Travel Journal

Contemplating...

2012-02-18T19:33:00.000-06:00

I haven't had a day that I can just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery that's just right there. I'm talking myself into quitting. So tired of stuffing flood of information in my brain.

What if I didn't care at all what other people think - would I still be doing this? Or would I pack and go home?

I notice myself asking the same question I asked when I was in high school. What do I do with my life? I obviously haven't found an answer. I grew up ignoring what I want because I have to do something else right then. Now, I don't really know what I want.

If I didn't care what other people think of me, would I still be doing this?

Journey to Medical School (Part III ) ~ Application ~

2012-01-08T21:53:00.002-06:00

While I was waiting for the MCAT score, I started to work on my personal statement. I am 100% Japanese and spent my first 18 years of my life in Japan. So, naturally, I grew up believing being humble is good. A wise old man said:

能ある鷹は爪を隠す。

Literally: The talented hawk hides its claws
Metaphorically: A wise man keeps some of his talents in reserve

So it is not that I don't believe in my skills or talents, it's just that I don't feel comfortable talking about it myself. Besides, it's hard to grab readers' attentions with a strong opening statement when you are writing about something you don't really feel like writing. Also, there is very strict character limit for the essay. Drafts after drafts, revisions after revisions, it took many attempts before I felt like the essay was strong enough and still sounded like myself.

My professors and colleagues wrote me great letters of recommendation. It made me blush just reading them, but because of them, my application package looked a lot more impressive than it would have otherwise.

As my application packets started to come together, the doubts inside me grew larger. Student loans, time commitments, and lots and lots of studying ahead. Why couldn't I just be happy with where I was? Am I too old for this? What if I don't like medicine?

Ignoring all my doubts, I turned in my application. At this point, I decided on Caribbean schools because if I waited till the end of the year for interviews etc, I probably would lose my battle with my inner doubts. Foreign medical schools do not have the same level of acceptance as US schools. But I've seen something similar to this when I decided to apply to US universities. My high school teachers and parents tried convincing me to go to a Japanese university. I'm still happy that I came to the states, so I decided to go with my gut feeling.

My first interview was with Ross university. The interviewer neither have studied at Ross university nor studied medicine. It went smoothly and I received an acceptance letter to start there in August (a month after the acceptance). There are so much to be done after an acceptance till actually starting school. Pay deposit, book flights, get immunization done, applying for scholarship, etc. The timing could not have been better, but I felt rushed and ended up declining the offer.

Then I got an interview with St. George's. It was my first choice even though I cannot pin point a reason why. The interview was with an anesthesiologist who graduated from St. George's and now practices in a hospital in Kansas city. It was great learning his experience at school and his current career. At the end of the interview, he asked if I had any other questions. I said no and told him that "I'm so happy that I had an opportunity to meet you. I am more excited about the possibility of going to St. George's now."

A few weeks later, I received an acceptance letter from St. George's. This time, I had 4 months to get ready. Maybe I was supposed to choose this school. Maybe not. But regardless, tomorrow is the day I fly down to Grenada and be a student once again.

Journey to Medical School (Part II ) ~ MCAT ~

2011-12-08T03:06:00.000-06:00

Studying for MCAT reminded me of studying for high school entrance exam in Japan. Back then, I went to Juku (a type of special private schools in Japan), and this time, I went to Kaplan. I was not a big fan of entrance exam system in Japan. That was probably one of the reasons why I chose to go to a university in US. It is stressful and I felt that the score does not necessarily reflect the quality of a student -- but this score determines which school you go to for the next 3-4 years and what kind of education you would receive.

On the first day of Kaplan program, I learned the structure of the exam, its scoring system, and how Kaplan would help me. The structure of the exam is:

Physical Science (General Chemistry, Physics) -- 70 minutes
Verbal Reasoning -- 60 minutes
Writing Sample (2 essays) -- 60 minutes
Biological Science (Biology, Organic Chemistry) -- 70 minutes

After taking a practice/assessment exam, I quickly learned that the toughest part of this exam is not what is tested. The hardest part is time management. Most of the questions are passage-based. Being a slow reader and a non-native English speaker do not help much. I was horrified when I saw some of the passages in the verbal reasoning section. Even back in elementary school days, it was pretty obvious that I do not have brain for history or politics, which is funny considering my parents met in an archeology club in college and are both very interested in history. I find historical stories they have told me interesting, but I just cannot retain those information. In the verbal reasoning section, I found myself "reading" a chapter without obtaining any information especially when a topic of the passage is history or politics. On the other hand, both science sections were not as bad. I wish I had more time to think about each question, but I felt much better about these sections.

MCAT is 4 hour and 25 minute long without counting breaks. In Kaplan, after going over tricks and strategies of taking MCAT and reviewing science subjects, students would take at least one practice exam a week until the test day. Every Sunday, I went to UT library with clif bars and gatoraide to take this time consuming practice exams. There are 10 minutes breaks between sections, and Kaplan strategy told me that it is important to keep hydrated and energized. So, during those breaks, I paced around in a hall way eating clif bar and drinking gatorade.

Scores varied from week to week. Scoring lower than usual was very frustrating - "I've been studying hard but no improvement what so ever!" But I kept studying and flipping flashcards till the test day. On the actual exam day, I got up early to drive down to an exam center in San Antonio. The ones in Austin were full during the week I wanted to take MCAT. So rather than taking MCAT during the finals week, I chose going down to San Antonio. At the exam center, I saw many students flipping Kaplan flashcards. Some of them looked very confident, some of them very nervous. I kept telling myself "this will be all over in 6 hours - no more practice exams, no more studying for MCAT". With all the nervousness and stress, I couldn't even tell how I did when I was finally done. The best and worst part of MCAT is that students will not find out their scores till 30-35 days after the exam. Regardless of whether you did well or not, you can just celebrate being done with MCAT - which sounds fine, but in reality, it's somewhat of unsettling feeling.

