2018 A Year in Numbers

Jan 14, 2018 - First event
Nov 6, 2018 - Last event
Here is how it all went down in between those two dates. 
Oh, and 30 states visited of which only 8 states were only driven through. 

2019 A Year in Numbers...

and counting...

Updated 12/22/19

First trip January 19, 2019

Classes taught - 97

Miles driven to and from destinations (travel upon arrival not calculated) – 15,242 miles

Miles flown – 41,561 miles

Miles by train or bus - 705 miles

Hotels nights – 70

Nights spent by the grace of friends and family – 55

Nights spent in the car - 4

Hikes taken - 15

Countries visited – 4, Canada, India, Nepal, Japan

States visited (stopped and did more than just have a meal) – 24, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, PA, NY, NV, TX, MO, NM, MT, MN, WI, UT, VA, WI, IL, MA, OH, TN, NC, WA

States driven through – 13, NY, PA, DE, MD, UT, ND, IN, ID, WY, WV, IN, KY, SC

Last trip completed - December 20, 2019 

2020 A Year in Numbers...

and so it begins...

Updated 2/19/20

First trip January 8, 2020

Classes taught - 9

Number of events - 4

Miles driven to and from destinations (travel upon arrival not calculated) – 1,899 miles

Miles flown –  3,660miles

Hotels nights – 14

Nights spent by the grace of friends and family – 7

Nights spent in the car - 0

Hikes taken - 1

Countries visited – 0

States visited (stopped and did more than just have a meal) – 3 PA, AZ, TN

States driven through – 1, KY

Last trip completed -  2/18/20

Asia 2012

Since I have been back everyone has asked how the trip was and I hesitate to answer. I am not sure I have a good answer to that. I don't want to complain because I would seem ungrateful. I don't want to overstate because it might be a little gauche. My verdict is sort of out. What I can say is:

We went to so many different places because I travel in fear of never having the opportunity to go back. I treat my travels as once in a life time experiences that I hope one day I will have the luxury of repeating. It is a blessing to be able to travel and to travel as well as we have. But we have worked so hard to earn the points that has afforded us with so many wonderful trips. That said...
Bangkok was a hot, weird trip . We got to see some really great monuments with enough time to look around to imagine the history of where we were. But yet, we were rushed from location to location (because of the weird driver we had) I don't think I ever truly got to appreciate the things that we were looking at, at the time it was happening.

Bangkok was overall not what I expected. It was a lot more congested than I imagined. Not only with the people but all the monuments. It was crazy how many there were and the proximity from one to another.

Khao Lak was exactly what we wanted, a quiet resort away from the crowds of tourists in Phuket. This is where I was most conflicted on my trip. I love the solitude and did not like it when people showed up at the pool (it only happened once), but yet I always felt like there was something missing. The resort was away from "action" of the city and access to the city was not convenient, which made me feel uneasy. I liked being able to walk across the street to get the things I wanted or to go on an adventure at a whim. Or if we were in the states we always have a car. I brought a book, but it was awful. The walks on the beach were nice but got old...quickly. I think it was because I did not bring a camera on one walk and did not bring a pale on the other walk.

For the next resort trip, there will be much consideration and re-thinking how I would want to do it.

Chiang Mai, I don't know if I had expectations for this portion of the trip. All I know is that I wanted to take a class in jewelry making to expand my skills and I was able to meet that goal and in a way that I had hoped for but not expected. This would be the highlight of the my trip.

In Chiang Mai I was able to find a source for silver beads as I had hoped for, but by then I was had already given up on shopping. So I shopped out of obligation to myself.

Chiang Mai will also be the place where I made connections with people that I will carry with me for a long time. For this I am grateful and excited for the future. My memories of this enchanted place will be warm.

By the middle of the trip I was shopped out and I think I had only spent $50. I think at this point I have shopped so much in Asia on my other trips that there was nothing more I really wanted to buy. It was all looking the same. In our daily lives we are no longer accumulating "stuff" so it was hard to buy anything. The fact that it was hard to find a bargain did not help either. And for whatever reason was a little stymied by, well, all of it. I could not make a decision to save my life. Not sure why, but there it was. I was convinced that when I saw that awesome something I would buy it, that never really happened. Much of what I saw I could buy in the US so I gave up.

Throughout the trip we were blessed with "good" weather. We were only caught in the rain a couple of times, while all other times, when it rained, we were conveniently already traveling in a car or inside. The daily threat of rain was to our advantage as it imposed a lot of appreciated breezes and relief from the heat. (Which we NEVER had in Dubai.) This threat of rain also created an overcast of clouds, thank goodness! So for the most part we were lucky!

In conclusion Andy and I both got to see and do things that were unexpected; and our lives are fuller because of these experiences. For that I am happy we went to Thailand. Our experiences in Northern Thailand were so rich that I am anxious to go back to explore the things we did not get to do. I think my wanting to make the most of our time created a sense of urgency that sort of took away from trip. But without it, we would have never seen and done as much as we did.

Returning to the states after almost 3 weeks was a shock to our system and our wallets. It has taken almost 2 weeks for our bodies to get used to eating American food again. But the idea of paying $2 for a bottle of water, this will take a little longer.
Was it a good trip? You decide...

Japan

Long uneventful ride brought us to Japan. First impression, There are a lot of convenience stores.

Our hotel room was amazingly smaller than the Hong Kong one, but the bathroom was bigger. Yes, that is suppose to be a double bed.

Suffering from jet lag, the morning came very quickly so we headed to the fish market, which was on every top 10 things to do in Tokyo list. The market was a complex matrix of seafood stalls, groceries and restaurants. I didn't think I would see the day that Andy would agree to have sushi at 11am, but we did have breakfast at about 6:30am. Can't say we completely enjoyed it. (see food blog below for more details.)

Hotel room or closet?

We ventured to the subway and navigated through a simple system that well, did not take us where we wanted to go. (Was misguided on the map.) So we hailed a cab to take us to our final destination, the Meiji Shrine. What a beautiful setting in the middle of such a metropolis. I could not help but imagine all of the trees that used to be in this area before the concrete jungle started to take over.

The caretaking of this facility was amazing. But as the trip continued, this would be a standard everywhere we went. We were so impressed with how clean it was everywhere we went. Even the markets were clean. The strangest thing was how difficult it was to find a trash can. But yet, there was never trash on the ground. When there was a trash can, it was divided for recycling. Amazingly enough, if you inspected the bins, you would find that they were actually orderly. (yes, I looked inside of several!) You know that if it was the US, there would be garbage in the plastic bin and plastic in the paper bin.

And smoking? Asians are notorious smokers, but we never had smoke in our face. (Unlike Italy, where it was everywhere.) Even on the streets, there were designated smoking areas. And the sidewalks had "no smoking" painted on it. And people actually followed the rules. This was so right it almost felt wrong.

The Japanese mostly were considerate people. I observed every taxi driver checking the car seat for things we may have left behind. When asking a stranger for directions, they would walk you there, even though it was out of their way AND share their umbrella when it was raining and sacrifice themselves. (Why do I get the feeling that they walk through tourist areas with their heads down, thinking, "oh please don't ask me, oh please, oh please don't ask me, I really have to go somewhere...") It almost felt like they were under some obligation to help any wondering tourist. Even a little boy on the train scooted over and offered me the seat next him. He was about 9 and was traveling alone...there was not adult telling him what to do!

The housekeeper in the morning saw me carrying the communal iron and board back to its storage in the hall; very quickly grabbed it from my hands and made an apologetic noise. Oh the shock of a guest having to put something away. The chef at tempura restaurant saw Andy pull out a pill and quickly ordered a glass of water for him.

Overall Japan was a great place to visit. There were many places that we found amazing but we were more impressed with the people and the society. Much like Dubai, the people were generous, kind and considerate. We never felt like we were imposing nor did we ever get the feeling that we might be taken advantage of as tourists. No one rolled their eyes when we could not communicate our needs, instead they found a way to help. The politeness that is infamous in Japan was apparent everywhere we went. There was not a place that you could get away from it, even at the McDonalds. Despite the modernist of Japan there were many aspects of the Japanese culture that will always be a standard. We will probably never go back to Japan because of the expense, but if we every do we would head outside of the city.

Thailand

With such a busy work schedule we did good just to book our hotels before we left. So we took a few hours on the last day in Japan to plan our Thailand trip. Yes, we really waited to the last minute, but you gotta do what you gotta do. With a plan in hand we headed to the airport and we were off to Bangkok.

On the ride from the airport to the hotel I felt like I was in Vietnam again. The sites felt very familiar.

After spying the breakfast buffet at the hotel (clearly made for tourists) I felt that it would be best to find something more local. So I took a walkabout around the neighborhood of our hotel on our first morning to look for breakfast. The first thing I found were warm, crispy cups of coconut pudding (for lack of a better description). They were amazing.

The neighborhood we were in was definitely for tourists. Hookah bars, massage parlors, restaurants advertising Pad Thai noodles, tour offices and laundry services. It was obvious we had to leave the area to find better.

After the hardship of getting around in Tokyo we decided to investigate hiring a driver. Our first taxi driver was young and humorous so we negotiated a fee and hired him on. We told him to take us to a place that he liked for breakfast, but somehow we never made it there. The first place he took us to was a commercial restaurant which turned out to be closed. To kill time, he took us to the marble temple. It was amazing.

The marble temple was a prime example of exactly what I wanted to see in Thailand. The traditional architecture was amazing. I could not help but be in awe of the magnificent of the structures. There was so much detail to everything. Nothing was well enough alone. There was always more to the more. I was so excited for the rest of the trip to unfold.

There are absolutely no pictures in the world that could ever convey how magnificent this statue really is. Nothing can truly prepare you for the overwhelming feeling that you get when walk into this temple. Of all the things we saw in Thailand this was by far the most impressive. I had no idea that I was capable of being that impressed.
I was so caught up in the scramble of people who were there trying eek their way in that was completely caught off guard. Between worrying about taking off our shoes and being considerate of others I suddenly found myself inside the temple. And there it was. OMG. The words "holy shit" actually came out of my mouth...oops. Not good in a place of worship.

Day 5

This morning we left the craziness of Bangkok and headed to the beach. The flight to Phuket was yet another cultural experience. It was much like the flight to Disney, except with less white people. It became clear that everyone was going to the beach and could not wait to get there as they all clamored around the gate though their number was not up. I hate that. The extra $10 we paid for a premium seat not only gave us little extra leg room (3") but allowed on the plane first which meant that we were not fighting off the hoards of people. It was interesting to watch the people who pushed to get on the plane first, claim seats that did not belong to them, then get booted from those seats. hmmm. Imagine that.

We were greeted at the airport by the nicest mini van to date on the trip, making for a nice 1 hour ride to the hotel. The driver was in a very, shall we say, hurry? Wow. I don't know why I was ok with this guy passing around curves on two lane roads. Maybe I have become used to crazy Asian drivers. I do know that had we been in the states I would not have been laughing.

OMG, the resort is amazing. Pictures can not describe how nice this place was. We were greeted with cold pineapple juice and frozen towels rolled into a ball. I wondered if they would bring those to the pool regularly. We shall see. We were immediately invited to sit down in the lobby to enjoy our drink as the receptionist brought the check-in to us. After which we were taken to our room along the way given a short tour of the property. We learned that the resort had only been open one day after a 1 month hiatus. With only 75 rooms available, they had 7 rooms booked. yeah, we had the whole place to ourselves.

There was virtually no one on the beach or at the pool, and as nice as it is, it has left me wondering if I really liked this. The quietness is a little eerie and there is a bit of guilt that has also played in my head. All of these people are here for just about 20 people.

We settled into our room quickly and headed to the beach which lasted about 30 minutes. Waves too rough for Andy so we headed to pool. I think I lasted about an hour. I was already bored. So I headed to the front desk to figure out some activities for the rest of the week.

We chose not to go to Phuket because there would be too many people and opted for a location that was a little out of the way looking for less of a crowd and quietness. We surely got that and now I am starting to wonder if it was the right decision. The lack of action has already gotten to me. hmmm. What the hell am I suppose to do with myself?... I think we had been here 3 hours.

This is a family owned resort employing the family including the cousins. You would have never known that it was anything less than a corporate owned hotel. The knowledge that it is family owned made us feel really good about our choice. The resort was opened its doors 10 days before the tsunami hit. Holy cow. Luckily, they built the buildings according to the tsunami standards and it survived. After a few days of walking the shoreline, it was evident that it was the only resort to survive on the strip. And to date, only one was being rebuilt but won't even be open until 2013.

Day 6

Dear Gaahhhd, has it really only been SIX days??? It feels like a lifetime ago when we left. Not sure what I am going to do with myself for another 10 days of this. Argh. Nothing another massage won't fix.

Morning massages outdoors do not suck. Being in the low season means that there is only one therapist on staff and thus no couples massage. Life is hard. This therapist was better than the last. She understood a little better on how to assess problems areas but only knew one technique. I like my massages in China better. But not complaining.

More coconut shakes and another massage completes our day.

Day 8 - After the storm

Bike number one, chain was broken. Went back to hotel. Bike number two, hmmm, chain was missing. Third one was a charm. This time the girl waited for me to ride away before leaving the bike area.

The sun made an appearance today in time for my bike ride. I thought this would be a welcome sight but it made for the most grueling ride. OMG it was hot. I was completely drenched by my first stop which was only about 2.5km away.

I rode into town looking to book a tour to Phang Nga. But every tour agency was closed. I think they were all napping for lunch. I finally gave up and headed back to the resort.
Stopping at a convenience store for water and soda, the proprietor asked where I was from. After a brief conversation I ventured to ask if she knew of any tour agencies in the area. Of course she replied, "I have a good friend." Leary of what was to come, I fielded it out. To my surprise this was going to work to out. She arranged for a driver from 8-4pm and a private boat tour for Andy and I, with the stipulation that if Andy could not get on the boat we would be refunded. Yeah.

Then somehow the conversation turned to the tsunami. She asked if I spoke Thai. (no) Then she told me that I should try to learn a little at time like she learned English. And that she spoke no English until after the tsunami (6 years ago). From there the conversation began the story of how her life changed after the storm. Apparently it was a turning point.
Before the storm she had only a few close friends, her family was quite poor and her life was about the bubble she lived in. After the storm she lost so many of those friends and family during the storm that she had to reassess her existence. She started opening up and appreciating life around her and all the people that she was missing out on. Now she has so many friends, a thriving business and was happier than she was before the storm.

A remote fishing village in Phang Nga	Our long boat, the driver taking a break on shore.
James Bond island, a great example of a limestone island.	A crocodile. Made the idea of swimming a little scary...
So I jumped in...somewhere else...for TWO seconds.	So cool, we actually went under this island.
3K year old cave drawing under one of the islands.	Prawn farm. They were everywhere.
Wat Sawan Kuha Temple, inside a limestone cave.There are cave temples all over Thailand.	Life in a fishing village...
May not look like much to us, but people were genuinely happy.	No this was not lunch...
Life in a fishing village...	Does not get more fresh.
	We ate at the same restaurant where the king and queen ate. They posted a picture of the event for all to see.
Even in a fishing village there is a phone booth. But it was a little out of use. It has been replaced with cell phones and satellites.	Ther market in Khao Lak.
	A view from the top. Heading north to Chiang Mai.

We went along with where ever the driver wanted to go to lunch. After a 30 minute ride past prawn farms, rubber tree farms and many villages we finally arrived in a bay where there was a fishing village. We would have never found this place on our own. We were very skeptical upon arrival; it did not look like much. But after a walk over a foot bridge to the end of the docks we were pleasantly surprised to find a waterside restaurant.

The driver negotiated a feast for us and what a nice job he did. The owner even came over and unshelled all of the crab for us. Then for whatever reason, they brought 4 more crabs. yummy.

We packed it up and headed north for Chiang Mai. A city of over 300 temples. That statistic even surprised our driver (he was young). Our hotel was in the old city, a moated city inside of a city. Sort of interesting. The last time I was in city like this was Avignon, France. What a difference!

In Chiang Mai we were pleasantly surprised by almost everything. It was drastically different from Bangkok. The people there were nicer, the weather was so much cooler and the massages were HALF the price. Whoohooo. Yup, you got it, a massage everyday for $6!

Even though we were really templed out we did squeeze in 4 or 5 more. I just couldn't stand the idea of not seeing the sites when the opportunity presented itself. I am glad we did, the temples in Chiang Mai were a little more humble than those in Bangkok. The one fact that had me really perplexed was that these old structures were really only about 750 years old. For all intents and purposes, this is old, but when you compare them to those in Japan, they really weren't. Considering that Bhuddism is older than Christianity? Where are all of the older temples? I think I am going to have to figure that out for the next trip.

Doi Suthep, the largest temple in Chiang Mai	You can buy a bell, write you name on it and hang it around the temple for luck.
Just pretty.	An "Emerald" Buddha. Not really, it's glass.
People were encouraged to write a prayer on a shroud that will cover the temple.	150 steps to the temple.
Donation boxes, you can choose which temple or project you would like your money to be directed.
The Silver Temple (Wat Sri Suphan)	The oldest temple in Chiang Mai, I think it needs a power wash.
	A secret garden. I squeezed my hand through the gate to snap this pix.

