Saturday, January 08, 2005

We are Siamese if you please…

Ok...I KNOW I'm supposed to be roughing it, but do you know how cheap massages are? I've been in Thailand for just a couple hours and I'm already feeling quite relaxed from the Thai massage I've already had. (Think of it as a cultural experience.) In fact, up north in Chaing Mai is a 10 day massage class. When in Thailand do like the Thais, right?

But wait, Sarah, you must be asking....What about Hong Kong?? I will tell you. If I had stayed at the Hong Kong airport, I would've gotten my money's worth. Hong Kong is seriously on the cutting edge of airport design. After nearly dying on the flight (there was about 3 hours of intense, prayer-provoking turbulence) and after nearly losing my bag forever (they finally found it), landing in this gorgeous airport was like ascending into heaven. And then we went to town....

Going to China after seeing so many Chinatowns is like watching Star Wars after seeing Spaceballs a million times....that is, it's kinda funny. You think that people are dressed a certain way and talk a certain way and eat a certain way just cuz they're trying to maintain their culture amidst their overpowering neighbors, but Hong Kong (which, apparently is SORT OF part of China--i learned all about it; will tell you about it when I have more time) is for real. People eat Chinese food because they actually are Chinese! (Do I sound ignorant and ethnocentric?)

We went on this tour called "The Land Between" which brought us all over the new territories. Like all of Hong Kong, the new territories are struggling between the old and the new. The entire city is filled with massive high rise apartment building, McDonalds and 7-11s, Prada, Chanel, pollution, and business(wo)men (ha, that's for you, parents), juxtaposed with rural fishing villages, hill clans, and 20th century technology (that's a long time ago already!). People seem confused as to whether or not they want to embrace progress.

At night we took a tram up Victoria peak and saw the whole city which really was beautiful. We were on Hong Kong Island at that point, which is the business center of it all, and the building there are all lit up and each has a different geometric shape. And they all seem to fit together perfectly. I've gotten to like the cityscape very very much lately. (But nothing, of course, compares to Boston.)

And now I'm in Thailand. There are more Israelis here than there are Thais and of course at this point I probably speak better Thai than Hebrew, so that's an unfortunate irony. Went to Chabad and gave him all the donations that some of you gave me; Rabbi Kantor sends his thanks. We are staying at a very fancy hotel across the street from Chabad, the Viengtai, at a roaring $22 a night each. We're splurging cuz we just got here and it'll be shabbos.

Speaking of which, it is almost time to welcome in the Sabbath queen and I am sitting in this cafe, very dirty and barefoot. (haha, and loving every moment of it!)

Keep your emails coming...I'll respond when I can!

B'shalom!

Sarah

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