Goodbye Asia

March 13-March16

After a lovely trip to Singapore, I flew back to the Philippines and spent more time with Carlo, his family, and his friends. This gave me a couple of days to rest before my long trip home. The earthquake in Japan hit while I was in Singapore, and it made me nervous about my travel plans. My flight home was from Manila to Tokyo and then Tokyo to Chicago. I called United and was told that I could change my flight for free from Tokyo to Chicago, but I would need to work with Japan Airlines to change the other flight. After calling the number for Japan Airlines in the US, I learned that the my other flight could only be changed unless I called the Japanese office, which was next to impossible to contact. As a result, I took the original two flights and prayed that I would be ok. Of course, during this time I kept an eye on the news and saw the issues with the nuclear power plant. I know that others were also concerned about my travels. Fortunately, everything went smoothly (for the most part), and I am back in the United States.

Wow. I just spent three months exploring Asia. Honestly, it feels like a dream. During that time I took a total of 21 flights, and I have been in more countries than I can count on one hand. I lived with four different families and caught up with friends in many countries. I also have new friends in many of those locations. As a result of this experience, my frame of reference has changed, and I have a better understanding of how the world works. Thank you for joining me on this journey. If you have a chance to study abroad or your children are considering it, I highly recommend the experience. What I learned during my trip through Asia cannot be taught in a classroom.

People are asking me about my favorite place or my best story. I don't have a favorite or a best. Each experience taught me something new. I am so thankful that my friends suggested that I write this blog because it reminds me of how much I learned during this trip.

It's sad to think that my adventure is over. However, when one thing ends, another thing begins.

Food in Singapore

Singapore is a good place to eat. You will not see people selling food on the street in Singapore. The government thought it was unsafe and moved them into designated areas. Because it is regulated by the government, the food is safe to eat. This country is influenced by so many cultures. Sandy and I were walking done one street that had Korean, Indonesian, Chinese, and Italian food. If you want good Turkish coffee, you can go to the Arab neighborhood. I went to an Indian restaurant in Little India where the banana leaf place mat also serves as a plate, and I had a side of paratha. For breakfast I tried dose and nasi lemak. Sandy and her boyfriend also made sure that I had chili crab, chicken rice and bak kut teh (pork ribs). I also stopped at the Raffles Hotel to try the Singapore Sling.

Sandy has amazing cooking and baking skills. For example, back in England, she made cheesecake for the first time and it was absolutely delicious. Her kitchen in Singapore is very limited, so there is no oven. She purchased a microwave that also serves as an oven. While I was visiting, she roasted a lamb in it and then made sourdough bread from scratch in order to make lamb sandwiches for a party she had one evening. She also made wings and chocolate chip cookies in the special microwave.

Thank you to Sandy and her boyfriend for letting me stay with them!

Night safari

Sandy and I went on a night safari. We were not allowed to use flash, so it was pretty difficult to take photos. We saw a range of animals as we rode around in a tram and then walked along the paths. Sandy had her doubts about going because she thought it would look fake, but many people told me that it was a must-see in Singapore. Both of us were pleasantly surprised by the experience. I was worried that the animals would be asleep, but most of them were up eating, playing with each other, and watching the tourists. I was amused when the tour guide noticed that the elephant was shifting into a different position and told us that he was posing for us. Everyone turned to look at the elephant who then started urinating. We saw the usual zoo animals like elephants, hippos, and rhinos, but it was also interesting to see animals that are unique to the area like bearded pigs, babirusa, Malayan tapir, and anoa.

Citizen behavior and consumer behavior

I’m actually very impressed with the government in Singapore because they understand consumer behavior. In addition to implementing strict laws, they also impact behavior in less obvious ways. For example, they don’t make a huge announcement that they are going to implement a campaign to make people lose weight. Instead they create an infrastructure in the city to make it easy for people to run and exercise. They also incentivize companies to create sporting events for employees. As a result people are inclined to make healthier choices. Very clever! I mentioned a casino in my last post. It’s free for foreigners to enter the casinos because the government wants us to spend our money. However, locals have to pay just to enter the casino. They don’t want the locals to get hooked on gambling, and this is how they impact behavior.

