Departure

It's my last day here in Europe. Normally departure from such an exciting and immersive experience would be met with some bittersweetness--reluctance to leave behind countries that I've spent the last 3 months in but also anticipation towards returning home--but I'm ready to get back to the States, start school, and get back to the normal routine again. These past three months have been too much like a holiday --one that I deeply appreciate-- even during my internship and such prolonged rest is strangely unfamiliar. But amazing times were had here, awesome people befriended, and great food consumed.

So in true Leang form...things I will miss (in short bullet form to ease the read for you and the write for me)

Tescos: Supermarket chain that has saved my life countless times with its price reductions and general badassness. Stop and Shop and Shaws has nothing on Tescos, the 3rd largest supermarket chain in the world.

3 hour lunch breaks: People know how to relax here with lunches that consume a huge chunk of the work day.

Cheap alcohol: My facebook status earlier was that I love 1 euro bottles of sangria. Indeed it has been incredibly easy and affordable for me to say... drink gin and tonics at the British Museum or double fist while walking down Berlin streets.

Mental Math: Quick how fast can you divide 230 into a number? Exchange rates make you break a mental sweat!

Hostels: Although definitely not limited to Europe, I will miss the hostel culture of being crammed 50 into a room (Prague) and being forced to interact with others to break the awkwardness (as the hostel has already intruded into 'personal space').

Decent public transportation: Rising costs of petro make subways, buses, trams, and trains a godsend. Too bad the States have oil interests constantly in mind to quash the development of such a system (an effective one I mean) outside of NYC, Boston, and some other metropolises.

Accents: Enough said.

Talking about how much the States suck: True I can (and do) discuss this at length back in the good US of A, but it's so much more different (and hilarious) to hear an outsider's perspective, especially if that outside was raising in a culture so prideful and devoted to knocking the US down a couple of notches.

Kebabs (or kebaps): I've never seen a swirling cone of meat (really the only way to describe it) before coming here to Europe, and now I'm in love with cheap Middle Eastern/Turkish cuisine. Now where can I find a doner back in CT?

Bonding with other travellers: There's something unifying about the shared commonality of carrying all your possessions on your back. It's so easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow vagabond by simply asking where they're from, going, and for how long. Sure this may make relationships fairly superficial, getting to learn very little about the person him or herself, but it's a great ice breaker and introduction minus all of the "why the hell are you talking to me you complete stranger" awkwardness that would interfere on typical circumstances.

Okie enough ruminating on the things I'll be leaving behind--time for my last meal (a mean ole English breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 rashers of bacon, sausage, beans, toast, and a fried tomato) Heathrow, then home!

See you soon loves

Cardiac Arrest Inducing Goodness

Here's a list of deep fried foods, each one more delectable and artery clogging that the former. My favorites are deep fried Coca-Cola (who would ever think of such a thing, as if high blood pressure isn't enough throw in some Diabetes II too!) and jam sandwiches.

I wonder if there's anything you can't deep fry...

Leang is back in London after a crazy 24 hours traveling. I just really want to get home...

but strangely when I arrived in St. Pancreas I thought, "Finally back home." Interesting how the concept of home can be so salient, comforting, and necessary. Just stepping foot back on familiar ground brought up my spirits after a night huddled in the corner of the Brussels train station (details for those who ask... haha).

I can't wait to get back to the States. Europe has been fun, but I'm ready to go back

Lots of love

Edit: Oh yeah I'm bringing back so much crap my diesel sized suitcase ripped...umm....

A train of trains

Hey sorry for the huge gap in updates... the further east I went in Europe the harder it was to get consistent internet access--especially one that allowed me the time to update you guys. But now I'm actually back in Western Europe--Germany--and am willing to regale you with tales of my harrowing journey through the Balkans...in person. The last week has been so hectic that simply writing about it wouldn't do the entire region justice (and I'll probably forget a lot of the important events). So instead I shall talk about trains.

