Wanderlust

Taipei Travel Article on the New York Times

2006-06-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

G-mail, which never seems to cease fascinating me with its attention to my interests and needs, linked me today to an excellent Taipei travel article produced by the New York Times. I'm not going to spend all day ranting about it - you can click on the link in the above title to see it yourself. (I could rant on my fascination with G-mail and Google ads and such, but I'll spare you.) Cheers, Anna

My Role Models

2006-06-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Of course, it's not easy to just pick up and run around the world. We all need role models to inspire us to do what other people believe we'll fail at. As far as role models, I have three, and I shall introduce them below... Indiana Jones was likely an early inspiration in my life. He's awesome, quick, witty, and he travels all over the world, exploring exotic locations in each of three films - will there ever be a fourth? And best of all, his day job is a university professor. Captain Jack Sparrow made his appearance into American media while I was in college. A little more than off, and seemingly not quite there, the man is hilarious. Yet while this appearance might lead you to underestimate him, the passage of time would let you see that he's a brilliant mastermind. And, of course, there's the exotic travel in his life too. My third role model, I'm told, doesn't fit with the other two, but I think he does. Luke Skywalker starts out in some back-water location (similar to Minnesota, sans water.) He was a whiney, know-nothing brat - like all of us are in the beginning. Yet he dreamed to do more; he dreamed to go far - and he had the guts to take that first step that would change his life forever. He doesn't go running back to the comforts of home - he keeps going, and keeps working to seek a destiny that is greater than just sitting back at home, making a living. People think Luke sucks because we see him before he becomes the superhero. We see him develop as a person, which makes the story more believable and thus enjoyable. We see a seemingly common individual who had the courage to face the unknown, fight for what's right, defend his friends, and improve himself day by day - and I don't know what's more admirable than that.

Dogs Vs. Cats: A Mellow Debate

2006-06-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Below: The hostel cat, Mini, dozing amongst the computers that offer residents free internet access - and we have the wireless working now, too! I recently spoke to a fellow American. Tarzan, my ultra-awesome cat, made an appearance, and I introduced the two. The man seemed impressed by Tarzan, but told me he would rather have a dog because he felt dogs were, emotionally, more similar to humans. "I don't know," I said as I considered the cats I'd known in my lifetime, "I suppose it depends on the cat." "That may be, but I've never found a cat I can relate to," he told me. "Dogs are awesome. They're the real life companions - not like cats." I frowned - this man obviously did not understand cats. I told him: "I usually find that I can relate to cats quite well." "No you can't," he told me, "because they're all insane." "Yeah..." I looked at Tarzan - the traitor! "Yeah, you may know too much about me now." Above: My landlady wound some scraps of twine around a table leg for the hostel's resident cat, Mimi, who still prefers chairs. For Tarzan however, this converted table leg is the next best thing to canned cat food.

Geeks in Tapei

2006-06-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

One unexpected joy of life in Taipei is a new circle of geeks, who generally gather on Sundays, mainly because of people like me who work six days a week and only rest on the Sabbath.

Festivities generally include eating, playing cards, board games, and ranting about living and teaching in Taiwan, although a trip to the night market or hot springs is certainly not out of place.

Follow this link for "Fraud" video... (inside joke) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxQmlva-loc

As you can see, half of us burn in the sun like vampires, yet most of us have a fair command of Chinese.

So if you're in Taipei, and if you fit in better in a LAN party than at the beach...why aren't you hanging out with us? You fraud...

Taiwan: A trip to DaXi

2006-06-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Leo, Lucy, and I made a trip out to DaXi in Taoyuan County. We went there to visit the home of a wealthy man who lived during the Qing Dynasty. It was quite interesting...but it was also raining, and that kind of weather doesn't make for the best of pictures...so there are none. Sorry. Later in the afternoon we visited the "Old Street" in DaXi, which is a local tourist destination selling everything from the local specialty food - Dou Gan (...dried tofu?) - to antique Chinese furniture, children's toys, and African wood carvings. Whatever. Walking the street was actually quite interesting when you look up to see its display of old Chinese achitecture.The above photos and Lucy & Leo and then Lucy & I posing in an antique furniture store, where you could buy everything from folding screens to chess boards to carved lion and dragon decorations to accessorise the rafters of your humble abode (featured below - this and it's match for a mere US$950!) Below: I always complain that I can never find my shoe size in Asia, but not yesterday! I got to slip on a pair of sandals that even I found to be a bit too loose for comfort.

Taiwan: Hsiao Liu Chiu: Ling Shan Temple

2006-06-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

So, the last time I wrote this post, a few days ago, it got eaten by the internet. (The cause: my one-month city-wide wireless internet access card expired - I guess I should more be grateful that I have such service, rather than upset that my post was eaten.) I wanted to introduce some more Southern Taiwanese artistic style - this time featuring the Ling Shan (Spirit Mountain) Temple of Hsiao Liu Chiu. The thing I find interesting is Southern Taiwanese temples is the use of bright colors - I mean, FLORESCENT colors. You can frequently see it used in the dragons and pheonixes that decorate the rooftops, but I once saw an entire temple decked out in hot pink, electric blue, neon green, blazing orange, and a yellow that made the sun look dim. I remember wondering if it would glow in the dark after the sun set. Ling Shan Temple sat on the edge of the small island of Hsiao Liu Chiu, which sits just off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The multi-layered temple looks over the Taiwan Strait, one of the biggest potential hot spots in the world (and I'm not talking about the weather). The temple's numerous rooftops, pictured below, provides me with an enjoyable image as they cascaded down the hill and into the shore's crashing waves.

MESSAGE TO DAVE

2006-06-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

Dave, Thanks for the comment. I totally lost your current e-mail address, as well as your house number on your snail mail address. You should e-mail it to me on my g-mail account at zhananna@gmail.com because I wrote you a postcard like three months ago, but have been unable to send it for the above reasons... (I know, I suck...) (If the rest of you who never get post cards are reading this...I know...I suck...I'll work on it.) Cheers, Anna

Stone Lions

2006-05-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Much like tea, I also have a thing for stone lions. They're all over Asia, and they're always in pairs. The male lion is playing with a ball, and the female has a cub. They both have manes, which caused someone to once comment to me that "that's how you know lions aren't from China." The above lion I particularily like - it's unlike any I've ever saw, so it definately wins points for artistic value. I found it - and its mate - outside the Bank of China building in Hong Kong. The above lion is also from Hong Kong - specifically, the Man Mo Temple. Most stone lions are a lot burlier than this one, and I found it unique in that regard. This last one (for today) is from southern Taiwan just outside the Ling Shan (Spirit Mountain) Temple. The style - especially noticible in the face - is unlike others I have seen. Furthermore, it was the first time I had seen paint used to decorate the lions.

