Phuket About It!

After all the hustle and bustle, not to mention the sweltering heat and humidity of India, Thailand has been a most welcome respite. The weather is warm and humid, but of a tolerable degree with the occasional monsoonal rainfall. Ever since Matt and I arrived into Thailand a few days ago, we've been pretty much spoiling ourselves rotten.

We stayed at a nice and rather posh hotel along one of Phuket's many gorgeous beaches, a rarity in the backpacker lifestyle. One of the many perks of this particular hotel room was that the shower was actually separate from the toilet so that whenever we had to use the commode, it didn't require that our feet be wet. Ah, what a life!

We rented a stylish moped for a day, zipping along in search for secluded beaches to snorkel in. I'm pretty sure Matt and I stopped traffic all over Phuket because we were so darn stylish (obviously it had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Matt's moped driving skills, or the fact that the headlight didn't work when we were driving home on the national highway after dark). It's always a fun day when you're on a moped.

We splurged on a side trip to the island of Ko Phi Phi, including 2 SCUBA dives in the Andaman Sea. It had rained intermittently throughout the night before so made the water visibily less than ideal, but I did still manage to see a Bamboo Shark hiding out underneath a rock and a Spotted Eel, among a myriad of other fishes like bannerfish, scorpionfish, pufferfish, clown fish and the like.

Most of all, Matt and I have been spoiling ourselves on street food each day. No doubt, the Thai know how to do street food. I ended my 4-month (mostly) vegetarian stint with a feast of juicy chicken legs, seafood pad thai and endless beef and pork curries. Even though I ask for "no spicy" most of the food is still hot enough to get me sweating. Thank goodness for the Thai iced tea to keep my taste buds in check. I'm in culinary heaven and I'm looking forward to trying more Thai food in the coming months.

The laid-back vibe and natural beauty of Phuket is enough to make us never want to leave but we're looking forward to starting our volunteer program in Khuk Khak in a few days with GHRE (Grassroots Human Rights Education and Development), working with migrant Burmese workers.

Besides the rewarding experience we're sure to get out of volunteering for the next 3 months, Matt and I are only going to be a hour and a half outside of Phuket so we'll be back. Our last days in Phuket? Phuket about it!

© Connie Hum 2010

Trekking to Hell and Back: The Annapurna Circuit

Now that I'm back on level ground breathing oxygenated air and not carrying a backpack full of trekking gear everywhere I go, I can look back on my time trekking along the Annapurna Circuit of the Nepalese Himalayan mountain range and say that is was, by far, one of the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have ever done (this is my FIRST attempt at any form of "trekking"). Suffice to say, the 14 (yes, 14!) days I spent trekking up to a height of 5416 meters to Thorung La, the highest point along the Annapurna Circuit, were well worth it for the spectacular views, the physical challenge, subsequent victory and lifelong experience, despite the toll on my body and mind.

Prayer flags flying in the winds of Thorung La

I'm glad I trekked the Annapurna Circuit but I have to admit, when I agreed to go trekking with Matt and Craig, I didn’t really understand what I was signing myself up for. I only assume that they didn’t fully divulge the actualities of trekking in the Himalayas to me because they knew I probably would have stayed in my nice, warm, low-elevation hotel room.

Matt and Craig relaxing after day 1 of trekking

First off, and this may be somewhat apparent to most people and it should have been to me except it somehow wasn’t, trekking is HARD! Besides the obvious fact that waking up at dawn to hike up a mountain into thinner air for five or more hours a day is physically draining, it’s also mentally exhausting.

Along the trail, Matt and I overheard someone say that "50% of trekking is 100% mental" and at the time, the guy just sounded ridiculous and I'm kind of embarrassed to say it, but he was right. So much of trekking IS mental and on the days where I wasn’t mentally prepared for the hours of walking, I found myself dragging my feet and needing more "time-outs" often than days where I was “in the zone.”

Clearly, this was a day I was NOT "in the zone"

Secondly, Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is actually a bit fun. Yes, AMS is very dangerous and people can and have died from AMS, but when you’re up at a higher elevation and your brain isn’t getting all the oxygen it needs, things can get really funny really fast. AMS is, in fact, a cute mountain sickness. In my uncontrollable fits of laughter, something in my throat must have dislodged itself because whenever I laugh hard, a distinct rattling sound emanates from the back of my throat. I think the rattling sound is still there though it’s hard to tell since I’m longer prone to low oxygenated fits of laughter that I’m down from the mountain.

Matt suffering from "a cute mountain sickness"

Thirdly, trekking is expensive. Ridiculously expensive, comparatively speaking to other travel costs. The cost of equipment, trekking permits, lodging along the trail and the (mostly bad) food at the lodges all add up to a large sum in the end. Matt and I didn't take out enough cash in Pokhara and since ATM machines are non-existent along most of the trail, we ended up having to borrow money from Craig. I guess we shouldn't have splurged on all that garlic soup and pots of milk tea... Or we should have just been better prepared and brought more cash with us.