Since 10AM yesterday morning I have been on 4 trains (2 domestic Hungarian, 1 international, and 1 domestic Germanic). In fact in the last 30 hours I have spent 20.5 hours on a train going from Budapest to Lake Balaton and back (2 hours each); an overnight from Budapest to Munich (about 11 hours) and from Munich to Germany (5.5 hours). In short, I am tired of trains.

But it was interesting to see the differences in quality between public transportation.

Hungarian trains were much more rundown compared to the other national trains. Doors were ajar if not completely open (a small safety hazard when traveling at 150 km/h) and the cabin we chose was littered with empty beer cans and wine bottles. It was actually quite disgusting as Budapest was the first stop yet no one had bothered to even clean up the mess. But when trains are the most affordable and efficient method for travel with a constant influx of riders hourly, maintenance can be quite difficult, especially when funds are limited.

The international train from Buda to Munich was backbreaking. 11 hours cramped in a seat with the airconditioning blasting on one side, the heat of other travelers on other and not a comfortable place to rest your head on either makes Leang a cranky and groggy person. Since I'm backpacking in August I packed only the bare essentials--lots of t-shirts and very thin layers. I did not anticipate a froststorm in the form of an overzealous cooling system to literally freeze my limbs--which had already gone numb from the contortions of angles I tried to get a comfortable sleeping position. The train was also an hour late, making us rush to our next train departing 10 mins later.

Germanic trains save any semblance of favor I have towards rail transportation. Sleek, new, and endowed with the infamous German work ethic and efficiency, our ride on the ICE was pleasant even after 16 hours of travel prior. The bathrooms weren't soiled and a major health issue like other trains but were constantly stocked with the essentials (paper towels), actually had a working toilet, and designed with wood paneling and mirrored walls. It's sad to get excited about the WC, but Germans have created a way to turn even the basics into amenities. The dining cars offered gourmet cuisine created by world renowned chefs (a new chef and menu per month for a year) making fine dining accessible to everyone at affordable prices (well not to me since meals were 12 euros ish and I'm pretty poor right now).

Ugh time running out... I gotta go. But I will be taking an overnight sleeper from Berlin to Brussels and the Eurostar to London so I'm not quite done yet with trains. Hopefully they won't be a disappointment.


Lots of love... Leang

Vienna 06/08

"Vienna will wait for you...but its trains won't..."

So far Vienna has been my favorite place city and although I've only traveled to 3 so far, the Austrian capital has far surpassed my expectations. Ljubljana, Zagreb, Berlin, and Brussels will have to work hard to follow.
The Viennese culture here is so lively and lived in--centuries old baroque and classical monuments juxtapose contemporary architecture as a blend of the old and new that in no way feels forced or contrived. The problem I had with Prague was the monuments felt they were for the tourists while here they are incorporated into everyday life. While wandering the first night here, we stumbled upon the museum quartier, packed with people drinking, relaxing, hanging out wiht others. No doubt some of them were tourists who like us came upon this oasis but the atmosphere was natural as if the Austrians did this every Tuesday night at midnight. It's no surprise that museums aren't reduced to shrines of the past, frequented only on school trips and because of sheer boredom. As a former intellectual capital of the world, home to thought giants like Sigmund Freud and Amadeus Mozart, Vienna has in possession one of the greatest collections of art and a museum for basically every niche. The Leopold has the largest collection of native Egon Schiele drawings and paintings on display while at Mumoc contemporary artists like Asper Jorn highlight their current summer 08 exhibition 'Bad painting good art'--an amazing title and showcase btdubs.
But what really made me fall in love with Vienna (other than the gelato) was the jazz festival held in front of a cathedral. Picture this: 500 people watching a100 ft tall television screen showing the best jazz guitarist you've ever heard playing with a philharmonic symphony with gothic arches, gargoyles, and a 20 story tower in the background--no as an integrated part of the festival supporting the television screen itself. Where else but in Vienna?
Currently I'm sitting in front of the Belvadere, slightly frustrated at missing the second train in a row now (we're 0-2) but my anger is slowly subsiding. Klimt's 'The Kiss' right in front of me doesn't hurt. I only wish 2 things: 1) future internet connections will be more consistent so I can keep you up to date better and 2) you could expereince everything I have lately with me.

