April 2010
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I can haz Japanese?
I am currently in Bangkok, Thailand amidst the protests and political unrest that is in its seventh week yet I’m finding myself rather unaffected by it all. Sure, it’s bullshit, I find the entire situation very “un-Thai” and embarrassed for my own country. The amount of bad press and situation these protesters have put the nation in makes us all look like uncivilized...
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James' memory fail = Team One Win
James: You know that burger joint, Twelve Brothers? It’s so good, it’s kind of like In-N-Out in L.A.
The rest of the group: Mmhmm …
James: Yeah, I think they have one in New York, too. They make this burger that's like ...
Natt: Wait, do you mean Five Guys? I didn't want to say anything at first because I thought maybe there's another place like that.
The rest of the group: OOOOH.
James: Huh? OH yeah. It's Five Guys. I forgot. Hahaha.
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Conversations with my Thai mother
Mom: (translated from Thai) This photo makes me feel wet.
Me: WHAT?
Mom: Look at this ad ::points to a Calvin Klein photo of two models oiled up, frolicking on the sand:: it totally captures the essence of heat, sweat, the beach ... and the clothes look nice. Looking at this picture makes me feel like I'm there, too, you know, all wet like I'd just gotten out of the water at the beach.
Me: Um. Yeah. Okay, mom. Your point?
Mom: It's good photography.
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Yummy yummy, happy happy
For my mom’s visit, she requested to go to Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha, or more commonly known as the Big Buddha. I’ve previously visited at the end of January with some friends from the program, so I felt like an expert at getting my mom around and traveling HK like I’m totally a local.
We arrived to the Central Piers a bit after noon. A bit hungry, I bought a...
March 2010
7 posts
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Wingin' it
Today marked a somewhat scary day: having to give a presentation on our business plan to bring a foreign company into Japan. As part of my International Business minor, I had to take this Global Management class as a required credit, and this was our final project.
The longer I study abroad, the more I discover who I am and my true passions. For example, I’m steadily realizing how little...
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“Okay, I’m Asian, but not “Herrro!!” Asian”
– Brownie, explaining how his half Asian side doesn’t make him Oriental.
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"Those kids are all single digit aged..."
The highlight of my stay in Shanghai, beside the fact that we rode on an awkward amusement park ride in the park across the street from our hotel, was definitely the acrobatic show. Many seemed to be amused since the peking duck dinner show in Beijing so shelling out the last of my yuans to see the show was all worth it for me.
We took the subway to the theater and saw a small, blind child...
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Confusion
Sometimes, I don’t know what I’m doing here. I love living in Hong Kong and experiencing everything abroad, but the academic aspect leaves me bewildered and confused. I have no passion in political science or business. Okay, I whole-heartedly dislike politics regardless of its importance, and I’m only interested in business because of what my parents intend for me in the future...
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How much for happy?
On a quest to at least buy a few souvenirs for friends before they all thought I was being inconsiderate, a group of girls and I ventured out across the street from our hotel and into the underground shopping plaza. Even though the malls were literally a road away, it took ten minutes to actually get there because of the ways streets and lanes were divided and partitioned with rails. Every time...
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Shanghai Minutes
Our method of transportation from Beijing to Shanghai was an overnight bullet train that allowed four persons to each cabin. The little rooms were fine, nice even, except the air on the top bunk was dry, dusty and I was coughing all night. Combined with some other student drama with sharing cabins, I promptly closed my door, shut the lights and did my best to get as much sleep as possible —...
February 2010
16 posts
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Party v. Party
During one of our Beijing lectures, we were split into three groups to talk to local students about their lives in China. My particular group spoke to a 25-year-old girl who lives in a tiny apartment with three other roommates. Their electricity shuts off at 11 pm which forces them to finish homework early and go to bed. In their free time, they go shopping, watch television or go to...
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The Great Wall of Bargaining
(Before, I start, I know I’m way behind in these Mainland China posts, but I really do want to go in depth with each experience so bare with me that the entries are not timely whatsoever!)
We spent a few days before our trip to the Great Wall lectured by various professors, left to roam an urban art district, visited the Olympic Village where the 2008 games were played and shopped in a...
