Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok can be a bit much to absorb. The combination of Buddhism, capitalism and lack of city planning results in organized chaos. I started my stay here with a 30 km bike ride through i, a suburban and rural area to the northwest of the city. My host wanted to take pictures and we pedaled along the canals, through the markets and rice paddies taking photographs. When in the market I took off my helmet cause I didn't want to look like a tool, but I realized that as a foreigner (farang), it didn't matter. And also, blondie in the yellow MS150 jersey and the padded spandex biker shorts and the SLR was getting all the attention anyways.

After the ride we got a traditional Thai massage. Some of those pressure points are a little private, but having a strange woman's foot in my crotch apparently didn't bother me too much since I fell asleep in the middle of the massage. The next day I went off exploring at Wat Po. Didn't get the Thai massage there, but did get a foot massage. I man could get used to this. Wat Po has some amazing religious architecture... Religious buildings are designed to focus attention upwards to heaven. The exaggerated dimensions and pointed features of Thai religious buildings do it better then most, but blinging with gold and painted imagery

Then visited the Grand Palace with the Emerald Buddha, one of the most sacred and powerful of Thai artifacts. The Buddha has clothes of gold and the King comes by and changes its gear 3 times a year. On Monday more the half of the population could be seen wearing yellow in celebration of the 60th year of the Kings rule. Thais love the monarchy and the more I learn about the King and Queen, I can understand why. Even though they have no legal authority they do have real power from the people. In addition to charitable works and doing what they can do make everyday peoples' lives better, the King has personally visited almost every town and village in the country. I have to respect that. And when the elected government misbehaves a public address (shaming) by the King is enough to put people in line.

I went to the backpackers ghetto of Khao San Road. Ok, ghetto might be pushing it too far since it seems like this a constant spring break for young folks who have money to pretend to be young folks who don't have money. I am glad I didn't end up staying here. In most bars there are stools next to the bar for people who want to meet people to interact; an extension of the watering hole from the savanna. Not here where everyone is rushing back and forth with backpacks in tow. I have a feeling that staying alone amongst the dreadlocked, tank top wearing, smooth skinned crowd might have been a little lonely.

Fellow tourists, what is with the foot gear? Sandals? In the middle of a crowded and dirty city? Ok, I understand the beach when it it flip flop time, but thongs, berkenstocks or tevas just don't do it for me when it comes to protection, support and style; the things I look for in city footwear. And do you folks realize that everytime you complain about something little, say stupid things in English that local folks can understand or work extra hard to make a jackass out of yourself, it makes it harder for people who want to learn about how people live away from my home? I recognize the silliness of a tourist complaining about tourists, but seriously... for a bunch of folks on vacation, some of ya'll are pretty uptight.

And just for your information, one must properly eject a device from an Apple before disconnecting if one doesn't want to lose all the information on one's camera's SD card before uploading the data. Ug.

Bangkok, Thailand

Got into Bangkok and met up with my hosts. The Sukumwit/Asoke neighborhood has the infamous Soi Cowboy along with big name hotels, trinket selling stands and the greatest concentration of Indian taylor shops I have ever seen outside of of the Subcontinent. This place is international in new ways: Hijab wearing teenage girls wearing mascara and lipstick making quick eye contact with Arab boys loitering. Belgian businessmen waking out of restuarants with thier rented girlfriends in tow. Mothers on a towel on the steet playing with thier infants waiting for tourists who still have a heart to drop a few Bhat in thier cup. I didn't go out too much tonight since the last week in Taiwan and the flight out from Taipei has me drained.

One thing I was warned about and I have to watch out for is too keep on getting fleeced for my cash. I bought a bottle of water at the airport for $US 1.25. At a gas station at the other end of the taxi ride in Bangkok I found it for less than $US 0.20. I give respect for the hustle the people in Bankok have got going. This place doesn't have natural resources or a strong industrial sector so people have to make what they can on tourism. In a place where fat tourists coming here to get drunk and sleep with the local women makes a noticable slice in the GDP, I don't blame people here for working hard to take what is so easily earned elsewhere. I can see how it can be very easy to be cynical here. I have a feeling Thailand is a beautiful and warm place and I think I will have to get away from the epicenter of the action to observe that.

I am going to start a novel now. This is sweet.

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Just had my farewell lunch with my coworkers and have spent the morning draining the large international calling card that I bought when I came to Hsinchu two months ago. Taiwan has been good... This psuedo-country (the combination the Bejing Olympic and the US and Taiwanese presidential elections is going to make 2008 an interesting year in Taiwan) is a clash of contrasts between the old world and the modernity. And comparing my East/West life with the East/West life of Taiwan leaves me somewhere between understanding and complete bewilderment. Folks treated me very well while I have been here and learned a thing or two about hospitality. Perhaps related is my gain of weight.

One thing I had not anticipated about traveling is that with every hello towards the people I meet, there is almost always a very permanent good bye. With the exception of my travel mates I have known in a past life, I will just be passing through on the way to somewhere else. I have a hard time coming up with right words for goodbyes and the impotence of not even knowing the language while trying to say farewell leaves... me leaving frustrated and awkward.

Still, I am glad to have met my fellow interns and friends of friends and I do hope to keep in touch. I guess that is why god created the email. You, yes you... please leave me a comment! This trip wouldn't have been possible without the internet. For example, I wouldn't be planning meeting up a girl named Frenchie at a gas station in the middle of Bangkok in about 24 hours without the infrastructure giving you this text. My life goes in strange directions.

Taipei, Taiwan

There are times when being anti-social is a means of self preservation. Left work a little early on Friday to dinner with a friend's landlord's family. Along with the soft shelled crab, stinky tofu, steak and other delicacies there was booze; half the table was drinking watered down whiskey while the rest had beer. Every 5 minutes was a toast which involved lifting the glass and slamming the cup in front of you. We were at the table for 3 hours... and then we went for karaoke.

We barely escaped. Just a little worse for wear, we chilled for a minute at the apartment and then went to Party Room. That was a club full of dudes bopping to aggrorock so we went to Bed II to have a drink and a smoke with the bartender. Closed that place out and then went to Carnegie's, a foreigner joint that featuring dancing on the bar, hookers and people paring up along predetermined ethnic lines.

Ximendeng, an area for everything marketed for teenagers was perhaps a bit much for a location to walk off a hangover. So instead I wandered the halls of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei. The 'Slowtech' exhibit featured digital works that take time and attention to appreciate, which was a fitting contrast for the information overload that is Taipei. Took the train to catch a martial arts show at the Taipei Story House and then visited the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. There are some impressive Taiwanese artists gracing their many walls. I am making it a point to visit museums on my travels. Public art museums are the temples of ideas and expression and moments of quiet reflection in galleries are needed to recharge my batteries.

Went over to 101 afterwards. Saturday was my birthday and I spent a minute staring that the tallest building in the world listening to '3 Feet High and Rising' and thinking of the events of last year: ridiculous, frenetic and transformative. Took the lift up and spent the extra $NT 100 to go to the outdoor deck. The tuned mass damper in that building is aesthetics and engineering combined.

Napped for a bit and then got up at 2 am to met up with an old school party friend of a DJ buddy. Went to this afterhours place called Roxy Vibe that was OK. It had a good party atmosphere, but days travels wore me out and breaking through cultural paradigms in order to start conversation was a bit much. Had some tasty breakfast and then spent the rest of the day dozing.

I puttered around for a while, read a little about Thailand and then met up with another friend of a friend at the Taiwan Beer Bar where the beer is cheap and made in the Brewery next door the same day. Had some easy conversation, tofu, eggplant and greens to go along with the beer. Took the MRT to the bus station and then made it back to Hsinchu where I finished my presentation for this morning. I am too tired to end this entry with something witty.

