I’m with my family, staying in an apartment that is closer to the Eiffel Tower than should be humanly possible–I feel like I can touch it (but that may be the Lambrusco typing).  Today is the third day of my Parisian adventure and, it being Sunday, I’ve taken it pretty easy.  I returned from the Marais around 7:15 AM this morning and heard my father complaining, “the least he could do is call us.  He shouldn’t make us worry like this.”  I knock, get let in, and my mother immediately hugs me and kisses me.  I am loved in the city of love, it’s pretty surreal.

The Marais was INTENSE!  And, as someone who has frequented a gay bar or thirty in his life, I can say that Paris tops the cake.  I started out at L’Open Cafe, which was a nice, small, clean bar with men o’plenty.  I was nervous because last night marked a first for Mr. Grant Hoover: going out to a bar/club alone.  Mind you, I google searched strategies on how to do this successfully, but I was still on edge about the prospect of going there and looking like a pathetic American loner the whole time.  I had one drink at Open–I researched my drink and asked for “lah vohdka avec gah-shiz,” which is the phonetic pronunciation of what my guide book listed as a vodka soda.  Gah shiz did not work out, but a local, who was standing next to me, pitched in and helped me procure the correct concoction.  I stood at the bar taking it all in (which is what my google research said to do) and allowed the gods to do their work.  Nothing happened there…the gods are funny like that.

My next stop was Raidd Bar, which was packed.  This is the bar that put gay Paris on the map for me.  So, as a guy who learned to be gay in Los Angeles, I am used to bars having beefy go go dancers than wear little ginch gonch underwear and tantalize with their erotic gestures and booty shaking.  Well, Raidd has a shower stall and a man that would lather himself up and proceed to strip (until it was him and a couple sudsy bubbles).  The thing is, he was… aroused and perhaps the most well endowed chap I have ever come across (we’re taking porn HUGE).  It was absurd and my jaw dropped.  This show happened multiple times while I was at the bar and I lucked out and found myself RIGHT in front of the stall.  Oh life.

So, the other noteworthy thing about this bar was my introduction to a Australian, who works in Los Angeles, named Peter.  Peter works for Fox Network and sells, wait for it, Glee to international broadcasting stations.  He said that he was on business in Paris and had just sold Glee to the Parisians for 1 million an episode.  I was mesmerized, as you can imagine, and we continued to talk for hours.

Now, I have always seen myself with a younger guy but I finally understand one of the HUGE appeals of an older gentleman caller.  Peter proceeded to hydrate me with lah vohdka avec gah-shiz for the rest of the evening.  As we went to different clubs, he insisted on paying my cover.  Whatever I wanted, I got and while it was nice, I feel a little sketchy about it all.  Perhaps I am that GOOD of a conversationalist…or maybe he just liked being seen with a younger guy in a hip green shirt…I will never really know.  At the end of the night, when we bid farewell, he insisted on calling me a cab and had the bill taken care of before I could translate his second word.  Again, surreal.  When I made it home, I realized that I had lost the key to the apartment I’m staying at and just thought, well, that’s that.  (I’ll have you know that I have since be able to procure said key with the help of…you guessed it, Peter).  Perhaps I will leave Student Affairs to become arm candy for older international suitors.  It was nice being taken care of.

So yes, Paris is off to a smashing good start!  Tomorrow the Hoovers will begin their 3-day bus tour to check out all of the major sites.  Before that can happen, I need to catch up on sleep, make dinner, and finish the lambrusco.

Bon apetit!

I miss you, baby. It seems like forever since we’ve been together. All I want is for you to wrap your cool arms around me like you have so many times before.

I know things have been rough with us lately. I am sorry that I let work take priority over our time together earlier this week. I know the Auction kept us apart for many nights when I would lay in my bed strategizing rather than looking into your dreamy eyes.

The time change from Japan to Hawaii also seems to have us on completely different schedules. Now you only have time for me during daylight hours, 8 AM to 6 PM. You know I am supposed to be working during those times. I have staff meetings from 12-1 every day and sporadic meetings with students on top of that.

