Beijing Olympic-Mania!

Hi All,

I've been super behind on posting!! I'm currently in Taiwan enjoying a wonderful lazy Friday afternoon in this quaint cafe called Green Stair Cafe. I will write about that in a few moments. But a quick update on me, since late July, I have quit my job and traveled to..... Cambodia and Thailand -->

Cambodia: sunrises at Angkor Wat, chilling on top of temples, meeting travelers around the world, taking pictures with monks, reenacting scenes from Tomb Raider...;

Thailand: Ladyboys cabaret show, elephant riding, chiangmai nightmarkets, and snorkelling and beaching in ko phi phi and krabi ...

Alas, SE asia will have to be another hindsight post....

....made a quick stop in Shanghai, and celebrated and partied like no other for the Beijing Olympics 2008 (three words: Heinekin Dutch House!). In Asia, everyday is eventful. :)


Olympics 2008 --- Quick Brief --- 8/22/08

In the mere 3 weeks that I was away traveling, Beijing has changed yet again...

There were flower bouquets on every corner of the streets. China flags hung proudly on every store. New subway lines opened up (line 10 and line 8) and people actually lined up to get in the trains! (for those who have been to Beijing in the past, this is definitely news) Volunteer booths were set up on every major corner, with blue uniformed volunteers ready to help tourists at any moment. In fact, a friend of mine told me that when she arrived to Beijing, a volunteer helped carry her bag all the way to her place in the pouring rain... isn't that nuts?! Anyway... now to the more sensitive topics...

Quick note on my views of the Olympics? It's awesome! Take this from someone who was actually in Beijing during the Olympics. Yes, it's ashamed that the young girl at the opening ceremony was lip syncing (but don't Britney Spears and all these other pop singers do that these days?). As for the fireworks? They are real, trust me -- I watched the opening ceremony at my friend's apartment right next to the bird's nest... it was amazing! Really, even if the picture was slightly photoshopped, western photographers are not excluded from this process. The opening ceremony was incredible (the blocks moving simultaneously by people, forming Chinese characters... you can't deny that it's pretty sweet!). No, the Chinese government did not pay people to attend the events (I attended many of the sporting events)-- lots of ppl want to go to the events just because. Chinese gymnastic girls look too young? Maybe, but Asian people look young in general. Even if that's the case, they are still great athletes.

Media tend to always over-exaggerate issues -- sensationalism attracts readers, remember that. China is obviously not perfect and need to improve in many aspects. People should however stop nitpicking China and realize that China has in the end done a great job in hosting the Olympics and has achieved the goal of bringing athletes and people around the world together for the celebration of sports. As a resident of Beijing for the past two years, I can vouch for the fact that in many ways, Beijing has become a better and more accessible city because of the Olympics.

For sporting events, who do I cheer? Of course both U.S.A. and China! All I have to say is, Michael Phelps is AMAZING! I don't think he is quite human -- he probably has gills growing somewhere. :P And of course, I love Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson ... go U.S.A.!

Though sad that I couldn't get tickets to the coveted swimming/diving and gymnastic events, I was also quite lucky to have attended 6 Olympic events in Beijing:

Boxing, Rowing, Women's Handball, Field Hockey, Women's Volleyball, and Track and Field.

My favorite? Women's handball, surprisingly. It is actually a really fun sport to watch...kind of a cross between hockey and football... very violent and awesome!


Oh yea, I just noticed that I never posted an entry I wrote awhile back in April. Since it is the Olympics period, it's a good time to post this entry.

For post on tibet issue, please look at 4/18/08 entry. Thanks!

A Moment of Silence for Sichuan Earthquake Victims -- May 19, 2008 (2:28 pm)

I'm sure many of you have read about the terrible earthquake that struck Wenchuan county in Sichuan Province on May 12th. The death toll is rising at an exponential rate, a figure that could reach 50,000 people. The earthquake had destroyed countless homes, roads and schools. The historical Dujianyan dam is nothing but rubble. Many residents have gathered their belongings, camping and sleeping outside on the streets, in fear of the earthquake's aftershocks. As relief efforts poured in the region, landslides and floods posed as additional threats to operation efforts.

