Both Feet In

In the past four decades, Xi’an has become a famous travel destination to see the Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta sculptures of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s army that date back to the third century BC. Xi’an is a city with much more than the Terracotta Army to offer, though, and has a rich history that predates Emperor Qin Shi Huang by another 4,000 years! Oh, and it also happens to offer some of the best food in all of China, something that is definitely worth bragging about. Since moving to China two and a half years ago, it has been one of the top places I’ve wanted to visit and, this past May Day holiday, I was able to check it off my list.

I arrived in Xi’an on the last flight in on a Saturday night. By 3:00am, I found my hotel, the Left Art Fashion Hotel, and crawled into bed, eager to begin exploring the city in the morning. As its name implies, the Left Art Fashion Hotel is a boutique hotel where each room is beautifully and uniquely decorated; mine was done up with huge paintings of hummingbirds on every wall. It is located in the heart of the city, a five-minute walk from the 600-year-old Bell Tower that sits in the middle of the central intersection of the city.

I woke up in the late morning to a heavy rain beating against my windows. I contemplated spending a few more hours in bed till the rain subsided, but there was too much to see. I threw on my rain gear and walked 20 minutes to the Muslim Quarter. Xi’an was the starting point of the Silk Road, and as such, it has one of the largest Muslim populations of any city in China. The Muslim Quarter, northwest of the Bell Tower, is home to The Great Mosque, the largest mosque in China. It is also the place to go to find the best food stalls and restaurants in the city, which took precedence as I searched for a late breakfast.

I settled in at one of the restaurants, where I could escape the rain for a seat inside, and ordered up my first Xi’an specialty: 羊肉泡馍 ( yángròu pàomó), lamb meat and bread soup. After being seated, I was handed an empty bowl and two pieces of flatbread and instructed to break up the flatbread myself into the bowl. The locals advised breaking the bread into the smallest pieces possible. After I was done shredding, the server took my bowl to the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of tender lamb meat and garlic in a savory broth ladled over my crumbled flatbread. The soup was the perfect dish to warm me up on a cold and rainy day.

With my belly full, I decided to spend my afternoon by checking out some of the sights within walking distance. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but I didn’t want to stray far from the hotel if the storms came back and, besides, there was plenty to see right around me, starting with The Great Mosque.

The Great Mosque dates to the late 1300s and feels like a mixture of Chinese and Islamic sensibilities. Beautiful calligraphy, written in both Chinese and Arabic, line the exteriors of the 20 or so buildings in the complex. The buildings are separated by five ornate courtyards with lush gardens. I spent some walking through the gardens and into the smaller buildings that non-Muslims were allowed to enter before moving on.

After leaving the Great Mosque, I strolled back through the Muslim Quarter, this time taking my time to stop and enjoy the street markets. The streets of the Quarter are lined with vendors hawking snacks, sweets, or meals on the go. I sampled some famous Xi’an snacks: peanut cake, sesame bun, and stuffed persimmon cakes before I ended up at the Drum Tower.

The Drum Tower was built by the Ming Dynasty in 1380 and still offers one of the best views of the city. Originally, the large drum that earned the Tower its name was beaten at night to signal the end of the day. Today, the Tower serves as a museum and also a live performance place. I was lucky enough to catch one of the daily, traditional Chinese musical performances while I was there.

Located a block away, is the Drum’s Tower’s sister tower, the Bell Tower. As the Drum Tower signaled for the end of the day, the Bell Tower welcomed dawn with the tolling of a large bell. The Bell Tower also became the central hub of the town and has a rich history. During the Revolution, a fierce battle was fought on the spot and, in 1939, the Bell Tower suffered significant damage when it was bombed by the Japanese.

After touring the Bell Tower, I was back at my hotel. I decided to have a rest and get out of my wet clothes. A few hours later, I was on the hunt for dinner and tracked down yet another Xi’an specialty: Biang Biang noodles. Biang is the most complex of Chinese characters; it takes all of 58 strokes to write it properly and I have yet to meet a Chinese person that can write it from memory. The word also doesn’t have much of a meaning, other than to refer to the noodle dish – it supposedly got its name from the “Biang Biang” sound made when slamming the hand-pulled noodle dough on a table.

The place I found, Liu Laosi Niurou Gan Mian Zhuang, was recommended by a few locals as having the noodles in the city. Biang biang noodles are a very thick and long hand-pulled noodle. The ones at Liu Laosi were tossed with beef, beans, carrots, celery, garlic, and cilantro in spicy chili oil. The old proprietor sat down next me to observe my first bite and confirm that his kitchen delivered on the flavor. They definitely did and I made short work of the bowl. I thanked him and paid the bill, all of about $2.50 US.

Before heading back to the hotel, I decided to go for a nightcap. I tracked down the Xi’an Brewery, a small craft brewery tucked away on the second floor of a mall, located about seven kilometers south of my hotel. After a coffee stout and a citrus IPA, both of which could hold their own against craft brewer in the US, I took a walk around the area, was lit up for the May 1 holiday in a style that resembled the gaudiness of Las Vegas.

Strolling through all of the faux temples and palaces that were erected, I almost completely missed the 1500-year-old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda humbly tucked away amidst the bright reds and golds of the decorations. Such is often the way in China; a drastic mix of the old and the new. I remember standing in the nearly 2000-year-old Jing’an Temple in Shanghai and being distracted by the sounds of engines revving at the Ferrari dealership located next door.

Finally, I made it back to my hotel for a relatively early night, excited to wake up the next morning and make my way out to the Terracotta Army. Stay tuned for that trip and more of Xi’an in Part 2, coming next week.

Ki-Duk Kim’s 2003 film, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring is one of my all-time favorite films. The South Korean writer/director beautifully tells the story of a Buddhist monk raising a young boy to adulthood on his floating monastery.  The entire film is set on a pond in remote mountains, there is little dialog, and we are never really told when this is taking place. As Roger Ebert said in his four-star review of the film, “The protagonist of this film is life, and the antagonists are time and change.”

Visiting film shooting locations is never anything that has excited me. I lived for 14 years in Pittsburgh and would frequently pass Hannibal Lechter’s prison, the mall from Day of the Dead, or the church where God manifests Herself in the form of Alanis Morrisette in Dogma. Also, I worked in and around the film industry for several years, so I saw how the sausage gets made, which takes a lot of magic out of it. The pond in Ki-Duk’s film, however, has always been a destination for me, and I hoped that living in Asia, it would only be a matter of time before I made it out there.

Jusanji Pond, the real-life pond used in the film, is located inside Juwangsan National Park, the smallest of Korea’s national parks, nestled on the central-eastern coast. It is the most difficult national park to get to, as there are no major cities around it or trains that pass near it. Still, South Korea is a small country: you can travel by high-speed train from Seoul, in the northwest corner of the country, to Busan, in the southeast corner, in 2 1/2 hours, so I figured it wouldn’t pose too much of a challenge.