I need you to think about how your availability is impacting me. I need us to get back together. I need you in my life but I need you to take my work and life schedules into consideration.

Come back to me,

Your Grant

As of 0245 on Sunday, November 29 we have fundraised $38,446 (+$33,996 from yesterday).

In total, 124 Members of shipboard community have made a monetary contribution, which brings us to 20% participation.

We raised $21,515 in the Live Auction.

We raised $12,006 in the Silent Auction

We received $475 in Shipboard Drive Donation forms since yesterday’s report.

Hope all is going well,

Grant

For such a serious country, Japan has some pretty silly things

So, Japan was perhaps one of our most conservative ports. We were told to speak in low voices, not chew gum in public, and to avoid blowing our noses while walking the streets at all costs.  That being said, I encountered a few things during my short time in Japan that made me wonder, “how conservative is Japan, really?”  From adult-men looking at erotic comic books in broad daylight to little old ladies with pale purple or pink hair, Japan definitely seemed to have a wild streak.  The items below seem both silly and/or bizarre. Are they amazing or creepy?  You tell me:

Pokemon Center in the middle of a mall in Yokohama: amazing or creepy?

Entire stores filled with the toy machines found in grocery stores. The toys cost anywhere from $2 to $5: amazing or creepy?

Arcades with virtual dungeons and dragons...where you have to bring, play with, and move your own cards on a virtual table: amazing or creepy?

An entire isle of sexy sant-ess outfits: amazing or creepy?

Kids in costumes roaming the streets of Tokyo: amazing or creepy?

This Tokyu Hands Christmas display: awesome or creepy?

A electronic toilet with heat, shower, and bidet settings: amazing or creepy?

A rather kinky looking reindeer mask: amazing or creepy?

This statue with THAT hat: amazing or creepy?

A department store with a chem-lab display?: amazing or creepy?

A plethora/pound of humping dog USB toys: amazing or creepy?

An entire corner display of Michael Jackson costumes...in late November: amazing or creepy?

Cream filled...lady fingers (???) with eyes: amazing or creepy?

This strategically placed on and off switch: amazing or creepy?

We’re on day two of our ten day trek from Japan to Hawaii.  Today was Thanksgiving, although, I must admit, it did not feel much like Thanksgiving.  It was just another day at work: I woke up at 11:30 AM, read my emails, brushed my teeth, flossed, and listened to Lady Gaga to give me the strength necessary to endure my staff meeting at noon.  After the hour-long meeting, I went to the gym for a couple hours, showered up, answered more emails, and then went to dinner.  The dinner did include “turkey” and pumpkin pie for dessert, but I might as well have eaten it at Denny’s in mid-March. Don’t get me wrong, I am not upset with my day or anything like that, I am just saying that Semester at Sea does not treat it as much of a holiday.

Me and my date...and the guy in purple she invited along. Check out the table, what a spread, eh?

I asked girl out to Thanksgiving dinner with me and she agreed.  I asked her to dress up to make our “date” particularly special; we looked damn good as a pair.  Wouldn’t you know it, she invited another guy to join us.  Perhaps this date was doomed from the beginning.  I should know better than to go out with women, right?  It was a lovely meal…after we finished our first bottle.  After completing our second bottle I had to run to a meeting and was…well, not as articulate as I would have been otherwise.  Regardless, I work too hard and need to have these sorts of small celebrations where I can dress up and drink fine wine.

Anyway, I am now on beverage duty (where I get some of my best blogging done) waiting for the students to show up to get their fill of wine and beer.  I am ten minutes into my two hour shift.  We’ll see how it goes.

Anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to list the things I am grateful for.  Semester at Sea, which is something I have been SO excited for during the past 12 months, has opened my eyes to the wonderful things I sometimes take for granted back home.  Just like it took Dorothy an extended trip through Oz to realize that “there’s no place like home,” so, too, has it taken me a journey around the world to make a similar realization.

