As you might guess from this blog I like to travel: exploring new places, unknown places. Not necessarily very far away (I'm excited about a hiking trip in the Netherlands, for example, to a part of the country I don't know) - but I have to also admit that I'm drawn to isolated and off the beaten track places.
That's why my finger was drawn to Slovakia last summer when I was looking at the East European map trying to find a nice country to explore which wouldn't be swamped with tourists. And it's why a highlight of my last holiday to Japan was Osorezan, a holy mountain far away in the north of Japan's main island Honshu.
There are many many more places I want to go to (in fact, there aren't many places I do NOT want to go to), but there is one trip which is my ultimate trip: taking a few months to travel the old Silk Road. The Silk Road spans different routes, but following this ancient trade route from West (Turkey) to East (China) through the Central Asian region would be a dream come true. But strangely, I've never really thought about it more than that: a dream.
I read a book recently which included a section on setting goals in your life (something that I've never really done before) and how to go about achieving them. And I realized: why should this trip stay a dream? So, it has become one of three big goals that I'm planning to make happen.
I'm very excited. I now have some books on the region from the library, have set up a twitter-list with people to follow so that I can get a feel for what is going on in the region, and am contemplating what language would be most useful to learn (leaning towards Russian....).
Wheeee! :-D
The bad side of this? Reading and thinking about this is much much more fun than jobhunting or finishing my paper to finalize my university course. *Sigh*
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
July 21, 2012
June 12, 2012
Looking for change
How do you discover change in a society? Or, how fast does a society change anyway?
I hadn't been in Japan for 7 years, after being in Japan regularly for the 7 years before that. And somehow I came to Japan expecting to see a lot of differences with before. But this trip has made me realize that change is hard to spot and it takes a lot of time to show itself.
Of course, cities like Osaka or Tokyo are a little changed. Osaka station, for example, has undergone a huge renovation so it's hard to find my way around. One of the clubs I used to go to has moved locations, and clubs are now ID'ing guests. In Tokyo, Tokyo Sky Tree is the newest attraction and the city has several new musuems. But all if this is superficial. Buildings, which can be built quickly but don't way anything about the society that they are part of.
In any society change will be gradual and, initially at least, underneath the surface. Attitudes towards marriage, child rearing, sustainability, education - all of these are essential to a society but also invisible until talk to enough people. Change in these attitudes is even more difficult to see clearly.
There are slow changes. A friend told me that he occasionally sees couples holding hands, more than before. And a Japanese friend was telling me that, despite an earlier promise to her mother-in-law to not go back to work, she went back to work already this spring when her son was only two. For traditional Japan this is a little unusual and it was good to hear. But I guess I was hoping for more. Everything else in the country is the same, feels the same - and this despite a major trauma last year which could have been a catalyst for many things.
Why am I looking so hard? I love being in Japan, it's a very comfortable and familiar place to be. But I also think it has some major issues to work through. And I would love to see those changes happening to make it an even better place to live, though I suppose it is also arrogant to say so as a non-Japanese, occasional visitor to the country. Nevertheless, some of these issues are why I wouldn't want to live in Japan long-term. And maybe more importantly, they are why several of my Japanese friends are leaving the country and are now living in New York, London and Paris - to name just a few places. So hopefully a lot more is happening underneath the surface than I could spot in my travels and my discussions with people.
I hadn't been in Japan for 7 years, after being in Japan regularly for the 7 years before that. And somehow I came to Japan expecting to see a lot of differences with before. But this trip has made me realize that change is hard to spot and it takes a lot of time to show itself.
Of course, cities like Osaka or Tokyo are a little changed. Osaka station, for example, has undergone a huge renovation so it's hard to find my way around. One of the clubs I used to go to has moved locations, and clubs are now ID'ing guests. In Tokyo, Tokyo Sky Tree is the newest attraction and the city has several new musuems. But all if this is superficial. Buildings, which can be built quickly but don't way anything about the society that they are part of.
In any society change will be gradual and, initially at least, underneath the surface. Attitudes towards marriage, child rearing, sustainability, education - all of these are essential to a society but also invisible until talk to enough people. Change in these attitudes is even more difficult to see clearly.
There are slow changes. A friend told me that he occasionally sees couples holding hands, more than before. And a Japanese friend was telling me that, despite an earlier promise to her mother-in-law to not go back to work, she went back to work already this spring when her son was only two. For traditional Japan this is a little unusual and it was good to hear. But I guess I was hoping for more. Everything else in the country is the same, feels the same - and this despite a major trauma last year which could have been a catalyst for many things.
Why am I looking so hard? I love being in Japan, it's a very comfortable and familiar place to be. But I also think it has some major issues to work through. And I would love to see those changes happening to make it an even better place to live, though I suppose it is also arrogant to say so as a non-Japanese, occasional visitor to the country. Nevertheless, some of these issues are why I wouldn't want to live in Japan long-term. And maybe more importantly, they are why several of my Japanese friends are leaving the country and are now living in New York, London and Paris - to name just a few places. So hopefully a lot more is happening underneath the surface than I could spot in my travels and my discussions with people.
June 01, 2012
Japan's edge
Waves gently breaking against the shore, leaves rustling in the wind, birds singing and an occassional fisher's boat cruising past (and a very very occasional Self-Defence Force jet going past): all the sounds that are around me on a day spent along the Wakinosawa coast of the Shimokita Peninsula.
