The End, and a New Beginning

I've circled the world and I've met a lot of people so far on this trip - people of all ages, races, customs, religions, hair color, eye color, whatever have you. It's been quite a fantastic experience being able to glimpse into the lives and perspectives of such a variety of individuals and cultures.

One thing that I am quite happy to have discovered (or maybe just confirmed) on this trip is that there are still a lot of good people in the world. The media sometimes makes it seem as though there are horrors waiting for us outside our front doors - and of course, safety is always something that I have been aware that I need to keep in check. That's something that shouldn't be compromised, so I still carry mace around with me. Growing up as a first generation Asian American, there are a lot of cultural sensitivities to safety and discrimination that I have engrained into the back of my mind too...just a tad bit more than "stranger danger." So being able to dispel some of these notions has been quite uplifting. There is an innate good in humankind. And there are more things that bring us together, make us similar people across these continents, than what makes us different. You can feel it within the vibes of many people. You can see it in their smiles. You can feel it within their handshakes.

The spirit of the humankind in its most raw form is one that is transformative. It is founded upon something mysteriously divine, encircled with love, and has the power to affect others - whether its a simple demeanor change, an entire career change, or a total life choice change. It's a common denominator, yet we view it just as we do beauty - in the eye of the beholder.

This thing about "finding you," or really, "finding me" has become another interesting matter that I've pondered more than several times throughout my trip (hey, what else am I supposed to do through all of the transit times I've had?). One of the reasons I wanted to go on this around the world trip was to get back to my roots and find "me." I've realized that I'm a first generation Asian American who is navigating between the push and pull of opposite cultures - someone who is still figuring out where I am on all of the sliding scales of life. But I've also discovered ways to embrace my history, my accomplishments, my independence, and the strength and confidence I have as a  Filipina. I know that I still have a lot of potential ahead, but I've figured out that I don't need to search far and wide. I can keep my feet on the ground and run at the best, steady pace that I can. I don't need to win the race, in fact, I don't even need to be on the same course as anyone else. I just need to make sure that every step on this journey counts.

Peace, Love, and Wanderlust.

The Food Meter

Food. An extremely important character-building reference of a culture. I tried to make sure that I had "native" or "known" foods in each major city that I went to (without gaining 100 pounds), and have decided to commemorate their savory deliciousness with a meter of praise.

Here they are, best to worst (well not exactly "worst" but just, "I might not eat it again if I don't have to):

the Big Rig pasta and Pizzookie - Oregano's (Phoenix)

Fresh mangoes - almost anywhere (Manila)

Dad's home cooked food - Home (Manila)

GELATO - almost anywhere (Rome, Cinque Terre)

Chocolate Chip Cookies & Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies - Paradise Bakery (Phoenix)

Macaroons - Lauderee (Paris)

Pesto & Gnocchi, Mussels - Ciak (Cinque Terre)

Pasta - practically anywhere (Cinque Terre)

Mozzarella (in Caprese salad) & Bufalo mozzarella- almost anywhere (Rome)

Grilled Prawns with dipping sauces - Theo's (Cape Town)

Carpaccio with arugula - Max's home cooked food (Rome)

Lime sorbet (after dinner dessert) - the pizza place down the street from Max & Chato's (Rome)

Really creamy ice cream - somewhere in Bath (Bath)

Pork & apple sausage - the fine sausage shop that I can't remember the name of (Bath) [with Kara's couscous, of course]

Zimbabwean Chicken - Mama Africa (Cape Town)

Pizza - almost anywhere (Cinque Terre)

Mango Bravo cake - Conti's (Manila)

Grilled Calamari - Ocean Basket (Cape Town)

Lobster Spaghetti - the restaurant with the star lanterns (Cinque Terre)

Chocolate Soufle - Vin & Maree (Paris)

Prawn Curry - Bo Kaap Koumbis (Cape Town)

Banana crunch cake - Red Ribbon (Manila)

Cappuccini - almost anywhere (Rome)

Macaroons  - Pierre Hermes (Paris)

Hummus - Hotel Intercontinental (Dubai)

Hotel buffet breakfast - Hotel Margherita (Cinque Terre)

Cheese Grillers - Finest Sausage stall in St. George's Square (Cape Town)

Creme Brulee - the Amelie Restaurant (Paris)

Boerewors - street stalls (Cape Town)

Malva Pudding - Bo Kaap Koumbis (Cape Town)

Sourdough Bread Bowl with Clam Chowder (San Francisco)

