Introduction:
Hello readers,
Last winter, I took you to 'la belle France' where you were given an inside look into the daily life on the French countryside. The journey began on the west coast and ended in Paris. In the summer of the same year, I took you on a trip around China; it was well over 3000KM of traveling through Shanghai, Hangzhou, Putian (where I grew up), Beijing, and Xi'an, plus many small "towns" in between.
This winter, I wrote a mini-log on my travels to Cuba. There wasn't a lot of writing because I was on vacation! Summer of 2010, starting tomorrow, I'll spend majority of it in South Africa. Here I will explain my trip.
May 12: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I'll spend a night here, no, not in that hotel. Hope to take some good pictures there. Most of it will be night scene, so I dont know how they'll turn out.
May 15: Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is rated one of the most beautiful places in the world. I'm there to volunteer on an eco-construction project on the outskirts of Cape Town. Not really a civil engineer, but I do hope to contribute my creativity and problem solving skills. I work 5 days a week, with weekends off to spend in the city.
During the week, I'll be staying at a volunteer guest house with other international volunteers. As stated in the information package I received, there is no internet access there for volunteers. My ToSHITba laptop is still under repair; I won't have it for this trip. I'll be logging throughout my trip, but as to when they will be uploaded is uncertain.
World Cups of Soccer will take place during my stay; I hope to catch a game or two if I find some money on the ground or be a bit conservative with my spending. One of the ideas I'm chewing on is to go to the Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Invictus anyone?
The themes of this travel log will be the 'usual', consisting a bit of everything (like the France version). I do, however, feel that this one is going to have a bit more emphasis on work, economy, government, African traditions...)
Hopefully you liked my previous photography. For its size and portability, on this trip, I'll be using my Olympus point-n-shoot'er. Its quality will be lower than the Nikon D60 (used in China, Cuba), but I'm going to make the best of it.
On the way back, I'll once again go through Dubai, then to New York (which.....), then to Toronto.
Alrighty, good bye Canada! See you in 10 weeks!
Feel free to email/facebook message me for gift request or simply to say 'hi' ;)
P.S. Verse 1 will be written on the airplane. I have 12h50m to write it.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Fragile, handle with care...maybe not too much ;)
This thing called life can be pretty fragile.
A week ago I was moving heaven and earth to pack my life into a few boxes, but this week, I have trouble putting on a t-shirt each morning ever since I torn my shoulder ligament from a little accident.
In a few days, I'll be waking up in South Africa, a place so foreign, on a continent so far away. Being the country with highest population with HIV and Tuberculosis certainly doesn't make my doctor letting me off to my summer adventure that easily. Her pre-departure preparation for me includes 5 vaccine shot and pages and pages of "Do's and Don'ts".
At an age when I feel invincible, I am never used to calculate the risks I'm taking. But something about this trip worries me a little bit. When I was making my summer plans, I made it in a way that I will volunteer during the weekdays with weekends off on to wander the alleys of Cape Town and surrounding areas (obviously sounds like a plan I'd make) Something about these 'weekends' concern me; I don't know whether it's the deadly diseases, or the high crime-rate, or the fact that I don't know anyone there or all of these combined. 10 weeks will go by quickly, or too quickly, or not quickly enough, and then I will be on a flight that flies from UAE to New York, and then from New York to Toronto. All these little things are discouraging from going on this journey. But look on the bright side, the recent terrorist attack involving airplane failed miserably ;)
I think I'm starting to sound paranoid, maybe I am.
But I bet it's this shoulder injury! It's making me feel vulnerable because I can't physically defend myself!
Pie, oh Pie, what is the life of Pie without the risks and adventures?!
As soon as my shoulder heals, I'll be back doing the wild things ;)
's gonna be awesome, mark my words ;)
A week ago I was moving heaven and earth to pack my life into a few boxes, but this week, I have trouble putting on a t-shirt each morning ever since I torn my shoulder ligament from a little accident.
In a few days, I'll be waking up in South Africa, a place so foreign, on a continent so far away. Being the country with highest population with HIV and Tuberculosis certainly doesn't make my doctor letting me off to my summer adventure that easily. Her pre-departure preparation for me includes 5 vaccine shot and pages and pages of "Do's and Don'ts".
