Not sure if this will work...
Pics are up on facebook courtesy of Bruce. You can find them here http://nyu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123677&id=802249
and here
http://nyu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124807&id=802249
And thanks to ed too. the starr brothers are on top of their game.
http://nyu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=577&id=512153395
http://nyu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=593&id=512153395
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Eyes wide open
Just about every spring break from when I was three until my senior year of high school was spent in Negril, Jamaica. The drive from the airport took us through some small towns and villages consisting mostly of crumbling buildings and too many tin shack communities. Jamaica defined what I knew of extreme poverty. Working in the Salvador favellas brought me closer to that. But I don't think anything could have prepared me for Bombay. In Bombay there is no cleaned up, spruced up area for the tourists. It is reality in your face every where you go. Crumbling buildings, tin shacks, mud hovels, people living on the sidewalks, in parts where the sidewalks are too crowded families live in the middle of the street where there would undoubtedly be traffic had they not set up home there first. And the traffic is unbelievable. It is a free for all, no order and no traffic laws. Cars honking at rickshaws honking at motorbikes honking at bicyclists ringing at pedestrians pushing carts yelling at the cow who's traveling against traffic. A two lane street somehow manages six. It wasn't until the last day in Bombay that Nigel and I figured out the local train - you know the one with everyone hanging out from the doors. We took two to get into town, and on the way back tried for a direct line home but ended up going in the wrong direction. The mistake was a welcomed one though because we saw the outskirts of the city that most people don't see. The poverty crept right up to the tracks and the stations became barely that, just a crumbled slab of concrete. It was a different look at the poverty though: in downtown Bombay you can't walk anywhere without little kids carrying babies tugging at your pants with open palms - (this image will forever be ingrained: a baby sitting up by itself on a mat, not yet able to walk. as I walk past he puts out his hand to me, palm up, and just stares at me with eyes like big black saucers) - But on the train I was able to see people really living, and making the best of life just like anyone does - kids playing cricket, men planting a garden, etc. It's a humble existance.
The extreme poverty is matched with extreme wealth in Bombay. There are great bars and lounges in the city, you would never know because they are behind a wall on a crumbling street that looks just as the others, but they're there. And the bollywood stars are out and the paparazzi's flashes are popping. As I left a club the other night I wondered if we're as blind to the poverty at home as the wealthy Indians seem to be here.
I'm in Goa now, in a little area called Baga Beach. It's peaceful, and eclectic, and probably the only place in India that I can wear shorts and a tank top without feeling the judging stares. I'm here for a few more days, soaking in the sun and drinking too many Kingfishers. Goa is great! Kerela next.
The extreme poverty is matched with extreme wealth in Bombay. There are great bars and lounges in the city, you would never know because they are behind a wall on a crumbling street that looks just as the others, but they're there. And the bollywood stars are out and the paparazzi's flashes are popping. As I left a club the other night I wondered if we're as blind to the poverty at home as the wealthy Indians seem to be here.
I'm in Goa now, in a little area called Baga Beach. It's peaceful, and eclectic, and probably the only place in India that I can wear shorts and a tank top without feeling the judging stares. I'm here for a few more days, soaking in the sun and drinking too many Kingfishers. Goa is great! Kerela next.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
I'm in Mumbai - or as the locals still call it, Bombay...
I wrote the following back in Hong Kong, but the internet was too slow to post it. Anyway, I'm at a friend of a friend's place here and am having dinner with the family and their friends... don't want to be rude, got to go eat...
It's my last day in Hong Kong - I fly to Mumbai this evening via Bangkok and Columbo, Sri Lanka. Hong Kong is fabulous and it will once again be another culture shock heading back to the third world - however I suspect Mumbai will pretty cosmopolitan in parts.
We arrived in Hong Kong a few days ago in time for a late dinner and drinks in Lan Kwai Fang - this is where we were told we'd find kitchens open late and drinks pouring all night. Driving through central Hong Kong,directly in front of the cab I see a crowd spilling out of a street - what I thought was the end of some sporting event. Nope, that's Lan Kwai Fang, the cabbie directed me. LKF is a series of streets that are elbow to elbow by 11pm - the streets are blocked off but I'm not sure if that's for the crowd, or because of it. The streets are narrow and run uphill with tall skinny buildings lining them, not unlike San Fransisco. In LKF, everything is built up - there are bars, clubs and restaurants stacked on one another reaching to the 7th floors.
