Back in 中国

Almost exactly five months ago, I flew out of China from Xiamen in Fujian province. Since then I have celebrated New Year's in Kuala Lumpur, listened to a woman in Penang talk about a frustrating experience trying to enter the US, reacted to an attack I saw in Melaka, rode a bike through the Cambodian countryside near Kampot, snacked on spiders, observed people riding motorbikes in Phnom Penh, worked while sipping on drinks at cafes in Ho Chi Minh City, soaked up the atmosphere at a temple in Taipei, considered the unexpected connections my mind made while visiting the U.S., and wondered why a woman in Seoul sat outside a mosque while holding a book written by George W. Bush. And there was much, much more.

Today, after yet another international flight I took a walk through a market.

In some ways it felt so different from the places I've been during the past five months. In some ways it felt so familiar to me. That's probably because the market is in Qingdao, Shandong province. Yes, I'm back in China (中国).

More about that soon.

Games in Seoul and Changsha

While passing through Seoul's Jongmyo Park today, I noticed a number of men playing games.

I was reminded of the park where I saw men playing games in Changsha, China. But instead of games such as xiangqi (Chinese chess), most of the men at Jongmyo Park were playing baduk (Go) and a few others were playing janggi (Korean chess). There's much else one could consider in comparing the scenes from Seoul and Changsha. And one's perspective could affect how similar or different they appear.

Lanterns in Seoul for Buddha's Birthday

Similar to some other Asian countries, South Korea celebrated Buddha's birthday this past Friday. One clear sign of the holiday I noticed was the many lanterns on display, especially at Buddhist temples. The colors, shapes, variety, and arrangement of the lanterns added another layer to the experience of walking through the temples I recently visited. To provide a small taste, I'll share a series of photos I took at the Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul.

For more lanterns in Seoul, see My Modern Met here and the Mail Online here (H/T Justin Ray).

Sitting With Bush in Front of a Korean Mosque

Today in South Korea I visited the Seoul Central Mosque. Seoul's only mosque and the neighborhood around it provide an opportunity to learn more about the lives of a group of people in South Korea numbering in only the tens of thousands--Korean Muslims.

As I was passing by the mosque a second time I noticed a woman sitting in front of the main gate.

Notably, she was holding a book in a manner which suggested she wanted passersby to notice it. I took a closer look and saw the book was none other than the English version of Decision Points, a memoir by George W. Bush.

I found this to be... curious.

So I approached the woman and asked if she had read the book. She had.

I then asked what she thought of George W. Bush. She said she respected the former president of the US because of his efforts to fight terrorism.

I waited to see if she would say more on her own. She only said that I could visit the mosque and that she occasionally walks around its grounds herself.

Since I sensed she was not entirely comfortable and I suspected a long conversation might be required to fully answer the questions now in my mind, I decided to simply wish her a good day and walked away to continue my explorations in the area.

If I have a chance, though, I might see if she's later willing to continue the conversation. I wouldn't be surprised if I could find her in the same spot with the same book on another day.

Seoulish Jujubes

I've enjoyed my fair share of tea in China, including at a mountain lake in Changsha. This afternoon, I had the pleasure of being introduced to an historic teahouse in Seoul, South Korea.



As surprising as it may seem, I didn't drink any tea. Instead, my friend suggested a jujube (red date) drink. It proved to be an excellent choice as we chatted about a variety of topics, ranging from monkeys in museums to online services in South Korea.

A good afternoon in Seoul it was.

Watching Major League Baseball in Seoul

As I walked through Namdaemun Market in Seoul, South Korea, this past Monday, I saw several men watching a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.

Notably, the starting pitcher for the Dodgers was South Korean Hyun-Jin Ryu. This is Ryu's first season playing for Major League Baseball in North America. Possibly to the disappointment of these viewers, this was not one of Ryu's finer games. He gave up 4 earned run in 6 innings and the Dodgers lost the game. Ryu now has a record of 3 wins and 2 losses for the season.

A Sign for How to Get Out of Jail

Several years ago when I arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, after a long series of flights from Shanghai, I saw a sign that evoked a set of thoughts and emotions different from those when I recently saw a sign in San Jose, California. This sign wasn't inside an elevator but instead was inside a light rail train I rode from Baltimore's airport. Here's a blurry photo of the sign:

Baltimore is certainly not the only place in the US where one can see ads for bail bonds. For example, I recently saw this set of ads conveniently placed above a urinal at a restaurant in Pensacola, Florida:

Of the six ads, two are for bail bonds.

When I used to live in Baltimore, I'm not sure I would have given as much thought to the signs. But after years of living in China, advertisements for bail bonds service struck me as remarkable. In both cases, I considered what they said about the US. On one hand, the advertisements could be seen as indicative of some positive aspects, including the guarantee that "excessive bail shall not be required", of the US legal system. On the other hand, they could also be seen as indicative of its less-than-positive aspects, including the high number of people in the US who are in jail or facing possible jail time.

