My Life is a Comedy

I feel like Will Ferrell's character in Stranger than Fiction when he's making tally marks in his little book trying to figure out whether he's in a tragedy or a comedy. Here are the tally marks that I've made in the Comedy column in my little book:

This morning I got up extra early to get to campus because since I was out of the country and out of touch, I had no idea what classes I was teaching or when. I took some extra time to get ready and tried to pull myself together to look like the on-top-of-everything, organized teacher that I was trying to pretend to be. I needed to get to campus and check my mailbox to see my schedule early in case I had to teach at 8am. I am waiting outside of the office for someone to open the padlock on the door so I could get in to my mailbox. (Are you catching the drift of how old school this is?... Paper mail in mailboxes, padlocks on doors...) It's 10 minutes to 8am and I'm wondering why it seems so quiet. I know Thai people are usually late, but this was weird. I come to find out that there is no class because it's a holiday. Go figure. This now explains why no one was driving into the campus gates but rather just beyond them to where all the monks are. People were going to give alms to the monks while I was the only person wandering around campus and not even noticing until the text message from my fellow teacher confirmed. I sometimes feel like this city has its own quirky personality and it knew that I left for awhile, and it gives me this booya of a welcome back. I can hear it's chuckling voice saying to me, "You bail on me for America...you come back and want things to be normal? Take that. Random Buddhist holiday in your face. Booya."

Tally mark number 2 which happened yesterday: My travel arrangements for returning to Chiang Mai from the US were all set up through Bangkok. I still needed to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I booked this flight after a night of no sleep, packing, fretting, etc. Oh and I booked it about 10 minutes before my ride to the airport. This is my disclaimer for what was about to follow. After flights through time zones and across the world, I realized as I was boarding the flight to Bangkok in Taipei that I was going to arrive in Bangkok at 1:00 in the morning. 1am...in the morning. When booked my Chiang Mai flight according to my travel itinerary, I mistakingly read "Arrive in Bangkok at 01:05" to mean 1:00 in the afternoon. 1pm...in the afternoon. Now if I knew how to read the 24 hour clock, if it was arriving in the afternoon, it would have read 13:05. I am an idiot and booked my flight for after this non-existent afternoon flight for 3:30pm. So if you're following this...I arrive in Bangkok about 12 hours before I expected at 1am. I now need to wait 14 hours for my 3:30pm flight to Chiang Mai. I gave myself a 14 hour layover because I can't tell time. "But Mia, this sounds more like a tragedy," you say? One would think, but it turns out I couldn't stop laughing about it after trying to get on an earlier flight and being told no. It gets funnier: I didn't have enough Thai Baht on me to even take the bus out of the airport for awhile. Funnier yet: that afternoon flight was delayed. It's a comedy, I swear.

So, Funny Story...

I spent the last 10 days in America...on a whim. A very important whim, that I'll never ever forget. My sister got married and I got to surprise her because we both knew that before I left for Thailand that there would be no way for me to fly home for her wedding. The stars aligned and the story has already been told to many, but to be brief:

Cath called me and told me that she kept having these feelings that I was in America, so she called me in Thailand just to be sure. I wasn't. I wasn't planning on being in America at all. This was three days before her wedding. This call put a little fire in my belly and a little crazy in my head. I jumped through countless hoops in an inconceivably short amount of time (with the help of some amazing people). The next morning I was walking out of my favorite travel agency that only employs angels holding a travel itinerary for a total of 9 flights to get to and from America. I cleared my schedule for the week and went straight to the airport. I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief and excitement.

Five flights and 36 hours of airplanes and airports later I made it home and the next day got to surprise my sister (well, kind of) on the morning of her wedding. I say "kind of" surprise because her husband spotted me walking in Minneapolis the night before and told her he saw my twin. With her detective skills, and some question and answering with her husband, she was able to confirm that the twin was indeed me. The chances of this happening are so rare that I can only think that Cathleen was meant to find out early as to avoid the imminent heart attack she would suffer during the planned surprise the next day. That would ruin a wedding.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful and the rest of the week was surreal and wonderful. I am back home in Chiang Mai now with my head still buzzing and a noticeable amount of blogging to catch up on. I like to tell things in order, so I will go back to mid-Hong Kong and try to get caught up soon.

