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Weekends around Hanoi

The fact that I hadn't managed to post anything in the past half a year is a testament to how Hanoi is a different brand of life from Bahrain. 'So long,' week-long treks off beaten paths in the Middle East and 'welcome,' hours of sitting on my ass poring through emails, making sure our monthly protection fee payments  (revenue) to HQ are up to scratch, pax are happy, staff are happy, agents are happy...and being around when the Canadian ambassador's wife invites you over for tea. No better way to get you that rude awakening from 'GM's assistant' life and keep that butt on the office chair than responsibilty so real you can feel it resting on your tongue the moment it goes up your rear-end. Life is good.

Still managed to squeeze in a weekend here and there to explore les environs de Hanoi:

Halong Bay - 62 bucks US for a three day/two night excursion to the prime attraction of Northern Vietnam. And this was after I asked the sales team to source me something high-end. This is the bang that your buck gets you:

- A 3-hour ride with 20 other people in a 15-seater to Halong City

- A 15 minute rest stop at a kitschy souvenir store/restaurant/snack shop so that the bus operator can collect his commission for unloading us there

-  Arrival in Halong City where you get to experience briefly the life of a DHL parcel in a distribution center. All the while assuming I had been riding with my tour-mates, I had to quickly conclude all conversation and exchange contacts as our group of 20 were quickly chopped up by the leader into subgroups based on our exact trip nature (day trip/two day/three day) and forwarded to other groups that happened to be doing the same tour, and then shipped off, literally.

- Boat ride to a fish farm, where after the visit, lunch was served on board. I sat next to a sweet German couple. We had stir-fried squid with celery, stir-fried cabbage, salted water soup (yes) and white rice.

- Visit at the 'Cave of Surprises' with my group of 30. We were herded off the boad, into and around the cave, then out. MOOO!!!

- Arrival at Cat Ba island (the largest in the Halong archipelago). All the while assuming I had been riding with my tour-mates, I had to quickly conclude all conversation and exchange contacts as our group of 30 were quickly chopped up by the new leader into subgroups based on our accommodation and forwarded to other groups that happened to be staying at the same place. Couldn't quite figure out where that feeling of deja-vu came from.

- Dinner at the Sunflower Hotel, where my group of 6 were served dinner. We had stir-fried squid with celery, stir-fried cabbage, salted water soup and white rice. Deja-vu again.

- Wholesome breakfast the next morning consisting of a slice of bread and a chunk of butter. When I asked for a butter knife, the guy pointed at the second slice of bread.

- What I thought would have been a 5-hour trek across the Cat Ba National Park as promised by the itinerary, which turned out to be a 2-hour hike with another group to 15 unfamiliar faces who joined half way through, led by some dude (in flip flops) through a dirt path and up some hill-with-a-view that most likely happened to be someone's back yard. Tickets into the real deal only cost 5HKD a pop, and they still had to cheap us out. I guess for them that's 5HKD extra they could spend on buying squid and celery.

- Lunch back at the hotel. Stir-fried squid with celery, stir-fried cabbage, salted water soup and white rice.

- 'Free time' for the rest of the day.

- Dinner back at the hotel. Stir-fried squid with celery, stir-fried cabbage, salted water soup and white rice.

- Realization that the second night wouldn't be out at sea "under the starlit sky'" as per the itinerary because, as per the third new guide, that was the 'Summer schedule' and that no one bothered to update it at the agency. Somehow that was my fault. Stared at the mosquitoes swirling around the white ceiling of my room and tried to pretend they were comets and constellations. The mold patches helped enhance the effect.

- Breakfast. Bread with a side of bread.

- Boat ride with yet another group back to Halong City. At this point I decided to stop talking to them. Wouldn't want to waste my name cards. I'm sure the trees in the Amazonian rainforest would understand.

- Lunch at Halong City docks. Care to guess? Take this tour if you ever want to know what it feels like to be your friend's pet cat/dog/hamster.

- Bus ride back to Hanoi, with complimentary hike half-way across the city upon arrival to get home. They refused to drop each passenger off at their respective destinations because "their big van wouldn't fit in the small alleys." Funny how this is seeing as they picked us up with the exact same van.

I'll be back to Halong one day, just not in a 62-dollar kinda way.

Other trips:

Bat Trang - A quick 20-minute drive with Long to the locally-famous ceramics village. 3 hours of wandering around yielded a HKD10 scented oil burner. It was  banging-my-head-against-the-wall time when I realized that same burner, along with most of what they made there were available in the supermarket 20 paces from my office.