How does an island in the middle of SE Asia become a developed country? Based on my observations, it seems that government plays a huge role in the growth of a country. I saw in Nepal that the government holds it back. The government in China was able to help its country develop when it opened the borders. You need to have a government that is looking at the long-term picture instead of short-term personal gain. For example, Singapore is currently dependent on water from Malaysia, but the government is in the process of implementing plans to become self-sufficient in the future. They were buying sand from Indonesia to extend its border, but then Indonesia realized that they were becoming a smaller country as a result of that exchange.

Singapore is basically a big rock where nothing can grow. The government could have focused on tourism, but they knew they couldn’t compete with great beach vacation spots in SE Asia, so they chose to take a different route and focused on financial business and other services.

No government is perfect though. From what I understand, there is basically one party in Singapore, though technically it is a democracy. There is one other party that is called “the opposition.” Areas of the country that are strong with the opposition have a harder time getting the truck to pick up trash, and they may have less schools built in their community.

The Fine City

March 10-13

My next stop was Singapore to visit Sandy, another flatmate from the University of Warwick. I had Thursday and Friday to myself since Sandy was working, so I spent most of the time walking around Singapore to explore the different areas. It’s also easy to get around town on foot. There are a number of neighborhoods to explore like Little India and Chinatown. You can walk two blocks in any direction and feel like you’re in a completely different city. It’s interesting to note that this country is about the same size, in terms of population size, as the “small town” of Huai’an in China.

I suffered a bit of culture shock. After spending so much time in China and other developing countries, it was almost odd to be in a developed country. Here people actually obey the traffic laws. In China the lights had very little to do with traffic, so I had to be alert anytime that I crossed the street. You can see the wealth in Singapore simply by visiting the Marina Sands Hotel. Attached to the hotel is a casino, as well as a mall with luxury stores. When I have money to burn, I would love to stay there! You can visit the top of the hotel (for a fee) and see an amazing view of the city.

The country is full of laws with large fines. Coming from a developed country, it seems crazy that they need to have laws like no spitting with a $500 fine or no urinating in the elevator. However, they are surrounded by developing countries that don’t have the same cultural norms. I think one reason the government has implemented all these strict rules to communicate that this country is different than the surrounding countries. It’s a way to show power and teach cultural norms to visitors and citizens very quickly. After all, Singapore is a new country since it gained sovereignty in 1965. I didn’t know that you couldn’t eat on the train. However when I got off the plane from Manila, I was hungry, so I may (or may not) have eaten on my way to downtown area. I was also stopped from leaving a Starbucks with a drink and was told that I could not walk around with it outside.

Back to the Philippines

Manila has become a home away from home since I keep coming back, and Carlo’s family has been so kind to let me stay at their place each time.

Boracay (March 5-8)

Carlo invited Jon and me to join him and his friends to experience the beaches of the Philippines. I had such a great time getting to know Carlo's friends. While we were out and about on the beach, I also met friends of friends. I learned that the more people you know here, the more fun you can have at the beach!

I thought it would be easy to compare the beaches of Thialand to the beaches in Philippnes, at least the two beaches where I visted. Yes, they both have sand and water, but the experiences were different. The beach in Thailand was much more secluded whereas Boracay was busy and even had its own outdoor mall (D'Mall) and tons of restaurants. Koh Samed had more older couples and Boracay had younger groups of people, but that may be a matter of my timing. Many of the students in Thailand were finishing classes the week after I arrived, and I’m sure they packed the beaches. Lek suggested we be adventurous, but I was happy sitting under the sun and reading. Boracay had more activities to choose from such as zorbing and wind surfing. Our group of 12 people decided to go "fly fishing," which is not what you would expect. Instead of catching fish, we were the fish swinging in the air, as you can see in the photo. We split into two groups so there were six of us behind the boat at a time. I held on the entire time, but I was swinging around. This was definitely a bonding experience. Koh Samed had an awesome evening fire show which I mentioned in a previous post, and I couldn't get enough of the fresh seafood and fresh fruit. I will say that Boracay has a place on the beach with delicious fruit drinks. Jon and I stopped there about once a day. Both beaches had sellers walking up and down the beach. Boracay mostly had pearls, hats and sunglasses. Koh Samed had pashminas and fresh fruit. Ultimately, I have to be diplomatic and say that I enjoyed both beaches for different reasons. Both made me happy!

