Noodles and More

Last post

2009-07-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a hectic few days in Bangkok. So hectic, in fact, that I don't have the energy right now to describe it or post any photos. In fact, this will be the last post, so thanks to all of you who followed along. It's perhaps appropriate that I arranged to have my last dinner in Thailand with a bunch of my future classmates at Kellogg. (There were 5 attractive Thai women at the table, and me. I think I'm going to like B-school.)

It's been a great trip in SE Asia. Am I quite ready to go home? Not really -- but I am looking forward to it a whole lot. I get to see my family, some of my friends probably, and in a week, my new niece! It'll be good. :)

Cheers,
Bruce

Kayaking in Laem Phra Nang

2009-07-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Kayaking in southern Thailand: an amazing, unforgettable experience, despite the touristy packaging and the tour guide who had just a tad too much vivacious bonhomie.

Lagoons that reminded me of cathedrals, haunting mangrove forests, impressive karst mountains...this was a seriously cool place. Here's a short video I took (very shaky, since I had to paddle while holding the camera):

Here's a cave:

And and big rock wall:

And a mangrove forest:

Ok, enough of the badly-taken pictures. You get the point -- I had a good time. :)

EXCEPT, I paddled thru a cloud of mosquitoes at one point, nearing panicking when I saw them flying slowly towards me. I had on some ultra-strong insect repellent (the stuff where the DEET % is so high, it starts making your skin burn and eating thru your synthetic clothes), but the mosquitoes didn't care. I think I got about 20 bites on my arms and legs in about 5 minutes before getting the hell out of dodge.

(Tip: the easiest way to escape a cloud of mosquitoes in a slow-moving kayak is to be a douchebag and paddle close to a group of your companions in the hope that their warm, delicious bodies will draw off some of the swarm.)

btj

Leaving Home & Life

2009-07-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my last day at Home & Life. The kids all came along when Root dropped me off at the bus station. They gave me pictures they had drawn, little poems they wrote, and some stuffed animals from Home & Life. I exchanged email addresses with some of the older ones, and gave huge hugs to all the younger ones. We were all in tears as I watched them drive away.

Life is cruel sometimes.

As it turned out, I was so distracted that I forgot to get off the bus at Krabi, and overshot it by about 50km. Cost me 100 baht to get back. Yeesh.

btj

Horsing around

2009-07-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

It's amazing that these kids have been through what they've been through, and still have the capacity to be happy, responsible, and eager to help out.

Needless to say, we play a lot after all of us have finished our work, chores, etc.

And here's a flower one of the kids gave me after I spent all day grouting the new kitchen. (Awwww!)

It's going to be hard to leave.

btj

Young ruffians

2009-07-04T03:14:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, I went with some of Home & Life's staff members to go pick up the kids from school.

When we arrived, they piled into the back of truck, and we drove off. Alnog the way, we passed some of Kop's friends (Kop is 13). One friend immediately stuck his middle finger in the air and gestured repeatedly in Kop's direction. Kop returned the favor.

This delightful little exchange wasn't what surprised me. What surprised me was that Sun (age 8), who was sitting across from me and Kop at the time, then stuck his head out the back of the truck and yelled "Hiieeeiii! Fuck you!" (in English, needless to say) at the friend.

I burst out laughing, because to my knowledge, the ONLY English phrases this 8 year old kid knows are "My name is Sun," "How are you?", "I'm fine," and "Hey, fuck you!"

Not a bad selection, really.

btj

Cute. Not Cute.

2009-07-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

This is Kwang. At 16, she's one of the oldest kids at Home & Life. We're friends, and probably because we're friends, Kwang feels comfortable telling me that I am not cute.

I know because I showed Kwang my passport picture, in which I have short hair and no beard. She went "Oh! A little cute!" Then, she pointed at my face, waved her hand dismissively, and said "Not cute" and walked away.

Sigh. Women.

btj

Paying to Volunteer

2009-06-30T01:59:00.001-07:00

Am I a guest, or am I a volunteer? Probably a little of both.

On one hand, I'm volunteering at Home & Life as a caregiver, teacher, assistant cook, nonprofit consultant, manual laborer, and odd-jobs man. On the other hand, volunteers have to donate a small amount of money for this experience -- and they're also outsiders visiting the family's home -- so both the adults and kids treat me as a guest to a certain degree.

Some of you may say "Wait, you're paying to volunteer?" The answer is yes -- and if you knew how many nonprofits get less out of their volunteers than the effort it takes to train and manage them, than you'd agree with me that requiring a donation is usually a sensible policy. There are exceptions, but that's another story.

And, since this is too serious of a post, here are some pictures of kids!

btj

Spicy

2009-06-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

The spiciest food I've ever had, I've had in Thailand. By far.

We were eating dinner the other day, and there was an innocent-looking chili paste sitting in a small bowl on the far end of the table. I asked "How hot is it?" The reply: "Only a little hot. Don't worry." Like a fool, I put a medium-sized dab on a piece of fish and ate it. The world was instantaneously consumed in fire, and I began to shake and sweat profusely, and my eyes and nose started to expel all sorts of fluids.

When I came to, the Thais around the table were responding in that ways that Thais always do to another's minor misfortune: by laughing uproariously. Meanwhile, a 5-year old girl was calmly eating spoonfuls of the stuff.

Humiliating.

btj

Being a destroyer (an addendum to the last post)

2009-06-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

One awesome moment during the construction of the kitchen: I had to knock down a section of brick wall with a sledgehammer. (I'm pointing at an open space where the wall used to be.)

