Living Out of a Backpack...

If you haven't already figured it out, discovering the best ways to travel on a budget is one of my favorite challenges.  So, when I heard about housesitting a couple of years ago, I knew immediately that I had to give it a try.  After receiving a recommendation from friends, Dan and I signed up for a website called TrustedHouseSitters.com.  Every day, the website has new postings of houses that need to be “housesat” as the owners travel.  The houses range from farms in the middle of nowhere, to beautiful beach houses, to apartments in cities all throughout the world.  They usually all have pets that need to be taken care of (some cats and dogs, others horses and pigs).

In order to get some experience under our belt, Dan and I found a housesit in the (rural) suburbs of Pennsylvania for ten days over the summer.  Our duties entailed looking after a dog, two rabbits, a hamster and some fish.   The experience taught us that looking after a needy dog is tougher than we thought, and that living in the suburbs, in a large house with a nice big yard, essentially the “American dream”, might not be all it's cracked up to be. 

Istanbul, Turkey

Thanks to my obsessive website checking and need to reply to emails immediately after they are received (one of my greatest strengths, according to Dan), we were able to snag a housesit in Istanbul for the month of September.  We spent one month living in a beautiful 13^th floor apartment overlooking the city, and taking care of three cats.  Istanbul is a beautiful, culturally diverse city.  We experienced some strange (but delicious) foods, the scariest taxi ride of our lives, the inside of a mosque, and witnessed the kindness of a city towards stray cats.

Brussels, Belgium
Soon after our housesit ended in Istanbul, we were off to our next housesit in Brussels, a city that we later learned was given the title “the most boring city in Europe,” two years in a row…

It’s the home of the European Union and NATO, so the residents are from all over the world.  The streets are clean, the cars always stop for you at the crosswalks, the people are very environmentally friendly, and it seems as if there’s just one homogenous social class (which is pretty well-off and speaks three languages).  It’s hard to explain exactly what was missing (Graffiti?  Garbage? Homeless people?), but I just felt as if the city was lacking some character.  But what it was lacking in character it made up for with delicious chocolate, waffles and beer.  Also, the close proximity to other major cities makes Brussels a good hub. 

Southern France
From Brussels, we made our way to Southern France to visit Dan’s friend in Montpellier, a smaller university city, known for having “the sexiest trams” in Europe.  Spending the week with Dan’s friends, recent parents, I realized the importance of some of the benefits given to Europeans, that Americans don’t have-- more vacation time, longer maternity leave, cheaper childcare services.  In exchange for these benefits, workers accept lower earning potential (leading to less of a gap between the rich and the poor).  After much observation and discussion, I'm beginning to think that the quality of life in France (and many other European countries) is just plain better.

From there, we were lucky enough to find a housesit about an hour away in a small village, home to 800 people.  There is one small shop, one au de pain (bakery) and one restaurant in the town.  The house is surrounded by mountains and vineyards, and the roads filled with bikers.  Every direction we walk is breathtaking, but walking and riding bikes are pretty much the only things we can do.  The nearest supermarket is 8km away (at the bottom of the hill), and as a result going to the supermarket (or rather, returning from the supermarket up the hill with our groceries) has become a full day event.

The ability to experience someone’s life for a few weeks at a time has taught me a lot.

I’ve learned some simple things about myself.  I’ve seen how much happier I am when there is a lot of light; I’ve learned about the way light wood can disguise dirt; I’ve learned the value of drinkable tap water, a non-stick pan, and a gas stove…

But at the same time, I have learned much more valuable things.

I have been able to experience a small glimpse into the lives of others, and imagine the vast possibilities for my own life.

I have learned that the best way to truly learn about yourself is to put yourself in uncomfortable situations.  At the same time, I've learned how to make myself comfortable in new settings. 

I have learned that people throughout the world are all different in small ways, but share the same fundamental nature.

I have realized that one perfect place doesn’t exist.

I have learned just how lucky I am to be able to travel anywhere in the world and have English as my native language (and to have been born in one of the richest countries in the world).

But most importantly, I have learned how important the things are that I have to give up in order to live a lifestyle like I do.

Long-term travel can be lonely sometimes (even with Dan!).  After years of hellos and goodbyes, I feel like I have developed less of a desire to meet new people, and a sense of detachment from the people I meet.  Constantly moving and spending just a short amount of time in different cities makes it quite difficult to cultivate real relationships.

My experiences over the last two years have made me both more understanding and tolerant of people, but at the same time, more unable to relate to them.  Over these past few years of living out of a backpack, I've learned that living a lifestyle that is so different than the norm is exciting, but also isolating.

