I wrote this blog as a journal, and I really hope it can be a resource as well. I know there's very little information about Guiyang online, and especially somewhat current stuff.
Next for me? I'm moving back home to Arizona, at least for now, to try and find a job and save up money. Who knows what's next after that, but travel will definitely be involved.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sept 13th-16th: Sydney
Monday 13th- Sydney
I took the train back to the city Monday morning, where my friend Nicola met me. She's yet another camp friend who in fact had just arrived back from America that morning. She lives in Newtown, which is near her uni, with roommates. We toured the University of Sydney, which has a really nice traditional looking sort of campus. Perhaps we should have toured around more but I think we both enjoyed taking a break by watching Community and eating a block of Cadbury chocolate.
Tuesday 14th Sydney
Tuesday we walked around Newtown looking for a job for Nicola (good practice for what I'll be doing soon). Newtown is kind of a funky hipster type place- I like it. We met up with Nicola's friend and had Thai food for lunch. There's lots of Asian food around Newtown. It was really good. It was pouring rain and we went to her friend's house, hung out and ate dinner, and then went to see Going the Distance (at the discounted price of $11). The movie was much better than I expected. Not that I knew too much about it. I've been so out of what's new in movies and music and I've been trying to catch up in Australia, though they get everything later than America as well.
Wednesday 15th Sydney
Nicola and I took some nice Sydney Opera House photos and ate some coffee and cupcakes in the city. In the evening we went to pub trivia, a favorite activity of several of my Aussie friends.
Thursday 16th Sydney
Nicola and I had our coffee and cupcakes again and walked down Oxford Street, which is where they celebrate Mardi Gras- it's the “gay” area of the city. We had to try the kangaroo we bought for lunch so we cooked our kebabs. It's a game meat apparently so you aren't supposed to cook it over medium rare. It's supposed to be really healthy because there's little fat. We had a taste. It was alright but probably would have been better with more flavors or as a burger rather than plain. For lunch we really had pies, since apparently I had to try a pie before I left Australia. It was really delicious. And by pie I mean with meat or veggies inside. And then we basically just watched Community and hung out until I left.
I was definitely sad to leave Australia. I took the train to the airport and had a pretty easy ordeal to get on my plane. I flew with V Australia from Sydney to LA. It was pretty good. The food was pretty nice and the entertainment was great. You get your own touch screen monitor with lots of movies, both new and old, TV shows, entire albums of new music, and radio. I enjoyed it. The flight itself ended up being less than 13 hours which was fantastic.
I took the train back to the city Monday morning, where my friend Nicola met me. She's yet another camp friend who in fact had just arrived back from America that morning. She lives in Newtown, which is near her uni, with roommates. We toured the University of Sydney, which has a really nice traditional looking sort of campus. Perhaps we should have toured around more but I think we both enjoyed taking a break by watching Community and eating a block of Cadbury chocolate.
Tuesday 14th Sydney
Tuesday we walked around Newtown looking for a job for Nicola (good practice for what I'll be doing soon). Newtown is kind of a funky hipster type place- I like it. We met up with Nicola's friend and had Thai food for lunch. There's lots of Asian food around Newtown. It was really good. It was pouring rain and we went to her friend's house, hung out and ate dinner, and then went to see Going the Distance (at the discounted price of $11). The movie was much better than I expected. Not that I knew too much about it. I've been so out of what's new in movies and music and I've been trying to catch up in Australia, though they get everything later than America as well.
Wednesday 15th Sydney
Nicola and I took some nice Sydney Opera House photos and ate some coffee and cupcakes in the city. In the evening we went to pub trivia, a favorite activity of several of my Aussie friends.
Thursday 16th Sydney
Nicola and I had our coffee and cupcakes again and walked down Oxford Street, which is where they celebrate Mardi Gras- it's the “gay” area of the city. We had to try the kangaroo we bought for lunch so we cooked our kebabs. It's a game meat apparently so you aren't supposed to cook it over medium rare. It's supposed to be really healthy because there's little fat. We had a taste. It was alright but probably would have been better with more flavors or as a burger rather than plain. For lunch we really had pies, since apparently I had to try a pie before I left Australia. It was really delicious. And by pie I mean with meat or veggies inside. And then we basically just watched Community and hung out until I left.
I was definitely sad to leave Australia. I took the train to the airport and had a pretty easy ordeal to get on my plane. I flew with V Australia from Sydney to LA. It was pretty good. The food was pretty nice and the entertainment was great. You get your own touch screen monitor with lots of movies, both new and old, TV shows, entire albums of new music, and radio. I enjoyed it. The flight itself ended up being less than 13 hours which was fantastic.
Saturday-Sunday 11th- 12th Blue Mountains
I checked out of my hostel on Saturday and headed to the train station to catch a train to the Blue Mountains, where my camp friend Kristie lives. It was pretty far outside the city (a couple hours train ride) and immediately cooler in Katoomba where Kristie picked me up. We went to see the “Grand Canyon of Australia,” and the famous 3 Sisters (mountains? Big rocks?). We got some really nice views of the mountains, which by the way look blue because of the eucalyptus trees (see Kristie you totally taught me something!).
I stayed at Kristie's house and then the next day she drove us to Woolongong. After my city views of Australia this was more of a country drive. Woolongong is another gorgeous beach area with several beautiful beaches, and we got a sunny day to enjoy them. Then I tagged along to her nephew's birthday party before we did a long drive home in the dark.
I stayed at Kristie's house and then the next day she drove us to Woolongong. After my city views of Australia this was more of a country drive. Woolongong is another gorgeous beach area with several beautiful beaches, and we got a sunny day to enjoy them. Then I tagged along to her nephew's birthday party before we did a long drive home in the dark.
Sept 9th-10th: Sydney
Thursday the 9th in Sydney
I slept in a bit and then decided to take the ferry to Manly, which was recommended to me by several people. So I walked back up to Circular Quay and caught the ferry. It's about a thirty minute ride with a nice view of the Opera House and the city. It was kind of cold and windy but I still braved it sitting outside to make the most.
Manly seems like a cool little place. It kind of has a village-y beach town feel. I walked over to the lovely beach. Sadly it was another cloudy and rainy Australian beach day for me. Still nice- clear water and white sand, once again. I walked around to Shelly Beach, and on my way back from that walk a man saw my sweatshirt and said, “Hey! You went to Bryn Mawr? That's a good school!”
Turns out he's from Pittsburgh and travels around doing a language exchange and lessons for free. It's always exciting when someone actually knows Bryn Mawr.
Friday 10th Sydney
On Friday I decided to go see the famous Bondi Beach. I went with an Australian guy I met at the hostel and we headed out on an adventure to find the proper bus to the beach. Eventually we made it and it was smaller than I expected but quite nice. And the sun finally came out! I think it might have been a bit cold for a swim, although there were the ever-present surfers. We just lied on the beach and watched the clouds fly by. It was surprisingly peaceful. Apparently it gets quite crowded in the summer.
Then we went for a hike over the rocks by the cliff and got some gorgeous views of the beach and the water. Australian beaches are really amazingly beautiful. At least on par with some of the Bali beaches I visited.
I slept in a bit and then decided to take the ferry to Manly, which was recommended to me by several people. So I walked back up to Circular Quay and caught the ferry. It's about a thirty minute ride with a nice view of the Opera House and the city. It was kind of cold and windy but I still braved it sitting outside to make the most.
Manly seems like a cool little place. It kind of has a village-y beach town feel. I walked over to the lovely beach. Sadly it was another cloudy and rainy Australian beach day for me. Still nice- clear water and white sand, once again. I walked around to Shelly Beach, and on my way back from that walk a man saw my sweatshirt and said, “Hey! You went to Bryn Mawr? That's a good school!”
Turns out he's from Pittsburgh and travels around doing a language exchange and lessons for free. It's always exciting when someone actually knows Bryn Mawr.
Friday 10th Sydney
On Friday I decided to go see the famous Bondi Beach. I went with an Australian guy I met at the hostel and we headed out on an adventure to find the proper bus to the beach. Eventually we made it and it was smaller than I expected but quite nice. And the sun finally came out! I think it might have been a bit cold for a swim, although there were the ever-present surfers. We just lied on the beach and watched the clouds fly by. It was surprisingly peaceful. Apparently it gets quite crowded in the summer.
Then we went for a hike over the rocks by the cliff and got some gorgeous views of the beach and the water. Australian beaches are really amazingly beautiful. At least on par with some of the Bali beaches I visited.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sydney, Australia
Fun Fact: In Australia they pronounce Megan like this: Mee-gan. weird eh?
I left Brisbane and arrived in Sydney last night. I took the train and pretty easily found my hostel. I basically just went to sleep last night.
This morning and into the afternoon I've just been walking around Sydney. It's the biggest city I've been to on this trip (Hong Kong's big but I know my way around) so I'm still finding my way around. It's a beautiful sunny day, though cooler than Brisbane, and I walked to Darling Harbour, The Rocks, Circular Quay, and around the park kind of in a circle back to the city and towards my hostel. Firstly Australians are really into exercise. I guess when you have beautiful weather and scenery it's nice to go running outside but man. They are all way too fit and it's making me feel bad.
It was a really nice walk with lots of nice views of the Opera House. There was a random Maori show by New Zealanders which had something to do with rugby apparently, and an Aboriginal group with a didgeridoo.
Tip for backpackers: For some reason MacDonald's in Australia has free wi-fi. It's awesome. Usually I wouldn't hang around MacDonald's too much but it's better than paying $1/15 minutes at the hostel. I can linger here over a coffee and also catch up on my pop music since I don't know any of the new songs that are out these days.
I left Brisbane and arrived in Sydney last night. I took the train and pretty easily found my hostel. I basically just went to sleep last night.
This morning and into the afternoon I've just been walking around Sydney. It's the biggest city I've been to on this trip (Hong Kong's big but I know my way around) so I'm still finding my way around. It's a beautiful sunny day, though cooler than Brisbane, and I walked to Darling Harbour, The Rocks, Circular Quay, and around the park kind of in a circle back to the city and towards my hostel. Firstly Australians are really into exercise. I guess when you have beautiful weather and scenery it's nice to go running outside but man. They are all way too fit and it's making me feel bad.
It was a really nice walk with lots of nice views of the Opera House. There was a random Maori show by New Zealanders which had something to do with rugby apparently, and an Aboriginal group with a didgeridoo.
Tip for backpackers: For some reason MacDonald's in Australia has free wi-fi. It's awesome. Usually I wouldn't hang around MacDonald's too much but it's better than paying $1/15 minutes at the hostel. I can linger here over a coffee and also catch up on my pop music since I don't know any of the new songs that are out these days.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Brisbane
Brisbane has been really fun. Mostly I've followed Kristina around and hung out while she went to university. On Friday I went to her friend's 21st birthday party. On Saturday we went to Riverfire. We sat out on the grass all day, and ate and drank by the river. It was nice weather that day as well. There were lots of fireworks over the bridges on the river, which was cool.
On Sunday it was rainy, but we still had a good day. We went to Currumbin Sanctuary, which is a place that has all Australian animals. First we got to feed kangaroos. Kangaroos are pretty hilarious. They were just running around (hopping)everywhere as well. We saw koalas of course. And other Aussie animals.
After that we went to Gold Coast and took our umbrellas on the beach. Of course it's Australia so people were still surfing in the rain. I put my feet in the ocean and then we went and got gelato, of course.
Monday Kristina had uni most of the day so she dropped me in the city. I walked around a lot. I went to West End and went to a cafe my other Brisbane friend told me I should visit. Then I walked around the city a bit. It was a really nice, sunny day. People lay out on the fake beach and the grass at Southbank. I saw a movie to kill time- Vampires Suck. It was worth it just to see the Harry Potter 7 trailer. Then Kristina picked me up and I watched her play touch football, which isn't a sport I've seen before. I think it's pretty Australian.
Right now I'm at Kristina's uni. We had sushi for lunch and I fly to Sydney tonight at 8. I will stay at a hostel for 4 nights before I move in with my friend in the Blue Mountains for the weekend. Then I'll move in with my other camp friend in Syd before I head back to America!
On Sunday it was rainy, but we still had a good day. We went to Currumbin Sanctuary, which is a place that has all Australian animals. First we got to feed kangaroos. Kangaroos are pretty hilarious. They were just running around (hopping)everywhere as well. We saw koalas of course. And other Aussie animals.
After that we went to Gold Coast and took our umbrellas on the beach. Of course it's Australia so people were still surfing in the rain. I put my feet in the ocean and then we went and got gelato, of course.
Monday Kristina had uni most of the day so she dropped me in the city. I walked around a lot. I went to West End and went to a cafe my other Brisbane friend told me I should visit. Then I walked around the city a bit. It was a really nice, sunny day. People lay out on the fake beach and the grass at Southbank. I saw a movie to kill time- Vampires Suck. It was worth it just to see the Harry Potter 7 trailer. Then Kristina picked me up and I watched her play touch football, which isn't a sport I've seen before. I think it's pretty Australian.
Right now I'm at Kristina's uni. We had sushi for lunch and I fly to Sydney tonight at 8. I will stay at a hostel for 4 nights before I move in with my friend in the Blue Mountains for the weekend. Then I'll move in with my other camp friend in Syd before I head back to America!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Brisbane, Australia
My flight left at 12:55 am from Bali and straight to Brisbane. I arrived at 8:30 in the morning, after a tiny bit of sleep, and my friend Kristina picked me up and took me to her house. It felt kind of strange to be back in a "Western" country.
I mostly slept at Kristina's house during the day and just ate dinner and hung out with Kristina a bit before bed. Today we went into the city. We walked around South Bank, which is by the river. It's kind of funny because there's this little fake beach for swimming with sand and everything. We went to a museum and then came back to Kristina's uni because she has class (which she's at now). I went book shopping earlier and it kind of blew my mind because a paperback book costs like $23 (one that would cost like $8 maybe in the US).
The seasons are opposite here so it has just turned from winter to spring. Though it's pretty warm and nice.
After traveling by myself it's definitely nice to have a person to talk to all day and to show me around.
I mostly slept at Kristina's house during the day and just ate dinner and hung out with Kristina a bit before bed. Today we went into the city. We walked around South Bank, which is by the river. It's kind of funny because there's this little fake beach for swimming with sand and everything. We went to a museum and then came back to Kristina's uni because she has class (which she's at now). I went book shopping earlier and it kind of blew my mind because a paperback book costs like $23 (one that would cost like $8 maybe in the US).
The seasons are opposite here so it has just turned from winter to spring. Though it's pretty warm and nice.
After traveling by myself it's definitely nice to have a person to talk to all day and to show me around.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Bali Photos
I finished my second Bali album
A kind strange at the beach offered to take pictures for me since I was by myself, which was pretty nice. Actually that's happened to me a couple of times when I've traveled by myself, it's pretty cool.
This morning I woke up early and had the hotel breakfast which was of course overlooking the water. It was wonderful to hear the sounds of the ocean last night lulling me to sleep. There was also a big tropical storm last night, which I quite enjoyed.
I said good-bye to Candidasa and took the shuttle bus to Padangbai, then back to Ubud. Then I got to the airport. I really enjoyed all the rides, despite the crowded bus. The scenery is just amazing.
Even looking out my window right now isn't so bad. The palm trees are swaying outside the airport.
My flight to Brisbane is a red-eye so hopefully I can get some sleep before I arrive in Australia tomorrow.