A month later, the score got posted on the web. Since many students accessed the page all at once, the server went down. Even though, the score was released at 4pm that afternoon, I did not find out my score till 9pm or so. I imagined the moment many times while studying for MCAT - look at the score, feel relieved, and celebrate. It was quite different when the moment actually arrived...

I did not do as well as I usually do in practice exams. I did pretty darn well in both science sections, but it was the English section. After many practices, my score improved in verbal reasoning section. There were some variation in score depending on the passages, but on the actual exam day, I got the lower end of my usual score range for the section. No celebration. I just spent the night hanging out with a good friend not talking about med schools or MCAT.

To be continued (Part III - Application -)

Journey to Medical School (Part I ) ~ Being a Pre-Med Student ~

2011-12-05T22:26:00.000-06:00

It has been a year and a half since I started to pursue medical knowledge, and I wanted to write a little bit about what's my journey has been like so far.

Being a Pre-Med Student

I walked into my first general chemistry class at University of Texas at Austin (UT). A professor stood in front of the class and said "how many of you are pre-med/pre-dental students?" The class room was filled with about 400 students and many of them raised their hands. "Remember, by the time you complete your undergraduate degree, only 1 in 10 of you will be actually applying to medical schools or dental schools." Being an older student who already has bachelor's and master's degree, I thought "Is crushing their hopes and dreams this early in the stage really necessary?" I do not remember being discouraged about pursuing a major I chose by a professor at Michigan Technological University. Was it because the school was much smaller than UT and professors were not over-worked and stressed from having to deal with excess number of students?

I noticed a few gadgets that are commonly used today but not when I was a student first time around. One is a web portal that contains all the course syllabi, lecture notes, etc called Blackboard - which can, of course, be accessed from smart phones and other mobile devices.

Another is online assignment/quiz tools such as Quest. I like the good old assignments you turn in during the class period because you can actually write down a process of how you got to the final answer. This way, even if the answer was not exactly correct, you may get some points for having understood the material. It is not at all the case with online assignments. You type in the final result and the app will tell you if that's right or wrong. Most of the questions are in the back of a chapter in a textbook. If a professor does not go over the particular question in the class (which is mostly the case), the only way for you to know the right way to solve the problem is by reading a solution manual (sold separately from the already expensive textbook).

Lastly, there is the "clicker" which is a remote controller that can be used for in-class quizzes. In the beginning of the term, you register your clicker online and get an ID of a cell in a big table that can be displayed via a projector in front of the lecture hall. A professor asks a multiple choice question, you push a button on your clicker, and your answer appear in the cell. The score gets uploaded to Blackboard and become a part of your grade. These new gadgets seem like they should reduce the workload of professors, but as far as I have seen, professors and teaching assistants spend their first 4 weeks of a semester trouble shooting these gadgets and helping students who have not figured out how to use them.

Getting an A in these basic science classes seems to be much harder than getting an A in , say, graduate level classes. A lot of it has nothing to do with if you understand the material - a lot of busy work and luck. For example, if an online quiz has a time limit and you happen to access at time when many students are accessing at the same time, you'll spend more time starring at a spinning wheel before the next question gets displayed and less time working on the question. What if your computer froze in the middle of it? The due date can be confusing too - in one class, they may select it to be the beginning of the class period, the other class may be 11:59 pm of the due date. If you get unlucky due to technical issues or inevitable human errors at some point, it's really hard to get your points back. You have to first ask your TA because the professor does not have time to deal with hundreds of students at once. Since everything is becoming so high tech, updating the grade is not as easy as a professor erasing a number in his notebook and updating - it's a job of a system administrator. I used to be a software developer, and I cannot tell you how many times I said "this website/software sucks, I can do better than that!"

After all those struggles with inhumane automated general science classes, it was time to take the famous "o-chem" (organic chemistry). If you've gotten this point, you've heard many horror stories about this class. The course was available through continuing education program (in the evening) which was much cheaper than if I were to take it during the day. Not only that, there were only 10 students in the class. O-chem class for me turned out much easier than anticipated. It's basically what we, computer science students, learned in higher CS classes with a little bit of difference in terms. You memorize a set of rules (reactions) and create a product by combining different rules (mechanism). Simple enough, right? Well, I'm pretty sure that when I was in the midst of it, memorizing reactions was easier said than done and I was stressed before the exams like any other classes, but it is done.

To be continued (Part II - MCAT)

Shochu, Soju, same same but different

2010-12-25T21:10:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I experienced my first Shochu bar with my sister. I've tried Soju in South Korea but never had the desire to try Shochu (similar drink in Japan) because I am not a big fan of Sake. Izakaya is Japanese version of tapas bar -- lots of appetizers and drinks. I had Shochu made with potatoes, another with wheat, and some with rice (which, to me, tasted exactly like sake). I tried them on the rocks but Shochu is definitely an acquired taste... Another thing I tried for the first time tonight was horse sashimi - red meat and not very gamy. I saw it on the menu and had to order it just so I can say I've tried.

Food is still my favorite subject when I travel. I was chatting online with an old friend in Germany after my sister and I stumbled back home from Izakaya (barely). He said he was about to start cooking Christmas dinner for his family. I asked if he was making Christmas goose, but it turned out he and his mom were making sushi. I spent Christmas with them 3 years ago and made sushi with them. I couldn't be happier to find out that it became their Christmas tradition. It is hard to keep in touch with friends who live half way around the world. Even though years passed by and conversations got less and less, they still remember me when they make sushi. I think of them when I cook Russischer Hackfleischtopf or Saltimboca. Food connects people.

127 hours, detours, and cool people

2010-11-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

A lady in her late 50’s or early 60’s with bright, almost neon, pink hair said to me:

“It’ll all make sense in the end, so don’t worry about it now.”

That’s all I remember - a strange dream I had the other day.

