John Gunter

Thoughts on Life and Living

First Impressions. . . Z-land and the Z-people

by

(This post is part of a series I am doing called “First Impressions. . . my first few months in Asia“. If you would like to read about this series and other articles, please CLICK HERE.)

Zland window from hostel
Window from my room in the hostel

Z-land is not the real name of the place, but it is, in fact, real. It is a politically charged region of the world, so I am leaving its real name out of this article. I would like to avoid having my name and it linked in search engines. I have been there several times, now. Each time with official permission. However, I just need to not mention the exact name. I hope you understand! This is my impressions (and a few pictures) from the first time I visited. . . um. . . Z-land.

As a broad summary statement, to say it was a different world would be the understatement of the year. Definitely unlike any place to which I have ever traveled. Though my body felt like it was being constantly pummeled for 4 straight days, the time was unforgettable and invaluable. Many of the faces and images will be burnt into my mind for a long time to come.

The Z-land people perhaps made the largest impression on all of us. They really are delightful (sorry if this word doesn’t sound like me, but it was most appropriate). Their smiles are as electric as any I have ever seen. They have a quiet confidence that seems to just stick out.

We had the privilege of staying in a hostel in the middle of the ancient side of town. It was a place that catered to western hiker/drifter types. We were able to stay for the equivalent of $5.70 a night. It was one of those places where the bathroom

[Read more…]

First Impressions. . . Tai Qi on National TV and Asian parties

by

(This post is part of a series I am doing called “First Impressions. . . my first few months in Asia“.  If you would like to read about this series and other articles, please CLICK HERE.)

Tai QI
We did not look as good as this guy, but at least we had matching undershirts.

Within a few months of living in Asia, I appeared on national TV on three different occasions.  This was my second such appearance and easily my most humiliating.

It was our entire group of six foreign students from America.  The story began about two weeks after our arrival in this country.  Our teacher informed us that part of our “cultural teaching” would be learning how to do this exercise named Tai Qi.  You have probably seen this.  It is the slow, almost hypnotic motions/exercise that you see being practiced mainly by elderly Chinese people.  It is the exercise that looks like Kung Fu, but only in mega-slow motion.  It was of absolutely no interest to any of us, but this was one of those “requests” from our university that we were not given the option of refusing.

What our teacher did not tell us was that we would be on TV doing this exercise with about 30-40 others during the National Day festivities.  She also didn’t tell us that everyone [Read more…]

First Impressions. . . Chinese pick-up basketball

by

(This post is part of a series I am doing called “First Impressions. . . my first few months in Asia“.  If you would like to read about this series and other articles, please CLICK HERE.

Chinese pick-up basketball
One of the many rag tag games of pick-up basketball I have played (not my finest haircut).

One of the things I most enjoyed about moving to Asia at first was basketball.  We played it often and made a ton of friends doing it.  Here are some of my initial thoughts from my first few months of playing pick-up Chinese basketball.

There were five years between the time that I spent a summer in Asia while in college and when I moved over here.  In that time period, the quality of play did rise and continues to each year.  The society plays a ton, so they are showing more and more improvement even to this day.  However, it was still very different than what I was accustomed to in the US.

About the play, the speed is very high and often sloppy.  They are all in incredible shape, so they can go at high speeds for hours without showing any effects.  This is the toughest thing for me, as I am dying after 45 minutes of so.  Their hand speed is great, but their foot work is terrible.  They will steal the ball from you, then trip over it as they try to pick it up from the ground.  Flying bodies and hands are the norm.

Along these lines, very few fouls are called.  You practically have to draw blood before a foul is called.  Getting slapped going up for a shot and mugged over the back on rebounds is just part of the play.  They are very aggressive and very physical, yet tempers almost never flair up.

Their major influence, to no surprise, is the NBA.  David Stern and his goons have obviously done an incredible job of marketing over here.  As there are very few coaches [Read more…]

First Impressions. . . my first few months in Asia

by

John Gunter and Patrick Ku during the first few months of life in Asia
This was at a local attraction my first few months in Asia (Patrick Ku is with me).

I moved to Asia permanently in 1999.  At the time, I had no idea how long I would be here, only that it would be “long-term”.  With the exception of a few US based years in the middle, I have been in East Asia since.

It has been an incredible journey of which there have been many ups and downs. Those first few months were packed with new people, experiences, sights, sounds, and lasting impressions.

As is the case with anything new, I wrote more about my experiences those first few months than I have in the past few years combined.  This was a world before Facebook, Twitter, blogging, and everything we have now at our disposal.

Since there were no platforms to share those first few months with a broader audience than family and a few close friends, I thought it would be fun to write a series of posts on this topic. So. . .

During the coming months, I will write a series of posts on some of my FIRST IMPRESSIONS of living overseas.  Most of these will be based on emails written during that time.  I have since edited them and written in some perspective that I now have looking back at each experience.

Hopefully you will enjoy getting a closer look at some of the everyday occurrences and experiences of life in Asia as a foreigner though my first few months.

The following are the titles of the posts.  I will probably add to these ever few weeks as other memories come to mind of which I would like to write up.  So . . .

Also see. . .

Revolting Green Tea Gatorade and my Asian weight room

by

Green Tea Gatorade and me
Me and my disgusting Green Tea Gatorade. . . notice that it looks like anti-freeze or something.

Today, several of us were working out in a local gym.  Nothing fancy, but a nice facility for here.

Something happened today, though,  that jolted me into the reality that I am not, in fact, in an American weight room.

Dancing pic in gym
This couple “lights up” the weight room here.

During a break, I bought a Gatorade from the front desk.  Pretty standard.  Opened it without noticing the favor and poured it down my parched gullet.

Bam. . . reality reared its ugly head.  Green tea flavored Gatorade.  Wow!  Not good. 

I like green tea.  Don’t love it, but definitely like it.  I love Gatorade.  Put the two together and it is repugnant.  Seriously.  One slight sip was all I could take.  I needed to brush my teeth to get the taste out.  Not good.

Then, it was as if my eyes were opened.  The weight room here really does have some funny differences compared its counterparts in the US.  I pulled out my phone to take some pics so you could see some of the sites on a random weekday in this Asian weight room.

First, the posters on the walls.  Weight rooms the world over have motivational posters on the walls.  [Read more…]

Subscribe to Blog by Email

Follow Me