Entrance to Juwangsan National Park

I had planned a week-long trip to Korea to coincide with the National Day Holiday in China. The National Day Holiday falls during the first week of October and over half of the population travels during that time. With upwards of 700 million people cramming the airports, train stations, and hotels, it’s a smart move to get out of the country. In my previous trips to Korea, I have always stayed in either Seoul or Busan, so I decided I would get off the beaten path and travel somewhere close to the park.

After arriving in Seoul on a Saturday afternoon, I boarded a train to Andong, a city of about 200,000 people that is a two-hour bus ride west of the park.  Andong is famous for its open-air heritage museums, including Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO World Heritage site just outside of the city. Unbeknownst to me, Andong was hosting a World Maskdance Festival that same week, so I was able to see masked dance troupes from Indonesia, Kenya, and Finland, among many other countries.

Hahoe Folk Village

For a few days, I took in the sights and the Maskdance festivities, before deciding to make my way to Juwangsan Park on Wednesday morning, which was calling for the best day of weather in a week where it had otherwise been overcast and rainy. Other than some AM showers in Andong, I would have clear skies and warm weather for the rest of the day.

I boarded a 7:30 am bus from downtown Andong, ready for the two-hour winding ride through the Korean countryside. Korea is an incredibly beautiful country, with green hills and mountains as far as the eye can see.

After entering the park, I took a look at the complimentary map and found the pond on the opposite side of the park. It looked like a three-hour walk, which seemed like perfect time to hike out, enjoy lunch at the pond, and then make the hike back in time to catch the last bus back at 6:30 pm.

Juwangsan Park

Two hours in, however, I had to call an audible as I hadn’t even reached the halfway point. I stopped to ask one of the park rangers the best way to get to the pond and he told me that even if I kept on this route, it would be almost impossible to hike there, as the pond is actually separated from the park and you need to drive there. He advised me to hike back to the visitor’s center and hire a taxi to take me out there.

Hidden Waterfalls

Heeding his advice, I made a u-turn and started on my way back to the visitor’s center. The park itself is beautiful, with several natural waterfalls sprinkled in-between the mountains, and I took my time getting back.

I was able to able to easily get a taxi at the visitor’s center and for the equivalent of about $25, he agreed to drive me to the pond,  wait around for an hour, and then bring me back. Another winding road took us around the park and out to Jusanji Pond. He dropped me the closest he could, about a kilometer away, and I set off on foot.

Jusanji Pond

After a short uphill hike, I made it to the pond. My first thought upon looking at it was wishing it was just a couple weeks later, as the leaves would have begun changing colors by then. I got over my disappointment and took in my view. The pond is truly stunning. It sits on top of a hill, surrounded on three sides by forest and there are at least a dozen red willow trees that grow out from it, creating a surreal illusion between land and water.

Willow Trees growing in the pond

I spent about 30 minutes taking turns walking around the pond, photographing it, and sitting in awe of it. For the most part, I had the place to myself. Eventually, though, I bumped into three lively middle-aged Korean women, who asked me to take their photos in front of one of the willow trees. After conceding to a dozen or so requests, I begged off to return to my taxi.

Two hours later, I was pulling back into Andong and the hustle and bustle of the Maskdance Festival. The next day, I would be heading back to the metropolis of Seoul and the trendy streets of Hongdae. But for just a few minutes, I was all alone in one of the most beautiful places on Earth; a place I have great reverence for and wonderful memories of a brilliant film.

Oh wow, a new blog post! I know, I know, it’s been forever since the last one. A year to the day, to be exact. When I started this blog, the aim was to keep me in the practice of writing regularly, as well as keeping any friends and family back home up-to-date on my activities in Asia.  I can’t make up for my absence in the last year, I can only promise to do better moving forward.

I figured the best place to jump back in after a year off would be a look at the town I’ve called home for the past two years: Qingdao. This Friday will mark my two year anniversary of living in Qingdao. I will be celebrating by moving into my eighth apartment in those two years. Seriously. Despite the many moves, though, Qingdao has begun to feel like home in that time.

May Fourth Square

I’ll eventually be doing a multi-part series of sorts because, after two years, there is really just way too much for one post. This first one will basically be the Wikipedia version of stats and figures, although hopefully a little more accurate.

Qingdao is a mid-sized tier-2 city on the eastern seaboard of China. Mid-sized for China, that is, as at nine million people it is roughly the size of the Chicago Metropolitan area, while being only half the size, in terms of square miles. It is the largest city in Shandong Province and is located just about due west, across the Yellow Sea, from Seoul.

In China, Qingdao has famously been nicknamed “Beer City” as it is the birthplace of Tsingtao Beer, China’s most famous alcohol export. During the late summer, Qingdao hosts what I can only assume is the longest-in-duration beer festival in the world. This year’s festival ran daily in three locations for five weeks between mid-July to late-August. During the festival, there are musical performances, local and international food, live caligraphy writing (this is a thing in China), and beer. Lots of beer. The festival organizers claim to offer beer from over 200 countries, which is truly amazing considering a Google (errr, Bing, since Google is blocked in China) search tells me that there are only 195 total countries in total.

Qingdao Beer Festival Entrance

As a port city, Qingdao has an interesting history of occupation. From 1891-1914, the Germans occupied the city. The evidence of this still shows with many beautiful Romanesque German buildings that were built during this time, including Qingdao Christian Church and St. Michael’s Cathedral. The Germans, to the surprise of no one, I’m sure, are also the reason that Qingdao is known as the Beer City, having built the Tsingtao Brewery in 1903.

Qingdao Christian Church

St. Michael’s Cathedral

Qingdao was also occupied twice by the Japanese,  from 1914-1922 and again during World War II from 1938-1945. This second occupation is remembered for the many atrocities that Japanese soldiers committed on the Chinese. As a result, to this day, many local Chinese remain extremely prejudiced against the Japanese.

Recently, Qingdao has become a city that is also known for film and TV. Wanda Studios, the largest movie studio in the world, fully opened this past year on the island district of Huangdao. The studio was built not just for Chinese film and TV production, but to hopefully lure Hollywood over for lower-cost shooting. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case yet, as only the white-savior epic “The Great Wall” and sci-fi sequel turd “Pacific Rim 2” have been the only two US blockbusters to film here.

It is also the birthplace of two of China’s biggest movie stars: Fan Bingbing and Huang Bo. Fan Bingbing may be China’s most famous actress, although recently she has been “disappeared” by the Chinese government for apparently not paying her taxes. Huang Bo is an actor and director known for both his dramatic and comedic film roles. Most importantly, to me at least, Qingdao is the birthplace of the great Japanese actor, Toshiro Mifune, to missionary parents in 1920. Mifune is undoubtedly one of the best actors of the last century, starring in many Akira Kurosawa-directed classics as The Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, and High and Low.

