Sunday, January 30, 2011

The Big "G" in "HK"

Some people are diametrically opposed to it, others say it will usher in a new era of prosperity. I'm not talking about the Tampa Bay Devil Rays recent acquisition of former teammates Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, I'm talking about the "big G:" Globalization. A city defined by this phenomenon, my recent trip to Hong Kong (abbreviated as "HK") was an enlightening time for not only my intellect, but my  belly as well.  I enjoyed delicious food and drink and fantastic company, all in the backdrop of one of the premier cities in the world.
A far cry from the charming and culturally rich India, Hong Kong is a city struggling over its identity, torn between its Chinese roots and its recent financial success in the global market.  We flew into this metropolis of 7 million at 7am on January 8th and were graciously welcomed by Rahul's college friend Sanam. Groggy from our red eye flight, she generously hosted us at her beautiful apartment for the next week, putting up with our antics and jokes the whole time. Thanks so much Sanam, you're great!!!
After dropping our bags , we rushed off to Rahul's uncle's house. A tailor by trade, Rahul's uncle fitted us both for matching gray suits.  The suit business is a big business here in Hong Kong, a city that has a record setting 8000 skyscrapers. That means lots of office space, and lots of businessmen who need suits. After our fittings, we went home, took a nap, and headed out for a night out on the town. Sadly, my suit wouldn't be ready until the end of the trip, so I couldn't sport it that night.
To put things in perspective, I spent more money that night than I did during the past 6 days in Mumbai. Granted, room and board were covered by Rahul's relatives in India, but Hong Kong is by no means a cheap place.
Sanam, her friend Vrishant, and yours truly


My first impressions of Hong Kong was sheer awe at the economic prowess of the city. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of South Korea's rapid modernization. High Rise apartment buildings and corporate skyscrapers stretched for as far as the eye could see. People movers of all sorts were efficiently functioning at full capacity. Prada, gucci, and coach were in vogue for women. Suits and briefcases for men. The sidewalks were so clean you could eat off of them. And things were really expensive! (comparative to India, of course..)

To put things into perspective: A view of Hong Kong's skyline, circa 1986

A view of Hong Kong's skyline, circa 2009
Yet the region also boasts a vibrant array of cultural and historical sites.  The next day, we headed to the "Las Vegas of Asia," Macau. The island also happens to be a former Portuguese colony, and in between the multi million dollar casinos are traces of its colonial history.

Macau, an island of contrast: In the background, the Grand Lisboa Hotel juxtaposed against a less than flattering relic from its past


A perfect representation of Macau's storied history: signs appear in Mandarin, Portugese, and English respectively


The Ruins of St. Pauls , a 17th century Portuguese Cathedral


The rest of the week was highlighted by visits with Rahul's relatives, shopping, and relaxing. The heartbeat of the city, however, intrigued me. As we strolled through Tsim Tsa Tsui (known locally as "TST"), I couldn't help but gawk at the exorbitant amount of wealth around me, and ponder the big "G," Globalization.   Sanam, our host, was able to contextualize my presumptions: She works at the Duty Free Shops Gallery, a high end luxury merchandise store  and recounted stories of Chinese businessmen who come in with suitcases of cold, hard, cash and nonchalantly drop 10-15 thousand USD on luxury items.  Apparently, these are routine transactions and many luxury shops in Hong Kong now encourage their employees to not only speak Cantonese, the native language of Hong Kong, but Mandarin, the official language of China in order to increase patronage from the mainland.
That "G" word, Globalization, was constantly ringing throughout my head as I strolled through Hong Kong. These absurdly wealthy Chinese businessmen, many of whom own factories right over the border, are making tons of money off of exporting their goods.  The Nike dunks, Swisher vacuums, Johnson and Johnson baby soap, LED lights,  Ford car radiators,  Dell computer monitors, Nokia cell phones, and Hansboro toys that millions of Americans consume every year are produced right over the border in Shenzhen, trucked to the port of Hong Kong, and shipped across the Pacific to the Port of LA.
I couldn't help but think, "This is Globalization in action!!" Hong Kong epitomizes this trend-almost 15% of the workforce are importer/exporters, responsible for greasing the wheels of our global economy.  After visiting Hong Kong,  Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington a few weeks ago made a lot more sense to me:  I saw first-hand why American corporations pushed President Obama to negotiate a more beneficial free trade policy with China. Any trans-national company, from Goldman Sachs to McDonalds, has a corporate office in Hong Kong. Thousands of American expats live, work, and raise their families there, directly benefiting from the immense economic stimulation provided by its ties with not only China, but other Asian countries as well.
But I digress...
In between over intellectualizing America's place in an increasingly competitive global market, I did manage to see a few sites.

