The more you travel the smaller the world becomes

Many people have noticed the small Eiffel tower necklace I always wear. I asked for it as a Christmas present in 2009 because my favorite designer on Project Runway (I’m unhealthily obsessed with tv competition shows, nbd) wore a much larger statement piece of the Parisian landmark. I don’t put too much effort into outfits so the necklace just became a staple and I’ve worn it ever since. I researched the history of the statue, learned it’s origin as an entrance gate to the World’s fair (which led to a longstanding desire to experience the 2015 World Expo in Italy), and understood why the French disliked the monstrous metal structure in the center of their short, flat, pristine, stone capital. Although I never was intrigued by the French culture specifically, my necklace evolved to become a personal motif of my desire to travel and experience the history and unique traditions saturated through Europe and Asia.

Then I landed in Paris, and within a few hours, I fell in love. The train system was so comprehensive, you can get anywhere in the city for under two bucks. The streets and sidewalks were rarely strewn with litter and often sported bike/pedestrian separation lines. Joe and I sat in a park when we first arrived and watched children actually playing tag and soccer and parents sitting watching them or conversing with other caretakers. Throughout the hour we relaxed in the cool summer breeze (which was much appreciated after a month without a moment below 90F), I could count on one hand the number of cell phones we saw being intently stared at or tapped on. Talk about refreshing.

Not only are the streets spotless, the buildings themselves are downright impeccable. My friend, Kandasi (it’s a small world when you get to have wine in Paris with someone you haven’t seen since 3rd grade), explained that there are strict codes about the cleanliness of every building facade, and it shows how much the French love and respect their city.

Thanks to Ai-Lien (roommate reunion!), we saw the Louvre, all the beautiful cathedrals, the Tech History Museum (one of my favorite stops) and got to climb to the top of the Arc de Triumph! I went to the Modern Art Museum and Picasso museum, while Joe wandered around Napoleon’s garden, Rodin statues, and the Catacombs. We joined a free walking tour - one point during which Owen Wilson biked by and stopped to listen to our tour guide until he got called out and hurried away. 

Of course we ate at least one new pastry every day, tried foie gras, kir (white wine with a dash of blackcurrant liqueur), pate, crepes, and shared a baguette, french cheese, and french wine to finish our week under the Eiffel Tower. I never thought I would love Paris as much as I did but so far, it has been the only city I could see myself settling in for more than a week.

Un"pho"gettable

Vietnam as a culture can be divided into three parts: the south, central, and north.

Ho Chi Minh/Saigon: It is difficult to decide what to call the city, but as I am a foreigner I feel I must use the politically correct title, Ho Chi Minh City, even if I do not agree with the history behind the name. It was renamed in 1976 to honor the emperor, Ho Chi Minh, after his communist northern soldiers defeated both the South Vietnamese army and the US allies. You can tell each citizen’s feeling towards the outcome based on what they name the city. We spent two nights, one day in HCMC, and that was more than enough. We were about 2 miles from the center of the city, but that didn't matter. I walked out on the main drag to grab some lunch and after the sixteenth time of almost being run over, I gave up and headed back. They say there are as many motorbikes as people in the city, and I could darn well believe that. The traffic is senseless! If you wish to cross the road, the best thing to do is stare right ahead and just walk, the bikes will swerve around you based on you pace. We chose to take the rest of this as a rest day for good reason.

We flew up to Hoi an, which could not be more opposite from HCMC if it tried. It was a lovely little beach town and the place we stayed was comprised of villas situated, each with their own small patio and outdoor furniture, around a large expanse covered in tall plants, flowers, and a beautiful pool. They even had bikes we could take out whenever we wished. After breakfast at the villa, which included eggs, baguette, bacon, coffee, and of course any fruit juice you could desire (I swear this place was like an oasis), we rode leisurely into town, which was only 3km away, or to the beach, 2km the opposite direction. There were only 2 main streets and I never once felt in danger of traffic or being too slow or even being pickpocketed. Hoi an is a must if you go to Vietnam (I think they have the best food as well).

A short flight later we were in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. It was another big city, though they have a nice night market which is blocked off to vehicles on the weekend. We chose to do a cruise our only full day there because everyone said we must go see Ha Long Bay. It is a wide bay full of thousands of small islands, natural caves, and floating fishermen's villages. It was a gorgeous sight and a nice break from the urban life. One thing Hanoi is well known for is Bia Hoi, a fresh beer that each cafe makes a weekly batch of. The taste, alcohol content, and freshness can change with each batch, so you never know what you’ll get, but for 25 cents, it’s hard to say no! The Sapa mountain area is the one thing I wish we had the time to do. It requires an 8 hour bus ride from Hanoi but the rice fields and remote villages are supposed to be breathtaking and the women take you to their home and host you for a few evenings to experience their lifestyle and culture. Next time, I suppose.

