Asia Society (By Jacob)

While we were in Hong Kong, we went to place called the Asia Society, with one of my grandma's friends. I learned it was started by Jon Rockefeller in 1950. He started it right after World War II, and it was a place where people could go and learn about Asia. At that time people really disliked parts of Asia because of all the bad stuff that happened during WW2.

The Asia Society in Hong Kong is built around the old British gunpower storage. The reason why it was British is because they owned Hong Kong for 99 years. One thing I found interesting was that the British installed tracks to push the gunpowder into the storage rooms. Also, in the rooms where they stored the gunpowder they had soft ground like black top, like the ones for playgrounds. The reason behind the soft floors is that when they pushed the carts on hard ground it could create sparks, which could then catch the gunpowder on fire.

While at the Asia Society, we went into the art gallery.  The art was all done by people from southern Asia. The piece of art I liked the best was the bomb ponds of Cambodia. The ponds date back to the Vietnam war. The bomb ponds were made because the USA didn't like how the Vietnamese fled to Cambodia, and the only way the USA thought to get the Vietnamese back to their country was to bomb Cambodia.  Where the bombs dropped, craters formed, and these became ponds.   The gallery had a video of a man talking and he said that he saw some family members get blown up. It was weird because in the pictures the water filled the bomb holes up perfectly, but when you learn the history behind the holes, you realize how sad and scary there lives were.

To learn more about the exhibit we saw at the Asia Society, you can look here.

Bruce Lee (Luke)

      We visited the Bruce Lee Exhibition in the Hong Kong National Heritage museum. It was really cool. I was really surprised about a lot of things like how he was born on Jackson Street in San Francisco. Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940. He was in love with Martial Arts from the start.  He was also an actor when he was young he appeared in a Cantonese show called Golden Gate Girl. He then became famous though for starring in the Film Program The Kid which he was amazing in. He moved to Seattle and Oakland as a teen where he became incredible. It was his turning part when he knew he had exceptional powers and that he should raise the bar when he faced Wong Jack man in a duel and won. Wong Jack Man was a karate instructor in San Francisco who was very good. We were laughing when we found out that Bruce Lee says "Wada" and that is the name of the place that we stayed at last in Guilin. That was why the logo of the hostel was a picture of Bruce Lee kicking and saying "Wada".

     Bruce Lee not only did one type of Martial Arts but he combined all that he knew together. His big role in the U.S. was being Kato  in the Green Hornet. They said that people hadn't seen Asian Martial Arts yet so he was like the guy. I read that at one point he was more popular than the the Green Hornet even though he was the Green Hornet's sidekick! Bruce Lee acted in a ton of other films where he fought Chuck Norris or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (a famous basketball player). This was funny because I saw a little 3 minute fight between them and it is hilarious. The height difference is about 30 inches. He was very successful as a Martial Artist and an actor. He founded the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute. He was a very interesting little dude.
   
     Unfortunately, when he was 33 years old he died on a bad reaction to a medicine on July 20 1973. I was really amazed by the exhibit. It had a lot of his stuff when he was younger like his records for Junior High or his suits that he wore for movies. What I was most surprised to learn was that I was almost the size of Bruce Lee and my arms are bigger. He had really tiny arms and was a very small person but was a great Martial Artist. He could jump up in the air and kick somebody that is 7 feet in the face!! I really enjoyed the Bruce Lee Exhibition and if you ever visit Hong Kong in the next couple of years it is a must see.

My Day at the Peak (by Maggie)

On our second day in Hong Kong, we went to the Peak. The Peak is at the top of Hong Kong Island so you can see almost all of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.  After we left our apartment, we took the subway to the Star Ferry, took the ferry to the bus, and took the bus all the way up to the Peak. When we got on the bus, we realized it was a double-decker bus, and we went upstairs and got the very first rows that had the very best views.

When we were finally to the Peak, I was amazed at what I saw. It seemed like I saw all of Hong Kong.  After that, we ate at a good Chinese restaurant at the top.  Then, my brothers and I ran around a trail that was a flat loop at the top of the Peak.  We ran about 3 1/2 miles (2 times around the loop) while our parents walked 1 loop.  Along the way, we looked out at the beautiful view and I told my brothers, "this was probably the most beautiful run I have gone on."

On our way back down to the subway, we walked on a curvy downhill road and passed by the apartment where my grandparents used to live 10 years ago.  After we passed by their apartment, we still had to go downhill because we were only at Mid-Levels. We walked and walked and we were still not to the bottom! I was relieved when we finally got to the bottom.  Although it was downhill, my legs were still tired because it was a really long walk downhill, and we had already run 3 1/2 miles!

 

This is the street where my grandparents' first lived in Hong Kong. We also passed by the other place they lived.

China's Smog (Luke)

We only had a week in Beijing but due to it’s extreme smog, 3 of the 7 days we had to cancel whatever we were doing. We learned that the air quality is rated everyday by both the Chinese government and the US Embassy, so my mom downloaded an app showing the air quality (called AQI) every day. We learned that if the AQI was under 100 it is good, between 100- 200 is getting bad, 300 is very unhealthy, 400 is extremely dangerous, and 500 could be deadly.  The air quality was about 50 and 75 on the first two days which was amazing but, on day 3 we were supposed to go to Tiananmen Square but due to the smog level that reached as high as 400 we stayed in our neighborhood the whole day. On our fourth day we decided that if the air was over 300 we wouldn't do something that day. Luckily for us it was under 200 so we visited Tiaananmen Square and the Forbidden City. You can see the smog right now in China by clicking here.

The Chinese can’t predict their smog like their weather so they don’t know the day before if the air quality will be 50 the next day or 400. We had two good days and another bad day which went up to 300. The next day was 350 and we were supposed to go to the Great Wall with the Taylors, but since the air was awful we had lunch with them, went to Yashow; a huge shopping place that has tons of different types of clothing that you bargain for, and the 798 art district where we saw a ton of sculptures that all 4 of us (Jacob, Maggie, Ella, and I) posed with. By the end of the day we were all coughing, though I was still glad that we got to go to spend time with the Taylors.

I really was frustrated how we were only in Beijing for just over a week and 3 of the 8 days we were there it was hazardous to our health to go outside because I really liked Beijing. I really think that China has to stop it’s pollution before the smog starts reaching the high 400’s on a daily basis and its citizens will not go outside because it is too unhealthy.

Tongli Water Town (by Jacob)

Last week we went to a river town, built in 1420, called Tongli. Tongli is right outside the city of Shanghai. The only way to get there is about an hour long train ride from Shanghai to Yongshaw then a bus to Tongli . The train ride there was really strange because it was really crowded. When we were trying to find our seats, there was this lady that was supposed to sit next to my mom, and her stuff was on my mom’s seat and when my mom asked her to move her stuff, she refused to move it. Then later on the train this guy walked by us and he wanted this lady’s food and they were yelling at eachother then he finally walked away. The train experience was strange, but was glad I had the experience.

In Tongli there is this small canal that runs through the town.  Tongli is famous for there bridges over the canals. There were two different types of bridges, one was more modern than the other. At first, I thought the canal was for drinking water, but  I realized the people who live there wash their clothes and their pots and pans off in it, so they don’t want to drink dirty water. One thing I found interesting was that there were temples all through out the city. When we were leaving we tasted the town's specialty called green dumplings. I did not like the dumplings, I thought the dumplings tasted like balls of dough. On the way home we took a different train instead of the local train, I was relieved.

 
 

Cooking Class in Bali (by Jacob)

On our second to last day in Bali, my mom, Maggie, and I did a  Balinese cooking class. The food we made was ethnic balinese food. We made five recipes, they were called Gadu Gadu with peanut sauce, chicken with lemongrass, chicken curry, fish with tomato balinese sauce, and boiled vegetables in cocunut sause. As we were making them I learned that the recipes have a ton of spices and vegetables in them. Another thing I learned is that most of the recipes use a lot of the same vegetables and spices such as ginger, tomato, bean spourts, tumeric and lemongrass. My favorite dish was the fish with balinese sauce because I really enjoyed how spicy it was because with the fish it cools your mouth down. I really enjoyed the cooking class because I have always wanted to learn about how the food we been eating was made. Here is a picture of Maggie and me with all the food we made!

Overnight Train (Luke)

After Maggie and I had ran a 5k in the morning we all rushed back to our hotel to change and pack. We left our 12 bags at the hotel and took the metro to a train station close to where we were meeting Leo, Sueann, Keller, and Ellis Chu at Brunch. We couldn’t figure out where to go so my mom hailed a taxi and Jacob got in with her. It turned out it was only ½ a mile away so when the taxi started my dad told me to chase after the taxi to see where it goes. I kept it in sight for about 600 meters and saw it turn left. I waited at the corner for Dad and Maggie to catch up and then ran down the road it went and saw them getting out of the taxi. I knew I was going to sleep well that night because I had just sprinted 600 meters and ran a 5k. Jacob and I shared a huge dish of eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes, and mushrooms while we both had our own plate of pancakes. Mommy, Jacob, and Maggie stayed 45 minutes longer than Daddy and I did while they waited for the check and walked Keller to his guitar lesson. Daddy and I took the train back to our hotel and loaded the 12 bags into the taxi. There was accident on a two lane bridge making the traffic extremely slow. We were really worried. Our train left in 30 minutes and we were about to arrive at the Beijing Railway Station. We got there and Mommy, Maggie, and Jacob were standing there waiting for us. We quickly put our packs on and went through security. We boarded the train with 10 minutes to spare.

We were all really excited to sleep overnight on a train. The little room that we were sleeping in was tight, probably 8 ft tall, 8 ft long, and 5 ft wide with 4 beds and storage space. It was really small so we were limited to a number of activities. We started playing cards and then got bored so we played on our kindles. It was weird sleeping on the train. I woke up twice in the middle of the night due to the train’s major bumps. Before we knew it it was 11:30 a.m. and we got our bags down from the storage. We got off the train at 12:15, 20 hours after we got on. Even though it wasn’t a great sleeping arrangement and a tiny space we all really enjoyed the train and were ready for Guilin.

Shanghai's History (by Maggie)

On our 12th day in China, we went to a Shanghai Museum.  At the Shanghai Museum we learned about Shanghai's history, because it is so different than the rest of China's history.  Now I will tell you why Shanghai's history is so different.

In the late 1840s, the French said to Shanghai, "if you don't give us a piece of your land, then we will drop bombs on Shanghai." So the people in Shanghai said "OK, we will give you a piece of our land."  I asked my parents, "How come the French only wanted a part in Shanghai? Why didn't they want a section in a different part of China?" My mom told me, "because Shanghai was a port city."  A port city is important because it is easier for them to trade with other countries.

What I found very interesting was that in that little section where the French lived, called the French Concession, they had French laws and Chinese laws, while the rest of China just had Chinese laws.  This is unusual because in San Francisco, we have Chinatown and Japantown, but they only follow United States and California laws, not laws from their country.

The French were not the only country to take a piece of Shanghai at that time - there was also an English Concession, a Japanese Concession, and a German Concession.  But the French Concession is the only one that is still called by that name (they call it the Former French Concession.). I think the French one was the most important one.

I hope you enjoyed reading about part of Shanghai's history.

China's Subways (by Maggie)

In this blog post, I am going to tell you about China’s subway.  People in China don’t like to wait for the next train, so they push themselves in the train even if there is no room.  They also are not afraid to push you out of the way. I like it more when the train is not so packed and people don’t have to push me out of the way.  There are also a bunch of bright sides to riding the subway.  It only costs $3 USD for all five of us to get somewhere.  Another thing is that there are subway stations everywhere so it is not that hard to get to one.  Here is a tip: If you go to China, do not take the train from 6:00pm to 6:30pm because it is rush hour and it is going to be packed! I hope you enjoyed reading about China’s subway.

Here is a video my mom took when we were on the subway in Beijing. It was crowded, but we have been on trains that were much worse.

Crossing the Street in China (by Jacob)

Crossing the street in China is frightening.  In China, they don't drive through an intersection like the cars do in the United States.  Here, the smaller vehicles (or pedestrians) have to look out for the bigger vehicles.  At an intersection, the cars don't really care about the people.  They expect the people to avoid the cars and motorcycles, because it seems like if the people don't look for the cars, the cars would hit them.  This drives me bananas because I'm looking at it from an American perspective.  In America, the pedestrians have the right of way when the light is green for them.  In China, you have to avoid the cars in both the beginning and at the end of each street you cross, because that is where the turn lanes are, and cars in the turn lanes don't have to stop.   I have found crossing the street in Beijing to be more difficult than in Shanghai.  I'm not looking forward to crossing the street in Vietnam, but will let you know how it goes.

Bali Life (by Luke)

At first I wasn’t sure if I would like Bali or not, but by the time we left we all wanted to stay. Bali is very special and crazy. It is nothing like anything I had ever experienced. Most people think of Bali as an island right outside of Java where there is great surfing, but it is so much more than that.

One of Bali’s amazing features is it’s religion.  There is a reason why Bali is nicknamed “Island of the Gods”. 95% of Balinese practice Hinduism, making it by far the most popular religion on the island. The Balinese connect Hinduism to their everyday life by making offerings throughout the day for their gods. They also pray 15 minutes before breakfast. Our tour guide said that whatever they eat, the gods get a little bit of it. I remember he said, "if we have noodles and rice, we put a couple of noodles and some rice in an offering." In Bali, families live with their relatives in the same compound. In this compound is a family temple where they pray everyday. The Balinese have ceremonies once every 210 days and another ceremony every 340 days. I think that the Balinese have a very interesting connection with their religion.

The Balinese have a variety of foods like everybody else but they have a lot of foods that don’t grow in the states. For example I learned 3 different types of fruit. Jackfruit which was okay, the sweet and sour fruit that was bitter to me, and the star fruit which tasted really good. Whenever we went out for dinner we always had to ask if stuff was spicy or not. We had noticed that in Malaysia, Thailand (December), and now here almost every thing was extremely spicy. In Thailand we learned that out the hard way. Jacob, Maggie, and Mom took a cooking class on our last day and cooked a ton of really good foods like Lemongrass Chicken, Barracuda, Gadu Gadu, and a Chicken Curry.

If anybody has ever read Eat Pray Love, they would know that Bali has many rice fields. The Balinese depend on the rice. In Bali wherever you go you will see rice fields. Almost everybody owns a rice field in Bali! Our tour guide taught us that every 10 by 10 square meter of rice is about 100 pounds! They grow the rice two times a year and soybeans once a year in the same field. They harvest the rice 4 months after they plant it and plant the soybeans. 4 months later they harvest the soybeans and plant the rice. Unlike most places, the Balinese keep the rice they grow for their own family. This is why the Balinese pray for a good harvest. Our tour guide said that his family consumes about 5 pounds of rice a day! I ate rice everyday in Bali.

Three of the things I found most interesting about Bali were the religion, food, and rice fields. So far, Bali has been one of my favorite places we have been to on this trip.