Aimee’s World Tour

Jeju Island served it’s purpose. 

Though the weather was shit for the most part, it showed me that Korea isn’t soley or “Seouly” a concrete wasteland.  That all drivers aren’t suicidal.  That Koreans do in fact smile unprovoked.   That you can look at beautiful scenery with your peripherals because there aren’t horribly ugly edifices to the right and left.   Aah-gee-mahs still push but like that’s gonna change.

Another point in Korea’s favor is that I no longer am an employee of a moronic, money-hungry private school administration.   Perhaps one day I’ll try out a public school on an island or in a small town.  See another side of the people.  *Not any time soon.  😉 *

For a year and a half I had isolated myself in a small north west section of the country.  All I knew were the stone-faced, rich bitches of Bun Dang, a suburb of Seoul, as well as Seoul itself.   I never left the bubble.  And quite honestly my visits to Seoul have left me with many areas still untouched.

Leafing through my Lonely Planet for all the places I’d been outside of the Gyeongi-do province, I came up empty with the exception of Mudfest down south , the DMZ, and my beloved airports.  Pathetic.

Every vacation, I did my best to get OUT of Korea.  Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Bali… I saw them all.  

Weekends were always my time. My Sundays were as uneventful as possible to prepare mentally and physically for my Mondays and the little monsters that awaited me in the clasroom. 

Finishing up my contract I didn’t roadtrip the country but went for an adventureous month in China.

A knawing at my conscience led me to give Korea another go and so I am back in the ROK ’till Thursday.  After visiting friends and old students my first week, I spent my second in Jeju. 

Outside of  Jeju, there are a slew of places that unfortunately I do not have the time to experience.  And for these and countless others I must one day return.

Island hopping in the west sea.

Seoroksan National Park.

Jeongdongjin – Unification Park with the N. Korean submarine.

Ulleungdo and Jukdo Islands in the East.

Busan beaches in the summer.

The green tea fields of Boseong where you can actually bathe in green tea or sea water.

Suanbo Hot Spring and Woraksan National Park.

The ancient capital of Gyeongju.

A temple-stay.

The impressive limestone cave that is Gosu Donggul.

The Seoul Racecourse.

Islands like Yeondo and Heuksando immediately south of the mainland.

Jeju-do when it’s not cold, rainy and windy.

I thank you Lonely Planet for opening up my eyes to what I’d missed.  I wish I’d cracked you months ago.  And Sue Car Tiffin for her lectures and insistence that I get out there, that I see Korea for what it really is and not leave with a negative image due only to my own ignorance.  And of course Bona at theyeogiyo.com for finding me amazing flights.  XOXO.

~Aimee

For those peripheral processors who don’t want to read countless blogs about each and every Chinese adventure, I write this for you. Here I summarize the entire trip. BAM!

As for you central processors, those blogs are coming… with details, facts, humor and mystery.   And my poor yet conversational writing style.

Dear Reader,

China was an amazing experience. Could I have been more cliche just now? 

I traveled with my friend Justine from South Africa.  After more than a year and a half teaching in Korea we were ready to take on the rest of the world.  Or at least China.

We flew into Beijing. Did a two day train ride to Tibet.    We were in the delightful company of our tour group made up of Laura, UK, Will, Rhode Island, Mirjam, Holland, and Rochelle, Canada/Phillippines.  We spent about a week in Tibet seeing the Potola Palace, numerous monasteries, eating yak, bargaining and visiting Everest Base Camp.  As our guide Puntsok told us, some people only experience mt. sickness through words.  We had the real deal.  Let’s hear it for O2 and pain killers.

We trained it back another two days to Beijing where we visited Tien’amen Sq., The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, and The Olympic Bird’s Nest and Aquatic Center (Go Michael Phelps). 

We took a cable car up The Great Wall of China, walked around, and rode a tobaggen down. 

Riding around the city, Justine fell off her bike and I rode around on a flat.  We also ate Peking Duck and saw an acrobatic performance.  The rows in front of us were filled with Koreans. Go figure.  Happy Dragon hostel had a great atmosphere, the workers are friendly and exteremely helpful. 

Then we – you guessed it – took a overnight train down to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors. 