Tarzan's Tongue

2006-05-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've blogged about my current life...which is probably largely in part because nothing exciting has been happening. But from my experience, I must admit that it is indeed a good thing. The one thing in my life, however, that does add spice, is my dear, sweet Tarzan. Tarzan has taken an interesting in Yingchun...yes, I name all my computers. I've taken to giving Chinese names lately. Tarzan, too, has a Chinese name: Zhan Taishan. （詹泰山） I'm actually really proud of this name...I think it sounds good! My laptop's Chinese name is 迎春, which means "Welcome Spring". I think most of us dislike it when people take embarrassing pictures while we're sleeping...but lets face it: the funniest images Tarzan provides are all products of his napping. For some reason, he usually sticks his tongue out when he's sleeping. In his waking hours, he sometimes pants...which I think it odd for a cat. The embarrassing truth of this, however, is that one night, while watching him sleep, the phrase "Cat got your tongue" happened to float to the forefront of my thoughts. Looking at him, with his tongue sticking out, I began to think of how ironic it would be if a human were to grab a cat's tongue. I resisted for a good long while, mind you, but in the end, I grabbed his tongue, which felt very weird. It didn't wake him up, and so I sat there, holding his tongue, and wondering why, exactly, I was doing it in the first place.

Taiwan: Hsiao Liu Chiu: Rocks

2006-05-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Another place I visited while traveling was Hsiao Liu Chiu, a small island off the southwest coast of Taiwan, near the island's second-largest city, Kaohsiung. And while I have an interesting story to tell from there, I would first like to introduce a odd cultural habit.

Above: Flower Vase Rock You see, Taiwanese people are in the habit of "seeing" shapes in rocks, much in the same way that an American might gaze at the clouds and see a sea turtle. Pretty much any well-known tourist destination has a few large rock formations that, from a certain angle, could perhaps appear to be vaguely similar to some shape - generally an animal.

Above: Bear Rock But Taiwanese standards, the rock formations on Hsiao Liu Chiu are actually extremely recognizeable. But there were places in Hualien where the tour guide will tell you: "If you look up at the sky, the opening here resembles a(n) [insert random creature here]." Usually I failed to see the...whatever. Above: Indian Head Rock I actually once saw an opening in the base of a tree on Ali Mountain in Taiwan that bore a striking resemblance to the image of Taiwan itself. But maybe I had just been on one too many Taiwanese tours...

Macau: Matzu Temple

2006-05-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Macau isn't exactly over-flowing with temples, likely because of the heavy Portuguese influence over this former colony. But if there's one goddess who has a strong influence in Macau, it's definitely Matzu. There are many versions of her story, but I will do my best to recall what I heard clearly...

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Macau was little more than a small fishing village on the southern coast of China. One day, there was a young girl of no more than 16 in need of help. A fisherman rescued her and took her on board his small boat. Shortly thereafter, a typhoon came through and ravaged the ocean. Boats were destroyed, and all at sea were believed to be dead. Yet amazingly, the boat that had taken on the teenage girl returned to shore unscathed. Above: Supposedly, by putting money in the vase and then washing your hand, you can bring on good luck. I put money in, but that was so fascinating that I think I forgot to wash my hands. Matzu is also commonly called A-ma, meaning "grandmother". She is also sometimes called Tian Hou, or "Heavenly Mother". Various romanizations of Matzu include Matsu and Mazu - they're all the same. Whatever she is called, Matzu is known widely throughout coastal Chinese areas as the Goddess of the Sea.

Above: Incense burning before the goddess's alter.

Trying to pin down details of this story from information on the net only gave me different versions of Matzu's story. Some say she was on board the ship, and others say she was at home, dreaming of saving those at sea. Some say that she wore red and stood on the shore, like a lighthouse, to guide sailors home. The pictures shown here are of a famous Matzu temple in Macau, which was built in the 15th century. Believers in her power travel from all over to pray for Matzu's protection at this ancient landmark temple.

Macau: Where to Stay When You Come this Way (I rhyme!!!)

2006-05-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

While I was in Macau, I stayed at a reasonably priced, and most centrally located, guest house. Formerly known as Sweet House, the owners now changed their name to Augusters Lodge. (http://www.augusters.de/) This Macanese/Bangladesh couple offers excellent customer service in English and Cantonese, though you won't get a word of Mandarin out of them. A few minutes stoll from Senado Square, full of landmarks, shopping, and casual dining, pictured above. Best of all, if Augusters Lodge is full, there's a Chinese guesthouse in the same building. But this business-minded couple never turns away a chance to turn a profit. Out of space, they bought a cot and set me up there for only 50 Patacas a night - that's about $6 or $7 USD. Another traveler they set up at their own home, on the couch, I think. But don't think any less of these folks for trying to earn an extra Pataca - they'll give you personal walking tours to the airport bus stop, and detailed directions for sight-seeing around the city. Most of Macau is decked out in Pink, Yellow, and Lime Green, the idea of which sickened me at first, but I confess that I grew to enjoy it quite a lot. At the same rate, it's a mix of traditional Portugese architecture and modern Asian architecture, which is a bit of a strange clash. The loals are exceptionally nice and have a growing command of English as the years since the handover back to China pass. The major down side, I suppose, other than being extremely tiny, is that Macau is very hilly, and it's work to up the street...literally, UP the street. Portugese influence means that there is a strong Christian influence, with landmark churches scattered around the city. It also means that all signs are written in Chinese and Portugese. But it seems that the locals don't speak Portugese any more than I speak Spanish - picked up a bit in high school, and left it there to rot upon graduation.

Macau: A Cheap Alternative Transit Point, and so much more!

2006-05-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Above: The old gate that separated Macau from mainland China. I found that the cheapest path between mainland China and Taiwan was through Macau. Because of political issues, it is not possible to fly directly between the mainland and Taiwan, although there were a few very special flights allowed during Chinese New Year this year (but they were only available to Taiwanese citizens.) Above: Myself at the ruins of the Church of St. Paul, a major landmark in Macau. The most common routes run through Tokyo and Hong Kong, but Macau hosts a number of inexpensive airlines, and doesn't levy as hefty a tax for use of their brand new airport, which they filled in a small strip of the ocean to construct, as they had no land space for it. Coming from the Midwest United States, it was really shocking the first time I saw a construction crew "reclaiming the earth" (from the ocean). Above: A typical example of the Portuguese architecture that can be spotted in Macau. I actually like Macau quite a lot. It's a great change of pace after Shanghai, where everything is rush, rush, rush. In Macau people walk slow and drive slow, and should someone want to cross a street, usually cars will stop and let the pedestrian pass. Above: The Portuguese Embassy is a magnificent building that stands out and draws the attention of passersby The food is also quite delicious - a strange and wonderful mix of Cantonese and Portuguese. Macau is also home to the best egg tarts and, in my opinion, the world's best Chang Fen (those flat, rolled, rice noodles with sauce that you get at Dim Sum). And let's be honest: I'm just here for the food, anyway. Above: A bit random, this is just something I found that I wanted to share with my old roomie.

Now All Can Leave Comments!

2006-05-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Happy Readers, I discovered that only Blogger members could post comments, which kinda sucks. So I made the effort to modify the settings so commenting is now an Equal Opportunity kind of thing. Happy Commenting, Anna

China: Zhejiang Province: Yongkang

2006-05-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to my Middle of Nowhere series, I'd like to take a few moments to introduce my friend Ping, who I'd been hanging out with in the Midle of Nowhere. He recently advised me, on a random note, that if I'm looking for a place with cheap rent, that's the place to be. Above is Ping, who I actually know from the Shaolin Temple. Unlike me, however, his Kung Fu doesn't suck. :-P But it was very nice to walk around with a personal bodybuard for a few days. And he was able to introduce me to some excellent food, including some duck from the next town over, Wuyi, which you can smell from several blocks away. Even now, thinking about it, makes me hungry. Ping's brother-in-law runs a business manufacturing doors, which apparently is a very big industry in the area. On the bus from Yongkang to Wuyi, we saw nothing but door factories and advertisements for doors. On this day, we were hanging out in a park just down the road from his brother-in-law's office. This last photo is with Ping's sister, brother-in-law, and their three children, who all came to see me off at the train station late one night as I headed back to Shanghai. (You can see the train schedule posted on the wall behind us. Sunday through Saturday, the schedules never change, so it's an easy way to handle the schedule.)

