Oh, The Golden State Beckons
California, the Golden State, the 7th largest economy in the world, home to fields, mountains, cliffs, and the beckoning Pacific Ocean is home. You realize that certain brands, certain stores bring familiarity and comfort -- seeing Crystal Geyser and Arrowhead Water on the stores of California do just that. Glimpses of the Pacific Ocean (from this side) bring comfort as the rolling waves and crashing waves remind me that for the first 21 years of my life that was where I grew up.
Following graduation, the final partings, the final good byes in New York and DC I flew to San Francisco on a short trip before heading down to SoCal. As a child my family would visit Northern California, Stockton and San Francisco fairly regularly to visit family. In particular, visits always included a stroll through Chinatown as our parents shopped for salty sweet snacks and groceries while the children ran around. My brother, my cousin, and I would wander the streets, buying the stress balls you twirl in your hands or just looking into shops. Upon looking back, I realized I had not been to San Francisco for probably 10 years. This trip back evoked both memories and created new ones. I never recalled walking around Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, or the Golden Gate Park. The view of the city around Golden Gate Park is flat - which you can see from the tower of the De Young Museum. It is sort of strange as most of the rest of San Francisco is relatively hilly. The San Francisco trip was very lucky as SF tends to be very foggy during the summer time with the mist off the bay rolling in. However, my days there were sun filled and warm, a nice way to re enter the Golden State. SF is one of the few places in California I could return to and live (if a job ever arose) not because I dislike California, on the contrary I think it's a beautiful state and it is as I said home, rather I enjoy true cities not suburbs or sprawls. Los Angeles, in contrast to SF, is a large sprawl, neighborhoods people see on TV can only be reached by car and really are in various cities in LA county. With it brings a detachment. It's less true in SF, where we were quite amazed that while strolling through Golden Gate Park people would stop in their jogs to ask if we needed directions --- that you don't get in NYC or even the possibility in LA on the freeways.
As side trips, we also headed up to Napa as well as Mt. Lassen Volcanic Park for outings that included a little wine tasting as well as shorts hikes around the park. I always find it refreshing to leave cities for some fresh air, open skies, and trees. The lines of vineyards usually brings a smile to my face as do towering trees and mountains. Friends from other countries often marvel at the size of America and growing up here sometimes you take it for granted that such a diverse landscape (physical) exists in the country, with various temperatures, rock formations, forests, mountains that spand thousands of miles. The smaller town life seems more simple. In Chester, CA, people leave their doors unlocked, they'll heat you up some dinner even though they closed an hour before, and chat for hours as if there isn't a worry in the world. I marvel at that even as I fear that so much isolation brings a contentment and detachment. Not to say that one can't be content with life, but maybe it is just me that feels you should be driven towards something more. In any case, the Volcanic Park was beautiful even with its egg reeking sulfur fumes.
All in all a pleasant trip in between the end of school and the beginning of the "real world."
City of Lakes and Beyond
The next morning arrives to us sitting on our patio, eating a bite, and going over final logistics for the rest of the trip as we part ways two to Udaipur, two to stay in Mumbai. I now decide (now as I sit on the final trip back to NY that I really need to stop flying, it is making my body unhappy, and yes I know I have to fly again tomorrow --- but really really after this next one, I’ll stay put --- until end of May I think) Udaipur is the city of lakes, Lake Pinchola among others. Through a good friend, my teammate and I stayed at a girl’s hostel off in the suburbs of Udaipur. Being fed constantly and made to eat more fried goodness is not good on my stomach. The city is beautiful, the countryside even more so. Yes yes, I only had about 3 hours of sightseeing time in between the lethargic feelings of sleepiness, but the rural areas are beautiful. One of the days during my trip out to the rural areas to study rural development NGOs, we stumbled across the local festival with women in colorful saris arriving in trucks overloaded by people. A humbling and insightful experience even though I kept thinking (okay, if you’re a development person you’ll have read Robert Chambers and understand the term “development tourism”) that yes I was being a development tourist – merely parading through, talking to the better off and zooming off in our car. So in between meetings we did get a minute or two to see the Monsoon Palace and the City Palace which were/are lovely. I’ll have to go back for a longer sojourn, the same can be said for Delhi.
So Delhi, what can we say, it was nice, although I’d heard worse. It’s actually a very green city, not as brown as Udaipur, but the traffic is not good. But hey, for large portions of it I just felt like I was in LA traffic, not moving for 5 minute intervals. Once again, I had a few hours to run to the Red Fort, Dilli Haat, and the Qutab Minar before heading to the airport once again. However, it seems SIPA people are all over the world, hence it was great to meet up with a couple of folks who had graduated in SIPA in 2000 for dinner and drinks one of the nights, even better that she was working for a foundation we wanted to meet.
