back to the grind

So I have a whole slew of unfinished posts about Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, yoga, food, and adjusting to life back in DC.  But the big news for now is that I am back to the 9-5 working life… or maybe more like 10-6… 11-7…. or whatever.  This time around I’ll be working on a project a bit different than my academic interests, namely violence prevention.  It’s a huge topic and one I’m excited to tackle.  I’m particularly excited to be working with some incredible people.

But first, the daily slog.  Sitting 8 hours a day at a computer is something I haven’t really done in over a year.  It’s not easy to adjust back to it, especially when you already have attention span issues…  (which might explain why I can never update this blog in a timely manner).

Then there’s the whole HR/taxes/benefits deal, and don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to get health insurance coverage, but the options can be bewildering.   We often made jokes about the lack of options in Mongolia, but there is something to be said for limited choice.  I mean, there’s even research out there showing that people are happier and have less stress when they have are restricted in their options.   Making choices is a somewhat bewildering and paralyzing process these days.

The commute might be the worst part, though.  I am definitely not used to crowds.  I miss the wide open spaces, even in UB, a city of over a million people.  Now, I have to push my way on to the train (and it’s the least crowded line!)  and take deep, deep breaths.   Luckily, I move to a new place next week, and I can walk to work.

A routine is nice too.  Now I can plan meals, and yoga classes, and drinks with friends, and farmer’s market trips… which doesn’t really sound all that exciting, given that the past few months involved planning flights, and hotel rooms, and spa visits….  but maybe that’s what the 9-5 does to you.

and…. back to asia

After 3 weeks back in the US, I took off for Asia once again.  This time, I’ve headed to Thailand, for 10 days of detox yoga on Koh Samui.  I’ve been to Thailand before, but the last time was 12 years ago, and I’ve never been south.  This time around, I arrived late at night at the airport, and flew out relatively early the next day, thereby bypassing Bangkok in the midst of politics and violence.

The rest of Thailand is untouched by the happenings in Bangkok, and nowhere would that be more evident than in the islands, where an entirely different Thailand resides.  Here, the main currency is tourism, and foreigners flock to the resorts, bungalows and beaches for some R & R and/or late-night partying.

Koh Samui is popular, but it’s possible to avoid much of the crowd by staying in some little retreat or hideaway tucked away from the beach.   In this case, I’m at Absolute Sanctuary, home to some great yoga and a fantastic kitchen.

I’m doing 10 days of yoga and good food, no caffeine, no alcohol, and very little of the outside life, internet not withstanding.  We have a TV, but it’s small and not really worth watching.  There’s a gorgeous pool, a nice view of the ocean, and did I mention that kitchen?

So, Day 1 consisted of some pranayama and two low-key yoga classes.  Breakfast was some amazing vegan concoction involving tofu and peppers and divine spices, plus some coconut-based yogurt and tropical fruit.  And pineapple juice with ginger.  Lunch was even more yummy, with fresh corn in a sweet potato soup, spicy papaya salad, the most amazing sauteed kale, and a wonderful coconut curry over brown rice.  I am sure dinner will be fabulous too… but before that, it’s time for my daily massage.

reverse culture shock

I’m not actually sure what that term means, but someone asked if I was experiencing it upon my return to the US.   Well.  I haven’t been gone that long.  But a lot has changed in America, most notably in politics.  There’s this whole lunatic fringe now, which I suppose might have existed before but has some how gained some sort of legitimacy.  From outside the US, Americans looks a little crazy.

And then some things haven’t changed at all.  We still eat the most disgusting foods (and too much of them), we still buy way too much stuff, we still love our professional sports players.

I did come back before tax day, so I do get to take advantage of the freebies that many places offer to “ease taxpayer woes” (because a free doughnut will go a long way for that).

Other than that, there’s really not all that different from America and the rest of the world.  Today’s headlong rush into globalization is shrinking the culture gaps, especially as American culture continues its pervasive spread overseas.  It’s really not that hard to come back and re-assimiliate…. except of course, I will definitely not be able to go to the spa nearly as often as I used to.

heart and seoul

Seoul is my city.  I could live here.  I think people do nothing but shop, eat, and hike mountains.  And work, of course. Maybe a lot more than I’d like.  But that’s just to earn money for the shopping and the eating, and the shopping required to go hiking. 

The city is plugged in and wired up, and everything is easy and comfortable and convenient.  Of everything, I think my biggest culture shock will come from trying to navigate the DC metro, after the pampering on the  Seoul subway (and I was only here for 6 days!).

The food is phenomenal.   Traditional Korean food is probably one of the world’s best cuisines, a culture that has poured its heart into the kitchen and produced some amazing culinary delights.   But modern Korean fusion is fantastic too, and the same care and vision that goes into Korean fashion and design finds its way into food too.  After a year in Mongolia, where it sometimes feels like taste is an afterthought, it’s welcoming to spend a week in a country that pampers the taste buds, along with your soul.

So of course, I ate. A lot.  And I shopped.  Not a lot, though enough.  You could spend hours exploring the cute little neighborhoods, each with their own personality, finding little stores in hideaway alleys where handmade jewelry, tea sets, and other knickknacks made by someone’s sister abound. 