Ha Dong - Zegna and Ferragamo can blow it out their asses. This is THE place to get ties. And watch silkworms eat all day too.

Buh-bye Bahrain, Hello Hanoi

My trip from Bahrain to Hanoi took a total of 132 hours. What started off as an offloading due to overbooking from out of Hong Kong proceeded to kick me off nine more times for reasons ranging from more overbooking due to snowballed passengers to typhoons to the industry-favourite "technical reasons," which liberates carriers from further elaboration regardless of what the real problem is.

I was honestly quite happy to spend some extra time in Hong Kong, though I had to earn every minute of it, no thanks to Prapiroon.

Wendy of Personnel Dept: Hi Max, welcome back from Bahrain. I learned you've been offloaded on your connecting flight and are stuck in Hong Kong until the backlog clears.

Max: Hi Wendy, [I know that if you're calling me at 7 in the evening as I'm taking my bus ride home, it's not going to just be about saying 'hello,' but] it's great to hear from you. How's everything?

Wendy: Fine, fine. Listen, I need volunteers to go to the airport at 7am tomorrow. We've cancelled most of our flights because of the typhoon, and additional manpower will be needed to assist the stranded passengers. I've already called most of the other MTs. Can you help?

[Hmmm...this one's a toughie:

Option A: Sleep in till noon, wake up and head to my brother's PS2 before brushing my teeth to shoot up Islamic extremists even after a year of cultural immersion in the Middle East, eat instant ramen, enjoy a 30-minute massage on my dad's chair, and head out for drinks with friends if I don't feel like going back to bed.

Option B: Face for twelve hours straight 12,000 stranded passengers I took no part in upsetting. 500 understanding, and the rest angry, unforgiving, and want to tear me apart.

Why did I have to be offloaded? Why couldn't I just be sipping on cheap champagne on my excuse-of-a-business-class seat on my way to Hanoi? How did Wendy find my Bahrain cell phone number so quickly?!]

Max: I'd be more than happy to help. 7am is it? I'll be there.

Don't you just love it when you're asked questions you're only allowed to give one answer to?

The next day, on the floor, I was stopped by three passengers seeking help for every one step I took. I don't think I had ever been that overwhelmed in my life. Getting stuffed into a lab equipment closet by five caucasian bullies during my KGV days comes pretty close though. I'd rather not go into too much detail. To do so would only suggest that I had it worse off than the others - an insult to everyone else who worked just as tirelessly over that time. Chilled out with a very busy Elaine at her new cubicle in CX City after a day of pandemonium. The two bags of Calbee chips I brought with me never tasted better.

Morocco

I'm tired. My days in the Middle East are almost over, making this my last posting for a while. I don't think too many people read this. For the above reasons, I'm just going to copy and paste my draft CX World asked me to do for their next issue. Anything to add...well I blew five hours when I got sucked into a John Grisham novel lying around in the riad I stayed at in Marrakech. Lunched with three Americans I met on my overnight train from Fès, and hung out for a day in Marrakech with two Malaysian ladies fresh out of med school in the UK who stayed at my riad. That's about it. Here's to hoping there's time to do a little running around in the next 12 months!

Morocco Article for CX World

Destinations
To explore the beauty of Morocco would take a month, and that would be after coming to grips with what you’ve decided to miss. From beaches to ski slopes to deserts and waterfalls, or from ancient bazaars to ultra-modern gallery-cafés, this country has it all. Though somewhat spoiled by mass-tourism, visitors will find that there is something for everyone. There are simply too many places worth seeing, but if you’re short on time or prefer not to venture too far from civilisation (and forego the splendor of the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara), a few options along Morocco’s convenient train and bus network would be well worth your while.

Challenge your navigational skills in the labyrinthine Fès-el-Bali. With its souq (Arabic for ‘bazaar’) spread over more than 9,000 alleyways, dead-ends and hidden courtyards, getting lost is half the fun. While there’s little resemblance between the Casablanca of Bogart and Bergman and that of today, dinner next to the lighthouse along the rocky coast will show you that this commercial capital has lost none of the romance and charm. Die-hard fans will feel at home in the near-perfect re-creation of Rick’s Café in the medina. Pass a relaxing day with a seafood lunch by the beach, late afternoon people-watching from a café with your favourite gelato in hand, followed by arguably the best sunset you’ll ever enjoy along the ramparts on the seaside town of Essaouira. Do not ever visit Morocco without spending two nights in your choice of lovingly restored riads (garden houses) in Marrakech. For an assault on all five senses, spend the day shopping for spices and pottery in the souq, treat yourself to a rejuvenating steam bath and massage at one of many Turkish hammams, and enjoy a feast for less than HKD30 at the Jmaa-el-Fnaa food market at night.