India, a vibrant country, stressful, but beautiful, I’ll have to go again and not run through areas in 3 hours before departing for the airport, as of now I’m in Seattle, heading back to NY, I can’t really handle another airplane, but hey, it’s the only way to get back to the East coast.
India Here I Am
Moto Photo
Oooh, India
Bzz, the sound of my phone receiving a text message at 8:20PM, EST. I am on the A train on the way to JFK catching a 10:30PM flight to Abu Dhabi and Mumbai. Like most EPD/SIPA functions, it looks like we’re all on the same train running late to the airport. No worries though, the line at Etihad (it means Patience, and only recently started flying to NY) is strangely short for this Thursday evening. What it means is that we are nicely spread out and have sufficient room to sleep. My teammate asks, “how can the airline survive?” to which my other teammate wisely replies, “oil.” Etihad is the national airline of the UAE, so perhaps they have other manners to sustain their company. J
A thrilling 6 and a half hour wait in Abu Dhabi is much too long, however observing those flying through this desert city is interesting. We chatted for a bit with the Ethiopian bartender who served us beer and assured us that Abu Dhabi was a wonderful place that gives respect to women. Sitting in the small terminal with little option to go anywhere else at 2 AM, we all observed the large swarms of Indonesian women who would periodically be called off to Dubai, Qatar, etc etc. It seems one staffing for the Middle East utilizing labour from Southeast Asia was in full force. (On the way back, the plane had a good contingent of South Asian men). The women were huddled together at the both time seeming fearful but excited for the possibilities the future holds. It is so common now, that no one blinks to see a long line of say 60 Indonesian women lining up at the same time for the cafeteria, then to the bathroom, and then back to the waiting area. The bathroom – so an interesting note, there is also a hall of Absolution next door to the bathroom – ie the Mosque and the Bathroom share the same “suite” if you will. It is a bit odd to see.
Another 4 hours later and we all arrive jetlagged in Mumbai, piling into a black and yellow taxi from the 1960s to be driven to the Dadar district and our hotel. The swarms of crowds and the slums semi close to the roadway gives an inkling of just how many people live in the area. Even better, just think 4 hours after I arrive in Mumbai and trying to not sleep, we head off for our first interview with Sanjay from IndianNGOs.com. To get there, the fastest way is the train – a crowded Indian train. No wonder no one cares about space issues, the train hasn’t even stopped yet, when the crowd starts surging pushing pushing pushing to cram themselves into the 2 inches that may open. I get somewhat lost from my 3 teammates – by 2 feet, enough to find myself in the middle of a group of men, but no worries, one was a decent fellow who chatted with me for the 40 minutes or so on the way to Thane. I kept waiting for him to proposition me, I mean that wouldn’t really be new would it? The rush off the train was no better, nor was the rush to find a rickshaw and ensure we arrived where we needed to. Thankfully, all worked out well. The dinner following was equally as humorous as I also fell asleep into my soup bowl. Well, to be fair, I fell asleep, passed out at 6PM when most Indians don’t even think about sleep, there we were, 3 of us sleeping at the table, two with their heads down, me with my head hanging, you know, the norm.
A Filler Post
To bridge some of the gap between the posts, I thought I'd write one detailing some of the more interesting bits of my last month in Asia.
After the somewhat excruciating 4 months stuck on the Disney island of Singapore, I departed back to Thailand to meet with old friends. A week of fun in the sun followed where I wandered around Bangkok, bought a few things, ate the wonderful Thai food and then sat on a beach near Krabi. Although huge polluters, the longtail boat that takes you from Ao Nang to Tonsai and Railay beach somehow fits the Thai beach landscape. Although some people complain about the frequency boat trips - that they run too often, I found there to be less boats than during my stay on Koh Phi Phi. Tonsai beach is known for its rock climbing, and that was certainly true to form as you look up at the majestic limestone cliffs to see hanging human beings in distorted positions (kind of like spiders or crabs) clinging for dear life. I have to say it's pretty impressive as both guys and gals had that fit, muscular, lean upper body look, so that they can pull themselves up - sometimes using pure arm muscles. I still remember the water, warm and calm, the kind you can just float on top of for hours even as it rains.
