Okay. I lied... Yangshuo is OFFICIALLY my favorite place in the world

Happiness.

This is the best way to describe what Yangshuo has brought to my life.
And for those of you who know me I'm already a pretty happy guy but after teaching an English summer camp for 1 week to Nanning city's foreign language students my life has changed.

Out here I've never been busier but NEVER been happier.
Daily schedule: 7am wake up, 8am to 1130am class, 12noon lunch with school, 1pm to 2pm prepare lessons for the next day, 3pm to 6pm class field trip, 7pm Breakin class (after school with kids), 8pm Popping class (after school with kids), 9pm to 3am party and breakin practice alll night every night with Bboy stussy. If I started to write some of the stories it would literally take DAYS so I don't want to bore you with words, check out the pictures below.

Stories will come in the next bloggeroo.
This girl made my year.
No wait... actually... maybe she made my life.
I don't know whatever she did... she made me cry.
When we said goodbye for the last time today she showed me something that she had made to remember our experiences learning English together.
You truly CAN make a difference in 7 days. (see necklace picture below)

The kids have finished their classes for the week and gone back to the city of Nanning.
It's been 2 hours since they left. What am I going to do!?!!?!?!?
After taking hundreds of pictures on the last day of class I began signing notebooks, tshirts and ... hands ! That's right, ink poisoning or not I left my mark on these kids.


The newest BBoy crew in Nanning from class # 3. Class # 2 had about 6 bboys as well.
Make me proud guys!!!

I never spoke to this girl much because she wasn't in my class but she had the biggest and brightest smile I've ever seen.
Unfortunately this picture doesn't fully capture it because she's "smiling for the camera" but when you smile at her and she smiles back it could make anyone's day!
Bboy Stussy (yellow shirt) and his MC friend. We hung out EVERY night, went to LOOVE bar, took over the 2nd floor for breakin and popping and partied till the break of dawn. As soon as I met these guys we were family. Some of the coolest guys I've met. In order to teach kids you need to be a kid. I think I fit that role quite nicely.
This kid had NO idea what this shirt meant. I explained it to him. He ran away. I laughed.
This is the CREW. Bboys for life. (notice SMOCH in the middle with the fan. good boy SMOCH!)
This is what it's like to be a foreign teacher in a Chinese English school (lights, camera, action!)
Me and SMOCH!!!! SMOCCCH!!!!! This kid was great. He didn't really speak English at all...but his name was SMOCH!!! Everytime I saw this guy we'd do a secret handshake, yell at eachother in jibberish and laugh like crazy. I think he learned a lot...Try learning 120 names in 7 days.
Now that's a challenge with matching t-shirts, smiley faces, and black hair for all!
That's right folks in China you eat the WHOLE chicken. Bon apetite!
Boiled chicken blood. Yummers in my tummers.
This guy was awesome... he had a speech impediment but I would always take the time for him and smile even when he was struggling. A brave soul this young one and ALWAYS pushing himself to be in the action.
The things that dreams are made of. MMMmmm... My first (and last) pig's brain soup.
(I love how they called it "pigs mind". It sounds so much more elegant!)

Material things are just things. This is my bed in Yangshuo.
Here is the only place in the world I am happy sleeping here. All you REALLY need.

Class # 2 (my 1st group of students, 34 in total.)
A great story that I will never forget is once we switched classes and they moved me to class # 3 I managed to sneak on the bus for class # 2 on the 2nd day after the switch. As soon as I stepped onto the bus the kids started clapping and screaming for joy.

I'm going to miss these little buggers!

False advertising? or Genius marketing strategy? I think we both know it's genius.

Not if I can help it!

Some interesting people I met: Tina, Emily, Willow, Justin, Tai Chi Teacher, Fang Fang, Nina, Mark, BBoy Stussy and ALL of his friends, Julie, Helen, Mr. Lee, a homeless guy who wanted to learn english songs (and I taught him), 5 store owners who I RANDOMLY ended up giving bboy/popping lessons, all the kids, all the teachers, TONS more people that I could name for DAYS!!!! In 7 days you can start a new life.

Yangshuo. I knew a place like this existed.

Peace and UNITE!

- Mikey making Yangshuo home base.

Long awaited videos!!!! (Fast internet in Yangshuo ROCKS!!!!) like the mountains... wait those ARE rocks. okay... i'm done

After 2 days on a boat ride with nothing to do you start to get... creative.

These ducks were ROCKIN out.
I'm not sure if this is more funny or amazing...