Food
Needless to say, couscous is a must try, especially sweet varieties made with steamed dates and cinnamon available in Marrakech and Essaouira. Tajines, a Moroccan stew of any combination of meat, potatoes, tomato sauce, eggs and other vegetables cooked in a conical pot, come in limitless variations and will satisfy any hungry stomach. Along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, sample the catch of the day grilled with nothing but a pinch of salt. To more daring foodies I would give a personal recommendation to raw oysters freshly picked from oyster beds mere steps away from the restaurant. Visitors will also find the abundance of authentic Italian gelaterias throughout the country a pleasant surprise, especially in the warmer months. As a penny-pinching backpacker, fresh-squeezed orange juice at HKD3 a glass at Jmaa el-Fnaa was particularly memorable.

Tips
- No matter what the driver says, never start a journey unless you first agree on a price or use the meter. Ask to be taken to the police if you’re being charged 50 Euros for a 15-dollar ride.
- Morocco strictly forbids exportation of its currency, so you won’t find Moroccan dirhams for sale at your local bank before your trip. The Euro is widely accepted, but if in need of local money, there are plenty of bureaux de change at the airport. Compare rates during your travels and change just enough for your needs, as you will be forced to sell off unused amounts before leaving the country!
- As they travel around the country, ladies may sometimes find the locals a little too friendly. Male travel buddies will help ward off unwanted attention.
- English should be enough to help you get around, but French would be a big bonus…if Arabic isn’t your forte.
- Particularly in the souqs, a compass is your best friend. Be wary of unsolicited offers from young locals (faux-guides as they are known) to guide you around. While they are indeed helpful, generally safe to be with and are genuinely friendly, most will (persistently) ask for tips you’re not prepared to pay at the end. Don’t be shy to ask them for assistance when you are indeed lost!
- Visas are not required for Hong Kong passport holders and most Europeans.

Kuwait

Kuwaitis define flash. Their Gucci sunglasses and bags are outnumbered by their Porsches, which themselves are few compared to all the million-dollar yachts they have docked at the many Marina clubs they have along the corniche of Kuwait City.

Spent a weekend walking around the city centre and concluded that my monthly paycheck wouldn't last me a week here.  I love the Middle East and all, but heaven forbid Cathay decide to make this a destination and ship me here. The least posh brand I saw in their malls was Benetton, and none of my meals cost less than USD15. Ouch.

Didn't realize until I began my stroll along the corniche that the LCD of my camera had cracked, so I had to take all my pictures 'blind' i.e. without focusing or knowing what I was aiming at. That explains the picture quality. After a stroll across the city centre, I went to visit our rep office, ate at one of many marinas, got a Hard Rock shotglass for big Ken, visited the Science Centre and window-shopped the big malls before heading to the airport. Not bad for a weekend.

Syria/Lebanon, Part II

Took a week off to zip around Syria and Beirut with Sherman and Alick. Was hoping Katie could join but apparently my company was not worth taking leave for. The plan was to chill in Damascus, bus to Aleppo and snoop around there for a bit, then check out Krak des Chevaliers and Palmyra, the best crusader castle and roman city ruins, respectively, that Syria has to offer. All this would be topped off by a quick visit to Beirut where I could load up on chocolate, good food, and women.

Food was excellent (and cheap) as expected, and we ate about a ton of ice cream. Each. Everything went according to plan except for the chilling in Damascus and the women in Beirut.

Time I would normally have passed in a cafe with a good magazine or a little stuff from work (yes) in both cities, with Levantine (need I say more?) ladies actively approaching me to chat and giggle for no other reason than that I was Chinese, was instead spent on a walkathon around town leading my visitors around as they snapped away with their cameras. Quite certain we each walked about 40km over the course of the week.

Krak des Chevaliers was awesome. Palmyra could be better had I not visited Jordan and Yemen first. Aleppo defines charm. Hope the pics can speak for themselves.

