Aforementioned in my first post describing Bangkok, tuk-tuks are a convenient form of getting from point A to B. Not only can they weave through and around traffic, but they provide a unique perspective of streets. Riding in an open aired golf-cart like vehicle allows the eye to wonder without limitations. Thailand had something happening on every corner, and it was these trips to and from locations that solidified my love for the city. I was able to understand how this culture operated just by passing hundreds of alleys and markets on our way to tourist attractions. Our hotel  integrated our group into a community that thrived off the sales of garments and fresh food. We had our craziest ride on a tuk-tuk after the Muay Thai Boxing matches (will make a post later). Without warning our driver propelled us into the air for a prolonged wheely while we were crossing an intersection. At first we all freaked out, grabbing whatever solid object we could hold onto. Once we landed the anxiety turned into laughter from all participants, Bangkok is crazy.

After the Grand Palace a kind Thai gentleman (he actually taught in NYC) helped us save some Baht (Thai currency) by referring us to special promotion the governmental tuk-tuks were running. For 30 cents ($US) our group took two vehicles around the city, stopping at three locations. The first was a high-end jewelry store, way out of our league, but did seem affordable compared to United States prices. Next was a tailor suit shop, men attempted to persuade us to check out some fabrics and designs in hopes of  a sale. Although the first two locations did not have any cultural significance, they did give us some incredible sites across the city. We arrived at our last stop, a large standing Buddha. As we walked into the outdoor temple there was a man selling small birds. Setting the little ones free is supposed to bring good luck and happiness for the rest of your life, or at least that’s what his sign read.

The next morning we ventured two hours North to find the Bang-Pa-In Summer Palace. Our group took a train ride with the local Thai peasants. We decided to opt for the non-air conditioned cab, the cheapest ticket available. Assuming I was going to sweat profusely, the ride was not that bad. An executive decision to board the train early and secure window seats payed off during the trip, however; the 30 minutes sitting in a crowded train with the hot sun beating down on and a only few lonely fans did not do us any justice. Once we got moving the open air flowed through my hair as a looked out into the Thailand country side. As soon as I got to Hong Kong I’ve realized how lucky I am to not only enhance my global awareness, but to live comfortably in a suburb. The train had horrible breaks, screeching at every stop (close to 10 in total). Hawkers walked up and down the crowded cabs selling fruit, rice plates, soda in plastic bags, and even desert muffins. By the first hour their high pitch voices got annoying, forcing me to pass out for a good hour. The train ride was an incredible experience. When I took the overnight train to Shanghai I was expecting something similar to this Bangkok transportation. I am happy we chose to venture out to Bang-Pa-In, as we also saw another unbelievable palace that I will describe in another post.

Upon arrival from the train ride back to Bangkok we explored the final option of transportation; motorbikes. There was a fleet of twelve cycles right outside of the train station, we had to do it. After some heavy negotiating with the drivers we hopped on, strapped up our helmets, and we were off! Let me preface the rest of this story by stating that I have not rode on a motorcycle, dirt bike, or anything close to what I was about to experience. The initial rev of the engine got me pumped to fly through the streets. Zig-zagging through traffic provided some close calls, and I must say my heart did get pumping pretty hard at times. The traffic regulations in Thailand are nonexistent. If you could make it through a red light before the oncoming traffic started it was fair game. Often the driver would merge with the traffic and pull a quick u-turn in order to bypass a red light. Rick Books would be in heaven here, as he would truly get to live up his speed racer qualities. The only enforcement was on the highway, as our group called pulled over once because one member was not wearing a seat-belt. Although there is nothing protecting you except the helmet, riding on the back of a motorcycle provides a lot of excitement. It actually has me contemplating trading in my Acura and getting one myself.

Back to back weekends of adventures for my group of friends! Thursday till Monday we will make an impact in Vietnam. This country is very historic, and we will be visiting some war remnant museums, as well as others. Have a great weekend!