After four days of travelling and spending lots of time on buses and trains (yesterday I counted a record 7 hours), I'm taking it easy today. And what better way to spend a holiday then by sitting in the sun, reading a book, walking along the coast to take in the views and exploring tiny little fishing vilages.
It also feels like I'm on the edge of Japan. Far away from the big cities, in areas which feel quite far off the grid. Life here seems pretty simple. You fish, you clean your nets, you put your shell fish to dry.
But the area also seems to be emptying. At most settlements half of the houses stand closed up and empty. I haven't seen anyone under the age of 50 today. On the bus here yesterday we did pass a few schools so there are kids and families in the general area but I think Wakinosawa and beyond is pretty much the end of the peninsula and families live closer to larger areas such as Kawauchi, Ominato or Mutsu.
For the past four days I've had the sea in sight. First, it was the Pacific Ocean starting from Miyako and now I'm staring out at the Mutsu Bay. So in a way I really have been travelling Japan's edge. It has also made me rethink my travel plans and instead of heading into the mountains inland - where I probably won't be able to do the intended hiking trail anyway - I'm moving on to the other coast, the Japan Sea. Heading South on some local trains should be good with plenty of new discoveries.
After four days of travelling and spending lots of time on buses and trains (yesterday I counted a record 7 hours), I'm taking it easy today. And what better way to spend a holiday then by sitting in the sun, reading a book, walking along the coast to take in the views and exploring tiny little fishing vilages.
It also feels like I'm on the edge of Japan. Far away from the big cities, in areas which feel quite far off the grid. Life here seems pretty simple. You fish, you clean your nets, you put your shell fish to dry.
But the area also seems to be emptying. At most settlements half of the houses stand closed up and empty. I haven't seen anyone under the age of 50 today. On the bus here yesterday we did pass a few schools so there are kids and families in the general area but I think Wakinosawa and beyond is pretty much the end of the peninsula and families live closer to larger areas such as Kawauchi, Ominato or Mutsu.
For the past four days I've had the sea in sight. First, it was the Pacific Ocean starting from Miyako and now I'm staring out at the Mutsu Bay. So in a way I really have been travelling Japan's edge. It has also made me rethink my travel plans and instead of heading into the mountains inland - where I probably won't be able to do the intended hiking trail anyway - I'm moving on to the other coast, the Japan Sea. Heading South on some local trains should be good with plenty of new discoveries.
May 30, 2012
Along the coast
[apologies for the messy lay-out, not sure what is going on with Blogger]
Kesennuma, Kamaishi, Rikuzentakata, Miyako - it feels strange travelling in a region in Japan where I know the names of places only because of one thing: the tsunami that happened on 11 March 2011.
I'm only travelling part of this coast though, starting from Miyako in Iwate prefecture and heading north along a coast that is the northern half of the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park: 180 kilometers of stunning and spectacular cliffs, rocks and other natural scenery. I have a feeling this part may be one of the more accessible regions though I don't know for sure. One reason is that here trains are mostly back up - with a short exception - while I have heard that further south there is much more work still to be done. I guess it's more remote and some towns there suffered incredible damage.
Miyako is a town which feels good. Yes, there was a lot of damage but in the city centre this is mostly visible when you start noticing how much buildings look very new, or at least the ground floor does. Dinner last night was in a very friendly izakaya where the owners renovated for two months before re-opening as the building had been flooded with water 2 meters high. They had been inside during the earthquake and only barely managed to keep themselves standing - and then got the hell out of there to get away as quickly as possible for the expected tsunami.
Most of the 'visible' damage in Miyako - the rubble, the collapsed buildings, etc - are gone, with a collapsed Shell gas station as the clear exception. Instead, the city is rebuilding. And you can tell it is: there's lots of traffic, a lot of people about town, hotels are fully booked, and buildings are being rebuilt where ever you look. The town's people are positive that when summer is here, so will the tourists.
There's good reason for the tourists to come to see the dramatic cliffs of the coastal national park. These rocks and cliffs are also again a reminder of the force of nature. They have been here for centuries and still look the same as always: strong, imposing, powerful. Just like the tsunami was.
I'm continuing my journey north by train and for the moment also by bus for a short stretch of railroad which hasn't been restored yet (the other parts were put back to use only earlier this spring). But like a taxi driver told me "We won't be beat", which is even all the more admirable considering that people living here are confronted with what happened every day again - but that only seems to make their conviction to build up their towns and villages even stronger.
A very very impressive start of my 10 days across Tohoku.
I'm only travelling part of this coast though, starting from Miyako in Iwate prefecture and heading north along a coast that is the northern half of the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park: 180 kilometers of stunning and spectacular cliffs, rocks and other natural scenery. I have a feeling this part may be one of the more accessible regions though I don't know for sure. One reason is that here trains are mostly back up - with a short exception - while I have heard that further south there is much more work still to be done. I guess it's more remote and some towns there suffered incredible damage.
Miyako is a town which feels good. Yes, there was a lot of damage but in the city centre this is mostly visible when you start noticing how much buildings look very new, or at least the ground floor does. Dinner last night was in a very friendly izakaya where the owners renovated for two months before re-opening as the building had been flooded with water 2 meters high. They had been inside during the earthquake and only barely managed to keep themselves standing - and then got the hell out of there to get away as quickly as possible for the expected tsunami.
