Q Travels

On the epic weekend in Yosemite (part I)

2006-11-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Friday night
Erick and I left the Bay Area around 9pm. Late! But, we did get to the Yosemite Park entrance at a record time of 2.5 hours! For another 30 minutes, we drove to Camp 4 where the climbers like to take their lodging. Unfortunate for us, no camp site was available for the night. Late autumn to early winter is high season for climbers because the climate conditions are just right for optimal performance (i.e., for higher rubber traction of rock shoes). So, we drove another 30 minutes back towards the park entrance to a little known camp ground that is most always has vacancy.

At 1:30AM, we pitched tent and hung up our food (and all scented items) on a tree branch 15 feet above ground, to avoid having bears looting around while we slumbered. Yes, there are bears roaming about. We had a chubby cub, four feet in front of our car, run across our path as we rolled into the campground.

This was the beginning of an adventurous weekend, more stimulating than the humdrum life I drudge myself through week to week in the city.

On the epic weekend in Yosemite (part IV)

2006-10-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Erick,

I really enjoyed myself, as well--soreness, exhaustion, and all. I'm
still walking in the same manner as when you saw me walking to my car
last night (waddling). I am f'd up sore!! Walking down stairs, I
literally have to jog/run to lessen the pain. Walking up stairs is
also painful but very tolerable. The pain is like the soreness 36hrs
after you've done some serious, crazy amount of squats. I woke up and
came into work at a decent time (9:30am). I love the deep rest I get
from total exhaustion! I have not had the chance to look under the
toy's hood--will take a look after work. The adventure was continued,
last night, with the excitement of gears not shifting into place at
their whim during stops at lights/stop signs. I am hoping I am never
required to learn how to drive without a clutch, but I am curious to
learn how to do so, as well.

My feet are still swollen--feels like.

~Q

Sa Pa, Vietnam

2006-04-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

After Thailand, I went to Sa Pa, Vietnam. Pretty hillsides.

rice fields of Sa Pa.

Sa Pa Market in Vietnam

Thailand

2006-04-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

I went climbing in Thailand for a couple weeks in February.

Here's a picture of the area we climbed in the Southern Thailand:
Tonsai Beach

I don't have much to say about Bangkok. It's just another big city. The sex shows seemed like mediocre circus acts.

Getting around...

2005-12-26T02:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a follow-up to the "Grounded" posting...

I did switch the sedan for a samller, compact car:

Here's a pic from mid-October, when I took a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, while stopping for one of many tinklings in the woods.

Cheryl and two Djembe drums in the passenger seat.

Parking has been easier than ever. A stick-shift through the hills of SF has been interesting. And, a dropped top has been much fun. :-P

New hobby...

2005-07-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

I went climbing last Sunday, in Glen Park (San Francisco). Fun! Freaky, though, because the landing is a bit rocky and not flat.

In a while

2005-06-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Pardons I haven't written in a long while. Like I said, I've been trying to stabilize and settle back into life here in the Bay Area.

The only travels I've had since Asia has been within the country. Last August, I went to Seattle for a cousin's wedding. Last October, I went to Atlanta, Georgia for business purposes. This past April, I went to San Diego to visit one of my best friends. Few pictures were taken at either locations. In mid-July, I will go to Seattle for a cousin's wedding--I'll post more pictures then.

Grounded

2005-06-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

I've been back in the Bay Area for almost one year, now. I think I've finally settled into life here, again. Time flew by fast!

One year ago, to this day, I was in Vietnam gearing up to visit a friend in Singapore and Malaysia too.

Now, I live in a comfy house, in San Bruno, with siblings. I commute to downtown San Francisco for work (RT = 40min). I drive a relatively big sedan (Maxima), which has a pretty good/strong engine, and I'm looking for a smaller car such as a Miata to get around town and park more easily.

I joined a gym a little over a month ago. So the latest hobby now is to climb indoors and, sometimes, outdoors. Oh yes! I've also cut my long hair to chin length and dyed it red and brown.

Notes from Bangkok, Thailand

2004-08-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to Thailand but I hear it's entertaining and fun.
A girlfriend was in Bangkok last weekend sending me text messages via mobile phone noting what she experienced. Sounds amusing. (Um, don't read on if you're a homophobe). :-]

Her SMS notes:

...on our way to Patpong. A nite market and all d culture shocking pubs.