Wang Kum Kam was the capitol before it was moved Chiang Mai due to the numerous floods.This was another unplanned part of our trip. In search of an antique mall, the driver brought us this city, just outside of Chiang Mai. Can we say lost in translation? It was a good mistake. We totally would have missed out on this great adventure. Even though he refused at first, I am glad that the driver decided to come on the tour with us. He ended up being our translator and he had never seen these sights before either. It was so nice to be able to share this experience with him and that he was willing to jump out at every stop to answer all of my inquiries.

Excavation and renovation. A picture of the temple before they excavated.	Pra that Khao Temple There were more than nine sites being excavated.
	Khan Tom Temple
An umbrella factory. They actually make the paper. Mulberry trees for the paper. Boiled in vats. Beaten to a pulp after boiling.	Pulp goes into a bath. A fine layer of pulp is washed onto a screen. The screens are allowed to dry, and the paper is ready. Umbrella frames are made.
Glue is applied to the frames and the paper is placed onto the frames.	A design is added.
Fans were made in a similar way.	Even the rods are cut from bamboo by hand.
The kitchen and the restaurant all in one. ...and this would be the seating for the above restaurant.	A bead store. The view from our bathroom.
The moat around the city.	Our driver, he was so cute.
Went to a silk factory. Larva Cacoons The cacoons are boiled...	As the silk is pulled from the cacoons onto a spinner. Each cacoon produces 500-900meters of silk. The silk is dyed in organic materials, coffee, orange peel, bark, etc.
The silk is woven in a loom.

My Food Obsessions

One of the best things that came from my ethnic upbringing was my exposure to a very wide variety of food. Not only to Vietnamese food but also other cultures. My father considered himself a bit of a gourmand and mother worked with women from all over the world, which exposed her, then in turn exposed us. She loved trying new recipes and different foods. This exposure has allowed me to open to all of the weird food that we see when we travel. For me it is so much fun to try new things (within limits). Despite what you may think, I too have limits and have no desire to become the next Andrew Zimmern. (He does it for the camera; I on the other hand do it for the experience, hoping to find the next great thing.)
Some of the best adventures during our trip was our hunt for food. Our research took us to many places that would make the rookie traveler cringe, but these would be the best finds. Neighborhood markets that were hard to find that raised even the eyebrows of the locals. We often got perplexed looks from the front desk and drivers when we asked to go to those locations. While there, we turned quite a few heads, but there was always an approving smile when we ate our purchases.
It was always in these out of the way hard to find places that the best treasures were found.

At the fish market we found huge variety of fresh and dried seafood, curiously, there were also numerous vendors selling omelets? And there were lines of people buying it for snacks and taking bags home. What could we do but also partake. That was about all we ate. It was a little unexpected. The egg had a spongy consistency, sweet and served with hot mustard. It was not until we had sushi that it occurred to me what it was for. (At least what I was familiar with.) They use it as an ingredient in sushi.

The freshest sushi can be found at the fish market. I actually got Andy to eat sushi at 10am! We ordered a variety plate and had no idea what 60% of it was. So we closed our eyes and shoved them in. It was indeed fresh, the oysters were some of the best that I have ever had, the fish? It was probably good, but we had a really hard time with it. I jumped into the raw shrimp like it was nobody's business, big mistake. eeks, oh, what it took to get the taste out of my mouth. Then there was the sea urchin. I have heard about this stuff for years and how wonderful it is. Well, there it was, up close and personal; I actually had to talk myself into it. I won't be going back for seconds.

Yes, it took me 10 minutes to talk myself into eating this one. argh.

Still hungry after sushi we took in a bowl of ramen on the sidewalk at the market. This food stall was hopping with people. They made one thing for one price, no deviations and the tea was free. They were so busy they ran out of spoons so we sipped from the bowl (just like everyone else who didn't have a spoon.) This was about as simple as it got, two old guys cooking soup, one young guy taking money, and two more guys washing dishes and cleaning the tables as fast as they could. All along a sidewalk. There is a lesson here.

On recommendation from Amex, we sought out this restaurant, Tonkesanto. When we pulled up were completely unsure this was even a restaurant. I looked through the windows and started walking around looking for the front door only to find out, that was the front door. Thank goodness someone left while were standing outside. Well then. Again there were 2 main dishes on the menu. So we took one of each. (clueless) It was simply breaded pork cutlets (2 different cuts, one with fat, one without) served with rice, miso soup, a pile of finely shredded cabbage (that kept coming) and some condiments that we squeezed over everything. Kudos to Amex.

Amex did so well for us the first time, we took another try. This time tempura. We really wanted to try all of the Japanese standards. Another winner. Again, all they did was tempura. Several cooking stations throughout the restaurant we sat and watched while the chef, caught dinner out of the tank, killed, butchered, battered and fried our dinner. Even the shrimp were live. Served again with rice, some great condiments, rice and a variety of salts. The head of the shrimps were a particular favorite. The miso soup had a little surprise in it that I have never experienced before.

This guy was making mini cakes filled with red beans. This smelled soooo good we bought some.
We each ate one and promptly gave away the rest. I guess we are not red bean cake people.

An unexpected find, this tiny little restaurant was served udon (Japanese noodles) like Chipotle does. You pick your noodle, then there is a self service bar of fried protein and vegetables for you to choose from; then finally you add broth. Altogether this was a piping hot bowl of goodness.

We finally made it to lunch where we had our first meal, and of course we had the utmost cliché of Thai meals, Tom Yom Gung. On every self respecting Thai menu in the United States, next to Pad Thai noodle, it could not be anymore expected from the common tourist, but we did not care. And we were so glad we ordered it, as it was the absolute best Tom Yom Gung we had ever had, and even thereafter. Can I just say again how good it was? We can still taste it. For this alone, we would forgive the driver for taking us to such a commercial restaurant and making a stipend at our expense.
Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside. They were warm cups of coconut goodness. Sort of like coconut pudding.
	This "restaurant" was literally on the sidewalk outside of a school at the gate. I wondered if they actually lived there as there was a tv with cable (you can see it at the very back of the picture.) The little girl was my waitress, she was so cute and polite; thinking about her still makes me smile. The meal, one of the best of the whole trip. Someone else was having it at another table so I pointed and ordered one. Fried pork belly stir fried with mixed vegetables. There was also a yummy fish sauce concoction that everyone sprinkling all over everything. Monkey see, monkey do. It was sooo good. My dinner, $1.
Street food. Corn was everywhere in Thailand. Boiled or grilled, on or off the cob, dipped in a sugar and salt water.	Chestnuts roasting, but only in Chinatown. They come from China, so that is the only place you find them in Bangkok? huh. Oh, expensive, but good.
I didn't know Heinz made more than one ketchup.	I was told this was a Vietnamese noodle house. Close, but not quite. Still good. Less than $1. But a small bowl. I did not feel like being piggish so I went somewhere else for more food. :)
Pad Thai noodle from the most popular Pad Thai place in Chiang Mai. No like. Last meal in Bangkok. It was a little late (7pm) and the owner was not happy, but she obliged. Stir fried garlic children, basil, rice and a...fried egg? That was one of the best surprises on the trip. I think I am going to start ordering it from now on.	Perfectly fried basil with pork.
The restaurant at a Muslim fishing village. We ate where the king AND queen had eaton. The restaurant posted a picture of when they had visited, I think in the 80's. (look above the banister)	Before... After...fruit to cleanse the palate.

Things we saw and did not dare eat

What is Wrong with this Picture????

We see so many things in our travels. And some of them, we can not help but take a picture for the simple fact that it amuses our quirky sense of humor. It may not make you laugh and it may make you wonder, but it's not about you.

We found this guy walking the streets of Omo Tesando in Tokyo. Andy was completely impressed that I was able to get this shot discretely. Do not mistake, this really was in Japan, despite the McD's in the background, just a coincidence. I think wrongness of this picture is just obvious. But I need to put my words to it...And you wonder why Americans have a bad rap...Stop doing this crap!

Translation: Thai Trad. Massage $10/hr Foot Massage $10/hr Oil Body Massage $13.50/hr Aloe Vera Body Massage $16.65/hr Aroma Body Massage $16.65/hr Swedish Body Massage $16.50/hr .... do you get the picture? BTW, the prices went to half when we got to Northern Thailand.

Andy was completely amused. This is one of the armed guards the palace. He is on a cell phone and is wearing a mask. What is missing from this picture? For us who live in the northeast, hard to believe that this car does not come with heat. According to our driver no cars in Thailand come with heat.

How much do you love your king or queen. This vendor has a frame for sale. If you can not tell these are easily 10ft tall. They take this seriously... Attention Passengers who would like to take Durian into the aircraft, please contact airline staffs at check-in counter.

I get the whole praying for a prophecy thing, but put a coin into a flashing machine? It wasn't exactly in the temple, but it might as well have been.

So there I was sitting at the sales counter making a purchase, when I realized that there were things moving in the jar on the table. Upon inspection....they were serious about this stuff.

There are at least three things wrong with this picture.

Ronald does different poses in foreign countries?

These vending machines were all over Tokyo. The two on the left are drinks, the two on the right are cigarettes. Despite the fact that they are all over the city, I don't think we saw a butt on the ground once.

My Class in Repousse
During our trip to Northern Thailand I had the opportunity to take a class. Under advisement of the hotel owner armed with a note written in Thai (also written by her) I headed to the temple to ask if they would be interested in teaching me their craft. To my surprise they said yes.

I was given a pattern to follow.	Handmade tools.	Etch the pattern using a hammer and chasing tools.
Heating the piece...	Helps the shoe polish stick.	Polish.
My classroom	Tar is heated...	Then poured into the piece.
My classmates	Detail is added.	Power polishing.

How I Became an Instructor at the Bead & Button Show and how you can too.

The Bead and Button Show has long been considered the most prestigious show in the US for jewelry crafting. At its height, the show boasted over 300 venders, 200 instructors and 800 classes. And was the second largest consumer bead show in the country. It is also the second largest convention for the city of Milwaukee only behind AmFam. But as they say, everything changes. And indeed the Bead and Button show has changed in the last 5 years. However, much of what makes the show great (in my opinion) still stands true. There may not be the same number of vendors or classes but it still attracts instructors and students from all over the country and around the world making it the most interesting show to attend (again, in my opinion).  Additionally, as it is concentrated in one facility, as opposed to Tucson which is scattered throughout an entire city, the “feel” of the show is much more intimate than Tucson.

I first went to the BnB show some 15 years ago as a spectator shopping for my then bead store. For those purposes I can not say that it was a show for me because I was not really a consumer. I was a wholesale buyer. Even so, I continued to watch the show progress. Then one day I found myself reading a Bead and Button Show catalog again, which changed everything.

After reviewing the catalog I decided that I could be doing that. That? Teaching “that is”. So I applied. And applied. And got a big fat rejection. During this time we started a new business that involved some manufacturing and distribution in the beading industry, The Urban Beader. This business would take me back to BnB as a vendor and this is where my journey to teaching truly sky rocketed.

How I got my start

Back in those days, the wait list to be a vendor was about 3 years, unless that is, you have such a unique business that it would complement the show. We were in! While we were there that first year I was introduced to a store owner whom by the end of show hired me to teach at her store. That Fall I was at her store teaching for my first time out of state and the second time away from my store. By then, my application to teach at the next BnB had already been rejected. Unbeknownst to me, there were several students in my classes who had some influence at the show. Not that I can even remember who they are.

About 2 weeks after teaching at this shop, after I had already received a rejection letter, I received an acceptance letter! What? Out of 6 submitted 2 were accepted. One of my classes sold out in the first FOUR minutes of registration. A few days after the opening of registration I received a contact asking for more classes. Then again a couple of weeks later. And again. By the third time, I decided I should decline in fear of getting in over my head. The rest is history.

So what does all of this have to do with how You will get into the Bead and Button show? I’m getting to that.

Here is pretty much what I know.

First of all the competition is great. You sort of had to wait for someone to quit before there was an opening. If you were there in the beginning it was pretty much assured that you would be a lifer. And back in the day (when I first applied) it was implied that there was a lot of politics. Given how I got into the show, I had to agree. I couldn’t prove it but, it was what it was. Through the years (I hoped) it was merit. My classes sold well, I made nice with people and made myself easy to work with.

What is different for me? Even at this point 12 years after the fact, I do not believe that it is any different for me than it is for anyone else; with the exception of first timers. If you are applying for the first time, you will need to submit samples, a resume and letters of recommendations. Some people seem to believe that this is absurd. But is it? Would you hire someone on their word? I wouldn’t. After my first year I was no longer required to submit letters or resume, but for years I still had to submit samples. This practice only ended about 5 years ago, if I remember correctly.

After submission, the samples are sent back and a letter is sent out, accept or reject. No explanation but just a thank you for your time kind of thing. I know this really hard for most people. You need to sort of get over it. There are thousands, literally thousands of submissions by hundreds of instructors. There is just not enough man power to send out critiques of any kind for all of the rejects. What people don’t understand and what I have come to learn is that there are only 4 people managing the show throughout the year. You may think that there is a large staff when you are attending the show, but those are all temps. Pretty much it is all hands on deck (meaning Kalmbach employees) to work the 10 days of the show. The receptionist is at the registration booth, the accountant is the guy you hear on the intercom and the marketing guy is registering the instructors when they arrive. So as a matter of practicality there is just not enough time/people to send out personal rejection letters.

Now that you know this, don’t take it personally. New management came in about 3 years ago and as far as I am concerned, the politics have been removed. I truly believe that they look at projects and consider the following: what is the current trend, what does the show traditionally sell most of, is the project appealing, how many of those techniques have already been accepted?  Unless you have passed some of these requirements, I am unsure that YOU have anything to do with the decision if you have references and a track record.

The problem I see most with instructors, and this is true with most people in general, is that they are not honest about their work. Most people think their work is unique and great, but is it really? Lets be honest. How many different spinner rings could there be??? Yet people continue to submit it. Which then leads to the question, how many spinner rings do you think BnB should accept? You gotta keep it real.

What is my best advice? Look at the previous year’s offerings and submit something that is different/unique. Be honest about your designs. What techniques are you bringing to the table? Do you really think an experienced bead weaver is going take yet another right angle weave class? Probably not. Submit more than several projects. I like to play the numbers, I have always felt that if I submitted more, my chances would go up. Think about it, the odds might go up. My second year I submitted 6, they took 4. The next I submitted 10’ish they took 6.

Just because you have been rejected one year does not mean it is over for you. Try again. And again if you have to. You never know when instructors drop off. Because for one reason or another they will and do drop off. Trust me, one I will too.

I have talked to the show much since the new management to gain an understanding of their working style. From that, this I know to be fact; they are working on merit. If someone’s class does not sell and/or they have not brought anything new to the table, their class/es will be rejected if they submit the same ones. It does not matter how long they have been teaching. It is all about the bottom line. The show is accountable for revenue, like all businesses. Thus they need to choose classes that will produce more revenue and keep the show fresh. It is just business.

Don’t believe what you hear. There are lots of people out there who will not take accountability for their actions. They believe that they are so good it couldn’t possibly be them and that it had to be the show being whatever they are being. Let me say, it IS the show being whatever they are being. They are being a business looking at revenue. Despite any complaints I have ever heard about an instructor, if their classes are selling, they will be invited back.

So if you have been rejected look at it honestly, refine your work and perhaps even go a different direction.

Good luck! See you at the show.

This is me at the front entry to the Bead and Button Show 2014 and that is my project. It took about 8 years before I got that honor. Woohoo me. When it rains it pours, my projects were on 3 posters that year. Then it happened again the following few years. I don't even take pictures anymore. I think the way to make that happen is to make sure you have damn good pictures. 

Bill’s Life Lesson

In 2014, my father in law, Bill, was dying. We, his family, were not informed. This was not revealed until about 6 months later, but he knew that he was at the end of his journey on this earth. During this time he made a point to have each of his children to visit so that he could have the time he needed to make peace with each of children.

Bill was a highly intelligent, stoic person whom we could count on for unadulterated advice and commentary on any subject. By the time I came to know bill, he was in his 60’s and not doing retirement well. Even in that last year of his life, he was looking for a part-time teaching position at the local college. I guess he felt that he still had more to give.

By the time Bill became my father in law he had had a shift in character. I did not know this until much later. This new Bill was the only person I had ever known. Open minded, spiritually open and a humanitarian. Someone who accepted me for who I was, not that he liked all of me but was willing to love me for all that I was. I say “was” because I changed much after having him in my life.

During the last year of life, Bill worked to make amends with all of his children and I assume the people he felt he had wronged. On our last visit Bill sat with me privately to talk about our relationship. He apologized for not being the father in law in he could have been. And that he wished he could be more for me.

I was totally shocked. Bill was the father in law I had prayed for. Someone I could talk to intelligently, someone who supported our marriage and someone who could be a pillar when we needed. He may have not some shortcomings but who doesn’t.