I didn’t hike any mountains, though I did visit the DMZ, which deserves its own post (if only for the space required for my ramblings on foreign policy and history).   I think, as I end my travels, that I’ve hit a bit of travel fatigue.  I could continue traveling, of course, but probably can’t muster the energy to do more than eat and shop and maybe relax in the spa.  Which, really, is the perfect type of activity for Seoul.

decadence

And, in direct opposition to the previous post, here’s a little shout-out to decadence.   Brunei isn’t tops on most people’s travel lists.   It’s a small country, there’s no alcohol, and it’s a bit expensive to get to and be in.  Unless, of course, you are already in Borneo and the border lies only an hour or so away.

So to Brunei, I went.  And stayed at what is probably the nicest place I’ve ever been in.  It wasn’t phenomenol by today’s standards – I imagine most swanky hotels in Dubai would blow it away.  But for a 25-year-old hotel, it still manages to awe, and holds a charm that modern hotels have yet still to earn. 

The hotel is the Empire, and it hearkens back to a nonexistent colonial era.  It’s thoroughly European (as this American would picture it), but with a distinct Asian flare.   The service is impeccable, the decor is gold-plated and ivory, and the rooms are furnished in an outdated whimsy that somehow manages to charm, despite being distinctly unstylish.  It helps of course, that the bathroom is the size of a small apartment, the balconies face the ocean, and the pool is a lagoon, complete with white sand covering all 11000 sq m of the floor.  Stunning is an understatement.

But the sultan’s brother didn’t stop there;  the hotel also boasts several shops, 5-6 restaurants, water sports rental (for kayaking in the aforementioned lagoon), 2 private beaches, 2 lookout points, a full golf course, spa, and probably a bit more.  It’s a miniature city, and is it any wonder I never actually got to see the rest of Brunei?

Not entirely true – I did see some oil rigs, and Shell Oil-owned homes.  But the highlight, of course, is the Empire.

the ripple effect

I think until you travel, you never really know how the little things you do can have such an effect on others.   In Borneo, I got a stark reminder of that.   Do you know what palm oil is?  Most people don’t.  But it’s an ingredient found in a lot of processed food, in its refined form.  It has little nutritional value, and might even promote high levels of unhealthy of bad cholesterol.

Pure palm oil isn’t bad, of course.   It’s high in beta-carotene, and many other vitamins.  It has a high smoking point, and when sustainably harvested can be a significant source of income for small shareholder farmers. 

But since when do we (by that I tend to mean, Americans) like to leave a good thing alone?  Instead, we’ve mass-produced palm oil and turned it into a lucrative commodity, refining it down to the point where it adds a requisite texture to processed foods…. and not much in the way of nutritional value.   Not to mention, the social and environmental impact – farmers selling their valuable (to themselves and to the global community) tropical forest land for palm oil companies to grow sterile unpretty tracts of palm trees. 

The reminder is glaring in Borneo.   As you drive deeper into the rainforest, you see rows and rows of palm trees, neatly lined up and clearly artificial, devoid of life and a major disappointment for those of us who are keen to see a bit of mother nature at her most turbulently beautiful.   You see palm fruit lying on the ground.  Perfectly manicured palm fronds swaying in the breeze.  But no undergrowth.  No birds. No monkeys.  No elephants.  In sum, no jungle at all, but a massive commercial farm like you’d see in Iowa or Ohio, but with a slightly more exotic plant. 

When you do see jungle, it’s astonishing in its savage finery.  Riots of green, ropey vines, mixed vegetation, a dozen or so birdcalls, and occaisonal flashes of hands? feet? tails? trunks?  Something is visible amidst the dense growth of flora that has grown unchecked and unchanged for eons.   But sadly, this true forest is dwindling swiftly, and more and more of the jungle of Borneo (particuarly along the large rivers) is losing ground to commercial greed, for which we all share a little bit of blame.

isle of whims

Wow.  So….  2 weeks since my last post.  I have no really good excuse for that, except that things slowed down a bit (though still just as fun) once I left Sabah.   In Sarawak, I headed straight for Kuching, spent about a day in the city and then booked for the countryside.  

I ended up at a little place in a village called Santubong, right on the South China Sea.   It’s really quite astonishing to go from living in a land-locked country to seeing so much water.   I’ve pretty much spent the past 2 months near (or right on) the ocean, and I’m still overwhelmed by the vastness.   In Santubong I stayed in a cute little retreat, far away from the real world and quite idyllic.  It was the perfect getaway and soooo relaxing after running around Sabah.

Then it was off to Mulu Caves to meet my cousin.  Mulu is a World Heritage site, and while it’s something to see, it’s not quite as phenomenal as I was expecting.  Partly, it’s been built up for tourism, so you feel a bit like cattled being herded through the caves.  I realize, of course, that you can get off the beaten path (go to the Pinnacles for example), but it’s kind of a lot of effort.   And since Borneo is such an easy place to travel, and perfect for the lazy traveler, it’s a bit hard to muster the energy to attempt a trek through the jungle.  And yes, I realize how silly that sounds.  The whole point of going to Borneo is to trek through the jungle, but since when have I been the typical traveler?

So I did the spa tour of Borneo instead.  Starting in Mulu, heading to Miri, and then Bandar Seri Begawan.  The hotels are beautiful, the ocean views gorgeous, the beds enormous, the sunsets fantastic, the spas blissful.   Nothing like a scrub/soak/massage/facial extravaganza to make life goooood. 

This is the nice part of traveling (not-so-nice part:  so sick of my clothes!) – being able to change up your plans and, on a whim, check into a fancy-schmancy hotel (with a movie theatre!!) and eat nachos by an 11000 sq m pool.  

In Seoul now.   More spas.  But sadly, it’s cold.  I miss the warmth of Borneo already.