What am I grateful for in 2009?
Being among the lucky who have people who genuinely love them–this journey has made that realization clearer than ever. | Earning a Master’s degree. | Getting my dream job out of grad school. | Getting to know wonderful people like Meagan, Jackie, Valerie, and Ann. | Developing a more refined and sophisticated sense of what to wear and, more importantly, what not to wear. | Having FM in my life. | Having FM’s patience in my life. | Traveling around the world at age…24. | Spotting the first RD post in Boston last night at Northeastern University. | Finishing my comps paper despite the whirlwind that was my life at the time. | Getting a clearer sense of who I am and how I work. | Becoming more comfortable in my own body and skin. | Having the time and determination to maintain a workout schedule all year. | Realizing the awesomeness that is my ridiculous and irreplaceable family. | Taking away the lessons learned while traveling around the world, especially those taken from India. | Enjoying my continued health. | Completing the entire Twilight Series (thank you, Class Councils!). | Not taking classes for the first time in 19 years and rediscovering my own intellectual curiosity. | Looking forward to the experience that is Hoover Family Christmas 2009. | Looking forward to the FM/Grant reunion of 2009. | Savoring some excellent cakes and cupcakes. | Having old friends like Akiko, Erica, Lindsay, Angela, Erin, Eme, and Anjali. | Having a most excellent GC. | Finding kindness at UVM (from folks like Stacey Miller and Alan Ryea) as I tried to spend one last summer in Vermont. | Having excellent and deep conversation with a handful of people. | Helping those that I could help. | Trying to smile more.

Sankeien Garden: Yokohama

Well, I did not see any Geisha but I had a great time.  Japan is an interesting place, not quite what I was expecting, but a trip nonetheless.  We started off in Yokohama, traveled to Tokyo, and then spent our last day in Kobe.

I expected a pricey metropolis with gadgets galore.  While I eventually found that (thanks to FM), I was surprised by how generic and simple things came off at first glance.  The sites seemed pretty simple compared to the enormous man made structures I’ve seen in places like Morocco, India, and China.  It took time to realize that simplicity is the art form of Japan.  Take the Sankeien Garden, in Yokohama, for example.  Compared to the summer palace, it is not all that impressive in size or complexity.  The earth-toned buildings are minimal and the flowers and trees not all that exotic or distinct.  It’s not until you take it all in at once that you appreciate the balance.  Nature is what is on display and, as a westerner, I do not think I am particularly attuned to the subtleties of this organic medium.  It was not until I started going through my pictures of this garden that I realized how incredible this garden really way.  Much like the bonsai trees on display at the garden, this site was meticulously designed and cared for in order to create the sense that human hands never interfered with the natural growth and development of the space.  Alright, I am done with my expose on Japanese gardens, I promise.

Meiji Shrine: simple, right? PS: it was much warmer in Japan than China

In Tokyo, we visited the Meiji Shinto Shrine, walked up to the gates of the Imperial Palace, went inside the Asakusa Kannon Temple, smelled the sweet scents of asian bakeries while walking down Nakamise Street, and finally strolled around electric town.   The shrines did not do all that much for me, probably because I was on a SAS trip and could not ask our tour guide, Michiko, about the history and customs that I was interested in.  I get all shy and don’t like hogging the tour guides when students are around.  Anyway, the thing that made shopping in the electric district or Nakamise street impossible was how pricey everything was.  For me, all shopping was window shopping.  Even the post cards cost over $2!  Damn, the yen!

Electronics store in electric town: sensory OVERLOAD!

After my first day in Tokyo, I was a bit underwhelmed.  I mean, I have been around people and learned about Japan since I was 11.  I was SO excited to visit but after day two in the country, I did not see what all the hype was about.  The only thing that made Japan distinct to me at that point was the people.  In my experience, the people of Japan are some of the kindest and most helpful people around.  They stop to say hello/konichiwa, people nod their heads as you pass them in the street, and the service I received in stores, shops, and my hotel was absolutely impeccable.  The people of Japan are AWESOME!

I get out of the JR station and this is what I see...PERFECT!