I pray I get the chance to do this again, and soon. Nothing makes you feel more like a dude than breaking things.

btj

Being a builder

2009-06-26T09:00:00.001-07:00

Something I forgot while staring at a computer in an office for the last 2.5 years: the joy of working with my hands! (I used to woodcarve quite a bit -- maybe I should take it up again.)

So far at Home & Life, in addition to playing with the kids, Root has taught me some simple construction skills: bricklaying, cement mixing, rendering, and laying pipe. The goal is to build a new kitchen, since the current one is too small and inconveniently placed. The area in the picture below will contain two new sinks and a place to put a larger stove:

We've worked 8 hours a day for the past four days, covered in sweat, dirt, and hundreds of insects while being baked to a crisp by a tropical sun. I wouldn't want this to be my permanent day job by any means, but for a few weeks -- sure! It's been hot, hard, and amazingly worthwhile and fun to work with Root on this project.

After we put the finishing touches on the wall, I experienced a moment that was no less magical for its commonality: the satisfaction of seeing a tangible good come out of my efforts, that the work was well done, and that it will last.

Philosophical aside: I think it's a unique and fundamental human quality to fight inevitabilities like change and death (perhaps unwisely?) by constantly leaving markers of our passage in the world. That's why building this wall was satisfying for me: it felt real (in a way that generating a Word or Excel document is not); I can touch the wall, see it, and smell it, and when I leave, it'll still be here.

I wonder if this is a subtle-yet-important reason why people treasure their children -- in order to know that their lives can have meaning well beyond their brief lifespans, and that the impact of their actions and decisions will stretch out, like a long, thin, steel line, into the distant future -- one that they will be forever remembered by and connected to by virtue of their descendents.

In conclusion, it's now clear to me that I'll need a male heir. The House of Jang must not fall.

btj

Painting Day

2009-06-23T10:03:00.001-07:00

A volunteer group from the U.S. Navy (about 20 big dudes) came to paint! They did a good job, and the kids pitched in too.

I was struck by how willing and happy the kids were to help out.. I couldn't help but compare this experience with my year as a residential counselor at the Boys Hope group home, where getting the boys to do chores in any form was invariably difficult.

btj

The Kids

2009-06-21T02:55:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, the kids' stories break my heart. I can't speak with most of them directly, but Root and Bebe (another staff member, a relative of Rasa's) have told me about their backgrounds and also translate for me on occasion.

In short, the kids have tragic histories. About half had their lives destroyed by the tsunami (some of the parents didn't make it; those that did still lost everything), and the other half come from families broken by abandonment, drugs, or grinding poverty. Some of the kids have been abused, and many have stunted growth because they didn't get enough to eat when they were children. I'm told that some of the kids, when they arrived here, were astonished to find that they got three meals a day for free, and they didn't need to scrounge through hotel or restaurant garbage cans for leftovers.

At Home & Life, although some of the kids undoubtedly don't want to be here and miss their families, they have caring adults around, good food, and they go to school regularly. These efforts are paying off -- the kids are happy most of the time, they love to play, and they get along with each other. Sure, they bicker at times, and they can be irritable and demanding, but no the whole, I've found them to be incredibly conscientious and helpful

The little guy below, for example, was my helper during Painting Day. We had some grueling work to do -- I stood on a tall, rickety ladder for hours washing dirt off walls with a brush, and Aum -- without being asked -- clambered up the other side of the ladder, the one without real steps, and held the hose for me while I vainly tried to scrub off years' worth of grime. He did this for an entire afternoon without complaint.

(Note: some of you may ask why I let a little kid put himself in a clearly dangerous situation where if he slipped, he would have fallen hard to the concrete floor below.It's a good question -- one I'm still sorta asking myself.)

I'm still an outsider and more than a little ignorant about Thai culture, but to me, Home & Life genuinely feels like a big family. There's a sense of community here that Root and Rasa have carefully cultivated here over the past five years, and it shows in the kids' level of comfort with each other as well as the adults. Whenever they can, they go out and have low-cost fun. Here are the kids filling up the back of the truck: it's Sunday, and we've just come back from a trip to the local waterfall.

Root and Rasa used to have solid, well-paying jobs (as an engineer and a government employee, respectively), but they've given them up to do this instead. Moreover, the 3-4 other staff members are working without pay as well; or at least, much less than they would make in other jobs.

For example, take Bebe, the volunteer coordinator and all-around troubleshooter. He's Rasa's nephew once removed, is only 20 years old (see the photo above, far right) and I've found, is something of a genius. Bebe speaks 5 languages, learns at a tremendous rate, and could easily be working for the tourist industry, but hey, he's here, and the kids adore him. He's like a big brother to the lot of them.

You can tell that I'm impressed with these people. They're smart, dedicated, and passionate about making this a real home for their kids. I'm glad to be part of their work, however briefly.

btj

Baking

2009-06-21T02:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, another volunteer and I baked rolls, cakes, and cookies for 7 hours. His day job happens to be as a chef for a 5-star hotel, so I more or less followed his lead. =P

Here's a sample of what we produced.

1/2 of the batch ended up as treats for a big volunteer group from the U.S. Navy that came by to paint several of our buildings, and the other 1/2 we sold at the local market. Home & Life, like many nonprofits, is trying to generate income in any way that it can, and at the same time, teach its kids some useful life skills.

