Happy Chocolate Easter

OOTO: Out Of The Office


One thing I love about working here in Jakarta is my ability to leave the office. I remember plenty a summer day in Seattle, longingly looking out the window from my desk.. counting down the hours until I could be outside. I thankfully don't have that problem here in Jakarta. I came to Payon, a great Indonesian restaurant in Kemang for lunch this afternoon and didn't leave. It's 8:10pm and I've been hanging out here all day, working on projects and coming up with templates for some reports.

I sit way in the back of the compound, on pillows at a table low to the ground... The thatched roof is held up by carved wooden columns, and the outdoor dining room is lit by lanterns that look 100 years old. There is a slight breeze which catches the scent of garlic, cinnamon and spices being used in the kitchen. If I look out into the courtyard, the lush trees are back-lit with twinkling lights. Payon looks like a Balinese villa, only tucked away in the busy habub that is Jakarta.

For those of you in Jakarta, I'm usually here on Sunday afternoons... Reading, writing and chatting with friends over a strong cup of Chai Jahe. Come stop by!

Fish at the Four Seasons

I currently have to leave Indonesia every 30 days, since I'm on a tourist Visa... So this "visa run" I decided to visiting the Kingdom of Thailand, specifically the original City of Angels (Bangkok).

Since I was there over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to be around for my favorite brunch - an event so obnoxiously extravagant I had to document it. This gentleman here is in waders, in the pond serving caviar from a platform also in the water. There are Koi that swim around him, making the whole experience even more spectacular.

So...If you're in Bangkok, indulge yourself and go to brunch... Which occurs every Sunday from 12:30pm to 3pm at the Four Seasons Hotel on Rajadamri Rd. Be sure to enjoy the live jazz, the lush surroundings and sample the dishes available from around the world!

Keep the Democrats Coming

Super Tuesday started a lot earlier for me this election year and I had the great fortune of voting in Jakarta with the Democrats Abroad. While you all were lining up in stinky school gyms across the United States, we had a cocktail reception, media coverage, phone calls from Gen. Wesley Clark and Obama's sister Maya Soetoro-Ng at a swanky 5-star hotel.

Barack Obama's victory amongst our small but informed group of individuals tickled me, but there were other interesting things about Dem's Abroad. In particular was the schwag many Democrats left with - among them being this brilliantly marketed package that at first glance looks like a butter-packet. I thought I'd snap a quick photo and share it with you... enjoy!

A Muse's desire.

Fitting isn’t it? A year ago today I embarked on some crazy journey around the world, hoping I would be sated by months of nomadic existence. Apparently it wasn’t enough though, since I’m at 39'000 feet and headed to Singapore to seek my fortunes. It seems my life has once again spun on its ever-unpredictable axis – I hope to keep you updated this time. But for now, let me play catch up.

The Emerald City
I returned "home" to Seattle in late November, but initially found the city small and unimportant compared to the hob-nob of London, the bustle of Bangkok and the sheer size of Shanghai. Without a job or sense of adventure, I had to (not so successfully at times) change my attitude to better enjoy Seattle’s off-beat pulse. Although difficult at times, I’ll look back remembering these things:

  • Walking around Greenlake: This time with a 140 pound puppy that disliked both rollerbladers and guys with Mohawks. The lake was semi-frozen too, resulting in the comedic dance of ducks sliding across the ice.
  • Spending time with friends. This time involving intimate and elaborate dinners, dress-up Christmas parties and board-game nights which required crazy hats, good wine and fantastic company.
  • Seeing my sisters. This time, they’ve grown stronger and more resilient. Even while tackling their own daunting challenges, they built a foundation of love and unwavering support that gives me the courage to chase my (ridiculously crazy) dreams.
  • Theater. This time a slew of performances, from Arabian Nights (amazing) to The Breach (awful) I still enjoyed the elaborate concoction of costumes, the set design and the stirring of the senses.
  • Inspiring change in others. This time, that by-the-books Midwest bean-counter is giving me a run for my money. He’s traveling to Botswana and Tanzania next month while planning Christmas in the Philippines. Talk about inspiring people who then inspire you!

What about my old work?
Yes, I did visit my old workplace in the dark ominous Tower of Doom. The strange clinical smell and the harsh lighting added to the sense of despair that hung like the ghosts of lives unfulfilled. Coffee with an old colleague confirmed that Amazon still ran a totalitarian dictatorship built on slave labor. They still work 90 hour work-weeks while banging their heads against their cubicle walls - which begs the question; where is Amnesty International when you need them? Amazon Anonymous anyone?

What Now?
My year of travel was life changing - so much in fact, that my DNA has been permanently altered and I cannot bear conducting unproductive busy work everyday from 9-5 again. My resolution this year is to follow my heart, and I am unafraid… I’m moving to Jakarta to build my own empire, the details of which I’ll reveal as my ideas begin to take shape. But for now, please take this poem into consideration…. I hope you all find the courage and the faith in yourselves to have the audacity- to ask “Why the hell not?”