That about wraps up this facts and figures introduction to Qingdao. Stay tuned, hopefully, for more on the beer festival, things to do in the city, and maybe even a conversation with a local.

Recently, a good friend, Austin, and I traveled to Kyoto, Japan, for some fun and relaxation. The plan was to fly directly in Osaka and then take the 75 minute train north to Kyoto. Unfortunately, our trip got off to an auspicious start, though, when we found our flight had been cancelled the night before we were scheduled take off. It wasn’t just our flight, though, but all direct flights from Qingdao to Osaka that weekend, as a result of a tropical storm that was scheduled to hit Japan. We were left scrambling to find an alternative and ended booking another flight that connected through Seoul for about $200 more.

We arrived in Osaka around 4:00 in the afternoon on Sunday, where there was barely any trace of a storm that was apparently rocking the eastern seaboard of Honshu. After catching the train north, we had dinner at Kyoto station, the city’s central transportation hub. The top floor has about a dozen restaurants all serving different Japanese cuisines and we discovered a noodles joint that looked good and I had a bowl of soba noodles with wild duck and leeks, which was fantastic. Austin went with the udon noodles, which also looked great.

Soba noodles with wild duck and leeks

Nestled among the Hira Mountains, in the center of the main island of Honshu, Kyoto is the former imperial capital of Japan and provides a window into “old Japan”. The city is home to over 2,000 Shinto and Buddhist shrines and temples, which give the city a peaceful and welcoming vibe. Walking around the modern downtown, you will rarely hear a car horn honking or pedestrians chatting away on phones. Instead the entire city seems to be constantly reflecting in reverence and tranquility. The city streets are immaculate, not a single gum wrapper or cigarette butt can be found, and every car, including the taxis, who’s drivers often wear suits and white gloves, appear to be washed daily. Even their garbage trucks look freshly cleaned and polished. 

After a long day Sunday, we slept in a bit on Monday. We headed back down to Kyoto Station for lunch and this time ended up a fish and box lunch place. I ordered the black cod, which came with miso soup, pickled vegetables, and rice with a raw egg.

Black cod lunch

Following lunch, we walked the 45 minutes to Fushimi Inari-taisha, a Shinto shrine with a multitude of red gates that is the most famous sight in Kyoto. The grounds of the shrine were beautiful, and no surprise in Japan, immaculately kept. The main shrine sits at the base of Inari Mountain, with several smaller ones on the trails that lead up the mountain. After a couple hours of hiking and exploring, we still hadn’t reached the top, and decided to veer off from the crowds of tourists and followed a picturesque path through a bamboo forest to where it looked like several monks were living. 

Fushimi Inari-taisha

Bamboo Forest

After getting home and showering, we were starving from our long hike and decided splurging on some sushi was just what the doctor ordered. We tracked down Sushi Sei, a moderately priced sushi joint that was a 15 minute walk from our Air BnB and the sushi was hands down, the best I’ve ever had, not to mention the fragrantly delicious miso soup. We each ordered the “deluxe platter” that was a mix of about 15 different pieces of sushi, as well as a side of grilled eel and a bottle of sake to wash it down. The food was the perfect amount to leave us feeling satiated, but not stuffed.

Kyoto is famous for being the top sake-producing city in Japan, but it is also known as the birthplace of Japanese whisky. Earlier in the day, I had tracked down Kyoto’s best whisky bar, and we decided to head there for a few pours of dessert. Bar Cordon Noir had hundreds of bottles of Japanese whisky, bourbons, and Scotch to choose from. For our first round, we both decided to go with the “Japanese Old Fashioned” which differed from the American version in that they used Japanese whisky instead of bourbon, and a variety of Japanese spices and herbs, as well. The taste was similar, but I still think I prefer the traditional Old Fashioned.

bar cordon noir

I also sampled two of their Japanese whiskies, the first a 17-year single malt and the second a blend that was aged in a charred barrel. Both were excellent, and I wish I had taken notes of the tasting. The bar itself was spectacular, all wood with their hundreds of bottles lined up in perfect order with their labels all pointing straight ahead. Like all of Japan, the attention to detail was astounding. Again, in fashion with the country, the service was impeccable. Three attentive bartenders manned the bar and were there the instance you were looking for a refill or recommendation, but not a second sooner, so they never seemed to be hovering.

Tuesday morning, we got up early to look for breakfast. Just two blocks from our apartment was a restaurant that served traditional Japanese breakfast and was rated by several websites as the best breakfast in Kyoto, but unfortunately they were closed on Tuesday. Monday was “Respect for the Aged Day” and we found that many establishments had closed on either Monday or Tuesday. Instead we made our way to an Inoda Coffee, a Kyoto-based chain that has been serving coffee and breakfast throughout Japan since the 1930’s. We were surprised to see that they offered a breakfast plate of pancakes, sausage, and a mixed vegetable salad that looked and tasted like coleslaw, which was surprisingly the perfect mix. Again, the serving size was perfect and we left ready to explore the city again.

Our next stop was the International Manga Museum. Neither of us are big manga fans, but it seemed too interesting to pass up. It was cool to see some original artwork and check out some of the thousands of manga they had to read.

Before stopping for lunch, we discovered an enormous Buddhist temple, the length of three city blocks in the middle of downtown. Higashi Honganji was originally built in 1602, but has been burnt down and rebuilt twice, most recently in the first half of the 20th century. After walking through the enormous gate, we took off our shoes and meandered around the temples for a bit, taking in the gorgeous architecture.

Gates of Higashi Honganji

For lunch, we headed to nearby Kyoto Tower, which has a food court consisting of several highly rated restaurants. We both decided that the gyoza looked best and enjoyed a quick but delicious lunch before grabbing a coffee to prepare us for our afternoon trip to the Yamazaki Distillery.

The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery sits just outside of Kyoto, at the foot of Mt. Tennozan, and, dating back to 1923, is the first Japanese whisky distillery. Shinjiro Torii’s goal was to “create a perfect whisky that reflects the nature of Japan and the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship” when he built the distillery. Torii also founded the company Suntory, one of the largest beverage companies in the world which has recently purchased Beam, Inc., and so Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Old Crow among others, along with it. Originally the company mainly sold imported wines, but Torii soon moved to producing his own liquor and after becoming fascinated by Scotch whisky, decided to attempt what was considered impossible: producing a local whisky that would be on par with the those of Scotland.

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

A few of the other whiskies owned by Suntory

We toured the museum, which explained the history and distilling process, before getting to the real treat: the tasting room and gift shop. I selected tastings of five different whiskies, which ran about $20. I also purchased a bottle of a special reserve single malt whisky that is only available at the distillery, a souvenir rocks glass, and a bag of bacon that is cured in the whisky barrels.

First round of tastings

After the distillery, we walked over to Mt. Tennozan. Behind a small temple, a basket of walking sticks were offered for those that wanted to hike up to the summit, a two hour climb. Signs at the start of the trek warned to be on the lookout for wild boar, monkeys, and especially harmful wasps. So with no water between us, and after downing about five shots of whisky, we decided the smartest thing would be to charge ahead and attack the mountain head-on! We hiked for about 45 minutes before realizing that this probably wasn’t the smartest course of action and decided to head back down before we stumbled across a wild boar or a hive of wasps – comparatively, the monkeys would be a welcome diversion.

Mt. tennozan temple and view

For dinner, we were both excited to track down a juicy, Kobe beef steak, since a good steak is next to impossible to find in China. We found a place where we could enjoy one for less than $50, not easy in Japan. The steak was decent, but not as great as I was hoping. For sides we had a cheesy mashed potatoes and a marinated wild mushroom plate that stole the show.

Wednesday morning, I unfortunately had to head back to China. I took the 75 minute train to the airport, which of course was spotless. The train actually arrived 15 minutes early, but they locked the doors so that they could clean it thoroughly for ten minutes. Kansai International Airport then provided the fastest check-in I’ve ever experienced. I literally was through customs and security less than 20 minutes after arriving to the airport. From there, it was back to reality, though, as my six hour layover at Shanghai-Pudong left much to be desired. For a city of 24 million people, you would think that they would have more than one offering of restaurant in the terminal, but their terminal only featured four iterations of the same restaurant that offered a variety of noodles and other basic Chinese foods that had little flavor. Also annoying was the fact that there seemed to be zero outlets to charge a phone or laptop. Ah, to be back in Japan…

Since moving to my new apartment at the end of March, I’ve been looking for a good neighborhood gym to join. After touring a few different facilities (you can easily find gyms here by looking for a handful of trainers smoking just outside the front door), I settled on the newly opened Lucky Bird, two blocks from my apartment. It’s not the closest, as Love Great sits right behind my apartment complex, and yes, these are the typical names of gyms in China.

Lucky Bird  has quite a bit going for it: all new equipment, aerobics and spinning classes, a pool that will open next month, and the ubiquitous ping-pong and pool tables. It seems all gyms in China come stocked with at least one of each.

Ping-pong “studio”

Walking in, I garnered stares from the two dozen or Chinese employees or members as I made my way to the front desk. This happens quite a bit in China and I’ve gotten used to this for the most part, but I’d be lying if I said it isn’t a little unnerving every time it happens.

They introduced me to Bryan, one of the sales reps, to go over the details of the six month contract I was interested in. Bryan spoke no English and we communicated mostly through my poor Chinese and translation apps. He walked me through everything and even knocked $30 off the price as a laowai, a slang term for foreigner, discount, provided I take a picture with him to show that the gym now has the prestige that comes with claiming westerners as members.

After all the t’s were crossed and lower-case j’s were dotted, Bryan informed me that included with membership is one free session with one of their “beautiful coaches”. He rang a bell and a handful of beautiful Chinese trainers came running from all over the gym. They lined  them up in front of me like we were in a brothel and he told me to pick which one I thought was the most beautiful and she would coach me.  All of the women offered flirty smiles  and I began to wonder just what kind of perks was coming with this “coaching session.”

I picked my coach and, alas, what followed was basically just a health evaluation. Chinese health standards are a little different than in the US and I was told that the ideal weight for my height of 5’8″ was 127 lbs, and at 183 lbs I was 18 lbs past overweight and into the obese category. Nothing like a beautiful woman telling you that you’re obese.

After telling me her recommendations for my workout plans (Surprise – more paid lessons with her!), she told me that she would also help me to “change my clothes” today. Again, my excitement was for naught as she simply meant to say that she would show me to the locker rooms.

Along the way, she walked me past the cooler where I could purchase “performance drinks”.  Bodybuilding shakes and supplement-filled drinks aren’t really a thing here and the cooler was stocked with different kinds of Red Bull, Monster, and other energy drinks. Of course, as is usually the case in China, the cooler wasn’t plugged in. Most Chinese believe that cold drinks are bad for your health and only drink warm or room temperature drinks. You learn this the hard way when you forget to order a ‘cold’ beer at a restaurant.

With all the formalities out of the way, I got in about an hour workout. During that time, I counted six times that  Chinese stopped to look at the strange, obese laowai with the white skin clanging and banging along side them.

With Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day, where the Chinese sweep and clean the graves of their deceased family members) occurring the first week of April, I had an extra day off and decided to make a jaunt back to Seoul. If you remember, dear reader, when I was last there in November, I fell in love with the city despite battling a bad cold the entire time. This time I wanted to see it in warmer weather and healthier spirits. Needless to say, the second time around brought even more joy to my soul. (Prepare for more Seoul-crushing puns.)

Monday

After a great stay the first time at Hao Guest House, I decided to book a room there again. Martin, the proprietor, even gave me a 10% discount for returning. The South Korean tourism business has been hurting since the Chinese government announced a boycott in early March due to South Korea installing the US-made THAAD missile system, and as a result many hotels and guest houses have been sitting close to empty since.

I dropped my bags off and set out to find a late lunch. I enjoyed several meals that Korea is famous for the last time I was in town, but one I missed, and have been lusting for ever since, was their fried chicken and beer, or chimaek. Koreans call it the perfect combination of taste: spicy fried chicken with an ice cold beer. A quick Google search told me that the highest rated chicken and beer place was only a five minute walk from where I was staying: game on!

The fried chicken at Chicken in the Kitchen was hands down the best I’ve ever had. I ordered the half’n’half which was a half-chicken fried extra crispy, and another half-chicken doused in their tangy hot sauce. The chicken was topped with French Fries and fried rice cakes and was clearly meant as a meal for two. Not to be intimidated, though, I scarfed down most of the chicken and took home a little doggie bag for tomorrow’s breakfast – yes, the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast, indeed!

Fried chicken and beer!

After my late lunch, I decided to walk around the familiar surroundings of Hongdae. Hongdae is a hot spot on the renowned K-Pop scene and teenage singers and dancers flock here at night to busk in front of large crowds. I was able to catch a boy band hip hop group, a young guitar virtuoso, and an older woman belting out Korean ballads before making my way to my favorite Seoul brewery, Magpie Brewing, for a couple of their Gose style beers to cap off the night.

