My trips around the world ...

I’ve always had the impression that if you lived in the Big Apple, you can confidently claim that even if you haven’t done it all, at least you’ve seen it all. And after my long-awaited visit to New York, I realized that it was true. I loved New York. It was just like I expected: diverse, cultural and chaotic. New York although at first a bit intimidating to some, won’t fail to fascinate you. Old musty buildings and modern polished skyscrapers seem to get along with each other. The countless billboards, enormous ads, colorful screens and yellow taxis flooding the streets make the city unique. The only disappointment was, we looked and looked, hoping to see some landmarks from Sex and the City, and lots of fashion conscious gorgeous looking people, to no avail. So we decided that half of what we saw in our beloved TV series was in fact B.S. The good news is, we managed to quickly get over that, and moved on.

The easiest building we could get to the day we arrived to get a bird view of the city was Rockefeller tower, on top of which you get an amazing view of all the madness and beauty. Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum was interesting although it was too packed with visitors trying to take a photo of themselves holding/kissing/groping their favorite star. Time’s Square and Wall Street each lived up to their reputation, while the Statue of Liberty looked on from the middle of nowhere.

To my surprise and contentment, we found out that there was no sale taxe on clothes priced under hundred dollars, which, because of the weak American dollar, makes New York a shopping paradise for Canadians.

Our second stop was Washington DC. We visited the White House as well as some of the one thousand not-so-great-looking memorials and monuments soaring up in every corner. Washington, DC is green and looks clean (well, the main streets) but it lacks charm and a welcoming personality. In short, it’s boring, just like its Canadian counterpart, Ottawa. The highlight of the trip to Washington DC was watching a scruffy man camping in front of the White House, dozing away his 12th days of huger strike to express his opposition to Iraq war and the potential war with Iran. The White House didn’t seem to mind … or care.

There was no indication of war, nothing that would remind you that America is in fact fighting two wars. Street banners and TV screens were too preoccupied with selling products and announcing the latest news about Jennifer Aniston’s last breakup. Who cares about the war? no bombs falling down on American homes, no tanks strolling down their streets.

Our third stop was Philadelphia, which looked historic and friendly, with a feeling of a little town just getting a little bigger. The old traffic lights, small little restaurants and the picturesque city hall, the biggest and tallest in the U.S. were nice to see. We had looked forward to getting on an open-topped double-decker city tour bus, but had to, frowningly, settle for a single-deck bus, which turned out to be for the better because it started pouring and people on the double-decker buses rushed in and crammed inside the lower level while we watched. One of those guilty pleasures!

Our last stop was beautiful and romantic Atlantic city which is the second biggest casino/gambling city in the U.S.A. Romantic perhaps because of the beach/beach-front bars/restaurants, and beautiful because of the neon lights of the casinos and the waterfront street and upscale shopping mall where we saw a brilliant water show. It was amazing to see a dull little fountain turned into a fascinating dance of water with light and music.

On the way back to Montreal, we had a short visit to the Woodbury factory outlet, the biggest in North America. But we were disappointed by the prices and the styles. We wished we had shopped more in NYC instead. So we decided that we should start planning occasional weekend trips to NYC for the sole purpose of shopping. Whether or not it will actually happen, I’m not sure, because I’m now back in Korea and well, the future is a mystery.

If you like architecture, palm trees, diversity and good food, you'll love Kuala Lumpur. Every building has its own personality, beautifully designed to stand out. Every street has a different color, adorned with trees, houses or apartments complexes. You walk down the street and see people walking proudly in their traditional outfits, speaking different languages. within reach, there are a wide variety of ethnic restaurants, from middle eastern, to Asian, to western food: Indian, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Thai, Bengal, Italian, Iranian, Iraqi, Mexican food stalls just to name a few. I'll be a fat girl by the time I leave Kuala Lumpur.

People of different races and ethnicities live and belong in KL. You see a young woman dressed in a one-inch long skirt and a top barely covering more than bras would, walking on the sidewalk right next to a woman covered head to toe in black burka. You see masques and temples thriving in harmony. It's colorful, it's alive. It's cosmopolitan and democratic. It was hard to believe when my Malaysian friends later told me that Malaysian citizens of Indian or Chinese decent cannot own a business without a Malay partner. And, that a temple or church in any neighborhood cannot be build if there is no masque in the area. In other words, Islam should be one of the options or no other religions can be preached.

But most tourists have little to do with these complicated, deeply rooted religion/race issues. Great food, great tourist sites, nice architecture, excellent transportation system and nice warm weather will make your trip to Malaysia a memorable one.

And for the first time since I left Canada for Korea, I feel completely - and happily- invisible. No one stares as if I'm an alien dumped down on earth. I'm just one in the crowd. When the taxi dropped me off at the hotel from the airport, I saw an Iranian restaurant called Kolbe-ye sharghi, the Eastern Hut, next to the hotel. I almost choked in excitement, it had been so long since I last had an authentic Iranian meal (the one in Seoul doesn't really count, the rice is sticky with no saffron). So after dropping my luggage in my room, I hurried into the restaurant with a big smile ear to ear, only to find out that they didn't share my enthusiasm to see another Iranian. At the restaurant, I saw piles of Persian weekly publications and Iranian yellow pages for businesses in Malaysia, even more than I had seen in Montreal. So I found out that there is a large Iranian population in Kuala Lumpur, and this was confirmed when I strolled around the city and heard Iranian families speaking in Farsi. So I sat at a window table by myself, ordered a traditional Iranian soup, Ashreshteh, and my favorite Kabaab Koobideh, with maast-o-moosir, feeling ignored while I ate. The food was authentic and Iranian all around. And I ate as though I hadn't eaten in years. Then I forced my stuffed and heavy self on my feet, and walked out of the restaurant, still as invisible and happy as I could possibly get.

Yesterday I woke up at 7 and to my surprise I felt up and functional. So I decided to start my day early and go to Petronas twin towers. I was told that in order to get admission to the SkyBridge, the bridge that connects the two towers together on the 41st and 42nd floors, I should be there before 9. The admission is free but there is limited number of tickets everyday and it's on a first-come, first-served basis. So I hopped into a cab and was at the twin towers before 9, only to realize that I wasn't the earliest bird in town. There were tens of people waiting in the line and I decided to wait too, although I had little hope of getting a ticket. 45 minutes later, I was handed a ticket for 12:15 pm. Happy and feeling lucky, I ventured out into the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur to kill 3 hours. I found a coffee shop/restaurant and ordered an exotic tea whose name I couldn't pronounce. I studied my tourist map, sipped on the tea and noticed that the aquarium called Aquaria is right around the corner from the twin towers. So after finishing my tea, I went to the aquarium. Having being scuba diving and swimming with the fishes in their natural habitat, I realized that I no longer appreciate aquariums with their fake plants, dead corals and the fish swimming in circles in small confined water. But then I reminded myself that the aquariums are for people who, for different reasons, cannot go scuba diving.