I told him that he had nothing to apologize for, and that he was the one I prayed for. He was quick to shut down my conversation. Reminding me that, “When someone wants to apologize, let them.”

That night I learned a life lesson. When someone is being sincere let them. When someone wants to help you, let them.

From our wedding, Bill officiated. 2000

Through “Copygate” I have been reminded of this lesson over and over again. So many people have reached out to us wanting to help. We never want to involve people in our problems. We feel that it is our responsibility to clean our house. I was reminded, that as our friends, it is more frustrating to sit on the sidelines as they watch us burn. Not allowing people to help you is far more hurtful. As a person who is independent and have always had to do things on her own this is a hard pill to swallow.

So the lesson, let your friends be your friends. That is their privilege. On the path of life, walking alone is sometimes nice but walking in a parade is a lot more fun.

Boondocking to Vegas 2018

March 2018

Road Trip 2018

I would say that I have no idea how this road trip came together but that would be a lie. Despite the randomness of the events, there was some planning. Actually there was a lot of planning, but about 90% of went out the door the night before I was to leave. So here is how it all came together.

The original plan, drive to Las Vegas via Kansas through Denver. Arrive in time for the Glass Craft & Bead Expo. After the show drive back to Denver, leave car at MIL’s house, fly back to CLE for 2.5weeks. Fly back to DEN for the Rocky Mountain Bead Bazaar, then drive to Kalispell, MT to teach, then finally drive home.

When it became clear that no one could join me on this drive, I had to turn this into an adventure. Never before have I driven across the country on my own. The furthest solo drive has been a 10 hour drive to Appleton, WI. This started to seem a little daunting. But the more I thought about the freedom of being alone the more it became a challenge.

Being alone and driving a Toyota Sequoia I potentially had enough space to do a little “car camping”. This way I could idealistically wake up every morning at a trailhead for a hike. The prospects were starting to get me excited. Some time ago I had seen an advertisement for a backseat mattress, I thought it was so cool but had not purpose for it. Now that I had the perfect reason to buy one, I just needed to do the research to make sure it would work. I put Amazon to work. Along with the mattress, I ordered a Sheewee and hot water heating coil that I could plug into the cigarette lighter in the car, neither of which worked and have since been returned.

When traveling, it is all about the creature comforts, things that make you feel whole and a routine. All of that in mind, I packed my car with a down comforter, sleeping bag, body pillow, an iceless cooler (stocked with proats for breakfast, salads, veggies and egg salad for lunch), bag of snacks to help keep me awake, and a my phone loaded with the complete collection of “How to Speak Mandarin” to occupy my time. The plan was to eat breakfast and lunch on the road and stop for dinners allowing me to optimize my drive time leaving more time for hikes.

Two days before departure, the car was packed for the show leaving enough room for the backseat mattress and the front seat for the cooler. This gave me a lot of time to think of the little things I did not pack, like toilet paper for the campsites and a jug of water just in case I needed it after a hike. For the most part I had thought of everything.

After weeks of looking at maps and querying my friends on FB the decision would be to drive through Kansas to Vegas as it was the shortest route. The night before departure we made a last minute decision to go South through Oklahoma which proved to the best decision we could have made because 2 days later there was a snow storm through Kansas. Phew. Additionally, it would turn out that most of the campgrounds in the north would not open until after I reached Vegas.

Andy and I had found 2 campsites in MO for the first stop. The campsite I would choose would be dependent on how far I could drive on that first day. That was until I started talking to a friend who planted this little seed about spending the night at a Walmart. Apparently this was something her boyfriend had always wanted to do just once in his life, just for fun. And somehow it became a thing in my head. By the end of the conversation I was determined to stay at a Walmart before the end of my trip.

Though there was an opportunity to be at Walmart that first night I was not compelled to stay after one of their employees confirmed that “only weirdos parked their cars in our lot at night”. Hell to the no. I used the bathroom, brushed my teeth and took off to the campgrounds.

There is nothing like having other people in my head as I pulled into a pitch dark parking lot at the Mark Twain National Forest. What was I thinking? Am I really doing this? Hey Andy, are you really, really sure I can do this and not get booted? It took about 15 minutes to calm my nerves as I locked the doors, turned off my car and settled in the for the night. Surprisingly I slept well. The thing that had me most worried that night was Andy. I was able to talk to him when I arrived but was never able to regain cellular service to say goodnight. I worried so much that he would be worried about my safety I drove away first thing the next morning to find cell service. I skipped the hike. I would make a better plan for the next night should that be the case again.

The next stop would be Oklahoma via the Ozarks, what adventures was before me that day I could have never guessed. Stopped at a gas station to brush my teeth, use the facilities, get a cup of hot water for tea and fill up the gas tank. Another stop at Walmart to look for a new hot water coil, another fail. Then there was the quick turn around on the highway somewhere around Branson when I saw a big sign for the “Creation Experience Museum”. Yup, I just had to do it. Morbid curiosity had gotten the best of me. After all, there were replicas of dinosaurs outside of the building!

I was greeted immediately upon entry, they were very welcoming. The tour being free, there was no turning back. I was able to talk them into giving me the “condensed version” of the guided tour due to the impending storm outside. I told them that I did not want to get back in my car for a four hour drive wet. They agreed that it was a really bad idea; condensed tour it is. Let me just say, “WOW”. To think only 6 years before I thought a friend was pulling my leg when he told me about this group of people. They really do exist. Walking away from this experience I will say this, at least these people seemed respectful and were not judging (at least not openly). They believed in their convictions and were just there to share it. I can respect that, don’t know about the rest of it though.

It was sort of a dare (mostly to myself) but I couldn't help myself.

My fearless leader complete with replicas of dinosaurs.

It had become late in the day by the time I reached the Ozarks for my lunch stop. The hike would not happen. I felt it pertinent to reach the next campground area before dark. It was a little challenging not understanding my surroundings the night before.

Parking at the Casino

Getting comfy in my comforter.

The one thing I noticed driving through Amarillo, TX were the numerous donut shops. What was up with the donuts shops along the highway. This would be my opportunity to stop. I was greeted by the Chinese proprietor who seemed quite pleased to see me that he started to speak to me in Chinese. (I might have answered him, but I had only been through 2 discs!) I ordered my favorite, bavarian cream filled. He threw in a couple of donut holes, one tasted like Koolaid, the other strawberry. I did not finish any of them. (Remember the cheap thrill part?)

Texacola, OK (OK/TX boarder)

I felt like I had arrived on the set of Deliverance.

Arriving in Albuquerque early I found my way to the nearest National Forest, Cibola, where I hoped to hike. On my way to the top of the mountain, I drove by the next intended campground and never turned back. With no signs stating I couldn’t park overnight, I chose a quiet spot in the corner of the lot at the top of Sandia Crest. There I found my first hike, a sunset and an outhouse. What more could a girl want? Actually, running water would have been nice. I opted out of brushing my teeth on this night.My fourth drive across OK, TX and NM to Albuquerque was like the previous three, terribly boring. But this time productive. I was able to finish 2 discs on “How to Speak Mandarin” and discovered that I could only absorb about 45minutes at time before switching to some other form of entertainment.

Brocolli and greens beans sauteed in garlic with a bite of BBQ made for a great dinner, cold, but good. Lounging in my new "recliner". One more reason why I love the extra large center console. A sugar treat for the drive, but I feel like I got jipped with the prize.

Onward to Prescott, AZ to find a dormant volcano, a National Park and another hike on a lava field. Interesting that this would be my third lava field hike in the US, none of which were in Hawaii; who knew?

Only four hours left to Vegas, I opted to stop in Prescott for the night to stay with my son (free) allowing me to have an easy day heading into the show without the pressure of a schedule. Again, best intentions. What I thought would be a nice night in a real bed turned into a very early morning wake up call by a barking dog in the upstairs apartment. Ugh.

The best was saved for last, I stopped for a final hike before reaching Vegas. Last minute planning was not helpful at all. What I thought would be a moderate, 4.4mile hike turned into a challenging, 6.5mile hike. The Gold Strike Trail was almost my undoing with a near mishap scaling down a boulder, yipes. But I was rewarded for all my efforts with an oasis at the end of the trail. It was simply beautiful and somehow I was blessed enough to arrive during a lull and had the entire space to myself for about 10 minutes. It was short but you gotta take what you can get during a holiday week. My body would pay for this excursion for the next 2 days.

Colorado River	My reward at the end of the hike.	Yes, this was part of the trail
	There was an electrolyte station provided by a private citizen.

Overall, it was pretty much a cheap thrill both figuratively and literally. With exception of gas, I only spent $37 for the entire trip. $15 went to a truck stop for some of the best St. Louis BBQ I have ever had. (Half a chicken and a rack of ribs would feed me for lunch and dinner until I reached AZ.) $20 begrudgingly went to a National Park. I visited more Walmarts than I care to admit, but they did serve their purpose on more than several occasions. And for some odd reason I felt like I was getting away with something because I never made a purchase.

Best BBQ in St. Louis. Dinner that became lunch, dinner, lunch, lunch.

Ribs, yum

Walmart would not happen until the turnaround from Vegas. Headed to Denver I chose to get a head start on this very long 11 hour leg of the trip by leaving directly after the show. But knowing that it would be dark by the time I arrive at any destination I chose to stop at the most convenient, Cedar City, UT Walmart. My routine would begin again. Use the facilities, brush my teeth, find where all the other RV’s are parked and settle in for the night. Walmart was officially checked off my list, of things I have done for no real good reason except to be able to say I did it.Surprisingly, I only used the bushes twice and two outhouses. There were no showers for 3 days, but I was sure to shower the night before I left and changed my clothes, underwear and socks daily. As hard as I tried I was only about 75% successful at keeping a daily routine. Most importantly I never felt the urge to go to a hotel or veer off course.

Officially halfway through the trip, I caught a flight home from Denver for a two week break. I will return to Denver armed with experience and an extra pillow for the turn around.

Boondocking, release 2.0

May 2019

After last year’s epic trip I just had to do it again. It has been an entire year and I longed to be on the road again with just me and sleeping in the nest of my car. Having learned so much on that trip, this was going to an even better trip.  

Equipped with all of last year’s experiences I was determined to make this a more adventurous and productive trip...so I thought.

I thought I was so prepared for this trip, but was I? Last year I found myself in the middle of WY needing an oil change. That was NOT going to happen this year. I checked. And having just replaced my car battery a few weeks before, I was totally ready. Then the maintenance light came on. Uggggghhhh. Really? What now? Crap! Tire rotation. At least there was a Costco at a sheduled stop. Dinner, a tire rotation and gas, I should be good right? Then the car would not start. WTH? I JUST replaced the battery. Well, apparently this girl did not tighten the bolts really well and they came loose on the first leg. I was lucky that we were able to figure this out rather painlessly and I was on the road again. Phew!

By the time it was all said and done I finally pulled into a pitch dark campground, same place as last year. But this year, it was over casted and the moon was not out. That was sort of eerie, it took a little bit to get settled in. I have discovered that first night is always a test. All of the questions start playing in my head, is this memory foam bed going to work out, did I plan properly for weather, did I have enough blankets, pillows, clothes, etc.

Yes, the memory foam was so much better than the blow-up from last year, until that is,  my butt started sinking, and sinking, and sinking…to ONE side. Note to self, don’t roll the memory foam mattress into thirds, you will rollllll off the side as you sink! Alllll night long. Three position switches later, I finally fell asleep only to wake up the next day with my body and neck completely contorted. Ouch. Good thing I had an electric heating pad! (Yes, it plugs into the cigarette lighter.)

Refolded the mattress into a double and re-arranged the car I was really ready for the rest of the trip.

Two Walmart parking lots, later I arrived in Prescott, AZ for my first shower and bed of the trip before heading to the final destination of Las Vegas. Ironically, the A/C was blowing so hard I was colder in this bed than I had been in my car the previous nights. Oy.

After seven days Vegas for a show, I drove to Denver where my car would be parked at a friend’s house waiting for my return.

What does it take to prepare for a trip that involves:

3 events in 3 states
8 nights on the road
6,000 driving miles
3 plane flights
4 climate changes 
and 21 classes?

First you have to first organize it by segment, travels then shows. Then consider the climates, locales of stops and activities. Once all of these things are considered, you can start packing.

Because I flew back home before finishing the last two legs, I would only prepare kits for the first event (Las Vegas) then the rest when I returned to home. Three lists have to be created (one for each show), all of the equipment gathered and packed so that any equipment that does not cross over is boxed separately and labeled to reduce the need to pack and unpack unnecessarily. That was the easy part. The beauty of driving means all I can easily transport all of the equipment.

Next comes the physical pack of the car. Having upgraded my sleeping arrangements from a blow up mattress, which failed last year, the theory was that a mattress of some sort would be an upgrade. So I bought what was listed as a twin size memory foam mattress but turned out to be a queen when it arrived (this is what happens when you buy from an auction site). Hmmm. Not wanting to cut the mattress (because it would just be a waste) I chose to roll it. Sigh, see above. Fit the mattress, all of the equipment plus full size cooler and luggage in the car. Good think I have a large SUV.

It is all about the creature comforts when are on the road. If you are going to travel for any length of time these little things will make or break a trip. Having decided that my truck would be my home for at least 6 days on the road I had to pack all of the things that made me feel like I was home. The sleeping arrangement was first and most important. A down comforter, body pillow and a feather pillow would do the trick. There is nothing like being under a comfy, warm blanket when you wake up in the morning and it is 30 degrees in your room/car. Additionally an electronic lunch pail (mini crockpot) to heat up food, electric mug for hot water for my mornning tea, heating blanket for sore muscles, and lastly electric cooler for homemade meals, because eating out every day is not what it is cut out to be.

Sustenance on the road is vital when you are driving through large parts of the country where there could be hours between real food. A variety of something salty, crunchy, sweet, protein, fiber, tea and of course a gallon of water is so important. Unfortunately, after day one, I hated everything I had chosen for snacks. Good thing I packed regular food too; Proats, green salads, and egg salad.

Then there are the just in case something comes up. Of course adequate hiking gear for every possible climate: 3 pairs of shoes for hiking, hiking poles, slip-on traction cleats, 3 jackets – all in different weights, 2 pairs of gloves, 2 hats, a fanny pack, and a backpack for water and camera. Additional incidentals for the ride a bath towel and a bathing suit for the potential swimming whole. A kitchen towel for eating in the car, trash bag for refuse, and invertor for the electric appliances.

The extra things that people don’t think about. A carabiner for your keys and watch at night so you can hook it in a convenient place near where you sleep. Window shades for extra privacy, this makes me feel like no one can watch me. Invertor for appliances that do not have a cigarette lighter attachment.

What complicates the pack even more are the multiple climate changes. Starting at 39F when I left home, to 72 in Texas, to 29F in New Mexico, 80F in Nevada then snow in Montana. Oy. In the end I would drive through fog, rain, sleet, snow, wind and sunny days. The worse would be wind, fighting windy conditions for more than 4 hours was horrible on my arms.

Pack it all up with a little prayer that it will all fit and you are ready to hit the road.

Things that I learned from the first trip.

A blow up mattress has a huge possibility of failing, upgrade to a mattress pad of some sort. Single stalled bathrooms are a lot more private, like the ones at Starbucks. Walmart is actually a really good option for overnight parking. There are lots of rest stops around the country that are safe, clean and allow overnight parking. Window shades are a really good thing when you are in a parking lot that is lit up. Leaving later in the day meant that I would be able to just pull in after dark and go right to bed. While allowing me daylight hours to explore a new area or take in a hike.

What does a typical day look like on the road with me?

Night routine: Starbucks, brush teeth, wash face. Arrive at parking for the night. Pull clothes for the next day so that it can go in the bedding (to be warm in the morning), change underwear, fill electric mug with water, turn in for the night.

Morning routine: Turn on car (to get it warmed up), check the weather, dress, go into a Walmart brush my teeth, wash my face, plug in my water heater, prep my tea, pull a Proats out of the cooler for breakfast. Hit the road.

Day routine: Hit the road and drive for 8-9hours. Take in a hike or go antiquing for the morning all weather dependent. Make a stop where there is something interesting to see. Catch up on the phone with people I have not spoken to in a while or some more recently but still need to converse with. Listen to a lot NPR, I now feel like I know Joshua Johnson intimately. Catch up on all of the current politics I did not know I needed to know. Additional breaks for gas, potty, food and water.

The leg home

After more than 2 weeks of being away from home I was more than ready to be in my own bed. But no, there would be a 5 day detour back to California for a family emergency before I was finally able to go home.

Arriving at the airport I quickly discover the flaws of my packing as I am not prepared with any of my "flying" travel accoutrements. My Pre-check id, my noise canceling headset, my carabiner to clip my water bottle on the flight, my instant oatmeal for breakfast, ugh. All of the things that make my life a little less stressful and more comfortable on a long travel day. Ugh.