Established in 1782, this magnificent complex was the first of two palaces our group visited on our trip to Thailand. Comprised of 34 different structures, this location depicted all aspects of Thai culture. Housing the royal family, government offices, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, I have never seen such a unique collection of architecture. The palace is surrounded by four walls, covering an area of 218,000 square meters.

King Rama I held the throne for 28 years, and decided to move the capital across the Chao Phraya River to Bangkok. This king was very influential, and demanded a new palace be built as a royal compound to act as his residence and the site of administrative offices. The complex is split into various groups of structures, each is unique in design and purpose.

The above picture depicts the upper terrace, home to four monuments. The most noticeable is the golden chedi, which is actually a reliquary. Originally I did not know what that term meant, but after a quick google search I came to the conclusion that this building may contain physical remains of past rulers, clothing, and objects associated with religious figures. The other structures are the Phra Mondop (inscribed with Buddhist sacred scriptures), a miniature Angkor Wat (constructed by Rama IV), and the Royal Pantheon (holds statues of rulers in the Chakri dynasty).

I could go on and write an essay about this location, but I will save you guys some time and skip to the Chakri Maha Prasat Hall. This amazing building looked similar to a Victorian mansion, draped with gold roofs and siding. Completed in 1882, the Central Throne Hall serves as the reception for foreign ambassadors as well as state banquets. Various diplomats are painted on canvasses, including Queen Victoria and Louis XIV.

The last structure I will touch upon is the Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha. This is one of the most holy sites in Thailand, people congregate to pay respect to the Lord Buddha and his teachings. There is no photography allowed in this temple, but the information provided to me helped shed light upon the history. Sitting on top of a golden traditional Thai-style throne, the Buddha is dressed with one of the three seasonal costumes (summer, rainy season, and winter). Titled as the Emerald Buddha, it was actually carved from a block of green jade, discovered in 1434. At the time of discovery, the piece was covered with plaster, however the abbot who found the image noticed that the white plaster on the nose had chipped off. Below a green stone appeared, and was thought to be an emerald, thus the title.

Enjoy the pictures, I will attempt to label each.

This morning I got back from a four day vacation/tourist visit to Bangkok, Thailand. I traveled with four of my friends, we all stayed in a double suite at the Prince Palace Hotel. Although descriptions and looks on the internet can be deceiving, this resort did not disappoint. Equipped with three lodging towers, two pools, two restaurants, and a panoramic view of the city, I could not have asked for a better location to reside at. They had a pool-side restaurant that provided a relaxed atmosphere, this was our safe haven for western food. After chowing down on my first ever lamb burger,  which was delicious in flavor I must say, we left the hotel to explore streets surrounding Prince Palace.

As soon as we took a step outside of the hotel we were greeted with a bell-captain asking us the question, “Where are you going?” At first we brushed him off, assuming he was trying to earn the hotel some extra money by providing their services. Throughout the trip we realized this was a common gesture, as the locals were not only interested in our plans, but willing to help us with transportation to our destination. We finally made our way down the lobby steps, approached again by another hawker. This man asked us if we wanted a tuk-tuk, a three-wheel motor bike that could hold three passengers not including the driver. My research before our arrival led me to the conclusion that these were a great way to view the city, but were somewhat dangerous. There will be more tuk-tuk stories to follow!

We bypassed the hawker and explored the crowded, disorganized, and unique streets of Bangkok. Right across the street from our hotel was a row of various clothing stands. These shops had a ridiculous amount of inventory, most of which was stacked up in twelve foot high plastic bags. We turned the corner, crossed a bridge, and found ourselves in a market area. The first thing I realized was the abundance of pineapples, locals had huge straw baskets of the fruit. The next thing that caught my eye was the amount of stray cats and dogs. I’m not sure where they came from but throughout the trip this was a common site. It is very interesting to compare cultures between China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the United States. They differ in every aspect – values, norms, customs, etiquette, attitude, and even traffic regulations. Thai locals were extremely friendly, I attribute that to the fact that we are white attractive young males. Anyways, this was the start to our journey! Enjoy the photos!

