A New Adventure

Italian Adventure

zioned — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 18:40:00 GMT

Here I am Italy and I am not quite sure how it happened. I applied for the Italian homestay program many months ago and so the idea of living in Italy had always seemed remote (and unreal). Even now, I am having trouble wrapping my head around it-even after two weeks! But I am here and the reality is sinking in and I am thoroughly overwhelmed by it all. I am living in what once was the stable of a farmhouse - very nicely remodeled into a house of three floors with an apartment on the groung floor which is rented out to a young family. I have the third floor of the house and my hosts Maria Rosa and her 17-year-old son Davide are on the second floor. Maria adminsiters 15 different schools in the area from K-12 and is in a constant state of crisis managing teachers, parents, trade unions, government officials and students. Davide just started his last year of high school after having spent his junior year in the U.S. at a high school somewhere in Illinois. I am here to help them both practice their English which is quite fluent. The farmhouse next door has been turned into a bed and breakfast so if you want to visit....The house is a 15 minute walk away from the nearest town - San Giorgio di Piano - which has a nice piazza and some structures surviving from the 1300's. It is a 20 minute train ride from there to Bologna - a beautiful city with lots of artistic and creative things going on. I've been their three times so far and feel like I have only barely grazed the surface. The architecture is stunning and the food is incredible. I am also in good distance from Ferrara, Ravenna, Modena, Parma, Florence and Venice. Now that I am fully retired, the experience being here is totally different than coming here on vacations where there was a desire to try to see things in a short amount of time. Now I am experiencing what it is like to actually live here - a very different feeling. Of course I miss my students from China and my family and friends in Salt Lake and other locales but I am happy to be soaking up a new experience at a totally new stage in my life. Enjoy some pictures from my new home!

Photos: Spring Festival Holiday Adventure - Part Three

zioned — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 20:21:00 GMT

Spring Festival Holiday Adventure - Part Three

zioned — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 20:19:00 GMT

Next day, Ryo got us to the train station for our overnight stay in Osaka before heading back to Taiwan. Managed to navigate our way to our ryokan (traditional style) hotel with tatami room and public bath. Settled in and then headed out to the nearby shopping streets along the river planning to meet some Kansai University students for dinner and amazingly ran into some colleagues from my high school in Nanjing who were also in Osaka – no idea we were even in the same country! Met at one of the busiest intersections in Osaka – then the students joined and we went to a fabulously popular ramen restaurant with little stalls with collapsing walls so you could join your counter neighbor or not depending – you put a little coaster on a button to , ring for more noodles –as a little song played the noodles appeared from the kitchen behind the counter. After the students left, Daniel and I and my colleagues headed out for a drink and happened upon a basement bar that was totally deserted. Nice evening – headed back for a soak and bed. Next morning before our departure we did some more shopping and stopped at the temple with a moss covered Buddha. Then we hit the fish market which also had kimono shops mixed in. Headed to the airport after a lengthy trek to the station and tried to avoid the Peach luggage police to no avail – it was a crazy rush to try to get all the weight of carry ons and checked luggage to work. Barely made the flight especially because at the last minute Daniel’s carry on was detained because of the souvenir books of matches he had been collecting – forms had to be signed, etc.

Got back to Taiwan and got to Peggy’s friend’s apartment. Next day went to Cihu – Chang Kai Shek’s old summer estate, now mausoleum – beautiful grounds with a changing of the guard deal at his tomb and then a garden with at least a thousand of his statues all placed together – apparently, they had been removed from schools and other public buildings all over Taiwan as his memory had become problematic and they were afraid of having the statues vandalized. It was very eerie. Then we went on to a tour to Daxi river valley – a temple where lots of new year’s offerings were being burnt – both Daniel and I won lottery chances! Then headed to a village overlooking the river valley. Got back home late.

Next day we headed to Tapei and checked in at the Cozzi Hotel – very nice and visited a nearby temple. We ended the day with a cable car ride to a nearby mountain top where tea is grown. High winds swung the cable car precariously and we had tea atop a tea café to enjoy the view but couldn’t keep the fire under the tea kettle lit and could barely pour the tea in the high wind.