Despite storing out backpacks in “left luggage” at the station, one of my two cameras disappeared.  Pick pocket paradise.  That night we hopped on… very good… a train and spent about 24 hours traveling to Chengdu. 

In Chengdu we had Sichuan hot pot, saw a Sichuan opera, visited the Chengdu Panada Breeding Research Center, and stayed overnight at Mt. Emei (Emei Shan).   A man on a motorbike tried to rip us off, my boot melted on the exhaust and I was grabbed inappropriately.  Good company in the form of Dutch, German and Finnish travelers made up for our shady experience.  Mix was another great hostel which I’d recommend in a heart beat.

We then headed to Guilin via TRAIN and arrived the following evening.  We went out in search of a bar of European sorts listed in Lonely Planet which was shut down.  Pretty much ate dinner, walked around and went to bed. Flowers hostel was pretty crap.

The next day was something new.  We traveled by BUS.  Guilin was merely a stop over and a storage place for our luggage while we went to see the magical Dragonback Rice Terraces outside of ugly Longshen.  It was rainy and cold, our first bad weather day on the whole trip.  Our bus led us to a second bus that ended up picking up every villager and their vegetables. We got to our destination village late.  We had about an hour to look around before we bussed it back to Guilin in time for our next journey.

That night we hopped another BUS to Yangshuo where we arrived an hour and a half later.  We befriended the owner of a reagae bar who led us to our hostel Bamboo House.  Bamboo is another lovely one filled with the smell of fresh banana bread. Later we stopped into our new friend’s bar, Kaya, for a quick drink and a thank you. 

Yangshuo is absolutely amazing with limestone peaks EVERYWHERE and is located on the Li and Y… Rivers.

 We spent our first full day biking in the rain. The rweather for the rest of our stay was more on our side and I even got a sunburn kayaking.  We also biked to and hiked Moon Hill, bamboo rafted, witnessed cormorant fishing (ancient art utilizing birds that can’t swallow the big fish), attended a light show directed by the same person responsible for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, and enjoyed some delicious cuisine.

After several days we took a NIGHT bus to Macau.  I thought it was so cool.  Justine was eh about it.  After a confusing immigration process the next morning and a lack of accomodation on the islands, we found a hostel on the mainland on the road of happiness where scenes from Indiana Jones Temple of Doom were filmed.  We spent the day visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s College, the first protestant cemetary in Macau, St. Anthony’s Church, The Company of Jesus Square, Mount Fortress, Camies Square, Casa Garden, St. Dominic’s Church and Square as well as Senado Square, my personal fave. We took buses to get around in case you were curious.

 Our second day was to for the beach.  A detour brought us to the harbor where we had to purchase our ferry tickets for our ride to Hong Kong airport then following day.  When we finally reached the beach it was freezing and no one was there.  We napped, ate a massive spaggetti dinner at a Portuguese restaurant, flew a kite at St. Paul’s and checked out the casinos.. mainly the Grand Lisboa.

I left around 8:45 am to catch the ferry.  So that’s bus to ferry to plane to plane to bus to cab.  A couple Korean assholes tried to get me to catch a cab for 100,000 Won and delighted in the fact that I appeared clueless.  I told them they were out of their minds.  I caught a bus to Jamsil since I missed the last one to Bun Dang.  From there I took a cab to Heidi teacher’s apartment and went to sleep. 

And that was China. If you have any questions about hard-sleeper or soft-sleeper trains I’m your girl. 

XOXO,

Aimee

PS Feel free to ask me anything if you plan to check out China!!

Hey Mom and Dad,

We reached Xi’an this morning and we’re getting ready to bus it to the Terracotta Warriors, thousands of statues of soldiers and horses built for Qin Shi Huang to prep for his death.  It was unearthed by peasants as they were digging a well in 1974.  Should be pretty good. 

We have a train tonight to Chendu where we’ll stay for about 3 nights.  Must keep movin’ on.  Yesterday Justine and I ate Peking Duck… not too bad but def. a bit fatty with the skin on it though I think the skin made it less scary. 

Must be weary of pick pockets in Xi’an but I think i’m prepared. 

Write me if you’ve a chance.

I love you.