Lastly, I learned a lot about myself while on this trek. I learned that I can achieve anything (namely, trekking for 14 days up to a high altitude) if I put my mind to it. I learned that between the option of taking a freezing shower surrounded by freezing cold mountain air and NOT taking a shower, I'm okay with NOT taking a shower for at least three days. I learned I'm okay with not changing clothes and socks for that same duration if it means not having to get naked in that same freezing cold. I learned that I can feel no shame in squatting down and relieving myself pretty much anywhere, even right outside my lodge room door (especially on cold nights because that means no need to walk in the cold to get to the squat toilet outside). I learned that I don't function well in the cold (as evidenced by all the other things I have learned). And I guess more importantly, I learned that I'm not such a princess after all. Or maybe I'm still a bit delusional from the lack of oxygen...

All in all, trekking the Himalayas in Nepal was an incredible experience and I'm so glad that I did it (and made it over the pass)! The memories of it will no doubt last a lifetime!

© Connie Hum 2010

Lies, Lies, Lies (Or, Volunteering in Nepal)

Sooo…I don’t know how to say this but the volunteer organization that I was supposed to have been working with, Nepal Volunteers Council, is really a scam. This is deeply frustrating and upsetting because I was really looking forward to all the good work I thought I was going to be taking a part in. The more I learn about “volunteering” in Nepal, the more I see how corrupt and downright deceitful it is. Surely there are legitimate organizations doing good for the people of Nepal, but there are also many others who are just out to make money for themselves. My experience is just one of many horror stories I’ve come to hear in recent days.

The director of my organization kept emailing me while I was in India, telling me that the students were very excited to meet me and asked me to arrive as soon as possible. I booked a flight to Kathmandu just so that I could get there sooner, spending about $145 on the flight. Upon arrival, I paid another $100 for a 3-month visa.

The first day I get to the organization’s office, the director tells me that the organization has hit a “financial crisis” and that they cannot afford to pay the rent for the office space, much less any of the educational programs that I was supposed to have been working on. Then the real kicker: there are NO STUDENTS and NO PROGRAMS at all!

Shocked and disappointed doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. Why did he tell me that the students were excited to see me and that I needed to get to Nepal as soon as possible when there were NO STUDENTS? He kept trying to reassure me that they would find students but that they need to charge them in order to fund the programs. Um, WHAT??? I didn’t come to Nepal to teach kids who could afford private English lessons! He also kept saying they were hoping that the volunteers could help “donate” to the organization to help them stay afloat during this “financial crisis,” obviously hinting that I should make a “donation.” I didn’t offer to make a donation but I made several suggestions as to how he could fund-raise for the organization but he didn’t seem overly interested in those ideas.

It gets worse.

As I was also living with the family of the director, I started noticing some odd things. On at least two separate occasions, I realized that someone had gone through my things while I was out of the house. I discovered that I was missing 100 rupees (equivalent to $2) as well. I have two doors in my bedroom; one I use (and padlock whenever I leave the house) and one that was “locked” and leads to the bedroom of the director. It has a sizable gap in the middle and you can literally see into the opposite bedroom from the other, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable, and forced me to kind of hide in the corner to avoid being seen when changing. One rainy night, I discovered that the door wasn’t in fact locked because the sister of the house came barging in through that door, making sure that I had properly closed the windows. I tried to jam a wooden stick in the lock the next day so that they wouldn’t be able to come into my room through this door, but when I came home again, I saw that the stick had been broken and removed from my room. Twice I did this and twice the stick had been removed. Finally, I had one of the brothers nail a lock to the door so that I could make sure that I could lock all the doors leading into my room.

Why did I stay a minute longer after this? Well, there’s another “volunteer” from France living in the house and I can’t very well just leave Sylvia in the house to fend for herself. Sylvia has been here for a month on an “internship” through her school and has done absolutely nothing since she arrived, which also means that the entire time I was in India and being told about the eager students, the organization was already defunct.

To make matters worse, we discovered that the family had been scamming money from Sylvia left and right. They told her that the second-hand cell phone she wanted to buy was 6000 rupees (approximately $85) and that the sim card for it was another 4500 rupees ($64). I knew right away that that was an absolute lie and took Sylvia to a mobile shop where she could have bought a brand new phone AND sim card for less than 3000 rupees ($43). Sylvia also told me that the sister asked her to help pay for some of the food that they had been preparing for her. That was another 7000 rupees, which is actually enough to feed the entire family for half a year!

After all this, I told the family that I was going to leave and search for another volunteer opportunity. The very next morning, the sister came to my room and asked me to help pay for food. She had the audacity to ask for 15,000 rupees!!! That’s over $200. And I had only been here for a week! It took all my strength not to reach over and slap her. I flat out refused saying that I came with the understanding that I was going to be volunteering to help Nepalese children and that there was going to be no fees. She was quite disappointed because I was “from America and had American dollars, which is so much compared to Nepalese rupees.” I explained that I quit my job a YEAR ago and haven’t had hardly any income since so I couldn’t afford to give her money. I’d be happy to help out around the house but I wasn’t going to give her any money. She walked away empty handed and very disappointed. She’s basically been ignoring me ever since. And I haven’t been offered second helpings at meal times either.