Tacos -- Mexican Food almost anywhere (Phoenix)

Frosty (Friday's) - Wendy's (Phoenix)

Fish & chips - practically anywhere (London)

Cream tea & scones with salted butter and jam (Bath)

Chicken pasty - most snack shops and Cornwall's (London)

Escargot - Vin & Maree (Paris)

Limoncello - almost anywhere (Cinque Terre)

Never go jeans shopping on vacation

Never. Well, unless you've soiled your only pair of jeans on your trip. Shopping for the right pair of jeans is a pretty interesting challenge in itself, but adding on the trouble of figuring out your size in a foreign country while converting the currency rate, in addition to realizing just how many vacation pounds you've packed on during your holiday (while there is a great Benetton sale that you want to try to make the most out of but just can't) is depressing.

Note to self: stick with dresses.

Transit Notes

Backtracking a little....The commute from Parma to Paris - London St. Pancreas - London Paddington - Bristol...

Parma to Paris was just awful. We took the night train which left at almost midnight, due to arrive in Paris around 915am. The air-conditioners weren't working, I was fighting clausterphobia in the humid and rancid-BO stinking cabin, and we arrived in Paris 2 hours late (without explanation...or maybe there was one, but I didn't understand it because it was in French). I know I blogged a little bit about this already before but I am repeating it to make a point.

In Paris, I showed up at the terminal, at the Eurostar counter, to collect my pre-purchased ticket from Paris to London. I asked if I could just get a train ticket from London to Bristol, and the Eurostar agent happily told me yes. So she gave me an insanely expensive roundtrip ticket -- which I just paid for because I didn't want to lug my bags around from train to tube to bus to bus. So I enjoyed the Paris to London trip because the three hour Eurostar ride was quite nice. They even serve you a gourmet meal complete with balsamic oil and vinegar as well as alcoholic beverages in recyclable bottles. It was better than airplane meals.

London St. Pancreas to London Paddington was fine -- I figured out the tube (subway) okay with a bit of information desk help. But then London Paddington to Bristol was weird. I found my train okay - after I was told that it was leaving in 2 minutes and I sprinted to catch it, I took whatever seat I could find on the car that the conductor scooted me into. Halfway into the ride when tickets were being checked, I was told I was on the wrong car. I was actually carrying a first class ticket (no wonder they were so expensive!)...so I got moved to first class. It wasn't worth it because it was only half the ride there. It was like I paid 50 pounds for a bottle of water and a newspaper. So I am crossing my fingers that SNCF will refund me for my unused return ticket - because I bought a MUCH cheaper one instead.

The Bristol Post

So I'm playing catch up again (ahh the procrastinator in me prevails, even on vacation)...and I'm writing this post from the train (leaving Bristol and headed to London).

I decided to visit Bristol because my friend Kara, from high school, is living there now. She invited me to come and see her, so I put the stop on my itinerary and I'm so glad I did! I was a little nervous because I actually hadn't seen her in over seven years! But it was a really fabulous stop -- I got to catch up with Kara (and finally have some girl friend time again [no offense, Matt]), meet some of her awesome friends (shout out to "Mubs and Dubs"!), and see some English countryside with sheep and cows (instead of zebras; although interestingly enough, certain pedestrian walks in Bristol are actually called zebra crossings).

We went to Tetbury which was such a cute and quaint little town where I got to have proper English cream tea and scones. And we also went to Bath which was pretty awesome. I have never really been a history buff and I don't think that I ever will be...but I do have a much better appreciation of history now that I've seen some of the sights that I've been so lucky to visit. The ancient city of Bath has been preserved beautifully, and although there are so many tourists that wander the main streets there on the weekends, its a cool part of the Bristol/Bath/UK history. Fish and chips as well as some of the creamiest ice cream you could ever have all await you in the lovely UK.

Impromptu dinner parties at the park, at Kara's flat, and a night out on the town were also a really nice break from the normal touristy sched that I was on over the past couple of weeks. Kara, you are a fantastic chef, truly the hostess with the mostess! hehe..Thank you for everything!!! To the bartender I met at the local pub, I'm sorry that I lost your card. To the giant, Harry-Potter-like house party hosts, thanks for a really interesting woodland, glow-stick experience. haha...Bristol, you were awesome.

PS - I think that saying, "I'm from New York," makes a woman sexier abroad. If I were to say, "I'm from Wisconsin," it wouldn't have the same effect. Oh New York, how I actually miss you now. Just a few more days...

