port stop: seattle

It's about 4:25pm in Seattle right now. We arrived at port at about 10am after almost 4 hours of traveling throughan overcast but gorgeous Puget Sound to get to port. The first mate, Bjork, told me 2 days ago that during this sea voyage I'm fortunate to be visiting 2 of what are in his opinion the world's great ports: San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Hong Kong. If things go according to plan, I'll see Hong Kong too.

After snapping hundreds of shots of the ship docking and the start to a busy day of uploading and unloading massive containers for the crew late this morning, I headed downtown where I'm typing from a small, hip cafe called Cyber-Dogs at the moment.

All crew and me (the sole passenger) must be back on board by 12am before the Hanjin Yantian begins its long return through Puget Sound back to the Pacific beginning at 3am.

Most of the photographs I've taken have been in a format known as RAW. Consequently, some of my most exciting images are available to be be posted. In order to open RAW files, I'd need Photoshop which I don't have access to on the road. That will just have to wait until I return home. Despite this, below are just a few. The first 5 images were taken this morning as the ship berthed at the port, which is just blocks from both Safeco and Comast Stadiums. I've fallen in love with photographing the matchbox-like containers and the flurry of activity around them from the decks of the ship while berthed. It's so fun trying to capture their geometric beauty and simplicity. The remaining shots are from my walk through the city's famous, tourist-laden Pike Place Market. Its fishmonger stands are amazing to see. Fresh, huge salmon, crabs, shrimps, clams, and so much more. Incredible! The market's fruit and vegetable stands are impressive too.










The Hanjin Yantian has a crew of 23 plus myself. The ship is led by a German captain of about 60 years old who has sailed all over the globe. He's a real character: smokes a lot, bot belly, imperfect English, funny, but can curse and be intense when the ship is docking or leaving port. The rest of the officers and engineers are German. The first mate or 2nd in command after the captain is Bjork, who has turned into my go-to guy on board. He's probably in his low to mid thirties appears very fit and speaks very good English. His girlfriend is French. The rest of the crew (the so-called seamen) are Philippino. They're very warm and laid-back. Cool-guys.

The work on board is long and hard for the crew. A lot of it is solitary work. Meals (breakfast: 7-8am; lunch: 12-1:30pm; dinner: 5-7pm) and the occasional party seems to be important times for socializing. I was told that Saturday nights is generally a time for a party and karaoke but because it was the night before arriving at port that was canceled. Again, when it port, the degree of seriousness is acute. For the Philippinos especially, the prospect for earning more money at sea draws them. They can earn so much more on the freighter than they can back home. It's clear that it's difficult for them being away for blocks and blocks of months out the year, but it's what thousands and thousands have done.

My room is great. It's called a supercargo cabin, which is located on the ship's F-Deck two below the bridge, which I've visited several times thus far. The room is immaculately clean. I have several windows, my own bathroom/shower, a large bed, desk, chairs, sofa, and TV/DVD player. Th ship is large enough for each member of the ship to have his own room. Last night for the first time, I used the ship's fitness room which is equipped with a small sauna, stationary bike, elliptical bike, and free weights as well as a small pool that is filled with salt water when at sea (but it's too cold for me to go in).

I've started to read some of the many books that I brought abroad. Besides reading, I've spent the time aboard photographing, observing the crew performing their specific functions, and talking to them about themselves, the ship, and home.

Well, I've been typing for awhile now and need to get going. The Space Needle and a couple more attractions need to be explored before 12 midnight.

At the moment, I'm not sure of the ETA in Busan because we left Oakland a bit later than expected. It could be as early as July 6th or as late as July 12th. The captain should know the ETA when we leave Seattle this morning.

Hoping everyone is well. Miss you all!

