Obama Drama

In light of President Elect Obama winning the national election, there are still some out there who are desperately trying to overturn his nomination by questioning his status as a "natural born U.S. citizen." To those people I say "get a life." To question his commitment and desire to succeed as the President of the United States is outrageous. In light of troubled U.S. times he has assembled key cabinet members faster than any other President in recent history. He also has served this country aptly as a U.S. Senator, and has shown he is ready to get "down and dirty" once his time comes.
The lawsuits have advanced to the Supreme Court, where most likely the case will not be taken on. However, there are several key lawsuits across the country that have brought the issue to a head. Among those filing lawsuits is Alan Keyes, who lost to Obama in the 2004 Illinois Senate race. Keyes' suit seeks to halt certification of votes in California. Another suit by a Kentucky man seeks to have a federal judge review Obama's original birth certificate, which Hawaiian officials say is locked in a state vault.
Other suits have been filed by Andy Martin, whose case was dismissed in Hawaii, and by an Ohio man whose case also was dismissed. Five more suits, all later dismissed, were filed in Hawaii.
The most famous case questioning Obama's citizenship was filed in Pennsylvania in August on behalf of Philip J. Berg and sought to enjoin the Democratic National Committee from nominating Obama. The U.S. Supreme Court denied an application for an injunction and hasn't scheduled a conference on other aspects of the case. Earlier, a federal judge rejected it for "lack of standing"—ruling that Berg had no legal right to sue.
The Obama campaign maintains that he was born in Hawaii, has an authentic birth certificate, and is a "natural-born" U.S. citizen. and Hawaiian officials have agreed.
I find it hard to believe that this President could do any worse than his predecessor. Leave the man alone and let him do his job, and judge him after he takes on a financial crisis, international affairs, increasing terrorist threats, a failing health care system, a horrible public education system and the highest unemployment rate in history. We, the public expect a smooth transition between presidents and Obama seeks nothing else. In filling his cabinet roles he has done some of the most intrusive and extensive background checks in history. His friends and foes alike have been subject to very personal tests in order to avoid any hiccups. It just doesn't seem that Mister Obama has the time to defend his right to the Presidency, nor should he feel inclined to do so.
His name is Barack Hussein Obama, he was born in Honolulu to a Kenyan man and an American woman from Wichita, Kansas. He is not a terrorist, he is not muslim, he is however the first African American president of the United States of America. It is called change; embrace it, tolerate it. You never know what the results will be until they are given a fair shot.

Addictive Spending

In light of troubled economic times, we can all use a bit of discretion in how and why we spend our money. So, in the spirit of contributing to the greater good I have compiled a list of ways to effectively save your hard earned cash. Also, I am hoping it will entice me to take my own advice in terms of slashing spending.
First off, with the holidays drawing near you will encounter requests to join your friends and family who are in town at the local pub of choice. Obviously, the prices are jacked up when going out, courtesy of that favorite establishment of yours. So, I suggest pre-drinking at home and then going out. Mix your favorite cocktail and invite your friends to join you at your place prior to going out. That way once you are ready to go out you will already be a bit liquored up, thus saving on the number of drinks purchased. Plus, you will be ready to dance once you get there, again saving on the unnecessary process of drinking in order to socialize....that is a suggestion for all of you socially awkward folks who feel self-conscious about dancing in front of strangers. If you chose to pre drink and you do not have reliable public transportation, I highly suggest a designated driver....after all you are not saving any money by getting into a car accident or getting a DUI....both are mighty expensive.
Along the same lines of going out and drinking. I highly recommend developing a flirtatious personality. You see, by being flirty you are increasing your chances of having someone else pay for your next drink. If you are more of the quiet, withdrawn type simply put on the most slutty outfit imaginable as this will immediately draw attention. Ladies, simply slut it up and head out to your local ladies night....this is a sure fire way to score free drinks from the legions of hopeful bachelors. This method will also work for gay men. But, I preface this by suggesting you bring along a friend who will look out for your best interest. Without your buddy, you might end up waking up next to some troll, having to gnaw your arm off in order to get out of bed unnoticed.
My next tip is one that most everyone has heard of....it is called the "Latte Factor." I know that in our addiction based society, that coffee is essential in getting through the day, but do you realize just how much you are spending at your local Starbucks? Currently, a tall, or 12-ounce, cup of Starbucks coffee costs $1.40 to $1.65. Twelve-ounce lattes cost $2.40 to $3.10, depending on the market, and a tall mocha costs $2.70 to $3.40. Over the course of a week, that number will certainly add up...multiply that by 4 weeks a month and 12 months a year and you will be astonished at how much you could save. Now, I know everyone needs a Tall, non-fat, mocha, no whip in their diet....but do you honestly need it once or twice a day? Sticking with the addiction theme, this one is for all you smokers out there. Cigarettes strangely enough cost money, and a lot of it. I was recently in Chicago where the average pack costs nearly ten dollars. Obviously, the cost differs by market, nonetheless, it is an added expense that can easily be curtailed with a little will power and restraint. Honestly, didn't you just have a smoke break?? Is another one really necessary? Plus, they have linked all kinds of health problems that require a doctor's visit and we all know that the in the U.S. health care is simply not that affordable....Do you really want to take the risk ? If you have to smoke, cut back on the chain smoking and pick up another hobby, one that is more healthy for you....Or, buy those little candy cigarettes, blow the sugar smoke out of them and then chew the gum. They are much cheaper than real cigarettes and you can still relieve stress while having wonderfully fresh breathe.
Moving on, the next tip is for those of you who love to eat fast food. I know it is a daily ritual to visit the golden arches of McDonalds, or the pigtailed, freckle faced Wendy, or the bobble head with a top hat, Jack in the Box. I have no problem with your infatuation for fatty foods, however, for the sake of health and wealth I suggest restraint from "Supersizing." First of all, do you really need those extra fries and that giant sized soda that won't even fit in your car cup holder. Secondly, the average upsize costs anywhere between .39 and .43 cents....that adds up over the course of a week, month and year. Hey, every little penny does count afterall.
If you follow the suggestions above, I promise you will save money, feel better, and look better.
Honestly, all of my suggestions go hand in hand and effect a lot of other unnecessary spending. For example, if you refrain from smoking, you may not have to make the extra trip to the dry cleaners that week...also less starbucks reduces the risk of coffee spills on that nice white dress shirt or blouse of yours. If you refrain from eating fast food every day, it will save your waist line, thus you do not have to buy different sizes of clothes every couple of months. I encourage everyone to put forth their best effort to be cost conscious in these troubled times....after all we have a responsibility to uphold. Feel free to add your favorite suggestions to mine, just like you, I could learn a thing or two about economic restraint. Now, it is off to Starbucks....er...maybe I will just brew my coffee at home today.

Skanksgiving Rocks!

On the eve of Thanksgiving, commonly referred to as Skanksgiving, we belly up to the nearest pub or bar and pay our thanks to Anheuser Busch and friends. It is almost always one of the busiest bar nights in the calendar year, as friends and families reunite. This year was no exception, as my friends and I "rocked out" at Cruisin' Route 66 to three local St. Louis Bands and one out of towner.
The first band to take the stage was Sun Motel, a four man outfit from St. Louis. Sun Motel is the most recent side project for singer/songwriter Javier Mendoza, and they have a smooth, sweet sound about them, with a very tight rhythym section. My favorite song in their fourty-five minute set was Your Revolution. Take a listen so that you can decide for yourself. http://www.myspace.com/SunMotel
The second band to take the stage was L.A. based Palmerston. Easily the heaviest band of the night, front-man "French" brought energy and passion to the stage. They also played a fourty-five minute set, featuring the song Addicted, which you may have heard on St. Louis radio station, The Pointe. (105.7 fm) Palmerston originated in Toronto prior to taking on the American music scene and is currently touring through the midwest.

http://www.myspace.com/palmerston
The third band of the night, Logos, is on the verge of something big. This is a must watch band if you are into the St. Louis rock scene at all. They are a three piece band, all of whom are not even of legal age to drink....but they wail on their instruments. Their sound is clearly derived from 60's and 70's progressive rock and their set featured covers of Cream as well as Rush. Surprisingly, the young three piece band offered a very rich, mature and full sound. Logos recently opened for Blue Oyster Cult and is being promoted through St. Louis radio station KSHE 95.

http://www.myspace.com/logosrock
The final band of the night was The Takedown, a local four piece band who have been playing together for almost a decade. As always, The Takedown brought plenty of energy to the stage. Their set was uptempo, even when playing a sped up version of the song "Waiting". They also featured two new songs, one titled "Holy Roller," in addition to a collection of songs from their album "The City is Screaming." The 45 minute set also featured Takedown classic "Finding Imo's", which is a tribute to their St. Louis roots. The next Takedown show is in December at Cicero's, I encourage you to come check them out as it is always a good time.

http://www.myspace.com/thetakedownrocks
All in all, it was a wonderful night of Rock and a great way to spend Skanksgiving. Indeed, The City Was Screaming for Sun Motel, Palmerston, Logos, and The Takedown. Last night, we gave thanks to the gods of rock and today we will give thanks for family and tradition. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Don't eat too much!

Savage in St. Louis

Last night, Dan Savage was on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis for an open forum Q and A with students, faculty and guests of the university. For those of you not familiar with him, Savage is the writer of the syndicated sex column "Savage Love," and also the author of several books including "The Kid". He began with a discussion about the need for tolerance and understanding of gay issues in the United States. Over the course of about fifteen minutes he lectured on how behind the times the U.S. really is in terms of gay rights. He even used an oreo cookie as a metaphor, calling the United States the "bigot fucking cream" sandwiched between two far more liberal countries. He also railed against the conservative right and the need for increased tolerance. The thing about Dan Savage is that he is very frank with his opinions. He states exactly how he feels and thinks in terms of the issues that are before us. Another major speaking point was "tolerance" and that it meant not necessarily loving one another or even liking but merely accepting that everyone is different but allowing them the same happiness and freedom that everyone else enjoys. To quote Dan Savage, "too often the gays are looking for everyone to like them for who they are....like me, like me, love me, fucking like me.....but that is not tolerance....tolerance is accepting the fact that we are here and we exist and acknowledging that and then moving on. He also suggested that as a gay man, when asked whether or not it is a choice rather than a lifestyle to do the following...."First, ask the person in front of you to go down on you...." You see, if it were a choice than you as a straight man could choose to put my dick in your mouth. Secondly, he suggested asking that "if in fact it was a choice, would you want me to marry your daughter?" The answer was an obvious, Fuck No....because they know it is not a choice, they merely use that as an excuse to keep us down.
In terms of Proposition 8 being passed in California, he seemed confident in the fact that it would be overturned based on the simple fact of statistics. Over the last decade the public opinion has changed by 18% and in the state of California in order to pass a law or to repeal one you simply need 50% + 1 of the vote. Proposition 8 passed by a very slim margin and with increased grass root efforts and legislation on the ballot in 2010, when the country is not focused on electing a new president, the people of California will realize the need for change.
In addition to his statements about gay rights, he fielded questions concerning various love issues, essentially it was a live Savage Love column. This was the more entertaining part of the session as he fielded questions concerning "how to properly loosen a hole, what constitutes gay sex, the concept of fetishes, the idea of monogamy, whether or not it is true that you can split a penis in half and insert something inside of it......(yikes that would hurt)." He also spoke directly to the issues surrounding the African American community and their prejudice against homosexuals as well as the prejudism within the gay community towards blacks. Over the course of two hours, Dan Savage provided hope as well as humor for the gay, straight, and transgendered communities.
Following Dan's performance, I grabbed a bite to eat with my friend Jamison and we discussed the notion of Dan Savage actually believing everything that he spoke about and whether or not he truly took a hardline on the issues. We came to the conclusion that perhaps as one of our few gay celebrities who speaks directly to the people across the country he may have some sense of obligation. Because as Dan said, "We are not going to sit by idle anymore....we are going to have a fuck them attitude. The time of sitting by and taking the punishment is no more." In fact, hundreds of gays protested a Cinemark Theater in Evanston , Illinois just a few days ago. This was in response to Cinemark CEO, Alan Stock's donation of nearly ten thousand dollars to help the passage of proposition 8 in California.
In terms of what you can do to join this effort to pass laws granting the rights we deserve, there are a few options in the wake of the prop 8 rallies across the country. PROJECT POSTCARD is being run through the website http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/?t=anon . By going to this site you can acquire the address for President Elect O'Bama and send him a post card reminding him that he made certain promises to the LGBT community prior to being elected. While most politicians make a lot of promises, most fail to uphold their word. But we as citizens of this country have the right to demand a fair shot at equality. It is no longer a fight we cannot win, because as Dan reminded us, "The most bigoted people in this country are old people and people in the great state of Alabama, and most of the gays have left Alabama, plus the old fucks are dying....." So you see, there is hope.

