Life in the District (kind of)

I've never had to keep a personal calendar before. In college, I had Gmail calendars for my classes and my extra curricular activities, but personal events just kind of happened. When I moved on to grad school, I had no friends so my calendar kind of looked like this:
Monday - gym
Tuesday - gym
Wednesday - gym
Thursday - gym
Friday - go to Penn State for friends and football

Nightlife in Shenyang was lively, but scheduled way in advance and spread throughout the calendar (monthly book club, dinner parties, road trips). Yes, there were times where I was shocked because I had to choose between one event or another, something you wouldn't expect in a 30-some American post in the desolate northeast. But all in all, I could keep things straight in my head.

I've had to start a personal calendar since arriving in DC. Who ever would have thought that after only two years I have more than a handful of solid friends looking to meet up over the week? Certainly not I!

Classes at FSI started on January 13 for me and although the daytime has been easy (simple certification and leadership courses before language classes start February 24), the evenings have been one get-together after another. I have friends/colleagues from Shenyang who are either in language training at FSI or back on desks at Main State, friends from my Orientation class who are transitioning to post or in training with me, and high school/college friends that I'm reconnecting with after joining the adult world. Nights like tonight (where I'm just sitting on the couch in front of my computer or reading a book) are super rare but I'm learning to schedule them in and treasure them greatly.

I'm also enjoying getting back to my workout schedule. The benefits of living in Arlington are MANY but one I'm super duper stoked about is the easy access to so many running trails. From my apartment, I am less than 5 minutes run from the Mt. Vernon trail, which runs up along the Potomac River with beautiful views of the Capitol monuments (Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, etc). Once I get my mileage and distance back up to par, I can also make my way over to Georgetown, the Mall, and the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite monument). Living in Shenyang and China in general gave me such a respect for clear air, good weather, and blue skies, all of which are here for the most part. I can't wait until the cherry blossoms start to bloom, just wait for the Instagram photo flood when that happens.

Tonight is the State of the Union address, where the President announces his thematic agenda for the upcoming year. In the past, I've paid attention to the STOU as a political science major and with general interest in the "state of the nation." But right now, after running in the District tonight with security on high, feeling the tension in the air, I really do feel a connection watching the address. There is a different feeling for me this year, being so close to the District and (finally!) so close to the start of something new. Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Cambodia: Siem Reap (Day 7)

Itinerary

• Run along the Siem Reap River
• Mani/pedi at Frangipani Spa
• Lunch at the Foreign Correspondents' Club
• Shopping at McDermott's Gallery
• Pool lounging + nap
• THREE HOUR MASSAGE
• Dinner
• Airport + red-eye flight

The engorged Siem Reap River after 5 consecutive days of rain

Mani-pedi at Frangipani Spa that started with an awesome foot massage

Lounge by the pool, with sun on the last day of the trip

Why Rome?

Please forgive my excitement, but maybe I'm looking forward with great anticipation to the chance to run along River Tiber and see some of this for myself:

http://whyrome.blogspot.com/2013/09/biking-down-by-river-in-rome.html

Ahh!! :)

New Zealand: The North Island

Wellington from the sky

Wellington: a hipster town nestled into the mountains surrounding a breathtaking bay. On first arrival by ferry, Wellington seems very busy, with cars lining the highways and people bustling about. Perhaps as the nation's capital, it has a reason to be busy. The scene is pretty hipster and has tons to offer in terms of food and drink. While there, we continued our gastronomic feast through New Zealand and ate at some solid restaurants, only topped off by some fabulous drinks ( including home-brewed cider and mulled wine). The atmosphere reminds me of Hong Kong, harbour city that's kinda funky with an edge. Windy Welly was the first real stop where the schedule had nothing planned. As such, we took it easy: visited Te Aro Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and Cuba Street. The runs were hilly and the scenes were generically pretty. While in Wellington, we stayed at Kikki's place, an AirB&B apartment. Knowing the perils of AirB&B, this was a risk. However, it turned out Kikki's place was just as lovely and convenient as advertised. And damn, the bed was comfy!

