A Brief Reflection on My Recent Travels

When I arrived in Malaysia five months ago, an immigration officer asked me how long I planned to stay in the country. I replied, "One week, two weeks. Actually, I'm not sure." The officer shook his head and without any more questioning stamped my passport with a visit pass good for 90 days--typical for someone from the US and number of other countries. More than six weeks later I left Malaysia on a last-minute flight to Cambodia.

I went to Southeast Asia with a desire to not only learn more about a diverse region but also gain a fresh perspective on what I already "knew". As my conversation with the immigration officer suggests, my itinerary was not set in stone. Sometimes I found myself in unexpected destinations, such as Melaka in Malaysia. Sometimes I found myself staying longer than planned, such as in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Sometimes I found myself heading away from a country I had hoped to visit, such as Indonesia.

After several months in Southeast Asia I could have productively continued my explorations, but Taiwan beckoned. And then I returned to a country I had not set foot in for several years--the US. As in Southeast Asia, there were unexpected destinations, periods of lingering, and changed plans. After the US, I headed to Seoul. Like so many of the other places, I walked many miles, spent time with fascinating people, and did not skimp on the culinary offerings.

Although my return to China means a resurgence of topics related to it and other old favorites, I plan to continue sharing what I experienced, learned, and pondered during my recent time outside of China. I have some specific goals in mind, but if you asked me to say exactly what I will be posting next week I'd reply, "Actually, I'm not sure."

Remembering Days in Dallas and Keene

Today I thought about a former commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces and my visit several weeks ago to Elm Street in Dallas, Texas.

The street was the site of an unfortunate event in U.S. history. Near where I took the above photograph is The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and a grassy knoll. The museum provides an in-depth look at the assassination of a US president. And not far away is a memorial plaza.

Of course, many others have died while serving the US. And today I also pondered the words said by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (via) on Memorial Day, May 30, 1884, at Keene, New Hampshire, as he referenced what is still the deadliest war in American history. He addressed why the observation of Memorial Day should be continued and how to remember those who died in a war that pitted Americans against each other. In conclusion, Holmes said:

When we meet thus, when we do honor to the dead in terms that must sometimes embrace the living, we do not deceive ourselves. We attribute no special merit to a man for having served when all were serving. We know that, if the armies of our war did anything worth remembering, the credit belongs not mainly to the individuals who did it, but to average human nature. We also know very well that we cannot live in associations with the past alone, and we admit that, if we would be worthy of the past, we must find new fields for action or thought, and make for ourselves new careers.

But, nevertheless, the generation that carried on the war has been set apart by its experience. Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing. While we are permitted to scorn nothing but indifference, and do not pretend to undervalue the worldly rewards of ambition, we have seen with our own eyes, beyond and above the gold fields, the snowy heights of honor, and it is for us to bear the report to those who come after us. But, above all, we have learned that whether a man accepts from Fortune her spade, and will look downward and dig, or from Aspiration her axe and cord, and will scale the ice, the one and only success which it is his to command is to bring to his work a mighty heart.

Such hearts--ah me, how many!--were stilled twenty years ago; and to us who remain behind is left this day of memories. Every year--in the full tide of spring, at the height of the symphony of flowers and love and life--there comes a pause, and through the silence we hear the lonely pipe of death. Year after year lovers wandering under the apple trees and through the clover and deep grass are surprised with sudden tears as they see black veiled figures stealing through the morning to a soldier's grave. Year after year the comrades of the dead follow, with public honor, procession and commemorative flags and funeral march--honor and grief from us who stand almost alone, and have seen the best and noblest of our generation pass away.

But grief is not the end of all. I seem to hear the funeral march become a paean. I see beyond the forest the moving banners of a hidden column. Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death--of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.

Partial Collapse of Pier to Huilan Pavilion in Qingdao

Huilan Pavilion in Qingdao on a foggy and not-so-busy day last week

Last night in Qingdao was one of those nights when typical umbrellas show their mortality. In other words, it was very windy and rainy. And sadly, the cheap umbrella I bought almost 2 years ago in Yuli, Taiwan, will never again do what umbrellas do best.

