In case you didn’t know, today is Buddha’s birthday. Of course, it’s not always May 17 because his birthday follows the lunar calendar. Many countries in Southeast Asia celebrate this day as a national holiday.
I’m really not sure what one is supposed to do to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, but I figure this photo is appropriate.
Buddha’s head with a bodhi tree growing around it at Wat Phra Mahthat in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
It’s always nice to walk into the local liquor store and browse the shelves of big bottle beers, especially when there are some limited-edition brews. Of course, since I rarely drink at home anymore, these beers tend to sit in my fridge for quite a long time.
A couple weeks ago I picked up a bottle of Elysian Brewing’s 12 Beers of the Apocalypse series–a one-time release. It was Peste Chocolate Chili Ale, and it was surprisingly good and much darker than one would expect from an ale. I was told by the liquor store employee that this beer was actually spicy, and that was definitely true. At 7.5% abv, this dark brew has a lot flavor. The chocolate was not overpowering, in fact it was rather subtle–it helped even out the chili. The chili was indeed spicy, and the beer grew spicier as I drank more. If the apocalypse is coming, this would be one crazy beer to have while watching it all end.
The second big bottle of beer was Stone’s Espresso Imperial Russian Stout. I should’ve checked the bottle before cracking it open–I had this 11% abv brew before heading out on a Saturday night. It was a little sweeter than I expected, but I attribute that to the high alcohol content. It had a light coffee aroma and subtle flavor hidden by the sweetness. For such a strong beer, it was smooth and tasted a bit lighter–a dangerous combination when you’d rather drink it slowly.
It’s important to stay safe while traveling, but sometimes minor health problems can have a greater negative impact on a trip.
You have to trust your meat vendor in China
I came across an interesting article on natural remedies for some travel ailments. I’ve certainly encountered a few of these–mostly of the sleep deprivation/jet lag and stomach bug variety. The article also covers anxiety, motion sickness, sunburn, and insect bites. Nothing I really worry about since I bring insect repellent and sunscreen and have no problems with anxiety or motion sickness (alright, I experience travel anxiety, but I actually enjoy it).
It’s especially important to take food safety precautions when traveling to countries that aren’t exactly known for quality sanitation, such as most of Southeast Asia. When my parents came to visit China for the first time, they were told to bring activated charcoal pills and Pepto-Bismol. In three weeks, my parents were slightly sick for a day each (of course, I didn’t bring them to the more divey restaurants that I would normally frequent). I figure the charcoal was probably the best help for them on that trip.
During my first two years in China, I had a few too many trips to the local hospital for stomach/intestinal ailments (so many that I lost at least 20 lbs.). The average hospital in China is not a place I would recommend visiting–there are some nice hospitals in the major cities, but they cost a lot more. The doctors constantly blamed my problems on drinking too much cold water (that should give you a hint as to the quality of these healthcare professionals).
Yogurt probably saved me from more trips to the hospital in China
About halfway through that second year, I started eating yogurt. Prior to this, I had never eaten yogurt. I definitely didn’t get sick as often after that. Just as the article mentions taking probiotics to prevent traveler’s diarrhea, the probiotics in yogurt can do the same. This habit has followed me back home to the US, though I have changed my brand to organic yogurt. Yogurt is available almost anywhere in the world, but if it isn’t there’s always probiotic pills.
I just need a few giant mugs of coffee to relieve the feeling of jet lag
As for sleep deprivation and/or jet lag, I just suffer through it and drink a more coffee than most people would ever consider. Traveler’s Tip: McDonald’s coffee is the cheapest you can find when traveling, and most outlets offer free refills (though the separate McCafe outlets don’t do this). The article also mentions taking low doses of melatonin, but it’s not always recommended. I’ve tried it and didn’t see any real improvement in sleep.
Do you have any preventive measures for avoiding getting sick while traveling?
Because it’s Mother’s Day, I think this picture from Thailand belongs here, even though I can’t explain it. I figure my mom will at least get a laugh out of it.
Not quite a tiger mom
My mother has encouraged my travels (and other endeavors), even if she doesn’t quite understand why I make my travel choices. It’s an appropriate time to thank her for all the encouragement.