...ah man, all kind of sex shows. men and women. in dis men show, they all wear white underwear & stand on d stage. u choose which number, they shine d torch at you.

...1st show, 3 men wif their dick erected, they dance wif candles and wax. 2nd show, 2 men in shower. Dis is nice, it looks like mtv. They hav foam all over.

...ah man, i've never seen anything like dat. Nice. 2 men in shower touching each other. It's beautiful. Kinda artistic.

...real show on now. 2 men sucking cock fucking each other doing stunts. d swinging stunts. wtf?!

She also mentioned to check out the floating market where you can taste and buy different foods/fruits while you float on the river in a canoe.

Revisit

2004-08-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm in the Bay Area, currently resting in San Bruno.
To get a hold of me, my mobile number is still the same as it was when I left for Asia 3 months ago.

Permanent residence will probably be with the folks, as I'm trying to conserve money so that I may hop to the next Asian country. Next destination in line is Taipei, Taiwan, in June 2005. Any suggestions/advice is much appreciated. :-}

Singapore, Singapore

2004-07-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

...is like any other big city you'd find in the States. You have your eateries, clubs/bars, and shopping plazas.
Singapore has Sentosa Island--imagine creating a fun-park/island to suck up tourist money. However, I did rather enjoy renting a bicycle and riding around the island, through the trees and along the waterside. And, watching the Musical Fountain show for the first time was neat. Imagine a high water pressure spray and mist creating a screen on which to project a laser-light show. The accompanying music selection was of course something disney-like and famliy oriented. Some techno and E would be nice. Just kidding. Electronica/trance/techno and a dance party would have been fun. :-} Night Safari was cutesy, too. Imagine going to the zoo at night time and seeing nocturnal animals.

If you like shopping, you'll may love Singapore. Little India offers inexpensive goods. Chinatown...well, the whole city is Chinatown with some areas cleaner than others. Spitting on the ground could win you a $300 (SD) fine. Flicking a cigarette butt, $250? (Correct me if you know better).

There are pros and cons to S'pore, for me. I like that it's clean and orderly compared to other countries. But, the fact that I already grew up in a western, developed environment, I find S'pore to lack luster. In short, my reaction to Singapore: Eh, been there done that...

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2004-07-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

...is like any other big city you'd find in the States. You have your eateries, clubs/bars, and shopping plazas.

Looking out my hotel window, I see the same image (buildings, sporatic high-rises, car traffic, grey skies) as if I would in Reno, or Las Vegas, during the daytime. One of the main attractions of Kuala Lumpur (KL) is the Petronas Towers.
Me, in front of the twin towers. I really enjoyed looking at the structure's architecture from different angles and during different times of the day (here's another picture). The KL Tower was not as impressive but it offered a nice 360 degree view of KL. (pictures to come)

I had fun shopping in Chinatown. Good shyt, yo! Fo cheap!
377 ringgits = $1 USD

One other note:
Driving from Singapore to KL looks *just like* driving from LA to SF--except there's slightly more greenery alongside of the road. I had no idea Malaysia was so developed.

Feeling @ home

2004-07-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

Ever meet a group of people and feel very much at ease? So much that you believe you've found "home"?

Location doesn't really matter. You can build a life anywhere. What's interesting is feeling you've found kinship (with the people, or maybe the environment) and calling that "home". The well-being of your state of mind is important, yes?

It's been a while since I've felt at home. San Francisco has not felt like home for a long time (years), because I often yearned to be in Asia travelling. As if I had left for Asia long before my physical being concluded to follow.

On July 7th, I went to Singapore for what was to be a few days stay but due to circumstances--coincidental, or otherwise--I stayed for what could easily have been months. (It was only two weeks, injected with a few days of Malaysia). I was lodging at the house of some friends of a friend. As it turned out, I felt at ease--at home--with these affectionately (self)labeled hippies. They've got their day jobs (designers, techies). By night, they twirl fire and play with drums (pictures to come). They're creative, artistic, easy-going people. Non-pretentious, and aware of their surrenderence to the rat race as a means to an end. I stayed in a flat nestled on a hill surrounded by trees (pictures to come). And, although I loathe the mosquitos that bit up my flesh leaving Orion and Big Dipper constellations all over my body, I felt like I was home, for the first time in years. I don't feel compelled to live in S'pore, but when I was at the flat with these [new friends] I didn't really want to leave. In all fairness, I should say one person in particular made it hard for me to depart the city-country of Singapore.