My first morning was spent waiting for one of the best dim sum meals in town - the restaurant was a football field-sized banquet hall. It was traditionial dim sum - ladies pushing carts shouting out their respective items. All kinds of dumplings and buns and noodle roll things. sweet tofu, and mango pudding. After our dim sum brunch I rolled myself through central Hong Kong - this alone is worth the flight from the US. Hong KOng's skyline, although compared with New York is on a different level. Every single building is something fantastic. The China Bank tower by I. M. Pei is one of the most recognizable, there's the HSBC building that is called the Robot builiding because you can see every bit and part working, and when you're looking up from inside the atrium it appears as if the building is hanging down, not rising up - it's very cool. After, we went up to Victoria Peak to take in the view from above. That night we met up with some other friends and had a traditional peking duck dinner: sea blubber and shark's fin soup among other dishes. (Sea blubber kind of tastes like a noodle/seaweed salad, and shark's fin soup is really great, a little like hot and sour soup).
New Years in Hong Kong was great. A view of the nighttime skyline was decided as a perfect way to start the evening, drinks at the top of the Pennisula Hotel sounded like the perfect spot - it ended up being better than we had imagined: the hotel was closed for walkins but when we said we had a reservation we were let in right away, there was a stage set up in the front where the band was already playing and the champagne was flowing. A few glasses later we took in the view from the top and then ran for the ferry over to Hong Kong island and sailed under the skyline. A great sushi and sake dinner and partying in LKF rounded out the night.
Feeling a little sinful the next morning, we took the ferry over to Macau - the soon-to-be Vegas of Asia, at present more like AC. Up until 10 years ago Macau was Portuguese territory so the old parts of town reminded me a lot of the old portuguese architecture of Salvador, even the same tiled sidewalks you find throughout Salvador and Rio.
I wrote the following back in Hong Kong, but the internet was too slow to post it. Anyway, I'm at a friend of a friend's place here and am having dinner with the family and their friends... don't want to be rude, got to go eat...
It's my last day in Hong Kong - I fly to Mumbai this evening via Bangkok and Columbo, Sri Lanka. Hong Kong is fabulous and it will once again be another culture shock heading back to the third world - however I suspect Mumbai will pretty cosmopolitan in parts.
We arrived in Hong Kong a few days ago in time for a late dinner and drinks in Lan Kwai Fang - this is where we were told we'd find kitchens open late and drinks pouring all night. Driving through central Hong Kong,directly in front of the cab I see a crowd spilling out of a street - what I thought was the end of some sporting event. Nope, that's Lan Kwai Fang, the cabbie directed me. LKF is a series of streets that are elbow to elbow by 11pm - the streets are blocked off but I'm not sure if that's for the crowd, or because of it. The streets are narrow and run uphill with tall skinny buildings lining them, not unlike San Fransisco. In LKF, everything is built up - there are bars, clubs and restaurants stacked on one another reaching to the 7th floors.
My first morning was spent waiting for one of the best dim sum meals in town - the restaurant was a football field-sized banquet hall. It was traditionial dim sum - ladies pushing carts shouting out their respective items. All kinds of dumplings and buns and noodle roll things. sweet tofu, and mango pudding. After our dim sum brunch I rolled myself through central Hong Kong - this alone is worth the flight from the US. Hong KOng's skyline, although compared with New York is on a different level. Every single building is something fantastic. The China Bank tower by I. M. Pei is one of the most recognizable, there's the HSBC building that is called the Robot builiding because you can see every bit and part working, and when you're looking up from inside the atrium it appears as if the building is hanging down, not rising up - it's very cool. After, we went up to Victoria Peak to take in the view from above. That night we met up with some other friends and had a traditional peking duck dinner: sea blubber and shark's fin soup among other dishes. (Sea blubber kind of tastes like a noodle/seaweed salad, and shark's fin soup is really great, a little like hot and sour soup).
New Years in Hong Kong was great. A view of the nighttime skyline was decided as a perfect way to start the evening, drinks at the top of the Pennisula Hotel sounded like the perfect spot - it ended up being better than we had imagined: the hotel was closed for walkins but when we said we had a reservation we were let in right away, there was a stage set up in the front where the band was already playing and the champagne was flowing. A few glasses later we took in the view from the top and then ran for the ferry over to Hong Kong island and sailed under the skyline. A great sushi and sake dinner and partying in LKF rounded out the night.
Feeling a little sinful the next morning, we took the ferry over to Macau - the soon-to-be Vegas of Asia, at present more like AC. Up until 10 years ago Macau was Portuguese territory so the old parts of town reminded me a lot of the old portuguese architecture of Salvador, even the same tiled sidewalks you find throughout Salvador and Rio.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Hi. I'm blogging from Epcot Center. Oh wait no, I'm blogging from Singapore.
