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.