get jigging with the wildeyes in iowa

fishing is suppose to be a very relaxing pastime. this is untrue in two ways. if you're out by the waters for 8 hours and still haven't caught a fish or if you're out there fishing with uncle goey, or joe as the iowans refer to him as. fishing is not just a pastime to the locals in iowa city. fishing is a sport and it is a hunt for the biggest game in the water. there are carps, buffalos, northern lights, and the infamous walleyes. the only fish you want are the walleyes and the more you catch them, the closer you are to becoming a legend around the bend. our uncle goey is that man. he literally puts food on the table for his family. this man patiently waits and hunts for his fishes for hours and leaves only because he's reached the daily limit. walleyes are the hardest fish to catch and are very seldom caught even by veteran fishermen. the term jigging is a technique used solely to catch predatorily fishes like the walleye and northern light. there are 2 major rules when fishing in iowa city. there is a limit of 5 fishes caught per day and snagging is prohibited (snagging is when a fish is caught not by the mouth). i never thought this road trip to iowa was actually ever going to happen. generally when we plan on an event, it's usually all mouth and no action. squeezing five people and three dogs into one car definitely contributed to the smooth and memorable four hour car ride from schaumburg to iowa city. when we arrived, the city welcomed us with ....nothing. to someone who is use to seeing tall buildings and busy traffic, iowa seems underdeveloped in comparison to cities like chicago and l.a. but nonetheless, there are reasons why people love iowa and if it is good enough for them then i will respect that. it has been almost 5 years since i've revisited aunt bay and uncle goey's home. not much has changed except for a few new colors on the walls and that the kids have gotten taller.

happy birthday grandpa and winston!

happy sunday and a big happy birthday to winston (age 9) and gramps (big 80)! our usual family get together always takes place in chinatown. many of our family members live out of state and the family members who live in state are usually on a tight schedule. so a family reunion is a rarity and only happens a few times a year.


the front entrance of chinatown in chicago













chinatown sure isn't shanghai or hong kong but this is as close as it gets in the states












albert, isaac, winston, aunt bay













aunt lin, mom, gramps, uncle tom, family friend, family friend, aunt mei












two sisters aka two beasts













uncle goey still thinks hes 18













isaac says a prayer for the family













a fine and greasy feast, absolute canton style













winston n gramps blowing out the bday candles together












winston making the first slice













a shot of the author



















alvin's black n white shot











the author n cousin isaac


















aunt bay, randy, myself, isaac in a candid shot by vinnie

day 15 - i'm all over china

this last trip in china included visits to shanghai, kunming, sichuan, and leshan. i'm getting a bit lazy on keeping up with the blog and it's just way too much useless info. i'll just basically sum up my overall opinion on this china trip. many parts of china is still very underdeveloped. due to this reason alone, there are vast opportunities to invest in china. if you've got an idea that hasn't been done, it will most likely boom and that's money in your pockets. shanghai is possibly the busiest area in china. shanghai is very developed (versus areas like kunming and leshan) and foreigners are not an uncommon sight. there are still parts of shanghai that is still underdeveloped but that's just like every major city in the u.s. there are ghettos and projects in chicago and that goes the same for shanghai. the cost of living in china is a lot less than the u.s. but if you plan on hitting the clubs then be prepared to empty out your pockets because it isn't cheap. don't bother saving money on apparel shopping in china. foreign brands in china costs 30% more than it will in the u.s. one thing i've never really figured out about china is prostitution. technically it is unlawful to exchange sex for money. no one really gives a fuck though. illegitimate massage parlors and bath houses are all over china. we had an extremely hard time to find legimate massage parlors.

we've stayed close to 3 and half weeks in china. our trips included shanghai, kunming, sichuan, and leshan. shanghai is BY FAR the more entertaining area compared to the other cities we've visited. no quotes are on the uploaded photos. questions? just ask. cheers.

day 14 - from hong kong to shanghai

the plane ride from hong kong to shanghai was a smooth and comfortable 1 hour ride. upon arrival, we noticed the tremendous weather difference. the weather was cold and the sky showered the earth with drizzled rain. during the 2 hour and $45 cab ride to our hotel, we absorbed much of shanghai's scenic views. major parts of shanghai is very much like new york city, as we were surrounded by tall buildings and skyscrapers.



checking in at the hong kong airport













getting refreshed at the juice bar













touch down in shanghai airport













theres something about entering a communist country that just sends chills down my spine












the airport in shanghai was vacant when we arrived












a loverly view of the ground from our 15th floor hotel room












we finally got our taste buds on some read bean pie. it is capitol omg delicious. if you live in asia and still haven't tried the red bean pie then you're a damn fool










of all the venues in shanghai, we decided to eat at hooters china. the prices are more or less the same as back in the states and theres a minor difference in taste. hooters girls in china are required to speak more than descent engrish in order to accompany foriegn patrons. this particular hooters girl works here part time and only makes 1500rmb a month.






ever heard of sun dried tomatoes? well, this is sun dried chicken.... i think












steak and chicken flavored cheetos













pizza hut in asia is considered fine dinning. pizza hut in asia is the equivelance of cheesecake factory in america











hmm sausage filled crust pizza













salmon pizza













our first night in shanghai ended with a 1 hour massage and 1 hour foot rub. all for the cost of 80rmb per person.