Week 52: Wolves of The Mountain

I am ending the year with this awesome t-shirt. This one was probably another gift from folks who knew I was in my black t-shirt mode and thought that I like wolves, perhaps after seeing me in my wolf shirt or the I like lightnings, after seeing me in my Grand Canyon Lightning shirt.

I do not remember who gave me this shirt, but this one is quite artistic. If you notice the mountains are also wolf heads and the “rock” that the most visible wolf is standing on is also a wolf. My husband said it’s like one of those 80’s 3D optical illusion posters where there is a hidden image (is it called a stereogram?). Because of that, he decided that this is really a cool shirt (and we should definitely keep it).

This actually reminds me of one of the T-shirts from The Mountain. I saw one of these shirts in our trip to Old Sacramento this week, and my husband and I had a ball finding the hidden animals. It was serendipitous that I was writing about this shirt this week. (BTW, you can also find grumpy cat t-shirts in The Mountain).

I am really not sure when I can wear this shirt. Perhaps over the summer, when we spend more time outdoors.

As long as I don’t see a wolf up-close.

Week 51: Shirts that were gifts - The Eagle and the Moon

I found more shirts that I did not know I had. They were probably presents from folks who knew I was in my black t-shirt mode and that I love animals. Since it is the season of giving, I thought this week would be a good time to write about these T-shirts that I received as gifts.

  

I am not sure who I gave me this shirt or when it was given to me, but these are gorgeous and quite artistic. The eagle in front is quite majestic – with its wings fully spread out and ready to attack. The one in the back is at rest, but still with fiery ferocity.

I probably only wore this shirt once or twice, since I really cannot find the appropriate time to wear this shirt. However, this shirt seems appropriate this week since we just had a full moon (December 17) and it is the weekend of the winter solstice.

Happy solstice, everyone.

Week 50: Shirts I did not know I had - Wolf!

I was very surprised when I found the shirt that I am featuring this week. This is not even from the secondary site, but in the special site where I keep my black special t-shirts (Yes, I have one). There was a phase when my outfit was mostly black t-shirts and jeans and that stack explains it.

 

This shirt is probably one of the few travel shirts that I have in that spot. I do love the wolf design in this shirt. It is a beautiful wolf and also honors the Indian tribes in Canada. I do wonder if I bought this in honor of the lone wolf that we saw from a distance (See my post on Paws). We saw a lot of animals in our trip, and that wolf was definitely one of the more unforgettable ones.

I did have several posts chronicling my trip to Canada, from Banff to Jasper, so I figured that I do  need not too writing in this post. Just enjoy this beautiful and very artistic T-shirt.

Week 49: Shirts I did not know I had - More on the Mayans

I guess the trip to Cancun and my encounter of the Mayan culture had a significant impact on me. In trying to find more t-shirts to blog about, I found a shirt that has a Mayan calendar. I had forgotten that I had this one and found it at my secondary site looking for unusual T-shirts.

Although I am not able to understand it, I love the symbols around the calendar (I am a sucker for symbols and calligraphy). The Mayans were excellent astronomers and mathematicians. To understand the Mayan calendar, you need to understand Mayan math. In researching the calendar, I found that the Mayans had the concept of zero and counted in Base 20 (For math geeks, that is how I will now say my age. It's better than hexadecimal or Base 16... but I digress). Also, I was surprised to learn that the Mayan calendar is very similar to the Gregorian calendar that we use today. Fascinating!

For more info on the Mayan calendar, I found this article on the Mayan calendar on HowStuffWorks.com very useful. 

Week 48: Shirts I did not know I had - New York, New York

Blogger’s Note: I am posting a bit early for next week's post so I can take this weekend off and be with my family. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hannukah.

Most of the country had their attention in New York this week in a very wholesome way. It ‘s Thanksgiving and most of the country will be viewing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and admiring the gigantic balloons. This next t-shirt from New York City is appropriate this week.

I have only visited New York City twice: first when I visited my friend from college and second when my cousin and I drove to New Jersey for her new job. The first one was rather crazy: New York and Washington D.C. in five days. The latter trip was even crazier trip: three days, five cities, 3000 miles, and only one speeding ticket. At least the first one, I flew both ways.

I probably acquired this t-shirt on my first trip since I had very little time on the second. I suspect I bought this one the tourist traps in Times Square.