Taipei/Hsinchu, Taiwan

It has been a week of goodbyes and messed up sleep schedules. Went up to Taipei on Tuesday night to do some shopping and chill with my ABC drinking buddy before he heads off. Ended up missing the last bus to Hsinchu and then taking the 5:45 bus back the next morning. Stayed up all night since the boys decided they wanted to fire up the hookahs and the nicotine overdose left my body relaxed and my mind alert and contemplative. The filtered first light of the magic half hour that starts of the day always makes me pensive especially if I have been trying to make sense of things. Went to work after an hour of sleep, napped and then went out later to say goodbye at Tipsy. Some middle aged retired dude started talking with us and purchased a bottle of Johnny Blue for the bar to drink. I hope when I am older, I don't have that look of envy; money can't buy youth and energy. Tipsy could be described a little bit of an upscale dive bar, but even there I normally don't get drunk off $US 170 bottles of booze. I am much more of a Lonestar at the patio at Lola's kind of guy.

Just as everyone who I might call is leaving, I bought a phone for my last week in Taiwan. I am planning on buying cheap SIM cards for Taiwan, Thailand, Egypt, Portugal, Spain and the UK. Why doesn't the US have this system? In a world that is becoming more interconnected the US insistence of separating itself in silly ways is going to hurt us in the long run. We are a country that that has a general population who suck at math and science, but prefer our measurements to be divided by 12s, 5280s and 64s instead of multiples of 10. It is really so much harder then it needs to be. Wanna holler at your boy? 0918315488 in Taiwan and 014514719 in Thailand.

I am procrastinating on a presentation I need to do for Monday. A quick review of a couple of articles relating to superhydrophobic thin films. Rough sol-gel thin films on a substrate coated with a fluronated self assembled monolayer: cool stuff. My goal here was to learn about industrial applications of nanotechology... I learned some cool things, but I did wish I had more projects. The other interns have been asked in their exit interviews if they would recommend their friends for this internship. After being asked there was usually a pregnant and awkward silence.

Taichung, Taiwan

This has been the best seafood weekend, ever. I railed into Taichung to hang out with the couple of UK kids I met at my regular bar in Hsinchu, Tispy. Caught 'Tokyo Drift' and then had appetizers with one set of their parents and then went off for sushi. The UK lads claimed this was a spot that the gangsters liked to go to and if so there is good reason. It was $NT 1000 for slightly seared fish that melted in my mouth. Nine pieces, a small filet of fish and a stuffed shrimp head. Oh yum. We went out to this ritzy bar which had a full wine wall and a swimming pool and then hit up Xaga, which was a pretty OK club. Black Eyed Peas were dropped.

During the moving around I went back to talk to the other set of parents. Was I comfortable that I was buzzing of 12 year scotch and meeting folks for the first time. No, but my worry was kinda silly since all I did was drink 18 year scotch with the dad. He's a chemical engineer who made his living off faucets. Faucets? How many faucets are in your house? Multiply that by the number of houses in the world and those numbers add up quickly into billions and billions of dollars. Through the sons as translators, we talked shop and put me thinking about manufacturing problems. If any of you can figure out how to remove lead from bronze work and still have the moldings be easily machinable, I have direct contact into the South East Asian market.

We then took a quick stopover in Lugang to see the Longshan temple. Taiwan is like Houston in that it is very young, so standing in a room that has hundreds of years of history as evidenced buy the thick soot of incence is a novel and worthwhile experience. My theory that every place in this country that is sacred and beautiful has a oyster pancake stand still remains valid.

And then there was the meal. Sharkfin soup? Yes, please. Duck? Thank you. Abalone? Seafood casarole baked in shells? Lamb? Shrimp pancakes? Boiled shrimp? Sashimi? Oysters? Mushroom soup? Clams? Cod? I'll take a little and some more of the things I can't even remember. I seem to be having one of the laborious 10 to 15 course Shanghai style Chinese meals at least once a week and this was the most amazing of the bunch. Now that I am hooked on the uncut product, where am I going to find food this good in the states?

Chatted with an English teacher and napped on the ride back to Hsinchu where I then showered and then went out with the bartenders from Tipsy. The took us out to this huge packed open air shrimp place where we dined on huge roe-filled prawns cooked in lemon butter, garlic butter and rice wine, eaten with spicy cabbage and rice. My ABC friend and I have been going to Tipsy a few times a week and I will really miss it. It is frustrating when I just want to share a few ideas and talk, but can't due to language barriers. Before I learned to speak English I used to play with kids who just moved to the US as well. While not being able to talk works in the playground when I was 4, it is much harder to create bonds as adults. In the future I must make it a point to work in language before I travel. There are just too many things I miss.

