Back in the USSR...

Well I made it back to the US, though the above title seems far more appropriate for a near infinite number of reasons, but perhaps the most poetic is that when I get to the US border official, he asks me "Vere iz your citizenship" in what was almost a perfect match to any 80's or earlier cold war movie. It seems that with all of the concerns over outsourcing, the US government is actually importing border guards from the former soviet republics... I can only assume that this is because they are the most experienced with the current set of policies under which the use border patrol operates.

Still I was finally allowed through (I of course had to give over my travel papers...) and I managed to get ot Indy without further event, as long as you overlook nearly forgetting to watch the gas guage. :) Speaking of which, I cannot complain too much as it appears that I am getting around 18 miles a gallon for most of the trip. Sure I would like better, but given that I drive a truck, this is not too bad.

Ran into some ice pellets about 50 miles out of Indy, but they almost instantly melted after they hit the windshield so driving was not slowed.

Tomorrow looks like rain, but not freezing rain so I plan on heading south again tomorrow. It seems somewhat likely that I will be at the farm for a day before heading on back home to pursue the new business venture.

For now I am going to sit back and catch up with Todd and Tiff here in Indy and enjoy the fact that I have chosen to lead a life that allows me to see old friends and family.

Ch ch ch changes..

Since I did not manage to get the last entry posted yesterday, it appears at the bottom of this post.

I head out in a few hours for Toronto to see family there. There is no snow falling and it looks like the next two days should be good for traveling. This is doubly good as my wonderful hosts gave me a bit of a send off last night, so I am moving a bit slowly this morning. Still it is a beautiful morning and I can honestly say that I am very reluctant to leave. This is indeed a remarkable and enchanting place in winter as well as spring and summer (and I assume autumn as well, but I've not been here in autumn as of yet).

Now that I am beginning my southward journey I will have much reduced internet availability, but still I will try to get a post in where I can.

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As you can tell, I have made a few changes to the blog. My intention is to have the aesthethic feel of the blog match the nature (pun intended) of the content of the posts. Feel free to let me know what you think about it.

The news this morning is that the snow has stopped, from the looks of it we received a couple of inches (though of course this is metric snow :) ) and the route to Toronto ought to be clear for my trip tomorrow. So barring unforeseen adventures (such as difficulty in crossing back into the gulag, I mean the US) I should be on schedule for the trip southward.

One of the activities here which I have not commented upon much, but which as taken a bit of my time is catching up on the stack of reading which has been getting ever larger. (to be continued at a later date..)

A storm's a'comin'

I have been sadly lax in posting the last few days, which I attribute to some practical hinderances, as well as simply the good times that I have been enjoying with my friends here. The former consist of the redesigning and remodeling of a stair hall and bathroom, as well as the installation of a ceiling fan and some other similar projects. As most folks I stay with on my travels know, I have a difficult time just sitting still doing nothing for more than a day. I get quickly restless and tend to find or request projects to both keep me occupied, but also to provide to me the opportunity to show my appreciation to those who have opened their homes to me.

The good times have been many, and of the sort found only amongst close friends. They have been mostly good evenings in which we share ideas, explore various topics, examine possible designs, and basically enjoy one another's company. Still there have been a few movies involved, including the first and second Shrek movies (yeah I know I am late in seeing them.. so sue me.. as most of you know, I just don't usually make the time for movies), one on the Avro Arrow, and Good Night and Good Luck. It is good to have friends such as these who serve as wonderful filters for movies so that I can be almost certain to enjoy whatever we happen to watch.

I've been using the snowshoes a good deal for not only the sheer enjoyment of walks into the fields and woods, but also for very practical matters such as raking snow from the roof, or getting across to the barn. I have definitely discovered a distinct fondness for showshoeing of the same sort as my love of hiking. Sadly I have not had the opportunity to do any cross country skiing, but now that I know that the winters here are far more pleasant than those in Kansas or other such areas in which I have been, I am planning on return trips during which I will make the opportunity to try out cross country skiing come to pass. I will also be surprised if I do not own my own pair of snowshoes by the time I return.

I should note that we have gotten more than a foot of snow since I arrived, possibly as much as two feet. I have had to dig out the truck a couple of times, in part because I dumped a load of snow off of the roof onto the front corner of the truck, essentially burying the front wheel on up to the top of the hood. Still once out on the roads I have had no problems at all, even without ever getting around to adding weights such as sand bags to the bed of the truck. The roads are kept remarkably clear, except for side roads but even those get plowed so that they are still quite passible.

I have had to think about leaving as I do have the new business waiting for me back home, but the original plan of leaving today had to be canceled due to a winter storm which could include some freezing rain. So the current plan gives me two more days here, then a jaunt down to Toronto to see family before heading south again. That said the trip is not yet over as I get to see my friends in Indy once again, then head to Arkansas to work on my father's farm for a day or so. There is no rest for the wicked or available.. :)

So ends another entry and evening, so I believe I will seek out any remaining 10W-30 (local brew) and return to reading.

The temps have gone above freezing today for the first time since I arrived. Strangely, other than a brief trip outside to get some material from the truck, I remained inside today. Still, that time outside was without the normal gear, and yet I was still not cold, as I would have been in other climates, such as those in which wind plays a significant role.

Today was a day for rest and some changes. Some were obvious, such as the color in the stairhall, others will not be evident for some time, and still others beyond my right to reveal at this time. The day was one of rest for us as well. Though I am still sore from the raking of the roof yesterday (the roof needs raking every so often in winter to reduce the amount of snow load), it is a good kind of sore. I was out for about 3-4 hours getting down whatever snow I could reach with the "rake" from the ground. This amounted to getting about 15 feet up the roof on average. With a roof holding from 2 to 4 feet of snow in places, this made for a great deal of work, though to tell the truth it never really felt like work. This as with much of what I have done here has been surreal as the experiences are so far out of the scope of my previous experiences. Imagine walking in snow shoes on top of 3 feet of snow, then climbing a snow bank you have just created so that you can get even more of the snow off of the roof. The piles were geting almost high enough to step up onto the roof from the "ground."

All the while the temps feel far warmer than the thermometer says. In fact I am now convinced that there is something fundamentally wrong with the wind chill ratings. When the temps are right at freezing you can stand being outside in short sleeves for some time if there is no wind. But if there is a breeze, even a few moments become torturous. However when I have gone out when the temps were about 0 F, colder than the wind chill today, I've been MUCH more confortable than I would be in similar wind chills. Without wind we build up a layer of warm air around us, that allows us to feel far warmer than the temps say, but with wind we not only do not have that buffer, we have any warmth that our body generates stripped from us, so that we feel even colder yet. It seems that we could take any wind chill and reduce the temp by 20 degrees conservatively and only barely begin to approach the real qualitative effects of the wind.

If it seems that I have been lax in describing my hosts or about specifics about where I am, I do apologize, but this lapse is intentional out of a deep respect for my generous hosts who have welcomed me into their home at least once a year for the last several years. They are very generous, kind, and independent folks who flatter me with the continuing invitations and perhaps the only way I can truly thank them is by respecting their privacy. That said, some of the best meals I have every enjoyed have come from this modest kitchen in which I type this entry now. Some of the most moving discussions have occured just up the stairs from where I sit. I count myself privileged to know my hosts and to have been welcomed into their home. Do not misunderstand any ommission on my part as any slight on them or as any lapse of hospitality on their part.

Tomorrow I will venture into town on my own (maybe) to run some errands, and in part to simply enjoy small town life where it seems far closer to 1935 than to 2000, by which I mean it is friendly, service oriented, and welcoming.