Auf Wiedersehen

Prague 04/08

We'll Always have Prague. I cannot begin to capture the beauty and the character that is Prague. The biblical statues on the Charles River, the flesh toned marble in St. Nicholas Cathedral, the sight of Prague Castle at night can leave anyone inspired. That's what draws all the tourists here-that old country feel from looming baroque buildings mixed with a fairly young population-a blend of the past and the present with hope towards the future.
Yet that's the only part of Prague most tourists have seen, the renovated cathedrals mixed with the clean pubs, restaurants, and shops. Strolling through Central Prague you see plenty of souvenir shops hotels, and 'authentic Czech food; but after 5 minutes you realized they're missing one thing--houses. The Prague you are shown isn't the one Czechs live in.
Earlier today Joyce and I ventured into Ziscov, past the novo mestro and the mala strana, beyond the stores and hordes and discovered merely 10 mins by foot a neighborhood worn down by the ages, untouched by speculators, grafittied, apparently abandoned by the rest of the city to fend for themselves.
It was so beautiful.
Prague has evoked so many emotions within me, stirring an unstable concoction and igniting a fire within the depths of my body. Superficially I've explored, seen gorgeous things, seen ugly/beautiful things, drank absinthe, danced in the largest club in Central Europe (or so they advertise) and worn down the soles of my shoes, but nothing compares to the banks of the Vltava River. The perfect moment--an instance where everything makes sense and nothing in the world can compare. For a moment, you feel so alive that everything in the universe: all your heartaches, your happiness, your envies and your monotonies can be summed up in something tangible. For a moment, you feel like you can die and that'll be alright...because in that split second you feel like you're truly satisfied.
Biscuits, chips, and Damien Rice on a dock off the Vltava River at midnight. Rice playing faintly in our ears as the sound of the water flowing and the ducks quacking act as the ambient background. I stare at a classically Renaissance building gilded gold with stone bricks and green rooftops. The statues of a driver and his horses makes it look a little like an oversized carriage. It may be the most beautiful building I've ever seen, glowing brightly against the twilight sky.
It's a great way to leave Prague, a city I have some conflicts in loving. I know some of it is contrived, made up under veneers of pleasantness and simplicity.

But it's so goddamn gorgeous

All the things that I have done

A post I wrote while waiting at the airport for hours until our delayed plane came.

I've never been so sad to leave a place before. it is with an ambivalent heart that I depart from London--in eager anticipation for the adventure in store but reluctant to leave behind the life I created in London. 2 months, 9 weeks, 63 days is a short time to spend in a place but it was plenty for me to grow roots--to call it home.

Things I'll miss
Fish and Chips- no one does fried cod/haddock and french fries like the Brits. Fresh fish steamed inside a crunchy cornmeal shell, small slightly sweet alabaster chunks flaking off with bits of nutty brown. Chips--tender pieces of potatoes with crisped edges and a hint of saltiness. Pieces are large, not like the ubiquitous shoestrings Americans prefer, because the flesh inside supplies the sensuality of a chip. the potato creams in your mouth with earthy purity. the interplay between the soft and crunch unifies this famous British dish. drenched in malt vinegar and the flavors gain a new dimension: sweet, salty, sour, hearty. Fish and chips is one thing we Yanks haven't perfected yet.

RTC- Even though i disliked my project- immensely- working at Richmond Towers Communication was an amazing experience. I learned quite a bit about the PR world (it's all about appearances which is why it's ruled by leggy blondes) and of the challenges of a research paper (should've planned better, oh well) I'll miss the 3 hour lunch breaks and the friday night cocktails. hell the free Sacla and Hpnotiq didn't hurt either--continuous supplies of scotch kept me popular in the house. But it's the people who made departing so difficult: Rounders, making fun of Jackie, facts of the days. Kyla and Jon made the time in the dungeon bearable and I hope we'll keep in touch.
Also Simon is still awkward but adorable.

