Vacation . . . What Vacation?

Strange how my time off from school has become busier than my days with school! But it’s great. I’ve been exploring more of this “beautiful island”. Here we go on giving you a slice of my life pie.

MONDAY
I spent the morning catching up with my peeps back home. That was fabulous. Then I headed to the MRT to meet one of my students-Betty. We went shopping. Yeah! I purchased a few clothes and some earrings. I nearly bought a pair of skater shoes. My tennies are getting worn out. The brand was black sheep and that made me laugh. Then I had to explain it to my student. We laughed about it again at dinner when I ate some sheep meat :)

We headed to her grandfather’s house for dinner. The whole family was there (minus college kids). It was about 17 people. I decided they couldn’t have a bigger family because they wouldn’t fit! The food was tasty. And her family was very kind and anxious to treat me well. Only her parents and an aunt and uncle spoke English. The adults forced the cousins and her brother to practice their English with me. They were very timid.

We ended the night with a visit to Love River and the Kaohsiung Cultural Center. It was great! They finally had lights along the river. They show that in pictures but it is only that way during the New Year. I was happy to finally see it. And I had the Cultural Center on my “places to explore” list. Betty and I did the trampoline jumping. She was pretty scared and I was proud she did it. I still have bruises from the harness! But, I’m happy to report that I did 3 back flips. They were hard! I still have slightly sore muscles, too.

TUESDAY
I headed out with the YSA in my stake. We went to the middle of Taiwan to Lukang Historical District. A very old temple and old houses. It was neat. The driving was long and that wasn’t so fun. I slept a little and stared out the window. Again, everyone was treating me like a special visiting dignitary. It made me laugh. I tried cow’s tongue and dragon eye treats. (Named for resemblance, although at first I was nervous.) And I got popcorn. I don’t know why that treat makes me so happy, but it surely does.

And I ate some good food. The area is famous for seafood. It was tasty. I had noodles for lunch. In the afternoon, we stopped (somewhere) and looked at lots of flower shops in a neighborhood. One guy and I rented bikes and rode around. That was cool. Better than being on foot. After that, we headed back to Kaohsiung.

Dinner was a long time in coming and I was getting impatient. It was worth the wait! The guy (no idea on his English name, sorry) took me to a steak house. Oh yum. Salad, corn soup, rolls, chicken, veggies, and noodles. Delicious! I couldn’t finish all of the main meal. I tried really hard. Then they brought out ice cream! I discovered a small portion of my stomach reserved for desserts :) [And I’ve decided I might like vanilla ice cream when I get home. I always thought it was boring before. The “plain” ice cream here is milk flavor and it is even less interesting than vanilla. Didn’t know that was possible!]

WEDNESDAY
I must say this was the best day, probably. I went with Emily to Monkey Mountain. And I finally saw monkeys. Hurray!!! [Gracie, I thought of you. Enjoy the pictures, k?]

We went hiking. Emily surprised me. When I asked her why she was so gung-ho, her reply was that she can do it with me. Other people won’t go with her. So I’m the reason she is crazy. :) *sigh* We had fun. It was pretty intense in some parts – rocky and steep. We diverged from the area with lots of people. (And there were lots since everyone is on vacation now.) We ended up making a big loop. Emily wanted to keep going, but I was tired. And we were unprepared in the water dept. I really hate that since hiking Timp and running out of water = terrible thing/good lesson.

On the way down we found monkeys who were very willing models. They even do it for free! They aren’t bothered by people. They just go about their business. I finally saw monkeys grooming each other. It was fascinating! I remember learning that and pretending to do it when I was little. Now I’ve finally seen it. (They really do eat what they find.) Emily wasn’t too excited about the monkeys. She took food there on a hike years ago. Bad move. The monkeys kept grabbing her bag. But she was a good photographer, like usual.

We worked up a good appetite and went to a sushi place for lunch. Emily was nervous I wouldn’t like it. All wasted worry. It was delicious. Yum! We stuffed ourselves (ugh) and couldn’t finish the last 3 sushi rolls. Then we were both ready for a rest. But we didn’t call it quits. We went shopping!

And I did took a nice haul home. Emily and I eventually decided I had to stop. :( There were some cute things after that time. Emily was good and wouldn’t let me buy them. Except for one pair of earrings ;) It was good since I was out of money. I got some cute shirts. And warm underclothing for my Beijing trip. [Ah! I don’t want to be cold, but it is what it is.]

Dinner was eaten at an elusive beef noodle soup store. It took Emily a long time to find it, but I didn’t mind. And then she asked me what size I wanted. Small was my response. Then I looked over and saw a huge bowl on the table. Definitely small, I said as I thought “wow, that’s a big large.” I was wrong. That was the small! Oh my. I couldn’t finish it. I just don’t like that full feeling where your stomach is bulging. So unpleasant! I like being just under full.

I ended the night at Emily’s house. Her mom tried to give me more food. Ah! I politely refused since I was still busting my buttons from dinner. And I got to see Emily’s room. She is funny, and a total pack rat. Wow. It reminded me of my mom’s forced yearly closet clean-outs. Good times! Then we decided to go hiking again the next day. But it would be a long drive – 2 ½ hours. My bum will be sore from the scooter, but it’s ok. Emily is very excited.

Monkey Mountain Pictures

We're at Monkey Mountain and we're excited!

Here we are! Emily keeps taking pictures so I just keep posing :)

Can we go this way? Please? (Emily was nervous about the height and danger. Pah)

A- "Wait for me!"

E- "Hurry up." She just climbed on up. So much for her fear!

E- "Ok, get out of the tree now."

A- "How? I'm sorta stuck."

Steep rocky path > bring it on!

He's totally unfazed that he's walking toward a couple of humans. Wow.

We are so cool. She's tired and I'm gritting my teeth.

This is only partly staged. I was sort of falling out of the tree :)

I found a monkey. Hurray!

These silly guys kept climbing on the sign and then sliding off.

They're people watchers, just like me!

I finally got close! (They were occupied in their grooming.)

"Hey friends, could you help me clean my fur? Please."

Far Left--"Oh yes, I found one. Oh yum!"

Baby--"Hey, I want one of those. Keep looking, gotta keep looking."

"Oh. Look at this delicious sushi!"

At the Kaohsiung Cultural Center. Goofiness comes naturally.

My small bowl of beef noodle soup.

Searching (Hong Kong Trip)

*sigh* I’m back in my own apartment and my adoptive country. Funny thing – my bathroom seems like a small luxury. The shower in my room was the tiniest thing! And it had a curtain which actually made it worse. Uh oh. I never did take a picture of it. Sorry!

My trip to Hong Kong was great. I realized I went searching for an adventure. And I found it!!! I only plan to give a summary of highlights. But I’ll post pictures too.

I decided “searching” was the best way to describe it. I spent time searching for location – famous sites, food places, my hotel, the MTR station. And I spent so much time walking!!! Wow. And it was a bit silly. I got myself lost a few times and so had to do more walking than necessary. I wasn’t exactly lost though. I just took a wrong turn or walked in the wrong direction. So then I would backtrack. :D These feet of mine did a fine job.

I’m very glad the Hong Kong trip came before the Beijing trip! I had a chance to learn some lessons about traveling. And I feel better about my next adventure. (I’m sure I’ll have more good experiences). Hong Kong was great since I could finally talk to the people! Oh so nice.

I had 2 kind people that really helped me out. They were on the buses I took and one told me to get off since I was heading the wrong way (it was my first night and I had just arrived, give me a break). The other one told me to get off since it was the stop for my hotel. And then he walked up there and showed me my hotel. His house was beyond it, up the hill. I was grateful to these 2 people!

My purpose of the trip was to obtain a visa so I could visit China. And I did just that. So the trip was successful! I also saw some cool stuff. Here’s a quick list: –light show –Victoria Peak/The Peak Tram –Stanley Market –Museum of Fine Art – Space Museum –Museum of History –the waterfront lined with tall buildings –batman building –Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple –Temple Street Night Market

And some funny things too -- a car with no driver! Oh just kidding. They were controlled by the British and so they drive on the other side of the road. The wrong side, to me. I really did think the car had no one driving it for a few seconds. And then I looked closer and saw someone on the other side.

I rode the MTR (subway) lots and buses a few times. I rode some light buses that are famous for their amazing maneuvering skills. I actually wasn’t really worried while riding them. And I never took a taxi! I was proud of myself for that. As mentioned before, I used my feet mostly.

I got to experience the morning rush hour on the subway. We were so packed in there! I was smashed up against people. And we would stop and more people would shove their way on. It was quite funny. I was second in line and yet I didn’t push enough so I didn’t get on the first train that came through the station. I resolved to push more on the second train. And I got on.

It’s hard to convey but I’m guessing some of you have experienced it. It’s so fun and funny at the same time! So many people heading to the same place.

The light show was very cool. Buildings on both side of the …um, harbor? ... participate in it. I tried to see it the first night I got in but it didn’t work out. I couldn’t find my way out to the street!!! I knew I would be okay if I could only get out of the transportation system and malls. But I was just stuck. I talked to a security guy and he recommended I use a bus. So I went down to the bus terminal and got on one. Then I met the nice lady who told me to get off. I was going away from the waterfront! The opposite direction. So I hopped off and dragged my suitcase around the streets of Hong Kong. And I was out walking for a good 2 hours. I rode the subway over to Hong Kong Island and then took a ferry back to Kowloon. I didn’t know what I was doing exactly. I was just exploring :)

Ok, back to the light show. There isn’t a whole lot I can say. I couldn’t describe it. When you get to Hong Kong (notice the use of “when” not “if”) you definitely need to see it. It is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest permanent light show. Or something like that. I wish I could have seen it twice. I saw it from Hong Kong Island but it would be great to see it from Kowloon too.

I had a rough first night but the next two days were better. Although I did go the wrong direction a few times :) I walk fast and was able to get most things in. I do have a few things I want to see. I decided they can wait until my next visit. I need a stronger reason to go back than just that I want to. So now I have two reasons. 1)I want to visit again 2)I haven’t seen everything yet. Ain’t I smart?

Let me know if you have questions. I’m not sure how well this conveyed my trip. I’ll put pictures on and that should help you share in my experience. Enjoy!

Hong Kong Pictures

My first view of Hong Kong. (Hong Kong Island)

What does that mean?! "Beware of opposite right turners" Ha ha.

When I think of Hong Kong, I think of these ships. But I never saw a real one. Just this one in the museum. :(

And a photo from the days when they were actually used.

The batman building behind Sogo and the Museum of Art.

In front of the Space Museum. Very cool place.

A space toy! A gyro....somethin. I got a chance to try it. But I couldn't really take a picture of myself while I used it. This nice guy was my model instead (although I don't know if he knows I took the picture :P )

I want to go into space and wear a cool suit like this! Please?

Not a bad self-potrait, eh?

View of the Hong Kong Island. The air is smoggy and not so great. *sigh* Why can't things cooperate when I'm around?!

Me with the batman building! It only took a few tries to get this picture just right. :)

A great picture minus the crazy hair. Stupid wind.

I rode a bus to Stanley Market. I thought these boats were so cool. At the market, I saw lots of little white kids with nannies. I guess the rich people live in this area ;)

Would you look at that! Look what I found in Hong Kong. Funny thing - I didn't eat there for lunch. I went to a pizza place and got a chicken ceasar salad. Yum.

The batman building all lit up. I wish my camera took better pictures at night!

The Golden Bauhinia in front of the Expo Center. I walked along this waterfront for over an hour waiting for the light show to start. The show was cool, but short.

My hotel! It was pretty nice.

I've arrived. Actually this is just the bottom. But at least I'm on the right island and at the right place! (PS it says "The Peak Tram" for you visually-challenged readers.)

The tram returning so it can take us to the top of the peak. (I believe it's called Victoria Peak)

The world is . . . tilting! The brochure says the tram goes so vertical that buildings seem to be at 45-degree angles. That's a pretty accurate description.
The view from the top. The weather wasn't really co-operating. Why I oughta...
He's whispering ancient Chinese secrets in my ear. (What can I say? This white skin has lots of perks in this part of the world.)

Another shot of the city. I'm on Hong Kong Island. With the foggy (smoggy?) sky you can't really see the water or Kowloon on the other side. *sigh*

Yeah for timers on cameras! But I do not know what happened with the lighting. It's like I'm glowing. Oooo

For my brother. Again, the timer on the camera was essential.

Now you can see how the buildings seem tiltled. I'm nearly straight with the window of the tram (black lines at the edges of the picture).

Batman building! And the one to the left had cool bubble-like windows. I sure wish the camera picked up on everything my eyes see.

This just cracked me up! IN POSH WE TRUST. (It's even better since Posh was a name for one of the Spice Girls)

Temple with the longest name. Ever. It's "Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple" (phew) It's a very important temple since 3 different religions recognize it and use it for worship. All the incense was killer. *cough cough*

Good Wish Garden. A fabulous place for peace and quiet. And air with no incense smoke!

Beautiful scenery in the garden! And just as a reminder - apartment buildings can be seen in the background. We may have found a little haven, but we're still in the city.

Yeah! (fist punching the air as that is said) My timer coming in handy again. The main temple building is behind me to the left.

I saw lots of turtles in the garden. Happiness! This one was sunbathing. Maybe he's too white and his friends mock him. (Gee, that sounds familiar)

See, I was there! Isn't this a great self-potrait? Ok, I asked a nice lady to take it for me.

Outside the Museum of Art. I think it's a nifty sculpture.

THE END!