Oh, the places I want to go

It's been quite a while! How are you? I'm doing well. Thanks for asking.

More of the world has become familiar since my last post. I traveled to Eastern Europe last October, then to Turkey in March. This fall or winter, I'll be off again. Not sure where, but I'm considering Egypt/Jordan/Israel or Russia. I'm always open to ideas, so if you have a recommendation, please shoot me an email.

Auf Wiedersehen, Munich. Hola, Los Angeles.

I was resigned to believe that four years of high school German was a waste, but finally, it's come of some use. Lucky me!

I wandered all over Munich yesterday, but the two highlights of the day were:

Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum is the most brilliant museum—ever. It chronicles and explains the development of all things related to technology and industrialism. From hydraulics and typography to pharmacy and computers, you see the amazing interplay of form and function in various fields. It's absolutely amazing. You could literally spend a week in the museum. If you've ever been to the San Jose Tech Museum, think 100 times larger and infinitely cooler. So sexy!

Dachau
Dachau is a small picturesque town on the outskirts of Munich that holds a haunting history always to be remembered. It was home to the parent concentration camp of the Third Reich. Labeled as the "Academy of Terror," Dachau was the role model for all camps that spread throughout Europe. Learning and imaging the unspeakable brutality and evil was one of the most powerful and moving experiences of my life. I didn't realize it until I left, but I spent 5 hours there. It's that gripping.

Today, I make my way back to good old Southern California. I've had the time of my life seeing the world, meeting people, and experiencing new things. I don't want to sound trite, but it's really been broadening. I'm coming home with new and different perspectives of life and people.

One perspective I'll be coming home deals with work and life. I've always thought that Europeans were lazy. Actually, I still think they are. But most Europeans seem to smell the roses and enjoy life. America is the land of opportunities, but too many of us get engrossed in work and money. We live to amass things and status rather than experience and live life itself.

And at the end of the day, I know more than ever that I want to enjoy life rather than overwork and validate my self-worth with a nice car. Honda Civics are forever.

See you all in a bit. Off to America!

Pictures of Munich.

Brussels

Brussels is a city for those who are too strange or too smart for other cities. It's considered the heart of Europe (administrative capital of the EU), and everyone speaks at least 3 languages fluently. Drinking and eating is what life is about here, and I've been doing just that for the past few days. Yesterday, I only ate chocolate, fries (frites), and beer. Thank you, Jesus.

Here's some facts and tips I've learned in Belgium.

• People mix languages when they speak. It's similar to how some Korean-Americans mix Korean with English—just far less annoying.
• One kiss is for friends and three kisses are for birthdays and New Years. Never two kisses. Guys sometimes kiss guys, but only if they're gay or Turkish.
• Smoking in restaurants has been prohibited since January 1, 2007, but you wouldn't believe it. "Do you mind if I eat while you smoke?"
• Brussels has a small but thriving gay community. Best to leave your Metallica t-shirt at home.
• Don't ask where McDonald's is.
• A Brussels waffle is square, and a Liegeois is round. Sugar is baked into a Liegeois. And it's awesome.
• The Smurfs were born here.

Here's three sets of pictures for you.

1. Brussels
2. Bruges (medieval town outside of Brussels)
3. My favorite chocolatier shops

I arrived in Munich earlier this evening. It was really nice walking around the city. I finally got to to drink and eat at Hofbräuhaus, the world's most famous beer hall. Lucky me!

Tomorrow will be a full day of site seeing and learning, so I'll be back with some more pictures. I'm also rooming with two Japanese girls from Hiroshima. One girl looks like Michael Jackson (I swear. I'll try to take a picture with her) and the other wears this hygienic mask around the room. I gave them some chocolate from Belgium, and they act as if they're indebted to me for life.

Speaking of chocolate, half my backpack is clothes, the other half is chocolate. When I get back, I'll have plenty of the world's best chocolate to share. I went to a chocolate museum, so I'll share with you the history and process of chocolate making. How fun!

Rome

Here's some pictures of Rome. Just arrived in Brussels this morning. Beer, chocolate, and art—here I come. Lucky me!

Sevilla, Florence, Rome

Although I've picked up a fair amount of basic Spanish, I've found it interesting how much you can communicate without language. Gestures and body language go a long way, although trying to order Sevilla's local special, bull's tail, was precarious. I still don't know if I ate bull's tail or something else that comes out of that end. Same gesture.

Yesterday, I stood before Michelangelo's David at the Academia. It was the first time that I stared at a naked man for 30 minutes. It was special. The magnitude, details, and proportions of the David is breathtaking. Did you know that David is not circumcised? Me neither!

Despite the art, romance, and food, Florence fell short of my expectations. Italian people are beautiful, but they're not the friendliest folk. I also wasn't thrilled that it cost 0.70 Euros to use some restrooms. I tried to pee as much as I could per visit, and felt wasteful when I couldn't pee for over a minute. In short, Florence was a little too sold out to tourists for my tastes. Next time around, I'd like to roam around the Tuscan countryside.

This morning, I took a train to Rome. Rome is overwhelming. There's so much of antiquity, and if you consider the historical implications of Rome and its sites, it's mind blowing. The Coliseum was more sobering than fun. At first, I was thinking Russell Crowe. Soon, it dawned on me that the same venue was were hundreds of Christians were martyred. Heavy stuff. Let's talk about gelato instead.

Gelato is great, although a local I met told me that Milan has the best gelato. I've been eating and drinking non-stop. Brunello, Montalcino, and Montepulciano. If you like wine, those are worth trying. If you like espresso, don't order a double shot. Only stupid Americans do that, according my local Italian friend.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'm off to Brussels. I'm currently at a laundry mat/internet cafe that's run by these Indian folks. They're washing and drying my underwear, and they're providing me internet access for 7 Euros. Lucky me!

Here's some pictures of Florence.

Pictures of Spain

Here's a few pictures of Grenada, Ronda, Mijas, and some other cities I've visited. View slideshow

Dubin Photos

I'm currently in Seville, Spain. I don't know where to begin in trying to describe Spain, so I just won't. Everything and everyone is astonishingly beautiful. When I get the chance, I'll post some pictures of Spain. In the meantime, here's some pictures from Dublin. Ireland is a must visit if you're planning on visiting to Europe. The people are the friendlist and warmest you'll ever meet, and learning about Ireland's colorful past is fascinating.