Coffee Beans, Fasionista's and the Reptile Boy

After a long layoff from working and endless submissions of my resume into the void also known as cyber space, I was finally heading to work. David Baldwin had recommended me for a weekend stint with a Business Expo company called BXI working as a travel director for the NBC Travel Expo in Chicago. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect and was unfamiliar with the event, but was glad to be working again. I booked my travel through Megabus, a midwestern bus carrier that services towns throughout middle America for moderately priced fares and was set to travel on Thursday evening and Sunday night. I have had my share of experiences with Megabus but still find that it is one of the more efficient modes of travel when shuttling back and forth to Chicago from St. Louis. I was a bit weary though, because my previous trip left St. Louis at 4:30 pm and a half hour into the trip we were informed that we had to turn around in order to pick up two girls who had gotten off the bus in St. Louis and missed getting back on in time. I found it incredible that 100 paying customers had to pay for the mistake of two silly girls who could not follow directions, or simply watch for the mass of people boarding for Chicago. Nonetheless, after an extra hour of travel we arrived safely in Chicago. I swore that this trip would be different though and settled in for the five and a half hour trek up Highway 55.
I put my bags down next to a woman, took my seat, and turned on my ipod. As I heard Beyonce begin to sing about "all the single ladies" and "putting a ring on her finger," I also noticed three girls boarding the bus. They seemed to be your typical college aged females, clearly traveling to Chicago for a weekend of fashion and fun. I was sorely mistaken on this however and realized it three minutes into the trip when the girl behind me began sharing stories of her "ex, who was involved with her best friend now, but that was alright because she was a whore anyways." Whore was probably the least offensive word she would use the rest of the trip. I honestly believe that i heard more curse words come out of this girls mouth than I have heard in my 27 years of existence. She said things that I did not even know were to be used in that manner and all that my co-passenger and I could do was exchange glances of incredulity. After enduring five hours of this I prayed that they would not be on my return trip. The three girls had been forced to sit in different sections of the front of the bus but felt it was necessary to shout over others in order to talk about everything from ex's to their plans for getting hammered and hooking up in various Chicago establishments. It turns out they were fashion students attending a conference and partying it up for the weekend. As we pulled into the Union Station terminal in Chicago I heard one of them say repeatedly "how glad they were to be getting off of the bus," I realized that this was perhaps the first thing that she had said in five hours that I agreed with. I could not have been happier to be getting away from the obnoxious nineteen year old girls.
After gathering my luggage and a short walk to the bus stop, I grabbed the 151 bus which would take me directly to Davids apartment, where I was staying for the weekend. An hour later I arrived at David's. This was set to be a quick trip for me, get in, work, get out, because I had to return to St. Louis by Monday morning in order to take care of my dog and my mothers three cats. Friday morning, David and I awoke and made our way down to Navy Pier where the expo was to take place. We were scheduled to be in at 8 and arrived just on time. David had worked the event the year before, so he knew what to expect and had informed me ahead of time that it would be a fairly easy event to work. Most of Friday was spent registering the travel companies who were coming in to set up their booths for the weekend and it went by fairly quickly. At some point in the day I was introduced to the man who ran the Greece booth, little did I know that he would prognosticate my future by the end of the weekend. Following a twelve hour day of setup, David and I grabbed a burger from Crew, in Andersonville and then retired for the night, knowing we had a 4:30 am wake up call the next morning.
We arose before dawn, got dressed and headed out into the crisp Chicago morning. We arrived at the Pier after a very brisk morning walk from the bus stop and began our day with hot Starbucks, and egg sandwiches. Not a bad way to start an early morning. After concluding our team meeting, I was informed that I would be working the info desk and conference rooms and David would secure the stage for the weekend, escorting various groups of hula dancers, singers, impersonators and the likes. His job sounded a bit more entertaining than mine, as I knew I would be dealing with the general public. Now, if you have not had the good fortune of working a FREE expo, let me tell you....it brings out the strangest, most interesting people you will ever meet. Especially at a time when the economy is suffering the way that it is in the States. Everyone was there looking for a free trip and all the handouts that come with an expo. The first day was fairly uneventful, although I did get to meet the Reptile Guy, a 19 year boy from Miami who had come up with a collection of reptiles, which he showed around the country....I know at this point it is truly beginning to sound a bit more like a carnival than anything else. The reptiles guys' prized possession was a 10 foot alligator named Lassie that lived in wooden box. But he also had snakes (venomous) and an assortment of smaller crocs and gators. Not surprisingly, he was the main attraction for the weekend.
Overall, I would say that the weekend went by uneventfully and I even was able to muster up the courage to pet one of the smaller crocs. He was surprisingly leathery and rough. Following our last night of work, the company offered to take us to dinner to celebrate. I knew I had a bus to catch that night, but I was hungry and had time so I decided to tag along. We decided upon a Lebanese restaurant and had our fill of Baklava, pita, lamb, beef, siwarma, kous kous, and many other items. I literally felt as if I could not eat another thing. However, we had agreed to meet up with our Greece tour manager at The Greek Isles, in Greektown for what we thought would be drinks. As it turned out, the Greek are very hospitable and we were essentially force fed the flaming cheese and feta olive dips and greek desserts that we "had to try". It was surely a nice warmup to Thanksgiving. With all the great food and wine and good company i thought that the evening had been a success....but that was when I learned that it was not over. In the honor of Greek tradition, we were informed that we needed to order coffee, drink it till it was almost complete and then wait. Little did we know, that we were in the presence of a coffee bean reader who could tell us what to expect in the coming days. I drank my coffee, then followed the next set of instructions. I was told to swirl my cup then to place the saucer over the top and to turn it upside down. This way all the remaining liquid would drain and the beans could dry in order to be read. I was unable to ascertain exactly what it was that he would be reading or determining, but my interest had been peaked. I was to be the second in line...and these were public offerings so i heard when the prognosticator told my coworker that he was "afraid of death." That's it, that was all he had to say to him...."You are afraid of death." So I assumed my beans might say the same thing...or something similar. However, my fortune was much different than that and much more optimistic. I cannot reveal what it was that he said because I am still waiting to see if it will indeed come true.

A Day in the Life

THE PURSUIT OF .......A JOB. An endless task in this downtrodden American Job Market. The Auto Industry is struggling, the Financial Industry had a free fall and unemployment is at it's highest rate in history. Yet I trudge onward in the pursuit of finding a job with security and stability. I recently went on an interview at a restaurant where my friend works. He thought there would be some openings for someone like myself; outgoing, friendly, customer service oriented. Yet, when I went on the interview the general manager informed me that there was a freeze on hiring at this time. Then, he had the audacity to ask if I had waited tables before....as if it was rocket science or something. I found it incredible that someone with a college degree could not obtain employment in the service industry, and needed to justify his qualifications to take orders and carry food trays. Now, I know it is only one job interview, but it is quickly becoming a trend. I have sent out resumes left and right for all types of positions in hopes that someone will bite. I have interviewed and networked and still here I sit, unemployed. So I find myself at a cross roads, somewhat stuck in neutral. Do I go back to school? Do I take a job just to take a job? The latter seems to be a scenario which would be pride swallowing.
In the American Job Market it seems that everything is so specialized. The perfect candidate matches every requirement listed on the job posting and unless you fit each and every requirement, you are unlikely to be called in for an interview. What I want to know is, "What ever happened to growing into a job?" It seems to me that at one point in time, employers were willing to allow someone the potential for growth and career advancement. But in this day and time, the job market is so competitive that everything has become so specialized. Employers tell you that they want experience, but this person begs to know how you obtain experience, unless you take on the tasks of the job head on ? I have heard numerous times, "We are looking for practical, professional experience....and what you did in college does not necessarily count towards that because it is not professional." I certainly do not envy the task ahead for President elect Barrack O'Bama. He is faced with more issues than most presidents have in an entire term. But, we have given the keys to him and now he has to put them into the ignition and shift it into first gear. It is time to get moving forward...and hopefully some of that passion he has instilled in others will translate directly to finding a job that is right for me.