Most of the 'visible' damage in Miyako - the rubble, the collapsed buildings, etc - are gone, with a collapsed Shell gas station as the clear exception. Instead, the city is rebuilding. And you can tell it is: there's lots of traffic, a lot of people about town, hotels are fully booked, and buildings are being rebuilt where ever you look. The town's people are positive that when summer is here, so will the tourists.
There's good reason for the tourists to come to see the dramatic cliffs of the coastal national park. These rocks and cliffs are also again a reminder of the force of nature. They have been here for centuries and still look the same as always: strong, imposing, powerful. Just like the tsunami was.
I'm continuing my journey north by train and for the moment also by bus for a short stretch of railroad which hasn't been restored yet (the other parts were put back to use only earlier this spring). But like a taxi driver told me "We won't be beat", which is even all the more admirable considering that people living here are confronted with what happened every day again - but that only seems to make their conviction to build up their towns and villages even stronger.
A very very impressive start of my 10 days across Tohoku.
April 01, 2012
Counting down....
It's April, which means that I can now start saying that next month I will be in Japan!
Small things make me easily happy :)
But, seriously, I am ridiculously excited about going back to Japan in May after almost 7 full years of not being there. The trip is part seeing friends and just being in Japan again visiting the places I lived in and basically picking up memories along the way. But it's also a trip to see the changes, to see the new and to discover unknown parts of Japan.
Seven years is a long time and a lot has happened which I am anxious to discover. I am especially looking forward to travelling around the Tohoku region, the northern part of the main island Honshu. I've always wanted to go there, have heard it's beautiful but also a little unknown.
And then just over a year ago the coast of Tohoku was hit by an earthquake, then a tsunami and then a nuclear disaster in one particular place. It has made me even more determined to visit. The region deserves more attention, and I have no doubt that tourism can be part of rebuilding the economy. And I hope to contribute to that at least a little.
Despite that, my regular choice of travel guides Lonely Planet doesn't seem to believe so. It's latest Japan publication dates from August 2011, so only a few months after the disaster. However, the prefectures that were hit by the earthquake and tsunami are deliberately NOT included in the book. I'm disappointed and shocked.
Leaving out three prefectures means leaving out valuable information about areas and towns in those prefectures that were not harmed by the earthquake/tsunami as that damage was mostly on the coast. But even if the choice would have been made to leave out the coastal areas this would be unfair to those areas: yes, it is impossible to be accurate on transport etc in these towns in a printed publication but using good referrals should make it much easier for travellers to find up to date information. The railcompany JR is working hard on getting their railways up and running again and the coast is becoming more and more accessible as this blogpost of a friend in Tokyo shows as well.
Hopefully Lonely Planet will improve the information on their website at least, so that other tourists will find their way to this region as well.
And in any case, I will surely be sharing my stories and pictures online.
Small things make me easily happy :)
But, seriously, I am ridiculously excited about going back to Japan in May after almost 7 full years of not being there. The trip is part seeing friends and just being in Japan again visiting the places I lived in and basically picking up memories along the way. But it's also a trip to see the changes, to see the new and to discover unknown parts of Japan.
Seven years is a long time and a lot has happened which I am anxious to discover. I am especially looking forward to travelling around the Tohoku region, the northern part of the main island Honshu. I've always wanted to go there, have heard it's beautiful but also a little unknown.
And then just over a year ago the coast of Tohoku was hit by an earthquake, then a tsunami and then a nuclear disaster in one particular place. It has made me even more determined to visit. The region deserves more attention, and I have no doubt that tourism can be part of rebuilding the economy. And I hope to contribute to that at least a little.
Despite that, my regular choice of travel guides Lonely Planet doesn't seem to believe so. It's latest Japan publication dates from August 2011, so only a few months after the disaster. However, the prefectures that were hit by the earthquake and tsunami are deliberately NOT included in the book. I'm disappointed and shocked.
Leaving out three prefectures means leaving out valuable information about areas and towns in those prefectures that were not harmed by the earthquake/tsunami as that damage was mostly on the coast. But even if the choice would have been made to leave out the coastal areas this would be unfair to those areas: yes, it is impossible to be accurate on transport etc in these towns in a printed publication but using good referrals should make it much easier for travellers to find up to date information. The railcompany JR is working hard on getting their railways up and running again and the coast is becoming more and more accessible as this blogpost of a friend in Tokyo shows as well.
Hopefully Lonely Planet will improve the information on their website at least, so that other tourists will find their way to this region as well.
And in any case, I will surely be sharing my stories and pictures online.
January 23, 2012
Reminiscing Asia (3): a Delhi morning
Delhi/ on the back of a bicycle rickshaw
Originally uploaded by macchi.
India had never really been on my list of places to visit. Somehow it didn't appeal, and had no particular interest in going there.
This changed over the last few years, through books I've read, movies I've seen and work I've done which involved India. This was reinforced by a very short work trip to India - 3 days in Delhi, 3 days in Mumbai. And though I could not really do much other than my work meetings, the stay there was quite a revelation of what India is like.
To me, India is not Asia. Or well, not the Asia that I know which is mostly East-Asia.
