Red, the color of fire, good fortune, and Communism
This is how I entered the People's Republic of China: by foot.
A subway ride from central Hong Kong deposited me at the border just south of Shenzhen. Backpack buckled, I walked through one round of customs before being dumped into a wide corridor flooded with a sea of people, most about a foot or two shorter than me. Together we're headed straight towards a second round of customs, but for now we're hovering in between two entities, Hong Kong and China proper.
Read MorePeeking inside the communal living space of a hutong
Beijing is famous for its hutongs.
No, this is not a type of food, nor is it a Chinese rapper.
Hutongs are charming courtyard residencies clustered together and scattered about the city––they're a glimpse into old-world China. In Mongolian, the word means 'town,' a remnant from their 13th century invasion. Back then, single families lived in communal spaces such as this. As times grew tough, haphazard additions filled the once open-aired inner courtyards to accommodate family growth. Sadly, most traditional hutong areas were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
Read MoreHiding from the camera amidst the narrow aisles of Qing Ping market
The Chinese eat everything. If you don't believe me, just visit the street markets.
Guangzhou is probably the most important trading and manufacturing city of southern China. It's filled with clusters of towering skyscraper apartment buildings, and factories line the freeway for miles leading up to the city center. Tucked away amidst all this modernity hides Qing Ping market, a remaining section of old China nestled just across from the central island.
Read MoreSnowfall at the Summer Palace, Beijing
I'm happy to announce that I've broken through the shackles of the internet firewall of Chinese censorship — I've arrived in India! It's 2013! And I haven't posted in a really long time. Oops.
In order to blog properly, I really need to dedicate quite a few more hours a week to this. Easier thought than done when continually on the move. I'm seeing so much every day (awesome!), it seems like it will take forever to fully process my documentations. But the amazing thing is, I really feel like I'm living. And I love that.
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Steaming fresh handmade noodles on a rainy eve in Guangzhou
My eternal quest for edible items not secretly infused with some part of a pig or cow hasn't always been very successful this leg of the trip. That's because China is a country of meat.
The meatiness of China is something I find extra troubling given that I have now truly experienced their population issue firsthand. All that talk about China being crowded? Yeah, that's true. In regards to food, my question is this: where do they grow all the animals to feed so many meat-lovers?
Read MoreThe largest excavation pit of the terra-cotta soldiers containing 6,000 figures from 210 BC. No wonder it's a UNESCO site.
There is another gap in the Great Firewall so I'm taking it and skipping forward to post about this: the great terra-cotta soldiers.
This army is one of those historically important art sites that I've always wanted to see in person, ever since my undergraduate days of art history.
Read MoreMengwi royal Balinese temple palace, from old times
It's been one month on the road, but it feels so much longer. I am in southern China now, and after days of being blocked out of my own blog (even with a VPN), miraculously the Great Firewall seems to have peeked open for a moment, time enough to post a farewell to beautiful Bali.
Read MoreGirls preparing offerings for a small ceremony at Tirta Empul Tampaksiring
Tirta Empul Tampaksiring is a sacred water temple north of Ubud. Legend has it that a Hindu god once struck his staff into the earth bringing forth this natural spring. Today the Balinese bathe in the clear holy water as a sacred cleansing. I imagine the ritual to restore energy, honor the spirit, wash away pain, reveal truth.
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Colorful empty offering platters found at a temple near Ubud
Part of the reason I find Bali so beautiful, besides the typical appeal of all things tropical (daily fresh mangos anyone?), is that the Balinese practice of Hinduism permeates almost all aspects of life.
Bali is an anomaly in Indonesia since the island remains almost entirely Hindu in a predominantly Muslim country. Their practice of religious ritual has such beautiful manifestations and follows a rich, artistic tradition. I see it everywhere. From the countless temples to the small backyard shrines, every house or building has a sacred structure designed to honor the many spirits of the island. That even includes gas stations and 7-11s!
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Dragon Lounge, Lou's masterpiece of a house
We left the autumn crisp weather of the north and crossed into tropical heat and humidity south of the hemisphere. If South Korea felt like work, busy and booked daily with lots of sightseeing, places to go and people to meet, Indonesia feels slow and relaxed.
I know it sounds crazy, but this is the first real down time we've had in awhile. Packing up all our belongings, renting the house, and actually planning the logistics of leaving the US for a year were often overwhelming and stressful, not to mention a huge life adjustment. Being on the move vagabond style isn't an easy comfortable vacation. Survival basics in an unknown place become a lot more challenging to figure out. Every day we have to be concerned about where we'll sleep, what we'll eat, and how we'll transport somewhere, all in an unfamiliar culture, location, and language while on a budget. I know this is just the beginning and I'm definitely not complaining, but I'm glad to have some time to slow down and catch up with old friends.
Read MoreGiant buddhas in the Jogyesa Temple, Seoul
One of my favorite moments in Seoul was stumbling upon a little art festival hosted by the Jogyesa Buddhist temple. I was wandering through the markets of Insadong weaving through all this:
Read MoreAutumn in Seoul, outside the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace
There's no turning back now. A five year chapter of my time in Los Angeles has finally come to an end and with it, I feel a great sense of lightness. I spent my last night at home in the U.S. boxing stuff for storage, packing, and fending off panic, stress, and worry that I've made the wrong decision to leave behind everything that I know. It's pretty scary to drive out of our driveway–house empty, belongings in storage–straight for a year of complete unknowns. Even so, beneath that panic a growing sense of freedom has slowly descended upon me. I'm filled with joy, anticipation, and wonder for what lies ahead.
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