Tuesday

Seoul is famous for its five grand palaces. Last time, I visited the second largest, Changdeokgung. This time, I made my way to the smallest of the five, Deoksugung. Located in the middle of a business district next to City Hall, Deoksugung was built in the 1500’s and features a modern and western-style garden and fountain. I was lucky enough to catch the changing of the guard while I was there, too.

deoksugung

 Throne room and ceiling of Deoksugung

 

After visiting the palace, I made the 20 minute walk to Bukchon Hanok Village, a small village that has been preserved to show a 600 year old neighborhood and is made up of long, winding alleys and hanoks – small, traditional Korean houses – stacked close to each other.

Another staple of Korean cuisine is Ginseng Chicken Soup and, as luck would have it, the top-rated place in town, Korea Samgye-tang, sits right on the edge of the village. Korea Samgye-tang is Michelin approved and often gets long lines for lunch, however I was lucky enough to quickly get a seat. I ordered the traditional soup with added black garlic. The soup itself is minimal: a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice cooked in a broth with ginseng root and topped with onions and shallots. It was served with the traditional Kimchi, and can only be described as chicken soup for the Seoul. And for those keeping score at home, yes, that is two whole chickens in two days.

Ginseng chicken soup with black garlic

Wednesday

After two days of beautiful weather, I wasn’t as lucky Wednesday as rain and wind was in the forecast all day long. Not to be deterred, though, I made my way to Gangnam, yes that Gangnam, mainly to visit the largest Samsung store in the world. Gangnam is often referred to as the Beverly Hills of Korea and the business district is lined with high-end retailers along their wide boulevards.

Outside the Samsung store, protestors camped out in tents protesting the unsafe working conditions for Samsung factory workers and manufacturers. I kept my beloved Galaxy S7 hidden from sight as I climbed the steps to the store.

Samsung protests

Upon walking in, the Samsung store looks almost identical to any Apple store: products laid out for testing, their own version of “geniuses”, and walls stacked floor to ceiling with accessories for phones, tablets, or any other type of tech. It’s the second and third floors, however, that separate the Samsung store from Apple and make it a destination, as both floors give the customer an interactive walk-through of Samsung’s technology either in development or recently made available.

On the second floor, I was able to test drive the Samsung Gear VR 4D. Not only are you wearing a virtual reality headset, but you are strapped into a chair that can jolt you in just about any direction. The headset can also release odors or a blast of air to the face. The idea is that this will soon be used for a next-level cinema or gaming experience. The demo that I tested was for a roller coaster ride. While it was an exciting two minute trip, I have the previous version of the Gear VR and the experience felt very much the same.

The third floor, however, was where I really hit the jackpot. Samsung had laid out the entire floor as an interactive walk-through of what our houses of the future will be like. Smart mirrors in our bathrooms that can evaluate our skin condition and recommend what products to use that day, a 3D hologram display on our kitchen counter that walks you through each step of a recipe, and a feature that lets you watch TV anywhere, as a screen populates in any room you may walk into: no more pausing your DVR when you have to go to the bathroom!

I spent most of the early afternoon hours walking around Gangnam in the rain. One of my favorite things about Seoul is the mix of cultures and history. Six hundred year old palaces and villages sit next to opulent city halls and skyscrapers. So, it was no surprise that on a long avenue lined with financial institutions and department stores, there were batting cages set up along the sidewalk.

Unfortunately, the cages were rigged to only allow for right-handed hitters, but I switched around and took a few righty cuts for the first time in at least a decade. After a rough start, I was able to get a few good rips on the ball – I guess you could call me the Seoul-tan of Swat. The speeds ranged from 55mph up to 85mph and I was able to get in 32 swings for about $1.50. Not a bad diversion on a rainy day.

Batting cages in Gangnam

Following the batting cages, I made my way to the Noryangjin Fish Market, one of the largest wholesale and retail fish markets in the world. It has been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Layover and has an extensive layout of freshly caught fish and seafood. On the second floor are a dozen or so restaurants that will gladly cook up any fish that is purchased on the floor below. One of the highlights are the small octopi that you can buy an eat whole…while still alive. Unfortunately, at this point I was water logged and still full from lunch, so I just took in the incredible display of fish before heading back to Hao’s to dry off.

Noryangjin Fish Market

I finished off my stay in Seoul with a pizza and two more Gose beers from Magpie before heading to the airport to get back to China. With five days of exploring Seoul under my belt, it’s safe to say I’ve fallen in love with the city. Could it be my Seoulmate?

 

 

With Spring Festival on the horizon in China, which I’ve heard turns my city into a ghost town, I decided to get out of town and to some warmer weather. First stop: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to visit an old college friend and see a place that has been called a foodie paradise.

Monday

I arrived late morning after a red eye flight with a four hour layover from 2-6am in Bangkok and feeling in need of a big pick-me-up. Before even leaving the airport, I found my way to an Oldtown Coffee, a Malaysian-based chain of white coffee outlets and restaurants. White coffee is a coffee that is roasted in margarine, ground, brewed, and served with sweetened condensed milk and tastes delicious hot or cold. To go with my white coffee, I ordered a bowl of curry mee, one of the many dishes Malaysia is famous for and consists of yellow noodles, tofu, prawns, fried bean curd, pork sausage, and green beans all drenched in a spicy curry soup.

Old Town White Coffee & Curry Mee

After dining, I made my way to the center of town to check into the Air BnB apartment I’d be using during my stay. I booked a modern, 21st-floor studio apartment that was a 15 minute walk from both the famous Petronas Towers and Bukit Bintang, the main entertainment and shopping district of KL.

I spent most of the afternoon walking around and taking in the environs of the new city. Kuala Lumpur literally means “muddy confluence” and after having lived the last 14 years in Pittsburgh, another muddy confluence, I felt oddly at home as I walked the streets in a drizzling rain.

Malaysia is a Muslim country, but one that promotes freedom of religion. Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Diwali are all mandated as National Holidays in addition to Muslim holy days. The country is also multi-ethnic with the main populations split between Malay, Chinese, and Indian. As the capital, KL is the perfect example of this diversity. Walking around, I felt as if I was in a true international city, interacting people of all faiths and backgrounds.

For dinner, on the recommendation of my friend, Darren, I made my way to Bukit Bintang, looking for Lot 10 Hutong Food Court. As I said before, Bukit Bintang is the shopping and entertainment district of KL. In reality, picture the Las Vegas Strip but replace every casino with a variety of enormous shopping malls and you have an idea.

It’s underneath one of those malls, though, that lies the real treasure. Lot 10 Hutong Food Court is a foodie’s dream come true. Conceived by Malaysian billionaire businessman, Dr. Francis Yeoh, this is the greatest food court in existence. Forget Bourbon chicken free samples and Orange Julius, Dr. Yeoh, inspired by the iconic street food stalls all over Malaysia, has brought together only the very best of them to open up a second stall in the basement of a mega-mall. This personally curated cafeteria probably hosts upwards of 50 different stalls, the aroma of local dishes from all over Malaysia wafting up as I made my way down the escalator.