Singapore, being a fairly recent country, feels as if the ribbon has just been cut only a few days ago. Our first morning we asked the guy at our hotel what the greatest hits were that we couldn't miss - he suggested Chinatown to eat and shop, for more shopping we could head to the 24 hour department store in Little India, and then to Orchard Road for a little more shopping. He reccomended that the following day we hit up Zico City, a mall built just a little bit out of the city limits, that is essentially a city under one roof, great for shopping and eating. I was a little surprised by the emphasis Singaporeans put on shopping (i was used to the 24/7 eating from Thailand). but come on? mall after mall after mall, might as well go to King of Prussia. But I've been a little blown away. It's been raining since we stepped off the plane so being that most of the city is either entirely indoors or undercover, the rain has not been an inconvenience. just to get to the MRT (subway), you take the underpass, which only turns out to be another mall built underneath the city. Parts of city still resemble the past, colonial architecture and all, but just behind the low two story Havana-like buildings towers great space-age structures. And then there are the riverside outdoor malls that have been built to mirror that colonial look - each building housing a different ethnic restaurant: thai, korean, japanese, chinese, persian, greek, you name it. Each country is represented in its most Disneyfied way in Singapore. It's really strange here - English is the local language because it is the common thread between everyone who lives here - in one way or another the entire population is some sort of an ex-pat: American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Singapore is more of a melting pot than New York or LA. ...
But, I'm getting ahead of myself, allow me to backtrack a few days. ..
I know I've mentioned Bangkok, but did I say how crazy it was?? In the three days there I think I saw it from every perspective and every possible mode of transportation. Low Bangkok: 16 year old thai girls arm in arm with 60 year old farangs (foreigners), Backpacker Bangkok: Ko Shan Rd. where Thai massage parlors, hostels, irish pubs, go-go bars and laudrymats line the street, stray cats are rampant, and after 2am they cannot serve alcohol, only Whiskey or Vodka. Highend Bangkok, luxiorious hotels (did not stay, just stopped in to use the loo), restaurants and clubs that are packed with eastern european models.
After Bangkok was Ko Sumui, which was dissappointing when we arrived and learned there was no beach because of a typhoon, and bad weather expected for the next few days. During our stay the crowds picked up and we had a great time with the Swedes and Aussies - Americans are rare in Thailand. Took the ferry to Ko Pha Ngan for a night - home of the new moon and black moon parites. Ran into the brits we did the jungle canopy tour with back on Sumui, drank some special shakes, and laughed with them all night. From PhaNgan we headed to the other side of the thailand penninsula, just 250 miles away, only it took all day and 10 different legs of transport to get there. Once there I saw blue skies for the first time in a few days, it was fucking beach weather finally!. From Krabi you can hire a long boat to take you to the different islands - saw Maya Bay where The Beach was filmed among other beautiful spots. The thing with this part of thailand is that it attacts so many people because it is so stunning, which then takes away from that serene thai beach you hold in your mind... Farangs everywhere.
so now in Singapore. going to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon. I know there's o much more I wanted to write, but its too late in the early morning.
Singapore, being a fairly recent country, feels as if the ribbon has just been cut only a few days ago. Our first morning we asked the guy at our hotel what the greatest hits were that we couldn't miss - he suggested Chinatown to eat and shop, for more shopping we could head to the 24 hour department store in Little India, and then to Orchard Road for a little more shopping. He reccomended that the following day we hit up Zico City, a mall built just a little bit out of the city limits, that is essentially a city under one roof, great for shopping and eating. I was a little surprised by the emphasis Singaporeans put on shopping (i was used to the 24/7 eating from Thailand). but come on? mall after mall after mall, might as well go to King of Prussia. But I've been a little blown away. It's been raining since we stepped off the plane so being that most of the city is either entirely indoors or undercover, the rain has not been an inconvenience. just to get to the MRT (subway), you take the underpass, which only turns out to be another mall built underneath the city. Parts of city still resemble the past, colonial architecture and all, but just behind the low two story Havana-like buildings towers great space-age structures. And then there are the riverside outdoor malls that have been built to mirror that colonial look - each building housing a different ethnic restaurant: thai, korean, japanese, chinese, persian, greek, you name it. Each country is represented in its most Disneyfied way in Singapore. It's really strange here - English is the local language because it is the common thread between everyone who lives here - in one way or another the entire population is some sort of an ex-pat: American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Singapore is more of a melting pot than New York or LA. ...
But, I'm getting ahead of myself, allow me to backtrack a few days. ..
