SolidAsAROC

They speculated that the jet was flying in a display for the annual hot air balloon festival, which had begun the previous day. Clark has hosted the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta every year since 1994, an event that started with the purpose of boosting the local economy after the aftermath of Mt. Pinatubo’s devasting eruption. The official website now claims that the event is the “longest-running sports aviation event in Asia” and the festival has achieved great renown, even being featured in Pampanga’s Snapchat geofilter. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the festival as the day was busy as my cousin prepared for his 40th birthday celebration. You can never do everything you want on any given trip, but it will be unlikely I will be in Pampanga during the festival for quite some time as I plan on returning to law school this coming fall. I will make it a priority to return to the festival as soon as I am able.

The event was held that evening at Angeles’s Grand Palazzo Royale. The facility was very beautiful, with a mixture of Greco-Roman and Roaring 20s themes, but it saddened me to see that some areas needed maintenance. I hope that they do upkeep soon, as I’d like to see the facility remain beautiful.

The food was served buffet style and was very delicious. They even had bourbon chicken, which is my favorite American “Chinese” dish. (If you haven’t had it you can find it at almost any mall food court in America.)

After dinner, my cousin gave a speech. I was very touched and surprised to hear him thank me for coming to Angeles all the way from America. After the speech, my cousin, always generous, raffled away gifts he had brought from America. Finally, the DJ started spinning some records and the guests could dance. But alas, I could not stay very long as my flight would leave from Clark in a few hours.

I thanked the man of the hour and said my goodbyes to my cousins and new friends. The saddest goodbye was to my little cousin, who is only four years old and still looks and sounds like a baby. She will be six years old the next time I see her, still a young child to be sure, but no longer a baby. This made me sad, as she really is so very cute! However, I know she cannot stay that age forever.

I made it to the Angeles airport around midnight and rested at my gate for a while. I should thank a random Korean woman who woke me up, or else I might have missed my flight. I took Jin Air to Incheon Airport. Jin is a budget carrier, but I had no complaints with my flight. After I landed, I made my way to the gate for my Korean Air Flight to Chicago. While the airport was not as busy as I expected, given the ongoing Winter Olympics, finding my new gate was very challenging as I had to take two trains reach it. After I reached the gate the employees told me I had to walk back to the terminal’s main entrance as the staff there had to print my new boarding pass. However, I cannot complain as I could use the walking after so many hours of sitting. I noticed that Incheon’s airport had many high-end retailers, such as Gucci and Saint Laurent. 

It is truly remarkable to think that, in the middle of the last century, South Korea was one of the world’s poorest countries, even poorer than many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Today, a little more than a half of a century later, even South Korea’s airports exude wealth. I feel that this is representative of recent history’s Asian success story, both in Asia and in the West. Although I am not Korean, my walk through this corridor brought me great pride to be connected to the East’s rise, although in a somewhat tangential fashion. As both South Korea and Taiwan were among the 20th Century’s “Asian Tiger” Economies, I hope to see the Phillippines and other “Tiger Cubs”  someday join them among the world’s most prosperous nations. 

After I received my boarding pass, I noticed there was a Museum of Korean Culture across the hall from the ticketing desk. I stopped in and explained that while I could not stay for the entire 30-minute presentation, I would like to look around and see the artifacts they had on display. They obliged and also allowed me to try on a traditional Korean monarch’s robes and hat. 

The museum is free for all foreign nationals and was a lot of fun. However, my visit was rather short as I had to return to my gate to board my plane to Chicago.

Korean Air’s service was wonderful, as it has been on every ride I have taken with them. The plane was very clean, and I appreciated the comforts they provide that other airlines do not, such as providing slippers for individuals who wish to take off their shoes during the long flight. 

One thing I really enjoyed was watching the Korean show The Return of Superman, where Korean celebrity men are left to care for their children. This show is very similar to Baba Qu Nar?, a Chinese show I watched during my Chinese studies. Since  Baba Qu Nar? is based on a Korean show, I assumed this was the original. However, I later learned Baba Qu Nar? is based on a different Korean reality show. Apparently, East Asian television viewers must love these kinds of shows.

Finally, my plane landed and I safely arrived in Chicago. Deplaning was easy, as was going through customs. I arrived in America just as I had arrived in Asia: Relatively well adjusted to the time difference. I do recommend travelers to Asia use the late night flights when possible, as they do make a difference.

My mother picked me up from the airport. As sad as I was that I was no longer abroad, I was very happy to see her again. And thus, my trip was over. 

I am currently writing this from my home in Illinois. I did enjoy sharing my travels with my friends and the world (?) but I understand that two weeks is not long enough to build a great following for a blog. I’d be open to using this blog again for future trips, but I now realize that my handle is shortsightedly tailored to trips to Taiwan and I’m not sure when I can return to Ilha Formosa. Until then, I hope to start a blog documenting my studies in law school. I will most likely start a new blog with a more apropos name at that time. Until then, I will leave this blog up for anyone interested in traveling Asia.

It’s been a blast Tumblr. See you again soon.

再見!

Paalam!

The Angeles City area was formerly the home to Clark Air Base, an overseas base of the US Air Force. Like so many other foreign towns with American military personnel, the outside area developed a burgeoning red light district. The Americans left Clark in 1990, but the pernicious effects of American imperialism still remain. Instead of seeing the streets filled with skeevy Airmen, the streets are now filled with skeevy retirees. The bar where I watched the Super Bowl was just outside of Sin City’s main drag, Walking Street.                    

Though I have been to Angeles many times before, this was my first time being physically on Walking Street, although I have been driven past it. To clarify a situation that is anything but simple, I will further explain Walking Street. Angeles’s Walking Street is modeled on the Walking Street of Pattaya, Thailand. Like in Pattaya, prostitution is officially illegal, but tolerated in practice. 

From what I understand the prostitutes are not primarily from Pampanga, but from the Philippines’ poorest provinces in the southern portion of the country. I do not think soliciting prostitution is an immoral act in itself, provided it is a voluntary exchange between consenting adults. However, there is something decidedly disgusting about old men from developed countries taking advantage of young women who are only selling their bodies because of economic necessity. Furthermore, in situations like this, you never truly know if the woman is there on her own accord, or if she is a victim of human trafficking. So as a notice to any dirty man who should read this, please, keep your business in your own country!

In any event, aside from any moral judgement, it did feel right as a tourist to stop by the city’s main attraction.  I believe if you do not see a city’s main attraction, then you did not truly see anything at all. I encourage people visiting the area to see Walking Street, and even have yourself a few drinks. Just please, stop yourself there!

Tuesday started as another chill day at SM Clark, trying out foods and souvenir shopping.  Interestingly, I noticed many of the mall’s stores were preparing for the celebration of Chinese New Year.

The Philippines is a primarily Catholic nation and, of course, the Lunar New Year is not a Christian holiday. To be fair, the Philippines has a substantial Chinese population, as do many places in Southeast Asia. Due to mixed ethnicity marriages, some estimate as much as 25% of the population has at least some Chinese heritage. Yet the fact remains that the Philippines is not China. I remember how upset a Filipina college classmate was when she was wished a happy Chinese New Year. This, of course, was understandable. In the US, “Asia” is often thought of as simply “China.” Americans can be rather ignorant of other cultures. Yet, in the Philippines, there are Filipinos celebrating this Chinese holiday that upset her so. of course, there are reasonable explanations for this. For one, there is the previously mentioned Chinese presence. Secondly, this could just be a “Hallmark Holiday,” another chance to capitalize on consumers’ impulses. Yet, in spite of these factors, I do find it odd that a sovereign nation would celebrate the holiday of a country with whom they have a major territorial dispute

My cousin’s birthday that brought me to the Philippines, and I enjoyed our first party in his honor on Tuesday evening. The food was delicious, as is nearly everything I’ve eaten here. The main course was lechon, a roast suckling pig that is enjoyed in many former Spanish colonial possessions. While the only other  lechon I’ve had was prepared by Cubans, I do have a hard time imagining any country roasting a pig better than the Philippines. 