So now Sylvia and I have left the house and the organization and are trying to find alternative opportunities. Wish us luck!

© Connie Hum 2010

Kathmandu Doo

One week into my life in Nepal and it’s already so different from anything I’ve previously known that I feel I’m almost in some sort of a parallel universe. It’s not necessarily different in a bad way, but it’s just new and well, different. Sometimes I laugh just thinking about how things have changed and what everyone would think if they could just see me now because I know that most of you could never, in a hundred years, imagine me doing some of the things I’m doing now.

I am living in a house in the mountains of Kathmandu Valley, just about 4 kilometers outside of Kathmandu. My Nepalese family consists of two parents, three brothers (Keshab, Manoj and Mahesh), a sister (Rupa) and another volunteer Sylvia, from France. Each evening I help Rupa cook dinner for everyone in the family. We are strictly vegetarian in the house and to be quite honest, I’ve quite lost the taste for meat so I’ve been pretty vegetarian since India.

We have two cows that supply us with our daily milk. I hope to get to milk one soon, though the family has told me that the cows only allow the parents near them. Everyone else they try to kick. I’ve never milked a cow before and I think it will be quite fun, even if it’s just for the novelty of it, both of trying to milk a cow and of possibly getting kicked by one in the process.

I have a sparse bedroom to myself (along with the occasional visiting spider and lizard) with a bed, desk and window looking out over the hillside. Sometimes there is electricity, most times not. The squat toilet is in a shed outside of the house and I shower with cold mountain water and a bucket over the toilet. Speaking of the toilet, I’m trying very hard (okay, maybe not TOO hard) to convince myself to “go native” in terms of NOT using toilet paper (yes, even after two-sies) and just use my hand and water bucket to wash up afterwards. I haven’t managed it yet and it’s not looking like I will any time soon. UPDATE: I literally, JUST went native. Didn't have a choice. It wasn't all that unpleasant but I'm not sure if I will continue with the practice. Sorry if this is TMI but I'm just trying to keep it real. =)

Outhouses, cold showers and using my hand to wipe myself after using the squat toilet. This is certainly a long way from jet-powered hot showers and cruises on the boat in the Mediterranean but there’s something to be said about the simplicity in the life I’m living now. And nothing beats the gorgeous night sky I get to see each night. Sometimes when I’m looking up at all the stars I’d forgotten existed, I think this life is worth it. Until it’s time for my morning shower, then all I can think of is how nice even lukewarm water would be just then.

© Connie Hum 2010

So They Think I'm a Nepalese Prostitute...

First off, it may sound funny and to be honest, after I am out of India, I will be able to laugh my head off about this but as it stands, I'm still in India and it's really not funny at all.

Basically, there seems to be a large number of Nepalese women who do actually come to India to work as prostitutes since there is no other way for them to make money, in Nepal or otherwise, and with the high level of ignorance and racism in India, Indian men see me (and I kind of look Asian, ha ha) walking down the street with a white man (my friend Matt), they just assume that I'm "working".

The situation hasn't been dangerous or anything, but it is well annoying and stressful for both me and Matt. It's impossible to walk down the street without men staring at me, often "accidentally" grabbing my hand or brushing up against me.

I don't want to add to the racism and make it seem like every single Indian man is doing this to me. On the contrary. A majority refer to me as "madam" as a sign of respect, even if it's a bit strange. And one night, when a young drunk man was leering at me on the street, another Indian man stood up for me and said something to him in Hindi. The situation escalated to a heated argument on the street and a crowd started to gather. I quickly left the scene but went back to find the kind gentleman the next day to thank him for stepping in. His response was "He was not right and he needed to be told that." Matt has been a knight in shining armor this whole time, protecting me when necessary.

So although I've been dealing with a lot of unnecessary stress and harassment from one side, I've also been able to see the side of some people that is good and noble, and that makes this whole experience not so bad after all.

© Connie Hum 2010

The Road to Enlightenment: Are We There Yet?

When I signed up for my 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat, I don’t know what I was expecting. Ideally, I just wanted to learn a way to relax and slow down my mind when it starts running away from me and getting a little too overwhelming. I would have been happy to walk away from the retreat with that knowledge and nothing else.

My heart just about stopped on the first night when Guru-ji started talking about taking our first steps toward enlightenment and liberation. Enlightenment? Liberation? WHOA! I’m completely in over my head! I just came to learn how to sit still for an hour and relax but I’m going to be taught how to be enlightened? Okay, COOL! Very quickly I started having images of me leaving the ashram in a state of pure bliss, with rays of light literally beaming out of my pores as I showered every person and every thing in my path with happiness, love and compassion.

Clearly, the road to enlightenment is not an easy one and certainly not one that can be reached at the end of 10 days. But it’s hard to not think that maybe, just maybe, you’d be the exception.