Oh and before signing out, please let me acknowledge my good Vassar bud, Chris, who showed me a wonderful time last Monday evening in San Francisco. Of particular importance was this fantastic Chinese restaurant in the Richmond District where we enjoyed some kick-ass dim sum. Forgive me for the late shout out dude! :)

heading to busan

So, today will be my last day in San Francisco. Tonight I plan to board the Hanjin Yantian in Oakland at about 9pm. According to my contact rep at the port, yesterday the news was that the ship would depart at 6:00am on Friday, however, at last check it has been pushed back to the afternoon. I could, therefore, stay in San Francisco another night due to the postponement, but I'm ready to board.

I've been immensely busy during these past six days returning to the hostel too late for blogging. So, I apologize for not saying more but there has just been so much to see and do. In fact, after I finish this I going to grab lunch and then, go to the post office to send some postcards before heading to the Asian Art Museum and City Hall, which aren't very far from where I'm staying in Union Square. Later today, I plan to pick up from fresh fruits in Chinatown for the voyage.

I've walked almost everywhere it seems. My feet were killing me earlier. I've explored the Presidio and the affluent Richmond Distict as well as the Mission, where I enjoyed an amazing steak burrito at La Taqueria. I returned to the excellent Cafe Greco yesterday afternoon for another cannoli and this time, I tried their cafe mocha which was superb. Two nights ago, I rode the BART into Oakland (which I plan to do again tonight) where I watched the A's lose to the Cincinatti Reds. Their (football) stadium is quite crummy, but the fans were pumped. I sat next to a very pleasant family in the upper deck behind home plate. It was pretty fun and got a chance to see a sliver of Oakland, which compared to San Francisco definitely isn't doing nearly as well.

The homelessness is definitely more noticeable here, especially in the area where I'm staying. At night, it kinda has an vintage, almost seedy1980s Times Square feel before Giulian and Mickey Mouse cleaned house. The homeless here too are rather polite and colorful peddling to tourists and anyone who'd give them a minute.

I've really enjoyed the beachfront by Golden Gate Bridge. Spectacular. Truly. Three mornings ago, I got there at about 7am to take photographs of the bridge and its lovely bay. One of the fascinating sites in the bay has been watching these enormous freighters pass under the Golden Gate. I could spend hours just watching the these engines of international commerce. Simply fascinating.

While on the beach that morning, I asked a gentleman to get a shot of me in front of the bridge. His adorable dog couldn't help but join in the fun.



If things go as scheduled, I'll arrive in Seattle on the 26th but will only be there for about half-a-day before heading off to Busan, South Korea. The scheduled arrival date in Busan is July 6th not July 12th as it was just as few days earlier. While in Seattle, I hope to check out a few of its famous sites, such as the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and more if time permits. The port is very close to downtown Seattle, I was told, so it should be fine.

This is most likely my last post until I'm in the land of kimchi as Internet access on board is at the captain's discretion, I've been told, so we'll see.

In any event, I'll make a post as soon as I can when in Busan to let you know I've survived. Until then, wishing happiness to all.

golden gate bridge and the presidio

My good friend, Barb, and I walked a lot today. Most of it was spent in and around the Presidio. We explored the Presidio, the bay waterfront, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge twice, and marveled at the affluent homes along Jackson St. in the Richmond neighborhood before eating sushi at a wonderful, little restaurant in the Mission.

These were taken in route to the Golden Gate Bridge this afternoon. Barb took the below portrait of me.


We've been most impressed by the beauty, friendliness, and rich culture of this (windy) city.

in the city by the bay

I'm composing this late night long overdue post (about 1:13am EST) from my hostel in downtown San Francisco. I arrived here around noon local time.

The past several weeks have been extremely busy . . . almost hectic with the end of school coming, preparing for my Sloan-Kettering survivorship speech (which was a wonderful success), and getting ready for something else which I'm about to explain. I was waiting to make sure everything was in place before announcing my summer plans. I didn't want to jump the gun in the event it didn't work out as in previous years.

If you've been following my story for some time, you're probably aware of my wanderlust and my disappointment of not being able to travel like I've wanted to since my cancer diagnosis back in 2003. You may recall that around this time last year I was preparing for a big bi-cross-country trip through the US and Canada before these plans were shelved due to a chronic GvHD flareup. I continue to deal with chronic GvHD, but thankfully, it has been controlled very well ever since then by Tacrolimus.

