Dublin

I'm sitting here in my hostel's lobby, grimy and red-eyed, wishing they didn't have a 2pm check-in. It's really interesting finally being in Ireland--I've heard and read so much about it, but now that I'm here, it still surprises me.

Anyway, my battery is about to die, and my British plug converter is in the luggage storeroom, so I have to go. More soon.

Dragon Boat Festival

Today I took the bus to Ottawa's Dragon Boat Festival at Mooney's bay park- it was nice to get out of downtown, as I really do think that Ottawa is so small and quite unexciting (the only thing original is Parliament Hill, and that's not staggeringly unique! It was a lovely sunny day and I lay on the (wet) grass and read my book and enjoyed all the crazy beach wear. The families with strollers, the couples, the singles, the beefed up guy with a six pack. The weird haircuts, the tattoos, the piercings--they only exist in the west, and when they're at the beach it all comes out. I suppose it can be called a beach, as it had (imported) sand, but I mean, it was the depth of a paddling pool, and just as much current!! There were many different rowing teams (I'm inspired!), and everyone was enjoying the day out. I'm going to miss that easy going outdoors attitude once I get to Baku! No doubt the aggressiveness of the men will drive me nuts... that's what I love about the west--I get left alone! (I was already warned that I shouldn't walk on Baku's Caspian Sea lakefront promenade by myself or else I will be inundated.)
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On my last night, I went to study for my exam a the local Starbucks (ever since reading Starbucked! I'm obsessed with it!) as nothing else was open--who ever heard of mall shops downtown closing at 6pm on summer weekend days and staying open till 9pm on weekdays? What a weird schedule! Anyway, it was depressing to watch a young teenager try and steal a book by throwing it over the beeper machine. He saw me watching and chickened out. Then a homeless guy came up and rifled through the rubbish, and found the receipts I'd discarded. I was appalled--what on earth was he going to do? Sell the credit card numbers? Try and get refunds? Anyway, I called out (no one else did a thing! How appathetic!!) and he stopped and apologized. Canada has one of the highest amount of taxes in the western world to try and cater to these people with social services, but I really was shocked at the number and agressiveness of the homeless there.

The other thing I noticed as I was leaving is that the graffiti that those guys had done on the wall of the public building opposite the jail last weekend--it was gone!! I don't know what sophisticated graffiti removal chemicals did it, but the brick wall was clean and clear. Very impressive!! Graffiti is still disgusting, and I am disgusted because Gabriel, gave me a false phone number!

What did we actually do in Montreal??

1. Downtown- Rue St. Catherine. All we did was walk up and down at 10pm at night. Rather boring way to see it really, but we were in a rush! We did drive past the notorious bar area on Crescent St, though and it was more happening!
2. Notre Dame Cathedral -- pouring down with rain, so really miserable. $5 entrance so didn't go in. Ironically, Mimi did!
3. Parking search for ages, then to the docks to climb clock tower at the docks--my legs ached for three days from the 197 steps. I need more exercise!
4. Bonsecours Market and Old Montreal downtown
5. Biodome--a very cool wire structure that's absolutely enormous (we didn't go in)
6. Lunch--shawarma, yum! Watching the soccer game, of course!! :) Can't even remember who was playing now!
7. Olympic park (again, we didn't go in)
8. Drive up Mont Royal for a lovely view and a meeting with a charming raccoon (I LOVE the animals here--raccoons, beavers, badgers and groundhogs--I know they're normal to everyone else, but even squirrels and chipmunks are exciting to me--all we have in NZ are birds!) On the other side there was a big modern (ghastly-looking) pompous church which Mimi insisted we visit.

And that's it. Oh, and a mall in the suburbs so Mimi could buy something for his sister. A bag-- and yes, I rolled my eyes and said that the bag could have been from anywhere, but he was happy.

Cites travelled this summer

I've been on such a whirlwind trip that I've lost count, so thought I'd do a tally. This is where I've gone or am going. I'm not showing off, but I need to get my mind around it!!