On Wednesday I toured the Clark Special Economic Zone, which occupies the site of the former Clark Air Base. The local government is doing a great job developing it into a clean and modern city, building nice residences and resorts. 

Afterwards, my cousins and I toured a neighborhood primarily inhabited by the Negritos, who can be thought of as the area’s indigenous people. Filipinos, as other Malayo-Polynesian Pacific Islanders, are believed to be descended from seafaring people who originally came from what is now Taiwan and who ultimately settled on islands across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. On the other hand, the Negritos, or Aeta, as they are also known, have resided in what is now the Philippines since before the Austronesian population arrived. While most Filipinos do look “Asian”, the Negrito population looks similar to some of Africa’s Pygmys. However, many anthropologists believe that the Negritos are most closely related to the Aboriginal Australians.

The Negrito village was very poor, even by Philippine standards. I could not help but related this to the struggles indigenous people face all around the globe. I was glad to have seen it, as seeing the living situations of less fortunate people is always a good reminder for people to be more appreciative of what they have, and also a reminder to help the needy. I should add that it seems the Negritos are integrating, as the neighborhood did have mixed-ethnicity couples between Negritos and Kapangpangans. The tour through the village was actually quite a thrill, as the roads were unpaved and the streets were narrow. I am very impressed with my driver’s skills, as I am sure that if I had to go down a similar street I would crash the car.

Wednesday evening, I enjoyed a live band at a local bar in Mabalacat. If you watch Anthony Bourdain or if you have heard a Philippine band on a cruise or resort, you know that the Philippines is famous for their cover bands. The band sang many English and Tagalog songs exceptionally well. However, I found their sense of humor most enjoyable. The band was composed of five baklas, which is the local term for gay men and male-to-female transgender individuals. Their performances were punctuated by very campy and flamboyant comedic bits, often including audience interaction. I thought it was a very unique experience, as it is one I have never had at home.

Thus brings me to the end of my week so far. I am sad to say that I will be returning to the US on Friday evening. In fact, my last blog might be written from my home in Illinois.  Before I leave you today, I’d like to thank my friends who contacted me upon their learning of Taiwan’s earthquakes. I am safe, as I am now in a different country, but I would likely have been safe even if I had spent this week in Taipei. The ones who really need thoughts and prayers are those in and around Hualien, Taiwan. Please remember them in the coming days.

The museum’s roots trace back to Beijing the early days of the ROC, shortly after the end of the Qing Dynasty. In those days museum showcased the possessions of the Royal Family.  During World War II the Chinese Nationalists moved the artifacts from Beijing to Nanjing in order to protect them from the Japanese invaders. After the Communists won the Mainland, the Nationalists brought the artifacts with them to Taiwan. 

The collections were interesting, but I did expect there to be more history lessons involved. The museum seemed to be a display of furniture and jewelry at times. It was a beautiful facility, however, and I am glad I experienced it.

After touring the museum, I had an hour to kill before the tour I had booked, so I had a Chinese massage. The woman was quite strong and, in all honesty, my neck and back were in pain at several times during the treatment. However, I felt like a new man after the treatment. What ever she did, it worked well!

My tour began at Huaxi Night Market, also known as “Snake Alley.”

This Night Market was formerly a red-light district until Taiwan outlawed prostitution. It is now a tourist market, although its past is apparent as there are some gift shops there that some would find “unsavory.” 

The market’s English, “Snake Alley,” is derived from the fact that some restaurants in Huaxi serve snake as food. In fact, some restaurants have live snakes for their customers to choose. 

While I consider myself an adventurous eater, I did not want to risk salmonella poisoning, so I continued with my group tothe adjacent Longshan Temple.