The British Bulldogs- they were th easiest to part with since we'll be clustered together in a month, but those Yanks sure do know how to have a good time. Together we've power houred, flipcupped, Pimms happy houred, beer ponged, gone to Galway, Fabriced, sushi rolled, bitched, and had an amazing time. I've made fantastic friends this summer and can't wait to se them again in the fall.

Pubs- drinking is such an integral part of European culture. it amplifies not distracts from the lfie here. You can tell from the packe pubs after work everyday that drinking is a social--not antisocial-- activity. Similarly I'll miss the quality alcohol, cider and ale available here. Best guiness I've had was in Ireland and Stella is king. You know you're in Europe when supermarkets have their own generic booze. Sainsbury Scotch anyone?

Right now I'm in Prague--it's almost 3:30 and Joyce and I are exhausted (I obviously not as much since I'm busy blogging). Our hostel is right on the banks of the Vltava River on its own island. It's absolutely breathtaking. Okie I'm tired now, going to sleep. I'll tag later.

Na shledanou

Eurotrip

I apologise, my updating has been incredibly spotty and as of late, poor quality. I've been incredibly swamped at work, even pulling an all-nighter last night/this morning to get everything done. But 95% of it is! Yay I celebrate in delusional ecstasy. It's my last day here in London and I'm quite sad. I'm going to miss this place and the people of course. I will be back at the end leg of my eurotrip, details to follow.

I suppose I can retroactively update you on the last few weeks (long story short lots of drinking, Batman IMAX 5:30 AM Tower of London, lots of other touristy things). There! Just like you were here with me eh slamming cider and flipping cups, lots of cups.

But I'd rather talk about my travel plans, partly boasting but also just in case something happens you will know where I am (you know I get sold into an Eastern European prostitute ring, that type of stuff). I've been meaning to talk about this, but plans weren't finalised until last night around 1. There have been some amendments which is exactly the reason why I've held off until now. Along with my travel companion Joyce Tagal, we shall backpack across 7 countries living in hostels and night trains, doing Europe in ascetic style.

Departure Saturday August 2nd (God is it the 1st already?)
Arrival- Prague, Czech Republic. The hostel we booked is this giant converted gym--70 beds, 1 room hectic awesomeness. We're here until the 5th when we go south...

Departure August 5th
Arrival Vienna, Austria. Yeah don't know much about what's in Vienna--one of the most expensive cities we're travelling through.

Departure August 7th
Arrival Ljubljana, Slovenia. Pronounced Lube-li-ana, its the capital of Slovenia. With a mixture of gothic and baroque architecture, its the perfect mix of eastern and western european influences.
Some time in between this - Piran, Slovenia. A port city, it opens up to the Mediterranean and should be a great day trip. Excited because restaurants serve horse, and you know me I love my hooves

Departure August 9th
Arrival Zagreb, Croatia. It's supposed to be an amazing city and a new stop in our itinerary.

Depature August 12th
Arrival Budapest, Hungary. Fellow British Bulldog Gabor's stomping grounds, we'll be here just hitting up the local places.

Departure August 14th
Arrival Berlin, Germany. "You have to go to Berlin" a random guy I met told me. I'm holding him to his word, although there's really no way I can get back at him if a miserable time is had by all.

Departure August 16th
Arrival Brussels, Belgium. I'm kind of sad--I'll miss out on a beer festival the 16th outside of Belgium. But here for 1 day, all alone because this is where Joyce and I separate.

Departure August 17th
Arrival London, United Kingdom. This place again? So Joyce and I were supposed to originally leave the 21st, but because of some extenuating circumstances shes leaving the 17th. I'm stuck with a ticket that leaves Thursday night 1800

Departure August 21st
Arrival New York City, USA. Should arrive 2100 JFK I believe flight VS 0025, Virgin Airlines. Someone please pick me up! Haha.

A map to help visualise (we're all such visual creatures after all--so much of our sensory cognitive resources go towards sight).



Wow its 9 already... need to get ready for work haha. I'll keep you updated.

Peace Easy Squeesies

Edit: wikitravel is absolutely amazing. I recommend it to anyone looking for places to go!