Next day – Lantern festival!!! Met Stephanie and Henry at the bus station and headed to Pingsi – a small village near Taipei for the first of three sky lantern launchings for the new year. The roads were closed on the way there so only the buses were running. That was the smoothest part of the day. The rest of the day is a blur of crowds and smells – an ill fated side trip to Pussy Town – a village nearby known for its cats – trains were packed and the situation got desperate as it neared sundown. We finally had to take a train going away from Pingsi so we could get to the end of the line – then had to wait an hour for a train to arrive – sardine like, we made it abck in time to launch two of our own lanterns after writing our wishes for the year. Then we watched as the groups of lanterns were launched three hundred at a time. It was a beautiful sight, but we were happy to get back to our hotel.

Next day, checked out and had lunch with Wayne’s mom in a very posh restaurant. The sevice was slow and so they offered a free order of jellyfish – very odd! slimy and crunchy at the same time. Then we met Peggy’s sisters at a mall and had a Thai feast and then headed back to Peggy’s friend’s apartment. Got everything packed up and played cards and drank well into the night. Next day Daniel and Peggy headed home and I went back to Taipei first having lunch with Shiow Ching and her husband and friend at very beautiful Japanese restaurant. Shiow Ching is a nurse/professor who I do editing for. I edited her PhD dissertation while she was at the U. Then I met Stephanie and we met up with some colleagues from Nanjing and headed to a night market by the river opening onto the sea where Henry and his family met us. We walked along the riverfront sampling food and watching the sunset. It was delightful. Henry’s family was very convivial and we had some amazing dumpling soup with them all.

Next day headed to a huge temple complex where lots was going on for new years including chanting – there was an elaborate prayer system that included six or seven stations. Then Henry invited us all to lunch at his house which is in the middle of an area of warehouses. His wife served us a huge feast and then we went off to a mall for some shopping. Later went to another night market with my colleagues – more delicious food and crazy souvenirs. Next day I had some time in the morning to walk around – just went around my neighborhood to a little shopping street and watched the locals bargaining and eating – headed to the airport and home.

Thinking back on it now I feel so blessed to have been able to share these awesome, exotic, unusual places and events with old friends and new – to share my new life with old friends and reconnect with some of my favorite people in the world. There were tremendous moments of shared awe, hopeless exasperation, hilarious sights, delicious tastes, depths of exhaustion and heights of exhilaration. This is truly what life is about…these experiences and I look forward to many more.

Photos: Spring Festival Holiday Adventure - Part Two

zioned — Tue, 8 Mar 2016 22:27:00 GMT

Spring Festival Holiday Adventure - Part Two

zioned — Tue, 8 Mar 2016 22:25:00 GMT

After spending the morning overwhelmed by the 1,000 golden Buddha statues in the Sanjusan shrine, we bullet trained to Nagoya and met Ryo and Narumi. Had a great dinner of shabu shabu at their place, played games and made plans for the next leg of our journey. The next morning, since Ryo had to make an appearance at his office at the airport, we went with him and went to a nearby mega-mall that had just opened. We had a lunch there in which you select an assortment of skewered items and then you dip them in batter and panko crumbs and deep fry at your table. You have a limited time to eat as much as you can fry. Very tasty. We loaded up on department store food and took it all home for more feasting, drinking and partying. The next day was Setsubon festival, so after having hitsomobushi (Nagoya’s special eel dish) for lunch, we watched as the procession of “gods, maidens, 60-year-olds and Oni the devil” made its way down the street to the temple where we were pelted with roasted soy beans (your evil is being thrown out). We watched as the procession entered the temple grounds and headed off to meet Narumi, buy the required mega- sushi rolls and head home. The next day we visited a series of body part temples – the penis shrine, vagina shrine and breast shrine – all with body part shaped statues, carvings, etc. The next morning it was off to the southern coast for our road trip. We made it to our first hotel where we were given a free upgrade to ocean view rooms at the top of the “Space Walker” – thirty story high escalator. We settled in, had drinks and watched the sunset from hot springs, had a Viking (buffet) dinner and hit the hot springs again. Next morning, more hot springs and a Viking breakfast. As our boat took us back to shore, we watched as the hotel staff waved goodbye until our boat was well out of sight.

We headed to the world heritage site of Nachi – shrine and waterfall – climbed a wild series of stairs to get to the top shrine and then followed a stone forest path to get to the waterfall where we could drink from the healing waters. Met a group costumed as pilgrims from the Edo period. Nachi is a famed pilgrimage destination in Shinto. It is the country's tallest water fall with single uninterrupted drop. There are two rocks at the top of the falls that are the guardian kami of the falls and the Shinto shrine. Many star-crossed lovers have leaped from the top of the waterfall in the belief that they will be reborn into Kannon’s paradise.