China: Zhejiang Province: Middle of Nowhere (Part 4: Waterfall)

2006-05-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

I figure I may as well finish sharing my pictures of this small village, though my last post on This Old House was definately my favorite set of photos for these entries. Still, I'd like to share what I can about my travels. I enjoy hiking, and there's something I find especially irresistible about a waterfall. It just seems necessary to climb a waterfall. Perhaps not to the top, but as far up as I can get without risking severe injuring. I remember there was a good one in Ilan, Taiwan. Uncle Chen was gracious enough to be our trail guide on this little exploration. We started on a paved road, which then became a dirt road...soon, it was a path...then, a narrow path...and eventually, I think the path was only imaginary, but we kept following it until we were clamboring up the rocks near the base of the waterfall. My friend Ping ended up carrying my bag for me to make the climb easier, as I really wasn't outfitted for rock-climbing on that particular day. Though, as you can see, he wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion himself, having spent half the day making business calls on people. Such is life - at least such simple things don't seem to be able to stop us from having a good time.

China: Zhejiang Province: Middle of Nowhere (Part 3: This Old House)

2006-05-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

While walking through this small, Southern Chinese village, this home-owner (above) gaveme the opportunity to explore an old Chinese home, filled with numerous items that you might expect to only find in a story book. Indeed, some of the things in the home are no longer made, and cannot be bought. Above is a small alter inside the home. At the alter is a bowl full of already-burned incense, with candles on either side. And hanging down from the ceiling just above it is an electric light bulb, seeming shockingly out of place in this home. Just opposite the alter was an open-air area with a large set of wooden doors. Next to the door on the wall is a raincoat, woven from a variety of grass, I believe. I mentioned I'd like to buy one, but was told I'll have to weave it myself. So...I may not be getting a grass raincoat anytime soon. Here is the kitchen, where a chicken entered while I was snooping around - and made me very paranoid, thinking about a chicken walking through the kitchen while the Bird Flu is spreading around the world. Beyond the chicken, there were steamers, woven baskets, cutting boards, large clay pots, and numerous tools that I couldn't even guess how to use. And what's this room outside? The outhouse. Luckily, I was able to hold it until returning to more familiar surroundings.

China: Zhejiang Province: Middle of Nowhere (Part 2: Full Month Meal)

2006-05-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

While I was out in the Middle of Nowhere, China, I was honored with the opportunity to join a humble family for a special meal to celebrate a baby's 1 month birthday. The celebration's meal translates as something like Full Month Meal, and to some people, is more important than a wedding. I took a picture before all the dishes came out - I think there were more than 30 dishes at each table, in more variety than I have ever had the opportunity to eat before. And not only was there a lot of it, but it was REALLY GOOD. In fact, it was probably the best Chinese food I've ever had. (I'm also a big fan of my old Chinese Traditional Literature professor's cooking. She used to invite us over for dinner every semester, and then her husband would make these fancy European desserts...that meal always made all those books and papers worthwhile...) (Above: Ping and Uncle Chen) Anyway, this Full Month Meal was in celebration of my friend's "Uncle's" granddaughter, where "Uncle" is defined as a friend who is a generation older than you. (Thus we call Matt "Uncle Matt" even though he's actually closer in age to my brother than my uncle...so then I started calling him "Big Brother Matt" and now I see I'm ranting again. Suffice to say that Chinese culture is confusing, but they like to give everyone some sort of family title, such as Big Sister or Auntie or Grandpa or Uncle, even though they are in no way related.) Interestingly enough, this family was full of women born in the year of the dog. "Uncle Chen's" granddaughter was born in 2006. His daughter was born in 1982. His wife was born in 1958, and her mother was born in 1934. So, this last picture is with all the Dogs in the family, plus myself, having also been born in the year of the dog.

China: Zhejiang Province: Middle of Nowhere (Part 1: Intro)

2006-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

The following set of photos is from a village out in the middle of nowhere in China's Zhejiang Province. Getting there requires traveling by train, transferring to a bus, then to a smaller bus, and finally to a three-wheeled bicycle taxi, just to give you an idea of how far out of touch with civilization I really was. I was understanably shocked to see, as I was walking down a newly-laid road, vegetables scattered all over the road. They were being dried for storage, I was informed, but I couldn't help but think "Won't they get dirty laying on the road?" (Some of them were on woven mats, but others were just on the road.) And here, among the patch-work quilt of fields, a woman is picking tea leaves. Only the newest, freshet leaves that had yet to uncurl could be used. I really cannot imagine doing this for a living, every day running out to the field to see what new leaves were shooting out.Heading back towards the village, I saw a farmer ploughing the feild with a large beast of burden. (Perhaps a cow or ox? The word is the same in Chinese...) Anyways, considering no one has likely used this method of farming in over 100 years back home, it was quite shocking to see it in action here. And last but not least, we passed a simple, but colorful, market on the way back to the bus station. It kind of reminded me of the time Princess Jasmine visited the city's market in Disney's Alladin.

Xitang Continued...

2006-05-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

There were a few more funny pictures from Xitang - Zhejiang Privince, P.R. China - that I wanted to share with everyone. One of my favorite sites from Xitang was the "Fire Truck", which is actually an old wooden boat (pictured below.) And then there was the taxi cue, which I also got a kick out of. right next to the bus station, a line of three-wheeled bicycle taxis lined up, waiting for business. It reminded me of the airport in Hong Kong where I had seen a sea of normal taxi's lining up for expected business.There were also a few good signs to be had, such as "Be careful Don't be crowded!" which was plastered all over...probably because weekend tourists pack into these little alleys with canals, but no railings...I'm sure quite a few people fell in before those signs went up, too. Oh, and I'd like to take a moment to introduce a new shirt, which I wore that day. According to a Japanese girl from my hostel in Taipei, it's a bunch of magazine headlines and is very cool. Hell if I know - I found it in Hong Kong and just thought it looked neat. (I've got a thing for newspaper-like clothing.)

Tropical Island: A Song about Taiwan

2006-05-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

I got bored and wrote this song about Taiwan while waiting for the photos to load for another post. Enjoy. (To the tune of Winter Wonderland) Garbage trucks sing Are ya listenin'? Humidity Makes them glisten. Strange and new sights - You'll see I'm right! Living on this tropical island. Gone away has sanitation. Here to stay is pollution. Don't drink the water, Or eat off the streets, Living on this tropical island. In the mountains we'll escape the city, And remember what it's like to breathe! We'll eat bowls of rice and Lots of tofu, And dream of what a steak Had tasted like! Later on You'll adjust to The heat, the stench, and the food, too. Face without fear The cockroaches here, Living on this tropical island. At the ocean beaches we'll go swimming And play in the sun until we burn! We'll roast meat and barbeque the corn And enjoy fresh seafood for dinner! Typhoons rage, ain't it thrillin? The earth shakes, ain't it chillin? The cockroaches play In my house today. Living on this tropical island. Living on this tropical island. Living on this tropical island.