One World, One Dream

This was the slogan of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which I had the pleasure of working. It truly was a global celebration, in which China announced it's presence to the world. From the spectacle that was the opening ceremony all the way thru to the closing ceremonies, where the torch was passed on to London, everything was planned and executed to perfection. From my perspective however, it was not about the individual events or the sheer pandemonium of the Olympics, but more about the culture and the people of Beijing. A bustling city of nearly 20 million registered and unregistered residence swelled with the arrival of international travelers desperately trying to get a glimpse of what may become the greatest Olympic Games in history. It was my pleasure to be a part of this experience and I would like to share a video with you created by one of our local hostesses. The video hopefully captures some of what I went through in my time in Beijing.

The American Way of Life

I have now been back for about two weeks and life has gone back to normal, at least as normal as is possible. I am still job searching and making decisions about the next step, and I spend most days doing a combination of job searching, playing with the dog, exercising, and eating. I have also made time for friends and family and updated everyone with pictures, souvenirs and stories from the trip. Two weekends ago, I played in the Webster University baseball alumni game. It was great to see everyone out there, teammates and coaches whom I had not seen for some time. I went 1-2 with a single, and caught for five innings. We ended up losing 12-6 this year, but we will strike with vengeance next year. Saturday, I went to Octoberfest with some friends in St. Louis. It was an afternoon of beer and live music, mostly German, in the Soulard Market district in St. Louis. Following that, we went to Ryan's house to watch Mizzou dismantle Nebraska, and then to play ROCKBAND! Overall, my time has been well spent and I am continuing to look for work and a place to live and settle for a bit.

Hello America

Yes that is correct I have finally rested my feet on American soil once again. But I have to say I have been thinking that it is a bit strange and foreign to be back. I am sure in time things will fall back into place as they are supposed to, but it was disconcerting to be greeted at the airport by my mom and my dog, Gatsby. The problem was that Gatsby did not seem to recognize me fully. He growled and huffed a bit at me and then sort of warmed to my presence in the car. When we got home I gave him a treat and rubbed his belly like old times, but it just did not seem to have the same impact as it used to, perhaps over time it will change?? It is bizarre coming back to a country I have known for most of my life and feeling a little out of place, of course it does not help when the airlines misplace your luggage in your home cities airport....I am hoping it comes tomorrow, apparently it never made it on my plane and was coming later. HA HA oh the joys of traveling home, who knew?? But overall the trip was unbelievable, and a learning experience of culture and life and friendship. In the end I know things will get back to normal and they will fall into place as they are supposed to, so I am not worried about that. For now I am more worried about physically adjusting to the time difference and the jet lag....as I sit here typing this my body thinks it is 3 pm in the afternoon, as that would be the time in Beijing, and also I have come from a 35 hour day of flying and layovers....so really m y body does not know what to do....tired, awake, middle of the night or middle of the day ???

Cast of Characters (Appearing In Order)

Leading Characters
Me: Chicago based, born in St. Louis
David Baldwin AKA the Program Manager: Chicago based, born in Ohio
John Di Tecco: Canadian, through and through.....EHH?

Supporting Cast
Jared Evans: Australian born, joined us in Thailand, was friends with David in Beijing prior to the trip
Fran: Currently resides in Milan... Italian
Mirjam: Milan, Originally from Slovania
THE PENGUIN: Travels everywhere that Fran goes....rode the horns of a goat on this trip
Dan and Susie: Newlywed couple, traveling around the world.....appeared in the Xi'an train station and then followed us to Lhasa.....currently somewhere in Nepal???
Tsetan: Tour Guide in Lhasa
Taschi: Driver in Lhasa
Kate: John's friend in Chengdu, they had met for all of an hour in Beijing during the games, she played host to us in Chengdu, originally from the US
Drew: Gave us the idea in Chengdu to go to the Sichuan Province and to Mt. Emei
Yogi: Kate's awesome dog
Michael and Rob: Law Students we met on Mt. Emei who were on their way to Beijing to study chinese for six months
Freddy: Australian who we met on the island of Ko Samed


I would like to thank all of those who made it possible for us to tour Southeast Asia.....special thanks to the tour agencies, expedia, elong, and of course all of our faithful readers at home in the states and Canada!!!!

David Daldwin Tours- Asian Adventure
Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu,Emei, Leshan,Chengdu, Guangxou, Bangkok, Ko Samet, Beijing

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Ko Samed to Bangkok to Beijing

We are back where it all began two and four months ago.....Beijing, China. The four of us flew in exactly 2 months to the day to begin working for the Olympics and since then have meshed as a group of traveling buddies and friends. We have had the experience of a lifetime. To try and recap some of this, in case you need the short version, we worked the Olympics in Beijing for 40 days, well David was working for longer than that. Nevertheless, we worked for the Olympics, and following that we left via overnight train for Xi'an for a one day stop over, where we were told it would be impossible to get a train ticket to Lhasa. Somehow, we managed to accomplish what no one said we could (later we would find that it was only in an effort to make more money from us) and after touring Xi'An and the Terra Cotta Warriors for a day we boarded a 36 hour train to Lhasa. On the train, we read, slept, chatted, watched movies and took in te scenery. This is also where we met Dan and Susie, the husband and wife who were traveling around the world for a year. UPon arriving in Lhasa, it was sensory overload, the mountains, the Buddhism, the monastary, the simple way of life, the YAK....everything was perfect and for five days we were in Lhasa with Fran and Mirjam. We departed ways with Fran and MIrjam from here and then took a flight to Chengdu, in the SIchuan Province, where we would meet up with Johns friend Kate, whom David and I had never formally met. After 3 days in Chengdu and much discussion about our next destination, we decided upon Mt. Emei, and Leshan. Traveling via bus through the Sichuan Province was a learning experience in both travel customs and purchasing tickets through certified travel companies. But we survived a two day climb up a mountain, an attack by crazy monkeys and a night sleeping in a monastary in the mountains. FOllowing this we headed back to Chengdu in order to catch a flight to Guangxou and then another flight to Bangkok. Bangkok was also a learning experience and a first for all three of us. Three days later it was off to the island of Ko Samed for a week of relaxation. It rained a lot as it is rainy season ut overall it was a very very pleasant experience. FOllowing Ko Samed, we took a boat back to mainland Thailand and then a bus to Bangkok for an overnight stay and then a flight to Beijing, where it all began. As i sit here on the final night of David Daldwin advuenture tours, I think back to all of the unbelievable times we shared, the memories, the craziness and most of all the friendships we formed. It will be tough for us to all part ways but i know this is not goodbye, it is see you later.....David Daldwin Tours or DDT Inc. will reconvene again at some point in time......to be continued!!!! Thank you all for following along on the crazy adventures of two midwestern USA boys, one Canadian, and the random cast of characters that completed this trip. I wish everyone the best in their next chapters, safe travels and good luck...