That was my first trip to New York City. I remember exploring all the sites while my friend was at work. I went to all the major requisite sites mostly via foot and subway. I visited the Empire State Building, Wall Street, Rockefeller Center, the UN, even the World Trade Center. The only major sites that I did not visit were the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was raining hard then and I did not think it would be an enjoyable experience to take the ferry.

I would love to visit NYC again and go on a Broadway or Foodie tour. On those trips, I was too busy cramming all the sight-seeing to enjoy a good restaurant or go to a Broadway show. I did enjoy a slice of authentic New York pizza and saw some sidewalk entertainers, but that is not quite the same.

Besides, now I want a cronut.

Week 47: Shirts I did not know I had - Hong Kong, Enter The Dragon

Shortly after I started this project, I took inventory of the shirts on the pile and had some sort of a plan laid out. Of course, things changed a bit as the weeks passed. Sometimes, I changed my topic because a different shirt felt more appropriate for the events of that week. During that inventory, I think I did notice that I had this next shirt, but completely forgot about it.

I bought this shirt when I was in Hong Kong in our grand adventure to China. The time in Hong Kong was a welcome stop after the trip in Mainland China.  Our last stop was in Guilin, which was beautiful but somewhat rural. We were ready for some big city amenities and some variety in food.

Our stay in Hong Kong now seems like an episode of The Hangover. It was a blur: We had three nights and two and a half days. We spent part of our visit in a really nice luxurious hotel and one night in the total opposite – a youth hostel. There was the Hotel General Manager with the $1000 gold rim glasses, my friend’s childhood friend and her Austrian boyfriend, the group of American old ladies who thought I was a native (and surprised when I started to talk), the two Chinese teenagers walking side by side on Nathan Road talking to each other on their cell phones, bunk beds in the hostel (we were fortunate, my friend and I got the room to ourselves), and other various tourists and characters we encountered.

Part of the tour package in Hong Kong was a half-day island tour which included a ride up Victoria Peak and seeing Aberdeen’s junk dwelling community, but that was probably the only organized part of the trip. The rest of the time we spent exploring: enjoying the cuisine at Hong Kong especially the dimsum which we had almost every morning, spent time in the Temple Street Night Market, dinner at Planet Hollywood – of all places (My friend’s friend’s boyfriend does not eat Chinese food), hung out with new friends during downtimes and compared travel notes, and of course, shopping. 

I bought this shirt while shopping, of course. I really like this shirt's design. I love the dragon which is considered lucky in Chinese culture. Also, red is considered lucky in Chinese, so it's doubly lucky. I also love the Chinese calligraphy. In addition to this t-shirt, I also bought one of my favorite sweaters there. I still have it, but needs a bit of repair. I am not sure what else I bought, though... but, I do remember that I had a huge suitcase (Sweet!)

I know things are probably a bit different now, but I would enjoy returning and exploring. There is so many things that we did not get to see – like the Giant Buddha and the Bruce Lee Statue. If anything, Hong Kong is a great stop in any trip back to Asia.

Week 46: Shirts I did not know I had - Another Great Wall Shirt

This next set of shirts belongs to “I did not know I had these” category. I was exploring the pile for shirts that I have not yet featured and found a few that I missed. I guess that is why it’s called “The Pile”. To be quite honest, I found this in the “secondary site” – ala Jurassic Park.

This first one is another shirt that I picked up in China. It is another Great Wall Shirt, but it is a bit more “artsy” than the first one (see for yourself).

The design of this shirt reminds me of the desert. I imagine that this shirt was inspired by how The Wall looks like in the deserts of Mongolia. It even has camels on it (or at least, they look like camels). I know how great The Great Wall is – but this shirt made me realize how vast it is. The spot that we visited at Badaling was green and lush. It even rained when we were there. However, on this shirt, the Great Wall is in a brown background: quite the opposite.

The Great Wall spans many provinces in China and took several dynasties to build. At one point, it has been claimed that the Great Wall is “the only man-made structure that can be seen in space” (Although many have disputed that claim: check out this NASA article).

Regardless, it is an awesome experience to see here on Earth and walk (more like climb) part of it.

For more info, check out my previous post for more details about my adventures in China.