Sand, sun and fun

At 8 am and 6 pm, everything stops in Bangkok for the national anthem. I was at the train station and saw it with my own eyes. Everyone stops in their tracks, and they go on with their day as soon as it’s over. We were on our way to Koh Samet to relax on the beach. Europeans, Russians, and Asians come to this island for vacation because it's only a few hours from Bangkok. It’s also the birthplace of one of the great Thai poets.

This mini trip gave me an opportunity to learn more about life in Thailand. For example, don’t ever say that a Thai baby is cute, beautiful or adorable. The ghosts may come and take it away by making it sick. Therefore, you are better of saying that the baby is ugly to keep the spirits away. You also can’t get your hair cut on a Wednesday. All hairdressers are closed on that day, and it has to do with a superstition.

On the beach we came across a wedding, so I asked Lek about weddings in Thailand. During a traditional Thai engagement ceremony, the guy has to offer a dowry to the bride’s family (usually gold and money) in addition to a ring. The parents can offer the dowry back to the couple or keep it for themselves. The wedding ceremony starts with offering of alms to the monks, if it is a Buddhist ceremony. It’s important to find an auspicious date for the wedding. The couple sits next to each other and are led through prayer with good wishes by the monks followed by the family. They pour water over the hands of the groom and then the bride. The color of the clothing depends on the bride and which one makes her most beautiful. Then the guy has to wear the same color. The groom pays for the ceremony. At the end, the man moves in with the girl and the girl's family. This is different from the Chinese where the couple lives with the groom and his family. When you have a Thai/Chinese couple, there are lots of arguments regarding where they live.

It was fun to eat on the beach. This was Lek’s first time eating outside, so I am excited that I can share something with her! I saw my brother play around with fire when he was in Honduras. That was nothing. I was blown away by a fire show outside of our hotel. There were about 10 guys playing with fire using different methods. The grand finale, which you can see in the video, was basically them playing with fireworks. It was crazy!

Thank you to Lek and her family for taking me in and showing me your beautiful country! I've invited them to come visit me in the US, but it's next to impossible for them to get a visa. It's so sad that we can all go there on vacation, but they can't come here.

Living with uncertainty

There are 3 colors on the flag. The red represents the Nation, white represents Religion, and blue represents the King. Prior to coming to Thailand, I knew very little about the political situation. I didn't know the difference between the red shirts and the yellow shirts. I knew that there was political unrest, but it has been quiet recently. I wonder what will happen to the country when the current king passes away. It's not clear who will govern it and lead the people. People seem to like the king because he makes time to visit the poor and tries to help them. Though they can't say it, they don’t seem to be as fond of the next in line, which means that many will likely call into question the purpose of the monarchy. Technically the king doesn’t have to help the people, and the next in line hasn’t shown any indication that he will. From what I understand, a former PM may try to sweep in with the hopes of becoming a dictator. I get the impression that the people are scared because they don’t know what will happen to their country. Depending on what happens, they could also become a democratic government. There are so many possibilities, so keep an eye on this part of the world.

Sights of Bangkok (Part 3)

We headed across the river to the Temple of Dawn (Wat arun). The architecture is similar to a Cambodian sanctuary. It provided an amazing view of the city. The garland is an offering the the buddha image or to the monks.

You can become a monk for a specified amount of time, and you can get married before or after you are a monk. You can become one for three weeks if you want. The monk does not have to pay fare for the bus. Lek made it very clear that women are not allowed to touch a monk, so I could not accidentally bump into one in the market. They are not allowed to eat in the afternoon and evening. Parents generally want their first born son to become a monk, so some men will do it to fulfill his parents’ dream. Another common reason for joining the monkhood is that a guy is working through a personal problem. Lek’s brother is considering becoming one even though he has a full-time job. What’s interesting is that he can have something similar to a maternity leave at work where he takes paid leave of absence for three month to be a monk. That shows just how much this culture respects monks.

We also walked around an area where all the backpackers go called Khaosan Road. I can understand why people come here, but it wasn't my type of place. I was most amused by the ATM/money changer van.

During my time in Bangkok, I experienced all different types of transportation – car, tuk tuk, ferry, express boat, van, and free public bus (without air-conditioning).

Unfortunately I am missing out on the biggest festival of the year for Thailand which take places from April 13 to 18. Songkran festival is their New Year, and it's a water festival where people throw water and a white powder on each other. You can tell who is popular by how wet they are. The people who are dry are the least popular, but they may splash themselves to feel better.