I was at work in Beijing at the time of the earthquake. The magnitude of the small earthquake in Beijing was small, but I felt dizzy from the sway of the building. I consider myself lucky that I did not need to evacuate the building or face such a terrible earthquake such as the one in Sichuan. One of my coworkers family was in Sichuan but luckily her family survived the disaster.

As I contemplated about the impacts of the earthquake, two things came to mind today. It really has been such an eventful and crazy year for China, starting off with the Tibet conflict, the Olympic torch protests, Carrefour riots, and now earthquake/natural disasters. What struck me the most with the earthquake event (and to some extent the other events as well), was how the Chinese people came together as a unified whole. Compared to people from other Asian countries, Chinese people in some ways are much more individualistic and less cohesive as a whole, which was why I am very impressed on how Chinese people actually came together for this cause. Also, I am really surprised and impressed on the donation efforts by the average Chinese folk (as for the very rich people? I still think they can do a better job!). I mean, donating money for a cause is not something that really comes naturally for Chinese people (Chinese people are practical, heck why would they give away their own money if they don't get something out of it?). Yet in this earthquake relief efforts, I see Chinese people of all ages and backgrounds digging deep into their pockets to contribute to medical and food supplies in the affected region.

The second thing I want to mention was the national moment of silence that happened this afternoon, a week after the earthquake. It really was quite a sight. My co-workers and I, as well as the 1.3 billion Chinese people stood still in silence to honor the earthquake victims. Beijing's busy traffic stopped, with horns honking in solidarity. A 3 day national holiday, a mourning to the victims, has been declared. The whole nation has reaffirmed its commitment to stand united. And I was there to witness it all.

Chinese Nationalism... in the office (interesting tidbit on the recent Tibet issues)
4/18/08
I know many of you after reading the title of this post probably would like me to report or comment on some kind of breaking news about Tibet -- maybe something about the government's heavy handed action on the situation, issues of censorship, or about that recent news of the Chinese girl in the U.S. being verbally attacked as being a traitor. I won't be talking about these issues in this post. I think any analytical person would realized that media in both the West and in China are completely biased in their own ways and that he/she should take these news sources with a grain of salt , especially since there is still much speculation and sensationalism on what had actually happened. What is interesting to me is how the issue of Tibet can invoke nationalism among Chinese people (no matter what their background is) both domestically and abroad.


Yesterday during lunch, my director brought up the issue of Tibet at the office. She told us that she was invited to a convention where there were journalists and others who trailed off from the subject of the conference and were blasting on about the Tibet issue. She and the 4 other Chinese people felt so uncomfortable, having foreigners attacking their country. Immediately, several people in the office were talking about how the Dalai Llama was a "splittist" (which is not a word btw) and that he is to be blamed and how China should be united, of course going at length at how historically Tibet has been part of China. I found these comments pretty surprising. Being that we are an NGO, I was expecting a more critical response towards the government on the Tibet issue. I guess nationalism affects all fields, and people view attacks on China as personal attacks.

My perspective?
The reality is, the Dalai llama is losing his influence politically. He is old and I'm assuming he probably wants to go back to Tibet. There is a ideological divide between the younger generation of Tibetans/"independent" advocates and how he is feeling now. Heck, even if he goes back to Tibet, the llamas there might not want him back. Placing blame is never the proper way of dealing with things. It's complicated, but I think people should cut the old man some slack. As for the Western countries, I think many people jump to conclusions too quickly, or are just waiting for an opportunity to attack China. I also think that there are too many "Free Tibet" advocates out there who don't know the issues and is doing it because it's trendy to do so. Don't jump on the bandwagon because everybody's doing it (that includes the Obama bandwagon)-- study the issues and get your facts straight, or else you will give your group a bad rep.

I think its really hard for people to change their fixed views. But the important part is, at least be opened to listen views on both sides.

Last thought: Do I think that Olympics and Politics should be separate? Yes! The Olympics is a sporting event and is supposed to bring people from different countries together. I think its about time that the Olympics is held in China, one of the most important countries and most populous country in the world. At least give China a chance to improve.

Hello everyone! Seems like the last time I updated this blog was over a year ago, hence, an entry is long overdue!

