the ch!cktionary

    26 Jan 2012

    Anonymous asked: did you book your trip through a travel agency that offered some kind of package? i'm looking to vacation in southeast asia but packages seem so expensive!

    No, I didn’t book a package. I paid for my transcontinental flights with airline miles and booked a couple hotels at employee rates, thanks to my mom’s discount (she works for a hotel chain). I also stayed with people during a couple points, when I couldn’t find available rooms.

    I’ll be honest: I’m not a huge fan of vacation packages. My first trip to Southeast Asia (back in 2008) was planned by a travel agency. I was traveling in a group and there was limited time, so a package made sense then, but if I could do that trip all over again (and one day, I totally will), I would have allowed myself the flexibility to make more spontaneous decisions. Relatively speaking, Southeast Asia isn’t very expensive compared to, say, Europe, so it’s perfectly possible to do all your own bookings while not spending a lot of money. A package might be more appropriate if you’re looking for a guided visit, complete with escorts. Otherwise, I don’t think it’s necessary.

    Another reason I wouldn’t do a package again is because I’d like to visit friends in Asia, and that would be hard to accommodate if I have a very scheduled trip. If you want to save money and don’t have folks to stay with, there are plenty of alternatives to hotels. For example, I’ve heard great things about CouchSurfing. You might also want to scope out short-term vacation rentals and serviced apartments, which typically serve corporate clients but are frequently available to travelers as well. And of course, there are also hostels, which often come with free wifi, helpful staffers, and tons of fellow travelers for you to meet and hang out with. (Just look up reviews on TripAdvisor first if you’re concerned about location, safety, cleanliness, etc.)

    P.S. My friend Lingbo has been backpacking through Southeast Asia for several months, and she has a bunch of fantastic tips on her blog about how to safely travel on a budget as a solo woman. Read it! She’s far better at this than I am :)

    More burning questions? Ask Lena.

    Tags: ask lena. travel.

    26 Jan 2012

    Hands down, my favorite part of the all-too-brief trip to Shanghai: our little sojourn to 50 Moganshan Road, a group of warehouses transformed into contemporary art galleries. It still carries some remnants of its indie past, but has clearly become increasingly developed over the years. I got a bunch of postcards from my favorite exhibitions, including Yu Lin’s Red Guards series and Xuanmin Jin’s Shikumen series. Sadly, we didn’t spend as much time in the galleries as I would have liked, since most were closed for the Lunar New Year. When I next find myself in Shanghai, though, this will definitely be a major to-do item.

    (The photos above were snapped inside the galleries and during our walk through the art district’s graffiti lined streets.)

    Tags: snapshots. travel.

    25 Jan 2012

    The actual “sample” form at the Chinese visa office in Hong Kong. Copies of this were hung up all over the room - I suppose this was an attempt to encourage foreigners to fill out their applications correctly and honestly? The Chinese government: even more ludicrous that I’d previously imagined.

    The actual “sample” form at the Chinese visa office in Hong Kong. Copies of this were hung up all over the room - I suppose this was an attempt to encourage foreigners to fill out their applications correctly and honestly?

    The Chinese government: even more ludicrous that I’d previously imagined.

    Tags: travel.

    23 Jan 2012

    I desperately need a hat like this. Found this baby in Shanghai and probably should have bitten the bullet and bought it. Now I’ve gotta find another way to keep my scalp warm this winter…

    I desperately need a hat like this. Found this baby in Shanghai and probably should have bitten the bullet and bought it. Now I’ve gotta find another way to keep my scalp warm this winter…

    Tags: snapshots. travel.

    19 Jan 2012

    Side Crane in Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur. Besides striking the peace sign/head tilt pose like a good Asian tourist, I’ve been also been trying to get a photo of myself in this yoga position in each city during this trip.

    Side Crane in Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur.

    Besides striking the peace sign/head tilt pose like a good Asian tourist, I’ve been also been trying to get a photo of myself in this yoga position in each city during this trip.

    Tags: snapshots. travel.

    17 Jan 2012

    I’ve sort of become a caricature of the prototypical Asian tourist during the course of this trip. Exhibit A: I’ve fully embraced the Head Tilt/Peace Sign as my signature pose. (The above, taken during the Hong Kong Light Show, is just one example out of … twenty.) My goal is to now get a photo of myself taken in said pose in as many exotic locales as possible. I feel like the exaggerated tilt and single visible hand sort of makes it an updated version of the more commonly known double peace sign. Ugh, who am I kidding? I’m basically a race traitor.