I’ve learned that although I enjoy change, there is a large part of me that craves routine.  Initially, moving to a new place and being confronted with the challenge of finding a new supermarket, meeting new people, or discovering a way to exercise was a fun challenge, but now more and more I miss just having simple routines.

I can’t believe that I’m actually writing this, but I think that I’m almost ready to settle down, or at least something close to it. 

Will I stop traveling completely?  

No.

But, I want to create a homebase.  I want to be near family and friends.  I want some routines. 

I think I’ve learned that to truly appreciate travel, I need to take a break from it every once in a while. 

Welcome to the future...two weeks in Seoul, South Korea

Last week Dan and I visited Seoul.  Going from Thailand from Seoul felt like we had traveled into the future...high-speed Internet connections, eyes glued to smart phones, automated everything, motion-sensored escalators, heated floors,...definitely quite the change.

Here are some of the things I found most interesting about South Korea...

Imagine a typical cafe; coffee, tea, pastries and comfortable chairs and tables scattered with people reading or working on their laptops.  Now, throw in twenty or so cats, some cat furniture, and cat toys. Now you have a cat cafe, a completely normal finding in Seoul.  Apparently there are dog cafes and even a sheep cafe too, but cat cafes are by far the most popular.

A job as a professional video game player is a reputable job in Korea.  And going to e-stadiums to watch a live competition is a completely normal weeknight outing.  Being surrounded by hundreds of Korean teenage boys cheering on their favorite team was quite the experience.

Koreans know how to drink.  From soju (Korean distilled rice liquor) to makgeolli (Korean rice wine), there is an alcohol that goes with every meal!

It's completely normal to eat octopus legs while they are still alive and suctioning.  Dosed in sesame oil, I have to admit, it wasn't too bad.

Korean BBQ is delicious (although I haven't yet developed a liking for kimchi), but the best part is the sucking tube that sucks away all the excess smoke!

In Korean the word for room is "bang."  Koreans have a bang for everything.  A DVD bang for watching movies, karaoke bangs, wii bangs, and the most popular of all, PC bangs.

In Korea, almost every restaurant will deliver (even fast food restaurants like McDonald's).  But, that's not the interesting part.  The delivery man will provide the customer with plates and cutlery, that he will late come back again an hour or two later to pick up.

Plastic surgery is surprisingly cheap, and very common in South Korea.  According to a survey 1 in 5 Korean women has had plastic surgery.  Eyelid surgery to create a double lid and nose jobs to lengthen and thin the nose are the most popular surgeries.  I hadn't even known that eyelid surgery existed!

It's very common for Koreans to meet their husband or wife with the help of a matchmaker.  Many Koreans are brought to a matchmaker by their parents, hoping to find a match belonging to a similar social class.  The matchmaker arranges a meeting-- typically the man pays for the date, and the woman pays the matchmaker a fee in advance.  If the match is a success, and the couple decides to get married, the matchmaker receives a hefty bonus (anywhere from $2000 - $10,000).

Koreans are born being one year old.  And everyone turns a year older as the year changes.  So, if a baby is born on December 31st, they become 2 years old on January 1st.

People in South Korea stereotype one another based on their blood type.  In case you're wondering, type A's tend to be conservative, punctual, loyal, introverted and a bit uptight.  Type B's are creative and passionate, but also lazy and impatient.  Type AB, cool and calm, although a little elitist and judgmental; type O, ambitious and athletic, but also egotistical.

Burning season is here!

We first learned about the burning season a few months ago. Apparently, every year around March, the plantations in Southeast Asia use controlled fires to clear the land of vegetation and make space for crops.

This results in the "Southeast Asian haze," an air pollution problem that affects much of Asia.  I have read that "slash-and-burn" agriculture is heavily regulated, but this doesn't seem to deter farmers from doing it in mass amounts.

Unfortunately, Chiang Mai sits in a bowl-like valley surrounded by mountains, which traps the polluted air. Dan and I have recently started to notice the effects. Due to decreased visibility, we can no longer see the mountains that surround the city, nor can we completely see stretches of road that were once visible to us.  Walking along the streets has become much less enjoyable, and working out a little more labored (or perhaps this is just a reverse placebo effect, or nocebo effect (yes, that phrase actually exists)).

The past few days, Chiang Mai has been in the "Moderate" zone, but today it has made it to the "Unhealthy" zone, which according to http://aqicn.org/ means that "Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects."

Where is Chiang Mai?