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry go-round?

Or listen to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don’t dance too fast,

Time is short,
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed

With he next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You better slow down.
Don’t dance too fast,

Time is short,
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?

You better slow down.
Don’t dance too fast,

Time is short,
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.

Hear the music
Before the song is over.

David. L. Weatherford.

Shuh-jaa wha?

While in college, I encountered a clique-like group of students that shared the same course load as I did. I envied their close-knit conversations and inside-jokes, and plotted to overthrow their elite republic. I didn't get the chance however, as one of the girls sneakily became a friend - and I cannot hate a Thai-American girl no matter how hard I try. In the end, we coexisted harmoniously through our college years and even keep in touch through e-mail, face book and even phone calls.

On member of the group, (a cynical and dry humored guy named Jason) ended up moving to a not-so-small city in northern China called Shijiazhuang, the Capital of Heibei Province. In our conversations about my world travels (Jason had urged me to quit my job and bolt) we managed to make plans for a trip to visit him...

Hence my magical journey to what I considered was the real China.

Jason with prayer ribbons in the background.

Shijiazhung is a two hour train ride northish of Beijing and isn't frequented by that many tourists or foreigners. I was the only "white" person in the train station and felt completely isolated, unable to communicate with anyone or effectively deal with the locals staring at me (maybe I was a fire-breathing dragon?). Once in Shijiazhuang, my mind froze in an all-consuming panic. I'm in a strange city, completely dependent on others to take care of me. If Jason isn't at the train station, I'll surely be dead in a Chinese ditch by the end of the week. Thankfully, Jason was at the station to retrieve me, sporting corduroy jeans, Steelers Jersey and a skateboard in hand. If he came with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, that would have been picture perfect.

Having a local host changed my whole perspective, and having that little added sense of security allowed me to enjoy the nuances of real China. For example, did you know there is a HUGE Muslim population in Heibei province? My first night there, we ended up eating satay-style at a local Muslim joint - complete with spiced tea and a plateful of spicy lamb curry. YUM.

The Chef and I, enjoying the sweet smell of BBQ chicken.

I was also fortunate enough to meet and connect with some of Jason's friends, some of whom were Muslim as well. Annie (below) introduced me to a plethora of wonderful Chinese foods, the most important one being hong-shu: sweet potato roasted curbside and sold by grisly-looking women farmers. Over the course of my stay, I consumer multiple hong-shu's a day... Enough for Annie's mom to warn me not to lose my "girlish figure."

Annie and I at a halal restaurant

China on the most part, is a patchwork of poor rural areas mixed with the nouveau riche. The roads are dusty, the alleys are filthy and finding a clean bathroom is always a disappointing adventure. But there were moments, where the clouds would part, the smog would settle and everything looked colorful and charming. Below is a picture I snapped while driving through the city, it's just a roadside fruit stand - there are hundreds scattered about the city. But the fruit is always tasty, vibrant and sweet.. unlike the bristly farmers selling the goods.

Roadside fruit stand, cheap bananas!

While visiting with Jason, I was also lucky enough to be invited to a traditional Chinese dinner at one of the prestigious restaurants in town. There was mounds and mounds of food, all of which was delicious and mouthwatering (minus the piggy). I was sad at the amount of waste produced at the end of dinner - we had hardly touched anything... But trying to finish everything would only prompt the hostess to order more. Dinners are a sign of wealth,prosperity and status - not only in China but world wide. It's why Fugu is so popular in Japan, or Lobster in the United States. To my host's credit, she had everything packed up at the end of the night to bring home. At least the food would be eaten!

Crab, strawberry juice, mutton and vegetables... yum!


Tea and Temples

One of the activities I enjoyed the most in Shijiazhuang was frequenting the numerous tea houses. I fell in love with the dimly lit rooms that smelled slightly of stale tea and red earth, and I was fascinated by the rituals - people quietly pouring hot water in cyan-colored porcelain cups and sipping them delicately. I'd sit there in the sculpted hardwood chairs and listen to the friendly banter, the smoke from the cigarettes curling into white clouds on the ceiling. I began to understand why tea houses are so popular in Asian cultures. It's a place to kick back and relax, enjoy each other's company and drink great tea.

There was a great statue outside a temple, and
I thought I'd sit down with the guru for a splash of Cha.

During my stay, Jason and I frequented the tea houses, the fruit stands (I went through about 7 oranges a day) and the hole-in-the-wall alley-way eateries with colorful characters such as "Crazy Eyes" who had a large dragon tattooed on his chest. Although our evenings were usually eventful, I did enjoy the quite late-mornings reading in the sun room of the apartment. It allowed me a little quite time to read and drink my hot soya milk before we embarked on the day's urban adventures. One such adventure was to the temples a couple miles away by bus...

The Goddess of Mercy: The balcony on the third floor.

