J-Mac's Junket - GoBlue

Over (the Pacific) and Out

GoBlue — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

My three-day, four-flight trip home is over, so this last "J-Mac's Junket" blog entry is bittersweet. But, spending my last 18 hours in Hong Kong was a great way to end a whirlwind trip.

one of the world's greatest skylines

My flight from Bangkok arrived in the late evening (putting me in the city at 9 pm), and although I missed the nightly Victoria Harbor light show (8 pm), I considered the skyline to be a pretty fantastic show in and of itself. My digs at the YMCA Salisbury Hotel couldn't be beat, either.

View from my room at the YMCA ... note the Peninsula next door and the HK Air and Space Museum across the street

Situated right next door to the famous Peninsula Hotel, the YMCA is a great option. They even gave me a free upgrade so that my room had a partial view of Victoria Harbor ... all for less than $100 a night, which is a steal given HK prices. Highly recommended!

Victoria Harbor

a Junk lit up by the Harbor skyline

On Friday, I ran around town to do a bit more sightseeing and shopping before heading to the airport. The Star Ferry across from Kowloon to Hong Kong was a brief but memorable ride. Once I started making my way through the pedestrian walkways connecting the MTR stations, malls, and office buildings, I immediately sensed a strong police presence. Only later did I realize I couldn't have been far from Chinese President Hu Jintao, who was in town making the rounds to participate in the celebration commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule.

Getting Around in Hong Kong

near Hollywod Ave., Hong Kong

Parades, ceremonies, and a giant fireworks display were all on schedule for the long weekend, and so were protests staged by those fighting for universal suffrage. It was exciting to sense all the activity.

In true form, my United flight for home left two hours late. Once I was on the plane, I re-discovered how much fun (I think) it is to listen to the flight deck on channel 9. You can really hear some crazy things coming from your pilots. For example:

Hong Kong Ground control: "United 828, once you've completed pushback, taxi right... yada yada"
Captain: "Um, we have a little bit of a problem here. Apparently, one of the passengers is having some kind of a panic attack, so we may have to return to the gate to get him off the plane. One of the co-pilots is downstairs talking to him right now. Is there anyone behind us, or can we sit here for a few more minutes?"

(Apparently the situation resolved itself, since we didn't have to return to the gate, and there was never an announcement asking if there were any mental health professionals on board.)

13.5 hours later...

Janesville, WI air traffic control: "United 828, turn right 18 degrees and slow to 25* knots."
Captain: "Roger, right turn and slow to 25 knots. Gosh, that just about turns us into a hovercraft."
Janesville, WI air traffic control: "Well, it's because of sequencing getting into O'Hare -- there's a lot of traffic."

(*I don't really know how many knots they said, but apparently it wasn't a very fast speed for a 747.)

5 minutes later...

Captain: "Any chance we can pick up the speed here?"
Janesville ATC: "Nope. Sorry."

And there you have it. Having flown over Taiwan and Japan, crossed the international date line, eaten three bad airline meals, and completed my first ever sudoko puzzle, I landed at O'Hare around 9 pm. I'm signing off for now, until the next trip... and will be eagerly keeping up with Viv, Joc, and Carl as they continue their adventures! Thanks for reading, all.

Victoria Harbor and the Avenue of Stars

Back on American soil at ORD

So long, Vietnam!

GoBlue — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Today marked the beginning of the end for me, as I'm now in the home stretch of my trip. Parting ways with Vivian, Carl, and Jocelyn was really quite sad - they are such a great travel "family," and we've had so much fun together! It was really a privilege to spend the majority of my vacation with Saucy, Dub Dub, and Vivouac, as well as with Dave, Maddy, Christi, Mike, Aaron, Ben, Kurt, Brendan, Allison, and Katie.

Luckily, our goodbyes were mixed with a good bit of humor. Just as my taxi pulled up in front of our Nha Trang hotel, the young boy who had tried multiple times to sell us postcards (or, if you are Carl, the chance to lose to him in a game of pool!) showed up as well. This kid was a real kick, and the sight of him standing next to my friends, mimicing their good-bye waves as my taxi pulled away, made me laugh like crazy.

For my last true stop in Vietnam, Nha Trang was a delight. The beach was lovely, we had a great time with Brendan and Allison, and we visited the mineral mud baths for an authentic spa treatment. We even went to a brewpub on the beach for a fancy dinner to celebrate my last night.

Who knew Louisiana-style microbrews are so big in Nha Trang?

Maybe it started with the idea that sat in mud for a half hour to cleanse my skin, but on my journey south to Saigon, I continued thinking about some things that have struck me over the past couple of days. Call them ironies, or contradictions, or just plain rambling ... but bear with me:

-- "Safe" is a relative term.

I was white-knuckled for at least 50% of my short Vietnam Airlines flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Due to some terrible weather, and despite being in a large Airbus jet and not the ATR-72 prop plane, I had one of the bumpiest descents of recent memory.

It's not night time...it's just a big rainstorm that makes landing extra exciting

I'm generally a pretty stoic flyer, but as the plane jolted around, I had to repeat my mantra of "it's nothing worse than a road filled with potholes" many times. Strange, though, that when I hopped in a taxi in torrential downpour to travel the chaotic streets of Saigon (where "traffic" should be called "lunacy"), I was completely unfazed! The reality is that I was in far more danger in a taxi without a seatbelt, but I guess I've become accostomed to honking motorbikes and near-misses.

-- Getting there is more than half the fun.

I think this applies best to our time in Hoi An. On the way into town, we watched the mountain-filled sky turn from blue, to amber, to blazing orange, before it faded into dusty pinks and dusky blues reflected in rice paddies and tributaries.

A gorgeous sunset on our trip from the Da Nang airport into Hoi An...

... and it just kept getting better!