A baby battle I've been meaning to post for a while from southeast asia.
I repped hard and put my hand in chicken shit mid-battle.
On a positive note... my set was DIRTY... get it? DIRTY!!! hahaha...!
Kid took me out with his elbow breaking concrete suicide.
I asked for round 2 but I think he was trying to hold back his tears.
Tough kid. convincing battle strategy

PS My first day of english teaching was UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE.
I'll tell you about it later though (you still need to catch up on my last few blog entries!!!! :o)

Hearts.

- Mikeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Bearded in Bangkok

Monks caught in the act.
A new speciality in Laos: ant butter.
The only light I had in a small town in Lao with no electricity.
Are YOU afraid of the dark? Because I sure am.
speechless.
After I whiped that silly grin off my face in the picture above I jumped off that waterfall.
and lived to talk about it! Swish!
Niagra falls ain't got nothing on Lao.


relaxing. volunteer book. cereal. the journey of my life. (overnight train in Thailand)

Sometimes I wish I never saw this. Other times I wish I never took a picture of it.
Sharing is caring friends!
House dancing with old Thai ladies. How do I get myself into these situations.

House dancing on the streets of Thailand. Not as good as Toika but it'll have to do for now!!!

That's right. I got it dreaded.
Trying to keep a low profile out here

Dear Family, Friends and random blog checkers!

Quick blog.
More pictures then talk.

Leaving Thailand today after much bboying with locals, and great food.
Entered a 1 on 1 bboy battle here and it was amazing, thanks to bboy Gonza for showing me around and letting me enter last minute, good times in random local thai clubs.

Hip Hop / bboy and english teaching in Yangshuo here I come!!!

Chow for now!

- Mikey Mike spreading UNITY Asia like wildfire

Southeast Asian Experience (Nam and Laos)

Post card sceneries in Laos (not a post card... YET!).

Lady cutting raw meat in a Vietnamese market within centimetres from her dirty bare feet.
She was also made some pretty stinky "toe" fu.
Steak anyone?
Me riding speckles the elephant through the jungle.
Who knew you could stear an elephant by tugging it's ears!

Sliding down a waterfall in Laos.
and YES... this IS as dangerous as it looks.
Don't worry only 4 people died last week doing this. (kidding!!!...???)

Elephants pooped in the waterfall.

(note to reader: this poop was excremented post waterfall swim.)

Question Mark!!!!

Shop keeper in Vietnam hard at work.

Sometimes you gotta suck it up and be a man!
(I promise I chose this bike only due to a lack of options! seriously!)

This is a disturbing display of dog transport.
I don't think they were being shipped to Disneyland
:o(
Homey... ? Horney... ? Either way it's funny.

This is the picture of ANOTHER kid I battled in a small village. This time in Laos.
Video on it's way (as soon as I find some faster internet connections!!!)

That's right folks.
I'm rocking out in South East Asia and it's been a CRAZY adventure.

Unfortunately, Vietnam wasn't my favorite place. So to all those who warned me, I learned my lesson. I sweated like a pig, people stared angrily, I got spat on, people laughed.
Good times.

A tuk-tuk (cab) driver horked a nice one on my shirt after he decided to decline our services because the group I was with wanted a FAIR price for our late night ride home from the bar.
I in fact had nothing to do with this price negotiation. I didn't care about the extra 2 dollars we would've paid for his cab. However I was the closest in spitting range so I was granted with his horkey treasure splat on my shirt. Yummers.
Oh how I love Vietnam.

Luckily I was only there for 2 days.
The people of Laos however are suuuuuuuuuuper friendly/awesomely awesome
(and luckily I spend an entire week travelling across Laos!)

Lots of adventures have gone down there too, quite an extradinary place for active citizens.

Some of the crazy adventures in Laos:
1. Bike ride deep into local villages off the beaten path.
This was great! I wonder why all the little kids were laughing at me... oh yea!!!
I was riding a bright pink girls bike with a pink basket and a constantly ringing bell.
Shucks.

2. Solo tube ride down a river with an intense current (got split from all people who came with me with no money and was eventually saved by a little girl from Laos who could swim like a ninja. Unfortunately she wanted me to pay her for the save but all I had were the clothes on my back. So that's what she got. Not satisfied after I told her money wasn't an option she pointed at my hat. It happened to be my Funk Fanatics breakin crew hat. Please give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Funk Fanatics crew, Bgirl... Laos Fish!)

3. Elephant Ride (pictures provided. Our elephant's name was speckles!)

4. Waterfall sliding (this was more stupid then it was fun. It's the type of place that stays open for tourists until someone dies. Luckily I was not that person. Woo hoo!)

