Asian Winter Sunset

Thanks for following all my adventures over the past month. I’m arriving home soon and wanted to give everyone an update and summary.

It all began in the middle of December when my dear friend Joseph casually mentioned that he was getting married in Singapore in the middle of January. Of course, we were already planning on being in the States over Christmas, so I was definitely conflicted in scheduling more travel, but I knew I couldn’t miss his wedding.

Dennis shares in the joy of Joseph and Serena's wedding. — Dennis shares in the joy of Joseph and Serena’s wedding.

With Mandi’s support and encouragement, I made the choice to have an Asian expedition. My ルームメイト Drew lives in Tokyo and we both needed the chance to spend some time together. Therefore, with my mobile office packed and having spent too many hours planning my travels, I set out for Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and finally back home (though due to a cancelled flight I ended up cutting out the stopover in Abu Dhabi).

Just look at that wing - so graceful and so powerful! — Just look at that wing – so graceful and so powerful!

Joseph’s wedding was special and he and his wife have an exciting year ahead of them. Singapore was an awesome country to visit with a strange mix of traditional Chinese sights and modern English sounds. Coming from a law-loving country like Germany, the hyper-strict rules of that small island nation seemed rather status-quo if not a bit light-hearted (Singaporeans have some great cartoon art urging you to be nice). In the week we shared together, Joseph and I finally had the opportunity to catch up on a few years’ worth of life that has passed.

My home in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (yeah, all three belong - city, island, special district of China) — My home in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (yeah, all three belong – city, island, special district of China)

The stop in Hong Kong was somewhat a disaster, but the kind of disaster you learn from. Catalogued in my earlier post, I ran out of money while I was there and spent way too long on the phone trying to make a withdrawal. Contrary to Singapore, Japan, and Germany, Hong Kong was a city of chaos and the people seemed darn proud of it. I stayed in a tent on the roof of a falling-apart highrise after a night-walk through the lights on the streets below.

The Bank of China building stands proud in the middle of the financial district, making its stripes to reflect their blinking and colorful patterns off the neighboring buildings.

Getting to Japan was kind of like coming home in a way. After moving around constantly, I would finally stay put for two whole weeks with my dear friend. When I was there in June I was still pretty new to my job and didn’t have the whole mobile-workforce thing figured out either. This time, a veteran at finding great places in the city to sit at for the day, I explored parts of Tokyo I hadn’t seen before: Harajuku, Shibuya, Takaosanguchi, Asakusa. Drew and I maximized our time together (there’s not much free time in Japanese daily life) and explored Yokohama and Kawaguchiko, a small town on the edge of Mt. Fuji. We had a blast and bonded like two close brothers should. His wife Seiko was incredibly kind and hospitable and it was great to get to know her since I was unable to really do so when they started dating in Chicago.

Dennis and Drew in Kawaguchiko in front of Mt. Fuji, the iconic volcano on the outskirts of Tokyo.

Now I am back at home with Mandi and it’s good to be home. Home is a fluid term, but I reflected on this particular truth about it: It doesn’t matter where home is: you know when you aren’t there; and the closer you are to returning, the greater you long to be there.

Black Diamonds

Unfortunately this isn’t about skiing down the snow-covered sides of the Alps (I’ve never been skiing and I’m fairly sure it would be a pretty humbling experience if I started). My friend from Purdue came to visit me and another friend in the Ruhrgebiet, the heart of the German Industrial Revolution.

There’s too much to write about, so here is a summary.

A new friend

Joe and Thomas at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Thomas and his family were incredible hospitable hosts. Not only did he plan great activities for us around Bochum, but he and his family taught me so much about German life and culture, answering so many of the basic questions I have been wondering about, such as who has the right of way when approaching an intersection without a stop-light. We explored the university campus, toured the small Moritz Fiege private brewery, climbed through the tunnels of the coal museum, and watched in awe the incredible German rendition of Starlight Express.

Coal mining in the Ruhrgebiet

His greatest hope each day was not to die on the job.

Like in America, coal industry is tough industry. As we got lost in the network of underground exhibitions in the Bergbau museum, I couldn’t help but to feel sadness and desperation for those who worked here. It was incredible to see the infrastructure and to learn what it was like in a coal mine, but we were mere guests in a very clean version of the reality, akin to watching war movies on TV. The men and women who worked here spent their entire lives in the dirty and dusty darkness, hundreds of meters below ground. I kept wondering what it would have been like to never see the sun and to work daily in those conditions. Even more so, the machines and mine shafts were so large, the digs so expensive, and the actual coal deposits so small and scarce that one must wonder how such a business could ever be profitable.

Driving das Auto

Everyone always asks about driving on the Autobahn. I can finally say that I have done so and have now driven faster than most people I know – up to around 210 km/h (130 mph). It’s true that the Autobahn has no official speed limit, that is, you cannot break the law by driving too fast. However, there are many places where special speed zones exist that limit traffic to 130 km/h or 80 km/h. Therefore if you want to experience the speed you have to take advantage of the straightaways when they come. Overall, people are reasonable with speeds and traffic was often moving at what I am used to in the States. Driving really fast is somewhat self-limiting because of how it feels at those speeds: the wind pushes harder on the car, steering is more sensitive, and the driver has to intensely focus on the road to stay safe. Though worth the experience, I will be taking the cheaper, faster, and safer train next time where I can sleep or work during transit.

Driving gave Joe and I the opportunity to make a few stops along the way, such as to Heidelberg where first university was formed.

Good bye Alma-mater

There has been too much saying “goodbye” for me lately. Today it was to Purdue and my friend Joe, who has been a dear friend of mine for something like six or seven years. So sad. Thankfully, however, I am now only two weeks away from being with my wife again, in Germany.

Don’t get too close – 12W is a doozey of a laser beam!

Goodbye ENAD (Engineering Administration)

This is a wave interference pattern on a “laser dot” generated because the collimating lens wasn’t quite aligned yet.

Thankful for this unplanned trip

A couple of days ago, my plans changed and I could no longer go to where I was driving at that time. In somewhat of a rush, bewildering to me, I was able to arrange a visit to my best friends in Chicago (Lincoln Square). Starting in Madison, IN, I drove northward, then realized I had to make a new plan. I actually didn’t think I’d be able to come up to the Windy City, but I thank God (and the Gilmer family) for giving me the chance.

I arrived in Greenwood and grabbed some lunch. Realizing that I might be able to visit Chicago, I started going haywire trying to find a way up there. I was too tired to drive, and I needed to do some work, which meant that I needed to ride on a bus or train. The MegaBus route I found (the only one I practically could take in order to make the trip work) left in forty-five minutes and I had no way to get to Indy. So I made an incredibly awkward call: “Hi, sorry to be so blunt, but could you take me downtown right now?” It worked out and I made it safely with a couple of minutes to spare!

The past couple of days have been great, too. We’ll really miss the Seaman family while we’re away. They have been there the whole way working through the journey towards missions with us, as they are also inching towards moving away to 日本.

Now I’m heading back home? While it certainly is liberating to live out of your knapsack and to be homeless, it’s also nice to have someplace to rest and find peace. Just a couple more weeks…