Thanks Charlotte, brings back a lot of great memories. Most of my travels have been around The Ring Of Fire, the Pacific Rim.
Your beauty shop experience reminded me, Thailand 1990, I'd get a barbershop shave 'most every day for around ten or fifteen cents. The hot towel before and the back banging massage after was a wonderful way to start a day.
The lack of common language and different customs and priorities, including keeping track of time, made the Orient interesting and fun for me.
On that Thai trip I spend around three weeks in Hua Hin staying in a local hotel ($3.00 a night, no English spoken or written.). I feared lost track of time, my flight out of Bangkok and back to Alaska was on the eighth I was pretty sure it was the fifth of January but not 100% sure.
No calendars in the hotel, no luck with queries using my handy pocket Thai/English dictionary. I wasn't too worried I was sure I could find out at a local bar, named the Kiwi Corner if I remember right, operated by an New Zealand expatriate oddly enough. I was sure he, the Kiki. could tell me what day of the month it was.
Silly me. I get there, I asked him. He dug through some Bangkok newspapers behind the bar and said the latest one he had was 4 January so it must be later than that.
All's well that ends well, I caught the bus to Bangkok, got there and found my memory of what day of the month it was was correct, reached the airport in a timely manner and took off into the sunrise.
Great stories @Jim in Alaska I hope you dedicate an essay to your travel experiences. You navigated through temporal time ambiguity by relying on your keen sense of intuition. Your story of the Expat from New Zealand reminds me of one I met when I lived in Mexico. He was from England and the manager of my apartment complex. I terribly lonely and he bridged the cultural barriers, and made my experience far more enjoyable. I was in living in Malaysia in 1990, So we were in the same part of the world at the same time it seems.
That Santa Claus represents Christmas for the Chinese is understandable. Santas are everywhere, in malls, in parades, in holiday-themed movies. If I were an alien from another planet, this is what I would think.
That Christmas is chiefly about gift-giving and that the gift giver is a jolly fat guy in a red suit who travels by reindeer. American marketing has been successful, reducing the Christian holiday to buying and receiving gifts over a cup of eggnog.
Thanks for sharing more of your travels. It’s wonderful to read about. I’ve never fancied China because of the overt cruelty to animals I’ve heard about. That said it sounds absolutely fascinating- the history and culture. I know what you mean about the food in some of these places. When they try to make it authentic but don’t quite pull it off😂
I love your reflections on travel and the adventures you’ve had. How colorful some of these photos are! Thank you for sharing these treasures with us. ❤️
Truly enjoyable post, Charlotte. I love the way you describe your entry to Hong Kong, and the ravishing ride through the hills to the heights. So well done." I just settled in with amazement, watching out the window at the dense skyscrapers lifting my gaze to the sky like a thick forest of cypress trees reaching for the heavens with their potent symbolism promising hope and immortality. With their impressive height, the skyscrapers stood like cypress trees with a foot in the other world, taking man’s imagination with them as they pointed toward eternity." So beautifully put, and so reflective. Also you always find answers to ??s in your travels, things that the normal tourist would never even think to ask. You are an intrepid and inquisitive traveler! The best kind! Kudos on another great post.
🤩 … what a fabulous life of adventure. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏼😊
I appreciate you support @Simone Senisin Im so glad you enjoyed it! 🥰🥰🥰
Thanks Charlotte, brings back a lot of great memories. Most of my travels have been around The Ring Of Fire, the Pacific Rim.
Your beauty shop experience reminded me, Thailand 1990, I'd get a barbershop shave 'most every day for around ten or fifteen cents. The hot towel before and the back banging massage after was a wonderful way to start a day.
The lack of common language and different customs and priorities, including keeping track of time, made the Orient interesting and fun for me.
On that Thai trip I spend around three weeks in Hua Hin staying in a local hotel ($3.00 a night, no English spoken or written.). I feared lost track of time, my flight out of Bangkok and back to Alaska was on the eighth I was pretty sure it was the fifth of January but not 100% sure.
No calendars in the hotel, no luck with queries using my handy pocket Thai/English dictionary. I wasn't too worried I was sure I could find out at a local bar, named the Kiwi Corner if I remember right, operated by an New Zealand expatriate oddly enough. I was sure he, the Kiki. could tell me what day of the month it was.
Silly me. I get there, I asked him. He dug through some Bangkok newspapers behind the bar and said the latest one he had was 4 January so it must be later than that.
All's well that ends well, I caught the bus to Bangkok, got there and found my memory of what day of the month it was was correct, reached the airport in a timely manner and took off into the sunrise.
Great stories @Jim in Alaska I hope you dedicate an essay to your travel experiences. You navigated through temporal time ambiguity by relying on your keen sense of intuition. Your story of the Expat from New Zealand reminds me of one I met when I lived in Mexico. He was from England and the manager of my apartment complex. I terribly lonely and he bridged the cultural barriers, and made my experience far more enjoyable. I was in living in Malaysia in 1990, So we were in the same part of the world at the same time it seems.
Fascinating and highly entertaining, Charlotte. I learned and smiled a lot.
Thank you soul for taking the time to read and comment on my article. It was fun times for me which I enjoyed writing about! ✨✨✨
This was a fascinating read Charlotte. Thank you for sharing your experiences and photos of Christmas in Asia and Europe.
Thank you Lois, those are special times. Some years I would be terribly homesick for America, and other times I love my new experience. 💖✨💖
That Santa Claus represents Christmas for the Chinese is understandable. Santas are everywhere, in malls, in parades, in holiday-themed movies. If I were an alien from another planet, this is what I would think.
That Christmas is chiefly about gift-giving and that the gift giver is a jolly fat guy in a red suit who travels by reindeer. American marketing has been successful, reducing the Christian holiday to buying and receiving gifts over a cup of eggnog.
What better way to celebrate the spirit of Mithras? Big fat Santa’s! Thank you @Perry J. Greenbaum ✨💜✨
Thanks for sharing more of your travels. It’s wonderful to read about. I’ve never fancied China because of the overt cruelty to animals I’ve heard about. That said it sounds absolutely fascinating- the history and culture. I know what you mean about the food in some of these places. When they try to make it authentic but don’t quite pull it off😂
What a lovely read! Thank you.
I love the way Christmas - however commercialised - is a unifying and life-enhancing experience.
Perhaps I could take the opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Rewarding New Year.
(From grey and chilly London). xxx
What a story Charlotte - transported me right there!
This was fascinating, Charlotte. What a journey! And so interesting to learn about the association between Santa and America. And the food 🤢
I love your reflections on travel and the adventures you’ve had. How colorful some of these photos are! Thank you for sharing these treasures with us. ❤️
Truly enjoyable post, Charlotte. I love the way you describe your entry to Hong Kong, and the ravishing ride through the hills to the heights. So well done." I just settled in with amazement, watching out the window at the dense skyscrapers lifting my gaze to the sky like a thick forest of cypress trees reaching for the heavens with their potent symbolism promising hope and immortality. With their impressive height, the skyscrapers stood like cypress trees with a foot in the other world, taking man’s imagination with them as they pointed toward eternity." So beautifully put, and so reflective. Also you always find answers to ??s in your travels, things that the normal tourist would never even think to ask. You are an intrepid and inquisitive traveler! The best kind! Kudos on another great post.