What I Could Have Done . . . (A Reflection on our East Asian Trip)

It was a long day of traveling, but we arrived back at our apartment just before 10am. This was quite a feat since we left Taipei at noon of the same day and had to change planes in San Francisco. We each took a nap that practically paralyzed us. I think we slept through my alarm going off for about an hour. Nonetheless, we are almost back on some semblance of a normal schedule and I've had some time to import my pictures and video.

For me, this was a trip that marked a return to a couple countries I had not been to in years, but also an introduction to some new locales as well. And if I were to be completely honest, I could easily make another return trip as I feel that there is much more to explore.


In many respects, most of the cities visited are not generally viewed as tourist hot spots. With the exception of Beijing, none of the others have anything iconic that really jumps out. And things like that always appeal to me. It gave us a chance to really see something for the first time as other people do not typically go out of their way to go to some place like Taipei.







United retired its fleet of 747s last week with one of its final flights going from SFO to Incheon airport. I don't know if this bit of history factored into the large number of standbys going to Seoul, but we found ourselves going to Tokyo-Haneda  instead and buying a ticket from there to Gimpo airport in Seoul. Hotheads like Trump and Kim Jong-un did not really dissuade me in any way from going, but events of this nature usually lead to flight cancellations from other "normal" people. Needless to say, it was a bit of a surprise to see such a high volume of travelers going to Seoul, and at the end of October of all times.

So what did I wish I saw in Seoul? Well, the iconic DMZ is nearby. I am fascinated by the visual of soldiers from North and South facing off and I feel like it's very relevant right now. Unfortunately, the timing of our arrival didn't really work out with a visit to the DMZ. It is closed to visitors on Sunday and Monday which was pretty much when we were there. Nevertheless, my primary reason for a stopover in Korea was to meet with some of my former students, and I feel that mission was successful. Their input will be put to good use in a future documentary of mine.

After Korea, we entered a series of different cities that in some way or another either claim to be or are claimed by China. Confusing, yes? With our first stop in Beijing, we were very much aware that we were now in a communist country due primarily to the lack of efficiency or logic with . . . anything. People need money to buy train tickets and cannot use credit cards? Put the ATM in the most inconvenient spot in the airport. Passengers using transit visas for entry into the country? Put the visa desk in a practically inaccessible section far from passport control.

On my previous visit to China, people had ogled me like I was some kind of novelty. People would take pictures of me without permission, stare at me from uncomfortably close proximity, or in some cases even touch my hair without warning. Needless to say, I wasn't too keen on these things, and I warned Nicole of the possibilities. Fortunately, in the 13 years that have passed since my previous visit, the Chinese seem to be more accustomed to folks that look like us. And with regard to food sanitation and other environmental issues associated with Beijing, Nicole had previously visited India, so Beijing was a picnic. The pollution in Beijing was bad, but when we visited New Delhi last year, it was shrouded in a dense smoke. One point to China.

That being said, there were a large amount of folks who would loudly clear their throat, hawk up a giant loogie, or in other cases launch a snot rocket nearby. This did not settle well with Nicole. Now maybe it's the pollution getting to their sinuses, but more realistically it's just culturally acceptable given the frequency we witnessed it happening. Fair enough -- the Japanese like to slurp their soup and frown upon nose blowing, the British find normalcy in eating really terrible food, and Americans find a way to  celebrate ignorance on a daily basis. Every culture has their quirks, but there's something just profoundly disgusting about hearing a man unashamedly (and loudly) hawk up a good one, cut you in line, and then shoot a snot rocket close to your feet. Unacceptable. Points deducted from China.

It was with great pleasure that we left Beijing and proceeded to Hong Kong, which is still "China," but also does its own thing. No visa was required. And it certainly didn't seem like mainland China. The subway was very easy to use and I was able to pay for the airport express connector with credit card. Smart. It was a clean city that was highly modernized. Countless people were playing tennis, running, or taking part in other sports or aerobics. One could immediately see how this city wants to distance itself from that other China. It's culturally quite different.