Then we headed to the Ise-Shima area (pearl diving region) and had a delightful seafood lunch. Headed to our luxurious hotel – very James Bond, mid-century contemporary “Oriental” feel. Next door to the location of the upcoming G-7 conference. We got our instructions from the hostess and headed to the hot springs. Dinner was served in the room and was a six course extravaganza with lobster, fugo jell-o, etc. Amazing!!! Another trip to hot springs and sleep. Next morning we watched the sun rise from the hot springs and after another Viking breakfast headed out. We stopped at a special shrine for our wish to be granted – (although, some information said this would only work for women) and a visit to the Pearl divers’ museum (the female Ama divers). Then on to Ise Shrine – the main Shinto shrine in Japan which is rebuilt every 20 years. It is in a large forest/river area. Heading back to the car we hung out in the old town shopping area and filled up on street food. Then headed out to Ninja village arriving just in time to see the final show of the day in which Daniel was brought up on stage to try throwing the “death star.” He charmed the crowd of course. We toured the ninja house, all tried throwing the star (I hit the bullseye on my first try and then descended quickly after that). Headed back to Nagoya for our last night with Ryo and Narumi. Walked to their neighborhood conveyor belt sushi place where “curtains were drawn” around tables that Daniel and I were gawking at as we waited to be seated. It was great fun as well as delicious. The next morning is was off to Osaka for our one day layover before returning to Taiwan.

Photos: Spring Festival Holiday Adventure - Part One

zioned — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 19:32:00 GMT

Taiwan - Little Liu Schiu Island

Spring Fesival Holiday Adventure - part One

zioned — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 19:29:00 GMT

Well, the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year holiday finally arrived. Nanjing was showing signs of holiday festivity preparations – stores were packed with special New Years treats, shoppers were busy stocking up on all the necessities for their holiday feasts and gift giving – red envelopes, special treats, gift packs, etc. It’s the closest thing I have felt in Asia to the Christmas rush in the U.S. We finished up our duties at school, finalizing our semester grades and suddenly people were off to many parts of the globe. My trip began on January 24^th with a flight to Taipei and ended on February 15^th with my return to Nanjing – one of the longest vacations I’ve had since working at the U. This one with an important difference – no work responsibilities or worries at all – total freedom to concentrate on having a good time and a good time was had!

It would take too much time on my part and patience on your part for me to recount all the adventures and experiences encountered on this trip so I will only share some of the highlights.

Xiao Lui Schiu Island – a day after arrival in Taipei, Daniel, Peggy and I took the fast train to Kaoschuing at the southern end of Thailand – there we were met by former ELI students Ken, Stephanie and Fu-Fan – we went for a leisurely hot pot lunch together catching up on our lives since meeting years before. As we finished our lunch it suddenly dawned on us that the final boat to the island was leaving in 40 minutes and the drive to the dock would normally take one hour – well, it was scene worthy of The Amazing Race as our expert driver Ken drove Bourne-like through the streets of Kaoshciung while Peggy called the boat company to plead for them to wait. They gave us ten minutes leeway – it was nail biting down to the last minutes as we pulled up to the dock, they were waiting for us – the boat was held! Ken threw his car keys to the boat people along with some cash – shouting, “Please don’t steal my car!” and we jumped on the boat – having to perform a walk of shame as we passed all the disgruntled passengers who had been made to wait!

We spent a delightful two nights on the island at a beachfront B and B – the weather was balmy – a great relief from the cold spell that had just hit Asia depositing snow in Taipei for the first time in 50 years. We scootered around the island – my first time on a scooter with able driver Ken at the wheel. The island was pretty deserted – this being off season and we enjoyed the quiet, watching the sunrise and sunset and sitting out on our patio by the beach eating and drinking – a wonderful respite.

Upon returning to Taipei, we repacked and laundered and took off for Osaka. I was pulled out at customs and questioned – the first time this has ever happened to me in Japan – “You have been to Japan many times…” I had to unpack everything and even unwrap the candies I had bought in Hong Kong – very strange. We got to our inn in Kyoto by early evening, met by a former ELI teacher now living and working in Japan who had bought and remodeled the house and turned it into a rental. It had traditional tatami rooms but was upgraded in all the essentials – insulation, plumbing, electricity and was in a quiet neighborhood but within walking distance of the glitzy Gion district and several temples. We reconnected with friends – Masako, Haruo and David (the landlord) and Daniel and Peggy met with former host students. We watched a performance of Japanese culture and saw amazing sights. Kyoto is very tourist friendly and is calm and uncrowded – a nice place to get your feet wet in Japan without being overwhelmed with crowds and confusion. It was especially interesting to see my friend Daniel experience the wonder that is Japan for the first time.