    I’ve sort of become a caricature of the prototypical Asian tourist during the course of this trip. Exhibit A: I’ve fully embraced the Head Tilt/Peace Sign as my signature pose. (The above, taken during the Hong Kong Light Show, is just one example out of … twenty.)

    My goal is to now get a photo of myself taken in said pose in as many exotic locales as possible. I feel like the exaggerated tilt and single visible hand sort of makes it an updated version of the more commonly known double peace sign. Ugh, who am I kidding? I’m basically a race traitor.

    Tags: snapshots. travel.

    17 Jan 2012

    Upcoming Speaking/Travel Dates

    Holy crap, traveling for the past month has totally done a number on my skin, immune system, and sleep schedule. Three more days in China and then I’m off to LA for a week - yet another climate and time change. Never thought I’d be looking forward to returning to the frigid New England winter, but I’m longing for some normality (and a wardrobe change) after weeks on the road.

    After I get back to Boston on the 30th, I’m going to be in proposal writing mode for the indefinite future so there will be fewer new articles and blog posts coming up. Though most of my literary output will remain private for a while, I’ll have a web series coming out soon and I’ll be doing sporadic speaking gigs. That said, I’m trying to cut down on travel and extraneous obligations, so I can spend as much time as possible in Boston and not get sick like I did last year when I was running about doing Feminist Coming Out Day. I only have half a year before my Berlin move, and I have to seriously reorganize my life to make writing and my codependent relationship with my best friend my two top priorities :)

    Here’s an incomplete list of where I’ll be in upcoming months …

    JANUARY 22-30
    Visiting Family in Los Angeles, CA

    FEBRUARY 5
    Panel for Sex Week At Yale in New Haven, CT

    FEBRUARY 14
    Panel for XOXOSMS Internet Premiere in New York City, NY

    MARCH 9-13
    SXSW Interactive/Film (for Sex in the Digital Age panel) in Austin, TX 

    APRIL 1-3
    Sex::Tech 2012 (for XOXOSMS screening and panel) in San Francisco, CA

    I also have to visit LA one more time before I move to Germany (or my mother will actually kill me) and I may make it over to DC at some point, but that’s all to be determined. I was also originally supposed to do a reunion with friends in New Orleans in early March, right before SXSW, but sadly, I don’t think I can afford that at the moment. (Unless someone wants to fly me over to speak, pretty please?)

    Due to lack of time/money/energy, I don’t think I’ll be adding much more to my plate this spring, but as always, shoot me an email if you’re interested in hosting me as a speaker. I’ll update the above list as details get solidified (there’s a few Harvard events and some local stuff I’m still getting confirmation on). Also, for everyone who’s been inundating my inbox, I’ll be back in civilization this weekend and hope to have a handle on late emails by next week.

    Now … it’s time to end this Asia trip on a high note! It’s right before Chinese New Year, and I can think of no better place to start the Year of the Dragon than in Shanghai :)

    Tags: travel. speaking.

    10 Jan 2012

    Visa Update

    I’M GOING TO THE MAINLAND. So after a month-long saga that started in Boston (when I first realized there isn’t a Chinese consulate in town) and followed me to New York (where I was coldly rejected after waiting in the literal freezing cold for an hour), I finally obtained the visa I need to get into China on Thursday. Thank god for Hong Kong efficiency and my rudimentary Cantonese. This may be the only place on Earth that my mother tongue* doesn’t prove entirely useless. (Though to be perfectly precise, I’m Taishanese so my Canto is a bit … shoddy at best.)

    I was so excited to pick up my passport with the brand spankin’ new visa that I even did a “I’m going to China” victory dance outside the office (where, for the record, I waited for three freakin’ hours yesterday). It’s all been worth it.

    But next time, kids? I’m going to just use a travel agency. This crap was way too emotionally exhausting. Can’t even imagine how the gweilo deal with it.

    Tags: travel.

    9 Jan 2012

    Satay may have been my favorite thing about Malaysia :) Taken at the Lot 10 Hutong Food Court in Bukit Bintang. Came with the recommendation of our hotel concierge and after trying several food courts, gotta say this was my favorite so far of the trip!

    Satay may have been my favorite thing about Malaysia :)

    Taken at the Lot 10 Hutong Food Court in Bukit Bintang. Came with the recommendation of our hotel concierge and after trying several food courts, gotta say this was my favorite so far of the trip!

    Tags: food. travel. snapshots.