The Kao has done little roaming in the past year. Unless you count going to the Galapagos Islands. And Taiwan. Okay that's a lot of roaming. A few pics to illustrate:
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| Swallow-tailed gull on Plaza Sur (South Plaza Island) |
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| Galapagos Tortoise - Santa Cruz Island |
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| Leon Dormido |
Those are from the Galapagos Islands, which I went to in August. Hands down, the most amazing place I've visited in the world, and I have been (with all modesty here) all over the world. I appreciate it more and more the farther removed I am from it. When I was there, it was pretty cool, but the enormity of the experience didn't hit me until I left, first, landing in the familiarity that is Los Angeles smog and traffic, and then, diving into the concrete dirt world of New York City. I follow the Facebook page of the cruise ship I was on, just so I can reminisce with the new photos they post. Sure, they're all the same few scenes over and over again, but still amazing nonetheless. It reminds us of where we are in the larger world. Interesting how, the juxtaposition of living in on an overdeveloped island with visiting mostly untouched by humans islands can make me think this way.
Speaking if islands (I see a recurring theme in my life), I also visited Taiwan in March. I hadn't been there in 9 years. And it was my 7th trip there over the course of my life.
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| MRT station |
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| how people traditionally buy produce |
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| Bellavita department store |
Oddly enough, although I'm glad Taiwan has achieved economic success over the years, I found myself somewhat nostalgic of the Taipei I remember in the 1980s - the one with swarms of people crowding the streets, crazy cab drivers, and the perpetual reek of sewage hanging in the air. Oh wait, kinda like NYC now! (Alright alright... it doesn't stink of sewage all over NYC...just in some parts). Taipei now is...eerily clean. The streets were...eerily empty, in some parts. Have they all taken to the underground metro? Or am I getting too big for my britches?
Aside from these two international trips, the Kao has been sequestered in NYC. I largely spend my time dividing it between Morningside Heights (aka, Asian Harlem) and Park Slope, Brooklyn, skipping all the stuff in between.
Honestly, it was too cold to do much else. If it wasn't cold, it was raining, or snowing, or there was a blizzard, or a hurricane, or something. Now that the weather is finally getting nicer, it's time to break out of the routine. After all, breaking a routine was the reason why I moved to NYC in the first place...
More later. I promise!
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