Shanghai/Christmas - Where's MY culture shock?

zioned — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 12:39:00 GMT

As I headed into the holiday season – the first time to be away from the states at this time in many years – I was expecting a heavy dose of homesickness and culture shock. We had been teaching all new students in our program in Utah about culture shock and its stages – honeymoon, horror, humor, home and I realized that I haven’t really experienced it in the traditional sense since I’ve been here. I think it might have changed or is changing for several reasons. The first two are I think specific to me and my situation – one is that my living situation in Nanjing is very convenient – I live a five minute walk away from work and don’t have to deal with commuting, traffic, costs that could lead to hard feelings, second I tend to look on the craziness of the drivers and the lack of respect for personal space, etc as a form of street theatre – it is very entertaining. The other two reasons are not personal to me but apply generally – first – the world is just getting more and more similar with globalization and internationalization – even in a country like China – which prides itself on being closed off, things are changing especially as more Chinese travel abroad and experience other cultures. As a result, they are starting to demand authenticity in foreign goods and foods – which has also been happening in the U.S. Second, wherever you are in the world, you can stay connected and even immersed in your own culture with the internet, skyping, etc. I streamed “It’s a Wonderful Life” during Christmas week on Amazon prime, watched some Carol Burnett Christmas shows on xbox and streamed my favorite Christmas songs. I think the process or the characteristics of culture shock have changed or are changing and I think it will depend on the location and the access that exists in your new cultural location and will be different or perhaps even non-existent for some people. There are some days when I actually forget that I am in a foreign country!

A couple of weeks before Christmas, I accompanied some of my UCLA colleagues to Shanghai. They were attending a recruiting event so I tagged along planning to meet my former student Jun – he is Japanese and is running his father’s sporting glove factory near Shanghai. We had a pleasant 90 minute ride on the bullet train and once arriving, we headed immediately to a popular Mexican restaurant for lunch – nachos, burritos, tacos and margaritas! I tried to check into my hotel (which I had booked and paid for through Orbitz) but they had not record of the reservation or the payment. Luckily, one of the UCLA professors was able to switch to a double room at the Marriott so we could share. That was definitely a step up (not in price) from the place I had “booked” which was a Vegas style hotel with golden lions in a fountain and faux marble pillars, etc. Spent the afternoon and evening visiting tourist spots – People’s Park, Nanjing Road – pedestrian shopping street which all decked out in Christmas schlock – the Bund on the waterfront and back to the hotel. Shanghai is an amazing - full of a variety of influences that haven't been obliterated but still survive - lots of European influence from different periods - great art deco facades, bauhaus style on some buildings. Unfortunately, foreigners are constantly being bugged to buy watches, bags, or get massages. I was approached outside the Marriott and promised " a beautiful girl - anything I want...massage, sexual massage, blow job, happy ending."

After sightseeing, while the UCLA people went off to their event, I got a bottle of whiskey and snacks from a nearby Family Mart and waited for Jun who was just flying in from Myanmar. We had a nice time catching up and finished off the bottle neatly. He is married now and has a four month old son. His wife and son live in Hiroshima so he is living the separated family life similar to the one he was raised in. He was a student in the same class with Peggy and often is in Salt Lake for all the outdoor retailer stuff.

The next day I swam off my hangover in the infinity pool on the top floor of the hotel – had the pool all to myself! It was great. Nice buffet breakfast and then more sightseeing – the Yu garden – an elaborate Chinese traditional garden with ponds and temples and caves and tunnels. Very serene. Then to Tianzifeng – a crazy warren of alleys converted into unique shops and cafes – had mulled wine. Headed back to Nanjing arriving about 7:30 Sunday night.

My colleagues and I enjoyed Christmas eve dinner at my boss’ apartment – finally a real turkey dinner! I made my wassail which was a big hit. Went to a bar after to play pool and continue drinking. Went home as Christmas hit in the glow of the full moon – amazingly visible. Spent Christmas day lazing around and skyping with family in Richmond as they prepared for Christmas. Had Christmas dinner at a lovely French restaurant – rib eye steak – the closest I could get to prime rib – great wine. Afterwards, joined a party at my Chinese language teacher’s apartment (just upstairs from mine). Drinking games and Cards Against Humanity. Then re-skyped with the fam since they had just finished opening presents.