I also came to realize how long it had been since I have flown without Pre-check, yearsssss. And how quickly I miss that privilege. So incredibly annoying to not only remove your shoes but take off the sweater I was wearing, remove my laptop and so on. oy. OH, and I got a pat down because there was something suspicious about the collar of my shirt. No there are not collar stays in my collar.  Uggghhhh.

During the stop overs

Not only was there the usual business of teaching at the events, along the way there were several amazing hikes, some great antique areas that I will be re-visiting if I do this again next year. I was able to make time to visit many friends along the way, some of whom drove a long way to meet up with me. I was able to take advantage of meeting with people, rather than just a phone call, about opportunities for 2020.  

The turn around

In the end I was home for 11 days between the first leg and the turn around leg. After CA I flew home to OH then I flew from OH to CO for the second show in Denver, CO for five days; to Logan, UT for two days just a pit stop; to Kalispell, MT for the third and final event for four days. Finally, I would turn around and go home. When I finally got my car back it was interesting how I felt like I was home again. I never thought I would miss just sitting in my car as I did and that it would bring me so much comfort to be in it.

In the end I only spent a total of 3 days sleeping in my car, half the number I had planned because of the kindness/insistence of my friends when they found out I was passing through their hometown. Though it was a joy to visit everyone, I do still love the solitude of my car. 

I was so tired by the time I got home but am grateful for the many opportunities and experiences my job has afforded me. It is quite a charmed life I get to live. 

An Overview
White lines indicate flights, dotted are by car and white dots are stops.

Boondocking, Part 2 - the return

May 2018

Roadtrip Part 2

I returned to Denver via airplane two weeks later to make my return trip. Five days in Denver, 1 show and 5 classes later, I was off to my next destination. Our original plans no longer in place, I took a break between teaching to spend some much needed days off with friends. How was I so lucky to have friends who were happy to indulge my hiking obsession?

Two and a half days in the middle of the week between classes would be my weekend. I hung out while other people cooked for me, included me in their family celebration, showed their town to me and the beauty which is Montana. I got to see what it was like to live in a town of 7k people and started reconsidering where my next homestead would be.

My journey would take me to northern Montana, Kalispell. What a surprise that would be. Having never heard of it, I just assumed it was another small town. How wrong was I? So much bigger than I anticipated. I spent 3 days teaching at Powderhorn Trading which would present another first in my career. Never did I think I would teach at a facility that sold guns and mounted deer heads! Ha. I guess I can now check that off my list. I’m just sorry I didn’t snap any pictures. You will just have to trust me on that fact.

In a hurry to get home I packed it up and high tailed it out of Kalispell Sunday night after class. I had calculated that if I put in a few hours of driving in that night I would be able to make it home by Wednesday instead of Thursday. With that much time away from home I just wanted to get home. I spent the night at a rest stop, again in my car. By morning I had discovered my beloved backseat mattress had failed overnight. It was no longer staying inflated, argh.

I took the southern route through Montana for my return to Ohio because of a critical mistake in my planning had a package going to Livingston (my first stop in MT) rather than Kalispell. The goal for the day was to make it past the boarder of Montana and North Dakota and of course with a stop for a hike. Seeing signs regularly for Glendive, MT I was compelled to stop for a little looksy. What a nice surprise.

Makoshiko State Park in Glendive, MT was much like the nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park, another hidden gem. This being a last minute stop meant that I would just make an educated guess on the hike. As luck would have it, I picked the most popular hike at the park and got to see the one thing I wanted to see, cap rocks. Which were on the bill boards along the road. Yeah me. AND I chose a day when there were very little visitors. I love having a trail to myself. No one smoking cigarettes, no one being unruly, and definitely no one to get in my way. The lesson from this hike? NEVER start a hike at the top of a hill. Because ending a hike with a climb up really sucks! I do enjoy the reward of a decline after a climb.

With 17hours left to drive, my next plan was to put in about 10hours so that I could make it home by Wednesday afternoon. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. Two hours into my drive Tuesday morning I was exhausted and already falling asleep. Up until then I had never had to fight off sleep, not even during part 1. This time I was completely struggling. So I made another unplanned stop in Minneapolis to have lunch with my aunt. Who of course insisted that I stayed the night. This turned out to be the right decision as I completely passed out that night for 9.5hours.

26 days out of 42 on the road I discovered a few things about myself. I really can spend time alone and like it. As much as I like being with people I am perfectly happy to be by myself. I prefer waking up cold than waking up warm, but I like going to bed warm. I like sleeping in my car and actually missed it the last night on the road when I actually had a bed. It is all about the space that you create for yourself. It has been since my twenties that I have traveled alone, I never realized that I missed it. I am truly excited for the next opportunity to drive across the country alone.

The stats:

5,672 miles driven

18 classes taught

16 states

9 Costco’s (it became a thing)

3 shows

3 roadside rest stops

2 National Forest parking lots

1 Walmart parking lot

1 casino parking lot

Weapon of mass destruction.	The things you see on the road. I got nothing for this one.
Over looking Paradise Valley in Livingston, MT	What can I say? I like taking pictures of dead trees.
My hosts in Livingston, MT.	Pine Creek Trail Livingston, MT

Makoshika State Park, Glendive, MT Kinney Coulee Trail

China 2010

My Trip to China

Aug. 24 - Preparation
As an opportunity presented itself we made a very quick decision to go China with only 10 days to prepare. With a girlfriend in tow, I scrambled to get together appointments, travel plans, visas, and goals for the trip. At the same time I had to stay focused on the store, having been gone for a week there and about to be gone for 10 days, I needed to get organized first.

Nothing would be easy during the 10 days before the trip. We had to scramble applications for visas and apply for a rush visa ($275!) and of course I had recently thrown away my extra passport pictures, stating, I won’t be needing these! Ugh. Had to get those replaced. Then there was the 2.5hours we got stuck I the accident on I-271. And of course there was a visit from my evil twin on her way to Chicago. (Wasn’t it so convenient for us to live halfway between NYC and Chicago?) Despite all of these distractions, I remained incredibly calm. This was especially unusual for me. However, this was bound to end.

Five days before the departure I started to panic. There was only FIVE days left to finish planning and I am going to bed waayyyy too early. So I started pulling late nights, which progressively got later the closer we got to departure. 1am, 2am, 2:30am…3am. Instant messaging China was interesting. I don’t think it occurred to anyone there, that I was 12 hours behind them!

T-minus 1 day.
The store schedule was far in advance I actually had to pull a shift the day before departure! But again, I was so calm. My calmness is starting to cause stress. How is that?

At 4:45pm two more travel buddies arrived to join me on my adventure, Ginny and Marie. I can not believe that despite the fact that I only gave Jean, their mother, 2 hours warning she was able to get it together and arrived in the nick of time. Upon their arrival I was off. (Ginny and Marie are “flat” projects.)

The half hour packing that I had planned for turned into 2 hours. I still have no idea why it took me so long.

Sept. 5 - Take off.
Despite myself, I agreed to arrive at the airport TWO hours before the flight. Ugh. This is so against my travel religion. Final phone calls to husbands, a big hug of excitement, a travel prayer and we were off.

Part of my preparation for this trip was the mental prep of how to handle the fact that I look like I might be Chinese. That said, I fully anticipate EVERYONE to treat me like I AM Chinese. I don’t know a lick of of Chinese! I can not even say, “I don’t speak Chinese.” !!! This oughta be interesting.

The flight was pure indication of things to come and I had 15 hours to figure out how I would handle it every time “it” came up. I needed something from the flight attendants and well, they just assumed that I was Chinese and do you think I understood anything they were saying? Note: I’m Vietnamese. Then I asked to have my water bottle filled. You would think this was a simple task right? I got HOT water. Did I ask for hot water? When was the last time you asked to have a water bottle filled and they gave you HOT water? Let me tell you when… when they think you are CHINESE!

Day 1 - Arrival
The first scene was of no surprise to me, a sea of people winding through lines to get past immigration. Despite the long lines, they were incredibly efficient and organized, and we got through them quickly. It is also of great delight to report that Ginny and Marie also passed through immigration without incident. At the immigration counter I pulled them out of my passport and asked the officer to stamp them. With a huge smile (wish I had a picture) he acknowledged my request and made it evident that this was not his first time at bat. He did hesitate to stamp Ginny as her head was smaller than the stamp but with a little insisting he was delighted to oblige.

Arriving in Shanghai I felt a little out of sorts. It was at the airport that I realized how completely unprepared I was for this trip. What was I thinking? That I would just show up and everything would just magically fall into place? That there would be so much English that we would be able to navigate? IT’S ALL CHINESE! Can you believe that? LOL. What to do? I had NO idea how to get where were suppose to go. I understood there is a metro, but it is ALL CHINESE! Did I mention that I don’t read Chinese either?

I looked around for help. There was the universal information desk. Not too enticing. Then there were the 3 young “college” kids sitting at the Shanghai Expo 2010 volunteer desk. They looked eager, young and like they might just speak a little English. They win.

So much for the English; but they sure were eager. As we approached they immediately jumped out of their seats and started bowing. I asked them how to get to our hotel and they started scratching their heads, did a little commiserating and decided that we would best take a taxi. They were able to tell us about how much it would cost so that was helpful to know that we could not be scammed though we almost did get scammed.

While at the desk, a woman abruptly approached us and asked if we needed car. She said she had transportation and would be able to help us. She did not tell me the cost, only that it “may be less” than the taxi. Hmm. The kids were not very happy about her approach and began to argue with her. Then she started getting aggressive… uncomfortable. She prompted us to go to “her” counter; I started to, but my instincts kicked in. I told her that I would be over in a moment and looked to the 3 kids for encouragement…

Well, the girl, standing in the middle, turned her head slightly away from the woman and ever so slightly started to shake her head while trying to tell me “NO!” with her eyes. Wow. Then she leaned towards me and whispered “taxi cheaper”. On that note we started ignoring the other woman. Our new friends kindly finished giving us the information, handed us a tourist map and firmly said “free”.

We got off to a good start. There were no tourists in the taxi line which indicated that we were on the right path. Our driver was speedy Gonzalez, which prompted the best line of the night, Deborah, “There are no seat belts in the taxi.” That was simply priceless. Welcome to China Deborah!

Settled into the hotel and went on a walk at 10:30pm looking for dinner. We found a 24hour fast food chain and paid a premium for 2 bowls of dumpling soup. 18Y=$3 for both of us! Found a bakery, breakfast! Then the find of the night, a massage parlor. Woohoo.

Nothing like walking into a “massage parlor” at midnight, being greeted by four young, good looking, Chinese girls in short shorts, black nylons and heals! Oh, and their boss, a dude. I decided that we would take the most expensive item on the menu “Oilmassage western style” (not a typo), 68Y=$11.50. It turned into an awesome 50 minute back massage. Best way to end an evening after a very long flight.

	In front of the Shanghai Railway Station. Look closely, there is a KFC...I would soon find out they are EVERYWHERE! Deborah and I were in dispute as to what this was, (I say cow). These funny things were in every car, even the expensive ones!

Day 2 Subways, trains, and taxi’s

So much for the 8 hours of sleep I was hoping for. 5:30am. Awake. 4 hours of sleep.

Best thing heard today. Deborah, “Are you going to take a shower? Did you see the floor in that shower?” (hesitate) Kieu, “you know you can wear those in the shower”, pointing to the hotel slippers provided, which were already on her feet. More hesitation. Kieu, “you know we can eat the croissants we bought last night and you can put the plastic bags they came in on your feet.” I will report that she did consider about the wrapper for a moment but opted for the slippers, then opted out of the shower.
I left Deborah at the hotel to have her final “western style” breakfast as I took my first walk about to find a mobile service. And true to form, it would not happen without incident. After a walk around an entire city block, I was joyous to find a mobile store (China United Mobile; would not recommend). OH, did I mention the heat? Not sure how I am going to survive the next trip…Dubai.

While there, as if it was not enough to struggle with communication, a customer came in and started yelling and throwing things around. Literally! Then he pushed the female manager then POLICE showed up, TWO of them! And do you really think the sales girl helping me could stay focused? Oh, boy!
For my troubles I was rewarded with my second meal in China. I came across a row of street vendors. Yummy hot, fried dough in several flavors, Chinese corn on the cob and fresh, hot soymilk. Total: $1.50.

Our first subway in China was a rude awakening; there is a security check point. Despite travel within the country we are asked for passports and our bags are put through an x-ray machine. Again, could this happen without incident? Wellll….The officers started searching Deborah’s bag and discovered a OFF! Unsure of why it was not permitted, Deborah struggled to tell them it was bug spray. Somehow I did not think that was the problem. Until one of them pointed to the sign with a line through a flame. Ohhhh, it was an AEROSOL can and was being confiscated for a flammable. Well, then. Knowing how important it was to her, I chugged a bottle of water and proceeded to spray the contents into the water bottle. I got the look of approval from the security officers.

Next came the fast train; 300+ km/hr. That translates to 185+mi/hr. Yipes. It was the quietest smoothest ride I think I have ever had on a train. $8/one way. Wow.

Day 3
Another city another hotel. For the second time we have arrived at a hotel late last night and left to fend for food on the streets. Yippie. As luck would have it there was a street vendor in front of the hotel with a grill and meat on a stick. Woohoo. Nothing like grilled squid. Deborah opted out.
4 hours sleep again. Not sure what the problem was but I was not tired.

Our second appointment today was surprisingly two ladies who met us at the hotel to take us to their office. Being in China, to be working with women was a relief. There was little consideration or thought as to how to conduct yourself as to not offend.

We quickly became friends, as one of them asked about our plans for the evening. Shopping of course. To their delight this was their after work plans too! They proposed we join them for a ‘girls night out’! What a blast. To be shown around by locals who had the same interest as we did was more than we could ask for.

Dinner was a terrific buffet of all of my favorites, grilled oysters, fresh dumplings, shabu shabu, a tea bar and so much more. Chinese style of course.

Shopping at the Mall in China proved to be an interesting adventure. This was our first break since arriving in China and we were hopeful to do the “shopping” that we had heard so much about. We were quickly disappointed. All the deals we were hoping for could not be found. This was like any other mall in the US! Wahh? The mall styled just like an American mall, but the store names were mostly ones we had never heard of. There was actually a store with the caption “American styling” under the store name. It looked like a Polo shop (but not Polo to be found). Then there was a store (can not remember the name, it was something French) that had “Paris 1979” under the name. The funny part was, our companions commented on how they thought the whole Paris thing was fraud. But I argued that perhaps they meant Paris, Texas. Funny, even the Chinese know better. Ha!

Day 4 – Matazuma’s Revenge

It was a long arduous night. At about 10pm last evening a monster took over my stomach. I have never felt so much pain. I swear baring a child was easier. At least I knew then that once I pushed out the alien it was over. Last night, there was no end in sight. I remember thinking after fourth visits to the toilet it was over, but at 3am it started coming out top-side. For sure this would be the end of it, right? But nooooo. My body hurt, my head hurt, my stomach hurt. All I wanted to do was upchuck. The thought of travelling again was killing me. We were due to leave again in the morning.

The hotel helped us arrange a driver for the 2 hour ride to the airport and 3 pit stops. Luckily he was the best driver we could hope for. Not only did he drive in a way that did not make me feel sicker (rare for a foreign driver), but he truly had our best interest in hand, despite his complete lack of English. Everywhere we went he made sure we had our purses, a bottle of water and that we were sticking to the schedule. After all we had to be at the airport for a flight that afternoon.

For 4 hours we communicated with a dictionary and lots of hand jesters. I learned how to say horse and airport. (don’t ask). It took me 2 hours to effectively ask him his name. Unbelievably it was Andy! OMG was that really possible? (I am sure it is spelled differently.) It took me 15min to tell him he had the same name as my husband! When he finally understood he gave the biggest laugh. ? I wish I had a camera, the look was priceless.
Just when I thought the worse had passed and I was in the clear, the monster reared his ugly head at the airport. Having not eaten all day because the thought of food was making me sick to my stomach, a major sugar low was kicking in…in the middle of the security line. On the brink of blacking out Deborah pulled out glucose tablets and saved the day.

Thank gahhhd for a 5 hour delay due to weather which gave me an opportunity to sleeeeeeep…on 3 airport benches. Poor Deborah left to defend me all by herself. The waiting area was a full house and she was getting the dirty looks from people who wanted a seat while her “friend” was slumbering out on THREE! (Sorry Deborah!)
OMG we finally made it to our next location at 3am! That would be 3 late night hotel arrivals in a row! It was so late we did not even notice how awful the hotel was.

Day 5 – Changing Hotels

My first full night’s sleep since arriving in China, both Deborah and I got up at 12pm! Upon waking up it became very clear to us this hotel was not going to work. We had to leave and fast. With and exit strategy in hand we made our way to the front desk. And do you think that was as simple as that? I actually had to defend our reasons for leaving the reservation early. And despite the fact that we paid for a penalty of an additional night they were not satisfied to just let us leave. I stayed firm, got my deposit back and finally left.

