Hello folks! I'm back in the US of A after the longest day of my life. I mean literally, not figuratively. I got on a plane on 9pm Thursday the 25th, then arrived in the US at 4:30pm on the 25th after an 11+hour flight. Weird, right?
Anyway I'm now in Portland with some fabulous couch surfing hosts! I had my interview at NCNM (National College of Natural Medicine) Friday morning. I'm not quite sure how it went because I was severely jet-lagged. I'll find out in a week or two if I did alright or not.
Other than that there isn't really anything much to report....My last week in China was all by my lonesome since Andy left for warmer weather in Hawaii and was fun but nothing crazy happened. I went to the Great Wall (beautiful!) and met some nice guys there who showed me around the 798 factory district (really cool art). I also went to the forbidden city and various odds and ends and made some really good friends at the hostel I stayed. Here in Portland my hosts Tawny and Zane have taken me to a potluck and we made breakfast together this morning! Soon we'll be heading out for Portland adventures. I'll be hopping on a train on Monday for an across America journey with a stop off in Chicago! Unfortunately I won't be visiting NYC with Lana and Virginia (HELLO lovely ladies!) but I am excited to get home. Though I thought I was going to skip winter this year.....I have yet to see real snow. I saw a couple tiny piles of dirty snow in Beijing but that hardly counts.
Love!!!
See you soon.....
Ece
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Chopsticks
I've been spending altogether too much money on fancy chopsticks. I can't help myself!! They're so beautiful. And I blame my fascination with them on several people.
So it all started before I began my adventures. I read somewhere about how many tons of disposable chopsticks the Chinese go through every day. I thought "oh I'll just buy my own pair so I don't contribute to the landfills." Then I got to Nepal. One of my wonderful roommates, Luna, eats everything with these simple but beautiful bamboo chopsticks. She told me about how she believes that food's energy is effected by everything that touches it, and it is best effected by other plant forms rather than metal. Of course I believe in the energy of everything so that further deepened my resolve to get myself some nice natural-material chopsticks. Then Andy comes along and shows me this beautiful set of chopsticks he got in Thailand (mind you, they use silverware in Thailand, not chopsticks). I couldn't wait to get to China and get my own.
So now you know. I started off with a fun cartoon pair that Andy picked out (it came in a pack of 2-one for each of us). Those were plastic (I convinced myself it'll be easier to clean as a traveller with limited access to dish soap). It took me over a week to find my next pair....a beautiful wooden one painted with delicate little branches and birds. Too nice to use on a daily basis. The same day I found a rather simple wooden pair with other types of wood inserted into the top...and they came with a beautiful chopsticks-holder! While staying in Dali, I bought a short rosewood pair because of both the shape carved into the top and the shopkeeper told me about how wonderfully the energy of the rosewood effects your food (good salesman). Then I came across 4 pairs with colored woven cases, on display next to some beautiful chopstick stands (tiny wooden block to rest your chopsticks on so it doesn't smudge the table!) 2 shaped like fish and 2 rectangular-curvy ones. I'm working on convincing myself that I have enough now and needn't buy anymore.
I love my chopsticks.
So it all started before I began my adventures. I read somewhere about how many tons of disposable chopsticks the Chinese go through every day. I thought "oh I'll just buy my own pair so I don't contribute to the landfills." Then I got to Nepal. One of my wonderful roommates, Luna, eats everything with these simple but beautiful bamboo chopsticks. She told me about how she believes that food's energy is effected by everything that touches it, and it is best effected by other plant forms rather than metal. Of course I believe in the energy of everything so that further deepened my resolve to get myself some nice natural-material chopsticks. Then Andy comes along and shows me this beautiful set of chopsticks he got in Thailand (mind you, they use silverware in Thailand, not chopsticks). I couldn't wait to get to China and get my own.
So now you know. I started off with a fun cartoon pair that Andy picked out (it came in a pack of 2-one for each of us). Those were plastic (I convinced myself it'll be easier to clean as a traveller with limited access to dish soap). It took me over a week to find my next pair....a beautiful wooden one painted with delicate little branches and birds. Too nice to use on a daily basis. The same day I found a rather simple wooden pair with other types of wood inserted into the top...and they came with a beautiful chopsticks-holder! While staying in Dali, I bought a short rosewood pair because of both the shape carved into the top and the shopkeeper told me about how wonderfully the energy of the rosewood effects your food (good salesman). Then I came across 4 pairs with colored woven cases, on display next to some beautiful chopstick stands (tiny wooden block to rest your chopsticks on so it doesn't smudge the table!) 2 shaped like fish and 2 rectangular-curvy ones. I'm working on convincing myself that I have enough now and needn't buy anymore.
I love my chopsticks.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Ni Hao Are You?
I'm in China! I've had my first HOT shower since leaving the US :D It was fantastic. I've also had the pleasure of visiting a doctor in every country I've been to. Thankfully it's nothing new just a little bit of leftovers from India. The Chinese are very thorough!
So far Andy and I have just been putzing around doing touristy things. It's been really nice especially since the weather is so warm!! Today we rented bikes for the day and made our way out to some smaller villages. We also found a natural hot spring but decided against taking a dip. It's all been really great...but....well there's no purpose anymore. I'm just a tourist. I see nice things and enjoy my time away from the US but what am I gaining from this in reference to the rest of my life? I'm not here just for a vacation I'm out here to learn about myself and about the world and right now I'm not really doing either. Nepal brought me a deep spiritual experience, and India brought me practicies in the energies of my body (chakras) and of the energy of the cosmos (as Bharti-my yoga teacher- likes to say "yoga is prayer through the body. Each of us has a spark of divinity that must be fanned into flames by yoga.") and China is bringing me nothing other than another western culture and a quick peak into some of the natural/rural areas.
I am excited about the New Year with Mrs.Li and her family (that should be a really nice cultural experience) and to come home with a bag full of clothes and shoes that actually fit me (!!!!) but for the next week and a half I'll have to find some purpose.
Love!
Ece
So far Andy and I have just been putzing around doing touristy things. It's been really nice especially since the weather is so warm!! Today we rented bikes for the day and made our way out to some smaller villages. We also found a natural hot spring but decided against taking a dip. It's all been really great...but....well there's no purpose anymore. I'm just a tourist. I see nice things and enjoy my time away from the US but what am I gaining from this in reference to the rest of my life? I'm not here just for a vacation I'm out here to learn about myself and about the world and right now I'm not really doing either. Nepal brought me a deep spiritual experience, and India brought me practicies in the energies of my body (chakras) and of the energy of the cosmos (as Bharti-my yoga teacher- likes to say "yoga is prayer through the body. Each of us has a spark of divinity that must be fanned into flames by yoga.") and China is bringing me nothing other than another western culture and a quick peak into some of the natural/rural areas.
I am excited about the New Year with Mrs.Li and her family (that should be a really nice cultural experience) and to come home with a bag full of clothes and shoes that actually fit me (!!!!) but for the next week and a half I'll have to find some purpose.
Love!
Ece
(title credit and posting responsibilities: Eser)
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