Another beautiful sunny day here in the GWN (Great White North). I finally managed to find the time, energy, and opportunity to head out to really get some time in snowshoeing. This time was no longer an experiment, and it was not cut short by concern over my furry companion, (the border collie Bear) though he did accompany me into the fields and woods. I am quite taken with snoeshowing, and have discovered that with the right preparation, which is in fact quite minimal, the concern is less about being cold as it is about overheating. I am certain that remark will spark scoffing and harumping in the naysayers, but take it from someone who loves the heat, you really do get quite warm. This trip out I skipped the thermals, at least on bottom, added sock liners and toe warmers, wore a thermal shirt, a t-shirt, and a pull over fleece, along with my leather coat and beaver hat (the green one for those keeping track), and all I would have wanted was a scarf or some sort of face protection, and maybe the thermal bottoms. I was not unpleasantly cold at any point, though the front that was to come in tonight to drop the temps came in a bit early so I found myself walking back into some wind, but only about what constitutes a calm Kansas day (about 10-15 mph)

The snow really tells tales, and given the frequency of snowfall, or shifting snows, the tales it tells are up to date. What I am referring to is the tracks of the various creatures. I came across the path of a rabbit (I am guessing that in fact it was a snow hare) and I saw many other tracks which were all from the last day at most. I heard a turkey call, and saw signs of larger animals having foraged nearby recently. Bear got the scent of something under the snow and had to be called repeatedly to get him to leave it be.

I can tell that a pair of good properly sized snow shoes is in my future.

Yesterday we headed up to one of the bigger towns to get a few supplies not readily available locally as well as to drop off a stove at the Salvation Army. As luck would have it, as we got out of my truck to find out where to drop off the stove, we were approached by a couple who were looking for a stove. So we quickly negotiated a very generous (to them) deal and them delivered it for them. The appreciation in their words and eyes would probably have been reward enough though it was nice to make a couple of bucks on the stove nonetheless. Immediately thereafter the snowfall increased, and so our errands were a bit more tricky given a two wheel drive pickup and slick conditions, still no problems and no accidents. The drive home took longer than usual, but we arrived safely which was the main concern. Fortunately the snow driving skills picked up during my years in KS quickly came back to me. As a rule from what I can tell, the roads remain better here than in KS or other areas I have lived where snow or ice occurs. The roads were merely wet, and in the worst places had a bit of slush. I had expected snow pack and extremely slow driving but clearly they know how to deal with this.

I did a bit of work around the house here as a means of earning my keep, or at least showing my appreciation to my generous hosts. We are sprucing up the stairhall, which will be finished by tomorrow.

Ah, and last evening we watched an episode of Little Mosque on the Prairie. This is a must see, especially given the jingoism and bigotry which are sadly the norm in the US. It is a Canadian production, but few of the references will be lost on the US audience. It is not preachy or PC (by any stretch!) but it is an amusing sit com which gets around a good deal of the nonsense surrounding the current efforts and religions tensions. The next episode will feature Colin Mockery for those who are familiar with him from Whose Line is it Anyway.

The remainder of my time has been taken up with reading. I will go into that a bit at a later date.

For now, I hope everyone is well, warm, and happy. I know that I am all three as well as quite content.

I've been asked already if I have gone back out on the snowshoes.. the answwer is yes I have. In fact I discovered that I was able to stay higher in the snow the second time, despite the shoes being too small for someone of my size. Again my walk was cut short over concern about animals, but come tomorrow, or the next day I intend to make it out to the woods where I usually walk in the summer and spring when I visit.

I've gained some appreciation for the task of shoveling snow, which is a frequent task here, and since thus far the snow has been quite light and fluffy, it has not been overly trying. Still, one can work up quite a sweat moving significant amounts of snow from the drive, or a veranda, or some other place where it is unwanted. In fact I even used the snow shovel to remove about a foot of snow off of the truck before I started it today to see if it would run.. (yes it did without a problem)

Today was mostly a relaxing day, with little other than some snow removal and bringing in a rick of wood to occupy my time.

Since I am traveling abroad currently this story seems exceptionally apropos.

An Iron Curtain is Descending: And Most Americans Don't Know
http://www.counterpunch.org/pariah01302007.html 

While the iron curtain has collasped and Europe is enjoying the economic, security, and of course LIBERTY benefits of opening borders, the US is doing everything it can to make the USSR look like a bunch of pikers..

Just a few years back we did not have to have travel papers, now we must. We must be able to show our government assigned numbers, and prove that those numbers belong to us. We must be willing to kow tow to any thug with a badge, or at least three initials at the end of his job title. Leaving the US now more resembles the early stages of trying to get across the Berlin wall than it does anything ever imagined by those men 200 years ago who believed that an experiement in freedom, in personal responsibility and a government which was rigidly controlled and restrained, was worth pursuing.

Enjoy any travel you can do now, as it WILL NOT last. The feds cannot stand liberty in any form and will continue to tighten their choke holds on our lives and liberty.

A brisk two mile walk along the back roads with my hosts border collie was the adventure for today.  Temps are still low, and there are snow squalls in the forecast, so though there was little wind, what slight wind there was in places turned your head around (to borrow from J Taylor).

One of the things I never seem to hear from those traveling in the north concerns the difference in texture of the snow. Sure some refer to it as I have myself already in terms like "fluffy" or "powdery" but there is a texture difference underfoot as well that seems to be easily overlooked or perhaps left off because it does defy description to some extent. I found walking along the roads unlike any walk in or on snow I have experienced in the past. The snow had real grip, a cruchy yet soft foot feel to it, vaguely reminicient of coarse beach sand or extremely fine crushed glass powder.

To my own surprise, and I am sure to the surprise of all of my naysayers, even after two miles of walking out in the snow and cold, I was still good for a while yet. My furry companion however was reduced to biting at the ice embedded in his paws, so we returned home so he could thaw out his paws.

Having been one myself, I understand those who say that all snow is bad snow, or that if you have experienced it once you've seen it all, but I must admit that I, and those who express such a view, are/were simply mistaken. There is something qualitatively different between the snows of under a foot found in Kansas or Texas, and the look and feel of several feet of snow. Far more than the simple difference in depth, difference forces work on the snow, or perhaps better said the effect of forces such as gravity, friction, wind, and the like become very evident with the greater snowfall. Sure edges become rounded, and some recesses filled in, but then too the wind changes the roll of the landscape turning a flat field into hilly moor, a gentle slope into a sudden drop, and a rough swamp into a smooth meadow punctuated by the faint impressions of the water moving beneath.

The water still moving has been another surprise of sorts given the temperatures. I would have thought that the smallest of the streams, what I would certainly call mere brooks, would have succumb to the frigid temps, but to my surprise as far as I can tell they are still running, though often they are running under a thick blanket of snow only revealed by the occassional cattail or the unmistakeable gurgling of water moving downstream.

Well the aforementioned artic front has come in, with the temps hanging about -17C (around 0F) according to the themometer right outside the window. I must admit that I am not terribly inclined to venture outside, but that said I do need to move the truck forward to get it out of the way of the snowplow. The principle game plan is to spend the day inside enjoying the warmth of the wood stove. I talked to some friends about this method of heating for a reasonably large home (couple of thousand square feet at least) and there was a great deal of skepticism as to whether a small air tight wood stove could actually keep such a house warm. Even I was a bit doubtful, but rest assured this house is not merely not cold, it is actually warmer than most if not all homes I have experienced in Texas or Kansas during the winter. There is a real coziness or comfortableness to the warmth that this stove puts out, quite different from forced air systems or other methods of heat.

So the day will be spent reading, perhaps doing a bit of writing, surfing the net (thank goodness and Brad for wireless!) and generally relaxing. I am reminded of how things (used to) slow down in the south when the temps rise. The same thing happens here when the temps plummet or snow closes the roads (which I take does not happen to often). Everyone just kicks back with a warm beverage, hopefully good friends, a good book and appreciates the time not spent running around in the rat race maze.

Finally some new posts!

I have arrived in the great white north, to a welcome of a few feet of snow, along with a forecast of temperatures to be around -18C (0 F) come tomorrow. The trip up was largely uneventful, at least the last leg of it, not counting the effort to park the truck once I arrived. Unfortunately pick-ups are not made for good handling or good traction in snow and ice.

The first leg of the trip on the other hand was quite eventful. Driving through Oklahoma around OKC with freezing mist and frozen roads made for a long stessful drive. I was one of the more cautious driving at 20mph at most for the better part of four hours. Most of the rest, especially the foolhardy four-wheel drive owners I passed at some point with them either stuck in a ditch or part of multi-car accidents.

