I have returned

I got back to Taipei two days ago and I'm freezing in the cool Taipei temperatures. I've been pretty busy uploading and editing some photos and the blogs will come very soon. I have to say I felt different when I stepped off that plane in Taoyuan's CKS Int'l Airport. I don't know if I was feeling slightly worn out from all the flying but the last legs of my trip in Vietnam and Cambodia was definitely inspiring. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami also happened while I was in Halong Bay, Vietnam. I had no idea it happened until I returned to Hanoi where there was cell reception, tv, and internet. It was alarming and I felt an enormous amount of sympathy for the Japanese. Their ability to cope and calm and orderly reaction to such a tremendous act of nature is truly inspiring and I respect them greatly for that.

For me, tourism isn't just about seeing the sights; it's about understanding and experiencing cultures, interaction, and respect. I'm curious to see how people in different places live, eat, and interact. It was nice to learn about other aspects of Chinese heritage in Malaysia and see the influences of religion on the cities. I was also scoping out potential sites for study in grad school (when the time comes). Tourism is planned and promoted in different ways in all the countries I visited.

I wrote down some thoughts and some of the interesting things I saw during my travels in my little Moleskin notebook. I will try to blog about them as soon as I can before I forget (I seem to be quite forgetful lately...)

First up...Singapore.

To be continued...