Japan- Reunited with my Global Family

My family took me to a Jinja to bless my travels
Food stand set up or Hirami (cherry blossom Festival)
Cherry Blossoms in bloom
My good bye feast , some sake - a present for me
Sekino falls- Miyakonojo

Much of my family is spread across the world. I have relatives in a number of countries and states and this is a reality for many now. After centuries of living together and having extended family so close, many of us don't have the opportunity to see and get to know our families. This has been the case for me for a long time. It is one of the reasons I felt very alienated growing up. I had moved so many times and lived with so many different people in my family in different places, it was hard for me to feel like I genuinely belonged to household or community when I was growing up. As I have grown older I have been able to relinquish relationships that were broken off or never existed because of the forces of global markets. My family is torn because of the A.) a choice and B.) not having the choice when it comes to live in a Nation-State that is not burdened with debt , poverty or lack of infrastructure. So they went to the hegemonic powers. Wanting a slice of pie. A opportunity at freedom. A right to pursue their dreams.

This blog is dedicated to my Uncle , for all his humility, strength and all that he has inspired me and others to do. At the age of 22 ,he left India and went to Japan where he learned Japanese in the matter of months and entered speech contests in Japanese and won! I thought that was remarkable. What is also remarkable is that he plays the role of interpreter still in the communications company he works for setting up film crews to make documentaries in different countries , but mostly India.
Through my Uncle's struggle I realized how hard it was for him to be in Japan. A country that is still leaning to homogeneous side. It is a very difficult place to be in if you don't speak Japanese. While I was in Japan for two weeks I had many misconceptions debunked. I saw Japanese people as serious , as always rational, but there is a softer , passionate, spiritual side that many do not see. I met cousins for the first time and saw their children. It was quite an interesting experience realizing that there are people related to me living half way across the world, going on with their lives in culturally very different ways, yet still from the same ancestral origins as me. Not soo different in many regards.

I was lucky to be in Japan during Hirami which is the very important holiday known as the cherry blossom festival. It was absolutely beautiful to see so many pink petals all fluttering all over the streets, covering everything on the ground like a blanket. You would even see them in people's hair. During the festival , people gather and eat and drink under the Sakura trees (cherry blossom trees). It is actually an important holiday for businesses as well. Newly hired employees of large firms and businesses have to go through a sort of initiation process and take care of arrangements as well as drink to talk business and prove their worthiness to the higher ranking people of the company. You will see dozens of people in business attire at the level of inebriation laughing , singing, dancing once this happens. Its a pretty funny site.

I was in Tokyo most of my stay in Japan, but spent a number of days on Kyushu island in a small town called Miyakonojo. Population: 160,000. I have 2 cousins and an Aunt here, which I have never met. I spent a number of days in both Tokyo and Miyakonojo checking out Jinja's which are Shinto temples. I learned a great deal about how much Japanese culture and Shinto are entwined with the environment and landscape. There is a respect for all things natural and in nature and many aspects of their culture reflect this. Everything from the art, architecture, food and costumes all take the natural environment into account. It is a stark difference from Western culture that is soo used to going on with business as usual .

The over stimulation in Tokyo was a little extreme for me. It took me a number of days to get used to . I was thoroughly impressed with how bike riding friendly the suburbs were with large parking facilities for people that bike to the the train.

I was impressed by the efficiency of the transport system in general . I was stunned by how beautiful and clean it was regardless of the population. The infrastructure was pretty uniform in the city. Real estate is a huge market and rents are very high even for the large middle class populations.

The most rewarding part of my experience in Japan was getting to know my family. It was realizing that I have the right to be in other countries. That I can get over language barriers and understand what people's lives are. I can understand what they go through on a day to day basis.

In response to the global oil and food crisis

Watching BBC and hearing so many stories related the failure of the free-market to stabilize markets and as the people of the world are standing up against the inflation and high price of foods as their nation-state does little to regulate the markets. I want to offer this excerpt of my thesis for us to start thinking of the alternative. I am sick of people saying how bad everything is. Let's think of the alternative. Let's act. Let's start collective movements. We have consumer power. We have multitude power!

