Americans
      and
      the
      Chinese
      keep
      their
     
     
      pets
      in.
      There
      were
      a
      million
      birds
      in
     
     
      tiny
      cages
      so
      they
      were
      all
      on
      top
      of
     
     
      each
      other,
      the
      fish
      were
      so
      tightly
     
     
      packed
      they
      didn't
      swim
      but
      just
      sat,
     
     
      and
      the
      cats
      and
      dogs
      barely
      seemed
      to
     
     
      be
      breathing
      they
      were
      so
      skinny.
     
     
      Other
      things
      I
      witnessed
      in
      these
     
     
      Chinese
      pet
      markets
      were
      live
      cock
     
     
      fights
      and
      dog
      fights,
      which
      is
      highly
     
     
      illegal
      in
      most
      states.
      On
      a
      lighter
      note
     
     
      though,
      I
      can
      say
      proudly
      that
      I
      was
      in
     
     
      the
      actual
      warehouse
      that
      produces
     
     
      those
      chew
      sticks
      for
      dogs.
      That's
     
     
      right.....the
      ones
      that
      come
      in
      pink,
     
     
      green,
      and
      yellow.....well
      it
      was
      a
      bit
     
     
      smelly,
      and
      my
      green
      tea
      wasn't
      too
     
     
      appetizing
      at
      that
      moment,
      but
      cool
     
     
      nonetheless!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Anyone
      who
      wouldn't
      be
     
     
      crapping
      their
      pants
     
     
      should
      tell
      me
      their
     
    

    
     
      secret.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      this
      was
      a
      trade
      mission,
     
     
      we
      had
      to
      attend
      many
      formal
      recep-
     
     
      tions
      as
      well
      as
      banquets
      to
      promote
     
     
      the
      new
      friendships
      we
      were
      making,
     
     
      but
      that
      didn't
      mean
      they
      were
      serious.
     
     
      It's
      hard
      to
      be
      completely
      business-
     
     
      minded
      when
      ‘all
      you
      can
      drink’
      wine
     
     
      and
      beer
      is
      being
      served,
      so
      as
      a
      result
     
     
      of
      maybe
      one
      too
      many
      glasses
      of
     
     
      wine
      I
      somehow
      convinced
      the
      Dean
     
     
      of
      the
      South
      China
      Agricultural
     
     
      University
      to
      get
      up
      on
      a
      stage
      and
     
     
      sing
      Happy
      Birthday
      with
      me
      to
      my
     
     
      JTC
      co-ordinator.
      I
      highlight
      this
      as
     
     
      my
      most
      memorable
      experience
     
     
      because
      we
      evidently
      began
      a
      huge
     
     
      birthday
      bash
      in
      the
      China
      Hotel
      in
      |
     
     
      Guangzhou
      with
      the
      singing
      of
      Happy
     
     
      Birthday
      in
      every
      possible
      language!
     
    

    
     
      Ah...good
      times
      in
      mainland
      |
     
     
      China,
      now
      moving
      onto
      Hong
      Kong.
     
     
      If
      any
      of
      you
      have
      ever
      seen
      pictures
     
     
      of
      Hong
      Kong
      then
      multiply
      that
      by
      a
     
     
      thousand
      plus
      one
      and
      that
      is
      how
      awe-
     
     
      some
      it
      really
      is.
      This
      is
      a
      city
      that
     
     
      never
      sleeps,
      and
      utterly
      amazing.
      The
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      instant
      the
      train
      doors
      opened
      we
      could
     
    
   
   
    
     
      feel
      the
      intensity
      that
      the
      city
      held.
      As
     
     
      a
      person
      who
      craves
      intensity
      I
      was
     
     
      ravished
      at
      the
      fact
      that
      we
      couldn't
     
     
      just
      throw
      our
      luggage
      in
      the
      streets
     
     
      are
      start
      exploring!
     
    

    
     
      .
      We
      had
      many
      visits
      to
      univer-
     
     
      sities
      in
      Hong
      Kong
      including
      the
     
     
      Hong
      Kong
      University
      of
      Science
      and
     
     
      Technology,
      Hong
      Kong
      University,
     
     
      and
      the
      Richard
      Ivy
      School
      Of
     
     
      Business
      which
      had
      views
      of
      Hong
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      Kong
      Island's
      port
      that
      was
      breathtak-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing.
      As
      a
      soccer
      player
      I
      was
      immedi-
     
     
      ately
      attracted
      to
      the
      Premier
      League-
     
     
      sized
      field
      that
      was
      nestled
      between
     
     
      the
      mountains
      and
      the
      water,
      and
     
     
      framed
      by
      palm
      trees
      located
      at
      the
     
     
      Science
      and
      Technology
      University.
      I
     
     
      just
      told
      them
      to
      add
      me
      to
      their
      inter-
     
     
      national
      student
      list
      and
      I'd
      be
      there
      in
     
     
      September!
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      biggest
      shockers
      to
     
     
      me
      was
      how
      green
      China
      was;
      Initially
     
     
      it
      was
      what
      struck
      me.
      I
      guess
      I
      was
     
     
      focussed
      on
      sushi,
      tai
      chi,
      and
     
     
      Buddha....not
      to
      mention
      the
      fact
      that
      I
     
     
      was
      anxious
      to
      see
      people's
      impression
     
     
      of
      my
      height
      of
      5"1
      and
      size
      five
     
     
      feet...
      I
      was
      ready
      for,
      "Hey,
      who's
     
     
      that
      huge
      girl
      with
      the
      huge
      feet?"
     
