Catching Up

It has been quite a while since I last posted and it has been a super busy fall.  When I was last here I had posted a few times from Southeast Asia but it was pretty difficult to post from the iPad.

I am now just going through all the photos from the trip and will be posting highlights in the coming days and weeks interspersed with crafty news as I go forward.

I did not take any crafting with me on the trip since I was limited on space in the suitcase and wanted to save some space for those cool souvenirs for the voyage back.  I have to say that it felt kind of strange to not have needles and yarn in hand for over a month, but I was able to take in some local crafts which was super awesome.

There were some interesting things that I saw on the trip that is so different from home.  For one, there was a watering station at the Taipei airport where you could fill cold or hot water for I am assuming the steeping and consumption of tea.

You can also see the regular water fountain but while I was waiting for my plane to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, no one used the regular fountain.

The other shock for me was to look across the way and only really see Asian faces.  At home, I live in a pretty good mixing pot and although I do see Asian faces, they are among many other ethnic groups - even at the Asian markets.

The other interesting thing I noticed at the airport were relaxation areas with zen gardens and big screen monitors with soothing scenes.  But the most shocking of all was the level of service on the airlines which harkens back to the days when you got full meals on the airplanes with real silverware.  I really miss that!  Even on the short hop, we all got blankets and pillows and a full meal.  

Da Nang Spa and Resort

Took a plane ride from Ho Chi Min City to Da Nang and after having a great seafood lunch, we hit our hotel for an afternoon siesta.

The hotel is a Hyatt Regency and the room is ultra modern with a great ocean view overlooking the pool deck.

The weather is a bit humid but nothing like Saigon.

From the airport, we took this dragon bridge.

Only one night here and I am kind of sad about it.  I would have liked some time to spend here.

Relaxing in Spa Like Comfort

A few days of lounging before the next tour to Vietnam at the Sofitel Hotel.  The amenities are outstanding and the room lovely.

The view from the balcony is lush.

The weather is totally tropical and it rains everyday.

Angkor Wat

The highlight of the trip to Cambodia is a visit to Angkor Wat.  The ruins were large and imposing with intricate carvings through out.  So much strife in this place that most if not all of the temples were in ruins.

Here is the view from the eastern gate.

We walked all through the temple grounds and it was very hot and humid.  I had to take a break from climbing to the top level and sat with my dad at the bottom waiting for everyone else.

Here is the most picturesque views of all 5 steeples and their reflection in the pond that does not dry out during the dry season.  There is another pond on the other side that does only have water during the wet season.

There is quite a bit of renovation being undertaken by foreign money which is good for the people here as well as preserving such historical landmarks.

Spider Market

After hanging in Phnom Penh for a day or so, we headed by car to Siem Reap.  Along the way, we made a few stops and one was the spider market.  I was not sure what I was expecting to see, but giant cooked spiders was not it.

They had other types of these delicacies, but I thought it was pretty scary.

There were a few types of beetles and some other kinds of bugs.

Needless to say, no one in our group was brave enough to try any of them.

Leaving on a Jet Plane.....

So I started my transpacific journey leaving home and a short jump to San Francisco airport.  It has been a really long time since I have flown into the airport and it is really nice.  My quest for finding the sale u-shaped donut pillows was a disappointment.

I met up Jude for a late breakfast/pie fill up and I was on my 747 in the middle of the night.

I boarded first since I was seated at the back of the plane - middle seat on the right side of the plane.  A quick meal of chicken and rice and off to sleep.  I was able to find a pillow at SFO and the sales guy was super friendly.  I also bought an eye mask.

Lots of turbulence but I was able to sleep through most of it.  After breakfast of sausage and eggs, I caught the latest Star Trek movie right before landing in Taipei.

Next leg of the trip will be the final plane right to Cambodia.

Being Lucky

I usually don't talk about topics that are controversial, but I have to touch upon that with this post.  I am fortunate that I work for the Federal Government.  I have been a civil servant for a very long time.  I am lucky that I have a great job that I enjoy with freedom to call my own schedule.  Like every job, there are challenges and sometime, I feel discouraged.

I am currently feeling very discouraged about the government shutdown.  I feel that quite a lot of people believe that the government is either a savior or evil incarnate.  I have to say that government is made up of people like me who get up every morning and put in more than a day's work doing what I can to protect the taxes that people pay into funding the government.

I understand and live with the bureaucratic hell about where money is spent and how it is spent.  People that deserve financial help are not getting it and people that can game the system are getting funds that they don't deserve.  There is a lot wrong in the world, I feel good that I do my very small part to make things better.

I have been working without pay since October 1 because elected officials can't seem to get past their differences and make things better.  I am "lucky" in that the government feels that I am so essential that I must continue to report to work.

I get that everyone has a view they like to advance, but when people are suffering either with no health care or inequality, we all need to take a breath and advance the conversation instead of acting like it is "my way or the highway."

Something that I learned when I was a kid is that you are never going to be perfectly happy because someone else can't also be perfectly happy at the same time.  This is called compromise.  It is not throwing a tantrum and hurting people.

I had planned a vacation with my family and it took some convincing for my office to let me go.  I will be tied to my office because I still have to take phone calls and answer e-mails while I am gone.  Now because of the shutdown, I can't use my saved vacation time to go on vacation.  So now I have to figure that I will not be paid for my vacation.

I am also lucky in that my parents taught me to plan for a rainy day and not live beyond my means.  I have savings to cover me while I am not receiving a paycheck.  I am also extremely lucky in that my parents are in a good financial place and if I get into the weeds, I can always go to the bank of mom and dad for a loan.

I can admit that I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal.  I hope that there are more people like me than not and I hope that we can advanced the conversation and fix what we don't like as time goes by instead of stamping our feet and saying "no" to everything we don't like.

I have just checked in on my flight and am super lucky that I am in the "A" group.  I just love that!