Ni Hao~ part three

June 7th, 2010

So! One of the things that is going on in Shanghai is....

These World Expo-related topiaries are seriously.... EVERYWHERE in the city!

My friend Brian (fun, patient, trusted, assigned 'caretaker' of me, haha!) and I took the metro to the Expo, arriving on the North side at 9:30 am or so, since we had been hearing tips on getting to the Expo not only on a Monday (Mondays and Tuesdays are supposedly the least crowded days), but also on the side of the river that has less-popular pavilions so we could tackle them in the morning, then head over to the more popular-pavilions on the other side of the river in the afternoon (hoping that it'd be less crowded, then).
This turned out to be NOT true... since... Even though it was a Monday, it was STILL so crowded (yes, Thursdays-Saturdays have more recorded numbers of people, but... I can't even imagine more people being there! wah!), and the less-popular pavilions are less-popular for a reason, the reason being that they're government-sponsored pavilions, related to corporate stuff, i.e. BORING.

So, we ended up grabbing a ferry across the river, anyway, to the South/Pudong side basically right after entering the Expo~!

Here is a summary of the day...

Pavilions I went to:

• Tajikistan
• Serbia – watch/time theme
• EU/Belgium – really good food at the Belgium one!!
• Sweden
• Hungary
• Caribbean pavilion…
• Peru – bad pavilion, but…really good food!
• UK – truly amazing at night!
• Poland – very pretty

Things I noticed:

• CUCUMBER EATERS!
• Men with not only popped collars, but popped collars with various brand-name logos on the back of the them...
  
• Couples with not only matching, but identical shirts!
• People bringing their own stools to sit on, while in line, or eating wherever!
• PUSHY old women! – As Brian put it, “There are 4 types of beings in China: the man, the woman, the Chinese aunty, and the soldier.” – You gotta mentally and physically prepare yourself for those lines…
• Asian poses in photos!!!

Photo's:
1. Exhibit A: Distasteful Popped Collar Syndrome

2. Exhibit B: I should seriously consider going to Belgium. How PERFECT is this?? It's just calling me!

3. Exhibit C: The cool-as-a-cucumber ladies! I know that cucumbers are really good, but... EVERYONE was eating them, just straight up, since there's so... cooling! :)

Tips for Expo Travelers: Bring a reusable water bottle, and.. go at night-time!
Por que....?

1. Slightly cheaper tickets
2. Cooler temperatures
3. Less people - i.e. less aggressive Chinese aunties pushing! :)
4. Illuminations of the pavilions at night are just, gorgeous!

Ni hao~ part two

June 5th, 2010

The oh-so-wise things that I’ve learned so far in Shanghai:

1. Like Brasil, put your toilet paper in the small garbage bin next to the toilet
2. Don’t drink tap water in Shanghai
3. Cross the street with a consistent/predictable speed – this will lessen the chance of you being run over by cars
4. A ‘kwak’ is a type of beer glass (looks like a half yard glass), and is bulbous on the bottom so that people could drink while riding horses without the beer spilling out
5. To drift, a good technique to use is to speed into the turn, then take your foot off the gas and quickly turn your wheels in the opposite direction of the curve…. Then go through the turn and resume ‘normal’ driving :)

Ni hao~ Part One

So... due to the fact that websites that have "blog" in the URL or anything related to blogging/expressing your own opinion are blocked in China... I have been unable to contribute anything to my blog for the past week! And there's SOOO much that has been happening that I want to share! Fortunately, my sister was able to purchase a VPN, so.... I shall be sneaky and use this to FINALLY put some shtuff on my blog! Please excuse the fact that some of these things occurred several days ago...

For example, take this one post that I was hoping to put up on my blog, the minute I arrived in Shanghai. Woops~! I realize how cheesy it is, but... it was definitely how I was feeling in the moment.

June 3^rd, 2010

I’m currently waiting for my flight, boarding in 40 min., just writing down my thoughts before I actually take off, even though the limited WiFi access at SFO poses as a problem, so I probably won’t even ‘publish’ this post until I reach my next destination…. SHANGHAI!

Leaving for another country has always been such an adventure for me, explaining the reason why I love traveling so much. I’ve probably commented on this, before, so… please pardon my redundancies, but, traveling’s not only a physical journey, but, definitely an emotional one for me as well.

I find it truer and truer every single time, but, the saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” definitely describes my emotions before even traveling.

After my final exams, I went straight home to LA for two weeks in order to hang out with my family and high school/college friends, and was able to really strengthen my bond with each of them and realize that they really are significant figures in my life that I couldn’t live without.

Although I know that my parents still view me as their baby daughter, I’m grateful that they have seen my growth into an independent, responsible person – and, I don’t know if this is a good thing or not (haha), but, are not worried at all about my going to a country that has just endured political protests/destruction, while parents of my friends would never allow it. I definitely have to give my parents credit here, since they’ve not only given me a passion for exploring unfamiliar cultures, but have given me such great advice and support, at the same time. I love you guys.

The few days before I left LA to go back to the Bay Area, I spent every day with my two closest high school friends, going to our beloved SoCal beach, attending music festivals, eating our much cherished Salvadoran pupusas, karaoke-ing (sp?) our hearts away, and having our never-ending awkward moments not only in our company but in clear, public view as well…. I loved it. Despite the fact that I spent SO much time with them, I still felt as I was leaving… a wish that I could always be with them.