What struck me most is how everything everyone is everywhere at the same time. It may sound strange but I'm used to Asian cities (KL, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Osaka etc etc) where everything is more or less compartmentalized. Yes, there's chaos everywhere but in the expensive parts of town it's tidy, clean, expensive-looking with likewise people there. And the poor people, well... they are somewhere else for the most part.
India isn't like this at all, which was unexpected but also much more confronting than what I was used to. You would be in a taxi going to meetings, and passing a family with many many kids living underneath the highway in full view of everyone.
In a way, this trip was quite comfortable as I didn't need to go out by myself much. I do want to go back and travel by myself, but that will be such a different experience than elsewhere that I'm not sure if it's something I'd enjoy or want to do by myself (which is usually not a problem).
November 10, 2011
Itchy feet
gansu mountains
Originally uploaded by macchi.
I just finished reading a book on urban development in China (this one) in which a Dutch journalist and architect explore the inland second tier cities in China. All cities that most of us have never heard of.
I have visited two of them (Xi'an & Lanzhou) and my work has offices in another two. But the rest..... more than any other book this one makes me want to travel again!
But also, it's made me realise again that China is so diverse - and I tend to forget that when I travel for work as I'm always stuck in the same cities, and in the same Central Business Districts. And apart from the cities (where, admittedly, so many Chinese people now live) the countryside is stunning.
This picture is taking in the mountains in Gansu province, pretty much in the middle of the country. I was on my way to a Tibetan settlement, Xiahe, which was one of the highlights of my trip exploring (a small part of) China. After Xiahe, I continued west to Jiayuguan and Dunhuang, where the oldest Buddhist caves in China are located. Stunning.
But it's further West still that I want to go. Xinjiang, Urumqi, Kashgar, the Taklaman desert and more. I don't know why this part of the country fascinates me so much - maybe the emptiness, isolation, but also (the decreasing) sense of non-Chineseness that I expect the find there. I need to be quick though. What I'm reading about Kashgar isn't good.... So hopefully, a next non-work trip to China will include that part of this immense country.
But first, my Flickr collection will next year finally start to include some pictures of Japan. Cannot wait to show you all my favourite places there - and my new discoveries!
September 03, 2011
World famous
I am not a particular Jason Mraz fan, but sitting in the sun this afternoon and enjoying one of the final summer days this year, this song jumped to mind. And mostly, because of a Slovakia memory.
You must really be famous - or at least have a really really likable song - if your song comes on the radio in a small mountain cottage in the High Tatras in Slovakia and everyone (really, everyone and various nationalities) in the cottage restaurant starts humming and moving along to the tune....
August 21, 2011
Travelling for one
[uploading some short thoughts from Slovakia]
Sitting on a terrace on a mountain of the High Tatras, looking out over the flat land stretching out at the foot of this mountain range, I feel really happy.
I'm enjoying a beer with a great view after a day of hiking in some of the best mountain scenery I've seen. And, it didn't even rain.
These moments, or rather days, are what make me go travelling by myself. I don't mean that this is something I could only do by myself - quite the opposite: I would probably have seen even better mountains. What I mean is that finding a travel partners - with the same style of travelling, same interests, same flexibility etc - is actually quite hard. And I don't want to miss days like today and views like those in the Tatra mountains.
That is why I do travel by myself and am quite happy doing so. There are so many places in the world which I want to see, and just the lack of a travel partner is not going to stop me from seeing those places.
Quite selfish really...
Sitting on a terrace on a mountain of the High Tatras, looking out over the flat land stretching out at the foot of this mountain range, I feel really happy.
I'm enjoying a beer with a great view after a day of hiking in some of the best mountain scenery I've seen. And, it didn't even rain.
These moments, or rather days, are what make me go travelling by myself. I don't mean that this is something I could only do by myself - quite the opposite: I would probably have seen even better mountains. What I mean is that finding a travel partners - with the same style of travelling, same interests, same flexibility etc - is actually quite hard. And I don't want to miss days like today and views like those in the Tatra mountains.
That is why I do travel by myself and am quite happy doing so. There are so many places in the world which I want to see, and just the lack of a travel partner is not going to stop me from seeing those places.
Quite selfish really...
August 06, 2011
Water
I spent the day on the Kagerplassen with some good friends on a sailing boat. They did pretty much all of the sailing. I provided some food, and company :-)
And can you see the touch of blue in the left hand corner. Yes, we actually managed to get some sun today.
Good day.
August 04, 2011
Slow travel
I am just home from four days of very slow travel - walking along the Dutch coast. A trip that took two hours on Monday by train, has added up to nine days of walking.
We've speeded up life so much - because this was a regular train. Two hours by highspeed train will get you much further. Two hours by plane will take you further still, which I'll find out soon as well.
But I have come to really enjoy going slowly. Going at the pace of your own legs, how quickly they will go and how far they will take you. Taking in your surroundings as they slowly move past. Enjoying the view while relaxing on a hill top or at a beach cafe.
*sigh*
It was a good week. To see the result of those nine days, and a little more, go here
We've speeded up life so much - because this was a regular train. Two hours by highspeed train will get you much further. Two hours by plane will take you further still, which I'll find out soon as well.
But I have come to really enjoy going slowly. Going at the pace of your own legs, how quickly they will go and how far they will take you. Taking in your surroundings as they slowly move past. Enjoying the view while relaxing on a hill top or at a beach cafe.
*sigh*
It was a good week. To see the result of those nine days, and a little more, go here
July 31, 2011
Ready, set....
Bag packed? Check
Bikini recovered? Check
Great weather forecasts? Check
Off for a few days of gorgeous Dutch seaside, yay.
... Go!
Bikini recovered? Check
Great weather forecasts? Check
Off for a few days of gorgeous Dutch seaside, yay.
... Go!
April 04, 2010
China in extremes
After a week, well 5 days, in China you would think I would be back with tons of stories about all the strange things which can only happen in China. Unfortunately, not this time.
As I already predicted, this was one of my most intense work trips so far. Usually I have at least an afternoon to sightsee, or I arrive a day early to get a feel for the city. This time sightseeing was limited to staring out the car window on the three hour drive from Guangzhou to Shenzhen. My one day in the Pearl River Delta was actually, from a getting-to-know-China-perspective, the most interesting part of the trip.
The Pearl River Delta is the main economic region in China and the two main cities, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, are the richest cities in the country. We spent the day driving to see some extremes of China - a good change from being in meeting rooms in Beijing for the four days before.
Shenzhen actually surprised me. The city has transformed in 30 years from a small fishing village across from Hong Kong to a major, modern city filled with high-tech companies. It was the first Special Economic Zone in China, announced in 1978 as part of Deng Xiaoping's Open Door policy. It sparked tremendous growth for the region and ultimately made the Pearl River Delta into the production powerhouse of the world. A lot of the cheap toys and computer components which are 'made in China' are likely to have been made here. So in my mind Shenzhen would be a very industrial, factory-filled, dirty & grey, chaotic city. Similar, in fact, to surrounding cities such as Dongguan.
Surprisingly it was much better than that. In fact, we visited Shenzhen to meet with an architect from OMA who is working on the construction of the building for the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. And this is only one of many buildings under construction with some other top designed buildings close-by. The wealth of the city is clearly showing.
But to show me that China isn't all about amazing growth rates, spectacular buildings and more, my colleague also took me to the biggest shopping mall in the world. I guess it's another symptom of China's development where everything needs to be bigger and better. But bigger doesn't always mean better, as the New South China Mall clearly shows.
At first we thought we were in for a disappointment. Driving up to the mall we saw shops, people, lights and, well, activitiy. This wasn't what we were coming for. Because apart from it being big, we were told it would also be empty. When we walked in behind the McDonald's we were relieved to see this was true. Five floors and corridors going off in every direction, but no shop in sight. It was clear that there had been some shops at a point in time, but everything was gone apart from the Spar, the McD's and the local drugstore out front. A ghost shopping mall - and an example of how it can go very wrong as well.
Haphazard investment clearly doesn't automatically guarantee growth and further investment. And that ties in nicely with a presentation I attended on Wednesday on the Chinese economy. That presentation closed off with the prediction that the current level of high investment is only going to have a negative effect and that China's economy will crash within the next few years. That set the stage nicely for that afternoon's discussion on our organisation's strategy in China for the next few years....
As I already predicted, this was one of my most intense work trips so far. Usually I have at least an afternoon to sightsee, or I arrive a day early to get a feel for the city. This time sightseeing was limited to staring out the car window on the three hour drive from Guangzhou to Shenzhen. My one day in the Pearl River Delta was actually, from a getting-to-know-China-perspective, the most interesting part of the trip.
The Pearl River Delta is the main economic region in China and the two main cities, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, are the richest cities in the country. We spent the day driving to see some extremes of China - a good change from being in meeting rooms in Beijing for the four days before.
Shenzhen actually surprised me. The city has transformed in 30 years from a small fishing village across from Hong Kong to a major, modern city filled with high-tech companies. It was the first Special Economic Zone in China, announced in 1978 as part of Deng Xiaoping's Open Door policy. It sparked tremendous growth for the region and ultimately made the Pearl River Delta into the production powerhouse of the world. A lot of the cheap toys and computer components which are 'made in China' are likely to have been made here. So in my mind Shenzhen would be a very industrial, factory-filled, dirty & grey, chaotic city. Similar, in fact, to surrounding cities such as Dongguan.
Surprisingly it was much better than that. In fact, we visited Shenzhen to meet with an architect from OMA who is working on the construction of the building for the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. And this is only one of many buildings under construction with some other top designed buildings close-by. The wealth of the city is clearly showing.
But to show me that China isn't all about amazing growth rates, spectacular buildings and more, my colleague also took me to the biggest shopping mall in the world. I guess it's another symptom of China's development where everything needs to be bigger and better. But bigger doesn't always mean better, as the New South China Mall clearly shows.
At first we thought we were in for a disappointment. Driving up to the mall we saw shops, people, lights and, well, activitiy. This wasn't what we were coming for. Because apart from it being big, we were told it would also be empty. When we walked in behind the McDonald's we were relieved to see this was true. Five floors and corridors going off in every direction, but no shop in sight. It was clear that there had been some shops at a point in time, but everything was gone apart from the Spar, the McD's and the local drugstore out front. A ghost shopping mall - and an example of how it can go very wrong as well.
Haphazard investment clearly doesn't automatically guarantee growth and further investment. And that ties in nicely with a presentation I attended on Wednesday on the Chinese economy. That presentation closed off with the prediction that the current level of high investment is only going to have a negative effect and that China's economy will crash within the next few years. That set the stage nicely for that afternoon's discussion on our organisation's strategy in China for the next few years....
March 27, 2010
Ah.... Asia
Life is very busy right now. But the good part about it: I'll be in China as of Monday. Yay.
Can't wait to get a quick fix of Asia again. It's been a long time.
Unfortunately (and that's the bad part of the chaos right now), it's a work trip. I have a feeling this is going to be one of the most intense work trips I've done so far. Incredibly full schedule, but with some very interesting meetings.
I do wonder how much I really will get that China feeling.....
Can't wait to get a quick fix of Asia again. It's been a long time.
Unfortunately (and that's the bad part of the chaos right now), it's a work trip. I have a feeling this is going to be one of the most intense work trips I've done so far. Incredibly full schedule, but with some very interesting meetings.
I do wonder how much I really will get that China feeling.....
August 25, 2009
A tourist in my own country
My mum and I went walking in the eastern part of the Netherlands for a few days last month. Lovely! I love how everything is so green! (well, how could it not be with the rain that we got..... )
[edit: these pictures turned out too tiny, but for more, go to flickr]
[edit: these pictures turned out too tiny, but for more, go to flickr]
May 07, 2009
Back in Bucharest
After today's continous journey I finally made it back to Bucharest. Although I was considering sidetrips to Halmyris and/or Istria still, in the end I went straight back - thinking that I'm done adventuring and that it's time to just go home. Even considering of pulling my flight forward a few hours.
It's funny to notice how quickly a mood can change. After having checked in to the closest option for accomodation (a very quaint hostel with old British men and whole family albums up on the walls) and chilling in the kitchen with a cup of tea I felt some energy returning. Why go home early, and settle for dinner in McDonald's while I'm still in Bucharest - the city that positively surprised me only a few days ago? Or had that suddenly changed?
Starting the long walk into the city where L. had shown me around extensively on the weekend I could see again why I enjoyed it so much. The roughness, the unpretensiousness, the feeling of being alive - it's all there. It's definitely not a 'pretty' or 'nice' city but it's worth getting to know I think.
P.S. But not in the middle of summer - it'll be awful with 30/35C temperatures, too muggy, dirty, dusty.
It's funny to notice how quickly a mood can change. After having checked in to the closest option for accomodation (a very quaint hostel with old British men and whole family albums up on the walls) and chilling in the kitchen with a cup of tea I felt some energy returning. Why go home early, and settle for dinner in McDonald's while I'm still in Bucharest - the city that positively surprised me only a few days ago? Or had that suddenly changed?
Starting the long walk into the city where L. had shown me around extensively on the weekend I could see again why I enjoyed it so much. The roughness, the unpretensiousness, the feeling of being alive - it's all there. It's definitely not a 'pretty' or 'nice' city but it's worth getting to know I think.
P.S. But not in the middle of summer - it'll be awful with 30/35C temperatures, too muggy, dirty, dusty.
Observations from a village festival
Visiting the Danube Delta was high on my wishlist for this trip. I'm not a bird person but the area sounds beautiful so after leaving L. in Bucharest on Sunday I departed for a new adventure: reaching Sf. Gheorghe - and maybe more importantly - coming back to Bucharest in time for my flight home.
All the ferry schedules I had found, gave different information so after arriving in Tulcea (an easy-to-forget city) I decided on Monday morning to just go and see what would happen (knowing that there are only three ferries a week so turning around halfway wasn't an option).
The ferry there was absolutely packed - not only with people but also building supplies, food, plants, the list goes on. After asking my neighbour she said it was because of a local festival this week.
*PANIC*
In my usual unplannedness I had expected Sf. Gheorghe to be as deserted as everywhere else so far and had not booked anythign ahead. Once off the boat, it turned out that there wasn't a map of the town anywhere, no discernible streetnames, and no clear signs for the pensions. By then I was picturing myself wandering the dirtroads of Sf. Gheorghe for the rest of the night, unable to find accomadation.
The place I did find with the help of some locals was a lovely cute pension where I was all of three guests. With the hour my host had a grilled fish dinner ready and I'd discussed plans to share a boat for a trip up the Delta with my Romanian fellow guests (a Bucuresti-couple who looked bored for their whole stay).
----
Currently I'm sitting on the upper deck of the ferry back at 6:30am - three days after the above happened. Well-rested, I suppose (apart from the 6am wake-up) - after two days of enforced laziness. I spent half of both days lying at the beach. A pretty much empty, long stretch of shelly beach on the Black See. Deserted, apart from a couple of cows, and myself of course.
The rest of the time was spent sitting at one of the boat jetties, reading and looking out over the water, and for a short two hours on a little boat to spot white pelicans in the Delta.
And then there was the festival. A celebration of St. George, patron of fisher men, but on the date of the old Russian Orthodox calendar. It started off with a ceremony in the local church, with a huge meal in the churchyard. After that, the party moved to the main square where a big stage was set up. Throughout the day there would be performances of the local band, ropetowing & dancing competitions and the highlight of the evening: a Ukrainian song and dance troupe, boated in for the occasion (the Delta stretches out into the Ukraine and the people have a shared history with many people in Sf. Gheorghe speaking Russian).