A kind strange at the beach offered to take pictures for me since I was by myself, which was pretty nice. Actually that's happened to me a couple of times when I've traveled by myself, it's pretty cool.
This morning I woke up early and had the hotel breakfast which was of course overlooking the water. It was wonderful to hear the sounds of the ocean last night lulling me to sleep. There was also a big tropical storm last night, which I quite enjoyed.
I said good-bye to Candidasa and took the shuttle bus to Padangbai, then back to Ubud. Then I got to the airport. I really enjoyed all the rides, despite the crowded bus. The scenery is just amazing.
Even looking out my window right now isn't so bad. The palm trees are swaying outside the airport.
My flight to Brisbane is a red-eye so hopefully I can get some sleep before I arrive in Australia tomorrow.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Candidasa
This morning I woke up early and was a bit sad to leave Ubud.
I took the shuttle bus to Candidasa. The drive was fantastic. Bali is so gorgeous- I kind of doubt there's an ugly part. Through rice paddies and jungle and coast and people farming and making offerings at the temples. I really enjoy scenic rides on boats or cars.
Most people got off at Padangbai because that's how you get to Lombok. I was the only one who headed to Candidasa which meant I got dropped straight off at a nice hotel my driver knew, and I'll get picked up straight from the hotel which is nice since I have heavy luggage.
My hotel is right over the water and I can see the ocean from my window. It doesn't get much better. Candidasa is kind of weird with lots of ocean front hotels without much sand or beach area (so no beachside strolling). It's gorgeous- clear water and all.
I decided to go to a white sand beach from Lonely Planet, Pasir Putih. According to LP, in 2004 there was literally no one here except fishermen. When they last updated my guide they said there are a few places to get drinks there. As of now, probably in part because of the LP guidebook, which rates Pasir Putih as a top beach, there are a few small warung (eateries).
It's still a bit tricky to get to which is probably why it's not overwhelmed with people. My hotel got me a motorbike taxi, a guy called Made (mah-day). He agreed to take me to the beach and wait there until I wanted to return. Not a bad deal!
Once again, getting there was half the fun. The scenery was breathtaking from my motorcycle perch. We wound up hills through jungle to overlook gorgeous rice paddies and the mountain in the background, until we could see the ocean.
Down "barely a road" and there was the beach. Spectacular. White sand, clear water that was incredibly blue and aquamarine. There were beach loungers and snorkels to rent, and guys who would gladly crack open a coconut for you.
My driver Made got me to sit in his friend's beach area, and he showed me where to snorkel. There was coral, lots of beautiful tropical fish, and even a barracuda! I did some swimming and some lounging, and had a coconut of course
I'm currently eating beside a lagoon, and then I think some seaside hotel lounging is in order.
I took the shuttle bus to Candidasa. The drive was fantastic. Bali is so gorgeous- I kind of doubt there's an ugly part. Through rice paddies and jungle and coast and people farming and making offerings at the temples. I really enjoy scenic rides on boats or cars.
Most people got off at Padangbai because that's how you get to Lombok. I was the only one who headed to Candidasa which meant I got dropped straight off at a nice hotel my driver knew, and I'll get picked up straight from the hotel which is nice since I have heavy luggage.
My hotel is right over the water and I can see the ocean from my window. It doesn't get much better. Candidasa is kind of weird with lots of ocean front hotels without much sand or beach area (so no beachside strolling). It's gorgeous- clear water and all.
I decided to go to a white sand beach from Lonely Planet, Pasir Putih. According to LP, in 2004 there was literally no one here except fishermen. When they last updated my guide they said there are a few places to get drinks there. As of now, probably in part because of the LP guidebook, which rates Pasir Putih as a top beach, there are a few small warung (eateries).
It's still a bit tricky to get to which is probably why it's not overwhelmed with people. My hotel got me a motorbike taxi, a guy called Made (mah-day). He agreed to take me to the beach and wait there until I wanted to return. Not a bad deal!
Once again, getting there was half the fun. The scenery was breathtaking from my motorcycle perch. We wound up hills through jungle to overlook gorgeous rice paddies and the mountain in the background, until we could see the ocean.
Down "barely a road" and there was the beach. Spectacular. White sand, clear water that was incredibly blue and aquamarine. There were beach loungers and snorkels to rent, and guys who would gladly crack open a coconut for you.
My driver Made got me to sit in his friend's beach area, and he showed me where to snorkel. There was coral, lots of beautiful tropical fish, and even a barracuda! I did some swimming and some lounging, and had a coconut of course
I'm currently eating beside a lagoon, and then I think some seaside hotel lounging is in order.
Aug 29th: Ubud
This morning I mostly planned my Australia trip. I am leaving for Brisbane in a couple of days, as it turns out! I ate lunch at Nomad again.
I tried to make the most of my now last day in Ubud. I did some shopping, and then I treated myself to a massage spa treatment. Now by treated myself I mean I splurged and spent $15 whole dollars US to get the usual hour-long Balinese massage, followed by a spice bath. First there was a scrub made with Indonesian spices. The hot bath that followed was really a giant tea cup for a person to soak in: there was a huge bag full of spices and herbs. It was pretty amazing.
I had a nice dinner and dessert at a restaurant that had a live cover band doing requests from the audience, which was fun. A Balinese fish dish and bananas flambe for dessert.
I decided that since I'm leaving for Australia so soon I don't really have time to go up to Lovina, so I'm going to go to either the East Coast seaside areas of Padangbai or Candidasa for my last night in Bali. I want to be ocean side again before I leave Bali.
I tried to make the most of my now last day in Ubud. I did some shopping, and then I treated myself to a massage spa treatment. Now by treated myself I mean I splurged and spent $15 whole dollars US to get the usual hour-long Balinese massage, followed by a spice bath. First there was a scrub made with Indonesian spices. The hot bath that followed was really a giant tea cup for a person to soak in: there was a huge bag full of spices and herbs. It was pretty amazing.
I had a nice dinner and dessert at a restaurant that had a live cover band doing requests from the audience, which was fun. A Balinese fish dish and bananas flambe for dessert.
I decided that since I'm leaving for Australia so soon I don't really have time to go up to Lovina, so I'm going to go to either the East Coast seaside areas of Padangbai or Candidasa for my last night in Bali. I want to be ocean side again before I leave Bali.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Photos
I finished off my first album, which now has 200 photos of Ubud, Sanur, and Kuta
Second Album of Ubud photos
Second Album of Ubud photos
Aug 28th: Ubud
After my amazing lunch at Nomad, I headed to my gamelan lesson at the Pondok Library and Learning Center, which is a really cool place by the way. I reviewed my old song and remembered it surprisingly well, then learned a new song along with its harmony part. If I go to another lesson I can work more on that, which I might do.
I spontaneously decided to get a massage at Bodyworks, which is in a family compound. It was really nice and I got to keep the extra massage oil, which I chose- cempaka. It's an amazing floral scent. It will probably always remind me of Bali now.
For dinner I headed to Warung Enuk, which I'd seen on one of my walks around. It's a really cool funky restaurant, out near the rice paddies. It's very classy but fun- it has chandeliers with brightly colored lampshades, and funny art. The waitstaff was amazing. I love that in Bali I can eat at somewhere and feel really fancy but still get a delicious meal for under ten bucks.
I had Balinese tea with ginger and milk, and a perfectly fried crab cake with rice and spicy pepper sauce. It was sooooo good.
I am trying to decide what to do tomorrow. I thought about doing a tour or a cooking class but I'm having a bit of a hard time being one person- they usually want at least two people for those things. I can probably find a cooking class for one on one if I looked a bit harder so I might do that before I leave. I am thinking about doing another art museum, maybe another music lesson, and I'm really tempted to have another meal at Nomad.
I spontaneously decided to get a massage at Bodyworks, which is in a family compound. It was really nice and I got to keep the extra massage oil, which I chose- cempaka. It's an amazing floral scent. It will probably always remind me of Bali now.
For dinner I headed to Warung Enuk, which I'd seen on one of my walks around. It's a really cool funky restaurant, out near the rice paddies. It's very classy but fun- it has chandeliers with brightly colored lampshades, and funny art. The waitstaff was amazing. I love that in Bali I can eat at somewhere and feel really fancy but still get a delicious meal for under ten bucks.
I had Balinese tea with ginger and milk, and a perfectly fried crab cake with rice and spicy pepper sauce. It was sooooo good.
I am trying to decide what to do tomorrow. I thought about doing a tour or a cooking class but I'm having a bit of a hard time being one person- they usually want at least two people for those things. I can probably find a cooking class for one on one if I looked a bit harder so I might do that before I leave. I am thinking about doing another art museum, maybe another music lesson, and I'm really tempted to have another meal at Nomad.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Aug 27th: Ubud
I had the usual breakfast on my porch and then walked to a small textile museum to look at some beautiful handwoven cloth. The family compound also had a restaurant, Lonely Planet recommended. It was cheap and delicious Indonesian food with a slightly sour fresh mango juice.
In the evening I went to a free yoga class at Yoga Barn. I love the international crowd of men and women you get there. It was pretty fun except for all the mosquitos, which managed to bite me even through my leggings. Despite all the mosquito repellent.
I've been starting to try to plan my Australia part of the trip, and trying to find cheap flights. I'm sure it will all work out fine.
Aug 28th: Ubud
Today I slept in and am currently at Nomad, an organic and locally-grown produce cafe. It's amazingly good. I had handmade pumpkin ravioli, which was so delicious, with black iced tea spiced with ginger. I couldn't help but try the local black rice pudding dessert, which was served with a bit of ice cream and banana. Mmmm. Plus there's free wi-fi.
I have another gamelan lesson soon so I'm busy planning the rest of my trip until then. I've sold some of my books to a used bookstore and need to get more reading before I get to the apparently bookshopless Lovina. I am zooming through Stieg Larsson's books. I probably read about 300 pages yesterday and finished "The Girl Who Played With Fire."
In the evening I went to a free yoga class at Yoga Barn. I love the international crowd of men and women you get there. It was pretty fun except for all the mosquitos, which managed to bite me even through my leggings. Despite all the mosquito repellent.
I've been starting to try to plan my Australia part of the trip, and trying to find cheap flights. I'm sure it will all work out fine.
Aug 28th: Ubud
Today I slept in and am currently at Nomad, an organic and locally-grown produce cafe. It's amazingly good. I had handmade pumpkin ravioli, which was so delicious, with black iced tea spiced with ginger. I couldn't help but try the local black rice pudding dessert, which was served with a bit of ice cream and banana. Mmmm. Plus there's free wi-fi.
I have another gamelan lesson soon so I'm busy planning the rest of my trip until then. I've sold some of my books to a used bookstore and need to get more reading before I get to the apparently bookshopless Lovina. I am zooming through Stieg Larsson's books. I probably read about 300 pages yesterday and finished "The Girl Who Played With Fire."
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Aug 26th: Ubud
This morning I was a bit lazier than I have been and slept in a bit later. I had breakfast and read and drank tea on my porch, and then headed to the post office to mail some letters. I got coffee and went on the internet at a cafe for a while. I had a nice inexpensive Indonesian lunch and walked around some of the streets I hadn't been to yet. I did a bit of shopping. I got some nice handmade batik items.
This afternoon I went to the Pondok Library and Learning Center. It's a cool place with books and cultural classes. I met my music teacher and I learned how to play the metal gamelan instrument (as opposed to bamboo). It looks like a xylophone. The tricky part is it rings a lot so you must silence the previous note with your left hand while simultaneously hitting the next note with the hammer in your right hand. I basically practiced one melody. I got the hang of it, although sometimes I'd get confused and mess up.
My teacher is cool and asked if I'd come back for another lesson tomorrow. So I signed up for another lesson. When else am I going to get to take Balinese gamelan lessons for $7 an hour? If I stay in Ubud until Sunday I can come see him perform as well. Hmm. Maybe.
Tonight I went to see a shadow puppet show. It was at a musical instrument shop. First the gamelan players banged out some music and then the puppet show began, quite seriously and with Balinese singing. Then the characters, all voiced by one puppeteer, started to talk in English. There were funny jokes about Bali and tourism here. There were some cool fight scenes with puppets throwing and stabbing each other. It was a lot more fun than I expected and quite enjoyable. Afterwards we got to go behind the screen and see the beautiful puppets and the two gamelan players.
I think I might stay in Ubud for a few more days. I kind of want to end my Bali trip near the beach, and Lovina sounds nice for that.
This afternoon I went to the Pondok Library and Learning Center. It's a cool place with books and cultural classes. I met my music teacher and I learned how to play the metal gamelan instrument (as opposed to bamboo). It looks like a xylophone. The tricky part is it rings a lot so you must silence the previous note with your left hand while simultaneously hitting the next note with the hammer in your right hand. I basically practiced one melody. I got the hang of it, although sometimes I'd get confused and mess up.
My teacher is cool and asked if I'd come back for another lesson tomorrow. So I signed up for another lesson. When else am I going to get to take Balinese gamelan lessons for $7 an hour? If I stay in Ubud until Sunday I can come see him perform as well. Hmm. Maybe.
Tonight I went to see a shadow puppet show. It was at a musical instrument shop. First the gamelan players banged out some music and then the puppet show began, quite seriously and with Balinese singing. Then the characters, all voiced by one puppeteer, started to talk in English. There were funny jokes about Bali and tourism here. There were some cool fight scenes with puppets throwing and stabbing each other. It was a lot more fun than I expected and quite enjoyable. Afterwards we got to go behind the screen and see the beautiful puppets and the two gamelan players.
I think I might stay in Ubud for a few more days. I kind of want to end my Bali trip near the beach, and Lovina sounds nice for that.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Aug 25th: Ubud
This morning I woke up and had tea and banana pancakes on my porch again, for breakfast. Then I headed down to the tourist office for my tour. It was me, two other lone woman travelers, one from Japan and one from Belgium, a German couple, and a Russian mother and son. Lots of countries represented in our little group. Our guide, Agung, drove us to several temples first. The famous and quite nearby Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave Temple. Of course because we're in Asia like all sites it involved lots of stairs. It was a cave and a temple in the jungle, basically. The Japanese girl and I got a bit lost trying to find a temple and were late to meet up with our group.
Next we went to Pejeng. More temples. You must wear a sarong to go into all these sites, by the way (guys and girl who aren't wearing long pants. If you wear pants you must wear a sash.). After that we went to Gunung Kawi, which was an amazing experience. You climb down the stairs, and as you go down the hills you descend into gorgeous rice terraced scenery, with a river trickling by. You go down and then you hear this captivating, haunting music from the ceremony- both gamelan and singing. It was truly beautiful. You pass women carrying offerings down to the temple on their heads.
The temple had a ceremony for the full-moon, so the temple was busy with people preparing food and fruit for offerings.
After I climbed back up I arrived before everyone else, so I began chatting with our guide. I learned that it was his birthday today! I asked him what he would do to celebrate and he said that he'd just have a small celebration with his family. They would make a large offering to the gods and then eat their dinner, decorated with flowers on the plate. He explained to me how Balinese people make the offerings daily because they want to. Their day feels incomplete without prayer or offering.
It was a pretty fascinating conversation as we went on to other topics. He commented how prices keep going up and the guidebooks don't keep up, so everything is more expensive than the books claim. In just the last six months, for example, the entrance fee for the temples has doubled. Also, like everywhere, electricity and water have become more expensive.