Travel poses many obstacles and dangers. Plenty of travelers have been scammed or pick-pocketed in every country. And then there are those of us who encounter colorful characters, some of whom like to handle wild snakes for amusement. All such stories are reminders that we need to be careful wherever we travel.
Then there are dangers that never cross our minds until we read an unbelievable article. Most people are worried about malaria or other such diseases when they go on safari–few ever think about the excitement of the animal on the safari.
How can you not read an article titled “I was swallowed by a hippo”?
A kayak tour guide on the Zambezi lived to tell the story of how he tried to save his friend from hippo attack and wound up swallowed by the two-ton African animal. Fortunately, he was spit out by the hippo and survived to tell his story.
The trash can at the Great Wall makes a good point
The tale that Peter Templer tells is horrifying. However, there is a brilliant line in this story: “time passes very slowly when you’re in a hippo’s mouth.” After reading that, I couldn’t help but think of Homer Simpson inside the elephant’s mouth.
The most amazing part of Peter’s story is that he got back in kayak on the Zambezi and encountered hippos once more. I can only imagine the terror he felt then.
On Sunday, I walked over to the Grove St. PATH station for the annual chili cook-off. I went late last year and missed out on most of the chili, so I headed over just after the event started this year.
Holding the chili cook-off at Grove St. was a great idea–it’s a much better location than the hidden lot on 4th St. The crowd was thin when I arrive just after noon, but it became quite crowded as the day went on.
I was rather disappointed with the entries to the chili cook-off. There were too many bland chilis, and only one that I found reasonably spicy. For some reason, there were a lot of rather sweet entries (really, who the hell wants to eat sweet chili?). It made me think that if I had entered this year, I would’ve had to make everyone sign a waiver because I make my chili spicy (I even use Sichuan flower peppercorns (aka prickly ash) and Thai peppers).
This was my favorite chili from Chilin’ Beans
I’ve reviewed the winners of this year’s cook-off, and I’m not too pleased with the results. My pick for individual chili entry was Chilin’ Beans, which made the chili with 10 types of peppers, giving it a very nice flavor and a bit of a kick. For some reason, the voters chose a chili that was made with Dr. Pepper and was sickeningly sweet. The winning restaurant, PJ Ryan’s, was a decent chili with chorizo–again, it would’ve been much better if there was at least some level of spiciness to it.
There were also a lot of vegetarian and vegan entries. Most were a little thin on the sauce, but a few were good enough that I would eat more that the little cup provided.
The May Day holiday has come and gone in China. Of course, here in America we like to celebrate our Labor Day in September…with barbecues and beer. Following my painfully long bus ride from Chengdu during my first May Day holiday, I had a few hours to wander around the small town of Songpan. There isn’t much to do in Songpan, but it is a sight to see.
Unlike my final destinations of Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou, Songpan was uncrowded and peaceful. It was a welcome change from the 12+ million that surrounded me in Shenzhen. The traditional architecture was also a great reason to see Songpan. I also had some really good spicy yak jerky there.
Yes, I walked to that temple on the side of the mountain
In addition to my train travel adventures, I’ve taken a few long-distance bus trips. Some were tolerable, but others were absolutely miserable–so miserable that I no longer wish to take a bus unless it’s part of a tour.
My first real bus trip was during my semester in London. The university arranged a trip to Amsterdam–it was 12 hours overnight, and wasn’t comfortable enough for sleeping. After my semester, I took a bus to Edinburgh because train service at the time suffered from a few problems, causing significantly longer travel times–the bus wasn’t much slower and cost a lot less than the train. Again, overnight buses weren’t comfortable enough for me to get much sleep.
I didn’t take another long bus trip until I moved to China five years later.
A rest stop in Sichuan Province
During my first May holiday, I set out on a long journey from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou National Park. I would’ve liked to take the short flight to Huanglong airport, but it was a bit out of my budget for that trip. I was told the bus to Songpan, a brief stopover along the way, was a second-class bus. I maintain that to be second-class, it would require the bus to have some class. It was hot and humid in Chengdu, but the bus had no air conditioning. There was still snow on the ground when we reached mountains, and the windows wouldn’t close. Along that 12-hour bus ride, at least 10 men chain smoked (never stopping for a breath)–and this included the bus driver sitting beneath the “No Smoking” sign.