I will be honest in saying that the 10 days were not easy and there were a few moments where I thought that either I couldn’t go on or that I didn’t belong in such an intense course. Sitting still in one position with my eyes closed for an hour at a time proved to be very difficult for me, but by the end, I managed to maintain aditthana, strong determination, during my meditation sessions and I lasted through the hour-long sessions without moving.

One thing that caused me frequent frustration was that I would quite literally spend half of my meditation sessions thinking about the most random things and not focus on my actual meditation. I grew to learn to accept my mind was where it was but in the beginning, it really bothered me that I very obviously wasn’t going to be on the “fast track” to enlightenment.

Observing “noble silence” for 10 days was surprisingly easy, which was a bit of a surprise. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to NOT communicate with anyone (both verbally and bodily) but after the initial day, it was FANTASTIC be able to really focus on myself and my meditation. In fact, when we were able to talk again at the end of the course, it was nerve-racking just thinking about what I would say to people and how I was going to interact with them!

As soon as we were talking, my “Dhamma Sisters” and I immediately felt a close bond and connection to one another. We had survived such an intense experience together and although we hadn’t spoken to one another, much less acknowledged each other’s presence for the last 10 days, it was as if we had known each other for years. It was an incredible bonus in an already rewarding experience to share, bond and connect with these women over our experiences together at the retreat.

I don’t know how much of the actual theory and technique I believe in but I know that I gained a lot from the experience and I’m really glad that I did it. I’m interested in continuing my meditation practices and have been doing my best to meditate for at least one hour a day. I see some benefits and think that as I progress on the “road to enlightenment,” I will slowly get closer and closer to a better understanding of myself at the very least.

That’s not too bad for someone who went in just wanting to sit still for an hour.

Bhavatu sabba mangalam!

© Connie Hum 2010

The Good, The Bad & The Yellow Sari

THE GOOD: I've left Mumbai with my traveling head back in its proper place and I couldn't be happier! Another good piece of news: I've been invited to an Indian wedding! While visiting the Ellora caves, I met Nazir, who is getting married on March 23. I told him how I had always wanted to go to an Indian wedding so he invited me! HOORAY!

THE BAD: Logistically speaking, attending the wedding is going to be difficult for me as I should be in Rajastan at that time, preparing to leave for Nepal. Attending the wedding is going to require back-tracking to a place I've already been to and shorten my time in Rajastan, a place I've yet to discover. What to do?

THE YELLOW SARI: While I was still trying to make up my mind about attending the wedding, I met a lovely family in Nasik who sort of just took me into their home, feeding and piling me with inquisitive questions. I asked about Indian wedding etiquette and I expressed how much I loved saris and how I'd love to wear one to the wedding, provided I did in fact end up going. The next morning, when I went over to say goodbye to the women, they brought out a stack of new saris and told me to pick one. They were giving me a sari as a gift! I was so completely touched and asked them to choose the color for me. They chose a gorgeous, yellow sequined sari for me to wear to the wedding and showed me how to wear it. The women also had me try on one of their wedding sari's, which was a beautifully beaded dress. It was quite spectacular and the ladies were thrilled to see me in it.

How incredibly generous and nice of these people! I wish I had had more time to spend with them but I had to leave for my meditation retreat. They have invited me back to their home so I really hope I get to see them again.

And I guess this means I'M GOING TO THE WEDDING! How can I not go now that they've given me a sari to wear? Pictures to come of course!

© Connie Hum 2010

Salaam Bombay!

So here I am in Mumbai (previously known as Bombay), India, a place that I have wanted to go to ever since I was a little girl and saw a Bollywood movie playing at a childhood friend's house. What kind of magical and crazy place created such colorful and exuberant things? Oh, India...

Yet, now that I find myself here after all these years of anticipation, I don't know how I feel about actually being here. Granted, when I first arrived, I was on the recovering end of rubella and basically took a few days to rest and mend but I can't seem to find my usual enthusiasm and curiosity for exploring a new place. Maybe because every single time I've ventured out into the city, I've literally seen people defecating and urinating in the streets (I kid you not). This makes Mumbai a little scary to me, not to mention grossly unappealing. And this is coming from me. ME! The girl who always talk potty.

The truth of the matter of why I haven't been so excited about Mumbai has to do with the fact that I plain out miss Burma. Even after just a few days, I already miss that messed up country and hanging out with my cousins. In fact, on my way to the airport in Yangon on the day I left, I remember thinking about how I was going to miss it. I just didn't realize that it was going to be so soon!

I'm really looking forward to going back to Burma before returning to the States next year. But first, I need to get my head back into the traveling mode and start experiencing India! Wish me luck!

© Connie Hum 2010

Fortune and Doom

The other day I decided to go with my mother and her sisters to get our palms read. I don't really give fortune telling much stock since I'm a firm believer that you are in charge of your own destiny and that you can make your own luck, but I thought it would be a fun and interesting experience.

My fortune, as told by a Ph.D. in Palmistry (does that really even exist?) is as follows:

• I will meet my future husband this year (talk about pressure and expectations on every boy I meet!)
  

• There will be 3 suitors and I should choose the one my mother chooses (hmm...wonder if there was any bribery taking place?)

