Dalat

So I got to Dalat late in the evening yesterday and started looking for a hotel. Sadly, they were all booked because it's the end of the new year celebration (Vietnam does the same thing China does..) and everyone's traveling. I was talking to a bartender about how I was fully prepared to sleep in the park, when he said that I could sleep on his couch. I still had a few hotels that I wanted to check out, so I told him "thanks, but I'm hoping to get a room at some other places" but if they were all booked, I'd come back. There weren't any vacancies so I came back at about 11PM to find him waiting for me. I felt bad (first for taking his "couch" and second for making him stay open) but I didn't have any options. He let me in, then closed up the bar. Apparently, he didn't really have a couch, but he had a bed next to his... so... Last night I spent with him, his wife and his grandson... It was quite an experience, very awkward, but he said to me "someday hopefully you can help me if I'm in need." I felt like I'd taken part in "Pay It Forward."

Also, I met someone who was born and raised in Castleton NY... he used to deliver the newspapers so Granny/Papa I'm looking to you to remember him. He specifically did remember my uncle Tom (Tom Hotailing to those of you who haven't met him...). His name is Bartlet something or other, I was a little preocupied with trying to find a place to sleep, so I didn't get as detailed of a background check as I would have liked.

Vietnam

I'm in a city in Vietnam called Dalat. The guide book describes it as if "you stumbled into the French Alps in springtime." I would describe it as if "you stumbled into Lake George full of Vietnamese people." I'll post pictures when I get back...

Vacation

I'm going to Vietnam for a week. When I return I'll post pictures of my trip, but in the mean time, happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Beijing

Ok, the last set of pictures from Beijing...

Summer Palace

This building was made without any nails! The craftsman in me was amazed... Few of you have seen what I produced without nails, maybe my old roomate Aruna could find a way to take a picture of it... Funny story actually, before coming to China, I decided to build a workbench to fill my time. I had recently gotten interested in woodworking, specifically without the use of power tools (not normal, I know). I used a book my great great friend George Sluski gave me entitled "Woodworking for Women." He and I thought it was funny that women would require a special book for woodworking... after building my workbench however, I found out the reason: my workbench was a little over two feet high. It ended up being a great place for me to sit on while doing work, but was way too small. If any short person out there wants a workbench, it's probably still in the basement of 5600 Howe St, Pittsburgh PA, 15232... Check it out. Oh, another funny thing about the "Woodworking for Women" book was that it spent a lot of time inspiring it's readers to just "get up and go to the wood store" even thought said wood store was "quite a masculine place." It's probably one of the only woodworking books that would ever say: "don't be afraid if you feel out of place" or "learn your stuff and show em who's boss." I think I ended up spending more time reading the book looking for gems like this than actually working with wood...


Beijing Opera:

This was quite an experience... My guide book said there would be english sub-titles shown, but guess what! There weren't! After the initial amazement of this wore off, I spent the rest of the time praticing my character recignition... Sadly I only know ~20 characters, but you'd be suprised how much "I" "you" "he" "she" "to be" and "at" come up...

Beijing

More Forbidden City Pictures:


Apparently the emperor would climb this "hill" once a year with his concubines...
I can only imagine how silly that must have looked


I picture them going up this way...


A solid piece of rock that was transported during the winter by pouring water on the path and allowing it to freeze then dragging it on top of the ice... it's 30 feet long

Beijing

Forbidden City!!!


Now Un-forbidden!!!


Seriously amazing place.


I don't even remember where this was inside, it's that big...


So I'm going to have to split my forbidden city pictures up into two posts because it's so big... sadly I made the mistake of traveling with a weakling American girl. Half way through the stuff I wanted to see, she said "Ok, lets go, it's too cold..." The trip went downhill from there... But I've learned my lesson

Beijing

Tienanmen with Mao Zedong in the background:


Mr. Mao


Tienanmen Square, Chinese soldiers taking pictures... If you look closely, one of the guys is holding all of their jackets. Seemed funny at the time... not as funny now... oh well.


Chinese people love bright lights!

Beijing

I went to Beijing this past weekend, the trip was... interesting... long story, I'll explain later. First I wanted to post some of the pictures:

New Years Eve in the train restaurant:


Seriously rockin!!


2009!!!