Think about it

We returned to Hong Kong and spent our final night wining and dining on The Peak. To get to the peak, you take a tram up about a sixty degree slope, all while trying to capture some of the greatest views of the city you can imagine. I didn't get any really good pictures from the top since it was night, and I'm still kind of a novice, but I threw up what I got. Now for some of the things that made me think:

Hong Kong:
1. Above is a picture of the aforementioned Aberdeen Fishing Village. This is the place where local fisherman continue to live the traditional Chinese fishing lifestyle. They capture fish with nets in their hands. They leave all of the fish out on deck to dry. This is not a place that westerners would refer to as sophisticated, or even civilized. However, their cell phone adoption rate is still probably higher than the mass-affluent town of New Canaan, Ct. When our tour guide on our Saipan whipped out her cell phone, I was shocked.

Bangkok:
1. Bangkok is a city that has grown beyond it's infrastructure. There is a huge problem with not having sufficient roadways. For that reason, there is constant traffic, and people often build their schedules according to the traffic patterns. Even still, amongst the chaos in this third world country, the government has created what is called the Sky Train. This robust mass-transit system puts anything that I have seen in America to shame. It is clean, fast, and efficient. What is stopping the USA from implementing something (anything) that can even compare with something like this.

Singapore:
1. Singapore was full of surprises. I mentioned that this place was a Utopia of sorts. Here are a couple of examples that will clue you in on the kind of lifestyle that these people lead. Every citizen is forced to devote about a third of their paycheck into a forced savings account. This contribution is matched by the government, in full. This account is comprised of three parts. One portion is a personal account. Money can be withdrawn from this account for things of importance, such as funding one's childs education. A second account is a retirement account, that cannot be accessed until age fifty five (I believe). The third account is a healthcare account. This account cannot be touched before death, and is used in case a citizen requires medical assistance as they move into old age. All of this seems similar to a government enforced insurance plan- forcing people to save for what they should be saving for.
Additionally, the government provides first-time mothers with a $3000 (US) skim to assist them with the costs of raising a child. Also, if a parent sets up a bank account for their child, the government matches all contributions to that account, in full. This is to begin preparing for the investment in education.

2. Speaking of education, children often begin their education as early as three years old. At the age of seven, children are entered into a 12 year compulsory education system that brings them through high school. As you can tell, they take education very seriously.

3. I mentioned that there was very little traffic and all of the vehicles are very nice. This is because citizens must purchase the right to buy a car. This right often costs citizens the equivalent of $10,000 (US). Once this is purchased, then the citizen is only allowed to use that car for ten years. This enables the state to regulate traffic and, by keeping new cars on the road, pollution. All of the tolls are autodeducted from a "cash box" that works like a debit card on the dashboard. They don't have to stop to wait in lines to pay tolls.

4. Sim Lim Square was another place in Hong Kong that threw me for a loop. This eight story complex houses all of the latest technologies, along with all of the local people that care. It is a must-see place for anyone that is interested. The Chinese have always had a reputation for their utter disregard for proprietary technology. Of late, this has become a particular issue for clothing designers and tech companies. In Sim Lim, I saw thousands of Ipod alternatives, that have me convinced that Apple's dominance in the MP3 player market will be short lived. There are simply too many options, and too little switching costs for consumers. ITunes was a great thing for Apple, but the rivals are coming- watch out. Also in Sim Lim, I was looking at some laptops. For kicks, I checked the available wireless networks from one of the workstations. There were 38 unsecured systems that I could have connected to. 38. That's a lot. I have no idea how many there were if I were to look at the secure networks as well. All I know is that in America, I don't get cell phone service at my house, nor do I get wireless in my room.

Singapore

Singapore was only a two hour flight from Bangkok, but it seemed as if we had traveled around the entire world. The two cities could not have been more different. While Bangkok was filled with pollution, traffic, crime, and locals who spoke no English, Singapore was the cleanest city I have ever traveled to, non-existant traffic congestion due to government regulation, zero crime, and English as the national language. In a matter of hours, what was black become white, what was rough became smooth, what was hesitance became comfort. I don't know which place I found more exhilerating, but I know which one my mom preferred.
Singapore was a small Malaysion fishing village of twelve that has become a shopper's paradise. Seemingly every street is lined with designer fashion outlets, or technoworlds- where the newest gadgets reign king. It was a really fun city to explore. The cultural aspect was lacking when compared to Hong Kong or Thailand, but that is expected in a place that is home to such an eclectic mix of people.
We got most of our sightseeing out of the way by taking a half-day city tour. Again, I'm not a fan of these tours, but this one proved to be very useful. I learned some really cool things about the city that I later used to impress a kid that I'm going to school with now from Singapore. He shed some light on why Singapore appears to be so much like a Utopia. He reminded me that the locals refer to it as a "fine city." And that title refers to the severity of the punishments for breaking the code of conduct, not the elegance of the architecture.
After seeing everything from little India to Chinatown, we heading to the Raffles Hote (Above)l- home of the Long Bar and the world famous Singapore Sling. After one Singapore Sling at an outrageous price, we were content to head down to the river to continue drinking elsewhere. Put off by the sweetness of the Singapore Sling, I was drawn to beer, and polished off quite a few Tigers before and with dinner. Dad- you know what Tiger Time is all about.
We had a bunch of good times in Singapore, but nothing that most of you would be interested about, so I will leave it up to your imagination. In my next post, I will tell you about some of the things that really made me think along the way on this trip.

