As usual, its back to Asia this spring. This year much earlier than usual, which I'm happy about to get to some warm weather! Unfortunately I didn't know just how warm it was going to be 95 to be exact, so it was a big change from the winter weather I was used to in Boston.
My first stop this time was Bangkok, one of my favorite cities to visit. While it was only a short visit, a day and a half, I was able to see some great schools, enjoy some great weather, and have some great food. I had dinner with one of my counselors at a very good egyptian restaurant (don't worry I had thai food 3 times in the day that I was there). Bangkok is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in Asia and it is always fun driving around to my visits as it can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to get to a visit. This spring for some reason traffic wasn't too bad and I made it to my visits with about an hour to spare, so I did a lot of reading.
After Bangkok it was on to Singapore for a few days of high school visits and Admitted Student Receptions. This spring is very different to those in the past as I am not traveling to Singapore and Hong Kong alone. We have done so well in the past few years that this year our Dean of Undergraduate Admissions has accompanied me for the trip to participate in the receptions which have been a huge success. Not only that but I have worked with our Alumni office to combine the admitted student reception with Alumni receptions so I have a lot of company! Last night I enjoyed an alumni dinner with a few alums and the Northeastern Rep at Clarke Quay a very touristy area with a lot of restaurants along the river. After the dinner I tried Durian ice cream which is from the Durian fruit, known for its extremely pungent smell.
I did not mind the taste, it wasn't my favorite type of ice cream but the durian tasted almost nutty and the smell (in ice cream form) was not bad. At the end of the night we had to make one last stop. There is a bar in Clarke Quay called Clinic and it basically looks like a hospital clinic: wheelchairs for chairs, gurney's for couches, surgical lights on the ceiling, waiters/waitresses dressed as Doctors or Nurses etc. but the weirdest thing was that they had a drink that actually came in an IV bag. Who else can say they had a drink in a place like this?
The fun in Singapore is now over and off to Hong Kong where I hope to show my travel companions the light show, the peak and maybe some local markets before our Admitted Student Reception on Sunday.
For all my canadian counselors, here is your moment of zen:
