- Joined
- 14 March 2005
- Messages
- 237
As many of you may know, I recently returned from a 2 week jaunt to Asia. My travels took me to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Saigon. It was quite an interesting trip. I was able to absorb so many different things in a short period of time. Each place had their own pros and cons, but it was all worth it to be able expand my experience of different cultures. Within China, each place had their own type of people, food, and culture. However, you can definitely see the transitioning of the global experience everywhere. Western influence is so powerful whether in food or business or mannerisms. Hong Kong by far has the greatest examples of Western culture since it was once a British colony. Everywhere I looked, I could always find a KFC, Starbucks, or McDonald's. Haagen-Dazs ice cream seemed to be another favorite as well as Pizza Hut. None interested me as I was in search of a true authentic experience. (I did have KFC once just to see if there was a difference. There was.) Amidst the Louis Vuitton and Georgio Armani stores in the city centers, I made my way to see some more ancient sites with the little time that I had. Those moments intrigued me the most. I found myself to be overwhelmed with a sense of inspiration when I stepped out of 2007 to a time where a statue or a building was made with heart and hand.
I have to say, my food experience was fantastic. My stomach was a steel cauldron the whole time, so I ate with no problems. Each place had its own style of food. My taste buds were tantalized with a cornucopia of food. I did, however, find a way to have a bit of turkey on Thanksgiving. The Indian chef at the Regal Hotel did a great job to provide a means for Americans to have their annual turkey tradition. In both China and Vietnam, the food was very fresh and the good restaurants were clean with modern amenities. In fact, most of the time, I was able to walk with the waiter to pick out what I wanted out of an aquarium. I had some exotic foods especially when it came to seafood, and I did have a snake in Vietnam. Not exactly what it was cracked up to be being a little bony, but when would I ever get to do it again? Worth it? Sure...just to say I did. Do it again? Nah, Texas fried rattlesnake is better.
Although the American dollar has fallen so much in the past few months, it still is somewhat strong in comparison to their money. In China, it was almost 7.5 to 1 and in Vietnam, it was 16,000 to 1. There was a delightful feeling to be a millionaire in a matter of minute as the currency exchange guy gave me 1.605 million dong for a 100 USD. This money allowed me to experience the best of their best. I took my family in Vietnam to places that they never dreamed of going to whether they wanted to or not. We had a meal for 8 for $35 USD. (In the US, that would be a $300+ meal) In Saigon, I stayed at the Indochine for $30 USD/night. It was fantastic, clean, and accommodating. Around the corner was the Caravelle Hotel which was $300+ per night. I'm glad I am a bargain shopper! There was this one day I remember, my uncle and I were having guava tea for 30,000 dong (almost $2). My uncle had one, too, but said that he would never have ever tasted this if I didn't buy him it since his daily earnings are something like 50-150,000 dong. If he wanted to drink something out of the norm, he would have an ice coffee for 5.000 dong. Smiling, we sat there and had 2 more each.
I definitely recommend visiting both of these countries to all interested. There is alot to see, so make sure you have time. Vietnam itself is really a 2-3 week trip in itself. China is the same. Travel is easy between places once you are there. Try a direct flight from the US to Asia if you can. There was a huge difference between my 20 hour flight there and the 15 hour flight back. My ass hurt like no other when I got off the plane in Hong Kong. In fact, I even went and got some acupuncture done.
Couple of other things...
1. Negotiate the crap out of anything and everything. They will rip a foreigner off with no hesitation. I found that even when I thought I got a good deal, I was still being ripped off. I negotiated something from 1200 yuan to 251 yuan. It was a fight but well worth it.
2. Be careful. Its better if you go with someone that speaks the language. My friend that went with me spoke Mandarin and I was good in China and vice versa in Vietnam. English is hard to come by outside of Hong Kong or hotels. A taxi driver taking me to a meeting dropped me off and told me to take a left at the light. I thought I was much closer, but finally figured out 15 minutes later that I needed to walked to the right 3 blocks. Freaking idiot. Pickpockets are there among the other types of thieves. I had no such issues, but was careful the whole time. FYI, I'm Asian and they could tell I was a foreigner a mile away. Some lady walked 3 blocks with my uncle and I begging us for money. I gave her some spare dong for her effort. (dong = Vietnamese dollar) Thank God the homeless in New York aren't as persistent.
3. Hong Kong is the shopping capital of the WORLD. EVERYTHING is a mall. You think I'm joking? My hotel was connected to a 4 story mall. In Kowloon, the entire freaking city is one big mall. Guys, you may want to accidentally misplace your significant other's credit card in the hotel. Seriously...no joke. Confucius say: Those who don't listen must buy more luggage.
4. The Chinese try to perfect everything cheaply from Zippos to Rolex's. No one ever mentions their perfection of the mullet. I have never seen so many mullets in my life. Its like a "thing" or something. Very sick, but apparently they like it.
5. Pollution. YUCK! The one thing that I noticed in all the cities. With the millions of scooters, cars, and buses, there air was so heavy and gross. They need a giant HEPA filter in the middle of every city. That is definitely the one thing I didn't like at all. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an epidemic of emphysema or lung cancer just from that.
6. The tea in China is amazing. Try to have a tea ceremony. My favorite is jasmine and the premium grade is incredible. There's also white, olong, and green tea.
7. The disparity between the rich and poor is amazing. In all cities, you'll see something like a Mercedes S500 followed by a guy on a moped with his family and a pig. The middle class is almost nonexistent. Sometimes it makes you think about what poverty really is. My Aunt lives in a three room house. You walk in off the street into a room that is 10 X 10. Behind there is a kitchenette and washroom (couldn't even begin to call it a bathroom) and upstairs is the bedroom where 8 people sleep. I was shocked to see that type of condition for my family. No wonder they think the rest of us in America are filthy rich. The standards are completely different.
