1. I just made huge strides in figuring out my certification woes, and deserve a break and
2. I just came back from a fantastic vacation and want to tell you about it.
A quick summary:
Phase 1: NYC to Shenzhen, China for one week where Ji-Soo and I hung out with his family (mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law).
Phase 2: 3 hours in Hong Kong. This was not originally part of the trip but we spent the night here to make travel to the airport easier. We only had a few hours to see the city but it was so amazing it counts as its own, separate phase of the trip.
Phase 3: Fly from Hong Kong to Bangkok with a layover in Singapore. Cab to train station, overnight train to bus to ferry to Koh Samui for a few days for a wedding.
Phase 4: Travel home. Flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok, spend the night, fly to Hong Kong, lay over for 6 hours, 15 hr. flight back to NYC.
I'm not sure how to organize any of this, so I'll just look at my pictures and go in order.
Day 1, Shenzhen
Ji's sister, Eunnie and her husband Eric are living in Shenzhen for a year. We stayed in a faculty apartment in the same building they live in. This is my favorite way to travel: visiting people who live there. I didn't think I had any real interest in China, but it turns out I'm a little bit obsessed.
This is Ji-Soo the morning of our first full day. He's on the balcony of our 10th floor apartment, looking out on the river. It was hazy there every day, but I don't know if it was climate or pollution. It was pretty cool weather, sometimes cold. Space heaters were used and enjoyed by all.
Ji's parents had arrived from Seoul a few days before us (we got in on Christmas night) and had hung out in Hong Kong. The top note is Hong Kong money and the bottom note is Chinese money. I will be the first to admit that I don't really understand the relationship between the two. I know that Hong Kong was a UK colony and was given back to China (reintegrated?) in 1997 but all comprehension stops there. You have to go through immigration to pass from Hong Kong to mainland China and they have different currencies with different exchange rates. How are they part of the same country? I'm a little obsessed with this issue, and will do research and try to get back to you, since I can't imagine anyone NOT being as fascinated as I am by all this.
Eunnie had to work the first day, but she met up with us for lunch at the cafeteria where we were able to purchase and consume our first bowl of $1 noodles.
I'd been daydreaming about these noodles ever since I'd first read about them here. I'd been waiting and waiting and waiting, and finally I got to eat them. And yes, there were every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped.
They had pulled noodles and cut noodles. I got cut noodles and they were wonderful. I'd never had cut noodles but I watched the guy make them and now I'm an expert. Well, at least an expert how eating them. Poor Eunnie and Eric are a little bit sick of cafeteria noodles by now, but they were both wonderful hosts and very patient with my desire to devour 80 bowls of this stuff. Ok, I only ate one and was stuffed, but I wish I had a bowl right now...
This is Peking University, Shenzhen campus, where both Eunnie and Eric are working this year. Eric is a lecturer in the law department and Eunnie works in marketing. I think. After lunch Eunnie went back to work and Eric gave us a tour of the area. First stop: the library that was shaped like a dragon.
See how the tail curls around at the end? Or maybe that's the head. Whatever, I took a lot of pictures because I thought it was really cool.
The law studies section (for you, Ben) :
Some more shots:
While we were inside we discovered the most amazing thing in the world: a calligraphy practice mat! We spent a good chunk of time there. Apparently the law students use this station for study breaks. I guess 15 min. of Chinese calligraphy practice really calms the mind.
The mats are made of cloth, with a black velvet-like backing. You write on them with water brushes and when the water soaks through to the back, it shows through like black ink. After a few minutes, the water dries and the mark disappears.
This was fun and super interesting. Ji's dad used to be celebrated for his calligraphy skills back when he was a little kid, and both Ji's mom and dad know how to read and write Chinese because there are still a lot of Chinese characters used in Korean and to be really literate in Korean you have to know Chinese (who knew?). This makes very little sense to me since Chinese uses characters and Korean is phonetic, but I'm working on it. We had Ji's parents helping him with his handful of Chinese characters, in Korean and helping Eric with his Chinese in English. And, of course, everyone was using Chinese.
So, in case you had lost track, I don't speak Korean or Chinese. Ji's mom figured out how to write Virgin Queen (Virginia) in Chinese, taught me, and we practiced. I only remember the character for woman. I learned two or three characters in my week in China. I have no desire to learn Chinese, but I do find it fascinating.
On the walk back to the apartment Eric and I climbed a tower to get a good look of campus.
The four tall buildings are residence halls. The building we stayed in, and Eric and Eunnie live in, is #4, the one all the way to the right.
Ji-Soo and his dad did not climb the tower.
After this we stopped by the gym and had fun there. I will spare you the videos of the butt shaking machine or the goofy walking machine, but it was a really good time. We met up with Eunnie, went out to dinner, and went to bed. End day one.
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