In a stark contrast, the temple was very reverent. People gave tribute to the Buddha and various traditional Chinese deities. My tour guide told me that I should pray to the god of marriage, because he wanted me to find a spouse in Taiwan. I told him that, as a Christian, I could not pray to any other god, but I’d be happy to make a wish. He gave me two wooden figures, a yin and a yang. I tossed them onto the ground. A successful match would be one face up and one face down. Unfortunately, mine both landed on the same side. He told me to try again, but I had the same result. He told me to try a third time, but again no luck. He said the three times is the maximum for a day’s wishes, so there were no more chances for me. Perhaps his wishes for me are simply not in the cards. Or maybe it’s just a local superstition... Who knows? 

The tour ended at one of Taipei’s Din Tai Fung restaurants. A trip to a Michelin starred restaurant is a big deal in itself, however this one was in the basement of Taipei 101, formerly the world’s tallest building. The food was superb and the servers kept bringing our table more and a more. This surprised me, as I thought the tour’s price was very reasonable. Din Tai Fung’s specialty is xiaolongbao, or soup (filled) dumplings.  I have had soup dumplings before in Shanghai (which also claims to have invented the dish), but Din Tai Fung’s were different. While Shanghai’s soup dumplings have the soup in the top of the dumpling, Din Tai Fung’s soup is in the bottom. In Shanghai you are expected to bite the dumpling and drink the soup. However, if you were to do this with Din Tai Fung’s dumplings, you would make a mess and send soup all over the table! Instead, you are to put the dumpling inside a soup spoon, poke a hole in the dumpling to release the broth, and then eat everything. It was a fantastic dining experience with great service, and surprisingly affordable for a restaurant of its stature. No trip to Taipei is complete without a trip to Din Tai Fung.

After dinner, the sky was still cloudy, and the line was long, so I decided not to go to Taipei 101′s observation deck. Instead, I returned home and finished packing for my trip to The Philippines, from where I an currently writing this blog.

I originally intended this blog to document my last day in Taiwan as well as my first day in the Phils, but there was too much on my last day in Taiwan to talk about.I will soon update you all on my adventures in Philippines. 

Spoiler Alert: I’m safe and sound.

My stay has been exceptionally comfortable, even for someone 6′3 like me. All the facilities are clean, including the communal bathrooms. Additionally, each capsule has cable TV with a few English stations. While each capsule hotel has its own unique characteristics, I heartily recommend capsule hotels to everyone travelling on a budget, but also wants a level of privacy that hostels cannot provide.

My first evening I walked to the Sanhe Night Market. Taipei is known for its many night markets, but Sanhe is not one of the more famous ones. However, I was greatly surprised by the market’s size. I explored the market before eating, and it took me approximately 30 minutes to circumnavigate the premises. I admired the clothes stores, as I admire the Asian street fashion aesthetic. After working up an appetite, I ate from various street vendors. Sanhe’s food is very inexpensive. I loved the sweet potato balls. While they have a misleadingly healthy sounding name, they are in truth doughnuts.

On Saturday I explored the city. Taipei’s MRT subway system is very efficient and easy to navigate. Stops are announced in both Mandarin and English, as well as other Chinese dialects and Japanese. Maps are plastered along the walls of each station, as well as in all of the train cars. 

I took the MRT to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, a tribute to the former President of the Republic of China. If this confuses you, you must either 

Not know the history behind the founding of Taiwan

Have mistakenly believed I was in Thailand

The park was beautiful, with many areas for clubs to practice dance or for youth to enjoy camps. Underneath the hall is a museum, dedicated to educating visitors on the world leader’s life, sharing artifacts from Chiang Kai Shek’s personal artifacts, and displaying a replica of his office. Atop the hall is a great statue of the Generalissimo, overlooking Taipei’s Freedom Square.

 When I returned to my hotel, I went back to the Sanhe Night Market for dinner. I was ready to call it an early night until I received a text from a friend I had met earlier asking me to explore Taipei’s nightlife. I explored the area around Taipei 101. While definitely on the more expensive end, it is a fun time and I recommend it to anyone visiting Taipei. The places I visited had many Western foreigners, whether expats or tourists, and were a nice mix between interacting with locals and laowai.

After the late night, I mostly hung around by my hotel on Sunday. I woke up at 6:00 AM local time today, still not completely adjusted to the time change.  Today I hope to see some more museums. As always I will keep you all posted.