detour: stereotypes and identity

Just sharing a thought, before I get back to the touristy summaries.

I am Australian-born Chinese. This has never been as clear to me as when travelling through many different countries - within Asia, crossing into Europe, down through the Middle East. Having local sellers shout "ni hao" or "konnichiwa", and foreigners slowly enunciate "you - pass - water?" while miming getting a bottle from the fridge. Every time, in every country, they're surprised when I answer in fluent English. Some people still assume I'm just great at picking up languages - like the guy in China who asked if the Western tourists I was with were teaching me English, and the American checkout clerk who complimented me on my excellent English.

Dubai Mall - who's more Asian? 

I was born in Australia - the lucky country. From a hard-working family that spent $60 a week on groceries for all four of us, to being able to pay for a year abroad largely out of my own income - we've come a long way. I'm lucky. I'm lucky to have so many opportunities; to be free to travel and to choose my career path, my partner, my government, my sexuality, my opinions, my future; to have so many resources, from a great education to similarly free and advantaged friends to financial support from the government or my family should I need it.

I grew up completely whitewashed, celebrating Christmas instead of kowtowing for red packets. It took half my life to learn to eat chili and use chopsticks properly. I pay myself out constantly and love some dark-humoured sarcasm. And given the choice between a squatter or a seat, I'll take the seat any day.

But I am Chinese. This associates me with many stereotypes, some of which I embrace openly (I'm a terrible driver as the Omani people discovered, and I'd totally order a side of fried grasshoppers) and some of which I try desperately to distance myself from. I hear complaints from friends and strangers alike - "Chinese people are pushy and rude. Chinese people are so loud. Chinese people always stick together and are so hard to talk to."

Of course stereotypes usually have a good basis. After all, with 2 billion people in China, often the only way you get things done is by being pushy and prepared to ignore your surrounds. I hate the fact that queuing in China is meaningless, but I'm pretty sure the locals milling around don't love it either - it's a way of life. I used to get frustrated by people walking into me without even an apologetic glance, until it occurred to me that you just can't walk around every single person there. And hey, whose family and friends aren't ridiculously loud when they get together? (As for travelling in packs, see the last paragraph of ranting.)

Being Asian on the Japanese floor of Bangkok's Terminal 21 shopping mall

But with these bad stereotypes comes the good. Like almost every country I passed through, family is important first and foremost, and you would never push them around or disrespect them. "Loyalty," a Malaysian friend emphasised - I think it's an essential part of China's respectful and family-centred culture (though sadly today seems to be disappearing as quickly as Western influences are taking over; rant for another time). I've learned that cheapness is no longer just an Asian trait, but my mother also raised me to never owe anyone - to give more than I get, but always pay my debts. Also we are pretty damn good at maths - and Asians who aren't doctors/lawyers/traders are usually determined to be damn good at what they choose to do. As for that driving stereotype - anyone who's been to Asia will realise that Asian drivers are considered terrible because they don't follow the rules, but their version of defensive driving (be prepared for anything!) may really be much safer.

And you can't deny, Chinese food is bloody good!

I'm proud of my combined upbringing, but in all honesty, I'm still coming to terms with it. While travelling, I corrected people who asked if I was from China - "My family is from China, but I was born in Australia." Why does this feel like a correction rather than an explanation? Heck, I am proud of my claim to a nation renowned for hard work and high intelligence, one that I think is currently achieving the true goals of the so-called American dream as its people determinedly forge their own paths to better futures - simultaneously pulling China from developing country to world power. I'm proud of having cultures, traditions, history, academics that reach generations into the past - there's always more of my heritage (and language, sigh) to learn about.

I'm still figuring out the finer details. But when people ask "where are you from?", I've decided to start introducing myself as "Australian-born Chinese", and take full ownership of my identity. Maybe it's a subtle distinction, but it feels less like I'm distancing myself from being Chinese. Stuff the negative stereotypes - the second I open my mouth, people know I'm a whole other kettle of fish anyway.

Speaking of negative stereotypes, just a little advocacy for the (Asian) international students out there - don't give them such a hard time. Yes, they travel in packs and speak their own language - but if you were young and leaving home for the first time to study in a foreign language, wouldn't you need something familiar once in a while, a group of people you can talk to without pausing to think of the right word every few minutes? (The answer is yes - you'll see it with people speaking every language; there just happen to be noticeably more Asians. 2 billion, in fact.) No, their grammar isn't perfect, so don't get them to write the paper unless you enjoy proofreading; but there's always brainstorming and research to be done. Maybe the Business School's diversity lessons have brainwashed me, but I'm all for finding and using the skills that they definitely have and are keen to provide. Most international students have not spent tens of thousands of dollars and left their families behind to half-ass their way through university (higher education that many locals take for granted).

Anyway, I digress. Except for a minor disclaimer - I'd like this to be as persuasive as possible, but at the end of the day it's just me getting some travel-inspired thoughts on (virtual) paper, rather than speaking to an audience. I found this blog a few days after drafting mine out, which is a much better-written essay on the topic. And for more lighthearted viewing or another way to procrastinate, try this slightly relevant video.

four: ulaanbaatar and the ger camp

Just arrived in San Diego! So I'm over a month behind on travel blogs... Just means plenty in store :) I'm pretty excited about some of them actually!

Mongolia's been high on my excitement list for a while - what an unexpectedly beautiful country! To be honest I hadn't really considered Mongolia except as a stopover on the Transiberian, but it turned out to be a great highlight. Something like 80% of the land is technically unused, and Mongolia has a ridiculously large landmass for just 3 million people - in fact, unlike China just over the border, the Mongolian government is actually encouraging more children! In any case, it leaves a lot of beautiful scenery to be enjoyed. The land may be so harsh that the Mongolian diet consists primarily of meat and few vegetables if any (chicken and fish are also considered 'vegetables') but it's incredibly beautiful in the summer, and a lot of fun to explore!

Also I guess I got to hang out with some pretty cool people - that helped!

We arrived in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar to be greeted by Odka ("vodka without the v"), our incredibly energetic, funny and expressive guide. This was pure luck as she's normally assigned to 'harder' tour groups, but thank goodness she requested a VodkaTrain one this time! And with study in Melbourne next year, you lucky Aussies might catch her around...

Our group even named ourselves the Odkins after her.

After checking Ulaanbaatar out in a Lonely Planet guide on the train, we were super keen to see the International Intellectual Museum, dedicated to puzzles created by a Mongolian prodigy from the age of 11. No such luck though - when we arrived half an hour outside of town, they told us it was under construction for 10 days! In high season! Words cannot express how disappointed I was...

Instead we ended up at a 'black market' nearby, where they basically sold everything from electrical plugs and cables to fake designer handbags and clothes - the usual, you know. Not a bad stop, especially since bargaining is not necessary here. A lot of the cheap merch was from China, but I managed to pick up a great Mongolian-made leather sling bag for just $15.

That night we caught the Mongolian Cultural Show, which I had my doubts about - ended up being incredibly impressed by the contortionist, and some neat folk dancing (though the masks were a bit scary...) Would rate it as one of the most interesting cultural displays I've seen. No photos unfortunately as we had to pay extra, but I picked up my Mongolian 'shot glass' here, handmade from animal horn.

The real excitement began when we left for the ger camp the next morning. Even the 2 hour transit felt short compared to our train journeys. At one detour we saw a mound of rocks about 3m high where, throwing our own rocks on, we circled it 3 times and made a wish as was traditional (although only tourists seemed to be at this particular mound). Also stopped to pick up my new pet eagle ($2 to hold for more than long enough - those birds are heavy!)

EEEEEAAAAGGGLLLEEEEEE!! Probably not as JD meant in Scrubs...

Then we hit the ger camp in the middle of Terelj National Park. Let me explain (finally): gers are traditional houses that are easily packed and unpacked, so the Bedouin people can move with freedom. We saw many gers leading into Ulaanbaatar, often in what looked like people's backyards, but this was our first time inside one.

From this...

To this!

