Montage Monday: It's Gettin' Hot in HERRR

Yes, summer is definitely upon us and being a true California girl, I love the hot days and long nights that summer brings each year. One thing about recent summers that I do NOT like: humidity. Growing up in California's dry heat, I never had the misfortune of experiencing humidity until I moved to New York City in 2005 and I have never experienced more humidity than in the last year and a half as I traveled my way across Asia.

As I try to do my best to cope with my overactive sweat glands here in Hong Kong, join me as I look back on my HOTTEST memorable summer moments!

Getting good and muddy with friends in Jordan's Dead Sea in 2009. It was easily over 100 degrees (40 Celcius) with very little wind when we made the hour-long journey from Amman. Whatever possessed us to slather hot, stinky mud all over ourselves is beyond me though I will admit, once you washed it off, your skin did look and feel incredible. That Dead Sea mud really does work!

Summer in New York City can't get any better than a nice cold scoop of delicious ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory with friends. The unique and refreshing flavors of green tea, almond cookie, red bean and sesame seed are all so yummy! I bet you can't visit the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory just once! I know I couldn't!

The gorgeous blue waters of Granada in the Caribbean in 2007 was were my love of scuba diving began. I got my Open Water certification during the week that I went to visit my high school best friend. It's so awesome when friends live in beautiful places because you have more reason to go!

Kayaking in Pokhara, Nepal with Matt in 2010 was a really fun day and an excellent way to cool off from the heat. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into the swing of things and ended up going in circles most of the afternoon. I wasn't too fussed, it was a gorgeous setting to be in nonetheless. Besides, Matt capsized in his kayak and that was hilarious!

What's YOUR hottest memory?

© Connie Hum 2011

Montage Monday: Jordan

Take a walk down memory lane with me on this three-photo montage highlighting my best memories from past travels!


A day trip to the Dead Sea with friends, complete with self-applied Dead Sea mud. It was smelly and extremely hard to get off, but it certainly did leave my skin feeling firm and smooth! A word of caution, do NOT get any of the Dead Sea water in your eyes! It stings like nothing else.

For my blog on the Dead Sea experience, click here.


Chance and luck gave me the opportunity to spend the night in a Bedouin cave within the mountains of Petra, I hiked through the unbelievable landscape the following morning into Petra. Petra was everything I expected and more, but the time spent with the Bedouin family was the best part of my days there.

For my blog on Petra and my time with the Bedouins, click here.


Muslims dutifully responding to the call to prayer in Amman. I don't know why, but hearing the call to prayer is very soothing to me and there's just something absolutely beautiful about it. I miss hearing the call to prayer.

© Connie Hum 2010

If You Didn't Read My Blog This Year

2009 is quickly coming to an end
So here's a review for you that I want to send.

What I did this year I can't complain,
Boasting and gloating I must refrain.
For the few of you who didn't know,
I quit my job almost a year ago!

Goodbye goodbye to my life in New York.
Goodbye goodbye to dishes containing pork.
Hello, Constantinople (as it's known to 'em)
Seven months later and Türkçe biliyorum!

I discovered the streets of magical İstanbul
With plenty of döner kebab to keep me full.
I taught English to two adorable girls:
Beautiful Mina and Melda with curls.

In Copenhagen and Stockholm with my friend from Italy,
I found out I know Matteo more than superficially.
Yachting around the Mediterranean was lots of fun,
Darkest shade of brown I've ever been from hours in the sun.

How did the summer pass by so quick?
Hop a plane, Jordan was the next pick!
The colors of Petra were an amazing sight to see,
Sleeping in a cave turned out to be well-suited for me.

In the calm crystal blue waters of the Red Sea
I received my advanced scuba diver degree.
Dahab I never wanted to say goodbye
But in the end, I gave Cairo a try.

Egypt was pretty rough and dirty;
The men were a little more than flirty.
Luckily I had my friend Ali to treat me right
Or else I wouldn't have lasted even a single night!

Mom joined me for two weeks back in Turkey,
Making me miserable and jerky.
It wasn't her fault and it also wasn't mine,
Traveling together just isn't our design.

London was my final stop before coming home to the States,
Buying a ukulele with Mark was decided by the "Fates."
Ah, back in fabulous New York is really where I belong
But I'm heading to Asia next year to live in a sarong!

Sitting in my bed of my childhood home in California,
The air's freezing cold. Oh sun, how I wish I hadn't scorned ya!
ALL MY LOVE AND BEST WISHES AS WE ENTER THE NEW YEAR!
MAY OUR PATHS CROSS SOON AGAIN AND WE ALL BE IN GOOD CHEER!

© Connie Hum 2009

Bedouin Days

The Bedouin Village, located just outside of Petra is a dirty, smelly town full of donkeys, camels and bare-footed children kicking up storm clouds of dirt and dust as they run through the streets. Amidst all the grime and chaos, live the legendary Bedouin.

I had the unique privilege of spending three days with the Bedouin, receiving first-hand experience of their long-standing culture and way of life. The highlight, besides sleeping in a cave in the middle of Petra's mountain range, was undoubtedly the night I spent inside the home of a Bedouin family to share a home-cooked dinner with them. The family was incredibly generous and kind. Although the family seemed to be of little means, they fed me a feast of lentil soup and a dish of "upside-down chicken" served in a massive platter over a heaping mound of aromatic rice.

Bedouin chicken dinner

The family and I ate out of the massive platter together, topping each spoonful of rice and chicken with a saucy tahini vegetable salad. The meal was absolutely delicious.

I felt a little guilty for eating this family's food but they kept insisting that I eat as much as I could and I soon felt guilty for not graciously accepting their hospitality by eating more!

The children were a lovely bunch. We couldn't communicate well as my knowledge of Arabic is severely limited to salaam and shookran (hello and thank you), just as their English was limited in kind, but we took many pictures, walked around hand in hand and played with their neighbor's camels. The children took a wild fancy to my stick-straight hair and couldn't keep their hands out of it all night.

Everything seemed to fascinate them about me

The kids even took me to meet their neighbor next door. And his camel!

I was nervous the camel would spit on me

My days here were an eye-opener to the Bedouin lifestyle and I am forever grateful to all those who shared their lives with me and helped to make my Bedouin days so memorable.

The sparse interior of a Bedouin cave located in the middle of Petra's mountains

© Connie Hum 2009

The Dead Sea Experience

Upon arriving into Amman, one of the first things I did was go to the Dead Sea with some friends. The five of us jumped into the car on an unbelievably hot day and drove less than an hour to the Dead Sea.

I knew that the Dead Sea had a high salt concentration but I didn't know just how salty it was going to be! You literally just float! I tried to stand a few times but my legs just kept bobbing up to the surface. It was a strange feeling but very cool. I also didn't know that the Dead Sea was the lowest point on Earth and that you could literally see Israel across the Sea.

My friends and I also benefited from the Dead Sea mud which is purported to have special minerals to improve your skin. We lathered ourselves up and baked in the glaring sun. You could practically see the sulfuric smell wafting off our bodies like the way smells are portrayed in old cartoons.

The caked mud was a bit difficult to get off and I had the misfortune of accidentally splashing some Dead Sea water into my eyes (painful beyond belief). After some scrubbing and rubbing, the mud finally came off to reveal smooth, radiant skin!

It was a great day and a special treat to have been to the Dead Sea. I hope that one day I will return again and be extra careful not to get any of the sea water in my eyes.

© Connie Hum 2009