Our driver was kind enough to let us hop out and take pictures. We had been so excited to arrive in Hoi An that it was a surprise to see such a great sight before we even crossed the town line. When it came time to leave town and head back to the airport, we left early to give ourselves time to hit Marble Mountain and China Beach. Marble Mountain is actually 5 separate mountains, all mined for their different colored marble. We climbed up one of the mountains to see its religious caves and pagodas, as well as panoramic views of the mountains, countryside, and ocean.

South China Sea seen from Marble Mountain

Then, we dipped our feet in the warm, sparking waters of China Beach and watched super-shy crabs digging their way into the sand.

Viv frolics in the China Beach surf

China Beach may be the prettiest beach I've seen in South East Asia, and it was certainly the most deserted and least built-up. It's funny how these memories will float to the top, even if they weren't in Hoi An proper.

Hoi An streetscape

Likewise, as Viv described so perfectly in her entry on our tailoring experience, we learned to relish the process more than the end product. While I'm really quite happy with my suit, two dresses, and four pairs of pants, in the long run, it's the memories of being like a kid in a candy store, selecting fabrics and styles with all my friends, that will last.

-- Girl, you'll be a woman soon.

What I'm getting at here is that being an MBA graduate-turned-backpackers is kind of a weird phenomenom. We don't quite fit into the 21-some crowd, which becomes clear when we can't stay up past midnight and party at the clubs/beach parties/karaoke bars to save our lives. (OK, I'm speaking for myself here.) Yet, we share the "trail" with the shoestring travelers, staying at budget hotels, booking economical tours, etc. Mostly, this works out just fine, but on occasion, it's a bit of a mismatch. Case in point: I was thrilled with our decision to upgrade to business class, for a mere $44, on our flight to Hoi An. It was great to arrive a day earlier, and it was even better to do it in such style.

OK, so we don't LOOK like we're business class travelers. Is it because we ate everything in sight in the airport lounge?

Later that night, we arrived at the Vinh Hung 1 Hotel -- which, according to our book, was an "atmospheric old Chinese trading house... an institution in budget hotels," but which in reality offered dark, musty rooms and the occasional cockroach. I found it hysterical, as I fell asleep in a sleepsack, cowering from bedbugs, that I had been flying high in business class earlier that same day.

It's time for me to sign off so I can get a good night sleep before my Saigon-Bangkok-Hong Kong journey tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures of the Victoria Harbour skyline on my last night in Southeast Asia. Speaking of pictures, I've uploaded a bunch and added them to some to our entries below, including Halong Bay and Hoi An tailoring. Plus, Aaron has some good ones on his site, too: http://www.aaronshouse.shutterfly.com. Enjoy!

Follow that fish!!

At 5:45 am, I fell out of bed because the roll-away mattress fell off the cot

GoBlue — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

See title. :)

Seriously, though, I can't get over how funny this was. I was sleeping on the make-shift third bed in our room at the Prince II Hotel, which was a mattress atop a camping cot about 70% its size. Needless to say, this was not the most stable contraption. When I woke up, I reached for my watch to see what time it was, and next thing I know I'm on the floor, legs legs in the air, mattress on its side, laughing hysterically. So much for trying not to wake up Viv and Katie.

MO512: Bargaining and Influence Skills ... Vietnamese Style

GoBlue — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

As many of my Ross friends recall, I struggled through our school's famed "negotiations" class last fall. Now that I've arrived in Vietnam, I've discovered that I have the opportunity to redeem myself from all my disasterous attempts at bargaining. So far, the results aren't much better than they were in class last fall... I somehow snuck away with a "good" back then, but I certainly haven't become "excellent" in the meantime.

Case #1: Having heard about the hotel scam pulled upon Carl, Jocelyn, and Vivian's arrival in Hanoi, Christi and I were prepared -- savvy and street smart, with our guard fully up. We went straight to the official meter taxi stand at the airport, which had a clearly posted sign indicating the flat rate to town was $10 or 150,000 Vietnamese dong. We reconfirmed the price with the eager driver who showed us into his cab, and I felt better when he chatted excitedly with us, asking where we were from and if it was our first time in Vietnam.

When we arrived at our destination, Christi offered a $10 USD bill as payment; he declined, asking for dong. "Great," I thought -- healthier for all involved not to rely on US currency. Without thinking, I pulled out two 100,000 dong bills and handed them to him. Next thing I know, he's shoved them in his pocket, grins widely, and says, laughing, "I good driver for you!" Uh oh. At first, I think he's joking with us, and politely ask for change. He declines. Repeat interaction 5 times. No progress, except Christi and I are getting angry, though we are keeping our calm. Finally, I decide to throw in the towel. 50,000 dong is around $3, so it's not the worst thing in the world, but it's still basically petty thievery. As we walk away, I yell at him that I would have given him a bigger tip if he had given me my change. Of course, this complicated a sentiment in English means nothing to him, but it still felt better to vent.

Case #2: After getting Christi checked into her tour group's hotel, we went over the the hotel I'd selected. With Frommer's advice that "everything in Vietnam is negotiable" fresh in my mind, and knowing that it was off-season, I was ready to bargain my way to my room. "Do you have any single rooms available?" Yes, of course, and the price is $30 USD. "OK," I say... "well, if I stay two nights, can you make the price $25?" The receptionist laughs and says, "well, Madam, I think we can lower the price $5 for you." Whee!!! Score!!! Wait... that was too easy... I didn't anchor low enough! Regardless, I checked in, happy that I was paying less than the originally quoted price.

Fast forward two days to checkout. Suddenly, the room price appears as $27.50 per night. What?!?! I brought it down to $25! I guess according to the hotel, though, they offered to lower the price by $5 over two nights, not per night. Oh, and they forgot to quote me the VAT (room tax) as well. Suddenly my good bargain wasn't looking so hot after all.