I asked him where most of the tourists who come to Bali are from. I was surprised at first that people didn't see many Americans- usually Americans seem to be everywhere when I travel. He said in July and August they get a lot of Europeans. September and October are mostly Japanese, due to the holidays, and Australians for the Christmas holidays. Apparently the quietest time is from January to April, because no one is on vacation, I suppose. He attributes the lack of Americans to the bombings and fear of terrorism. However, the word around Bali is that after the “Eat, Pray, Love” movie comes out, people will see how gorgeous Bali is and want to come.
He told me that Balinese people feel discriminated against, since they are the minority within the whole of Indonesia (a 95% Muslim country). I got the idea that he was conveying the message that Balinese, like Americans, fear Islamic terrorist attacks as well. He told me that he feels that Balinese people have no power, despite the fact that their tourism generates a lot of income for Indonesia. For example, the airport tax all of us visitors pay does not go to Bali but Indonesia. Balinese must pay for school and health care but according to my guide, Islamic Indonesians get all that for free. He told me that the Balinese really appreciate the tourism, especially after the bombing when it suffered a lot. According to my Lonely Planet, some people think that Bali relies too much on tourism. After what I've seen so far, you can see how Westerners would get entranced with Bali. It's “charismatic,” as Agung my guide said.
Bali is really special and you can feel the pride they have for their culture. It's amazing that you look at paintings from a hundred years ago and much of Bali looks the same- it's not being modernized in the same way much of China is, although it certainly is to some degree. Balinese attitudes remind me a bit of Hong Kong or Taiwan: HK or Taiwanese people definitely say they are NOT from China, and they have a certain amount of pride about their differences, much like Bali from Indonesia. Also being small places overpowered by a larger, overseeing country.
Next we headed to Tampak Siring, the Holy Spring Temple. It has a bubbling Holy Spring and a temple. There was some kind of professional filming going on of an older Western lady getting blessed by a local priest, I presume. I later saw the same people filming, coincidentally, at the dance performance I went to.
After this we headed to a coffee plantation. I really enjoyed this section of the tour. This is part of the “agro-tourism” all over Bali. Our guide pointed out cacao, kopi (Balinese coffee) beans, cinnamon tree, and other herbs and spices that the plantation grows. Then we learned about the “poop coffee.” Yes, a mongoose can apparently find the best coffee beans, and they make a fancy-schmancy coffee from these beans. Then we saw how they make the coffee. They roast the beans over a fire and grind them with a stone and pestle. No machinery. It's all organic and natural.
We got a free taster overlooking the jungle. Ginger tea, lemongrass tea, Bali kopi, hot chocolate, and the delicious Bali kopi with ginseng- our guide told us they call this “Balinese Red Bull.” It was all really good, and then of course we did our shopping.
After that we drove to a restaurant for lunch, overlooking the volcanic Mount Batur and Mount Agung. It was gorgeous. I ate with my fellow female travelers and we discussed our world travels. You always meet the coolest people when you travel Asia.
We went to view the rice terraces last. They are so beautiful. The color green is so bright, it's unreal. Much different than the Chinese terraces- of course they're very tropical and lush. There are “rice terrace” restaurants on the patios overlooking it all. My camera once again failed to properly capture the beauty.
The tour was over and I got dropped off at my home. I decided to attend the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance at a venue on the street I live on here.
First was another version of the Ramayana epic- but instead of a gamelan instrumental orchestra, there is a chorus of men who chant and sing, circling the performers. Second was the trance dance. Two young girls dance with their eyes closed while men and women chant behind them. Occasionally they fall down on the floor and are lifted back up. They don't open their eyes 'til the very end.
Finally and most dramatically is the fire dance. An ancient man dumped out a load of coconut husks, lighter fluid, and then lit the thing on fire. The men chant and another man rides a horse puppet around the bonfire. Suddenly, he dances in the fire, kicking it about. Everyone in the audience gasped in shock as the man danced in the embers.
Tomorrow, my only planned activity is the Balinese music lesson I signed up for. Only $7 US to learn gamelan, in a private lesson. I could hardly pass up such a cool thing.
I have to admit, I'm slowly but surely falling in love with Bali. I'm already thinking in the form of, “When I come back, I'll do this...”
Next we went to Pejeng. More temples. You must wear a sarong to go into all these sites, by the way (guys and girl who aren't wearing long pants. If you wear pants you must wear a sash.). After that we went to Gunung Kawi, which was an amazing experience. You climb down the stairs, and as you go down the hills you descend into gorgeous rice terraced scenery, with a river trickling by. You go down and then you hear this captivating, haunting music from the ceremony- both gamelan and singing. It was truly beautiful. You pass women carrying offerings down to the temple on their heads.
The temple had a ceremony for the full-moon, so the temple was busy with people preparing food and fruit for offerings.
After I climbed back up I arrived before everyone else, so I began chatting with our guide. I learned that it was his birthday today! I asked him what he would do to celebrate and he said that he'd just have a small celebration with his family. They would make a large offering to the gods and then eat their dinner, decorated with flowers on the plate. He explained to me how Balinese people make the offerings daily because they want to. Their day feels incomplete without prayer or offering.
It was a pretty fascinating conversation as we went on to other topics. He commented how prices keep going up and the guidebooks don't keep up, so everything is more expensive than the books claim. In just the last six months, for example, the entrance fee for the temples has doubled. Also, like everywhere, electricity and water have become more expensive.
I asked him where most of the tourists who come to Bali are from. I was surprised at first that people didn't see many Americans- usually Americans seem to be everywhere when I travel. He said in July and August they get a lot of Europeans. September and October are mostly Japanese, due to the holidays, and Australians for the Christmas holidays. Apparently the quietest time is from January to April, because no one is on vacation, I suppose. He attributes the lack of Americans to the bombings and fear of terrorism. However, the word around Bali is that after the “Eat, Pray, Love” movie comes out, people will see how gorgeous Bali is and want to come.
He told me that Balinese people feel discriminated against, since they are the minority within the whole of Indonesia (a 95% Muslim country). I got the idea that he was conveying the message that Balinese, like Americans, fear Islamic terrorist attacks as well. He told me that he feels that Balinese people have no power, despite the fact that their tourism generates a lot of income for Indonesia. For example, the airport tax all of us visitors pay does not go to Bali but Indonesia. Balinese must pay for school and health care but according to my guide, Islamic Indonesians get all that for free. He told me that the Balinese really appreciate the tourism, especially after the bombing when it suffered a lot. According to my Lonely Planet, some people think that Bali relies too much on tourism. After what I've seen so far, you can see how Westerners would get entranced with Bali. It's “charismatic,” as Agung my guide said.
Bali is really special and you can feel the pride they have for their culture. It's amazing that you look at paintings from a hundred years ago and much of Bali looks the same- it's not being modernized in the same way much of China is, although it certainly is to some degree. Balinese attitudes remind me a bit of Hong Kong or Taiwan: HK or Taiwanese people definitely say they are NOT from China, and they have a certain amount of pride about their differences, much like Bali from Indonesia. Also being small places overpowered by a larger, overseeing country.
Next we headed to Tampak Siring, the Holy Spring Temple. It has a bubbling Holy Spring and a temple. There was some kind of professional filming going on of an older Western lady getting blessed by a local priest, I presume. I later saw the same people filming, coincidentally, at the dance performance I went to.
After this we headed to a coffee plantation. I really enjoyed this section of the tour. This is part of the “agro-tourism” all over Bali. Our guide pointed out cacao, kopi (Balinese coffee) beans, cinnamon tree, and other herbs and spices that the plantation grows. Then we learned about the “poop coffee.” Yes, a mongoose can apparently find the best coffee beans, and they make a fancy-schmancy coffee from these beans. Then we saw how they make the coffee. They roast the beans over a fire and grind them with a stone and pestle. No machinery. It's all organic and natural.
We got a free taster overlooking the jungle. Ginger tea, lemongrass tea, Bali kopi, hot chocolate, and the delicious Bali kopi with ginseng- our guide told us they call this “Balinese Red Bull.” It was all really good, and then of course we did our shopping.
After that we drove to a restaurant for lunch, overlooking the volcanic Mount Batur and Mount Agung. It was gorgeous. I ate with my fellow female travelers and we discussed our world travels. You always meet the coolest people when you travel Asia.
We went to view the rice terraces last. They are so beautiful. The color green is so bright, it's unreal. Much different than the Chinese terraces- of course they're very tropical and lush. There are “rice terrace” restaurants on the patios overlooking it all. My camera once again failed to properly capture the beauty.
The tour was over and I got dropped off at my home. I decided to attend the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance at a venue on the street I live on here.
First was another version of the Ramayana epic- but instead of a gamelan instrumental orchestra, there is a chorus of men who chant and sing, circling the performers. Second was the trance dance. Two young girls dance with their eyes closed while men and women chant behind them. Occasionally they fall down on the floor and are lifted back up. They don't open their eyes 'til the very end.
Finally and most dramatically is the fire dance. An ancient man dumped out a load of coconut husks, lighter fluid, and then lit the thing on fire. The men chant and another man rides a horse puppet around the bonfire. Suddenly, he dances in the fire, kicking it about. Everyone in the audience gasped in shock as the man danced in the embers.
Tomorrow, my only planned activity is the Balinese music lesson I signed up for. Only $7 US to learn gamelan, in a private lesson. I could hardly pass up such a cool thing.
I have to admit, I'm slowly but surely falling in love with Bali. I'm already thinking in the form of, “When I come back, I'll do this...”
Aug 24th: Ubud
My second day in Ubud (oo-bood).
Last night I walked around a bit more before heading home, so I could wake up early. I went to yoga at 7 am. Yoga Barn is down a side street. It's an open barn overlooking the rice paddies. I was the first one there (they said arrive 15 minutes early!). I thought this might be the venue where I'd see the Elizabeth Gilbert fanladies, but at first it was all dudes! Then some women joined but I was kind of impressed with the gender balance.
We had a local instructor. I haven't been to an actual yoga class in many years, only done it on my own with videos, so I was a bit nervous. It generally stuck to it's “basic” label. Until our teacher stood on her head. I thought that headstand pose was a joke from the deleted scene in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” but apparently it's a real thing. I could barely even do the modified, easy, grandmother version. Overall it was pretty good and I might try to go again while I'm in Ubud.
It was a rainy morning and I walked back to my bungalow, which is conveniently close to Yoga Barn. A friendly man from my compound brought me hot tea and I decided to order banana pancakes for breakfast. It's probably the best $1 US breakfast I'll have for a while: unlimited Balinese tea, fresh fruit, and hot banana pancakes. It began to pour so I sat on my balcony, ate breakfast, and finished my novel.
My next goal of the day was to eat at the famous Babi Guling Warung. Babi guling is suckling pig, and this place is supposed to have the best suckling pig in Bali. I walked up Monkey Forest Road and looked at the Royal Palace and the Water Palace, which are both near the babi guling place. The Balinese palace is surprisingly simple. The Water Palace has a beautiful lotus pond and a temple. I then went back to check on my pig, and they were unloading the porkers, still steaming, from the trucks.
I sat down and ordered the spesial, which has the best cuts of the pig. This is at 11 am by the way, and they had just opened. About $3.50 American for my pork, rice, and iced tea. The skin was perfectly crisp, and you wouldn't believe the meat is pork, it's so tender. This place is highly recommended by Lonely Planet so everyone is there, but the locals still have lunch there too so you know it's good. It was an experience I felt I had to have while in Bali, especially after watching the Anthony Bourdain Indonesia episode, in which you see how they cook the pig all day, hand-turning it to perfection.
After my early lunch, I decided to make my way back down to my bungalow and also toward the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA). On the way I did some shopping. I got a massage at Fresh!, which advertises itself as a cute spa that uses organic and all-natural materials. I went with a head and shoulder massage, which was pretty nice.
My shopping was very organic, hand-made, and all-natural themed. I bought some handmade paper, and various soap products. Kou is a famous organic soap store, and I had to stop there. It's kind of addicting once you get started shopping. The shops in Ubud are really funky, cute, and boutique-y.
Then I walked down to ARMA. It's a lovely museum, very peaceful. Entrance fee also gets you a free coffee or tea at the lovely Kafe Arma. There are two buildings of art surrounded by gardens and rice paddies. There is everything from traditional to modern art, by both local artists and foreigners. It's the only museum that has the works of Walter Spies, which are really interesting. I recommend looking up the story of Agung Rai, the museum's founder, and Walter Spies, a German artist and musician.
I got my free Balinese kopi at the Kafe, which had a cinnamon stick as a stirrer. Mmm.
After that, I headed to a place down the street called Kafe that has free wi-fi to get a drink and get some internet time.
For dinner I went right down the street from my bungalow to the Dirty Duck Diner. Now I say diner, and you are probably not picturing a gorgeous patio overlooking rice fields and gardens and fountains and lotus ponds. But that's what it is. I got the specialty, crispy duck. Amazing. Half a duck cooked to a perfect crisp, with vegetables and rice. This was probably my most expensive meal so far but it was still under ten bucks American, including iced tea.
After that it was time to head to the palace for a traditional dance performance: Legong and Ramayana Ballet. I chose this partly because the palace is supposed to be a nice venue, and also because I'm interested in the Ramayana story. One of my favorite movies is still A Little Princess, and in it there's the story within a story of Rama.
I got there nerdily early with the grandparents, but I got a great seat in the front row so it was totally worth it. First there was a gamelan number, which was really cool to listen to. I want to learn more about gamelan music while I'm here. The ballet was mesmerizing. I got really into the plot actually and enjoyed it a lot. It's so different from anything I've ever seen. Well, maybe it's somewhat similar to Chinese opera with the masks and jerky movements and movements of the eyes. But it's still unique. This all in a lovely, outdoor venue. It was about an hour and a half so after the walk home I'm pretty tired.
Have I mentioned yet how many French people are here, by the way? I swear, there is no one in France at the moment because they are all in Bali. I've seen as many “Bali et Lombok” LPs as English ones.
I signed up at the Ubud Tourist Office for a tour tomorrow, so that will take up much of my day. I should get a lot of good pictures and cover a lot of sites that I wouldn't be able to do as easily on my own.
Last night I walked around a bit more before heading home, so I could wake up early. I went to yoga at 7 am. Yoga Barn is down a side street. It's an open barn overlooking the rice paddies. I was the first one there (they said arrive 15 minutes early!). I thought this might be the venue where I'd see the Elizabeth Gilbert fanladies, but at first it was all dudes! Then some women joined but I was kind of impressed with the gender balance.
We had a local instructor. I haven't been to an actual yoga class in many years, only done it on my own with videos, so I was a bit nervous. It generally stuck to it's “basic” label. Until our teacher stood on her head. I thought that headstand pose was a joke from the deleted scene in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” but apparently it's a real thing. I could barely even do the modified, easy, grandmother version. Overall it was pretty good and I might try to go again while I'm in Ubud.
It was a rainy morning and I walked back to my bungalow, which is conveniently close to Yoga Barn. A friendly man from my compound brought me hot tea and I decided to order banana pancakes for breakfast. It's probably the best $1 US breakfast I'll have for a while: unlimited Balinese tea, fresh fruit, and hot banana pancakes. It began to pour so I sat on my balcony, ate breakfast, and finished my novel.
My next goal of the day was to eat at the famous Babi Guling Warung. Babi guling is suckling pig, and this place is supposed to have the best suckling pig in Bali. I walked up Monkey Forest Road and looked at the Royal Palace and the Water Palace, which are both near the babi guling place. The Balinese palace is surprisingly simple. The Water Palace has a beautiful lotus pond and a temple. I then went back to check on my pig, and they were unloading the porkers, still steaming, from the trucks.
