Chad Pillai
Bio
Military Officer, World Traveler, and Author.
Stories (36)
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My Adventure in Greece Part II
Ten years after my Greek adventure/misadventure, I had the chance to go back for a conference. The conference was scheduled to take place at Souda Bay on the Greek Island of Crete. I scheduled my flight through the military travel system, and the conference organizers made the hotel reservation located in the city of Chania. Everything was set, and I promised myself not to lose my passport this time around and not forget to grab the hotel's business card so that I would not get lost again.
By Chad Pillai4 years ago in Wander
My Adventure in Greece Part I
One of the Army's benefits is being stationed in Germany, where travel throughout Europe is cheap and convenient due to the mass transportation options. When I had a long weekend, I took every opportunity to travel, and in 2005, I made a trip to Athens, Greece. After reading about Greek mythology, studying Alexander the Great's exploits, and saw the Elgin Marbles in London, I always wanted to visit Greece.
By Chad Pillai4 years ago in Wander
The End of the War with Chocolate Cake
Far away from his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, Ernie sat on the front slope of his tank, watching the people walked around their small German village in the Black Forest region. The night before, reports from headquarters indicated that Germany was prepared to surrender, and Ernie’s unit was responsible for securing the town square. As Ernie watched and waited, he began thinking about all the things he missed about home.
By Chad Pillai4 years ago in Fiction
My Adventure in Afghanistan
As the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches along with the international military withdrawal, I recall a special moment I had there: attending Catholic Mass. However, before I share my story about the church, I must highlight that my culinary experience in Afghanistan was quite different from what I had in Iraq. Afghan food is remarkably similar to the food I had been exposed to during my adventures in India.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
My Adventure in Iraq
As a native New Yorker born in Brooklyn, pizza has always been a part of my life. What could be better than a hot slice of thin-crust pizza with melted cheese that you folded and ate? The best part of the days that I lived in the New York City and Yonkers area was getting a slice of pizza for a dollar. As a kid, it was a thrill to have a roll of quarters and ride your bike to the local pizzeria and spend $2.50 for two slices and a soda, and the rest of the quarters used for video games.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
My Adventure in South Korea
Every soldier who has served in South Korea above the “No Smile Line” or the area north of the Korean town of Uijeongbu-si where the U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry Division used to be located had an Ajumma and feared Slicky Boy. Ajumma is the Korean word for married women; however, it was used to reference Korean women who made delicious food for soldiers out training in the field. Slicky Boy was the invisible, mysterious person who would sneak in and steal soldier’s equipment. These two Korean characters were a part of my adventure in South Korea as they were for thousands of soldiers like me.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
My Adventure in Iraq
I am not going to lie. I like food, and I love trying food from different cultures around the world. At home in the United States and abroad during my travels, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to and try foods from India, China, South Korea, Afghanistan, various European countries, Latin American and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The one dish I will never forget is one I had in Iraq, not because it was the greatest, but how I was introduced to it.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Feast
My Adventure in South Korea
The U.S. Army’s woodland battle dress uniform (BDU) was the official uniform for Soldiers until the mid-2000s. The BDU served as a financial windfall for the tailors who sewed on patches, producers of spray starch that helped the uniform looked crisp, and the boot shiners who made your boots look like mirrors on your feet. Making one’s combat uniform and boots look immaculate was a time-consuming process. Thankfully, as a young officer stationed in South Korea, I had the opportunity to meet and pay Mr. Kim a $50 monthly fee to press my uniform and polish my boots. Mr. Kim provided this service to all the young Lieutenants who lived in the famous “Dragon Valley” on Camp Casey. Mr. Kim had been providing this service for so long that he would tell us when he knew Generals when they were Lieutenants. However, this story is not about Mr. Kim’s superb ability to press uniforms and polish boots; instead, this story is about his superpower related to Korea’s most famous alcoholic drink: Soju.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
Finding General Tso Chicken in China
Who does not love General Tso Chicken? It is a delightful and succulent breaded and spicy recipe and is one of the most requested dishes at Chinese Restaurants. While General Tso is famous here in the U.S., have we ever wondered if it is viewed the same way by the Chinese in China? I had the chance to find out when I visited China in 2002.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
My Adventure in an Indian Tiger Preserve:
Tigers are fascinating and majestic creatures. After my misadventure at a tea plantation, my family headed to the Periyar Tiger Preserve National Park. The national park was a beautiful area covered in dense forest with a series of interconnected lakes. On one of the lakes, there was a small resort where guests could stay the night. Guests had to take a small boat out to the resort, and my father had rented it as an anniversary gift for my mother. When we arrived by boat, we were informed that it was possible to see wild elephants bathing in the lake early in the mornings.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
Surviving in the Abyss
The cabin was cold, dark, and damp. I sat alone in a thick metal sphere crammed with computer monitors and caressed the heart-shaped locket on my necklace. As I sat alone, my mind wandered, and I thought about how far from home I was in the deep abyss. The computer screens, the only light source, compounded this feeling as they displayed the vast undersea landscape of the deep abyss.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Fiction
My Adventure in India
India is an exotic land to outsiders. My perception of India was shaped by stories and movies like the Jungle Book and Indiana Jones. My father, an immigrant from India, had told me stories of his homeland, and I remember asking him once if he ate monkey brains. The question did not amuse my father, yet he shared stories of his childhood and heroes from Indian lore, such as the Monkey God named Hanuman. His stories always fascinated me, and I wondered what an adventure to India would be like one day. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to travel and experience adventures in India with my father. The one adventure that comes to mind involved getting lost around a forested mountain, a failed hunt, and a conversation with a dog.
By Chad Pillai5 years ago in Wander