I have taken many amazing trips since my February trip to Sichuan and Yunnan. Alone in May 2007, I traveled to Nepal, Tibet and South Korea. The beginning of December was my first cruise trip to the carribbean -- hitting up Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. In early February 2008, I hopped along many cities in the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and LA. Last month in March 2008, I went to Taiwan for the elections hype. I am now back in Beijing for work and will be here for the Beijing Olympics 2008. I thank my lucky stars every day that I have the opportunity to travel to so many places at this young age of 23. It is an exciting time to be here in Asia, especially China. I'm glad to be back!

Working life in Beijing is very different than my cushy Fulbright research experience last year. Now I finally understand the woes of working life. Seriously, when I get home, all I want to do is sit and vegetate on the couch while watching reruns of amazing race or house, or some tv series about the cultural revolution. Hopefully by next week, I can incorporate some exercise (dance or yoga) into my daily monotonous routine.

I also hope to travel to a couple more places before law school starts in the fall. On top of my list? Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Maybe Yunnan again, or Qingdao? We'll see. I will post picture tidbits from previous trips soon!

Stay tuned. :)

Sichuan & Yunnan Trip in February 2007~

Not surprisingly, it's been a long time since I have updated this blog. I'm currently in Nepal with my roommates and we plan to do an epic trip from Nepal to Tibet. This will include riding on elephants, watching rhinos and antelopes, and going through Mt Everest Base Camp then traveling through Lhasa. We'll be taking the train back to Beijing on May 11th (it is a 48 hr train ride) and I will post pics after I come back.

Jiuzhaigou -- Sichuan Province
- a beautiful national park that is known for its 5 colored lakes... absolutely gorgeous!

Home of a Tibetan family that we stayed at Jiuzhaigou

My epic trip to Lijiang! Yunnan Province

Alleyway in Lijiang, Yunnan Province


Rooftops of Lijiang

Night scene in Lijiang

Here I am in Shi Lin (stone forest) at Kunming, Yunnan Province. Of course, I had to pose on top of the rocks!




Chinese New Years Eve at Kunming. Fireworks are legal -- I look pretty cool here.

Trekking to our treehouse at Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province

Elephants on the way!

Our Swiss family Robinson-esque treehouses
Floating down the Mekong River...very slowly...


Biking out to a dai rice patty in Xishuangbanna!

Xinjiang Part II

...once again, i apologize for the very late Xinjiang part 2 update update on my blog (i started on November 19th but finished it today on December 15). The trend right now seems to be an update once a month -- i will try my best to change this habit! In any case, this is a massive picture entry!

Day 5 (10/3) Touring of Kashgar: Kashgar, by far my favorite city in Xinjiang, is truly a place with a lot of character. When you come here, you can see how fast the city is modernizing, yet you can feel a strong presence of the past. Visiting places such as the Old City of Kashgar made me feel like I was in a different era. Kashgar's history is a cultural blend between Chinese, Middle-Eastern, and Islamic influences and this is clearly evident in its architecture, remaining cultural relics, and the lifestyle its residents lead today.

Xiangfei Tomb -- tomb of a Qing dynasty emperor's concubine. She was a Xinjiang native and a favorite among the emperor's concubines. supposedly she smelled very nice...hence received the name "xiangfei"

Old City of Kashgar

these kids are so cute and friendly! they love getting their pictures taken and saying hello to strangers. i do however question the hygiene of these kids....

Mosque in Kashgar after prayer time

Two kids on a scooter bike without seat belts? Enough said.

Day 6 (10/4) Turpan -- is the deepest and hottest depression in China. But we came at the right time -- the temperature was perfect!

Original Xinjiang dance made my night!


Huge Mao statue in Turpan. Clearly living in China has turned certain people into communists.... jk :P


Day 7 (10/5) Turpan: This was a busy day. First, we went to a Uygher village first, which happened to have the most wonderful raisins ever. We also hiked on a route that led us to an ancient buddha cave. Unfortunately much of the buddha cave paintings were destroyed when Islam took over Turpan in the 13th century. But still, it was quite a sight!

2nd destination: "Flaming Mountains" of Turpan.... which was really not quite flaming that day....

Camels! and in the background, the crown/ monkey wand of Sun wu kong... the monkey king in the famous novel, Journey to the West



3rd destination: Biking to the Minaret -- absolutely gorgeous

....What followed afterwards was an awful 1.5 hr biking experience, which entails us getting lost and biking through a horrible dust storm. Needless to say, it sucked.

But that didn't stop us from going to our next destination....

4th destination: The Jiaohe ruins -- this city of ruins is definitely worth seeing. You would be amazed with how intricate city planning is back in the days.



Day 8 (10/6) Hiking around Heaven's Pool -- Tianchi. The last nature spot we hit up before going back to polluted Beijing. Nothing beats hiking on a brisk day!

my contemplative pose


Day 9 (10/7) We spent the last day in Urumqi, going to a british couple's mooncake party and looking at mummies in the provincial museum. All in all, it has been a wonderful trip and I would love to go back to Xinjiang again. Clear blue skies, sand dunes, and breath-taking lakes , who wouldn't go back? :)

Next on the trip list:

- Hainan Island

- Yunnan and Sichuan

- Tibet

- SE Asia

What can I say, this is the best year off of my life!

Xinjiang Part I (9/29/06- 10/7/06) -- A Post Long Overdue


Ugh I'm awful... haven't updated this blog in over a month.... but let me attempt to recall the details of the trip....

It's hard to believe that it has been over a month ago that I have embarked on one of the most amazing trips in my life. In this 10 day trip, I was enraptured by how culturally, ethnically, and geographically diverse Xinjiang was. As one of the western most province in China, Xinjiang incorporated many aspects that resembled Central Asia. The local people (Uygher, Tajiks, Krgyis, etc.) looked Middle Eastern, believed in Islam, and mastered the art of trade. Xinjiang's terrain also emcompassed the Taklamakan desert, the Tian Shan mountain ranges, Turpan (Tulufan), the hottest and deepest depression in China, and breath-taking lakes such as Lake Karakul and Heaven's Pool (Tianshi). With the help of our trusty guide book, the Lonely Planet, my aptmates and I rode camels through the desert, bargained at the Kashgar bazaar, biked through a dust storm, and even spent a night in a yurt! To sum it up, Xinjiang....back-packing style... with great music and delicious food....that's the way to do it!

Day 1 (9/29) Big Traveling Day: We left our apt at 6 am, flying from Beijing to Urumuqi, and from Urumqi to Kashgar.

Picture of me and April before we left

Our Middle Eastern Hostel!

Day 2 (9/30) Desert Trek: We hired a private driver for the day and drove about 4 hours out to the less-touristy desert. Though not exactly like the huge sand dunes in Lonely Planet, the sand dunes we saw were definitely worth the trip. The hairy camels made my day. Hayes now has an unhealthy obsession for camels. :)

Eating fresh nan for breakfast

My beautiful space cadet camel blocking my face... followed by hayes and her happy camel

Our camels wandering off... with two baby camels stuck between us!

Me, my "tour guide", and two zen-like camels

daniel (our german traveler buddy), april and me in this vast desert :P

Day 3 (10/1) Kashgar Sunday bazaar: This bazaar was the largest market in China -- traders from Central Asia, Pakistan, and nearby villages come to Kashgar to showcase their goods. We went nuts shopping for daggers and scarves. I even bought myself a carpet (though not made of real silk, for about $5...who cares!). These merchants are hard to bargain with though...heck, I'm not surprised... they had centuries of trading experience. Unfortunately we missed the livestock market....but it was still a worthwhile trip.

The lovely market

Unibrow!

Day 4 (10/2) Lake Karakul: This is probably my favorite part of the trip. We had a wonderful Uygher jolly cab driver who drove us from Lake Karakul from Kashgar in four hours.....much faster than what we expected.

We then decided to pay a little bit extra money to go to Tashkurgen -- the western most city in China. Most of the people were Tajiks and had a taller headdress and veil that differentiated them from the Uyghers and Hans. We visted an ancient forttress that was destroyed by an Afghan female general and her troops in the 13th century. I even bumped into a Cornell alum who was on his way to Pakistan in this unlikely city!

Tashkurgen
Before
After
View from ancient fortress
After a few hours, we drove back to Lake Karakul, listening to wonderful Xinjiang music, met some American travelers and stayed overnight in a yurt!

Sleeping in the yurt, with layers of lasagna-like blankets
Camel dung for heat!
The Family
Sunrise at Lake Karukal