For real democracy to exist, political localization which manifests itself in participatory democracy has to be accompanied by economic localization where citizens have increasingly more power in the outcomes of their economic determinations. John Cavanagh, from the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies has been working to articulate alternatives to economic globalization. He has been instrumental in leading people-oriented organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico develop “Alternatives for the Americas” which addresses the injustices that arise under NAFTA. He has also compiled with the help of other various advocate-experts from the International Forum on Globalization, various ways to change the International Institutional Framework by strengthening certain UN organizations and proposing for a relocalization of markets. This call for localization of economy is not a utopian ideal of romanticizing back to a point of pre-industrialism and globalization, but a plea to limit and control trade. Trade is not undesirable but its role must be limited to “providing those things that cannot be provided locally.” (Mander and Goldsmith, 291) This would entail subsidies to small farmers and diversification of local markets for domestic consumption. When factoring the costs of trade and export, many fail to consider the environmental costs the transportation of commodities entails, or the quantity of petroleum that is required. The proposal for relocalization of markets does not seem nearly as utopian as the global expansionist model that assumes that availability of resources is unbound and endless. In addition, another assumption or value of the global economy model promotes the assimilation of all societies to that of one single homogenized society that consumes the same things and has the same lifestyle. This is problematic because it does not take into account the local cultures that are sustained by the local availability of resources or geographical limitations to that lifestyle. By promoting monoculture single crops, corporations are robbing people of their rights to remain distinct and independent, forcing them to consume things that are culturally irrelevant. The resistance of Karnataka farmers to the expansion of corporations like Mc Donald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken show concern over a shift to animal feed for cattle and other meats which constitute a meat based diet that is alienable to many people’s lifestyles in India. This shows the lack of cultural sensitivity that corporations have in their push for global economic growth. Their principal interest is that of profit. This is why it is important to reconsider and fully assess the need too correlate increased global free market trade to the livelihoods of peoples and ecosystems. This is why solutions like diversification and import substitution by local production can be seen as real viable and sustainable alternatives.

Please email me if you want to read more.

Vietnam

Temple
War Remnants Museum- The photo that shook he world
Chinatown
Mekong Delta
Propoganda
Saigon traffic

War remnants museum
Mekong Delta

I am sad to say I definitely was not in Vietnam long enough to make any substantial kind of analysis. I wanted to go to a socialist country. I wanted to see what it was like. I wanted to go to war museums and understand the complexity and devastation and healing that took place in Vietnam. I have made the decision to go back to Vietnam at some point and to go to the north that is much different than Ho Chi Minh.

The Mekong Delta and series of canals were absolutely beautiful. I found Vietnamese people very friendly and with a great sense of humor. They smile and they love a good laugh. Saigon or Ho Chi Minh is a motorcycle city and the traffic is deadly. It can take you about 30 minutes to cross the street and you can't ever panic. Just walk straight or stop and people will go around you.

I did a number of short tours where I checked out Chinatown, Temples, Artist Workshops, The Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels, and the war museum. The War Museum has a number of iconic images of the Veitnam war. The images are heart wrenching and I had to take a good moment to cry and express how I felt seeing so many horrifying images of war. It was hard not to pick a side. It's easy to point fingers and ofcourse I think it was horrible that the U.S. did so much damage and the army killed so many people but I realized the real enemy is war. I saw images of things done on both sides. I watched a propaganda movie and felt the tension fill the air as the movie goes on stating how cruel and horrid the US army was. I am in no way supporting them , but shouldn't we be able to see how tragic the losses are on both sides.

All over Vietnam you see very interesting socialist poster art of Ho Chi Minh, health issues, workers etcc.. The art is really refreshing to see and I have to admit for a socialist country, there is still allot of Western Influence on everything from clothes to culture that ofcourse is another example of how globalization penetrates all markets. It was nice not to see a McDonalds or Kentucky Friend Chicken which you are still bombarded with in Thailand and every other country in the world.