I sat down and ordered the spesial, which has the best cuts of the pig. This is at 11 am by the way, and they had just opened. About $3.50 American for my pork, rice, and iced tea. The skin was perfectly crisp, and you wouldn't believe the meat is pork, it's so tender. This place is highly recommended by Lonely Planet so everyone is there, but the locals still have lunch there too so you know it's good. It was an experience I felt I had to have while in Bali, especially after watching the Anthony Bourdain Indonesia episode, in which you see how they cook the pig all day, hand-turning it to perfection.
After my early lunch, I decided to make my way back down to my bungalow and also toward the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA). On the way I did some shopping. I got a massage at Fresh!, which advertises itself as a cute spa that uses organic and all-natural materials. I went with a head and shoulder massage, which was pretty nice.
My shopping was very organic, hand-made, and all-natural themed. I bought some handmade paper, and various soap products. Kou is a famous organic soap store, and I had to stop there. It's kind of addicting once you get started shopping. The shops in Ubud are really funky, cute, and boutique-y.
Then I walked down to ARMA. It's a lovely museum, very peaceful. Entrance fee also gets you a free coffee or tea at the lovely Kafe Arma. There are two buildings of art surrounded by gardens and rice paddies. There is everything from traditional to modern art, by both local artists and foreigners. It's the only museum that has the works of Walter Spies, which are really interesting. I recommend looking up the story of Agung Rai, the museum's founder, and Walter Spies, a German artist and musician.
I got my free Balinese kopi at the Kafe, which had a cinnamon stick as a stirrer. Mmm.
After that, I headed to a place down the street called Kafe that has free wi-fi to get a drink and get some internet time.
For dinner I went right down the street from my bungalow to the Dirty Duck Diner. Now I say diner, and you are probably not picturing a gorgeous patio overlooking rice fields and gardens and fountains and lotus ponds. But that's what it is. I got the specialty, crispy duck. Amazing. Half a duck cooked to a perfect crisp, with vegetables and rice. This was probably my most expensive meal so far but it was still under ten bucks American, including iced tea.
After that it was time to head to the palace for a traditional dance performance: Legong and Ramayana Ballet. I chose this partly because the palace is supposed to be a nice venue, and also because I'm interested in the Ramayana story. One of my favorite movies is still A Little Princess, and in it there's the story within a story of Rama.
I got there nerdily early with the grandparents, but I got a great seat in the front row so it was totally worth it. First there was a gamelan number, which was really cool to listen to. I want to learn more about gamelan music while I'm here. The ballet was mesmerizing. I got really into the plot actually and enjoyed it a lot. It's so different from anything I've ever seen. Well, maybe it's somewhat similar to Chinese opera with the masks and jerky movements and movements of the eyes. But it's still unique. This all in a lovely, outdoor venue. It was about an hour and a half so after the walk home I'm pretty tired.
Have I mentioned yet how many French people are here, by the way? I swear, there is no one in France at the moment because they are all in Bali. I've seen as many “Bali et Lombok” LPs as English ones.
I signed up at the Ubud Tourist Office for a tour tomorrow, so that will take up much of my day. I should get a lot of good pictures and cover a lot of sites that I wouldn't be able to do as easily on my own.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ubud
I made it to Ubud after a pretty brief shuttle ride from Sanur. It was scenic with lots of wood and stone carving and furniture stores along the ride, as well as some rice paddies and coconut trees. The first thing I noticed when I got into the Ubud area was all of the art galleries or less formal art studios. It's so cool. For some reason I thought after reading about Ubud it might be a bit more modernized but it's still quaint, in its way. It's kind of nice. I got off the shuttle and since I had two heavy bags, I went with a bungalow owner who took me right to his place nearby. It's pretty nice and about $10 US a night, so pretty cheap. I was thinking about having a search to switch to cheaper/more convenient accomodation but it will be hard to move my bags and perhaps it's not really worth it. There are about a bazillion places to stay here from homestays to bungalows to villas. And I haven't seen the half of it, I'm sure.
I find Ubud a bit overwhelming- not in a bad way. It's large and there's a lot of visual stimuli: galleries, spas, handicraft shops, batik sellers, book shops, music shops, tourist info centers, cafes, restaurants. I'm not really sure what I want to do! I might stay for a while because this is also a central place for making day trips. I definitely want to see at least one dance and gamelan show, and I'd like to do some kind of rice paddy trip. I would also like to do some yoga and massage. There's tons to do here though. Tours, art, music, dance, shadow puppets, workshops and classes.
Now, Lonely Planet warned me that Ubud would be overrun with 30-something women- Eat, Pray, Love disciples who walk around, well to quote LP, with "a mixture of self-satisfaction, entitlement, and too much yoga, with maybe just a hint of desperation that they haven't yet found their Felipe." So far in my few hours here it seems like mostly run of the mill tourists and backpackers.
Currently I'm in Juice Ja, a hippie-dippie cafe with fresh juices and organic, healthy, vegetarian food. Ubud is pretty hippie-dippie. I like it so far.
I find Ubud a bit overwhelming- not in a bad way. It's large and there's a lot of visual stimuli: galleries, spas, handicraft shops, batik sellers, book shops, music shops, tourist info centers, cafes, restaurants. I'm not really sure what I want to do! I might stay for a while because this is also a central place for making day trips. I definitely want to see at least one dance and gamelan show, and I'd like to do some kind of rice paddy trip. I would also like to do some yoga and massage. There's tons to do here though. Tours, art, music, dance, shadow puppets, workshops and classes.
Now, Lonely Planet warned me that Ubud would be overrun with 30-something women- Eat, Pray, Love disciples who walk around, well to quote LP, with "a mixture of self-satisfaction, entitlement, and too much yoga, with maybe just a hint of desperation that they haven't yet found their Felipe." So far in my few hours here it seems like mostly run of the mill tourists and backpackers.
Currently I'm in Juice Ja, a hippie-dippie cafe with fresh juices and organic, healthy, vegetarian food. Ubud is pretty hippie-dippie. I like it so far.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Leaving Sanur
My blog entries backed up due to lack of internet access. So start reading about 3 days back to get updated.
This morning I woke up early again and took a morning walk, watching the locals harvest seaweed and confirming my pick-up for my boat ride back to Sanur. I had banana pancakes for breakfast at my hotel among the roosters crowing and swaying palm trees.
The speed boat ride was less unpleasant this time. Maybe because I sat nearer to the front and faced forward, or maybe the waves were less choppy. Anyways, I made it back to Sanur in one piece with my heavy bags and I'm taking the Perama Shuttle to Ubud in about an hour. After I finish eating my banana fritters and drinking my fresh juice beachside in Sanur, of course.
This morning I woke up early again and took a morning walk, watching the locals harvest seaweed and confirming my pick-up for my boat ride back to Sanur. I had banana pancakes for breakfast at my hotel among the roosters crowing and swaying palm trees.
The speed boat ride was less unpleasant this time. Maybe because I sat nearer to the front and faced forward, or maybe the waves were less choppy. Anyways, I made it back to Sanur in one piece with my heavy bags and I'm taking the Perama Shuttle to Ubud in about an hour. After I finish eating my banana fritters and drinking my fresh juice beachside in Sanur, of course.
August 22nd: Lembongan Island
Today I woke up, had breakfast, and repacked before I checked out of the Watering Hole in Sanur and was picked up by my Scoot speed boat shuttle. They drove me the very short distance to the beach and carried my bags. Now, the speed boat is the fastest way to get to Lembongan but I doubt it's the most pleasant. The fumes are noxious and it's a fast and bumpy ride. Don't eat a big breakfast like me before.
As we arrived in Lembongan, at first I was beginning to reprimand myself for even wanting to come (you have a lot of internal dialogue when you travel alone). This isn't that great, I thought. And it's a lot of hassle to get here. And I only want to spend one night. Everyone thinks that's strange and not enough time to stay.
Well I'm really glad I came, and once you see the pictures you'll understand. The Scoot boat people helped me find a pretty cheap, budget-range hotel. It's not on the beach like most but it's about 30 seconds away, and it's lovely and well-kept. Everything is carefully tended and cleaned, and like most here it's a homestay of sorts- the family decided to build some bungalows on their property. It's beautiful and I sort of feel bad that I'm the only person staying here at the moment.
I set out, with my map and my Lonely Planet, for Mushroom Bay Beach first. I followed the coast from the budget accomodation area, walking along the beach full of fishing boats and past the speed boat drop off. Then I walked through the villas area, which had a nice view down the cliff, and down to a small beach. Gorgeous already- white sand, clear water. Then I hiked up a path and around to another small beach area. I had to keep following the coast and then ask for directions to Mushroom Bay. I took a dirt trail up a hill and then smelled ocean. There was a cliff and a small, sort of enclosed beach. This didn't seem to be the main beach but it was beautiful. So I scrambled down the cliff like a monkey and stopped for a dip in the clear blue waves and a rest in the sand. Secret Beach.
I then headed back up, and got lost a bit before I found Mushroom Beach, which the Secret Beach (this is my name, not an official one) is right next to and must be a part of. Mushroom Beach has restaurants and hotels and boats. I ate lunch on the beach with a perfect view. Indonesian satay with fresh fish. After lunch I went to hang out at Secret Beach for a while, since it was nice and quiet with no hotels or restaurants. I discovered the tide was coming in and you could walk around the cliff instead of scrambling up and down to get into Secret Beach, which was easier.
Then I decided to look for Dream Beach, another beach on my map. I headed to the main, paved road of the village (only motorbikes though) and walked for a while. I passed houses and cows and roosters and palm trees and old women farming. It was a cool walk. There are white pointy signs that tell you the way to Dream Beach. I followed them and eventually made it.
I hung out at Dream Beach for a bit. It's another small white sand beach with an expansive view of the choppy waves. Then I decided to find Devil's Tear. I saw another small white sign for it, and Wikitravel had told me it was a cool landmark. I followed a dirt path. This is probably my favorite part of today. The whole Devil's Tear cliffside area. The cliff juts out and waves pound a small inlet. It's the most incredible aquamarine color I've ever seen in nature. It's amazing. Plus when I was out there very view people were around. I spent a good part of the time standing on the cliff alone, being cooled by the mist from the pounding waves.
Actually Lembongan hardly feels crowded. There are lots of tourists but on my walk around the island it was pretty solitary and quiet except for clucks and moos from the animals. The people are friendly and cute kids say “hello” (though some of them are trying to sell you a seashell).
I think Lembongan was definitely worth it for just one night. I did my hike around the island, which was really enjoyable. I ate dinner at around sunset next to the beach. Now I'm on the porch of my lovely bungalow, with the family cleaning up dinner and listening to the nighttime insects and animals. The weather is lovely. What a cool place to visit, really.
As we arrived in Lembongan, at first I was beginning to reprimand myself for even wanting to come (you have a lot of internal dialogue when you travel alone). This isn't that great, I thought. And it's a lot of hassle to get here. And I only want to spend one night. Everyone thinks that's strange and not enough time to stay.
Well I'm really glad I came, and once you see the pictures you'll understand. The Scoot boat people helped me find a pretty cheap, budget-range hotel. It's not on the beach like most but it's about 30 seconds away, and it's lovely and well-kept. Everything is carefully tended and cleaned, and like most here it's a homestay of sorts- the family decided to build some bungalows on their property. It's beautiful and I sort of feel bad that I'm the only person staying here at the moment.
I set out, with my map and my Lonely Planet, for Mushroom Bay Beach first. I followed the coast from the budget accomodation area, walking along the beach full of fishing boats and past the speed boat drop off. Then I walked through the villas area, which had a nice view down the cliff, and down to a small beach. Gorgeous already- white sand, clear water. Then I hiked up a path and around to another small beach area. I had to keep following the coast and then ask for directions to Mushroom Bay. I took a dirt trail up a hill and then smelled ocean. There was a cliff and a small, sort of enclosed beach. This didn't seem to be the main beach but it was beautiful. So I scrambled down the cliff like a monkey and stopped for a dip in the clear blue waves and a rest in the sand. Secret Beach.
I then headed back up, and got lost a bit before I found Mushroom Beach, which the Secret Beach (this is my name, not an official one) is right next to and must be a part of. Mushroom Beach has restaurants and hotels and boats. I ate lunch on the beach with a perfect view. Indonesian satay with fresh fish. After lunch I went to hang out at Secret Beach for a while, since it was nice and quiet with no hotels or restaurants. I discovered the tide was coming in and you could walk around the cliff instead of scrambling up and down to get into Secret Beach, which was easier.
Then I decided to look for Dream Beach, another beach on my map. I headed to the main, paved road of the village (only motorbikes though) and walked for a while. I passed houses and cows and roosters and palm trees and old women farming. It was a cool walk. There are white pointy signs that tell you the way to Dream Beach. I followed them and eventually made it.
I hung out at Dream Beach for a bit. It's another small white sand beach with an expansive view of the choppy waves. Then I decided to find Devil's Tear. I saw another small white sign for it, and Wikitravel had told me it was a cool landmark. I followed a dirt path. This is probably my favorite part of today. The whole Devil's Tear cliffside area. The cliff juts out and waves pound a small inlet. It's the most incredible aquamarine color I've ever seen in nature. It's amazing. Plus when I was out there very view people were around. I spent a good part of the time standing on the cliff alone, being cooled by the mist from the pounding waves.
Actually Lembongan hardly feels crowded. There are lots of tourists but on my walk around the island it was pretty solitary and quiet except for clucks and moos from the animals. The people are friendly and cute kids say “hello” (though some of them are trying to sell you a seashell).
I think Lembongan was definitely worth it for just one night. I did my hike around the island, which was really enjoyable. I ate dinner at around sunset next to the beach. Now I'm on the porch of my lovely bungalow, with the family cleaning up dinner and listening to the nighttime insects and animals. The weather is lovely. What a cool place to visit, really.
Aug 21st: Sanur
Sanur again. I woke up at 6:30 and went for a walk. If you know me you may not believe that I both got up early and exercised but it's true. The beach faces East so sunrise time is going to be much better than sunset at Sanur. There were more people than I expected out, but I suppose the old people like to get up early and go for a walk too. People were friendly and said things like “Good morning.” I feel like people tend to do that more at these calm, beachy places.
I had a nice breakfast at a hotel beach side, of course, with a friendly waiter. The people here are generally very friendly with a lot of fun personalities. Often they are trying to sell you something, which gets annoying. I went to the main street to look for some shopping. I ended up going to Hardy's Grosir, which is a big supermarket. But it was perfect for the shopping I wanted to do. I really hate bargaining even though I know you have to. Here, though, the marked prices seemed reasonable and then they'd always give you a discount off that of 10-20%. I'm sure that's not what the locals would pay but it's pretty good. There's jewelry, sarongs, clothes, shoes, handicrafts, bags, etc. All your Bali souvenir stuff. Just to give you an idea I got a pair of sandals, a batik purse, a bracelet, a hat, and a sarong for under $30 US. Not bad. Handmade things are always nice.
I had another beachside meal, laid on the sand, and had a dip in the warm, shallow, water. I rented a bike for a ride all the way down the beach. It was nice to see the whole stretch of it.
I decided to go to Lembongan Island tomorrow. I arranged a speedboat there, partly because the company does hotel transfers and I have a big, heavy suitcase. Plus I'll get there quickly and have more time to enjoy the island. After I return I'm going to try to head straight to Ubud. We'll see how that pans out.