I hope you enjoyed my blurb about my trip. I've included a few videos of my trip. Remember, I am condensing 2 weeks into a few minutes of video. Hope its not too boring and it is a good representation of the places I visited. Happy belated Thanksgiving and have a great holiday season.
China:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTPYoAT-ecs
Vietnam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM_zz03s2wo
Food and Mullets (the food will appetize you and the mullets will make you throw up):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju54im-TY84
Rich
I have to say, my food experience was fantastic. My stomach was a steel cauldron the whole time, so I ate with no problems. Each place had its own style of food. My taste buds were tantalized with a cornucopia of food. I did, however, find a way to have a bit of turkey on Thanksgiving. The Indian chef at the Regal Hotel did a great job to provide a means for Americans to have their annual turkey tradition. In both China and Vietnam, the food was very fresh and the good restaurants were clean with modern amenities. In fact, most of the time, I was able to walk with the waiter to pick out what I wanted out of an aquarium. I had some exotic foods especially when it came to seafood, and I did have a snake in Vietnam. Not exactly what it was cracked up to be being a little bony, but when would I ever get to do it again? Worth it? Sure...just to say I did. Do it again? Nah, Texas fried rattlesnake is better.
Although the American dollar has fallen so much in the past few months, it still is somewhat strong in comparison to their money. In China, it was almost 7.5 to 1 and in Vietnam, it was 16,000 to 1. There was a delightful feeling to be a millionaire in a matter of minute as the currency exchange guy gave me 1.605 million dong for a 100 USD. This money allowed me to experience the best of their best. I took my family in Vietnam to places that they never dreamed of going to whether they wanted to or not. We had a meal for 8 for $35 USD. (In the US, that would be a $300+ meal) In Saigon, I stayed at the Indochine for $30 USD/night. It was fantastic, clean, and accommodating. Around the corner was the Caravelle Hotel which was $300+ per night. I'm glad I am a bargain shopper! There was this one day I remember, my uncle and I were having guava tea for 30,000 dong (almost $2). My uncle had one, too, but said that he would never have ever tasted this if I didn't buy him it since his daily earnings are something like 50-150,000 dong. If he wanted to drink something out of the norm, he would have an ice coffee for 5.000 dong. Smiling, we sat there and had 2 more each.
I definitely recommend visiting both of these countries to all interested. There is alot to see, so make sure you have time. Vietnam itself is really a 2-3 week trip in itself. China is the same. Travel is easy between places once you are there. Try a direct flight from the US to Asia if you can. There was a huge difference between my 20 hour flight there and the 15 hour flight back. My ass hurt like no other when I got off the plane in Hong Kong. In fact, I even went and got some acupuncture done.
Couple of other things...
1. Negotiate the crap out of anything and everything. They will rip a foreigner off with no hesitation. I found that even when I thought I got a good deal, I was still being ripped off. I negotiated something from 1200 yuan to 251 yuan. It was a fight but well worth it.
2. Be careful. Its better if you go with someone that speaks the language. My friend that went with me spoke Mandarin and I was good in China and vice versa in Vietnam. English is hard to come by outside of Hong Kong or hotels. A taxi driver taking me to a meeting dropped me off and told me to take a left at the light. I thought I was much closer, but finally figured out 15 minutes later that I needed to walked to the right 3 blocks. Freaking idiot. Pickpockets are there among the other types of thieves. I had no such issues, but was careful the whole time. FYI, I'm Asian and they could tell I was a foreigner a mile away. Some lady walked 3 blocks with my uncle and I begging us for money. I gave her some spare dong for her effort. (dong = Vietnamese dollar) Thank God the homeless in New York aren't as persistent.
3. Hong Kong is the shopping capital of the WORLD. EVERYTHING is a mall. You think I'm joking? My hotel was connected to a 4 story mall. In Kowloon, the entire freaking city is one big mall. Guys, you may want to accidentally misplace your significant other's credit card in the hotel. Seriously...no joke. Confucius say: Those who don't listen must buy more luggage.
4. The Chinese try to perfect everything cheaply from Zippos to Rolex's. No one ever mentions their perfection of the mullet. I have never seen so many mullets in my life. Its like a "thing" or something. Very sick, but apparently they like it.
5. Pollution. YUCK! The one thing that I noticed in all the cities. With the millions of scooters, cars, and buses, there air was so heavy and gross. They need a giant HEPA filter in the middle of every city. That is definitely the one thing I didn't like at all. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an epidemic of emphysema or lung cancer just from that.
6. The tea in China is amazing. Try to have a tea ceremony. My favorite is jasmine and the premium grade is incredible. There's also white, olong, and green tea.
7. The disparity between the rich and poor is amazing. In all cities, you'll see something like a Mercedes S500 followed by a guy on a moped with his family and a pig. The middle class is almost nonexistent. Sometimes it makes you think about what poverty really is. My Aunt lives in a three room house. You walk in off the street into a room that is 10 X 10. Behind there is a kitchenette and washroom (couldn't even begin to call it a bathroom) and upstairs is the bedroom where 8 people sleep. I was shocked to see that type of condition for my family. No wonder they think the rest of us in America are filthy rich. The standards are completely different.
I hope you enjoyed my blurb about my trip. I've included a few videos of my trip. Remember, I am condensing 2 weeks into a few minutes of video. Hope its not too boring and it is a good representation of the places I visited. Happy belated Thanksgiving and have a great holiday season.
China:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTPYoAT-ecs
Vietnam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM_zz03s2wo
Food and Mullets (the food will appetize you and the mullets will make you throw up):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju54im-TY84
Rich
Hopefully, they will clean it up well before the Olympics.
Any good? Recommendations? hehehe :biggrin:
