Ni Hao and Sayonara

Today, I did it. I purchased my ticket to Asia and I'm quite pleased with the arrangements. On May 23rd, I fly to Shanghai. Anne (click on "Anne in China" to your right for her great stories/pictures) will meet me at the airport. Anne and her boyfriend Brett have been teaching English there since September and I'll arrive just in time before she finishes her commitment. Anne's even allowing me to teach one of her classes for the day! Teaching thirty plus 3rd graders English conversation? I better start on my lesson plan now. I can teach whatever I want, and I was thinking of teaching them about New York City landmarks. I'll give them New York postcards afterwards as a souvenir. Anne says they'll really love that.

After about a week in Shanghai, we'll travel as a group to Hong Kong for a couple of days. I'd write about what I want to do in these cities, but I haven't picked up a Lonely Planet guidebook so I'm not sure what there is to do exactly. I do know I'd like to make the trip somewhat educational. One of my professors has a best friend living in Shanghai and she wants to acquaint him with me. I'm also going to try to provide English tutoring services to help cut down costs too.

After Hong Kong, I'll be on my own. Anne and Brett will return to Shanghai to entertain other visitors, and I'll travel to Beijing afterwards. Folks tell me that traveling alone is better than traveling with friends because one meets so many people on the road. There is this traveler culture that exists of travelers joining and departing different groups. A classmate of mine did this for two years starting in China and ending up in Eastern Europe. And this was after he served three years in the Isreali army. I don't think I'll be staying abroad that long, but my ticket home is open-ended up to six months so who knows how long I will be overseas? Right now, I have my return trip as July 11th. That's seven weeks away from life in the States. It could be more, but maybe less.

But before I leave China, I will do an extended layover in Tokyo for four days. This was an unexpected addition to my trip. Because I am flying Air Nippon, a Japanese airline, my travel agent was able to arrange a stay in Tokyo. I'll probably be so wiped out, I'll just walk around the city a la Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation. That will be another amazing city. After Tokyo, it’s back to New York for ??? Well, that will be determined at a later date.