All About Ms. World's World

Ms World's Top 10 Things about Her New City in No Particular Order

1. My newly born niece is nearby.
2. I have several friends in the area.
3. I have an opportunity to meet people through my JET network.
4.The city has a very international scene.
5. The city is known by all, so people like Cousin Ryumi, Sexxy Jimmy, Thip-Sexy, and Fashion Diva Elie-san may visit me from abroad.
6. I'm no longer in the Midwest.
7. I have access to the CW tv network, therefore I can become re-addicted to GIRLFRIENDS.
8. There are many free events happening in the city.
9.There are many places selling coffee in the city and suburbs.
10. There are a number of cinemas showing
interesting films.

The Downsides
1. The public transportation system cost to much in my view.
2. I'm not sure if my New York City friends will come to visit me.
3. The movies aren't under $10USD all the time.
4. I heard the public libraries suck.
5. I have to learn my way around a new city in the cold!
6. It ain't London, Mumbai, Tokyo, Bangkok, Hanoi, Cape Town or Dublin.
7. On a good day, I'd prefer to be mid-flight to a new destination.
8. I haven't found the international people, yet.
9. There is a Krispy Kreme shop in a major location which spells temp-tation for moi!
10. I have to find a job!

The End of the BLACK GIRLS RULE WORLD TOUR

It began on August 1, 2005 in Hong Kong. 

It lasted for over 7 months. 

I slept in cheap hotels and hostels, ate good, bad, and scary food, rode tons of buses, logged some miles on Indian Railways, and grabbed several airplane flights over the course of 221 days.

I lounged and learned in the southern hemisphere. 

I danced, cried, laughed, shopped, got pissed, and saw as much as I could in the northern hemisphere.

I logged the most miles in southeast Asia and South Asia (India). 

I went to sub-Saharan Africa because I knew it would be good for me and it was.

I travelled to 11 countries: Hong Kong, Thailand, LAOS, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, INDIA, South Africa, Mozambique, and Ireland, in all.

However, all things even dreams coming true must come to an end and mine did on March 9, 2006 when I landed at the Newark International Airport.

I've been in the U.S. for 1 week. It feels completely normal yet a bit strange to be back home. I was abroad for over 2 1/2 years (two years in Japan).

People keep asking me, "how was it?" I actually have no words to describe the last 7 months of my life. I have been/was living my dream. I hope you have or will have the opportunity to make one of your wildest aspirations come true. It is an amazing and empowering feeling.

Please note that I plan on writing several more posts about my travels in the very near-future. Then I'm not sure about the future of this weblog because I've changed, things changed, and I can't figure out how blogging will fit into my current reincarnation.

 

I recommend these airlines, bus companies, and tour agents!

Air Asia (For budget flights in Southeast Asia)   

Air Deccan  Spice JET  (Both for budget flights within India)

Emirate Airline  (The best international flights I've had in my life.)

Virgin Atlantic Airline   (Good international flights with a great entertainment system)

Tiger Airways  (For budget flights in Southeast Asia) 

Continental Airline  (Got a one-way $193USD fare from Dublin to Newark!)

Ryan Airline   (For budget flights in Europe)

South Africa's Translux Bus Company   

Hanoi's Kangaroo Cafe for a great tour of Ha Long Bay   

BazBuz's Cape Penninsula tour    

Ho Chi Minh City's Kim Cafe for cheap & decent sightseeing tours and bus passes

I highly recommend these hostels!

Hanoi Backpackers Hostel   Backpackers Ritz Hostel in the Johannesburg area 

Abraham House in Dublin 

Travel/Work Abroad Programs I used and changed my life!

BUNAC     Japan Exchange & Teaching Program   

Volunteering in India (no program fee)!

Akanksha

The summer of the memoir

      

 

I'm supposed to be writing a book but sometimes I can be found reading.

Here are some good reads I've enjoyed so far this summer.

Accidental Diva         by Tia Williams.
This is an African-American chick-lit book. I picked it up because I wanted to prove to myself that badly written books get published all the time. But I picked up the wrong book because it was well-written for the genre. It was also a very enjoyable read.

