Chinese New Year Break 2012

Well, I will admit that Chinese New Year Break was my most undeserving vacation that I have ever had. Let's be honest here, in the last six weeks, I have only worked two! Usually, holiday breaks come at a much needed point when I am too tired to get out of bed and I have worked really hard for at least a month or two without a break. However, because CNY fell just two weeks following our three week Christmas break in Malaysia and Singapore, I was not able to plan a vacation outside of Shanghai (my first holiday that I have not traveled). EVERYONE travels for CNY so if you don't have something planned at least six months in advanced, you are either not getting a ticket, or selling your first child and a lung on the black market to afford it. Fortunately, the majority of my friends and colleagues were also stuck like glue to the city which made it bearable.

Last year, I spent CNY in Nanjing with the Courtneys, and if you recall, the city was nearly shut down the entire time we were there and we were really disappointed. We had trouble finding places to eat, bars to go to, or even a place to get a massage. Shanghai was really no different - only this time, I expected it! Just about everything was closed for at least a couple days, if not the whole time, but there is kind of no way to check to see if it is open, so it was like a hit or miss anytime we would try to go somewhere. We would pray the whole way that it would actually be open.

So anyway, Amy had kind of made a list of things that she wanted to do over break - the things that we are too busy  to do normally because of work, or the hot spots that she hasn't been to yet. I think we accomplished just about everything on the list. I will admit that my favorite part of this vacation was sleeping in and never really having much of a plan to strictly follow.

Throughout the break, we did some touristy things... we went to YuYuan to see the Dragon displays (they were beautiful all lit up at night), we took Christina's dad to the Bund, Nanjing Xi Lu and did some shopping at the Science and Technology Museum markets. We went to Morton's Steakhouse on the Bund for Martinis and free steak sandwiches, ate at Lost Heaven and Din Shu Fung (yummm), and had several late nights out at the Camel, Muya, Cee's and the Apartment. I finally made it to "The Cool Docks" too see how cool it was, and even thought everything but NY Style Pizza was closed, I LOVED the area and can't wait to go back (I should mention that NY Pizza was the best pizza in Shanghai). We went to Tiangzifeng and ate crepes and "Time Square" of Shanghai for shopping. Then to top it all off, we got a massage, went Go Karting and to see another Era show.

 (YuYuan for the Dragons)

Side note: I don't remember if I have mentioned anything about ERA before, but it is a "Multimedia Extravaganza". It is a really amazing show of Chinese gymnasts, trapeze artists, contortionists, motorcyclists, and much more! Christina and I have seen it once before and it was amazing, so we took Amy and Christina's dad. They great thing about it is that it was not the same show, it was very similar, but just about everything was a little bit different, which is good, because I plan on taking my mom there when she visits (and any other person that may come along).

NYE we lit off fireworks at Amy Kent's house and then went to the bars and saw some fireworks, but the best night for fireworks was the fifth day of the new year - the night of the Money Gods. It is no secret that Chinese people LOVE their fireworks, and they set them off for many purposes because they think of fireworks as an "offering" and also to ward away evil spirits. When someone has a new baby or gets married - fireworks! If someone gets a new job or a new apartment - fireworks! If there is tragedy or a celebration - fireworks!

Anyway, the fifth day of the NY is the night of the Money God's, and everyone wants money right? So everyone sets off fireworks as an offering in hopes of a very prosperous year! That evening, we had met up with some friends at Muya for what we thought was going to be a laid back, chill (early) night. The bar was completely empty except for myself, Amy, Anna, Franco, James, Paul, Irish John, and two friends of James. James hooked his iPod up, Paul was behind the bar making popcorn for everyone and we had run of the bar! Around 11pm, we went outside to watch some fireworks. I have seen some pretty amazing fireworks during my time in Asia. These fireworks didn't top Nanjing's for CNY, or the fireworks on the beach in Langkawi but they were the best fireworks that I have seen in Shanghai! Every direction that we turned, there were fireworks, crackers and sparklers going off. You would have thought that someone dropped us in the middle of WWII with how loud it was! The craziest part (which I will probably never get used to) is that they light them off in the middle of the road or in the middle of a crowd, and huge boxes are blowing up right next to people and buildings.