• I will get married by the end of next year

So if indeed my future is literally in the palm of my hands, everyone should be getting ready for a pretty awesome wedding party next year! Haha!

Now for the doom part. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with my fortune! For some very odd reason, my month in Burma has been plagued with inexplicable illnesses. This is rather puzzling to me as I usually do not get ill, especially while I'm traveling. So far, I've had three days of hotel confinement, moving only between the bed and toilet, a short but ferocious bout with dengue fever and now, a horribly itchy red rash spreading all over my body! The only thing I can think of saying in response is in Burmese: "Dohk kah beh!"

The year is still early so we'll just have to keep an eye out to see if my fortunes come true. Only time will tell. But then again, I too am a player in this game of life and my future will be what I want to make of it. In any case, this just keeps things a little bit more interesting!

© Connie Hum 2010

Little Buddhas

The other day I spent an afternoon at my family's temple in Sagaing, a city of high concentration in temples and meditation centers within a country already full of temples and meditation centers. A large group of children between the age of six and fourteen took a shine to my digital camera and started following me around, asking me to take their picture. They were absolutely over the moon every time they saw themselves on my little screen.

I taught them how to use the camera and they were each excited to have their turn at being a photographer. Unfortunately, the excitement led to my camera slipping between little hands and the result was a stuck lens. The little Buddhas looked at me horrified and apologetically. One of my cousins saw this and jokingly asked which stick he should hit them with for breaking my camera. The little Buddhas found the smallest stick on the ground and said to use that one. I laughed and the lens was shoved back into working condition.

The little Buddhas begged me to come back the following year and bring them printouts of their pictures. As most novice monks are there for only a week at a time, I asked if they would still be at the temple next year. They responded that they would. That was when I realized that they were all orphans that the temple had taken in. They would still be there the following year because they had nowhere else to go.

Most people in Burma are quite poor and lack the means to take care of their growing families so many children are left in the care of temples by parents who cannot afford to keep them. It’s such a sad situation and I really feel for these kids. There were about a dozen of these orphans at my family’s temple, but there are hundreds of temples like that in Burma. Think of how many children that means are abandoned by their families.

I promised the children I would come back soon to see them again and take more pictures of them.

© Connie Hum 2010

My Burmese Days

Before I left California, one of my cousins asked me, "What do you do in Burma? Just go to temples?" Well, yeah. There ARE a lot of beautiful gold-laden pagodas in Burma. That's true.
But there's so much more to Burma than just the temples.

Being back in Burma has been great for me. For all its faults and wrongs, I love it here. I really do. There's something about its peaceful chaotic-ness and the novelty in the everyday that I love about Burma. Every day, every thing, every moment is a (mis)adventure!

Taking a ride in the cars in Burma is a constant source of amusement for me. I find such joy and hilarity in sitting like packed sardines, bumping around in the cars whenever we hit the many potholes in the streets that I'm pretty much just laughing the entire time I'm in a car. Chinese fire engines have nothing on the Burmese! I've never seen cars and trucks filled to the brim like this before! Most times, I'm laughing through the fear that the people (myself included) will just come spilling off onto the road.

A majority of the homes in Burma do not have hot water to shower with. There's a basin filled with water and you take a small bucket, douse yourself with water, lather and rinse. Given that the air is rather hot and sticky, this is a refreshing treat. The only problem is that the first couple of douses are usually a bit shocking to the body. My aunt calls it dancing around and it's true. You're quite literally dancing around for the first few splashes until your body gets used to the cool water. Then it's pure bliss.

My favorite thing about being back in Burma though is definitely seeing my family that lives here. Since I rarely get to see them, it's always fun to hang out with them, especially my younger cousins.









© Connie Hum 2010

Zen in 2010: All's Well That Ends Well

Happy New Year everyone!!!

The start of a new year is usually the time for self-reflection and coming up with (mostly impossible) resolutions to achieve. This year, I have a resolution that I have every intention of keeping AND every reason to.

My New Year's resolution: Zen in 2010. Zen in 2010 means that throughout the year, I am going to make every attempt to achieve "enlightenment" in the sense of helping others and developing myself personally and spiritually. Too long I've wanted to make a positive change in the world and I haven't felt like I've done anything toward that goal. I'm going to change that in 2010!

The first step to achieving Zen in 2010? My "All's Well That Ends Well" fund-raising project! My goal is to raise $5000 by April 5, 2010 to help build a freshwater well in a village in a developing country, with YOUR help! Please visit my fund-raising page to make your tax-deductible donation, 100% of which will go DIRECTLY to the freshwater well project! On behalf of the BILLION people on this planet who don't have access to clean drinking water, THANK YOU SO MUCH in advance for your generosity!

Also as part of my Zen in 2010 goal, I am also going to endeavor to be as good a friend to YOU as you have been to me. Time and again I am struck with the awe in knowing how truly incredible the people I am surrounded by are, and it's high time I start reflecting that incredible-ness back at the people who matter the most in my life.