I went to my first horse race! While I didn't bet or win for that matter, the scene was really engaging: the race course was flanked by high rise apartment buildings on all sides, creating a sophisticated, urban feel.

I also visited Lan Tau island, home of the Tian Tan Buddha. Built in the early 1990s, the Buddha not only serves as a religious pilgrimage site for Buddhists, but one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hong Kong:
In contrast with the rest of the city, the Tian Tau Buddha provides a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong Island
Although the Buddha itself was interesting, the highlight of the day was meeting Torsten Neimenen, an American college student studying abroad in Shanghai. He was visiting his family in Hong Kong who moved from Wisconsin a few years ago. Contrary to my initial assumption, his parents were neither Meryl Lynch Hedgefund managers nor commercial distributors, but rather,  Lutheran missionaries. After being invited back to his home, his family then proceeded to invite me out to dinner. Over the course of the evening, they recounted tales of raising their children in the Central African Republic, Lutheran theology,  the Greenbay Packers, and life in Hong Kong. It was a fantastic evening filled with great conversation and warm sincerity. If you're reading this, a big thanks to the Neimenen family for your wonderful hospitality!
As a city, Hong Kong perplexed me. I couldn't quite figure out if it was a Chinese city, or a city with a large Chinese population. Technically, its not part of mainland China, rather "overseen" by the Chinese government. Cantonese was as common as English, yet the city is structured to accommodate and compliment international business. Every bar runs a competitive happy hour to lure the tired Investment Banker after his 12 hour workday, the airport has an efficient, specifically designed  subway service to bring travelers to and fro, and high end hotels jockey to host the next corporate convention.
Although the surge of modernization has long since grappled Hong Kong, every now and then,the city anachronistically resists the waves of progress. Pictured is an alleyway behind a Gucci Store.

All in all, Hong Kong was a grand time. Like India, I would recommend the city to anybody who finds themselves in Asia. Numerous airlines route their flights through Hong Kong (since most airline companies have corporate offices there) and the city boasts an impressive nightlife, great public transit, and dynamic cityscape. Yet, like all  things, my time in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the official name of the city, btw) came to an end. Eventually, it was time for me to go back to South Korea, officially ending my 22 day jaunt around Asia. Leaving one metropolis for another, I flew into Incheon International Airport and was immediately greeted by this:

Thats Fahrenheit, not Celsius. 

Winter is here, and its here to stay (well, at least until March). Time to see if my trusty "The RedFace©" jacket can handle the South Korean winter.
Until next time...

Friday, January 21, 2011

भारत में अवकाश

As per Fulbright regulations, we are permitted to travel outside of Korea for a total of 28 days during our grant period.  I decided to travel west to the exotic lands of India to meet up with two of my oldest friends, Andrew Adelman and Rahul Barwani. Friends since the fourth grade, our paths diverged when they both attended UC Berkeley and I attended Pitzer. Andrew is currently working for an NGO in rural Anadur, India on a Fellowship through the American Jewish World Service. Rahul is completing his masters in Engineering at UC Berkeley and was planning on coming to India to visit family. Since our plans conveniently lined up,  we decided on meeting in Delhi and traveling India together. After an uneventful flight into New Delhi on the 23rd, I was greeted by Rahul, Andrew, and Rahul's cousin Vicky. For the next week, we would intensively tour Northern India.

A map of our travels, courtesy of Mr. Adelman






We spent the first day touring Delhi, the capital city of India. Incredibly diverse, this metropolis had a lot offer a first time visitor like myself. With numerous religious cultural and historical sites to visit, our first day was jam packed. Our first stop- The Qutb Complex:
Standing at 72.5 meters tall, the Qutb Minar is the world's tallest brick Minaret.

As one of the oldest examples of Indo Islamic architecture, the Qutb Complex was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage  site in 1993.

The site is home to one of the oldest mosques in India, as well as a Jain Temple. Restoration efforts were first carried out by the British in the early 20th century. 



Next on our list was the Lotus Temple, a stunning Baha'i house of worship. Not only is it one of the most important buildings in the Baha'i faith, it has been lauded internationally for it's well crafted architecture :
From its construction in 1986 until 2002, the Lotus Temple welcomed more than 50 million visitors, making it more visited than the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. 