Speaking of charm, Alick definitely seems to have a way with attracting the attention of Syrian women. Must be the striped shirt, waistbag and big-ass tripod. Decided against leading them to Beirut's party-central and a whole lot of other places because of said big-ass tripod. The documentary-style narration he'd provide for his video recordings would not have helped either. "April 14th 2006. We are now at Rue Monot, the city's famed centre of night-life, occupying one square kilometre in the South-Eastern part of the city known as Achrafiye and attracting hundreds of Beirutis every weeken...."

No.

Hope to set foot on West Africa sometime in the next few weeks. Time's a-tickin' away. My days in the region are numbered.

Cairo

A professionally productive, but touristically disappointing trip to Cairo. Walked around central and Islamic Cairo for a day, did some eating in Zemalek, and got taken to dinner on the Nile by the agents with the national football (soccer) team captain and his honey-of-the-month. That was it. No time for the Giza pyramids or Egyptian Museum *head banging on the wall*.

Korean GANGster and fake Philip Chen flying in this weekend to drive around Syria and Lebanon with me for a week. KT also coming in to spend Easter with her boo in Jordan. So here's to hoping there'll be more to write about next time.

Yemen

Of all the places I've visited, this is the one country where I've actually had to watch where I ventured. The souqs of Sa'da were highly recommended by the lonely planet, but when I asked about how best to get there, the locals gave me an awkward stare. Apparently the day before I asked, 14 policemen were killed by anti-government militia. It didn't make the front page.

Old town Sana'a is simply gorgeous. For lack of a better word, its buildings are quite...cartoony, but in no way fake or touristy. It's as if a town had been brought to life from a picture hand-drawn with crayons by a 5-year old. There was more of the Arabian hospitality I've been spoiled with over my time here - When I asked around for directions, I was offered information on which shared taxi to take to get to my destination...and well as the money required to cover the fare. It was a subtle reminder of how far away I was from home.

Spent two days in Kawkaban, an amazing village perched on a clifftop overseeing much of the Yemeni desert. One of those days was spent on an 8-hour hike along the Kawkaban plateau and down into the qat fields of Wadi Gazwan. Yahya, the owner of the hotel I stayed at, housed, fed and entertained me, advised me on local treks, packed a lunch for my trekking, and even woke me up to watch sunrise together. He's the kind of person who goes the extra mile to make sure you're happy, and all he wants in exchange is the pleasure of your company...and a whopping HKD80/day. My visit even coincided with a traditional Yemeni wedding, where I was taught how to dance with their traditional daggers and fire an AK-74 (which kids and old men alike carried around the way we carry cell phones)! The journey to and from Kawkaban included, it was by far the most genuine Arabian experience I've ever had. Good stuff.

What wasn't so good was my developing a fever on my way back, which forced me to cancel my trip to Aden (where the USS Cole was bombed). Packed it away with a solid 8-hour nap and just spent that extra day in Sana'a zipping/shopping around the souq. Still worrying about the other stuff (sunburn, sore throat etc.) now. Befriended and toured for a whole day with two Swedes I met at my Sana'a hotel. One of them mentioned upon parting ways that he'd love to have me 'take care' of his 22-year old half-French daughter the day she studies abroad in Hong Kong.

Did you say '22-year old half-French?' Okay.

Lived in Yemeni cottage-converted hotels, ate in local restaurants, rode in shared taxis, tried to keep (expensive) qat-chewing to a minimum. Total expenditure for my 8-day trip: ~HKD800.

:)

The other SAR

Adrian (my soon-to-be ex-boss) chose Damascus as the venue for his final Regional Meeting. No powerpoints, reports...or paper for that matter. It was basically a grand send-off weekend party for The Gane. No problem here. The toughest part was trying to pretend I was drinking as much as everyone else without actually doing so. The fact that DB was there definitely didn't help - the man drinks like a fish.

Damascus holds a viable claim to being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The city, particularly all within the old city walls, was simply stunning. The photos speak for themselves. Syrians are so hospitable, they seem to constantly worry and want to make sure you're having a great time every single minute...which can become a little difficult for both sides. One really has to appreciate that they carry the best of intentions. I've been so spoiled by them it makes me wonder how I will be able to handle the reverse culture shock when I get kicked back to take-it-or-leave-it Hong Kong.

Having said that, the Syrian Arab Repulic is an authoritarian regime accused by the US of harboring former Iraqi leadership and terrorists, allowing resistance fighters to flow from its border into Iraq, and is right up there on the suspect list for assassinations committed on Lebanese leadership. Yummy.