Our diligence was rewarded with the much anticipated BEAD SHOPPING, granted it was at 6pm, better than nothing. We had done some research about the Li Wa Plaza and let me just say, they are ALL wrong. I don’t know where these people were, but really? 200 vendors? Not a chance. More like 500! If anyone ever thought Tucson was overwhelming? Tucson has nothing on this place. The only way I could possibly explain it is claustrophobic and fantastic!

Day 6 – Mou

Quote of the day, Kieu, “all the Chinese I know I learned from a taxi driver.” I arrived in China knowing 2 words, hello and thank you. This was the most I had ever struggled in a foreign country.

The vendor visit was most interesting. After a 2 hour drive both Deborah and I had to use the bathroom so we B-lined for the first one we saw. That was when it became clear why there were no lights on in the building. Our hosts hesitated to let use the bathroom then explained that they had NO electricity. It had been storming for the past 12 hours and it would appear that their electricity was knocked out. So Deborah and took turns holding the door cracked open so that we could have a little light in the bathroom. I am sure they were horrified by the situation.

The meeting was in a hot, steamy conference room with no lights. Eek. Communicating was not much better. It would appear that they could not really speak much English. My liaison (who was the person I had been working with for a year) could speak less English than she could write. And despite the iced tea bottle they gave us, I was dying in the heat and my head was still swimming from being sick. Can we say keep it short and simple!

In a hurry to get back to shopping we were making every excuse to get out of there. BUT of course they wanted to have lunch. Hard to pass up, so we said if we can get something fast would be best. The response, “KFC?”. I guess that would be quick. Off to the center of town we all went, including the driver. Somewhere in the 5 min. drive they changed to McD’s. Why not, right? We all had McD’s, including the driver. Yes, it tasted the same, but I have never seen those nugget sauces. American sauce (bbq), Italian sauce (I think it was marinara) and Malay sauce (not a clue, did not try).

Mou informed me that he had a brother who spoke English (and he did, and he spoke English quite well with a British accent to boot!) Throughout our drive when we could not make our point, he would pick up the phone and call his brother. Genius! After a little discussion with his brother Mou choose the shopping area for us. Great choice. We were dropped off at a local gift market. All the tacky Chinese stuff you could ever want. Silk purses, pillow cases, lanterns you hang from the ceiling of restaurants, the list went on. Deborah got her first taste of how cheap things could be in China. Here is also where I found out Americans are stupid!

Deborah and I were both advised by separate parties to bring one dollar bills to use in the markets. I can not believe I fell for that. But my senses did kick in before we left and I figured out the flaw in that line of reasoning. Of course as idiot Americans we would be more than happy to pay One Dollar for just about anything, like a bottle of water, a key chain or a Coke. Right? Isn’t that what it costs at home? The reality is these things do NOT cost a dollar in other countries. They cost more like a Quarter! Really. So if you carry foreign currency you will make out like a banshee.

This became very clear in the market. I needed to buy a strap for my camera so I asked how much and the guy said, “One”. I started pulling out 1 Yuan. To which he quickly he then said 5. Huh. Still cheap so I did not resist and paid him. Only later did it occur to me he thought I would give him 1 Dollar! Had I paid the US dollar he would be ahead 1.7 Yuans! ($1=6.7 Yuans)

There were all kinds of food vendors around but we chose 1879, a German restaurant. (really) Equipped with a German menu; written in German with English subtitles and German beer. The only thing missing were Germans. There were all kinds of German goodies being served up. Kraut, wursts, steins nothing was left to chance. Being the ass that I am, I had to test my theory; did these Chinese waiters speak German? So I asked the waiter who arrived, “Sprechen sie deutsche?” (do you speak German?) The response, “huh?”…I will take that as a No! The food was not bad, it was the most expensive meal we would have during our stay. We shared a steak, potatoes, and vegetables. Dinner was $30.

Day 7 – The Massage

After a long and very rough day of bead shopping I decided to seek out a massage. Upon arriving at the Massage Parlor conveniently located on the 11th floor of our hotel we were quickly greeted by girls whom, by Deborah’s description, “were dressed for a wedding”. We were looking for either a full body massage or shoulders and feet massage. Wow, who knew that would take 15 min. to work out? We should have just walked away. But noooo, onward…to my first “Japanese Massage”, that is code for full body.
We were led to a shower and asked to take one, so we did. Then while were standing there all wet in our towels, a “sweet” (and I say that loosely), little (literally), Chinese girl (definitely not a woman) started making small talk with us. Unsure why we were still standing there we got impatient after a few questions we started prompting, “massage now?”!!! It took them 45 min. from the time we reached the reception desk to the time we hit the massage table. Yipes. We should have just walked away.
The little Chinese girl informed us that she was “nomba fiteen” and that she will do our massage along with “nomba too”. So I took one for the team and I took #15 and let Deborah have #2. How do I describe this massage… a bit of a nightmare come to life? This person talked to me like I was a dirty, old white guy. Just imagine in a very high pitched voice and very bad accent, “ah, you hab beautiful skeen”; “you from amerika?”, “where you husbond?”. The only thing she left out was “I love you long time!” OMG! Was she ever going to stop talking to me during my massage? She actually asked me if she could come to work for me! Then there was the constant giggle, hee, hee, hee, hee. Really, like it was in a freaking movie.

Did I mention her crotch? The massage table was a very low bed and she was short (remember? About 5’) so when she leaned over to do my back she had her crotch practically in my head! Then #15 climbed on the bed and straddled my legs. Then she started whining, as if her voice was not whining enough, about how hungry she was. I just want to know why she has not had “lunch” yet at 9:30 pm???? Then, really, did I really want to know?

Day 8 The only thing missing was a bicycle.

Quote of the day, the person at the information desk at the airport, “What wearing?”. Kieu, “The person I am traveling with is a black women.” That was quite the embarrassed look I got. Ha. But I have to say I loved using Deborah as a marker in China. Talk about no mistaking! Cuz we all know telling someone to look for an Asian woman was not going to work out well in CHINA.

It was quite a day. We left southern China on a flight back to Shanghai, then there was the 1 hr bus ride between airports to get us much closer to our hotel; from there we were picked by the hotel shuttle for a 15 min. ride; after check in we got into the cab to the subway; then finally the subway to another cab to SHOPPING!
We found ourselves in tourist central. Nothing but rows and rows of goods for the everyday tourist in China. This would truly test our negotiating skills. And despite all of my best efforts the only thing missing is the one item I have been searching for throughout my trip, a cricket cage! I promised to look for one for a friends school project. It would be quite ironic if I found this in NYC next month.

For dinner we “found” ourselves at Nanxiang Steamed Dumplings. On my list of must do’s in Shanghai, I was starting to doubt that we would have the time to go. As luck would have it, it was located in the area we were shopping. And just as we were talking about dinner, we literally turned around and it was in front of us! I was smittened when I saw this on “Tony Bourdain’s No Reservations” a few months before. Dinner was one of the most expensive that we had had, and the most disappointing. Fizzle.
We shopped until we were practically kicked out. This was our last night in China.

Day 9 – Departure

Our final hotel was a place that you feared to look too closely. It was a good thing that we were there only long enough to sleep.
In the morning we were joined by 3 Chinese college students for the airport shuttle. I didn’t think anything of them until one of them said, “You gotta be kidding”, in Perfect English…They were Americans! Ha. One of the first we had met during the entire trip. On the ride I asked where they from. They replied, “Ohio”. Get out of here! OMG, no way. Then I said, “Where?”, “Oh, a small town you probably won’t know where it is.” I insisted, “Where”, “Hudson”. OMG! Deborah and I were so excited. They could not believe we were from Chagrin and Solon! Did I mention the flight attendant on the way to Shanghai was originally from Chagrin Falls? We actually knew the same people! Too funny.

Final Thoughts

In comparison, what we saw of China was much like NYC but in a different language; congested, dirty and smelly...just more of it and still under construction. There was an extreme number of new buildings under construction in every city we were in. The number of cranes were astounding. But they were not happening on new property, they were happening on existing property. The government is systematically taking down all villages and single family homes and replacing them with high rises. I am left to wonder about the historical buildings and their destruction. Where will China be in 30 years when there is nothing older then 100 years? How can they destroy history like that?

You can see where China wants to be by looking at the shopping malls and the "western" styles that are being imitated. But I never came to understand how their society could support the cost of such styles which were driven by "western" prices. If this is the trend for China, average daily wages must change or they will find themselves in debt...much like the financial crisis of the US today. The disparity between social classes seemed great. If it says anything, the cost of using highways (tolls) is far greater than an average person could afford, let alone the price of a car. Even I thought it was too expensive to use. If those were the same prices in the US I would not be able to afford to drive to downtown Cleveland but maybe twice a month.

There is much more to China than what we saw and I regret not having the time to be more adventurous.

Overall this was an uneventful trip for me. I really don’t think that I had many expectations for this trip except that I expected to find really cheap stuff. We found some but our time was so consumed with moving from one place to another and between appointments that there was little time to be adventurous. I look forward to leaving the cities on the next trip to see the history that has made China so rich...before it is all destroyed.

China 2011

March 21, 2011

Day 1 – Take off

3.5 days after a seemingly endless road trip home from Santa Fe I am off again to CHINA! A very unsuccessful trip to Tucson this year secured my decision to return to China. This time I am joined by girlfriend Karen and new professional colleague Kevin.

Karen a seasoned traveler has been almost unsettlingly quiet. She has asked little to no questions and has been completely content with the radio silence in between my trips. Wow. I don’t think I could handle it myself… my travel partner who was doing all the planning took off for weeks and not returning until right before take off?

Now that we are on our way, it has been brought to my attention that she was enjoying the fact that this was one of the few times that she did not have to do the planning for a vacation. Though this is a nice thought, I have to admit it is freaking me out just a little. I hope she realizes what she is in for.

Kevin I fear is quite the opposite of Karen. Having never owned a passport Kevin rushed expedited a passport then a Chinese Visa. Timid is an appropriate description for Kevin. For weeks we have been talking about this trip and though he wanted to go, it took a few weeks before he purchased the tickets. The best thing about Kevin joining us is that he is bringing his Chinese- American, college friend, who happens to be living in Beijing. She has agreed to come for 5 days and interpret for us. Bonus. I am so looking forward to her guidance during meal time!

After 2 delays, one in CLE and one in DTW for almost 2 hours we are on the plane. Karen seated on the aisle, I have the window, Kevin about ten rows back and another Kevin between Karen and I. huh. Who just so happens to be from Flynt, MI, which is the same place our Kevin was from. Double huh.

My cat nap on the 40 min. flight to DTW was my undoing. Now 11pm, I am showing NO signs tiring. I am sure I will pay for this tomorrow.

The flight was the perfect time to get in some chick flicks, Eat, Pray Love (completely self-indulgent movie); Julie and Julia (cute); and Smash That Camera (documentary about a paparazzi photographer, not as interesting as it could have been). I also thought it would be to prudent to play the Berlitz language video games and brush up on some Mandarin. (ha, ha, like I had enough Mandarin under my belt to brush up on!)

Day 1.5 Hong Kong

We arrived in Hong Kong a little later than I anticipated. It is a good thing that Hong Kong is so much like NYC, late night people. We checked into the hotel, met up with Marie and headed out for dinner. I was ready to hit the streets to get my first meal! As luck would have it, our hotel was a couple of blocks from the Temple Market. One of the more popular street markets with lots and lots of food vendors. Yummy.

Welcome to Hong Kong! Can this room be any smaller?

We later found out this was the standard.

Steamed Pork Buns. I am taking the pix because I hate steamed pork buns!ha.

The train station in HK. So nice and clean.

Day 2 Clean!
Sleep was difficult, I kept dreaming that I had to chase down a guy who stole my luggage. When I caught up to him, I had to beat on him until he finally let go of my bag…ugh.

Working on less than 4 hours of restless sleep we headed for the train station to Guangzhou.

This morning we learned that Starbucks in China does not open until 7am!

Now that it was daylight I finally see what people mean when they say that HK is just like NYC but with a lot of Chinese people. For me the major difference is, HK is much and I do mean much, cleaner. The train station was amazingly clean.

Day 2.5 Guangzhou

Guangzhou! So happy to arrive in Guangzhou with to a familiar face! Marie was able to contact the driver we had last on our last trip and arranged for him to pick us up at the train station. I told her to remind him that I was the one who was traveling with the black woman last Fall. He remembered immediately! Ha. ha.

On our ride to the hotel Marie and Mu talked a lot about my last visit. It was so nice that he remembered it the way I do. Marie liked him too. Unfortunately the hotel that we chose is so close to where we are going that his services would not be needed. Mu felt that we did really well with our hotel pick. I disagreed. I told him that it was not good for him. :)

It is interesting to me how my view of this city has changed. I think on the last trip I was so busy and concerned with business, getting around, not getting lost, not getting screwed, our schedule and not being sick, that I did not get a chance to look around and enjoy what was here. It has also been interesting to listen to Marie compare the city to other parts of China.

The hotel was located on an “island” and was an area that frequently by foreigners. Going to our room I was surprised to see that it was only 5 stories high! So unusual for a hotel in China. It felt like everything in China was a high rise, so to be in such a short building was comforting. Walking around the area to look for food we discovered that this area has been preserved from the colonial days. The buildings were very western and there were cobblestone streets and sidewalks. It felt like a quiet neighborhood in France or England but with Chinese food and souvenirs.

Breakfast was in a corner “café” of stir fried noodles, then there was the late lunch at McD’s! Marie was enjoying the fact that she was around Americans and getting her fill of American food and my other companions were already moving on from the Chinese food. I ate on the streets.

The Chinese medicine market.

Look closely, those are dried seahorses.

Say "Beeeeeaads!"

Shop after shop of beads.

Inside the "Bead" mall.

Shops on the walk to the bead market.

Day 3 A Long Day

In the morning we met in the hotel lobby to start our day. Upon Marie’s arrival I noticed that her engagement ring was different from what I saw the night before so I commented. It would appear that the jade center stone (which was beautiful) had popped out! Ugh. For the next hour we searched her room and the hotel. I felt so bad for her. We never found the stone.

Giving Marie some space to breath, Kevin and I went ahead to do our business. Karen decided to stay behind today to go jogging and relax…at Starbucks! Which was right around the corner. This was her vacation to relax and do whatever she wanted. Her reports from her jog only made me jealous that I did not bring my tennis shoes and workout clothes so that I could do the same.

Asia is a bit of a peculiar place in that everywhere you go you have to pay in cash. No credit cards no checks. Even the plan tickets are paid in cash. So in an effort to not have to carry that much cash, Kevin had this great idea that we would go to a Chase Bank branch here in China to access our monies since we both had accounts there. That way we did not have to carry so much cash. Well. After 20 minutes of looking for a cab then a 20 minute ride, we arrived at the Chase “office” which …did not do over the counter transactions. The location was so far out and the traffic was starting to get heavy we decided to take the subway which appeared to be under the building…sort of.

The subway station, though under the building, was a block’s walk underground. All I could think about was that we would not make our rendezvous with Karen. One connection, two trains, 6 stops and 5 blocks later we finally arrived at our meeting point, half an hour late. I felt so bad. I chose Karen as a travel partner on this trip because I did not have to worry about her taking care of herself and occupying her own time. What I learned was that (though she is good about that) she was no different from the rest of us. She was not “alarmed” but funny little thoughts of “what might have happened” did go through her head. “did they get arrested, is someone in trouble…” I don’t know why but I take such delight in this thought. She is just like the rest of us!

Tonight we went to one of Marie’s favorite restaurants. It was Taiwanese style food. I did not see the difference but went with it. We ordered boiled chicken served at room temperature, something I had been wanting to try since the last trip. This was something my mother makes and it was to my understanding that it was very good in China. The first bite was fantastic, the second was raw. We sent it back. They NUKED it! So much for “room temperature”.

Liz Taylor died yesterday.

They actually make a holiday so that you can sweep your ancestors tombs.

A bucket of LIVE scorpians for sale. Not at the medicine market.	The crew. Karen, Marie, Kevin and me.
This one was for the Clinic!	Funny, Deborah and I have the same pix last year.

Day 4 The Bank
Guangzhou to my surprise is a very late rising city. 10 am and most of the shops are still not open and neither are the street restaurants. Breakfast is such a big deal in Asia that I was surprised that most of them were not open. Yesterday Kevin and I found a little soup stand where Kevin had “the BEST wonton soup” of his life. It was quite tasty and cost us $1.10 for the bowl! Today I found a Vietnamese sandwich shop for breakfast. Being an “imported” item my sandwich was $2, yipes that is was just as expensive as the states! It only “looked” like a Vietnamese sandwich.

The banking issue from yesterday caused us to re-evaluate our situation. In need of money I had Amex wire money overnight for pick up in this morning. On the way to the bank we decided to open a checking account with a Chinese bank.(After some research I was told that it was nearly impossible to open a Chinese account. Having Marie by our side we were confident that we would be successful. Well, I can say with confidence that had it not been with Marie’s help, it would have never happened. I had to fill out my form FOUR times! The first time, I did not use the right pen! The second time, I just an “X” instead of a check mark. The third time, I scribbled out ONE letter at the very end. The wire transfer took 3 tries also, one of which was because I did not write in uppercase block letters! I can see how it is impossible without a native speaker!

