I’ve received word of Mom and Dad’s safe arrival back home. I think they were relieved to have “real” food. The food is pretty good here, but too much rice, not enough fiber, seems to plague even the most savvy Asian travelers. Don’t get me wrong, the freshness of the produce and the amount of fresh, high-quality protein, like fish and chicken’s feet, really makes for a healthy diet.
Mom, Dad, Vicky, and I have just returned from Beijing. It was fascinating. Here’s a look at some photos from the Forbidden City.
Chinese New Years is awesome. A fifth of the world’s population resides in China, and all of them celebrate Lunar New Years in some form or fashion. It is one of the most celebrated holidays on earth, next to the conventional New Year’s Day, Christmas, Earth Day. It’s a big deal.
The following are just a few interesting facts about the holiday. Check out wikipedia for more.
- Chunyun (Chinese New Years, Lunar New Years) prompts the largest human migration in the world. This is the time when migrant laborers return home to be with their families.
- The first day of Chunyun is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth, officially beginning at midnight. Lighting fires and using knives is considered bad luck on New Year’s Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before. (Bummer if you’re trying to buy freshly baked bread).
- Red packets are handed out as gifts (called licee in Cantonese and Ya Sui Qian in Mandarin, which literally means, the money used to suppress or put down the evil
spirit). I suppressed a lot of evil spirits.
Last night, I watched the fireworks over Hong Kong Harbor from a grand view at Felix’s in the Peninsula Hotel. Felix’s is one of those trendy bars that plays Asian trance music and charges way too much for weak drinks. They occasionally throw in some music by Moby just to make me angry. The view is amazing. I may have
mentioned this before, but the urinals in the men’s room overlook the vastness of Kowloon Tong from about 30 stories up. Hey I can see my house from here (while I pee). Awesomeness.
Happy New Years,
Jay
I’ve been in England visiting Vicky since the 28th of December. Since then, I’ve been too busy to write. On the 29th, we took the rail down to Salisbury, a quaint little market town that’s situated about 8 miles south of Stonehenge. We stayed at a nice little B & B, the Rokeby Guesthouse. Stonehenge was extraordinary. It’s 5000 years old, made of stones the size of semi-truck trailers and smaller, and is in the middle of a vast plain of arable ground. That said, I was cold and had to take a leak the entire time we were there. But it was awesome! Read the rest of this entry »
The fellahs and I went up to China for a little “hot pot” this weekend. What’s a hot pot? Take a pot, heat it up, put some water and spices in it, order some meats and veggies, and throw ‘em all together. That’s a hot pot.
Ever since I arrived, everyone’s always talking about going to Shenzhen with Derek for a hot pot. Finally I got to go. Derek lives across the border in Red China, or The People’s Republic of China. It’s big, sprawling, and I’m much happier seeing it through my window from this side of the border.
I’ve not written in a while. Either I’ve been too busy or not thought of anything to write. Today’s no different. I’m supposed to go for a bike ride, but I stayed out too late and would rather just sleep. I was on my way to Mai On Shan to buy some new running shoes but missed my train stop and decided to meet up with some friends in Wanchai. Hence my staying out too late.
I’ve taken a few funny pictures this week.
This one is a bit crude but effective. 
Safety equipment
(notice there’s no thumb in this glove).
This girl was selling stuffed animals for “a good cause.” 
That’s it for now.
Jay
I got called to the main office a few days ago. The HR folks gave me my work visa which must be stamped upon re-entry to Hong Kong. So I cleared Friday night’s schedule and made a run for the border. I was headed for Macau.
Most of you will get a kick out of these pictures. The people of Asia have an incredible ability to GET ‘ER DONE!
The first is a pump rigged to an old truck motor. It is lifting water from a lower canal to a retention pond. To the right is an old rotary mower converted to pull three reel mowers with a complex, cut you to pieces, belt and pulley system. The lady operating it is dressed like a bandit. Notice her bare feet are only inches away from being severed. She is mowing Paspalum for sod production. Below and to the left, a “jeep”. To the right, a grill on wheels. These were everywhere in Thailand. I am told that they cook and display field rats on Saturdays, and that they are tasty if prepared with hot spices.
It is somewhat difficult to spend frivolously in Bangkok. Things are pretty cheap. I bought a sweet new t-shirt, a few post cards, some Buddha heads, and a sweet lighter that, from the non-lighting end, projects the photo of a nude woman. Mom, it’s for my smoking memorabilia collection.
Believe it or not, I spent most of my time doing work. I met up with some turfgrass professionals and visited several golf courses and a research facility. I learned a lot and met some fascinating people.
Oh, I ate some delicious Thai food too.
Additionally, I’m glad to have cable so that I can watch intellectually stimulating movies like “Talladega Nights: Ballad Of Ricky Bobby” while lounging around in my sophisticated new t-shirt.
Yours truly,
Jay
p.s. In case you don’t know how to wear a seat belt, I’ve included a photo from the back seat of today’s taxi ride. Buckle up for safety! Click it or ticket!
Ahhh! I’ve taken the afternoon quite easy. A quick trip to the “Wellcome” mart (not miss-spelled) yielded some chicken breasts and fresh veggies. It’s so hard to find quality chicken in Shueng Shui. Don’t even ask about steak – nothing but fat and grizzle. I’ve just finished my meal and sat to write a few words about the past week.