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Walk like poetry
Beijing is a lot of walking in the deep freeze. Our director Joffre said during orientation that the Chinese way is similar to Sour Patch Kids — first they’re sour then sweet. Instead of giving us all the luxury first, we’re made to do most things ourselves, that is, giving ourselves tours by feet and making us find our own food. Which would have been fine if we were at least...
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Reflections
This entry will be a little different/more personal because I feel like this is the only place to rant/vent/what have you about how it feels so far to be the lone immigrant Thai girl (or slave, as we’ve playfully nicknamed) with all the fascinating people I’ve met so far. It will be emotional, and likely quite vulnerable, and definitely come off as a travel virgin. So skip if...
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Beijing? Peking? Peaking? Pee King?
No one in the group could get over how amazing Beijing was. While it was the most fun city out of the three we visited (Xi’an, Beijing and Shanghai,) it was definitely the coldest. Those who know me know my mood is unfortunately easily affected by the weather, and combined with the fact that I managed to misplace my camera twice during the five-day stay, I suppose I had an interesting week.
...
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First (Chinese) Pizza
Me: It's hot cheesy bread. Definitely needs more sauce in this.
Tom: Or any.
Nikesh: I specifically said tomato, apparently there are different kinds of pizza sauces. He started telling me the options: tomato, thousand island and I said "Stop, stop stop, TOMATO, please, use tomato sauce."
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Hutong Village
We spent our last outing in Xi’an visiting a middle class/sort of what is considered “rich” village. The bus took us an hour out of where our hotel was and the next thing I remembered waking up to was passing images of dusty land, dead trees, and little wooden stalls (or what is actually home to some natives here).
We arrive to an intersection and were dropped off and greeted...
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“If you infect me, you will receive a giant minus”
– Professor Mushkat, on why we should stay home from school if we’re feeling ill.
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Making history
For a place that’s regarded as the “ancient city,” I think we had a lot more than we we expected. The same day after our tea house experience, we visited a stone tablet museum which had carvings of traditional Chinese characters and workers stamping away at the stones to get copies of it to sell. Tony said it takes skill and time to get these stamps done — especially the...
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The Smoky City of Xi'an
We begin our two week spring seminar with a 2 mile walk toward a large HSBC bank down Nathan Road and a dash back the same way in 10 minutes thinking we would miss our bus to the airport. Someone had said we’d be leaving at 2 pm when in fact, I don’t even think we took off till close to 4. Combined with spending an extra 2-3 hours roaming the little Hong Kong airport, it...
January 2010
9 posts
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World's Greenest Homes: Hong Kong Space Saver →
After living for about a week in Hong Kong, I realized just how much SU directors had meant it when they said space is valuable in this city. I am currently living in a tiny lodge room that houses two people: we get a twin bed each about a feet apart, a small closet and no particular drawers so I’m literally living out of my suitcases. Anyhow, I was so impressed by this video —...
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Orientation & Preparation
Like many other Syracuse students who’ve been on the abroad program, we all have the same critiques: orientations are terrible. I can’t fathom how years of the same program haven’t improved the way they run this, or if this is the improved version.
Our first orientation which happened before leaving to mainland China was hours too long. The way this semester is set up is we...
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“Mmmh, dericious”
– Tom, and how he prefers to describe the foods we eat here
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My name is "Lemon Tea"
In less than 24 hours since we’ve arrived in Hong Kong, we’ve managed to hit the streets at night looking for dinner, wander the heights of Victoria Peak, ate Dim Sum on a floating restaurant on beautiful clear water in Aberdeen, toured City University, took the MTR/subway home and roam the streets some more for nearby banks, restaurants, shops, and offices. I did not feel the jetlag...
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Hello & Welcome!
I was assigned to a window seat of a Cathay Pacific plane, blocked from leg space by two older Singaporean ladies. Looking out of the window as the flight began, I saw the beloved island of Manhattan and the Citibank building of Queens become smaller; my home disappearing in sight. I have no qualms about what I’m leaving behind, but I do hope it’s worth it.
Welcome to Natt...