Meanwhile, Mia's life in real-time is going to be interesting as well. I start semester two in a few hours. (I missed my first class due to travel and this morning I have to go to campus to get my teaching materials, schedule, get my head on straight as fast as possible and teach...or improvise, at least for today.) Mr. Adam Brookins, my friend from Minnesota, is currently in Laos somewhere but is coming to visit soon. I had to call him hours before I left for the States that I wasn't going to be here when he arrives in Thailand. We flew over opposite directions of the Pacific on the same day, but we waved at each other in passing. I'm excited to finally see him.

China Knows Fireworks

We stormed the mall and stormed the parking ramp and finally got our spots on the pier sporting our peace-in-Asia-signs for the camera. Since it's National Day, everyone gathers together to see fireworks. Much like 4th of July in the states. It was a beautiful night and not only did we get to be on this pier in the middle of the city anticipating the fireworks, we got to see the light show. The light show is one of those things that makes you feel like you're in a movie. Or a music video. All the buildings along the skyline coordinate these bright beams and laser lights, as well as the lights they use just to illuminate the building. All of this is done coordinated perfectly to music. I saw the light show I think each night I was there (they do this nightly, even cooler). In the picture to the left you can see the crowd on the pier as well as the lights shining off the buildings. So I watched the light show with the music that was booming on the pier. I thought this was the official light show music; turns out they only play the official light show music a few piers away. I was watching it thinking, "Wow, look how coordinated it all is!" Not the right music. Too much wine I guess. Still fun.

Then the fireworks. These fireworks were by far the greatest I've ever seen. China knows fireworks. They invented the things. I heard rumors that these were leftover from the Olympics. They were incredible. They were coordinated with music too. Each different shape and color had a meaning according to the newspaper the next day. I'm sorry but when I watch gold and red fireworks burst into the shape of hearts I don't think to myself, "Gosh, those must signify the color of 'Chinese skin and their bursting red hearts.'" (Actually quoted from the newspaper.) I'm not that deep. I think I said out loud, "Holy moly how do they do that? Hearts!" Mare caught my 5 year old reaction on camera. The photo is pretty telling. I like fireworks.I was proud to be Chinese, that's how good they were.

'National Day' is Chinese for Party Time

Mare and Doug threw a party for National Day and it was the perfect excuse to get together and eat and drink and meet all their friends. Firstly, they know how to throw a great party. Mare made pasta (another one of my requests prior to arriving in HK) and everyone brought all the appetizers I've been craving for months. Olives, cheese, artichoke dip, bruschetta, red wine (ok, not an appetizer), and homemade chocolate chip cookies! I was in heaven.

Mare put her lovely ikebana skills to work. See the flower arrangement centerpiece that symbolizes fireworks. She used those same ikebana skills to model for a calendar. Both Mare and Jeanne are Calendar Girls! They did a benefit for breast cancer while living in Tokyo and Jeanne (her now next door neighbor in HK, believe it or not) went over to her place and brought back the famous calendar.

It was really great to talk to these people who have spent so much time living in Asia. A few of them have been to Chiang Mai, telling me how beautiful it is. (I couldn't agree with them more.) It was a delight to hear about their travels, their work, their experiences living all around Asia. The seemed impressed that I was doing something similar on my own at my age. I say, "Yeah. Some days I ask myself if I'm out of my mind. Then I snap out of it and assure myself, 'This is exactly where I should be.'" It was nice to have a little something in common with all of them.

After the delicious dinner that I ate way too much of, it was time to take the party outdoors. Oh yes! We stormed through the mall. (Remember they live above a shopping mall.) This was fun! We were a sight to see, I'm sure. You know that hootin' and hollerin' in a shopping mall is just the beginning of the party...