Then around 4 o'clock, after visiting the towers, the aquarium and investigating every inch of the 4-floor shopping mall, I decided I had done enough for a day and it's about time I do something to my hair. My hair has been in a mess since the dives in the Philippines. It's been so pulled and abused that the only cure is a magic perm and a cut. But after walking around for another hour looking for a hair salon, I learned that they were all closed for Lunar new year.

Today I got on the hop-in, hop-off bus which goes to 42 tourist sites around the city. You buy a pass for 24 hours and you get on and off as many times as you want. The audio guide on the bus introduces different parts of the town, suggests things to do, and talks about the architecture. I went to the National Museum, the butterfly garden, the National masque, the Sculpture Park and the National monument . Then for my last stop I got off at Petaling Street (China Town) and strolled along hundreds of stalls selling imitation watches, bags and clothes. Malaysia is just as nice as Singapore, yet much much less expensive. And the hop-on, hop-off bus was a great way to get to the tourist sites and see the city.

And, the buffet at the top of KL tower was pricey and food not so good, but the 360-degree revolving floor which gives you a nice bird-eye view of beautiful KL is priceless.

Last weekend, I went to the Island of Puerto Galera to take an open water scuba diving course. It was a long trip and consisted of a jeepney, tricycle, bus and ferry ride and 4 hours of traveling. When I got there Friday evening, it was too late and my instructor and I decided to start at 9 am the next day.

On Saturday I was at the dive shop at 9 watching a video about the basics of diving. By 12 o’clock I was told that there’s another student in the shop who is also starting the course, so I’m going to have a ‘buddy’ which is a good thing because you always dive with a buddy and it’s important to learn the buddy system. At 2 o’clock I was in my wet suit, after breaking two nails trying to put in on, and I was in the pool listening to my instructor telling me to take off my mask and hold my breath under the water, swim across the pool with one breath, take off my BCD jacket and put it back on under the water and share air with my buddy while swimming to the surface. That’s when I realized my fear of water is much more profound than I had estimated and so I decided diving is not for me.

But one thing diving did for me was that it made me realize how I take simple things for granted. Small things like breathing effortlessly, running as fast as I want, whenever I want, and voice that enable us to communicate.

Then just when I thought I was totally in control of my life and nothing could stop or change that, I was asked to enter the water and breathe through a moderator for 10 minutes. I looked at the air tank and thought for the next 10 minutes, my life will depend on this small little device. It scared me but at the same time I had to trust it. I had to let go of control. In order to dive, I had to trust something I had no control over.

I guess that’s another thing diving taught me. That sometimes to accomplish something and to open new horizons, I have to let go of control and let someone else or something else take me there. Letting go of control doesn’t always mean denying myself freedom. It could mean being open to new possibilities and being receptive to what might happen that would take me beyond my limitations. That something or someone could actually take me where I wouldn't be able to go on my own. When the instructor asked me to take my mask off, close my eyes (so my contacts wouldn’t fall off) and let him drag me across the pool, my first reaction was: ‘what if he lets go of me? What if I can’t bring myself to the surface with these heavy weights attached to me, and what if the air tank falls off me?’ I was frightened and angry at myself for being there. But then a voice inside me told me that I have to let the fear go. That I can trust this guy that he won’t let me drown. I held on to his jacket and he turned me around, pulled me to the deep end of the pool and back to where we started. When he finally asked me to open my eyes and stand on my feet, I was relieved and happy to have accomplished something that I've been resisting for years. The ability to let go of control and to trust. And I promised myself to always try to remember that with trust comes great accomplishments.

On a much less emotional and intellectual note, my relationship with Chow King is now a complicated one. I guess my enthusiasm for Yang Chow Fried Rice got the cook’s attention because he sent the cashier and the busboy to find out more about me. Here’s how the conversation went:

After I ordered, I sat at a window table, hungry, and waited for my beloved Yang Chow. A minute later, I found the giggling cashier and the busboy standing next to my table.

Cashier: Hello ma’am!
Me (smiling): Hi!
Cashier: Ma’am, do you have a husband?
Me (with my eyebrows raised as high as they could, not sure if I heard it right): Excuse me?!
Cashier: What’s your name, ma’am?
Me: why?
Cashier: Ma’am, our head chef wants to know your name.
Me: hah?
Cashier: Our head chef wants your phone number too ma’am.
Me: oh …
Cashier: Our head chef wants to get to know you, ma’am.
Me: That’s very nice of him! But why he didn’t come to talk to me himself?
Cashier (giggling): Ma’am, our head chef wants to get to know you later.
Me: Well, tell your head chef that I’m probably too old for him. But thanks anyway.
busboy: How old are you, ma’am?
Me (thinking it wouldn’t hurt to add a couple of years): I’m 35. How old is he?
Cashier: He’s also 30 plus, ma’am.
Me: No, I think I’m much older than him. Thanks though. Bye bye now.

And that was the last time I had Yang Chow ... for now.

Although January is dry season in the Philippines, it’s raining almost everyday. Rain here is a part of life and after a while you just learn to ignore your wet feet and the drops of water falling on your nose, and live your life as you would if it didn’t rain. So when it started raining Friday afternoon, I decided to go on with my plan anyway and pay a visit to Liliw the shoe town. I was expecting to have two jeepney rides, first one to Santa Cruz and then another one to Liliw. But while I was waiting for a jeepney, I saw a bus with Santa Cruz sign. I flagged it down and jumped in. The good thing about Philippines is that you can actually ask the driver where the bus is going, as opposed to taking your chances and hoping for the best.

If you think the buses in Korea are made for small people, then you should check out the buses in the Philippines. Even I, at 5 foot tall, was squeezed between the seats behind and in front of me. And another unusual thing was that vendors get on and off the bus to sell their products, from popcorn to roasted peanuts. The driver, of course, gets his free dose of goodies for allowing the vendors to sell on this bus. At Santa Cruz I got on a jeepney for a not very pleasant an-hour long ride. I was amazed at how something could be so cute and so uncomfortable all at the same time.

When I finally got to Liliw, I thought the painful ride was worth it since I found myself smiling by the sight of thousands of shoes on display. I walked my way up the hill looking at the shoe stores till accidentally I came across an old church with huge statues of Jesus and some saints I didn't recognize. Then it started pouring. Since my arrival in the Philippines I had being resisting the need to buy an umbrella because I have actually being enjoying walking in the rain, until that day! And it turned out that umbrellas are not sold in the convenient stores. So I had to get on a jeepney to get back. Two hours later I was home and I was amazed at the outcome of the day. I had gone to the shoe haven and back without buying one pair! That must have been a miracle.