This is probably going to be the toughest part of my Zen in 2010 goal as I'm going to be halfway around the world from most of you, and well, let's be honest, YOU have certainly set the bar high!

I'm going to do my best but I need you to send me your address!

Again, happy new year and don't forget to make your donation to All's Well That Ends Well! Together, we WILL make a difference!

© Connie Hum 2010

Sun Diego

My week in San Diego was lovely indeed. The sun was shining, the temperature was in the high 60s/low 70s and I? I was in paradise. Literally.

I spent my days biking along the beach, eating wonderful Mexican food and just merely relaxing in the sunshine. It was a little hard to believe that at one point in my life, every day was (mostly) like this. I even tried surfing again one morning, getting an incredible workout as the waves crashed into me. I spent more time trying to battle my way out into the water than anything else, but it was still thrilling to be back in the water again.

One afternoon was spent watching body surfers in La Jolla Cove. They are pretty amazing. I met one of the body surfers as he was coming out of the water. He was in his 60's and doing this!

It was great to see my SD friends again, some of whom I hadn't seen in years. It's always such a treat to see old friends and discover that the friendship hasn't staled in the time that we had been apart. That's a testament to my friends themselves and I'm so grateful for having these people be a part of my life.

After my week in San Diego, I have a bit of an inkling that I could possibly move back to my little beach shack next to the ocean and lead a perfectly contented life. So long as I can shuttle between there and New York City of course.

© Connie Hum 2009

BEWARE: Asian Woman Driving!

It saddens me to say this but it's true. I've become one of my worst fears. A bad Asian woman driver.

As much as I have been trying to avoid it, I have recently gotten back behind the wheel of a car. It's almost impossible not to drive here in the suburbs. It's been a long time since I last drove and my first few excursions out on the road have been somewhat, ahem...adventurous.

Unfortunately, my driving has only reinforced the stereotype about Asian women being bad drivers.

First off, being in driver seat is just plain scary for me! I'm really not used to it anymore and I can't say that I'm fully comfortable in that seat. I'm constantly fidgeting around and I get tense when the car's in motion, which makes me even more uncomfortable.

Another thing, the car seems to be going much faster than it really is. On my first day on the highway, I was aghast at all the cars speeding past me. I was shocked at how cavalier people were with the high speeds they were driving. I mean, I was driving a speedy - wait! I'm driving 40-45 mph on the highway! No wonder people were passing me up! I tried to drive at the speed limit but it was really scary and seemed too fast for me.

Driving at night and/or in the rain is a complete nightmare and I've been trying to avoid that as much as possible. It's really much to dangerous for me and for everyone else on the road.

Bottom line? I really don't belong behind the wheel of a car. Though it really has nothing to do with me being an Asian woman. I'm just a bad driver now.

© Connie Hum 2009

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

2010 Plans and My Travel Challenge UPDATE!

I have purchased a ONE-way ticket to Southeast Asia! I'm very excited, but also a bit nervous about my potential YEAR of traveling abroad. My trip begins January 12, 2010 in Burma where I will visit family for roughly one month. After that, SEA is mine for the exploring!

I am really eager to do some humanitarian and volunteer work while I am in SEA . I plan to do various volunteer work in the region, but my main goal is to finally realize my dream of volunteering at the Elephant Nature Reserve in northern Thailand!

If anyone has leads and/or contacts regarding various volunteer programs throughout SEA, or simply general travel information, I'd love to hear from you about it! I don't really know anyone in the region (outside of Burma) and I need all the friends I can get.

Here's an updated list and map of my progress toward my travel challenge. The countries listed in bold indicate countries that I plan on traveling to in 2010. Just six more countries to visit and three more years to complete my travel challenge. Let's go!

A - Austria
B - Belgium, Bulgaria
C - Canada (Quebec), Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Cambodia, China
D - Denmark
E - Egypt, England
F - France
G - Germany, Greece, Grenada
H - Hungary
I - Iceland, Italy, India, Indonesia
J - Jordan
K -
L - Laos
M - Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia
N - Netherlands, Nepal
O -
P - Peru, Poland, Portugal
Q -
R - Romania
S - Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
T - Turkey, Thailand
U - United States
V - Vatican City, Vietnam
W - Wales
X - NO countries start with X but I've been to the Greek island, Χίος (Chios). Does this count???
Y -
Z -

© Connie Hum 2009

3-2-1...Liftoff!!!

Yesterday I accomplished one of my lifelong dreams of watching a space shuttle launch, LIVE! It was truly an awe-inspiring experience.

The day started early as my friend Randee and I left Orlando for the Kennedy Space Center at 6:30 in the morning. Luckily, there was little traffic and we made it to KSC in less than an hour. We met a friend of a friend who worked at KSC and received our visitor center tickets from him. Most of the sites were closing at 10 am in preparations for the launch so we rushed off the to Apollo/Saturn V Center.

I think I should pause and explain to those who may not know this, but NASA and space was, and still is, a big part of my life. I worked as a Space Camp counselor in California for 2 years and also for a summer at a Space Camp in Izmir, Turkey. During that time, I made wonderful friends, had thrilling experiences, met a handful of astronauts (including Buzz Aldrin, Gordon Cooper and Sally Ride)...in short, some of the best times in my life are connected to NASA and Space Camp.