One had to hunt to find the communist Chinese flag flying over any building. More often than not it was the five-petal orchid flag of Hong Kong. And to be fair, Hong Kong is not now and never was communist (at least in the economic sense). British rule set up a major financial powerhouse and created a large amount of the current infrastructure (including food sanitation and clean water). When the Chinese regained control in 1997, they had the sense to not ruin a good thing. So as it currently stands, Hong Kong is a mostly independent, democratic, and capitalist state. That doesn't mean Beijing hasn't tried to get its hands involved. Google 'Umbrella Revolution' for more on that.

In the pending decades, China will inevitably assume full control of places like Hong Kong and Macau, and it would be a shame. Hong Kong is a really cool city in a very photogenic setting - like Honolulu, but a lot safer and cleaner. That could all change if Beijing really starts meddling. Snot rockets and phlegm everywhere! Let's hope they don't ruin a good thing. I could have used a few more days to explore the other neighborhoods and surrounding islands, but that will have to wait . . .

After Hong Kong, we went to Taipei, Taiwan, a country which by some other measure also claims to be China. Confusing, indeed. We would see businesses called ,"China Tour Agency," or "First Chinese Bank." I won't get it to the whole complicated history of Taiwan's very existence, but Chiang Kai-shek (nationalist), who lost militarily to Mao Zedong (communist) fled along with millions of people to Taiwan, where he claimed to be the legitimate government of China. That actually worked for a while with the U.S., who would pretty much support anyone who wasn't communist. Chiang Kai-shek very much fit that description, but he was also kind of a dick. He instituted martial law and for decades, Taiwan wasn't really a democracy. With countries being forced to choose one "real" China, most eventually chose the one that would prove to be a better trading partner (hint: the communist one). So that issue has plagued international relations for Taiwan and it was mostly recently came to light when Trump referred to the President of Taiwan as having congratulated him on his victory.

That may seem pretty benign, but the mere fact that he referred to her as a "president," implies that the White House was recognizing a sovereign leader of a place that isn't even a country as far as Beijing is concerned. The whole thing is quite bizarre, and for all the blunders Trump has made, the Taiwan thing is somewhat forgivable because the whole one China policy ultimately implies that Taiwan doesn't even exist. But but but, I was there. And it's real. I can assure you. And from what I could tell in my brief time there, it seems pretty put together for being a fake country.

And for a country ("country"?) that also identifies as China, I would respectfully remark that Taiwan is quite different from the mainland. It has its own unique culture and identity. And minus the vast numbers of scooters taking over the streets of Taipei who cannot for some reason make left turns (just go, you'll understand what I mean), most of it is admirable. The subway system is modern and quite affordable. The variety of ethnic cuisine available in the city of Taipei would rival Los Angeles. And despite the aforementioned scooters, Taiwan has some of the lowest crime in the region.

If I had more time, I would have liked to explore the rest of the country, which is reportedly quite beautiful and nature-rific. This was one of the more politically confusing trips I have been on since I now have two stamps in my passport from two different countries that both say "China" on them. By the things I have said about each of the places, you can probably gather which ones I liked more than others. But one has to actually visit each place to form their own opinions.

And even better, it would be good for those phlegm hawkers in Beijing to expand their horizons and realize that when they see people standing in line, it does not give them permission to cut everybody off. Nicole is convinced it stems from a society of only children where everyone thinks it's all about them. Maybe there's something to it... Nevertheless, as I continue to preach, traveling not only gives one appreciation for people who don't launch snot rockets next to them, but it also exposes the problems of one's own country that may not have previously been apparent. If only everyone could have that luxury... And maybe next time when we further explore the area, Nicole and I will have the luxury of being in business class for those long flights.

HK & Kowloon

We had no real mission of things to do today so it mostly consisted of walking around. If I had one note on how the city could improve, it would be to widen its sidewalks. It's difficult to bob and weave, especially when the British-influence on the island seems to have people walking on both left and right. It gets quite confusing. Anyway, we took a breather at Hong Kong park where we ate snacks and then continued on to the tramway to Victoria Peak. We had to wait in line for a little bit before we jostled our way onto a tram.

The view from the top is nice, and I'm sure it's better around sunset or dusk, but there's really only one view you get. After my 10th picture, I was kind of tapped out. We killed time at the top simply because we didn't want to get back in line for the tram back down. Being essentially the only tourist attraction in Hong Kong, everyone was doing it, so we were keen to move on to other things. When we finally got back down, we hopped on the subway and went back to our hotel to regroup.