Anyway, so I was still trying to figure things out.  After a late night in Tokyo with some LLC buds, I asked FM for some ideas of things to do on a Sunday afternoon.  He directed me to a department store called Tokyu Hands.  I asked my concierge for the nearest store and she directed me to the store in Shibuya.  Shibuya is everything I expected Japan to be.  Busy, bright, buzzing, clean, and tech-y. Tokyu Hands was a department store with 7 floors, but each floor was broken up into three different floors.  So, we talking about 21 floors here.  It took me over two hours to get through the whole store.  I felt like I’d been walking through Disneyland by the time I was done in the store.  The place had EVERYTHING.  It is impossible to describe the sort of selection found at this place: from leather for purse making to chemistry beakers, from Michael Jackson costumes to 11 varieties of nail guns, and from designer wallets to wedding cake accessories, this place had it all.  It was quite a site to behold.  Anyway, I left the store and headed back to the train.  On my way, I stopped at a curry shop where I ordered my entree from a vending machine–vending machines were EVERYWHERE in Tokyo.

The only Kobe beef I could afford was this non-beef fried thing. Mmm

After leaving Tokyo, we took the bullet train to Kobe. I had about four hours to explore the city before needing to be back to the ship for a reception with Japanese college students.  Kobe was cool enough.  It was just fun hanging out with Ann, Grace, Eddie, Hannah, and John (they were in fun moods, I must say).  We took some silly pictures as we explored the relatively small city.  I tried lots of different foods while walking around (Ann, Grace, and Hannah are adventurous when it comes to food).  I tried Kobe beef, or something that may have been fried in the same oil a Kobe beef?  I bought a fried Beef item that cost 120 yen.  The fried Kobe Steak cost 5,000 yen, if my memory serves me correctly.  I had a couple doughnuts, tried the grape candy, and then had some sort of local chicken dish with cold sake.  Kobe was not nearly as fun or interesting as Tokyo, although one of the last things I did with the group of SAS staff members was get into one of those photo booths.  It was SO fun!  They are WAY cooler in Japan than the ones we have in the states…the sad thing is that they cost $6.  Yowza.

So, Japan.  I really liked it.  I met a woman who was visiting the ship that worked for the JET program.  I stayed up late in Kobe talking to her about her experience as was TOTALLY ready to apply.  Unfortunately, the application was due to the Japanese embassy in the states within hours.  Wonh wonh.  Maybe I’ll apply in 2010.  This would give me a chance to come back, learn some of the language, and get a closer look at this intriguing place.

That's what they SHOULD have put on the Statue of Liberty.

I loved China.  Really.  I had a wonderful time and look forward to going back.

Buddha says, "Hi!"

I spent my first day in Hong Kong and was thrilled to be in a big city again.  I liked the energy there and was received well by the locals.  I would get stopped by people on the street and asked to take a picture with them–I would like to think that I am hanging up in someone’s living-room in China right now.  A boy can dream.  While in Hong Kong, I went with some LLCs to the Giant Buddha (the world’s largest seated Buddha, for you trivia peeps out there).  I was in a pretty terrible mood for most of the day but my spirits were lifted once we made it to the buddha.  I went on a photo expedition and came back chipper and ready for a night out on the town.  After having dinner on the ship and watching the nightly light show of the Hong Kong high rises, I got ready and went with Ann, Pat, and Eddie to some gay bars in the area.  Talk about a dead scene–yeesh.  After a few attempts to find a decent bar I was ready to call it a night. I had to get up early for my trip the next day and I had managed to find an admirer who would not leave me alone.  Eddie and Ann loved that; they just laughed and took pictures as I waited for them to save me from one awkward conversation with this guy after another. We eventually got the hey out of there and headed back to the ship. The highlight of that night out was going to the 24-hour McDonalds, which was located right where the ship was docked.  I managed to get 2/3 hours of sleep before getting up to lead a trip to Beijing.