China: Zhejiang Province: Xitang Town

2006-05-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Before leaving Shanghai, I decided to spend a week living with Uncle Matt, who is my favorite traveling buddy. I keep pestering him to move back to Taiwan, but he never listens to me. Then he came back to Taiwan over the Labor Day holiday, but I fell horribly ill and was unable to go out with him. (Devastating!) Life with Uncle Matt is good - he had VIP customer cards at all the local massage places, so we went to get foot and back massages on a regular basis. We'd also go out for midnight snacks at a local restaurant, and sit up drinking either tea or alcohol. I had a patch of the floor that I claimed as my own - and when he went to work in the morning, I could crawl into a pre-warmed bed for a few hours. Pictures here are taken from a day trip to Xitang, an ancient Chinese city about an hour out of Shanghai. The best thing about hanging out with Uncle Matt is that while other people think my travel plans are insane, he's just as willing to run around the country as I am, and I'm always in need of a travel buddy. (On a random note, Uncle Matt is currently looking for a wife, so if you want to move to Taiwan and bear this man's children, please contact me. )As for Xitang, it's a little over-touristy, but it's good for a day-trip out of Shanghai. And it's a Chinese tourist destination, not a foreigner tourist destination, so that makes it a little better. There were gifts and candies and a few restarants and motels, should you plan on spending the night. And if you have any normal, real-world needs, 7-11 is just a short walk away.

Veiwing Tokyo

2006-05-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

On my return to Taipei, I made a stop-over in Tokyo, Japan where I lived in a clean but crampt guest house. (My room, about 100 square feet, slept 15.) There was a fee for everything: for using the computer, for using the kitchen, and there was even a mandartory fee for the cleaning of the sheets on your bunk! It was really annoying. I prefer my lodging fee to be all inclusive up front. My primary mission in Tokyo was Sakura Blommos Viewing, which I have always wanted to visit Japan in the spring for. It was quite beautiful - the tree branches were covered in what appeared to be a thick coating of light, pink snow, and when the wind blew, soft, pink petals swiled in the air like a blizzard. Besides the Sakura, I also enjoyed watching Japanese people on the trains. While half the citizens spend the time playing on their cell phones, perhaps watching TV or surfing the net, the other half of Tokyo seems to have perfected the art of sleeping on the trains. Do people ever sleep through their stops? How do they know when to wake up? It baffels me.

Lantern Festival

2006-05-08T00:26:00.000-07:00

Note to the reader: Lantern Festival takes place on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year - in plain English: sometime in February. Being as I'm ill with the flu, but have recovered enough to prop myself up in a chair in front of the computer, I will continue to post. The problem with laying in bed all day resting, you see, is that you wake up at midnight and wonder where everyone's gone.I was going to go out and see the lanterns at the CKS Memorial Hall on the second-to-last day of the Lantern Festival with Gary and his family - but it was raining. I had plans to go to see the lanterns on the final day of the lantern festival Lucy and Leo - but it rained that day too. That's one thing I can count on Taiwan for - rain.Now it's May, and we're officially in the "Plum Rain" season - is that the Taiwanese version of April Showers? What will May Rain bring? Summer Pain? Four months of hot, humid weather... I may not survive...And what are the "Plum Rains" like? It's every day, and several times a day, and this is in a country where laundry is almost universally dried by either hanging out of a window or over a balcony. How do people do laundry during May? While I never did get to enjoy the lanterns at the CKS Memorial Hall, the Long Shan (Dragon Mountain) Temple was kind enough to leave its lanterns up long enough to let me see them on a clear day, for which I was most grateful.

Hong Kong: Teapots

2006-05-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

As most people know, I have a growning obsession for tea. Below are a few teapots from a museum that I got the chance to snap pictures of before a guard told me off. (In my defense, I didn't know pictures weren't allowed.)This first tea set is a collection of a cell-phone put and cups - I especially like that the little knotted attachment that holds the cover onto the pot is either made of, or likened to, the accessory for hanging a cell phone around your neck.Above: A pair of fat, rounded piggy teapots! There's nothing particular about them, but I thought they were quite cute. Below: My favorite in the collection - a pair of teapots designed as traditional Chinese clothing - one man, and one woman.I thought this museum was quite the neat find, and I definately recommend it. I found it in the park where the Hong Kong Conservatory is located. A must-see for any tea fanatics.

Danshui: Fisherman's Warf

2006-05-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

After a day of roaming around Danshui, Danny and I took the ferry across the river and found a place for dinner. There, we dined on shark meat and a local variety of clams that are special to the area.Near Danshui is a newly established Fisherman's Warf, which seems to be the popular thing to have in a town lately. It may be popular on the weekends, but it was quite dead when Danny and I visited.The peculiar bridge, lit up in a fabulous shade of green at night, is visible a few miles downstream and serves as the primary landmark for the location. There's some dining and shopping to be done there, and there may be the occasional bit of live music for your enjoyment, but it's still no competition for a night market. I suppose it's more romantic than a night market, but let's be honest: I'm just here for the food.

Taiwan: Hsin Chu

2006-05-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

Another outing I made with Lucy and Leo was to Hsin Chu, the Silicon Valley of Taiwan, where so many of our computer parts have been made - mine included. We traveled to Hsin Chu, however, not for computers, but for food.The only thing really worth eating in Hsin Chu - and it alone makes the one hour drive from Taipei worthwhile - is the Black Cat Buns, or Hei Mao Bao (黑貓包).Black Cat Buns are not made of cat meat, as many people fear. Rather, the tearm "Black Cat" is an old slang term in Taiwan for a beautiful woman. The owner of the bun store had a daughter, who was considered by many to be one of the most beautiful girls in the city. And so, the store became known as the Black Cat Bun store.The buns are delicious. They're as large as a man's fist and filled with pork - no, no cat meat at all. And there's a sauce in the meat that is dark brown and absolutely delicious. When we went, there was a line past the front of the store and winding down an alley.

Taiwan: Green Island

2006-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Green Island is a small chunk of land off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. It has one road, and no traffic lights. In fact, I don't think it has any sort of traffic signs at all. It has one 7-11, and a lone gas station that closes at 5pm.Lucy, Leo and I decided to go there for a weekend trip. We first took a flight from Taipei down to Taitung, where we transferred to the vomit comet - though upon boarding we did not know the boat's reputation for causing between 50 - 98% of the riders to puke their guts out. There are flights to Green Island. Unless you have guts of steel, or are bulimic, I recommend shelling out the extra US$10 for the flight. (We also didn't know the difference in cost was so minimal.)There's not much to do on Green Island. However, it is home to one of the world's three salt-water hot springs. The other two are in Hokkaido, Japan, and on Mt. Vesuvius, Italy. Other than that, you can eat venicine, hike hills where highly poisonous snakes reside, and drive a moped in circles around the island until you run out of gas.The three of us, as it turned out, spend a fair deal of time playing with deer and goats, promting me to suggest that we save a bit of money and just go to the Taipei Zoo next time - or perhaps a petting zoo would be most satisfying.As I have only been to the ocean...four times in my life - all four times were in Taiwan - I'm still quite fascinated by things such as broken seashells and bits of coral, which I found on a beach on Green Island and excitedly shared with my companions - who likely thought me insane.

It's a McDonalds World

2006-05-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

The good and bad thing about American chain stores is that they're everywhere - literally. I remember walking into the Forbidden City in Beijing back in 2001 to be greeted by Starbucks. How would the emperors of days gone by feel about that? Delighted? Intrigued? Disgusted?I give Starbucks crap, but I have to admit that their Green Tea Frappuchinos are excellent, and the Mango Frappuchino is nothing to complain about either. Whether it's the rich taste, the amazing number of calories, or the bright green color that draws me to it, nothing beats the Green Tea Frappuchino in my book.Haagen Dazs is another chain that is making its way into every nook and cranny of Asia. Charging about US$5 per tiny scoop of ice cream, this ice cream company has established itself as the supreme gourmet supplier of ice cream to wealthy Asians - or Asians who want to appear wealthy.A new member to Team American Chain is Dairy Queen, who I was quite delighted to discover. They offered a Green Tea Chocolate Chunk Blizzard in Shanghai, to which I give two thumbs up.There are others, of course, such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Subway, but they tend to show up in places where they belong, so I don't give them crap. I even saw a Papa John's in a Shanghai shopping mall one day! That sounds really good right now...

Taiwan: Danshui

2006-05-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

During my visit to Taiwan in February and March, I got together with a fellow former employee of my last employer. We took a drive up to Danshui, which is located on the northwestern tip of Taiwan near the mouth of a dirty, dirty river where the bodies of dead cats flow out to the ocean. Despite that, Danshui is actually quite a beautiful place, and easily accessible from Taipei via the subway system. It's a hotspot for city dwellers, like myself and Danny, who come out for shopping and snacking on the weekends.Danshui is renouned for A-gei, a ball of thin, clear rice noodles that are held together with a thin skin of fried tofu. (I think it's fried, at least - regardless, it's quite yummy.) Taiwanese have the belief that a food can never be made the same in a different location, thus on holidays everyone runs across the island seeking out the specialty dish of another city. On a random note - the fish balls in Danshui were also quite tasty.The belief, however, doesn't just hold that a dish can only be made in one city, town, or remote village. The Taiwanese are quite convinced that the "real thing" can only be made by one specific shop. But in all honestly, I can't tell the difference between "the real thing" and the shop next door.

Meet Tarzan

2006-05-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

To everyone who thought I'd run off to Asia and fall madly in love with some skinny little boy: you were right. I would like to introduce the new love in my life: Tarzan (the feline commonly known as DiDi).

Tarzan was rescued out of a night market where he was kept in a tiny cage and forced to sit in his own feces and urine. He was under-weight and had open wounds - future vet visits would reveal other health problems. Tarzan is awesome. He's loving and gentle. He never claws or bites people. He's big and soft and 100% cuddly.

Tarzan and I have a weekly date with Dr. Tsui - 11:30am on Mondays at the Guting Animal Hospital. He's not fond of visits to the hospital, but in his defense, he was castrated on his first visit there. (Which he displays shamelessly!)

Taipei: Birthday Resolution

2006-04-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Today was my "getting older day", so to speak. I guess now's as good a time as any to make a resolution to start posting again. (Featured below: the birthday cake no one has ever thought to get me.)I went hiking with my old roomie Lucy and her boyfriend Leo at Yangming Mountain, which is just north of Taipei. The photo below features Yangming Mountain on Taiwan's northern border and the Taipei city valley just above it.After that, we returned to Taipei city and had dinner at T.G.I. Friday's - I had chicken quesadillas, which you can only appreciate when you find that cheese is nrearly non-existant in Asia. Dessert was a giant ice cream and chocolate brownie treat.After dinner, we took a ride on the "Rub Sky Wheel"...otherwise known as a ferris wheel, which is conveniently connected to the large shopping mall where we had dinner. From there, we could enjoy a view of the city by night.

Dear Beloved Readers,

2006-01-27T00:14:00.000-08:00

I've been without an internet connection for two weeks (unless you count the one spot on the coffee table, with the laptop facing away from the couch, where I was able to get a "Low" to "Very Low" wireless signal which I presume a neighbor was kind enough to unknowingly share with me.) I will know begin to write catch-up posts of my adventures and will back-date them appropriately. Cheers, Anna

Shanghai: Cold and Rainy Nights

2006-01-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

Shanghai's most famous landmark is, without a doubt, the Oriental Pearl Tower...which I have never visited. Another rather famous building here is Shanghai's tallest building, the Jin Mao Tower. (Which translates into English literally as something like "Mansion of Golden Perfection") On such rainy nights in the winter, it's nice to have Hot Pot, which is basically a giant boiling soup bowl that you through fresh, raw ingradients into. Featured in today's photos is not the typical Hot Pot, but the traditional Northern Chinese Hot Pot. Above: Carina (left); myself (center); Marian (right). And below, left to right, is Tracy, Marian, myself, and Carina.

Shanghai: Chinese Pop Star Sighting

2006-01-16T00:32:00.000-08:00

During the daytime, I sometimes go to the tea shop in the lobby on my old hotel in Shanghai, the Supreme Tower (which is 4-star and recommended for your Pudong business trip.) Above: My old hotel - I lived here for 3 months A-Yan (pictured below) and the two turtles were still at Supreme Tower, but A-Zhen had moved back to her hometown in Fujian Province. By a stroke of luck, some Chinese stars were staying in our hotel that day. A-Yan got A-Niu's signature, while featured below is out frantic attempt for me to get a picture with Zhang Yu. Our theory was that the shock/amazement factor of a white girl speaking in Chinese would pursuade him to take a photo with me. Dialog translated went as such: Anna: "Excuse me, would it be possible for you to take a picture with me?" Zhang Yu: "Right now?" Anna: "Yes." Assistant: "No, it's not!" I'll never know what he would have said, but before the assistants could push me away, A-Yan snapped the above photo. Above: Myself, in all my insane glory. I'm not a completely insane fangirl, but Zhang Yu's CD was the first Chinese CD I ever bought. I learned Chinese from that CD! Is there no pity in the world for a diligent language student?

Shanghai: Day 1

2006-01-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

Here in China, my roommate is a Korean who works for a Japanese company. He doesn't know any Chinese, but he's fairly good at English, and also happens to have a spare bedroom. He wanted to be able to practice with a native English speaker, and I wanted a free place to live. So, we have a symbiotic relationship similar to that of a clown fish and an anemone. Saturday morning, my first day in Shanghai, he prepared an elaborate breakfast for us before going to work. (He has time to do this on the weekends because he slacks off on Saturday and Sunday, working only about 10 hours a day; the rest of the week, he works at least 16 hours a day.) That afternoon, I met up with Tracy and her schoolmate, Ellen. Next, we went to Xujiahui to meet up with E'ding and Edison (pictured below.) After meeting up, we set out for a tea house where we could snack and play cards. In the evening, we traded E'ding and Edison for Uncle Matt and Uncle Sam (yes, it's intentional.) We had dinner and then made our way to Hengshan Road for drinks. We wound up playing dice at the pub until midnight.

Travel: Minneapolis to Shanghai

2006-01-13T00:18:00.000-08:00

I was unfortunate enough to get stuck with two layovers on this trip. The first was in Detroit, where the weak are killed and eaten.

The second layover was in Tokyo, where they sell little plush animals dressed up as the Statue of Liberty for sourveniers. At first I thought such a thing would be inappropriate to remember Japan by, but the more I think about it, the more fitting it seems.

Travel to Asia may seem daunting - indeed, you'll likely spend about 24 hours in transit, and even longer if you're going to South or Southeast Asia. I highly recommend one of those nifty travel pillows, which makes resting on the plane much easier. (See below picture.) My mom got this one for me a few years back, and it was the best travel item I have ever owned.

And so from Tokyo I climbed on one last plane for another 3.5 hours of plane time. When I arrived in Shanghai, my friends were no where to be found. I soon discovered, with a quick call from a payphone with a Chinese calling card I found in my wallet a day before I left, that my friends had been outside the airport circling to save on parking costs.

I quickly met up with my friends. Michelle, Tracy, and I piled into the Passat and headed back towards Shanghai, picking up Uncle Matt at the Pudong office. We got lost continuously, and poor E'ding was waiting for two hours before the four of us made it to the meeting spot, Xujiahui.

Dinner was at a Korean place where we cooked our own food over the grill in the center of the table. When we got back in the car, I fell asleep, and did not wake up again until we arrived at my new home in the Shanghai suburb of Xinzhuang.

Ingenious

2006-01-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

Oh my god, talk about addicting board games! My sister-in-law is big into board games, so my brother got her Ingenious for Christmas this year. They brought it over when they came for dinner tonight. Little did this former chess-playing Geek Girl know, but ingenious is a strategy board game. And I like it. It's as addicting as World of Warcraft. Here's the game's description: Ingenious is the new abstract placement game from internationally-renowned game designer Reiner Knizia. Players place colored tiles on the hexagonal board, scoring points, blocking opponents’ tile placement, and trying to protect themselves from being blocked by their opponents. Marvelously elegant, and compulsively replayable, Ingenious is an excellent introduction to German-style abstract board games. It’s ingeniously simple, and simply ingenious! Ingenious is suitable for up to four players, as well as for solo play. Anyone who enjoys strategy board games - Stratego, chess, whatever - should buy it. Buy it now. Get a loved one to give it to you for your birthday or some upcoming holiday...like Groundhog's Day, or Chinese New Years. (Always remember, when the next holiday is a ways off, refer to another culture's calendar!)

My Horoscope for 2006

2006-01-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

My family and I were reading our horoscopes for 2006, and mine was rather fascinating: As the world continues to change radically, Taurus, you feel that you can no longer afford the luxury preferred by that archetypal Bull, Ferdinand, who just wanted to sit and smell the flowers. Instead, you’ll take a long look at past and present goals. One cherished goal involves romantic happiness. A trip overseas with a love partner beckons, and possibly a wedding. Another involves making your money grow – but investments can be tricky. Avoid anything even marginally risky. Career prospects involve opportunities in the arts and in the healing professions, or anything involving modern technology. You’ll have a lot on your plate, and may be confused as to exactly what you should pursue. But remember, there’s no rush. Let it sit for a while. You’ve got time. Think it'll come true? Certainly, I've been reconsidering my goals, and I'm about to give up my luxeries. I'm looking for a career - do you think it will be in the medical, arts, or technology field? I'm hoping that new career will help me to accumulate some cash - but will it work out? I'm certainly planning to go overseas - but where's that lover who's supposed to go with me, and will we get married? As for that last bit about being confused...well, that's no shocker. On a random note, the painting for Taurus, which I think is quite cool, was found at this site. Interested parties should check it out - there are cool paintings for all the Western Zodiac signs, as well as some other cute stuff.

Cat Bath!

2005-12-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

When my friend was preparing to depart for the other half of the planet for a two year tour of duty in the Peace Corps, I agreed, quite happily, to babysit her cat. This went wrong when, days before I left, I was ordered overseas without choice to my former company's office in Shanghai, China, for an unspecified period of time. A week later I was gone, and the poor cat was left at my friend's parents' house in Wisconsin. When, just as suddenly, I was shipped back to America, I quickly arranged to meet my friend's mom on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border to take back the cat. I thought I would dutifully carry out my role as two-year care-taker of the funky cat that had been dug out of a St. Paul dumpster some years ago by a college student with a soft heart for wretched creatures like this goober-eyed, smooshed-in faced, fluffy, silver Persian cat. Alas, I was soon ready to leave my job, my home, my frozen wasteland homeland of Minnesota, and my country all together. I started bringing the fearless cat up to my parents' house for visits with my cat that lived there. Beauty's reaction wasn't a terrible one, so Falkor was given a one-month trial period. If Beauty could adjust, Falkor could stay until my friend or I returned to the US to collect him. Now, a month later, Falkor and Beauty are hanging out together i the middle of the night, and my parents have grown to love him...but not his fur. In hopes that a bath would reduce the shedding and clean up what my family called "greasy" fur, my mom decided to bathe him on her day off. They also hoped to do something about his smell...which I never really noticed. I defend his every fault by reminding my family that he was found in a dumpster. He's had a hard life and he's trying his best. This morning, as I ate my cereal, I heard howling meows and cried of "I'm sorry!" coming up from the laundry room in the basement. When my mom came up from the basement, she carried a warm, wet, and fragrant cat wrapped up in a bath towel. Sitting there in my bath towel with my wet hair, I thought we made a good pair.

Girl Geek

2005-12-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

I should admit - being as I'm not doing anything else interesting - that I am a geek. And I'm a chick. So it's weird. I'm currently squatting at my parents' house. They're out tonight, so I thought I'd take a nice, relaxing bath...except the plug didn't fit in the drain. So, thought I, I'll just watch a movie. Sci-fi would be good - I could go for some more Firefly - but being that I'm at my parents' house, I'll settle for a drama...except that I can't get my parents' convoluted entertainment system to work. Never mind that - I decided to pursue my #1 Time Waster: World of Warcraft. I chose the newer of my mom's two computers and began the install...but the machine froze up on the install, and I have minimal faith that the actual game could run on it. Two of my favorite hobbies are scrapbooking and studying languages. For scrapbooking, I hoard the tiniest momentos to go into a collection. As for my studying habit, last night I sat down at the kitchen table and started memorizing the Korean alphabet...just for kicks. I play video games. I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I have a PS2 and just about every accessory I can get my hands on, such as a pair of light guns, the taiko drum, the dance pad, the Eye Toy webcam, wireless controllers and the like. I have a 1 Gig USB drive on my keychain, and a little Kenshin (anime) pin on my bag, and I wear T-shirts like my Hello Ninja shirt around. I did martial arts until a woman tried to murder me (okay, I exaggerate) and left me with a bad knee, and I enjoy dressing up in ethnic clothes and running around town.

Do Bad Things Really Come in 3's?

2005-12-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

They say bad things come in three's... Number 1: Yesterday I returned to Minnesota. The ground is covered with a foot of snow, and the temperatures are well below freezing, although apparently I missed colder temperatures during my travels. (Pictured right is downtown Minneapolis over the Mississippi River) Number 2: My computer died today. Not that I'm especially shocked, mind you, but it's quite frustrating when that computer was meant to supplement a laptop that was on the fritz. So now I'm back to a 3-year-old, 7lb. laptop that lacks modern facilities such as USB 2.0 ports or a wireless LAN card. My concern: what's going to go wrong tomorrow? Maybe I should just stay in bed all day.