Case #3: I'm waiting in line at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, waiting to buy a ticket for tonight's performance. Prices are 20,000 dong (a bit over $1) and 40,000 dong (shy of $3). I step up to the window and ask for a second-class ticket at 20,000 dong, and present my 50,000 dong bill. The box office clerk stares at me, and asks if I have a smaller bill. Now, in Vietnam, I had already seen denominations of 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, and 500. I can't see how scraping together 30,000 in change seems like that big a deal, so I hold my ground: "no, I don't have anything smaller." She stares at me. I stare at her. Repeat. Likely, the dozens of people in line behind me stare at me. Finally, I give in, and pay the extra $1+ for a first class ticket. Had I really been scammed, again? These are little tricks, but they add up, and leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Despite these rather deflating experiences, I will say that Hanoi grew on me over the course of my day. I wandered around the Old Quarter, dodging swarms of honking motorbikes, cyclo-cabs, and fruit sellers, to make my way to Hoan Kiem lake.

Hoan Kiem Lake

We really dug all the propaganda art posted in public places

It really offered great respite from the noise and crowds. I walked along the lake's perimeter, making several diversions to explore surrounding streets. I ate pumpkin soup for lunch, shopped for lacquerware (which involve more mediocre bargaining), and had fantastic geltao in Fanny's Ice Cream Cafe. Later that evening, the water puppet performance was quite enchanting (and ultimately worth the $3 I paid), and I indulged myself in a $10 meal at the Green Tangerine, a FANTASTIC restaurant with great French colonial ambience.

The lovely garden of the Green Tangerine in Hanoi

My 24 hours in Hanoi passed quickly, and then we set off for a 3-day tour to enjoy the stunning and peaceful scenery of Halong Bay. More on that to come...

In Vietnam, sight lines are optional

Chiang Mai memories...

GoBlue — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

My fellow travelers have written some great reports about our time in Chiang Mai ... sightseeing, elephant riding, trekking, bamboo rafting, mini-cliff jumping, cooking, eating, lounging at the Jasmine Rice Village, swimming, "Catch Phrase" playing, rock climbing, etc. Here's some pictures to go along with the stories:

Maddy and Jennie trekking away in Northern Thailand

Chef Sompon in the classroom

Didn't we just leave school for good?

Sompon: chef, hotelier, and Northern Lantern pilot

Jennie rock climbing at Crazy Horse Buttress

Jocelyn at the beginning of a tricky lead climb, with Carl spotting

Loving Life in LP (that's Luang Prabang, Laos, not Lincoln Park, Chicago)

GoBlue — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Once again, our group diverged in search of different adventures, and we bring them all to you here using the powers of Blogabond. :) So, while Carl, Viv, Joc, Aaron, and Ben explored Sapa, Christi and I hung out in Luang Prabang, Laos for almost 5 days. I had been especially looking forward to this stop on my trip, and Lao did not disappoint us.

Luang Prabang was just different than anywhere else I've visited on this trip. At first the differences were imperceptible, so I couldn't really identify what was unique about the place. Staying for 4+ days really allowed us to soak up the place, though, and I've tried to gather some impressions.

-- PICTURESQUE. In contrast to Chiang Mai, where we had many fun outdoor/gastronomical/shopping/historical adventures but where the city itself is not especially beautiful, I found Luang Prabang to be really lovely to simply stroll around. It's an accessible small town, occupying a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Kan rivers, and there's really only two main streets. In addition, it has the status of being a UNESCO World Heritage City, which I presume means there are many restrictions on development. As a result, the low-rise buildings lack the bland architecture we've seen in other parts of SE Asia, and there is a lack of advertising on buildings. Finally, there are still vestiges of French colonial architecture, as well as other French influences, so we ended up finding oodles of quaint shops, guesthouses, cafes, bakeries, and restaurants. There's nothing better than a Lao iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk or a mango fruit shake to refresh you in 90+ degree temperatures!

Nam Kan River, Laos

-- ISOLATED. We explored the town but also did some tours outside of town. Even on those short jaunts, it was amazing to see how mountainous the region is. Originally we meant to reach LP from Northern Thailand via a 2-day river cruise down the Mekong; the same route takes 15 hours to drive. Travel between cities in Laos takes a lot of time and patience for windy, bumpy roads. Along these lines, I was struck by our tour guide on our day of kayaking/elephant riding. He was from one of the local Hmong communities, and for him, Luang Prabang represents "the big city." As we kayaked, he asked me if I had ever been to Hong Kong, and if it is like Luang Prabang. I wasn't quite sure how to answer, knowing that he probably couldn't even comprehend the level of hustle, bustle, and population density of Hong Kong. In Luang Prabang, the most happening bar in town stays open until 11:30.

Lao countryside, south of Luang Prabang

-- FRIENDLY. As I did in Chiang Mai, I found myself letting my guard down in LP. Everywhere we went, people smiled. Even people who wanted to sell to us were remarkably non-pushy. The service was great, our tours did not disappoint, and shopping was a really fun experience.

In addition to these impressions, I wanted to write about our activities (and hopefully post pictures soon). Another special thing about Christi's and my time in Lao is that we met up with no fewer than six other Ross grads. Our friends Neda, Matt, Jeff, and Tanuka (as well as Neda's friend Laura) were on their way through, and we caught them for dinner and drinks at Hive (the very bar that's open until 11:30!) before they left for Thailand. In addition, we spent most of our time there with Karina and Ian, whom Christi traveled with during her Germany semester last year. It was probably the biggest Ross contingent Luang Prabang has ever seen!

On our first day in town, Christi and I wanted to take it easy and get our bearings. So, we did some sightseeing, shopping, and investigating to decide on treks for the upcoming days. We decided to try something a little different, as well, based on guide book recommendations, and headed off to the Lao Red Cross to try their spa treatments. For only $1, we supported their programs and got to try the herbal sauna. Popular among Lao women and men, the sauna promotes good health and skin using 25 different herbs in the steam. Now, why anyone would go in a sauna in 90+ temperatures, I'm not sure... but we bravely headed in anyway!