Cambodia-A past of darkness but a country of hope

The tragic recent history of Cambodia that many people are unaware of still has a big impact on modern Cambodians

Phnom Penh
Bar street in Siem Reip
The site of the killing fields

Holding cells at S21 Museum

s21 museum, many people had to become soldiers or help Khmer Regime in fear of being killed

These kids get by and help thier families by selling scarves and trinkets
Infront of Angkor Watt
The main form of transformation


One of many temples of Angkor have these remarkable trees that grow directly ontop of them

Angkor Temple
Buddhism and Hinduism have spread from India and have a big influence on Khmer Culture
Angkor Temple Carving
spiders snack for sale at a bus stop on the way to Phnom Penh
Khmer Dancers in Seim Reip

Before arriving to Cambodia I had heard so many mixed reviews about people traveling along the Vietnam/ Cambodia/ Thailand/Laos route. Many said that were disturbed and annoyed by the children and people that sell goods to tourists. They said it was a difficult place to be for a number of reasons. I knew that the difference between Thailand and Cambodia would be able to seen immediately on a developmental scale, but I had no idea what exactly to expect. I had known of the past history of Khmer Rouge and US involvement in the matter. I knew that the history of genocide and evidence of it's impact could still be seen. I never realized exactly to what degree. I loved Cambodia. Yes it was more difficult, and yes as a foreigner you do experience many uncomfortable scenarios but on the same note there is so many small miracles and sooo much strength seen by the people of Cambodia. I knew little about Khmer people or their culture. The Angkorian kingdom leaves centuries old rich history which Cambodians are very proud of.

Driving into Cambodia I was warned I might have a problem at the border. Sometimes people are charged extra entry fees by border police. The bus I took from Bangkok to Siem Riep was about 12 hours, one hell of a journey but quite an experience. At the border you have to change buses. You go from an air conditioned , padded seats tourist bus to something that looks like a school bus with no ac and a hell of allot of dust. When you get the border you have to carry all of your belongings from border to the other checkpoint. The road to Siem Riep from the border is not paved and extremmmmely bumpy. You have to bring toilet paper with you to use at the one bathroom stop your given. On the bus there were a number of Cambodians going from a small town to Siem Riep. My seat neighbor offerred me some peculiar sausage wrapped in plastic. She was very intent on me trying the sausage and I dare not decline. She didn't speak any English but she was really lovely. She offered me water and for awhile she passed out on my shoulder which I ofcourse didn't mind.

Arriving in Siem Riep I was transferred to a tuk tuk (mini motorcycle taxi) to take me to my hostel which was really lovely. The "Siem Riep" hostel which I booked for 10$ a night was reallly lovely. There was internet, wifi, restaurant/bar, pool, pool table , dvd area, as well as a yoga room and chill out room. My female 6 bed dorm was full with 5 other girls all traveling alone, all from different countries. It was really inspiring and motivational talking to all of them and what they were doing all by themselves. I felt really comfortable and empowered knowing that I could find brave women from around the world taking the initiative to travel alone.

At the hostel I met Rachel , Rachel was English and 35 years old recently divorced. Rachel sold her house and was traveling around the world for more than a year. We shared a tuk tuk around the Angkor temples the first day. Awwing at all the amazing architecture and cultural heritage it was no wonder why Cambodia's tourism was booming. The world heritage site of Angkorian temples are simply magnificent wonders. I learned that many of the temples were being restored because of damage received by the Khmer Rouge regime that ordered the distruction of the temples as well as the chopping off of many heads of the Buddha statues.

When you visit the temples you are bombarded by many children trying to sell you things. They are beautiful and they appeal to your heart by asking you to buy whatever they are selling so they can make money to go to school. Their parents are usually close by directing them on who to target and then taking the money from them. This is the other side of the sad dynamic on dependent informal sector economies that rely on tourism. I was not annoyed by it at all. The sadder thing that I learned is that all the money that is made by tourism for the sites since you have to buy a pass to see the temples is not put back into the economy. The money goes to the different nation-states and firms that have sponsored the restoration of many of the temples. Of them include China, India, Vietnam, The US among other countries. This is heart breaking to know that one of the biggest economies is privatized. Trying to recover from a tragic history of genocide in which 1/5 of the countries population was killed less than a few decades ago, you can correlate the impact this has on people.