Afterwords was Humayan's Tomb, an ornate set of buildings that encompass the final resting place for Mughal Emperor Humayan:

Serving as one of the best displays of Persian Architecture on the Indian Continent, Humuyan's Tomb was the inspiration for another famous mausoleum, the Taj Mahal

The wall surrounding the complex


Next up on our jam packed first day was the Gateway of India, a monument to the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for their country. Just down the street was Raj Gat, a park that holds the cremated remains of national hero Mahatma Gandhi. Although I couldn't keep the historian inside me during our visit, the child inside me was quickly summoned when we reached our next destination, Jantar Mantar.
In short, Jantar Mantar is a "series of 13 architectural astronomy instruments designed to compile astronomical tables, predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets." We concluded it was a giant playground designed to entertain us.
You decide: testament to the scientific advancement of mankind or awesome skate park? I chose the latter.


The inspiration for "Stairway to Heaven."

Apparently this is designed to trace the movement of the sun. I saw it as the perfect place for an episode of "America's Next Gladiator" 

  With day 1 over, we retired to our hotel in Delhi. The next day, we would drive 7 hours north to the city of Hardwar, an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. Since the Ganges River flows through the region, there a number of important temples in the surrounding area. Other than featuring important religious sites, there is a very large monkey population, which of course intrigued me.

 
Just "monkeying" around!

In order to enter a temple, however, one must remove their shoes. Usually, a priest applies a tilaka, or marking on the forehead. From my understanding, the tilaka serves a similar purpose to a yarmulka in the Jewish faith. That evening, I was lucky enough to take part in the true magic of Hardiwar. Every night, thousands of religious pilgrims flock to the shores of the Ganges River to take part in a puja, or religious ritual. As per tradition, thousands of candles are lit and sent floating down the Ganges River as the crowd is led in prayer. Due to my ignorance and lack of Hindi language skills, I also sent the thali, or plate into the Ganges along with my candle. It's the equivalent of throwing away your plastic tray at McDonalds.  Luckily, the local priest found my ignorance humorous. I'm hoping the Big Guys up stairs found it just as entertaining!

Although I didn't understand the significance of the ceremony, the spiritual energy was palpable.

Andrew, Vijay, Rahul and I watching the pooja, complete with tilaka.
Up next on our list was Rishikesh, a city that has been knicknamed the "Gateway to the Himilayas," and "yoga city." Although I didn't see the Himilayas or participate in yoga, I did learn that Rishikesh has become a popular getaway for a number of celebrities, such as the Beatles looking for spiritual fulfillment. It also happened to be Christmas Day, which none of us realized. Granted, two Jews and a Hindu were visiting Yoga ashrams on Christ's birthday...
Afterwards, we cruised over to the state of Punjab. Located in the northwestern section of the country, and sharing a border with Pakistan, Punjab is a testament to the cross cultural pollination of the Indian subcontinent. Over its history, Punjab had been controlled by the Greeks, Persians, Mughals, Sikhs, and the British. Today, the state maintains various influences from its past, yet the most fascinating manifestation of this complex history were the closing ceremonies at the India Pakistan Border. This 45 minute ceremony summarized the current situation between the two nations. Although the official national borders were drawn by a struggling British Empire  more than 50 years ago, tensions between the two nations remain. High kicks, flags and bullhorns were all present. At times, I felt like I was watching a playoff game between the Giants and the Dodgers, not a geo political show of "nationalistic oneupsmanship." On a side note, this is now the third contentious border I have visited in my lifetime. The first was the Israel/Palestine border close to the Gaza Strip, the second was the DMZ between North and South Korea, and the third is the India/Pakistan border. 

Throngs of supporters. Pakistan is at the end of the pathway


Female Indian soldiers parading past cheering crowds. I would guess that there were close to 2,000 "fans" on each side of the border, cheering on their respective "team."