At an age when I feel invincible, I am never used to calculate the risks I'm taking. But something about this trip worries me a little bit. When I was making my summer plans, I made it in a way that I will volunteer during the weekdays with weekends off on to wander the alleys of Cape Town and surrounding areas (obviously sounds like a plan I'd make) Something about these 'weekends' concern me; I don't know whether it's the deadly diseases, or the high crime-rate, or the fact that I don't know anyone there or all of these combined. 10 weeks will go by quickly, or too quickly, or not quickly enough, and then I will be on a flight that flies from UAE to New York, and then from New York to Toronto. All these little things are discouraging from going on this journey. But look on the bright side, the recent terrorist attack involving airplane failed miserably ;)
I think I'm starting to sound paranoid, maybe I am.
But I bet it's this shoulder injury! It's making me feel vulnerable because I can't physically defend myself!
Pie, oh Pie, what is the life of Pie without the risks and adventures?!
As soon as my shoulder heals, I'll be back doing the wild things ;)
's gonna be awesome, mark my words ;)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
High School, College, a Year Later
I was told by my teachers "high school is the best time of your life"; if that is so, then teachers must be living their "best time", after all, they're still in high school ;)
Clearly from my experience as a college Freshman, people who think "high school" is the best time of your life never went to college. Here, I'm going to reveal to you the differences.
Academics
High school academics is a joke. Look at the limited number of courses you have, especially if you went to a non-private Ontario high school. In high school, I took almost every course there is to take, and still didn't learn much. Remember getting 98 and 99s on your report card? That's because your classmates are dumb (on average) and you are smarter...or your teacher likes you. Obviously you decide to go to college to have a better future, harder academic is expected.
Teachers
Unless you had a super tough, awesome, cool teacher, whatever you learned from him/her, you'll unlearn, and re-learn in college, except this time, you learn it the right way from Professors who really know what they're talking about. Ever had one of those dumb teachers who's not as smart as you? Doesn't happen in college (or very very very VERY rarely).
Homework
Ya gotta do them homeworks in high school yo! What-a-lie! I remember getting away with a 98 without doing much homework...and that when I was in Gr. 10! Then...Calculus II came, and blew everyone out of the cold water. Homework homework homework, not only you have to do them, sometimes you gotta do them twice. Remember the essay extension you had in English class? You're lucky if the Professor accepts your paper 2-hours after the deadline (you usually will get lucky). However, the machine is much colder, senseless. One time I submitted my Physics assignment 2 minutes late, I got a zero.
Projects/Labs
Bigger, funner, more dangerous than whatever you did in high school. You may now blow up stuff in chem labs. Your TA will laugh and high-five you instead of giving you the "OMG, you are a duchebag, report to the principal's office immediately" look... ya know what I'm talkin' a-boot.
Campus
High schools are just ugly compared to university, especially a pretty one like McGill, but Waterloo or U of G on the other hand..... Instead of having a bell to tell you when to go to classes, there's a silent alarm clock in college. Lectures end on a high-note; when you are on the edge of your seat to find out what the professor is going to say next, Professor dismisses the class, never will you EVER have to hold your binders and wait at the door for the bell to ring.
P.S. I love walking around on campus, I get to be outside and enjoy the brief outdoor. Bonus point if your campus is pretty. I remember walking in the high school hall ways; people walk WAYYYYYYY TOOOOOO SLOWWWWW. Whatever, that is not a problem anymore.
Friendship
Can you even make many real friends in high school? Probably a few real ones. It is after college, an only recently, I realized who my real friends were in high school. Most of the time high schoolers "hang-out" in a clique. You may not like everyone in your clique, but for social purposes, you gotta be there and pretend you like them. You have different dreams and passion, but still you hang out together because you're in the same group. In college, no one has to "fake" it. There are too many awesome people to hang around, if you dont like someone, exclude him/her out of your life. Because of the diversity and population, you'll find many people who you truly like to spend time with.
Parties
I laugh at those high school parties. Somehow, high schoolers find it "so cool!" to have a picture taken with a beer in hand. If you think high school parties are good....wait 'till college. And if you think college parties are good....wait 'till you go to a McGill Party - it makes college parties, and subsequently, high school parties look like your five year-old cousin's half-birthday party ;)
Nightlife
Nightlife doesn't exist in high school, and therefore will not be discussed here.