Countries entered (passport stamps): (unique 14, total 17) Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Canada, USA, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Latvia, Belarus, England (& Wales), Azerbaijan

Cities toured (downtown): (unique 19, total 21) Yangon, Bangkok, Manila, Bangkok, Perth, Singapore, Madison, Kenosha, Ottawa, Montreal, Ottawa, Chicago, Dublin, Galway, Basel, Vienna, Riga, Minsk, London, Cardiff, London, Baku

Airports: (unique 17, total 21) Yangon, Bangkok, Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Perth, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul Incheon, Chicago, Ottawa, Chicago, Dublin, Zurich, Vienna, Riga, Minsk, London Gatwick, Minsk, Baku

This is May 22-Aug 7, 2008... so almost 3 months!!

Montreal and more!

So I finally made it to Montreal! I have been dreaming of visiting for a number of years after meeting a number of Quebecois. I'm not going to say I was dissapointed (I wasn't), but it was not at all like what I had expected.

I guess I had a trumped up dream of a quaint little village, with winding cobblestone streets and little French cafes on the edge of a hill, with a city wall and tiny little buildings. It was not quaint. Yes, some streets in Old Montreal were cobblestone, but they were straight! It was a grid city just like every other city in the New World. The cafes were there, but of course, the night clubs and bars were far more popular. To be fair, Quebec City still has it's city wall and is probably smaller and closer to what I imagined, but I was so surprised!! It is an enormous city (especially in compared with Ottawa), with suburbia rolling out in quartier after quartier. On any random street, apart from the Arret sign, it could be any city in North America.

However, Montreal was wonderful! It was so multi cultural! Now that I have seen it (although Montreal is not all of Quebec), I do not agree with their desire for independence. They are a bit different, but not completely unique. They really are still North American to a T. The strip malls and chain stores are still everywhere, and the houses, appartments, shops and living are generally also the same. I do love the French influences, but honestly, English was EVERYWHERE. And, as my Moroccan friends said, everyone there is Moroccan!! (or Algerian, or West African, but basically, immigrants are everywhere!).

We had miserable weather while we were there--raining on and off all day, but we managed to see most of the major sites and catch up with relatives! One thing I didn't like though, was all the girly bars. It was disgusting, really, but I suppose that's the liberalness. I guess, coming from Asia, I just don't like it, and seeing it so pervasive everywhere there was certainly something I can criticise! Alternatively, the liberalness also stretches to gays--it seemed as we walked down Rue St. Catherine, the main drag, that I saw more sexy effeminate men than blokes, but that could be just the fashion conciousness! One goes with the other I guess. As Omar pointed out, it's not a great city to be in as a woman... too much competition!

Interestingly, Montreal is at a lower latitude than Paris. Amazing how Montreal seems so cold, yet is actually further south. It is cold, it's true, and many people who've been there in winter say the depression is strong, but yet it rates as in the top 20 cities that people would most like to live in the world. What do people need to be happy, hmm??

Overall, Canada impresses me. I could consider living here to (an eternal consideration no matter where I go!). It is American without the Americanisms. It is more chic, more unique, and more quirky, and that appeals. I've known a few Canadians who I've thought were odd and quirky, but now I see where they come from and they fit! (I wonder if people think that when they meet me? I know I'm odd, so it's okay!) I also like that it's less stuffy and more liberal. Men have longer hair, and women are less blowdried, Ms. California perfection. I saw a woman on the street that looked just like Alanis Morissette, and it blew me away that so many women look like her--dark haired, wavy unstyled (or subtly styled) hair, or Avril Lavinge, the "rebel" fashionista. There are still the odd Celine Dions, blonde and manicured, but they just offer balance instead of the typical. I guess I empathize with the more "real" people who don't wear heavy makeup and seem down to earth. It's a casualness, I suppose, and perhaps that's because of summer. It's not trying to impress--it's just comfortable. Montreal was a bit different--tight pants everywhere there. I felt so sloppy!