Angkor WHAT!?

We flew back to Bangkok and took a bus to Siem Reap in western Cambodia. The border was a chaotic welcoming but we eventually made it to our hotel just near Pub Street. After sitting in a minivan for the past 9ish hours, all we wanted was to sit and have a cold beer. We were low on cash because the visa for entry took the last bit we had, but no worries, thats what ATMs are for right? If the ATM would take our cards that is. Joe had found out a few days before that his bank issued him a new debit card for no apparent reason, so his current one was defunct.​My PNC Visa debit would not even be read by the ATM (my bank sees no reason why even though I tried it at 6 different atms in 3 different countries). Thank goodness I signed up for Capital One 360 when they were doing some promo to give you $200 just for creating a bank account. But oh wait, the money I transfered from my PNC account to Capital One would take 3-4 days to clear, so we were going to have to wait 36 hours until the start of the business day in the US when we only had $5 cash to our names.

I decided to call Capital One to see if they could do anything to speed up the transfer (shout out to Google Hangout app for giving me a false US phone number to call fo free over wifi). The representative was super chipper and explained that the waiting period was mandatory but that I could sign up for overdraft protection. Kind of like a short loan, I can overdraft, incur minuscule ​interest on that amount, and as soon as my transfer cleared it would automatially repay the overdraft and interest and I would be none the wiser. So we ran down to the ATM in the morning and I finally was able to pull some cash! Thank you Alec Baldwin (never thought I'd say that haha)

Throughout our 6 days in Cambodia, we saw Ankor Wat (one of the oldest religious sights in the world); ate Fish Amok, the national dish consisting of a less spicy, more frangrant coconut curry; drank many 50 cent glasses of beers; snagged a bag of sun baked, tiny w​ater clams​ from a street vendor; saw a Cambodian acrobatic circus; watched the process of silk from the cocoons of silk worms to the painstaking hand-spinning and weaving of threads; and got to meet up with our previous Atlanta roomie, Patricia!

The largest downside to the cities were the harrassment of tuk tuk (scooterdriven, coveredwagon taxi) drivers on every block. I might have been able to shrug it off if they could take no for an answer. You say you dont want a ride and they follow you asking if you've seen this or that, and finally try to offer you weed as a last resort. The first phrase I learned in Cambodian was no thank you.

The most incredible thing we did in Cambodia was to visit the sights of torture and massacre of the Khmer Rouge (Khmer is the name for Cambodian people, Rouge meaning red for the color of communism). Just as we were not taught about the Northern Ireland Troubles in history class, I had no idea that just 35 years ago, the dictator of Cambodia closed of the country's borders with land mines, took captive the urban populations, tortured any and all educated citizens, and ended up mass murdering over 4 million of the country's 8 million population. How America (who was right next door fighting the Vietnam War) let this slide under our gaze is unfthomable. How such an insane man rose to power (and even gained aid from the UN) in the first place is incomprehensible. How none of those responsible for such malicious deeds have yet to be prosecuted is downright unjust. The whole visit opened my eyes to why the country is in such rubble and still trying to rebuild. It helped me appreciate each person just trying to sell a single tshirt or a couple coffees so they can feed their children. The whole country is struggling and here we are waltzing about trying to pick between the blue or yellow hammock to bring home for our backyard that is larger than their entire home. Please google the Khmer Rouge if you find yourself experiencing First World Problems and would like a reality check. It is amazing in a terrible way.

Tigers and Temples

If you ever go to Chiang Mai, you must stay at the ZZ Guest house! It is just outside the city center (which is overpriced and boring anyway) and the owner is one of the best people we have met in Asia. Boyd loves his city, loves helping others, and expects nothing but good vibes in return. We arrived around 11am and the cleaner called him on her cell to let him know we were there. He was so apologetic even though we were in the wrong for showing up 3 hours early! After checking in, he sat down with a map and drew arrows and circles of the best paths to walk and best areas for food, massages, nightlife, and markets. He pointed us to a small local market where we bought 4 thai mangos for 75cents and Joe got a jelly green tea type smoothie.

We decided on the second day to rent a scooter and Boyd got us the local deal (we paid under $15usd for 2 days of rental, insurance, and helmets)! We rode up to the mountains at his suggestion and saw some fantasic scenery. It felt amazing to zip around the winding mountain roads, which were surprisingly better paved than downtown Atlanta. After a shower, we headed to a super highly rated spa and paid $7usd each for an hour long traditional Thai full body massage (though I wimped out and went with the less pretzel bendy option that Joe got).