~Aimee

PS I sent a postcard for Matthew/Elizabeth to the house bc I have no way of getting their addresses.  Actually Matthew just sent me his but i had already mailed his postcard.  I hope that’s ok.  I also sent one to myself as well as you.  I think you’ll really like the stamps on them. 

PSS If you have any spare time, let me know if you have any leads or sites for finding a visa for Europe, working or travel.  Thanks!!!

Justine and I woke to a new kind of wake up call – a 6 am knock at the door.  At first I was disoriented.  Shouldn’t that have been a ring? I got my wits about me and quickly called out ~ok!  We didn’t get up for another half an hour which allowed ourselves only 30 min. to get downstairs.  Our tour included breakfast, lunch, and transportation to the wall, as well as a discount on the acrobatics show we’re going to this evening.

We had a Swiss breakfast in the restaurant/bar downstairs.  A documentary about The Great Wall was playing for those early birds going to walk the wonder.  Justine and I decided to explore the Mutianyu section where there wasn’t an abundance of tourists.  This part of the wall was not rebuilt but we preferred to see the original and avoid the crowds.  Will had instructed us to go immediately to the tallest tower so that we could get the best shot of the Chinese snake.

Due to traffic we were not able to leave at 7:40 am but instead at almost 9 am.  Our tour guide was a perky20-something Chinese girl in a purple coat with a fun sense of style and nose ring. She knew her stuff but only spoke to us briefly on the bus and once we arrived at the wall.

Justine and I decided to go up by tower 6 via cable car.  Apparently everything right of tower 6 (lower) had different kinds of towers while those to the left were more or less the same though those towers went all the way to 23.  I believe 23 was the highest tower but we settled for the shorter side due to time restraints.  Will had advised us to go to the tallest tower that we first saw and I’m glad we chose that route.  It was high enough to get good shots of the wall without having to rush.

Likewise to what I’d heard, the steps of The Great Wall were all different heights and designs.  Some were quite steep while others were hardly an inch high.    I had been under the impression that everything right of watch tower number 6 was not refurbished.  It was not until we got all the way to the right that the untouched section of the wall revealed itself.  This section was not open to tourists.  Still, Justine and I ventured out the window and out onto the wall for a couple photos. I got down on the ground and looked at the crumbling section with great interest, thinking of the millions of Chinese who were forced into building this long dragonspine , this magnificent wall of defense.

With limited computer access in Tibet and touch and go internet the rest of China, I have and may very well still be blogging via pen and notebook.  These blogs will be posted with subject and date.  Please check for the date also inside the blog to see the actual day it was written. Some of my blogs may be not be in chronological order and for this I apologize.

I have also decided for those of you who don’t need picky historic or personal details I will have a cliff’s notes version of each of those blogs.

Take care and thank you for reading about my adventures.  Remember you too can always make the journey!

~Aimee

Our train pulled into Beijing approx. one hour late at 8 this morning.  After two days chugging back from Lhasa, Tibet, we were eager to get to our hostel.

Justine and I have never seen so many people pushing their way through a train station or even airport for that matter.  Overpopulation is right!  We battled our way up and outside to avoid the ridiculously long taxi line but after half an hour we realized that was the only way we were going to get a ride.  So we dragged our luggage back through the crowd, mostly going the opposite way as everyone else so that we really had to push through.  We spent the next half an hour just waiting on a Disney World rollercoaster-esque line for our cab that took us to Dongi, the stop near our hostel.  We walked for a few minutes until we came to our McDonald’s landmark and went inside.

Justine has never actually had McD’s. breakfast and was eager for her first egg McMuffin.  To her dismay breakfast had ended just moments before so she settled for the crispy chicken meal.  I told her we’d come back but not on the daily.  I am actually losing a little weight on this trip.  It was so cute when she asked me how to open the ketchup packets.  I’m like wow – you really never have been here before.  Justine felt a twinge of guilt  for giving in after 26 years golden arches free.

After eating, we followed the rest of the directions to our hostel, the Happy Dragon.  If you’re ever staying in Beijing The Happy Dragon frickin ROCKS!!!  happydragonhostel@yahoo.com  They have free internet, a link so that you can actually use facebook which is blocked out here in Communist land, laundry service, tour booking, ticket booking, a bar/restaurant and the friendliest and most helpful staff.  And… wait for it… postcards because if I buy nothing else it is postcards!  Should you like one please send me your address.  I’ve not enough space to carry around an address book.