A full week in Wichita resulted in a few all too brief visits with dear friends, and a new relatively high end bathroom for my mother. What was a make do basement bath, is now an elegant bath with rich deep green walls (409-7) with a new pedestal sink, new faucet, new mirror and light, as well as the addition of crown molding with several corner/cornice pieces. The final new addition is that of a new floor, which is a leather treatment floor protected by polyurethane. The end result is a surprising gem of a bathroom where it is quite unexpected: the basement.

Weather left me in Indy for a couple of extra days, but that simply allowed for more time with good friends there.

Today being the first full day here, I took the opportunity to shovel snow away from the truck to make it easier to unload, as well as move to allow the snowplow to get to where it needs to get. Fortunately unlike the snow I am familiar with from Kansas and other locales, this was very light very fluffy snow which made for quick and easy shoveling. That said, I did discover a layer of snow which held together much like the blocks of snow that they use for igloos. Yes I was tempted to build one, or at least see what I could do, but other than the drive there is no clear spot, and even with the snow being light, it is still a few feet deep so more effort would be necessary to clear a spot than I would care to do for a silly experiment that only a damn southerner would do..

Not wanting to be out in the extreme cold tomorrow, I also decided to try moving through the deep snow to see just what it would take. That experiement was very short lived. About ten steps into it and I understood completely that short of life and death, there was little if anything that would encourage me to try to get anywhere that way. So I took advantage of the generous offer of my hosts and tried a pair of snowshoes. Now these are not the fancy new fangled ones with the bells and whistles and a 20 hour Tivo built in, nope, these are the snow shoes you see in the movies: oval shaped bound leather and wood.

Well they do wonders I will say that. These are probably to small for someone of my size, but still they were a vast improvement over trying to walk without them. I headed out into the virgin snow where I could see snow banks at least 4-5 feet deep (my best guess, but I would not be surprised to find that they are deeper). After walking about the area, not even venturing into the woods where I would normally have gone, I decided that the smart move was to head back while I still had enough energy. I know it does not sound like much work, but even now as I type this I am quite weary and can tell that tomorrow I will feel the effects of the exertion. Still, a good experience and I look forward to a bit more of it after this artic front passes.

So for now, and likely the next few days I will be staying inside enjoying the remarkable warmth coming from the small air-tight stove which more than adequately heats the entire house. More on that later.

More of the prairie 

Cool Prickly pear 

Prairie 

More of Bull Creek 

Bull Creek 

Back in the bottomland 

Same path, looking back up about half way down.. 

One of the steeper parts of the path. 

Just a cool little cedar struggling to grow in the middle of the path. 

On top of the ridge.. beautiful sunny day 

Through the woods 

A wash that really gets the heart beat going once you climb the other side 

A bit of prairie in the midst of the cedar 

The photo really does not show it, but the ridge line path runs on the very edge of the ridge, dropping off quite steeply.. this was one of the challenging spots as far as trying not to go over the edge 

Just a cool tree 

More of the hills.. Even in winter we have a lot of color. 

Off the edge of the ridge line path.. 

Looking out at the Texas Hill Country 

On the Ridge Line Path looking down at Bull Creek 

Ridge line path.. 

Bull Creek 

Pool created by dam 

St Edwards park dam late February 2006 

In Kansas now. Working on getting my grandparent's house painted as well as a few other projects for friends and family.

Upon returning to Kansas, especially knowing that I will be here for a few weeks, I discovered that there seems to be a pull to extremes here. The music sucks here as a rule, so I find myself and others I know here drawn to hard hitting music to which none of us would listen if elsewhere. The lure of alcohol is greater. The desire to do anything at all to break up the monotony, the mundaneness (no I do not believe that this is a word either), the overwhelming mediocrity of it all here. It is as if the people, the "culture" for lack of a better word simply mimicks the landscape. Flat, brown, and without inspiration.

That said, I have been fortunate enough to spend time with some good people while here. Friends who had moved away, others who I had not seen in several years but were back here at the same time, my grandparents.. While the area and some of the attitudes are more than a little stifling, it is not all bad.

That said, one last complaint: the internet connection here is worse than the one in China... so I am logging off now.

All the best.

Brian

Sorry about the delay in posting. Jet lag was terrible and getting back into the swing of things was a real challenge. I have updated the photo galleries and there will be two more coming soon. Be sure to look at the second page of galleries.

I am heading out to Kansas for a few weeks, so posting will be hit or miss given the slow internet connection. However I hope to keep up posts while there and even when I return to Texas.

Work progresses, life continues, as does the second wettest June on record here. No luck planting, no luck getting things to dry out for work.

All the best to all,

Brian

I may have mostly recovered from the jet lag now, though I am not certain of this.. No matter because work begins again tomorrow. No rest for the wicked...

I have many photos to add to the galleries, but to tell the truth I have spent my time trying to get reacclimated to the time, culture, etc. including the idea that I can sit at the computer for more than a few minutes at a time. I have not even turned on the laptop, where the photos are stored, since I have come home.

Be patient and you will be rewarded, I promise to get the photos online in the near future.

Speaking of photos, I hope to continue to take photos, though now of course they will be around Austin to share with all, including my new friends from China. In the meantime...

All the best.

Brian

I am safely back in Texas now, recovering from the jet lag which hit me much harder coming this direction than it did going over to China. In the next week or so I hope to get up the rest of the photos, with captions, and possibly tell more of what we did the last couple of weeks I spent in China.

For now I just count myself lucky if I can sleep during the night (I couldn't for a couple of days) and I am awake during the day. It is good to have simple goals sometimes.

I return to work on Monday, by which time I certainly hope to be re-acclimated to Austin time, as well as the culture. One of the big changes will be getting used to western style food again. Upon returning, western style food sits very heavy with me, and I actually prefer not to eat many western foods. Unfortunately there is little alternative to eating western foods so I am trying to make do as well as recreate some of the things that I was eating in China. While it was my experience that that Chinese eat far more food than I was used to eating, they eat far lighter fare than we tend to eat in the western world.

For those interested, yes I lost a bit of weight while in China, and I am hoping to continue the trend now that I have returned.

On that note, I am going to go walking right now, and even walk to the store to pick up something light for breakfast.

All the best to all.

Brian

Sorry about the delay in posting, but apparently I got crossways with the Chinese government.. :) What really happened is that the block on the blog was expanded beyond just the page on which the blog appears to include the page I had been using to post the blog. So, while I tried to post these last 10 days, I was prevented from doing so.

I am currently in the Tokyo Airport (Narita, Japan) paying exorbident rates for connectivity, but I had to have my fix..

The last several days were spent in Beijing doing the tourist thing at the typical places: Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Ming Tombs, Marco Polo Bridge (okay so we were the only westerners at that one), and probably places I am not recalling right now.. Beijing was a good last stop before returning because though I did now want to leave China while I was still in Tianjin, a few days in Beijing and I was ready to leave. Too many people, too much like a western city..

There is a great deal left to tell, but I just do not have the energy right now. I honestly do not see how so many people make these trans-oceanic flights on a regular basis.

It is 2:35pm local time, and I will be arriving in Austin just before 7pm local time.. I only wish those local times were the same locality.. unfortunately I have many many hours to go to get from here to then.. in fact I leave Dallas earlier in the day (16th) than I leave Narita... this crossing the date line makes for interesting and long days.

More to come when I get settled at home again..

All the best to y'all

Brian

I have been here since late April and it was not until this last Saturday that I went to the Great Wall. As you may or may not know, parts of the wall have been reconstructed, or extensively repaired and to various degrees this is evident. Where we visited, about 90km from Beijing, was largely if not completely left alone. The pictures I will be posting, as with so many I have posted already, do not do justice to the wall, or to the mountains on top of which it rests.

The wall at Simatai, where we visited, was attacked by the Japanese during the Japanese Invasion (War of Japanese aggression, WWII) and the evidence is readily apparent. Parts of the sentry towers are missing, there are blackened areas, and what appear to be bullet holes in the bricks.

