Segal Travels

November 23, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-11-23T17:54:00.002-08:00

"You got the love I need

maybe more than enough,

Oh darling... walk a while with me

Oooh, you've got so much..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse I

For some reason every return home from China seems to be a difficult process. This past summer required 48 hours of continuous travel on various modes of transportation, this time snow is the challenge. A week before leaving, my head system broke. Assuming this would not be a problem while gone, I chose to not get it fixed. Problem - it has been below freezing for the last two days. Upon arriving in Portland, around 10pm, I'll drive through the snow and ice to get home. The repair man is coming at 7am tomorrow morning.

But first, I must stay present. I'm still in China. Living a day in the future. It's yesterday in Oregon.

Deciding to just wander the area near our hotel before driving to the airport, hiding close-by, among the winding streets, a fruit market. China overflowed with fresh fruit during the summer and cold weather hasn't deterred the sale of juicy sunshine. Grapefruit is one of my favorites. On the flight to China, I ate two pink grapefruits and now a yellow grapefruit for the flight home.

November 22, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-11-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

"Many times I've loved

many times been bitten

many ties I've gazed

along the open road..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse II

On the first evening in China, taking the over-crowded Beijing Ditie (subway), someone brushed up against me, so I quickly moved away. Four days later, I now realize my debit card was pick-pocketed. My fault for not returning it to its safe place. Hopefully no one in China can use it since pin numbers are required everywhere and nobody looks like the name on my card.

This morning all participants in our Confucius Institute visited the official HanBan China headquarters. It was learned that there are presently over 2,300 HanBan Confucius Institute teachers from 77 different countries studying varying levels of Mandarin and Chinese culture at locations throughout China.

Chasidy and I have turned to each other at least a dozen times since arrival, started to laugh, and commented that we could write a movie script about this trips moments of strangeness. This morning was no exception. A large middle-aged man from Slovenia parked himself next to us and began sharing, in a deep accent, his personal adventures and students travels in New Zealand. Apparently he has limited exposure to accents, because after correcting him twice that we're not Kiwi's, he continued on, uninterrupted. Chasidy and I just smiled and nodded. Having never been to New Zealand, I only know one town. If asked, I was fully prepared to say we're from Christ Church, just to appease him (and further lighten the impact of the U.S. invasion on this institute).

In the afternoon solo time was required. Venturing to the Summer Palace alone, I found my favorite historical and natural setting in Beijing. The Summer Palace was a place where the imperial families would come to escape the baking head of central Beijing, during the hottest months of the year. Anyone could easily reside here year-round. After seeing the palace in fall, I have no desire to visit in the summer.

Always curious about western values on ancient Chinese culture, a schlep through the Nanluoguxiang Hutong (Centipede Street). Built during the Yuan Dynasty, the lane is symmetrically straight with neat streets leading to both the East and West, making the layout look like a centipede. The street now contains traditional craft stores, souvenir shops, along with trendy restaurants, bars, and cafes. An incredible homemade western-style vegi pizza was found, filling me for both lunch and dinner.

And my final adventure - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows, Part I in Mandarin. On this opening weekend in the United States, every theater showing of Harry Potter is sold-out. In the Xicheng Worker's Movie Theater there are only 13 people to watch the movie in a annoying Mandarin voice-over. However, in typical China-style, about 45 minutes through the movie the voice-over broke and we were all herded into a massive two-story theater for the original movie showing, in English.

November 21, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-11-23T17:53:00.001-08:00

"Many times I've lied

many times I've listened

many times I've wondered

how much there is to know..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse III

Although we feel safe at our new hotel, there is also a feeling of awkwardness. Each year HanBan Confucius Institute brings educators from around the world for exposure to China and the Mandarin language. Last year 400 U.S. educators and administrators attended this institute. This year international educators from every country were invited to apply, except from the United States. Since the Advanced Mandarin Language Center was not where we should be placed, we requested a more appropriate setting. The Confucius Institute is where we landed. We've noticed a feeling of resentment by the educators from Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Poland, U.K., Ethiopia, Kenya, and... A stereotypes perseveres - typical American's make demands until they get what they want. We are not helping our country in the international relations department.

At one point in the day an Australian woman approached me, stating she was under the impression that the U.S. doesn't care about foreign languages, and why we were in China. I often practice my most important U.S. Right - Freedom of Speech, by often questioning and condemning my countries practices. Now it was time to defend my country. Most states require students to graduate with at least 2 years of a foreign language and later in the day, I learned that there are over 1,020 U.S. colleges teaching Mandarin. Life doesn't give you what you want, it gives you what you need. Possibly, our destiny was to "accidentally" attend the Confucius Institute in order to inform educators from around the world that the U.S. does care about international relations.

This trip is a combination of opposing forces.

Yin - Yang

Light - Dark

Advanced Mandarin Language Center - Confucius Institute Professional Training.

Mountain - Water

Sun - Moon

Longmi Hotsprings Hotel - Yi Hai Business Hotel

Heaven - Hell

If I could change anything from this week it would be balance. The Advance Mandarin was beyond my ability level and the Confucius Institute is offering little in the way of language development. I'm reading for the next step in learning Mandarin.

Spending the majority of our day at the Beijing Language & Culture University, we focused on Chinese Arts - calligraphy, painting, folk paper cutting, dumplings, and Tai Chi. In the afternoon, all the foreigners wanted to go shopping at the Silk Market. Not a fan of buying knock-off products made by slave children and also in need of some solo-time, I walked to the Ancient Observatory (Guguanxiangtai). Rarely visible in Beijing is there a clear, blue sky. Kublai Khan, the Mongolian ruler, built Beijing's first observatory to make astrological predictions, observe astronomy, and assist in seafaring navigation. The Chinese originally believe the the Earth was the center of the universe and orbited by celestial spheres. The present observatory was built in 1437 with instruments for measuring astronomy including an ecliptic armilla, a theodolite, a sextant, and a dragon quadrant.

For dinner Haidilao Hotpot. Although yummy and fun, last summer's Shanghai Hotpot was better. I've become a Hotpot snob.

Although a long day, once again, it felt good returning to a hot shower and warm bed.

November 20, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-11-23T17:48:00.001-08:00

"Many dreams come true

and some have silver linings

I live for my dream

and a pocketful of gold..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse IV

A day of change. For the last three days, the HanBan Multi-Language Center for International Promotion of Chinese Language has not met eight American participants and one Kenyans needs. HanBan has invited over 9,000 Mandarin and teachers of China to participate in a 5-day workshop in seven various venues throughout China. By chance, my friend Chasidy (we met in South Korea last summer) and I were both placed at the rural 'SARS Camp.' What I mean by this is that during the 2009 SARS breakout in China, many infected people were taken to a remote rural hospital and hotel location outside of Beijing for quarantine. This just happens to be our Longmai Hotsprings Hotel.

Of the 3,000 participants, the highly fluent in both spoken and written Mandarin language, are placed at 'SARS Camp.' In addition, nine primarily English-only speakers have been accidentally stationed with 292 advanced-fluent Mandarin communicators from the U.S., Argentina, Portugal, Morocco, Kenya, and around the world. At one point, the only translator we could find spoke only Spanish and Mandarin. She would translate Mandarin into Spanish and then I would translate the Spanish into English for the other English-only speaking colleagues. Extremely frustrated, five of us found a corner and began creating an integrated math, history, and art lesson based in traditional Chinese hand signs for numbers and their now associated Mandarin names.

Yi. Er. San. Si. Wu. Liu. Qi. Ba. Shi.

HanBan was not pleased with our alienation, and after a long exchange of words (a challenging task with limited Mandarin skills) it was realized we are at the wrong venue. Quickly packing in hopes of a hurried hot springs dip in the rarely cleaned water amusement park, I found myself warm only once at 'SARS Camp.' At the end of our day, us five left behind four drowning English-only speakers, from Utah, to either sink or swim.

Three days, two nights, and no-shower-in-over-96 hours later I arrived with my group at the Yi Hai Business Hotel in downtown Beijing. In the lap of luxury; a single room, a king size bed, hot running water, marble bathroom, in-room message, flat-screen TV in both the bedroom and living space, purified tap water, and... heat. Tonight I don't have to wear two thermal layers, wool socks, and a stocking cap to bed.

November 19, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-11-23T17:47:00.001-08:00

Wangfujing Street

"Mellow is the man

who knows what he's been missing

many many men

can't see the open road..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse V

The accommodations at the Longmi Hotsprings Hotel are a little primitive and unsanitary, even for China. My "villa" is placed about 1/2 mile from the Main House near a horse track, on the ground floor with broken-taped-up windows, and no heat. I can deal with all this, but the non-operating show is frustrating. Besides cleaning myself with a amusement-park hot-springs swim, I've resigned myself to not showing for my entire China visit. There probably won't be any training this week either - the workout room consists of a ping pong table and it's too cold to run outside.

Early this morning, a group of U.S. educators jumped on the Beijing Ditie (subway) towards the Beijing Hotel and downtown. A quick wander through Wangfujing Street to observe (but not partake) various insects-on-a-stick, candied fruits, and other traditional Chinese foods. Next, a taxi ride across town with a friend from Alabama who often takes in the Pearl Market for beautiful jewels at rock-bottom prices. Unexpectedly, I gave myself a very nice holiday present this year.

But the afternoon was a return to my favorite Art District world-wide, Beijing's 798. This past summer 798 Art District was introduced to me and I'm continuously amazed that controlling Communist China has allowed such a free flowing exchange of artistic release to be supported, and even publicized by the government. Huge statues of screaming citizens best express what some feel living within the regulating and propaganda driven society. Perhaps it's also the coffee shops, boutiques, and cozy winding streets that appeal to my western mentality.

The evening closed with a traditional Peking Duck dinner, a trip to China's largest book store, and another long ditie ride back to rural Beijing.

November 18, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-11-23T17:46:00.001-08:00

"Many is a word

that only leaves you guessing

guessing about a thing

you really ought to know..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse VI

Within minutes of the Beijing plane departure, it quickly became obvious that I am one of only a few, out of over 400 people, who is not fluent in Mandarin. This program is sponsored by the HanBan Institute, a Canadian based People's Republic of China outreach office. The educators in the program teach China, but mainly Chinese. The majority of participants are native Chinese speakers who come from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Seattle, and other densely populated Chinese communities. More interesting, many of these Chinese men and women have never previously visited China. Even more interesting, many of the Hispanic and white participants are Mormons who served their mission in China and now teach Mandarin state-side. There are no translators, so I'm working hard to keep up.

In China fashion, our living quarters are located at a water amusement park called Beijing Lognmai Hotspring Hotel. Beyond the reception building and massive glass solarium, housing the water attractions, stretch out miles of housing developments and villas. My hotel room is located in a three-story villa, with multiple rooms on each floor, and overlooks some kind of field. There is no hot water, Internet, or reliable heat.

And sometimes magic ensures. When ready to have a personalized name in China, a family member, teacher, or someone of authority presents an individual with a fitting title. In traditional China, my birth name would be First Daughter. While waiting in the Beijing Airport, a Chinese teacher named, Li li (Lily), from California, and I began to discuss Mandarin, China, teaching, and other typical pedagogy of educators. Later this interaction with a petite Chinese woman in a red jump suit revealed itself as mystical. Li li expressed it is time for me to have a Chinese name. A little nervous since we don't have a personal relationship, I hesitantly wrote out my first and last English name, and handed it to her. Based on pronunciation and then placing the family name first, she devised my Chinese name - Shi Xue Na

Shi (historical)

Xue (snow)

Na (graceful)

When the characters are placed together, my first name becomes Xue Na, or Graceful Snow. Amazed, as a mountain girl who lives for snow, someone who knows me well could not have come up with a better title. She pointed above her head and said, "intuition."

Mandarin: Nee how. Waw seeng Shi Xue Na.

Translation: Hello. My name is Historical Graceful Snow.

November 17, 2010 - San Francisco

2010-11-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

Last cabbage harvested just days before leaving to China

"You really ought to know

I really out to know

Oh, you know I should,

you know I should,

you know I should..."

~Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills & Far Away, Verse VII

Even before leaving U.S. soil, the feeling of immersion in Chinese culture came rushing back from just three months ago. Preparing to enter the international travel airport security check-point, the pushing and shoving to be first in line began. It appears the majority of international flights out of San Francisco are destined for Mexico and cities throughout Asia. As far as I can tell, most travelers are China bound.

On U.S. flights and past Korean Air flights to Asia, people quietly and orderly find their seats and get settled. Not on China Air. Yelling, clamoring, shoving. and all Western-accepted-bubbles of personal-space quickly vanish on the primarily Chinese residing China Air. The familiarity of sights, sounds, and smells were so comfortable, it felt as if I never left three months ago. My greatest China Air disappointment, no personal TV screen with dozens of movie choices.

I have a FF relationship with China - Fascination & Frustration. The amount of corruption practiced within this culture by everyone from government, to businesses, to many individuals is sickening. Foreigners are bull-eye targets; sometimes paying 400% more for a service or product than a local Han Chinese. I have never felt so manipulated in a country before... yet, I am back. What does this say?

Creating passionate curriculum, interacting with highly motivated educators, discovering the world, reflecting on the U.S. & Oregon's role in the global community, disseminating stereo-types, finding empathy, and much... much more. Participating in these study tours nourishes me.

August 8-9, 2010 - China via Bus, Taxi, Plane

2010-08-15T00:00:00.001-07:00

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."

~Orson Welles

There are too many people in China. There are too many people on the planet. But, there are way too many people in China. China’s middle class is on a dramatic rise, all wanting a comparable life to the US’s ridiculous consuming middle class. Planet Earth cannot accommodate consumption on such a massive level. Where will the resources come from?

At 5:30am on August 8th, I began the first of seven connections to travel home. Four hours on a bus from Wuhan, back to downtown Yichang. A one hour taxi to the local airport. A two hour flight to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Another one hour bus to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Sleep for six hours on an airport bench. Two hour flight to Seoul, South Korea. Eleven hour flight to Seattle. One hour flight to Oregon.

5:30am August 8th in China is 3:30pm August 7th in Oregon. Forty-eight hours later, 3:30pm August 9th PST… home.

I’m already counting the days until back in China.

August 7, 2010 - Wuhan, Hubei, China

2010-08-14T23:59:00.001-07:00

"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe,

is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."

~Albert Einstein

After departing the Victoria Princess cruise yesterday, we quickly realized that Yichang is part of China’s rapid development, in an unprepared way. Everything around Yichang (airport, dam, cruise liners) is developed except for the actual city. The cost of a cab ride from the boat dock to the bus station was around $40 US. Deciding to travel today and tomorrow with new friends for the Netherlands, we knew getting out of Yichang fast was our only chance at success. Taking a bus to Wuhan and finding the Pathfinder International Youth Hostel, we were able to finally relax and explore another massive city with little context to its importance in China.

Growing up in the US, education in the west, and common-sense indicates that when looking at a map, North is always at the top. Not the case in China. The nautical compass was perfected in China thousands of years ago, but established North as a consistent for cartography. Trying to locate the Yellow Crane Tower and Changchun Temple, we whipped out a map. Random Chinese men began closing in from all directions, standing within inches, to peer over our shoulders for a peak at the disoriented map. Eventually eight men pressed up against us making it impossible to identify landmarks, and created a claustrophobic atmosphere. Overwhelmed, laughing became my coping device. Dropping the map and pushing out of the crowd, luckily my Netherland friends were unfazed and continued seek our destination.

Finally we arrived at the rebuilt Taoist Chung Chun Temple which was originally destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. My excitement for Asian culture was overemphasized by the lack of enthusiasm by my Netherland travel companions. They were unimpressed by the local people’s desire to reconstruct a cultural relic, regardless of communist mandates. The Yellow Crane Tower, originally constructed in 223 AD, is a five story tower to immortalize poetry. Viewing the tower can be done anywhere in town, but to visit one must pay $20 US. I am more impressed by the sidewalk calligraphy artist.

August 6, 2010 - Yichang, Hubei, China

2010-08-14T23:58:00.001-07:00

Trash Island behind Three Gorges Dam

“Walls of stone will stand upstream to the west
To hold back Wushan's clouds and rain
Till a smooth lake rises in the narrow gorges.”
~Mao Zedong

Last night our cruise ship was first in line to enter the Three Gorges Dam locks elevator, around 9pm. The locks elevator can hold eight boats at one time and with the incredible amount of traffic on the Yangtze River, this quota is constantly met. The five locks elevator from the Upper to the Lower Yangtze took over four hours – arriving down river around 2am. The combination of flooding and acceptance of throwing trash in the river has created an incredible amount of garbage built up behind the Three Gorges Dam. Within the locks elevator there was so much trash it appeared the boats were floating on rubbish, not water.

I am rarely astonished by man-made development, but the Three Gorges Dam is mind-blowing. Expanding over a mile in across, in reality the Three Gorges Dam is miles and miles of concrete expanding in every direction. In today’s smog laden morning, viewing the dam’s opposing shore was not possible, creating an appearance of endlessness. With jaws drooped, one of my European travel mates stated, “This is modern China.”

There are endless positive and negative consequences of the Three Gorges Dam construction.

Some speculation –
+ Weight from the dam’s massive reservoir could alter the earths tilt
+ The dam sits on two fault lines – weight from the reservoir could create earthquakes
+ Increase in landslides & erosion is obvious – silt could fill up behind the dam
+ American engineers estimate the bottom 60% of the dam has no steal reinforcement, creating an incredibly unstable man-made disaster waiting to happen

An observation – As we navigate through numerous Yangtze River towns, it is obvious many people have been displaced by the rising waters. We see some of these people living in the shells of buildings under construction.

An opinion – Since boarding the Victoria Princess, we have encountered at least 50 coal filled cargo vessels heading towards Shanghai, any beyond, to fuel modern China. “Modern China” is rooted in circumspect rapid expansion and environmental degradation.

Today's Victoria Princess Cruise Schedule

06:15 Morning music call

06:45 Breakfast served in Dynasty Dining Room

07:30 Passengers disembark for Three Gorges Dam visit

10:00 Passengers return to boat

10:20 Enter Xiling Gorge (third gorge)

12:00 Passengers disembark

August 5, 2010 - Yangtze River, Chongqing, China

2010-08-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

"If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden."

~ Claudia Ghandi

Waking at sunrise to watch mornings light illuminate the Qutang Gorge, the most western of the Three Gorges; the scene was draped in a magical mist.

After a typical hit-and-run Chinese breakfast, boarding a smaller boat destined for the Lesser Three Gorges region, which were trickling streams ten years ago and are now expansive tributaries covering drowned villages. Our river guide openly shared his relocation story about owning a home that is now 50 meters underwater. After moving his families personal items to a newly created apartment building up the hill, he boarded the homes windows and locked the doors. All families secure their homes before leaving so items would not float to the surface and damage boats. When we asked our guide his feeling about being forced to move, he stuck to the Communist party line stating, "Life is much better now." Our English speaking guide has a newly built apartment with electricity and running water, a lucrative job in the tourism industry, and his son attends university outside Shanghai.

About 25 years ago, I heard about the Three Gorges Dam for the first time in elementary school. As a 5th grader, we learned about China's need for energy and controlling floods. Our 10 year old minds considered and discussed the proposed project's environmental and cultural impact. Many ancient temples and villages are now underwater. Each student was assigned a native animal from the Yangtze River region to research. I was assigned the then endangered freshwater Baiji Chinese River Dolphin. Two decades ago, researches estimated these mammals would be immediately extinct from damming the Yangtze River waters. This prediction has now proven accurate.

The Lesser Three Gorges region is eerily peaceful. There are no birds or wildlife, just the continuous sound of motorboat engines for harvesting shrimp. We came up with a game called, "Whoever sees the first wild animal wins." After three hours along lush green expanses, we finally saw a couple monkeys, a single butterfly, and three birds. Above a flooded ancient Buddhist site, a new temple was erected two years ago. Still visible, along the gorge cliffs, are carved trails to "hanging coffins" burial sites where important ancestors were placed to rest forever. With rising reservoir waters, these spiritual cliffs are easier to access resulting in "hanging coffins" magically disappearing. To further promote economic growth and hopefully reduce erosion, along the Yangtze's rural shores, China is systematically planting tea trees for rural villagers to harvest and prepare for sale.

Back on the glamorous Victoria Princess, in the early evening, as we navigated closer to the dam, the wind picked up, increasing the wind tunnel effect already created by the gorges. Shortly after a few rain drops fells, thunder and lightening followed. Within minutes the boat swayed in the wind forcing waves from the swollen river below to rock the boat from side-to-side, all while the rains from the heavens pounded our cabin windows. I could not envision a more dramatic Three Gorges Dam approach.

Our Table 17 of westerners has quickly bonded. We easily travel together and find ourselves endlessly laughing on the deck throughout the night. Having never thought of myself as a cruise-type, my father suggested this Yangtze River cruise through the Three Gorges Dam; I'm extremely happy I took his advice.

Today's Victoria Princess Cruise Schedule:

06:45 Morning music call

07:00 Enter Qutang Gorge (first gorge)

07:30 Breakfast served in Dynasty Dining Room

08:30 Change boat to visit Lesser Three Gorges

12:15 Return to boat

12:30 Lunch served in Dynasty Dining Room

13:00 Enter Wu Gorge (second gorge)

18:30 Captain's Farewell Banquet

20:00 Performance

20:30 Travel through Three Gorges Dam locks

August 4, 2010 - Yangtze River, Chongqing, China

2010-08-09T13:49:00.001-07:00

"You can never step into the same river, for new waters are always flowing on to you."

~ Heracitus of Ephesus

The Victoria Princess is not a luxury cruise ship. It's more like a Motel 8 floating down the Yangtze River. Capitalism at its finest.

After leaving Chongqing last night, we navigated about 100 miles, arriving in Fengdu early this morning. With the Three Gorges Dam construction, the backwaters inevitably became deeper, thus drowning many Yangtze River towns. Old Fengdu is now underwater, but a new Fengdu metropolis has been built on the rivers northern shore, above the new flood line. On the south shore is the haunted "Ghost City" which is really a series of temples featuring Yinwang, God of the Netherworld, built on Minshan Hilltop. The Chinese prefer riding chairlifts to the top of anything with a view, including the The Great Wall and Minshan. With the increase in Yangtze River cruises, more people have become interested in visiting the "Ghost City," so China has taken these beautiful, naturally aging ancient temples and built new pavilions, shops, and a 5-story Buddha head on a neighboring hill. There's a theme-parkness atmosphere.

China was not open to my grandparents generation. China didn't have the info-structure for accessibility to my parents generation. China is working frantically for the current generation. The Chinese people like Disney-nification of nature and culture. I hope a balance between maintaining integrity and appeasing the people can be met for future generations.

Cruise ship life is lovely. This morning I woke to soft music playing throughout the cabin and after the morning "Ghost City" tour, the crew greeted us with cold Tea Tree scented washcloths and chilled Green Tea. I originally hoped to spend this relaxing time conversing with native Chinese, but the cruise line had a different idea. Table 17 is where all Europeans (myself included) have been placed - four from Netherlands, two from Germany, and two from Austria. We've even been assigned English speaking hosts and hostesses as personal waitstaff.

Most of the afternoon was spent sitting in shade on the top deck as the Victoria Princess cruised east, away from Fengdu towards the Pacific Ocean. Ironically, even though I'm observing farmers, fisherman, construction workers, and daily life on the Yangtze shores (from a commercial cruise ship) - what I'm really seeing is the non-commercialized China. The river winds through green hills of forest intertwined with terrace farming. China recognizes that deforestation increases flooding and erosion, thus cutting down trees is illegal in many parts of China. It would be easy to identify which year this law was passed by merely counting the rings on a Yangtze River tree. The trees on the river banks are all the exact same size, and appear to be the same age.

Today's Victoria Princess Cruise Schedule:

07:00 Music morning call

07:30 Breakfast served in Dynasty Dining Room

08:30 Passengers disembark on excursion to Fengdu, the "City of the Ghosts"

11:00 Passengers return to the Victoria Princess

12:00 Lunch served in Dynasty Dining Room

18:30 Captain's Welcome Banquet

20:00 Safety onboard played on cabin TV

20:30 Dance Party

August 3, 2010 - Chongqing, China

2010-08-09T01:02:00.001-07:00

Pinyin: Ke zhou qiu jian

Translation: Notching the boat to find the sword

Idioms Meaning: Satirizes those who stick to rigid rules instead of taking circumstance into account

Until 2007 Chongqing was part of the Sichuan Province. With the Three Gorges Dam completion, China's governmental authorities wanted to bypass Sichuan's politics to gain control of lands and the people where future waters would flood. Thus the Chongqing region became a "direct-controlled municipality" ran by the central government. There are four direct-controlled municipalities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing - comparable to Washington DC. Villages and lands were taken, new apartments and villages were built at higher elevations, and financial compensation for the people came directly from Beijing. Many villagers whom lost their homes have migrated to Chongqing for higher wages in the construction and factory industries.

This morning a flight from Guilin to Chongqing. Little did I know that Chongqing is the largest city in the world, which no one has heard of, with a population of 33 million people. The drive from the airport to the central bus station took over 90 minutes without traffic. Perhaps because Chongqing is a new city the western influenced architecture should not have been a surprise. Chicago style sky-scrappers, San Francisco row-houses, European fountains, tree lined streets, flower boxes, and gated communities. Also a first in China, the traffic was orderly and turn signals used.

Although Chongqing is no longer part of Sichuan, the locals still serve the incredible-traditional-world famous-savory-spicy foods. On a future trip, I plan to eat my way across Sichuan Province. From the central bus station, I searched for the busiest, loudest, dirtiest hole-in-the-wall to have one of the regional boiled dumpling specialties. In a backstreet restaurant with six tables crammed together, people sit and stand everywhere. Wall photos displayed dishes served, so I pointed to dumplings for 6 Yuan ($1 US). The cashier was overly welcoming and accommodating. Eating while huddled in the corner, still wearing my backpack, the locals took cellphone photos of this strange foreigner.

Catching a taxi to Dock #8 for boarding the Victoria Princess Cruise, I quickly dropped my backpack in the cabin, and set out again. Although Chongqing city is relatively new, the old town is home to a Qing Dynasty Buddhist temple. The meditative Luohan Temple is an ancient sanctuary amidst a modern metropolis. Within the time span of first boarding the Victoria Princess to the actual evening departure, the flooding river waters visibly dropped at least three feet. However, from saturated mud remnant on the shores, this years floods have been at least 30 feet higher. An estimated 30,000 homes were destroyed last week within the Chongqing region.

Today's Victoria Princess Cruise Schedule:

14:00 Victoria Princess check-in

20:00 Victoria Princess set sail

22:00 Meet river guide & Table 17 in lounge

August 2, 2010 - Guilin, Guangxi, China

2010-08-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

"He (America) is good at extracting other countries' advantages while improving its national federal system. He (America) tries to make it more perfect, more effectual and more reasonable."

~ Joe on American History

Finally, the skies have cleared of clouds and rain, but have been replaced by the blinding sun. Today is my last day in the Guangxi Province. In the morning, a final peaceful walk across the Flower Bridge to Seven Stars Park lead to a hike of two karst limestone pinnacles, Putuo Hill and Crescent Hill-Hidden Dragon Rock - which almost induced heat exhaustion. Putuo Hill is the highest reachable peak within Guilin and has been capped with a pavilion where locals play cards and board games. China is clever with naming natural and man-made features. On a clear night, one might sit in this hilltop pavilion and attempt plucking Seven Stars from the sky.

I've never been on a cruise before, but I assume a good book for lounging on the deck is standard. In Guiin's business district there is a three story book store with two rows of English literature. Most the choices are the classics: Pride and Prejudice, Gone With the Wind, Harry Potter. After hours of taking in the stores literature, music, and DVD selection, I kept coming back to the same book - Rosemary in Palmdale, A Chinese Exchange Student's Entire Diaries in the United States. The writers English name is Joe, but I can't figure out his given name since it's written in Chinese.

Joe shares every journal entry he made during his junior high school exchange year in California.

Some of Joe's observations about the U.S.:

+ In the U.S. there are table manners, in China anything goes including spitting and throwing waste on the floor

+ In the U.S. it's acceptable to slam doors

+ In the U.S. it's acceptable to sleep-in on the weekends

+ In the U.S., police officers have authority and carry guns

In China police officers loiter on street corners, provide escort services to the wealthy, hangout in restaurants, and party at the bars in uniform. I can't figure out the purpose of cops in China and apparently neither can the Chinese people.

August 1, 2010 - Guilin, Guangxi, China

2010-08-09T00:59:00.001-07:00

"The superior man seeks what is right; the inferior one, what is profitable."
~ Confucius

China's censorship is frustrating. This week I'm suppose to embark on a 4 day, 3 night Yangtze (Chang Jiang) River cruise from Chongqing through the Three Gorges Dam. With the endless rain and some infrequent television references to mudslides, it appears the Yangtze River region is under environmental stress. I'm wondering if it's just plain safe. Through numerous internet searches in China ("Google with Chinese characteristics"), I can only find outdated information, nothing current. However, access to the Iowa, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Pakistan floods is endless; in addition to hourly updates on Chelsea Clinton's wedding. Even if current information could be accessed in other countries, China would not release specific data for fear of looking unprepared to global critics of the Three Gorges Dam.

In February 2009, during Beijing's Chinese-Lunar New Year's celebration, fireworks ignited a blaze which engulfed a massive 44-story skyscraper. Luckily the building was under construction and no one was injured. Always concerned with appearances, China forbid television, radio stations, newspapers, and other media outlets from showing or discussing the monumental fire, so no one in China knew about the major event. Most Chinese learned about the event from out-of-country friends who watched the fire on live television.

Yangtze River & Three Gorges Dam information I've been able to gather:

+ 2010 is worst flood year in more than a decade

+ 15% more rain than in an average year

+ Last Wednesday water flow at 56,000 cubic meters per second (1.96 million cubic feet)

+ Peak flow was 518 feet (158 meters)

+ About 10% less than the dam's maximum capacity

+ China reports over 1,200 people missing or dead

+ Last Monday boat travel was stopped

After being disappointed by last nights possible endangered snake purchase, tonight I came across a local restaurant selling a cute little Chinese Mole Shrew (about $50 US). I guess happily, or sadly, the little fella is not on a threatened list, but obviously endangered in the immediate context.

July 31, 2010 - Guilin, Guangxi, China

2010-08-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

"If you want to know the taste of a pear, you much change the pear by eating it yourself."
~Mao Zedong

There are places in China, which I only accidentally come upon, where local people are too busy living their lives to bother the strange pale-skinned foreigner. Native Chinese will sometimes refer to foreigners as "barbarians," "ocean people," and/or "big noses." Within a major metropolis, side streets are lined with fresh fruit and flowers, the local noodle shop is stuffed with residents, women and men socialize at the hairdressers while a coterie of children play, unafraid of maniac taxi and moped drivers. Strangely, in the middle of my afternoon stroll through this harmony, a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). KFC appears to be more accepted as part of middle-class China than middle-class America. With the oncoming of another monsoon rain, I stepped inside for some fries. They were definitely not "Freedom Fries" in communication controlled Communist China.

KFC Statistics:

+ 1973, first KFC in Hong Kong

+ 1987, KFT opens near Tiananmen Square in Beijing

+ Today, over 2,000 KFC's in China

+ 2:1 ratio over McDonald's in China, whereas outside China it's the other way around

Dinner tonight was a little different. Meeting one woman from Germany and four men from Spain (lucky again, they all spoke English), we set out for a more traditional Chinese meal. These men were determined to eat snake while in China. Finding a neighborhood that specializes in presenting live animals to their guests before cooking them, we eventually came across a restaurateur who invited us into a dark, back room. There were two snakes in a small cage. The average snake sold for 700 Yuan (about $120 US) and 2,500 Yuan (about $350 US) for the endangered species. The men from Espana made a good decision to not order snake - not based on the high cost, but because they were also upset about the sale of an endangered animal.

July 30, 2010 - Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

2010-07-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

"Flowing water never goes bad."
~ Chinese Proverbs

It just keeps raining. It's either a torrential downpour or drizzling. If it does stop raining, within a couple minutes a deafening locus chorus begins.

Giggling Tree Resort

The Giggling Tree Resort is a rural Dutch villa, outside of Yangshuo. It's almost a meditative travelers retreat, surrounded by jungle, limestone peaks, and the Yulong River. I've come here to write, bike, and eat salad. The owners grow some of the resorts vegetables and clean them with purified water. After India's 2007 Ganges River swim my stomach is sensitive, so I'm really careful with water and raw foods while traveling. Knowing the Giggling Tree is conscious about clean water, this morning I ate salad and fresh vegetables for the first time in a month. Tonight, more fresh veggies.

Within meters of The Giggling Tree's entrance is a bamboo boat pickup for floating the Yulong River. Although the rivers float included dozens of bamboo boats with rainbow umbrella's surrounded me and every Chinese person took the chance to yell, "helllllooooooo" in my direction, drifing down the Yulong River was my seingle most relaxing experience in Yangshuo. If only I could have spent my entire Yangshuo visit floating the Li and Yulong Rivers. When the locals greet me with, "hello," I usually respond with, "ni hao," and they immediately start up a conversation assume I can speak Mandarin.

The two weeks before coming to China were spent researching and formulating curriculum pertaining to Southeast Asia at the University of Michigan. A portion of the research project is due August 1st. Most of yesterday and today has been spent sitting in front of a fan (but still sweating), typing on the computer, sipping hot cappuccino,... and of course listening to the pouring rain.

July 29, 2010 - Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

2010-07-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

"Liberalism is taken to mean that one may avoid conflict or work in order to be more comfortable for the moment, while the problem continues to grow."

~Mao Zedong

By hopping on a bike, anyone can take on China's unsystematic urban and rural roads. A couple miles south of Yangshuo are the Buddha Water Caves. Most travelers take a tour bus, but wanting to stretch my legs, I braved the chaos on two wheels. About halfway to the caves, the usual problem arose - a light drizzle became flood rains. Although it really didn't matter since I would spend the afternoon in cold, damp caves.

To enter the Buddha Water Caves, we boarded a flat bottom boat and then huddled down, while pushing our way along the cave roof. I was immediately frustrated. Gliding past massive flow stones, resembling Lotus Flowers for which they were named, exposed wiring and lights were drilled into the formations to increase the effect for observers. After a couple meters the cave opened up for our boat departure and exploration of the interior.

Hiring a private guide to lead me through the underground caverns to waterfalls and subterranean pools, to my astonishment, as we walked along she encouraged me to climb on the speleotherm structures. When humans touch calcium carbonate (limestone cave formations) the bodies oils leave a black sheen on the rock, which can't be removed. I'm assuming these caves have only been accessible to the general public for less than ten years and it's obvious from the caves blackening that thousands of people have scrambled across the once beautiful stones.

The tour guide could read my unhappiness, so as we came upon some knobby clusters of calcite, called cave popcorn or cave pearls, she encouraged me to chip away some of the crystals as a personal souvenir... hoping this would improve my experience. All around the cave, any reachable stalactite and stalagmite had been detached and carried off. When I asked about bats, she informed me that the cave is now too noisy and they have been scared away.

An additional tourist attraction within the submerged caves, which cost about 150 yuan ($23 U.S.), are the mud bath and terraced hot springs which are overtaken by mostly Chinese people. Some of these natural limestone pools had been smashes by visitors and then "repaired" by recreating a shabby cement pool in its place.

We, the human species, have the knowledge for preserving our natural surroundings for future generations. China is currently undertaking both an Industrial and Technological Revolution at the same time. From traveling for the last four weeks, it is obvious there is little regard for conservation, however, but being actively encouraged to deface a natural monument which took thousands of years to form is appalling. The word that kept coming to mind was, respect.

The Chinese people hold respect for their families, respect for authority, respect for money... at what point does respect for nature and environment come into play?

July 28, 2010 - Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

2010-07-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

"If today were a fish, I'd throw it back."

~unknown

I'm not liking Yangshuo. After waking for the third morning among peaceful rice terraces, surrounded by lush green fields, chirping birds, and farm roosters announcing the suns presence, I boarded an expensive ($10 U.S.) bus and headed south to Yangshuo. The entire trip, including one change of bus, took three hours. Lonely Planet warns traveler that local taxis and rickshaws will drive aimlessly in the wrong direction to hike up costs and then arrive at a different hotel then requested in hopes of getting a kick-back from the hotel owner. This description describes my first two hours in Yangshuo. However, I'm pretty sure my rickshaw driver truly had no idea where she was going.

Having semi-verbal confrontations with the first two hotels visited, I left the driver behind to walk the vendor filled streets aimlessly. Finally arriving at a hotel that felt relatively safe and located right on the Li River, I paid more than desired to just relax. Actually, it was the French-style cafe next door, also overlooking the Li River, that was the real selling point. The Chinese barista, who speaks French and loves Johnny Cash, talked me into the cinnamon waffles with bananas and ice cream.

Regardless of the crazy, exploiting locals, Yangshuo is incredibly beautiful. With surrounding limestone karst peaks and the Li River running through the middle, it's easy to be distracted by my exotic, postcard perfect location. As the sun was setting, I found myself dangling my feet in the Li River while resident families played in the water and bamboo boats docked for the evening. An unexpected, but well deserved surprise was watching the cormorant fisherman paddle upstream for their evening troll. Fisherman control their trained birds by tying a snare at the base of the bird's throat, making it impossible for the bird to swallow the larger fish. When a cormorant catches a fish, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and the bird spits up the fish. Historically using cormorants sustained a successful fishing industry, but today they mostly entertain tourist.

July 27, 2010 - Longji Old Village, Guangxi, China

2010-07-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

"Learn from the masses, and then teach them."

~Mao Zedong

Modern China is built on factories and workers. Increasingly, young men and women leave their rural villages, move to the factory towns to help subsidize family earnings, and often lose connection to their cultural heritage. Through traveling in Yunnan and Guangxi, I've visited a number of government established tourist villages, some within autonomous regions, where multi-generation families are able to maintain their historical way of life through high tourist dollars. Indigenous people (mostly women) wear their traditional garments, but carry knock-off designer bags, and hassle travelers to visit their homes - where they feed and house foreigners for additional income. I'm still wrapping my head around this. Are westerners exploiting the indigenous people by traveling here in hopes of observing unconventional traditions? Is the Chinese government exploiting the native people to make money? Or are they preserving land and life-ways? After having a 4-foot-tall Yao woman following and yelling at me for thirty minutes to eat lunch at her house, I wonder, are the cultural groups choosing capitalism to exploit visitors with little regard for their ancestry? None of it feels genuine.

The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region draws in national international visitors to hike picturesque terraced fields and observe the indigenous Yao minority people work the rice fields. Just having the opportunity to hike limitlessly through mountains while breathing fresh air is an anomaly in China. The Yao ethnic minority group are originally from southern china, but can also be found in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Traditionally, the Yao are Buddhist, but some are now converted Christians. They build their wooden, stilt homes on the steepest terrain, thus maximizing optimal farmland. The Yao women are famous for growing their hair long and only cutting it twice in a lifetime - once when turning 18 and then again when getting married. Women usually roll their long hair into a bun over the forehead and then cover their heads with red or black scarves. However, it's the bright colors worn that most distinguish these people - I mostly observed women in hot pink t-shirts. Surprisingly, numerous elderly women cover their heads with flowery cotton bath towels, instead of the traditional linens.

Although these tiny Yao women are the indigenous people of this region, they hunted, stalked, and ruthlessly pestered me as I hiked for hours from Longji's Seven Stars With the Moon Lookout to the Xhongliu Village and back again. The objective - sell water, juice, postcards, and umbrellas to myself and other tourists. They were also willing to receive payment to unroll their longhair, offered to carry backpacks, and endlessly attempted to force their guide services on me.

July 26, 2010 - Longji Old Village, Guangxi, China

2010-07-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces

Pinyin: Qi hu nan xia

Idiom: When one rides a tiger it is hard to dismount

Meaning: When one is in a difficult situation and cannon help but continue to pursue one's course

As China's middle class increases, the service industry increases. When individuals receive a position dealing with tourist/guests, they are given a job description and will rarely take on responsibility beyond the positions fine-points. For example, if the air conditioning is not working in a guest room and the front desk receives a complaint, the receptionist will look at the guest blankly because this is not of their concern... their job description does not mention communication with hotel maintenance.

In addition, as a westerner, I was taught at a young age to patiently wait-in-line. This practice then transferred into sharing the road - when driving, biking, as a pedestrian. This is not the case in China. For hundreds of years horse drawn carriages littered the streets, then bicycles for the last hundred years, mopeds came along about thirty years ago, and then cars for the last ten years. Now all these modes of transportation are on the same roads, going in every direction, with very few traffic rules/expectations to follow. Driving on the pedestrian sidewalk is acceptable.

Deciding to spend a couple days hiking the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, taking a local bus is the only option for a multi-day traveler. I'm still not exactly sure the purpose of this bus. After leaving the city station with only three passengers aboard, we drove around Guilin picking up and dropping off random people who didn't seem to pay or have anything to do with the rice terraces villages. There were people everywhere including sitting on my lap and leaning against my shoulder, all while talking loudly on their cellphones. At the final stop on the outskirts of Guilin, a man randomly threw two boxes on the bus, but no one accompanied the packages. In the flat bottom box were dozens of baby chicks and in the top box, two large ducks. It was officially a modern day 'chicken bus.'

After a couple hours, the bus dropped my new Chinese friend, an English speaking college student from the north, and I off at the "turning point" before Longsheng. At this point we began to hike towards the village, waiting for another 'chicken bus' to come along. Within minutes an unmarked mini-van with blacked out windows approached. Going against my standard mode-of-operation, we accepted the ride up the last mountainous eight miles.

Feeling the temperature and humidity rising, it was only a matter of time before the afternoon thunderstorm made its way through. Last night Zhou had suggested the Pin An Hotel, located among the rice fields, because it has a 5 Star rating (about a 3 Star by U.S. standards) for 100 RMB per night (about $15 U.S.). After spending the last three nights in a youth hostel dorm room with seven foreigners, a room to myself was a welcomed change.

I've taken quickly to the Chinese daily routine, the mornings are spent traveling and running errands. Sleep for a couple hours during the mid-afternoon storm and then continue to explore in the evening until dinner. The Nine Dragons and Five Tigers hike through the Longji Terraces served as a perfect pre-dinner excursion.

July 25, 2010 - Guilin, Guangxi, China

2010-07-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Guilin Limestone Pillars

Pinyin: mangren mo xiang
Idiom: Blind men touching an elephant

Meaning: Satirize those who only know part of a thing

After spending almost 17 hours in a deep sleep yesterday, my body ached for movement. I decided to rent a rugged one-speed bike to explore the rural suburbs of modern Guilin. By looking at the map it's easy to figure out where tourists are going, so my intention was to ride in the opposite direction. Within minutes my legs felt free cruising down country roads, where local people tended their fields, swam in the river, wash clothes, and some passed-out under a cool tree, surviving the mid-day heat.

Like anywhere in the world, having local friends makes traveling easier. Tese, one of the NCTA group leaders, set me up with a Guilin local, named Zhou (Joe). Zhou and his wife Jenny (English name) took me out to... another banquet dinner. Zhou is an English and Mandarin speaking tour guide for Chinese people. Sometimes guiding trips takes him to the U.S., Europe, and even North Korea. Zhou says there is nothing in North Korea worth taking people to visit, because it's so poor. Next year he is taking a group of Chinese to the United States for Washington DC, New York City, San Francisco, and Utah visits. Apparently the Chinese are very interested in Mormon culture.

July 24, 2010 - Guilin, Guangxi, China

2010-07-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: hua she tian zu

Idiom: Drawing a snake and adding feet

Meaning: Refers to ruining a venture by doing unnecessary and surplus things

In Guilin - west of the river is for tourists, east is for locals. There are narrow streets lined by houses, called hutongs, on both sides of the river, but western hotels and chinchy shops are on the west side. The east side houses apartments, shopping malls, business buildings, high-end restaurants, and Chinese-only hotels. Every city, town, and village has some type of daily market, because all food is killed, prepared, and cooked fresh daily, regardless of a families economic status. There are few refrigerators. By wandering these bazaars, one can discover local commodities. Most notably at the Guilin market were shady men selling tobacco leaves. The market is not just for buying food - but where interactions, debates, and bargaining can be observed in ways that have been practiced for generations. A place to gauge a communities pulse.

Tobacco is a major cash-crop in China and the common person fanatically supports the industry. I often find myself choosing restaurants based on lack of smoke.

The heat and humidity make the mid-day unbearable. Taking a quick hike to Solitary Beauty Peak, at the center of town, almost resulted in heat exhaustion. Solitary Beauty Peak was named for the Southern Dynasty poet Yan Yangzhi who wrote, "Towering in the sky is only the Solitary Beauty Peak." Guilin is surrounded by limestone rocks that jut magnificently from ground level. At the parks peak is a pavilion for arial viewing of Guilin and the surrounding limestone hills.

Forgetting my travel alarm at home, I had to stop by one of those chinchy shops to pick up a Mickey Mouse clock. It doesn't matter if the clock was bought in the U.S. or here, they're all made in China - guess I'm just buying local. 700 years ago, the Orient produced the world's finest merchandise, today the same region creates the world's lowest quality products.

July 23, 2010 - Guilin, Guangzi, China

2010-07-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

"I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin, which I painted, to friends back home, but few believed what they saw."
~Fan Chengda (Song Dynasty)

This morning I left our National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) group in Shanghai to set out on a 19-day solo adventure. I'm nervous. It's the language. I've traveled extensively in countries with languages rooted in Greek & Latin, so even if I don't have training in the Indo-European language I can usually make it up and come out successful. However, there's no faking Mandarin.

There are four tones in Mandarin determining a word meaning. Ma, for example, can mean mother, horse, or hemp - depending on the tone. This morning I told the cab driver my airport destination; he said no because my desired destination was too far away. With help from a local, we realized my 'tone' was incorrect and the airport a mere 10 minute drive.

My best tonal pronunciation is shui, meaning water. This is good since it's hot and I need to drink lots of water. I'm feeling anxious about shui. It's raining and flooding everywhere, people are dying and missing. Guilin is located in Southeast China on the Li River, but flooding is minimal.

After frantically traveling for the last 2 1/2 weeks, I needed today to decompress. Upon arrival in Guilin, I took a long midday nap in the raging heat, while thunderous rain poured from the sky. With the increase in China's middle-class, everything has become a tourist trap. In the late afternoon, a short run took me to Elephant Trunk Hill Park, which is basically a hole in a rock that kinda of looks like an elephant trunk. The best part of climbing the rock was encountering tiny 1 centimeter long frogs jumping everywhere, bird sized butterflies, and beautiful purple orchids - this feels like Southeast Asia.

Guilin means "forest of sweet Osmanthus" because of the native Osmanthus trees within the city.

In the late evening, I finally experienced a China-rolling-blackout, probably due to high head and the strain on demands for air conditioning.

Yin Lion

Yang Lion

July 22, 2010 - Shanghai, China

2010-07-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

"You need more than luck in Shanghai."
~ Mrs. Elsa 'Rosalie' Bannister in The Lady from Shanghai movie

Although completely overwhelmed by Shanghai's size, I had to take on the World Expo. This is Shanghai's pride and one can't go anywhere without seeing the mascot, Haibao. Haibao translates into "treasure of the sea," but he really looks like a blue Gumby. With over 190 countries represented from around the world, lines into the pavilions ranged from a five minute wait to a couple hours. Throughout the day, a sweet Chinese voice came over the speaker, calmly announcing "a yellow heat alert above 35 degrees." 95+ degrees F, but closer to 110 degrees F when surrounded by cement pathways, buildings, and human bodies. With the temperatures, we had a rule - the line has to be less than five minutes for us to visit the countries pavilion. This meant we visited Cambodia, Czech Republic, Iran, Mongolia, North Korea, and Tajikistan. Good picks, since a couple of these countries may never open to U.S. citizens or the world.

More than 25 million people have visited the Shanghai World Expo. 98% are from China, we helped represent the remaining 2% of foreigners.

We are staying in the Changning District of Shanghai. Prior to 1998, this district was all farmland, now it's business buildings, apartment buildings, and western restaurants; including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway, McDonalds, Starbucks and many other western inspired cuisines. Through curiosity and research, I've discovered there are at least 120 Starbucks in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai is huge. There are too many people and it's almost inaccessible for the average traveler. Knowing that I'm again heading to rural China tomorrow, I've decided the best part of Shanghai is access to western-style foods. Before this trip to China, I began reading Rob Gifford's, China Road. One of his first stops is at the Shanghai Hooters. I've never been to Hooters in the United States, but tonight, in honor of nachos and Rob Gifford, my roommate, Erin, and I hit Hooters - Shanghai.

July 21, 2010 - Shanghai, China

2010-07-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

"The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history."
~Mao Zedong

Through my travels, I've found one of the determining factors of whether a country is still developing or developed is how they preserve culture and art within their national museums. The Shanghai Museum is rockin' a we-are-a-developed-country anthem. The Shanghai Museum features historical Chinese calligraphy, ceramics, paintings, jades, and much more. However, it was the coin collection that captured my attention. Having read and learned about Chinggis (Genghis) Khan's Silk Road gold coins, the Shanghai Museum has the largest, most beautiful, and well preserved Khan currency I have ever seen.

At lunch the Imperialistic Americans took over a local six table side-street restaurant to consume a ridiculous amount of Shanghai's famous crab, pork, and chicken dumplings. Although it felt strange for 17 Americans to be in the local joint, our desire for authentic Chinese food was satisfied. We're a little tired of the banquet meal served at both lunch and dinner... everyday... for weeks.

Since we're in China, we had to investigate a local factory. Baosteel produces the 3rd largest amount of rolled-steel in the world, even though it is the largest factory of it's kind... in the world. They are ranked closely behind a factory in India (#1) and another factory in China. Baosteel vows to be the largest producer in future years. Although close to 100 degrees F outside, we put on hardhats to watch steel heated to temperatures necessary to make it almost liquid.

This steel is...

+ mined from Australia

+ made from burning dirty coal

+ 90% of the finished product will stay in China for automobiles, appliances, shipbuilding, and construction

I did see a small truck full of recycled steel to be melted down and reused. When asked what percentages comes from recycled steel, we were told less than 1%.

Some food for thought - many believe there is more metal resources in landfills, than in nature. Maybe it's time to start mining the local garbage dump.

Final thought - China's stimulus package for the current recession is grounded in developing info-structure. There is so much construction, nation-wide, that the next national bird is the Construction Crane.

July 20, 2010 - Shanghai, China

2010-07-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Asian Pearl Tower in Shanghai

"I'm sure there's a wish for Shangri-la in everyone's heart..."
~ Jane Wyatt in Lost Horizon movie

Shangri'la to Shanghai. It took six days to drive from Kunming to Zhongdian, and less then an hour to fly back. The physical shock of arriving in Shanghai is overwhelming. Coming from 50 degrees F on the Tibetan Plateau to 100 degrees F on the Pacific Ocean shoreline.

Shanghai statistics & information:

+ First metropolis to have a decreasing birthrate within China, but the cities population is increasing from western China migrants

+ Built on trade of opium, silk, tea, and international finance

+ Home of Yoa Ming, the famous Chinese basketball player

+ Releases 50,000 drivers licenses per month

+ Average downtown apartment costs 3 million U.S. dollars

Embarking on a late night visit to the historical Bund waterfront, we were surrounded by thousands of people with limited room to maneuver. They say American's take in the world with their eyes and Chinese's take in the world with their cameras. Flashing camera lights were everywhere documenting Shanghai's night skyline, a large statue of Chairman Mao, each other... and strangely the few blonde westerners in the crowd.

At the end of the day, all I kept thinking was, "Take me back to Tibet."

July 19, 2010 - Zhongdian (Shangri'la), Yunnan, China

2010-07-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ganden Sumtseling Gompa Tibetan Monastery

Prayer: Om Mani Padme Hum

Interpretation: Jewel in the lotus (Buddha)

Shangri-la is where Chinese believe James Hilton was referencing in his 1933 book, Lost Horizon. Perhaps this is true since Hilton was a fan of Joseph Rock's National Geographic articles about Yunnan and more specifically, Zhongdian.

The temperatures are cold after Beijing and Kunming's scorching heat.

There are currently 3 million Tibetans in China. The Tibetan Autonomous Region, set up by the Chinese government, establishes very clear borders for the holy Buddhist lands. However, true Tibet moves beyond these boundaries into Yunnan and Sichuan. Zhongdian is part of the original lands and upwards of 80% of the community are Tibetan people.

The Tibetan regions ecology reminds me of the Pacific Northwest. With snow-capped Himalayan mountains peaking through the clouds and alpine forests at their feet, it is the shrubs that most surprise me. Forests in Oregon are filled with massive rhododendrons bushes, which I always believed were native species. In actuality, these plants are indigenous to Nepal and other "rooftop of the world" lands.

Ganden Sumtseling Gompa is a monastery just outside of Zhongdian, often referred to as Little Potala Palace. Originally built in 1679, it is an architectural blend of Tibetan and Han Chinese influence. Prior to extensive damage due to the Cultural Revolution, the monastery housed over 2000 monks. The rebuilt structure is now home to about 700 monks. Most of these monks are from the poorer province of Sichuan. Although Tibetan monasteries bring abundant tourist dollars to various regions of China, the government never subsidizes the maintenance. However, funding from local, national, and international contributors is evident from substantial construction taking place.

At the center of Zhongdian is the largest prayer wheel in the world, in Guishan Park. A place where local Buddhist Naxi and Tibetans walk counter-clockwise to spin the wheel clockwise, while often chanting, "Om mani padme hum,"... 108, or just three times. Any denomination of 3 and 9 is considered auspicious. I chose three prayer circles around the wheel at sunset.

As it was our last evening in Yunnan, Darrin, the dam expert, and I had an impromptu meeting of nations at the western-style Noah Cafe. Three French, two Swiss, one Spaniard, and one man from Holland. Every person at the table was fluent in at least three languages. Darrin speaks four languages fluently and can communicate effectively in at least three more. I, a product of American education, was the only member of the festivities who only speak one language fluently. Luckily, or maybe sadly, everyone spoke English.

July 18, 2010 - Zhongdian (Shangri'la), Yunnan, China

2010-07-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Tibetan Greeting: Tashi delek

Translation: May all your wishes come true.

There are two ways to say potato in Mandarin, yang yu (western taro) and tu dou (dirt bean).

We have finally come to the Tibetan Plateau, elevation 10,000 feet. Through a friend in Oregon, I've been put in connection with an wonderful Tibetan adventure guide in Zhongdian. Tashi has lived an amazing life; once cooking for the Dali Lama in India, speaking four languages, and learning to raft guide. Just being in his presence is magical.

A few local Tibetans also know the Oregon friend, a river guide who runs Yunnan rivers, and their first question asked of me is, "Are you a good kayaker?" Disappointing them, I let them know that I can "read rivers," but don't have kayak skills. On our way from Lijiang to Zhongdian, also called Shangri'la, we read different kinds of river obstructions. Paralleling the upper reaches of the flooding Yangtze River, we passed at least seven dams on the 180 km (120 mile) drive. There are currently over 100 dams on the Yangtze River and tributaries - which can be helpful for controlling some of the destructive flooding currently taking place downstream.

Stopping to view the Yangtze's first major bend, we also walked a swinging wooden bridge over a swollen tributary, but first we picked up two rocks to make a wish. One rock thrown upstream to wish for something to come into our lives, the second rock-wish thrown downstream for something to leave our lives. My 'into-life wish' was very Chinese: fortune - financial stability for my next week solo China travels. The out-of-life wish was not as easy. My life is amazing and I want nothing to change. Recognizing this is a weakness, I made a Buddhist wish: to be released from Earthly attachments.

July 17, 2010 - Lijiang, Yunnan, China

2010-07-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Pinyin Nursery Rhyme:
Da tou, da tou

Xia yu, bu chou

Ren jia you san

Wo you da tou

English Translation:

Big head, big head

When it rains, I'm not sad

Others have umbrellas

I've got a big head

The rain keeps coming and it's getting colder, but social life in China persists. At night I find a sleepy cafe to write, while looking out over the bustling streets below. Brightly-lit red lanterns hang from family-packed restaurant windows placed along the canals - all nightlife appears unphased by the pouring rain. Day and night, thousands of uniquely decorated bright umbrellas dancing along the streets, will forever remind me of Lijiang.

We've been playing with the idea of conflicts and contradictions in China. Joseph Rock, a famous botanist, found his way to Lijiang in the 1920's. Rock collected and sent over 80,000 plants, 1600 birds, and 60 mammals out of China to be researched in the West. Rock is considered a local hero because he wrote National Geographic articles about Yunnan and Sichuan, placing southwest China on the map for ecological and cultural importance. Or, did he exploit the region by encouraging Europeans to collect Yunnan's exotic plants for their personal gardens?

Over the years, I've visited Buddhist temples all over Japan, South Korea, and India, but today was my first Tibetan Buddhist Temple. The colors, artifacts, symbolism - pure sensory overload. The Zhijun (Pointing to the Clouds) Monastery, located near Lashi Hai Lake is home to over 40 monks (mostly from Sichuan Province) who are peacefully devoting their lives to the study and practice of Buddhism. Incense is rarely used in Tibetan Buddhism, instead burn candles set in yak butter. I have become a huge fan of yaks.

+ Yak cheese

+ Yak yogurt

+ Yak jerky

+ Tibetan Buddhism yak butter candles

Establishing a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is tricky in China. However, the Nature Conservancy has collaborated with Yunnan officials to build local conservation, including a biofuel energy program to power village homes using human and livestock waste. At the end of today, we stopped by the projects headquarters to make a contribution.

July 16, 2010 - Lijiang, Yunnan, China

2010-07-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: Niau bu sheng dan de di fang

Translation: A place where birds don't lay eggs

Meaning: We're "out in the sticks"

Although we're following the Northern Tea Horse Trade route, I feel like we're following the 21st century backpackers ascent up to the Tibetan Plateau. Driving the 180 km (120 miles) from Dali to Lijiang this morning, we have increased elevation to 9,000 feet. Everyday in China, thousands of new cars hit the road. With the growing number of middle-class citizens who want to own vehicles, competency of drivers behind the wheel is minimal. This mornings 120 mile drive took five hours of dodging water buffalo, cattle, bike riders, pedestrians, but mostly clueless drivers.

Lijiang, population 300,000, is located at the base of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which feeds a web of canals that once provided the local Naxi people fresh water. Along these canals are a maze of cobblestone streets and historical wooden buildings alive with thousands of people from around the world. A small sect of the Naxi ethnic minority group has been romanticized by Lonely Planet and local tour guides, so I might as well jump on the band-wagon. With their liberal partnership rules, women and men always remain living in their birth homes. The anzhu (friend) system allows the man to visit a woman at night and then return to his families home by day. When the relationship is over, both individuals will move on to a new anzhu. Any children born from this relationship remain with the mothers family and the father is only allowed limited responsibility. Most children do not know their father. A woman indicates to men she is anzhu-available by wearing a red flower in her hair.

In 1996 a 7.2 earthquake rocked Lijiang, killing hundreds. The traditional Naxi notch-joint wooden homes and buildings were virtually unaffected by the natural disaster, while many modern cement buildings crumbled. The Chinese government decided to rebuild Lijiang using original Naxi wooden architecture. In 1999, the United Nations placed Lijiang County on the World Heritage list to promote preservation of the Naxi and their innovative building techniques.

July 15, 2010 - Dali, Yunnan, China

2010-07-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: Bai wen bu ru yi jian

English translation: Seeing it once is better than being told 100 times

Idiom: A picture is worth ten thousand words

Our early morning walk took us to the Muslim Mosque, via the local Germany bakery for a pastry and latte. I've never experienced this before, but the men loitering at the mosque kept pointing at the prayer room and saying, "Sunni."

Dali is surrounded by a number of small, rural Bai villages. Visiting the Zhoucheng Village to witness customary indigo dye techniques, we were able to observe some level of traditional life-ways. In Xizhou we wandered the fish, meat, and vegetable farmers market and participating in a traditional tea ceremony in the Xizhou Village. It was here that we learned about the importance of tea in regards to love.

In spring Dali hosts the three day Butterfly Spring Festival. Historically Bai people have arranged marriages, but during this Valentines-Day-type-festival, married men and women could "be with the one they really love." And there are no questions asked after the festival ends. More importantly, families welcome babies that result from the festival. I've heard about other cultures with similar types of customs. These festivals help keep the peace because wives who are married to impotent men can still get pregnant. Today the Bai people can choose a partner, so the Butterfly Spring Festival has become a time when women and men of marrying age dress in their finest traditional garb and go to the festival. At the festival a man will approach his desired woman and sing her a personalized love song. If she reciprocates his interest, she will ask him three questions:

1. If I am sick, what will you do?

2. If I am poor, what will you do?

3. If I am old, what will you do?

The best answers he can give her are:

1. If you are sick, I will climb the highest mountain to find the right medicine for you.

2. If you are poor, I will be a beggar on the streets for you.

3. If you are old, I will care for you, like I care for my mother.

This is only the courtship's beginning. After some time the suitor will attend tea at his desired woman's home. The man will be served bitter tea first. If the parents like him, he will eventually be served sweet tea as acceptance. If only served bitter tea, the family has rejected the man.

For the afternoon, a friend and I rented high-end mountain bikes a for ride into the hills, past the Three Pagodas. Dali is a Chinese vacation destination; outside of town a large golf course surrounded by condominiums, mansions, and a four-story villa-style club house stand. Biking rugged roads, we eventually found our way up the hills to check-out the upper-middle-class suburb. The Dali tourist industry takes pride in the golf course cut into the surrounding mountain forests. After a small ascent, we came upon pristine green links being watered, fertilized, and mowed; so assumed golfers would be present... but no, only village people with baskets full of wide mushrooms were coming out of the forests and crossing the course. So much building and no people present, there's a "if we build it, they will come" feeling. Poaching Hole 1 and then bombing down Hole 10, we realized no one, except a few grounds keepers were present. It was decided this was pristine mountain bike conditions for the taking, so we took liberty of riding the course, then after a small bushwhack, we headed back into Dali.

The perfect end to a big ride is a latte. We've decided that Dali is "Italy with Chinese characteristics."

July 14, 2010 - Dali, Yunnan, China

2010-07-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

"Make my home everywhere within the four seas

The world is my home

The world is my oyster"

~Xiao He

I could live here.

Instead of wasting a day traveling from Kunming to Dali, we took an overnight train and slept in bunks stacked three high. Dali is located at 6,000 feet with the Cangshan Mountains to the west and Erhai Lake to the east. For some reason, on a couple different occasions, we have been warned to not steal the exotic orchid species found around Dali. Apparently, native Yunnan orchids are often raided and illegally exported by foreigners. Breeders from Europe will pay upwards of $10,000 U.S. for one plant. Some of these orchid species have not been scientifically identified.

If I were to live in Dali for six months, I could teach English by day and hire a study-tutor to help my Mandarin by night. In Old Dali, there is a Germany bakery at the end of the street, espresso coffee shops on every corner, restaurants serve pizza and milkshakes, and although haven't partaken, I hear there are good clubs for live DJ's and dancing.

For the average backpacker, Dali is paradise - where foreigners can obtain many legal and illegal Western desired items.

Dali is rural, but they still have a Walmart.

In 2005, there were 46 Walmarts in China.

Today, there are over 100 Walmarts in China.

There are many ethnic minorities in Dali, but we are spending most of our time with members of the Bai. The Bai also call themselves "Baizi", "Baini" or "Baihuo", meaning white people. All Bai women, when wearing traditional garb, have an embroidered headdress with white fringes (symbolic of glacial snow seen on surrounding mountains). The grandmother makes the headdress for her granddaughter. The headdresses' white tassels flow long, until cut short when a woman marries.

Dali is most famous for the Three Pagodas. The first pagoda, built during the 9th Century, and the two side pagodas, built in the 11th Century, create a perfect equilateral triangle. Behind the Three Pagodas is the recently restored Chongsheng Temple. When China decided to restore the temple, they added Buddhism from all over the world; including Korea's drum, fish, cloud, and bell; Tibet's prayer wheels; and China's Laughing Buddha. These images are rarely seen together. Another co-traveler referred to the temple as "Buddha Land".

One Buddhist image abundantly seen in Yunnan is Guan Yin, The Goddess of Mercy. When Buddhism arrived in China, Daoism was the established religion. Most Buddhist Bodhisattva are males, but Guan Yin is female. The debate for why this happened vary. Some believe Buddhist modified an established Daoist deity with Bodhisattva features, making it easier to accept the new religion. The Bai believe Guan Yin evolved from the image of Siddhartha to become a woman (Bai people are matriarchal). Many believe Guan Yin is both male and female. I think she looks like Hindu's Shiva (who is also portrayed as male and female). Guan Yin's headdress is similar to the Bai women.

We spend each day frantically taking in as much of China's southwest as possible. But this afternoon, a few friends and I leisurely strolled to a local tea shop to learn about Yunnan's famous Puer tea. The creation of Puer tea was probably an accident. As merchants traveled Ancient Tea Trade routes, they pressed tea into cake shapes for efficient use of space. As traders traveled extended distances and products exchanged many hands, the tea would age - eventually becoming fermented. Puer can be both a green or black tea, but most importantly it is fermented tea. Like a good wine, with age, Puer tea only gets better.

Yunnan has experienced an unusual drought for the last six months, drying up many freshwater drinking water springs. Luckily, we brought the Pacific Northwest rains with us. Monsoon rains are arriving at scheduled 5pm intervals.

July 13, 2010 - Kunming, Yunnan, China

2010-07-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

"Without being worked, jade cannot be shaped into a vessel;

without being educated, people cannot be shaped into virtuous citizens."

~Trimetrical Classic

Yunnan is known for exotic mushrooms, tropical flowers, rice noodles, abundance of jade, and much more. During the Silk Road Trade, the Burma Road connected the Indian Ocean with Yunnan, and then up the northern supply routes. Many people believe the Silk Road Trade routes began under the Mongols and ended once their reign ceased. In reality, many of these routes were active long before the Khan families reign and continue today (many of these paths are now paved). During WWII, the Burma Road provided backdoor supply passages for the Flying Tigers - U.S. Air Force stationed in Yunnan to defend China and Southeast Asia against the Japanese.

Sadly, Britain exploited this obscure passage in the 1800's by importing opium to medicate the masses for easier trade relations between Asia and Europe. With this drug affiliation, the Burma Road is nicknamed the "White Road." Wanting to change negative connotations, China currently has a campaign to again rename the Burma Road - the Green Road for jade and tea trade.

This morning I found the most beautiful jade earrings. After waiting an hour for the shop to open, I discovered they cost $655 U.S. I've always had expensive taste. However, I also have a social consciousness. Fearing jades might hold a 'blood diamond' type history, through some research is appears that Burma does use some slave labor to carve the metamorphic gemstone. China, Columbia, Malaysia, and Burma are the largest jade producers in the world. Burma produces the highest quality Jadeite (7 on the hardness scale). There are three classes of jade and you can "hear" their quality.

After hiking temples in Kunming's Western Hills, enjoying a roasted-duck lunch at the Jinquan Restaurant, and further learning about Yunnan's ethnic minorities at the Nationalities Museum, we further investigated this the Green Road jade industry. This is my understanding of jade:

+ Class C - gemstone is injected with color to hide cracks and sounds dull
+ Class B - gemstone is injected with bleach chemical used to clean the inside
+ Class A - remains in natural form, except polished and sounds like a chiming bell when hit with another piece of jade

Chinese people prefer Class A, because the natural cracks create a "living color" with evolving characteristics that form from wearing the same piece of jewelry everyday, for a lifetime. Jade bangles should be worn on the left wrist, because of the strong blood line to the heart (same reason we wear wedding rings on the left hand).

When en-route on the bus, our group plays a game called, "Would your rather..."
- Would you rather be deaf or blind?
- Would you rather be the star of a loosing team or a bench-warmer on a championship team?
- Would you rather never travel more than 40 miles in any direction of your home, or travel the world, but you can never go within 40 miles of your home again?
This question stumped me - I live in paradise, but my passion is traveling.

Before lunch

After lunch

July 12, 2010 - Kunming, Yunnan, China

2010-07-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: Yu pengdao shuini qiang de shihou shuole shenme? Hao ba.
Joke Translated: What did the fish say when he ran into the concrete wall? Dam(n)!

Yun translates into south. Nan translates into clouds. Yunnan translates into south of the clouds. This morning we flew to the southern province of Yunnan's capital, Kunming - elevation 5,700 feet. Although I attended undergraduate school at one of the highest positioned schools in the continental U.S. (13 years ago), I immediately noticed a little wooziness from elevation sickness. Must drink more water.

Quick facts about Yunnan Province:

- 43 million people inhabit this region

- about the size of Germany

- 94% is mountain plateau

- #1 cash-crop is tobacco (also mining of aluminum, ore, titanium, tin, copper, gold, silver)

- Major rivers include: Lancang-Mekong , Nu-Salween, Dulong-Irawaddy, Yuan-Red, and Jinsha-Yangtze

Yunnan Province is culturally and ecologically unique in China, because it more resembles Southeast Asia than a stereotypical image of the Middle Kingdom.

The hydroelectric resources of Yunnan are comparable to the Columbia River Gorge. There are about 14 dams along the Columbia River. Although the numbers are not solid, there are 14 dams planned for the Lancang-Mekong River in Yunnan (3 of which are complete and 5 of which are in various stages of construction), and 13 dams planned for the Nu-Salween River, none of which is complete since Premier Wen Jiabao halted the project in 2004 for failure to comply with China's Environmental Impact Assessment laws. Yunnan is known for its ethnic minority groups (some 25 groups have representation here of more than 5000 people), and many of these people live along the province's major river systems. As the dams are built, these people are being displaced from land inhabited by their ancestors for hundreds/thousands of years.

Darrin Magee, Professor of Environmental Asian Studies at Hobart-William Smith, expert on Yunnan river operations, and our on-site study-tour regional virtuoso. Darrin has been involved in Yunnan water research for nearly ten years and provided us with incredible insight into river politics.

The Mekong River runs through Thailand, Cambodia, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Vietnam, as well as Tibet, Qinghai, and Yunnan Province in China. In 1992, the Asian Development Bank created the Greater Mekong Subregion to spur regional economic development and integration throughout the countries of the Lancang-Mekong Basin.

Then in 2000, China's Western Development Campaign began. Major priorities of this movement include:

- infrastructure

- education

- urbanization

- resource exploitation

Infrastructure of building roads, airports, railroads, and dams across China. Education to improve the ability of the peoples in the west to participate in a modern technical socioeconomic system, but also to ensure widespread use of spoken and written Mandarin and adherence to national goals (critics see assimilation as a major motivator of such policies, especially since China's minorities in western areas are often labeled as being of "low quality", or backwards). Urbanization requiring rural villagers movement into cities to work in factories, where increased wages outweigh farm life. Resource exploitation of everything... land, people, environment; a specific example is running high power cables from southwest river dams to major eastern cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. This exploitation of western resources for eastern China demand has been referred to as "internal colonization" by some (e.g., David S. G. Goodman), while others see in it a genuine effort on the part of Beijing to address glaring differences in levels of economic development in inland versus coastal China. Educational programs, in-migration by Han people from eastern China, and resettlement due to infrastructure projects creates potential for some ethnic minority group members to lose their strong connection to ancestral lands and bloodlines may be diluted.

Rivers flowing off the Tibetan Plateau provide water to almost half the world's population. The majority of these rivers flow out of China. As China continues building dams, not only to produce electricity but also to control flooding, many downstream users are concerned about the transboundary impacts of those dams. In spring of 2010, the Lancang-Mekong River ran so low that in Thailand boats were unable to float the river. China said this was because of the drought, Thailand was quick to counter that it was because China is controlling the water into their country, primarily through the filling of large reservoirs on the Lancang. China finally agreed to release daily river flow data to show they're not filling reservoirs and restricting water into Thailand and other downstream countries. Previously this information was a national secret. This data sharing would be a showing of good-will between China and other countries downstream. As of this blog post, however, China has still not released their daily river flow data.

Biggest problem with China's dam(n) plan is peak flood control is needed during summer Monsoon season, at the same time when electricity juiced air-conditioning for battling summer heat is desired.

It is so easy to make parallel ecological and cultural comparisons between China and the United States. In the Columbia River Gorge we worry about salmon populations getting through the dam(n) locks, there are 10 fish species of concern on the Lancang-Mekong River. The Dalles Dam flooded an active thousand year old Native American trading site, along with Celilo Falls and its associated petroglyphs; Hoover Dam flooded ancient Anasazi Cliff Dwellings and a portion of the Colorado River; Oahu Dam in North Dakota flooded the best farming land on Mandan Indian Reservation, cutting in-half the tribal community.

After arriving in Kunming, we immediately ate again! at the Yuyuan Restaurant, people watched at Green Lakes Park, then took-in another Vegas-style performance, called Dynamic Yunnan, about the 25 local ethnic minority groups.

July 11, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-07-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: Ta gei wo fang gezi

Translation: He/she put the pigeons out on me

Idiom History: Many have pet pigeons that fly around freely, then go home at night

Meaning: I have been stood-up by my date

Under the guise of communism, the government controls all parts of the economy - in reality there are few regulations on product quality, treatment of labor, environmental concerns, etc. However, as China has moved into the global marketplace, the government tacitly encourages individual companies and people to participate in their own economic growth. China calls this, "communism with Chinese characteristics", but really it is "capitalism with Chinese characteristics". This morning, as we drove out of Beijing to the small countryside Chuandixia Village, we passed a suburban recycling center. China might be better at recycling than the United States. Urban and rural people rummage through garbage to pick out all the recyclable materials, then sell the paraphernalia to a recycling truck driver, who then sells a huge load to the recycling center. A perfect example of a free market economy.

There are many humorous phrases used in China.

To show one's ready to marry in the 1980's, a man needed Three Rounds:

1. Bike (wheels)

2. Watch

3. Sewing machine (wheel)

Today there are Four Standards:

- One job

- Two languages

- Three bedroom home

- Four wheels on a car

Restrooms are sometimes called "happy rooms" because they are so rare that when we see one, we are happy! The Chuandixia Village is located two hours out of Beijing. There were no "happy rooms," only "happy bushes" along the way. Viewing the traditional country lifestyle was interesting and what we expected, but the propaganda paintings to Mao, still visible on many walls, was unnerving. Lunch, mostly vegetables since rural Han can't afford meat at every meal, was a welcomed change. But, of course, we ended the day with another huge banquet style dinner at the Huajiayiyuan Restaurant.

Today's headlines state, "Google with Chinese characteristics". Google and China have come to some type of amicable agreement, and Google will resume proving search engine services to the Chinese people. With further research, it appears that China's government hopes that with so many sites blocked under Google, its people will abandon using the site and refer back to the government-run search engine. Even though much information will continue to be blocked, the Google agreement allowing the Chinese people to choose is another step in the right direction.

July 10, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-07-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: ni de geren wen ti jie jue le ma?

Translation: Do you have your personal problems solved?

Meaning: Are you on track to get married?

The chaos of China's family planning history makes sense; especially in regards to their present debacle. In the 1950's, only 500 million people inhabited China. In 1957, one of Chairman Mao's advisers, Professor Ma, recommended a plan to ensure the population didn't outgrow food production. Chairman Mao was offended by this proposal and threw Professor Ma in jail for 20 years - believing more people make a stronger country. Women who had six or more children during Chairman Mao's reign received a honorable title.

As China's population shot out of control, in 1980 the One Child Policy was instituted. Some interesting statistics:

+ Today's family structure is a 4:1 ratio - 4 grandparents, 2 parents, and 1 child.

+ Life expectancy in 1949 was 35 years of age, today it is 71 years.

+ Today, China has more than 1.3 billion people (23% of the world's population).

+ There has been little discussion of the preferred male child, but as children born under the One Child Policy reach marrying age, there is a 119 men: 100 women ratio.

In China the man's family pays for wedding. In the U.S. the women's family foots-the-bill. Jokingly (or seriously), some families hope their son will marry a U.S. wife so they can find a bride and not have to pay for the ceremony. Theorizing China's population will begin to decrease in the 2040's, increasing to a Two Child Policy is currently being discussed.

Today we attempted to observe a less commercialized side of Beijing. Beginning with a morning walk and boat ride through Purple Bamboo Park, we ended up at the home of Xhang Yan. As a Communist Party Member and journalist who covered Chairman Mao from his early days to rise of power; Xhang Yan also learned English at a young age, through befriending American Flying Tigers. The Flying Tigers were U.S. Air Force pilots who helped China fight the Japanese invaders during WWII. Believing his life journey couldn't be more fascinating, Xhang Yan became the first Chinese correspondent stationed in Washington D.C. after the 1979 normalization of U.S. and China relations. For the last 30 years Xhang Yan has traveled and written about the United States for the multi-language magazine, China Today. We've read a couple of his articles, however, his most insightful observation of U.S. culture is our need for standing-in-lines. Xhang Yan questions why we wait patiently for-our-turn, when there are only two people in line. Today Xhang Yan has four grown children; three live in the United States, and most of his grandchildren have been born in the states, thus are U.S. citizens.

With last summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, the streets, hotels, restrooms, restaurants, etc. have been westernized - with an Asian twist. Hot Pot lunch at Haidilao Restaurant, felt "more L.A., than L.A" with large purple chandeliers, posh birdcage booths, and sharp-dressed noodle-dancers. With China's globalization, former Communist factory workshops have become the trendy location for historically suppressed artists to express themselves. While meandering the quintessential 798 Art District alley's, the impact of Chairman Mao, the color red, the yellow star, and the feeling of isolation among the masses was unmistakable.

Making comparisons to the U.S. - We ate lunch in L.A., walked the Taos art district, then completed the day with a Vegas-style Legend of Kung Fu show.

July 9, 2010 - Beijing China

2010-07-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

"He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man."
~Mao Zedong

China and Google have been playing political chess for months. It has quickly become clear there is no access to Blogspot, and some other Google ran websites, from this part of the world. Instead, my summer-saviors, Kendra and Evan (caring for Jack and the house), are going to upload my entries via email.

Having to choose between ascending the Great Wall by hiking, a gondola, or a chairlift, we opted for the chairlifts. Once on the wall, heading left keeps tourist on the restored wall. However, to the right is an incredibly steep hike past Watchtower 6 to a sign that says, "Not open to the public, No admittance." This was an open invitation to get-off-the-tourist-beaten-path. Immediately finding solace from the raging heat and away from the masses, I was alone on a crumbling wall covered in lush foliage with lizards scampering across my feet and butterflies floating into my eyes. After hiking to the point that bush-whacking was required, I decided to sit and take in the scene. Most think that the Great Wall of China is one wall. In reality, it's a number of walls randomly positioned throughout the hills to keep out the Mongol Barbarians. Perhaps they don't call them the Great Walls, because there is no plural in Mandarin. On many a Bucket List is to walk China's Great Wall. Today I made another check off the list. Unexpectedly, we also slid off the Great Wall of China on a toboggan.

Part of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution was to seek out and destroy the Four Olds.

+ Old culture

+ Old customs

+ Old habits

+ Old ideas

In the afternoon, the monsoon rains came and didn't let up until evening. Through determination in a torrential downpour, we found the perfectly preserved 10th Century Cow Street Mosque, complete with an astronomical Wangyuelou (Moon Observation Tower), which for some reason was not destroyed by Mao's Red Guard.

Learning a new language, is comparable to finding a new world. Attempting to maneuver Beijing with a cab-driver who doesn't speak English, we found ourselves in a scuffle of yelling, which led to some minor shoving, all because we tried to tip for his services. We still do not understand how we offended him. More than ever, I would like to learn Mandarin. Of the three banquet style meals eaten thus far, these are my favorite dishes:

Sweet n' Sour Pork at Laobeijing Zhajiangmian

Lemon Chicken at Xiao Wang's Home Restaurant

Sweet n' Sour Chicken at Xiaolongpu Restaurant

Apparently, I enjoy deep-fried meat marinated in congealed sugar.

Dhanurasana,
Wheel Bow on the Great Wall

July 8, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-07-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: tian gao hiang di yuan
Translation: The heaven is high and the emperor is far away
Comparable English Idiom: When the cats away, the mice will play

The first day early-morning-rise always comes naturally when traveling in Asia because it's mid-afternoon in the Pacific Northwest. Hoping to find a Starbucks ready to serve, as the sun barely hung in the sky, I was quickly disappointed. Instead, I followed the marching People's Liberation Army soldiers towards Sun Temple Park. Although extremely early, a multitude of T'ai Chi and Qigong practitioners, sword dancers, chanters, and others were already beginning to honor the new day. Smoking is rampant in Asia, so spying a T'ai Chi student gracefully maneuver the 108 progressions with a illuminated cigarette laced between his fingers was of no surprise. Eventually I found "my people" when invited by five elderly Han to thirty minutes of vigorously pounding the legs, back, neck, arms, and face with clenched fists, to awaken the bodies 'Qi' (energy). Perfect physical endeavor for a sore, jet-lag soul.

For over 500 years emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasty have inhabited the Forbidden City, in the heart of Beijing. Establishing central north-south axis for the entire city, the south line extends through the Tienanmen gate. Built in the exact same years (1409-1420), but a couple miles to the southeast, but still on the same grid-system is the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heave was erected for honoring celestial ancestral spirits to bring a good harvest to their descendants. Opposing, The Forbidden City was built to glorify the Emperor - the only divine connection between the people and heaven.

Fortuitous with uncommonly blue skies (usually polluted smog socks in the city), we spent the entire day exploring the major historical/tourist sites on the Beijing grid. The last 100 years of China's history stands poignant as we schlep through Tienanmen Square, past Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, and are continuously surrounded by billboards of communist propaganda.

Remembering the 1989 Tienanmen Uprising, when the People's Liberation Army tank shot and killed the young protester - we were quickly able to identify the exact location of the fateful event. China states that no one was killed in Tienanmen Square on that day... this is true. The famous "tank man," and others like him, were killed just feet from the square, on the adjacent streets.

Although we walked miles in torturous heat today, my body felt great. Thank goodness for the quality time I spent energetically hitting myself this morning in the park - my 'Qi' is flowing.

July 7, 2010 - Beijing, China

2010-07-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Pinyin: lao tian gei ni mianzi
Translation: The heavens are giving you face
Meaning: Things are going our way

After 3 flight connections and 22 hours of traveling, we have finally arrived in Beijing.

Wen Tong, our guide, was the first woman met. Wen, her family title, translates into a "warm breeze" and Tong, her first name, translates into a "red sunrise." Most children born during Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution were given names associated with the color red to honor the communist movement. When put together, Wen Tong translates into "the warm breeze during the red sunrise."

Chairman Mao Zedong rose to power in 1949 when his Red Army, also called People's Liberation Army (PLA), overtook control of major cities throughout China. His communist platform focused on equalizing economics and opportunity for the Chinese people. His policies, however, resulted in severe famines, destruction of numerous historical culture sites, societal upheaval, and economic disaster. Regardless, most Han revere Chairman Mao as the founder of modern-day-China.

Presently, China's communist leaders are Prime Minister Wen Jia and President Hu Jintao. When spoken, the family titles sound of, When and Who. English speaking Chinese will play-on-the-words and jokingly wonder if future leaders will be Why and How.

July 6, 2010 - Seattle

2010-07-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Cabbage from my garden preparing to bloom

"Let a hundred flowers bloom."
~Mao Zedong

Finally, China. After traveling for years to countries surrounding the Middle Kingdom and extensively attempting visits to The People's Republic of China, today we fly via South Korea (an old stomping-ground), to Beijing. The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), supported by the University of Washington, has created a travel experience focused on China's Southwest minority groups in response to their geographic and environmental location.

However, as always, it's hard to leave The Gorge in the summer. I've been feeling anxious for the last couple weeks; not sure if it's contemplation of past events that have led to this point, uncertainty of the moment, or anticipation of the future. The undeniable elements of my life that will be mostly missed are romping through the woods with Jack and reaping the rewards of our flourishing gardens.

But before we depart the country, nachos covered in guacamole and one more of those famous Pacific Northwest amber-brews.

July 22, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

"Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
..., mountain momma
Take me home, country roads"
~John Denver

Although this trip was short, I'm ready to go home to see my new roof, completed bathroom remodel, and cuddle with Jackson.

As we drive to the airport, reflections on Korea's education, modernization, and current military conflicts float through my mind.

Education
Korea has a national curriculum, resulting in grade-level teachers teaching the exact same lesson across the country, on the same day. Teachers change positions every 2-3 years in order to not become stagnant.
+ Almost 100% enrollment of children in elementary school
+ Most Special Education students don't receive an education
+ 15% high school drop-out rate

And, there are 222 required school days per school year (includes Saturday). Korea has no natural resources, only human resources - this is where the national budget is channeled.

Modernization
Korea has experienced the quickest Industrial Revolution in the world - from a developing society to a technologically advanced power in less than 20 years. 50 years ago the streets were congested with oxen and wheeled carts. Now at the center of Seoul, massive digitized TV screen advertisements hypnotize the eye.

Military Conflicts
Today Hillary Clinton condemned Burma for their involvement in arms trading with North Korea. I'm reminded of the U.S. refusal to sign the United Nations Ottawa Treaty banning the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of landmines. With persisting military defenses along the 38th parallel, the U.S. continues to employ self-detonating landmine devices throughout the DMZ, in case of a North Korea invasion.

Ironically, due to limited human access in the DMZ, the natural area has become a relatively undisturbed ecological anomaly, since it's creation in 1953. Paradise resulting from military and political chaos.

July 21, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Goooooooood morning, Vietnam! Hey, this is not a test! This is rock and roll! Time to rock it from the Delta to the D.M.Z.!”
~ Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam, the movie

Determined to not leave Korea with a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) visit, this morning at 0700 hours, a small squad of U.S. teachers undertook a covert operation. Still unsure why we are not visiting the DMZ as a group, we choose the U.S. military "don't ask, don't tell" philosophy to justify our secret mission. Inconspicuously meeting on the street, we were quickly found out and invited a couple other civilians to join in on the fun.

The DMZ is the most heavily guarded border in the world, established July 1953. Averaging around 2km between North and South Korea, the 38th parallel DMZ is a cease-fire separation line. Tourists can only visit the DMZ through organized tour groups, while South Korea citizens are not allowed near the area.

On a bus full of English and Japanese speakers, we visited the Freedom Bridge where South Koreans hang memorial ribbons for North Korean family members. The second stop at Tunnel 3 allowed for yellow construction hat visitors to venture underneath the DMZ, coming within 1/4 of a mile of the North Korea border. This is just one of many tunnels built by North Korea for a possible invasion of Seoul. The third stop at the Dora Observation Platform offered a telescope view of North Koreans working in the fields and a lone bike rider. It's said that sometimes children training for the North Korean military can be seen.

It is believed that most people in North Korea don't want to be starving and isolated from the world under a totalitarian communist regime. To be born a peasant in North Korea is purely bad luck. This is where I have a problem with Buddhist teachings - Buddhism believes this is not bad luck, but bad karma from a poorly lived past life.

More military facts learned:
+ Kim Il-sung, Mao Zedong, and Stalin believed "power comes from the barrel of a gun"
+ Kim Il-sung invaded South Korea in June 1950 and captured Seoul within 3 days
+ Nuclear weapons are "terror weapons," not "military weapons"
+ Successful military attack requires a 3:1 ratio (U.S. invasion of Iraq was a 1:2 ratio)
+ North Korea has the 4th largest military in the world
+ 70% of North Korea's forward deployed troops are focused towards South Korea
+ North Korea has the largest artillery force in the world
+ North Korea has at least 800 missiles
+ North Korean air force employs glider planes, which are undetectable by sate-lights

The world's concern with North Korea is becoming more clear.
The last and most impressionable stop on our tour was to the Dorasan Train Station. Currently, a multi-continental train runs from Paris, France to a southern Korean city. The only incomplete portion of this track runs through North Korea. Paying 500 Won (50 cents, US) we walked onto the platform and looked North in wonderment. The trackers heading to Pyongyang are there, but have never been used - stopping just short of the border crossing. After giddily placing an illegal train stamp from Dorasan Station to Pyongyang in my passport, a feeling of hope arose. I hope someday my children can visit North Korea and/or travel uninterrupted from France to Korea, through a country that no longer starves its people in order to fund their military.

With much to ponder - Mission Accomplished! I'm coming home!

But first dinner, drinks, awards, and laughter at the 27th Floor Taepyungro Club.

July 20, 2009 - Gyeongju, South Korea

2009-07-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Jade Green stream, don't boast so proud
Of your easy passing through these blue hills.
Once you have reached the broad sea
to return again will be hard.
While the Bright Moon fills these empty hills,
why not pause? Then go on, if you will.
~Hwang Chin-i (Korean poet)

More specifically, my interest in Korea is it's role in Asia's Silk Road Trade during the Silla Dynasty, having the greatest impact from 57 B.C. - 935 A.D. Gyeongju was the capitol of the Silla Kingdom for more than 1,000 years. Today the region is referred to by locals as "museum without walls," due to the large collection of historic buildings, temples, tombs, artifacts, and burial mounts.

On the outskirt of the region is Gwareung and the Royal Tomb of Silla. The tomb houses King Wongseong, the 38th King of Silla. But more important are two carved statues guarding the tomb. Facial features include broad noses, large eyes, beards, with haircuts and swords indicative of Middle Eastern tribes - linking Korea to the Persian World due to Silk Road Trade.

Before leaving the south, a tour of the world's largest shipyard and shipbuilding producer only makes sense. Hyundai Heavy Industries is mostly recognized for automobiles in the U.S., however, the global Korean business divides success between ship building, construction equipment, electric systems, offshore ventures, machinery, among other engineering endeavors. Chung Ju-yung, the 1946 founder of Hyundai services, was originally from a North Korean village where some of his family remains today. Before his death in 2001, Chung was a major financial contributor towards reuniting North and South Korea with the construction of railroads and station stops, fostering diplomatic visits. Thus far, little has come of his generosity and commitment to family.

July 19, 2009 - Gyeongju, South Korea

2009-07-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

"The best food in the world is equal to the number of mothers."
~ Korean belief

Good food feeds the soul. As a huge fan of ethnic-Asian-cuisine, discovering my dislike for Korean spices and food preparation has come as a surprise. From talking with other friends on the trip, many are also not enjoying Korean food. Korea is known for Kimchi - salted cabbage mixed with variations of radish, onion, and/or cucumber, then spiced with red chili pepper and garlic. After preparation, Kimchi is stored in large clay pots, which are often buried in the ground to maintain a refrigerated temperature and hold flavor throughout the winter. Basically, Kimchi is an ancient practice of harvesting summer vegetables and then fermenting them to last through the cold, desolate winter. I've not acquired a taste for the pickled/fermented dish. Koreans say, "A man doesn't need a wife to survive, but he does need Kimchi." Well, this gringo says, "I need a fresh avocado."

The Seokguram Grotto a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds a 12 foot tall-free standing Buddha surrounding by Bodhisattva's, half moons, and lotus flower wall carvings. The holy images are buried within a tomb at the top of Mount Tohamsan. This famous location is known for observing magical sunrises over the East Sea (Sea of Japan), however, due to Monsoon's inversion, we viewed a sea of fog interlaced among a coastline of crimson hilltops.

This month I turned 33 years-old (year of the dragon). 33 years-old seems to hold significant historical value. Jesus died and rose from the grave at 33 years-old. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) reached enlightenment at 33 years-old, sitting under a tree in India. Larry Bird's Celtic Jersey number is 33.
+ 30% of Koreans are Christian
+ 23% of Koreans are Buddhists
+ 50% of Koreans have no-religious affiliation (fastest growing piece of the pie)

A final tour stop at the Bulguk-sa Temple, originally built during the Silla Kingdom (A.D. 528), was destroyed by the Japanese (of course) and rebuilt in the 1970's. This temple holds four traditional, massively build, instruments found in Korean Buddhism - used to call all creatures to prayer.
+ Cloud gong ~ awake all in the sky
+ Wooden fish ~ awake all underwater
+ Drum ~ awake all on land
+ Bell ~ awake all in the spiritual worlds

July 18, 2009 - Gyeongju, South Korea

2009-07-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

“To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear. Water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals.”
~Buddha

Waking to Muju's cool mountain breeze, we were aware that our trip to lower elevations would bring heat and humidity. Although the South Korean summer is warm, we haven't seen the sun since arriving ten days ago.

The morning was focused on Korean Buddhism at the Haeinsa Temple in the Gayasan National Park. Located near the top of Gaya Mountain, the temple serves as a place of worship, along with a monk training center, and the largest collection of wooden Buddhist scripture print blocks in the world. It's important to emphasize Korean Buddhism is very different than other Buddhist traditions in Asia. Some of the most tangible unique practices include:
1. Walking over a bridge before entering a temple, where the water underfoot cleanses one's soul of sins
2. Before reaching any Buddha/Bodhisattva shrine, three wooden gates must be passed through, displaying Chinese prayer characters
3. The 2nd gate houses warriors who originally defended Hinduism, but then converted to defend Buddhism

In Christianity there are 7 Deadly Sins, including: pride, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth. In Buddhism, there are 108 Defilement's, which one cannot hold in order to reach enlightenment. In Korean Buddhism, one of these defilement's is love, because it creates "attachment". Although I greatly respect and often practice a Buddhist tradition (yoga), the philosophy - like most religions/philosophies, is imperfect.

A Buddhist Story:
A man discovers his deceased mother is in hell. He goes to a monk to state how wonderful his mother was, how she lived everyday for him and was all-giving. The monk points out that this is why she's in hell, because of her attachment to him. Another virtue enlightened Buddhists must attain is detachment from everything earthly.

In the afternoon we partnered up to hand-throw a mixture of barley water and ground rice to make sweet taffy. With no sugar added and a natural chemical reaction, the result is a molasses flavored morsel. Finally arriving in Gyeongju National Park, we quickly visited the Cheomseongd Observatory and the Anapji Palace site, while strolling on wooden walkways through lush lotus bogs.

Dwi Pada Koundinyasana
Straight-Legs-Side-Crow at Haeinsa, the Temple of a Vast Sea of Meditation

July 17, 2009 - Muju, South Korea

2009-07-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

"Although a flower wilts, I will not forget you."
~Korean ProverbThere's a difference between traveling and touring. For the last week we have spent the mornings in classes and the afternoons exploring Seoul - meeting new people, fumbling through the language barrier, deciphering which foods we enjoy, interpreting maps, cabs, subways, etc. Basically, finding our own paths in a foreign culture.

This morning the traveling stopped and a four day southern tour began. The bus ride wandered through country roads to the Suqon Hwaseong Fortress for a traditional archery lessons, then to Chengin to learn Korea's ancient practice of print making using removable metal-type, and then to Gyeongginjeon to visit a Chosen Dynasty's King's Shrine.

However, my favorite stop was staying the night at Hotel Triol, an Austrian inspired chateau ski lodge in the middle of Mt. Deogyu National Park. Although there was no snow, it's evident the tree skiing is poor and the vertical terrain leaves much to be desired - but it would still be fun to ski South Korea.

Today a little insight into an unanswered riddle, which has perplexed me since Saudi Arabia was revealed. It's a small world, and only never knows who they'll meet on their travels. There is a thin line between fantasy and reality.

July 16, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

"The scariest place on Earth."
~Bill Clinton, referring to the DMZ

Today is frustrating. In addition to Korean culture, pertaining to Silk Road Trade, my primary interest in participating in this study tour is to visit the DMZ. The North-South Korea Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is shared space, along the 38th parallel, established over 50 years ago, after the Korean War. The 38th parallel split was determined by Communist Russia and Capitalist United States, in 1945, at the end of WWII.

The DMZ is a major South Korea tourist attraction and one we assumed we would experience. Speculation is far and wide for why we can't visit the DMZ, but the Joint Security Area (JSA) is closed. Rumors swarming include U.S. soldiers have Swine Flu, North Korean troops are moving towards the border due to disrupted trade agreements with other countries, the DMZ is feeling pressure due to Kim Jong-il's health condition - basically U.S. citizens aren't allowed north of Seoul.

The entire trip schedule revolved around the DMZ excursion, so our feelings are mixed - relieved we're protected against possible trouble and upset that circumstances are not allowing our visit. We've been told the DMZ has only been closed four other times in the last 50 years.

Instead we visited the Korean War Museum. Although not the DMZ, the museum provided a captivating explanation of events leading up to the North Korean invasion, the Korean experience during the war, and reconstruction since. Most meaningful to our group were memorials to U.S. and United Nations troops, whom defended the south.

I then headed to the Samsung Leeum Museum of Art to take-in the architecture and creative spirit of modern Asian artists.

July 15, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-16T05:37:00.001-07:00

"Fluttering, the orioles
male and female together, so.
Reminded of my loneliness;
with whom will I ever go?"
~Samguk Sagi, from Song of the Oriole (Korean poem)

There are 7 symbols of Korean Culture:
1. Taegeuk (yin/yang symbol)
2. Taegeukgi (Korean flag)
3. Rose of Sharon (flower that has survived blight and insects, reflecting the Korean people's determination and perseverance)
4. Bujok (amulet to carry around for good luck)
5. Tiger (representing vigor and chivalry)
6. Buddhist swastika (auspiciousness)
7. Christian Cross

Tonight we headed out to the 1988 South Korean Olympic baseball stadium to watch the LG Twins beat the Doosan Bears, 3-2. Baseball is probably a U.S. symbols of culture, but the South Koreans have taken-on the Western past-time with vigor. The game was complete with cheerleaders, a half-time show, chants, and crowd dance routines using noise sticks.

July 14, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

"Ambition is the last refuge of failure."
~Oscar Wilde

The purpose of my trip to South Korea is to learn about culture and politics. With the world currently watching North Korea, current events are at the forefront. We've learned there are differing degrees of North Korea/South Korea reunification. Least amount of economic impact on South Korea would come if both countries leaders would work together, so South Korea could provide aide, but not allow North Korea to become dependent. South Korea would like the current North Korean regime to evolve, not revolutionize.

In addition, during the 2008 summer, Anti-American riots broke out in South Korea concerning current beef trade practices. Almost all South Korean meals are prepared with beef. South Korea was upset that imported beef boxes contained bones and the beef cows slaughtered were older than 3 years-old. Apparently, most beef cows are slaughtered at 1 year - fatten them up and kill them before too much feed is wasted on them. Although not a concern to South Koreans, I was more disgusted that the beef is slaughtered, driven across the U.S. via semi-truck, placed on a cross-Pacific ship for a month, and then serviced a couple months later (all with hopes the meat has remained frozen).
Think I've solved South Korea's economic concerns for North Korea, if their current government falls. Although it would upset U.S. beef growers, North Korea becomes a land of ranchers.

In the afternoon we shifted from political discussions and headed into the trendy Gwanchul-dong District for a live show. "Jump" is a modern performance combining Tae-kwon-do, acrobatics, and humor to tell the story of a crazy family and how they defend themselves against when brainless robbers who invade their home.

July 13, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-14T04:46:00.001-07:00

"A person without education is like a beast wearing clothes."
~Korean Proverb

Monsoon season runs from June through mid-July, so this trip is perfect timing for us to spend every moment outside completely soaked to the bone.

Korean education is known for rote memorization, lack of creativity, competitive high-stakes testing, and societal pressures to succeed. Today we visited the Goyang Foreign Language High School, a private Christian Ivy League prep-school, where we found students relaxed and hilarious. Semester finals were last week and most kids were on summer recess, so the 7am - 11pm school day was not in session.
+ South Korea has one of the highest teenage suicide rates in the world.
+ South Korea has one of the largest # of Ph.D.'s in the world. Most Ph.D.'s are earned in the U.S. and England, then citizens return home.

I'm not usually drawn to "tourist trips," but in order to get a visual of Seoul's military city planning, a view from N Seoul Tower was necessary. Immediately, the apartment buildings, build in domino fashion called "identical apartments," ready for implosion - were obvious. However, being in the 6th tallest tower in the world, anti-aircraft guns mounted on skyscrapers roofs weren't visible.

Today's media rumor's released that Kim Jong-il is in late stages of Pancreatic Cancer.

July 12, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-14T04:03:00.000-07:00

“Defeat the enemies strategy.”
~Sun Tzu

Although Korea and Japan work well together today, Japan's demonstrative occupation of the peninsula from 1910-1945 continues to leave a bitter taste in Korean's mouth. In addition to destroying the royal palaces in Seoul, the Japanese imprisoned many royal men, called Yangbons, until they died and impregnated many women - in essence eliminating Korea's pure noble bloodline.

Perhaps South Korea is paranoid, but who can blame them. After the Japanese left in 1945 and the conclusion of the Korean War in 1953, South Korea rebuilt Seoul (less than 30 miles from border) with military strategy in mind. If North Korea invades, defensive ground lines are a s follows:
+ Line 1: ROKA (Republic of Korea Army) defends 38th parallel
+ Line 2: South Korea destroys roads from border into Seoul by blowing thick cement slabs, some currently serve as advertising billboards
+ Line 3: Bridges on Han River exploded as the population retreats south (holes are already drilled in all bridges, ready to be packed with dynamite)
+ Line 4: South shore Han River buildings imploded to create massive rubble obstacles

An air attack would have minor impact, due to limited oil supplies and practice of pilots. Military fighter pilots practice per year:
+ United States = 210 hours per year
+ South Korea = 160 hours per year
+ North Korea = 5 hours per year

Rumor also holds the average North Korean military heights have decreased by 3" in the last 15 years due to poor diet.

In the evening, a group of 13 men and 6 women headed to the Dragon Spa, located in downtown Seoul. In the 6 story family vacation/amusement park of spas, women and men are segregated for privacy on the 4th and 5th floors. Women enjoy outdoor and indoor pools of varying temperature and ingredients, along with optional messages, scrubs, and steam treatments. Although we never visited the 6th floor beer garden or basement movie theater, the men dressed in blue pajamas and the women in green met on the 1st floor for dinner and laughs in the pine sauna, salt room, frozen igloo, and heated Egyptian pyramids.

July 11, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-12T08:04:00.001-07:00

"Two journeys had to be made without companions: the journey to your death and the one to enlightenment."
~Deepak Chopra

At 3:30am we further confused our jet-lag bodies by heading to the Yogyesa Buddhist Temple for 108 stand, then kneel, then bow-head-to-floor salutations. 108 is the number of beads on the Buddhist prayer necklace representing 108 defilements one must leave behind to reach enlightenment. Much like with many churches, Buddhist ceremonies throughout the world differ. At this Korean ceremony, before the service begins, practitioners warm up with 108 salutations, which is followed by at least another 108 throughout the monk led service, intertwined with chanting. By the end of the ceremony, my knees and hip were throbbing and swollen.

After a traditional morning, we headed to one of the best Korean BBQ's in the world, according to this month's Bon Appetite magazine. Back Suk Gol grilled only the freshest Korean beef and pork over hot coals to wrap in large exotic lettuce leafs with the best red-bean paste I have ever eaten. This was not just a meal, but today's second elaborate ceremony.

The #1 goal of East Asia (China, Japan, and South Korea) is to make money in the modern world economy. Being in Korea at a point when it is believed the North and South will reunite within 1-5 years is setting the trips tone. According to rumors, Kim Jong-il's oldest son has a "Mickey Mouse Problem" (not mentally stable), the second son has taken large quantities of estrogen over the years (not traditionally accepted), and the youngest son has been secretly education in Switzerland (not old enough and holds a global perspective). China, which supplies North Korea with limited resources, has made it clear to Kim Jong-il and his men that successful participation in the global economy is most important, therefore conflict and war cannot happen!

From speaking with academic leaders, there is a feeling that with Kim Jong-il's death, reunification is eminent. However, it seems the Baby Boomer generation and older desire reunification under a democracy, but fear higher taxes and inconveniences of modernizing North Korea. Generation X'ers and younger don't seem to care, as long as Korea remains a world economic powerhouse.

July 10, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-10T06:27:00.001-07:00

"Transform yourself so you can transform the world."
~Yonsei University Motto

International Greetings:
Hindu - "Namaste." The light in me honors the light in you.
Arabic - "Assalam'alaikoom." May peace be with you.
Korean - "Annyeong-haseyo." Are you at peace?

Our first couple days in Korea will be spent at Yonsei University to begin exploring foundations of the peninsula's culture and politics. These courses always begin with basic language lessons. The symbols that make up the Korean Alphabet, or Hangeul, are scientifically based on the mouth's shape when making the sound. For example, when making the sound for 'g', the top lip juts out, while the lower lip is recessed; from the side forming the shape of a sideways L. ㄱ is the Hangeul symbol for the Latin 'g'.

Preserving culture is one of a countries most important economic resource. Our international hotel's spa serves only Koreans. If a restaurant is busy, Koreans are the only people served, while all others are turned away. Signs on the outside of businesses stating, in English, Korean's Only. South Korea has mentioned on several occasions their frustration with an underdeveloped tourist industry. Perhaps it's time for the locals to move beyond a ethnocentric treatment of foreigners and welcome world travelers.

July 9, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea

2009-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

"The Wright Brothers created the single greatest cultural force since the invention of writing. The airplane became the first World Wide Web, bringing people, languages, ideas, and values together."
~Bill Gates

Korean Air makes their guests as comfortable as possible. Upon boarding the plane, every passenger receives a green package on their seat. The green package contains green socks, a green toothbrush, and a green sleeping eye-mask. This is in addition to the standard blanket, pillow, and bottle of water. In addition, each seat has their own computer screen with individual options to play games, follow the planes physical patterns, watch movies, documentaries, or television shows. Due to Monsoon rain and winds, our flight took an extra hour. The perfect amount of time needed to watch five movies on the 13 hour flight. This is more movies than I've watched in the last three months.

We arrived in the late evening and then all 40 U.S. teachers met for a quick meal before finding some deep sleep.

July 8, 2009 - Oregon

2009-07-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries."
~Aldous Huxley

It's been over a year and I'm finally back in Asia. The Institute of International Education (IIE) has once again grace me with acceptance to one of their programs - this time the Korean Studies Workshop for American Educators 2009, sponsored by the Korea Foundation.

The natural question from others when about to leave on another journey is, "are you getting excited?" I have made it a rule to not get excited until the flight is over and I'm standing on foreign land. South Korea and the United States are both currently experiencing breach of computer security. North Korea is being blamed for the attacks. If Kim Jong-il (or any of his cronies) decides to pull something excessively stupid in the next couple days and the trip is cancelled, by not getting excited or having expectations, my disappointment will limited.

August 2, 2008 - Antigua, Guatemala

2008-08-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

Essential: A Sense-of-humor
“You need it so that you’re not emotionally ruined by what you’re immersed in.”
~Mark Jenkins, National Geographic Contributor

August 1, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-08-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

“It’s hard to think of change taking place in Central America without there first being changes in the United States. As we say in Honduras, “Sin el perro, no hay rabia” – without the dog, there wouldn’t be rabies.
~Elvia Alvarado

A few weeks before arriving in Copan, our home stay mother’s dog had puppies. In the morning of my last day in Copan, one of the five puppies opened its eyes. Amparo, our home-stay mother, decided it was a good time to name him.

The second week of language classes ended with one-on-one teacher, Iliana. Iliana knows about as much English as I know Spanish, so we were a perfect match. The bond stemmed from an equal enjoyment of Aerosmith. Together we would sing “Dream On” in distorted harmony.

I think it was Aristotle who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Archaeologists have not determined a specific reason for the Ancient Mayan Civilizations demise. However, the primary theory focuses on change in weather patterns due to deforestation. When the Mayan city of Copan was at it’s peak, about 1,500 years ago, the people needed more natural resources. They cut down all surrounding forests, which increased weather temperatures and changed rain patterns. As the result food growth cycles were jeopardized, creating political and social unrest, which led to greater corruption and the civilizations eventual collapse.

Ex-patriots whom have lived in Honduras for decades noted the dramatic change in rainfall, specifically this year. The timing of the afternoon rainstorms remain similar, but the increased intensity is resulting in dramatic floods never witnessed before. In addition, due to mountain logging, erosion is washing way ground soil causing mudslides, like the one that wiped out the city water pipe. In the twelve days visiting Copan, we had running water for only four.

Although time to go, it’s realized that two weeks is not enough time, three weeks for international travel is perfect.

Oh yeah, the name Amparo chose for the wide-eyed pup – Jackson.

July 31, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-08-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

“We don’t use forks and spoons and knives like the rich; we use our fingers. The food tastes better that way. A fork doesn’t have any flavor – it’s just a piece of metal. And you can poke your mouth with a fork or knife. That’s why we like our fingers better.”
~Elvia Alvarado

The mornings are bright, hot, and humid. By early afternoon the sky darkens with rainstorms. A typical day in the tropics. Amphibians litter the tropics, which is perhaps why the Maya chose their symbol of fertility to be the frog.

In the afternoon we took pleasure in a rainy hike around Hacienda San Lucas. On the eco-resorts property is an Ancient Mayan site called, Los Sapos. Basically a carved statue of a frog lies within a pile of rocks. Near the frog but harder to recognize is also a carved woman with her legs open, as if giving birth. Archaeologists have no concrete evidence for the locations use, but speculate women came here to give birth.

A Choti Mayan Indian met, shared that fathers also have a birthing ritual. Once the mother goes into labor, the father heads to the hills with a bottle of Valerian Root Homebrew (Valium), for a vision quest focused on the new child. For some tribal men, this practice continues today.

After the hike it was time to re-energize with my favorite Central American snack – fried tortillas covered in sugar and cinnamon, called ojaldras. I call them odeja de elephante. Elephant Ears.

July 30, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

"We don't have anything like a honeymoon, either. The honeymoon is running away with a woman and sleeping out in the fields together for first night. And the next day back to work. That's the campesino's honeymoon."
~Elvia Alvarado

"Thunder and Lightening Storms." A Common response to the inquiry, "What turns you on?"

The morning was spent wandering Copan, with my Spanish teacher, in hopes of finding a replacement digital camera, as mine has corrupted.

An Oregon friend, met on this trip, suggests the key to successful international travel is three items:
1. Passporte
2. Three forms of $$$ - Cash, Travelor´s Checks, Credit Card
3. Sense-of-humor

A sense-of-humor became necessary when I discovered all pictures of horseback riding, the Choti Maya Village, the Butterfly Gardens, and the Macaw Mountain Bird Park were lost. After hours of trekking Copan in blazing sun and heat, opted for an inexpensive disposable camera and will upload digital pictures after returning to The States.

Throughout the region, the World Bank has funded individuals to maintain traditional arts in their native villages. While visiting a ceramic potter in the mountains, near the Guatemala border, an afternoon storm began with a spine curling crack directly above our heads, followed by a lightening strike within feet from where we stood.

The same Oregon friend, who worked for an adventure backcountry outfit for over ten years, and myself both reacted with screams of fear. Possibly it was because we´re the only two with enough training to know the possible consequences of a lightening strike running through the ground and taking people down - but the rest of the group barely reacted.

Within minutes, a downpour that lasted for hours, lightening knocking out Copan power for the second time today, and all running water lost again.

July 29, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

"But people can change. I know there are many things I used to do that I don't do any more, now that I'm more educated."
~Elvia Alvarado

When traveling, it is always interesting to witness the effects of World Bank funded programs, first-hand.

the Butterfly Gardens and Macaw Mountain Bird Park are two destinations in Copan that nurture the desire to silently sit, relax, and enjoy observing natural inhabitants of the region.

Six adorable Tucan babies enjoy entertaining the masses at the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, but the first couple days of their life were not so carefree. Honduras has made it illegal to own or sell native birds. The World Bank funds a program, with the fairely uneducated Honduranian Forestry Department, to confiscate birds throughout the country. This includes healthy, happy, and well cared for pets in homes and businesses - in order to meet a quota established by the government. The quota is set in order to receive the maximum money possible from the World Bank.

Weeks ago, the "bird police" came upon nine small Tucans being sold along the side of the road. Not knowing they were babies (needing to be hand-fed by their parents 6-8 times a day, the birds were placed in a truck for 4-5 days with bananas thrown on the floor. The "bird police" figured the Tucans would eat when hungry.

Upon arrival at the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, four Tucans were dead and other others near starvation. According to the park owner, the World Bank has funded this program without any education for the enforcers or a plan for where the birds will go once confiscated.

Without any forewarning, the "bird police" will arrive at the Macaw Mountain Bird Park with a truck full of half-dead birds and expect the park to accept and rehabilitate the survivors. There is no money coming from the World Bank or the Honduranian Government.

The ownerr created the park as a profit making business, however, with this new World Bank program, they are turning into a non-profit. It's difficult to turn away from the Endangered birds, but if the investment isn't paying-off, the owners may re-think their labor-of-love.

The parks goal is to rehabilitate and reintroduce as many birds as possible, back into the wild. Since the siz baby Tucans have been in captivity since days old, it is the parks hope to help teach the birds to gather their own food from the wild by flying freely during the day, and in park cages inorder to protect them from predators at night.

July 28, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

"But most Hondurans are campesinos who live far removed from the highway. They live in what we call asentamientos, or settlments. These are villages that are not even connected to the highway by a road. Oftentimes the only way to get to these asentamientos is by horse or hiking on foot. So the real Honduras is hidden from view, but for most campesinos it´s the only reality we know."
- Elvia Alvarado

After a very productive language class in the morning, we headed for the hills - on horseback.

Many of the Chorti Maya Villages, due to mountainous terrain, are a challenge for automobile access. Our guide, a native Chorti, led us into the foothills to identify medicinal plants, meet traditional weaving artists, and view the jungle from a vista.

With unlimited access to limes, we found these citrus fruits to be used for most everything.
- squeezed over the head for a fever
- rubbed over the skin to relieve bug bites
- swallowed pulp from three for a stomach ache

The Chorti are direct descendents of the Ancient Maya. It was explained by our guide, Margarito, that there are three classes of people in Honduras - Wealthy, Poor, and Very Poor. A middle class is almost non-existant. The Chorti would be considered Very Poor, living in mud houses held together by pineappl leaf fiber, with straw thatched roofs. Out of the entire village, four children have received international scholarships to attend a school in Copan.

As if a direct sign from the U.S. Native American´s was bestowed upon us indicating luck, happiness, and prosperity an albino colt led us from the village back to town, sending us on our way, into the sunset.

July 27, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-27T15:27:00.001-07:00

"All this has a long history. It´s just like the life of Christ. Just like there were people who refused to believe in Christ, so there are campesinos who don´t have faith. Just like they captured Christ and tortured him, so the soldiers caputre and torture us. And just like Christ died for the poor, so we die for the poor. The day they kill me, I´ll know that I died for a just struggle; I´ll know I died like Christ did, fighting for the poor."
- Elvia Alvarado

The Sabbath is not a day of rest in Honduras, at least not in Copan. The Parque Central (town square) was a´buzz all day with villagers who came to town for shopping, church, and socializing.

In addition, the tourists, mostly Central Americans, came in droves to visit the ruins. Myself, a tourist, decided to follow the masses and return to Copan Ruins for a second exploration.

Although the Great Structures of the Copan Ruins are the big draw, there are 16 additional "natural" archaeology sites around Copan, under excavation by locals and funded by the government. According to our guide, there are also an estimated 1,600 other unexplored sites within the region.

Although my favorite attraction of the day was multiple visits by a large 20+ pound rat with fangs, (only member of the rat family that can´t climb) called the cotusa (guatusa).

Ancient Maya belived in multiple gods including Sun, Moon, Fire, Wind, Tree, Jaguar, Earth, Birds, Water, Dreams, Love, and my personal favorite, Lawyer of the Animals. Each God held a specific role in keeping order over the people.

Although the ruins are massive, the tallest building in the town center is, of course, the Catholic Church. While in Central America, where nearly 100% of the population is or once was Catholic, I desired to attend a traditional Mass. Sunday evening ended in an exercise of kneeling, standing, sitting, kneeling, standing, sitting.... through a service spoken in a foreign language, surrounded by over one-hundred natives. The tall gringos stood out, literally, like sore thumbs.

July 26, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

"We realize that if there is ever an armed struggle here, it will be the most barbaric massacre you can imagine. Because the Honduran military, thanks to the gringos, is armed to the teeth."
- Elvia Alvarado

No sleeping-in on the weekend. We rose n' shined at 6am for bird watching, running from bulls, breakfast in a local village home, and exploration of an old coffee plantation. However, the real attraction was our guide. As the most famous nature guide in Honduras and recognized throughout much of Central America, he is also employed by many U.S. Universities.

A native Honduran, he provided insight into both the ecological and social history of his country. Through discussion of conflicting interests of Central American countries, he recounted some of his 9 year old memories of The Soccer War.

Although many believe it was the 1970 World Cup elimination match competition between Honduras and El Salvador, the tension was merely the spark that finally lit the fire.

For years Honduras and El Salvador disputed over the border line due to land shortages and immigration. Landless El Salvadorian campesinos would cross over the border to take Honduran land {at the same time wealthy urban Hondurans were also taking the Honduran campesitos land - but this was overlooked due to propoganda focused on El Salvador}.

After the first two World Cup elimination matches {1-0 Honduras and 3-0 El Salvador} ended in excessive citizen violence, the final match was postponed.

Within a month, El Salvador attacked Honduras, but when Honduras destroyed El Salvador's main fuel depot, El Salvador retreated.
+ The Soccer War lasted 100 hours
+ About 2,000 Hondourian campesinos died
+ 130,000 Salvadorians returned to their country

The final World Cup elimination match was played in Mexico City. El Salvador won 3-2. However, as is often found in war, nothing was accomplished and no one won.

July 25, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

"The most basic health problem we have is the water. The water we have isn´t safe to drink. I countryside, the people drink water wherever they can get it - whether or not it´s safe. Sometimes there are even snakes in the water, and frogs. Those are things they can see. But what about the things they can´t see? Because it´s those invisible things, those parasites, that get us sick. It´s the parasites the give our children those big, bloated bellies."
- Elvia Alvarado

Our first week of classes ended today, so my one-on-one teacher, Carmen, and I said our farewells. Even though Carmen is a teenage college student working for tuition, I learned a great deal from her.

As is true in much of Central America, family comes first. Carmen has never traveled more than 30 miles from her family home in Copan, including to University and a visit to Guatemala. She would like to travel, but explained that there is no rhyme-or-reason to who gets a passport. It appears that one must be, or sponsored by, a prominent member of Honduran society in order to receive a passport or visa.

In the two year - Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua became a Union of countries, so their citizens may cross these borders with nothing more than personal I.D.

If Carmen is ever able to travel to the U.S., her priority destination is Las Vegas. Many locals also ask about Las Vegas. One member of our group explained that Las Vegas is considered by some to be the b-tt hole of the U.S. I guess if the U.S. is shaped like a cow, this would be the correct anatomical position.

Our Friday also included a trip to Aguas Termales. A hard scape architect arrived in Honduras at some point to turn a beautiful hot spring into Paradise. Set upon a hillside of tropical rainforest, the amenities included a walking stone foot message, mud bath, steam shower, and a cascading waterfall of hot springs ranging from hot at the top, to cool near the bottom. The intended effect is that 'nature intended' this perfection. However, while laying in a hot bath where bubbles messaged my back, looking into the forest canopy, it was realized that a 'la nature, sadly, could not have made this so convenient.

Finally clean and running water for the town returns.

July 24, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

"And I figure, hell, if these astronauts can get to the moon, then why can´t ordinary folks like us learn to share the earth?"
- Elvia Alvarado

The Copan Ruins are set among a Jungle Book of exotics, magic, and sadness.

Smoke Jaguar, an eccentric leader from an early period in Mayan history has come to be remembered for his elaborate blood letting and sacrificial ceremonies. Every 20 years throughout Smoke Jaguar{s reign, he would pierce his ears, nose, and other body parts (use imagination here), in addition to human sacrifices, and then allow the blood of his body to drip onto paper at his feet. The paper would then be burned, the smoke creating a link between the Heavens and Smoke Jaguar. After eating a couple hallucinogenic plants, resulting in visions, he believed communication with the Heavens was achieved. Smoke Jaguar ruled for over 60 years, so the ceremony was performed 3 times.

The Ancient Maya believed all people were made of corn, planted all crops based on a specific phase of the moon, and rarely ran short of fresh food. These foods included corn, squash, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, deer, turkey, and snails. However, the most valued food of the Maya was chocolate.

Snails flourished in these lands for thousands of years, until about 30 years ago. With the rise in demand for coffee, internationally - farmers increasingly use pesticides and fertilizers. Even organic coffee farms use fertilizers. These pesticides and fertilizers have led to the snails almost extinction.

Anjaneyaasana
Crescent Lunge upon Ruins of Copan - Structure 4

July 23, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

"You can get a university education these days and still not know the basics of how our society works."
-Elvia Alvarado

Copan has now been without running water for four days and they don´t know when it will return. A fear that drinking water is getting low has also risen. We learned that the surrounding villages have running water, but because of the tourist industry the government controls Copan water. For some reason the government can´t get a pipe fixed, but hundreds of repressed and uneducated villagers have no problem showering tonight.

In order to not offend the others, it became necessary to bathe today. The process involved filling a bucked, 2 feet in diameter and a foot in depth, with rainwater pooring off the side of the building. Then, by placing both feet in the bucked curled into a tiny ball in order to wash my hair and get to all the hard to reach places. It´s important to not waste any water at this point, until more rain comes, so the dirty water is kept for possible future bathing and to force flush the toilet.

For thousands of years, this is how humans bathed and how much of the world continues to bathe today.

July 22, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

"But most Hondurans are campesinos who live far removed from the highway. They live in what we call asentamientos, or settlements."
- Elvia Alvarado

Having only eatten about six crackers and a bottle of Gatorade in the last 48 hours, I´m a little dehydrated and week but began exploring Copan today.

Copan was the center of Mayan culture for over 400 years, beginning around A.D. 550. This was a period of historic advancements in hieroglyphic writing and astronomy, but most significant was the dramatic changes in creating elaborately detailed upright sculptures. These sculptures served as sundials which also told the Maya when to plant crops.

Each major Mayan Temple site in Central America has it{s own signature symbol called an "emblem glyph". Copan{s is a bat with a curled up nose (pictured above).

The first day of Ixbalanque Spanish Language School entailed reviewing concepts learned in high school and college which were forgotten, and a rowdy game of Spanish Dictionary.

July 21, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

"And you have to have the character, the courage, the morale, and the spirit to confront whatever comes yourway."
- Elvia Alvarado

Estoy muy enferma. Yesterday, entailed joining up with nine ofther teachers from The Gorge at the Guatemala City Airport and traveling to Copan, Honduras, for language school. However, the lettuce eaten in Panachel caught up with me. Let`s just say the four hour drive was a long one for everyone.

While the group met with their one-on-one teachers and began classes today, my first 24 hours in Honduras have been spent in a dark hotel room curled into the fetal position. Leaving the room only once for fresh air and to witness the torrential downpoor caused by Hurricane Dolly.

Due to the rains, a landslide broke the towns only waterpipe, therefore most homes don´t have running water. However, some buildings collect rainwater on their roofs. My hotel ran a pipe directly into the street for pumping rainwater into the kitchen for cooking.

Frustratingly, I will be neither showering or eating any time soon.

July 20, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

2008-07-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

"If you visit Honduras and just drive along the main highway, you might think Honduras is a rich country. The road is all smooth and paved, and the people who live alongside the highway look pretty well off."
- Elvia Alvarado

As part of the assigned college syllabus, we're required to read Don't Be Afraid Gringo, A Honduras Woman Speaks from the Heart - The Story of Elvia Alvarado , translated and edited by Medea Benjamin. Elvia is a native campesina (peasant) activists helping lead the fight for native people's right to farm their native land. Although the book was published in 1987, many of the issues remain relevant today.

Fun Facts:
+ Honduras is poorest country in Central America and second poorest in the Western Hemisphere.
+ Majority of Honduran farming land is owned by 2 U.S. companies - Chiquita Bananas & Dole Fruit
+ There are 3.5 million employable Honduran people. The fruit companies employ less than 135,000. Most the work is done by marchines.
+ Most Hondurans live on less than $2 U.S. a day.
+ Asian owned sweatshops litter the cities.
+ The Honduran Military is ever present for constant look out for contras.
+ There are at least 15 U.S. Military establishments in Honduras.
+ The U.S. Government is the primary funder of the Honduran Military.

July 19, 2008 - Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

2008-07-20T05:59:00.001-07:00

"You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We'd all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We'd all want to change the world..."
~Beatles

In Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is known as the center of the Universe, where the "God seeds of mankind evolved". Located high in the mountains, surrounded by three major volcanoes and 13 distinctively different Mayan villages. No one knows exactly the depth of the lake. Some believe there is no bottom, instead an underground passage linking the lake to the Pacific Ocean.

After a morning hike to the village of Santa Cruz, a boat ride back to Panachel, and a walk around the Solola Market, I ate lettuce. Panachel is nicknamed Gringotenango ("place of the gringo") due to American hippies whom immigrated to the region in the 1960's.

While in the Solola Market decided to buy a handwoven place mat to match my red themed kitchen. The man first quoted 130 Quetzals (about $17). The U.S. Dollar is weak, but that's more than the same place mat in the states. After comparing other shop prices and a little haggling, paid 50 Quetzals (about $7). Still more than in the U.S. From talking with locals, market business in Central American is poor, because the American gringos aren't liberally spending in traditional manner. Apparently, travelers from other countries don't spend like Americans.

On Mr. Toad's Wild Ride back to Antigua, due to heavy rains from Hurricane Dolly, we took a longer driving route on safer roads. The bus contained travelers from six different countries, half English speaking. At one point the three dissident Dutch at the back of the bus decided to drown out the traditional Central American music by playing a Beatles Anthology, brought to us by Ipod. Regardless of native language spoken, when Revolution began to play, the entire bus sang in perfect chorus. It felt like the whole world was asking for change.

July 18, 2008 - Antigua, Guatemala

2008-07-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

“Promises are like the full moon, if they are not kept at once they diminish day by day”
~German Proverb

La Antigua Guatemala means "Old Guatemala." Three volcanoes surround Antigua, including Acatenango, Volcan de Agua (Volcano of Water), and Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire). Volcan de Fuego is always active, spewing steam out of its plume, above the city.

Antigua is "Old Guatemala" because in 1541, Volcan de Agua's caldera filled with water, then one side broke open, and created a massive landslide, wiping out the city (at least this is what I gathered from the locals). As the result the capitol city moved to the present day location of Guatemala City. Regardless, Antigua thrives and has become a World Heritage Site, celebrated for its well preserved Spanish Baroque Architecture.

In the afternoon, a bus ride from Antigua to Panachel, Lake Atitlan. This drive was essentially Mr. Toad's Wild Ride extended over two hours with added elevation drops and gains of over 1,ooo feet, at least 10 times. For a woman who gets car sick going straight on the freeway, I felt find. Perhaps my stomach and head were still lethargic from the lethal dose of local pure chocolate I was given at breakfast, in the form of a candy bar.

Once we arrived at the Lake Atitlan send-off docks at Panachel and after a 10 minute boat ride to Villa Sumaya, a solo session of yoga was enjoyed. All destinations on Lake Atitlan are reached by boat only.

Sumaya is Sanskrit for "a long awaited dream come true" or in Arabic, "a little piece of heaven". Since I was in India (Sanskrit) last summer and Saudi Arabia (Arabic) in the winter, I must be on the right path. Trifecta complete!

Full moon. Thunderstorm. Volcanoes. Jungle. Agua. If there is a heaven on Earth, I have arrived there.

July 17, 2008 ~ Oregon

2008-07-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

"I'm a leaving, on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go..."
~Peter, Paul, and Mary

Whenever I tell people I'm leaving for another adventure, the usual first question is, "Where will Jack go?".

Thanksgiving Weekend 2006, my mother and I were walking the River Trail in The Dalles when I pointed out the dog shelter, Home at Last. Mom suggested we look at the dogs for fun. They had all the puppies in one room playing with eachother. The cutest little Springer Spaniel/German Shorthair Pointer mix was sitting in the corner with a goofy look on his face. I asked to hold him. He was perfect. Having just bought my first home, my mother felt I needed a new dog and pushed, "I'll get him for you for Christmas."

Often in my life I wait for the big changes to be forced upon me, because I don't seek or enjoy chaos {ironic for a middle school teacher}. Before I knew what was happening the paperwork was filled out and told to pick him up in three weeks, after his boy~parts "dropped" and he had surgery.

Walking out of the shelter, still bewildered by what just happened, I inquired to mom, "Where will he go when I'm in India?" And she responded with, "We'll take care of him." This has been my assumed deal ever since.

Jackson will be two years old in August. The last year~and~a~half have been filled with usual puppy chaos, however, Jackson is the best thing I have ever done. It is so hard to leave him behind when traveling.