Downtown Wellington

A view of the Wellington Harbour

Auckland B&W

Auckland: a superbly accessible city that's hip without being TOO hipster and beautiful to boot! I preferred Auckland to Wellington for the same reason why Shenyang is better than Beijing (wait, what? Did I just say that?) Wellington was busy and full of "stuff" to do, but Auckland had real character. The people in Auckland were genuine and took themselves less seriously than the capital people. Now, that's all given the fact that all Kiwis are more genuine and laid-back than any other population I've ever met. Anyway, like Wellington, Auckland also has its hills (gorgeous botanical gardens) and its harbour (biggest marina in the Southern Hemisphere) but in my opinion, it's a much better designed city. The neighborhoods are accessible and the culture is thriving. Lots to see, eat, and drink: so we did! Did I mention it has a huge harbour? Happened to take a spin on an America's Cup racing boat and it made me decide: Auckland is definitely my favorite real city in New Zealand. I'd move here in a heartbeat! While we were here, we stayed in the funky and chic Hotel DeBrett and it was worth the cost to be in the heart of town and surrounded by up-to-date luxury. Divine!

The Domain

A view of the Auckland Harbour while sailing

Best meal of the entire trip

Viaduct Harbour at sunset

The War Memorial

New Zealand: The South Island

Please enjoy my photo-journal of New Zealand's South Island! More photos of the South Island to come via Facebook, and next up an entry on the North Island. Enjoy!

All photos taken by me via Canon Rebel T3i with a EF-S 18-55mm lens, aka my best purchase ever
^_^ Enlarge for full enjoyment!

Queenstown Airport: Your gateway to beauty

Queenstown - An adrenaline city with a fabulous view alongside a crystal clear lake. As my first impression of New Zealand, Queenstown definitely tops the list for coolest city out there. I definitely recommend taking the cable car up to the top of the mountain for a breathtaking view of the lake and the city below. If it's clear night, the company also offers star gazing tours and complimentary hot chocolate. The guides were super knowledgeable and it was neat to see constellations that aren't visible in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Southern Cross. In the fall, the visitor traffic was light, which made for enjoyable, laid-back touristing; however, with all the restaurants and bars available, I could vividly imagine what it would be like in the thick of winter when the snow season is in full swing. I did my first run in New Zealand here along the route through the Gardens. If I had more time, I would have liked to run along the water on the path heading back up toward the airport, which looked to be beautiful as I drove in. While we were there, we stayed at the Alpine View Backpackers and it was my first hostel experience: a clean & quiet lodge-style joint just outside of downtown with a separate bathroom shared with 1 other room.

Lake Wanaka: Picturesque in Autumn

Wanaka - Another adventure town with lots to offer for the newly addicted or long-time adrenaline junkie. Wanaka is a short (1 hour-ish), scenic, cheap ($35) bus ride away from Queenstown and totally worth the visit to see the picturesque town and Lake Wanaka. The city has a good number of walking/hiking trails and serves as a good jumping off point for other excursions (paragliding, kayaking, horseback riding). The downtown area is really only two or three streets, but there are a wide variety of different food options available. The i-Site is located right on the lake front and it has a ton of information for things to do. The staff are supremely helpful and will do their best to make reservations for whatever adrenaline-pack activity you want to do. We hung out there while we waited for the bus to take us horseback riding. The city has a handful of pubs and cafes along Ardmore Street with great views of the lake in the morning and evening. We stayed at Holly's Backpacker and it was also clean and very quiet, with a full kitchen and living area. The dorm-style bathrooms were well-kept, and the bed was comfy enough.