The Peak

After volunteering, we took a trolley to the top of the peak on HK island. The view was spectacular. You could see both skylines on each side of the water. It was a popular place to go that day because it was a holiday. Mare taught me how to use my elbows in a crowd. She's a pro. There is truly no sense of waiting in line or politely letting someone step ahead of you on the train. No sir. We were packed on that tram like sardines and the ride was nearly a 45 degree angle up the steep hill at some parts. They put huge ridges in the floor of the trolley so people don't slide into each other while riding up.

We ate dim sum for lunch, which is a type of Chinese food that resembles stuffed steamed dumplings. Very tasty. We hung out at the peak for awhile. We were lucky to have nice weather all week, given the typhoon that came through the day after I left. The reason why the view looks a little hazy is from pollution. Interesting to note that the view was clear as can be during the Olympics, because all the factories in China were shut down for those weeks. Pollution or not, it's still fun to look at the little buildings and toy boats below. It was cool to recognize the tall IFC building (the tall thin building just left of center in the top photo) was where they filmed The Dark Knight. It looks a little spooky at night, and I can't imagine a better building for batman to fly off of.

I love this picture of Doug and the maids on their day off. One of them is not interested in being in the picture. Must be an important phone call... That's another difference between China and Japan. In Japan they have signs everywhere asking you to kindly stay off your cell phone on the trains or in other crowded places, because it might annoy your neighbor. No such signs in China. There signs in China ask them not to spit or push their way through crowds...(more on that later).

Volunteering

Early morning on Day 3 I got to meet two of Mare's friends: Jeanne and Mary. The four of us went over to the Sisters of Charity to volunteer for the morning. This was one of the highlights of the trip. First of all, Mare and her friends are just a riot. They kept me smiling all morning. We arrived at the kitchen and we helped prepare vegetables and meat for the soup. This was a delight for me because I don't get to cook and I don't have a kitchen at home. I cut up hot dogs and loads of garlic. It was really fun to sit around on the stools and just chit chat while we worked. It was especially fun to work with the Filipina women who took their day off to come and volunteer at this center. They are all maids working for families in the city. I wasn't aware that everyone has a maid. They talked about their experiences and some of them were quite sad. Since it was a holiday, all the maids had the day off. Every maid takes her vacation day to roam around the city; they were everywhere! And so many of them! I wouldn't be exaggerating to say thousands of Filipina maids were out and about that day, all of them smiling and enjoying their day off.

Anyway, it was very interesting to hear their stories, and I enjoyed listening to them sing as they work. After we helped prepare the food for the kitchen, we moved into another area to help serve a meal. The coordinators of this place are nuns dressed like Mother Theresa, and the nuns guided the men into the eating area. I guess only men were eating at this meal. Some of the men came in with big smiles and others were quiet. Once everyone was seated, the nuns led a prayer and then we started dishing up tin plates of rice, meat, gravy, and greens. I was in charge of greens and I was told not to give big servings because they don't like cabbage. "Sometimes they gag at it," she said. There's a certain saying I think is appropriate, but I won't go there. Mare was the Soup Lady (or Nazi, if you're a Seinfeld fan...No soup for you! She didn't say that though).

After everyone was fed and happy, Mare had a couple of bags of clothes and shoes to donate to the women. When we got back to the kitchen, we couldn't find the bags. They were gone. She said, "That's ok, they're for whoever needs them." We left the kitchen and I heard women giggling and chatting away. I also hear the clickity clack of high heel shoes. We go back in the kitchen and the women were already trying on the clothes and shoes Mare left. They were so excited. It was a really sweet moment.

Soho and Lan Kwai Fong

We had a great Mexican dinner in Soho (South of Hollywood Blvd, similar to the South of Houston concept in Soho, NYC) at a restaurant called i-Caramba!. I just thought of this now, and they will probably laugh, but I think the restaurant is just called Caramba with the upside down ! before and after it... i-Caramba has a better ring to it anyway.