You can only imagine my excitement when I entered the Apollo/Saturn V Center. It was better than Christmas in a candy store for me. There was a presentation on the Apollo program and the moon landing of Apollo 11 and I actually got choked up while I watched it, TWICE! Once when they spoke of the Apollo 1 fire and the death of my favorite astronaut, Gus Grissom, and the other when they showed the live footage of Neil Armstrong taking the first steps on the moon.

Unfortunately, by the time we finished in the Apollo/Saturn V center, it was too late to go to the International Space Station Center. We returned to the main Visitor Center where Randee and I rode a simulator that demonstrated the feel of a space shuttle launch. It was really intense!

As the countdown to launch reached T-minus 1 hour, Daniel met us again and got us on the last bus out to the Eastern causeway to view the launch. This is one of closest places you can view the launch from! It was a perfect setting. Can you see the launch pad in the picture below? It's located just a little to the left of the center, between the two green islands. It's the gray speck.

Excitement built up as the countdown reached T-minus three minutes. At T-minus two minutes, everyone who had been sitting and reading, stopped and stood up. The crowd of people were all standing at attention, holding their breaths.

Finally it came. T-minus 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, main engine start, 4, 3, 2, 1. Liftoff!!!

At first, all you could see was a thick cloud of smoke (it's really steam) surrounding the launch pad, but then through all the cloudy confusion, you finally see it. Space Shuttle Atlantis taking flight, higher and higher. As Atlantis broke through the thick clouds above it, leaving in its wake a trail of pure white smoke and lighting up the sky with its bright orange-red flame, I started crying. It was really one of the most spectacular and beautiful sights I have ever seen.

Before you even had the proper amount of time to process all the beauty in the launch, Atlantis disappeared into the atmosphere and all that was left was a clear and distinct trail of its path into space.

Everyone piled back onto the buses and returned to the main Visitor Center, the sense of excitement and awe clinging to us. That feeling is still with me now.

Thank you to Valerie and Daniel for pulling some strings and getting me and my friend tickets to the launch! You two are amazing! You have made one of my dreams come true!!!

© Connie Hum 2009

I Love New York

Yes, it's true. I love New York. I wholly, completely LOVE New York.

Here's why, in no particular order:

1. My amazing friends (this is definitely the top reason)!
2. Live music every night of every genre! And most of the time, you can get up real close to actually SEE the musicians playing!
   
3. People wash, dry and fold your dirty laundry for you!
4. Delicious food of every possible nationality!
5. My TONY subscription! I practically live by it!
6. The BEST chai lattes in the world comes out of a TRUCK!
7. It's always beautiful in Central Park, no matter the season!
8. Celebrity sightings (on my first day back, I saw Kanye West on St. Marks)!
9. Broadway shows and musicals, rush tickets!
10. The subways run 24 hours a day!
11. There are vegan restaurants that actually taste good!
12. Seeing creativity everywhere, which encourages you to be more creative yourself!

The list continues, but what are YOUR reasons for loving New York?

© Connie Hum 2009

Time Warp

During my last few days of my "official" travels, I had such an odd sensation of being frozen in time.

The month of October has crept by so slowly, though my days have been filled with frenzied activities. Most days I find it almost inconceivable that it is still, indeed, October.

How can it be that in a month's time I left Cairo, visited eastern Turkey, traveled throughout central and western Turkey with my mother, said goodbye to friends in Istanbul, arrived in London, traveled around various parts of England and Wales, AND returned to New York?

Yet it is STILL October.

At least, if my first few hours in New York City has proven anything, life certainly does move faster here.

I'm so unbelievably happy to be home in the city that I love so much and that loves me so well!

© Connie Hum 2009

Cambridge

Last Friday I had originally planned to take a day trip from London to nearby Canterbury because, believe it or not, I loved reading Chaucer's Canterbury Tales when I was in high school. The night before I left, a friend of mine begged me to go to Cambridge instead.

Hey, I'm easy. I went to Cambridge.

Brilliant! The weather held out for me and it was a splendid day for the walk from Cambridge to Grantchester and back again. I spent most of the afternoon meandering along the Cam river, thoroughly enjoying the British countryside.

The trees along the river were turning spectacular colors of gold, orange and red, which were complimented to perfection with the rolling green hills and endless blue skies. To make things even more picturesque, giant white swans idled along the Cam while cows grazed on the grass behind me.

In Grantchester, I stopped by the famous Orchard House for the customary afternoon tea and scones before heading back into Cambridge proper.

I really fell in love with this little British town. The view of King's College Chapel was magnificent and slightly unexpected as I made my way around a corner. The buildings in Cambridge were all old and cute, and of course, the history and pedigree of intelligence in this place was nothing to frown at either.

