Reflections: A Map Comes To Life

We sat down today to start planning the European leg of our trip.  We've already been privy to breath-taking views, unforgettable adventures, and marriage-building experiences.  And it's been...well, "awesome" doesn't even do it justice.

But as we've planned and traveled, I've found an unexpected (platonic) love: Watching a neighborhood/city/region come to life, even before our bags are packed.  

It starts with an airport code: ATH, and an arrival date: February 25.

Add a WiFi connection and browser window, and off we go.

First stop: Google Maps.

But the map is just a bunch of streets and green spaces and grey areas that don't mean anything.  We don't know where people live, where they shop, where the best sites are, how to get around, or...anything, really.

Then, our fingers start flying:

One of us starts to research hotels/motels,

The other has an inkling of a cool spot to see, and heads off for reviews of Things To Do in X.

We collide over a description of neighborhoods, and hunch over the same screen:  Where do all the tourists hang out (let's skip that spot!)?  What's loud? quiet? dirty? clean?  Is this spot safe (enough)?  Where's the art? the ruins? the food?

One of us wanders to a new browser window to investigate local transportation.  Can we get a pass? Take a cab?  Use the bus? Join a group? Walk to where we want to go?

The other turns to the hotels/motels again, to TripAdvisor, to some reviews.  How do the locals think/speak/act?  How does the country view/treat tourists?  What's the custom, what's the standard? Can you check-in early? Can you check-in late? Will the staff suggest a place to eat?  hold your luggage for a day? advise you on the bus schedule? 

And we're back to transportation.  Around and around, the circles continue.

But every time around, with wider eyes that see the place a little more clearly.

Just like that, in the course of an afternoon, the place has come to life.  If something happened and we never actually got on the plane, I'd still remember more from our planning than I have from any geography or social studies lesson in school. 

I think I've discovered why people become travel agents, and why they read about far off places, and why they "plan" a fictitious vacation somewhere exotic during a slow day at the office.  

Because now, I see so much more than colored sections on a map - I see a living, breathing, bustling, beautiful city.

So, if you'll excuse me, Greece is calling my name...

Wardrobe Workhorses

For those of you who eagerly read one of my first posts on Packing for a 4 Month Trip [here, if you missed it the first time], I figured it was about time for an update.  How are all those clothes fairing?  Did I chose well? What do I wish I had/hadn't brought?

This is what I packed for the trip, along with my shoes (read the post above for details):

Awards for Top 3 Useful Items (so far) would be given as follows - 

#3: Vibram Five Fingers 

[More info on the Vibram website if you aren't familiar with them.]

Holly's

Kee-Min's

These suckers did us right time and again. They were great in New Zealand - we'd wear them on our driving days, our feet comfy but still ready to hop out at a moment's notice for a cool photo or to eat some tasty salmon.  

Cool photo

Tasty salmon

Further, they were the best kayaking shoes EVER.  We could wear them to transport the kayaks, then hop right in and be ready to go.  Our feet were protected and the shoes were secure (advantage over flip flops), but the Five Fingers never got grossly water-logged or heavy (advantage over sneakers).  We also wore them for some of our hiking adventures.  

I will admit, we probably won't wear them much once we hit cooler climes, but they have already earned their spot in our packs!

#2: Technical Undergarments - These will go unphotographed, but suffice to say, if you are planning an extended and/or active trip, I would strongly suggest investing in a few pieces.  They may be a bit pricey, but are absolutely worth it.  They'll be wicking and comfortable in warm weather, and you can wash/dry them overnight (so you don't need many).

#1: Sorry gentlemen, this one's for the ladies - Athleta Bra Cup Tops

[Find them on Athleta's website here, although mine are from last season, bought on sale at the end of the summer.]

I knew they'd be useful, but I had no idea I'd be grabbing these tops again the minute they were dry from the wash.  I've worn them with shorts, skorts, capris, and pants.  I've worn them for sightseeing, hiking, wine tasting, and house cleaning.  When one of them was really ready for the wash, I'd wear it to run.  I admit they may not be right for every woman, but they do come in many sizes and are comfortable, forgiving, and wicking.

Tunic tank on a run at Mount Cook 

A glimpse of the Racerback tank in Queenstown...

...and again in Taupo.

And trust me...these tops made far more appearances than just the three documented above.

What items haven't I used?  I haven't used much of my cold weather gear.  I've worn my jacket and fleece twice, my lighter second layers (Salomon jacket, black cotton zip-front) a few times, and I still have a few long-sleeved tops that I haven't worn at all.  But we just haven't hit the right weather for me to judge these items yet.  Other than that...I probably could have left one or two of my tank tops/short-sleeved behind.  I don't mind having them, but I probably wouldn't miss them if 1 or 2 hadn't made the trip.

What do I wish I'd brought?  There were a few times I was really wishing for some of my Salomon trail shoes...but they were just far too bulky to bring for an item I probably won't be wanting for the remainder of the trip.  Other than that...a pumice stone?  That's about it, really.  So I guess I was thorough enough!!

Overall, I'm quite happy with my choices.  I hope they are just as good for the rest of the trip as they've been for the first 3.5 weeks!!!

And finally...the shoes.  Remember the shoes?