Week 45: Visiting Balboa Park

The next t-shirt is a bit unique: no print on the front or the back – just on one sleeve. It is from the San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park from the “Science of Aliens” exhibition a few years ago.

See. Nothing in Front, Back looks the same.

My husband gave it to me as a gift after he spent the day exploring some of the different museums in the park. I was in San Diego working for a couple of days, and he decided to tag along … and play (not a fair deal, I tell you).

Balboa Park is an incredible place. We have visited the park on previous trips to San Diego and are amazed at the variety of different botanical, cultural, and historical attractions. My favorites are probably the Botanical Garden and the Japanese Friendship Garden. In that trip, my husband visited four museums including The San Diego Air & Space Museum, the Automotive Museum, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, and The San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts. In our half-dozen visits to San Diego (while I am either working or training in Aikido), he claims that he has visited each & every museum in the park: an amazing feat on its own especially for someone who is just visiting.

Sleeve Detail

Don’t get me wrong; it’s not all work and no play for me. We were able to explore the park (and some other San Diego attractions) together during the weekend. We enjoyed lunch at the award-winning Prado restaurant (also in Balboa Park) and, spent most of the afternoon at the Museum of Man, San Diego’s only museum dedicated to anthropology. As with all our museum visits, we spent some serious time walking from exhibit to exhibit. By the end of the day, my feet were sore and my brain was full! The museum was fascinating – especially since I fancy myself as an Indiana Jones wannabe (without the boulders, poisonous darts, and snakes – “I hate snakes”). We treated ourselves after that to a fabulous Spanish dinner and tapas at Café Sevilla in the Historic Gaslamp District. 

San Diego is probably our favorite destination in Southern California. In addition to Balboa Park, we love the Gaslamp District for its gastronomic adventures, Ocean Beach for its casual atmosphere, inexpensive eats and the fact that it is a beach town, Old Town San Diego for the fabulous Mexican restaurants and arts & crafts shops, and of course Hotel Coronado and the Silver Strand Beach. We’d love to return to San Diego for a long, long weekend sometime soon.

Or maybe I can go there for work again!

Week 44: The Hula People

We have another hula-filled weekend. This is the weekend of Ia ‘Oe Ka La Hula Festival and Competition competition in Pleasanton, California. This weekend, different halaus (Hula schools) from all over the world display their skills and the dances that they learned this year and compete to be best group in their category. It is quite a festive event.

The T-shirt that I am featuring is not from the competition, but it is from one of the family hula traditions that my husband and I started. Around October, we go to San Francisco to enjoy Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu’s annual hula show. We look forward to their production each year. Their dance company, led by Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakane. not only dances to traditional dances but also to modern songs. As an example, this year, they danced to one of my favorite songs, “True” by Spandau Ballet. I think my favorite one is when they danced to “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack. My husband and I really enjoy watching Na Lei Hulu’s shows and other hula shows. Na Lei Hulu’s performances are beautiful and almost have a Las Vegas quality and precision.

This t-shirt is probably the second one that I bought. I try to buy one each year and have probably never missed a year. I really love this shirt. I particularly love the back: It says “Ka Po’e Hula” or "The Hula People." For me, it represents the dancers, who practice their craft with so much dedication and commitment, the kumu hulas, who are dedicated in transmitting their knowledge, not only about dance, but also on culture and tradition, the musicians, and of course, the audience who enjoy seeing these shows year after year.

 

Although the dancers this weekend are not in a professional dance company, the caliber of dancing this weekend would be the same. These hula groups have been practicing for months. Before and after their performance, their hula sisters and brothers cheer them on. It can be a loud electric atmosphere. Also, not only are they judged for dancing (and they have to be synchronized), but also costuming and language. ‘Auwe! It is a huge commitment, indeed.

We would not expect any less from Ka Po’e Hula.

Week 43: Pirates, Skulls (and a Hangover?) at Treasure Island, Las Vegas

It’s almost Halloween, so I thought this week’s T-shirt should be semi-related to ghouls and skeletons. An added bonus is that it is also “pirate”... Arrrrrr!

I bought this t-shirt on a late night (or early morning, not sure which) walk in the Las Vegas Strip. I do not remember much from that trip, nor why we were in Vegas. I just remember seeing the Pirate Battle in Treasure Island and buying this shirt. And no, we were not drinking... just really tired.