I was becoming hungry and I encouraged Nicole to get Dim Sum, as it's kind of a local specialty. She reluctantly agreed as she had eaten an entire margherita pizza the previous night. I merely felt obligated to try the local fare before we left. We tried a few different things, not entirely knowing what we were getting. Each food item arrived separately at the table, so it became a game of guess what's inside the dumpling. Some were better than others. I tried a little bit of everything. The bbq pork steamed bun was the most familiar to me as it was essentially the same as the manapuas I would buy at 7-11 when I lived in Hawaii. Nicole was a good sport, though she mostly concentrated on her steamed rice with enthusiasm as you see here. Though it was not in our initial plan for the day, we decided to take the subway back to Kowloon for the evening.

I had read that there was some kind of laser light show at 8pm every night, so we found a good vantage point and waited. To me, being low was actually better than being up at Victoria Peak at night because the scenery was a bit more dynamic. We could see some of the old junk-style boats head out into the harbor for pleasure cruises while ferries and and other vessels criss-crossed in front of brightly-lit skyscrapers. We weren't expecting much from the laser light show, and were therefore not disappointed.

It was pretty much a random display of spotlights and green lasers that were not frequent or prevalent enough to be terribly exciting. Nevertheless, the skyline was still impressive with or without laser beams. After the show was over, we took some time to enjoy the scenery with fewer people around before walking to an area with night markets in an area called Yau Ma Tei. It is more like what old Kowloon must have looked like.

It was a bit narrower, grungier, and darker than the other neighborhoods we had been in. Nicole bought a knock-off luxury backpack from one of the pedestrian alleys. It was very busy and did not really care to spend much time digging out my camera, so this picture was taken on the cusp of the chaos. Nicole and I tired of the crowds, so we took the subway back to the hotel and called it a night. Tomorrow we fly out to Taipei for an all new set of adventures.

Hong Kong

We had an early morning departure from Beijing and arrived in Hong Kong just before noon. Despite a minor setback with some visa nonsense, it was clear that we were no longer in Beijing. Things were being run efficiently. It was still impossible to buy subway tickets with large notes, but people were at least willing to assist us with our difficulties. We took the airport express train to Hong Kong Island and continued by subway to Tian Hau near Causeway Bay. Our hotel was just a short walk from the metro.

Our first pressing order of business was to find a place to do laundry. After dropping off our clothes, we went to 7/11 for lunch, where I picked up some onigiri and a pound cake. We ate our lunches at nearby Victoria Park. Having never been to Hong Kong previously, I always described Waikiki to people as being Vegas meets Hong Kong. And it's odd I used that comparison because it is shockingly similar to Waikiki. In spite of being a massively populated city, it had the uncanny ability to make us feel relaxed.

Perhaps it was the warmer climate or the familiar chain stores that made it feel like home, but everything just seemed more calming. We walked for a bit along the causeway before taking the subway back across the water to Kowloon. We went to the garden of the stars which celebrates Hong Kong filmmaking. Statues of people like Bruce Lee lined the courtyard. As evening approached, we relaxed down by the water admiring the buildings across the way. It's a difficult skyline to photograph because the skyline just doesn't stop.

No wonder this is one of the most expensive cities in the world. It has nowhere to go, but up. It is very modern, clean, and organized. The subways, while intensely crowded, are easy to navigate. Looking around, it's as if the entire city has been built since 1980. It really seems counter-intuitive that a city so densely populated could be so comforting to these two lowly travelers.

Or perhaps it is because Hong Kong in all its modernity, doesn't have historical sites or things of that nature. It is a city that is simply there to be experienced.

A Good Wall

Nicole had arranged for a driver to pick us up in the morning to take us to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. It is fairly close to Beijing, but not the closest and is therefore less crowded. It seems all the tour buses stop elsewhere and the fact that it was the end of October probably helped as well. We had to take a ski lift to the top of the mountain to get to the wall. There were about 10 watch towers that we could walk between. The wall was sometimes flat stone and sometimes steep steps, and we really had to watch our step because it was uneven more than not. It was unique to see the fall foliage surrounding the wall as I feel that it is not often photographed under these conditions.