I'm back in Ottawa at the moment--am actually in the University of Ottawa library! I think this'd be a great place for me to come and study for my exam on Monday! I've got this weekend here and I fly back to Chicago on Monday. From there, off to Dublin and Europe so I can really feel some USD to Euro exchange pain.

Overtravelling?

My NZ friends recently accused me of overtravelling, and that I've become jaded and blase about it all, which I suppose is partially true. They tell me that others save up for years for the kind of trip I take for granted as a weekend opportunity. They hint that I've lost the meaning and value of my wonderful opportunities. Recently my mother (after having to explain my crazy journey so far to her colleagues) told me that she thinks it's amazing.

I guess, all I can say in my defense is that I really don't know any other life!! Please don't think I take it for granted at all--I value every opportunity!!

People ask me all the time how I can afford such a life as this. Even those people that I work with ask me that. I don't budget especially carefully, so it's hard to explain it. I live pretty frugally all the time (read: efficiency!), and then have big spend-ups in the summer. I have no debt left, and when I do travel, I do it on the cheap, staying in hostels and not going out to dinner often (eating alone is not really very fun). I rarely go on the drinking binges because, again, doing it alone is not fun, although I do occasionally join others I meet. I'm not rich. I just spend my money differently than you do.

Oh! Canada!

Arriving in Ottawa, I discovered it's quite a small, quaint city. I took the local bus into town to stay at the Ottawa jail... which is now a hostel. In Cell 2 Level 4 I laid my stuff and headed out for the night.

Aside from two charming German couples, I met this fascinating guy called Gabriel. He's a graffiti artist who has had some amazing life stories!! While I sarcastically told him that tagging is the equivalent of a dog's pissing on the wall to mark his territory (he was not impressed), he told me about the art form. I still think it is cruel to draw all over someone else's walls and desecrate beautiful historic brick buildings, but he has impressed on me just how much of a community it creates and how much skill is involved. He also, interestingly, had a prosthetic foot. Apparently, in his younger (but no less wild) days he used to train hop across the country, and one day he put his foot through the wheel, and it ripped off until it was only connected (vitally) by the artery. Yesterday, I went to see the graffiti artists in action at the special arts festival under the only legal graffiti wall in Ottawa.

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It's been really interesting to finally get to Canada. I find it impossible not to make comparisons with other western countries, most especially America. I find that there are far fewer obese people and there are far more tattoos (everyone seems to have at least one, and most have many, and they are all over arms, legs, bodies). Maybe because it's summer, the Canadians let it all hang out, whereas most of the year, these would be covered.

Another really surprising thing is the number of homeless people. Yesterday I was asked for money or to buy bus tickets 4 times! Do I look rich or more likely, foreign and gullible?

I do like the funky Canadian fashion sense: it's strong on punk and goth with layers of strange clothing mixes. It's definately more outrageous than Middle America's conservatism, although to be fair, I was coming from the mid west. Canadians seem accepting of their multiculturalism and mix of people. I've seen the most beautiful people here--lovely chocolate men and women with beautiful bone structures. The men are quite gorgeous and have creative facial hair. They aren't all rapper or American Eagle fashion and following the stereotypes like in America. I'm realizing more and more how US Fashion typically lacks originality--but maybe Canada gets old and looks monotonous after a while too?

Despite being orderly and prosperous, I can't decide if Ottawa's a ghetto town or not. There are just all types here! I suppose it's small size means that people have to mix with all types. I love all the French here too!! Montreal, baby... hopefully I'll get there by the end of the week!

Anyway, have to go to the airport and hope Mimi and Omar's flight has FINALLY arrived. It's been delayed twice!!

Efficiency

I never realised until a brainwave hit me while I was staying with Mel just how important it is for me to follow a policy of efficiency in my life. Everything I do has to involve no waste--no time waste, no energy waste. The exception to this is my travel, but everything else is just insane. I can't do one thing when I could be doing two. If I stand up to go somewhere, I have to pick up/carry something to the room I'm going to, and if I'm going, I usually have to carry ALL things that need to be moved. I so consistently multi-task that I lose track of what I'm doing, so I wonder if it really is efficient after all, although many things do get done!!

