I had the honor to interview the altruistic founder of Kids of Kilimanjaro, George Namkung, on his praiseworthy Charity that provides lunch to 15,000 kids a day in the beautiful mountaintop of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Just published in Bask Magazine, an Orange County Lifestyle magazine, Winter Issue:

From Kunming, we took a flight to Lijiang, where we were greeted at the airport by a gregarious older man who drove us into town. The funny thing about taxi drivers is that they are the same candid selves mainly anywhere you travel. You will get the juiciest local gossip, and outspoken words on what they really think about their corrupt government. NYC or Lijiang, it’s all too common (with the exception of countries like Burma or Iran).

Once we checked in our hotel which was supposedly a 4star but more like 2star, we met our Nakhi tour guide. The hotel manager informed us that warm water would only be available from 6-9am and 7-11pm, so plan accordingly.

The hotel was conveniently located in the center of the town, and we walked over to Old Town Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The government has made much of an effort to preserve this ‘old city‘. Lijiang has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. We shopped through many streets which seemed to never end.

Yunnan’s most popular tea is Pu-er tsa. We stopped by a tea garden where pretty young girls of Nakhi ethnicity presented us with various types of tea & served us tastings. Shortly after, we would find ourselves in another shop making coffee. Those are the best moments in travel, when we’re invited in someone’s house, someone’s coffee shop, learning about their craft, the history of the crop, and how that cozy feeling in a faraway place is all so familiar.

The Nakhi ethnic group runs their family as a matriarchal structure, the women being the head of the household. In their culture, the women act in the main work force, while the men stay at home and refine their skills in Art & Philosophy. In this case, the women are regarded highly, well respected. How many of you men are wishing that was the case here? ha ha.

Here is my travel video on this day:

In this video is also our visit to the one of the main tourist attraction in Lijiang which is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It snows here all year long, with an altitude of 5600 meters. The higher, the tougher it is to breathe. We took a cable car to 4600 meters and I was struggling with my breathing, life depended on my oxygen tank.

I’ve flown on many airlines in my life. The older American airlines such as Delta, United, American (now Bankrupt), Continental are known to be the worst airlines. PanAm days? no more. Maybe look to the Asian Airlines for that quality. These old flight attendants are no different in service, age, size & looks than Denny’s graveyard shift waitresses. The quality of the plane, seats, comfort are no different than a public bus. I ordered a sandwich recently, and it tasted like 7/11′s.

And it’s not a matter of “you get what you pay for”, because some of the newer Airlines – Virgin Air & Jet Blue are very impressive and majestic. But they don’t fly to as many places as the latter, nor do they have partnerships with other sister companies to help collect points. So many of us go back to the crap airlines like a dysfunctional relationship – because it’s convenient & easy, even though we kick ourselves in the ass after for doing it.

I’ve had my complaints with Delta in the past for losing my baggage for a 4 day trip in Miami as a result of a delayed flight. Not only did we not have our clothes for 3 days, my watch was stolen, and countless calls were made to the Delta customer service with a different story every time. At least they reimbursed us for some necessary items purchased.

After my disgusting experience with United Airlines this past August, I’ve forgiven Delta for their minor mistakes (in perspective). This is my letter to United Air to share with you our horrible experience, and the neglectful, heedless response:

Hi Terri,

It has been a month and a half since you’re last reply (3 months after our flight). My family & I have awaited patiently for a follow up response. It seems like your company has underestimated all the damage United Airlines caused us – Emotional Distress, Unprofessional Staff, Assault, and Discrimination. I would like to list them again if it was not clear enough the last time.

1) On 7/30, the date of our departure, we checked in the flight and received our boarding ticket. No one informed us that your flight was overbooked until we approached the counter to ask for our seat numbers 30 minutes before boarding. Both ladies working at the counter were disgustingly rude from the start, in informing us that the flight was overbooked and that they would fly us out the next day. There was no apology, or politeness. Instead, their attitudes got worse as we asked questions. Why does your airline so commonly overbook? If you have 92 seats on the plane, then you should sell 92 seats. I think a 5 year old could do that math.

What I also noticed was the other 11 people on the side who did not have a space on the plane was also Chinese. Granted this is a flight to China, half the passengers were not Asian. I don’t think this is a coincidence. Have you trained your Employees to discriminate against minorities? There are many stereotypes that believe minorities will not press charges, and will remain passive & silent. That may have been the case many times in history, but it will not be Today.