Following the lovely sojourn in Thailand. I met my family in Vietnam. Much eating followed. By much, I mean hordes --- and mostly seafood at that. Unfortunately, too much seafood means the potential for uncomfortable stomach conditions due to the consumption of shellfish. It was pretty inevitable, but worth it, one day of discomfort for all the great food is acceptable. The most amusing bit was the aghast look my brother and I were given when we walked to the beach in December to swim. We were bombarded with --- "What?? You can't swim, it's winter!" Yes, it is winter, but winter is about 72 degree F. Although the water was not very suitable for swimming as it was storm season and there were riptides there was plenty of sun. I still remember, Nam walking by with just his swim trunks as a family of 4 were bundled in hats, coats, sweaters and scarves. I think the Vietnamese also like holidays for the sheer sake of holidays. Although Vietnam has a large Catholic community, the hordes that turned out for Christmas Eve was ridiculous --- people taking photos at the cathedral with the Last Supper Mural, the biblical story ---- starting from Adam and Eve -- I don't know how long that lasted. It was amusing in any case.
For all the glorified trappings of life in the big city, with the barrage of motobikes, the countryside is beautiful albeit very poor. We went out to find our old ancestral home in Thai Binh, which we did. We saw the market and the road my great grandfather built, the pond they used to fish in and what is left of the house - a wall and a well. So much of it has changed, with more buildings and more families in the area. However, those who live there (extended, extended family members) are still poor with little to no running water while surviving on agriculture. There is something about the simplicity of life in a village that I cannot fathom anywhere else. It seems to bolster my ambition to one day have a house in the city and a country retreat where I can relax and "escape from the world."
And that's all folks. Back in the Big Apple, with its cold weather, abrasive Americans, and the comforts of family, friends, and familiarity.
And so we return home
May 19th was the beginning, the 29th of December the end of the journey. A little over seven months after I flew off to Asia, the adventure ends with one last trip to Vietnam.
Departing Singpare on December 8th, I flew into Bangkok for a few days of shopping and meeting up with old friends. I also managed to squeeze in a much needed beach trip to Railay Beach, Krabi before meeting my family in Vietnam.
2 weeks of family traveling followed charting the following course: Saigon - Vung Tau - Phan Rang - Nha Trang - Ha Noi - Thai Binh - Chua Huong - Vinh Ha Long. Along the way I encountered the frenetic Vietnamese traffic, the hustle and bustle of the people, the officiousness of government workers, the beauty of the landscape, and the deep deep roots of family. It proved to be the last and fitting hurrah to the long journey. I look forward to being semi situated for longer than a 2 month period and seeing old friends but I will miss Asia. Its imperfections and potential for growth are exhilarating, drawing crowds and people to soak in the culture for all that is good and bad. I hope to be back soon.
Final Photos:
Part I,
Part II
Thanksgiving in Another Land
Thanksgiving, the all American holiday with its gargantuan feast and football. Seeing as I'll be missing the entire holiday season in the states and will only be arriving back in New York for the cold without the festivities I felt a bit of an urge to take the day off and "celebrate." It turned out to be pretty nice even as monsoon season here means that the afternoon is filled with rain, thunder, and lightning. Following a nice jaunt in the Singaporean Botanical Gardens famous for its Orchid Garden, I had a nice traditional Thanksgiving dinner at the Fullerton Hotel. (Keep in mind, I never do traditional, except maybe once a long long time ago) But it was quite nice, even though I had to call around Singapore trying to find the few places that had Turkey. :-)
A few photos:
Sorry, I realized I don't have actual photos of the meal. So, as the time in Singapore draws to a close (I have about 2 weeks left) I thought I'd reflect a little on the whole experience. The last few weeks I've felt less "hate" towards the island, it is what it is. It has its gardens, which are beautiful, its entertainment at night, and its great location. As a dear friend put it when asked about Singapore's good points the answer speaks volumes: "Well, what did you do for Fall break? I was in Cambodia." You can escape, jump on an airplane and fly to Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines for about 90 dollars roundtrip, 90 dollars in the US gets you from New York to DC, maybe. (I mean on a plane and not the Chinatown Express) For all the complaining, I am glad that I came, and pass off the Singaporean quirks as uniquely Singapore where the motto is, "No need for words."
A Whirlwind Trip Back to CA
Following 6 months of self imposed exile in Asia, I headed back to Southern California for Jennifer and Danny's wedding. Yes, after all this time, all the waiting, it's official. I was only in California for 2 days but had a bit of time to catch up with some friends and spend some time with my family. Also, thank you to Jennifer for picking pretty dresses that actually fit! Anyhow, some photos to tide you over.
And We're Back
So, October, has been notably quiet from this end. Mainly because I haven't gone anywhere. It is, however, a month of holidays including the mid-Autumn Festival, Divali, and Hari Raya. I wandered abouts Singapore attending the various events as well as ventured over to the Asian Civilizations Museum. Oh yes, quite a lot of culture. In any case, I'll just fill this post with some photos for your enjoyment.