My good friend (partner in crime), Brian, on business visiting VN, was ultimately the reason that pulled me out of S'pore and washed me back into Saigon. Things happen for a reason. Maybe, I'm getting carried away with "holiday romance".

I need to figure out if S'pore, or Malaysia, is where I want to be (or, can be) for the next couple of years. I know I want to be in Asia. So far, amongst the Asian countries, Vietnam offers the best opportunities for me in terms of work. But, I suppose that could be a matter of perspective as well.

Onward with the journey…

2004-07-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

No more bartending at the Heart Of Darkness; and, I’ve taken a leave-of-absence from work.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been contemplating whether to continue working or do what I came to VN to do: travel Asia and improve my Vietnamese. I’ve finally concluded that I have a big itch to travel; and, I best scratch it now before settling into a routine (i.e., permanent job, Vietnamese/martial arts classes, etc.). So, two days from today, I will fly to Singapore to visit my good friend, Cheryl. Big sis, Ngoc Lan, who owned Heart Of Darkness, will join me as she will visit her friend too. We plan to visit Malaysia and/or Bali when we grow tired of Singapore.

When we’re done with Sing./Mal./Bali, I will return to and travel within VN. I hope I don’t run out of money before then. :-P

Downtown Saigon

2004-06-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a cathedral that is a replica of the Notre Dame cathedral:
HCMC Cathedral

Here's the city's main post office:
HCMC Post Office

The interior of the post office:
click here

My Bedroom

2004-06-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

Here's my room:
room.mov (4.3M)

FYI:
One could stay at a hotel similar to my room for about $25/night.

Lack-luster

2004-06-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends commented that I was brave to start anew in as I had moved to Vietnam. I don't know if it's bravery. Maybe, I just [gave up] on "making the most of the [previous] situation". Although, I must say that after living here in Asia for 2 months, my life before seems dull--lack-luster. Granted there were fun moments sprinkled here and there. But, day-to-day life seemed plain, processed, ordinary. The difference now is that I see, or experience, something each day that amuses me putting a grin on my face.

For example, two nights ago, I was riding on the back of my little sis' scooter on a busy street when a boy rides up next to us calling to get our attention. We looked over to see what he wants. He tips his head downward, gesturing us to redirect our line of sight. As if by reflex, we looked down and noticed he's holding a penis! Maybe his. Maybe a dildo. It did look very smooth like a silicone dildo. It all happened too quickly for me to be certain one way or the other. I was rather disgusted, wanting to bop him on the head with my shoe. Yet, I was also surprised at "the balls he had" to pull off such a stunt on a busy street of scootorists. Little sis and I just chuckled in the end. But, I think we should have chased him down to teach him a lesson. :-P

Day-dreaming...

2004-06-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

people keep asking me and i continue to them: i really don't know when i will be coming back [to San Francisco/the States]. however, i do believe i will return at some point. i continually meet lots of people who are like-minded (ie, love to travel, not settling down in one place). such is the disease of most foreigners i meet here, it seems. :-}

as i do every friday night, i play bartender at a friend's bar. last night, i met a group of Singaporeans. they were all designers and artists on a long weekend vacation. within the group, one girl originally from New York used to live a couple blocks from me in San Francisco--small world. another girl said she's been backpacking in Thailand and is now making her way up Vietnam. oh, i would love to backpack through VN and the rest of Asia as well! (but, it's not too easy for me to leave my career for a span of time because, at the moment, i have a pretty decent setup). anyway, we exchanged stories and business cards. who knows, maybe i will join the backpacking gal. ;-}

days here are becoming cooler and more beautiful. sometimes i do think about leaving my 9am-5pm--albeit flexible--job.

anyway... :-}

Phu Quoc Island

2004-06-17T03:01:00.000-07:00

Phu Quoc is an island west of Vietnam’s southern tip (see map; but, the words Ha Tien is covering the island.). The island is relatively untouched so there’s not much of towering hotels.
Phu Quoc beach

However, on the flipside, you have underdeveloped roads and not many pretty attractions to see. I did see a few resorts under construction. Give the island another 5 years and I think I might revisit. Really, riding an old taxi--usually an 80’s car, or van--over bumpy roads playing chicken with oncoming motorists on a one lane road loses its exhilaration after about 10 minutes (the amount of time it’ll take for you to become desensitized). After the half fear-half laughter wears off, you’re just stuck riding an uncomfortable car on a narrow strip of rocky road.