2) On 8/17, our layover flight back from SFO to LAX, your rude flight attendant forced us off the plane because of unforgiving language barriers. My sister needed a blanket because the air was blasting while we waited for the plane to take off. I politely asked her for one, she annoyingly replies “We don’t have any” in a smartass manner. I said “my sister is shivering, you don’t have 1 blanket here? She’s gonna get sick.” My dad chiming in in his choppy English “My daughter get flu”. (As in, She may get a flu). There was no room for explanation before the flight attendant, with a terrified look on her face like we brought SARS on, screamed “You guys can’t fly, you need to get off”, creating a huge scene on the whole plane. (the plane door had closed at this point, ready to take off) As I tried to explain that my sister was not sick, she rushed to the security to kick us off.

3) Carla Clay, service director at SFO, lady who escorted us off, promised us upon a doctor’s clearance, we could board again. 98$ paid for the doctor’s visit. Next flight out missed. (6 hours wasted by now) After we showed proof of clearance (which she assaulted out of my hand), she made a ridiculous excuse that with a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection), my sister was not allowed to fly. The medical staff at the airport said that is absolutely NOT TRUE, as well as the family doctors we had called. I can supply 10 more Doctor notes from accredited Doctors. A URI is nothing more than a cold, in which the Airport Dr stated via speaker they circled, ‘just to circle’ something on the paper. At this point, it was just her f**king with us.

Regardless of the clearance or what the doctor said to Carla, she refused us on board and said they would send us out the next day. There was no apology from her, or her colleague. All there was from them was attitude, and condescending tones. It was no big deal to them to waste our time, laugh and lie to our face.

4) Suit against Carla Clay for assaulting us physically & verbally.

5) Emotional distress. I had a mental breakdown at the airport trying to deal with all your staff. They were anything but professional and reasonable. I have never dealt with worse employees. Our nation is in an economic hardship. There are millions of unemployed workers that would better serve your company than those incompetent United employees I had deal with.

It has also been brought to my attention that there is a lawsuit/news article in the Chinese Daily Newspaper about a Discrimination lawsuit about a recent case where a group of Chinese people were not permitted on board because the flight had changed to a smaller plane. Plenty of Caucasians were boarded though.

Response to my 2nd complaint:

Dear Ms. Ueing,

We are in receipt of your email dated October 12th, regarding your concern that was summarized in your August 17th email.

As outlined in my email, United is strongly committed to the equal and appropriate treatment of its customers. Our company philosophy does not condone acts of, and strictly prohibits, discrimination or discriminatory practices of any sort. All staff members with customer contact responsibilities receive training on equal treatment of all customers. We maintain a strong corporate commitment to a simple value to recognize, respect and support our customers and our employees.

Please be assured that when we receive reports that a passenger feels they have been discriminated against in any manner, we take the issue very seriously. Your account of the situation has been reviewed and is currently being investigated by the supervisor of the employees involved. However, as stated in my previous email, that due to the confidentiality of the process, we would be unable to advise you of any result of our internal review.

In the mean time, we have shared your email with the appropriate Manager relating to your continued frustration and disappointment.

Regards,

Terri Rogers
United Airlines Customer Care

First Response after my initial complaint:

> Subject: RE: United Airlines CGN -Ref#: 12940185A
> Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 05:16:23 -0600
> From: CustomerSolutions@united.com
> To: Jackiueng@hotmail.com
>
> Dear Ms. Ueng,
>
> I have received your email and sincerely regret the delay in our
> response to your inquiry of August 17th.. Due to a high influx in
> correspondences from our guests, our turnaround time has been longer
> than expected and I apologize for any added inconvenience this has
> caused.
>
> Your frustration and disappointment is understood. I was sorry to learn
> of the difficulties that you reported with our crew onboard United
> flight 872 from San Francisco to Los Angeles on August 17th. Every year
> United serves millions of people representing cultures all around the
> world. United is strongly committed to the equal and appropriate
> treatment of its customers. Our company philosophy does not condone
> acts of, and strictly prohibits, discrimination or discriminatory
> practices of any sort. All staff members with customer contact
> responsibilities receive training on equal treatment of all customers.
> We maintain a strong corporate commitment to a simple value to
> recognize, respect and support our customers and our employees.
>
> Please be assured that when we receive reports that a passenger feels
> they have been discriminated against in any manner, we take the issue
> very seriously. Your account of the situation will be reviewed and
> investigated by the supervisor of the employees involved. However,
> please be advised that due to the confidentiality of the process, we
> would be unable to advise you of any result of our internal review.
>
> Despite the negative experience, we hope to have your continued business
> and support. United is committed to providing a pleasant and safe
> environment for our customers.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Terri Rogers
> United Airlines Customer Care

