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Where in the World Are You, Valerie Ng?

The subject of our latest nearly up-to-the-minute interview with a traveler somewhere in the world: freelance writer and World Hum contributor Valerie Ng. Her response landed in our inbox last night.

Where in the world are you?

In the lobby of Da House Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

What are you doing there?

I’ve reached the end of my trip to the Caribbean, which began in St. Thomas for my cousin’s wedding. I felt it would be a waste to travel all the way from the west coast to spend only a few days in the Caribbean, so I came to San Juan to explore more of the region, as well as to utilize my Spanish again, but it hasn’t been working out since everyone here speaks English. I’ve found the experience here to be a lot more interesting than St. Thomas. The architecture in Old San Juan reminds me of Lisbon and there’s a lot of activity, unlike in St. Thomas, where all there was to do was sit at the beach or wander the shopping areas of the town.

What do you see around you?

Chairs, tables, a chess set, a chandelier, some artwork hanging on the wall and a tiled floor. It’s pretty quiet, though I can hear music playing outside.

Got a pic?

What did you have for dinner last night and where?

I went to a place near the hotel called Cafe Puerto Rico and had a bowl of asopao with crab meat, which is like gumbo. You can always find traditional Puerto Rican food on restaurant menus, but there are also a lot of international dishes like pasta, sandwiches and quesadillas, and even fusion cuisines like Latino-Asian and Indo-Latino.

What are you listening to these days?

I have the Putumayo Dominican Republic CD on my iPod, and I’m also going back to Juanes. When I need a break from Spanish tunes, I’ve got Natasha St-Pier (a French-Canadian singer) as well as Kelly Clarkson’s new CD and all the oldies on my iPod like the Beatles.

What are you reading?

Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis. I grew up on Peanuts, both the comics and the TV specials, so it’s nice to read about the man who created it and his life story, including the many influences he had.

What did you experience in the last 24 hours that you’d recommend?

This morning I went to El Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, an amazing museum that displays the work of Puerto Rican artists through the years. A visit to the Condado beaches is a must. Condado reminds me a bit of Waikiki, but more tasteful and with far fewer people. In fact, there’s even a restaurant by the beach called Waikiki Ocean Front & Native Cuisine & Seafood. There seems to be a lot of construction going on in that area at the moment.

Where in the world are you headed next?

I’m headed home to the Bay Area tomorrow afternoon. I’m planning a big trip around Eastern Europe in the spring, starting in Helsinki, working my way through the Baltic States and into Poland, Hungary, the Balkans, and ending in Croatia and Hungary.

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Photos Courtesy:  REUTERS  |  iStockPhoto  |  flickr  

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