Project Girl  by Janet McDonald
I've been picking up lots of memoirs because of my own writing project. I have a special interest in memoirs written by African-American women. This book was richer and more moving than I expected. I thought it would be a story about a girl getting out of the ghetto because she was intelligent. It is so much more than that. The plot had more ups and downs than I anticipated. I loved it!

The works of Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian born graphic novelist now living in France. She has published at least 3 books in the U.S. about her experiences in Iran. I have a great interest in Iran (I tried to go there last year doing my BLACK GIRLS RULE WORLD TOUR but couldn't get a tourist visa. I also desperately wanted to go to Beirut, Lebanon too.) Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood is about her life in Iran during the Iranian Revolution.   Persepolis: The Story of the Return is about a period of her life spent in Austria where her parents sent her to get educated and enjoy life in a free society. It isn't a very happy tale and Satrapi ends up returning to Iran.  I liked these two books the best. I also read Embroideries which was interesting but not as powerful as the Persepolis series.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomedy by Alison Bechdel
This has complex and very original graphic novel has to be one of the best reads of the summer. Bechdel is a well-regarded creator of the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. This graphic novel is about her childhood and her relationship with her decorative arts-loving father. It was so good that I re-read it.

Naked: Black Women Bare All about Their Skin, Hair, Lips, and Other Parts edited by Ayana Byrd and Akiba Solomon
I actually purchased this book! (The rest of the books were checked out of the local library.) This book is a great collection of personal essays by a diverse group of African-American women. I highly recommend it.

 Cafe Trinity by Wendy Lo
This is a book of beautifully written poetry book with Japanese drawings by a new talent on the American poetry scene. You can't find this book in a bookstore or library so if your interested, please click on the title and pick it up.

 

There are more books that I read but I'll stop here. I'm in the midst of reading Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes (I'm stunned by how poor his family was!), Mary Karr's The Liars' Club , and Alexandra Fuller's Don't Lets Go to The Dogs Tonight. I think you can tell that I'm studying the memoir. 

My (Traveler) Confessions

1. I have no idea what is going on beyond the borders of India since I'm not reading the New York Times online on a frequent basis. I usually read an Indian newspaper several times a week but my favorite section is "lifestyle" oriented. Basically, I have no idea what is going on in the U.S.

2. I've only called my mother twice, possibly three times since I hit the traveler's trail in August. I barely e-mail my friends. I know that I'll have to rebuild my old and new (Japan-related) friendships when I return to the U.S. next year.

3. I'm so absorbed in my travels or myself that it hasn't really registered that 2005 is almost up.

4. I've probably done too little souvenir shopping in my travels. I figure I'll make up for it in India and on my next stop.

5. Sometimes I wish I had planned an around the world trip to the beach destinations of the world. However, I wouldn't be growing if I sat on a beach for the last 4 months.

6. Even though I'm living my dream, right now I feel surrounded by confusion. However, Diva Diane, a Pune mate, believes confusion can come about when one has to deal with lots of choices. She also sees confusion as a precursor to transitions. I'm definitely living a life full of choices. And I have a huge transition to deal with once I return to the U.S. next year.

7. Writing- I won't even get into that topic.

8. I think I think way too much for my own good.

9. I have no idea how I'm going to go from world traveling backpacker to an American actually living in America.

10. I will be spending Thanksgiving & Christmas 2006 in the U.S.A.

11. I really miss Essence magazine and other publications featuring lots of Black people.

The Latest Truth about India according to Ms. World

India is a country of a billion people with at least 50 million sides to it. There is political India which I've had no contact with and have very little real knowledge about. There is Bollywood India which I glanced at during a Friday night of dancing, drinking, and laughing at club Scream in Pune's Le Meridien hotel (Bollywood semi-starlet Riya Sen was in the house along with Mumbai's favorite transsexual Bobby Darling). There is the India of hard & harsher in the slums where I visit during my volunteer work at Akanksha. There is the middle-class India which is embodied in the hardworking folks at Akanksha and by the people I encounter "chilling out" at Barrista (think Indian Starbucks) or shopping at Pune Central shopping complex.

There is so much that I know I won't be able to see or experience in India during my current stay here that I've decided it is best to give up. I'm going to see, experience, hear, and taste what I can and let everything else go. I'm also trying to take India on its own terms which is easier written than done.

Taking India on its own terms means that I'm trying to look at my current reality through a different set of lenses. For example, I've realized that the white skin preference that I've sometimes seen displayed in India may have its flip-side for me- it is a perfect people filter. There is less bullshit for me to deal with and I can plow ahead looking for kind and interesting people to connect with instead of being hassled all the time or dealing with horny Indian guys with odd ideas of Western female sexuality.

I'm also doing my best to look for the sweet and light side of India per Professor Singh's suggestion. However, I know I've already found the best that India has to offer in its children. I really love my volunteer work at Akanksha. I volunteer twice a week at three different centers all over Pune during the week. The Akanksha kids have welcomed me with open arms, smiles, and their ears since I'm always after them to speak as much English as possible (one of Akanksha's goals). I also enjoy working with their staff which is filled with many cool and interesting young Indian women. Therefore, in honor of me finding of more sweetness and lightness in India (compared to finding sweetness in Mumbai only), I've created a list.

My Favorite Things/Experiences in India (So Far)

1. Becoming Chinita-Diddy (big sister in English) to dozens of Akanksha children

I thought the kids would call me Ms. Chinita or Chinita-teacher but Chinita-Diddy is the best. I like it as much as being my mother's daughter, Eugene's sister, Ms. Barbara's grandchild, etc.

2. The Food/ Chai

Yes, Indian food is good but some of the food I've had so far is so good that it is like "soul food" to me. And I love the masala chai.

3. The plentiful supply of newspapers, books, and magazines in English.

I was starved for periodicals during my two-year tenure in Japan. Books in India are inexpensive which is great but I love the extensive range of magazines. I read Filmfare, Stardust, India Today, Tehelka, Outlook, Elle, Cosmo, Society, Savvy, Time Out Mumbai, and more.

4. Friendly Indian People

I've realized that India runs on a serious networking system. It is important to get the mobile number of a friend of a friend's cousin's friend from Kerala who now lives in Pune, so you can call them up and meet for coffee, dinner or meet more of their friends and go to a club. If you know someone and get properly introduced to other folks, then socializing is much more easier and the people are so much more friendlier (to me anyway) than showing up some place without any connection to anyone.

5. Salwar Kameez

I like wearing the salwar kameez (punjabi suit). It is very comfortable and perfect for my volunteer work at Akanksha. It is also very easy to wear because I don't have to think about keeping certain body areas covered. However, I'm still trying to master the art of wearing the dupatta (the scarf draped on the shoulders).

Month 4 of the Black Girls Rules World Tour

Departed Mumbai --> overland train and bus to Pushkar, Rajasthan via Ajmer--> overland train to Pune, Maharastra via Mumbai

I'm taking a little break from backpacking right now. I have been sleeping in the same bed for about 3 weeks and it feels nice. I've made some friends who I have tea with sometimes. I've been in Pune for a few weeks. I will stay here doing volunteer work and witnessing outrageous things in the name of enlightenment for another few weeks. Then I'm back on the traveller's trail.

I've very happy to hear that Diva Angela will be hitting the traveller's trail next year. She said I was some sort of inspiration to her which was very kind of her. However, sometimes I feel like I don't know what I'm doing out in the world. I see, hear, feel so much that I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this information, experience, insight that I've garnered. I feel like I need to use everything I've learned and will learn to change the world or at least my world and myself. 

On other topics- I had a good Thanksgiving holiday in Pune. I attended a Vegetarian Food Festival at the Pune Club with friends. The food was good, especially the sweets. It was quite posh and fun, so I wasn't drowning in my teardrops about spending a third Thanksgiving away from my family.

Month 3 of the Black Girls Rules World Tour

October was the third month of my travels.

Departed Singapore --> overland bus to Melaka, Malaysia --> a return overland bus trip to Singapore for my birthday festivities --> overland bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia --> overland travel including an overnight bus, taxi, and two ferries to Perhentian Island's Long Beach --> overland bus to Kuala Lumpur --> overland bus to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia --> overland bus to Kuala Lumpur--> Air India flight to Mumbai, India

Yes, I'm finally in India now.  Professor Singh rightly termed my initial experiences outside of Mumbai as being "mixed." However, I'm a strong and determined woman, so the situation has improved or I'm simply getting use to it, or I've decided that I don't care. I'm happy to say that I'm swell!