I flew United Air to China because it was $1100, the cheapest compared to the standard $1400 I was finding with other airlines. I am pleading to you, to save yourself 10 years of life from stress and anger, to spend those extra hundred bucks for a quality airline.

I am so disgusted and appalled by United Air. That’s the only response we received. No compensation for the dr.’s visit, no apology, no recognition of their incompetence, nor would they release the name of the flight attendant as earlier promised. I don’t need to wish them harm, they will run their company to the ground if they don’t change. At this time in the American Economy, only the strong & quality will survive. United Airline will not. Despicable.

In Lijiang, we started the day horseback riding with the Naxi ethnic group with the most hilarious guide. He was cracking jokes with us from the start, spitting out random english words he knew, while serenading to us “Ali-san gu-niang” by Teresa Teng. For those that know Mandarin, he told us his horse’s name was “er-bai-seh-seh-jio” (249), meaning he was 1 short of “er-bai-woo” (205). gagaga, maybe that humor is most acquired for the whacky.

During our horseback ride, we rode through gorgeous sceneries of waterfalls & lakes. Stopped off for some freshly made bread by locals, took a picture with a bling bling’in sheep, and then ended it at the the La-xi lake. This was the farm-side/village-side ‘ancient’ China I preferred to spend my time in, over the booming China you see everywhere else, li-ter-ally in-your-face.

In this video, we also end our day on Goat Street. A whole street all with goat/lamb restaurants made in many variations. They have it in skewers, in dishes, in whole, we had it in a hotpot. Accompanied the hot pot with some gao-liang liquor (50% rice liquor) that the Chinese commonly drink.

A beautiful insight look into a country we know so little & limited about.

Hello Afganistan, I hope we can meet soon.

With Love,
Jackistan

Namaste fellow Yogis & friends! It’s official, Megan (a fellow 200 hour graduate of Yoga Works) & I will start teaching Yoga this Sunday at the Artist Brewery in DTLA. Classes will be donation-based (suggested 10$ or whatever you’d like) and given to Room to Read Charity.

We feel fortunate enough to have had the time and opportunity to deepen our practice with 20 other classmates and 4 wonderful teachers. It’s time to give back to the community by encouraging our friends to look within, and dig deeper. Yoga is more than just asana (physical) poses and firm butts. We hope in the next few months, we can share with you more.

Where: Artist Brewery Lofts
676 s. Ave 21 #400, Downtown LA,

When: this Sunday, 11/6/2011
11am – 12pm (Please arrive 15 minutes earlier)

Bring: Yoga Mat, small towel, plenty of hydration, and YOU!

Visit our Facebook page- “Karma Yoga in LA” to RSVP & stay updated for future classes.

I was born & raised in Los Angeles, California, granted at different pockets of this large county at different points in my Life. I was raised where many would call the “real Chinatown” or “Little Taiwan” in Hacienda Heights/Rowland Heights. I spent my college years outside of LA in Riverside where I found surprisingly much joy in the ‘simple life’. Post college were the years I really began to explore the heart of LA in West Hollywood, West LA, Downtown. My wanderlust gets me bored very easily. I pack my car up every weekend to a different city if I’m not able to fly across the globe.

I want to share with you my 10 reasons why I Love LA/Southern Cali. And roll out November (my birffday month) with more posts elaborating what, where, when, why, how to go. I dedicate this post to those friends from out of town needing a guide as I’ve found myself writing pages each time friends visit (with joy of course!). I dedicate this especially to the friends who have grown up here like me, but have taken for granted what a wonderful place So. Cal is on this huge earth that we share!