Frozen peaches at Beijing Zoo

I went with a group of 29 SASers to stay at Tsinghua University, which is just outside of Beijing.  We flew from Hong Kong to Beijing and as we landed I smiled as I looked out on the snow covered ground.  When I saw it, I thought to myself, “just like home.”  Weird, right?  Apparently the call of the cold is stronger for me than I thought.  Anyway, the immediate chill I felt when I went from the plane to the gangway gave me another jolt of excitement as memories of that feeling flew through my brain. It was as though I expected FM or some UVMer to pick me up at the airport or something.  I knew that was not going to happen, but the thought itself made me happy.  I am excited to reconnect with friends and family.

As part of our University visit, we visited all of the historical temples, palaces, and sites of Beijing. This is what I really loved about China.  Mind you, it is all incredibly ostentatious and unnecessarily massive, but I still loved it.  The detail and scope never seized to amaze me as I moved from one postcard-view of a site to another.  It is all so incredible to see.  The sites included the Summer Palace, Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, and the Birds Nest.

That was all I had to wear in 32 degree weather...I miss the days of shorts in snow

Yes, it was truly divine.  Unfortunately, the cold kept me from taking everything in as I would have otherwise.  So, when I packed for SAS, I was planning for very warm weather (call me dumb, but when I think of Africa, I think sweltering heat).  I only packed one hoodie and did not bring anything close to a winter coat.  So, I was pretty miserable in Beijing during the 32 degree days and avoided the 26 degree nights like it was my job. I wasn’t shivering the entire time, but when the gusts of wind came (as they often did, especially in Tiananmen Square) it was pretty horrendous.  So, rather than savoring each site, I would take a quick look, pull my hands out of the gloves I purchased (made in China, of course) and took a quick picture or two, and then scurry to the next site.  My haste did not make much difference because pretty much everything was outside–apparently the Chinese have a thing for open spaces.

Temple of Heaven: my favorite site in Beijing

I WAS able to get a coat on day three while in Beijing.  We went to the Silk Market, which is where one can bargain for coats, suits, jeans, etc.  I was on a mission to get a coat and succeeded.  I did well with my bargaining and got my Armani (knock off?) peacoat (anyone, correct me if I am wrong in calling this a peacoat) for 400 yuan ($58.50) when it started at 1200.  I also picked up a couple handsome cashmere scarves, and Chairman Mau watch, Harry Potter and the 1/2 Blood Prince, and some other trinkets.  It was pretty awesome and at this point, I wonder why I do any shopping in the states.  It’s much more fun in China.

Bird's Nest, pretty rockin, eh?

Coat on, I was able to enjoy my last day in Beijing as we walked on the Great Wall and then visited the Birds Nest.  Don’t tell anyone, but I have a piece of the wall!  Anyway, leaving the ancient grander of the wall, we headed into the city to check out the contemporary part of Beijing where the Olympic games were held. I really liked the structures used for the Olympics.  Very fun and I need to see the Water Cube at night when it is lit up at some point.  Just another reason to start saving for China trip #2.

We flew from Beijing to Shanghai, where the ship was now docked (it left Hong Kong and was traveling to Shanghai while I was in Beijing).  Shanghai was another big city.  It did not seem to have the rich history or tradition that I loved about Beijing but it did have lots of malls and big buildings.  Much like when I am on vacation in the states, I don’t go shopping at places I can buy from when I am at home (and can return things).  So, the standard malls did not have much appeal for me.  I went to another market and picked up some more DVDs and some gloves to complete my new sophisticated winter outfit.  Again, I enjoyed myself.

Eddie and I spent the day galavanting around Shanghai.  We did some shopping, had lunch (where they served turtles and chicken heads, all of which were on display!), and then putzed around town.  Mind you, this was supposed to be our last day in Shanghai and the ship WAS scheduled to leave that evening.  However, the Captain decided to wait until 12oo hrs the next day, which gave everyone an extra night in Shanghai.  This was EXCELLENT news and I researched some watering holes and planned to go out with Eddie that evening.  When we got back to the ship for dinner and to get ready, we learned that all LLCs had to be on the ship that night by 0000 hrs because none of us were scheduled to be on call that evening.  Rubbish, right?  I am not sure why my boss did not assign one LLC to be on duty, but the rules are the rules.  I just work here.