I know I've mentioned Bangkok, but did I say how crazy it was?? In the three days there I think I saw it from every perspective and every possible mode of transportation. Low Bangkok: 16 year old thai girls arm in arm with 60 year old farangs (foreigners), Backpacker Bangkok: Ko Shan Rd. where Thai massage parlors, hostels, irish pubs, go-go bars and laudrymats line the street, stray cats are rampant, and after 2am they cannot serve alcohol, only Whiskey or Vodka. Highend Bangkok, luxiorious hotels (did not stay, just stopped in to use the loo), restaurants and clubs that are packed with eastern european models.
After Bangkok was Ko Sumui, which was dissappointing when we arrived and learned there was no beach because of a typhoon, and bad weather expected for the next few days. During our stay the crowds picked up and we had a great time with the Swedes and Aussies - Americans are rare in Thailand. Took the ferry to Ko Pha Ngan for a night - home of the new moon and black moon parites. Ran into the brits we did the jungle canopy tour with back on Sumui, drank some special shakes, and laughed with them all night. From PhaNgan we headed to the other side of the thailand penninsula, just 250 miles away, only it took all day and 10 different legs of transport to get there. Once there I saw blue skies for the first time in a few days, it was fucking beach weather finally!. From Krabi you can hire a long boat to take you to the different islands - saw Maya Bay where The Beach was filmed among other beautiful spots. The thing with this part of thailand is that it attacts so many people because it is so stunning, which then takes away from that serene thai beach you hold in your mind... Farangs everywhere.
so now in Singapore. going to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon. I know there's o much more I wanted to write, but its too late in the early morning.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Looking for love in Thailand
Ok, big breath... I feel like there's so much to write, but no time to write it. Why be sitting in an internet cafe in Ko Sumui while I could be sitting on the beach?? Actually, weather's not so great today anyway...
So my take on Bangkok... the city was intense, really intense, I need a vacation from Bangkok. You do not stop for a minute, not for a second. Nothing like New York. (Granted, we were trying to fit a lot into just a few short days.) The city is huge, to go anywhere takes about an hour even if it's just in your neighborhood. Traffic is at a 24/7 standstill. The Skytrain and subway only take you so far, the skytrain goes to one point down river, then you have to take a boat upstream, and the whole transportation process becomes a production. Taking a taxi becomes stressful and you find yourself arguing with the driver about where you want to go - he wants to take you to his friends restaurant, or his friends shop, but you just really want to go to the Grand Palace - not hungry, don't want to shop. The meter taxis hate to put the meter on and often refuse leaving you on the side of the street or willing to pony up the 400 baht. Many times they take you somewhere and tell you your destination is just around that corner, you trust them - they know the city better than you, obviously - you pay, and then you learn your destination is really no where near your present location. Shit, duped again! The tuk tuk drivers like to do the same thing, but charge more for the agrivation; they can because every tourist wants the experience of driving in a a tiny thai truck - what can only be described as a wheelbarrow with a lawnmower engine, on steroids. It's a good time actually, despite the cloud of pollution. And finally, you find yourself constantly bargaining, negotiating, arguging over 100 baht - about $3, that you're spilting between four. Wtf? You become incredibly cheap, when you expect it to be. But then it becomes about the principle, right? These people are hustling and cheating, and we don't want to be those stupid tourists who get duped all the time.
Last night we only let it happen once. We put our foot down when one cab driver told us we had to walk up the mountain to get to our destination, that the road was closed, she still wanted $200 baht though... a car drove past, right up the mountain. Uh uh sorry, road's open, let's go. You have to be firm, even rude at times. But then you're like, damn, it's 50 cents... and you look around and see the poverty, and just say fuck it.
Anyway, we arrived in Ko Sumui last night around 6pm, 12 hours after we left our hotel in Bangkok - a trip we expected to take 4 hours at the most took 12. Duh. Nightlife was disappointing, where is everyone?? Off season, next week people here. Also, weather sucks, perfect weather on western side. The boat tour operators are even discouraging their own tours - typhoon last week, water's rough, can't swim in it. I think we might take off early. We have a friend in Phuket, go there maybe.
I want to love it here but I don't yet.