Spent boxing day cleaning and doing laundry and grading my students’ videos. Also watched The Force Wakes Up which was quite enjoyable. Had mussels (frozen but still very good!) and a fresh baguette from the Paris Baguette bakery across the street. Today, I just need to get mentally prepared for next week. Each of the five sections I teach is going to perform a short play before the Spring festival holidays in three weeks – so lots to do. Next week is another four day week and I will be heading to Hong Kong for the three day weekend – meeting up with Wayne and Gordon. Should be fun. Then looking forward to the long spring holiday and my trip to Taiwan and Japan with Daniel and Peggy.

Wishing you all the best.

Photos: Shanghai/Christmas 2015

zioned — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 10:48:00 GMT

Tokyo Trip Part Two

zioned — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 12:29:00 GMT

We met the next morning and headed to a French bistro for their breakfast set – amazing assortment of breads, pastries and jams with good, strong coffee to start the day. On the way there, we passed a street performance in front of a department store – tap dancers and jazz saxophone. Nice entertainment while we waited for our table. After our brunch, we headed to the theatre to wait for Narumi who was arriving by bullet train from Nagoya just in time for the 12:30 curtain. The theatre was packed with locals – only a few gaijin like me. The show – Prince of Broadway - was a retrospective of the career of Harold Prince with songs and dances from the shows he had produced and/or directed. Of course this included some of my all-time favorites – shows that had inspired me starting when I was a teenager to be interested in musical theatre: Company, A Little Night Music, Cabaret, Follies, Merrily We Roll Along. Some personal favorite songs: “You’ve Got Possibilities” from “It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman” – a very underrated show! and “So What” from “Cabaret” which was cut from the movie, ‘‘Something’s Coming” from “West Side Story” and “Now You Know” from “Merrily we Roll Along.” The performance of Ramin Karimloo (last year’s Tony nominee for Le Miz) was tremendous – his “Being Alive” brought tears to my eyes and his Phantom was the best I’ve heard. Tony Yazbeck did a five-minute solo tap dance to “The Right Girl” which was mind blowing. One interesting nod to the local audiences was the inclusion of Reon Yuzuki in the cast. She is a Japanese performer with the Takarazuka Musical Troupe which performs extravagant all-female productions of famous romantic tales with an over-the-top Las Vegas style finale. Apparently, Reon is a star at playing the male roles in the troupe. Her performance was interesting – and it is something that Ryo picked up as well – because as the only “non-Broadway” cast member, she seemed to be trying too hard, at least as compared to the others who did everything effortlessly. There was just that certain amount of tension in her performance that said “Am I okay? Do you like me?” One other interesting thing is that the audience applauded every time someone came on stage and did a lot of rhythm clapping whenever the song seemed to call for it. It was thrilling to see the show and experience a world premiere.

After the show, we headed to My Italian restaurant – part of a new phenomenon of restaurants in Japan with top chefs producing small delectable dishes for not a lot of money in bar atmospheres with most people standing and eating and drinking and a few tables with time limits. The place we went to also had live jazz music. We enjoyed sea urchin, steamed mussels and clams, olives, carpaccio of fish, squid ink pasta and a beef and foie gras special – all delicious with great wine poured by a sommelier that I developed a man crush on as the evening progressed. When our table time was up, we headed back to the area of my hotel to a wine bar where we enjoyed more wine, more steamed mussels in a cozy atmosphere. A beautiful end to an exciting day – making plans for the next day and for our vacation time together in February.

Sunday morning we had our goals – find a cheese grater (in the Kappa-bashi area where the food replicas are also created), find chocolate covered rice cracker snacks, head up to the Skytree (as the rain clouds cleared) and have an unagi (eel) lunch. So we headed toward Ginza and a main shrine there followed by a successful cheese grater hunt in Kappa-bashi, chocolate snacks found! and a visit to the Sky tree. When we arrived we saw that the wait to go up was over an hour! – not possible with our limited time – but then we noticed the special fast pass for international visitors and their Japanese hosts – we were able to get up to the viewing platform in 15 minutes! It was exciting to see Tokyo from this height and spot all the places we had visited – unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was still shrouded in clouds.