Friday morning before the trip to Liliw I decided to join the group and check out one of the two public high schools in Los Banos. And I’m glad I did. I learned some facts about the education system in the Philippines that made me wonder how they manage teaching/learning despite all the problems. For example, books are lent to the students and must be returned to the school in mint condition after the students finish the exams. It means no writing, underlining or highlighting the text. There are on average 60-70 students in the class in a public school (40 in private school). So the teacher to student ratio is on average 1 to 65. The female to male ratio enrolment was just the opposite of what I expected. There is 25 percent more female students than male student enrolled at high school level (well, in one of the public school in Los Banos). The tuition fee is free of the students although the parents are encouraged to contribute as much as they can since the government pays the school only 600 pesos per student per school year. I was shocked and speechless to hear this because I had just bought a pair of heels for 650 the day before. It was hard to believe that my shoes cost more than what the school gets for each student for 10 months.

On Saturday, my not-at-all-anticipated 31st birthday arrived and I decided to do what I do best. Sleep all day. Since I was now officially too old and can now get away with stuff like being a lazy bum, I slept till 1 pm and woke up sore and tired. Then I figured, well, it’s my birthday and I should probably indulge myself in something nice, like a hot spring. So I slowly got out of the bed, slowly got ready, packed my bikini and sunscreen, slowly walked down the rows of beautiful palm trees and got myself into a jeepney to go to Calamba where most hot springs are. When I got there, I walked into the biggest place that got my attention, Splash Mountain. There were pools, Jacuzzis, water slides and rooms. The outdoor Jacuzzi sounded the best till I asked the price and found out that it’s 500 pesos for an hour. I asked to see it and found myself looking at an empty diamond shape pool that takes at least half an hour to fill up. The worst part was that it was right next to a swimming pool packed with hundreds of screaming kids and adults in t–shirt. so I started debating my decision of picking the biggest spa in the area. “Bigger is not always better’. Bigger draws more attention, therefore it won’t to be all yours. So unless you like to share, bigger IS NOT better.” I thought to myself. I was not going to be the only one in bikini. I wanted to be invisible and not being stared out. Being the only one in a yellow bikini doesn’t translate into being invisible. So I walked out and decided to get something to eat instead. It was my birthday so I treated myself to a whole fresh-water filipino style fried fish, with rice and an enormous plate of buttered vegetables. I loved the fish and enjoyed every bite as three waiters attentively attended to me, the only customer in the restaurant. Then I walked out stuffed and happy. I walked to the main road getting all soaked up in the rain, and patiently waited for a jeepney. Then I went to the best spa in town, the V-loung and got a full body massage for an hour. As I was being pampered in the hands of a professinal, I thought to myself, "This is how I want my birthday to be from now on until I die."

When I got back in the hotel around 7 pm, I found all of my 20 students jammed in the tiny classroom waiting for me with a cake, candles, beer, snack and smiling faces. They had thrown me a surprise birthday party. We cut the cake with a plastic fork, we attacked it with our spoons, we drank beer like fish and we laughed for hours until we were ask to keep it quiet by other guests in the hotel. As I lay down on my bed, I thought, this was a good day. And maybe turning 31 isn’t that bad after all.

On Sunday, we went to Manila, to the third largest shopping mall in Asia called Mall of Asia. There were all sorts of shops, from Calvin Cline and Guess to little Gap style shops and boutiques. I found my perfume which wasn’t sold at Gimhae airport, bought some clothes, souvenirs and a jeepney magnetic for each of my 20 students who had so thoughtfully remembered and celebrated my birthday.

After a long day of walking around the shopping mall and spending more than I had planned to, I was ready to go back home. As the van was driving through Manila, I thought I would really like to come back and see this city, where the average income is 200 dollars a month and where most people spend less than a dollar a day. So I decided to spend my last weekend in Manila, instead of Borocay, to see what life in the Philippines is really like.

I'm now in the Philippines, in a city called Los Banos, 'the baths' in Spanish. Ever since I stepped out of the airport, I've been feeling much more alive. Palm trees, heat, mist and smiling faces make me happy. And the other thing I'm happy about is that since I got here I got my appetite back. I'm once again eating with passion, making up for the starvation in past couple of months. Philippines has had much to offer!

Los Banos is home to a branch of the University of Philippines, the International Rice Science Research Center, as well as many hot springs (hence the name 'the Baths'). Although very small, the town is lively because of its young population of filipino and visiting international students. The UP campus is huge and it's filled with coconut palms and many beautiful exotic-looking trees and plants. It's hot and humid, even in January which is considered winter/dry deason in the philippines. The temperature can be as high as 35 degrees during the day. It hasn't rained at all since I got here and I consider that great luck since I was prepared for too much rainfall and therefore lots of staying-in.

The first thing that got my attention as uniquely filipino was the jeepneys, the taxi/minibus jeeps which take you wherever you want to go. You tell the driver your destination, and if he nods, you jump onto the back of the jeep and sit next to as many as 15 other people. After my first ride I decided that I like jeepneys not only because they're an extremely inexpensive way to get around, but also because my hair flies in the wind and gets all tangled up. It reminds me of Cambodia and the Tuk Tuk rides. And you never have to wait more than 10 second to flag down a jeepney.

Today I went to the Rice Research Center and found myself in a pool of little school children running and screaming around the musuem. There was so much information about rice and how the livelihood of many countries depends on rice production. For example, an average asian person consumes about 200 pounds of rice per year. An average european person on the other hand only consumes 20 pounds a year. It was interesting and informative and I would definitely stay longer if the museum wasn't so noisy.

Then I took a jeepney back to the town and asked the driver to take me to the Makiling Botanic Garden on the Mt. Makiling. The driver agreed but a filipino guy who was sitting next to me suggested that I get off at the university gate and take a jeepney in the other direction to save time. He then pointed his index finger to the sky and said this is how you tell the driver you want to go to the Botanic Garden, because it's on the way to the top of the mountain. He invited me to go scuba diving with his scuba diving club next weekend, which I politely turned down since they were all certified divers and I still don't have any training at all.

So I got out of the jeenpney at the campus gate, crossed the street and waited for another jeepney with my finger up in the air pointing to the sky. The first 3 jeenbeys didn't stop, the fourth did and I hopped in.

At the Botanic Garden's ticket office I was told that the eagles' exhibition is closed and the garden will also close in an hour. So I hurried inside, got my camera ready and started walking. I expected lots and lots of flowers and plants carefully planted but it was actually more like a tropical rainforest, tall trees, wide leaves, uncomfortably humid, and no room for the sun to shine through. I followed the sign to the 'pool' and found myself to be the only one in the area. It was absolutely empty. I was wondering where all the visitors are when a filipino man approached me and asked if I wanted to see the pool. I hesitantly asked him where the visitors are and he said this is the quietest time of the day. Most tourists come to visit in the morning. I asked him about the pool and he explained that the pool is not actually a pool but a lake where people can swim in but nobody's there at the moment. I thanked him for the info and continued my way in the other direction. He followed me explaning that he works at the garden as an artist and offered to show me the endangered eagle's exhibition. By then I was already on the main road. Later he explained to me that when the ticket agent saw me there alone carrying a camera, he asked him to accompany me for my own safety. He said it's not safe for girls to be by themselves and that a tourist got robbed there a couple of days ago. 'You're so brave!" he said, "in the Philippines we don't let our sisiters go to places like this alone."