Cardrona Valley: From the bus window

Cardrona Valley - Located in between Queenstown and Wanaka, Cardrona Valley is a filled with wide open farms and rolling, green hills. Blink and you'll miss the town as you drive through, but Cardrona Hotel is worth a peek even if only for a pit stop and a picture in front of the classic hotel. I don't know about accommodations there, but the hotel is located in the middle of nowhere so it is not that convenient for anything else. The wait staff were eh, and the food was so-so, but the beers on tap were many and quite refreshing. We stopped their briefly before touring the valley via a 2-hour trek on horseback, which was a fabulous way to see the scenery and landscape. I definitely recommend doing something in the valley to get a closer look at the beautiful environment.

Christchurch - This is a city still very much in repair.  My morning run met with many closed roads, destroyed buildings, and reconstruction. The Gardens are worth a jog through and once the city center is rebuilt, it's supposed to be the most modern city ever. But it has a long way to go. Since by this point we had picked up a car, we drove over to visit Pomeroy's Brewery for dinner and drinks, both of which were fabulous. Enjoying the live jazz music was also a plus; this place felt like it was the corner place for a variety of locals and everyone was having fun. While we were there, we stayed at the City Central Motel Apartments, which were newly built and well-designed. Aside from stopping here, there's not much to see... yet.

Pegasus Bay

Mud House

Waipara Valley = Wine central! A must-see if you have time. There are plenty of good wineries to stop at and all of them could keep your arteries pumping with delicious nectar. We just so happened to turn off a side road and visit Pegasus Bay Wineries, which had an expansive estate and gardens to tour. The staff were helpful, but reserved during the complimentary wine tasting and we ended up picking up a bottle each and a guide to the valley. Mud House Winery and Restaurant had been on our list of vineyards to see and both the wine and the food exceeded our expectations. The staff were extremely helpful in explaining their offerings, the history of the winery, and the background of the valley itself. The tasting was complimentary because we planned to have lunch there, so the wine kept on flowing until we had to stop! Note: make sure to have a bite to eat before, during, or after your wine tastings -- even if you've only had a sip of all the wines offered, you'll need some sustenance before getting back on the road. As we found out, May-June is post harvest time, so while the offerings were vast, the wineries were quiet. If you're dying for a tour of the wine cellar while it's active, make sure to schedule your trip during the harvest season, which is earlier in the year.

Kaikoura Peninsula Walk

Kaikoura - Wow. Quite possibly the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen in person. Imagine: craggy ocean shore with pebble beaches and wind-swept chest-high grasses. High cliffs edged with fields of the lushest, greenest grass you've ever seen. Herds of healthy, glossy cows idling lazily along the rolling expanse of soft green. All of this is in the foreground while the Seaward Kaikoura Mountain Range stands in the distance, a panorama of snow-capped peaks that tower above a peaceful valley below. Kaikoura is a small town located on the peninsula that sticks out from the eastern coast of the South Island. Because of the ocean currents and the ocean floor, it is also home to a vast amount of sea life, including seals, dolphins, whales and albatross.

Seals along the coastal car lot

Every corner was a "wow" moment and it certainly goes down in my book as my favorite natural city in New Zealand. While you're there, enjoy the landscape, take a whale/seal watch tour on a boat or kayak, or do as we did and fly a helicopter up into the mountains for a birds-eye view of the peninsula. A must-see if you're driving through. While we were here, we stayed at the Aspen Lodge, a fairly modern motel with high-tech showers and wonderful balcony views of the coast.

Blenheim - First, let me say that the drive through Malborough Region was phenomenal. Kudos to my

Malborough wine country

copilot for his patience with me, not only stopping every time I had a "wow" scenery shot, but asking him to be my backup photographer while we drove. But in the end, he and I both got some great shots and enjoyed the scenery around us. Blenheim is like Waipara Valley in the amount of vineyards around. We only happened to stop at one (Withering Hills) and unfortunately, the wine, food, and service were not that good. The views, however, were fabulous and if anything, they made the stop worthwhile. If I had more time, I would have liked to schedule a wine tour of the valley, but I suppose that means I'll have to come back!