So my take on Bangkok... the city was intense, really intense, I need a vacation from Bangkok. You do not stop for a minute, not for a second. Nothing like New York. (Granted, we were trying to fit a lot into just a few short days.) The city is huge, to go anywhere takes about an hour even if it's just in your neighborhood. Traffic is at a 24/7 standstill. The Skytrain and subway only take you so far, the skytrain goes to one point down river, then you have to take a boat upstream, and the whole transportation process becomes a production. Taking a taxi becomes stressful and you find yourself arguing with the driver about where you want to go - he wants to take you to his friends restaurant, or his friends shop, but you just really want to go to the Grand Palace - not hungry, don't want to shop. The meter taxis hate to put the meter on and often refuse leaving you on the side of the street or willing to pony up the 400 baht. Many times they take you somewhere and tell you your destination is just around that corner, you trust them - they know the city better than you, obviously - you pay, and then you learn your destination is really no where near your present location. Shit, duped again! The tuk tuk drivers like to do the same thing, but charge more for the agrivation; they can because every tourist wants the experience of driving in a a tiny thai truck - what can only be described as a wheelbarrow with a lawnmower engine, on steroids. It's a good time actually, despite the cloud of pollution. And finally, you find yourself constantly bargaining, negotiating, arguging over 100 baht - about $3, that you're spilting between four. Wtf? You become incredibly cheap, when you expect it to be. But then it becomes about the principle, right? These people are hustling and cheating, and we don't want to be those stupid tourists who get duped all the time.
Last night we only let it happen once. We put our foot down when one cab driver told us we had to walk up the mountain to get to our destination, that the road was closed, she still wanted $200 baht though... a car drove past, right up the mountain. Uh uh sorry, road's open, let's go. You have to be firm, even rude at times. But then you're like, damn, it's 50 cents... and you look around and see the poverty, and just say fuck it.
Anyway, we arrived in Ko Sumui last night around 6pm, 12 hours after we left our hotel in Bangkok - a trip we expected to take 4 hours at the most took 12. Duh. Nightlife was disappointing, where is everyone?? Off season, next week people here. Also, weather sucks, perfect weather on western side. The boat tour operators are even discouraging their own tours - typhoon last week, water's rough, can't swim in it. I think we might take off early. We have a friend in Phuket, go there maybe.
I want to love it here but I don't yet.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Half Way Around The World
I'm in Bangkok. It's 1030am, it's 1030pm yesterday at home.
oh, quick london recap: I was getting a little antsy, and honestly kinda tired of doing the touristy thing every day so on Wednesday I chunneled it to Paris for the night. Spent the night with Michelle, who just happened to have an extra invite to a private gospel christmas show at the town hall. Afterwards she took me to a great French bistro: warm goat cheese salad, steak tartare, and Ile Flotante (floating island - sounds nicer in French) for dessert. From there we strolled the Champs Ellyse, which was draped in all its Christmas finery. I slept in a proper bed that night, it was a great mini vacation from London.
So now i'm blogging from Bangkok... Yesterday for sunset we went to Wat Anun, a temple on the banks of the Chao Phraya and had a little pad thai snack in the next door hut. We did the Suan Lum Night Bazaar for dinner and bargaining -stir fry crab in a thai curry sauce - awesome, and a couple liters of Tiger. To finish off the night we hopped in a tuk tuk to Kuan Sam Road, a bar-lined street that's a regular spot for backpackers.
Since being here, not even 24 hours, we've taken the Sky train, subway, taxi, river boat and tuk tuk. Bangkok is huge and the transportation options are endless. The tuk tuk experience deserves a blog entry in itself, and right now i'm being rushed off to get massages at another historic temples that doubles as a massage school.
more later....
oh, quick london recap: I was getting a little antsy, and honestly kinda tired of doing the touristy thing every day so on Wednesday I chunneled it to Paris for the night. Spent the night with Michelle, who just happened to have an extra invite to a private gospel christmas show at the town hall. Afterwards she took me to a great French bistro: warm goat cheese salad, steak tartare, and Ile Flotante (floating island - sounds nicer in French) for dessert. From there we strolled the Champs Ellyse, which was draped in all its Christmas finery. I slept in a proper bed that night, it was a great mini vacation from London.
So now i'm blogging from Bangkok... Yesterday for sunset we went to Wat Anun, a temple on the banks of the Chao Phraya and had a little pad thai snack in the next door hut. We did the Suan Lum Night Bazaar for dinner and bargaining -stir fry crab in a thai curry sauce - awesome, and a couple liters of Tiger. To finish off the night we hopped in a tuk tuk to Kuan Sam Road, a bar-lined street that's a regular spot for backpackers.
Since being here, not even 24 hours, we've taken the Sky train, subway, taxi, river boat and tuk tuk. Bangkok is huge and the transportation options are endless. The tuk tuk experience deserves a blog entry in itself, and right now i'm being rushed off to get massages at another historic temples that doubles as a massage school.
more later....
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Mind The Gap
I'm am seriously obsessed with the tubes and buses of London. Granted they stop running a little early, aaand they're a little pricey .... but, it is the best public transportation i've ever used!
yep, that's it.
yep, that's it.
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