disalarming

When I was in Ocean Park in Hong Kong (the same park that featured the corn pandas), I snapped this picture when on the cable car going from one side of the park to the other. I have no idea how this picture managed to turn out as artsy as it did, but I absolutely love it. I love the darkness of the hot air balloon and the setting and the relative lightness of the sky – I just think it’s beautiful¹. Oh, and brownie points for those who get the title reference of this entry.

In other news, I’m back from my hiatus! I didn’t really get up to anything exciting in the month or so I’ve been away, but I’ll touch upon what I did accomplish/experience in tomorrow’s entry.

1. I probably should be able to analyze this photo using the correct terminology seeing as one of my classes is about photography, but I haven’t read the required textbook readings for that class yet. Oops. [↩]

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.

Last week, I posted an abbreviated list of some of the places I want to visit. Marieke commented on that post and asked, “Are there places that you’ve been to that you recommend to others?” Yes, there definitely are! I have been lucky enough to travel (and in some cases, live!) to some fantastic places, and here are some (but not all¹) of the places I would love to visit again, in no particular order.

• China
  I had been to mainland China a few times when I was little, but my favorite memory of visiting China was when I went on a two and a half week tour of the mainland in June 2008. I visited Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Wu-Town, Suzhou, and Shanghai, and I loved each and every place. The food, the culture, the atmosphere, the people – it was all amazing, and I really enjoyed my time there. Plus, even though this will sound really corny, it was fantastic to be able to go to the land of my ancestors and get in touch with my Chinese roots as I am half Chinese.
• Tanzania
  In May 2008, I went to Tanzania for two weeks to volunteer at a nursery school. Those two weeks were definitely life-changing, and I will never forget the time I spent in Tanzania. The people were so happy, welcoming, and incredibly friendly. I’ve lived a fairly sheltered life and it was astonishing to see people who had so little be so happy and content with life; my experience in Tanzania made a huge impact on me. In addition to working at the nursery school, I went on a short safari trip and saw the most incredible wildlife – it was just like being in The Lion King!² Tanzania is a fantastic place, and I would love to go live there and work as a volunteer.
• France
  I visited in June 2007 as a participant in my high school’s exchange trip, and I loved it. I stayed in Strasbourg with a host family for two weeks, and then spent a week in Paris, and then a week in the Côte d’Azur region. France is really a beautiful place, and it was fantastic to be able to see all the famous sights of France (think of all the places in Paris alone – the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre…) as well as practice speaking French and interacting with the French teenagers that were our hosts. Hopefully I’ll be able to spend at least one semester studying abroad in Paris!
• England
  In addition to the one to France, I participated in another high school exchange trip to England in November 2007. I did a tour of London and stayed with a host family in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. Despite the bleak weather, I loved England. I saw some amazing things in London (Tower of London, the London Eye, Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus…) and had a great time hanging out with the English teenagers and going to all the places they go hang out at. I had a great time in England; I even managed to squeeze in time to make a day trip to Wales and see Cardiff Castle!
• Hong Kong
  Ah, Hong Kong. Hong Kong, to me, is home. It’s where I was born, and I spent several years living there as well, and I try to go back as often as I possibly can. I have lived in several countries, but no matter what country I currently reside in, I will always consider Hong Kong home. The atmosphere of the city is like no other, and for me, it’s simply the place to be. There’s so much to see, and the juxtaposition of Chinese culture and the long-lasting effects of British rule is evident everywhere in the city. I love the food, the culture, the sights, the shopping… Hong Kong is home, and home is always the best place in the world.

1. Australia was one of the places I didn’t list. I love Australia, and I really enjoyed living there, but about 95% of the reasons why I would go back to Australia are for personal ones, rather than for touristy reasons, so I decided to leave it off today’s list. Still, it’s a place I highly recommend visiting! [↩]
2. I saw every animal in The Lion King, and I was lucky enough to be able to see “the big five” – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and cape buffalo – on my safari. [↩]

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.