If you had an extra $20 in your pocket, you could do a lot worse than donate it to an organization like Home & Life. In the States, $20 will get you a meal or two. Here, you can stretch it into a meal for 25 kids and 5 adults.

btj

Home & Life

2009-06-21T01:54:00.000-07:00

The Home & Life Orphanage in Thai Muang (near the touristy island of Phuket) is an amazing place. In contrast to some of the other group homes I've worked or volunteered at, this actually feels like a home. here's the website: www.homelifethailand.net

A Thai couple -- nicknamed Root and Rasa -- started it 5 years ago to take care of kids orphaned by the tsunami, but now they're taking in other impoverished kids as well, for a total of 24. When I arrived, Root gathered everyone to welcome me to their home.

Even though it's only been a few days, I already feel that this will be one of the most rewarding experience I'll have during my time in SE Asia. The reason is the kids -- their smiles are incredible. Here are a few little dudes who climb all over me when they get home from school:

I already wish I could stay longer.

btj

Trekking in Doi Inthanon Nat'l Park (near Chiang Mai)

2009-06-21T01:52:00.001-07:00

Treacherous paths, hanging out with local villagers, and incessant, pouring rain made this one of the best backpacking trips I'd been on for a long time. (At times, it would rain so hard that our path became a stream, and we found ourselves trekking through a foot of water.)

My guide and I were walking along, when he yells "Ai ai ai!" and runs forward. He proceeds to beat the crap out of this snake -- laying in the rice paddy, minding its own business -- and then stuffs it in a plastic bag, where it wiggles a bit and then gives up the ghost. He grins and says, "Dinner."

Teetering bridges: these were some of the most treacherous bridges I've ever walked across. (Trust me, the pictures below don't do them justice). Most were nothing more than fallen trees that had been placed across a variety of gorges, rushing streams, and steep ravines. Also, they were slippery from the moss and rain, and me than a little shaky.

Rice planting: I stayed the night in a Karen village, and the next day, we all went out into the fields to plant rice. It was a little humiliating -- the first thing I did was slip and fall down this muddy slope as the local women giggled at what i clumsy doofus I was. Also, I would no sooner begin planting when the villagers around me would blaze by and plant 10 rice seedlings in the time it took me to plant one. It was like being on a racetrack, only I had a tricycle while ervyone else had racecars.

Smoking: I don't smoke, but in this sort of situation, how could I refuse? My guide insisted on rolling me a cigarette, and I said yes. He put some tobacco in a dried banana leaf, added some crushed tamarind shell, and then lit it and handed it to me. To my surprise, it was delicious! I'm not going to start smoking, but I'm glad I had that one.

This was a great night all around. Me and three other Karen villagers stayed up late smoking banana leaf villagers and drinking their local moonshine. (Yeeeech -- but good in terms of the experience. It tasted like paint thinner mixed with bug spray, only worse.)

Through my drunken haze, I had a moment of clarity., which i'll share with you now: that dudes everywhere talk about pretty much the same stuff. Take 4-5 dudes from anywhere, put them in a room with alcohol and cigatrettes, and they talk about what dudes all over the world talk about: girls, their shitty jobs, sports, and exagerrated stories of times that they were awesome.

Waterfalls: who doesn't like a good waterfall? This one was extra special b/c we could swim and go behind it and watch the water come down.

Elephant riding: we went on an elephant ride, and later on, I got to meet a baby. He was super cute.

Finally, another guide and some of his relatives. I had a number of long and enlightening conversations with this man about the Karen culture and its relation to the tourist trade.

Ok, that's it, now I'm on to Phuket and volunteering at the orphanage!

btj

Haggling and the Profit Margin

2009-06-19T02:52:00.001-07:00

I have a new policy when it comes to haggling. Basically, it boils down to not being as much of a tightwad. My old goal used to be to get the best price possible; now, I want both parties to leave with a smile (or at least contentment) on their faces.

I came to this conclusion after talking with lots of different individuals, such as store owners, fruit sellers, taxi drivers, tour guides, and the folks running the NGO I'm volunteering with right now. The one recurring theme is that at this moment in time, during the low tourist season during an economic downturn, profit margins are incredibly thin, if not nonexistent. People aren't turning down any work, even if they make just a dollar a day. At least it's enough to buy a bowl of noodles and a bunch of bananas.

So, do I really need to pay 10 baht ( 30 cents) less to a tuk-tuk driver to take me to the airport, taking advantage of the moment and their precarious circumstances? No, not really. I can afford it, even though I pay the tourist price rather than Thai price. This concept is making more sense to me now -- I'm not Thai. I'm a tourist. I can afford far more than the average Thai person, and now I'm beginning to feel embarassed when I see other tourists haggling like madmen over 5 or 10 baht, especially when they'll drop 150 baht on a Western breakfast and a mocha latte without blinking an eye. (Thai breaffast = 20-25 baht.)

So, I'll haggle enough to ensure that I'm not getting completely ripped off (and by now, I know what things should cost), and then stop there. Who knows, maybe it'll leave some good karma behind me when I go.

btj

Old white men with young Thai women

2009-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm trying not to be judgmental, I really am.

First, who can truly know the workings of a relationship between two people other than the two involved? Second, we've all experienced those moments when we've realized that age doesn't necessarily correlate with maturity. Finally, differing cultural assumptions/expectations and financial imbalances (read: power imbalance) are never insurmountable when two poeple are willing to compromise, be open, work together, blah blah.

All that said, it still feels a bit icky to me. I've seen dozens (at least) of older white men walking around w/ young Thai girls, so many that it doesn't even surprise me anymore. I'm not sure who is taking advantage of who, but it seems to me that the chances of some sort of exploitation happening are much higher in this situation than at times where the two individuals are of similar cultural backgrounds, financial positions, life stages, etc.

But then again, since I don't actually have any real information, nor have I spoken to any of these couples, maybe I should say that I don't know that I'm talking about, and then shut up. After all, who's to say that other, "normal" relationships are really that successful after all? (50% of U.S. marriages end in divorce.) Don't exploitation and power imbalances happen to some degree in any relationship? Who's to say what works and doesn't? (The answer: not me.)

Finally, what business is it of mine who others choose to love, or what others do in their private lives, as long as nobody's getting (seriously?) hurt? (The answer: none?)

(How complex human relationships are!)

btj

Reverence

2009-06-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

When I went to go see Terminator Salvation in a movie theatre in Chiang Mai, a video clip came on saying "Please pay respect to the king." Everyone stood up quietly and respectfully, and of course, I stood up as well and folded my hands in front of me. The following video was a montage of the king's life, accompanied by inspirational-sounding music. Here's what he looks like:

Thai people truly revere their king. Insulting the king or speaking ill of him is one of the worst things you could do in Thailand, and there are some pretty hefty lese majeste laws to back it up.

Reflection: I wonder if my generation is more than a little over-infatuated with Barack Obama....it makes it easy to support him when he's right, but hard to oppose him when he's wrong.

btj

Illiteracy

2009-06-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

I'm getting mighty sick of being illiterate everywhere I go. I can't read a thing, and the only things I know how to say are "Hello," "Thank you," and "How much?"

My illiteracy especially hits me when I go to my favorite type of restaurants: those sidewalk cafes where nobody speaks English, everything is super cheap and delicious, and locals crowd the tables. In these sorts of situations, I usually point at what I want and grunt, which is effective but humiliating. I've decided that if I ever live in a foreign country for a longer period of time (say, 1 year or more), I'll study the language intensively no matter how difficult it is.

Knowing how to read and write are amazing skills that I think are often taken for granted. If I didn't know how, I think I'd feel like Kate Winslet's character did in that movie The Reader -- embarrassed and disempowered.

btj

Signs around town

2009-06-10T07:23:00.001-07:00

Some interesting signs I've come across:

This was taken in a pharmacy within a night market that's patronized mostly by Western tourists. (They sure know their audience.)

Guess the price of waxing depends on how hairy you are and how much of it you want to have painfully ripped off your body.

Noodles?? with stuff on top?? That sounds great! Sign me up.

I kinda like durian, actually. But they ban it in a lot of enclosed spaces where can really stink up the place, like this elevator.

This NGO's credo (they fight HIV and also provide sex ed) was that they want condoms to be as prevalent in Thailand as cabbages; hence, the "Cabbages and Condoms" slogan.

Aww. The dragon's name is "Mom."

No girls allowed. They have cooties.

More to come, I'm sure. :)

btj

Monk at an ATM

2009-06-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

Thought this was a striking sight -- a monk getting money out of an ATM. Guess the alms-begging that morning didn't go so well. Now he's probably gonna go get himself a big fat steak and a shot of whiskey.

I also like the color contrast in this photo of the purple ATM and the monk's orange robes. Lovely.

btj

The hollowness of advertising

2009-06-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

These series of advertisements graced the walls of a fancy-looking pharmacy in the mall I recently walked through. For some reason, the manipulative, at-any-cost tone of these ads made me sad, as if the average person doesn't already have enough real concerns in his or her life to worry about.

To think I'll soon be going to one of the best marketing business schools in the world to learn how to convince people to do things they wouldn't otherwise do or buy things they wouldn't otherwise buy.

I hope to use these dark side-ish powers for good, but who knows. Luke Skywalker barely made it, and I think the Force was stronger with him than it is with me.

btj

Free Show

2009-06-10T07:02:00.002-07:00

There aren't that many tourists in Chiang Mai right now, b/c it's the low season and the monsoons are nigh. This makes tourism-related businesses, such as the alley full of nightclubs and bars in the picture below, ever more desperate for customers. (The photo is bad, but trust me, this alley is full of bars, thumping music, dozens of bar girls, and hardly a single customer.)

I'm not ashamed to say that Thai bar girls scare me. They've followed me for a block or more, saying, "Come to my bar" and "Let's have good time" while grabbing at my arms. The girls are invariably cute and dressed in skimpy little dresses (neither of which I'm opposed to as a general rule), but I can tell that their smiles aren't genuine. Their eyes are seasoned, a little stony, and above all, predatory. Makes me shudder. They -- I can tell -- are sizing up me and my spending power in a single glance. In most cases, I say No while walking away with a brisk, confident-seeming stride. In reality, I'm nervous and uncomfortable.

(**Tangent: I wonder if this is how attractive women feel when they walk down the street minding their own business, and strange men bother them? If so, I have a whole new respect for the downsides of being hot.**)

Here's the flip side: I've been told that many Thai bar girls are from poor families, often rural ones. Some of them are supporting other family members in addition to themselves, and their desperation rises in proportion to the declining numbers of tourists spending money on booze and food.

The moral of the story is that life is hard -- especially right now, with the global economic crisis -- and everyone is trying to do the best they can.

btj

My walk in the Mall

2009-06-10T07:02:00.001-07:00

The modernity of this mall in Chiang Mai left me reeling. Here's a series of semi-unrelated things that caught my eye:

This band played a strikingly bad cover of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven. It was so bad that I truly enjoyed it. And, they played in the middle of this techno-wizard-themed food court, which made the moment all the more surreal.

Look! Pizza with noodles on it! (This was taken at a Pizza Hut.) As an aside, I don't understand any dish that tops starch with another starch. For example, Ethiopians eat spaghetti and red sauce with injera (a spongy, sourdough-ish bread). Talk about overloading on the carbohydrates.

Look! A Sizzler! Who knew?? I had expected McD's, Burger king, KFC, and Starbucks to be well-entrenched in Thailand, but Sizzler was a new one on me. I would eat there -- just to say that I ate at Sizzler's in Thailand, but it was unfathomably expensive. (i.e. roughly the same price it is in the States.)

It's a strange, strange world we live in, my friends.

btj

Being a monk

2009-06-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Had an interesting conversation with my guide, the man who had arranged my trip on the Mekong River boat.

His name is Pon, and before joining the tourism industry in Laos, he was a monk for 6 years. When I asked him whether or not he had become enlightened during that time, he laughed and said "Yes. A little bit."

When I asked Pon why he decided to start/stop being a monk, he said it was because as the 6th of 9 children from a rural family, he needed an education and wasn't likely to get it any other way. As for why Pon quit, he said that it was time to get married and have children. (I get the feeling he thought I was silly for asking.)

Pon also gave me some advice: never marry an attractive woman, because they're lazy.

btj

Boat families

2009-06-09T05:45:00.001-07:00

This family's house is their boat. They were the ones that took me up the Mekong river, from Laos into Thailand.

Look, they even have a satellite dish on it!

This is a lucky set of parents -- out of three kids they have three boys, meaning they will have three breadwinners to support them in their old age. In contrast, if they had had daughters, those girls would have eventually married and joined another family.

It's an amazing luxury for those of us in developed countries to not necessarily have to care about the gender of our children.

btj

Handsome Buddha

2009-06-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

During my boat trip on the Mekong river, we stopped at a cave where Lao pilgrims had placed over 4,000 statues of the Buddha.

This particular Buddha has an interesting story:

He started out life as a young, handsome man. However -- apparently -- girls just would not leave him alone, even when he became a monk. (Rather than indulge himself, the young man wanted instead to gain wisdom and escape the samsaric cycle of birth and death.)

So, to escape those pesky women, he asked the Buddha for help. The Buddha placed one hand on the young man's head, and one on his stomach, and magically made him fat, short, and ugly. Then, the women left him alone, and the young man was happy to practice and meditate in peace.

(Ugh. This guy's priorities were clearly not in order.)

btj

Elephant riding

2009-06-06T04:36:00.001-07:00

Elephants are amazing creatures. Riding one felt like being on a tank, but one that was made out of meat.

Later on, when we forded a river, the elephant I was riding took a big trunkful of water and drenched me with it. I took it as a compliment.

btj

Waterfalls + leeches = fun

2009-06-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

The Kuangsi waterfall is about 30 km from Luang Prabang, and it's spectacular, for lack of a better word. You need to climb up a muddy, slippery, treacherous, fall-and-die path to get to the top, but it's more than worth it.

A bunch of us made it up there, swam lazily in the pools, and jumped off the ledges into the deeper parts. I particularly liked standing underneath the waterfall:

Surprisingly, the muddier pools were filled with leeches. However, they didn't bother me too much -- I just picked 'em off and threw them aside, although the anticoagulant in their saliva (?) ensured that I bled for an hour or more.

I used to be alarmed by leeches, but was "cured" -- so to speak -- during a monsoon hike in Nepal 9 years ago where about 50 leeches attached themselves to my legs, feet, chest, armpits, and groin. Compared to that harrowing experience, this was nothing. :) (Bring it on, leeches!)

btj

Tubing

2009-06-04T05:04:00.000-07:00

Tubing is where you go down the Nam Phan river in Vieng Vang on an old, inflated truck tire. No action photos, sadly, as my camera certainly would've gotten wet.

Needless to say, tubing is amazingly fun. You float lazily down the river while stopping at bars, going down ziplines/rope swings and plunging into the river, and in general, having a grand old time. The scenery is spectacular -- there are sheer karst (limestone) mountains everywhere, surrounded by rice paddies that are am amazing shade of green.

I am really, really, liking Laos. Their national dish -- called "laap," a mixture of ground meat, cilantro, mint, chili, and eaten w/ sticky rice -- is delicious, and I've now had it every day for the last 5 days. Gotta learn how to make it...

btj

A better use for int'l aid

2009-06-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

In the 1960s, the U.S. donated hundreds of tons of concrete to Laos for the purpose of building a new airport runway. However, instead of going for the runway, Laos decided to build this gigantic monument thing:

It may seem irresponsible for Laos to have built this when what it probably needed was better transportation infrastructure, but it does look pretty cool. And, you can climb to the top and see for miles around Vientiane.

(As for how the decision was made, I picture 5 or 6 Laotian government employees in a plain white room, seated around a wooden table, somewhat bored. They know they have to build this runway, but nobody's too excited about it. But then, this one guy pipes up, saying, "Hey, I got an idea. WHAT IF, instead of a runway, we..." And the rest, as they say, is history.)

btj

Laos is a few degrees north of Awesome

2009-06-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Laos is breathtakingly beautiful. Most of it is mountainous, and right now, during the rainy season, everything is lush and green. I took this picture not too long after crossing the Vietnam-Laos border:

Beautiful, isn't it? Right then, I knew I was going to like Laos. The capital, Vientiene, has a small-town feel -- people are friendly, nobody has tried to rip me off (yet), and walking across the street isn't ludicrously dangerous. Check this out:

That's right, folks. It's a pedestrian crosswalk with an accompanying traffic signal. And even more impressively, the drivers in Laos -- although they can be a bit absentminded -- actually obey the signals, more or less.

If I had to live in Indochina, I might choose Laos.

btj

PS. If you get the chance, try Lao's national dish. It's called "laap," and consists of mincemeat mixed with fresh mint, lime, cilantro, chili, other herbs, and fish sauce, and you eat it with glutinous sticky rice. Mmm.

To have lived through terrible times.

2009-06-02T02:03:00.001-07:00

If you see an older man or woman in Vietnam, you can be nearly certain that they've lived through some terrible times. This man works on a street corner in Hanoi doing minor repairs to shoes, bicycle tires, and the like.

I wish I could listen to this man's life story.

btj

Pearly white skin

2009-05-31T03:33:00.000-07:00

Most Vietnamese women will go to any length to avoid getting sun on their skin -- and by extension, getting it the least bit tan and implying to everyone that they do manual labor for a living.

This woman is wearing a face mask, helmet, arm coverings, and long pants, even though it was a sweltering, 100+ degrees, incredibly humid day.

I've lost count of the number of Vietnamese who look at Westerners in shock when the latter go out onto the beach to lie in the sun and get a tan. I can practically hear them thinking to themselves "Those foreigners are crazy! Why would they ruin their white skin by making it darker?"

Ah, the things we do for beauty. It seems like the only rule for true beauty (one that cuts across cultures) is that it must be nigh-unattainable by the vast majority of the people in the community.

btj

Store in a Box

2009-05-31T03:27:00.000-07:00

Here's one option if you're an entrepreneur in Vietnam: first, you get this mini shipping container-looking thing and plop it down in the middle of the street. Second, you open for business!

I really like this concept. It's a cheap, modular store in a box, and safe, too -- the owners padlock them every night and put these sturdy iron bars across the doors. Products I've seen being sold out of a store in a box:

Clothes
All sorts of food (veggies, meat, eggs, etc.)
Live birds (canaries, parakeets)
Bike helmets
Haircuts
Noodles
Fans
And basically everything else you can think of.

These containers also seem easy to move -- you'd just need to hook it up to a truck w/ a trailer, and off you go.

btj

Lenin's grim visage

2009-05-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

I tried to go see Uncle Ho today, but alas -- the lines were too long. I asked a security guard if I could get in before the tomb closed for the day, and the man laughed in my face.

In the tradition of great Communist leaders everywhere, Ho Chi Minh is entombed in a plexiglas case, and thousands of Vietnamese come every day to pay their respects. From the little I've read, this was an amazing man. (Fun fact: Ho Chi Minh actually wanted to be cremated, but they ignored him and decided to preserve his body for posterity instead.)

While I didn't get to see Uncle Ho, I did come across an interesting statue of Lenin:

This man looks singularly humorless to me. I wonder what his favorite joke was. Probably something to do with how many bourgeoisie it takes to screw in a light bulb. ("One to screw in the bulb, and ten more to own the means of production! Har!")

btj

The caves in Ha Long Bay

2009-05-31T03:13:00.000-07:00

Halong Bay is full of spectacular karsh rock formations, similar to the ones in Yunnan Province in China.

However, there's more: inside the rocks are some of the most incredible caves I've ever seen. These caves were truly impressive. Some of the stalagmites and stalagtites went from the floor to the ceiling, as if they had melted and then sloughed to that position over time.

For those of you who are Lord of the Rings fans, it reminded me of that moment in Fellowship of the Ring when the party is in Moria, they walk into the Dwarrowdelf, and Gandalf shines the light from his staff, illuminating a gigantic room filled with stone columns.

btj

War trophies

2009-05-31T02:48:00.000-07:00

At the Army Museum in Hanoi, the Vietnamese have gathered quite a bit of hardware that they have either captured or destroyed over the years. Most of it is from the French and the Americans.

This piece in particular caught my eye -- it's a chunk of a B-52 bomber that got shot down during an air raid:

One reason this museum was so fascinating was that it gave the specific history of each item. For example, the caption of an AK-47 wouldn't just say "AK-47." It would say something like "This AK-47 was used by the hero Le Trang Nguyen to kill 4 enemy soldiers and capture 10 more during the assault at Dien Bien Phu."

Every item, from the canteens to the pieces of artillery, had these sorts of descriptions.

btj

Teddy Bears

2009-05-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

On my bus from Hoi An to Hue a few days ago, I noticed that the driver had put a pair of teddy bears on his dashboard. One of them is holding a red heart saying "I Love You."

One of the things I love about traveling is that it stimulates my imagination, and whenever something catches my eye that I can't explain, I invent an intricate and complicated backstory. For example, who gave these bears to this man? His wife? A mistress? His kids? What was the occasion, and how did he feel? Was he 100% happy, or was there a tinge of melancholy to this gift? Maybe someone saved for weeks to buy these bears. Or, perhaps they were handed down from someone else.

There's a short story in here somewhere.

btj

Stretchy the Condom

2009-05-25T09:24:00.001-07:00

I love this poster. I found it on the wall of this decidedly seedy bus station next to the toilets.

The figure in the middle, who I'm calling Stretchy the Condom, has his joyful, well-lubricated arms around a happy family, protecting them from the evils of HIV.