1. Diversity, Culture – You will find every ethnicity here possible. You will find virtually every type of individual with different goals and ambitions. It’s the ones who wondered, and then wandered to the big city so they could really break out of their shell, find themselves and make it big. Often in small towns, outlandish/unique behavior is not considered the norm. Come to LA, and it is a bare requirement, we encourage it. ‘Whats your niche? What’s your brand?’ is the most common question to your identity, even in the job setting. I don’t need a masters degree or read all the books to understand the different cultures. I can just ask my classmate, chef, co-worker, taxi-driver, neighbor or friend.

America is made up of different ethnicities. Even the whiteys, Anglo-Saxons, are  technically of European ethnicity, although assimilated today in our melting pot, have all formed to be “Americans”. My parents have migrated from Taiwan to America 30 years ago. My grandparents migrated to Taiwan from China 60 years ago. Today, millions of other Chinese reside in LA. Millions of other Asians, Hispanics, Africans, Middle-eastern have all come, and stayed for a better life. What they brought was their culture & history for us to learn & cherish, food, music, art and traditions that have contributed to what makes our society.

An Equal Opportunity - America’s founded on equal opportunity right? Well there are still some racism in smaller towns and more conservative states. There always will be discrimination – here, there, anywhere. Many minorities have come to LA and made it big. Some of our most successful CEO’s in LA/Real Estate & Business Investors are Jewish, Chinese, Indian, Hispanic. You can come here and start as a dishwasher, and make your way to management in a year. You can start Grassroot campaigns and find any type of grants that will support it. It’s that diverse & welcoming.

2. Ethnic Districts - I might have to name this my FAVORITE part of LA. I can’t eat the same type of food every day. I am constantly wanderlusting my taste bud from Italian to Indian one day, Japanese to Ethiopian the next. All I have to do is hop in my Prius for 20 minutes and I can find it at the ethnic district or even walking distance from my house. In the next post, I will give you insight to all the neighborhoods: The real China Town, J-town “Little Tokyo” (2), Korea Town, Little Ethiopia, Little Armenia, Thai Town, Little India, and more.

And trust me, I’ve been to other big cities like Chicago, SF & NY. They might have a few unique ethnic districts with restaurants tastier than ours, but LA still has the most. My friend in Chicago is thinking about moving here with the food being the driving force.

3. Nature - Southern California has got it all. Beautiful beaches, Lakes, Hikes and mountains to ski/snowboard. This isn’t just a matter of seasons. You can visit any time of the year within a half hour drive (without traffic, duh). I love spending a Saturday hiking in the Palisades, and then laying out in Malibu. Rollerblade from Santa Monica to Venice and shop at the boardwalk. Paddle board in the Marina, and make my way to lunch in Manhattan Beach.

4. Yoga, Green, Health – Yoga studios are popping up every corner like Starbucks. Not only because it’s become ‘trendy’ to partake in, but with our busy lives, it is important to find a way to relax. LA traffic is crazy, and our hustle-way-of-life needs some centering of the soul. Yoga was brought to America less than a century ago. Yogananda among other renown Yogi’s have started centers in LA like the Self-Realization Temple to teach us a different way of thinking that is healthier for us.

California is all about Green Green Green. Green transportation, Green living, Green Food, Green air. Eating organic is not a fad lifestyle for villagers or the Vegans anymore. In Santa Monica & Venice, Whole food’s, organic farms, Yoga studio’s, green buildings, Ayurvedic clinics are a dime a dozen. Come here for some healing & detoxing.

5. Restaurant & Nightlife - Just as #4 talked about all the healing and detoxing, I bring to you the extreme opposite – Gluttony of LA. I belong to both extreme ends. The most glamorous restaurants owned by world-famous Chefs & celebrities is worth checking out in West Hollywood, Hollywood, Downtown, Beverly Hills, and in the Valley. Any evening of the week is a good evening to go. In fact, Mondays or Tuesdays have better scenes than a Friday or Saturday. The nightlife in Hollywood is always vibrant & everything it’s hyped up to be. Downtown LA has opened up LA Live, and has many very eccentric bars in old bank vaults & warehouses. Although California is not allowed to serve Alcohol legally past 2am, you sure don’t feel that energy among the going-out crowds who are ready to party all night – find an after party in the Hollywood hills.

6. Awesome Museums – You don’t need to travel to France to see some of our world’s finest art. I have friends who visit for a week and spend it mainly exploring our museums. LACMA, Getty, Griffith Observatory, MOCA, just to name a few.