Monteray Bay Aquarium:

2005-12-17T21:55:00.000-08:00

DO NOT FLASH THE OCTOPUS (You'd never think of it until they forbid it...after reading that sign, though, it was so hard to resist lifting up my shirt in front of the Giant Octopus...) The most memorable thing at the Monteray Bay Aquarium had to be the sign above the Giant Octopus tank that instructed you: "DO NOT FLASH THE OCTOPUS". Which isn't to say that the aquarium wasn't great - but I found the tidbit of Engrish that funny. Next favorite thing? DUMB BASS (aka Kelp Rockbass) This fish earned its nickname because when a threat approaches, it just hangs vertically in the water...like a rock...that floats...err... They amused me. I was also amused by a snail with a tongue so long it could reach food a foot away, and I enjoyed watching little penguin-like birds flying through the water. There was a nifty Jellyfish exhibit, which included a fascinating "Comb Jellyfish" with little, fast-moving legs that refracted light like a prism. It's strange and fascinating and doesn't look like something of this Earth. I could rant on forever about weird sealife, but to sum it up, I'd highly recommend the Monteray Bay Aquarium if you happen to be in the area!

Oral Hygiene: New Discovery!

2005-12-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Fructodent: The Gourmet Care for Teeth and Gums I'm weird. Really weird. I don't drink pop (soda.) I don't drink coffee. I don't watch TV. I also don't consume mint, in any way, shape, or form. If I do, I'll get dizzy and likely throw up. I get nautious when people chew mint gum in the car, and I can smell it when someone near me applys mint lip balm. I certainly would never kiss anybody who just brushes his teeth with mint toothpaste. It's disgusting. So, just avoid mint, right? Have you ever paid much attention to the oral hygiene aisle? Mint toothpaste? Mint mouthwash? Mint dental flass? It's everywhere, and it's hard to avoid, much less find favorable substitutes. Often, I shop in the children's area for fruit-flavored alternatives. Citrus Listerine, Watermelon toothpaste, Cherry dental floss... Today's discovery is Fructodent, which comes in a variety of flavors, both minty and non-minty. I chose to try Vinalla flavor and Orange & Lemon flavor, both of which my sensitive system found most agreeable. So if you're weird like me, or perhaps just a little daring, I say give it a try!

Dream on the Flight to San Jose

2005-12-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

I had the most bizarre dream on my flight to San Jose this morning... ...I woke up as we were about to descend for landing in San Jose. My fellow passengers and I were instructed to secure our seatbelts. I peered our the window to see that were were flying a mere 50 feet over a highway! Furthermore, there was a line of mountains ahead of us! The plane began ascending suddenly, perhaps at a 45* angle. As we sped upward, over the mountains, we passed a colorful bi-wing plane that was doing rolling stunts in the air. Though the bi-wing stunt plane was also ascending, we quickly passed it and before long, we leveled off on top of the mountain. Once again, we were flying a mere 50 feet above the ground. There was little on top of the mountain, but we were following three stealth fighter jets flying in close form. The two yellow jets flew together in very tight form, while a third, red jet flew near-by. The jets, to me, resembles sharks, with small flats that would flare open and then close again, right in the spot where a shark's gills would be. ...I woke up. The strange events had been little more than a dream. We were flying high in the air over the last of the rocky mountains before arriving at San Jose. On the speaker system, I head the orders to fasten seatbelts as we prepared for landing. I peered out the window at the high-rise city of San Jose, which looked to be about the same size as Chicago. It seemed odd to me, as I didn't recall San Jose being a high-rise city, but it was only my second visit, so it's not that likely that I would remember all the details. As we descended, we soon came upon the airport. Instead of approaching a runway, however, we were steering straight toward a large opening in the side of the terminal. I was a bit shocked, but no one else seemed concerned, and I had to assume this was normal procedure. We passed through the large doorway into the terminal at high speed. I was terrified to see that we were headed straight for a wall. I prepared myself for the shock of the crash, but just as we were about to hit the wall, it mysteriously disappeared. The flaps on the wings flared out as we slowed the plane, which continued down the large terminal corridor, amazingly passing through 10 or 20 disappearing walls. ...I woke up. We had just landed in San Jose. Not inside the terminal, as in my dream, but outside, like normal. I headed into the terminal and started making my way down the corridors. They were composed of the same tan walls and brown carpeting as in my dream. As I made my way out of the airport, I passed an airport worker wearing a maroon hat with a large white feather in it. I love hats, and when he offered to let me try it on, I must admit I was most delighted. As I was trying it on, another man approached the first man. I had a bit of dejavu, as though I recognized this second man. Thinking that these two men were headed out with me, I set off, still wearing the hat. When I realized we weren't going the same way, and that I was essentially stealing the hat, I hurried back to return it to the owner, embarrassed. I kept heading down the long corridor, but exhaustion began to set in. I sat down in an airport wheelchair and began wheeling myself along until I finally reached the baggage claim area. I saw my friend waiting there for me. I was too exhausted to wheel myself any further, and instead waved feebly. But my friend did not notice me, and continued to look just past me, likely expecting somebody that could walk and perhaps lift her head on her own. ...I woke up. We were just descending into San Jose. Not the high rise city of my dreams, but the real San Jose. Overhead, I head the advisory to fasten our seatbelts as we prepared for landing... I woke up, for real this time. Peered out the window, I saw a sea of thick clouds give way to a view of the Rocky Mountains far below. The plane encountered some turbulance, and we were being advised to fasten our seatbelts. There was still two hours left to my Northwest flight, which did not offer so much as a bag of peanuts or a cup of water on the four hour flight. There was no music, nor even a movie. I guess my brain was forced to find new ways to entertain me.

Road Trip: Baltimore

2005-11-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

Mama's on the Half Shell: The Search for Crab Cakes I am told that the crab cakes on the eastern seaboard are worthy of a search. This is how I ended up in Baltimore, waiting outside, in the cold, for the better part of an hour in search of yummy crab cakes. I can't really say it was worth the wait. The oysters and clams were alright, but I've had far better in San Francisco and Shanghai. The crab cakes, I am sad to report, were burned, and not all that tasty. The service wasn't so much horrible as it was merely non-existant. In short, I believe you can do better with your time going elsewhere.

Road Trip: Cincinnati

2005-11-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

Apparently a large portion of Cincinnati is actually in Kentucky, but downtown Cincinnati is in Ohio, and I've grown up always thinking that Cincinnati was in Ohio, so I'm going to call it Ohio. I guess the logic is that, if I'm going to be wrong, I'd like to be wrong consistently. It's actually not a bad city, on first impression. Not a hole like Milwaukee, although it is a little small. Maybe like Minneapolis. Not a place I'd ever really want to move to, but survivable nevertheless. The search for drinks in Cincinnati went much better than the search for Dim Sum in Chicago. I tried a couple places. One was the Cricket Lounge, which is snuggled in the first floor of The Cincinnatian, a historic hotel with a hefty price tag. Even the drinks were ten dollars each - obviously not a place to stay too long. But it was fun to chill out and enjoy the live Jazz band. The band may not have been spectacular, but it was an interesting treat for me. The next place is Nicholson's Tavern & Pub, which was a neat place and, while still a bit pricey, it was cheaper than The Cincinnatian. It was a fun, casual atmosphere, with the most amazing array of alcohol that I have seen in my twenty-three glorious years. You can check out their website here.

