Turkey!

Hello all! I'm now in Ankara, Turkey after having stopped over in Izmir for an event on March Recruit.


Izmir was an amazing place, located right on the Mediterranean. The weather was warm (unlike the foot of snow I heard Maine got!) and allowed us to sit along the shore and have a drink - a very tall drink! This was, of course, after we went to the bazaar which included purchasing magnets and a lot of haggling with shopkeepers. And as usual, everyone wants the Americans to buy all their products, so there's lots of pushing and leading down side streets to half-deserted malls. I tried to evade this by pretending to speak only French, but I'll be darned if they don't speak French too!

Statue in the courtyard of the hotel.

The hotel we stayed at, Swissotel Grand Efes, was outstandingly incredible. Enough so that I swear it rivals the best resort hotels in Southeast Asia. We were really lucky on this one!


Turkey can always be a bit hard on March Recruit, as we have to jump on a plane the night after we do hiring, then do some more the next day, which brings me here to Ankara. It's kind of sad that I've been to this city twice, but still have never ventured more than half a block from the hotel for some ice cream or a meal. Just not enough time!

Yummy food!

Tomorrow we're headed out to Chisinau, Moldova - a city I've been to before. I'll update more later, and don't forget to check out my photos!


March Recruit Photos

It's Not Constantinople...

Hello! I'm back on the road again, and right now I'm currently in Istanbul, Turkey. My first stop was actually Kiev, Ukraine, but this guy left his laptop charger at home, and have been borrowing from others to get work done. Hopefully I'll be able to update as much as possible, but we'll see.

Golden Gate - Original gate to Europe from Asia

Kiev was great, even for my third time being there. The Radisson felt like home, and the city was still as great as I remember - too bad the weather wasn't as great with rain and snow. We headed to Khreshchatyk street for dinner the first night, a delicious and traditional Ukrainian fare. We all split some appetizers of vereniki, which are like dumplings stuffed with various items. I feasted on a bowl of borsch followed by some Chicken Kiev. The next day was a free day, and we headed over to the church for some sightseeing, then down to the old city. We braved the Kiev Metro, and made it back to the hotel in once piece.

The next day (yesterday) was the hiring event, a good and easy start to our trip. We know the rest of it won't be so easy!

The dinner after the event was absolutely amazing. Let me repeat that: absolutely amazing. We went to a traditional Uzbek restaurant (where the hostess incorrectly translated "coats" and told us to take our "clothes" off), where we had outstanding and food that could be compared to ambrosia. Mostly kebab style meats, we enjoyed special sauces and breads, tender veal, and Georgian wine that mixed everything together in a cacophony of food that made us glad for the benches full of pillows. If you're ever in Kiev, you MUST look up Shafron (Шафран). 

Now in Istanbul, we'll be heading to dinner soon. Tomorrow is the hiring event, and we're preparing for a long day, a bit more rough than Kiev.

Many spires!

Again, you can see my entire photo library from the trip on Facebook:

December Recruit Photos

Bangkok Day 2

View of the Grand Palace from outside.

The day after hiring in Bangkok was great and filled with plenty of activities. In the morning we did a tour of the Grand Palace, which was used by every Thai king from Rama I to Rama VIII - Rama IX lives in a place a bit further away. It was an incredible palace, built over 20 generations. The design and detail are unimaginable, and it is also the resting place of the Emerald Buddha. 

The afternoon started out with a Thai massage, which was much more invasive than I realized - elbows and palms everywhere, and then they stand on you while folding you in half. I must say I was unprepared, but would probably get another one in the future. After the massage, Jillian, Jess, and I headed out to a mall where I was able to bargain for Grammy's plate (mission accomplished)!

Intricate detail of the palace.

Our flight was late at night, and the airport was much more crowded and slower than we had imagined. Then the transfer in Manila was just horrendous. We had to get our bags and go through customs before getting on our next flight, but none of the workers seemed to know where we should go or what we should do. The flight attendant gave me a customs form with only one side, which I didn't know until I got to the counter. We narrowly escaped missing our flight as we were paged while still going through security. 

Today is definitely a day to relax, as we spent about 5 hours out by the pool. Tomorrow is the next hiring event, which should be pretty easy-going. Then it's home for me. Since today is my dad's birthday, I'm going to call him now.

Demon guardian of the palace.

Check out my special album just for the Grand Palace:

The Grand Palace

And of course, my regular album for this trip:

SE Asia Photos

Quickly...

Don't forget to check out updates to my photo album!

Good morning, Bangkok!

Southeast Asia Photos

Bangkok, Thailand

Santa Condom

Yesterday was the hiring event in Singapore, which went really well. After, we had dinner in the hotel, then Patrick and I went to the bar on the 70th floor of the hotel - it had a great view and surprisingly the best prices for beer I saw the entire time we were in Singapore.

Today, we arrived in Bangkok to 91 degree weather. This hotel is amazing, with seemingly more luxuries than the last.We had dinner at a restaurnt called Cabbages and Condoms, which is a non-profit restaurant aimed at helping avoid prostitution and the spread of HIV. They had quite a few prophylactic dressed mannequins, including a Santa Claus. 

After, a few of us headed to the legendary Night Bazaar, where I tried out my haggling skills for the first time. I was able to get some magnets, but a plate seemed beyond my reach. I may try again tomorrow as I now realize the price offered by the merchant was fair, but I'm sure I can go lower.

Hopefully tonight I can get a full night sleep, and that the event will go smoothly!

Entrance to the Night Bazaar

In a Tuk-Tuk

Singapore!

Hello! I created this blog almost two years ago to track my travels, but haven't ever updated it. Luckily, I've finally found some time (explained below). I arrived in Singapore a couple days ago, after what seemed like surprisingly short flights. Although I was traveling for almost 30 hours, with my last two flights being 13 hours and 7.5 hours, this trip seemed easier than a flight to Europe. 

Financial district at night (from my room)

Our hotel is great, the tallest in Southeast Asia (70 stories), with my room being on the 42nd floor. The view is amazing, being able to see the giant ferris wheel, the brand new Marina Bay Sands Casino, and the skyscrapers of the financial district.

The first day, we spent the morning walking around the underground (and above ground) malls in the area of our hotel, Suntec City. We then took the metro to Chinatown for some interesting lunch, and walking around the sidewalk markets. There was also a beautiful Buddhist temple, which was surprisingly commercial in the fact people were selling things all over the inside. Dinner in the evening was at Clark Quay, a hip, modern, and worldly area on the river that had many bars and restaurants, with food from around the world. They even had a hospital themed bar, where you could sit in a wheelchair or stretcher/couch, and get your drink through and IV. 

Buddhist Temple in Chinatown

The Merlion - the symbol of Singapore

The second day consisted of a trip to Sentosa, the resort island on the southern border of Singapore. They have Universal Studios Singapore, Resort World, and an amusement park, among many other attractions. We walked along the tropical beaches, did a luge down the mountain, saw the Wave House (artificial surfing), admired the flora/fauna, and the zipline. On the way back, we stopped at Merlion Park, to see the icon and symbol of Singapore. Our dinner took us back to Sentosa, for a seven course meal at a possibly French/Chinese fusion restaurant, called Chinois. 

Getting to the reason I can actually update the blog, is that I haven't really slept past 3:30 or 4 in the morning, despite my staying up until at least 10 in the evening without being tired. Today is the hiring event, so I don't want to take any Ambien and be knocked out while interviewing students! It's been great traveling with the employers, and finally meeting them, and I'm looking forward to a successful event later on! Hit up the link below for a photo album!

Southeast Asia Photos!

Bienvenue! Bienvenidos! Bemvindo! Добро пожаловать! Wilkommen! Bun venit! Welcome!

Welcome everyone to my blog! I'll update this during my travels all around the world and add some photos to enjoy! Comments on my trips are always welcome :)