When asked about taking a big trip this summer, Dr. C-M and his colleagues had no qualms as long as it didn't involve Africa or perhaps the Indian subcontinent where the risk for an infectious disease was likely the greatest. Originally, I had proposed the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia back in the fall when I wasn't certain of my employment status come the spring 2010. If my contract wasn't extended, I figured February or March would be the ideal time to visit the Southern Hemisphere. And how would I get there? But by a freighter! Yes, by sea. I had found a freighter line offering passage to civilians, which services New Zealand and one or two of the nearby island nations. New Zealand and the Cook Islands especially had always been on my list. However, when my contract was graciously extended until the end of this past academic year that took care of this traveling scenario. I gladly wanted to work.

With the spring no longer an option, what about the summer months? I still was very much interested in traveling by sea, so I looked at what other routes would be of interest. I was still searching for a freighter to bind my travel plans together. The only appealing option encompassed the US West Coast, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. And so, this is the one that I chose.

I'm exploring San Francisco for the very first time (moreover, this is my first visit to the West Coast) right now preparing to board the vessel, Hanjin Yantian, in Oakland on June 24th bound for Busan, South Korea via Seattle. From Busan, I plan to travel through South Korea where I'll meet up with an old college classmate and friend, whom I haven't seen in 8 years. From South Korea, I'll head over to neighboring China traveling alone southwards hitting the megacities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, along the coast before reaching Vietnam and exploring it north to south. While in Vietnam, if time permits I'm thinking about a brief foray into Cambodia to visit the ancient ruin complex of Angkor Wat. I will, then, fly home from Ho Chi Minh City.

After months and months of saving a healthy percentage of my work pay, I've been able to make this happen. In all, the trip will be about 10 weeks long (June 18-August 30), which gives me about 2 weeks free before school begins in September.

My medical staff made sure that I received all the necessary vaccinations before traveling - typhoid and Japanese encephalitis - and had filled prescriptions of malarone, an anti-malarial, and ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic. In addition, I'm well-supplied with the usual supply of over the counter medications taken on trips in the event of say, diarrhea, motion sickness, fever, or cold. A sufficient supply of the usuals - Tacrolimus, Acyclovir, Penicillin VK, and the other four - were taken too.

Deciding to traverse the north Pacific by freighter raises certain variables notably time. Schedules are subject to change. I'm at the mercy of the freighter's schedule. It has changed twice already. As of now, the Hanjin Yantian is scheduled to depart Oakland on June 25th and arrive in Busan, South Korea over 2 weeks later on July 12th. I'll be checking with my contact at the Port of Oakland regularly between now and the scheduled departure date to make sure all is on target.

Looking north across the bay at Oakland and the Bay Bridge from Farmers' Market this afternoon, I saw its mighty port facilities. That's just where I'll be in a several days.

You can join me in checking the up-to-date schedule of the Hanjin Yantian here.

This interesting video is of the Hanjin Boston, its sister ship, which has the same dimensions.



It is my intention to continue to update my blog from time to time while away, but this isn't a farewell. I'll update it again before I leave San Francisco. Stay tuned!

ya connect

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society now offers programs for the 18-39 young adult survivor community. These programs include weekly online chats and periodic webcasts.

Learn more about these wonderful new resources.

1,000 + days of hope

I'm over the 1,000 day threshold! Today marks day +1019 since I received the life-giving stem cells of a still anonymous donor. Yep, I actually thought I was still in the late 980s which is what the title of my May 30th post reflected until I discovered the mistake this afternoon. I was fact-checking my calendar, where I've marked every day post-transplant, when I spotted my error. So, I updated that post's title after this new information came to light.

This August 21st will mark three years of celebration and renewed hope.

2010 stupid cancer un-gala

On Thursday, June 10th at 7:00pm, i[2]y is hosting its annual Stupid Cancer "Un-Gala" in celebration of the young adult cancer community and its supporters.

Learn more and/or sign up for this fun event.