I had a nice breakfast at a hotel beach side, of course, with a friendly waiter. The people here are generally very friendly with a lot of fun personalities. Often they are trying to sell you something, which gets annoying. I went to the main street to look for some shopping. I ended up going to Hardy's Grosir, which is a big supermarket. But it was perfect for the shopping I wanted to do. I really hate bargaining even though I know you have to. Here, though, the marked prices seemed reasonable and then they'd always give you a discount off that of 10-20%. I'm sure that's not what the locals would pay but it's pretty good. There's jewelry, sarongs, clothes, shoes, handicrafts, bags, etc. All your Bali souvenir stuff. Just to give you an idea I got a pair of sandals, a batik purse, a bracelet, a hat, and a sarong for under $30 US. Not bad. Handmade things are always nice.
I had another beachside meal, laid on the sand, and had a dip in the warm, shallow, water. I rented a bike for a ride all the way down the beach. It was nice to see the whole stretch of it.
I decided to go to Lembongan Island tomorrow. I arranged a speedboat there, partly because the company does hotel transfers and I have a big, heavy suitcase. Plus I'll get there quickly and have more time to enjoy the island. After I return I'm going to try to head straight to Ubud. We'll see how that pans out.
Aug 20th: Sanur
This morning I left Kuta for Sanur. I got a shuttle bus from my hotel. The driver had to navigate his way out of the narrow Kuta streets in this huge van, which was sort of insane at times. The Kuta/Legian touristy area is so big. I saw so much more than I realized even existed. Tons of really beautiful hotels and bungalows, all kinds of funky cafes, backstreets and alleys. We finally got out on the road and everything was different. Trees lined the roads and everything seemed open. I lost my hat though, as a driving breeze picked it up and carried it right out the window. Oh well.
We arrived in Sanur and I'm the only one who got off the shuttle (everyone else was headed to Ubud). I was a bit worried since Wikitravel characterized Sanur as a place for old people and families (as opposed to the young party scene of Kuta). But I'm glad I came here. It's beautiful. There's a reef so the water at the beach is calm and clear, with waves breaking in the distance. As soon as I stepped off the shuttle I felt a vast calmness. Ah. Peace. Kuta's frenetic pace can be fun but this is more what I want right now. You can actually hear the wind rustling the trees, wind chimes tinkling, and only the occasional tout hassling you. The beach is completely peaceful. There are fishermen, women carefully crafting their offerings (little baskets of flowers and other things to put out for the gods), and kids swimming in the water. It's still touristy but with a more calm and local feel than Kuta.
I knew it was a different vibe when I went to lunch at a beachfront cafe. I peacefully watched kite-surfers skim the ocean while acoustic Coldplay played. Whenever I ate in Kuta it was with a bass-heavy dance mix pumping (or Lady Gaga's album).
I guess it is a lot of old people and families to but I don't really mind. I'm staying at a place that was just down the street from where the shuttle dropped me off, conveniently. Very beautiful garden and minutes away from the beach.
I did some beach reading and lounging, which Sanur is perfect for. I took a long walk way down the beach. There's a nice beachfront path here with restaurants and hotels lining it. You can eat right on the beach. Nothing like a waterfront view, and good, cheap food. I usually get a Western or Indonesian dish, a fresh fruit juice, and sometimes dessert for $4-5 US at these beachfront cafes. Tomorrow I want to rent a bike, because the beach path is just too perfect for biking.
So I'm going to stay here and chill out for at least another day. Trying to decide whether to go to Nusa Lembongnan, an island with white sand beaches that's supposed to be gorgeous. Or maybe move on to Ubud. Or maybe stay here another day. I'm going to try to post some pictures soon, but I don't really go on the internet unless I can find a restaurant with wi-fi or take some time to go to an Internet cafe. So we'll see.
In my travels I hear all sorts of languages being spoken. There were lots of French people at my hotel and there seem to be lots here. They must all be on holiday. French is a gorgeous language. The people next to me are speaking French and it sounds amazing. But isn't it sort of crazy how English is the universal language? I hear Japanese and German people and so on speak to the Indonesian people in English, though it's no one's native language. Strange.
We arrived in Sanur and I'm the only one who got off the shuttle (everyone else was headed to Ubud). I was a bit worried since Wikitravel characterized Sanur as a place for old people and families (as opposed to the young party scene of Kuta). But I'm glad I came here. It's beautiful. There's a reef so the water at the beach is calm and clear, with waves breaking in the distance. As soon as I stepped off the shuttle I felt a vast calmness. Ah. Peace. Kuta's frenetic pace can be fun but this is more what I want right now. You can actually hear the wind rustling the trees, wind chimes tinkling, and only the occasional tout hassling you. The beach is completely peaceful. There are fishermen, women carefully crafting their offerings (little baskets of flowers and other things to put out for the gods), and kids swimming in the water. It's still touristy but with a more calm and local feel than Kuta.
I knew it was a different vibe when I went to lunch at a beachfront cafe. I peacefully watched kite-surfers skim the ocean while acoustic Coldplay played. Whenever I ate in Kuta it was with a bass-heavy dance mix pumping (or Lady Gaga's album).
I guess it is a lot of old people and families to but I don't really mind. I'm staying at a place that was just down the street from where the shuttle dropped me off, conveniently. Very beautiful garden and minutes away from the beach.
I did some beach reading and lounging, which Sanur is perfect for. I took a long walk way down the beach. There's a nice beachfront path here with restaurants and hotels lining it. You can eat right on the beach. Nothing like a waterfront view, and good, cheap food. I usually get a Western or Indonesian dish, a fresh fruit juice, and sometimes dessert for $4-5 US at these beachfront cafes. Tomorrow I want to rent a bike, because the beach path is just too perfect for biking.
So I'm going to stay here and chill out for at least another day. Trying to decide whether to go to Nusa Lembongnan, an island with white sand beaches that's supposed to be gorgeous. Or maybe move on to Ubud. Or maybe stay here another day. I'm going to try to post some pictures soon, but I don't really go on the internet unless I can find a restaurant with wi-fi or take some time to go to an Internet cafe. So we'll see.
In my travels I hear all sorts of languages being spoken. There were lots of French people at my hotel and there seem to be lots here. They must all be on holiday. French is a gorgeous language. The people next to me are speaking French and it sounds amazing. But isn't it sort of crazy how English is the universal language? I hear Japanese and German people and so on speak to the Indonesian people in English, though it's no one's native language. Strange.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Kuta, Bali
8-18 and 8-19
Yesterday I had my second day of surfing lessons. It seemed more difficult than the first somehow, but then I was on a smaller board. The smaller the board the more difficult to ride. I saw one of the same guys that had been at my lesson the previous day. Turns out he was born in China but grew up in Canada. I was excited because he knew Guiyang, and not even Chinese people will know Guiyang. We were both doing the 3 day set of lessons together, and he had traveled around Bali for a while so he could offer me some tips. After the lesson I walked down the beach. The beach is incredibly long. I stopped for swimming and body surfing along the way. I got a massage before bed.
This morning I went to an early surfing lesson at 8 am. It was actually really nice to be up early. Breakfast was quiet at my hotel, and when I was walking I didn't get hassled by touts or guys offering me "transport?" Also, in Bali the women leave little baskets of offerings to the gods, and these are fresh in the morning. Plus the beach was less crowded with beginning surfers all crashing into one another. I'm starting to think waking up early is the way to go, if I can manage it. I think it's safer as a solo female traveler, plus I get to see all the cool stuff that happens before everyone else gets up.
I had fun and I think I improved today. I think I need to work on my fitness (though surfing is helping already). I might continue to rent boards other places that have good beginner's surf.
When I went body-surfing later the other body-surfer's were this really old man and middle-aged women. And they were way better at it than me. Rock on. I want to be a cool old person like that, throwing myself into really strong powerful waves.
I love the beach, as you probably know, but I'm ready to move on from Kuta. It's so busy and crowded and frantic. I'm going to go to Sanur, another beach area in South Bali, tomorrow. It's only 30 minutes away. Then I'm going to decide where to go from there. Luckily Bali is pretty small so getting between places isn't that big of an ordeal. Definitely on to Ubud later and maybe do some central and North Bali after that.
Kuta Travel Tips:
-Only swim between the red and yellow flags on the beach. Only surf everywhere else. Don't surf in the swimming area. It's pretty safe with lifeguards everywhere (and a crowded beach). But it's probably not good if you are not a strong swimmer. There are lots of rips and waves are powerful.
-People basically hassle you all day long. My method is to ignore everyone and not make eye contact. It seems harsh but I think it's the best way to get people to leave you alone. Everyone calls me "darling" (men and women). In China it was "mei nu" (beautiful woman in Chinese). Of course they want you to buy something.
-I went shopping in Matahari in Kuta Square which is a souvenir shopping place with all the Bali stuff and marked prices. So unless you love bargaining (I'm not a fan), shopping here is a nice alternative.
-I did surfing lessons at Bali Learn to Surf in the Hard Rock. I think they were pretty good and I basically got 2-1 student-teacher which was nice. The lesson times change due to the tides. If you get to choose between two times I would go for the morning generally- less crowded.
Yesterday I had my second day of surfing lessons. It seemed more difficult than the first somehow, but then I was on a smaller board. The smaller the board the more difficult to ride. I saw one of the same guys that had been at my lesson the previous day. Turns out he was born in China but grew up in Canada. I was excited because he knew Guiyang, and not even Chinese people will know Guiyang. We were both doing the 3 day set of lessons together, and he had traveled around Bali for a while so he could offer me some tips. After the lesson I walked down the beach. The beach is incredibly long. I stopped for swimming and body surfing along the way. I got a massage before bed.
This morning I went to an early surfing lesson at 8 am. It was actually really nice to be up early. Breakfast was quiet at my hotel, and when I was walking I didn't get hassled by touts or guys offering me "transport?" Also, in Bali the women leave little baskets of offerings to the gods, and these are fresh in the morning. Plus the beach was less crowded with beginning surfers all crashing into one another. I'm starting to think waking up early is the way to go, if I can manage it. I think it's safer as a solo female traveler, plus I get to see all the cool stuff that happens before everyone else gets up.
I had fun and I think I improved today. I think I need to work on my fitness (though surfing is helping already). I might continue to rent boards other places that have good beginner's surf.
When I went body-surfing later the other body-surfer's were this really old man and middle-aged women. And they were way better at it than me. Rock on. I want to be a cool old person like that, throwing myself into really strong powerful waves.
I love the beach, as you probably know, but I'm ready to move on from Kuta. It's so busy and crowded and frantic. I'm going to go to Sanur, another beach area in South Bali, tomorrow. It's only 30 minutes away. Then I'm going to decide where to go from there. Luckily Bali is pretty small so getting between places isn't that big of an ordeal. Definitely on to Ubud later and maybe do some central and North Bali after that.
Kuta Travel Tips:
-Only swim between the red and yellow flags on the beach. Only surf everywhere else. Don't surf in the swimming area. It's pretty safe with lifeguards everywhere (and a crowded beach). But it's probably not good if you are not a strong swimmer. There are lots of rips and waves are powerful.
-People basically hassle you all day long. My method is to ignore everyone and not make eye contact. It seems harsh but I think it's the best way to get people to leave you alone. Everyone calls me "darling" (men and women). In China it was "mei nu" (beautiful woman in Chinese). Of course they want you to buy something.
-I went shopping in Matahari in Kuta Square which is a souvenir shopping place with all the Bali stuff and marked prices. So unless you love bargaining (I'm not a fan), shopping here is a nice alternative.
-I did surfing lessons at Bali Learn to Surf in the Hard Rock. I think they were pretty good and I basically got 2-1 student-teacher which was nice. The lesson times change due to the tides. If you get to choose between two times I would go for the morning generally- less crowded.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Kuta, Bali: Surfing
Today I moved hotels and then went for my first surfing lesson. I had booked 2 nights ahead of time at the hotel I was staying at. It was okay but noisy (I'm used to noise, but still), and right above a market with rather annoying touts trying to sell me stuff every time I came and went.
I signed up for 3 days of surfing lessons with the school in the Hard Rock Cafe. First we did practice on land and in the pool, before heading out to the ocean. At first I thought it would be incredibly hard work and I was incredibly out of shape. But the pool has no waves. It's almost easier once you get out on the water with the momentum of the waves.
The instructors pushed us out into the waves. I felt pretty good since I was able to get up on my knees or get low, but that's wrong. Now my knees hurt a lot because you are just supposed to stand up. I did stand up a few times somewhat properly and I know I still have two more days with the teachers, so that's good. It's much more exhausting having the board than just swimming and body-surfing. Plus hoisting myself up on the board and using my arms a lot is quite different for me.
I had lunch, and tried an avocado juice, which I'd read about. It's delicious! Try it if you get the chance, seriously. I tried to body surf again later but I could feel the rip currents so I could only safely swim in the shallow parts.
I wanted to do yoga while I was here but there don't seem to be many studios close by. Which I think is strange. I think I'll have better luck in Legian. I'm thinking I'll head to Legian next. It's supposed to have a more relaxed atmosphere than Kuta. There are yoga studios there, and by then I should have the basics to rent myself a board and practice surfing myself. Like anything surfing just seems to take a lot of practice. I have no natural talent at most sports either. The instructor asked me what sports I do at home (uhh....). For the past year? I walked from my room to the classroom door?
One thing I don't really understand is the people who spend all day tanning by our hotel pool or at the Hard Rock Cafe pool. I mean, you have this world famous ocean right there man. I guess you can do what you want on vacation- but really?
Anyways, I have at least 2 more days here. I should get some of the photos from my surfing lessons- hopefully of me standing up on some waves- by the end.
I'm off to get another massage.
I signed up for 3 days of surfing lessons with the school in the Hard Rock Cafe. First we did practice on land and in the pool, before heading out to the ocean. At first I thought it would be incredibly hard work and I was incredibly out of shape. But the pool has no waves. It's almost easier once you get out on the water with the momentum of the waves.
The instructors pushed us out into the waves. I felt pretty good since I was able to get up on my knees or get low, but that's wrong. Now my knees hurt a lot because you are just supposed to stand up. I did stand up a few times somewhat properly and I know I still have two more days with the teachers, so that's good. It's much more exhausting having the board than just swimming and body-surfing. Plus hoisting myself up on the board and using my arms a lot is quite different for me.
I had lunch, and tried an avocado juice, which I'd read about. It's delicious! Try it if you get the chance, seriously. I tried to body surf again later but I could feel the rip currents so I could only safely swim in the shallow parts.
I wanted to do yoga while I was here but there don't seem to be many studios close by. Which I think is strange. I think I'll have better luck in Legian. I'm thinking I'll head to Legian next. It's supposed to have a more relaxed atmosphere than Kuta. There are yoga studios there, and by then I should have the basics to rent myself a board and practice surfing myself. Like anything surfing just seems to take a lot of practice. I have no natural talent at most sports either. The instructor asked me what sports I do at home (uhh....). For the past year? I walked from my room to the classroom door?
One thing I don't really understand is the people who spend all day tanning by our hotel pool or at the Hard Rock Cafe pool. I mean, you have this world famous ocean right there man. I guess you can do what you want on vacation- but really?
Anyways, I have at least 2 more days here. I should get some of the photos from my surfing lessons- hopefully of me standing up on some waves- by the end.
