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Thessaloniki, Greece
July 3 - 10, 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has put the entire world on a grinding halt, and it affected my plans to travel. With many travel bans and concerns over safety, I didn't get the chance to explore different parts of the world. However, as soon as the world reopened, I made plans to attend the ICTVC International Conference on Typography and Visual Communication in Thessaloniki, Greece, which took place from July 5 – 9, 2022. It was my third time attending and it would be great to meet up with Dr. Klimis Mastoridis, the organizer and professor extra ordinaire! Before leaving for the conference, I had ordered a bunch of Ring cameras to install in my apartment as I had asked my renter to take care of my five-year-old bulldog, Yang-Yang. In addition, I could be monitoring the progress Christopher Shaw from Core Construction had been lagging behind. One of the biggest financial risk I took was paying him $22K to put a new roof, remove the vinyl siding and replace the façade and three-sides of the building with Hardie planks. So far, he had stripped the building bare and it was just exposed to the elements.

My headache was only starting as my economy ticket had two stops, and the last one was at Gatwick, which was far away from Heathrow. I decided to use the opportunity to check out London's Chinatown before heading to Gatwick. I boarded a subway train to Piccadilly Circus at 7:35 AM, and after paying 6.30 pounds using my Chase credit card, the machine swallowed my card on my way out. I asked the station master for directions to Gatwick, and I was told that it would take about 1.5 hours. Since it was only 9 AM, I walked around the square to check out the beautiful surroundings, architecture, snapping pictures of things English, even getting ideas for my research. Afterward, I headed to London's Chinatown, and I was pleased to find that most of the restaurants would open at 11, but Sha-Xian, a modernly designed restaurant, was already open. I ordered some pork congee, egg custard buns, and soy milk for 21.73. At Gatwick airport, I went through customs, which required everyone to put their toiletries in a clear plastic bag and remove laptops out of their bags or sleeves. Surprisingly, almost nobody was wearing masks at the airport. Although the Makedonia Palace wasn't my preference due to its high price, it turned out to be a five-star hotel but I was glad I had picked it.

I was in Thessaloniki to celebrate America's 246th birthday, and before the conference, I visited the Aroh of Gelerius (arch), Rotonda historical sites, and Agia Theodora Monastery. The latter looked fairly new, and later research revealed that it was rebuilt in 1935 in place of the older main church, which was destroyed in the fires of 1890 and 1917. I also visited Kapani market, but from the surveillance camera I had installed outside the hayloft, it didn't seem like any progress was made. On the 6th of July, I ran into Purba and Mandar, and it was great to see them again. We hadn't planned on how to meet up in Thessaloniki, but Purba spotted me because I was carrying an umbrella. I joined them to walk to their Airbnb, and I was impressed with the door, which had bolts that went around all the edges. The last time we saw each other was 3 years ago when they accepted my invitation to conduct a workshop at Indiana University Southeast.

On July 8th, I presented my research, titled The Red Wok: A Visual Analysis of European Chinatown Restaurant Signage that Contributes to their Gastronomic Identity on Friday, at the convention center. The presentation was successful, and during the break, Klimis and I distributed fortune cookies, which brought some laughter. However, after the break, I decided to explore the city with Mandar and Purba instead of returning to the convention center. Purba suggested that I should change my flight, but I ended up accidentally canceling it due to a confusing interface on the booking website. Luckily, with Purba's help, I was able to check my reservation on American Airlines and confirm the cancellation. After some panic and assistance from the concierge, I was able to call the booking agency and sort out my flight.

Before Mandar and Purba left, we enjoyed a boat trip together with drinks, which was a lovely way to end the evening. On the day before my departure back to the States on the 11th of July, I visited the White Tower, an old fortress with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and the sea. I couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to travel again and explore new places. We spent the rest of the evening wandering around the city, trying different street foods and soaking in the vibrant culture. On my final night in Thessaloniki, I sat on my hotel balcony, overlooking the city and the sea. I couldn't help but feel grateful for the experience and the memories I had made. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I was able to travel again and learn more about the world and its people. It was also memorable that I was able to contact Thanasis whom I met when I attended the conference for the first time years ago. As I packed my bags and headed to the airport the next day, I knew that Thessaloniki would always hold a special place in my heart.