Nevertheless, I’ve had a swell time in this self-prescribed prison cell known as Keats School, Kunming, China. The food at the school is good. The other students are interesting character studies. And, of course, the teachers are just what I expected: knowledgeable, chipper, and patient. By the end of my five weeks here, I will have packed in well over a semester’s worth of material.

“Adorable” police?

This photo was taken on the first Friday, the first day I actually left the building! There is an obsession with cuteness in this city. This little police whatsit looked like a toy! The cuteness extends to odd corporate practices. The workers (including the cooks) at the store across the street congregate every morning at 9:30 outside for an inspiring speech, and synchronized stretching/dancing. The police squads seem to stay clear of the dancing, and opt for morning tai chi or relaxed martial arts.

A new Kunming

Prepare yourselves guys. Kunming is going to be a happening place in two years. Based on what fellow travelers have said, just the past five years have seen drastic development. Many buildings are being torn down to make room for skyscrapers and new apartment complexes are sprouting up. This photo was taken at dusk of the nearest metro-station-to-be. In two years, Kunming will finally have a metro running through the entire city. Hopefully that will clear the streets of all the motorbikes.

Still in between modernity and the past, it is possible to walk into a Louis Vuitton store across the street from where you bought your local, $2 lunch.

Who should come to Keats

Keats School is for anyone who is serious about learning Mandarin, but wants to stay away from major city centers such as Beijing and Shanghai. You look out for yourself over here, so I don’t suggest anyone under 17 traveling here by themselves! That said, I’ve now met three families who traveled from the US together.

You can check out the school’s website here: keatsschool.org

PS: I’m now on day 18 with no Facebook, Youtube, or Twitter.

1. Make sure you have your passport. Make sure you are traveling at least six months before the passport expiration date and also have space for stamps and any needed visas. Many people forget this, but you cannot use your passport if you only have a couple months left on it. My uncle was on his way to Cebu, Philippines from the US and had to stay in Hong Kong while the embassy over-nighted a new passport. Also, your passport needs to have pages for immigration officials.

2. Plan to get your visa waaay in advance. Really. Generally, with an American passport, getting a visa is fairly easy and many countries don’t require a visa. Some countries, like Nepal, give you the visa when you get there. But, with some passports such as my mom’s Filipino passport, scheduled interviews are required. In preparation for our trip to Paris this summer, my mom scheduled an interview for her visa, but the next slot was a month later, after our intended departure! The French Embassy only has three slots each day. Also, you have to have already booked your tickets before you’re granted an interview. She pleaded with them and eventually got an earlier slot.

3. Ask your parents to drop you off at the airport. Did your mom buy the ticket with her credit card? Are you traveling alone? At nineteen-years-old, I may be a legal adult and fully capable of heading to the airport by myself. But, because I didn’t have the credit card used to purchase the ticket, I was deemed “third party” and had to buy a new ticket. (Don’t worry, my mom got refunded the other ticket and there was no added cost.) Also, when I was sixteen, I was traveling to Cebu for the same trip as my uncle. The flight was only a couple hours, but because I had a couple months before my seventeenth birthday, by Filipino law, I had to travel unaccompanied minor. Not having a parent to hand me off made things tricky, but they made an exception and let me travel UM.

Stay tuned for my article at the end of the month on surviving airport life.

See my previous article on how to plan a trip for just teens. A friend and I set off for Hong Kong by ourselves during our senior year. I share lessons learned from the daunting experience of preparing for a vacation without grown-ups!

Do you have any horror stories of trouble with documents?

“Arab Street” in Singapore was where my friends had suggested we wander, now that we returned to the city as tourists rather than residents. We have all just finished our first year of college and were ready to explore the home that we’ve missed!

The name “Arab Street” is a bit of a misnomer because nobody who regularly shops or sells on the street speaks Arabic or comes from the Middle East. Instead, the area is known for Malays and Indonesians (two Islamic Southeast Asian countries). Nevertheless, I could spot an Egyptian restaurant and three Turkish restaurants in the same area as a cafe called “Kampong Glam.” Kampong Glam was packed whereas the places we went to seemed more geared towards tourists.

The first restaurant we stopped in was a Turkish place named Alaturka. There were iznik tiles everywhere and decorative plates on the walls. Still longing for Istanbul, I was hooked. It was still only 4 p.m. so we just had tea and coffee. Their apple tea was good, but the coffee was a bit sour. Also, I was confused for a second when the waitress asked whether I wanted sugar. In Istanbul, you order your coffee by how much sugar you want — none, medium, or a lot. “Kafve orta” means coffee with medium sugar, what I was used to ordering. Later that night, we would eat at another Turkish restaurant for dinner.

My favorite part of Arab Street is all the little shops. This is where Singaporeans go to buy fabric. It’s especially popular for Muslim women who want to create appropriately-lengthed dresses. When your dress is expected to be floor length, straight cut, and maybe long-sleeved, the design of the fabric is very important. Material for saris can also be bought there, reflecting the ethnic diversity of Singapore. There’s also many bead stores and at least one perfume shop. We stopped in the perfume store so Yuvika could buy some amber perfume. Perfumes that aren’t created by designer brands and bought in a shopping mall just seem more appealing to me. I’ll probably go back to get some coconut and vanilla perfume. A small, unadorned bottle, only costs a few US dollars.

The Theater at Epidaurus is often considered a feat of architectural mastery. Molded into a natural mountain slope, the theater seats around 14,000 spectators who can marvel the performance, perfect acoustics, and the scenic backdrop at the same time. The theater’s staggering acoustics that let viewers enjoy shows without a sound system are a result of its geometric perfection. Some singers from our group tested this. From the very top, I could hear them harmonizing! But, what makes this theater even more spectacular is that over 2,000 years later it is still being used as an amazing open-air theater.

From its completion in 4^th century BC, citizens would flock to the theater at Epidaurus to watch Greek dramas by playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. Where you sat indicated your status in society. The front row that was created to be a continuous throne was reserved for state officials and priests. The rows farthest in the back were for the lowest classes.

Since 400BC, the theater has changed a lot. During the Roman era, 21 more rows were added to allow 14,000 spectators. Later in 4^th century AD, Theodosios the Great banned all activities of the sanctuary. This resulted in over a thousand years of neglect. It was looted and forgotten.

Throughout the creation and destruction of empires, holy crusades, spread of epidemics, and horrors of world wars, this theater still survived. In 1881, excavations revealed that the auditorium was still in good condition even though the stage-buildings had crumbled away. Since the theater’s rediscovery, it has been refurbished and made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Epidaurus Festival officially opened in 1955. Over the 53 years of this festival, countless ancient dramas have been performed in the renowned ancient theater in front of audiences who get to enjoy the dramas just as the ancient Greeks did. More recently, the Theater of Epidaurus is occasionally used for opera, dance, and musical performances.

When you go visit the theater, it’s not like going to visit a museum or any other historical monument. In a museum, you can look at items of ancient cultures and maybe snap a few good pictures. At the Theater of Epidaurus, you get to have the full experience of what it would have been like in ancient Greece, watching dramas of the great playwrights. That is why this theater is so amazing.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

In the end, I went with a friend to Hong Kong for a week during Spring Break. Now that I’m back, I can share some advice on how to plan (and execute) a teen getaway!

1. BE REALISTIC: A six week trip around Europe, touring ten countries? Sounds wonderful but…it’s expensive.
2. BE CAUTIOUS: Recognize that there are places you are too young to travel to by yourself, or are just way too dangerous. When I was first looking at places to stay, I searched a lot of hostels online that I thought were safe. By my dad’s account, they weren’t. I stayed at a family friend’s apartment instead, which is what I suggest. Also, asking friends and family who have been there is crucial for insider information.
3. BE ORGANIZED: Plan out an itinerary before you go and show it to your parents. You’ll feel better knowing you have a plan to pack all the amazing sights in and your parents will feel better knowing where you are at each stage.
4. MAKE A BUDGET: Especially if you don’t have a credit card, making a budget is extremely important. Also, keep a detailed expense report, including receipts, during the trip.
5. FIND FUNDING: Are you paying for this trip? Start saving up! If you’re expecting your parents to foot the bill, still save up and offer to pay for part of it. The deal my parents and I had was that I had to pay for the airfare and come up with a travel plan and then they would pay for the rest of the expenses as long as it was reasonable.
6. SELL IT: Using your carefully budgeted, organized plan, make a pitch to your parents.
7. PACK EFFICIENTLY: Lugging around huge suitcases (especially by yourself) is a pain. Do you really need to bring that dress? Are you really going to have time to read those five books? Travel light with as small toiletry containers and as few shoes as possible. I went to Hong Kong with sneakers and flats. That’s it. Also, not everyone on the trip has to bring a camera! My friend and I had one between us.
8. BE SAFE: Always be cognizant of your surroundings. Bags that you hold close to your body with several zippered compartments are the best. Also, pack your money as close to your body as possible rather than in the outer pocket.
9. TAKE PHOTOS: This sounds obvious, but it’s incredibly important. If your parents are funding this, they want to know that you made use of their funds.
10. SHOW OFF: This goes along with the previous step. When you get back, don’t go hide in your room. Show off! Tell all the incredible tales of your journey! What did you see? What did you do? And, most importantly, what did you learn? Give a slideshow presentation answering these questions, and you’ll have a lot better chance of going on a trip again.