For lunch, McD’s. This time I joined in but of course I had to have the local Chinese McD’s dish, chicken wings. Why have a hamburger? And how were the wings? Dear god, I had no idea McD’s knew what five spice was. Just kill me. My least favorite thing to eat in China and there it was in my McDonald’s chicken wings! Uck.

Tonight we sat by the water for dinner. Karen had spied an interesting restaurant on one of her jogs around the area. The location was a beautiful and a perfect fit for tourists. The food, well, not so much.

My companions and their distractions.

The view at dinner

Day 5 Final Day
Today is Marie’s last day with us. We had been shopping for beads since our arrival in Guangzhou. I was mentally exhausted and in need of a break. So today I was determined to finish my business so that we could take the next day off to go touring. With some negotiation we arranged for exchanging money for our purchases and shipping of all of our boxes. Everything was neatly boxed up and on its way home.
We stopped again at Kevin’s new favorite place to eat and found the area completely packed with patrons. Unlike in the morning.

Along our walk back to the hotel we did a little shopping. This was when Karen found out that it was not so easy to buy shoes in China for an American. The sizes don’t go up that high. However, by default, I got a great pair of Clarks. Who knew they were knocking off Clarks! $12

The local food court.

Fresh noodles being made.

Dinner!, one of the best of the week. Rice cooked in a clay pot with chicken and veggies.

Day 6 A Relaxing Day
Got up at 6am! Uck. I guess my body is limited to 8 hours of sleep!
Since I was able to finish my business we decided to go to HK a day early. With an afternoon train scheduled we took the morning to relax. And for the first time on the trip I hit up Starbucks. I was surprised that they understood exactly what I wanted. (They spoke Starbuckese!) I did wonder if they found it a little annoying; all the crazy American orders.

On my way out of Starbucks I bumped into an American with his 11year old son from Indiana. They were in China adopting an infant. Somehow we got into a conversation and he told me that he was traveling with 5 chidren (11-3yrs). I gave him The look and said “..and you’re adopting ANOTHER one?” His answer? “yeah, that’s what we do.” I only have one comment, “huh?”…moving on…

Starbucks in hand I headed over the foot bridge to find myself some breakfast. This is always the best part of the day for me, looking for food. This morning I discovered that I knew more Mandarin than I thought. We went to the neighborhood across the street to find breakfast. There I found rice crepes, warm soy milk, and a croissant for Karen. While getting my crepes the owner started asking me questions. I had already indicated what I wanted by pointing, but I guess he needed more confirmation. My first reaction was to throw up the “I don’t know shrug.” Before I could shrug, I realized that I totally understood him. He was trying to verify my order. Whoohoo. I got exactly what I wanted. The in flight Berlitz game was working.

The children in the park.

We spent the rest of morning on the island. It was Sunday and the island was bustling with school children, couples getting their wedding pictures taken and packs of people working out. Walking through the park we were approached by school children. A boy with his mother approached us and started pushing her son to speak English with us. Hello, how are you? Where are you from? What is your name? This was great! That mother was so smart to get her son to practice his English. We indulged them by asking questions back. What is Your name? What are you studying? How old are you? It was so much fun other children came over and we started quizzing them too.

	A woman going swimming and this guy who was fishing? Both parts of that sentence were just wrong in so many ways.
	This was just down right amusing. Not only is fuhhhreezing out that morning, we just finished a discussion of how we didn't think you could swim there because it was discuuuusting. And then this. Yup, she went in, and yup, that was a styrofoam block she tied to herself with a rope.
	We had no idea where he was taking Nemo.
	There were at least 20 couples having their wedding portraits done in the park. Apparently it is a big deal in China. I completely missed the picture of the bus load of them.
The park	So much for Tai Chi in the morning. These people were dancing for their daily excercise.

Mu came to take us to the train station. With more than a couple of hours to wait we went to Ikea. Let me note here, that Marie did foreworn us about going to Ikea in China on a weekend. Wow. She was not kidding. It was definitely a family outing for the Chinese to go to Ikea. We thought it would be good idea to go to Ikea to have lunch. Wouldn’t it be ironic to have Swedish meatballs in China?...at Ikea? Well, maybe not so much. OMG! The place was crawling with people. I think it took us 10 minutes just to get to the cafeteria, and this was not a particularly large store. When we finally arrived the line was so long we turned around. Now were running short on time.

When I said it was crawling with people... I really meant it. This was the line to get into the cafeteria.

Ikea

A mad dash to another restaurant, packing our food to go, we RAN to the train station. Phew. By the way, the closed door that says “Restricted Area” over it at the train station is the Chinese way of saying, “Restricted to those who do NOT have a ticket.” I know a little scary to go through a guarded door in a communist country unsure if you are allowed to or not, right?

Even though we were going to HK, (which is now part of China since 1997), we had to go through immigration. Show passports and everything. Then there was the border patrol somewhere about half through the trip. You could actually see the demarcation and the guards? Really? I wonder how it was Before they were part of China. Scary.

Tonight we ended up at the Night Market in HK. It is an outdoor market that is about 3 blocks long where vendors come to sell their goods…to tourists. There were all kinds of things from funny bumper stickers to jade trinkets. It is much like little Italy in NYC; millions of tourists looking for a bargain to bring back to their friends at home. Reflecting on my evening I am realizing that the prices I was given were really cheap. There was little room to negotiate even though I tried my hardest. At the end of the day I got a good deal even though I was only able to negotiate a 20% discount. This is so different from Shanghai, where the prices started 3 times higher than what you end up with If you are a good negotiator.

Day 7 “We are not in the US”

Today Karen and I decided to take the day off to go see the sites. We headed for Tian Tan Buddha (aka The Big Buddha) and The Peak. To get there and back required a train, a cable car, a bus and a taxi. As we headed to the Big Buddha (I hate that name btw…) Karen mentioned that there was a cable car, which I completely poopoo’ed. Really? I started flashing back to Paris and that ridiculous funicular at the Sacre Coeur. I was absolutely out. Then there was the other flash back of the largest Buddha outside of Asia in Hawaii… my only comment, “That’s it?”

Then we arrived at the base of the mountain. So much for that hill I had envisioned in my little brain. My mind was changed immediately; cable car with a glass bottom it is! We waited for almost an hour to get our tickets and finally onto to the cable car. To our delight we were joined by an American executive living in HK who was acting as tour guides for some British colleagues. This was a great bonus as we too got the guided tour from someone who had been there numerous times.
The scenery from the cable car was spectacular. We could see the airport in the distance and was able to get a really good idea as to how big that airport really is. Then there was the wooden foot path, which we were told would take a leisurely hiker 2.5 hours to walk. If only I had brought hiking shoes, it looked so cool. Then there were the occasional ancient grave sites.

The footpath over the mountain to the temple.
Peace out!	Glass bottom. And yes, those are my new shoes that will probably never see light again.
	Almost there.
	Look closely, that is grave site. View from the cable car.

A short walk through the village and a “park” brought us to the base of the Buddha. Wow, it was HUGE. The one in Hawaii paled in comparison. I was so impressed I could hardly stand it. 268 steps up the granite staircase we were finally at the Buddha, and I will never do the hike over the mountain on the foot path! Eek. I was glad that though I was with an avid runner, Karen was out of breath too!
We acquired meal tickets by making a “donation” to the temple which also gave us access to the shrine inside of the Buddha. Inside we viewed old scriptures written in blood! A relic and memorials of people who had passed. It was so peaceful.

On our way to the temple for our lunch, Karen discovered that she had lost our meal ticket. I was not concerned. I thought for sure we would find it, but if we did not, it was for a good cause so I would not mind buying another ticket. I approached the ticket office and proceeded to tell them of our woes. The ticket girl asked, “Did you buy the ticket here?” (as in this counter) “Yes, I buy from you.” “Did you buy from me or her?” (pointing to another ticket girl who was not there earlier. “Yes, I bought it from you, here.” (pointing to her and her desk.) “Which meal did you buy?” “The standard” “You buy here?” “Yes!”…then she turned, grabbed a ticket next to her and handed it to me. Unbelievable! It was our ticket. Someone had turned it in. Karen’s response, “we are not in the US.”

Lunch was one of the best meals we had had the entire trip. 5 courses, all vegetarian served in a very busy hall. Karen pointed out that we were the there were no Caucasian tourists having lunch. That was so disappointing to me. But it does please me that she noticed and that she had joined me.

How big was the Big Buddha...It was this big.	An entire store of Chopsticks. There were Sterling Silver chopsticks too.
Actually, it was this big.	The red sign points to the US, about 15k miles away.
I guess you should have a little something for everyone. Notice the cowboy hat mixed in.	This was my effort in taking a pix with the Buddha and our Starbucks.
Up the steps
Down the steps	I thought this was almost sad. The sound construction in such a tranquil place. It was so displaced, like the crane in the background. Inside the temple.
Keep your eye on the base of the hill...	...a graveyard...
	...in tiers along the hillside.

Day 8 Lights out

Today we planned to do a little more shopping for beads; then more shopping. Karen was having suits custom made while we were there so we headed to her final fitting. In Hong Kong there are dozens of tailors who could custom make a suit in a couple of days. One of Karen’s goals for the trip was to find clothing for work. Until the plan ride over she had no idea it was possible to have suits made within budget and during our stay. Our flight companion had pointed us in the right direction and we were able to find a shop that was able to accommodate Karen’s needs. I was jealous that I did not have a need for the suit.

On our walk back to the hotel tonight I met my match. A light pole. OMG, I hit that pole so hard I thought I knocked out my teeth. So there we were walking and talking along the sidewalk. And at some point I turned my head to say something to Kevin…Boink! I hit the side of my face, bounced backwards and proceeded to hit my crotch too! I hit it so hard, my ears were ringing and the top of my head was immediately pounding. I almost landed on the ground but caught myself. Catching my breath on the ground I started checking my teeth for chipping. Karen saw it in slow motion, freaked her ought enough that she thought I knocked my eye out of its socket. Ouch!

We continued our shopping trek working our way through the markets. Hong Kong is the knock off mecca. It felt much like Canal Street in lower Manhattan. And just like in NYC, Karen and Kevin (the white people) were approached by whispers of “gucci, chanel, fendi”. Whereas I was not. Funny how they look like they might be interested in such things, but I did not?

Always this busy and everywhere.	Streets of HK.
That would be a mosque in HK. I don't know why, but I totally did not expect that.	Dinner on the streets. Yes, that is a dish of mini conchs. Karen is having soy noodles, Kevin...General Tao's chicken.
Outdoor eating.	The buffet.

Day 9 The Peak

This was our last day in HK and I wanted to see as much as I could. We headed across the water to Hong Kong Island to the Peak. An 8 minute ferry ride for $.50 took us across the water where we would pick up a $2 bus ride to the top of the mountain. $5 gave us entry to the escalator to the top of a viewing platform. Still overcastted! It was probably the worst day of the trip to go to the Peak. We had to imagine what it could have looked like. The view did give us a good idea of how dense Hong Kong is.

From the Peak we wanted to go to Stanley Market which was on the other side of the mountain. So in my mind I’m thinking there must be a bus that would take us there right? Oh, but no. We had to take the tram to the bottom (where we had started) then take a bus around the mountain. Ugh. So we hired a taxi for an extra $7 (between us) to take us directly to Stanley Market.

Stanley Market was listed as a must see in Hong Kong. That was why we went and well, Karen and I disagree. It was more of what we had already been experiencing. The difference was that it was by the beach. This was a coastal community settled by the Brits and there were plenty of reminders of their presence. Pubs, fish and chips and beer. We opted for a Chinese lunch.

Despite my best efforts to get multiple massages on this trip it would be. So tonight was determined to get a massage to prepare for the long flight home. I found a little place near the markets and the price was right. They were all so nice and eager to the job. I told them that I wanted a very hard massage and that it needed to be at least an hour. No problem. That is until she got to my legs at which point this non-English speaking girl said, “need more time.” “You do a lot of shopping. I feel it here.” That would be around my aching knees. One and half hours later I was relaxed and soar. She took the hard massage to heart.

The Chinese like their basketball!	This was above the bus driver. It says: NOTICE, It is an offence in the law for a passenger to talk to a driver. I guess we won't be asking for directions...
Overcast view of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, where we were staying.	View of HK from the Peak
Couldn't talk Karen into joining me. Grilled, dried cuttlefish.	That's the grill.
Then it goes into the press. = Yummie.	Swarovski, couldn't help myself.
Wind!	at the Peak, HK island
More Wind!	Stanley Market area.
The kitchen was in the middle of the restaurant.	A companion at our table.
Entry to the restaurant.	This pix was taken inside of the bus. This is how close we were the BILL BOARD!
Mochi stand. (Japanese style ice cream)	Kevin's obsession wtih "I" everything.

Day 10 Departure

Another early morning we headed for the airport. Our connection in Tokyo was an interesting one. Again we found ourselves delayed due to mechanical issues. ( I say better delayed than to find yourself in the middle of the ocean.) Upon this news a very ugly, irate American got out of his seat and proceeded to berate a flight attendant. Really? The problems were so bad that we had to switch plans. So during our de-boarding, we could here this ass yelling all the way out. And of course he was already at the counter yelling at the counter people by the time we made it off.
By the time we were on the second plane he was amazingly quiet. The flight attendant informed me that they had a little talk with him. Hmmm. Did you know it was illegal to insight people on a plane?

At immigration entering the US I learned that not everyone knows that Hong Kong is part of China. When filling out your re-entry form to the US, you are asked the questions, which countries did you visit. I answered, “China.” When the immigration officer asked me I mentioned that I also went to Hong Kong, but since HK was part of China I did not write it down…right? His answer, we’re not really sure either, so I will go ahead and write here for you.

Final Thoughts

China the second time around was much better than the first. I saw things in a completely different light and actually look forward to another trip when I can take out more time to go to the outskirts. I am sad that Deborah did not get to experience some of the things that Karen and I did. A few things did not get any better, like squat toilets and carrying your own toilet paper. Hand wipes is also a staple along with bottled water. As for the food, I can not say that I love Chinese food, but this was definitely the better trip then the last. I still hate five spice!
Hong Kong is much like NYC with all of the tourist traps included. Even though you make the effort to take the road less traveled there is seems to be little disparity between the neighborhoods. It was all “local” mixed with the tourist stuff. HK was also much more expensive than mainland China. There are also far more English speaking people there and getting around is not only easy but cheap.
I am unsure that I would find a need to return to HK for anything more than business. For me it was too much like NYC. I can not say that I truly enjoy NYC. Once you have seen the sites do you really need to see it again? There are many other places I would much rather see.

Sept 5, 2018

About My Journey People ask me all the time what it’s like to go to China so I thought I would approach it a little differently with this blog and share aspects that made this trip so memorable with the hopes that it will give you a little insight through my eyes. Perhaps one day you will join me on this crazy adventure I call life. For me, China is sort of like a love hate relationship. I hate it as much as I have love it. The trip is long and arduous, communication in all forms is challenging and for the most part, I don’t love the food. (Let it be known I prefer Americanized Chinese food. I do realize that makes me the epitome of an American.) Once I am there, there are many things that are really great. I have seen and experienced things I will never be able to anywhere else in the world and my trips continue to expand my view of the world outside of my bubble, good and bad.

Outside The Forbidden City. Hard to believe we are standing next to a major boulevard.

Sculptures made from broken porcelain.

This is the first monk I have ever seen in China. Seems strange.

he most beautiful day My goal for this trip was to visit the Great Wall of China to check off another bucket list item. And though our plans were loose, somehow we chose the absolute most beautiful day. This day the weather was the best it had been since we arrived. we were given a little reprieve from the heat and humidity with clouds and an amazing breeze. It was like mother nature was giving us a little kiss everytime the breeze kicked in. From Beijing there are many places where the wall is open to the public, the most popular places are the ones closest to the city. Even before the experience at the Forbidden City, I knew that the site I wanted to visit to be further away where there are still original, non-reconstructed Wall. This pick would put us 2 hours out of the Beijing where the tourists were sparse and the sites were amazing. I can not imagine a better location for our trek. Arriving on the site and seeing the Wall up close was one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life. The Great Wall was more than I could have ever imagined. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. My breath was literally taken away and I almost started crying. I can not even begin to describe what it was like; I am unclear I even know how. People say you can not understand the Grand Canyon until you are actually standing at the edge and looking down into it. Having been to the Grand Canyon I would agree with that statement. And the experience at the Wall was similar but in a bigger way. Perhaps it is because at the GC you CAN get a sense of how big it is. Whereas the Wall was absolutely Unbelievably large. Looking in both directions as far as the eye can see is about 12miles (so they say). And standing there imagining FIVE THOUSAND MILES! Mind blown. The Great Wall of China was more than anything I had ever hoped for. A once in a lifetime experience. Check!	Guard Tower Not everything was renovated.
Miles of "trails" being built in anticipation of tourists. A billboard ad for new development next to the Wall. You too can live in luxury next to a historic site.	Many of guard towers were occupied by locals selling drinks, snacks and souveniers. They would make the trek everyday carrying much of their goods in a backpacks.
	The first Praying Mantis I have ever seen in the wild! He played nice and stood still for this picture.