Headed back to Shinagawa station for our farewell meal of unagi! Then grabbed suitcase and headed to Haneda airport. Go there an hour and a half before flight but found a huge backlog for the one China Eastern flight of the day to Shanghai - people with huge boxes of stuff to put on board - rice cookers galore. Got to the gate just as boarding started (with time to down a draft Asahi beer)! At Shanghai, I assumed I needed to pick up my bag and go through customs before transferring to my Nanjing flight - waited for 45 minutes at baggage claim - no bag! - went to the the baggage office and the guy said my bag was checked through to Nanjing....interesting! Had to hoof it to the domestic terminal and boarding gate _ of course the farthest one from security - made it just in time! When I got to Nanjing, my bag was there! It was midnight so I needed a taxi since the metro was closed. Managed to explain to the taxi driver where to go with the help of a text message from my colleague. When he stopped I didn't recognize where we were - pouring rain, no lights on - until the driver rolled down the window. Amazingly, I was home!

Great trip - again thanks to wonderful friends that feel so much like family. I look forward to more amazing experiences! Of course, on my return, the world news and the events in Paris were grim especially after being in Japan where there is such a feeling of order and safety and yes - maybe innocence and naivete - where religion is so much a foreign concept.

Photos: Tokyo Trip - Part Two

zioned — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 12:14:00 GMT

Tokyo Trip Part One

zioned — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 13:20:00 GMT

Japan – World premiere, cheesy show, good friends, amazing food, culture shock

I just returned from a four-day trip to Tokyo to see the world premiere of a new musical about the career of Harold Prince. During the trip, I was able to re-connect with a former ELI student and his new wife, my terrific Japanese “son” Ryo and his wife and with the culture of Japan. Besides the reconnecting, there were some good firsts as well – my first solo taxi rides in Nanjing (supported by co-workers, of course) and my first time visiting the areas of Shinagawa, Rappongi and Shibuya as well the Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Skytree. It was also my first time to see Tokyo decked out in Christmas glory. It made me realize that this is the first time I would be out of the States for the holidays in about 30 years. Arrived in Tokyo on nearly empty China Eastern flight and got to my hotel in Shinagawa without mishap. My former student and housemate, Ayumu, came by and we headed to a nearby izakaya (bar) for dinner and drinks. His wife, Yuri, joined us. She was a delightful woman and a great match for Ayumu – half Taiwanese, half Japanese – so we shared some Chinese sentences together and had a great time drinking and trying whale fat and other delicacies in a very homey atmosphere.

Next day I took a walk around the area stopping for coffee and croissant in an Italian coffee bar. Just amazed by the service and attention to detail and care with customers exhibited by the workers there. Japanese workers are just a spectacle to watch even in the most modest of settings. This feeling of course was increased by its comparison to the “service” in China. I met Ryo at 1:00 and we had our first meal together – takoyaki and highballs (Tako Ball). By then I was able to recover from the hangover from my previous night of beer, highballs and sake. Then we made our plan for the evening. We had tickets for the late “all you can drink” show in Rappongi at a Meiji-style red-light theatre which now ran a high-tech song and dance revue which Ryo suspected would be too cheesy for words. To kill time before the show, we decided to head for a spa to have an onsen (hot spring bath) at a place near the Tokyo dome. Lots of activity there – some concert which looked to be a hit with young women – lots of Christmas decorations – a German type outdoor Christmas market going on. The hot springs were great with the typical elaborate instructions and penalties for not following the rules. A series of baths and saunas of different temperatures, indoor and out with screams from the nearby roller coaster breaking the calm serenity of the baths. It was very rejuvenating and it was great to see Ryo relieving his stress.

Then it was off to Rapponggi – an area which contains lots of embassies so it was crawling with gaijin (foreigners) and is a notorious nightspot. We went in search of food and ended up wandering off the beaten path at one point finally stumbling on an Okinawa place tucked in a tiny basement – great atmosphere and food – pork belly, bitter gourd stirfry, and taco (not tako) rice. We skipped the pig’s ears which the menu stated as having the texture of chewing gum! Got to the show a little early but things were delayed and finally got in to start our all you can drink drinking which consisted of a bottle of whisky and some ice and soda and some potato chips and nuts. The pre-show consisted of the actors coming around to tables and upping the drink and food orders. They avoided the table with the large gaijin however – lucky us! The show was much better than we expected – basically it was a song and dance show that had no earthly connection to Meiji culture but did have an amazing high tech stage that shifted levels and shapes to great effect. Some of the scenes were bizarre with both Ryo and I shaking our heads in consternation. After the show, as we headed to the subway, we were approached to have a happy ending. As we scurried away, we ran into a drunken salaryman hunched over the curb losing his ramen into the gutter while his friend patted his back and muttered soothing words – no happy ending for him either!

