politics

Okay, so Edwards and Giullani are out.

I am so out of the loop when it comes to a lot of things - sort of the beauty of not being inundated with the constant political bickering. But that also means that I only hear from from my (admittedly super-liberal) friends and/or what I'm drawn to read, or CNN World, which leans liberal.

It seems obvious that it is between Clinton and Obama for the Democrats, (I thought it was super-cool that Edwards went to work on a Habitat for Humanity site after withdrawing from the race). For the Republicans, it is McCain and ?? Romney? Is there anyone else who actually has a shot at the nomination?

grr

I'm sorta disappointed. I went to the "big city" of Gwangju today, and on the list of things to be done was to buy the cable that will let me connect an S-video cable to my Mac so I can connect my computer to the tv. I thought all was well, but I think they sold me the connector for the MacBook instead of the iBook, because the computer-end doesn't fit into my computer.

The annoying part is that the store is about 1 - 1.5 hours away by bus, and Friday I leave for Seoul. For most of February. And so I will try to go back in about a month to tell them that I have the wrong cable, but by then it will have been just as easy to get it while I'm in Seoul and DAMNIT this is one of the things I hate. Because why would anyone use a computer that wasn't a PC? Or an operating system that isn't a crappy 2000 version of windows? And really, I have this enormous TV in my tiny apartment and one of the few things I can get other that stupid Korean game shows or annoying dramas is CNN, which is all fine and dandy, but I really just wanted to watch Project Runway on a screen bigger that 12". Also, I miss having a car, because while it takes forever by bus, if I could drive it would take about 1/2 the time - a lot less if you take out the taxi to and from the bus stations and the waiting around business.

::breathe::

In things that I was able to accomplish, I WAS able to get the Aveda hair goop that makes my hair curl better without making me look like Sideshow Bob in the process, so that is nice. Also, went to the foreign foods market and got couscous, oatmeal, coffee and spice mixes.

In other things that don't suck, I knit a hat out of Manos del Uruguay yarn I've had for years (Elizabeth Zimmerman's snail hat from Knitting Without Tears, that doesn't look very snail-like at all - in a good way). I've also watched a LOT of tv - I'm caught up in Project Runway, finished The Amazing Race, fell a little in love with my first episode of season 2 of 30 Rock (never saw any of season 1) and watched the movie Juno. And while I know it is trying to cash in on the formula of Sex in the City, I like Cashmere Mafia, though I'm not totally sure why.

Are there other awesome TV shows I should know about? Movies I should see?

Hate

Westboro to Picket Ledger funeral

Things like this make me hate people.

pictures

Boats in HaLong Bay


The houseboat where we rented kayaks on the way out to the beaches to climb. Basically, the boat would pull in between the two beaches and we would kayak to one, climb, go back to the boat for lunch, then head to the other. When the water is warmer, people also paddle over to the cliffs to do deep water free soloing (climbing without protection over deep water - eventually you have to either fall or jump into the water).


When the boat would stop, women would row over in boats that were full of water, soda, beer, and snacks.


Climbing on the beach.


Part of the valley where we climbed most days.


(There are lots of other pictures of Vietnam, but a lot of them are on other people's cameras and I'm waiting for them to upload.)



The pool/water in Ulu Watu.



There are a bunch more on my flickr site, if you want to see them.

Back to winter.

Three planes, four taxis, two buses, and about 24 hours later and I'm back in Korea. I am trying to hold on to the warmth I tried to collect in Bali, but that is becoming almost like a dream. When your reality is snow flurries and sleep deprivation, it is hard to believe that only a day ago you were walking on a beach or sitting poolside in what looks like an idyllic setting.

I'll have thoughts and pictures when I'm with it enough to upload and form complete sentences.

Maybe a little too soon...

I think I maybe spoke a little too soon on the whole "Bali is better about pestering people" thing. When I went out into the street a few minutes later, it was pretty constant harassment of "motocycle? By my sunglassess/sarang/random crap, I give you special price." I think I was lulled into complacency by the nice people at my hotel.

Right now I am in Ulu Watu/ Padang Padang, Bali. It is mostly a surfer hangout south of Kuta, Bali There are far fewer people here and is so stunningly beautiful I have no words - but I will have pictures in a few days. Sadly, we haven't found more than a handful of hot surfers, but I live in hope. I've had to console myself with striking scenery, night swimming, and dramatic storms. Although this is the rainy season in Bali, we have been lucky that while it has been raining most nights, the days are lovely. I like warm, and am not looking forward to the snow and ice of Korea-land.

Yesterday we went to the fire/temple dance performance at sunset at the Ulu Watu temple. There was fire and dancing and monkeys and it was pretty darn cool (pictures later). I will spend today beaching and hopefully objectifying surfers, then head back to Kuta, Bali tomorrow, and back to Korea the day after.