Although I was at first annoyed by his uninvited company, he turned out to be a good man who genuinely seemed to be concerned about my safety. He walked me to the eagles' exhibition in the forest and asked them to let me go inside even though they were closed. It was nice of him. (I learned that eagles are as mean-looking in person as they are in pictures). Then He walked me back to the gate and advised me to keep my camera hidden in my purse. I thanked him again, jumped into a jeepney and got back to my room.

My mission tomorrow is to go to a town which is the shoe mecca in the Philippines. It's an hour away from Los Banos on the way to Manila. After the long walk at the museum and the botanic garden today, I'm ready to take a break from heels for a while. Flip Flops have never sounded more intriguing.

Singapore must be the cleanest land on earth. The city is spotless. Chewing gum, spitting and littering are subject to fines. You see signs read: "If you see rats anywhere, report immediately by calling the following number." (Whereas in Cambodia the signs read: If you have sex with an underaged child in Cambodia you will go to prison here or in your country.)

I booked a hotel through Singapore Stopover Holiday. The pick-ups and hotel arrangements were extremely organised and punctual. Everywhere I went, my vouchers, rides or guides were already there, waiting for me. I stayed at Siloso resort on Sentosa Island but on my short visit to the town I wished I stayed in a hotel around the river and made day trips to Sentosa beach instead. Sentosa Island’s beaches are entirely man-made, the sand is imported and the palm trees are planted. I must admit that it was absolutely breathtaking. Simply beautiful. It’s a romantic place, a perfect honeymoon spot, so going there alone is probably not a good idea! The water was clear, the weather was just right and it felt like a vacation I'd seen on postcards. The free tram within the island is a lovely slow ride and a great way to discover the island. The aquarium was interesting, better than the one in Busan. The dolphin show was amazing. Sentosa Island is paradise.

The night safari, a much-anticipated event, was on the other hand disappointing. The train moved too fast, not giving us enough time to watch the animals. People kept flashing their cameras and the guide kept telling them not to. The animals were separated from each other and confined to a small area by electric fence. It was sad to see an elephant hitting his trunk over and over into the fence because it wanted to go to another elephant on other side of the fence but it couldn’t. The animals didn’t seem happy. They didn’t seem like they’re living in their supposedly natural habitat, the rain forest. And to top it all off, it started raining that evening so I didn’t get off the train for a stroll along the trails.

The raffles hotel was majestic and beautiful. The river cruise will give you a good look at the beautiful architecture and the many bars and restaurants along the river. The shopping malls offer a good selection although the prices weren't as reasonable and the customer service not as friendly as Korea’s. Singapore is not the most affordable place to travel to if you are on a tight budget. The costs of food, accommodation and entertainment are comparable with those in North America. There is a huge foreign population in Singapore, from business people to general labor. It was good to see such diversity after living in a foreigner-challenged small town in Korea for years. Singaporean food is of course one of my favorites. I regret not having scheduled more time for Singapore on my way to Cambodia. There are so many things to do and see. Singapore is a beautiful beautiful country .... a must see!

Cambodia! The realm of pain and suffering, war and poverty. Another example of how fanatic ideology can destroy.

First days in Cambodia are disturbingly unfamiliar and shocking. Trying to soak up the reality of life in Cambodia, I hardly found the strength to speak. In Phnom Penh, I watched with disbelief bare-feet begging children being kept away from our table by the security guard. Even at the presence of the security guard, the children managed to get the leftovers on our plates and happily walk away with some food. Food is a luxury in Cambodia.

At the riverfront where mostly tourists and affluent Cambodians hang out, children are publicly exploited and put to work. Some children sell copied books, some sell postcards, others sell t-shirts, hand-made bracelets and other accessories, but these are "lucky" kids who have enough English skills to haggle with foreigners, who can afford the 10$/month English schools. The less fortunate kids, who don't speak any English, have no choice but to simply beg for money and leftover foods.

In Sihanoukville, at the serendipity and Ocheuteal beaches, kids as young as 4 years old carry a plastic bag and beg for empty cans of soda. 2 cans of soda earn them 10 riel, or 0.0024 dollar. To earn a dollar, the kids must collect 800 cans. But that would be an impossible task because of the number of the competition also in search of empty cans. A lucky and very hard-working kid will be able to collect 50 cans a day the most, or 2500 riel, hardly enough for a meal. A local dish (such as fried rice) at an average restaurant costs about $US2.50. Only tourists and few wealthy Cambodians can dine out at such restaurants. Children and adults looking for valuables or food in the garbage dumps is commonplace. And you won't fail to see one since every street corner in Phnom Penh is a dumpsite filled with trash.

Street sale in Cambodia is a ruthless job. Some children do it in a sweet way but some children go to any extreme to make a sale. They harass you, stalk you, and make you feel guilty until you buy something.

At Serendipity beach in Sihanoukville, a 10-11 year old boy walked up to me carrying a tray of hand-mad accessories. Here's our conversation:

Kid: Hello miss, do you want to buy a bracelet?
Me: No thank you.
Kid: How about a necklace?
Me: No thank you.
Kid: These are nice. Look. Buy a bracelet.
Me: No thank you. I've bough many bracelets here. I have enough bracelets now.
Kid: But you didn't buy from me! That's not fair.
Me: I can't buy from everybody. There are so many of you.
Kid: Look! This one matches your shirt.
Me: No thanks. I have exact same one.
Kid: How about this one? This one matches your skirt.
Me: No thank you. I don't need more bracelets. I have many.
Kid: Buy one for your friends.
Me: I have bought for my friends too. I bought 15 bracelets since I came here. I don't need more.
Kid: but you didn't buy from me! Remember yesterday when you came here I asked you first. But you bought from someone else. That's not fair.
Me: I don't remember. And I don't need more bracelets. Thank you.
Kid: maybe later?
Me (happy to finally be left alone): Maybe some other time, bye bye.
Kid: ok, bye.

Next day, the same kid found me in a café reading a book.

Kid: Hello miss! Do you remember me?
Me: Hey! It's you again!Of course I remember you!
Kid: Yes me!
Me: How are you?
Kid: I'm fine. You buy a bracelet from me?
Me: No thank you. Remember? I said I've bought too many bracelets.
Kid: No yesterday you promised you buy one from me....
Me: Me? No I never promised to buy another one!
Kid: Yes you did! I said later you buy a bracelet, you said yes!
Me: No no! I said maybe some other time! I never said tomorrow I'd buy a bracelet from you!
Kid: No you promised! You can lie to me, but you can't lie to yourself!
Me: I never promised!

Now at this point I was getting agitated and wanted him to leave me alone. But he's too persistent to let go.