Luckily, a young Lao woman Deng befriended us, and showed us the ropes (shower in between sessions, wet down your sarong, drink tea now, don't shower after the last session or you'll wash off the herbs, rub your skin with milk, etc.) At first, we were the only "falang" (foreigners) there (two more came before we left), but there were at least 15 Lao. There was a bit of excitement when a ladyboy came in and popped into the men's side of the sauna wearing a sarong and a pink headband. This amounted to a fair amount of confusion when the poor Australian man who arrived after us walked in and right back out, thinking he had read the signs wrong! All in all, Christi and I were completely amused by our so-very-authentic sauna experience. Later that evening before dinner, we took in a performance at the Royal Ballet Theater, which sounds more professional than it actually was, but at least gave us a taste of Lao culture through dance, music, and costumes.

The next day, we ventured out on a Tiger Trails tour to see their Elephant Park Project, ride elephants, and then kayak back to Luang Prabang on the Nam Kan river. The elephants were lovely, and I can only imagine that they are treated better than the ones we saw in Chiang Mai. For starters, they didn't demand bananas and sugar cane every five steps, and the mahouts (elephant trainers) were more gentle as well. The ride was much more peaceful as a result, and we still got to feed Mae Nam (our elephant) at the end.

Now I know how high corn grows...

Kayaking was a blast; although the river was mostly pretty flat, there were a few spots with moving water. What actually made the kayaking so fun was the amount of village life we saw along the way. Every couple hundred meters, there was another herd of water buffalo bathing in the river, or a group of fisherman, or several children splashing around. Everyone we saw waved excitedly, and we shouted greetings of "Sabaidee!" back and forth. After reading so much about unexploded land mines in Lao, I was a bit startled to hear an explosion sound, but it was actually just gunfire from a local hunter up on the hill alongside the river. Our trip took 3.5 hours of paddling, and the only thing we could think to do afterwards was get a $1 massage to soothe our sore muscles!

Christi kayaking

That night, we decided to eat at an outdoor restaurant along the Mekong. Just as we selected the place, there was a dip in the electricity and then... power outage. Like my experience in Cambodia, there were often power dips in the evening, but this time, the power stayed off for at least an hour. It was actually quite amazing how quickly the restaurant lit candles and carried on, managing to cook our entire meal in the dark. (Good thing for natural gas!) The only light other than candlelight came from the headlights of passing motorbikes. I was almost disappointed when the electricity came back on.

Power outage... dinner by candlelight!

Friday was a big day for us, as we ventured to the Pak Ou caves in the morning with stops at local villages along the way. This was a lesson in "you get what you pay for..." we had decided to book a less expensive tour, which meant that our 1 hour longboat ride upriver was in a rickety boat with no real seats and approximately 1 square meter for Christi and I to sit in. As another tourist on our boat said to someone at the dock as we pulled away, "please tell our story if we don't make it back!" Despite a brief stop to re-fuel along the way, we made it to the caves. They are actually somewhat bizzare -- caves right on the Mekong, filled with Buddha shrines. Local children lined the steps up to the upper caves and sold fruit, stones, and other trinkets. Oddly, one girl also had a large black beetle leashed by a string as her pet, and another young girl was playing with her pets, two rodent-like animals (moles?) tied together by their feet. The children were sweet and gentle, but it was sad to see their obvious health problems (a broken or possibly congenitally deformed foot, skin diseases, etc.).

That afternoon, following a lovely lunch at Cafe Vat Sene, I hired a tuk-tuk to visit the Kuang Xi waterfalls. I had just enough time to get there and hike up to see the falls, as well as take a dip in the swimming areas. They were some of the most gorgeous waterfalls I've ever seen -- a tall falls that cascaded down into several pools of clear blue water.

Kuang Xi Falls

more Kuang Xi Falls

Jennie pre-waterfall-swim

On the way back, I stopped at Mount Phousi to climb 300 stairs up just in time to catch the sunset. The view of town, the Mekong, and the sun falling behind the mountains was stunning.

sunset over the Mekong from Mount Phousi

Next stop: L'Elephant, the fanciest restaurant in town, where we splurged on a scrumptious 3-course French/Lao dinner. My tab? About $14, including drinks. Amazing.

On our last morning, Christi and I took a 1/2 day class from OckPopTop, an enterprise that means "east meets west" and employs local women weavers to produce and sell handicrafts in their shops. We learned about weaving and dying silk and even got the chance to create dyes from tamarind, indigo, and sappan wood. Hopefully I'll come up with something creative to do with my hand-dyed silk thread.

Chris and Jen with yellow dye made from tamarind

We checked out of the Sala Prabang and headed to the airport with lots of good memories as well as a few purchases. This is a place I'd happily revisit!

Professional Photos Now Available

GoBlue — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In Chiang Mai, we reluctantly said farewell to Dave and Maddy Chapman, who had to head back to the states. We sure miss them a lot and wish they were still trekking around with us, but it seems Dave has been hard at work since he's been back. He's an amazing photographer, and has posted his "greatest hits" from the trip. Check them out!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/dchapman1748/AustralasiaDaveSPictures02

Cambodia pics posted

GoBlue — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

scroll down to June 4 for some pictures of my Angkor Wat trip...

The Wolverines have landed

GoBlue — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Did you know that Lao Airlines, the government-run carrier in Laos, is not required to make its safety records public? For that reason, many companies and foreign governments apparently advise employees to find other means of transportation. However, after much due diligence, Christi and I decided that our chances of getting to Luang Prabang by air safely were actually pretty good, so we hopped in the Russian-made ATR-72 prop plane and landed in Laos just fine.