The rain and winds stopped today and around lunch time I took a walk over to Qingdao Bay. While there I noticed that the usually busy pier to the Huilan Pavilion, which can be found on the logo for Tsingtao beer, was empty. I then noticed a curious number of police and the closure of beach areas adjacent to the pier.

Police doing some of what they do best

Security doing some of what they do best

And then I noticed a portion of the pier had collapsed.

That seems to explain it.

According to one report (in Chinese), the collapse happened last night during the storm. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Given last night's weather, it would be surprising if anyone had been on the pier during the storm. And for dog lovers out there, it would also be surprising if any dogs were sitting on top of concrete posts next to the water.

A dog two years ago in Qingdao doing some of what dogs might do best

I suppose I could now try to make a strained analogy with China's Great Firewall or collapsing bridges in the US, but finding that dog photo while digging through some earlier photos from Qingdao broke my flow. So I'll leave it at this.

Back in 中国

Almost exactly five months ago, I flew out of China from Xiamen in Fujian province. Since then I have celebrated New Year's in Kuala Lumpur, listened to a woman in Penang talk about a frustrating experience trying to enter the US, reacted to an attack I saw in Melaka, rode a bike through the Cambodian countryside near Kampot, snacked on spiders, observed people riding motorbikes in Phnom Penh, worked while sipping on drinks at cafes in Ho Chi Minh City, soaked up the atmosphere at a temple in Taipei, considered the unexpected connections my mind made while visiting the U.S., and wondered why a woman in Seoul sat outside a mosque while holding a book written by George W. Bush. And there was much, much more.

Today, after yet another international flight I took a walk through a market.

In some ways it felt so different from the places I've been during the past five months. In some ways it felt so familiar to me. That's probably because the market is in Qingdao, Shandong province. Yes, I'm back in China (中国).

More about that soon.

Games in Seoul and Changsha

While passing through Seoul's Jongmyo Park today, I noticed a number of men playing games.

I was reminded of the park where I saw men playing games in Changsha, China. But instead of games such as xiangqi (Chinese chess), most of the men at Jongmyo Park were playing baduk (Go) and a few others were playing janggi (Korean chess). There's much else one could consider in comparing the scenes from Seoul and Changsha. And one's perspective could affect how similar or different they appear.

Lanterns in Seoul for Buddha's Birthday

Similar to some other Asian countries, South Korea celebrated Buddha's birthday this past Friday. One clear sign of the holiday I noticed was the many lanterns on display, especially at Buddhist temples. The colors, shapes, variety, and arrangement of the lanterns added another layer to the experience of walking through the temples I recently visited. To provide a small taste, I'll share a series of photos I took at the Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul.

For more lanterns in Seoul, see My Modern Met here and the Mail Online here (H/T Justin Ray).

Sitting With Bush in Front of a Korean Mosque

Today in South Korea I visited the Seoul Central Mosque. Seoul's only mosque and the neighborhood around it provide an opportunity to learn more about the lives of a group of people in South Korea numbering in only the tens of thousands--Korean Muslims.

As I was passing by the mosque a second time I noticed a woman sitting in front of the main gate.

Notably, she was holding a book in a manner which suggested she wanted passersby to notice it. I took a closer look and saw the book was none other than the English version of Decision Points, a memoir by George W. Bush.

I found this to be... curious.

So I approached the woman and asked if she had read the book. She had.

I then asked what she thought of George W. Bush. She said she respected the former president of the US because of his efforts to fight terrorism.

I waited to see if she would say more on her own. She only said that I could visit the mosque and that she occasionally walks around its grounds herself.

Since I sensed she was not entirely comfortable and I suspected a long conversation might be required to fully answer the questions now in my mind, I decided to simply wish her a good day and walked away to continue my explorations in the area.

If I have a chance, though, I might see if she's later willing to continue the conversation. I wouldn't be surprised if I could find her in the same spot with the same book on another day.

Seoulish Jujubes

I've enjoyed my fair share of tea in China, including at a mountain lake in Changsha. This afternoon, I had the pleasure of being introduced to an historic teahouse in Seoul, South Korea.



As surprising as it may seem, I didn't drink any tea. Instead, my friend suggested a jujube (red date) drink. It proved to be an excellent choice as we chatted about a variety of topics, ranging from monkeys in museums to online services in South Korea.