Nelson

Nelson - A small town located along the northern coast of the South Island that reminded me in a way of Reading, PA (with much better views of course). The town was quaint and the people were pleasant enough. There isn't much to do in Nelson specifically, so it's not worth a long stay for the activities it has to offer. Craft beers, on the other hand, are in ample supply and the restaurants do their best to showcase the variety. We stayed at the Tasman Bay Backpackers, which was picturesque, colorful, and superbly managed. There was a full professional kitchen, fireplace lounge, and free unlimited wifi. We used Nelson as a stopping point for our early morning trek the next day to:

Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park - Quite a hike (literally)! The southern entrance to the park is about 1 hour from Nelson by highway and then a small country road. In the summer, this park the ultimate destination for hikers and backpackers. Unfortunately, the tides weren't in our favor and we didn't have get too far into the park before we had to get on the road again. But the sunrise was absolutely beautiful! In the summer time, I would love to come back and kayak along the coast.

Queen Charlotte Highway: A view from the car window

Picton - Tiny port city where the main draw is the ferry terminal. If you have the chance to drive in (and are a confident driver), do so by the Queen Charlotte Highway that runs along the northern part of the island. Absolutely stunning views of the sounds and a fun, windy road with tons of switchbacks. Many thanks again to J for his patience with me stopping for pictures along the way. It was helpful to get out and stretch after some white-knuckle driving along the steep, curvy paths. Once we got to town, we had a tasty brunch and strolled along the town (which is really a two-by-two grid of places to eat and buy touristy goods). The Interislander Ferry is not cheap ($100+/person), but a reliable way to get to Wellington. As they advertise, it's also a destination in itself, if only for the fantastic views of the sounds as you make the trek over to the North Island...

The Interislander: Onward to Wellington and the North Island!

Great Wall Marathon 2013

Beijing at 3:00am still swarms with taxis, shuttling rowdy expats from bars in Sanlitun home to their apartments in the Guluo hutongs. So I didn't worry about finding a taxi at 2:50am, when the BFF and two more of my colleagues joined me on the way to the Beijing International Business Hotel. I had brought them with me on my second journey to the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall. Whether I had accurately advertised running the Great Wall Marathon to them or swindled them into signing up for a crazy, difficult race was yet to be determined. But when we arrived at the hotel to meet the buses, my group of faithful followers was in high spirits and excited to get started. Seven joined me on the bus, while the CG and his wife met us at the start of the race. All together, Team Shenyang was made of NINE intrepid runners who would all face the Wall and its 5,164 steps of history.

The marathon weekend had started the day prior, when a group of us departed the 'Yang by train and made our way to Beijing. Thanks to the BFF's incredible amount of hotel points, I shared a room with her at the Crowne Plaza Chaoyang U-Town. To whittle away the time before we had to head to an early bed (given the early start!), we made our way over to Sanlitun to shop and eat. We stopped at the Bookworm, a real book store, to quench our thirst for the written word in physical form. Watching the two of them at home among the many pages was like watching two kids come home to the welcoming arms of their parents. Nothing is more normal than those two enjoying a good book. So glad we got to stop there. After a tasty Persian meal at Rumi, we caught the Metro home and made our way to bed.

So there we were, riding the early morning bus to the base of the Great Wall in heightened anticipation of what's to come. I was feeling very nervous. I felt I hadn't prepared enough this time around. Last year, I had gotten to about 11-12 miles in my long training runs. I had logged significantly more miles in total, as well. This year, I had been focusing much more on strength training, with a concerted effort to improve my leg strength and glute strength. My mileage was much lower and I had fewer opportunities to get outside due to both a busier schedule and poorer air quality. With all that on my mind (plus the stress of hoping everyone was having a good time), I didn't really notice that all of a sudden I was at the start line and we were running.

