When I reached Senate Square I remembered Madrid, where I spent a summer. It dawned on me that Macau and Madrid look alike in some ways.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Macau - Old Town
Senado Square
When I reached Senate Square I remembered Madrid, where I spent a summer. It dawned on me that Macau and Madrid look alike in some ways.
When I reached Senate Square I remembered Madrid, where I spent a summer. It dawned on me that Macau and Madrid look alike in some ways.
Macau - the Old Fort
Starting at the Top
After my poker let down (or shall we say relief?) I switched into explorer mode and did what any good explorer does - sought the high ground. I headed for the hills and found Macau's version to be steep. I felt like a billy goat on this street, it was like someone leaned a ladder against a cliff and I was somewhere on the middle rungs. How anyone considered sticking buildings into the ground at this angle is beyond me. As I stood in the middle of the road taking this shot I was unusually aware of my achilles, which which were stretched to the point of snapping. Half way to the greenery in the distance, I was completely out of breath but pretended not to be.
After my poker let down (or shall we say relief?) I switched into explorer mode and did what any good explorer does - sought the high ground. I headed for the hills and found Macau's version to be steep. I felt like a billy goat on this street, it was like someone leaned a ladder against a cliff and I was somewhere on the middle rungs. How anyone considered sticking buildings into the ground at this angle is beyond me. As I stood in the middle of the road taking this shot I was unusually aware of my achilles, which which were stretched to the point of snapping. Half way to the greenery in the distance, I was completely out of breath but pretended not to be.
Macau - Ferry
Poker Fantasy
On a Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong, Dodo was at a colleague's wedding in the New Territories (aka "boonies") while I was channel-flipping back at the hotel. It wasn't until early afternoon that I shook off my procrastination and took the subway to the ferry terminal. The first ten minutes of the hour ride to Macau were rough but it smoothed out once we picked up speed. I had a knot of Hong Kong dollars in my pocket, exactly $4,000, which I'd recently won in a Chinese New Year poker game. I was going to turn the four into ten or twenty, I told myself, then sip champagne on the helicopter ride back.
On a Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong, Dodo was at a colleague's wedding in the New Territories (aka "boonies") while I was channel-flipping back at the hotel. It wasn't until early afternoon that I shook off my procrastination and took the subway to the ferry terminal. The first ten minutes of the hour ride to Macau were rough but it smoothed out once we picked up speed. I had a knot of Hong Kong dollars in my pocket, exactly $4,000, which I'd recently won in a Chinese New Year poker game. I was going to turn the four into ten or twenty, I told myself, then sip champagne on the helicopter ride back.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Indonesia - the Grub
No Complaints
The good food started on the plane in this simple snack: kacang telur. Otherwise called "egg coated peanuts." I'd never had them before but now I cannot get enough. It's a whole peanut coated in a sweet crackly glaze. No trace of egg to my tongue, just sweet and salty.
The good food started on the plane in this simple snack: kacang telur. Otherwise called "egg coated peanuts." I'd never had them before but now I cannot get enough. It's a whole peanut coated in a sweet crackly glaze. No trace of egg to my tongue, just sweet and salty.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Indonesia - Temples
We Need a Recount
Bali is known as the land of a thousand temples but I don't think they've counted recently. There were dozens in the small village of Ubud alone. Everywhere you looked there were narrow doors leading to vast courtyards of intricate stone sculptures.
Bali is known as the land of a thousand temples but I don't think they've counted recently. There were dozens in the small village of Ubud alone. Everywhere you looked there were narrow doors leading to vast courtyards of intricate stone sculptures.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Indonesia - Massage
Humiliation for Only Twelve Bucks
You can get an hour's worth of Balinese massage for a reasonable price. They throw in the flower for free and even prop it behind your ear for you. I looked through the menu carefully with an eye towards keeping a fair amount of my clothes on. I settled on the "stress buster" which focuses on shoulders and neck. I was instructed to remove everything but my underwear. I kept my shorts on and only relented when the girl came in the room and insisted I remove them. "What difference does it make" I thought to myself. I lay face down on the table and she immediately pulled my boxers down, exposing my ass to the fan breeze Despite my expectations to the contrary, there my naked ass stayed, becoming an integral part of my "stress buster" hour.
You can get an hour's worth of Balinese massage for a reasonable price. They throw in the flower for free and even prop it behind your ear for you. I looked through the menu carefully with an eye towards keeping a fair amount of my clothes on. I settled on the "stress buster" which focuses on shoulders and neck. I was instructed to remove everything but my underwear. I kept my shorts on and only relented when the girl came in the room and insisted I remove them. "What difference does it make" I thought to myself. I lay face down on the table and she immediately pulled my boxers down, exposing my ass to the fan breeze Despite my expectations to the contrary, there my naked ass stayed, becoming an integral part of my "stress buster" hour.
Indonesia - Things to Do
Less is More
What is there to do in Bali? Nothing. That's the point, right? We had even more nothing to do than most since we lived out in the rice fields. After a good night's sleep in the type of darkness I'm no longer familiar with, we took a stroll into town.
What is there to do in Bali? Nothing. That's the point, right? We had even more nothing to do than most since we lived out in the rice fields. After a good night's sleep in the type of darkness I'm no longer familiar with, we took a stroll into town.
Indonesia - Balinese Breakfast
Learning Bahasa
One of the confusing aspects about Singapore is Singlish. It's a mix of Mandarin, English, Hokkien, Malay and Indonesian. When I ask about a specific word's origin I almost never get a straight answer. So I was excited to see some familiar Singlish words on the breakfast menu: mee, goreng and nasi. I was about to figure them out once and for all. I ordered the nasi goreng and this is what showed up:
One of the confusing aspects about Singapore is Singlish. It's a mix of Mandarin, English, Hokkien, Malay and Indonesian. When I ask about a specific word's origin I almost never get a straight answer. So I was excited to see some familiar Singlish words on the breakfast menu: mee, goreng and nasi. I was about to figure them out once and for all. I ordered the nasi goreng and this is what showed up:
Friday, March 1, 2013
Indonesia - Bali
The Getaway
Bali is one of the many islands that comprise Indonesia. It's a religious outlier in the most populous Muslim country in the world. About 93% of Balinese adhere to a local version of Hinduism. It clearly shows in the architecture. In every corner of the jungle stand ornate temples and stone statues of Ganesha, the elephant god known as the "remover of all obstacles."
Bali is one of the many islands that comprise Indonesia. It's a religious outlier in the most populous Muslim country in the world. About 93% of Balinese adhere to a local version of Hinduism. It clearly shows in the architecture. In every corner of the jungle stand ornate temples and stone statues of Ganesha, the elephant god known as the "remover of all obstacles."
Friday, January 25, 2013
Taiwan - Jiufen
Nine Things
The town named Jiufen on the northeastern coast translates to "nine things." Story goes nine households made up the town a few hundred years back. Only way in was by boat so whenever one docked for trade everything was bought in multiples of nine.
The town named Jiufen on the northeastern coast translates to "nine things." Story goes nine households made up the town a few hundred years back. Only way in was by boat so whenever one docked for trade everything was bought in multiples of nine.
Taiwan - On the Way Outta Town
Lanyang Museum
The jarring design of Lanyang Museum mimics the nearby seafloor, which has been pushed up at an angle by shifts in the tectonic plates. We visited on our way out of Yilan.
The jarring design of Lanyang Museum mimics the nearby seafloor, which has been pushed up at an angle by shifts in the tectonic plates. We visited on our way out of Yilan.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Taiwan - Jennifer
CFO Slash Tour Guide
We're in Taiwan because of Jennifer, the CFO of the Taiwan office, who invites Dodo to their holiday party every year. The party is a pretext for her to work her second job: Taiwan tour guide. She's a passionate advocate for her homeland, she is the one who took us on a tour of Hualian, a year ago. Her passion for Taiwan can boil over at times. She says things like "Korea is boring, nothing to do like here in Taiwan" and "the best pizza in the world outside of Italy is found in Taiwan." Since she was paying for my hotel room I agreed with everything she said.
We're in Taiwan because of Jennifer, the CFO of the Taiwan office, who invites Dodo to their holiday party every year. The party is a pretext for her to work her second job: Taiwan tour guide. She's a passionate advocate for her homeland, she is the one who took us on a tour of Hualian, a year ago. Her passion for Taiwan can boil over at times. She says things like "Korea is boring, nothing to do like here in Taiwan" and "the best pizza in the world outside of Italy is found in Taiwan." Since she was paying for my hotel room I agreed with everything she said.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Taiwan - Practical Application
Slinging a Mandarin Shotgun
"Don't speak for me and don't order for me when we go into restaurants. I want to practice." I wasn't sure it registered. She looked up from her Blackberry, fingers still clicking, then looked back down. After all the classes, the studying, the tests, the speeches and controlled conversations, it was time for the real thing. In Taiwan I was going to get five days of immersion. While Dodo was at her meetings, I'd be off chatting up the locals in Chinese. Picture a three year old babbling to a confused grown-up.
"Don't speak for me and don't order for me when we go into restaurants. I want to practice." I wasn't sure it registered. She looked up from her Blackberry, fingers still clicking, then looked back down. After all the classes, the studying, the tests, the speeches and controlled conversations, it was time for the real thing. In Taiwan I was going to get five days of immersion. While Dodo was at her meetings, I'd be off chatting up the locals in Chinese. Picture a three year old babbling to a confused grown-up.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Los Angeles - Goodbye for Now
Chiliburger Goodbye
After the Clippers game, we went for a late night chili burger. Tommy's is famous in Los Angeles, it's open 24/7 and everything they sell comes with chili.
After the Clippers game, we went for a late night chili burger. Tommy's is famous in Los Angeles, it's open 24/7 and everything they sell comes with chili.
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