Siem Riep was easy. Equipped with a bar street near by popular guest houses and hotels fill with trendy cafes and restaurants serving everything from Mexican to pizza to Khmer food. Here you can mingle with all the backpackers and travelers. Actually i was shocked at the amount of luxury hostels catering to luxury travelers. Huge 5 star hostels going for 1000$ a night seemed so ridiculous.

Another thing which i noticed is that Cambodia is addressing the punishment for supporting the child sex industry. Another one of the sad realities is that many children are sold by their parents into the sex trade. A Australian man that was staying in my guest house stated that despite the efforts to crack down, he was offered a small girl for $ on the street. I was absolutely mortified.

Among the various issues that plague Cambodia and Cambodian people I found Cambodians to be very friendly and hopeful. Many of them speak English which is contrasted to Thailand where much fewer speak English , even in the Cities. They have to know English because the dependency on tourism is part of many of their livelihoods.

After going to a landmine museum which was created as an NGO hoping to rid Cambodia of it's excess of mines which have killed many innocent civilians after the civil war. After visiting the killing fields and going to the s21 museum which was a highschool converted into holding prison where many where killed . I was absolutely astonished by how recent and to what extent this history had been a reality to soo many Cambodians. My tour guide of the s21 museum had lost her whole family during the war and yet everyday she talks about he horrors done by the government and men that carried out the torture and executions. It was important for me to understand how this history effects a collective consciousness. Cambodians remember, but they persevere and on many of them you can see the light in their eyes, pushing them through.

I was really touched by the all the strength I saw in Cambodia, it was a very difficult place to be, but exactly why I am glad I went and glad to understand a very complex and beautiful place.

Akoon

Thailand- the jump off point in South East Asia

Susan at the airport
My Bungalow in Ko Chang
Ko Chang Pier
Visiting a bar in Ko Chang
Ko Chang Sunset

BTS Skytrain took me everywhere
Wat Arun
The Floating Market
Ko-San Road
Ganesh



Canals are still used for transport

Sukhimvit- The area my hostel was in is mostly a business and residential area for the uppermiddle class

Emerald Buddha Wat
Lotus
My Lunch- Noodle Soup from a boat


On the way to Thailand I was on a flight to transfer planes in Bahrain. On my flight coincidentally I was seated next to an American girl, Susan. It was quite funny that we sat next together since we were 2 out of 3 foreign women on the whole plane. Susan had been working for a Christian group in Egypt and was on her way to India. We exchanged stories and experiences. She told me how hard it was for her to make the decision to travel and how she left her job and everything. Previously she had spent time in Ethiopia as well doing work with her Uncle and Aunt who lived there. It was so refreshing meeting an American that had the same desire to be in the world . To feel as if she was a part of it. We got to spend 6 or 7 hours chatting until our planes boarded. Susan if you are reading this I hope the rest of your trip and time in India at the orphanage was great. Please keep in touch and give me an update.

Arriving in Bangkok I was determined to make the most out of my independence and use my skills to do the most I could alone. I took an airport bus to my hostel for about 5$ which saved me 10$. My hostel was clean and organized and the food in the neighborhood was cheap and delicious.

Thailand is an extremely easy place to travel because it receives sooo much tourism. Most people start in Bangkok and then head off from there. It's a convenient starting point because you don't need a visa but you can obtain your visa for the bordering countries if your going to Laos and Cambodia and then Vietnam quiet easily. Bangkok is a verrrry developed city. Among all it's fancy stores and high rises, there is still rich history of Thai culture. Thailand is a kingdom. You are reminded of this like in any other Kingdom when you see pictures of the king everywhere. I didn't do enough research or interviewing to find out what Thai's think about the king, but it's also a bit of a touchy subject. Most Thai's like him. He seemed to help make some legislation's for the working people so I can't argue with that. The new BTS skytrain boasts flat screens, and there are about a dozen HUGE MEGA malls where you can find bootlegs to brand names. People love to shop in Bangkok because the exchange of the Euro/ dollar, etc.. is still very high.

If you are a backpacker and you get to Bangkok, most people are swayed to staying on Ko-San road or Rice Ave. Ko- San road is the meeting ground for travelers and backpackers starting their travels. From their they go North to Chang Mai or Loas , East to Cambodia or South to the tropical islands.