Photos: Tokyo trip - part one

zioned — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:59:00 GMT

Photos: Three Day weekend fun!

zioned — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:42:00 GMT

Redefining Home

zioned — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 23:06:00 GMT

As I came back from my trip to Hong Kong, for once in many years, suddenly I was not coming back to the familiar sights of the Great Salt Lake, the Wasatch mountains, Salt Lake’s skyline to land in the Salt Lake airport as I had done so many times before, but instead to land among the fields surrounding Nanjing’s Lukou International Airport. Boarding the metro to “my stop” on the #1 line. Until this moment I had been considering my life in China as something temporary and ethereal, but now it is my anchor, my stationary station…my home. Taking this trip solidified that feeling – mixed emotions of course, but mostly good ones. I am creating a new meaning for “my home” and I feel it is a positive endeavor to shake up that concept once in awhile – to adjust that anchor – to shake that foundation. It has been good for me.

Photos: Hong Kong Part Two

zioned — Fri, 9 Oct 2015 20:45:00 GMT

Hong Kong Part Two

zioned — Fri, 9 Oct 2015 20:42:00 GMT

Friday – made my way to TST on my own – navigating the way to the Star Ferry from the Wan Chai metro stop – made it! – paid the fifty cent ferry fee for a spectacular ride across the harbour. Met Gordon at a fancy mall and headed to ladies’ street – a selling street near Nathan Lane with innumerable stalls selling watch and bag ripoffs and all assortment of touristy kitsch and tech items. Snagged some souvenirs. Had breakfast at what Gordon considered to be a typical Hong Kong breakfast – very much influenced by the Portuguese I feel – egg custard tarts and French toast with a combination of peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk in the middle topped with maple syrup. I am constantly surprised by things that HAVEN’T made it to the U.S. because these things are so compatible to US tastes, I feel. Later, had a bowl of soup at a sidewalk stand not sure what it was made from – didn’t ask but had fake shark fins in it made from dough– delicious – with a side of rice balls and shrimp cakes laced in a spicy sauce. Then headed out to Sai Gong – a fishing/boating area outside of town – lots of yachts moored in a quiet bay with seafood restaurants along a boardwalk. Shared the Book of Mormon cast recording on the way. Gordon said he had stopped some missionaries on the street one day and said he had lived in Utah – now they were hounding him constantly. At Sai Gong, some old side streets sprinkled with trendy coffee shops. Had a beer and Gordon shared more of his plans and experiences since leaving the US. Stopped by his apartment so he could have a shit – one thing he had picked up from his time in Utah was a displeasure for Chinese public toilets – especially when Number Two is involved. Very nice but compact apartment which he shares with his parents and brother – all not around at the time. As we drove back to town, Gordon shared some of his favorite music – stuff he used to calm his lonely heart! No time for cheesy noodles so we made plans to meet for lunch on Saturday and have a farewell cheesy noodle farewell meal. Gordon dropped me off at the ferry pier and went off to a meeting. It was 7:45 and I saw a crowd gathering to see the laser light show at 8. Waited for it but it was pretty much a bust – a few buildings lit up – basically advertising for different companies and a few laser strobe lights from a couple of buildings. Took the ferry back home stopping for a baguette to enjoy for dinner.

Saturday – typhoon was approaching – category 3 – headed to the theatre at the Academy of Performing Arts to get tickets for the Sunday matinee of Singin in the Rain. I was too early and needed to get to TST to meet Gordon – walked down Lockhart Road to the pier and saw lots of interesting pubs and restaurants of all types – decided to have brunch before the play and dinner afterwards. Ferry again to Kowloon – drenched with sweat from the increasing humidity and rain clouds gathering. Made it to the cheesy noodle shop which was behind a second hand camera store – never would have known! Very much a mac and cheese interpretation with sausage, pork and chicken chopped up in it. Yummy! The walls were plastered with pictures of Hong Kong celebrities who had eaten there. A definite insider place. Stopped on the way back to get the ticket for Sunday and headed home as the rain started to intensify. Once I got to my hotel, the rain was coming in sheets and the wind was battering the hotel and the harbour. I hunkered down to watch some Homeland and keep dry.

Sunday – a late start – Skyped with family – headed to Lockhart Road for brunch – along the way Brits were already pints at the Queen Victoria pub and others – one was even titled The Typhoon – already getting rowdy with the rugby matches being shown Ate at The Flying Pan – western breakfast eatery packed with expats and Hong Kongese alike – full English breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato and beans! Got to the theatre and was amazed by the crowd – lots of Chinese families – The show was delightful and it was great to see how it went over so well – especially the parts with the trials of getting the movie sound to work with Lina Lamont’s horrible speech. The first three rows were issued rain parkas for the Singin in the Rain number which closed Act One – streams of water were shot over the stage. Pretty thrilling. At the end, they reprised the number with the full cast and we all of us high and dry viewers were delighted to see the first row people scramble for cover. Stopped along Lockhart for dinner – the Brits were even drunker and rowdier – lots of “massage parlors” on the street with the short, stocky “madams” grabbing single male passersby including your truly – “Hello, Mister – try for a good time?” Very Suzy Wong! I decided on Mexican – my last American food craving appeased! Happy hour margaritas at two for one and I was quite tipsy when I headed to the metro and home to pack. Typhoon was moving out to the mainland but had caused problems in Guangdong province and stranded travelers trying to return to China. Took the subway to the airport – ran into some of my students at the airport – also returning - had a lovely eel breakfast and got my plane to Nanjing.

Photos: Hong Kong Part One

zioned — Tue, 6 Oct 2015 14:43:00 GMT

Hong Kong part One

zioned — Tue, 6 Oct 2015 14:42:00 GMT

Hong Kong – it is one of those anomalies of a city. You wonder how it can exist. Buildings shooting to the sky – apparently covering every inch of the small island space available. The ultimate in high end glitzy shopping – Prada, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s while steps away there are street stalls selling bowls of noodles for 50 cents a bowl. Seeing people of every type and hue coexisting – the vestiges of its colonial past everywhere – Victoria Harbour, double decker buses and trams – Portuguese dishes blended into Chinese fare. The combination of sights and smells are so unique that you feel as if you have entered a fantasy world where parts of the earth were mashed together into an attic or warehouse and jumbled up before being released. It needs to be experienced to be believed. But beyond that is the ease of managing such a jumbled mess of a city – (anyone who is a speaker of English, needs to thank their lucky stars for having such a benefit in this world). Things are easy to navigate. English is everywhere and any kind of product or food or service is possible.

I arrived Wednesday evening around 8 – two hours behind schedule due to plane delays. I made it my hotel following the directions from my internet map. I told Gordon I was too tired to meet him and his friends for drinks and ventured out to find food. Since I was in a mostly working class neighborhood, there was not much open at that hour and I ended up at McDonalds – my first time in China. I returned to my room, watched BBC world news on the telly and enjoyed my meal with my duty free Scotch, happy to find all the blocked internet sites available. Planned to meet Gordon in the morning. Got up early – can’t help it – and walked across the street to the Harbour area – Sun Yat Sen memorial garden – people doing tai chi and jogging. Went to the Macau ferry pier and checked out the arrangements. Got some coffee and some snacks and MICROWAVE POPCORN! which they don’t have in Nanjing. Back to my hotel and made arrangements to meet Gordon. Drove to Kowloon for dim sum – had to take a number and wait for about half an hour –actually had to wait to get in the parking lot as well! Delicious – but Gordon ordered way too much and he and Chloe – his friend from Beijing – didn’t eat much. After, Chloe had to meet friends from Beijing and we went off to Stanley – a beachy resort spot outside of town – with shops, a pier and British type pubs along the seaside boardwalk. Very quaint and calm and full of expats and their dogs. Gordon shared some of his business and relationship dilemmas and I caught him up on my last year’s adventure of retirement and moving. This is the joy of meeting and sharing with a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. Went back to TST in Kowloon for dinner – incredible variety of dumplings – black truffle, ginseng, cheese – very rich! Chloe met us there and we headed up to Victoria Peak – overlooking the whole of Hong Kong and Kowloon. When we got there, the fireworks for national day had just ended and the view was clouded from smoke. Gordon had a friend at the top who was able to get us in to the lookout area for free and get our picture taken free as well. We waited for about a half an hour for the smoke to clear and the amazing view to materialize. Called it a day.

Photos: Working LIfe at Jinling High School

zioned — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 11:21:00 GMT