A Perspective This trip would prove to be different from my previous travels as I gained a new perspective on so many things. My travel companions would show me that perspective. Enjoying my surroundings in a different manner than I have before. Taking more time out to just sit and to be in our space but with a drink became something that I would actually enjoy. As much as we had a schedule, I was relieved to know that we did not have to fill every waking minute. Despite the schedule we were not obligated to fulfill every aspect of it. Mind blown! Interactions with locals is another reason why I travel. From these interactions I continue to gain more insight to the world beyond what is reported on the news and what we see on the internet. It is in these conversations that things come to life and are real. Some of the most memorable conversations were with our translators. Jocelyn who seemed as interested in us as we were in her and was completely star struck when she found out that she had met someone who worked for NASA (Emily), that she squeeled in delight, truly. She was so impressed, saying that she had never met anyone from NASA before. Another was with Rafi how was born and raised in Hong Kong yet he was not really a Chinese citizen because his parents were immigrants. These kinds of conversations about foreign government just absolutely spins my idealist American perspective. As much as I am critical of some of these kinds of policies, hard to believe it took going out of the country to learn about some American policies. Like the weird rule that says an Australian traveling through China to the US needs a Visa! Had they traveled directly to the US, they don’t need a visa. What?? Bonzai trees at Chi Lin Nunnery

I never know what I will discover on a trip. What I do expect is that I always come home a little more educated. My world view is a little wider. Some Quieter Spaces Orchid Garden I guess these 3 found a "quiet" place for a nap. They were sleeping for about 30min!

Dumplings Anyone? We took an afternoon to learn how to make dumplings. This informal class at a local's apartment not only gave us a taste for homemade dumplings, but an insight to life in Hong Kong. I am never happy to have to share my time with other "tourists". I was happy to be wrong about these people I assumed were tourists. (Right? Why would locals take a dumpling class?) We were joined by a Hong Kong immigrant, Indian family. It turned out that one of the sons was home from London on holiday and wanted to do something fun. Especially since his mother failed at making dumplings just weeks before. In the end, they gave more insight on the Hong Kong culture as the sons were both born and raised in HK. They were happy to converse with on such diverse topics as politics, culture and food. It is moments like these that I continue to travel. To be able to enjoy the diversity in the world.

Rafi, Mina and I can't remember. Do you think anyone will notice I licked my fingers? lol.

The Wet Market As part of the dumpling class we visited a "wet market". Basically an outdoor market where you can get groceries. Why the difference in carrots? One is locally grow and one is imported. Tofu vendor

Persimmon Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)

So Many Temples, So Little Time After my trips to Thailand I thought I have had enough of temples, but for some reason temples are still seductive to me. I had no idea there were so many temples left in China. The main difference between temples in China and those I have been to before was the scale. Every temple we visited were on properties that were sprawling and vast. Additionally all of the properties had multiple temples on them unlike others I have seen. The most uninteresting fact, between the temples seemed to be a consistent architecture, art and design; they were all seemingly the same. Which gave me a bigger appreciation for the diversity of temples in Thailand. After about 4 temples, the challenge for me was to find temples that would separate itself from the “standard". And though they were so similar, I am still drawn to seeing as many as I could. Fang Xexuan Temple, Beijing Fang Xexuan Temple, Beijing Temple of Heaven (I think, they are all looking alike.) Temple of Heaven, Beijing Temple of Heaven, Beijing Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, Guanzhou Tian Tan Temple, Hong Kong

The Forbidden City, Beijing The Forbidden City, Beijing Almost all of the temples had similar ceiling designs in different colors. The Forbidden City Every rooftop had these figures on them. They indicated the status of the rulers. Nan Lian Garden Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

The Show The Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery show is considered the 2nd largest show of its kind in the world. Because of its size it is held in two venues 40 minutes apart (Asia-World Expo and Hong Kong Convention Center). Without much expectations we headed for the Asia-World Expo where there is supposed to be Gems and Pearls. And well, let me just say, wow. Having been to the Bangkok show (3rd in the world) I did not expect this show to be so big. It is one thing to read about it but it quite another to be there. The big difference between this show and Tucson (the largest show in the world) was the quality. The Hong Kong show was a huge step-up in quality. Here we found piles and piles of high end pearls; and Rows and rows of diamonds and fancy gem stones some worth over a million dollars for one piece. Among all of the loose gemstones for sale were finished jewelry pieces and giftware. One of the best things we found but didn’t buy were cashmere scarves. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever touched in my life. It was definitely the Rolls Royce of cashmere, I think I have been ruined for life. Then there were the tools; you know the ones that cost about $10k, take up an entire room and we all drool to have but can’t seem to justify, yeah, those tools. At least was allowed to play with one. We walked away with very little by way of product as most of the show was order only. But I would do it again for the experience and exposure to a whole new world I never imagined. Impressive temporary "showrooms" on the show floor.

Unfortunately photos were not allowed on the showrooom floor so there are not many to share. But I snuck in a few. Shhhhhhh. A small look at the showroom floor

The Crush I am pretty sure I had already come to this conclusion previously, but again by day 2 of the trip I concluded that I could never live in such a place. Holy cow, the possibility of a peaceful sanctuary just seemed impossible. The crush of people was sometimes maddening. Despite being in China already for some 13 days, finding ourselves in the middle of rush hour in the Hong Kong subway system was completely suffating. I actually surprised myself when I found myself not handling it well. I simply don’t remember ever feeling so crowded despite this being my 7th trip to Asia. Popular tourist sites were so overwrought with people. The fact that I was able to get shots without people in them is a testament to my patience and the ladies I was traveling with, as they were willing to hang around until I got my shot. Everywhere we went people were fighting for their shot and unabashedly so. It was unbelievable seeing the rush of people across the courtyard at The Forbidden City when the gates opened. I could only assume that these people were running to be the first there to get their picture. How everything changes in time. This time, there were less bikes than before and public rental bikes were all over the city. Night life in Hong Kong.

At The Forbidden city overlooking the courtyard before they opened the gates. Look closely at the stairs. Rush hour in the MTR. Lets not do this again.

My Obsession with Flowers If you have been following me long enough, I am pretty sure it has become clear that I am obsessed with taking pictures of pretty flowers. Why? Because I don't have to ask them to stay still or smile nice. But mostly because I have this crazy idea that IF I am ever going to capture the most perfect, professional image of my life it will be with a flower as my subject. We took some time out to visit an Orchid garden. Among all of the orchids in the garden, I believe only 5 plants were blooming. Can you say, wrong season??? Oops.

Competion

As a member of crafting jewelry community I felt like I needed to add my two cents. But before I begin, let me qualify my opinion. I am a former owner of not one but two bead stores of 9 years. So this was not a flash in the pan.

There has been much talk in the community about the FacetJewerly Box. Somehow, this seems to have offended a number of people and I am unclear why there is such a strong opinion about it. As a former LBS owner I felt this kind of competition was good for the store and it would have given me the idea to do a “box” of my own. As an LBS I was always looking for ideas.

I commend Kalmbach for being creative with their outreach. As a publisher the goal is to find new subscribers. As I like to put it, “new blood”. Because as we all know people change up crafts as often as they change their underwear. I used to get people (and still do) who are “new” to jewelry making and are immediately obsessed. The majority of these obsessions are short lived. The majority only last about a year.  So what is a store owner to do? How do you continually reach new customers? You have to be innovative. You have to find creative ways to acquire new customers.

For me, if FacetJewelry is able to create new addicts, gaahd love them. Because we all know these addicts (we are one of them!) Do you really think it begins and ends at a Box? Absolutely not. Addicts will eventually seek out new and better sources, ie LBS! It is all just a matter of time.

Additionally, for me personally, these addicts eventually move on from beads and go to metals. It is a natural progression. (Heck this how I ended up here.) Which means (hopefully) my potential audience will also continue to grow as a result.

There is no chance that Kalmbach or any other publication will have the Walmart affect. None. Publishers simply do not function that way. Their goal is to create more subscribers. By boycotting the publishers, you are also dooming our industry. If the publishers go out of business who is going to drive the core audience. As much as we can say there is always social media and the internet. Most of us are not that good at it. AND as LBS owners, we are way too tired and overworked to add one more thing to our plates.

A little story of my experience. Back when I had the stores I was asked to participate in a Bead Store Hop. Where customers were invited to pick up a passbook to have stamped at all the local bead stores. Those who received all the stamps were entered into a drawing for a prize. The theory was that it would generate more traffic for all of us. I thought this was a lovely idea and participated. The second year I was uninvited. Why? Because my store was the biggest and I was viewed as too much competition. They should have seen this as an advantage to get in front my mailing list of thousands. It is all a matter of perspective.

And for the sake of transparency, although I am published by both F&W and Kalmbach, no one has paid me to write this. I am just annoyed. If you are in business you SHOULD welcome competition. Competition makes all of us step our game. When we do this our industry is stronger as a whole. My big question is, what creative thing are you doing to contribute to this industry and not just your own store? 

Our First Cruise and Last Cruise

October 2009

Well, despite my best efforts to book a cruise line that is suppose to be a good one, I failed. This being our first cruise there were certain expectations set forth by friends who were seasoned cruisers. We were told the following:

1. Don't worry about motion sickness, you won't even feel the waves….Whu??? Really, what kind of joke is that? Thank god I was not naïve enough to go without some sort of precaution. We packed wristbands for me and Bonine for Andy. THANK GOD!! By the time we reached the high seas we were both feeling the effects of it. The only time we felt good was when we were sitting in bed or at a table. Walking around? Huh! That was miserable. It would also appear that we were not the only ones feeling the pain, as we observed the people around us with the tinge of green around their faces.

2. The food is great! Expect to gain some weight. You can not get around the food!...Again, let me say Huh? What food? We went looking for the food and did not find it. Our first meal was a lousy burger on the pool deck. Andy thought it was ok, but I think he was just hungry. Not content to settle there I decided to wait for dinner. We went to one of the sit down restaurants and ordered conservatively, I did not want to over eat. After all there was still plenty of time to gorge ourselves. I ordered the baby shrimp cocktail and sea scallops. Andy ordered the ceasar salad and tortellini. My shrimp cocktail I, code for "bay" shrimp cocktail, was some sort to shrimp hash and cocktail sauce. I passed. Ceasar salad was good. Scallops were good except there were only 5 of them, and I would not exactly call them "Sea" scallops. They were again of the "Bay" variety. (ie a little small for this girl's appetite.) The scallops were accompanied by some sort of cheesy paste disguised as grits? The tortellini? Lets just not speak of them. I decided that since the meals were inclusive we should just finish up and go to another location. Why not? What else was there to do, right. We skipped dessert and headed to the other restaurant. Can you believe it? It was the SAME menu! Another pass. After hanging out in our room for awhile we decided to hit the buffet. What the heck. I was not feeling really well and needed something comforting. There was indeed a buffet and there was food but it was not really hitting the spot. I had asparagus, which was good and mild which made me feel good, there was turkey piccatta? Pass. French fries! Fresh and crispy, the way we like it. We both needed the salt. After about 10 minutes I see what I had come for, a PASTA BAR! Yippie! I was finally going to be reallllly satisfied. Let me say again, wellll. While standing in line for the pasta I started feeling the pings of …throw up. Yup! It starts to hit me. Pass. We took dessert back to the room. Neither of us ate it. We just had to lay down. The final word on the food, the fries were great! Did I mention they ran out of coke?

3. There is so much to do on a cruise. You won't be board. Let me first of all point out that I am currently on the ship on this computer writing this blog. Hmmm. Well, we headed to the casino and checked it out. Unfortunately, we were both feeling a little sick from the motion that standing in a room with loud noise and smoke was not cutting it. Shopping? Yes, there was plenty of that, but again, Andy and I do not buy, cigarettes, jewelry or chachtkies. Especially the overpriced kind. (remember, I am way too cheap for that.) There seems to be a lack of open space. By open space I mean areas that you can sit at outside. I was so looking forward to sitting outside and relaxing. But the areas that are outside were crowded and always full of very loud music and cigarette smoke. I fear that I am getting old.

4. You can totally relax on a cruise…HUH??? What up with the 8am wake up alarm EVERY morning? Yup. Every morning at the strike of 8am, the flippin' cruise director would make some sort of announcement I could not understand THEN thought it would be cute to sing some freaking "good morning" song. Just kill me. As if it that was not enough, the first morning, they decided to do a staff emergency drill, which meant that they would sound the alarms. The second morning was to the lovely sound of some sort of maintenance on the boat. Was there one morning that they were not doing some sort of work on the boat? That would lead you to think that maybe we should go to bed earlier and get our rest in on the other end. Well, well, well. That was not to happen either as there were partiers up the hall making all kinds of ruckus. On another night, they were playing the music sooooo loud we could hear it 2 decks below the bar!

Now that we are back and we have been fully scammed… I think the reality is, cruiselines are like the airlines. They have cut back. The days of ice cream for snacks on a 3 hour flight and appetizers on real china with silverware in first class are over. Which leads me to believe truly luxury cruising is also gone

Doing Our Best

I have been through so much in my life that I can no longer count the number of times my world has been turned upside down by forces outside of my control. I guess Gahd feels I need more character building. To that I stand firm and say bring it on! Watch out world, there is more of me to come.

The last FIVE days have been hell for Andy and I as we became the target of a witch hunt on Facebook. The attacks were fast and furious and a quick response was demanded by our customers. A person used our business as a basis to commit fraud. Having no legitimate claims with us, he preyed on our customers using extortion tactics; preying on their fears and innocence to line his pockets. Unfortunately, many fell into the deception.

To answer our customers’ demands we chose measured responses with the hopes of relaying accurate, concise information. Unlike our fellow competitors who chose answers that were expedient and convenient without regard for the long term consequences. All the while disregarding the law and the truth, content and happy to throw The Urban Beader (our business) to the sharks. As a scapegoat to their narrative they continue to move the target on us rather than constructively addressing the individual using extortion tactics.

We have from the beginning, been honest and open about our business. I would also argue that we have gone far beyond what others were willing to do. How many of our competitors have actually contacted their lawyer and done their due diligence to understand the law? Instead, they wait to see the fall out of our business and for our postings from our lawyer. How many of them looked up the law before they even started their business? They claim to be above board but are now scrambling to “falsely be compliant” to show good faith to the customers. These false narratives have created confusion among our customers and again point the target squarely on our backs.

Despite all attempts to spread the truth, many who have worked to spread the truth, there are still those who choose to hold onto falsehoods and spread deception. I respect that people have opinions but it is hard to accept when they actively seek to do damage based on an opinion. 

Our effort has been to educate our customers and ourselves as to our/their rights. Not only is it beneficial to our business, but we had hoped that it would help our customers with their own business practices.

Questions and doubt continue to crop up. And though I previously stated that I was done, apparently I am not.

*Loophole.

A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loophole

We have been accused of using a loophole to our advantage, to this I disagree. There is no ambiguity in the copyright law thus NO loophole. It is clearly stated what is and is not eligible for copyright. Thus, no copyright laws were broken and no loophole used. Article 906.4
https://www.copyright.gov/comp3/chap900/ch900-visual-art.pdf

For example

In Colorado, you are allowed to defend your dwelling from intruders. Technically, a jail cell is your dwelling, and technically, the inmate could be trespassing. Therefore, killing him is within the rights of the dwelling owner.
https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/7-legal-loopholes-that-actually-exist-45712

*Industry standards

The history of typefaces begins with the invention of the printing press in 1440. We have come a long way in the last 500+ years. But to understand what we do we must recognize that the stamping industry is a derivative of the printing industry. (Basically a stamp is the same thing as a typeface with a long shank.) Copyright laws regarding typeface are steeped in this history. It was demonstrated that the duplication or copy of a typeface was impossible thereby NOT qualified for copyright protection. We continue to work within these industry standards to create the product that we sell.

*Law vs. agreement and the Berne Convention
We have been accused to breaking the Berne Convention laws. Especially in the UK.f

There is a big difference between a law and an agreement; and the Berne Convention is an agreement. It is sort of like this:

Imagine the Berne Convention as a soccer field (agreement) that allows everyone (countries) who want to join, to play together on the same field. Everyone who wants to participate agree to honor one another’s rules (laws). In whichever country you register your copyright the rules apply and everyone else agrees to play by that country’s rules (laws).

The US has what is considered the strongest copyright rules (laws) in the world; it is the gold standard. Thus, if you hold yourself to the US standards you should be clear of wrong doing. So if you want to sue someone based on laws that has less protection than the US, you may be giving up some of your rights to protection. (Lets be honest, we have not been able to find a provision for typeface in Sweden.)

https://copyrighthouse.co.uk/copyright/countries-berne-convention.htm

*The law vs the company

The discussion has turned from the law to a question of ethics. In the end, this becomes a personal decision. The law has provisions for which we conduct our business and we follow these rules. Does it make it right or wrong? That is for the customer to decide. The law cannot play to the standards of everyone’s opinions. This would create chaos. However, the law can be changed through legislation. If so inclined, people who disagree with the law can contact their legislator and start the progress. We as a company cannot bend to every customers’ opinion, this would be impossible. “The customer is not always right, but the customer is still the customer.” ~Shep Hyken. We acknowledge and respect that our customers have a voice and an opinion, that they have a choice to make and that choice is theirs alone.  

