Another Day, Another Continent

The sound of suitcases rolling past my head woke me. My flight had landed in Melbourne, Australia in the middle of the night. After clearing customs, I walked outside to get my bearings, then I quickly scampered back into the airport. I had flashbacks of my night in the airport in Miami, which I wrote about in 1000 Days Between. Unlike in Miami, I found a few other backpackers, sleeping in a quiet hallway. I blew up my air mattress, crawled into my sleep sheet and joined the others in their quiet slumber.

By 5 a.m., I couldn't take it anymore. The “quiet hallway” turned out to be one of the main corridors that led through security. It just happened to be closed when I first had seen it. But now it was open, and there was a constant chatter of over-caffinated travelers, dragging their luggage across the floor.

Observations From Five Months in Beijing, China

You can't visit a new continent (let alone two new continents) every year. This year is special for me, my only multiple-new-continent year. After spending nearly five months in China, I'm due for a break. I'm heading to Australia.

Friends back home are always asking what I think of Beijing. To be honest, even after living there for nearly half a year, I still don't know how to respond. I've written about many amazing experiences in China (the best so far being my trip to Inner Mongolia). In fact, there are many more facets of China that I love and have yet to write about. But almost every day, I find myself in a situation that makes absolutely no sense to my Western eyes and ears.

I could go on and on about China, but for now, I'll give you 10 observations from my limited experience in the country:

Beijing Hutongs, Part III

On a crisp autumn afternoon, I went for another walk around Beijing's hutongs, this time near the Drum and Bell Towers. I really enjoy walking through these neighborhoods because they give a glimpse into traditional daily life in the modern capital city.

Here are some photos I took during my walk:… Read More »

Happy Memories

Back in April, my friend Amy organized a flash mob in Madison, Wisconsin for her birthday. At noon on a warm and sunny Saturday, “Happy” by Pharrell Williams spontaneously blared from an outdoor speaker. The crowd dispersed from the street to make room for a group of boisterous dancers.

Manzhouli's Cabbage Bazaar

One day while walking through Manzhouli, I stumbled upon an outdoor bazaar. Like most markets in China, this was a vibrant place, with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables for sale. It was also crowded, with hordes of people and vehicles jockeying for position in the street. I love walking through bazaars; they give me a sense of day-to-day existence in faraway places. Cultural differences can put up barriers between me and the local people, but markets also help me connect me with others in this shared journey through life.

Here are a few photos I took in the Mazhouli market.

Blood Moon Train to Beijing

After the sun had set, I tried to explain a special event that was about to take place: a total lunar eclipse, where the sun's rays would be refracted upon hitting the Earth, turning the moon red. I took out my phone and showed my new friends the Chinese character for “eclipse.” Then I showed them the character for “blood,” since this type of eclipse is known as a “blood moon” in English. One of the men immediately understood and explained it to his friends. Some people sitting near us overheard the discussion and started making comments about the eclipse. Soon everyone in our car was looking for the blood moon.

Hangzhou Ultimate

Last weekend my girlfriend Katie and I traveled to Hangzhou, China for an ultimate frisbee tournament. OK, to set the record straight, she played and I came to watch. This was a “hat tournament,” where teams are chosen somewhat randomly, although they make sure every team has a few experienced players and some beginners to balance it out. It was a fun tournament with lots of competitive play. I broke out my telephoto lens to photograph one of Katie's games. Here are the highlights:

End of the World

Whenever I travel to a new city, I like to check out the local music scene. Luckily, in Beijing this was an easy task. End of the World, a local ska/punk band is made almost entirely of BIBA teachers. They mostly play original music, and they are a ton of fun to watch. I have gone to two of their shows, one at the 798 Live House in Wanjing, and one at the Temple Bar in Dongcheng. If you're in Beijing, you should check out one of their frequent shows.

Here are some photos of End of the World:
… Read More »

Manzhouli: Land of Matryoshka Dreams

The hotel’s front desk was on the third floor. The manager, a middle-aged man with a comb-over and a leather jacket, held a cigarette between the index and middle fingers of his right hand while clicking his ancient computer’s mouse. He was playing solitaire. When he saw me walk up with my huge backpack, he took one last drag from his cigarette and stubbed it out in an ashtray, next to its brethren. To my relief, he told me that there were vacancies, and rooms were only 50 rmb. I had been prepared to spend many times that amount on this holiday weekend.

The Greatest Pleasures of Travel

It was unlikely that I would visit this part of Inner Mongolia again, so I wanted to see a few more places before heading home. The problem was buying train tickets. I had discovered on this trip that you can't just show up and expect to get a ticket for a long distance train. If you don't want to stand for thirty hours straight, you need to book your tickets online, days or weeks in advance.

Now I would have to improvise my way to my next destination, without any idea of how to get there, or what I might do once I arrived. Ah yes, one of the greatest pleasures of travel...