One of my friends, KL, loves to hold her breath while driving through tunnels, making wishes that someday might come true. Cheesy, I know, but… as we drove those crazy LA freeways, jetting through the tunnels, I found myself wishing every time, for our friendship to never end.

Coming back to Berkeley was not only a goodbye for me from my friends, boyfriend, and labmates/professors, but to the university that I love and has grown to become a new home. I’m not really religious in any way, but I truly feel blessed to have all these great friends that I’ve formed in college, relationships in my major department that I know will assist me in my future aspirations, and options for me to follow my greatest passions: travel, food, friends, and science.

To my friends: I hope you know through my words and actions that I love you guys so much. In no particular order, just letting you know that I’m thinking of you (for privacy reasons, let’s just use first and last initials, shall we?)… KL, MS, AL, IB, AH, MD, TC, MG, LV, GI, SB, HY, KS, SH, EL…

Miss you already, but… the plane’s calling (literally, now! Ahha!)! You guys have yourself a great summer!

Places affected by protests

Sorry!

As seen by my last post, I haven't been able to write too much in depth, especially since I'm trying to make the most of my last few days in the states...

Just for interest, here's a link to a list of the places in Bangkok damaged by the protests.

I used to roll the dice...

Considering the latest news from Thailand, for some reason this song (popular two summers ago and OVERplayed on the radio... but nonetheless, a good song, I think!) popped into my head!

The first time I heard this song was actually in an English class that I took over the summer at the community college near my home (in Southern California). I've never been much of an English person, and didn't want to be butchered by the mandatory English course at Berkeley, so was much relieved to find that I could take care of this English credit, elsewhere!

Although the class was a little bit blaaah at times, the courseload for the class was very... VERY minimal, and the teacher was just this old, awe-inspiring blind man who had this funny sense of humour, not to mention, a liking for analyzing songs (errrr.... poems!) in class. Just like this song!

Anyways, the song is basically about being at the top of the word (being loved by everyone), but then suddenly facing criticisms or animosity from previous admirers -

Comparing this to revolutionary leaders (for example, the French Revolution), who were forward-thinking and supported by the peoples, but in the end, became the enemy of the people.

This just reminded me of how Thaksin is now facing much ridicule...

http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/61013.html

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/37917/thaksin-has-fewer-places-to-move

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/179510/thaksin-won-t-revoke-thai-nationality

http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/61274.html

Consequences

The good news is that the situation in Bangkok seems to be improving, due to the government pushing into the rebel camps, arresting Red-Shirt protesters and telling the rest to just go home. Which is really assuring especially for the city of Bangkok, which has definitely suffered some devastating consequences as a result of the protests that just kept on increasing in violence.

Not only has Thailand just suffered an incredible blow to their public image, internationally, but the capital itself has been physically, economically... (and other effects!)... damaged.


As you can see with this Reuters article, some banks were burned, shopping mall parts collapsed, tourists were basically prisoners in their hotel rooms, and several of the storefronts in Bangkok, in general, have been damaged from the clashes between government and Red Shirt personnel.

I was just reading this Bangkok Post article about the curfew, which is from 8pm-6am and will last for another week, saying how the curfew itself has been a little debilitating to the city, as many retailers need to restock at night - so, with the curfew, replenishing their means of profit is nearly impossible.

Several international investors are reconsidering putting more investments into Thailand..

To boost tourism in Thailand, AirAsia is apparently going to give away 10,000 free seats to non-Thai travelers, to go to Thailand between June and August!!


It's just said to hear that this sort of violence that severely disabled the city was caused by its own people. Yeah, they were protesting against the government, but I feel like it was their own fault for letting things get out of hand and affecting those (such as store owners, hotels, tourists...) who were innocent and had absolutely no control over matters. I mean, it's not like breaking those store windows and completely demolishing a section of a shopping mall is really going to make things better?
Sure, causing destruction grabs the attention of others, but how does one know that it'll necessarily get the right attention from the group that you actually want to intimidate, and not your fellow citizens?

I just find this interesting, especially because the Thai Department of Special Investigation has put up an official global alert for the arrest warrant against Thaksin Shinawatra with terrorist charges. Even Interpol has been approached for assisting in the arrest of Thaksin from the DSI.

Apparently, Thaksin might be hiding in this villa in Montenegro... or just, jet-setting around the world~

What I just want to know is, I wonder how Thaksin is feeling about the protests?

For example,

• Did he honestly think that if the protests were successful, that he'd be able to take over and be placed again at the head of the Thai government?
• Was his motive for supporting the Red Shirt protests financially+idealogically actually for the sake of his country, or for his own revenge against the current administration?
• With the heavy violence and destruction that occurred especially in Bangkok, was he thinking about the consequences on his country and its people..... and perhaps also how he would've taken control of the aftermath of the protests, if the Red Shirts had been successful and he'd be placed back in the President's office?

Japanese food in Thailand!

So, I just came upon this commercial when exploring one of my favorite blog-sites, BoingBoing!

I just love it, because....

1. It's just... ridiculous, and I can't wait to see it with my own eyes

2. It's from MisterDonut, which is a donut-chain in Japan.... but I guess it's in Thailand, too!

3. Just.. LOOK at the donuts! I wonder if it tastes fishy.... haha!