Yesterday my close friend Andrew Hayes and I took a trip to Hong Kong island, exploring the steep, well developed area SOHO (South of Hollywood St.), also known as the mid-levels. We walked south of Yaumatei towards Victoria Harbor, deciding to take the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR exit, passing the district of Jordan on our way down. I noticed an ad that caught my eye once we entered the train station, Kobe Bryant had a black sweatshirt with the numbers 2 and 4 inscribed on his shoulder. The Nike ad promoted their sportswear line, and had other athletes such as Rafael Nadal draped across the wall of the train tracks. It still amazes me how western brands have such a large influence in the retail markets here and in China.

We took the MTR beneath Victoria Harbor to Central Station. Each stop has display boards categorizing different exits by letters, I’ve seen one station go from A – H. Lan Kwai Fong is a collection of streets packed with bars, clubs, and restaurants. This area is swarmed with thousands of people on the weekends including locals, expatriots, exchange students, and other ethnic minorities. During the day it’s not as busy, but we bypassed the commotion on route to the largest series of escalators in the world.

As you have seen in my prior posts, Hong Kong’s topography includes steep hills and cliffs. This escalator system allows locals to cut straight through the meandering roads down to the Hollywood street, where most offices are located. We started this experience by walking up a couple levels of stairs, surrounded on both sides by stands selling Halloween props, graffiti covered walls, and a few small chic restaurants. The escalators are not continuous, allowing riders to casually walk off to grab some groceries at 7/11 or a few drinks at a local bar.

Once we got a few pictures in we took the time to check out some menus. There was an amazing variety of flavor, with restaurants providing cuisines including Mexican, Thai, Portuguese, Italian, French, Greek, and even a gourmet burger joint. We did not expect this many restaurants in such a small area, we got lost for a couple hours hopping from place to place reading menus and snapping pictures. The atmosphere the restaurants created brought me back to the North End in Boston, fumes of garlic and olive oil were in the air. Although those scents had my stomach rumbling we decided to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Taco Loco. I was satisfied with my chicken burrito doused in habinero tobasco sauce. After dinner we called it a night and walked down the stairs back to the MTR. This trip was a great success, as we found some hidden gems providing happy hours and gourmet menus.

A quick nap at our new living accommodations, the Pacific Hotel, gave me the necessary energy to comprehend and appreciate the sites of our first day in Shanghai. As soon as we got off the bus from the largest railroad station I’ve ever seen, it was evident this city was substantially more advanced and modern than both Xi’an and Beijing. The architecture was hard to miss, providing extraordinary, uniquely carved skyscrapers that graced the open air with buildings straight out of the Jetsons. It just so happened that our hotel was one of the earliest authentic Victorian style housing in Shanghai. Living in the retro spot did not sit well with some of the females, but I was very appreciative of the historic accommodations and great location Syracuse provided.

The first trip of the day was to the Shanghai Urban Planning museum, no more than a ten minute walk  from our hotel. As a side note, this walk required the passing of a noodle burrito stand. Yes, a noodle burrito, filled with carrots, onions, and stir fry style noodles, all wrapped up in the  Chinese version tortilla. This 75 cent US treat had to carry the highest percentage of oil to food mass in history. If the shop did not provide saran wrap, tinfoil in the states, my hands would have reeked for days. On the contrary, it was a great munchy snack when you really had that late night urge.

Rainee, our 24 year old native tour guide, ushered the group into another contemporary building for our first location of the day. Most titles of our past activities on the trip have depicted a literal translation of the experience to come, but this museum was something else. Starting with the rotating building all-star squad display (see gallery) and the most complex and detailed replica city projects I’ve encountered, I came to the conclusion that Shanghai promotes its’ own urban and commercial development. A couple of escalators brought us first to an innovative display chronicling the last one hundred years of Shanghai attractions. Later that day and throughout our stay we got the opportunity to visit some of the locations this museum pointed out. Whenever you learn about a place you are going to visit the context and history written on paper comes to life through your vision. Traveling across the world has put some interesting perspectives in my thought processes.

The level above the introductory history lesson had miniature models of different geographical grids of Shanghai. After three or four they all converged into a massive 20′ x 20′ display predicting the future 2020 landscape of this developing city. The fact that this information was available, and then replicated for viewing purposes was quite impressive.

After making our way back down a few levels, exiting the building, our group headed back onto the bus for our second of three scheduled activities. The Shanghai Museum was an ancient display of all aspects of historic life in the city, with works including precious jade, $10o,000 bills, and hand-carved furniture. We were provided electronic narration house phones for a more detailed explanation of most pieces. Coming face to face with 2,000 year old sculptures, desks, and drums proved to be an exhilarating experience. I enjoyed the museum, it was split into three different levels. Each floor  had four galleries, providing a wide range of ancient creations. I must note that I perceived the furniture to be most impressive. Most pieces were constructed out of wood, and the precise designs carved into each individual item baffled my mind. I hope to acquire some sort of ancient Chinese desk as I grow older.

While the Shanghai Museum had its’ highlights, our final stop at “The Bund” really characterized the present condition of this city. The Bund is represented by an old bridge, but in truth it depicts a bustling neighborhood full of local peasants and markets. Pudong, the financial district, displays one of the most exotic skylines known to man. That satellite like building is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, completed in 1995.  The city is split in half by the Huangpu river, the Bund  is located on the southern side opposite the Pudong. What a great way to be introduced to Shanghai.

Envisioning the living quarters on a 14 hour train from Beijing to Shanghai is a very difficult task for any human to imagine. I thought the cabs would be filled with locals smoking ciggarettes, uncomfortable seating, and unairconditioned rooms, but I was mistaken. Instead the Syracuse University program was greated with complimentary water, slippers, and television. Although the tv only had a few local stations I could not complain. Apparently this new model train was engineered a year earlier, and it was only the fourth month it has been in service. Every aspect of the train blew away my expectations, from the modern design to the less fortunate people sleeping under newspapers in the hall.

The ride was sorta like a sleepover in sixth grade, four dudes packed into a small room looking to be reckless and have some late night fun. We engaged in some quality conversations, shared some past personal experiences, and got to know each other pretty well. To put it in another sense, there were 40 college kids in ten cabins all next to each other. Whoever organized that was asking for some havoc, but I must say most of us were well behaved. Before we knew it light crept between our shades and we arrived at our final location of our mainland China trip, Shanghai.

Before I dive into our last stop on this incredible seminar I want to expand upon the train ride experience one more time, more specifically the friendships that were created that night. The anticipation and anxiety that built up inside of me before leaving the States was something I hoped to alleviate quickly. After a mini tantrum the morning of departure, I came to the conclusion that every other student was in the same position as me. While personal situations varied from pupil to pupil, the act of crossing the border together as a group created an amazing bond. We are all intellectually curious, adventurous, and outgoing. Because I only knew a few kids coming into the trip this was a perfect opportunity to establish new friendships. The one student (Casey) who I had prior engagements with was also from the Boston area, and we immediately talked about how Brady was going to kill it this year once we met again in the airport. Although I got along with most participants, it was not till the ride from Beijing to Shanghai that my close friends emerged. Other students organized the cabin arrangements and it was me, Casey Lundberg, Andrew Hayes, and Rodrigo Bustamente all in one cabin. When the list came around I was pleased to see my name with this crew, another new experience and chance to meet some quality dudes. While the activities on the train will stay on the train (I am now linked up to multiple Syracuse University websites crediting my blog entries), our night is something I won’t forget. My true friends were determined right then and there.

We arrived bright and early in the rapidly developing city of Shanghai, China. To give you an idea of how modern this location is, LeBron James made an international appearance to promote his new Nike sneaker and biographical film a few days earlier. Cranes are commonplace given the fact that the 2011 World Expo resides in Shanghai. We learned that the past fifteen years of construction totaled a record amount of capital. Shanghai is one of the largest cities in China, with a population close to 20 million citizens. Viewed as the financial and commercial capital of mainland China, it was only apropos that we visit two locations which documented the past and predicted the future. Check out the next post!