We each had massive plates of delicioso Mexican food and margaritas. So so good. I cannot emphasize how good Mexican food and margaritas are when you can't have them all the time (like my weekly El Loro trips back home). Also, after experiencing Thai spicy food, I am no longer afraid of spicy Mexican.

After dinner we went to the hot spot Lan Kwai Fong for beers. More great people watching. Even on a Tuesday night it was pretty wild. People leave work and make their way up the Lan Kwai Fong hill stopping at endless bars and restaurants for happy hour, because let's face it, it's better than getting on that crowded train. Before you know it, happy hour drinks can easily turn into an all-night affair in this neighborhood. We took the ferry home and I took another bath and was a happy girl at the end of Day 2.

Stanley Market

Mare and I were up and at it early the next morning. We worked out at their uber nice fitness center (much nicer than the bad 80's flashback that is my gym). We took the ferry and then the double decker city bus out to the other side of HK island to Stanley Market. This is a cute little sunny area with shops and a boardwalk. The drive over was beautiful. We shopped around and stopped at a little stand where a man was selling name stamps, like something you'd use to sign a document. He said the characters for "Mia" are something that translates to "pretty Asian." I was amused by that, but not enough to buy it.

We had lunch at this great pizza place. I can't get over how much I love cheese, so this lunch was perfect. They even had Hoegaarden beer! We sat on the waterfront for awhile just enjoying this other kind of great view. The whole area reminded me more of Europe than Asia. Really a beautiful part of town. There are beaches to lay out in the sun, and I'm sure it's a nice getaway from all the people and chaos of the city, only a short bus ride away. We took the bus back to Central and walked around the city. Once again, I cannot get over how many people there are. Just incredibly dense and Mare and Doug pointed out that no one knows how to walk in an orderly fashion. Boy were they right. I noticed that right away. You never run out of places to do some serious people watching. The people watching was so intense my brain couldn't take it all; too many people...too much to see.

The View

Let's start from the very beginning... a very good place to start. (Kudos to you if you sang those last two lines a la Julie Andrews.) I arrived in Hong Kong, greeted by my aunt Mare. We took the train and bus back to her apartment. Their apartment is above this gorgeous shopping mall. Hong Kong really knows how to shop. When I told my friends in Thailand that I was going to HK, they replied, "Oh you're going shopping?" Anyway the apartment is absolutely beautiful. I was beside myself. Then I saw the floor to ceiling windows. Then I looked out the big windows. I started laughing it was so cool. The picture above is from ground level, but their view is exactly the same only 30 floors up. I'd need a pan-a-panoramic photo to get it all in; this is just a small part of the skyline that goes on and on.

I must be becoming more Thai because I remember events in terms of meals. We went down to their pier and had dinner at an English Pub-style restaurant. We sat outside and enjoyed the light show (more on that later) and the skyline and the water. I was finally able to catch up with Doug and Mare and they gave me a quick run down on their experience living in HK versus Japan and the differences between mainland China and Hong Kong (more on that later, too).

It was a lovely welcome and we went back to the apartment where a big bathtub was waiting for me! Mare had asked if I had any requests for when I arrived, and the big one was a bath. It was better than I expected! She even set me up with a basket of shampoos and soaps along with a candle. Not to mention the other goody basket on my nightstand filled with edible treats... What a welcome!

Back Home From Hong Kong

I heard a joke someone told about how great digital cameras are because you get to reminisce instantly. Take a picture, look at the screen and say "Awww! Look at us!"

I am going to instantly reminisce about Hong Kong. I just got home and once I get my bearings back I will be able to attempt to describe how fantastic my trip was and how wonderful my aunt and uncle are for hosting me. Words and pictures won't do it justice, but I will still give it a shot. There is too much to tell, but I will likely take the next few days to get all up to speed.

It was an amazing week. My first impressions of Hong Kong were:
"Wow, look at all the skyscrapers!"
"Wow, look at all the people!"
and the view from their apartment made me giggle from disbelief. It was the view.