One of the many stalls inside Lot 10

Again, on the advice from Darren, I went looking for the Kim Lian Kee stall for something he assured me I could only find in KL. The dish is called Hokkien Mee and is made with yellow noodles, pork, shrimp, and cabbage all tossed over high heat with a dark soy sauce creating a smokey delight. I realized I was definitely in the right spot when I saw the long line and the chef told me it would be at least a 45 minute wait, crazy considering nearly every other stall had no wait at that time. I decided it was worth the wait and got in line, and needless to say I was not disappointed.

Hokkien Mee from Kim Lian Kee

After dinner, I made my way to another mall to meet up with Darren for a drink and to catch up. I met Darren my freshman year at the University of Kentucky and the last time I had seen him was his graduation day, nearly 20 years ago. It was great to be able to sit and catch up on each other’s lives since we both left Kentucky.

Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, I set out for the central train station in order to catch a train north of the city to the Batu Caves. The Batu Caves are a series of caves inside of a large limestone hill that has become one of the largest Hindu shrines outside of India, as the largest cave has been turned into a giant temple that has become a pilgrimage for Hindi all over the world.

After getting off my train stop around noon, I made may way to the entrance of the cave and was met by a 140 foot gold statue of the Hindu god, Murugan. The statue marks the entrance to the base of the steps (272 to be exact!) up to the caves.

Murugan statue and the 272 steps

On the way up to the caves, I was greeted by about a dozen Macaque monkeys. The monkeys live in the forest above the caves and will often come down to check out the humans and look for food.

Two macaques looking for a handout

Inside the Temple Cave are several shrines and dedications built to honor Murugan. Most of the temple construction was done in 1890 and has been kept up beautifully. The caves had a high ceiling and it took about an hour to walk around it and take in all of the dedications.

After checking out the Temple Cave, I made my way next door to the Dark Cave which is known not for its Hindu shrines, but for its rock formations and collection of animals that live nowhere else on the planet. Enormous stalactites and stalagmites that have taken centuries to form give the cave an otherworldly feel to walk through.

Before entering the cave, my tour guide gave me one of the most terrifying warnings I’ve ever heard: “You can use your camera flash, but be careful not to aim it too high because there are over 200,000 bats resting on the ceiling of the cave right now.” And a bonus: “Oh and be sure to watch out for the Cave Racer Snake. It’s the top of the food chain in here, can grow up to four feet, and can climb the walls to attack the bats on the ceiling when it’s hungry.” Needless to say, I decided to forgo the camera and just keep my eyes peeled for any bats or snakes that might cause me to run shrieking from the cave.

Despite the bone-chilling warning, though, I was able to make my way through the cave and soon saw how it got its name. After walking for about 15 minutes into the cave, the guide turned off her flashlight and the darkness was so overwhelming, I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face. Unfortunately, other than a few spiders and a millipede, though, I didn’t get to see of the rare species that call the cave home.

Wednesday

Wednesday morning, my plan was to head towards downtown to try some traditional Malay breakfast and then check out the Petronas Towers. For breakfast, I went to Madam Kwan’s, a local chain that, again, Darren recommended for some Nasi lemak: coconut rice with chicken curry, hard-boiled egg, dried shrimp, and fresh cucumber that tasted incredible.

Nasi lemak at Madam Kwan

After breakfast, I made my way next door to the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world, and tied (obviously) for the seventh tallest building in the world. I had reserved a tour that took you to the skybridge and supposedly provided an unmatched view of the city. Unfortunately, though, I was never able to see it as the bank rejected my purchase, considering it a dubious charge and they had otherwise sold out the tours for the afternoon.

Petronas Towers

After being shut out of the towers, I decided to make my way across town to check out the Islamic Arts Museum and the National Monument. The museum is the largest museum of Islamic Art in southeast Asia and its best feature may be the large-scale models of the most famous mosques in Mecca, Medina, and elsewhere. The National Monument is the world’s tallest bronze free-standing sculpture and honors those that died in Malaysia’s fight for freedom against Japan in World War II and the Malaysian Emergency, which lasted post-war until 1960.

The last thing I had to check off before heading to the airport was one last dinner with Darren, as he wanted to introduce me to yet another local haunt. As I mentioned earlier, KL really is a melting pot of many different cultures and features a large Indian population. The last stop was at a popular Indian spot among locals where I feasted on roti canai and tandoori chicken that featured Malaysian twists on the traditional dal and sauces. Much like everywhere else Darren took me, the meal was outstanding.

After three days of eating my way through Kuala Lumpur, though, I had to pack up and head out for the second leg of my trip: Siem Reap, Cambodia…

 

It’s been nearly a month since I returned from spending Christmas weekend in Shanghai and I’ve meaning to provide a recap and review here, but unfortunately it’s been an extremely busy past few weeks. Also, most of my free time has been devoted to planning my next trip: I leave this Sunday night for 11 days in Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Overall, I saw a very small part of Shanghai. Being in the world’s most populous city, I decided to focus my four days there on the must-see’s: the Bund, the old French Concession, Pudong, and Nanjing Road.

December 24

Check-in

I arrived Christmas Eve morning at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, which rivals JFK as the most avoid-if-possible airport I’ve flown through. I took the subway into the city which dropped me off just three blocks from my hotel.

I had booked a room at the Astor House Hotel, which lies at the north end of the Bund and is steeped in history. Opened in 1846 by a Scottish merchant, it was the first ever western-style hotel to welcome guests in China and has been called one of the world’s most famous hotels. While the lobby is grand and sprawling, the individual rooms are built to resemble tiny cottages which provides a much more cozy and homey feel. After unloading my luggage, I read a small note in my room that indicated I was staying just two doors down from where Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin had stayed…not together, I’m assuming.

My room at the Astor House

My room was on the top floor and looked out over the Russian Consulate to the Pudong Skyline, although blocked slightly by the Hyatt Hotel a block away.

Nighttime view from my room

After unpacking, I decided to go for a stroll along the Bund. The Bund is a long strip along the west bank of the Huangpu River. To one side is the river with the picturesque Pudong skyline on the eastern bank. On the other side is a long stretch of five star hotels and financial buildings that at one time were all international trading houses. The buildings themselves are an eclectic mix of Art Deco, Romanesque, Baroque, Gothic, and many other Western styles sometimes blending into each other. The walk is full of tourists and it can be difficult to take in the sights without walking head-on into an extended selfie stick.