He's like the condom version of Smokey the Bear.

btj

Lonely Planet

2009-05-25T09:05:00.001-07:00

I wonder if Lonely Planet intended to become the economic sledgehammer for tourism-related businesses in the developing world that it is today.

Here's the context: while most backpackers would describe themselves as "shoestring," they rarely are compared to the places they visit. In fact, most backpackers in Vietnam, myself included, are carrying more value on their backs than most local families make in a year. These travelers have money to spend, and for those that are new to the country (most of them) they look to their Lonely Planet (or a handful of other guidebooks) to give them an idea of where to shop, eat, and stay, and which guides or touring companies to go with.

Furthermore, the effect is multiplied when other tourists see LPers patronizing a business, and they decide to go with that business as well. The herd can't be wrong, right?* I've seen this during my trip on many occasions -- one cafe will be busting at the seams with people, while the one right next door, from which it is truly indistinguishable (dishes/prices/decor are the same), is sadly empty.

This raises all sorts of interesting questions. How does Lonely Planet choose which businesses make it into the book? Do the businesses have a say? Can a business convince LP that it should get listed or is being listed entirely based on" merit," i.e. the secret opinion of the author? (If I were in the developing world tourism business, I'd try to get to know the Lonely Planet folks REAL well.)

Here's a tailoring shop that's bragging about its listing in the Vietnam LP:

You can't really see it b/c the photo is crappy, but the piece of paper says "Shop Thu Thao. Listed #1 in the Lonely Planet Guide."

The strange thing is, the sign kinda worked. I look more at that shop than I did at the 20 identical shops around it.

btj

*My mom uses the crowd technique to decide which Chinese restaurant to eat at when she's in a new area. If a bunch of other native Chinese are there and look like they're having a good time, she trusts that. BUT, I think this technique applies to Chinese restaurants more than, say, American/Western/European restaurants.**

**This is because when it comes to food, most (southern) Chinese don't care about decor, service, ambiance, or cleanliness. What they care about is the quality and freshness of the food. If the food's awesome, they'll happily eat it sitting on a dirty plastic stool in someone's garage. You couldn't say that about the Western-ish restaurants I mentioned earlier, because their standard clientele DOES care about elements of the dining experience beyond the food. Ergo, you could use the crowd technique, but then your error rate goes up, because then there are many other variables at play beyond the food.***

***Hypothetical Italian restaurant: Maybe the couple in the corner likes the candles and the dim lighting. Maybe the single old guy has his eye on the waitress. Maybe the big family celebrating the birthday knows the chef. Point is, whatever it is you want to prioritize in a restaurant -- and it doesn't have to be food quality -- you may not be able to get from the crowd technique unless you know that the patrons all used a similar decision-making process when they chose the restaurant.****

****Jeez. This went way beyond a reflection on Lonely Planet. This is what happens when I begin typing stream of consciousness style rather than having a clear goal in mind. These endnotes and PS's are death to me as a writer -- I love them, but they're bad for me.

Coffee, Weather, and Travel

2009-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

One small benefit of France's colonization of Indochina is that Vietnam has AMAZING coffee and baguettes. In these parts, everyone drinks this super-strong espresso-ish coffee in the morning.

So, you pour a little condensed milk into the cup, laythe filter on top, put in fresh coffee grounds, and fill it with boiling water. Then, coffee dribbles down, and when the cup is full, you add as much ice as you like to regulate temperature and dilute the strength of the coffee as needed. It's sweltering here, so an iced coffee every day hits the spot.

Let's talk about the weather in Hoi An a bit (a fascinating topic, I know). Apparently, this town gets hit w/ 8-10 typhoons every year. They flatten a whole bunch of fences and small buildings, and they the Vietnamese just stoically rebuilt them again. Yeesh. I suppose the commercial and tourist value of this city (it's the tailoring capital of Vietnam, where you can get a high quality, hand-made suit for $100) makes it worth it, but still...everywhere I go, there are sounds of jackhammers burrowing into the ground.

As for the heat: it reminds me of the opening scene of that movie Sexy Beast (where Ben Kingsley plays this mad-dog gangster). The main character, played by Ray Winstone, is intentionally getting sunburned by the pool, and he's saying in a rough British accent:

"Aw yeah. Awww yeah. I'm roastin' here. Really roastin'. Boilin'. Bakin'. Swelterin'. Aww yeah."

The only difference is that he's enjoying it, and I'm not. The sun is like a hammer, and the instant you step into it, you're covered in sweat and your shirt sticks to you like glue. On the other hand, there are some amazing sunrises in the mornings:

This was taken on my bus from Da Nang to Hoi An, after I got off a rather horrific sleeper-train ride where my cabin was filled with this sewage smell and the train rocked back and forth and slammed my head against the walls as I slept on my dirty bunk. Ah well. "All part of the experience" as they say.

Believe it or not, I still perversely enjoy traveling cheap, especially when it's a bit rough and uncomfortable. That said, how I travel is still light-years more comfy than how the average Vietnamese person travels. But it's all relative, so I'm gonna give myself a break on this one.

btj

The Vietnamese in general

2009-05-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

To generalize a bit, the Vietnamese seem like an incredibly hardy people. They'd almost have to be to have such a (seemingly?) successful and vibrant country so few decades after the "American War."

Fun fact: the Vietnamese think it's lucky to run into a funeral procession in the morning. Why? Because that person is dead, and you're not -- at least for now.

btj

I'm an uncle!