Relationship
Most of high school relationships, much like friendship, are for social purposes only. Real relationships take place in college (excluding long-distance, because that's just a 5D engagement). Unlike in high school, one has a lot more freedom to keep a healthy loving relationship.
Love
It is not so naive as it is in high school, but still with its dreams and "what if's". It makes us to crazy things, illogical, unexplainable. It gives us emotions and feelings that occupy much of the spaces in the mind and the heart - it wonders yonder, and grows fonder.
Clearly from my experience as a college Freshman, people who think "high school" is the best time of your life never went to college. Here, I'm going to reveal to you the differences.
Academics
High school academics is a joke. Look at the limited number of courses you have, especially if you went to a non-private Ontario high school. In high school, I took almost every course there is to take, and still didn't learn much. Remember getting 98 and 99s on your report card? That's because your classmates are dumb (on average) and you are smarter...or your teacher likes you. Obviously you decide to go to college to have a better future, harder academic is expected.
Teachers
Unless you had a super tough, awesome, cool teacher, whatever you learned from him/her, you'll unlearn, and re-learn in college, except this time, you learn it the right way from Professors who really know what they're talking about. Ever had one of those dumb teachers who's not as smart as you? Doesn't happen in college (or very very very VERY rarely).
Homework
Ya gotta do them homeworks in high school yo! What-a-lie! I remember getting away with a 98 without doing much homework...and that when I was in Gr. 10! Then...Calculus II came, and blew everyone out of the cold water. Homework homework homework, not only you have to do them, sometimes you gotta do them twice. Remember the essay extension you had in English class? You're lucky if the Professor accepts your paper 2-hours after the deadline (you usually will get lucky). However, the machine is much colder, senseless. One time I submitted my Physics assignment 2 minutes late, I got a zero.
Projects/Labs
Bigger, funner, more dangerous than whatever you did in high school. You may now blow up stuff in chem labs. Your TA will laugh and high-five you instead of giving you the "OMG, you are a duchebag, report to the principal's office immediately" look... ya know what I'm talkin' a-boot.
Campus
High schools are just ugly compared to university, especially a pretty one like McGill, but Waterloo or U of G on the other hand..... Instead of having a bell to tell you when to go to classes, there's a silent alarm clock in college. Lectures end on a high-note; when you are on the edge of your seat to find out what the professor is going to say next, Professor dismisses the class, never will you EVER have to hold your binders and wait at the door for the bell to ring.
P.S. I love walking around on campus, I get to be outside and enjoy the brief outdoor. Bonus point if your campus is pretty. I remember walking in the high school hall ways; people walk WAYYYYYYY TOOOOOO SLOWWWWW. Whatever, that is not a problem anymore.
Friendship
Can you even make many real friends in high school? Probably a few real ones. It is after college, an only recently, I realized who my real friends were in high school. Most of the time high schoolers "hang-out" in a clique. You may not like everyone in your clique, but for social purposes, you gotta be there and pretend you like them. You have different dreams and passion, but still you hang out together because you're in the same group. In college, no one has to "fake" it. There are too many awesome people to hang around, if you dont like someone, exclude him/her out of your life. Because of the diversity and population, you'll find many people who you truly like to spend time with.
Parties
I laugh at those high school parties. Somehow, high schoolers find it "so cool!" to have a picture taken with a beer in hand. If you think high school parties are good....wait 'till college. And if you think college parties are good....wait 'till you go to a McGill Party - it makes college parties, and subsequently, high school parties look like your five year-old cousin's half-birthday party ;)
Nightlife
Nightlife doesn't exist in high school, and therefore will not be discussed here.
Relationship
Most of high school relationships, much like friendship, are for social purposes only. Real relationships take place in college (excluding long-distance, because that's just a 5D engagement). Unlike in high school, one has a lot more freedom to keep a healthy loving relationship.
Love
It is not so naive as it is in high school, but still with its dreams and "what if's". It makes us to crazy things, illogical, unexplainable. It gives us emotions and feelings that occupy much of the spaces in the mind and the heart - it wonders yonder, and grows fonder.
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