 (fireworks in the middle of the city for Money God's)

(some of the amazing people I spent my break with

Anna, James, me and Paul watching fireworks)

At one point, I was standing rather close to a group of guys that were setting some off right next to their cars (that was smart), I decided to move so I wouldn't die in the instance that they also blew up the car to get a REALLY prosperous year. It was snowing debris on our heads and the sky filled with smoke and flashing lights! Seeing fireworks like that makes me so excited! It is one of those little things that I will never be able to experience outside of Asia - too many rules and laws and a regard for safety. It reminds me that my life is a crazy adventure!

After TWO HOURS of battle of the fireworks, we went back into the bar to continue our night, before heading to Cee's at 4 am followed by the ultimate quest for street food! Typically the French Concession is street food heaven, but apparently all of the street chefs went home also during CNY leaving us to starve at 5 am. Disappointed that we were not able to find greasy noodles, veggies on a stick or rice cooked in a dirty pan, Amy, Paul and I went back to our apartment to order McDonald's breakfast for delivery and proceeded to Skype with my mother!

Overall, I would say that we made the best of our week! Aside from places being closed and fireworks at all hours of the night, it was nice to be in the city when it was nearly deserted. We were able to get taxis, sit down on the metro, and I even could have taken a nap on Hong Mei Lu (a street that is usually wall to wall cars and buses). YuYuan wasn't the most populated area in Shanghai, and we had the Go Kart track to ourselves! Anyway, I am glad I was able to experience Shanghai in that way, but I sure hope that will be my one and only vacation stuck in Shanghai! Called me spoiled, but I loved my traveling....

To come - next weekend Suzhou for Anna's Birthday, Hong Kong for my birthday at the end of February, then Beijing at the end of March with my momma :]

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè 2012

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Lunar Year! 

Happy Year of the Water Dragon! 

Happy Spring Festival!  

Well, whatever you fancy, I hope it is happy! January 23rd marks the first day of the lunar year... the year of the Water Dragon. As I am sure you know, Dragons are a very important symbol of Chinese culture, and this year is supposed to be epic. While many believe 2012 is supposed to bring about the end of the world... Chinese astrologist predict that 2012 will bring about great fortune. 

The element Water represent growth and is the only element that people cannot live without. The Dragon is a symbol of power, mystery and unpredictability. The combination of Water and Dragon only happens every 60 years, however is supposed to be the most powerful combination because water is the natural element of a Dragon. Ok, so none of this may mean anything to you, but believe me, it means a whole lot to the Chinese people. Their entire lives are based around the Chinese astrology. Women believe that it is best to have a "Dragon" child, so there will be an increase in births this year, in addition to the entire city being transformed into a Dragon land.

So we have the whole week off. Pretty awesome considering that we just had three weeks off for Christmas and the real New Year, but who am I to complain.... we get to celebrate New Years twice! Sunday (NYE), we went to our friend, Amy Kent's house. She had some people over, and we hung out drinking wine and eating tons of food. Then we blew up some fireworks in the evening in front of her house! Just before midnight, me, Christina, Amy, Michelle, Paul and Linnea jumped in taxis and headed to the French Concession to continue our New Years celebration. We ended up at Camel - I have a love/hate relationship with that bar... it is kind of a sports bar so they always attract a lot of guys :] the problem is that all the guys sit in front of the TVs all night watching the games :[ (even on NY). We met up with some other friends. Near midnight, Paul and I went out to the street and lit off some fireworks that someone at the bar had given us (well it seemed like a good idea at the time, now it just sounds irresponsible). I must admit that I was rather disappointed with the fireworks this year. Last year the fireworks in Nanjing were EPIC! Even the fireworks on the beach in Langkawi for New Years were EPIC, these ones were pretty BLAHH. I was actually kind of shocked because we figured that French Concession would be a good place for us to go to actually find a bar open, and see good fireworks, but the city was pretty much dead. Good thing we had already lit off a bunch of fireworks at Amy's otherwise I would have been sad.

 (blowing stuff up at Amy Kent's)

 (three fabulous roomies)

 (lame fireworks outside Camel with Paul)

(new English friend at the Camel - Ritchie)

So after a bit, we relocated to the Apartment with everyone - great place for dancing - before calling it a night! Pretty sure I went to bed around 9:00 am (I don't even know where the time went) and I spend the entire next day sleeping and recovering - I am far to old to do that! 

Anyway, January 23rd not only marks the new Lunar year, but it also marks my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY living in Shanghai :] Can you believe that it has already been a year? Two years ago, I never would have imagined myself in China, nor could I have even imagined that my life would turn out the way that it has. The last year has been one of the most incredible years, and I know how blessed I am to have this opportunity! For me, the time is flying by, but sort of in a good way. I don't feel like I have wasted even a minute of the last year because I have kept myself busy meeting people, traveling Asia and making the best of my time here! I love my life, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next year in Shanghai has to offer :) 

Happy First Chinese Birthday to Me :]  :]  :] 

There is a Reason, a Season and a Lifetime

Let me tell you something about my dear friend, Anna Keil. She is a gem and  the kind of of person that gives you faith in people. She is kind and gentle, thoughtful and spiritual. Anna reminds me of an older, more mature version of myself, and she is the kind of person that I hope to be in five years. Anyway, I wont get into all the reasons why I value Anna as a person in my life, but I will tell you that she is a cherished friend, and we have had many late night deep conversations about life, travels, faith and people. On one such occasion, Anna and I were talking about relationships, past and present - friends and boyfriends that have come and gone. She looked at me and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Reason, Season or a Lifetime poem?" Admitting that I had never heard it, we jumped on google and she looked it up to share it with me. 


Now, let's admit that I am a "wordsy" kind of person. I enjoy writing things down, reading, I believe that song lyrics give meaning to my life and poems usually speak the words of my soul. When I read this poem, every word made sense, and I connected with it on so many levels. Well anyway, I wanted to share it because it is too grand not to share. 
Just think about it, every word is true...

A REASON, A SEASON or A LIFETIME

People come into your life for a REASON, a SEASON or a LIFETIME.

When you figure our which one it is,

You will know what to do for each person. 

When someone is in your life for a REASON

It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty,

to provide you with guidance and support,

to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

They may seen like a Godsend, and they are!

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part,

or at an inconvenient time, 

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met.

Out desire fulfilled, there work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered,

and now it is time to move on...

Some people come into your life for a SEASON

Because it is your turn to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy

Believe it, it is real, but only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person,

and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships

and other areas of your life.

They say that love it blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

It is interesting because as I read through the poem, I can place people into each category. It is actually kind of comforting because it gives purpose to each and every friendship or relationship no matter how insignificant or imperative it was. Some people have not been places because they have not finished making their mark yet, but others, I am thankful for even the past relationship that built me up and let me down because they taught me important life lessons.  

Just something to think about...

Hello 2012

I know that I should be excited for the New Year (and I am), but to be honest, I am a little sad to say goodbye to 2011. 2011 was good to me, in fact, it may have arguably been the best year of my life. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am and I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that 2011 had to offer. In 2011 I packed up and moved across the world changing my life forever in many ways. Living in China has allowed me to grow into a better person, learn about people and cultures, travel and has taught me whole new meanings for respect, diversity, and appreciation. With each step I take forward, I learn more about the world and myself as an individual. I have had good days and bad days; experience that brought me to my knees and experiences that set me on top of the world. I have laughed and cried and cried from laughing. I have been taken out of my comfort zone; eaten food that I thought would kill me and enjoyed the rich nightlife that Shanghai has to offer. I have made friends and I have made enemies. I have partied on buses and slept on the side of mountains… and all in all, I wouldn’t change a single day for anything. 2011 was MY year, the year of the rabbit and I took full advantage of it.

2011…

* Before leaving Michigan, I spent January soaking up every moment with my friends and family. Within that time I found a whole new appreciation and love for my family and my very close friends. In that last month, I learned who my true friends were and I knew the people that I could count on.

* Working at Morgan Rothschild Academy. It was not an ideal job, but I learned a lot about myself as a teacher and a lot about cultures. To be honest, it made me into a stronger person. It gave me a backbone and showed me that I could stand up for myself and for what I believed in. I loved those kids.

* Nanjing was my first travel trip while in China and my first Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) Celebration. WOW what an experience with Courtney Harp and Courtney Leedy. Street food, Confucius Temple, Hot Spring…

* Chinese New Years (Spring Festival) – fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.

* Next trip was to Xiamen and Gulangyu Island with Courtney Leedy. Hiking, gardens, temples, Holland guys, Sunlight Rock, double bike…  

* Softball – I fell in love with softball season as soon as it started. Not only did I met a ton of new people, it felt like a little piece of home and I really enjoyed going to all of the games every Sunday.

* Camping trip to Huang Mountains. I met some people on that camping trip that have become very close friends – Chris, Amanda, Dante, Colin, Brandon, Shantel, Matt, Malory and Kevin. Long bus trip, Panda Blood, bonfires, hiking, tents, cabbage patches, summit, camping at a restaurant, guitars, kegs, corn hole…

* Suzhou with Courtney Leedy and Courtney Harp. Rain, gardens, Michigan people, zong zi, Dragon Boat Festival…

* New Job in Shanghai – I was so grateful to be offered another position teaching preschool in Shanghai after I decided to leave MRA. Rainbow Bridge International School was a blessing and I am looking forward to working at RBIS for years to follow.

* Summer in Michigan. I appreciate my friends and family more when my time with them is so limited. Parties, camping, Dunes, bon fires, Sublime, 311, Beach boys, Tigers, Higgins Lake, beach, taco bell, movies, shopping, Memories, boating, family reunion, Fowlerville fair.

* Meeting Amy, Anna and Christina – my Shanghai family. These three girls are the most important people in my life currently and I have no idea how I survived before without them.

* Hiking trip to Hangzhou with Amy, Anna and Lindi. Staying with locals, hiking, food, West Lake, lotus…

* Returning to Nanjing with Amy Wilson. Temples, hiking Purple Mountains, cable car, massacre, pagodas…

* ERA Acrobatics

* Many, many happy hours with Amy, Anna, Christina, Paul, Dawn and Nadya. Broken toes, “Grab somebody sexy”, Pussypoppin on a Handstand (it’s a dance move), street food, Pedestrian street, the bund, lost phones…

*Party Buses with Chris, Amanda, Dante, Brandon, Tina, Christina, and Amy. Airplane, techno clubs, sleepovers, the Bund, Brix, Just Dance (Wii), Motorbike rides, lost…

* Black Rabbit Music Festival

* Celebrating Halloween with Amy and Paul

* Thanksgiving at the Marriot with my Shanghai Family (Amy, Anna, Christina, Brian, Donna, Lily, Walt, Brian and Fetri) followed by Thanksgiving dinner with our RBIS Family at Michelle and Stephanie’s (apples to apples and Kwelf), concluding with Thanksgiving at the Kent’s house.

* Traveling to Malaysia and Singapore with Anna and Amy for Holiday. I can’t think of a better way to end 2011. Beaches, sunsets, shopping, Kopi coffee, jungle monkeys, village, motorbikes, island hopping, meeting people, great food, mountains, streams, lakes, bridges, boats, bonfires, fireworks, shisha, beach bars, lady’s night….

Looking forward to 2012…

* More traveling and meeting new people – Mongolia, Russia (Trans-Siberian) Tibet, Nepal, Korea, Philippines, Kota Kinabalu, Beijing, Chengdu, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.

* My mom coming to visit me!

* PYP training for my job – growing and learning more as a professional.

* Reconnecting with my FAITH and growing stronger as a person spiritually.

* Spending time with my family and friends in the summer.

* My sister getting married in October.

* And whatever else life throws my way. I have no idea what is going to happen in 2012, but if 2011 is any indication, than I am hopeful that my future will also be plentiful!

My Chinese horoscope for 2012 predicts that I will flourish in wealth and opportunities. This year is going to be your best year as you will get mixture of happiness and challenges simultaneously. For your work life, you have to work hard to make your profession and career best. There is no time hanging on what happened last year, you need to stride forward and welcome new environments in your life joyfully. Chinese horoscope 2012 predicts that you have to take care of your friendship and will give quality time to enhance mutual understanding between your relationships whether with friends or lovers.

Recap on Vaca

Our last night of vacation we sat down and Anna wrote out a list of jokes and memory triggers from the vacation - sorry this list is more for us because you probably wont understand any of it... 

Stolen flip flops, Homeless on Christmas, Raggae Bar with dancing old man, “I love you”, Song remakes, Fruit & Digestives, Bath towel & Blankets, Monsoon, Talkative taxi drivers, Little India, STUCK,Bus station, Spontaneous, Reg Garden, Chic, China Town, Bag Juice, Angry ferry lady – 8.1.5 not 8.3.0, Salty facial, “We don’t look bad, we look fun!”, Island hopping, Freshwater crater lake, Monkey thieves, Crack in the boat, Headdresses on the beach, Cranky German Snorkeler, Village, T52, Hammocks, Thai hot pot, Motor bikes, Island Time, John, I LOVE LANGKAWI, “You get fined”, Bug delicacy, Amy’s practice audience, Bangin, Beaches, Italian honeymooners, Beach massage, Clarke Quay, Oasis, Stubbed Toe, Shisha, Jet ski, Lovin on, the beach, French, Iranian bfs, Rope swing, “You look so happy!”, Indian Curry, Rashes, Amy’s toodle, Sheraton, Pigeons, Drunk men on Ferry, HOT MESS, Monkey threats, “I’m chewing gum in Singapore”, Beach bonfires, English, Lady’s night, Middle Eastern Men, Shopping, Amy’s fashion show, Italian, “I just went from wet to sweat”, The Green Man Bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Tampon hunt, Crotch jumpsuit, Flam’s – Paul BF, Dancing on stage, FISHBOWL, Massagey, Escape from Armin, Morning after recap, Kidnapped, dorm room, McDonald’s breakfast, Drop & Go, Lady drinks, CLICK, Scandelous, Out of our, element, “I will cut you”, Megamall, Bed rotation, Kopi Coffee, Moni, & Jordanian.

(click on the map to see our travels)


Flight from China to Kuala Lumpur, flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Bus from Singapore to KL then to Penang (Georgetown), Ferry from Penang to Langkawi, Flight from Langkawi back to Kuala Lumpur then home to China.


If you were following along, you would notice that throughout our trip we took about 10 forms of transportation - train, plane, bus, taxi, ferry, boat, motorbike, cable car, metro, & jet ski; stayed in 6 different hostels, hotels, Inns and resorts and visited more than 10 different cities and islands all in 16 days!

Grab Somebody Sexy, Tell 'em HEY

Ok, so you probably have a good idea of my first impression of KL. Of course, we had no choice in returning to KL because that is where we were flying out of, but we decided to go back with an open mind and give it another chance. This time, we had friends that we going to show us around, and we had a bit more guidance this time around than before.

We arrived back in KL pretty late and headed straight to our hostel. In comparison to our first hostel, it was a little piece of heaven; however, in contrast to our last resort (that literally was a little piece of heaven) it was a disaster! Tucked between McDonalds and a “massagey” parlor, and three flights up stairs, we ended up in a small dorm room with three beds and a little rocky table. The next morning, Amy woke up ready to leave after her awful night’s sleep on a rock hard roll away bed while listening to the loud traffic right outside. I agree, it was no paradise, but it was only a place to sleep for a couple days.

We filled the day with some touristy stuff… we had already seen the twin Pattron Towers, so this time we went to the TV tower to the observation deck for a great view of the city. Call me bias, but it is definitely not as awesome as Shanghai’s TV tower, and it stands just about 10 meters short of Pearl Tower, but it did have a pretty great view – one that you could never get anywhere in China. Then, we went to the city Square Pavilion to a large art exhibition United Buddy Bears that presented “the art of tolerance”. It was a large traveling exhibition since 2006 that features bears designed by each nation. The bears represent living together in peace and harmony together on their global tour. Each bear represents the people of its nation and the culture but not the political system. A lot of the bears were really cool, and I really enjoyed the message that they stand for.

(view of KL from the top of the TV tower) 

(United Buddy Bear Exhibition)

After visiting the bears, we did the only other thing there is to do in KL – we went shopping. KL is loaded with malls, and it has some great shopping. That was when we started to run into people. Now, living abroad, I understand how small an expat community can be. Even though Shanghai is gigantic, everyone is connected by a rule of three. No matter who you meet, you can find a connection to them by at least three degrees. At this point, we had been in KL for less than 24 hours, and suddenly we started running into all these people that we had met throughout our vacation. First it was a couple that I met while standing outside of Sunba the night we went to the club. Then, less than three minutes later, we ran into Omar and Tamer while walking down the street. Later that night, we ran into Armin while we were at a bar. Then before we left, we ran into a lady named Orietta that we had met on the ferry ride over to Langkawi… talk about a small expat community!

That night, Ahmad told us about the expat bar street to go to for some lady’s night drinks. Well I will tell you that KL did not let us down the second time around! KL is good for three things – shopping, drinking and Middle Eastern men!  We had already indulged in shopping, and we were quickly learning that ladies NEVER pay for drinks. Even while drinking in Langkawi, we never paid for a dime of anything. In KL, not only was there lady’s night everywhere, but the guys loved us! We met up with Ahmad, Omar and Tamer again, and then rain into Armin who were getting us drinks left and right, but the male bartenders were catering to us, along with other guys from all of the bars. Of course I had to refuse many shots and drinks so that I could remain coherent and responsible, but I will admit that we were loving the attention.

 (me & Ahmad)

(Armin, Amy & Anna)

We never get attention in Shanghai. I mean we are three beautiful single women enjoying life, but Chinese guys want nothing to do with us (and we are not interested in them) and the expat guys whom aren’t married are all chasing down the Asian women sick with the fever!  It is kind of frustrating, but I guess I never realized how obnoxious it was until we were at a place that we had guys tripping over one another to talk to us… never in my life have I experienced anything like it. During the day, we got ice cream and I got it for free because they guy behind the counter was flirting with me. Our last night in KL, we rolled out of bed at 5:00 pm after staying up until 8:00 am partying, did not shower, and went to grab dinner and a drink looking like hot messes. Within 10 minutes, we had a guy buy us all a round of drinks, and three guys approach our table to get us to join their table…. Really? I mean, it was literally incredible! I am pretty sure that I would get into a lot of trouble if I lived in KL with all of that free flow alcohol and the attention from men!

Friday morning, we packed up and after 12 hours of traveling, we were back to the cold of Shanghai, sadly. 

I Think I Just Peed a Little

The morning after New Years, we woke up hung over to a very rain day on the island, lucky for us because we had no energy to even get out of bed to lay on the beach. Later in the afternoon, we decided to head out for a bit of shopping. I was also on a mission to find a burger because that is all I want the day after drinking. While we were walking and reminiscing about our night, we started talking about all of the people that we have met thus far and realized that we have only met guys in sets of two. Really it wasn’t a probably because we were just all hanging out, but we decided that day that we wanted to met a single group of three guys, when low and behold, we spotted three single guys sitting in front of the burger joint we were headed to. Of course they were also eyeing us as we walked up (we were three beautiful hung over women that were unshowered and wet from the rain). We ordered our food and within minutes one of the guys approached us with a silly question about a magazine that we were reading. He invited us to sit with him and his friends.

Well these guys ended up being great. They were three guys from Jordan and living in Kuala Lumpur (KL) on vacation. We all forget their names within seconds of meeting them so we called them Curly, Moe and Larry (appropriately). It is unfortunate that I am so bad with names, but let’s be honest, their names were not Mike, John and Steve… they were Middle Eastern names. Well I will tell you that their real names were Omar, Tamer and Ahmad even though we did not actually know that until we were back in KL on our last night before heading back to Shanghai. Anyway, Ahmad went to college in the US and lived in Indiana for years which kind of gave him an edge. The thing about meeting people overseas is that even if they speak English, they usually do not get any of our English idioms, jokes or sarcasm which makes conversing with them a little difficult. Ahmad and I got along really well though because I could joke and laugh with him.

(our new Jordanian friends - Omar [curly], me, Tamer [moe], Amy and Ahmad [larry])

So anyways, we had lunch with these guys, then after lunch we went to the beach – it wasn’t rainy anymore but still cooler and cloudy. Now I should mention that for the last couple days I had been talking about how much I wanted to ride on a jet ski, so imagine my excitement when Ahmad decided that he wanted to rent a jet ski for the afternoon and take me for a ride. I’m not going to lie, it was the scariest ride of my life, and I was on the back of a jet ski with a stranger who could have dropped me in the middle of the sea to be eaten by sharks if he wanted to. I made him promise me over and over that he would not do anything crazy enough to make me fly off. He held true to his promise and returned me back to the shore in one piece but not before scaring me to death! At one point during the ride, he was doing 360s and stopped suddenly which made the jet ski go underwater. It was super scary and I screamed, “Holy shit, I think I just peed a little!” Once we were back on shore, he said, “Wait, did you really pee on the jet ski!” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud!

After the beach, we made plans to meet up again after dinner and they wanted to take us out to a club. We dressed up, had some dinner and drinks and headed to the party beach back to Lil’ Lylia’s while we waited for them. This was the second time that we ran into Armin. Ok, so let me tell you about Armin, the first night that I met him, he was nice enough, we danced and had a fun. He was Persian, spent a bit of time in California but was now living in KL. He made it clear that he was interested in me, but I was not in to him so when he went to the bathroom, my friends and I totally bolted out. So of course we ran into him again the next day. He was so excited to see me and called me out on leaving him the night before. Well anyway, he invited us to sit with him and his friends at their table and smoke some shisha. He bought a couple rounds of drinks for us and he was nice enough (I really like his girl friend that was with him), but once the three guys came to meet up with us, he turned into a douche and started acting kind of competitive. I thought he kind of acted like an ass when he left with the guys to go to a club, but Amy insisted that I was reading him wrong and that he was a good guy.

(♥ love this photo... Amy, me, Ahmad, Anna, Omar and Tamer)

So we left, went to the Sunba Reggae club and danced and drank the night away with our new Jordanian friends. I think Ahmad was showing off a bit because he was buying bottles of Absolute for us to drink all night. The six of us had so much fun and we all got along so well! When we were finished with the club, he bought another bottle and we headed back to our beach and stayed up late enough to watch the sunrise. The next day was even more rough. I wouldn’t even get out of bed to eat breakfast before 10, but I did at least drag myself out of bed to relocate to the beach (it was a beautiful day). I remember being thankful that we had not decided to drink like this throughout our entire vacation. I am way too old for that, and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to bounce back after an all night drinking session. While lying of the beach, I was trying to figure out why my body felt that I wrestled a gorilla who kicked my ass… then I remember holding on for dear left on the back of a jet ski with every muscle of my body, mixed with a whole lot of dancing at the club – not a good combination (I should have done some yoga before bed). Than night, we did nothing but lie on the beach, eat and sleep.

The next day was our last day in Langkawi. We rented motor bikes one last time and set out. We decided to take a different route than before to explore a different area of the island. This time, we hiked a bit into the mountains to a beautiful waterfall, then to the seven wells… the wells were pretty cool, they were like little pools created by rock formations. When there was a lot of rain, the wells filled up with water, but also created little waterfalls that allowed you to slide down the rocks between the wells.  At the end of the last well was a huge drop off to a really large waterfall. We did a little swimming and enjoyed the scenery, but I must admit that that hike was a bit of a challenge after doing nothing but lying on the beach for a week. Afterwards, we rode around more and found some other mountain areas and deserted beaches.  By mid afternoon, our backs were fried (because we had neglected to put on any sun block) and we had to stop to by some “I Love Langkawi” shirts (but really, we do love Langkawi).

 (the waterfall)

(seven wells)

 (a beach we found along our ride)

We also had any interesting meal that afternoon. We were starving, but a long ways away from a fine dining area, so Amy pointed to a local restaurant in the middle of nowhere and we pulled off the road to eat. It was like a buffet style lunch. We got a plate and they showed us the row of prepared food that we could choose from. Although the food was covered, it looked like it had been sitting there for days. Nonetheless, we dug in… we had some rice and curry chicken, fish that still had eyes and skin, veggies with anchovies, and fried chicken (my dad would have been proud for me even considering eating at this place, let alone almost finishing my plate). Before digging in, I prayed to God, Please let this food bring nourishment to our bodies and not kill us. About half way through our meal, Amy found a bug in her food. I assured her it was probably a delicacy, so she pushed it aside and ate the rest of her food like a champ! You will probably be surprised to hear that none of us ended up sick from his meal!

(yummmm)

That night, we watched one last sunset while having dinner at Oasis, taking in the beautifully painted sky, the sound of the waves crashing, the sway of the palm trees and the warmth on our faces. I honestly could have stayed there forever! My favorite parts – the beach, the mountains, the coffee and the people!

After dinner, we headed to the airport. Unfortunately, that was where my money was stolen out of my wallet. I don’t like making assumptions and I hate to think the worst of people, but I am pretty sure that the security people at the airport stole about 1000 RMB out of my wallet. While rearranging some stuff from my carry on to my checked bag, my wallet must have fallen out onto the table right in front of the security check area. If they actually would have been paying attention, they would have seen it right away and given it back to me immediately. However, when they called my name over the loud speaker to give it back to me, they smirked and laughed when they asked me if there was any money it is… like it was some kind of funny game! Well that sure put a damper on my plans because that was my spending money for KL. Thank God for my mom putting some money into my account so that I didn’t just have to sit in my hotel room during our last three days of vacation! 