Justine and I will be staying at the Happy Dragon for 4 nights and leaving for Xi’an on March 15th (Monday).  We’ll be taking an 11 or possibly 16 hour train to get down there.  Terracotta Warriors here we come! There are over 7000 statues of warriors and horses discovered back in the 70’s while some peasants were digging a well.  That blog has yet to be experienced.

We’ve set aside today for buying little things we need, posting home things we don’t need as well as postcards, purchasing train and plane tickets, booking our tour of The Great Wall for tomorrow, sending out our laundry (pray it doesn’t get ruined), eating Peking duck, and possibly seeing the Chinese opera or going to the night market.

Everything we need is here at Happy Dragon.  Oh yeah… they’re also super cheap.  Justine and I are treating ourselves to the twin room so we each have our own bed.  The only thing wrong with this place is the decomposing faucet in our bathroom but with everything so wonderful I don’t give a rat’s puhtoootay.   The shower is like the one I had experienced in Hong Kong and Thailand.  There is no specific area for the shower… just the hand-held shower head on the wall.  It works – the water is warm – I’m happy.

I’ve been blogging everyday with a pen and a notebook.  Unfortunately the first couple days (basically riding in the train to Tibet) the notebook I had been writing in disappeared.  This could very well have happened in Everest when I was too damn sick to check everything thoroughly. So long as I had my wallet and cameras I didn’t care what else made it.  But that story is for another time.  Those blogs will be posted ASAP but please check the date that I write on them so that you can follow it all in order.

March 3, 2010

I wrote a ton on the train and am now finally at a computer and starting up a blog about this evening…

Here i am my first day in Lhasa, Tibet.  We got off the train around 5:30 pm and our guide picked us up in a mini bus from the station.  Our guide put white silky scarf-ish things around each of our necks in welcome.  The scarves (the name escapes me) and used for good luck, respect, and to honor someone who has passed.  I thought it quite sweet.

We were all so excited to take showers and EAT!!!  First thing we were told on the bus was not to shower until the morning otherwise we’d catch a cold and not to become full as the digestion would be extra work on our bodies which are already working extra hard to aclimatize.  While I can’t shower until morning, I did finally change my underwear!  Tonight I will even change the clothes I’ve been wearing since I left Korea.

When we arrived at the hotel we presented our passports and checked in.  Justine and I are sharing a room and I started squealing with delight when I saw that we had a hair dryer and a bunch of little samples including razors!  The water takes about 5 minutes to heat up – I asked about it because I HAD to know.  The best part is that we don’t have to use a squatter.  We have a “sterilized” toilet.

On the bus we had also been told not to exert ourselves and that when it is better to take a rest than medicine for altitude headaches.  There is also to be no alcohol for 2 days and we should eat a lot of vegetables.  I’m sure there’s something else that I missed.

Wew made our way across the street for dinner.  Unfortunately the only kind of vegetable available at our restaurant was the leek which came inside a dumpling.  We ended up ordering two types of noodle dishes along with the leek dumplings.  We each got a little dish for dumpling sauce which was a bit spicy.  I then poured in some vinegar from the teapot on the table.  I didn’t let myself get full but I was just about there.

We were all so hungry.  Will had ordered chicken but I was done.  When it arrived at the table it came with all the parts.  At first I was disgusted but I quickly took interest.  I held a chicken foot in my chopstick and then braved the head.  I videoed and photographed the experience.  I don’t know how much you’d have to pay me to eat the head but I suppose if I had run out of cash I’d opt for it.  Yaaaak!

Speaking of yaks, rounding the corner were a whole slew of shops showcasing yak meat.  There were some smaller slabs but most of them were full on carcass, the hides removed ready for eating. The first place I came upon, a man was wacking at the ox with a giant hammer. 

I can’t wait to see a live yak because they looked so cute from the train.  I wouldn’t be opposed to trying some though.

I love the people on our trip.  We all seem to mesh really well.  Justine and I have been friends for a while.  Will and Laura are good pals having taught together in China.  Rochelle likes to take pictures and Mirjanda is very sweet.  I’m diggin’ it.

Lhasa is a small city but the people are amazing.  I cannot get over the complexion of their skin.  Living at such a high altitude certainly takes its toll, even on the very young.  Everyone’s cheeks are rosey as if someone had gone overboard with blush.  I am not exaggerating at all.  Their appearance really tells a lot about who they are and where they live.  At dinner we were literally stared at, like more than in Korea but I didn’t mind because I was happy to stare back.

The streets are somewhat quiet with taxis and rick-shaws about.  We arrived late in the day but I imagine it is never overflowing with people.  Most of the shops had yak and things like hats, sunglasses, scarves, etc.  I purchased a pair of sunglasses since my eyes have bee having a hard time out here adjusting to the light.  No one else seems to mind.

I’m wondering if the altitude headaches will kick in.  I’m hoping to avoid them altogether.  Tomorrow we will go to the Potola Palace which was the home for the Dhali Lama way back when.  We saw it from a distance while pulling into the train station.  I’m blanking on what else is lined up but we should finish up the day with a “bustling bazar” in some place that starts with a B.

Until I blog again, which I hope to do daily!

~Aimee

I am literally racing against the clock on the airport computer.

I am off to CHINA…. first stop Everest where my computer will be replaced with a paper journal.  I pray that I find windbreaker pants….

 Aimee

“Dear Aimee Teacher

We would like to thank you for all you have done through the last school terms.

We as mothers naturally had some anxiety concerns before sending our kids to Helen Doron, an English speaking environment which was new to them.  But to our great relief and satisfaction, our children enjoyed every activity of school and stayed happy and healthy throughout the year.  We were thrilled to see our kids not only speaking better English but also growing up so desirably in other developmental areas.  We are truly grateful to you. 

You have shown love from your heart toward each and every child.  We will especially remember the special, heart-felt message of love expressed in cute little things you made for each child on special occasions like Halloween or when you were away in America.   We are sure the children also felt your love and will cherish it.  We hope that you also had a terrific and memorable time while teaching in Helen Doron and living in Korea.  We hope you have lots of beautiful memories and exerpeince in Korea to take home.

We wish all the best for your new life back in America. 
We will miss you very much.

Lots of Love and blessings,

Mother and children of Dover & Birmingham.”

This blog is dedicated to my friend Laura Brown for her initial push to break the ADD barrier.  😉 

Nothing like staring at your apartment – even the most organized mess – and being completely paralyzed as to how to begin.  

Moving out is different this time.  Yes – boxes, bags, crap you want to save, necessities you want to chuck  – this is part of every move.  Only this time I can’t do multiple trips that cost me only the gas in my car.  

My Korean life must magically be transformed into suitcases and packages.

The kicker is weight.  If you go over at the airport you’re paying at least $100 per bag.  SOme airlines charge $200 for the second bag.  At the post office shipping to the US is approx. $1.00 per pound.  Luckily I brought home the bulk of my books at Christmas but I’m still left with, literally, a heavy burden. 

 While I must leave room for my yet to be purchased “Everest gear”, there is no room for error when calculating my luggage.  And that War and Peace version of China Lonely Planet might as well be a brick.

I want so much for someone to accidentally chuck  my shoe boxes filled with pamphlets, ticket stubs and other scap booking materials.  I would so much rather write about how they’ve disappeared than take scissors to masses of paper memories that are Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Bali. 

Aside from aspirations for an amateur book of disected brochures, the information on this “crap” will help me in the writing of my back-logged blogs and thus I must make the effort. 

Luckily we have off today as part of the Lunar New Year holiday but return to school tomorrow.  I may have the entire day to do this but of all frivilous things, my hair appointment is an added stressor. 

Posing in a chair for 3 hours in the name of beauty and then not being able to wear a ponytail or wash my hair for 3 days is not conducive to packing.  But straight perm I must!  It’s cheap and saves countless hours of primping.  An excellent long-term investment. 

How I’ve managed to construct an analogy of packing to hair is not something to be proud of.

I suppose I should be spending this time sorting, not blogging, but writing helps puts everything out there in an organized manner and that’s what I lack at the moment.

So fearless packer I must become.  Go forth oh frustrated one.

~Kim Sue Min