Sights of Bangkok (Part 2)

Next Lek took me to the hospital. I was so confused at first, but she explained that King Rama the 9th is there. Thai people are visiting hospital to pay their respects. Because I want to be a local during my visit, it made sense for me to go there as well. There was a big hall with rows of tables where you can sign your name to show that you came to visit him. A fortune teller once told the King that pink is a lucky color for him. As a result you see people, both men and women, wearing pink for the king.

For a snack we had fresh fruit – pineapple and mango. I have never had such tasty fruit. The Thai way of eating mango is to dip it in sugar and chili mix.

After lunch we explored the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat pho). Like in the Grand Palace, the detail on the structures was amazing. In one area we saw statues in different poses, as if they were stretching. Lek explained that this was how the government communicated how to exercise to people who could not read.

Sights of Bangkok (Part 1)

Lek was once a tour guide in Bangkok, so it was special to have her show me around the city. Our first stop was the Grand Palace. I had to borrow a shirt and wear my shawl as a skirt, so I look awful. Therefore, you won’t see photos of me at that location. Take a look at the photo with the characters holding up the stupa which is held up by figures of monkeys and by demons. Can you tell the difference? The demons are wearing shoes and the monkeys are not.

She showed me the 4 stupas in the inner court, as well as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade. We also looked at chakri mansion which is half Victorian and half thai architecture. It was odd to see columns with a Thai roof. There are many throne halls or audience halls, but I was not allowed to take photos of the actual thrones. There one one in the shape of a boat and another one made out of opal. Everything here was incredibly ornate and shiny.

My future

In a previous post about visiting Xiamen, I wondered about women throwing blocks on the ground at a monastery. Lek explained that it's part of the fortune telling process. As you can see in the video, I shake the container of sticks until one comes out. Then I drop the two blocks that have a flat side and a round side to confirm that I have selected the correct stick. The first time I tried this, both blocks fell flat so I had to start the entire process over again with the shaking of the sticks. In the video I am overly excited at the end because the blocks fell in a way that I didn’t have to start over. The stick has a number on it, and then we walked over to a wall with all the fortunes listed. Lek had to translate mine, and she said that they were written as a poem. She said that if I was asking about kids, I will have a boy. It also said that my soul mate is taking his time finding me, but he will come. It didn’t say anything about my career.

Hello or Sawadee Kha

February 27

I’m in Thailand to visit another friend of mine from the University of Warwick. Lek and I lived in the same flat there, but her course was about teaching.

I stayed with Lek’s family, which gave me a rich understanding of daily life in Bangkok. Initially Lek was worried about me because her family knows little or no English. I reassured her that this was I was experienced in spending time with families that don't speak the same language. At this point I have learned two ways to make families feel comfortable with me in their home. First, I smile a lot. It quickly conveys that I am happy/ok/friendly. The other trick is to eat whatever they serve me. Lek’s two brothers speak some English so I also got a guy’s perspective on life in Thailand.

I surprised myself during the first meal. We had rice and a number of dishes, family-style, and I was given a spoon and a fork. (Knives aren’t usually used.) My immediate response was to look for chopsticks. I didn’t want to eat with a spoon and fork because that would feel weird. And then I realized just how strange that sounded.

The first morning I got my own personal Thai lesson. Like in Chinese, Thai has a number of tones. I was able to pick up on the tones pretty well after living in China, but Thai has one additional tone. Lek covered the basics first like “good morning” and “how are you?” She wanted to teach me practical phrases so she quickly moved into bargaining strategy phrases. We were going to the market that afternoon, so I had to learn the following :

-How much is this? (Tao rai kha)

-Can you discount? (Lad dai mai kha)

-You are very beautiful/handsome/kind. (khun suay/lor/jai-dee mak kha)

-More discount please. (Lod iik noi kha)

Lek make it clear that I had to be very careful when I pronounced “suay” because I could insult the person by mistake with the wrong tone.

It was quite hot at the market, so we enjoyed coconut juice and coconut ice cream with coconut jelly and peanuts. It hit the spot. We spent the afternoon exploring the market. One women got so flustered when I started complimenting her in Thai to get a discount. On the way home we also stopped at a local market for food. I also was able to watch a woman make the spring roll wrappers that we would be making that evening. The other advantage of staying with a family is that I got my own personal cooking class. I learned how they make fried rice and spring rolls. I also learned that it is a sin to tell someone to hurry up when they were eating. I like that rule.