I guess it's good timing that we're leaving Thailand on March 30th. I'm definitely going to miss Chiang Mai, but I don't even want to imagine what the "Hazardous" zone is like...

Miracle Fruit

While browsing the Internet, Dan came across something called the Miracle fruit. The miracle fruit is a berry that, when eaten, causes sour foods to taste sweet.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synsepalum_dulcificum)

Quite intrigued upon learning about this (and surprised that I hadn't known about it before), I began searching for where this fruit is found. I soon learned that the miracle plant could be found in Chiang Mai at one of the local flower markets.

After a couple of hours spent wandering around the market, hopelessly trying to communicate with a lot of mimicking of sour and sweet faces, I finally found the plant.

We read online that the most effective way to do it is to put the berry in your mouth for one minute and move it around your tongue. For the next hour, lemons, limes, grapefruits and sour candies tasted amazing!

Coaching CMIS

Coaching soccer has been something that I've always wanted to try.  I started training young girls when I was 16 years old, but had never coached before.  So, when I was offered the opportunity to coach the Chiang Mai International School U14 girls team, I jumped at the opportunity.

Showing up at practice the first day, I was unsure what to expect.  But, I know what I definitely wasn't expecting-- girls to show up for practice with their hair down, jeans and normal tennis shoes.

"Are you on the soccer team?" I asked a girl dressed in jeans who hopped into the songtaew headed to the field.
"Yes," she responded.
"Do you want to change before we go to the field?" I asked.
"Change?" she replied confused.

The team consisted of girls aged 11-13, some of whom had never before touched a soccer ball, and others who were quite good.  A good portion of the girls were from Thailand, and the rest from the US, South Korea, the UK, and South Africa.  There were 15 girls on the team, more than double what we needed for their 7v7 games.

In the beginning, practices were difficult, as better players would become frustrated with some of the girls who had never played before.  It was tough to find drills that were simple enough for beginners, challenging for the better players, yet fun for everyone.  And what was even tougher was trying to fit 15 girls into a 40-minute game.

But, I made it through the season, with an undefeated record, far surpassing my initial expectations, and even won the final conference tournament.

I have a feeling that this won't be my last time coaching...

Hong Kong

I pride myself in my flight searching abilities, so when I found a round-trip flight for $250 directly to Hong Kong from Chiang Mai for the Chinese New Year, I gave myself a hefty pat on the back.  One of my good friends is currently living in Hong Kong, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to visit.  Only later did I learn that my flight was actually during the New Year celebrations, and that it arrived at 12:50am, just two minutes after the Express train stopped running for the night.  Luckily, I was able to easily find a cab from the airport.

Arriving to Steph's apartment at 1:30am, I felt fully awake, and full of excitement.  But, my actions might tell otherwise.  I paid the driver and subconsciously swung the door open...right as a bus was driving by.

"No, no, no, no, no..." the driver yelled, wincing in his seat.  For what might be the longest three seconds of my life, the taxi door skidded along the bus, until the bus came to a halt.

Amused passengers on the bus made sure to document the incident with their iPhones, as I stammered to find some words that might make the situation any better.  As traffic piled up behind the bus, I apologized profusely to the cab driver, while waiting to see what would happen next.  Police officers arrived at the scene a few minutes later chattering away in Cantonese as I stood there awkwardly.  To make a long story short, my first night in Hong Kong was a memorable one.



*In case you're wondering, the taxi had insurance to cover its repair, but I had to partially cover the damage to the bus.  Well, technically I'm sure I could have easily gotten out of it since they really had no way to contact me, but $250 wasn't such a terrible price to pay.

Hong Kong was basically as expected: an overcrowded international city with small apartments, the longest skyline I've ever seen, delicious pork buns and egg custard buns...and really nice beaches!

Phuket

Phuket

This past week Dan and I ventured out of Chiang Mai for the first time in three months, to Phuket, a city a bit more well-known. When imagining Thailand, I (like most people) had always pictured picturesque beaches with transparent turquoise water, white sand and long wooden boats. Phuket is definitely the place to see this. However, you have to venture to the nearby islands to see the really beautiful beaches (and endure an hour of a potentially vomit-inducing boat ride to get there).

There is much more to Phuket than just the beaches. There are many different parts of Phuket Island. Dan and I chose to stay in Patong to be in the center of the action. Patong is by far the most touristy place I have ever visited. Most of the tourists seemed to hail from Russia, Australia and other parts of Europe. In fact, the only Thai people I spotted in the city were the ones working in the tourism industry.

