Olympic Disappointment

Yeah, so, my first week of classes, I got a notice from the Olympic ticket organization...my name was not selected in the lottery of ticket buyers...I'll have to try again next month when they reopen the lottery for ticket buyers. (Since there are so many people wanting to purchase tickets for these historic Olympic games here in Beijing, they enter all potential ticket buyer names in a random lottery...so at least I can say I tried!)

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" I guess that's what the olympiads have to remember too...

Points of Interest

This is a synopsis of my summer travels! See the blog entries below for more details.

1. Beijing (departed Jul 14) (returned Sep 1)
2. Shenzhen (stopped through Jul 14)
3. Hong Kong (Jul 14-17) (stopped through Jul 31) (Aug 18-31)
4. Taipei (Jul 17-23, 27-31)
5. Lotung (Jul 24-26)
6. Macau (stopped through Jul 31-Aug 1, 18)
7. Kuala Lumpur (Aug 1-7)
8. Taiping (Aug 8-9)
9. Penang (Aug 10-12)
10. Malacca (Aug 13-14)
11. Singapore (Aug 15-16)
12. Bangkok (Aug 17-18)

Hong Kong, China – Destination #14

It was nice to be back in beautiful Hong Kong for a couple of weeks!
My last night before heading back to Beijing, I hung out with the youth group from a local church. They're hilarious!

Macau, China – Destination #13

Basically, I just flew in here from Bangkok and immediately went and caught a ferry to Hong Kong. I love efficient public transportation! Enjoy the view from a Macau taxi!

Bangkok, Thailand – Destination #12

Since I was previously planning to go to Thailand, I had already purchased my plane ticket from Bangkok to Macau. However, because I needed to cancel my plans and since I could only change the date for my ticket (not the destination as I had hoped), I decided that I may as well see a few of the major sights in Bangkok for a day. So, I did just that! Bangkok is quite a city!
His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej is the longest-reigning king in Thai history. The Grand Palace, which is the former royal residence, is a must see, even if you’re only stopping through Thailand for a day!
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) is in the greater palace complex. The people of Thailand say, “to be Thai, is to be Buddhist.” About 95% of the population practice Buddhism.
Taking a boat up and down the river (Mae Nam Chao Phraya), which is used as a transportation route for everyday life and also for sightseeing tourists, was fun and also quite insightful into local Thai culture. It was very relaxing, as I even dozed off for a brief nap!

Singapore – Destination #11

This island city-state is quite a remarkable place, geographically, historically, economically, governmentally, religiously, and culturally. The citizens of Singapore really stand out among the peoples of Asia for their high standards in society and quality of life.
My dad visited the island back in his days in the Navy, so it was neat to be able to visit some of his old stomping grounds and experience some of the same sights and sounds.

The island nation is also quite a multicultural center, as seen in this photo with an Islamic mosque, Hindu temple, and Buddhist shrine. These ancient religions all exhist among the modern urban society, ever spreading with construction cranes like the Borg slowing assimilating the natural world.

God is doing great things through various ministries in Singapore, with Christians making up about 15% of the religious population. This high percentage of adherents to Christianity is unique among the countries of Asia.

Malacca, Malaysia – Destination #10

Malacca is another important maritime and historic location in Southeast Asia. The Portuguese settlement, home to who the locals call “Eurasian” people, is also quite a rare phenomena in this part of the world.
My friends let me stay at their fabulous beach-front home in the Portuguese settlement! Wow! Beautiful! What a view!

This is a really cool traditional church in the historical district of the city. The architecture around Southeast Asia is just AMAZING! Very romantic and diverse!