To get to the top we had to first take a cable car, each one held two people by one thin arm and a dubious connection to the cable. These cars did not stop or even slow down while you were getting on or off, you just had to be quick. The ride up was peaceful and very quiet, though you had to keep your mind off of the likely age of the cars and the construction methods. Following the cable car, there was a mini train which climbed straight up the mountain for some distance. Same concerns about mechanical quality, but we did survive. Finally we had to climb the mountain on a path which was far from ideal in order to reach the stairs which would lead us up the wall. Remember, while I am out of shape and overweight, my father is on crutches, so making it up the wall was no small undertaking.

Once there the views were incredible. Nothing blocked your view to either side, as the wall was built on the highest point where ever it wandered. The wall itself is of course a marvel. Two things surprised me about the wall where we visited it: Frist was the width of the wall, as I expected it to be wider. Two horses could ride abreast on the wall (if you could get them up there and teach them to climb stairs that most of us have to use our hands as well as feet to climb) and yet in photos and descriptions of other parts of the wall I am given to believe that it is wider. The second surprising aspect is the absence of kneewalls or other measures to prevent falling from the wall. I would have expected some sort of raised section on the sides so that defenders could hide behind them, or at least so that defenders did not accidentally plummet to their doom..

There is supposed to be a tobaggon ride down this section of the wall, but I did not see it. I was planning on giving it a shot if we had seen it, but no such luck. This is probably for the best, as I fear that such antics would take away from the nature of the experience of the wall.

After making our way back down the wall and then the mountain, we drove back to Tainjin, a four to five hour drive, stopping for a wonderful lunch along the way. I have said a little about the food here, and while it is often very different from what we expect and certainly is very different from what we are used to in the west, I have no complaints, and I cannot claim to have had a bad meal here yet.

Back in Tianjin we rushed to Ms Zhou's home to have dinner with her and her family. She is married to a Japanese businessman, Summer's boss, who is also eager to get something going in the US. They are wonderful and welcoming people who turned what could have been a long evening given how tired we all were from the trip, into a lively evening full of humor and comraderie.

That was on Saturday. Sunday we again got an early start and began at Textile City shopping for more fabric to make into clothes. I ordered 5 more shirts made of various material, including silk in the case of two of them. While I will not claim an outright bargain as to the cost of the shirts if the cost is compared to off the rack prices in the states, I did get incredible bargains when one considers the quantity and quality of material combined with custom tailoring. The shirts ranged from about US$25 to US$35, but for me the cost is well worth it, as I finally have shirts which actually fit me. Most people do not understand the hardships of not being within the range of sizes available off the rack...

After ordering clothes, we sought out a bookstore I had been to, looked again at some furniture, finally ending up in GouLou to check out one more furniture shop. Another good day with some of the practical things taken care of.

This week will we are planning a good day at GouLou so that I can look to getting some art pieces, and perhaps another chop or two. I will also be preparing some materials to give to Ms Zhou and to BHA concerning Business Ethics. With some luck I will also get more photos posted and descriptions given, though as I have said before, it is likely that I will not get all of the photos up, and descriptions given until I return home. bear with me, I took a great many photos while at Taishan and I truly want to give each its due as this was a very powerful experience for me.

I have shots of the wall as well, and next weekend we are going into Beijing to do the toursity things I have not yet done: Forbidden City, Summer Palace, etc. I leave in 9 days, so the adventure is coming to a close, at least for now. Many of you know that I took as much time as I dared so as to ensure that I would not have any regrets or feel as though I did not get to see all that I wanted. I said to many that I wanted to stay in country long enough to want to be home. Well, while I will have no regrets, I would return to China if the opportunity once again arose. As for staying long enough to want to be home, I am not certain that I achieved this goal. While there are definitely hardships here, and while I do miss some of the conveniences of home, as well as friends etc. I do not find myself longing for my own room, my own bed, my own space, as so often I do whenever I travel.

Enough for now.. I have things to create, presentations to change into other formats, and other work to do.. I still have articles to write that I have barely begun!

As always, all my best to everyone

Brian

I survived the presentations at BHA. Wonderful opportunities, and I believe that the information was somewhat understood and appreciated.

Short blog today as I am heading out to the Great Wall and other sites. Yes I have been here for 6-7 weeks and have not been to the Great Wall, Forbidden City etc. Now is the time to start doing some of these things. The part we are going to is in the north east corner of the Beijing district (think LARGE county) about 90 km from Beijing. We are also planning on hitting the Ming Tombs and the Marco Polo bridge...

All the best.

Brian

Not much to add at the moment as I am pressed for time. However I wanted to mention that I am adding photos from the recent trip to Shangdong province as quickly as I can, but as I took nearly 200 photos, and I am adding in some that my father took, this is quite a chore.

Also I am preparing lectures and power point type presentations for Tianjin Normal University, as well as BHA (two seminars) that have to be done asap.

Bear with me on the photos, I am doing what I can. I will add descriptions when I can as well, but it may be that I do not get all of the descriptions done until I return to the states. It takes longer than you might expect to post the photos then add descriptions of each, especially with the stone age internet connection.

I am off.. going to get another acupuncture treatment.

All the best,

Brian

Back from Mt. Taishan, Tai'an, and Qufu

I made it back safely though it was really an adventure. We left Friday night on the train in what they call "soft" seats, this is quite an exaggeration. The train takes over 6 hours to get to Tai'an, at the base of Mt Taishan, so we got into the hotel just before 5 in the morning. Since it was already beginning to get light out we opted for an early start to the day. A quick breakfast of steamed bread stuffed with a spiced pork filling, accompanied by a grain soup, we began our ascent of the mountain.

There is the option at the Midway to Heaven gate to take a cable car to the top of the mountain (or close to the top anyway) but I was determined to climb the 7000+ stairs. I have known of Mt Taishan for the better part of two decades, and for me this was the primary destination for the trip to China. To do anything other than climb the stairs would for me, have taken away the authenticity of the visit; I would have missed the very point of being there had I simply taken a cable car to the top. So I started up the stairs.

Along the path there are hundreds of inscriptions, carvings, and hisotrical sites, unfortunately the ancient Chinese were not so considerate as to write in English, so most of these were lost on me. However there are a number which are of note, and which are explained in books and on the net, if not on the mountain. The one that comes immediately to mind is The Five Pines. These pines once protected the emporer during a thunderstorm which came in while the emporer was ascending the mountain. In thanks for their protection, he granted to the pines the status of Fifth level Ministers. There are also the welcoming pines that appear to be reaching out to shake hands. There are caves, sacred temples, historic locations, and vistas that no camera can truly capture.

There are merchants along the stairs selling almost everything imaginable. Fortunately one of the things that they sell is water. I cannot say how many bottles of water I went through, but but I can say that being overweight and out of shape is not the way to ascend Taishan. The merchants sell prayer flags/ribbons, incense, and other religious paraphenalia, along side the souveniers that you might well expect to see. At one point an older man in what we in the west see as the traditional Chinese garb comes over and shakes hands, then hugs us. He spoke no English, and I speak no Chinese (okay a few words but not enough to converse) but the welcome was obvious and sincere. He and another man were telling fortunes, and selling religous items just in front of a cave which was clearly also a temple. We had him tell our fortunes, in a way to thank him for his welcome. Quite detailed, interesting, and novel to say the least.

At another point, much farther up the stairs, I was greeted by a fellow with a monkey. He was offering the opportunity to have photos taken holding the monkey. The dangers briefly crossed my mind as I welcomed this opportunity that I would not find again, certainly not in the west. So he showed me how to stand, how to hold the monkey and I have it recorded digitally for proof. A side note I have to make here: Jeremy, the monkey experience was at least in part for you.