A good afternoon in Seoul it was.

Watching Major League Baseball in Seoul

As I walked through Namdaemun Market in Seoul, South Korea, this past Monday, I saw several men watching a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.

Notably, the starting pitcher for the Dodgers was South Korean Hyun-Jin Ryu. This is Ryu's first season playing for Major League Baseball in North America. Possibly to the disappointment of these viewers, this was not one of Ryu's finer games. He gave up 4 earned run in 6 innings and the Dodgers lost the game. Ryu now has a record of 3 wins and 2 losses for the season.

A Sign for How to Get Out of Jail

Several years ago when I arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, after a long series of flights from Shanghai, I saw a sign that evoked a set of thoughts and emotions different from those when I recently saw a sign in San Jose, California. This sign wasn't inside an elevator but instead was inside a light rail train I rode from Baltimore's airport. Here's a blurry photo of the sign:

Baltimore is certainly not the only place in the US where one can see ads for bail bonds. For example, I recently saw this set of ads conveniently placed above a urinal at a restaurant in Pensacola, Florida:

Of the six ads, two are for bail bonds.

When I used to live in Baltimore, I'm not sure I would have given as much thought to the signs. But after years of living in China, advertisements for bail bonds service struck me as remarkable. In both cases, I considered what they said about the US. On one hand, the advertisements could be seen as indicative of some positive aspects, including the guarantee that "excessive bail shall not be required", of the US legal system. On the other hand, they could also be seen as indicative of its less-than-positive aspects, including the high number of people in the US who are in jail or facing possible jail time.

I don't plan to offer any commentary about any similarities or differences in bail practices between the US and China*. I share this simply because the sign in Baltimore provided me a first impression I had not expected upon my return to the US. Also, it was one of many examples of how being outside the US for a period of time had caused me to consider what I saw in the US with a fresh or new perspective. And like the example in San Jose, it raises a host of questions about how a foreigner might react if this is one of their first impressions of the US.


*If you're interested to learn some basics about bail in China, one overview from several years ago can be found in the Op-Ed "Bail in China: A Crucial Human Right" by Jerome A. Cohen on the website for the Council on Foreign Relations.

First Impressions: A Warning in San Jose

Imagine you've been living in China for years and often wonder whether its air, food, water, or other potential sources of dangerous chemicals are having a significant negative impact on your health. But today is different because you've just arrived at the international airport in San Jose, California. It feels safer here.

Perhaps you're overjoyed to see the clear blue sky. Maybe you're eager to buy some fruits & vegetables from an organic market. Possibly you're thinking about a trip to the mountains where you'll enjoy some fresh air.

So after going through immigration and customs, you're excited to begin your time in San Jose. As you're considering what to do first, you enter an elevator in the airport. After the door closes, you notice this sign:

Some of these thoughts may now run through your mind:

• Is my health at risk?
• Why would they put up this sign instead of fixing the problem?
• If there isn't any problem, why put up this sign?
• Why wasn't this message provided before I entered the elevator?
• How quickly can I get out of here?

There are other possibilities, many of which could be more colorful. Whatever the case, your trip to San Jose has begun with a rather unexpected experience and set of emotions.

Californians might shrug off this sign. Having additional context can matter. But what would you think if this was one of the first signs you saw when visiting an unfamiliar country? What might it say about the country? What might it not say? How might it influence your perceptions of the country? How might it influence your perceptions of your own country?

More later. I'll continue this theme in the next post with another example of a sign I saw in the US.

Reconnecting With Another Unexpected Connection

Yesterday, I made another unexpected connection when I was at Seoul Plaza in Seoul, South Korea.

While there I was reminded of my visit to Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, US.

And in case you're wondering, yes, this post ends my longest non-posting period since starting this blog. The pause was partly due to having plenty on my plate* during my first visit to the US in several years. Another reason was that when my plate appeared empty, it seemed like a good time to keep it that way.

But now I'm back, both in terms of blogging and being in Asia. Although I am eager to return to the usual themes, while they are still fresh in my mind I will share some assorted thoughts about my several weeks in the US.

More soon. Really.


*This was meant figuratively, but the literal interpretation also holds true.