Bankok Pictures

Here is a picture from outside of the Grand Palace's gates. This is where we were bombarded by locals trying to throw us off-course. Also, a glimpse of the kind of stuff we found once we were inside.

Bangkok- family style discomfort

I'm now hollering at you from my room at HKUST. If I turn my head 90 degrees to the left, I will look out upon the beautiful Clearwater Bay- a view that rivals any vacation spot I have ever been to. One of these days, I will get some good pictures of this place. It is absurd.
After watching BC take care of business against UNC in basketball on espn.com, I finally have a couple of minutes to update you all on this wild far-eastern adventure. My mom and Jackie took off yesterday... it was a shame that they had to leave, but we had a great time together. It was nice to finally spend some time with my little sister. Being away from home so often, I have missed seeing her grow into the beautiful girl that she is- despite her New Canaan arrogance and sense of entitlement. It's fun to see.
Last time I posted, we were on our way to the great city of Bangkok. Other than knowing it's reputation as the sex capital of the world, home to an ever-growing population of tansvestites, I didn't have any idea what to expect. It wasn't really anything that I had prepared for.
We stayed in the beautiful JW Marriott hotel, which was an oasis of cleanliness in a expanse of filth. The city was very dirty, and the locals were typically interested in ripping us off anyway they could. I didn't blame them- after all, we were naive westerners, and they were trying to survive. Nevertheless, we always had to be on our guard.
While in Bangkok, we saw a couple sites of particular interest. On our way to the Grand Palace, we cruised up the Chao Phraya river on a "tourist boat." Despite surrendering my dignity by departing on such a vessel, the views of the river were interesting. Each shoreline was lined with markets and temples, so I was busy snapping away pictures. Upon arrival at the Grand Palace, we had a number of locals trying to convince us that the Grand Palace was closed for a Buddhist celebration until later on in the afternoon. Their intent was to scam us away from the Grand Palace and into a cab with them, at which point they could take all that we had and leave us naked on a street corner to be ingested by malaria-plagued misquitoes (probably not the case, but my imagination wanders).
Having been forewarned about such scams by our trusty guidebook, we shunned the locals and entered the gates of the Grand Palace. Dressed in the customary pants required to enter such sacred sites, I was sweating bullets immediately. My discomfort could not retract from the views that were encircled by the gates. I have attached a couple of pictures to give you a sense. I found it particularly interesting that they dressed the Buddha in the temple according to the season. Being winter, he was wearing a robe.
Other than the Royal Palace, Jim Thompson's house was really neat. Jim Thompson was an American, born in Delaware and educated at Yale I think, who went over to Thailand in World War II. While over there, he discovered the beauty of Thai silk and became the distributor of the material to merchants worldwide. In effect, he brought the Thai silk business to the rest of the world, and the country commemorates him at his old house, which is now a museum. The house is decorated with all kinds of cool Chinese art and was fun to see.
Any trip to Thailand would not be complete without getting an Original Thai Massage. There was a place in the Lonely Planet Travel Book that came highly recommended. The location of this place was vague, at best, and trying to find it in a city full of non-english-speaking scammers proved to be a tall task. To my Mom's extreme displeasure, I found a place that seemed "close-enough" to the right place.
I honestly don't know how to explain the location of this place to you. But, try to imagine taking your mother to the worst parts of Harlem, walking a street where everyone was staring at you speaking another language, and forcing her into a shop surrounded by shops displaying freshly cut beef and pork hanging on a string outside- on the hunch that a storefront with a hand written sign "Original Thai Massage" had to be a legitimate venue.
The only reason my Mom entered was because she feared staying on the street alone, and was unwilling to allow me and Jackie into the place unattended. Hey- whatever it takes to get her in the door. The message was amazing- the highlight of my trip. For an hour message, it cost the equivalent of six American dollars for each of us. For all I know, the attractive woman that I allowed to bend me every which way was probably a transvestite- ignorance is bliss right. On to Singapore

My Mom and Jackie are in town- Part 1

Hey All,

I’m going to apologize in advance. The majority of my first post is narrative. I am now done the first leg of my Far Eastern Adventure with my mom and my little sister, Jackie. We are out seeing as much of the world as we can in these ten days before I get going at HKUST. This post won’t be full of the trilling stories that I can promise in the future, but I want to make sure that I get it all down on paper so I don’t forget any of the places we visit. After all, this blog is my journal of my time abroad- your entertainment will just be an inevitable by-product. Here’s a little bit about our first stint in Hong Kong:

Day One:

First of all, let me say that Hong Kong is one wild and crazy place. Today was our first full day here, and different attractions were pulling us in a million different directions. So much to do, so little time… In the AM, we made the trek out to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. This is the University where I will be spending the spring, so I was happy to see that the campus is beautiful as I had imagined. I will post some pictures when the weather clears up and my camera can do the view justice.

After returning to the hotel, we strapped on our walking shoes and hit the streets. Walking around was the best way to get our bearings about the city, and we had a couple of hours before dinner. It was unbelievable to see the juxtoposition of new money and old Hong Kong. Hong Kong was transferred back to Chinese rule from the British on June 30, 1997. This event was memorialized outside of the Hong Kong Convention center and has been marked with multiple statues, most famously the “forever blooming bauhinia.” The statues can be seen from across the bay in Kowloon, and are landmarks for the city that I would compare to the Statue of Liberty. Granted, the statues are much younger, but I think that time will only add to their historical significance.

For dinner, we abandoned the travel handbooks, and put our faith in the JW Marriott Concierge. The man directed us to a restaurant called Hu Tong, located on the 28^th floor of a building in Kowloon. The interior of the restaurant was unlike anything that I have ever seen before. The ornate Chinese décor reminded me that I was on the other side of the world. The menu only augmented this realization, and it was refreshing to be lost in a new culture. I have so much to learn. The food was delicious, but it was irrelevant. My eyes were fixed out the window for the entirety of the meal. The sky was lit up with the renouned light show. It surpassed all of my lofty expectations- unbelievable.

Digression:

If you haven’t read The World Is Flat, you are certainly missing out. I strongly suggest you purchase a copy as soon as you can and read it cover to cover. On the 14 hour flight over, I spent a large portion of time buried in this text. It seemed to affirm my decision to study in Hong Kong. Michael Lewis has an urgent message to convey, and this book is more of a call to action than anything else. I will not get into any of the details, but let me know after you’ve read the book- we’ll have a lot to talk about by then.

Day Two:

Today we were intent on venturing to Stanley Market. The travel books all pinpoint Stanley as the premier place on the island for bargain hunting. To get there, we hopped on the double-decker bus. We expected the ride to be enjoyable, and it quickly became one of the coolest parts of the trip.

Jackie and I stationed ourselves on the top in the front of the bus. These seats gave us a magnificent view of the trip. Skyscrapers emerge from the side of hills and are truly architectural marvels. Furthermore, the construction process is very interesting- they are completely wrapped with bamboo scaffolding, held together by nylon ropes. It is remarkable.

We got to Stanley Market, and found exactly what we were expecting. Some of the coolest collections I have ever seen. From designer clothing to tiny handcrafted Chinese trinkets, Stanley Market had it all. Jackie dropped some serious dough (not at all) on one of the prettiest necklaces I’ve seen in a while. Meanwhile, I was inevitably drawn to the rugby jerseys, which sold for the equivalent of ten American dollars. I know what you’re thinking… I was thinking the same thing. I bought two.

A nice walk along the coast of Stanley brought us to the Tin Hau Temple, which is considered the oldest building on Hong Kong Island. It has been renovated, but the structure has been around since 1767. I learned that the Chinese often do not hesitate to knock down historical sites if they are located on valuable land, and there is a monetary incentive to dismantle it. After a great lunch on the water, we headed back to Pacific Place.

Almost immediately upon arrival home, we headed back out to go see Hollywood Avenue, home of the Chinese Antiques. Although the goods were out of our price range, they were a treasure to see. We made our way down the streets entirety and into the Lon Kwai Fong district. This area is Vice City, lined with bars, pubs, and other lustful hangouts. Without exaggerating, I can say every American is drawn to this part of town when the lights go down in the city.

Once I finished drooling over the vats of alcohol being shipped in for the evening, we walked back via the beautiful Hong Kong Park. The park was full of paths that twisted up and down hills. The park was enjoyable, despite having inspired numerous streams of sweat down my leg. In the middle of the city, the park was a refuge for many animals and a local hangout for tai chi.

Now, it’s 5:30, and I am going to grab a quick shower. We have reservations at 7:30, and my mom and I want to make sure that we get a nice little Happy Hour in beforehand. Two-for-one pints of Stella Artois. Life is good.

Day Three:

Upon waking up this morning, I was reminded of my cultural ineptitude. Last night, as we enjoyed our first Cantonese dinner, we embarrassed all of America. Whether it be eating off of the wrong plate, or eating with the wrong utensil, I’m convinced that the waitor thought we were retarded. Life goes on.

Our final full day before heading to Bangkok is now complete, and we made sure that we saw all that we could. Waking up with the sun, we went over to Aberdeen, which is a famous fishing village in Hong Kong. We rented a sampan (and the owner) for the equivalent of $10/ person for an hour long guided tour of the harbor. It was amazing to see the old fishing boats as they came in with their catch hanging on deck to dry. As we moved closer to the famous “Jumbo,” an enormous floating restaurant in the middle of the bay, we entered one of the yacht clubs. The contrast was indescribable. One side of the harbor played host to paddle and motorized sampans, while the other side catered to the extreme wealth of some of the world’s premier financiers. The ten dollars was a small price to pay for such an amazing little tour.

Without missing a step, we were off to Causeway Bay for lunch. Before convincing my mom and sister to go for Dim Sum at a traditional Chinese venue where no English was spoken (another meal plagued with Americanitis), the three of us walked through Victoria Park. The park was beautiful, and is a local hotspot for Tai Chi. The majority of the park is being prepared for Chinese New Year, which promises to be a radical experience. In fact, we learned earlier that many of the Aberdeen Fishermen had already returned to port for the New Year celebration. Keep in mind that the New Year is not for nine more days.

The afternoon was spent venturing through the Jade and Night Markets of Kowloon. We took the Star Ferry across the bay, which would have been spectacular had the fog not masked the view. It was fun nonetheless. I had the pleasure of sitting next to an Asian lesbian couple. Now on my way to Bangkok, I am bracing myself to see some much crazier things. Our negotiation tactics in the markets were flawless, and we retreated back to the hotel after making some purchases that we were proud of. The evening was capped by an elegant Indian dinner at a restaurant called JoJo. The restaurant is apparently a favorite of ex-pats and the food was quite good. Off to Thailand- I’ll be in touch.

Well, I'm back from Guatamala- It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. The work was amazing, the people were amazing, the country was amazing- it was a trip that I needed desperately to recapture a pespective that this group gave me in high school. I will not get into any of the details, since this blog is going to recount my experiences in the Far East, but here are a couple of pictures. The picture of me with the mic is me preaching to over 1000 Guatamalan Evangelists. I had a translator and all- this was powerful stuff...

First I'm Heading To Guatemala

Before I head off to learn how to eat dinner on the floor with chopsticks, I'm headed to Guatemala on a mission. Alongside 12 of my youth group's alumni, 12 members of the Bethesda Church Community in Chicago, and 12 native Guatamalans, we will work to build a sunday school for an amazing congregation of Guatemalans.

Here's a background of what we are doing (copied from an e-mail from my Pastor, Skip):

Church Mision Cristiana Filadelfia was founded by Pastor Abraham Flores Mairen in May 1987. He ministers to the community in three ways: “Partners of God” – this is a group that meets once a month and collects money to provide food for widows and other impoverished people. They deliver about 75 bags of food each month; “The Feeders of God” – this is a group of young people who start working at 3:00am on Sunday mornings to help drug addicts, the homeless, orphans, prostitutes and other outcasts. They help the people get cleaned up, feed them and take them to church; “Bread for the Poor” – this is a group of individuals who make bread and sell it at low prices for those in need.

The ministry first began meeting out of Pastor Abraham’s home and as the congregation grew, they moved to a small 10x25’ metallic structure. In 1990, they purchased some land and built a temple of worship as well as a temple for children’s classes. In 1999, he founded the Liceo Integral Cristiano Filadelfia (The School of the Church).

Pastor Abraham founded a number of small churches outside of the city that work with Mision Cristiana Filadelfia and one of those is in San Miguel Milpas Altas, which is where you’ll be working. This congregation worships and teaches in one small facility. Our goal will be to help complete a new worship building and to build out walls for classrooms, sleeping quarters for the traveling pastor and a storage area in the old sanctuary. We’ll work side by side with members of the San Miguel congregation, Pastor Abraham’s congregation and our old friends from the Bethesda Christian Center.

I'm really excited to see a new country, and interact with new people. I plan to test my spanish skills and my new camera. As long as I can keep away from the violence that has plagued the nation in the past, the trip will be unbelievable.