The Metric System

The metric system confuses me. I don't understand it and spend too many minutes doing the conversion in my head. When we here heading back to Manilla from Bacquiao in the countryside, the highway sign said "450 km." After the sign, I started beginning the conversion in my head. 1 meter is three feet, there are 5280 ft in a mile, and there are 1000 meters in a km. By the time, i had finished the conversion there was another sign that said "420 km." I kinda gave up because my conversion was wrong. The gym, the highway, and the grocery store all use the international metric system. I hate it and reminds me of how much I love America.

Jollibee

The best fast food restaurants have a limited menu. For example, In-N-Out Burger has at the most five things on its menu, three of which are burgers. Of course, there is the secret menu but let's pretend that it doesn't exist for this discourse. In the Philippines, Jollibee is the King. Taking a page out of the In-N-Out Book, Jollibee has only five things on its menu: Burger, Cheeseburger, Spaghetti, Pancit Palabok, and Fried Chicken. That's it and although we have one in Los Angeles, I only first tried this place when I was starving and in the food court at the mall near our hotel. I decided to try the Fried Chicken (of course) with my mom having the pancit palabok. My dad was sleeping already (he likes to do that a lot here...his excuse is that it's too hot to go outside). The 3 piece chicken meal comes with steamed rice and a side of gravy and your choice of soda. The entire cost of the meal, including my mom's pancit palabok and a side of fries, was about 220 pesos which is the equivalent of about 4 dollars. And despite the price, the food wasn't that bad. There was a minor after-taste, but i'll ignore that if it means saving five bucks and not going to KFC...again.

Back in the PI

Tagalog is a difficult language. Instead of putting together a subject and verb like in the English language, Tagalog is composed of phrases and words that have double meanings. I'd like to think that I'm capable of "hangin' with the locals" and of surviving in the Philippines on my own. And I am capable of surviving, primarily because everyone here already speaks English. English is a required language in grade school and used in all of the news reports and television shows. When I went to the mall to watch "Fast and Furious," everyone from the box office to the concessions knew English. (Movies cost only 3 dollars, with unlimited popcorn at one dollar, and the theaters have reserved seating) I do know Tagalog and occasionally I'll throw out a "salamat" or "mabuhay" to maintain dignity. But if push comes to shove, I'll just say "thanks" and move on.

China-Day 9 thru 11

These days were the most uneventful of the entire trip. We have been on a cruise of the Yangtze River and it has been extremely foggy that we haven't been able to see anything on this trip. The entire cruise has been leading up to a visit to the Three Gorges Dam Project, a 28 billion dollar venture to create an electric infrastructure in China. It's a nice sight if it wasn't so foggy. I think that I saw the Dam but I had to constantly refer to a picture and imagine what it would look like without the Dam Fog (get it). It's one more day in Xiamen and then return to the Philippines. My stomach is holding up well but I really miss my HD television at home as well as a Taco or Burrito from Chipotle.

China-Day 8

Tibetan culture is quite interesting. I’m currently in Jianghzou, a city in the Sichuan province. Yack is the most abundant meat here with the food ranging from really spicy to unbelievably spicy. I liked to think of myself as a tolerant person, but I cannot eat Yack. It’s tough, chewy, and has no flavor. This past night, we had dinner with a Tibetan family where we ate their Yack and danced with them, followed by a blessing.

At the end of the night, being the only 20 year old on this trip, I indulged my parents and the other people on our trip. I was forced to sing three songs to a Tibetan woman (she said she was 18, but like the Chinese gymnasts you never really know). I chose “Love Love Me Do” by the Beatles, “Love me Tender” by Elvis, and “Holiday” by the Bee Gees. (The average age of this tour has to be 58, so give me a break) She returned the favor by singing three songs. Little did I know that by singing three songs that I would be forever indebted to her and would need to care for her Yak and marry her. When I heard this cultural practice, I immediately sat down, refused any food, put on my sunglasses, and spoke to no one. I really need to learn Mandarin…FAST.

China-Day 7

I’ve never had so much KFC in my life. When I was in Dominica, I would crave KFC primarily because it was my only form of “American Food.” Sometimes, I would order a bucket, freeze it, then savor each morsel of fried chicken over the course of three weeks before I would travel another two hours to get more KFC. But here in China, KFC is the food of choice and was even scheduled on our tour. Currently, we have three lunches of KFC scheduled, but because the food on the tour sometimes has been absolutely horrible we have had to eat KFC more than planned. Actually, I’ve grown to appreciate the old colonel’s chicken because they don’t have gravy here. Fried Chicken is one of my favorite dishes (yes it’s true Daryl) and I now have put KFC up on the pantheon of Fried Chicken restaurants, up there with Popeye’s and Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken.

On a side note, I watched “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” and found it hilarious, endearing, and quite touching. If I had seen it last year, it would be up there in the top 10. (and i'm serious)

China-Day 6

Today was a day of travel. But the good thing about traveling is that it gives you a chance to catch up on lots of music on my iPod. And although I never bought any of these albums, I would have definitely purchased three albums that are fantastic: Kelly Clarkson’s “All I Want,” M. Ward’s “Hold Time,” and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Is It Blitz?” That Kelly Clarkson is so fun and pure pop entertainment that I always listen to. It’s pure blitz and I’m not ashamed of telling the three people that read this blog. If I see any of you three people, I will buy you a copy. Actually because I have never bought a CD in over a year, I’ll just give you a copy of my download.

China-Day 5

My friends used to tell me that all Chinese people look alike. That was a really dumb thing to say and it's made even more ridiculous by the Terra Cotta soldiers that I saw earlier today. These are over 7000 clay soldiers created during the Quin Dynasty and the subject of "Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." It was just unbeleivable that someone would create 7000 different statues with different faces, armor, and features. It took over 40 years to create this "8th Wonder of the World," and it's truly a wonder to witness. I haven't seen "Mummy 3" and probably will never see it unless...actually I'll never see it, but I hope that it captures the awesome depth of these statues. But I have my doubts because no Brendan Frasier movie has ever resonated with me except for his performance in "Encino Man" (wheezing the juuuuuice).

China-Day 4.5

I'd like to think that I'm an average size person. I'm not that tall or wide (at least compared to Fat Albert...yes I know he's not real but I didn't want to offend any fans of Rosie O'Donnell or Star Jones) But I feel large here. People continuously look at me and give me the stare down. Now for the first few days, I ignored this as gentle curiosity in my tanner skin/soft features. But now I'm becoming very offended. Okay, so I eat more KFC than most man and prefer a cola instead of hot tea. But people I'm 25% Chinese, which makes me more Chinese than Panda Express. I think they know that I like Fried Chicken more than Chicken Feet and have begun to slowly bannish me from the Chinese community. I guess that I'm better off joining a college club like UCLA Samahang and pretend that I'm in touch with my culture. But I already have an Asian American Studies Minor. I guess I should dance hip-hop and then I'll get respect.

China-Day 4

The history of China is just so vast and supremely complex, perhaps moreso than any other country in the world. Xi'An is at the center of China (literally) and is filled with much of its country's history. The Tung Dynasty had unified the country and today we saw the origins of the dynasty, ranging from the dynasty's 23 story Pagoda (pictured) to the museum housing many ancient relics.

The difficult thing to accept is the globalization surrounding China and slowly drowning the history surrounding it. 15 years ago, this huge structure symbolizing the power of the Tung Dynasty was the largest structure in the city. Now, it's dwarfed by the apartment complexes and towers. It's hard to understand why China is willing to sacrifice it's heritage for modernization. Then I turned on the news and saw N. Korea had launched a long range missile and I slowly realized that China, like any other country in Asia, is searching for a place among the modern super powers. China yearns for the status it once had long ago. I guess Super-Walmarts are one step forward in that direction.

China-Day 3

There are a lot of people in China. The whole 1.3 Billion people in one country never really hit me until I saw Super Wal-Mart in Xiamen, the city I'm currently in. When you walk into the Walmart, there are just so many people walking around. The social stratification is also clearly identifiable with beggars mixing with the wealthy at every corner. It's also clear that China is continuously growing. Old Buildings are now being broken down to make way for the new buildings. McDonalds, KFC, Burger Kings, and the aforementioned Walmart are taking over. It's a China that I never really imagined or desired. But that's what it is and the people are adjusting just fine.

Philippines-Day 2.5

The traffic in the Philippines is worst than Los Angeles. It took us nearly a full hour to drive 6 miles. Because of the gridlock, I was only able to visit the Greenhills Shopping Center. The center is a pretty fascinating place because in this huge mall is a mix of old street vendors selling crappy knock-offs (some that I purchased and won't tell you which ones so that you won't think i'm pure cheap) and brand new stores that sell the real deal. Everyone hear addresses you as "Sir" or "Mom" for the ladies which I still don't understand. (I didn't know that Mom was a sign of respect...tell that to Octo-Mom) Inside the Center is also a Chapel which was having mass at 11am (an odd time to have a daily mass) but it was still packed. But once you get pass the stores and chapel, there is the food. With restaurants outnumbering the merchants, food seems to be the number one priority here in the Philippines. Today for lunch was a mix of BBQ pork, lechon, pancit, and smoked fish. I didn't realize with the time difference that it was a Friday (a day customarily in the Catholic religion where you cannot eat any meat), but I thought to myself that it was Thursday in the U.S. so it was okay to indulge. I have to admit that the time difference is getting to me (I took a four hour nap at 5pm), and although I do like the naps, this one felt a little different.

Tomorrow, I'm off to China.

Philippines-Day 2

The Philippines has changed from what I remember it to be. Of course, it has been twenty years since I last visited but it's changed. I guess it's for the better, bringing in new tourists and people that wouldn't otherwise visit the Philippines. One of the things that has changed is the landscape. The place is starting to look like any other major American city with its huge malls and large hotels. I barely see any trees and could easily confuse this place with Los Angeles. But the one thing that hasn't changed is the hospitality. There are so many people working at the Shangri-La Hotel (the hotel we're staying at) that we had five people helping us with our bags. The buffet here is absolutely amazing with three people always waiting on us and seeing if we ever needed anything.

I want to spend a few minutes on the buffet b/c it was one of the best I've had anywhere. There are over 7 stations, perfectly arranged in one big square. And the food was pretty good as well. One of the good things about being on a tropical island is that the fruits are so amazing (as I'm sure all my Dominica friends know) and the juices are even better. I think that Mango Juice has become my number one drink and i've had one with every meal. At the buffet, it was free refills on the juices and I had my money's worth. Although it was a little pricey (1000 pesos which converts to almost 20 bucks), it was a fantastic meal and a nice way to begin my day.

I'm off to visit my dad's old medical school and probably drink some more Mango juice. Then tomorrow I'm off to China. (I just looked at our itinerary and there is no Beijing. WTF)

Philippines/China Day 1-The Plane Ride

I was a little skeptical about the plane ride especially when I heard that the flight was going to be almost 15 hours. I hate plane rides longer than 4 hours because after 4 hours you hit the moment where you can't really take a nap longer than 30 minutes or shorter than 2 hours because you're interupted by the in-flight meal, the 30 minute take-off, and the 30 minute landing. It's frustrating to find that window where you can close your eyes without being interupted by the person in the window seat wanting to go to the bathroom. So you can understand my initial skepticism.

But I was very pleased with the flight over here. It was comfortable chairs, delicious food (I lower my standards whenever eating at over 300 mph), and surprisingly quiet accomodations. I have to admit that leaving at 1am allowed people to be tired and easily enter their circadian rhythms. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the Cathay Pacific airplane and their wonderful entertainment consoles allowing me to watch the horrible Eagle Eye, the cutesy HSM 3, 4 episodes of the hilarious Curb Your Enthusiasm and Extras, and the opening scene (and the only entertaining one) of Quantum of Solace. I arrived at Hong Kong international airport well-rested, entertained, and ready to tackle Asia.