Walked around the Umayyad Mosque (my first time in ANY mosque, believe it or not), and struck up an interesting conversation with a visiting Iranian on the shrine of John the Baptist as well as must-see places in Persia. All went well until he started talking about Zionism, at which point I appropriately (for my sake) interrupted with "So, are there many of my fellow Chinese living in Iran?"

Along with the boss, I got kicked off the flight home, so we spent the night dining at a hilltop restaurant overlooking Damascus. We drove out of Syria the next day, passing through Lebanese vineyards in the Bekaa Valley and flew out of Beirut. Well worth the offloading.

Now here in the office I sit...the king-bitch of Bahrain and offline Middle East...for a month.

Lebanon

I wasn't about to miss the Christmas spirit just because I'm in the Middle East. Cathay's resident 'leng jai' Eddie flew over to check out the former (and current?) warzone of Lebanon with me. He also has the honor of being the guest photographer for this posting, so that explains why everything looks much better this time (yes I know, photos will be up once I get the CD from Eddie).

THE PEOPLE - Over the past decade and a half, they've seen death, destruction and suffering, but the sight of an oriental still seems a little foreign to them. They don't seem to be shy about starting conversations though. I've experienced many kinds of greetings, the most common of which I've listed below, in order of frequency:

1) "Konichiwa!"

2) "Japan number one!"

3) "Yalah ("let's go" in Arabic) SUSHI!"

4) "Ni hao!" (combined with hands clasped together while bowing)

5) "Hey China/Yao Ming/Jackie Chan!" (combined with martial arts poses and/or kung-fu screams)

Once you see past what seems to be rudeness or ignorance, you will find genuine warmth (except in cases '3' and '5,' mostly from youths), as the above is almost always followed by a heartfelt "welcome to Lebanon." Nowhere in Hong Kong will you find people who look you in the eye and say this to you without wanting to make a buck out of you. Still standing after all the years of carnage, they are eager to hear you say how beautiful their country is. And beautiful their country is.

THE LADIES - Wow.

THE SKIING - Snowboarding over Christmas in Lebanon...who would have thought. I fell more times than I could remember (crashing head first into the snow didn't help), but Faraya Mzaar was gorgeous, and only one hour away from the beaches of Beirut! The sight of countless Lebanese girls zooming by in tight ski outfits and oakleys with their hair tied back alone was worth the trip.

THE CAPITAL - No surprise as to why Beirut was once considered the 'Paris of the Middle East.' Beautifully restored buildings sitting alongside mangled mixtures of metal and bullet-ridden concrete only adds to the city's character and emphasizes its people's resolve. Reconstruction work continues with speed and determination. I'll definitely be back.

THE TRAVEL COMPANION - No surprise as to why Eddie is knowing as the 'Prince of CX.' That professional-grade camera hanging from the broad shoulders of his 6-foot plus frame only adds to his charisma and emphasizes his sensitive, artsy side. He works the ladies with efficiency and ruthlessness. He says he'll be back. The Lebanese ladies can't be happier.

Checked out the New Year's Eve partying scene in Rue Monot and Downtown before spending the countdown walking along the Northern seaside with a lamb brain sandwich (yes) in hand.

Jordan

Put together a duty trip to Amman, some much-needed time off, and a rental car to get an 11-day tour around Jordan. Indeed a beautiful country with sincerely friendly people, Jordan seems to provide relatively good travel conveniences without losing much of its natural character, both of which tend to come about as tourism develops. The country's not that big - I spent perhaps about 16 hours out of my 11 days on the road, but it was enough to cover every major highway in the country!

Met a good bunch of Bedouins (traditionally, and many still nomadic Arabs) who have promised me accomodation, guides around the rocky deserts and plenty of diabetes-causing Bedouin tea on my next visit in exchange for more endless hours of conversation. I've found it's much easier to let the photo and captions do the talking, so I'll keep this short.

Flew over to Dubai for a day under Rose's insistence that I attend the Cathay Christmas party there. It's easier for me to fly there than it was for me to get to work at CX-City every morning. Jimbo's boys and girls really know how to do a party right. I was too busy with my coke+black label (again courtesy of Rose) and chit chat to take any pictures. Speaking of which, I played (real) cricket for the first time over in Sharjah a month back. Will post soon.

Eddie, the "Prince" of Cathay, has talked me into a trip with him to the Levant over Christmas. I'll probably be spending New Year's back in Bahrain, at home, blogging with my cup of Turkish coffee, medium sugar. Not going back to Hong Kong anytime soon. Not that I mind.