     
      Needless
      to
      say
      I
      didn't
      get
      that
      com-
     
     
      ment,
      but
      didn't
      necessarily
      come
     
     
      home
      empty
      handed.
      On
      two
      separate
     
     
      occasions
      I
      had
      my
      nose
      made
      fun
      of,
     
     
      hearing
      that
      is
      was
      quite
      fat,
      and
      I
      had
     
     
      shop
      owners
      whack
      me
      in
      the
      hiney
     
     
      and
      say
      "No
      fitta,
      no
      fitta.
      Too
      big,
      too
     
     
      big,"
      when
      I
      was
      checking
      out
      the
      lat-
     
     
      est
      Chinese
      fashions.
      I
      guess
      they
     
     
      thought
      I
      wouldn't
      fit....man,
      I
      was
     
     
      just
      looking!
     
    

    
     
      Now,
      how's
      about
      the
     
     
      Philippines.
      I
      was
      shocked
      at
      what
      a
     
     
      tropical
      paradise
      it
      was.
      Fresh
      coconut,
     
     
      mango,
      and
      bananas
      every
      morning,
     
     
      palm
      trees
      miles
      high,
      and
      Jacuzzis
      on
     
     
      every
      roof
      top...
      I
      completely
      forgot
     
     
      that
      I
      was
      trying
      to
      sell
      PEI
      potatoes
      to
     
     
      Asian
      importers.
      With
      temperatures
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fe
      ew
      ya
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reaching
      over
      40
      degrees
      and
      the
     
     
      humidity
      percentage
      in
      my
      hotel
      room
     
     
      being
      60%,
      it
      was
      hard
      to
      attend
      a
     
     
      meeting
      anything
      but
      naked!!
      It
      was
      in
     
     
      Laguna,
      Philippines
      that
      I
      got
      to
      fulfill
     
     
      my
      interest
      in
      seeing
      culture
      at
      it's
     
     
      core.
      Laguna
      is
      a
      town
      located
      2
      hours
     
     
      from
      the
      capital,
      Manila,
      where
      I
      was
     
     
      staying.
      For
      my
      last
      meeting
      I
      had
      the
     
     
      unique
      opportunity
      to
      visit
      the
      National
     
     
      Rice
      Institute
      and
      Genetic
      Research
     
     
      Centre,
      which
      by
      far
      out-did
      any
      of
      the
     
     
      scientific
      institution
      that
      I've
      ever
      visit-
     
     
      ed.
     
    

    
     
      Though
      Shanghai
      is
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      world's
      largest
     
     
      cities,
      with
      well
      over
      14
     
     
      million
      people,
      there
      was
     
     
      a
      tremendous
      lack
      of
      any
     
     
      sort
      of
      night
      life.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Santos
      Rodriguez
      (not
      the
      porn
     
     
      star),
      was
      my
      Filipino
      van
      driver.
      He
     
     
      rented
      five
      of
      us
      a
      traditional
      jeepney
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      song
      about
      it.
     
     
      -Filipino
      beer
      costs
      $0.50
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IT'S
      JELLYFISH!!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      happy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      we
      took
      around
      botanical
      gar-
     
     
      dens
      in
      the
      mountains.
      Half
      way
      up
      we
     
     
      stopped
      at
      a
      village
      with
      about
      12
      fam-
     
     
      ilies.
      Each
      family
      had
      a
      thatched
      roof
     
     
      hut
      with
      hammocks
      for
      sleeping
      and
     
     
      outhouse-type
      bathrooms.
      The
      children
     
     
      wore
      little
      clothes,
      and
      there
      were
      no
     
     
      signs
      of
      shoes.
      The
      floors
      were
      made
     
     
      of
      the
      organic
      clay
      floor
      of
      the
      gardens
     
     
      and
      the
      surrounding
      area
      was
      inhabited
     
     
      by
      wild
      chicken,
      dogs,
      snakes
      and
     
     
      iguanas.
      Here's
      where
      it
      gets
      hard-core
     
     
      though......
      I
      gave
      a
      little
      (naked)
      boy
     
     
      some
      candy
      and
      Canada
      gifts
      and
      then
     
     
      he
      peed
      on
      my
      leg!
      That's
      right,
      full
     
     
      out
      urination
      on
      my
      leg!
      It
      was
      funny.
     
    

    
     
      Trust
      me
      when
      I
      say
      that
      this
     
     
      is
      just
      a
      glimpse
      of
      my
      experience
      in
     
     
      China
      and
      the
      Philippines.
      If
      you
      see
     
     
      me
      around
      campus
      I
      would
      love
      to
      tell
     
     
      you
      more
      stories
      if
      you're
      interested
      in
     
     
      either
      the
      JTC
      program
      or
      China
      and
     
     
      Philippines
      themselves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cats’
      Facts
      on
      CHINA/PHILIPPINES
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -The
      streets
      are
      so
      crowded
      even
      Dave
      Matthews
      couldn't
      write
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Don't
      eat
      the
      coconut
      topped
      jelly
      looking
      spheres
      for
      breakfast:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Practise
      chopsticks
      before
      heading
      to
      China.
      The
      waiters
      love
      to
     
     
      oogle
      over
      people
      who
      can
      "chopsticka."
     
    

    
     
      -Entrance
      signs
      to
      malls
      in
      the
      Philippines
      state,
      "No
      Firearms
     
     
      Allowed."
      So
      much
      for
      pets
      huh?
     
    

    
     
      -Philippine
      Airlines
      socks
      make
      your
      best
      friend
      extremely
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      guturascie.
      ES