Terraced fields of Sichuan Province
Along the route to Songpan, our full bus stopped a few times to pick up more passengers–not that the bus company would approve, but the driver and ticket taker needed to make some extra cash. These passengers sat on the floor and were told to hide when we reached checkpoints because it was illegal to have an overloaded bus. I don’t know what the authorities would’ve done had they discovered the illegal passengers.
View from the bus in Sichuan Province
The only worthwhile part of the smoke-filled bus through the winding mountain roads of Sichuan was the scenery. There were beautiful views of terraced fields, roadside villages, and rivers. The bus also stopped a couple times for bathroom breaks. At each of those stops, there were also some local vendors selling tasty treats like dried yak meat. On the way back, I even got to sit on a yak.
Stopping for yak on the way back to Chengdu
I only used the rest stop for a bathroom break once on that trip. I paid 5 jiao (about 7 cents) for the privilege of walking into a wood shack converted into a public toilet. I knew public toilets in China were generally dirty, but this one was on a different level. I walked on the creaking floor to find the hole in the floor in which to urinate. As I looked down, I discovered that I had just paid to pee off a cliff. There was no plumbing, just a hole that gave a great view down the side of the mountain. I paid to do what I could’ve done outside.
We drove on to Songpan, the driver and passengers continuing their chain smoking, and arrived a couple hours before sunset to enjoy a little of what the town offered.
The bus station in Songpan
Fortunately, the bus back from Jiuzhaigou a few days later was more modern–it even had air conditioning. Of course, it still had a few passengers who insisted on smoking during the journey, which was exacerbated by the fact that this bus didn’t have windows that opened.
It certainly turned me off from ever taking a long bus ride again. But, I’ve been known to make the same mistakes, and a bus ride through a foreign country is probably one of those repeatable mistakes.
What are some of your bus trip horror stories (or maybe comedic stories)?
Companies and schools in China seem to enjoy having outings for employees. They see it as a morale booster, even though plenty of employees see it as forced fun. I went out on a few with the schools for which I worked–some were sponsored by other companies or government agencies, but a few were planned just for the school.
At the end of my second year, I worked for an English learning center for adults. During the international labor day holiday in May, the school arranged a bus to take the staff to Dameisha–the major tourist beach on the other side of Shenzhen. It took almost two hours to get there. 
We weren’t the only ones there to enjoy the day at the beach. A local factory also had a company outing, complete with an early evening barbecue. I didn’t eat much at the barbecue since none of the food was kept in a cooler.
In the background of what looks like a landfill is a five-star Sheraton hotel.
On the same tour that I saw Skogafoss, I also spent a few hours in the village of Vik on the southern coast of Iceland. This town of about 300 people was the main reason I chose the tour.
I originally wanted to spend a day or two in Vik, but the weather forecast didn’t look good and I opted for the tour instead. Despite some sporadic rain, the tour was great–and the sun peeked through the clouds when we arrived in Vik.
Most of the village of Vik
The church is the highest point in town and considered the only safe place in the event of a massive flood that the people have been expecting for a long time. When (not if) Katla erupts, it will melt the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, flooding the entire town. Residents regularly practice emergency evacuations to the church in preparation. Fortunately, Katla stayed quiet while I visited.
The sun welcomed me to the beach
The town is known for its black lava beach, basalt sea stacks, and the Reynisdrangar, which are three rocky spires in the Atlantic Ocean. The basalt sea stacks on the beach didn’t even look real.
Reynisdrangar and basalt sea stacks
The waves on the beach were huge, and the tour group was warned not to get caught–a few people got a bit close when standing in front of the basalt stacks. We spent a while taking photos on that beach full of pebbles before heading into the village for lunch–it was my first taste of the traditional Icelandic lamb soup (it was delicious).
Basalt sea stacks on the beach
After lunch, it was time for more walking along the beach (there really isn’t much else in Vik). It was quiet peaceful, and I regret not spending a full day or two relaxing in the village.
Mountains surrounding Vik
One of the things I noticed while walking the cold streets of Reykjavik–besides the abundance of restaurants and bars for such a small city–was that there is some impressive graffiti in this Scandinavian country.
I’ve seen some interesting graffiti in numerous cities (I was shocked to see some in Shenzhen), but this was the first time I took the opportunity to photograph it. When I came across this little yard surrounded by walls covered with graffiti, I thought it was attached to an art gallery or some contemporary culture center. I still have no idea what was in the buildings here–I was hungry and searching for food at the time.
This graffiti was better than some of the art I saw at the art museums.
I just returned from a short trip to southern California. I was about to make a Friday photo post before I left, but there was a massive attack on WordPress-based websites last week and my host, Omnis, shut down access to all WordPress-based sites. It was annoying, but at least Omnis made the right move to prevent damage to sites–something I doubt my previous host would have done. But now I can post a couple photos from California.
It felt good to get out of New Jersey and the cold early spring. I figured I’d at least get to relax in the warm sun while visiting family, but I was wrong. It wasn’t much warmer than New Jersey. I still got to spend a little time at the beach when the sun came out on Sunday afternoon.
It would’ve been better if I had clearer weather to enjoy the view from my cousin’s house. This view definitely made me want to move to southern California–if only I didn’t have to have a car out there.
Just about every travel blogger has a post about saving money for travel or saving money while traveling. Most have some great suggestions, like cutting cable and selling off the car, but most of these posts are redundant now. Therefore, I’m going to begin providing readers with some smaller money-saving tips (Note: I don’t have anything planned after this post, but I’ll definitely think about adding to it).
Today’s money-saving tip: Eating Super-Cheap and Healthy at Home
Mmm…soup
I’m not always the healthiest person, but I’ve been trying to get more exercise and eat better (I’ve done better with the latter). I also didn’t have a decent job until last summer, so I had to find ways to stretch my food budget. I discovered the joy of soup.
That’s a lot of meals in that little container
I found Bob’s Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix at my local store and tried it. For about $5, I got a few healthy meals in a 1-lb. bag. I then realized I could make this mix on my own and save more money (though not with organic ingredients). The mix is just lentils, split peas, and pearl barley. Each 1 lb. bag of lentils, split peas, or pearl barley only costs about $1; I just have to mix them all together in a container.
Once the ingredients are mixed, I just have to take about 1/2 a cup, rinse it, and cook it. Too cook this soup, just bring the mix to a boil and let it simmer for about an hour. I also add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to give it a little flavor (it is a bit bland).
Depending on how much water I use, I get about two to three bowls of soup for dinner–plenty for one person. And it only costs me about a quarter. It’s a great healthy bargain that I consistently eat about four nights a week.
You can also add other ingredients and spices to the mix to make it suit your taste.
Do you have any suggestions for improving this soup? Or any variations to go with it?
View of the courtyard outside my first apartment in Shenzhen
For those of us who move abroad, even for shorter periods of time than I spent in China, expat communities can be an important part of adapting to life in a foreign country.
When I first arrived in China, I had an immediate community of about 20 foreign teachers at the private school. I arrived two months later than almost all of them, so I learned from their experiences. We generally hung out at the neighborhood restaurants and occasionally went out to other parts of Shenzhen (usually the expat hangout of Shekou). We even shared in shopping trips to Walmart (and later to Carrefour when it opened). Of course, we also explored on our own and shared anything exciting we found, such as cheese appearing on the shelves of Walmart.
Many of those co-workers were integral to my adapting to life in Shenzhen. A few helped out when locals wanted to toast the foreigners with beer or baijiu until someone passed out at the table. One in particular was very comforting when my uncle passed away a month after I arrived.
Overlooking Shenzhen from Phoenix Temple
Towards the end of my first year, I began branching out into other expat communities. When Passover rolled around, I wondered how I could participate in the holiday. I found information on Jewish organizations in Hong Kong, but that was almost a three-hour trip from my home in Bao’an district. Considering the school didn’t provide days off that weren’t national holidays and penalized teachers for taking days off (at a rate higher than the actual daily pay), I would’ve had to return home afterwards, putting my return to Shenzhen at sometime after 2 am.
About a week before Passover, I was told that Chabad had just sent a rabbi to Shenzhen and that there would be a seder in Shekou for the first night. I don’t follow Chabad’s traditions–a bit too religious for my liking–but I thought it would be worthwhile to check out. At least I’d get food and possibly meet people.