So, Eddie and I did a bar sprint to a classy bar in a high rise and then to a bar I found called Eddy’s.  Eddy’s started out pretty poorly.  There was 4 other people in the bar and the drinks were far from cheap.  We had two rounds and prepared to leave, which is when the action began.  As we prepared to walk out the door, the owner, Eddy, stopped us and began to talk to us.  Talk turned into free drinks, which turned into shots, which turned into Eddy grabbing my ass, which turned into free bottles of Chinese rice wine that tastes like vomit.  If I offer you a drink out of a white bottle, DO NOT DRINK IT!  It tastes HORRIBLE and I am just being a stinker–this warning is my gift to those who read my blog.  During all of that, more people came to the bar and the mood changed drastically.  I met a nice man from Hong Kong named Kurt, and he is not my Chinese pen pal!  Woot.

Eddie and I stumbled back to the ship and made it back without getting in trouble!  Woot.  I love Chiner.

Fish served in Halong Bay, Vietnam. No, I did not try it.

So, those who know me know that I am a picky eater.  I have three things I do not eat: avocados, seafood, and eggs.  Well, times they are a changing friends.  Mom, please make sure you are siting down.

Seafood:
Fish in Vietnam: The meals that were included in my SAS trip to Hanoi and Halong Bay all included seafood (no shocker there, right). I would sit and wait while others ate, content and steadfast. After about the fourth meal with the other SASers on the trip, I developed a reputation as the picky eater of the group. In our final dinner together, I sat with a group of faculty and staff (I got invited to sit at the adults’ table). I got to talking to Professor Williams and his wife, Julia, who are both from Alabama. As the dishes continued to come out, Julia was not happy with how little I was eating. You’d have to meet her to understand, but she is SO sweet and she just kept trying to get me to try one of the seafood dishes. Eventually, I succumbed to the peer-pressure when she promised me that the fried fish that was just served did not taste fishy (or fish-yee, as she would say it). The entire table stopped talking and watched as I ate a small piece of fish. It wasn’t bad but I did not go back for another helping.

Fish on the Ship: Right before getting to Japan the ship dining hall served fried fish with an orange glaze. My colleagues can tell you how desperate I have been for orange chicken since we docked in China. We went around town and we never found it–this fish was as close to orange chicken as I am going to get until San Diego (maybe Hawaii, if I am lucky). I had two pieces and lived to tell the tale.

Eat sushi in Japan: check

Sushi in Japan: So, in true SAS tradition, as part of my Tokyo Extended trip, we went to a nice restaurant to try the local cuisine. It was a sushi restaurant (woohoo!) and there I was again, sitting in front of a pile of food with the same smug look on my face. I have had sushi once before, while on a date and I was trying to impress a guy. Without that sort of motivation, I really needed a push. About 5 minutes before leaving, a voice in my head says, “Dude, you’re in Japan. You need to eat at least one piece of sushi.” I pull out my camera, pick up my chop sticks, and ask a student which piece of sushi would be the least fishy–I also said the octopus was out of the question. He suggested the piece with a shrimp flayed on top of sticky rice. I ate it. I did not love it. It was chewy and I really did not want to swallow it. FM, I dedicate this decision to you.

Want some rice with your eggs?!? I mean, really!?

Eggs:
Fried Rice in Japan: Mom, I did it. I ate eggs. No, I did not hurl them up all over the table. I was at a restaurant and wanted chicken, yaki turi. The owner of the restaurant was pretty pushy and said 2 pieces of yaki turi was not going to be enough for me. She flipped my menu over and said, “You want this, too!” I heard rice and just nodded my head, not looking at what she had picked for me. The rice came out first. FRIED rice–she’s so tricky. When I looked back at the menu, clear as crystal, “Fried rice: rice with egg.” Lucky me. I was so hungry and this felt like another opportunity to test myself. I took a spoonful and was pleased that the dish did not taste particularly eggy and that the texture of the eggs was masked by the rice. I ate the whole thing, but finished the meal certain that I am not ready for scrambled eggs. Baby steps.

Avocados:
Nope, nothing to report here. I saw them in the market yesterday, they cost $2 here in Japan.