Kid: Here, I give you a special price. This one for 2 dollars.
Me: but I have 15 bracelets.
Kid: How about a necklace?
Me: I don't like these necklaces. They're not my style.
Kid: No! They're nice! look, you can resize it.
Me: How much are they? (big mistake!)
Kid: 5 dollars! You buy two I give you one for half price!
Me: 5 dollars? That's expensive! Your friend sells them for 2 dollars!
Kid: No these are different! These are longer. Look!
Me: No, they're expensive and I don't need a necklace anyway. Thank you.
Kid: but you promised you buy one from me.
Me: I never promised you to buy. I said I have everything I need. Now please leave me alone.
Kid: I'm not going away until you buy this from me.
Me: If you don't go away I'll have to tell the restaurant manager.
Kid: He can throw me out but I'll come back.
Me: Then I'll ask him again.
Kid: I will come back. I will wait for you outside until you leave.
Me: But then you won't make any money. You need to find someone who would be interested to buy something from you.
Kid: No you promised me you'll buy from me. You can lie to me but you can't lie to yourself.
Me (aggravated): I never promised you. Please go away.
Kid: I'm not going anywhere. Buy a necklace.
Me: ALRIGHT! I'm leaving then.

I paid the bill and left the restaurant. He followed me. I met Scott outside, unlocking the bike.

Kid: If you don't buy, you'll have an accident.
Me: what?
Kid (banging his right fist into his left palm): An accident. I promise.

I looked around. Some Cambodian men were looking at us with a smile. Or grin?

Me: You're making me very angry now. Go away.
Kid: You'll have an accident. You'll see.
Me: GO AWAY. Scott, please tell him to go away.
Scott: Go away young man.

The boy walked away. He turns around, again banged his fists into each other and smiled.

But there is a bright side to Cambodia too. Angkor Wat temple complex is one of the greatest accomplishments of humankind. The temples are far away from each other so we hired a tuk tuk for the day who took us from one site to the other and waited patiently while we visited each temple. Just like the Great Wall of China, just like the Pyramids of Egypt, Angkor Wat is very old, historic, huge and it's a proof of our ancestors' intelligence, resourcefulness and resilience. I couldn't help thinking how in earth they managed to build this enormous structure with no tractors and no cranes. There is so much detail carved on the walls and ceilings; it takes days to see all the temples, as each one is different. Each corner is a magnificent piece of art. But most of all, Angkor Wat is spiritual and humbling. Standing in front of this astonishing architecture of the 12th century, I felt so insignificant. It reminded me that life is so much bigger than my little world of worries, insecurities and dreams.

At one of the temples, I saw a 14-15 year old mute boy in scruffy clothes and no shoes talking in sign language to a monk burning incenses in front of a Buddha. Later the boy came to me and pointed to a bag of chocolate hanging out of my purse. I gladly gave him the box, smiled and walked away. He put his palms together in front of his chest and under his chin, the gesture of thanks and appreciation in Cambodia. Few minutes later, he ran to me and handed me a piece of paper. He had drawn two flowers beautifully tangled around each other. He smiled and walked away. I smiled and thanked him with tears in my eyes. The young stranger had touched my heart. "I wish I could help" I thought. But I don't know how.

Cambodians must be one of the friendliest people in the world. They never fail to smile and make you feel welcomed. It's amazing how forgiving there are to foreigners, who bombed them, left them alone in their misery, and ignored the genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime. No one helped them, no one cared. But that doesn't stop Cambodians from smiling at strangers and being warm and hospitable.

Cambodia must also have the friendliest stray dogs, cats and cows. They're literally everywhere going about their business without being bothered, harassed or abused. The only time I saw a Cambodian man shooing and scaring an animal away was when a cow decided to take a bite out of a short, young, newly planted banana tree in front of our bungalow. The man yelled and the cow gently walked away. It was funny to see a bunch of cows sit and chill in the middle of the road in Sihanoukville and nobody seems to mind. The cows sat there like glamorous celebrities for as long as they wished, and no one bothered them. Cats and dogs come and go as they wish. People share the little food they have with the animals. Tourisits feed them too. Stray animals in Cambodia live a good life.

And just when you think things can't get any cheaper than in Korea, you find yourself paying only a buck for a pack of cigarettes (8$ in Canada, 2.50 in Korea) and 50 cents for a pack of tampons (7$ in Canada, 6 in Korea). Your money goes a long way in Cambodia.

And one last thing: I was amazed at how fluent the children and adults speak English. Whether it's because of their job, or because they see many tourists everyday, children as young as 5 years old speak English very well. My conversation above with the boy who was trying to sell me a bracelet is an example. My university students in Korea study English at middle school, high school, university, hagwons and with private tutors for 15 years and still can't put a sentence together. When I got back to Incheon airport, too tired to ride a bus to Masan for 5 hours, I decided to take a plane to Pusan. I went to the Korean Air customer service desk and asked: When is the next flight to Pusan? The girl looked at me with wide-open eyes and mouth, the way Koreans look at you when they don't understand something. I had to repeat my question three times before she asked someone else for help. Airport - customer service representative - no English: I was back in Korea alright!

Japan was great. The first impression I got was: “oh my! it’s so clean!” The second was: “oh, it’s so clean!” And finally: “wow! Everything is clean". I wouldn’t want to live in Japan but for a short vacation, it’s fantastic.

Kyoto is very a historic town with many shrines and temples. Kiyomizutera temple and Heian shrine are both very majestic and well taken care of.

In Nara city at Tou Dai Ji temple, the friendly deers were very cute. The myth is that deers protect the gods, so the park protects the deers.

In Osaka, Dotombori, the street of gourmet, and Sinsaibasi, the main street, were hip and crowded. But my favorite site in Japan has to be Kobe for its breathtaking view, steep yet charming streets and marvelous harbor.

It's amazing how Japan has managed to blend and maintain the old and the new together. It seems that the traditional Japanese culture has found a way to proudly stroll along generation to generation, and come to terms with the western culture.

Sometimes it's just impossible to stick to plans. Every travel plan I made for this summer failed. Being spontaneous would have been a less bumpy journey this time around.

So, my plan to do Europe this summer changed to one-month beach vacation in Phuket, which led me to a package tour to Cambodia and Thailand, only to end up with a 5-day package tour in Bangkok and Pattaya.

First day, Saturday, was only get-there part of the trip. 14 hours of bus and plane ride : Mokpo-Gwangju-Incheon-Bangkok. We arrived at Bangkok airport at 0:30 a.m. and met our tour guide; whom I started to like and dislike all at the same time; and the rest of the group. There were four couples, one of which was on honeymoon, and four single girls including Norah and myself. We were taken to a hotel close to Grand Palace. Next day, we got up at 7:00, and visited the palace. It was hot and sticky and most of us were in shorts and sleeveless tops. At the gate, we were asked to cover up our shoulders and legs with shirts and skirts they lent us for 1 US dollar, the extra layers made it much harder to walk around the site. It was very hot and humid.