There were so many people biking along, their baskets filled with either books or flowers. As the day was quite nice, there were also plenty of people punting along the Cam river. I really can't imagine going to university here because I think I would have just spent all my time buying flowers to put in my bike basket or punting along the Cam, looking cute instead of going to class.

Maybe the secret to getting into Cambridge isn't a high IQ after all. Maybe it's just the ability to go to class despite all the many distractions.

© Connie Hum 2009

Ukulele!!!

Yes, I bought a ukulele! It's been something of a hidden, under-the-surface desire of mine to learn how to play the ukulele for some time now and I also needed something new to learn to help keep my mind fresh and sharp. So today while I was strolling the streets of London with my friend Mark, we saw some sure-fire "signs" that the time to start learning how to play the ukulele was NOW.

I bought a ukulele from a store called "The Duke of Uke." It just feels so right to hold it in my hands!

Wish me luck on learning how to play!

© Connie Hum 2009

Seasons Change, Or Six Months Too Long

It would seem as though the seasons have taken an unexpected and sudden turn against us. Just when the sun was shining full of warmth and promises for a bright tomorrow, the days turned cold and gray, threatening to rain on all our future parades with each passing day.

I find that my own feelings are reflecting this seasonal change. Prior to leaving Istanbul in early September, I was madly in love with it and ready to move back at the first opportunity. Upon my return, something happened and I felt jaded by the whole city. All of a sudden, everything that I disliked about Istanbul came under a glaring light, pushing all the reasons I loved it into the fading darkness. Yes, I still love Istanbul, but like a summer romance reaching its inevitable end, I just knew our time to say goodbye had come.

I find that perhaps six months is too long for me to "travel" in one place. The same thing happened to me during my trip across Europe in 2005. By the time the six month mark approached, I was just looking forward to going home and not enjoying the rest of my trip. I find this happening to me again.

Now I'm currently in London, nursing the wounds of a broken heart from a short-term love affair with Istanbul, though I must say it hasn't been exactly difficult. It definitely helps that London has everything that I missed in Istanbul about New York City. It's absolutely lovely to be able to eat a wide range of foods and have so many different types of things going on around me all at once.

I think it's just too bad that I keep thinking about my return to NYC. London has a character all its own that's making me fall in love with it, but NYC will always be my love. Of course, this doesn't mean that I won't be able to have a brief fling with London either!

Check back for my London blogs to come!

© Connie Hum 2009

Mom's Trip Highlights

Yes, there were some rocky moments in my travels around Turkey with my mom, but there were also some pleasant and even down-right fun moments. Here are the highlights:

• Sharing my love for street mussels in Istanbul with my mom. We ate so many each day because we both knew the opportunity to eat them again was running out with each passing day.
  

• Some silly Canadian woman asked if we were sisters. SISTERS! I was aghast with horror. My mom joyfully spent the rest of the day calling me "little sister."

• A Turkish boy kept asking me out but I kept saying no. When I told my mom what we had been talking about, she said, "Oh, it sounds like he wants to shake you." I guess that's what she's calling it these days.

• Mom and I hitched a ride to Efes from our hotel with a guy on a motorcycle. My mom held on so tight to him that he almost stopped breathing. Before taking off, he said, "Don't kill me!"

• In Göreme, we passed by a trio of old Turkish women, boiling something in a huge cauldron on the side of the road. I asked them what they were doing and they were making boiling honey to make a type of special honey. The mixture was ready and they asked us to help them drain the pot. Every day after that, the old women would say hi to us as we walked passed.

• Penis talk in Cappadocia. Come on, you knew that was going to make the list!
  

© Connie Hum 2009

Reconciliation

I suppose you can say that my mother and I have reconciled our differences. Really, this means we have just dropped the subject and moved on with the rest of our trip. This is usually how we "resolve" our issues. I really hate it because I know that all the bad feelings still remain, just further below the surface. I'd love to really hash it out with my mom, whatever it takes, but she's completely avoiding the topic.

Oh well.

© Connie Hum 2009

Growing Pains

UGH...My trip with my mother has been more difficult than I thought. I don't know why I imagined that all the past problems we've had would magically disappear simply because we were in a different country. Some things never change but I guess I was just wishing and hoping for the best.

There were a few moments where we seemed to be really getting along well together, some even where I felt we were finally connecting (such as when we were walking around Cappadocia and we were able to have a conversation about penises). But most of the time, I wasn't so lucky.

Being with her this past week has been exceptionally emotionally draining. There's only so much disappointment in her eyes that I can see before all my little insecurities and and self-doubt creeps back in and consumes me. It makes me FURIOUS that I've worked so hard to be the best person I can be, to bring myself up and out from all my parents' disappointment just to see it in her eyes every day. I'm not mad at her for the way I feel. I'm mad at myself for allowing her to get to me and for allowing myself to feel small, insignificant and unloved again. This ISN'T me! Self-deprecation doesn't become me.

We've got another week left before she leaves. I hope for the best, but I'm not sure what the best is anymore. Send your good vibes our way, we're going to need it.

Lesson learned: stick to easy topics such as penises when talking to my mom to avoid any future problems.

© Connie Hum 2009