The only reason I am making this post is because I'm soooooooo tired and moving is no longer an option.

Southeast Asia Total Travel Time: 40 hours on a bus in 5 days
(and counting)

See you on the other side of the world!

PS look at a squirrel for me... I miss squirrels.
Ohhh and um...

PPS Eat a bowl of cereal for me...
Here's the fractional bowl mix break down:
3/10 mini-wheats
2/10 wheetabix
4/10 life
1/10 shreddies

Seconds anyone?

- Mikey

Got to Vietnam. Alone!

Hey folks,

I'm currently in Vietnam and I'm all alone. After walking around for a bit and eating some dinner it started to get dark so I figured I'd go back to my hotel and eat a weird local popsicle on my walk back.

Here are the remaining pictures and videos from Taiwan that I really wanted to share because I had such an amazing time in Taiwan
(unfortunately only for 3 days... Maybe I'll go back before August? who knows!)

POSER. I like to THINK I'm a popper.

Bravo!!! And the award for best store name goes to...

Bboying on the streets of Taiwan (after blowing 2 amplifiers we finally got down after 2 hours of waiting. Well worth the wait, although Taiwanese people need to learn to make some NOISE!)
This is my new friend A-jin from Taiwan. She is as nice as she is smiley!
I had the pleasure to hang out with A-jin on my last day in Taiwan.
Oh and the ice cream was as delicious as it was tall.
It was also as melty as it was ... ice cream!

Based on popular demand... here is a picture of santa claus...
Lay out the milk and cookies folks!


After doing some street bboy shows in Taiwan I was challenged by a seemingly normal old man. My first impression of this firecracker was deadly wrong. In fact he proved to have some spunky tricks up his sleeve and by the end of it we were best pals. He needs to work on his under hand toss though.

Anyways that's it for now.
Off to the streets of nam!

I heart my family (aka you)!

- Mikey

Taiwan ROCKS.

Me and my brother Krazybones (more often known as "jason" here in Taiwan or italian painter because of his new pimpin mustache. That or the pizza boy)

Me and bones on a chinese motorcycle. (don't worry mom! just posing for pictures, we didn't hit any highways!!! this time :o)

Taiwanese Mikey!
Look!!! He's wearing a hat!

I severely doubt she knows what this shirt means...
hilarity... and cleaarly this is not true, unless she hasn't eaten since...?

This is the fire extinguisher on my floor in Hong Kong. It seems to have gone missing.
I believe the caption in red says, "fire extinguisher out to lunch, better luck next time".

yadrrr maytee... keep diggin!

Usually in a coughing situation with back to back passengers on subway cars coughers have 2 options:
1) cough into their sleeve
2) cough in your face
Unfortunately numerous times I was confronted with # 2 and that is what left me with a nasty cough and cold. (but at least I am healed now from magical chinese medicine!!! woo hoo!)

This is me after pulling an all nighter partying and then getting to the airport to go to Taiwan.
This is the time I arrived at the airport. still... no sleep.
This is Cathay Pacific airline's breakfast sandwich. I kid you not it is the best breakfast sandwich I have EVER had. 3 layers of ham, 2 layers of egg, powdery fresh bread ... ohhh yea. In fact it was so good that when I told the flight attendant how much I liked it he brought me 4 more. I humbly declined his offer and only indulged in 1 more.
The story of the two best breakfast sandwiches in my life.An immediate shot of me after devouring the 2nd breakfast sandwich. pure bliss.


How's it going chums!?

Long time no talk!!!
I hope you're eating lots of apples and spreading lots of happiness.

Booby (grandmother) I hope you are feeling better from your surgery! I love you lots!

I've been on the road too much to post lately but me and Krazybones are kickin it in Taiwan and it couldn't be better!

We've hit up funk style classes/practices, student film festivals, a locking competition, fried rice stands and some of the best bubble tea places known to man.

Krazybone's popping is getting to the next level.
He's still a superstar in Taiwan. He's been acting in some of the biggest movies in Taiwan and he is a chick magnet (these are all lies that krazybones told me to write! except for the part about his popping, he is definitely taking it to the next level)

I'm preparing myself to venture off to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand! Then to teach some English in Yangshuo, learn some kung fu in Shaolin and maybe take a tour of Shanghai and surrounding mountains.

Many adventures to be had!
Stay tuned. (same bat time. same bat channel.)

peace and hugs!

love

- Mikey