Afterwards we got on a long-tail boat along the river to visit Wat Arun the Temple of the Dawn. Amazing site. So much detail has been put into this temple. And I notice how different temples in different countries look like. Korean temples, versus Chinese or Thai ones. Each one has its own unique features and characteristics.

Along the river in Bangkok, we passed by some houses built on water whose residents step out of their house into their boat! An Asian Venice but not as famous. After lunch, which was Korean food not Thai to my surprise, we got back on the bus and headed to Pattaya. Two-and-half hours later we were in Pattaya visiting Mini Siam which displays the small-scaled version of famous historical statues/buildings from Thailand and around the world such as statue of Liberty, Eiffel tower, the Opera House, .... To my surprise I found a miniature of Takht-e-Jamshid, the ruins of the Great Persian Empire, or Perspolice as it was called by Romans. Then we watched a traditional dance show, partly cultural and history telling, partly comedy. To me the choreography, performance, lighting, music, art direction and the coordination of them all were amazing. We were told that the next night, if we wish, we can sign up for a dance show by transvestites, kind of dirty but famous in Pattaya! Out of curiosity we all signed up for it.

The next day, we all met up at the hotel's lobby at 8:00, were each given a towel and got on a boat to go to an Island, not being told any more details. I thought we're just heading for some sightseeing, but later found out that I was going parasailing, so unprepared for the event! All turned out to be ok and I didn't get wet since I took off and landed on a deck. It was not as scary as my bungee jumping experience, but on the first 10 seconds or so, I was basically thinking how could I forget to give Norah my mom's phone number, because I probably won't make it back on deck! It was fun. It's probably the closest you can get to being a bird.

After the parasailing, we took the same boat again to Koh Larn (Coral Island) and its white sandy beach and clear water. I was not going to swim in my jeans and tank top. I bought a bikini and jumped into the water.
Then we were taken back to the hotel, and given two hours of free time. My swimming lessons were going to pay off. I went to the hotel's pool and enjoyed the cool water in that very hot afternoon.

At 3 o'clock we met up again and went to an elephant show, which was so amazing that I decided that my favorite animal has to be elephant. Elephants are not as stupid and dull as you might think they are. The elephants held a brush and with some paint drew a tree on a canvas. Then the "artworks" were sold for US$200. They also played soccer, basketball and darts. They bowled. They danced. They even bowed to the audience's applause. It was very entertaining.

After the elephant show, we found ourselves watching live sex show, what we had expected to be a transvestite dance! The opening was shockingly just hardcore sex, and the other acts were mostly girls stripping and taking a shower on the stage or guys showing off their member! Thailand is supposedly the sex capital of the east. Anything goes and sex is so readily available to those male visitors looking for cheap unconditional sex.

Then we went to "Waking Street", the center of nightlife and shopping. We heard live music coming out of some bars (wish we had some of that in Mokpo). We shopped for souvenirs and I for shoes, walked along the street, go-go's, clubs, transvestites, transexuals, prostitutes, …. it was quite controversial, interesting to some, disturbing to some others!

It was a long, busy day. Parasailing, beach, swimming, elephant show, weird sex show, shopping and people watching all in one day. Lots of fun but exhausting.

On the last day, we started the day at 9, first by visiting an alligator farm and alligator show. I heard that Thai people believe that alligators bring tourists to Thailand. There were hundreds of mean-looking yet funny alligators chilling in the sun or in the water.

Then we headed back to Bangkok. On the way were asked to visit some Korean-owned factories such as a bedding factory and cosmetics and we were, of course, encouraged to buy some products. No one did. Then we visited a pineapple farm (I thought pineapples grow on trees!!!) and a souvenir shop, followed by a local market in downtown and shopped some more. I was thrilled to find an Iranian/Indian restaurant even though I didn't at all like the "Estamboli polo" and "Chelo Kabab Koobideh" and "Mast-o-Khiar" that Norah and I ordered. The food was the Indian version of Iranian food. A little disappointing but oh well! Then we hopped in the bus to go back to the airport for our flight home at 2:30 a.m.

On the tour, I spent most of my time with the group, and wasn't at all able to interact with the locals and to visit less touristy places. So at times I felt like a stupid tourist rather than a traveller. I wished I could stay longer and explore Thailand on my own but the return ticket was not flexible. There are so many things to see and do in Thailand, no wonder it's so popular with tourists. I will definitely plan a trip back, this time much longer!

Shilin night market in Taipei is huge and nice. The prices are higher than those in mainland China but stylewise there's more diversity. It took me two nights, 3 hours each to explore it. The food alley across from the subway station is absolutely fantastic. Taiwanese food is delicious.

My favorite site in Taipei was Hulai aboriginal village. The waterfall, mountains, river, bridges and apartment buildings were stunning. There are also trains and cable cars to take you to the top but they were unfortunately closed for Chinese New Year. I couldn't find a real hot spring; the advertised hot springs in the local spas were only pools and Jacuzzis inside luxurious bedrooms, something you'd rather do with a partner!

Taipei 101 is nicely designed; especially the first 5 floors are like art-deco, loaded with upscale boutiques and designer shops. I heard that the other floors are still empty and not yet rented out. Too bad, what a waste of view and space!

On my last day in Taiwan, I joined a tour to Yehliu, the hill with seawater-eroded rocks. The most famous rock is the queen's head, took us some time to get a clear shot with no tourists in the frame! The rocks were amazingly eroded in strange shapes, the sea was clear blue, and the clouds were dazzling.

Taiwan is so not Chinese! And Taiwanese people don't like to be called Chinese. There is a strong sense of unique identity and desire for independence among them and they sure deserve it. The culture's totally different and the social structure felt to me very different.

Hong Kong to Taipei

The airport shuttle bus which picks up travelers along the Nathane avenue -- the longest avenue in Hong Kong -- was on time and spacious. I got to the airport around 9. Taiwan is my last destination. I had planned to shop for a ticket from Taipei to Korea while I was in Taiwan. At the boarding pass counter I was told that I cannot enter Taiwan without a return ticket. My visa is going to be valid for only 30 days and they needed a proof that I'm not planning to stay longer, so I was directed to the Cathay Pacific ticket center at the airport. At the ticket center they offered me an open ticket since I wasn't exactly sure when I'll be leaving Taiwan, before or after Chinese New Year. My common sense told me that an open ticket would not be accepted at the immigration since my visa is only valid for one month. But the ticket agent assured me that an open ticket is fine. The price was too high since a) it was an open ticket, b) the ticket center at the airport does not offer any promotions or discounts. I made sure I can refund the ticket in Taiwan, and went back to the boarding pass counter. I had only 10 minutes to board. At the boarding pass counter I, again, asked if an open ticket would be ok to enter Taiwan, the answer was "absolutely". I got on the plane and an hour and thirty minutes later landed in Taipei. At the immigration, I handed my passport and the arrival/departure card, but being stupid me, I couldn't keep my mouth shut and had an urge to share with the immigration officer that my ticket is open! What is wrong with me? He probably wouldn't even check my ticket as long as I had one.