So, I had fun watching and observing the village celebrating the party of the year. All of the above was of course combined with plenty of beer and meat.
At some point, I had collected a fanclub of kids trying out their "Do you like [sports/pink/chocolate/etc]" phrases on me. And I had to do my best to keep a straight face when a Bucuresti dude in a cool PUMA-jacked told me about his trip to the Netherlands two years ago to see a concert of his favourite band, BZN....
But for now, my adventures are up. I'm heading back to Bucharest (a long day of ferry and bus) before flying home tomorrow. It's been a good two weeks, for the moment my travel bug is sated again.
All the ferry schedules I had found, gave different information so after arriving in Tulcea (an easy-to-forget city) I decided on Monday morning to just go and see what would happen (knowing that there are only three ferries a week so turning around halfway wasn't an option).
The ferry there was absolutely packed - not only with people but also building supplies, food, plants, the list goes on. After asking my neighbour she said it was because of a local festival this week.
*PANIC*
In my usual unplannedness I had expected Sf. Gheorghe to be as deserted as everywhere else so far and had not booked anythign ahead. Once off the boat, it turned out that there wasn't a map of the town anywhere, no discernible streetnames, and no clear signs for the pensions. By then I was picturing myself wandering the dirtroads of Sf. Gheorghe for the rest of the night, unable to find accomadation.
The place I did find with the help of some locals was a lovely cute pension where I was all of three guests. With the hour my host had a grilled fish dinner ready and I'd discussed plans to share a boat for a trip up the Delta with my Romanian fellow guests (a Bucuresti-couple who looked bored for their whole stay).
----
Currently I'm sitting on the upper deck of the ferry back at 6:30am - three days after the above happened. Well-rested, I suppose (apart from the 6am wake-up) - after two days of enforced laziness. I spent half of both days lying at the beach. A pretty much empty, long stretch of shelly beach on the Black See. Deserted, apart from a couple of cows, and myself of course.
The rest of the time was spent sitting at one of the boat jetties, reading and looking out over the water, and for a short two hours on a little boat to spot white pelicans in the Delta.
And then there was the festival. A celebration of St. George, patron of fisher men, but on the date of the old Russian Orthodox calendar. It started off with a ceremony in the local church, with a huge meal in the churchyard. After that, the party moved to the main square where a big stage was set up. Throughout the day there would be performances of the local band, ropetowing & dancing competitions and the highlight of the evening: a Ukrainian song and dance troupe, boated in for the occasion (the Delta stretches out into the Ukraine and the people have a shared history with many people in Sf. Gheorghe speaking Russian).
So, I had fun watching and observing the village celebrating the party of the year. All of the above was of course combined with plenty of beer and meat.
At some point, I had collected a fanclub of kids trying out their "Do you like [sports/pink/chocolate/etc]" phrases on me. And I had to do my best to keep a straight face when a Bucuresti dude in a cool PUMA-jacked told me about his trip to the Netherlands two years ago to see a concert of his favourite band, BZN....
But for now, my adventures are up. I'm heading back to Bucharest (a long day of ferry and bus) before flying home tomorrow. It's been a good two weeks, for the moment my travel bug is sated again.
May 06, 2009
On Budapest
It already feels weeks ago since I was in Budapest, while in reality it's only been about 8 or 9 days. I haven't managed to write anything about it yet, and having seen so many other places in between I'm finding it difficult to think back to it. I wonder how people on a 6-month RTW do it - and not let each city go up into the next one. Or maybe that is what happens but no one wants to admit it...?
The weekend in Budapest started out with an important realisation: I had assumed we were seeing Hungarian friends of M. in Budapest. Until she said - on the airport transfer into the city - that it is kind of exceptional that two Pakistanis are living in Budapest. That's when something clicked: uhm, who exactly are you talking about?
So the boasting to my colleagues that I would see the 'real' Budapest didn't come true - or at least, not in the way I envisaged it. I haven't had one bite of Hungarian food either, but homemade Pakistani food tastes great.
It was still a very good weekend of course, with lots of sunshine and kilometres of walking the city and hearing stories from T and B to go with them. The city really is beautiful, something of an older Paris but with maybe a little more life to it. I think that's mostly because everything isn't as perfectly restored yet as it is in cities such as Paris.
The division into the two parts is interesting. I knew that it was Buda and Pest but hadn't realized the two sides are so different. Pest really is downtown, busy streets, lots of big buildings, long shopping streets - everything a city should have. Buda, across the river, has the green, the lush trees, the hills with castles and palaces - and also the posh areas to live in.
Thanks to friends of B & T we also found the funkiest teahouse possible, and a couple of very cool cafe's. One of which caused major deja-vu. I still have to figure out what caused it, it was surreal walking around Szimpla but I cannot figure out at all which city, which place was so much the same.
The weekend in Budapest started out with an important realisation: I had assumed we were seeing Hungarian friends of M. in Budapest. Until she said - on the airport transfer into the city - that it is kind of exceptional that two Pakistanis are living in Budapest. That's when something clicked: uhm, who exactly are you talking about?
So the boasting to my colleagues that I would see the 'real' Budapest didn't come true - or at least, not in the way I envisaged it. I haven't had one bite of Hungarian food either, but homemade Pakistani food tastes great.