7.  The City of Dreams – Various cities have been named this.  But I still see LA as the place, especially if you’re in entertainment. The Hollywood glam may not be what it use to, but it’s still very alive. As I mentioned in #2, minorities that make it big, this one is more for the artists or entrepreneurs. From a small town and want to make it big? Unless you pursue that dream, a dream would be just a dream. Pack your bags & hitch a ride to LA like Hilary Swank or Britney Spears. Live in a trailer for a few months or years, waitress at a hot spot and your next big gig might just appear. Aspiring movie stars, singers, tattoo artists, Yoga teachers, Venture capitalists, students flock from across the state & across the world to come to LA to make it. Here you’ll find agencies, job opportunities, some of the best Universities.

8. It’s always sunny in LA – I love sunny weather. It makes me happy. It’s November, and its 80 degrees out. Occasionally it rains, and then it pours for 2 days and the Angelenos go a little loco. They tweet and facebook and don’t know how to go on, then the sun comes out & we forget it ever happened. Once a decade, El Nino or a flake of snow comes down and it’s all over breaking news. But other than that, it’s sunny and it makes us friendly.

9. Gorgeous people - I’m not going to rank LA as the smartest people in the World. Not because I don’t think they are, we’ll just keep it at that. But I’m going to say that LA & OC are cities filled with the best looking, best put-together, best bodies COLLECTIVELY compared to any other cities in the world. There are hot people everywhere, but as a population, they’re hot even compared to Miami & NY. The hot weather makes us want to wear little clothes and tan which makes us look more toned. All the Hollywood stars near by pressure us to always look grand. Its an alarmingly superficial statement, but it’s worth noting as a top 10 of LA. We work hard to stay in shape, even if we have no clue if Toronto is in east or west Canada.

10. Liberal, free-spirit, open-minded Energy – Conservatives are a minority here. Conservative issues won’t be your problem. California was very close in legalizing Marijuana & Same-sex Marriage. Pot dispensaries are everywhere. Our gay friends can be as open as they want. This acceptance says something about the free-spirit minds of our locals. And these liberals running our pot dispensaries in Venice & Marina del Rey aren’t just a bunch of hippies, they’re successful business owners, doctors, yogis, director/producers.

E-mail me, Facebook me, with what YOU Love about LA! I’d love to hear it

Me covered in a rasta Sarong in Kollam, South India by Ama’s “Hugging Saint” Ashram, where the Arabian Sea meets the Indian Ocean, March 2007

No matter where it is you’re traveling, a Sarong is an essential traveler’s accessory! You may be going on a romantic getaway to Bora Bora, a tropical printed Sarong would come in great as a cover-up to the beach and around town if you’re too lazy to put on clothes. If you’re vacationing in Cabo with the girls, a Sarong is a must-have accessory to lay out on, or to cover lawn chairs. I tie it up as a dress which is easy to do and saves space in my bag.

A Sarong could come in really handy when visiting countries with stricter dress codes. Females may use it as headscarves and to cover their shoulder in temples. It could be used as a scarf when it’s cold.

Use it as a statement. It’s a way of representing your country’s flag as backpackers are always proud of where they’ve come from. Hang it from your bunk bed at your hostel to claim territory, or outside your hut! Use it as a political statement.

Practical uses: When backpacking/traveling, many hostels may not have the cleanest beds or pillows. Hey, what do you expect for 15 Shekels/night? You could use your sarong as a sheet to cover your bed. You could use it as a pillow on the plane. Use it as a way to hold your dirty clothes. Also, a sarong could be used to cover cracks allowing light into the room. No one needs that extra light when we’re on vacation sleeping in!

A sarong is a wonderful gift to give friends/families (boys & girls!). I just gave one to my sister who’s going off to college tomorrow in San Diego. I know she’ll be stylin’ with the California Flag Sarong, representing her state while laying on the beach catching a tan

Please excuse the cheesy edit of me on the beach *embarrassed face emoticon*. I wanted to show off the beautiful sarongs I got from Custom Sarongs – http://www.customsarongs.com. Kyle, the CEO is a good college friend of mine who had the ‘a-ha moment’ while backpacking Brazil in 2008 to start making sarongs for friends worldwide. You can find a lot of of beautifully made sarongs, as well as custom ones of your own design. Leave me a comment & tell me what you think!

Wear it. Hang it. Use it.