Island Life

Today we awoke to the sounds of the waves crashing against the shoreline and the pitter patter of rain on our Bungalow roof. We made it to the island of Ko Samet via a 3 hour bus ride from Bangkok and a 45 minute boat across the Gulf of Thailand. We are staying at Jep's Resort, a small beach front resort, where we have a Bungalow for four. All of our meals are beach front, and we even tried our luck at beach volleyball yesterday with a few of the locals. The water temperature has been great, we swam for about 2 hours yesterday, and the rain comes and goes as it is rainy season in Thailand. Nevertheless we are having an awesome time just relaxing and unwinding. I am sorry that I have not been able to post pictures as of late, but I will be sure to post more of them when I can. For now, back to my r and r on the beach!

Bangkok, Thailand

We arrived at 11 pm in the pouring rain. It was noticeably warmer and also more tropical feeling. Because we flew in at night, we really had no chance to acclimate to the city, but we grabbed a taxi from the airport and made our way to the hotel. We were booked at the Boonsiri Hotel in the older part of Bangkok. John had been in charge of the booking this leg of the trip, giving Program Manager David Daldwin a much needed break. As it turns out the hotel was perfect and we decided to stay the entire time.

Thailand is dubbed "The Land of the Smiles", but I feel as if they should change the name to "The Land of the Smiles and Swindlers." In China, it was very noticeable when someone was trying to pull a fast one on you or trying to get commission by taking you to a working factory for a "tour". But, in Thailand, the people are more crafty. The first morning we were here we were offered a Tuk Tuk ride, essentially a motorcycle with a covered back area for three. He assured us that it was a "Holy Day" and for only 30 Bot, we could see all the Buddhist sites. We knew that it would be a fun way to tsee the city and for the most part it was, but he did take us to two suit shops, and also one other non descript destination. Following this experience, we felt much the wiser and ignore al street requests, that seems to be the only way to solve the issue.

On the second day, we headed to the Grand Palace. Davids friend Jarod had arrived and so we wanted to see more of Bangkok.

The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the king of Thailand from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. Construction of the palace complex began in 1782, during the reign of Rama I. The palace complex sits on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. Th detail in the building was something that is indescribeable. The paintings, tile work and statues were all unbelievably ornate, and the architecture vastly different from that found in China. We found this to be a welcomed change.

Following our tour, our guide of course took us to her "friend" who had a boat tour she was offering for a "very very special price". "Looky, Looky" she said! After some brief discussion amongst ourselves, we decided that a boat was worth the "low price" and was one of the last missing links in our modes of transportation. We boarded the boat, a long narrow motorboat and were whisked through the canals of Bangkok. It was similar to being in an alley and we were able to see the lifestyles of the Thai families. There were children swimming along in the canals, doing back flips into the water and having a fantastic time. Our boat trip lasted approximatly one hour and we were dropped off on the other end of the river to go see the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), a giant Buddha statue, laying down on his side!

Wat Pho is the one of the largest and oldest wat in Bangkok and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as one of the largest single Buddha images: the Reclining Buddha. Made as part of Rama III's restoration, the Reclining Buddha is forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet.

Another aspect of Bangkok that we have been enjoying, is the nightlife. We have mad plenty of time for great food, dancing and libations. Of course we always have to make time for napping the next day as we have found a few establishments that are open very late night. Today, we went to Khao San road, an area near our hotel. Khao San is, technically speaking, a small street about three blocks long located about a block from the Chao Phraya River in the Banglamphu district northwest of downtown Bangkok. Backpackers and budget tourists are drawn by some of the cheapest accommodation and travel deals in Thailand. We shopped to our hearts content and then I found a tattoo parlour, where I got my first tattoo. I always wanted to get something that had meaning for me, but I was always over thinking it. While in Tibet, I found a simple, yet striking symbol for longevity, and good health. It is called the Tibetan Never Ending Knot. I also decided that since Tibet was one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life that this would be a great remmberance for me. Here is a photo of the tattoo, well the outline I used for mine anyways. I will post pics when I get the chanc. I actually thought it would hurt more than it did, but I endured and the entire process took less than hour. Tomorrow, we leave for Ko Samet, an island off the coast of Thailand. Ko Samet is an island located in the Gulf of Thailand off the coastline of the Thai province of Rayong, approximately 220 km southeast of Bangkok of Rayong province. Here we come white sand beaches and crystal clear water!!!