Happy New Years

So the rest of our time in Langkawi was just as amazing as the first half! We met a local lady at a restaurant named Moni whom we bonded with. She was born in China, but has lived and traveled all over the world. She was a professor in Australia and has written several Social Psychology books based on her experiences with people and traveling. On our last day in the village, she took us into the middle of the jungle to a fresh water stream and we went swimming while Amy got a Thai massage from a local man who created a spa in the middle of the jungle! We sat and listened to Moni tell stories, and we could have listened forever! She is the kind of person that I hope to be with I am 70 years old – full of life and energy, with so much knowledge to share, and so much life left to live!

 (Moni sitting in the stream)

After our afternoon with Moni, we left the village and headed to our resort (# 5) – Sunset Beach Resort. Up until this point, we had been staying in backpacker’s budget hostels and Inns. When booking our accommodations, we decided that we wanted something a little bit nicer during New Years – spoil ourselves a little bit. Online the pictures of the resort looked nice, but we did not exactly have the highest expectations because it was still really cheap – $178 USD for 4 nights and 5 days at a beachside resort (and that included a fancy NYE dinner). Believe me when I tell you that the photos online did not do this place justice! It was amazing. We had our own villa, surrounded by a beautiful garden that was very well maintained. Our room was just a 5 second walk from a beautiful beach lined with palm trees overlooking the Andaman sea and at least 10 small islands in the distance. It was appropriately names “Sunset Beach” because we enjoyed the amazing sunset view from our beach each night. Although our hotel was located on Pantia Cenang (the popular tourist beach), it was separated from the young hostel crowd by a bunch of trees and rocks so our beach was very low key and quiet – perfect – but only a very short walk to the partying side of the beach. Not to mention that the people working at the resort were so friendly! They tried to call us by name (although they usually called us by each other's names) and they were so hospitable and helpful! The only down fall to our resort was that many honeymooners also felt it was an amazing location to spend their NYE vacation as well!

 (our villa & garden view)

 (our beach) 

(our beach at dusk)

The first couple days we did very little but lay on the beach and swim in the water. Although there were jellyfish warnings, it was honestly too hot not to jump in. The water was perfectly warm and clean. During the day, I got massages in a little hut right on the beach, only needed to walk ten steps from my beach chair, and then ten steps back. In the evenings, we would have dinner at the beachside restaurant right next door called the Oasis. The food was awesome – a mixture of western, Malay and Indian – and enjoy the sunset and ocean breeze.

New Years Eve was just the same. Only after our day lying in the sun, we got dressed up and headed to our fancy dinner provided by our resort. A bus took us to a restaurant down the street called Suntra where we were taken to a table designated for us (a little rock with our name on it held our reservation). They put a white hibiscus in our hair and proceeded to bring us course after course of deliciousness! We had yummy cocktails, a variety of breads, Caesar salad, prawn soup followed by awesome fish fillet on a bed of veggies and potatoes. To top it all off, we had an awesome chocolate cake to end our meal.

Stuffed from our meal, we headed to the “party side” of the beach that was jam packed with people celebrating NYE. We walked around for a bit before we settled in one spot outside a beach bar called Lil’ Lylia’s – tons of people, a live band and a pile of wood that promised an enormous bon fire on the beach. There we met two English guys vacationing. They were nice and a whole lot of fun, and we brought in the New Year with them. People began lighting lanterns and sending them into the sky (an offering that is supposed to bring good luck), at midnight, people started lighting off fireworks. As you know, fireworks in China have never disappointed me. Fireworks in Langkawi were just as good. The difference is that when people light off fireworks in the US for a big display, they would be on a boat in the middle of the water, far away from people. In Asia, people light off fireworks standing right next to you, and I am not talking about little fire crackers… I am talking about a full on Fourth of July finale right above your head.

(our English friends John & Matt)

Once the fireworks ended, they lit the bon fire. I was already pretty excited to be spending my New Years on a beach, but the beach bon fire with live reggae music was the cherry on the cake! Not to mention that it was our friends’ first bon fire ever (so crazy) and they have never even heard of s’mores. We danced the night away and had a fantastic night! No one kissed me at midnight, but I could not have been happier J That night was the first night that I met Armin… but I will get back to his story!