-> Pictures coming soon.

Traveling

Right now I'm waiting for my Eurostar train at the Paris Nord station. Free wifi is really difficult to come by, so I am once again typing in TextEdit and will paste this online when I can :)

Paris on a budget: When you have to spend in Euros (and you don't earn in Euros), things can get pretty expensive. Tips for Paris - go to the grocery stores to buy snacks and bottled water. They are 10x cheaper there than anywhere else. But have at least 1 nice dinner because you have to try the French wine, cheese, seafood, and crepes. Macaroons are also pretty big here too -- try at least 1 somewhere (Pierre Hermes recommended).

So Matt and I just parted ways...he is headed back home (after a short layover in Iceland) and I am now headed to Bristol. Looking back, it was a long 2+ months that oddly flew by, but it was a lot of fun. 

So, buddy -- Thanks for inflicting several pseudo-bruises on me, for not making fun of me as much as you could have, for eating worcestershire (instead of soy sauce) chicken, for trying to teach me how to drive stick, for enduring some of the longest layovers ever, for letting me unevenly chop your hair off, for getting "lost" in Montemarte, for letting me share in your rum with a side of cake, and for being an awesome travel buddy. Oh yeah, and for all the very "cooul" pictures too.

**This post was created several days ago.

Au Revoir Paris

(catching up on Photos)

Last day in Paris

7:45am - Matt woke me up to tell me he's going to try to beat the lines at the Louvre (which he apparently succeeded at because he was the 3rd person in line, woot woot)

7:46am - I decided to sleep in

8:20am - I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up to repack and prune my facebook friends

9:30am - Finally left the hotel, picked up water, crackers, and cheese at the grocery store; was mistaken for a local when someone tried to ask me for directions in French; got on the subway

10:00am - Went shopping at the Gap Paris on Champ Elysees (so that I can further avoid to do laundry until I get back to NY)

11:10am - Found my favorite spot in Paris at the Musee de l'Orangerie in front of Monet's Nympheas (Waterlilies)

12:30pm - Wandered into the Jardin des Tulleries to perch for some Babybel & biscuits

1:15pm - Found myself in a sea of people at the Louvre

1:30pm - Completed the museum pilgrimage to the Mona Lisa

1:50pm - Decided that I liked the Venus de Milo better; wandered through a couple more wings and found my favorite sculpture

2:30pm - Too hot and too many people in the Louvre

3:00pm - Wandered over to the Forum for some shopping

3:45pm - Decided to find an authentically French food (other than fries / frites)...

3:50pm - Balanced myself on a fountainside with a Nutella & Coconut Crepe which was hot and delicious

4:30pm - Hopped on the subway and made it back to the hotel in one piece after almost falling asleep on the train :P 

7:00pm - Had a McRoyale (aka McDonald's quarter pounder) for dinner [apparently McDonald's taste testing was part of the world tour...Matt has come to the conclusion that  big Mac tastes the same practically anywhere you go]

9:11pm - The sun set in Paris

...Bristol here I come!

Catching Up

I'm really bummed that I haven't been able to blog lately as much as I've wanted to. I'm sorry. It's been difficult to find time to blog about the many things I try to remember to write about each day...mainly because it's been difficult to find the time to sit down in front of the computer and type out my day's oddities. Some days I just fall asleep too tired to type, and other days I have no internet access. Throughout the past couple of days, it has been the latter...I.ve been limited by the number of minutes I can purchase for Internet access. But I've had an amazing time nonetheless.

So let me start with Rome. Rome wasn't built in a day. But if you speed walk through it like my travel friend, Matt, you can see all of its main sights in a day. We got up early to beat the lines at the Vatican - that's right, if you get there by 8:30am, you can practically walk through St. Peter's Basilica in 30 minutes. There's hardly a line at the Vatican, but about an hour later, there's a 2-hour long wait. At St. Peter's, the one massive entrance line breaks up into two...I recommend waiting in the Cupola line. We went to the Pope's tombs which was shorter -- but we realized what we missed later on when we got back to my aunt's. Go see the Cupola instead.

St. Peter's Basilica was by far one of the most awe-inducing structures Rome has to offer, with the Pantheon and the Coliseum coming in close behind. All of the ruins and churches scattered throughout the walk are pretty cool, and the fountains - like the Trevi - are definitely a must see throughout your walk. Rome was filthy with graffitti though, on pretty much every corner you could see. So I have to say, it was the carpaccio topped with Arugula (thanks Max!), pizza, and gelato that definitely made Italy. Mui gratzie again to Tita Chato and Uncle Max.

By

 the way, something worth mentioning (at least I think) was the first haircut I've given a guy ever...in Rome. I've n

ever actually cut a dude's hair before, and Matt - after several weeks of growing it out and not wanting to go to a Barbiero in Italy - let me try to cut his hair. I tried my best (I channeled you, Bridget!)...but it's slightly uneven. haha...

My favorite destination so far on this trip though was Cinque Terre. The five towns has by far been one of the most wonderful vacations ever. After taking the train (and odd 1 hour detour bus) from Rome to La Spezia and then running to catch a smaller train to Monterrosso and then walking a really hot hike with suitcases to the main road to our hotel (Hotel Margherita, which was awesome, by the way), this "5 town" stop was absolutely amazing. These tiny towns are beautiful Italian mini-villages scattered among some of the breath-taking cliff sides of Italy. They are absolutely adorable...and they house some of the BEST food ever. The pesto, pizza, and gelato (Stracciatella, Nutella, Chocolat, Caffe, Pistachio, Menthe, Hazelnut, Biscotti, Panna Cotta, Creme de Caramel, Coconut flavors; as well as Lime sorbet) here are to die for. So is the cobalt blue ocean --- which I very luckily got to experience by chartered boat. Thanks to Matt's amazing friends, Molly and Nick, Cinque Terre became an unforgettable vacation. Swimming in the Mediterranean, sailing the open seas, shopping for necklaces, eating fresh mussels (and other seafoods too!), drinking Italian wine, and feasting on fresh foccacia and pasta...will be some of my best memories ever... Of course, so will almost drowning in the Mediterranean because I couldn't put my snorkel gear together right; running to the ferry with half-pedicured toe nails because at one point I had to drop everything at a moment's notice; and being called "Big Head" by our chartered boat captain because he had to readjust my goggles 20x. Gratzie Italia!!

More catching up... So after Italy, Matt and I took the night train to Rome. It was kind of sad to waste a day waiting for vairous trains, trying to explore La Spezia and Parma. If you ever have a choice to do this, you shouldn't make these spots on your Italian tour if you can avoid it (unless Parma has something REALLY interesting going on). Parma can be a cute town, but it's totally skippable if you have a choice. So is the night train. (Seriously, just fly or take a faster train instead.) A 6-bunk car with a non-working air conditioner is just gross. Trust me, gross. (Especially when some of your flat mates don't culturally accept deodorant in the middle of summer.) It wasn't the best experience, but after talking myself out of hyperventilation and just falling asleep because I was so exhausted from thinking about the whole situation, I survived...(barely).

I'm in Paris now. Ahh Paris. Speed walking again through Paris, Matt and I have covered some serious ground. We've seen the Opera House, the Madeline, the Oblisek, Lauderee (a famous macaroon patisserie; where I of course accidentally swatted the first macaroon we bought out of Matt's hand and wasted 1 euro outside of the next door neighbor's store, Patek Philippe, because they didn't like us taking pictures on the sidewalk), the Champ Elysees, the Arc de Triumph (284 winding steps to the top without a lift!), the Trocadero, the Eiffel Tower, and the Champ de Mars (all 1st day); we've explored Montemarte - Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge (actually not that exciting), the Amelie restaurant [where I had the best brunch ever, by the way!], the Jardin des Tuileries, the Concorde, and a little bit of the 16th district (great seafood dinner at Vin al Mar...thanks for the alcohol-bathed cherries on the house!). Everything was pretty cool to see minus the Jardins I was at today. Someone came up to me wanting to practice his English in a 5 minute conversation. I thought it might be okay until he said he would exchange a fit ("foot") massage for practicing his English. [Really, I don't understand why these quite random things always happen to me, even internationally!] So France, the EIffel Tower light show was great; your escargot was good, lobster was better, and chocolate souffle & rum soaked cake was amazing. I might come back.

So far on this amazing trip, one of the things I have to say that I truly realize is that life is like a handful of sand. If you try to hold on to it too tight, it will slip through your fingers, but if you enjoy it in the palm of your hand, loosely but gently, it can be amazing in the moment. Cliche but true.

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Louve and the Pompideau. Mona Lisa, here I come...

(PS...more images to come. I just ran out of wifi.)

