Shaking Hands in Singapore

On my vacation to Singapore, when i was at the beautiful Gardens By The Bay. I met a man and we were talking about the beautiful rare plants. He was telling me really cool information like there they have more than a quarter of a million plants there, and that you can see an amazing peaceful view of the Marina Bay. Then i had to go back to the hotel because it was getting late and i said goodbye and shook his hand because it was my last day there and my flight was the next day. when i was shaking his hand i was trying to look him in the eye but he was looking down. So i was thinking what was he doing? Then he looked up and saw me looking at him and not down. But he didn't get mad at me because i think he knew i was a tourist visiting there, and i didn't know better. Then he told me that "next time i come to Singapore, look at the floor because it is disrespectful if you try to look them in the eye Know i know that next time im in Singapore to not look in someone in the eye and basically bow my head at the ground.

While  in  Hong  Kong , for  the  first  time  I  decided  to  try  out  this  new  restaurant  I  heard  all  about called  Amber. As  I  entered  the  amazing  restaurant  that  was  hanging  with  crystal  chandlers  dangling from  the  ceiling , we  started  with  our  courses  one  being  the  magnificent  salad  that  was  delivered to  our  table  served  with  fresh  bright  starerry's, big  juicy  blue  berry's  and  a  mouth  tingling  dressing. Just  as  we  were  getting our  second  course  I  looked  into  the  servers  forest  green  eyes  to  order  my  food  and  he  nearly  dropped  his  platter.After  we  made  eye  contact  he looked  away  with  in  less than  5 seconds. I  kept  on  wondering  what  I  done  wrong  to  cause  a  reaction  that  big. I  finally  realized what  it was  I  had  looked  him  in  the eye at a dinner function. In  the  Chinese  culture  at  a   family  function  you  are  not  supposed  to  look  at  the  person  in   the  eye  only  under  eye  level. My  face  slowly  but  surely  started  to  become  red  as a  tomato. Just  as  the  waiter  got  silent , so  did  the  rest  of  the  restaurant. I  felt  the  ice  cold  air  fly  through  the  air. The  vibe  I  had  gotten  was  as  blank  as  the  night  sky  with  no  stars. Next  time  I  go  to  Hong   Kong  I  will  make  sure  i  never  look  someone  directly  in  the  eye  at  a  family  function.

Bow Don't Shake at the Shanghai Museum

Waking up at the hotel, I was really looking forward to my day at the Shanghai Museum.  I had booked a guide to pick me up and as I ate my typical, Chinese breakfast of steamy, sticky rice and fish and fragrant, green tea I wondered what my guide would be like.  I hoped he wouldn't be some boring, old guy with just a lot of dull museum facts, but someone my age that I could have a good laugh with.  I need not have worried, the smiling, young dude who picked me up on his little scooter and and whisked me off to the museum could not have been nicer.  When we got to the large, round museum that looks like an old, Chinese cooking pot, we saw dozens of tourists and their guides parking their scooters or jumping out of taxis for an informative day of sightseeing.  As we went through the doors we passed giant, stone lions with expressions so fierce I almost expected them to reach out and tear me to pieces!  Inside the main lobby I saw open floors with signs pointing to many hallways going this way and that like "Ceramics," "Paintings," and "Sculptures" with that echoey sound that you only hear in massive buildings.  My guide and I had a great day!  His English was really good and he pointed out cool facts like how China was the first country to invent ice-cream and that's why there are so many ice-cream shops in China.  We had such a good day and I was still chattering away as weaved in and out of rush hour traffic on his speedy scooter.                  
My guide pulled in front of my hotel and here is where I made my fatal mistake.  Instead of bowing down and thanking my host for the wonderful day, I excitedly thrust out my hand.  He looked at me like I was offering him a dead fish or something and the look of disgust on his face was like he was smelling a three week old dead fish!  Lucky for me the Chinese are so polite that my guide quickly composted himself, bowed deeply, turned and walked away.  I felt like I just wrecked our whole day!

Bali Humiliation

On my third day in Bali, Indonesia, I found myself in a very..uncomfortable situation. We had gone to visit the Tanah lot temple, found on a beautiful beach, although crowded luxurious and calming. My sister and I decided we should do something prior to the rip-roaring spectacular night show we had heard so much about. But, we had a little of a mishap.. As we walked along the white soft sand listening to the crashing waves. I sat down and crossed my legs at my ankle, just as i usually did in the comfort of my own home. But, everybody seemed to give me this look of.. embarrassment? Astonishment? At the moment i was unsure but I quickly realized as to what it was I called our friend, Valerie who had come along with us. She gave me this look of mortification, not for herself but for me, she quickly grabbed my arm. She quickly explained that the look they had given me was embarrassment towards me, suddenly a sickness rolled through my body in utter humiliation. In Bali it is rude to cross your legs at the ankle, yet it is okay in order to cross them at the knee. Also, you should not wave at someone but, call them over with your thumb. I will never! commit the same error again and I will make sure to remind anyone else who may go in order to avoid my same mistake.