The stairs are neverending and it is not possible to get more than a small number of the stairs in any one photograph. I have taken many pictures, which will be posted once sorted, but none of them give more than the slightest glimpse into this unique stairway. I will say more on this journey later, when I can put words together in a more appropriate way to convey exactly what this experience has been for me, but for now allow me to reveal the end: I made it to the top. I was tired, sore, thirsty, out of breath, soaked in sweat, but most of all I was elated, moved, and completely lost in the moment. This was something I never expected to do, and certainly am not in the physical shape to do, but when the opportunity arose, I found it in myself to climb Taishan and the 7000 stairs. I cannot truly express what this accomplishment means to me, but there is something that tops even this. My father, my 60 year old father, who fully intended to ride the cable car up after going only as far as the Five Pines, decided to continue with me up the mountain. He made it to the top as well, and he did it on crutches.

Along the way, we received stares as we always do, but he received more than normal given the crutches. Many people let us know, usually through hand gestures, that they were encouraging him to make the climb, and reaching the South Gate of Heaven, the entrance to the top of the mountain, we (I was a few steps behind him) were greeted with resounding applause, welcoming hands, and cheers. I cannot express the emotion tha this brought to me, for my father as well as for the Chinese people who were so encouraging, positive, and enthusiastic.

There is far more to tell of that day, for when we reached the South Gate of Heaven it was only 11 am, this tells just how early we began our day. For now I need to leave off so that I can begin to organize photos, and prepare presentations for this week.

From Tainjin all my best,

Brian

Yesterday was a full day, as expected. The morning came far too early with the latest presentation at Tianjin Normal University. That said, the presentation and discussion went well. The students asked excellent questions, and I am certain that my answers were not always what they expected. As with each presentation prior to this one, I was asked about Bush, and to no one's surprise to those who know me, I condemned his murderous ways and lack of understanding of the law, the US Constitution, justice, legitimacy, and honesty. Given the actions that Bush and his cronies have taken against the people of the world, including the Chinese people, these statements went over well here.

The questions were not limited to politics, to tell the truth these were always in the minority. Other questions concerned philosophy, business, general attitudes (in the US), and any number of other topics.

I have been asked back once again to do a presentation on Business Ethics for another class, an offer I readily accepted. These talks have been a wonderful, though completely unexpected, addition to the trip to China.

After this talk, I met Summer in the technology district so that I could buy another card for my camera. I decided though this is a short trip to Mt Taishan and Qufu, I want to make damn sure that I have enough room on the camera. Also I want to increase the quality setting to the highest available for the shots of Taishan. For those who do not already know, this was the one thing that I put forth as a place to see while in China. Taishan is the holiest of the five holy mountains in China, and as I have been reading of it for close to two decades, I could not pass up the opportunity to see it while here. Qufu is the home of Confucius (Kong Fu Tze), so as a philosopher, this too holds some special meaning to me.

The afternoon was taken by Dad's talk on Quality and Customer Service, again at Tianjin Normal University, which was met with eager students who asked very good questions. The presentation went quite well and he has been asked to do another one next semester.

Today will be spent in preparation for the trip to Mt Taishan; we leave by train at 10:00pm tonight, arriving in Tai'an just after 4am. One day on the mountain, and another in Qufu, returning on Sunday afternoon.

Because of the trip I will be out of touch for a couple of days, so until I return I wish y'all all the best.

Brian

On Monday I had the pleasure of judging a contest for spoken English. I was invited to be a consultant, to offer advice as to how to speak English better, but when I arrived they asked me to judge the competition. With the exception of maybe two or three, the students spoke well and were easy to understand. As with any foreign language, vocabulary was the real challenge.

The contest consisted of two parts, the first being a reading exercise where the students were given a few paragraphs of an article and they were to read as much as possible within two minutes. In the second half of the contest the student was given a question on which they could speak for up to five minutes. All in all it was very interesting.

Following this Ms Zhou (Ms Jo) and I went to a foreign language book store to get a Spanish textbook (in Chinese) so she could begin to learn spanish. While there we found several books in English (as well as Mandarin) so I picked up a few of special interest to me, and perhaps other philosophers (Mencius, some Kong Fu Tze, and a book entitled "tending the roots of wisdom" which is largely unknown but is wonderful.)

Another wonderful meal ended the day (two kinds of shrimp, some beef dish, a fried eggplant that was actually delicious (not like eggplant at all), corn soup, and as always a host of other dishes).

Yesterday was spent relaxing and reading, as well as doing a bit of preparation of material for my lecture tomorrow morning at the university, as well as the talk I will be giving at BHA at a later date.

A final note before I go, here is a link I believe is of worth a moment of your time, especially in this all too political season:

http://nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/20930.htm

Also check out the book Dissenting Electorate: Those Who Refuse To Vote and the Legitimacy of Their Opposition for more on this subject.

Brian

Finally went to Gou Lou (Culture street/drum towers) though we did not fully explore it today, I will be returning on my own to walk the streets and look more closely into the markets, shops, galleries, etc. There is some quite unique art items there, as well as practical items that are also art pieces. I had a chop made (a chop is the chinese way of marking a document as official, rather than using signatures) out of stone, and will likely have more made using other names/words.

I have a few photos which I will post asap, probably monday local time.

I also picked up the two shirts I had made. While they did not exactly match my instructions, they are very nice, fit wonderfully, and look a good deal better than either I or Dad expected. These two are made from a blend of linen and silk that feels very nice to the touch. Perhaps tomorrow I will commission more shirts, of a different style and fabric, and some slacks. This assumes that we can find the fabric I want.

Finally we looked for turtles for Summer, but did not find any she liked. One comment about the pet market we were at. First it is not one store, but as with all things in China, it is a collection of small shops. Because of this nature different items will be sold at different shops though there is a tendency to bring together like items in a given part of the city. So walking through the pet market I noted the sale of silverware at one shop.. make your own conclusions..

Also the pet market opens out onto a food court (for lack of a better term).. again draw your own conclusions..

Speaking of food, I realized that I had not yet commented on something that might well be on the minds of some. I have been using chopsticks at every meal, with very little difficulty. I use them when in the states for certain meals so I have had some practice, apparently enough that a few individuals here have commented on my abilities with them. Yeah I am proud and rightly so, given that the meals are such that one must work more to get food here than in the states. All the plates are brought out, and usually placed on a lazy susan so that everyone can just spin it and get what they want. You do not take a dish of something, you just grab a bite or two with the chopsticks.. sometimes this means skinning and deboning a fish with them, other times it means cutting (tearing apart) meat with them.. everything except soup is done with chopsticks.

And still speaking of food, today we ate at a restaurant owned by a friend of Summer (she has lots of friends..). The style is Hunan (I think) The meal we had was composed of a noodle dish, and what they call a hot pot. The hot pot starts with a broth (chicken and mushrooms for us) to which other things are added as the meal goes along. This is an interesting change from our normal meals, and the flavors are wonderful (which itself is not a change). Also we had as an appetizer of sorts, some dried beef (think beef jerky, but high class and flavor) and soybeans (no one calls it etimome here or in Japan, so I am told by the Chinese and Japanese here)

That is all for now.. tomorrow we are going to go to Textile City and look for fabrics, then return here so that I can give spanish language lessons and prepare for my presentations.

Oh but before I close this, I believe that I have not commented upon this yet, but I fixed a meal for us (Summer, Dad, and myself) on Friday, because Summer insisted that I cook for her (again). I have not fixed Texas Hash in several states, and three separate nations. For some reason it gives me joy to spread this dish, perhaps because it is a family dish that is found in no cook books, but is a fine example of a satisfying dish, as well as "peasant food." I even showed Ms. Jong (the housekeeper) how to fix it as well, so it is my hope that others in China may come to experience it.

And on that enjoyable note, I will leave off this post.

All the best to all.

Brian

Today was an interesting day. Upon waking up, much earlier than I wanted to, I got myself and the computer ready for the talk I was to give at the university today. I walked to the university, a few miles away but it was a nice day for walking, though certainly taxis were readily available. I gave a talk about critical thinking, with the briefest of introductions to logic, and then opened up the time for discussion of absolutely anything that interested the students. The questions ranged from my ideas on self expression (from a wonderfully creative young lady), to the problems of getting visas to visit the US (Thanks Bubba Bush!) to pop culture and the situation with Taiwan.