*Libel, fraud, infringement, blackmail, extortion

How many times in the past 5 days have I heard the words “YOU SHOULD SUE!” more times than I would like to admit. In this world, people are quick to jump to conclusions and are quick to share their opinions without thought of damages to the party they are attacking but even more so, forget that they are potentially creating damages unto themselves. So before stating an opinion here are a few things to think about.

*Libel

Advising people not to do business with a company may be considered an opinion, but when said opinion hinders a company from making money a line is crossed and you can be. sued for damages.

Stating false facts, ie The Urban Beader stole art, creates a libel statement. You may think it is an opinion but again the line has been crossed when such statements are intended to do and can be proven to do damage.

Could we at this time sue various individuals for making such inflammatory, false and libelous statements? Absolutely. Would we and will we be suing individuals for defamation and libel, there is a huge possibility (even if it is overseas). BUT we are hoping that the Mob Mentality turns into a Positive Mob. One that is more considerate of their own thoughts and have a higher code of conduct. I realize that we will never be afforded an apology but that seems to be the way of the world. How terribly sad this makes me.

*Fraud, extortion and blackmail.

When someone demands action in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them, they are committing blackmail. When someone tries to deceive you for financial gain, they are committing fraud. If they use threats this fraud then becomes extortion.

People were deceived into believing that The Urban Beader had committed a crime, fraud. Then they were told that if they did not act within 24 hours they too would be subject to said crimes, blackmail. Then they were told they had to pay to make themselves whole to be safe from violations, extortion.

The irony

Yes, we were contacted 6 years ago. Yes, we sought legal advice and yes we acted on this advice. When the complainer failed to respond within a timely manner (because he has no legitamate claim), his statute of limitations ran out regardless of legitimacy of the claim. The law provides for “good faith” in just about every corner. What this means is, if an infraction has been discovered there is a limited time in which you can prosecute/claim. If you do NOT pursue within this timeframe, you release your rights. This statute of limitation is different for every part of the law, ie fraud, theft, annulment of marriage, etc...)

The irony, by not pursuing his supposed claim with us, this person has given up his rights altogether and it could be argued (in a court of law) that he has given up his claim and it, in turn becomes Open Source! Meaning it is free for everyone to use. 

The bottom line is, had there been a legitimate claim this would have been settled long ago. Even with benefit of the doubt that he was young and had no monies for a lawyer, to date he still has NOT contacted the party in which he claims is the offender, us. Instead he contacted the outliers and comitting acts of extortion.

*Inspiration vs copying

Back to the opinion. It would seem that there are a number of people who believe we have unjustly copied other people’s art. I would contend that we took inspiration. Even though it has long been said, “there are no original ideas”, artists are one of the most self-absorbed group of people in society. But that is beside the point. Is it a moral judgement or is it the law?

Google vs Apple

Apple has long argued that the all Google does is copy their work. Google has long contended that they only take the inspiration and make it better. Many times I have said the same thing about what we do. We take and idea and make it better.

Example 1:

Stamp tape, there was a stamp tape that was being sold well before we were selling our tape. I looked at that tape and thought it was sooooo comical that they were able to convince customers into buying grey electrical tape for about four times the price of the hardware store.

I felt that I/we could do better. Much better. What if the tape had lines to guide you? Would THAT not be something useful? It took almost 4 years of research and a trip to Asia to finally find a company who would do it for us Without a minimum of 30,000 pieces.

Did we copy the tape? Absolutely, we copied an Idea and made it better. There is no such thing as copyrighting and IDEA! Shortly thereafter, said company copied our stamp tape by selling their own version with a grid. Did they copy us? I would argue that they created more of an infringement than we did. But that is simply my opinion, the law is not on my side.

Example 2:

A quick history of The Urban Beader.

We started a bead store and while buying inventory for the store we started selling tool cases. But the only tool cases available were either black or purple vinyl. Black because they came from an industrial business. Purple because a guy (literally) thought women would like that. My thought was, really? I felt that if I prettied it up with flowers and silk and feminine colors we would win. And thus started The Urban Beader.

Did they steal it from another company and start selling it to beaders? Absolutely they did. Aside from the purple color, they still sold the black as is. Did they pay any royalties for this? Absolutely not. Why not? Because the suing company would have to prove how this company took away their ability to profit from said tool cases. By selling it in a completely unrelated industry no damage was done to the original party. Thus no lawsuit.

Did The Urban Beader steal or copy this idea? Sort of both. Tool cases have been around for so long and considered common place it would be hard to say that we copied directly but rather were inspired. But once again we took an idea and made it better. It is because of The Urban Beader’s idea that the industry now has many, many fun tool cases for crafters. Yup, true story.

Example 3:

The stamp hammer took 2 years to develop with Bill Fretz. Within the first year of its release a UK company knocked it off. Did they copy my design, absolutely. Have they ever paid royalties for this hammer? Absolutely not. Why have we never pursued them with a lawsuit? Because we are a small company with limited means and time.

Customers have been demanding that we pay royalties for designs in which we have found inspiration. However, not one customer has demanded the company that knocked us off pay royalties to us. 

I will also ask one more question, how many of these customers who were quick to cast a stone have paid royalties to Heather Moore? The designer credited for starting the stamped jewelry motif. I am pretty sure Heather is not holding her breath. 

Did we copy these ideas, of course we did. Did we steal anyone’s art? Absolutely not. I have painstakingly drawn EVERYTHING.

So in the conclusion, we have and will always work within our rights of the law and the conventions of our industry. Despite how anyone else conducts their business, we will not be pressured into creating a false narrative. It has become every man for himself. All too often people cower at the face of potential adversity rather than standing up for what is right in hopes of saving themselves. History provides us with countless examples, and now social media exponentially contributes to this count. 

We look forward to helping our customers, you, create the great art you do while knowing we do so well within the law.

We would like acknowledge the people who made it this far in the post. This proves your interest in undesrtanding our position and willingness to keep an open mind, for that we are grateful, Thank You! If you have any further questions or if there is something we can help you with, please reach out to me directly. 

For more information regarding this matter, please consider reading the following blogs. 

FAQ The Urban Beader

The second response

How we are getting through this emotionally

 1.          What do I do if I am contacted by Mans Greback?

 We are not your lawyers and cannot give you legal advice.  However, we do not believe Mr. Greback has any legitimate reason to ask you for a license fee for using our typefaces.  You certainly can ask Mr. Greback to provide proof to support his demand for a license, such as a copyright registration certificate.  You can also confirm with Mr. Greback that we put him in touch with our attorney almost seven years ago and that he has never made a claim against us, in any court in the world.  You may also point out to Mr. Greback that if he really wanted to resolve this issue, instead of bullying small entities, he would reach out to us, the manufacturer of the typeface, not the end users.

  2.          If the UB stamps are all legal, how can Etsy take down my items?

Etsy’s Intellectual Property Policy can be found here.  https://www.etsy.com/legal/ip

Etsy’s DMCA Notice Requirements policy here. https://www.etsy.com/legal/ip-dmca

As you can see, if someone files a DMCA notice pursuant to the terms, Etsy will likely take down the material.  If the other party files a counter notice, Etsy will likely restore the information within 10 days unless a party files a law suit.  As mentioned above, in the United States, the shapes of typefaces are not eligible for copyright protection and we do not think anyone will file a lawsuit in the United States on this issue. 

 3.          Does this apply in the UK, US, Australia, South America, Japan? Globally?

  We are a company based in the United States and we are most familiar with the laws of our country.  We can say that we have never been sued, in the United States, or anywhere in the world, for copyright infringement.  According to our research, Germany does allow for copyright protection for typefaces created in Germany by Germans.  The United Kingdom does something similar for typefaces created in the UK by English citizens but makes an exception for usage by typographers.  We understand from his website that Mr. Greback is in Sweden.  We are not aware of any Swedish court ruling that Swedish copyright law protects typefaces.  Again, we are not aware of any legitimate claim of copyright infringement by Mr. Greback.

  4.          Just because this is legal in the US, is it the same for the Berne Convention?

  The Berne Convention is a copyright convention that requires its parties to treat the copyright of works of authors from other parties to the convention at least as well as those of its own nationals.  The Berne Convention is not a separate basis for filing a copyright lawsuit, it is a convention that helps explain how existing copyright law in the Berne member countries will be interpreted.

  I realize that this is confusing and I thought I would reword the above statement for better understanding. I hope this helps.

  The Berne Convention is an international agreement that requires the Convention members to treat the copyrights of authors from other countries at least as well as those of its own authors. The Berne Convention helps explain how existing copyright laws in the member countries will be interpreted. The Berne Convention is NOT used as a basis for a copyright lawsuit.

 5.          Does The Urban Beader have licenses for all of their fonts?

Remember, fonts are computer files or programs that inform your printer or display how a letter or character will be displayed.  We currently have commercial licenses for fonts that have used in digital form and any of our marketing material.

6.          Does The Urban Beader have copyrights for all of the alphabetic/numeric stamps?

 Remember, a “typeface” is a set of letters, numbers and other symbols whose forms are related by repeating certain design elements that are consistently applied used to compose text or other combination of characters.  In the United States, the shapes of typefaces are NOT eligible for copyright protection. 

  7.          Does The Urban Beader have copyrights for all of the design stamps?

 While we may not have copyright registrations for all of our stamp designs, in the United States, works of original authorship that are eligible for copyright protection are protected by copyright the moment they are created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. 

  8.          Did the Urban Beader steal art from fonts?

 No.  We are artists and creators and makers just like you.  We are committed to respecting the laws and doing what is right.  We have been in business for 12 years and have never been sued for copyright infringement.  While we may be inspired by many different things, and incorporate elements of those inspirations into our creations, we do not steal and do not violate copyright law.

 9.          Why is it legal for us (buyer/consumer) to use these stamps without a license from the font makers?

Remember, a “typeface” is a set of letters, numbers and other symbols whose forms are related by repeating certain design elements that are consistently applied used to compose text or other combination of characters.  In the United States, the shapes of typefaces are not eligible for copyright protection.

10.       Isn’t this just a technicality that The Urban Beader is using to steal someone’s work? 

 No, it is our job to follow the law and do what is right. We are confident that there is no legal obligation for us to take a license to sell our stamps.  As artists, we are also comfortable with our personal choices.  Of course, if you want to voluntarily support another artist because you were inspired by his/her work, we recommend that you do so.

 11.   If you don’t have licenses for your fonts, why do you ask us to have them for custom orders?

 Remember, fonts are computer files or programs that inform your printer or display how a letter or character will be displayed.  Fonts may be protected by copyright law and we ask that you have licenses for all fonts that you use in connection with our services.

  12. Is font and typeface the same thing?

 No.  Fonts are computer files or programs that inform your printer or display how a letter or character will be displayed.  A “typeface” is a set of letters, numbers and other symbols whose forms are related by repeating certain design elements that are consistently applied used to compose text or other combination of characters.

Since they are software, fonts may be protected by U.S. Copyright law.  In the United States, the shapes of typefaces are not eligible for copyright protection.  (Also refer to #3 for global questions.)

For more information regarding this matter, please consider reading the following blogs. 

The follow up response

The final response

How we are getting through this emotionally
 

Top 5 tips on Glue

Adhesive, who knew there was enough to talk about, let alone put it in a newsletter. Well, in 2018 this subject has come up in several discussions so I thought it would be good to share what I know about this topic. 

In the world of glue there are a plethora of choices from Super Glue to Elmer’s to Flex Glue (as seen on TV). And there are glues for EVERY job imaginable. So lets just narrow down the field to adhesives used for jewelry making, because I could talk about this until 2020 and still not be done. I, who has an entire drawer dedicated and labeled, “Glue”. (Don’t judge me.)

But wait! You thought gluing was a bad thing. There is much argument in the jewelry world against gluing. I would like to make the argument FOR glue. There are many times when there is no way around it structurally. I would also like to point out that the likes of David Yurman, Sephora, Brighton, etc… all use GLUE for many of their pieces.  If they can make millions using it, who are we to dispute it? In the end, you need to make a choice the right for your design. And if you need to feel better about using it, call it “chemical bonding”.  So what’s the hang-up? I call the naysayers snobs. Somewhere in there they got the idea that it makes them "better" than you if they don't use glue. Well, as far as I am concerned, they are wrong. As long as you disclose what you are doing when someone asks, there shouldn't be a problem. Moving on.

The tips:

1. Something you should know before you get frustrated, all adhesive products (as far as I know) have a shelf life; this learned the hard way. What this means is that over time, even if they are still liquid, the glue will lose its effectiveness and will not have the integrity that it once did when it was “fresh”. Yes, there is such a thing as “fresh” glue. Thus, how do you know where you stand with the tube of glue in your hand? Unfortunately, you don’t. Though, I am sure it is out there somewhere, no glue I have ever handled has had a “best if used by” date.

It is hard to know how long the retailer had it on the shelf before you bought it or even how long the manufacturer had it before the retailer bought it. So if you were using one type of glue and it worked well the first time, but then used the same type again a year later (new tube) and it didn’t work as well, it could be that it sat on someone’s shelf a long time before you purchased it.

 At this point there is really not much you can do about it. My best advice is throw it away and try again. With this knowledge, I no longer buy large quantities of any glue. All packages are purchased in the smallest increment, unless of course I am making slime. (A story for another day.)

2.     A tip on application. Instead of using the tip of the tube/bottle, I squeeze some onto a scrap piece of cardstock (like a business card) and use either a toothpick or a straight pin to apply the glue onto my piece. This usually allow me to control the volume.

Apply it to the smaller piece then attach. This will also help control the mess. If there is a void that needs to be filled, I would apply it to the void to ensure that there is enough glue to fill it, there is less guessing this way. Then apply the piece to the glue.

3.     Let it cure overnight. Not all glue needs overnight, but most do. Many adhesive state a setting time 5minutes and up. But most have a longer “curing” time. Which means it needs more time to rest before it is considered 100% effective. My rule of thumb is 24hours/overnight. This will build in some insurance.

4.     Stop checking it! Every time you check it while it us setting you are detaching the pieces and not allowing the glue to work. This will rear its ugly head later down the road.

5.     As permanent as some adhesives are, they are not. If you have incorrectly attached something, you can always use a solvent to dissolve it. Rubbing alcohol or acetone are commonly used. If there are no stones involved, I just heat it with a lighter. Makes a mess but very quick removal. Always test the solvent in an innocuous place if there is a stone involved. Sometimes stones are stabalized and the solvent may dissolve that too. 

The next question is, which glue is right for my job? As a matter of common sense we all know that not all glues are meant for all jobs, yet somehow it all goes wrong. Here are the things I consider when I need to do a little chemical bonding.

1.     Is the part I am trying to glue structural? If it is, I need something strong.

2.     What is the material I am trying to bond? Glass, metal, stone, textile. This helps me determine how goopy I need it to be and whether or not the glue needs to be flexible when it is dry.

3.     How much surface do I need to cover? Do I need to “fill” a space or just tack it together?  This too will determine the viscosity I need in the product.

Based on the answers to these questions I choose my product. Usually the most important question for me is number 1. Because when if it is structural you will need the strongest glue you can get. For those projects I use 2 part Epoxy. I really don’t care which one, because even the quickest drying one has a test weight of several hundred pounds, and really, we make jewelry not building a car.

Though there are many options to choose from and everyone has their preference, here is a list of what I keep in my studio on any given day.

E6000 – I like E6000 because of the volume, it is goopy. When there is a void I can use E6000 and don’t have to work at filling the gap. Great general use. Buy the small tubes because once you open the large tube it starts to dry up and you will likely be wasting your money.

2 part-epoxy – I am not particular about brand nor setting time. When I feel like I need more strength I use epoxy. The downside is that you have to mix it, and if you get the ratio wrong, it will not work correctly.

New Glue – literally named “New Glue”. I use this in place of Super Glue because it is stronger. But this is a watery consistency so I only use it for things like flatback rhinestones.

Loctite Super Glue – Much like New Glue, but can be purchased with a brush applicator. It also comes in a gel form, so it doesn’t run everywhere.

GS Hypo Cement – This is the most common adhesive in the jewelry world. BUT what people most people don’t know is that there is a sister product that is in the Purple tube. The Red tube is listed for watch repair, whereas the Purple is for fabric. So if you are using glue for your knots, you really want the GS Hypo Cement in the Purple tube. It will dry flexible, making it more appropriate for thread and textile.

Henrietta's® Gum Arabic– huh? What is that? This product has been around for a very long time. People like to use to affix things on fabric. In my world, you can use it to keep granules (silver, gold, etc) in place while soldering.