Kevin Finlayson
I'm 51 and enjoying a one-year sabbatical after 24 years of teaching. I'm about to embark on many adventures and want to share everything (well, almost everything) with my family and friends. Keontor
Travel Blog Posts
April 24th 2011
I woke up this morning in my magnificent Balinese suite overlooking the ocean, and realized something terrible. This was the last day of my "voyage". Truly. Tomorrow, I spend the day travelling back to Hong Kong and arrive late in the evening. The next morning, I leave for what will be the beginning of a hellishly long journey home (Hong Kong to New Delhi to Chicago to Toronto!!!) and so when you look at everything, the "fun" is over this evening. Serious packing takes place tomorrow night upon arrival and then before you know it, it'll be back to catching the Ossington 63 and preparing for my next trip back to New York to take one more six week course...the city where this incredible journey began. It's sad that I ended up in Bali because my ... read more
April 20th 2011
A few giggles along the way from Australia right into China...some unfortunate awkward sentences, some bad spellings, some wit and some...well, if you figure them out let me know!!!... read more
April 19th 2011
Every time I see a citizen of this country, I remember that somewhere down the line, they are descendants of an incredible ancestry...to name some of the famous (and at times, "infamous"!) individuals who have contributed to this civilization would take forever. Likewise, when you consider the contributions they have made to the world both past, present and more importantly, the future. But study every face here and imagine the "thousand words" behind every picture...... read more
April 17th 2011
In a "family" teeming with women, there's bound to be one bossy, domineering brother. In a land where a male heir is cherished, it's only fitting that Beijing assume such a role. The political centre of this vast country with a population of 22 million, Beijing is not the oldest city (which I remember lovingly referring to as "Peking" as a child) but it is certainly rich in cultural treasures from the past and even more evident, has made a giant leap into the future. This is not the city I had expected. But in many ways that's a good thing. Before coming here, I had a wonderful opportunity to visit an Intrepid (the travel organization who organized this tour) sponsored charity that teaches mentally disabled people from ages 14-40, job skills, basic life skills and ... read more
April 13th 2011
If Shanghai was the naughty young girl in the "family" we call "China" then Hangzhou is her younger sister. But unlike the unpredictable Shanghai, she is more subdued, much gentler and is a very studious young lady. A "smaller" city with a population of only 6 million, the inhabitants are graced by a lake known as the "West Lake" that is a popular strolling ground for people who need to take refuge in a natural setting. Despite the numerous tourist dragon boats that converged on the shoreline, the walkway surrounding the lake was dotted with beautiful flowering cherry blossom trees, pagodas, temples and monuments dating back from the 9th century. On the outskirts of the "city" were lush hills that were home to various tea-growing stations. We ambled up one hill in the village of Longjing ... read more
April 11th 2011
Shanghai-NOUN: economic powerhouse of Mainland China; located in the southeast; largest shipping port in the world; estimated population...22 million Shanghai-ed: VERB:to kidnap, usually by drugging, for service aboard ship...to induce another to do something through force or deceit I've been Shanghai-ed. Without the drugs or the coercion but I know something happened and I'm still reeling. This gleeming, futuristic metropolis knocked me off my feet and I'm still recovering from the whirlwind romance the past few days. As I previously stated, China wears many masks. In the massive "family" that makes up this country of wonders...Shanghai is the naughty one. The attractive one in the family who pouts her lips, seduces with her eyes, makes one commit frivolous acts, is sulky when she's unhappy and is viral in her ectasy. You just can't resist her. The ... read more
April 5th 2011
A scandal has erupted and I am at the centre of it all. Chifley, my bethrothed from Australia, has competition!!! I have always promised fidelity to the one who stole my heart but this was all quite by accident. I would never intentionally hurt the one I loved but sometimes Fate has a funny way of intervening in your life and knocking all the dishes off the table. I know that you've "heard it all before" but this is a special case...I am ready to "dip my toe" into the world of adultery!!! Chengdu, in the heart of the province of Sichuan, is one of the special economic zones in Mainland China. A population of 14 million people (and three Starbucks noted in my trails!) and is famous for many things...the spicy Sezchuan food that we ... read more
March 31st 2011
Interesting Fact Number One: Even though China's mammoth land mass can cover over five time zones, they actually just use ONE. Interesting Fact Number Two: There are 1.3 BILLION people here. Interesting Fact Number Three: They have 3240 TV broadcast stations...eat that CBC!!! And so, I have entered that mysterious land that I used to be so fascinated by as a child. I used to read the Golden Encyclopedia Brittanica over and over, mulling over a wide variety of facts and legends about the land of Ghengis Khan and Confuscius. China was this allusive figure that I was dying to meet...in my everyday existence of "Chinatowns", "Chinese Food" and that classic gym teacher game of "The Great Wall of China". Economically speaking, we now know it is the most powerful in the world having recently surpassed ... read more
March 25th 2011
As a literature major, I often enjoyed the manner in which an author would use symbolism in his/her writing to illustrate the concept of "foreshadowing"...a "hint" that something terrible was about to befall our beloved characters. It's a much easier device to employ in film because the musical score usually sets the audience up for the impending disaster. When I arrived at the port to catch the 20 minute ferry boat to this tropical island off the west coast of Thailand, I noticed there were an awful lot...and I mean awful lot of people waiting for the ship. When it did arrive there was mass pandemonium. Had war been declared? Was this the absolute last ship in existence that would ferry people over to this Garden of Eden? After being jostled, pushed, shoved, abutted, and even ... read more
March 18th 2011
Well, actually it was four. This is my third visit here and the only time I have actually had to find warmer clothes as the curse of "La Nina" has struck this infamous city. Rain, a drop in temperature and perpetually cloudy days have made me almost fail to recognize so many of the sites I remembered visiting 15 years ago. Bangkok seems to have really become quite industrialized with all of their Starbucks a-plenty, cell phone deals and streets littered with every type of moving vehicle imaginable. Still, it is very economical to travel here with $5.00 meals, $3.00 taxi rides and $1.00 beers. Of course, if you really want to stretch your wallet, you need only to wander to the "Patpong" district where you literally can get a "bang" for your "buck". With club ... read more
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