One Year Anniversary

I've fallen in love, with Vietnam. Ha! You thought I meant a man huh? Shaaaaa, like that will ever happen. Anyways, Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!! OK, back to original note, one year...since I left home. It's been a year, and I'm in my 3rd country.

Before I left the US, I told everyone that I would be gone for about a year; 3 months Nepal, 3 months Vietnam, 3 months Laos, 3 months Cambodia=1 year. Look at what happened; 5 months Nepal, 7 months India (India wasn't in the plan!) and I'm lovin' Vietnam. I want to stay here for maybe 6 months, there are a lot of opportunities here, and lots of great food.

When I arrived in Vietnam, it was like culture shock. I mean, I traveled to South East Asia before, and I knew what to expect. But I think being in India/Nepal/Bangladesh for a year, with the same kind of culture and atmosphere, the change was difficult to adjust. I was also extremely tired, I had an early flight to Hanoi from the Bangkok airport so I slept there...in the airport, but the lights were too damn bright to sleep. The first day was raining, hot, foggy, and humid. I had never seen so many mopeds in my life. Oh, and they're Asian; asian asian. I blend.

Currently I'm volunteering for East Meets West Foundation, I am the "Creative Consultant and Graphic Designer" volunteer. This foundation raises money for people with disabilities, 11% of the Vietnamese population are disabled. This is cool because now I get to work on my professional experience, which I haven't done in a while.

Here's my budget plan: $5/room. $3/food. So $8 a day. I live on pho, egg rolls, and kebabs, the cheapest food here, and I'm allowed to splurge one day a week (I found a Pinkberry-ish frozen yogurt shop). However, if I travel to work on a xe om (motorbike taxi) then that's $2/roundtrip. So then I spend less on food, I would eat plain pho, or a pastry. Sounds poor, but I am poor. Not sure how long I can stay here, Hanoi is pretty expensive, compared to India. I think on my second part of Vietnam I will travel to the country side and find an orphanage (I hope there isn't frozen yogurt there). BUT!! I can have a beer in the afternoon, like a snack. It costs $1, it fits in my budget.

Alright kids, my crazy adventure continues. Miss you all. By the way, which one of you unemployed are going to visit me in South East Asia? I have a few hopefuls planning already.

India...Over it.

I'm so happy to leave. I don't think I can handle India for another 4 months. Not happy to leave like...leaving Bangladesh. Bangladesh I pretty much stuck up my middle finger towards the country and shouted "Fuck You Bangladesh, Fuck YOU!" I don't feel that way for India. I had good and bad times, I'm still glad I went to all the places I wanted to visit, met great Indians, and had valuable experiences. But it isn't my country. 6.5 months is enough.

After my family left, I went straight to Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. I rode on a camel, a camel! Not a smooth ride though, my butt hurt so much afterwards, I even got blisters on my buttocks. Slept on the sand in the Ganga desert, stared at the countless stars, and saw 3 yellow (very poisonous) scorpions under my pillow.

camel trek

Jodhpur, nice place, didn't stay too long. Udaipur, LOVED IT. There's something relaxing and chill about this city, I like the small streets guiding to different directions and finding yourself on some ghat to the lake. In Bundi now, and I have about 2 days until my flight to Bangkok, and then Hanoi Vietnam.

One of the biggest quirks of India is the sexual and racial harassment I receive. The whole "Hey Japan girl, come here!" "Ooh, sexy Korean" "Hi, I loooooooooove you." "Mushi Mushi!" "Chingo!" Not to mention, the accidental 'boob bumps,' the 'passerby butt grabs' and them staring directly at my tits and ass. Oh my god, I can't stand it. For the longest time I had the patience to ignore them, but the past 2 months I have been either cussing them out (most popular), punching them in the chest (love this one) or lecturing them that to some foreigners it can be offensive. Most of their responses are like "You are all the same, Japan, Korean, same." This pissed me off, but I said in return "Same same, but different." So, first off: I'm Chinese. Thanks. I wished that I could walk around with a mask. Even if I wear non-skinny jeans, a sweatshirt with my hoodie pulled over, I still get catcalls. I get hassled 20 times a day, everyday. By now, I'm sick of it. What I like about other Asian countries like Nepal, or around South East Asia; is that I look like them, I can walk around without being noticed.

I know I know, it isn't their fault. I am from America, where a lot of us are sensitive to racial issues, and TRY to be politically correct. However, it can still ruin my experience. I've grown to deal with it for 4 months, but now I just don't have any left.

Things I will always hate about India:
-Blasting horrible Hindi music from their cell phones, sometimes 10 phones at once. Somehow, they like to play them on overnight trains and buses at 3am. "Noise Pollution"
-The honking, this is the worst I've heard in my experience in traveling. Especially those motorbike jerks that hold the horn down the entire time.
-Men scratching their balls in front of my face on the bus.
-When I want to get away from India, but realize that I can't and am still here.

Things I will always love about India:
-Their faith, seeing the pilgrims devote their spirits in the ghats, or temples. Watching them touch cows with their fingers and then onto their foreheads. Numerous foreheads with tikka dots.
-Walking through non-touristy villages and families offering me chai.
-Bargaining with rick-shaw drivers for 5 minutes and having them yell out "Why like this?"
-All the friendly people I meet on trains.
-Women wearing saris.
-Not being able to use the head-waggle, it grows on you!
-The curiosity and interest people have of where I come from.

India has truly been the most toughest country to travel in and I will never forget it.