There were other people on the wall, but it was not impossible to get a picture with very few people in it. It was an overall relaxing experience and we were able to take our time without feeling rushed to get back to our driver. We had the option of taking a toboggan back down to the bottom, but having watched a few souls fly down the mountain below us, we mutually agreed that the ski lift would do. It was about an hour and a half drive back to Beijing, where we were quickly reminded that pedestrians, under no circumstances, ever have the right of way.

We walked down the street from our hotel to Tiantan Park to see the Temple of Heaven. It was a very hazy day in Beijing and I pointed to some skyscrapers to Nicole. It took her a good 30 seconds to actually see what I was pointing at. We watched the sun slowly make its way down to the horizon. I had done a quick Bing image search before we left (Google was blocked. Obviously nobody ever actually uses Bing under normal circumstances). It looked like the temple was lit up at night which could make for some nice photos. After killing time by doing several laps around the temple, the sun set, but no lights. We waited around a little bit just to make sure, but it became clear that it was going to be a dark temple. When I did eventually get back to the hotel, I image redid my search for the temple at night and realized that the illuminated temple in the images is one I had seen already, but it was not here in Beijing. It was in fact in Central Florida at Epcot's World Showcase. Sometimes the fake is just more photogenic.

We spent the rest of the evening plotting out where to stay in Hong Kong (our next destination) and reminisced about how "relaxing" Beijing had been. I had been cut in line about 5 different times, nearly run over by multiple cars/bicycles/scooters, and narrowly dodged a few snot rockets from passersby. There is not a lot of emphasis on personal space or personal hygiene. "The bathroom smells strongly of urine" seems to be a common TripAdvisor review in these parts. Despite being an otherwise very nice hotel, our own bathroom smelled like someone peed on the wall. This is most likely do to the high probability that this is exactly what happened.

Judging by the signs I see at public restrooms that remind people not to stand on top of the toilet seat, I can only imagine what people are doing at the hotels. Clearly someone stood on the toilet and fired away at the wall and floor. It is the only possible explanation. Beijing is a fine city with a lot of history, but it's really dirty, disorganized, and not the friendliest place on earth. I look forward to our next destination.

The Beijing Airport Olympics

Our flight from Incheon to Beijing wasn't until 1pm, so we could proceed at a leisurely pace to the airport. Despite a minor flow delay to Beijing, the flight was uneventful. The real excitement began after landing. We were entering China using a transit visa or 72 hour visa that would enable us to temporarily stay in the country without an official visa that one has to get at a US embassy or consulate. Such visas require actually knowing the date of arrival and departure -- something we didn't know until yesterday. Upon arrival into Beijing, we waited in line for about 50 mins at customs and immigration before being turned away at the desk for not having the transit visa stamp, which evidently is received at a separate station. It would have been impossible to find on our own considering it was on the opposite side of the terminal and we actually had to reverse through a health inspection checkpoint to get to it. When we filled out some paperwork and returned to the customs line, it was now extending well beyond the ropes themselves.

It was as if two A380s and a cruise ship had docked and we were now behind all of them. After finally getting back to the desk, we were approved and moved onto our next challenge. We now had to take a train to the city. We couldn't buy tickets because the machine wouldn't take credit card.  The nearest ATM was back where we came from, but at the far end of the terminal. 15 minutes later, we returned with multiple 100 yuan notes. I looked at the machine and it indicated that it would take 100 yuan notes, but when I inserted one, a nearby employee shook his head no repeatedly. I was confused. Evidently the machine was not going to take my notes, so now I had to stand in line to pay in person. When we finally got on the train, we rode it for almost 15 minutes only to make a stop at another airport terminal. What does it take to leave the airport? Then the train began reversing direction. Nicole and I looked at each other in terror that perhaps the train just does circles around the airport. Fortunately, it continued toward central Beijing, but that experience should be viewed as a metaphor. In communist China, one has to go backward to go forward to where they had already been,

Once we made a transfer and finally got off the subway, it was easy. Communism could no longer inhibit us while we were walking. We had landed at 230pm and arrived at our hotel when it was dark. After dropping our bags, we walked over to Tiananmen Square. It is more closed off than I remember. We had to pass through a security checkpoint before we could get close. There was some kind of water/light show that began to the tune of music at one point. And in the middle of the square was a giant illuminated bouquet of flowers. I don't know why. Eventually we made our way back to the hotel.

Hopefully tomorrow goes more efficie

ntly.