It turned out that open tickets are not acceptable and as a result I was held up at the immigration. I was interrogated and asked to specify a return date for my flight to Korea. I was furious and not quite a lady. I had asked two agents at the Hong Kong airport if an open ticket would be ok they assured me it would. Now I've been denied entrance. I just couldn't understand why someone with a Canadian passport would be denied entrance for not having a certain return date. Why would I want to stay in Taiwan anyway? What do they think Taiwan has to offer me?

The Cathay Pacific center at the Taipei airport changed my ticket to the 26th. The camp ends on the 25th. I did not want to stay any longer than I had to, I wasn't feeling welcomed. "Thank you," I thought, "I'll spend my cash elsewhere!"

45 minutes later, 2 other teachers and I were picked up by the camp driver and taken to a hotel. That afternoon all of us met for an orientation and I met my boss, a nice, modest man who tried to make us feel at home. The first 3-day camp was going to start the next day.

Update on Hong Kong

Virginia hotel turned out to be a "love Motel". My first night at the hotel, happy to have found such a good deal, I was just off to bed when some very serious sound effects started to shake the floors and the ceilings. Lasted 15 minutes or so and everything went back to normal. I'm sure there had been more of that going on but I was too fast asleep to hear any. The next morning I was asked to check out. Turned out that the hotel rent was only for 12 hours not 24. I wasn't going to stay all day at the hotel so I didn't need to pay for the 12 hours, 11 am to 11 pm. I was offered to leave my luggage in the motel's balcony and check in again after 11 pm. I agreed.

Hong Kong was fun. On my first day I went on a long walk in the central and west Hong Kong area. I walked up the Hollywood street, visited the temple, Jade market, antique street, the old police station, Soho dining street, West and East market, Stanley street, and ate at a traditional Chinese restaurant. At night I decided to take a look at men's market in Kowloon but couldn't find it. I asked a man, Thomas from Germany, who looked like he knows. He happened to be on a business trip and was also looking for the same market and asked me to follow him. We went to the market, had diner, and planned a short trip to Macau for the next day.

Macau, the Portuguese island of China is a blend of Europe and Asia, the old and the new. You see Portuguese written everywhere but only 5 percent of the residents can speak it. We got on a bicycle tour and visited most tourist sites, guided by our friendly bike-cab driver.

At the Macau tower I went for the thrill of a lifetime, something I had always dreamed of: Bungee Jumping. It wasn't a free fall, but it was still one of the scariest things I had ever done. The worst part is right before jumping off. You look down and think: what the heck am I doing? you want to give it a second thought but it's too late to chicken out. I was terrified but once I jumped off, I was relieved. I had never felt so free. 15 second or so in the air and you're on your feet on the ground, craving more.

2 more days of checking out at 11 am and checking in at 11 pm at the Virginia motel, and I was on my way to Taiwan. I'll sure miss Hong Kong.

I am writing at a 24-hours PC-room in Hong Kong right across the Virginia hotel. I am the only foreigner here. All the 30 or so computers are occupied by young Chinese teenage boys and girls playing loud and noisy computer games. Once in a while one of them wins a game and screams in excitement. Most of them are smoking or sipping on their Coca Cola. There is an air-con working hard to keep the place breathable. Some Chinese style Rock & Roll is been played in the background and the Australian crocodile hunter is showing off his abusing skills on a TV hanging from the ceiling. It's 2:30 in the morning.

The train left Shanghai at 10:40 yesterday morning and got to Hong Kong at 15:30 today. 29.5 hours later! The train stopped every hour or so. It was very frustrating when the train sat still for a long time and none of the staff would explain why. I was told that the ride is only 26 hours.

On the train I met the nicest person I've ever seen in my life. A Philippine man who was looking for a job in China and Hong Kong. We had some long conversation about everything, life in Canada, Iran, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, about our retirement dreams, etc. When we got to Hong Kong, he helped me to find the exchange bureau and held my luggage while I ran to the bathroom. The train's bathrooms get locked one hour before the arrival. First I thought that is because the train is unstable and it's dangerous to walk around while the train is slowing down. But then I was told that the reason is the waste that is flushed out of the toilet into the railroad! They don't want any of that stuff around the major cities. But obviously they don't care much about the smaller towns. halfway between major cities. Why don't they just place a big bucket underneath the toilets?

At the Kowloon train station I hopped into a cab and got off at the hostel I had in mind, one that I had found on the Internet with relatively good reviews. I checked in and jumped into the shower. The shower felt so good so I took my time until the water started to get cold. As soon as I stepped out of the shower, I saw a huge cockroach wandering around the room, inspecting my luggage. Screaming, I ran to the office, asked the owner to go to my room and kill the bastard. Then I tiptoed to the room, carefully got dressed, and ran out for a tour around the island. The owner gave me directions to the busiest market in the area. Walking around the Lady's Market, I couldn't stop thinking about the poor cockroach whose life I took away, and possibly other similar bugs hanging around my room with possibly similar destiny. Cockroaches sleep during the day and get out at night so I decided to spend the whole night pounding coffee and staring at my watch at Starbucks. Suddenly I saw a sign above my head saying Virginia Hotel, luxury rooms for 78 Hong Kong dollars for two hours! I went in to see how bad the rooms are and what the rate is per night. The hotel was actually very nice, spotless and very quiet. I guess it's a love motel like the ones in Korea because they advertise it for hourly rent. But I found out that the rate for one whole night is almost the same as the other hostel I was at earlier, 190 Hong Kong dollar per weeknight, 220 for weekends. After the cockroach event, I knew what I was going to do. I went straight back to the hostel, which is two subway stations away from Virginia hotel and picked up my luggage. The owner of the hostel didn't agree when I asked him to refund me half of the fee and said he just had to let a customer go because he didn't have any rooms. I didn't insist, he made sense. But why would anyone want to stay in that place?

At the hostel I got a tourist booklet describing several walk routes around Hong Kong with different themes. I'm going to pick one, probably a shopping route and see how far I can walk in my heels tomorrow. The street markets are huge. When they say shop till you drop, they are probably referring to Hong Kong. The prices are not as low as Beijing and Xi'an, but compared to North America they're still much better.

Hong Kong's Subway is by far THE best subway system I've ever been to. Everything is illustrated on touch screens in English and Cantonese. To buy a ticket, you go to a computer screen and press on your destination. Then it tells you how much it would be. You put your coin in and get your ticket. No need to try to tell the ticket agent the station's name with your funny accent and get a funny look back. While you're waiting, next train's arrival time is announced on the speakers. There is a sliding door around separating the railroad from the platforms, making it impossible to commit suicide or murder. The lines, directions, stops and transfer points are well illustrated everywhere. A dynamic map with a moving arrow shows where the train is and what the next station is while the next stop is being announce in Cantonese and English on speakers. Each station has several exists, each of which contains a letter and a number, for example D3, and no two names are the same. On the map, at the subway stations, and on the streets, there are large maps listing all the tourist sites and attractions in the area. It's excellent. There is no way you get lost or confused. This subway system is built for dummies with no sense of direction what so ever!