I'm off to get another massage.
Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
8-16-10
On my last night in Hong Kong, I was able to meet up with my HKU friend Cindy which was nice. We ate some good food (amazing sushi) and caught up. It's always nice when I get to meet up with people on the road.
After that it was off to Bali. I slept most of the way to Jakarta. You buy your visa on arrival on Indonesia and there was a long line for customs. I barely made my flight and my backpack was killing my back but it was all worth it because I got bumped up to business class for the flight to Bali! I've never flown anything other than economy so this was fantastic. By the way, I flew Garuda Indonesia for both flights. It probably sounds a bit sketchy but economy was pretty nice. Pretty big seats, good service, your own TV. Business class was awesome. Tons of leg room with a foot rest, comfy chair, and a table cloth to put over your tray table. I feel like after flying so many crappy economy class flights I had a true appreciation for this.
I arrived in Bali late, got to my hotel, and got some much needed sleep I haven't really been getting. I woke up at 2 today, but I think I still did a lot. I signed up for surf school for the next 3 days. I went swimming in the ocean. I got a massage.
I'm at the Kuta Beach area at the moment. I'm not really sure what I think of it yet. It's sort of like the beach areas I've been to in the Philippines except way bigger, so it's a bit overwhelming. I find, though, when I'm traveling solo my sense of direction becomes about a million times better, just because it has to. There are the usual people trying to sell you everything, but that's everywhere touristy you go so I'm used to that. It's similar to the Philippines in that there are lots of souvenir shops selling the beachy stuff, outdoor restaurants and cafes, and spas. Not that there is anything wrong with this type of beach area- it's all quite cheap and enjoyable.
I got to the beach and I understood. The waves are just the shape that you imagine a wave to be- I haven't seen anything quite like it before. Perfectly round and curling. I did some swimming and body surfing around that late afternoon time just before sunset. It's a huge, broad beach. It strikes me as pretty safe with all the lifeguards and people. And it's covered in surfers and surfboards.
My massage was really nice (an hour for about $9 US). It was a full body massage and sort of similar to the massage I got in China, with a combination of pressure and stretching and bone cracking as well as the usual rubbing down of the muscles.
Of course this is all great, and I love the beach, but I'm sort of glad I can move on whenever I want. I want to get more of a sense of Bali and I don't think I will get it very strongly here.
At the least I should meet some people at surf school which will probably be very helpful.
On my last night in Hong Kong, I was able to meet up with my HKU friend Cindy which was nice. We ate some good food (amazing sushi) and caught up. It's always nice when I get to meet up with people on the road.
After that it was off to Bali. I slept most of the way to Jakarta. You buy your visa on arrival on Indonesia and there was a long line for customs. I barely made my flight and my backpack was killing my back but it was all worth it because I got bumped up to business class for the flight to Bali! I've never flown anything other than economy so this was fantastic. By the way, I flew Garuda Indonesia for both flights. It probably sounds a bit sketchy but economy was pretty nice. Pretty big seats, good service, your own TV. Business class was awesome. Tons of leg room with a foot rest, comfy chair, and a table cloth to put over your tray table. I feel like after flying so many crappy economy class flights I had a true appreciation for this.
I arrived in Bali late, got to my hotel, and got some much needed sleep I haven't really been getting. I woke up at 2 today, but I think I still did a lot. I signed up for surf school for the next 3 days. I went swimming in the ocean. I got a massage.
I'm at the Kuta Beach area at the moment. I'm not really sure what I think of it yet. It's sort of like the beach areas I've been to in the Philippines except way bigger, so it's a bit overwhelming. I find, though, when I'm traveling solo my sense of direction becomes about a million times better, just because it has to. There are the usual people trying to sell you everything, but that's everywhere touristy you go so I'm used to that. It's similar to the Philippines in that there are lots of souvenir shops selling the beachy stuff, outdoor restaurants and cafes, and spas. Not that there is anything wrong with this type of beach area- it's all quite cheap and enjoyable.
I got to the beach and I understood. The waves are just the shape that you imagine a wave to be- I haven't seen anything quite like it before. Perfectly round and curling. I did some swimming and body surfing around that late afternoon time just before sunset. It's a huge, broad beach. It strikes me as pretty safe with all the lifeguards and people. And it's covered in surfers and surfboards.
My massage was really nice (an hour for about $9 US). It was a full body massage and sort of similar to the massage I got in China, with a combination of pressure and stretching and bone cracking as well as the usual rubbing down of the muscles.
Of course this is all great, and I love the beach, but I'm sort of glad I can move on whenever I want. I want to get more of a sense of Bali and I don't think I will get it very strongly here.
At the least I should meet some people at surf school which will probably be very helpful.
Friday, August 13, 2010
China -> Hong Kong
Sorry not to have been blogging but this past week has been a whirlwind. I finished teaching my classes, took pictures of all my classes, and then Sunday night our boss took Wayne and I out for a farewell meal. All of the foreign and Chinese staff came and even my precocious 12-year-old student Mike, who is hilarious by the way, joined us.
On Monday Julian invited us to go swimming in the river and sit at a nice patio bar outside. It was a perfect day for it and we went about 30 minutes outside the city (Ping Qiao I think it's called?). The river was crowded with kids in floaty tubes and old men with tiny floaties on. Chris, Joline, Matt, and I met Julian and his Irish roommate. It was really nice and relaxing. The river was pretty cold but it felt really nice and this huge outdoor bar area had a stage for live music as well.
Tuesday was my last day in Guiyang. I ate lunch with Matt and the new teacher, Aaron, who is my replacement. We went to the Guiyang syle hamburger restaurant (little steaks covered in lajiao with Chinese bread as the buns), which is always good. Garry joined us which was nice. Then we had one last night out together with Chris, Matt, and Aaron.
I left Wednesday morning and I haven't done too much thrilling stuff in Hong Kong so far. Just arranging things and buying stuff I need for my trip. I am leaving on Sunday for Bali, I've decided. 2-3 weeks bumming around Bali (and Lombok) before Australia! It's always amazing to be back in Hong Kong. I once again got that weird culture shock of feeling like I blend in so well here. Things are well-run and efficient here and it's nice to get the huge variety of (very good!) food options. Hong Kong's beautiful. Still convinced it's the best city in the world.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Drinking Tea by the River
Last week, Leah, an American from the Zunyi branch of our school, came
with me to a garden by the river. The "symbol of Guiyang" is the
Jiaxiu Tower by the river. Next to the tower, there is a garden. It's
only 2 kuai to enter. There are lots of places to sit and different
tea houses. You can walk around and there might be some old ladies
doing tai chi or calligraphy. They have some local specialty teas, and
you can sit and drink tea all afternoon. I wish I'd discovered it
earlier because you can find a spot and be relatively unconspicuous.
It's a nice change from being constantly stared at like a monkey in
Qianling Park. The river is generally a quieter spot to get away from
the constant city noise. I went again today, got some kind of Zunyi
green tea, which was lovely, and sat at a table and planned some
lessons.
with me to a garden by the river. The "symbol of Guiyang" is the
Jiaxiu Tower by the river. Next to the tower, there is a garden. It's
only 2 kuai to enter. There are lots of places to sit and different
tea houses. You can walk around and there might be some old ladies
doing tai chi or calligraphy. They have some local specialty teas, and
you can sit and drink tea all afternoon. I wish I'd discovered it
earlier because you can find a spot and be relatively unconspicuous.
It's a nice change from being constantly stared at like a monkey in
Qianling Park. The river is generally a quieter spot to get away from
the constant city noise. I went again today, got some kind of Zunyi
green tea, which was lovely, and sat at a table and planned some
lessons.
It's a cool Guiyang thing to do. Sit in the garden and drink tea all
afternoon and go see Jiaxiu Tower at night, when it's all lit up.
I'm preparing to leave next Wednesday morning. only one more parents' weekend.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Things I Wish I'd Brought/Advice
So, as I am finishing up my year here in Guiyang, I've been thinking
about things I wish I'd brought. Perhaps I can help future English
teachers headed to China.
about things I wish I'd brought. Perhaps I can help future English
teachers headed to China.
-Games: Scattergories, Taboo, Apples to Apples, Cranium. I made my own
versions/printed online versions of most of these games and more, but
I think it would have been nice to have brought some of the cards with
me, if not lugging entire board games. These games are really useful
in older classes.
-Play (American) Money: Once again, you can print some out. But I
could have easily brought some plastic money from home. For older
students, our book teaches American money. For the little kids, it's
fun for playing store.
-Make-up: for some reason I brought a year's worth of deodorant but
not my favorite make-up and my mom had to mail some to me.
Things I'm glad I brought:
-A year's worth of my favorite deodorant: you can get it here but not
our brands.
-A US map, some Arizona postcards
-Western medicine: you can get some of it here, but it's a lot of
Chinese herbal medicine. It's convenient to have it around when you
need it.
People have been asking me if I'm looking forward to heading back to
States, and what I've missed. Here's what I'm looking forward to most:
-Eating Mexican food
-Going outside and not being pointed at/stared at/talked to/talked about
-Not living where I work (the convenience has been overtaken by annoyance)
-The simplicity of not having a language barrier
Of course, I'm sure it won't take long for me to miss a lot about
living in China and teaching.
Monday, July 12, 2010
A Few More Waterfall Pictures
Chris gave me a few more picture, including a group photo:
http://s978.photobucket.com/albums/ae268/mobrien86/Huangguoshu%20Grand%20Waterfall/
http://s978.photobucket.com/albums/ae268/mobrien86/Huangguoshu%20Grand%20Waterfall/
Otherwise, I'm keeping busy with writing exams and progress reports
and planning my last few classes.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Huangguoshu Grand Waterfall!
Photos!
I finally went to the most famous site- well, around here anyways.
Guizhou is home to the largest waterfall in China. One of the local
beers is called Pubu, which is Chinese for "waterfall." I've heard
that it's best to go in the summer. So Matt, Chris, and Chris's
girlfriend Joline went with me to see the waterfall.
I finally went to the most famous site- well, around here anyways.
Guizhou is home to the largest waterfall in China. One of the local
beers is called Pubu, which is Chinese for "waterfall." I've heard
that it's best to go in the summer. So Matt, Chris, and Chris's
girlfriend Joline went with me to see the waterfall.
First we went to Anshun, and then caught a bus to the waterfall site.
It was only a few hours. Tip for anyone who might try to visit
Huangguoshu: they make you buy a ticket for 180 yuan, which covers
several sites like a bridge and some other falls. However, the things
are far enough from each other that you have to take a bus or taxi
between them. So it's not the best deal if you arrive around 3 pm. We
basically only had time to do the waterfall, which was fine but if I
did it again I would go earlier and try to see more things.
It was pretty cool. You could walk behind the waterfall through the
cave and touch it. And get really wet. I think that was probably the
best part. It's worth a visit. It's always nice to get out into the
country side around here- it's all fields and karst landscape.
I realized how little exercise I get after walking the stairs around
the waterfall. My legs are sore now. We had planned to stay the night
in Anshun. Another tip: bring some kind of ID to stay at a hotel in
Anshun. We headed home quite easily though.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Dragon Boat Festival
In Guiyang, this turned out to be a pretty relaxed festival- people
ate zong zi, sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, and had a few days
off work or school. After getting Saturday and Sunday off of work, we
had to make it up by working Monday and Tuesday. So this week has been
pretty non-stop busy, and now we're all preparing for another full
work weekend.
ate zong zi, sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, and had a few days
off work or school. After getting Saturday and Sunday off of work, we
had to make it up by working Monday and Tuesday. So this week has been
pretty non-stop busy, and now we're all preparing for another full
work weekend.
It's surprising to me how into the World Cup Chinese people have been.
I know that my friends, who are British guys, would be really into it.
They are always watching "football" anyways. China isn't even
competing in the World Cup, but our students are really into it.
Everyone's watching it, and the bar streets have had crowds of people
sitting outside on the street, with a big TV put outside for people to
watch the games. I've even enjoyed it a bit despite not caring about
soccer- it's a festive atmosphere. Although the other night when we
were watching, one guy was celebrating boisterously because he'd just
won a lot of money betting on the game. Another reason for the
festivities.
Speaking of sports: If any American is reading this who might go to
China, I have a tip that I can't believe I haven't mentioned before.
When people ask where you are from, mention your NBA team. People
might not know Arizona, but they know the Phoenix Suns and Steven
Nash. Believe me. Try it.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Quick Update
Another weekend has gone by, without too much excitement. I have been
trying to study Chinese a bit more (writing characters), and relaxing
by reading in coffee shops and cafes. Until today, when we finally got
some sun, it's been pretty cold, cloudy, and rainy. Especially
considering it's summer!
trying to study Chinese a bit more (writing characters), and relaxing
by reading in coffee shops and cafes. Until today, when we finally got
some sun, it's been pretty cold, cloudy, and rainy. Especially
considering it's summer!
Next Wednesday is the Dragon Boat Festival. In one sentence: A famous
scholar drowned in the river, and people threw rice in the river so
the fish wouldn't eat his body. Now they celebrate by eating zong zi,
sticky rice wrapped in bamboo. Technically we don't get any time off,
but our Saturday and Sunday classes will be moved to Monday and
Tuesday. This is exciting for us because we never have been out on the
weekend. It sort of feels like having a week off: this week I'll only
have Starter class, my favorite, 1 hour on Wednesday and 1 on Friday,
and I won't have to worry about lesson planning for a while.
I can't believe I only have 3 paychecks left and 2 months. By the way,
if anyone has any requests for souvenirs or something you want, please
let me know! I'm happy to bring home some Chinese tea and other
goodies.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Qianling Park Debacle
Our school bosses had an idea that perhaps sounds good in theory: have
the Saturday morning classes in Qianling Park- this is the park I have
been to a couple times that has monkeys. It was really meant to be
promotional more than anything, the idea being that random passersby
would see us and sign up their children for our school.
the Saturday morning classes in Qianling Park- this is the park I have
been to a couple times that has monkeys. It was really meant to be
promotional more than anything, the idea being that random passersby
would see us and sign up their children for our school.
So I racked my brain for ideas to do outdoors and prepared materials-
including making trail mix and going to the small zoo at the park. It
rains a lot in Guiyang, so the weather was touchy from the start. I
woke up early on Saturday to check out the weather, and it looked
quite rainy. I thought it would definitely be canceled, but then Matt
told me that it wasn't so we all headed to the park.
We met up with our kids. About half of my class showed, and I decided
to take them to the zoo. The ground was wet so I didn't want to sit on
the floor anyways. We walked the 15 minute walk to the zoo, stopping
along the way as I asked questions about animals we spotted. My
personal advice would be to avoid zoos in China- they tend to be sad
with small cages, and immediately all my kids complained about the
smell.
They were pretty good sports, I have to say. But then it began to rain
quite heavily. We hid under an umbrella- we only had about 3 umbrellas
between us, by the way- and walked around a bit more. By this time we
were all completely soaked, basically, and then we headed back.
By the time my class had returned to the entrance of the park,
everyone else had left. We made sure that my kids were all on their
way home, and got a ride back to school with my student. Of course,
the traffic was terrible so I arrived 20 minutes late, quickly changed
(the other guys taught in their wet clothes), and ran to teach my next
class. I still made trail mix with them indoors.
