Namaste from Namche!

I've always had mixed feelings about technology in the mountains, but since there is internet here at Namche Bazaar (the tourist hub of the Everest Region), I can't resist posting an update.

Alison and I have been having a blast here in the Everest Region of Nepal! Our trip started with a bumpy day-long bus ride to the town of Shivalaya. We've made friends with the handful of other westerners on the same hike, but it's mostly been just us, the countryside, and the locals. We stay in cozy guest houses every night and eat lots of momos (filled rolls), which we wash down with piping hot milk tea.

The scenery is amazing! It feels like something out of Lord of the Rings, and not just because I've been rereading the Hobbit. We see snow-capped mountains around every turn, and even the lower hills that we hike in have an amazing scale. It seems like miles to the bottom of these valleys!

Kathmandu!

I've been in Nepal less than 24 hours and I already love it! In fact, I was loving it as soon as I got onto my Royal Nepal Airlines flight and realized that dinner included not only a chocolate mousse--complete with dessert spoon--but also a complimentary glass of wine.

Ever since Katherine picked me up from the airport last night, I've been having a great time wandering around Kathmandu with her and Alison. The area we're staying in has about a million gear stores, as well as some good book stores (the best I've seen in Asia. It's ridiculous). We spent the day buying last minute supplies for our trek and having great conversations over glasses of Lassie, a fantastic yogurt drink.

Tomorrow, we catch a bus to Shivalaya, the gateway to our 25-day Himalayan adventure. Everest Base Camp, here we come! Talk to you in a few weeks!

Going to Work in Tall Buildings

I've become one of them. The people who go to work every day. I commute to an office on the 18th floor of a downtown high rise. I run before the sun rises because I get home after it sets. I use the phrases, "at work," and, "in the office" regularly. 

The good news is, I have great office mates. Last week, some of us went to dessert buffet together. That's right, people: all the dessert you can eat. I had one of everything. It was delicious!

And the work is fulfilling. Our Mandarin learning program is shaping up well. The web site will be up soon and the program may just run at some point. 

But, lest you start thinking that I've been hypnotized by desk calculators, I leave for NEPAL tomorrow! Alison King, Katherine Caouette, and 26 days of trekking are on the horizon. The "real world" may have won the battle but it's nowhere near winning the war!

Anyway, sorry it's been so long since I've written. It's been the daily grind here, which just isn't very interesting material. There (hopefully) won't be much internet while I'm in the mountains, but I'll have plenty to say when I get back from Nepal. Talk to you in April!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy year of the Rabbit! I'm at the tail end of a a four day weekend of celebrating lunar new year. All of Hong Kong seems to be celebrating with fireworks, food, and family. For my part, I had dim sum with the people in the office and went to see the big fireworks show in central Hong Kong. And, of course, I enjoyed a nice, lazy weekend of hanging out at the flat I share with another Dragonfly staff member. Since I really haven't done much worth sharing, I'll tell you about where I'm living.

When I'm in Hong Kong, I live in a little town called Mui Wo on Lantau Island (Hong Kong comprises Hong Kong island, some area on the mainland, and several other islands. Lantau is one of them). It's an all bike community that doesn't allow cars in the residential areas--not that they could fit on most of the narrow roads anyway. We have a beach and the essentials (two grocery stores, two bike shops, and two bars among other establishments) and for everything else, it's a 45-minute ferry ride to Central Hong Kong. One cool thing about Lantau is that the government has limited development here, there is natural land right outside my door, and water buffalo roam around freely. I can leave my house and go for a hike or a run on trails without any driving or planning.

Tunneling Under the Wall

The big news since I last wrote is that I went to Chengdu, capitol of the Sichuan province. I love that city. It's kind of like the Seattle of China: relaxed, outdoorsy, and rainy.

But then there's the food. Chengdu is famous in China for having some of the spiciest food around. I pretty much got used to the idea that every time I put anything in my mouth, it was going to burn (in a good way). The one exception was a warm and weirdly delicious egg white-rice wine concoction. 

I'm back in Hong Kong now and hard at work on the logistics and marketing side of the Mandarin program. I'm really enjoying this; it's interesting work that requires creativity.

I'm also glad to be back in a place where the Internet is uncensored. The Chinese government blocks both facebook and blogspot (I've been posting by e-mail) with its Great Firewall of China. I've missed hearing from people!

I've missed being able to look up pictures of people when I'm thinking of them. I can't imagine how people used to go away to other countries with only letters and very expensive long distance phone calls to communicate back home with. It would have been nuts. So stay in touch!

Just Eat It

What is this?

Just eat it!

But what is it?

Cow stomach.

Ever since I first came to China, I've been doing my best to try Chinese foods. Considering that I used to be a picky eater (my dad called it my white food diet), I thought I was being plenty adventurous. Until I took this trip.

In Beijing, we went to a donkey meat specialty shop for donkey soup and buns. Donkey, it turns out, is a lean, tasty meat. That came after we ate cow intestines at a famous snack shop and before a business associate insisted we try deer ligaments. Mmm.

Business in China

After four months of studying in Beijing, I thought I had some understanding of the place, but as soon as I got out of the airport, I knew that I still had more to learn. Lesson one: Beijing is cold. Even though I've been to Beijing in winter before, I still didn't pack enough clothes. It just doesn't ever sound like it's going to be that bad.

 

But the more interesting lesson of the week was about Chinese business. That's a side of China that I had never seen before. Along with three coworkers, I spent the last week wandering the city and planning the activities we will do with the kids who come on our Mandarin learning trip. This meant that we went to tourist attractions like the Great Wall and Tian'anmen, but also that we met with a lot of locals about entry fees, tickets, and other planning details.

 

If you ever want to travel China on a budget, I recommend calling a few locals and telling them you'd like to do business. Everywhere we went, people ordered us elaborate meals and offered to show us around. They showed us dishes that my Chinese teachers probably deemed too crazy for Westerners the last time I was here (who would have known that deer ligaments are a Beijing delicacy?). One woman even had her driver pick us up in her Mercedes.

 

Granted, this also meant that we had to make conversation with our hosts. This was usually no problem, but we did spend two hours listening to a monologue about the importance of working together. At least, that's what I think it was about.  My lack of Chinese ability (and, honestly, of interest) meant that I slept through most of it. Luckily, one of my Chinese coworkers is really good at faking enthusiasm.

 

After a full week of meetings and wanderings, we spent last night on an overnight train to Xi'an, home of the famous terracotta warriors. I look forward to more planning and, of course, more business dinners. Yum. I'll keep you guys posted, and I'd love to hear from you. I won't have facebook until I get back to Hong Kong, but feel free to e-mail me!