Boxing Cat

At night, I met my roommate and his girlfriend, who had also traveled to Shanghai, for dinner at The Boxing Cat Brewery in the Old French Concession. The craft brewery, started by two American expats and one Shanghai local, has gained international recognition for its beer and locally has won awards for its western food, as well. The pub, and the beers, have a boxing theme and I enjoyed their TKO IPA along with a bowl of Jambalaya, which was as good as any I’ve had outside of New Orleans.

December 25

Sunrise

The view from the Bund looking across to the Pudong skyline in the east can offer a breathtaking sunrise and I thought I would try my luck at catching it. I set my alarm for 6:15 and was out on the river walk by 6:30, camera in hand, to hopefully snap some memorable photos. With the first light illuminating the bases of the skyscrapers, I readied my camera, but unfortunately at the last minute a sheet of fog and mist rolled in and the rain that would stay with me the rest of the trip began.

My foggy Pudong sunrise

Xiao Long Bao

Shanghai is famous for its cuisine, especially its xiao long bao, or soup dumplings. Filled with meat and soup, these dumplings feel like a marvel of physics and taste like heaven. There is an ongoing debate amongst the Shanghainese about what place makes the best xiao long bao, but one place that has consistently topped the Best of lists is Jia Jia Tang Bao, so of course I decided to make it there for lunch.

Outside, the snaked line of people waiting underneath umbrellas seemed to justify its lofty praise and I quickly grabbed my spot in the cue. After about 30 minutes I was finally inside the small restaurant. It was only 12:30 but they were already sold out of everything but their specialty: a combination of pork and crabmeat.

The line at Jia Jia Tang Bao

My roommate, his girlfriend, and I crammed ourselves in a booth next to a couple of Korean tourists and anxiously waited our baskets of dumplings. After ten minutes, a Chinese auntie brought them over and the table fell silent as we savored every bite. We each finished a dozen and wished we had ordered more, but we also had to save room for our big Christmas dinner later that night.

Kitchen view at Jia Jia Tang Bao

Yuyuan Gardens

After our incredible lunch, we hiked across the downtown to Yuyuan Garden, an extensive garden built in 1559 that sits beside the City God Temple. It felt eerie to walk inside as you were instantly transported from the hustle and bustle of vibrant downtown Shanghai to the old city on the river 500 years ago.

One of several ponds in Yu Garden

The grounds spread out over five acres in the heart of the city. In addition to the gardens, there were roughly a dozen of the original buildings still standing, as well as several ponds built in between and separated by walking bridges.

Downtown is literally just past the trees

Christmas Dinner

Being thousands of miles away from our families on Christmas Day was tough for both my roommate and I, but we decided to make the best of it and reserve seats at one of the better western restaurants for a gluttonous Christmas dinner. We booked a table at Shanghai Slim’s in the Old French Concession and were not disappointed. We feasted on turkey, prime rib, and ham alongside other Americans and Europeans while the restaurant supplied  a steady stream of Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole Christmas Carols.

Christmas menu at Shanghai Slim’s

December 26

A cold and rainy Boxing Day greeted me on Monday morning as I made my way to the Cathay Theatre, a grand Art Deco movie theater built in the 1930’s that showed the first western movies in China. I was there to see The Great Wall, the latest Zhang Yimou film that stars Matt Damon in a “white savior” trope as a deadly mercenary who joins forces with the Chinese to beat back horrible monsters at the wall in 13th century China. The film wasn’t half as bad as I was expecting and it kept me sheltered from the freezing rain.

Propaganda Poster Art Centre

After the film, I headed to what, aside from the food, was the highlight of the trip: The Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre. Located in the basement of an apartment building, this privately-run museum is dedicated to housing the largest collection of Chinese propaganda posters from the 20th Century, including over 5,000 pieces from the birth of the People’s Republic in 1949 to the ascension of Deng Xiaoping and his Economic Reforms in 1979. Under Deng, the old posters were ordered to be destroyed, but luckily the museum’s owner began to illegally collect them to preserve as a time capsule look to China’s recent past.

After the Propaganda Museum, I hustled over to try and make it inside the Jing’an Temple, a Buddhist temple originally built in 247 AD, before it closed. Unfortunately, I got there ten minutes late to make it that day, but I was still able to take a walk around the outside. The Temple is located in the middle of the city and in fact sits next to a Ferrari dealership. I laughed at the sight, but then realized how perfectly that encapsulated modern day China. China is filled with new rich that are looking to spend their money on all the flashiest toys, but everywhere you look you are also bombarded of images from the past few thousand years.

Even without the Ferrari dealership, Shanghai felt very much like a playground for the rich. Just walking around downtown, I saw several Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, and even a Bugatti. There are several high-end bars there where drinks start at $25 and many Michelin starred restaurants that charge between $400-$800 for a dinner. And a walk down Nanjing Road takes you by Tiffany’s, Cartier, Prada, and Dolce and Gabbana flagship stores.

December 27

Before catching my flight in the afternoon, I had one more mission to accomplish. At Jia Jia Tang Bao, I was able to try some of the best steamed soup dumplings, but there is also a fried version that is allegedly just as good.

Literally across the street from Jia Jia Tang Bao is Yang’s Fried Dumplings, arguably the best of the fried variety. There was no snaking line like Jia Jia, but the dumplings may have been even better. Fried crispy on the outside with a piping hot soup and pork on the inside, I again left wishing I had ordered more.

Finally, it was time for me to say goodbye to the Pearl of the Orient and head back to the boondoggle that is the Hongqiao Airport. Despite four days of cold and rain, I was still able to see quite a bit of Shanghai. Still, I hope to make it back in warmer weather to go test drive a Ferrari.

 

 

 

 

 

Last week I ventured out of China for the first time since moving here two months ago to visit Seoul, South Korea: a place where American rap music is more popular than, well, just about anywhere in America it would seem. One of the hallmarks of Seoul (or at least what little I saw of it) was that every storefront seemed to be blaring its own mix of American hip hop through bluetooth speakers mounted above their front door. I’m not just talking about cafes or clothing shops either; walking down a street lined with jewelers and banks, I was treated to Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Gates, and even the new Schoolboy Q! And definitely not the clean, edited versions either, but some hard, full-on gangsta shit.

I was only in Seoul for two days and was sick with a bad cold for both of them. Still, I had a blast and can’t wait to get back when I’m healthy. A few highlights:

Hao Guest House

 I stayed at the Hao Guest House in Hongdae (a hipsterish neighborhood known for urban art, a great indie music scene, and many affordable yet trendy places to eat and drink). Guest houses in Hongdae are sprinkled everywhere. They are mostly considered a step above a hostel and a step below a hotel, and the Hao House is one of the highest rated in the city. I had my own room, and private bathroom, as well as a free breakfast and a few other amenities for the equivalent of $42/night.

