China: New and Improved

Now with pole dancing classes!

I am The Spectacle

Today after sleeping a record 10 hours, I headed out of the hotel around noon and I was the main circus act all day. I'm not in the main part of the city, so I don't think they get many westerners out here. Their reactions would vary from cursory glances, shock (no kidding, someone gasped), to waving and "herro!"

I first noticed it when I was sitting eating dumplings. The scene was a little street shop, full of Chinese, and me. For an instant I could understand Chinese. Walkers by said things like:

"Should we tell him he's eating desert for lunch?"
"Check out the round-eye. He holds chopsticks like my 3-year old."

"Must be American. I can smell the McDonald's on him."

My favorite experience of the day came as I approached an upscale outdoor mall. These very fashionable teenagers were trying to drive business to a hair salon, full of equally fashionable people. They all had big hair and western style clothes. The first girl said, "good morning," then corrected herself to "good afternoon," and giggled embarrassed. Before I knew it I was surrounded by an entire Asian-Zoolander mob and for the next three minutes they all either tested their engrish out on me, or tried to get me to have my hair washed. As I walked away, one of them shyly said "bye bye" from around a tree then disappeared.

Then it hit me: they're not shocked that I am a westerner with light eyes and a beard, they're shocked because I'm like Andre The Giant on vacation. I'm at least a head taller than everyone. Now I know what NBA player feels like.

Two Hands

Tomorrow I leave for China, and for me it's a mixed bag. On one hand, I'm totally excited about crossing the globe, eating strange food and doing business in a strange land. I'm all about planes, trains, boats and cars, and I'm going to be away from my family for 15 days. That's the other hand: not seeing Amber and Scarlett for such a long time. I know Scarlett's going to be bigger when I see next, and that's a little weird. He progress for me is like watching the grass grow, it happens so slowly that I don't notice until a big milestone is crossed or I look back at pictures. When I get back in November, she will be noticeably different.

C'est la vie. Asia here I come.

Photos

Here are the photos from my trip.

This is also my last post here. Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it as much as I liked sharing.

Back

Back in the ATL. The flight home was great. For the long hauls, work upgrades us to business class, and it makes all the difference. The jet lag, combined with lack of sleep and being in a pressurized environment for that long really takes its toll. Yes, it's plush and the food is better, but it really helps us get back on out feet easier after the long trip. Thanks Office.

On another subject, here are some travel tips while in Asia.

1. Learn to use chopsticks properly.
Besides learning Chinese, nothing will get you more street cred than being able to use chopsticks well. This means holding them correctly, and there is a correct way to hold them. I do not hold them correctly, but the food still makes it to my mouth. I wish it was different and with more practice, it will be.

2. BYON (Bring Your Own Napkins)
Free napkins seem to be a western custom. Unless you always eat at McDonald's or your hotel restaurant, you're going to run in to a place that doesn't give them away. Every Chinese person seems to have napkins / tissues that they bring, so be sure to BYON. A small pack of ten should do you.

3. Make sure the hotel is "western style".
No, not yee-haw western, western as in up to American and European standards. C pointed this out to me: star-ratings mean nothing in China. What matters is if the hotel is western or eastern style. This will effect things such as beds, bathrooms, and food options. Trust me on this one, opt for western style.

3.5 Do they have laundry service?
This is a theory I'm putting out there, but to dip your toe in to a place before you stay there, find out if they have in-room laundry service. My idea is that if they do, they cater to a more discriminate clientele (business travelers) who need this and other ammenities such as reliable internet access, no mold on walls, and air conditioners that work.

4. Bring cash.
In Asia, local currency is king. Credit cards are not accepted at all places, and if you have an Amex, you may have a harder time, so bring a visa too. I never had a problem at hotels, but food places were hit or miss.

This isn't my last post. I'll link to a full set of pics on Flickr in the next day or so.

Outa here

Today is the day I head back home. HK --> Tokyo -> ATL.

Rain delay

Today it’s raining. Was planning on heading out to Lan Tao, an island with a huge Buddha statue. Gotta make sure it’s open before I make the trek out there.

Yesterday made it to Cheung Chau. Seriously nice little beach village on a tiny island. Worth it just to experience the “aaahhhhhh” of Hong Kong. Life here is tough. Tougher than most places I’ve been. Just getting around takes a lot of energy, and even after speaking to the locals and ex-pats who live here, they say it doesn’t get any better. That’s why a lot of people head out of the city when they can, just to get some breathing room. And it’s cheap! The ferry for the hour ride is $11HKD, which is about $1.50USD. If you want the fast ferry, which does the trip in 30 minutes, it’s $3. Pretty good deal for this...