Friday, February 28, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

Koh Samui reminded me of Bali, but with better beaches. Both islands are consumed by tourism, with one resort located just a few feet from the next, a profusion of stands selling cheap souvenirs, and mediocre restaurants trying to capitalize on hungry foreigners. While Bali may be more geared toward the honeymooners, Koh Samui seems to cater to the partygoers (ever heard of Thailand's full moon party?). And it has an overabundance of gyms (an outlet for those famous Thai boxers?) and hair salons (a front for another kind of service provider?).

What makes me sad, however, isn't the crowds or locals trying to make a buck, it's the trash on the side of the road, on the beaches, and in the water. On my last morning in Thailand, I decided to take a quick dip in the ocean before heading to the airport. I ended up swimming next to a floating flip-flop and a large piece of styrofoam.

But Koh Samui and Bali have the kind of natural beauty I hadn't ever seen before and I certainly don't regret my experiences there. I just think it might be time I start volunteering for the Surfrider Foundation.      

And so as I try my mightiest to hold on to my tan in rainy Shanghai this weekend, I wish you all a good one!

Back from the Beach

It’s pretty amazing to think that at the beginning of February, I was on the mountains of Japan and at its end, I was on the beaches of Thailand. I feel very blessed.

The trip to Koh Samui invigorated and rejuvenated me; the ocean has always been my happy place and I was thrilled that we were reunited once again. The beaches in the Gulf of Thailand were beautiful and unlike any other I’d seen before: turquoise waters rhythmically swaying back and forth, away from and toward the white sandy beaches bordered by lush vegetation.

The most gorgeous ones were an hour’s speedboat ride away. Not terribly relaxing, the ride was rather violent thanks to choppy waters and a lead-footed captain. I spent most of it with my stomach in my throat; it’s a miracle someone’s breakfast didn’t come up.

Our destination was the Ang Thong Marine Park where our first stop featured snorkeling. I have to admit, I wasn’t terribly impressed; the water was murky and crowded with other boatfuls of tourists. The second stop, however, took my breath away. Remember the movie, “The Beach,” with Leo (-nardo DiCaprio)? Well, it was a book first and this place inspired its author -- Emerald Lake, an inland saltwater lagoon that can’t be seen from shore. Photos -- iPhone photos to boot because I forgot my camera (I know!) -- don't do it justice.

Our third and final island stop involved kayaking and lounging in the crystal clear water under the glorious sun. The Ang Thong Marine Park is a protected archipelago made up of 42 islands. I read that it's what Thailand looked like before the onset of mass tourism, overfishing, overpopulation, and modernization.

We spent our other days in Koh Samui on the beaches of Lamai and Chaweng. Though still beautiful, they were overrun by tourists, the majority of whom seemed to be old, large, Russian men in speedos.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

I'm hoping the next few days will be a lot of this:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/165296248797904330/

Wishing you a happy weekend! I'll be back next week (tough life, I know). xo

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Cali Comes to China


It's been fun having the girls here and experiencing China through their freshman eyes. Here's what we've checked off the sights list:
  • The Great Wall  
  • The Summer Palace
  • Tiananmen Square
  • The Temple of Heaven
  • The train from Beijing to Shanghai
  • The fabric market
  • The fake market
  • Jingan Temple
  • Yuyan Gardens
And the food list:

It's not over yet; we have one more day together before two of us fly off to Thailand. It was a bit disconcerting to see this article front and center on CNN.com, but don't worry, we'll be heading straight to Koh Samui with a layover in Hong Kong instead of Bangkok.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

Before I close on the Japan trip, here's a fun video recap (courtesy of Mike and his new toy):

I hope you've enjoyed this week's posts about the trip. I really loved Japan and would actually jump at the chance to live there. Maybe it's the stark differences between the Chinese and the Japanese, the fact that the latter seems to take such great care in all things -- from creating beautiful products and exquisite meals, to maintaining a high level of self-respect and respect for others. For example, it was a breath of fresh air (literally, in fact) seeing passengers politely line up single file to board a crowded subway train while allowing others to get off first.

On a different topic and in exciting news, two of my girlfriends are coming to China. Similar to what "the team" did back in May, the girls are flying into Beijing and out of Shanghai (and on to Thailand for one of them, whom I'll be joining! More on that later.). Mike and I are meeting them in the capital on Sunday, so you'll have to forgive me if posts are sporadic as I play hostess (and traveler) again.

P.S. I just added a few more photos to my Flickr account. Click here and enjoy!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Japan Part III: Tokyo

We spent most of our time in Tokyo eating (as covered) and shopping (as planned).

I didn't buy any clothes, but it wasn't for lack of trying; I just wasn't interested in buying from an American designer or from a store that's found elsewhere in the world. A hard feat in today's globalized society. 

After passing by the H&Ms and the Zaras, and usually on the top floors of ginormous shopping malls, we found shops with all kinds of Japanese curiosities. These were my favorite. I could have spent hours browsing shelves filled with stationary and crafts, innovative trinkets and clever little products. All of a sudden, you find yourself in need of an old-fashioned fountain pen and inkwell, a leather-bound diary, and erasers the shape of sushi.