This lecture was in part to give the students an opportunity to hear english from a native speaker (I did not bother to tell them that there is a difference between English and Texan, though I have dialed down the accent as much as possible), so this was a more informal presentation than what I expect I will be doing in the future. Tuesday however will be another mostly informal session, though I am going to focus more on critical thought and sound reasoning as the more I have learned of the educational system here, this is lacking in the system here at least as much as it is lacking in the US system. Nonetheless it is interesting to me to get the questions, and to see what is on the minds of these students.

With that in mind, I agreed to meet with the English club (here that does not have the negative implications (nerd, etc) that it has int he states.. :) ) to help them prepare for an upcoming contest in speaking English. I am hoping that this will be a great deal of fun. I suspect that some of the questions will be different given that it will not be a classroom environment (at least I expect that it will not be) and there will be no professors around.

One more comment on the presentation, I was greeted by the entire staff of the department and given an incredible gift of some painted jars. These are small jars, originally snuff jars, which have become true art pieces. The interesting thing is that the painting, which is quite detailed and exquisite is on the inside of the jars, not the outside. I cannot even begin to imagine the patience and ability it takes to make such pieces. The work was done by the most famous artist of this sort in Tianjin, and I am truly honored to have some of his work. If I can get some photos that look right I will post them.

On giving talks and presentations, I have gotten a bit more good news on this front. I have been asked to give a formal presentation to BHA the international aerospace partnership here in China. Though there is some pressure, especially given some recent problems which motivated the request, I look forward to the opportunity to speak on business ethics, and how this is important as well as applicable to the work here.

Time will tell where all of this will go, but right now it makes for more intersting and enlightening experience in China.

All the best to those back home, be that the Great White North, or parts farther south.

Brian

Still updating photos so check the galleries that you may have already seen!

Last night we had dinner with some academics who have asked Dad and I to give presentations at Tianjin Normal University. It is possible that this could turn into many presentations, which could be interetsting. So far they have left open my topics, though I am planning on focusing on business ethics at some point, what may surprise many in the states is that they encouraged me to speak on supposedly forbidden topics such as government, freedom, democracy, even the problems of the cultural revolution. I found this interesting not because of the rhetoric we hear about China, but because it can be difficult to speak on those topics in the US, unless one is toeing the party line.

The first talk, which will be Thursday morning, I am probably going to avoid those topics in favor of some basic differences between China and the US as well as some talk of critical thought and the importance of critical thought in education and employment.

For those who have been following my accounts of the food, first I apologize for the incomplete nature of those accounts. There is simply too much food to recall what we had at any given time. For instance, last night there were four of us dining together, but there were 12 different dishes of food.

The housekeeper fixes a meal for one, and Dad and I share it, when we eat dinner at all, and are satisfied. I have said it before, but it deserves repeating: these folks eat more than any 2 people I have known.

Time to return to uploading photos. I will try to get some of the university on Thursday..

All the best,

Brian

Photos: Ran into a couple of snags when uploading the latest batch of photos. The first problem has been weather which interferes with the speed and connection to the net. The second is a greater problem, I believe, and that is that the new photo files are larger in size and so they take far longer to upload. I am working to resize the photos and hopefully cut down on the file size so that I can post a great many more photos here, but if not then I will have to wait until I return to the states and the borg that is our home before I can post all of the rest of the photos.

That said, I will still be posting new photos of the same file size as the first few batches whenever I can. The difference is the use of different digital cameras, so all of the photos from my own camera I will be posting, but those from my father's may not get posted until I return. Clear as mud?

I have also chenged some of the layout of the gallery, and have been adding photos to the Danxia-Yellow river gallery, so check these out. The layout change was in part due to the possibility of creating a special gallery for my father to post his photos of China from before and after my visit.

About future events: we are in the planning stages of the trip to Mt Taishan as well as a trip to one of the summer palaces in Chengde. The former is the holiest of the five holy mountains in Taoism, as well as Buddhism. Both will be reached by train, with the trip to Chengde going along the Great Wall for some portion of the trip. More information on these as they develop.

All the best to everyone.

Update: I think that I have found a way to more quickly load photos, so with luck a great many more will appear over the next couple of days.

Also, I have opened up the comment option, so I welcome any comments, questions, or observations from anyone. If I do not respond to a some question or comment, feel free to email me to make sure that I can see it, since for some strange reason some of the Blogger pages are blocked (by the government)

NEW PHOTOS! Well new photos are coming soon. I intend tomorrow to post more photos in the galleries already there from the Qinghai trip. That said, my own intentions are easily and often overruled by dictate or circumstance while I am here.

I apologize in the gaps between blogs, but everyday life has been quite uneventful. I have spent some time reading some texts I have had for some time, were it not for the distractions at home, ine I cluding working. Here I am in "communist" (they are more capitalists than the US is!) China, enjoying every word I am reading from Lysander Spooner, thanks for that recommendation Mac!

But some interesting things have happened. Last night I enjoyed the best sashimi I have eaten. The tuna, salmon, and well, I do not know the other fish, simply melted the moment you put it into your mouth. The octopus was delicious and not the least bit rubbery or chewy. The clam too was like butter. Some of the rest I did not recognize, but it was all worth the "expensive" price tag, which was maybe a fifth of what we pay in Austin for sashimi that is good, but not quite on par with this. Sorry folks.. :)

Where we were eating is a Japanese restaurant here, with full regalia, customs, and atmosphere. And the sashimi was but one of many, perhaps too many dishes that we enjoyed. If I have not mentioned it before, the Chinese eat far more than I at least am accustomed to eating. So back to dinner.. we also enjoyed sushi, tandori, squid (served cut but with everything in place as if it just swam onto your plate) and as I said a host of other dishes. It is difficult to keep up with everything one manages to try here when you have a native ordering for you. Also, it is not uncommon to simply not recognize the dishes they serve to you. So you just eat them, enjoy them, and try to survive the pressure to always eat more.

This morning began with an early trip to the traditional medicine hospital for accupuncture. While this was ostensibly for my father's hip (accident involving a cattle pen, boots, and haste..) as this is his regular visit, I too went under the needles. And many of you, if not all know that despite my size I am not the best person in the world with needles... however I considered it almost a necessity to try while here, and besides my feet have been bothering me for months, and though I am not inclined to believe it, they claim (and I know some people who have gotten results) that accuncture can help you lose weight. So.. I did it. Naturally I did not watch them going in, and while I have had worse pain, neither is it true that it is entirely painless. The feeling is probably more peculiar than painful however. So I got a half dozen needles in each foot (the tops even though the bottom is what was hurting.. go figure) and oh fifteen or so in my stomach.

The doc makes sure that the needle has reached what he wants by moving it about some after it is in. This is again peculiar and somewhat disconcerning, but any pain is minimal. However one thing I have not mentioned yet is that this is a teaching hospital, so there are a half dozen students or so watching and helping Doctor Wang (pronounced "wong"). So after the doc is satisfied, he has each of the students tap then move each needle so that they can get a feel for it as well. This fun just goes on and on.. :) Dr Wang also checked my heart and had them do this as well. The place is probably not like what you have in mind, it is in many ways much like a western hospital in that it is very professional. However it differs in many ways as well. The doctors treat you with respect, listen to you (even when you do not speak the language) spend time with you, and they do not take every dime you have for providing that service.

The treatment lasts about an hour before they remove the needles. I figured I could handle watching them remove some of the needles, but then regretted it (yeah so I do not like needles.. ) when I saw just how far in these needles had been. Believe me, they do not just sit on the surface. The television shows and movies just have it wrong! These suckers are in several inches. Oh and if they hit a nerve it is amazing how much reaction one of those little needles can cause. The doc nearly got kicked putting on in my ankle when he hit some spot that causes a reflexive action.

After they pulled the needles, I was a bit slow to get up again (you are laying down for the treatment) but this was normal from what I observed of other patients. Once up again, Summer (who was there to translate for us.. she has been very kind and helpful) took me into the lobby to show me the Guiness Record accupuncture needle, which comes in just a hair (literally) under 2 meters long.