The course is difficult. The first 3km are uphill, along the mountain access road that leads to the Great Wall parking lot and entrance. Very early on, I lost A among the faster runners. "Godspeed and good luck!" I called out to him as he passed me out of the entryway. As I climbed the hill, I felt a difference from last year. This wasn't so tough, these hills seemed steeper last year. Sooner rather than later, I got to the top of the hill and made my way to the Wall. The next 3km are up and down the steps of the Wall. After the heavy incline, the steps actually helped loosen my calves. Now it was my quads and glutes on fire. Jog jog jog, and wait; jog jog jog, and wait. That's the tempo on the wall because of the bottlenecks. It's not a particularly wide section of the wall, so people are forced to take their time down the stairs as they come. But eventually I rounded the final corner of the wall and saw the Yin Yang Square below me. Halfway there, I thought, and I don't event feel tired?! This feels great!

By the time I made my way through the Square and onward to the village, I had found my true running stride and I was truckin'. The asphalt road to the village has an ever so slight downgrade, so I let the wind push me and gravity pull me through to the village entrance. Right around the time I was stopping at drink station 9 to get my snacks, I saw A coming toward me, having just finished the village himself. "Almost there!" Seeing him come through that connection gave me inspiration to keep going, along with the realization I knew my legs were solid. I had such better muscle strength than this time last year. I remember the agony of running the back stretch and feeling the strain in my legs and knees as I struggled to finish. This year, I kept a steady pace, cruised to my music, and just let my feet go. And go they did!

Finishing 17 minutes faster than last year, I made it through the finish line with more energy, more strength, and more emotion than last year. What a great feeling! And guess who was there to see me cross? Everyone who had finished already from my group! A cheering squad of colleagues and a round of hugs. Nothing could have been better.

I want to take a minute to thank everyone who came to participate in Team Shenyang this year. Your finishing stories were amazing to hear and I'm so happy to have been able to share this wonderful experience with you. I'm proud that you were able to trust me and believe in yourselves that you could do it too! The Great Wall Marathon is now ours and for once, when we say "Shenyang wins again!" we really did win!! Bravo!

Dandong

Sorry the blog's been quiet lately. April has been a busy month, with visitors, travel, and work. I hope you enjoyed Mom & David's guest posts while they were in China. I sure enjoyed their visit here and am so happy that they made the trek out to Shenyang to see my side of the world. Playing tour guide was a great opportunity to see China from a newbie's perspective, like when I first became enamored with this big country, the culture, and the language. After a consecutive year and a half in country, I'll be honest when I say that some of the charm has worn off and I've become a bit cynical about China. But deep down I will always have a fascination with the Middle Kingdom and its deep history. No better way to rekindle that fascination than showing family all the awesome things at once. The food, the sights, the sheer size of it all; China has a lot to offer. Thanks again, M&D, for coming out, spending time together with me, and being fantastic travelers. It isn't easy to travel in China and I give you lots of credit for sticking with it and staying optimistic when it got frustrating. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!!

A week or so after M&D's trip to China, a group from the Consulate headed to Dandong. For those who have never heard of this city before, Dandong sits at the China-North Korean border along the Yalu River. For most Chinese citizens, it's the closest they'll ever get to the DPRK and thus, a tourist attraction. Visiting Dandong has been on my list of things-to-do and so this trip was by all means a success!

We had a caravan of four cars heading down, some families and some younger officers like myself. The ride was quick (about 2.5 hours), simple (a straight highway shot), and scenic (as scenic as Northeast China can be). Once we got there, the amazement of seeing North Korea was fulfilling, as it was a grey, blustery, and rainy day, just about as desolate as I had imagined the border to be. The group stuck together for a good part of the day, touring the major sites. These included:

The Yalu River

The Broken Bridge (bombed by the US during the Korean War)

The Hushan Great Wall 

Yi Bu Hua (one step across)

After touring for a while, three of us headed to our hotel to check in. We were staying the night so we could experience Dandong nightlife and see the Museum of American Aggression in the morning. We met up again with the families at a fantastic Korean barbecue restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves to start the night. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the dance club: Zhen Ai 真爱 or "Real Love," but I can summarize it in four words. LED Hydraulic Dance Floor. Simply awesome.