We spent 3 pretty sweet days here, horse riding right into a storm, drinking beers by the fire, taking photos in traditional costume, and exploring the 'mountains'. These rocky hills don't look so steep, but when you start the climb you'll be puffing before long... More than worth the effort (and the spiders and thorns) for the incredible view though. Look out for the sacred trees - which could really be any tree you like, as long as there's a blue scarf tied around it.

That's our ger camp through the trees on the right

And on the other side of the hill, an even better sight ...

Beware - it's steep going down too...

We also took advantage of the ridiculously cheap alcohol - even at the accommodation's doubly expensive prices, a 500mL bottle of beer was still just $1 - or an impressive 3000 tugriks. We were pretty grateful to have ice-cold beer again too, after putting up with warm beers for two days on the train. Made for two great nights in our ger, with the addition of another VodkaTrain group and their Russian vodka (smooth and hangover-less, by the way) and a telling game of Two Truths, One Lie.

One wad of cash = one beer

Back to town to party - and for culture too, of course. "There is not much to do in my city," Odka warned us - but Mongolia has plenty of nightlife it seems! We had a feast of Mongolian food, a round of Asian karaoke fuelled by vodka, and finished the night dancing with locals (and a couple of odd expats) to live covers of English pop songs at a bar called Strings.

See, we're cultured - giant Genghis Khan statue on the way back to Ulaanbaatar, built where his whip was found since his body has never been recovered...

Vodka, Odka and karaoke.

Awesome live cover band!

That night came to a crashing end as we foreigners were effectively kicked out at 2am, but it was pretty memorable fun nonetheless. We jumped into a random car, as apparently Mongolia follows the Russian 'every car is a taxi' way, and rested up for one more day in Mongolia.

Our last day held another taste of Mongolia, as we visited the National Museum and savoured our last meal, Mongolian BBQ. The National Museum is worth stopping through for a couple of hours (although it won't teach you much about Genghis Khan, who we were most curious about by then). And BD's BBQ is definitely a must-do: these guys did fancy little tricks as they chopped and threw around our food with two long metal tongs, and it tasted fantastic! Plus we got to stock up on vegetables as we added our own ingredients, unlike a lot of the meals we'd ordered.

Often they'll save one piece of sausage or broccoli, to flip up and catch on the plate before serving you.

And so, well-fed and in touch with nature, we spent our last night watching Genghis Khan documentaries (incredibly understated in history considering he had the largest land empire BY FAR) and headed out on the train again.

More meat please!

Ahh, food. Although Mongolian BBQ was a highlight, almost every meal was delicious - and cheaper, at maybe $5 a meal even in our hotel, compared to the almost $15 (buffet) BBQ. We discovered the two types of 'dumplings' in Mongolia, which come in meat with extra meat, or vegetarian (probably only in the more touristy restaurants). Also a fan of the handmade 'flour' or noodles. Food in Mongolia is typically limited by what's around, so food tends to be salty and not so sugary. Even the treats made for kids are made from curd - healthier, but not one bit tasty to us foreigners...

Fried dumplings - like an empanada but less crispy.

Steamed dumplings - same filling, slightly different kind of deliciousness.

Handmade flour - noodles that are more appetising than they look, I swear!

three: beijing, huhehaote and the transiberian railway

My trip with VodkaTrain began in Beijing, walking 2km with my 13kg backpack in the 35 degree heat thanks to the entirely not-to-scale map. Thankfully this was no indication of the rest of the trip! I booked with VodkaTrain simply because I wanted a guaranteed way into Russia, and Mongolia sounded like a cool place to drop through on the way. It ended up being much better than I expected, from making an awesome new group of friends to learning to appreciate my heritage better.

Kunming: One of three planes on my extensive journey from Thailand - saving money over time on this long trip...

With just one full day in Beijing, I decided to join half the group to visit the Summer Palace. To be honest the sightseeing didn't interest me much, having visited China several times with family, including Beijing. However I've only ever seen China in winter and through the eyes of someone with a native background - so already the trip was proving unique!

Beijing in sweltering heat was a completely different picture to the snowy below-zero temperatures I had only ever seen, and worth tolerating for the brighter blooms, colours and sights. Even more interesting was being with people who had mostly been in Beijing for up to a week, but were mostly unfamiliar with the culture, the environment, the people. It helped me see things through a new perspective, more so when I started to become the group's translator as the only Mandarin speaker.

The major thing that struck me was how developed China has become, particularly since the 2008 Olympics. In the past I've seen the country in a constant state of construction, but here it was, ready for the world. Public toilets weren't completely disgusting; men didn't spit on the streets at your feet; people didn't stare so much at the alien-looking foreigners with their white skin and different-coloured hair. Even Kunming airport in the southern province of Yunnan was unrecognisable from the dusty old airport I remember leaving at the age of 12.

Deep-fried starfish - not really a delicacy worth trying...

The other new experience was Beijing's food street, a long row of food stalls with deep-fried everything (and I mean everything - I don't think the average Chinese person actually eats starfish or half of the bugs on display...) Didn't get anything too crazy, but for someone like me who loves to eat, the variety was awesome! Worth dropping by just to see and taste, especially if you're keen for a buggy adventure...

Beijing Railway Station - spot the VodkaTrainers and their backpacks.

Still sweaty from our day of sightseeing, we boarded the first train of the trip: off to Huhehaote (Hohhot)!

This was a strange, strange stop. Capital of Inner Mongolia (an "autonomous region" still within China), there really wasn't much for a group of tourists and their limited-English guide to do. After a visit to the National Museum (which the Inner Mongolians are apparently very proud of), we ended up having the best possible experience - chilling out in our guide's home! At 10 yuan a watermelon (less than $2), we were stuffed with fruit and some drink that tasted like Chinese medicine and may or may not have been alcoholic. Still full, we then feasted for about $5 on the best Chinese buffet I've had in quite a while!

What Inner Mongolian museum is complete without a dinosaur?

I think there are very few foods in the world better than Peking duck, and most of those can only be cooked by my parents.

Within the day, we were back on the train again, this time to cross the border into Mongolia overnight. We stopped in border towns either side, including Erlian on the Chinese side - nothing much to say; my condolences if you get stuck here for more than a few hours like us...

However we did manage to get stuck on the train for the bogey changing! Apparently the Russians were pretty paranoid (with reason I guess), so they made their tracks a few inches wider - meaning every train crossing the border has to change 'bogeys', or the wheely contraption under the carriage. Pretty neat watching them roll out the old bogey, lift the new one in place with a crane, and roll it back under. Also good when we were eventually allowed off the train too - no using the toilets there, in case you pee on some poor worker!

He be rollin'... Bogey changing in Erlian.

Should also mention our short-lived attempt to live up to the VodkaTrain name with Chinese spirits (bai jiu)... That stuff is NOT made for mixers like vodka! Still, it tasted a fair bit better than the soy sauce-tasting wine another VodkaTrain group picked up, with only the description "not for cooking!" We did, however, consume a lot of beer.

In future I'll leave the bai jiu for my uncles...

Beer here! From China to Mongolia - who doesn't love the 500mL giant can!

All aboard! - the Transiberian 

This seems like as good a spot as any to describe the overall Transiberian Railway experience, as I'm planning some longer posts on Mongolia and Russia. It's a journey I recommend to EVERYONE, but preferably in groups of 4. As a solo traveller, going through VodkaTrain was ideal as I was never stuck in uncomfortable situations (like the smelly drunk Russian man sharing with one poor fellow traveller), and was lucky enough to also have a great group of travellers to spend up to 5 days together (without showering!)

Warning!

The trains weren't as bad as we prepared ourselves for, although they did fall in quality from China (which had a separate washroom with extra sinks) to Russia (where we were sometimes lucky enough to get soap). Border crossings were pretty straightforward, though we could barely get the Russian soldiers to respond to our mangled attempts to say hi. The dining cart was not at all worthwhile, with half the portion size and twice the price of a normal meal. Thankfully we stocked up on instant noodles and snacks, using the train's boiled water.

One of many stops where we picked up dodgy-looking food to vary our diets of instant noodles and beer.

A final word of advice - don't sleep with your head next to the window unless you want a mouthful of bugs. Lesson learned the hard way...

The budget

The entire 15-day tour was booked through VodkaTrain, costing me A$2200. I think individual train tickets are much cheaper, probably less than A$500 for the whole trip, but the extra money was worthwhile for the good company and being guided from the station to our accommodation - not to mention an awesome week in Mongolia! But that's for the next post...

Tips?

• "If you haven't visited the Great Wall, you are not yet a man." I've done it before, so my manliness is safe.
• A week is a long time to spend on a train - worthwhile to bring an e-reader loaded up with books, and definitely a portable charger!
• Don't bother with the Transiberian's overpriced dining cart - stock up on snacks and try some of the station stalls' food, it's not all bad.

two: Bangkok and Chiangmai

Two of my favourites here - Bangkok was a ridiculously massive city, but had my favourite temple; and Chiangmai is still among my favourite stops so far, with nature and people adding up to an awesome experience.

I was used to booking everything online, so I was pretty anxious about finding transport between cities without the Internet. Ended up being too easy though - when I arrived in Koh Phangan, I booked a ticket to Bangkok for the next day at the ferry office, and I dropped by Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station a day early to buy my train ticket to Chiangmai. No mishaps, although there was an awkward moment on the way to Bangkok when we got off one bus and had no idea what was happening as we were shepherded to another office for an hour with no reassurances... It all worked out though!

Bangkok was a shock to the system, but also a pleasant surprise. I expected a mega-city like Shanghai, and while there was traffic at all hours (Saturday 3pm looks like Sydney's peak hour!), it was nowhere near as crazy as China. Despite the size and number of people, everyone actually seems to respect the rules of the road. Just a first indication of the lovely Thai people I would meet.

A beautiful temple, hidden in the side streets.

I stayed in Saipaiphae, a neat backpacker's where I met a couple of great German girls, accompanying them on a real Bangkok adventure. We saw the sights, including Bangkok from the top of the State Tower, a real tourist-less local market - seriously, we got lost - with more dried flowers than I've ever seen in one place, and Wat Phra Kao. This grand temple is part of the Grand Palace, but I was much more fascinated by its intricate decorations than the stately buildings. Dozens of identical Buddhas lining the side of one section; a wall covered in mosaic flowers; creatures made up of little mosaic mirror pieces. Definitely the highlight.

View of Bangkok from up high - this enormous city seems to extend beyond the horizon!

Look at all the shiny things! Just look!!

On the more luxurious side, I also visited Terminal 21, a giant shopping centre where each level is themed as a major destination. Just went spontaneously with the Chinese girl in the bunk above me - observing in hindsight that it seems like many East Asian backpackers tend to hit up mainly the shopping spots... Another (less expensive) shopping mall was MBK, where I picked up the second country shot glass of my travels.

What shopping mall is complete without the Golden Gate Bridge hitting the top floor?

Did some typical backpacker stuff too... I only visited Khao San Road briefly, although I had the pleasure of meeting another backpacker with the most extraordinary travel stories on the way. However I did end up on a pretty awesome night out in Bangkok as we went from the aptly named Bed Club to nearby Bash with a group of local Thai girls. Here we also met some friendly Americans and a girl who reminded me of Paris Hilton - if she was covered in golden glitter... Safe to say it was an unusual night, full of character. Thank goodness for the late night pad thai stall tucked in the alley!

Got excited about the 'Australian' bar - turns out I also accidentally snapped the club we went to later that night, which is worth a visit for the amazing drinks and potentially very unusual company ...

So from Bangkok I jumped on to a sleeper train to Chiangmai. Having never been on a sleeper before, I was pretty surprised when they turned all the seats into bunk beds! They were pretty comfy, with curtains in front of each bunk for privacy. At the other end, I used my newfound knowledge of tuk tuks to get to the city centre (about 50 baht) - but from there it was a more expensive and slightly confusing trip to my new home.

Accommodation and transport for the night.

Ob-oon Homestay, while a bit far from the main city and much more expensive (well, relatively, at AUD35 per night), was well worth it. I went on the Chinese girl's recommendation and was not disappointed. The owners are a family of 3 with a 10-year-old son, who the place is named after. They built the place from scratch, originally as a cafe and now as a homestay, inspired by the mother's experiences growing up in a family that often hosted exchange students. We had some lovely conversations and they eagerly shared family photos. My second night fell on a Buddhist holiday, so they took me to the 'Cave Temple' - a beautiful experience, even if I was offering my prayers to some other entity...

Their son is adorable! Taking photos outside the temple.

Although the tariff only says breakfast included, they also offered me their dinner each night - and every meal was delicious! Not to mention mango for dessert... The mother also kindly drove me at 6am to catch a bus. Free bike rental was also included, so I gladly jumped on to try and burn off all the delicious Thai food I'd been eating. Great idea but be prepared for a sore bum - it's about 7km into the city. Chiangmai is filled with temples - I saw 3 major ones just cycling around. Good timing also meant seeing the Saturday markets (which I accidentally parked my bike in before they set up). Here I picked up a few souvenirs and some unusual food - mushrooms wrapped in bacon, anyone? Biking was the perfect mode of transport, as I could easily stop and walk in to each of the temples along the way.

One last temple on the way home - I was tired of seeing the same stuff (it's all kind of overshadowed by Wat Phra Kao), but this one was still pretty stunning.

A real highlight of Chiangmai was the adventure stuff! I booked tours the day before - there's heaps of tour offices on the east side of the city's square outer road. I did Jungle Flight, a day of ziplining with some intense Chinese tourists and the funniest guides (one called a tourist a 'lady-boy' - the guy may not have understood the word, but he knew he was being poked fun at...)

One of our guides pulling a serious face - as if he's not a total monkey!

Unfortunately no action shots - hopefully this gives you an idea of its nature anyway! Go for the 300m zipline and look out for the incredible view on the right side.

Also had a one-day trekking tour, including a brief elephant ride, white water rafting (fun but not as crazy as I hoped) and bamboo rafting (sitting with our waists in the water, I think they might need new rafts...) The final 1hr trek was well worth it for the waterfall at the end!

The day was made even better by conversing with fellow international travellers, including this girl (one of three friends from Germany), a mother and daughter from Denmark, and a family of 5 from France holidaying overseas together for the first time.

Food, glorious food!

I met many different people on this trip and really have already highlighted my favourite - the family at Ob-oon Homestay - so instead, eat your heart out on these amazing foods I wish I was eating right now ... Thailand and China are in a major tie for best food in the world!

The best snack I've ever had, but unfortunately could only find it at one street vendor outside Surasak Metro Station in Bangkok - a crepe-y outside shell filled with condensed milk and a random piece of fruit, shallots, ham or plain.

Deep-fried bananas from the country that brought us deep-fried ice cream.

The aforementioned mushrooms in bacon, surprisingly good with spicy sauce.

The best breakfast I've had to date, à la Ob-oon.

And of course, staple pad thai, found thanks to a local in the markets with a conversation consisting solely of "pad thai?" "pad thai!"

The budget

Bangkok: Accommodation was about $8 a night at Saipaiphae, the best value so far - bathrooms were amazing, free wifi accessible in rooms. Shopping and food were cheap, food especially amazing. Transport cost about $10 to ferry, bus and bus from Koh Phangan.

Chiangmai: Accommodation was relatively expensive ($35/night) but worth it to stay at Ob-oon Homestay; cheaper places are available, and inner city locations recommended are better. Food same - cheap and delicious. Shopping was cheap, and Saturday markets were ideal to pick up a variety of souvenirs and less common postcards. Train was about $15 I think, not sure. Tours cost $100 in total - about $60 for a full ziplining package, and $40 for the one-day tour.

Overall Thailand cost me about $860, including Krabi and Koh Phangan.

Tips?

• Inflatable travel pillow - don't leave home without one!! This comfortably got me through the numerous bus and ferry trips, plus it doesn't take much space and can be tied onto a bag.
• Don't worry about booking overland trips on short notice! I've been using www.seat61.com as my go-to guide in every country.
• Book some adventures in Chiangmai! It's relatively cheap, but worth it to see the natural jungle within an hour's drive of the town. Easy to book in the offices on the east side of town.
• Say hi to your fellow backpackers - who knows where you'll end up adventuring together...