So it's been a crazy weekend. And I'm pretty exhausted.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sunny Guiyang Days
It seems that the last few Mondays have been gloriously sunny, while
the Tuesdays tend to be lackluster in terms of weather. It happened
again this week, and usually I want to spend most of Monday
sleeping/recovering from the weekend. But I didn't want to waste a
nice, hot, summery day so I went out to walk around.
the Tuesdays tend to be lackluster in terms of weather. It happened
again this week, and usually I want to spend most of Monday
sleeping/recovering from the weekend. But I didn't want to waste a
nice, hot, summery day so I went out to walk around.
I thought perhaps with my sunglasses it would be less obvious that I
was a foreigner, but I was one of the few girls not carrying an
umbrella. In China you are going to see more umbrellas on a sunny day
than a rainy day, and the sort of pretty, lacy umbrellas not intended
to keep out water. All the women want whiter skin and are afraid of
getting a tan. It was the type of day where at Bryn Mawr, everyone
would be sunbathing in the grass.
I sat out on the balcony of a cafe and later, sat at the Wen Chang Ge
Pavilion across from the school. Kids were flying kites and sliding
down these flat slabs next to the stairs (or trying to run up them and
sliding back down). It was so nice to sit in the sun. I'm reading a
book I borrowed from Matt, "You Will Know Our Velocity" by Dave
Eggers. I like reading travel books (like "Eat, Pray, Love"), and this
book is quite weird and quite good. It has a lot of those little
details that world travelers notice. Like he talks about seeing a
house in Senegal with a random "Indiana University" umbrella outside.
You see lots of weird stuff like that- once I saw a guy wearing a
University of Arizona t-shirt and flipped out. He, of course, had no
idea what Arizona was.
This Saturday we are having our morning classes at Qianling Park. I
think it's more promotional than anything- they hope random passers-by
will see us teaching our classes and want to come to our school. Let's
hope for good weather.
I've found iTunes podcasts a good, lazy way to keep in touch with the
world. And NPR has an awesome one I've recently discovered called
"Tiny Desk Concerts." Sort companion to "All Songs Considered." They
are just live performances filmed in the office at a desk. I think of
them as "Tiny Desk Concerts" in that I play them on my tiny computer
at my desk, and it feels like someone is performing in my room (with
my speakers, I get excellent quality sound). They have a great variety
of music- the expected bearded indie types to fantastic world music.
The video is really great for artists like Abaji who bring along some
weird instruments. I recommend checking out Abaji, Tarrus Riley, and
Brooklyn Rider for some good fusion with world music.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Xijiang: Miao Village Trip
Chris's birthday was Saturday, the worst possible to day to celebrate
a birthday since we work 12+ hour days. We decided to get away this
weekend as something exciting for his birthday (our weekend being
Monday and Tuesday). Chris, chris's girlfriend Jolene, Garry, Maja and
I went on the adventure. Guizhou is home to the majority of the Miao
and Dong minorities in China, and we decided to visit a Miao village.
a birthday since we work 12+ hour days. We decided to get away this
weekend as something exciting for his birthday (our weekend being
Monday and Tuesday). Chris, chris's girlfriend Jolene, Garry, Maja and
I went on the adventure. Guizhou is home to the majority of the Miao
and Dong minorities in China, and we decided to visit a Miao village.
We left on Monday, and after going to the wrong bus station, we got on
a bus to Kaili. Kaili is about two and a half hours away from Guiyang
and the jumping off point for visiting minority villages. . After that
it was another hour to Xijiang, the Miao village. It was a winding,
scenic road with lots of farmland, rolling hills, rice paddies, and
Miao and Dong minority homes and people.
It was a bit different to what I expected- there was a large entrance
and an entrance fee to get into the village. Sort of like Disneyland
or something. And lots of English signs everywhere, so clearly they at
least want it to be a tourist attraction. Yet still, we were in a
farming village with oxen and roosters wandering around, and
schoolkids playing basketball. It wasn't very crowded at all, and as
ever foreigners were more of sight than the girls in full Miao dress,
so we are in a lot of pictures with random Chinese people. Similar to
Qingyan, there were lots of souvenir type shops- Miao silver and
batiks and handicrafts.
There were plenty of hotels so we grabbed some rooms in a completely
wooden building. The walls were so thin we could talk to each other
despite being in our separate rooms. And we had little balconies with
a view of the wooden houses behind us.
We ate dinner on a balcony- the weather was really nice and warm. We
ate some delicious Miao food while watching the sunset over the
fields. We walked around and had some drinks. As I've mentioned often,
Guiyang is incredibly loud so it was night to be out in the dark,
quiet countryside.
Today Maja and I woke up a bit early and naturally, some crazy old
woman pulled us into her home video/family photos. We did some silver
shopping, and then heard music so wandered to watch a show of singing
and dancing in the traditional garb.
We had lunch at a place that had been rollicking at dinner the night
before. We ate on another balcony. Then we got a Miao toast- the women
sang, the men played the large pipes (you gotta just look at the
pictures, they're crazy looking), and women literally fed us rice
wine- we're guessing Miao rice wine of the town.
Unfortunately the last bus back today was at 3:30- or we could have
left early tomorrow. It would have been nice to stay another night but
we ended up making the journey back this afternoon. At any rate, it
was a nice trip and it got us excited to do more short trips around
the province for a change of scene.
I'll be posting pictures online and you'll see the scenery- it really
looks like the images that pop into your head when you think of China:
the rice paddies, the rolling green countryside. Although it's sort of
a strange juxtaposition when you see the traditional Miao wooden
houses that all have satellite dishes.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Useful iPod Touch Apps
Before I came to China, I bought an iPod Touch, which is basically an
iPhone without the phone part. I saw that it could be a useful travel
tool, and it has really been since I got it. I even did most of my
vacation blogging from it. Besides the music and movies, you can get
on the internet anywhere that has wireless (most youth hostels seem to
have free wireless these days). It has an international clock and an
easy to use calculator. The best part are the apps, some of which are
free and some that you can buy. As I have switched Chinese teachers
I'm trying to get myself more into studying Chinese for the next few
months. Here are my most useful apps:
iPhone without the phone part. I saw that it could be a useful travel
tool, and it has really been since I got it. I even did most of my
vacation blogging from it. Besides the music and movies, you can get
on the internet anywhere that has wireless (most youth hostels seem to
have free wireless these days). It has an international clock and an
easy to use calculator. The best part are the apps, some of which are
free and some that you can buy. As I have switched Chinese teachers
I'm trying to get myself more into studying Chinese for the next few
months. Here are my most useful apps:
For Teaching:
-I got Dictionary.com's free dictionary and thesaurus app (free). I
mostly have been using this in my high level Reading and Writing
class. I try to do everything in English with as little
English-Chinese translation as possible. This helps me describe more
difficult words, and the the thesaurus is surprisingly useful for
this. Or when the students are trying to describe a word to me.
-KTdict C-E: This is a free Chinese-English and English-Chinese
dictionary I got. You can type in English, pinyin, or write out the
character. I use this as a last resort, usually in my reading and
writing class that has younger students. I can let them type a word to
look it up, which is faster than a real dictionary or asking a staff
member. Some Chinese words really have no exact English translation
though and vice-versa, so this can be tricky.
For Studying Chinese:
-iLearn Chinese Characters: Sadly there's only a free Lite version,
though I'd gladly pay for an app with more characters. This is
awesome! It has the character, audio pronunciation, pinyin, and a
short history of why or how the character came about (from a pictogram
or whatever). It's fascinating and it helps me remember the characters
better. Then it has an animation of the stroke order, which is really
important for learning Chinese. And you can practice writing with your
finger.
-Dragon Scribe: This is cool- it's a game for practicing writing. The
characters fall and you have to write them correctly before they reach
the bottom. There's a free version, full version, and pro version.
-Chinese FlashCards (Declan software ((not my brother)): This has sets
of flashcards with audio (and both simplified and traditional
characters if you're into that). It has several different ways to
review the words and it was my favorite of the flashcard programs I
tried.
-Bigram: I have the Lite version, which I think will be more useful
when get more advanced into sets of 2 characters (bigrams). Anyways,
kind of a cool way to study, has audio, and the free version has 50
bigrams.
-eStroke Animated Chinese Characters: Both a dictionary and study tool
for writing (no audio). Shows the stroke order and has all the
characters.
I guess you can tell I am trying to get into writing characters. I
have enjoyed the bit of calligraphy I've done, and writing the
characters can be fun. I bought some composition books to practice my
writing in, with big squares, which all have Disney characters-
clearly intended for very young children.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Qianling Park Photos
I am trying to get all my photos organized on the sidebar of my blog. So there you will find a link to a Photobucket album with my Qianling Park photos!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monkeys Monkeys Everywhere!
Maja and I continued having lessons with my 3 Chinese teachers this
semester. However, they are seniors and now it's graduation time. So
we are changing to a new teacher.
semester. However, they are seniors and now it's graduation time. So
we are changing to a new teacher.
Today, one of my former teacher Xiang Juan, who I can now call by her
English name Jenny, invited me to go to Qianling Park with her. Jenny
now works at a different English school quite nearby ours. This week
has been a national holiday. However I think we're the only English
school that got no days off for the holiday! Jenny got 9 days off, so
we decided to go the park today. It was busy with lots of old people
dancing and singing, and families taking pictures with the monkeys.
I like hanging out with Jenny because she's fun and she always tells
me to bring my camera and take lots of pictures. So I will try to post
them up today. We decided against climbing up the mountain at the park
because it was hot and sticky today. I love how even at the park you
still see all range of outfits- plenty of women clambering around the
park in high heels, mini skirts, and tights.
Then we decided to go shopping. We went to a pedestrian overpass. It's
this huge labyrinth of little shops, popular with the university
students, and Jenny bargained for me so we got some cheap prices. As
ever, we couldn't find shoes anywhere big enough to fit me. When I
told one of my favorite students, Mike, my shoe size, he said "You can
buy men's shoes." Thanks Mike.
We had the very Guiyang food- siwawa- for lunch. Little thin pancakes
that you filll up with whichever vegetables you want and eat, sort of
like a little taco.
Monday, April 26, 2010
I saw a baby poop on the floor of the hospital....
It's another Monday after another long work weekend, and we're all
relieved because open classes are over. This is when the parents can
come and watch the classes.
relieved because open classes are over. This is when the parents can
come and watch the classes.
It's stressful and nerve -wracking, and sort of weird because the kids
are definitely different with parents sitting in on the class. This is
the 3rd weekend of open classes I've done since I've worked here.
Sometimes the parents who speak English try to make comments about
your class, or ask the Chinese staff to relay a suggestion. Some of my
parents are English teachers or very good English speakers so that
makes it even more intense.
I was also recovering from a sinus infection last week, so I've spent
lots of time resting and lesson planning and drinking Chinese herbal
medicine I got from the hospital. The Chinese hospital is not
someplace I'd suggest going. Not that anyone would want to, I'm sure.
It wasn't so bad this time- I got seen quickly and got effective meds,
so I guess I can't complain. The Chinese hospital is just insane by
Western (or even Hong Kong) standards. Incredibly crowded, dirty, and
little to no privacy. And then , when I'm feeling my worst, everyone
is staring and pointing at the "laowai" (foreigner).
One strange thing to the foreigner is that babies here in GY wear
pants with a hole in the back and just pee/poop in the street. Or in
the hospital, which is where my title comes from.
Now I'm really restless after staying in my sick room, so hopefully
I'll be doing something exciting soon.
I can't believe it's almost May. Happy May Day to everyone from Bryn Mawr!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
ESL Teaching Resources
Here are a few of the resources I've collected. Partly for myself, but
who knows? Maybe they'll help someone!
who knows? Maybe they'll help someone!
1. Make your own traceable worksheet (great for the younger age
groups): http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/manuscript/javascripts/_my8linestext.htm
2. Worksheets and Flashcards (for younger ages, especially good for
seasonal): http://bogglesworldesl.com/
3. Flashcard games. I know Garry would sometimes write down a list of
games on a card to carry around for every class:
http://www.eslkidstuff.com/flashcardgamesframe.htm
4. For my reading and writing class, there is no book (nothing at
all). I have to make my own lessons. Especially since my class has
students who take classes with other teachers, I don't want to repeat
lessons from the ESL websites they use. I've found the NY Times Lesson
Plans very helpful: learning.blogs.nytimes.com
5. Scholastic had some good things for my RW class. I used their
worksheets with my mystery lessons:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplans.jsp
Monday, April 19, 2010
Qingyan II and Lots of Dumplings
A couple of weeks ago, Matt and I got bored of Guiyang and decided to
go to Qingyan ancient town, which I went to with my Chinese teachers a
few months ago. We managed to find the right buses on our own,
somehow, and got there within the hour. It wasn't as crowded as last
time I went, although there was a group of foreign tourists there-
some old French people, which was the most foreigners I'd seen since
vacation.
go to Qingyan ancient town, which I went to with my Chinese teachers a
few months ago. We managed to find the right buses on our own,
somehow, and got there within the hour. It wasn't as crowded as last
time I went, although there was a group of foreign tourists there-
some old French people, which was the most foreigners I'd seen since
vacation.
We skipped on the famous pig's feet of Qingyan, which are everywhere
there, but I did get the strangely delicious rose flavored pudding
that I had last time. We did some shopping (okay, Matt watched me do
some shopping), and I showed off my archery skills. Qingyan has a nice
change of scenery from the city- it's more country fields and karst
mountains.
Last Tuesday, Huang Min and Maosi, our bosses, decided to have all the
Chinese and foreign staff over to their apartment for dinner. Huang
Min was making dumplings. Their house is outside of the city in a more
suburban area I haven't been to before. Anyways, it was pretty fun to
hang out with everyone from school. and then more dumplings...
For our Chinese lesson last Thursday Yang Haiying taught Maja and I
how to cook dumplings. First we went shopping for the ingredients.
This is one of the those things where shopping is incredibly different
than America. We bought the vegetables down a little alleyway, which
led us to a huge underground building full of fresh meat, which is
where we bought the pork. We bought the dough pre-made so if I try to
recreate this at home I'm going to have to figure out how to make the
dough.
Then we cooked at the cafe area in the school. We made pork and spring
onion and pork and cabbage dumplings. They turned out pretty well, I
think. Hopefully I can bring a bit of Chinese cooking skills home with
me.
This week is open classes, which means parents can come and watch. So
all we have to do is survive this week
Monday, April 5, 2010
Restless
I have been getting restless. We tried to plan some kind of weekend
getaway but it fell through. I am planning on some kind of trip soon
though. Things are getting too routine around here, which I never
like. My schedule makes it a bit more difficult to travel then the
others, since I have class on Wednesday. Still, I could go away late
Sunday night or early Monday and return by Wednesday afternoon in time
to teach. There are a few places close by- Anshun and Zunyi are a
couple of hours away by bus. Chongqing is a city that's about 6 hours
by bus. I'm also looking into flying, especially if no one else can
get it together, I might just go myself. Kunming, the capital of
Yunnan, is about a two hour flight away, and Chengdu is about one hour
away by plane.
getaway but it fell through. I am planning on some kind of trip soon
though. Things are getting too routine around here, which I never
like. My schedule makes it a bit more difficult to travel then the
others, since I have class on Wednesday. Still, I could go away late
Sunday night or early Monday and return by Wednesday afternoon in time
to teach. There are a few places close by- Anshun and Zunyi are a
couple of hours away by bus. Chongqing is a city that's about 6 hours
by bus. I'm also looking into flying, especially if no one else can
get it together, I might just go myself. Kunming, the capital of
Yunnan, is about a two hour flight away, and Chengdu is about one hour
away by plane.