I’m told:
The island produces excellent pepper. Here’s a picture of my new auntie standing in a grove of pepper trees.
Pepper trees

Activities to try:

1) Hiking to see rivers and small waterfalls.
Small falls

2) Swimming. The water is warm, clear, and calm.
swimming

3) The island is also known for its delicious seafood. Squid fishing at night is relaxing.
Squid fishing at night

The boat crew will cook/grill what you catch. I felt bad for the squid. But, there’s not much else to do out in the ocean. So, I picked up a rod and spool.
Me squid fishing at night

The crew will feed you squid congee (rice porridge). And, it’s reeally good! Maybe, I was reeeeallly hungry.
Got congee!

Tea House

2004-06-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

I went to a Tea House to sip specialty teas and to past the time.

Tea House

Going to the tea house is like going to a cafe where you sit drinking coffee and chit-chat. The difference is you poor your own beverage (your tea of choice, such as Lotus tea which is fragrant and a bit strong); and, there's a whole process from pouring to serving the tea.

The tea house--literally a house, four stories high--seems to be a popular place to chill. Each floor has two rooms with about five little tables in each room.

Tea House

The room I was in had no vacant tables. We requested a room with less people, but there were no other tables available. A pleasant time was had...

Thoughts

2004-06-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

It’s been about six weeks since I arrived in Saigon, and I think I am starting to miss my San Francisco [home]. Flashes of scenes and neighborhoods of SF pop into my mind. I miss my previous apartment with the red wall and orange bedroom. I miss leisurely strolling around the neighborhood of Potrero Hills. I can picture driving down Portola and seeing the view of downtown and the Bay Bridge with lights shimmering in the evening sky.

Yesterday, I had lunch at a restaurant called Havana. The drinks menu sported the famous silhouette portrait of Marxist Revolutionary, Che Guerera, in Andy Warhol style. …You know, the painting by Andy Warhol of the nine squares of Marilyn Monroe in different duotone color combos. I could describe the décor but I don’t think it’s very interesting. Basically, it’s not Asian-looking. I look at the menu and was a little disappointed to find that nearly everything listed was not Cuban. There were many Vietnamese and Italian dishes. There were only a handful of Spanish dishes. So, I ordered a Vietnamese style lunch combo—nothing else was appealing. The patrons at the table next to me were speaking Spanish. The table next to them had people speaking in English about San Francisco. I didn’t feel like I was in Vietnam. Sitting inside that restaurant, I felt as if I was at an hispanic eatery in a heavily Vietnamese populated city like San Jose, CA—or, the neighborhood of Little Saigon in Los Angeles. Then, I look out the window and see swarms of scooters on the road—not cars—and I realize again that I am actually in…living in Vietnam.

Shopping

2004-06-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of a department store in a mall called Diamond Plaza. Very posh for Vietnam.

Diamond Plaza

I am standing at the Shiseido counter looking for a present for a friend's birthday dinner that same night.

Still in work clothes, I went to the Sheraton for the buffet style dinner. The food was good--it better be at $24/person. Or, maybe I thought it was yummy because I haven't had non-Vietnamese food for a while now. In Vegas, or Reno, you would pay about the same price but have three times the selection of foods to eat.

group photo

test

2004-06-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

this is a test to see that i can post to my blog via email.
--
_______________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm

Yay! Yes it works, but the above extra text appears also.
I will still have to go into blogger and manually clean up each emailed posting.

Rush Hour

2004-06-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the _tailend_ of morning rush hour around 9am.

Front view:
in front

Back view:
behind me

Buddha's Birthday

2004-06-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the 15th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, I'm told; and, that it is the Buddha's birthday. Tidbit info for ya.