Just a note - there has been a lot of crime in Kuta, Lombok lately. (Lombok is a different island, Mom, and I won't be going there) but it is dramatic and consistent enough that for any of the folks planning to head over here in the next couple of months, it really should be avoided for right now.

Island to island

It would be amazing to spend the rest of my life on islands.

Life seems to move a slower pace. It is okay to linger longer over an extra cup of coffee. Meeting people at 9 could mean 8:30 or 9:30, but since I haven't worn a watch in almost three weeks, it matters very little. 10:30 at night can feel like 2:30 in the morning and vice versa.

Right now I'm staying at the Bali Sorgawi, which I was told last night means "heaven-like." It is clean and nice and cheap, and they pick you up from the airport with a sign with your name on it. Makes it a million times easier than dealing with fighting your way through the crowds of touts in a new country. Then you arrive and are tucked down a lane, close to shops and markets and ATMs, but away from the bustle of the street. They give you lots of coffee at breakfast, which is awfully nice.

Last night I was wandering around the courtyard, and a group of people invited me to sit with them and have some fruit. I couldn't bring myself to try the durian (if you read the wiki link, when they say "unique odor" they mean "smells like hot garbage") but I had mangostien, fresh mango, lychee, and got to have some interesting conversations with a strange mix of people.

In a few hours I'm going to make my way to meet up with Virginia and Nina in Ulu Watu. I have already repacked my bags so that all the warm things that I wore most days in CatBa are in one bag and swimsuits and tanktops are in the other. I will add a few sarongs and am good to go. I need to ask at the desk if they can help me get to the bungalows where we will be staying, but last night I was told that I might be able to have one of the people from the hotel drive me over there. I know that both Vietnam and Bali are built on tourism and when they see a foreigner, they see dollar signs, but here it feels less constant, less invasive, a little kinder. One person in Vietnam said that if tourists are cows, Vietnam uses them for the meat, rather than the milk. Quite an apt description. I want to go back to CatBa, but I'm not particularly enamored with all of Vietnam - granted I didn't see a lot, but so much of the time I felt pressured to spend/buy/consume, and here everything seems to be easier.

Bali

I am in Bali and tomorrow will meet up with friends in Ulu Watu! Woo!

Hanoi

Tonight I am in Hanoi, and tomorrow I leave at insane-o'clock to fly to Bali via Malaysia. In case you were wondering, no, I really don't need a motorcycle taxi OR a bicycle pushcart ride, even if you can tell me about this awesome hotel your friend owns. And if you harass me? NOT A GOOD SALES TACTIC.

I'm sad to leave the island, but I'm happy to go to a new one.

Vietnam

When people ask what I did on my vacation in Vietnam, I won't be able to say much. When you think about the history, the places to see, the tourist guides to Vietnam, there is almost nothing that I can say I saw or did. But my time here was amazing, and I have meet people and seen and done things that will stay with me for a very long time.

I flew into Hanoi on December 30th at night (and someone PLEASE remind me that it is always a better idea to land in a new country during the day - this arriving at night business sucks) and meet up with a friend on her way south. We were randomly invited to a birthday party for an ex-pat in Hanoi (this random invitation thing would become a theme - a good one) and sat in a bar and ate cake and caught up, and I got some preperation for what the next week would hold. To be honest, it was cold, grey, and I was beginning to think that this might not have been my smartest idea.

The next day I took three buses and a boat to CatBa Island in HaLong Bay. It was still grey, and I was still thinking that maybe this wasn't the greatest idea. Contingency plans were made, and I wandered around town for the afternoon.

That night, I was invited to a New Year's party at one of the hotels in town with the friends I was meeting here, and had a really lovely time. I felt better about things.

After that, days sort of blend into a routine of climbing, eating, drinking and talking. I meet amazing people, and the contingency plans for escape kept getting pushed back day by day. Climbing on a beach, surrounded by islands and huge towers of rock. Amazing meals at the crag with chickens running around in the background. Baby goats tripping down hills as I struggled my way up rocks. Days that ranged from cold, to perfect climbing weather, to almost too hot to climb well. Seeing how much I have grown in my approach to climbing as well as my skill. Leading routes that scare me. Toproping routes I never thought I could do. Feeling like I have a pool of new friends.

Tomorrow I will finally leave CatBa. I will take a ferry and three buses back to Hanoi, and the next day I'll take two different flights to get to Bali. There I will be meeting up with friends and will have a totally different vacation experience - on of sea and sand and old friends. A chance to cook the cold out before heading back to Korea.

I will have spent almost two and a half weeks in Vietnam. While my collection of bruises and scratches is greatly impressive, I won't be leaving with tangible things, and I am one of the worst tourists ever. But I will remember the family that made us lunch almost daily, the girls who worked in the restaurant we almost lived in, playing frisbee in the middle of the street, dancing and singing with a group of Chinese tourists, and the memories of amazing food and conversation in a million different places. I will also be taking this strange little changeable group of climbers I seemed to have connected with along with me, and feel really lucky to have been able to meet all of these really amazing people.