Sunday night I took a train to Shanghai. I enjoyed Xi'an so much, I could stay longer. There was still more to see and the hostel was very friendly. Nice coffee, free Internet, fantastic western-style breakfast, dinner at the Muslim quarter with Mr. Kim, quiet rooms, good location, etc. It must be packed in the summer but now it's low season in China. It's too cold.

Sunday night I took a train from Xi'an to Shanghai. Apparently, it's very difficult to get a train ticket to anywhere from Xi'an since Xi'an is a major university city, and the university holiday season had just begun. All the students were trying to get a train ticket home. They go to the ticket sale outlets from 4:00 in the morning and line up. I was lucky, the staff at the hostel got the ticket for me through a travel agent. The ride was 15 hours. I was sleeping most of it, but towards the end, felt extremely dizzy. The food on the train was not so great and the loud Chinese TV in each room didn't help either.

When I got to Shanghai, I hopped into a cab and checked into a hostel close to the Bund. The Bund is one of the main tourist attractions in Shanghai. Shanghai just doesn't look like China. Skyscrapers, cars, noise and lights everywhere. I have never seen New York, but this is how I picture New York in my head. If you hate noise, do not come to Shanghai. Scooters and cars are everywhere and they blow their horn as they go. It's just their way of saying: "Watch out, I'm coming through whether you move your butt or not." The streets are filled with taxis, buses, bikes, scooters and people. When you want to cross the street, you'll find yourself closing your eyes, saying your prayers and hoping for the best.

There are so many things to see and do, but not too many historic sites like Beijing and Xi'an. There are thousands of ethnical restaurants, cultural events, shows, exhibitions, art galleries, pubs, clubs, colleges, …

On my first day in Shanghai I went to the Bund, went up the Pearl Tower and watched the sunset as the neon lights were coming to life one after the other. I saw a sex museum at the underground tunnel, which displayed the paintings and pottery pieces. It was interesting and sad to see how Chinese men used to worship male sex organs (Men haven't changed. Have they?), and control women by feet binders, etc. A female was considered property of a man, and by keeping a woman's feet small and disable, they would have ultimate power over her since she could not walk far away. Therefore she would have to stay home and never consider leaving. The old pottery pieces were astonishing. I learned that two fish in 69 position and also a duck holding a fish inside its beak are symbols of male and female. On a girl's wedding night, they used to give her a book with pictures of different sex positions to teach the bride what was about to happen to her and what she was supposed to do!

In front of the sex museum, there were some aquariums and small boats. Nothing too impressing.

On my second day in Shanghai I took the subway and went to the "working class" market. Everything is ridiculously inexpensive here in China although I found Beijing and Xi'an cheaper than Shanghai. I bought some sweaters, shades and accessories. Although shopping makes me happy no matter what, I was annoyed by how some shopkeepers greeted people with a big smile but then turn away, frown and even sometimes swear if the customer didn’t buy anything. At times, I felt like I am looked upon as a walking wallet rather than a traveler exploring China.

On my way back to the hostel, I bought a train ticket to Hong Kong for Thursday morning. I would rather leave on Wednesday but there are no trains to Hong Kong till Thursday. I was surprised that there are no daily trains between these two major cities.

On my third day in Shanghai, I went to Shanghai's library and caught up with my emails and blog. I spend almost 5 hours at the library and this I guess makes me officially an internetoholic. On my way to the hostel I decided to get off the subway at the People's Square to look around. The name sounded interesting. I saw some huge crowd a block away from the square and walked toward it. In 5 minutes, I found myself in a pool of countless neon lights, hotels, boutiques, restaurants and pubs with thousands of people, mostly tourists. Now THIS is how I had pictured Las Vegas in my head. WOW!

The train ride to Xi'an was 13 hours. Not bad, since I was sleeping all the way to Xi'an and woke up right before we arrived. Because I had made reservation from Beijing, the hostel staff was there to pick me up. I saw my name waving above the crowd and met the driver to the hostel. Some other guests were also picked up from other trains and we hopped in the minivan to go to the hostel. On the minivan, a staff asked us if we wanted to go to Terracotta Warriors right away since there were enough people singed up for that day's tour and it wasn't certain when the next tour will be. We agreed and after dropping our luggage in our separate rooms, went back to the minivan and headed to the 1.5 hour away biggest tourist attraction in Xi'an. Like the Great Wall tour in Beijing, we were not taken straight to our destination. We first went to a factory where then made little terracotta warriors to sell. I wonder if the tour guides get any commission from the factory. If so, they wouldn't be very happy with us because none of us bought anything. Then we went to a museum with old pottery pots and coins. After, we had lunch, and finally we were at the terracotta site. There are 3 pits, where they dug the worriers out of ground. The first one is the biggest and it's amazing. The warriors are life-size and each face is different from the other. Each warrior is unique. There are hundreds of them and they look like a real army, on standby to defend the town and protect the emperor.

When I went back to the hostel I did some laundry and met a Korean employee at the hostel, Mr. Kim who must be the friendliest person I've met in my life. I took a shower (thank God this one had separate, covered stalls), went to the lounge which became my favorite lounge in the entire universe. So cozy, warm and welcoming. On my first night at the hostel, we watched "Dodgeball" on DVD and all shared a good laugh. Around 10 a.m., I went out to look around the neighborhood, and decided that I am beginning to like China.

On my second and third day in Xi'an I visited the Muslim quarter and had barbeque beef, signature of the Chinese Muslims in Xi'an. I walked around some expensive shopping malls and an inexpensive street market, climbed the Bell tower and Drum tower, walked through the cultural street -- similar to Insadong Street in Seoul -- where they sell antiques, handicrafts and traditional art pieces. Visited a temple and walk to the city wall which is made of black bricks and surrounds the center of the city. There is so much to see in the small city of Xi'an. The terracotta warriors were only discovered in 1979 and it was opened to the public around shortly after then. The city has a feel of old China, the way we've seen it in old movies and photos.

Beggars with little kids are all over the city, not only Xi'an but also Beijing. First the mother comes and holds her pot in front of you, but when she fails to get any money, she leaves you and sends a little kid with cold purple cheeks and frozen black fingers. The kid follows you, pulls your jacket and begs for some money. Once they get it, they run back to the mother, or the "manager", while other managers start targeting you with their kids. Reminded me of Oliver Twist's dark times. These kids are everywhere. Every time I saw one, I taught what I can do to help these poor little kids used by their parents and ignored by the world. It took me one whole week to stop shedding tears after seeing one, and realize that it is what it is and I just can’t save the world.