Mt Emei, Stealing Monkeys and a Giant Buddha

What was initially an afterthought mentioned to us from a friend of Kate's, the friend we were staying with in Chengdu, became a reality. He suggested that instead of heading to Yanshuo and Guilin that we check out more of the Sichuan Province, due to proximity and also cost. After some talk and some investigation we found it would be cheaper for us to take a bus to Mt. Emei and then hike for 2 days to the summit and then visit the Giant Buddha in Leshan and then head back to Chengdu to await our flight to Thailand.
We awoke around 7 30 am in an attempt to catch a early bus to Emei. It was pouring down rain and we had to try to grab a taxi without getting out things too wet. After several feeble attempts we grabbed a hotel worker who swiftly hailed a taxi for us and we were on our way to the Chengdu bus station. About 15 or 20 minutes later we arrived, walked inside and purchased a one way bus fare to Emei. It would be abour a three hour ride, so we settled in to the back row assuming we could hold 5 seats for the three of us. As the bus began to fill we soon realized that the efficiency of the Chinese system would be our downfall. The entire bus filled from front to back and we were stuck with little leg room and noisy cell phone rings for the entire ride there. Luckily we had ipods and books to try and drone out the sound. The bus left the city behind and began on the trek to Emei, going through little mountain villages along the way. Kate had recommended us to check in and have lunch at the Teddy Bear hotel, a westernized hotel/cafe. There was some confusion on the bus, as to what or where we were supposed to go. Seeing as none of us spoke Chinese and a woman was telling us to pay more we had no idea what to do.
We paid her the additional 5 RMB and assumed she would lead us to our destination in safety. Very trusting Western travelers we have become!!
After another short ride we finally came to our destination in Emei Shan. We got off the bus and were immediatly greeted by a representative of the Teddy Bear hotel. They showed us to a table and we sat down and had lunch. David and I had a "Big Bear" burger, which assured us the sustenence we would need for fuel on our hike. From examining the map we decided we could begin hiking up the mountain and make it to the halfway point before dark, where we would stay in a monastary. After lunch we purchased another ticket up the mountain, so that we could shave about 15 km off of our hike, since we were on a short time schedule. THe bus took us to our destination and let us off. Seeing a ticket booth near the entrance, we headed for it. THe sign said that if you were a student you could pay a lesser entrance fee, and so I decided to try my Northwestern ID card. It worked, and I paid a little bit less than David. John showed a Canadian ID card, which also worked.
We entered the park, backpacks in tow and began our 2 day excursion up the mountain. A stream ran along the right side, it was crystal clear, and a river lay on the left. We followed the paved pave into the woods, hoping we were prepared for what lie ahead. The scenery was beautiful and the hike fairly easy. The weather a bit humid and damp, and the sky a misty grey. Certainly not ideal hiking conditions, but at this point we really had no say in the matter. We initially thought that the park was a bit amateur and disneyland esque, because there were vendors surrounding us and a paved path to follow, we certainly had no idea what lie ahead of us in the next two days.
On the map there was a zone called the Joking Monkey ZOne, and we had been warned ahead of time that the TIbetan Macaques Monkeys ran free and would bare their teeth at you, so we purchased what we called Monkey Sticks, which were actually large Bamboo walking sticks. I looked ahead and suddenly crossing the bridge I saw a foreign object. "Monkey", I shouted, and David and John quickly looked ahead and noticed it crossing the bridge. I saw a vendor selling monkey food and so I purchased a bag with the intention of kindly doling it out to the multiple monkeys. The monkey in front of me had other intentions and quickly ran towards me and intimidated me into giving him the entire bag. Content with his actions he ran off and opened the bag and hogged the entire thing for himself. I felt defeated and David and John certainly would not let me hear the end of it. So in an attempt to redeem myself I purchased another bag of Monkey food, and promptly handed it to David. He turned around and the monkeys already saw blood, or a sucker, I am not sure. They were on the prowl, they knew we had food and just as swiftly as they had taken it from me they snatched it from David. The greedy little monkeys were swift and smart. They ran across the bridge towards the other park visitors giving us an escape route, but first we had to cross the monkey bridge. The little monsters were running under the bridge and hanging on the sides. There were also baby monkeys and one particular mother had her baby monkey dangling underneath her. You would assume a mother would be innocent and caring but no she was sneaky as well and as soon as I turned my back she grabbed my water bottle from bag and pulled it out of it's place. She then turned and ran off with it. I again felt like the helpless victim, this time it was my water bottle, which she was attempting to bite into. These monkeys were ruthless. After making our way through the monkey zone we continued on our way and the path began to get more steep and arduous. Stair after stair, we continued to climb, and soon the path began to show noticeable age. Along the way we noticed strong Chinese workers lugging slabs on concrete on their backpacks. Day after day they would walk the length of the path dropping the slabs at certain points of the path and then returning back up the mountain for another round. They must have employed an entire village and from the looks of these guys calf muscles this was a daily task for them. We were winded, and certainly hungry so we stopped for a bite to eat. Along the route they had several noodle shops, and we had been warned that the last leg of our first day would be the toughest. Someone was not lying to us, as we continued our climb the path got steeper, the stairs more narrow and the inclines longer. Finally, we arrived at the Xianfeng Monastary, a dank damp spot in the mountains with very rustic lodging. We paid our small fee for a three bed bedroom and were shown up some old wooden stairs along the back of the temple. The woman showed us to our room which was a small dorm sized room complete with three beds, and one desk and a set of hooks from which we could hang wet clothes. We certainly had some damp clothes as it had been raining all day long and our clothes were a mixture of sweat and rain. We walked around a bit and then settled in for the night as we were exhausted.
The next day we awoke fairly early and began to make our way up the mountain. Again it was a misty foggy day so the scenery was a bit tough to see. You could tell it would be beautiful on a clear day, but it was actually more gothic feeling as we could barely see in front of us. We saw more of the workers and some rougher sections of the path that were in repair. On our way we met a couple of backpackers named ROb and Michael, who were recent law school grads from London who were on their way to Beijing to study Chinese for 6 months. They were extremely friendly and also good company to have. It was nice to see that other people were having as much difficutly as we were making it to the peak. After several hours of hiking we finally made our way to the summit, what they call the Golden Peak. At the top of the mountain, which was very touristy lay a large golden colored temple. We snapped a few photos and then headed back down to catch the last bus to Baguo, the village where the Teddy Bear hotel was. We decided a shower and a good meal were in order. The bus ride down took around 45 minutes, and we checked into the hotel and then ordered dinner. We were exhasuted so after a quick check of the emails we settled in for the night.
The next day we were up and ready and purchased a bus ticket to Leshan to see the Giant BUddha carved into the side of the rock cliff. An hour ride later we were there and purchasing tickets. I again used the student ID but this time was able to get a rate for all three of us. Our legs ached from the worlds largest stairmaster the 2 days prior but we walked slowly and steadily back to the GIant BUddha. After spending about 2 hours there we were ready to go so we made our way out and headed back for Chengdu. I am now in Thailand as yesterday was a travel day for us. We had a flight to Guangchou and then a flight to Bangkok last night. Today we wandered around and saw a few sights, and are awaiting Jareds arrival tonight from Beijing. We will be here for three nights and then heading out to Ko Samet, an island off the coast of Thailand. I will update with pictures as soon as I am able to.

Travel Plans have changed

Our time in Chengdu has been really welcomed.  We have relaxed, seen the pandas, sang Karaoke and strolled in the park on a Sunday.  The park was beautiful, and the pandas really adorable.  As for our travel plans, we leave tomorrow for Emeishan, a mountain which we plan to hike up.  We have been told there are monastery's along the way to stay in.  We will be taking a bus in the morning from Chengdu to Emeishan, then hiking up to the peak.  Once we reach the peak ,about a two day hike, we will take a bus back down the mountain to Leishan to see the largest Buddha statue in the world.  Then we will return to Chengdu via bus and stay the night.  The next day we will fly to Guanghou, have a 4 hour layover and then fly on to Bangkok.  David's friend Jared will meet us in Bangkok and then we will head to Ko Samet, an island in Thailand, where we will stay for a week.  After that it is on to Shanghai and Beijing respectively.  I will update you all as much as possible.  Keep us in your thoughts!!!!! 