Hsinchu, Taiwan

I'm at a KTV in Hsinchu at 4:48 in the Thursday morning wondering exactly how cracked out I will be 12 hours from now when I finish my tour of the Hsinchu Science Park which will be done in Mandarin. Before I ask probing and informative questions trying to decipher the inner working of the Taiwan Semiconductor industry, I have..

Sorry, Hard to Handle came up on the queue. It was my pick. We got another mini-keg and hour left. The tour starts in 3 hours.

Most of my friends here will be leaving in the next 72 hours. I have two weeks left. It is no fun doing Karaoke by myself so I think I will be chilling and getting my head together for the rest of this trip. Thailand looks amazing and I am pumped to go there. I am plotting the course now... I have been waiting a minute to sit on a beach and chill out. These are the things dreams are made of.

The next 2 weeks will be the last time in the next few months I will have a little space and privacy before the road becomes my home. I am seriously trashed enough to do the DJ Drunk thing and make wicki-wicki sounds to Taiwanese pop songs. I have had better moments.

Yeah, life on the road I think will be good for me. If nothing else, it'll force the packrat out of my system. I have 2 bags; that'll be all I own. My eye is out for art, music and design and it is everywhere. It is good that ideas can be transferred via 1s and 0s. My flikr account is my souvenir for this trip.

OK, I am going to drink more until this whole staying out till dawn thing becomes a good idea. As ¢Ò¢Û£A¡@

Oh, yes. I did update my blog from a Karaoke bar. I am a huge dork.

Neiwan/Taipei, Taiwan

Yesterday morning I was getting settled in for a day of email, light nanotechnology reading and couchsurfing chat when my boss told me the department was going off site for a meeting and asked if I wanted to come. I like to see new places, I am in. As I pile into the van I am told we are going to a hot springs resort and would I should grab an (unnecessary) swimsuit. We head to this really nice hotel/spa in Neiwan about 20 km way where then I sit through the morning in a meeting in Mandarin to discuss the future of my department. I have a good lunch of lamb chop and then I am sent off to the resort.

I spent the afternoon sitting around a tub of hot water with a bunch of old naked Taiwanese dudes on my employer’s dime.

Other then the initial awkwardness and my attempts to avoid small talk and eye contact, it was very pleasant. The water was 41 C, didn't smell of sulfur and had minerals, vitamins, beta-carotene or something cause I was quite relaxed after soaking for a bit. The resort was tucked into the mountains by a river and the afternoon fog accentuated the green surroundings. This little island can be really pretty.

The weekend was spent in Taipei. We bused in to get a haircut. I so regret getting my hair chopped off in Palo Alto. Male hair here is out of control and I would love to rock the long spiked Asian mullet look right now. What is it about hindsight? We were then fed by my friend's aunt and uncle, got some sound gear and then went out. We tried to get some stuff at the Shilin night market, but the place was crazy packed. We then met up with some NYC kids to share a bottle at Kama (Karma?) and then around 3 or 4 hit up the KTV (Karaoke/TV). Off-key hilarity ensued.

Seriously, why can't all my jobs have required spa days?

Hsinchu, Taiwan

The Brothers Elephants trounced the Makato Cobras 6-3 at the ball game I went to on Wednesday. In Taiwan the baseball teams are owned by corporations and they play against each other in parks across the country. The sport is popular here and a version of the $NT 500 bill has kids playing little league on it. The rules are the same, but there are little differences such as no 7th inning stretch, the organized cheers from the stands and the large amount of Mandarin spoken. The game in Hsinchu was $NT 200 (~$US 6) for the primo seats and $NT 300 for the outfield bleachers. We went for the cheapo seats.

I am exhausted. At work it is crashing STM tips between wasting the day away and waiting for lunch. Still the same pattern of going out late and getting up early. There is no dinner around here worth eating so we take the 30 minute bus ride into town ($NT 30) around 8pm. Since we are down there and mostly likely out past the last 10:30 bus, might as well stay. The night ends with a few hundred $NT spent and a $NT 300 taxi ride split 2 to 4 ways. Expensive and tiring I say. Gotta learn to budget one of these days...