Here's what we did score:
From left to right:
  • A "sold only in Japan" Casio g-shock mini, a fun, casual watch to wear around town 
  • A traditional, hand-forged Japanese knife purchased at the Tsukiji Fish Market (with my new initials engraved, I might add!) 
  • A canvas pen holder for my late dad's collection
...all resting on a blue-and-white-striped sushi platter.   

I loved all that Tokyo had to offer and quickly realized that if I were to live there, I'd probably have to be put on a budget (and a diet, for that matter).  

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Japan Part II: Sapporo

We didn't spend much time in Sapporo -- only our first night in Japan and coming back from the mountains. And if we were to do it again, we'd probably skip the Sapporo stops if flight and bus schedules allowed. But we did manage to catch a glimpse of the city's snow festival, which officially started just after we left. 

Though I imagine it doesn't come close to what goes on in Harbin (click here), it was pretty cool to see these massive snow/ice sculptures.
But when the snow started furiously falling and the temperature dropped, I was pretty much over it.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Fatty Tuesday: Cod Sperm Sack Sushi, Among Other Foodstuffs

Did today's headline grab your attention? Don't worry, I'll get to the sushi shortly.

We had some great food in Japan; it's a cuisine I probably wouldn't tire of too quickly. Here's a recap of some of our meals on the trip.  

Ramen: We had ramen our first night in Japan (in Sapporo) and again in Tokyo. It's the Japanese version of chicken soup for the soul: piping hot, tasty broth (usually pork-based, miso-flavored at times), incredibly fresh noodles, a perfectly soft-boiled egg, a crisp piece of seaweed, and crunchy bean sprouts. Versions vary, of course, but even the most basic is delicious on a cold day. Afuri Ramen in Tokyo is the spot and ordering is an adventure (orders are placed via a "no English" vending machine at the front of the restaurant).

Yakatori: In the simplest of terms, yakatori is meat and veggies on sticks. Grilled. Over coals. I liked it. But there's not much else to say about it. 

Tonkatsu: Perhaps the opposite of yakatori (at least in terms of calories), tonkatsu is a piece of perfectly fried pork (cutlet or loin). Its coating is panko bread crumbs, and its sides are crispy cabbage with a sesame dressing that's lick-your-bowl good and fluffy, white rice. The best part? Creating your own dipping sauce by grinding up sesame seeds yourself using a small pestle and mortar, and adding tonkatsu sauce, which is part sweet, part sour.  

Sushi: We had sushi a few times, but most notably at the Tsukiji Fish Market and before leaving for the airport. The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and home to a number of small sushi spots. Tourists line up for one in particular, but knowing that the chefs all get access to the same fresh fish, we exchanged our spot in line, outside in the cold, for two seats inside another restaurant. The move was smart. It was sushi unlike any other I've had -- beautifully cut pieces of fish that sit atop a small pillow of rice perfectly balanced in terms of flavor and temperature, and that simply melt in your mouth.

Lunch on our last day had to be sushi again, but this time, inside a large mall in Shibuya, omakase-style (allowing the sushi chef to decide what we eat). I told myself that I had to eat everything put in front of me. And I did (for the most part). Cod sperm sack sushi included.
Can you guess which piece is the shirako, or cod sperm sack sushi?
So I didn't eat the raw shrimp sushi, because I've had it before and I'm not a fan of the film it leaves in your mouth. I also didn't suck on its head. But everything else! Here's what I learned: I'm not a fan of uni, but I can do salmon roe. And cod sperm sacks are creamy. (By the way, LA friends, you too can have shirako nigiri at Hamasaku; check this out.)     

Sweets: A firm believer in having dessert after every meal, I suffer from a major sweet tooth. I loved perusing the aisles of Japanese grocery and convenience stores. Shelves were lined with such interesting-looking items! If I were to live in Japan, my goal in life would be to taste-test every one of them. On this trip, I tried out a few; some were misses, but most were hits and made for delightful edible souvenirs.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Japan Part I: Niseko

The journey over to Japan was a long one: our flight in Shanghai got delayed, which caused us to miss our connection in Osaka where they told us that the next flight out to Sapporo was also delayed and could potentially turn around once in the air if the weather worsened. We took our chances and in the meantime, enjoyed wonderful Japanese innovations like an auto-dispensing draft beer machine:

Thankfully, we made it to Sapporo later that night, about 15 hours after leaving our place in Shanghai. But our travels weren't over yet; the next day we took a three-hour bus ride to the mountains of Niseko.

We chose to stay in Hirafu, part of Niseko, a ski resort seemingly overrun by Aussies. It's a very cool place, with the same mellow vibe that's so characteristic of mountain towns, but where bowls of ramen replace bowls of chili.

Mike booked us at the Niseko Prince Hotel where we stayed in a traditional Japanese room, complete with tatami mat flooring and a private onsen (like a jacuzzi minus the bubbles). In theory, sleeping on tatami mats is lovely; in practice, and after long days on the mountain, not so much. The private onsen, however, was crucial.  
Top photo: onsen; bottom photo: mountain view from onsen

The snow was fantastic; Mike was in heaven. Somewhat new to the whole snowboarding thing (and being the LA girl that I am), I had moments when I questioned what the f*ck I was doing in such cold. But I also had moments of pure joy when all I wanted to do was get one more run in.
See that thermometer? Minus 10 degrees celsius!

Up next: Fatty Tuesday, Japan-style.