My exciting trip to South Korea (:

At the Demilitarized zone DMZ in South Korea, I was taking a tour on this campus. When I arrived there was a lady guard. So when I seen her I put my hand up to her asking for a handshake like any normal person would do in America. In South Korea it is disrespectful for a women to shake hands with a man. All the other guards looked at me like I said something about there mother. Thats how mad and dissapointed they were because I tried to shake a womens hand. I could tell by there tone of voice that they were saying insulting things about me in there language. I should have waved to the lady instead. I felt angry that all the other guards got mad at me because they act like I was suppose to know there special ways of greeting each other. This all happened in the front gates of the DMZ. The DMZ is the border between South and North Korea. I heard the guards boots and the rocks on the ground rubbing together every time one of the guards took a step. I smelt the scent of the pine trees on the side of the DMZ. I fell the rocks on the ground poking the bottom of my new creative recreations. I tasted the smell of the pine trees. I could smell the anger the guards had toward me for trying to shake a womens hand. I felt the blood shot eyes of the guards staring at me.

Welcome to our travel blog page!

Pompeii, Italy (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Rand)

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Travel Blog Assignment

Assignment:
You are a travel writer blogging for nationalgeographic.com.  Imagine you are on the trip you planned to your Asia country and you come in contact with a specific rule of etiquette.  Make up a scenario that involves this rule of etiquette and explain how you or the people around you responded to it.

You must do the following:

1. Describe the rule very clearly and explain how you or other foreigners on your trip responded  (appropriately, inappropriately, embarrassingly, funnily, whatever…). 
2. Write in the first person, and use past tense.  You may use contractions
3. Describe the landscape or building where the scenario takes place.  Use show-not-telling writing (appeal to one or more of the five senses…remember how the writer of the article we read appealed to the sense of hearing?).  Use your notes from Geography.
4. Pay attention to the connotation of the words you choose. 
5. Make an observation about how this rule of etiquette is different or similar to a tradition or rule of etiquette in our culture.
6. This is not a short story.  It is merely an observation that includes description.  It should sound like the one we modeled in class.
7. Honors:  you must use two similes.  College prep, you may use similes if you like, but it is not a requirement.
8. College Prep must write 150-200.  Honors must write 250-300 words.

K'La's blog in Hong Kong

I spent my winter break in Hong Kong visiting my pen pal Xiu Juan in Wong Tai Sin District.We went sight seeing with her family we saw the Wong Cho Ping it's like the Washington Monument in America. But oh was it cold it was ice cold so cold my nose was dripping and I thought it was going to become snot sickels,it was colder than Ohio on Christmas morn. Than we went to go eat at some place called Yung Kee Restaurant in Wellington Street Central. Xiu had Poon Choi and I had Cha Chaan Teng wow...I didn't pay attention to no one elses food beacuase it was so great it had my mouth savoring every taste of the food like i didnt have another chance to eat it. If you smelled that food yummy yummy in your tummy. But the down side was the smell of the streets ew it smelled like grass and sewear bad combination. I was tring to have some peaceful time...some time to myself but all I heared was people screaming into there cell phones, other people pounding on the pavement,cars yelling at one another wow when you want some peaceful time to yourselves its impossible. Finally we got to go home I was spending the night at Xiu's house (yay) and as soon as I walked into her house they stared at me like I had some beared upon my face Xiu motioned me back to the door and talked to me and told me that its rude to walk into a home without taking off your shoes at the door and greeting the oldest of the house. I felt so embarressed my face turned cherry red I took off my shoes and I said "hello" to her father. They all laughed while they showed me around the house and went to bed.

My Bali Booboo

As I went on my daily shopping trip in Tenganan Village, I smelled fruit as fresh as a new morning, and heard the day to day chatter in the marketplace. I picked up a few things, and not knowing the shopkeepers name, I pointed at him and then at my merchandise, curious of the price. He looked at me with disgust and clear signs of horror. I decided to move on, not knowing that I had just made my first horrible mistake of the morning. Walking along the busy market street, I looked at all the different fruits and vegetables on display in small carts. As I continued browsing, I saw a small child to my left fall down. Concerned for his saftey, I went over to help him up. Once I saw that he was alright, I patted him on the head, gently feeling his head for a bump. As a young woman rushed forward, i heard a loud gasp, and as abruptly as a train crash, the whole street was staring. I could feel their eyes on me, and hear their rude whispers. After I was able to make out what they were saying, I realized that it was a great insult to pat anyone, especially a child on the head. I felt so ashamed that I quickly left my items and went back to my hotel. Still feeling their eyes on my back.

A Whoopsies in Bangkok Thailand

I was out and about look for a newly found snack i approached a little rattly street cat that was quite sketchy and as I beckoned for attention i was stared down upon by many. I forgot In Bangkok you must wait to be noticed or clear your thought to be asked or to have attention brought to you. I was soo embarrassed and ashamed of my self i briskly walked many blocks down the street to find what i was looking for. This time as i walked up to a better well placed cart that seemed to have a more booming business and more of an appealing apatite i waited my turn and waited to be noticed so i would not feel the shame i did once feel just a few moments ago. I did enjoy the amazing new snack.That was my Egregious experience in Bangkok.