Being the anal-retentive data-gatherer that I am, I have chosen to keep tabs on how many days I wear each pair of shoes.  We have been traveling for 26 days so far, and the number below indicates on how many, of those 26 days, I've worn each pair.  [Keep in mind that I often wear several different pairs per day.]

Sneakers: 11

Brown loafers: 7 

Brown sandals: 11

Vibram Five Fingers: 6

Red dress flats: 4

Blue flip flops: I've worn these around our hostel/motel just about every single day, so I haven't kept track.

I'm pretty pleased with those numbers so far.  The Vibrams haven't been worn on as many days, but I wore them for every moment of our kayaking trips, except while sleeping.  The red flats have been under-worn, but I expected as much and still feel good about their inclusion.  The only number I'd like to see higher?  The sneaker number.  Not quite enough running lately...

Hope this wardrobe recap was useful (or at least, entertaining) for some of you.  Cheers!!


*Obviously, I'm not being paid to endorse any of these products - these are my honest, end-user evaluations.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday, we rang in the Lunar New Year.  Many of you are just leaving Monday, and CNY celebrations continue for ~2 weeks anyway, so I'm not really all that late in saying:

Gong Xi Fa Cai, or Kung Hei Fat Choi!

[Mandarin, or Cantonese]

After kicking off Monday morning with a run, we spent the rest of the day visiting Kee-Min's family.  The Chinese New Year tradition is to visit the elders of each family at their homes, where you present them with 2 oranges or similar citrus fruits (the words for orange citrus fruits - oranges, mandarin oranges, tangerines - when translated into various Chinese dialects, all sound like good things to wish someone - good fortune, wealth, luck...), and possibly other gifts/sweets.  They welcome you, feed you some snacks, and after some socializing, you move along to the next house.  

The size of the family, and visiting traditions, determine the length of your visiting day!  Both of Kee-Min's parents are the youngest children in their families, so there can be quite a lot of visiting. For various reasons (death, co-living, etc.), the visiting has been streamlined in recent years, and we only made 5 stops yesterday, plus a visit to the Bhuddist temple where some of his relatives' ashes are kept.  

Today, we've already done one visit and have 2 more on tap for this afternoon.  It's actually been quite fun, and I've gotten to re-meet much of Kee-Min's family.  [There were 300 friends & family at our wedding dinner, so I was in 'survival' mode, not 'meet and remember' mode.]  I also enjoy the look on the face of someone who hasn't met me before when we come to them in the receiving/shaking hands/welcoming line at a new house.  I read the look to mean something like, "Huh? Who are you? Your face is wrong. Should I wish you a Happy New Year?  *looks left and right* Uhh..I guess so. OK!"  Hehehe...

I love the tradition of visiting and honoring your elders.  I love watching families meet.  I love walking down the street or through the HDB flats and hearing the chatter, banter, and exclamations of families and friends coming together.  I don't understand all of the customs, and I'm a little put-off by the focus on wealth - but how can I argue with a holiday that encourages respect, family, and eating??  Speaking of eating...

Chinese New Year comes with all sorts of wonderful treats.  [If you traditionally celebrate CNY but are living outside of Asia, I urge you to stop reading immediately.  This will only make you sad/nostalgic.  I do apologize.  The post is intended for my non-Asian foodie friends.]

There is a table in the dining room at my in-laws' place that holds all the goodies:

Table of Temptation...

I think that both you, and I, would find it tedious to profile each of these goodies in one single post.  So I'll start with 3 of the sweet-treat variety, and we'll see how things go from there.  Which 3?  THESE 3:

*Note: "Kueh" means "cake".  These are all small treats, but somehow still called "kueh".

Treat #1: Kueh Baulu: Similar to a Madeleine - A soft, eggy, slightly dry mini-cake.  Probably tastiest with a cup of coffee or similar, but I usually end up munching on one when I'm feeling a tad hungry.  They are one of the more neutral and less sweet of the "sweet snacks".

Henceforth, food porn will be photographed with my
wedding ring (Size 6 or 6.5?) for reference

The soft, doughy innards.

Treat #2: Kueh kapit (Love letters): Thin, crunchy wafers made from coconut milk, rice & tapioca flours, and sugar.  The thin batter is poured onto a mold and baked, then the hot wafer is removed and folded into quarters or rolled.

Look closely to see the impressions left by the mold.  The story is that, in ancient times, these cookies were used by lovers to send messages to each other (I'm not sure who was making those molds).  Eating the cookie destroyed the evidence and allowed the lover's words to be "taken to heart".

Note: Kee-Min is not sending me messages this way.  I just enjoy eating these light and crispy treats.

Treat #3: Pineapple tarts:  My personal favorite.  The word "pineapple" in Hokkien (a Chinese dialect spoken in Southeast Asia) means "prosperity has come".  Shredded pineapple is cooked down with spices to a very thick consistency, then surrounded by or put atop a flaky, buttery, slightly salty pastry.  Two variations are shown below:

Pineapple inside (L) or on top (R).  Deliciousness in a little pastry...

 These are scrumptious, and they never last long when I'm around.  

A peek inside...

This is only the beginning.  There are more sweets, as well as some savory snacks, to discuss.  But for now, I'm feeling a CNY-snack-induced-nap coming on...