Returning to the treatment room I watched as they applied "cups" (glass globe like jars" to my father to help bring blood to the injured area. What they do is put a torch into the "cup" to heat it a little, then quickly place the cup onto the skin. As the globe cools it holds itself to the body through suction which also accounts for the drawing of blood into the region. Do not worry, they are not hot enough to burn the skin.

Once we left there, we did a little scouting for furniture for Dad's home to be built in the states, (Bryan, your couch would run maybe $1000 here.. maybe) and then off to lunch: fish (fried by not like we are used to.. very crispy skin, moist meat, and done whole.. the heads are considered the best part) some sort of young bean plants (older than sprouts, but still young) shrimp (fried maybe with rice flour and wonderful spices) a seafood and beef dish served with what we might call baby bok choy or some relative of that plant, 7 mushroom soup, and as always even more that I cannot now recall. This was for three people, when any one of the plates of food would be considered enough for one back home. And these people are THIN! Summer weighs maybe 45 kilos.. She is always telling me to eat like her to lose weight, but I tell you I could not afford to eat like her, or any of the Chinese we have shared a meal with. Not only that, but I would make myself ill from eating too much. I just do not see how they do it.

After this feast, that they call a simple lunch, we went to the wholesale district to check on fabrics for some shirts for me. I am hoping that for once in my life I might own some clothing that actually fits properly. I ordered two shirts made to a custom design of my own, taking inspiration from the shirts of warm climates such as Cuba and south America, made from a linen/silk blend. One is to be white with a pattern in the cloth, and the other maroon again with a pattern in the cloth. If these turn out as I hope, then I will have more made, perhaps of a different style also. I also intend to have some slacks made, and if I can get a good description I hope also have some casual pants made to fit as well.

As you all know I am not a clothes horse, but I figure that this is a rare opportunity that few people can truly appreciate since almost everyone I know can simply buy clothes off the rack to fit. I do not have the luxury. I usually cannot even find clothes in the speciality stores, so custome tailored clothing is one of the few options I have. That said, I am both too cheap and too poor to have this done in the states, so I am taking advantage of it here. The cost looks to be what most people pay for off the rack clothing, once I pay for the material (sucks to by material by the meter when you are tall!) and the labor. However since labor makes up about one third of the cost, it is easy to see why I would take advantage of the opportunity, even with my scottish nature.

By this time much of the day was gone, so we returned home watched a movie, and skipped dinner, which would be a problem if we did not eat like the Chinese do! Jeez!

Tomorrow we are going to be planning out at least a portion of the remainder of my visit, including the trip to Mt Taishan which is of special importance to me.

From Tianjin, All my best to the folks back home, no matter where that home may be.

Brian

I have spent most of this week taking it easy and trying my best to simply enjoy the vacation. I have also finally been able to get to some books that I have had on my list for some time, something that I intended to do on this trip.

That said, I pulled up some links to the sites in Qinghai that we saw for background information, and more photos for those who are interested. Ta'er monastery is the same as Kumbum monastery so just click on the Ta'er links for that visit. This page also has a link to Bird Island and Qinghai lake, which we visited.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/qinghai/
http://www.chinavista.com/travel/qinghai/part1.html

Right now we are in the planning stages for the rest of my trip here. Mt Taishan is of primary importance to myself. It is the holiest of the 5 holy mountains in Taoism. Some info: http://www.linktrip.com/heritages/whl_tain.htm

Other than Taishan, we are planning at leat one more jaunt into Beijing to see the typical tourist sites: Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc.

This leaves a bit of time for other exploration, but I do not know where all we might consider. As always suggestions are welcome. :)

A couple of background comments that I may have overlooked but may assist in trying to understand where I am and what is going on around me here in China. First, we have all heard the warning "Do not drink the water" well here that is quite true. Even the locals do not drink the water. The only water we drink is bottled water. Unfortunately it seems that the idea of drinking water has not really caught on in China :) instead they drink beer or tea, and in my very limited experience they prefer the beer.

The result on my part is that I cannot imagine craving a beer and when I am out I would about kill for a simple glass of water. That said, I have really come to appreciate the subtleties and various flavors of Muslim style tea as well as flower tea (much like what we would call herbal tea). Muslim style tea includes many fruits, flowers, and whatnot. The cup has not handle, and it comes with a lid which is used to push back the contents which are loose in the cup. If you ever get a chance to try Muslim style tea, do so without hesitation.

One of the other background elements about which I should comment relates directly to this blog. Though I can post to the blog, for some reason (government blocks) I cannot view it myself. This being the case, I ask for some understanding if I repeat myself, or miss some spelling or error in grammar, as I am not able to check the site myself.

Conditions are very different from that which many of us, myself included, take for granted in the western world. In some ways this means greater opportunity, in others it means conditions that are surprising and undesirable. In the day to day life of the average Chinese citizen, at least as far as I have seen thus far, there is a great deal more freedom than in the US. Fewer laws, fewer police, fewer restrictions on activity. That said the activities that are restricted are restricted absolutely, as with the blocking of web sites.

But do not believe all of the US government rhetoric about religion being forbidden, or the people of China being held down. Religion is abundant, open, and very obvious. There is no hiding, nor the need for it. As for the Chinese people.. well they are the biggest threat to complacency of the west, particularly with regard to capitalism. They are in general far far better and more devoted capitalists than any other people I have encountered, and that of course includes my 30+ years experience of living in the supposed epitome of capitalism.

Just to be clear I am not trying to express a preference for one group over another, or to insult any nation or its people. Rather I am simply stating some of the common misconceptions and false assumptions that have been the norm for far too long. Things simply are not as they have been described.

Other background info.. while it is very difficult to get around and communicate when you do not speak the language, I have found on a few occassions a welcoming nature and the ability to interact, even have some fun, without that common language. The Chinese people have been warm, welcoming, friendly, and interested.

Enough for now.. Time to return to my solitude (Dad is still in the US) while it lasts. Solitude can be difficult to come by, especially with such an energetic and wonderful friend/guide as Summer, who is always worried that I might be left alone. Community, comraderie, family, and socializing is far more important here than it is in the states, and since I am basically anti-social even in the states, it can be even more difficult for me, despite the fact that all intentions are well meaning.

All the best to all, and keep the email coming. It is good to hear from home..

Yesterday Summer took me out of Tianjin to her Aunt's house for a wonderful lunch of what they call dumplings. They are more like what we know as ravioli, in this case stuffed with herbs and pork. They are then steamed until done and served with a special vinegar. Quite delicious. As always, everyone tried to get me to eat more of them, and despite the fact that I skipped breakfast, after we returned home I had no interest in dinner either as I had eaten as many of the dumplings as I could. Still Summer ate more, and she weighs a third of what I do.. I have no idea where she puts it all.

In this community there are small private homes with courtyards, but unlike our homes in the west (to a large extent anyway) these homes are all connected by common walls. They are concrete structures with a couple of outbuildings which house the kitchens (or at least a cooking area) and what else I do not know.

While walking around the community I was invited in to a pool hall, where the tables were far larger than the standard tables I have seen in the states, and about triple the size of the bar sized pool tables. I played with several of the fellows there, though we did not share a common language. Sadly, though I came close I could not pull off a single win. I blame the different size tables.. :)

After spending the day out of Tianjin, we returned and I simply took it easy. Her uncle drove us to the bus stop in a three-wheeled "car" which is more like an enclosed motorcycle than a car. The doors were quite small so I had some doubts about getting in and back out of the thing, but fortunately that turned out to be an unfounded concern. The cars here are of many shapes, styles, and forms. Some of the trucks for hauling are also of a three wheeled design, and you will also see what appears to be a multi-task engine connected to a cart to form a crude vehicle.

I know that I have promised to update the blog, and that I have not done so upon returning from Qinghai province.. I could offer dozens of excuses, like the connection is slow, my time online is very limited, and such.. but the truth is that I have been recovering from several days at altitude running around all of the time. Xining where we were staying was over 8000 feet, and we just went up from there.

I have posted many new photos, with still more to come of these areas in a week or so.