I was not that tired to buy this shirt. I love the sparkles in this shirt - I knew I had to have it! It’s just so different from what I have. I also love the skull’s gold tooth.

I am looking forward to wearing this on Halloween. It’s one of my favorite shirts to wear…during the day. In the evening, of course, we will be in costumes.

Arrrrrrrr!

Week 42: Bali Hai Calls: Romance and Adventures in the South Pacific

For the last few weeks, it seems like we’ve been reminiscing on epic trips: Greece, China, Peru. This next post is one of those trips – but not quite as Type-A. This T-shirt is our souvenir from our trip to French Polynesia, otherwise known as "Tahiti."

Our trip to Tahiti was my husband and I’s first trip overseas together. This was actually our official honeymoon, since our Hawaiian adventure was technically our wedding trip (Huh? Whatever. *That* is my logic).

Our first stop was in Mo’orea. We landed on the island of Tahiti and took a puddle jumper to Mo’orea. Puddle jumper was the exact description: I think this was the smallest plane that I have been in, and there were only 12 passengers. It was so small that I thought it was going to fall apart (flashback: the cab in Xian from my China Trip).

In Mo’orea, we stayed at Cooks Bay at the Club Bali Hai Hotel. Although the accommodations were a bit dated (It is one of the original hotels in Mo’orea), it was quite relaxing and very laid back. We always woke up to a beautiful view of Cooks Bay. The view from Cooks Bay was the inspiration to Bali Hai in South Pacific (Hence the name of the hotel; although some say it is actually Hanalei Bay in Kauai). We often enjoyed a fresh Tahitian breakfast outside. Breakfast was usually fish that was just caught by the brother of our server and fresh fruit. In the evening, the staff always had entertainment – whether it was Tahitian dancing or crab races (long story – but I was the hit of the show).

In our four days in Mo’orea, we explored quite a bit. Looking back, it was actually quite unbelievable that we only spent four days. Club Bali Hai is walking distance to a good restaurant (Honu Iti where we had our first dinner), the Top Dive dive shop (very important – we dove two days), and the black pearl shop (most important). We also enjoyed an excursion in a glass bottom boat, a shark feeding and stingray snorkel (with Tahiti's most entertaining guide - Siki), dining, and of course, diving. In fact, this was the reason that I started diving. I figured if we’re going to Tahiti, I gotta dive!

From Mo’orea, we took a plane (a full-size airplane this time) to Bora Bora, "the most romantic island in the world." We had multiple stops, so the anticipation increased after each stop. When we landed and saw the famous Bora Bora landscape & lagoon, it actually exceeded all expectation. It was more beautiful that I ever imagined. I think that this is really the inspiration for Bali Hai.

In Bora Bora, we stayed in an over-the-water bungalow at the Le Maitai Polynesia. It is a beautiful hotel on the main beach in Bora Bora with a bar and a full restaurant. It is walking distance from a number of casual “snack” places – where we usually had our lunches. The bar has a really good happy hour: 2 for 1 drinks. However, they do not know how to make a Martini (even with clues from my husband: ‘James Bond, shaken not stirred’ – nothing worked).

In Bora Bora, we enjoyed a lot of diving (again two days of diving) and kayaking (it was free). My husband and I kayaked a lot those days, so some of the folks thought we were professionals.  We even rented a car for an hour – that was how long it took to go around the island, look at the sorry looking dogs (they were not starving, just too hot), and stop for drinks. It rained one day, so we just walked over to the nearby Intercontinental and enjoyed the buffet breakfast and passed the time to read the “newspaper” (it was more like a two sheet summary) and working on a Japanese bat puzzle (which my husband claims as the most stressful part of his vacation).

We also enjoyed a fabulous dining experience at Bloody Mary’s. When you’re in Bora Bora, you have to dine at Bloody Mary’s. It is a unique experience. You select your order from the fresh fish on a bed of ice displayed as you enter the door. The restaurant has a tropical theme: sand on the floor and palms everywhere. You really feel like you’re in the South Seas.