Road Trip: Indiana

2005-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Indiana...really sucks. I thought Wisconsin sucked, but I was wrong. There is nothing in Indiana. I stopped at a gas station for a potty break...that's the most interesting thing I can recall about Indiana. Thus I have come to realize the greatest fault of my plan - in order to road trip to the East Coast from Minneapolis, it is necessary to cross the Great Plains. And the Great Plains...aren't so great. Pity.

Road Trip: Chicago 2

2005-11-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

Life does not seem inclined to improve with regards to Dim Sum. While the second location, Phoenix, was infinately better than the first, I still was not impressed. It might have been good if the food had been served warm. The service, too, was less than excellent. After accidentally angering one waitress by changing my mind once on an item, the entire staff ignored me for the rest of my time in the restaurant. Suffice to say that I have gained a whole new appreciation for the Dim Sum available in the Twin Cities. In other news, I have experienced my first drawbridge (Other than the one I saw in Xian, China, which was totally awesome, but more expected of a city with walls and a moat - the one in Chicago rather took me by surprise.) Most people turned away to look for a different route to their destination, but I felt the need to drive up and watch the boats sail past as the bridge hung above. Simple pleasures, I guess.

Road Trip: Chicago

2005-11-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

The Villian: Won Kow Restaurant Location: Chinatown, Chicago Attack Strategy: Mock Dim Sum I would like to complain about the most disgusting Dim Sum to which I have ever been subjected. On the second floor of a building in Chicago's Chinatown lives a Villian by the name of Won Kow. They only have two food carts, and nothing on them is worth trying. I had the most sickening eggplant ever made - even I could do a better job, and that's saying something. The other item to make me particularly upset was the Chang Fen, but everything was horrible. But the misfortunes don't end there! A "friend" (read: enabler) gave me access to Civilization IV today...and that's how the better part of my day was wasted. On the bright side, however, I am happy to report that the Glorious Chinese Empire was able to conquer half the nations of the world before I realized that I needed to move on with life. But the sea of red across the map left no doubt that the remaining territories were bound to fall under the jurisdiction of my great civilization...I need to think about something else.

Road Trip: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2005-11-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

Wisconsin...kinda sucks.

It's similar to Minnesota, except for the presence of hills. Winter has already rampaged across this state, leaving the trees seemingly lifeless, sans the squirrels and the few birds too dumb to migrate south for the winter. (Even *I* know better than to stay up north in the cold.)

Dinner was at Kopp's, a joint well-known for their ice cream. Unfortunately, by the time I finished the messy burger I ordered, I was really too full for the ice cream. Perhaps I'll try it again another time, though I may pass on the burger, which would easily be beaten by Fudruckers.

Milkwaukie is generally a scary spread of urban spawl. I suck at inner city driving...anyone who's been with me in the car in downtown Minneapolis knows it's something to avoid. Milwaukie is really no different. I don't plan to stay long, and will put it on my list of cities to never, ever live in.

Jedi Robes: Beginning

2005-10-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

This is my recent pride and joy: I'm making my own Jedi robes for Halloween. I've never sewn my own clothes before. I was so impressed by my own iniative, I called my mom and told her: "You should be proud! This is the most feminine thing I've ever done!" Her response? "Yes, Anna, but you're only doing it so you can dress up like a man." I was hurt - how sexist could she be? Women can be Jedi too!!!! Look at Mara Jade. Geeze. The aspect I feel most proud of, however, is not the fact that I actually bought things like pins and interfacing, but the fact that I'm seeing the inaccuracies in the pattern and adjusting them to make the costume more authentic (I hope...) I'm working off of Simplicity 5840. It creates something that gives the outer appearance of Jedi robes, but is no where near real. That's when my creativity was reborn and I started modifying things. First, the padded shoulder armor, I noticed while looking at some pictures, seems to be the same piece of fabric of the belt. The piece might be 15 to 18 feet in length (adjust for your size if you're not a 5'6", size 8 female.) It appears to go from in front of, for example, the left thigh, stight up the left side and over the left shoulder. It goes down to the waist in the back where it then wraps around the waist once or twice before slipping under the belt from the back, up over the right shoulder, down the front, under the belt again, and ending at the right thigh. I'm also modifying my pattern for the under-tunic (notice the Jedi seem to wear at least two or three layers.) I chose a soft cotton for this layer for my own comfort. No synthetic blends! I've narrowed the sleeves for the under-tunic so they are more fitting - only the outter tunic should hang loose, it seems. I also need to shorten it up, and for women's hips, I might put a slit in the sides, but I guess these things don't take much creativity. (But I'm so much a "by the book" type of person that these really are radical thoughts for me!) The outer tunic I shall address in a future blog...I have to keep packing...I've got a U-Haul rental tomorrow....I'm so exhausted. I hate moving.

The Alchemist

2005-10-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

After temporarily boycotting my blog when the internet ate my last post, I am back. Still bitter, mind you, but back nevertheless. (I'm running low on excuses to procrastinate packing and cleaning my apartment - I'm moving on October 31.) I wanted to rant about the last book I read so as to stop burdening my friends with my thoughts on it. I recently read The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, and I absolutely loved it. It's been labeled ass a fable about following your dreams, which really does not do it justice. I think it speaks more importantly about the need to learn lessons from the world through experience. Perhaps I just like it because it justifies my desire to run around the world. But I like to think there's something deeper to it than that. What the main character desired was right where he started - but it was necessary to put him through a series of challenges before giving it to him. But this stupid page keeps freezing up, so I'll refrain from going into details before I lose yet another post.

Renaissance Clothes

2005-10-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this picture, which is of myself in some clothes I picked up at the Renaissance Festival. I've been tempted for years and years, but until this point, I never really had any money. I went alone that day, ensuring that no one would knock the sense back into me. I figure these will be fun clothes to bring to Asia with me. I can just pretend I'm from some little-known country and no one will know the difference... If people don't know I'm American, then maybe the Chinese vendors will stop trying to sell me things with prices inflated 100-fold. It's worth a shot. Anyways, I got the clothes from the Felix Needleworthy shop. I don't know if he's local or a traveler, but he does have a website (www.needleworthy.com) if you should happen to be interested.

Dath Vader Pumpkin

2005-10-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

So, I've spent the past two nights carving out the rind of a pumpkin into the shape of Darth Vader's helmet - yes, I am a geek. I managed this with the use of a spoon, a set of wood carving chisels, and a little bit of inspiration from www.pumpkingutter.com. I generally suck at carving, but I feel that this adventure was a relative success, minus the damage done to my left thumb by the point of a chisel. I still have seven large pumpkins in the back of my hatchback. I plan to hold a meeting of the WCP (White Chinese People) on Friday night, which will involve alcohol and pumpkin carving. I think I'll hit up Target for some kiddy carving tools so my friends will not injure themselves.

Black and White Photo

2005-10-18T20:57:00.000-07:00