I got to my hostel on Sukhimvit by taking an express bus. It was close to the airport by far from all the Bangkok sites and Ko-San scene. In the hostel i met a few travel buddies. One which was from my stomping grounds Queens, NYC. We spent a few days hanging out checking out the Ko-San scene and booked a few budget tours. I checked out a war museum, went to Tiger Temple, a few Watts or temples , saw the Royal Palace, the usual stuff. I also met a travel buddy that I met up with in Cambodia and which i will probably meet again in Hong Kong. Hill is Chinese but has spent allot of time in Australia. She is a little spunky rebel that likes to travel alone and learn and grow and challenger herself like me. Hill if you read this I will never forget that you biked that really hot day in Siem Riep to see all the Angkor Watt sites and ate steamed beef heart. LOL Can't wait to hang out in Hong Kong.

After being in Bangkok for a few days, I wanted to get away from the fast pace. Too much sensory stimulation and I wasn't feeling the party scene. I did want to go to Chang Mai where all the more traditional and cultural sites of Thailand as well as organizations are, but I didn't have that long in Thailand and I was feeling very drained. I took a bus and ferry for about 16$ round trip to Ko-Chang Island. There I stayed in a bungalow where I had the privacy i needed to get some R and R. The bungalow was in Lonely Beach. Which is the south side of the Island and less developed than the other beaches. There is only one paved road and you take pick up trucks that act as taxi's or motorcycles to get around. The little town that I was in had a bunch of bungalow/restaurants , cooking school, clothing shops, a 7/11 type place with an Atm, a convenience store , some thai massage spots and Thai tattoo shops. For the most part, that was it and for most people that was all you needed. I loved this town. I met allot of people that had ended up falling in love with this place and learning thai. At night there are parties, but if you are not into the party scene you can just go for a short walk to the beach, get a thai massage, a meal for about 3$ and watch movies in the communal spot of many outdoor bungalow houses.
I am sad to report that there was still allot of prostitution in Ko Chang. I didn't go to the red-light district in Thailand and didn't want to. I met a few people that wanted to check it out for observation purposes. The thought of it was uncomfortable so i decided against it.

I had many interesting conversations with different travelers from all over the world here in Ko Chang . One was an Israeli couple . They said they seldom saw Americans traveling, as tourists or as backpackers or volunteers. My theory was that American media is very fear based and Americans are too afraid to leave the security of their monotonous lives. The Military industrial complex needs to promote fear and war to get money for arms and military so we watch only disasters and sensationalism. I think that people are attracted to the thought of visiting certain destinations for very particular reasons. People go to Thailand to relax and sit on the beach , get a tan , have a drink and party for a very little sum of money. Many go to Phuket and many do very little to make any intimate connections with Thai people. I found that many Thai people if you tried to talk to them were warm and friendly, but their immediate reaction to you was skeptical. I also noticed allot fewer people spoke English. They really didn't need to. They can get by without it, as in Cambodia which was allllot less developed everyone that worked with people spoke English because their pay depended on it. They were dependent on tourism

I met another man from Cyprus that was also very surprised as to why he never saw Americans traveling. He had been to 50 countries, most of them in Europe and Asia.

I met one English guy who had a friend that was living in Thailand for 7 years and had a Thai girlfriend said Thai people lived for the day. They do not overplan and worry about the future but they live for the moment and get by but also know how to relax , eat and enjoy their time with family.

I was given a few contacts to organizations in Thailand. None of them gave me any response so i made the most out of my time their, still had a ball and soaked up as much as I could. I would go back , but it wasn't the highlight of my trip. It was almost too easy. I didn't feel myself being challenged and I was sick of being around tourists and people that were not accustomed to try to be cultural sensitive.

Thailand's beauty and splendor is quite vast, but you can't understand it right away. It's definitely a place you have to take your time in and really try to learn to language and get over barriers to form connections. When you do, its very rewarding.

Egypt- Pharaonic Egypt To Islam

Karim
The hotel room in Cairo
Old Cairo
Traditional Egyptian food- My favorite dish- and only 1$!
Giza
Luxor
Dancer in Motion
Giza
Luxor Temple
The train ride from Aswan back to Cairo- she was adorable

Muhamed Ali Mosque in Cairo
Mom infront of the Sphinx

My mother and I were in Egypt for only 10 days.