Just so the world and my viewers can gain a sense of my daily trip to and from class I decided one day to photograph every step along the way. The twenty minute commute consists of a two minute walk out of the Caritas Bianchi Lodge (sounds much nicer than it is) to the MTR (Public Metro). Once I hustle down a couple flights of stairs I swipe my octopus card, granting me access to the train system here in Hong Kong. The octopus card is comparable to a debit card, but can be used on all public transportation, 7/11 stores, most restaurants, and even for picking up “bar-girls” in Wanchai. That last one was a joke, but seriously I don’t understand why the United States does not adopt this system, it is both brilliant and convenient for all users.

After I get through the gates I take an escalator or more stairs down to my rail, ofcourse depending on how I am feeling that morning. It hasn’t phased me, but I commute to school with thousands of people daily. The guidebooks and census figures were not lying, this is one of the most densely populated areas in the world! I am convinced that either the Chinese take their time walking on streets or Americans have longer legs than everyone! A steady brisk pace for me blows by the swarms of crowds, and with music pumping through my iPod it almost becomes some sort of game. When it rains it pours here in Hong Kong, and suddenly everybody just whips out umbrellas. I did notice almost every single person you pass does have some sort of bag, whether it be a backpack, purse, or satchel. The fact that I am tall in Hong Kong makes it extremely dangerous to pass people when it is raining. My eyes have been close to poked out multiple times by the edges of the abundant umbrellas.

After four stops and fifteen minutes on the MTR I hop out of the train, take an escalator up to the station, and exit at Festival Walk. This venue is an eight floor mall that contains stores from H&M to Emporio Armani and restaurants from KFC to gourmet French cuisine. Understanding that I would have to pass through a shopping complex just to get to class put some interesting thoughts in my head. I wanted to make sure this would not cause any problems with procrastination, so I hardly eat at the restaurants provided. When I do walk around and shop in the mall it is usually for snacks and materials at Taste, a western style supermarket. I did have a gourmet pizza and bruschetta at Pizza Express, it was well worth the $9 US.

Once I pass through the mall and go up three floors I’m on street level. I simply walk across the street to the SU Abroad Center where 4/5 classes are held. There is a great cafe right on campus that serves up cheap western style meals and snacks. While the price is great, I feel that eating here on the reg does not allow me to embrace the culture to its full potential. My orders include french fries (64 cents US), bagel and cream cheese (1.55), peanut butter and jelly sandwich (78 cents), and chicken paninis (3.35). The garden cafe is a savior at times, but there is much more value on the streets of Yaumatei.

I will add some more pictures of campus at another point, this is strictly transportation.

The past few weeks have been scarce with posts about my experiences due to a brief adjustment period between work & play. I have mid-terms at City University on Tuesday & Wednesday, but will be back in full swing after those exams are completed.

I still have yet to cover my trip to Shanghai, the other city battling Hong Kong for the title of the Asian financial capital. I also have some other experiences to share including my trip to Macau (Las Vegas of Asia), the 60th Anniversary and festivities of the PRC (founding of the People’s Republic of China), and monkey mountain. At this time it is still a shock that Hong Kong is my current location, so I will do a better job of analyzing and depicting daily life and translate that into the lifestyle I have been carrying out here in China.

I am happy to share with everyone that the weekends of October 15th and October 22nd will spent traveling outside of Hong Kong with my close friends. The first trip is Bangkok – Thailand, one of the craziest cities in the world. You can do close to everything including the opportunity to hang out with tigers at  “Tiger Temple”. We will be headed to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam for our second venture. If you thought petting a tiger was cool, well in ‘Nam I believe you can shoot an AK47 for dirt cheap. Gotta love Asia.

I’m off to practice my Cantonese bargaining skills at a local food market with students in my class. I will update the blog ASAP, but this is an “educational” experience here in HK, gotta get those priorities straight!