We ended the amazing day with another of Boyd’s must do suggestions and saw the Ladyboy Caberet. If you haven’t flipped through pictures on Joe’s fb, please do, because the Georgia State drag show has got nothing on this! The bodies on these performers are incredible and their poise and rythym (especially in 4 inch heels) were the envy of every female in the room! Easily one of the most spirited performances I’ve been to.

For our last day in Chiang Mai, we had to go play with the little tigers! There are four sizes (based on age of the cats) that you can choose from. We went with the small (about the size of a labrador) and they were so adorable! We also threw in a few extra bucks for the personal photographer but have yet to see our pics since they are on a CD and neither of our laptops have disk drives ha.

So far Chiang Mai has been my favorite city, but I think any travel is going to be what you make it. We havent stayed in hostels, so we have less interaction with travelers (though the further east we travel, the less tourists there are in general). Plus we are choosing to do the touristy things because making it out to the rural, authentic villages is just too much of a hassle with time, money, and luggage constraints. We plan to return to Asia in the future to get away from the chaos and hustle (doubke entendre intended) of the large cities. As for now we are just slowly immersing ourselves in the culture, history, and language, and learning just how much a society can adapt to their environment and circumstances. 

Slinging Singapore and Tasting Thai

First stop Singapore! Joe and I were lucky enough to have friends from Atlanta living on the island who graciously offered to be both our hosts and tour guides. We would have experienced next to nothing without Val and Matt! We biked 20 miles around the first day, Joe and I using innovative bikes whose frame literally folded in half to allow you to carry it on the train, seeing all the beautiful parks and waterways. We showered and ending the evening with an amazing dinner, hookah, and a winebar with one of Val's wonderful coworkers, Guntas.

The next day was all about the flowers, as we spent hours wandering the orchids and greenery of the city botanical gardens. After an adult beverage, we visited the Super Trees, a grove of vertical gardens designed to look like 160 foot tall giant trees. There is a catwalk that is suspended between two of them and we happened to be on it when a fantastic light show erupted from the (solarpowered) multicolored LEDs that encircle each SuperTree. It was magical and easily one of the most beautiful displays I have ever seen.

The next morning we planned to bike, but it was looking very overcast so we headed to Sentosa, an island that holds Universal Studios, a quint little beach, and a plethora of eating and shopping areas. We had dinner there at Din Tai Fung, a unique Chinese chain that specializes in steamed soup dumplings, with the great concept of patrons (while waiting for a table) tallying which dishes they want on a paper spreadsheet to minimize wait time and incorrect orders. Every bite we ordered was packed with flavour and perfectly executed!

After another day exploring, we packed up and headed to Bangkok, the number one tourist destination in the entire world. We drank cheap beer, ate amazing pad thai from a street vendor (that cost less than a dollar per heaping plate), met some awesome travelers, and saw all the touristy sights. The best of which was definitely the Reclining Buddha, a bronze sculpture that is 15 metres high and 43 metres long (that's half a football field)!

Bangkok is a sprawling, business oriented city of which we only explored a small portion, but I loved the vibe of traveler central area we stayed in. Everyone is out to experience new things and willing to share any stories and tips they have picked up. It was fun to sit and guess who was new to the game and who had seen more cities than most people can name. Bangkok was the perfect mix of Asian culture and touristy conveniences to start our solo travels across the east.

Up and Away

I have been lucky enough to spend over 7 months on one of the furthest lands from my home city and was able to share it with my incredible family and boyfriend. I had expectations when I left of what the mystical land of Oz would hold, and it both lived up to and fell short of these preconceived notions.

In my opinion, Australia is the step child of a marriage between England and the US. The fashion is quite forward and European based, but the disposition is similar to that of the South. Much of the older generation is still very conservative by nature, as seen in the States, but it is slowly evolving and learning to accept new ideas which need to be reflected in government. The younger generations here seem to thrive on American culture, fascinated by what they perceive through films and the internet.
I have learned the small things Americans see as standard and expected are not worldwide. Large portion sizes, airconditioning, few bugs indoors, ice makers in the freezer, drip coffee (in multiple flavors), using credit cards everywhere, table service at restaurants, unlimited drink refills, doggie bags, etc. are just a few. I have come to appreciate these little conveniences so much more, but have realized some "rights" are allowing the US to take the lead in product and waste consumption. Why do you need a 20oz coffee when a single shot of espresso diluted with maybe 8oz of hot water has the same caffeine content? Why do we expect a side of fries to come free with every main meal when we're all trying to watch our health? You savour a coke so much more if you have to pay for a new can every time you suck one dry at dinner, rather than getting an instant refill when it's half empty. Just small changes the American culture could adopt to ease health issues, waste, and learned feelings of entitlement.