I have always wanted to go to Egypt. Partly because i wanted to see Pharaonoiac Egypt and partly because I knew it was the center of New Islamic culture. It is the Islamic country where most of the music and movies come from that go to the rest of the Arab world. I had stayed in Morocco in January of 2007 with a host family for 4 weeks. This was my first introduction and intimate encounter with Islam. This was also my introduction to understand the role of Egypt. Egypt has had a very complex history from The legacy of Pharaonic Egypt and also their strategic role in Middle East relations and past of Socialism.

Going to Egypt it was mind blowing to see the complexity to Paranoiac civilization. Growing up learning a very Euro centric history like most people, I realized not all histories are acknowledged or given their rightful amount of noteworthiness.

It was also interesting seeing the influence of different cultures and periods in one place - Coptic Egypt, Islam, as well as Pharaonic sites all in the same place.

I have always had a respect for Islam. I think it is a very misinterpreted religion and it is full of compassion and peace. Being in Islamic state reminds me of that.

I met up with my Mom on March 1st in Cairo. We stayed there for two days, exploring , eating food, went to the Pyramids of Giza and then we went to Luxor and Aswan. Our train to Luxor took 9 hrs and then to Aswan and then to Luxor I think it was another 6 hrs. The further you go South on the Nile it truly is breathtaking. The more south you go the more Nubian influence you see as well.

Being with my mom I realized how different our expectations were. After traveling for awhile I had been accustomed to never expect everything to go smoothly. I learned how to try to pack light and be realistic about what you will get from a place. Being able to afford a budget hotel which was two stars she expected to get hot water. She was very angry that we did not have hot water when she wanted to shower. In the second hotel , the experience was the same. She got very angry and proceeded to call the front desk angry that she was not able to take a hot shower. I explained to her that it wasn't any one's fault. It is the dynamic. Maybe most of the people don't have the luxury of having hot water themselves I told her. How can you demand it for yourself just because you are a foreigner. Being around her made me realize I was becoming much more cultured and patient than her with her American standards.

In Egypt when you walk the streets, you are pretty much spotted for being a foreigner. You will be hassled to by souvenirs and trinkets. The vendors are VERRRRY aggressive and it turns allot of people off to their experience in the country. We also have to remember, we are going into a country where tourism is both an evil and a blessing. Tourists think of it as a necessary evil that promotes development. At the same time it makes economies dependent and how can you complain about the informal sector that is trying to capitalize on your wealth as a tourist. It is their livelihoods. Its very draining at times to constantly fend off vendors or argue with people because you know they are overcharging you for something. But hey, they have that right. For us, what is another 50 cents or a dollar. I would get mad at times because of the principal, but then again, they assume I have money and yes I did make it all the way there, so I would bargain or walk away when i was unhappy with a cost quote but many times I saw people lower their prices or almost seem to have more respect for you if you do bargain then if you just give up at the first quote. It's definitely a learning experience.

In Luxor I came across this site where the city was knocking down many buildings to widen a Paranoiac site in which many people visit. Paranoiac sites bring all kinds of people to Egypt, but many people don't want to realize and understand the costs on Modern Egypt that their stay has.

I was lucky to meet up with Karim whom I met on the travelbuddy website. My conversation with Karim helped me to learn allot about how everyday life is for Egyptians. I wanted to ask Karim about his perceptions of Americans. He said that many of his friends find it hard to separate Americans from American Foreign Policy which they see as imperialistic. I did not blame him. He talked to be about the struggle to make it through college. Karim wants to get his masters in the US in computer science. He is doing very well in Egypt but he also wants to travel. He explained to me the importance of Egyptian Cinema for the youth in Egypt. Karim, if you are reading this , I wish you the best of luck and hope to see you in NYC one day where I owe you a milkshake. Inshallah! ha!

To all the people that want to go to Egypt and see the pyramids, please stay their awhile to get to know Islam, to understand what it means and please acknowledge your own role as tourist. You should not go for luxury. Go their with an open mind and be willing to shrug of a bad experience. You can't stay bitter over one interaction.