My room at the Hao Guest House

Thanks Nature Cafe

One of the more talked about cafes in Hongdae is the Thanks Nature Cafe, mainly for its two mascots: a pair of sheep that live at the urban cafe. I stopped in for a green tea latte and for the complimentary petting allowed for paying customers and was not disappointed.

Thanks Nature Cafe

Dinner/Drinks

Despite feeling under the weather, I made myself go out Monday night to find some authentic Korean food. While out walking, I stumbled across a restaurant I had read about online while researching my surroundings and decided to check it out. Namul Meongneun Gom translates as the Veggie Eating Bear and is known for its seasonal menu that highlights local ingredients. I ordered the bibimbap, a warm bowl of rice and veggies with several small dishes of kimchi, tofu, and more veggies to add to it, and was not disappointed.

Bibimbap at the Veggie Eating Bear

Before calling it a night, I hunted down the Magpie Brewing Company: Seoul’s very own craft brewery with locations in Hongdae, Itaewon, and Jeju. Magpie serves several American-style IPAs, but I decided to go with their Porter, which was robust and tasty, and their seasonal Ghost, a Gose-style beer, that ranks as one of the best craft beers I’ve tasted.

I sat at the bar and made small talk with the attractive Ukranian bartender and a Korean hipster that spoke fluent English with no accent. They were extolling the virtues of Dire Straits and I felt like I could be at just about any craft beer pub in the States.

Hongdae at night

Insadong

Tuesday morning I woke up and checked out of the Guest House and set out for Insadong, a neighborhood of narrow streets filled with art galleries, shops, and tea houses. After a little browsing, I decided to find lunch. I had done some research beforehand and picked Sanchon – a Buddhist Temple inspired vegetarian restaurant that’s owned and operated by a former Buddhist monk. The decor is made up to look like a temple with statues and winding paths full of plants and flowers everywhere, although mixed with those were framed copies of a New York Times review from 1986 praising the restaurant. They must have been very proud of that article as it was everywhere, including on the flip side of the menu!

For lunch, they offered a 16-course tasting menu for roughly $30 US. My first few courses consisted of a bowl of seasonal porridge with an assortment of appetizers:

Courses 1-4

Next up was a vegetable pancake and a salad:

Courses 5-6

The main course consisted of potatoes and other root vegetables, kimchi, various mushrooms and beans, and seven bowls of wild herbs and vegetables, each mixed with its own sauce and seasoning:

Courses 7-14

And for dessert, seasonal pine tea and a sticky rice pastry:

Courses 15-16

All told, the food and experience were wonderful and I’d definitely like to revisit Sanchon, hopefully for dinner, if I make it back to Seoul.

Changdeokgung

Built from 1405-1412, Changdeokgung is one of Seoul’s Five Grand Palaces built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. After lunch, I made my way out to the large park that it is nestled in and proceeded to spend my afternoon exploring the buildings that remain. (Many were destroyed the Japanese occupation of 1910-1945.)

Injeongjeon Hall 

Beautiful architecture combined with open courtyards and ornate gardens made it feel like I was miles away from the bustling city that was in reality only a couple blocks away. The palace and its buildings were designed to blend into the scenery and so nothing feels out of place when you walk through the grounds. Among the buildings that survived are the main gate, the throne hall where new kings were coronated, and the king’s main meeting room.

Donhwamun Gate

After an afternoon spent imagining life in 1400’s Korea, I was quickly brought back to the fast-paced Seoul of today as soon as I exited the gates. I had an hour to kill before heading back to the airport and decided to duck into a cafe to enjoy a couple of local Max Cream beers. The cafe was of course blasting American hip hop, but this time I was happy to be treated to some good old school jams. I sipped my beer while listening to KRS-One, Eric B and Rakim, and Grand Puba and mulled over my impressions of Seoul. Again, I admittedly saw a very small part of it, but what I did see I definitely fell in love with and can’t wait to get back and spend more time exploring different parts of the city.

As China becomes more and more involved with the western world, it has become very common for Chinese to adopt an English-language name. The reason behind this is quite apparent as most westerners will struggle with how to pronounce names like Xiu or Qiang, let alone be able to read the characters that make up their name. The process for choosing these names can be quite different, anything from a direct translation of their Chinese name to being branded by a teacher or parent as a child to naming themselves after a celebrity or favorite English word. As a result, you often come across some unique and even hilarious (to a westerner) names.

Below are my top ten favorite names of people I’ve met in my two months in China. Pretty sure I’ll have to continue to update this post as I meet more and more people.

**Disclaimer** – I do not mean to insult anyone with these names. In many cases, I love the originality and thought put into them.

10. Tiger – This is a very common name in China, as I’ve already met at least three Tiger’s. My first thought was that Tiger Woods must be very popular here, but I soon found out that this is often a direct translation of their Chinese name and boys are often named after powerful animals.

9. Fruits – I have yet to figure out why there are so many women named after fruits. I’ve met multiple Cherry’s and Apple’s and even a Banana and Lemon.

8. Happy – This one isn’t all that strange as it used to be a fairly popular American name a century ago. This is also another trend – taking a name that was very popular 50-100 years ago. I’ve met quite a few Larry’s, Charley’s, Harvey’s, Helen’s, Bertha’s, and Enid’s. Plus there’s always Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman and maybe his parents were just big Arthur Miller fans.

7. Snow – Both Snow and Rain tend to be pretty popular female names, but fortunately Hail or Sleet hasn’t caught on.

6. Smile – This is actually a perfect name for the young boy I met with this handle as he constantly has a giant ear-to-ear grin. Curious to see how well the name fits as he grows up, though.

5. Bambi – Both in their Chinese and English names, there seems to be an emphasis in giving females an ultra-cute name. Often times, they result in what sound like stripper names: Candy, Cherry, or in this case, Bambi. This isn’t the first Bambi I’ve met though, as I also knew one in college. We used to joke, “I’m going to go see Bambi and thump-her.”

4. Rarity – Although, seemingly a little bizarre at first, I kind of love this name for a girl. It also shows some out of the box thinking.

3. McQueen – I’ll be honest, this may be my favorite name in any language. I can just see the conversation that led to this choice – McQueen: “You know I really like that Steve McQueen guy. Total badass. I think I’m going to name myself after him.” McQueen’s friend: “Steven is a good name.” McQueen: “Nope, not Steven. McQueen.” I love this so much that if I ever have a boy, it will be tough to convince me to not name him McQueen, or Stallone…or Schwarzenegger.

2. Dickens – Much like McQueen, but setting yourself up for years of people making fun of your name.  Hemingway or Faulkner would have been much cooler.

1. Colorful – You can name yourself an adjective??? This is pure brilliance. Scratch McQueen, I’ve now decided my son will be named Glorious.