Looking toward Shenzhen Bay from the last apartment
I was right about the food and meeting people–I was also happy to discover that the rabbi was inclusive, knowing that most expats were not that religious. I have kept in touch with a few of those people over the years as well. There were people who showed up for holidays and never returned because they were only in town on business. But there were regulars–the long-term expats who had some great stories about China from the 1980s and ’90s. Because of the people I met, I returned for all holiday events that I could possibly attend–there was always a ton of food and drinks to keep me happy.
One of the friends I met that first night, and multiple times after, steered me to apply for the teaching job that he was leaving at the graduate school in Shenzhen. That turned out to be the most rewarding job I had in China (it also had great co-workers and a wonderful boss). Others tried to help with career options when I moved back to the US (unfortunately, nothing panned out then). I also met up with a few of the expats from that group in other settings–dinner, drinks, or just running into each other on the street. Unlike some businessmen in China, the people at Chabad never looked down on me for being a teacher.
Later on, in 2008, I joined Twitter–I had been reading some writing and China-focused blogs that talked about it, so I gave it a try. I soon discovered a large contingent of users from China, some of whom wrote blogs that I read frequently. I managed to meet a few of those connections in China. I first met a few expats in Guangzhou; I introduced them to my favorite restaurant, Danny’s Bagel–the owner was a great guy from New Jersey. I also met my Malaysian friend when she visited Shenzhen–I found out later that she graduated from college in New Jersey.
Some expat friends were also willing to take a long bus ride to Longgang district to visit the Hakka museum
When I moved back to the US, I met social media entrepreneur @michelini in Hoboken. I found out that he lived down the street from me in Shenzhen, but we never ran into each other. I also met Lonnie from Veteran Travel in New York–we were supposed to meet a few times in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but timing never worked out. There was also a meetup of former China expats in Chinatown–most of us were connected through Twitter while we were living in China.
There was also Raoul’s China Saloon, a forum for expats in China (mostly teachers). Unlike other China teachers’ forums, Raoul’s was much more friendly and interesting. When I had questions to post, there was always someone with a helpful answer. Members provided some useful classroom materials and ideas, to which I attempted to add my own two cents. I never met anyone from the forum, though stories floated around about many of the forum members meeting up (quite a few lived in Suzhou).
Overall, I discovered that the online expat community in China was sometimes more supportive than the in-person communities. There were more than a few who offered technical advice and moral support when I set out to start the China-focused literary journal, Terracotta Typewriter (I put the idea together before leaving China, but the first issue came out after I moved home).
Whether it was the friends I made through the physical expat communities or the ones I only met through the virtual interwebs, I had people who kept me sane when the world around me seemed crazy. Of course, the best support group consisted of my close friends with whom I could grab a few bottles of Tsingtao. Nights of Tsingtao and Xinjiang barbecue usually helped relieve the stress of grading student essays.
Has anyone else found the expat communities useful? Or want to share some other tips for meeting fellow expats?
People on the tour give a little perspective of the size of Skogafoss
The first stop on my southern tour in Iceland was Skogafoss. It was needed break as we finally had daylight on the long bus ride. In all, the tour that took us to the village of Vik and back to Reykjavik lasted more than 10 hours–it didn’t involve a lot of hiking, but it was still an exhausting day.
The legend of Skogafoss is that Þrasi Þórólfsson, a viking settler, hid treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. Supposedly, the treasure is still there for anyone who really wants to brave the frigid and powerful waterfall. It certainly produces a chilly mist in the winter–and this wasn’t even close to the coldest day I experienced in Iceland (that would be the day at Gullfoss).
The walk along the riverbank is pleasant, and the scenery is beautiful even in winter. There’s even a stairway to the top of the falls, which is not an easy climb when it’s cold and you’re in a rush because the tour is leaving soon (only one other person on my tour made the journey). The view of Skogafoss from above isn’t great, but surrounding landscape is wonderful.
Skogafoss from the platform above
If I had a car to drive myself there, I would’ve hiked around the area (though that might be better in the summer months).
The view from above Skogafoss