I don't plan to offer any commentary about any similarities or differences in bail practices between the US and China*. I share this simply because the sign in Baltimore provided me a first impression I had not expected upon my return to the US. Also, it was one of many examples of how being outside the US for a period of time had caused me to consider what I saw in the US with a fresh or new perspective. And like the example in San Jose, it raises a host of questions about how a foreigner might react if this is one of their first impressions of the US.


*If you're interested to learn some basics about bail in China, one overview from several years ago can be found in the Op-Ed "Bail in China: A Crucial Human Right" by Jerome A. Cohen on the website for the Council on Foreign Relations.

First Impressions: A Warning in San Jose

Imagine you've been living in China for years and often wonder whether its air, food, water, or other potential sources of dangerous chemicals are having a significant negative impact on your health. But today is different because you've just arrived at the international airport in San Jose, California. It feels safer here.

Perhaps you're overjoyed to see the clear blue sky. Maybe you're eager to buy some fruits & vegetables from an organic market. Possibly you're thinking about a trip to the mountains where you'll enjoy some fresh air.

So after going through immigration and customs, you're excited to begin your time in San Jose. As you're considering what to do first, you enter an elevator in the airport. After the door closes, you notice this sign:

Some of these thoughts may now run through your mind:

• Is my health at risk?
• Why would they put up this sign instead of fixing the problem?
• If there isn't any problem, why put up this sign?
• Why wasn't this message provided before I entered the elevator?
• How quickly can I get out of here?

There are other possibilities, many of which could be more colorful. Whatever the case, your trip to San Jose has begun with a rather unexpected experience and set of emotions.

Californians might shrug off this sign. Having additional context can matter. But what would you think if this was one of the first signs you saw when visiting an unfamiliar country? What might it say about the country? What might it not say? How might it influence your perceptions of the country? How might it influence your perceptions of your own country?

More later. I'll continue this theme in the next post with another example of a sign I saw in the US.

Reconnecting With Another Unexpected Connection

Yesterday, I made another unexpected connection when I was at Seoul Plaza in Seoul, South Korea.

While there I was reminded of my visit to Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, US.

And in case you're wondering, yes, this post ends my longest non-posting period since starting this blog. The pause was partly due to having plenty on my plate* during my first visit to the US in several years. Another reason was that when my plate appeared empty, it seemed like a good time to keep it that way.

But now I'm back, both in terms of blogging and being in Asia. Although I am eager to return to the usual themes, while they are still fresh in my mind I will share some assorted thoughts about my several weeks in the US.

More soon. Really.


*This was meant figuratively, but the literal interpretation also holds true.

In the Mood for Lunch in Mississippi

Another unexpected connection during my visit to the US occurred when I stopped by Jackson, Mississippi, for lunch.

As soon as I entered the restaurant I was reminded of a restaurant far away in a much larger city. See here for an earlier post about that restaurant, Cafe de Goldfinch in Hong Kong. Although the restaurant in Jackson didn't serve Canto-Western style food and hasn't been featured in a movie by director Wong Kar Wai, it similarly could stir up feelings of nostalgia. If you're ever in Jackson, I recommend stopping by the Elite Restaurant on Capitol Street primarily for its atmosphere. The bread rolls are really good too.

Unexpected Connections

During my explorations in China and elsewhere in Asia, I found that an experience in a new location could remind me of another I had elsewhere. Sometimes it seemed obvious what caused my mind to connect them. Sometimes it was not so obvious.

Recently, as I looked out from a restaurant deck onto Mobile Bay in Spanish Fort, Alabama, US, I was unexpectedly reminded of the views of Erhai Lake around Xizhou, Yunnan province, China.

Mobile Bay

Erhai Lake

I'm not sure why it was specially Erhai Lake that came to my mind, but it seemed to be partly about my emotions as I looked across the water.

I can't say I ever expected to make a connection between Alabama and Yunnan. For me, it was a sign of why I enjoy exploring the world. It's not just about seeing something new, but changing your perpectives on the "old". More on that topic soon.

Back in a Strange Land

Since my brief visit to Taipei, I have done a bit of traveling. And far away from the Keelung River, I recently saw another river.

Nearby was some live music.

And plenty of color could be found:

I'm not in Kansas, but I am now much closer to it. I enjoyed my visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, and a walk alongside the Mississippi River.

Since arriving in the U.S. last week, I have already been in five states and more are on the way. I'm here for a variety of purposes, but it was my desire to surprise some family members that until now caused me to hold off on publicly announcing my arrival.

No, this is not going to be one of those "why I'm leaving China" posts. I have a return ticket. But in addition to the typical themes found here, during the next couple of weeks I plan to share some of my thoughts about being back in the land of the free and home of the rather large portions of food. Not only has the U.S. changed since I last set foot here almost 3 years ago, but I have changed as well. I'm curious to see what I notice, especially since my new perspective on America makes it feel all the more like Nacirema.

More soon.