It bugs me when other people waste!!

Madison, WI

Kara's wedding:

The first place I went upon arrival into the US was Madison for Kara's wedding. I literally got off the plane, onto a bus and went straight to the Bachelorette (Hen) Party. What a fun party! Dinner at a fashionable pub with a waiter who was definately fun--Michael told us secrets just like all the hens had to. From there we went to watch a famous Madison stripper, but, randomly, the power was off in the appartment so it was a slow start. A very good and shocking show once it did!! Then off to watch more naked men in the local gay bar, but by then we truly were blase about it all having just had one up close and personal!! Off to hotel (thank you Nelly!) for some much needed sleep!

Friday saw us at McDonalds for breakfast (it was the closest thing to the hotel) and on odd errands all day. I bought a pre-paid phone at Walgreens and amused everyone by talking to it to coax it to work. Those long lists of small print! Yuck!! After dinner at Chilli's (I think it was Chilli's), we waited for people to arrive. Cara received TLC in the form of backrubs in many curious forms.

Saturday, breakfast was at Ihop, by which point I finally figured out that Americans just don't drink tea like me. Fried and fatty food filling us, we veged on the couch some more before getting ready to go to the wedding, which began at 2pm. Of course, the biggest set of storms Madison has seen in recent years had to come at just that moment!! Tornado warning, anyone?

The ceremony was held in a tent at Kara's parents house, and then the reception (when we could get to it) was held at the Overture Center. It seemed like a strange place for a reception at first (a bit like being in the middle of a fishbowl), but by the end of the night, there didn't seem a better place anywhere. We felt fancy and swish sipping cocktails like socialites going to the theatre (the Tahitian Honeymoon drink was particuarly good), and the green theme (including cake!) was chic too. Not too many speeches later, the dancing began and the night roared on.

Later, at the hotel bar, inhibitions flew away and the debauchery :) :) began. But you'll just have to hear that gossip in person.

It was so great seeing everyone!!

Amanda, Nick and Sue's

After farewelling everyone on Sunday I went to join Amanda, though sadly, all I could do for the first afternoon was recover (couch nap!). A peaceful, relaxing week of fun ensued!! Nick took me to the capitol building and around Madison. We tried the new Afghan restaurant Maza. Nick cooked delish vege burgers. I got my annual dose of Ryan family frisbee. We ate Strawberry shortcake with that sinful coolwhip. And don't forget my favorite shop half price books. I do love suburbia. I do think I would get bored if I had to live in it for too long, but I love it when I get to live it, if only for a few weeks!!
Curly:

On Friday morning, despite the storm-induced traffic, I had a breakfast date with Andrea, and we caught up on all the exciting things happening in our lives. I heard about her time in Ukraine and we made plans to meet up somewhere near there next year!

Kenosha:

Then Mel arrived and whisked me off for lunch and a tour of the Plasma/Nuclear Physics facility at UW Madison where her bro works at. Talk about crazy new knowledge!!! I can now recognize the vaccuum, coils and other sophisticated machinery required to create hydrogen plasma, although Mel and I have concluded that even though he works in Nuclear Fission technology, they're not actually going to achieve fission that soon.

Mel and I spent a lovely sunny afternoon looking around Kenosha. Can't believe that I've been there so many times and never seen downtown. We went to a small market, the local museum (where there were some absolutely gorgeous ivory pieces), and even into Mel's dream condo on the shore of Lake Michigan.

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When I come back I'm going to Univ of Illinois at Chicago to take my last Globalization exam and staying with Mary from the Romania dig. Yay!

Sixth leg: USA

I'm in transit in Seoul Incheon airport at the moment, and am on my way to Chicago (in fact, they're probably boarding my flight right now). No plans for the next few weeks, but hope I can catch up and have some relaxed fun!!

Next time, hopefully, I'll share pics, too!!