Oh yeah, Korean food.

The following morning was beautiful, with a bright blue sky and sunshine. It gave me hope that spring was coming. I took a run along the river walk, from our hotel in the southern part of the city back to the broken bridge. Being outside in the warmth of the sun was refreshing and it made me miss running along the streets of Philadelphia. After a decent brunch at the hotel, we checked out and made our way over to the museum.

I had heard from other officers that the museum was basically a propaganda show, filled with explanations of how the Chinese were peaceful big brothers to Korea and it was the big bad aggressive Americans who came in and ruined things. Well, a good deal of the museum was devoted to just that.

Click on picture to enlarge: it says, "She's happy because her husband is a POW."
Don't think that ever really happened.

Visiting the museum was in part a humbling experience, and the information presented there did give me pause to think about history from a different perspective. All in all, I am glad I visited and the memory of the museum and the city as a whole will stay with me for a long, long time. To all who plan to come to China: if you have the time, I strongly recommend a visit to Dandong.

Running in China

Burpees - I hate them. But GOD, they make me feel good two days later.

Immediately after running 5 miles up and down hills this morning and doing 20 burpees, my legs felt as if they were being consumed by tiny, little fire-breathing demons whose only goal was to tear my muscles apart. Now, later in the day, the scorching pain has subsided and the dull ache of repairing muscles has taken its place. Tomorrow morning, the all-over warbling numbness of my thighs will make me miserable as I climb the stairs of the Consulate over and over. But by Saturday morning, my muscles will be mostly back to normal and I will be dumb enough inspired to re-do the hill/rear-end workout again. Crazy? Maybe.

This time last month I pre-registered myself and 8 of my work colleagues for the 2013 Great Wall Marathon. As someone who completed the half marathon last year, I found it easy to recruit people to join me for my second go-round on the crazy wall-o-madness. Pictures and first-hand accounts go a long way when trying to convince people that anything is possible when they put their mind to it. The BFF and most of the recruits will compete in the 7.5km race, which is new this year (the race coordinators combined the 5km and 10km distances for a middle-of-the-road distance). A and I will do the half, and one of the crazy guys from CONS signed up for the full (simply for the fact that they cost the same, so why not?). +1 for everyone and good luck during the next six months of training!

Running in China is difficult. Aside from the looks of astonishment that I get as a foreigner whenever I run outside, there are serious deterrents to running out-of-doors in this country.

1. Pollution - Smog is everywhere. The air is cleaner here than in Beijing (by a huge degree) and on average we see blue skies more often than most cities in China. But the lungs do not appreciate working out when they have to filter out ground-level ozone and other atmospheric pollutants.
2. Traffic - In a city of 4 million people and a rising middle class, traffic is a huge obstacle to road running. Not only are the streets filled with cars, but drivers don't follow the traffic rules at all here. Oh yes, China has tons of traffic laws. Do people follow them? Nope. One indicator of why traffic laws are not obeyed is the methodology for obtaining one's drivers' license. Pay the license fee; take a written test; complete a eye exam; bend over and cough --> BAM! You've got your license. No street driving test required. Don't know how to drive your stick shift car? Who cares? You're in China.
3. Conditions - I've written earlier about the winter weather. It does a number on one's moods and emotional health. Imagine what it does to the sidewalks, public places, and parks! Find me a 1km stretch of sidewalk without stones missing, human-sized pot-holes, scaffolding, or hordes of people waiting for buses/walking by and I will give you a pony. Or at least a golden lap giraffe.

So, running in China is difficult. I haven't started my half-marathon training plan yet, but last year I didn't start training hardcore until late January. For now, I'll focus on continuing my long runs (6-8 miles) on the weekends and getting through the holidays healthy. I have my fingers crossed that by the time the race registration closes in March, I'll have recruited even more people to join me on the Great Wall for what will be an even better GWM experience.