Another must while in Tahiti is staying at an over-water bungalow, especially in Bora Bora. The view of the lagoon is just breathtaking. We even enjoyed the moon reflecting on the lagoon one evening. It was the most awesome moonrise I have ever seen (an inspiration every time I dance hulas about the moon). My husband also had the most relaxing sleep in his life: the sound of the water under the bungalow is so soothing that it just rocks you to sleep. And oh, the coffee table in our bungalow was rather unique. The table top was glass, but the flooring below it was cut out, replaced with a glass pane, so while sitting there, you enjoy a tropical aquarium from below. My husband was actually stalking an octopus. We checked him out while snorkeling.

This trip was so fabulous that we did not have that much time to shop – that is why we bought this shirt after the fact to commemorate our trip (plus the airport shops were closed - they only open one hour before a flight). We loved Tahiti, and we do hope to return to Tahiti. I know we always say this about our adventures – but this time I think it will be true. In fact, maybe I should change that to “we will be coming back to Tahiti” (perhaps for our 15th Anniversary, which is coming up soon.) Don’t get me wrong this is not the first time we splurged on a milestone anniversary: Our fifth and tenth were back in Kona, we spent one in Maui (our 7th?). For our 10th, we spent 10 days – maybe when we return to Tahiti, it will be 15 days.

Fifteen days... Now that will be a lot diving!!!!

Week 41: On Ruins, Fishes, and Tequila Shooters

My Incan adventure was not my first encounter to a culture from South or Central America.  In my previous posts, I mentioned that for my graduate school graduation present, my mom and I shared in my expenses for a trip to Cancun, Mexico. It has been two long years of just school and work (and some sleep and zero social life in between), so I thought some rest and relaxation by the beach would be great. My featured t-shirt is from Cancun this week.

I chose Cancun because it seemed exotic and safe enough (back then) for a single woman to travel by herself. I also remember some of my college Spanish, although I am somewhat rusty. Lastly, it seemed to be a great place to veg out during the day and perhaps go dancing in the evening. The dancing part did not happen, because I really am not that big on clubbing, especially if I am travelling solo. Also, although bumming around the beach with a good book or two seemed appealing, I found that I am really a Type-A traveller. Beach time can only go so far -- I really wanted to explore. I started out exploring the miles and miles of beachfront. I found some faux ruins on the beach and was fascinated (I also saw my first iguanas, which were equally fascinating, but somewhat intimidating). So I started researching my options…

I found that there were some side trips that I can make. One of them was to Chichen Itza and Tulum. I decided turn some of my R&R time to education and booked the trip to Chichen Itza and Tulum. That was my first encounter with the Mayans.

The trip to Chichen Itza was fascinating. Exploring the grounds with a tour guide and independently was quite educational. I learned about the Maya’s astronomy skills and walked through the huge "ball" court. I even climbed El Castillo for the experience, although I forgot that I am afraid of heights and narrow ledges. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience going down.

We also travelled to Tulum. We did not have a guide for this site, but we did have an hour to explore by ourselves. I thought Tulum was more beautiful than Chichen Itza, being by the ocean. The backdrop was just gorgeous. Tulum probably served as a fort against sea invaders.

The other side trip that I enjoyed was to Isla Mujeres. It was a combination island trip and snorkeling. We took a ferry to the island and the morning to snorkel and the afternoon to shop and explore. Although I now snorkel and dive, I did not snorkel back then. In fact, I was not even a confident swimmer. With a boogie board, I was able to enjoy the underwater world of the fishes. I think this was the rationale for buying the shirt: I finally snorkeled! We were rewarded with tequila shooters on the ferry on the way home.

I really enjoyed this trip. Although I was extremely cautious since I was traveling alone. I learned I could survive in a foreign country (and a bus load of Brazilians – friendly ones, though) by myself. It did help to have some language skills. Now, every time we go to a foreign country, I try to pick up a few useful words (like "Thank You", "Please", "Hello", "Stop" - as in "Please stop the bus").

Lastly, since I enjoy learning during my travels, I’d like to spend our vacations in spots that combine culture and fun … and definitely enjoy some R&R in the process.

Week 40: The Road to Macchu Picchu… and Beyond

When my husband and I started traveling, I finally had a chance to cross off some of my travel goals. The first one that I was able to cross off was Greece (and I have a T-shirt to prove it). Before my marriage, I went to China with my friend (also have a T-shirt to prove it). Third on my list was Russia – to see Beautiful St. Petersburg and Moscow perhaps through a cruise. But I decided to change it to a Peruvian experience.

Russia is still on my list, but my priorities changed. It’s okay to change your goals. As the years pass, one changes and evolves and your tastes and goals may change with that. At first, I was hesitant to change, but I went back to my original intent – budget, prioritization, and enjoy.

Authentic Incan T-shirt (not really)

I first heard about Peru from an officemate who wonderfully described their adventures and the fabulous Incan ruins. I decided, long ago, that I wanted to visit the influential centers of the world. With that, the center of the Incan Empire should be on my list. So I knew I had to go!

We found a really great trip through Mountain Travel Sobek. It was a pretty long trip of about 12 days, I believe: starting at Cuzco and ending in Arequipa. It was the perfect trip – What would have made it more perfect was including a side trip to the rainforest and Nazca, but our allotted time and vacation times would not allow it.

We had an excellent guide, Rosa, and a really friendly driver, Raul, which made all the difference. We also had a really great group of people on the tour; most of them were very, very seasoned travelers. The tour was a lot of fun and we explored a lot of places, some of them very close to Cuzco. The biggest challenge that we had was adjusting to the altitude. Cuzco is over 11,000 feet (Yes, that is three zeroes). Our first day there, we walked four blocks to the town square, and our legs turned into putty. The coca tea helped (yes again, that is legal in Peru), but don’t drink too much, you’ll stay awake all night!

We travelled all over, explored Cuzco Cathedral in Cuzco, Sacsayhauman, Temple of the Sun (which was actually near our hotel), hiked the ruins of Pikillaqta, we went to & hiked in Pisac (one of the scariest hikes I’ve done in my life – some ancient, very narrow trails at almost 10,000 feet), visited a Quechan village at 14,000 ft (and danced the hokey pokey – long story), enjoyed sunrise at Lake Titicaca (and our barge was driven by Jesus, we can’t be in better hands), enjoyed visiting Colca Canyon and admired the flight of the magnificent condors (rising up from the canyon floor, riding the thermals) and ended our trip in the beautiful city of Arequipa (surrounded by some 14,000 foot majestic volcanoes). Through the trip we stayed in beautiful hotels and enjoyed delicious meals, even in the middle of nowhere (and that half of the time!).

Of course, no trip to Peru is complete without a trip to Macchu Picchu. We traveled to Macchu Picchu via train. Not counting the commuter trains, I believe it was my first train ride and thoroughly enjoyed it (I took lots of pictures). We stayed in nearby Agua Caliente in a gorgeous hotel with a beautiful garden that almost looked like a rainforest. We enjoyed our downtimes exploring the property.

We visited Macchu Picchu for two days. Our first afternoon there, we just chilled out and enjoyed. Some of our group was feeling a bit under the weather, so it was good just to sit and enjoy the sites. I meditated for a little bit. Day 2 was exploring. We walked all over the site. Some of the younger girls wanted to hike Huayna Picchu, but it reached maximum capacity.

Macchu Picchu was probably my most favorite spot! It was really quite ethereal - It was very calming and you could feel the serenity of the mountains around you. I was very amazed of how huge the compound was. After a day of walking, I was exhausted. We rested for a little bit, and some of the girls did yoga. I chose to borrow one of the ladies’ walking stick and did some Aikido Jo Kata. The group was impressed with my demo. In fact, one of them was so inspired as to take up some martial arts training.

When it was time to head home, my husband gave the ‘”farewell thank you speech” to Rosa and our driver Raul for the group; it was very touching; we all got teary-eyed.

Our trip to Peru was truly a trip of a lifetime. Much kudos to Rosa, Raul, and Mountain Travel Sobek for making that possible. My husband and I still fondly reminisce about our adventures. We acquired a taste for Peruvian food (Quinoa especially, which is now a staple in our diet) and Inca Cola. Most importantly we met great people (some of whom, we have exchanged letters with over the years) and experienced a wonderful adventure! We can still hear Rosa saying “Vamanos muchachos!”

BTW: I apologize for another long post. It is really difficult to summarize a trip like this in a page or two. But, it does give me ideas for a future project… Stay tuned.

Week 39: T-shirt Diva’s Excellent Adventure in China

The post about Greece a couple of weeks ago made me think of the reasons why I chose to visit Greece. When I made a decision that I wanted to see the world, I realized that I did not have enough funds to see the entire world. To enjoy trips and vacations, one needs funds – maybe a lot of funds. I just moved to California, started my first real (non-internship) job after college, and was technically just starting up… and broke.

Back then, I could not imagine seeing all the countries I wanted to visit. So, I made a list and prioritized. Having just visited Italy and England (Thanks to my Mom and Dad – what I considered a college graduation gift), I decided to visit what I considered the cities that were influential centers of the world. Having just visited Rome and briefly visited Tokyo, on my top three were Greece, Russia (still on the list, but lowered in priority), and China.

After graduate school and no social life for two years, I decided to give myself one more graduation gift: A trip to China. A close friend had always wanted to visit, so we figured this would be a good opportunity for us to get-together & enjoy a lifetime experience.

In actuality, this was a couple of years after grad school, and my actual gift from mom and me was a trip to Cancun (a subject for another post) and enjoyed a visit to Chichen Itza.

Back to the topic at hand…My friend and I found a tour that would suit our needs; cities on the tour were Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong. It was a perfect combination for the two weeks that we had. Also, since the last stop was Hong Kong, my friend could spend some time with her friend and it will give me a chance to travel back home to the Philippines after the trip to chill out with my family – my vacation after the vacation.

My friend and I were quite accustomed to long flights. I am originally from Manila and she grew up in Vietnam (and Paris). The flight from San Francisco to Beijing was not a problem. Our first adventure though started at the airport: While we expected to be greeted by a tour bus or at least a van, we were greeted by a young lady and was led through a dark parking lot in what seemed to be a family car. My friend and I gave THAT look to each other – telepathically - I think we were both thinking “if we die now, at least we made it to Beijing.”

Obviously, we ended up both fine. The tour for the Beijing leg was actually a “private tour” with just my friend and I with a driver and a guide. This actually had some advantages… and disadvantages.

While in Beijing, we toured the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, and Ming Tombs. These sights were usually very crowded and we had to squeeze through a lot of people. My friend gave up taking a photo without people in it. We did a lot of walking during the tours and even more walking afterwards. My friend and I went shopping downtown and tried to navigate the nearby shops (She speaks some Chinese, I don’t). We even went to a wonderful Chinese Opera.

Of course, while in Beijing, we visited one of the gates of The Great Wall of China. It was a magnificent site and spanned miles and miles. We only had about an hour to explore, climb and take photos. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. One side of the wall was pretty crowded, so we decided to also explore the other side. It was a harder climb (hence less people), but we were younger and more adventurous. We had some truly unforgettable pictures from there.

Other highlights on our trip were seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xian and the Li River Cruise and the Reed Flute Cave in Guilin. The Li River Cruise was so beautiful that it was worth it for me to skip lunch and take video and photos. Lunch that day was two ClifBars, but I took really great photographs - well worth it!

Xian and Guilin back then did not have as much infrastructure as Beijing. It seemed rather rural, but a refreshing change from the crowded smoggy Beijing. That said, we did miss some big city amenities; for example: the cab that we took in Xian was almost falling apart, so much so that we had to hold on to each other to prevent us from falling out. I remember that I had a difficult time finding places to get soda.

So, after almost a week, we could not wait to be in Hong Kong. Having congee in the morning, good dimsum for lunch and enjoying a good dinner; and having soda and Haagen Daz handy! It was a welcome site, indeed... And people around us spoke English! Even our hotel was the most luxurious hotel that we’ve stayed in – ever. The room was controlled by a panel on our nightstand, and I had a great time experimenting on what button to push for this or that.

I truly wish we had more time in China. There were so many more sites that we did not see and adventures to explore. In Beijing, we did not get to see the Summer Palace, which is supposed to be very beautiful. We did not get to visit Shanghai, the “Paris of the East.” Hong Kong probably has a whole week or two of sites to explore and we were only there for three days.

At least, I got to check it off my bucket-list. One more to go.

Week 38: On Aikido Seminars

It’s another aikido weekend. Well, most weekends, at least Saturdays, are for me. This one is a big one for me as I am doing my nidan (Second-degree black belt) demo this week. So, I thought it would be appropriate to write about aikido this week.

The shirt that I am featuring is probably one of my favorites. I bought it in Reno, while I was attending my first seminar by Hitohiro Saito Sensei. I was quite nervous, as always when I attend a seminar. Back then, I was not even a shodan (first degree black belt), maybe not even ikkyu (Third-degree brown belt), so I felt really intimidated by the sea of yudanshas (black belts) who attended. Clearly, this was very advanced training and I am not sure if I am ready for it.

I did have a lot of fun and learned a lot. The techniques were familiar, but after a day or so, my head was already spinning. One of my most memorable moments was when Saito Sensei came by and corrected the technique that my training partner and I were doing. He bowed to me, and asked me to attack him. I was very nervous, and my Japanese was very minimal, almost non-existent. However, I did the technique with him and even surprised myself because I he did not correct my attack.  It was an honor to train, even just for a few minutes, with a high-ranking master.  I was also thankful that I remember what my Sensei taught me.

I make it a point to attend Saito Sensei’s seminars every time he is in the area. Another opportunity is our bi-annual divisional trainings and yearly summer gasshukus. It is an excellent opportunity to refine my technique, gain new perspective, and reconnect with old friends and acquaintances. Onegai shimasu.

Week 37: My Big Fat Greek T-shirt Post... Opa!

It’s Greek Festival season in our area, so this week’s t-shirt brings us back to our travels to Greece.

As with all the T-shirts in the pile, this trip has been some years ago. However, it was a very enjoyable and memorable trip. We actually started our adventure with an unexpected extended layover (our connecting flight was late) at the Munich airport. If there is anywhere that you need to spend a layover in, it’s Munich. My husband is German-American, so we had planned to enjoy a German platter with authentic dumplings and brats and good German beer. The extended layover allowed us to enjoy a Bavarian pretzel and more beer. We even picked up my favorite stuffed guy/keychain who sings and some other Oktoberfest things.

Back to Greece…

Our adventure in Greece started in Athens. We arrived late, more like very early morning, and were taken to our hotel by “the crazy cab driver“ who drove on the dividing line of the freeway. One of the things that we first noticed was that people were still out that time of night. Later we learned, that it’s “essentially the law” in Greece for people to be out at night and party.

While in Athens, we enjoyed the views from Lycabettus Hill, toured the Parthenon, had an incredible dinner in old town Plaka (with the world’s most delicious dolmathes), toured a Greek coin museum, and even browsed through a Greek Farmer’s market.

We then took the ferry to Mykonos. The Greek ferries were top-notch: we were in first-class and at the front of the ferry. The seats were very comfortable and had table service where I had my first Greek coffee; medium sweet, of course, and got some good, hot food. We had brief stops at different islands, which were each a photographer’s dream.

Mykonos is known as the party island, and it lived to its reputation. Like in Athens, people party to the wee hours of the morning. We saw the famed windmills and pelicans that hung out in restaurants. It was also the island where my husband was first kissed (on the cheek) by a guy!

We also enjoyed some enjoyable diving and beach time. Drinks were named rather provocatively – and I do not think I can repeat their names in this post. I also was able to use some of my language skills to make the bus stop, since we almost missed our hotel. Thank you "Books on Tape"... I was too cheap for Rosetta Stone.

Mykonos was also our jumping point to Delos, one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.  We spent a whole day in Delos where we had a guided tour. The excavations on the island (the entire island is an archaeological preserve) are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean. Lots of walking was involved, but so well worth it.

Of course, no trip to Greece is complete without a visit to Santorini. Santorini is probably one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The view from Fira at sunset is probably one of the places where one can feel “on top of the world” (The other place is on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii).  Oia is a bus ride away from Fira and also has beautiful views. One of the young girls in our tour said that this city is even more beautiful.

We also enjoyed touring the ruins of Akrotiri; Santorini’s equivalent of Pompeii - enjoying views from a Greek winery, the beaches at the other side of the island, and lunch at a fabulous seaside taverna where I had my first moussaka. My husband became hooked on moussaka from that time on. Now I am craving for moussaka; I think I’ll grab an order or two from the festival next week.

Oh, last but not least – on our final evening in Greece in Athens, we enjoyed a couple of drinks and a small snack at the rooftop lounge of the Gran Bretagne overlooking a glistening “white spotlight lit” Parthenon. It was really quite awesome!

Yassou!