And thus, here we are in the sleepy, UNESCO world-heritage town of Luang Prabang. So far, we've sat lazily on the porch of our guesthouse and watched an amazing late afternoon thunderstorm roll through, and also spied on the young monk at the monastery across the street doing an exercise regimen of handstands and cartwheels (all in a saffron-colored robe). Cool. This place has a wonderful vibe to it -- calm, almost lazy. I think it's right up our alley.

We're off to find dinner and later, with luck, catch up to our Michigan friends Matt, Neda, Jeff, and Tanuka. Hope all is well back home!

p.s. for those of you actually following my travels closely (hi, Mom, Dad and Chris!), please note that I sneakily posted a report from Cambodia but back-dated it to June 4. So, you'll have to scroll down to find it. :)

Angkor Wat and all things Khmer

GoBlue — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

first glimpse of Angkor Wat at sunrise

I'm a week overdue on this report from my trip to Cambodia. True, it's because I've been doing many exciting things since then, but I also think it's because I needed some time to digest the sights, sounds, and smells of Angkor Wat and Siem Reap. In no particular order, these impressions are of:

Leaving before sunrise to see monolithic temples bathed in the first light of day ... enigmatic faces carved into hundreds-of-years-old rock ... age-old Hindu and Buddhist stories ... the persistent chorus of sellers asking for "just one dollar" ... a monsoon-like downpour ... cows in rice paddies ... aromatic Khmer curries ... the sounds of toads, birds, and insects in the jungle at night ... school children commuting by twos and threes on adult bicycles that dwarfed their young bodies ... motorbikes and tuk-tuks going every which way (including straight into other motorbikes -- yes, I witnessed a nasty collision) ... the back of my trusty tuk-tuk driver ... clouds of dirt and dust that I tried not to inhale for kilometers on end ... motorbikes carrying wooden cages full of squirming piglets (or just a giant boar lying awkardly on its back) ... that same pig, except decapitated with flies buzzing around, for sale at the market ... screaming naked children asking me to give them my ice cream as I sat in town waiting out the rain.

Angkor Wat upper terrace at sunrise

I flew into Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia on Saturday evening (June 2) at dusk. It was by far the most peculiar landing I've ever had... not because the Bangkok Airways flight wasn't smooth (it was smooth, and I even got a meal on a 35 minute flight - amazing), but instead it was because I had no idea when we were going to hit the ground. Given the darkness, I couldn't distinguish between night sky and solid ground; it finally occurred to me that I was landing in the least electrified place I'd ever traveled. There were just no lights to be seen. While the airport was new and modern, I would come to find on my two day visit that little else was.

A kind gentleman from the Palm Village Resort whisked me and my backpack away, and we set off for the hotel which was slightly outside of town. He was very apologetic when we turned off the main airport road onto a bumpy dirt road... and onto another ... and another... and they just got bumpier. Our conversation was interesting, though. He acknowledged that times have been very hard in Cambodia, but there's a lot of optimism for the future, and that "maybe the next time I visit these roads will be paved!"

I really was struck by just how underdeveloped Cambodia was. According to my guidebook, the area around Angkor Wat was well-developed for tourism, so I guess I assumed I wouldn't see much of 'authentic' Cambodia except for the temples. In actuality, I saw a lot of rural life, which was clearly a struggle. Traveling from my hotel to town or the temples (since I was staying in a rural area in between the two), as well as riding north of town to Banteay Srei and south of town toward Tonle Sap, I saw people working in the fields and living in primitive bamboo housing... in short, a pretty tough life.

Bayon temple in Angkor Thom

faces of the Bayon

On my first afternoon, I was sitting at the Blue Pumpkin Cafe in Siem Reap for a brief respite in the comfortable realm of a European-style cafe, eating Lemon-Kaffir Lime sorbet (yum) and wearing my Chicago Cubs baseball hat. By chance, an American man noticed my baseball affiliation and struck up a conversation -- turns out he is from Crystal Lake, IL and is living in Cambodia as a missionary. He commented that the country's predicament is clear when traveling overland from Thailand: apparently, all the trucks coming in are full, but all the trucks going out are empty since Cambodia has little to export.

sausages and hogs (ok, not exactly Harleys, but you get the idea)

The market scene outside all the major temples was another striking experience. I was prepared to be approached constantly, but the sales pitch here was 10 times what I experienced in Bangkok. As soon as I set foot outside the temple boundary, I was swarmed by children who, in perfect English, implored me to buy bracelets, postcards, a cold drink, scarves, t-shirts, etc. "Lady, you buy! Only one dollar! You buy from me!" Any response of "no" was met with "yes you can, I know you can! Only one dollar! I need it to go to school. You can help." If I was entering a temple instead of leaving, the pitch was "you buy on the way out -- I will remember you, lady!" On one hand, I take the 'hard sell' with a grain of salt, knowing that it's simply part of the culture here. On the other hand, having seen the contrast between Cambodia and Thailand, where development is faster and the economy stronger, I perceived a desperation in these merchants that was hearbreaking.

schoolgirls

This is not to say that I didn't have a wonderful visit. The people I met, from my guide Narin to my tuk-tuk driver to the innkeeper, were all completely lovely. The temples themselves lived up to expectation. Words don't do them justice, and neither do my pictures, but I'll post some anyway. For the record, I would also like to note that I woke up at 4:30 am on each of my two days to see Angkor Wat at sunrise, proving my theory that I'm completely a morning person on vacation, when I don't need to be.

the mother of all temples

Perhaps I was even more struck by Cambodia because I was on my own for this portion of the journey, and had lots of solitary time to think and observe. Regardless, it was well worth the trip!

Exciting News from a World Away

GoBlue — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Besides seeing a (for me) completely unchartered part of the world and traveling with the great friends I've made in business school, my trip has been an important time to regain some mental energy and think long and hard about the next series of life changes that lie ahead. As Maddy and I lounged by the pool the other day, post-lunch and pre-massage, we talked about the hectic pace of the past two years and our thoughts on what's next. We concluded that change has been constant over the past two years, and that's not going to change for a while yet.

That's why the timing was so ironic that just a day later, I received notice of my new assignment within American Express. While I knew I was returning to American Express Interactive, otherwise known as AXPi, I had no guarantee as to which manager-level position I'd find myself in come August 6. It all depended upon staffing needs at the time, and while I knew my VP would do his best to place me in a position that matched my marketing interests, I also recognized the possibility that I'd be needed in a role that was more technical and/or project management-oriented. This, along with all the other unknowns of life, contributed to me feeling rather emotionless about starting work. I wasn't unexcited, but I wasn't jumping out of my skin, either.

I am now officially brimming with excitement, and here's why: I will be working in a role that is perfectly matched for my skill and interest areas, and I'll be reporting to my dream manager -- a person who was a true mentor last summer and was absolutely my first choice.

Here are the details of my new gig:

MANAGER, EMERGING CHANNELS

The Manager, Emerging Channels will join American Express Interactive to
maximize the value of emerging technologies such as text messaging (SMS) and
Really Simple Syndication (RSS). This individual owns these channels and is
responsible for developing and implementing a strategy for new marketing and
servicing opportunities. Working closely with business and technology
partners, s/he will assesses business needs, customer appetite and the
competitive landscape. S/he will then continue to implement new text message
and RSS programs, analyze results and revise the strategy accordingly.

Key areas of focus are developing concepts for new campaigns with our business
partners, managing key vendor relationships and developing a long-term strategy
for emerging channels.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate for this role must be a strategic thinker who can
interpret customer and competitive data and develop a clear direction for the
emerging channels. Must be able to synthesize technology with the American
Express business model. Relationship skills are critical as this person will
work across business units and manage multiple vendors.

Key skills: relationship building, project management, analytical and
communications skills, experience with developing and delivering effective
presentations. Must be able to independently manage work in a fast-paced,
dynamic environment. MBA preferred.

Presenting Sponsor of Jennie's Great Southeast Asian and Australian Adventure

Oh, Koh!

GoBlue — Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to post a few quick photos from the last day and a half on Koh Phangan:

Fun Blog Game!

GoBlue — Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Here's a fun game: if you are reading this, and would like to receive a postcard in the mail from an exotic destination, please post a comment with your address (or send me an email). In return, I'll send you a postcard. Fun, huh?

(Can you tell I forgot my address book, and that I'm looking for something to do on my current layover before reaching Samui?)

A Little Serendipity

GoBlue — Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It's 10:00 pm Melbourne time, and I'm hanging out at the airport with Dave and Maddy -- having just sneakily gotten myself on their flight back up to Thailand.

Once I discovered the Chapmans (or the Chapanese, as Carl has taken to calling Dave and Maddy) were headed for Koh Samui on the same flight that I was planning on taking two days later, I decided to try my luck at getting on their flight tonight instead. I was practicing my "damsel in distress" schtick all evening ("you mean my flight is actually on Thursday?? Oh no!!"), so even though the ticket agent originally told us that there was "no way" I would be able to fly standby, my plaintive look changed his mind. One quick phone call, and abracadabra: I now have a boarding pass and a seat next to Mrs. Chapman. (Mom, Dad, Chrissy, and anyone else who actually cares about my exact whereabouts: this means I'm now on TG980 on May 29 instead of May 31.)

This early departure is by no means intended to imply that Australia (and Victoria, specifically) is no less than spectacular. It's been a great time since I met up with the crew. We've had terrific weather, amazing wildlife spottings, cozy cabin accommodations, tasty meals, and lots of games of cards. However, now that Melbourne is socked with rain, I decided to forgo my last two days of solo city-exploring in favor of more beach time. Koh Samui, here we come!

A few more notes on the past couple days:

-- After making it halfway through our two-pitched rock climb at Mt. Arapalies on Saturday, I decided that I was officially retiring from rock climbing. It was a beautiful day, but the climb was more difficult than any of us anticipated, and it was not a very good warm-up for me. (After all, my muscles are rusty after 2 years of b-school non-use.) However, despite yelling "I HATE THIS!!!" several times on the way up the second pitch, I (eventually) made it to the top and enjoyed the great views. Three cheers once again to Jocelyn and Carl for leading us safely through a long, technical climb: by the time all six of us made it up and then down together, it had turned into an 8-hour adventure on the mountain. Afterwards, my knees looked exactly like they did after climbing at Red Rocks last Spring Break... purple. Ouch.

-- Sunday was more of a relaxed day, with an amazing hike to the Pinnacle lookout at Grampians National Park. We even managed to see McKenzie Falls before dusk. The highlight of the day was our visit with Peg and Logan, the young joeys being raised by our innkeeper. The couple that ran the cabins/campsites where we stayed are very involved with Wildlife Victoria, which rescues animals.

Viv and Cal the Kangaroo (18 months old) - fast friends

In Peg and Logan's cases, both of their Mama Kangaroos were hit by cars when they were babies. Wildlife Victoria finds homes for these orphan kangaroos so that they will be brought up safely and then re-integrated into the wild. After holding Peg and Logan in their pseudo-pouches (pillowcases), I can see why this kind of volunteer work becomes addictive!

Christi kayaking

Now I know how high corn grows...

-- Monday we set out for the Great Ocean Road

The gang at the Grotto along the Great Ocean Road

The 12 Apostles along the Great Ocean Road

, and despite cloudy skies for most of the day, we were rewarded with a spectacular late-afternoon burst of sunshine and a rainbow. (I tell you this now so that you will believe me when I post the pictures. No, it is not a postcard.)

No, this really isn't a postcard. It's an EXCELLENT Ocean Road.

We found a great place to stay for the night in Apollo Bay, and celebrated our day of sightseeing with a big meal at the local pub and a rowdy game of asshole.

That's about all for now. I'm looking forward to lazing about on the beach for a few days before heading to Siem Reap on Saturday to see the temples at Angkor Wat. This weekend is the full moon, so there will be celebrations galore out on the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pangan. I promise to post pictures next time I get to a computer that will let me!

Reunited!

GoBlue — Fri, 25 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For all you loyal readers who were waiting on pins and needles, I've reunited with Maddy, Joc, Vivian, Carl, and Dave in the beautiful Grampians region in Victoria.

Maybe it was just me waiting on pins and needles, after I got off the 4th leg of my 4-hour train/bus trip this morning in a random town in Australia, hoping that I'd find my friends. (As soon as I can, I'll post the picture of the "V/line National Coach" that I rode in from Stawell to Halls Gap. It was actually more like a Vanagon from 1984, not a coach bus.)

I traveled in style with this V/Line (state transit system) "Coach" bus from Stawell to Halls Gap, Victoria

Anyway, it didn't take long for them to drive up (on the left side of the road) and honk the horn. We are now a fully party of 6!

Two quick notes: the campervan idea has been abandoned for a variety of logistical challenges, but we are riding in style in a Toyota minivan. Plus, lodging is at the Emu Palace cabin, where there is a real kitchen. Anyone who knows Dave Chapman's cooking will realize that this is a major score.

Secondly, I saw my first kangaroo today. They are fun to watch jumping around!

Over the weekend, we'll stay out here in the park for some more hiking and climbing. On Monday and Tuesday, we'll drive portions of the Great Ocean Road. And thus, the great adventure continues...

G'Night from Down Under

GoBlue — Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

... and just like that, I'm in another hemisphere. I arrived in Melbourne, Australia this evening after an 8-hour flight from Bangkok.

Both Mike and I had early flights leaving from Suvarnabhumi International Airport, so we did what any self-respecting backpacker would do when faced with a 4 am departure to the airport: we stayed up all night. You would think we'd be pros at this after 2 years at business school, but I admit to fighting the yawns starting around 10 pm.

Luckily, we had lots to do to keep us occupied in the wee hours of the morning. Our hotel pool didn't close until 11 pm; there was a special showing of the AC Milan vs Liverpool finals from Athens, which we watched for a while; and when our bags were packed, there was nothing left to do except play a mean game of travel scrabble until it was time to get the taxi.

Now I'm hanging in Melbourne just for overnight until I catch the national train/coach line out to the Grampians region tomorrow morning. From the Claremont Guest House in South Yarra, it should be an easy subway ride back to the main train station. Although I didn't arrive until 9:30 pm, I did venture out to Chapel Street to grab a late dinner at one of the many cafes. Chapel Street is full of great looking clothing shops and boutiques, so it's probably better for my budget that everything was already closed!

I'm still marveling at the miracles of modern travel. Last night, I was in Bangkok, shopping at the Patpong Soi 2 Night Market and looking for Pad Thai street eats in 90+ degree temperatures. Now, I'm in another capital (Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, I'm told), but here, people speak my language and it's about 40 degrees cooler. I've found friendliness and welcome both places, though... I guess that's what makes travel so fun.

Stay tuned for more adventures of the campervan variety! I can't wait for my dramatic Hollywood reunion with the rest of the Michigan crew. Here's hoping there's an RV waiting for me when I hop off the V/Line national coach on some random street in Halls Gap, Victoria tomorrow. Cross your fingers. :)

From HKG to BKK with mk

GoBlue — Tue, 22 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello all! Apologies for the brief lapse in blogging. Where to begin?

Hopefully you read Viv's account of the rest of our Hong Kong adventures. I can't thank the Chan family enough for their gracious hospitality. I ate, and ate, and ate. (See picture of our Saturday night feast!) And, I got to ride Space Mountain at Disneyland Hong Kong. It doesn't get much better than that.

Next stop: Bangkok, where I am now tearing up the town with Mike. We've seen incredible temples (Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Po, and Wat Arun) as well as the Grand Palace.

Wat Phra Kaew is full of gilded, golden figures

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Po, where "calmness brings happiness"

We've eaten multiple helpings of mango with sticky rice and have sampled delicious curries. We've ridden in a tuk-tuk, a longtail boat, a municipal ferry, and some taxis that rival NYC (apparently lanes and markings for directions of travel are merely suggestive here). We relaxed with a Thai massage, multiple dips in the hotel swimming pool, and a few Singha beers.

With temps soaring in the 90s, we loved our rooftop pool at the Rambuttri Village Inn near Khao San Road!

One highlight of our time here was a surprise discovery that classmate Kurt Dorschel's itinerary overlapped with ours, so we met up with Kurt for "One Night in Bangkok" (sorry, couldn't resist). Better yet, we met and dined at Bed, a swanky Bangkok restaurant and club where patrons actually sit in beds to eat and drink. Accordingly, I've posted the picture of myself in bed with Mike and Kurt.

Jennie, Mike, and Kurt in bed at Bed (a Bangkok nightspot for dinner and drinks)

(Let the snarky comments begin!)

We have one more day tomorrow of sightseeing, market shopping, and street-food eating tomorrow -- and though fried bugs are a delicacy here, I doubt we'll be that adventurous.

This lovely young girl was enjoying an after-school snack of some sort of fried bug or worm

On Thursday we'll part ways at the Bangkok airport, and then it's time to head to Australia for my Reunion with Carl, Joc, Viv, Maddy, and Dave!

The manyth in a series of umpteen photos of Jennie and Viv trying to masquerade their way through SE Asia

More to come... :)

A flight that was long and our first day in Hong Kong

GoBlue — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Viv and I are crossing our fingers that good travel karma will last throughout the rest of our trip. We got off to a bit of a rocky start, when our United flight from Boston to Chicago was cancelled (mechanical), leading to a sprint to the American terminal to catch their flight and undergo the joy of "special security screening." When we got to ORD, we had to re-claim our bags at American, schlep across to the United terminal, and re-check-in (3rd time of the day, if anyone's counting) for our Hong Kong flight.