We arrived in Xining on the first of May. About Xining, it is located approximately in the center of China. However it is considered part of western China. Think Wichita Kansas as a geographical comparison, as China is almost exactly the size of the US. Xining sits on the Tibetian Plateau, which marks perhaps the first difference between Wichita and Xining: the altitude. Xining is at about 8200 feet above sea level. We were greeted by wind that was again like that of Wichita, and along the road from the airport (in fact everywhere we looked) the people were growing wheat (like Wichita) and barley. The main difference here is that the wheat and barley are grown on the sides of steep mountains, which last I checked Wichita did not have.

That afternoon we visited the largest park where an annual tulip festival was being held. Xining claims to be the origin of tulips. Some of the varieties were certainly incredible. Of special note was the purple tulip, which was entirely new to me. While we were walking through the park, a photographer from the paper took our photos and told Andy (Mu) our guide that we would be in the paper the next day. From the park we went through a market area that specialized in animals for pets. As with everywhere else I have been here, we attracted at least as much attention as did the animals for sale. Something about a couple of tall white guys that seemed out of place to them. :)

A stroll through another market, the largest general market street (alleys) in town. Just about anything you want can be found in these markets in China, except for something that will fit me. :) After a dinner of local cuisine we called it a night.

The next morning, that of the 2nd of May, we awoke to snow and cold temps. Strange thing to see on the second of May, especially for a guy from Texas. Fortunately the wind had calmed down, so though it was cold, it was still bearable. This day after a traditional Chinese breakfast (not much different from the other meals) we headed out to Kumbum monastery, an ancient Tibetian Buddhist monastery. The monastery was built to remember and mark the birthplace of the first teacher of the first dali lama. Kumbum sits about a thousand feet above Xining (so over 9000 feet for those who are keeping track). The monastery dates back to the early 1300's which lead me to a thought that I could not shake throughout the tour: I was walking in buildings older than the US itself by a long shot.

The monastery is still in use, and serves as a university as well for at least medicine and astronomy. There is not much I can say to do justice to the place, and though the pictures do not provide a full view either, I defer to them. One thing I will add is that walking through the monastery, climbing the stairs and such, I felt every inch of the altitude.

Even here in what most would consider the back country of China we were occassionally greeted with "hello" or "how are you?" from visitors, and even one monk. In the original temple building, in front of the stupa that first marked the spot, as I walked out of the building I found several people running their hands on my jacket. Perhaps they mistook me for Buddha.. all of us fat guys must look alike to them :)

After leaving the monastery we headed out to the Tu village of Huzhu. The Tu are an ethnic minority here and live in what is called an "autonomous region." I suspect that this is similar to the Indian reservations in the US. We had a late lunch at the village, where we were toasted by the locals (which means that they serve you three cups of alcohol which you must drink three times for each toast) until we could not drink any more. The alcohol was potent if not tasty. The meal was of special note: chicken and peppers, large thick noodles, barley porridge, a barbeque dish that was most likely yak, and a wild vegetable collected in the mountains. This was the second such wild vegetable we had had by the point, the first from the previous night was near as I can tell lichens. This one I could not identify, which has been the norm so far with much of the food I have had on this trip.

That said, the food was delicious.

May 3rd:

We headed out to Qinghai lake, a large salt water lake which is considered holy by the Tibetian people. In one of the photos you can see the altitude (in meters). After a short stop to admire the lake, and to get lunch (definitely had yak this time as well as yak butter, along with mutton and an assortment of vegetables, fish soup, and more food than 12 people should eat. Nothing was left...)

From there we continued around the lake (or inland sea if you prefer) to Bird Island. This is a protected place where many birds come to lay eggs. Lots of birds..

From there we continued around the lake to the gold and silver grasslands, though these grasslands were to be white for us because of the snow. They get their name from the flowers that bloom there later in the year. This return trip to Xining was so far the most senic yet. First were ranges that are reminiscient of Wyoming or Montana, then mountains that would leave the Rockies in their shadow. The photos do not do justice to the mountains, and I fear that nothing could.

Late arrival in Xining after a long day of several hundred kilometers. This seems a good time to comment on the roads.. they are less than pleasant to use, often containing missing sections, pot holes, uneven surfaces, and just about every problem or defect you can imagine. So what might take us just a few hours in the states will take far longer here. Sitting now in the comfort of the house, it is easier to see this fact as part of the charm.

May 4th:

We headed out to Kanbula national forest, a journey of a few hundred kilometers. This trip was to be south and so the land was green and growing, not smothered in snow. At least this was true at the beginning of the trip. As we neared the forest, as we climbed in altitude, the snow returned. This trip was to be the most intense in many ways. The views were more spectacular, the Danxia landform (Stone "forest") was breathtaking, the dam on the Yellow river quite impressive, and the "road" to the forest... well though the experience is one that I would not trade for anything, the drive to the forest up the mountain "road" which we were told was built but five months earlier, raised my blood pressure off the charts. First the road is not complete. It has no guard rails, no safeguards. We got stuck in one spot and were moving towards the edge while the driver was gunning the engine. Another part of the road was so narrow and ran along the top of a ridge that was so narrow and steep that you could not see the mountain sides on either side of the vehicle. We drove over or around rockslides, construction areas, snow falls, yaks, sheep, and people. I almost get the same nervous adrenaline surge just writing about it now. To give you an idea of just how steep these mountains are in places, I suspect that one could base jump off the side of the mountains, the same mountains that the Tibetian people are farming.

When we reached the top of the road, near as we can estimate we were at 14-14.5K feet. And there was another village there.. Truly amazing. The forest was interesting an the Danxia landform impressive. I will again let the photos speak for me of these.

After coming down off the mountain, we stopped at the Yellow river and walked along its shores (and occassionally in the river accidentally) This really seemed strange at the time to be on the banks of a river about which I had read so much, one which has played a role in the histories, and the philosophy of China. This was a great moment.

From there we found a local restaurant that the guide and driver believed was good enough and safe enough for us. Another wonderful meal of notable variety: mutton (with chili sauce), fish (we let Summer have all of the heads), mushrooms (the chinese have great mushrooms of many varieties), vegetables, barbeque yak..

Back to Xining where we did a little shopping (I picked up a couple of decorative knives, and we found Summer an outfit at an incredible price.) Women you do not want to know the prices on the clothes, it would bring tears to your eyes...

We met with a friend of Summer's, Traci, who was also visiting the town (and her boyfriend). Watched a small band, then a talen show, then a few singers. Turning in around 11 we called it a day.

May 5th:

Flew in to Beijing, found the hotel for my father who was to fly out to the states the next day, then went to the train station and bought tickets for Summer and I to Tianjin. After this we went to Silk Alley, where the sellers are very aggressive, and convinced that a large size shirt will fit me. For the record, it won't. Interesting place, and it was strangely comforting to see other westerners again. The alley is quite near many of the embassies, including the US embassy.

For dinner we went to Schindler's Tavern. Doesn't sound Chinese? Good reason for that: it's German. The food was excellent and the Weizen Dunkle was great (dark wheat beer). Following dinner we dropped off Dad at the hotel, went to the train station, pushed and shoved our way onto the train (A scotsman greeted me with "nothing like being crushed in China") then an hour and a half ride back to Tianjin. A cab back to Dad's house and I was once again in something which somewhat resembles a western environment. At least the bed was more comfortable and I do not have to worry about the quality of the facilities.

May 6th:

I spent the day resting. In the evening I caught a cab, gave him the cell phone to talk to Sumnmer who told him where to take me. This was an experience. After much confusion as to the destination (which I myself did not know) I found Summer and her friend Stoneman (I think that this was the result of a bad translation of the name "mason"). They showed me around Tea City, a bunch of tea shops in the same building. Then off to dinner at a local place with interesting food, but of course the food as been consistenly interesting. Back to Stoneman's place for a bit. This is a small room in an older building with no lights in the stairways and only crude facilities. After watching some videos of the Backstreet boys (The chinese like them... dunno why.. ) we called it a night.

Today I have tried to take it easy still and rest so thus far nothing of note.

I hope all is well with everyone back home.