Otherwise, things will be a bit stressful: we have to write mid-term
progress reports already for our students, then we have open classes
where the parents come to watch. This weekend, a few of my classes
were filmed. I guess they are going to put some videos on the school
website.
I will leave you with the music of Akbar Abliz:
http://www.myspace.com/akbarabliz. He is from Xinjiang and does a lot
of fusion with traditional Xinjiang music/rock/flamenco which I think
is pretty cool. I really like folk music fusion with rock, or with
other types of folk music. At one of our Xinjiang restaurants here,
they like to watch music videos on their computer which sound much
more Middle Eastern than Chinese to my ears. Xinjiang culture is
pretty inresting and the food, at least from my sampling here, is
fantastic.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Megan's Guiyang Tips
Not very many people have Guiyang as a travel destination, but who
knows? Maybe someone is coming here and they'll stumble across this.
At any rate, I've been collecting the weird Guiyang tidbits to share.
knows? Maybe someone is coming here and they'll stumble across this.
At any rate, I've been collecting the weird Guiyang tidbits to share.
1. If you don't like spicy food the first thing you should learn to
say in Chinese is "bu la jiao" (which sounds more like "boo la jow (as
in ow!)"). These chilies are a different kind of spicy, and they tend
to use lots here.
2. The buses here are 1 kuai, so get your single bills ready. And be
prepared to stand on a jerky, crowded, squeaky bus.
3. When you ask a local when rush hour is, they say something like
"between 7 am and 10 am, and between 4 pm and 11 pm." Which seems
insane right? My experience is getting a taxi between 5-6 pm never
seems to work out. The taxi drivers won't pick you up if they're
changing shifts either.
4. Be careful what meats you eat- you might accidentally eat dog one day.
5. Locals here drink beer out of shot glasses. Another important
Chinese word- "gambei" (or gawm bay) means "Bottoms up!" or "down it."
If people seem to be shouting angrily at each other they're probably
playing a drinking game. They love drinking games here- especially
number/dice games.
6. In the city it's incredibly noisy with nonstop horn honking, metal
clanking, music, fireworks...you name it. And yes this often includes
late into the night and/or early morning hours.
7. That grey gooey substance in those "special Guiyang noodles" your
Chinese friends are always buying you is coagulated blood.
8. If you get on a mini bus and you are standing, you will probably
have to duck whenever you pass an intersection with police.
9. Those glass pyramids aren't the Louvre but the underground
Wal-mart. Sidenote: Strangely enough I'm now used to Wal-Mart with
piles of frozen chicken feet on sale (or were those duck feet?) and
samples of tea on the way in.
10. Baijiu, the local specialty liquor (famous brand: Maotai, from
Guizhou province), tastes about as close to rubbing alcohol as you can
get. According to Wikipedia, during Nixon's state visit Henry
Kissinger said "if we drink enough Maotai we can solve anything." That
explains a lot actually....
11. Hang around Guiyang long enough and you might say something like
my friend Chris said, "I now not only eat brain but I know how I like
my brain cooked."
12. Look for Xinjiang restaurants and you must try handmade noodles,
and some "naan" bread. Don't forget that Xingjiang people are Muslim
and so you can't buy alcoholic beverages at their restaurants, and no
pork.
13. Try one of the bean hot pots. It's almost like Mexican food in
some weird way,
mixing your beans and rice and soup.
That's all for now. Someday maybe I'll put together more of a travel
guide. It's sadly lacking. After about a week in Guiyang I felt I
could write a better guide than the Lonely Planet one.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Happy Birthday to Everyone!
Wow I can't believe that March is almost over! It's seriously flown by.
We've had Matt's birthday, Garry's birthday is Friday, and our friend
Weiyi's birthday was last week. Then we have Philip and Chris's coming
up soon. So lots of spring birthday parties.
Weiyi had her party at a French bar, believe it or not. Four or five
real live French people work at this bar, owned by a French woman.
Weiyi is Matt's former Chinese teacher and briefly worked at the
school. She's actually learning French and her goal is to be a Chinese
teacher in French. It was a fun night.
Last night we went to Garry and Chris's apartment to celebrate Garry's
23rd. Matt and I managed to find champagne for Garry's birthday gift.
Otherwise I've been busy lesson planning and teaching. Actually
yesterday I went shopping at the mall near school where I often get
coffee. There are some really nice small boutique type shops there-
like an Anthropologie style of clothes. I also ate lunch at a cafe,
where I had a duck, egg, and cheese sandwich. It was fantastic!
My current favorite TV shows- Bones, Psych, and Glee, are all on some
kind of hiatus right now. I got into American Idol in the Philippines
when I had cable TV so I've been keeping up with that (at least going
with my musical theme from Glee).
Here in China the internet is censored, and I can't even read my own
blog. But one cool thing we do have is Google music China, which is a
website where you can download music legally for free. They don't have
a lot of the newest or less popular artists but they do have quite a
lot. It makes it easy to expand my musical horizons. It's great for
classical music as well. I tend to go through phases with music right
now and currently I'm in a powerful female singer mode, more on the
soul side, so if anyone has any suggestions I'm up for it (last week I
was in Rolling Stones mode so clearly this changes a lot).
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Carpe Diem
When I was in Singapore, my random missionary/massage therapist friend
Bernie asked me, "What's your life goal? Do you want to climb Mount
Everest?" Now, see, the thing is, I have no desire to climb Mount
Everest. My friend Paige runs marathons. I admire her, but I have no
desire to run marathons either. Many of my friends are working toward
PhDs. I'd rather climb Mount Everest or run a marathon than go back to
school.
Bernie asked me, "What's your life goal? Do you want to climb Mount
Everest?" Now, see, the thing is, I have no desire to climb Mount
Everest. My friend Paige runs marathons. I admire her, but I have no
desire to run marathons either. Many of my friends are working toward
PhDs. I'd rather climb Mount Everest or run a marathon than go back to
school.
I gave the question some thought, but I think I already knew the
answer. I want to learn to surf. Now, this may come as a surprise
since I live nowhere near an ocean currently. Also because I grew up
in the desert. But if you've ever been with me to the ocean, you
probably aren't shocked at all because you know you can't get me out
of the waves. I usually body surf. Boogie boarding was fun when I was
little, but it's too easy. To body surf, you have to throw yourself
into the waves at exactly the right moment to catch a ride. Too big a
wave at the wrong moment and you're tumbling around feeling like
you'll never come up for air again. But I'll stay out there as long as
it takes to get a ride.
My goal now is to go to Indonesia after my contract is up here in
China. I've wanted to go to Indonesia for some time, and it's probably
one of the cheaper places to get surfing lessons in the world. This is
on my way to Australia, ideally, to see my friends there. Well, and
it's no coincidence that these two countries are known for gorgeous
beaches and great surfing.
Plus, this is probably the one life goal that I have that will inspire
me to get in shape (as the poster of inspirational quotes in our dorm
room said last year: don't be a fatty.) It will also be nice to have
something to look forward to, since there are no big vacations left.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
So many fireworks...
We're coming to the end of Chinese New Year celebrations so there are
tons of fireworks. Of course, this makes the usually loud Guiyang even
louder as I try to go to sleep...
tons of fireworks. Of course, this makes the usually loud Guiyang even
louder as I try to go to sleep...
Monday, February 22, 2010
Back in Guiyang
Well, I've been home for a couple of days now. It was bizarre getting
back- sort of felt like coming here for the first time again. Like my
room seemed strange to me. Comforting though-there's no place like
Guiyang, seriously. I saw Chris and Garry, who have been back for a
while, and it was good to see my friends again. I also met the new
teacher, Maja. We are going to all hang out tonight for a nice
reunion/welcoming Maja. She will start work tomorrow, along with me.
I'm so excited to see my four year old Starter class again. They are
maybe my favorite class and I know they will be really psyched to be
back at school.
back- sort of felt like coming here for the first time again. Like my
room seemed strange to me. Comforting though-there's no place like
Guiyang, seriously. I saw Chris and Garry, who have been back for a
while, and it was good to see my friends again. I also met the new
teacher, Maja. We are going to all hang out tonight for a nice
reunion/welcoming Maja. She will start work tomorrow, along with me.
I'm so excited to see my four year old Starter class again. They are
maybe my favorite class and I know they will be really psyched to be
back at school.
I'm trying to get my pictures online so I'll post those soon.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Journey Home
The last few days in Boracay was more of the same, but in a good way.
Good food, fresh mango drinks every day, sun and sand, and cable TV.
We left early yesterday morning and flew on our little propeller plane
back to Manila. This is where I said goodbye to Kate and Siggy and had
a ride waiting for me to go to a nearby airport hotel.
Good food, fresh mango drinks every day, sun and sand, and cable TV.
We left early yesterday morning and flew on our little propeller plane
back to Manila. This is where I said goodbye to Kate and Siggy and had
a ride waiting for me to go to a nearby airport hotel.
The Nichols Airport Hotel was pretty nice- it was a luxury to stay in
a real hotel after hostels and guesthouses. I had my own large room,
cable TV again, and I got room service. I also tried to get as much
sleep as possible because my flight was at 5:40 am, meaning I would
be waking up at 2:15 am to catch my ride to the airport.
The flight from Manila to Hong Kong was only a couple of hours, and
then I made it! I decided to send some money home since it's such a
pain to do in China- although there was still a limit much less than
what I wanted to send. But at least the nice people at the airport
spoke English.
Thus I had a lot of Hong Kong dollars and time for some shopping. I'm
actually typing on a brand new mini computer! Maybe it seems like a
spontaneous purchase but my laptop can't access the internet, which
has been crippling my lesson planning, communication, and trip
planning. I will still try to get it fixed but I know either getting
my laptop fixed or buying a new computer would be a big hassle in
China, where it was extremely easy in Hong Kong. It's definitely a
useful tool so it's a present to myself, I guess.
Well, I'm almost done with my very long day of traveling. I'll admit,
I'm somewhat ready to get back although I think the first week back
might be a bit crazy.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Update from Tropical Paradise
Kate and Siggy arrived safely on the 13th! They were late due to various plane delays and rescheduling but they finally made it.
We actually had a pretty good Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year's day on the 14th. There were some nice dinners and fancier buffets going on. We decided to go to an Italian restaurant, which funny enough had all the waitresses in Chinese dresses. Then there was a dragon dance! Right in front of where we were sitting! So that was pretty fantastic. There were also some fireworks later. So we even got some of the Chinese New Year celebrations though we weren't in China.
We've been enjoying all the Western foods that we rarely get in Guiyang/Chia-yi, especially the breakfast foods. We have been getting up late, enjoying a nice brunch, and spending the day lounging on the beach, going for swims, and drinking fresh fruit shakes. We have a cocktail at sunset and then enjoy dinner. We have also started having ice cream every night, since we found a place that does amazing sundaes.
A couple of days ago we went on a trip on a glass bottom boat. They take you out to an area with coral and feed the fish, which you can watch through the glass. I also did a bit of snorkeling and found Nemo, as well as a jellyfish and a rainbow fish.
Kate and I have been doing a bit of pretty dress shopping and bought matching dresses. I can't do too much shopping since I just have my one carry-on backpack but it's hard! The shopping here is pretty fun.
Can't wait to get the pictures online! You'll be amazed at the beauty here.
We actually had a pretty good Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year's day on the 14th. There were some nice dinners and fancier buffets going on. We decided to go to an Italian restaurant, which funny enough had all the waitresses in Chinese dresses. Then there was a dragon dance! Right in front of where we were sitting! So that was pretty fantastic. There were also some fireworks later. So we even got some of the Chinese New Year celebrations though we weren't in China.
We've been enjoying all the Western foods that we rarely get in Guiyang/Chia-yi, especially the breakfast foods. We have been getting up late, enjoying a nice brunch, and spending the day lounging on the beach, going for swims, and drinking fresh fruit shakes. We have a cocktail at sunset and then enjoy dinner. We have also started having ice cream every night, since we found a place that does amazing sundaes.
A couple of days ago we went on a trip on a glass bottom boat. They take you out to an area with coral and feed the fish, which you can watch through the glass. I also did a bit of snorkeling and found Nemo, as well as a jellyfish and a rainbow fish.
Kate and I have been doing a bit of pretty dress shopping and bought matching dresses. I can't do too much shopping since I just have my one carry-on backpack but it's hard! The shopping here is pretty fun.
Can't wait to get the pictures online! You'll be amazed at the beauty here.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Chinese New Year in Boracay
So today is the start of the Chinese New Year, and you can tell, because all of the English teachers from China and Taiwan are getting here today. I've already met some in my hotel. And this is the day when Kate and Siggy will arrive! This afternoon. I've already moved into our new bigger room for three.
Going around by myself is kind of nice, although I'm so excited to see my friends. I usually go for swims, walk along the beach, eat someplace with an ocean view, get mango-banana smoothies, and watch the sunset. At night I discovered that you can sit on the beach, closer to the water, and enjoy the live music of the various bands without having to go in and buy a drink. Last night there were even fireworks.
Going around by myself is kind of nice, although I'm so excited to see my friends. I usually go for swims, walk along the beach, eat someplace with an ocean view, get mango-banana smoothies, and watch the sunset. At night I discovered that you can sit on the beach, closer to the water, and enjoy the live music of the various bands without having to go in and buy a drink. Last night there were even fireworks.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day 11: Boracay
So two days ago, I left KL and flew to Singapore. I spent the night in the Singapore airport, flew out at 6 am, and then flew on a little propeller plane to Boracay (which I thought was great fun, by the way).
Then a guy from my hotel helped me get from the airport, to the boat, to the tricycle, to the hotel. Ocean Breeze Inn is about a minute's walk from the beach, through a maze of guesthouses, grass huts, and roosters (there are lots of roosters in the Philippines). My friends Kate and Siggy will meet me here in a couple of days, so right now I'm still on my own.
It's a gorgeous island of palm trees and a long white sand beach. Clear water, blue skies. The beach is lined with restaurants serving all kinds of food, dive shops, vendors, bars, and hotels.
Last night I walked along the beach and decided to eat dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The food was quite good, and I'm picky about my Mexican food being Arizonan and all. At the next restaurant over there were fire dancers. At night there's lots of beachside dining, live music, and sandcastles lit up with candles.
I've never been to Hawaii but I'm imagining it's somewhat similar (except lots cheaper).
Here's what I did today: lots of swimming and sunbathing, got a massage beachside, drank a fresh fruit smoothie.
wait til I get the photos online...
Then a guy from my hotel helped me get from the airport, to the boat, to the tricycle, to the hotel. Ocean Breeze Inn is about a minute's walk from the beach, through a maze of guesthouses, grass huts, and roosters (there are lots of roosters in the Philippines). My friends Kate and Siggy will meet me here in a couple of days, so right now I'm still on my own.
It's a gorgeous island of palm trees and a long white sand beach. Clear water, blue skies. The beach is lined with restaurants serving all kinds of food, dive shops, vendors, bars, and hotels.
Last night I walked along the beach and decided to eat dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The food was quite good, and I'm picky about my Mexican food being Arizonan and all. At the next restaurant over there were fire dancers. At night there's lots of beachside dining, live music, and sandcastles lit up with candles.
I've never been to Hawaii but I'm imagining it's somewhat similar (except lots cheaper).
Here's what I did today: lots of swimming and sunbathing, got a massage beachside, drank a fresh fruit smoothie.
wait til I get the photos online...
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