The next day, we visited the city of Amritsar, located in the heart of Punjab. Home to the largest Sikh population in the world, the cultural difference in this particular region were evident.   As a baptised Sikh male, you are required to carry five things on you at all times, known as the "5 k's," which gives Sikh males a identifiable look.  Kesh, (uncut hair,) Kanja, (wooden comb worn in the hair,) Kachchera, (white pant,) Kara,  (iron bracelet,) and Kirpan,  (curved dagger.) are required to be worn at all times by baptised Sikh males. The Kirpan has caused a multitude of controversies in the US because lawmakers have struggled over the 1st amendment rights of Sikhs to arm themselves in public spaces in the name of religion and the obvious threat that poses in places such as schools and government buildings.
Yours truly, with Amardeep, a Sikh friend I made at the Indian border. Sadly, many Sikhs have been caught up in the recent trend of "islamophobia" due to their turbans. In actuality, this association could be farther from the truth: Sikh-Muslim relations have been tense since the British partition.
Our visit to  Amritsar was a surreal experience. The main attraction,  the Golden Temple of Amritsar,  is to  Sikhism as Mecca is to Islam, the Vatican is to  Catholicism, and the Western Wall is to  Judaism. Not only is it an important religious pilgrimage site, the gold plated temple is a spectacular symbol of the reverence and wealth of a rich people.
It is mandatory to remove one's footwear and wash one's feet before entering the temple grounds, and per requirements of Sikism, cover your hair with head covering.


Since service is a tenant in the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple is almost entirely staffed by volunteers. Cleaning, repairs, and upkeep are done daily


I stole this picture from online, but I feel that it's the closest photo that really does this place justice.

About this time in the trip Andrew and I were struck by a case of the "Delhi Belly," a euphemism for "incredibly bad diarrhea."  I'll save you the embarrassing details, but lets just say that nature not only called, it bellowed at me to get to a bathroom stat.  For the next 3 days, this would occur multiple times a day, in a variety of locations-hotel rooms, religious monuments, and on the road. And of course, the bathroom was usually a squatty potty.
That day, we were in a car for a harrowing 12 hours on our way to Delhi. With "Delhi Belly" in full swing,  the trip was a difficult one, but our next destination, the Red Fort, proved to be well worth the stomach churning journey.
Built in 1648, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Red Fort originally housed the residence of the royal family. Today, it is the location for a variety of government programs including the location where the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation every 15 of August, the day India achieved independence from the British.
Since the  Red Fort is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delhi, it  attracts many foreign heads of state as well.  President Obama visited the fort  in December of 2010 during his tour of India. 


Throughout its history, the Fort was occupied by a number of different factions, including the British and the Moguls, resulting in a beautiful collage of architectural styles.

A spire dramatically fixed in front of a morning sky



 Our next destination was Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. But first, we cruised through the holy sites of Vrindivan, where the Hindu god Krishna grew up, and Mathura, the site of his birth.  While I wanted to learn more about this blue god with a penchant for sweets and trickery, my Delhi Belly was playing enough tricks on me as it was, and sweets were the last thing I needed to cure my ailing tummy.
After an awful night of visits to the restroom every 15 minutes (sorry Andrew!) I groggily made my way over to the Taj Mahal. Described as "a teardrop on the face of eternity," and "the most perfect building ever constructed by man" I had some pretty lofty expectations. After passing through security, I turned a corner to catch a glimpse of a structure that has captured the imaginations of millions.

Holding the Taj Mahal

Rahul Barwani: Taj Mahal and family eater

Calligraphy on the side of the Taj, taken from passages of the Qur'an
Any time  I've seen a photo of this famous building, I've always wondered:
Whats behind the Taj Mahal? The front view of the building is the most common representation of arguably the most identifiable structure in the world, but whats on its backside?
Simply put, nothing, nothing at all. Actually, the muddy banks of the river Jahuma butt up against the Taj, providing a less than flattering compliment to the mighty structure. Inside the Taj however, another location less photographed, lay an exquisite...Well, if you'd like to know whats inside the Taj Mahal, I suggest you go find out for yourself! Photography is prohibited inside, and for good reason. Not only does the flash damage the interior, it also leaves an air of mystery. I've already told you whats behind the Taj, go find out for yourself whats inside. Trust me, its well worth it. ;)
That day, we headed back up to Delhi to catch our plane flight to Mumbai.  During the past 6 days, we logged approximately 1,304 miles, spent 50 hours in a car, and drove at an average speed of 24mph. Our slow pace could be attributed to a variety of factors, the biggest being poor road infrastructure, reckless driving that leads to accidents and delays, and traffic. Needless to say, we were all wiped by the time we finally reached Mumbai! 
Over the past week, I was constantly amazed at my two friends linguistic feats: Andrew has formally studied Hindi and can read and write. Rahul grew up speaking a mixture of Hindi, Sindi and English, but possesses great comprehension skills. Anytime we needed to decipher a sign, it went something like this: Andrew would sound it out, Rahul would look at him quizzically, think for a moment, then translate the sentence. Eventually, the meaning would be decoded and we would proceed accordingly. Meanwhile, I just stood there stupefied and impressed.
Located in the southern state of Maharashtra, Mumbai is a city of incongruities. Home to the burgeoning Bollywood scene (India's equivalent of Hollywood,) and the largest slum in Asia, Mumbai showcases the best and worst of the human condition. Yet for the first time visitor like myself, the city maintains a friendly atmosphere. Its tree lined streets and lively cityscape were a welcome change from the jam packed travel schedule of the previous week.
Marine Drive, locally known as the Queens necklace, since the string of lights resemble a pearl necklace

