There is no place more fun to log steps on my FitBit than in a large, unfamiliar city. Hong Kong, with sites everywhere, feels like a Where’s Waldo book. It was never clear where to focus because there was a store, person, or site every place I looked. Here is a quick look at some of the life in the public spaces….
Category: China
Hong Kong 9.23.16
Hong Kong was an expensive and worthwhile pause between China and Vietnam. I spoke in English, ate foods that reminded me of home, and re-stocked on toiletries. This city amazed me. Signage is neon and loud, life is lived vertically, and the number of people was unbelievable. Throughout Hong Kong I used Apple Pay to make purchases –…
Guilin 9.18.16
This is my last post about China! The days are a blur of moving, pausing, watching and always a lot of new. Of the countries I will visit, China (along with India) felt more daunting. This feeling may have come from the language barrier, U.S. media portrayal of the country and its people, or the massive undertaking required to…
Yangshuo 9.13.16
In my travel spreadsheet I have a note from a former colleague who has deep knowledge of China. The note reads, “Yangshuo –> Most beautiful!” After 6 nights in this town surrounded by karst peaks, I agree. My first full day in Yangshuo I planned to see the surrounding area on bike. At the reception area of the…
Eating Well: SH, Zhangjiajie, Guangzhou 9.8.16
I’m still eating food! My skills with chopsticks are remarkably better than when I arrived in China. I do not miss using a knife to cut food. The salad below was the first meal I ate where western style utensils were provided. At a hostel I picked up a cheat sheet with English and Mandarin words…
Zhangjiajie & Guangzhou 9.6.16
I planned my route in China based on a recommendation I found online. I did not follow the route exactly but used it as guide. When I saw photos of Zhangjiajie National Forest, nicknamed the Avatar Park after the movie, I knew this was a city from the route recommendation I would visit. In Zhangjiajie I ‘treated’…
On the Street: Xi’an, Chengdu & Shanghai 9.1.16
Walking is my favorite way to adjust to a new city. In China, to cross the street I either find other people who are also crossing and follow their lead or I venture out on my own. Usually, I need to cross one traffic lane at a time to reach the other side of the street….
Chengdu & Shanghai 8.29.16
4 nights, 3 beds, 24 total hours of sleep and 94,000 steps later I am back in reality (aka, a different city). After three weeks of travel, Shanghai was a fun break from time solo and less western cities. Because of friends in this city who made time to host me, and a large western influence, this part of my journey felt…
Eating Well: Xi’an & Chengdu 8.24.16
I am a long way from planing meals each week, going to the grocery store, cooking and dividing food into red tupperware, and finally carting it all to work for consumption! I miss my healthy servings of fruit and vegetables but the chance to try new foods daily is an excellent replacement. A few observations: Food is becoming…
Beijing & Xi’an 8.22.16
The part of travel where I move between cities is underway! One of my goals for this year is to live life with less structure. Pre-departure, I planned enough to set myself up with the right gear, tools, and paperwork and I chose not to spend time planning smaller details like activities, transit, accommodations or total time in…
On the Street: Beijing 8.18.16
As a traveler, I am most excited to observe the small differences in daily life in each place I visit. Here is a peak into the streets and parks in this city. Boating in the parks is ubiquitous. The boats are all whimsical or painted exciting colors. This yogurt drink is everywhere. Buyers purchase the beverage…
Eating Well: Beijing 8.16.16
Travel without food is a terrible thought! Meals allow me to have shared experiences, try new foods, spend time with friends, and interact with local people. My first vocabulary words in Mandarin were food based. I learned water (a must in this heat!) and baozi, meaning dumplings. I am especially grateful to friends from the Carlson School and the friends…
The Year of Sarah Joy 