So long Cape Town, hello Dubai

It was almost an 8-week long affair (just shy a few days), and you were so sweet to me...But Cape Town, it was time to leave. I had a great time with [mostly] great people and [mostly] great memories. Yet you're a chapter of this summer book that's come to its close.

Hello Dubai. How refreshingly sweet you are, despite the oddly excessive dust in the air and humid heat. I guess you're a desert welcoming me with open arms? lol...

So I'm in Dubai - one of the world's richest and most luxurious places. The buildings are shiny, some of the highways are illuminated with neon lights underneath their bridge structures, and there's a gigantor market filled with blocks and blocks of gold. (I went to the Gold Souk today, and although you can bargain there, I still couldn't afford anything on those rows and rows of glittery gold bangles and baubles. haha.)

It's actually a pretty highly Westernized place, relatively speaking about food. I took a walk to the nearby mall yesterday, and there was a Burger King, McDonalds (of course), Fuddruckers, Chili's (shout out to Joey, hey-o! haha), Tony Roma's, Macaroni Grill, Johnny Rockets, and On the Border. I haven't had Mexican food in forever, so I of course went with the latter for dinner. Yes, on my first night in Dubai, I had a taco and chile relleno.

Anyway, the weather has been really odd here (at least that's what the guy at the coffee shop told me). There's so much dust just hanging out in the air and its so humid that there is a "how bearable is this?" meter in the daily newspaper. Visibility is extremely low at 600 meters. Asthma sufferers have been warned not to go outside. I guess it makes sense because its a desert...but apparently this hasn't happened in forever. So I have been relegated to hanging out at the hotel mostly (not poolside though, because just being outdoors is pretty gross - like walking into a dusty sauna), and taking the walkway to the adjacent mall (and of course that one excursion to the Gold Souk this afternoon).

Note about the Festival City mall -- I realize there are a LOT more Filipinos here than I would have ever thought. It's strangely interesting.

Anyway, today it's supposed to be 108 degrees Farenheit or something like that here. I'd like to think I'm a pretty culturally sensitive person, but I think I just committed a pretty bad faux pas. Wrapped up in the sadness of the weather that is not allowing me to explore the city as I had previously planned (well, I STILL have a paper to work on, so I guess all things fora reason), I chose to dress for the weather instead of the culture. Let me explain. So most ladies here are in full black attire. Most wear headscarves, and many wear burkhas. So you hardly see their bodies. You usually only see their faces and hands. It isn't that I have anything against this type of dress...I just forgot how conservative this culture is. I've seen ladies walking around in t-shirts and pants (though they are obviously not from the UAE) and I've seen men walking around in t-shirts and shorts...so of course, I dawned a pair of gray shorts that came mid-thigh today. These would be considered "conservative" in the United States...but here, I think that anything above the knee is a faux pas. I got a few looks. So as I observed other people, I noticed that even the kids had on long shorts or pants. Matt tried to walk 10 feet away from me during our short walk from the mall to dissociate himself.

So when I decided to go to the Gold Souk today, I changed into a pair of jeans. But I was still a little embarrassed by my show of leg today that I decided to purchase what I thought was a traditional Arab (or at least UAE sort) of dress. It's a pretty silk one, with flowing half sleeves, full length. I got it for pretty cheap, so I was quite happy with myself...psyching up my purchase to "righting a cultural wrong"...until of course I got back to my hotel. And the tag said, "Made in China."

I knew it had to happen sometime. But when I was considering my wardrobe options this morning, I thought that a tank top would be a worse faux pas than shorts. Then I thought that the dress would help. Oh well, at least I can postpone my laundry for another day...

Sorry it's just been a quick' "Hi!," Dubai. It's been real, but...I'm most excited for Italy. TOMORROW!

Cape Vidal

After the 2-day safari, I wasn't expecting to see animals. But on our way to the beach at Cape Vidal today, we were pleasantly surprised to see more impala, warthogs, zebra, and monkeys. It was beautiful beach weather (for the South African winter, at least). I "swam" in the Indian Ocean, protected my lunch from monkeys; and after dinner, I ran home singing in the evening rain with good friends. 

Interesting note: we "ran" this evening because St. Lucia is very much a part of the wetlands of Kwazulu Natal. That means that the hippos that live in the estuary come out and walk around to find grass when they get the munchies at night. These hungry, hungry hippos will trudge right through the small town, so visitors are warned to be careful at night (in the late, late evening and early, early morning, at least)...Don't worry, we got back before 9pm. I was the only hungry hippo out on the streets this evening.