TIbet to Chengdu

The girls left us this morning for the airport and to embark on their own adventure.  We all woke up and had breakfast together and after they left for the airport, the three of us had some down time until 1 o’clock.  It was actually very welcomed because we had been running since Day 1 in Tibet.  We spent time on line, updating our blogs, contacting friends and family and just relaxing.  I was watching one of the worst movies in the world, “Hollow Man”, on HBO, simply because it was a relaxing day.  If “Hollow Man” is your favorite movie, then I am sorry I offended you!! 

Around 1 o’clock Tsedan and Taschi arrived at the hotel to pick us up and take us to Norbulinka, a summer palace for the Dalai Lama.   We rode through the town and listened as Tsetan explained the story behind the summer palace.  He told us that it had been the summer residence for the Dalai Lama, but now was a large park where people would come to picnic, watch Tibetan Opera, and pray for the safe return of the Dalai Lama.   As it was a beautiful day in Tibet, it was crowded with foreign and domestic tourists. 

We wandered around the park, ducking in and out of the former residences of the various Dalai Lama.  At one point we stopped and sat near a small pond and talked about this and that.  This was a day of leisure for all of us, decompressing and relaxing.  For this reason we had decided we wanted to get a massage before leaving town.  After stopping and taking in some of the Tibetan Opera, which at times sounds similar to cats screeching, we headed out to the van and then on to Tsetan favorite massage place. Here are some pictures from the Summer Palace in Lhasa. 

We arrived at what Tsetan said was partly an orphanage.  We pulled into the stone and grass parking lot and watched a man watering the stone.  I guess he wanted to have grass growing in addition to the stone.  We left the van and walked into the massage parlor.  The girls were very excited and set up our rooms accordingly.  John and I were in one room with Tsetan, and David and Taschi were in the other room. 

The girls began by bringing in a large wooden container for our feet.  The water was scalding hot, but they gently held our feet in the water in an effort to adjust to the temperature.  After soaking our feet and washing them the girls started in massaging the top and bottom of our feet.  She offered to clip our toenails, which I accepted, John and Tsetan declined their offer.  She pulled out this scalpel look thing and began using it to cut my nails.  I was a bit nervous, as it appeared to be a straight edge razor.  I watched her every move, convinced that with one slip my toe would be laying on the ground.  This of course did not happen and after clipping all of my nails delicately, she returned to massaging my feet.  This time she really dug in, which was welcomed due to all of the walking and hiking we had been doing.  While working on our feet they had placed hot stones on our stomachs and then placed a fleece “Winnie the Pooh” blanket over us.  John and I both thought it would be a great idea to place them behind our backs to warm the lower part.  This was not the best idea, because after a while the hot stones left marks.  Nevertheless, we were in heaven.  The girls were going to town on our feet, our back and then the most surprising, the pubic bone.  She worked her way up my legs and then pushed and applied pressure with both hands to my pubic bone.  This was the first time I have ever had a massage on the pubic bone and I have to say it was not unpleasant.  The direct pressure actually helped to loosen everything up.   She knew what she was doing, that is for sure.  After this, she asked me to turn over and began kneading my back.  This was the greatest “foot massage” ever.  After a one-hour massage I had zero desire to move, so I lay there for a s long as I possibly could.  By this time David had finished his massage, and John, Tsetan and I were putting our shoes on and getting ready.  We were all hungry and since it was the last night I asked Tsetan to show us one of the restaurants where the locals go to eat.  He knew just the place for us, and we headed out, after paying for our massage of course. 

Tsetan told us about a cave restaurant near the Potalla Palace that was one of his favorite places to visit.  We had heard of this place from Dan and Susie and were assured that we would be the only westerners.  We pulled into the lot just past the Potalla Palace and walked to the entrance of a cave.

It was dimly lit, with benches running the length of the cave on both sides.  In front of the benches were tables, which sat around knee height for me.  Local Tibetans dotted both sides of the room and the wait staff greeted us kindly but gave a few quick glances in our direction.  The entire room took turns staring at us, but more in a quizzical, curious way.  Tsetan ordered from the menu for all of us.  Taschi had the fried noodles, Tsetan had Yak dumplings in broth, and John, David and I had Yak Dumplings, noodles, and potato curry.  Tsetan was correct in saying that the food was excellent.  Everything was very tasty and traditional Tibetan style.  Who knew that food in a cave could be so tasty?  After finishing our food Tsetan collected the check for us to pay the total.  The entire meal worked out to be around 3 us dollars each, our least expensive meal to date in China.  Tsetan said goodbye to us until the morning and we returned to the hotel to pack our things, and relax and get some rest before our flight the next day.  We had a scheduled flight to Chengdu at 11 am, a 2-hour flight, but we would have to leave for the airport around 8 am. 

W awoke the next morning, showered and met Tsetan downstairs for breakfast.  It was a brief, quick breakfast, but the Chinese breakfast is much different than the western version.  I had a fried egg with a piece of toast and a few pieces of bacon and a cup of coffee before departing for the airport.  The Lhasa airport is one hour’s drive from Lhasa and we had a flight to catch.  Taschi drove us through the winding mountain roads and through the tunnel through the middle of one of the mountains and after approximately one hours time we arrived at the Lhasa Airport. We had about an hour before our flight would depart so we hustled across the street after saying our goodbyes to Tsetan and Taschi.  We took our place in line, but it did not appear to be moving.  After a short time we went through security and entered the airport, just in time to board our flight. 

Our plane left the gate one minute early, and we were off to Chengdu to meet up with John’s friend Kate, who had booked an inexpensive hotel near her apartment for us.  We arrived in Chengdu two hours later, stepped off the plane, onto the tarmac and took a bus to the main terminal.  We waited for our luggage and watched infomercials about the Olympics and the Sichuan Province.  The three bags fell onto the belt, and we grabbed them and pushed our way out of the terminal. 

We grabbed a cab to the hotel that Johns friend Kate had booked for us.  The ride was around 35 minutes, with the cab driver weaving in and out of traffic.  Oh how I had forgotten about the driving styles in China. We arrived at our hotel and checked in and relaxed, after all we had accomplished much in just going from one city to the next.  After a short nap, John and I began to walk through the neighborhood to check it out.  Fairly non-descript, crowded and seemingly lacking an identity.  But over time I have come to find that Chengdu is down to earth and midwestern feeling.  It is a large city but the people have been incredibly down to earth.  IN our time here we have gone and visited the pandas, sang karaoke, gone to a dumpling party with friends and just taken it easy.  Exactly what we needed after TIbet.  Here are some photos of the Panda's from Chengdu.

 an adult panda

the red pandas

three adolescent panda's sharing nap time

playtime outside

just a picnic in the park!!