Last night, I watched a movie, 127 hours, a story of Aron Ralston. It made me think of backpacking days in Australia, a trip to Grand Canyon & Antelope Canyon, and people I was close to then. His story reminded me of great moments I had while traveling and also the moments I thought “oh sh*t!!! I totally screwed up. Please please let me get out of this safely and I swear I will never make the same mistake again!!” I missed traveling. I wondered why I decided to go back to school. Wouldn’t I have been able to do what I love, had I stayed with an uninspiring job?

Then there came a scene he described how everything in his life was pointing there. The boulder was waiting for him right there for a very long time. Every event and every decision he made in his life was to get to where he was. He “chose” to get stuck in the canyon. That was when I remembered the strange dream I had.

It is hard not to feel like my life is on hold when I am in school. I wanted to be a little older and wiser this time around, but I still get overwhelmed with the amount of school work and go into this “hold your breath and just get through it” mode. I often wonder and doubt my decision to go to med school. Maybe the lady with crazy hair knew what I don’t know. Maybe everything will make sense in the end and there is no point in wondering or worrying.

When things get hectic in my life, I forget to take detours. I go straight from a place to the next place I need to be. I have a classmate who is quite intriguing even from the little tiny bit I’ve gotten to know about him. We talk as we walk from the lab to his bicycle which is on the way to my car. A couple days ago, we walked past the bicycle parking area and I said “did you …” He answered my question before I finished asking. “Yeah, I did ride my bike today. I’m just walking with you.” I realized that I was unintentionally timing our walk and didn’t go further into a subject that would take longer than what would take for us to get to the usual spot we say good bye. Today, I came across his graduation speech video in which he talked about things that are very close to my heart. Why was I concerned about not starting a conversation that will not end before we get to his bike? I was so wrapped up in my school work and didn’t stop and get to know somebody who’s very “cool” (the word he used in his speech). How stupid of me!

I think things will make sense in the end. From now on, I will not let good things and people slip away because I am caught up trying to get to where I am heading.

From the hike through Antelope Canyon '09

There is no "I miss you" in Japanese

2010-09-23T23:20:00.002-05:00

A friend I've known since I was 9 sent me an email this morning.

We've been living a half way around the world from each other for the past 12 years. We still saw each other once a year when I went back to my home town. We hardly ever emailed or talked on the phone but there is this warm and familiar air whenever we see each other. The clock stops when we say good-bye and it resumes right back where it's left off when we see each other again.

This morning, he told me that he is moving to Shanghai for work. He said "it gets even harder to see each other, but take care of yourself". There was no romantic stories between us. I was a tomboy and we grew up together. He probably knows most of my breakup stories. He met a girl and has been happily married for 8 years now.

Yesterday, I was looking up flights to go back to Japan this winter. It just dawned on me -- he will not be there. And that's when I realized that there is no expression "I miss you" in Japanese language. The closest you can get is "I am lonely because you are not here." Just not the same.

I guess I just have to go visit him in China, don't I? ;)

Japan 2009

2009-12-18T10:03:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is the day I fly back to the states. The past two weeks back home had been filled with great food and lots of time with my family and old friends. My sister's wedding was very heartwarming and I am very fond of Hiroaki, my new brother. Yesterday, they came back from their honeymoon, and my mom hosted a dinner party here at home. Her cooking was amazing and we sat around a table chatting and laughing till very late at night.

Tonight, they came back again to see me before I take off. Hiroaki has to work tomorrow at 5 in the morning, and he probably should have gone to bed early. They stayed till 11pm - again we gathered around the table for tea and a cake my mom baked. One new person brings lots of new conversations amongst people you know too well, or should I say people you thought you knew well. We got to hear stories from our parents that we've never heard before because of him. My dad didn't seem to like him before they got married. My sister is a daddy's girl, so it's understandable that he doesn't like a guy who's taking her away from him. But things seem to be changing quickly even within the past two days. I strongly believe it's the power of sharing meals together!

I was thinking earlier how much I miss friends back in the states. It seems as though my life was put on hold when I come back to Japan because I don't have my every day life here. This trip made me realize that I have to make more effort to stay close to my family. Usually, my parents say "no news from Hiromi is good news." I call home about once a month and come back once a year. I really should work hard to stay close to my family. This is my new year resolution for 2010, I decided right now. (as well as wearing more skirts... I have to keep up with fashion in Japan :P)

I LOVE traveling, and I mean it

2009-12-05T12:17:00.001-06:00

I sometimes forget how much I love traveling, but it comes right back to me when I walk out the door.

A taxi picked me up Friday morning. When I asked the driver to take me to the airport, he asked where I was flying to.
me: "Japan"
driver: "Japan? Are you Japanese?"
me: "Yes"
driver: "Wow, I've never met a Japanese before. You are my first Japanese!"
me: "Ha. Where are you from?"
driver: "I'm from Africa"
me: "That's where I want to go next. Where in Africa?"
driver: "Eastern Africa."

The conversation didn't end till he pulled over at the airport.

An hour or so later, I was waiting for the first flight to take off, a lady and her son came and sat next to me.
lady: "How are you? Do you speak English?"
me: "Yes, I'm fine."

She mentioned that her son is going to Tokyo for his business, and he's taking her with him. She lived in Japan 45 years ago because her husband was in Navy. We went through the usual questions like what I do for living, where I live, etc.

me: "Where do you live?"
lady: "... well, my husband and I live on a sailboat and it is in Turkey right now"
me: "A sailboat? How long have you been living on a sailboat?"
lady: "15 years now. It takes a long time to get to Turkey from the states."
me: "Wow. You are my dream. Now you have to tell me all the stories!"

Her name is Bunny and she told me about what it's like to live on a sailboat, places they've visited and places they want to go next, and how incredible it is to see stars at night - you don't even have to look up because you can see them all the way down to the horizon. I can only imagine what it's like... When I told her that I have to experience that at least once before I die, she invited me to come spend some time on their sailboat. I took out my trusty old notebook and a pen I always carry around when I travel to exchange our contact information. She said "Sounds like you are an adventurous one and you might actually come visit. Give us a shout, okay?" and I told her "Oh good, because I definitely will."

I feel alive when I'm traveling.

Have I ran out of things to say?

2009-11-23T21:04:00.000-06:00

I can't believe 3 months just flew by since the last time I wrote...
During that time, I've accidentally walked rim-to-rim in Grand Canyon, visited California for the first time and enjoyed many different wine, and said good bye to my OPI family. It was the toughest thing I've done in a long time. Seriously, how many times in your life you get to work at a place where colleagues would look after you, love you, and treat you like you are part of a family? I've been feeling heart broken for a while now...

How did I get here? (Once in a Lifetime)

2009-08-29T19:27:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was a makeup shopping day with Krista for her wedding. It was a lot of fun putting makeup on somebody else, and I did not poke her eye out while applying eye liners. She looked beautiful and the idea of her becoming a bride in less than 2 weeks started to really sink in. After I got home, once again I started to contemplate where I am in my life and where I'm heading.

My parents were married when they were 23 years old and had me when they were 24. So, I didn't have much doubt that my life would follow a similar path. Who would thought it would be this different.

Let me introduce you to my good friend from high school. Her name is Naoko and her favorite subjects in school were geography and history - two subject I often struggled to get good grades in. She has traveled a lot more places than I have and I can only imagine where she is right now. Back in college, I remember telling her "I love living in foreign countries but I'm not so interested in visiting them. How much can you actually get to know by being there for a couple days?" Strangely enough, years have passed and when we see each other these days, we go to a coffee shop, open up a world map, and exchange stories of places we visited since the last time we talked. The conversation usually ends with sighs and a comment "so many places we haven't seen! The world is a big place and wonder if we have enough time to visit them all".

Whenever I tell her about my midlife crisis like doubts in my head, she gives me very different insight I would never even think of. There is no better way to explain this than showing you a snippets of our conversations.

Hiromi's Japanese Blog: 旅行中に出会った人達とおしゃべりしてて、「あぁ、私高校時代どっちかというとＲｅｂｅｌだったのにあんまり人生のまわり道しなかったなぁ」と思ったわけです。なんだかんだいって大学、大学院とストレートで卒業。企業に就職。オーストラリアにちょっくら住んだもののまたアメリカで普通に社会人。朝起きて、今日は何しようとか、どの本読もうかなとか考える機会をあまりもってなかったような気がして・・・

Hiromi's Japanese Blog (Translated): While I was chatting with people I met during my SE Asia trip, I thought "you know, I thought I was some what on a rebel side in high school, but I haven't taken much detours in my life. I graduated from college, got my master's degree, and started to work right away. I did live in Australia for a little bit, but now I'm back in the states working my butt off. I don't think I've ever woken up in the morning and wondered "what am I going to do today?" or "which book do I want to read today"...

Naoko's comments: Hiromiは信念あってREBELやってたような感じがするよね。

そこいくとオレは世間の波に乗り切れず、やむを得ずアウトサイダーなだけなんだが。
おかしいな、一応修士まではストレートで、傍から見れば順調そうな人生だったはずのに、
いつのまにやら気づけばアウトロー。

じゃ、バングラで待ってますんで。

Naoko comments: Yep. You were a rebel with passion.

As for me, I just couldn't conform to the norm and became kind of an outsider. Weird isn't it? I went to a good college and a grad school in Japan, and it seemed like I followed a route which people considered normal/successful. Not sure how I got here.

Anyway, come visit me in Bangladesh.

In another occasion

Hiromi says: そういえば私の妹今年末くらいに結婚。 (Oh yeah, my younger sister's getting married in the end of this year)
Naoko says: へえー (oh really?)
Naoko says: いくつした？ (how much younger is she?)
Hiromi says: みっつ (three years)
Naoko says: じゃーオレの妹と一緒だな (ah same as my sister)
...
Hiromi says: 裕美たぶん結婚とかないんだろうなぁとしみじみ実感した。 (you know, I'm starting to feel like I'm never gonna get married)
Naoko says: そんなん、わかんねーよ (you never know)
Naoko says: 明日のことは誰にも分からない (anything can happen tomorrow)
Hiromi says: なんか深いね (that's kind of deep)
Naoko says: アメリカにはいなかっただけでさ (you just didn't find the one in the states)
Hiromi says: 日本にもね (not in Japan either)
Hiromi says: ちなみにドイツとオーストラリアも (well, neither in Germany nor Australia even)
Hiromi says: やれやれ (oh well)
Naoko says: そんだけたしても中国一国の人口に負けるんだから (even if you add them all up, it's still less than China's population - and it's just one country)
Naoko says: まだまだだよ (there are a lot more out there)
Hiromi says: ... そっか。 (... right)

Her logic is very unusual but strangely convincing. I can't wait to go to a coffee shop with her again.

Must bring for backpacking

2009-08-17T22:24:00.002-05:00

When I was packing for my south east Asia trip, I realized that I'm finally getting better at traveling light and not forgetting important things. Here is a list of my must-have's:

1. Passport!

Need to say more? Make sure it won't expire within 6 months.

2. A little notebook & a pen

I cannot stress enough how important they are! You must have them on you at all times. You will not have a smart phone or a laptop. Write down important phone numbers and contacts, keep track of your spending/bank account balance. It can be your travel journal, and also come in handy when you meet cool people and want to exchange contact infomations. Many backpackers reads A LOT. When good books/movies come up during a conversation, write them down right away.

3. Tiny pouch with a shoulder strap

I am not a big fan of under clothing waist wallets or other security pouch because it's hard to reach when you need to show your ID's. Instead, I carry around a tiny pouch that can hold my passport, a little notebook & a pen, and a camera. Shoulder strap is nice because both of your hands are free. There are shoulder straps that contains metal wires to prevent cutting, but if you get one, make sure to shorten the strap. I often hear stories of travelers who were dragged off of a bike or a tuktuk when a thief tries to take the bag. Life is more important than what's in a bag, so it's probably better if the strap breaks (or short enough so it's hard to grab)

4 A deck of cards & dice

They don't take up much space in your backpack and provides entertainment when you have a little bit of time to kill or it's rainy outside.

5 Flip flops

Not fancy ones but the cheap flat ones so that they fit in a backpack pockets. They can be slippers indoor and also come in handy when a shower is not so nice.

6 Ziploc bags

I put my notebook and passport in a ziploc bag just in case it starts to rain or crazy friends decide to throw me in a pool. I also put small things that tend to get lost in a backpack in one ziploc bag (socks, underwear, etc) so they are easy to find. Just throw 4-5 of various size bags, and I promise you they'll come in handy.

7 Bathing suits

Even if you are going to a place with no lakes, oceans, or swimming pools, bring your bathing suits. It's hard to get one that fits you in some countries when you find out you need them.

8 Sarong

Best investment I made in Thailand. Sarongs can be a towel after a shower, a beach towel to sit on (or lie on), and a dress even. Multi-purpose is good.

9 A favorite sweatshirt

My Michigan Tech sweatshirt has gone to Australia, Germany, Austria, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, etc with me. Even in warm places, it can get chilly at night - or it will be a pillow when you sleep in your sleeping bag. I actually met people who went to Northern Michigan University (in U.P.) in Maui - and they came and talked to me after seeing my sweatshirt.

10 Ear plugs

In some backpackers, there are tons of party lovers who don't go to bed. Ear plugs come in handy on days you just need to get some sleep.

11 Pocket knife

I've learned how to open beer bottles with a fork, an edge of a table, etc - but still there are times you just wish you had a knife (or a cork screw).

12 A book

It only takes one - you read it, then trade it in at a used bookstore or a backpacker's community shelf.

13 Sun glasses

Maybe it's not a necessity - but I like having a pair.

14 Medicines

Medicines you are used to. In some countries, drug stores sell medications over the counter that are prescription medicines over here. So, I feel safer bringing my own. The purse I carry around everyday contains all the medicines I take (ibuprofen, eye drop, etc). This way, I'll know what I need on the road.

15 Tooth brush & paste

Those are also in my purse everyday. So, if some things come up, I'm always sleep over ready.

16 Traveling toilet paper

It'll be a pocket tissue and paper towel, as well as a toilet paper. The container is somewhat waterproof so great for camping too.

17 Wet tissue

Sort of like carrying hand sanitizer and quick shower in one. You'll be surprised how dirty your hands get when you are out of your everyday life.

18 A little camera (water proof shock proof)

I like waterproof so that I don't have to have it in a ziploc bag when I'm wandering around - it rained a lot in Austria.

19 Chargers & converters/adaptors

I forgot to bring my camera charger when I was traveling Australia, and there is a period that I only have photos some other people took.

20 Snacks

Hunger makes crabby people. If you sense yourself or other traveling mates start to get short tempered, have some snacks. You may not find a restaurant for a little while.

extra .... music, pasta recipe, star charts - some things I wished I had occasionally.

Have you read Into Thin Air?

2009-08-06T22:08:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine told me that I had to read this book; "Into Thin Air." He said, knowing me, he was totally sure that I would love it. I went to a bookstore the next day, bought it, and read it in just a couple days - which was a year or two ago.

I usually do not watch TV, but today, I happened to sat down on a couch and turned it on. I didn't even change channels. Then, there it was. The documentary of the storm over Everest - the disaster Jon Krakauer, the author of "Into Thin Air" went through.

Watch excerpt of the show here

It features stories being told by people who came this close to dying, who experienced the extreme and almost surreal situation. Jon Krakauer does not appear in this documentary, so by both reading the book and watching the documentary, you have a chance to see different views/perspective/memory of the same event.

I guarantee the book and the documentary will give you a complete different perspective of life.

Now my mind is busy at work and I am about to grab that book to read once again.

Too cute to resist...

2009-07-14T21:57:00.001-05:00

My Buddy Cam Says "Mee-ooo jump plane"

2009-07-13T22:36:00.003-05:00

Nothing is pushing you
Nothing is pulling you
You just let go and fall
The best feeling in the whole wide world

Yep, the photos

2009-05-25T00:08:00.001-05:00

Genocide

2009-04-25T10:13:00.016-05:00

My roommate was writing a report for her school's history day and I thought "maybe I should do some research/reading to understand what I saw during the trip better". As I mentioned before, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Killing Field left a strong impression on me.

History was not my favorite subject ever since elementary school. Unlike math and science, most of the things I learned in history classes made absolutely no sense to me. I still managed to get decent grades because I stuffed all the facts into my brain with flashcards. But as soon as I wrote them down during the exams, I forgot them all because I did not understand them. Why did many leaders end up screwing things up? Why couldn't ordinary people do anything about it? The only historical fact that I could vaguely recall off the top of my head is a Syogun who created laws to protect dogs and let stray dogs take over the city while people were starving. Studying history frustrated me because there is nothing I can do today to change anything.

When I was picking apples in Australia, I met a lady from Cambodia. She smiled and laughed a lot, and was one of the most giving and caring people I have ever met. One day, she was telling us about the time she had to walk a great distance to escape from Vietnamese soldiers. Her English can be hard to understand sometimes, but here is what I gathered. She fled to Thailand on foot carrying a rifle on her shoulder. There were very little food and water available. She slept leaning against a tree because she was starving and she knew if she sat down or lay down, she would not stand up again. She lost her rifle one day and her friend rescued her by finding/stealing a replacement. Without a weapon, she could not have protected herself not only from Vietnamese soldiers but Cambodian men who were walking with her. I had no knowledge of what was happening in Cambodia then, but I remember wondering what it must be like to be exhausted, starved, and scared. When I set my foot into Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, I was eager to know more about what happened in Cambodia back then and where her stories fit in.

As soon as I walked into the first building, I saw photos after photos of victims. I can hardly describe the feeling of seeing the faces staring back at me from the past. Their lives were taken away shortly after these pictures were taken. Not only that, they were tortured and witnessed things nobody should ever have to. In front of the first building, there was a sign of ten rules that people had to follow:

1. You must answer accordingly to my question. Don’t turn them away.
2. Don’t try to hide the facts by making pretexts this and that, you are strictly prohibited to contest me.
3. Don’t be a fool for you are a chap who dare to thwart the revolution.
4. You must immediately answer my questions without wasting time to reflect.
5. Don’t tell me either about your immoralities or the essence of the revolution.
6. While getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all.
7. Do nothing, sit still and wait for my orders. If there is no order, keep quiet. When I ask you to do something, you must do it right away without protesting.
8. Don’t make pretext about Kampuchea Krom in order to hide your jaw of traitor.
9. If you don’t follow all the above rules, you shall get many many lashes of electric wire.
10. If you disobey any point of my regulations you shall get either ten lashes or five shocks of electric discharge.

The buildings were enclosed in barbed wire so that people cannot commit suicide. After the torturing and interrogation were done, people were sent to Killing Field. Can you even imagine waiting in line for your turn to get a hard blow on the head? Did they wish it would kill them instantly? Because if it didn’t, they would be buried alive or have to wait for the chemical which was used to prevent the odor would kill them. What would their last words have been?

My heart ached. I walked into tiny cells in the class room. The brick walls are deteriorated and crumbling here and there. The wooden doors aren't that thick either. If I kicked them hard, I think I can easily knock them down. But the same walls and doors must have stood in front of the victims as something they cannot destroy and get through.

Materials displayed at the museum capture many perspectives. There were interviews of people who worked for Khmer Rouge. Some of them show no regrets, others confess not standing up to what they believed from the fear that they would be the next to be tortured and killed.

There was also a photo exhibition that showed yet another perspective. A group of people from the Sweden-Kampuchea Friendship Association were invited to visit Democratic Kampuchea while the tortures and mass killing were happening. They took a tour of places and saw citizens working hard in farms, kids smiling and playing, and health care systems beginning to be established. The person who took these photos, Gunnar Bergstrom, wrote his thoughts then and today under each photos.

Back then, he thought that the situations were improving now the civil war was over. Although there were some doubts such as "why aren't these kids in school?" he thought it would take a little more time for the country to be healthy - things do not turn around over night. Who can blame him for what he calls "misjudgment"? The information he received was controlled. But I can't help thinking "what if these people who were *this* close to S-21 walked out of the car or the hotel that day? Would the history change its course a little?"

Today, he knows it was all setup and he was used as a propaganda tool. These medications being manufactured at the factory were rubbish. Doctors and nurses were trained only for a few months and had no idea what they were doing. Khmer Rouge killed doctors, teachers, scientists, lawyers, engineers, and anybody who were educated. Knowledge and information were threats to leaders of Democratic Kampuchea.

After spending an entire day at the museum, I came across a visitor's notebook. Some expressed sorrow and sympathy to the victims, some expressed their anger to the fact that Pol Pot lived to be almost 60 year old and died of natural causes. While I was doing my "history homework," I came across some other speculations saying he was poisoned or committed suicide, but either way, does that matter? Would these people feel better if he was killed young in a horrible way? I doubt that. A friend who visited the museum with me studied SE Asian history in university. He looked at the notebook and said "there might be something similar happening in Africa today; countries like Sudan or Congo. But people don't really think about that until they come to a place like this".

He is absolutely right. I am one of those people he was talking about. We live in the world of information overload today. Although I hear these news every day, my brain and senses are numb and the information does not get processed. Are there people somewhere in this world today that are locked in a cell staring at a wall or being tortured? Are there people who are waiting in line to be killed? Are there people who are doing things against their beliefs because they are scared?

Today, I watch news with different mindset. If I did not take this trip, news about protests in Bangkok or Bush Administration Torture Memo might have been just another news I see on paper. When I heard about Twitter was used to organize protests in Moldova or became an effective way to communicate with family and friends after an earthquake in Italy, I contemplate if there is any way we could use that to deliver information to people who are cut off from the media. When I visited North Korea, we were not allowed to bring in cell phones or other types of communication devices, newspapers or magazines, or professional cameras. I think knowledge and information are power.

Even though there is nothing I can do to change the history, I want to find something I can do today. Isn't it awful to think a place something horrible is happening today is a future tourist attraction in the making?

Thailand Cambodia Vietnam 2009

2009-04-21T22:23:00.005-05:00

I cannot even begin to describe what I saw and experienced during this trip. It was an eye opening experience for sure. So many different emotions were stirred up inside me that I still have not had the guts to see the pictures I took. They are still in my camera.

I started to write many blogs but could not complete any of them. So, I decided to take a different approach. Here's a list of things I saw or learned:

In Thailand, you drive on the left side of the road
Vietnamese is a tonal language and has 6 tones. 6!
It is illegal to have your motorbike's headlights on during the day in Cambodia. It is okay if you ride on the wrong side of the street or don't have a license plate, but if you have your headlights on, the cops will pull you over.
If a kid ask you to play tic tac toe in Angkor Wat, be aware. He'll tell you to buy trinkets from him if you lose, and take the first move. He knows!
Durian isn't that stinky (I was warned beforehand that it smells like someone's butt). Take a bite and you won't smell it anymore. That's when you start tasting "the king of fruits". Dragon fruits taste like watermelon.
If the officers ask you for more than $20 for a visitor's visa for Cambodia, ask for their names. It was one of few tricks that actually worked on Lonely Planet.
Currencies in Thailand is Baht, Riel in Cambodia, Dong in Vietnam, but I was surprised to see that US$ is widely used in SE Asia especially Cambodia. No coins - so they'll give you small change in Riel.
Plastic bags everywhere! Coke in plastic bag isn't that weird. You can get curry, soup, or sticky rice in a plastic bag. My buddy said "I swear if you buy a plastic bag, they'll put it in a plastic bag for you"
I went to S-21 and imagined what it would have been like to be locked in there. It was simply shocking. Many many black and white pictures of genocide victims were starring back at me as soon as I entered the room.
I guess I don't look Japanese. Locals told me that I look Thai, Vietnamese, maybe Korean. Anything BUT Japanese. "Japanese people white (fair) skin. You dark!"
People in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam will smile whenever you catch their eyes. These smiles don't hold anything back and remind you that you don't smile enough everyday.

More to come.

Meanings of Words

2009-04-01T05:07:00.002-05:00

So many words that I thought I knew the meanings of became uncertain/questionable during the past couple weeks.

Learning about Khmer Rouge and actually seeing the places were eye opening experiences for me. I cannot believe that there are similar things going on some other parts of the world today. Politics, history, and geography were the three subject that I just couldn't get interested in back in high school. But after this trip, I have a lot more reading and learning to do.

Oh, Angkor wat was beautiful! Wish us a luck tomorrow to cross the cambodia/vietnam border without too much troubles like we had back at thailand/cambodia border (that was the place I started to question the authority and officials)

Cheers!

Asia Trip 2009

2009-03-09T19:15:00.005-05:00

Departure: 10:27am Friday, March 13 2009
Countries: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Partner In Crime: Kaley
Where We Met: North Korea in 2006

Here we go!

In South Korea, September 2006 (from left Dave, Kaley, Hiromi, Donna)

Slumdog and Flogging Molly

2009-02-24T21:35:00.025-06:00

Slumdog Millionaire won the Best Motion Picture of the Year Oscar on Sunday and I couldn't be any happier. When my roommates, Deb and Bridget, took me to watch this movie, I just flew back from Japan and was not yet recovered from the jet-lag. I remember walking into a theatre asking Bridget to wake me up if I fall asleep during the movie.

Boy, was I wrong. I not only stayed up the entire movie, but I could not fall asleep a few hours afterward because I was so excited. Beautiful visual, catchy music, and great storyline. It reminded me of the trip to India better than any of the photos I took. To me, India is filled with tons of vivid colors and energetic people. I was flipping through my trip journal and reliving the moments that night. Sadly, the Mumbai attack happened the following day.

The Friday before the President's Day, many people left work early for the long weekend. I didn't have a plan to go anywhere and I was not even planning on taking the Monday off, so I was working just like I do on any other Fridays. But then, I had this urge to get out of the usual pattern and predictability. The day started off on the wrong foot and my cell phone took a plunge into a toilet that morning. I looked at a clock, it was 12:45. The next showing of Slumdog Millionaire was 1:20 at Rosedale. It has been over two months since I watched it and I wanted to see it once again before the Oscar. I was at Thomson in Eagan and the walk to my car would take at least 10 minutes. "I might be able to make it if I left right now".

I pulled into a parking spot right in front of the door at 1:22. There were only 5 or 6 people in the entire theatre. I have never been to a movie theatre alone before, and I was loving it. What a great idea it was!!

Speaking of doing things I have never done alone before, I had a great time at the Flogging Molly concert last night. My college buddy, Neal, went to their concert in Detroit last Friday. When he told me he's excited about going to Floggy Molly, I didn't even recognize the name. So, I remember saying to him "I don't know what it is, but have fun!"

Yesterday, my co-worker, Jon, said he's going to see Floggy Molly in the evening. I laughed and said "No way!" He happened to have an extra ticket. Even though I turned it down once, Neal convinced me to go check it out in the end. Jon had to wait for his girlfriend to get home and all, so we decided to just meet up there.

I could hardly see anything during the first two opening bands due to my height. So, I looked for a better spot for Floggy Molly. There was a spot a couple rows behind the fence next to the sound guys. The platform was elevated, so I can see the stage over the mosh pitt. There were still a couple tall people in front of me, but I could see much better than the last spot.

Suddenly, a tall guy grabbed my arm and pulled me - and I somehow ended up right by the fence in front of him. He looked down to me and said "I can see over you." His friends were teasing him for being such a gentleman, but I could not be more grateful.

Flogging Molly put on a GREAT live show! It's the kind of music you just can't listen to standing still. Surprisingly, I knew many of their songs and I could so picture (and almost hear!) Neal singing along. I probably had the biggest smile on my face during the entire show. Clapping hands, dancing, jumping up and down, and wishing I knew the words so I can sing along too!

Jon and his friends (they were a few rows behind me during the show) left early because they wanted to beat the rush, but I stayed till the very end. When the concert is great, that's all I need.

photo by jon

Good times :)

My favorite subject

2009-02-17T23:10:00.004-06:00

I went through my trusty old recipe book, baked a cake, and prepped the ingredients so that I can cook up healthy homemade lunch tomorrow. For me, food is comfort, memory, and care.

The other day, I was showing pictures I took in Japan to a good friend. His first comment was "Of course, pictures of Japanese food. 'Hello sushi, I'm going to take a picture of you.'" ... he is probably right. When I'm traveling, I love checking out what people eat there. Even in hostels, there are people from all over the world cooking what they eat back home.

In this one backpacker in Perth, there was a guy from Ireland. He offered me a cup of tea every time I saw him in the kitchen. He often talked to me about this sports called hurling which I can never remember the rule of no matter how many times he explained it to me. As for his cooking, he didn't have to show me twice. He grew up in a farm, so dishes he made were simple, rustic, and delicious. Oh, and most importantly, there were always "spuds" cooked one way or another. I can't even remember his name anymore, but I can picture his face every time I cook dishes he taught me.

Speaking of a random memory, I still remember what the first gift from my long-term college boyfriend was (which happened to be the same guy who pointed out my food obsession in the first paragraph). I was working in a lab all day that day and he brought me a whopper meal. I'm not sure if we were dating then, but I opened the bag and lost my words.

He got me a whopper with no onion.

I couldn't believe it.

At the Burger King in downtown Houghton, which no longer exists, they cut onions so thick that I didn't like them. I went there with him once previously, but he somehow remembered that I ordered it with no onions. There's no other gifts that would have touched my heart more - it's not only that he was kind enough to bring me food but he knew what I ate. I can't remember the first flowers he gave me, but I don't think I'll ever forget the Whopper with no onion. By the way, my vegetarian roommate always ordered Whopper with no meat, extra mayo, and extra pickles whenever we went there.

Over the years, I acquired tons of recipe from my mom. I can also name favorite recipes I got from friends without looking up. Barb's steamed artichoke, also her bowtie pasta with chicken & sun-dried tomatoes, Holly's pork pie, Silvia's Linsen Suppe, Adam's French toasts (which he made for us in France), Janosch & Sven's meat sauce with olives, Ryan's perfect-for-camping pasta salad (which lasts a few days in a cooler without going bad), Deb's zucchini & walnut bread, just to name a few.

I'm so happy whenever I get invited over for a dinner, and I love it when I get sent home with leftover. The next day, during lunch or dinner, I get to re-live the wonderful evening with friends.

Tomorrow, I get up and cook lunch for Mark and Liz. Their 2 years old daughter got diagnosed with cancer on Friday. This is my way of saying I don't think this is fair and I am worried about them.

Done!

2009-02-12T23:23:00.004-06:00

The new Object Partners Inc. homepage was officially launched today!

www.objectpartners.com

It was a very fun project and reminded me of the college computer lab. Good friends working on one project all day everyday, even late at night. Good times :)

Cancun

2009-01-22T22:10:00.012-06:00

I walked into my hotel room and lost my words. Not only clean but beautiful shower & bathroom, gorgeous 2 sink vanity, a huge bed with canopy on top, a big hot tub (in the room!), fully stocked mini bar including 5 or 6 bottles of liquor and a fridge full of mixer and beer, and a huge flat screen TV. No, I'm not done yet. I walked out to the private balcony - a table, two chairs, a day bed(!!), amazing view from 8th floor high, and most importantly the OCEAN!!

This was my first experience in all inclusive resort. It took me a while to get used to the idea that even if I order room service, I do not get charged when I check out. Anything and everything in the room - a bottle of wine, grapes, apples, water!! And there are waiters/waitresses everywhere in the building and if you are ever empty handed, they'll get you drinks right away. Oh, and you can eat in restaurants for free!!!

(catching my breath)

It's not the kind of traveling that I'm used to, but it didn't take long before I got used to it :)

About 45 people work at OPI and around 52 people were on this trip, which means that about a half of employees came with their wives/husbands or girlfriends/boyfriends. I was one of very few people who went solo. We had an entire day to ourselves on Saturday, so I decided to get out the resort and go to Cozumel for scuba diving. I suppose I could have gone to Chichen Itza or somewhere, but since it was such a short trip and it had been sooooo cold in the twin cities (-25°F) I needed to get out and enjoy the ocean and the sun.

The day before, most of the diving trips were canceled due to strong wind, high waves, and strong currents. The day I went, the weather was good enough to go diving but the ocean was no where near calm. In the ferry to Cozumel, right after we got on board, the crews handed out plastic bags to everybody. I sat on the bench, starring the horizon, and wishing and hoping that I don't get sick. I was *this* close to throwing up - and many people did. The first shopping in Cozumel - Dramamine, and I'm ready to dive!

Santa Rosa Reef (wall diving) and Paradise Reef are the two spots we dove. At the first spot, we glided along a wall about 85ft deep. I believe the drop is like 1,300ft if I remember right. We saw a baby turtle, a couple barracudas, eels, lobsters, a fish with a goatee (the dive master was so excited to find this one because it blends in and hard to find, but I can't remember the name. Looked almost like a catfish). The second spot was much shallower - about 45ft deep. But we got to see two crabs fighting, a big ray hiding in the sand, a baby eel that's smaller than my pinky, etc. All in all, it was a great diving trip. Oh, I need to remember that the weight I used was 5kg.

After the diving, I walked around in Cozumel and saw a guy who was creating this amazing paintings using spray paint. It only took him 10 minutes or so to create paintings like you see on the right side. He lights the clear spray paint and used the fire to dry the paint.

Back in the hotel, it was a party night. Here are my co-worker and his wife playing a game - you have to pop a balloon in 4 positions specified by the superman. I've seen this game during the wedding reception in Mexico. You probably hear me cheering loud :P

View Video

Tequila shots, margarita, pina colada, beer, jager meister, daiquiri, mojito, caipirinha, sambuca ...

Due to my medical restrictions, I am sober. Very sober. Who knew - virgin pina colada is pretty tasty :)

and things get weirder and weirder.

Yep, that's my co-worker. All the bars closed, so we went back to the room and a room service arrived - 8 ham & cheese sandwiches with fries. He put his clothes back on when we left this room, got on an elevator, I said good night to him and pushed the button so that he would hopefully end up in his floor and his room where his wife was asleep. The next day, I found out that he got back to his room two hours later and his clothes mysteriously disappeared (which was later found in the lost+found box at the front desk). What a night.

Anyway, I decided to be a beach bum on Sunday and Monday until we had to fly back. Loved it!!

Blog

2008-12-18T22:06:00.004-06:00

While traveling for a long period of time, blogging is a great way to keep in touch with friends and families. Uploading photos of places you've visited, telling stories of your encounters.

BUT I guess I never expected to do it for work. Not blogging but hosting blogs.

For the next few weeks, I'll be working on my company's new website - featuring blogs as a part of it.

This is what it looks like today:
http://www.objectpartners.com

Soon I'll get to not only tell but show my parents what I do for living :)