While I was waiting for FLICKR to upload my photos!

I stole this from DIVA Sibil but I also saw it on DIVA ANNA's diary.

1. What is your full name? I consider it classified information. However, my first name is Princess Chinita but you can call me Ms. World or Diva if you are nastay!

2. What color pants are you wearing? I only have 3 pair of pants/capri pants. I'm wearing the khaki colored ones because they have pockets.

3. What are you listening to right now? Tribe Called Quest's Check The Rhyme

4. What's the last thing you ate? The Laotian version of pancakes with honey which is similar to fried bread with honey & butter. It cost me 10,000 Laotian kip which is $1USD. I'm addicted to them.

5. Do you wish on stars? YES! I'm that kind of chick!

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black or Red

7. How is the weather right now? Since it finally stopped raining, it is a cool summer's night in Vang Vieng.

8. Last person you talked to on the phone? I talked to Diva Nonnie when I was in Kyoto, Japan about two weeks ago. I'm only calling people on special occasions or if I'm in trouble.

9. Do you like the person who sent you this? Not Applicable.

10. How old are you today? That is also semi classified information. For the record, I'm a happy member of the 30's club.

11. Favorite drink? Mango shakes which I can get in Laos for 5,000 kip or 50cents in American currency. I've already had two of them today.

12. Favorite sport? Traveling.

13. Hair color? Dark brown but looks black

14. Do you wear contacts? I brought some for traveling but I haven't really worn them.

15. Siblings? I have a younger brother. I have two half sisters but they are much younger than I am.

17. Favorite food? My current favorite food is the Laotian version of pancakes and baguettes. However, I'd love some of my mother's soul food!

18. Dream vacation? I'm living it! But I still long to see the south of France.

19. Last movie you watched? I saw Before Sunset when I was in Toyama, Japan. I loved it.

20. Favorite day of year? My birthday is usually a lot of fun.

21. What do you do to vent anger? I blog. I rant & rave. I used to run at the gym. I try not to do any emotional eating though.

22. What was your favorite toy as a child? I was really into books and my Black barbie doll.

23. Summer or winter? I'm a spring and fall kind of gal.

24. Do you want your friends to email back? I don't understand this question. I love for my friends to e-mail but I can be very bad about e-mailing them back.

25. Who is most likely to responds? I'm confused! Cousin Ryumi help me!

27. Living arrangements? I'm currently staying at the MALANY Guest House in Vang Vieng for the next 2 nights. I have no idea where I'll be 2 weeks from now. However, I always consider my mother's residence my home.

28. When was the last time you cried? I have to be very, very upset to cry. I haven't cried in awhile. I should have cried about leaving Japan or being blessed to live my travel dream. I'll probably get upset about something very minor and start crying about everything in my life including the fact that I was called lots of names when I was younger because I was overweight as a kid.

29. What is under your bed? I don't have a permanent bed.

30. Who is the friend you have had the longest? My mother or brother.

31. What did you do last night? I was trying to figure out what country I want to travel to next. I have no permanent travel plans or obligations after my Laos travel visa expires.

32. Favorite smell? Cleanliness, Perfume, or Men.

33. What are you afraid of? Not living up to my potential, having a positive and loving long-term relationship or having a child.

34. Plain, buttered, or salted popcorn? I love butter and people who know me understand this is an understatement.

35. Favorite car? I don't even have a driver's license. I do think the MINI's are cute but not very unpractical.

36. Favorite flower? Orange or Pink DAISIES or tulips

37. Number of keys on your ring? I have the key to my room at the guest house.

38. How many years at your current job? I don't have a job now.

39. Can you juggle? Barely

40. Favorite day of the week? Friday or Saturday

41. What did you do on your last birthday? I threw myself a birthday dinner at CIBO in Toyama City. It was fun!

42. How many states have you lived in? I've lived in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, California, Virginia, and Indiana, so that is 6.

43. How many cities have you lived in? Jersey City, New York City (Brooklyn), Toyama City, Japan, San Francisco, my hometown, London, U.K., and Florence, Italy, so that is 7.

44. How many countries have you lived in? USA, U.K., Italy, and Japan, so that is 4. I still need to live in a Black majority country for a period of time.

45. How many cars have you had? None. I don't know how to drive.

46. What's for dinner tonight? I had a big lunch of pad thai, pancakes, teas, and mango shakes for lunch. I'm not doing dinner but I'll drink some orange juice.

47. If you got one do over in your life what would it be? This is too personal for me to answer because it would reveal all my neurosis. I must have some secrets even in the blogsphere.

48. What religion are you? Born and raised a Christian in the Protestant sect but I'm all over the place. I've decided not to convert to any religion because I think it is pointless because we are all one. However, if I would convert to any religion it would be buddhism.

Ms. World`s Packing List

*underwear

*IPOD MINI/ IPOD power charger/IPOD manual charger (I`ve decided to limit my IPOD usage to airports, bus stations, airline flights, nighttime bus trips, and trying to fall asleep in a hostel dormitory which I`m sharing with 5 other people.)

*2 mid-sleeved and collared shirts (I`m really trying to pack light.)

*All the courage I can muster

* 1 pair of shorts

* writing journal

* A healthy dose of no expectations

*wet wipes

*body wash

*medium size towel (I cut 1/3 of the towel. It is still a little too big. However, it is a luxury item.)

*My trust in the Omnipotent One

*Japanese Yen

*pair of black pants

*sweater

*A song in my heart because I can`t believe after dreaming about long-term travel for the last few years that it is now a reality.

*silky sleep sack (THANKS SINGAPORE SPICE!)

* reading light ( I know this will come handle when I`m sleeping in $5USD a night hostel dormitories.)

*Danyel Smith`s latest book `BLISS`

*My faith

*contact lenses (This is my attempt to look cute while traveling.)

*digital camera & other related accessories

*A tissue to wipe all the tears from my eyes after the airplane takes off.

*pink sweat pants & black t-shirt (for sleepwear)

*discipline

*condoms (Chinatown Spice and others have advised me to pack this in case I bump into Abhishek Bachanan or Taye Diggs.)

*business cards

*Indian Rupees (A gift from Chinatown Spice!)

*Openness

*hair moisturizer (A Black woman`s necessity!)

*flip-flops (for shared bathrooms at $5USD a night guest houses)

*2 pair of capri pants

*Mad love for myself and everyone I meet on my upcoming journey because the world is really waiting for me!

What I learned in Japan

I have five more days left in the place that I have called home for the last 2 years. I have nine days left in a land where I became a `grown` woman. Toyama City, Japan has made a lasting mark on my life and my heart.

I`m currently going dealing or trying not to deal with a lot of emotions. Honestly, I feel like the situation hasn`t hit the tipping point yet but I know it will soon enough. I know I will cry eventually but right now I don`t have the energy or time for it.

Here are several things that I learned in Japan

* how to deal with everyone and their grandmother staring at me because I might be the first person of African descent that they had ever come into contact with. I dealt with all of the attention by turning it into a positive interaction. I`ve spent a lot of time in Japan smiling, waving, and speaking to  strangers because I`ve found it easier to be positive than to get pissed.

* that I like a lot of attention.

* that language can be noise. Even if you and another person don`t know each other`s native tongues, it still may be possible to communicate with each other on a basic level.

* that I`m a total hottie.

* that my friendship theory is a definitive truth. I believe that you need at least 1 friend in your central environment who you can call up at 2am in the morning or see regularly on a face to face basis in order to maintain your well-being. I prayed to GOD before I arrived in Japan that I would make at least 1 good friend in Toyama City. I have been blessed to have many people in my life that I can call at 2am in the morning. I now pray that I meet people like this when I`m traveling.

* that my voice is powerful and deserves and needs to be heard.

*that sometimes I need to be quiet and listen to others.

* how to respect people`s wishes even if I don`t understand them.

* that politeness and kindness aren`t the same thing.

* that people`s reality is their truth. If your realities haven`t or don`t intersect, than you may remain blind to each other.

*how powerful personal interactions and friendships can be. I have come to believe that we can make the world a little better by interacting and possibly building friendships with people who are completely different from ourselves or who come from different neighborhoods, cultures, religions, or countries.  However, we must be as open to each other as we can be.

*that people need to have sex.

*that it is important to call people on their shit in a non-confrontational way and out of a sense of respect for each other.

*that Japanese fried chicken is the best!

*that I don`t like Green tea flavored-things.