It was still a very good weekend of course, with lots of sunshine and kilometres of walking the city and hearing stories from T and B to go with them. The city really is beautiful, something of an older Paris but with maybe a little more life to it. I think that's mostly because everything isn't as perfectly restored yet as it is in cities such as Paris.
The division into the two parts is interesting. I knew that it was Buda and Pest but hadn't realized the two sides are so different. Pest really is downtown, busy streets, lots of big buildings, long shopping streets - everything a city should have. Buda, across the river, has the green, the lush trees, the hills with castles and palaces - and also the posh areas to live in.
Thanks to friends of B & T we also found the funkiest teahouse possible, and a couple of very cool cafe's. One of which caused major deja-vu. I still have to figure out what caused it, it was surreal walking around Szimpla but I cannot figure out at all which city, which place was so much the same.
May 05, 2009
The end of the world
Last week in Sighisoara I spoke to someone who was telling me how great the Danube Delta is, and that the small villages on the coast feel like the end of the world.
I am now in Sfante Gheorghe (or, St. George) and it does feel a little like the end of the world. It's only reachable by boat, in the village itself I've seen maybe three cars (the main form of transport is horse and carriage, and there are no paved roads.
I'm fascinated by these remote little places - they seem so cut off from what I consider to be the real world, but yet there are people living here, working here, going to school (up to 14 at least) and just living life.
For myself, I can't imagine living here - 5 hours by ferry to reach it, and then only a few times a week. But spending a few days here is bliss. I wish I could show how quiet it is here. Or actually, it isn't quiet at all - the noise is deafening: frogs, cows, lots and lots of birds, chickens, dogs, etc. Plus, if you chose your spot well - the Danube waves breaking against small fishing boats. Or even better: Black Sea waves coming in to land at the deserted beach.
I am now in Sfante Gheorghe (or, St. George) and it does feel a little like the end of the world. It's only reachable by boat, in the village itself I've seen maybe three cars (the main form of transport is horse and carriage, and there are no paved roads.
I'm fascinated by these remote little places - they seem so cut off from what I consider to be the real world, but yet there are people living here, working here, going to school (up to 14 at least) and just living life.
For myself, I can't imagine living here - 5 hours by ferry to reach it, and then only a few times a week. But spending a few days here is bliss. I wish I could show how quiet it is here. Or actually, it isn't quiet at all - the noise is deafening: frogs, cows, lots and lots of birds, chickens, dogs, etc. Plus, if you chose your spot well - the Danube waves breaking against small fishing boats. Or even better: Black Sea waves coming in to land at the deserted beach.
May 03, 2009
On Bucharest *
I've had an afternoon on the bus to think about what I want to write about Bucharest. The city doesn't have a good reputation: grey, dreary, full of communist remains and not-so-safe. At least, that's what I was expecting.
With a friend living in the city at the moment this weekend was the perfect opportunity to find out what holds true of the above image. As it turns out, not much.
The word that describes the city best is unfinished. It is, quite literally, a city that isn't ready yet. Of course, every city builds, rebuilds, renovates - but Bucharest is the extreme version of it. Some buildings are really not finished; such as Ceaucescu's Palace. He was executed before the second biggest building in the world could be built the way he wanted it.
And there are so many old buildings which just stand empty, of of which only the front is still standing. And buildings that have scaffolding put up around them but no one seems to actually be working on those buildings. The same goes for plenty of broken-up streets.
Luckily, sometimes, there is a building renovated - back to what it was in the early 20th century. Seeing those buildings, and the potential of so many others, it's no wonder Bucharest was once called the 'Paris of the East'.
In the midst of all this urban chaos it mostly feels as a city that's coming alive. People out on the streets are either dressed in expensive brands or just very cheap stuff (there is no in between) - but they are out in the city. Eating, drinking, shopping. Because there's a big range of restaurants and plenty of cool bars and cafes with an edgy underground feel to it.
It's the type of city I like - one that you can see growing, evolving, finding a new fit for itself. Budapest is similar but much further ahead (more later). I wonder what Bucharest will be like in 10 years from now...
* Pictures to be added in later
With a friend living in the city at the moment this weekend was the perfect opportunity to find out what holds true of the above image. As it turns out, not much.
The word that describes the city best is unfinished. It is, quite literally, a city that isn't ready yet. Of course, every city builds, rebuilds, renovates - but Bucharest is the extreme version of it. Some buildings are really not finished; such as Ceaucescu's Palace. He was executed before the second biggest building in the world could be built the way he wanted it.
And there are so many old buildings which just stand empty, of of which only the front is still standing. And buildings that have scaffolding put up around them but no one seems to actually be working on those buildings. The same goes for plenty of broken-up streets.
Luckily, sometimes, there is a building renovated - back to what it was in the early 20th century. Seeing those buildings, and the potential of so many others, it's no wonder Bucharest was once called the 'Paris of the East'.
In the midst of all this urban chaos it mostly feels as a city that's coming alive. People out on the streets are either dressed in expensive brands or just very cheap stuff (there is no in between) - but they are out in the city. Eating, drinking, shopping. Because there's a big range of restaurants and plenty of cool bars and cafes with an edgy underground feel to it.
It's the type of city I like - one that you can see growing, evolving, finding a new fit for itself. Budapest is similar but much further ahead (more later). I wonder what Bucharest will be like in 10 years from now...
* Pictures to be added in later
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