In the center of Patong lies Bangla Road. Bangla Road is home to the nightlife that Thailand is famous for. Imagine a road closed off to cars after dark, littered with drunken tourists, bars, nightclubs, half-naked pole dancers, and ladyboys (some flamboyant, and some in disguise). Now, throw in some Thai people trying to sell you pictures with giant, heavily-sedated reptiles and miniature monkeys, and more Thai people pushing signs into your face advertising ping-pong and "sexy lady" shows. 

"What is a ping-pong show?" you might ask. Or perhaps I was the only one completely oblivious to the existence of ping-pong shows before visiting Phuket. Apparently if you've seen the movie Hangover II, you know what this is (I haven't seen this movie). If you're not sure what a ping-pong show is, switch on your dirtiest mind and let it wander…and wander some more…and yeah, keep going…I still don't know if you're there yet. If you're curious, google it. Although I am usually enticed by new experiences, Dan and I opted against the ping-pong show because of some of the horror stories we had heard about the sex trade and treatment of the women performing the shows.

These are some of the options of shows we could choose from:

As would be expected from any tourist destination the price of things was quadruple the price in Chiang Mai. Okay, I'll admit $5-8 for a meal is still a good price, but Dan and I took it upon ourselves to try to avoid the tourist trap and venture around until we found a restaurant where Thai people were eating. That restaurant happened to be in the parking garage at the local mall, so most of our lunches were spent alongside mall employees.

Alongside Bangla Road are tons of markets selling your typical clothing, souvenirs, and accessories. One afternoon I thought that it might be a good idea to search for sundresses in the local market. The moment I walked into the market, the vendors immediately latched onto me and began pestering. As I browsed their shops, and they followed just inches behind me, the dialogue went something like this:

Vendor: "Hello. Where you from?"

Me: "Sawadeeka." My eyes scan the sundresses.

Vendor: "You like dress. I get for you."

I wonder what dress they are talking about because I have not yet expressed interest in any of the dresses.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka." (No, thank you.)

The vendor reaches for a dress and takes it off the rack to show to me.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka." (No, thank you.) "I can look by myself."

Vendor: "No like? Try this one." Vendor proceeds to grab a different dress off the wall and put directly in front of me.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka.." (No, thank you.) "I will look alone"

Vendor: "I know! This one for you. I give you. 700 baht. Here you go…" The vendor goes to the corner to grab a plastic bag.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka." (No, thank you.)

The dialogue continues like that until I eventually manage to maneuver my way out of the shop or I decide to make a purchase (after bargaining them down to about ⅓ of their initial ludicrous price).

Once I asked the woman if I could try the dress on over my clothes, and she replied yes. Before the dress was fully on my body, the women was complimenting it. "Perfect! You beautiful. You buy dress." When I tried to tell her that I didn't like it (for a good reason: it was obviously too big even on top of my jean shorts and t-shirt), she proceeded to yell at me. "One size for all. You try, you buy." I couldn't help but laugh as I walked away…

Visa run
Dan and I knew when planning our trip to Phuket that we would have to squeeze in a visa run. We were approaching our 90 day mark, and our 3 time re-entry tourist visa requires us to leave the country after 90 days for a 60 day extension (We can get a 30 day extension from inside Thailand). The fastest visa run from Phuket is a 4 hour drive and a 30 minute boat ride across the border into Burma. The van service informed us that we'd be picked up at 5:40am, driven to Burma, fed both breakfast and lunch, and be back to our hostel by 6pm. Our driver was an hour late to pick us up, but by being outside at 5:40am I was given the chance to satisfy my extreme desire of people watching, as ladyboys and drunken men stumbled towards their hostels to end their night.

If I disregard the fact that our driver didn't speak a word of English, insisted upon holding onto our passports for a large portion of the journey, and drove as if it were tryouts for the Olympic race car team, I guess I can say that the visa run went smoothly. Luckily, we're only planning to stay in Thailand until early March, so we won't have to do it again!

Some things I learned:

All my life I have looked at young people covered in tattoos and body piercings and wondered what might happen to them when they became older and…well, saggier. I now know the answer. They go to Phuket.

Thai beaches really are as beautiful as the pictures.

Beware of sea urchins. And don't itch microscopic jellyfish bites.

Ladyboys can easily pass as beautiful Thai women. I was unable to tell the difference when I was sober, so I can imagine how easy it might be to make this mistake when drunk.

More streets should be closed off to cars at night. It's pretty great to be able to walk down the center of the street and not have to worry about a car zooming by.

Thai performers struggle with lip-syncing American songs.

All restaurants should have menus like the restaurant below: