A Guide to Bargaining

Nei ho, all!

Yesterday was my second time visiting the city of Zhuhai, which is directly north of Macau. It is very easy to reach the Macau-Zhuhai Border Gate (a ten-minute ride either by bus or taxi) and you can literally walk through the Immigrations building and step out on the other side in Mainland China!

You do need a visa, however, to enter Zhuhai, since you are officially entering China. The first time I went was on a group visa with four other exchange students, but this time I had entered with my own multi-entry visa. The group visa had cost me 30 MOP (about $3.75 USD). My multi-entry visa cost me 1,290 MOP (about $160 USD).

Why did it cost me so much? Well, it all has to do with politics. All the other exchange students paid exactly half of what I had to pay. For Americans, it costs so much to get a China visa because Chinese have to pay a lot of money for a US visa. It’s tit-for-tat.

I would have just kept going on a group visa, since it’s cheaper, but I need my multi-entry visa for my visit to Beijing and my trip to Chengdu with my dad. I can’t obtain group visas for those since I’m only going with one other person. I could have obtained single entries for my two trips, but I think they are also quite expensive. Plus, I would need to go apply each time I wanted to visit mainland China, which is a week-long process where I have to surrender my passport. Plus, with as often as we go to Zhuhai, it seemed to make sense for the sake of convenience to pay the price for a three-month, multi-entry visa.

Anyway, I’ll make up the money I paid for the visa with the money I’ll save in Zhuhai! Directly on the other side of the Border Gate is a giant underground mall! I mean, it makes our malls in the US seem baby-sized. I think the Zhuhai mall might be about the same size as an average American mall, but because of the layout of the mall (many “corridors” that branch off of the main entrance area) the mall just seems incredibly large. It’s very easy to get lost in, and in fact it feels like a labyrinth of shops. They even have arrows on the floors that direct you back toward the main entrance. There are no large department stores, but instead there are hundreds of extremely tiny stores that are packed tightly together.

It is also incredibly easy to get lost in this mall because it has high traffic from the Border Gate. Actually, many local Macanese people cross the border to Zhuhai for the sole purpose of shopping, since the prices are much better there than in Macau. But it is actually sometimes uncomfortable with all the people packed so closely together, especially in the tiny shops where you can sometimes only fit three or four people before getting too tight. I couldn’t imagine losing a small child in this place, because I don’t know if I could ever find them again.

But on the bright side, you can find anything in this mall! There’s lots of food (like a KFC, which has some really strange stuff…), but mainly the shops in the mall are clothing stores. They also have many accessory stores (including my favorite: knock-off designer bags) and “cute” stores, where all they sell are cute Asian stuffed animals and other small trinkets that are basically useless, but are so much fun to have! They also have quite a few electronics stores, but Zhuhai is known for having poor-quality products. One of my roommates bought an extremely cheap mp3 player for only a couple of dollars, but when she came back to Macau it wouldn’t sync up to her computer. So unless she wants to listen to the default song “Barbie Girl” over and over, the mp3 player is useless.

Another interesting feature of the mall is their perfume and cologne counters. They’re everywhere, and they even have knock-off designer perfumes! They actually mix them right there at their kiosk and put them in the bottles, which looks exactly like the originals. I think they may buy the bottles after they’ve been used an emptied, and then they refill them with their own mixture, but it’s only a guess.

When you go to Zhuhai, it is essential to bargain the price. To Americans and Europeans this can be a very strange custom, and at first it made me feel guilty to bargain the price. Why ask for a cheaper price when it is already so great? I also feel bad since many of these shop employees earn their livelihoods by selling their wares, and I know some of them barely live on enough to support themselves and their families.

However, I also realize that when a Westerner travels to a foreign country, not just China, they will automatically quote you a higher price than a local. They see the pale skin and the light hair and eyes and think “Ka-ching!” As long as you remember that they are probably quoting you up to twice the price they’re charging other people, you’ll already start off as a good bargainer.

Now, I’m not claiming that I’m a great bargainer. I still need lots of practice, and each transaction is different from the last. Sometimes I can bargain 50% off of the original price, and sometimes I can only get them to budge a few cents. But I’ve put together my “Guide to Bargaining.” Hopefully you can remember these tips the next time you travel to a country where bargaining is the norm.

• The most important thing is to be confident! Know that they are quoting you a much higher price than they will actually accept, and don’t stand for it! It’s better if the store has price tags on their items since price tags don’t discriminate, but if not just realize they are trying to quote you a higher price than the locals.

• Even if you don’t speak the language, you and the shopkeeper can use a calculator to communicate price. They’ll type in a price and show it to you, and from there you can type in a lower price and keep going back and forth until you agree on a price.

• Although it’s not necessary, you can find out the local word for “cheaper.” In Cantonese, it is “Peng di laaaa!”

• If they refuse to give you a lower price, don’t just accept their offer. Show with your expression and body language that you are not interested in paying their price, and turn around and walk away! Usually, they will call after you (or even chase you down) and at last begrudgingly accept your price.

• If they still don’t accept your price, don’t be discouraged! There are hundreds of other stores that sell EXACTLY the same thing. Try to bargain with a couple of other vendors to figure out the cheapest price you can get for the item.

• Have fun with it! Many Chinese (especially women) see bargaining as a game, and it can actually be fun if you get past the feelings of guilt. It’s a bit manipulative, but it’s fun to push people and see if you can get your way.

I think my most successful purchase was a pair of New Balance tennis shoes that had a price tag of 198 CNY ($29 USD), but I bargained them down to 150 CNY ($22 USD). I think 25% off was a pretty successful bargain, especially since it had the price tag already on it (which is for the locals). It was hard to find the size I needed, since Asians and Europeans have such small feet compared to us Americans. My size is pretty normal in the US, size 9, but every time I’ve told a European or Asian my shoe size they exclaim, “Wow, that’s so big!”

I also bought a pair of nice black footless tights for $3.66 USD. They were originally 30 CNY, which I tried to bargain down to 20, but she gave me 25. I didn’t try too hard on that one, although if I pushed a bit more I probably could have gotten my way.

My bargain failure was when I purchased a pair of jeans. I tried them on (it’s very rare to find a store here in China that will let you try things on first, let alone carry my “fat American” size, haha), and they were great! I asked about the price, expecting to have to bargain down to 100 CNY, but they were only 83 CNY ($12.00 USD) each! I just got so excited at bought two pairs at the price, forgetting to bargain. Looking back, I should have asked for three pairs at 200 CNY, which is what I had left. Oh, well, I’m sure I’ll be returning to Zhuhai soon. : )

I think the highlight of my day was when a little boy was with his mother, and he turned and saw me walking behind them. I was by myself and looking for my friends, so I was in a bit of a hurry. He turned back to his mom and was pointing at his eyes, and then back at me. I realized he was telling his mother to look at my blue eyes. Finally, the little boy said “Hello” in English to me. I replied, “Hello, how are you?” His mother told him how to say “I am fine.” He asked me where I was from, and I could tell he was fascinated when I told him I was from the USA. I have a feeling that the foreigners they actually do see in Zhuhai are European or Australian, but they probably don’t have too many Americans. It was exciting to make his day. : )

Overall, it was a very successful shopping trip. I look forward to returning soon for cheaper things that are around 15 CNY ($1.00 USD!!!). I got the walking shoes I needed for Beijing (the Great Wall is quite a hike, I’ve heard), and some jeans that actually fit me, not the ones I’ve outgrown from the US. A diet of rice will make you skinny fast. : )

Look out for my Beijing blog, which should be coming to you in the next couple weeks.

See you in Beijing!
Kati


This is the mall entrance, which you can directly access by escalator as soon as you exit the Border Gate complex. It looks deceivingly small, but all around the perimeter there are small exits that branch off from the main area here. They stretch on for a long time, and they go even deeper underground.

A Thank You Note

Dear Mom and Dad,

I just want to thank you for looking out for me while I’ve been here! I just received my third package from Mom, which was filled to the brim with Easter candy! I’m being a good sharer with my roommates, and we’re all enjoying the candy and Girl Scout cookies very much. They’re all saying “Kati’s mom is the best ever,” and “I love your mom!” Thanks for looking out for my well-being (chocolate is healthy for the soul).

And I want to thank Dad for remembering the Coco Chanel knock-off I had seen in Bali. I’ve always admired the girls on television with their cute Coco Chanel bags, and have dreamed of owning one myself. My dad, who is back in Bali on business, has taken the time to go back to the little street shop to find this bag! He is shipping me this beautiful bag – in two different colors. Now, a father that can remember the exact designer bag his daughter mentions in passing is really impressive. Thanks, Daddy, you’re the coolest!

And while I’m at it, I just want to thank you both for allowing me to go on this wonderful adventure! I know I’m pretty much squandering my Federal PLUS Loan on things I probably shouldn’t be spending government-loaned money on, like shopping and traveling… But I’m grateful that you have my back, both emotionally and financially, and I really, really, appreciate it.

I love you both!
Kati


It's a Thank You panda!!!

Hong Kong Adventures: Day Two

Nei ho!

Day Two of our Hong Kong trip started off well. I am happy to report that no cockroaches returned, and I woke up without any bites from bed bugs. After checking out of our hostel, we went across the street for some breakfast at Starbucks, and then headed for the subway to go to Lantau Island to see the “Big Buddha” statue.


The subway trip to Lantau took us to the other side of the city, so it was a long trip since we had to switch lines and stations at one point. But the ride there was very pretty, and as we got out of the urban area we got to see more sun and more beaches.

When we arrived at Lantau, we were surprised to find that the Buddha statue was on a mountainous island, and that we had to get up there either by bus or by cable car. I didn’t realize when I agreed to go by cable car what I was getting into…

We stood in line for a long time with a bunch of other tourists to get a cable car. It was too late to turn back when I saw the cable cars traveling over the huge mountain cliffs, the highest of which is over 3,000 feet.


Unfortunately, I’m deathly afraid of heights. I was terrified of getting there by cable car, but I knew how important it was to Nanja to see the statue, since she’d been talking about going all weekend. As soon as we found out they had a glass-bottomed cable car, Nanja mentioned how cool it would be to go that way. I immediately put an end to that idea, even if she was just joking about it.

However, as soon as the cable car took off, I was okay. It was actually a really pretty view of the island from our car, as well as the pretty water of Tung Chung Bay, Hong Kong International Airport, and the new residential skyscrapers of the Tung Chung area.


Our cable car soared over the lush, green mountains of Lantau as we got further and further away from civilization. It was great to finally get out of the crowded, dense city of Hong Kong and get to see the natural beauty that China has to offer. I felt like I was finally seeing the real China for the first time, with the foggy pictures of green hillsides that I so often see of Asia.


We could also see many parts of the 45-mile hike through the mountains to the tourist village of Ngong Ping, our final destination. To the side we could see the Tian Tan Buddha statue, which is a large bronze statue that measures 112 feet tall.


When we finally arrived in Ngong Ping Village, we stopped first to have a nice lunch. I had some delicious shrimp and rice, which I ate successfully with chopsticks! After lunch we made our way into the main village, where there were lots of Buddhist temples and statues. I even saw some people burning incense and praying to the gods for good blessings.


Even though this is a heavily-trafficked tourist destination, it still was a very calming, Zen-like place. There were little nooks and crannies where you could find lonely koi ponds and lily pads.

At last came time to make the trek up the hillside to visit the Buddha up close. The 268 steps were steep and long, and I definitely was not in shape to make that journey. I was especially disadvantaged because I had my backpack of clothes and toiletries on my back, my purse on my shoulder, and the previous day’s shopping purchases to lug around. However, the end was worth it, and we spent a while just enjoying the wind from the mountains and the view of the surrounding villages.


The Tian Tan Buddha statue was constructed in 1993 as a tourist attraction, and has also become a major center of Buddhism in Asia. Surrounding the statue are other smaller statues making offerings to the Buddha. There are also two tiers that you can stand on beneath the statue, which give an even better view of the surrounding mountains and villages. Just be prepared for lots of mountain winds!


The statue is so large that you can reputably see it from Macau on a clear day, but I seriously doubt that rumor.

On our way back to the cable cars, a random bull appeared out of nowhere, mooing and just strolling along the sidewalk. A huge crowd had backed away from it to let it through, but a few gutsy tourists took pictures with it (with the cultural symbol of a peace sign that many Asians do in photographs).


We stopped at a couple of souvenir shops on the way back to the cable cars, but didn’t buy anything. They had a chopstick museum, a Peking opera shop, and a tea house!

The line to get back on the cable cars was ridiculously long (over an hour) because it was getting close to sunset and all the tourists were heading back. We wanted to get some cotton candy, but the line for that was also really long, and since we couldn’t take it into the cable car waiting area we skipped it. The snack stand was also selling Korean BBQ squid, which smelled awful…


At last we made our way through the line and got a cable car. I was happy to get out of the line because a group of Asian women were being really pushy and standing as close as possible to me and driving me crazy! I started pushing them back with my big backpack passive-aggressively, but it didn’t seem to work in conveying the message of personal space.

Our cable car took us back through the evening fog, which was weird! We were completely suspended in this fog that was coming off of the mountains, and it was a little creepy, but also pretty cool, too. Iris felt like we could be in a horror movie, and we decided to name it Attack of the Cockroaches (refer to “Hong Kong Adventures: Day One”). I’m sure the other people in our car found our uncontrollable giggling obnoxious.

At last we got out of the cable cars and started heading for the subway, but not without one last look at the sunset over Lantau Island.


We finally found the ferry back to Macau. Unfortunately, we didn’t have Nanja’s connections to get us cheap tickets back, so we ended up paying twice the price from the first trip for the Economy class. The 45-minute trip ended up taking THREE HOURS to return to Macau. We left at 8:00 pm and didn’t get in until around 11:00 pm! Apparently, the fog was so bad that they had to wait for the control tower to guide each ferry in, so it was simply a matter of waiting our turn. We were getting very impatient until we heard that a ferry had sunk a few years ago from trying to navigate by itself in the fog.

When we finally got into Macau, I could understand why we needed to wait to be guided in through the fog. It completely engulfed the city. You couldn’t see the tops of the buildings, and we couldn’t even find the large Oceanus casino that I so often use as a landmark to get myself home. The whole building glows brightly blue, but I couldn’t even see it shining through the fog until we got close to it. When I finally got home, I couldn’t even see my usual bright city view because a blanket of fog had completely obstructed my view. It was really, really weird.

Exhausted, I took a much-needed shower (I had backpacked all day through the mountains of Hong Kong!) and finally collapsed in my bed bug-free bed.

Overall, my experience in Hong Kong was interesting. The city is completely different from Macau. Here in Macau, locals stare at me constantly as a rare, white tourist with blue eyes and light hair. However, I was one of many, many Westerners in Hong Kong. In fact, everyone I met spoke English very well, with the exception of a couple of taxi drivers. The city is also much larger than Macau and the skyscrapers much taller!

However, Hong Kong has more area and has been developing for much longer than Macau. Macau is still so young and is still just developing as a tourism destination. I predict that Macau will soon make a name for itself, like Hong Kong, in the global market as a center of fashion and tourism.

Happy travels!
Kati

Hong Kong Adventures: Day One

Nei ho!

This weekend I had the amazing opportunity to visit one of the world’s most famous cities: Hong Kong!

Like Macau, Hong Kong is also an SAR (Special Administrative Region) of China. It has its own currency, the Hong Kong Dollar, and its own government. “One country, two systems,” is the motto of both Macau and Hong Kong, referring to the unification of China. But these SARs operate under capitalist systems, while mainland China remains socialist.

Being in Macau, it is actually quite easy to get to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is just across the bay from Macau, and you can get there by a 45-minute ferry ride. Americans also do not need to apply for a visa to Hong Kong; they just stamp your passport at Immigrations and you’re on your way!

I met Nanja from Holland and Iris from Finland at the temple across the street from my apartment early on Saturday morning. Nanja’s IFT Buddy, Snow, was able to get us cheap tickets one-way to Hong Kong by ferry, since her friend works for the TurboJet company. For MOP 80 each (USD $10), we were able to sit in the “Super Class.” We got bigger, comfier seats, and even got a free lunch, which was pretty tasty!


Despite our really nice “Super Class” seats, I still got a little motion sick from the ferry ride. I was really glad to get off the boat onto Hong Kong soil. We took a taxi to our hostel, which was on the famous Nathan Road.

Our hostel was located in a really interesting location. It was in a small skyscraper building with many other hostels, restaurants, and shopping vendors. Nathan Road itself has a large concentration of Indian people, and as soon as we stepped out of the taxi we were bombarded by Indian men trying to sell us their wares, give us discount cards to their restaurants, and even trying to get us to go to their hostel instead.


The first floor of the building was a maze of restaurants and small shops selling everything from Hong Kong souvenirs to Bollywood movies (I bought one!). We finally fought through the crowd of people to the elevator, which took us up to our hostel, the Ashoka Guesthouse.


Now I’ve never stayed in a hostel before, but it’s the only way European students travel! I figured it was all part of the experience of being a starving student doing foreign traveling. When we first arrived, we met the Indian guys that ran the hostel and got checked in. Our room wasn’t ready, so the two younger guys went to clean our room while the third older guy came out to entertain us.

This guy had a large turban wrap on his head. He was really a nice guy and brought out chairs for us to sit in while we waited in the tiny lobby (okay, it was more like a closet with a desk…). The three of us girls felt a little awkward just sitting there crammed in the room, and I think the man could sense that, so he tried breaking the ice with us. His English wasn’t so good, so when he asked which of the three of us was “supreme,” we were a little confused. He meant which one of us was the leader of our little group, and Nanja told him we were “democratic” and had no leader! He pointed at me and said I should be the leader since I was from the US, but I told him we believed in equality between the three of us.

After another awkward silence (which wasn’t so silent because we kept giggling), he asked if we were laughing at his turban. We told him no, and he proceeded to entertain us by pulling his really, really long, curly hair out of his turban. I decided that he really was a nice man, and was just trying to make us feel more comfortable and at home in his guesthouse.

Our room was ready then, so we went inside to drop off our stuff. It was really tiny, and we were a little disappointed because the room looked NOTHING like the pictures online, but we were encouraged by the award for “Cleanest Hostel by Hostelbookers.com: December ‘09” that hung in the lobby. We had heard that Hong Kong hostels were notorious for bed bugs, but the sign made us feel a little better. Ashoka Guesthouse also had some really good reviews online for cleanliness, so we were also encouraged by that as we stared at our tiny, tiny room.

We’d booked a double bed and a single bed room, but the double bed was only slightly bigger than the single and could barely hold Nanja and me. We figured that we really only needed a place to sleep and keep our stuff in during our weekend in Hong Kong, and this place did the trick. I mean, you can’t beat $13 for one night, right?


We dropped off our stuff and hit the town for some shopping! We all got some Hong Kong currency (Iris had enough left over from her last trip to pay the taxi from the ferry terminal and our hostel fee). Although we bought three single-trip passes for the Subway, mine for some reason decided not to work, so I had to buy another before being allowed behind the gate.

We hit the Festival Walk mall, and on the way from the Subway station we saw a bus driver that looked exactly like the Chinese John Lennon! Nanja got some pictures of him, and we ran away giggling when he spotted us pointing our camera at him!


We spent a bit of time looking around the Festival Mall, but we didn’t do much shopping because they were all upscale stores like Calvin Klein, Armani, Ralph Lauren, etc. The prices were pretty good by Western standards, but still out of our student price range.

The mall was really cool! We got Ben & Jerry’s from a kiosk and sat down to watch the ice skaters on the indoor rink in the food court! Iris was really excited for this rare treat to Ben & Jerry’s, but Nanja was a bit wary about spending so much money on ice cream. I was confused, since Ben & Jerry’s isn’t an expensive ice cream brand, but Iris reminded me that everywhere outside the US has to have it imported.


After Festival Walk we went to the Kowloon area to do some shopping. Before our second round of shopping we ate at Burger King, since this was another rare treat for Iris. I took a picture of a really funny Burger King ad that advertised a cowgirl and the Statue of Liberty using Chinese models.


We were a little disappointed again with the shopping here. There were some really cool stores with really cool stuff, but we couldn’t get out of the tourist areas to find the local prices. I did end up finding some cheap Audrey Hepburn movies for $2.50 each, so I was satisfied for the time being.

We went back to Nathan Road to do a third round of shopping to see if we’d find better luck with local prices there. Again, we were met with disappointing Western prices. One store was a really amazing underground boutique with everything I could possibly want, but the prices were what I would pay normally for my clothes back home, so I refrained (it was hard). We made a pact to return before going home this summer to blow the rest of our money on clothes.


I found a couple of nice shirts that I really liked at one boutique, but like so many other stores in Asia they wouldn’t let me try them on. Usually my policy is that I must ALWAYS try it on before I buy it, but these were loose enough clothing that I didn’t think it would be a problem. I paid a Western price for each of them (USD $25), but admittedly it felt kind of cool being able to afford shopping at these upscale Hong Kong boutiques.

At last we found a boutique with local prices!!! The three of us went crazy, and I ended up buying three really nice shirts and one vest for about USD $50. It was about the best I think anyone could do in Hong Kong, with it being such a Westernized, commercial city.

We took our purchases back to our hostel building, and on the way we stopped at a street vendor so Iris and I could buy some traditional Japanese kimonos for USD $8 each! Nanja asked the vendor if she knew which Indian restaurant (of many) inside our building had the best Indian food. She personally escorted us to her friend inside and told him to take really good care of us in his restaurant. He gave us a 10% discount card and brought us up to his restaurant.

This was a really interesting dining experience. The restaurant was situated in a couple of different rooms on this small floor of the building, and we ended up sitting in a waiting room for a couple minutes with a freezer, a couple wholesale packages of Coca-Cola, and other items that indicated it was used more as a storage room than a waiting area.

At last we were taken to our table, which was in one of the three eating rooms and was really crowded. We ordered our food, which actually ended up being pretty good! I had some Tandoori chicken along with some bread, which I dipped in Nanja and Iris’s saucy dishes. Overall, it was very delicious, even if I had serious doubts about the sanitation standards of the place (the bathroom was absolutely filthy!).


We dropped off our shopping bags and left to find the movie theater. The reason we came to Hong Kong this weekend was to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D. We had booked tickets at the Grand Cinema, which was supposedly a 15-minute walk from our hostel. It was the newest cinema in Hong Kong, featuring state-of-the-art vibrating seats to enhance your movie experience (yeah, we made some jokes about that). But we were very excited about it!

Unfortunately, we got lost. I mean, seriously lost. We were running all over the area trying to find this movie theater, and ended up going to two different ones before eventually finding it, including many stops in stores and hotels asking for directions. The second theater was the Grand Ocean, not the Grand Cinema, and we argued with them about our tickets until we realized we were in the wrong place. They wrote down the name of the place we were supposed to go to for the taxi driver, and we were on our way to our third location.

Unfortunately, we finally arrived at the right place a full half hour after the movie had started. We explained our situation to the woman at the counter, who wouldn’t switch us to another movie time or put us in another movie. We asked for a refund, but she flat-out refused. Extremely disappointed, we left the mall and took a taxi back to our hostel.

We’d remembered that the first movie theater was in the shopping complex directly across the street from our hostel, so we went inside to see if we could still get in to see the movie (it was almost 11:00 pm at this point). Luckily, they did, and we were able to finally see Alice in Wonderland in 3D (but no vibrating chairs)!


It was really cool, because at the very end of the movie Alice makes a reference to expanding her father’s business into Hong Kong, and we were sitting in Hong Kong at that moment! It was a really cool way to wrap up the movie, and we left exhausted, but in high spirits.

By the time we got back to our hostel, it was almost 2:00 am. We were disappointed to find that the water in the sink didn’t work, but we were able to use bottled water to brush our teeth and wash our faces.

As Nanja came out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in mouth, Iris suddenly began shrieking and leapt back onto the bed. Nanja swung around and found a GIGANTIC cockroach on the wall between the front door and the bathroom. She screamed too and ran over to the bed with us, while the three of us continued shrieking like banshees. I grabbed hairspray out of my bag and began spraying full-on at the cockroach, but it didn’t seem to do anything! It fell to the ground and started scuttling around, and I leapt back onto the bed and continued screaming.

Finally, one of the Indian guys (who was sleeping of the floor behind the front desk) came in to ask what was wrong. We pointed to the cockroach under the bed, and he grabbed his broom and started whacking at it. Nanja told him to stop and just take it outside the room, so he did and we slammed the door. After a few minutes he came back in to check on us, and assured us that this was unusual. We were a bit skeptical.

It took us a long time to calm down, and we were even afraid to turn off the lights to go to sleep. We kept looking around for more, and trying to figure out how it could have gotten in.

Finally, we crawled into bed and started settling down. Nanja and I shared the larger bed, even if it was a little cramped. I kept feeling paranoid about the bed bug rumors and more cockroaches, and I kept feeling itching, like things were biting me. It was only psychological, but when I reached down to brush at my thigh I accidentally bumped Nanja, who started screaming again.

If I wasn’t so completely exhausted from my day in Hong Kong, I might not have been able to sleep. But I figured it was all part of my Chinese experience, sleeping in a filthy, bug-infested hostel in a strange, foreign city. I felt oddly content.

Coming Soon: Day Two of my Hong Kong Adventure!

Until next time,
Kati

P.S. Thank you, Nanja and Iris, for taking pictures of our first day in Hong Kong!

Snowy

Nei ho, everyone!

So, I have another adventure from my journey to share with all of you. I think this is one you will all enjoy very, very much.

Friday started like any normal day. Actually, it was a really good day. I woke up at noon and took a shower, made some delicious pancakes for breakfast, and then had my only class for the day at 3:00. After class, I took a taxi downtown to the Toni and Guy hair salon and had my hair done. There was a Starbucks next door, so I got my usual Vanilla Bean Frappuccino and sat down and began to enjoy my delicious drink.

And then I see that I have a missed call from my Chinese roommate, Cindy. After sending her a text message asking her what’s up, she calls again. This time I pick up.

At first I was a little confused as to what she was telling me. She was apparently all by herself, because Iris and Catherine had left for the store. She was trying to bring the puppy back to our hostel, but it was scared of the traffic and wouldn’t cross the street.

Wait, a what?

That’s right, Cindy had found a puppy at the park, and she needed me to come back to help me get it home. I asked why she just couldn’t pick up the puppy and carry it across the street. Apparently, it was too big to be picked up and carried. Iris and Catherine had gone to the store to buy it some food and a leash, so she was all by herself at the school’s educational hotel, where she’d found it.

I told her I’d be right there. I took a taxi back and met up with Cindy at school. Iris and Catherine had also returned, and the three of them had a large, white dog on a leash between them. I heard Iris call the dog “Snowy.”

It was close to 7:00, and the girls had been on their way to dinner in the cafeteria before they’d found the dog. I said I would wait with it outside while they had their dinner. So I took Snowy and sat down by the fountain in the park area by the school.

I tried giving Snowy some of the food Iris and Catherine had bought, but she didn’t really eat much of it. I smelled her, and she seemed to smell just fine. I thought that was strange, a stray dog that didn’t want any food and didn’t smell bad.

Snowy and I got to know each other a little bit. She was a little distracted, and she kept running around and pacing on her leash. Other people were walking their dogs too, and one even came up and made friends with Snowy. Another stray was in the park, a smaller one, and it came up and sniffed Snowy a bit. I tried offering some of the food to the stray, but it wandered off. I tried keeping an eye on the other stray, but it ran off and disappeared.

In the time I spent with Snowy, I learned that she liked to play hand games. If you offer your forearm to her, she’ll put her paw on it. She also likes her tummy scratched, and she kept rolling over so I would pet her. If I stopped, she’d start playfully nipping at my hand. Oh, and she liked her butt scratched too.

When the girls were done with their dinner, we walked back to our apartment. Snowy actually did fine with the traffic. As Iris and Catherine left for their building, and as Cindy and I turned with Snowy into ours, I first realized that we were taking a dog, and it wasn’t a small dog, into our tiny apartment.

I helped Cindy get Snowy upstairs. Our roommates Stella and Margarida were asleep, and our other two Swedish roommates were away on vacation, so none of them knew that Snowy was here yet. I left for the store to get some supplies for the dog, like food, treats, dish bowls, a rawhide bone, a towel, and some baby shampoo.

Cindy and I used our awesome teamwork skills to give Snowy a bath in our shower, which didn’t go too well. Snowy didn’t like the water, and our sketchy water temperature kept spiking too hot for her. She kept trying to get out, and ended up getting water all over the bathroom.

We tried getting her dried off, but she didn’t like the towel and just kept shaking the water all over us. We decided to just let her out of the bathroom, and she ended up getting water all over the hallway, kitchen, and living room. After Cindy had taken her own shower and opened the door, Snowy rushed in after her, got in the shower, and tracked even more water all over the place.

Margarida came in just as Snowy was starting to settle down. Of course, she was surprised to find dog suddenly in our apartment, and I didn’t really blame her. For some reason, Snowy was weird with her and didn’t seem to like her very much. Because she was acting so crazy, Cindy put Snowy out on the balcony and tied her there. At this point Stella also woke up from her nap. Cindy had called her earlier to tell her about the “puppy,” but Stella was expecting a much smaller dog. She didn’t really come out on the balcony to greet Snowy.

It was about 9:00 at night at this point, and I hadn’t even eaten dinner yet because of all the craziness. I also still had to pack for my weekend trip to Hong Kong the next morning, print out our hostel booking confirmation, and talk to Iris and Nanja about what time we were planning on leaving for the ferry the next morning.

I felt bad for Snowy being left all alone on the balcony, so I untied her and let her come in again, hoping she’d calmed down. I was wrong, and she ran all around the house again. She pooped outside the bathroom in the hallway, so Cindy cleaned that up. However, I promised I would clean up the next mess she made, which happened soon after. Cindy and I settled in with our laptops in the living room, so Snowy wouldn’t be by herself, and we started doing research on Macau animal shelters.

Stella came into the living room at that point, thinking the dog was still tied up on the balcony. I was in the kitchen getting my dinner when I heard Stella’s shrieking. I ran into the living room to find that Stella had leapt on the couch while Snowy was trying to sniff her. Apparently, Stella is terrified of dogs.

Since I’ve gotten here, I sometimes find myself in a situation where I think, “How in the world did I get myself into this?”

This was definitely one of those moments.

I began the research on animal shelters. I asked all my local friends if they knew anything about local shelters, and Cindy and I took some pictures of Snowy for flyers. We figured that she must have an owner since she seemed like she’d just eaten (she still wasn’t hungry), she smelled okay even before her bath, and she even knew some commands…in Cantonese, of course.

Here are two more words I can teach you in Cantonese:

Chotai! = Sit!
Mo! = No!

I looked up dog breeds, so that we could more accurately describe her to shelters and on posters, and I found out that she is a Korean Jindo dog. Jindo dogs are apparently very loyal, and often will remain loyal to their first owner, so re-adoption of these dogs can be difficult. They are also very active and need lots of space to run around and play. They are also very intelligent and need to be constantly entertained. If not, they will find their own way to entertain themselves and often get into trouble. In fact, this trait makes them abandoned quite frequently by owners who feel overwhelmed by caring for these Jindo dogs.

After calling some animal shelters, they were all full. Cindy returned to the park where Snowy was found the next morning to see if her owner would come looking for her there. The security guard at the park told Cindy that Snowy had been wandering around the park for five days!

I felt bad for leaving Cindy with the dog when I left for Hong Kong, and I secretly hoped that she would be gone by the time I got back. I really wanted Snowy to find her owners, and our apartment was not at all a good place for a dog her size. It’s too small for her to run around and play in, not to mention that six girls live there.

But I remembered when my own dog, Tigger, had run away for a week a few years ago. I made a promise then to try to help out stray dogs after that had happened, since I knew how much I’d hoped someone would have helped my own dog when he was lost.

When I returned from Hong Kong, Snowy was gone! I was hopeful that Cindy had taken her to a shelter, or had even perhaps found her a home! Cindy sadly reported that she returned Snowy to the park. All of the shelters in Macau were full, including the government shelter, and would only anesthetize Snowy. None of Cindy’s local friends would take her, either.

At last, the security guard at the park promised Cindy that they would take care of Snowy if she left her there. Snowy had taken a liking to Cindy though, and it was hard for Cindy to leave without Snowy following her. Margarida had to keep Snowy still while Cindy left.

I feel awful that we couldn’t find Snowy a home, but we figured she’d been abandoned, like so many other Jindo dogs. If she had been wandering around the park for five days, then that was most likely her story. However, I figure she will be much happier in a park where she can run around and play in, instead of our cramped little apartment. Also, the temperature in Macau isn’t too hot or too cold, even if it does rain often. I’ll go back often to check on Snowy and leave her food and treats.

But I still feel a little sad that I couldn’t find a good home for Snowy. I’ll keep trying to call the shelters and bringing her food until I do!

Until next time!
Kati

Everything I Know About Asia I Learned From Anime

Konichiwa, everyone!

I want to talk a little bit about the stereotypes I came to Asia with. You know, most of what I learned about the Asian culture I got from Japanese anime (short for animation). Japanese anime includes shows like Sailor Moon (which every little girl watched when we were younger). And you all remember the Pokemon craze in the 90s, when we were all trading the Pokemon cards and watching the TV shows and playing the video games (I LOVED Pokemon Snap!). Dragonball Z, which was huge when we were kids, is also considered anime (I remember Dragonball Z mock fights were banned when my little sister was in elementary school).

Really, Americans don’t have many other sources of media that show what Asia is really like. Like so many others, my image of Asia before coming here was influenced heavily by anime, as well as a few badly-dubbed martial arts films from Blockbuster. Below I listed a “fact vs. fiction” list, so maybe we can quash some of these Asian stereotypes we all have.

Fact:

-Face masks: You know those greenish medical face masks that surgeons wear? Well, you often see them in anime when people are ill and don’t want to spread their germs OR so they don’t get affected by allergies from the spring air. Guess what? They really do wear them here! I see them all the time on the locals. I’ve especially seen them at the airports on almost all security personnel, especially since there is such a heightened security since the swine flu outbreak. Face masks are here to stay!

-Sailor suits: Not only do you see the Japanese school-girl outfits in Sailor Moon, but you also see them on school-aged girls in most other animes. This stereotype is true! All students from elementary through high school wear the Catholic uniform. However, they are less “sailor-style,” at least here in China, and they are worn very loosely on the body. They also all have track suits for gym class, or for when it is very cold outside.

-Rice: Yes, rice and/or noodles are eaten at every meal WITH chopsticks. That is, unless you go out to eat at a Western-style restaurant. But even at the McDonald’s here you can find a red bean-curd pastry and sweet-and-sour sauce for the chicken nuggets. (You can find rice cookers in every appliance store!)

-Peace Sign: Yeah, they make the peace sign with their fingers in all the photographs, even in real life. I'm still not really sure what it means. They also insult each other by pulling down one of their eyelids and sticking out their tongue, just like in anime. It's much more tasteful than flipping someone the finger.


Fiction:

-Studious Asians: Okay, you don’t even have to watch anime to have this stereotype. In the US, Asians are seen as super-geniuses that know everything about engineering and computer science and all that. If they’re not getting straight A’s in school, they couldn’t possibly be hard-working or smart enough to be Asian. THIS IS FALSE!!! Asian students are no different from American students. Some of them are hard-working, some are smart, some are lazy slackers, and some try really hard but just can’t seem to get it. Asian students come in all skill levels when it comes to academics.

-Gender Roles: In anime, girls are usually very girly (or sexy) and always need rescuing. Men are usually very masculine and are always saving the day with their muscles or awesome samurai sword-wielding skills. Even if you don’t watch anime, we have this idea that women aren’t treated as well in non-European/American cultures. This is FALSE. Women are just as respected here as in America. And you find all types of people that blur the gender roles, like feminine boys or tomboy girls. It’s not just one extreme or the other.

-Godzilla: He may have been storming Tokyo, but I have yet to see him here in Macau or Hong Kong. :)

Much love,
Kati

P.S. If you have any Asian stereotypes you’d like confirmed or invalidated, just shoot me a message! I’d love to answer your questions, and I’d also like to hear from everyone who’s keeping up with my blog!

A Cantonese Lesson

Nei ho!

As you know, nei ho means "hello" in Cantonese, the dialect of many Southern Chinese cities including Macau. However, I thought it would be good to teach you a couple of other phrases in Cantonese, just so you all know that I'm not wasting my time here pointing and grunting all the time at the stores and restaurants (even thought that's often the case).

The IFT Student Union was very kind to give us a couple of Cantonese lessons during our exchange student orientation week. Here are some of the phrases that stuck with me:

Ng chan (pronounced mmmmm chan): lunch
Jou-san (accentuate the u): Good morning!
Ba si: bus
Dor je (pronounced doh-tse): Thank you (This phrase is the one I use most frequently here!)
Peng d la: Cheaper! (For bargaining!)

And how do you say farewell?

Bye bye!
Kati

P.S. I'm starting to take a Mandarin class next week, so I will be bringing you phrases from that Chinese dialect very soon!

“Terima Kasih, Bali!” Part II

Hello, again!

Day Two

I got up early to get ready, eat breakfast with Daddy, and meet Wayan at 8:30 am. Dad had to go to an all-day meeting, so the day was mine to spend as I wished. The first thing I wanted to do was see the Barong Dance in Batu Bulan, not necessarily to see the dancing part of it, but to see the Balinese gamelan orchestra performance.



I’d learned about Indonesian gamelan music in my world music class last semester, and since then I’ve wanted to see it live during my travels in Indonesia. Well, I got my wish! I think the music is so ethereal-sounding. At first it might seem like senseless noise to the Westerner’s ear. Their scale systems are completely different from ours, and out-of-tune pitches grinding against each other are actually considered beautiful music in this culture. Even I was a little turned off by it at first, but I’ve come to find it absolutely magical-sounding. I love gamelan music!

Anyway, the Barong Dance itself is a representation of the fight between good and evil. The Barong is a mythological animal representing good, and the Rangda monster is its evil counterpart.


Afterwards, Wayan took me to the Monkey Forest in Ubud. I bought some small bananas to feed the monkeys. They surprised me by how accustomed to humans they obviously were. They would come up to me and tug at the hem of my pants to ask for a banana, which I thought for a monkey was a polite way to ask. However, Wayan said I needed to give them a banana quickly or they would get aggressive. One of them, after I handed him one, tugged at my hem again asking for a second one. The last banana I had was stolen by a monkey who leapt up and snatched it right out of my hand!

All I needed to do was pick a banana off the bunch and give it to them. They were very good at peeling it themselves.


The monkeys were very fascinating to watch. They’re a lot more like humans than most other animals. They have facial expressions and very animated body language. I saw a couple of mothers gazing lovingly at their little babies and stroking them tenderly. I also saw them get aggressive with each other and hiss and claw at one another. They also chased each other around, and they played in the pond and splashed each other.

Wayan was being overly-protective whenever I interacted with the monkeys, but I thought he was just being on the safe side. I thought that as long as you didn’t do anything to piss off the monkeys, they’d be nice to you (especially if you had bananas). So when Wayan asked if I wanted to sit next to the monkey on the bench and take a picture I immediately said yes!


This monkey even crawled into my lap and started sniffing at my purse for food. Wayan started getting visibly nervous, but I was just so excited to have a monkey in my lap! He couldn’t find any food in my purse, so he turned to look me in the eye for a minute. I looked back into his eyes, thinking “Aww, you’re so cute!”

And that’s when he bit me.

He didn’t break the skin, but it did hurt a little. Wayan freaked out and had me step away from the monkey slowly. After the initial shock of being bit by a monkey, I actually got excited! I know that’s a weird reaction to have, but I saw the small mark he’d made on my skin and thought, “Wow, I’ve been bit by a monkey! How many people can say they’ve been bit by a monkey before?”

To be honest, I was hoping the mark would be permanent, that way I could return home with a battle scar from my wild adventures in the forests of Indonesia. Unfortunately, the mark was gone by the time I woke up the next morning. :(

There was a Hindu temple in the Monkey Forest, so I put on a sarong and a sash (I was wearing shorts) and went into the temple. Monkeys were everywhere! Needless to say, I was a bit more weary of them after being bit by one.

The Monkey Forest was actually a very cool place to explore. It was a very beautiful place, with ancient pools and a sacred spring where Hindu offerings were placed before residents took its water. I had to climb a narrow cliffside path to get to the sacred spring (it was only a couple meters above the creek). I felt like an explorer navigating an uncharted, exotic forest in a faraway land!

After the Monkey Forest we drove to Banoa, where all the water sports are. I took a glass-bottomed boat out into the bay, where the boat driver and I fed bread to the fish. We only saw two fish, and they didn’t come eat the bread. After that he took me out to Turtle Island.

It was really cool place! My guide, a local Balinese guy named Bobby, took me into their sea turtle corral, where I stood with sixty-year-old sea turtles and petted them. He took me to their baby sea turtle pen, where I got to pick up baby sea turtles and hold them! I also got to hold an iguana and a toucan on my arm, and I also got to see snakes, eagles, owls, and I even got to get up close and personal with a bat!


Bobby and I sat down and I had a Coke. He encouraged me to buy a drink for my boatman, which I did. Bobby was overly flirty and good-humored with me, which I thought was funny since that’s my ex-boyfriend’s name, but they looked completely different. When I was done he had a saleswoman take me over to the souvenir counter. I wasn’t really planning on buying anything, since I’d already bought enough at the Krisna market the day before. She was a very pushy and irritating saleswoman, and she kept throwing discount offers my way and putting jewelry on my wrist. I ended up buying an over-priced silver sea turtle for my mom, since she’s a big fan of the Bali silver.

This was the part when I started getting extremely irritated. The sales lady kept reminding me to tip my guide, Bobby, which I was already planning on doing. I paid for the drinks and then handed the tip to Bobby. The sales lady asked me if she could get a tip too. I was taken aback, but pulled out a bill from my wallet for her anyway. She laughed when she saw how much I’d given her. I played the dumb tourist and asked, “Oh, is this not very much money in Rupiah?” She said it wasn’t, so I pulled out another small bill and handed it to her.

On my way out, Bobby asked if I would provide a donation in the box for the animal food. I only put in another small bill, since I wasn’t 100% sure that it really was for animal food. I hurried out as soon as I could.

It was a very upsetting experience for me. Here I was, traveling all by myself, and I felt like Bobby and the sales lady were starting to take advantage of me for my money. Bali has a lot of tourism from Australia, who are also pretty wealthy compared to the Balinese locals. Whenever they see a white person, all they can think is money. I left Turtle Island in low spirits from having all my small bills taken from me. I wanted to give my boatman a bigger tip when he’d dropped me off at the shore, but all my smaller bills had been taken at Turtle Island.

Here’s my view on tipping. As someone who has grown up in the American culture, I understand the nuances of the practice of tipping. Tipping is expected in the US. We all know about that 15%-20% gratuity rule for restaurants, but we also know what kind of services we tip for and what services we don’t. Tipping a sales clerk, for example, is not a service deserving of a tip. But tipping is also based off the quality of service, and should never be outright asked for.

Obviously, these local Balinese did not understand tipping practices, but it was still an upsetting experience for me.

I shook it off as I went back to the hotel to spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach. The hotel’s property extended all the way to their own section of beach. I put on my swimsuit, ordered a drink at the bar, and took a spot under an umbrella for some good rest and relaxation. I had my book open, a drink in hand, and a lovely view of the ocean. I thought it couldn’t get any better.


And then the vendors swooped down like hawks. I mean, Dad had warned me about it before, but my goodness! The locals descended upon me offering massages, oil treatments, pedicures, as well as merchandise from jewelry to fruit to even newspapers. Every time someone came by I just waved them away. I felt bad for acting like a prissy white princess, but it was really annoying that they kept trying to interrupt my quiet time by chatting me up. They would introduce themselves, shake hands with me, and start their sales pitch smoothly, but I would cut them off and shoo them away.

One woman actually came down and sat next to me with her basket of jewelry, even though I was clearly ignoring her and reading my book. She kept shoving jewelry in my face, and I started getting annoyed and asked her to leave. She seemed genuinely upset and asked why I wouldn’t buy any jewelry. I told her I had enough jewelry and just wanted to relax. She sat there quiet for a minute while I continued to read, and finally she left.

That night I went to a beautiful, local Mexican restaurant named TJ’s with my dad. It wasn’t nearly as good as the Mexican food from Arizona, but it did help ease how much I’ve been missing Macayo’s and Taco Bell. :) A huge group of Australians came in and filled our side of the restaurant, and I had to keep from laughing just hearing them talk to each other. I’ve never met Australians in person, but I enjoyed listening to all their slang and watching them all drink orange Fantas.

Wayan drove us back to the hotel, where we said goodbye. We returned to our room, but I went swimming in their really nice pool around 8:00 pm. I had the whole pool to myself for most of the time, and listened happily to bad karaoke coming from the open lounge area. The sad part was, I think this woman was paid to sing in the lounge with her keyboard accompanist who sounded like he should be composing a bad rock-inspired score for a bad 80s movie. I enjoyed every minute of it.


Day Three

I went down to the breakfast buffet again with Daddy before hitting my massage at 10:00 am. I’d never had a real massage before, but it was really cheap and their spa was an open cabana looking out over the beautiful hotel property. It was awkward when it came time to take off my clothes, since the masseuse closed the curtains, but only three sides were closed. The side looking out over the hotel was completely open, so any guest or employee walking by could have had a clear view of me getting undressed. Also, the male spa clerk was really close, and the curtains were really sheer.

I quickly undressed and crawled under the sheet for a very relaxing, and much needed, massage. I’m not sure if massages are supposed to be like this, but every once in a while she would hit a spot that kinda hurt. I assumed that those were the spots that were really tense and need to be worked on, but overall the massage was fantastic and made me feel ultra-relaxed.

After my massage I hit the beach again for a couple more hours before it was time to check out and leave for the airport. I handled the vendors just as I did before, but this time I was expecting them and didn’t get too annoyed.

Overall, my trip to Bali was fantastic. I got to see everything I wanted to see, and even though the locals were a bit annoying, I really liked Bali and the unique, vibrant culture it had to offer. I mean, there were paintings and wood carvings and furniture everywhere, along with beautiful architecture and amazing cultural traditions. Plus, the weather was absolutely beautiful, even if it was humid, and I got a slight tan, even if it did turn into a peeling sunburn and fade as soon as I got back to Jakarta.

And I LOVED the hotel experience I had. Definitely the best service I’ve ever experienced at a hotel. The hotel driver drove us to the hotel, where we caught an earlier flight and flew back to Jakarta for a few more days of relaxation before heading back to Macau.

Jakarta was also great. I got my hair done, which was an experience in itself since I got a head massage. Now there’s something they don’t do in the US, haha! I also ate at some really great restaurants, including a Japanese restaurant where the chef made our food for us right at the table! Overall, my vacation in Indonesia was great, and ended entirely too soon before returning back to Macau.

Until next time!
Kati

“Terima Kasih, Bali!” Part I

Hey, everyone!

Because the Chinese New Year fell on the Sunday right after school started, we had the second week of school completely off! Many exchange students take the time to travel around Asia at any opportunity they get, and some of us went to the Philippines for the week. Instead, I flew back down to Jakarta and spent a few days there before flying down to…BALI!!!

If you haven’t heard of Bali, that’s a shame! It’s known as “The Last Paradise on Earth.” Many celebrities like to vacation on this Indonesian island because of its warm, breezy beaches. Bali is also famous for its beautiful silver, as well as its very distinct culture. Oftentimes, when one thinks of Indonesian architecture, gamelan music, and dance, they are actually part of Balinese culture.

Day One

We took a two-hour flight from Jakarta to Bali. I was immediately struck by the warm weather. We took stairs down onto the ground and took a bus the rest of the way to the airport entrance, so I got an instant taste of the weather. It was very warm and humid, and the heat reminded me of Phoenix. The humidity, not so much.

After collecting our baggage we were greeted by a driver, Wayan. He was holding up a sign for us that said “Mr. Ed Routh.” Secretly, I’ve always wanted someone waiting with a sign for me at an airport (like a wealthy businessperson or celebrity), so it made my day.

He took us to our hotel, the Hotel Santika, which was absolutely beautiful! It was in the traditional architectural style, and there were fountains and a rose petal display in the open-air lobby. Two men were playing gamelan music with Balinese xylophone-like instruments. A bellboy was waiting to take our luggage off our hands. The check-in area was not a long counter, like what we’re used to in the US, but rather each clerk had their own desk with chairs for us to sit in. They brought us wet towels to wash our faces with.


The hotel had already made an impression on me (and I’m pretty critical being a hotel student), but they made me ecstatic when they told us they’d upgraded our room for free! They were out of the type of room Daddy had reserved, so they bumped us up to the “Garden Bungalow Suite.”

A bellboy took us to our room, which was awesome!!! There were two beautiful queen canopy beds, along with an amazing bathroom and even an outdoor shower (which I did NOT use, by the way). We had our own path leading up to our private porch and everything. I felt like a rich brat like Paris Hilton or something with all the special treatment I was getting.


As soon as we’d dropped off our luggage in the room, Daddy and I went back outside to meet Wayan, the driver. My Uncle Harry’s wife, Riesa, had recommended him as a good driver for us while we were in Bali. He spoke English fairly well, and was very sweet and patient with us. He also was pretty cheap: 350,000 rupiah per day for 10 hours, gas included. That’s about $35 USD per day. And that’s especially a bargain considering that each town in Bali is about a half-hour drive apart.

On our way to Uluwatu, we stopped at the Krisna market. I thought I might pass out from the amazing shopping here. It’s a tourist spot for sure, because the prices are fixed and there is no bargaining. However, most of the items were between one dollar and ten dollars, and for beautiful items, not cheap, crap items. They had clothing, paintings, wood carvings, jewelry, weavings, and basically all things Indonesian. It was like an artsy, crafty Dollar Store (and I love the Dollar Store).

Basically, I went crazy. I got a pair of shorts, a shirt, a dress, and two skirt wraps for the beach. I also got two instruments, a small piano-like instrument made with a coconut shell, and a wooden pan flute. I also bought a fan (because it was hot) and a flower hair-tie to tie back my hair (the humidity was making it stick to my neck). They also had beautiful wooden bracelets, so I got about four or five of those. I also got about four sets of Bali keychains, with ten in each package, so I’ll have plenty of souvenirs to bring back to my friends in the US! I also got a small bath soap and oil set for my friend Catherine, whose birthday was that week.

For all that, it cost me about $25 USD. It was awesome.

We drove up to Uluwatu, which is the best place in Bali to see the sunset. There is also a beautiful temple on a cliff overlooking the sea view, where my Uncle Harry and Riesa got married two Decembers ago. We came here to see the Kecak Dance, a traditional form of performance. A choir of seventy men provide the musical accompaniment to the dancers, who wear colorful costumes and tell a story.



Where Jakarta is 80% Muslim, Hinduism is practiced by 80% of the Balinese. Because each performance is blessed by a Hindi leader, people attending the ceremony need to be dressed properly. For the tourists that were wearing shorts or skirts above the knee, they needed to wear a sarong wrap with a sash. Daddy and I lucked out and were both wearing jeans, so we were only required to wear the sash around our waists.


Dinner was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had, and I’ve had quite a lot of those here in Asia. We asked Wayan to take us to a good place to eat, and he drove us to this road along the beach where there are dozens of restaurants. We got to eat ON the beach. Our table was in the open air, in the sand and everything. A live band was playing and going from table to table to perform, and they also had traditional dancing for entertainment as well.


I didn’t like having to get up to go pick out our seafood to eat. One, my feet were really tired from walking around all day in flip flops, and two, I had to point to the freshly dead sea creatures that were sitting in ice, waiting for me to eat them. Three, the girl helping me spoke English, but not perfectly, so communicating what I wanted to eat was a little difficult, but not too bad. I picked out a red snapper fish and some GINORMOUS prawns, and went back to the table.

It was really nice, watching and listening to the waves on the beach. I noticed that there were lots of stray dogs trotting up and down the beach, whereas in Jakarta there were lots of stray cats rather than dogs. But they seemed happy and got along with each other well. That’s Bali for you, laid-back and relaxed.

Before our food came, I went down to the vendor cart selling corn next to the water. I got two ears of corn in a honey butter sauce. As I waited for my corn, the two guys asked me where I was from. I said “the USA.” They replied, “Ahhh, USA, Obamaaaaa!”

I probably had a similar interaction about five different times during my stay in Bali. Barack Obama actually lived in Jakarta for a couple of years as a boy after his mother married an Indonesian man. He used to speak the Indonesian language (Bahasa). Indonesians have an obsessive love affair with President Obama, and they are super-excited for his visit to Jakarta this month.

Anyway, our dinner was excellent. The snapper was yummy, and I LOVED the prawns (I’m finding that I’m turning into a shrimp-lover). The corn was to die for, and the honey butter was seriously amazing. I enjoyed dipping my snapper and my buttered shrimp in the peanut oil sauce they’d brought me. They also brought out a basket of rice, which I had quite a bit of. Overall, an excellent dinner. For dessert we had some fruit. As we were about to leave, the band came and offered to play for us. Daddy said no, we were just leaving, but I made him stay for one song.


We went back to the hotel exhausted, but very satisfied with our day. The hotel had come by for the turndown service, and after hopping in the shower I went straight to sleep.

See my next post for Day 2 of my Bali trip!

Lots of love,
Kati

P.S. Terima kasih means "thank you" in Bahasa Indonesia. Bahasa simply means "language," so each time you say "Bahasa" you should follow with the country to which the language belongs.

P.P.S. I really, REALLY want some prawns right now. Yum…