I guess I should have realized that Australia wasn't this big red desert with kangaroos and emus running a muck, but I think that is an idyllic vision we all have thanks to media from our childhood. I was just yearning for something new and exciting when I first arrived and to find it so urban and consumer oriented was a disappointment. I admit, I should have taken the time to go see the Outback, but with limited funds and fear of breaking down in the middle of nowhere (literally you could be hundreds of miles from the nearest town), I stuck to the same old sprawling cityscapes.

I loved the people I met whilst traveling and many of them know they have an open couch any time they are in Atlanta but I can say that I am quite excited to move on with my adventure and experience the culture shock of chaotic Asian cities and historical temples. Joe and I will be in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, then off to Paris in early June for a short gallivant around Europe. We miss home so much but the opportunity to explore the cities, cultures, and food of the world is worth a few more months of living out of a backpack!

You Do You

Please note: The photos are not from the centre, but ones I took along previous journeys.

When I signed up for the Vipassana 10-Day silent retreat, I chose not to do much prior research into the meditation technique or purpose of its practice because I wanted to attend with much of an open mind. Many know that I am not a spiritual person; I don't do yoga; and have never even attempted any sort of mind calming exercises. I arrived with a mental list of some things I wished to mull over and was extremely excited to be in a space away from the distractions of the city, the internet, and mundane daily tasks to just contemplate my life.

The centre itself was incredible with a huge variety of trees, plants, and beautiful flowers lining every walkway, plus a bit of trail which we were free to wander through. The best part was the wild kangaroos that would just gaze at you and go back to eating the grass as you walked by, just an arms length away!
For the whole of the 10-day course, everyone must observe the vow of noble silence, which includes restricting any physical, verbal, and non-verbal communication. It gave the whole centre a feeling of tranquility like I have never felt before.

Now, I'm a morning person, but the sun is usually my alarm clock. The first gong was rung at 3:50am to give us a chance to rise slowly before our 4:30 meditation start. From then it was breakfast at 6:30, an hour of meditation in the hall, followed by 2 hours in your room, lunch, an hour in the hall, two hours in your room, etc. It was a lot of meditation time, with just an hour and a half of teachings about the method and principles each evening.

Disclaimer: The following is an extremely condensed and biased summary of Vipassana which you should not take as a whole comprehension of the technique. If you wish to understand more fully, please read THIS page. The method was started 2500 years ago by Gotama the Buddha in order to teach people how to find insight and bare awareness of physical and mental (often subconscious) sensations that are occurring at the present moment. Vipassana emphasizes awareness of the breath and observation of subtle stimuli that we are constantly experiencing but usually bring zero attention to. The end goal is to see mind and matter in its true form of impermanence, as each sensation gives rise to another, and the previous observation no longer exists. This realization will help the student break free from feelings of attachment to any material or emotional bonds which lead to the immoral qualities of life (such as greed, jealousy, anger, etc.).

Well, for the first three days, there was no mention of the end goal or main purpose of the meditation. The teacher (really just a recording of an now deceased indian superior) would just say some words about observing and awareness of your breath. Well I'm sorry, but if I am spending 10 hours a day just feeling the flow of air, I want to know why and how this will help me reach "real happiness." I had come to the retreat expecting a chance to finally think through my problems and now I'm supposed to stop my mind from wandering? It didn't help that my muscles were so sore after each cross-legged meditation due to the fact that I am a flexible as matchstick. So I was in pain and frustrated with the partial instructions when day 4 came to finally tell us about the goal of our discipline. To crudely paraphrase the discourse, "We are all just a mass of atoms, a mass of bubbles, expanding, dying, and being replaced, millions of times each second [which has been scientifically proven]. There will be a point in your practice that you will transcend mind and matter and feel the vibration of these atoms. It will bring you peace as you will realize that possession in any sense is pointless because we are all just a mass of bubbles. You don't own your thoughts any more than you own the ground you live on because it all just exists."

So at that point, I realized that the goals, the technique, the mindfulness, was not something I wished to pursue in life. I enjoy my (false) belief of belonging to this world and bonds to the people I hold dear. I also believe that negative happenings and emotions are necessary and one should not just gloss over them by "observing the event as it is." The bad times make the good times better, we are able to more fully appreciate the happiest times in our lives by realizing the conflicts we have overcome to reach that point. I see the benefit of Vipassana for some people, and have nothing but praise for their dedication and patience within. That being said, I chose to leave the retreat on Day 5 to the realization that I live a blissful, friend and love-filled, morally guided life which I am quite happy with and have no desire to change.