The most impressive part of the Temples was the Pavilion of Mercy, a tribute to the Goddess Of Mercy, a millipede of a woman three stories tall encased in decades of dust and dark shadows. The worshipers who came to her always spoke in an angry tone and without fail began to weep at the end of their conversations with her. Listening to their grievances, I couldn't help notice hearing the anguish in their voices, the despair, the anger and frustration.... And I don't speak a lick of Mandarin. I'm always fascinated by how much communication lays in the diction, the intonations and the body languages of people. I hope I apply those observations in my dealings with people who speak my language.

Here is the millipede lady in all her splendor. In the darkness, she's shrouded in mystery and leaves the mind in quiet contemplation...Impressive.
Did I mention I'm on the THIRD FLOOR?

Random Observations

Overall, I would say my trip to China was a good introduction to the world's largest country. I was able to experience various facets of the culture, even though I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't even scratch the surface. Here are a couple of observations I made in the few weeks that I experienced life as a (somewhat) local.

Bathrooms. The plumbing is usually squat toilets and lack of paper, which makes me reluctant to shake people's hands. While visiting Jack's house, I discovered he had not only a roman-style toilet (yay to the new Chinese entrepreneurs!) but a BATHTUB. The fact that it was yellow increased its attractiveness ten fold.

Here I am modeling their bathtub.

Prostitution. The availability of call girls from a logistics and distribution standpoint was quite impressive, they would give the Thai's a run for their money. There were KTV lounges everywhere (Karaoke) and massage parlors sporting masseuses with extra zip. Pink lights line the streets (think red lights) and the service is an accepted norm in society.


Colorful Locals. Jason has some great friends, people who were trying to carve out a stake for themselves in the new global economy. From Jack and Annie who are opening their 4th language school to the tea-house owner looking to sell his tea-pots online to the global market, China is changing. I only hope I get to watch and cheer from the sidelines as they grow and prosper.

One of Jason's friends and I, swapping roles for a second.

Burgeoning economy. Everywhere I went, I saw buildings rising, new businesses are selling their wares and a huge lower-middle class looking to spend their disposable income. Farmers are driving their first cars, people are "buying" property and cranes are defining the cityscape. I'm sad that I didn't get to see the old china, but it's interesting seeing things transform before your eyes, even if you are there for only a few weeks.

Looking out onto the street from one of the coffee shops.

Bunderful Shanghai (Part II)

When to comes to international landmarks, I'm sure certain buildings come to mind. Structures such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris evokes romantic emotions, Big Ben in London portrays the rise and fall of the British empire and even the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur serves to push Malaysia into the new millennium. But when it comes to emerging markets, Shanghai's Pearl Tower on the Bund most strikingly exemplifies the burgeoning developing-world economy. The tower looks like a futuristic roman candle, complete with revolving lights and tall concrete support beams. At night, the tower has a starring role in the Vegas-by-water light show that attracts locals and tourists alike to dine on the banks of the Bund. I've heard that people either hate or love the tower, and I myself give it two thumbs up. Come on. It's pink.


Although Shanghai was very overwhelming in its size, like any big city, you could venture to certain districts for personalized and intimate experiences. the French Concession is one such neighborhood, mostly noted for its wonderful architecture and sumptuous food.

Here I am going out for dinner!

Now, when it comes to traveling I do have some advice: find people to explore with. I was fortunate enough to have a great group of friends stationed all around the world, so finding a high school buddy "in the neighborhood" was pretty easy for me. For those of you traveling in different circles, stay at youth hostels and pair up with other adventurers for a fun time out. I truly believe that sharing experiences with others increases the richness of your travels. As a guideline, I usually try to hang out with three different people in a new city - since it gives me three different perspectives on the same space.

While in Shanghai, I was able to spend time with David Yang, a former JIS Dragon himself who currently lives in Hongkong. David took me to the "touristy" areas of the city, including some of the most popular temples and to the zigzag bridge.


David and I after a 7-year hiatus. He used to sneak my sister and I to a Chinese restaurant at the Mulia Hotel in Jakarta to eat during Ramadan. Bad Muslims!


Here's the famous Zig-Zag bridge, complete with its own Starbucks in the distance.

There's a lot of red used in traditional Chinese culture, from their traditional dress to the paper lanterns strung up on the roof lines of the city. I love their use of the color, as it brings vibrancy and warmth to the otherwise rigid surroundings. Gold is also a major color, as it represents wealth and prosperity.

Overall, I think what amazed me most about Shanghai is how globalization is affecting this Asian tiger. Gone are the days of rickshaws and push-bikes, which were replaced by Audi A4's and motorized bicycles. Traditional eateries are now hawking their wares along side global brands such as Mc Donalds and KFC, while the infiltration of Nike, Ermenegildo Zegna and Juicy Couture inspired the creation of local luxury brands such as Shanghai Tang.

As China continues to grow and prosper, I'll be interested to see its ever expanding influence on the world. Although they are investing heavily in hardware (infrastructure) it's their burgeoning community of entrepreneurs I'm more interested in. From what little I've seen, it's a billion people now free to seek their fortunes. Watch out!

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