthday, we went to that famous outdoor galbi restaurant again but it had remodeled drastically and the menu wasn't even the same. It was a completely different restaurant, haha. But we ate there anyway! Then we went to German Bar and Soul Train, y'know, the regular spots. I had such an amazing time just being around all the friends that I had made in that short year I was in Korea. I am so so grateful to have met them. They all really do have a unique place in my heart. They made my experience in Korea that much better than if I didn't make any friends at all. I definitely made some friends for life.
Maggie is definitely one of the friends that I met while in Korea that I will keep for life. She is such a sweetheart and I love her to death! I asked her to go hike Jirisan with me. I had never been there before and I love me some hiking, so I really wanted to get in one more mountain before I left Korea. I didn't do as many peaks as I would've liked, but it's OK! I actually lost all my Jirisan photos - I don't know where they all went!!! So, now I must steal Maggie's photos.
Then, after all this fun stuff, I packed up my things and left my tiny apartment. It was the 2nd time my place was actually CLEAN. The first time was when I moved in.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
FEBRUARY
major rewind part II
I never wrote about winter, did I? Well, it snows a bunch in Korea! Leading up to these snowy days, I was so anxious about it. I've never lived anywhere where it snows on a regular basis (I remember it snowed in LA once for 5 minutes but it melted as soon as it hit the ground). I didn't know what to do, how to prepare - what kinda clothes do you wear? Do you wear special pants? How many layers?? Do I carry an umbrella? So many questions and many purchases later, I was so prepared for the snow! I ended up really liking it except for the wearing-so-many-clothes part. I'm from LA - all I wanna wear is a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals, but during winter, I had to wear leggings, pants, socks, boots, many layers of shirts (long-sleeved!), a coat, a scarf, and a hat. Way tooo much!! The worst part is when the fluffy snow becomes ice. It becomes so dangerous to walk on. However, I survived and never once did I fall. Many times I slid and almost fell, but I always stayed on my feet. That's quite an accomplishment, in my opinion!
What did I do in February??
Okailey and I took a day trip to Mokpo! I had never been to Mokpo before, so we decided on a whim to go. We went to the Natural History Museum and to Gatbawi (some rocks that are said to look like different things...a father and son, 2 woman, etc etc). We finished our day by getting some BBQ!
I went back to America for a week for my sister's wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding ever, and that's just my unbiased opinion. My sister looked stunning in her gown and everything seemed to go so smoothly. The wedding party had to do a little dance too. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous. For my sister and new bro-in-law's first dance, they did a normal slow dance to a Michael Buble song and then in the middle of the song, it scratched to Usher's "DJ Got Us Falling In Love" and they did a little hip hop routine choreographed by yours truly. It was so good!
I celebrated my 24th birthday with some friends. It was a relaxed night. Had galbi at the famous outdoor galbi restaurant in Downtown, went to Soul Train, and Bubble Bar. Bubble Bar was empty, so it was actually tolerable to be in there. In the photos, you can see I'm wearing a pink tiara. This is the birthday tiara that is passed on from bday girl/boy to the next!
Sonia and I finally went to the 5.18 Cemetery. On May 18, 1980, there was an uprising in Gwangju to defend democracy against the government. Many people were hurt or injured in these protests.
Sonia and I went to the Trick Art exhibition at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Sangmu-dong. There were lots of cool works there! I even ran into a couple of my students also enjoying the fun artwork.
My 3rd graders graduated :( Onto high school where they will forget about me. They already have :`(
February is my favorite month. Too bad it's the shortest.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
SEEING VIETNAM
major rewind
So...there is a huge chunk missing out of this blog...about 5 months worth. The reason for this is because I had laser eye surgery (in Korea) and was told to stay away from the computer (and TV and alcohol and reading and a whole bunch of other things) for about a week. I thought that I was signing up for LASIK with an 'i' but in fact, I had gotten LASEK with an 'e'. The Korean pronunciation is just so similar and I thought for sure I was getting LASIK, no doubt about it. With LASIK, you are able to see the next day. When the next day came for me, I was still blind. So I thought, maybe tomorrow. Nope. Maybe at the end of the week? No siree Bob. I was back at the doctor's for my week check up and I asked him why my vision was still unclear when all my other friends were 100% 20/20. He told me that they had a different procedure and that was when I learned I had gotten LASEK. And that is when I started bawling hysterically at the doctor's. And that is when the doctor got really uncomfortable. And that is the last time I ever saw him again. After that, my check ups were with another doctor. Makes me laugh, haha.
The recovery time for LASEK is 3-weeks (for OK vision) and 3 months for full recovery. The latter has increased whenever I asked the doctor and it was extended to 6 months. It has now been a little over 6 months since I've had my surgery and my vision is pretty good. It is definitely a significant improvement from my vision before, but at night/in the dark, my vision is subpar. I hope it gets even better has time goes by.
So, back to the waterworks - why did I cry? It was because I was scheduled to go to Vietnam for vacation and I wanted to SEE where I was going. I was debating whether or not to cancel my trip, but I thought about it and decided to go anyway. I was to go 2 weeks after I had my surgery and my vision had improved, but it was still blurry. It definitely changed my first Vietnam trip but I still had a great time, even if I couldn't try the alcohol :(
I went with Margaret, Amanda, and Ramsey. Margaret and I were there for about 2 weeks, whereas the other two left after a week. We had a ton of fun!
Here's a quick overview of what we did in Vietnam:
Day 1:
I arrived very very very late at night, I think it was about 2am? I think I was supposed to arrive at midnight, but I didn't step out of the airport until about 2 or 3am. I can't remember, but it was definitely VERY late and VERY dark. I had no idea where I was going and I left the airport to see Ramsey there waiting for me! That was quite a surprise. The first thing he said was, "You're late." haha Woops. I didn't know anyone was coming to get me! Good thing he did because the hostel had a closing time (he had asked earlier on in the day), so he thought it was best to come get me so they would open the door for us when we knocked. So, I get into the room with Amanda and Margaret and it's maybe 330am. I get into bed with Margaret, kinda wake both of them up, and then I was informed of an 8am tour they had signed us up for for "tomorrow"/today. Ahh! No sleep for me! But it's OK because I didn't go to Vietnam to sleep.
We went to the Cu Chi tunnels which were used by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War (or American War, depending on where you're from) to hide from the American soldiers. It was a really educational experience. It's so crazy how the Vietnamese people could dig these tunnels with their hands and have them not collapse on them while they lived underground for years. There are miles and miles and miles of these tunnels. It was a community underground - kitchens, honeymoon rooms, bedrooms, etc. It took a lot of ingenuity to create these tunnels. Don't let that photo above fool you. This specific tunnel I am in was widened especially for us fat tourists. The real tunnels were actually probably half the size.
After the Cu Chi Tunnels, we headed back to Saigon and went to the War Remnants Museum, which is probably my favorite spot in Saigon. This was so educational and was just so powerful. The images of the effects of Agent Orange were so poignant and were really difficult to look at. However, the Museum is definitely a place that I highly recommend visiting.
Days 2&3:
We spent these days on a tour of the Mekong Delta, the floating market, and we also opted to do a homestay. It was an amazing experience. We went to a few different islands. At one, we tried some tea, very nice. At another island, we got some coconut candy. Yum. We also had the chance to try some snake wine. It was disgusting! Then we got to go on a little rowboat down a tree-lined part of the delta. It was a short ride but it was cool. We also got to see the process of making noodles. At the floating market (which is REALLY huge!), I bought a batch of baby bananas from a little boy selling them from his little motorboat to our larger boat. They sell fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Some of the vendor boats were huge and they threw all of their trash into the water. Yuck.
At the homestay, we had an diverse group of people. The biggest hit of the night was an old white man who could tell your future via Chinese tarot cards(?). I didn't get the chance to have my fortune told because he was just so popular. We stayed in little huts equipped with a mosquito net, geckos, and newspaper wallpaper. Fancy. While laying in bed, I saw my first firefly! So exciting!
So...there is a huge chunk missing out of this blog...about 5 months worth. The reason for this is because I had laser eye surgery (in Korea) and was told to stay away from the computer (and TV and alcohol and reading and a whole bunch of other things) for about a week. I thought that I was signing up for LASIK with an 'i' but in fact, I had gotten LASEK with an 'e'. The Korean pronunciation is just so similar and I thought for sure I was getting LASIK, no doubt about it. With LASIK, you are able to see the next day. When the next day came for me, I was still blind. So I thought, maybe tomorrow. Nope. Maybe at the end of the week? No siree Bob. I was back at the doctor's for my week check up and I asked him why my vision was still unclear when all my other friends were 100% 20/20. He told me that they had a different procedure and that was when I learned I had gotten LASEK. And that is when I started bawling hysterically at the doctor's. And that is when the doctor got really uncomfortable. And that is the last time I ever saw him again. After that, my check ups were with another doctor. Makes me laugh, haha.
The recovery time for LASEK is 3-weeks (for OK vision) and 3 months for full recovery. The latter has increased whenever I asked the doctor and it was extended to 6 months. It has now been a little over 6 months since I've had my surgery and my vision is pretty good. It is definitely a significant improvement from my vision before, but at night/in the dark, my vision is subpar. I hope it gets even better has time goes by.
So, back to the waterworks - why did I cry? It was because I was scheduled to go to Vietnam for vacation and I wanted to SEE where I was going. I was debating whether or not to cancel my trip, but I thought about it and decided to go anyway. I was to go 2 weeks after I had my surgery and my vision had improved, but it was still blurry. It definitely changed my first Vietnam trip but I still had a great time, even if I couldn't try the alcohol :(
I went with Margaret, Amanda, and Ramsey. Margaret and I were there for about 2 weeks, whereas the other two left after a week. We had a ton of fun!
Here's a quick overview of what we did in Vietnam:
Day 1:
I arrived very very very late at night, I think it was about 2am? I think I was supposed to arrive at midnight, but I didn't step out of the airport until about 2 or 3am. I can't remember, but it was definitely VERY late and VERY dark. I had no idea where I was going and I left the airport to see Ramsey there waiting for me! That was quite a surprise. The first thing he said was, "You're late." haha Woops. I didn't know anyone was coming to get me! Good thing he did because the hostel had a closing time (he had asked earlier on in the day), so he thought it was best to come get me so they would open the door for us when we knocked. So, I get into the room with Amanda and Margaret and it's maybe 330am. I get into bed with Margaret, kinda wake both of them up, and then I was informed of an 8am tour they had signed us up for for "tomorrow"/today. Ahh! No sleep for me! But it's OK because I didn't go to Vietnam to sleep.
We went to the Cu Chi tunnels which were used by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War (or American War, depending on where you're from) to hide from the American soldiers. It was a really educational experience. It's so crazy how the Vietnamese people could dig these tunnels with their hands and have them not collapse on them while they lived underground for years. There are miles and miles and miles of these tunnels. It was a community underground - kitchens, honeymoon rooms, bedrooms, etc. It took a lot of ingenuity to create these tunnels. Don't let that photo above fool you. This specific tunnel I am in was widened especially for us fat tourists. The real tunnels were actually probably half the size.
After the Cu Chi Tunnels, we headed back to Saigon and went to the War Remnants Museum, which is probably my favorite spot in Saigon. This was so educational and was just so powerful. The images of the effects of Agent Orange were so poignant and were really difficult to look at. However, the Museum is definitely a place that I highly recommend visiting.
Days 2&3:
We spent these days on a tour of the Mekong Delta, the floating market, and we also opted to do a homestay. It was an amazing experience. We went to a few different islands. At one, we tried some tea, very nice. At another island, we got some coconut candy. Yum. We also had the chance to try some snake wine. It was disgusting! Then we got to go on a little rowboat down a tree-lined part of the delta. It was a short ride but it was cool. We also got to see the process of making noodles. At the floating market (which is REALLY huge!), I bought a batch of baby bananas from a little boy selling them from his little motorboat to our larger boat. They sell fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Some of the vendor boats were huge and they threw all of their trash into the water. Yuck.
At the homestay, we had an diverse group of people. The biggest hit of the night was an old white man who could tell your future via Chinese tarot cards(?). I didn't get the chance to have my fortune told because he was just so popular. We stayed in little huts equipped with a mosquito net, geckos, and newspaper wallpaper. Fancy. While laying in bed, I saw my first firefly! So exciting!
Days 4&5:
We all took the bus to Mui Ne for some beach time! We stayed at a 3 star resort. I would probably give it 3/5 stars so that's appropriate. The grounds were really nice, but our actual room wasn't. Maybe the OTHER rooms were nicer, they did look a bit better. Anyways, we didn't even lay on the beach. We hung out at the pool a little bit and then did things away from the beach. We went to the Fairy Stream, Red Rock Canyon, and some sand dunes. It was really nice and really red! haha We also went to multiple sand dunes. It was so difficult to climb to the top, but once you're up there, it was so windy, you could see the sand being blown off the peak.
After the sand dunes, Amanda and Ramsey left to go back to Korea. And then there were two.
Days ???
Margaret and I headed to Dalat, the city on the hill. The ride there was treacherous. I felt so sick because of the windy roads. It was a long ride, I think it was like 4 or 5 hours. Horrible. I didn't expect much from Dalat, but it ended up being a pleasant surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, even though the food was not all that impressive. While we were in Dalat, we signed up for lots of tours because you can't really do things by yourself. Everything seemed to be down in the valley and not on the top of the mountain where we were. The first tour we went on, we went on a cable car ride, went to see some flowers, went to a waterfall, saw a Vietnamese cowboy, went to Bao Dai's Summer Palace, dressed up like Vietnamese princesses, went to the Valley of Love, to see some amazing silk embroidery artwork, and went to see the largest Buddha statue in the city. It was a successful and tiring day. Then for dinner, we had the worst meal ever. Ugh.
The next day, we went to another flower garden (Dalat is the largest producer/exporter of flowers in Vietnam), some lake whose name I forget, the Crazy House, another waterfall, to see the "Magic Table" (not very magical), and to another flower farm. After the tour, we went on a search for che lau (dessert!) and I finally found it after I was told that they don't have it the previous day. It was different than what I was used to, but still good. Then Margaret and I just walked around and explored the city and the market.
The following day, we did our separate things. Margaret went canyoning. I opted out because I had already gone canyoning when I was in Switzerland and I also didn't wanna do anything to mess up my eyeballs. I ended up going on a customized tour to the French District, the Linh Phuoc temple (my favorite place in Dalat!), coffee plantations, another temple, Elephant Waterfall, a silk factory, and a flower plantation. I went on a motorbike with a guide and it was so much fun. Riding on the back of a motorcycle was my new obsession.
Days ???
After Mui Ne, we went to another beach town, Nha Trang. The weather wasn't good when we were there so we didn't get the chance to tan. So sad. We found other things to do though. We went to explore a temple, and we also took a boat trip where we were supposed to go to like 5 different islands, but I think we only went to maybe 2 or 3. We went to a traditional market, a stone church, and another temple with a
Cambodian style, Thap Ba Ponagar. Oh, we also went to get a mud bath. That was SO much fun!! I don't have any photos from it though.
Food in Nha Trang was amazing too. I think the restaurants we went to were a bit more expensive though because they were on the beach - Louisiane Brewhouse and the Sailing Club. We walked around on the last night and there was a bunch of Tet (Lunar New Year) decorations and festivities. There was a dragon dance and cat things all over! I was confused why there were cats because it's the year of the rat, but in Vietnam, there is no rat, it's a cat!
Days ?????
We then traveled to Saigon for the last days of our Vietnam stay. This was really the first days I was able to actually spend in Saigon whereas in the beginning, we were using it as a base to go on our little tours. This time, I actually got to walk around a bit. I went to the see the Ben Thanh Market (most of which was closed due to Tet), the post office, Notre Dame, the Reunification Palace, and Chinatown (District 5), which is where my Granny is from and had a hair salon. We ate at a Chinese restaurant and the people there spoke Cantonese! Wowza!
After a few days in Saigon, I was homeward bound to Gwangju.
Will have to update the rest of my Korea experience in installments. There's lots, but I think I will do an abridged version.
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