A wee bit of whining to United customer service got us some free food vouchers, which we put to good use as we waited out the remaining hours of the 5.5 hour delay (mechanical) of our flight to Hong Kong. We had a final brief moment of frustration when, on the runway, the pilot announced that we would have to return to the gate and get rid of some cargo since we had "accidentally and illegally exceeded our load capacity." Luckily, this turned out to be a "miscommunication," or at least a not-very-funny joke, and finally... we were off!

14:45, 3 meals, 4 movies, and two flight attendants named "Dieter" and "Stryker" later, we landed in the most modern and gleaming airport I'd ever seen. Awaiting us were Vivian's Aunt, Uncle Chris, and cousin Edward, who graciously treated us to dinner at the airport. We then left in Uncle Chris' space-age BMW, which reminds drivers with a gentle "ding" when one exceeds the speed limit and uses infrared technology to sense when the car's bumpers are nearing a collision. Pretty sweet technology!

Words that describe Hong Kong: vertical, efficient, cosmopolitan, muggy. I'm amazed by the population density -- the skyline is dotted with high rise after high rise, and there seems to be no other housing option. Viv's Uncle Chris, Aunt Peon and their children Haley (4) and Jolie (2) live on the 54th floor with a stunning view. I've enjoyed watching Viv catch up with her family, especially her Grandma (who seems to be busting Viv's chops quite a bit), and I have already learned one important word in Cantonese: "Bao" means full, and comes in extremely handy when you are being offered food every hour!

This afternoon, Viv and I took the tram up to Victoria Peak. Traveling up a mountain at a 45 degree angle gives you a pretty interesting perspective on the city! We took in the views, wandered through the lovely Hong Kong park, and then spent the rest of the afternoon shopping. After checking out the price tags, I'm getting good at dividing large numbers by 7 (a good approximation of the exchange rate).

Will try to post some pictures soon!

T-Minus 10 hours...

GoBlue — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After a full day of errands and sightseeing, Vivian and I are hitting the sack. Our bags are packed and ready for our 9:55 am flight to Chicago and the ensuing flight to Hong Kong.

Our day began with the exciting task of spraying Permethrin mosquito repellent all over the outfits we plan to wear when we'll be at most risk of bites. Easier said than done -- this stuff is nasty. Apparently if it touched our skin, we were to "immediately rinse area thoroughly and call poison control." Eew. (Note from the picture that I made Vivian do the honors!) Nonetheless, when they dried, our clothes seemed as odorless as promised.

Next we took the T into Cambridge to do some shopping around Harvard Square (complete with a yummy pizza lunch at Pinochio's).

We then bussed over to the South End to do some more trip planning from Viv's brother Bill and sister-in-law Jung's place. Finally, we walked up to downtown through Back Bay, enjoying the sights as we crossed the Boston Common before heading back to Quincy.

For dinner, I was spoiled by another delicious meal cooked by Vivian's dad -- the last one I'll get for a few days, unless something drastic has happened in the world of airline cuisine. Wish us good travel luck, and I'll post again when we reach Hong Kong!

Swan Boats in Boston Common

East Cost Tour 2007

GoBlue — Sun, 13 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello, family and friends! Thanks for checking out the blog. Our goal is to make this into our living travel journal, so you can keep up with us as we explore Southeast Asia and Australia. Be sure to check out everyone's versions of the events!

With that said, here's my report on the past couple days, which I feel I could describe with a concert-like t-shirt saying "J-Mac East Coast 2007" on the back. It would look like this:

Naperville, IL - May 8
Brooklyn, NY - May 9-10
Jersey City, NJ - May 11
Cape Cod, MA - May 12-13
Quincy, MA - May 14
US Air 6461 - May 15

It's been a fun, whirlwind tour of the Eastern Seaboard. On Wednesday and Thursday, Alison Leff and I hit the streets of Brooklyn, scoping out potential digs there and enjoying an outdoor meal at Pacifico with Ross '05 grads Kate Mescal and Raquel Almeida. The original mission was to narrow down our target neighborhood list, but we only succeeded in finding more parts of B-town we liked. (Thanks again to Kate and Stella for letting us crash!)

I also had a great time with Steve Small in Jersey City, enjoying dinner in Hamilton Park and viewing the Manhattan skyline view from the roofdeck of his new condo. Steve even treated me to "Jersey City's best coffee." Who knew such world-class coffee could be found in the Jers?

Friday began with a visit to TEAM Academy Charter School in Newark, where I saw CFO Steve double as "lunch line lady." We then left for Cape Cod, which turned out to be an 8-hour long odyssey but undeniably one of the most fun car trips I've ever had. Our "guess how old the next town is" game kept us entertained for a solid hour along MA Rte 3A, even if Steve did win the last Combo. (I hadn't had so much fun on a road trip since New Orleans Minivan 2004!)

When we arrived in East Orleans, the party for Brian Levy and Maggie Sullivan was in full swing. We celebrated Bachelor Brian and Bachelorette Maggie all weekend long, clad in personalized party t-shirts. Field Day, spearheaded by Maggie, saw the Sullivan side (Irish - "Maggie go bragh!") battle the Levy side (Jewish - "Shalom and Mazel Tov!") in such intense competitions as bocce ball, relay race, obstacle course, and lawn bowling. In the end, Team Levy won by a nose, but there was more time for competition in the afternoon with a double-elimination beer die tournament. I'm certainly disappointed to miss the June 9th wedding of this fantastic couple, although our Ross crew will be amply represented.

Vivian is heels over head for Field Day

Now Vivian and I are back in Quincy, making final preparations for our flight to Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. How many pairs of socks do you need for a 6-week trip, anyway?!? Wish us packing luck...

The competition was fierce but friendly

Everyone wound up with grass stains ... just like being a kid again