Just Another Day in Lhasa....

What began as an iffy day weather wise in Tibet, turned into another beautiful one.  It appeared as though it might pour down rain when we left our hotel.  The clouds came over the mountains near our hotel and thunder rolled.  We loaded into the van and headed to the Access Tibet office in order to pay the remainder of our tour fees.  It began to sprinkle lightly but never really turned into a significant rainfall.  After a short while we had paid our fees and were on our way to Yam Drak Lake, an hours drive up the mountains. 

We settled into our seats and made small talk as we wound our way through the mountains.  We passed over the second largest river in Tibet and began our ascent up the mountains.  Once again it tested my limits a bit as the winding road soon turned into hair-raising turns back and forth up the mountainside, with a steep drop off the side of the road.  As we approached our final landing point Tsedan informed us that the lake we were going to see was a holy lake.   The story says that it had been a small lake until Buddha number 5 threw a stick into the lake and it became salty and large.  Now it is one of the larger lakes in Tibet and is turquoise in color.  By this time the clouds had lifted a bit and the blue sky began shining through.  We have steadily become convinced that the sun is following us everywhere we go, and Tsedan agrees with us.  We finally arrived at our destination and climbed out of the van.  As we did so, several locals approached us and tried to sell us a variety of items.  David taught us to say,  “Wo bu yao” or “I don’t want it”, but this did not deter them.  They were very persistent but we resisted temptation and walked away as quickly as possible.  The locals also were offering Yak rides, and the opportunity to pet their Bernese mountain dogs.  This of course came for a small price so we also declined their offers. 

We walked over to the edge of the parking lot and took in the view.

It was magnificent with the lake below, the blue skies above and the mountains off in the distance.  Tsedan informed us that we were somewhere around 14,500 feet in altitude.  We were also instructed that we had thirty minutes to look around and hike if we would like to do so.  David, John and I set out for the top of the hill.  What appeared to be somewhat easy turned into a daunting task as the incline was much steeper than any of us anticipated.  After a few stops along the way we made it to the top and took in deep breaths.

Mind you, none of us are athletes in tiptop condition, but we are not out of shape by any means.  With our hearts racing, and our lungs gasping in the thinning air, we walked to the peak, which lies at around 15,000 feet.  It was noticeably cooler and much more windy at the top and I had an earache.  As we had guessed the view was even more spectacular from the top.  We could see for miles and miles, and we could see more of the clear blue lake.  We snapped a few photos, a video to show family and friends, and then began our descent.  As usual this was a less arduous task than the climbing had been.   After about 15 minutes we returned the parking, where we took a few more photos with Fran and Mirjam and then we headed back down the mountain. 

The van came to a stop after about fourty minutes of driving and we looked around, noticing we had stopped at a village outside of Lhasa.  Tsedan told us that he was going to ask one of the homeowners if we could come and have a look at a traditional Tibetan household.  As we climbed out of the van five little children, likely ranging in age from 1-5 or 6, greeted us.  The youngest was barefoot and wearing only a coat and nothing else.  They had smiles on their faces and seemed pleased and a little confused at seeing us.  Tsedan got the ok from the mother and we walked into her front garden area.

There was a tractor, under which a barking dog was sitting, waiting to viciously attack us.  He was quite the guard dog, and did not take his eye off of us for less than a minute the entire time we were there.  The woman showed us around, into her dining room, which consisted of two sitting areas and a table.  There was also a TV on a stand in the corner and one of the cutest little kittens I have seen in some time.

The house was painted in traditional Tibetan style, with Buddhist markings throughout.  The detail of the paintings was very impressive as well.  After showing us to the dining room we walked back out to the porch and snapped a few more photos.  The dog of course resumed growling and barking at the invaders.  We thanked the woman, handed her some money and a few Olympic pins and began walking toward the van, which had parked across the street.  All of the children had gathered around and we more than willing to ham it up for a photo or two. The baby played a little patty cake with David and was thoroughly enjoying herself.  John was busy handing candy to the children who readily accepted it.  The children honestly made the day for all of us.

I really think we could have stayed and played with them for a much longer time, but we had to head back into town.

We climbed into the van and made our way to Barkhor Street for some final bargain shopping.   After a brief stop to purchase post cards, we decided it was time for some appetizers and an afternoon beer on the balcony of Ganki Restaurant. 

The five us were seated and ordered beers and a plate of potato momo, and began filling out the various post cards we had purchased for our friends back home.  In the background we noticed some familiar songs playing over the speakers.  We heard Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, and finally Celine Dion.  In the moment we began singing along and the local staff got quite the kick out of it.  They were staring and laughing at us, the Westerners who were performing in their restaurant.  As another familiar slow song came over the radio, John and Mirjam decided to have a slow dance in front of everyone.  This of course brought more laughter to the staff, as I am sure we were more raucous than their traditional clientele.   After finishing our drinks and momo, it was time for more bargain shopping.  Fran and Mirjam had some last minute gifts to purchase because they are set to leave in the morning.  David perhaps was the best bargain shopper of the day and returned with a bounty of gifts. 

At this point it was nearing 6:30 pm and we had made dinner plans for seven p.m. with our train buddies, Susie and Dan.  If you remember from my earlier blog, they were on our train to Xian, in Xian for one day and then on our train to Lhasa, where we met them.  They are from London and are in the midst of a yearlong trip around the world.  We decided upon the Lhasa Kitchen as a meeting point and sat and waited for their arrival.  Once they arrived, we ordered Lemon Ginsing hot tea to drink and a plethora of food.  Yak, as usual was the main item, as we ordered shabaleb bread, and steamed yak momo.  We also ordered mutton masala, Kathay momo, cheese momo, shomday with yogurt, sugar and butter, and yak barley soup, and vegetable barley soup.  The food in Lhasa has been amazingly tasty for all of us.  The food and the company were fantastic and the evening was a great success.  A nice send off for Mirjam and Fran and a nice welcome for Dan and Susie, who ironically will be leaving the same day that David, John and I depart for Chengdu.  Dan and Susie will have a much more difficult departure than us, as they are cycling through the mountains to Nepal.  We wish them the best in their journey, and are all very happy to have met them.  Throughout our time together, both on the train and at dinner, we have had the opportunity to share many great stories and experiences with one another.  As I mentioned, Fran and Mirjam will be departing tomorrow.  They have been great travel partners in Lhasa, and we are sad to see them go.  This group of five really has gelled well and I look forward to staying in touch with everyone.