 First and foremost, I would like to give a big "THANK YOU!!!" to all of Rahul's family in Mumbai for making my week there comfortable, exciting and delicious.  I truly appreciate their kindness, generosity, and time they took to accommodate us. If you make it out to the US at any point, let me know so I can return the favor! You're the best!!
We were warmly welcomed by Rahul's aunt, Sunita to stay with her at her Apartment complex.   With a belly still full of Delhi, she compassionately nursed me back to health with some good ole' TLC, roti, and apples. In no time, I was all better, and ready to chow down on some incredible home cooked Indian cuisine.
Rahul, his cousin Shalini, and her daughter
Luckily for me, the next day was New Years Eve. Rahul, Andrew and I joined Rahul's cousin Shalini  her husband, and their friends for a delicious dinner. We arrived at 10pm, didn't start eating until 1am, and ended up leaving around 3:30am.  Although it wasn't wild by any means, the conversation was flowing more than the alcohol and I welcomed in the New Years with two of my oldest friends.
We celebrated our 13th New Years together as friends, and hopefully many more to come!



Sadly, Andrew had to head back to Anadur after his week-long vacation. This left Rahul and I in Mumbai for another five days. Although the next week was not nearly as busy as the previous one, we spent a fair amount of time relaxing and visiting Rahul's family. Speaking in Anthropological terms, If the first week of the trip was "Big C" culture, (as in monuments, religious sites, etc..) then the second week was definitely "Little C" culture (social interactions, family roles, etc..) In other words, I was fortunate enough to see and experience the famous sites of India while also learning about the intricacies of day to day family life as well.
I was generously adopted as part of Rahul's family for the next week, participating in family dinners, visits with Rahul's hilarious uncle Saresh, a great night out to the rock club the Blue Frog, and outings with Shalini, Rahul's cousin (who also is the doppleganger of Rahul's mom, Harsha).
Not to say we didn't do any site-seeing in Mumbai. We visited the Kanheri Caves, a series of 109 rooms that served as a Buddhist temple from the 1st century BCE to the 9th century BCE:

A Vihara, or prayer room located in Cave #5

Rahul "hanging out"

Inscriptions on the wall 
The Kanheri Caves was the center of Buddhism in ancient times in India
We also visited Elephanta Island, home to the Elephanta Caves. A group of 5 caves bulit between the 5th and 8th centuries BCE, these caves are one of the most popular tourist destinations in greater Mumbai. At times, a walk through the caves looks like a set out of Indiana Jones, minus the throngs of camera wielding tourists.
A view of the interior of Cave #1


The Trimurti
 Located across the bay from Elephanta Island is one of the most popular tourist neighborhoods in Mumbai, Colaba. Colaba is reminiscent of an English city, minus the auto-rickshaws and coconut palm trees. The district is filled with English style taxis, colonial era architecture and double-decker buses.

This isn't London, England-It's the Colaba District in Mumbai!
Other notable attractions in Colaba are the Taj Hotel and the Gateway of India. Originally built in 1903, The Taj Hotel is arguably the most famous 5 star hotel in India. Constructed in 1911, the Gateway of India was erected to greet King George V and Queen Mary's arrival to Mumbai. Here is a view from Mumbai Harbor, on the way to Elephanta Island:
 
The Taj Hotel, left side and the Gateway of India, right side. The Taj Hotel was the site of India's worst terrorist attack in 2008, perpetuated by Pakistani nationalists.
 Overall, Mumbai was a nice change from our hectic schedule. But, all good things must come to an end eventually.  On January 7th, Rahul and I headed off to our next destination, Hong Kong. Originally, I wasn't planning on going to Hong Kong. But once I realized that I had the same flight as Rahul, and I could extend my layover for free, I extended my 3 hour layover into a 6 day trip to one of the most impressive cities in the world. Stay tuned for the next update!
Until next time...