Good luck planning your trips! Anyone else have some good advice?

Cheung Chau is a small island to the west of Hong Kong Island. A forty minute ferry away, Cheung Chau is an ideal day trip for teen travelers interested in a bit of an adventurous hike, shopping, and seafood.

Inhabited longer than any of the other regions of Hong Kong, Cheung Chau remains a fishing village today as much as it did hundreds of years ago.

An interesting historical bit that my friend and I discovered when we went there is that Cheung Chau is the alleged hiding spot of Cheung Po Tsai, a pirate living in the 19th century. We only discovered this when we inquired about a restaurant’s name. Cheung Po Tsai restaurant (original, I know) was named as such in honor of the notorious pirate. The restaurant had great food from all types of Asian as well as European cuisine and is run by a foreigner.

For the thrill seekers out there, voyaging down Cheung Po Tsai’s cave is a lot of fun. It’s on the south side of the island and is directly off of the main path. This is where Cheung is supposed to have stashed his treasure. Be warned, this was not meant to be the most obvious spot and is tricky to get into.

The opening is small and you descend through into the darkness. Bring a flashlight! My friend and I had no idea it was going to be that dark and both relied on the feeble light my iPhone gave off. Thankfully, a ladder has been cemented to the wall. The walk is tight, dark, and narrow and you need to watch out for moving rocks. All is worth it, though, for the bit of adventure!

Other parts of the hike around the island are as intimidating, but nothing is treacherous.

When you’re finished with the hike, you can be rewarded with some good seafood by the ferry pier while enjoying the view of all the junk boats.

Day two in Jordan began with a trip to Jerash, known in antiquity as Gerasa. Reaching the height of its power in the late first century, Jerash was a place of power and prosperity. Today visitors can see the many influences of the West, especially the ancient Romans.

Three of the most notable features of this ancient city were the columns, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Roman forum.

• The columns are the most recognizable feature of Jerash and were in surprisingly good condition! Though, our guide, Khaled, showed us one that wobbled ominously above us. You can’t see it move, but when you put your hand at the bottom, you can feel it sway. We were also surprised by another incredibly long set of columns that formed a colonnade for charioteers. Grooves in the stone from years of use were easily visible. The road went straight into…a hill. This is evidence of the nature’s wear and tear on the city and that there is still something to be excavated!
• While it was Emperor Trajan who is responsible for opening up trade routes, it was Emperor Hadrian who had a triumphal arch erected in his honor at Jerash.
• The Roman forum is a third example of the Western influence in Jordan. While most forums were synonymous with a town square, this forum was built in an unusual oval. It was interesting to see the differences in masonry. The inner oval was constructed with rounder, less exact stones of varying color whereas the outer oval was cut more precisely and evenly, indicating a development in architecture and pleasing the art historian in me (AP Art History in action)!

Nihao (hello)!

Full of lion dancing, fire crackers, hongbaos (红包), and lots and lots of food, two weeks ago was Chinese New Year.

Family time:

For Americans, it’s Christmas or maybe Thanksgiving when the whole family gets together, shares stories, and has a feast. In Chinese culture, the new year, or Spring Festival, is a chance for the family to get together and celebrate. For many locals in Singapore (74% ethnically Chinese), this is the only time of the year where they take more than one day off of work.

Hongbaos:

Hongbaos, literally “red packets”, are red envelopes with money inside given by married couples to the younger generation. At my school, kids get hongbao with chocolate coins in them.

Lion dances:

Traditionally, lion dancers were trained in martial arts and would go around to stores, bringing good luck. Storekeepers would tuck a hongbao in some lettuce and tie it up really high. The “lions” would then have to show off their talents in order to reach the lettuce and the money hidden inside. This practice is still common all over the world, just not as intense as before. Lion dancing has become modernized and a performance itself (without the tricky lettuce-grabbing) is considered good luck. Superstitions aside, they’re also really fun to watch. Here’s a video I found of a modernized lion dance performed on Orchard Road, the main shopping district of Singapore.

Greetings:

新年快乐！

(xinniankuaile/ happy new year)

恭喜发财！

(gongxifacai/ may you be prosperous)

万事如意 !

(wanshiruyi/ may all go well with you)

Next year, I encourage you to head towards a Chinatown near you. Even if you don’t live in Asia, a lot of the festival is celebrated the same way all over and it’s interesting to see the little differences between each Chinese population.

That’s all I have for now,

再见 (zaijian/goodbye) teentravelers !

Kathryn