Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

romantic myanmar, not

Posted by Hippobean at 10:26 PM 1 comments
When i thought of Myanmar, I thought of burma, the romantic colonials, breezy cloisters with arches, wooden shutters, slender women wearing exquisite pencil like longhis, smell of jasmine and tamarind, merchants trading on the busy narrow streets. The colonial buildings in Yangon were either hidden behind scaffolding or left dilapidated and some ridden with bullet holes. Broken sidewalks, litter on the streets, human and vehicle congestion, street vendors selling unsavory meats, steamy noodles, pancakes and deep fried food, the mixture of different smells, the dust, the noise, a typical Asiatic city. We sampled some street fried pancakes in peanuts and almond flavor and they were indeed quite good. In Shwedagon pagoda, I've learned of the buddha stations, one for each day of the week. I was born on Monday and the station animal was tiger, exactly coincided with my chinese zodiac animal. I've watered the Monday buddha statue every chance I saw these buddha stations. The golden stupa in the Shwedagon pagoda was stunning. The buildings had the burmese version of buddhist design that were distinguished from the Thai and Cambodian. However, not to the grandeur of either. or maybe because I've seen the ones in Thailand and Cambodia first, so I wasnt too impressed here. The 66 meters long reclining buddha in Chaukhtatgyi Temple was huge and very feminine looking. The statue was white with red feet. it had big glass eyes with long curved lashes and red lipsticked lips. 108 lakshanas or auspicious characteristics of the buddha were carved on the soles of the feet. Fairly impressed. In the afternoon we flew yangon airways to Heho in the shan state to spend the next few days exploring Inle Lake.

Yangon photos:

Monday, January 30, 2017

Monday, January 30, 2017

new airport first time

Posted by Hippobean at 7:05 AM 0 comments
I was the only one who hasnt been to the new airport yet. In 39 years I've only been back once. Emotion explosion. Arrived in the morning so a bit dark still. But the new airport didnt impressed me as much as Changi. Cant remember how the old one looked like except it was called kai Tak. Cantonese everywhere. so close to home and yet not there. not even a desire to go. this emotion only I could understand. the plane to HK wasnt full at all. middle seat empty again. just like flying to seoul, empty. the 14.5 hrs went quickly and quite pleasantly. didnt really see any movies. tried to watch Girl on the Train but got bored out of my skull. then tried Inferno and equally boring, fell asleep. food kept coming. even had dim sum for breakfast. turnip cake and siu mai. asked for tea and got a cup of jasmine. quite enjoyed this flight. sq001. flight from HK was packed as expected but not unpleasant.

changi during the day for the first time. found sunflower garden on T2. hot and muggy and overcast. transit hotel. tons of shops and restaurants. remembered the evenings spent here, my most favorite airport. so many good memories. everytime a thought from home surfaced, I've blocked it out. not allowing myself to think of my colossal mistake at home. I'm on vacation and I will enjoy it and wont have any thought about home. I'm determined to relax, take a lot of pictures, eat a lot of noodles and enjoy my time away from colossal mistake as if it never happened. When I awake, the fantasy would be to be back at door knob's and dating tmas.

While waiting for my driver to pickup the car at the yangon airport arrivals, i heard a gun shot. The prominent muslin lawyer who was on the same silk air flight as mine from singapore, was shot to death about 50 meters from where I was standing. People rushed to him while some ran in the opposite direction. I was rooted on the spot. didnt know at first what happened or who got shot. They apprehended the gunman. Later walking by the scene, I saw a man lying on the ground while someone was performing CPR on him. later that night I saw the announcement on TV at the hotel. So Mingalaba!

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Women's March in San Jose

Posted by Hippobean at 6:37 PM 0 comments
So I did my part. We marched for gender equality, racial equality, women's right, human rights, freedom of religion, for democracy, anti-fascism, anti-dictartorship.

San Jose Women's March photos:

Friday, January 20, 2017

Friday, January 20, 2017

Viet Festival

Posted by Hippobean at 11:01 PM 0 comments

Vietnamese Festival in San Jose January 20th 2017.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

fare well Barack

Posted by Hippobean at 7:36 PM 0 comments
I love this president. And I'm sorry to see him go. his farewell address touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes. It has been 8 good years under his watch. Possibly the best 8 years of my life. My best job, my first place, then mortgage free and good living. Good travels and holidays. Awesome outing with friends. and now all is over. not due to my own mistakes, but was forced upon me. the next 4 would be hardship with colossal mistake (this one I did it to myself). but Barack, under your watch, things have been fair and just, inclusive and respected. We moved forward as a nation with you. Now that idiot will roll back everything you've achieved, will move us back to the dark ages. The nation will mourn.

Sunday, January 01, 2017

Sunday, January 01, 2017

new year among friends

Posted by Hippobean at 8:59 PM 0 comments
on the pier at seacliff beach


 

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