I’ve been back from China for 4 days now and I’m still suffering the effects of jet lag. At 3 am, I’m bright eyed and bushy tailed… lying on my back, staring into the dark abyss… thinking. Thinking about getting up, doing something, counting sheep. I’m thinking I should cook something today for my boys. It’s been awhile. Continue reading
Travel Humor
Irony abounds in my travel world.
I Learned Something Else Today
Every trip I take seems to bring me another lesson or two about what to do and what not to do during foreign travel. Failure to pay attention to these lessons would result in negative experiences, which of course, we all try to avoid.
For example, I learned to pack an extra pair of shoes after being caught in a rain storm in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Actually, it was a couple of days after the rain storm… when my blisters developed blisters, that the lesson sunk in. My shoes were still wet and my skin raw.
The Flight From Handan
The day started off well as I affirmed for the 140th time that a population of 1.3 billion people can’t construct a shower that will not flood the bathroom floor. Drying my skivvies may have been a bit easier if the hair dryer worked, but, oh well. I was just happy to leave this God forsaken city of Handan.
Handan is a shit hole of a city… the crotch of China… a smelly, stanky, stain on the map. I swear that if I am ever re-incarnated as a Chinese baby in Handan, I will shove my rattle down my baby throat at the earliest opportunity in hopes of drawing a better card next time. Continue reading
Great Start to My Next Chinese Adventure
“Mechani
cal issue sir?”
From all fours, halfway under my pickup truck, I turned my head to see a shiny pair of shoes upon which were draped dark grey slacks with a perfect crease. The cars were whizzing past the entrance to Route 376 East.
“No officer, I was retrieving my athlete’s foot spray.” I said as a stood upright, aerosol can in hand. Continue reading
Just Another 21 Hour Day
I awoke at 3:30 am to catch a 6 am flight from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, so that I could catch an 8:30 am flight to Montreal for a business meeting. I knew I was in for a long day since I planned to take a night flight back to DC and then connect at 10:15 pm to Pittsburgh. Continue reading
Travel Day
I’m in Hong Kong now, having arrived from Sri Lanka late last night. I stayed at the W Hotel, a veritable oasis, much needed for the contrast that awaits me over the next week while in mainland China. Continue reading
The Cup
Dear Finance Dept:
I hereby submit my expense report for a recent trip to China and while you may note irregularities, I assure you that all charges are ordinary and necessary for business.
Thank you,
Jeff
Waiting For Ashek
In planning my trip to China and Bangladesh, there were a myriad of details in setting up appointments every day, triaging schedules, making sure I had lodging and transportation in place… all for maximum efficiency. One false move and I could miss an important link in our road to global dinnerware domination. Continue reading
Is that Elvis?
I’m a People Watcher….
In traveling around China, I see thousands and thousands of people. I’m a people watcher. Watching people is the only thing you can do while waiting hours and hours for planes, trains, and donkey carts.
Some people look like Chinese versions of other people. Some look like combinations of people… like this one. If you mixed Mike Wolf with Jimmy Fallon, you might get this Chinese guy I saw at the train station. Continue reading
Ping, Ding, and Ming….
On the last day of my China travel, I was convinced that I’d have no writing material this trip. Maybe after dozens and dozens of trips to China, my travel execution had finally reached a Zen-like state, wherein it all went according to plan. Not so fast, Bucko…. Continue reading
Untamed Traveler 