2009-05-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

My sister Joanne gave birth to her daughter Cecilia a day or so ago. I can't remember the last time I looked forward to something as much as I'm looking forward to being an Uncle.

Everything else pales in comparison.

btj

Masses of humanity in Saigon

2009-05-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

There are more motorbikes and scooters in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City than I ever could have dreamed. Saigon contains a population of ~10 million, and it seems like 8 million of them are riding a motorbike at any given time. (Note: the pic below doesn't do it justice by far.)

Think of a hundred motorbike dealerships having all of their bikes on the move, all at the same time. That's what it was like. In order to cross this neverending human/mechanical river, you need a blistering combination of faith and bravery -- one must step out into the stream, walk consistently, and most importantly, have faith that somehow, it'll all work out. (And it has -- so far.)

One more interesting photo:

Look at that massive cluster of power/phone/whatever lines! I think the fire marshal would have a fit if s/he saw it.

btj

My midlife crisis

2009-05-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

I've decided to have my mid-life crisis at least 10 years early.

Why?

Because I rode on the back of a motorcycle today, in Chau Doc in Vietnam, right across the Cambodian border.

It was shocking, joyful, unadulterated fun. Now I want to drive a motorcycle, and a mid-life crisis is a good excuse to get one. Riding on this motorcycle made me feel (cliche alert!) completely free, the wind in my hair, experiencing the majesty of the open road, etc etc.

And I had these feelings when I was riding on the back. Just imagine, if you will, what it'd be like to drive one of these suckers, weaving in and out of traffic, passing those who are tragically less cool than you, and living life on your terms. Yeah.

(Now I know why those jackasses on motorcycles insist on splitting lanes and speeding even when it's clearly dangerous.)

btj

A tough life

2009-05-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Not to complain about my vacation, but it's pretty tiring to get up early and fill every day with loads of activities. Plus, there are long hours on buses, boats, and trains, and it's, like, really hot and muggy. *Violin playing a sad song, just for me*

That's why I decided to go on a vacation from my vacation -- Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia is an unabashed tourist beach paradise, where I relaxed, snorkeled, and read long novels. Of course, behind the facade was a horror of impoverished Cambodians scraping a meager living off of wealthy, pasty-faced tourists like me, but I managed to relax anyway.

Now that I've reread this post, I think the social commentary is getting a bit tiresome. I'll try to edit myself a bit more. Maybe as a stretch goal, to even post something that lacks liberal guilt!

btj

Rarer than a white rhino...

2009-05-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Rarer than a white rhino is a seat belt on a Cambodian bus. I managed, at great risk to life and limb, to snap a photo of this elusive creature. Here it is, for your viewing pleasure:

With careful husbandry, the population of seat belts in Cambodia will grow and become sustainable.

btj

Caught in a rainstorm at the Royal Palace

2009-05-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's the beginning of monsoon season, and sometimes when it rains in Cambodia, it pours! This street in Phnom Penh turned into a stream after about 30 minutes of some of the hardest rain I've ever seen:

Nothing quite humbles like an awesome display of weather.

btj

Tuol Sleng

2009-05-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

Spent yesterday morning in Phnom Penh. I started at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum -- a former high school that was converted into a torture center during the Pol Pot years. Then, I went out to see the Killing Fields.

These places defy description, so I won't try.

btj

Angelina Jolie

2009-05-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this is one of the temples that Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider in. I looked for her as we toured all the temples in the area, but surprisingly, she was nowhere to be found.

My imagination went into overdrive as we saw temple after temple. In particular, I was dying to replay that scene in Indiana Jones when he grabs the idol off of the stone pedestal, and then makes a run for it as darts shoot out from the walls and the place starts collapsing. *cue theme song* And then, I roll under the wall right as it sliding down, but wait! My hat falls off! But I reach in and grab it just in time before it closes!

btj

On the list of all the things you'd never expect to be carried on a motorcycle...

2009-05-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

All right y'all, check this out: a guy in on the road between Sakaew and Siem Reap in Cambodia, carrying several LIVE pigs tied up on the back of his motorcycle. They kicked and struggled violently (or tried to) whenever he passed too close to another vehicle or swerved too sharply.

This stuff is priceless.

btj

Wats, Wats, and More Wats

2009-05-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

In Bangkok so far, it's been all Wats, all the time (Wats=temples). This one is called Wat Pho -- a pretty amazing sight. The monks' chanting was making my bones vibrate in a strangely pleasant way.

Many of the monks in this picture are teenagers. Can any of you imagine making a religious commitment and living as a monk at that age? I certainly can't.

Lastly, here's a photo I found hilarious, taken on Khao San Road, a nauseating-but-compelling tourist strip in Bangkok:

Apparently Ronald McDonald is a practitioner of Theravada Buddhism.

btj

It begins!

2009-05-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for Southeast Asia this evening, and will return in mid-July. The most ridiculous thing I'm taking along:

8 lbs. of beloved (but soon-to-be-discarded) paperbacks, which will weigh down my backpack and probably leave me with a huge crick in my neck.

Thank god I'm going to a land where massages cost $5. I can't wait to get some wizened old Thai woman to scream "Hiii yaaa!" while she bends my arms back and grinds her heel into my trapezius.

Reflection of the day:

I've realized that I'm carrying all of these books because I instinctively dread boredom and expect constant entertainment out of life. This disturbs me in a quasi-spiritual sort of way.

I wonder which was the last generation to not expect (or at least sincerely hope) to have fun every minute of every day.

btj